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Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota, has this notable new MSNBC commentary headlined "If pot is legal, we dont need these absurd restrictions." The commentary complains not only about marijuana prohibution, but also all the limitation on marijuana legalization in both medical and recreational states. Here are excerpts from the piece:

Today, there are a couple dozen states (+D.C.) that have legalized medical marijuana in some way. Ohio just joined that list last month. And on election day (which is Tuesday, Nov. 8), medical marijuana and recreational marijuana will be on the ballot in several states. However, even if your state has legalized medical and recreational marijuana, there are still huge restrictions on every aspect of "legalization."

Take Colorado for instance. If you're a Colorado resident, you can buy up to 1 ounce of marijuana at one time, but if you're visiting from another state, you can only purchase up to  ounce at a time. Name one other legal substance that is regulated in this manner. If I can buy as many cigarettes as I want, then why, in a state like Colorado where marijuana is legal, can I not empty my bank account in a retail marijuana shop if that's what I want to do?

Think about alcohol for a minute. It's completely legal to buy as much of it as you want. If you drink too much, it can cause liver damage, addiction, even death. According to the CDC, in 2014 alone, more Americans died from alcohol-induced causes (30,722) than from overdoses of prescription painkillers and heroin combined (28,647). So, there were more alcohol related deaths in 2014 than heroin related deaths (and we keep hearing that there's a national heroin epidemic in this country), yet I am not limited to the amount of alcohol I can purchase.

If it's such a deadly substance, then shouldn't it be regulated more? Could you imagine if the government did such a thing? Let's limit the amount of beer to a six-pack per person per day and see how much rioting there'd be in the streets! Look, if a substance is legal to purchase, then I should be allowed to purchase as much of it as I so desire. To me, that's the definition of a legal substance....

I'd like to know what lawmakers are so afraid of when it comes to actually legalizing marijuana. What are the side effects of this medication? Patients feel better. It helps people manage chronic pain without addiction or death. We just lost Prince, one of the greatest musical icons of my home state of Minnesota, due to prescription pill overdose. If his doctor prescribed him marijuana, I believe he would still be with us today. And as a "recreational" substance, name me one person who smokes weed and then wakes up the next day not remembering committing violent or aggressive acts, which is so typically associated with alcohol use.

I'm a purist. If a substance is legal, it should be legal. Yes, let's tax it, let's make money off of it, but let's not regulate it to the point where people live in fear of having too much of this "legal" substance on them at a given moment. When people buy cigarettes, they don't worry if they have too many packs in the trunk of their car, yet there is not one medical benefit of smoking cigarettes. It's common knowledge that cigarettes slowly kill you. So addictive substances that kill people: perfectly legal. A medical substance that has proven time and time again to have practically zero side effects and can actually help people: not fully legalized, and many Americans risk going to jail if they use it.

On Election Day, I'm voting for people who will actually legalize this incredible plant. We don't know what's in our future or what's in our children's futures. Our loved ones could be diagnosed with cancer, Huntington's, ALS, epilepsy, glaucoma, Crohn's disease, PTSD, Parkinson's, fibromyalgia or any number of illnesses that cannabis treats. It's in all of our best interests to make cannabis legal for every American.
I am not sure when and how we will know for sure that the marijuana industry has gone entirely mainstream, but this new article appearing on the front-page of the New York Times seems like a tipping point moment. The lengthy article, as appearing on-line, is headlined "The First Big Company to Say Its Serving the Legal Marijuana Trade? Microsoft." (Apparently in the printed paper the headline was "Microsoft Dips Toe Into Trade on Marijuana.") Here are excerpts from the lengthy piece:

As state after state has legalized marijuana in one way or another, big names in corporate America have stayed away entirely. Marijuana, after all, is still illegal, according to the federal government.

But Microsoft is breaking the corporate taboo on pot this week by announcing a partnership to begin offering software that tracks marijuana plants from seed to sale, as the pot industry puts it.

The software  a new product in Microsofts cloud computing business  is meant to help states that have legalized the medical or recreational use of marijuana keep tabs on sales and commerce, ensuring that they remain in the daylight of legality.

But until now, even that boring part of the pot world was too controversial for mainstream companies. It is apparent now, though, that the legalization train is not slowing down: This fall, at least five states, including the biggest of them all  California  will vote on whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

So far, only a handful of smaller banks are willing to offer accounts to companies that grow or sell marijuana, and Microsoft will not be touching that part of the business. But the companys entry into the government compliance side of the business suggests the beginning of a legitimate infrastructure for an industry that has been growing fast and attracting lots of attention, both good and bad.

We do think there will be significant growth, said Kimberly Nelson, the executive director of state and local government solutions at Microsoft. As the industry is regulated, there will be more transactions, and we believe there will be more sophisticated requirements and tools down the road.

Microsofts baby step into the business came through an announcement on Thursday that it was teaming up with a Los Angeles startup, Kind, that built the software the tech giant will begin marketing. Kind  one of many small companies trying to take the marijuana business mainstream  offers a range of products, including A.T.M.style kiosks that facilitate marijuana sales, working through some of the state-chartered banks that are comfortable with such customers.

Microsoft will not be getting anywhere near these kiosks or the actual plants. Rather, it will be working with Kinds government solutions division, offering software only to state and local governments that are trying to build compliance systems.

But for the young and eager legalized weed industry, Microsofts willingness to attach its name to any part of the business is a big step forward. Nobody has really come out of the closet, if you will, said Matthew A. Karnes, the founder of Green Wave Advisors, which provides data and analysis of the marijuana business. Its very telling that a company of this caliber is taking the risk of coming out and engaging with a company that is focused on the cannabis business....

Its hard to know if other corporate giants have provided their services in more quiet ways to cannabis purveyors. New York State, for instance, has said it is working with Oracle to track medicinal marijuana patients. But there appears to be little precedent for a big company advertising its work in the space. It is still possible  though considered unlikely  that the federal government could decide to crack down on the legalization movement in the states.

The partnership with Kind is yet another bold step for Microsoft as its looks to replace the revenue from its fading desktop software business. On Monday, it announced that it was buying LinkedIn. Microsoft has put a lot of emphasis on its cloud business, Azure. The Kind software will be one of eight pieces of preferred software that Microsoft will offer to users of Azure Government  and the only one related to marijuana.

The conflict between state and federal laws on marijuana has given a somewhat improvisational nature to the cannabis industry. Stores that sell pot have been particularly hobbled by the unwillingness of banks to deal with the money flowing through the industry. Many dispensaries have been forced to rely on cash for all transactions, or looked to startups like Kind, with its kiosks that take payments inside dispensaries.

Governments, too, have generally been relying on smaller startups to help develop technology that can track marijuana plants and sales. A Florida software company, BioTrackTHC, is helping Washington State, New Mexico and Illinois monitor the marijuana trade inside their states....

The opening up of the market in California is already leading to a scramble for the big money that is likely to follow, and Microsoft will now be well placed to get in on the action. Ms. Nelson of Microsoft said that initially her company would be marketing the Kind software at conferences for government employees, but it could eventually also be attending the cannabis events where Kind is already a regular presence. This is an entirely new field for us, she said. We would have to figure out which conference might be the premier conference in this space. Thats not outside the realm of possibility.
Earlier this week the Drug Policy Alliance this notable new report detailing and lamenting that New York's medical marijuana program is too restrictive and that information about the program is not readily available. This DPA press release reports on some of the report's findings, and here are excerpts from the press release:

The Drug Policy Alliance issued a report assessing the first four months on the states medical marijuana program. The report is in response to demand for information in the face of the absence of all but the most limited public information from the New York State Department of Health. The report, the first systematic assessment of the program so far and its impact on patient access, found patients and caregivers face significant barriers to accessing medical marijuana.

On January 7th 2016, New York became the 23rd state to rollout its medical marijuana program. The law, which was passed in June of 2014, took eighteen months to implement and has been criticized as being one of the most restrictive and burdensome programs in the country. Since the program was launched, patients and advocates have been frustrated by numerous barriers to accessing the program, including difficulty finding participating physicians, trouble accessing dispensaries and medication, and affordability.

The Department of Health has released only limited data about how the program is performing, offering little more than updates on the number of patients and doctors who have completed registration applications. Working with Compassionate Care NY, the states largest grassroots organization of patients and caregivers, the Drug Policy Alliance surveyed 255 people who had sought to access the states medical marijuana program.

According to the report, one of most pressing problems is that patients are struggling to find health care providers who are participating in the program. According to DOH, as of June 9th, only 593 physicians New York physicians registered to certify patients for medical marijuana  less than 1% of all physicians in New York. Because there is no publicly available list of participating physicians, patients are forced to cold-call doctors in hopes of finding one or go through social media or other potentially unreliable sources.

More than half of patients and caregivers surveyed in the DPA report had not yet found a doctor to certify them, and among those, 3 out of 5 have been trying for 3 to 4 months to locate a registered physician.

Geographic inaccessibility is another barrier compounding problems of patient access to medicine. Under the law, only five producers are licensed to grow medical marijuana in New York, and each can only operate 4 dispensaries. This means that for a state of almost 20 million people and 54,000 square miles, there are only 20 dispensaries allowed (of which only 17 dispensaries have opened, to date). Patients, many of whom are very sick and disabled, must travel hours in some cases to get to a dispensary. According to findings from the survey, 27% of registered patients/caregivers travelled for 1 to 5 hours to access a dispensary, while nearly 2 out of 5 reported that the dispensary they visited did not carry the specific kind of medical marijuana that was recommended to them by their physician.

Another major finding of the report is the unaffordability of medicine. For respondents who had obtained medicine, 70% indicated that their monthly cost would be $300 and above, and more than 3 in 4 patients and caregivers who purchased medicine from a dispensary, stated that they would not be able to afford the monthly cost of medicine.

DPAs report calls on the New York State legislature to pass bills currently pending in Albany that would amend the Compassionate Care Act, New Yorks medical marijuana law, and improve access to medicine for those in need.... New Yorkers deserve more transparency and information about how the states medical marijuana program is performing, said Julie Netherland, PhD, of the Drug Policy Alliance and Compassionate Care NY. Our data confirms what we have heard from patients and caregivers for months  New Yorks program is not easily accessible, and even for patients who manage access the program, most cannot afford the medication. We urge the legislature to act quickly and pass these bills to improve the program so patients in need can get relief.
As reported in this AP article, headlined "Ohio Becomes Latest State to Legalize Medical Marijuana," the Buckeye State is now officially a medical marijuana state. Here are the basics:

Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a bill Wednesday legalizing medical marijuana in Ohio, though patients shouldn't expect to get it from dispensaries here anytime soon. The bill lays out a number of steps that must happen first to set up the state's medical marijuana program, which is expected to be fully operational in about two years. The law would allow patients to use marijuana in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions, but bar them from smoking it or growing it at home.

Kasich's signature made Ohio the 25th state to legalize a comprehensivemedical marijuana program, according to a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures. [ Editor's Note : I think this is really the 26th state, because after recent reforms Louisiana's should be part of this count.] ...

A newly created Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee will help develop regulations and make recommendations. The governor and legislative leaders must appoint people to the 14-member panel no later than 30 days after the bill's effective date. Its members will represent employers, labor, local law enforcement, caregivers, patients, agriculture, people involved in mental health treatment and people involved in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction. Others include a nurse, academic researcher, two practicing pharmacists and two practicing physicians. No more than six members can be of the same political party. The bill dissolves the committee after five years and 30 days....

The legislation specifies that the medical marijuana program is to be fully operational within two years of the bill.... The Ohio Department of Commerce, State Medical Board and Board of Pharmacy will all play a role. The Commerce Department will oversee licensing of marijuana cultivators, processors and testing labs. The Pharmacy Board will license dispensaries and register patients and their caregivers, and set up a hotline to take questions from patients and caregivers. The Medical Board would issue certificates to physicians seeking to recommend treatment with medical marijuana.
More Americans expect to work past their 65th birthdays and never retire, says a recent study.

The Associated Press with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polled 1,075 people, age 50 and older.

One-fourth of them said they never plan to retire. Among low-income earners in that age group that is even more true than for high earners.

In America, the age of 65 is the traditional age to retire.

Sixty percent of people aged 50 to 64 said they expect to work past their 65th birthday.

More than half of those who are already older than 65 said they plan to keep working, too. They say they are working an average of 31 hours per week.

Those 50 years of age or older said finances are the most important factor in the decision to when to retire.

A majority of older workers  especially those who are 65 and older  plan to switch employers, or move into an entirely new profession, as they head into the later years.

One-third of people earning less than $50,000 a year said they will keep working. About 20 percent of those who earn more than $100,000 said they will never retire.

As baby boomers  people born between 1946 and 1964 -- reach age 65, the United States general population will have more older people than ever before.

The number of Americans 65 and older jumped 21 percent -- or to 35.5 million -- between 2002 and 2012.

That number is expected to reach 92 million by 2060.

Im Marsha James.

Dora Mekouar wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted her report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

At what age do you plan to retire from your career or work? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

baby boomers  n. people born in the years following World War II, when there was a temporary marked increase in the birth rate

switch  v. to make a change from one thing to another
Mickel Mesa, a 28-year-old legal permanent resident of the United States, had not seen his family in the Dominican Republic for many years. So, in December 2013, he and his sister flew to the Caribbean nation. He said it was a week of great food and fun with people he had not seen since he was a teenager.

He returned to the United States on December 29th. When he arrived at the airport in New Jersey, he did what all so-called green card holders must do. He asked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, or CBP, for permission to re-enter the United States.

He showed the officers his green card and passport. But he was not permitted to enter. The officers arrested him instead.

In 2006, Mesa pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. That is a serious crime in New Jersey. He was sentenced to community service and five years of supervised freedom, called probation. He completed both long before he traveled to the Dominican Republic.

But federal officers arrested him anyway. In 1996, Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act. The law expanded the kinds of crimes for which legal immigrants could be expelled.

Paromita Shah is the associate director of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. She said many people who have green cards do not know that the CBP can punish them even after they have served their sentence.

She said, in many cases, American laws are used to expel green card holders for actions that happened years earlier.

Mesa was held in a jail in New Jersey for about a year. In January, 2015 he was sent back to the Dominican Republic, a place he had not lived in since he was a young boy.

He said he was never told in 2006 that he could be deported after completing his sentence.

Mesa had moved to the United States with his family when he was eight years old. His parents wanted a better life for him and his sister, Genesis.

I never asked to be taken [to the U.S.]; I never knew. We just picked up and left. But my parents were ignorant. Until this day, my mother hasnt become a citizen, he said.

Mesa said he thought if he had his green card he could not be expelled. All I knew was I had a permanent resident card. I was living my life. I was legal, he said.

He said people with green cards think they are free of expulsion threats.

Brittany Young is an immigration lawyer at Catholic Charities in West Virginia. She said that is a mistaken belief held by many green card holders.

People make bad choices, she said. They dont really quite understand the severity of their actions. That is why honestly I encourage people to become U.S. citizens as soon as they can.

The American Immigration Council says 10 percent of people sent back to their countries every year are legal permanent residents. The council says 68 percent of that group is deported because they have committed minor or nonviolent crimes.

After Mesa was arrested at the airport, his sister wrote to the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Department of Homeland Security. She asked them to reopen her brothers case.

She told them about a decision from the Superior Court of New Jersey that cancelled the guilty finding against Mesa in the criminal charge.

Court documents show that immigration officials have refused to reopen the case. They say Mesas family took too long to make their request. And, they note, Mesa was also found guilty of lower-level crimes involving possession of marijuana. His sister said Mesa used marijuana, but did not sell it.

Shah, from the National Lawyers Guild, said the 1996 law created a system that causes great pain for families.

We dont have a system with checks and balances," she said. "We dont have a system with due process. If we really want to fix and help the families who were being hurt, we need to start by appealing -- or at the very least amending -- the 1996 laws."

Genesis said her brother is not a criminal.

He was just stupid, she said. Ive been trying to fight his case because we lived in the United States for 20 years. We were raised in New Jersey. He spent his whole young child, adolescence and adult life in New Jersey.

Genesis says their father suffers from diabetes. His leg was removed as a result and he now has other health problems. She said her brother was the only person who cared for him.

Mesa has been in the Dominican Republic for more than a year. He is learning about life there, but it was not easy at first.

Mesa said the only work he has found has been providing customer service on the telephone.

Right now, where Im working at Im making less than $3 an hour working for American companies, he said. I would like to go back. I feel like it was unfair what was done to me -- not just me, many people.

Mesa said the family does not have the money to pay a lawyer to help with his case. He said his sister is the only person he can depend on.

Weve done the best we can on our own, he said.

Experts say the family could challenge the immigration agencys decision in the federal courts of appeal. Genesis said she will continue to fight to bring her brother back to the United States.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

Aline Barros reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

resident  n. someone who lives in a particular place

green card  n. a document that shows a person from a foreign country may legally live and work in the U.S.

intent to distribute  expression a legal term that expresses a prosecutors belief that because a person had a large quantity of an illegal product -- such as a drug -- the person was planning to sell it rather than use it themselves

ignorant  adj. lacking knowledge or information

commit  v. to do (something that is illegal or harmful)

checks and balances  expression a system in which the different parts of an organization (such as a government) have powers that affect and control the other parts so that no part can become too powerful

due process  n. (a US legal expression) the official and proper way of doing things in a legal case; the rule that a legal case must be done in a way that protects the rights of all the people involved

adolescence  n. the period of life when a child develops into an adult

challenge  v. to say or show that (something) may not be true, correct or legal




The International Labor Organization, known as the ILO, has launched a campaign to end child labor.

ILO officials organized a series of events to mark the World Day Against Child Labor earlier this month. Officials say child labor victimizes 168 million children worldwide.

The United Nations agency called a meeting of experts to examine how businesses use children to make goods that are sold throughout the world.

The meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland.

That is the Choir for the Abolition of Child Labor, a group of young people from Ivory Coast. The choir works to spread the message that children should be going to school, not working.

The music set the right note for the high-level discussion on ways to end child labor. The experts said children are now involved in every part of the supply chain -- from the manufacture of products to their distribution to buyers and other people.

Most child labor involves goods being made for consumers in the country in which the children are working. But children also produce goods and services for export.

Guy Ryder is director-general of the International Labor Organization. He says governments, employers, workers unions and consumers must work together to end child labor. He says companies must work to make sure their suppliers are free of child labor.

From enterprises, we need a clear message of zero tolerance of child labor. They need to know what is happening in their supply chains and to back that up with action in their business practices and dealings with suppliers. And this, I believe, is the common expectation of business in the 21st century.

Children work for low or no pay in abusive, slave-like and dangerous conditions. They have jobs in agriculture, fishing, clothing manufacturing, electronics and mining.

Philip Jennings is general-secretary of UNI Global Union, a worldwide workers movement. He says not enough is being done to end child labor.

There are 168 million reasons why we, as a community, cannot drop the ball and drop out of the conversation on child labor.

Jennings admits there has been progress in ending child labor. He notes that child labor has been reduced by one-third in the past 10 years. And he says governments have promised to end the custom by 2025.

The clock is running. The time for excuses from business is over. And we simply do not buy the argument that it is all the fault of government. We want business to accept its responsibility and to work with the social partners and local governments to ensure that child labor isn't a reality.

The experts agree that one way to end child labor is for adults and young people of working age to have good jobs.

Some of the experts called on the ILO to write rules about how to end child labor in the complex global system that now exists.

Im Dorothy Gundy.

Lisa Schlein reported this story from Geneva for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

consumer - n. someone who uses something, such as a produce or service

abolition  n. the act of officially ending or stopping something; the act of abolishing something

supply chain  n. a system of organizations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer; activities involve the transformation of natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to the customer.

enterprise  n. a business organization

zero tolerance  n. a policy of giving the most severe punishment possible to every person who commits a crime or breaks a rule; a policy of not permitting exceptions to a rule

practices  n. policies or actions of a business

clock is running  expression time is running out; people are watching to see what is being done
Irans state-run media reported on Sunday that the large American airplane manufacturer Boeing is negotiating to sell Iran 100 large passenger planes.

If it takes place, the multi-billion dollar deal would be one of the largest since Iran reached an agreement with Western powers last year to limit its nuclear activities.

"We have 250 planes in the country; 230 need to be replaced," said Ali Abedzadeh, the head of Iran's civil aviation body. Most of them were bought before Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ousted in the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and Islamists took power.

It has been almost impossible for Iran to buy the supplies necessary to repair the planes because of the economic restrictions put in place by many countries because of Irans nuclear activities.

Iran's state-run IRNA newspaper said the negotiations were not yet complete because a final agreement on costs had not yet been reached. But it reported that the head of the aviation agency said both sides -- Iran and Boeing -- have reached a written agreement for buying Boeing airplanes.

In April, the IRNA news agency reported that, during a trip to Tehran, Boeing officials had offered to sell to members of the Society of Iranian Airlines a number of its 737, 777 and 787 model aircraft.

Boeing would not confirm the negotiations or the number of planes being discussed.

The U.S. State Department has been urging American companies to sell their products and services in Iran. But many companies are worried about possible legal or political problems if they do so. That is because there are still U.S. sanctions in place that were not eased or ended by the nuclear agreement.

Some American lawmakers have warned Boeing not to sell its planes to Iran. The nuclear agreement is being debated in the presidential campaign. If the deal is to be completed, Boeing may be forced to sell the planes to Iran through a company it owns in another country. And it may need to complete the deal using a currency other than the American dollar to avoid violating U.S. laws.

U.S officials must decide whether or not to permit the sale to be completed. As part of the nuclear agreement, the U.S. Treasury Department must review the sale of passenger planes to Iran.

The nuclear agreement said airline manufacturers could sell planes to Iranian companies. Iran Air has already agreed to buy 118 planes from the European airplane manufacturer Airbus at a cost of about $25 billion, and 20 from a French-Italian aircraft manufacturer. This deal, however, requires approval from U.S. officials since more than 10 percent of Airbus materials come from the United States.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted this report for Learning English based on reports from VOANews.com and the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

model  adj. a particular type or version of a product (such as a car or computer)

sanctions  n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.  usually plural

currency  n. the money that a country uses
The Lexington Clipper Herald recently reported on Nebraska school performance and the

impact of poverty on student learning, relying on Hastings resident Bert Petersons comparison of school demographics and student outcomes. Peterson suggests a childs race and family income are the only relevant factors in understanding school performance.

Peterson goes on to negate his own thesis by suggesting that Nebraska schools can learn from higher performing districts with similar demographics, citing Lexington Public Schools as an example. We absolutely agree. But this would also require agreement that variations in school quality exist, a theory Peterson spends most of his time disputing.

Lexington Schools disprove Petersons theory, not only at the district level, but at the school level as well. Take, for instance, Morton Elementary. At 90%, Morton had the highest free and reduced lunch rate in the district during the 2014-15 school year. Based on Nebraskas standards, a combined 68% of Mortons students were proficient in math and reading that year. At the districts lowest poverty school, Bryan Elementary, 56% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunch and 69% of the students were proficient in math and reading. Poverty, as measured by free and reduced lunch rates, made no difference in student performance between these two schools.

Schools across Nebraska provide additional examples. At WashingtonElementary School in Norfolk, 73% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunch during the 201415

school year and 95% were proficient in math and reading. No elementary school in the Gretna school district, where the free and reduced lunch rate hovers around 6%, performed so well.

Adults entrusted with the responsibility of educating students must focus on what works, not excusing poor performance by blaming factors over which they have little to no control, as Peterson so often does. If we accept that schools can do little to improve student learning, nobody will suffer more than the students stuck in low performing schools. Poverty matters, but high standards and expectations, as well as highly effective teachers and great school leaders, also matter.

Looking at schools like Morton Elementary in Lexington, and Washington Elementary in Norfolk, we know what happens in the school building during the school day impacts student learning and outcomes. A correlative pattern between school performance and student demographics, with high poverty schools often performing worse, speaks to the opportunity to improve, not the inability of children to learn. Parents do not require statistical analyses to understand that a childs demography does not determine his destiny. Parents care where their children go to school because they know, better than anyone, that it matters.
Vijay Mallya, one often feels, has the good traits of a mythical Hindu Baba, or a Sufi seer or, for that matter, a Pagan saint. Events of future unveil in his mind like a beautiful painting unfolds in the serenity of a canvas or as if clouds assemble into mystical formations in the evening skies to give a spectator the glimpse of his fate.

That is how perhaps Mallya's sixth sense informed him that all hell is about to break loose on him in a few days and he should plan his flight to the promised land with seven bags, on 2 March, to join his family.

Soon after that, banks initiated an all-out attack on him by moving the Supreme Court, Enforcement Directorate launched a manhunt for him and began to seize his assets while the Indian government commenced steps to revoke his passport and get him back to face the law of the land. It was a great escape just in time.

Mallya is also omnipresent. The man can be spotted anywhere at any point. Just that sometimes you see him, sometimes you dont.

True, the man may be wanted back home for defaulting not less than Rs 9,000 crore to a host of sarkari banks, who by the way would happily load truckloads of money to any tycoon without even any full assurance on what guarantee they are giving the money. They believe in the larger principles of universe, that the whole life is based on trust and mutual affection. The government and investigating agencies may be after Mallya, trying out all the tricks (passport cancellations, deportation/ extradition moves or Interpol red corner notice) they could try to bring him back to face the law of the land. But Mallya is not perturbed even to a small extent.

That is the reason he thought it is alright to attend a book launch event of noted author Suhel Seth in London School of Economics (LSE), a few seats away from where Indian high commissioner, Navtej Sarna, sat. If anyone was disturbed between these two because of this august company, it was Sarna, who left the venue in a hurry after his address without participating in the interactive session.

When the high commissioner spotted Mallya in the audience, he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session," the MEA statement says.

So, MEA has washed its hands of the guilt of being associated with an official absconder and a proclaimed offender. It is a good move, since, as George Washington once said, it is far better to be alone than in a bad company.

But, how come this gross slip happened with Sarna? Didnt someone tell him in advance that the King of Good (or bad) Times is in with his entourage for the function? Apparently Mallya came uninvited.

In a statement, the MEA said, Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present. The LSE too has washed its hands of the ignominy of associating with a proclaimed offender in India by saying it wrote to the High Commission saying there was not any special invitation to Mallya to the event that was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance.

So, one should understand that Mallya arrived on his own on account of his sheer interest to literature. Of course he can. Why not? A king does not panic and withdraw to his room like an aam aadmi even if he is entrapped in a difficult situation, be it default on a bank loan or threats of punitive action by a large state.

Mallya lives by his own rules. Sometimes youll spot him here, sometimes there.

Do not be astonished, for he is and will remain as the King of Good Times who will occasionally exhibit the traits of a Hindu Baba or a Sufi Seer, or for that matter, a pagan saint.
London: Vijay Mallya, declared a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case, on Sunday said he was not a "gate crasher", suggesting that he was invited to the book launch event here which was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner.

Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna's presence at the event on Thursday where Mallya was spotted sparked a row following which External Affairs Ministry on Saturday issued a clarification that Mallya was not on the list of invitees of the event organiser.

The MEA had said the High Commissioner left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments when he spotted Mallya in the audience. The event was organised by the London School of Economics.

"Never gatecrashed in my life... I am not a gatecrasher and would never be one," Mallya tweeted on Sunday, responding to the claims that he was not among the invitees.

@TimesNow Never gatecrashed in my life  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 18, 2016

@TimesNow I went for my friend-the author.Sat quietly with my daughter and listened. Headline news and unfounded speculation followed.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 18, 2016

The disgraced business tycoon, who had walked in soon after the event started, tweeted, "I went for my friend - the author. Sat quietly with my daughter and listened. Headline news and unfounded speculation followed."

"No evidence, No charge sheet. Before claiming all this should I not be given a chance to pursue my legal remedies? Most unfair," he said.

@TimesNow No evidence, No charge sheet. Before claiming all this should I not be given a chance to pursue my legal remedies ? Most unfair.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 18, 2016

Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seth's new book, attended the function with Mallya in the audience.

After the uproar over the issue, the MEA had said there were two clear segments to the June 16 event in question  the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests.

"The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was

advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance.

"Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present," the MEA statement said.
Continuing his tirade against Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Sunday said Rajan has been acting as a "Congress agent" ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in May 2014.

Swamy's remarks came after senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that he was saddened by the way an "upright" RBI Governor was being targeted by the NDA government.

"I am saddened by the way the BJP-led government treated an upright RBI Governor like Raghuram Rajan," Azad told media.

On Saturday, Rajan announced he would not want a second term after his current tenure as the RBI Governor ends in September.

Reacting to Azad's remarks, Swamy told the media here that such remarks only substantiated his suspicion that Rajan acted as a Congress agent.

This only proves what I have always suspected that Rajan worked as a Congress agent since the BJP came to power: Subramanian Swamy,BJP

He (RBI Guv)sabotaged our economy by trying to put all small medium industries out of business:Subramanian Swamy,BJP pic.twitter.com/jnlNJYNSBn  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

Swamy has been bitterly criticising Rajan for some time now, accusing the RBI Governor of derailing the Indian economy by keeping the lending rates high.

Whether Rajans decision is the outcome of a political campaign targeting him in the last few months led by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy or purely on account of personal reasons (his interest in returning to academia) is a mystery that would perhaps never get solved.

Swamy has also campaigned against Rajan with charges and accusations ranging from his mentally not fully Indian status to wrecking the economy with his monetary policies.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: The Centre has taken a grim view of "some" states not releasing funds to their respective high courts to buy new hardware for the prestigious e-courts project, with Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda asking them to to do so "immediately".

In a letter to all chief ministers, Gowda has said Rs 202.23 crore has been allocated to states to make it available to high courts to procure hardware for the e-courts project.

"It seems some of the state governments have not made the funds available to high courts...the funds may be released immediately and adequate technical manpower may also be provided for smooth functioning of the project," Gowda said in his letter sent this month.

India has 24 high courts.

He has also urged the chief ministers to take early action and intimate to him "periodical progress in this regard."

Gowda, however, did not name the states which have not released the funds.

The issue of failure on part of the states to provide funds to the high courts was flagged during the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of states and Chief Justices of High Courts held here on 24 April.

The eCourts Integrated Mission Mode Project is one of the national eGovernance projects being implemented in High Courts and district/subordinate courts across India.

The objective of the eCourts project is to provide designated services to litigants, lawyers and the judiciary through information communication technology enablement of district and subordinate courts in the country.

According to a note prepared by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry, as on 1 March, 2016, more than 95 percent of the mandated activities have been completed.

As part of the project, laptops have been provided to 14,309 judicial officers.

A unified national core application software  Case Information System (CIS) software  has been developed and made available for deployment in all computerised courts. Entry of data regarding past cases has been initiated and data in respect of over 5.5 crore cases are available online.
Panaji: The minor girl, who had accused former Goa minister Atanasio Monserratte of rape, has been admitted to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) in Panaji from the state-run protection home due to her "abnormal behaviour", a senior police official said.

The 16-year-old girl, who was lodged in the protection home near Panaji, after she filed the case against Monserratte, an expelled Congress MLA, was referred to IPHB after the management of the home complained about her abnormal behaviour, the official attached to Crime Branch told PTI on Sunday.

On 5 May, Monserratte was arrested after the girl complained that she was purchased by him (from her mother) at Rs 50 lakh and was raped thereafter.

"The girl has been kept under observation. We are monitoring her behaviour. The details cannot be disclosed about the case as it amounts to breach of privacy of the patient," a senior doctor from IPHB said.

The girl was admitted to the institute last evening and kept under tight police protection as Monserratte is already out on bail.

Crime Branch had arrested mother of the victim and another woman for human trafficking. All are out on bail currently.

Monserratte, who represents St Cruz constituency, had refused his involvement in the case claiming that the entire episode was a "political conspiracy" against him.

He said the victim, who was working in the lifestyle showroom owned by him, was dismissed from services for stealing cash.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday expressed confidence that India will get membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and also said that India won't oppose Pakistan's or any other countries membership in the NSG, but underlined the final decision should be decided on merits.

Swaraj made these statements at a media conference arranged to speak about the initiatives and achievements of the external affairs ministry. At the event, the ministry also released booklets which highlighted the MEA's work in the past two years.

"It is not correct to say that in the bid to secure membership in NSG, we have disregarded Saarc. We are trying to ensure that India can become an NSG member this year," Swaraj said.

The External Affairs Minister also said that New Delhi will pursue with its consensus approach on the issue and even try to win over China's support.

"Hum China ko bhi mananey mein kamyabi hasil kar lenge (We will succeed in convincing China too)," she told the media.

In fact, MEA sources said that the announcement on NSG membership will come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting in Tashkent on 23 June, reported CNN-News 18.

The External Affairs Minister's comments assume particular significance especially after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made a pit stop at Beijing on 16-17 June to enlist support for India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which is being opposed by China.

China has been strongly opposing India's membership at the premier club, arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, Swaraj clarified on Sunday that China is not opposed, but wants procedural changes.

Stating that China is talking only about the criteria and procedures to be adopted for membership of the elite 48-nation atomic trading bloc, Swaraj said India was hopeful that it will be able to convince China to give its backing. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India can scuttle its bid.

Sh added that the NSG entry is crucial for India's energy policy. "I'm myself in contact with 23 nations, 1 or 2 raised concern but think consensus is there," she said.

Talking on Indo-Pak relations, Swaraj said: "India-Pakistan relations are "jatil" (complicated) and talks and terrorism cannot go together."

But she told the media that there was "sehejta" (simplicity) in the chemistry involving Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan.

"This warmth and simplicity in relations between two Prime Ministers were never there in the past," she said.

While pursuing with the commitment for friendship, the government won't compromise on issues of national security. India, she said, remained firm in its resolve that talks and terrorism cannot go together.

"We are awaiting solid action from Pakistan's side on Pathankot attack. Pakistan has not rejected the proposal for NIA visit, has sought some time to conduct proper probe from their end," she said.

Defending the Narendra Modi government's global outreach-driven foreign policy and said there are many benefits of such endeavours.

The minister, however, denied that South Asia was not getting adequate priority in the Modi government's foreign policy.

"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) does not come sitting at home," Sushma Swaraj said, in an apparent dig at critics who have often Prime Minister Modi's frequent overseas travels.

"Aaj jab Bharat bolta hai, duniya sunti hai (Today when India speaks, the world listens)," she told the media here.

"India has always maintained that we want peaceful settlement on sea related issues."

The minister said since the Modi government took charge in May 2014, there had been a substantial FDI inflow.

"As much as $55 billion or Rs 369,000 crore has come through the FDI route in the last two years. It is about a 43 per cent jump over what it was during the UPA rule."

Swaraj said the foreign outreach had helped India enlist assistance of global players like the US, France, Germany and England in flagship schemes like 'Smart Cities'.

"With Australia alone, we had 13 agreements on skill development," she said, adding there had been cooperation with countries such as Germany and Japan for 'Namami Ganga' programme.

On the issue of threats to Hindus in Bangladesh, she said the Sheikh Hasina govermment had been taking adequate steps and had so far arrested as many as 3,000 suspects.

"More than that, I feel happy to say that even Islamic leaders in Bangladesh have condemned such threats to Hindus in that country," she said.

On extradition of Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case, Swaraj said: "Our team has suggested few changes in the extradition request sent to us by the Enforcement Directorate, once we receive the revised application, we will forward the request to UK."

However, on Lalit Modi's extradition request, the External Affairs Minister denied having received any request from the ED.

Commenting on Mallya's presence at the book launch event in London which was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner, Swaraj said: "Mallya did not get formal invitation from London School of Economics or from High Commissioner. Don't know why the issue is being raked up, as everyone knows that the moment High Commissioner saw Mallya in audience he walked off."

Congress on Saturday once again reiterated that the Narendra Modi government is not serious about getting Mallya back to India.

"It is not surprising. This government is actually trying to go through the motions of a smoke-screen. They are not serious in getting him (Mallya) back. The Indian High Commissioner in England understands that and therefore he does not see a problem in attending that event," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had said.

The High Commissioner "understands the policy of the government which is actually you create a smoke screen of activity. They are not serious of getting him," said Tewari.

"Indian High Commissioner was not at fault. If Suhel Seth invites someone then High Commissioner has nothing to do with it," Swaraj said on Sunday.

On Indians being killed in Iraq, Swaraj clarified that there is no confirmation or proof on them being killed. "It will be injustice on my part to say they are dead. In fact, we have been informed that they are alive and we are trying for their early release," she added.

With inputs from agencies
Delhi Public School (DPS), Srinagar faced a lot of criticism after it reportedly barred a Muslim teacher from wearing 'Abaya', a loose over-garment in school. The Jammu and Kashmir government reacted sharply to this ban and termed it a serious issue. We are not France, said Education Minister Naeem Akhtar referring to the ban.

Soon after the incident, the teacher resigned while students boycotted classes and sought an apology from the school management. They also demanded that the teacher, who taught biology, be recalled, reported The Indian Express.

I was not given any contract or explained any conditions when I joined. The principal was absent for two months. After she returned, she sent a message that I should not wear abaya. She categorically told me that Islamic dress is not allowed on the school premises, the report quoted the teacher as saying.

DPS Principal Kusum Warikoo allegedly asked the teacher to choose between her job and the dress code. She further responded to the students protest by saying that the school was merely following rules and the school law says no female teacher can wear abaya inside the campus during working hours.

This issue was raised in the state assembly by MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid who called such a ban in a Muslim state condemnable, according to Hindustan Times.

Akhtar, who is also the spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir government, replied that the concern will be raised with the school authorities.

It is a private school and we will get into the truth of the issue. We live in a country with multi-cultural and multi-religious setup. We have a secular fabric. No force on any such issue will be accepted; we are not France where the government or some institute decides what dress people should wear, Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

Separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani demanded an unconditional apology from the school. Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim- majority State and objecting to the Islamic dress code could have very serious consequences, said Geelani. He also said that the school should not do the mistake of ignoring the sensitivity of the issue.

Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU) said that un-Islamic and anti-Muslim measures would not be tolerated.

Akhtar was referring to the law in France banning school staff from wearing garments displaying a religious allegiance. The country also has a national ban on wearing veils that cover your face in public.
The Dr Bhau Daji Lad museum in Mumbai, in collaboration with The Polish Institute, New Delhi and Culture.pl, is currently hosting the Eye On Poland exhibition, showcasing the work of graphic designers from the European nation.

The aim of the exhibition is to bring to the Mumbai audience the richness of the graphic design scene in Poland. Over 30 designers, artists and design studios have contributed works to the exhibition. Most of the works displayed were created in the last four years and are commissions.

According to the exhibitions curators, Magdalena Frankowska and Artur Frankowski, the graphic design scene in Poland is an interesting one as contemporary Polish graphic design is colourful, swift, witty and smart. The scene got an impetus when Poland joined the European Union and new cultural institutions came into being. All the artists whose works are being displayed at the exhibition are currently active in the field of design.

For the past 15 years, a new phenomenon has been emerging in the field of poster and book design. Other than just professional creators of posters and books, now, illustrators, visual artists and photographers are stepping into the field, thereby erasing the strict difference between poster designers and other graphic designers. This has led to various techniques such as vector graphics, photography, collage, painting and freehand drawing being brought together in one design.

The exhibitions curators believe that despite the process of globalisation, contemporary Polish graphic design is still significantly influenced by tradition, native language and cultural identity. Eye on Poland is intended to be a way where the audience can understand Polish graphic design and conclude whether or not it is different from the designs produced in other countries.

The Eye On Poland exhibition will be on at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum till 31 July, 2016. Museum will be open from 10 am to 5:30 pm on all days except Wednesdays and certain public holidays.
By Ila Ananya

When you first talk to Ma Faiza, youll be unsure of whether youve got the right person on the phone. She talks quietly and slowly, taking her time to say exactly what she wants to say  not at all sounding like a person wholl say wild things, as I had been told she would  But you absolutely have to talk to her.

Ever since the deadly shooting at Orlandos gay club Pulse, Ive seen friends on Facebook share posts in solidarity, trying to start conversations about gay clubs that are safe spaces, places where everyone is comfortable being themselves, whether they are lesbian women, gay men, or trans. For Ma Faiza, known as one of Indias most trendy queer DJs, such safe spaces are a big deal. I want the press involved, I want queer music, and art, people dressed up, and trapeze artists, she says. Even someone who hasnt been to such a placecan picture the energy and sound and colour.

In Bangalore Mirror, Joshua Muyiwa writes of a time he went to dingy and dark clubs, where he says he was, granted the uncompromising permission to turn my freak on. He describes how parties that were lit with bright lights were all much more gendered spaces, where every move of his body was seen and labelled  spaces that automatically became less his own. Ma Faiza hasnt organised a party since Q Nites in Mumbai in 2011  Where out is in, the poster said  when Section 377 was not in place. She talks of that last event fondly, saying that it was open to everyone: queer people as well as straight women and men who were just curious about attending. It was huge because there were 700 people inside and 500 more waiting outside for hours just to get in. We had stalls outside Blue Frog [where the party was held], and there was art, music, messages, drag queens, everything, she says. One immediately wonders if the club Pulse was also such a space of comfort and curiosity for the victims that night.

Amrita, a software developer and graphic designer, was one of the people who joined All Sorts of Queer (ASQ), after they broke off from Were Here and Queer! (WHaQ!), a Bangalore-based support space for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women. Were still trying to figure out how to create such social spaces where everyone feels like they can be themselves, and that they have a voice, she says, It doesnt have to be a party, it can even just be a place with regular [things like] movie screenings, where people can get together and meet other new people. I think this is true whether youre a woman, man, or trans.Amrita mentions Lavender Nights, organised by a lesbian group in Bengaluru in 2010, that was open to lesbian and bisexual women and trans people. It happened about four-five times before it petered out. She laughs when she mentions the one time they had a dress code  a person wore red if they werent interested and didnt want to be approached, yellow if they were, and green just meant go for it.

What everyone is quick to point out, however, is that in India, the idea of gay clubs as exclusive spaces for queer people has not really worked. Instead, we have someone-specialist nightclubs, pubs and bars that are considered queer-friendly. Many also note that gay men always seem to have a lot more parties than lesbian women. Poorva Rajaram, who helps organise the Bangalore Queer Film Festival, says that very often, discretion is everything if any such parties do happen in India, and the publicity is always much less than people would ideally like.

Amrita remembers a time when she and her friend Dolly had organised a lesbian speed dating event at Jaaga, in Bangalore  and began receiving several creepy emails from straight men the minute Jaaga updated its event board. It wasnt even a party, but it was a time we were really worried about safety and then had to get reinforcements she says. From all the times that Chanda has tried to organise such events, she says she has observed that women tend to feel much more comfortable in smaller groups, and prefer to be in a private space like someones house. Clubbing and dancing are something that happens afterwards, its a side thing, and hardly central to everybody meeting.The focus is on interacting with other women, she says.

Ma Faiza and other queer organisers and club-goers have been lying low since Section 377 was upheld by the Supreme Court of India in December 2013. I remember, a club we once approached [to host us, they] asked us how we could think of hosting such a disgusting thing. I think a lot more people are scared now, its too much of a risk, and they dont want to be known as a place that hosts gay parties, Ma Faiza says. She adds that she was horrified to hear that at recent a Pride March after-party, it turned out that the DJ was not queer and was just the venues regular person.

The thing is that Im 46, and Im out. I grew up in London, my family supports me, she says.Im not 21 years old and trying to come out in India  and having places you feel safe in might just make that easier.
In a major revamp, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday sacked 14 ministers and inducted 13 members into his Council of Ministers.

With the Congress high command giving the go-ahead, nine ministers of Cabinet rank and four Ministers of State were inducted at the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan with Governor Vajubhai Vala administering the oath of office and secrecy.

Ahead of the swearing in, Siddaramaiah recommended sacking of 14 ministers which the Governor accepted.

Tanveer Sait, Kagodu Thimmappa, Ramesh Kumar, Basavaraj Raya Reddy, H Y Meti, S S Mallikarjun, M R Seetharam, Santosh Lad and Ramesh Jarkiholi were inducted as Cabinet rank ministers.

Priyank Kharge, Rudrappa Lamani, Eshwar Khandre and Pramod Madhwaraj were sworn-in as Ministers of State.

Thimmappa and Ramesh Kumar are former Assembly Speakers, while Kharge is the son of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

The ministers who faced the axe are: Qamarul Islam, Shamanoor Shivashankarappa, V Srinivasa Prasad, MH Ambareesh, Vinay Kumar Sorake, Satish Jarkiholi, Baburao Chinchansoor, Shivaraj Sangappa Tangadagi, SR Patil, Manohar Tahasildhar, K Abayachandra Jain, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Kimmane Ratnakar, PT Parameshwar Naik. Among the prominent ones to lose their ministerial berths are Revenue Minister Srinivasa Prasad, Labour Minister PTP Naik and Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake.

With the reshuffle, the Congress appears to have made an early start to prepare itself for the Assembly elections, which are due in 2018. Karnataka is presently the only large state where the Congress party is in power.

The changes, however, did not go unopposed. On Saturday, supporters of Karnataka ministers V Srinivas Prasad and Ambareesh took to the streets in protest after reports about their possible removal came in. Supporters of Srinivas Prasad protested at Hullalli Circle in his constituency of Nanjangud and blocked national highway 212 leading to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Ambareesh loyalists blocked the Mysuru -Bengaluru road near Mandya, holding up traffic, reported Deccan Chronicle.

'Non-performers' shunted out

Ministers who were seen as non-performers or were hit by some controversy or the other were shown the door, according to party sources, who also said the exercise was to inject "more dynamic members" into the ministry.

The Chief Minister has embarked upon the exercise more than three years after assuming office on 13 May, 2013. Siddaramaiah received the green signal from the Congress high command on Saturday after intense discussions with party president Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi, who authorised him to carry out the rejig.

In the reshuffle, the Chief Minister has tried to balance equations of caste and region and is coming in order to put the party on a sound footing two years before the Assembly elections in Karnataka, which is the only major state where Congress is ruling after being recently ejected out of power in Kerala and Assam.

With the reshuffle, the ministry has a strength of 33, one less than the constitutional limit. However, it remains to be seen if the reshuffle will be followed up by smart electoral work.

With inputs from PTI
Ahmedabad: Amidst reports of alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday if the information is correct, Uttar Pradesh government must take proper action.

"If some people are forced to leave their native place by any individual or gang, state government must take proper action," he told PTI in Ahmedabad.

The Home Minister was speaking for the first time on the controversy after a BJP MP alleged that many Hindu families were forced to leave Kairana town in western Uttar Pradesh allegedly due to threat from a particular community.

Singh said he has information that some people have left Kairana but the incidents should not be given a communal colour.

"Communal colour should not be given to the Kairana incidents. But at the same time there should not be a situation when people have to leave their native place," he said.

The Home Minister said those who have left their native place, should be properly rehabilitated.

Asked whether similar incidents have taken place in some other parts of Uttar Pradesh, as claimed by some BJP leaders, Singh said he had heard about it but there has been no confirmation yet.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had recently released a list of 346 families who had allegedly been forced to flee the town, which has 85 per cent Muslim population. Kairana is in Shamli district which witnessed communal riots in 2013.

The state government had recently ordered a probe by the Shamli district administration into the alleged migration from Kairana and it had found that 188 of 346 families mentioned in the list had left over five years ago.

A UP home department spokesman had said that on verification of the list provided by the BJP MP, it was found that 66 families had left Kairana 10 years ago.

It was also found that 60 families were living elsewhere for reasons relating to education, employment, health, or others.

As many as 28 families mentioned in the list are still residing in Kairana, the spokesman had said.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi turned 46 on Sunday. Wishes poured in from all quarters, but with the Congress going through one of its worst phases since its inception, does the Gandhi scion really have the time to celebrate his birthday? It is an uphill task, especially for Rahul, of turning the party fortunes.

Since the drubbing Congress received in the General Assembly Election in 2014, things have not been quite celebratory in the party. This year too, Congress' performance in the crucial assembly election in the five states  Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry, Kerala and Assam  was abysmal. 2017 is a crucial year for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for two reasons. As reports have suggested, Rahul might be anointed as the Congress president soon. If and when that happens, the Gandhi scion will be in charge of spearheading the mammoth and extremely important by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. The Congress party would ideally want to seal a win in the upcoming elections, especially with the Narendra Modi-led BJP government's slogan of 'Congress-mukt Bharat', becoming a reality for 131-year-old grand party.

While the Congress is looking at a complete organisational overhaul, the top brass has already been engaged in strategising for the upcoming elections. A senior party leader was quoted as saying that Rahul Gandhi has to take some tough decisions regarding the organisational set up of the party and need to answer questions regarding when he plans on taking on the role of the party president and defining his plans for the party.

A series of political setbacks have given rise to rebellion inside the Congress. And the examples are in front of us: Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and now in Karnataka. Most political pundits were of the view that this is the toughest phase for the Gandhi scion. "The party in the past has always looked to its "first family" to help it win elections. Rahul Gandhi is yet to perform or demonstrate the capability or even inclination to lead the parties electoral/political battles," Sandeep Shastri, pro-vice-chancellor, Jain University, and director of its Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Education, was quoted as saying by Livemint.

His break into politics came in 2004 when he was elected as the MP for Amethi. He became the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 2007 and in 2013 office he has appointed as the party vice-president.

During an interview with Debobrat Ghose of Firstpost, historian and an expert on Congress history, Aditya Mukherjee said, "Rahul has to assert himself. When the Congress took big steps or decisions in the form of movement, no follow up happened. Its because the partys organisation is in a very bad shape."

With the BJP aggressively launching Mission 265-plus campaign for the Uttar Pradesh elections, eyeing majority of the 403 seats in the state assembly, the Congress is scrambling to identify its chief ministerial candidate. Poll strategist and advisor Prashant Kishor has suggested the names of Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the CM nominee of the party. Finally, former Delhi Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit was nominated as the CM candidate for the 2017 polls.

However, there was much clamour of making Priyanka the chief ministerial face of Uttar Pradesh, given her charismatic personality and her connect with the public. Ghulam Nabi Azad, the new Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, also favoured Priyanka Gandhi campaigning outside Amethi and Rae Bareilly for the state assembly elections next year.

"I do hope that she will definitely campaign in some other places as per time available to her," he said. Regarding Rahul Gandhi, Azad said the Congress vice-president will be elevated "at the decided time" and hence, there was no question of making him the leader of UP.

Not only does Rahul Gandhi have the task of reviving Congress, which is yet to recover from the series of electoral defeats that started with the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he has to keep the party together which saw the exit of some of the prominent regional leaders in recent times. He has to quell the discontent growing within the party as many of the workers have expressed their dissatisfaction over the functioning of the party.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished Rahul Gandhi on his birthday on Twitter. Of course, when it comes to the Congress vice-president, the Twiterratti can hardly resist taking potshots at him.

Birthday wishes to the Congress VP, Shri Rahul Gandhi. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life. @OfficeOfRG  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2016

Wait, it's Rahul Gandhi's birthday?

And, Father's Day?

On the same day. Sometimes Cause & Effect are upside down.  Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) June 19, 2016

It is Rahul Gandhi's birthday. One less candle on the cake; one more year of buffoonery, non-meaningful statements on way #HappyBirthdayRG  Mitra Joshi (@mitrajo) June 19, 2016

Father's Day & Rahul Gandhi's birthday has fallen on the same day to warn men before they father a son  Ra_Bies (@Ra_Bies) June 19, 2016

It's not a coincidence that Rahul Gandhi's birthday is same as Fathers Day for no one owes more to his fathers surname than him  greatbong (@greatbong) June 19, 2016

Hello Rahul Gandhi @OfficeOfRG sir, your birthday is coming!#PappuSena is excited. Hope you're not going out of #India for holidays?!?!  Pappu Sena (@PappuSena) May 30, 2016

It's a touching moment when both Congress & BJP celebrating #HappyBirthdayRG with same fondness & zeal. Both have big expectations from him.  Paresh Rawal (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) June 19, 2016

With inputs from agencies
Political change is looming in the horizon of North East India. With the upcoming 2018 Assembly election, Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla is busy implementing the New Economic Development Policy in the state to retain voters.

As per the vision plan published by the government, the new scheme aims at providing housing to all, along with markets and training facilities for farmers and small entrepreneurs, development of rural and urban infrastructure to ensure comprehensive growth.

In a brief interview with Firstpost, the chief minister said that the aim of the scheme is to provide economic benefits to the people.

But this is not the first time the Congress government in Mizoram that is ruling the state for the second consecutive term announced an economic development programme just before the election.

During the second half of his previous term, Lal Thanhawla came up with a scheme named New Land Use Policy. In this scheme, grants upto Rs 1 lakh were distributed among people as capital to start small businesses, said Lalhmachhuana, General Secretary of Young Mizo Association, a civil society body known for its historic role in Mizo identity formation.

This scheme was instrumental in bringing Lal Thanhawla government back to power for the second consecutive term. One lakh is a big sum for the middle class and lower middle class section in Mizoram, said a government official of Mizoram.

Before the 2018 Assembly election, the government is extending the programme with a new name and with a bit modification, though how the monetary benefits will be distributed in this scheme is still not clear, he said.

The vision plan says that the role of the government in the New Economic Development Policy will be to work as a facilitator of infrastructure to ensure that rural economy of the state is more market-driven.

Many in the Mizo intelligentsia view it as another freebie scheme to buy votes. It is the same wine in a new bottle, says a professor in Mizoram university.

Election is the time when money and other freebies float in the air in Mizoram. The two major parties  the Congress and the Mizo National Front (MNF)  compete with each other by promising freebies to the voters, he added.

If Mizo National Front leader Zoramthanga promises Rs 3 lakhs per family in one scheme, then Lal Thanhawla will promise Rs 5 lakhs, said BJP state General secretary Vanlal Kmuaka.

NDA ally Mizo National Front President and former Chief Minister of Nagaland Zoramthanga denies the allegations saying that it is the Congress that believes in money distribution schemes to attract voters. He also said that benefits of the earlier scheme were granted on the condition of taking Congress party membership.

But my party MNF has taken true development agenda, by assuring every family in Mizoram two hectares of cultivable land for farming of bamboo, rubber, organic fruits and vegetables, he added. Congress claims its policies as new paradigm of development.

Issues take backseat

The standard of education in government schools of Mizoram is low, said Helena Lalsawmkimi BJP state vice-president. Despite the high literacy rate, dropout rates in the primary schools of Mizoram has increased.

A study conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources Development in 2011-2012 showed that the dropout rate in primary schools of Mizoram was 14.3%, whereas Bihar showed a decline by 5%.

Mizoram fares poorly even in health care standards as well. A study conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India 2012 said that there was not a single specialist doctor appointed in the 36 Community Health Centres across the state. Even the number of doctors appointed in the Public Health Centres were far below the requirement. There is a high prevalence of HIV patients in the state, said Lalsawmkimi.

Easy availability of drugs smuggled through Indo-Myanmar borders has led to addiction among many youths, she further said.

In 2015-16, the Young Mizo Association seized drugs valued at Rs 9.70 crores and handed them over to the government. Moreover, Rs 7 lakhs worth of arms and ammunition were recovered from smugglers in a joint operation with police department, said the General Secretary of the association.

But real issues hardly find their due importance in the time of election campaign, said L Sailo, a teacher of history in the Mizoram University.

The Shift

The development agenda of Modi government is widely accepted by the Mizo people, said Lalhmachhuana the General Secretary of Young Mizo Association.

The Katakhal-Bairabi broadgauge railway line that became operative during the first two years of his tenure as the Prime Minister of India, has made transportation of food supplies to the state much cheaper and travelling much easier, he added.

He also said that Bairabi-Sairang railway line, which will be completed by 2019, has also created much hope, adding that the completion of the ongoing Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project will usher in new employment opportunities for Mizoram by enabling import and export of goods from the region.

But what does not seem to be working here is Hindutva. The church already seems to be on tenterhooks with the central government on yoga, he said.

Recently, the church appealed to the Christian majority of the state, not to observe yoga day, stating that yoga may be used to convert Christians.

We are having a difficult time in convincing the church and the people here, that Hindutva is not our agenda, but development is, said JV Hluna, president of the state unit of BJP.

He also said that on account of this wrong notion of the party, the results of Assam election might not have a favourable impact on BJP in Mizoram.

Even a development agenda gets blurred, when promises of freebie schemes float all around, said Vanlal Kmuaka, general secretary of state BJP unit.

The state government received huge funds from the UPA government, a part of which is used in the New Land Use Policy. Now, the party wants to win election again by using the leftover funds in implementing another such scheme under the name of New Economic Development Policy, he complained.

A source in the NLUP implementing board said that the amount of fund allocated for the scheme was Rs 1526.14 crores, of which a portion was utilized.

The BJP general secretary also said that there is allegation that a huge portion of the money spent on the NLUP scheme was misutilised. He also demanded an independent inquiry by the central government, since the funds were allotted by the Centre.

A source in the NLUP implementing board denied such misuse and added that only 1,039 numbers of beneficiaries of the targeted 1,35,000 were detected to have misused the funds allotted to them and they have been barred from receiving further benefits.

Adding that the cases of misutilisation could be more than what is shown in the official records, Hluna said that even distribution of money among the voters might not help the Congress this time around.

He also indicated that the ruling party may soon face dissidence. Induction of Lalthan Zara, the chief minister's brother, to the Cabinet has created dissatisfaction among his colleagues, he said.

When asked if BJP could come to power in Mizoram, the chief minister said, Let us see. There are still two more years for the election to come.
Supporters of Karnataka ministers V Srinivas Prasad and Ambareesh took to the streets in protest on Saturday after reports that they could be dropped from the state cabinet after the revamp.

Supporters of Srinivas Prasad protested at Hullalli Circle in his constituency of Nanjangud and blocked national highway 212 leading to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Ambareesh loyalists blocked the Mysuru -Bengaluru road near Mandya, holding up traffic, reported Deccan Chronicle.

Trouble has reportedly started brewing within the Karnataka Congress, with some members have expressed their reservation over the chief ministers plan to reshuffle the Cabinet and more importantly, on the new list prepared by him.

Fourteen lawmakers of the ruling Congress are likely to be inducted in the Karnataka council of ministers in the revamping scheduled for Sunday afternoon, a party official said.

"The list of new ministers is being finalised by the chief minister (Siddaramaiah) in consultation with the party's state unit president and senior colleagues. It will be sent to the Governor by Sunday afternoon for the swearing-in ceremony at 4 p.m in Raj Bhavan," the official said.

Among the probables who might take oath as new ministers are legislative assembly Speaker K Thimmappa, former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, Eshwar Kandre, Santosh Lad, Tanveer Sait, SS Mallikarjun, Basava Raya Reddy, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Pramod Madhwaraj and MR Seetharam.

Karnataka has a 34-member ministry, including the chief minister.

Among the 14 to be dropped include Srinivas Prasad, Kimmane Ratnakar, Baburao Chinchansur, Qamarul Islam, MH Ambarish, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Sathish Jarkiholi, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, PT Parameshwar Naik, Vinay Kumar Sorake and SR Patil.

"The chief minister got the approval of the party's high command for both the lists of new ministers and those to be dropped on Saturday in New Delhi after a detailed discussion with the party president (Sonia Gandhi) and the vice-president (Rahul Gandhi) on Friday," the official said.

Congress general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in the state Digvijay Singh and G Parameshwara were present when the list of probables was finalised.

The major reshuffle of the three-year ministry comes a week after the Congress won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats and four of the seven seats in the state legislative council's biennial elections.

"The revamp will ensure proportionate representation to all the people across the state, spanning castes and regions," the source asserted.

Interestingly, Mallikarjun will replace his father Shivashankarappa from Davangere, while Ramesh will replace his brother Sathish from Belagavi district in the council of ministers.

Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara are hoping the revamp will restore the party's image, tainted by drought crisis, farmers' suicides and a spate of controversies.

"Siddaramaiah wants to inject new and young blood in the cabinet and move some of the ministers for party work in the run-up to the next assembly election, due in early 2018," the party official added.

Karnataka is the only major state where the Congress is in power now after the grand old party lost in Assam and Kerala in the recent assembly elections. However, with the protests taking place over the proposed cabinet reshuffle, the Congress-led government appears to be headed for choppy waters.

The controversy only adds to the trouble that the Congress has been facing in the states where it holds the reins of power. In Uttarakhand, a group of nine rebel MLAs joined hands with the BJP to oust the ruling Congress government.

Arunachal Pradesh, another Congress ruled state, too was rocked by a political crisis in December 2015 as 21 rebel Congress MLAs joined hands with 11 of BJP and two independents to 'impeach' Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia, even as Rebia claimed that the impeachment was illegal and unconstitutional.

Subsequently, President's rule was imposed in both of these states.

It remains to be seen if Karnataka will see a similar political crisis, or resolve the matter amicably.

With inputs from agencies
Thiruvananthapuram: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday expressed concern over the arrest of two Dalit sisters at Thalassery in Kannur district and promised all help to them from the party.

Rahul Gandhi called up N Rajan, father of the sisters and leader of Indian National Trade Union Congress, and Akhila, one of the two sisters who was put behind bars for allegedly attacking a CPM worker.

The issue was brought to the notice of Gandhi by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala.

Gandhi expressed shock over the arrest of the two sisters, who were released on bail last evening.

He also enquired about Anjana, Akhila's sister, who had allegedly attempted suicide and is now in hospital, Chennithala said in a release.

Akhila and Anjana had been summoned to the police station on June 17, where a case was registered against them. They were then sent to the women's jail after being charged with non-bailable offences.

They were released yesterday.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman P L Punia had stated that it would intervene in the matter and take steps to ensure that justice was meted out to them.
At a time when the Narendra Modi-led central government has come under immense criticism over Raghuram Rajan's announcement in his farewell letter that he will not be renewing his term after September, this BJP leader is not making matters any easier for the party.

In a classic foot-in-mouth situation, Union Minister Ram Shankar Katheria on Saturday said that 'bhagwakaran' (saffronisation) of education will definitely take place in India. Speaking at an event, Katheria, who is Minister of State in the HRD ministry, went on to say that saffronisation and 'sanghwad' will be good for the country and is inevitable.

"Reporters told us that some people are saying that our government is saffronising education in the country. I am saying this today: Saffronisation will definitely take place in education and in the country," said Katheria.

Whatever is good for the country will be done,whether it is 'Bhagwaakaran' or 'Sanghwaad':Union minister RS Katheriahttps://t.co/orrtCuPV1I  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

"Whatever is good for the country will definitely take place, whether it is bhagwakaran or sanghwad," the Union Minister further said.

"For a very long time, we just kept watching. We did not make any allegations against anyone. But today, keeping in mind the state of the country, whatever is necessary for the welfare of the nation and its reputation in the world will take place," Katheria said.

As if his remarks were not controversial enough, Katheria also had this to add about educating the country's children: "If our children do not read about Maharana Pratap or Maharaj Shivaji, then will they read about Genghis Khan?"

We are extremely curious about what HRD Minister Smriti Irani has to say about the aggressive, communal and divisive stand taken by a BJP leader, who also happens to be the MoS in the HRD ministry, especially since Irani had earlier said that the Modi government was not saffronising education in India.

In June last year, Irani had said, "I never ask students about the religion as we do not discriminate the right of a student to education on the basis of caste or religion."

(With inputs from PTI)
Jalalabad: Launching his outreach programme 'halqe vich Captain' from the home constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh said on Sunday that his rival has "lost touch" with the people and is "concentrating mostly on his private business".

"Sukhbir understands people don't like him and he has already started avoiding meeting them and was focusing mostly on his private business like building five star hotels and the transport business," the PCC chief claimed.

He said Sukhbir is trying to "run away" from his "Jalalabad constituency...so much so that in one of the villages there 37 farmers committed suicide and he did not even care to visit".

Sukhbir is exploring the options of fighting from Maur Mandi in Bathinda, he claimed.

"But no matter how much he tries to run away, we will chase and defeat him wherever he goes," the former Chief Minister said.

"There are indications he has given up on Jalalabad," Amarinder said.

Explaining as to why he started his outreach programme, 'halqe vich Captain' (Captain in constituency) from his rival's seat, Amarinder said, "I wanted to make a point that if the condition of the people living in the Deputy CM's constituency can be so pitiable what will be the condition in rest of the state."

During the six-month programme, Amarinder will cover all 117 Assembly Constituencies to connect with voters in the run up to the 2017 Assembly elections in the state.

On the issue of allotment of ticket, he said, winability will be the only criterion.

A block president in Lambi, who indulged in indiscipline during yesterdays protest dharna has been suspended.

Amarinder said, he had already announced that all the deserving candidates will be duly and properly accommodated if the Congress forms the government in Punjab.

During his programme, Amarinder met party workers and listened to their problems and grievances, which are being registered and recorded by a team of volunteers.

More than 3,000 people on Sunday gathered on the first day of Amarinder's outreach programme.

"I have come here today to hear your problems, to discuss the issues you face. I request you all to share with me your problems and I will look into them, set up a task force within the first 100 days of my government being elected to resolve your issues," he said.

Amarinder also interacted with over 1500 local party workers, where they shared constituency issues and gave their suggestions for campaign.
New Delhi: Two Samajawadi Party leaders from Uttar Pradesh on Sunday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Assembly polls in the state due next year.

SP's former Meerut Zila Panchayat president, Maninder Pal Singh, and Yuva Morcha state secretary, Rahul Yadav, joined the BJP along with their supporters in the presence of UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya at the party's headquarters.

The entry of the two leaders in BJP will strengthen the party in the state, Maurya said. Singh had contested Panchayat polls in 2011 as a BJP-backed candidate but had later switched over to SP to become the panchayat president.
Britain's referendum to decide its fate as a member of the European Union is scheduled for 23 June. Prime Minister David Cameron called this referendum to "settle the European question in British politics" once and for all. Since the date was announced, parties have been campaigning to 'leave' or 'remain' in the EU. Cameron has vociferously supported the 'remain' group.

This campaigning came to a sudden halt as a mark of respect after the murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox on Thursday. She was stabbed and shot by an attacker and later succumbed to her wounds.

The campaign to decide Britains membership of the European Union restarted on Sunday after a three-day hiatus following the murder of Cox.

A string of polls show that the 'leave' sentiment is running higher among Britons and a Brexit is a more probable outcome of the referendum.

The 'remain' supporters have stepped up their campaign and are highlighting the possible outcome of Britain leaving the EU. Two opinion polls show that that remain camp is recovering momentum.

Before Coxs murder, polls had shown a surge in the number of those who want a Brexit. Her death became a turning point for the referendum with both sides halting their campaigns for a few days. Cox had strongly campaigned to remain in the EU.

According to analysts, her death will have a sobering effect on the vote campaign. John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said the 'leave' campaign in particular may have to tone down its rhetoric. Since then, the 'remain' campaign has been gaining momentum.

Thomas Mair, who is accused of killing Cox had declared, Death to traitors, freedom for Britain. Although the reason remains unknown, some analysts have suspected that the sharp and at times, personal attacks on politicians during the referendum debate may have been the underlined reason.

Nevertheless, to quote Prime Minister David Cameron, Britain will face a "lost decade" if it leaves the EU. In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, Cameron described the referendum as an "existential choice" for Britain. "We face an existential choice on Thursday. This country has a big decision to make  and there is so much at stake," he wrote.

"It is simply common sense that if we left, trade would be damaged, and investment in Britain would suffer because businesses would no longer be able to access the EU from Britain in the same way. Our economy would therefore be smaller," he further wrote.

Concisely explaining the terrible circumstances of Brexit, Cameron wrote, "Debilitating uncertainty  perhaps for a decade until things were sorted. Higher prices, lower wages, fewer jobs, fewer opportunities for young people. A permanently poorer country in every sense. How could we knowingly vote for that? I say: don't risk it."

Even the process of leaving will not be easy. Britain cannot leave the EU immediately.

It would remain for up to two years while it unpicks its relations with the continent. Cameron will have to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. If needed, it could even ask for an extension beyond the two years, but all 27 countries would have to agree. The arrangements for the countrys departure will have to be drawn out and accepted by two-thirds of the EU countries.

In the days after a leave vote, the European Parliament and ministers from EU countries will possibly meet to formulate their response and give out an official declaration to kick start damage control. A summit of the EU leaders is scheduled for 28-29 June, according to the Time magazine.

Negotiations could mean legal and investment uncertainty and might see Britain excluded from the European single market. The Guardian quoted a source as saying that theres no appetite for negotiating new terms in the first two years.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council warned this week that after a Brexit, it would take at least seven years to try and forge a new relationship between Britain and the EU without any guarantee of success.

Apart from this, further divisions are expected to appear in the EU. Countries with strong allegiance to the UK, like Malta and Poland may plead for caution, reported The Guardian. In a few days, UK may find itself excluded from some EU meetings.

The count for the votes will begin at 382 venues across the UK soon after the polling ends around 10 pm on 23 June. Local and regional results will come out overnight before the official declaration of the result on 24 June, reported The Express, UK.

Cameron is expected to stand down so a new leader can take charge by autumn, according to The Independent. He will not negotiate Britains messy exit from the European Union.

23 June will not only decide the fate of Britain, but also of Cameron.

With input from agencies
Washington: The Donald Trump campaign has appealed for an "emergency" contribution of $100,000 from supporters to respond to a television ad blitz by the Hillary Clinton campaign as she stepped up her presidential bid.

"Right now we're facing an emergency goal of $100,000 to help get our ads on the air. We need your contribution by 11:59 pm on Sunday," the email from Team Trump said. "Crooked Hillary is about to invade your TV with ads attacking Mr. Trump. But we're preparing to fight back," CNN quoted the email as saying.

The email promises to release ads attacking Clinton on her role in Benghazi, Libya, the integrity of her donors and reported FBI probing of her private email server while serving as secretary of state.

"The urgent fund-raising email is routine for most presidential campaigns. But it's particularly notable since Trump insisted repeatedly during the Republican primary season that he was self-funding his campaign, only to start asking for donations later on," the report said.

Republican officials and activists are increasingly concerned that 70-year-old presumptive presidential nominee is underestimating the fund-raising challenge ahead as he faces off against Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. As the campaign for the 8 November general election heats up, the Clinton camp on Thursday aired its first general election television ad, targeting Trump for comments about violence at his events and what critics have said was mocking of a disabled New York Times reporter.

Despite the Trump campaign's urgent appeal for campaign donations the real estate billionaire raised the prospect of paying for his general election bid himself. At a Las Vegas rally, he argued that if Republican establishment types didn't fully support his campaign he could self-fund, rather than relying on the party apparatus to help bring in donations.

"Life is like two way street, right?" Trump said. "Otherwise I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I'll just keep funding my own campaign. I'm ok with that. That's the easy way. I mean for me, that's the easy way. But, hopefully I can continue to go the way we're going, and this weekend we raised a lot of money.

"We've raised a lot of money for the Republican Party. We'll keep doing it, because we do have tremendous support within the party that I can tell you," Trump said.
The European Union's banking watchdog will move from London to another European capital if Britain decides to quit the bloc in a referendum this week, its chairman said in an interview published on Sunday.

Britain votes on 23 June on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defence and diplomacy on the continent.

The London-based European Banking Authority (EBA), founded in 2011 as a reaction to the global financial crisis, operates as a pan-EU regulator, writing and coordinating banking rules across the bloc.

"If the British should decide to leave the EU, we actually would have to move to another European capital," Andrea Enria, head of the EBA, told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

While betting odds have consistently indicated a vote to remain in the EU, opinion pollsters have so far painted contradictory pictures of how Britons will vote.

The EBA is currently working on an EU single rulebook aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all banks across the 28-country bloc's capital market.

"This work needs to be completed irrespective of the result of the referendum," said Enria, an Italian national. "We must ensure that there are no different rules between the countries that have the euro and those that do not have it."

Enria said the European banking sector was more stable now than five years ago, but there was still need for consolidation.

"If you look at the balance sheets of banks, you could actually ask yourself whether such low profitability and such low return on investment are sustainable in the long term," he said.

Banks should speed up their efforts to deal with non-performing loans and change their internal business culture in order to avoid future scandals and fines, Enria said.

That banks have hardly made any progress in these two areas is the reason why the European Central Bank (ECB) is struggling to boost lending and generate more growth despite its bond-purchase programme, he added.
LONDON With just days to go before Britain's June 23 referendum on European Union membership, Britain's newspapers have publicly come out on their chosen sides, hoping to influence the debate as polls paint a picture of an evenly split electorate.

PRO-REMAIN NEWSPAPERS

THE TIMES

Britain's Times newspaper has come out in support of remaining in the EU, with its Saturday June 18 issue bearing a leading article entitled "Why Remain is best for Britain".

"On balance we believe Britain would be better off leading a renewed drive for reform within the EU rather than starting afresh outside it," the newspaper said.

That put the Rupert Murdoch-owned Times at odds with two other newspapers in the media tycoon's stable. The Sun and The Sunday Times have both thrown their weight behind Brexit.

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

Britain's right-leaning Mail on Sunday newspaper has endorsed the campaign to remain in the EU, saying Britain would be safer, freer and more prosperous in the bloc.

"For modern Great Britain to thrive and prosper we must work with, not against, our European partners; we must keep our seat at Europe's top table and help shape its destiny; our strong, clear voice must be heard inside Europe, not be shouted from the sidelines," the newspaper said.

THE OBSERVER

The Observer newspaper, part of the left-leaning Guardian Media Group, told its readers to vote to stay in the EU. The paper said the EU was not perfect, but that overall it had been a force for good.

"Remaining in the EU will not magically eliminate the challenges Britain faces in the years to come. But if we choose to do so, it will keep Britain at the heart of reforming the European project so that the nations of Europe are together better equipped to face them," The Observer said.

PRO-LEAVE NEWSPAPERS

THE SUN

The Sun, the nation's biggest-selling paper, urged its readers to vote leave on its front page on June 14.

"We must set ourselves free from dictatorial Brussels," said the tabloid, which has a circulation of 1.7 million.

Many of its readers already back a Brexit according to polls.

THE SUNDAY TIMES

The newspaper urged its readers to vote to leave the EU as a way to press for deeper reform of the bloc, which might make it more acceptable for Britain to actually remain in.

"Yes, we must be prepared for a bumpy ride, but we should hold our nerve. This vote may be the only opportunity we shall ever have to call a halt to the onward march of the centralising European project," the newspaper said in an editorial.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

The conservative newspaper urged its readers to vote to leave, arguing that the EU belongs to the past and by leaving it Britain would be able to decide who should come to work in the country.

"Once we have left and are no longer subject to the free movement of labour, popular worries about immigration will become a matter for the British government and for parliament," the paper said.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on 16-17 June to enlist support for India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which is being opposed by China. Jaishankar's visit came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the 48-nation atomic trading bloc scheduled to be held in Seoul on 24 June where India's membership is likely to be discussed.

"Yes, I can confirm Foreign Secretary visited Beijing on 16-17 June for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including India's NSG membership, were discussed," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Sunday.

China has been strongly opposing India's membership at the premier club, arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Meanwhile, Russian President, according to India Today, has said that he is positive about finding a solution to the objections raised by China against India's application for NSG membership. Russia is one of the key supporters of India. Speaking to India Today, Putin said, "Russia has been cooperating with India on all nuclear issues but only within the limits of the international law. We believe that India with its huge population, has economic problems and lot of energy challenges apart from national security issues. And therefore, India cannot be put in the same league as other countries. While we must act within the international law, we must look at all the opportunities to ensure, provide and support India's interests."

When asked whether Russia had any discussions with Beijing on India's inclusion as a member-country in the NSG club, Putin said that there are no secrets and the decision will be taken after consulting all the members.

Interestingly, an op-ed in the Global Times (14 June) titled 'India mustn't let nuclear ambitions blind itself' gravely noted: "Beijing insists that a prerequisite of New Delhi's entry is that must be a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, (NPT) while India is not. Despite acknowledging this legal and systematic requirement, the Indian media called China's stance obstructionist." This brief comment is the first semi-official articulation of China on the NSG and predictably obfuscates the issue.

In making this assertion about the NPT, Beijing is being characteristically innovative and artful in how it first distorts and then presents various facts specific to the nuclear domain. Having based its objection to India's admission to the NSG on the charge that India is a non-signatory to the NPT , the op-ed (and by extension Beijing) glosses over the fact that there is a precedent which could be cited to advance the Indian case.

Apart from the NPT rhetoric, China has also encouraged Pakistan to apply for NSG membership so as to link New Delhi's entry with that of Islamabad's, knowing well that there will be few takers for Pakistans case. India has been trying to join the group since 2008, which essentially would give it a place at the high table where the rules of nuclear commerce are decided. India, as part of the NSG, would also mean its ability to sell equipment. Many countries, like Australia, that initially opposed its entry have changed stance and Mexico and Switzerland are the latest to voice their support. Russia too joined in. India's membership in the group will be the final step of nation's inclusion in 'nuclear global order'.

Earlier this week, China's official media said India's NSG membership would "jeopardise" China's national interests besides touching a 'raw nerve' in Pakistan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG "remain divided" on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for "full discussions".

India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its membership of the bloc whose members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology. The US has backed India and asked various NSG members to support New Delhi's bid.

The NSG was conceived in November 1975 as a response to India's peaceful nuclear explosion of May 1974 and the original seven participating governments (not members) were Britain, Canada, France, Japan, the Soviet Union, the United States and West Germany. At the time, France was not a signatory to the NPT though it was a nuclear weapons state but was part of the NSG. And, for the record, Paris formally acceded to the NPT only in August 1992.

The NSG operates as an informal group that has certain guidelines. The participating governments have identified five factors for those nations seeking to join the group. Being a signatory to the NPT is one of the factors and may be desirable but, as the example of France has demonstrated, it is no bar to admission.

It is understood that a number of countries including Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand were not in favour of India's entry into the NSG. India had managed to secure support of NSG members Switzerland and Mexico during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to these two countries as part of a five-nation tour. Mexico and Switzerland were known to have strong nuclear proliferation concerns and were not in favour of allowing NSG membership to countries which were not signatory to NPT.

The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India will scuttle its bid. India's access to the NSG, a body that regulates the global trade of nuclear technology, is expected to open up the international market for India's domestic nuclear energy programme.

India has been campaigning for membership of the bloc for last few years and had formally moved its application on 12 May. The NSG had granted an exclusive waiver to India in 2008 to access civil nuclear technology after China reluctantly backed India's case based on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

With inputs from PTI and IANS
Budapest: Hungary's controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban will publish an open letter in British media this week urging Britons to vote to remain in the European Union, his government said on Sunday.

The appeal by the populist Orban, who has himself been fiercely critical of the EU, will be published on Monday, Orban's spokesman Zoltan Kovacs announced on the government's website.

"The Hungarian government is often accused of being anti-European but this current 'pro-Europe' gesture shows how much we believe in the European Union's achievements, even if we have different views on the continent's future," Kovacs said.

In the appeal Orban will tell the British: "The decision is yours but Hungary is very proud to be a member of the EU with you."

Kovacs said Hungarian diplomats across Europe would also be arguing the anti-Brexit case in the last days before Thursday's in-out referendum.

Hungary's intervention comes as Budapest prepares for a referendum in the autumn on an EU plan for distributing 160,000 refugees among EU members. The government is campaigning against the plan.
Dubai: India and the UAE will set up an Emirati-Indian parliamentary committee and exchange visits of lawmakers to boost parliamentary ties as part of their growing strategic partnership and unify their visions on various issues, including security and challenges facing the region.

A decision was taken in this regard during a meeting between first woman speaker of UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) Amal Abdullah Al-Qubaisi and the Indian ambassador to UAE, TP Seetharam in Dubai on Saturday.

During the meeting, Al-Qubaisi stressed the importance of activating parliamentary relations between FNC and Indian parliament by establishing a friendly Emirati-Indian parliamentary committee, and by prompting parliamentary visits between the two sides, state-run WAM news agency reported.

Al Qubaisi said it was important that the two countries strengthen relations in all fields and achieve the required communication for parliamentary diplomacy, as well as to unify their visions and positions on various issues as part of their important roles in addressing issues of security and stability and the challenges facing the region.

The two sides stressed the importance of consultation and coordination between FNC and Indian parliament delegations during their participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to unify positions and views on various issues of interest to both countries and peoples.

They also agreed to prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the parliamentary committee, and highlighted existing areas of cooperation in various political, economic, cultural and investment sectors.

Al Qubaisi and Seetharam stressed that bilateral relations have reached a higher level of strategic partnership following the momentous visit by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in February to India, the report said.

She said India has a deep-rooted democracy in the world and serves as a model for a constitution based on democracy, pluralism, and women's political participation.

Al Qubaisi also paid tribute to the important role played by the Indian parliament locally and internationally in serving the people of India.
Seoul: The Islamic State terror group has released information about US military bases in South Korea with the aim of attacking them, Seoul's intelligence services announced on Sunday.

The Islamic State revealed the location of the US air bases in Gyeonggi and North Jeolla provinces as well as the personal data of a few South Korean citizens through an online messaging service, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.

The outfit obtained the information from its hackers unit, according to NIS, which has also intercepted messages in which the Islamic State encourages attacks against the bases, EFE news reported.

The intelligence agency added that South Korean authorities have taken all necessary steps to protect the country from such attacks in collaboration with the armed forces and the US military.

The Islamic State has already issued threats against South Korea for being an ally of the US.

The South Korean Army has intensified its anti-terrorist preparations in recent months and deported around 50 foreign nationals over the past five years for alleged links with terrorist outfits.

Two South Koreans have also been arrested for allegedly trying to join terrorist organisations.
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will convene a two-day meeting with Australia and China to chart out a course of action for the investigation into the missing flight MH370, which is presumed to have crashed into the sea off Western Australia's coast with 239 people on board two years ago.

Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi told state-owned news agency Bernama here that the meeting would also look at in detail, other issues, including the recent discovery of debris.

The meeting, involving officials from Australia, China and Malaysia is expected to take place at the transport ministry office beginning from Monday.

"Top of the agenda of the meeting is on the future direction of the search operation for MH370. Only high ranking officials will attend the meeting. Malaysia will be represented by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman," Ab Aziz said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which leads the multi-nation search in the Indian Ocean, is expected to complete searching the designated 120,000 sq km of the sea by end of this month.

Australia, China and Malaysia have said previously they will call off the search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean.

So far 105,000 square kilometres of the 120,000-square kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success.

Several pieces of debris found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area have so far shed no light on the cause of the disaster.

The Beijing-bound MH370 aircraft with 239 passengers and crew on board disappeared from civilian radar screens on 8 March, 2014 and its flight path is believed to have ended in the

southern Indian Ocean.
Peshawar: Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the 'University of Jihad' and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar.

"I am proudly announcing that Darul Uloom Haqqania Nowshera will get Rs 300 million to meet its annual

expenditures," Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister Shah Farman told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly this week.

He said the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was not raiding and targeting religious institutions but has been cooperating and providing financial assistance to it.

The madrassa in Akora Khattak in Nowshera district of the province is known for having several top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including former Taliban chief Mullah Omar who received an honorary doctorate from the seminary.

Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader Asim Umar and slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a US drone strike last month, were among alumni of the seminary which is dubbed as the 'University of Jihad'.

When asked about such a big chunk of financial assistance to a single seminary, Minister for Religious Affairs Habibur Rehman said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had promised to Haqqania madrassa's administration financial assistance of Rs 150 million which was adjusted in the Auqaf fund this year, The News International reported.

"Darul Uloom Haqqania is one of the oldest and largest seminaries of Pakistan and it deserves financial assistance," Rehman, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Rehman said that Rs 150 million would be provided to the madrassa in 2016-17 while the remaining amount would be given to it next year.

Founded in 1947, the Islamic seminary is currently headed by Maulana Sami ul Haq, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. He also serves as the chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 groups, including Hafeez Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Farman said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was providing financial assistance to other seminaries and mosques in the province.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday claimed that Pakistan has "not refused" to allow a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) to visit it to pursue the probe into the Pathankot terror attack case.

"NIA ko unhone inkaar nahi kya (They did not decline visit of the NIA team)," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told a press conference here adding Islamabad has only sought "more time" to take a final decision on the issue.

A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan including an ISI officer had visited India in March to collect evidence on the attack.

Pakistan has so far denied that JIT's visit to New Delhi was on a reciprocal basis.

Sushma Swaraj said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had met Pakistani officials and "they said they are analysing (the evidence)."
The most important thing that PM Modi achieved in his latest visit to America is that he articulated a clear statement of interest. This was referred to by The Wall Street Journal as the Modi Doctrine. Even though that was tongue-in-cheek, PM Modi made a decisive break with the Third-World-ism and NAM-ism of the past, and presented a self-confident India that wishes to be an equal partner to the US.

No more moralizing a la Krishna Menon, no more ship-to-mouth PL-480 funds, and no more brown sahib mouthing memes and pronunciation borrowed from the Brits: here was a PM confidently speaking the Indian English, and appearing to deliver extempore (although there were teleprompters), a rousing speech, complete with a stinging one-liner about the Sonia-led Congress and its obstructionism in the context of open warfare in the US Congress.

Americans should like the self-made PMs Horatio-Alger rags-to-riches story, as it appeals to their myths about nothing being the land of unlimited opportunity and the Protestant work ethic. Yet, there are the hesitations of history, of decades of American animosity and self-righteous posturing by Indians. It is not yet clear that we are over this.

There are enough irritants: the movement of labor (as in the obstacles facing H1 visas), predatory big pharma and its irritation with section 3 (d) and compulsory licensing, the issue of aggressive evangelism fostered and supported by the American State. Then there is American unease over Indias cozy ties with Iran and Russia, mirrored by Indias frustration over American chumminess with Pakistan.

Then there is the #DeepStates extreme animosity towards India, exemplified by the hounding of PM Modi. Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin, and Nancy Powell were instrumental in ten years of demonization, and its possible that the DeepState funded much of the media crusade against him. Which of course doesnt bode well for a possible Hillary Clinton presidency, of course.

And that brings me to what concerns me about the entire visit. While the Indian side was in full-court press mode, and spared no effort to create goodwill, and the standing ovations and autograph-seeking politicians were all wonderful optics (why, even the congenitally antagonistic The New York Times was forced to damn with faint praise), I am tempted to ask, wheres the substance?

I am reminded of another Narendra, Swami Vivekananda, and his electrifying speech to his sisters and brothers of America over a century ago. Then too, they gave him standing ovations, and announced a star had arisen. But still, 100 years later, the same Hinduism that the Swami preached is, at best, tolerated, and at worst, demonized, by America. Will it be any different for Modi?

Flattery has always been a powerful force used against India. The standing ovations and applause interventions do not mean squat unless theres substance, not just form. In a sense, the PM was going over the heads of the US government directly to the politicians, but lets face it, DeepState remains implacably hostile to India. And they run the place.

It is true there is some forward movement: for instance, in cyber security, and in counter-terrorism. The US, for the first time, explicitly named Pakistan regarding Pathankot and also fingered Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed as non-state actors in terrorism. So far, so good, but that may merely reflect the fact that after Obamas much-trumpeted withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, troops are quietly being re-inserted there because the Taliban (read ISI in baggy pants) are winning.

The Nuclear Liability Bill is not done, and against better sense, there is talk of six American nuclear reactors being installed in Andhra Pradesh. India has not ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change (and it probably shouldnt, considering the very valid perspective that Indias per capita emissions are a fraction of the Wests), there has been movement on renewable energy.

On the military front (China being Banquos ghost) there has been agreement on technology transfers, but I suspect most of what will be transferred will be old, even obsolete stuff. And yes, the ongoing Malabar naval exercise off the coast of Japan between the US, Japanese and Indian navies is a precursor to closer co-ordination in the South China Sea. And yes, the Chinese submarine pen on Hainan island close to the Straits of Malacca, and its force projection into the Indian Ocean are alarming to both.

It appears that the PM puts on his best marketing hat for the benefit of the Americans (who are master salesmen), and therefore the visuals were good. But DeepState knows that in the medium term India will work towards a G3, a tripolar world. An India growing at 7-10% a year is another China-like behemoth in the making. As the locus of world trade and strategy shift to the Indo-Pacific and away from the Atlantic, India is a potential competitor, and a frenemy. The glad handing in Washington does nothing to change this simple fact: India is no longer content to play second fiddle or be only a South Asian power.
Moscow: The Russian Orthodox Church has rejected a last minute appeal to attend what was deemed as the first meeting of fellow church leaders since 787.

Russia said it could not participate in the Holy and Great Council, on the Greek island of Crete, as not all churches will be present, BBC reported.

The churches of Antioch, Bulgaria and Georgia had previously refused to take part after disputes about the meeting.

The gathering, due to start on Sunday, has been 55 years in preparation.

Fourteen churches representing over 300 million faithful were originally invited.

According to experts, the decision by the Russian church, which represents some 100 million followers, highlights longstanding divisions among Orthodox Christians.

There is also a struggle for power between Russia and the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, considered the spiritual head and "first among equals".

The disagreements ranged from seating plans to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican.

There are 300 million Orthodox Christians, who are members of 14 national churches. The denomination split from western Christianity - Roman Catholicism - in 1054 amid disputes about the power of the Vatican.

Orthodox clergy are distinguished by their elaborate headgear and thick facial hair, which they wear because the Old Testament prohibits shaving.
Paris: Two men linked to a jihadist who killed a French police officer and his partner were charged and detained by an anti-terror court.

Saad Rajraji, 27, and Charaf-Din Aberouz, 29, were charged on Saturday with having links to a terrorist group, but were not found to have any connection to the IS-inspired murder of the police couple carried out by Larossi Abballa last Monday.

The two men had been convicted along with Abballa in September 2013 as part of a network to send jihadists to Pakistan, judicial sources close to the investigation said.

A third man arrested in the case was released without charge.

Abballa, a convicted radical who had been under surveillance, murdered the police officer and his partner outside their home and then was killed himself in a police raid.

Before he was killed, Abballa posted a live Facebook video of himself in which he admitted the murders and urged fellow jihadists to carry out more bloodshed.

Monday's assault in a small town northwest of Paris was the first deadly strike in France since the coordinated attacks in the capital by an Islamic State cell in November, which killed 130 people.
WASHINGTON U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Sunday that last week's shooting massacre in Orlando, Florida, was "an act of terror and an act of hate", but she declined to divulge what charges may be filed or who may be charged in the case.

Lynch told CNN's "State of the Union" program that she would be going to Orlando on Tuesday to confer with investigators, and on Monday would release transcripts of phone conversations between the deceased shooter, Omar Mateen, and police as the worst mass shooting incident in American history unfolded.

"We're going back and looking at everything we did in our investigation of the killer and our subsequent contact with him, but also, all the information we are receiving to trying and learn his motivations. This was an act of terror and an act of hate," Lynch told CNN.

(Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Thousands of people, many of them Buddhists who left Vietnam decades ago and came to the U.S. to live, have flocked to the Southern California neighborhood known as Little Saigon to welcome the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who is dedicating a new temple there.

At a religious teaching session Saturday that drew many visitors, the 80-year-old Dalai Lama said the world needs more compassion in a time of violence.

Canadian Lyane Pellerin, who has attended many talks by the Dalai Lama in the past, agreed, saying, "We certainly do need more peace talks and kindness, understanding and dialogue."

Thousands of people gathered outside the Dieu Ngu Temple early Saturday, waiting for the gates to open at 6 a.m. The Dalai Lama will dedicate the temple Sunday.

Just to be in the presence of the Dalai Lama is a wonderful thing, said Wanda Matjas, one of those who turned out at dawn.

'A wise, wise man'

Vietnamese-American Annie Hoang said she came to hear the revered Tibetan monk's spiritual message.

I've loved the Dalai Lama, she said. "I think that he's such a wise, wise man, and he represents such great knowledge, and everything that I've always wanted.

The Dalai Lama's presence is an important boost for the Dieu Ngu Temple, a $6 million project that marks a milestone of growth for the Vietnamese Buddhist community. Vietnamese immigrants  Buddhists, Catholics and others  have built their community over the past four decades in Southern California, where they arrived in search of political and religious freedom.

The temple was founded in a Little Saigon home in 2008 and later moved to a warehouse as it grew. Monks and temple members spearheaded the drive to raise funds for the new structure, which features traditional architecture.

I remember when we started building this, said Jessica Ha, whose parents are longtime members. Our monks' biggest dream was to have the Dalai Lama come and talk, and it's happening! Good things come to really good people, and this is it.

Drawn to philosophy

The Dalai Lama always draws interest from non-Asians.

I was raised by parents who traveled the world and a Vietnam vet father that didn't know where home was anymore, said visitor Eve Moon. She said her family was drawn to Buddhist philosophy and the Dalai Lama's message, and in general, humanitarianism and peace.

Buddhists from many traditions  Chinese and Southeast Asian, among others  came to the temple. They included Czech visitor Martin Vitovic, who embraces the Dalai Lama's teachings. He said he'd been interested in the Tibetan's message for "about three years, and I want to see him.

Vietnamese-American Buddhists said the Dalai Lama inspired listeners with his message, and they felt his visit also drew attention to California's Little Saigon and its imposing new temple.
India is optimistic that China will not block its bid for membership of the Nuclear Supplier Group, the 48 countries controlling nuclear commerce and sensitive technology. With the backing of the United States, India has been lobbying hard before a key meeting in Seoul on June 23 to gain entry into the elite club.

In recent weeks, New Delhi has overcome resistance from several countries such as Mexico and Switzerland, but Beijing is on the frontline of a tiny group of countries that continue to express reservations about opening the NSGs doors to India because it has not signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).



Talking to reporters on Sunday, Indias foreign minister Sushma Swaraj appeared confident of overcoming Chinese resistance. We are hopeful that we will be successful in getting Chinas support, she said.



Swaraj told reporters that China is not opposing India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, but that it has raised objections relating to criteria and processes. In Indias case, instead of criteria, its credentials should be taken into account, she said.



Indias top diplomat conveyed that message to China during an unexpected visit Saturday to woo Beijing.



China has said that "large differences" remain over the issue of countries that have not signed the NPT joining the NSG.



But an optimistic Swaraj expressed hope that consensus is being built and maybe no country will break this consensus and we will get membership of NSG.



Some controls



Although New Delhi has not signed the NPT, it has committed to some controls on its nuclear program under a 2008 deal with the United States. That deal effectively ended the isolation imposed on India since a 1998 nuclear test and gave it access to nuclear fuel and technology.

Analysts say Indias dream of getting membership of the elite club is more about gaining a seat at the nuclear high table as it seeks to raise its global profile than any actual benefits. They point out that New Delhi already has deals with more than eight countries either for supplies of uranium or for building power plants.



Opponents say giving India membership will undermine efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation, which the NSG aims to do by restricting the sale of items that can be used to make arms. It will also infuriate arch-rival Pakistan, which has also made a bid for membership of the NSG.



Asked whether China was linking India's membership of the nuclear group with that of Pakistan, Swaraj said that each country's membership should be decided on merit.
Colorado's grand experiment with legalizing marijuana hasn't resulted in mayhem as some feared, and instead has led to a decrease in drug-related crimes, according to federal data.

In addition, legal pot has made significant money for the state.

Colorado collected an estimated $70 million in taxes on legal pot, according to Time magazine. Plus, some evidence suggests the availability of marijuana is having a positive impact on tourism.

But, not surprisingly, the most recent statistics also suggest, post legalization, more people are using the drug. Fourteen percent of Coloradans now report using the infamous weed.

Is that good or bad? It might depend on what you think about pot, but it's all part of a spirited debate about legalization and its impact on public safety.

Pot and crime, different views

On one hand, you have a non-profit group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition that says Colorados experiment has been a huge success and should motivate state and federal authorities end the decades-long War on Drugs by legalizing all drugs. The group, known as LEAP, is made up of current and former law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors. They point to the success of businesses like Local Product, a local cannabis dispensary.

At the low brick building in the heart of downtown Denver, "Ryan" only has to show his ID to prove hes over 21. At the sales counter, which displays dozens of pot strains, extracts and edibles, he leans forward and sniffs palm-sized "nugs" of dried marijuana like a connoisseur smelling the bouquet of a fine wine.

...This one has a little more piney... Some have citrus smells. Fruity...

The ounce of nugs that Ryan buys complies with complex state and local rules, including health department regulations. Ryan will carry them home in a Colorado-mandated, childproof container.

For the long-time user, the impact of legalize recreational marijuana has been overwhelmingly positive. In the past I would have to go to the black market. But now I can freely go to any shop that I please and I can really pick someone that I feel comfortable with as opposed to calling a random number and I have no idea where its going.

Federal data show that arrests for possession and distribution of pot in Colorado have dropped by nearly half since before sales became legal.

That has led LEAP to urge that the federal government legalize all drugs. Jason Thomas, a former Colorado law enforcement officer, is now a spokesperson for the group. He envisions a nation where some drugs are sold at a store front while others are more regulated.

Were not going to do away with our pharmacies" Thomas says. "The systems not going to go to a full recreational hoo-hah, heres all the drugs in one store. Its more that each drug has some merit one way or the other. We need to look at that drug and treat cocaine differently from marijuana, possibly from a medicinal side but as well as from the legal side.

As for the overall crime rate, there's been little change.

And that's the other hand. An undercover commander for the Boulder County Sheriffs Drug Task Force, who agreed to speak to VOA anonymously, agrees that marijuana stores can be good neighbors. Theyre like any other business as long as theyre following the regulations.

But he says there are plenty of people who aren't following the regulations, and that's stretching his department's limited resources. Thats what we get inundated with," he says, "...phone calls from our citizens about people growing marijuana next door and just the odors out of control and we just dont have the enforcement to go in there.

While most of Colorados marijuana users are law-abiding, this commander says his task force is often overwhelmed with those who illegally smoke in public, drive while high and sell to teens. Plus, he says organized criminals are smuggling marijuana out of state.

People are coming out to Colorado, renting four to five houses, turning them into marijuana grows and then shipping the marijuana out of state," he points out. "Because they can grow it here, theres not a lot of enforcement, and they can double their money on the east coast compared to what they can buy marijuana for here, or grow it for here.

He says all of these enforcement issues related to marijuana add to similar violations already taking place among street drug users, plus people who abuse alcohol and legal drugs.

Time to end the war on drugs?

But for Jason Thomas from LEAP, the decades-long War on Drugs has always been problematic because the system unfairly punished non-violent users and sellers.

Does it seem fair," Thomas asks, "that for a low-level drug crime, possession or distribution, that youd be incarcerated for decades?

And he says the post-legalization drop in pot-related crimes is proof that legalization of drugs and an increase in crime don't go hand in hand.

The Colorado experience is being closely watched by a dozen states, where activists are working to get out the vote for marijuana legalization there.
To escape areas of conflict, refugees leave everything behind.

They are resilient, advocates say, but an important part of their journey comes when adapting to their new home.

During a panel discussion last week in Washington about refugee resettlement, advocates reviewed the importance of local government being part of helping newcomers become familiar with a new reality.

While refugee resettlement is a matter of global importance, theres need to find durable permanent solutions. This is not the time to pull back, but rather an opportunity to lead by example, said Winnie Stachelberg, executive vice president of external affairs at the Center for American Progress.

Cities like Fargo, in North Dakota, are not pulling back. According to Mayor Tim Mahoney, the community has come together to help refugees recover and build new lives.

We have a great growing city. Good economy and things are happening, Mahoney said, adding that every year about 500 refugees move to Fargo.

We have found them an important part of our work force  Our new Americans are an important part of our structure and work with us very much all the time."

'Healthily' competing

Mahoney said the city has a network of 33 businesses healthily competing to have newcomers work for them.

Fargo is working on a bus pass program to help people get to work. A police liaison was chosen to assist refugees to feel comfortable with law enforcement, and a community center offers English classes to help the new residents overcome language barriers.

Mahoney said refugees have brought a lot of things to the community such as culture, food and religion. The city of approximately 250,000 has been growing for 15 years and in the next five years, he said it will have 30,000 new jobs available.

Sussan Khozouri, senior vice president at long-time refugee resettlement agency HIAS, said employment continues to be one of the newcomers most important priorities.

Khozouri said by the time refugees arrive in the country, the U.S. government has already identified that these people are of humanitarian concern to the U.S., and they will have the right to work and residence status within a year of arriving, and citizenship status within five years if they choose it.

HIAS helps with things such as culture orientation and school information to children. We are there as the port of entry sort of speak, she said.

World Refugee Day

Ahead of Mondays celebration of World Refugee Day, the Center for American Progress released a new report and found that once refugees are rooted in the U.S. they see a substantial wage gain, help expand the local economy, and learn to speak English well or very well.

For the past five years the study looked at census data and identified four groups consisting primarily of refugees  Somali, Burmese, Hmong, and Bosnians and found they quickly became self-sufficient.

Thirty-one out of 1,000 Bosnian refugees are business owners, while 26 of every 1,000 Burmese in the labor force are business owners.

After living in the U.S. for more than 10 years, 86 percent of Somalis speak English well and 61 percent speak very well. Among Hmong refugees, 43 percent speak only English or speak itvery well.

David Kallick, senior fellow at the Fiscal Policy Institute, said the study also looked at refugee women in the workforce.

You see in three of the four groups we looked at when they [women] first came [to the U.S.] womens labor force participation rates were relatively low compared to the U.S.-born women. But by the time theyve been here for 10 years they were all at the same level or higher than U.S.-born women, Kallick said.

Advocates said there is still a great need to help refugees and urged the United States and other nations to do more.

The release of the report is timely, Stachelberg said, not just because people across the world will celebrate World Refugee Day but more importantly because the world is currently facing one of the largest refugee crises in our lifetimes.

Forcibly displaced

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are now nearly 60 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Some of the highest numbers come from Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Obama administration plans to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees in FY 2016 as part of an overall goal to admit 85,000 refugee from around the world.

Michel Gabaudan, president of Refugees International, an advocacy organization that works with refuges from all over the world, said in a phone interview that some countries believe the refugee crisis is temporary.

But Gabaudan urged them to understand that the crisis is not temporary and called upon government agencies to aid refugees in recovering to a normal life.

He added there are still very few examples of governments that act at the local level, but agreed that local integration is key to help a refugee family rebuild.

This is where I think we have to put much more attention as of now, and some discussion has already started, he said.
Even in the event of a very serious nuclear incident (level 7) at the nuclear power plant of Taishan, protective measures such as the evacuation of the city will not be required, according to Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak.

Wong spoke on Friday at a media briefing regarding the controversial nuclear power plant that is currently under construction 63 kilometers from Macau.

Wong explained that only locations within 20 kilometers of a nuclear disaster must be evacuated, under the guidelines established by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

During the briefing, members of the China General Nuclear Power Corporation Ltd. (CGN) explained the status of the facilitys construction.

The briefing at the Macau Dome was attended by high-ranked security officials from the MSAR, experts on nuclear energy from mainland China, CGN representatives and members of Macau media.

Wong said there is a contingency plan regarding potential nuclear threats and the territorys response. He said the plan had been established by the Portuguese administration back in 1995.

Since the Portuguese administration, there has been a [contingency] plan. It was originally published on January 8 1995. We have reviewed and updated it back in 2011 and it is available for everyone to check, Wong said, adding that a Chinese language version of the plan is already available online and that a Portuguese version would be made available soon.

The contingency plan was set out by the Portuguese administration in response to the potential threat of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, which is located around 105 kilometers from Macau, as mentioned in the governments 1995 policy address.

The director of the Cultural and Publicity Center of CGN, Huang Xiaofei, held a presentation on the companys safety measures for its power plants.

He said that 74 percent of the production plants adhere to international-level standards and 68 percent have a very high level of safety measures.

We pay a lot of attention to security. Security is the most important and quality is a constant concern, Huang said in his opening presentation.

Huang added that the company carries out regular tests and inspections, with 25 such tests undertaken in 2015. Besides those, the company was subjected to six external evaluations from an independent international organization, and all the results were very positive, according to Huang.

He said the company has its own contingency plan and that in case of any incident there is a communication mechanism that publicly informs the population within 72 hours. A similar scheme will be also established for the Macau side.

Deng Zhengping, deputy chief engineer of the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co. Ltd., added that the plant is being built with third-generation technology reactors in collaboration with French company AREVA and Japans Mitsubishi.

He confirmed that after a series of tests, the first two units of the power plant would commence operation in mid-2017.

Guo Limin, general manager of the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co. Ltd., added that there are three security barriers protecting the nucleus of the reactor. He said the barriers dissipate heat and function as an external shell, and that their main goal is to [maintain] the quality of this security belt.

Whether the reactors bought from AREVA comply with new MSAR regulations was a question that could not be fully answered.

We know about the concerns and we have been following that situation [regarding excess carbon emissions detected in France]. So far, we havent detected any problems in the equipment, but we are doing tests and [following up] on the results, said Guo.

visit to the construction site

The government plans to organize a visit to the construction site of the Taishan nuclear power plant, said Wong Sio Chak. The delegation will include representatives from the government and community, as well as members of the media.
For a measure of just how tough Hong Kong retailers have it, look at Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd. Shares of the citys biggest cosmetics seller are down 70 percent from a 2013 peak and seven of 12 analysts tracked by Bloomberg are advising investors to dump the stock. Sa Sa warned last month that profit fell by more than 50 percent in the year ending March.

Its a far cry from the post-financial crisis boom years, when Sa Sa rallied more than 1,600 percent as Hong Kong and Macau shop-owners profited from an influx of Chinese tourists. Since then, those shoppers have curtailed spending or started going elsewhere, and retail sales in Hong Kong have declined for 17 straight months. A gauge of consumer goods stocks including Sa Sa is down 31 percent since the start of 2014, almost twice the broader markets decline.

The golden age for Hong Kongs tourism and retailers is over, said Arthur Kwong, Hong Kong-based head of Asia Pacific equities at BNP Paribas Investment Partners which oversees USD582 billion globally. We are not a big fan of this sector. Investors were really overestimating when the industry was trading at high multiples.

The retail industry, one of the key pillars propping up the Hong Kong economy, has been hit hard by Chinas slowdown and a campaign against corruption since 2012 that wrecked businesses for shops selling luxury goods. Hong Kongs economy unexpectedly contracted 0.4 percent in the first three months of the year compared to the prior quarter  the steepest drop since 2011, official data show.

Sa Sas same-store sales for Hong Kong and Macau fell 17.6 percent from a year ago in the three months through March. Other retailers fared little better in the quarter, which includes the peak shopping period for Chinese visitors over the Lunar New Year holidays: the citys takings slid 12.5 percent. Arrivals from the mainland will fall 3.2 percent in 2016, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Another victim of the malaise is Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd., the worlds largest publicly traded jewelry chain. The stock has tumbled 65 percent from its initial public offering price in 2011, while the company reported a 46 percent drop in full-year profit on June 8.

Reductions in rents may lend some support to struggling retailers. Emperor Watch & Jewellery Ltd.s rents fell as much as 41 percent over the last nine months including cuts in June, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Chow Tai Fook, which said this month it may close as many as eight shops outside mainland China this year, is pursuing a 20-30 percent rent reduction to offset its falling profit, it said.

While Sa Sas shares have rebounded 35 percent since falling to their lowest level since 2009 in January, further gains are limited as the outlook continues to deteriorate, said Dickie Wong, executive director of research at Kingston Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. Fast-growing Chinese e-commerce peers are a threat to conventional shop operators such as Sa Sa, which derives only 5.1 percent of revenues from Internet sales, he said.

The shares may have neared a bottom but I dont see much upside, said Wong. Weve already seen the peak for revenues and share prices and the best era weve had will never come back.

The yuans decline is reducing Chinese shoppers appetite to come to Hong Kong, where goods are priced in a greenback-pegged currency. Among large Hong Kong retailers, Sa Sa has the highest exposure to Chinese shoppers, who account for 71 percent of sales. The Hong Kong dollar has climbed 7.4 percent versus the yuan in the past three years, compared with a loss of more than 9 percent for the euro and declines of more than 17 percent for currencies in Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Hong Kong is expensive for not just Chinese tourists but visitors from Europe and elsewhere, said BNPs Kwong. The easy times wont come back. Hong Kongs retail industry needs to find a new way out. Kyoungwha Kim, Bloomberg
Regional airline Thai Smile will suspend its flights between the Macau International Airport (MIA) and the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok starting in September, due to commercial reasons.

The budget airline began flights between Bangkok and Macau in 2012 and as of 2014, operated two daily flights.

By March 2015, the airline had reduced its service to a single flight per day, and announced shortly afterwards that it was considering the suspension of the route, due to an insufficient number of passengers.

Flights will officially cease from September 1,

according to Thai Smiles website.

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is currently the airlines only Macau route, raising the possibility that it will stop its MIA operations altogether.

launch of third ctm youth program

The launch of the CTM Youth Development Program was held on Friday at the FAOM Center on Campos Street.

The program, now in its third year, aims to encourage young people to utilize their summer vacation time to undergo a series of training activities and foster personal development.

Upon completion of an interview, 20 candidates have been chosen to participate in the program, which is running from June 17 to July 21.

They will have the chance to participate in a series of activities comprising work experience in CTM, volunteer activities and visits to various sites, such as the Macau International Airport and the Transport Bureau.

Fiona Chou, general manager of corporate communications of CTM, said at the launch ceremony that she hopes all participants will apply the programs teachings to their lives, in order to contribute to the social development of the city.
The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, stated that the government has taken the initiative to withdraw the legal draft of the so-called Interregional Judicial Assistance in Criminal Matters, which had been delivered to the Legislative Assembly (AL).

The draft has been withdrawn from the AL until the different territories reach a consensus. In a statement from the Government Information Bureau, Chan said the decision was made following a change on strategy.

Chan announced the decision on Saturday, saying that due to big differences in the jurisdiction regimes between Macau, mainland China and Hong Kong, the discussion and the [arrival at] an agreement is taking more time than what was initially expected.

Scott Chiang, president of the New Macau Association, said implementing the extradition deal would be akin to opening Pandoras box.

I think at the end of the day, people in Hong Kong and Macau know that they should not be overly faithful to Beijings government, especially in this kind of case. Thats why we need to put extra effort into the so-called arrangement in extradition, Chiang said, cited by TDM.

Chiang believes that the recent case of Hong Kong booksellers being detained under suspicious conditions proves that Beijing can extradite specific individuals without major effort on their part or opposition from local authorities.

He suggested that this may lead people to think that the mainland will not respect the rules of a hypothetical extradition agreement with the SARs.

There is not yet an official arrangement of extradition between Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Even so, several agencies from mainland China are able to put their fingers wherever they like in Hong Kong or maybe in Macau, we dont know, Chiang added.

Evidence suggests that now they have the means to do whatever they want, even across the border. Our fear is that, even without such arrangements, they were able to exert their influence into the two SARs. RM
A Hong Kong booksellers revelation of months spent in harrowing detention by mainland Chinese authorities is inflaming tense relations between the semiautonomous city and Beijing, with pro-democracy activists staging protests Friday.

Lam Wing-kees account to reporters a day earlier directly contradicted the official version of events surrounding the disappearance of him and four other men linked to a Hong Kong publisher of banned books on Chinas Communist leadership.

His detailed testimony supports widespread suspicions that the five were seized by Beijing authorities as part of a campaign to silence critical voices, and had not willingly traveled to mainland China to voluntarily admit to crimes or help with investigations, as they had previously stated on Chinese television.

The saga of the missing booksellers underscores growing fear in Hong Kong that Beijing is tightening its hold on the city and eroding its considerable autonomy.

Chinas Communist government took over control of Hong Kong from Britain in 1997, promising to let it retain civil liberties such as freedom of speech for 50 years under a system known as one country, two systems.

The case will make the people of Hong Kong feel unsafe and there will be a blow to the already fragile one country, two systems framework, said Zhang Lifan, a political commentator in Beijing. The Hong Kong public will no longer believe what [the government] says in the future and it may result in a public trust crisis.

In Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China is unswervingly determined to implement the policy of one country, two systems. She told a regular news briefing that Lam is a Chinese citizen and violated Chinese laws in mainland China, thus the competent authorities in China certainly have the rights to deal with it in accordance with law.

Public discontent has risen sharply in recent years over mainland Chinas rising influence in Hong Kong. In 2014, activists brought key intersections to a standstill for 79 days to protest Beijings decision to restrict elections for the citys top leader. The protests ended when Hong Kongs Beijing-backed leader refused to make concessions, but they spawned a new wave of radical activist groups campaigning against the disappearance of Hong Kongs Cantonese culture and advocating its independence from China.

Some of these groups plan to field candidates against both pro-Beijing rivals and moderate established pro-democratic parties in citywide legislative elections set for September, which threatens to further polarize the city.

Theres really a need for mainland officials to examine their policies and think about how over the last couple years their hard line on democracy and increasing interference in Hong Kong has stirred up a lot of opposition, said Michael Davis, a law professor and constitutional affairs expert at Hong Kong University.

In Hong Kong on Friday, three pro-democracy political parties held separate rallies in front of Beijings liaison office to vent their anger.

Protesters from Demosisto, a small, newly formed political party run by young people including teen activist Joshua Wong, tossed newspapers with front-page stories about the case, a banned book and a petition letter over the liaison offices fence. They carried placards that said, No cross-border abduction.

Lam risked his life to tell the truth and he risked his life to protect the values of Hong Kong people, said Nathan Law, Demosistos president. He somehow united all the Hong Kong people and we realized that the dirty hand of the tyrants is getting closer and every one of us is at risk.

The disappearances also shocked the city because one of the men, British citizen Lee Bo, is suspected of being abducted to the mainland by Chinese security agents operating in Hong Kong, which is prohibited by Hong Kongs mini-constitution. Lam said Lee confirmed this to him last week, contradicting Lees earlier statements that he made his own way to the mainland.

Lam said he was detained after crossing Hong Kongs border with mainland China, blindfolded for a 13-hour train ride to a city near Shanghai and confined for five months in a small room, where he was kept under surveillance and interrogated.

He said his interrogators wanted details of the buyers and authors of his companys books, which were popular with Chinese visitors to Hong Kong but banned in the mainland.

He was forced to sign a confession that was used as a script when he went on a Chinese TV channel to say he broke the law by mailing his companys books to the mainland. Kelvin Chan, Hong Kong, AP
Hovione, a medicine factory near Edificio do Lago, has been accused of causing air pollution in the neighborhood. During a factory open day on Saturday, Hoviones general manager Eddie Leong said that the fumes come from the factorys water-cooling and gas supply systems, and are therefore safe. He explained that some residents had complained to the government in the past, and that Hovione had brought the complainers to the factory for a visit. Production manager Johnny Cheong said the company has been conducting strict treatment procedures on gas emissions, according to a report by Macao Daily News.

Girl dies after being hit by falling window

An 11-year-old girl from Zhuhai died on Saturday morning after being hit by a window falling from the 21st floor of a city apartment, according to a report by Jornal Va Kio. The girl was hit while crossing the road with her brother and sister while on their way to a tuition center. The tragedy is still under investigation. Zhuhai citizens have discussed the accident extensively on social networks like WeChat, broaching topics such as social responsibility, throwing objects from apartment windows and the safety of minors on holiday.

Lawmaker suggests buildings that match their streets name

Lawmaker Au Kam San submitted a written inquiry to the local government regarding the large number of streets named after other cities or the mainland. He said that these streets do not have any obvious characteristics that might represent the cities and suggested that the government construct buildings based off the historical identity of the street names. He also asked whether it would be possible for the government to explain the relationship between Macau and other cities through these buildings, according to a report by TDM.
Senior diplomats of the U.S. and North Korea are slated to attend a security conference in Beijing next week, but the State Department said Friday there is no plan for direct talks between them.

The annual Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue is an informal meeting that brings together government officials and scholars of the six nations that were involved in long-stalled talks on the Norths nuclear program.

Among those attending will be Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy. South Koreas Yonhap news agency reported Friday that North Korea would also send a representative.

That offers an opportunity for a rare meeting between the adversaries, amid heightened tensions following a North Korean nuclear test and rocket launch that drew stiff sanctions.

But State Department spokesman for East Asian and the Pacific affairs, Ory Abramowicz, said no meeting is planned.

The department said in a statement that Kim will travel to Beijing from tomorrow to Thursday for meetings with Chinese officials and to attend the dialogue.

Susan Shirk, professor at the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation at the University of California, San Diego, which organizes the closed-door conference, said by email late Thursday she was unable to give any information about it.

The universitys website describes it as a multilateral forum involves high-level policymakers, defense ministry officials, military officers, and researchers from China, Japan, North and South Korea, Russia, and the United States. It describes the dialogue as a regular channel of informal communication among the six governments.

It says officials participate in the meetings in their private capacity, not as official government representatives.

Formal talks between the six nations aimed at disarming North Korea in exchange for aid have been in limbo since 2008 with little apparent prospect of resuming them as Kim Jong Uns government looks to assert itself as a nuclear weapons state. The U.S. and its partners want Pyongyang to recommit to denuclearization before restarting the talks. Matthew Pennington, Washington , AP
CHINAs Foreign Ministry said yesterday that the Indonesian navy opened fire at a Chinese fishing boat in the South China Sea, injuring a fisherman and detaining its seven-man crew. The statement posted on the ministrys website was in response to reports that Indonesias navy said that it had intercepted and detained a Chinese vessel and its seven crew members for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

SOUTH KOREA A civilian light plane crashed in southern South Korea on Friday, killing all three people on board, officials said. The plane went down in a farming field in Muan, about 390 kilometers south of Seoul, according to Ji Man Seok, an official at the Ministry of Public Safety and Security. Ji said the cause of the incident wasnt immediately known but that the plane was believed to have been on a training flight.

INDONESIA At least 35 people have been killed by landslides and floods on Indonesias Java island and many others are missing. Dozens of houses were buried in the landslides and thousands of homes were inundated by floods in 16 districts and towns in Central Java province over the weekend.

THAILANDs Royal Palace has announced that doctors have drained excess fluid that was putting pressure on the brain of 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

A statement from the palace, reported yesterday in Thai media, said the doctors were satisfied with the results of the procedure, which was carried out Saturday night.

RUSSIA At least 11 children and their adult instructor have died in a storm while boating in a lake in Russias northwestern region of Karelia. Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the nations main state investigative agency, said several boats with children overturned Saturday in a storm in Syamozero, 120 kilometers east of the border with Finland.

BRAZILIAN police say armed men stormed a Rio de Janeiro hospital to free a suspected drug trafficker, sparking a shootout with officers. A patient was killed, and a nurse and an off-duty policeman were wounded.

USA Authorities have been searching the home of a Pennsylvania man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager whose parents police say gave her to him when she was 14 because he helped them financially. She was one of a dozen girls living in the residence.
IDAHO  Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced $1,750,000 in funding to support five health centers in Idaho. The funding will increase access to integrated oral health care services and improve oral health outcomes for Health Center Program patients. Nationwide, todays announcement includes nearly $156 million in funding to support 420 health centers in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This funding enables health centers to expand integrated oral health care services and increase the number of patients served.

With these awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), health centers across the country will increase their oral health service capacity by hiring approximately 1,600 new dentists, dental hygienists, assistants, aides, and technicians to treat nearly 785,000 new patients.

Oral health is an important part of our overall physical health and well-being, said Secretary Burwell. The funding we are awarding will reduce barriers to quality dental care for hundreds of thousands of Americans by bringing new oral health providers to health centers across the country.

Oral health problems can be a sign of illness elsewhere in the body. Additionally, lack of access to preventive and routine dental care for underserved populations can result in dental conditions requiring more costly emergency dental treatment.

HRSA will continue to explore ways to further integrate oral health services within primary care settings, and increase awareness of the connection between oral health and overall health, said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae.

Today, nearly 1,400 health centers operate approximately 9,800 service delivery sites in every U.S. state, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin; these health centers employ more than 170,000 staff who provides care to nearly 23 million patients. In 2014, health centers employed over 3,700 dentists, more than 1,600 dental hygienists, and over 7,400 dental assistants, technicians and aides. They served about 4.7 million dental patients and provided nearly 12 million oral health visits.

To view the list of the awardees, visit http://bphc.hrsa.gov/programopportunities/fundingopportunities/oralhealth/fy16awards.html

To learn more about HRSAs Health Center Program, visit http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html

To find a health center in your area, visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/
Vacation Bible School

TWIN FALLS  J.O.Y. is the theme this year of the Vacation Bible School of Immanuel Lutheran Church at 2055 Filer Avenue East in Twin Falls. It will be held at the church running June 27, 28 and 29 with registration at 8:30 AM.

Thank you Tetona. I appreciate your help. Any questions let me know. Thankks again! Karen Phillips of ILC.

Presbyterians Will Host 4K4 Cancer Cyclists

Twin Falls First Presbyterian Church will host a group of 4K4 Cancer cyclists June 28-29. The cyclists are college students who will spend their summer riding at least 4,000 miles across the US in order to raise funds for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, a non profit organization that provides support for young adults impacted by cancer.

Each rider raises at least $4500 through pledges. In 2015, 170 4K4 Cancer riders raised over one million dollars for the Ulman Cancer Fund. First Presbyterian Church has hosted the riders every year for several years, providing supper on the day they arrive, breakfast the following morning, sleeping accommodations and showers.

Cyclists will arrive in Twin Falls the afternoon of June 28th and visit a number of sites, including Shoshone Falls, Old Town/Downtown Twin Falls, the Perrine Bridge and the Twin Falls Visitors Center.

For more information please contact the church office at (208) 733-7023. Please feel free to join us for worship at 10 am on Sundays. This Sunday, Pastor Phil Price will preach a sermon entitled Powerful Correspondence, which is based on scriptures from Psalms and Galatians. The church is located at 209 5th Ave. North in Twin Falls.

Bathroom Battles: Whats at Stake?

We are a welcoming faith. Unitarian Universalism doesnt just open its doors to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities we value diversity of sexuality and gender and see this diversity as a profound spiritual gift.

Join us as we discuss some of the recent controversies surrounding gender neutral bathrooms and why increasing our awareness matters to all of us.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is available.

Please visit the Magic Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Sunday at the Vendor Blender and Event Center, 588 Addison Avenue West in Twin Falls at 10:30 a.m.

The Vendor Blender is located near the old hospital near the intersection of Martin St. and Addison Avenue West.

Ascension Welcomes Fr. Michael Case; Thursday Potlucks in the Park

Ascension Episcopal Church welcomes the Reverend Michael Case as guest celebrant for Holy Communion at 8 and 10 am worship services Sunday morning. Fr. Case is the part-time Priest-in-Charge at Holy Nativity in Meridian, Idaho.

Ascension Cafe, the adult discussion group, will meet from 9:10 am to 9:55 am, during which Fr. Case will discuss his personal path into ordained ministry. Youth Sunday school is on summer break.

There will be no nursery care for the month of June; children are welcome at worship services with their parents. A fellowship coffee hour will be held after the 10 am worship service.

Wednesday Bible Study and worship service are both on summer break. Knit-Us-Together, the handwork group, meets from 1 to 3 pm. All are welcome for worship, study and fellowship at Ascension.

On Thursday nights at 6:30 pm, Ascension members and friends meet for a pot-luck at the Twin Falls City Park, prior to the weekly band concerts. Bring a dish to share, your own drinks and table service and a chair or blanket to sit on. The concert begins at 8 pm. Please join us; look for the Episcopal windsock at the picnic table close to the band shell.

Ascension Episcopal Church is handicapped accessible and is located at 371 Eastland Dr. North, Twin Falls. More information about Ascension can be found at www.episcopaltwinfalls.org or call 733-1248.

To submit information about church events and news. Contact Matt Gooch at mgooch@magicvalley.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday for publication on the Saturday religion page. Please insert Church News in the email subject line.
David and Delores Humphrey of Twin Falls, Idaho will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on June 15, 2016, with family and friends at the home of Grace and Jim Hill. They were married on June 17, 1966 in Filer, Idaho.

David is retired from the Air Force after serving 22 years and from the Twin Falls Canal Company after 15 years. Delores retired as a legal secretary in 2014, after working for 30 years with various law firms.

They have two sons, Tony (Yvonne) Humphrey of Filer, Idaho, and Sean (Pam) Humphrey of Las Vegas, Nevada, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Preucil to Receive Bachelors Degree

WORCESTER, MA  On Saturday, May 14, on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) campus quadrangle, 907 bachelors degrees were awarded during the universitys 148th commencement ceremony.

Christopher Preucil of Ketchum, Idaho, was awarded a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

Oklahoma University Honor Roll

NORMAN, Okla.  Students from 49 states and Washington, D.C., are listed on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus honor roll for the spring 2016 semester.

In most colleges, students must earn a minimum 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale to be included on the honor roll. Students in the College of Architecture are recognized with a 3.3 or better, and students in the College of Engineering are recognized with a 3.0 or better.

Tera Margaret Mills of Rupert.

Presidents List at Gonzaga University

SPOKANE, WA  Sarah Walker of Jerome have earned placement on the Gonzaga University Presidents List for spring semester 2016. Students must earn a 3.7 to 4.0 grade-point average to be listed.

Honor Students Named at Baylor University

WACO, Texas  More than 3, 400 Baylor University students were named to the Deans Academic Honor Roll for the 2016 spring semester. To be named to the Deans List, a student must be an undergraduate with a minimum grade-point average of 3.7, while enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours.

Kelsey Nicole Silvester of Kimberly, College of Arts and Sciences

Carroll College Names Students to Spring 2016 Deans List

Carroll College (Helena, Mont.) has released the names of students on its 2016 spring semester deans list. To be included on the deans list, a student must receive a 3.5 grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale and take at least 12 graded credits in a semester.

The following students from your state (hometown listed next to name) were named to the 2016 spring semester deans list:

Hanna Hillier, Jerome

Jacob Hollifield, Jerome

Haley Meredith, Jerome

Joseph Zepeda, Jerome

Hanna Hillier, Jerome

Jacob Hollifield, Jerome

Katherine Perrigot, Rupert

Jessica Aguirre, Twin Falls

Trell Dowd, Twin Falls

Jon Pulsifer, Twin Falls

C of I Spring 2016 Deans List

The College of Idaho congratulates the more than 200 students who made the 2016 Spring Semester Deans List. To receive Deans List recognition, a student must complete at least nine graded credits and achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher for the semester. Students honored are listed below by hometown:

Buhl: Emily Hamilton, Kendyl Hamilton, McKayla Lively.

Filer: Cassidy Ferrell, Andrew Peterson.

Gooding: Mary Brown, Joshua Faulkner.

Jerome: Erik Nordquist.

Ketchum: Sophia Nosworthy.

Kimberly: Haylee Burnham, Seth Champlin, Kaitlyn Goetz, Brock Hulsey, Michaella Owens, Lacey Wayment.

Rupert: Rok Holmes.

Twin Falls: Dusten Ault, Darrell Falconburg, Ryan Geist, Jesus Hernandez, Clay Mathews, Jazmin Orozco, Page Warren, Rachel Webster.

Dickard Earns Degree from University of Northern Colorado

GREELEY, COLO.  Shalene Dickard of Twin Falls, whom received a Bachelor of ArtsAnthropology, was among 1,306 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees from the University of Northern Colorado during spring 2016 commencement ceremonies May 6-7.

George Fox University Announces Deans List

NEWBERG, ORE.  Kam Thomas of Heyburn, senior in accounting, made

deans list recognition at George Fox University for the spring 2016 semester. Traditional undergraduate students must earn a 3.5 grade point average or above on 12 or more hours of graded work to earn a spot on the deans list.

Montana State has Announced its Undergraduate Honor Roll

There are two MSU honor roll lists: the Presidents Honor Roll and the Deans Honor Roll. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours to be on either list.

Students with a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the semester were named to the Presidents Honor Roll. An asterisk follows the names of students named to the MSU Presidents Honor Roll in the listing below.

The Deans Honor Roll includes students earning grade point averages of 3.5 or above for the semester.

Heyburn: Lance Robinson

Ketchum: Amanda Stelling

Hailey: Amelia Fugate

Kimberly: Kaylee McKay*

Shoshone: Amanda Olsen

Bolyard graduates from College of the Ozarks

POINT LOOKOUT, MO.  Jesse Bolyard of Twin Falls, Idaho, graduated from College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Missouri, during the 2016 commencement exercises on May 8, 2016. Bolyard received a BS in Agriculture Business.

This year marked the 109th commencement ceremony for the 297 graduates.

Bolyard is a Twin Falls Christian Academy graduate.
IDAHO FALLS  Soon, the Twin Falls and Boise areas will become the third and fourth places in the state to open a state-funded crisis center where people with mental health and addiction problems can stay for a day and start to get help.

The first, the Behavioral Health Crisis Center of East Idaho, has been open since December 2014 and helped more than 2,000 people in its first year. It is on track to help almost twice as many this year.

It saves money. It saves lives, Crisis Center Coordinator Brenda Price said.

Price said she enjoys seeing people who came in earlier, at a low point in their lives, living successfully later on. It does get better for them.

Before the center opened, many of its clients either ended up in jail or were hospitalized again and again.

We need compassionate care for them, and opportunity for them to heal, said Barbara Dahl, the centers case management supervisor, who has been there since it opened.

The state appropriates funding for the crisis centers, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare contracts with an agency in the area to run it. The one in Idaho Falls is run by Bonneville County; the one in northern Idaho that opened in December is run by Kootenai Health.

The Clients

As the word gets out, the number of people using the Idaho Falls center has been rising  367 clients in the first four months of 2015, 686 in the first four months of this year.

You can stay there for up to a day, and the average client stays there for a little less than 15 hours. Price said there are some repeat visitors, many of them people who used to end up in the hospital emergency room over and over, but the majority of clients are on their first visits. Other people, she said, are discharged and then readmitted immediately  for example, someone whos detoxing and needs a bit more time.

While the overwhelming majority of people using the crisis center are from Bonneville County  1,230 out of 1,536 regular clients who came during the first year the crisis center was open  it also gets a fair number of visitors from surrounding counties such as Bannock, Madison and Bingham. The 2015 numbers even show five people who came from Twin Falls, Gooding and Cassia counties, people who probably would have gone to a crisis center in the Twin Falls area had there been one.

Most people who go check themselves in, although there are also many referred by law enforcement or by Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, the local hospital.

Well take people there who are in a crisis that doesnt necessarily meet the level of hospitalization, said Idaho Falls Police Lt. Steve Hunt, a member of the crisis centers board. (The board has seats set aside for law enforcement representatives.)

Hunt said these cases most often arise when someone is having suicidal thoughts but hasnt taken any real steps toward harming himself or herself. Another common scenario, he said, is when police get called because someone appears disoriented but isnt necessarily violent  someone wandering around talking to himself, for example. Some people call police themselves; in other cases a concerned friend or family member does.

Police dont force people to go to the crisis center; people who are gravely disturbed or dangerous enough to be held involuntarily would be brought to the hospitals Behavioral Health Center, not the crisis center. And while the number of people using the crisis center has gone up significantly, Hunt said the number of law enforcement referrals has dropped, perhaps because more people are aware of the centers existence and know to go there if they think they need help.

Hunt said the crisis center has reduced the number of people with mental problems who get arrested or end up at the hospital. Also, some people are reluctant to go to the hospital due to the cost.

The hospital is a great resource, but it is not free, Hunt said. An emergency room visit is expensive.

Hunt said there were cases in the past where people who didnt meet the criteria for admittance to the psychiatric hospital or the homeless shelter would end up in jail. Now, he said, the crisis center provides another option. There are still cases where people have to be arrested, but there are also ones  such as when someone is wandering around disoriented and may have broken a law such as public urination but is clearly acting out due to mental condition  where the crisis center is a better alternative than charging the person with a crime.

The crisis center just gives us another (option) to deal with those kinds of problems, he said.

The Experience

When a client gets to the Idaho Falls crisis center, he presents himself to security; the center has a contract with the Bonneville County sheriffs office, and a deputy sits at the front desk. The center also provides an amnesty box where people can get rid of any drug paraphernalia or illegal items they may have.

We dont want this to be a place where people fear coming for fear of being arrested, Dahl said.

The client goes into a small room for an initial assessment by a nurse and, if available, a case manager. Including the case manager, when possible, in the initial assessment means a person has to tell a potentially traumatic story only once instead of repeating it again and again, Price said.

The nurse checks the persons blood pressure and vital signs and takes any prescription medication for safekeeping, to be dispensed as prescribed while the client is there.

The center provides boxes to store peoples personal effects, which Price said ensures people arent pressured by other clients into lending out their possessions. It also provides clothing they can change into. When the center first opened, it had uniforms donated by the jail, but people didnt react well to wearing those; now Price buys cheap T-shirts from Walmart to give people.

After theyre checked in, clients stay in either one of the two comfort rooms  small rooms for one person, for those who need isolation because, perhaps, theyre hearing voices or because theyre detoxing and need to have their vital signs checked frequently  or in one of two dormitory-style rooms with seven or eight beds in each. People who come in at night, especially, are sometimes intoxicated to the point that they need to sleep it off before getting any further help or therapy.

The center feeds the people who come in and has a selection of board games, books, movies and TV to keep people occupied. The main thing, though, is to talk to case managers who can help clients with their problems, and to get connected with mental health or addiction treatment providers who can help them after they leave the crisis center.

Some clients have family and friends who can help them when they leave; in other cases, particularly cases of severe substance abuse or chronic mental health issues, the family is burnt out or the people have chosen to isolate themselves. Some people, Dahl said, are ready to get help, while others are ambivalent or still exploring their options. Some are homeless and choose to go back to the streets.

A plan you impose on someone wont work if a person isnt invested in its success, Dahl said. We meet people where they are.

All kinds of problems bring people in.

Mental illness is common  often depression or suicidal thoughts. The center also deals with many people who have persistent conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Many people also come in looking for help with alcohol or drug problems, Price said, and many clients have both an underlying mental illness, such as depression, anxiety or past trauma, and a substance abuse problem.

The older people who come in, Price said, are more likely to be alcoholics, while the younger ones are more likely to have heroin or meth addictions. Addiction to prescription opiates is also common.

One issue the center frequently runs into with younger people, Price said, is that they are willing to try to quit other drugs but not marijuana.

The Funding

The Legislature appropriated $1.5 million a year to fund the place for its first two years of operation, with the idea that it would transition to local funding after that. Eventually, whoever ends up running the crisis center in Twin Falls will have to grapple with the same question.

For Price, that time is coming up  she needs to have a sustainability plan ready by the end of the year, coming up with a source other than state money that can support at least half of the centers cost.

I can squeeze a nickel pretty hard, but staff costs are more than $750,000, she said.

Price is still weighing options for the Idaho Falls facilitys funding. One that is being discussed in northern Idaho, she said, is creating a local taxing district; Price said she didnt think that would fly in her area. Another possibility, she said, would be billing Medicaid for visits, which she said would still be cheaper than an emergency room visit.

Price said having the center saves society money. People who keep their jobs and their families together, rather than falling victim to addiction or mental illness, benefit society.

Those are all savings to society, she said, but it is very difficult to quantify that.
ARCO  The journey to Mars begins with a trip to Southern Idaho.

For the second summer in a row, Craters of the Moon becomes NASAs lunar playground as its researchers, along with the Canadian Space Agency and universities across North America, return for space exploration simulations.

Beginning Monday, their field work in the rugged and terrestrial landscape of the park will help NASA determine how its astronauts will communicate on Mars, where the speed of light dangerously delays the time it takes to send and receive messages.

No one knows how to deal with human conditions in these situations, said Darlene Lim, speaking Thursday at a NASA community event at Bottolfsen Park in Arco. Lim is the principal investigator for Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT). This program is overseeing this months research at Craters of the Moon.

Orbital mechanics between planets cause time delays in relaying messages. Communication in space is typically done through radio waves that travel at light speed. However, the farther away a planet like Mars is, the longer the light speed and, thus, the longer it takes for the messages to be received.

The delay can be anywhere from five to 20 minutes, a minor inconvenience when texting friends on Earth, but a potentially deadly scenario when sending and receiving messages between future astronauts on Mars and mission control staff in Houston.

Lim gave an example of an astronaut with a punctured suit spotting a rock that may be an interesting study. That person would have to ask a crew at the station on Mars, who would in turn ask mission control in Houston. Each message would be delayed.

As time goes on, theres a chance the puncture would grow and cause the suit to gas out, killing the astronaut, she said.

How can we essentially give the astronauts on the surface of Mars to be self-sufficient and survive on their own, Lim said.

There is no way to get around the latency issue. Instead, a team of researchers on the BASALT project will camp out for two weeks in a mobile command center at Craters of the Moon.

Their goal: simulate time delays and figure out the best ways to mitigate the issue.

One team will stay inside the command center, which is a large RV thats been used at other Mars analogs in Arizona and Hawaii. The members will monitor the astronauts who will walk the surface at Craters of the Moon.

Those on the ground will wear 30-pound backpacks with cameras, sensors and other instruments to transmit data back to Earth. In this case, the command center is Earth. The two sides will work out the kinks on what works best as they send messages back and forth.

The mobile command center will be camped at the Mountain View RV Park northeast of Craters of the Moon. BASALT team member Andrew Abercromby, talking Thursday to a crowd inside the RV, gave examples of some methods of communication his crew will look at this month.

Do we communicate by voice? he said. Or do we communicate through text?

Abercromby suggested that Mars explorers could send texts that contain as much information in a single message instead of sending a series of short ones. This will help define the bandwidth, the volume of information per second that can be exchanged on Mars.

At Bottolfsen Park, Shannon Kobs-Nowotniak, an Idaho State University professor and project lead for Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science & Exploration (FINESSE), was simulated volcanic eruptions via a trashcano.

She filled a soda bottle with liquid nitrogen and taped it to a yellow trash can full of water. The nitrogen boiled and expanded until it burst, launching the whole can about 30 feet in the air.

The FINESSE team, who began studying Craters of the Moon last summer, will again conduct volcanic studies at the park in August.

If plans go as expected, by the 2030s, humans will explore Mars and search for microbes and gain insight into our solar systems evolution. Doing so could help us understand the beginnings of Earth, Kobs-Nowotniak said.

Where does it start? Where does it begin?

For now it begins with the science being conducted at Craters of the Moon and other Mars analog sites.
Rolando Reyes Rabanal

Cuban human rights activist Rolando Reyes Rabanal, who was one of 53 political prisoners released after the U.S. and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations in December 2014, was arrested Saturday after returning from a visit to Colombia.

Reyes was one of three activists with Foro por Derechos y Libertades (ForoDyL) who attended a human rights event in Bogota, and he was the only one detained upon his return to Havana, according to MartiNoticias.com. (Another five activists had been blocked from attending the conference.)

Reyes was detained by immigration officials at the Havana airport, before he was turned over to State Security.

"It looks like he has been accused of 'public disorder,' but we don't have confirmation because they haven't explained where he is being held or why," said Antonio Rodiles, who heads ForoDyL.

Since his release after President Barack Obama and dictator Raul Castro struck their deal, Reyes has been arrested numerous times because of his participation in the #TodosMarchamos campaign, which has been spearheaded by Foro DyL and the Damas De Blanco ("Ladies In White").

Rodiles said the dictatorship has recently increased its repression against members of the Foro DyL and other activists in the #TodosMarchamos campaign.
@ByKristenMClark

Surrounded by two nationally known lawmakers, a couple Florida legislators and almost a dozen community leaders, Florida Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy released on Saturday his policy proposal for criminal justice reform.

Murphy called for laws to "ban the box" on job applications and restore voting rights for ex-felons, improved funding for law enforcement agencies to buy body cameras and other reforms aimed at reducing incarceration rates and helping those who've done time to become productive members of society, instead of returning to crime.

"I'm running for the U.S. Senate because I know we can make a difference on these issues," Murphy said. "We must reduce recidivism by creating a better pathway back into society for formerly incarcerated individuals."

Democratic U.S. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joined Murphy to announce his proposal during a press conference Saturday afternoon at the Florida Democratic Party's "Leadership Blue" gathering at The Diplomat hotel in Hollywood.

Booker -- who is rumored to be among Hillary Clinton's possible choices for a vice presidential candidate -- is the keynote speaker at the Democrats' fundraising gala Saturday evening. Booker endorsed Murphy more than a year ago.

Also there to support Murphy were Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, Fort Lauderdale state Sen. Chris Smith and West Park state Rep. Shevrin Jones.

Photo credit: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy presents his criminal justice reform plan during a press conference June 18, 2016 at the Florida Democratic Party's "Leadership Blue" gala in Hollywood, FL. He was joined by more than a dozen Democratic supporters, including South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn (left) and (from right) New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, Florida state Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
@alextdaugherty

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz broke down in tears Saturday with almost three dozen union members flanking her at a press conference, attempting to highlight her support among organized labor groups after the Florida AFL-CIO declined to endorse her last week.

When I could choose to work in Florida, unfortunately a right-to-work state, I chose to join a labor union and I was very proud to do that, Wasserman Schultz said.

The Democratic National Committee chairwomans opponent as she seeks re-election, Nova Southeastern law professor Tim Canova, was quick to label the non-endorsement a rejection of Wasserman Schultz and her labor policies.

But Canova did not get an endorsement either, and Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams referred to Canovas position as a little bit of a reach.

If thats the case, then every candidate who got a no endorsement has been rejected by the AFL-CIO, and I certainly dont see it that way, Williams said.



Read more here: Wasserman Schultz and Canova spar over labor endorsements
Raise your hand if you havent picked up a paintbrush for a purpose other than remodeling since elementary school.

A new business in town is hoping to rekindle your inner artist, or perhaps allow you to find it in the first place.

Painting with a Twist, located at 2100 Stephens Ave. Suite 108 in the Stephens Center, was started last year by owner Cathy Lower and her daughter Jennifer, the manager. They're both longtime Missoulians.

Jennifer Lower said they got the idea because she and her mother both believe that although Missoula is an artsy community, art isnt always accessible to everyone.

A lot of people have felt intimidated by it, she said. Or at some point in their life theyve been stifled by a teacher or parents or a peer. And this is the place where I feel like they can regain a confidence in creativity.

Painting with a Twist is a nationwide franchise with nearly 300 locations, and the company is the largest employer of artists outside of the education system in the U.S.

The Missoula location employs five part-time local artists, and they teach classes every day of the week. The artist comes in with a pre-painted canvas first to show the class beforehand, then works through the techniques and steps with the students. There are classes for kids and adults, but the evenings are for adults only.

People want to come in and have a nice evening with a date or their friends or their family, Cathy Lower said. People come in here, theyre not on their cellphones, theyre talking to their friends. Theyre relaxing. Theyre doing something totally out of the ordinary, and musics going.

She said people dont need to feel intimidated about coming by themselves if they just feel like learning to paint for a night. Everyone keeps their own painting.

They paint everything from portraits of pets to scenic pictures of canola fields near Bigfork. Theyve welcomed bachelorette parties, bridal showers, graduation parties and corporate team-building events. In the evenings, folks over 21 are allowed to bring in their own beer or wine, but the Lowers enforce a strict ID policy and dont tolerate drunkenness.

They also have Painting with a Purpose nights where local nonprofit organizations can recruit people who support their cause, and the company donates half the proceeds.

I still have to pay my artists and pay for supplies, Lower said. But the last one we did sold out.

A two-hour session costs $35 including all paint and supplies.

We set them up, make sure theyre all sitting together, clean up afterward and try to make sure theyre having a good time, Lower said.

She said some people initially dont feel like they created a beautiful work of art, but then when they look at it again the next morning theyre surprised at how well it turned out.

Heres whats really surprising, is the guys love it the most, she said. The guys get drug in here and theyre like date night, whatever. And theyre better than the women most times, honestly.

Painters are allowed to deviate from what the pre-painting calls for as well, allowing for extra creativity.

Jennifer Lower said she feels like its a business that makes people happy.

Weve created an environment here that is family-oriented, Jennifer Lower said. Its creative and non-threatening. Our staff is really a family. Weve had a lot of people tell us stories about how they feel welcome and happy here. And theyve had hard things happen in their lives and this is the first thing theyve felt welcome.
This past autumn, pruning a big lilac bush, I found a snakeskin that some bird had woven into its nest. Here's a poem about another find from Stephen Behrendt, who lives and teaches in Nebraska. His most recent book is "Refractions" from Shechem Press.

Snakeskin

Pruning back the old spirea bushes

that sprawled for years in summer's heat,

I bared the snake skin, a yard and a half long:

its naked empty length rippled in the streaming wind

lifting its ghostly coils from the dead shoots

that scraped the slough from the slithering body

that shed it in that narrow, shaded space.

***

I paused  who wouldn't?  shears poised,

slipped off gray canvas gloves, extracted

the sere, striated casing from the brown stalks

that had held it, silent, hidden.

***

I coiled the paper-thin curling sheath with care,

delicately, eased it into a simple squatty box

for keeping, for care, for my daughters

to take to school, to show, to explain

how some sinuous body we've never glimpsed,

that haunts about our shrubs, our porch,

left for us this translucent, scale-scored wrapper,

this silent hint of all that moves unseen.

***

We do not accept unsolicited submissions. American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2014 by Stephen C. Behrendt, Snakeskin, (Refractions, Shechem Press, 2014). Poem reprinted by permission of Stephen C. Behrendt and the publisher. Introduction copyright  2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
A child abducted from North Carolina was found unharmed in Missoula on Sunday, and his father was taken into custody.

An AMBER Alert for the 8-month-old child was canceled after the boy and his mother and father were found at Howard Johnson hotel, 3530 Brooks St., at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

Missoula police officer Brian Vreeland started searching for vehicles in parking lots of area motels, said Sgt. James Caton. At about 3 a.m. Sunday, Vreeland spotted a vehicle in the hotel's parking lot that matched the suspect vehicle's description. He verified that the license plate matched the plate described in the alert.

Several officers responded to the motel and made contact with three occupants in one of the rooms: the child and his parents, 35-year-old Chad Douglas Eastlack and 20-year-old Penny Dianne Worthy. Eastlack and Worthy were transported to MPD for questioning.

Eastlack was charged on an outstanding warrant out of North Carolina. Worthy was released on the scene.

The child was unharmed, Caton said, and turned over to Missoula Child Protective Services. Missoula CPS is now coordinating with CPS in North Carolina to safely return the child.

The Randolph County Department of Social Services in North Carolina reported the baby missing on Tuesday, and reported to the Randolph County Sheriff's Office that he had been taken by his biological parents, Eastlack and Worthy.

Eastlack was also suspected of stealing a van from Franklinville, North Carolina.

An AMBER Alert was issued on Thursday for the 8-month-old child. The alert reached Montana because law enforcement said the van could have been headed to Great Falls or Missoula.
Missoula, Montana, is roughly 2,600 miles away from Orlando, Florida. Yet when a shooter opened fire inside a gay nightclub last Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding at least 53 more, the tragedy of Americas worst mass shooting in modern memory felt as close as though it had happened right here in western Montana.

At first, it was the sheer horror of the incident, along with profound sympathy, that drove Montanans throughout the state to gather at vigils held in honor of the victims. Such vigils were held in Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Helena, Great Falls and Kalispell, among others. Now, as the victims names and stories are shared and grieved nationwide, the initial shock and sorrow are giving way to frustration, anger and a determination to make meaningful changes to prevent the next mass shooting.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, for one, tweeted I will be meeting with the NRA, who has endorsed me, about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns, and said Muslims should be banned from immigrating to the United States.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she wouldnt shy from labeling a terrorist attack an act of radical Islamism, and added, We did have an assault weapons ban for 10 years. I think it should be reinstated."

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, another Democratic presidential candidate, also called for a ban on assault weapons and demanded that ISIS be destroyed.

Montanas congressional delegates also offered a range of responses to the Orlando shooting. Sen. Jon Tester, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, called for the Senate to move past its differences and come together to strengthen our national security.

On that note, Sen. Steve Daines applauded the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 85-13. The tragedy in Orlando was another act of war on our homeland  and it is critical we provide our military the tools to destroy our enemies overseas and strengthen our security at home, he said in a prepared statement.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, meanwhile, said America needs to change course: Radical Islamic terrorism is as much a war within Islam as it is a war against the West, and it will take a global coalition with Middle Eastern stakeholders and American leadership to stop it at its source. We must also do more here at home to stop individuals who have been radicalized before they act.

Coincidentally, a Missoula city council committee this week took up a scheduled discussion on requiring background checks on gun sales and transfers  an issue that garnered heated debate when it was launched last year. The proposal, which includes exemptions as well as fines for violations, was returned to the Missoula City Councils Public Health and Safety Committee for further revision.

While the committees meeting on the proposed ordinance was not a result of the shooting in Orlando, it nevertheless came at an opportune time, as many Missoulians questioned whether gun regulations could have stopped 29-year-old Omar Mateen, An American-born Florida man who had pledged allegiance to ISIS and who was interviewed by the FBI in 2013 and 2014, from obtaining the AR-15 and pistol he used to carry out his attack at the Pulse club.

It also presents a new opportunity for some critical self-reflection as a community.

In Missoula we can debate what role to play in alleviating the refugee crisis overseas; how best to extend legal protections to gay, lesbian and transgender residents; and whether to enact new restrictions on firearms. These discussions can and should be held openly, without fear of personal attacks or physical threats.

Far too often lately, however, those leading these important community discussions have been met with the worst kind of destructive criticism. Opponents of anti-refugee resettlement efforts were rightly upset at being labeled haters and Islamophobes. Mary Poole, who spearheaded Soft Landing Missoulas efforts to open an International Rescue Committee office locally, has been called as bad or worse.

Similarly, members of city council sponsoring the background checks proposal have been on the receiving end of insults and intimidation.

Thats not the way we should do things. Especially in light of the most recent, but certainly not the last, mass shooting that may have been driven by Islamic extremism, mental illness, homophobia or a dozen other possible motives.

Those prone to violence will seize on such motives to cause further division and strife and bend others to their way of thinking. As individuals and collectively, we must recognize that there are other, better responses to this tragedy. There are as many different solutions to hatred and violence as we can imagine, and public comment and debate is a necessary part of determining which of these solutions to pursue.

But if we have learned one thing from the horrific murders in Orlando, one thing on which we can all agree, let it be this: hatred has no place here  not in America, not in Missoula, not in our home. On this one thing at least, let us be united.
Do you have difficulty analyzing current political and economic events? Are the talking heads on the media only confusing you more?

A new analysis tool called Rock and Roll Political Theory can help you sort through these difficult issues with ease. Here is how it works. You simply compare and contrast current issues with the themes and lyrics of great rock and roll songs. The insights and answers almost pop up like magic. In a pinch, you become a knowledgeable and sophisticated commentator on all sorts of arcane topics.

For an example of this methodology, lets look at the BREXIT. Why does a significant portion of the British electorate want to chuck its European Union membership into the North Sea? To analyze this, we will look to the great rock and roll song "Hotel California" by the Eagles. The analytical process can be summarized as follows:

The poor Brit checks into a magnificent hotel (the EU). At first, he is awed by the majesty and grandeur of the place (mirrors on the ceiling, pink champagne on ice). But soon he suspects there is an insidious conspiracy underway. Many of the guests are driving Mercedes Benz and meeting in the masters chambers (Brussels). There they conduct secret rites (EU Central Bank meetings) where they carve up the beast (individual European economies). Too late, the poor Brit realizes he has become a prisoner. He runs to the night clerk (Angela Merkel) and begs to be allowed to return to the place he was before (his own national identity). Dont worry she sneers. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!

There, you now completely understand this complex international issue. Rock and Roll Political Theory is a great shortcut to enhanced wisdom. You dont have to take college courses or read obscure academic texts.

Larry H. Mylnechuk,

Missoula
BILLINGS  The U.S. government has reached an agreement to end a dispute over greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas leases in Montana with only modest changes to current practices.

The deal was filed in federal court Friday by attorneys for the Bureau of Land Management and three environmental groups that had sued to block drilling  The Montana Environmental Information Center, WildEarth Guardians and Earthworks' Oil and Gas Accountability Project.

The groups wanted the government to force companies to reduce emissions of methane from oil and gas fields. Under Friday's agreement, federal officials must consider such steps for two dozen federal leases in eastern Montana, but are not compelled to adopt them.

Separately, the Obama administration in March proposed new regulations to reduce methane pollution nationwide.

Attorney Erik Schlenker-Goodrich with the Western Environmental Law Center says the administration's proposal offered a better way to address the issue than continuing with the lawsuit against the BLM.

"When this case originated in 2008, the BLM was doing virtually nothing for methane pollution and waste. Now it's a priority for the administration," he said. "We think (the lawsuit) operated as leverage to help get the agency thinking about methane."

BLM spokesman Al Nash referred questions to the Department of Justice, which did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It gets into the atmosphere when pipelines leak and when companies vent or flare excess natural gas from oil production.

The proposed regulations would require energy producers to find and repair leaks at oil and gas wells and capture gas that escapes from wells.

The American Petroleum Institute had intervened in the case but was not a part of the settlement negotiations. The industry group last month filed a court motion opposing any deal it said was "likely to substantially infringe on the rights" of energy companies.

The agreement needs approval from U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon.

Haddon ruled in 2013 that emissions from future drilling activities would be too small  only a fraction of 1 percent of total emissions in Montana  to make a "meaningful contribution" to global greenhouse gas levels.
CORVALLIS  It was quiet in the Corvallis Cemetery as the riderless horse led the procession of the hearse carrying the remains of World War II U.S. Army Corporal George Simmons to his final resting place on Saturday. Nearly 200 strangers, friends, family and military personnel honored Simmons and all those who serve America.

George Simmons cousin, Al Simmons, provided the DNA used to identify Georges remains from a mass grave in the Philippines. Al worked with the military to bring his cousin home. Als son Eric shared his thoughts before the service began.

Im very grateful for the number of people here, Eric said. George has always been remembered in the family and it is quite gratifying to see the community come to honor a fellow that died in the service of his country 70 years ago. We always knew that he did the death march and that he died but we didnt know all the details.

Eric said he was grateful for the militarys efforts.

It is just wonderful that they have such dedication to bringing every last soldier home, he said. They work very hard. We have a book several inches thick telling us all the things they did to bring this about. The author of the book 'Oh, God Where Art Thou?' corresponded with my folks. He was with George when he passed away and it was quite an experience to put all this together.

Eric noted that the family members present are descendants of his father and that there are no descendants of George.

He gave a lot so that we can be here today, Eric said.

Erics son Mason explained his relationship to George Simmons.

I Googled it, Mason said. He was my first cousin twice removed. I think that the best thing is the Liberty Bell said it right, let freedom ring. After the tragedy we just had in Orlando I cant think of a better way to bring America together than to celebrate bringing a soldier home.

Mason said he was impressed with the number of people who came to the service.

Im a distant relative but this is what makes our country so amazing; being able to honor people that sacrificed so much to keep us where we are, he said.

General Jeff Ireland attended the service to pay his respects and make formal presentations in full military honors. He said he is proud to participate in honoring a service member and the sacrifices Simmons made.

This is a commitment that the United States of America has accepted because it is our responsibility to take care of our soldiers and service members, he said. I think this one is really significant because it isnt just a recognition to Corporal Simmons. It is a recognition to every person who has ever served in the military and a recognition that the U.S. stands behind supporting its veterans, even 70-plus years later.

Ireland said this memorial touches hearts.

It hits home because it means so much to preserve freedoms and the rights we have today, Ireland said. It helps ensure the stability of America. Even though it has been 70-plus years, it doesnt take away the emotion and the connection that we have to a family who mourns for the loss of their loved one. We all connect. Weve been there.

***

The service began at 11 a.m. with blue skies and a beautiful view of the Bitterroot Valley and mountains. Eric Simmons thanked the people who came to honor George Simmons, who died in a prisoner of war camp and finally came home.

He loved the military and all who serve this country, he said.

Eric gave a brief summary of George Simmons short life. He said Georges mother passed away when George was 6 years old and he grew up in Corvallis loving the outdoors and Montana life. Eric talked about Georges military service, the harsh treatment he received as a prisoner of war and his burial in a mass grave. He also relayed what an army buddy said who remembered George.

He was a spirited young man and he once made the comment that if I ever make it out of here, I would like to go back to the beautiful Bitterroot Valley where wonderful family and friends live and Ill never leave,  Eric said. Today with the cooperation between my family and the U.S. military, this dream has come true.

David Onstad presented a red, white and blue quilt from the Quilt of Valor Foundation to the Simmons family. Mason Simmons gave a prayerful dedication of the grave. Corvallis American Legion Post 91 gave a 21-gun salute and member Doug Mason played Taps. General Ireland presented the family with the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and numerous other decorations. The military pallbearers folded the flag and General Ireland presented it to Al Simmons.

On behalf of the President of the United States and the United States Army and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation of your loved ones honorable and faithful service, Ireland said.

The family of George Simmons placed 25 roses on his casket  one for each year of his life.

Doug Mason presented Al Simmons with shell casings from the 21-gun salute.

Eric concluded the service.

This shows that our country does love every soldier and our citizens love every soldier and our military will do everything in its power to bring every soldier home, Eric Simmons said.

Each member of the Corvallis American Legion Post 91 stood at the foot of the casket and said, Welcome home.
BASIN  Joseph Robertson moved into an old camper down by his ponds about a month and a half ago.

His wife Carri is staying up at their cabin. Robertson can't be in their home because he can't be around the firearms there, a condition of his release following a conviction in April on federal charges he polluted waters of the United States. His sentencing is July 20.

"I'm facing 15 years and three-quarters of a million in fines," the 77-year-old said recently on his property, supporting himself with a hand on one of the plentiful aspen that canopy the land, a work boot resting on a downed fir. "What they're doing to me, the feds, they shouldn't have the ability to."

The feds, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Robertson discharged dredged and fill material as a result of a series of ponds he built on land above the small town of Basin, just off Interstate 15 between Butte and Boulder.

Robertson doesn't deny building the ponds; he freely admits using an excavator and rubber-tired backhoe to do the work. Last week he talked about improvements he still wants to make, even after his conviction and  before that  a series of letters and visits from federal officials over several years telling him he was breaking the law.

"They stopped me before I finished," Robertson said. "I have a lot of work to do. I need to put a proper drain in here one of these days."

What he doesn't understand is how someone could claim his ponds could polluted anything, let alone the nearest navigable river  the Jefferson, about 60 miles away. But the EPA has said, and a jury agreed, Robertson's actions dirtied waters that are critically important to the Jefferson, and restoration would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I don't know how they say what happens up here can mean something all the way down there," he said, pointing through timber that obscured Cataract Creek, which eventually flows into the Boulder River and then the Jefferson.

The tale of Joe Robertson has all the characters of a new storyline playing out across the West: a landowner who doesn't think think what he calls an "overreaching" EPA and Corps of Engineers should have a say about what he does on his property  with two federal agencies that are tasked with protecting the country's water resources and interested parties and like-minded groups watching from the audience, deciding if, when and how to take action.

Lack of legal clarity

The crux of Robertson's case is what qualifies as "waters of the United States," as defined by the Clean Water Act. The EPA only has jurisdiction over those waters, but the definition of the term is as unclear as a muddy stream.

The inclusion of waters that have a "significant nexus" to navigable waterways comes out of a split U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2006 in which Justice Anthony Kennedy said a continuous surface connection wasn't necessary for a wetland to fall under the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction. A jury found that Robertson's ponds met the nexus test.

At Robertson's trial, experts from the EPA and Corps of Engineers testified the ponds Robertson built were in a stream and wetlands that had a "significant nexus" to traditional navigable waters  running into Cataract Creek then the Boulder and finally the Jefferson, which the government said has been documented as navigable going back to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Montana State Program Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who determined Robertson was in violation of the act, explained the importance of adjacent waters during Robertson's trial like this:

"You think of a tree or a plant leaf, where you've got a main branch and a leaf, or a main branch on a tree, and you get many smaller branches that come off of it, and leaves on those branches. It all is connected into  you know, it's all part of the same tree or part of the same plant."

The Supreme Court's lack of a majority in 2006 created confusion, in the wake of which the EPA proposed the Clean Water Rule rule in an attempt to clarify what falls under its jurisdiction.

The rule "was developed by the agencies to respond to an urgent need to improve and simplify the process for identifying waters that are and are not protected under the Clean Water Act and is based on the latest science and the law," said EPA Deputy Press Secretary Monica Lee.

The rule was published in the Federal Register in June 2015 and added headwaters, tributaries and adjacent wetlands and nearby waters to what the EPA can regulate. Organizations like the Farm Bureau said the rule would hamstring farmers' ability to work their own property that may have isolated wetlands or other protected waters on it, while groups like Trout Unlimited said it will ensure protections for fish habitat.

Just four months later, on Oct. 9, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a nationwide stay against enforcing the rule after a lawsuit filed by several states called the rule a power grab by the agency. Since then, the EPA and the Corps of Engineers have used earlier regulations to determine what is "waters of the U.S."

By resolution, Congress overturned the rule on Nov. 4, 2015. Montana Republicans Rep. Ryan Zinke and Sen. Steve Daines voted to overturn; Sen. Jon Tester voted no. But in January, with his ninth veto, President Barack Obama rejected that resolution. Senate Republicans tried to overturn the veto but didn't get enough votes. Daines voted for the override; Tester voted against it.

Zinke said he thinks decisions about water are best made locally, not at the federal level.

"What I face every day is someone in Washington D.C. who has a better idea of how to manage our resources and control our resources than Montana," he said. "If a person violates or dams a river or affects your neighbor or the environment adversely, certainly the state and even the county has enough provisions to take action. I don't think you need to prosecute under federal law for something that is a very local issue."

A spokesman for Tester said the EPA rule needs to "protect our most precious resource and work on the ground," adding the goals aren't mutually exclusive. He also said the override would have prevented future administrations from providing needed clarity on waters of the U.S. Daines has been a critic of the rule, saying it would have a harmful effect on farmers and ranchers and calling it "an attack on private property rights."

In a related case, on May 31 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision saying landowners could challenge "jurisdictional determinations" made by the U.S. Army Corps, the agency that makes the call on whether waters fall under the federal government's oversight.

In that decision, Justice John Roberts touched on the severity of punishments for those found guilty of violating the Clean Water Act, writing it "imposed substantial criminal and civil penalties for discharging any pollutant into water covered by the act without a permit."

Amidst this murky legal picture, Robertson is one of those facing a substantial penalty. He could have to pay fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and go to prison for 15 years, what could amount to a life sentence for the disabled Navy veteran.

Mining area

Robertson hung his red-sleeved arm out the door of his green pickup as he drove bumpy roads through a patchwork of patented and unpatented mining claims and federally owned land near his home. His therapy dog, a retriever named Sasha, is prone to hanging her head out the topper's back, scanning the surroundings. Robertson has lived in the area since about 1996 and has a complicated legal past that includes many encounters with local, state and federal law enforcement. He has ended up in district court, the state Supreme Court, and federal court before, though he's never faced charges this serious.

With pale blue eyes and abundant smile wrinkles around his eyes, Robertson could pass for a decade younger, though he likes to joke about his age. He's old, he said, but not nearly as old as some of the ponds in this area dug by miners in the 1880s.

The land above Basin has been mined for more than a century, and evidence of such is almost anywhere you look. There are tailings on the shore of Cataract Creek just 100 yards downstream from a stump marking where the unnamed tributary Robertson polluted dives under the road and flows into the creek.

"That's ancient," he said, pointing to a dry ditch that might have carried water down to what's now just the remnants of an old mill. "I don't know how you can say I'm polluting when you've got all that around."

Elk, ducks, geese and moose all frequent Robertson's ponds, and it looks to be a bumper year for frogs. Though the ponds provide water for his five horses and two goats, Robertson is most proud of their utility in fighting fire.

The larger pond has connections to allow the tactical tender parked nearby to fill up.

Fighting fire is something Robertson cares deeply about. For years, he said, he and his wife ran a Type 2 tactical water tender and spent their summers fighting fire one 14-hour day at a time across the West.

His other devotion lies with fellow veterans  his wallet is stuffed with business cards for a group he organized to bring local veterans and their families out to his land.

"We have a lot of old, disabled veterans that have PTSD who want to come here, relax and enjoy life," he said, though he's discouraged visitors since his legal troubles started.

Robertson has struggled with PTSD himself and spent five and a half weeks in an inpatient trauma recovery unit at Fort Harrison.

"Thank God I did, because with these people coming up and packing weapons," he trailed off, referring to armed Forest Service agents who have visited his land to see if has complied with court orders over the years to move structures and property he put on federally owned lands.

Support

State Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, is one of several starting to rally around Robertson. Her name is written in pencil along with other contacts of supporters on the back of a manila folder where Robertson keeps all his legal papers.

Manzella said she first saw Robertson's story on Redoubt News, the communications outlet of a political movement that encourages migration to so-called safe-haven states in the West for like-minded conservatives who anticipate the downfall of the federal government.

The website features stories like one about a rally in Plains earlier this month that brought together self-proclaimed patriots including Robertson and the family of Jake Ryan, a 27-year-old Montanan who was arrested after the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon at the start of this year, and Jeanette Finicum, whose husband was shot and killed by law enforcement when five of the militants were arrested about 50 miles north of the refuge on Jan. 26.

"My concern is protecting our citizens, protecting our state sovereignty," Manzella said about Robertson's case. "Where does our state sovereignty end and the federal government take over in a situation such as this?"

Jim Buterbaugh, who lives in Whitehall and has known Robertson for years, said he's tentatively planning a rally at the July sentencing.

"This is the government going too far," Buterbaugh said. "He's a mile away from the creek, so I don't see where he's going to be polluting since his ponds are groundwater ponds."

The Oath Keepers, a group of constitutional activists known for armed support of individuals fighting government overreach, launched an online alert last month supporting Robertson and encouraging donation to his legal defense.

"I find it astonishing that they're picking on this veteran," said Oath Keepers spokesman Jason Van Tatenhove.

"I don't think the guy deserves to die behind bars," he said of a potential prison sentence.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes joined Van Tatenhove in lambasting the investigation and court case. They allege fabrication of some evidence while ignoring other evidence in a retributive prosecution and failed defense.

Rhodes declined comment on whether the Oath Keepers is considering an armed operation in support of Robertson but did say, "We want to see this fought in the courts."

Radio Free Redoubt host John Jacob Schmidt in an interview with Robertson referenced a "Second Amendment-type of option" when talking about what happens next.

But Robertson said he doesn't want anybody armed to come up near his land unless they're hunting.

"Oh no," he said. "I wouldn't want that. I wouldn't want any part of that. It's bad enough, there are a lot of disabled vets living up here. That's a bad situation. Carri had a guy with PTSD hunting that ran into armed Forest Service agents. This poor guy, it scared him to death."

What's next

Ray Kagel, who runs a wetlands, water and wildlife consulting firm in Rigby, Idaho, calls into question the EPA's report  so much so that he produced a pro-bono report countering the government's.

"In our opinion, there were no measurable or quantitative adverse impacts to the aquatic ecosystem," he said.

Kagel said he used to work for the Corps of Engineers and the EPA as a senior project manager and enforcement officer and said his work as a federal employee informs him about why the government pursued a case against Robertson.

"It's kind of like a feather in the cap showing, 'Wow, what a great job we are doing as an agency based on all these enforcement actions we've taken,'" he said.

He contends Robertson's ponds neither fit the significant nexus definition nor are a continuously flowing stream, because the flow goes underground.

In his 2006 opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia said intermittent and ephemeral streams are not "waters of the U.S," though the jury in Robertson's case was told to use the nexus text.

Kagel has done free work for others in similar situations, including a Wyoming rancher who was facing millions in fines over a stock pond he built and who later settled with the EPA, saying he didn't pay a fine and kept his pond. He also produced a report for an Iowa woman who pleaded guilty to building a pond at her campground in violation of the Clean Water Act but later had the charges dismissed, though the government held the right to continue the case later.

But Kagel's report was done after a jury found Robertson guilty and after years of federal agents telling Robertson he didn't have permission to build his ponds. Robertson points out he did get a state-issued 310 permit to build an off-stream pond, though that permit expired before he started work and the state official who issued the permit said the ponds Robertson built didn't meet requirements. Robertson was never issued a 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers, which permit is required for activity that will result in the discharge or placement of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S.

Meanwhile, Robertson continues to talk about improvements to his nine ponds and make plans for the rest of his life. He and his wife own a blue sailboat they'd like to put in Canyon Ferry, and more immediately there's a seeder in the back of his truck he needs to put to use.

"I gotta get that done before I go to prison," he laughed.
In 1914, my great-grandfather Hartvig Knudsen immigrated to this country from Denmark. He was 17 years old. Upon arrival, he learned English and refused to speak Danish with his brothers who had preceded him to Montana, because he was an American now. In 1917, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in World War I. He married a northeast Montana girl, homesteaded at McCabe, and 100 years later, here I am. My great-grandfather came to this country the right way. He followed the law. He became a U.S. citizen. He wanted to be an American. When he got here, he recognized that he was no longer a Dane, but an American. He loved his new country so much that, after only two years here, he signed up to defend her in the Great War.

As we speak, President Obama is relocating tens of thousands of Syrian and other Muslim country refugees into our country. These people are not following the same legal immigration process that my great-grandfather -- and Im guessing many of your ancestors -- did. They are being unfairly moved to the front of the line, given privileged status, and being placed in our heartland at a record rate. There are no requirements that these refugees take courses in U.S. history, civics, or English, as is required of foreigners seeking U.S. citizenship today.

They are not being required to assimilate to our American culture. In fact, most of them are tacitly encouraged to bring their culture with them, and are now demanding that we assimilate to them. Much of this Muslim culture is foreign and strange to us. Our culture doesnt require our women to cover themselves head to toe. We dont treat our women as second-class citizens, and not allow them to speak or testify in court. We dont teach our sons that it is appropriate to beat their wives if they are disobedient. And we dont condone death as the appropriate punishment for those who choose to follow a different lifestyle or who dont follow the same religion that we do.

Governor Steve Bullock has said that he would not oppose any plan to relocate Syrian refugees into Montana (Great Falls Tribune, Nov. 16, 2015). He tells us not to worry -- that the U.S. government background checks all of these refugees. Well, Mr. Governor, my wife was a contracted federal background investigator for several years, and its difficult enough to do a background check on a U.S. citizen for the last five years. It requires weeks of neighbor interviews, employer interviews, family interviews, and paperwork checking, all within the U.S. Do you really think a background check of this level is being conducted on an unknown refugee from Syria, a nearly third-world, non-ally country? Do you really believe that, even if Syria had background records on its citizens, the Syrian government would provide that information to the U.S. government?

Greg Gianforte opposes efforts to relocate refugees into Montana, and supports efforts to secure our countrys borders. He believes that only those immigrants who want to be Americans should receive the privilege of U.S. citizenship. I hope youll all remember that on Election Day and join me in supporting and voting for Greg Gianforte for Montana governor.

-- State Rep. Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, serves House District 34 in northeast Montana, and is the Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives.
As the rhetoric ramps up leading to the election and the next legislative session, so does the finger-pointing at the failure of the past Legislature to pass meaningful infrastructure funding in the final form of Senate Bill 416.

After passing the Senate by 473, SB 416 failed by one vote of the necessary two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. The bill had the support of 51 of 88 Republicans, 62 Democrats, and Governor Steve Bullock. Yet it failed of final passage.

Some people now seek to identify the inclusion of the renovation and expansion of the Montana Historical Society facility -- The Montana Heritage Center -- as the explanation for the defeat of the infrastructure bill. These people describe The Montana Heritage Center as unnecessary, a pet project and pork. We find that an astonishing claim.

The Montana Historical Society, created in 1865, has faithfully and assiduously collected, preserved, and assured access for Montana citizens to the historic documents, newspapers, photographs, artifacts, and art of Montanas history for more than 150 years. The current home of the Montana Historical Society, the Veterans and Pioneers Memorial Building, stands directly adjacent to the State Capitol. Funded by the 1949 Legislature and opened in 1953, the current structure has long since become dysfunctional for the stewardship and appropriate exhibition of Montanas treasures and for the invaluable research conducted by scholars and citizens alike.

Recognized as The Smithsonian of the West, the Montana Historical Society must severely constrain its service and educational programs to commemorate and celebrate Montanas rich history.

The Montana Heritage Center, designed to improve these conditions, has come before every legislative session since 2005, having secured limited bonding authority in that session. However, a small minority of legislators has prevented approval of the necessary changes to preserve and share with all citizens our exciting and important history. In our view, the preservation of the records, artifacts, and art of our past represents a duty and responsibility of the current generation of Montanans to succeeding generations. Referring to this generational obligation as pork demeans all Montanans and their heritage.

The Montana Heritage Center project responds to the imperative to protect, expand, preserve, and share the growing collections assembled by the Montana Historical Society. As an infrastructure project, construction of The Montana Heritage Center will reduce the risk of losing or damaging the irreplaceable history of past generations so that future generations of Montanans can enjoy and learn from this inheritance. The current facility, quite appropriate for its time, has reached the state that a catastrophic failure looms, given the cramped conditions and the rising demands placed on the Society. The Board of Trustees has developed the project to assure that The Montana Heritage Center will again allow all Montanans to celebrate our state, our history, and our distinctive culture and way of life.

We, the members of the Board of Trustees, collectively encourage those who remain uncertain about the inclusion of The Montana Heritage Center in the legislative infrastructure package to visit the current historic but inadequate facility to learn of the work, view the collections, investigate the issues, and see for themselves the shortcomings of an aging building, the preservation of which we have integrated into the project. We invite them to join the many thousands who visit the facility each year. The Montana Historical Society, as The Montana Heritage Center, belongs to all Montanans, not to those of us charged to oversee the society and the center. As citizens of this great state, we all have a stake in our common history, regardless of race, ethnicity, recency of arrival, or political philosophy. Without question, our common history and shared culture richly deserve respect and thoughtful consideration, not the derogatory labeling of the past few months.

In the months ahead, we invite all Montana citizens to join us in refuting and rejecting all misleading and inaccurate statements about The Montana Heritage Center and the Montana Historical Society and the impact of their vital work and statewide reach. We, the society trustees, function as your servants, the stewards of a celebrated heritage and a wonderful collection of records, artifacts, and art revealing that heritage. We respectfully urge all Montanans to protect our common legacy.

-- Montana Historical Society Board of Trustees:

Bob Brown, Whitefish, president; Thomas Nygard, Bozeman, vice president; Kent Kleinkopf, Missoula, secretary; Janene Caywood, Missoula; Jim Court, Billings; George Dennison, Missoula; Cliff Edwards, Billings: Ed Jasmin, Helena; Charles Johnson, Helena; Steve Lozar, Polson; Thomas Minckler, Billings; Jude Sheppard, Chinook; Crystal Wong Shors, Helena; and James Utterback, Helena.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Muscatine County Conservation held a try-it session for people to come try out canoeing and kayaking at Duck Creek at the Salisbury Bridge Recreation Area.

Participants were allowed to paddle solo through the waters in a kayak or group up into a canoe.

Chris Bynum came out with his two daughters, Kaylynn and Alli, to have some fun.

"We usually come out here every year," Chris said. "It's fun to do something out in the water beyond fishing or swimming."

Muscatine County naturalist Dave Bakke was out there helping people get into and out of kayaks and canoes and giving instruction to people who didn't know how to kayak or canoe.

"We do this to give people a chance to come out and see what it's like (to canoe and kayak)," Bakke said. "Some know how and some don't so we try to help them out."

The canoes and kayaks were all owned by the Conservation Center.

There will be another session of getting to tryout the canoes and kayaks in the fall.
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 []
The Gupta family has denied it attempted to capture the R51bn Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) tender on behalf of a bidder in 2012, as alleged in a letter written by former CEO Lucky Montana.

The denial comes as the AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, writing in the Sunday Times on Sunday, revealed a new example of alleged state capture by the Guptas.

At the basis of the allegation is a letter that Montana wrote in 2012 to then Prasa board chairperson Sfiso Buthelezi.

In the letter, Montana accuses the Guptas and the presidents son Duduzane Zuma of trying to take control of Prasas board to ensure their alleged bidder  the China South Rail (CSR)  won the R51bn rolling stock tender to supply Prasa with 600 commuter trains.

This adds a new twist to the Prasa locomotive saga. It has seen the resignation of Montana and a report by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that criticised Montanas role in the matter. It resulted in Prasa chair Popo Molefe seeking legal action to end Swifambo Rail Leasings contract in 2015. This week, Molefe filed papers trying to recoup R2.6bn from company for the 13 locomotives.

The City Press reported on Sunday that Montana allegedly instructed his very own go-to IT guy to wipe clean a laptop that was thought to have contained sensitive documents relating to the troubled state-owned entity after he had been dismissed.

What the letter claims

The alleged letter claims Montana attended meetings with Transport minister Ben Martins and other transport ministry advisers, where he was introduced to representatives of Gupta family and Duduzane Zuma.

I had taken issue with the representative of the Gupta family over what I considered to be attempts on their part to extort money from (the bidders), he reportedly wrote.

Award-winning investigative journalists Sam Sole and Stefaans Brummer, who authored the Sunday report, said the letter claims the Guptas proposed giving CSR shares to Montana and demanded Martins restructure the board.

The letter appears to have been a threat on Montanas part to quit if the board restructure  which he claimed was imminent  was not halted. The letter seemed to work, the restructure was averted and French-backed Gibela won the bid.

Speaking to Fin24 on Saturday ahead of the Sunday report, Gupta spokesperson Gary Naidoo  who had seen the letter and was sent a list of questions by AmaBhungane  said the allegations are without foundation.

Guptas want focus to move from state capture to media capture

We have no interest absolutely in the rolling stock tender thats been put out and therefore we totally deny any of the claims in the supposed letter, he said.

Naidoo questioned who the Gupta representative was, saying we believe anyone can claim to represent the family.

AmaBhungane sent Montanas letter to the Guptas, but not in its original format to protect their source. The Guptas told them they would not comment on the story without seeing the original.

The letter does not have any authentication or verification as far as we can see, said Naidoo. However, both Montana and Buthelezi confirmed the authenticity of the letter to AmaBhungane in the Sunday Times report.

We have no bearings on anything that is happening with the current case with Prasa, he said.

He claimed there is a politically-coordinated campaign against us being conducted with the use of the media. We believe strongly that this is another example of media capture, he said.

While this story has a clear source, the media often runs stories with unnamed sources to protect the identities of government officials and other high ranking officials, who could lose their jobs for sharing sensitive information.

Call to bring evidence of state capture into public sphere

However, Naidoo called on those with information that shows the Guptas are indeed guilty of state capture to bring it out.

Put it out there, charge us if you will, but you cant make unfounded statements and have unnamed sources because then its just all innuendo, he said.

He said the Guptas have not had any formal correspondence with the public protector, who is said to be working on an investigation into the Guptas regarding accusations of state capture.

Madonsela said in June she was seeking additional resources so she could sufficiently probe the allegations.

While the Democratic Alliance laid charges of corruption against the Guptas in March, Naidoo said they have received no indication of this legal matter, or any other related legal matter.

Asked why the Guptas dont take legal action to clear their name of state capture, Naidoo said: The family is a very private family so they wouldnt really like to go too deep into the public sphere.

But, having said that, they reserve their rights over various things that have happened over the last few months, he said. For now, wed like some peace and quiet and want things to go on as normal.

Fin24

More on Prasa

Rapport defends Prasa story

Prasa CEO: top engineer targeted because he is black

South Africas R600 million train blunder
South Carolina's governor somberly held up programs from the funerals of the victims of the Charleston church shootings, saying Friday during a memorial service that the faith of those victims showed how to heal in the aftermath of still another mass shooting.

One year since Charleston church shootings



Nine black parishioners shot during a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church last year



On Friday, a presidential aide read a message to the congregation from Pres. Obama

"As for me, I will forever know that there are angels on Earth," said Gov. Nikki Haley during a three-hour service that was alternately somber and then punctuated by joyous singing.



Friday was the anniversary of the shooting deaths of nine black parishioners during a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church. A white man, Dylann Roof, faces charges in both state and federal courts and prosecutors in each are seeking the death penalty.



Haley, who attended the funerals of all the victims, said she got to know the families of both those who were killed and the three survivors in the days and weeks following the shootings.



"There hasn't been a day since June 17, 2015 that I haven't thought about the 12," she said.



She recalled each victim, sometimes with gentle humor, as she showed the funeral programs she says she keeps as reminders.



The Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor "had the voice of an angel," she said.



Haley recalled state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, the Emanuel pastor who was slain as "a gentle giant" and a man "who never talked about what he was against. He always spoke about what he was for."



Haley said that in the wake of the shootings - after which many family members of the victims said they forgave Roof, the suspect charged in the deaths - the people of South Carolina "didn't have protests, they had vigils. They didn't have riots, they had hugs."



The College of Charleston's TD Arena, where the service was held, sits about 5,000 people and was about half full. The stage was lined with the pictures of the nine people killed. Above each were the words "Still Speaking from Eternity."



It's the same venue where President Barack Obama gave a rousing eulogy during the funeral for Pinckney that included a rendition of the hymn "Amazing Grace" for the packed audience at the TD Arena. The Obamas were accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill; nearly 6,000 people attended the funeral. Some 5,000 would-be mourners were turned away, apparently for lack of seating.



On Friday, a presidential aide read a message to the congregation from Obama and the first lady in which they said "as a nation we are deeply moved by your boundless love and your unshakeable resilience."



In the wake of the shootings, officials and businesses nationwide have taken steps to distance themselves from Confederate symbols and name. The suspect, Roof, had appeared in photos with the Confederate flag.



In Texas, the Austin school board voted to rename Robert E. Lee Elementary. The Houston school board voted to rename seven schools named for Confederate leaders. Ohio State Fair officials banned vendors from selling Confederate flag merchandise. In New Jersey, the nation's oldest and largest flag manufacturer decided a week after the shootings to stop making and selling the Confederate flag.
An estimated 120 out of 4,200 students are affiliated with gangs at Napa and Vintage high schools, according to a recently released grand jury report on gangs. In American Canyon and Upvalley, the number of students in gangs is even lower  practically nonexistent, according to the report.

Gang activity in schools across the county has been controlled for the most part, the 2015-2016 Napa County grand jury reported. Thanks to a community-wide effort to get at-risk youths integrated into school life and educated, gang activity is nonexistent in some schools and has become less severe in others, the jury said.

Gangs offer that missing link that some Hispanic youths might need either because they have recently emigrated from Mexico, are not legal residents or have no personal stake in Napa County or California, the report said.

Gang membership can offer companionship, security, respect and sometimes financial support, the grand jury said.

Education is a centerpiece of community efforts to thwart gang membership, the grand jury said. By attracting youths toward educational opportunities, the significance and threat of gangs has and will continue to diminish, the citizens group predicted.

The level of gang activity in Napa County has declined in both numbers of incidents and seriousness since the last grand jury report on gangs in 2008-2009, the grand jury said. Gang activity in schools has evolved into more of a social affiliation than a criminal enterprise, it said.

School administrators and law enforcement officials interviewed by the grand jury agreed that gangs primarily target young men from Hispanic families, and that high-schoolers are prime candidates for joining or participating in gangs.

As second generation Hispanic students become more integrated into the Napa community and schools and as their numbers continue to increase to 50-percent or more of the school-aged population, there is less reliance on gang membership for personal identity, social interaction and protection, according to the report.

Efforts since the 2008-2009 report have included putting resource officers in schools, providing a more interesting curriculum to students, and encouraging family involvement in student education. A Gang and Youth Task Force meets five times a year to monitor local efforts.

Napa Valley Unified School District communications director Elizabeth Emmett said that the school district will not comment on grand jury reports until a response has been approved by the board of trustees.

District Attorney Gary Lieberstein said that he agrees with the grand jurys findings that school resource officers have helped reduce gang-related violence. There have been a number of incidents over the years that have been prevented because students feel more comfortable reporting what they are hearing to officers (who) they are comfortable with, he said.

Lieberstein said that he would encourage additional resource officers to be placed in middle schools throughout the county so that those students get exposure to law enforcement on a regular basis. Although it may be a funding issue, Lieberstein said that he believes it is a very wise use of funds in preventing future gang and youth violence.

American Canyon High School has no internal gang activity, possibly in part due to its strict dress code, which does not allow head coverings or gang affiliation colors, the jury said. About 30 percent of students have a Hispanic background.

Gang activity is low Upvalley, the report said, with very little gang involvement at both St. Helena High School and Calistoga Senior High School. St. Helena High School, which is 50 percent Hispanic, is very diligent at prevention, the jury said. Students must be breathalyzed before social events, like school dances. There are chaperones at events and drug-sniffing dogs are taken through the school periodically.

Although Calistoga Senior High School has the highest percentage of Hispanic students in the county, about 90 percent, it has the least evidence of gang activity, the jury said. The jury attributed this to the high student-to-teacher ratio (16:1) and high budget, the highest per-pupil in the county, that allows the school to attract excellent teachers.

Most students also come from low-income families and work after school, limiting the hours of free time they have to participate in gangs.

Napas Valley Oak High School, an alternative school whose student population is 73 percent Hispanic, has a gang presence, but the grand jury found that the high student-to-teacher ratio and the presence of Hispanic staff has mitigated the risk of disruptive and dangerous gang activity.

Between 40 and 60 students are affiliated with gangs at Napa High School, whose student population of 1,800 is 50 percent Hispanic, the grand jury reported.

Vintage High School has a student population of 2,400 that is 55 percent Hispanic. About 60 students are affiliated with gangs, the report estimated.

Each school is different when it comes to gang activity and prevention, but most schools utilize the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which is directed at first-generation English speakers whose parents did not attend high school. AVID offers individualized oversight and academic help for these students and has been successful in advancing the academic growth of students at risk due to deficient language skills, according to the report.

Instead of AVID, Vintage High School uses a program called The Legacy Youth Project.

The grand jury commended the Legacy program at Vintage High School for being a salvation to students who may have been either left behind academically or were heading to a criminal future.

The Legacy Youth Project, which began as a way to deal with identified problem gang members, has grown into a voluntary class that facilitates identity exploration in students. Students discover their heritage and create pride and respect for themselves and others while also improving their grades, the jury said.

All Legacy Program students graduate and they are all encouraged to continue their education. Actual and prospective gang members have been redirected from destructive activities and attitudes to productive efforts, the jury said. Although the program has been expanded to Silverado Middle School, it has not been introduced in other high schools.

The project began when Vintages police resource officer Omar Salem realized that the school needed to have an intervention program in place. Salem and Napa Police co-founded the Legacy Youth Project with Carlos Hagedorn, a professor at Napa Valley College, in response to several gang-related fights that happened at the school, including some that led to arrests.

Salem sat down with gang members. They all wanted to have a safe place where they felt like they belonged on campus, Salem said. Many of the youths who were involved with gangs were experiencing an identity crisis  they needed a way to redefine themselves and pull away from the gang, he said.

What started out as an after-school activity went on to be a once-a-week class to being a weeklong, elective credit class. The program features a culturally responsive curriculum, Salem said.

Legacy became that place where kids who really didnt have a voice can express themselves, he said.

Napa Valley Unified School District Superintendent Patrick Sweeney said that the Legacy Project will be offered at Redwood Middle School and to sixth-graders at Napa Valley Language Academy in the fall.

Even though gang activity in Napa County has decreased, it is not gang free. Influence from surrounding counties where gang activity is more serious is a threat, but integration and intervention is the best answer to prevent gang growth, the jury said.
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Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli (R) and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai hold the book entitled "Sixty Years of Dynamic Partnership" during its launching ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, June 17, 2016. (Xinhua Photo)

KATHMANDU, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said Friday that Nepal-China relations have been moving ahead on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.

Oli made the remarks here at the launch ceremony of a book entitled Sixty Years of Dynamic Partnership.

The book documents all major developments in Nepal-China relations since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1955.

The Nepali prime minister said Nepal-China relations have always been cordial and trouble-free over the past 60 years.

Recalling his visit to China in March this year, Oli said his visit has lifted the bilateral relationship to a new height.

"Reaching our bilateral relationship to a new height means that the status of Nepal has also been enhanced in the international arena following this visit," he added.

Oli expressed confidence that the relations between Nepal and China will be further enhanced in the days to come.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai said on the occasion that China-Nepal relations have always remained cordial and friendly based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

"We saw a new chapter in our dynamic partnership when Prime Minister Oli paid a successful and historic visit to China in March this year," the ambassador said.

President of Nepal-China Society, Prem Kumari Pant, said the book will help readers understand more about Nepal-China relations and help consolidate friendly ties between the two countries.

Hiranya Lal Shrestha, a former Nepali diplomat and author of the book, stressed the importance of enhancing connectivity between the two countries to further promote age-old cordial ties.
MYTILENE, Greece, June 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited the Greek island of Lesvos on Saturday to see the refugee crisis first hand.

During a meeting with volunteers of Greek NGOs, he complimented them for their efforts to save and help refugees and immigrants on Lesvos island and throughout Greece.

"Your island is an island of peace and your sea is a sea of solidarity," he stressed during his tour across hot spots to discuss the crisis with officials and refugees.

Ban visited the closed Moria accommodation center which hosts migrants and refugees who landed on Lesvos after the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal on March 20 aiming to stem the refugee flow.

Boris Cheshirkov, the spokesperson of UNHCR in Lesvos told Xinhua that the UN secretary general was briefed on the situation and the improvements the authorities have made.

"The UN Refugee Agency's position from the start of the implementation of the agreement was to express concern about the detention of people, but we have seen that lately several refugees are transferred to places like Kara-Tepe", he said.

The open camp of Kara-Tepe hosts over 700 people including groups of the most vulnerable refugees-single parent families, pregnant women and people with mental or physical impairments.

"We didn't make exceptional work for the visit, because the visitors should see a normal day in Kara- Tepe. We don't sell any drama. Democracy and respect are our guidelines," Director of Kara-Tepe Camp Stavros Miroyannis said during Ban's visit.

Refugees living at Kara-Tepe asked the UN secretary general to help them and those left behind at conflict zones.

During talks with Greece's political leadership in Athens on Friday and earlier on Saturday, the UN secretary general reiterated a call to the international community to do more to help refugees.

"The world should be building bridges between people instead of building walls," he said on Friday evening while visiting the Athens Solidarity Center which offers medical, psychological,legal and social services to vulnerable people.

Ban spoke to volunteers, employees and refugees, as well as representatives of international organizations and the board of the NGO "Solidarity Now", which coordinates and supports financially the center.

"The numbers are large. However, this is not a crisis of numbers; it's a crisis of solidarity,"he said, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. Enditem
DAR ES SALAAM, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen Central Banks governors from eastern and southern African countries will meet in Tanzania on Monday to among other things discuss on the impact of the Chinese yuan's inclusion into the basket of reserve currencies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The theme for the meeting is "Implications of the IMF Adoption of Chinese Yuan as Part of the Special Drawing Rights Basket of Currencies".

China is among Africa's biggest trading partner with new investments in infrastructure, and gas and oil extraction.

A statement issued on Saturday by the Central Bank of Tanzania said the meeting will also address critical issues that impact and affect the role of the central banks in the macro-economic and financial management of in the region.

The statement said the governors will come from the Macro-economic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) region.

The statement issued in the east African nation's business capital Dar es Salaam said the meeting will also attract over 40 top central banks officials from the MEFMI region and technical experts from Investec Asset Management, the financial partner for the meeting.

Other participants will come from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland, said the statement, adding that the meeting will be held back to back with the Bank of Tanzania Golden Jubilee celebrations on June 22, 2016.

The governors' forum is one of the executive forums on MEFMI's annual calendar of events meant to assist in developing and sustaining a crop of more informed policy makers in the region, said the statement.

It said each event is uniquely crafted in an effort to address critical issues that impact and affect the role of the central banks in the macro-economic and financial management of the region.

"The forums are also used to come up with a common understanding of both prevailing and emerging economic issues," said the statement.

The theme is highly relevant to the MEFMI region, particularly the central banking community as they are the custodians of foreign exchange reserves and facilitators of international trade settlements. Enditem
DAMASCUS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Displaced Syrians suffer various hardships and the rising prices of commodities and food stuffs add more agony to their suffering, turning their living nightmare into an even worse one.

Hamid, a 29-year-old Syrian, suffered greatly when he fled his home in Syria's Aleppo province, when the clashes started raging and engulfing more areas till they finally reached his in Khishkhasheh town.

The relatively young man fled with his wife, two kids, his sister and her three children and sought refuge in an unfinished apartment in the town of Jaramana, east of capital Damascus.

Hamid's voice doesn't sound like as young as 29, but probably older as 50 or more. He is one of those who have received big burdens at such an early age, with life beating him unmercifully.

He talks about his life in Aleppo as if he was talking about a previous lifetime, in comparison with his new, unpleasant one.

"We used to have a comfy life in our town, we worked in farming and it was a beautiful life. We came to Damascus, and the situation here cannot be compared to our previous life," he said.

He noted he now works as a porter and earns 1,000 Syrian pounds a day (2 U.S. dollars).

"It's completely insufficient, as the prices of all commodities have skyrocketed."

The man says the abundance he used to enjoy has turned into a scarcity of everything, as he has turned from working in the green trees and farmland, into a porter at a construction site and resides in an under-construction house himself.

"I rented this house, which you can see, for 10,000 Syrian pounds (20 U.S. dollars) a month. This situation is bad here, as you can see we don't have electricity or water. Our neighbor brings us some water as a kind of charity."

The afflicted man said going to the marketplace for shopping is his worst nightmares, as he finds everything available at the market, but his pocket unavailable to afford his needs.

"When I visit the market, I find myself unable to buy most of the stuff, due to their high prices. The recent spike in the prices has really affected us more negatively," he said, adding that "I need 25,000 Syrian pound (52 U.S. dollar) a month just to feed my kids with the very basics."

Hamid said he lives most of the month on charity he receives from neighbors and good doers.

His wife, Salma, says her two kids often sleep on empty stomaches, and when they get ill, they stay ill until they recover by themselves as they cannot afford a medical treatment.

"The high prices is the new monster haunting us and our kids. I feed my kids with bread and a cup of tea or some yogurt to stop their hunger, but despite that they sleep hungry most of the nights and seeing them like this makes me cry from helplessness."

The Syrian Ministry of Commerce issued on Thursday a decision to raise the prices of a number of basic materials such as fuel "petrol and diesel" and the cooking gas cylinders by almost 20 percent.

The decision was met with a huge wave of rejection and dismay from the majority of Syrian people, whose country's five-year-old conflict left no bright side in their lives.

Activists on Facebook called for a sit-in in Damascus on Sunday to protest against the government's decision for the price raise, which wasn't the first during the country's long-standing conflict.

To sooth the public dismay, President Bashar al-Assad ordered a salary raise of 7,500 Syrian pounds (15.5 U.S. dollars) for state servants, soldiers and workers in private sectors.

Observers and economists have contributed the raise in the prices of all food stuffs and currently the fuel and gas to the unstable exchange rate of the Syrian pound against the U.S. dollar.

Even though the government has undertaken several measures to slow down the slide in the value of the Syrian pound, which reportedly lost 1,200 percent of its pre-war value.

A recent UN report estimates that Syria has lost 259.6 billion U.S. dollars during the war and that its GDP has shrunk 55 percent.

The decline in the Syrian pound has largely affected the livelihood of the Syrians, and whose end could not be seen in the near future as the production wheel in Syria has almost come to a halt due to the raging conflict.

The World Food Program (WFP) said more than 11 million Syrians have fled their homes to other Syrian cities or to neighboring countries.

Humanitarian needs in Syria have increased more than 12 fold since the beginning of the crisis in 2011, as before the crisis, Syria was a middle-income country. Today, one in three Syrians lives under the poverty line.

Food production in Syria has dropped by 40 percent compared to pre-conflict levels, according to the WFP. Enditem
GAZA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The reconciliation talks held in Qatar between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party and Hamas has failed to end Palestinian internal division, a spokesman for the Islamic movement said Saturday.

Sami Abu Zuhri said in an emailed press statement that Fatah movement "is the one who toppled the reconciliation talks held in Doha after its delegation withdrew from the second session of the dialogue."

"Fatah is responsible for the failure of the dialogue after it retreated from what had been agreed upon in previous sessions held in Qatar over the past few weeks," said Abu Zuhri from Gaza.

Over the past two days, two delegations, representing rival Hamas and Fatah, held two sessions of dialogue in Doha to end nine years of internal split that divided the Gaza Strip and the West Bank into two separate territories.

Abu Zuhri said the two major outstanding files that the two sides disagreed upon were the files of paying the salaries of Hamas employees in Gaza and reoperating the Palestinian National Authority Legislative Council.

"Fatah refused to be committed to the Palestinian national consensus and insisted that any new unity government to be formed in the future has to be committed to its political platform," he said. Enditem
CHICAGO, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A ride-share ordinance passed Friday at the Chicago City Council meeting would increase regulations for Uber and Lyft drivers in the city of Chicago.

The ordinance, promoted by the taxicab industry, has subjected Uber and Lyft drivers to some of the same regulations for cab-drivers, including fingerprinting, drug tests and city debt checks, Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

The Rideshare Reform ordinance also requires drivers to obtain restricted public chauffeur licenses and mandates that five percent of ride-sharing fleets be wheelchair-accessible.

The ordinance won applauses as well as oppositions.

Alderman Anthony Beale who vigorously sponsored the ordinance, told Chicago Tribune that the ordinance was to protect consumers. "This was about consumer protection, as well as making sure Uber and Lyft provide transportation to the disabled community," he said.

Mara Georges of the Illinois Transportation Trade Association, which represents cab medallion owners and operators, said current situation is killing the cab industry.

The opposition is also strong.

Chicago Mayor Emanuel has steadfastly opposed stricter rules for ride-sharing companies, and prefers not to adopt any new regulations on the nascent industry.

Uber and Lyft officials have threatened to pull out of Chicago, or alter the services they offer here greatly. Uber said in a statement released Friday that the ordinance would make it nearly twice as expensive to get a ride.

There are roughly 90,000 registered Uber and Lyft drivers in Chicago.

It is learned that the ordinance remains open to negotiations on details. Enditem
BELGRADE, June 18, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds talks with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic in Belgrade, Serbia, June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BELGRADE, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Serbia agreed Saturday to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in a show of their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit.

"China and Serbia are all-weather friends and important cooperation partners," Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is here for a state visit, said during talks with his Serbian counterpart, Tomislav Nikolic.

"Our two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship. Our relations have stood the test of time and history and grown even stronger," Xi added.

Xi attributed the robust momentum of bilateral relations to the time-honored friendship between the two peoples, the mutual understanding and support between the two countries on major issues, and their mutual learning and assistance in the pursuit of development.

Noting that bilateral relations now face new opportunities for development, Xi said China is ready to make joint efforts with Serbia to continue boosting political mutual trust, enhancing mutual understanding, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and constantly expanding the platform for bilateral collaboration.

Nikolic, for his part, said that the Serbian people cherish the sincere friendship with the Chinese people, and that the two countries have maintained a high level of mutual trust, carried out extensive and reciprocal cooperation, and shared similar positions on major international issues.

The Serbian people are glad to see the achievements China has made in economic and social development, the improvement of the Chinese people's living standard, and the growing influence of justice-upholding China in international affairs, he said.

Nikolic said he believes that Xi's visit will boost the all-round development of bilateral relations and deepen the all-dimensional cooperation between the two countries.

The two leaders agreed to upgrade the bilateral ties in a bid to inject fresh vigor into the China-Serbia traditional friendship and bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples.

They pledged to maintain high-level contacts and promote exchanges between the two governments, legislative bodies, political parties and armed forces.

They decided to, on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits, continue to enhance communication on major international and regional issues and increase coordination within the United Nations and other international organizations.

With an eye to pushing the bilateral cooperation to a new height, the two presidents agreed to focus on key areas and major projects, prioritizing cooperation in infrastructure construction, industrial capacity and agriculture.

The two sides vowed to strengthen exchanges in personnel, culture, education and sports, with China promising to support Serbia in establishing Confucius Institutes and promoting Chinese language teaching in the country.

In addition, the two leaders pledged to jointly promote the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, seek synergy between Serbia's national development strategy and the initiative, and align Serbia's development with the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

After their talks, Xi and Nikolic inked a joint statement on the establishment of China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership.

They witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals, covering industrial capacity, finance, infrastructure construction, trade, energy, telecommunications, science, technology, local affairs, culture and tourism.

Nikolic also decorated Xi with the Order of Republic of Serbia to extend gratitude to the Chinese president for his outstanding contributions to advancing the bilateral ties.

"I have been paying close attention to President Xi's visit and the relations between our two countries," said Andrija Maticevic, a 23-year-old student majoring in Chinese studies at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade.

"I chose to study the Chinese language because I have been interested in Chinese culture since my childhood," said Maticevic, who noted that his Chinese major could help him get more opportunities to find a good job.

He also believed the investment from China can help make Serbia develop faster.

The Chinese president arrived in Belgrade on Friday. From Serbia, he will travel to Poland and Uzbekistan for state visits as well as the 16th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State in Tashkent.

Related:

Xi urges Chinese, Serbian legislatures to increase exchanges

BELGRADE, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Chinese and Serbian legislative bodies to increase exchanges in various fields to contribute to relations between the two countries here on Saturday.

Exchanges between legislatures will be an important component of the newly-upgraded China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said at a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic, noting that the exchanges have yielded positive results in recent years. Full Story

Xi meets Serbian PM on pragmatic cooperation, China-CEE ties

BELGRADE, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met here Saturday with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation and the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier attends Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 13, 2016. "We have to work hard in order to ensure in one year's time, the next MSC will still have the same EU as we are now in today," said German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference (MSC). (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan)

BERLIN, June 18 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticized recent military maneuvers of NATO in Eastern Europe against Russia, accusing the military alliance of "warmongering" and calling for more dialogues with Russia.

"What we shouldn't do now is to inflame the situation further with loud saber-rattling and warmongering," Steinmeier told German Bild am Sonntag newspaper in an interview to be published on Sunday.

"Anyone who believes that a symbolic tank parade on the eastern border of the alliance will bring more security is mistaken," he said, "We are well advised not to create pretexts to renew an old confrontation."

NATO launched a large-scale exercise in Poland on June 6. The two-week drill involved 31,000 troops, 14,000 of them from the United States.

On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced to deploy four multinational battalions to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Steinmeier warned that it would be "fatal to narrow the view to the military and to seek the tranquillity only through deterrence". Instead, dialogues and cooperation were also needed.

"We must also enhance dialogues with our partners about the benefits of disarmament and arms control for security in Europe," the top German diplomat said, adding that it was in people's interests "to unite Russia in an international partnership of responsibility."
by Marzia De Giuli

PILZONE, Italy, June 18 (Xinhua) -- From Saturday throughout 16 days, visitors of Lake Iseo in northern Italy will be able to enjoy the landscape from a very new perspective, the "Floating Piers," or a three-kilometer-long walkway just above the surface of the water.

The Floating Piers is a project by Bulgarian-born American artist Christo, whose full name is Christo Javacheff. "Look! There is also an enormous view there, above the island," Christo said as he walked on the shimmering yellow fabric chosen as the walkway's covering, surrounded by journalists eager to grasp the concept.

Lake Iseo is located about 100 km east of Italy's business capital Milan. The walkway, supported by floating pontoons formed by over 200,000 high-density polyethylene cubes, connects two small islands in the middle of the lake, the Monte Isola and San Paolo, to each other and to the town of Sulzano on the mainland.

"The work of art is not the fabric. The work of art is also the water of lake Iseo. The work of art is a part of the houses of Monte Isola. All of that is the work of art," Christo said pointing at the mountains surrounding the lake.

He explained that the light and water will transform the bright yellow fabric to a variety of shades throughout the next 16 days. "For example, in the morning with humidity it turns almost red," beside gold, orange and other colors, Christo said. He suggested to walk bare foot on the walkway so to feel it undulating with the movement of the waves while noting unknown angles.

The 81-year-old artist, world-renowned for having "packed" the Pont Neuf in Paris, the Reichstag in Berlin and the Pinciana Gate in Rome, highlighted what he called the "physicality" of The Floating Piers. "It is not a virtual work, it is not a painting. You need to go there and walk there. Actually the project is the journey," he stressed.

The Floating Piers is expected to draw more than half a million visitors, according to Italian media. Around 150 lifeguards and volunteers will be posted on the walkway to ensure safety and avert unintentional dips in the lake.

Asked by Xinhua about the short opening compared to 22 months spent to realize The Floating Piers along with his team, Christo answered that each project is like a vulnerable slice of life, so that the important part is its temporary quality.

"The work needs to be gone, because I do not own the work, no one does... Nobody can buy that work, nobody can make money of that work," he underlined.

Completely free, with no tickers or reservations, and accessible 24 hours a day (weather permitting), The Floating Piers cost Christo around 15 million euros (nearly 17 million U.S. dollars) which will be funded through the sale of his original works of art. At the close, the walkway will be dismantled and its components removed and industrially recycled.

Christo told journalists that the project was first conceived in 1970 together with his wife Jeanne-Claude, who passed away in 2009. It was originally envisioned for the delta of Rio de la Plata in Argentina, but they failed to get the permits, and later failed again when they considered Tokyo Bay. The Italian project went smoothly thanks to the help of local officials and administrators, he said.

Lake Iseo is considered as northern Italy's least famous lake, but the mayor of Monte Isola, Fiorello Turla, said it will not be the same after this event. "We have been given a great opportunity that we want to seize and also bring forward in the future," he told Xinhua while enjoying the view of Monte Isola from The Floating Piers.

Turla said that Lake Iseo so far had been playing "the role of Cinderella," overshadowed by neighboring bigger lakes. "But from now on, Monte Isola will change skin and become attractive to foreign visitors also for long stays. And furthermore, our administration has not spent a single euro for the realization of project," he concluded. Enditem
ALGIERS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Algerian army has killed as many as 73 armed militants in different operations across the country in the past five months, the Algerian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

In its June issue, the Algerian Army's "El Djeich" monthly magazine specified that counter-terrorism operations that have been launched between January and May 2016, led to the killing of 73 armed militants.

The source specified that army troops have also retrieved 485 Kalashnikov machineguns, 103 riffles of different types, 42 FMPK machineguns, 16 RPG-17 rocket launchers, 723 grenades, 79 homemade bombs and suicide belt bombs, 49 homemade mortars, in addition to a load of ammunition.

Some 248 terrorist bunkers have also been discovered and destroyed, added the source.

As for terrorist support networks, the magazine noted that 111 people have been arrested and introduced to justice to be tried.

Algeria is confronted to "remains" of terrorist groups, who are either locals or foreigners that managed to intrude from troubled neighboring nations.

The North African nation has been deploying more troops on the eastern borderline to thwart intrusion of arms and militants, amid unstable security situation in neighboring Tunisia, and the civil war hitting neighboring Libya. Enditem
ALGIERS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Algerian top diplomat will kick off on Monday a two-day working visit in the Malian capital Bamako to boost peace in Northern Mali, Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Ramtane Lamamra, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, will co-chair with his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop the 11th bilateral strategic committee for Northern Mali, it said.

The meeting coincides with the first anniversary of the completion of the signing of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in Mali, after talks held in Algiers by Malian warrant parties last year.

This meeting will be an opportunity for Algeria and Mali to "assess the progress in terms of the implementation of this peace agreement and to identify ways to boost it," noted the source.

The Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in Mali was signed in Mid-2015 by the Malian warrant parties after five rounds of talks held in Algiers.

The agreement aims at ending hostilities and launching development programs in the troubled Northern Mali, as well as restoring peace and stability to the nation. Enditem
MEXICO CITY, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Environmental protection authorities are investigating the deaths of 30 turtles of an endangered species in Mexico's western state of Nayarit, said the federal government on Saturday.

The Federal Attorney's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) said that their investigators found the remains of the turtles, which were identified as the olive ridley sea species, on June 14, on the Pozo de Higueras and Novillero beaches located within the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve.

The experts suspected that the turtles died due to fishing activities in the area, as reports said that fishermen used gill nets of up to one kilometre long, said the federal office in a press release.

The olive ridley sea turtle is protected by the Mexican Ministry of Environment as an endangered species because of their dwindling population, due to predation, damaged habitat and other factors.

Officials from Mexico's Navy and the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) are also involved in the investigation. The sea creatures died in separate incidents, according to Profepa.

The Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve, located on the Pacific coast, includes 133,000 hectares of mangrove forests, coastal lagoons, swamps and deltas that are home to over 57 species of animals, including jaguars, crocodiles and ducks.
A gender neutral restroom is seen in a city building in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 14, 2016. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

HOUSTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Texans are divided along political lines as several states and school districts have joined Texas in lawsuit against U.S. President Barack Obama's directive that allows transgender students to use restrooms of their choice.

"Texas will sue to stop Obama's transgender directive to schools," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a Twitter post on May 25, the day the state's attorney general filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The suit has so far been joined by the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin, two Arizona and one Texas school districts and Governor Paul LePage of Maine.

Kentucky's governor said on May 27 that his state will also be joining the suit. North Carolina has filed a separate lawsuit against the Obama administration after the administration sued the state, calling its March requirement for people to use restrooms matching their biology a breach of the 1964 Civil Rights Bill.

"I agree with the State of Texas stance," said Houston police Sgt. J. Nessanthaler, who most frequently espouses conservative Republican ideology. "This is an issue that should be handled by each individual state as they feel that serves the citizens of their state."

Nessanthaler said that Obama's decision is a case of the president's inclinations "to step all over and totally disregard the Constitution of this country," particularly states' rights to govern themselves.

He told Xinhua that he opposes choice in restroom selection for everyone, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

As a police officer, Nessanthaler said, he sees danger in the mixing of genders in the same bathroom simply because they psychologically identify themselves differently than their physical gender.

"There are perverted people in our society who will prey on our young children and defenceless females," he said. "A simple solution is to have separate male, female and LGBT restrooms."

A retired social worker and vehement supporter of progressive candidates and causes, Dianne Anderson couldn't disagree more.

"Men and women, whether heterosexual, homosexual or transgender, were using the same holes in which to deposit bodily waste before the Roman Empire," said Anderson, 62. "Unisex bathrooms today are common to the point of being unremarkable and even routine. It's a practice in Europe, Asia and much of the planet, and was probably in place with the first cave dwellers."

Throughout the short timeline of man's history on the earth, Anderson said, there have been few assaults or rapes involving transgenders in bathrooms, or not enough to merit sociological study.

Anderson told Xinhua that she agreed with Obama's reasoning for issuing the directive, that it would provide greater safety from bullying to transgender students.

Chef Ian Ainslie, 25, who identifies more with progressive causes than with conservatives, called Texas's suit silly and erroneous. He told Xinhua that the suit was simply a matter of the state legislature pandering to the fears of the religious right-wing Republicans, a substantial voting block in Texas.

"It's people from the church wanting control over who can use what bathroom and a fulfilment that they have actually achieved something," Ainslie said. "They shouldn't succeed. When it starts with bathroom rights, where does it stop? This is a flashback to the days when there were white-only and black-only bathrooms."

He agrees with Anderson that right-wing fear of the directive increasing the number of rapes and assaults in school bathrooms is unjustified.

"It is far less likely that a transgender person will rape a man or woman than a heterosexual or homosexual male seeking control over his victim through fear,"

A respiratory specialist who votes along conservative ideological lines, Robert Cummings, 61, said that the Texas lawsuit is appropriate against Obama who ignores the Constitutional law he once taught.

"People have a right to be whoever they want to be, but that doesn't mean majority of the people need to be pushed aside or suffer for the likes of a few," Cummings said. "If it is that big a deal, they can put gender neutral bathrooms at facilities."

Martha Sayre, professor of English literature and a staunch progressive told Xinhua that the lawsuit by Texas is giving heightened importance to a non-issue by Republicans seeking to stir things up in a presidential election year.

"People choose their bathroom based on how they look on the outside. Transgender men who identify and dress as women have been using the women's room for years. No one notices or cares," said Sayre, 51.

Ainslie said that despite the current fear-mongering from the right, should transgenders legally gain freedom of access to public restrooms, it wouldn't cause any rise in assaults.

"Anyone who is worried about the safety of women -- and we're talking about Texas women here -- shouldn't be concerned. A large number of Texas women carry concealed weapons. So if they feel threatened, they'll just shoot it out and ask questions later."
India's first batch of women pilots pose at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Indian state of Telangana, June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Stringer)

NEW DELHI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Air Force Saturday inducted first batch of women pilots into its fighter squadron.

The three women pilots - Avani Chaturvedi of Madhya Pradesh, Mohana Singh of Rajasthan and Bhawana Kanth of Bihar - were formally commissioned by Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during a combined graduation parade at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in southern city of Hyderabad.

Indian media have described the event as historic.

Induction of women pilots in India has been talked about for a long time. However, with their introduction, Indian women would now be formally taken into the frontline of battlefield.

In Indian military until now, women were working in the support sections of the army and navy like army education core and army ordinance core.

Analysts said that in the next few years a good number of women officers would be joining airforce as fighters.

"We are feeling quite fortunate for being first ones. Anybody could have got that opportunity, but we got it and we are happy about it making people proud," Mohana Singh said after the function.

India's first batch of women pilots pose at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Indian state of Telangana, June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Stringer)

Congratulatory messages are pouring in from Indian politicians over the induction of first women fighter pilots.

"Congratulations to Bhawana Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh on successful completion of training. Wishing bright career ahead in IAF," Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh state Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote on twitter.

"With her great achievement, daughter of Madhya Pradesh Avani Chaturvedi has given new wings to the dreams of millions of girls. Entire state feels proud."

The three women have cleared the first stage of training and has about 150 hours of flying.

Officials said the trio would go to Bidar in Karnataka for their advanced training for a year, where they will train on the Hawks and get to learn intensive combat manoeuvres and armament firing, besides handling of MiG 21s, Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirage-2000s.

In March this year an advisory was issued to Indian women fighter trainees to put off motherhood by four years.
YANGON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Sweden has supported the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)'s work in Myanmar with 30 million Swedish krona, official media reported Sunday.

The Swedish aid will help Myanmar's development in areas including democratic governance, local development and environmental sustainability.

The newly-announced aid follows an initial contribution of 30 million Swedish krona in 2014.

With the initial tranche of funding from Sweden, UNDP has helped improve local governance in Myanmar with a particular focus on strengthening women's participation, the report quoted UNDP Country Director Toily Kurbanov as saying.

"Our partnership with Sweden has enabled UNDP to strengthen democratic institutions such as the parliament and support the justice actors to better engage with the people," he added.
YANGON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has requested the International Labor Organization (ILO) to open a country office in the Southeast Asian country, according to the Confederation of the Trade Union of Myanmar (CTUM) on Sunday.

The ILO currently has a liaison office and an office focusing on the elimination of child soldiers in Myanmar.

"Only if the request is granted, can the problems of workers be acted on extensively," chairman of the CTUM U Maung Maung said, expecting the appointment of an ILO country director by the end of this year.
SYDNEY, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The fundamental problem of the Japanese economy is a declining workforce, an Australia international economist told Xinhua recently in an exclusive interview.

Joseph Capurso, Commonwealth Bank of Australia international economist, said: "It's very hard to grow your economy when your workforce is falling."

The May Markit/Nikkei manufacturing PMI declined the fastest since January 2013 to register 47.7 percent, continuing a downward trend in the sector that's been contracting over the past six months.

The decline in manufacturing makes sense, Capurso said, as the Japanese consumers are buying less goods in a weak economy.

Though private consumption -- 60 percent of GDP -- rose 0.5 percent in the March quarter thanks to increases in discretionary spending to help keep the Japanese economy out of recession, it failed to make up for the 0.8 percent slump in December.

Japan's economy has traditionally been reliant on manufacturing high-end goods, such as cars and electronics for its consumer base, but as its economy matured, Japanese companies shifted plants offshore to countries such as Vietnam and Thailand.

"This sort of trend is happening globally, it's not just in Japan, but it's fair to say Japan are the leaders in these sorts of issues," Capurso said.

Adding to the pressure, other Asian-based manufacturers such as China and South Korea have been significantly increasing product quality while taking market share due to more favorable exchange rates against a strengthening Japanese yen.

Australian imports of Japanese manufactured cars are slightly weaker in the year to May compared to the same period in 2015, while imports from South Korea and Thailand have surged 18.1 percent, and 12.78 percent respectively, according to data from the Australian Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

The surge in Thai manufacturing was from light commercial vehicles built for Japanese companies, while South Korean manufacturers have increased market share.

Japan should begin to shift away from manufacturing into expanding its services sector as its population ages, instead of focusing on legacy industries that are being out-competed.

"If other countries are getting better at (manufacturing), I'm not sure there's a lot of point trying to hang onto declining competitive advantage there, and maybe the Japanese economy needs to focus on providing services rather than production of goods like cars and electronics," Capurso said.

"I would have thought a growth industry in Japan would be things to do with the aging population, like aged home care and of course health services."

Service industries however are human capital intensive, a significant issue for the Japanese economy.
WENCHANG, Hainan, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's fourth space launch center at Wenchang in Hainan Province, plans eight launch viewing areas for space fans to observe its maiden launch mission.

Components of China's new generation of carrier rocket Long March-7 arrived in Wenchang in May for the planned launch before the end of June.

The Long March-7, a medium-sized rocket using liquid propellant, can carry up to 13.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit. It will transport cargo for China's planned space station and is expected to become the main carrier for space launches.

The Wenchang tourism department said that the city can only provide accommodation for 80,000 tourists and suggested tourists avoid the maiden launch, as there will be more space launches afterwards. By Sunday, all hotels were booked out.

The construction of the Wenchang satellite launch center, which has two launch pads, started in 2009 and was completed in November 2014.

The sea-side resort city boasts both mountain and seaside scenery for spectacular space launch views.

Xue Xiangwen, head of the city's tourist board, said the eight observation areas covering 45 hectares in total can receive a maximum of 25,300 people at a time.

He advised observers to mind safety first. "In cases of abnormal sea conditions or slippery roads, the viewing stations will be closed," he said.
NEW DELHI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- India has launched a major probe into an alleged phone tapping scandal that targeted senior Ministers, top bureaucrats and corporate honchos between 2001 and 2006.

Sources said Sunday that the Indian Home Ministry ordered the probe recently in the wake of a complaint to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office that corporate giant Essar Group had allegedly tapped phones of a number of senior ministers, top officials and industrialists over five years.

"The probe report will be handed over to the Prime Minister's Office," the sources said.

In fact, the complaint was launched by a Supreme Court lawyer Suren Uppal, alleging that Essar's former security Albasit Khan, whom he had once represented, had allegedly carried out the phone taps.

The Essar Group has refuted the charges, saying it's a victim of an extortion attempt.

However, India's main Congress party has slammed the government over the phone tapping scandal, with party spokesperson Manish Tewari saying "What it points to is the institutional manner in which the National Democratic Alliane was functioning."
WARSAW, June 18 (Xinhua) -- At Saturday noon, a freight train carrying dozens of containers pulled into the station at a logistics park in Poland's central city of Lodz, whistling a soothing tune for those waiting for its arrival.

The train, which is part of the China-Europe freight train service -- China Rail Express, traveled more than ten days since leaving China's western city of Chengdu.

Every week, two such trains loaded with Chinese goods, mostly electronic products and machine parts, arrive at the park operated by Lodz' leading logistics company Hatrans. They go back to China with European products.

"More and more Polish companies, especially food producers, request us to transport their products to China," said Krzysztof Janeczko, an engineer working at the logistics park.

"It is pleasant to do business with the Chinese people," Janeczko said, adding that he has been engaged in such train service for over four years.

The trans-continent train service began in 2011. At present, there are over 20 scheduled trains shuttling between the two continents, almost all of which go to Western Europe through Lodz. Two of the trains end in Poland, one departing from China's western city of Chengdu to Poland and the other from China's eastern city of Suzhou to Warsaw.

Janeczko sees huge potential in freight train service, which is more cost- and time-efficient compared with other means of transportation. It is estimated that rail transportation saves as much as two thirds of the time used by sea transportation and four fifths of the air transportation costs.

Pointing at the containers bearing Chinese logos piling at the two sides of a railway going through the logistics park, the freight train service can give a big boost to bilateral trade, Janeczko said.

Thanks to the train service, trade between Poland and the Chinese province of Sichuan, whose capital is Chengdu, has grown remarkably, with Poland's export to Sichuan surging 36 percent in 2015, according to Chinese embassy officials in Warsaw.

Janeczko believed Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit will bring more vigor to bilateral business ties.
By Salah Takieddine

BEIRUT, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli celebrates the holy month of Ramadan as its people are practicing the traditional ways inherited from their ancestors.

The city that embraces a variety of monuments remnant of various eras is considered a principal venue for the religious activities performed by groups from many Arab and Islamic states.

Based on the teachings of Islam, Muslims would care primarily for two major duties during Ramadan, namely, to avoid certain sins and to abstain from eating and drinking in private or in public spheres from dawn to dusk.

In addition, Ramadan for Muslims in general is a period of spiritual causes, including prayers, charity activities, self and collective restraint.

Historian Khaled al-Tadmouri told Xinhua that keeping the Ramadan traditions inherited from the ancestors alive in Tripoli is due to the fact that the city is the second largest Mamluk city after Cairo.

From the very first day of the holy month, the city is adorned with ornamental and electric lanterns, colorful flags and strips symbolic of Ramadan.

The city is known by the spiritual heritage of Ramadan activities and rituals, including celebrating the "holy trail," which is the hair from the Prophet's beard that was sent by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II to the city as a gift for their allegiance to the Ottoman state.

"The hair was left in the Great al-Mansouri Mosque that was built 720 years ago and is displayed every weekend during Ramadan," al-Tadmouri said.

As for the popular cafes in the city, they offer Iftar, the meal that marks breaking the long day of fasting, and the "Souhour" meal, which is the last meal allowed before fasting.

Other religious activities are also organized in the city during this month. The "Hakawati" is one of them, which tells in cafes the stories related to the history of Islam.

Barrak al-Soubeih, a local Hakawati in the city, told Xinhua that many hakawatis are performing in Tripoli as it is a very popular tradition.

The activities are not concentrated in the city of Tripoli alone, but go beyond to the "Rabitts Island," a few miles away from the port city.

Rola al-Maaliki from Tripoli told Xinhua "I go with my family to the island where the celebrations of Ramadan require the attendees wearing traditional uniforms that takes us back to the eras of real values."

Janan al-Mobayed, an organizer of Ramadan activities, said Tripoli is witnessing a boom in such activities and turned to be a touristic attraction.

"Most of the activities are celebrated in the historical sites in the old city and in venues that have been renovated for this purpose," she said.
KABUL, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Two dozen militants had been killed amid increased cleanup operations across Afghanistan, the country's Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

"Over the past 24 hours, the Afghan National Army in close coordination with police and intelligence agency personnel conducted several cleanup operations, killing 24 terrorists, wounding nine and detaining two others," the ministry said in a statement.

About 13 members of Islamic State (IS) militant group were among the killed during the raids conducted in 16 of the country's 34 provinces, according to the statement.

The statement also confirmed loss of six army personnel as a result of separate attacks over the same period.

The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants since early April after Taliban militants started their so-called annual spring offensive and stepped up attacks across the country.

Taliban has yet to make comments.
Brazil's acting President Michel Temer takes part in the inauguration ceremony of the new ministers of his government, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Dida Sampaio/Estadao Conteudo/AGENCIA ESTADO)

By Edgardo Loguercio

BRASILIA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- After a third graft-related resignation this week, Brazil's interim government is trying to pull itself out of a mire which had already claimed two of interim President Michel Temer's closest aides.

Tourism Minister Henrique Alves became the latest senior official to lose his job over Operation Car Wash, an investigation into graft at state oil giant Petrobras.

Corruption has become a major concern of the new administration, which came to power on May 12, after President Dilma Rousseff of the left-leaning Workers' Party was suspended by the Senate pending an impeachment trial on charges of inflating public finances.

Evidence brought by an accomplice in the Petrobras corruption ring, Sergio Machado, former president of the state-owned Transpetro, have stoked the fires under Temer.

In the latest news to come out of Operation Car Wash, Sergio Machado revealed the names of 20 politicians from different political parties -- especially the now-ruling center-right Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) -- who received bribes as part of the scheme, including Alves.

However, some local experts believed that a combination of political skill and strong support from Brazil's financial establishment are helping Temer ride the choppy waters.

Despite the successive corruption scandals, Temer is plowing forward with his belt-tightening agenda, including spending cuts and fiscal reforms unpopular with the people, but welcomed by the financial markets, according to political observer Ricardo Caldas, of the University of Brasilia (UnB).

What has saved this government is that it has been quick to react to the accusations, said Caldas, noting Temer is better at responding to such problems than Rousseff, who would leave it up to her team to handle complaints.

"Now, those who are accused have to step down. With this stand, Temer is succeeding in turning the denunciations against some of his political allies to his advantage," Caldas told Xinhua.

At the same time, Temer's government has also successfully directed media's attention to its economic strategy, led by Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles.

Other ministries may be affected by the corruption probe, but the economic team enjoys strong backing from the country's financial and business sectors.

According to Caldas, this week's scandal about Alvis won't be the last to rock Temer's young government.

"Certainly, there will be other accusations. In Brazil, it's not the future that is uncertain, but the past. Nobody knows what this or the other politician did years ago. The Car Wash allegations are pure dynamite, you can't predict where (the investigation) will end," said Caldas.

He also pointed out that none of the recent accusations will influence the impeachment trial against Rousseff, unless someone key to the process, such as Senate speaker Renan Calheiros, were to be suspended.

"If Renan goes, then the impeachment will begin to get shaky. That's why the government wants to speed up the process," said Caldas.

Rousseff denies any wrongdoing, and has said her trial aims in part to derail the corruption investigation.

"In principle, I believe Dilma will be impeached," said Caldas. "If the final vote were on Monday, I would say with certainty that yes, but (another) 45 days to go is a very long time, a lot of new developments can take place in that time."

Related:

Spotlight: Brazil's interim gov't concludes first month packed with scandals
ANKARA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned on Sunday the life sentence imposed to Egypt's former President Mohamed Morsi.

"We are deeply concerned and condemn the life sentence imposed to Morsi, the first democratically elected president of Egypt, who has been under arrest since 2013," the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

"We believe this verdict would not contribute to Egypt's peace and stability," the statement said.

An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced Morsi, along with two other Islamist co-defendants, to life in jail over charges of spying and leaking "classified documents" to Qatar.

Morsi was toppled by the army in 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule. His Muslim Brotherhood group has been designated as a terrorist group.
A Lebanese man prepares "Katayef", a pancake-like Arabic sweet made during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, at a market in the old part of the Lebanese southern port city of Sidon (Saida), south of Beirut, on June 9, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP)

By Salah Takieddine

BEIRUT, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli celebrates the holy month of Ramadan as its people are practicing the traditional ways inherited from their ancestors.

The city that embraces a variety of monuments remnant of various eras is considered a principal venue for the religious activities performed by groups from many Arab and Islamic states.

Based on the teachings of Islam, Muslims would care primarily for two major duties during Ramadan, namely, to avoid certain sins and to abstain from eating and drinking in private or in public spheres from dawn to dusk.

In addition, Ramadan for Muslims in general is a period of spiritual causes, including prayers, charity activities, self and collective restraint.

Historian Khaled al-Tadmouri told Xinhua that keeping the Ramadan traditions inherited from the ancestors alive in Tripoli is due to the fact that the city is the second largest Mamluk city after Cairo.

From the very first day of the holy month, the city is adorned with ornamental and electric lanterns, colorful flags and strips symbolic of Ramadan.

A crescent moon is seen above al Amin mosque on the fourth days of Ramadan in Beirut, Lebanon June, Lebanon June 9, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP)

The city is known by the spiritual heritage of Ramadan activities and rituals, including celebrating the "holy trail," which is the hair from the Prophet's beard that was sent by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II to the city as a gift for their allegiance to the Ottoman state.

"The hair was left in the Great al-Mansouri Mosque that was built 720 years ago and is displayed every weekend during Ramadan," al-Tadmouri said.

As for the popular cafes in the city, they offer Iftar, the meal that marks breaking the long day of fasting, and the "Souhour" meal, which is the last meal allowed before fasting.

Other religious activities are also organized in the city during this month. The "Hakawati" is one of them, which tells in cafes the stories related to the history of Islam.

Barrak al-Soubeih, a local Hakawati in the city, told Xinhua that many hakawatis are performing in Tripoli as it is a very popular tradition.

The activities are not concentrated in the city of Tripoli alone, but go beyond to the "Rabitts Island," a few miles away from the port city.

Rola al-Maaliki from Tripoli told Xinhua "I go with my family to the island where the celebrations of Ramadan require the attendees wearing traditional uniforms that takes us back to the eras of real values."

Janan al-Mobayed, an organizer of Ramadan activities, said Tripoli is witnessing a boom in such activities and turned to be a touristic attraction.

"Most of the activities are celebrated in the historical sites in the old city and in venues that have been renovated for this purpose," she said.
TOKYO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets of Okinawa in Japan's southernmost Prefecture on Sunday to express their ongoing anger at the disproportionate presence of U.S. military personnel on the island and the crimes committed by them, in particular the brutal rape and murder of a local women by a base-linked worker recently.

The rally took place in a park in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa, and saw around 65,000 protestors united in calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. military on the island and the urgent review over an archaic agreement inked between the United States and Japan governing the handling of incidents caused by U.S. military personnel in Japan.

The protesters, the majority of whom were dressed in black in spite of the scorching heat to show their respects for the murdered women, holding placards and shouting slogans like "U.S. Military Out!" and "How many more crimes will we suffer?" as well as "Relocate the (U.S.) bases outside Okinawa," and chanting like "We want our land back!"

The rally, the biggest organized protest in Okinawa since three U.S. servicemen viciously raped an elementary schoolgirl in 1995, follows the alleged rape, murder and dumping of a 20-year-old local woman by Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, 32, a former U.S. Marine.

Shinzato stands accused of raping the deceased in a grassy area beside the road in Uruma in central Okinawa, as the young lady was walking home before stabbing her to death with a knife on April 28.

Initially, Shinzato told investigators he had struck the women multiple times from behind with a metal bar and stabbed her repeatedly. There were also reports that Shinzato also attempted to strangle his victim whom he'd been driving around to search for, for as long as 3 hours prior to the premeditated attack.

The accused has not been cooperating with local investigators and has remained silent regarding pertinent information to the murder, such as the location of the knife and his motive, although the metal bar has been retrieved from a water channel. Investigators have said that Shizato has remained silent during interrogations since May 20.

Anti-U.S. sentiment is reaching a fever pitch on the island where 75 percent of U.S. bases in Japan are located, with the subtropical island itself accounting for just 1 percent of Japan's total land mass, following the latest rape and murder.

This crime comes on the heels of a drink driving incident and another account of rape by a serviceperson in a hotel in Naha, as well as the brutal attack by a high ranking military official on a Japanese female student onboard a commercial flight to Japan, and the father of the murdered girl has been left devastated and an entire prefecture shocked and worried about their safety.

"Why did it have to be my daughter? Why did she have to be killed?" exclaimed the victim's father in an open letter he read aloud at the protest.

"So as not to have another victim, the people in the prefecture can unite and make it possible for all bases in Okinawa to be removed," the father of the murdered girl urged.

As for Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, a staunch advocate of lessening the base-hosting burdens of the islanders, and in particularly blocking the central government's plans to relocate a controversial U.S. base within the prefecture, he expressed his deepest condemnation of the latest attack during the rally.

Describing the rape and murder of the young lady as "utterly unacceptable," Onaga reiterated his calls for a key agreement between Japan and the United States to be urgently reviewed and for the bases to be kicked out of the island for good.

"I hereby express my unflagging resolve to push for drastic review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and withdrawal of Marines from Okinawa," Onaga declared.

The Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was originally inked in Washington between the United States and Japan in 1960, and many politicians such as Onaga along with political watchers believe it does not work to effectively legislate treatment of U.S. servicepeople in Japan who commit crimes and doesn't reflect the growing instances and severity of such.

Under the current agreement, U.S forces' personnel can be granted a great deal of legal autonomy and while the Japanese court system has jurisdiction for most crimes committed by U.S. service members, if the accused was "acting in official duty," or if the victim was another American, the U.S. justice system is used, not Japan's, despite the location.

In some instances, under SOFA, the majority of U.S. military members are exempt from Japan's visa and passport laws and past offenders have dodged the Japanese legal system here by being transferred back to the United States before being charged. Another loophole that exists in the agreement is that unless an offender is arrested outside of a U.S. base by Japanese police or investigators, then the U.S. authorities are allowed to retain custody of that individual.

While calls for SOFA to be urgently revised are becoming more vociferous, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, despite being a proponent of relocating the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded district in Ginowan to a coastal region on the island that will see vast amounts of land reclaimed from the sea to build the mega-base, also seeking its review, the protesters on Sunday adopted their own resolution demanding that definitive measures to prevent further heinous crimes from occurring in the future are instituted.

"The anger and sadness of the people of Okinawa has reached its limit toward the repeated incidents and accidents involving U.S. military and nonmilitary personnel," the resolution said.

It also demanded an apology from both the Japanese and U.S. government to the people of Okinawa and in particular to the family of the murdered woman. The resolution also called for compensation to be made to the family of the victim.

"To protect the lives and human rights of the people in Okinawa, it is urgent that U.S. bases be significantly reduced and consolidated, and for Marines to withdraw from Okinawa," the resolution said, adding that plans to relocate the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma should also be scrapped.

The resolution also stated that previous measures to curtail acts of crime or enforce discipline had failed miserably and that the only way to effectively prevent crime against locals from U.S. servicepeople going forward is to remove the U.S. bases from Okinawa island entirely.

All prefectural and local assemblies in Okinawa have adopted resolutions against the latest murder and the prefectural assembly is now dominated by politicians opposed to the Futenma base relocation, which, along with growing indignation from the locals, adds gravitas and political momentum to Onaga's moves to block the relocation and make further moves in the future to see U.S. bases removed from Okinawa entirely.
DHAKA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has signed a 130 million additional financing agreement with the World Bank to scale up support for the recently licensed and new economic zones to attract foreign and domestic investment as well as to create more jobs in the manufacturing sector.

The additional financing to the Private Sector Development Support Project (PSDSP) will help develop new Economic Zones through identifying, licensing, and negotiating Public-Private Partnership for economic zone development, said the Washington-based lender in a statement on Sunday.

In the last two years, it said PSDSP helped with the licensing of 16 Economic Zones and Hi-Tech Parks, and with the assessment of 33 new sites for development as Economic Zones over the next several years.

"Bangladesh needs to create more and better jobs in the manufacturing sector to accelerate growth and poverty reduction. The economic zones play a critical role in attracting private investment and creating jobs, as the benefits are many. For example, the new zones have reduced the time to register a business by 82 percent." said Rajashree Paralkar, acting World Bank country director for Bangladesh.

"The financing will directly contribute to the government's vision of establishing 100 zones over the next 15 years and promoting socially and environmentally responsible industrial growth for Bangladesh."

According to the World Bank statement, the financing will also help construct off-site infrastructure and works, such as land filling, construction of access roads, utilities networks, buildings and rail landings; and zone-specific infrastructures, such as perimeter walls, central effluent treatment plants, water treatment plants, and other facilities.

"Both the sixth and the seventh Five-Year Plans considered establishing new Economic Zones as a cornerstone to strengthen the manufacturing sector and promote efficient use of skilled labor, land, and other resources," said Kazi Shofiqul Azam, additional secretary of Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division.

"The new economic zones and high-tech parks will be important to achieve the government's poverty alleviation goals."

The agreement was signed by Azam and Paralkar on behalf of the Bangladeshi government and the World Bank respectively in capital Dhaka on Sunday.

The financing will promote female participation in the manufacturing sector, and provide facilities such as childcare centers and counselors to address workplace safety, labor, and environmental issues inside the zones, said the World Bank statement. Further, it said independent semi-annual audits will ensure that all structures comply with building codes. The financing will also expand support to environmental standards compliance and certification for local firms even outside the zones, it added.
Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong (L) and Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Domwini Dabire Kuupole applaud after unveiling the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast during its inauguration in Cape Coast, Ghana, June 2, 2016. The institute was founded in partnership with the Hunan City University to promote Chinese language teaching and culture in the country after years of academic cooperation discussions between the two institutions.(Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei)

ACCRA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Students at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have embraced the establishment of the second Confucius Institute in Cape Coast, the country's capital before independence, saying learning Chinese language with the institute broadens their knowledge.

The Confucius Institute at the UCC was initiated in partnership with the Hunan City University to promote Chinese language teaching and culture in Ghana.

James Annan, a final-year student at the UCC, has expressed delight in learning the Chinese language as a selective subject and hopes to become an ambassador to spread the language to people in the region.

"After I complete my Bachelor degree, I will come and register as a new student so that I can take the full Chinese course because of the focus that I have in the Chinese language," said Annan, who had attended the institute's inaugural ceremony two weeks ago.

Directors of Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Hu Liangcai (R) and Kwadwo Opoku Agyemang attend its inauguration in Cape Coast,Ghana, June 2, 2016. The institute was founded in partnership with the Hunan City University to promote Chinese language teaching and culture in the country after years of academic cooperation discussions between the two institutions.(Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei)

Until the Institute was established, students at the university studied the Chinese language as a selective course to broaden their general knowledge and experience. Now, new students have been admitted to undertake a Bachelor of Arts course in Chinese with a full four-year course starting in the new academic year in August.

Another student, Calvin Osei Tenkorang, believes China is becoming a world power and being able to communicate with someone with the language would present opportunities to graduates in the future.

"We can serve as a bridge between China and Ghana as the Chinese ambassador once said and I like communicating with others," Tenkorang told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Godwin Yaw Deegbe, who initially did not like the idea of studying Chinese, said he got hooked after his first lecture and immediately developed the passion to continue with it.

A Ghanaian student writes in traditional Chinese calligraphy with the help of a Chinese teacher at a Confucius Institute Day event hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana on September 25, 2015. (Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei)

"Right now, it is just part of me and I really enjoy the Chinese language," he told Xinhua.
Staff of UNHCR puts on new shoes for a child at a refugee camp in Gevgelija, Macedonian south border to Greece on Feb. 7, 2016. More than one thousand migrants go across Macedonia's border everyday, most of them are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. With the support of UNHCR, Macedonian government and NGOs, the refugees camps give fully free support to all the migrants transit in Macedonia, by providing sleeping mats, blankets, tents and accommodation halls, food, drinks, WIFI, medical assistance, sanitary items, as well as advice and counselling on documentation, registration and asylum procedures for those heading north by train to Serbia. (Xinhua/Liu Lihang)

NAIROBI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency on Thursday launched a global campaign calling on governments to take action for refugees.

The campaign launched through video messages in the lead-up to World Refugee Day asks the world to stand together #WithRefugees.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the campaign seeks to mobilize massive audiences, creating the largest-ever petition to support refugee cause.

"We are in a period of deepening conflict and turmoil in the world, which is causing many more people to flee their homes than before,"said Grandi in a statement received in Nairobi.

"It affects and involves us all, and what it needs is understanding, compassion and political will to come together and find real answers for the refugee plight. This has become a defining challenge of our times," he added.

In a stunning video message more than 60 global celebrities join with refugees and aid workers to echo the message, "we stand with refugees, please stand with us." The petition appeals for government action on behalf of the world's forcibly displaced.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (L) visits a refugees' reception center on Lesvos island, Greece on June 18, 2016. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised Greece's response to the ongoing refugee crisis during a visit to Athens on Saturday and urged the international community to provide more supports to the thousands of people fleeing conflicts. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

The campaign aims to demonstrate public support for families forced to flee against a backdrop of dramatically increased displacement from conflict and persecution on the one hand, and heightened anti-refugee rhetoric and greater restrictions to asylum on the other.

The petition will be delivered in advance of September's historic UN High-Level Plenary of the General Assembly on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants.

Grandi said millions of people were newly displaced in 2015, adding again to the global refugee and internal displacement totals.

"Overwhelmingly, it was countries of the developing world that were most affected, but Europe too witnessed dramatic scenes, as hundreds of thousands of people crossed the Mediterranean in search of safety and refuge. Thousands died along the way," he said.

Pakistani refugee boys play on the outskirts of Tehran, capital of Iran, on May 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

The UNHCR said the #WithRefugees campaign and petition aims to amplify those voices of welcome and show that the world stands with refugees.

"At the same time, there was an extraordinary outpouring of empathy and solidarity, as ordinary people and communities opened their homes and their hearts to refugees, and some countries have welcomed new arrivals even while already hosting large numbers of refugees," Grandi said.
TEHRAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran has reached an agreement with the U.S. Boeing to purchase 100 passenger planes to renew the country's aging fleet, Press TV reported on Sunday.

The deal awaits U.S. government's approval, Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Ali Abedzadeh was quoted as saying.

"We have 250 planes in the country, 230 need to be replaced," said Abedzadeh, adding that there could be no precise timeline for the contract without U.S. Treasury's permission.

Reportedly, the value of the deal amounts to 17 billion U.S. dollars, but it is open for further negotiations.

On Wednesday, Iran's minister of Roads and Urban Development, Abbas Akhoundi, said the deal with the U.S. aircraft manufacturer has been finalized, and more details would be disclosed in a few days.

In January, Iran reached an agreement with Airbus to buy 118 passenger planes worth around 27 billion dollars.

The country has announced its need for about 400 passenger planes in the next decade to modernize its aging fleet, according to Tehran Times daily.

Reports said Iranian airliners are no longer interested in buying more Russian planes, as their performance during the period when Iran was under heavy Western sanctions was poor and unsatisfactory.
MOGADISHU, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least five Al-Shabaab militants were captured in a security operation by National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in Suka-holaha neighborhood north the capital Mogadishu, officials said Sunday.

Abdikamil Mo'allim Shukri, Ministry of internal security spokesman told reporters that the security forces had targeted the militants during the operation conducted on Saturday night.

"NISA had prior intelligence before the operation against the militants was conducted in Yakshid district mid last night. The security forces arrested five Al-Shabaab militants, it was very successful operation," Shukri said.

He added that the security forces also foiled a terrorist bomb attack in which the militants wanted to use it with three wheel motor bike.

The Somali security forces backed by the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops have increased operations to flush out insurgents from the restive Mogadishu and its environs especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
Demonstrators hold placards during a rally against the US military presence in Tokyo, Japan, on June 19, 2016, following the alleged rape, murder and dumping of a 20-year-old local woman by Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, 32, a former U.S. Marine. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

TOKYO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets of Okinawa in Japan's southernmost Prefecture on Sunday to express their ongoing anger at the disproportionate presence of U.S. military personnel on the island and the crimes committed by them, in particular the brutal rape and murder of a local women by a base-linked worker recently.

The rally took place in a park in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa, and saw around 65,000 protestors united in calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. military on the island and the urgent review over an archaic agreement inked between the United States and Japangoverning the handling of incidents caused by U.S. military personnel in Japan.

The protesters, the majority of whom were dressed in black in spite of the scorching heat to show their respects for the murdered women, holding placards and shouting slogans like "U.S. Military Out!" and "How many more crimes will we suffer?" as well as "Relocate the (U.S.) bases outside Okinawa," and chanting like "We want our land back!"

The rally, the biggest organized protest in Okinawa since three U.S. servicemen viciously raped an elementary schoolgirl in 1995, follows the alleged rape, murder and dumping of a 20-year-old local woman by Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, 32, a former U.S. Marine.

Shinzato stands accused of raping the deceased in a grassy area beside the road in Uruma in central Okinawa, as the young lady was walking home before stabbing her to death with a knife on April 28.

Initially, Shinzato told investigators he had struck the women multiple times from behind with a metal bar and stabbed her repeatedly. There were also reports that Shinzato also attempted to strangle his victim whom he'd been driving around to search for, for as long as 3 hours prior to the premeditated attack.

The accused has not been cooperating with local investigators and has remained silent regarding pertinent information to the murder, such as the location of the knife and his motive, although the metal bar has been retrieved from a water channel. Investigators have said that Shizato has remained silent during interrogations since May 20.

Anti-U.S. sentiment is reaching a fever pitch on the island where 75 percent of U.S. bases in Japan are located, with the subtropical island itself accounting for just 1 percent of Japan's total land mass, following the latest rape and murder.

This crime comes on the heels of a drink driving incident and another account of rape by a serviceperson in a hotel in Naha, as well as the brutal attack by a high ranking military official on a Japanese female student onboard a commercial flight to Japan, and the father of the murdered girl has been left devastated and an entire prefecture shocked and worried about their safety.

"Why did it have to be my daughter? Why did she have to be killed?" exclaimed the victim's father in an open letter he read aloud at the protest.

"So as not to have another victim, the people in the prefecture can unite and make it possible for all bases in Okinawa to be removed," the father of the murdered girl urged.

As for Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, a staunch advocate of lessening the base-hosting burdens of the islanders, and in particularly blocking the central government's plans to relocate a controversial U.S. base within the prefecture, he expressed his deepest condemnation of the latest attack during the rally.

Describing the rape and murder of the young lady as "utterly unacceptable," Onaga reiterated his calls for a key agreement betweenJapan and the United States to be urgently reviewed and for the bases to be kicked out of the island for good.

"I hereby express my unflagging resolve to push for drastic review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and withdrawal of Marines from Okinawa," Onaga declared.

The Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was originally inked in Washington between the United States and Japan in 1960, and many politicians such as Onaga along with political watchers believe it does not work to effectively legislate treatment of U.S. servicepeople in Japan who commit crimes and doesn't reflect the growing instances and severity of such.

Under the current agreement, U.S forces' personnel can be granted a great deal of legal autonomy and while the Japanese court system has jurisdiction for most crimes committed by U.S. service members, if the accused was "acting in official duty," or if the victim was another American, the U.S. justice system is used, not Japan's, despite the location.

In some instances, under SOFA, the majority of U.S. military members are exempt from Japan's visa and passport laws and past offenders have dodged the Japanese legal system here by being transferred back to the United States before being charged. Another loophole that exists in the agreement is that unless an offender is arrested outside of a U.S. base by Japanese police or investigators, then the U.S. authorities are allowed to retain custody of that individual.

While calls for SOFA to be urgently revised are becoming more vociferous, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, despite being a proponent of relocating the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded district in Ginowan to a coastal region on the island that will see vast amounts of land reclaimed from the sea to build the mega-base, also seeking its review, the protesters on Sunday adopted their own resolution demanding that definitive measures to prevent further heinous crimes from occurring in the future are instituted.

"The anger and sadness of the people of Okinawa has reached its limit toward the repeated incidents and accidents involving U.S. military and nonmilitary personnel," the resolution said.

It also demanded an apology from both the Japanese and U.S. government to the people of Okinawa and in particular to the family of the murdered woman. The resolution also called for compensation to be made to the family of the victim.

"To protect the lives and human rights of the people in Okinawa, it is urgent that U.S. bases be significantly reduced and consolidated, and for Marines to withdraw from Okinawa," the resolution said, adding that plans to relocate the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma should also be scrapped.

The resolution also stated that previous measures to curtail acts of crime or enforce discipline had failed miserably and that the only way to effectively prevent crime against locals from U.S. servicepeople going forward is to remove the U.S. bases from Okinawa island entirely.

All prefectural and local assemblies in Okinawa have adopted resolutions against the latest murder and the prefectural assembly is now dominated by politicians opposed to the Futenma base relocation, which, along with growing indignation from the locals, adds gravitas and political momentum to Onaga's moves to block the relocation and make further moves in the future to see U.S. bases removed from Okinawa entirely.
An aerial photo taken on Sept. 25, 2015 from a seaplane of Hainan Maritime Safety Administration shows cruise vessel Haixun 1103 heading to the Yacheng 13-1 drilling rig during a patrol in south China Sea. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan)

by Marzia De Giuli

ROME, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The most effective way to solve the South China Sea dispute is to hold diplomatic talks between stakeholders and not overdramatize the issue, according to Italian experts.

"Negotiations" are the most effective way to solve the disputes, Giovanni Andornino, professor of international relations of East Asia at the University of Turin and vice president at the Turin World Affairs Institute, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

In the mid-1990s, China and the Philippines reached a clear agreement on settling their disputes in the South China Sea through negotiation. This has been reaffirmed in many other bilateral documents since then, including the joint statement the two countries issued in September 2011.

However, in 2013, the Philippines unilaterally filed an arbitration case against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands.

China maintains that the tribunal handling the arbitration proceedings has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence about territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation.

Territorial issues are beyond the scope of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and China has excluded maritime delimitation from compulsory arbitration in a declaration it made in 2006 in accordance with Article 298 of UNCLOS. Therefore, China has made it clear it will not accept or get involved in those proceedings.

"Safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity is one of the priorities of China, which has not acted aggressively but has reacted to its perception of the growing interference by the United States and other countries in the South China Sea," Andornino said.

In his view, working toward formulating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea issue, accepted by all the interested parties, would be "an extraordinary step forward" to solve the disputes.

For Paolo Borzatta, director and senior partner of think tank The European House-Ambrosetti, the only solution at this moment is "the status quo."

"China has officially said it does not recognize the international arbitration, and after all the international arbitration has not the power to force China to participate," he said.

"The situation is complex and difficult, and I only hope that it does not deteriorate," Borzatta said. "What is certain, however, is that China is not invading any other country, which does not justify an overreaction by the United States."

In his view, the South China Sea issue is indicative of a new balance of power at the international level. "China will play a fundamental role," Borzatta said.

Romeo Orlandi, vice president of the Bologna-based think tank Osservatorio Asia and strategic consultant, agreed with Borzatta that the dispute is a natural evolution of China's peaceful rise, which at the present cannot avoid a digression into political tensions.
TASHKENT, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Relations between China and Uzbekistan have kept developing in a sustainable and deep-going way while fruitful results have been achieved in bilateral cooperation in all fields over recent years, Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Sun Lijie has said.

The Chinese and Uzbek peoples, as good friends, good partners and good brothers on the Silk Road, have jointly created a glorious history of the Silk Road, Sun said in a recent interview with Xinhua prior to Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Uzbekistan on June 21-24.

Today, the two countries continue to jointly push forward economic exchange and mutual reference in civilizations between the East and the West and promote common development of mankind, with pragmatic cooperation as a basis, with cultural cooperation as a bond, and with joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt as an opportunity, he said.

During Xi's upcoming visit to Uzbekistan, the leaders of the two countries will have in-depth discussions on further development of China-Uzbekistan relations and cooperation, Sun said.

He believed that Xi's visit will surely give a new impetus to the development of China-Uzbekistan ties and open a new chapter for friendly cooperation between the two countries.

The Chinese ambassador said that the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries has now embarked on a "fast track," driven by joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and bilateral production capacity cooperation.

Bilateral trade between the two countries has kept increasing and has been diversified, and the two countries are highly complementary to each other in terms of resources and essential factors of production, Sun said.

China is powerful in funding resources and has a well-developed manufacturing industry and strong production capacity, while Uzbekistan has rich natural resources, abundant labor and a strong desire for industrial upgrade, Sun said.

Currently, there are over 600 Chinese enterprises operating in various fields including energy, telecommunications, infrastructure construction and textile in Uzbekistan, he added.

During his visit to Uzbekistan, Xi will also attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

On the prospect of the SCO, Sun said that the organization has scored abundant achievements since it was founded 15 years ago, and it has successfully explored a new model of international cooperation and has become one of the most dynamic and influential international mechanisms.

The SCO now has become a "big family" of six member countries, with six observer countries and six dialogue partners, and it has established cooperation with the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he said.

The SCO has become a positive force that enhances security, stability and sustainable development in international relations, he noted.

Related:

Belt and Road Initiative accelerates cooperation between China, Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Uzbekistan have ushered in a new chapter in bilateral cooperation thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, an international development drive brought up by China in 2013.
QINGDAO, Shandong, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's most advanced marine science ship Xiang Yang Hong 01 went into service in the eastern port city of Qingdao on Saturday.

The 100 meter ship with displacement of 4,980 tonnes and a range of 15,000 nautical miles has plentiful remote sensing equipment to explore as deep as 10,000 meters.

The ship will conduct its first task in the Indian Ocean, said Qiao Fangli, Communist Party Secretary of the First Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration, the owner of the ship.

The ship is fully automated and can be piloted by a lone sailor. Satellite broadband enables video conferencing on board, said Yang Zhigang, board chairman of its builder Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group of Hubei Province.
GAZA/RAMALLAH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers stationed on the borderline area between Israel and eastern Gaza Strip opened fire on Sunday at an Islamic Jihad military lookout post near the borders, the group said.

The group's armed wing, known as al-Quds Battalion, said on its website that the Israeli soldiers had suddenly opened fire at one of its lookout posts east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip without warning.

It said no injuries were reported and several Islamic Jihad militants were at the lookout post pulled back peacefully and didn't respond to the source of fire. There was no immediate Israeli army comment to the shooting incident.

Last month, a Palestinian woman was killed and three children injured in an Israeli artillery shelling on the same area following a wave of tension that went on for four days.

The Israeli army said at that time that it fired back in response to firing mortar shells at its forces while destroying tunnels underneath the area.

Egypt mediated a ceasefire agreement in the summer of 2014 that was reached between Israel and a delegation representing Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including Hamas movement and ended 50 days of Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 2,140 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Islamic Hamas movement denied in an emailed press statement on Saturday that it had received an Israeli offer of a proposal to reach a 10-year ceasefire for providing economic privileges and relaxing its blockade it has been imposing on the Gaza Strip for 10 years.

Earlier on Saturday, local Gaza news reports unveiled that the Israeli government provided a nine-point proposal to a senior Hamas movement official through one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's economy advisors.

The reports said that the Israeli letter was sent to Hamas leadership in Qatar and says that Israel is willing to agree on a ten-year truce with Hamas for improving the living condition in Gaza and providing the movement economic privileges.

The offer also included that Hamas should refrain from digging tunnels underneath the borders between Gaza and Israel and stop smuggling weapons into the coastal enclave.

Israel in return, according to the report, would agree to inaugurate a small commercial seaport between Gaza and Israel.

Israel also proposed a railway that links Gaza with Ashdod and Haifa seaports in Israel, which would accept the presence of Hamas representatives at the Israeli seaports to facilitate the process of export and import.

Israel would also keep Gaza Strip crossings opened and would let workers from Gaza to work in Israel.

The reports quoted a senior Hamas official speaking on condition of anonymity that these ideas are initials and it could be renovated in accordance to the public interests, adding that Hamas would positively study the proposal.

Hamas has been alone ruling the Gaza Strip since it had violently seized control of it in the summer of 2007 and routed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas security forces.

On Saturday, a Hamas spokesman said the reconciliation talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah Party held in Qatar with Hamas on ending their internal division had failed.

Sami Abu Zuhri said in an emailed press statement that Fatah movement "is the one which toppled the reconciliation talks held in Doha after its delegation withdrew from the second session of the dialogue."

"Fatah is responsible for the failure of the dialogue after it retreated from what had been agreed upon in previous sessions held in Qatar over the past few weeks," said Abu Zuhri from Gaza.

Over the past two days, two delegations representing rivals, Hamas and Fatah, held two sessions of dialogue in Doha to end nine years of internal split that divided the Gaza Strip and the West Bank into two separate territories.

Abu Zuhri said the two major outstanding files that the two sides disagreed upon were the file of paying the salaries of Hamas employees in Gaza and reoperating the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Legislative Council (PLC).

Hamas movement rejects the peace process and was listed among the world terrorist organizations. The movement's armed wing had violently seized control of Gaza in June 2007 and ousted President Abbas security forces.

In the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoner Club Association in Ramallah said the Israeli army detained early on Sunday 14 Palestinians during raids on several towns and cities in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Israeli Radio also reported that an Israeli army force arrested three Palestinian young who were trying to smuggle an automatic M16 rifle in their car, adding that the three were taken for questioning.

Tension between Israel and the Palestinians has been mounting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since October last year, where more than 209 Palestinians and 38 Israelis were killed, according to official figures.
KABUL, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The unmanned planes have proved deadly weapons in the war on terror in Afghanistan as 31 anti-government armed insurgents including Taliban and fighters loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group have been killed since Saturday, officials said Sunday.

In drone strike against Taliban militants, eight Taliban fighters including a group commander were killed Saturday night in the northern Kunduz province, an army spokesman in the province Ghulam Hazrat Karimi said Sunday.

"Acting upon intelligence report drone attack conducted against Taliban in Turki village of Dasht-e-Archi district late Saturday night killing eight rebels including their commander Qari Ali on the spot," Karimi told Xinhua.

Similar drone attack against militants in the eastern Nangarhar province had killed 23 militants loyal to Islamic State outfit, 201 Selab Military Corps said in a statement Sunday.

According to the statement, the drone strikes were carried out in Mohmandara, Mazdaki and Abdulkhail villages in Achin district on Saturday night during which up to 23 IS fighters had been killed and a weapon cache destroyed.

Spokesman for Nangarhar provincial governor Attaullah Khogiani has also confirmed drone attacks on IS fighters in Achin district, saying huge casualties inflicted to the militants there.

No civilian has been hurt during the strikes, the official asserted.

Meantime, locals as well as officials believe that the pilotless plane is an effective weapon in the war against militants in Afghanistan.

A Kunduz resident, Mohammad Khan, hailed drone strike in the war against Taliban, saying drone attack is more effective than launching costly cleanup operations.

Spokesman for Defense Ministry Dawlat Waziri has also confirmed the effectiveness of drone attacks, saying the drone strike has proved significant in the war against enemies in Afghanistan.
NICOSIA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The sight of a just married bride splashing in the sea in her expensive wedding gown is becoming a frequent feature at Ayia Thekla, a stretch of picturesque beaches on the south shores of Cyprus.

As more and more people opt to marry on the beach, several young couples make it a point -- some of them consider it a luck token -- to spoil their wedding attire in the turquoise and green shallow sea.

Ayia Thekla is a stretch of unspoiled coastline next to the Ayia Napa beaches on which thousands of mostly young holidaymakers bask in the sunshine every day.

It is within the boundaries of Sotira village, a mostly agricultural community several kilometers inland, producing mainly potatoes, tomatos. But the community has come out dynamically in tourism, mostly concentrating on offering wedding schemes to young couples on summer vacation.

"We started with a few weddings in 2013. We had about 100 weddings last year and we'll end with over 300 this year," said Marinos Pavlikas, in charge of the weddings section of the Sotira Municipality.

Ayia Thekla shot into world fame after Thomas Cook recommended it as the perfect place to hold a beach wedding in its Summer 2016 "Travel" magazine, listing similar destinations in the Greek Islands, Malta, Venice, Cape Town, Majorca and Los Angeles.

"The famous Ayia Thekla beach in Sotira is a lovely stretch of coastline where waters lap the shore... You couldn't find a more picturesque place for a wedding to remember," noted Tomas Cook's "Travel" magazine.

Pavlikas is kept busy every day arranging marriages or accompanying couples to the site to choose the spot of their liking.

"We offer facilities for either a beach wedding on one of our three beaches -- Poseidon, Ayia Thekla and Sirens -- of a church wedding in an all-denomination chapel next to the beach," Pavlikas told Xinhua, just after arranging another beach marriage.

Ayia Thekla was named after a chapel dedicated to a saint of the same name which was originally set up in an underground tomb chiseled in the beach rock -- a common feature of the nearby Makronisos (long island) necropolis of the Helenistic and Roman eras. An above the ground chapel was built later nearby.

Compared to its neighboring noisy cosmopolitan beaches of Ayia Napa, Ayia Thekla is a pristine region. There is not a single hotel in the vicinity, the only other tourist facilities being a complex of 12 hotel apartments well inland and a couple of restaurants.

The color pattern of the sea is remarkable, changing between turquoise and dark blue, depending on the time of the day and the amount of cloud and its color in the sky.

"Cyprus is the home of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. So if you are true romantics, there is not better place to choose to tie the knot," is the enticing message of the Sotira Municipality.

Pavlikas said that most of the marriages take place is May, which is rather early in the tourist season and in September, when there are fewer people on the beaches and the sometimes brutal Mediterranean summer changes into a mellow autumn.

They have the choice of a palm tree backdrop for their wedding or the settings of rocks lining the beach.

"Some people prefer to marry just before noon. But most arrange their marriage near sunset, when the sky is tinted purple and the sun sends streaks of light on the sea surface," he added.

He said he has seen couples who are so much carried away by the general surroundings that they wade with their wedding attire in the shallow lagoon formed between an islet and the beach.

The entire wedding ceremony can cost up to 500 euros, which is only a fraction of what it would cost people back home.

Some prefer more elaborate arrangements, hosting a wedding meal or dinner for their guests or treating them to a tour in an open-roofed bus, champagne and all, through the streets of nearby resorts.

Holidaymakers, many of them still in their bathing suits strolling along the busy streets lined with shops and cafes, cheer as the newlyweds pass by.
JERUSALEM, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli government on Sunday approved the transfer of about 19 million U.S. dollars to Jewish settlements in the West Bank territories.

Members of the Israeli government voted in favor of a resolution allocating 72 million shekels (about 19 million U.S. dollars) to Jewish communities in the territories at their weekly meeting.

While the allocation was cited as being motivated by "security concerns," amid a nine-month-long wave of attacks between Israelis and Palestinians which claimed the lives of at least 38 Israelis and 209 Palestinians, some of the funds are also aimed at aiding businesses and developing tourism.

"Today, the cabinet will discuss an assistance plan to strengthen communities in Judea and Samaria (Jewish biblical names for the West Bank)," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, according to a statement from his office.

"This entails the work of many ministries on behalf of the residents there, and will, inter alia, strengthen security, assist small businesses and encourage tourism," Netanyahu added.

Israel occupied the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories during the 1967 Mideast War. Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is deemed illegal by the international community.

As part of the overall plan, 15 million shekels (about 4 million dollars) out of the 72 would go to the local authorities of the settlement, 10 million shekels (about 2.6 million dollars) will go to improve current agricultural structures.

Furthermore, funds will be allocated to fund "resilience centers" to help citizens in mental distress, and at least six million shekels (1.5 million dollars) will go to social and welfare affairs.

Financial aid will also be given for small and medium-sized businesses in the area, and to promote tourism in the region.

While right-wing ministers welcomed the decision, center and left-wing lawmakers bashed it.

"Increasing the budget is necessary to strengthen the settlement and will contribute a lot to the strength of the residents," Welfare Minister Haim Katz (Likud) said in a statement following the approval.

"It is our responsibility to care for the communities who are situated at front of the fight against terror, facing complex security and social challenges," he added.

On the other hand, MK Dov Hanin from the Joint List slammed the Israeli government for "continuing to favor the settlements in all aspects of human lives," as the policy is "to invest in these territories and base settlements on them in order to thwart any advance toward the two-state solution."

Whereas Israeli leaders claim the wave of unrest in the past nine months is the result of incitement to violence by the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinians charge it is the result of 49 years of Israeli occupations.
ABUJA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed in a night attack by gunmen at a community in Nigeria's southwestern state of Ogun, local sources said on Saturday.

Baale Musa Ogundare, a traditional chief in Imushin community at Ogijo area of Ogun State, told Xinhua armed men invaded the town late Friday and shot indiscriminately at residents.

Local police have confirmed the incident but said findings were ongoing to further ascertain number of casualties.

Ogun State police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said about 100 attackers brandishing various weapons reportedly stormed the community to wreak havoc, adding the invaders likely came from a riverine area in the state.

The police spokesman said investigation was underway to ascertain the motive of the attack.
DAMASCUS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and five others wounded on Sunday when a suicide bomber detonated himself in Syria's northeastern city of Qamishli, state news SANA reported.

The bomber detonated his explosive belt in the al-Wastani neighborhood in the predominantly-Kurdish city of Qamishli in the northeastern province of Hasakah, said SANA.

SANA spelled no further details about the bombing, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bomber detonated himself as the Patriarch of Antioch, Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, had just finished inaugurating a monument to commemorate the Armenian Genocide in the same neighborhood.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on ground, said several people were killed, spelling no details about the well-being of the patriarch.

No party has claimed responsibility, but the Islamic State (IS) group has a recorded history in carrying out bombings in Kurdish-dominated areas in northern Syria, particularly now that the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which comprise and are led by Kurdish fighters, have made strides in battles against the IS in key strongholds in northern Syria.
BELGRADE, June 17, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pay homage to the Chinese martyrs killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999, after arriving in Belgrade for a state visit to Serbia, June 17, 2016. The three martyrs were journalists Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua News Agency, and Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying, of the Guangming Daily newspaper. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

NANJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Xu Linhua was thrilled when she learned from news that Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a state visit to Serbia, paid homage to the three Chinese martyrs including her brother, Xu Xinghu.

Xu Xinghu was a journalist with the Guangming Daily when he was killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999, with his wife and another journalist Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua News Agency.

"The whole family were busy farming at the time, until neighbors learned the news of my brother's death on TV and came to tell us," Xu told Xinhua on Saturday.

"We kept it from my father who was ill in bed. But many journalists came to our house the next day and it was impossible to conceal the news. My parents were heartbroken."

Born in a village in east China's Jiangsu Province, Xu Xinghu was the only son in the family, with two older sisters. Though they hated to be parted from their boy, his parents had been very supportive of his career choice, including stationing abroad.

"It was like the sky was falling down on us knowing that he would never come back home," she said.

Xu recalled her brother worked very hard and had always been the pride of the family.

Telephones were not common in rural areas at that time. Xu's family had a telephone installed in 1999, but hardly used it because of the high cost. Most of the time, they were just waiting for Xu Xinghu to call. In Xu Linhua's memory, her brother called only three times before his death.

"We had a very difficult time before we could get over his death," she said.

Party leaders and government officials have been very supportive of Xu's family over the years. "Especially when our father fell seriously ill in 2013, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Guangming Daily paid a visit to comfort us and offer help."

"I'm deeply grateful that President Xi paid homage to my brother," she added.

As the first public event after arriving on Friday, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan joined Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and all other cabinet members in paying silent tribute to the martyrs.

Leaders of the two countries laid wreaths to a new memorial erected on the site where the embassy once stood, engraved with "Honor Martyrs, Cherish Peace."

On May 7, 1999, U.S.-led NATO forces carried out a missile attack on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which left the three journalists dead, dozens of others injured, and the embassy building severely damaged.

To commemorate the reporters and thank China for its support to Serbia, the Belgrade city government set up the first memorial in front of the embassy site on May 7, 2009.

Related:

Xi pays homage to Chinese martyrs killed in NATO bombing

BELGRADE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping paid homage to the Chinese martyrs killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999, after arriving here Friday for a state visit to Serbia.
DAMASCUS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed by Turkish forces while trying to flee toward Turkey near Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, a monitor group reported Sunday.

Four children under 18 and two women were among those killed when they were fired at in the town of Khirbet al-Jous in Idlib countryside by the Turkish forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory said the slain people were civilians fleeing the war in Syria.

The UK-based watchdog group said the recent deaths were documented in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall number of people killed by Turkish police while attempting to reach a sanctuary in Turkey to 60 since January this year.

The monitor group, which says it relies on a network of activists on ground, urged the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to practice pressure on the Turkish government to open safe passages for the Syrian refugees "so that they don't become a prey for the human traffickers."

According to UN estimates, Turkey's Syrian refugee population was more than 1.7 million as of mid-March 2015, and the large unregistered refugee population may mean the true figure is even larger.

Turkey was the main conduit for the Syrian refugees who were fleeing to Europe, and apparently the Turkish authorities have started imposing strict policy toward the Syrian refugees due to the refugee crisis in Europe.
(Xinhua file photo)

LONDON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Britain's major national newspapers were divided Sunday as campaigning resumed in the European referendum battle ahead of Thursday's vote.

Collectively known as "Fleet Street", it was the final chance for the big Sunday papers to nail their colors to the mast.

The Mail on Sunday and the Observer both said they were backing the EU Remain camp while the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph both called on their readers to vote for Brexit.

The Sunday Times follows the tabloid Sun, Britain's biggest selling paper, in its support for Leave, while the Times, backed remain. All three are owned by Rupert Murdoch's News International.

One media analyst said what was probably the biggest surprise was the Mail on Sunday's backing for Remain, in contrast to its sister paper the Daily Mail's largely pro-Brexit stance. The Mail on Sunday warned that a vote to leave could "risk the peace and prosperity" of Britain.

In an editorial the Mail on Sunday added: "We may be lured by the notion of being marginally freer, but we will be significantly poorer. For modern Great Britain to thrive and prosper we must work with, not against, our European partners; we must keep our seat at Europe's top table and help shape its destiny; our strong, clear voice must be heard inside Europe, not be shouted from the sidelines."

The Sunday Telegraph said: "On balance we believe the Leave campaign has articulated an ambitious vision for Britain as an independent nation, once again free to make its own decisions. Remain, by contrast, has resorted to grim pessimism."

On the traditional weekend political problems on television and radio it was also the last big chance for both remain and leave sides to address mass audiences of millions. It was business as usual as the claims and counter-claims were hurtled from both sides about the consequences of the June 23 referendum.

Latest opinion polls Sunday have seen remain gain ground, partly in response to the killing on Thursday of pro-remain Labour MP Jo Cox.

Following the tragic murder of the 41-year-old politician all campaigning was put on hold, but it was business as usual Sunday as big names from Prime Minister David Cameron for Remain to Brexit backers, Justice Minister Michael Gove and former London mayor Boris Johnson, resumed their verbal clashes to win support.

Cameron, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, made reference to slain politician Cox, saying she "embodied Britain at her best -- a country that is decent and compassionate," adding what he described as an "irreversible" referendum being a "watershed moment" for Britain.

Also in the pro-leave Sunday Telegraph, Gove said: "People should vote for democracy and Britain should vote for hope. There are economic risks if we leave, economic risks if we remain. My argument is that whatever happens in the future, an independent Britain will be better able to cope with those strains."

Boris Johnson said in the Sun on Sunday that the referendum gave Britons a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", adding people had nothing to fear by voting to leave the European Union.

A decision to leave the EU would "echo through the ages", Johnson added, saying it would enable the country to take back control of its borders.

Latest polls still show the result hangs in the balance, mainly due to the high number of those among the estimated 43 million voters, yet to decide which side to support.

A poll by Opinium for the Observer newspaper puts both sides level with 44 percent each. Two YouGov polls for the Sunday Times and the independent broadcaster ITV, puts remain slightly ahead. A telephone poll by Survation issued Sunday for the Mail on Sunday has Remain up by three points, giving them 45 percent against 42 percent for Leave.

Related:

Brexit to create instability, uncertainty: Irish PM
MANILA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government is keeping a close watch on two restive volcanoes to ensure the safety of the surrounding residents, a senior government official said Sunday.

Mount Kanlaon in central Philippine Negros Island Region remains in a state of unrest after its eruption last Saturday, while Mount Bulusan in eastern province of Sorsogon erupted on June 10.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) have been issuing timely alert regarding the activities of the two volcanoes.

"There are permanent exclusion zones within a certain perimeter that are being observed," he said in an interview over a state-run radio station.

After its phreatic eruption last Saturday morning, moderate steaming of plumes was seen from the summit of Mount Kanlaon, whose crater was covered with clouds, according Phivolcs.

Based on the latest Phivolcs bulletin issued at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Mount Bulusan "generated a steam-driven explosion that lasted for approximately seven minutes based on the seismic record and produced approximately 300 meter-high dirty white ash plume that drifted towards the northwest".

Alert Level 1 (abnormal) remains in effect over Bulusan Volcano. This indicates that hydrothermal processes are underway beneath the volcano that may lead to more steam-driven eruptions. The local government units and the public are reminded that entry to the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) is strictly prohibited due to the possibility of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.

Phivolcs also said that civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.

Furthermore, people living within valleys and along river/stream channels especially on the southwest and northwest sector of the edifice should be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars in the event of heavy and prolonged rainfall, it added.
TEHRAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A major Iranian petrochemical company is in talks with some Japanese and Korean investors for financing Iran's petrochemical projects, Iran's Petro-Energy Information Network (SHANA) reported on Sunday.

The negotiations between Iran's Petrochemical Commercial Company International (PCCI) and some Japanese and Korean investors are aimed to attract an investment of 520 million euros (586 million U.S. dollars) in petrochemical projects in Iran in the form of Usance Letter of Credit, Managing Director of PCCI Isa Mashayekhi told SHANA.

Usance Letter of Credit permits the beneficiary to be paid immediately upon presentation of specified documents or at a future date as established in the sales contract.

Mashayekhi said that his company has initiated talks with the Japanese and Korean investors and Iran's Ministry of Economy and Finance should provide state guarantees to access credit lines from other countries.

PCCI, a subsidiary of Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC), is in charge of holding talks with international companies for financing petrochemical projects and attracting investments for PGPIC projects.
File photo

BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry on Sunday strongly protested over Indonesia navy warships' harassment of Chinese fishermen in the South China Sea.

Chinese fishing boats were harassed and shot at by several Indonesian navy warships in a disputed fishing ground in the South China Sea on Friday. One crew member was injured. Another fishing boat and seven crew were detained.

"China strongly protests and condemns such excessive use of force," spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a press release.

The incident took place in a traditional Chinese fishing ground where China and Indonesia have overlapping maritime rights claims.

Indonesia's actions violated international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and harmed the lives and property of Chinese fishermen, Hua said.

"China urges Indonesia to stop taking action that escalates tension, complicates issues, or affects peace and stability," Hua said.
Two attendants display aChinese currency note and a Kenyan Shilling note during the opening ceremony of a new branch of the National Bank of Kenya which will host a clearing house for Chinese renminbi (RMB) in Nairobi, Kenya, July 22, 2015. The National Bank of Kenya (NBK) has opened a new branch that will host a clearing house for Chinese renminbi (RMB) that would allow the settlement of trade deals to help boost economic growth. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

DAR ES SALAAM, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen Central Banks governors from eastern and southern African countries will meet in Tanzania on Monday to among other things discuss on the impact of the Chinese yuan's inclusion into the basket of reserve currencies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The theme for the meeting is "Implications of the IMF Adoption of Chinese Yuan as Part of the Special Drawing Rights Basket of Currencies".

China is among Africa's biggest trading partner with new investments in infrastructure, and gas and oil extraction.

A statement issued on Saturday by the Central Bank of Tanzania said the meeting will also address critical issues that impact and affect the role of the central banks in the macro-economic and financial management of in the region.

The statement said the governors will come from the Macro-economic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) region.

The statement issued in the east African nation's business capital Dar es Salaam said the meeting will also attract over 40 top central banks officials from the MEFMI region and technical experts from Investec Asset Management, the financial partner for the meeting.

Other participants will come from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland, said the statement, adding that the meeting will be held back to back with the Bank of Tanzania Golden Jubilee celebrations on June 22, 2016.

The governors' forum is one of the executive forums on MEFMI's annual calendar of events meant to assist in developing and sustaining a crop of more informed policy makers in the region, said the statement.

It said each event is uniquely crafted in an effort to address critical issues that impact and affect the role of the central banks in the macro-economic and financial management of the region.

"The forums are also used to come up with a common understanding of both prevailing and emerging economic issues," said the statement.

The theme is highly relevant to the MEFMI region, particularly the central banking community as they are the custodians of foreign exchange reserves and facilitators of international trade settlements.
RAMALLAH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior official in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) condemned on Sunday the Israeli government's approval of providing financial assistance to Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Saeb Erekat, the PLO Secretary General, told Voice of Palestine Radio the decision clearly shows the Israeli government is a government of settlers and settlements.

The PLO official, who is also a veteran peace negotiator, accused the Israeli government of insisting to lead the entire region into extremism and damage the choice of the two states and keep the situation as it is indefinitely.

"If the world really seeks stability and peace in the region, it should dry the springs of the Israeli occupation, halt settlements and oblige Israel to be abide by all commitments," Erekat said.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli media reported that the government approved during a session for its weekly cabinet meeting to devote 72 million Israeli shekels (about 19 million U.S. dollars) for settlements in the West Bank.

Last direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, which were sponsored by the United States and lasted for nine months, stopped in April 2014 due to deep differences on major outstanding issues, mainly settlements.

Meanwhile, Erekat announced that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the PLO, would start a tour that includes several Arab and European countries, including Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Austria.
JERUSALEM, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel's recently-appointed Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman will start on Sunday an official visit to the United States, his first overseas trip in his new post.

Lieberman, who joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government last month as the latter set out to increase his ruling coalition's majority in the Israeli parliament, will have introductory meetings during his visit, according to a statement from his office.

The Israeli defense minister, known for his hawkish views and militant statements, is planned to meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter during his visit.

He will also meet with members of the U.S. Senate Committees and take part in the inauguration of the F-35 fighter jets at the Lockheed Martin's factory in Texas.

The visit takes place amid ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Israel regarding a 10-year aid package, estimated to be worth around 30 billion U.S. dollars. An Israeli defense official told Xinhua that "there are still gaps" between the two sides.

Israel and the U.S. cooperate closely on security affairs. However, diplomatic ties between the two countries have dwindled in the past several years, as animosity built up between Obama and Netanyahu, specifically over their disagreement on how to approach Iran's potential to reach nuclear capabilities.

After months of negotiations between the parties, Netanyahu told members of his cabinet in February that if the aid package won't address Israel's security needs as "he sees fit," Israel would wait for the next president to take office.

In March, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden urged Netanyahu during a trip to Jerusalem to sign the deal while U.S. President Barack Obama is still in office.

Netanyahu tried to downplay the tensions earlier this week, after the U.S. administration announced it "strongly opposes" a congressional proposal for an additional 455 million U.S. dollars in funding for Israel's missile defense program in 2017.

His office released a statement in which Netanyahu dismissed the administration's announcement as "an internal debate between Congress and the White House," adding that Netanyahu "is working to anchor this supplement as part of the discussions on the aid package for the next ten years."
HEFEI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese official has called for intensified efforts to prevent flood and mitigate loss from possible flood disasters, while warning about possible basin-wide floods this year.

Vice Premier Wang Yang made the remarks during an inspection tour in central China's Anhui Province on Saturday.

Affected by super El Nino, China would face very complicated weather conditions and there is a relatively high possibility of basin-wide floods occurring this year in the country, said Wang.

He called upon local authorities and related departments to take precautions, intensify efforts in weather forecasting and monitoring, and formulate emergency programs.

The vice premier also stressed the importance of avoiding mass casualties and ensuring water supply safety.

Earlier on Sunday, at least a dozen people went missing and 400,000 people were evacuated from their homes, after a heavy downpour in Huanggang City, central China's Hubei Province.

A maximum of 251 millimeters of rain has hit the city from Saturday afternoon. Floods have collapsed houses, bridges, dikes and roads, and inundated farmland.

China's meteorological authority on Sunday evening renewed a yellow alert for rainstorm across parts of central China from Sunday evening to Monday evening.

Heavy rainstorm will hit the provinces of Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Henan, and Anhui in the coming day, with precipitation reaching 180 millimeters in some areas, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
ISTANBUL, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Fear of destabilization is growing as tension is brewing between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO, whose building-up in the Baltics and the Black Sea has incurred vowed retaliatory actions from Moscow.

Last month, the Unites States launched a ballistic missile shield in Romania against an alleged threat against Europe from Iran or some so-called "rogue state" in the Middle East.

For Russia, the shield is aimed at rendering its own missile capability ineffective and part of efforts to encircle it.

Moscow underlined that it would take protective measures against the system, as NATO is building another in Poland.

NATO has decided to deploy four combat-ready battalions -- with each having around 4,000 troops -- in Poland and the Baltic countries fearing Russian aggression, namely Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

The military alliance is also mulling an offer by Romania to command a multinational brigade as a deterrence, said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in the past week.

"The global rivalry between the U.S. and Russia is perhaps at its all-time high since the end of the Cold War," observed Cahit Armagan Dilek, a security and foreign policy analyst.

Stoltenberg also stated that his organization would take measures to enhance "defense and deterrence" in the Black Sea region.

Noting both Russia and NATO have recently been busy with reinforcing their forces along bordering areas, Dilek, who was a staff officer in the Turkish Armed Forces, stated, "As of the end of this year, the U.S. military presence in Europe will be at its peak since the Cold War."

NATO says all the military build-up in the Baltic region is to deter Russia from engaging in any aggression against the Baltic republics as was the case of the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.

The Baltic countries were, like Ukraine, to which Crimea belonged, part of the Soviet Union before it broke up in 1991.

The fall of the Soviet Union marks the end of the Cold War between NATO and the former Warsaw Pact countries led by the Soviet Union such as Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

"The missile shield will put an end to the old 'mutually assured destruction' or the 'terror balance' theory between the East and the West and will give the upper hand to NATO in case of a nuclear war," said Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister.

"Russia is uneasy for being trapped, but it has too few options to disentangle itself from this trap," added Yakis, who is currently the president of the Ankara-based Center for Strategic Communication (Stratim).

Another sign of rising tensions is the 10-day military exercises NATO completed in the past week in Poland.

The Anaconda 2016 NATO exercise, which involved 31,000 troops, was the largest ever war game in eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.

In an apparent response to the NATO drills, President Vladimir Putin ordered a snap combat readiness of Russian armed forces early in the past week.

Moscow also warned that a NATO build-up in naval forces in the Black Sea would undermine regional security.

If a permanent NATO naval force is created in the Black Sea, it would be a destabilizing factor, said Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called on NATO last month to increase its naval presence in the Black Sea to end Russian dominance.

The Black Sea looks like a Russian lake, Erdogan complainingly said at a meeting of chiefs of general staff from the Balkan countries in Istanbul.

Erdogan's remarks mark a sharp deviation from his country's policy of limiting, based on the Montreux Convention, the presence of "foreign" warships in the Black Sea.

Under the Montreux Convention signed in 1936, naval vessels of non-riparian countries cannot remain in the Black Sea for more than 21 days.

Furthermore, the aggregate tonnage of ships of non-riparian countries cannot exceed 45,000 tons in any circumstances.

Ankara-Moscow ties have been strained since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November last year.

According to Dilek, who believes the Turkish General Staff and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were taken by surprise by Erdogan's invitation of NATO vessels, the president's remarks imply that Turkey will favor the presence of a permanent NATO fleet in the Black Sea when the bloc's leaders meet early next month.

The issue of maintaining a fleet in the Black Sea is expected to come up at the NATO summit slated for July 8-9 in Warsaw, Poland.

In contrast to Dilek, Stratim's Yakis still does not think Turkey would offer, despite Erdogan's remarks, support to the presence of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea as such a step would mean questioning of the Montreux Convention.

"This would be shooting itself in the foot," Yakis said, noting that Turkey keeps the traffic of vessels into the Black Sea under control thanks to the convention.

The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, two waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean, are part of the Turkish territory.

Back in 2008 during the war between Russia and Georgia, Turkey blocked a U.S. attempt to enter a very large hospital ship into the Black Sea for fear that such a step would pave the way for the questioning of the Montreux Convention.

Both analysts said the presence of a permanent NATO naval force in the Black Sea would significantly increase the risk of crisis in the region.

"The increase in Russian and U.S. military presence in seas surrounding Turkey is not a positive development for Turkey," remarked Dilek.

Bulgaria, meanwhile, voiced its opposition last week to the idea of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea, saying it would not be part of the move.

The Black Sea should be a place where yachts and large boats with tourists sail rather than an arena of military action, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said on Thursday.

"I do not need a war in the Black Sea," he stressed.

Following the entry of a U.S. warship into the Black Sea last week, Russia warned that it would take countermeasures.

Washington also made a show of force lately in the Mediterranean by sending in a second aircraft carrier.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, accompanied by a group of warships, entered the Mediterranean at the beginning of the past week.

"For the first time since 2003, two U.S. carrier battle groups are positioned in the Mediterranean at the same time," noted Dilek.

Russia described the presence of two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean as a show of force ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.
The Russian Navy's large landing ship Yamal (L) passes by Liberia-flagged oil tanker Kouros as it sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 14, 2016. (Reuters photo)

ISTANBUL, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Fear of destabilization is growing as tension is brewing between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO, whose building-up in the Baltics and the Black Sea has incurred vowed retaliatory actions from Moscow.

Last month, the Unites States launched a ballistic missile shield in Romania against an alleged threat against Europe from Iran or some so-called "rogue state" in the Middle East.

For Russia, the shield is aimed at rendering its own missile capability ineffective and part of efforts to encircle it.

Moscow underlined that it would take protective measures against the system, as NATO is building another in Poland.

NATO has decided to deploy four combat-ready battalions -- with each having around 4,000 troops -- in Poland and the Baltic countries fearing Russian aggression, namely Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

The military alliance is also mulling an offer by Romania to command a multinational brigade as a deterrence, said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in the past week.

"The global rivalry between the U.S. and Russia is perhaps at its all-time high since the end of the Cold War," observed Cahit Armagan Dilek, a security and foreign policy analyst.

Stoltenberg also stated that his organization would take measures to enhance "defense and deterrence" in the Black Sea region.

Noting both Russia and NATO have recently been busy with reinforcing their forces along bordering areas, Dilek, who was a staff officer in the Turkish Armed Forces, stated, "As of the end of this year, the U.S. military presence in Europe will be at its peak since the Cold War."

NATO says all the military build-up in the Baltic region is to deter Russia from engaging in any aggression against the Baltic republics as was the case of the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.

The Baltic countries were, like Ukraine, to which Crimea belonged, part of the Soviet Union before it broke up in 1991.

The fall of the Soviet Union marks the end of the Cold War between NATO and the former Warsaw Pact countries led by the Soviet Union such as Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey, June 6, 2016. (Reuters photo)

"The missile shield will put an end to the old 'mutually assured destruction' or the 'terror balance' theory between the East and the West and will give the upper hand to NATO in case of a nuclear war," said Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister.

"Russia is uneasy for being trapped, but it has too few options to disentangle itself from this trap," added Yakis, who is currently the president of the Ankara-based Center for Strategic Communication (Stratim).

Another sign of rising tensions is the 10-day military exercises NATO completed in the past week in Poland.

The Anaconda 2016 NATO exercise, which involved 31,000 troops, was the largest ever war game in eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.

In an apparent response to the NATO drills, President Vladimir Putin ordered a snap combat readiness of Russian armed forces early in the past week.

Moscow also warned that a NATO build-up in naval forces in the Black Sea would undermine regional security.

If a permanent NATO naval force is created in the Black Sea, it would be a destabilizing factor, said Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called on NATO last month to increase its naval presence in the Black Sea to end Russian dominance.

The Black Sea looks like a Russian lake, Erdogan complainingly said at a meeting of chiefs of general staff from the Balkan countries in Istanbul.

Erdogan's remarks mark a sharp deviation from his country's policy of limiting, based on the Montreux Convention, the presence of "foreign" warships in the Black Sea.

Under the Montreux Convention signed in 1936, naval vessels of non-riparian countries cannot remain in the Black Sea for more than 21 days.

Furthermore, the aggregate tonnage of ships of non-riparian countries cannot exceed 45,000 tons in any circumstances.

Ankara-Moscow ties have been strained since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November last year.

According to Dilek, who believes the Turkish General Staff and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were taken by surprise by Erdogan's invitation of NATO vessels, the president's remarks imply that Turkey will favor the presence of a permanent NATO fleet in the Black Sea when the bloc's leaders meet early next month.

The Russian Navy's landing ship Alexander Otrakovsky sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey May 19, 2016. (Reuters photo)

The issue of maintaining a fleet in the Black Sea is expected to come up at the NATO summit slated for July 8-9 in Warsaw, Poland.

In contrast to Dilek, Stratim's Yakis still does not think Turkey would offer, despite Erdogan's remarks, support to the presence of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea as such a step would mean questioning of the Montreux Convention.

"This would be shooting itself in the foot," Yakis said, noting that Turkey keeps the traffic of vessels into the Black Sea under control thanks to the convention.

The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, two waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean, are part of the Turkish territory.

Back in 2008 during the war between Russia and Georgia, Turkey blocked a U.S. attempt to enter a very large hospital ship into the Black Sea for fear that such a step would pave the way for the questioning of the Montreux Convention.

Both analysts said the presence of a permanent NATO naval force in the Black Sea would significantly increase the risk of crisis in the region.

"The increase in Russian and U.S. military presence in seas surrounding Turkey is not a positive development for Turkey," remarked Dilek.

Bulgaria, meanwhile, voiced its opposition last week to the idea of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea, saying it would not be part of the move.

The Black Sea should be a place where yachts and large boats with tourists sail rather than an arena of military action, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said on Thursday.

"I do not need a war in the Black Sea," he stressed.

Following the entry of a U.S. warship into the Black Sea last week, Russia warned that it would take countermeasures.

Washington also made a show of force lately in the Mediterranean by sending in a second aircraft carrier.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, accompanied by a group of warships, entered the Mediterranean at the beginning of the past week.

"For the first time since 2003, two U.S. carrier battle groups are positioned in the Mediterranean at the same time," noted Dilek.

Russia described the presence of two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean as a show of force ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.
BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- "The Belt and Road Initiative brought up by China will help countries along their routes walk out of crises and be prosperous again," said Seylbek Musataev, a professor with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, during a recent interview with Xinhua.

Many countries have expressed strong interest in participating in the Belt and Road construction, and the number of countries echoing the initiative is increasing, said the professor.

According to the expert, there are many similarities between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" new economic policy proposed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, as both are laying great emphasis on infrastructure construction.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt that links China with Europe through Central and Western Asia by inland routes, and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road connecting China with other Asian countries, Africa and Europe by sea routes. It is a development strategy and framework that focuses on inter-connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia.

In recent years, within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Kazakhstan and China have jointly implemented some construction projects of transportation, and have built schools, hotels, hospitals and enterprises along the route of the Belt, promoting development of local commerce and economy, said Musataev.

Kazakhstan's Khorgos Eastern-Gate land port is now open, with cargoes from China and other Asia Pacific countries passing through the port and entering Russia and Europe, bringing huge economic benefits to Kazakhstan, Musataev told Xinhua.

In 2015, the number of container shipments from China to Europe via Kazakhstan increased remarkably, reflecting positive results from the two countries' joint efforts in promoting the development of the Belt and the Road, he added.

Meanwhile, China and Kazakhstan have been cooperating actively with each other in the construction of the Western Europe-Western China international transit corridor.

The renovation of the section of the corridor within the territory of Kazakhstan is almost completed, and the whole transit line crossing Kazakhstan is expected to open to traffic in 2017.

The World Bank estimated that the launch of the corridor will increase the volume of freight traffic by 2.5 times, and vehicle maintenance and repair alone could bring in revenues of some 300 million U.S. dollars to the countries along the corridor.

Meanwhile, new enterprises and ancillary facilities will be built along the transit line, which is expected to bring local people a large number of employment opportunities.

Musataev believed that the Belt and Road construction will have a positive effect on the price and quality of the country's imports.

The price of imported products in Kazakhstan's market would begin to drop, Musataev said, adding that local manufacturers must strive to improve the quality of their products in a bid to win consumers.

The professor also pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative is quite welcome among the youth of the country.

For example, students at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University are eager to witness the implementation of the initiative, which is expected to bring many job opportunities to them, according to Musataev.

Many students are now working hard to learn Chinese and English, which they believe will make it easier for them to find jobs, said the professor.

Musataev said the Belt and Road construction is advancing steadily, expressing the belief that the objective of jointly building the Belt and Road shall be achieved with concerted efforts of all relevant parties.
VALLETTA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Malta Postal Museum was inaugurated by Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca on Sunday in Valletta.

Operated by the national postal operator MaltaPost p.l.c, the postal museum exhibits artefacts related to the postal services collected over the years since the service was introduced in Malta.

Addressing the inauguration, the president said the museum "will help conserve its legacy for future generations."

The museum, subsidized by the European Union funding, will be open for visitors from Monday. It includes a shop with specifically designed merchandise which was inspired by the rich legacy of the post and the museum's own collection.
BELGRADE, June 19, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping (C, front) attends a luncheon hosted by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic (R, front) and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic (L, front) in Belgrade, Serbia, June 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BELGRADE, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a three-day state visit to Serbia on Sunday afternoon, and left for Poland, the second leg of his current three-nation Eurasia tour.

The just-concluded visit to Serbia was the first by a Chinese head of state to the Balkan country in 32 years.

During the visit, Xi and his Serbian counterpart, Tomislav Nikolic, inked a joint statement to upgrade their two countries' relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, injecting fresh vigor into the China-Serbia traditional friendship and bringing more tangible benefits to the two peoples.

On Saturday, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals covering industrial capacity, finance, infrastructure, trade, energy, telecommunications, science, technology, local affairs, culture and tourism.

Also on Saturday, Xi held separate meetings with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic to discuss promotion of bilateral ties in various fields.

Upon arrival in Belgrade on Friday afternoon, the Chinese president and his wife, Peng Liyuan, paid homage to three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on May 7, 1999.

Earlier on Sunday, Xi, accompanied by Nikolic and Vucic, paid a visit to Serbia's sole steel mill in the city of Smederevo, which was acquired by China's HeSteel Group in April.
XIAOGAN, June 19, 2016 (Xinhua) -- The photo taken with a cellphone on June 19, 2016 shows rescuers transferring trapped residents in Dawu County of Xiaogan City, central China's Hubei Province. Parts of Hubei witnessed torrential rainfall Sunday. (Xinhua/Wang Jida)

Click for more photos >>

WUHAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people are dead or missing and lives of more than 1.8 million disrupted after a new round of heavy downpour pounded middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

In central China's Hubei Province, the rainstorm has swept 21 counties since Saturday, leaving four people dead and 12 missing, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

The downpour has affected 880,000 residents, including about 10,000 who were relocated to safety. It toppled or damaged more than 1,100 rooms and affected 58,320 hectares of farmland, inflicting direct economic losses worth 620 million yuan (94 million U.S. dollars).

Disaster relief supplies, including tents, beds, quilts and clothes have been dispatched to the worst-hit Huanggang City.

Similar losses have been reported in the downstream Jiangxi Province, which has also been hit by heavy rain since Saturday.

The downpour killed two people and left two missing in the province. It affected more than 940,000 people, including 58,000 relocated, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

Nearly 400 rooms were destroyed and about 63,000 hectares of farmland was damaged, with the losses worth 750 million yuan.

Jingdezhen City of Jiangxi has seen waterlogging, which led to the evacuation of 12,000 locals.

At 6 p.m. of Sunday, the water level of the local Changjiang River was three meters higher than the alarm level.

Heavy rainstorms have brought chaos to much of east and south China this week, causing many casualties.

China's meteorological authority on Sunday continued a yellow alert for heavy rain across most parts of the country in the coming two days.

Thunderstorms will hit the provinces of Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei and Yunnan from Sunday morning to Monday morning, with precipitation reaching 200 millimeters in some areas.

Vice Premier Wang Yang called for intensified efforts to prevent flood and mitigate loss from possible flood disasters on Saturday.

Affected by super El Nino, China would face very complicated weather conditions and there is a relatively high possibility of basin-wide floods occurring this year in the country, Wang warned.
Image provided by Brazil's Presidency shows Brazilian interim President Michel Temer delivering a speech during the inauguration ceremony of new presidents of state companies, in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, on June 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Marcos Correa/Brazil's Presidency)

By Edgardo Loguercio

BRASILIA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- After a third graft-related resignation this week, Brazil's interim government is trying to pull itself out of a mire which had already claimed two of interim President Michel Temer's closest aides.

Tourism Minister Henrique Alves became the latest senior official to lose his job over Operation Car Wash, an investigation into graft at state oil giant Petrobras.

Corruption has become a major concern of the new administration, which came to power on May 12, after President Dilma Rousseff of the left-leaning Workers' Party was suspended by the Senate pending an impeachment trial on charges of inflating public finances.

Evidence brought by an accomplice in the Petrobras corruption ring, Sergio Machado, former president of the state-owned Transpetro, have stoked the fires under Temer.

In the latest news to come out of Operation Car Wash, Sergio Machado revealed the names of 20 politicians from different political parties -- especially the now-ruling center-right Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) -- who received bribes as part of the scheme, including Alves.

However, some local experts believed that a combination of political skill and strong support from Brazil's financial establishment are helping Temer ride the choppy waters.

Despite the successive corruption scandals, Temer is plowing forward with his belt-tightening agenda, including spending cuts and fiscal reforms unpopular with the people, but welcomed by the financial markets, according to political observer Ricardo Caldas, of the University of Brasilia (UnB).

What has saved this government is that it has been quick to react to the accusations, said Caldas, noting Temer is better at responding to such problems than Rousseff, who would leave it up to her team to handle complaints.

"Now, those who are accused have to step down. With this stand, Temer is succeeding in turning the denunciations against some of his political allies to his advantage," Caldas told Xinhua.

At the same time, Temer's government has also successfully directed media's attention to its economic strategy, led by Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles.

Other ministries may be affected by the corruption probe, but the economic team enjoys strong backing from the country's financial and business sectors.

People protest against the suspension of Dilma Rousseff as Brazil's president, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

According to Caldas, this week's scandal about Alvis won't be the last to rock Temer's young government.

"Certainly, there will be other accusations. In Brazil, it's not the future that is uncertain, but the past. Nobody knows what this or the other politician did years ago. The Car Wash allegations are pure dynamite, you can't predict where (the investigation) will end," said Caldas.

He also pointed out that none of the recent accusations will influence the impeachment trial against Rousseff, unless someone key to the process, such as Senate speaker Renan Calheiros, were to be suspended.

"If Renan goes, then the impeachment will begin to get shaky. That's why the government wants to speed up the process," said Caldas.

Rousseff denies any wrongdoing, and has said her trial aims in part to derail the corruption investigation.

"In principle, I believe Dilma will be impeached," said Caldas. "If the final vote were on Monday, I would say with certainty that yes, but (another) 45 days to go is a very long time, a lot of new developments can take place in that time."
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second left, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (Russian Defense Ministry photo)

MOSCOW, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday said its air forces deployed in Syria didn't bomb the areas of Syrian opposition forces that participated in the cease-fire regime.

"The target bombed was situated more than 300 kilometers away from the territories declared by the U.S. as positions of opposition forces participating in the cessation of hostilities agreement," said Major General Igor Konashenkov, a ministry spokesman.

Konashenkov recalled that Washington claimed Russian air forces on June 16 struck Syrian opposition groups in southern Syria.

"The Russian Aerospace Force acted in the framework of the agreed procedures, having notified in advance members of the U.S.-led coalition about the ground targets for the strikes," Konashenkov stressed.

He added that the United States didn't informed Russia of the locations of opposition under its control, lamenting that no progress was made regarding Russia's suggestion of making an up-to-date map of locations of Syrian forces.

"The exchange of opinions (between Russia and the U.S.) was in a constructive manner, as both sides aim for better coordination in fighting terrorist organizations in Syria, and prevention of incidents during military operations on the Syrian territory," Konashenkov concluded.

Brokered by the United States and Russia, the cease-fire agreement between Syrian government forces and various opposition groups was reached in February.

Washington and Moscow kept contacting rebels respectively so as to expand the cease-fire regime, while the two sides are also in constant contacts to coordinate political and military efforts to settle the Syrian crisis and fight against terrorism.
BAGHDAD, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Sunday continued fierce clashes to drive out Islamic State (IS) militants from their stronghold in the city of Fallujah, while battles erupted in the day in north of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, security sources said.

In Fallujah, some 50 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the troops continued heavy clashes with dozens of IS militants in some districts in the northern part of the city, and the troops managed to recapture parts of Dhubbat district and Jamhoriyah, while battles still underway in other northern districts, including Mu'almin and Golan, a provincial security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops made substantial progress two days ago when they freed the government compound and raised the Iraqi flag on its main building in the central part of Fallujah, after they pushed into the districts of Nazal, Jubail and Resala, in addition to the industrial area in the southern part of the city.

Late on Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared substantial victory against IS group in Fallujah after the recapture of the government compound.

"Our troops have fulfilled their promise and freed the city of Fallujah," Abadi addressed the nation on the state-run Iraqiya television.

"Fallujah has returned to the homeland and our forces took control of the heart of the city," Abadi said.

Nasir Nuri, spokesman of the Iraqi Defense Ministry told local media that "Fallujah will be freed completely within days, depending on the resistance of the remaining pockets and the number of roadside bombs and booby-trapped buildings."

Also in Anbar province, the security forces backed by the U.S.-led coalition aircraft carried out an operation against IS positions in the areas of Albu Risha and Tway in north of Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad, Lieutenant General Hadi Erzaiyj, Anbar's provincial police chief, said in a press release.

"So far, the battles in north of Ramadi resulted in the killing of 17 militants and the destroying of three IS vehicles," Erzaiyj said.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Ismail al-Mahalawi, Commander of Anbar Operations Command, escaped unharmed a bomb attack when three roadside bombs and a mortar barrage struck his convoy while moving in Zankoura area in northwest of Ramadi, leaving five of his guards wounded.

Government troops and allied militias have currently been fighting for months to reclaim key cities and towns in Anbar from IS militants, who attempted to advance toward Baghdad after seizing most of Anbar province.

Iraq has been witnessing a wave of violence since the IS controlled parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014.
NANJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Sunday met Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in the southeastern Chinese city of Suzhou, vowing to strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Hailing the important role the Czech Republic plays in the field of health care cooperation between China and central and eastern Europe (CEE) countries, Liu called on the two countries to continue deepening people-to-people exchanges, so as to consolidate public support for bilateral ties.

Sobotka echoed Liu's comment and said the Czech Republic is willing to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of health care within the framework of China-CEE cooperation, or the "16+1" mechanism.

Sobotka is in Suzhou to attend the second China-CEE health ministers' forum from June 19 to 20.
Models present creations for MIAORAN men's Spring-Summer 2016-2017 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, on June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Jin Yu)

by Marzia De Giuli

MILAN, Italy, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Eclectic elegance, genderless esthetic and research of materials marked the debut show of Chinese designer Miao Ran, who presented his spring summer 2017 collection here at the Milan menswear fashion week on Saturday.

Colorful embroideries depicting creatures swimming on white canvas were the only decorative elements of Miao Ran's creations, which focused on a clean design in bold volumes with a play of light and shadow. The geometric cuts adapted to the shape of the body to give them a genderless appeal.

"I think that fashion today bears too many heavy contents and social messages. Instead what I would like to do is just re-bring fashion back to the body, the body of people," Miao Ran told Xinhua shortly after the show. In fact fashion is made not for male bodies of female bodies, but for human bodies, for persons, he elaborated.

"For the textures of this collection I made a lot of research," the designer went on saying referring to the razor-precise cuts from rough denim, featherlight linen, white poplin and pure sandwashed silk to cotton mixed with a metallic thread to keep the creases, and weaved raffia.

Chinese designer Miao Ran watches the rehearsal of his Spring-Summer 2016-2017 collection for men, part of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, on June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Jin Yu)

Long coats in thick canvas were paired with fluid trousers, bomber jackets had a loose-fit, and white shirts long well below the waist were matched with wide-legged pants. "Many people ask me what the consumer target of my collection is, but in fact I have no target. Any person who feels self-confident, who knows who she or he is, can wear my clothes," Miao Ran explained to Xinhua.

"When I wear Miao Ran's creations I have the feeling that I am kind of free in my movements," one of the show's models, known as Roger B., told Xinhua. "I feel comfortable and natural. More simply, I can say that I feel like myself," he said.

Born in north China's Shanxi Province in 1987, Miao Ran after fashion studies in his home country decided to move to the Italian fashion capital. In Milan he earned a degree in fashion design at the Politecnico di Milano university, and later a master's from the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano (NABA), the largest private academy in Italy, where he also was a fashion teacher for two years.

Strong of important and extensive experience, Miao Ran last May was unveiled as the next talent designer to present his collection as a guest of Giorgio Armani's Theatre during the June fashion week.

"I find this collection very authentic, cross-cultural and of a high quality. I think it is a reflection of Miao Ran's meeting with different cultures and mentors in his life," Marc Ledermann, CEO of Laureate Design Italy, a network of institutions of which NABA is part, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the show.

"Miao Ran was a very visible talent already from the beginning," Ledermann went on saying. Also, he was a very fine personality, respectful of others and attentive to details, a very beautiful mind," he added recalling the times when Miao Ran was a student at NABA.

Other viewers told Xinhua they found the debut amazing. "He is a true master. He has a new vision of elegance and sophistication," said a Russian fashion journalist, Liuba Popova. "The collection expresses a very profound point of view on clothes and on the human body," she added.

The spring summer 2017 edition of the menswear fashion week opened on Friday and will run until Tuesday with 37 shows including established fashion houses but also increasingly young and international designers.
DAMASCUS, June 2, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A convoy of relief aid enters the besieged rebel-held city of Daraya near Damascus, capital of Syria, on June 1, 2016. Relief aid entered the besieged city of Daraya near the capital Damascus on Wednesday, the first to enter the rebel-held city since 2012, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). (Xinhua/Ammar)

DAMASCUS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army continued its advance into the northern province of Al-Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS), a military source told Xinhua.

On Sunday, government forces captured the Al-Thawra oilfield and stormed into housing units in western Al-Raqqa after battling IS militants, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Military forces are now merely 10 km from the Al-Tabaqa airbase, located in a town of the same name west of Al-Raqqa, the source added.

On June 4, the Syrian army entered Al-Raqqa's administrative borders, days after unleashing a widescale offensive against the route between the town of Athriya in the central province of Hama, and the Al-Tabaqa town in Al-Raqqa countryside.

Pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV said the aim of attacking Al-Raqqa is to recapture the town of Al-Tabqa due to its strategic importance.

The route would enable the Syrian army to sever key routes linking Al-Raqqa with the northern province of Aleppo, where IS control some of the border towns near Turkey and from where it smuggles fighters and weapons.

This new achievement comes only one day after Iraqi forces expelled IS from one of their Iraqi strongholds, the city of Fallujah.

The Syrian government hailed the Iraqi victory, adding that it will positively reflect on the war against terrorism in Syria as well.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Three people including two family members died in eastern Tanzania's region of Morogoro after eating poisonous cassava for lunch, local police said Sunday.

Regional Police Commander Ulrich Matei said that one man has been admitted at the Morogoro Regional Hospital as a result of consuming the tuber.

He said the incident occurred on Saturday at around 3 p.m. local time in an area located few kilometers from Morogoro Municipality.

The regional police chief said on the fateful day, five people who were making bricks in the area ate cassava as lunch.

"After eating, they started complaining of stomach pains and the alarm they raised attracted neighbours who rushed them to the nearby Military Hospital," he said.

Matei added two people died on the way to hospital while the third one died after reaching the hospital.

He said that two people out of five who ate the poisonous cassava survived and one of them was discharged and one is still in hospital.

One of the survivors, Joshua Msiani said that they were making bricks in Kauzeni area and one of their colleagues brought in cooked cassava and they started eating.

"I ate just one piece of cassava and after sometimes I became unconscious and I just found in hospital ward," he said.

Police said that investigation on the matter has started and samples of the killer cassava had been taken to the government chemist for analysis.
VALLETTA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday that the archipelago would keep progressing irrespective of the Brexit vote decision, which is set for June 23.

Speaking during a Labour Party activity in Malta, Muscat said the government had already set out a course of action for Britain leaving the European Union (EU).

"We will not stand still, this country will continue moving forward," he said, adding that next week the Cabinet would meet to discuss the way forward.

The prime minister added that Malta would in no way interfere with Britain's decision process.

The international ratings agency Fitch Ratings predicted last month that Malta was among the countries which would most suffer the consequences of a British exit from the EU. It elaborated that the most exposed countries would be Ireland, Malta, Belgium, the Netherlands, Cyprus and Luxembourg, all of whose exports of goods and services to Britain are at least eight percent of gross domestic product.
ROME, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A local runoff election was underway in Italy on Sunday, as citizens were to choose the next mayors in 126 municipalities across the country.

Polls opened at 7 a.m., and would close at 11 p.m. local time, and some 8.6 million Italians were eligible to cast their ballot.

The turnout was around 15 percent at midday, according to the Interior Ministry.

This second round of voting was being held in the municipalities where none of the candidates has been able to exceed 50 percent of the vote in the first round held on June 5.

The major cities in the country were all involved in the runoffs: namely the capital Rome, Milan, Turin, and Bologna in the north, and Naples in the south.

All of these six large cities, but Naples, have been run by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's center-left Democratic Party (PD) in latest years.

Considering the results of the first round, the PD candidates running for mayor have already lost in Naples, and were facing a tough competition in at least two others: Rome and Milan.

Indeed, all eyes were on these two crucial cities on Sunday, since a setback there would be a signal of weakness for the ruling PD party, and might thus reverberate at national level.

In the Italian capital, candidate of anti-establishment, Eurosceptic Five Star Movement (M5S) Virginia Raggi was comfortably leading the race against PD rival Roberto Giachetti.

Raggi took 35.26 percent in the first round, and Giachetti took 24.91 percent.

The ten-percentage-point gap between the two runners was seen as very difficult to fill for the PD contender, who had been openly backed by Renzi in the campaign.

The center-left party has been ruling over the capital city for the last 22 years, but during a four-year-long center-right administration, was seemingly paying the price of a wide popular discontent.

Roman citizens showed their frustration for a recent mafia-related scandal involving local officials, and for lasting inefficiencies in public services, especially transport, rubbish, and housing.

In case of a M5S victory, Rome would have its first female mayor ever, and the loss would represent a serious blow for the PD and, possibly, for Renzi's cabinet.

Another key runoff was being held in Milan, Italy's economic and financial capital, where the mayoral race was even tighter, and the result more uncertain, than in Rome.

The two major contenders here were very close to each other. PD candidate Giuseppe Sala, chief of 2015 Milan Expo, took 41.69 percent in the first round, and center-right rival Stefano Parisi took 40.77 percent.

PD candidates were leading in the runoffs in Turin and Bologna.
HO CHI MINH CITY, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as well as foreign and Vietnamese officials have just pinpointed three key structural policy challenges, including infrastructure, state-owned enterprises and job creation.

Senior policymakers from members of the ASEAN and the OECD, an international economic organization of 34 countries established in 1961 to foster economic progress and world trade, in mid-June gathered in Vietnam for the first time to touch upon various issues, including economic outlook for Vietnam in 2016.

Regarding key structural policy challenges Vietnam is facing this year, the OECD listed infrastructure gap, sluggish reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and imbalance between job creation and job improvement.

"A significant infrastructure gap is expected to arise as Vietnam's growth continues and financing will be a challenge," the OECD said in its latest report introduced in Vietnam on June 15 and discussed for days later.

According to the OECD, Vietnam's recent restructuring of public investment to improve the efficiency of investment allocation and to strengthen monitoring and assessment frameworks have helped to lay a better foundation for future infrastructure investment. Domestic and foreign private investors are being encouraged to participate in pilot public-private partnership projects. "More could also be done to mobilize private savings in Vietnam, for example, through the issuance of government-guaranteed bonds for infrastructure development," the OECD recommended.

According to the World Economic Forum, Vietnam's infrastructure quality index has gone up 24 rankings in the last five years, from the 123rd out of 139 economies in 2010 to the 99th out of 140 economies in 2015.

"However, investment in infrastructure still has many shortcomings; many projects have been planned in an inadequate way. The allocation of projects is scattered, so capital allocation is scattered, too. The insufficient financing has led to sluggish implementation, causing big losses and wastefulness," a senior official from the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment told Xinhua on Sunday.

The OECD stated that in 2016 the reform of Vietnamese SOEs will be another important challenge to improve competition and competitiveness. Reforms have been gradual and have mainly been implemented through the transformation of SOEs into joint stock companies and through mergers and consolidation. However, challenges remain as SOEs retain preferential access to finance, state budget capital, land and other resources.

"Further reforms should seek to ensure that SOEs compete fairly with the private sector and that SOE performance is monitored and evaluated. For example, the agency responsible for the state ownership function of SOEs must be independent from the agency that implements the SOE management function and the market regulation function," said the OECD.

SOEs contributed to 34.81 percent of Vietnam's GDP between 2006 and 2010, and the rate dropped to 32.26 percent in the 2011-2015 period, mainly due to SOE equitization, according to the country's General Statistics Office. "The economic restructure has been on right track but at slow pace. Production and business efficiency of many SOEs has not caught up with big assets and resources allocated to them. The proportion of privatized capital is still low," the local official commented.

"To have a bright future, Vietnam should take actions on its commitments for regulatory and SOE reforms, and take actions that enable and facilitate, rather than restrict business opportunities," Adam Sitkoff, Executive Director of American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, told Xinhua.

Regarding job creation, unemployment in Vietnam has been low despite a large increase in the size of the labor force brought on by population growth. "Labor productivity has remained relatively low, however, as a result of the low quality of human and physical capital, the small scale of production and misallocation of resources," the OECD stated.

Any effort to improve employment prospects and productivity is complicated by the large informal sector. As of 2012, nearly 80% of the total workforce was employed in the informal sector. To promote job growth, Vietnam has allowed employers in the informal sector to avoid paying value-added taxes, and social security and welfare contributions.

"The country needs to strike a balance between job creation and job improvement by encouraging businesses in the informal sector to formalize through initiatives such as tax holidays, tax reductions or credit subsidies," the OECD recommended.

According to statistics from the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, in the 2010-2015 period, around one million people in the working age became unemployed each year, while 1.3 million others became underemployed. Vietnam set a target of creating 8 million jobs in the period, but created only 7.8 million jobs in reality.

Specifically, Vietnam's labor productivity in 2013 stood at only 5,440 U.S. dollars, or 5.55 percent of Singapore, 15.22 percent of Malaysia, 36.87 percent of Thailand, 55.26 percent of the Philippines and 55.24 percent of Indonesia.

Vietnam should move forward on necessary reforms to create a more competitive environment where decisions are made faster, procedures are less complicated, rules are fairly enforced, and companies compete on their merits, including for access to capital, land and opportunities, Adam Sitkoff recommended. Enditem
WARSAW, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Poland Sunday on the second stop of his three-nation Eurasia tour aimed at cementing bilateral ties and strengthening China's relations with Europe.

It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to Poland in 12 years. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19.

The visits, which came on the heels of Xi's visit to the Czech Republic in March, demonstrate the great importance China attaches to its ties with Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and with the European Union (EU), said Liu Zuokui, a scholar with the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

During his stay in Warsaw, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda on enhancement of bilateral ties.

He will also meet with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, and attend a luncheon hosted by Polish parliamentary leaders. The two sides are expected to sign agreements in areas such as finance, civil aviation, science and technology, and education.

Poland established diplomatic relations with China in October 1949, making it one of the first countries to forge official diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. Since the two countries lifted their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership in 2011, their relations have been on a "fast track" with deepening political trust and widening cooperation in economy and trade, tourism and education.

With bilateral trade reaching 17.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, Poland is China's largest trading partner in the CEE region, while China is Poland's largest trading partner in Asia.

More than 60,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Poland last year, up from 7,700 in 2004. Five Confucius Institutes have been established in the country.

"China-Poland ties are at a historical high," said Chinese Ambassador to Poland Xu Jian.

Poland greatly values its ties with China. The speaker of the lower house of Polish parliament attended China's V-Day celebrations in Beijing in September 2015.

Duda paid a state visit to China in November last year. When meeting with Xi, Duda vowed that his country would help boost ties between Europe and China and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. During his stay in China, the two countries inked a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the initiative.

Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt that links China with Europe through Central and Western Asia by inland routes, and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road connecting China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe by sea routes. It is a development initiative that focuses on inter-connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia.

Xi's visit is expected to help further align the Belt and Road Initiative with Poland's development plans and promote Poland's role as an "engine" to boost China-CEE cooperation.

Home to some of the world's greatest personalities including mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and pianist Frederic Chopin, Poland is an important country in the EU and the biggest in the CEE region in terms of land area, population and economic scale.

"Poland will play an irreplaceable role in the Belt and Road Initiative and the '16+1' cooperation," Xu said, referring to the cooperation involving the CEE countries and China.

Poland sits in the center of Europe, and many of the China-Europe freight trains pass through the country. Chinese experts believe that Poland has a potentially great role to play as a logistics hub between China and the CEE region, as well as between China and Europe.

As the only CEE founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the host of the first China-CEE leaders' meeting in 2012, Poland has shown great enthusiasm in enhancing inter-connectivity between the CEE region and China and participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted global attention and inspired not only Poland but also other countries along the way, Polish scholar Radek Pyffel said.

With its geographical advantages, Poland has a significant role to play in the Belt and Road Initiative, Pyffel said, adding that the initiative will help Chinese enterprises enter the Polish market and vice versa.

After visiting Poland, Xi is to travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tashkent. Enditem
WARSAW, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Poland Sunday on the second stop of his three-nation Eurasia tour aimed at cementing bilateral ties and strengthening China's relations with Europe.

It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to Poland in 12 years. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19.

The visits, which came on the heels of Xi's visit to the Czech Republic in March, demonstrate the great importance China attaches to its ties with Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and with the European Union (EU), said Liu Zuokui, a scholar with the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

During his stay in Warsaw, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda on enhancement of bilateral ties.

He will also meet with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, and attend a luncheon hosted by Polish parliamentary leaders. The two sides are expected to sign agreements in areas such as finance, civil aviation, science and technology, and education.

Poland established diplomatic relations with China in October 1949, making it one of the first countries to forge official diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. Since the two countries lifted their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership in 2011, their relations have been on a "fast track" with deepening political trust and widening cooperation in economy and trade, tourism and education.

With bilateral trade reaching 17.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, Poland is China's largest trading partner in the CEE region, while China is Poland's largest trading partner in Asia. More than 60,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Poland last year, up from 7,700 in 2004. Five Confucius Institutes have been established in the country.

Xi's visit is expected to help further align China's Belt and Road Initiative with Poland's development plans and promote Poland's role as an "engine" to boost China-CEE cooperation.

During a state visit to China by Duda in November last year, the two countries inked a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.

Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt that links China with Europe through Central and Western Asia by inland routes, and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road connecting China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe by sea routes. It is a development initiative that focuses on inter-connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia.

Poland sits in the center of Europe, and many of the China-Europe freight trains pass through the country. Chinese experts believe that Poland has a potentially great role to play as a logistics hub between China and the CEE region, as well as between China and Europe.

After visiting Poland, Xi is to travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tashkent.
BELGRADE, June 19, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R, front), accompanied by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic (1st R, front) and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic (3rd R, front), visits Serbia's sole steel mill in Smederevo, Serbia, June 19, 2016. The steel mill was acquired by China's HeSteel Group in April. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

BELGRADE, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a Chinese-invested steel plant and interacted with its workers on Sunday.

Accompanied by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Xi took a tour of Zelezara Smederevo, Serbia's sole steel mill, on the last day of his three-day state visit to the Balkan country.

At the plant, the Chinese president delivered a speech hailing the profound traditional friendship between the two countries and Serbia's successful experience in economic development which China had drawn on in the early days of its reform and opening-up.

"Now Chinese and Serbian businesses have joined hands to usher in new chapters in industrial capacity cooperation between our two countries," Xi said.

"This has not only carried forward our traditional friendship, but also demonstrated our resolve to deepen reform and achieve win-win results," he said.

The Smederevo steel mill, founded in 1913, experienced difficulties and was acquired by China's HeSteel Group (HBIS) for 46 million euros (51.6 million U.S. dollars) in April this year.

The Chinese steel group plans to invest at least 300 million euros (337.6 million dollars) and turn it into one of the most competitive steel mills in Europe. The Chinese company employed all the 5,000 or so workers of the plant.

"I believe that with the close cooperation of the two sides, the Smederevo steel mill will surely be revitalized and play a positive role in creating jobs, improving people's lives and helping Serbian economic development," the Chinese president said.

He said that China looks forward to having more major cooperation projects with Serbia and bringing greater benefits to both peoples.

Serbian President Nikolic and Prime Minister Vucic said in their speeches that the Serbia-China cooperation has enabled the Smederevo steel mill to turn a new page and that it will usher in further bilateral cooperation.

The leaders of the two countries also toured the workshops of the steel mill. Xi went to the dining room to interact with workers of the plant, encouraging them to work hard to bring benefits to local residents.

"We are expecting to resume full production and achieve two million tons production by the end of this year. All of our workers are excited and appreciate China HeSteel's efforts," Vlavan Mihailovic, chief operation officer of the plant, told Xinhua.

"We are very excited about President Xi's visit and are confident about a bright future with HeSteel Group," he said.

China and Serbia have strengthened cooperation in infrastructure and investment in recent years.

Besides the Smederevo steel mill, the two countries have worked together on major projects like the Belgrade-Budapest Railway, the Mihajlo Pupin Bridge, the E763 Motorway, and the expansion and upgrading of Kostolac Power Plant.

During Xi's visit to Serbia, the first by a Chinese head of state in 32 years, China and Serbia upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed cooperation deals covering industrial capacity, finance, infrastructure, trade, energy, telecommunications, science and technology, culture and tourism.

Before visiting the steel mill, Xi went to a local park to lay a wreath at a monument to unknown heroes of Serbia. After that, he attended a luncheon hosted by the Serbian president and the prime minister.

The Chinese president left Serbia for Poland on Sunday afternoon. He will then travel to Uzbekistan, where he will attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
This file photo taken on May 19, 2016 shows an Egyptair Airbus A330 from Cairo taxiing at the Roissy-Charles De Gaulle airport near Paris after its landing a few hours after the MS804 Egyptair flight crashed into the Mediterranean. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

CAIRO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee is running electrical tests on the recovered black box recorders of crashed EgyptAir Flight MS804, the committee said in a statement Sunday.

Under the supervision of Egyptian investigators and a certified French expert in flight recorders, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) were first put through an 8-hour drying process Saturday at a military technical research center, the statement said.

The data and information in both recorders, if they are sound, will be extracted after the ongoing electrical tests, according to the statement.

On Wednesday, the investigation committee said the hired vessel, Lethbridge John, located several wreckage sites of the crashed plane in the Mediterranean.

A day later, the committee announced the vessel found the crashed jet's CVR although it was damaged.

"The device has been salvaged in several stages as it was found damaged, but the vessel managed to salvage the part containing the memory unit, which is the most important part in the voice recorder," the committee said in an earlier statement.

The probe into the cause of the tragic plane crash continues with all possibilities, including a terrorist bombing and a severe technical failure.
WARSAW, June 19, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and his wife Peng Liyuan wave as they arrive at the airport in Warsaw, Poland, June 19, 2016. Xi Jinping arrived in Warsaw Sunday for a state visit to Poland. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

WARSAW, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Poland Sunday on the second stop of his three-nation Eurasia tour aimed at cementing bilateral ties and strengthening China's relations with Europe.

It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to Poland in 12 years. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19.

Poland sent fighter jets to escort Xi's plane when it entered the country's airspace. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were greeted by Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski at the airport.

Upon his arrival, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the Polish people.

Noting that Poland is among the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, Xi said in a written statement that the two countries have always treated each other with respect and equality over the past 67 years since they forged diplomatic ties in October 1949.

China attaches great importance to the ties with Poland and hopes to consolidate traditional friendship, expand cooperation in all fields and lift the bilateral relations to a new height, according to Xi.

During his stay in Warsaw, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda on enhancement of bilateral ties.

He will also meet with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and attend a luncheon hosted by Polish parliamentary leaders.

The two sides are expected to sign agreements in areas such as finance, civil aviation, science and technology, and education.

Since the two countries lifted their bilateral ties to strategic partnership in 2011, their relations have been on a fast track.

With bilateral trade reaching 17.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, Poland has been China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), while China has been Poland's largest trading partner in Asia.

More than 60,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Poland last year, up from 7,700 in 2004. Five Confucius Institutes have been set up in the country.

"China-Poland ties are at a historical high," said Chinese ambassador to Poland Xu Jian.

The speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament attended China's V-Day celebrations in Beijing in September 2015. Duda paid a state visit to China in November last year.

When meeting with Xi, Duda vowed that his country would help boost ties between Europe and China and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

During his stay in China, the two countries inked a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the initiative.

Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt that links China with Europe through Central and Western Asia by inland routes and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road connecting China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe by sea routes.

Xi's visit to Poland is expected to help further align the Belt and Road Initiative with Poland's development plans and promote Poland's role as an engine to boost China-CEE cooperation.

Home to some of the world's greatest personalities including mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and pianist Frederic Chopin, Poland is an important country in the European Union (EU) and the biggest country in the CEE region in terms of land area, population and economic scale.

"Poland will play an irreplaceable role in the Belt and Road Initiative and the '16+1' cooperation," Xu said, referring to the cooperation between the CEE countries and China.

Poland sits in the center of Europe, and many of the China-Europe freight trains pass through the country. Chinese experts believe that Poland has a potentially big role to play as a logistic hub between China and the CEE region as well as between China and Europe.

As the only CEE founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the host of the first China-CEE leaders' meeting in 2012, Poland has shown great enthusiasm in enhancing inter-connectivity between the CEE region and China and participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted global attention and inspired not only Poland but also other countries along the way, Polish scholar Radek Pyffel said.

With its geographical advantages, Poland has a significant role to play in the Belt and Road Initiative, Pyffel said, adding that the initiative will help Chinese enterprises enter the Polish market and vice versa.

After visiting Poland, Xi is to travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Chinese company @ehang to develop drones for emergency human organ delivery (Xinhua/file photo)

LOS ANGELES, June. 19 (Xinhua) -- The world's first drone capable of autonomously carrying a person may test-fly in Nevada later this year, the United States, Chinese Aerial technology company EHang Holdings Limited told Xinhua on Sunday.

The Chinese company based in China's southern province of Guangdong and the state of Nevada are trying to make this happen by moving forward with testing the EHang 184 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle, the first drone to offer autonomous human flight over short-to-medium distances.

The state's Institute for Autonomous Systems(NIAS) has already given the China's company permission to test fly the drone. Ehang is now working closely with NIAS over the coming months to work through the UAS flight requirements.

"We will help guide EHang through the FAA regulatory process with the ultimate goal of achieving safe flight," Tom Wilczek, an Aerospace and Defense Industry Specialist of the Governor' s Office of Economic Development (GOED) told Xinhua early this month. He said that the program would take place at Nevada's FAA-approved test site, one of six such drone-testing locations across the the United States.

This partnership "is a big step for EHang 184 to move forward to government regulatory approval of the unprecedented innovation in US and globally, which will lay the foundation for its commercialization and building up the aerial transportation ecosystem in the future" , Huazhi Hu, Founder and CEO of EHang said in a statement.

The electrically powered Ehang 184, released at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January, can carry a single passenger weighing up to 100 kg for a 23-minute flight at sea level at a speed of 100 km per hour, the company said.

Passengers using the "Ehang-184" enter a destination into the drone's linked smartphone app. There's no need for a runway because the drone takes off and lands vertically.

"We were very excited when we first saw EHang-184 at CES," Wilczek told Xinhua, "and we think there is enormous potential for EHang 184."

Many questions remain over how the human-carrying aircraft would function in the real world, but at least some of these may soon be answered with the company winning governmental approval to test the vehicle in Nevada airspace.

The eagerness of the so called "the birthplace of the UAV industry" makes sense given its tourism-driven economy. The empty desert holds the hope of hyperloops, drone delivery, autonomous trucking, and drone airports.

And EHang won't just be flying in the empty desert. Last month, EHang announced a collaboration with U.S. company Lung Biotechnology to develop and purchase up to 1,000 units of an modified version of EHang 184 to optimize it for organ delivery. The companies have agreed to work together over the next 15 years under a program named the Manufactured Organ Transport Helicopter (MOTH) system. Enditem
SANNA, June 6, 2016 (Xinhua) -- People receive free food rations provided by local and abroad charity groups in Sanaa, Yemen, on June 6, 2016. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said that Yemen is one of the more invisible crises in the region and in the world right now, given the dire humanitarian situation people face there on a daily basis. More than 7.6 million people in Yemen are severely food insecure and are in dire need of assistance after the country was dropped into internal and external clashes, which left more than 6,000 people have been killed in ground battles and air-strikes and half of them are civilians. (Xinhua file photo/Hani Ali)

SANAA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's pro-government forces and Shiite Houthi rebels exchanged 224 prisoners in two days, the largest swap since the beginning of the civil war last year, officials from both sides said on Sunday.

The two sides exchanged 15 pro-government fighters and 15 Houthis in the northeast province of al-Jawf Sunday, according to tribal leader, Yahya al-Hasir, who performed the mediation efforts between the two sides.

Official media outlets of both warring sides confirmed the Sunday swap in al-Jawf.

The move came a day after both sides swap 76 pro-government fighters and 118 Houthis in the embattled city of Taiz, southwest of the country, according to official statements released by both warring sides on their media outlets on Saturday.

Last week, the UN envoy to the Yemeni conflict, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who is in charge of the ongoing peace talks between Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iranian-allied Shiite Houthi group, said that all Yemeni warring parties have agreed to the unconditional release of child soldiers.

Last month, the Yemeni government as well as the Houthis submitted lists of about 7,000 prisoner-release requests, including political detainees, to UN mediators.

Government officials accused the Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party of detaining over 4,000 prisoners, mostly politicians and activists.

The UN accused both the Yemeni warring parties of using child soldiers, and it is reported that 900 children were killed while 1,300 were wounded during the 2015 conflict.

The Iran-allied Shiite Houthi group supported by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh advanced from their stronghold in the far north of the province of Saada, storming through the capital Sanaa and other cities in September 2014, dissolving the Saudi-backed government along with President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi based on combating "corruption" allegations.

The Saudi-led air force coalition intervened in March 2015, triggering an all-out civil war and vowing to reinstate Hadi to power and reclaim Sanaa.

The civil war has escalated since then, leaving over 6,000 dead so far in ground battles and airstrikes, half of who are civilians.

The ongoing conflict has also forcibly displaced over 2.4 million people from Yemen.

The warring parties have now been in talks in Kuwait since April under the UN's auspices to end the war.

The government demands that Houthis and Saleh's delegates comply with the UN's Security Council Resolution 2216, which orders their withdrawal from Sanaa and their complete disarmament.

The demand has so far been rejected by the Houthis as well as Saleh.
By Xu Xiujun, deputy director of International Politics and Economics Department, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; cartoon drawing by Chi Ying

On June 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Belgrade to begin a state visit to Serbia. Serbia deployed fighter jets to escort Xi's plane when it entered the country's airspace. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were greeted by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and his wife, Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic at the airport, which indicate the host nation's high grand reception to welcome Xi. As the first public event, Xi and his wife paid homage to the Chinese martyrs killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999. They were then accompanied by President Nikolic to attend the inaugural ceremony of foundation laying of the Chinese Culture Center in Belgrade.

Serbia is the first nation among Central-Eastern European countries to establish a strategic partnership with China, and is one of China's all-weather friends. The two countries share a special brotherly bond. Historical memories will help two peoples to cherish the traditional friendship forged with blood and lives forever. During Xi's first day visit, the Serbian President, Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister accompanied him in all activities, serving as a reflection of their brotherly friendship. "Honor Martyrs, Cherish Peace." History should not be forgotten, peace should be cherished forever. We believe that Xi's visit will upgrade China-Serbia strategic partnership relationship to a higher level and will revitalize a special traditional friendship.

(Source: CCTV.com )
Pioneer sailors last sail

La Borde died last Sunday while holidaying in Grenada. It is believed he slipped, fell and hit his head on the docks there.

Family and friends gathered at Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas to welcome home the Trinity Cross awardee who first circumnavigated the world with his family in his 40-ft ketch, Hummingbird II, from 1969 to 1973, and then in the 55- foot ketch, Humming Bird III from 1984 to 1986.

La Bordes sons, Pierre and Andre, sailed the Humming Bird III, which La Borde designed and built, from Grenada accompanying their fathers body home.

The ketch was met at the first Boca by a flotilla made up of members of the TT Yacht Club, the TT Sailing Association, the Yachting Association and led by the TT Coast Guard, providing an escort into Staubles Bay.

As the casket was lifted from the boat by members of the Coast Guard, Father Thomas Lawson of St Finbars Roman Catholic Church blessed the body, which was received by La Bordes grieving widow, Kwailan, who was supported by Evelyn Williams, wife of late commander Mervyn Oliver Williams of the TT Coast Guard, and Sister Regina Leiba of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny.

The casket, which was draped with a fabric printed with a picture of the ocean at sunset, was then transferred from the ketch to the hearse of RM De Souza Memorial Chapel Limited on the shoulders of Coast Guard officers.

La Bordes niece, Marcia La Borde, noted that every year he would go to Grenada, which was like a second home, for a month. Pierre would sail his father to Grenada, fly back to Trinidad, and return to sail him back to Trinidad. His second son, Andre, was born in New Zealand during the couples first circumvention of the globe and lives there with his wife and children.

However, this time, he flew to Grenada to sail back home with his brother and father for the last time.

Marcia noted that over the past week, Kwailan had been very strong, but yesterdays events really brought home the fact of his death. Today was supposed to be his birthday. We were looking forward to him returning from his holiday in Grenada and to commemorate his birthday. While it is a sad occasion we are also happy that he is able to return to his homeland on his birthday, she said. She recalled La Borde did not like being in the public eye, and was happiest when he was out to sea on his yacht, writing his books, or filming. In fact, she said a sequel to his book, An Ocean to Ourselves, was in the process of being published and going into secondary schools.

Also speaking to Sunday Newsday was La Bordes nephew, Martin La Borde. He described his uncle as a brave patriot who was intelligent, yet humble and who never craved the spotlight. Martin noted La Borde liked poetry and painting, and was very proud of his Belmont roots. In fact, he said his uncle was in the process of writing a book about growing up in Belmont. He was in the process of finalising that book with Aunty Kwai, but I guess she would have to complete it. She is quite capable and so the legacy will live on, he said.

He added La Borde taught his son, Xavier, how to sail at the Yacht Club, and plans were being made for Xavier to play the role of the young Harold in the film version of the book.

The funeral of La Borde will be held on June 23 at 10.30 am at St Finbars Church, Morne Coco Road, Diego Martin.

La Borde leaves to mourn his wife and sons, three grandchildren, and his brothers Rudy and Hugh La Borde.
Porn blackmail

The young men, known to some of the affected young women who have been speaking with Newsday, this past week, are claiming to have videos of some of the girls having sex and say they will release them if the girls take steps to identify them.

Many of the females involved are either current or past students of the University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine campus. They have named at least 13 males who may have shared their photos. Sunday Newsday attempted to contact two of the males named, but the call went to voice mail.

The female victims continue to be depressed and outraged that they could have been so exploited by persons they trusted. Their compromising pictures have become features on the global internet, their pictures being viewed online as far off as Pakistan.

One member of a support group formed following the widespread online publication of the girls photos told Sunday Newsday yesterday the victims are claiming that a lot of the young men, some of them said to be scholarship winners, implicated in the matter are now saying they were either hacked, or their laptops, cell- phones, or other electronic communication devices were stolen.

The girls are backing out because the guys have videos of them having sex, too, the supporter said.

I am trying to convince the girls to report the matter to the police because the guys will release the videos, too. On Friday, one female student who was supportive of one of the guys implicated in the matter said most of the females were now backing out because they do not have evidence against the male perpetrators. The police have told Newsday that the Fraud Squad and the Cyber Crime Unit have begun investigations including taking statements from victims. It is expected that they will also be seeking international assistance in their investigations.

UWI principal Professor Clement Sankat has said let the police do their job, and if any student was found in breach of the universitys rules they would be subjected to its disciplinary measures.

Images pop up on mirror sites Meanwhile, the persons, who took down the Triniporn website featuring a number of the local females including underage girls, say that as soon as they take down one site more is (are) popping up. I have taken down seven sites including drop box accounts, but each time we take down one, more is (are) popping up. The servers for these were in the United States and Australia, but their mirror site is in Pakistan which is difficult to access, he said.

It was mirrored in Pakistan, he said, because the majority of the females, Indo-Trinidadians, are considered Indians. A mirror site stores the contents copied from another site. They are useful when the original site generates too much traffic for a single server to support. Once the photos go on the internet, he said, they will continue to circulate off the mirror site.

The only thing we can target is child porn, and that involves the child giving testimony. And they wont come forward. Most of the underage girls featured on the list have not told their parents, he said.

Still relating their stories, one medical student said she sent naked pictures of herself to her then boyfriend (one of 13 males named who had access to the photos and who have been named by victims) and after they split, he started making fake profiles on Facebook (FB) sharing my pictures with everyone in med sci (medical sciences) to try to humiliate me. She said, He put me on several porn sites and has been making money off of me. I made many reports to the police, but now that it is hundreds of girls compared to my one case, they want to finally take action. She said, Last week, he made an IG (Instagram) profile mirroring my real profile, so everyone added it thinking it was me. Another medical sciences student said that last year she stood up for a student in her year group who was being bullied, and she became the victim.

The guys made me the victim, throwing nasty, cunning insults, she related.

They walk around as if they own Mount Hope (site of UWIs medical faculty). They carry themselves as if they are untouchable. Money talks in this country, so they think they are safe. While some females have admitted to sharing their nude photos with their ex-boyfriends, some have said their names appeared on the list of 500 girls on the website Triniporn without photos.

They said they were never approached for photos and did not know how their names got on the site.

Hackers must be stopped One UWI graduate, who wants to take legal action against the originators of the site, revealed she was informed that while no photos of her appeared - only her name did - there was a request on the porn site for photos of her to be posted.

She said no one ever approached or asked her for her photos.

I want to know the names of those involved, she told Sunday Newsday.

I want to file defamation of character charges against them. I want their careers disrupted just like mine is being right now. She continued, I know that sounds vindictive, but they are not going to learn any other way. Regardless of pictures being taken or not, she said, other people have no place in your personal life behind closed doors. I am sure that the guys involved have been ruining the lives of girls long before this list was posted. They have to be stopped. Thankfully, she added, she has the support of family members, friends and some past lecturers at UWI who believe in her.

Meanwhile, someone claiming to be a female UWI student associated with one of the males (name given) involved in the receipt and sharing of photos said in recent times he was helping the girls to get their photos down. Maybe back in the day, she said, He was involved in group chats with who did/do things like this. I admit, but I know he has changed.

I saw him feel conscience-stricken, saw the regret and remorse for being a part of what seemed like harmless fun, turned into a ruin of lives. Asking that his name and picture not be published until proven, she said, people want to get him beat (en) up. It would be a shame for someone to suffer injuries for something that the world is not even sure of. She did not say whether she was a victim but claimed she had too many sleepless nights and at one point was on the verge of suicide. She also claimed that one of the girls who said the male student was the only person who she ever sent photos to, has backed out against identifying him as being involved.
Time to change 100-year-old law

The basis for the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, which states that a girl may marry at age 12 and a boy at 16, is that Islamic law, shariah, advises that it is better to marry when one reaches the age of puberty and begins to have sexual urges, than to commit fornication.

Despite this, the National Muslim Women Organisation (NMWO) is firmly against child marriage and wholeheartedly supports the call to set the age of consent to marriage for all religions at 18 years.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday, NMWO vice president Soraya Khan said, When this law was enacted 100 years ago or so, girl children were a burden on parents and so were brought up to be wives. Times have changed and we should respect the law of the land, and the law says the age for consent is 18 years. However, they believe there should be provisions for extenuating circumstances.

NMWO treasurer, Donna Ali, stated that the members of the organisation do not believe sex between children should not be criminalised. Therefore, if there are children, 16 and 17-years-old, who want to get married after being in a relationship with someone for some time, they should be allowed to do so.

She said the maturity of both parties, whether or not the families are fine with the arrangement, and if the couple are willing to attend counselling sessions should be taken into consideration.

Im not saying that you want the child to get married at that age but, if the child wants to get married, and maybe the girl is pregnant, and they can both look after themselves with the support of their extended families who make sure the children finish secondary school, I dont see a problem there, she said.

However, Khan stressed that children should not be rushed into marriage, even if the girl is pregnant.

Instead the children should wait until they get an education so that they could support themselves and are mature enough to understand the responsibility involved.

Even if the situation is that the child gets pregnant, I still feel that they should not get married but maintain a relationship so that the boy could be a father to the child, both of them could continue to attend school, and if the attraction is still there after they finish school then fine, they can get married at age 18, she said.

She said even if a child agrees to an arranged marriage, it should not take place until the child is 18 as it is necessary for both parties to be responsible persons going into the arrangement with positive minds in order to make it work.

Ali believes it is necessary to teach sex education and social skills in schools, in conjunction with other topics, as children are already curious and are they are finding out about sex on the internet or from friends, and learning the wrong things.

She said the programme, which she calls Health and Family Life Education, should address sexual and reproductive health, relationships, conflict resolution, substance abuse, the impact of alcohol and drugs, and bullying.

In this way, children would have more knowledge, will understand the consequences, and be careful with their decisions.

Ali added that, at schools, it is rare for a school official checks up on students. If a child does not attend school for days, no one will personally check up on the child, go to the home to assess the situation, and so children fall through the cracks, she lamented.

With regard to older men marrying younger girls, Ali stated that the men expect the girls to be wives which would include cooking, cleaning, and making babies.

However, she said the girl would most likely still have a childs mentality, wanting to play or lime with her friends.

Frustrated, some men physically, emotionally or mentally abuse the child.

At the same time, Ali pointed out that not only men abuse children, but there are many cases where women and other children do so as well. Therefore she urged parents to take more precautions with their children and teach them how to protect themselves from an early age.

She also noted that there were a number of health issues to consider a girls body is not ready for pregnancy. Some of these issues include the fact that girls under 15 were more likely to die in childbirth, and their babies too were more likely to die before the age of one.

In addition, Khan said many times when marriages are arranged between young girls and older men, it was because the girls parents die and leave the children to guardians who do not want to be left with that burden of responsibility. Instead, they search for an older man who has money or status to marry the girl in a manner that is beneficial to the guardian in some way.

Remember you are dealing with childrens lives and its part of the humans right to make the decision whether or not to get married. If its a culture but you, as a person, dont want to get married at 12, you should not. Your culture should not overtake what is humanly right, said Ali.
Jobs on ships can ease economic pains

With thousands of ships calling at local ports each year, we believe that a major source of employment and US income is being overlooked.

We suggest that consultations be undertaken with stakeholders to examine the possibility of implementing local content laws for vessels that frequently call at our ports and also examine what incentives may be offered to companies for facilitating the employment of TT nationals.

In the current environment there are local companies which still prefer to employ or reserve senior positions for foreign nationals even when there are qualified locals and despite the fact that these foreign nationals demand higher salaries.

An example of this can be clearly seen on the government-run vessels which service the inter-island sea bridge.

There are also local petrochemical and bulk commodity companies that hire ships to take cargo exclusively from TT to every corner of the globe. Yet, there are no locals employed on these ships.

In the Gulf of Paria, everyone in the industry knows of the numerous tankers which never leave our waters, make big profits refuelling ships with fuel supplied by local companies, and neglect to employ local seamen. Instead, they are manned by people from the Far East, Europe and even Guyana.

For vessels which work in the offshore industry, work permit requirements need to be revisited and enforced, with the possibility of having auditors check on companies to ensure they are operating within requirements. Where qualified nationals are not available for a post, there should be a maximum handover or training period after which a TT national must take over the position.

We commend the energy companies that have supported the industry and economy by inputting local content requirements in their contracts when chartering vessels. At the same time we urge these companies to follow up and ensure that these standards are maintained as we have seen instances where they have only been upheld in the initial stages of the contract.

On any ship, there are career opportunities for people of all educational levels. People who can read and write with no other qualifications can undertake a one-week basic safety course which opens up the door for a career at the rating level. Those with the required academic qualifications can pursue tertiary-level qualifications and enter as officers.

We also remind the nation, the Government and stakeholders that we currently train maritime officers at the University of TT and these students have been having a difficult time securing positions on ships to complete their programme.

Even when qualified, finding a job is a daunting task.

These youngsters need our support and this issue must be addressed in the recently released plans to boost the maritime industry.

On the foreign exchange issue, most ship operators pay their employees in US dollars and this can be a steady stream on foreign currency for the nation.

The time to act is now.

D Howell on behalf of TT Maritime Officers Association
Advocates for women, children

And with issues such as child marriage and violence against women currently in the spotlight, the organisation will be raising its voice in advocacy once more.

Last Saturday while delivering the sermon at the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the Mothers Union held at St Marys Anglican Church, Tacarigua, Bishop and chief trustee of the local Anglican Church Rt Rev Claude Berkley, also patron of the Mothers Union, instructed the group to do research and issue a statement on child marriage in this country.

He reiterated the churchs position that the age of marriage should be 18 and called for discussions on the issue.

Sunday Newsday spoke with Mothers Union president Valerie West and chair of the Anglican Church Training and Employment Mission (ACTEM) and co-coordinator of the parenting programme, Elizabeth Sealy, at Newsdays office at Chacon Street, Portof- Spain.

West, who became president last year, said the Mothers Union concurs with the Bishops statement on child marriage and will act on his admonition. She stressed that the Mothers Union has always been at the forefront of these issues, and in England over the last century, fought to increase the age of marriage to 16.

We are always at the forefront on families, women and children, she said.

She reported this year there is a violence against women conference planned and they will be joining with other organisations because they cannot work in isolation.

The Mothers Union began in 1876 in the village of Winchester in England by Mary Sumner, the wife of a priest.

Sumner realised young mothers needed help bringing up children both in Christian religion and in family life. The organisation spread all over England and then overseas, and currently has four million members in 83 countries.

In Trinidad in 1927 a Mrs Percival, a bankers wife, began the local arm of the Mothers Union at All Saints Anglican Church, Queens Park Savannah.

West said in the succeeding years branches spread all over this country and there are currently 52. The local arm, which is part of the West Indies province, is run by a president and council and is separated into three regions: North, South and Tobago.

We do a lot of work in Trinidad and Tobago, West said.

Locally there are 1,000 members, men included, as there is the issue of ageing female members and a decrease in the number of young women wanting to join.

She explained that through the Anglican Church the organisation sets up committees, including social action and outreach, work in schools through homework centers, family programmes, liaising with organisations like Families in Action and those that work with people with HIV.

She also reported that they plan to do a programme for young men called Boys to Men.

One of their main initiatives is the Childrens Home, Pouchet Street, San Fernando, which was built in 2001 and caters to boys and girls from 18 months to age 12. West said there about ten to 12 residents.

She explained the children are always moving as it is a halfway home and children are sent from the Childrens Authority.

While the home is supposed to benefit from a government subvention, there have been none for awhile and the home appreciates funds from anyone who would like to help.

Sealy said the parenting programme is one of the areas the organisation has been placing a lot of focus on.

It began in 2005 with a pilot programme in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana and in some African countries, and has since expanded to Barbados, the United States, the Windward Islands and a number of other countries.

Sealy explained that parenting is one of the toughest challenges you would face. She added that this challenge is not confined to any particular religion or any specific set of circumstances.

The challenge of parenting is across the board, she stressed.

One of the objectives of the Mothers Union is to encourage stable family life.

As a result, there are a number of trained facilitators in TT who have been strategically placed in different regions.

The union focuses on practical, everyday interventions parents can make to assist children and it is highly interactive and not heavy technical stuff . Sealy explained that in a time of recession parents are advised on inexpensive activities they can do with their children to build a better relationship with them, such as going to the park or reading a book.

They also teach parents about child protection both general safety around the home, and how to protect against child abuse. The group is encouraged to share experiences and learn from each other.

Parents, she said, have many issues with teenagers and are really grappling with how to manage them. She explained that parents have to look at their children physically, psychologically and emotionally and it is not advisable to adopt an authoritarian style of parenting. She said they encourage dialogue and explaining why things have to be done but still have discipline.

Sealy recalled that before the course one of the participants would shout at her children and fly in a rage. At the graduation, the parent sent a message that she is calmer and does not shout at them anymore.

I think that was a powerful testimony in terms of changes to the approach of parents, Sealy said.

The organisation does not condemn parents but looks with a Christian eye that they may have ineffective parenting skills. The organisation has programmes for everyone, including people with no faith at all. West pointed out that the homework centres, located at Arouca, Tacarigua, Curepe, Couva and San Fernando, also take children of all religious denominations and have had good results.

She added that some children need some extra attention, energy and skills and this will help the community.

As part of their objective to uphold Christian teaching, the union gives religious instruction in schools and assists with Sunday schools.

It also renders assistance in times of disasters such as flooding, helps out in hospitals through its nurses fellowship, intercedes spiritually through its indoor members prayer circle, and its prison ministry.

ACTEM, which began in 1989 during a downturn in the economy, offers assistance to people with finding jobs, training, assessment of skills, help with resumes and getting them ready for the job environment.

We are concerned with prayer, worship and service to humanity and community, West said.

As advocates for women and children, union members focus on the protection of children. People think is just Christian people doing social work, she said.

But the organisation is taking a close look at violence against women and children and has been sensitising members on the subject and will be working with other organisations
MSJ: Workers bearing the burden

In his message to commemorate todays Labour Day observance, Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdullah insisted that the need for greater recognition for workers must be fought on two fronts.

One is a strong, progressive trade union movement. The other is a strong progressive political party representing the interests of working people, he said in a statement.

The MSJ is committed to building that pillar of a political party rooted in the belief of social justice so workers can be politically organised and your interests placed firmly in the foreground. Abdullah also suggested what he called a revolution of the mind to combat the existing system of social injustice.

The majority of the workers today are caught up in the mental slavery of accepting the status quo: of accepting being divided by race, religion and geography; of supporting the two traditional political parties that have shown time and time again that they will not challenge the status quo because they are part of that status quo and benefit from it once they are in office, he said.

Abdullah argued that the institutions of State: the justice system; Cabinet; Parliament; and other national institutions such as the education, health care and land ownership systems, were broken because they are part of the old colonial structure, which did not address the rights of the working class.

And this colonial structure was set up to protect and advance the interests of the ruling elites, the planter class and not the working classes, he added.

This is why it is the children of the working classes that are primarily the ones who are failed by the education system, Abdullah continued. It is the children of the working classes that are the majority in the jails; it is the working classes that suffer most when the health care system is broken. The system does not care about those who do not count. He said the economic system was resulting in further injustice.

The poor are getting poorer and the rich richer, he said.

Fifteen percent out of a population of 1.3 million  live below the poverty line.

Hundreds of thousands of workers are struggling on wages that puts them barely above the poverty line. Abdullah observed that workers were being made to bear the brunt of the economic adjustments. Thousands have been put on the breadline through retrenchment or the non-renewal of contracts, he said.

The majority of our young people have short term contracts making them insecure about their future, Abdullah said.

Every union faces bad industrial relations practices by employers  private and State - every day.
Tobago needs a special leader

The election takes place next Sunday and today SUNDAY NEWSDAY concludes its profiles of the leadership candidates.

COREY CONNELLY The Peoples National Movements (PNM) Tobago Council and the island, by extension, are at crossroads in their development, says Kelvin Charles, a leadership candidate in next Sundays (June 24) keenly-anticipated election.

A newcomer in the election race, Charles said Tobago, at this time, required competent, strong, confident and bold leadership, compassionate and connected to its people.

It requires, as well, a special leader and statesman to receive the mantle of leader from the Honourable Orville London, he told Sunday Newsday.

I bring a tapestry of innovativeness, experience, commitment, as well as credibility, brand, and stature to the position.

Charles, a former presiding officer in the THA (2013-2016), said his decision to enter the race was essentially a response to serve the people of the island in another capacity.

While mobilising the PNM to contest next years 2017 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election would be among his top priorities in office if elected, Charles said significant attention also must be paid to the economy, self-government, productivity and patriotism.

He said apart from issues relating to self-government, already in train, the other areas required a community development approach as a model for progress.

I argue that the best approach to community prosperity and enhanced quality of life involves granting individuals, families, businesses and community groups the freedom, opportunity and encouragement to build and serve their own futures, said Charles.

In this regard, economic development will be community driven and productivity formed. Just as one builds a concrete house, block by block, so too shall Tobago be built community by community. Born in Black Rock to exemplary parents, who were involved in the Anglican Church, Charles is a former graduate of the Valsayn Teachers College and a retired primary school teacher.

He holds an upper second class honours degree in Management and Sociology from the University of the West Indies, and an Executive MBA with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business.

Charles professional experiences include a successful tenure as Night Auditor at Turtle Beach Hotel, Mathematics Facilitator attached to the Division of Education, THA, and parttime lecturer of Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour, Industrial Relations and Business Studies at UWI Open Campus in Tobago. He also has served as a director on several national boards. As he charts his agenda for leadership, Charles said there were many areas on which Tobago can take advantage in moving forward.

He told Sunday Newsday: Tobagonians are well known for their hospitality, ingenuity, thrift and a latent capacity for hard work (has to be unleashed however) whilst Tobago, per se, is famous for its natural beauty, beautiful beaches, seductive tranquillity (serenity) and relative safety. Charles also felt that the youth had a pivotal role to play in the islands development.

The engagement and empowerment of youths will be accorded prominence, he said.

Young professionals and other persons with talent will be provided with opportunities to contribute positively to the way forward especially in their communities.

I am on record as stating that I propose to engage talent wherever such talent exists. All that is required is that such persons come to the table as professionals in the true sense of the word. Charles said business entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity would be central to his strategy.

Actions will be taken to encourage greater participation, especially by the youths and women, in the expansion of the manufacturing base and the value added production aspects of the economy, he said.

Charles envisions a Tobago that is sound and resilient, one that would advance from a platform of innovation, productivity and integrity and held together by a hospitable and industrious people.

The Kelvin V Charles vision sees Tobago at her best striding confidently towards excellence holding aloft an economy that emphasises tourism, agriculture, light manufacturing and services; and one that is supported by a reformed public service, a dynamic health sector, a robust education system and an efficient internal security system, he said.
Imbert: Brooks on 14 boards

But there is some confusion as to exactly how many and how much he earns for his services.

Parliament on Friday heard that Brooks sits on 14 boards. But this varied from an answer given by Minister of Energy Nicole Olivierre in May and February suggesting it was nine.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert yesterday announced the State will end the practice of having chairmen sit on all subsidiaries. Instead, the directorships will be apportioned according to the constitution of the parent company board. Replying to a question from Pointea- Pierre MP David Lee, Imbert said Brooks sat on: 1) National Gas Company; 2) National Energy Corporation; 3) Phoenix Park; 4) La Brea Industrial Development Company Limited; 5) NGC CNG; 6) NGC Pipeline Company; 7) TT NGL; 8) NGC Petrochemicals; 9) NGC Netherlands; 10) NGC EMP Netherlands; 11) NGC ENP Netherlands Corporative.

Brooks also sits on 12) National Enterprises Limited (ex officio) as well as 13) NEL Powerholding Limited. He is also a director of 14) TSTT (ex officio).

And at one stage he was at the National Helicopter Services prior to joining NGC.

The total for the NGC group of companies is $69,000, Imbert said in response to Lee who had asked for allowances and pay.

The Minister said Brooks gave up his travel allowance as at May 25, but had no further details. He was unaware of any telephone allowances.

But in May, Olivierre listed nine companies and read out a pay package which totalled $73,000 in board fees and $9,500 in travel allowances.

In February, Olivierre listed nine companies as well.

Imbert said the positions at the Dutch companies were unpaid. It was the first time, however, the Parliament was hearing of these positions.

Brooks is also the vice president of the Law Association.

Imbert and Opposition MPs sparred over which person was the highest paid board appointee.

Imbert said Nyree Alphonso was paid $71,000 per month for several board posts related to First Citizens Bank.
WARREN DUTTON

THE future of the rubber industry in Papua New Guinea was once again the subject of discussions at the meeting of the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council agriculture sectoral committee last Tuesday.

Present at the meeting were Vele Kagena, chairman of the PNG Rubber Board, and his deputy Josephine Kenni as well as Lee Wari, Director of the Rubber Division of the Department of Agriculture.

Unfortunately the PNG government provides no real money for smallholder rubber or other cash crop development. But in National Gazette of 4 May 2016 there were eight pages of items exempted from import duty for the Bogia Frozen Vegetable Plant for the greater good of the prime ministers Israeli friends.

North Fly Rubber Limited has paid company tax for nearly 20 years, during which time, with K29 million derived from the Ok Tedi copper mine, it has assisted 10,000 families in 202 villages across all three districts of the Western Province to plant new hybrid rubber trees on their traditional land.
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What I saw in Camillus could also be in southern Cayuga.

Two weekends ago, my wife and I attended the annual Memorial Day parade in the village of Camillus. I expected the usual line of march, including military, firemen, students, service organizations, state and local police, and all their requisite marching bands and equipment. And that they would come down the line of march, as expected, to the usual reception.

The highlight of the parade, and the reason we attended, was the 50th anniversary, and reunion, of the West Genesee High School marching band. The band had been formed about the same time that Southern Cayuga Central School opened for business. Radio, TV and local papers relayed that over 640 alumni band members would be returning to march with the current band. That information alone made me curious and anxious to see the reception during the parade, as our son had been a member of the drumline in his school band.

Expecting a modest crowd, we left early to find a parking spot within easy walking distance to the main drag. We rolled down the hill into Camillus and the place was packed well before the parade, with thousands of people. I expected the normal show for a parade of this type, and was totally surprised. We lucked out and found a spot, one city block to the rear, and we walked slowly up to the main street. Solid people as far as you could see. The closest we could get was eight people back from the curb. I mean, this was like the New York State Fair on the busiest day of the year. And the crowd was wonderfully well-behaved and cheerful, anxious to see the lines of marchers, bands, floats and fire trucks, as well as military organizations.

The response to the marchers, politicians and other bands was excited, respectful and normal for your average parade. But when the West Genesee massed marching band finally became visible in the distance, electricity surged through the waiting crowd. It took a long time before they reached our position on the curb, but they were playing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," back to back, and people went a little nuts. Out there was your uncle, aunt, father, mother and grandparent, as well as your peers, making the damndest, loudest, most beautiful music.

They had flag twirlers, they had majorettes, they had all the different sections within a marching band massed. All in matching band T-shirts. All sizes, shapes and ages. Past band leaders and drum majors shared the marching line. The only place Ive ever seen so many tubas was in New York City.

While they were in school, these were the little kids, the faceless ones, the nerds, the studious. The discipline and the talent forged relationships between these people that are as strong as family and endure 50 years later. I understand one woman returned early from a business trip to England, just to march in her high school band reunion. And the rest of the members stood tall in their home community roots.

This, to me, is a wonderful example of community, all in an age where there is not a hell of a lot of just that. We all need to have that appreciation for our home roots. Would like to think that the towns of southern Cayuga County could come together in their wonderful central school for an event like this.
ALBANY  Another legislative session is in the books, and another chapter in Albany's long story of backroom horse trading has come to a close  without the reforms voters say are needed to address corruption.

The session started in January with some bold proposals to fix the state's porous campaign finance laws, beef up ethics enforcement and put limits on the pay lawmakers can make from side jobs.

But none passed during a six-month session that ended around 5 a.m. Saturday.

For good-government groups and officials long bewildered by Albany's inaction the resolution was as disappointing as it was unsurprising.

"When it came to important ethics reforms, a failure of leadership resulted in this year's session ending with a whimper of cynical distractions and half measures," said Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner following the end of the session. "Sadly, little was accomplished that would begin to restore a modicum of faith in Albany."

This year presented lawmakers with a rare opportunity to act on ethics. Ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, and former Senate Leader Dean Skelos, a Long Island Republican, were both convicted of unrelated federal corruption charges, becoming the latest in a line of more than 30 lawmakers to leave office facing charges or ethical allegations since 2000.

With hundreds of bills passed each year, there are always winners and losers in any legislative session. If public opinion polls showing that government corruption is a top concern are any indication, the voters of New York state are at the top of the list of losers this year. A Siena College poll last month found that 96 percent of voters consider ethics reforms to be an important priority for lawmakers, though 67 percent said they were pessimistic about the chances for such reforms passing.

While the bills that passed this year will allow lawmakers to claim they took action on corruption, they'll do little to address the underlying issues that have allowed scandal to flourish in Albany, according to the good-government groups that have long tracked state government corruption.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said ethics reforms were among his top goals for the year  yet his most significant proposals to tighten campaign finance laws and restrict lawmakers' outside income never got serious attention from lawmakers, and Cuomo spent much of the session instead pushing for a minimum wage increase.

One is a potential constitutional amendment needed to strip the state pensions of lawmakers convicted of corruption. The idea gained momentum following the convictions of Skelos and Silver, who remain eligible for retirement benefits.

"Those who breach the public trust and violate their oaths of office do not deserve to be financially supported by the very people they failed to serve," said Assemblyman David Buchwald, a Westchester County Democrat.

But good government groups, while supportive, say taking away a crooked politician's pension isn't likely to deter future corruption, since the threat of years in federal prison time hasn't prevented it in the past.

The amendment also isn't a done deal. Because it would revise the constitution, it must be approved by the Legislature twice  so lawmakers will have to hold another vote next year before it then goes to the voters.

Another bill passed this year aims to strengthen rules prohibiting supposedly independent political groups from working with campaigns. The measure, from Cuomo, was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which prohibits restrictions on independent political spending. Critics of the ruling say it allows wealthy donors, organizations or even candidates themselves to use independent groups to avoid campaign finance limits.

Additionally, lawmakers voted to change disclosure rules to require political consultants to identify clients and expand reporting requirements to cover smaller lobbying efforts.

Again, good government groups say that while a good idea, the changes won't solve the problems behind most of Albany's scandals, which they say are often attributed to lawmakers using their public office for personal gain.

"It's a grab bag cobbled together," said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group. "It doesn't deal with the heart of what U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called Albany's 'culture of corruption.'"

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the changes approved this year represented "significant steps in the right direction." But even some lawmakers who ended up voting for the legislation seemed underwhelmed. Sen. Daniel Squadron, D-Brooklyn, said they were "like taking an aspirin for a broken arm."

Instead, they recommend stronger independent ethics enforcement, caps on large campaign contributions, more transparency in the way the state budget is negotiated and the elimination of a loophole allowing limited liability companies to skirt campaign finance limits.

"If lawmakers won't respond to their constituents' demands, than voters will have to consider that information in the fall," said Common Cause-New York Director Susan Lerner.
While it wasn't exactly the open process we would have preferred, it appears the end result of the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency's search for a buyer of the former Seneca Army Depot is a win for the region.

The agency announced last week that out of 16 bids received on the massive property, Earl Martin's was selected. And given the concerns and preferences of various stakeholders in the process over the past year, the Martin project makes tremendous sense.

Martin plans to use the 7,000 acres to expand his company, Seneca Iron Works, and create 200 new jobs over 10 years. He also plans develop about 20 sites for Amish families to live on and farm. In addition, he's pledged to work with advocates for protecting the property's herd of rare white deer to develop an eco-tourism and preservation program.

What this proposal offers is something that should always have been on the table: a combination of conservation and industrial growth.

Unfortunately, we too often heard public discussion on the re-purposing of the depot framed as a clear-cut decision between protecting the wildlife at the site or developing it for business use.

The IDA's decision to keep all information about the bids from public view, including the names of the bidders, didn't help with this public perception.

But the truth has always been that the depot site is a massive asset, it's plenty big enough to accommodate commercial development that helps create jobs while also preserving woodlands and green space in a way that protects natural resources.

And don't forget that if done correctly, an ecotourism project related to the white deer can also be an economic boost.

As the IDA and Martin move ahead to try to finalize this deal, we urge them to keep the publicly fully informed as plans become more concrete.
The USA dominates with a navy three times stronger than that of Russia.

Several types of anti-ballistic shield protect US naval expeditionary groups and zones of landing for troops from transport ships. The first is the naval system AEGIS armed with SM-3 block 1b mounted on US destroyers and cruisers AEGIS, plus anti-ballistic shields in Poland and one in Romania. The second is the mobile THAAD system of the US land forces, defending landing zones. Add to this the mobile long-range missile anti-aircraft batteries like Patriot with anti-ballistic capabilities against missiles that are in their final stage of the path, under an altitude of 35,000 meters.

The premise from which Russian experts started building hypersonic vehicles was that American antiballistic missiles cannot intercept any projectile flying in the mesosphere (at altitudes of 35.000- 80.000 meters), and that Russia has a number of very powerful rocket engines

Russian hypersonic weapons

The main Russian hypersonic weapon are derived from space glider Yu-71 (Project 4202), which flew during tests at a speed of 6000-11200 km/h over a distance of 5,500 km at a cruising altitude below 80,000 m, receiving repeated pulses from a rocket engine to climb, execute maneuvers and cornering trajectory. It is estimated that the glider is armed with warheads that are spatially independent, with autonomous guidance systems similar to the air-ground missiles Kh-29 L/T and T Kh-25 (which provides a probable deviation of 2-6 m). Although it may take nuclear warheads, the space glider will be armed with conventional warheads and will be powered by a rocket launched normally from nuclear-powered Russian submarines.

Another variant of the hypersonic weapon derived from the Yu-71 would be those launched from the Russian military transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A (II-476). Since 50% of the missiles fuel is spent solely on take off and rising though the layers of extremely dense atmosphere of up to 10,000 m, mass launcher and glider space represents 50% of the rocket carrier used to launch from nuclear-powered submarines.

The second type of weapon different from hypersonic spatial glider is the Zirkon 3M22 missile, which is launched from maritime patrol aircraft. Zirkon has a speed of Mach 6.2 (6500 km/h) at a cruising altitude of 30,000 m and a kinetic energy at impact with the target 50 times higher than existing air-ship and ship-to ship missiles.

Three waves of Hypersonic Attack

The new Russian military doctrine states that an attack on the American invasion fleet is to be executed in three waves, three alignments, thus preventing American expeditionary naval groups from positioning themselves near the Russian coast of the Baltic Sea.

The first wave of hypersonic weapons, consisting of space gliders arranged on Russian nuclear-powered submarines under immersion in the middle of the Atlantic, starts fighting US naval expeditionary groups as they start crossing the Atlantic to Europe. The American naval groups need 7-8 days to cross the Atlantic; the plane Il-76MD-90A has a maximum flight distance of 6300 km and can be powered in the air, reaching the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in a few hours.

If the first wave does not destroy the targets, the second wave of hypersonic weapons will be launched on the US naval groups when they are located 1,000 km from the eastern shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The attack will be launched from the Russian submarines in the Barents Sea or Plesesk base of strategic missiles, located near the Arctic Circle and the White Sea.

The third wave of hypersonic attack will be executed by missiles 3M22 Zirkon launched on American naval groups when they would be in the Skagerrak strait (crossing the North Sea to the Baltic Sea), on the assumption that NATO is attacking Russia through the Baltics. If the American expeditionary naval group head to the Black Sea, it will be hit by the third wave of hypersonic weapons in the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.

SOURCES  Katehon
The Multi-Purpose Precision Maintenance Tool designed by student Robert Hillan and printed with the AMF on the ISS.

Hillan's Multipurpose Precision Tool was chosen last January among hundreds of entries. The challenge asked young innovative students to design a tool that could be created via 3D and could be useful in space. This is another step in the ongoing process of testing and using additive manufacturing in space.

"Our challenges invite students to invent objects for astronauts, which can be both inspiring and incredibly tough", said Deanne Bell, founder and director of the Future Engineers challenges. The credit goes to an Alabama student who won the first Future Engineers challenge previous year.

Previously, NASA had held a 3D printing contest for high school students, and the victor was to get a chance to view astronauts print out the victorious design in space. As part of the Space Tool Challenge, the winner's design was entitled to be printed on the ISS using onboard 3D printer.

"Students must have the creativity to innovate for the unique environment of space, but also the practical, hands-on knowledge to make something functional and useful". He watched as his design was printed aboard the ISS using a 3D printer. "It's a delicate balance, but this combination of creativity, analytical skills, and fluency in current technology is at the heart of engineering education".

The Space Station's capabilities stretch across disciplines; it truly is at the center of so much of what we, as space agencies and as nations, do to push the boundaries of exploration. "The first model I made ever on the auto CAD was the actual design I submitted for Future Engineers", Hillan explains.

"When you have a problem, it will drive specific requirements and solutions", NASA astronaut Tim Kopra told Hillan during the video chat. 3-D printing allows you to do a quick design to meet those requirements.

But why astronauts need to create 3D objects on board the station? That's the beauty of this tool and this technology.

"When a part breaks or a tool is misplaced, it is hard and cost-prohibitive to send up a replacement part", said Niki Werkheiser, NASA's 3-D Printer program manager at Marshall. "It's not just about a STEM challenge, it's not just about a 3D printer going to space, it's about how do we harness this and think about the future of space travel together?"

Werkheiser, NASA's project manager for the ISS 3D printer, said "If a printer is critical for explorers, it must be capable of replicating its own parts, so that it can keep working during longer journeys to places like Mars or an asteroid".
If the appeal fails, Apple would be forced to give ground to competition in Beijing, where local brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi have been fighting for their market share.

"articleLocation" Apple Inc (AAPL.O) stated its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were still offered for sale in China after Beijing's intellectual property regulators disallowed their sales stating the designs had infringed a patent held by a Chinese business.

Apple said it had been allowed to continue selling the devices for now after a Beijing court stayed the administrative order on appeal. Of course, Apple is appealing the ruling and-wait.there's an intellectual property bureau in China? The regulator has ruled that the design of the iPhone 6 and its bigger sibling are too similar to a Chinese phone.

Further, the iPhone SE was recently released as Apple's budget iPhone, which may make the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus superfluous once the new iPhones for the 2016 model year get unveiled.

A May 19 ruling said Apple violated design patents of Chinese maker Shenzhen Baili for its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and would be barred from selling those models. "There's a variety of risks of having dependence on sales in China to Apple, and government intervention in whatever form is one of them", he said. [Image by Elizabeth Dalziel / AP Photo] Already the relationship between Apple and China has been a bit tense, since it's been reported that the technology company's iTunes and iBooks stores are banned, adding to the regulatory crackdown Chinese officials usually reserve for their own citizens. In 2013, state media accused the company of shoddy customer service and inadequate warranties, prompting an apology from Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.

"The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sold on the market violate patent rights", the ruling reads. Sales in greater China - including mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan - amounted to 25 percent of Apple's revenue in the second fiscal quarter.
An unnamed U.S. official familiar with the document said the internal cable may be an attempt to shape the foreign policy outlook of the next United States administration.

 Acknowledging the memo while on a visit to Copenhagen on Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry told Reuters: "It's an important state and I respect the process, very, very much".

The Times adds the letter was filed to the State Department's "dissent" channel, which was set up in the wake of the Vietnam War so, in the words of the newspaper, "employees who had disagreements with policies [could] ... register their protest with the secretary of state and other top officials, without fear of reprisal". The White House was informed Thursday, after it became apparent the document had been leaked to the media.

The Journal report said the memo was signed by 51 mid- to high-level senior State Department officials. Others said the authors may not have known of Kerry's position in internal administration debates, or hoped to buttress it. He said that this goal can only be achieved through drafting a new constitution and holding new elections.

"We must think about the possibilities of incorporating representatives of the opposition into the active ruling structure", Putin said on June 17 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Over the past several years, it has expressed dismay at the lack of political and military organization of moderate opposition forces, and expressed continued concern that any weapons it gives to opposition fighters can end up in the hands of the Islamic State or Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. She has repeated that call during her campaign for the presidency.

"This is a signal to us, a warning to Assad and the worldwide community that there are people in the USA who call to shift the fire from the Islamic State to the government of Assad", he stressed.

Brennan also said Islamic State's "terrorism capacity and global reach" had not been reduced.

While the ceasefire sporadically continues in some places - the United States and Russian Federation said this week that a new 48-hour truce was being implemented in the city of Aleppo - it has largely collapsed in key parts of the country.

Multiple sources confirm that the Secretary of State John Kerry himself has privately recommended a more muscular US role in Syria but has had numerous proposals shut down by the White House.

The cable does not make specific policy recommendations such as USA airstrikes but comes close, arguing that Assad's artillery and air power must be removed as threats to the U.S.-backed rebels.

But the administration's alternative policy - to work with Russian Federation to secure a ceasefire in Syria's civil war and talks on a political transition - has made little headway. That's why we can not say anything about it, of course.
This assurance was given after Wednesday's shooting at students mostly from Papua New Guinea by the PNG police during an anti-government protest. "Now there is a huge clash with the general public and with the authorities simply outside the Port Moresby General Medical facility", a medical facility official told Reuters by telephone after a group of wounded students were taken there for treatment.

Responding the students" concerns, O'Neill published a lengthy letter last month over graft allegations and termed these accusations as "politically motivated'.

They have been protesting for the past five weeks demanding that the Prime Minister resigns over corruption allegations.

"We call on all sides for calm to deescalate the tensions and certainly call on all sides to respect the peaceful and lawful right to protest".

Police commissioner Gari Baki said 23 students were injured, four seriously, local news site EMTV reported.

AAP reports Australia is offering the PNG government help to prevent further unrest.

Albert Schram, the vice-chancellor of PNG University of Technology in the country's second largest city, Lae, said about 2000 students and staff had been locked on campus with a police vehicle at the gates.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that at least 10 students have been admitted to a Port Moresby General Hospital following the protest shooting, citing an unnamed major aid agency that said it had information that 15 students were injured in the shooting, and four killed. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) says at least 17 people were hurt, including one who received a gunshot wound to the head.

"We will set up a commission of inquiry to establish what is going on at the University of Papua New Guinea", he said.

Mr O'Neill said there would be an investigation into who was funding the students and any outside "agitators" encouraging them to protest.

"We are still seeking to determine the actual outcome - I know students have been shot but we are still trying to determine whether there have been deaths and how many have been injured", she told reporters.

The injuries stem from a confrontation between Police and students at the University of Papua New Guinea's Waigani campus earlier today.

He said later a standoff had developed between protesters inside the hospital and police outside.

Video footage appeared to show students running for cover amid tear gas and the sound of gun fire.

Students have been protesting for weeks by boycotting classes and calling for O'Neill's resignation after the government's opposition attempted for a fourth time to unseat O'Neill via a no-confidence vote.

The majority of Papua New Guinea's seven million individuals live subsistence lives in isolated mountain towns and scattered tropical islands. "We might have to put it off. It's really going to affect the industry", he said.

In 2014, a national anti-corruption watchdog accused O'Neil of corruption and issued an arrest warrant for him.
The U.S. has refused to work with Russian Federation to fight ISIS in Syria, as the Kremlin has supported the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Military strikes against the Assad government would represent a major change in the Obama administration's longstanding policy of not intervening directly in the Syrian civil war, even as it has called for a political transition that would see Assad leave power.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the department was reviewing the cable, which arrived via a "vehicle in place to allow State Department employees to convey alternative views and perspectives on policy issues". Kerry, a forceful advocate of Obama's initial plan to launch airstrikes after Assad's use of chemical weapons, reversed course after the president opted against them.

"That is an astonishingly high number", said Robert Ford, who resigned in 2014 as US ambassador to Syria over policy disagreements, and is now at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank.

The dissent document was transmitted internally in a confidential form and since has been classified, said officials who weren't authorized to discuss such material and insisted on anonymity.

Ford said this is not the first time the State Department has argued for a more activist Syria policy.

The Times quoted a section urging a "judicious use of stand-off and air weapons" to advance the USA diplomatic effort led by Secretary of State John Kerry. "I will.have a chance to meet with people when I get back", Kerry told Reuters during a visit in Copenhagen. In the summer of 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proposed arming and training anti-Assad rebels.

The senior official said it would be up to Kerry, who has himself pressed with little success for Obama to take tougher action against Assad, whether to "elevate" the cable to the president's attention.

The letter pleads for air strikes and other "stand off" weapons "which would undergird and drive a more focused and hard-nosed US -led diplomatic process".

"It is not a secret to us that there are political forces in the U.S. who favor a military solution".

An attempt to topple Assad's government "wouldn't help a successful fight against terrorism and could plunge the region into total chaos", Peskov said.

"That decision destroyed any credibility the administration had with Russia, Iran or Assad himself", said a former Defense Department official involved in Syria policy.

When asked about the leaked memo during a visit to Washington, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told reporters: "We have been arguing from the beginning of the Syrian crisis that there should be more robust intervention in Syria".
The prime minister said in about two weeks the government expect to formally submit the application to the EU.

According to the EU Commission, Sri Lanka exported to the EU countries 7,400 tonnes of fish worth $94 million in 2013 and over 5,000 tonnes of fisheries products valued at $62.99 million in 2014.

In April this year, the European Union arrived at the decision to partially lift the ban following several rounds of discussions and chose to allow Lanka to export fish within the next few months, reports Colombo Page. Sri Lanka's garment industry, which provides direct employment for more than 270,000 workers benefitted most from the facility. "Exporters of apparel, tea will also get more access to the European Union", he said.

The European Union citing Sri Lanka's human rights violations suspended the GSP+ tariff concession in February 2010.

"With the ending of the ban by the European Union, there will be more money coming to the hands of fishermen", Wickremesinghe told reporters.

The European Council met yesterday and officially lifted the ban imposed on the seafood exports with immediate effect. "That will certainly take a long time", he said. In the year 2015, Sri Lanka's seafood exports declined 35.5 percent to US$ 163.1 million compared to US$ 252.7 million earned in 2014.

Wickremesinghe said the government has also launched a program to modernize Sri Lanka's fishery industry and is in discussions with Norway to obtain its assistance.
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Looks like Trump may have take time off from turning California and New York less blue in order to keep Utah and Arizona red. Photo: John Gurzinski/AFP/Getty Images

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Utah Republican Party Chairman James Evans took Donald Trump aside during Trumps Las Vegas campaign stop on Saturday to express his concerns that Utah could become a battleground state because of the candidates unpopularity. Utah, one of the most conservative states in the country, hasnt voted for a Democratic candidate in 52 years, but a recent poll showed Trump and Hillary Clinton tied in the state, and the Utah GOP isnt taking any chances. As a result of the meeting, Trump has apparently pledged to campaign in the state following the Republican convention next month.

Whether or not Trump takes the rest of Evanss advice is unknown. The chairman reportedly asked Trump to tone down comments that have resulted in some Republicans accusing him of racism and xenophobia and stressed that Utah voters look for consistency and predictability in their presidential candidates. Evans, who is black, told the Tribune he believes Trumps perceived racism is more of a show, and that he thinks Trump now recognizes he shouldnt have made those comments about Muslims or about the Mexican ancestry of the judge presiding over the Trump University case.

As Utah is a predominantly Mormon state and Mormons really dont like Trump, it seems at least possible that Clinton could steal the state in November, though Evans believes voters will come around to rejecting Clinton when the time comes. Regardless, he has already developed a Trump coping strategy if the candidates popularity in the state doesnt improve. That strategy is called Plan T, though the T apparently stands for turnout, not Trump. The Tribune describes Plan T as an attempt to persuade voters who dislike the presidential candidate to vote for local Republicans.

And Trump might have another purple state problem nearby as well, as the Washington Post reports that, though there is no recent reliable public polling in Arizona, and the Clinton campaign hasnt started targeting it yet, Democratic and Republican strategists said private research shows the presidential race [there] as a toss-up.

This post has been updated to include the news that Arizona might also become a swing state this year.
Htf is he 44... Mind is blown

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I...



How....



On what planet could George Takei be 44

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I can't

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ur icon <3

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Yeah, DAMN. Asian do not raisin!

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44???? Holy shit. Praying I look like him in my 40s

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I wish I looked that good and I'm only in my 30s.

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He came to my school once and was a speaker about race/Hollywood. He was handsome as hell and semi thoughtful.

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I feel like he thinks this photo is cute but his eyes are giving me omg cry for help get me away from this stalker

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I love everything about this

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Constance Wu

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She is so beautiful

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I registered my Asian parents for the first time in their lives after living in the States for 30+ years.



Also, where can I find me a John Cho in this world?

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oh wow he hasn't aged a day

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John is gorgeous. And I can't believe he's already 44.

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it's like he and tom hiddleston switched birthdays

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He is 44?? HOW?? Also I had no idea that Chadwick Boseman is 40, and Ricky Martin is 44, PoC have blessed genes, meanwhile Lizard Hiddleston is 35... yikes tbh.



John Cho deserves a way better career.



Edited at 2016-06-19 03:38 am (UTC)

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"Lizard Hiddleston">



lmaoooo no puedo omg, but ia

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LOL. "lizard hiddleston" is killing me!!!

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i thought chadwick was like late 20s, 30 at most. blew my mind when i found out he was 40 omg.

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yasss

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Hiddleston is 35??? Damn, my husband is 35 but looks so much better, thank god for those Asian genes (he's Chinese)

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I just came in to make a similar comment.

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Chadwick is 40? I thought he was in his late 20s!

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John Cho is hot.



Accurate. The fact that Hollywood is too racist to turn him into our next Cary Grant is the greatest tragedy of our time.

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So true. He can act the parts and he has chemistry with everyone. Between Go On and Selfie it's clear he can do charming, funny and affable so there's no reason for him to be reduced to supporting roles in action/sci-fi movies.

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I don't think so, I mean, Tom Hiddleston is 35!! Jhon Cho looks way younger than him, or maybe it's that white british men age like that, idk.

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Part of Tom's problem is the gingerness. He's a pale guy so the sun damage adds up quickly even when he takes precautions. A brunette Hiddleston would probably look 2-3 years younger just because his skin wouldn't be so susceptible to sun damage.

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ia

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He sure does. I saw some recent close up shots, and he had a bunch of wrinkles.

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ia, his skin is showing signs of aging

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Ia, I think people are just bad at telling Asian people's ages

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Hubba

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Aldis Hodge and John Cho for leads in gays romcom that will shock Hollywood seniors with its success, you heard it here first







"Why didn't we know how cute John Cho was until he fell in love with another previous unviewed as a hot person" will be the first line of Cosmopolitan's review of it. "More men that may look hot to you soon!" As a link underneath it.







My writer's block is going surreal on me.

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Forever bitter that Aldis isn't in all the things. Every time I see your icon I miss Leverage.

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damn. Asian don't raisin.

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People here need to hang out with more 40 somethings. He looks his age.

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Heidi Montag crying on a chair in the middle of the street. NOTHING will ever top that.

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wow

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I remember this omg!!

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Wasn't that for a porn or something

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That post was amazing!!!

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forever ICONIC:

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i only post in HD tbh

all the better for you to absorb the rich detail in this work of pop culture ART

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iconic. the sewer rat wishes

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The one where she's holding her cd gets me everytime

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Besides everything really obvious taking place here, her outfit is interesting to say the least

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I don't get the joke here but that's me

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This is so not staged. I ALWAYS bring my dining room chairs out on to the sidewalk when I cry.

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i came in to make sure this was posted

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this is reality tv art

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The fact that the chair is so shitty is the cherry on top.

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forever amazing.

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just came in to make sure this was here.

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her jacket is so shiny

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This is the only reason I came into this post

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so good

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Sometimes I'm ready to quit you, ONTD.

But then someone posts this goddamn postmodern Botticelli-like mural and reminds me that I am part of a hive.

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just came in for this legendary pic

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LOL I wanna know what the thought process behind this was

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art tbh.

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that outfit bugs me

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when you have a meltdown at Kohl's because you didn't notice the date on your Kohl's bucks

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The pinnacle, tbqh.

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very interesting



Blake always has super staged pics. at least she leaving her kid out of it

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Taylor's a celebrity that won't walk outside without perfect makeup & great fashion.



He's lost all credibility.

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lol mte

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Lmaoooo

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Yes girl. Turn that label out to camera!$!$!$

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this is a different kind of staged lol

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when was this?

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http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/62434795.html September 2nd, 2011

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lmaooooooo

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the Target bags are cracking me up

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LOL I completely forgot about this

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Fuck you Aria, that mascara never did shit for me. Just saying.

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lmao yes I forgot about this!

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that middle school mascara

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Looooooooool

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so subtle

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omggggg

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those target bags, that carefully coordinated sweater

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yesssssss like damn props to her balancing that tube towards the camera so perfectly

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Damn girl learn some subtlety

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omwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww lmfao

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omg that was shameless lmao

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LMAO oh Lucy.......

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Maybe its Maybelline

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celebs are kinda sad tbh



Edited at 2016-06-19 05:43 pm (UTC) reminded me thiscelebs are kinda sad tbh

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way to be subtle

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lmao i remember this

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omg I forgot all about this too

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Get money $$$$$$$

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who and wat

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Adrian Brody and...someone, I think. Pretty sure that's his nose.

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Adrien Brody and some random model gf



Idk is that Lara leito? I only know her name b/c I follow someone on Twitter who is obsessed w/ adrien and hates Lara leito

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I forgot all about this! That post had me dying!

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lmao. i remember when these were posted someone said these pics represent a level of intimacy they never want to achieve lol

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iconic

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God, I'll always wonder what the fuck is happening during these

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You forgot to add the one where she is washing his back crack!

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Lmao was this the post that had those two duelling users trying to convince someone adrian brody was hot or not bc that was hilarious

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lmao yes

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~dip it low, pick it up slow~

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If they shoot on a beach, these images are heavily Photoshopped and she chooses her favorites to sell.



Been knowing this. No way her ass is that smooth in bikini pics. Not a hint of cellulite.





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That was what I was always wondering too. No way she doesn't have Cellulite with THAT ass.

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How do they do her no favor? They show that she "moved on" from Calvin in two seconds instead of the usual narrative of her wallowing in a failed relationship.

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so you think paps just happen to be on a beach in Rhode Island where Taylor lives?

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Or maybe her team didn't anticipate how people would react to the pictures? Perhaps they thought people would just be excited about the relationship? Because someone is going out of their way to promote this relationship with Just Jared, TMZ, People. That seems unlikely if they were just caught off guard.

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the early reports were all that calvin did the dumping because he wasn't into her anymore, probably fake reports for him covering his fragile ego. but taylor has spent this entire era trying to take back the narrative of her being a dumped woman so i can see why she would call the paps. there's no way they didn't tip them off. and tom also gets publicity to secure the bond deal

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they were definitely staged but tbh it was probably toms team with the bizarre uk tabloid exclusive.

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how long did Jake and Taylor date for? like is there a story on how they met?

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Like 3 months and then a little bit more off and on. I think there's a timeline on it on ONTD if you google search it

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thanks, I've always been curious and why people think it was fake realtioship

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Lol i believe his story about Kim K



Edited at 2016-06-19 01:44 pm (UTC)

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just us in the grocery store u guys

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Omg that woman behind them! She represents all of us. God bless her and God bless a Spiedi-less America.

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lmao

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ha HA

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what the FUCK is his hair??

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LMFAO the progression here. Like "oh how sweet, they got engaged! Looking at her ring, aww cute. Oh... she's sucking his dick now..."

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Lmao ikr

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lool

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Stopppppppp

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lmao mte

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I figured it was because of the whole virgin thing, so she thought, well, I'm engaged now, so I'll just suck his dick!

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OMG LOOOOOOL

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yooooooo lol

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I love these photos so much

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lol I thought that was Paul Wesley from the vampire diaries at first until I got to the last picture. screaming



Edited at 2016-06-19 02:29 pm (UTC)

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OH SHIT



I'm gonna park myself in this post lmaooooooo

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These are amazing lol

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God, these are marvelous

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lol she's just keeping it real.

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My fave. Like, me too girl. Me too lol

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lol this was so obvious. I love it

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LMAO

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WAIT WHUT

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I still don't see what ontd dislikes about Taylor swift's everyday clothes. They looked very nice and normal. very modcloth.

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her terrible shoes ruin every outfit

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Her shoes looked nice. I didn't find anything wrong with them

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I dont think its so much what she's wearing per se, its how she's styled. To me, her style doesnt come across as natural. Her image is what a lot of her fans aspire to be, imo

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for a lot of people, i think it's just that they're on her.



i think she misses the mark sometimes but generally ia with you!

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you just answered your own question. that being said, the pinteresty modcloth thing suits taylor (ex: she looks young and qt



Edited at 2016-06-19 02:07 pm (UTC) "very modcloth"you just answered your own question. that being said, the pinteresty modcloth thing suits taylor (ex: she looks young and qt here ), I don't think she ever seemed entirely comfortable with the stuff she's been wearing during this current era

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Her clothes always seem to wear her, and not the other way around.

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ita. I don't love everything she wears, but I like her style a lot better than what other Hollywood people wear.

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Yeah, idk. She looks fine. Not necessarily my style but it isn't awful like most people here think. But ONTD hates Taylor so it's not surprising tbh lol.

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lol ikr? it's actually really close to my style though so i guess i just have shit fashion sense according to ontd

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From what I've seen it's usually boring, ugly, mismatched, or all of the above.

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spencer pratts impact

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On Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds: The couple hate paps but they release staged pics on a regular basis



no way this couple calls the paps!

no way this couple calls the paps!

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lmao these are wonderful

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lmfao a nicholas sparks movie!

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After 20 years in business, the owners of the Book Nest Toy Store and two surrounding stores say they have not exhausted their creativity yet.

We are going to add the Book Nest Raceway soon, owner Amy Herrington said. We are going to have indoor remote control car tracks and races, and we are going to have a Lego building race track.

Herrington -- who owns the store as well as Babies to Kids, Book Nest Paint Your Own Pottery and Northern Arizona Teachers Supply with her husband, Sean -- said the family wants to create a party space that caters to boys and girls and incorporates science and building into play.

My husband wanted to be more involved in the store, and he collects R/C cars, Herrington said. We will have cars that people can rent and race for birthday parties or just for fun.

The racetrack will bring in a different dynamic, Herrington said.

We will see more dads in here with their kids, she said. We see a lot of moms in here with the pottery painting, so with the race track we hope to bring in more dads.

Herrington plans to decrease the square footage of the teachers supply area in the store to make room for the race track. Teachers supplies will still be available, but the store space will be rearranged to accommodate the track area, which will open in August.

Herrington and her mother, Sandy Currie, first opened Babies to Kids, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this weekend. As their ideas grew, they opened the Book Nest Toy Store about three years later, then followed with the teachers supply portion two years after the first expansion.

Before her mother retired, the pottery painting studio was born, which Herrington said showed off her mothers creativity and artistic spirit. Herrington glazes and fires the pieces herself in the store's back room, and clients can pick up their artwork within a few days.

Every dad is getting a mug for Fathers Day, Herrington said with a smile, pointing at the stack of pottery pieces waiting to be fired.

The store, located on Route 66 and Steves Boulevard, has become a destination, Herrington said.

We have wonderful clientele, and weve been in business 20 years, she said. Business is fantastic. Weve actually seen an increase in traffic this year.

Herrington said many of her shoppers are regular customers, but said she loves to see new customers experience the store for the first time.

I love it when a new customer comes in and their jaw drops, she said. For me, that is the most satisfying part.

In 20 years of business, Herrington said she has seen a shift to digital toys, and devices like tablets and cellphones. However, she said most toys in her store require a child to use their creativity or imagination.

There are very few electronics in our store, she said. We are trying to expose children to good, old-fashioned play again.
This is beautiful and makes me so happy.

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she's 31 & he's 38, so it ain't that outrageous.



Aaron Taylor Johnson married a much older woman & both got a lot of shit for it. it's def unusual tho.

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they both got shit on because he was like 17 when they met and hooked up

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She's 31?!?!

And he's only 38?!????????

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There's definitely a double standard, but I feel like it's becoming more common to see older women dating younger men.

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I know lots of older women / younger man pairings. It is becoming more common. I'm older than my man but only by four years so I'm not sure it counts.

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kate hudson was fucking nick jonas for a while lol

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my stepdad is 12 years younger than my mom!

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Probably not in Hollywood but it's becoming a lot more common and less shamed upon to see an older woman dating a younger man if they're both age appropriate.

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Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins were together forever and she's 12 years older. He was 30 when they got together. Liam and Cheryl, she's 10 years older. Julianne Moore is 9 years older than her husband. Halle Berry was 9 years older than that model she had her kid with. Sandra Bullock was 16 years older than Ryan Gosling when they dated (although that was quite the media shit storm). Hugh Jackman is 12 years younger than his wife. Ashton is 15 years younger than Demi, and they were married. Robin Wright is 14 years older than Ben Foster. Mariah was 10 years older than Nick Cannon. Eva Longoria, 7 years older than Tony Parker. Shakira is 10 years older than Gerard. Jennifer Aniston has dated guys younger than her, John Mayer is 8 years younger, her husband is about 4 years younger. Geena Davis is 15 years older than her husband. JLo is 17 years older than Casper. Cameron Diaz is 8 years older than Justin Timberlake, she's 7 years older than her husband Benji. Allison Janney is 20 years older than her boyfriend.



There are more, lots more, but you get the point. Yes, way, way more common for older men to date younger women, but it's not super rare for older women to date younger men, certainly not something "you ain't eva' gonna see". 7 years is not that big of an age difference, imo.

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Gerard Pique and Shakira tho. Born the same day, ten years apart.

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I'm 36-year-old woman and I've dated a 26-year-old man.

He originally thought I was 27 which is my humblebrag here.

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what, men & women can be friends?! whatever next!



anyway, she's so so pretty. does anyone know if 'Too Late' already leaked?

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Right? Like maybe they're together, maybe not, but I find it ridiculous how whenever a man and woman are out together it is presumed by the media they're fucking. Do these people have no friends? Do they think men and women must be chaperoned when hanging out together in order for it to be decent and platonic?

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FREE YOURSELF JOSH!

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what a random pair AND i had no idea crystal was 31



Edited at 2016-06-19 04:58 pm (UTC)

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Me either. I thought she was in her mid 20s and he was in his 40s. Yikes.

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he def looks way older and she looks way younger, judging from those pics...

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Crystal is lucky enough to have 'young' features, imo. She's basically the opposite of someone like Florence Welch, who has a facial structure that is usually associated with mature age. I mean, Florence is two years younger than Crystal but looks much older.

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queen of unemployment getting press!!!

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he looks like shit but i still would



they could be just friends. those pics don't look particularly romantic to me. i like how the article doesn't mention anything about them potentially being linked lol

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right?! does she bathe in the blood of virgins, or...?

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she looks her age lmao

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in my mind she's another 20-something actress lol

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I'm not familiar with this actress, but 31 isn't remotely old. She looks her age to me.

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It's so weird to be that the girls on Teen Wolf are so much older than the guys. Like Holland, Shelley, Crystal, and Arden are all 29/30/31, while the dudes are 24 and under.



I feel like it's pretty rare for a show to feature all older females matched up with younger guys.

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why do people think 31 is so old? It's not like shes 40

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I disagree. I'm black so I know how it is to be in your 30s and look like you're in your 20s (hair flip) and that's what Crystal gives me.

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she's such a cutie, I wish her career had taken off after Teen Wolf. Didn't she criticize casting processes at some point? And say that she was randomly asked to show her boobs even though the roles didn't require it? I think I remember something of that sort, and her walking out afterwards.



Joshua seems like a nice guy, so get it I guess. It's not surprising that he's going younger after Diane, rme. Was to be expected.



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king of vans can do better than the both of them



i'm waiting papi <3

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she's so cute

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i thought she had an australian bf

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she did as far as i knew, unless they broke up VERY recently lol

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She needs to be in more stuff. :-( She needs to be in more stuff. :-(

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his personal life is kinda mirroring The Affair now

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SRSLY

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It's been a distressing month, to say the least :(

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for real

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same. it's all just too much.

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It's really terrifying

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my best friend's brother was killed in an accident last month and he was only 22. life feels really fragile right now :(

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Seriously, yeah. :( Many of the victims of this tragedy were around my age.

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seriously

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that's a sweet gesture

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This is so heartbreaking. :(

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RIP to those who passed :(

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that's sweet of her. i can't move on from this tragedy :(

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That was so nice of her :(

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An incredibly sweet gesture

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I'm rereading harry potter and I really had forgotten how much it means to me. This made me cry.

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I'm due for a reread, I feel like I need it right now

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I hope you get the chance to do it soon!

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i'm listening to the audiobooks for the first time, and some of the parts really just hit you and stick with you. the series really means a lot to me as well...i don't think i'll ever love another book series more.

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I love her

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there's a candlelight vigil tonight here in orlando and I'm trying to decide if I should go or not because I know I'll be a crying blubbering mess the whole time.



Edited at 2016-06-19 08:13 pm (UTC)

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I want to go but I always have to work at night. :(

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same, but i think a lot of us will be.

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This story of how an entire flight was kind to a victim's grandmother as she flew to his funeral really got me.



https://www.facebook.com/kelly.karas/posts/10208014748299487



This was a nice gesture by JKR.



Edited at 2016-06-19 08:14 pm (UTC) All of the stories coming out about the victims have both tragic and heartwarming, from the accounts of their lives to how people are pulling together in the face of tragedy.This story of how an entire flight was kind to a victim's grandmother as she flew to his funeral really got me.This was a nice gesture by JKR.

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That story, omg. Props to the ladies for being so attentive and considerate and to the passengers who gave her even a second of their time.

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this made me cry

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Fuck, I'd been avoiding that story about the grandmother on the plane because I didn't want to cry, but I'm glad that I did, even if it meant shedding more tears.

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That's the nicest thing i've ever read.

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I feel like every story I've heard from this tragic event has made me cry like a baby and feel so helpless.

This story was really sweet and also made me cry.

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i have tears running down my face tbh. that was beyond beautiful, ty for sharing.

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That story made me cry. So did this one.

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This made me cry. Wow! :(

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It's still so bizarre to me to see Latino names in an attack like this.. I know this is going to be sad to say but i wonder; why hasn't isis targeted latin american countries? If they are against the "western world/christians.".. Latino countries are pretty homogeniusly christian and i'm just wondering if it's a matter of time before something happens in say Mexico City, Rio de Jainero or Sao Paolo? ? Idk.. This kid had such a baby face it just makes me so sad. His poor mother 

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well this wasn't an isis attack, but in general i'd say the usa is a target b/c the usa in particular has seriously fucked up many countries in the middle east through interventionism and other extremely violent policies

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They are not as relevant as other countries in their fucked up war.



However, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to pull some shit during the Olympics.

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Yep. I'm sure this is a major concern for some organizers.

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There are talks about ISIS starting to operate here in Brazil. Recently someone who allegedly has lots of connections with them came visit the Muslim communities in Sao Paulo, and although those connections were denied I'm pretty sure something's going on.



But yeah we're relatively harmless and irrelevant to them. We're not who they want to affect with their terrorism.

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This wasn't an Isis attack. I find it suspect that he attacked on Latino night. He was a customer there so he most likely knew it was Latino night. You can draw many conclusions from that.

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As others have mentioned, this wasn't an isis attack but the majority of their attacks were in muslim countries, even though western media tends to downplay this. they don't target south american countries is because they don't see them a threat, I guess?

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That reminds me of all the people wondering if this was racially motivated at all.



His former co-worker says that he was extremely racist toward Black people, and would say he wanted to kill all the (n-words), although I'm not sure if he said things about Latinos. He alleged used to say something violent about black people (who he called the n-word) or lesbians (who he called "dykes") every few sentences. It's scary to think about threats like that now.

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The purpose of this paper is to urge you to include a plank in the Democratic Party Platform to close all nuclear power plants now, not to build any new ones, not to allocate money in bills for research for new nuclear technology, new kinds of "safer" nuclear power plants and to once and for all acknowledge that nuclear power is not clean, green, renewable. To exclude such a plank puts the Democratic Party on the side of the nuclear industry and against We the People. We absolutely do not need nuclear power to save the climate, now or ever. Not the old nuclear power plants nor new technology nuclear power plants. It is an oymoron to talk about how many renewables will be built while nuclear power plants are still up and running and adding more radioactive waste that will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years. No nuclear power plants are ever safe. There is no way to prevent disasters from happening at any nuclear power plant. There is no way to fix these disasters once they do happen - think Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima. Another nuclear power catastrophe will surely happen. There is no way of knowing where or when. No one wants radioactive waste in their back or front yards. You must not, I know you do not want, to leave this legacy of leukemia and other cancers to our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their children, more than seven generations out and into eternity.



After providing expert research on the dangers of nuclear power plants, I give information on six nuclear power plants that are on the brink of disaster now.





Courtesy Sheila Parks

(Image by Sheila Parks) Details DMCA



Nuclear Power Is a Moral, Public Health and Public Safety Issue, a Crime Against Humanity, All Living Creatures, and Our One and Only Home - Planet Earth, Because:



"There's a very clear association between increased child leukemias and proximity to NPPs," [nuclear power plants] Dr. Ian Fairlie warns us, 7/25/2014. "Childhood Leukemias Near Nuclear Power Stations: new article." His well known special interest is in radiation doses and risks coming from radioactive releases at npp's.

In "The Medical Implications of Fukushima," 9/25/2013 Dr. Helen Caldicott, internationally acclaimed pediatrician and founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, says "Children are 10 to 20 times more vulnerable to the carcinogenic effects of radiation than adults . Little girls are twice as sensitive as little boys and women are more sensitive than men. Fetuses are thousands of times more sensitive." Elsewhere, she calls nuclear power plants "cancer factories."

Radiation tragically affected plants, birds and butterflies very strongly in Chernobyl and Fukushima, [4:06-8:07 sum up] , Dr. Timothy Mousseau, researcher and biology professor, has reported, 8/14/2014.

"A group of engineers within the U.S. nuclear power regulator is concerned that a design flaw in nearly all U.S. nuclear plants could endanger emergency core cooling systems . The group has urged the regulator to order power station operators to either fix the problem or face mandatory shutdowns." This article is posted on Reuters, 3/1/2016.

Radioactive waste is the most toxic poison made by humankind. Greenpeace says "Nuclear waste is produced at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining and enrichment, to reactor operation and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Much of this nuclear waste will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years, leaving a poisonous legacy to future generations." Plutonium 239 remains hazardous for 240,000 years, Uranium 235 for 7.13 billion years.

Nuclear power has a big carbon footprint, radiation truth tells us. "People that claim nuclear power is carbon-neutral are considering only the direct emissions of the plant itself. In fact, it has the largest carbon footprint of any energy source other than fossil fuels". Monitoring of radioactive waste - Carbon pollution generated by monitoring and guarding the radwaste for eternity." Nuclear power has another footprint: "Mobile Chernobyl - Transporting nuclear waste to a central repository risks contamination along highways and rail lines, by accident or terrorists"."

Here is a link to many more scientific and first hand experience documents that I have prepared, giving ample evidence of these truths .

On the other hand, James Hansen et al's. wrote an open letter to "policy influencers" about the crucial importance of using nuclear power to save the world from climate catastrophe . This link takes you to the letter and some responses to it.



Here are six nuclear power plant flashpoints that need immediate attention now. Will one of these nuclear power plants be the next one to go? Do you or people you love live near any of these plants?



Indian Point Energy Center, NY - Entergy Nuclear Operations



On 5/5/2016, in THE WATCHDOG, Hudson Riverkeeper Paul Gallway blog, "NRC officials finally admit: Indian Point is not safe as they told us"." "With this reversal, the NRC admits that their analysis was misleading, used erroneous data and was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. "" Indian Point is on the Hudson River and is about 25 miles from New York City.

Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, FL - Florida Power & Light Company "Turkey Point Nuclear Plant Is Pumping Polluted Water Into Biscayne Bay"saysan article in Miami New Times on 3/8/2016. "" results of a study into whether Turkey Point has been leaking dangerous wastewater into Biscayne Bay. County water monitors found more than 200 times the normal levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope linked to nuclear power production, in the bay water"."The plant is about 25 miles from Miami.



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Are committed fathers an endangered species in our culture? Gordon MacRae draws a troubling corollary between absent fathers and burgeoning prisons.

Wade Horn, Ph.D., President of the National Fatherhood Initiative, had an intriguing article entitled "Of Elephants and Men" in a recent issue of Fatherhood Today magazine. I found Dr. Horn's story about young elephants to be simply fascinating, and you will too. It was sent to me by a TSW reader who wanted to know if there is any connection between the absence of fathers and the shocking growth of the American prison population.

Some years ago, officials at the Kruger National Park and game reserve in South Africa were faced with a growing elephant problem. The population of African elephants, once endangered, had grown larger than the park could sustain. So measures had to be taken to thin the ranks. A plan was devised to relocate some of the elephants to other African game reserves. Being enormous creatures, elephants are not easily transported. So a special harness was created to air-lift the elephants and fly them out of the park using helicopters.

The helicopters were up to the task, but, as it turned out, the harness wasn't. It could handle the juvenile and adult female elephants, but not the huge African bull elephants. A quick solution had to be found, so a decision was made to leave the much larger bulls at Kruger and relocate only some of the female elephants and juvenile males.

The problem was solved. The herd was thinned out, and all was well at Kruger National Park. Sometime later, however, a strange problem surfaced at South Africa's other game reserve, Pilanesburg National Park, the younger elephants' new home.

Rangers at Pilanesburg began finding the dead bodies of endangered white rhinoceros. At first, poachers were suspected, but the huge rhinos had not died of gunshot wounds, and their precious horns were left intact. The rhinos appeared to be killed violently, with deep puncture wounds. Not much in the wild can kill a rhino, so rangers set up hidden cameras throughout the park.

The result was shocking. The culprits turned out to be marauding bands of aggressive juvenile male elephants, the very elephants relocated from Kruger National Park a few years earlier. The young males were caught on camera chasing down the rhinos, knocking them over, and stomping and goring them to death with their tusks. The juvenile elephants were terrorizing other animals in the park as well. Such behavior was very rare among elephants. Something had gone terribly wrong.



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Some of the park rangers settled on a theory. What had been missing from the relocated herd was the presence of the large dominant bulls that remained at Kruger. In natural circumstances, the adult bulls provide modeling behaviors for younger elephants, keeping them in line.

Juvenile male elephants, Dr. Horn pointed out, experience "musth," a state of frenzy triggered by mating season and increases in testosterone. Normally, dominant bulls manage and contain the testosterone-induced frenzy in the younger males. Left without elephant modeling, the rangers theorized, the younger elephants were missing the civilizing influence of their elders as nature and pachyderm protocol intended.

To test the theory, the rangers constructed a bigger and stronger harness, then flew in some of the older bulls left behind at Kruger. Within weeks, the bizarre and violent behavior of the juvenile elephants stopped completely. The older bulls let them know that their behaviors were not elephant-like at all. In a short time, the younger elephants were following the older and more dominant bulls around while learning how to be elephants.

MARAUDING IN CENTRAL PARK

In his terrific article, "Of Elephants and Men," Dr. Wade Horn went on to write of a story very similar to that of the elephants, though it happened not in Africa, but in New York's Central Park. The story involved young men, not young elephants, but the details were eerily close. Groups of young men were caught on camera sexually harassing and robbing women and victimizing others in the park. Their herd mentality created a sort of frenzy that was both brazen and contagious. In broad daylight, they seemed to compete with each other, even laughing and mugging for the cameras as they assaulted and robbed passersby. It was not, in any sense of the term, the behavior of civilized men.

Appalled by these assaults, citizens demanded a stronger and more aggressive police presence. Dr. Horn asked a more probing question. "Where have all the fathers gone?" Simply increasing the presence of police everywhere a crime is possible might assuage some political pressure, but it does little to identify and solve the real social problem behind the brazen Central Park assaults. It was the very same problem that victimized rhinos in that park in Africa. The majority of the young men hanging around committing those crimes in Central Park grew up in homes without fathers present.

That is not an excuse. It is a social problem that has a direct correlation with their criminal behavior. They were not acting like men because their only experience of modeling the behaviors of men had been taught by their peers and not by their fathers. Those who did have fathers had absent fathers, clearly preoccupied with something other than being role models for their sons. Wherever those fathers were, they were not in Central Park.

Dr. Horn pointed out that simply replacing fathers with more police isn't a solution. No matter how many police are hired and trained, they will quickly be outnumbered if they assume the task of both investigating crime and preventing crime. They will quickly be outnumbered because presently in our culture, two out of every five young men are raised in fatherless homes, and that disparity is growing faster as traditional family systems break down throughout the Western world.

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The ritual is by now well-known. There's a hideous massacre, followed by loud calls from much of the public for Congress to do something and do something fast about passing tougher gun control legislation. The calls for action are backed up by polls that show once more that a majority of Americans back comprehensive gun control legislation. A legion of Senate Democrats again demand a vote on a series of modest gun control proposals that in one form or another have languished in the House and Senate seemingly forever. The proposals include tightening regulations on automatic weapon sales, more stringent back ground checks on gun buyers, and making sure that those on the terrorist watch lists, or those who could or should be on the lists, be barred from getting guns.

The ban on gun sells to terror suspects is the one proposal that on the surface would seem to be a no-brainer and might have a shot at Senate passage. The odds also seemed to jump that the Senate would give it serious consideration when presumptive GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump appeared to put his seal of approval on this common sense proposal. The prospects for some action seemed to look even better when a couple of Republican senators gave a favorable nod to the measure.

This is likely where it will end. In fact, the NRA is so confident that the Senate will again do nothing on any gun control measure that it didn't even bother to make even its usual perfunctory public denunciation of the proposals.

It's supremely confident for two reasons. One is that it's seen public passions, anger and clamor for Congress to do something about the virtual unchecked proliferation of guns soar time and again after a heinous massacre, and just as quickly pass when a few days go by and the news cycle shifts to shove the gun debate out of the headlines. Even if that didn't happen, the polls that show a majority of the public wants tougher gun control legislation tell a soberer story about just how much the public really wants it. The spike in demand for tougher legislation after the Orlando massacre took only a modest jump to a bare majority. This wasn't much higher than after the San Bernardino massacre last December.

click here

The other reason is the make-up of who sits in Congress hasn't changed much in the past few years. The same Republican and Democratic senators who took varying amounts of campaign cash from the NRA in the two presidential and national elections since 2008 are still for the most part there. The NRA's scorecard of wins with them is still nothing short of phenomenal.

The NRA has a well-oiled, well-versed, labyrinth of PACs, lobbyists, legal counsels, divisions, funds, and a foundation to make sure that these senators faithfully tow the NRA line.

The assumption that the NRA is basically a front for conservative GOP business and political interests is another bad misread. A big share of the NRA's campaign dollars went to Republicans; it has been adept at spreading the largess around. In 2012, Democrats received more than $2 million in NRA campaign contributions.

The NRA has gotten a stupendous return on the $17 million it spent on federal elections in 2012 and the tens of millions it spent on past elections. In the decade since the assault ban expired in 2004, nearly 20 strong gun control bills have died still born in House and Senate committees. There hasn't been much movement in the states either to get tougher gun control laws. Thirty-three of the states have the barest minimal gun checks. A dozen others have only slightly more restrictive controls on guns.

Then there's the plight of the one weapon that Orlando shooter Omar Mateen and other mass killers have used and that has drawn more attention, ire, and demand for restriction on than any other. That's the various make assault rifles. A ban on their sale is not even on the Senate docket. There's no indication that it will be any time soon, if at all.

Some Democratic Senators who know the score when it comes to trying to get some action, Orlando or no, on gun control, pretty much concede that it's a dead letter for now. However, the talkathon that they engaged in in the Senate after the Orlando massacre, and their angry public saber rattle of the pro NRA Senators to take action has shelf value in that it at least keeps alive the debate in the place where it counts the most, and that is Congress. In a more cynical vein, they show their constituents that they are willing to go on public record backing tough gun control checks.

After each fresh mass bloodletting, Obama, Clinton, and now even Trump, and a majority of Americans scream loudly for Congress to do something, anything, to stop the gun carnage. The Orlando massacre, tragically, like the others, won't end the NRA's terror grip on the Senate that make that impossible for now to do.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is the author of How the NRA Terrorizes Congress, (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 on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
Reprinted from New Republic

On the surface, the battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders looks like a deep rift, one that threatens to splinter the Democratic Party. But viewed in the sweep of history, it is evidence of something far more positive for the party's base and beyond: not a rift but a shift -- the first tremors of a profound ideological realignment from which a transformative new politics could emerge.

Many of Bernie's closest advisers -- and perhaps even Bernie himself -- never imagined the campaign would do so well. And yet it did. The U.S. left -- and not some pale imitation of it -- actually tasted electoral victory, in state after state after state. The campaign came so close to winning that many of us allowed ourselves to imagine, if only for a few, furtive moments, what the world would look like with a President Sanders.

Even writing those words seems crazy. After all, the working assumption for decades has been that genuinely redistributive policies are so unpopular in the U.S. that they could only be smuggled past the American public if they were wrapped in some sort of centrist disguise. "Fee and dividend" instead of a carbon tax. "Health care reform" instead of universal public health care.

Only now it turns out that left ideas are popular just as they are, utterly unadorned. Really popular -- and in the most pro-capitalist country in the world.

It's not just that Sanders has won 20-plus contests, all while never disavowing his democratic socialism. It's also that, to keep Sanders from hijacking the nomination, Clinton has been forced to pivot sharply to the left and disavow her own history as a market-friendly centrist. Even Donald Trump threw out the economic playbook entrenched since Reagan -- coming out against corporate-friendly trade deals, vowing to protect what's left of the social safety net, and railing against the influence of money in politics.

Click Here to Read Whole Article


Bernie Sanders for President

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The seeming defeat of Bernie Sanders in the California Primary was unfortunate, but not unexpected. The fact that poll workers in California were told to foist NPP ballots on independents and Republicans who wished to vote for Bernie--ballots which I am sure would have remained uncounted and disposed of contrary to California law--together with the Associated Press's announcement that Hillary had, counting the super delegates (who should not voice a preference before the Convention, although many of them do), suppressed the vote sufficiently to make it appear she won. It's not over yet: those ballots are being counted, and a lawsuit has been filed to have all of the ballots--more than two million--counted .

Of course if she expects support from the hardcore Bernie supporters, the ones who began to beg him to run in 2014, she is whistling in the dark. I will vote for her, and I will explain why later, but only if the race between her and the GOP nominee--who by the rules should be Donald Trump, the man who would be Mussolini, but I have my doubts--is very close here in Colorado, and Bernie isn't running as an independent or the Green Party's candidate. Otherwise, Jill Stein has my vote.

Why do I have such enmity towards Hillary Clinton. First is the fact that I hate dynasties: I opposed Hillary in 2008 on that principle alone. I oppose her now for that same reason. I remember the 1990's: the only good thing to say about them is they weren't the 1980's. If you don't believe me, I suggest you go out and pick up a copy of Thomas Frank's book Listen, Liberal, and read the facts. Welfare reform, the crime bill, prisons, the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, NAFTA: these were the actions of a moderate Republican, not a liberal Democrat. We have been so conditioned by the media and the reactionary Republicans that Bill Clinton was a liberal--and compared to them, he is--many of us have forgotten what real liberalism entails.

Second, Hillary is a neoliberal. This is a fancy way of saying she supports the continued destruction of the American middle and working classes, while supporting the continued growth of the wealth of our nation's top one percent. Neoliberism is inherently evil, by my definition that all evil begins when you turn human beings into things. George Monbiot pointed out the dehumanizing nature of neoliberalism in his article in Britain's The Guardian newspaper in April of this year, reprinted at Truthout.org:

"So pervasive has neoliberalism become that we seldom even recognise it as an ideology. We appear to accept the proposition that this utopian, millenarian faith describes a neutral force; a kind of biological law, like Darwin's theory of evolution. But the philosophy arose as a conscious attempt to reshape human life and shift the locus of power.

Neoliberalism sees competition as the defining characteristic of human relations. (This is called "Social Darwinism"--RJG) It redefines citizens as consumers, whose democratic choices are best exercised by buying and selling, a process that rewards merit and punishes inefficiency. It maintains that 'the market' delivers benefits that could never be achieved by planning.

Attempts to limit competition are treated as inimical to liberty. Tax and regulation should be minimised, public services should be privatised. The organisation of labour and collective bargaining by trade unions are portrayed as market distortions that impede the formation of a natural hierarchy of winners and losers. Inequality is recast as virtuous: a reward for utility and a generator of wealth, which trickles down to enrich everyone. Efforts to create a more equal society are both counterproductive and morally corrosive. The market ensures that everyone gets what they deserve.

We internalise and reproduce its creeds. The rich persuade themselves that they acquired their wealth through merit, ignoring the advantages--such as education, inheritance and class--that may have helped to secure it. The poor begin to blame themselves for their failures, even when they can do little to change their circumstances.

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Cases to be decided in courts and not through media trial: Chaudhry Nisar Ali

KARACHI: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan condemned the act of airing videos, termed the act illegal and unethical and asked the Sindh government to find out which investigating agency was behind the leaks.



The cases would be decided in courts and not through a media trial, he said in a statement issued in Islamabad.



Such kind of coverage weakens the cases [of the prosecution] instead of strengthening them.



But his announcement did not impress a senior PPP leader, who recalled that Chaudhry Nisar himself was going to commit such an illegal and unethical act when he threatened to make public Dr Asim Hussains interrogation video.



On Wednesday and Thursday, TV channels broadcast two video statements of former minister for petroleum Dr Asim in which he was seen levelling serious allegations against former president Asif Zardari and his foster brother Owais Muzaffar aka Tappi.



And on Friday, a 37-second video statement of Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker Minhaj Qazi was aired in which he implicated a former provincial lawmaker in the 18-year-old Hakim Said murder case.



Earlier, a video statement of Saulat Mirza, the convicted killer of former managing director of the Karachi Electric Supply Company Shahid Hamid, and another of Khalid Shamim, one of the three held suspects in the MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq murder case, have mysteriously made their way to the media.



Saulat Mirzas statement was aired hours before his scheduled hanging in March 2015 from his death cell in Mach Jail in Balochistan and as a result the interior ministry approached the president and got his execution postponed. However, he was executed in May 2015 and till to date no one knows who made the video and leaked it to the media.



In his statement, the interior minister said that the airing of videos of under investigation held suspects was an illegal and unethical act.



He said that the federal government was writing a letter to the Sindh government to launch a probe to know which investigation agency was involved in leaking the interrogation videos.



Mr Khan also said that the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority was also being asked to evolve a mechanism for curbing such incidents.



Reacting to his statement, senior Senator Saeed Ghani of the PPP told media men that Chaudhry Nisar should start the investigation from himself as it was he who first threatened to make public the video recording of Dr Asims interrogation as well as a report of the joint investigation team.



He [Nisar] should tell us as to who had given him Dr Asims video and how, he said.



On Dec 12 last year, a furious Chaudhry Nisar accused the PPP-led Sindh government of sabotaging the Karachi operation to save just one man and threatened to make public a video of Dr Asim and a confidential investigation report.



Mr Ghani, who is the PPPs parliamentary party leader in the Senate, believed that the interior minister himself leaked the videos and now he was moving just to save himself.



He said that it was ridiculous to ask the Sindh government to investigate as to who had leaked the videos since a similar video of suspect Khalid Shamim had been made when he was in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency, which comes under the direct control of the interior minister.



In April, Chaudhry Nisar had ordered a probe into the leaked video of Khalid Shamim in which the suspect alleged that MQM chief Altaf Hussain was involved in Dr Farooqs murder. However, the inquiry findings, if any, were yet to be made public.



A spokesman for the MQM termed Chaudhry Nisars statement an attempt to hoodwink the nation. Chaudhry Nisar is the minister of interior and Rangers are his subordinate institution. He knows well that the Rangers are releasing the video statements of under-custody suspects to the media at whose behest.



He said in a statement that Chaudhry Nisar had ordered an inquiry into the leaked videos of Saulat Mirza and Khalid Shamim but no one knew what happened to the two inquiries.
A recent graduate of Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy will have a chance to observe medical professionals at work when she attends the Congress of Future Medical Leaders at the end of this month.

Alejandra Deleon Ruiz was chosen by representatives from the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Sciences to attend the three-day congress in Massachusetts. During the congress, student attendees will hear from Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners, as well as observe a live surgery and learn about medical technology.

The congress is a program for high school students aspiring to become physicians or work in the medical field. Deleon said she was chosen to attend based on her GPA, volunteer work, extracurricular activities and a board nomination from members of the congress board.

In a press release, congress organizers said the purpose of the congress is to recognize and motivate the top students in the field as well as provide a plan and resources to achieve their goals.

Deleon Ruiz said she plans to attend Northern Arizona University in the fall to major in dental hygiene before pursuing a career in either facial surgery or pediatrics.

Its a long way to go, Deleon Ruiz said. My first step will be to finish my college diploma, and maybe shadow some people in the community.

She said she is most excited to observe surgery, as well as learn about recent advances in medical technology. She said the students will have a chance to speak with the person who received the first bionic eye.

Thats really interesting and something you would never get to see in regular life, she said.

She said she is also looking forward to hearing from the congress featured speakers, who include medical school deans, professors, medical researchers and leaders in the science and health communities.

This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially, Richard Rossi, the organizations executive director said in a statement.

Deleon Ruiz said she was shocked to learn she was nominated after moving to the United States only two years ago.

When I read the letter with my parents, we were super happy and also honored, she said.

Deleon Ruiz said she wanted to use the opportunity she was given to encourage others to pursue their dreams, even those that might seem distant or difficult.

I feel a responsibility to inspire other people, she said.
Near Santa Barbara, the so-called Sherpa Fire in the Los Padres National Forest has expanded from two to six square miles (fifteen square kilometers), prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and intermittently shut highways

Tens of millions of dead trees, record temperatures in June and persistent drought can only mean one thing for the American West this fire season: it's going to be a tinderbox.

Experts are already predicting that Alaska and the Southwest will be hit hard by fires, while California could see its worst season yet.

"Many areas of California are still in severe and exceptional drought," Daniel Berlant, spokesman for state firefighting agency Cal Fire told AFP.

"Over the past couple months, wildfire activity has quickly increased," he said.

Across the United States, approximately 3,280 square miles (8,500 square kilometers) have gone up in flames since the beginning of the year, including land burned by the 10 major fires currently raging (four of which are in the southwest states of Arizona and New Mexico).

Near Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles, the so-called Sherpa fire in the Los Padres National Forest is raging full speed, fanned by strong winds.

Thursday to Friday, it spread from two to six square miles, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and intermittently shut highways.

The fire is the tourist region's largest since 2009, a Santa Barbara spokeswoman said.

Nearly 270 buildings have been threatened, hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate and 1,230 firefighters have battled the flames.

Firefighters battle an expanding wildfire, the Sherpa Fire, near Santa Barbara, California on June 17, 2016

At the top of Northern California, the Pony Fire has burned some four square miles.

And two weeks ago, a separate blaze forced the evacuation of 5,000 people in an affluent suburb of Los Angeles home to a number of celebrities, including Jessica Simpson and members of the Kardashian family.

Fire-prone

After four years of record drought in California, the slightest spark can set a wildfire ablaze.

Forests, especially those in the Sierra Nevada, were put through the wringer, with 29 million trees deada number only compounded by an epidemic of bark beetles that eat the trees' roots.

California Governor Jerry Brown has even mobilized emergency funds for what he has called "the worst epidemic of tree mortality in its modern history."

The dead trunks lying in the forest are equivalent to fuel waiting to be ignited, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a Cal Fire spokeswoman.

Hills burnt from a wildfire surrounding a home on Ganelon Drive on June 5, 2016 in Calabasas, California, where some 5,000 people were evacuated from the brushfire which burned more than 500 acres near Los Angeles

Another major risk factor is the sheer heat, with temperatures not only poised to set new records but also becoming dangerous in the southern half of California in the coming days.

In Los Angeles, thermometers are expected to reach 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) and in Palm Springs, the number climbs all the way to 117 degrees Fahrenheit.

"We're only in June. If temperatures continue like this, it's going to make things difficult," said Tolmachoff.

The northwestern states of Washington and Oregon are also facing a drought. Last year, Washington state had the worst fire season in its history.

The primary fire season is in June and July, and two areas are watched particularly closelyAlaska and the southwest, according to the website of the National Interagency Coordination Center's predictive services program.

"As seasonal drying progresses, expect above normal levels of significant fire potential to remain dominant though at least early July," it added.

 2016 AFP
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The sandstone panel at V-Bar-V Historic Site is filled with a jumble of petroglyphs, etched into the rock up to 900 years ago by the Southern Sinagua who made their home in the Verde Valley's desert hills.

This time of year, the cliff face remains untouched by the sun until 12:45 p.m. when light cascades over its face, except for two parallel bands of shadow cast by rock outcrops.

The shadows seem insignificant until site volunteer Craig Swanson begins pointing to specific images  a zig zag line meant to be a planting calendar, two dancing figures and a representation of a leafy corn stalk. On the summer solstice, the shadows cast by the two rocks exactly touch the roots of the corn plant, land on the endpoint of the planting calendar and highlight the two dancing figures.

Those images, when uniquely linked by light and shadow, signaled this date to ancient peoples, a date with both agricultural and ceremonial significance. The solstice was the time to begin the final corn planting, the time when summer's monsoon season was near and the time to start preparations for the home dance ceremony, which ushered the katsina spirits back to their summer homes on the San Francisco Peaks, said Ken Zoll, executive director of the Verde Valley Archaeology Center.

Zoll calls the V-Bar-V solar panel the most complicated calendar in the entire northern Arizona area.

Across the region, ancient structures, pictographs and petroglyphs like those at the V-Bar-V site still mark the suns seasonal traverse across the sky.

They signal the equinoxes, the solstices, the start of their creators' religious ceremonies and important dates for planting and harvesting. Today, they intrigue local archaeologists and adventurers alike.

Designed to withstand the test of time, ancient solar calendars across the Southwest allow people today to experience parts of the world in a way that people experienced it hundreds of years ago, said Mike Campbell, owner of Canyonology Treks.

"It's no small feat," said Campbell, who recently traveled to a solstice marker at Petrified Forest National Park. Its not just a curiosity, it is in my eyes a scientific accomplishment. It takes the scientific method. It's observations, recording data and it takes foresight."

SUN TRACKERS

While they vary in their mechanism for sun tracking, northern Arizonas solar calendars share similar purposes  marking the beginning of religious ceremonies and indicating the times to prepare, plant and harvest crops like beans, corn and agave, said several archaeologists who study the sites.

Many of the region's calendars also contain common images like concentric circles or spirals that symbolize father sun," Zoll said.

Its clear the images were created by a people that didnt have the distractions of today, said David Purcell, supervisory archaeologist at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

They were there with dark skies and they had a lot of time during the day to observe how the sunlight moves across their realm. They were fully living in their environment, Purcell said. This is a good expression of how close they are to this environment in this time period.

WUPATKI SOLAR CALENDARS

Several individuals and groups around the region are searching for and studying these solar calendars. Zoll, for example, has documented close to 12 in the Verde Valley area over the past decade.

Purcell is leading another group of archaeologists with the Museum of Northern Arizona and the National Park Service. The group's three-year project aims to document thousands of petroglyphs on the rock faces of mesas deep in the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument. So far, the group has found at least one solar calendar where a spiral and eight discs arranged like a bunch of grapes have been pecked onto the rock face, Purcell said.

On the equinoxes, a dagger-shaped shadow cast by a natural outcropping slices through the center of the spiral. Then the day after the equinox, a U-shaped band of sunlight caused by the sun sinking behind a break in the mesa momentarily encompasses the bunch of discs.

The teams guess is that the signal of the equinox would have told people to start counting to the day when crops could be planted, Purcell said.

The team has been using video and time-lapse photography to study that site and four other potential solar calendars at Wupatki since 2014. Next, Purcell said hes hoping to set up a camera that would film the dagger-and-spiral panel for a year to verify that the shadows occur only on the equinox and not more regularly.

HUNTING FOR SOLSTICE MARKERS

Purcell and others said finding and verifying solar observation sites requires some luck, patient observation and long hours of study.

Bryan Bates, a professor emeritus at Coconino Community College, has spent more than 30 years scouting out different sites, watching how light and shadow interact on certain dates.

Serendipity has a great deal to do with it, Bates said. Then if a place looks interesting, confirming its use as a solar calendar requires finding evidence it was a place of cultural significance, which Bates said means going through archaeological records at places like the Museum of Northern Arizona and Cline Library.

Unequivocally verifying that a site is in fact a solar calendar isnt a simple or defined process, Purcell said.

There's a lot of arguing that goes on, he said. We're finding there is no set standard or seal of approval.

When the ancient Pueblo people abandoned the area, they took with them the only absolute knowledge of the images meaning, said Jim Wilson, a volunteer at the V-Bar-V Heritage Site, said.

It will never be fully discovered again, he said.
Our agency has provided hot nutritious meals to seniors in the Williams area for the last 20 years, said Coconino County Supervisor, Matt Ryan, who represents Williams. The grant from the Arizona Community Foundation will give us additional resources to ensure that both the congregate meals at the Williams Senior Center as well as the home delivered meals will continue to be provided to our most vulnerable citizens.
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A heat wave is fueling wildfire activity in northern Arizona.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Saturday that the Bert fire on the Kaibab National Forest near Valle was showing a substantial increase in activity. The lightning-caused fire had reached to 3,852 acres by late Saturday morning and was only 1 percent contained.

The Forest Service is expecting it to grow considerably with rising temperatures and low humidity over the next few days. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning through 8 p.m. Wednesday for areas below 4,000 feet in the Grand Canyon, which is expected to hit 110 degrees at Phantom Ranch by Tuesday.

Smoke from the Bert fire will be visible from Interstate 40, U.S. Highway 180 and State Route 64, as well as in the communities of Valle, Tusayan, Williams, Flagstaff, Parks, Spring Valley and Cameron. Southwest winds are expected to push the smoke away from nearby residential areas but some smoke could drift northeast toward the Coconino Rim at the Grand Canyon.

Meanwhile, the Wildcat fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon continued to produce light to moderate smoke. It had grown to 1,520 acres and was 20 percent contained by Saturday.

The U.S. Forest Service said an unauthorized aircraft in the temporary flight restriction area forced fire crews to temporarily shut down air operations Friday, which hampered efforts to battle the blaze. The hot, dry weather added to the fire activity.

The fire has not caused any closures. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon and all recreation facilities on the North Kaibab Ranger District are open for visitor use but the incident command team is urging drivers to use caution while traveling on State Highway 89A through the House Rock Valley area, around Jacob Lake, and at the junction of State Highway 67 and 89A due to fire-related traffic.

The fire started June 13 and was lightning-caused. Because it started in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness, crews initially had to fight the fire without mechanized equipment. The fire crossed into the Kaibab National Forest on Wednesday, allowing fire crews to use equipment like bulldozers and masticators to create fire lines, said Bill Morse, the public information officer with the Type 4 incident command team.

More than 230 fire personnel are assigned to fight the Wildcat fire, including engine crews, hand crews, air support, water tenders and bulldozers.

Fire and smoke impacts near the Grand Canyon are expected to die down as cooler weather moves into the region by the middle of next week.
Our laws restrict the distribution, sale and possession of devices or materials that are used to kill human beings indiscriminately and in large numbers, thank God.

Thank God because, even though explosives like dynamite has legitimate uses, imagine how dangerous our world would be if anyone could just walk into a store and buy it. We have a lot of unhinged and violent people in this country, people who bear and nurse secret grudges, people who walk around with a volcano of rage brewing inside.

We cannot make available to these disturbed people, even if theyve never broken the law, devices that would make it easy for them to exact revenge for their misery on many people at once. It is necessary and appropriate for our society to restrict and control access to explosives, as we do.

Thank God, too, that our federal laws restrict possession and use of chemical weapons and their chemical precursors, and that lists of these chemicals have been compiled and are carefully tracked. Imagine the chaos if you could just walk into a Kmart and buy Sarin gas.

In 1995, a Sarin gas attack in a Tokyo subway by terrorists affiliated with a Japanese cult killed 13 people. We have a clear interest as a society in restricting access to materials like this that are made to kill other human beings quickly and in large numbers.

But we cannot thank God for federal laws that protect us from the efficient killing ability of high-powered assault rifles, like the AR-15 family of guns, because those laws dont exist.

A man named Eugene Stoner, an ex-Marine and a sportsman, invented the AR-15 rifle as a lightweight, accurate and high-powered alternative to the clunkier Kalashnikov rifles. The U.S. military liked Stoners rifle, renamed it the M-16 and made it the U.S. militarys standard service rifle.

The disturbed terrorist who killed scores of people and injured scores more in an Orlando club used a Sig Sauer rifle modeled on the AR-15. In the wake of the massacre, Stoners family has told NBC news that Stoner, who is dead, never intended his rifle for civilian use.

Like hand grenades or land mines, the AR-15 makes it too easy to kill human beings to allow its general distribution. Its a weapon of war.

Every distinction is a matter of degree. A firecracker, an M-80 and a stick of dynamite are all explosives, and although a firecracker can kill, making firecrackers widely available to civilians is nowhere near as dangerous as doing the same thing with dynamite.

A sensible society acknowledges the existence of dangerous, disturbed people and seeks to keep lethal weapons out of their hands. Our laws are careful and restrictive about powerful explosives and noxious chemicals, but unfortunately, are lax when it comes to guns.

Not every murderous act can be avoided through gun control, but some can be. People can be killed in other ways  with knives or clubs or bare hands. But we can make it harder for the terroristic and the disturbed to commit mass murder.

Laws are the way we express what we find unacceptable. Passing stricter laws  the way weve passed stricter laws on drunken driving over the past 40 years  doesnt mean the prohibited behavior will never occur. But it does mean, as it has with drunken driving, that it will occur less often.

Arguing that gun control wont work because criminals dont follow the law is an argument for having no laws whatsoever.

In New York, a rifle like the one the Orlando shooter used would be illegal, because it had a detachable, high-capacity magazine. That made it possible for the shooter to fire many shots in a matter of seconds and reload quickly.

New York also has a more extensive background check for handgun licenses than Florida, which includes character references and allows police to interview an applicants friends and acquaintances. If that had happened in Florida, the Orlando shooter may never have been allowed to buy guns. Disturbing aspects of his temperament were revealed by friends and acquaintances, but after the shooting.

In the past, weve despaired of any progress being made on gun control on the federal level, no matter how many toddlers get slaughtered. But in this year of political surprises, perhaps something can happen.

Chris Murphy is a senator from Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were murdered at Sandy Hook elementary school by a deranged young man carrying a rifle modeled on the AR-15. Murphy staged a filibuster that ended Thursday after about 15 hours, when Republicans agreed to allow votes on two gun control measures.

The two measures involve banning people on the governments terrorist watch list from obtaining gun licenses and expanding background checks to gun shows and internet sales.

Its a step toward sanity. Someday, perhaps, we will go all the way.
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This call comes in the wake of the discovery that a Burkinabe contractor, Djibril Kanazoe, who has won a number of government contracts, gave President Mahama a Ford Expedition car as a gift.

Many groups have alleged that the gift was a bribe and raises conflict of interest concerns.

The minority in Parliament have already indicated this could be grounds for the impeachment of the president.

The acting executive secretary of GACC, Beauty Emefa Narteh told Pulse.com.gh that by taking on the principles of business integrity, commercial organizations will contribute to ensuring transparency in procurement and awarding of contracts.

We want to call on businesses to be mindful of the gifts they give out when they are engaging with public sectors. This ensures that there is much clarity with their transactions with public institutions. They should apply the principles of business integrity in their dealings.

Narteh believes that this will bring believability to the process and for competitors not to feel a need to also give gifts to steer contractual agreements in their favour.

[This will ensure that] there is healthy competition and there is fairness in procurement and people who go through competitive bidding will have no doubt about the credibility of the process. So that they dont think the other person who got it had influenced the process that is why they got the contract.

Responding to the development, the government said the car, although intended for the president, has been added to the vehicle pool at the presidency as per established convention and had nothing to do with the award of the contracts.
Figures from the Bank of Ghana reveal that 13.7 billion Ghana Cedis worth of mobile money transactions have been done in the first quarter of 2016 alone.

Again, total transaction for 2015 was 35 billion Ghana Cedis, representing 250% increase on 2014s total of 12 billion Ghana Cedis.

READ MORE: Mobile Money in Ghana Telcos to begin interest payments to mobile money subscribers

Addressing the issue on the floor of parliament, Dr. Assibey maintained that the Bank of Ghanas administrative guidelines on e-banking is not enough in preventing fraudsters from taking advantage of loopholes in the system.

He further added that operators have been flouting the guidelines of the Bank of Ghana without repercussions.

Currently, the guidelines of the Bank of Ghana have restricted total transaction per vendor to GHC2000 and GHC20,000 for the month. Yet vendors flout this.
The Acting Commander for the Manhyia Division Supt. Nana Dr. Nyamekye Adani Ameyaw told journalists weve gathered intelligence some few days ago that some people for whatever reason best known to themselves want to set the Kumasi Central Market ablaze.

The market which has recorded several fires in the past has seen a lot of traders lose properties worth millions of cedis. In the first half of 2016 the Central Market has recorded three fires.

Supt. Nana Dr. Nyamekye Adani Ameyaw said they have deployed both uniformed and plain clothed officer to the Market to tighten security there.
Speaking on Joy FMs news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday, the veteran journalists said he did not seen any linkage between the car gift and potential conflict of interest or corruption.

He described attempts to read meaning into the gift as bribery to the president as untenable.

He said if you read the story carefully relative to the commentary that was also companying the story, not by Manasseh but other commentators, I had not seen any establishment of the link between the car gift and the award of contract. I had not seen that in the story.

So for me the attempt to also read meaning into that as bribery to the president was untenable, he added.

Baako was among four panelists who were discussing a Joy FM investigation about how a Burkinabe contractor won multiple contracts after becoming friends with President Mahama.

The investigations further showed that the contractor was being considered for another contract to construct the Wa-Hamile road on sole-sourcing basis.

But on Thursday the Burkinabe contractor pulled out of the 82m road construction earmarked for him on sole sourcing.

Road and Highways Minister Insuah Fuseini said on Thursday that Mr. Djibril Kanazoe will no longer execute the new contract.

According to him, Kanazoe was invited to be selected for the purpose of executing the Wa-Hamile road but refused to partake in the tendering process without any reason.

The Burkinabe contractor Mr. Djibril Kanazoes based on his previous performance was invited to be a part of the contractors to be selected for the purpose of executing the contract.

Sorry to inform you that the contractor refused to partake in the process when the bids were available to be purchased, he said.

Fuseini said the bids were made available two weeks ago and that the tender was opened on Wednesday, June 15.

According to him, the contractor did not give any reason for his withdrawal.
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A Liberian Refugee, Mr John Konah alleged that sometimes officials of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Camp Manager diverted relief items donated to them by NGOs and philanthropists.

He said his queries about irregularities at the camp were often met with intimidation by the manager, Mr Martin Bannerman, who branded him as a trouble-maker and often reported him to the police for no wrong doing.

He alleged that UNHCR officials and the Ghana Refugee Board registered one Razak Alhassan as Maxwell Randy Johnson for him to benefit from the privileges as a refugee.

I was rather threatened with police action when I raised query about the issue, he said.

Mr Konahs allegation was corroborated by a Togolese refugee who gave his name as Wingo, saying he had once faced similar intimidation.

When contacted, Mr Bannerman, however, denied the allegations and said donations were supervised by the leaders adding that the accusers were known to be notorious for stealing and causing trouble at the camp.

Mr Bannerman alleged that Konah was a rebel in his home country, therefore, the Liberian Embassy was not willing to grant him passport to return to Liberia even though he had been given financial resources for repatriation.

Those two refugees think they are above the countrys laws and, therefore, do not want to abide by the rules and regulations governing the camp, he said.

He spoke about the challenges facing the camp and indicated that there were no sufficient medicines at the clinic, however, all the refugees had been registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme to access free medical care.

The Camp Manager said the refugees had been trained in employable skills such as batik and tie and dye making and hairdressing to supplement their income.

The UNHCR Focal Person at the Camp, who only gave her name as Auntie Rebecca, also denied the allegations and said some refugees had lost their status.

This is because they had been given financial resources for repatriation and local integration, but they were still hanging around and causing nuisance at the camp.

She said the law did not allow the UNHCR and the GRB to expel them from the camp thus encouraging them to misbehave.

The camp was established in 1996 and hosted about 900 refugees from 15 different countries including, Togo, Liberia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Congo Brazzaville and Pakistan.
He fought off competition from 25 other Chief Directors who were all measured against the performance criteria for public servants. Mr. Asoalla was adjudged the best-performed Chief Director, followed by Professor Thomas Mba Akabza of the Petroleum Ministry, Enoch Cobblah, Education Ministry, and Godwin Brocke, Chief Director of the Roads and Highways Ministry.

Prior to his appointment as Chief Director of the Power Ministry, Mr. Asoalla held the position of Director of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, where he later become the Head of Administration and Finance.

As his award, Mr. Asoalla took home a plaque with a citation presented to him by Minister of Roads and Highways, Inusah Fuseini.
According to him, statements from the partys flagbearer, Ivor Greenstreet on national issues are indicative that the party is determined to transform itself into a formidable force in the countrys politics.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Radio Gold, Kwesi Pratt Jnr who is a member of the CPP said: I think that today, the Convention Peoples Party is one of the most serious political parties in Ghana.

Check the statements which Ivor Greenstreet has been making on the economy and so on. I am not saying this because I am a member of the party. Everybody knows that when my party goes wrong, I will criticize it, he remarked.

He added that over the last three four months, check the quality of statement coming from the Conventions Peoples Party so people should take that party serious.

Mr. Pratt Jnrs comments come on the back of a statement purportedly issued by a section of the executive members of the CPP regarding the Mahama gift saga.

He stated that his checks from Mr. Greenstreet revealed that the persons who supposedly signed that statement were not members of the CPP.

The Central Committee of the CPP has not met on the matter. The CPP is not aware of any executive mandated to distance themselves from Ivor Greenstreet so how that statement came to be issued in the name of some executives of the Convention Peoples Party is baffling, he said.
Sheen made the big reveal during an interview on the "Today Show" in November 2015, which has led to a lot of backlash since then.

The "Two and a Half Men" alum made this new disclosure during a press conference in London while promoting Lelo Hex, a re-engineered brand of condom.

Speaking during the conference, Sheen said:

"I'm not dating, I'm spending a lot of time with my family. Right now I couldn't get laid in a women's prison with a handful of condoms. It doesn't give me a great opening line: 'Hey, I've got HIV - busy later?

"It is what it is, and I don't want to make light of it, but it changes the whole approach on it, because it's no longer about my interests and my folly, it's about the other person, it's about protecting them and just being open and responsible."

He adds:

"There's times when I think about, you know, what if? What if just those one or two times I didn't succumb to that awkward moment, or feel like, 'This is going to interrupt something passionate', and I had taken the time?"

Sheen seems to have found remorse although he has also managed to retain his comic side.
Local station, KPNX, reports that a source has revealed that the driver of car has been identified as Misty Lee Wilke and she had just discovered that the man was HIV positive.

Wilke reportedly called the police 30 minutes after the incident reporting the case to them and informing them that her boyfriend had just her he was HIV positive and laughed while he was at it.

She went on to claim that he had pulled a knife on her and used it to cut her arm, after which she had jumped into the car and driven without looking first.

The unidentified man reportedly sustained a severe head injury as well as a broken back but had survived the ordeal.

Wilke was later indicted by a Maricopa County grand jury on charges which include attempting to commit second-degree murder, fleeing the scene and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

So far, Wilke has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He noted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrivalfrom London, United Kingdom, where he went for a 10-day medical trip.

The President jokingly dared a journalist at the airport to take him on in a wrestling bout to ascertain his fitness.

You have seen me, you saw me when I was going, you can do the assessment by yourself, he said.

You can see me inspecting the guards of honour, if you want to wrestle me, you can do so, but you know Im taller than you.
Buhari left Nigeria for the UK on June 6 to rest and also see an E.N.T. specialist for ear infection evaluation, his spokesman, Femi Adesina , had said.

Adesina said in a statement that Buharis Personal Physician and an E.N.T. Specialist had recommended further evaluation of the ear after they had examined him.

Buhari had been diagnosed with Meniere Disease, a disorder of the inner earthat causes episodes in which you feel as if you're spinning (vertigo), and you have fluctuating hearing loss with a progressive, ultimately permanent loss of hearing, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear.
It was gathered the victim was riding on a motorcycle on his way from his plantain farm when he was allegedly shot dead by the herdsmen who resumed attacks in the area over the weekend.

Vanguard sources said Nwadei had unknowingly passed through a hideout where the herdsmen were holding hostage, an abducted lawyer and one other kidnap victim when he met with his untimely death.

Similarly, suspected herdsmen had on Friday, June 17, launched a deadly attack in Logo local government area of Benue State, killing about 10 persons and displacing scores of farmers.
The militants numbering about 100, and armed with guns and cutlasses, were said to have invaded the community around 11pm and started killing residents.

Among the victims was a technician, Waheed Buhari, aka Yah Alau, who was shot dead in front of his room, report said.

One of Waheed's children, Mariam, sustained bullet wounds.

It was gathered that the militants also shot dead a travel agent, Oladele Ogundare, who was said to be returning home in his car when the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle.

The assailants were said to have attacked a mosque in the community, and killed a Muslim cleric.

They also reportedly robbed and injured customers at hotels in the environs. More than 25 shops were also looted.

According to many residents of the community, the militants threatened to continue the killings when they return.

A resident said the assailants were suspected to be Ijaw youths involved in pipeline vandalism.

She explained that they were on a revenge mission as some operatives of the State Anti-Robbery Squad had killed two of the vandals earlier on Friday.

The whole thing began around 4pm on Friday. I was at the backyard of the hotel, cutting some weed when some SARS officers came in. They were shooting and ordering people to stop moving. There was confusion in the hotel, the resident who pleaded not to be named said.

The SARS officials did not leave until after three hours. They killed two of the vandals and took away the owner of the hotel, a woman.

Around 10pm, I went to urinate when I saw so many hoodlums coming from the waterside down the road. They carried sophisticated weapons and when they got here, they started shooting. They blew off the hotel windows and shot people dead. They killed two men here in Lapete village.

A friend of the electrician killed in Oke Muti, said the Ilorin, Kwara state indigene had tried to shut his door when the militants killed him.

He was going to urinate when the militants started firing. He tried to quickly shut his door, but it did not jam. They opened fire on him at the door step and did not stop until he dropped dead, the friend said.

Not satisfied, they entered his room and sprayed everywhere with bullets. Waheeds child, Mariam, that was in the room was hit. She is still at the hospital.

He added that the police recovered 15 corpses in the community.

The widow of the travel agent killed in the Ereko area of the community said her husband, Oladele, who worked on Victoria Island, had left for work in his car on Friday morning without any foreboding.

He gave me money for foodstuffs after dropping me off in front of a bank where I wanted to do a transaction. By 6pm, we spoke and he asked me to prepare rice for him that night, she said.

By 10pm, I called his line; it rang and he didnt pick. I tried it again at 12am, still no response. I called his mother by 6am that I had not been able to reach him on his two telephone lines and she promised to call as well. She also couldnt get to him.

It was this morning (Saturday) that I saw a crowd of people in my house. They said he was a short distance from home when he was shot dead. I cant believe this because we have barely spent a year in this community and this has never happened before, the widow said.

Confirming the attack, the Ogun State police Public Relations Office, Muyiwa Adejobi said only three people were killed.

Around 11pm at Ereko Community, Ogijo, some hoodlums numbering about 100 invaded the community and started shooting sporadically. Bullets hit one Waheed Buhari and his daughter, Mariam. While Buhari died, the daughter is still at the hospital. Two other unidentified corpses were found, making a total of three deaths, Adejobi said.

Information from eyewitnesses showed that the hoodlums were militants and they came from the riverine area."
The decision was taken at a two day retreat on constitution review, organised by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review, with the theme, Towards Ensuring Governance Accountability in Nigerian federalism.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Kabiru Gaya, said the essence of immunity was to guard some public office holders against any form of distraction while discharging their duties.

He said, there are three tiers of government and only two arms enjoy immunity.

See what is happening to the President of the Senate now. We are not saying the case in court should be stopped.

But even yesterday we read in the papers that there is a fresh case of forgery of Senate Standing Rule against the presiding officers and some other persons and all is to distabilise us.

The Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, also supported the proposal for immunity for all presiding officers in the three arms of government.

However, he argued that such immunity should be limited to civil offences committed by the officers.

According to him, for criminal issues there should be no immunity but for civil offences there should be immunity. Whoever it is that is involved in a criminal matter should be prosecuted.

The Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, proposed that all National Assembly members and Houses of Assembly members should be given immunity.

He explained that elected officers, who were saddled with the responsibility of ensuring good governance should be allowed to carry out their functions without any form of interference.

I propose that all principal officers of the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate, should enjoy immunity like the executive.

So all parliamentarians who have criminal cases can be invested but they should serve their punishment after office, he said.

However, the Deputy Senate Leaders, Bala Ibn N Allah, argued that Nigerians might misconstrue the proposal for immunity for the legislature to mean that they were arrogating so much power to themselves.

He suggested total removal of immunity from all arms of government, adding: `Let us remove immunity from everyone and let there be balance.

If you give immunity to everybody, a legislator may rape a lady and wait to finish his tenure before being prosecuted because he has immunity, he said.

In a similar development, the lawmakers agreed on rotation of governorship positions among different ethnic groups in states.
The director, Army Public Relations, Col Sani Kukasheka Usman, on Friday, June 10, announced the compulsory retirement of 38 army officers, saying the affected officers were retired "based on service exigencies and in line with the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004."

He said their retirement was connected to the role defence contracts which is being investigated by a Presidential committee and the 2015 general elections.

But some of the affected officers said they were sacked for being close to some military chiefs during the Goodluck Jonathan administration including the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Obviously, the new military establishment came with the mindset of doing away with any officer who worked closely with the former leadership of the service, one of the affected officers, did not want to be named told Daily Trust.

Thats why we were portrayed as villains in the eye of the press and the world at large, and surreptitiously removed from the system. This is rather unfortunate. We are not saying we are all saints; however, I feel we are not that bad. Of course, we are all humans who are bound to make infractions here and there. But, honestly speaking, the way and manner we were humiliated out of the army calls for reflection on how things are done in this part of the world, considering our contributions to the survival of this country in the last few years."

According to a document obtained by the newspaper on Sunday, June 19, the officers were compulsorily retired based on provisions of chapter 9, section 09.02 (a) of the Conditions of Service of the Army, which states that, An officer may, at any time, be removed from the service, be called upon to retire or resign his commission on disciplinary ground.

One of the officers however said most of them have decided to explore the option of appeal as provided in section 09.02 (e) which states that, An officer called upon to retire, resign or relinquish his commission shall, if he so desire, appeal to Mr President, the Commander-in-Chief, through the Chief of Defence Staff within 30 days to have his case considered.

I am not due for retirement. An average officer is always loyal to the government and the military establishment. And when any of them change, your loyalty must change automatically. However, as far as the new authority is concerned, every officer who worked under the previous system is disgruntled, the officer said.

Since their compulsory retirement, most of the officers had remained quiet due to their oath of military calling.

Those who broke their silence spoke anonymously and some through their families.

There was nothing like fair hearing before we were sacked. I was driving when an insider broke the shocking story to me. It was two days after that I got my letter, which did not precisely state the actual crime I committed, a lieutenant-colonel said.

Another officer said he was relieved of the duties due to his closeness to some people in Dasuki's office.

I gathered that they checked my call log and found out that I was communicating with someone in the office of the NSA. I never participated in election duty or arms procurement as they alleged. I was never invited to give my own side of the story, but I received the retirement letter, he said.

It was gathered that some of the sacked officers in the Niger Delta region and the volatile North-East zone.
He said the governorship candidate is "ready to hit the ground running."

Oshiomhole also described the primaries , which was held on Saturday, June 18, in Benin city, as the best organised by the party.

He noted that the process was transparent, while the delegates were well behaved and called for unity among party members.

He said that all the aspirants belong to one family and need to work together to ensure victory at the polls.

In his acceptance remark, Obaseki appealed to other contestants to join him in ensuring victory for the party in the September 10 governorship election.

Obaseki, who polled 1,618 votes to defeat 11 other contestants, said his victory is a collective one which requires cooperation of all to succeed.
Oshiomhole told newsmen after casting his vote at All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Saturday that such PVC racketing was not possible, given measures put in place.

The governor assured that the primaries and the main election coming up on Sept. 10 in the state would be transparent, fair and credible.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before the commencement of polling in the primary, Chairman of the Committee handling the exercise, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina, had announced that voting would be thump-printing against photograph of the aspirants.

Masari dissuaded delegates against taking photograph of their voting card, saying that "the interest of Edo should be the driving motive of those who want to be at the driving seat of the state.
The visit came only hours after the Syrian army and its Iranian-backed militias, which have been supported by Russian air power, lost several villages to Islamist rebels as they made significant advances in the countryside south of Aleppo.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebel capture of three villages from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - had caused significant losses among government forces and their allies.

The villages lie in a strategic area near a main highway that links Aleppo with the capital Damascus.

Government forces captured the area at the end of last year in a major offensive, assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian jets.

State media said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited an airbase in the coastal Latakia province on Saturday after his talks with Assad in Damascus.

Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped turn the tide in Assad's favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies, including U.S.-made anti-tank missiles.

Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks.

An escalation in Russian and Syrian air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around a highway to rebel held parts of the northern city of Aleppo has made the road virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people under siege and worsening their humanitarian plight.

A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting, and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city.

At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, the Observatory said.
Finding Peace of Mind: Discover These Five Places in Europe to Unwind
When in his 1964 GOP acceptance speech Barry Goldwater declared that "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice," a reporter sitting near journalist/historian Theodore White famously exclaimed: "My God, he's going to run as Barry Goldwater!"

Six weeks into Donald Trump's general election campaign, Republicans are discovering that he indeed intends to run as Donald Trump. He has boasted that he could turn "presidential" -- respectful, respectable, reticent, reserved bordering on boring -- at will. Apparently, he can't.

GOP leaders who fell in line behind Trump after he clinched the nomination expected, or at least hoped, that he would prove malleable, willing to adjust his more extreme positions and tactics to suit a broader electorate.

Two problems. First, impulse control: Trump says what he actually feels, whatever comes into his head at any moment. Second, a certain logic: Trump won the primaries Sinatra-style, his way -- against the odds, the experts and the conventional rules. So why change now? "You win the pennant," Trump explained, "and now you're in the World Series -- you gonna change?"

Hence his response to the Orlando terror attack. Events like these generally benefit the challenger politically because any misfortune that befalls the nation gets attributed, fairly or not, directly or indirectly, to the incumbent party (e.g., the 2008 financial collapse). And Hillary Clinton is running as the quasi-incumbent.

The textbook response for the challenger, therefore, is to offer sympathy, give a general statement or two about the failure of the incumbent's national security policy, then step back to let the resulting national fear and loathing, amplified by the media, take effect.

Instead, Trump made himself the (political) story. First, he offered himself unseemly congratulations for his prescience about terrorism. (He'd predicted more would be coming. What a visionary.) Then he went beyond blaming the president for lack of will or wisdom in fighting terrorism, and darkly implied presidential sympathy for the enemy. "There's something going on," he charged. He then reiterated his ban on Muslim immigration.

Why? Because that's what Trump does. And because it worked before. It was after last December's San Bernardino massacre that Trump first called for a Muslim ban. It earned him lots of opprobrium from GOP leaders and lots of support from GOP voters. He shot up in the polls, never to descend until he clinched. So why not do it again?

Because the general election is a different game. Trump assumes that the Republican electorate is representative of the national electorate. It's not. Take the Muslim ban. Sixty-eight percent of GOP voters support it. Only 38 percent of Democrats do. And there are approximately 7 million more Democrats in the country. (Independents are split 51-40 in favor.)

The other major example of doing what's always worked is the ad hominem attack on big-dog opponents. It worked in the primaries. Trump went after one leading challenger after another, knocking them out sequentially.

Hillary Clinton is a lousy campaigner but her machine is infinitely larger and more skilled than any of Trump's 16 GOP competitors. More riskily, Trump is now going toe-to-toe with a sitting president.

Barack Obama is no Jeb Bush. He's not low energy. He's a skilled campaigner who clearly despises Trump and relishes the fight. And he carries the inestimable advantage of the gravitas automatically conferred by seven and a half years of incumbency. Moreover, he now enjoys an unusually high approval rating of around 53 percent. Trump's latest favorability is 29 percent (Washington Post-ABC News).

It's no accident that Trump's poll numbers are sliding. A month ago, when crowned as presumptive nominee, he jumped into a virtual tie with Clinton. The polls now have him losing by an average of six points, with some showing a nine- and 12-point deficit (Reuters/Ipsos and Bloomberg).

This may turn out to be temporary, but it is a clear reflection of Trump's disastrous general election kickoff. His two-week expedition into racism in attacking the Indiana-born "Mexican" judge. His dabbling in conspiracy, from Ted Cruz's father's supposed involvement in the Kennedy assassination to Vince Foster's ("very fishy") suicide. All of which suggests, and cements, the image of a man who shoots from the hip and is prone to both wild theories and extreme policies.

Reagan biographer Lou Cannon thinks that the Goldwater anecdote is apocryphal. How could anyone (even a journalist) have thought that Goldwater, who later admitted he always knew he would lose, was going to run as anything but his vintage, hard-core self?

Same for Trump. Give him points for authenticity. Take away for electability.
It's been said over and over since last week's bloody attack on a gay club in Orlando.

"This was an attack on all Americans," say those in the halls of power, in the wake of a targeted strike against the gay community.

Nice words. Now prove it.

The Equality Act, which would expand the Civil Rights Act to cover gays and transgender Americans, has instead spent a year lodged in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the latter chaired by Iowa's own Sen. Chuck Grassley. The past decade has seen gay Americans belittled, isolated and demonized for political gain. Others lambasted their fitness to serve in the military. Just last year, roughly half the states in the country unsuccessfully argued in the U.S. Supreme Court that homosexuals are immoral deviants undeserving of the right to marry because, among other excuses, they can't reproduce. In recent months, the attacks on the LGBTQ community kept coming. Nameless predators will rape women and girls, should they use a bathroom that aligns with their identity, said many.

And now, the Republican-controlled Congress can't even bring itself to offer basic civil rights protections to a group who were targeted because of who they are. Both Iowa and Illinois tout such protections against housing and workplace discrimination, mind you.

This is the culture within which apparently self-radicalized Islamic extremist Omar Mateen operated when he decided the men and women at Pulse nightclub had to die.

American Muslims, too, are regular scapegoats of the fear and discrimination in America so often pitched as "religious freedom." Orlando police and the FBI are investigating numerous threats made against Orlando's Muslim community. A white shooter is simply some "deranged loner." A Muslim, well, he speaks for an entire religious sect.

Mateen was American-born, the child of Afghan immigrants who came to the U.S. when that country was assisting in the battle against communist Russia. And yet, somehow, the nativists contend his rampage justifies unconstitutional bans on refugees from war-torn Islamic nations.

This is our hypocrisy.

Cultural isolation has real, measurable effects on a community. Quad-City Times reporter Jennifer Dewitt, in today's edition, profiles Moline's Latino stronghold, the Floreciente neighborhood. It's coming back now, thanks to internal commitment and external attention. But for decades, Floreciente sat overlooked and ignored. Poverty ran rampant. Gangs took over.

This is what isolation looks like.

Last Monday's edition of the Times was supposed to spotlight Quad-City Ramadan celebrations, one of the most significant events on the Islamic calendar. Editors pulled the story, instead of running it in the same edition as the Orlando attack. We were afraid of tainting an article written to highlight a part of our community. Mateen's apparent sympathies with the Islamic State certainly influenced the judgment of our editors. It's in today's edition, but only after Quad-City Muslim leaders were asked about Mateen's murderous rampage. Such treatment is reserved exclusively for Muslims in this country. Stories about Christian churches aren't pulled after a Planned Parenthood shooting. We've since been introspective about this decision. Local newspapers don't operate in a vacuum.

Denigration, suspicion and downright hate has propelled American politics and policy for generations. The South fled the Democratic Party when President Lyndon Johnson rammed through the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Dissenters labeled the bill an assault on tradition, religious freedom and state's rights.

Those same red herrings come up day after day, sham arguments intended to preserve power and access among the few, while denying it to others based on race, creed or sexual orientation. And it's this thinking that has stalled the Equality Act in Congress and driven so much hate in the name of politics.

Make no mistake, the Orlando mass shooting was an attack on the gay community. In its wake, politicians from both sides spent a lot of oxygen talking about togetherness. Their words are hollow so long as the Equality Act continues to collect dust.
DES MOINES  Iowa Democrats solidified their support for Hillary Clinton as their presidential nominee, but questions remained after their state convention Saturday whether and how quickly Bernie Sanders supporters will join her campaign.

Clinton picked up 10 state convention delegates at the all-day meeting that drew more than 1,500 Democratic activists, and she will go to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia with the support of 29 of the state partys 51 national convention delegates.

She defeated Sanders 49.9 percent to 49.6 percent in the Iowa precinct caucuses, but when the convention was over, she had 56 percent of the national convention delegates to 44 percent for the Vermont senator, who will have 21 Iowa delegates at the national convention.

In addition to electing the national convention slate and filling party posts, the convention delegates were expected to debate a platform that called for, among other things, making farm polluters pay for environmental cleanups, local control over siting livestock facilities, expanding the bottle bill, funding the Iowa Water and Land Legacy, investing in underperforming schools, Pell grants for inmates taking college courses, tuition-free college, removing gender from drivers licenses and voter registration, a nationwide gun ownership database, comprehensive immigration reform and a single-payer health care system.

Unresolved, however, is whether the party will be united going into the general election against presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

I hope we come out of here with a sense of unity, said Danny Homan, a party vice president and president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61. I believe we have a presumptive nominee  and Im hoping after today we can unite because we have to stop Donald Trump.

That should be enough to bring the two sides together, Sue Dvorsky, a former state party chairwoman from Coralville, said.

I know many of the people in this room, and I know what they care about at base, and I do believe that being on different campaigns does not mean we are on different sides, Dvorsky said.

She doubts anyone who is backing Sanders because of his position on a living wage, social justice and the environment will either sit out the election or vote for Trump, whom she described as somebody who claims he doesnt believe in climate change as a theory and thinks the current minimum wage is too high.

Mike Carberry of Iowa City, who was a candidate for the Democratic National Committee, thinks his most of fellow Sanders supporters will back Clinton, but it might take a while.

For the Sanders supporters who have been through the wars before, they will understand they have to back the blue, get behind the winner, he said. So the party veterans will come across.

Carberry also thinks that the thousands of Iowans who Sanders brought into the process will back Clinton if he tells them to stay in the process and change it.

Its never been about Bernie. Its about the issues, he said, So I dont think youll find many Bernie people who will vote for Trump. What does he have to offer?

Phouty Keopraseuth of Des Moines predicted that for those super-committed Sanders supporters, it will be hard to get on the Clinton bandwagon.

Clinton expects Sanders and the rest of us to fall in line, but shes not reaching out, meeting us halfway, he said. Sanders supporters feel isolated.

On the other hand, Keopraseuth said, I dont want to risk America under a fascist president.

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin recognized the unity challenge, telling delegates in a message from Galway, Ireland, where he was attending a disability rights conference that he plans to work hard to bring Bernie on board.
State and tribal governments deserve a bigger say in federal coal policies, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke said last week while seeking to overturn a temporary federal ban on coal leases.

Montanas lone Congressman, told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources that the federal decision suspending coal leasing earlier this year was hurting state and tribal economies.

Leasing was suspended in January by Department of Interior, which contends the public isnt getting a fair royalty price for its coal. The department estimates theres a 20-year coal supply available without new leases. Its expected to take several years to establish a more equitable royalty rate, Interior estimates.

To undo the suspension, Zinke has proposed the Certainty for States and Tribes Act. In addition to ending the suspension, the bill directs the Secretary of Interior to re-establish a royalty policy committee from which state, tribal and energy interests consult the department. A state would need to have $10 million in leasing royalties annually to be considered for the committee.

This administration seems to be waging a war on coal specifically, and other natural resources, fossil fuels, and weve seen how hard hit Montana is as a result, Zinke said.

Zinke cited the loss of research databases at Montana school libraries because of declining coal revenue. In Musselshell County, commissioners are preparing for a $300,000 shortfall because of slumping coal taxes and the local school district is faced with paying for a $9.8 million construction bond as its largest taxpayer falters.

The Crow Tribe has cited lost coal revenue at its southeast Montana mine for a multi-million deficit in the tribal budget. Quarterly payments from the Absaloka Mine, operated by Westmoreland Coal Company, were off $1.2 million in 2015. The tribal government furloughed a quarter of its workers in January as a result.

For the Crow, there are treaties, the treaties specifically state that the United States will not interfere with their manifest destiny if they choose to mine their coal, Zinke said. The problem is, were getting in the way of a treaty. Either Indian tribes are sovereign, or theyre not.

Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., questioned the bills merits, both for reinstating coal leasing before Interior officials determine a more lucrative royalty rate for public coal and for seeming to allow states, tribes and coal companies a committee from which to override federal policy.

This legislation would make the committee effectively able to stop a regulation in its tracks if it estimates there will be negative economic impact,. As far as the Congressional Research Service can tell, this is unprecedented, Lowenthal said. Its very possible this provision could block critical health, safety or environmental regulations.

But the undoing of Interiors suspension of coal leasing was Lowenthals biggest concern. He said 1.8 billion tons of coal would again be eligible for lease at royalty rates Interior estimates have cost the public billions of dollars.

Mark Squillace, a professor of natural resources law at the University of Colorado Law School, said state and federal losses to under-calculated coal royalties exceed $28 billion. Leasing more coal before adjusting the royalty rate, something the government hasnt done in 30 years, just compounds the publics loss, he said.

We ought to recognize that coal is in decline, Squillace said. We need to manage that decline in a responsible way that can help coal-dependent communities transition away from coal.

The professors remarks didn't sit well with Jillian Ballow, Wyoming's superintendent of public instruction, who minutes earlier praised Wyoming coal revenue for financing 100 school construction and remodeling projects in her state since 2003. Coal revenues also cover roughly a third of Wyomings state budget, she said.

This bill is really a responsible way for states, tribes and the federal government to engage so that all Americans can benefit.

Earlier this year, Wyoming braced for a 9 percent hit to its state general fund because of a crashing coal industry. Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, estimated the state would need to cut $300 million or more over the next two years because of souring coal markets.

Mike Johnson, a union representative from Montana, told the subcommittee that federal management of public lands had cost him his job at a Missoula paper mill, apparently because of federal logging contracts, and now threatened his livelihood in Eastern Montana, where Colstrip miners and power plant workers were bracing for an unwelcome transition out of the coal economy. The power plant at the heart of the community is challenged by energy market prices driven down by natural gas, and climate change-cautious customers in the Pacific Northwest who no longer want coal power. Additionally, there are tougher federal pollution standards on the horizon that could shutter the older portions of Colstrip power plant built in the 1970s.

These people have lived there for generations and generations. They dont want to be retrained. They dont want to have to relocate, Johnson said. Most of them, the average age of coal miners is about 55 years old, theyre too old to retrain and start a new career. Theyre too young to retire. Its a very very hard situation to have your life turned around like that.

The subcommittee expects to mark up Zinkes bill by months end.
A new Rapid City store allows customers to dress as if they spent a lot of money, minus the outlay of a lot of cash.

Rapid Citys MODE Clothing Store celebrated its grand opening at the end of April at 1745 Eglin St., nestled between SmallCakes cupcakery and Qdoba Mexican Eats in the Rushmore Crossing Shopping Center.

According to owner Michelle Gibbs, the Rapid City MODE is the latest in about a dozen franchise locations that started in Fargo, N.D., in 2007.

MODE is a fashion overstock store specializing in upscale clothing, especially designer jeans, as part of the chains maxim, Designer Fashion, Closeout Prices.

Weve got a $218 pair of jeans right now, but nothing in the store is priced at over $50, Gibbs said.

She also emphasizes the stores ever-changing inventory, which includes tops and dresses along with jeans received in a couple of shipments each week.

Well only get six of each item other than the jeans, Gibbs said. And when theyre sold, well get something else.

Gibbs, originally from Dickinson, N.D., is a counselor. Her husband is also in the health-care field. With a young family to raise, Gibbs opened the store to have more flexibility in her work schedule, she said.

There is also a MODE shop in Sioux Falls, along with locations in North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina.

MODE is open seven-days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Call 605-791-1011 or see shopmodestore.com for more information.

New car wash

State-of-the-art technology and a catchy name: what more does a new business need to succeed?

Sudsy Bubbles Car Wash, a $2 million development owned by Dale Lesmeister, is now open 24 hours a day in downtown Eagle Butte.

An automated wash bay opened last summer. Three self-service stalls opened this spring, according to a news release from the South Dakota Small Business Development Center, which Lesmeister said greatly aided in bringing the project to fruition.

The car wash uses recycled water and features LED lighting. The largest bay will accommodate a semi-truck. The insulated pre-fabricated building from Gage Brothers Concrete in Sioux Falls includes a vending area offering washing supplies as well as snacks and refreshments.

Its definitely a nice boost for Eagle Butte, Lesmeister said in a news release. Its got all the bells and whistles.

Lesmeister spent several years planning the car wash to replace a smaller one in town. Weather and shipping delays slowed the project, he said.

Continuing in the theme of attention-grabbing names, he also owns and operates an automated laundry and vending business called Suds-n-Snacks in Eagle Butte.

Its doing great, he said.

Wall sees growth

The Wall Economic Development Corporation and the city of Wall celebrated ribbon-cuttings for two new businesses and the relocation of a third professional office in the community on Friday.

According to Cheyenne McGriff, WEDC executive director, the Wall Car Care Center takes the place of the former Wall Lube & Espresso Bar, located at 201 South Blvd.

New owners are offering car care, oil changes and tire service, but no more espresso, she said.

Vintage Soule Boutique, with salon and massage services and boutique with clothing, crafts, jewelry and furniture, is open at 115 6th Ave.

Its a pretty cool store, McGriff said.

McGriff said Vintage Soule and Farm Bureau Financial Services, which moved from another location in town, are the first new businesses to revitalize what is known as the Wall Mall.

She said the mall had sat empty and unused for several years, but is coming back to life under new ownership.
Friends say Peter Andersons contributions to a better Rapid City went far beyond brick and steel monuments standing testament to his talents in giving new life to old buildings.

Andersons work as president and owner of MAC Contruction, is evident in every corner of Rapid City and beyond. It's seen in revivals of the old Metz Bakery Building in The Gap, the Knights of Columbus Hall on Fifth Street and the Motor Service Co. building on St. Joseph St, and in restorations of the downtown Elks Theater and Windsor Block apartments.

Now those rejuvenated buildings stand as part of Andersons legacy after his unexpected death last week. Anderson, 51, collapsed while mountain biking on Skyline Wilderness Trail on June 11 and died at Rapid City Regional Hospital later that day.

Those who knew him are struggling to understand the loss of a man who gave so much to his family and community and seemingly had so much left to give.

The buildings are obvious things and are symbolic of how he was. Those buildings were cast away and he made them into something great, said Brett Lawlor, a retired Rapid City doctor who got to know Anderson as a fellow fitness enthusiast.

But he had a big impact in our community that a lot of people dont appreciate, because of the behind-the-scenes things he did to bring people together and work to make the community better, Lawlor said.

Anderson was active in Arts Rapid City, and served on the board of directors for the Rapid City Club for Boys, the Rapid City Planning Commission and the Downtown Rapid City Economic Development Corporation.

He really, really loved music. He made sure his kids had a thorough education in music. He understood how important it was for a healthy city to have a vibrant arts community, said Anna Huntington, who worked with Anderson on the Arts Rapid City board.

Anderson grew up in the Atlanta suburb of Chamblee, Ga., and earned an engineering degree at Georgia Tech.

After a stint in the Peace Corps, he attended Columbia Universitys School of Public Affairs, where he fell in love with fellow student Maria McCarthy of Rapid City. Their 20th wedding anniversary would have been on June 29.

Anderson bought MAC Construction from his father-in-law, Steve McCarthy, in 1997, and learned the art of rejuvenating older buildings.

Anderson combined his engineering background with a healthy dose of determination and built a reputation as a contractor unafraid of a challenge.

Pete understood the mechanics and the inner workings of these older buildings, said longtime friend Pat Tlustos, chairman and CEO of NWE Engineering.

Andersons death came as his family is already reeling from Marias ongoing battle with cancer.

They have four beautiful kids who are struggling with a terrible illness with their mom and now this, Tlustos said. I dont know how you put all that together.

No specific cause has been released, but the suddenness of Andersons death came as an additional shock because he seemed to be the picture of health, Lawlor said.

For someone 51, he would have been in the top five percent for someone his age from a fitness standpoint. He was just an incredibly fit person, exercised five or six days a week for ever since Ive known him, Lawlor said.

Its not anything we would have predicted.

Lawlor said Anderson was intensively competitive, yet uplifting to the people around him.

He was the first to pat you on the back when something was done. Universally at his wake, people talked about his big smile. That was a big part of him along with his overwhelmingly positive approach to life, Lawlor said.

Tlustos described Anderson as a 200-watt bulb in a dim room.

It wasnt just the family that lost, it was the community too. He was a shaker and got some stuff done, he said.
When Omar Mateen gunned down 49 people in an Orlando night club last week, many news organizations quickly identified it as the worst mass-shooting in United States history.

Many Native Americans quickly noted that claim ignored history. Still acknowledging that the pain inflicted by Mateen on June 12 at the Pulse night club is beyond comprehension, the Natives and other historians pointed out several massacres claimed far more lives.

I can think of 15 or 20 off the top of my head, said Tim Giago, the publisher of the Native Sun News in Rapid City.

It's important to remember the lives lost, he said.

Its a very powerful message, Giago said of being forgotten. Too often in the history of this country, Native Americans werent even considered to be human beings. They were shot down by the hundreds, like you would shoot an animal.

The Associated Press appears to have aligned itself with Giagos way of thinking. The international news service now describes Orlando as the deadliest shooting in "modern" U.S. history. The AP also published a list of "frontier bloodshed," describing mass shootings dating to 1857.

The list includes the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, when U.S. 7th Cavalry soldiers gunned down hundreds of Lakota men, women and children  making it among the worst mass shootings in American history.

Giago and a handful of other Native American leaders in South Dakota have expressed sorrow and frustration that the public appears to have forgotten what happened at Wounded Knee 125 years ago.

The government came and opened up their guns, and slaughtered 150 to 300 people, said Ruby Gibson, executive director of Freedom Lodge, a Rapid City based nonprofit that specializes in historical trauma. They stripped them down and piled them in mass graves. And that was that.

In its article, the AP also listed the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, where 120 people traveling on a wagon train to California were shot to death by Mormons as they went through Utah; the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, where a group of Colorado volunteer soldiers attacked an encampment of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, killing at least 200 people; and a 1921 white mob attack, burning a prosperous black section of Tulsa, Okla., to the ground. Shooting was widespread. It is estimated that up to 300 people were killed.

American history, said Chas Jewett, a Native American community activist in Rapid City, is full of violent atrocities committed by men with guns and other weapons of mass destruction, with fear and hate in their hearts.

Orlando's death toll is the worst by a lone U.S. gunman in the last decade. There were 12 people slain at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in 2012. Another 32 were killed in Virginia Tech in 2007. And in 2012, a man gunned down 20 children and six staff members at a school in Newtown, Conn.

'It's painful to be invisible'

Some will say Wounded Knee happened a long time ago, Gibson said, but the memory of the slaughter is still raw, contributing to a framework of historical trauma that lingers and reverberates across generations.

Giagos grandmother was a little girl on the day of the massacre, attending a parochial school 10 miles from Wounded Knee creek.

She saw the cavalry riding through the school grounds, Giago said. The students watered and fed their horses.

He remembers listening as a little boy to the stories of Lakota elders on the benches at the Wounded Knee site. Some of them were there that day. Sleep was elusive for those elders, Giago said, because their dreams were haunted by the sounds of children crying.

Collins "C.J." Clifford is the representative of the Wounded Knee district on the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. All too often, Clifford said, the message sent to Native Americans is to "get over" what happened at Wounded Knee  but thats never the message sent to the victims and survivors of other mass shootings.

Watching news outlets label what happened in Orlando as the worst mass shooting upset many in the Native community, Giago and Gibson said. They feel that all too often the place of Native Americans in U.S. history goes unacknowledged or is erased entirely.

Its painful to be invisible, Gibson said.

While the value of human life cannot be quantified, it is important to remember Wounded Knee and other massacres in their proper historic context, Giago and Gibson said. Giago noted that at the time of the Wounded Knee massacre, South Dakota was a state, not a lawless frontier wasteland. Gibson also finds it noteworthy that men in the U.S. military carried out the slaughter.

We have historical amnesia about those events, because a lot of them have been taken out of the history books, Gibson said. Consequently, we disregard the terrorism of the United States on its own soil.

Education is key if things are to improve, Gibson said. She says a comprehensive awareness is needed about how historical genocidal policies against Native Americans fit into the ongoing saga of gun violence in the United States.

I think that when news writers start writing about something and start calling it the worst, they need to think about the overall history of America, Giago added. They need to think about the indigenous people, who were here as the country moved West. We are part of that history, and too often were excluded from it.
As I watched the Tony presentations where the musical "Hamilton" was showered with honors, I could not shake the feeling that Alexander Hamilton and our nation's other founders would be worried that this glorious experiment in democracy was being overwhelmed by hatred.

It's not just the hatred of that maniac who, several hours before the awards telecast, had pretended he was an Islamic warrior as justification to massacre some of those whose alternative views of sex had apparently enraged him. As we all know, he chose a gay nightclub to target. He used a killing-machine assault weapon to spew his bullets and insanity and slaughtered close to 50 innocents who were just trying to have a night of fun. Going about our lives unmolested is, after all, what those who designed our nation seemed to have in mind.

Now, it's not unreasonable to worry if the political system they so carefully designed is beginning to crack, that more than two centuries later, too many of the ones we now elect to lead this government are not worthy of the honor.

Obviously, millions of Americans reacted in horror to what happened in Orlando, Florida, feeling overwhelming sadness for the victims. But we cannot overlook those like Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who tweeted the biblical admonition "A man reaps what he sows." This was interpreted as a belief that those who don't hew to his narrow and straight ways to love invite divine retribution. Patrick took down his message, but he has pandered to homophobia before, confident that a majority of the voters support him. How pathetic is that? How dangerously pathetic.

But then, how wretched is it that one of our two major-party candidates for president, Donald Trump, can't suppress his narcissism long enough to offer sympathy to the victims in Orlando. He chose instead to tweet: "Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance." Then he made things worse by suggesting that President Barack Obama was somehow sympathetic to violent Muslim extremists and even called on the president to resign. At a moment in history that called for calm resolve, he offered a pandering to his followers' darkest instincts. True to form, he repeated the hard-line anti-Muslim policies that are so appealing to his bigoted followers.

Our founders also might cringe at our obsession with another religion, not the one described in the First Amendment, but that Second Amendment one. In spite of slaughter after slaughter, the gun industry's lobbying henchmen are able to stifle even the mildest tightening of our regulations on their weapons of mass destruction.

Our founders tried to create a free society, but not one that was without controls. James Madison wrote, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." But we are not all angels. Many, like the Orlando shooter, are consumed by demons.

The framers of our Constitution realized that their democracy was fragile. The deadly violence is unavoidable in a system where hustlers take advantage of our precious liberties, particularly when the politicians utilize their right of free expression to take us down from the lofty, sacred ideals of our founders.
WASHINGTON | Months before the 1940 Republican convention nominated Wendell Willkie, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Theodore Roosevelt's waspish daughter, said that Willkie's support sprang "from the grass roots of a thousand country clubs." There actually was a Republican establishment in 1940, when GOP elites created a nominee ex nihilo.

According to Charles Peters' book "Five Days in Philadelphia," three months before the convention, Willkie registered zero percent in polls measuring public sentiment about potential Republican nominees. This was not surprising: He was a businessman  president of Commonwealth & Southern Corp., the nation's largest electric utility holding company  who had given substantial support to Franklin Roosevelt in 1932. Willkie had never sought public office and had not registered as a Republican until late 1939 or early 1940.

And he was not an isolationist regarding European events. Eighty percent of Americans were more or less isolationist, as were the three strongest Republican candidates  Ohio Sen. Robert Taft, Michigan Sen. Arthur Vandenberg and New York prosecutor Thomas Dewey, just 38 but favored by 60 percent in early 1940 polls. Herbert Hoover hoped a deadlocked convention would turn to him.

The Republicans' "Eastern establishment," however, was interventionist to the extent of favoring aid to Britain. The adjective "Eastern" was superfluous: Two-thirds of Americans lived east of the Mississippi (California's population was under 7 million) and the South was solidly Democratic.

The Republican establishment had power and the will to exercise it. As the convention drew near, "Willkie Clubs" suddenly sprouted like dandelions, but not spontaneously. Their growth was fertilized by Oren Root, a lawyer with the Manhattan law firm of Davis, Polk, Wardwell, Gardner & Reed, whose clients included the J.P. Morgan banking empire. Root began seeking support for Willkie with a mailing to Princeton's class of 1924 and Yale's class of 1925.

Another close Willkie adviser was Thomas Lamont, chairman of the board of J.P. Morgan & Co. Root's uncle Elihu had been a U.S. senator and Theodore Roosevelt's secretary of war. By opposing his friend TR's bid to defeat President William Howard Taft for the 1912 Republican nomination, Elihu Root helped to rescue the country from having both parties devoted to progressivism.

One of the few politicians among Willkie's early backers was Sam Pryor, Republican national committeeman, whom the candidate met at the Greenwich Country Club, naturally. Willkie's top adviser was Russell Davenport, managing editor of Henry Luce's Fortune magazine, which together with Time and Life made Luce, an ardent interventionist, a mass media power unlike anyone before or since. The April issue of Fortune was almost entirely devoted to praise of Willkie. Look magazine, second only to Life in importance, chimed in, as did Reader's Digest, which had the nation's largest magazine circulation.

On April 9, Dewey won a second of the few primaries  and Hitler invaded Norway and Denmark, with Belgium, Holland and France soon to follow. Willkie said he would vote for FDR over a Republican opposed to aiding Britain and France.

Willkie, "the barefoot boy from Wall Street," cultivated an Indiana aura, but had become a Manhattan fixture, and by 1937 his criticism of the New Deal had Fortune applauding his "presidential stature," and the letters column of the New York Herald Tribune, the Republican establishment's house organ, concurred. In May, The Atlantic Monthly carried a Willkie essay, in June it was the Saturday Evening Post's turn. In July, Time featured a celebratory cover story on him. Madison Avenue titans of advertising  Bruce Barton of BBDO and John Young of Young and Rubicam  joined the effort. Root would have a meeting for Willkie, "under the clock at the Biltmore," followed by another at the University Club or Century Club. Between May 8 and June 21, Willkie's support rose from 3 percent to 29 percent.

Willkie also was lucky: In May, the Taft man in charge of tickets had a stroke and was replaced by a Willkie man who would pack the gallery with raucous Willkie supporters, including a Yale law student named Gerald Ford. The Herald Tribune endorsed Willkie in its first front-page editorial and tens of thousands of pro-Willkie telegrams inundated delegates in one day. Delegates heard from their hometown bankers, who had heard pro-Willkie instructions from New York bankers. He won on the sixth ballot.

Willkie's nomination neutralized much Republican opposition to FDR's war preparations and was crucial to the narrow congressional approval of conscription. Willkie lost the election, but the coming war would be won. Time was, party establishments had their uses.
The drop zone was tiny and the winds were whirling, but that didnt stop the first step of a bridge building effort on Blodgett Creek.

It went without a hitch, said Bitterroot Forest trails foreman Steve Bull.

This summer, the Bitterroot National Forest plans to replace a sagging stock bridge about three miles up from what many consider the forests most popular trailhead.

Last week, the Montana Conservation Corps crew that will build the bridge across Blodgett Creek hiked up to the spot while members of the forests helitack team worked to package the nine loads of lumber and other materials that will be used to build the structure later this summer.

The most daunting appeared to be the 40-foot-long, 950-pound stringers that would be used to create the bridges base.

Bitterroot Forest helicopter manager John McKee screwed on rubber tires cut in half onto the bottom of the massive pieces of lumber in hopes of providing some protection.

The landing zone is kind of small and there are a lot of rocks right there, McKee said. Ive never done this before. Well see if it will help.

The type 3 helicopter used that day is based in Hamilton through the fire season. At the trailheads elevation and the days cool temperatures, McKee said it was capable of lifting up to 1,600 pounds.

Cool air is better for this kind of work, he said.

At the bridge site, the MCC crew and Bull had created a kind of sawhorse from a couple of logs for the stringers to rest on until work commences sometime in late July.

That pilot was very impressive, Bull said. He placed those stringers right down on the spot they needed to be. I was a little worried because the winds were kicking up and we were in a tight little spot, but he and the helitack crew did an exceptional job.

Without the use of a helicopter to transport the large stringers, Bull said it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to rebuild the bridge.

There is really no way to get those stringers in without a helicopter, he said. Theres no timber nearby that you could use to build the bridge either.

Construction work on the bridge itself is planned to begin about July 26. The trail will remain open during construction, except for those few times when the MCC crew is using ropes to swing heavy rocks or the stringers into place.

It wont happen very often and the wait shouldnt be too long, Bull said. It does take a little while when youre rigging up a 1,000-pound stringer and moving it into place.

During construction, people will have to get their feet wet to get across the creek.

People will have to ford the creek, Bull said. Its very flat and there shouldnt be that much water in the creek by that time of year. They will just have to peel off their shoes to get across.

Bull guesses that it will take about six weeks to complete the job.

Their plans call for enlarging the abutments in hopes that theyll last for several lifecycles of the bridges placed there.

Im estimating that were going to place 60 to 80 tons of rock into the abutments, Bull said.

Bull will be working with a seven-person MCC crew. They have been allotted four eight-day hitches to get the job done.

I dont believe its going to take us quite that much time, he said. We are fortunate to have these MCC crews here on the forest. They are fantastic.

The bridge is being paid for by monies allocated by the Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee. The committee allocates a portion of the federal payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) monies that come into Ravalli County for a variety of natural-resource-based projects.
Guwahati: Understanding the endless difficulties and financial limitations faced by the media persons, voices have been raised for a group life & health insurance coverage for the media employees including working & freelance journalists engaged with various media outlets of the city. The members of Guwahati Press Club emphasize on a participatory group insurance scheme where the beneficiary-employees, owners of media houses and the State government can contribute equally.

Need not to mention that most of the media employees based in the virtual capital of northeast India have no life & health insurance coverage. In regards to the health insurance coverage the statistics may go up to 80% (out of around 5000 media employees) who do not possess the facilities.

Moreover, the health care in present days becomes very expensive where the media employees often face hardship to undergo necessary treatments. The benefits, provided by the ESI hospitals, have much more limitations. So the financial constrains always prevent them from taking due medical attention, which finally deteriorates their heath

conditions.

A raw statistics indicate that 60% of Guwahati based media employees do not have any individual or group life insurance coverage. Hence the death of a media employee, where he/she is the sole earner, always brings distressed news for the family.

It may be mentioned that a group insurance policy as defined by the IRDAas group insurance guidelines can provide advantages of standardized coverage and very competitive premium rates. The policy will be issued in the name of a group and if one leaves the group he/she might entitle the continued coverage under an individual policy.

The proposed group insurance, to be operated by any recognized agency, would be open for everyone who wants to join the process. A beneficiary (media employee) will have to deposit his/her contribution directly to the agency, where as the owner/proprietors of both print & electronic media houses would pay according to the number of their beneficiary employees. The third part of the contribution would be provided by the government under its welfare scheme.

The ultimate modalities of the group life & health insurance and also the assigned agency may be finalized with the consent of beneficiaries. Relevant feedbacks are welcome and can be submitted at the office of Guwahati Press Club (Nava Thakuria, M-9864044917) on working days.
FILE- In this June 8, 2014 file photo, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, right, shakes hands with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, before their meeting in New Delhi, India. Photo: AP

NEW DELHI: India said Sunday that it was confident of winning Chinas support for US-backed efforts for its membership in a group of 48 nations controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters that China was not opposing Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, but that it has raised objections relating to criteria and processes.

An Indian Foreign Ministry official recently visited Beijing and held discussions on the membership issue and highlighted Indias track record in efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons.

Asked whether China was linking Indias membership of the nuclear group with Pakistan, Swaraj said Indias stand was that each countrys membership should be decided on merit. Pakistan, Indias archrival, also has applied for membership to the group.

India is not yet a member of the group and it has no say on the membership of any other country, Swaraj said. We will not oppose any other countrys membership, but would like it to be decided on merit.

She said India would succeed in getting Chinas support before the next meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group on June 23 in South Korea.

The group is focused on restricting nuclear proliferation by controlling which countries can gain access to technology used in making atomic weapons.

Only countries that have ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are normally eligible for membership. India hasnt, but has committed to some controls of its nuclear program under a nuclear cooperation pact with the United States.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to Washington, President Barack Obama came out in support of Indian membership in the nuclear group, which led other nations, including Mexico and Switzerland, to suggest they too were on board.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Following the formation of the 15-member Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) on Sunday, it is going to hold its first meeting on Monday.

Speaker Onsari Gharti expressed her belief that to be held meeting, which is scheduled to hold at Speakers chamber at morning on Monday, would be success to finalize the pending works of the committee.

A meeting of the parliament had approved the regulation regarding the formation of the committee after nine-months-long scuffle among the parties.

It is expected that the scheduled meeting on Monday would pave the way for hearing of the ambassadors and judges recommended for appointment.
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Here's who is on the ballot in Saline County

Advance, in-office voting is underway in Saline County, as voters in the 2022 general election have several options on who and what to vote for.
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 "Collateral Consequences and the Preventive State" | Main | Some highlights from Marijuana Law, Policy & Reform . . . for Fathers' Day(?) 

As reported in this post from a few months ago, a county judge had declared Alabama's capital murder sentencing scheme unconstitutional because it allows judges to override jury recommendations of life without parole and instead impose the death penalty. But, as reported by this local article, late last week an Alabama appeals court took a different view. Here are the basics:

An Alabama appeals court on Friday ordered a Jefferson County judge to vacate her rulings earlier this year that declared the state's capital punishment sentencing scheme unconstitutional. In its order the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals says the state's capital sentencing scheme is constitutional and told Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Tracie Todd to vacate her March 3 order in the pending capital murder cases of four men that says otherwise.

The Alabama Attorney General's Office had filed four petitions for a writ of mandamus asking the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to direct Todd to vacate her orders and allow the state to decide whether to seek imposition of the death penalty in those cases if it decides.

The cases involve Kenneth Eugene Billups, Stanley Brent Chapman, Terrell Corey McMullin, and Benjamin Todd Acton who were all indicted for various counts of capital murder. Chapman and McMullin are charged in the same case and the others in separate cases. Before their trials, the men each filed a motion to bar imposition of the death penalty in their cases and to hold Alabama's capital-sentencing scheme unconstitutional based on the United States Supreme Court's decision in January declaring Florida's death sentencing system unconstitutional....

Todd agreed and declared the capital murder sentencing law unconstitutional in a 28-page order. "The Alabama capital sentencing scheme fails to provide special procedural safeguards to minimize the obvious influence of partisan politics or the potential for unlawful bias in the judiciary," Todd stated in her ruling. "As a result, the death penalty in Alabama is being imposed in a "wholly arbitrary and capricious" manner."

The Court of Criminal Appeals, however, said Friday that the state's capital sentencing law is constitutional. "Alabama's capital-sentencing scheme is constitutional under (U.S. Supreme Court rulings) Apprendi, Ring, and Hurst, and the circuit court (Todd) erred in holding otherwise and prohibiting the State from seeking the death penalty in capital-murder prosecutions," the appeals court opinion on Friday states.

The Alabama Attorney General's Office established the prerequisites for the appeals court to issue an order to Todd telling her to vacate her opinion, the appeals court stated in its order. "Therefore, the circuit court (Todd) is directed to set aside its order holding Alabama's capital-sentencing scheme unconstitutional and to allow the State to seek the death penalty in capital-murder prosecutions if it chooses to do so.

The appeals court ruled that under Alabama's capital-sentencing scheme a capital murder defendant "is not eligible for the death penalty unless the jury unanimously finds beyond a reasonable doubt, either during the guilt phase or during the penalty phase of the trial, that at least one of the aggravating circumstances ... exists."

The court noted that Florida's law, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in January as unconstitutional, was conditioned on a first-degree-murder defendant's eligibility for the death penalty based on a finding by the trial judge, rather than the jury, that an aggravating circumstance existed. The appeals court also criticized the fact that the Attorney General was not given a the required notice that a state law was being challenged as unconstitutional and that Todd then didn't allow an assistant AG to speak at the hearing she held before making her ruling. Todd also had pre-written her ruling before the hearing, the court stated.

Judges Mike Joiner and Liles Burke concurred with the majority although they differed on some points in separate opinions. Both Joiner and Burke criticized Todd's order. Todd's order "contains sparse analysis on the application of Hurst to Alabama's capital-sentencing scheme," Burke wrote. "The majority of the order is devoted to the trial court's opinions regarding partisan politics, the effects of an elected judiciary, court funding, and the propriety of the death penalty in general," Burke states. "Additionally, the trial court extensively cites secondary sources, including materials from "Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty" as well as from the Web site of the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization whose attorneys are representing the defendants in this very proceeding." "In reviewing the materials that were filed with this Court, I find no mention of these issues," Burke writes. "Thus, I question whether the trial court's (Todd's) ultimate conclusion is based on its analysis of Hurst or on the trial judge's personal opinions regarding Alabama's death penalty."

Alabama's attorney general reacted to the ruling early Friday night. "Today's decision by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals is the first case to affirm under Hurst that Alabama's capital sentencing is constitutional," Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange stated in a Friday evening press release. "The Appeals Court vacated the Jefferson County Court's March order and thereby held that Alabama can continue to seek the death penalty in capital murder prosecutions."

It's unclear, however, how Friday's ruling might affect recent orders by the U.S. Supreme Court telling the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to reconsider the appeals of three Alabama death row inmates in light of the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this year striking down Florida's capital punishment scheme.
The fire that broke out at 29th and Mission Streets Saturday ultimately took more than 150 firefighters to battle it and burned through six buildings on 3300 block of Mission. As the Chronicle tells us, 42 people have been displaced by the blaze, which broke out around 2 p.m. and would not be contained until 6:30 p.m. (The number of displaced people has since gone up to 58.)

Employees at Good Frickin Chicken nearby said they heard an explosion prior to the fire breaking out, and that is now under investigation. The restaurant also helped out by feeding firefighters who spent hours tackling the inferno. Water was still being hosed onto the scene at midnight.

As KQED reports, no major injuries were reported but three bystanders were treated for smoke inhalation. Also, nine businesses were affected, including the 3300 Club bar and Playa Azul restaurant.

More tragically, some of the residents displaced were formerly homeless, and one family had previously been displaced by the 2015 fire at 22nd and Mission. 48 Hills focuses on the loss of affordable units caused by the fire, some of which were renting for $1200 to $1400 per month.

The Red Cross pledged to house the displaced within 24 hours, but many of them spent Saturday night in a temporary shelter.

Fire victims are transported to shelter overnight. Red Cross rep said no " plans to house them past next 24 hours." pic.twitter.com/er8Z0BGpJG  Mission Local (@MLNow) June 19, 2016



On the brighter side, ABC 7 found one displaced resident who was reunited with his two cats who he thought may have perished in the blaze.

A man who feared his 2 cats perished in the #MissionFire was reunited w/ them tonight. https://t.co/x4EoIeKEb8https://t.co/hJWIgtY6YJ  ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) June 19, 2016

Previously: Multiple Buildings Evacuated, Shelter In Place Ordered As SFFD Fights Five Alarm Blaze At Mission And 29th Streets
WARREN, Mich. -- During a visit to the Philadelphia Auto Show, 9-year-old Ed Welburn was spellbound by the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone, with its big fins and rocket-like front cones. Then and there, he vowed to become a designer for General Motors Co.

On June 30, he'll retire as GM's head of global design, a role that makes him one of the auto industry's most influential designers. He is also one of the industry's highest ranking African-American executives.

Welburn  the sixth design chief in GM's 108-year history  reinvigorated design at the company. After GM shed excess brands like Pontiac in its 2009 bankruptcy, Welburn gave the remaining ones a fresh identity, turning out bold, chiseled Cadillacs and elegant Buick sedans. If you look closely, you might see his nod to the Cyclone's tail fins in the 2010 Cadillac SRX.

Welburn, who joined GM in 1972, also is credited with pulling together GM's 10 global design studios  which had operated independently  and working more closely with engineers and marketers from the very beginning of a car's development.

"I firmly believe that the best vehicles happen when you have great collaboration between designers and engineers. If you don't have it, you can forget about it," he said.

Welburn still sketches every vehicle the company is working on, but doesn't share his drawings with his team  they still need to come up with their own ideas. For a high-ranking official in a cutthroat industry, Welburn is surprisingly soft-spoken and courtly. He favors tailored suits and cufflinks in an era where most designers are clad in jeans.

In his office overlooking GM's historic design dome  where every car has gone for final approval since 1956  Welburn says he feels like his work at GM is complete. He's planning a two-week spin through Europe in his new Chevrolet Corvette, one of the vehicles he helped design.

Here are Welburn's answers to questions from The Associated Press. They have been edited for length.

Question: Is it important to you that you were the first African-American chief designer at a major automaker?

Welburn: It's nothing that I dwell on or celebrate. It didn't take me long to understand the first week that I was here, there was a responsibility I had. Everyone wanted to know what I could do. I was representing more than myself, right or wrong. There's a certain amount of pressure that goes with that.

Q: What is your legacy at GM?

Welburn: I believe that we have created a culture in which design and engineering really work together. You have to have that in creating the fundamentals of the vehicles, the basic architecture. If you get great proportions, then it's much easier for a designer to style it. If you don't have that great proportion, then designers do some bad things to try to make up for shortcomings. I think a huge part of (my legacy) is the collaboration between design and its partners, as well as establishing this very powerful global design organization.

Q: Have you been able to attract design talent to Detroit?

Welburn: The challenge is attracting digital sculptors. They're very talented and it's a very limited pool. They're sculpting in the computer. They can create just about anything, and every industry needs them, including the film industry. So we're competing with them as well as Silicon Valley. Years ago it was very difficult to get anyone from California to come here. You create the right environment and they see what we're doing. It's not easy, but it's a whole lot easier than it was 10 years ago.

Q: Of everything you've designed or been in charge of here, what car is your favorite?

Welburn: There's so many projects I love for so many different reasons. The Corvette project, the latest C7. With this one, the average age of the customers was getting higher, sales were going down. We needed to make a course correction. It needs to be obvious it's a Corvette, but it needs to be obvious that it's a new Corvette. I decided since we had designers in studios around the world, to offer up to every designer to submit their idea. Ultimately the design came from the Corvette team, but it was fascinating to see how each one of those studios interpreted it differently.

Q: With new ways of powering vehicles, will designs change?

Welburn: It depends on the propulsion system. If it's electric, I think it can give us more flexibility, the ability to put a greater focus on the interior space and comfort. Autonomous vehicles, as well, will do that. At the end of the day, a beautiful vehicle, no matter how it's propelled, will win.
SIOUX CITY | Jeana Goosmann, CEO and managing partner of Goosmann Law Firm, recently attended the 8th Circuit Judicial Conference in Arkansas.

The event took place May 3-5, and included numerous top judges and speakers from around the country.

All judges and members of the bar nationwide were invited to register for the conference. The agenda included speakers, panelists, and social events, such as a bar reception.

Goosmann Law Firm has several locations in Siouxland.
JACKSON, Neb. | Pam Miller will become the director of industry and investor relations for Siouxland Ethanol LLC in Jackson beginning this month.

Miller will be involved in public relations for the company, as well as advocacy work for the ethanol industry.

Miller was one of the founders of Siouxland Ethanol LLC which was created in 2004. She wrote the business plan and was instrumental in the equity drive held in 2005.

Miller has served on the board of directors continuously since the plant's inception, serving on the audit committee as chair, as well as serving on the personnel committee. She has served as the board chairwoman since 2012 and will continue in that role, in addition to her new position.

I am excited to be more involved in the ethanol industry both locally, regionally and nationally," Miller said. "Siouxland Ethanol LLC is an excellent operation with a low-cost structure and exceptional employees. I look forward to creating a more visible presence for Siouxland Ethanol while, at the same time, explaining the value of ethanol as a transportation fuel."

Miller resides in Dakota Dunes with her husband, Earl. She previously served as dean at the College Center in South Sioux City for Northeast Community College and Wayne State College. Prior to that, she served as a Dakota County Commissioner in Nebraska.

Miller is a member of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and the South Sioux City Chamber of Commerce boards and is active in the community.

Siouxland Ethanol has more than 700 local investors. The plant produces nearly 70 million gallons of ethanol, 20 million pounds of corn oil and more than 160,000 bushels of distillers grains per year and buys more than 21 million bushels of corn from local farmers.

The company recently hired Nick Bowdish with N Bowdish Company from Carroll, Iowa, as president and CEO for Siouxland Ethanol. Bowdish will have day-to-day responsibilities for the operation.

Under Bowdishs tenure, the company has reduced its cost structure by 17 percent and has increased ethanol production dramatically.
SIOUX CITY | Identify a need and adapt. Thats been the key to Morningside Colleges Graduate in Education program since its inception half a century ago.

In fact, Glenna Tevis, the programs director from 1992 to 2012, said thats how the program started.

In the mid-1960s, word was going around that all teachers would be required to obtain a master's degree by 1970, she said. Although it never happened, Morningside reacted by providing a place for teachers to advance in education closer to home.

A proposal to bring a graduate program to Morningside was presented to faculty in 1966 and was ultimately approved by the board of education. Tevis said, however, that the program was only to be conducted in the summer so as to not take attention away from undergraduate programs.

The first classes began in the summer of 67 to a resounding response. That summer, 79 students enrolled in the programs paths that included majors in elementary education as well as English, history and math.

Year after year, the program changed to keep up with demand and trends in education.

Evening classes were added in 1968. In 1975, the college phased out English, history and math majors and added endorsements in special education throughout the late 70s.

In 1988, the state mandated that permanent licenses would no longer be issued, which led Morningside to explore satellite programs to reach more students. Through a companion teacher program with Area Education Agencies across the state, Morningside was able to offer courses to teachers in Ottumwa, Fort Dodge and Sheldon. The first off-campus courses were offered in 1991.

People shouldnt be penalized for living off campus if they want to get their master's degree, said Tevis. We were really serving people who were distances from major institutions.

She added that teachers could also obtain endorsements through the off-campus programs.

This would eventually open the door to technology and eventually online learning. Tevis said students away from the off-campus locations accessed classes through ICN classrooms in area school districts.

Our belief is that if you had a student that you have said, You can do this program, we owe it to them, she said. We saw a way we could link two people here, three people there. We used the ICN to do that.

It had its kinks at first. Tevis said the video feed would go out, or a class would lose sound. But it worked and, like with most things, an improvement followed.

Tevis said while she was teaching, she slowly worked in online learning amidst ICN classes. She saw students were excelling with online learning. Sometime in the late 90s, Tevis said she conducted her first class strictly online.

That was a scary semester, she recalled. But students seemed to really like it.

That step to online learning got the program transitioned to its current status as online only, which became effective in 2012.

Steve McHugh, who will teach special education at West High School next year, graduated from the program with a master's degree in 2009. He said the administration's constant eye on the landscape of education helped give him the tools needed to be a successful teacher.

"They're going to get you the skills you're going to need immediately in the classroom, not just in theory, but applying theory in practice," he said. "They really work hard to make everything that you do useful in your classroom."

Barb Chambers, current director of the program, said 1,500 students enrolled in the spring 2016 semester. Hundreds more are pursuing an endorsement. Those numbers reflect why an online-only education was implemented in the first place.

One hundred percent of our students are licensed teachers, she said. Its difficult for a teacher to take a leave of absence to go to college. This available anytime, anywhere is appealing for our audience because they are educators.

This year, the program celebrated its 50th year. The 48th graduating class, the class of 2015-2016, saw 332 students receive a master's degree and for the first year, the program had its own commencement ceremony.

Amanda Ragan Fink, who teaches special education in the Southeast Polk Community School District, attended the ceremony. Oddly enough, she said, it was the first time she had set foot on Morningside's campus.

"It was kind of a unique experience," she said. "I've taken classes here for four years and have never been here."

Ragan Fink began taking classes through Morningside to pursue a special education endorsement and eventually transitioned to obtain a master's degree. In that time, she was able to teach, get married and have children.

She said the ability to stay home while still attending classes was a perk of the program.

"I did everything online," she said. "It was awesome because I was able to start a family while I was getting my master's."

Thousands of students in Iowa and 16 other states have earned a master's degree through Morningsides program. Tevis estimates those teachers have reached upwards of 900,000 students.

Chambers said shes proud the program has had such a huge impact in Iowa and across the nation. While the constant changes in the programs structure have kept faculty and students on their collective toes, Chambers said they were necessary to help Morningside produce as many teachers as it has.

We need to be prepared for the next generation of teachers needs and wants, she said.
DES MOINES | The National Pork Board elected new officers at its June board meeting this week in Des Moines. Among the new officers are Steve Rommereim, a pork producer from Alcester, South Dakota, and Derrick Sleezer, a pork producer from Cherokee, Iowa.

Sleezer has been named the immediate past president, and Rommereim will serve as treasurer. Rommereim is also the owner, manager and operator of Highland Swine in South Dakota.

The elected officers will each serve one-year terms, and their new positions become effective on July 1.

The National Pork Board's primary responsibilities include consumer education and pork promotion. It is made up of 15 farmer-directors, who represent pork farmers across America.
DES MOINES | Iowa Democrats solidified their support for Hillary Clinton as their presidential nominee, but questions remained after their state convention Saturday whether and how quickly Bernie Sanders supporters join her campaign.

Clinton, who picked up 10 state convention delegates at the all-day meeting that drew more than 1,500 Democratic activists, and will go to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia with the support of 29 of the state partys 51 national convention delegates.

She defeated Sanders 49.9 percent to 49.6 percent in the Iowa precinct caucuses, but when the convention was over had 56 percent of the national convention delegates to 44 percent for the Vermont senator, who will have 21 Iowa delegates at the national convention.

In addition to electing the national convention slate and filling party posts, the convention delegates were expected to debate a platform that called for, among other things, making farm polluters pay for environmental clean-ups, local control over siting livestock facilities, expanding the bottle bill and funding the Iowa Water and Land Legacy, investing in underperforming schools, Pell grants for inmates taking college courses, tuition-free college, removing gender from drivers licenses and voter registration, a nationwide gun ownership database, comprehensive immigration reform and a single-payer health care system.

Unresolved, however, is whether the party will be united going into the general election against presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

I hope we come out of here with a sense of unity, said Danny Homan, a party vice president and president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61. I believe we have a presumptive nominee  and Im hoping after today we can unite because we have to stop Donald Trump.

That should be enough to bring the two sides together, Sue Dvorsky, a former state party chairwoman from Coralville said.

I know many of the people in this room and I know what they care about at base and I do believe that being on different campaigns does not mean we are on different sides, Dvorsky said.

She doubts anyone who is backing Sanders because of his position on a living wage, social justice and the environment will either sit out the election or vote for Trump -- somebody who claims he doesnt believe in climate change as a theory and thinks the current minimum wage is too high.

Mike Carberry of Iowa City, who was a candidate for the Democratic National Committee, thinks his most of fellow Sanders supporters will back Clinton, but it might take a while.

For the Sanders supporters who have been through the wars before, they will understand they have to back the blue, get behind the winner, he said. So the party veterans will come across.

Carberry also believes that the thousands of Iowans Sanders brought into the process will back Clinton if he tells them to stay in the process and change it.

Its never been about Bernie. Its about the issues, he said, So I dont think youll find many Bernie people who will vote for Trump. What does he have to offer?

Phouty Keopraseuth of Des Moines predicted that for those super-committed Sanders supporters, it will be hard to get on the Clinton bandwagon.

Clinton expects Sanders and the rest of us to fall in line, but shes not reaching out, meeting us halfway, he said. Sanders supporters feel isolated.

On the other hand, Keopraseuth said, I dont want to risk America under a fascist president.

Former Sen. Tom Harkin recognized the unity challenge, telling delegates in a message from Galway, Ireland, where he was attending a disability rights conference that he plans to work hard to bring Bernie on board.
LE MARS, Iowa | Stray bits of debris and the smell of wet grass lingered in Le Mars Saturday morning in the muggy June air. While the physical remnants of Friday night's storm were evident, one thing was not: discouragement.

Families, neighbors, and friends lined Central Avenue to watch the Ice Cream Days parade - but this joyous, all-American event was almost halted when a storm tore through the community the night before.

City officials declared a state of emergency in Le Mars after the storm, and city police officers indicated that nearly every street in the central area of town had wreckage blocking it.

Officials gathered Friday evening to discuss their plans to continue the festivities, and a decision was made: Pull together and do what needed to be done.

Thanks to the effort of the Le Mars cleanup crew, Ice Cream Days festivities carried on as scheduled, regardless of the amount of wreckage done the night before.

That effort included hiring private contractors to clear the roadways for the parade to take place. City crews also working throughout the night.

While it was reported that a large tree fell on the tent used for Art in the Park, one of the many activities at Ice Cream Days, the tent was back in business by daybreak.

All that remained at the opening of the Ice Cream Days parade were scattered limbs of trees on sidewalks and yards. The streets and Foster Park had been carefully cleared in order for all to enjoy the jubilee.

Carrie Gorden, who has lived in Le Mars for 24 years and attends the annual Ice Cream Days regularly, said the damage to her property was minimal. "Mostly branches in the yard," she said. "But I haven't been able to hear any news because the power is still out at my house."

While Gorden's favorite part of Ice Cream Days is Art in the Park, she and her grandson watch the parade with enthusiasm.

Expressions by Breanne is a shop containing an array of handmade gifts, greeting cards and crafts. Its first-year proprietor, Breanne Cedar, came to Le Mars from Larrabee, Iowa. "I got here about 8 o'clock this morning," said Cedar. "And (Larrabee) didn't get the storm that you guys got over here."

Ashton Newman, spokeswoman for MidAmerican Energy, said that by 3 p.m. on Saturday, 237 customers within the Le Mars area were still without power. MidAmerican rallied extra crews from across the Midwest to assist in restoring power not only to Le Mars, but to many parts of Siouxland.
LAWTON, Iowa | Donna M. Young always wondered if God was listening to her.

And if he was listening, why would he care about her?

Those were the thoughts Young had after being told she had stage 4 breast cancer and less than six months to live.

"I knew I had a terrible childhood that was full of abuse," she said. "Plus, despite being married to a pastor, I wasn't particularly religious as an adult.

"I just resigned myself that this was the end," Young said. "Instead, it marked a beginning for me."

Young details her personal discovery of God through prayer in the book, "When All Else Fails."

"When my cancer went into remission, I figured there was a purpose in my life after all," said Young. "I thought by sharing my experiences, I could make a difference in the lives of others."

Young will sign copies of the nonfiction "When All Else Fails" from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Caturra Coffee Roasting Company, 316 Floyd Blvd. She also will sign copies of her fictional book, "Redemption," during the event. A portion of the proceeds will go to the June E. Nylen Cancer Center.

"The Cancer Center was very important to me," Young said. "So many people are helped right here in the area."

I understand you began reading the Bible when you were sick, right?

"That's right. It was when I discovered there was a difference between reading the Bible and truly accepting the Bible. I'd sit at my kitchen table and recite favorite scriptures out loud three times a day. 'So then faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the world of God.' I needed to hear it from my own lips. It helped me as well as any drug."

You also began to understand the importance of prayer around this time.

"Yes, because prayer is a powerful force. and it gave me hope. Prayer is a direct line to God's heart. Does he care about? Yes he does. He wants to see you living a life of victory through faith and prayer."

What has been the response from readers?

"Everything's been positive. People say they like the book because it's not like reading a speech. I try to keep things real."
HOSPERS, Iowa | The end of the quasquicentennial parade on Saturday in Hospers may be a first for Siouxland: It celebrates a dog that died 116 years ago.

This is what happens when a marketing and sales pro gets involved in boosting his community. And so it goes for David Garrison, Hospers resident, and a dog and history lover.

The story of Watch is contained on two pages of the "Hospers Centennial," a 1991 history penned by the late G. Nelson Nieuwenhuis for his Sioux County town of 716, one celebrating its 125th birthday with a four-day bash beginning Thursday.

Watch was one of two dogs that belonged to Gerrit Draayom, a resident of Hospers in 1888 (three years before the community's official incorporation) and an employee at the Hubert and Palmer Grain Elevator, a business near the train depot serving the community.

Draayom walked from his home on the north side of town to the elevator on Jan. 12, 1888. Hector and Watch bounded along and snoozed near the elevator's stove while Draayom worked that morning.

The town pretty much closed for the day after a telegram warned residents of an approaching blizzard.

Draayom filed his reports and left the elevator as a snowstorm raged. He became disoriented while walking for more than an hour, unable to see or sustain himself in the bitter cold. He collapsed in a snowbank as one dog, Hector, ran ahead.

Watch, however, stayed with Draayom and clawed at his coat and face, scratching him hard enough to draw blood while barking loud enough to arouse him. Crawling behind Watch, Draayom reached the door of the depot and found refuge from the storm.

"The dog lived for 12 years after he saved his life," Garrison said. "And when Watch died, he (Draayom) built his gravestone and put it up north of town. He remembered the dog, the town remembered the dog, as it was a big story."

That humble stone, with the name Watch written at the base, was moved recently to a spot adjacent to the Hospers Community Center, while a new marker was set on the north edge of town to memorialize Watch.

Garrison made a banner to celebrate Watch's memory. He also has invited all sorts of residents to bring their dogs to the parade and walk with them at the "tail end" of the parade. He printed fliers with the story of Watch and will hand them out along the parade route.

"The parade will feature floats, tractors, antique trucks and autos, horse and dogs... yes, dogs!" Garrison noted.

The quasquicentennial in Hospers begins with a community supper at South Side Park on Thursday. That event gives way to a Memorial Recognition Ceremony.

Friday's highlights included a Tonic Sol Fa concert, an ice cream social and 10 p.m. fireworks.

The 10:30 a.m. parade on Saturday also features an appearance by the White Horse Mounted Patrol and a show by the group immediately after the parade. There's also a Meat Smoke-Off held throughout the day, a street dance, glow walk and more.

The 125th anniversary concludes on Sunday with a community church service, a pancake breakfast, a tug-of-war contest and a closing performance by The Hanson Family.

For information about the festivities, contact the City of Hospers at 712-752-8593.
In light of continued developments, primarily since 2008, there exists in these United States a Legal System which operates on a proved Two Tiered approach to justice rendered, which primarily benefits Democratic Elites and Woke Ideological Virtue Signalers, representing their co-dependent wards, to the expressed exclusion of normal hardworking American citizens: What is your suggestion in remedying this widespread injustice and, if not corrected, its existential outcome for our Constitutional Republic?

Complete overhaul the Department of Justice and their enforcers - the FBI - to reflect a far more honest justice system to keep patriots remaining calm.

Disband the FBI, and request that congress investigate all unethical and non patriotic practices to partially right the wrongs of a distrusted and politically weaponized "Department of Justice."
SIOUX CITY | Dale Lisle is 71. Aaron Lisle is 45. Darian Lisle is 18.

All three are members of the Siouxland Dive Rescue Team, the unit pressed into service whenever there's tragedy lurking beneath the water's surface.

This Father's Day, I ask the Lisles if any other family has three generations represented in this branch of public service.

"To be honest, I never thought about it that way," Aaron Lisle says, noting there are a couple of pairs of spouses in the local volunteer unit.

Three generations? That's unique.

Aaron Lisle, a member of the Sioux City Fire Department, joined the Siouxland Dive Rescue Team five years ago. He and his wife, Michelle, became certified to scuba dive for recreational purposes, a family activity they enjoyed, as did daughter, Darian, a middle schooler at the time.

When a friend mentioned the important work done by the Siouxland Dive Rescue Team, Aaron Lisle grew interested. He'd done some ice and river rescue work with the fire department, his place of employment for two decades.

He decided to volunteer and completed his first pool dive while training in December 2011. Two years later, he became president of the 18-member Siouxland Dive Rescue Team, which has searched for missing persons, vehicles and more in bodies of water that stretch across an 11-county region from Yankton, S.D., to Soldier, Iowa.

Dale Lisle retired from his job as Sioux City's city inspector in 2011. Looking for an activity to chew up some of his newfound free time, he joined the Siouxland Dive Rescue Team as a tender, not a diver.

"I assist divers while they're getting ready for a dive," he says. "And when a diver goes in, I handle the communication between the divers and those in the boat or on shore."

The communication means is a rope through which a cable passes, allowing divers to speak with one another as they crawl along the bottom of a lake or river, feeling for the missing object.

"If a family member is diving, I do not tend," Dale Lisle says. "Usually, there are two tenders and two divers, one of which is in the water."

Dale, who has been with the team for three years, recalls reporting to his first call, for a truck submerged in the Missouri River in early January.

The activity puts him at the scene. With Aaron involved, Dale would have been monitoring these situations anyway. So, he thought, why not become a team member?

Darian Lisle, who graduated in May from East High, became hooked on diving through the family's scuba experiences while on vacation. Diving in the ocean, with its clarity and fun, is much different than searching for a missing person in the Missouri River.

Still, Darian was undaunted and began training, leaning on her father for his know-how. She has since completed two training dives in swimming pools and will soon graduate to an exercise at Little Sioux Park near Correctionville, Iowa.

Darian, a right-fielder for the East High softball team, is currently one of seven women on the Siouxland Dive Rescue Team.

"We have police officers, a coffee grinder, retirees and students on the team," Aaron Lisle says. "We're always looking for divers. The thing is, people are often interested right away and then they learn about what we do."

At that point, too often, people politely decline. The work is demanding, both physically and psychologically, searching in the dark, working to stay at the bottom of a lake or river as the force of water tugs you toward the surface.

It's also expensive. It costs $3,000 to $5,000 for the gear to adequately equip one diver. Aaron Lisle notes how the local unit is always seeking grants and donations to help keep the team with its head above -- or, in this case -- below the water.

The rewards are worth the time and sacrifice, Aaron Lisle says. In addition to several memories of recoveries, he maintains a wall in the garage at home that displays sunglasses, cell phones, fishing lures and goggles, items he has recovered during his work as a Siouxland diver.

Beyond those "trophies" there's comfort on Father's Day in knowing he's giving of himself to his community service, and doing so with his dad and daughter, serving at his side.

Dale Lisle smiles and says he never saw himself engaged in this line of work. Darian Lisle, meantime, views her participation in this line of duty as a natural, an extension of her hobby and time well spent with Dad.

Darian will stay with the team as she departs for college. She's not going far, after all. She's heading to Morningside College.

So, her training will continue. Time well spent with Dad and with Grandpa.
SIOUX CITY | Even as he gets back to a focus of developing commercial properties in Sioux City and his Iowa Senate duties, Rick Bertrand may try again to unseat fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King.

Bertrand created political intrigue when he bucked tradition and decided to oppose 14-year Congressman King. Republican primary voters on June 7 overwhelmingly supported King, as he got 65 percent of the vote and led Bertrand in all 39 counties of the Iowa 4th congressional district. That win moves King onto the November ballot, where he will oppose Democratic candidate Kim Weaver.

In a Journal interview, Bertrand said getting 35 percent after spending less than $100,000 and being a candidate for only three months shows King is at risk in the 4th District, given what Bertrand said is ineffectiveness by the congressman.

Therefore, Bertrand said while it is unlikely that he will seek re-election to the Iowa Senate, he would not rule out seeking other elective office.

"To think I wouldn't look at other offices is probably naive," he said, chatting at The Grind coffee shop in Sioux City.

One of those could be the 4th congressional district position in 2018.

"Yes, absolutely. It will come down to where the state is at, where the district is at and where I am at," Bertrand said.

He added, "I hope this (loss) doesn't discourage others from stepping up and not being afraid to primary or run, because it is healthy for the process. If this refocuses Steve King for the next two years, hey, the process is working."

David Bierman, of Marcus, said he would like to see Bertrand run again.

"He is an excellent speaker and he has a tremendous amount of energy," Bierman said.

Bierman is a co-founder of Plymouth Energy, an ethanol plant in Merrill, and he has his hand in many other agricultural elements. He was unhappy with King for endorsing presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who doesn't support an extension to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard for corn-based ethanol.

Bierman said Bertrand likely learned the "eye-opener" lesson that he needed to launch his campaign for at least a year, to give time to make in-roads with rural voters.

"You've got to do it for more than a couple months," Bierman said.

Bertrand said some people predicted he would "run a scorched earth" campaign with attacks on King, but he's proud "I kept it on the issues." The two participated in one debate in Sioux City where the tone didn't turn testy, and Bertrand traveled 33,000 miles for his combined campaign stops.

Then the results rolled in June 7. Bertrand knew his loss before going to bed.

"I was at peace. I slept well that night," he said.

The next morning, just after 5 a.m., he went out and as "kind of a closure," pulled out campaign signs from properties within a 60-mile radius.

"I came home, had breakfast with my kids. Then, I switched gears, immediately. I've got plenty to do," Bertrand said.

In addition to his plentiful commercial development pieces, Bertrand said he will finish out his state senate term through 2018. He is one of the Senate assistant minority leaders and through November will help Republican candidates through the oversight of Leader Bill Dix. Republicans are aiming to move out of the minority in a chamber Democrats narrowly hold by a 26-24 margin.

Then in 2017, Bertrand said his key issues in the Legislature will be stand-your-ground gun legislation and income tax reform, which he said could have a substantial chance of enactment.

Bertrand said the fact that he took on King -- who got the endorsements of heavyweight Republicans such as U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, plus many state legislators -- hasn't impacted his statehouse relationships or reduced his effectiveness.

"The response from my peers has been very solid, supportive. They also see the bigger picture and they also know the experience I've gained is priceless," he said. "I don't believe at this point that I've burned any bridges with any Republicans. The response that I've got on the back side is that (I) ran a classy campaign and you gave people a choice."

Also endorsing King were Republican state Sens. Dennis Guth, of Algona, Mark Segebart, of Vail, Jason Schultz, of Schleswig, and Bill Anderson, of Pierson, who is Bertrand's roommate during the legislative sessions. State Sen. David Johnson, of Ocheyedan, who this month suspended his longstanding Republican membership, contributed to Bertrand's campaign and wanted him to oust King.

Johnson said "it would be unfortunate" if Republican state senators would spurn Bertrand for his run against King.

"He's been as effective as any of the elected members of the leadership team...He has a good track record in what he's done in and for Sioux City, both in the private sector and as an elected senator," Johnson said.

Johnson said he would support Bertrand in another primary contest to defeat King.

"There is too much blind loyalty to Steve King," he said.

Bertrand lost in his first race for the Legislature in 2008, then won Senate terms in 2010 and 2014. After the King primary loss, he stands with a 2-2 elective office mark.

Bertrand noted he campaigned on the fact that he would only serve two terms in the state senate. He said the only way he would veer on that decision is if it appears his departure would cost Republicans a chance to hold the Senate majority.
SIOUX CITY | Strong winds and thunderstorms ripped apart trees, downed power lines and knocked out electricity to thousands of residents and businesses in Sioux City and the surrounding area Friday night.

A storm storm system developed in southwest Minnesota and hit Siouxland at 9 p.m. It collided with a large system that pushed into the area from Nebraska an hour later.

Le Mars, Iowa, experienced a total blackout, and many other towns in the tri-state area experienced rain, hail, high-winds and shards of trees in the street.

Sioux City officials said the city will pick up branches and limbs from trees that were located in the city-owned right of way on Monday. They ask that the debris to be placed by the street.

Sioux City City Manager Bob Padmore said that tree debris that falls on a resident's property is their responsibility to dispose.

There has been extensive damage," Ashton Newman, a spokeswoman for MidAmerican Energy, said about the Friday night storm. "We had reports of winds reaching 70 miles per hour. It took down a lot of poles and wires due to tree limbs and trees falling on them."

The damage left 13,000 customers in the Sioux City area without power Friday night, and crews from the city and MidAmerican had restored power to about 8,000 customers during the night.

Power outages remained well into Saturday as more than 2,000 customers were still without electricity in Sioux City as of 6:30 p.m., according to the MidAmerican website.

Newman said they hope to have a most of the blackouts restored by early Sunday morning.

"We got the flashlights out and some kerosene lanterns, and just have been sitting on the couch," Sioux City resident Mike Nowlen said Saturday afternoon. Nowlen and his wife were without power at their home on the 3700 block of Pawnee Place in Sioux City since Friday night -- like many others. "We are afraid to open the fridge and the freezer. We are going to run up to the store and get two big coolers of ice and empty the fridge."

Woodbury County Emergency Management Coordinator Michelle Skaff said the rural parts of the county did experience some damage, but said the metro area took the biggest blow.

In addition, half-dollar size hail was reported in Hutchinson County, South Dakota, and quarter size hail was spotted in Kingsley, Iowa, the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls said.

The weather service said a flash flood did occur near Moville, Iowa, along old Highway 20 at 2 a.m. Saturday.

A fire was also reported in a home near Morningside College late Friday night after a tree fell on a power line and ignited the home at 2532 S. Mulberry St. Due to the large number of reports that poured in, the Sioux City Fire Department had not completed the incident report for for the fire on Saturday.

No injuries have been reported in the storm or its aftermath.

Padmore added the city had almost all the streets cleared from fallen trees or large limbs on Saturday.

Two city crews worked over night, and Padmore said a lot of additional employees jumped in to help.

"I think they are awesome. I was just telling somebody else they come in on a 90-degree day to help people with trees, and they come in during the winter to help people plow snow. They do a great job."

Newman said MidAmerican Energy had to bring in a pretty significant amount of backup crews to help restore power and clean up the damage from the storm.

Newman said in addition to additional MidAmerican Energy crews on scene, surrounding energy companies across the Midwest have arrived to assist, including crews from Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The late Friday evening storms disrupted the Awesome Bikers Night festival, which drew thousands of bikers and other visitors to downtown Sioux City. As a precaution, organizers cleared Battery Park, the outdoor venue for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, during a concert that was at least temporarily postponed.

The event continued as scheduled on Saturday.
Last month, I devoted my column to my automobile accident this past January. In that story, I alluded to the presence of my guardian angel. I remembered that my dad had the same response when discussing the injuries he sustained as a member of the U. S. Army in the Battle of the Bulge.

The column referenced the Armys 7th Armored Division to which Guy Wharton belonged. Within the week I started to receive a number of letters and emails from readers who shared stories with me about their guardian angel experiences. One of those letters came from South Sioux City.

Heres what the letter stated:

Your mention of the 7th Armored Division really struck home. You see, I too was in the 7th Armored Division in the defense of St. Vith. I did not know your dad and wonder in which unit he served?

So many thoughts came to mind, the most obvious of which was my surprise that not only are there Battle of the Bulge veterans still living, but one of them is next door to me and he was in the same unit as my dad. Lets remember that the Battle of the Bulge was fought nearly 72 years ago.

The writers name is Michael Furlich. He will be 97 years old on Sept. 11. You may recognize that name. Mr. Furlich is a frequent contributor to The Journal's Mini Editorial. I think hes a summa cum laude graduate of the Rudy Salem School of Letter Writing. Hes a little ornery, but gets right to the point.

Three weeks after my column appeared, I visited Mr. Furlich. I brought with me a picture of my dad when he was in the 7th Armored Division and also the shadow box full of dads military ribbons and medals. I hoped he would recognize dad. Sadly, he did not. Other than the Purple Heart, I had no idea what my dads medals signified. Thats because he wouldnt talk about the war. Its not like I didnt try. He just wouldnt answer any questions, and I didnt know why.

In the course of 90 minutes with Michael Furlich I had a better understanding of my dads reluctance to speak about the war. Mr. Furlich said he was fortunate because he was a communications chief for the 7th Armored. That kept him away from most of the bloody battles at the front. He said my dad was right in the middle of all the fighting. Ive seen all the movies depicting GIs in the dense Ardennes Forest trying to dig foxholes with snow up to their waists. Mr. Furlich says those movies were accurate. The American soldiers were fighting under horrible conditions. Some men froze to death. The cries of wounded soldiers filled the night as they lay dying and calling for their mother or their God. My dad saw it and lived it. He heard the cries of his buddies, but couldnt help. I understand why he didnt want to talk about it.

South Dakotan Tom Brokaw wrote of The Greatest Generation." Guy Wharton and Michael Furlich were part of that generation. Sadly, our WWII veterans are disappearing. Of the 16 million Americans who fought, less than 700,000 are still alive. We are losing an estimated 430 WWII veterans every single day.

It makes you stop and think about the unifying spirit of America back in those days. Men like Bob Dole and George McGovern. Two men who served their country in so many ways. Soldiers. Political opposites. But two great Americans with a common purpose. Politics be damned. Any chance we will see that sense of spirit in this country ever again? Highly unlikely given the poisoned state of our political discourse.

My dad was 30 years old and a father of two when he was drafted out of Nokomis, Ill. Mr. Furlich was a single man of 21 from Omaha. Decades later the stories of these two men come together. They came from different parts of the United States, were assigned to the same unit and answered the call from their country.

Thank you, dad, for your service to our country.

Thank you to my new friend and honored veteran, Michael Furlich.

And thank you, Mr. Furlich, for answering my questions.

Next week: Steve Warnstadt

Jim Wharton is director of marketing and fund development at the Siouxland Community Health Center in Sioux City. He is a former member of the Sioux City Council and a former mayor of Sioux City. He and his wife, Beverly, who is president of Briar Cliff University, have one daughter, Dr. Laura Giese, and three grandchildren.
Credit President Obama for finally using the words he has desperately tried to avoid during his presidency. He correctly called the mass shooting in an Orlando gay nightclub last Sunday morning, which killed 49 and injured 53, "an act of terror." It was, writes The New York Times, the "deadliest attack on a gay target in the nation's history."

Discredit to the president for avoiding linking the attack to ISIS and Islamic terrorism, even though the shooter, Omar Mateen, reportedly called 911 during the rampage and "pledged loyalty to the Islamic State." Jihadists everywhere quickly celebrated the carnage on the internet and, reports israelnationalnews.com, "...the al-Amaq agency -- which functions as ISIS's propaganda and media wing -- claimed that 'the attack ... was carried out by an Islamic State fighter.'"

The president used the tragedy to make another pitch for stronger gun laws. Does he believe that someone who claims to be on a mission from Allah would not be able to obtain guns and explosives illegally?

Mateen had been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's radar in 2013 and 2014, but reports The Daily Beast, the FBI "subsequently closed the case when it produced nothing that appeared to warrant further investigation." NBC News learned that Mateen traveled twice to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and 2012 "to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca," according to a spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Ministry of the Interior. Once again, we are reactive rather than proactive.

The pattern following these terrorist attacks is now familiar. First comes extreme caution in which we say very little and refuse even to speculate about what seems obvious, followed, after the fact, as in the Fort Hood shooting, which was dubbed "workplace violence," by an attempt to quickly change the subject. Next comes the obligatory news conference in which a quickly produced imam or "expert," speaking for the Muslim community, is trotted out to say that the latest incident has nothing to do with Islam, which is a peaceful religion, and that we should all embrace unity.

Omar Mateen's father, Seddique Mateen, initially claimed there was no religious motivation behind the killings, but The Washington Post reported the father "is an Afghan man who holds strong political views, including support for the Afghan Taliban."

Muhammad Musri joined law enforcement officers at the news conference in Orlando. He is connected to the Islamic Society of Central Florida, which is connected to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), an Islamic umbrella organization that some believe has ties to terrorist groups.

Muhammad Musri's mosque was even used for a fundraiser that collected $55,000 for Hamas. There is also a 2011 video of Musri in which he blames the United States for Sept. 11.

People like Omar Mateen are not so much "lone wolves" as "known wolves." But before law enforcement can legally act, it's often too late.

In wartime, certain liberties have been suspended in order to protect the country. This may be one of those times. Or should we wait until our enemies obtain a weapon of mass destruction?

Congress should declare war on all terrorist groups. Websites that promote ideologies that encourage terrorist acts should be shut down. No more mosques should be built in the U.S. until we gain an upper hand against radical Islamists. It does no good to say most Muslims are peaceful if you have no mechanism in place to act against or even identify those who are not.

On "American Idol," Randy Jackson would often say of a contestant that he or she was "in it to win it."

We don't appear to be in it, but our enemies are.
Pardon us if we are considerably less than excited by the choices for president facing American voters in November.

At a time of significant division, challenge, uncertainty and fear in our country, we lament the fact Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, two deeply flawed candidates weighed down by heavy baggage, are who and what our process produced.

We aren't alone.

According to a Fox News poll last month, 61 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Clinton and 56 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Trump.

The standard for unpopular presidential candidates has been Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980, but we have two new champions, Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducted the Fox News poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, said.

A Washington Post-ABC News survey released on Tuesday showed Clinton with an unfavorable rating of 55 percent; Trump, 70 percent.

ABC News said the poll "cements (Clinton's and Trump's) position as the two most unpopular presumptive major party nominees for president in ABC News/Washington Post polling dating to 1984."

A June 12 Washington Times story predicted the high negative ratings of Clinton and Trump will result in a record turnout of voters for the election.

Having a negative candidate, a disliked candidate, a threatening candidate on the other side, is more likely to inspire turnout, Jon A. Krosnick, a professor of political science, communication and psychology at Stanford University, told The Times. In general, we as humans are more motivated by threats than we are by opportunities.

So, in other words, in this key chapter of the American story, many of us will vote for who we view as the lesser of two evils? Hold our nose and vote for one because we dislike the other one more?

Not exactly an inspired foundation for the consequential election of a woman or man to the most powerful office on the planet.

Based on what we saw and heard during a shallow, largely angry and confrontational season of caucuses and primaries, we are braced for what may be one of the most expensive, nastiest, personal general election campaigns for president in American history.

Our fervent hope, however, is for substance from the fall campaign, something more from Clinton and Trump than slogans and slurs.

Here, in no specific order of importance, are ten of the many important questions to which we seek answers:

- We want to know more about why Clinton and Trump believe they are the right candidate and less about why they believe the other one is not.

- What core principles guide these candidates and how will those principles impact positions on policies? In other words, what do they believe, down deep?

- Who is most apt to apply informed, reasoned decision-making to our nation's problems?

- Who will possess necessary calm in the face of crises? In other words, who do we wish to see take the proverbial, inevitable 3 a.m. telephone call?

- Who we can trust?

- Who will seek to bridge, not widen partisan divides?

- Whose skin is thick enough, mettle tough enough and resolve strong enough for the immense burdens of this office?

- Who will "preserve, protect and defend" all, not just some elements of the Constitution?

- Who will protect the homeland and rally the world in the war against terrorism?

- Who will unite and lead us to a new "morning in America."

Some Clinton and Trump supporters are true believers, of course, but without question many Americans - Republicans, Democrats and Independents - look at both of these candidates with no small measure of trepidation.

At least for today, include us among the latter.
Tom Campbell

The checkout line was stalled and grew long. "What's taking so long," one impatient customer groused? Word passed down the line that the computers were down, the customer at the front of the line didn't have exact change and the beleaguered cashier wasn't able to calculate the difference between the cost of goods and the cash submitted without the computer.How well I remember my mother drilling me in addition and subtraction. She made flash cards for the multiplication and division tables we were required to memorize. Even at this advanced age I can still recite those tables from memory.Computers, smartphones and calculators appear to have replaced the need to know simple math skills, clearly evident when those devices aren't available or fail. Too many can't do basic math calculations, making it almost comical to watch the debate our lawmakers are waging over which advanced math curriculum high school students should employ.At question is whether to continue the integrated math concepts of math 1, 2 and 3, developed as part of the Common Core Curriculum, or return to the traditional instruction of Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II. Many don't like the Common Core, in part because they mistakenly think it a scheme concocted by Obama and Democrats. In reality it resulted from state superintendents' of education and governors who became increasingly alarmed at American students' poor math performance. Our legislature created the Academic Standards Review Commission with the implied intent of scrapping Common Core. After months of careful and thoughtful study that commission recommended leaving the English Common Core component as it was, while stating they saw some need for modification of math standards, but didn't have specific recommendations for changes.Now the legislature is trying to solve this vexing math problem and lawmakers are getting an earful from parents, students, teachers and others wanting them to choose the traditional or integrated solution. There's even the suggestion that they kick the can down the road and allow school systems to choose one or the other; perhaps even allowing them to employ both methods of instructions within the same system. That addition looks like 1 + 1 = 3, absolutely the wrong answer. One or the other curriculum should be chosen.Here's what we know. Tomorrow's jobs will require different solutions from our students. We believe North Carolina could have done a better job of preparing and implementing the integrated math curriculum that is such a big departure from the traditional way of teaching math. It is hard for students to grasp new ways of solving problems but the basic concept of a more integrated, rather than just a linear approach, should serve them well in the future. Too many math teachers now favor this approach after struggling to implement it. We trust their judgment.One conclusion that must be reached, however, is that we are not doing a good enough job in lower grades teaching the fundamentals of addition, subtraction and especially multiplication and division. Just as it is imperative that students learn to read so they can read to learn, without basic math skills any advanced curriculum will be difficult. If you don't believe it just stand in the checkout line when the computers fail.
IOWA CITY, Iowa | Birds were whirling around the outdoor Festival Stage on Thursday afternoon as actors rehearsed a scene from "The Fair Maid of the West." Sam Osheroff, Riverside Theatre's artistic director, sat under a large umbrella in the middle of the stage's 472 seats to block out the sun as he watched, and directed, actors.

Cast and crew have been rehearsing for weeks on the outdoor stage nestled between a tree-dotted ridge and the Iowa River, ahead of Riverside's first season fully outdoors in three years.

With a return to its circular outdoor stage the theater is presenting brash, adventurous and epic plays to once again draw people to outdoor theater in Iowa City.

Keeping alive the tradition of performing William Shakespeare outdoors in Iowa City, its first outdoor performance was "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" on the night of June 17. The play, originally published around 1607, about the time "Macbeth" and "Anthony and Cleopatra" were published, features vast ocean adventures, shipwrecks and wild narrative leaps, including a 16-year jump in time near the end.

Its second outdoor production, "The Fair Maid of the West," will start June 24. The play, set around the turn of the 17th century, during the Anglo-Spanish War, features massive naval battles  16 actors will be filling the stage for one of the play's central battles, said Wesley Scott, a Chicago actor performing in both plays  and a love story that crosses oceans.

"Sam has chosen a couple of shows that are freaking fun," Scott said as he sat with fellow Chicago-area actor Dennis William Grimes in an air-conditioned dressing room attached to the Festival Stage. "People should come out, buckle up and get ready for a ride."

With construction starting in 1999, the Festival Stage hosted its first performance in Iowa City in 2000. Built in a partnership between Riverside and the city of Iowa City, the construction of the stage meant that Riverside could host summer Shakespeare festivals, a cornerstone of theaters across the country, Grimes said. "Shakespeare's plays are meant to be performed outdoors because, in their day, they were primarily performed outside."

The stage was built in a fashion similar to The Globe Theatre, the circular, outdoor theater in London where Shakespeare premiered many of his plays.

"There's something about when you look up and you talk about the heavens, or the stars, or the wind, the rain, or the thunder, you're able to actually see nature, and it draws the audience's attention up to it," Grimes said. "In this case, you allow the majesty and splendor of nature to take over."

Riverside deeded the stage to the city of Iowa City by 2005. Flooding in 2008, 2013 and 2014 forced the theater to move outdoor summer productions indoors. In 2015, the theater decided to forgo outdoor performances for its summer season, instead hosting plays in its 118-seat theater on Gilbert Street. After discussions with the city throughout 2015, the theater announced that it would indeed perform outdoors again.

Rob Merritt, marketing director for Riverside, said the theater has plans set up if similar circumstances arise again. In case the road that leads drivers to Festival Stage is flooded, customers will be able to park in Upper City Park and be escorted down stairs that connect Upper City Park and Lower City Park, or be ferried to the stage.
LOS ANGELES  For the first time in 20 years, Disney officials have submitted plans to the city of Anaheim to build a new luxury hotel.

The project, which would be the fourth hotel at the Disneyland resort, is slated for a 10-acre parking lot on the west end of Disneys property. The proposed hotel would take advantage of a city incentive program that allows any four-star or four-diamond hotel to keep 70 percent of the bed taxes for 20 years. The tax represents 15 percent of the nightly rate.

The new 700-room hotel would be designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, the same designers and engineers who come up with Disneylands attractions, with construction slated to begin in 2018. The project should be completed by 2021, Disney officials said.

We are excited about our proposal to build the first Disneyland Resort hotel in nearly 20 years, park spokesperson Suzi Brown said. This new flagship hotel would create thousands of jobs and benefit Anaheim with more than $750 million in additional tax revenue over the next four decades, while helping the city reach its stated goal of attracting more high-end visitors.

The park already has two four-diamond hotels, the Disneyland Hotel and the California Grand Hotel and Spa. The Paradise Pier hotel is rated a three-diamond hotel by the AAA.

It has been nearly 20 years since Disney broke ground on the California Grand Hotel and Spa. The other two hotels were bought by Disney and either renamed or renovated later.

Despite the Anaheim incentive program, Disney estimates that the hotel will generate more than $150 million in bed taxes and property and sales taxes for the city over 20 years and $750 million in bed taxes over 40 years.

A theme for the hotel has yet to be announced, but the amenities will include a rooftop terrace, a rooftop restaurant, two pools and a water play area.
RALEIGH Government requires money to do its work.Anarchists disagree. But for the vast majority of us, the real debates involve, first, how much money government needs and, second, how government ought to collect that money. The rest of this discussion focuses on the second question.A recent Daily Journal described the "progressive nature" of North Carolina's flat income tax rate. It discussed how an increase in the standard deduction would make the flat tax even more "progressive."It's worthwhile to ask: How does a flat tax with increased progressivity address government's need to raise money? How does that option compare with others?Let's use a simple example. First, we assume that legislators want to collect $20 billion to fund a state's General Fund budget. Second, we peg the taxpaying population at 10 million people. Third, we assume the average taxpayer's income is $40,000. Fourth, we assume that the income tax will fund the entire General Fund bill. (None of these assumptions is meant to reflect facts about North Carolina.)How could the state raise its $20 billion?Perhaps everyone should pay the same bill. This option has the benefit of simplicity. Tally up the price tag for government, divide that total by the number of taxpayers, and you end up with $2,000 per taxpayer.This is called a "head tax." It's identical for every member of the taxed group.Is it fair? Some might say yes. But support for this type of tax tends to drop once people consider the impact on taxpayers with a wide range of incomes.A $2,000 tax represents 10 percent of the income of a household with $20,000 of income, 5 percent of the income of a $40,000 household, 2 percent of the income of a $100,000 household, and just 1 percent of the income of a $200,000 household. Those percentages represent the "effective" tax rates for those households.While each of these households is paying for the same group of services, the head tax takes a larger chunk out of the budgets of the lower-income households. It's a textbook example of a "regressive" tax.It's worth noting that no one in today's political debates makes a serious argument about instituting a head tax. In fact, one of the most common forms of head tax - the poll tax - is banned by the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.Among those making policy decisions in North Carolina, there's general agreement that those with more resources to pay taxes ought to pay a larger share of the tax bill.Those who earn more pay more. The question is: How much more?This brings us to the next option: a flat-rate tax. Rather than assess every taxpayer $2,000, apply one tax rate to income at all levels. We've noted above that the average taxpayer in our example earns $40,000 and that a $2,000 tax equals 5 percent of that taxpayer's income.Apply a flat-rate income tax of 5 percent to every taxpayer, and you'll generate the $20 billion for the General Fund. The $20,000 household pays $1,000. The $40,000 household pays $2,000. The $100,000 household pays $5,000. The $200,000 household pays $10,000. A household with $1 million in taxable income would pay $50,000.Once again, it's important to note that each taxpayer is paying for the same bundle of government services. But the share of the bill assigned to those with higher incomes is larger. Note the 50-1 difference in the bill between the $1 million taxpayer and the $20,000 taxpayer. It mirrors the 50-1 difference in their incomes.Leaving our example for a moment, it's worth noting that the flat-rate tax's real-world implications are even more generous to lower-income households. While all taxpayers have access to public roads and police protection, many government programs are designed specifically to serve those with lower incomes. Requiring higher-income households to pay larger tax bills essentially transfers income from one household to another.This is why it's misleading for a politician or pundit to argue against a flat-rate tax by saying those with higher incomes ought to pay more . Those with higher incomes do pay more - substantially more.And that's before factoring in a standard deduction, or zero tax bracket, that exempts a certain amount of income from any taxation.Even if you see the flat-rate tax as fairer than a head tax, you might argue that the $1,000 tax bill is a more significant burden to a household with $20,000 in income than a $10,000 bill for a $200,000 household.Proponents of a flat-rate tax, including members of the N.C. General Assembly, agree . That's why they have shown interest in exempting larger chunks of a household's income from any taxation. The tool for accomplishing that goal is the standard deduction.In our example, let's add a standard deduction of $10,000. That means the first $10,000 every taxpayer earns is taken out of the tax equation. Looking at the taxpaying population as a whole, $100 billion is removed from the tax base.To generate the same $20 billion, the flat tax rate would need to be roughly 6.7 percent. Our $20,000 household would pay $670 (an effective tax rate of 3.35 percent). The $40,000 household would pay $2,010 (5.02 percent). The $100,000 household would pay $6,030 (6.03 percent). The $200,000 household would pay $12,730 (6.37 percent). The $1 million household would pay $66,330 (6.63 percent).Note that the standard deduction adds progressivity to the effective tax rate: The higher the taxpayer's income, the higher her effective tax rate. It's also important to see that the $1 million household pays nearly 100 times as much tax as the $20,000 household ($66,330 versus $670), even though the ratio of household income is 50-1.Critics argue that higher-income households should pay an even greater share of the tax burden. But they can't argue that a flat-rate tax leaves no room for making distinctions between those with lower and higher income levels.
My love of bad taste is legendary in these parts, which is why I've been dying to see Jerry Lewis' super secret holocaust movie, The Day the Clown Cried, wherein a German clown leads Jewish children to the gas chambers. Hiyo! Lewis gave the film to the Library of Congress under condition that it not be shown until 2024. Other than short glimpses here and there (and a live staging of the script by Patton Oswald), not many have seen this poorly planned work, but thanks to internet, 30 full minutes have surfaced. Enjoy!

Using neural stem cells, scientists have shown that an aged hippocampus will accept transplanted brain stem cells. That means age-related brain degeneration can probably be reversed. And the stem cells needed might be feasibly harvested from skin cells. This is fucking nuts!

After six months in the International Space Station, three astronauts safely landed back on earth yesterday. British astronaut Tim Peake told reporters, "Best ride Ive been on ever.

Just when you thought cat owners couldn't seem lonelier: here comes cat wine! There's no alcohol in this fine feline beverage, just catnip, beet juice and a sad longing for human companionship. At least you don't have to get drunk by yourself anymore.

Yes. Americans Against Insecure Billionaires with Tiny Hands, a sexy new Anti-Trump PAC released their first ad last Wednesday, finally asking the question, "Just how big are Trump's hands, and can such a small-handed man really run a country?"

The End
RALEIGH Parts of North Carolina are growing rapidly. Other areas, usually but not always "rural," are stagnant or worse. What can be done to ease the economic challenges facing places that aren't doing so great?First, we must accept the obvious - if there were some easy cure to what ails rural North Carolina, then state and local government officials and community leaders would have acted long ago. There isn't, which is why we've been struggling to figure out what to do for many years.Rural areas typically are associated with farming, and there certainly is money to be made in agriculture. It's just that economies of scale apply in agriculture, meaning bigger is more efficient, thus making it difficult for small-scale operators of traditional farming to prosper. Agricultural productivity also is ever-increasing - farmers over time continue to get higher yields with fewer inputs, including labor.Agriculture will, of course, remain a key part of many community's economies, but it's difficult to see how it can fuel the consistent job growth needed to get a stagnant area's economy out of neutral.At least in a North Carolina context, rural doesn't just mean farming. Towns both large and small are interspersed every 10 or 20 miles among those fields. And the "rural" economic development challenge is really about keeping these towns vibrant.One solution that's been suggested - often - is tourism.There are a couple of problems with tourism as an economic development tool. To paraphrase "The Incredibles," if everyone is special, no one is. While you may think that your town has a lot to offer and is a great place to visit, lots of people in the next county over, and the counties beyond that, think the same thing about their communities. And while these places may have their own charms, they all can't be big tourist draws.Tourism is also seasonal and cyclical. There is always an offseason. And when the economy tanks, the first thing that people cut back on are road trips.The combination of retail, hotel, and food service jobs that make up the tourism industry are a great way for young adults to earn some money while gaining extremely valuable job experience. But "some money" is the key term, as tourism-related jobs tend to rest at the bottom of the pay scale. Indeed, the low-paying nature of tourism-industry jobs is generating some concerns in Asheville, which has based much of its local revival on tourism.At times, a variety of massive economic development schemes have been tried to invigorate towns and even regions. The results typically have been disappointing at best. There's nothing more soul-crushing for an area than having the next big thing turn out to be a small thing or even a complete bust, like the Global TransPark in Kinston or the Randy Parton Theatre in Roanoke Rapids.So what to do? Every community is unique, so one-size fits all remedies aren't available. There are some constants. though.Good government matters, meaning providing basic services efficiently. So does avoiding the opposite of good government. Nothing turns off potential investors in an area like corruption, dysfunction, or red tape.Transportation - which transcends county lines or city limits - is another part of the solution. Getting to and through the state's big cities is critical to rural areas. Aside from shopping and cultural attractions, the state's cities also contain its major airports. You must be able to get from here to there.Most of all, your community must be the best it can be, even if it can't keep up with Charlotte and Raleigh in income or population growth.
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Business travel is a balance of being safe while sticking to your plans, but its often difficult to know whether youre traveling as safely as possible. Therefore, its essential to keep safety a top priority when undertaking international business travel or domestic travel. Thats why this article is looking more closely at business travel, and specifically, business travel tips to help you travel more safely for work, including state department advice.

What is the Biggest Risk for Business Travellers?

With business, travel comes quite a few risks, so its important to stay aware and take extra care. For example, you might be traveling to far destinations with political unrest or other issues, taking sensitive or confidential information as well as expensive office equipment.

During business travel, its important to protect yourself and your belonging just as you would with personal travel. For females, its also crucial to seek out travel safety tips for women specifically to ensure youre feeling safe and comfortable before leaving and while in your destination.

Top Travel Safety Tips for Business Travellers

To help make business travel as smooth as possible, weve put together some practical tips to help you travel safely. While this isnt a complete list, these tips are a great starting point to help you plan a safe and productive business trip.

Read More: business travel tips

1. Purchase travel insurance

Business travel often means that youre traveling with sensitive information and office equipment. Purchasing travel insurance protects your trip not only in case of cancelations and delays but also the contents of your belongings while traveling to keep you perfectly safe.

2. Keep your important documents safe

When traveling for work, youre likely going to carry crucial documents  both personal and professional with you. That might include:

Passport

ID

Drivers license

Work clearance

Work visa documents/entry authorization

Contracts

Memos

Competitive research and/or product information

Keep your documents in your hotel room as much as possible, and use the safe for storing important information for when youve left your room to prevent any issues. Save copies of the documents on Google Drive for an extra layer of protection.

3. Keep an eye on personal belongings

Like your documents, keeping your personal belongings safe should be a priority. Use the hotel safe when possible, but also invest in travel equipment that has a protective element when youre out in the city. For example, a tamper-proof day bag or something like a messenger bag where its kept close to you can help keep your valuables safe when out of the hotel.

4. Dont put all your money in one place

Always separate your credit cards and cash when traveling. Generally, the safest bet is to keep some cash and one card with you and leave an emergency credit card and some cash in different bags like your suitcase and carry-on. This ensures that you always have some kind of access to emergency money and other valuables, even if youre in an unfamiliar destination.

5. Be extra cautious when traveling alone

There needs to be extra caution practiced on these kinds of trips for solo travelers. When traveling solo, take extra care to keep yourself and your belongings safe. Stay alert when out and about, and always trust your gut feelings  if something doesnt feel right, even if its as simple as eye contact for a little too long, walk away. Paying attention to your surroundings, particularly on public transport, is also crucial. Also, try to learn some of the local language and local customs beforehand.

6. Ensure you have access to emergency money

Emergency money is incredibly vital and in different forms. As mentioned earlier, make sure you divvy up your money and ensure that you have a way to access your accounts and transfer money. Test out local ATMs with small amounts with your card, and always keep a few bucks on you in pockets or bags -its better than not having anything at all.

7. Drink responsibly when traveling

Its tempting to go out in a foreign country, but if you are, drink responsibly  especially if its your first trip for work! Its easy to get carried away, and thats when someone will most likely try taking advantage of you. So keep your drinking limited to two or three, and stay aware of your surroundings when making your way back to the hotel.

8. Purchase a money belt

Try to keep a credit card with you that doesnt have foreign transaction fees as a backup so you can save money. Travel equipment like money belts helps protect your cash and credit card from thieves and pickpockets. You can place a dummy wallet in your pocket as a distraction and use a money belt to keep your important stuff, such as cash and credit cards, safe when navigating around the city.

Read More: international business travel

9. Invest in a travel lock

Another key piece of travel equipment for your business travel should be travel locks. You can use them for suitcases and bags during transit and have a locked bag while youre staying at the hotel. Travel locks come in different types, including a travel lock where you can set your own combination for extra security. You can use this in case youre traveling with pricy equipment such as expensive camera gear or even flashy jewelry.

10. Watch out for travel scams

Unfortunately, travel scams are pretty common in most parts of the world, and visitors tend to be easy targets. Double-check before you leave about what kinds of scams are specifically done so you can be aware. In addition, you can reach out to other travelers for safety tips and read up on blogs and travel experiences to understand what professional scammers are doing so you can avoid it.

11. Look for travel advisories

Some destinations are safer than others, so check any advice that might be out there before embarking on your next trip. Additionally, the State Department and other government bodies often post-travel advice depending on political, economic, or weather conditions that are work checking out before you solidify your travel plans.

12. Note down your local embassy contact details

Whenever youre in a new country, always do some research on the nearest embassy. When unexpected circumstances come up, such as political issues, a stolen passport, or other emergencies, your countrys embassy can help you with the situation and provide safety information.

13. Write down numbers for emergency services

Following the last point, one of the most important travel tips is also researching emergency services. It would be best if you have emergency info on hand for the country youre visiting. That includes locating the nearing police station, your credit card company phone number, and noting any posted signs as you explore the city.

See Also: Beef Up Customer Experience with These 4 Tips

14. Purchase a local SIM where possible

If you dont want to pay expensive roaming charges, you can still have a working phone by purchasing a local SIM. It ensures that theres an easy way for family members to reach you and that you have access to data. That enables you to use Google Maps more easily and navigate public transportation without identifying yourself as a non-native too easily.

15. Use a virtual private network for business

Whether youre doing work at a local office or a coffee shop, you should always use a VPN when working from abroad. This protects your work data while also keeping your computer device from being easily compromised, especially when using open networks and public wifi.

16. Share your accommodation details

This is particularly important if youre traveling by yourself for business, but also during general travel. Share where youre staying with a family member, your general plans, and any other information that might be helpful in case of an emergency.

17. Do your research

Most travel safety tips will always come back to this one  research! While you wont be able to cover absolutely everything when digging around, you can learn a lot just through a quick search on the country youre planning to visit. Look up basic information, including the latest news, any laws travelers should be aware of, and any context that can help you navigate easier as a local. Travel communities on websites such as Reddit might also be able to help you provide on-the-ground advice before arriving and while youre at your destination.

International Travel Safety

Before traveling internationally, its always wise to look at State Departments advice on other countries and whether its safe to travel. You can find a complete list of no-travel zones on the official State Department website travel advisories. It includes an updated list of countries that are safe to visit, medium and high-risk countries, including detailed advice for citizens planning their trips.

As of April 2022, here are some of the destinations that are listed under the no-travel zones. Please note that this list is subject to change often, so its crucial to double-check on official government websites when planning travel.

Libya

Hong Kong

Syria

Ukraine

Sudan

South Sudan

Somalia

Russia

Moldova

Haiti

Yemen

Venezuela

Tonga

Papua New Guinea

North Korea (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea)

Mali

Iraq

The central African Republic

Burma (Myanmar)

Burkina Faso

Afghanistan Travel Advisory

Read More: travel safety tips for women

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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


ALGIERS (Sputnik)Algerian security forces carried out a special operation, during which they killed eight members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) militant organization in the mountainous Medea province, the country's defense ministry said on Sunday.

"Army forces carried out a sweep of the area and were able to kill eight militants," the ministry said in a statement seen by Sputnik.

The ministry added that four militants were captured alive.


NEW DELHI (Sputnik)India submitted an application to join the NSG on May 12. Over the following weeks, the country gained the support of a number of countries, including the United States. However, after the NSG members' meeting in Vienna on June 9, reports have emerged claiming China is opposed to Indias NSG membership bid at this stage.

"We are trying to ensure that India becomes a member of NSG by the end of this year. We are hoping that we will be able to convince China also. I am personally in contact with 23 nations, among them one or two have raised concerns but I think consensus is there," Swaraj said at press conference.

China is not opposing Indias accession to NSG, it is concerned about the criteria procedure to the country's membership in the organization, she specified.
KABUL (Sputnik)  Afghan national police have detained one of the leaders of the Taliban movement in the northern province of Baghlan, the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs said on Sunday.

"Afghan National Police arrested Taliban military supplier named Qari Zahir along with two other armed Taliban in Doshi District of Baghlan province. Qari Zahir was arrested while the Taliban were trying to carry him for treatment to Kabul," the ministry said in a statement.

Zahir was injured during an operation few days ago in the Chashme Shir region of the province, the ministry specified.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The share of pro-Brexit voters decreased to 46 percent from its all-time high of 47 percent reached on Friday, the Financial Times' Brexit poll tracker indicated on Saturday.

The number of those wishing to remain in the bloc climbed one percentage point to 44 percent, according to the poll of polls.

The Financial Times' tracker compiles data from dozens of polls, including surveys conducted by Ipsos MORI, YouGov, Survation and BMG Research.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The state government has reduced the amount it pays refugees from a princely 914 euros ($1030) to 520 euros per month, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said on Saturday.

According to Eurostat, the European Union's statistical bureau, net average monthly salaries in several countries bordering Austria are lower than the amount paid refugees; residents of neighboring Hungary bring home a mere 570 euros per month, on average. Salaries elsewhere in the Balkans are even lower.

The move will enable local authorities plan to save 72 million euros over the next three years, according to the publication.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)UK Prime Minister David Cameron warned Brits on Sunday that their decision in the next weeks EU membership vote will be final and will affect their lives for decades, in an article for the Express newspaper.

"On Thursday we face something that is not an everyday decision, but one which will affect our lives for decades to come So much is at stake here There will be no re-run. Well be out of the EU for good," Cameron wrote in an article.

The minister, who campaigns for remaining in the European Union on renegotiated terms, warned that jobs, low prices, public services, future opportunities and UKs democracy relied on the outcome of June 23s referendum.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Former mayor of London and Leave supporter Boris Johnson said Sunday that the EU referendum was a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to reclaim democracy from Brussels, in an interview with the Sun, a UK newspaper.

Don't wake up to the nightmare of staying in the EU on June 24th. Believe in Britain and vote Leave: https://t.co/XcHo21kS4p  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) 6 June 2016

Britain prepares to vote next Thursday in a referendum on whether it should stay in or leave the European Union.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take back control of our democracy from an unelected, undemocratic, unaccountable and unreformed European Union," Johnson told the Sun on Sunday.
He recalled that the bank HSBC has already signaled its readiness to move its 1,000 employees to Paris in the event of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, something that was also announced by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

Right now, there are 132 foreign banks in Paris which can outstrip London thanks to their financial know-how, lower rent, better living conditions, and location in the center of the continent, according to Claude Mosseri-Marlio.

"So Paris can seize a unique opportunity to become a major EU financial hub," he pointed out.

He also said that apart from boosting France's economy, Brexit could help the country win back its former authority in Europe and internationally.

He said that in the absence of UK, the country's nuclear power status will certainly increase France's clout, as it will be the only EU member possessing nuclear weapons. Britain, of course, will remain in NATO, but the European Union will look to France, according to Claude Mosseri-Marlio.

The same situation will be in place in the United Nations, he said, adding that France will be the only official representative of the EU at the UN Security Council (UNSC).

"Although Britain will remain in the UNSC, it will not be able to speak on behalf of the Security Council. All this will strengthen the influence of France in the international arena, "Claude Mosseri-Marlio said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Over 43,000 people have signed a petition calling for cancellation of the national referendum on United Kingdom's continued membership in the European Union

The petition, addressed to the UK government is published on the Parliament's website. If the petition gets 100,000 signatures, the issue will be considered for debate in the Parliament.

According to The Independent newspaper, the petition has surged in support after the murder of UK Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox on Thursday. On Saturday alone, over 20,000 people signed the petition, which is likely to get 100,000 signatures before the referendum day, according to the media outlet.
Some of pro-Stay Labour lawmakers also said in last Tuesdays letter that the United Kingdom could lose over half a million jobs in the public sector jobs to new austerity measures if it chose to withdraw from the European Union.

Pro-Brexit campaigners argue that the United Kingdom is the blocs second largest economy and one of the net contributors to its budget. Leaving the European Union would free up $25.5 billion in contributions (as of 2015) for domestic use, they said.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has warned, however, that the nation could end up having a $43-billion deficit in public finances. He said this "black hole" would need to be filled with increased income, gas and alcohol taxes.

The United Kingdom would also be forced to cut spending on defense, health and education by 2 percent a year, he warned, to an equivalent of $21.5 billion in total.

On trade, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in a fresh outlook report that a decision to leave would be a big hit to its external trade, around half of which is with the European Union's 500-million-consumer single market.

The Leave campaign said a new trade deal with the union would secure the current trade volumes, while absence of EU trade regulations would open the way for pacts with other nations, which would boost the gross domestic product.

A Brexit could arguably send shockwaves across Europe, many political analysts have warned. They say the United Kingdom's independence would strengthen nationalist sentiment and trigger similar referendums across Europe, most notably in Spain.
Patriarch Bartholomews adviser stressed that no new topics would be added to the agenda of the week-long council in addition to those that were agreed on by the Sixth Synaxis of Primates in Chambesy, France on January 2016.

Among the topics that will indeed be raised is the persecution and execution of Orthodox Christians across many countries, such as Syria and Iraq. There are Orthodox Christians in North Africa and in Ukraine, and it is true that people shed their blood and die there, brothers are fighting brothers and Orthodox Christians are fighting Orthodox Christians, the archdeacon said.

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, also known as the Pan-Orthodox Council, is set to be held on the Greek island of Crete on June 19-26, after more than 50 years of preparations. A number of churches, including the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church have refused to participate in the council as the procedure and documents of the council have not been worked out properly yet.
KOLYMVARI (Crete) (Sputnik)  The historic Orthodox Christian Council in Crete will voice the opinion of the Eastern Orthodoxy on key social issues, including marriage, ecology and war, in its final message, an adviser to the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christianity told Sputnik.

"We will learn from the text of the Churchs message to the modern world what topics it and the society as a whole consider to be important," Archdeacon John Chryssavgis, adviser to Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, said.

Archdeacon Chryssavgis said the unity of all churches belonging to the Eastern Orthodox tradition was the priority.
Authorities in an array of Eastern European states are doing their best to ensure that the schoolchildren of today and the soldiers of tomorrow have properly biased historical perspectives, while unburden their people of responsibility for various atrocities. Those who oppose this policy face a clampdown, according to Antonio Martinez, a correspondent for the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial

Martinez referred to Winston Smith, Orwell's protagonist from the novel 1984, who was tasked by the so-called "Ministry of Truth" with rewriting history and deleting any reference to people who had fallen out of favor with the ruling party. Smith was also tasked with concealing changes in the regime's policies and correcting past predictions so that they correspond to reality.

"Some historians draw parallels between events described in the novel and the current decisions taken by the new democracies of Eastern Europe," Martinez said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The decisions that will be taken by the upcoming Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete cannot be binding, as it would be convened in spite of the decision of the five local Orthodox churches to postpone it, the deputy chair of the Moscow Patriarchates External Church Relations Department told Sputnik on Sunday.

The Council will convene on the Greek island on June 20-26 after over 50 years of preparations. Of the 14 national Orthodox churches, four said they would not attend the event, including the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Georgian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches, as well as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. The Serbian Church insisted on postponing the Council meeting, but eventually decided to send its delegation there.

"Of course, no compulsory nature of the decisions taken without regard to the views of our bishops at the Council [which will be] convened despite the call of the five local churches to postpone it," Archpriest Nikolai Balashov said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  All of them were marching under the common motto "Hand in Hand Against Racism," forming miles-long human chains, according to social media and local municipal press.

In Berlin, some 9,000 people took part in the demonstrations, in Munich they brought together from 3,500 to 5,000 participants, according to various estimates, while in Hamburg at least 7,200 people were involved in the protest action.

The city of Bochum literally witnessed "almost four kilometers" of human chain holding each other's hands in support of equality and human diversity.
BAKU (Sputnik)  Aliyev is due to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday for trilateral talks on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Putin is expected to hold separate meetings with Aliyev and Sargsyan before trilateral discussions take place.

"Next week, the meeting will take place in Russia, in St. Petersburg. We are hoping that the issue can and must be resolved in a peaceful way. In order to achieve this, Armenia must reject its aggressive policies and leave our territory," Aliyev said on Saturday.

Azerbaijan does not seek to hold meaningless talks, he stressed, adding that it is time for concrete step to be taken toward resolving the Karabakh conflict as soon as possible.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Eight people were killed during militant shelling of the Sheikh Maqsood district in the Syrian city of Aleppo, a member of the Syrian Democratic Council said.

"A Red Crescent ambulance was hit while trying to transport those injured, with eight injured people killed as a result," Rezan Heddo told Sputnik on Saturday.

Sheikh Maqsood a Kurdish district of Aleppo, which is held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, has come under increasing attack from Islamist militants present in and around the city. The Nusra Front, Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaish al-Islam have been shelling the district with conventional armaments as well as chemical weapons.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Russia and the United States have discussed progress on the Memorandum of Understanding on the Safety of Flight in Syria, Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.

"A videoconference between representatives of the Russian and US defense ministries was convened to address a US request of June 18, 2016 on the Safety of Flight Memorandum of Understanding that was agreed on October 20, 2015," Maj. Gen. Konashenkov said.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Earlier this week, US media cited an anonymous official who claimed planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces had hit the positions of US-backed Syrian opposition forces. Russian and US defense officials held a rare video conference overnight to address the issue.

"The target that was bombed [by the Aerospace Forces] was situated more than 300 kilometers [186 miles] away from the territories that were declared by the US as positions of opposition forces participating in the cessation of hostilities agreement," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

He stressed that the Russian Aerospace Forces had informed the US-led anti-Islamist coalition beforehand of the planned air raid, in line with arrangements of the US-Russia memorandum. The ministerial spokesman accused Washington of repeatedly refusing to provide Moscow with exact coordinates of rebel positions.


DAMASCUS (Sputnik)A Syrian Air Force's fighter jet crashed Sunday after the take-off from an airport in the western province of Hama leaving its pilot dead and killing two people on a runway, a military source told Sputnik.

"The pilot of the MiG-21 reported a technical fault during take-off, and the plane crashed while attempting to land. The pilot was killed, as well as two people on the ground," the source said.

According to the source, two more people on a runway were injured.
DAMASCUS (Sputnik)  A suicide bombing in the northeastern Syrian city of Al-Qamishli on the border with Turkey left three people dead and five injured, a local source told Sputnik on Sunday.

The bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up in the center of the city, which is considered the capital of a self-proclaimed Kurdish Rojava autonomy, also known as Western Kurdistan.

No terrorist group took responsibility for the attack.
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MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The head of the Libyan Armed Forces under the control of the internationally-recognized parliament in Tobruk, who is also the legislature's speaker, announced the general mobilization in the country on Sunday.

"Aguila Saleh Issa as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Libyan Arab [Jamahiriya] decided to declare a public mobilization in the country," the statement on the Libyan parliament's website said.

Libya's Armed Forces under the leadership of internationally-recognized government in the east of the country have been engaged in operations against various militant groups, such as al-Qaeda and Daesh, which had seized parts of the eastern towns of Benghazi and Ajdabiya.
The next forty years will see the further modernization of the tanks created in the last quarter of the 20th century, military expert Ilya Kramnik was quoted by the Russian news website Lenta.ru as saying.

"I do not rule out that the soldiers of the future will be supported in action by the tanks used by their great-grandfathers," he said.
"Threat to the force" is a vague term, commonly used without any elaboration for justifying the "defensive" airstrikes.

US officials keep saying that the US military plans to reduce their number in Afghanistan to 5,500 people and the new airstrikes are not a reflection of a change to this plan.

According to a White House spokesman, "The US combat role in Afghanistan ended at the end of 2014, and the President is not considering restarting it."

This does not sound too convincing, since, according to the Bureau's investigation, in absolute numbers, 213 (61%) of 347 airstrikes conducted in first five months of 2016 were classified as defensive, force protection strikes, according to the US press office in Kabul.

The Bureau's investigation also notes a dramatic rise in number of airstrikes compared to the previous year, as 451 weapons were released this year, compared to just 189 in 2016.

These airstrikes included the obliteration of Doctors Without Borders hospital in the town of Kunduz and the recent assassination of Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour. The latter drew significant controversy, since the US military force, stationed in Afghanistan, conducted an airstrike over Pakistani territory.
Representatives from the United States, the country-producer of the aircraft's engines, as well as France are taking part in the analysis of the flight data recorders, according to the Committee.

"It is worth mentioning that John Lethbrige, the vessel contracted by the Egyptian Government to join the search for the plane wreckage, is proceeding its tasks of drawing a map of the wreckage distribution at the bottom of the Mediterranean," the statement said.

Earlier this week, John Lethbridge of the Deep Ocean Search company found and recovered two black boxes from the EgyptAir plane.

The Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee said Friday that it may take several weeks to analyze the flight recorders data.

On May 19, the EgyptAir Airbus A320 plane disappeared from radar screens over the Mediterranean Sea, 10 miles into Egyptian airspace. The plane, carrying 66 people on board, was heading to Cairo from Paris.

Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathi later confirmed that some debris from the plane and remains had been recovered. The search operation is still underway.
This is not the first case of organized rebellion among the employees of the US State Department, writes an article on the Russian news website Vzglyad.

However it is worth noting that the majority of those dissent are always those who demand toughening of the US policy in this or that region, up to an open military invasion, it adds.

The website further suggests that the move resembles a staged performance, which pursues certain aims.

The first, it says, is that the State Department earns a reputation of an institution where all US citizen employees, foreign and domestic, are able to express dissenting or alternative views on substantive issues of policy without fear of reprisal and in a manner which ensures serious, high-level review and response.

The State Departments dissent channel was established during the Vietnam War.

Secondly, it suggests that the Secretary of State in this conflict goes into the background as if saying it is not me, it is my employees.

The US media has already criticized John Kerry for his reaction to the document.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  One of the reasons for the release of founder and editor-in-chief of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks Julian Assange should be the possibility of a working democracy in Europe, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said on Sunday.

The international campaign FreeAssange is currently underway, as a number of events are held across the world on June 19-25 to mark the fourth anniversary of his political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Varoufakis, who is one of the speakers at the event in Brussels, said that "we don't have democracy," but Assange's release would give a chance to its emergence.
A tourist group, consisting mostly of children, has been caught in a strong lake storm in Karelia, northwest Russia, according to the authorities.

Preliminary reports state that the group consisted mostly of 12 to 15-year-olds, all of them from Moscow, according to the Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

    .          .    .    (@MosSobyanin) 19 June 2016

Reportedly there were two boats and one raft, and according to preliminary reports both boats capsized during the storm.
A tourist group, consisting mostly of children, has been caught in a strong lake storm in Karelia, northwest Russia, according to the authorities.

One of the instructors who organized the boat trip in Karelia has been detained, Vladimir Markin, Investigative Committee spokesman, said in a statement.

"Within the framework of a criminal investigation, a legal assessment will be given to the actions of the staff of the children's camp and other responsible parties, which send the children boating in such bad weather," Markin said.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin, all of those fourteen who died today were children aged 12-14 years old.

    15      , 

       (@RFdeti) 19 June 2016

Earlier in the day it was reported that the bodies of at least thirteen children and their instructor were found near the lake.

"The investigators have examined the bodies and came to the conclusion that all of them were children born between 2002-2004. There are no adults among those drowned," Markin said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the country's Investigative Committee to identify the causes of the deadly incident in Karelia, identify the perpetrators and give the necessary instructions to assist the victims and their relatives, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

On Saturday, several boats carrying a 51-member group, consisting of children and their adult instructors, capsized in Syamozero lake during a storm. According to the Investigative Committee, 14 people died, all of them children.

"The president gave relevant instructions Investigative Committee to identify the causes of the tragedy and to identify those guilty of it," Peskov told reporters, adding that Putin expressed deep condolences over the tragedy.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Saturday, several boats carrying a 51-member group, consisting of children and their adult instructors, capsized in Karelia's Syamozero lake during a storm. According to the Investigative Committee, 14 people died, all of them children. Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov later stated that 15 children died in the incident.

"On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets will hold nationwide teleconference, with the participation of regional heads, dedicated to the safety of children's recreation. Various measures will be discussed, including those related to the situation in Karelia," Alexei Levchenko told reporters.

The conference will take place in the government's situation center, the aide told RIA Novosti, adding that representatives from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, Heath Ministry, Labor Ministry and Education Ministry will also take part.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Climate change has become a reality in the United States, causing real damage to the Yosemite National Park, US President Barack Obama said.

"Make no mistake, climate change is no longer just a threat, it's already a realityHere in Yosemite, meadows are drying up, bird ranges are shifting farther northward, Alpine mammals like pikas are being forced further up slope. Yosemite's longest glacier, at once a mile wide, is now almost gone," Obama said on Saturday, as quoted by the People magazine, during his vacation to the Californian natural reserve.

The president also warned about the possibility of melting glaciers at the Glacier National Park in Montana, as well as the disappearance of Joshua Trees at Joshua Tree National Park in California.
Assange studied mathematics and physics at several Australian universities, including Central Queensland University, Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, but did not complete a degree.

Assange began his hacking "career" at the age of 16, when he created an organization called Worms Against Nuclear Killers (WANK) together with friends. They became well-known in October 1989, when the abbreviation WANK appeared on the NASA computer network just before the space shuttle Atlantis landed.

In their activities, the hackers followed the following rules: "Don't damage computer systems you break into; don't change the information in those systems; and share information".

"If they thought informally imprisoning you was going to stop you, that didnt work at all"

#FreeAssange #infosec pic.twitter.com/ODLt3QVF9Y  Stranger t. Fiction (@ERLNCINAR) 19 June 2016

In 1991, Assange was found hacking into the computer system of Nortel, a multinational telecommunications corporation, and was prosecuted.

In 1994, a court ordered him to pay a symbolic fine and released him due to the perceived absence of malicious or mercenary intent. Meanwhile, unable to cope with the stress, Assange's wife left him, taking their two-year child with her.

After that, Assange changed several IT jobs, developed a number of network security and routing programs, and was even an adviser on computer security systems.

Video: Vivienne Westwood in support of Julian Assange https://t.co/hAdRfXDP3D

Part of worldwide #FreeAssange events: https://t.co/TQI2V7dZ8H  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 19 June 2016

In 1997, he contributed research to the book called Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier, authored by Australian journalist Suelette Dreyfus. In 1998, Assange traveled around the world, and also visited Russia.

In 1998, he co-founded the company Earthmen Technology with the aim of developing network intrusion detection technologies.

In 2006, Assange founded WikiLeaks, a website which publishes secret or restricted materials exposing corruption and wrongdoing. Initially, WikiLeaks goal was to expose corruption in Central Asia, China and Russia, but it also posted significant amounts of material exposing government and corporate wrongdoing in the West.

Assange led a team of nine project coordinators. He did not describe himself as its "founder" but only as "editor-in-chief," acknowledging that he had the final say in posting documents on the website.

In 2008, the US Army Counterintelligence Center designated WikiLeaks a potential threat to the military.

Assange won the Amnesty International UK Media Award in 2009 for a series of materials exposing corruption in Kenya.

In July 2010, around 77,000 secret Afghanistan war logs were published by WikiLeaks.

On November 28, 2010, US secret diplomatic cables were made public.

Assange admitted that he and his associates had to take precautions as they received threats. He drifted around the world, spending most of the time in Sweden, where in August 2010 he became a columnist for the daily Aftonbladet. Later the same month Swedish police put the WikiLeaks founder on a wanted list for questioning on two counts of rape alleged to have been committed against two women. Assange denied the allegations, and his arrest warrant was soon recalled, as prosecutors decided that the suspicions against him were groundless.
"Not only has the tourism sector been hit; as one of Turkeys major fresh fruit and vegetable exporters, Antalya farmers have also been suffering a lot from the embargo of Russia, their major client," Yetkin said.

He also pointed out that Ankara and Moscow both currently desire to return bilateral relations to normal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has nonetheless made it plain that "there was one condition for this," namely, Turkish authorities must apologize for the incident and compensate the pilots.

"There is now a stalemate situation where both countries are losing. These are perhaps mutual gestures to break the ice between them, but there is still no sign of a softening political stance by either Turkey or Russia. An apology by Erdogan would not be easy," Yetkin said.

He added that after Ankara's downing of the Russian warplane, the Turkish Air Force has been unable to conduct military operations against Daesh in Syrian air space due to possible retaliation from Russia.

So the question is whether Russia would now like to see "Turkey back in the Syrian theater, [fighting] against its ally Assad," Yetkin said, referring to US Secretary of State John Kerry, who had earlier warned Russia that Washington's patience over the tolerance shown the Syrian President was wearing thin.

"Amid this uncertainty, normalization in Turkish-Russian relations should not be expected any time soon, unless there are radical policy changes in Ankara, Moscow, or both," Yetkin concluded.


BAKU (Sputnik)Violence erupted in Azerbaijans breakaway area in April and led to multiple casualties. The parties signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire in Moscow on April 5 but mutual accusations did not stop.

"Despite the earlier agreement on the ceasefire on the Karabakh contact line, the Armenian side violated the regime 20 times along the line over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a press release.

Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed its independence in 1991. After the military conflict ended in 1994, Azerbaijan lost the control over the region mostly populated by the Armenians.
"The council was called unanimously. If some churches later decide to skip it, they bear the responsibility for their absence. They cannot force other churches not shun the council," Job of Telmessos said.

The history of Orthodoxy has seen many instances of councils gathering in the absence of some churches, he noted, stressing that post-council processes will be important.

The Archbishop also denied accusations that the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate was trying to force its will on other churches of the Eastern Orthodoxy.

"I totally disagree. I watched every step of [preparations]. I saw how invitations were sent out and how the organizing committee took effort to response to every organizational issue that was raised," he stressed.

Orthodox churches intending to take part in the upcoming Pan-Orthodox Council in Crete have once again invited the four churches abstaining from attendance, but the Russian Orthodox Church turned down the invitation, the Constantinople Patriarchate's representative said.

"Church primates attending the [June 17] Synaxis sent a message to the four churches which have not yet arrived. They asked them to come for tomorrow's service [joint liturgy] and stay for the councilSo a the invitation was repeated once again. Today, as far as I know, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill turned the invitation down and said he will not come," Archbishop Job of Telmessos said.

However, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which the archbishop represents in the Pan-Orthodox Secretariat, does not intend to sever ties with any of the churches. "We do not want to cut ties with any of the churches," the cleric said.
The terrorist group Daesh is seeking a war of civilizations and pushing the US and Europe to the right, paleo-conservative commentator and former Republican presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan wrote in the magazine American Conservative on Friday.

The terrorists are seeking to supplant al-Qaeda and other Islamic movements in order to spearhead the war against the West, and by giving greater attention to attacks like the one in Orlando relative to those in Syria, the West is playing into the hands of terrorists.

"By the frequency and ferocity of its attacks, it seeks to displace al-Qaeda and other Islamic resistance movements in the eyes of the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, and to be seen by the young as the great liberator of the Islamic world and future conqueror of the West."
KOLYMVARI (Crete) (Sputnik)  The upcoming Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete may turn over a new leaf in history of Orthodoxy, Archbishop Job of Telmessos, the spokesman of the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, told Sputnik.

The Council will convene on the Greek island on June 20-26 after over 50 years of preparations. Of the 14 national Orthodox churches, four said they would not attend the event.

"Churches came together before for all-Orthodox conferences, pre-council meetings and sessions of preparatory commissions. But they were not canonical. The Council is the most canonical official body We hope the Council will not only bring closure to this meeting process that lasted for the entire 20th century but will also mark the start of a new era of Orthodoxy," the archbishop said.
The Romanian president apparently said that the initiative should be deployed under the NATO umbrella, because all the three Black Sea countries  Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey  are NATO allies.

''Where the misunderstanding probably emerged was in relation to the concept of a NATO fleet. Nobody creates a NATO fleet. That would be nonsense. NATO cannot and does not want to keep its own Black Sea fleet, Agerpres quotes Iohannis as explaining.

We will board the ships, we will waive our flags, but only Bulgaria and Romania, the Bulgarian prime minister said, adding that any other scenarios could lead to a military conflict.

After the USS Porter (DDG-78), armed with assault cruise missiles and an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (primary weapon: Standard Missile 3), entered the Black Sea last week, Moscow promised response measures to Washington.

If a decision is made to create a permanent force, of course, it would be destabilizing, because this is not a NATO sea," Andrey Kelin, head of the Russian Foreign Ministrys European Cooperation Department then said.
Russia prefers to keep away from hot and sensitive issues which shape up the military and political environment of the region, Kashin, who is a leading expert at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, writes in his article for the Moscow office of the Carnegie Endowment Center, the US-based think tank which focuses on domestic and foreign policy.

Historic and ideological factors have far less of an impact on Russias behavior in Asia than they do in Europe, the author says.

Russia faces only one territorial dispute in the region, and that is with Japan, however it can hardly be regarded as a source of a potential military peril.
Sergey Karaganov, History Professor and Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of Russia's Council on Foreign and Defense Policy told Vzglyad about the benefits for Russia and the EU of this kind of union.

"This project has great potential, taking into account Russia's movement to the East and China's movement to the West via its 'Silk Road' economic belt, which is, roughly speaking, economic expansion in Europe."

"At the moment Europe is in a very difficult position, in crisis, and it needs a long-term project that would breathe new life into it," Karaganov said.

Karaganov believes that the force of China would be tempered by the other members of the union, to Beijing's ultimate benefit.

"It's not possible for there to be hegemony in this community because China's role will be balanced with that of India, Iran and Russia. That also gives huge possibilities for China because it can immerse its power into this community, and others will fear it less. They fear China now because it is very powerful," Karaganov said.

Leonid Kalashnikov, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told Vzglyad that a Eurasian partnership of the EEU and its neighboring states is a good response to the economic expansion of the US, in the form of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which has been so controversial in Europe.

"I think its a good answer to what the US is up to, concealing its economic expansion with political or pseudo-democratic goals."

"We see, and China sees, that they are trying to isolate us. To some they try to do it faster  through sanctions, using pseudo-arguments in the case of Ukraine. With others they are slower, like China, who they didn't invite to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now we have seen that, and we have to unite," Kalashnikov said.
ROME (Sputnik)  There will be no problem at all to extend an invitation, Trump said in an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Sunday, answering a respective question of one of Italy's oldest newspapers.

He also noted that the United States and Russia should maintain positive relations. Reaching US-Russia consensus would be wonderful and it would have a positive impact on the whole world, according to Trump.

The Russia-US anti-terrorism cooperation could have led to the victory over the Daesh terrorist group, outlawed in both countries, the presidential candidate added.
tech2 News Staff

Google is marking Father's Day with a dedicated Google Doodle visible on the homepage today. The image comprises a doormat with the shoes of a father and a child.

Several countries mark the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. The tradition of observing Father's Day began in the early 1900s to complement Mother's Day and to celebrate fathers and male parenting. In the past as well, Google has marked the occasion with doodles.

Surprisingly, the reach of this doodle was remarkably less compared to most Google doodles.

Although Father's Day isn't a holiday in India, it's definitely an occasion to thank our good old dads for their instruction, guidance and love. If you're wondering what to get your dad this Father's Day, you could check out a few gift suggestions here.

Recently, Google also launched a new video that celebrates the dreams and aspiration of a father.
Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of its Microsoft Online Store with Tata CLiQ  the recently launched e-commerce portal of Tata group  to sell Microsoft products through the e-commerce chains phygital model. The Microsoft Online Store will allow Microsoft fans and consumers across the country to enjoy an easy access to Microsofts wide range of productivity-enhancing products. Merchandise available on the brand store will include an assortment of Microsoft products such as tablets, PCs, software and phones.

Commenting on the online store expansion, Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Country General Manager, Consumer Channel Group, Microsoft India said, Increasingly consumers are going online to shop for a number of things, including mobiles, devices and software. We therefore are expanding our online presence through our official Microsoft Store so that our consumers find it easier to experience and buy our products. We are excited to partner with Tata CLiQ and see tremendous opportunity in delivering Microsoft products and services through them to our customers.

Ashutosh Pandey, CEO, Tata CLiQ commented, Tata CLiQ is pioneering the PHYGITAL revolution in India, and enhancing the customer experience through a combination of in-store shopping benefits and conveniences of online shopping. We are a brand focused marketplace and promise authentic brand experiences to our customers. Launch of Microsoft Store is a step in that direction. We are privileged to have Microsoft as a key phygital partner and look forward to the support that their large on-ground network will bring to TataCLiQ.com.

The consumers will be able to buy their favourite Microsoft products and services using innovative services such as click online & PIQ up at store, return to store and ship from store through a large on-ground store network of partner brands. TataCLiQ.com phygital services will be available across 500 plus stores of 12 partner brands.

The new Microsoft Online Store with Tata CLiQ launches with attractive inaugural offers on Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and select Lumia smartphones running on Windows 10. Consumers buying the Surface Pro 4 on TataCLiQ.com will be able to get the powerful convertible along with the Type cover at a discount of INR 10,000, plus a free Office 365 subscription for a year.

In addition to Surface Pro4, customers will also be able to buy Office 365 subscription, Lumia 550 and Lumia 650 on TataCLiQ.com at attractive prices.

@Technuter.com News Service
Intex Technologies has launched its first-ever Virtual Reality Cardboard  Intex EYELET, which will come bundled with the latest 4G smartphone, Aqua View. Intex EYELET is a certified Works with Google Cardboard (WWGC) device, making Intex the first brand in India to launch a Google-certified Cardboard viewer. The 4G-enabled smartphone, Aqua View along with Intex EYELET is available at a price of INR 8,999/-.

The 4G-enabled Aqua View comes with a 5-inch HD display and a 2.5D curved glass display which gives user a smoother touch and swipe experience. The Cardboard Viewer  Intex EYELET offers users a unique gateway inside the fascinating world of 3D and enjoy a 360 degree view. The device has an in-built cardboard application that allows users to experience EYELET VR technology. The Cardboard, EYELET, is the version-2 of Google cardboard and so is compatible with any smartphone (Hardware should support Gyroscope and Accelerometer sensor).

Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Mobile Business Head, Intex Technologies, said, Virtual reality is the next big thing in the area of consumer technology. We are delighted to partner with Google in bringing Intex Eyelet Cardboard bundled with Aqua View thereby marking our entry into the VR space.

Aqua View comes with the latest bio-metric security  fingerprint sensor at the front panel. The scanner will scan and verify the authority, thereby making the device completely secure.

For photography enthusiasts, the smartphone has an 8MP Rear AF Camera with LED flash and 5MP front camera. The camera has various modes like Face Beauty mode, anti-shake, motion tracker mode, Live photo mode and Gesture V capture mode.

Aqua View has an in-built 16GB ROM and an expandable memory of up to 32 GB. Also, along with 4G network has VOLTE (Voice Over LTE network) feature which enables users to enjoy the crystal clarity of HD voice calls. The 4G-dual-SIM device has a 2200mAh Li-Ion battery, offering a talk-time up to 7 hours along with a standby time of 9 days.

With a sophisticated back cover with brush finish, the stylish Aqua View is available in Grey and White colors.

@Technuter.com News Service
BT has announced it is working with Gallerie Commerciali Italia, part of Auchan Holding, to create new digital customer experiences for shoppers in Italy.

Under a new three year contract, BT will provide Gallerie Commerciali Italia, which owns or operates 43 shopping centers and six retail parks across Italy, with a range of ICT infrastructure services, customer relationship management (CRM) and in-store solutions to prove how digital technology can grow the appeal of retail spaces and provide new business services to retailers, as well as offer an enhanced omnichannel* customer experience to consumers.

The digital transformation project will involve a range of in-store multi-sensory solutions, spanning sight, sound, smell and touch. These will change how customers and retailers interact within stores, offering new ways to engage and communicate using smart screens, mobile devices and in-store radio as well as scent diffusion.

Underpinning the digital transformation project will be a BT network, providing fixed and wireless connectivity. Gallerie Commerciali Italia will use the network to control and bring together data from digital devices throughout its malls and to provide free wi-fi for shoppers. The big data gathered by the network will be analysed and used to offer services to retailers to help further enhance customer experience.

The pilot phase of the project will involve three shopping centers, located in Vimodrone, Nerviano and Rescaldina, chosen to reflect the different features and sizes of shopping centers in Gallerie Commercialis portfolio. The outcomes of the pilot will provide insights and help fine tune the roll out of digital technologies across all of Gallerie Commerciali Italia malls, comprising 2,200 stores visited by a total of 180 million people annually.

Edoardo Favro, CEO of Gallerie Commerciali Italia, comments: We have launched an ambitious digital transformation and cross-functional project, with Italy leading the pilot for the international group. The project aims to offer truly engaging customer experiences.

At the same time, we want to deepen our relationship with retailers, leveraging analytics to give them more insight on our visitors behaviors while maintaining a single governance process and close control of data. In BT we found a partner with the vision, capabilities and experience required to deliver that.

Hubertus von Roenne, vice president, global industry practices, BT, said: We feel very proud that Gallerie Commerciali Italia has entrusted BT with the deployment of this transformational project that shares and embraces our Digital Possible vision. BT, with its extensive retail experience and digital integration expertise, understands modern consumers expectations of physical store environments. These environments must offer the same ease and customised convenience of online shopping and be truly integrated with the digital world.

This project shows that digital innovations are not just for online stores. They can help personalise the customer experience of the physical store and make a visit there much more engaging and attractive, as well as increasing the efficiency of retailers.

The Gallerie Commerciali Italia project reflects wider trends in digital transformation captured in The BT CIO report 2016: The digital CIO report. The cross-sector international study finds that the business areas most keen for support on digital transformation programmes are marketing (44 percent), client relationship management (38 percent), research and development (37 per cent) and sales (36 per cent).

@Technuter.com News Service
Lenovo today intensified its focus on the $87 billion data center technology market by unveiling an expanded arsenal of IT solutions, including next-gen software defined storage, enterprise networking offerings and capabilities, the latest high-performance servers and an enhanced suite of hyper-converged appliances. The broader portfolio drives Lenovo deeper into next-generation IT and strengthens the companys ability to help customers transform their data centers by embracing emerging data consumption and delivery models such as cloud-based infrastructure, big data and analytics solutions. The company will showcase many of these new solutions publicly for the first time at its annual Lenovo TechWorld event in San Francisco on June 9.

The new offerings are the latest demonstration of Lenovos ability to leverage partnerships with industry leaders, as well as leading-edge startup firms, to orchestrate delivery of best-of-breed solutions free of legacy technologies and investment burdens. They give customers even greater flexibility to deploy the right solutions for their evolving IT environments and business scenarios without being locked in to rigid technology stacks.

New Software Defined Storage Solutions and Next-Generation SAN

Lenovo launched a new and innovative Software Defined Storage (SDS) appliance program, called StorSelect, collaborating with leading Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to integrate their SDS software with Lenovo hardware in turnkey appliances. The factory-integrated appliances with end-to-end Lenovo support enable simple and confident deployment of scalable storage solutions. The first offerings in this program  the Lenovo Storage DX8200N and DX8200C integrate SDS software from Nexenta Systems, Inc. and Cloudian, Inc., respectively, to deliver breakthrough return on investment for storage solutions.

The DX8200N supports unified file and block storage for scale-up deployments leveraging three different technologies  all-flash, hybrid, and all spinning drives. The DX8200C is an object-based storage appliance that is ideal for large scale-out deployments and addresses the fastest growing segment of the storage market. Both offerings are built upon Lenovos industry leading x86 server platforms and will begin shipping worldwide in the third quarter of 2016.

In addition to the StorSelect solutions, the company also unveiled its first Lenovo-branded mid-range storage systems  new V-Series family of 12Gb SANs. The V3700 V2 and V5030 are flexible hybrid and all-flash SAN solutions that help clients confidently and affordably scale their IT operations to improve storage economics in their organizations. The Lenovo V Series family will begin shipping worldwide in June 2016.

New Networking OS and Expanded Offerings through Global Partnership with Juniper Networks:

Lenovo rejuvenated its enterprise networking line with expanded offerings and capabilities, enabling customers to deploy more comprehensive solutions from the core data center to the campus. The company released its next-generation network operating system, Lenovo Cloud NOS, which offers new functionality that enhances resiliency, cloud-level scalability and programmability. It will be available for customer download starting on June 17.

In addition, Lenovo disclosed new details of its global strategic partnership with Juniper Networks, which was announced earlier this year. The two companies signed a reseller agreement under which Lenovo will offer Juniper Networks EX2300 and EX4550 Ethernet Switches, as well as the QFX10002-72Q data center spine aggregation switch. Lenovo will sell these Juniper offerings directly as part of an integrated portfolio that also includes Lenovos own data center access products. The Juniper offerings will be available from Lenovo beginning in the third quarter of 2016.

The companies also jointly published a new virtualized data center reference architecture, available now, that will allow customers to easily build solutions integrating their respective technologies to address virtually all data center networking needs.

Latest High-Performance Servers Establish New Industry Benchmarks

Lenovo refreshed its x3850 and x3950 X6 servers with new versions incorporating the latest Intel Xeon E7-4800 and E7-8800 v4 processors, which deliver up to 39% faster performance than the previous generation. With memory support up to 12TB, these powerful offerings are designed for mission-critical environments, such as in-memory applications like SAP HANA or Hadoop, as well as large virtualization projects, big data and analytics workloads.

The Lenovo x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 offer fast performance, establishing 17 new industry performance benchmarks. In addition, the new servers feature an innovative, modular compute book design, so they can be upgraded or maintained quickly and economically, enabling a highly agile and resilient data center infrastructure. They will be available starting this month (June 2016).

Lenovos powerful 4-Socket x3850 X6 server using Intel Xeon E7-8890 v4 processors on Windows delivers a more than 33 percent performance improvement over the previous-generation Lenovo system against the SAP SD 2-tier standard application benchmark. In addition, these new servers enable expanded memory support to provide 33 percent more memory for SAP S/4HANA solutions in eight-socket, 8TB configurations with SAP HANA SPS12. With this innovation, customers can expand their SAP S/4HANA footprint while gaining the faster, more responsive data access needed to drive their digital enterprises.

Lenovo also rolled out the ThinkServer sd350, an ultra-dense, 2U four node (2U4N) system designed for more demanding software defined workloads where maximum density and efficiency, as well as highly attractive ownership costs, are critical requirements. The sd350 will be available starting in July 2016.

Expanded Portfolio of HX Series Hyperconverged Appliances:

Lenovo announced a significantly expanded portfolio of HX Series hyperconverged appliances, based on Nutanix, Inc. software and built upon the companys latest server technology, to cover a broader range of workloads and deployment cost requirements. The new offerings include:

The HX1000 Series for Remote Office/Branch Office (ROBO) appliance

The HX2000 Series for small to mid-size businesses (SMB) featuring Nutanixs new Xpress software (announced May 24)

Integration of Lenovos latest server platform into its HX3000 Series, a compute heavy solution optimized for VDI and smaller virtualization workloads, and HX5000 Series, a storage heavy version optimized for Server Virtualization workloads with larger capacity demands.

These new appliances significantly expand Lenovos hyperconverged family, which also includes the HX7000 Series optimized for Databases and other I/O intensive workloads. They will be available through Lenovo direct and business partner channels beginning in the third quarter of 2016.
Brexit vote end of an era for EU: Macron

AFP, Paris :

Britain's referendum on whether to leave the European Union marks the end of an era for a bloc that has lost its political direction, French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said today.

"I believe in Europe, but in its reorganisation," Macron told RTL radio.

"It's the end of an ultra-liberal Europe that has lost its political direction," Macron said. "The European project cannot only be a system of abolishing rules." He said the heart of the British debate was correcting the effect of ultra-liberal policies "that they pushed us into."

"The issue is not whether we can be more competitive, if we should open up this or that market, it is whether we can succeed in living better, together," the 38-year-old former Rothschild banker said.

And while Macron said people should have a voice on the future of Europe, he felt the June 23 referendum was "dangerous" and that Britain had "taken the rest of the European Union hostage".

The outspoken minister, who regularly polls higher than unpopular President Francois Hollande and is thought to harbour presidential ambitions, said that if Britain voted to leave, the EU would need to "act fast to avoid other countries starting a similar process."

"There must be no question of Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, deciding they want the same status," he said.

Macron said that Britain could still have access to the EU single market, even if the country chose to exit the bloc, citing the cases of Norway and Switzerland.

"These countries contribute to the EU budget," he noted.

Macron said that if Britain does pull out, it could have a "positive effect" on the French economy, and while it would create turbulence on the markets he did not believe it would last.




Russia doesn`t want a new cold war, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his meeting with heads of international news agencies at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia on Friday.

Reuters, St Petersburg :President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia did not want a new Cold war with the West and did not like to think it was slipping into one."I am sure that nobody wants that. We certainly do not want that," Putin said during a question and answer session at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.Putin also criticised NATO's expansion, warning there would be consequences if the alliance continued what he said was its one-sided policy against Russia. If both sides coordinated on defence, he said there would be no new Cold War.Saint Petersburg, Russia: The Kremlin has strongly warned Washington against striking Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces, saying it would fuel turmoil across the entire region.President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that an attempt to topple Assad's government "wouldn't help a successful fight against terrorism and could plunge the region into total chaos."Peskov made the statement while asked to comment about an internal document in which dozens of US State Department employees called for military action against Assad's forces.President Barack Obama called for regime change in Syria early on in the five-year conflict, but so far has only authorized strikes against the ISIS group and other US-designated terror groups in Syria.Russia has conducted an air campaign in Syria since last September, helping Assad's forces regain some ground.Russian President Vladimir Putin also criticised NATO's expansion.APGerman minister criticises 'warmongering' Nato exercisesGerman Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has criticised Nato military exercises in Eastern Europe, accusing the organisation of "warmongering".Mr Steinmeier said that extensive Nato manoeuvres launched this month were counterproductive to regional security and could enflame tensions with Russia.He urged the Nato military alliance to replace the exercises with more dialogue and co-operation with Russia.Nato launched a simulated Russian attack on Poland on 7 June.The two-week-long drill involves about 31,000 troops, including 14,000 from the US, 12,000 from Poland and 1,000 from the UK.It will also feature dozens of fighter jets and ships, along with 3,000 vehicles."What we shouldn't do now is inflame the situation further through sabre-rattling and warmongering," Mr Steinmeier said in an interview to be published in Germany's Bild am Sontag newspaper."Whoever believes that a symbolic tank parade on the alliance's eastern border will bring security, is mistaken."We are well-advised to not create pretexts to renew an old confrontation," he said.The exercises are intended to test Nato's ability to respond to threats, and take place every two years.
Boko Haram kills 24 in northeastern Nigeria

Nigerian soldiers stand at Bosso military camp following attack by Boko Haram fighters in the region.

AFP, Kano :Twenty-four people were killed when Boko Haram fighters opened fire on mourners, a local community leader said Friday, in the second attack in northeast Nigeria this week after a relative lull.The attack happened at about 8:00 pm (local time) in Kuda village near the town of Gulak, in Adamawa state, according to Maina Ularamu, a former local government chairman in nearby Madagali.Adamawa police spokesman Othman Abubakar, based in the state capital Yola, 255 kilometres away, confirmed the attack, as did local lawmaker Adamu Kamale.But Abubakar gave a lower death toll of 18 and said "many others were injured".Ularamu said the attack occurred during a "mourning celebration" to mark the death of a local community leader."They came on motorcycles and opened fire on the crowd, killing 24. Most of the victims were women. They looted food supplies and burnt homes and they left almost an hour later," he told AFP."Gulak has been liberated from Boko Haram but the gunmen still live in villages nearby. They attack mostly to loot food supplies."Our people who fled their homes to escape Boko Haram attacks have been returning because they can't live in the camps."But now they are facing threats from Boko Haram who launch nocturnal attacks."Boko Haram threatened to overrun Adamawa state in 2014, sweeping down from their Sambisa Forest stronghold which lies just across the border in Borno state to Mubi, 80 kilometres south of Gulak.The rampage, which left bridges and homes destroyed on the only road south to Yola, forced tens of thousands of people from their homes to flee into camps and host communities in the state capital.Boko Haram was driven out of the state by a military counter-offensive from January 2015 and since there has been a relative calm despite sporadic attacks.The last attack in Adamawa was on January 9, when seven people were killed and two others injured in a raid on the northern Adamawa town of Madagali.Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up at a market in Madagali on December 28, killing 30, just days after President Muhammadu Buhari declared the Islamists "technically" defeated.There has been a noticeable fall in attacks since the turn of the year and the military claims the Islamic State affiliate is severely weakened and pushed into border areas around Lake Chad.Earlier this month 24 soldiers from neighbouring Niger and two Nigerian troops were killed in a Boko Haram attack in the Bosso area of Niger, prompting Chad to send in reinforcements.Thursday's attack is an indication that the rebels, who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, are not routed, and still have the capacity to strike.The Nigerian army in late April began an assault on Sambisa Forest, which is believed to have pushed out remaining fighters, and has claimed the arrest of several suspected Boko Haram leaders.
Aniruddha made Belarus honorary consul



Belarus government has appointed RMM Group Managing Director Aniruddha Kumar Roy as its honorary consul to Bangladesh, the Belarus foreign ministry sources said.

Aniruddha has been awarded as Commercially Important Person (CIP) by the Bangladesh government for his contribution to creating employment and the country's economic growth.




4,391.39 acres Rly land under illegal occupation: Minister



Railways Minister M Mazibul Haque on Saturday said various persons/organisations have grabbed some 4,391.39 acres of land owned by Bangladesh Railway (BR) across the country.

"The BR has 61,820.97 acres of land, of which, 4,391.39 acres are grabbed by various persons/organisations," the minister said while replying to a question from treasury bench member Begum Pinu Khan in the House.

The minister said some 12,960.41 acres of land owned by the railway remain unused, adding, "We are evicting illegal structures, infrastructures and grabbers from the BR lands in phases."

He said Bangladesh Railway has recovered 83.25 acres of land in both zones since July 2015 to May 2016 and constructed 5.564 kilometres fence in the eastern zone and 0.702 kilometres in the western zone.

Besides, the BR authorities planted 9,000 trees of different varieties and 23,177 flower plants for decoration in the eastern zone while 3,000 trees were planted in the western zone, Mazibul Haque informed the House.


PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Arms trader held

Chittagong Bureau :

Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) arrested an arms trader with two Light Guns (LG) and two round cartridges from Mohalkhan Bazar of Karnaphuli thana area recently. The arrestee was identified as Osman Goni, 35, son of late Mahmudul Hoque, hailed from Kadamrasul area under Banskhali upazila. A team of DB police on secret information arrested him from Bandar Community center area of Mohalkhan bazar at around 9 pm last night while he was waiting there to handover the arms to others.

A case was filed in this connection


Ctg city traffic management terrible: DC

A Correspondent :

Terming Chittagong city's traffic management system terrible, Chittagong Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mesbah Uddin on Thursday urged senior traffic officials to actively try to lessen sufferings during Ramadan.

Addressing a meeting of the District Law and Order Committee at his office, he accused traffic sergeants and constables of gossiping during work hours and said paying due attention to work would bring about a positive change.

Mesbah said chickpeas and sugar prices were at a "tolerable" level for regular drives by the administration's mobile court.

He said the courts were also checking prices of clothes at shopping malls. "Our mobile courts found a punjabi of Tk 1,000 being sold at Tk 3,000 in the shopping malls. They can profit Tk 500 per punjabi but how can they charge at such a high rate," he asked.

The district superintendant of police, Hadiz Akter, said warrants have been issued for arresting some 20,000 people and this resulted from their inability to conduct drives for the union parishad polls.

The number of arrests daily in the district's 16 police stations rose from around 180 to 250, among whom some 230 had warrants issued for their arrest, he said.

He also urged preventing harassment of innocent people during drives. He said police were collecting information about bachelors and tenants to resist militant activities.
Money laundering going on big way: Small ones face cases

A NATIONAL daily reported on Friday that in the back-drop of capital flight from Bangladesh in recent years, the Customs Intelligence, an auxiliary of National Board of Revenue (NBR), has filed a money laundering case against the owner of a garments factory on allegations of siphoning off about Tk 100 crore from the country. It is the first such case filed by NBR after the government empowered the Revenue Authority to investigate money laundering and it is a good initiative to combat the crime. Usually, businesspeople siphon money through under invoicing of Letter of Credit (LC) and other illegal channels when political turmoil, economic impasse and stagnation grips the country. In that context capital flight is obvious. Meanwhile, the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report stated that Bangladesh lost $9.66 billion through capital flight in 2013. As many companies are in the dock for money laundering, the NBR intelligence should extend investigations aiming at combating capital flight.The report said between 2010 and 2105 the apparel company shipped 297 apparel consignments abroad but did not bring back any proceeds from the exports. The intelligence found that there was an attempt to ship the containers through forged bank documents and letters of credit. By using forged bank documents, the company shipped the containers in the last five years. Apparels were shipped to countries such as the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates and the payment remained abroad. Such misconduct is not new and the firm is not the only one such company, hundreds of such firms are involved in capital flight. The government should be strict and nab them. As per GFI report, on average $5.59 billion was siphoned out of Bangladesh a year between 2004 and 2013. This high amount of illegal capital outflow puts Bangladesh at 26th position among 149 countries in the latest GFI ranking of economies exporting illegal capital. Trade misinvoicing is defined as a method for moving money illegally across the borders that involves deliberately misreporting the value of a commercial transaction on an invoice submitted to Customs. To put matters into perspective, that figure is three times the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) Bangladesh received in the last couple of years.Money laundering goes on freely following many ways. The cases are filed against exporters after the money has gone out of the country. But in our view the exporters are the small operators of money laundering. Big ones do not have to go through banks, even if they do, no cases are launched against them. Cases are also seen as a way of making money by others through corruption. The country is facing a flood of corruption denting the economy deeply. Hollowness of the economy will be exposed.
Ban marketing of adulterated vermicelli

A REPORT carried by The New Nation on Saturday detailed how the production of adulterated and sub-standard vermicelli is going on unabated across the country ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. A section of dishonest factory owners and seasonal traders are producing vermicelli in unhygienic conditions putting the public health at risk. The report said that so-called vermicelli factories just behind the bakeries and confectioneries are producing sub-standard vermicelli like Sada Semai (white vermicelli), Lachchha Semai and Ghiye Bhaza Semai (butter oil-fried vermicelli) openly; but there is none to bring them under regulations. These unscrupulous businessmen usually target the lower income people who would consume it at lower prices. People from the lower income bracket will suffer from consuming this substandard vermicelli, which is quite insensible in a civilized society.

Vermicelli is a common item in most houses during Ramzan and in particular on Eid day. Almost all households in Bangladesh prepare various dishes of vermicelli on Eid day. But the vermicelli that people are buying from the marketplaces is not safe enough for eating. Some factories are producing vermicelli in dirty and unhygienic conditions using sub-standard and health hazardous raw materials such as unrefined plum oil, fat, hazardous chemicals and toxic colour. Workers knead the dough used in making the item with their foots. Many of such factories dry vermicelli under the open sky in dirty places where stray dogs, cows, cats etc defecate and roam about freely. To allure the consumers, the dishonest producers seal the item in colorful packets and market them in cities and rural areas. They even use brand names for their products. This dishonest corrupt business practice is going under the very nose of law enforcers. Though these factories have no Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) license, dishonest traders run their business under protection of a section of dishonest and corrupt police officers under cover of mutual gains arrangement. It is also irritating that unscrupulous businessmen use fake seals and stickers of BSTI and cheat people by supplying low quality vermicelli. Such business - from production to marketing - of adulterated food-stuff is now a business as usual in the country. How such malpractices continue without any hindrance is really a matter to be worried. What is more horrifying is that the Industry Ministry, more so the BSTI, is rather unmindful of this public health hazard.

According to experts, consuming these dyes can be lethal, particularly for the children as it can even cause cancer and kidney damage. These chemicals can also harm the nervous system of children. In this context the civil administration at district level should move forward by conducting mobile court across the country as BSTI has no intention to get rid of these unprincipled businessmen who are flooding market with substandard vermicelli. Government must not think otherwise except to ensure food security and public health as well.
Technologies must curb social inequalities

UNB, Dhaka :United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education Kishore Singh has said technologies should reduce inequalities in society, not widen them.Singh urged all Governments across the world "to ensure that the use of digital technologies in education promotes access, quality and equity in education, and does not undermine them."He made the call on Friday while presenting his report on the 'Right to Education in the Digital Age' to the Human Rights Council, according to a message received here from Geneva.The report examines how digital technology is transforming the landscape of higher education, and considers its implications for the right to education."Technology in education provides important benefits, but it can also impair the right to education if inequitably implemented," the human rights expert cautioned while calling on States "to take special care that marginalisation and disparities are not allowed to grow." "Governments must ensure that the digital divide in education, both between States and within them, is progressively reduced," the Special Rapporteur said.He noted that in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Governments have stressed the need to bridge the digital divide, and stressed that "States must make the elimination of digital divides a key priority as we implement this Agenda." According to the independent expert, public policies have not kept pace with the rapid developments in digital technologies. "Governments must ensure that their legislation and policies are updated to protect the right to education," he added.Noting the rapid developments in massive open online courses and online learning, Singh expressed concern that digital technologies should supplement, and not substitute face to face teaching and human interaction."States must take measures to ensure that the right to education in the digital age is not violated by private providers," the Special Rapporteur said urging Governments to guard against abusive practices in online learning and delivery diplomas. "The intellectual community and civil society should raise public debates to ensure education remains a public good and not for private profit," he added.The expert noted the need to amend copyright laws "to allow for greater non-profit use in education, and States should support the development of free, online open education resources for all."
3 Bangladeshis killed in Libya gas cylinder blast

UNB, Dhaka :Three Bangladesh nationals were killed and two others injured critically in a gas cylinder explosion in Zawiya city in Libya on Thursday, said an official at Bangladesh Mission there on Saturday.Counsellor (Labour) of Bangladesh Embassy inLibya Ashraful Islam told UNB that they are waiting for the permission to repatriate the dead bodies.The victims were identified as Hanif, Belal and Mostafa, he said adding that Mostafa hailed from Pirojpur while Hanif and Belal from Barguna.The two injured were indentified as Dulal and Chunnu, hailed from Pirojpur and Barguna respectively.
Diplomats, in dissent, urge Obama to hit Assad

By MARK LANDLER :

WASHINGTON - More than 50 State Department diplomats have signed an internal memo sharply critical of the Obama administration's policy in Syria, urging the United States to carry out military strikes against the government of President Bashar al-Assad to stop its persistent violations of a cease-fire in the country's five-year-old civil war.

The memo, a draft of which was provided to The New York Times by a State Department official, says American policy has been "overwhelmed" by the unrelenting violence in Syria. It calls for "a judicious use of stand-off and air weapons, which would undergird and drive a more focused and hard-nosed U.S.-led diplomatic process." Such a step would represent a radical shift in the administration's approach to the civil war in Syria, and there is little evidence that President Obama has plans to change course. Mr. Obama has emphasized the military campaign against the Islamic State over efforts to dislodge Mr. Assad. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, led by Secretary of State John Kerry, have all but collapsed.

But the memo, filed in the State Department's "dissent channel," underscores the deep rifts and lingering frustration within the administration over how to deal with a war that has killed more than 400,000 people.

The State Department set up the channel during the Vietnam War as a way for employees who had disagreements with policies to register their protest with the secretary of state and other top officials, without fear of reprisal. While dissent cables are not that unusual, the number of signatures on this document, 51, is extremely large, if not unprecedented.

The names on the memo are almost all midlevel officials - many of them career diplomats - who have been involved in the administration's Syria policy over the last five years, at home or abroad. They range from a Syria desk officer in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to a former deputy to the American ambassador in Damascus.

While there are no widely recognized names, higher-level State Department officials are known to share their concerns. Mr. Kerry himself has pushed for stronger American action against Syria, in part to force a diplomatic solution on Mr. Assad. The president has resisted such pressure, and has been backed up by his military commanders, who have raised questions about what would happen in the event that Mr. Assad was forced from power - a scenario that the draft memo does not address.

The State Department spokesman, John Kirby, declined to comment on the memo, which top officials had just received. But he said Mr. Kerry respected the process as a way for employees "to express policy views candidly and privately to senior leadership."

Robert S. Ford, a former ambassador to Syria, said, "Many people working on Syria for the State Department have long urged a tougher policy with the Assad government as a means of facilitating arrival at a negotiated political deal to set up a new Syrian government."

Mr. Ford, who is now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, resigned from the Foreign Service in 2014 out of frustration with the administration's hands-off policy toward the conflict.

In the memo, the State Department officials wrote that the Assad government's continuing violations of the partial cease-fire, known as a cessation of hostilities, will doom efforts to broker a political settlement because Mr. Assad will feel no pressure to negotiate with the moderate opposition or other factions fighting him. The government's barrel bombing of civilians, it said, is the "root cause of the instability that continues to grip Syria and the broader region."

"The moral rationale for taking steps to end the deaths and suffering in Syria, after five years of brutal war, is evident and unquestionable," it said. "The status quo in Syria will continue to present increasingly dire, if not disastrous, humanitarian, diplomatic and terrorism-related challenges."

The memo acknowledged that military action would have risks, not the least further tensions with Russia, which has intervened in the war on Mr. Assad's behalf and helped negotiate a cease-fire. Those tensions increased on Thursday when, according to a senior Pentagon official, Russia conducted airstrikes in southern Syria against American-backed forces fighting the Islamic State.

The State Department officials insisted in their memo that they were not "advocating for a slippery slope that ends in a military confrontation with Russia," but rather a credible threat of military action to keep Mr. Assad in line.

Once that threat was in place, the memo said, Mr. Kerry could undertake a diplomatic mission similar to the one he led with Iran on its nuclear program.

The expression of dissent came a week after Mr. Assad showed renewed defiance of the United States and other countries, vowing to retake "every inch" of his country from his enemies. The cease-fire, which Mr. Kerry helped negotiate in Munich last winter, has never really taken hold. Mr. Assad has continued to block humanitarian convoys, despite a warning that the United Nations would begin airdrops of food to starving towns.

"There is an enormous frustration in the bureaucracy about Syria policy," said Andrew J. Tabler, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy. "What's brought this to a head now is the real downturn in the negotiations, not just between the U.S. and Russia, but between Assad and the opposition."

Last month, Mr. Kerry rejected the suggestion that the United States and its allies would never use force to stop the bombings or enforce humanitarian access. "If President Assad has come to a conclusion there's no Plan B," he said, "then he's come to a conclusion that is totally without any foundation whatsoever and even dangerous."

Still, Mr. Obama has shown little sign of shifting his focus from the campaign against the Islamic State - a strategy that probably acquired even more urgency after the mass shooting Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

In the memo, the State Department officials argued that military action against Mr. Assad would help the fight against the Islamic State because it would bolster moderate Sunnis, who are necessary allies against the group, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

While the State Department has a tradition of being open to dissent - in the 1990s, Secretary of State Warren Christopher met with Foreign Service officers who had written a 30-page dissent on the Clinton administration's Balkans policy - Mr. Christopher and his successors have been frustrated when these classified memos become public.

In this case, the memo mainly confirms what has been clear for some time: The State Department's rank and file have chafed at the White House's refusal to be drawn into the conflict in Syria.

During a debate in June 2013, after the Assad government had used chemical weapons against its own people, Mr. Kerry brandished a State Department report that argued that the United States needed to respond militarily or Mr. Assad would view it as "green light for continued CW use."

Three years later, the sense of urgency at the State Department has not diminished. The memo concludes, "It is time that the United States, guided by our strategic interests and moral convictions, lead a global effort to put an end to this conflict once and for all."




Thomas Mair in court on murder charge

The man charged with the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox has appeared in court and been remanded in custody.

Thomas Mair gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain", when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Mrs Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday. Members of her family visited the scene on Saturday to read floral tributes and thank gathered crowds for their support. Speaking in the village's market square Kim Leadbeater, Mrs Cox's sister, described the

Ms Leadbeater said the tributes paid to her sister had "genuinely made a difference" and helped the family through some "dark times".

"I could not watch the overwhelming outpouring of love without speaking on behalf of Jo," she said.

"Jo would want us to focus on that which unites us not which divides us. She will live on through good people in the world." Mrs Cox, who was married with two children, was about to attend a constituency surgery when she was killed. A 77-year-old man, who came to her aid, was also injured and remains in a stable condition in hospital. Mr Mair, 52, also faces charges of GBH, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon, in relation to the attack on Mrs Cox.

The defendant, who was wearing a grey tracksuit, refused to give his correct name and did not reply when asked to confirm his address and date of birth in court earlier. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday.

The venue chosen for Thomas Mair's first court appearance was the most important magistrate's court in London. Deputy Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot was presiding.

Reporters from the broadcasters and Sunday newspapers and from overseas packed the press seats at the back.

As is almost always the case, the hearing was brief, but it had a key moment of drama - the moment the man in the dock was asked his name.

He stood, as asked, for what is normally one of the most mundane parts of the proceedings. Not this time.

"My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain," he said.

Asked to repeat it, he said the same thing. Then he fell silent until he was taken from the dock and driven off to prison. Vigils were held across the country on Friday evening in memory of Mrs Cox. Earlier in the day, David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn visited Mrs Cox's Batley and Spen constituency.

The prime minister said the country was "rightly shocked" by her death, while the Labour leader described the former aid worker as "an exceptional, wonderful, very talented woman." Parliament will be recalled on Monday to allow MPs to pay further tributes. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn laid flowers in tribute to Jo Cox in her constituency of Batley and Spen A fundraising campaign started on Friday by friends and family of Mrs Cox has already raised more than 220,000.
Extra security for temples across country

Staff Reporter :

In the wake of terror attacks and threats on the priests, the law enforcement agencies have taken additional security measures in and around the temples, churches, pagodas and other religious centres of minorities in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

"As a professional, we know that the militant attack doesn't take place mentioning time and place. But we're analyzing the latest 'terror threats' with high importance," Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner, Detective Branch, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said on Saturday.

The official was detailing the latest step of law enforcement agencies following the threat of IS [Islamic State] on a priest at Dhaka's Ramakrishna Mission on Wednesday. The threat came in the form of a letter where the Hindu priest was ordered by the suspected militants not to preach his religion, otherwise he would be hacked to death.

According to police, one 'AB Siddique' apparently sent the letter. He used Gazipur as his addresses on the envelope. Typed in a computer, the letter-head mentioned -- 'Islamic State of Bangladesh, Chandna intersection, Eidgah Market, Gazipur Municipality.

"We're also inquiring about the organization, in whose pad was used to write down the threat letter," the Joint Commissioner said.

The threat letter said: 'Bangladesh is an Islamic state, you can't preach your religion here. If you continue preaching, you'll be hacked to death with machetes between the 20th and 30th." The letter, however, didn't mention any month.

In this backdrop, Abdul Baten said: "The neighbouring country has expressed anxiety over the militant's threat on priest. So, security measures have been beefed up in all religious centres, including mosques, temples, churches and pagodas."

In the wake of terror attacks on the secular activists and minorities in different parts of the country, the district administration of Naraynaganj last week took special security measures in all temples of the district, local sources said.

On June 10, a monastery worker Nitya Ranjan Pande, 60, worked at Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra Satsangha Ashram in Pabna Sadar upazila was hacked to death in a fashion similar to previous suspected militant killings.

On June 7, an elderly Hindu priest Anando Gopal Ganguly, 70, working at Naldanga Siddheshwari temple was hacked to death in Jhenidah Sadar in a manner similar to previous suspected militant killings while the Islamic State claimed the responsibility of the murder.

U Damma Oaing Cha Bhikkhu, a 73-year-old Buddhist monk was found dead, with his throat slit, in his temple in Naikkhangchhari upazila of Bandarban on May 15. The murder was claimed by IS.

A Christian was knifed to death after Sunday prayers near a church in northwest Bangladesh in an attack claimed by Islamic State. A 65-year-old Christian Sunil Gomes was hacked to death at his grocery store just near a church at Bonpara village in Natore on June 5. Both the murders were claimed by the IS.


'Robber' killed in Magura 'gunfight' with cops

UNB, Magura :

An alleged robber was killed in a 'gunfight' between his cohorts and police at Mogherdhal on the Magura-Jessore highway in Sadar upazila early Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Kamal Hossain,37, son of late Ashraf Fakir of Shyauladanga village of the upazila. Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Ajmol Huda said on a tip-off that a gang of robbers were taking preparation to commit robbery on the highway, a team of police conducted a drive there at about 1:30 am.

Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the gang members opened fire at them, prompting the police personnel to retaliate that triggered a gunfight, leaving Kamal dead on the spot.

However, other associates of Kamal managed to flee the scene. Later, police recovered the body and sent it to Magura Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Police also recovered a short gun, some sharp weapons and two rounds of bullet from the spot. The arrestee was wanted in several cases for robbery, the OC added.
College teacher murder attempt accused killed in 'gunfight'

Staff Reporter :

A suspected attacker of a Hindu teacher in Madaripur was killed in a "shootout" with police at Bahadurpur union in the early hours of Saturday.

Golam Faizullah Fahim, who was in police custody, was shot when police took him with them to help capture his associates, Md Sarwar Hossain, Superintendent of Police, Madaripur, said.

Sensing their presence, miscreants started shooting at law enforcers, forcing them to open fire that triggered the shootout. "He was caught in crossfire," the SP said.

The bullet-wounded Fahim was declared dead when he was taken to the Madaripur Sadar Hospital.

The body bored a bullet injury on the left side of the chest. He was also handcuffed. Local sources said, he was shot dead hours after a court send him on police remand to facilitate interrogation in custody.

Earlier on Wednesday, three youths hacked Ripon Chakrabarty, a mathematics teacher at the Government Nazimuddin College, with sharp weapons afternoon in an attempt to kill him.

The assailants first knocked at his door near the college's main entrance and tried to chop his head off when he opened it, police said. Fahim was caught by the locals who had rushed to Ripon's help hearing him scream.

The 18-year-old Fahim had appeared at the HSC exams this year from a college in Dhaka but disappeared without taking his chemistry test. He was involved with the banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, according to police.

Fahim remanded over attack on the Hindu teacher. Police, on information revealed by Fahim, started a case over the attempted murder against six people. On Friday, a court granted police ten days to question him (Fahim) in custody.

"Fahim told the police during interrogation about the location of a hideout of Hizb ut-Tahrir at Bahadurpur union's Miarchar," the SP said.

Fahim was produced before a Madaripur court on Friday, when police was granted ten days to quiz him in custody.

Fahim who lived in Uttara's Dakshinkhan was reported missing by his parents five days before the attack on Chaktabarty. His father Golam Faruk filed a general diary after failing to trace him since the morning of Jun 11.

Fahim's father works in an apparel industry while his mother Kamrun Nahar is a homemaker. The couple also has a daughter. They came to know about his whereabouts only after his arrest in Madaripur.

A senior Detective Branch officer, however, told the media that he was radicalised by a senior student at his college. "They would regularly meet at a library in front of that college in Dhaka."

Police said that Fahim had revealed the names of five others who took part in the attack during the initial interrogation. The case initiated by police accuses six, including Fahim. The others are Salman Taskin, Shahriar Hasan, Zahin, Rayhan and Mejbah.

Police believe the accused planned to spread militancy in the country's southern region by first striking in Madaripur, local police OC Ziaul Morshed said.




32 more magazines recovered from Uttara lake

Dhaka, June 19 (UNB)-Police on Sunday recovered 32 more magazines from a lake in the citys Uttara area as their earlier drive resumed. Mahmudul Haque, inspector of Fire Service Control Room, said they resumed the drive in Sholahati of Uttara Sector-16 near Mirpur Beribandh under Turag Police Station at about 9am. A diver, Yusuf, pulled out a cartoon from the canal at about 11:15am. Thirty-two magazines were found inside the cartoon. The drive was still continuing. Earlier on Saturday, huge firearms and ammunition were recovered from the canal. Bidhan Tripura, deputy commissioner (Uttara division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said they had a tip-off that some travel bags stuffed with something illegal were dumped into the canal in the area from a black Pajero jeep at between 3pm and 4pm. Later, police along with Fire Service men conducted a drive there. Firefighters, including divers, pulled out eight bags from the canal until 9:45pm. Ninety-seven pistols, including 97 foreign ones, 1,060 bullets, 263 magazines and 10 bayonets were found inside the bags.
Russia agrees with US to improve military coordination in Syria

Photo shows a Russian military jet taking off at Hmeimim airbase in Syria.

Reuters, Moscow :Russia said on Sunday it had reached an agreement with the United States on the need to improve coordination between their military operations in Syria, where they are backing opposing sides of a civil war and launching air strikes.Moscow's intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, alongside Western backing for rebel groups and attacks on Islamic States targets, has raised the risk of a wider international confrontation in the war.Russia's defense ministry said military officials from both countries had agreed on the need to improve coordination during a video conference. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington.The announcement came a day after The Pentagon said it had questioned Moscow over Russian air strikes conducted against U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces last week, saying Moscow had failed to heed U.S. warnings.Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov dismissed the allegation, saying the Russian strikes hit about 300 km (190 miles) away from territory where the United States had said opposition forces were operating.He said Russia had notified the U.S.-led coalition about the targets it was planning to strike."The Russian defense ministry for the past few months has been proposing to its American colleagues to draw a unified map, which would containing information about the location of the forces which were active in Syria. However, no material progress has been made on this issue," Konashenkov said.Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks.Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the allegations.
Egypt's ousted president Morsi sentenced to life in espionage trial

Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi looks on during a trial session on charges of espionage in Cairo, Egypt on Saturday.

AFP, Cairo :

An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to life in prison in an espionage trial in which six of his co-defendants were handed death penalties. Morsi, who has been sentenced to death in a separate trial, was Egypt's first democratically elected president but the army overthrew him in 2013 and cracked down on his supporters.

He was given life in prison Saturday for leading an unlawful organisation and 15 years for having "stolen secret documents concerning state security," his lawyer said.

But Morsi was acquitted of having supplied classified documents to Qatar, one of his main backers, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud told AFP.

The six defendants sentenced to death for helping to pass secret documents to Qatar include three journalists, two from Qatar-based TV channel Al-Jazeera, tried in absentia. The media network denounced the verdict as an attack of free press.

Al-Jazeera "denounces, condemns, and entirely rejects the verdict," a statement said.

The verdict is "unjust and politicised" and "part of the ruthless campaign against freedom of speech and expression, in order to muzzle the voice of free press."

Qatar's government also rejected the verdict, saying it was "unfounded, goes against truth and contains misleading claims" that are contrary to Doha's policies.

"The charge of espionage for Qatar against a former president and media men is surprising and unacceptable," added Ahmed Al Rumaihi, director of information at the foreign ministry. Morsi came to power after the 2011 revolution that toppled longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak.

But after about one year in office, he was overthrown and detained by then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is now Egypt's president.

Courts have since sentenced hundreds of Islamists to death, including other Muslim Brotherhood leaders, though many have appealed and been granted new trials.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters were killed during protests following his ouster. Thousands of others were detained in a crackdown that was later expanded to include leftist and liberal dissidents. The Brotherhood has been blacklisted as a terrorist group.

Jihadists who have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group intensified their attacks following Morsi's overthrow, killing hundreds of Egyptian policemen and soldiers, mainly in the north of the Sinai Peninsula.

The jihadists say the attacks are in retaliation for the crackdown on Brotherhood supporters. Two of the journalists sentenced to death, Ibrahim Mohamed Hilal and Jordanian citizen Alaa Omar Mohamed Sablan, worked for Al-Jazeera.

The third has been named as Asmaa Mohamed al-Khatib, a female reporter with pro-Muslim Brotherhood news outlet Rassd.

The three others handed the death penalty, who were present during the trial, are documentary producer Ahmed Ali Abdo, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohamed Adel Kilani and university teaching assistant Ahmed Ismail Thabet, said the prosecution.

The death sentences were sent to the mufti-Egypt's official interpreter of Islamic law-as his opinion is legally required on death sentences although it is not binding.

Rights group Amnesty International criticised the trial outcome as "appalling" and called for the death sentences to be overturned and for the "ludicrous charges" against the journalists to be dropped.




Crisis of moral degeneration

Mohd Siddiqur Rahman :

Most news encircles homicide, rape, missing, disappearance, rescue of dead bodies and many other scuffles continue to soar and hog the headlines of the leading dailies and TV channels of the country. What we have observed during the recent Mayor and Union Parisad Election: bloody conflict, murder, abduction, shooting and many frightful occurrences all over the country. People seem to be edging gradually to the kingdom of fully filled with conflict, jealous, envy and violence and hellish situation. Criminal activities have been increasingly rising outstripping and breaking the previous number and records respectively. According to the social scientists and conscious citizens, the root cause of tendency to returning to the barbaric age could be attributed to degradation of moral values in our society. Anyway, overall situation is alarming, great concern to the populace and challenge to the administration. Obviously it is in the cognizance of the law enforcing authorities that have been making efforts to maintain peace and amity in the society as best as they could.

With the growth of population, we experience growth in crime, even more in proportion. Many opined that it is due to heavy erosion of moral values in the society. Criminal activities are too much to be controlled by the social leaders. There has been polarization in the local leadership system, they review the cases , pass judgments on the basis of party affiliation or amount of bribe received defying justice. As a result most leaders have become criminals and made the system vulnerable . In default of the strong leadership, the members of the society are in frustration and have unleashed them to committing unethical deeds.

Men live in community following the social convention and learn many things to lead peaceful and joyful life. Men learn to offer services beneficial to the public. On going dysfunctional local leadership seem to be failing in giving the instructive lessons to the public affecting the social life badly. Leaders have become busy in the pursuit of personal gain by adopting unfair means.

Now-a-days we observe a great change on social tie in relationship . In the past people used to live In a specific community for a long time with strong community feelings maintaining close and cordial relationship. Connection with the relatives was very strong. Friends and relatives lived in best spirit honoring and respecting each other. With the passage of time, social relationship has been loosened, cordiality and closeness is hardly found in community life. Many farmers left villages for towns and foreign countries for work dismissing their own professions. Development of roads and communications helped them move from one place to another and shift from one profession to another. Country's big political parties that are mainly featured by conflict, collision, hatred and intolerance, have been deeply rooted with far flung rural areas and engaged to establishing supremacy on one another and obtaining some personal gains by unleashing nefarious activities. All these foregoing factors have created multifarious cracks in the foundation of community life and pushed it to an upheaval situation. The society, the foundation of which was based on love and affection, sympathy and fraternity has been becoming gradually insignificant.

Nevertheless, It is admitted fact that the moral values in the society are degrading. Dysfunctional politics and political culture are one of the main factors of social upheaval throughout the country. One can see great deterioration in moral values while millions of people are living under poverty line and young boys are either unemployed or under employed. The youth are in utter confusion about their future. As result, the prospect of the country, dependent on whom, has been caught in moral degeneration . Most educational premises have created heavy erosion of moral values in the student community. Traditional ethics , no longer, carries value to them. Some people including students, gradually losing their trust in morality since it could neither provide safety nor livelihood for them. Smugglers, some business magnets ,have been making stockpile of wealth by indulging in foul ways showing disrespect to the moral values.

Both too much illegal earnings and too much poverty have been producing criminals in the society .In addition, Intrusion and aggression of foreign culture also have contributed a lot in degenerating moral standards.

We are in the know that moral values are concerned with the distinction between right and wrong, concerned with accepted rules and standards of human behavior. Unfortunately we have distanced us from the conventions and basic principles of life . Polite nature has been overpowered by aboriginal instinct resulting in dreadful incidents like mothers kill her children, brother kills his brother ,son killing his father, husband murders his wife and children and so on and on .

As present reaction in mind , we wonder whether we are going to the right direction ?

From the beginning of civilization, the problem of men in his environment has been mainly that of immortality in all its antihuman segments. Man has destroyed himself and nations have collapsed for lack of moral strength or enthronement of various unethical fraudulent problems. History reveals that cultures of both Greek and Roman had a high point of education, morality, knowledge , virtue etc and then fell into a moral decay which destroyed them . So value systems are the essential precondition of a civilized society.

There has never been a golden age ,but our nation has definitely been in moral decline for decades. As a result the country is not progressing at the speed it should have been .Industrialization and many other economic activities both in private and public sectors who need various capitals for investment like capital from the bank ,from the share market, capital from the society, i.e. human resources and natural resources like rivers and forests but what we have experienced about the capital markets in recent past : embezzlement of banks money, collapse of share market, shortage of well educated manpower and inadequate supply of resources from forests and rivers .Besides, there is huge transfer of capital to foreign countries through money laundering and evasion of taxes resulting in dearth of capital in the capital market. So committing crime has been a social malady and it is spreading its greedy clutches all over the country . Each and every government sector is impacted by corruptions. Economic progress is being deterred and image has been tarnished.

It is known that Bangladesh has topped the list of corrupt countries five times. A developing country like Bangladesh cannot afford to tolerate the perpetrators to committing crime and mischief causing great harm to the country men. When moral decadence has been figured out as the root cause of all social ills as asserted above, moral standards to restore, have to be focused on priority basis. Eroding moral values got to be resisted otherwise whole nation is likely to be pushed into the abyss of darkness.

This article has been louded with enormity of ethical problems in Bangladesh society, and though this make one think that there is no solution to these depressing problems, attempt will be made here to proffer possible solutions . According to Bertrand Russel, "the things that make human life miserable, are preventable, and the ways of preventing them are known". Considering all the above discussion on moral degeneration, it is clear that entire Bangladesh Society has a role to play as it is concluded to have been the creation of the society itself.

In summing up, with due respect and honor , I would like to call upon all the people in authority, all leaders in civic life, educators, social scientists and all other people of good will to come up with actions , expertise and recommendations to get us out of the moral slumps that we are in . May Allah (swt) bestow us wisdom, strength to respect and obey moral principles that have been passed to us, to human beings of the universe, from the scripture- The Holy Qur'an for enjoying peace, prosperity and happiness here and hereafter.



(From New York, Mohd Siddiqur Rahman, ex Country Manager of Biman, Bangladesh Airlines in Frankfurt, Germany.)
Thousands demand US military exit from Japan's Okinawa

Protesters raise placards reading \'Anger was over the limit\' during a rally against the U.S. military presence on the island and a series of crimes and other incidents involving U.S. soldiers and base workers, at a park in the prefectural capital Naha o

Al Jazeera News :

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have rallied on the Japanese island of Okinawa, protesting against the heavy US military presence and violent crimes by American personnel there.

Gathered on Sunday afternoon, protesters expressed their frustrations with the US after a former Marine employed as a civilian base worker allegedly raped and murdered a 20-year-old local woman in April.

The case has intensified long-standing opposition to the military bases, a key part of the US-Japan security alliance, on the island popular with tourists. Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Okinawa, said the US has been acting in a sensitive manner to the current mood on the island. "Washington quickly announced a one-month period of mourning on all their bases following the killing of the young woman," he said.

"The US insists this death should not drive a wedge between them and the people of Okinawa. But many here believe there will always be tensions while US forces remain." The rally also called for the scrapping of plans by Washington and Tokyo to move a major US Marine facility in the centre of the island to pristine waters off the northern coast. Okinawa's governor, Takeshi Onaga, who was expected to attend the rally, opposes the plan and instead wants Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which sits in the middle of a crowded city, to be moved off the island altogether.

He has revoked approval for work on the facility, in a setback to the plan, despite the fact that Washington and Tokyo vow to push forward. The roots of the presence goes back to the end of World War II when Okinawa was the site of a battle between Japan and the US, followed by a 27-year US occupation.

High-profile crimes have sparked large-scale protest rallies before on Okinawa, now considered a strategic linchpin supporting the US-Japan alliance, but where pacifist sentiment runs high. In 1995, tens of thousands rallied following the rape by three American personnel of a 12-year-old girl. The protests prompted Washington to pledge to reduce the US footprint on the fortified island. Nearly 100,000 people joined a protest in 2010 against the construction of the new base off the northern coast. US officials have grown increasingly concerned that the behaviour of its troops on the island could jeopardise support among Japanese for the security relationship. Washington have imposed restrictions including on off-base alcohol consumption after an intoxicated sailor injured two locals while driving this month.


Yemeni missile kills 31 Saudi mercenaries in Jawf

Press TV :

Yemeni forces have reportedly targeted a center of gathering belonging to Saudi mercenaries in the country's northern province of al-Jawf, leaving more than two dozen of the militiamen dead.

On Saturday, Yemeni forces launched a ballistic missile at the Army's 115th Division base in the provincial capital city of al-Hazm, where pro-Riyadh armed men had converged, Yemeni al-Masirah television network reported.

The strike claimed the lives of at least 31 Saudi mercenaries and left 24 others injured.

At least six high-ranking military commanders apparently died in the attack, according to a report published by September 21 news website.

Elsewhere in the central Yemeni province of Ma'rib, a senior Saudi-backed militant commander, identified by the nom de guerre Abu al-Qa'qah, was killed after Yemeni armed forces pounded the Atis base.

Separately, Saudi fighter jets carried out a raft of aerial assaults against the city of Sirwah, situated about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the capital Sana'a, as well as Nihm district in Yemen's northern province of Sana'a. There were no immediate reports of casualties and the extent of the damage caused.

Saudi warplanes also bombarded a residential neighborhood in the al-Maton district of Jawf Province, although no reports of casualties and damage were available.

A Yemeni boy rides his bicycle in front of buildings that were damaged by Saudi Also on Saturday, Yemen's warring parties exchanged nearly 200 prisoners captured during fighting in the city of Ta'izz, situated 346 kilometers (214 miles) south of the capital.

Tribal chief Abdullatif al-Muradi said the militia forces loyal to the former government released 118 Ansarullah fighters, while the Houthis freed 76.

The prisoner swap in the embattled city, which marked the largest since the outbreak of Yemen conflict last year, was a local initiative and had no connection to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015, in a bid to bring former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi - who is a staunch ally of Riyadh - back to power and defeat the Ansarullah movement.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.


5 fake DB men held in city

Five alleged robbers were arrested with arms, a microbus (not seen) from Khilgaon area by Detectives on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :

Five persons, who allegedly committed various crimes identifying themselves as the members of Detective Branch (DB) of Police, were arrested from different places of the city on Saturday night.

Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said that Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of Counter Terrorism unit arrested five persons.

A pistol and a revolver were also recovered from their possession, the police official said.

The arrested persons were being interrogated, the DC said, adding two cases were filed in this connection.
Begging business

The children are hired for begging on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr. This photo was taken from GPO area in the city on Sunday.

Sagar Biswas :Hundreds of professional beggars have started roaming across the capital city, including the beggars' free diplomatic zones like Gulshan and Baridhara, to earn extra money ahead of Eid-ul Fitr. But the concerned ministry has not taken any initiative yet to prohibit begging.Beggars are now seen seeking alms frequently at bus stands, railway stations, markets, road-intersections, traffic signals, Motijheel, Gulistan, Shahbagh, Karwan Bazar and different other places.The Social Welfare Department had declared airport, diplomatic zone and Hotel Radisson areas under Dhaka North City Corporation as beggars' free zone. Besides, three other areas - Sonargaon Hotel, Sheraton Hotel and Bailey Road under Dhaka South City Corporation -- were also declared the same.Not only that, the Social Welfare Ministry in 2010 had planned to conduct a survey on beggars in Dhaka city in a bid to prepare a database with their photographs. But it is yet to see the day light. According to an approximate estimate, there are around 70,000 professional beggars in the city, which turns three times bigger ahead of Eid-ul Fitr and other festivals. If anyone goes through the roads of Gulshan or Baridhara by private car, public transport or rickshaw or even on foot, he would have to face a beggar. When contacted, Saida Ferdous Akhter, Project Director, Department of Social Welfare, told The New Nation on Sunday, "The government had taken a plan to rehabilitate the beggars. It is still going on.. We've planned to conduct mobile courts to make the city beggar free." Momena, age around, 45, carries a baby during begging, whose age is more or less two months, is often seen around Baitul Mukarram Market. Her common dialogue: 'This baby is starving for one day or since morning, I have no money to buy food for him.' When asked, Momena said that her income is more than Tk 1000 -1500 daily.Some powerful crime syndicates are running the lucrative begging business by hiring elderly poor people, women and children from remote areas. In that case, a group of professional beggars engage their entire family members in this begging business.As per statistics provided by Bureau of Statistics, a beggar can earn minimum 4 or 5 kg rice in their whole day in urban areas. They sell it to their fixed shop and they take the money. In the cities, earning of a beggar varies from Tk 500 to Tk 1000 daily.Although the diplomatic zone has been declared free from beggars by the authority, the beggars are often seen collecting alms from the people. There is widespread allegation that begging becomes rampant in diplomatic zone due to indifference of relevant law enforcement agencies."Begging has become a source of being affluent, a curse, a profession, a way of cheating and destruction to humanity. In fact, beggar is a profitable business in our country  the poor people, who have no job become beggar," Anwara Rahman, an executive of an NGO, said.She said: "The beggars fill up their targets in the whole day and hand over the begging money to their bosses."Usually, the members of beggars' community come from different areas, particularly from slums, through the organized syndicates. Many of them are forced to beg, but in every case, physical disability is considered as an extra qualification to attract people's sympathy. The beggars apply different techniques to run their business. Some sing songs, some tell stories, some recite poems and some play tune. But, most embarrassing is that beggars often taunt and misbehave with people if they are not given enough money.Sources close to the Social Welfare Ministry told The New Nation that begging has become a popular project for some influential people and they force particularly poor and disabled people in begging. "Some beggars have become affluent by occupying this profession. They also maintain a monetarily solvent life where several beggars have lands and buildings," the sources said. Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development [BCHRD] in a study conducted in 2013 said that more than 97 per cent beggars do not like their present way of life and they want to be rehabilitated in society. The Social Welfare Ministry had formulated a guideline to conduct the beggars' survey by some ten NGOs under the guidance of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and with the cooperation of National Foundation for Development of the Disabled Persons. The Finance Ministry had also allocated Tk 12.47crore for the project titled 'Beggars Rehabilitation Programme'. But the project did not proceed a bit. The Finance Ministry in 2015-16 fiscal year also allocated Tk 50 lakh for the same project. But the progress of the project is invisible.
Aid agencies inundated as thousands flee Fallujah

A woman, who fled from Falluja because of Islamic State violence, carries her child during a dust storm at a refugee camp in Ameriyat Falluja.

Al Jazeera News :About 2,300 families have fled the Iraqi city of Fallujah over the past 24 hours, according to an international aid group, as government forces and their allies push forward with an offensive to retake the city from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group. The Iraqi army said on Saturday it had gained control of Fallujah's main hospital, a day after recapturing the government compound in the centre of the city.Fighters belonging to ISIL, also known as ISIS, still hold roughly 20 percent of the city and are entrenched on its northern districts. Battle for Fallujah: More than 300 soldiers killed in two days Humanitarian agencies working on the outskirts of Fallujah, located 50km west of the capital Baghdad, said they were struggling to cope with the heavy flow of displaced civilians fleeing the violence as the offensive continues, pressing on towards ISIL-held Mosul . "In the last 24 hours, more than 2,300 families have actually managed to leave Fallujah, and to be honest, there's very little space for them in Amariyat al-Fallujah, Habbaniyah Tourit City and Khaldiyah, which is where they are escaping to," Nasr Muflahi, Iraq country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Erbil, told Al Jazeera on Saturday.More than 20,000 people have fled Fallujah in the past two days alone, ac"We are now finding it difficult to cope with the numbers that are coming out of Fallujah, especially in terms of delivering safe drinking water. We're down to the bare minimum of three litres per person, and we're not really sure how long we can continue to do that," said Muflahi. The UN and the Iraqi government have set up camps for 60,000 displaced civilians in Anbar province, but have warned there is little capacity to absorb any more people. New arrivals, many of whom have been trapped by fighting for weeks, reach relative safety to find overcrowded camps and settlements. "The people coming out of Fallujah are telling us horrific stories of how they were treated - the lack of food, no services, no electricity," said Muflahi. "We are doing our utmost, with other agencies, to respond to their needs, which is shelter, water and food," said Muflahi. "These are things that we need to prioritise, and we need to now rather than later." Some 70,000 people are estimated to have fled Fallujah, and another 60,000 are expected to leave over the next several days, according to the UNHCR . The agency estimates that up to 150,000 displaced people may soon be in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. "Thousands of families may also remain trapped in Fallujah," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said on Saturday. "These are estimates ... however, we remain very concerned about the safety and the wellbeing of the people still in Fallujah." Rights groups have voiced concern over reports of abuse, mistreatment and extrajudicial killings. And Sunni politicians have called on Haider al-Abadi, Iraq's prime minister, to investigate the rising number of alleged abuses. Iraqi security forces fear that ISIL fighters may be hiding among the displaced. Shia units known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces fighting alongside government troops have been separating males from their families, detaining the men to put them through a security screening process. The government lost control of Fallujah in 2014, months before ISIL took Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, and swept across large parts of the country. As a result of escalating violence over the past two years, more than 3.4 million people are now displaced across Iraq - more than half of them children.
Avijit murder accused also killed in encounter

Staff Reporter : The main accused in blogger Avijit Roy murder case was killed in an encounter with members of Detective Branch (DB) of Police in city's Khilgaon area early Sunday.Shariful Islam Sharif alias Hadi was a top leader of the military wing of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Earlier on May 19, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) released photographs and identities of six suspected militants, including Sharif, involved in the spate of target killings recently. It also announced bounties of Tk 5 lakh for information leading to arrest of Shariful and Selim and Tk 2 lakh for the other four.According police, Sharif also used to identify himself as Saleh and Arif.Talking to journalists, Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of DMP, said acting on a tip-off a special squad of plainclothes police arrested Shihab alias Sumon alias Sakib alias Saifullah, also a member of ABT on Thursday.He was arrested in connection with a case for the attempt on the life of Shuddhashwar publisher and blogger Ahmedur Rashid Tutul on October 31 last year. "After extracted information from Shihab during his interrogation, DB set up a check post in Meradiya Bashpotti area under Khilgaon Police Station," Masudur Rahman said.He said, riding a motorbike when Sharif along with his two other accomplices were passing by the check post in Meradiya Bashpotti area at about 2:30am, the on duty law enforces asked them to halt. "But the three, including Sharif, instead of responding to the law enforces' instruction, opened fire targeting the members of plainclothes police," he said.Masudur Rahman said DB Police also fired several rounds of bullet targeting them. During the gunfight Sharif received bullet wounds and two other managed to flee the scene. Sharif was later rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead, the police official said.A motorcycle, a pistol and two rounds of bullet were recovered from the spot. Avijit Roy, son of Prof Ajoy Roy and founder of Mukta-Mona blog, was killed and his wife Rafida Afrin Banya injured as unidentified criminals stabbed them near TSC on the Dhaka University campus on February 26, 2015.Prof Ajay Roy, father of the deceased and a former DU teacher, filed the case against some unnamed people with Shahbagh Police Station on February 27.Avijit along with his wife, an expatriate couple living in the USA, returned home a few days ahead of the incident as his two books were published on the occasion of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair.On the last day of October 2015, two publishers -- Ahmedur Rashid Tutul and Faisal Arefin Dipan -- were hacked brutally by some unidentified people.Later, Faisal Arefin Dipan, owner of Jagriti Publications, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. But, Ahmedur Rashid Tutul survived with terrible scars across his face.Meanwhile, a series of such crossfire killings in recent weeks has raised alarm and raised questions about the motive for such actions. The suspected militants and accused in different murder cases are being killed in so-called 'gunfights' and 'crossfire' with the law enforcement agencies, especially with police, DB Police and Rapid Action Battalion.The two recent deaths in so-called 'encounter' have already raised serious questions among the people. These deaths have also put the role of the police and the whole criminal system on the dock. The first instance is the death in an 'encounter' of a youth militant, Golam Faizullah Fahim. He was caught red-handed during a machete attack on a Hindu teacher in Madaripur. One day after the police took him on a ten-day remand and he was dead.At least five or six accused in different murder cases were reported to have been killed in last seven days.Some police officials and detectives said that the accused slain in reported encounters were identified militants and 'notorious gangsters' who could not have been contained by legal process.But rights activists strongly opposed the views. They termed such extrajudicial killings alarming and violation of law by the law enforcement agencies. They suspect that law enforcement agencies might be trying to derail investigation of the sensational cases.
Take Assad out and fight against IS will be easier

We most warmly welcome the statement of over 51 US diplomats who have urged the administration to carry out military strike and bomb Syrian government positions to force the despotic regime of President Bashar al-Assad to agree to a negotiated settlement to the five-year civil war. The diplomats in an internal memo to the State Department through the 'dissent channel' called for a radical shift in the administration's Syria policy openly breaking with President Barrack Obama's policy towards Syrian civil war. In their view, the administration's alternative policy to work with Russia to secure a ceasefire and political solution has made little headway and being betrayed, and it is time to 'use a judicious stand-off and air weapons' to bring change in the situation. Most unusually the former diplomats broke their silence and came out openly to draw the attention of President Obama's wrong strategy in Syria directly frustrating the fight against IS terrorists.We agree with the diplomats that President Obama's military campaign against the delusion of Islamic State is being undermined by poor efforts to dislodge President Assad. We have been expressing in our editorials more than once that President Assad of Syria is a modern mass killer Hitler, and he should be targeted directly to force him leave Syria. America's weakness in its leadership in Syria is costing the whole world dearly. Only ISIS is being helped to linger. The Syrian refugee problem would not have reached such stage of being a global crisis of human tragedy if Assad had been ousted sooner. He killed thousands of men, women and children. As many as 4.8 million people fled the country for safety of life. It is a shame for the West to have tolerated colossal human rights violations by a monster who has no respect for human life. To remain in power he has committed disaster against his people and the country. If the Syrians were not Muslims, the West would have reacted differently. The memo signed by working level diplomats underscored the lingering frustration within the administration over how to deal with a civil war that has already killed over 400.000 people. It has also flooded Europe with stream of refugees creating severe socio-political backlash. In the opinion of the diplomats, the US has so far failed to do anything effective to influence the situation. We say it firmly, the cruel killer of his own people, Assad of Syria will not enter into negotiation. Any settlement to keep him in Syria will be no settlement. He finds American policy is too cautious for any decisive action. He sees Russian help reassuring. The US Secretary of State John Kerry has issued an open warning to Russia on Syrian war few days back saying the administration's patience is closing to its limit. Russia or no Russia the US has to show its resolve to take out brutal Assad who has destroyed a country and made its people refugees seeking global mercy. Russian itself is directly participation in bombing the opponent of Assad within Syria. The US has all the more justification as protector of human rights. To Russia human rights have no importance.The man who killed thousands, displaced nearly half of the population giving rise to the largest refugee crisis for the world, has no right to survive. Let the Western alliance move decisively to force out Assad. We are sure Russia will not take the risk for saving Assad who must not be saved.
Charges pressed against Ctg BCL leader Rony

UNB, Chittagong :

Police on Sunday pressed charges against Nurul Azim Rony, general secretary of the city unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), in an arms case.

Sub-Inspector of Hathazari Police Station Delwar Hossain, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the court of Chittagong Senior Judicial Magistrate Shahidullah Kaiser, said court inspector Mashiur Rahman.

Accepting the charge sheet, the court sent it to

District and Sessions Judge's court for starting the next proceedings, he said. Some 22 people were included as witnesses in the case, said Mashiur Rahman.

A mobile court sentenced BCL leader Rony to two years' jail for violating the electoral code in Hathazari upazila during union parishad election on May 7. The mobile court, led by Judicial Magistrate Harunur Rashid, handed down the jail term to Rony, 26, nephew of Nurul Afsar, AL-backed chairman candidate of the union, after his arrest along with a 9mm pistol, 15 rounds of bullet and a magazine.

Later, a case was filed against him with Hathazari Police Station in this connection.
Cruelty of our people inflicting on our people is unbelievable

Target killing by militants spreading panic at all levels is a heinous crime but we also feel utter uneasiness by the spate of crossfire killing branding them the accused in the name of encounters with the police.

Media reports on Saturday made the disclosure that the arrested attacker of Madaripur College teacher has been killed in police encounter in a jute plantation field on the very first day of his 10-day remand. He fell before he could make full disclosure about the attempt to kill. But what is surprising is that the police could not even injure those who attacked the police.

DB police killed another prime accused in blogger Avijit killing in the city on Sunday.

Meanwhile a total of 16 people were killed in a spate of crossfire throughout the country over the last 12 days from June 9. It appears that killing by militants and counter killing by police in crossfire have reached a new height when state protection to people is rendering useless.

The government is not for creating bad examples like killing people without trial or arresting innocent young men in thousands. The law enforcers must not be law breakers. A college student was killed when he was granted remand by the court to be in police custody. It is a question to be answered how the court allowed the prayer for police remand when the Supreme Court gave directives not to grant remand first time.

We have denounced crossfire on so many occasions through our editorials demanding it must stop because such killing people without proper trial is a direct infringement of the constitutional right to life and fair trial. Most importantly such killings encourage others to take law into their own hands.

Power of guns can't replace the rule of law. It is rendering the nation utterly helpless like the militants' cruelty.

Not only the police power is grossly abused being under political pressure, there is abuse of power everywhere by many others. The public wealth is plundered in the name of politics. In public life corruption is going unchecked. It is not safe to keep money in the banks.

What is most painful is that even the justice system is not too careful to help the victims of police abuse. The politicised police has difficulty to be fully trustworthy. In short, the police are not free to be truthful.

We find it unbelievable that our own people inflicting so much cruelty and injustice on our own people.


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Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
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! ! !

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Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

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Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

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Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

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Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
MARION  The 2016 Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant winner is Jaryn Franklin.

At the Marion Cultural and Civic Center Saturday night, Franklin, known as Miss Blackhawk Valley during the competition, won the crown above Amelia Mugavero, or Miss Springfield, in the closing minutes of the competition.

Franklin, hailing from East Moline, performed a rendition of Dream A Little Dream of Me as her talent. She received her crown wearing a long, black evening gown dress.

In the last part of the competition, she was asked in the interview portion about former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, who received a six-month jail sentence in California for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. She was asked what message it is sending to young men across the country.

I really think it is enabling sexual assault on college campuses, and I think we are undermining the reality that they do take place across several college campuses, Franklin said. I dont agree with the judges decision. It should not have happened and it should not have come to that.

Along with the Miss Illinois crown, Franklin will receive more than $12,000 in scholarship money and the chance to compete for the Miss America crown in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September.

Southern Illinois was close to having back-to-back Miss Illinois winners. Janna Harner, known as Miss Southern Illinois, finished as second runner up and will receive $2,000 in scholarships. She is from Anna. This past year's Miss Illinois was Miss Southern Illinois  Crystal Davis of Anna.

Harner made the cut when the field was cut from 22 to 11 at the beginning of the night, and then once again when the top five was announced after three-quarters of the competition was completed.

Harner performed For Once in My Life, written by Songwriter and Artist Stevie Wonder, as her talent.

It was a short night for the other local contestants. Miss Metropolis Colby Holman, of Metropolis, and Miss John A. Logan Christin Ritter of Herrin did not make the top 11 semi-finalists.

Abigail Brown, known as Miss Heartland of Kewanee did make the top 11, but did not make the top five. She won a local pageant in Marion back in February.

On Friday, Southern Illinois did crown a winner as Miss Southern Illinois Outstanding Teen Christine Bryant of Marion won the teenage competition. She will represent Illinois at the Miss Americas Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando in August.
A bill that would allow Illinois distillers to produce significantly more liquor each year wont have much of an effect on Southern Illinois still-fledgling spirits industry, local craft distillers say.

Senate Bill 2797 would allow craft distillers to produce up to 100,000 gallons of spirits each year under a single license, an increase from the present limit of 35,000 gallons. It would also close a loophole in current state law that lets distillers hold multiple licenses at different locations.

Both the House and Senate have passed the measure, which was sponsored by state Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago. It has yet to reach Gov. Bruce Rauners desk.

Were a number of years away from needing to expand our capacity beyond the current limit, said Karen Binder, owner of Grand River Spirits in Carbondale, which produces less than 25,000 gallons per year. But (the bill) is calling attention to a remarkably growing industry for, not only Southern Illinois, but for the state of Illinois in general.

Adam Stumpf, co-owner of craft distillery Stumpys Spirits in Columbia, said he supports the bill but that the production increase wouldnt have much of an effect on his business, which is on track to produce about 10,000 gallons of spirits this year.

I know a couple of larger distilleries that its going to affect in the Chicago area. Were hoping to get there one day, but were a long way away, he said.

The 22-member Illinois Craft Distillers Association pushed two bills this session to try to raise the limit on products that can be sold onsite by a distillery, and to allow distillers to distribute their products at events such as farmers markets.

After facing opposition in Springfield, the group merged its support with SB 2797, which does establish tasting permit licenses that would let distillers distribute samples at farmers markets and other events.

Thats probably the only piece of the bill thats going to directly affect our business, Stumpf said. Its a nice way to get out in front of folks and promote the brand.

Stumpf said the limits on self-distribution hurt Stumpys last year, when the distillery was unable to participate in a large not-for-profit event to raise money for veterans in need.

He also noted that self-distribution would benefit some distilleries, but not necessarily all, as some companies have constructed their business plans around the states current three-tier distribution system.

Binder said the self-distribution issue is paramount for small craft distilleries like Grand River.

Were not a Jack Daniels or a Wild Turkey  we dont have the deep pockets that they do for marketing, said Binder, who is a former board member of the ICDA.

If were given the legal right to self-distribute, that would give us the right to sell at festivals, at farmers markets, and it would be treated more like local product. At Grand River, were very proud of the fact that we use hyper-local ingredients, she added.

Another issue facing local distilleries is the federal excise tax on spirits, which puts a strain on small craft distilleries with modest budgets. The American Craft Spirits Association is lobbying for the tax to be lowered from $13.50 per proof gallon to $2.00 per proof gallon for distilleries that produce under 100,000 gallons each year.

As a small Southern Illinois distillery, our single biggest expenditure is taxes, he said. (The lower excise tax) would allow us to invest directly into our business, to grow the business and to help grow the spirits industry in Illinois.

The federal excise tax on distilled spirits is based on the alcohol content of the product. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, spirits are taxed at three times the rate of table wine and two times the rate of beer. Spirits are also generally taxed more heavily than beer and wine on the state level.

We are seeking parity with what wineries and breweries already have been enjoying, Binder said.

As the craft distillery industry sees rapid expansion all over the country, the ICDA is evidence that in-state craft distillers have begun to band together, Stumpf said.

Overall, its really a nice forum to push legislation forward get distilleries out of the Prohibition era, he said. The beer and wine industry has already been through this, but were still catching up.
It was 1966. Gas was 32 cents a gallon. Protesters were demonstrating against the Vietnam War. A first-class stamp was 5 cents. The Temptations hit No. 1 with Beautys Only Skin Deep and Aint Too Proud to Beg.

During Claflins commencement weekend last month, alumni from the 1966 graduation class came back to celebrate their Golden Anniversary Reunion as members of the Golden Class. Among them were Bernice Johnson, who was also celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary, and the Rev. Dr. John Elliott.

Johnson, a retired elementary school educator who now lives in Newport News, Virginia, had not been back to campus since her 25th class reunion. At the urging of her friends and classmates, she decided to return for the celebration.

When I was here 25 years ago, I could not believe how much things had changed. I am in awe of the campus. I am so proud of Claflin, she said.

On the other hand, Elliott, who still lives in Orangeburg, has seen the campus grow and develop over the years.

Times have changed so much. Back then you could not walk around holding a girls hand, he said, joking. The changes have been good for the university, but Claflin still holds true to its core values.

More than 30 members of the class of 1966 attended the reunion events. The group kicked off its celebration with a get-acquainted hour on May 13, followed by lunch hosted by Claflin President Henry N. Tisdale and First Lady Alice Carson Tisdale. Friday concluded with the baccalaureate convocation and a Golden Class Social.

On May 14, activities began with the reunion breakfast and a photo session leading up to Claflins 146th Commencement Convocation. Members of the class marched in the procession wearing gold academic regalia and they were presented Golden Diplomas during the convocation. The weekend of events concluded with a farewell reception.

A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Johnson followed her older brother and sister to Claflin.

She initially majored in elementary education, but after the death of her father, she switched to music.

He was a Baptist minister, and I would play for him in the church, said Johnson, the youngest of 11 children. He always encouraged me to play the piano so in honor of him, I changed my major to general music.

Johnson spent her professional life as an elementary school music teacher. After following her husband, who was in the U.S. Army, to different locations, they finally settled in Newport News, Virginia.

The weekend before commencement, the Johnsons celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party hosted by their children, Tiffany, William III and Warren.

Bernice Johnson married William E. Johnson Jr., her high school sweetheart, on April 30, 1966, and graduated on May 25  less than a month later. William joined the military the same day Bernice left Wilmington for Claflin. At the time, he was stationed in Georgia and would often catch the bus to Orangeburg to visit Bernice. On this particular weekend visit, William came to town with a proposal.

He told me he was headed to Kansas and that he wasnt accepting no for an answer, Johnson said. He said, When I leave town this weekend, you will be Mrs. William E. Johnson Jr.

After the wedding, Johnson called her mother. My mother was extremely displeased, she recalled. She cried for 15 minutes. She wanted to me finish school first, and I promised I would. My parents were older and they wanted to make sure I would be able to take care of myself.

Johnson earned her degree and moved with her husband to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They traveled across the country. William was sent to Vietnam, and Bernice headed home. They eventually settled and started a family.

Rev. Dr. John Elliott came to Claflin because of its affiliation with The United Methodist Church. I was raised by my grandmother and she attended Claflin, said Elliott, adding that his son and granddaughter are also Claflin alumni. My grandfather was a strong Methodist, and it was a Methodist tradition to go to Claflin so thats what I did. They also have an outstanding religion and philosophy program.

Elliott, who retired about five years ago, remembers when Claflin assigned a student or employee to ring a bell to signal the change of classes. Because he had taken some engineering classes in high school, he was part of the team that installed the first electronic bell system.

After earning his degree at Claflin, Elliott enrolled in the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. He also received a masters in divinity from Emory Universitys Chandler School of Theology, a doctorate of divinity from the Teamer School of Theology in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a doctorate in divinity metaphysics at the New York School of Theology.

Elliott spent his life preaching and building United Methodist churches in South Carolina. He spent the last 24 years in St. George Parrish, which consists of Shady Grove, St. Mark and Trinity United Methodist churches.

My name is John, and they must have thought it was John Wesley, he said, referring to one of the three founders of the United Methodist Church movement. Whenever they needed a church to be built, they called on me.

Johnson spent her time building her family before returning to teach. She credits her time at Claflin with preparing her for a successful career.

Claflin was small but the faculty and staff created a nurturing environment, she said, adding that the doors to the dorm were locked every day at 6 p.m. If you wanted to go to the library, you had to sign out. If you were a freshman, you couldnt go to the library without a senior escort.

Johnsons family missed the wedding, but all were there for the graduation. Her husband, William, was too ill to travel to the reunion in Orangeburg last month, but Johnson was accompanied by her daughter and great-niece.

Although Elliotts wife, Willa Dean, was unable to attend the reunion and he lost his vision a few years ago, he was still excited and enjoyed renewing old acquaintances.

He said, I would not have missed this weekend for anything.
Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn all showed up at Orangeburgs historic Pink Palace Wednesday for a mysterious rendezvous yet to be disclosed.

The DC Comics characters will bring to life the former jail as part of a 30-second commercial for the Soda City Comic Con event at the Columbia Convention Center in August.

Jennifer Epting, Columbia-based Soda City Comic Con co-founder and commercial producer, said the Pink Palace was an ideal location for the commercial.

It is a historic site and it was a jail, Epting said. It was a set that is appropriate for a jail setting. I am excited that we found it and are able to use it today.

She said she found out about the Pink Palace through the South Carolina Film Commission and learned that local auto dealership owner Jimmy Guthrie owned the building.

Epting said she did not want to give away the plot of the commercial, but she did say, Know that everybody is making a break for Soda City Comic Con in August.

It is time to get your geek on, she added.

Soda City Comic Con is a pop culture event that aims to bring together the best in comics, toys, cosplay (the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game) gaming and artists.

It is kind of a celebration of everything pop culture, Epting said.

Calhoun resident Roy Thomas, former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, will be one of those featured at this years Soda City Comic Con.

Epting said the commercial filmed at the old Orangeburg jail will air the last week in July on all major Columbia television networks, on cable television and online.

The commercials production company is Columbia-based Zero Gravity. A film crew spent about eight hours shooting it.

There is a lot of work and a lot of pre-planning that goes into it, Epting said.

Drew Tyler, who works at Zeus of Orangeburg, portrays a prison guard in the commercial. He said he heard about the opportunity and could not pass it up.

I am just getting started, Tyler said of his acting career. I did a commercial for NASCAR for Coca-Cola last year.

It is not the first time Soda City Comic Con has shot a commercial to promote the Columbia event. The groups first commercial also featured Quinn, represented by international costume and cosplay star Kristen Hughey. Hughey is also the main actress in the commercial, playing all three of the DC Comics characters in the Orangeburg shoot.

Although Comic Con is a national event, Soda City Comic Con is unique in that it is composed of people entirely from South Carolina, Epting said.

The group received its name from the nickname for Columbia (Cola), transitioning to Soda City.

The founders of Soda City Comic Con, in addition to Epting, were Donald B. Brock Jr. and Steve C. Powell, according to its website.
A Polaris dealership has opened in Orangeburg.

Jimmy Jones Polaris of Orangeburg opened June 6 in the 3,500-square-foot facility that formerly was home to the pre-owned Toyota dealership at 3241 St. Matthews Road.

The full-service Polaris dealership is located next to Jimmy Jones Toyota of Orangeburg and Jimmy Jones Scion of Orangeburg and across the street from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

We wanted to bring a brand to Orangeburg that would not only be a good fit for the community but also something that would complement the Toyota brand as well, owner Jimmy Jones said. We think Polaris is a perfect fit.

The dealership sells all-terrain vehicles, utility vehicles and the Polaris Slingshot, a three-wheeled motor vehicle.

The dealership offers many Polaris products such as Razor, Ranger, Ranger Crew, Sportsman and Highlighter.

The dealership also carries a full line of Polaris accessories for all Polaris and Polaris Slingshot models, as well as a full line of Polaris Youth models and accessories.

The dealership is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dealership is closed on Sunday.

The Polaris dealership has been about seven months in the making, according to its website.

After conducting market research, it was determined a Polaris dealership was needed in the Orangeburg area, according to the companys website.

Jones purchased the Toyota of Orangeburg-Scion dealership in July 2014.

Jones has been in the automotive business for 23 years.

He worked at a Ford store in Greenville, North Carolina, for about a year, then joined a Toyota dealership in the same town to sell cars.

In 1998, he left for a Toyota dealership in Goldsboro, North Carolina, eventually becoming its general sales manager.

In 2003 Hubert Vester Toyota-Scion in the neighboring small town of Wilson needed someone with Toyota experience and hired Jones as general manager.
Last week's presidential primaries from New Jersey to California seemed to settle the big questions in this phase of the race to the White House. Though he continued to antagonize members of his party, Donald Trump maintained his march through the states. Though she still has not captured the heart of her party, Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic nomination.

But though the primary season has ended -- Tuesday's contest in the District of Columbia is but a meaningless coda -- a feeling of unease still pervades American politics. The nomination fights are finished, but there is no sense of closure.

That's because vital questions -- questions that get to the heart of America's self-identity and the identity of the two apparent nominees -- still nag. Here are three of the principal ones:

-- Is American politics corrupt or rigged?

This is perhaps the most searing question that Trump, an accomplished manipulator of rigged situations, has posed during a campaign that left the Republican establishment in tatters even as it shattered every assumption, every convention and every code of civil comportment that has governed American politics for more than a century.

He may have raised that question in a surly, self-indulgent and self-serving manner, and his rhetoric may have been more comic than considered, but make no mistake: Trump has posed the ultimate question in the politics of a country whose founding mythology is that the people should rule in a governmental structure open to all voices.

But the sobering message to the institution that regards itself as the representative of the people, the Democratic Party, is that its nominating process may be more rigged than is its rival's.

The considerable influence that the more than 700 superdelegates had in pushing Clinton over the top underlines the role that established figures play in the Democrats' nominating process.

Democrats have revolted against this in the past; in 1969 the party's Commission on Party Structure and Delegate Selection banned the selection of ex-officio delegates, such as House members and lieutenant governors, to the party conventions. This defanged the party establishment so brutally that after the next convention, in 1972, there was a counter-revolution.

That year, nearly all the top party members sided with Sen. Edmund S. Muskie of Maine, whose campaign ended April 28, only days before the Ohio primary, where Muskie's delegate slate won less than 9 percent of the vote. The result: Many party leaders were shut out of the convention that eventually nominated Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota.

All that produced another commission, which created the superdelegates who have been so important in recent contests. "Superdelegates rush as fast as they can to get behind a candidate they think will win," said Ken Bode, the research director of the 1969 commission. "They bend the convention away from democratic rule. There are fewer options for voters to affect the outcome because superdelegates always want to go with who looks to be the winner."

For months, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont left the superdelegate question on the table -- a case, it now seems, of unilateral political disarmament in a volatile campaign. It was Trump who raised the question and who taunted Sanders to engage it. (Who says that there are no philosophical bridges between the Sanders and Trump campaigns, which may be a serious threat to Clinton as she goes forward?)

A titanic struggle now looms. It may break into the open at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, where the supporters of Sanders may mount an attack against superdelegates at a conclave controlled by the very superdelegates who helped boost Clinton to victory.

-- Which profiles will the two apparent nominees put forth?

No election in modern history has included two candidates who so desperately need to adjust their personae. The fight for the White House now has come down to two candidates who are works in progress:

One is a former campus rebel at Wellesley College who became a member of the establishment at the Rose Law Firm and in the governor's mansion in Little Rock en route to the White House, the Senate and the State Department, and whose political success may now require that she appeal to the rebels who rejected her candidacy even as she shifted left.

The other is a rich man's son educated in an exclusive Ivy League business school who became an outlaw tycoon with decorating tastes bordering on the vulgar, and who ran as an outsider but whose political success may now require that he behave with the very restraint he mocked viciously en route to his nomination.

Political professionals are telling these combatants to make dramatic alterations in their political profiles. That could aid their prospects, but the very process of doing so may only underscore how empty, corrupt and opportunistic is modern American politics.

-- Who votes?

This is always the ultimate question in American presidential elections and is no less vital this time, when the question may not be which campaign can mobilize its supporters but instead which campaign suffers the greater loss of its core constituents.

It can never be good when small numbers of people participate in an election, but this is the unusual juncture when non-participation may be a deciding factor. (Outsider politicians often talk about bringing new voters into the process -- the Rev. Pat Robertson made this boast in 1988, Trump and Sanders did so this year -- but there is little clear evidence these claims make substantial differences. Instead, natural changes in the electorate, such as the maturing of one generation or the eclipse of another through mortality, or transformations of the nation's demographics through immigration, usually are more important.)

This year there are alarming signs that vast swaths of the American electorate either are alienated -- and alienation was the oxygen of the Trump and Sanders campaigns -- or find the apparent nominees odious. The negative ratings of these two candidates shatter all previous records.

So here is the figure that shows the depths of the despair and that demonstrates how important are the three questions emerging from this campaign: The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters shows that nearly a quarter of them aren't likely voters at all: a pox on both your houses, substantial numbers of Americans are saying, and on the two parties and the political system as a whole.

-----

David M. Shribman is executive editor of the Post-Gazette (dshribman@post-gazette.com, 412 263-1890). Follow him on Twitter at ShribmanPG.
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Many entrepreneurs are not equipped with financial management skills and knowledge needed to make informed and effective decisions about their financial resources, according to a new report.



The new guide titled Financial management and business success - a guide for entrepreneurs released by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is designed to help small businesses understand the importance of financial literacy and guide them through the basic elements.



Its reported that up to 36 per cent of business failures are caused by inadequate financial management (Turnaround Management Society, 2014). Understanding financial information is vital for offsetting this risk as it reveals the early warning signs of impeding problems.



The guide stresses the importance of business planning at every stage of business life, helping to assess and identify opportunities directly, and avoid mistakes through applying correct financial knowledge.



Featuring quotes, case studies and statistics that support skilled financial management, the ACCA guide demonstrates how to make sure individuals have the financial capabilities needed to ensure their organisation achieves its full potential.



Lindsay Degouve de Nuncques, head of ACCA Middle East said: UAEs small business sector has long been acknowledged as crucial to our overall economic performance. The success of entrepreneurs and SMEs is very important as they account for more than 60 per cent of the UAEs GDP, according to the Ministry of Economy.



Recognising the right financial management capabilities is therefore imperative to their success. Having the right financial capabilities remains vital throughout the life of a business, whether you are just starting out, have an established business or are looking towards a final exit from a firm. Businesses are changing and innovating more rapidly than ever and the financial management needs of organisations must continue to evolve alongside their developments, she added.



ACCA is the global body for professional accountants. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.  TradeArabia News Service
UAEs Ministry of Finance (MoF), in collaboration with the UAE Central Bank and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), will organise the UAE Banks reception alongside the upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank annual meetings in Washington.



The event will take place on October 7.



Participating banks in the reception will include National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), Union National Bank (UNB), Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB), Al Hilal Bank and National Bank of Fujairah (NBF). These banks have played an active role in strengthening the UAEs banking sector and these achievements will be highlighted during the annual meetings.



Attendees will include Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs; a large number of finance ministers; Mubarak Rashid Al Mansouri, central bank governors, heads of international financial and investment institutions, CEOs of many global banks, including delegations participating in the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.



Al Tayer stressed the significant role played by the banking sector within the country through providing the necessary funding for projects and investments that promote the national economy.



The Ministry of Finance continues its efforts to support the financial sectors stability, through expanding its network of strategic partnerships with local, regional and international financial institutions, as well as enhancing integration opportunities with UAE banking sectors to support the economic development, he said.



The Ministry continuously seeks to shed light on the strong position of the UAE financial sector, which has shown ability to face financial challenges, manage and deal with crises according to international standards. The advantages of dealing with UAE banks and financial institutions that provide products and services both locally and internationally.



The Ministry, in collaboration with its strategic partners, specifically the UAE Central Bank, works on developing policies and strategic plans that enhance financial institutions and the banking sectors abilities to raise the status of the banking sector and the financial solvency. This increases the banking sectors funding to economic sectors, as per the UAE Vision 2021 national agenda, he added.



The Ministry of Finance will organise the UAE banks reception for the fifth consecutive year. This reception is considered as an important platform which gives UAE banks and investors the opportunity to strengthen relations with businessmen and international financial institutions, as well as enhance the communication network and meet potential clients from countries across the world.  TradeArabia News Service
Trojan Holding, one of the UAEs leading construction groups, is to hand 100 engineering students an invaluable opportunity to gain a head start in the highly-competitive engineering sector.



The 100 Trojan Young Engineers initiative will offer engineering students at universities throughout the UAE the chance to shadow Trojans teams as they manage the planning, design and execution process of various construction projects.



The Trojan initiative is led by its CEO Hamad Al Ameri, who as a qualified engineer, is passionate about the importance of young engineers for the future of the country and is committed to helping build their skills, experience and leadership qualities.



During the programme, the students will be encouraged to grasp the day-to-day activities and gain an insight into working life by experiencing both management and construction sites roles.



The programme spearheads Trojans bid to foster a new generation of engineering leaders offering them the first taste of the practical experience that will allow them to contribute the UAEs construction sector.



At the conclusion of the programme, Trojan will offer the students who demonstrate the right attributes such as enthusiasm, practical skills, courage and leadership a one-month internship.



The selected students will gain experience at an internationally acclaimed establishment with projects ranging from infrastructure, mass housing, low rise to high rise, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) works, concrete production, steel structure and facade glazing.



Commenting on the initiative, Al Ameri said: "The 100 Trojan Young Engineers initiative presents an exclusive advantage for students to gain tactical experience and be exposed to complex problem solving scenarios that arise in execution phase of a project."



"Our main goal is to make a difference in the lives of these students by providing them with a platform that allows them to extend their educational knowledge into the skills and tactics required in a practical, corporate workplace," he noted.



The 100 Trojan Young Engineers initiative, which runs till March 2017, is open to fourth year engineering students with a GPA of 3.0 and above.



Each month, a group of ten students put forward by their university; will spend two full days with Trojans team of in-house engineers, where they will grasp, day-to-day activities, into how practical life will be through a rich program in both head office and construction sites.



Al Ameri pointed out that the construction sector was one of the most competitive working environments in the UAE in which an advantage in a graduates knowledge and experience could significantly enhance their CV and chances in landing a reputable professional job.



"However, the 100 Trojan Young Engineers is about more than just the first step on the ladder, but rather about giving back to the community through helping students understand what their future career could hold and expose them to the fantastic opportunities a career in engineering can offer," he stated.



The young generation are the future leaders of the UAE and we are very confident that the experience and self-confidence they would gain during their time at Trojan Holding will help set them on a course to become leaders in their field, he added.



Trojan Holding have teamed up with several universities, and are also encouraging others to get in touch to book places for their students.-TradeArabia News Service
Bayer AG, the German chemicals and healthcare company trying to acquire Monsanto, is exploring a sale of its radiology supplies unit that could be worth more than $3 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.



Bayer has said it does not need to sell assets to finance its $62 billion bid for Monsanto but has stressed that the strategic reviews of its businesses would continue as usual.



The company is in talks with investment banks about hiring a financial adviser to explore strategic alternatives for the radiology supplies business, including a sale, the sources said this week. Bayer may decide to keep the unit, the sources added.



The sources requested anonymity because the deliberations are confidential. Bayer declined to comment.



The radiology business generates more than 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in revenue from contrast agents and related injection equipment.



Its main products are Ultravist for computer tomography scans, with 318 million euros in sales in 2015, and Gadovist for magnetic resonance imaging scans, with 290 million euros.



Bayer has been taking steps to narrow the focus of its healthcare division to prescription drugs and consumer care products.



In 2014, it sold a unit making vascular catheters to treat clogged blood vessels to Boston Scientific Corp for $415 million, followed by the sale of a blood glucose meter business to Panasonic Healthcare Holdings for 1.02 billion euros last year.



Bayer chief executive officer Werner Baumann said last month that the company would continue to develop its healthcare arm, which includes stroke prevention pill Xarelto and aspirin, the painkiller it invented more than a century ago.



Monsanto turned down Bayer's $122-per-share cash offer on May 24 but said it was open to continuing discussions.



Since then, negotiations between the two companies have been at an impasse, as Bayer has refused to raise its offer without Monsanto first opening its books, sources have said. Monsanto has been holding out for an improved offer before providing confidential information to Bayer.  Reuters
Cerner Middle East & Africa, a health IT company, recently held the fifth edition its Achievement and Innovation Awards to honour its clients across the region for their most rewarding health care technology adoptions.



Cerner created five new award categories covering clinical and end user experiences to acknowledge their clients innovative use of technology over the past 12 months for achieving outstanding patient outcomes and further advancing the quality of health care information technology system.



The variety of projects and expertise showcased in this years nominations highlights the progress our clients are accomplishing to transform health care and connect everything that matters to the patient, said Michael Pomerance, vice president and managing director, Cerner Middle East and Africa.



All shortlisted nominees and final winners were revealed during an awards ceremony at The Ritz Carlton Dubai during the annual Cerner Middle East Regional User Group Conference.



Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) received two awards:



- Achievement and Innovation in Patient Experience



Seha automated the operating room booking process and eliminate d 85 percent of the time required to get an operation scheduled. This eliminated over 2,000 hours in patient waiting time.



- Achievement and Innovation in Support Services



Seha created a process whereby they can now effectively engage with their 6,000 nurses to receive enhancement requests for their Malaffi system which allowed Seha nurses to spend 10,000 additional hours with patients instead of with computers.



The Achievement and Innovation in Population Health Management was awarded to Seha Ambulatory Health Services for improving the yearly retina scan compliance percentage for their diabetic population.



In 2013 they were at 40 per cent compliance and their goals were to achieve higher than 60 per cent per the international standard. They accomplished this by creating seven remote retinal scanning locations located throughout the UAE and today they have achieved 67 per cent compliance.



Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar was recognized with the Achievement and Innovation in Clinical Decision Support award for leveraging the Clinical Information Systems platform to create an advanced alert which monitors their patients 24 hours identifying patients with deteriorating conditions and alerting clinicians to take action. This alert has stopped over 200 cardiac arrests based upon baseline data and an estimated 50 lives. This is the second alert implemented at HMC. The sepsis alert was implemented in 2015 and has saved 65 lives.



The Achievement and Innovation in User Experience award was granted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Saudi Arabia. KFSH&RCs family medicine clinic has achieved HIMSS 7 Ambulatory certification by the HIMSS organization and is the first facility outside of North America to earn this accreditation.



The paperless and data intensive environment has allowed them to increase early colon cancer detection by over 300 percent in addition to many other improvements. - TradeArabia News Service
Volkswagen (VW) will stop producing more than 40 car models in the coming years as part of a new strategy by Europe's biggest automaker, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Saturday.



VW said on Thursday it would invest billions of euros in electric cars, ride-hailing and automated driving to become a world leader in green transport by 2025 as it reshapes its business following a diesel emissions scandal.



Citing company sources, Handelsblatt said the overhaul would also involve ceasing production of more than 40 models. Volkswagen currently makes about 340 car models across its portfolio, which includes brands such as Audi, Skoda and Seat.



A Volkswagen spokesman said, however, the number of models that would be discontinued had not been decided yet. "A decision on how many models will be phased out or ceased has not been taken yet," he said. - Reuters


Eurasia Economic Union (EEU) plans to sign an interim free trade deal with Iran in the near future, a senior official said a report.



EEU Trade Minister Veronica Nikishina announced this in a meeting with Iran's Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mohammadreza Nematzadeh on the sidelines of St Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia, added the Iran Daily report.



She added that talks are progressing with Iran to increase economic ties with the EEU.



Nikishina further said that talks on a permanent free trade deal with Iran would continue.



Nematzadeh called for promoting Iran-EEU economic ties adding that growth in trade between the two sides can be beneficial for both parties, added the report.
Top experts from international and regional organisations will discuss latest developments in technology, processes that enable cost reduction, optimise performance and help achieve operational efficiency at the GCC Manufacturing Excellence & Technology Summit, to be held in November, in Dubai, UAE.



The event will take place on November 14 and 15, at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa.



The UAE boasts the second-largest economy in the Arab world and last year it became the fifth fastest growing economy in the world. This growth is attributed to the flourishing trade in the region and a noticeable progress in developing key economic growth driving sectors. The UAE government has increasingly shifted its focus to the services, construction and manufacturing sectors, said a statement.



Promoting industrial development in the UAE is linked to the governments non-oil based economy growth roadmap. The country has taken significant strides to develop its industrial base with investments amounting to more than Dh127 billion (34.5 billion). Ranging from avant-garde infrastructure to a robust communication network; favourable government incentives to a well-connected transportation system and the development of specialised clusters and free economic zones with lower operational cost, UAE provides companies with the most lucrative options for setting up their manufacturing factories in the country, it said.



The UAE government has established more than 30 free zones across the country. Amongst many other benefits, setting up a manufacturing plant in the free zone essentially means no customs duty is levied upon the importation of raw materials in the free zone and the exportation of goods and outside of the free zones, added the statement.



It is estimated that the rise in the number of industrial facilities in the UAE will be in excess of 6,000. Industries such as processed food and beverages, plastics and rubber, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals and products, minerals and products, base metals, publishing and printing, pearls, precious stones and metals are considered as the major manufacturing sub-sectors that contribute significantly to the economy, it stated.



Recently, the UAE Cabinet also endorsed the launch of the Industrial Coordination Council that has been designed to boost industrial development in the country. The UAE manufacturing industrys growth is driven by the governments vision to diversify the economy. With an aim for UAEs manufacturing sector to contribute 25 per cent to the countrys overall gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, the countrys industrial development is noteworthy. All the seven emirates within the country are inviting global companies to set up its manufacturing facility in the region thereby further boosting the growth of industrialisation.



In a bid to promote industrial growth, Abu Dhabi intends to embark on an initiative to boost industrial production in the emirate. With a total investment of Dh440 million ($119.7 million), Emirates Aluminium Rolling (Emiroll) plans to set up an aluminium rolling plant in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).



The vantage location of the port of Jebel Ali, which is the world's largest man-made harbour and the biggest port in the Middle East makes Dubai an excellent hub for setting up manufacturing facilities. Co-located with Jebel Ali port, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is one of the worlds fastest growing economic zones with over 7000 companies.



Ras Al Khaimah has seen a spike in a number of global players from across industries setting up a facility in the Emirate.



Brad Hariharan, regional director, Expotrade Middle East, organisers of the GCC Manufacturing Excellence and Technology Summit, said: The UAE manufacturing industry has exhibited tremendous growth prospects over the past few years; the countrys success in diversifying its economy is commendable.



Offering a broad spectrum of attractive features, UAE is focusing on the expansion of its industrial base, the second largest contributor to the countrys economy after oil and gas. The various attractive benefits and competitive advantages make UAE the preferred country of choice to establish a manufacturing plant, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
US stock markets could see heavy trading and increased volatility as investors position for next week's referendum on whether Britain remains in the European Union.



The June 23 vote could have big implications for the global economy and US stocks. Add to this the annual rebalancing of the FTSE Russell indexes, set to go into effect a day after the vote, and it makes for a busy trading week.



Friday could be the busiest trading day of the year as fund managers adjust their positions to that rebalancing.



Should the British vote to leave the EU, US shares could fall sharply, but a "Remain" vote won't necessarily result in a big rally, because domestic economic worries may be capping US stocks.



"We are still stuck in the churn," said Jeff Morris, Head of US Equities at Standard Life Investments in Boston.



Recent polls show the 'Leave' campaign in the lead and this has weighed on stocks. Campaigning for the referendum was suspended after the murder of lawmaker Jo Cox, a supporter of Britain staying in the EU.



From an economic standpoint, a move by Britain to quit the EU might not have been as potentially troubling for US stocks. But slowing economic growth is also limiting the upside for those shares, said Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at US Bank's Private Client Reserve.



"In a low-growth environment, even smaller problems become more pronounced," he said.



Some investors are not taking a chance.



"We trimmed overall international exposure in the RidgeWorth Allocation Strategies as a means to reducing overall portfolio risk, until such time as the clouds begin to lift," said Alan Gayle, director of asset allocation at RidgeWorth Investments in Atlanta, referring to Brexit worries.



The CBOE Volatility Index .VIX, the favored gauge of investor anxiety, hit a 4-month high on Thursday.



"There has been an increase in investors looking for hedges," said Stewart Warther, an equity derivatives strategist at BNP Paribas.



Implied volatility  an options-based measure of expected swings in shares  gives a good sense of just how much the impending vote is on investors' minds.



Usually, implied volatility tends to gradually slope up the further out in time you go. Investors pay more to be protected against unknown risks down the line.



However, options on S&P 500 index .SPX that expire a day after the vote sport a level of implied volatility that is higher than for options expiring over the next two months, per BNP Paribas data.



And while a lot of the recent selling has been pegged to Brexit risk, there is little expectation for a big relief rally on Wall Street in case Britain chooses to stay.



"It just doesn't seem like there is much incentive to move out on the risk curve," said Standard Life's Morris, pointing to recent economic data that suggests that recovery is still somewhat tenuous.



Adding to any potential volatility next week will be the rebalancing of Russell indexes - an annual event that requires index-following fund managers to rebalance their own portfolios.



With this year's rebalance of the Russell 2000 and the Russell 1000 indexes set for a day after the Brexit vote, there is added drama. Managers of index-following funds are forced to buy or sell shares to mimic index performance.



Money managers who might have adjusted positions in anticipation of the rebalance will now prefer to wait until after the vote, said Chad Dale, director of index research at ITG in Toronto.



"What that really does is it compresses the indexer trade into the final day."  Reuters
Orange Egypt said on Sunday that Egypt's telecommunications regulator had set the price of a licence to provide fourth-generation mobile services at EGP3.54 billion ($398.6 million), half of which must be paid in dollars.



It said in a statement on the Egyptian stock exchange that the regulator had set the cost of acquiring a fixed line licence at EGP100 million and the cost of a licence to offer customers international calls at EGP1.8 billion.



It said it was looking into the licence offers and had yet to make a decision.



A spokesman for the regulator has confirmed that it approached the three companies that currently offer mobile services in Egypt about applying to buy 4G licences but did not give details or prices.  Reuters
Volkswagen will stop producing more than 40 car models in the coming years as part of a new strategy by Europe's biggest automaker, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Saturday.



Volkswagen (VW) said on Thursday it would invest billions of euros in electric cars, ride-hailing and automated driving to become a world leader in green transport by 2025 as it reshapes its business following a diesel emissions scandal.



Citing company sources, Handelsblatt said the overhaul would also involve ceasing production of more than 40 models. Volkswagen currently makes about 340 car models across its portfolio, which includes brands such as Audi, Skoda and Seat.



A Volkswagen spokesman said, however, the number of models that would be discontinued had not been decided yet. "A decision on how many models will be phased out or ceased has not been taken yet," he said.  Reuters
CG Hotels and Resorts, the hospitality division of Nepals only billionaire Binod Chaudhary, has signed a deal with India's Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces to open a new property in Dubai, UAE.

The company has already kickstarted the construction of the project in Dubai's Jumeirah Lake Towers area.

CG Hotels and Resorts, in partnership with Jayant Lal and Raju Shroff, have jointly entered into this venture with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces aiming to make the 200-key luxury hotel in Dubai one of the most recognised destinations for business travellers.

The new hotel follows the announcement of the group's latest property opening next month in Kigali, Rwanda.



The two new hotels represent the start of CG Hotels and Resorts strategic expansion across the Middle East and Africa, having identified key markets such as Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East as well as Kigali, Nairobi, Dar E Salaam, Kampala, Burundi and Mozambique in Africa as potential incestment destinations. This is a part of its larger global development strategy, with a target to more than double the number of hotels to 200 by 2020, which would make CG Hotels and Resorts a dominant player in the hospitality sector globally.



Speaking about the companys expansion plans, Rahul Chaudhary, director, CG Hotels and Resorts, said: With the opening of The Zinc & Zinc Living luxury hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, soon, we will be setting a new benchmark in hospitality in East Africa. The hotel is due to open in time for the African Union Conference in July and will host various dignitaries and heads of state amongst its first guests. Our presence in so many different countries and geographies along with an array of profitable brands gives us a greater flexibility and an edge over other brands, to invest in properties with various affiliated brands.



Comprising 79 hotels in 59 destinations across 12 countries including its own Zinc & Fern branded hotels and resorts, CG Hotels & Resorts has a proud history of successful joint ventures with esteemed partners and brands such as Taj, Alila, Jetwing and The Farm amongst others. Its diverse and unique portfolio of owned and partner hotels under these brands include acclaimed properties such as the iconic Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Maldives, Taj Samudra Colombo, The Farm in Philippines, Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya Sri Lanka and Taj Safari lodges in central India.



CG Hotels and Resorts also has strategic investments in multiple management companies, which owns several brands in the luxury, business, wellness and budget space across various geographies such as Alila, Zinc & Fern. Under its management company arm, Concept Hospitality and Alila, the group manages over 40 hotels and another 35 projects in the pipeline within India. - TradeArabia News Service
The State Loan and Investment Board on Thursday approved almost $8 million in grant and loan requests from communities around the state.

The Business Ready Community program, which is administered by the Wyoming Business Council, finances publicly owned infrastructure that helps businesses and encourages economic development and diversity in Wyoming.

The board approved full funding for a grant and loan to build a structure to house a vertical hydroponics manufacturer in Laramie, according to a news release. The 12,150-square-foot building would be home to Bright Agrotech, a graduate of the Wyoming Technology Business Center incubator.

The Laramie Chamber Business Alliance will provide a lot in the Laramie River Business Park. The project, for which Laramie requested a $2,685,750 grant and $209,250 loan, is expected to create 40 jobs in the next three years, and the business alliance expects to recoup $695,000 in lease payments that will be used for more economic development in the area.

The board also approved fully funding Alpines request for a $1,538,944 grant and $266,683 loan to buy property from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as well as extend and upgrade a road and water main. The project is intended to improve fire suppression, system reliability and lake access.

The board also OKd $900,000 to repave roads in Greybulls 28.3-acre business park, for which interest is high, and a $1,500,000 grant and $500,000 loan for the Jackson Hole Airport Board to build a pipeline and make other improvements to move wastewater from the airport to the town of Jacksons wastewater treatment facility. Finally, the board gave a thumbs up to a $425,000 grant request from Cowley to expand its community center.
CHEYENNE  While Wyoming lawmakers will be working later this year on bills to tweak the states complicated collection of liquor laws, our neighbors to the south are making sweeping changes in theirs.

A new law means that Colorado residents can soon buy wine and full-strength beer in the states grocery stores.

The stores can now sell only 3.2 percent near beer.

That type of beer isnt very popular in Colorado, particularly in comparison with all those great craft beers.

It was, however, good enough for us students at the University of Wyoming when I attended that school. It was, in fact, all you could get without a passport-style book to the state liquor store.

Iowa eventually relaxed its liquor laws to allow serving of alcoholic drinks in bars and lounges.

The bill that allowed the Colorado breakthrough is a compromise intended to slow or derail a move to make a wholesale reformation of Colorado liquor laws.

Gov.John Hickenlooper signed the bill at the last minute and said he hoped it would stave off a ballot initiative scheduled to go before Colorado voters in November.

If that happens and the proposition passes, the grocery stores could start selling wine and full-strength beer right away or as soon as they could obtain licenses to do so.

Apparently the coalition behind the ballot initiative, headed by King Soopers and Safeway, has not yet retreated, according to the Denver Post.

The compromise law signed by Hickenlooper would allow grocery stores and major retailers like Wal Mart to have up to five locations in 2017, eight in 2022, 13 in 2027 and 20 in 2032.

The stores currently are limited to sales at one location in the state.

What this is means is that in about 20 years Colorado will be on a full open market system for all forms of alcohol.

A former brewpub owner, Hickenlooper said he preferred the status quo to making changes in the state liquor laws, even though those laws are dated and haphazard as he wrote in a message to the Legislature.

The overnight change that would occur with the initiative would hurt the independently owned retail liquor stores and the states flourishing industry of craft distillers, breweries and wineries.

The competition could drive hundreds of liquor stores out of business, the governor feared.

The law is the biggest change to Colorado liquor laws since the 1933 repeal of the Volstead Act  the law that prohibited alcohol sales and consummations.

Prohibition has often been described as the Great Experiment.

It didnt work. All it did was push the alcohol industry underground and encouraged creation of a robust bootlegging operation and shoot-outs between rival gangs.

Hickenloopers assessment of Colorado liquor laws as being unplanned and haphazard could apply to Wyomings laws as well. They probably also grew like topsy. Its probably the same in most states.

Wyoming has a dizzying assortment of licenses  11 to date, each with its own requirements.

The movement in Colorado is yet another sign of the striking cultural differences between that state and Wyoming.

I cant imagine the Wyoming Legislature opening up the states major liquor laws in the near future.

Then there is the matter of pot  marijuana.

This is a cash crop for Colorado government.

In April, sales topped $117 million for the first time. The total for all was 2015 was nearly $1 billion.

About 15 percent of the money goes for school construction.

In April, monthly sales topped $117 million for the first time. For all of 2015, the total was nearly $1 billion.

I dont see Wyoming loosening the laws on marijuana, either.

The Legislature cant even bring itself to pass a law allowing medical marijuana.

The movements in Colorado are yet another sign of the striking cultural differences between that state and Wyoming.

For better or worse.
For the past few years my work has taken me to the Cody area. Last summer, after a day in the field, I found myself at the bar of a local establishment enjoying a burger and beer. A young man came in and sat next to me, ordering a beer in an accent I recognized as coming far from Park County. In conversation I learned he was from Germany and on his third visit to the U.S. I then learned some interesting insights of what a tourist from Europe sees when he comes our country.

He told me that his first visit to America had been to our East Coast, where he took in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The next visit had been to the southwest deserts and canyon lands. This trip had started in Portland, Oregon, so he could swing through the northwest national parks and especially focus on Montana and Wyoming. He was excited to be in Cody and, to quote him, headed to his first rodeo after dinner, a comment that brought a smile to the barmaid.

Knowing that Portland is considered by many to be a desirable city, I asked how he had enjoyed his time there. He stammered out that not meaning anything too critical, he did not find Portland particularly attractive. In fact, he went on, he has not found any American cities to be desirable destinations for a traveler like himself. Europe has the great cities, he stated. His opinion was that foreign tourists come to the U.S. because of our landscapes. This surprised me. Yes, he said, Europe has forests and beaches and mountains, but nothing compares to the wild and unoccupied public lands of the American West. The freedom of travel and accessibility of land across our state is unparalleled in many parts of the world and even outside our region of the U.S.

I thought this conversation was especially relevant with all the talk of transferring our public lands to the states. I recently relearned a fact from the 1980s. Prior to 1988, the public, you and I, were prohibited from accessing our state lands to hike, hunt, or enter for any type of recreation. It was not until Gov. Mike Sullivan led the State Land Board in a historic 4-1 vote that the public was allowed access to our state lands. I am still thankful for his leadership and enjoying the benefits of having a political leader who recognized the value of outdoor recreation.

Despite that victory for the people of Wyoming, a new threat has emerged with certain state and federal lawmakers proposing the western states gain control of most BLM and Forest Service lands. An illustration of one consequence of such a transfer in Wyoming can been seen by driving up Hwy 14 west of Dayton. Once you ascend the switchbacks into the national forest, you will note signs have been posted on a state parcel that is surrounded by federal public lands. These signs inform the public that overnight camping is specifically prohibited on these forested parcels because they are Wyoming State Trust Lands. This camping prohibition is true on all state lands in Wyoming, unless specifically allowed in State Parks. This is not the type of restricted use I want to see on our public lands.

Recreation is a very important economic driver in this state. With our national parks being overwhelmed by a larger and larger crush of visitors every year, our public land will only become more important for our residents and tourists looking for wild landscapes, wildlife viewing, hunting, and solitude.

Public lands are what make Wyoming a special place to live. I urge people to get involved in this issue of public land transfers and to keep your representatives aware of your concerns.
Editor:

This is an open letter to our fellow engineering companies.

Wyoming has enjoyed a prosperous economy for many years  mainly due to rich mineral productions all made possible by hardworking energy workers, especially coal miners. Due to current state affairs, the majority of the state of Wyoming coal workers are out of work and need job retraining to support themselves and their families. University of Wyomings College of Engineering is graciously offering 10 $1,500 scholarships for this cause.

Y2 Consultants, in support of this initiative, is offering an 11 th scholarship for displaced coal and energy workers and hereby challenges all other engineering firms in the state to match our contribution to the scholarship fund. Please contact Dean Michael Pishkos office at 307-766-4951 or Craig Russow at 307-766-1803 to pledge your support as soon as possible.
Many people start a new business to be their own boss, to do what they want and for the freedom to make their own decisions. In reality, starting a new business can be quite the opposite. I spoke to Carol Shaughnessy, president of SCORE Southern Arizona, about the common misconceptions new business owners have.

As a new business owner, you still have to answer to your clients. Each client has a different personality and expectation. You need to adapt to each of these personality types and meet their changing demands. In a sense, your clients become your bosses.

Owning a business allows you the freedom to make most of the decisions, but its not as glamorous as it sounds. You need to make decisions in all areas of your business, including operations, human resources, finance, marketing, customer service, internet technology and more. New business owners usually have a specific skill set in one or two of those areas, but not all. Most new businesses cannot afford to hire experts in the other areas. The time it takes to learn enough to make the right decisions in unfamiliar areas can be exhausting and expensive. Remember  your time is valuable, too.

As a new business owner, you do not get to do what you love all the time. Some of your responsibilities will align with your personal passions and be lots of fun. But there will be some tasks that you do not enjoy, and you cannot ignore them. Maybe you do not enjoy accounting, billing and collecting. Maybe you prefer not to be responsible for marketing and sales. All these tasks still have to be done, and ignoring them will impede your success.
DOUGLAS  Improving the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry is a top priority for Customs and Border Protection and is set to be included in the agencys five-year infrastructure plan. But after years of fighting for attention, officials say building a second port is the only way to address the regions needs.

Having a new port means more business, more warehouses, more transportation companies, more suppliers, more restaurants, more everything, said Mike Valencia, president of the Southern Arizona Logistics Education Organization.

The Douglas port accounts for nearly $4 billion in trade through two-way truck traffic, officials said, but the mix of commercial and personal vehicle traffic trying to get through the same tight space creates a bottleneck at the border.

In 2014, hoping to jump-start efforts while it waited to be part of CBPs funding plan, city officials proposed to donate an 80-acre parcel and build needed infrastructure for a new commercial vehicle crossing, about five miles west of the current port.

Bonds would cover the $47 million price tag and the government would lease from the city until it was paid off.

This proposal, under the 559 Donation Acceptance Program that allows CBP to receive donations from private and government entities, was rejected last July because it did not fall under program guidelines.

A second proposal was made in December. This time the city would donate the land and offer the government a shovel-ready site, including utilities and a connector road to Arizona 80.

So far there has been no response to the 559 option, officials said, but it continues to be an alternative and complement to the five-year plan.

If the traditional CBP funding method is approved, it would mean up to $45 million to upgrade non-commercial functions at the existing port, said Carlos de la Torre, Douglas city manager. But local officials hope that since there is no room to make major improvements at the current location, the government will have to look at opening a new border crossing.

For now, the situation at the existing facility has become unviable, said Port Director Margaret Baldenegro, citing traffic congestion, safety concerns and no ability to expand.

The port sits on 4.8 acres in downtown Douglas but the surrounding area limits expansion and over the years more and more demands have been put on the space, she said.

There, additional personnel, federal and state departments of transportation have set up shop, modern inspection technology has claimed room and so has a dedicated fast lane for trusted travelers.

All of it is compounded by an increased number of crossers, as well as growing exports and imports going through a port with only one commercial truck lane and without the ability to cross oversize loads without paralyzing traffic.

The list goes on and on with the numerous challenges that we face every day in order to get the job done, Baldenegro said.

The outdated port, along with inadequate customs facilities on the Mexican side, are a drain on industry on both sides of the border, officials said.

CAID industries loses business because the port cant handle crossing supersized loads, said Chris Johnson, logistics manager for the Tucson-based company.

Anything going down to the mines, a lot of the stuff that we build we cant ship. Some of it is roads but the main portion is going across the border, he said. Weve had (situations) in the past where some companies have actually lifted (parts) over the wall, but its just not cost effective.

For the factories in Douglas sister city, Agua Prieta, Sonora, a slow crossing means lost productivity and unhappy clients, said Sergio Laborin of the Agua Prieta Maquiladora Association.

Many of the companies there operate on the just-in-time production model, meaning there is no on-site warehouse, he said. Materials arrive when needed, workers handle them accordingly and the product is shipped back, often on the same day.

If theres a problem with your transportation it means you have 1,500 people at one factory who are unable to work because theres no material, Laborin said.

Although time is budgeted for delays, there is no guarantee those times will hold, he said.

Our trucks are waiting four, five, six hours in line to cross and thats a huge problem  from materials that dont get there fast enough to finished products that dont get to the buyer on time.

A united effort

The list of business and government groups that support a new port of entry is long, and includes the Arizona Mexico Commission, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the cities of Bisbee, Sierra Vista and Agua Prieta, Cochise County, the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Pima Association of Governments and the states of Arizona and Sonora.

U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Tucson, has also been a strong voice in support of a new port, officials said, repeatedly engaging with customs officials on the matter. A hearing the congresswoman led earlier this year first revealed that the crossing was going to be part of Customs and Border Protections five-year plan.

We may never know how much trade and traffic Douglas is already losing out on because of the ports aging infrastructure, which is why Ive fought so hard to advocate for its expansion, McSally said. We are going to continue pushing to get more information about that plan and making the case to upgrade and modernize this vital lifeline.

Lobbying for a new port is a no-brainer, said Valencia, president of SALEO, since whats good for trade coming through Douglas is good for Arizona. Local, state and federal officials have to make sure the state continues to be competitive, otherwise it will lose out to Texas and California, he said.

Logistics looks for the most efficient, quickest way to move products. Thats the reality. If theres a faster way and a better way, it will find it, he said.

On the Mexican side, the government is ready to step up once the plans are finalized, officials said.

While opening a new port of entry can be a difficult proposal with many moving parts in two different countries, after years of false starts the gears have never been better aligned, said Douglas Mayor Robert Uribe.

We just have to keep pushing. We have to be loud, we have to be clear, we have to be effective and let people know that we need this.
More than 12 years after its inception, the University of Arizonas business incubator is reshaping itself to better serve the Tucson areas entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Arizona Center for Innovation has celebrated some successes  including the recent acquisition of a former client company by a major electronics firm  but has widened its focus beyond UA startups to boost its effectiveness and better align with other local startup resources.

That retooling is reflected in AZCIs current roster of eight clients, which includes a Canadian solar-energy company, a biotech cancer-drug company preparing for clinical trials, and several companies developing prototype products.

I think were seeing somewhat better clients coming into AZCI  more tech-focused and with a better chance of success, said Bruce Wright, UA associate vice president for Tech Parks Arizona.

Since its founding in 2003, AZCI has had more than 100 clients, mostly with ties to UA faculty, students or technology, acting center director Anita Bell said.

Better survival rates

At last count in 2014, AZCI clients had raised $31.6 million in grants and private-equity investments, Bell said. The AZCI annual program budget is about $90,000, with clients paying $275 monthly to participate.

And about 68 percent of AZCI client companies were still operating, she said.

According to the National Business Incubation Association, incubator programs at least 10 years old can increase a companys chances of survival to more than 80 percent.

Successful AZCI graduates typically reach milestones allowing them to raise more investment capital, or in some cases, to be acquired by an established company.

The latter was the case in late May, when AZCI grad nMode Solutions Inc. and a sister joint venture, Triton Microtechnologies, were acquired by Indiana-based electronic connector maker Samtec Inc.

New circuit designs

Co-founded by former Raytheon engineer Tim Mobley and Sergio Cardona, Oro Valley-based nMode specializes in advanced circuit design including so-called stacked 2.5-D and 3-D chips.

Triton, a joint venture with Tokyo-based Asahi Glass, has developed a technology to make tiny electrical pathways through thin glass layers, to cram more processing power in the same space.

Samtec, which has annual worldwide revenues of $625 million, expects the acquisition to boost the companys microelectronics technologies and allow it to break into the market for electronic sensors, Samtec spokesman Danny Boesing said.

For at least the foreseeable future, Samtec plans to keep the company and its employees in Oro Valley, Boesing said.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Other AZCI graduates still moving forward include:

 Rallyup.com, a crowd-funding platform for nonprofits co-founded by a UA alumnus;

 Grafted Growers, a vegetable grafting company founded by two grads of the UAs McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship;

 Metropia, which is testing a traffic-reducing app invented by a UA civil engineering associate professor;

 LightSense Technologies, which has worked with UA faculty on a new kind of infrared imaging sensor; and Drone Control Systems, which is testing its system to track drone flights in real time.

Aid with talent search

Steven Bernat, founder and CEO of RallyUp.com, said he could have started his company in the San Francisco area, where he founded and led several software companies.

A 1982 finance graduate of the UA, Bernat came up with his idea for RallyUp.com while trying to get junior-high-school-age kids to fundraise for his church.

Bernat said he found talent and help in Tucson with the help of the AZCI.

I really have to credit AZCI; they were instrumental, he said.

Now, the company has hosted more than 800 fundraising campaigns with groups including the American Heart Association.

Five of the companys six employees are UA alumni.

Bernat said AZCI staff provided vital support including market analysis and industry contacts, while giving the company much-needed office space.

New to business

A current AZCI client, Codelucida, found itself on a fast track after going through the centers mentored launch program in 2013.

Co-founder and CEO Shiva Planjery said the program helped the company license the technology through the UA and win federal Small Business Innovation Research grants of $150,000 and $750,000 to advance its technology to improve error-correction software in solid-state storage drives and similar devices.

Starting a company was new for Planjery, a UA alum who co-founded the company in 2012 while finishing his doctorate with UA electrical engineering professor Bane Vasic, a co-founder with David Declercq, a professor at the Universite de Cergy-Pontoise in France.

I had just graduated, and I had no idea what was involved, Planjery said. Every company has unique challenges, unique models, unique issues that need to be mentored.

Another current client, cancer-drug startup Synactix Pharmaceuticals, said the wet lab space made available to AZCI clients at the UA Tech Park has proved invaluable.

They were able to provide us with top-of-the-line wet lab space, said Brendan Frett, co-founder and CEO of Synactix. When youre a small company, you cant afford to rent lab space.

Synactix is now working on a grant application for a small-business grant that will help it get approval to pursue clinical trials, initially for certain types of thyroid cancer, he said.

Changing landscape

As AZCI works to help inventors bring their ideas to market, the center must adapt to a changing entrepreneurial landscape, said the UAs Wright.

He noted that even as the last few years have seen some local entrepreneurial resources, like Startup Tucson, grow, others  like the Toole Avenue Hive and Maker House  have gone away.

That has led us at AZCI to step back and ask, Where do we fit in this? Wright said.

The UA Tech Parks and AZCI, which came under the UAs Tech Launch Arizona commercialization arm in 2013, has been working to refine its relationships with Tech Launch, McGuire and other local entrepreneurial resources including Startup Tucson, the student-led InnovateUA, the Small Business Development Center and Pima Community College.

The UA Tech Parks are leading an effort to write a grant proposal for the federal i6 Challenge, which awards money to regional business incubation and development efforts.

More than real estate

David Allen, UA vice president of Tech Launch Arizona, said his goal is to add more value beyond a place to work to AZCI, which along with Tech Launch would have offices at a planned building at The Bridges, a nascent Tech Parks property at Kino Parkway and 36th Street.

The result is a different kind of client and client relationship that is not necessarily predicated on real estate, Allen said.

Therell be even greater changes to AZCI as the tech park at The Bridges evolves.
A policy revision approved last week by the TUSD Governing Board has opened the door to offering students a more comprehensive sex education.

But one segment of the student population  those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer  will be left out of discussions as the district works to abide by a law that goes against the values of inclusivity TUSD has adopted.

The new policy calls for curriculum that provides medically accurate, age-appropriate information on anatomy, reproduction and related biology. While abstinence will continue to be encouraged, as required by state law, it will not be the sole emphasis.

Though the curriculum itself has yet to be developed, students like University High School junior Deja Foxx say comprehensive sex education is much needed, especially in Tucsons largest school district.

Comprehensive sex ed is vital to students in our district because we come from such varied backgrounds, the teen said, adding it is TUSDs responsibility to educate students equally. The lack of a comprehensive sexual education in our district is disproportionately affecting undocumented students, students of color, poor students, students living on their own, LGBTQ students and women and girls on our campuses.

I believe every student, regardless of these characteristics, should be provided the same opportunity to achieve higher education. This policy demonstrates our district standing in solidarity with its students.

Limits of Arizona law

TUSD has worked to develop policies and practices that promote respect for diversity in the areas of gender, gender identity, race and ethnicity, languages and countries of origin, religious beliefs, family structures and status, and varying abilities.

But because Arizona law prohibits teachings that promote homosexuality, the TUSD Governing Board was forced to strike from its new policy that the curriculum would be inclusive of LGBTQ students, which board clerk Kristel Foster called a shame and a sad statement.

Alex Ross, a University of Arizona junior who has been working with past and present TUSD students to compel the Governing Board to take up this cause, agrees.

The 20-year-old Ross says he was fortunate to have received a comprehensive sex education in New York, but feels the attitude toward LGBTQ students is frightening.

As a queer man myself, I felt very outcast by it.

I got to thinking about other students who are in high school, taking these courses, and their identities are actively silenced and reduced.

Ross is happy that TUSD is working to provide more comprehensive sex education and hopes other school districts will do the same.

Its just one of those things that we have to keep hitting hard, he said. Its not something we can be quiet about.

Relationship decisions

The new sex education curriculum will address contraceptives as a way of reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

It will also seek to help students make informed decisions and create healthy relationships, covering topics like bullying, dating violence and consent.

Once the curriculum is designed and implemented, parents will have to give permission for their children to be exposed to it.

When the time comes to put the curriculum together, TUSD will seek input from various constituencies and plans to have the final product vetted by the Arizona Department of Education.

Though the new policy was unanimously approved by the Governing Board, opponents of comprehensive sex education made their voices heard just before votes were cast.

Parents and students asked the board to remove the policy from the agenda, saying feedback was needed from other segments of the Tucson population and argued that it is the job of parents to educate their children on personal matters like sex.

Not comfortable

Mayra Duron, a mother of five children who attend TUSD schools, acknowledges that sex education classes only scratch the surface of what young people need to know, but she says that is where parents step in.

I am standing here opposing the comprehensive sex education curriculum, she said. I have a 13-year-old son and I love keeping the door open when it comes to such an intimate notion. I, too, was a teen mother and I did attend sex education classes. They really just served as a disclaimer.  I believe teachers can actually encourage students who do have questions to turn around and say, This is a matter that you need to speak with your parents about.

Jeff Vanderford, a pastor at Authentic Life Church, went as far as to remind the Governing Board that parents could choose to enroll their children elsewhere if they are uncomfortable and asked that they not be forced to choose between their faith, their beliefs and their school district.

Michelle Howard, who graduated from Sabino High School in May, countered that the conversation about comprehensive sex education is not about religious beliefs or morals.

This push for sexual education is not about promoting sex, she said. Most of us grew up hearing the abstinence argument and the religious doctrines and the teachings that firmly preach that we should wait until marriage to have sex. And the type of education that some people are in support of has been implemented for years already and this, according to people who believe in it, is all children to have to have to be protected.

But if this were the truth, then there wouldnt be victimization occurring in our community, there wouldnt be an increasingly high pregnancy rate.  This is not about God, this is not about politics or Planned Parenthood or abortion, and it is especially not about fighting. This is about making Tucson a better community.
PHOENIX  Donald Trump has wrapped up his Phoenix rally this afternoon, after telling a crowd of about 8,000 that if elected president he will "solve the problem" of radical Islamic terrorists.

Trump said the tragic Orlando shooting might have ended differently if there were armed patrons inside the nightclub. The Orlando shooting was about terrorism, not the guns, he said.

"Unless we get really tough and really smart" Trump said he predicts more terrorist acts on U.S. soil. He vowed to build "The Wall" and tighten immigration.

"We are going to start winning like no one has ever seen before," Trump said before telling the audience he'll "knock the hell out of ISIS."

He said Hillary Clinton would raise taxes by 65 percent but he would sign the biggest tax cut in U.S. history.

Trump said he will economically punish companies that have moved overseas and vowed to levy new taxes on imports.

Describing empty, rusted-out towns he has seen across the country, he vows to bring job back to the United States. He says Latinos will support him for that reason.

He called NAFTA one of the most "destructive acts" to the economy, and reminded his audience that President Bill Clinton signed it into law.

Regulations are killing business, he said, saying he would get rid of Dodd-Frank and "most regulations."

He says a poll has him close with Hillary Clinton, and adds, "We haven't even started yet."

Trump claimed Clinton has accepted donations from countries that have "killed gays" and "enslaved women."

When he referred to the media as "mean," the crowd booed the working press in the arena.

More than a dozen anti-Trump protesters showed up outside the arena.

The demonstrators protested Saturday afternoon from a street corner that borders the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Some carried signs and two chanted "Trump is hate" through megaphones at those on their way to his rally.

One engaged in a heated argument but it remained civil.

Trump is in Phoenix after giving remarks in Las Vegas earlier in the day.

Only one person was arrested at that event.

Byran Sanders, a protestor who was punched in the face at the Trump rally in Tucson in March, is in attendance in Phoenix today, and says the chances of a similar protest are slim.

Sanders says the lack of protests at this event is due to the way that these events are set up.

Its a good thing, Sanders said, because it might keep some of the violence out of these rallies. Its probably a good idea that theyre separating it like this, Sanders said. Im not a fan of violence.

He says hes not here to protest as much as he is to observe and see what the rhetoric is.

A few volunteers passed out waters to rally goers in order beat the 106-degree Phoenix heat.

Some rally goers began lining up as early as 2 a.m., including Diana Brest, a former New York resident who respects Trump for what she saw him do for the economy and homeless population there.

At roughly 12:30 p.m., organizers opened the doors and let the crowd in as temperatures climbed into the triple digits.

In addition to the crowd of supporters, a small group of bikers had gathered near the entrance to the Coliseum parking lot.

Wayne Langston, a Phoenix area biker and Vietnam veteran, said the group had come to help ensure that rally goers were safely able to attend the event.

We dont want no trouble  nobody wins in a fight, Langston said.

Follow @samzgross, @christianna_j and @joeferguson for live updates.

From the Associated Press:

The Latest on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign stops in Nevada and Arizona (all times local):

2:35 p.m.

Supporters of Donald Trump are waiting to see the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at a Phoenix arena despite sweltering temperatures.

Phoenix fire officials say four people were treated for heat exhaustion Saturday, just a few hours before Trump is scheduled to speak at 4 p.m.

They were taken to a medical building near the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The temperature is currently 108 degrees but could rise to as high as 111, according to the National Weather Service.

Volunteers are handing out water donated by Trump's campaign as attendees walk in.

1:35 p.m.

A Las Vegas rally featuring Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump went off mostly without a hitch.

Las Vegas police say one disruptive person was arrested at the event Saturday at the Treasure Island casino, although they didn't provide additional details.

About 1,500 people were allowed into the Mystere Theater to watch Trump in person, while hundreds more crowded into a bar being used as an overflow room and others were turned away due to capacity.

Dozens of uniformed police officers and Secret Service personnel stood guard inside and outside of the venue.

A small group of protesters held a demonstration against Trump on the sidewalk of the Las Vegas Strip, far from the theater itself.

Trump is headed to Phoenix for an even larger campaign event on Saturday afternoon.

Follow @joeferguson, @christianna_j and @samzgross on Twitter for updates. Or follow it live here:
A Tucson-based space balloon firm will pay the county an average of about $1.2 million a year in rent for a 120,000-square-foot facility and launch pad, documents show.

That works out to an average of $8.75 per square foot annually over a 20-year-lease period for what will be the companys headquarters.

That average is nearly $2 over the $6.79 per-square-foot rate charged for industrial properties in Tucson in the last quarter of 2015, according to recent local real estate research reviewed by the county.

However, the $5 rate to be paid by the company for the first five years is well under that figure, though the rate increases incrementally until reaching $12 per square foot for the final five years.

When reviewing the existing and historical trends in industrial property rental rates, it is clear the countys lease with World View is a market transaction, reads a June 16 memo from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.

Construction recently started on the facility, which is being funded with nearly $15 million in county bonds. Construction is on track for completion in December on county-owned land south of Tucson International Airport, county officials said in a news release Tuesday.

The deal recently drew the attention of the conservative Goldwater Institute, which is suing the county for allegedly violating the Arizona constitutions gift clause. That clause bars state government entities from giving their credit in the aid of  any company or corporation, among other prohibitions.

In the lawsuit, lawyers for the institute argue that the rental rates are substantially below market rates.

Taxpayer support of an unproven, for-profit luxury adventure-tourism business  does not constitute a public purpose for the expenditure or lending of public funds, the lawsuit goes on to say.

After reviewing the real estate data cited by the county, institute lawyer Jim Manley said he didnt want to speculate about what the true market value of the property may be but that such a figure will likely come out during ongoing litigation.

One thing thats important to keep in mind is that the county is custom-building a facility to World Views specifications, so one would expect that it would command a higher price in the market, he added. And well find out just how high after the appraisal.
Tom Herrick

Director of docent training.

Olivia Gallego

A docent since March.

For several generations, the family of Olivia Gallego has worshiped at Mission San Xavier del Bac. Theres another connection, too: A great uncle was an architect who worked on a restoration project 60 years ago.

The mission is personal to her. And she wants others to know its history.

Since March, Gallego, a retired Tucson Unified School District teacher, has volunteered as a docent, giving tours to visitors to the mission, considered the best example of Mexican Baroque architecture in the country.

I have a dedication and love for San Xavier, she says, and for St. Francis Xavier, for whom the mission is named.

The docent program is 5 years old and currently counts on 57 active volunteers, said Tom Herrick, a docent and director of docent training.

The docent program is a child of the Patronato San Xavier, the 38-year-old nonprofit that sponsors restoration and preservation projects for the church, which is more than 200 years old.

Herrick, a retired building contractor, called the docents the missionaries for the mission.

The docents are a mix of native Tucsonans, transplants and winter visitors.

Training consists of nine weekly classes, shadowing active docents while they give tours and reading training materials, including the book San Xavier del Bac  Portrait of a Desert Church, by the late Bernard Bunny Fontana, a noted anthropologist and expert on the mission.

The program began with 15 people. In a short time, the docent-guided tours have grown steadily.

Last year, the docents conducted 1,900 tours for 26,000 people, Herrick said.

The number of people taking the tours, which does not count visitors on self-guided tours, has increased by about 15 percent each year for the past two years, he added.

In October, the Patronato will hold a training-information meeting to recruit new volunteers. There are no requirements for the volunteers, other than time and commitment. The program is especially interested in attracting bilingual docents.

The mission is an active church, as well as a museum of art and statues, including more than 170 images of angels.

The mission site was established by the Jesuit missionary-explorer Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1692 when he visited the Oodham village of Wa:k. But the present Catholic church was started by Franciscan missionaries in 1783 and completed in 1797. An earlier church was built in 1757.

Martin DeSoto, an eighth-generation Tucsonan, a member of the Patronato Board of Directors and a docent, said his fellow volunteers are critical to the mission. When visitors take a tour, the docents are the faces of the mission, along with the parishioners who worship daily.

He, too, feels a close connection to the mission. His ancestors are part of the missions history.

Sometimes its emotional, he said about conducting tours. I do it from the heart.

Like Gallego, Obdulia Gonzalez, who is my sister-in-law, has a lifelong attachment to Mission San Xavier on the Tohono Oodham reservation south of the city.

Her father was a devotee of San Francisco Xavier, and his best friends family lived on the reservation, said Gonzalez, a retired teacher-librarian.

Her father made pilgrimages to Magadalena de Kino, Sonora, (where Kino is buried and another religious site is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier) and later to Mission San Xavier, she said.

Gonzalez and Gallego, who are leading the effort to recruit new docents, said while they were familiar with the mission, being docents opened them to learning much more.

My eyes opened up to a new world, said Gallego, whose great-uncle, Eleazar Herreras, a leading Tucson architect before and after World War II, was the restoration specialist on the mission in 1954.

Gonzalez and Gallego said that as docents, in addition to educating visitors, whether they be from out of town or from Tucson, they preserve the history and stories of the mission.

Gallego said, As locals and lovers of San Xavier, its our responsibility.
PHOENIX  Donald Trumps visit Saturday drew about 6,000 supporters despite triple-degree temperatures and ended without the violent incidents or major disruptions seen at some of his other rallies.

While there were no major protests at the rally at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, several speakers including Trump used fiery rhetoric against Hillary Clinton and President Obama, Democrats in general, gun-control advocates, illegal immigrants, the media and even some Republicans.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who addressed the crowd before the presumptive Republican presidential nominee took the stage, had harsh words for members of his own party who continue to dance around formally endorsing the billionaire businessman.

Specifically, Arpaio wondered aloud why some Republicans prefer to say they support the nominee rather than uttering Trumps name. Apparently, they support Hillary, Arpaio quipped about the unnamed Arizona politicians.

During a 40-minute speech, Trump repeatedly reminded the crowd, which filled about half of the arena, of his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico.

He predicted that without securing borders and building the wall, the U.S. would continue to suffer violent attacks from Islamic terrorists.

If elected, Trump vowed, he would knock the hell out of ISIS and said, We are going to start winning like no one has ever seen before.

In the aftermath of last weekends mass shooting in Florida, Trump said, he will continue to fight for the Second Amendment, despite what he called attempts by Democrats and gun-control advocates to use the tragedy for their own political ambitions.

This was not about guns, this was about terrorism, he said, suggesting that the shooting might have ended differently if there were armed patrons inside the nightclub.

Trump claimed Clinton has accepted donations from countries that have killed gays and enslaved women.

Turning to domestic issues, he claimed Clinton would raise taxes but that he would sign the biggest tax cut in U.S. history.

Describing empty, rusted-out towns he has seen across the country, he vowed to bring jobs back to the United States, saying Latinos will support him for that reason.

He called NAFTA one of the most destructive acts to the economy, and reminded his audience that President Bill Clinton signed it into law.

Regulations are killing business, he said, saying he would get rid of the Dodd-Frank banking-regulation law and most regulations.

Trump said he will economically punish companies that have moved overseas or plan to leave the U.S., and vowed to levy new taxes on their imports.

He railed several times against the press, calling Politico a rag and CNN untrustworthy. At least one media outlet, Buzzfeed, was not allowed into the rally.

He said media reports of the continued possibility of a fight at the Republican National Convention are pure fabrication, and the crowd turned to boo working reporters on the coliseum floor.

Supporters at the rally included 48-year-old Kimberley Clayton of Phoenix, who said, We need a nonpolitician in office  somebody who cant be bought out. Ive never voted Republican in my life until now. Im an independent.

A single protester was removed from the arena, hours before Trump took the stage for wearing a T-shirt that used profanity to denounce Islam. Officials had Arizona Department of Public Safety officers escort him out after he refused to turn the shirt inside-out.

Before the doors opened for the rally, a group of protesters met at Encanto Park, about a mile from the venue.

Bryan Sanders, a protester who was punched in the face at Trumps rally in Tucson in March, attended. The protest in the park was pretty relaxed, he said.

Sanders said planned protests failed to materialize Saturday because of the way that these events are set up.

He said it was difficult for protesters to get near the actual event.

Its probably a good idea that theyre separating it like this, Sanders said. Im not a fan of violence.

This time, it seems, he was bored and went to his vehicle, leaving early.

Phoenix police Lt. Paul Taylor praised the numerous officers who were charged with monitoring the streets surrounding the venue and the protest area. He said he believes the extreme heat kept tempers from flaring.

Although Im not a weatherman and Im not a doctor, I would submit to you, having been out there all day myself, that may have played a significant role in it, Taylor said.

Firefighters treated four people for heat-related issues at the scene.

Two people were arrested for minor consumption of alcohol on the property, Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said. They were cited and released.

Earlier Saturday, Trump held a rally in Las Vegas.

Police there said one person, Michael Sandford, 19, was arrested at the event. Sandford allegedly approached an officer under the pretense of getting an autograph but then tried to disarm the officer. Officers quickly took him into custody. He was turned over to the U.S. Secret Service and is expected to face charges.

Inside, the crowd was generally orderly.

Attendees said they were frustrated by how President Obama handled the economy, think they cant trust Clinton and want to try at least four years with a total outsider in the White House.

Whether it be a white-man thing, I dont know, Henderson resident Teague McClendon, a 44-year-old warehouse sales manager, said as he waited in the long line. But if you look around, its more than that.
Driven by gusty winds and near record temperatures, a wildfire is racing up the eastern slope of Baboquivari Peak, about 50 miles southwest of Tucson.

As of 1:40 p.m. Saturday, the Brown Fire stood at 1,200 acres and was burning actively through grass and brush near Brown Bear Canyon, according to Arizona State Forestry spokeswoman Carrie Dennett.

The fire, which was reported Friday evening, is 0-percent contained and has destroyed one unoccupied structure, according to information on InciWeb. There are ranches in the area, but no other structures are immediately threatened, Dennett said.

Around 190 firefighters, several engines and one small aircraft are on scene, with additional resources, including a larger team to manage the incident, en route, according to Dennett and updates on InciWeb.

Dennett said there was no estimated date of containment. The fire was "human-caused" and under investigation, according to InciWeb.
Help India!

By Afzal Usmani,

Dear Mr. Amir Subhani,

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The Forbesganj incident in Araria district of Bihar (India) raised many questions in our minds. It is even more disturbing to know that it happened when we have one of our best as the Home Secretary of Bihar. It is not only a question of brutality against innocent Muslims but against innocent Indians. The toddler who died was a hope for the country and he was punished for a crime which he could not even conceive.

The uniformed police supposed to protect us and maintain law and order. But what the world has seen in Forbesganj is an act of terror and brutality. Their attitude was inhuman and for me they are no different than terrorists and Maoists who go on a killing spree and does not even bother to see who is on the receiving end.

We are very sure that Police have a code of conduct to deal with a mob. Did they use tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets before to the final resort to fire real bullets? When a layman like me can see, why not machinery of Govt of India in general and Govt. of Bihar in particular can see all these when its happening under their nose.

I still remember how much we cheered and enjoyed in 1987 when you secured the first position in Civil Services Exams conducted by Union Public Service Commission, Govt. of India. You became a role model for millions and we saw a new hope in you. We always complain about the lack of presence of Muslims in Civil Services and whatever few we have, we need them to do justice with their job. Muslims of India do not look forward to you and your likes for any special favor, they look up to you for justice and to be role model for the entire nation.

If we see this kind of inaction from people like you, we will loose faith from the Civil Servants and no one will ever cheer for Mr. Javed Usmani, Mr. Amir Subhani or Dr. Shah Faisal.
Help India!

By Prashant Sood, IANS,

New Delhi : The spillover effects from Singur and Nandigram could hit West Bengals ruling Left Front, which faces its toughest challenge in the assembly elections whose outcome could have a national impact, say political observers.

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According to analyst Mahesh Rangarajan, Left parties laid a strong rural foundation in their initial years after taking power in 1977 by carrying out largescale land reforms and devolving power to the panchayats (rural bodies).

The initial hard work helped the Left in subsequent years, but the ongoing polls could be different with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress emerging as an agent of change, he said.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjees efforts since 2000 to rope in big industries came unstuck following the Singur and Nandigram protests over land takeover. This led to loss of credibility for the government.

Sections that had earlier supported the Left turned against them, Rangarajan told IANS, referring to the results of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and the civic elections last year.

While 14 people lost their lives March 2007 in police firing in East Midnapores Nandigram during a protest against land acquisition for an economic zone, a sustained Trinamool-led farmer agitation in Singur in Hooghly forced Tata Motors to shift its small car Nano factory to Gujarat.

Centre for Media Studies chairperson N. Bhaskara Rao said the Left had a better understanding than the Congress of peoples issues when they came to power in 1977.

They gave impetus to land reforms and distribution of wealth. These programmes touched a large section of people. They had better organisation at the grassroots, he said.

Rao said the Left Front used organisational strategies to gain support and retain control but did not reorient these strategies to the changing situation.

He said Nandigram and Singur were the turning points in fostering anti-Left sentiment. But the election was a touch and go affair.

Shakeel Ahmed, the Congress in-charge of West Bengal, alleged that the Left Front had won so long by resorting to rigging and terror tactics and prophesied that the 2011 polls will mark the beginning of its end in the national polity.

The Congress is contesting the polls in alliance with the Trinamool.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said there was a mood for change as the state has reached saturation point.

Nilotpal Basu of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), however, disagreed.

According to him, the CPI-M-led coalition has survived seven terms because its rule has benefited an overwhelming majority, particularly the poor.

The government attained success in agrarian reforms, land distribution and recording of land of sharecroppers. Majority of beneficiaries are poor, he said.

He accused the Trinamool of confusing the people and stopping industrialisation.

He claimed that the CPI-M did some introspection on its recent poll defeats and identified the factors that went wrong. As a result, the Left has regained much of the lost support.

The 10-party Left Front has CPI-M, Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc as its major constituents.


Help India!

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata: Rupsina Parvin is the first Muslim women Sub-Inspector of the West Bengal police now working in Government Railway Police (GRP) at Howrah. Rupsina joined as Sub-Inspector of after qualifying in the state public service commission exams for police recruitment of Government of West Bengal on 30 January, 2012 and was directly posted as Sub-Inspector of Police in GRP police station at Howrah Railway Station.

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Rupsina Parvin is from Mirjapur Village of Charghat Gram Panchayat area under Swarupnagar Block of North 24 Parganas district. Her father Basarat Hossain is a retired Government employee of the Land and Land Reform Department in the state. Rupsina told TCN that, her fathers dream was to see her only daughter in the state public service, and she finally qualified PSC exams of Government of WB.





Rupsina Parvin



After her secondary examinations (Madhyamik) with first division from Chatra Netaji Balika Sikshaniketan in 1997, Rupsina studied Senior Secondary level (HS) at Rajballavpur High School in Commerce stream. She loved Mathematics, Statics and accountancy subjects, and wanted to become a Chartered Accountant or High level Accounts officer earlier.

Rupsina told TCN that her mother Selima Khatun inspired her to appear for different service examinations. In 2009, she appeared for her first written examinations for the post of Sub-Inspector and qualified. She then passed the mandatory physical tests and interviews and was finally recruited to the post of Sub-Inspector post at GRP police station of Howrah.

She had to undergo 13 months training. She told TCN that she was thankful to DIG Damayanti Sen, Chanchal Banerjee who helped and guided her like own parents during training.

Rupsina has made history by becoming the first Muslim woman to become SI.

Although Rupsina has joined the service, she still aspires to become an IPS officer, and is hence continuing with her preparations.

She told TCN that one of her priority would be see to it that no women is harassed in the Howrah GRP jurisdiction. She acknowledged that there are reports of several girls being trafficked through Howrah station and that she would take it challenge to protect women at the station.

Several Muslim women who join as constables have later been promoted to become SI, but Rupsina is the first Muslim woman to join directly the service. She also urged the women to come forward to join the service.
Help India!

By IANS,

New Delhi : Delhi Police Friday filed a charge sheet in a court here against BSP MP Dhananjay Singh for allegedly repeatedly raping a 42-year-old married railway employee for nearly four years.

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The charge sheet was filed in a complaint by the woman accusing Singh, the Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradeshs Jaunpur constituency, of repeatedly raping her.

Singh was charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The charge sheet was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sonu Agnihotri.

Police said Singh had repeatedly raped the woman between July 2005 to March 2009.

According to the complaint filed by the woman, she was allegedly raped several times by Singh at gunpoint and was threatened with dire consequences if she reported the matter, police said.

Police said that the husband of the woman was a businessman and was known to Singh and through him, she had first met Singh in February 2005.

Singh and his wife Jagriti, a dental surgeon at a government hospital, are in jail after they were arrested in November last year in connection with their maids torture and murder case, in which the charge sheet will be filed Saturday.


Help India!

By Dr Kouser Fathima for TwoCircles.net,

Mosques or Masjids are typically a place of worship where the Muslims gather to pray in congregation. Over the years Masjids have been playing an important role in the Muslim societies but sadly the role of these Masjids is changing today. Initially the masjid was not merely a place of worship but used to be a center of all activities in Muslim society. Everything from prayers, sermons, education and welfare activities took place in and around the Masjid .

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Historically the first task the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) undertook after migration to Madinah, was to build a Masjid for the Muslims. The first Masjid in Madinah was located next to the Prophets house , was an open air building that welcomed all Muslims and eventually a proper structural Masjid was constructed. This was later named Masjid-e-Nabvi.

According to Sahih Bukhari, the most authentic book of sayings of prophet (PBUH), the Masjid was center of all activities during the time of Prophet and caliphs. People would gather there for prayer, have discussions and it was a center of learning, center of judiciary and most importantly Masjids were the centers of administration and welfare. The Prophet (PBUH ) as the leader of Muslims would conduct all administrative work of the Islamic world from the Masjid . He welcomed and met the envoys from other places, signed pacts and treaties in the Masjid , rules of war were framed there , war booty was distributed inside the Masjid and people injured in wars were treated and housed in Masjid until they recovered.

Masjids were also centers for justice, for any dispute people would come to the Masjid to get it resolved. Not only this but Masjids were centers of charity where zakat and sadaqat was collected and distributed to the needy . Further these Masjids were hub for education ,almost all Masjids had schools that taught about religion, Fiqh and also other relevant subjects. Travelers would take shelter and rest there, people would distribut food to the people in the Masjid . All people irrespective of race, status, gender had equal and undisturbed access to the Masjid day and night.

Even after the demise of Prophet (PBUH) the Caliphs continued this tradition and made Masjids as the most important centers for Muslims welfare. Most Masjids had libraries, encouraged literary activities and ran courses for the poor to help them gain knowledge and employment.

During the rule of Mughals in India, the Masjids were financed and maintained by the royal family. Theygenerously donated land and money to Masjids and helped in building libraries, saraya (rest houses) and schools adjoining Masjids.

However, today Masjids have been reduced to merely prayer areas that also with limited accessibility. Many Masjid in India strictly dont allow women while some do allow them but hardly makes any arrangement for accommodating them. There are very few Masjids that have welfare centers attached, hardly any hospitals run by them. Though most Masjids have Madrassas attached, but very few have any centers running vocational courses for the youth. Negligible Masjids have attached libraries or designated resting area for travellers.

Ironically most of the present day Masjids are large, well built and some are grand but they no longer can be called as the center for Muslim societies . In contrast the churches and Gurudwaras seem to be following the model prescribed by Islam. Both of these places are not considered merely the places of worship but welfare centers wherein the poor and needy go to seek help.

The Langar in Gurudwara provides food to all , poor and rich and also instills a feeling of community service as people volunteer to work in the Gurudwaras . Not that we dont have Masjids which are functioning as welfare centers but sadly they are too less and little. Need to reestablish Masjids as centers for Muslim societies where welfare activities are encouraged along with the religious activities. Masjids should be converted to the places where activities of the community may instill a feeling of belonging and support to its members.

(The author is a Bengaluru based writer. She can be reached at twitter @drkf_18)
Help India!

By Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net

Churachandpur, Manipur: September 1 started like every other day at work for Chingneihoih, 22, from Churachandpur. For the past four years, she had been working in a restaurant in Nungambakkam, Chennai. A day before, she had spoken to her family and discussed the simmering situation back home, where violence had erupted after three controversial bills considered anti-tribal had been passed by the Manipur state government. She had been told that the homes of the MLAs had been attacked.

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Women pray at the makeshift shrine outside the morgue in District Hospital, Churachandpur.



However, given that she was nearly 2,000 miles away from home, she could do little. Around 2 pm, as she was busy handling customer orders, she received a phone call; a call that was to change her and her parents life forever. Her younger brother, Khamthianmuan, 22, had been shot during the protests against the Bills and had died on the spot. It took Chingneihoih nearly four days to reach home and never returned to her job. With my brother gone, there is no one to take care of my parents and I am the only child they have. Going back is no longer an option, she says.

Lun Valte is a 33-year-old resident of Churachandpur. On September 1, she along with her seven siblings and her parents had been home, even as the town erupted in protests. Around afternoon, the second-youngest, Robert Jamminthang, decided to visit a relative nearby. Since this was slightly away from the scene of protests which was mainly near the Police Station, Valte was not very worried. On his way, however, Robert heard the sound of bullets and decided to check what was happening. It proved to be a fatal mistake; a bullet caught him in his head, and Robert, a student at a local Church college, was dead. Most of the people who got killed or injured were near the Police station, but Roberts body was found in a different corner. We were told around 3 pm that he had been injured, but when we went out to find him, he was lying in a street in a pool of his own blood, dead, says Valte, barely able to hold her tears.





Women raise their hands in prayer to mourn for the nine killed in September 2015 police firing.



These may be personal stories, but it would not be wrong to say that every family that suffered on the first two days of September have similar, spine-chilling stories to narrate. The death of nine people over two days, including that of a 10-year-old child, has scarred the town forever, and shown them the effects of standing against the state government. And Churachandpur is taking the fight head on, with the victims families and friends of right at the heart of the protests.

The dead will not be buried until justice is done

The district hospital of Churachandpur is an important landmark in the city. First, apart from the police station, it is the only other visible government institution in an area where almost all markets of development (schools, colleges, hospitals) are funded either by private individuals or Church associations. Two, the daily crowd visiting the hospitals can be divided into two categories: the first are the people who visit the hospital for personal reasons; second, are people who head straight to a corner in the hospital. Located at the backend of the hospital, is the morgue. But this morgue is unlike any other that you might have encountered in your life. Every day, for the past 290 days, friends and families of the victims come together at a makeshift shrine dedicated to the martyrs, with nine coffins marking the nine dead people. Every day, they pray, weep and share their pain of having lost their loved ones.





Lun Valte, whose brother Robert was killed in police firing.



Every day, the families ask the same questions: why did this happen? Why did the police shoot the protesters? Why has the state government never paid attention to their sorrows? Why have the police not even registered an FIR against the shooting? They chant in loud voices, asking God for answers. They chant, and pray, for the Sixth Schedule to be implemented in their region. They chant, because that is the only option they have left now.

The police officials are also aware that the public has turned against them. Two officers refused to speak on the matter with Twocircles.net saying that the matter was political. One Police officer at the Churachandpur Police Station agreed to speak on the matter, but only on the condition of anonymity, saying that he did not wish to further anger the locals. It is wrong go say that no FIR has been registered. We filed a Suo Motu FIR against the killings soon after the incident an incorporated the families complains in the FIR after four months, he said. However, he refused to share the progress on the investigation and refused a definitive answer regarding when the investigation will be completed. This matter is no longer in the hands of the Police, he said without divulging any details.





Chingneihoih (in black) whose brother was killed in police firing, prays at the makeshift shrine.



Valte comes here daily, and believes that this is the only way for the families to overcome the pain of losing their loved ones. This is as much a form of protest and it is a feeling of brotherhood among us. This city will never be the same again. The killings have galvanised the entire town into understanding the repercussions of what lies ahead for them if the bills are passed, she adds. According to Chingneihoih, the town has come together like never before to protest. My brother was a Church student and his interest in Gospel was much more than his interest in politics. But he was still killedthe police treated their bodies like animals, kicking them after they were dead and laughing at them, she says, teary-eyed. But these sacrifices have brought us together, she says. People who earlier did not care about these Bills are also a part of the protests now, she adds.

The refusal to bury their dead is the most important sign that the families will not rest until justice is provided to them. According to Benjamin Vualnam, a member of the Joint Action Committee against Anti-Tribal Bills, the state government initially tried to convince the families to bury their dead. We had to arrange for ice on a daily basis to prevent the bodies from decaying; as the morgue did not even have a cold storage, he says. It was until 100 days later that the morgue was provided with adequate cooling to store the dead bodies. The bodies remain in individual cases, each bearing the name of the dead person. Once in a while, the morgue is opened for families to see their loved ones lying inside. It breaks our heart to see this, but it also strengthens our resolve, adds Vualnam.





An employee of the District Hospital opens the cold storage of the morgue, where the bodies have been kept.



The nine martyrs have become the biggest symbol of resistance in the town against the fight to protect their lands. To mark 200 days of their death, the town released 200 air lanterns to commemorate their sacrifice and pray for the peace of departed souls. On 26 June, to mark 300 days of their death, the JAC will be distributing flags with the slogan Tribute to the nine tribal martyrs and every household will be requested to hoist them on their roof to show solidarity with the protests. For Churachandpur, protesting is no longer an option; it is the only way to pay respect to the memory of the nine people who were killed for speaking against the state government.
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NETFLIX NOTESRaiders of the Lost Art, Van Goghs Guardian.

Few people today have not heard of the great impressionist artist, Vincent van Gogh. He was before his time with his painting style and was known to have mental health problems, one time resulting in him lopping off a piece of his own ear. Brilliant, avant garde, and troubled was young Vincent.

His decision, or perhaps compulsion, to pursue a career in art in a time when impressionism was still in its early, and for those times, shocking, stages meant that the French art establishment of his day paid no attention to his work.

Vincents main benefactor was is own brother, Theo.

A little background

Theo Van Gogh was an art dealer, and died at 33, just six months after Vincent died at 37. He left a wife, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger and one son, also named Vincent. She had an apartment in Paris, and approximately 600 pieces of Vincents art, including around 200 paintings. She also had in her possession all the letters that passed between Theo and Vincent over the years.

A complete unknown

After the van Gogh brothers died, Johanna Bonger became the sole owner of all Vincents work. She was a clever lady and no doubt in need of an income but she saw the value in the legacy she had been left and used it not only to support herself and her son, but in her lifetime to elevate Vincents work to worldwide fame.

An unsung woman

Lost in the shadow of Vincent van Gogh, an artist who would himself have been lost to time were it not for her effort, Johanna Bonger was born in 1862 in Amsterdam, the daughter of an insurance broker. She earned the equivalent of a college degree and worked for a time in the library of the British Museum.

After Theos death in Paris, she moved back to the Netherlands where she opened a boarding house near Amsterdam.

Over time, she sold Vincents paintings, and in 1914, she published the letters from Vincent to Theo. These helped to raise interest in the artist and his work and the price of his paintings began to rise with his renown.

Smart and forward-thinking

Johanna van Gogh-Bonger proved herself to be an able marketer and a savvy businesswoman.

During her lifetime, she sold one of Vincents most famous paintings, one of the Sunflower series, to the National Gallery in London where it still hangs today.

According to Raiders of the Lost Art, several of van Goghs paintings are still missing, and several fakes have surfaced as well. The highest price paid for a van Gogh painting was in 1990, when his Portrait of Dr. Gachet went for $82.5 million. The fact that they have such astronomical value today is due in large part to the tireless efforts of his sister-in-law, Johanna Bonger.
Sarah Wagenknecht, the left party parliamentary leader, was at a party meeting at Madenburg when a man walked up to her with cake and slapped it squarely on her face. Taken by surprise, Ms. Wagenknecht reached and tried to wipe the creamy brown gooey stuff off her eyes. The perpetrator walked away holding his hands high above his head and was seen being led away by presumably security personnel even as other persons were seen walking about throwing pamphlets.

Dressed smartly for the party meeting, she looked a mess as other party members began to help her and shielded her from the cameras, leading her away from the conference hall.

The antifascist group "Torte fur Menschenfeinde" or "Cake for Misanthropists" has taken responsibility for the attack on the opposition leader. The pamphlets found at the venue vented the ire of the antifascists over Wagenknechts stance on immigrants after the multiple attacks on women during New Years eve in Cologne.

Wagenknecht has been very vocal on her anti-refugee stand, and the antifascists claim she has turned public anger directed at the Cologne incident into a countrywide political fray.

Wagenknechts statement on the refugee crisis, "not all refugees can come to Germany", emphasizes the fact that though there may be the desire and ability to accept as many refugees that come, it is more the extent of Germany's capacity absorb those many people into the fabric of the nation.

Her stance has created some dissonance in her party, which at this time is adverse for the Left party.

Though it is the largest opposition group in the German Parliament, the support of the Left Party has seen better days, while the Nationalist Alternative for Germany party is slowly becoming favorites with voters for the opposition.

The refugee problem in Germany and other neighboring countries is a matter of concern gauged from various parameters; housing, jobs, education and above all, security.

It is now a known fact that Daesh, or ISIS as it is more commonly known, has been infiltrating the refugees to enter various countries and form sleeper cells for future attacks. While allowing refugees is a humane action that is lauded by the world in general, the countries where these refugees make their home have an urgent need to tighten security.

Theres just one moot point here; where was security when a man walked with the cake right up to the opposition leader?
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BANGKOK  Government officials, enterprises from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand gathered on June 16 in Bangkok for the first ever forum to discuss ways to form a seamless Mekong Delta region or a Single Destination.

The three-day CLMVT Forum 2016 hosted by Thailands Ministry of Commerce brought together some 1,000 participants from the countries involved, as well as experts from Japan and the US.

Thai Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said the power of shared opportunities and the expansion of intra-regional business networks for the development of trade, investment and tourism would make the Mekong countries visible to the world.

Viet Nams deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Cam Tu, said that to make such a seamless region, the countries involved should choose specific fields on which to focus their cooperation, such as food processing or automobile industries.

According to the forum, after decades of developing both a large manufacturing base and large sales in Thailand, Japanese companies are now increasing their investment in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to take advantage of low labour costs, plentiful natural resources, and new and fast growing markets.

Thus, enhanced Japanese investment in this industry in all member states would benefit both sides.

The forum also said that agriculture was a backbone of the CLMVT countries but is not yet a strongest contributor to the regional economy due to low productivity. According to the forum, CLMVTs agriculture sector employed between 32 per cent and 70 per cent of the workforce but contributed only between 11 per cent and 30 per cent of the regions GDP due to lack of modern agricultural technologies.

Tan Monivann, Vice President of Cambodias Mong Reththy Group, suggested the group should work on ways to boost the value chain, marketing the products and transferring post harvesting technology.

Doan Duy Khuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that as the first and second rice exporters in the world, Thailand and Viet Nam should strengthen their co-operation to boost the productivity and quality of their products and gain a better market.

Somchith Inthamith, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce of Laos, added that the two leading rice exporters should also help the other three countries with their experience.

In addition, CLMVT governments need to simplify cross-border procedures while upgrading local infrastructure and agro-logistic services in order to provide better storage and delivery of perishable goods throughout the region to destination markets.

A free border mechanism would also boost tourism, one of the most lucrative areas in the group.

While sustainable tourism development could yield significant profits for the industry and the economy in general, complicated visa procedures were keeping away many potential visitors. Participants discussed having one visa for visitors to CLMVT countries, instead of five.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien hailed the idea, saying that complicated visa procedures for Viet Nam were one of the reasons that visitors to the area dont include Viet Nam in their destinations.

Tran Doan The Duy, deputy director of Viet Travel said the one-visa idea would be perfect for many Westerners who have time for a long holiday but avoid Vietnam due to visa fees and procedures.

The forum also discussed digital connection and e-tourism for small and medium sized enterprises, which account for 96 per cent of the enterprises in the CLMVT group.

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Viet Nam and Thailand have a combined population of 235 million, of which more than half are in the workforce. The group thus has immense purchasing power, according to participants.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc offered condolences to relatives of the officers and soldiers involved in two separate accidents of a fighter jet and a rescue aircraft.

One pilot was found dead, another was rescued and nine crewmembers are still missing.

The body of pilot Senior Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai was found at about 6pm Friday by a local fisherman, ang Van Kinh, near Hon Mat, an islet 40 nautical miles off the coast of central Nghe An Province.

At 5am the next morning, the provincial coastguard brought the body ashore, where more than 150 naval officers and hundreds of people, including Khais family members and friends, had gathered.

His formal funeral will take place later at the Funeral House of the 4th Military Zone in Nghe An.

Khai was one of two pilots onboard the Russian-made Su30 MK2 fighter jet that disappeared from radar on June 14 during a training session in the area of Hon Mat Island. The other pilot, Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, was rescued by local fishermen at 5am on June 15.

While searching for the jet, a CASA212 rescue aircraft with nine crewmembers aboard also lost contact at 12:30pm on June 16. Debris from the aircraft has been discovered to the southwest of Bach Long Vy Island near the delimitation line on the Tonkin Gulf.

In his latest official order, the Prime Minister urged the deployment of all forces - including the Air Defence-Air Force Service, Navy, coast guards, border guards and Fisheries Resources Surveillance - to search for the missing people and aircraft.

Authorities of the coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh are working with the national committee on search and rescue operations, and also calling for fishermens participation in the search.

He also asked for drastic efforts to be taken by the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Information and Communications to find the missing people soon.  VNS
By Nguyen My Ha

On a mid-summer day with 40-degree Celsius heat, we return to Quang Tien hamlet in Gia Loc District, 70km south of Ha Noi. The houses along the road from Hai Duong City to the village in Gia Loc District are scattered under the shade of longan trees.

The whole road runs along a man-made channel sandwiched between the road and villages. To get to ones house, you need to cross a bridge. Needless to say, the whole area looks so peaceful and lovely. Further into the village, the roads, sadly, have all recently been cemented, intertwined with emerald still ponds without any fences.

Walking around the village, I secretly wished that other villages would keep cool with this system of little ponds during the hot summer.

This year, the lotus suffered and the pond in front of Bui uc Lois house in Quang Tien did not bloom. Still, the sight of giant lotus leaves and their green colour quenched our thirst for nature under the scorching sun.

The house looked the same as it did when I visited the family nine years ago to look for the artefacts of their ancestor, Lady Bui Thi Hy, who, according to local archaeologist Tang Ba Hoanh, was the Lady Master of ceramics. She created and exported a large amount of household and decorative ceramics overseas in the 15th century.

Founder: The brick with a sketch and inscription that reads, "Bui Quoc Hung (who sided with Le Loi to fight the Ming) founded the Le Dynasty". VNS Photo oan Tung

This time, more important artefacts have been discovered. Official excavations by the Hai Duong Museum found a corner of a building with inscriptions on it and two bricks. The bricks not only bear the inscription in Han Chinese with her name on it, but also, more excitingly, a drawing of her and her grandfather.

A ceramic corner of a building was found on June 13, 2013. Showing us the artefacts, archaeologist and former director of the Hai Duong Museum Tang Ba Hoanh said, "This line reads, the ninth year of Hong uc reign, made by Bui Thi Hy. Hoanh still works full speed at 76 years of age.

Its not only one brick. The image of the Bui clan founder, General Bui Quoc Hung, who was one of 18 other comrades-in-arm of King Le Loi in the 15th century and attended the historic Lung Nhai Sworn Ceremony in 1416, was also found on another brick. A picture of that image is hung on the familys altar. Loi is a descendent of both General Bui Quoc Hung and Lady Bui Thi Hy.

Image on a brick

In our previous article, we have written about how Hoanh reached the conclusion that Bui Thi Hy was the creator of the Annam Vase at the Topkapi Palace Museum in Turkey, based on the Bui familys historical records. https://vietnamnews.vn/sunday/features/169239/mystery-woman-of-the-chu-dau-ceramics.html

Since then, more excavations have been conducted, and more artefacts bearing the name of Bui Thi Hy have been found.

In May 2008, Hoanh said he studied the celestial tower in front of the village pagoda and found an inscription on it that read, In the year of the Rat, 1492, Bui Thi Hy built the pagoda with local people.

An official excavation held by the Hai Duong Museum in 2011  which dug up Bui uc Lois front yard, where an incense tower (for placing incense and praying to the deceased) is located  found two bricks with sketches of a man wearing the royal hat with wings, and another brick depicting a woman.

Both bricks have inscriptions on them, which Hoanh translated as follows: Ancient statue of ancestor Bui Quoc Hung, founding father of the Le Dynasty.

The other bricks inscription reads, Image of the founding lady, titled Vong Nguyet (Aspiring Moon), chairwoman of more than 10 ceramic guilds. Due to war, the statue must be destroyed so an image has to be copied for future generations.

According to the bronze round tray that contains the entire writing, believed to be copied from the original stone stele, Lady Bui Thi Hy was known by the title Vong Nguyet.

A Facebook post from Hai Duong Museum reads, The image on this newly-found brick bears great resemblance to the statue of a lady found in the sunken ships of Cu Lao Cham, currently owned by the National Museum of History. Due to the latest finding after the excavation, we strongly suggest that we give the ceramic statue at the National Museum of History the correct name of the original.

Again, the word Hy came up in an inscription, just like the same word on the famous Annam Vase.

We brought the question to Han-Chinese expert Tran Nho Thin of Ha Nois National University and asked him to compare the two usages of the word Hy on the vase and on the ceramic corner found in Lois yard.

They mean the same, he wrote in an email. But the styles are different.

And the meaning? He insisted that the word Hy here means joyfully created. In the case of the Annam Vase, it means joyfully painted, and in the ceramic corner, joyfully made.

Up for debate

This time, can they say its joyfully created, again? asks Hoanh. Hes trying to say that the same person created the Annam Vase in Turkey and this corner of a building found in Lois pond. And that person is Lady Bui Thi Hy.

The dispute about how one shall understand the meaning of this word has been going on for quite a long time. The most prominent opponents of the Lady have been the scholars in Ha Noi and the National Museum of History.

In tribute: The newly-built temple dedicated to Lady Bui Thi Hy, the chair of over 10 ceramic guilds that produced and exported far and wide. VNS Photo oan Tung

Nguyen inh Chien of the museum reportedly told a number of newspapers that the familys annals were written unlike other family annals, with some of the words written in a newer style.

After my first article was published, I received an email from Roxanna Brown from Bangkok Universitys Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum, saying that the green saucer" in my story that Loi told me he found at his pond "was actually a Thai celadon.

I was shocked to hear that, but no sooner had we been able to clarify this subject, I received a newsletter from the Bangkok Museum saying that she was found dead in a police cell awaiting trial.

According to Wikipedia, Brown was arrested on May 9, 2008 for alleged wire fraud when she arrived in the United States to deliver a lecture at an Asian art symposium at the University of Washington. She was found dead in her cell at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac on May 14.

Mystery: Archaeologist Tang Ba Hoanh reads the inscription on the building corner. VNS Photo oan Tung

While researching for this article, I came across a private collectors website that says Brown had doubts that the inscription on the Annam Vase was correctly translated.

I wish that other scholars would come here to Hai Duong to inspect the artefacts and provide official assessments, Hoanh said.

He started out as an accountant and took night classes at Ha Noi University in the 1960s. He later returned to the same school and graduated from the history department in 1978.

Work eventually brought him to work at the provinces Historical Council, which determined during a 1983 excavation that Chu au was a ceramic center in Hai Duong in the 15th century.

Areca nut on top of a lime vase. VNS Photo oan Tung

Home-schooled in Han script, he could read Han and Nom scripts well. His college thesis was about the interpretation of flower motifs in ancient literature on scholastic steles of Viet Nam . Professor Ha Van Tan was his advisor and Professor Tran Quoc Vuong wrote comments on his thesis.

Even during a conference to brief our excavation findings, someone just stood up and said, Dont believe them. Its all false,  Hoanh said.

Its very sad that way. I think we need to be up for healthy debate about the findings, and I would like more international scholars to provide their interpretation.

So far, no international scholars have provided an interpretation, but in the visitors book at Lois house, some Japanese have left comments. A group of Japanese scholars from Hiroshima University have written in the book in Vietnamese and Chinese.

I was very honoured to visit the tomb of Lady Bui Thi Hy and see many artefacts relating to her, wrote Hasuko Tadashi of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University. It is a delight to meet her descendants and see that her legacy has been protected by the family.

Ceramic bowl with firing faults. Its green colour has faded. VNS Photo oan Tung

Further searching

The quest still continues, and Loi said that one of his neighbours was reportedly keeping a giant dragon head, excavated from another familys pond.

He puts it on his family altar and will not let anyone get into his house to see it, Loi said.

I believe its the same as the dragon adorning the sun on top of the Le Temple in Thanh Hoa Province, Hoanh added.

As such, Loi said, Ill look for a time to come visit his house and maybe try to see if any inscription is written under it. Unfortunately, I cant read Han script, but I can bring my camera.
Abandoned the families: Kean lashes Labors first budget NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has slammed the Albanese Government for failing to provide families with cost of living support amid soaring inflation and electricity prices.

Isnt sufficient: Experts reply to Chalmers bold housing crisis solution Jim Chalmers has announced a historic national Housing Accord which will see one million homes built over five years - but experts are not convinced the "bold" plan is enough to address the housing crisis.

Fill up now: Petrol prices set to soar Motorists in major cities have been warned to "fill up" as soon as possible as Australians face several surging costs following the Albanese Government's first budget overnight.

Police saddle up for return of crowds at Melbourne Cup Victoria Police sent a message to racegoers as cops prepare for hundreds of thousands of punters to descend upon Melbourne for the race that stops the nation.
WATERLOO  Iowa has a care gap. The population of elders and those with disabilities is rapidly growing, but there arent enough workers to provide the care they need.

An Iowa Direct Care Advisory Council report estimates 75,000 workers fall under the umbrella term of direct caregivers, making it the largest sector of Iowas workforce. Direct care workers include certified nurse aides, personal care attendants and hospice and medication aides. They work with patients of all ages.

But the current number is not enough, says Di Findley, executive director for Iowa CareGivers. She said Iowa needs 20,000 more care workers by 2020.

The demand is on the rise, and the supply is not enough, Findley said. This has always been an issue, but its gotten so much worse in recent years.

The care gap was the topic of a daylong discussion titled Direct Care Workforce 2020: Meeting the Needs of the Future. It was held at Hawkeye Community College on Thursday, hosted by Iowa CareGivers along with Hawkeye. The Iowa Department of Public Health sponsored the event.

Local direct care providers met with Hawkeye and other health officials to raise concerns, share stories and hear solutions.

The qualified CNA applicants arent coming to us, so were going to them, said Marilyn DeWitt with Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly.

DeWitt said Bartels was forced to look within to fill vacancies; it offers in-house certification courses and pays screened candidates to take them. DeWitt has taught the program since January and said 16 aides have completed the training

But we are always in need, DeWitt said.

DeWitt said many direct care workers burn out. Vacancies mean extra work for staff, and the physical toll can outweigh the overtime pay.

The issue is in both recruitment and retention. Findley said direct care work is as undervalued as it is tough.

Theres a societal perception of this work that doesnt recognize the value, Findley said. The sad part is that you dont really know how valuable it is until you or a loved one needs care.

She said its hard to recruit for a position with a median wage of less than $11 per hour and a demanding schedule. There is also a 60 percent yearly turnover rate.

Jennifer Hoelscher, health continuing education coordinator, said Hawkeye has added 30 percent more classes for CNA training in the past six months.

We identified the need in the community and we worked to meet that need, Hoelscher said.

Hawkeyes course offers three certifications geared toward community-based CNA positions  adult day care, group homes and working with children with disabilities at schools. Hawkeye provides some facility-based training for students to get real-world experience with instructors.

But eliminating turnover is as important as providing adequate training, Findley said.

Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls has reduced turnover from 44 percent in 2014 to 33 percent as of May, according to Matt Garcia, business development and process improvement officer. Garcia said the key has been supervisor training and a valuing the work caregivers provide.

Sue Weber is the director of clinical staff development at Western Home. She said quelling misconceptions about the work could help fill the jobs. Direct care for seniors is unique.

Being with them in one of the most intimate times in their lives, thats a special thing, Weber said. Its that time just before they pass on to the next journey. And you share that time with them.
CEDAR FALLS  Residents get a chance to look at proposed recreational improvements to the Cedar River at a meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Island Park Beach House.

City officials and consultants will present plans for improvements to the Center Street dam, Gateway Park dam and bank improvements. Consultants include AECOM of Waterloo and McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group of Denver, Colo., assisted by HBK Engineering of Chicago

Doors open at 5:45 p.m. with a presentation at 6 p.m. Attendees may review the plans and ask questions. There will be illustrations and chances to talk individually with staff and consultants.

It is a follow-up to a meeting in April.

That one was kind of a throw-us-out-some-ideas type of thing, said David Sturch of the city planning staff. This is coming back and looking at those ideas and developing some plans.

Design alternatives and comments from the Tuesday meeting will be presented to the City Council to select a preliminary design. The city will then seek state, federal and grant funding.

The plan includes a proposed recreation area for kaykers, tubers and paddlers near Gateway Park at the site of an old mill race. Alternatives on either side of the river between the Ice House Museum and Tourist Park are being explored, and near Gateway Park downstream, along with shoreline improvements to allow for observation. An upstream portage area also is proposed.

A separate project includes safety improvements to the dam along Center Street.

Cost estimates for various options are being explored and ranked in terms of their benefits.

The important thing, Sturch said, is to get as many people as possible to attend. Cedar Falls staff plans to meet with Waterloo officials soon on the status of that citys proposed white-water project. The cities have discussed a joint grant application to the Black Hawk County Gaming Association.

Cedar Falls officials would like to see some development in 2017.

What we want is basically the publics thoughts and ideas and preferences on these options, Sturch said.
DES MOINES  A former law clerk for Merrick Garland, the judge nominated by President Barack Obama to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, was in Iowa last week to make the case Garlands nomination should receive a hearing in the U.S. Senate.

Eric Berger, an associate dean and law professor at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, visited Iowa as a guest of the progressive advocacy group Progress Iowa. Berger clerked for Garland in 2003 and 2004 while Garland served as a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

Garlands nomination has not received a hearing in the Senate, where Republicans in control of the say the vacancy should be filled by the next president.

Iowas longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which holds hearings on Supreme Court nominees.

Im calling on Sen. Grassley to hold hearings and schedule a vote (on Garlands nomination), Berger said. The people deserve an opportunity to go through the process.

Berger praised Garland, calling him meticulous, analytical and thorough and a judge who does not let political ideology interfere with his rulings.He will be incredibly nonpartisan. He wont let his personal politics filter into it, Berger said. To that extent, he is a very special judge.

Berger said if hearings arent held before the election he hopes the next president will consider Garland for the Supreme Court vacancy. He would prefer the nomination process start now.

I think (Garland) is exactly the kind of person we should have on the Supreme Court, Berger said. He has all the qualities you would want in a judge.
WATERLOO  The City Council Monday night will be asked to reject the low bid of a Clarksville firm and award a street improvement contract to a Waterloo company.

Lodge Construction of Clarksville submitted the apparent low bid of $779,208 for street improvements to West Second, West Third and Cedar streets downtown. However upon review by AECOM engineering firm the low bid was found to have several math errors and discrepancies, according to a correspondence from Larry Wiele of AECOM to City Engineer Eric Thorson.

AECOM, city engineering staff and legal counsel discussed the matter and determined the best course of action was to reject Lodges bid and award the contract to the second-place bidder, Peters Construction of Waterloo, which bid $810,810, according to AECOM correspondence to the city.

The streets in question are on the west side of downtown and run adjacent to the former Wonder Bread bakery building now being renovated by Single Speed Brewing Co.

In a separate development, a planned upscale housing development near the Aububon Park neighborhood in southwest Waterloo was scheduled to go before the City Council but the developer is on vacation and asked for a delay of three weeks.

The 20-acre, 35-lot Audubon Hills First Addition is proposed by XL Colt Farms LLC, a development group headed by David Lederman.

The council meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall. Council committee meetings include council work session, 4:45 p.m.; Human Resources, 5:05 p.m. and Finance, 5:10 p.m.
WATERLOO  The Black Hawk County NAACP celebrated Juneteenth Saturday with a morning peace walk through downtown and activities at Sullivan Park.

The peace walk proceeded from West Fourth and Commercial streets across the Fourth Street Bridge though downtown to Sullivan Park.

Activities at Sullivan Park included a variety of clothing and food vendors; information booths; Poets and gospel rap artists; free miniature train rides, face painting and a bounce house for the kids and performances by the Union Baptist Crusaders drill team.

Juneteenth is an annual celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States.
Since late last summer, Big Seeds big players have looked more like anxious high school kids hoping to pair off for the senior prom than international businesses investing in new products and markets.

The first to go courting was St. Louis-based Monsanto. Last August it offered nearly $46 billion for its Swiss classmate, Syngenta, only to be spurned. Syngenta later sold itself to China National Chemical Corp., or ChemChina, for $43 billion.

Next, in December, DuPont, owner of Pioneer, and Dow Chemical agreed to a merger of equals. The influential magazine Economist saw it differently; it called the deal a bad romance pushed by activist investors looking for a fast buck instead of by management with a plan to concentrate on higher-margin products.

Either way, the new company, called DowDupont, believes it will pass antitrust muster by mid-summer to become a $130-billion-a-year giant.

Monsanto returned to the dance floor in March to make a pass at Bayers crop science unit for a reported $30 billion. Like Syngenta, though, Bayer declined Monsantos overtures.

Two months later, Bayer took the lead. On May 22, its boss, Werner Baumann, confirmed Bayer hoped to buy Monsanto, the worlds biggest biotech seed company, for $62 billion, or a fat 37 percent premium to its May 9 share price.

The proposed deal didnt get much love on Wall Street. Despite Bayers sweet offer of $122 per share, investors didnt lift the stock to that level even after the buyout went public, a rarity.

Monsanto rejected the Bayer offer May 24. Hugh Grant, Monsantos CEO, curtly explained the kiss-off by saying the current proposal significantly undervalues our company.

In other words, if you want to date Monsanto, bring more money.

How much more?

Some analysts say Bayer could boost its $122 per share bid to $140 because the combined firm (about 40 percent ag-based) would control nearly 30 percent of the global pesticide market, 36 percent of U.S. corn seed market and 28 percent of the American soybean seed market.

And, too, the combined companys genetic material would be present in 80 percent of all corn sold in the U.S. and 90 percent of soybeans.

Consumer groups in the U.S. and Europe see that size as the key reason antitrust regulators on both continents should either kill the deal or require the newly merged company to heavily pare its joint holdings.

They shouldnt hold their collective breath. A merged Bayer/Monsanto would be about equal in size of merged ChemChina/Syngenta, or about $67 billion in annual sales. Green lighting one would likely green light both.

Also, while global GMO seed sales are down one percent this year, a first, its hard to imagine any nation taking antitrust action against any global biotech company or merger of companies that argues scale is a vital element in the discovery of new and innovative ways to feed the world.

That means a year from now six of the biggest Big Ag companies will likely be only three, and those Bigger Still firms will dominate 60 percent of the global seed market and 75 percent of the worlds ag chem market.

All, however, will find their research efforts undermined by the new debt each used to buy their bigger market position.

Still, its prom time. These pairs came to dance, and dance they are.
Once again, the Black Hawk County Drug Court program has received a life-saving infusion of funding. Recent help from the Black Hawk County Attorneys Office will help keep the program running.

County Attorney Brian Williams said he identified $72,000 in his budget to help pay for the drug treatment portion of the drug court through Pathways Behavioral Services.

State lawmakers appropriated the same amount for the judicial system in fiscal year 2017, which begins July 1, as they had in FY 2016  $178.7 million. Judicial branch officials say that funding is not enough to sustain services at their current level. Judicial branch officials say the system faces a $5 million budget shortfall and will implement a hiring freeze.

That austerity was one factor threatening the drug court.

The goal of the drug court is to take nonviolent people facing prison because of substance abuse problems and help them turn their lives around. It is done using a serious regimen of intensive probation, therapy and 12-step meetings. Those participating in the program are required to show progress.

We were really in a pinch because we have a lot of money going out on contract to provide the substance abuse portion of drug court, said Ken Kolthoff, director of the 1st Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. That (county contribution) is going to help us to continue to provide the court for another year.

Hopefully next year well get the necessary funding to keep operating the drug courts and all of the programs the way we need to, he added. It gets more and more challenging.

We feel it is a shame the existence of this program is so tenuous.

A federal grant allowed Black Hawk County to begin its drug court program in 2005. It shut down in 2013 when the grant expired but was restarted the following year with an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature.

It faced similar funding problems in previous years. In 2009, the program was caught in across-the-board state cutbacks but was revived by the sheriff and county attorney offices, which used jail room-and-board fees and delinquent fines collections to meet the budget.

Judge Thomas Bower ran the program for many years. Were saving lives; were changing people for the better, getting more people employed, Bower told legislators in 2007. And theyre not using. Theyre not committing new offenses.

Weighing treatment and program costs against incarceration, Bower estimated drug courts actually save taxpayers money.

We are aware governments at all levels need to go over their budgets and make some tough decisions. Cutbacks need to be made in many areas. However, we also should be able to prioritize and keep programs that make a difference and are cost-effective in the long run. Efficiency is only part of the picture. These program participants have families who would love to see them live up to the potential they held before drug or alcohol dependency entered the picture. They live in communities that benefit from these people going to work and becoming contributing members of society.

Over the past decade-plus, weve seen many success stories through this program, stories about participants overcoming their dependency and holding down jobs. The program works.

Thats why we agree with Kolthoff, and hope this program can continue to get the funding to keep operating. Its an asset to the Cedar Valley.
DEAR DOCTOR K: I have been on SSRI medicines for depression for five years. Im trying to get pregnant, and I hear that SSRIs might be dangerous. What do I need to know?

DEAR READER: I love to receive questions that I can answer confidently. Yours is not one of them. The evidence from different studies is conflicting. Heres my best attempt to weigh the risks against the benefits.

Treating depression is important for both your sake and your babys. Untreated depression during pregnancy increases your risk of postpartum depression. It also makes it more likely that your baby will be lethargic, irritable and underweight at birth.

But what kind of treatment? Medication is one option. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common drugs prescribed for depression. SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox) and paroxetine (Paxil).

Another option is talk therapy. This can be traditional one-on-one sessions with a therapist. It also can mean family therapy, involving you, your spouse and possibly other family members. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a particular talk-therapy technique that can help you learn ways to think positively and solve problems. Even if your doctor says you need to continue taking medication along with talk therapy, you may be able to lower your dose or reduce the length of time you need the medication.

You can also explore other non-drug options. For example, consider exercise (under your doctors supervision) or mindfulness meditation to help manage your depression.

The question youre asking is whether the SSRIs pose a risk to your baby  in particular, a risk of causing birth defects. I dont think such a risk has been proved beyond doubt. But I think studies suggest there may be a small but real risk from some SSRIs.

A large study was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in 2015. It involved nearly 30,000 babies. The study compared the medicines that babies with and babies without birth defects had been exposed to.

Most of the SSRIs, including the most commonly prescribed SSRI (sertraline), did not seem to be linked to birth defects. However, paroxetine and fluoxetine were. For those two SSRIs, the risk was small, but real.

The FDA, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Family Physicians have stated that paroxetine likely is unsafe in pregnancy.

Guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend medication for expectant mothers with severe depression (except paroxetine). But for pregnant women with mild to moderate depression, they recommend psychotherapy.

Only your doctor can make specific recommendations for you. But my general advice is this: If in the years before pregnancy your depression has been severe, you will probably need medication along with talk therapy during the pregnancy. In that case, the risk to you and your baby from not taking medication is probably greater than the risk of taking it.

(This column is an update of one that ran originally in August 2013.)
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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.

Bonus: 100% Match Bonus up to 100  Register Now

Betway: 100% Match Bonus up to 100  Claim Now

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Jun 19, 2016 | By Alec

Its no secret that 3D printing technology provides a fantastic opportunity for spicing up your gaming nights. Nothing quite takes the fun out of an evening of tabletop gaming as fighting over the same cardboard constructions every time, but you dont have to bankrupt yourself to change that. Thanks to Masterwork Tools excellent OpenForge 2.0 project, you can now easily 3D print amazing scenery pieces free-of-charge, from fantastic wall sections for D&D dungeon crawls, to castle walls, gothic crypts fantastic Egyptian-style monuments and a lot more.

Of course this is not the first attempt to combine 3D printing with tabletop gaming. You might have seen various wonderful examples of Printable Scenerys 3D prints for wargames float past, while Open Board Games launched an entire platform for 3D printed games last year. But few are as extensive or as easily available as Masterwork Tools collection of open source scenery and tiles in the OpenForge project, which already includes 103 unique designs in nearly 1,000 variations.

This fantastic collection has been built up over the last few years, and all pieces have been completely designed by maker and engineer Devon Jones from Denver. By day, he works for cloud startup Sendgrid, but has been working on gaming tools for years as well. As part of Masterwork Tools, he has also been working on a series of Android apps (including Masterwork Tools: Pathfinder Open Reference) designed to make gaming at the table easier and more efficient, but has now shifted his focus back to modeling again. By launching a Patreon for the OpenForge project, Jones aims to finance even more fantastic creations and provide them free of charge through Thingiverse.

If the existing collection is anything to go by, this is a fantastic opportunity for fans of tabletop gaming. With the OpenForge project, I've created hundreds of 3D-printable tiles usable for tabletop gaming since 2013. These tiles allow gamemasters and war-gamers to create a nearly limitless number of scenarios. They are modular and compatible with a wide variety of tiles produced by several companies and individual makers. I create these tiles for my games and yours, Jones says. All can be 3D printed at home on just about any desktop 3D printer, and are fantastic props that pump excitement into any game.

As Jones explains, they are a firm believer in open source sharing, and are therefore releasing everything under the Creative Commons - Attribution - Share Alike license. Users are free to sell the tiles they print and even publish derivatives, as long as they commit to using the same license so others can benefit, too, he says. I want to release tiles often, and I want people to be delighted with each release instead of worried about the cost.

The Patreon campaign simply provides Jones with the means to develop and share even more inspiring designs with the community. With your help, I'll update the tiles to allow them to interlock so you can create more stable gaming surfaces, as well as multi-story buildings, he says. Among others, cut stone tiles, Tudor tiles for cityscapes, and tiles for city streets, mines, wooden buildings and castles are all on his agenda. Numerous accessories, such as a working portcullis, doors, windows, stairs, bridges and boats can also be expected.

If youre interested in using 3D printing to spice up your own games, be sure to go through Masterwork Tools amazing collection of open source tabletop gaming scenery and tiles on Thingiverse here. Also definitely check out their Patreon page here; a modest donation can do a world of good.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Jun 19, 2016 | By Faith

Vincent van Goghs 1889 masterpiece Iris

The reputation of some of the worlds most important paintings precede themselves through international common knowledge. From portraits and landscapes through to abstract and still-life paintings, these works remain central to the worlds understanding of fine art  and for this reason, the originals are priceless. Witnessed by the general public only through the high-security veil of the art gallery or museum, the texture of an original classic can rarely be experienced by sight, and can absolutely never be experienced by touch. That is, until now.

Down to each individual brushstroke and time-weathered detail of an original oil painings facade, a Vancouver-based company is using 3D printing technology to recreate famous paintings for everyone to enjoy. Through a collaborative partnership with US design firm Larson-Juhl and Dutch Oce, A Canon Company, Arius Technologies (a company which focuses on 3D scanning) have come to together to create Verus Art. In a true combination of history and modern technologies, the group aims to recreate priceless canvas/oil paintings through 3D scanning and 3D printing processes - creating a final replica product which can be admired and touched in a new form of art education.

In order to create a true like-for-like art object, the processes used in this way are extremely meticulous. "It will measure the surface of the painting to ten microns, which is about one tenth of a human hair," said Paul Lindhal, CEO of Arius Technologies. Extremely careful and extensive scans of original works can take up to eighteen hours, after which the 3D data is sent to Holland where the reproduction is produced. The layering of a polymer ink onto an aluminium canvas certainly delivers a thoroughly contemporary approach to classic works form the 19th  20th century Western story of art  so much so that reproduced pieces even include Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece The Iris. This painting was first created within a series of studies in 1889, and its sister work Irises was last sold for a reported $53.9 million at auction. For Verus Art to acquire the rights to scan this Van Gogh master at all is a testimony to the groups ambition.

Painting as an art historical medium has had a tumultuous journey and transition between the worlds of three and two dimensions. Oil paintings like those of Van Gogh were (and still are) celebrated for bringing the canvas to life through their use of thick paint and lively brushstrokes, which seemingly extended the otherwise flat image into a three dimensional phenomenon. Theres no doubt that contemporary 3D scanning and printing technologies are developing that art history even further  and whats even more beneficial about art projects like these is the educational impact that true-to-life replicas can inspire. From museums to schools, the opportunity to touch and feel the surface of a priceless painting is in itself priceless. "This a great example of an application of 3D printing that will impact everyone, mentioned Lindhal while describing the impact of Verus Art  and theres no doubt that this single perspective of a varied new arts industry could continue to impact many other people and professions in the future.

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Shadi Hamid makes the case in The Atlantic:

To understand the Middle Easts seemingly intractable conicts, we need to go back to at least 1924, the year the last caliphate was formally abolished. Animating the caliphatethe historical political entity governed by Islamic law and traditionwas the idea that, in the words of the historian Reza Pankhurst, the spiritual unity of the Muslim community requires political expression. For the better part of 13 centuries, there had been a continuous lineage of widely accepted Islamic politics. Even where caliphates were ineffectual, they still offered resonance and reassurance. Things were as they had always been and perhaps always would be.

Since the Ottoman Caliphates dissolution, the struggle to establish a legitimate political order has raged on in the Middle East, with varying levels of intensity. At its center is the problem of religion and its role in politics. In this sense, the turmoil of the Arab Spring and the rise of the Islamic State, or ISIS, is only the latest iteration of the inability to resolve the most basic questions over what it means to be a citizen and what it means to be a state.

It is both an old and new question, one that used to have an answer but no longer does. Islam is distinctive in how it relates to politicsand this distinctiveness can be traced back to the religions founding moment in the seventh century. Islam is different. This difference has profound implications for the future of the Middle East and, by extension, for the world in which we all live, whether we happen to be American, French, British, or anything else. To say that Islamas creed, theology, and practicesays something that other religions dont quite say is admittedly a controversial, even troubling claim, especially in the context of rising anti-Muslim bigotry in the United States and Europe. As a Muslim-American, its personal for me: Donald Trumps dangerous comments on Islam and Muslims make me fear for my country. Yet Islamic exceptionalism is neither good nor bad. It just is.

More here.
Claire Potter in Dissent:

Pornography transformed women into adult toys, wrote feminist activist, journalist and Women Against Pornography (WAP) co-founder Susan Brownmiller in 1975, dehumanized objects to be used, abused, broken and discarded. Pornography is the theory; rape is the practice, former Ms. magazine editor Robin Morgan declared in 1977. Pornography, some argued, was a form of terror: women will know that we are free when the pornography no longer exists, wrote Andrea Dworkin, one of the most well-known advocates of anti-porn feminism, in 1981. In 1996, legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon argued against the idea that pornography was a creative practice entitled to First Amendment protection. While pornography itself was not responsible for sexual assaults against women, wrote MacKinnon, men who are made, changed and impelled by porn were.

Yet porn also had its defenders: politicians, media figures, and civil libertarians who had historically sought to free sexuality from control by the state. Even more importantly, porn was vigorously defended within feminism. Beginning with a clash between feminists at the 1982 Barnard Conference on Sexuality, the struggle came to a head when Dworkin and MacKinnon drafted an anti-pornography civil rights ordinance at the request of city officials in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Although the ordinance passed, Mayor Donald Fraser refused to sign it, prompting anti-pornography activists to take it to Indianapolis, a city whose mayor supported the legislation. Here, the Feminist Anti-Censorship Task Force (FACT), a coalition of New York academics and culture workers allied with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), successfully challenged the ordinances constitutionality. Allowing people who believed they had been harmed by porn to sue for damages, they argued, would turn all erotica and sexual materials into a potential legal liability for the seller and result in de facto censorship. In effect, this prevented enactment of the ordinance anywhere in the United States.

Defenders of porn within radical feminism did not seek to deny the reality of exploitation and sexual violence: novelist Dorothy Allison, a member of FACT, wrote freely about having been subjected to cruel, sexualized beatings and incestuous rape as a child. But feminists who called themselves pro-sex objected to the idea that consuming or making porn was categorically harmful. Journalist Ellen Willis asked in 1979: Is there any objective criterion for healthy or satisfying sex, and if so what is it?

More here.
Sir Ian Kershaw in The Telegraph:

So what is new about Wachsmanns book, and why is it so important? Odd as it might seem, his is the first comprehensive study of the camps, based on mastery of a huge literature and stupendous research in many parts of the world. Its value lies in no small measure in the way it weaves together the history both of the perpetrators and of the victims. Wachsmann tells the terrible story through the eyes of those who inhabited the camps. He writes of the camps as places where people lived. Prisoners become individuals, not just objects of terror. The behaviour of guards is shown to be more complex than mere sadism and brutality. A great virtue of the book is the way in which Wachsmann differentiates the camps. He shows the differences in organisation and structure as the vast camp network develops. For many readers, these differences will be new. The best-known camps are Dachau and Auschwitz. Both were places of horror, but with different purposes. Dachau, near Munich, was the prototype SS camp, meant to be widely known as a deterrent to opponents of the regime, especially at first communists. It served to hold prisoners who were subjected to arbitrary terror and forced to labour until the point of exhaustion, without any judicial protection, until (at least in theory) they were fit to rejoin society as compliant citizens.

Auschwitz, in a part of Poland annexed by Germany in 1939, had all this too, aimed primarily at recalcitrant Poles, but was unique within the system because it was an extermination camp as well as a concentration camp. The death camps further east in German-occupied Poland (Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka), on the other hand, operated outside the concentration camp system. They did not imprison people and force them to work. Their sole purpose was to kill the Jews  close on two million, nearly all from Poland  as quickly as possible. But within the KL system itself, Jews were a minority among the prisoners. The Holocaust, as Wachsmann emphasises, mainly took place outside the concentration camps.

More here.
Many South Dakota farmers expect below-average yields this year

Dry fields in the southeastern part of South Dakota and wet fields in spring in northeastern South Dakota could mean lower crop yields.
Two of Robert Julyans great loves  history and the outdoors  converge in his new book, Hiking to History.

Its a collection of unrelated but informative historical moments, events and discoveries in New Mexico.

Using a conversational tone, Julyan profiles 22 diverse, off-road sites of regional interest.

The reader can find three uses for the book. The first would be to learn the history of the sites. The second is to be an armchair hiker to learn the landscape through Julyans experience. The third would be, if you are motivated, to follow, literally, in Julyans footsteps, hiking to any or all of these remote sites.

In the introduction, Julyan explains how he chose the sites. I wanted each site to have a story behind it, and preferably one not generally known. I wanted to tell these stories, he wrote.

Heres a sampling of the stories Julyan chose:

One chapter relates to the circumstances leading to the founding of the Taos Society of Artists. A dirt path called Old Lama Road in the Carson National Forest is the location of the so-called Sacred Site that formed the trigger for this informal band of artists.

The site, never marked except for a white boulder, is where in 1898 a wheel of a two-horse wagon broke. Riding the wagon were New York artists Bert Phillips and Ernest L. Blumenschein, headed from Denver to Mexico seeking a dream locale to paint.

Phillips stayed with the disabled wagon while Blumenschein took a horse into Taos to have the wheel repaired. With the wheel fixed, the two young men decided Taos was the place to paint, their Eden. They were the magnet for a famous arts colony.

Another chapter concerns the life and legend of Smokey Bear.

As a cub, Smokey survived a forest fire in the Capitan Mountains in 1950. He was found clinging to an aspen branch. He lived out most of his life at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., but Julyan isnt proposing a cross-country hike to see where the celebrity bear lived.

Julyan tells of trying to locate the very tree where the bear cub was discovered and rescued. He doesnt find it. As Julyan puts it, Interesting, even beautiful country  if you have the luxury of sitting and observing rather than trying to hike through it.

Again, no monument or memorial.

Some other sites include Mount Chalchihuitl near Cerrillos Hills State Park, where ancient Indians once mined turquoise; Jaramillo Creek in the Valles Caldera where plate tectonics converged; the site of the murder of wealthy Englishman John Tunstall, an act that energized Billy the Kid and spurred the Lincoln County War; El Cerro de Tome, an Easter pilgrimage destination; a 19th century Italian-born wanderer who lived in caves at Hermits Peak near Las Vegas, N.M., and in Hermit Cave in the Organ Mountains foothills.
AT PAGE ONE: New Mexican author and artist Anita Rodriguez will discuss her memoir, Coyota in the Kitchen: A Memoir of New and Old Mexico at 3 today.

Page One is at 5850 Eubank Blvd., Suite B-41, in the Mountain Run Center. Call 294-2026.

AT BOOKWORKS: Charles Blanchard will discuss Positive Piano at 3 today.

The indispensables in any success are very much like mastering the art of playing the piano. The 19th century was a Golden Age of piano music when the likes of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt set a standard yet to be exceeded. The book is a collection of wisdom gleaned from hundreds of old books, articles, letters and diaries in which historys most successful pianists and composers reveal how they did it.

Robert Kidera will sign Get Lost at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 21.

All Gabe McKenna wanted was a new floor for his barn. What he got was seven corpses, all long dead. Seven rich men, missing from New York. One of his closest childhood friends is shot to death in an Albuquerque casino. After escaping two attempts on his own life and with time running out, McKenna must uncover the connection and prevent his loved ones from joining the growing ranks of the dead.

Margaret Randall will read from her poetry collection She Becomes Time at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 22.

John Biscello will sign Raking the Dust at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 23.

In this rogues tale, full of sound, fury and erotic surrealism, we meet Alex Fillameno, a writer who has traded in the machine-grind of New York for a bare-bones existence in Taos.

Donald Levering will read from his poetry collection Coltranes God at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 25.

Bookworks is located at 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW. Call 344-8139.
Its still possible to fall asleep counting stars this summer in New Mexico, whether your starry, starry night is at home in your backyard, backpacking in the wilderness or in a public campground.

The National Wildlife Federation is encouraging camping early and often as part of the Great American Campout 2016  June 25 through Sept. 30  hoping more people fall in love with the great outdoors.

Their goal is simple for the events 12th anniversary. Happy campers protect wildlife, says National Wildlife Federation spokeswoman Lacey McCormick. She predicts thousands of Americans will unplug their devices and spend the night outside as a way to reconnect with nature.

Annual outing

Every year for the past five years, Los Alamos County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Division has held a campout for the public. This years was this weekend at Overlook Park in White Rock. Its held in conjuction with the Great American Campout effort, says program manager Dianne Marquez.

Local astronomy clubs bring telescopes, and with little light pollution, the stars blaze and twinkle, Marquez says. We have such a beautiful night sky. Its fun to get everyone out under the stars. Its just fun to be outside.

Campers learn practical skills, like how to set up a tent, extinguish a campfire and stay safe from bears and snakes, she says.

For any camping experience, staying safe should always be paramount: Weve had a lot of bear activity. A dog got bit this weekend, Marquez says. Being in the wilderness is part of life here, most people have wilderness trail not far from their back door.

Marquez, originally from Southern California, grew up camping there on the beach and in the mountains and in New Mexico, when she visited family here. Its what drew me to New Mexico, she says.

Camping is an excellent opportunity for families to connect to each other, instead of their electronics, she says.

In a news release, Collin OMara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, says, Camping is a traditional part of the American summertime experience. Families who spend meaningful time in nature often report that their children demonstrate greater focus, creativity and calmness. That can lead to better school performance, relationships and encourages leadership skills, he adds.

The organization would like campers to take a camping pledge at and share photos with them on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Visit nwf.org for details.

Camping tips

Here are some camping tips, whether camping at home or somewhere else in the great outdoors.

Bring essentials and travel light. Plan to have a tent, sleeping bag and/or blanket, bug spray, flashlights, sunscreen, extra layers of clothes (in case of cold or rainy weather), matches, trash bags, a first aid kit, a multi-purpose knife and any necessary toiletries.

Bring a lot of water. Pack high-energy healthy snacks such as granola bars, nuts, dried fruit and other items that dont require cooking in case fire is banned.

If its hot, bring moisture wicking clothes that protect from the sun. Bring rain gear  a jacket, hat and water resistant shoes, just in case.

Practice Leave No Trace camping. If you find an existing campsite, use it. If you create a new campsite, avoid disturbing the earth and plants.

If you use a campfire, keep it small. If you find an existing fire ring use it. Stay away from trees, grass and other plants. Use only small pieces of dead wood found lying on the ground. Before you leave, make sure the fire is extinguished and fill in the fire pit with sand or soil.

Stay on the trail.

Pick up any trash you find.

Relax and have fun.

BASIC SMORES

Marshmallows

Chocolate squares

Graham crackers, two squares for each smore

Peanut butter or other spread (optional)

Let the fire die down to embers or ashy charcoal.

In the meantime, take two graham crackers and layer a square of chocolate, using peanut butter or other spread on the bottom cracker to help it stick.

Roast marshmallows on a stick over the glow of the embers for toasty perfection. Use the two graham crackers to pull the melted marshmallows off the stick.

 nwf.org
A New Mexico church has joined forces with a South Korean Christian organization that helps North Koreans flee their country.

Santa Fe Pastor Ryan Ellsworth said his church, City of Faith Christian Fellowship, was looking for a worthy cause and decided it wanted to help North Koreans. He said many live in extreme poverty, often going hungry and living under constant fear of violence from their government. Ellsworths church is about five years old and has a congregation of approximately 100 people.

Ellsworth said he did some research and discovered the Durihana Mission, an underground railroad started by Pastor Chun Ki-won. Chun was in New Mexico in May to celebrate the opening of the U.S. branch of his mission in Santa Fe called Durihana USA. He brought with him several women who escaped their life in Korea.

Durihana is a Christian organization that helps North Koreans leave the country and get to safety in either South Korea or the United States, traveling by foot, bus, train and sometimes even rafts. Chun said many of the escapees cross the Tumen River into China.

However, China does not provide a safe haven for them, he said. Many of the women are tricked by the very people helping them cross the border and sold into the sex industry or as brides for Chinese men. They can also be arrested and deported back to North Korea, where they could be sentenced to a labor camp for several years.

Hana (not her Korean name), who is in her 20s, said through an interpreter that she was so close to the Chinese border while growing up in North Korea that she could hear dogs barking there. But escape was not that simple.

The first time she tried to cross over into China with her mother, the two were arrested and sentenced to 13 months in a North Korean prison.

The second time, she thought she was being smarter. She paid a broker to help her cross and evade authorities on both sides.

Once she arrived in China, she was betrayed.

Her broker sold her to a man to be his wife. Word eventually reached Chun and his group who helped her escape, but she had to leave behind a child she had during her marriage. Its a memory thats still fresh and she refuses to speak of it directly, instead relying on others in the group to tell that part of the story.

She now lives in the United States but fears her parents will be punished for her escape if its ever discovered so she wont reveal where exactly she lives, her age or her real name.

Naomi, who now lives in Utah, was also tricked by the same scam as Hana. She was sold to three different men in rural China before finally escaping and making it to a larger city.

I was in hiding so it was not really freedom, she said. I couldnt really start working.

It would be fate that helped her escape. One day she met an American man on the street and pleaded with him to help her leave China. He wrote a letter to Chun on her behalf and the group helped her come to America.

Both women said it was hunger and poverty that drove them to risk their lives and freedom to leave their home country.

Ellsworth said the immediate task of the Santa Fe branch will be raising awareness about the conditions in North Korea. The branch will also do some fundraising and he said eventually hopes to become a link in the underground railroad, helping North Koreans get settled in New Mexico or surrounding states.

We want people in the U.S. to see what is going on, he said. If more and more people become aware, people will act.

Chun said through a translator that he began his work 20 years ago, when he visited China and saw the dead body of a North Korean at the border. He also saw North Korean children begging in the street. He soon learned about the black market for North Korean women in the sex industry and was inspired to act.

We need to raise our voices for them by spreading information, he said through an interpreter. They need their rights. Its not just because we have compassion but because these are basic human rights everyone should have.
Irish playwright Lennox Robinson never got the acclaim his better-known peers at the Abbey Theatre received. The plays of W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge, and Sean OCasey are regarded as classics, and are sometimes still produced, as well as studied in the classroom. Not so with Robinson, so it is a rare opportunity indeed to see one of his plays performed, as his comedy The Whiteheaded Boy is at the Adobe Theater.

The title refers to a young man who is coddled and spoiled outrageously. In this case, the young man, Denis, has been absorbing the familys finances so he can get an education at Trinity College and become a doctor. No one else in the family has such an opportunity, and in fact the young women cant even put up a respectable dowry and get married.

While we are inclined to scoff at Denis for being a lazy good-for-nothing, the truth is he never wanted to go to Trinity College: In fact, all he really wants is his independence. When he takes a job as a laborer toward the end of the play to free himself of his relatives constant meddling, they wont hear of it.

Robinsons satire is really directed at the family members and their illusions, not at young Denis.

In fact, Robinson said, the play was political from beginning to end, though I dont suppose six people have recognized the fact. The play is an allegory, with Denis representing Ireland seeking its independence while the family represents England, constantly meddling and assuming that all Ireland needs is Englands money and guidance.

The play was written and produced in 1916, the year of the Easter Rising.

Although no one today can be expected to discern the political allegory, its no matter, for the play works as a first-rate comedy of manners independent of the allegory.

Unfortunately, the play proved to be a little beyond the capacity of the earnest Adobe artists, who never quite managed to capture the rhythm of Robinsons script. Some of this may have been due to opening-night jitters, for many of the actors were a bit stiff and frequently stepping on their fellow actors lines.

They made an admirable effort to speak the Irish brogue, but unfortunately the rhythmic Irish cadence with the long vowels and high inflections was absent.

That said, they seemed to loosen up some in the second act, which worked considerably better and included some very funny scenes. Kathleen Welker, Shangreaux LaGrave, Yannig Morin, and Ashley Reid gave strong performances.

The play falls under the category of comic realism, and this production includes a nicely detailed realistic set by Bob Byers.

Yet for some reason, Robinson included a narrator whose lines, at least in this production, were mostly intrusive. When a character would exit, for instance, the narrator (played by Ray Orley) would interject the obvious, so-and-so is leaving now. Occasionally, the interjection would be humorous, but usually it was just superfluous.

Those interested in Irish drama or classically constructed comedy might want to catch this production despite its flaws.

Playing through July 3. Go to adobetheater.org or call 898-9222 for reservations.
RUIDOSO DOWNS  A racehorse was euthanized Friday night after contracting an equine herpes virus, and the barn in which the horse was housed at Ruidoso Downs Race Track is under quarantine, track officials said Saturday.

Officials with the New Mexico Livestock Board, New Mexico Racing Commission and the track are addressing the issue, including implementation of biosecurity measures, officials said. But racing has not been interrupted.

Because the virus was found in just one horse in one barn, right now there is no reason to discontinue racing at Ruidoso Downs, said Shaun Hubbard, general manager. All I can say is sanitize, sanitize, sanitize and disinfect, disinfect and disinfect.

An adjoining barn to the one the sick horse was in is also under quarantine, pending test results.

The strain confirmed in the horse was the neurotropic form of EHV-1, which can cause severe neurological problems. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, EHV-1 is contagious and spread through contact either directly from horse to horse, or indirectly between horses via their human handlers, feed and water buckets, grooming gear, riding tack and trailers.

None of the strains of EHV is transmissible to humans.

Sunland Park, in southern New Mexico, and tracks in Arizona halted racing earlier this year when the virus struck dozens of horses, requiring at least 12 to be euthanized.

The Ruidoso Downs racing season runs through Labor Day.

SATURDAY: By By JJ Limited Partnerships Running Dragan ran her record to four wins, including two futurity scores, from four starts with a solid victory in the $364,256 Mountain Top Futurity for New Mexico-breds on afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Jockey Jose Enrique Ortiz hustled Running Dragon out of the inside post position and was ahead of her rivals by the midway point of the 400-yard test. The gray filly then drifted out and crossed the finish line neck in from of Percyjones.

Trainer Blane Wood took the second through fourth positions with Perceyjones, Jesse Jrs Tambien and Me Like Daddy. Wood qualified four horses for the Mountain Top Futurity. His other entrant, Copy My Daddy, finished sixth.
Listen to the forum:

One day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy toured a local rehab center as part of a national tour to focus energy and attention on the opioid epidemic that we have all across the country, nearly two dozen experts gathered in a public forum at the Albuquerque Journal to discuss what they agreed is a crisis.

Opioids  drugs that include illegal heroin and prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl  are highly effective painkillers, but theyre also highly addictive.

For much of the past decade, New Mexico has been either No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation for drug overdose death rates. In 2014, the most recent year for which complete statistics are available, about 47,000 people died of drug overdoses nationwide  the majority of which are attributed to opioids.

New Mexico had 540 drug overdose deaths that year, despite declines in the previous two years.

As prescription drugs became more expensive and harder to obtain, many users turned to cheaper and easily available Mexican heroin distributed through an efficient criminal network described by one federal lawman as akin to a pizza delivery system, exacerbating the crisis.

In an effort to address the states opioid crisis, the Journal and KANW-FM Radio hosted the Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education public forum Wednesday evening. Co-hosted by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Richard Larson, vice chancellor of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, the two-hour forum included advice and discussion from recovering addicts and parents who have lost children to drug overdoses, along with experts from law enforcement, health care, state and local government and community organizations. Forum moderators were Journal editor Kent Walz and Journal investigative reporter Mike Gallagher, who has covered New Mexico drug issues for decades.

Last year in New Mexico, more people died of drug overdoses, accidental drug overdoses, than the death toll for vehicle accidents and homicide gun deaths combined, Walz said in opening the forum. Those are just numbers. Those dont measure the human loss, the economic loss, the attendant crime that comes with some of the drug issues that youre going to hear about tonight.

Here are selected excerpts from other forum participants as part of their presentation or in response to questions submitted in advance by Journal readers.

For more information on the HOPE initiative, visit www.hopeinitiativenm.org For more information on HAC (Healing Addiction in Our Community, visit www.healingaddictionnm.org.

Richard Larson, vice chancellor, UNM Health Sciences Center:

We all know we cant incarcerate our way out of this problem. The medical profession is taking a three-prong approach: Education; medication-assisted treatment; and co-prescribing of naloxone  a fast-acting drug that reverses overdoses. Its going to take all of us partnering to be able to accomplish our shared goals of reducing deaths from opioid overdoses and reducing the burdens of morbidity and extraordinary personal and social costs.

Hector Balderas, New Mexico Attorney General:

As a community, we have now come together to say enough is enough, and that we are now going to take control of our destiny as New Mexicans. We are going to educate ourselves on how to avoid heroin and opiate addiction, or what to do if one is already addicted. Even in our best efforts of collaboration and resources, even on our best day, we know that we dont have a law enforcement solution to this epidemic.

Shammara H. Henderson, assistant U.S. attorney and Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education, or HOPE, initiative prevention and education presenter:

We understand that we cant just attack the supply of prescription opioids and heroin by prosecuting those who are selling these drugs illegally. While that is a huge concern, we must also educate so that we prevent future generations from becoming addicted to opioids, and therefore reduce the demand. Were (also) working very hard to attack the huge problem of worst-of-the-worst defendants.

Gorden Eden, Albuquerque Police Chief:

Were seeing homicides and larcenies up. Home invasions and pharmaceutical robberies are up, along with child abuse. There are things out there that work, and work well. It just seems like the  funding at the federal level, as it funnels down to the state level, isnt really reaching the problem.

Lou Duran, prevention specialist with Healing Addiction in our Community:

Im the mom that did everything she was supposed to do, but still could not save her son, Michael Duran Jr., who died of a drug overdose in April 2011 at 19. Its OK to look through your kids bedroom. If its going to save their life, then its OK.

Dr. Dion Gallant, medical director for primary care services, Presbyterian Healthcare Services:

People on the front lines of this (opioid epidemic) are balancing compassion and caution.  When we supply massive numbers of opioids, they find their way away from the people we prescribed them to and into the community. We have to be part of the solution.

Dr. Steven A. Seifert, professor at the UNM School of Medicine and medical director at the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center:

Its not just people who misuse or abuse these medications, who are susceptible to an overdose. If youre taking a potent opioid at relatively high doses chronically, you are also at risk of acute opioid overdose.

Sean Waite, assistant special agent in charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration:

On a national level, 47,000 people died (from drug overdoses) in 2014.  If I could put that into perspective  that would be equivalent to wiping Farmington or Roswell off the map every single year.

Diane G. Gibson, District 7 Albuquerque city councilor:

Id like to encourage everyone who is either prescribed painkillers or who has a loved one who is in the throes of addiction to also stock naloxone, which is sold under the brand name Narcan and can reverse the effects of an overdose.

Dr. William Wiese, retired physician and co-chairman of the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative:

Until that larger body of the health care provider system  including primary care, nurse practitioners, counselors, (etc.)  are configured in a team, were not going to get our arms around the long waiting lists (for treatment) that exist. Right now, its very hard for patients to get the care.

Ava McGuire, a recovering cocaine and oxycodone addict, now a community advocate:

I knew that something was really wrong when I found myself one night counting out dimes, nickels and pennies from my sons piggy bank just to be able to pay for one more pill.

Dr. Steven Jenkusky, New Mexico Medical Board member:

We want pain treated.  There are probably 2 million folks in this country that are either misusing or addicted to opiates, (but) there are 100 million with chronic pain.  It is incumbent on physicians and other providers to properly assess and learn how to treat pain properly. He said that sometimes includes methods such as acupuncture and chiropractic.

Michelle Brooks, parent of two young adults in heroin recovery, and a volunteer at Healing Addiction in our Community:

New Mexico needs more (treatment) facilities and dollars to run them. We need to look at this (addiction) as a disease, not a moral failing.

Dr. Snehal R. Bhatt, medical director of addictions and substance-abuse programs for the UNM Psychiatric Center:

Too often a patient would go to a psychiatrist and the psychiatrist would say, Well, go have that addiction taken care of first.  Or they may go to an addiction psychiatrist  who would say, Well, youre too depressed for psychiatry. What the data has consistently shown is that treating the two together  the mental illness and the addiction  is really important and yields better outcomes.

Michel Disco, assistant dean for external programs at UNMs College of Pharmacy and faculty adviser for Generation Rx, the colleges outreach program:

Patients having difficulty obtaining needed pain medications need to work with their pharmacies.  The pharmacist is their health care provider, and they want them to be out of pain and to be taken care of.

Dr. Lionel Candelaria, New Mexico Dental Association member and dental pain management instructor:

A main goal when working with children who need oral surgeries is to try to decrease their exposure to opioids by using ibu-tylenol and PO tylenol. Its quite astonishing how often a child can leave the hospital without ever taking an opioid.

Lisa Simpson, Bernalillo County adviser on jail population management and alternatives to incarceration:

About 75 to 80 percent of the people in the (Metropolitan Detention Center) are people with substance addiction.  Its much more expensive than treatment, but the community as a whole is having trouble shifting those resources from incarceration to treatment.

Jennifer Weiss-Burke, executive director, Healing Addiction in our Community and Serenity Mesa. Weiss-Burke lost her 18-year old son, Cameron, to a heroin overdose in 2011:

He became addicted to prescription opiates after several sports-related injuries and then turned to heroin.I cashed out my 401(k), mortgaged my house (to pay for treatment) and did everything I possibly could to save him.  The toughest thing for a parent to realize is that there is really nothing you can do to save your child from these addictions that are slowly killing them.

Maggie Hart Stebbins, District 3 Bernalillo County commissioner:

We consistently see that our criminal justice system is really failing people who suffer from mental illness or substance use disorders.  Were really working to build a comprehensive network, a continuum of care  services outside the jail walls so that patients can start treatment and continue their recovery post-release and break that cycle of crime, incarceration and substance abuse.

Dr. Christopher Manetta, medical director for Behavioral Health, Presbyterian Healthcare Services:

Relapse is a part of recovery. So we need to look at harm reduction as opposed to absolute abstinence 100 percent of the time.  People who suffer from both  psychiatric conditions and substance disorders are at higher risk for suicidal and homicidal behaviors, poor treatment adherence, higher relapse rates and higher hospitalization rates.

Dr. Mauricio Tohen, chairman of UNM Health Sciences Centers psychiatry department:

Patients with psychiatric conditions are more vulnerable than the general population to drug abuse. I think if theres a take-home message today its that addiction to opiates is not a bad behavior; it is an illness. Another important point is that age matters. Most psychiatric conditions develop in adolescence. In fact, it is the adolescent brain  that is the most vulnerable.

Katrina Hotrum, director of Bernalillo Countys Department of Substance Abuse Programs:

The folks that we deal with at MATS (Metropolitan Assessment and Treatment, the countys detox facility) are primarily chronic users (of illegal substances).  Until we start putting the components together, from abstinence to harm reduction, and trying to stabilize these individuals basic needs, were going to struggle to get ahead of this problem.

For more information on the HOPE initiative, visit www.hopeinitiativenm.org For more information on HAC (Healing Addiction in Our Community, visit www.healingaddictionnm.org.
Hes well aware of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, but Albuquerque track star Jarrin Solomon said he doesnt have a second thought about heading to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, if he qualifies.

In fact, hes in the country today for a meet  his first time there since 2007.

But he said his wife, Debra Solomon, isnt with him this week and wont be in Brazil come August.

Im really not all that worried about getting it, he said. I think it comes down to how much you prepare yourself. I will wear a lot of bug spray and Ill be inside the hotel all the time when Im not competing.

He said his wifes decision to remain in Albuquerque is twofold; to run their business, Excel Cryotherapy, and to avoid contracting the virus.

We are hoping to have children in the next couple of years, so we are being cautious, he said.

The infection often causes no symptoms or only mild ones, but can also spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus, which can result in babies being born with severe brain malformations and other birth defects.

Solomon said his mother, Susie Solomon, will be at the Olympics if he qualifies as expected.
Los Alamos, a once secret city where scientists participated in the nations classified World War II nuclear development program, can now be experienced much like it was then with a new app.

The Los Alamos: The Secret City of The Manhattan Project iPhone app takes users through an augmented reality while visiting the northern New Mexico city to see it in its 1940s character. The app was created by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Packed with games, historical nuggets and role playing, the app allows users to feel what it was like to join a secret project in an unknown location where the future of the world was at stake, said Jennifer Payne, resource management team leader in Los Alamos Environmental Stewardship Group. Because Los Alamos has changed since the project and is now a modern city, Payne said the app takes users on a virtual tour of a Manhattan Project world that is gone.

It took us more than a year to create, Payne said. Almost all of the structures from that era dont exist anymore.

Once downloaded and opened, users will receive a recruitment telegram to begin the virtual journey from 109 E. Palace Ave. in Santa Fe. Thats the same location where the original Project Y staff members joined the team. Users will receive an initial clearance there, then board a bus into the mountains to explore the Hill.

From there, Payne said users can choose how much information they want to know while they explore Los Alamos as the bomb is developed.

Of course, no actual nuclear secrets are shared, she said.

Officials said the project is a collaboration of Los Alamos National Laboratorys VISIBLE team, the Bradbury Science Museum and staff history specialists.

Developers also are working on an Android app.

During World War II, Los Alamos scientists worked to develop the atomic bomb that was dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The secret program provided enriched uranium for the atomic bomb. It also involved facilities in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Hanford, Wash.

July marks the 71st anniversary of the Trinity Test in southern New Mexico. The milestone comes amid renewed interest in the Manhattan Project thanks to new books, online video testimonies and the recently canceled TV drama series Manhattan.
A steam whistle was blowing, a bell clanging, a jazz trio playing and scores of people cheering as the big, dark lady known as Santa Fe 2926 emerged at a slow, stately pace from her new house.

Santa Fe 2926, a 1944 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive, has been camped out on a section of side track on Eighth Street, just south of Interstate 40, since the spring of 2002 as members of the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society have labored to get the old girl back to right-out-of-the-factory shape and on the rails again.

More than $2.2 million in donated dollars and 137,000 volunteer hours have gone into the effort, and more is left to be done.

But all the whistle-blowing, bell-ringing, band-playing and crowd-cheering at the locomotives Eighth Street residence earlier this month marked a significant development in the steam engines methodical march back to viability. For the first time in at least 60 years, Santa Fe 2926 has a roof over her head.

The 150 or so people attending the barbecue party on Eighth Street were celebrating the construction of a steel engine house, measuring 22 feet wide, 23 feet tall and 130 feet long that protects the locomotive from weather, thieves and vandals.

I think it is a big deal, said Michael Hartshorne, president of the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society. This thing will die if it stays in the weather. Rust will kill a steel boiler quicker than anything.

Fact is, it was dead and has been resurrected only through the unfaltering devotion of society members.

Santa Fe 2926 worked from 1944 to 1953, carrying both freight and passengers from Kansas City through Albuquerque to Los Angeles and San Diego. In 1956, it was donated to the city of Albuquerque in recognition of the citys 250th anniversary.

The steam engine stood unprotected in Coronado Park, on Second Street just south of I-40, until 1999, when the society purchased it from the city for $1 and made a promise to relocate it. The society moved the steam engine to side tracks at Second and Menaul, where it stayed until it was moved to its present location at Eighth Street in 2002.

Hartshorne said that all those unsheltered years between 1956 and the initiation of renovation efforts in 2002 were cruel to Santa Fe 2926.

In four separate places, we had to cut out metal pieces of the boiler that were too thin hold pressure, he said. One of those pieces was bigger than your dinner table at home. Because of rust, we had to do repair on more than a thousand staybolts, which range in size from 12 inches to three feet long. There are more than three miles of steel tubing nested in that boiler and we had to replace all of it.

The cost of the steel engine house was $125,000. Gail Kirby, secretary of the society, said $65,000 of that was collected via an online fundraising effort and the remainder was provided by a private donor who wishes to be anonymous.

Hartshorne said 360 people are members of the society by virtue of annual contributions they make to the organization and its renovation efforts. He said that about 90 of those members are engaged in the hands-on renovation of the locomotive, with an average of 25 to 35 people showing up for weekly work sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It is dirty, cold, hot, greasy work, Hartshorne said. This is an enormously, complicated machine. Ive gained a ton of respect for the people who built these things.

The old locomotive is huge. It stands 18 feet tall and weighs in at 510,150 pounds. It has eight driving wheels, each 80 inches in diameter, and a bearing that tips the scale at 375 pounds. During the recent celebration for the new engine house, Santa Fe 2926 was pushed from the building by a shuttle wagon. But the societys goal is to get the locomotive running on its own steam and back on the tracks for excursion trips to places such as Las Vegas, N.M.

For years, the joke was that when any of the members was asked how long achieving that goal was going to take, the answer was always six years. But now society members can truly see the light at the end of the railroad tunnel.

I think that, right now, we are down to next summer, Hartshorne said. We are a lot closer than we used to be. But the progress has been relentless and our members determined.

Santa Fe 2926, a 1944 steam locomotive, is almost ready to roll down the tracks again
One reason the Journal publishes UpFront is to generate some worthwhile civic dialogue. Thanks to a paper by Duquesne University economist Matt E. Ryan, that mission has been accomplished this week.

Sundays UpFront reported that Ryan argued in an unpublished paper that, by letting public spending drive our economy more than free market transactions do relative to Arizona, New Mexico has underperformed Arizona economically by a meaningful amount. Readers suggested that the two economies are more complicated than that, the link between government reliance and failing economies is not clear, and the prosperity Ryan sees in Arizona is not all that its cracked up to be.

Ryan cited the similarities between the states historically and culturally. Some readers see many more dissimilarities.

One reader observed that New Mexico already had a 300-year-old Spanish-style commercial culture, thanks to trade along El Camino Real, when copper was discovered in Arizona in the 19th century, kicking off some migration from outside the territory. Arizonas commercial culture was brand new; our culture, to the extent that it is an economic burden, is something that has to be overcome.

A native of Arizona said the difference in the economies is that outsiders came to Arizona in large numbers in the 20th century and usurped the old power structures. Newly built retirement cities brought retirees and their money to Arizona. Snowbirds from out of state came to spend the winter. They brought their interests and talents and capital with them. Motorola kicked off a virtuous cycle of technology manufacturing when it opened a semiconductor plant near Phoenix.

There was an incredible energy as new people nested and became passionate Arizonans, the reader said. New people look forward and not back because they have no history.

Another reader said it is a myth that Arizona has not relied on federal spending. Arizona was rescued post-Depression with the massive construction of numerous military bases, he said. Those bases helped them expand economically into aircraft industries and semiconductors.

There is plenty of entrepreneurship in states that are also heavily dependent on government, the reader concluded.

Peter Strascina wrote that Ryans assumption that Arizona and New Mexico were culturally similar into the 20th century just isnt so. Citing a report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Strascina said that, in the middle of the 19th century, 60,000 people in New Mexico were Spanish-speaking, 7,500 Spanish speakers were in California and only 1,000 were in Arizona. Congress found that, and other New Mexico quirks, so off-putting it delayed New Mexico statehood for decades. Because Arizona was part of the New Mexico territory for much of that time, Arizonas statehood was also delayed, even though interest groups in Arizona lobbied for years to separate from New Mexico, which they called a commonwealth of different traditions, customs and aspirations.

Ryans focus on gross state product as a measure of prosperity is too narrow, if not altogether misleading, Anne Kass argued. Ryan should look at distribution concerns  how the wealth is spread across a community, how the quality of a communitys life is improved by its economy.

At the end of the day, Id much rather be living in New Mexico than Arizona where way too much of its economic activity is from  finance, insurance and real estate or, as I refer to it, no-value-added activities, Kass said.

Stephen F. Baca wrote that New Mexicos problems stem more from its anti-business mentality, and its liberal, Third World, pro-labor attitude, compared to Arizonas right-to-work stance, than to the impact of government or private investment. Baca said he owned a business in California, but fled to Arizona a few years ago to escape oppressive regulations. Though he now lives in Rio Rancho, Baca said, Being very familiar with New Mexicos political milieu, I would not risk starting a business here.

William Bramlett had a similar view. Obviously, economy is good for at least some people in Phoenix, he said. It might be interesting to compare social stratification in the two states without the bromides about how the economy makes it great for everyone.

Dianne Layden recalled that when she was in school in Tempe in 1966, The Arizona Republic raged editorially that the Phoenix Symphony gave a free concert at the high school in a poor area, calling it creeping socialism.  When the private sector dominates, she said, all sorts of public-spirited efforts come under attack.

I can think of other variables  altitude, labor laws, political party in control, average age of citizens, environmental regulations  but where would you rather live? said Geri Rhodes. Years ago, a local developer showed me photos of his recent trip to Scottsdale and said that city depicted his vision for New Mexico. Heaven forbid!

Arizona suffers from population explosion, air pollution and racism, a reader wrote. New Mexico glories in wide-open spaces, clean air and a mix of cultures. Value judgments depend on ones values.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Winthrop Quigley at 823-3896 or wquigley@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
On Thursday, June 9 the Albuquerque Journal hosted a combined GAAR Affiliate Mixer and HomeStyle launch party. The event was a phenomenal success and the HomeStyle team would like to sincerely thank each of the 150+ attendees.

We also want to thank St. Clair Winery for catering the event and Gold Financial Services for donating the drinks. The event included a tour of the Journal campus and press room. A photo wall with goofy props allowed attendees to capture some serious and some very silly moments. Photos from the event are below.

Thank you to the Albuquerque Journal employees who helped before, during and after the event. We also want to recognize and thank our partners, the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS, the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico, the Commercial Association of Realtors New Mexico, and the New Mexico Association of Mortgage Professionals.

Real estate has a new home at the Albuquerque Journal and we are proud that HomeStyle has received such a warm welcome. For feedback or to receive more information regarding HomeStyle please contact us at homestyle@abqjournal.com or call 505-823-3393.

Sincerely, The HomeStyle Team

Lauren Rolls, Editor

Jorge Lopez, Business Development

Byron Hughey, Designer

Nick Chavez, Assistant to Lauren Rolls

Lyz Sharick, Assistant to Jorge Lopez
The balance between creativity and crunching numbers becomes key to success

Scott Schiabor of Scott Patrick Homes, dabbled with another field for a while, but his experience outside of the custom home construction business may have given him the insight and training to survive where others failed.

Starting from the bottom

Schiabor followed his father into the building industry in New Jersey. I started by cleaning floors, Schiabor said with a chuckle. And doing whatever needed to be done. Theres no better introduction to the business because you get a grasp on every aspect of the process, he said.

I got to just about everything, electrical, the plumbing, floors, Schiabor said. And the big thing is you need to learn how to work with people.

You want to be able to find and keep strong subcontractors, he said. Theyre the real experts in the field. They have to be reliable, provide quality work and be able to deliver it on time for everything to come together. By learning those lessons early, Schiabor was ready when he went out on his own.

Despite the early success, Schiabor decided to move west, earn a degree in accounting and try life as a CPA. He went to school in Montana before landing a job in Albuquerque crunching numbers.

The old calling

After several years of that, however, the old calling became too strong.

I just had a love for it, he said. Designing and creating something. Creating something thats a little new and different. The mix of designing with the challenge of construction is just something I wanted to utilize. Besides, Schiabor added with a grin, a successful builder can make a much larger income, which is especially important after having two children.

All in the family

Having the kids and wanting to give them the best life that I could gave me the motivation to get back into it, he said. Schiabor started by building the familys home and using it as a model  which, of course was something of challenge at times.

I worked out of the garage for a while, he said. It wasnt always easy. But we were able to do it. I think when youre young, youre able to put up with a lot more.

Schiabor credits his wife, Joanne Schiabor, with helping make things smooth, while also adding her expertise in finance and banking to the business. That gave Scott Patrick a one-stop shop from design and build to finished product and sales. And with accounting experience, Schiabor was able to bring a more business-like approach to the off-the-site end of the business.

Key to survival

My accounting experience helped me become more aware of financial control and operations, he said. It also helped him stay organized and know where things are across the business.

Given that, its not surprising that Scott Patrick Homes was able to survive the downturn of 2008 and 2009.

It was an integral part of his process and success, Schiabor said. Without a financial and accounting background, you can get into trouble pretty easily. So it really helped to have that experience, he said.

Any business usually has its ups and downs, so simply preparing for those types of fluctuations was a big step, Schiabor said. You always have to be looking ahead and you always to be on your toes. And, again, it really helps to put together a good group of subcontractors. If theyre in good shape, then youre in good shape.

Two have been with him since he started back up again in 1988, Schiabor said, helping out with two developments on North Tramway Estates on the far Northeast Heights, and Andalucia de la Luz near Bosque School off of Coors.

North Tramway Estates

North Tramway Estates is a small development with homes ranging in size from 2,220 to 3,200 square feet. Most thus far could be called modern, although Schiabor said he likes to add soft touches to give the homes their own livability.

For instance, his recently sold model has wood floors in the entry and a walk-in butlers pantry that not only has space to store Costco-sized dry goods, but also room to have a bar with fixings.

And one of the unique aspects to the home is a centralized utility room that is accessed off of the master bath, as well as the hallway down from the secondary bedrooms.

Andalucia de la Luz

While North Tramway is geared more to the older family or even empty nesters, Andalucia is more targeted at young professionals with growing families. The homes range from 2,200 to 4,000 square feet with somewhat larger lots that can be as big as a half-acre.

And with all his homes, every effort is made to draw the outdoors in.

The great thing about New Mexico is the weather, so were always looking to design our subdivisions and our homes to take advantage of that, Schiabor said.
ROSHARON, Texas  About 4,000 inmates evacuated from three Texas prisons during late-May storms are back in their assigned units after floodwaters receded.

A Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman says about 1,600 inmates were returned Saturday night to the Ramsey Unit near Rosharon (roh-SHEH-rn). Jason Clark says that completes the repopulation of three units evacuated on May 29.

An estimated 2,400 prisoners were returned Friday to the Terrell (TER-uhl) and Stringfellow Units the same way they were transported out  via buses.

All of the prisoners were moved to other TDCJ units amid safety concerns as the rain-swollen Brazos River overflowed. Clark says water surrounded all three prisons but did not get into the main structures.

He didnt immediately have a damage estimate.

Rosharon is 25 miles south of Houston.
Leading Marketing Communications agency, Scroll Mantra Private Limited has won the creative designing mandate for Cine Grand. Cine Grand is a global chain of multiplexes based in India, Bulgaria, Romania and the USA. Cine Grand operates under the brand name Grand Cinemas in India which is based out of Raheja Mall at Sohna Road, Gurgaon.

Scroll Mantras creative designing mandate would include re-branding exercise for the brand across all its chains globally. The agency would follow a strategic approach to create a unique identity for the brand in India and abroad.

Scroll Mantra has also been awarded the Social Media Marketing Duties for Grand Cinemas and will be working towards creating a high brand recall value along with increasing engagement through various campaigns and contests.

Speaking about the association, Mr. Vipul Bhalla, Senior VP, Cine Grand said - We welcome Scroll Mantra on board as our Creative Agency for India and our centers abroad. We are positive that they will be able to bring on board some key insights and enable imagery and us to create the desired brand positioning. The team is mix of enthusiastic creative and content experts which were some of the key qualities we were looking for in an agency.

Talking about the win, Ms. Neha Bajaj, Managing Director, Scroll Mantra Private Limited said, We are truly delighted to win the creative design duties for Cine Grand globally. We have been successfully growing the creative design portfolio within the company and Cine Grand is an exciting brand to work with. Apart from that we will also be managing social media marketing for the brand in India. We are positive that with our expertise in creative design and a strong social media team we will be able to achieve brands overall communication objectives.
Handed a rude shock in the opening game, the Indian youngsters will have to raise their game in the second Twenty20 International to stay afloat in the three-match series against minnows Zimbabwe, on Monday.

It was the first time that the young team was tested on the tour and it faltered on key moments to suffer an unexpected loss.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to get his team over the line in the last over but equally culpable were the batsmen who got out at key moments after getting starts.

Manish Pandey made a fluent 48 but like debutant Mandeep Singh, he would have loved to carry on and take the side through.

With Dhoni at the other end and India needing eight off the final over, Axar Patel got out to a loose shot to make life tougher the visitors.

The second string squad was picked to test the teams bench strength and the youngsters had the ideal platform to perform in the back of a resounding series win in the preceding three ODIs. However, they wilted under pressure when challenged for the first time in the series.

While the batsmen did not show composure required at the highest level, the bowlers, who were given opportunity for the first time on the tour, disappointed.

Credit should go to Zimbabwe for their performance after a humiliating loss in ODIs but they were allowed by the erring Indian bowlers to post 170.

All-rounder Rishi Dhawan, representing India for the first time since the Australia tour and making his T20 International debut, put up an ordinary effort leaking 42 runs in four overs.

Pressure was also on pacer Jaydev Unadkat, who was in India colours for the first time in almost three years. Making his debut in the format, Unadkat was not consistent with his line and length and paid the price for it.

It remains to be seen whether he gets another game after ending with figures of 0/43 or Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni come back to bowl with the new ball, pushing Dhawan out of the eleven too.

Leggie Yuzvendra Chahal, who impressed in ODIs, also had an off day and he would be aiming to bounce back strongly.

Ahead of the must-win game, Dhoni warned his men to not repeat the same mistakes in the remaining games.

Though spinner Jayant Yadav was the only one to not get an opportunity in the 16-man squad, Dhoni is expected to get back to his full strength bowling attack.

India did not see the loss coming after a cakewalk in the ODIs, giving Zimbabwe a much needed morale boost to press for another win.

Their captain Graeme Cremer insisted that more was expected from his team, that pulled itself out of a hole with an all-round effort.

It looked they were staring another batting collapse midway into the innings before Elton Chigumbura came up with a whirlwind 56 off 24 balls to set up a competitive total.

Zimbabwe batting was an abject failure in ODIs but in the shortest format, they showed they had the resources to put up a fight. The top order got some form going and so did the likes of Malcolm Waller in the middle order.

Match starts 4:30pm IST.
China is not opposed to Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has clarified. She said Beijing is only focused on criteria procedure to Indias membership to the elite nuclear club.



The NSG entry is crucial for Indias energy policy. China is not blocking Indias entry to the NSG. It is only talking about criteria and procedures I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China to support our entry to the NSG, Swaraj said.

The External Affairs Minister asserted India is not going to oppose entry of any nation to the NSG, adding that their application should be considered on merit basis.

As far as entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on their entry and their role. But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG and will support their bid. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit, she said. Swaraj also expressed hope that by the end of this year, India will become a member of the 48-nation club dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that could foster nuclear weapons development.

I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year, she said.

We have been engaged with the NSG since last 12 years and there have been talks of our membership with the group since last five years. But the situation is different this yearOur argument is that we got the waiver in 2008 and before that the criteria and the process was decided and based on that criteria only we got the waiver. I think instead of talking about criteria with respect to our bid, our credentials and our track record should be discussed, she added while addressing a press conference highlighting her ministrys achievements in the last two years.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar made a two-day trip to China on June 16 and 17 to discuss Indias NSG membership with his Chinese counterpart. This visit came days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23 when both leaders will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders meeting in Tashkent. China has maintained that more talks were needed to build a consensus on which countries can join the 48-nation NSG following the United States push to include India in the elite group.
Former Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi appealed Mumbaikars to participate in his petition and seeks State Chief Minister Fadnaviss intervention to save open spaces.



Asserting that city open spaces have been usurped by politicians, Ex-CIC and senior Right to Information (RTI) activist Mr. Shailesh Gandhi alleged that the state government has failed to take up the cause seriously. He has come up with the online petition on change.org and asked Mumbaikars to sign the petition for open spaces in the city.

In written texts in the petition urging the Chief Minister to intervene, he said Just four months ago, people of Mumbai applauded your principle stand that BMC should take back all open spaces which had been given to private parties. Citizens had protested BMCs attempt to alienate their rights over their property.

We hailed your response to safeguard citizens interests. Many open spaces have been taken back. We did note that the open spaces usurped by politicians were not taken back, on the excuse that this would be done in a phased manner, he further said.

Gandhi further termed as dishonest, the reported move to allow a few open spaces to remain the possession of some private parties.

This is dishonest. It appears that some private organisations with personal interests, fronts for many politicians, will be allowed to continue their hold over such spaces. This is a dishonest and condemnable move to deprive citizens of their open spaces, he said.

Gandhi, a noted RTI activist, said there is no need to hand over property belonging to the deprived men to a few.

We expect you will stop this nefarious move and ensure these open spaces are taken back by BMC before 30 July, 2016, said Mr. Gandhi in the petition on change.org, which will be handed over to the CM soon.

In this slimy manner many open spaces have been allowed to be usurped earlier. This has been done in the garb of it being a policy. Citizens are aware that only the lands in the possession of politicians have not been taken over so far, Gandhi said.

Concluding his petition, Gandhi reposed faith in Fadnavis and urged him to take back the open spaces.

We have faith that you will do this. You have the power, responsibility and a duty to do this. If this is not done, citizens will know which corporators betrayed them and give their response in the municipal elections next year, said the veteran activist in the petition.

About 223 people have participated in the petition by far.

Please sign this petition to Save Open Spaces in Mumbai from being usurped with State connivance:

https://www.change.org/p/devendra-fadnavis-chief-minister-of-maharashtra-safeguard-open-spaces-of-mumbai?recruiter=20709744&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&recuruit_context=fb_share_mention_variant&fb_ref=Default
After so much of chaos and the flopped political stunt on Kairana, Asaduddin Owaisi asked the BJP if it would send a fact-finding committee to Muzzaffarnagar, akin to the one sent by it to Kairana on the issue of alleged migration of Hindus. He alleges that 50,000 Muslims migrated after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. Recently, the bogus list of 346 families who are alleged to have fled Kairana in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh were presented by the BJP leader Hukum Singh, which suited the interests of both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party to create a drama for upcoming elections. Social media went gaga over the claims but went silence after finding that the BJPs allegation was baseless. However, earlier 50,000 people had left their original places where they had lived for generations after the Muzaffarnagar riots, and it as mass uprooting of minorities after countrys Independence, but no political party really bothered to look into the fate of minorities here. BJP or Samajwadi party, none of them made any efforts to find out what happened to those 50,000 people who are displaced?

Actually, BJP had no other issue and Kairana shows their real face. Their talk of development, sab ka saath, sab ka vikas is all a farce. Unfortunately, they are dividing people for votes by keeping their Hindutva agenda at forefront. Fortunately, this time media and laymen came forward exposing lies of the BJP. They had to drop this issue abruptly saying that the migration had no communal divide. Even the 45 Muslim families had also migrated from Kairana to nearby areas such as Panipat and Dehradun in the past one year. The claim of only Hindu exodus made for communal reasons. Some residents of Kairana submitted a list of Muslim families who had allegedly left the town in the past one year. Migration in small western UP towns and villages has been on the rise irrespective of religion because of the agrarian crisis in the region.

If we recall, Muzzaffarnagar riots, the clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities in AugustSeptember 2013, resulted in at least 62 deaths including 52 Muslims and 10 Hindus and injured 93 and left more than 50,000 displaced. By September 17, the curfew had been lifted from all riot-affected areas and the army had also been withdrawn. The riot has been described as the worst violence in Uttar Pradesh in recent history, as a result, the army being deployed in the state for the first time in last 20 years. Supreme Court of India while hearing petitions in relation to the riots held the Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi Party, prima facie guilty of negligence in preventing the violence and ordered it to immediately arrest all those accused irrespective of their political affiliation. Court also blamed the Central government for its failure to provide intelligence inputs to the Samajwadi Party-ruled state government in time to help sound alerts.

On 21 August 2013, communal clashes were reported from Muzaffarnagar and police registered cases against 150 people and fourteen were taken into custody. Clashes between two the communities, Hindu Jats and Muslims, in Shamli and Muzaffarnagar grew on 27 August 2013. The original cause of the rioting is disputed according to bipartisan claims largely concerning the affected communities.

In this case, the cause of this rioting alternates between a traffic accident and an eve-teasing incident. According to the first version, the cause was a minor traffic accident involving some youths, which then spiraled out of control when it eventually took on religious overtones. In the second version, a girl from the Hindu Jat community was allegedly harassed in an eve-teasing incident by one Muslim youth in Kawal village. In retaliation, Hindu relatives of the girl in question, Sachin Singh and Gaurav Singh, killed the youth named Shahnawaz Qureshi. The two brothers were lynched by a Muslim mob when they tried to escape. The police arrested eleven members of the girls family for killing the Muslim youth. According to some locals, the police did not act against the killers of the Hindu brothers. According to the police records, Gaurav and Sachin picked a fight with Shahnawaz over a motorcycle accident. While, it has been widely reported that the fight was sparked off when Shahnawaz harassed Gaurav and Sachins cousin sister. The FIR of the murder makes no mention of sexual harassment or molestation.

After news of the killings spread, members of both the communities attacked one another. The police took possession of three dead bodies, and temporarily brought the situation under control. The authorities also deployed Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel to Kawal. In September 2013, fresh riots sparked off and around 11 people including a TV journalist were killed and more than 34 were injured after which indefinite curfew was clamped and the army deployed to help maintain law and order. On August 30, two days after the incident, local Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress leaders had hijacked a Muslim meeting demanding justice for the Kawal incident. Also, local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders allegedly gave an incendiary speech instigating the Hindu farmers on August 31. An FIR has been lodged against all the leaders. After the two meetings, the farmers were attacked and killed.

To be continued in second part

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
Seventy-five years ago, my father, Robert Olmsted, finished a book  a labor of love, really, on the influential architect Louis Sullivan and Sullivans writings not on architecture, but democracy. Today, I'm publishing for the first time the opening of that book (here.) Let's hear it for the World Wide Web!

A bit of background is in order. My father was 47 when I was born in 1952, and he died at 66 in 1971 (just two years older than I turned Friday -- too young). I missed a good deal of his life, with divorce and distance a further complication. I only knew second-hand, especially from my sister Rosie, that before I was born he spent long hours up in the garret (yes, a real garret) of their house in Danville, Illinois, creating this work. He would have been in his 30s.

It was never published, and everyone believed the manuscript was lost.

It was not lost, only spectacularly mislaid. After my mother's sister died, her children were going through the attic and found a manila envelope with -behold! --the loose-leaf, typewritten pages of the "Louis Sullivan book." My cousin Trevett handed it to me, and I must say that for some while, I thumbed the pages but didnt really read it. I had no idea what I would find. What if it was awful or misguided or as dated as the typewriter it was written on, at least by my lights? Well, it wasn't.

Introduction

The mammoth Auditorium building in Chicago may have been demolished by the time these words are in print. If the Auditorium is razed, one of the monumental proofs of Louis Sullivan's genius will have submitted to the hand of Time. But Sullivan's legacy to the world is more lasting than stone or steel.

That opening still feels fresh and powerful, at least to me. A lot was at stake -- an architectural masterpiece might bite the dust. The building's description -- "mammoth" for size, "monumental" for significance -- was a nice variation, especially since "monumental" worked in both senses.The introduction unfolded in the same way, a brief, well-crafted intellectual biography of Sullivan -- and therefore of my father as well.

Seventeen years after Louis Sullivan's death he is still primarily known as an architect. Yet those persons who were close to Sullivan during his lifetime all attest that to know him as an architect, as a giant creator-builder -- to use Sheldon Cheney's phrase -- is to know only half the man. Great as was his contribution to architecture, Louis Sullivan, the poet-philosopher, the artist-writer, the teacher, the prophet of democracy, the personality, stands far above the buildings or the theories of architecture he left to the world. If there remains any doubt about this evaluation this book is offered as conclusive evidence.

Yet this was not hagiography. Sullivan's career cascaded into darkness; he ended up alone. He suffered the fate of someone far ahead of the times. But my father was passionate about the point he wanted to make: Sullivans philosophy shaped his buildings. Ideas mattered most. And so did the individual. Form followed function -- a term Sullivan coined.

Sullivan's faith was in the democratic idea, a belief in the soundness and kindness of the common, the normal man -- the multitudes. Here was a faith on which to build a genuine optimism; here was a substantial support reaching down to bedrock. America pointed to her steel production; Sullivan looked at the spiritual vitality of the nation as an index of national well-being.

I just love that. I'd call it prairie progressivism, a Midwestern, land-of-Lincoln fanfare for the common man. It's in my bones as well, as readers who care about such things will know. It was an affirmation of, an appeal to, our better angels, as Lincoln had it.
Suicide Bomber Targets Assyrian Event in Syria, 3 Killed

Patriarch Aphrem, head of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Qamishli, Syria (AINA) -- A suicide bomber disguised as a priest attempted to enter an Assyrian genocide commemoration event in the al-Wusta district of Qamishli but was stopped by Assyrian forces. The bomber detonated his bomb outside the hall, killing himself and three members of the Assyrian Sutoro security forces and wounding five. It is believed the bomber was targeting Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II Karim of the Syriac Orthodox Church, who was leading the commemoration.

The explosion occurred at the intersection of al-Quwatli and El-Kindi Park road in a neighborhood heavily populated by Assyrians. According to AssyriaTV, the 5 wounded Assyrians have been identified as Gawriye Ado, Riad Habsuno, Marios Malke, Fayez Farman and Siwar Hassan. The deceased have not been identified.

This is the fourth attack on Assyrians in Qamishli in the past six months:

May 22, 2016: an attack by ISIS in the Assyrian al-Wusta district of Qamishli, Syria killed at least five persons, three of them Assyrians, and injured more than a dozen.

January 24, 2016: Two explosions rocked an Assyrian neighborhood in Qamishli. The first targeted the Star Cafe, where a bomb was placed on a bicycle that was left in front of the store. The explosion killed 3 Assyrians and injured 20. The second blast targeted Joseph Bakery.

December 30,2015: Three explosions targeted Assyrian businesses in Qamishli, 16 were killed.

No one has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
Assyrian Genocide Monument Unveiled in Switzerland

The Assyrian genocide monument was unveiled in Locarno, Switzerland on June 18, 2016. ( Eliana and Fabrizizio Giacomini/AINA) Locarno (AINA) -- A genocide memorial monument for the victims of the Turkish genocide of Assyrians during World War One was unveiled yesterday in Locarno, Switzerland. The Turkish genocide occurred between 1915 and 1918 and targeted Assyrians, Armenians and Pontic Greeks -- the Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire. 750,000 Assyrians were killed (75%), 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000 Pontic Greeks.

Turkey has denied the genocide and claims the victims were casualties of war.

The unveiling ceremony, held at Parco Della Pace, was opened by Yasar Ravi, president of the Swiss chapter of the Assyrian Genocide Research Center, and was attended by the mayor and finance minister of Locarno, a number of Swiss politicians, and members of the Assyrian and Swiss communities.

The monument is the first of its kind in Switzerland. This is the 18th genocide monument erected by Assyrians in various cities throughout the world (AINA 2013-08-08).

The genocide monument comes on the heels of the German recognition of the Assyrian and Armenian genocide two weeks ago (AINA 2016-06-06). To date, 13 countries, municipalities and organizations have recognized the Assyrian genocide.

In a speech delivered at the ceremony, Sabri Atman, the president Assyrian Genocide Research Center, said:

This genocide is an event that the survivors will never forget. The wounds of this genocide are not healed yet. Turkey and its allies from the Kurdish tribes must not only acknowledge this crime that they committed but compensate the survivors for the pain and losses suffered at their hands.

Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem II Karim of the Syriac Orthodox Church congratulated the Assyrian community in Switzerland on erecting the monument.
Assyrian Genocide Monument Unveiled in Qamishli, Syria

Patriarch Aphrem (C), head of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Bishop Afram Athneil (R) of the Assyrian Church of the East at the opening of the Assyrian genocide monument in Qamishli, Syria. Qamishli, Syria (AINA) -- A genocide memorial monument for the victims of the Turkish genocide of Assyrians during World War One was unveiled today in Qamishli, Syria. The Turkish genocide occurred between 1915 and 1918 and targeted Assyrians, Armenians and Pontic Greeks -- the Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire. 750,000 Assyrians were killed (75%), 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000 Pontic Greeks.

The ceremony was attended by Patriarch Aphrem, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Bishop Afram Athneil of the Assyrian Church of the East, as well as Syrian dignitaries.

Turkey has denied the genocide and claims the victims were casualties of war.

The monument is the 18th genocide monument erected by Assyrians in various cities throughout the world (AINA 2013-08-08). Yesterday a genocide monument was unveiled in Locarno, Switzerland (AINA 2016-06-19).

The genocide monument comes on the heels of the German recognition of the Assyrian and Armenian genocide two weeks ago (AINA 2016-06-06). To date, 13 countries, municipalities and organizations have recognized the Assyrian genocide.

Hours after the ceremony a suicide bomber attacked a related event but was stopped by members of the Sutoro Assyrian militia. Three Assyrians were killed and five wounded in the attack (AINA 2016-06-19).
June 19, 2016

On June 15, three days after the attack on an Orlando gay nightclub by a gunman that killed 49 people and left 53 injured, Yousuf Rezk, 18, posted a picture on Facebook of a man raising a rainbow flag (a symbol of LGBT pride) with the Pyramids of Giza as a backdrop. Not surprisingly, the face of the man in the picture was hidden to protect his identity. The caption below the photograph read, In solidarity with the LGBT community around the world, which still has to fight against hatred and discrimination."

As a young member of Egypts LGBT community, Rezk has experienced prejudice and stigma firsthand. He is one of a handful of Egyptian gays who have courageously come out to their families about their sexual orientation. And Rezk has gone even further. On his Facebook page, he defiantly describes himself as "an LGBT activist." Going public with his sexuality is an act of bravery in Egypt, a deeply conservative society where nearly 200 people have been arrested since late 2013 on the charge of debauchery. A 2013 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 95% of Egyptians believed that homosexuality should not be accepted by society.

Rezks decision to reveal his sexuality has, however, come with a high price. A year ago, his parents threw him out of the house, after failing to persuade him to change his orientation. He has since had to fend for himself, taking on odd jobs to pay his school fees.

My family still has hope that this is just a passing phase and that one day, Ill be miraculously cured, he told Al-Monitor.

His family's non-acceptance of his sexuality has not been the only challenge. Rezk has also been confronted in his church by the strong belief that homosexuality is a disease that can be cured by some sort of reorientation therapy. As a result, he has embraced atheism as an alternative to his original Coptic Orthodox faith. Since leaving home and abandoning the church, Rezk has felt relieved and liberated and can now wear his hair in long braids down to his waist the way Ive always wanted to, he said. His non-traditional appearance gets him a lot of unwarranted attention on the streets of Cairo where he has had to put up with a lot of sexual harassment and catcalls.

Im often groped and verbally attacked when I use public transport, including by the police, the very people who should be protecting me, he lamented.

In the latest in a series of similar incidents, Rezk was thrown off the subway train by a crowd of commuters who sneered at his effeminate appearance and gestures.

Man up! they shouted scornfully, pushing him off the carriage as the train was moving out of the station. Luckily, he managed to escape with only minor injuries.

Rezks suffering is shared by other members of Egypts LGBT community who live in constant fear as targets of a brutal crackdown on them since the military takeover of the country in July 2013. While homosexuality is not a criminal offense in Egypt, scores of people have been handed down "shockingly long" prison sentences on charges of incitement to, facilitation of or habitual debauchery, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).

On April 24, 11 men were sentenced to jail terms ranging between three and 12 years for the crime of habitual debauchery and abuse of a communications medium (i.e., the internet). They were arrested in a flat in the Cairo suburb of Agouza in September 2015 and were allegedly part of a network that offered sexual services for money, acquiring clients through social media, according to the semi-official Al-Ahram newspaper. In a statement published on its official website, the EIPR criticized the verdicts as a continuation of the orchestrated vice police campaign against gay and transgender people. In November 2014, a Cairo misdemeanor court sentenced eight men to three years in prison on the charge of violating public decency after they appeared in a YouTube video showing what seemed to be a gay wedding ceremony.

In January, TV reporter Mona Iraqi was acquitted of the charge of defaming 26 men who were arrested in a police raid on a public bathhouse in central Cairo in December 2014 for allegedly organizing or taking part in same sex orgies. Nearly a month after their arrests, all 26 defendants were cleared of the charges and released. Their release, however, came too little, too late. They had already been subjected to degrading anal tests to determine their sexuality. Moreover, Iraqi had taken pictures with her cellphone of the half-naked men being pulled out of the bathhouse by police, which she later posted on her Facebook page. The traumatic ordeal prompted one of the men to set himself on fire shortly after his release. Despite the outrage sparked by the controversial case, a six-month jail sentence and 10,000 Egyptian pound ($1,125) fine handed down to Iraqi in November 2015 for publishing false news was reversed earlier this year by a Cairo appeals court, dashing the hopes of rights advocates for an end to the crackdown on Egypts LGBT community anytime soon.

The recent prosecutions of members of the LGBT community have prompted gay dating sites such as Grindr to issue warnings to their Egyptian users that police may be posing as LGBT on social media to entrap you.

Indeed, this method of hunting down gays and others from the LGBT community has been used by the police in Egypt since the days of ousted authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak. Police raids on gay hangouts and private gay parties during the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are reminiscent of the much-publicized 2001 Queen Boat case when 52 men were rounded up in a raid on a floating disco on the River Nile and were charged with performing immoral acts, the use of perverted sexual activities and contempt of religion. The men were reportedly subjected to beatings and other abuse including invasive examinations to determine whether they had engaged in anal intercourse.

Sadly, little has changed for Egypts LGBT community since the days of Mubarak, despite the high hopes of the activists who had called for Freedom and Social Justice during the 2011 uprising that forced the autocratic ruler to step down. Ali (known to his friends as Mariam), 25, dreams of undergoing a sex-change operation because I believe that deep inside Im a woman. He told Al-Monitor, The situation for us is worse today as there is a lot more fear. Constantly harassed on the streets and unable to find a job, she has been left with no option but to sell sex for a living. Mariam has also been arrested several times and alleges she was raped with a bottle while in jail to punish me for my perversion."

Ironically, Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement condemning last weeks attack on the Orlando gay club. Offering condolences, the statement published on the Foreign Ministrys Facebook page reiterated calls to fight terrorism, which knows no boundaries or religion. It also called for "international solidarity to counter the scourge worldwide." Al-Azhar, Sunni Islams highest authority, also denounced the attack as a heinous crime that violates all tolerant teachings of Islam.

To Rezk and Mariam, the words ring hollow.

This is hypocrisy at its best. Where is the outcry when we suffer persecution and abuses on a daily basis? Rezk said.

I dont know whether to laugh or cry, Mariam said, adding in a sarcastic tone, Would someone please tell the authorities that charity begins at home.

They both look forward to a day when they can leave Egypt to settle any place where they can be themselves and be accepted for who they really are.
June 19, 2016

Jean Aziz, reporting from Damascus, describes an almost eerie normalcy and confidence in the Syrian capital, despite the sound of missiles in the distance. Syrian politicians and officials are quietly planning the nature and extent of political reform in Syria, in consultation, of course, with Moscow and Tehran.

A Syrian official told Aziz, We have gone beyond the stage of discussing the fate of the regime or tackling the regime members. Today, we are [in] a battle to define the regimes form, its work mechanisms and its way of dealing with the Syrian people and with Syria [itself]. Some are speaking of a federation and a decentralized system, among other forms, like Kurds, Russians and even [President] Bashar al-Assad himself. This is what is being discussed today. The rest is behind us.

Commenting on a reported Russian draft of a new Syrian Constitution, the Syrian official added, We have made some comments on this draft. The pluralism mentioned therein is secured under the local administration law in Syria and is therefore constitutionally guaranteed. Therefore, there is no need for any [changes] in this regard.

Iran is actively involved in the deliberations on political reform. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif explained to Laura Rozen in an email on June 16, I have said all along that there will be no solution if we focus on any individual, because it is a zero-sum question that will inevitably lead to stalemate and deadlock.  The answer is to focus on institutional dispersion of power and the future form of governance, through which you may be able to reduce or even eliminate the centrality of the role of any individual or ethnicity."

US Secretary of State John Kerry had said Jan. 18 that Irans proposal for reform in Syria was very close to what was envisaged in the Geneva talks, and needs to be explored.

Zarifs comments on the need for a political solution in Syria complement, and do not contradict, the shared interest of Syria, Iran and Russia in eradicating terrorist armed groups from northern Syria and Aleppo as a prerequisite for meaningful political negotiations. Although Abbas Qaidaari reports from Tehran on rumors of some uncertainty about Russias ultimate objectives in Syria, the three countries are in agreement on a military approach to Syria that does not lead to terrorists building up their powers, as Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan said, referring to actions by Jaish al-Fatah and other armed opposition groups that have coordinated attacks with Jabhat al-Nusra in northern Syria under the cover of the cessation of hostilities.

In Syria, the conversation has moved beyond whether or not the Syrian military plans to defend and hold useful Syria or retake the rest of the country. A Syrian parliamentarian told Aziz, We are determined to restore the Syrian territory entirely. Our troops are still in Deir ez-Zor [in the east] to date and this is sufficient evidence. The battle has moved to Raqqa now. But around Damascus, we are keen to reduce [the numbers of] our army and we want to start with the liberation of areas that are more strategic than others.

A misguided "dissent" on Syria

The Obama administration is so far holding the line on its Syria policy despite a dissent cable from 51 State Department officials calling for military strikes against the Syrian government.

In an initial response, the White House noted June 16 that the cessation of hostilities, despite violations, has allowed aid to reach 820,000 Syrians over the past four months.

The result of understandable frustration, the recommendation of military strikes against the Syrian government  no matter how well intentioned  is, in the end, escalatory, and would likely result in more war, killing, refugees, less humanitarian aid reaching civilians, the empowerment of jihadis and so on.

We admit to not following the logic of how such an escalation  which would probably risk US-Russia ties, UN-mediated talks, the International Syria Support Group, possible US-Iran understandings in Iraq and other conflict regions, and just about every other fragile bit of hard-earned and admittedly fragile diplomatic progress earned in the last eight months  would somehow be worth the numerous downsides in the hope it would convince enough Syrian Sunni Arabs to fight the Islamic State, as former US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told Laura Rozen.

Perhaps what is actually meant is that military strikes would allow some form of deal with US partners in the region  which have been regularly called out by senior US officials for not doing their share in the anti-IS coalition, and which back Salafi and jihadi groups, such as Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam, which have allied themselves with Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas affiliate in Syria  to, finally, step up against IS in return for the United States placing itself on the slippery slope of unintended consequences and another regime change endeavor in the Middle East, although the cable explicitly says that regime change is not the intended outcome of military action.

By the way, the role of these Salafi groups  as well as their violations of the cessation of hostilities, their foreign backers and their relationship with Jabhat al-Nusra  is missing from the dissent cable. Indeed, there is no mention of Jabhat al-Nusra at all, nor is there acknowledgement of the growing international terrorist threat from IS, such as that referenced in the testimony of CIA Director John Brennan on June 16.

So count our strong dissent from this misguided dissent, especially because, perhaps unintentionally, in addition to probably blowing up the diplomatic framework and the thin reed of hope and aid it has offered the Syrian people, this sectarian-first thinking would further mainstream jihadi armed groups that ally with al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate. This column has documented how Ahrar al-Sham in particular, and other Salafi groups, have deepened coordination with Jabhat al-Nusra and violated the cessation of hostilities since February. Jaish al-Islam, it will be recalled, is being investigated for the use of chlorine gas in northern Aleppo. The Institute for the Study of War reports that last week the Jaish al-Fatah coalition, which includes Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham, attacked Khalasah, a Syrian government town.

We also share the Obama administrations instinctual caution about the use of force in the Middle East, especially recalling the experiences in Iraq and Libya, which are ongoing, and, we believe, not worth emulating (and reference to which are also left out of the dissent cable).

Instead of chucking all of the hard-earned diplomatic gains to date, another alternative is that the United States could take up the Russian offer for increased coordination to target Jabhat al-Nusra, while keeping US-backed groups out of Russias line of fire. The United States and Russia may be closer to an agreement regarding coordination of military targeting. This approach would preserve the fragile diplomatic framework for the Syria talks and the cessation of hostilities, expand operations against al-Qaedas affiliates and hold Russia to account for hitting moderate opposition forces and civilians.
June 17, 2016

Be it for lack of awareness or political courage, getting organized is not exactly a Turkish strong suit. With a population of 78 million people, Turkey today is an international laggard in terms of unionization and membership in civic society organizations. As of January, only 1.5 million of Turkeys 12.7 million workers were unionized, according to the Labor Ministry, down from 2.5 million in 1980 when the population stood at 42 million. Similarly, 87% of Turks are not members of any association. About 109,800 associations are active today, in addition to some 5,000 foundations established since 1980, according to official figures.

The very act of getting organized has taken on a negative connotation, and the word organization has come to almost mean illegal group, leading many to use an alternative word that sounds more like establishment. What brought Turkey to this point is a history of political turmoil, marked by bloody street clashes between opposing groups and military coups, which discouraged political activism. Furthermore, the state came to view any organized activity as suspicious, and successive governments installed laws that put shackles on what was once a politically vibrant society.

But despite all hurdles, one civic organization stands out as a fast-growing movement, reaching out to all segments of Turkish society. The Turkish Foundation for Combatting Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA) has signed up 100,000 new volunteers in the past two years, bringing the total to 600,000. Setting a shining example of civic activism, a major requisite for participatory democracy, TEMA boasts a nationwide network of volunteers of all ages, mobilized with innovative strategies.

For TEMA Chairwoman Deniz Atac, luring young energy lies at the core of their success. Education and raising awareness is the most important thing we do. You have to make people realize how important nature is for humankind  not as a cliche, but as a true awareness that they are part of the nature, Atac told Al-Monitor. You achieve this easier with children as they are free of prejudices and calculations. We reach out to 75,000 children annually. And we do this not through one-off conversations but through field education that engages them in activities from preschool to the final year of university.

Founded by businessmen Hayrettin Karaca and Nihat Gokyigit in 1992, TEMA became a household name with the slogan Dont let Turkey become a desert  a reference to erosion, which destroys an average of 743 million tons of soil in Turkey every year. Today, TEMAs network extends to 510 locations in all of Turkeys 81 provinces, working not only to raise environmental awareness, but also to push legislation for the proper management of natural resources.

Stressing that TEMAs founders left an amazing legacy, Atac said, Today we have a terrific [leadership] team aged between 35 and 40 with a very good training. Knowledge and experience have been merged. TEMA, she stressed, keeps politics at an arms length, embracing volunteers of all stripes. Veiled girls are also coming, which is fine as long as they dont bring their political convictions along, she said.

Atacs emphasis on politics is not without a reason, for even environmental issues have become highly politicized in Turkey under the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The governments aggressive construction drive has posed threats both to natural riches and cultural heritage and was a major grievance that drove the mass anti-government protests in the summer of 2013.

TEMAs nonpartisan stance doesnt mean it shies away from criticizing the government. Four years ago, for instance, the AKP pushed through parliament a controversial bill that allowed the state to sell the so-called 2B lands  lands officially registered as forestland but deemed to have been deforested throughout the years. TEMAs statement on the issue read, The bill on the sale of the 2B forests, under discussion for about a decade, has been approved by parliament overnight while most of us were asleep. The question of whether forests are salable assets was never discussed. Instead, parliament discussed prices, market values, payment installments and discounts for cash payments. And then hands were raised. The 2B forests were proclaimed to have ceased to be forests, becoming lands to be sold to their occupiers. But that was not all. [The bill] also paved the way for forestlands, deemed to be unworthy of preservation as forests under arrangement 2A, to be converted to real estate. We, the TEMA foundation, are aware that forfeiting and selling the 2A and 2B forestlands is a big mistake and we ask: How are we going to answer to the future generations?

Besides education and forestation projects, TEMA works on rural development projects. We are acting as catalyzers. With the money we take from sponsors, we help farmers to spin their wheel, Atac said. In Gaziantep, for instance, we implemented a project to boost pistachio output. Working together with a local research center, we achieved substantial results. Another project was implemented in Afyon, where the Borusan company transferred funds to retiring employees. The retirees made investment in their hometown, in the fruit-growing sector, and as a result, people began to return to their villages [from big cities].

Fourteen million trees and 799 million acorns have been planted across Turkey in the forestation campaigns TEMA has led, in addition to more than 60 projects on rural development, environmental protection and biodiversity preservation. The association has been instrumental also in the legislation of laws protecting pastures and soil. Currently, it keeps up forestation work on 287 locations, in addition to awareness projects targeting private sector workers, local administrations and women. In 2012, TEMA became one of the first recipients of the UN Land for Life Award, which recognizes excellence and innovation in sustainable land management.

Apart from raising environmental awareness, TEMA has succeeded in breaking the prejudices of those who would flinch at the mention of civic society organizations, looking poised to surpass the 1 million mark in its membership in the next few years.
June 17, 2016

A radicalized gunman murdered 49 people last weekend, and the nastiest election in recent memory got even nastier.

Any lingering hope that the nation would come together like it did after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks evaporated when Donald Trump took to Twitter on June 12 soon after the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando to say that he "appreciate[d] the congrats for being right about radical Islamic terrorism." The Republican presidential candidate went on to urge President Barack Obama to "resign in disgrace" for not blaming "radical Islam" for the attack.

Trump doubled down the next day, telling conservative news show "Fox and Friends" that "theres something going on with him [Obama] that we dont know about. When The Washington Post reported that Trump has suggested a sitting president was a traitor, he promptly banned the newspaper from covering his rallies.

Obama gave as good as he got, calling Trump's push for a ban on Muslim immigration to the United States a "dangerous" idea and a betrayal of the nation's values. "Where does this stop?" the president asked. "Are we going to start treating all Muslim Americans differently?"

And Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, at a rally in Pittsburgh on June 14, said Trump's attack on the president went "way beyond anything that should be said by someone running for president of the United States." She pointed out that the shooter "was born in Queens, New York, just like Donald" and argued that a Muslim ban would be "a recruiting tool" for the Islamic State (IS).

Fearing the inevitable backlash against their faith, Muslim leaders from around the world  from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to the Palestinian Liberation Organization mission in Washington  promptly condemned the attack. Most, however, stayed silent about their countries own intolerance toward homosexuals.

Trump responded true to form. Obama, he told a rally in North Carolina, was more angry at me than he was at the shooter. The crowd proceeded to boo at mention of the presidents name.

Early evidence suggests Trumps shoot-from-the-hip style may have backfired. Republican leaders on Capitol Hill continue to criticize near-daily pronouncements they view as over the top, and Trumps poll numbers have been in free fall since late May, following his comments slamming a judges Mexican heritage.

The RealClearPolitics polling average as of June 16 had Clinton at 44.1% versus 38.3% for Trump. Most of that polling, however, began before the Orlando shooting, leaving its political impact unclear.

Seven in 10 Americans now see Donald Trump unfavorably, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released June 15  up 10 points just in the past month. Thats his worst showing since he announced his candidacy for president one year ago.

But the same poll found that voters are also souring on Clinton: 55% of respondents had an unfavorable view of her, also a personal record. The two are the most unpopular presumptive major party nominees for president in ABC News/Washington Post polling dating to 1984, leaving voters in a pickle.

Indeed, while they may find Trump offensive, a great many Americans agree with his overall argument that Obama  and, by extension, Clinton  have failed to take the threat seriously.

By 2010, al-Qaeda in Iraq  IS predecessor  appeared dead on its feet, terrorism expert Michael Knights told Congress three years later. Worldwide, only 4,000 al-Qaeda fighters remained, according to US government estimates, a result of President George W. Bushs surge in Iraq and Obamas own surge in Afghanistan as well as his ramped-up drone campaign in Pakistan and Yemen.

However, according to one Rand Corp study, foreign fighter numbers soared to 100,000 between 2010 and 2013 as the United States pulled out of Iraq and the war in Syria spawned a new generation of battle-hardened militants. The group that Obama once derided as a junior varsity team now commands as many as 25,000 fighters after a two-year campaign to destroy the group.

The metastasizing threat is also taking a toll on the US homeland. One government-funded study last year identified a mere 38 lone wolf acts of terrorism between 1940 and 2001. The study found there had been 12 during the eight years of the George W. Bush administration  and more than 50 under Obama.

Democrats appear to be well aware of their political shortcomings on the issue of terrorism. Instead, they immediately sought to focus attention on gun control, arguing that the red flags the shooter set off should have prevented him from being able to acquire the semi-automatic rifle he used to gun down club patrons.

Interestingly, Trump agreed with Senate Democrats that terrorism suspects should be banned from buying firearms. The move has angered conservatives who think no ones constitutional rights under the Second Amendment should be curtailed just because their name is on a secretive, potentially flawed government database.

Trumps stance, however, isnt all that surprising given his appeal as an outsider candidate willing to stand up to vested interests, including the gun lobby. Many Americans are clamoring for action on both Muslim immigration and gun control, and Trump has shown himself adept at tapping into populist anger.

Whoever wins the White House in November will have a lot of work to do to reassure American voters that he or she is serious about taking on terrorism. Otherwise, popular pressure for action will only grow  legal niceties be damned.
Two police officers were injured when a car crashed into a funeral procession for one of the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting on Saturday, authorities say.

ABC News reported the procession, which included marked police vehicles, was traveling from a church to the grave site in Kissimmee when a driver hit two Osceola County Sheriff's Office vehicles.

One of the officers is in serious but stable condition, and the other is in stable condition.

Charges against the driver are pending. Authorities haven't said if the woman was impaired.

"She was distraught after the crash and wanted to be checked out," Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Kim Montes told the news agency.
Anita Rodriguez, painter and adobe plasterer from Taos, talks about and signs her memoir of stories and recipes.

TAOS PAINTER PRESENTS MEMOIR AT PAGE ONE 3:00 PM SUNDAY, JUNE 19

Anita Rodriguez, painter and adobe plasterer from Taos, will be at Page One Books 3:00 pm Sunday, June 19, to talk about and sign her memoir of stories and recipes, "Coyota in the Kitchen: A Memoir of New and Old Mexico."

The book is described as such: "This book of stories and recipes introduces two eccentric families that would never have eaten together, let alone exchanged recipes, but for the improbable marriage of the author's parents: a nuevo mexicano from Taos and a painter who came from Texas to New Mexico to study art. Recalling the good and the terrible cooks in her family, Anita Rodriguez also shares the complications of navigating a safe path among contradictory cultural perspectives. She takes us from the mountain villages of New Mexico in the 1940s to sipping mint juleps on the porch of a mansion in the South, and also on a prolonged pilgrimage to Mexico and back again to New Mexico. Accompanied by Rodriguez's vibrant paintings -- including scenes of people eating on fiesta nights and plastering an adobe church -- 'Coyota in the Kitchen' shows how food reflects the complicated family histories that shape our lives."

Rodriguez is an award-winning painter who is also widely known as an enjarradora, or plasterer and finisher of adobe buildings. Her family on her father's side goes back 10 generations in her beloved Taos valley. Her art training began in childhood, and she eventually went to Colorado College for formal training. She lives in Taos.

Page One Books is located at 5850 Eubank Blvd NE, Suite B-41, in Albuquerque's Mountain Run Shopping Center (southeast corner of Eubank and Juan Tabo). The Rodriguez event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 294-2026 or visit www.page1book.com.

-------------------------

Rodriguez website: http://www.anitarodriguez.com/index.html
A man and his wife were taken in to custody in Arkansas yesterday for making terrorist threats, KHBS reported.

Police said Alan Crawford and Daphne Crawford were arrested in Fayetteville on Thursday and charged with terroristic threatening after they reportedly told a restaurant employee, "people like you are the reason we kill."

KHBS said that the couple specifically told police they are Muslim.

Daphne Crawford was released on Friday morning, while her husband was released Friday evening.

The couple was taken into custody yesterday for FBI questioning.

Police said they are assisting the FBI with the Crawford's case, but no arrest warrants have been issued for the pair.
Baton Rouge.jpg

Lyntell Washington and Robert Marks (BRPD and EBRSO)

An assistant principal is accused of killing a pregnant woman who taught at his school in Baton Rouge, La.

Robert Marks, 39, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree feticide in the death of Lyntell Washington, 40, a former Teacher of the Year winner, WAFB reported.

Baton Rouge say Marks was believed to be the father of Washington's unborn child. An alleged affair could be a motive in the slaying.

Washington's decomposed body was found in a sugar cane field ditch in Iberville Parish earlier this week, the Advocate reported. She was shot in the head.

Marks works as an assistant principal at Brookstown Middle Magnet School in Baton Rouge.

Police say Marks was first arrested last week and charged in the kidnapping of Washington's 3-year-old daughter. The girl was found wandering alone in a parking lot near her mother's vehicle on June 9. Blood was found in the woman's car.

The girl reportedly told police "Mr. Robbie" hurt her mother, who was "in the lake" and now "sleeping."

Marks' attorney Lionel Lon Burns told the newspaper that his client is innocent.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Alabama Department of Environmental Management are investigating a fish kill on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River, in the immediate vicinity of the Gorgas Generating Plant, a coal-fired power plant operated by Alabama Power.

Alabama Power spokesman Michael Sznajderman confirmed Saturday that ADCNR and ADEM were looking into the incident and that the company was supporting their investigation.

"It did take place near Plant Gorgas but it is unclear at the moment what the cause was or if it has a connection to our operations," Sznajderman said in an email.

Messages left for ADCNR and ADEM were not immediately returned this weekend.

On Wednesday, local fisherman James Bramlett reported seeing dozens, perhaps hundreds of dead fish floating in the Mulberry Fork and Baker's Creek, which flows past the Gorgas plant into the river.

Clean water advocacy group Black Warrior Riverkeeper investigated on Thursday and estimated that "between 50 and 100" dead fish were still floating in the water, though some were beginning to decompose or had marks from boat engines.

Staff riverkeeper Nelson Brooke said that the group identified dead largemouth bass, striped bass, freshwater drum, skipjack herring and gars. Some of the bass were quite large, Brooke said.

Brooke said an oily sheen was visible on the water's surface downstream of Baker's Creek among the dead fish, which had accumulated in the middle of the river and within aquatic vegetation along the banks.

The map below, created by Black Warrior Riverkeeper, shows the areas where the dead fish were found. The Riverkeeper group said they are waiting for the results of the state agencies' investigation, but recommends not eating fish caught near this area until a cause is determined.

We'll have more details on this situation as they become available.
Whatever the outcome of Britains EU referendum, Europe and Britain will never be the same again after June 23.

As Britains referendum to leave or stay in the European Union approaches, many in the Middle East must be wondering how the EU got itself in such a tangle and what the lessons and implications for the Gulf Cooperation Council are.

In many respects, the referendum on the 23rd is all about power. The EU has expanded, and with each click of the mechanics ratchet, it has taken more. But it has also grown chaotic and dysfunctional.

After arriving in Brussels in 1994 to work as a foreign correspondent, it was surprising to see how the consensus-driven model of its own making was increasingly disenfranchising countries like Britain and how the project was fundamentally unsustainable.

Its survival was based on two key things: constant velocity (if the EU is seen to be not busy, the euro elite frets that it might die), and the unfettered need to slowly shift power away from EU member states.

The introduction of the euro was a huge political move towards galvanising the federalist utopia. And, to this day, momentum  now through EU expansion  remains a big part of keeping the EU project alive.

I remember being at a press conference in Brussels when the euro was unveiled in 1999 by no less than a French civil servant when it transpired that no economists had even been consulted to prepare for a contingency plan. Indeed, the euro crisis today is still a subject of great debate as Brussels never drew up a Plan B.

I also witnessed the collapse of the European Commission under a corruption scandal that same year, with Jacques Santer its president, demonstrating how sorry really was the hardest word as he whispered it at a packed press conference to journalists.

Cumbersome bloc

That same detachment from reality is ever more present today. Instead of working on a plan to retract power and become more modern and in tune with the public, the EU has gone in the other direction.

And so, remarkably, post June 23, the EU is preparing to punch above its weight and plough ahead with plans for an EU army  all this in the face of other Eurosceptic countries like the Netherlands and Denmark already talking about their own in-out EU referendum.

Far more interesting will be the effect of a Brexit on the EU's own misaligned ambition of being a superpower of sorts in the MENA region. by

Decentralisation of Europes power is the goal with a federalist model to compete with the US and Russia. And yet, this vision has come nowhere near close to reality, even from an economists point of view.

The EU is the only trading bloc in the world with almost no growth. The euro has also been a monumental failure for Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece  with Germany the only real eurozone winner.

Understandably, the Germans are desperate to convince the British to remain as an exit will hit them hard. Likewise, the Remain camp in the UK has always had flawed rationale.

What has struck me in recent weeks is how the argument that the EU can reform has been eclipsed by dont leave as the whole house of cards will tumble.

OPINION: Welcome to Weimar Britain

But the chief argument is that if the UK leaves the EU, the bulk of the trade that it does with the EU bloc will cease.

The last thing the EU would want to do is cut off a limb just to score a petulant point. Equally, France is not going to tell its farmers that it cant sell their vegetables to the UK, nor its champagne. Germany is not going to stop selling its cars to one of its biggest customers in Europe.

The GCC dimension

But what should the GCC countries look for with the UK? Recently, this was tackled by Chatham House, which argued  correctly  that a post-Brexit Britain would leave the Middle East peace process on the back burner and that the MENA region will remain important for trade  as $18bn of UK exports went to MENA in 2014.

Britain will enhance its existing trade deals with customers in the region  especially Saudi Arabia  and will renegotiate trade deals with MENA countries already covered by EU association agreements.

OPINION: Brexit and the spectre of Europes ugly nationalism

Far more interesting will be the effect of a Brexit on the EUs own misaligned ambition of being a superpower of sorts in the MENA region.

I would argue that after the vote, the EUs power grab is going to backfire on Brussels and that it will need to streamline its entire operation.

This survival tactic will certainly be the case if Britain leaves as many argue that it will be the end of the EU.

What people like Swedens Foreign Minister Margo Wallstrom or even firebrand MEP Nigel Farage mean when they say that is the end of the EU as we have known it.

A new EU with less staff, power and activities will be the order of the day  with the first thing to be scrapped being the deluded foreign policy dossier, including the EU army, according to French admirals.

And that means one thing for the MENA region: a deficit of foreign influence from Brussels. The GCC, despite being hit by low oil prices, will be well-positioned to replace Brussels as Big Brother.

Martin Jay is a Beirut-based correspondent for Deutsche Welle TV and the founding editor of An-Nahar English.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Julian Huxley once wrote that a nation is a society united by a common error as to its origins and a common aversion to its neighbours.

If there is any truth to Huxleys remark, the recent bloody border clashes between the Afghan and Pakistani military forces illustrate the common aversion of the Afghans towards their antagonistic eastern neighbours, Pakistan.

The incident, which left three border guards and two children dead on the Afghan side of the Torkham crossing in eastern Afghanistan, stirred anger throughout the country.





Transcending internal differences, Afghans poured into streets in protest and some began marching towards Torkham to render support to the Afghan National Army.

A video clip has gone viral on the social media, showing a group of men, claiming to belong to the Taliban forces, declaring war on Pakistan and urging others to join in defending Afghanistans honour and territorial integrity.

Face-saving attempt

Many Afghan observers think that the incursion was a face-saving attempt by Islamabad to divert domestic attention from its recent setbacks, particularly the US drone attack that killed Taliban leader, Mulla Mansour, in Pakistani territory.

ALSO READ: Ashraf Ghani  A return to traditional Afghan governance

Other disconcerting events of late include the US shift of policy, indicating the end of favouritism to Pakistan, and the opening of Chabahar port, a collaboration of Iran, India and Afghanistan that could isolate Pakistan in regional trade activities.

The seemingly disarrayed, multiethnic Afghan nation came together and showed a common aversion to their aggressive neighbour. by

Yet others think that Pakistan was testing the waters and was trying to take advantage of what it perceived as a vulnerable moment in Afghanistan.

A year that has been marked with the highest military and civilian casualty figures and increased political discord in Kabul would probably be an opportune time to settle the disputed border issue.

In either case, Pakistans calculus proved wrong. The seemingly disarrayed, multiethnic Afghan nation came together and showed a common aversion to their aggressive neighbour.

Beyond a show of unity in the face of foreign aggression, however, the phenomenon signals a wider shift of dynamics in the two neighbours historically thorny relationship.

The majority of Afghans believe that since the days of the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, Pakistan has been playing a ruthless game of manipulation with both the Afghans and their largest benefactor, the US.

Indispensable ally

Since 2001, posing as an indispensable ally in the war against terrorism, Pakistan has been benefitting from a lavish US military and development aid, while continuing to provide a safe haven for the Taliban and the Haqqani network.

The two groups have been responsible for tens of thousands of Afghan casualties and more than 3,500 US military and civilian fatalities.

In the political arena too, Pakistan had skillfully presented itself as the key to peace in Afghanistan and in the war against international terrorism, while threatening the Americans that turning away from Pakistan would result in nuclear terrorism.

Some argue that Pakistans interference in Afghans internal affairs is driven by its insecurity about the Durand Line, the disputed border demarcation upon which the Torkham crossing sits.

As soon as Kabul accepts it as the official dividing line, the argument goes, Pakistan will stop its meddling.

ALSO READ: Death of a warlord will change nothing in Afghanistan

While there are ways to resolve the Durand issue through pragmatic and mutually beneficial formulas, Pakistan has been fixated on imposing recognition of the border by Afghanistan without making any concessions.

Pakistans ambitions, however, are greater. Their doctrine of gaining strategic depth in Afghanistan, which is justified by their fear of an attack from India, is one of the reasons for Islamabads relentless efforts to install a puppet government in Kabul.

The ISI intelligence agencys grossly misguided Taliban project eventually gave birth to various groups of Pakistani Taliban, the survival of al-Qaeda and the harbouring of various Central Asian and Chinese radical groups.

But Pakistan could not have become a godfather of sorts to most of the worlds terrorist organisations had it not been for the puzzling acquiescence, over the past 15 years, of the United States.

Whether it was a case of prolonged underestimation, a strong and generous Pakistani lobby in Washington, or simply a chaotic AfPak strategy  or lack thereof  the US did not challenge Pakistans behaviour in any serious and consistent manner.

But, finally this spring, American policy-makers felt the fatigue from Islamabads double games. In March, the US Congress began to voice doubts about the continuation of the flow of US aid to Pakistan.

In May, Congress passed a bill imposing strict conditions on a $450m aid package to Pakistan and opposed the financing of eight F-16 jet fighters that would be granted to Pakistan through the Foreign Military Financing scheme.

Since 2002, the average annual US aid to Pakistan has been roughly $2bn. In 2010 alone, Pakistan received about $4.5bn in military and development aid from the US. Yet, public opinion polls in Pakistan show that the majority of Pakistanis view the US as an enemy.

The Afghan governments policy of genuinely trying to make peace with its neighbour and changing Pakistans Taliban game was initiated at the beginning of 2015.

China, a long-time ally of Pakistan, and the US, the biggest donor of Pakistan, got on board, and the Quadrilateral Group  along with Afghanistan and Pakistan  launched a fresh round of peace efforts.

This, along with several regional economic cooperation initiatives involving Central, West and South Asian states provided Islamabad with the perfect opportunity to turn around and abandon its Taliban project.

But, Pakistan missed the chance and stubbornly stuck to its old Afghanistan policy, and the Taliban expanded and intensified its onslaught.

The Afghans reaction to the recent border incident represents the culmination of over three decades of frustration with Pakistani malfeasance. They have fought the British and Soviet empires against all odds. If pressured and humiliated further, the Afghans might take on Pakistan.

Therefore, while the killing of the former Taliban leader, Mulla Mansour, the imposition of conditions on aid to Pakistan and the expansion of military role in Afghanistan are positive signals in the US policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, staying the course will be the determining factor in changing Pakistans behaviour.

Helena Malikyar is an Afghan political analyst and historian.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Hundreds of government troops and ISIL fighters die in fierce clashes that have caused a humanitarian crisis.

Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced and hundreds of troops killed amid an army military offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Fallujah, in Anbar province.

Three days of fighting have left more than 30,000 people displaced, in addition to the more than 32,000 who were already uprooted from Fallujah since the army offensive began, the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement on Sunday.

This comes after months of besiegement, Karl Schembri of the NRC told Al Jazeera, explaining that the city was already enduring difficult humanitarian conditions.

They have been eating rotten dates and animal feed  and drinking from the river, which is undrinkable.





More than 300 Iraqi soldiers and fighters from Shia militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Units were killed during the past two days of fighting. The Iraqi army claims it killed more than 500 ISIL fighters during the assault.

Fallujah, one of the first key cities ISIL, also known as ISIS, captured in 2014, is a strategically significant area for the Iraqi army. Iraqi forces and Popular Mobilisation Units have been attacking ISIL fighters district by district in recent days.

Fallujah has been historically such a difficult city to take, and more importantly such a difficult city to maintain, Renad Mansour, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Centre, told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Militias take turns to torture us, say Fallujah civilians

I think the citizens of the city are waiting to see what will happen next, he continued, adding that they will wait to see what Iraqi forces will do as they begin to clear through [and] whether certain paramilitaries associated with the Shia will commit crimes.

Troops have also been sent to the southern outskirts of Mosul, another ISIL-held city in northern Iraq, where the army announced a military offensive on Saturday.

Upwards of 3.4 million Iraqis have been displaced since January 2014, according to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.
Mohamed Ali, whose death was declared by officials on June 1, allegedly organised deadly 2015 raid on Kenyan university.

Somalias armed group al-Shabab has confirmed the death of a commander suspected of organising the 2015 attack on Kenyas Garissa University that left 148 people dead.

The killing of Mohamed Mohamud Ali, also known as Dulyadin, was announced by Somali officials on June 1, and al-Shabab confirmed his death with the release of an obituary on Saturday.

We console ourselves and our nation for the martyrdom of the Muslim knight commander Sheik Mohamed Mohamud Ali (Dulyadin). May Allah accept him and lift him to paradise, it said.

Al-Shabab said the commander, also known by the aliases Kuno and Gamadhere, was killed by US Crusaders.

The intelligence group, SITE, has also reported the death of Mohamud Ali.

Somali officials had said he died in a Somali special forces raid close to the southern port town of Kismayo.

Somalias special forces are trained by and receive logistical support from the United States.

Mohamud Ali, a Kenyan national and an ethnic Somali, was killed alongside three other commanders and his body was later put on display by local authorities.





The April 2015 assault at Garissa University College, 365km northeast of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, left 148 people dead, 142 of them students.

The victims were killed in their dormitories or rounded up and executed in a hall of residence.

The operation was carried out by four al-Shabab fighters.

The attack was the bloodiest in Kenya since al-Qaeda bombed the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998, killing 213 people.

Last July, the Kenyan government said Mohamud Ali had been killed in a US drone strike, but it later retracted on the claim.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss military cooperation in Syrias conflict, a bone of contention between Moscow and Washington.

Shoigu was sent by President Vladimir Putin for the unannounced meeting with Moscows long-time ally Assad on Saturday, the Syrian state news agency SANA said.

The talks focused on military cooperation between the two countries and joint action to fight against terrorist organisations on Syrian soil, it said.

In Moscow, the defence ministry said in a statement that the discussions centred on current questions of military and technical cooperation  as well as certain aspects of the cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups operating in Syria.

REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: Russia in search of a new strategy in Syria

The visit came as a US defence department spokesman said Pentagon officials in a video conference with Russian counterparts had voiced strong concerns over Moscows alleged bombing of US-backed forces in southern Syria.

US military officials expressed strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and Levant] forces at the al-Tanaf garrison, which included forces that are participants in the cessation of hostilities in Syria, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.

The Pentagon emphasised that those concerns would be addressed through ongoing diplomatic discussions on the cessation of hostilities, he said.

US defence officials have said Russian warplanes carried out raids in al-Tanaf targeting a meeting of combatants supported by the US-led coalition that was held to coordinate the fight against ISIL fighters in Syria and Iraq.

The Syrians belonged to the New Syrian Army, trained by the British and the Americans in a coalition camp in Jordan, while the Iraqis were tribal fighters, officials said.

Russia, however, said it had not carried out any strikes targeting opposition forces included in a ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow that excludes ISIL, without mentioning al-Tanaf.

READ MORE: Kerry tells Russia US patience on Syria very limited

Earlier this month, Shoigu also visited Irans capital Tehran to take part in talks with his Syrian and Iranian counterparts. Before the meeting, which took place on Irans initiative, the Russian defence ministry said the officials would be discussing reinforcing cooperation in the fight with ISIL and al-Nusra terrorist groups.

The Syrian conflict has drawn in world powers, with the US, along with regional powers, largely backing the moderate rebels while Russia began a military offensive in support of the Assad government in September.

A Moscow and Washington-backed ceasefire has been in place since February 27, but a fresh bout of fighting broke out in April that stalled the UN peace talks in Geneva.

More than 280,000 people have been killed since the start of Syrias war in 2011, and millions have been displaced, the UN estimates.
Sharif, wanted in connection with Avijit Roys 2015 murder, is second suspect to die in shoot-out in as many days.

Dhaka, Bangladesh  The prime suspect in the 2015 murder of Bangladeshi-American writer Avijit Roy has been killed in a reported shoot-out with authorities in Dhaka, just a day after the death of another man in police custody.

Reports said Sharif, also known as Hadi, a member of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team, was killed early on Sunday in the Khilgaon district of the Bangladeshi capital.

Sharif was one of the six men wanted by police in connection with Roys killing. Authorities had offered $6,500 reward for his capture.

OPINION: Citizens are also responsible for Bangladesh violence

Masudur Rahman, Dhaka deputy police commissioner, confirmed the killing of Sharif to Al Jazeera.

He said Sharif and two other men were passing through Khilgaon area on a motorcycle when they reportedly opened fire at police.

Police fired back and injured Sharif, who later died of his wounds early on Sunday at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he said.

The two other people with Sharif managed to escape, Masudur said.

Mashrukur Rahman Khaled, another police commissioner involved with the investigation on Sharif, told Al Jazeera that Sharif was involved in giving training on firearms and weapons to members of his armed group.

He also used to coordinate the attack and usually would be somewhere near the spot of the killings, Khaled said.

In recent weeks, police have launched a crackdown on alleged Islamic militants, in response to a wave of violence against atheist bloggers, liberal academics, gay-rights campaigners, foreign aid workers, and members of minority religious groups.





But human rights activists and civil society groups have criticised the police tactics in going after the suspects.

On Saturday, 19-year-old Golam Faizullah Fahim, a suspect in the attack of a mathematics teacher of Hindu faith, was killed while in police custody.

Police said Fahim was a suspected member of Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), a group that wants to establish a unitary Islamic state.

Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the National Human Right Commission, said Sharifs killing raises questions about police investigation and the rule of law in the country.

For his part, Avijit Roys father Ajit Roy, a former professor of physics at Dhaka University, said more information could have been extracted from Sharif had he been captured alive.

Police and law enforcement agencies have committed the incident in connivance with each other, he told Al Jazeera, suggesting that the firefight was planned.

In February 2015, the younger Roy was killed near the Dhaka University campus.

Several other bloggers and activists have also been killed since that incident.
Residents dispute authorities claim that Lin Zulian was detained for misusing power in village known for mass protests.

The chief of a village that became a symbol of resistance against corruption has been arrested for allegedly accepting bribes, Chinese authorities said, as a large police operation moved in to head off dissent.

Lin Zulian, detained on Saturday, was elected head of the Wukan village committee in 2012, after protests over land grabs led to rare concessions from the Communist Party and the ousting of local leaders.

The regional office for public security said Lin, who is 72 years old, had used his power to elicit bribes.

A resident told AFP news agency that a large number of police were present in the village on Saturday, with vehicles parked along the streets and military police posted outside the local station.

Lin was arrested because he was planning on protesting on Sunday with villagers from the county, she said.

She said corruption accusations were just an excuse to arrest him.

Since 2012 the government has promised to resolve the land problem but nothing has been done, she added.

Just days before his arrest, Lin posted an open letter online pledging to launch a mass protest to demand justice for illegal land sales and unauthorised construction on village land.

Aware that the arrest could spark further protests, the public security office called for villagers to cooperate with judicial authorities and maintain hard-won social stability.

Do not let a law-breaking minority encourage you to commit radical acts, it warned.

2011 protests

Dozens of police cars arrived on Friday night to arrest Lin, Chinas respected Caixin magazine quoted villagers as saying.

Residents of the 13,000-strong fishing village in southern Guangdong province began protesting in 2011 in what was then seen as just another bout of social unrest in China, where land grabs have become a major source of discontent.

But when one of the protest leaders, Xue Jinbi, died in police custody, villagers took their demonstration a step further, barricading roads leading into Wukan and facing off with security forces for more than a week.

Then, unexpectedly, Communist Party authorities backed down and promised rare concessions, including pledges to investigate the land dispute and allow village polls to be held in an open manner  a first in Wukan.

Lin  who also led the protests and was provisionally appointed committee head after the incumbent was thrown out  was one of the successful contenders.
Memory units that could solve mystery of air crash that killed 66 people will require lots of time and effort to fix.

The memory units of both flight recorders from the EgyptAir plane that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea last month are severely damaged, according to Egyptian aircraft accident investigation committee sources.

The memory units of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR)  collectively known as the black box  will require lots of time and effort to fix, the sources said on Sunday.

The committee is analysing them before determining if they can be repaired in Egypt or will need to be sent abroad.

Search teams retrieved the CVR on Thursday and said at the time that they found it damaged but that the memory unit was intact. They found the FDR on Friday.

The EgyptAir Airbus A320, en route to Cairo from Paris, had been cruising normally in clear skies on an overnight flight on May 19 when it crashed.

The radar showed that the aircraft turned 90 degrees left, then a full 360 degrees to the right, dropping from 38,000ft to 15,000ft before disappearing at about 10,000ft.

Leaked flight data indicated that a sensor detected smoke in a lavatory and a fault in two of the planes cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight.

READ MORE  Timeline: Major air disasters

Airbus said that the flight recorders held the key to unlocking the mystery of why the plane went down with 66 people on board en route from Paris to Cairo nearly a month ago.

Some wreckage had already been pulled out of the Mediterranean by search teams, along with belongings of passengers.

The passengers on the plane were 30 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, two Iraqis, two Canadians, and citizens from Algeria, Belgium, Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. They included a boy and two babies.

Seven crew and three security personnel were also on board.
The law will have a chilling effect on Palestinian minoritys solidarity efforts with Palestinians under occupation.

Nazareth  Wearing a T-shirt, chanting songs at a demonstration or donating clothing could be enough for Israels large Palestinian minority to fall foul of a newly passed anti-terrorism law, civil rights groups have warned.

The legislation, applied in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, has been condemned as a dangerous threat to civil liberties. It dramatically broadens the range of offences to include sympathising with, encouraging and failing to prevent terrorism.

According to legal experts, it also gives Israeli police sweeping new powers to arrest suspects and deny them access to lawyers. Courts will be required to hand out long jail sentences.

Leaders of Israels 1.7-million-strong Palestinian minority, which accounts for a fifth of the population, said the law was anti-Arab rather than anti-terror. They fear it will be readily exploited to jail Palestinian citizens and East Jerusalem residents for political activity in showing solidarity with Palestinians under occupation.

Palestinians in the West Bank will be largely unaffected because they are subject to a separate system of Israeli military courts.

READ MORE: Israel is a terrorist state

Adalah, a Palestinian legal organisation in Israel, says the law would effectively import into Israel many of the draconian military orders currently used against Palestinians under occupation.

This law doesn't just deal with actions in the past but with what Israel thinks you might do in the future. It is designed to terrorise and persecute citizens over their political beliefs and sympathies. by Haneen Zoabi, The Joint List

Nadeem Shehadeh, an Adalah lawyer, told Al Jazeera the laws vague definitions meant waving a flag, sharing a Facebook post or being caught in clashes at a demonstration could result in prosecution under the law and several years of jail.

Throwing a stone, jostling with police or chanting slogans could all be treated as violations of the law, he said.

In any future Israeli military operations in Gaza, he added, Palestinian citizens who make donations to humanitarian groups  of clothing or food, for example  could risk prosecution for aiding terror.

If enforced harshly, this [law] could lead to lots of arrests and prosecutions  with those found guilty facing heavy punishments.

Palestinian members of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, denounced the new measure too, saying it was likely to have a chilling effect on efforts by the Palestinian minority to show support for Palestinians under occupation.

Haneen Zoabi of the Joint List, a coalition of mainly Palestinian lawmakers, told Al Jazeera: It is this law that is the act of terror.

This law doesnt just deal with actions in the past but with what Israel thinks you might do in the future. It is designed to terrorise and persecute citizens over their political beliefs and sympathies.

Such fears were heightened on Thursday when the police minister, Gilad Erdan, said he would ensure that local activists who support a boycott of Israel pay a heavy price.

He told a conference near Tel Aviv that the government had set up a legal team that would try to find connection betweeen activists belonging to the BDS movement  supporting boycott, divestment and sanctions  and terrorist organisations.

Zoabi said: Is there any form of struggle against Israeli oppression more peaceful, more civil than BDS? It is clear the governments real goal is silencing any criticism, any dissent.

The Knesset passed the anti-terror bill with an overwhelming majority on Wednesday night. It was backed by all parties apart from the Joint List and the small, left-wing Meretz faction.

Formally, the law applies equally to Israeli citizens, whether Palestinians or Jews. However, Palestinian leaders said the law had been crafted to specifically target Palestinians in Israel and East Jerusalem.

Be sure, if Israeli Jews are affected by this law, it will be only the left-wing ones who identify with the Palestinian struggle for liberation, said Zoabi. At a parliamentary committee hearing on the law last month, Issawi Freij, a member of the Meretz party, observed: A stone-throwing Arab will become a terrorist, while a stone-throwing ultra-Orthodox Jew will not.

Under the legislation, leaders of terror organisations face 25 years in jail. The tariff rises to a mandatory life sentence if a terror attack is carried out. The defence minister will be able to order the seizure of an organisations assets even before it has been indicted as a terror group.

Adalah noted that the law does not distinguish between attacks on civilians and soldiers enforcing the occupation. In international law, the latter are considered legitimate targets.

An advisory committee will be able to approve declaring a group a terror organisation. Those under investigation for links to terror may find that they have no access to the secret evidence used against them, Shehadeh says.

Most Palestinian political movements in the occupied territories are treated by Israel as terror organisations. Israeli officials, for example, make no legal distinction between Hamas military leadership and its politicians running Gaza.

Shehadeh says the law would severely curtail freedom of expression. Threats to carry out a terror act  however improbable  could incur seven years in prison. Those inciting terror face five years, while those praising a terror organisation risked three.

Those aiding a terror organisation or providing it with services face five years imprisonment.

In many cases, he added, the burden of proof would shift to the accused to show that they had not aided or sympathised with a terror organisation, or failed to stop a terror act. That violates a basic principle of due process in criminal law, Shehadeh says.

Ayelet Shaked, the justice minister from the far-right Jewish Home party, welcomed the new powers. Terrorism can only be defeated with appropriate punishments and deterrents, she said. The 2016 model of terrorism will receive a 2016 response.

READ MORE: Why Israel is blocking access to its archives

The law is designed to supersede previous anti-terror legislation and incorporates many of the dozens of emergency regulations introduced by the British in the 1940s. The Knesset adopted those powers upon Israels creation in 1948 over vehement opposition from some lawmakers.

Menachem Begin, who would later serve as prime minister, called the British measures Nazi, tyrannical and unethical laws.

Shehadeh warned that a whole raft of security regulations approved over the years by the Knesset on an emergency or temporary basis  and supposed to be of limited duration  has now been permanently added to Israels lawbooks. Even if the security situation changes, these measures  however extreme and however damaging to democratic rights  will continue to be available, he says.

Amir Fuchs, a legal expert with the Israel Democracy Institute, says the legislation offered many troubling new tools to Israels prosecutorial system. The courts would be allowed to take into account hearsay  evidence from those who had not witnessed the events under investigation. The defence would not be in a position to cross-examine those providing such testimony.

The habeas corpus principle would also not apply in some cases, meaning hearings could be conducted without the accused present.

These measures do not look like they are part of criminal law  how the state deals with its own citizens  but rather like a law that deals with the enemy, Fuchs adds.

The anti-terrorism legislation underwent six years of drafting, but the process accelerated rapidly after a wave of so-called lone-wolf attacks began last year, many of them focused on Jerusalem.

Although East Jerusalem is under occupation, Israeli law is applied there because Israel considers it part of its eternal capital. Fuchs says the new laws provisions would be subject to judicial review by the supreme court. However, he says the court would probably be reluctant to intervene. After years of threats by the right to strip the court of its powers, he says, its judges are now walking on eggshells.

The anti-terror law is viewed within the context of general political repression in Israel. Legislation is expected to be passed in the next few weeks cracking down on human rights groups and giving a majority of Knesset members the power to expel Palestinian lawmakers.

Aida Touma-Suleiman, a Knesset member for the Joint List, says police were already treating as incitement social media posts by Palestinian citizens and residents of East Jerusalem that attacked the occupation.

In last weeks Knesset debate on the law, Touma-Suleiman raised the case of Dareen Tatour, a Palestinian poet from Reine, near Nazareth, who was arrested in October over Facebook posts. She has spent three months in prison and is now under house arrest.

This shows how dangerous it is to give Israeli security services the power to interpret our political behaviour, Touma-Suleiman says. Israel wants us too frightened to hold an opinion or even share one.
Occupied West Bank  As temperatures rise and summer months approach, yet again this year, thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are being deprived of their most basic need  access to water  as the Israeli national water company Mekorot restricted the water supply to villages and towns in northern West Bank.

Although extremely worrying for the livelihood and health impact on the affected tens of thousands of Palestinians, this comes to little surprise.

Since it occupied the West Bank in 1967, Israel has laid hands on Palestinian water resources through discriminatory water-sharing agreements that prevented Palestinians from maintaining or developing their water infrastructure through its illegal planning and permit regime. As a result, thousands of Palestinians are unable to access sufficient water supplies and became water-dependent on Israel.

By building on the myth of a water-scarce region  Ramallah has more rainfall than London  Israel has deliberately denied Palestinians control over their water resources and successfully set the ground for water domination, granting itself a further tool to exercise its hegemony over the occupied population and territory.

Palestinian water resources in the West Bank wouldnt be scarce  they include the Jordan River, running all along the eastern border of the West Bank, and the Mountain Aquifer underlying the West Bank and Israel. Both water resources are transboundary  meaning that, by international law, they should be shared in an equitable and reasonable manner by Israel and Palestine.

Yet, since Israel took over the West Bank in 1967, Israel has remained in near full control over Palestinian water resources in the West Bank.

Israel fully prevents Palestinians from accessing the Jordan River and using its water. As for the Mountain Aquifer, the 1995 Oslo II interim agreement  which also defined the water-sharing arrangements between Palestine and Israel  came to consolidate the Israeli control that had been in place since 1967.

Israel was granted access to over 71 percent of the aquifer water, while Palestinians were only granted 17 percent. While the agreement was supposed to last five years only, 20 years later, it is still in place.

Water-sharing agreement discussions are left to the long-awaited final status negotiations.





While the Palestinian population of the West Bank has almost doubled since, allocations have remained capped at 1995 levels. Today, Palestinians have access to less water than they were granted by the already-inequitable Oslo agreements: 13 percent, with Israel abstracting the remaining 87.

Indeed, as pointed out by the World Bank in its 2009 report about the water sector in Palestine, due to the dual Israeli permit regime, Palestinians have been unable to maintain and develop their water infrastructure.

In Palestinian wells where the water table has dropped, for instance, the Israeli restrictions on drilling, deepening and rehabilitation have made the wells un-usable and Palestinian water abstraction levels decline.

As soon as water demand increases in hot spring and summer months, supply to settlements is privileged over Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

On the one hand, Palestinian water projects all over the West Bank need an approval by the Joint Water Committee (JWC), where Israel has a de facto veto power. Only 56 percent of Palestinian projects regarding water and sanitation were granted permits by the JWC (against a near 100 percent approval rate for the Israeli projects), and only one-third of those could actually be implemented.

Concerned by the asymmetry in the JWC functioning, Palestinians have refused to sit in the committee since 2010.

In addition to the JWC approval, all projects in Area C also require a permit by the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA), which are notoriously difficult to obtain. As reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the ICA has refused between 2010 and 2014 98.5 percent of the Palestinian building permit applications for Area C projects.

Over 50 water and sanitation structures have been demolished by Israel since the beginning of 2016 already (more than in the entire 2015) on grounds that they were lacking the Israeli permits.

Israels claims that the failing water infrastructure is the cause of the water cuts in the West Bank fail to acknowledge that the poor infrastructure is a direct result of the Israeli permit regime in the West Bank.

The lack of water and other basic services resulting from Israeli policies has created a coercive environment that often leaves Palestinians with no choice but to leave their communities in Area C, allowing Israels land takeover and further expansion of its settlements.

But as recent events have shown, Areas A and B are not safe havens either. Due to the lack of sufficient water resources available, Palestine heavily depends on water bought from Mekorot (18.5 percent in 2014). Ironically, this is water that Israel takes from the rightful Palestinian share  which they are denied  before selling it back to them.

This has granted Israel further control over Palestinian access to water. As soon as water demand increases in the hot spring and summer months, supplies to settlements are privileged over Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

Every year, water supply to Palestinian towns and villages is cut off for days  if not weeks  during which Palestinians are forced to buy trucked water at five times the price of network water  as well as reduce their already low consumption.

Water consumption figures are telling: While Israelis have access to around 240 litres of water per person per day, and settlers over 300, Palestinians in the West Bank are left with 73 litres  well below the World Health Organizations minimum standard of 100.

OCHA report that in Area C, where 180 Palestinian communities are not connected to the water network and 122 have a connection with no or irregular supply as a result of Israeli restrictions, water consumption can drop to 20 litres of water per person per day as people have to buy expensive trucked water.

Here, vulnerable households spend up to one-fifth of their salary on water.





For instance, while people in the Palestinian community of al-Hadidiya in the northern Jordan Valley have access to as little as 20 litres of water per person per day  settlers in the neighbouring settlement of Roi enjoy 460 litres of water per person for domestic use only, a swimming pool and flourishing agriculture.

Israel, as the occupying power has an obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the dignity and wellbeing of the population under its control.

This includes obligations regarding the provision of and access to humanitarian relief and basic services, including water and sanitation.

Not only is Israel failing to provide for such basic needs. Its discriminatory water policies also prove that Israel is using water as a tool to dominate Palestinians, exercise its power, and punish an entire population by deliberately depriving its inhabitants the most basic of rights.

Camilla Corradin is advocating for Palestinian water rights with the EWASH NGOs coalition.
Protesters express frustrations with US presence on island after a former soldier allegedly raped and killed a woman.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have rallied on the Japanese island of Okinawa, protesting against the heavy US military presence and violent crimes by American personnel there.

Gathered on Sunday afternoon, protesters expressed their frustrations with the United States after a former member of the Marine Corps employed as a civilian base worker allegedly raped and murdered a 20-year-old local woman in April.

The case has intensified long-standing opposition to the military bases, a key part of the US-Japan security alliance, on the island popular with tourists.





Al Jazeeras Rob McBride, reporting from Okinawa, said the US has been acting in a sensitive manner to the current mood on the island.

Washington quickly announced a one-month period of mourning on all their bases following the killing of the young woman, he said.

The US insists this death should not drive a wedge between them and the people of Okinawa. But many here believe there will always be tensions while US forces remain.

The rally also called for the scrapping of plans by Washington and Tokyo to move a major US Marine facility in the centre of the island to pristine waters off the northern coast.

Okinawas governor, Takeshi Onaga, who was expected to attend the rally, opposes the plan and instead wants Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which sits in the middle of a crowded city, to be moved off the island altogether.

He has revoked approval for work on the facility, in a setback to the plan, despite the fact that Washington and Tokyo vow to push forward.

Roots of US presence

The roots of the presence goes back to the end of World War II when Okinawa was the site of a battle between Japan and the US, followed by a 27-year US occupation.

Shocking crimes have prompted large-scale protest rallies before on Okinawa, now considered a strategic linchpin supporting the US-Japan alliance, but where pacifist sentiment runs high.

In 1995, tens of thousands rallied following the rape by three American personnel of a 12-year-old girl. The protests prompted Washington to pledge to reduce the US footprint on the fortified island.

Voices of Okinawa: Standing against a US military base

Nearly 100,000 people joined a protest in 2010 against the building of the new base off the northern coast.

US officials have grown increasingly concerned that the behaviour of its troops on the island could jeopardise support among Japanese for the security relationship.

Washington has imposed restrictions including on off-base alcohol consumption after an intoxicated sailor injured two locals while driving this month.
Tabqa, west of ISILs de facto capital Raqqa, facing bombardment, resulting in deaths and mass exodus, activists say.

Syrian government and Russian jets have stepped up the bombardment of a town in northern Syria held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, increasing pressure on the fighters, according to a monitoring group.

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the warplanes carried out at least 18 air strikes since dawn on Sunday on the town of Tabqa, just west of Raqqa, ISILs de facto capital in Syria.

Separately, the activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently said on Facebook that at least six people died in the bombing.

The observatory, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, said at least one person had died, with many more injured.

The bombing has prompted a mass exodus of locals from the town to safer areas. Earlier this month, Syrian troops started an offensive aimed at cutting off Raqqa from the Turkish border.

Assault on Raqqa

Troops and militia members, backed by Syrian and Russian warplanes, have pushed east from the government outpost of Ithriya, closing in on Tabqa.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by US air strikes, are also pushing towards Tabqa, located near Syrias largest dam, at the southern end of Lake Assad on the Euphrates.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurds and Arabs, seeks to retake the northern Syrian town of Manbij from ISIL, also known as ISIS, as part of their offensive in Raqqa province.

Manbij is strategically important as it controls a supply route from the Turkish border to Raqqa.

Clashes between SDF forces, backed by a US-led air power, and ISIL fighters raged on Sunday on the outskirts of Minbij, the observatory said. No casualties were reported.

Manbij has been under ISIL control since 2014.

Border shootings

Against this backdrop, Russia said on Sunday that it had reached an agreement with the United States to improve coordination between their military operations in Syria.

Russias defence ministry said that it was pushing the US to help produce a shared map of the positions of fighting forces to avoid incidents, a day after US officials accused Russia of attacking US-backed rebels.

Russias intervention on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, alongside Western backing for armed groups opposing him, has raised fears of a wider international confrontation in the war.

The defence ministry in Moscow said military officials from both countries had agreed on the need to improve coordination during a video conference.





There was no immediate confirmation from Washington DC.

In another development on Sunday, Turkish military officials denied reports that its border guards killed at least nine Syrians, mostly from one family, as they tried to cross into Turkey from northwestern Syria overnight.

The observatory and several local activists said at least two women and four children were among those killed in the shootings as the refugees sought to cross into Turkey from the border village of Khirbet al-Joz.

However, Reuters news agency quoted the Turkish military as stating: Claims that Turkish soldiers killed nine people that were trying to cross the border in Hatay province  are not true.

Last night there was an attempt to cross the border illegally but no shots were fired directly on people.

After warning shots, a group of seven to eight people ran towards the woods.
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.
See Something, Say Something and Law enforcement Will Do Nothing

A number of years ago, a friend and I were discussing how to improve our intelligence operations which to outsiders seem clumsy, not up to the task and subject to numerous damaging leaks. It occurred to us then that the best thing was to leave Langley alone and just buy a newspaper. First Amendment considerations mean that no one could force them to testify before Congress as to their operations, theyd be free of any Freedom of Information Act or records keeping requirements, they could fire incompetents easily, and under cover of a newsgathering operation they could interview people at will. This week as the U.S. newspapers rolled out their bilge about Orlando and the failures of our intelligence agencies became too obvious to ignore, I compared it with the more developed, factual accounts in Britains Daily Mail, and I think the idea continues to have great merit.

While the distressing failures of the FBI and local law enforcement to follow through on evidence that the shooter, Omar Mateen, was a dangerous radicalized person, no apparent effort was made to suspend his security guard license or keep watch on his firearm and ammunition purchases. Internal operating instructions of the FBI limited the amount of time they could keep watch on him and both the local and federal authorities were paralyzed by fear of being dubbed Islamophobic. So chilling accounts by his fellow workers were discounted as the result of prejudice, and a report by a local gun shop that hed tried without success to purchase body armor and bulk ammunition from the store was ignored.

Although the FBI interviewed Mateen in 2013 and 2014 following reports by his fellow workers nothing was done -- not even to suspend his security licenses or keep tabs on his firearm and ammunition purchases.

Authorities say they are continuing to explore whether other people may be connected to the case. The investigation into Mateen has expanded to look at other people and stretches from Florida to Kabul. Mateens family is originally from Afghanistan. Comey said Mateen, who worked as a contract security guard at a local courthouse, claimed in 2013 to coworkers that he had family connections to al-Qaeda and was a member of Hizbalah, two opposing terrorist groups that have clashed repeatedly in Syria. The FBI director called the comments inflammatory and contradictory. Comey said Mateen also told colleagues that he had mutual acquaintances with the Tsarnaev brothers, who were responsible for the Boston bombing. He spoke of a martyrs death. Co-workers brought his claims to the attention of the local sheriffs department, which passed them along to the FBI. The FBI opened what is known as a preliminary investigation -- one of hundreds that the bureau handles at any one time and that typically last six months. Comey said the investigation was extended once with the approval of an FBI supervisor at the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami.

Although Disney warned authorities that Mateen had been quite obviously casing their venues, nothing was done. It reminded us of the bobbled work on the Tsarnaev bothers where local cops missed obvious clues in an earlier murder of three men by the brothers and ignored Russian warnings about them.

David Gomez, a former senior FBI counterterrorism official in Seattle, wrote in an online posting titled How Did The FBI Miss Omar Mateen? that perhaps it is time to revisit the basic legal standard that the FBI requires probable cause of a likely crime to open full-scale investigations. And James McJunkin, who once headed the FBIs counterterrorism division, said that if agents didnt dig deep enough in Orlando, it was probably because they were hampered by FBI guidelines. He said in preliminary investigations, for instance, there is a cap on the number of hours agents can conduct surveillance. Those are rules or guidelines that were written by lawyers who dont have the responsibility or accountability for doing thorough investigations, McJunkin said. The agents probing Mateen, he added, ran out of leads based upon the tools that they applied. But if they had more tools, would they have found more leads? Experts who study terrorism said that the bureau might require more agents and analysts to fight a metastasizing terror threat in which potential recruits are flooded with information online. FBI officials have said they have nearly 1,000 open investigations involving the Islamic State in all 50 states.

If thats the problem, it will only get worse. Obama is on track to

admitting 1 million Moslems to the U.S.since he was president, and we are warned that there are terrorists among them.

How closely is the agency following up on Mateens connections? Your guess is as good as mine, but from published reports its not clear that they are.

Witnesses say his wife drove him to the Pulse nightclub -- scene of the carnage. He transferred his life insurance and gave her access to bank accounts to her shortly before the shootings and texted her as he was murdering and injuring almost 100 people. There have been reports that the authorities are planning to arrest her, but where is she?

His wifes whereabouts are unknown. She was the subject of a crazy story in Huffington Post which indicated she was questioned and given an electronic bracelet to wear, a report later corrected:

Correction: This article originally stated Noor Zahi Salman is apparently free, but with an electronic bracelet. That sentence has now been removed. In fact, my source now tells me that she doesnt have a electronic bracelet on her, she has rather been told by the FBI to keep a phone they gave her. My source states: The FBI was waiting for a search warrant and that apparently didnt come as fast as they wanted so they asked if they could search the apartment. She said she had nothing to hide and signed something allowing them to take her phone, ipad, and a camera. Again, she said she had nothing to hide and they could have them. The FBI gave her a cell phone to carry with her in the mean time (and possibly in place of a bracelet as a tracking device). After she gave the authorization to take the items is when they said she was free to go. [Correction added June 16 at approx 11:05 ET a.m.] To clarify: I believe that the misunderstanding over the electronic bracelet occurred because Noor Zahi Salman and/or a friend or relative offered for the FBI to put a electronic bracelet on her as a condition of release, but the FBI was willing to let her go if she checked in with a phone. This would seem to speak to the level of her cooperation. [June 16 at approx 3:15 ET p.m.]

Mateen transferred title to his home to his sister at about the same time, and his brother in law refused to tell a reporter whether he had advance knowledge of the mayhem by his brother-in-law.

The Fog of Fake Narratives Descends on Us

The director of the CIA warns that ISIS is not contained and we can expect more attacks in the West.

We know from this incident, the Boston Bombing, and the San Bernardino shootings that the government is unable to offer us any significant protection no matter how many clues they are given. So whats the answer? Disarm us, scream the nincompoops in the press.

Instead of probing more deeply whether or not the attorney general, CIA director Brennan, the FBI, local law enforcement contributed through negligence and wrongheaded policies to this disaster, the media has been given to repeating false accounts that the responsibility lies with lax gun laws, that the gunman used an assault rifle that the slaughter was occasioned by Christian homophobia -- ridiculous explanations falling on the receptive ears of too many:

As are the charges that Trump is anti Moslem and homophobic -- odd charges against someone who 16 years ago challenged the Clintons on their homophobia.

In the same manner, they are promoting stories that Trump is falling far behind Clinton in the polls and cannot hope to catch up, that people oppose his get tough on terrorism and close the borders themes, and that theres a plot afoot to steal the nomination from him.

A little historic research might indicate that polls in early summer are not exactly bellwethers for general elections held in November.

In June of '48 Dewey had an 11-point lead over Truman. You may dismiss this as a result of early polling flaws, but the failed reading of the entrails was also true in the summers of 1988 and 1992.

In May of 1988 E.J. Dionne,Jr. wrote:

Michael S. Dukakis is capitalizing on deep public doubts about Vice President Bush and the Reagan Administration's handling of key issues and has emerged as the early favorite for the Presidential election in November, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll. Mr. Dukakis, the probable Democratic nominee, ran ahead of Mr. Bush, the almost certain Republican candidate, by 49 percent to 39 percent among 1,056 registered voters. The survey, conducted May 9-12, represented a significant advance for Mr. Dukakis since a Times/CBS News Poll in March when Mr. Bush had 46 percent and Mr. Dukakis had 45 percent. In the latest poll, Governor Dukakis of Massachusetts led in all regions, but he ran especially well in the Northeast and Middle West. The poll found Mr. Dukakis with very substantial advantages over Mr. Bush among women, union members, Roman Catholics and blacks. Shift Since 1984 Election Strikingly, 28 percent of those who said they voted for President Reagan in 1984 said they preferred Mr. Dukakis over Mr. Bush this time; only 9 percent of those who said they backed Walter F. Mondale in 1984 switched to Mr. Bush. Mr. Dukakis was also far ahead among those who said they did not vote in 1984, and he scored well even in groups where President Reagan continues to be popular - notably among voters under 30 years old.

By July Dukakis lead had widened:

Fifty-five percent of the 948 registered voters interviewed in the poll said they preferred to see Mr. Dukakis win the 1988 Presidential election, while 38 percent said they preferred to see Mr. Bush win. The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points. This represented a shift in Mr. Dukakis's lead from the 47 percent to 41 percent advantage he held in the last pre-convention Gallup Poll, taken by telephone July 8-10. In that poll, 1,001 registered voters were interviewed.

The same pattern was true in 1992.

In June of 1992 polls showed Clinton was 6 points behind HW Bush and Perot led them both:

Clinton 25% HW Bush31% (Perot) 39%

Clinton 24% HW Bush 32% (Perot) 34%

Clinton 27% HW Bush 33%

Given the unprecedented nature of this election, polls in June seem to me to be particularly unreliable this summer. Remember the poll analysis site Fivethirtyeight dismissed out of hand that Trump would win the Republican primary this year.

So, could Trump win? We confront two stubborn facts: first, that nobody remotely like Trump has won a major-party nomination in the modern era.4 And second, as is always a problem in analysis of presidential campaigns, we dont have all that many data points, so unprecedented events can occur with some regularity. For my money, that adds up to Trumps chances being higher than 0 but (considerably) less than 20 percent. Your mileage may vary. But you probably shouldnt rely solely on the polls to make your case; its still too soon for that.

But the polls are being used to drum up both despair and paranoia among Republican voters, suggesting theres a plan to deprive Trump of the nomination at the convention. True, there are a handful of out of work consultants and lost-their audience pundits calling for it, but no such plan is underfoot or likely to occur.

Sean M. Spicer, the chief strategist and communications director of the GOP, has said so:

Donald Trump bested 16 highly qualified candidates and received more primary votes than any candidate in Republican Party history. All of the discussion about the RNC Rules Committee acting to undermine the presumptive nominee is silly. There is no organized effort, strategy or leader of this so-called movement, It is nothing more than a media creation and a series of tweets.

California in June is often covered in fog and overcast skies -- known as June gloom. Dont let that settle over you. Stay alert -- lots of phony baloney narratives are descending on us.
A murderous terror attack took place in Tel Aviv 11 days ago, ripping four innocent lives away from their loved ones forever. One moment they were sitting in a cafe enjoying themselves, and a split second later they were gone, lifeless, leaving only precious memories behind.

The following Sunday morning in Orlando, Florida at least 49 people in a gay nightclub were murdered in cold blood in the single worst shooting massacre in US history.

Thousands of miles apart, with different targets as victims, both attacks share at least one common element. The murderers were Muslim. In the Middle East, Muslims murdering innocent people has been common for centuries. Its only in the past couple of decades the horrific phenomenon has reared its ugly head in the US.

There is also another enemy that Israel and the US have in common in this battle: political correctness. In the US the President steadfastly refused to use and then mocked the words radical Islam when referring to any terror attack, even though everyone on planet earth knows it is radical Islam.

When it comes to Israel, many of the worlds leaders, as well as much of the media also refuse to specify radical Islam when describing the murder of innocent Jews.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no problem calling a spade a spade. I think the time has come for President Obama take a lesson from Bibi.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has expressed concern about the influx of radical Islam in America. I suspect this massacre is going to cause many voters to start listening to Trump a little more carefully going forward. He is the antithesis of political correctness at a moment in history when many seem sick and tired of classic Washington political status quo.

If America doesnt snap to attention soon, the America we all know and have loved for 2 centuries may become a thing of the past.

Regarding the most recent terror attack in Israel, when did Tel Aviv become disputed territory?

In the wake of this latest in a lengthy wave of despicable attacks, Israel is left once again to wonder, when will it end? When will those who support and perpetrate such acts realize there exists no moral equivalence between murder and justice? Do these murderers actually think the Jews are going to be intimidated into giving up their rightful homeland? Its high time they accept this and find another cause to vent their hatred. Their goal will not be realized.

Israel is the one single nation whose people were dispersed throughout the world for two millennia, only to be reborn in its original location. That cannot be coincidence.

However, while sympathetic statements poured in condemning the terrorism, there exists another chorus of voices. These voices minimize the murderous attack on innocent civilians and use the tragedy as a platform for their own agenda. At a moment when grief and shock resounds throughout the country, especially with the bereaved families, they take the opportunity to launch criticism of Israel.

For example, French Foreign Ministry Jean-Marc Ayrault said this in reaction to Israels decision to revoke permits for thousands of Muslims planning to enter Israel during Ramadan:

[T]he decision by the Israeli authorities today to revoke tens of thousands of entry permits could stoke tensions which could lead to a risk of escalation.we must be careful about anything that could stoke tensions.

Moreover, while Palestinian Arabs danced in the streets celebrating the brutal murders MSNBC ran a report on the attack, which included the following comments:

[T]he siege that continues in Gaza.theres a tremendous amount of frustration on the part of the Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank..further oppression in the occupied West Bank.

New Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was referred to as an extreme right wingerhes a settler himself.

Adding insult to injury is the ever friendly United Nations. During their 2015 session for example it passed 20 resolutions singling out Israel for criticism. The number of resolutions passed against the rest of the world- 3.

Plus, the office of the UNHRC High Commissioner (United Nations Human Rights Council) Zeed Raad Al Hussein released this statement:

We are deeply concerned about the response from the Israeli authorities, which includes measures that may amount to prohibitive collective punishment and will only increase the sense of injustice felt by the Palestinians at the very tense time.

In the totality of the collective untimely salvos at Israel where were any comments regarding the responsibility of the Palestinian Arab leadership? For example, Hamas was eager to take responsibility for the attack, offering praise to the murderers. Mahmoud Abbas provided a general statement which criticized violence, yet offered no specific condemnation of the attack.

Am I the only one who thinks that after such an event, it might be an appropriate time to suggest Mahmoud Abbas publically condemn the murderers and announce strict measures to prevent such attacks, since the terrorists came from territory he is responsible for? Is it unreasonable to expect that mainstream media such as MSNBC include comments about how little is done by the Palestinian leadership to prevent ongoing terror? Moreover, would be reasonable to expect that MSNBC state that murdering innocent civilians is unacceptable, period, even if their network disagrees with Israeli policies.

Might one expect that the UNCHR urge the Palestinian leadership to act more like a genuine peace partner by cracking down on the extended intifada which has pushed the prospects for peace further away than ever. Where are such voices?

Statements from the EU, Britain and even the US did not mention a word about the need for the Palestinian Arabs and their leadership to do a better job of policing their own. General statements condemning the violence do nothing to prevent similar murders from reoccurring. This is inexcusable.

When the response to terrorism is viewed as less acceptable than terrorism itself, its a welcome mat for more.

Sometimes I wonder if two Israelis were sitting in a cafe in Ramallah or Gaza City and suddenly without warning started shooting indiscriminately at Palestinian Arabs, murdering them in cold blood, what might world reaction be to such horror?

On second thought maybe its not such a good idea to wonder such things.
The next President of the United States must consider acting on the basis of what activists in Northern Ireland used to call the politics of the last atrocity. The CIA Director John Brennan on June 16, 2016 provided official confirmation that despite the military and financial activity directed against terrorists in recent years, the efforts of the United States have not reduced the capability and global reach of ISIS. Brennan warned the country of the dangerous terror threat posed by ISIS and the large cadre of Western fighters on which it can draw.

Brennan did not use the words Radical Islamic Terrorism, words permanently absent from the White House vocabulary. He did not need to do so. As a result of the massacres in Orlando, Florida and in Paris, the U.S. and European countries realize from bitter experience of the existence of that global reach and that ISIS and those influenced by it, and al-Qaeda and others are preparing more attacks on the West.

These attacks may result from homegrown jihadists or from those infiltrating as supposed refugees and migrants into western societies. The massacre in Orlando is the latest example that the terrorist organizations, ISIS and others, have scored a sensational success in training and deploying operatives to carry out attacks. Though not all evidence is in, Omar Mateen, the callous murderer of 49 people, apparently had no direct links to ISIS but claimed allegiance to it and to its leader.

It is troubling that ISIS is skilled at social media propaganda, using Twitter, telegram, and Tumbler. This means there must be greater collaboration in the U.S. between the next president and technological and communications companies to counter the ISIS success on this issue.

The next president must start from the reality of the threat to the country. The evidence has been clear for a number of years. In a video released on September 22, 2014, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, official spokesman and a senior leader of ISIS, issued instructions to defend the Islamic world and to kill the disbelievers in Western countries. They should be killed in any manner or way, with a rock, knife, run over with a car, thrown down from a high place, choked, or poisoned.

For a number of years, ISIS announced it was shifting its long-term military campaign in favor of encouraging action by home-grown jihadi terrorists. It even named the victims: police, security, intelligence members and their agents.

This in fact was not new policy. Osama bin Laden, Saudi founder of al-Qaeda, declared war on the U.S. with a series of bombings and attacks including those on two U.S. embassies in east Africa in 1998, and was ultimately responsible for the 9/11 attacks. But he also wanted to strike across the world, eliminate the State of Israel, and above all restore Sharia law in the world. His objective was the spread of Islamic fundamentalist beliefs, and the consequent rising of Muslims throughout the world and their individual activity.

Osama did not make an explicit call for lone wolf activity but this was made clearer by the writings of Abu Musab al-Suri, an al-Qaeda operative AKA Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, in his 1600-page book The Call to Global Islamic Resistance. Suri recognized that the Muslim masses did not rise after 9/11. He called for individual jihad, or small groups, the act of individuals organizing and carrying out attacks without official connection or even support from a jihadist group, and the continuation throughout the world of sustained guerilla warfare under the banner of Islam.

Suri , a mechanical engineer, advocated not only the use of local weaponry but also the use of modern technology: the Internet; mainstream news organizations would broadcast their information and images of attacks; and the use of digital equipment, cameras, smartphones, and laptops. The acts of Omar Mateen in Orlando and Larossi Aballa outside Paris exemplify this shift to decentralized and successful violence.

The use of the Internet and web sites became important in the hands of Anwar al-Awlaki, the cleric born in New Mexico who was based in Yemen and killed in a drone strike in September 2011. For a few years he was probably the most influential cleric in the English-speaking world, partly through his links with Jihadists such as the Fort Hood killer, Nidal Malik Hasan, but mainly through his recruiting of terrorist and his skillful use of social media.

What to do? The next U.S. president must understand and respond to the Islamist enemy. Peter Bergen in his book United States of Jihad addresses the impact of Islamic thought and culture. The combination of fatalism and righteousness has empowered ISIS members to kill anyone they perceive to be standing in their way in order to wage a righteous war. They are instructed to strike terror into the enemies of Allah. The concept of jihad has been disputed. Some commentators see it in a mild way as an internal struggle for Muslims. But as a result of terrorists acts the undeniable truth that its main thrust is holy war.

The holy war is based on Sharia law. Western political leaders should not be politically correct about this and ignore the role of Saudi Arabia in the problem. Two things are important. One is recognition of the crucial place of Wahhabism, the austere and fundamentalist branch of Sunni Islam, in Saudi Arabian affairs and of the anti-Western Salafi ideology sponsored by Saudi funded mosques and private donors.

With reference to the massacre in the Orlando gay club, it is worth remembering that according to Sharia law, married men and women can be stoned to death for sex outside marriage while unmarried people can be lashed. Indeed, in May 2016, ISIS stoned four married men accused of adultery to death. The event, near the Tigris River in Iraq, was witnessed by a large crowd, including children who were present until the skulls of the victims were crushed.

Saudi Arabia punishes homosexuality and transgender individuals with death, whipping, or imprisonment. In 2014 a Saudi man got a three years prison term and 450 lashes for using Twitter to date other men. It is not coincidental that Mateen visited Saudi Arabia twice, in March 2011, and in March 2012, ten days on each occasion, and as well as the UAE.

The second issue is the denial by John Brennan that Saudi officials were involved in 9/11, and that the 28 redacted pages of the 9/11 Joint Inquiry Commission report in 2002 did not implicate them. It may be technically true that there is no evidence to indicate that the Saudi government as an institution or as senior Saudi officials individually had supported the 9/11 attack, but even the mediocre detective knows that perpetrators leave no fingerprints. Moreover, an attitude of this kind ignores the calls of the proponents of Islamic terrorism for individual or small group action with no official link. The next president must seek wiser counsel.
North Americas native tribes are as complex and diverse as the immigrants which now populate the continent. Historically, the federal government sought devious and violent means to control indigenous populations, and ultimately segregated most tribes by giving them tribal lands and reservations. This social experiment has failed many Native Americans, yet many more have successfully assimilated into contemporary life and economic activities. But universally valued by native tribes are their ancient cultural identities and ancestral lands. Despite progress, the 21st Century finds the federal government still warring with some native tribes, while the American Left, namely the environmentalist movement, exploits their grievances, real or fabricated, to advance a progressive agenda.

Stories illustrating ongoing conflicts between Native Americans and federal agencies, environmentalist groups, and each other, are many and often heartbreaking.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai

Once in a blue moon, the federal government tries to do something right, as in Montana with the effort to pave the way for transferring control of the National Bison Range to regional Native tribes.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife historically partnered with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of northwestern Montana for the care and management of bison herds occupying public lands. Earlier this year, the tribes persuaded Fish & Wildlife to consider transferring the lands and management of the bison to the tribes, where they would continue to maintain a herd of 300-400 animals. With the issue still in discussion, and with no formal action taken to finalize the transfer, on May 23, an environmentalist group, "Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility," filed a lawsuit against Fish & Wildlife in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. In typical fashion, the environmentalist group cited the lack of an "environmental review" as the basis for their lawsuit, in spite of the fact that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai, along with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, have sustainably managed the lands and herds for years.

Navajos of Northern New Mexico

All too often, Native tribes find themselves at odds with federal land management agencies, or, as in the following case, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In August of 2015, operators with an EPA mine cleanup crew caused a breach that spilled millions of gallons of toxic waste water into the Animas River in western Colorado. Downstream, thousands of people, including members of the Navajo and Southern Ute Tribes, were imperiled by the toxins flowing into the river and its tributaries. A week later, Navajo leaders discussed suing the federal government for losses stemming from the toxic spill. With water sources polluted beyond utility, the Navajos' livestock, crops, and people were left in dire need. The EPA promised to send fresh water and supplies sufficient to meet the tribe's short-term needs.

Approximately two weeks after the spill, the EPA delivered water in storage tanks to the Navajos near Shiprock, New Mexico. Russell Begaye, the president of the Navajo Nation, posted pictures of the water tanks, one of which was marked with the words "filtered oil," which appeared to be filthy and smeared with grease. Outraged, Begaye said he had been lied to about the cleanliness of the water tanks and that, despite further promises from the EPA, those tanks would be confiscated by the Navajo Nation and held as evidence against the agency.

Shoshones of Nevada

Another federal agency, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is the villain in the saga of the Shoshone cattle ranchers the Dann sisters. Northwestern Nevada is the historic home of the Shoshone people, and the tribe never formally ceded the land to the federal government, which now lays claim to over 85 percent of Nevada's surface acreage. The Dann sisters, like their ancestors, were of a mind that federal claims to the land, water, sub-surface minerals, and other resources are illegitimate, so they refuse to comply with what they deem governmental theft.

Predating the Bundy Ranch standoff, the Dann sisters, in 1973, stopped paying grazing fees as a form of protest against federal control of the lands that historically belonged to their people. A standoff between the BLM and the Dann sisters and their brother, Clifford, ensued in 1992. In protest, the brother doused himself in gasoline and was arrested and sent to prison, and 250 of the Danns' horses were subsequently sold at auction.

Getting on in years, the Dann sisters continued fighting the BLM for decades. Over the years the agency seized hundreds of their cattle and charged them $50,000 in fees and $3 million in trespassing fines. Mary Dann died on the ranch in 2005. The surviving Dann sister, Carrie, has continued to spar with the BLM, and their story taken on legendary proportions among those who have also battled "illegitimate" federal control of ancestral lands.

Makah of the Pacific Northwest

If it's not federal agencies, it might be well-funded global environmentalist organizations and animal rights groups launching assaults on the lives of Native tribes.

Efforts to revitalize their traditional, centuries-old whale hunts have placed the Makah of the Pacific Northwest in the crosshairs of animal rights and environmentalist groups, including the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). The whale hunt served important ritualistic and social roles and also provided survival necessities including food, tools, fuel, and clothing. Makah leaders have struggled to reinstitute this important cultural component of their tribal community but have met relentless protests and attacks.

Tactics employed by the environmentalist groups in 1996 divided dissenting Makah against those in favor of preserving the culturally significant whale hunt. Keith Johnson, president of the Makah Whaling Commission, addressed the issue in a Seattle Times article:

The leader of the pack attacking us is The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. They have been responsible for a steady stream of propaganda aimed at inflaming the public against us, some of which has been repeated by other anti-whaling groups, who have assumed it was factual. Who is Sea Shepherd? They are a California-based organization that has for years operated on the fringe of mainstream conservation groups.

The letter continues:

Recently, the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) distributed a brochure in which they implied we have lost our cultural need for whaling because we have adapted to modern life. These attacks on our culture and our status are foolish. No one can seriously question who we are; we are a small Native-American tribe whose members were the whalers of the American continent. We retain our whaling traditions today[.]

The last notable Makah whale hunt occurred in 1999 and resulted in thousands of scathing hate letters and patronizing and degrading commentaries aimed at the tribe from left-leaning environmental activists. In April of 2000, then Makah Tribal Council Chairman, Ben Johnson, was quoted:

Liberals seem always to want to fit Indians into a safe, acceptable ideal of the noble savage, and are uncomfortable when modern methods can be adopted to achieve ancient aims. Times change and we have to change with the times. They want us to be back in the primitive times. We just want to practice our culture.

To this day, the Makah are fighting to preserve their annual whale hunt, and a 2015 determination from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) may give them the green light to resume the centerpiece of their cultural identity.

Elwha of Washington State

The coastal Elwha of Northwestern Washington ran a tribal salmon hatchery for an economic base and to rebuild the salmon populations in the Elwha River and its tributaries. In 2015, three environmentalist groups, including the Wild Fish Conservancy, sued to stop the Elwha from releasing the baby salmon into the river. The hatchery managers and cooperating federal agencies were named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The environmentalist plaintiffs argued that the hatchery artificially bred genetically inferior fish and that the release of the inferior fish into the Elwha River constituted a violation of the Endangered Species Act. Although struggles among the Elwha Tribe, environmentalists, sportsmen, and various state and federal agencies over dams and fisheries have been raging since the early 20th century, tribal members contend that they are fighting for their right to manage and protect the resources that belong to then in ways that most benefit their people.

Grassroots Navajos of Southeastern Utah

The left has not been reluctant to exploit Native Americans in order to push their politically correct agenda related to what words or names can or cannot be used because of the possibility that someone might be offended. As you read this, environmentalist operatives, who are at best sympathetic to the federal control of public lands and at worst in full-blown collusion with federal agencies, have managed to pit Utah's Navajos against one another.

President Obama's sweeping use of the Antiquities Act to create  and lock up  millions of acres in the form of new national monuments greatly overshadows that of previous presidents, including Bill Clinton, whose creation of Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument took place during a secretive signing session in Arizona. The push by out-of-state environmentalist groups to "protect" the Bears Ears region of southeastern Utah by designating its 2 million acres as a national monument has opened a deep and painful division between factions of the Navajo Tribe in San Juan County.

Headed by Gavin Noyes, an entrenched activist who has worked for several environmentalist groups in Utah, the Dine Bikeyah Navajos, who are pushing for a new national monument, are at odds with the grassroots Navajos. The Utah think-tank the Sutherland Institute has documented the grievances of the grassroots Navajos, who fear that granting national monument designation to their native home in and around the Bears Ears region will prohibit the activities upon which they depend for food, water, heat, light, and traditional rituals.

With President Obama and environmentalist groups  many from outside Utah  eyeballing the Bears Ears for a 2-million-acre federal land grab, the cultural, spiritual, and survival needs of the grassroots Navajos have been cast aside.

The modern environmentalist movement in America is tightly interwoven both in policy and personnel, with federal agencies charged with land management and environmental protection. The leftist regard for Native American tribes in various regions of the country is dictated by the expediency of political agendas. There seems to be no consideration for these tribes, as exemplified by the Navajos of Southeastern Utah, for the damage and divisions caused by those political agendas.
After the shootings in Orlando, one of Canada's left-wing national newspapers (in all truth, there are no other kind in the Great White Abyss) -- the National Post -- predictably sent a journalist, Ashley Csanady, down to Florida to write a tabloid-style hit piece on American gun laws.

Subsequently, Csanady and Canadian conservative media commentator Ezra Levant got into a Twitter dust-up related to the article.

And when Levant noted that "[e]very time, I'm surprised by the lengths white liberals will go to deny the misogyny of Islam. The homophobia too," Csanady's response was "[b]ecause Christianity just oozes women's empowerment."

Csanady followed up with a Tweet apparently directly at Levant's height: "What is it about short men and their need to try and knock down strong women?"

All this is par for the course at the National Post, whose financial troubles are legendary within the Canadian media landscape. Analysts have recently set a price target on its parent corporation, Postmedia Network Canada Corp., of zero (yes, $0.00).

The real joke about the National Post came during a recent interview Levant conducted on his flagship media enterprise, TheRebel, with Ray Heard -- "a Canadian-South African journalist, editor, media executive and political strategist" -- where Heard claimed the following:

That the National Post, because Postmedia, which is run by a very smart conservative, Paul Godfrey .

Postmedia, and the National Post, are run by "a very smart conservative"? If so, then why is this media outlet condoning nonsense -- indeed, paying for it -- such as that perpetuated by Csanady? And why are there very few, if any, actual conservatives on the National Post's opinion pages ?

Of course, perhaps Postmedia is going bankrupt specifically because its opinion pages are filled with mindless left-wing drivel? And perhaps the Conservative Party of Canada can take it to the bank that they will lose elections as long as "very smart conservatives" running major media outlets continue to populate their journalist and opinion page ranks with raging liberals.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is one of the most far left labor unions in the country, having supported the idea of "community radio stations" and a "living wage." Now, a petition on the union's website accuses a large media company of taking part in a "far right conspiracy" because the newspapers owned by the company are downsizing.

No, really.

Washington Times:

The Communications Workers of America is fighting efforts to cut staff at the Denver Post and other newspapers by accusing Alden Global Capital, which controls Digital First Media, of a far-right conspiracy that involves jettisoning unfriendly reporters.

Alden Global Capital, a secretive hedge fund with ties to the Republican Party and the far right, has been quietly buying up newspapers around the country, says a petition on the labor website #AldenExposed. Its executives stash money in notorious tax havens worldwide and operate a complex web of funds and business structures to hide their investors from public view.

Under Aldens reckless management, newspaper staffing levels have been slashed to the bone. In many cases, Alden is laying off the very journalists who otherwise would investigate and expose this kind of business conduct, says the petition, which has gathered nearly 5,500 signatures.

Several dozen protesters, including some Denver Post reporters, held a demonstration Friday in front of the newspaper building to decry Digitals effort to cut 26 employees at Colorados largest newspaper through voluntary buyouts.

Hey, hey, ho, ho, Alden Globals got to go, the demonstrators chanted in videos posted on Facebook.

Many wore T-shirts and carried signs with the message #NewsMatters. Staffers at other Digital First-owned newspapers, including the Monterey [California] Herald and the St. Paul [Minnesota] Pioneer Press, offered shows of solidarity by posting photos of themselves on Twitter wearing #NewsMatters tees.

Supporters also held signs that said, Alden: The Public Deserves to Know.

Were blowing the whistle on Alden Global, the secretive hedge fund with ties to the Far Right, pillaging 200+ newspapers across the country, said a Twitter post by the Communications Workers of America, whose locals include the Denver Newspaper Guild.

The Pacific Media Workers union said Friday on Twitter that First Digital is laying off the very journalists who would call out their bad behavior.
President Obama and his family are enjoying Fathers Day in Yosemite National Park, a place of stunning natural beauty that refreshes the mind, the heart, and the soul. But of course, Obama being Obama and America needing constant correction of the evils of our ways, the trip became yet another opportunity for Obama to lecture us on why we should never emit CO2 the way he does, because all that CO2 will warm up the planet, according to computer models that havent predicted anything correctly.

Oh, and it will also make the planet greener, literally, by providing the CO2 that plants need. But that is not what the president told us:

Obama remarked not just on the beauty of the parks but also the threats they're under from climate change. He said officials at Yosemite told him climate change has already forced some bird habitats to move further north and long-standing wetlands have begun to dry up. Across the country, Obama said rising seas threaten everywhere from the Everglades to New York's iconic State of Liberty. "That's not the America I want to pass on to the next generation. That's not the legacy I think any of us want to leave behind. The idea that these places that sear themselves into your memory could be marred or lost to history, that's to be taken seriously. We can't treat these things as something that we deal with later," Obama said. "On this issue, unlike a lot of issues, there's such a thing as being too late."

Not only did President Obama bring a 40 car motorcade to Yosemite, causing no small amount of mirth on Twitter:

Not often you see a presidential motorcade in @YosemiteNPS. Nice novelty for the wildlife. pic.twitter.com/Vh2VvYLsV5  Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 18, 2016

His aerial carbon emissions were spectacular:

Strange lack of hand-wringing or condemnation of not taking climate change seriously with this huge carbon footprint https://t.co/fma9Z52i3j  WhiteHousePressCorps (@whpresscorps) June 18, 2016

Back at Castle Airport (formerly Castle AFB) near Merced. The CO2 has been spewing for days and days:

There already has been activity at Castle this week from jumbo jets delivering equipment and Marine One and Two, the presidential helicopters, said Joe Pruzzo, CEO of Castle Air Museum.

He said Air Force One doesnt go anywhere without an entourage and plenty of backup. Youll definitely see a secure perimeter around it, he said. I would assume that Secret Service (would) have a perimeter around the airfield itself. Pruzzo said a maintenance crew is always close by in case the equipment needs servicing and a backup plane accompanies Air Force One. Also typically in the entourage, he said, is a jet that can provide in-flight refueling.

Well, at least all the CO2 will help the vegetation at Yosemite.
This is a fascinating study of America's fathers that outlines how times and the role of fathers has changed over the last 5 decades.

The State of Americas Fathers was released Tuesday by Promundo-US and the MensCare campaign. It uses preliminary, previously unpublished data from the Families and Work Institutes National Study of the Changing Workforce. Promundo is an international organization that works with males to promote gender equality and emphasize their caregiver roles alongside women, Promundo-US president and CEO Gary Barker said. The report found fathers overall have increased the time they spend with their kids by nearly a third over the past three decades, and that the number of men and women who want to share child care responsibilities is at a high point. But while high-income men are celebrated for their involvement with their offspring, men of lower means, many not living with their kids, are often either valued or stigmatized simply by their ability to pay their way.

It's not surprising that poor fathers have more difficulty meeting their obligations than richer dads. But the study found those poor dads just as engaged with their children:

Policies and attitudes favor have dads over the have-nots, he said. Lower-income, less-educated dads are more likely to be nonresident parents who dont live with their children than are high-income, well-educated dads. He noted many fall behind in their obligations to their children not because they dont want to pay, but because the expectations are unrealistically high. They are challenged by poverty, lack of education and fewer opportunities more often than they are shiftless, he said, calling them not deadbeat fathers, but dead-broke ones. Barker noted 2.7 million children in America have lives further complicated by having a parent, usually a father, who is incarcerated or in some kind of mandated program such as substance abuse treatment or mental health.

The study has some recommendations that require an activist government:

 National legislation for paid, equal and non-transferable leave for mothers and fathers of newborns. The report said states that offer paid leave to parents, including New York and California, fund the cost with a payroll tax of about 1 percent.  Parents should have joint physical custody of children in cases of divorce with no history or threat of violence, but the report also emphasizes the childs best interests.  Policies like a living wage and justice reform should be used to support low-income fathers and families in caregiver roles, said the report, which noted nonresident fathers who pay child support should receive an Earned Income Tax Credit.  Workplace policies should value men and women equally for both employment contributions and caregiver roles. The report said men should be encouraged to enter health, education, administration and literacy professions, while children should learn the value of caregiving from young ages.

Paid parental leave is a luxury and requring all companies to give it would cause many of them to go out of business. Small businesses can't afford to lose a valued employee for a period of time and then pay both the employee and his replacement.

A "living wage" would be even worse. But some of the recommendations are common sense and sound. Fostering equality in the workplace is good for both men and women and reducing friction over child custody would be best for the child.

Fatherhood has come under assault by feminists who rail against dead beat dads and violent abusers. As it turns out, there are far more caring, loving fathers than bad ones and concentrating on the success of American fathers is far more valuable than pointing to the few failures.
Compassion is an endearing human trait, but as with everything else, it can be too much of a good thing when carried to excess.

Take the case of Donald Trump's call to temporary ban muslim immigrants from countries with high radical islamic activity until we can, as he puts it, "figure out what's going on."

Trump's proposal, which has been consistently supported by a majority of the American public, is met with a storm of criticism from the mainstream media and the political establishment. For making it, Trump is called a racist and every other pejorative in the book. The pathetic Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, has even said he would sue if Trump tried to enact such a ban.

The essential underlying argument against Trump's proposal -- at least the argument that is made for public consumption -- is compassion. This has touched the nerve of many good-hearted people and has gotten them to fall in line with the call for near unrestricted immigration into the U.S.

But is this the proper response?

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang describes how opposites or seemingly contrary forces are actually complementary, interdependent, and interconnected in the natural world. Light is balanced with darkness, male with female, fire with water, etc. The contrary forces cannot be separated. This is the way the world works.

Accordingly, to comport policy with the natural world --- and with reality --- compassion must be balanced by level headed logic and reasoning. The initial feel-good emotional release of compassion cannot be allowed to run hog wild and trample rational arguments.

Upon an objective examination, Trump's proposal can be seen as nothing but mere common sense. But as I have personally found out, it is hard to convince those who are emotional blinded by their embrace of 200-proof compassion on this issue. They seem immune to fact, logic, and reasoning so perhaps the way to penetrate their blindness through the imagery of song.

The song that sums up the situation best comes from 1960. It is Al Wilson's The Snake. Take a listen. Sing it to your bleeding heart friends. See if they get it.
Donald Trump accused Jeb Bush of plotting a "coup" at the Republican National Convention in July as reports surface that about 30 delegates are looking to get the rules changed in order to free delegates to vote for anyone they wish.

The Hill:

By the way, Jeb is working on the movement, just so you understand," Trump said to supporters at a rally in Las Vegas. "Jeb is one of the people that's working  and the other one should be obvious," he said, though he didn't elaborate further. Earlier at the rally, however, Trump echoed the Republican National Committee and said the reports were a media hoax. "It's all made up by the press, folks. It's a hoax," Trump said. "This is a story  who are they going to pick? I beat everybody. I beat the hell out of them." Several reports this week indicated that at least 30 delegates hope to change party rules next month to take away delegates who are pledged to the presumptive nominee, but who may not personally support him. "First of all, it's illegal. Second of all, you can't do it. Third of all, we, not me, we got 13, almost 14 million votes since the primary system," Trump said Saturday. By party rules, the majority of delegates are bound to vote for Trump on the convention floor, so any successful coup would require freeing those delegates from their commitments in direct violation of current party rules. The RNC denied those efforts Friday night, calling it a "media creation." "All of the discussion about the RNC Rules Committee acting to undermine the presumptive nominee is silly," RNC Communications Director Sean Spicer wrote in a statement.

It doesn't matter if Jeb Bush is behind the effort to flip the convention or if it's a media creation. Thirty delegates out of 2500 is not enough to change the rules, but just enough to get headlines. As mentioned before, Trump controls the convention and it is extremely unlikely, if not impossible, for the rules committee to try and deny him the nomination.

From now until the end of the convention, any rumor that would suggest an attempt to dethrone Trump is going to get reported and blown out of proportion by the media. And what's truly remarkable about it is the motive. The media believes they are doing America a favor by trying to destroy Trump. They've convinced themselves he's a "fascist" and they've got to pull out all the stops to deny him the presidency.

Trump.s an idiot, not a fascist. And if the press persists in this sort of media jihad against him, it will only build sympathy for him, thus bringing about exactly the opposite result of what they seek.
Transfer Balls: Arsenal blow out Cavani, keep Wenger, chase Boufal and go Blind

Arsenal will offer Arsene Wenger, 66, the chance to manage the club for two more years when his current deal ends next summer. So says the Sunday Mirror. Its not surprising news. Wenger is Arsenals easiest option. No deal has been agreed.

In other Arsenal news, the Observer says Wenger is keen on Lilles Morocco forward Sofiane Boufal, 22. Hes valued at 19.6m. Chelsea and Barcelona are also interested.

The Sunday People says Wenger wants Manchester Uniteds Dutch defender Daley Blind, 26. Why? We are not told? And the Star fails to tell its readers why Wenger would want to sign Man Uniteds Morgan Schneiderlin. Is the plan to buy United players Jose Mourinho might not rate?

It all adds up to a lot of nothing. But the real transfer balls is in the Mirror. The paper says Edinson Cavani has dealt Arsenal a blow. Cavani, a player the Gunners werent interested in signing, has agreed to a new deal with PSG. Of course the Mirror has a been a source of Cavani news for some time:

29 June 2013: Chelsea agree personal terms with Edinson Cavani

9 Decemeber 2014 Arsenal news and transfers: Edinson Cavani to ask Paris Saint-Germain for Gunners move

15 May 2015: Edinson Cavani agrees Juventus deal as Uruguay forward spurns Premier League interest

Such are the facts.

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Posted: 19th, June 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink


However, Iraqi Airways has been placed on the list following safety concerns.

EU Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc (above) said: "Aviation safety is my top priority and today's update illustrates our continuous efforts to offer the highest level of air safety to European citizens. I am happy to say that after seven years of work and extensive European technical assistance, we were able to clear all Zambian air carriers from the list. Following my visit to Iran in April, a technical assessment was successfully carried out in May. Based on this I am happy to announce that we are now also able to allow most aircraft from Iran Air back into European skies."

The EU Air Safety List is said to also help affected countries to improve their levels of safety, in order for them to eventually be taken off the list. According to the EU the Air Safety List has become a major preventive tool, as it motivates countries with safety problems to act upon them before a ban under the Air Safety List would become necessary.

Following today's update, a total of 216 airlines are banned from EU skies:

214 airlines certified in 19 states, due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states plus two individual airlines, based on safety concerns: Iraqi Airways (Iraq) and Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname).

Six airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires SN2AG (Gabon), Air Koryo (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran) and TAAG Angola Airlines (Angola).


YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. The implementation of the Vienna agreements is very important for the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said at the National Assembly. Its impossible to speak about any progress or productive negotiations without the mentioned condition. From this point of view this meeting will be an examination for Azerbaijan to show whether his consent in Vienna was caused by the pressure of the representatives of the three states and will now try to wreck it or no, Armenpress reports Kocharyan said.

Kocharyan mentioned that there can be seen some progress in the implementation of the Vienna agreements, meaning that the OSCE has already submitted respective documents. The Deputy Minister clarified that one of the documents was about expanding the monitoring mission of the OSCE team and the other is about installing the mechanisms investigating ceasefire violations.

As for my personal opinion, following the official announcements, Azerbaijan is not inclined to fully establishing those mechanisms and this meeting will show if Aliyev will try to bring forward numerous preconditions for that to wreck the Vienna agreements, Kocharyan said.

Referring to the remark that Russia has assumed a leading role in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the Deputy Foreign Minister said, Its hard to assess. During this entire process one of the Co-chairs has periodically assumed the leading role as you mentioned, meaning that brought forward more initiatives. Once it was France, the USA, Russia was very active during Medvedevs presidency.
Speaking at the Angelus Pope Francis reiterated the question in today's Gospel, Who is Jesus for the people of our time? Who is Jesus for each of us? Sadly, Many people feel an emptiness around and in themselves; others live in restlessness and uncertainty because of insecurity and conflict. He recited the Ave Maria for the Pan-Orthodox Synod in Crete. Tomorrow is the UNs World Refugee Day. Speaking about refugees, he said we must meet them, welcome them, listen to them, and become peacemakers in accordance with Gods will."

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  "The world needs Christ, his salvation, his merciful love more than ever. Many people feel an emptiness around and in themselves; others live in restlessness and uncertainty because of insecurity and conflict, Pope Francis told pilgrims in St Peter's Square before today's Angelus.

"All of us need adequate answers to our concrete questions, the pope noted. In Christ, only in Him, can one find true peace and the fulfilment of every human aspiration. Jesus knows the human heart like no other does. For this reason, he can heal it, giving it life and consolation."

The pope commented today's Gospel (12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 9:18-24), when Jesus turned to his disciples before asking first what people thought of him and then what the Apostles themselves thought of him, leading Peter to say You are Christ.

Jesus realised that the Twelve, Peter in particular, had received the gift of faith from the Father. For this reason, he began to talk to them openly about what awaited him in Jerusalem. The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised (Luke, 19:22).

Those same questions are addressed to all of us today. Who is Jesus for the people of our time? Who is Jesus for each of us? For me, and you, and you? We are called to make Peter's answer our answer, joyfully professing that Jesus is the Son of God, the eternal Word of the Father, who became man to redeem mankind, pouring out upon it the abundance of divine mercy."

"After ending his talk with the Apostles, Jesus addressed everyone, saying If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke, 19:23). This is not an ornamental or ideological cross, but it is the cross of ones duty, of sacrifice for others with love, of availability and solidarity with the poor, of commitment to justice and peace. In taking on these attitudes, we always you lose something. We must never forget that whoever loses his life for my sake [Christs] will save it (Luke, 19:24). It is a loss that leads to gain.

Let us remember all of our brothers and sisters who offer their time, their effort and even their lives to Jesus in order not deny their faith. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus gives us the strength to go on the journey of faith and witness. In this journey, Our Lady is always close to us and ahead of us. Let ourselves let her take us by the hand when we go through dark and difficult moments. "

After the Marian prayer, the pope called on the faithful to pray for the Pan-Orthodox Synod, currently underway in Crete, where, for various reasons, some Churches are not in attendance.

"Today, Francis said, Solemnity of Pentecost according to the Julian calendar followed by the Orthodox Church, the Pan-Orthodox council began in Crete with the Divine Liturgy celebration. Let us join the prayer of our Orthodox brothers, invoking the Holy Spirit to assist with his gifts patriarchs, archbishops and bishops assembled in council." He then recited the Ave Maria, followed by tens of thousands of those present.

Right afterwards, the Holy Father said that tomorrow is World Refugee Day. Instituted by the UN, its theme this year is We Stand #WithRefugees 2016 - Please Stand with Us.

"Refugees, the pontiff said, are people like everyone else, but who have had their home, work, relatives, friends taken away from war. Their stories and their faces call on us to renew our commitment to build peace in justice. For this reason, we want to be with them, meet them, welcome them, listen to them, and become peacemakers in accordance with Gods will."
Hi guys, new here in your forum and it would be much appreciated if you could answer my question below or give me some links with topics similar to my case.



My girlfriend went to Sydney last April 2016 with a permanent resident visa. I, on n the other hand, lodged my tourist visa application. Hoping for the immigration to grant my request soon, we are thinking if we could marry in civil once I get there so we could process my fiance/spouse visa right after. Given it is possible to get married, I am still planning to go back to my home country up until my fiance/spouse visa is granted, and then we'll settle in Sydney for good. I wonder if it is possible to wed and if we are not violating any laws given our intentions and visas on hand?



Thank you very much in advance!
Hi everyone,



Well my partner and I have now provided all the information asked for our PMV 300 online application including the PCC and medical exam and our status is now "Application in progress".



Does this mean we have been assigned a case officer?



If so, is there anyway to find out who they are and how to contact them?



Thanks for any help,



Sarah.
There's no better way of describing how the 2016 edition of the 24-hour battle ended - Porsche sneaked right past Toyota, with the Japanese racecar losing power on the penultimate lap of the race.It was almost surreal when Kazuki Nakajima announced his gas pedal had lost its powers after 23 hours and 58 minutes of fierce battle. Many aficionados expected the Japanese carmaker to grab this year's LMP1 title.This expectation came to be after Anthony Davidson out on a remarkable show early on Sunday, when he passed Mark Lieb's 919 Hybrid. Nakajima later took over the no. 5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, building what appeared to be a secure lead.Third place went to the no. 6 Toyota, but this came four laps behind, after Kobayashi had visited the pits due to a spin only three hours before the grand finale.As for last year's champions, Brendon Hartley, Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard, they were forced out of the fight due to a faulty water pump, exiting the stage after just nine hours.So, whiledoesn't look like the clear P.W.L.M. success Zuffenhausen registered last year, we're still dealing with the automaker's 18th overall Le Mans trophy and the premises for an interesting streak of wins (Porsche only returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2014, remember?).For Audi, though, the 2016 race was the first that saw the automaker being kept away from the podium since the German entered Le Mans back in 1999. After a turbo failure sent the no. 7 R18 out, the no. 8 Audi, which was no match for the battling Porsches and Toyotas, came in fourth, but at a noticeable distance.Thesaw Nicolas Pierre (having raced with Stephane Richelmi and Gustavo Menezes) grabbing the win in the Signatech Alpine A460 Nissan, but we'll need to look to the GTE Pro category for the other big news of this year's race.We're talking about Dirk Muller's win, which saw Ford grabbing the trophy 50 years after its infamous Ferrari one-upping move , with the No. 68 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT bringing home the title. The win was anything but easy, as the team battled Ferrari 488 GTE-running Risi Competizione over most of the race. Yes, fans of the 2017 Ford GT are going crazy!Nevertheless, in the, Jeff Segal brought the victory for Scuderia Corsa in the No. 62 458 Italia shared with Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell. This is where Porsches and Aston Martins seemed to experience one troublesome moment after another.Whether you watched the race for your favorite team, or simply enjoyed adrenaline-packed moments such as the Audi R8 safety car powerslide in the wet (video below), this year's race has kept us all on our toes.
19 June 2016 18:19 (UTC+04:00)

An Azerbaijani delegation led by Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev has attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is an annual international conference dedicated to economic and business issues. Over the last decade, SPIEF has become a leading international platform for the discussion of the key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets, and the world as a whole.

SPIEF attracts over 10,000 international and Russian participants, including government and business leaders from the emerging economic powers, as well as leading global voices from academia, the media, and civil society.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum first took place in 1997 and since 2006, it has been held under the auspices of the President of the Russian Federation, who has also attended each event.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
19 June 2016 14:05 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan`s Ambassador to Iran Bunyad Huseynov has met the country`s Minister of Culture Ali Jannati.

The parties highlighted historical, cultural religious relations between the two countries. The sides also spoke about the developing bonds between Azerbaijan and Iran.

The Ambassador also touched upon the cause and consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Recalling his visits to Azerbaijan Ali Jannati praised the same values of both countries shared in several fields. He said reciprocal visits of the heads of the states of both countries served to will of the two nations.

They stressed that there were wide opportunities for cooperation in the fields of the culture, art, science and sport.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict the Iranian Minister said his country supported peaceful settlement of the problem.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Funerals for the 49 people killed in the Pulse shooting are now underway across Central Florida, and will continue through the weekend. There are also numerous vigils and prayer services, including one in downtown Orlando on Sunday.

Cathedral Church of Saint Luke to host hundreds for memorial Sunday

Thousands expected at Lake Eola for vigil afterwards

As many as 50,000 people are expected to gather for a vigil at Lake Eola Sunday night. And hundreds of people at that vigil will be coming from a prayer service just right around the corner -- at The Cathedral Church of Saint Luke.

After a week of horror, heartache and heroic response, religious leaders say its now time for people to begin the process of trying to heal.

To live through an evil event like this that targeted a particular group in our community, its devastating, said Reverend Canon Josh Bales of The Cathedral Church of Saint Luke.

The downtown Orlando church is holding a prayer service for the public at 6 p.m. Sunday evening.

Rev. Canon Bales says one of the best things people can do now to help is acknowledge what has happened and support those whove been hit the hardest.

To be present, especially with the victims friends and families. They dont have to say the right things, they dont have to do the right things. They just have to be there with them, said Rev. Canon Bales.

Several priests will be at the church to offer counseling to those who need it. The several hundred people at the service are expected to then walk  with candles in hand  down to the massive vigil planned at Lake Eola.

At last check on the vigils Facebook page, nearly 25,000 people say theyre going. And another at least 30,000 people say theyre interested in going.

Rev. Canon Bales says the more people, the better.

I think if were going to get through this, its going to be as a city, as a whole united city, said Rev. Canon Bales.

Organizers of the vigil at Lake Eola say people coming need to bring their own candles. Signs are welcome, but the organizers say those signs need to have messages of peace, love and unity  not anything political.

Free LYNX Service

In addition, LYNX is offering complimentary event service to the vigil Sunday at Lake Eola. LYNX will offer free transportation to and from the vigil from the following locations:
Texas Democrats gathered in San Antonio this weekend for their state convention - and no, the meeting wasn't attended by every single member of the party. Even though Democrats haven't won a statewide election in Texas in two decades, the party still has pockets of support across the state - with this region being a prime example.

Republicans are justifiably proud of their dominance in statewide races, but they shouldn't get overconfident. Trends like this invariably don't last in American politics. For one thing, the growing Hispanic population in Texas could easily change election results eventually if these people vote Democratic in large numbers.
Patisserie Valerie boss Luke Johnson says his success in business has come in spite of the EU, not because of it

A group of 37 business chiefs have called on voters to choose to leave the "energy-sapping" EU.

Led by cake-chain Patisserie Valerie boss Luke Johnson, the entrepreneurs have said their success in business has come in spite of the EU, not because of it.

In a letter to The Sun on Sunday, they argued that business will thrive once they are freed from the "straitjacket" of Brussels.

Co-founder of Superdrug Peter Goldstein, homeware giant JML founder John Mills, and James Tanner, managing director of Tanners Wine, have also signed the letter.

They wrote: "We're confident that, unburdened by the energy-sapping European project, British inventiveness, flexibility and thoroughness will see the country thrive outside the EU.

"These attributes will ensure that our economic performance continues to outstrip that of the rest of the EU bloc."

Claiming that the EU is obsolete, the signatories claim the 28-member group has been superseded by global trade organisations but the EU sits on these bodies in Britain's place.

They added: "Brexit would allow us to retake our seat at the top regulatory tables."
Siemens warned that the UK's hopes of becoming a global leader in the offshore wind industry would be harmed by a Brexit vote

Britain's push to become a world leader in the offshore wind industry could be blown off course by a vote for Brexit, according to the boss of Siemens UK.

Chief executive Juergen Maier said the UK could become the industry's global hub for research and development (R&D), but would struggle to achieve this goal outside the EU.

He said the UK's efforts to become a centre of innovation in the sector would be negatively affected by Brexit because it would become harder to network with key R&D regions across Europe.

It comes as Siemens and Associated British Ports push ahead with a 310 million investment in Hull to build the country's first purpose-made factory for manufacturing offshore wind turbine blades, creating more than 1,000 jobs.

Speaking to the Press Association from the International Festival for Business in Liverpool, Mr Maier said: "Hull is currently serving the domestic UK market and in the short-term a Brexit vote wouldn't scupper our plans because we see a strong pipeline coming through the strong British market.

"However, the real opportunity is not just the domestic market, it's the exports and future technology, and that would be much less optimistic outside the EU."

He added: "We need to network with R&D hubs in other European countries, the UK needs to be a hub within that network. If Britain decides being outside the EU is better, then that becomes a lot harder."

"A Brexit vote would put Britain's hope of becoming a global centre for offshore R&D at risk."

Siemens announced on Friday that it plans to merge its wind power business with Spain's Gamesa to create the world's biggest builder of windfarms.
Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin was killed when he was struck by his own car, police have said.

The American actor, 27, was hit by the vehicle as it rolled backwards down his driveway in Studio City, California, according to Los Angeles police officer Jenny Hosier.

The car pinned Yelchin against a brick letter box pillar and a security fence.

He had got out of the car, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Ms Hosier said.

When he did not arrive, the group went to his house and found him dead.

Yelchin started his acting career with parts in indie films and television shows such as Judging Amy and The Practice before getting his big break in 2006 crime thriller Alpha Dog.

He is best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek films.

The actor is in the third film in the franchise, Star Trek Beyond, which is due to be released in the UK in July.

Several celebrities have paid tribute to Yelchin on Twitter following the accident, which took place early on Sunday morning.

His Star Trek co-star Zachary Quinto wrote: "Our dear friend. our comrade. our anton. one of the most open and intellectually curious people i have ever had the pleasure to know. so enormously talented and generous of heart. wise beyond his years. and gone before his time. all love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief."

Actor John Cho, who also appears in the films, said: "I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins."

Justin Lin, director of Star Trek Beyond, said: "Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you."

Actress Anna Kendrick wrote: "This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss."

Little Britain star Matt Lucas said Yelchin was "an amazing actor".

Glee actor Kevin McHale said: "Anton Yelchin has always been one of my favorite actors. I've seen every movie. This is awful. Im so sorry for his family & friends."

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby.

The actor's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for the poster to be withdrawn, describing it as "vile and racist".

Speaking on the Murnaghan programme on Sky News, she said: "In these last few days I hope we can have a debate that doesn't focus on immigration.

"Yes, people's concerns about immigration need to be addressed, but let's also make the positive case for a world and a Europe where we all have the freedom of travel and the positive case for immigration and the benefits that brings to our economy.

"On that point, the poster that Nigel Farage unveiled last week was vile and racist...and I hope he does agree today to withdraw that poster, because that kind of sentiment has no place in a civilised debate."

Ms Sturgeon continued: "My argument is let's deal with the impact, let's invest in housing and public services rather than blame immigrants or take a view that we should somehow close our borders. Inward migration is good for our economy."

She added: "Let's have a balanced and proper debate about immigration, not one in which people's legitimate concerns are exploited in a way that is designed to encourage people to turn inwards.

"That is what the Leave leadership I think have been doing and I think it is deeply regrettable."
Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Dr Alasdair McDonnell at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Dr Alasdair McDonnell at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Dr Raied Al-Wazzan at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Dr Alasdair McDonnell at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Caral Ni Chuilin at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Tommy Mair has been named locally as the suspect in the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Caral Ni Chuilin at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is Dr Raied Al-Wazzan at a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Pacemaker press 19/06/2016 Vigils have been held across the UK after the killing of the Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox on Thursday. Political figures in Belfast at Belfast City Hall and members of the public came out to pay tribute to her. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

A man has been charged with the murder of Jo Cox

Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Pictured is a vigil in memorial to Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox at Belfast City Hall in Belfast , Northern Ireland on Sunday 19th June 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Pacemaker press 19/06/2016 Vigils have been held across the UK after the killing of the Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox on Thursday. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker

A vigil for murdered Labour MP Jo Cox was held outside Belfast City Hall this afternoon.

Members of the Northern Ireland Labour party and other mourners came out in the rain to sign an impromptu book of condolences.

Before a minutes silence was held, a musician in the small crowd performed a version of the Bob Dylan song 'She was a friend of mine.'

The 41-year-old mother of two young children was shot and stabbed on Thursday while working in her Yorkshire constituency.

A 52-year-old man, Thomas Mair from Birstall, has been charged with her murder. Appearing before magistrates on Saturday he gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Emma Hutchinson, 32, is the women's officer for the Labour Party in Northern Ireland. Speaking outside Belfast City Hall today she said: "We came here to pay respects Jo Cox's life after she was so cruelly murdered. We just said a few words about her work, about her life and the sad loss to her family and especially to her husband Brendan and her two young children."

"I think it's possibly the first time an MP has been killed outside of terrorism for their political beliefs. She wasn't a big hitter MP, but she worked diligently for her constituents and further afield for the Syrian children.

She continued: "Across the water the referendum has stirred up some quite unsavoury opinions and a nasty debate at times, but it's great to see people speaking from a progressive voice today who won't be silenced and have come out in support of her to show she won't be forgot."

MP for South Belfast, the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell, had known Jo Cox briefly during her first year in Westminster.

"Thursday was stunning for all of us," he said. "While MPs do suffer a certain amount of abuse and antagonism from people who get frustrated when an MP can't deliver perfection for them, you do not expect a colleague to be shot dead."

"To have somebody shot dead is quite frightening and intimidating for all of us."

"Jo was a tremendously passionate individual in the issues she took up, in particular Syria and the refugees."

"We have a particular solidarity here in Northern Ireland as MP's lost their lives. In South Belfast my predecessor Robert Bradford was shot and again Edgar Graham from the UUP was shot."

"We've had a sense of this and the pressure MP's are under, but no matter how and when it happens it's not acceptable and can never be justified."
Jo Cox died after being shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency surgery in Birstall

Jo Cox was a "21st century Good Samaritan", churchgoers have been told in the village where she was killed.

The Rev Paul Knight told a congregation at St Peter's Church in the West Yorkshire community that the 41-year-old MP was "someone with whom Jesus would have been so pleased".

He said: "Her humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as an amazing example - a 21st century Good Samaritan."

Mr Knight said: "Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

"I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

"And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile."

Mr Knight was speaking as Mrs Cox's husband Brendan tweeted: " Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon"

Prayers were said at St Peter's for Mr Cox and the couple's two young children.

Mr Knight also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Mrs Cox's aid outside Birstall library on Thursday.

After reading the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, the vicar said: "There is much wickedness in our world. But thank God there is so much goodness - goodness that does not recognise colour, not nationality."

The memorial service comes after Mrs Cox's sister called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death

Kim Leadbeater told crowds gathered in Birstall on Saturday that they should "focus on that which unites us and not which divides us" as part of her sister's legacy.

Ms Leadbeater, parents Gordon and Jean Leadbeater, and other family members viewed the hundreds of floral tributes and messages left to the Batley and Spen MP since her death on Thursday.

They embraced as they looked at the flowers in Birstall marketplace, metres away from where she was shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency surgery.

A memorial fund to raise money for charities Mrs Cox supported has reached more than 620,000, with donations from over 20,000 people.

The charities, chosen by Mrs Cox's friends and family, represent her campaigns as an MP to help civilians caught up in the Syrian war, to fight racism and extremism in Britain, and to help residents in her Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, a petition set up calling for Mr Kenny to be given the bravery honour the George Medal, has garnered close to 500 supporters.

He remains in hospital in a stable condition.

A 52-year-old man who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday over the killing gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Thomas Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.

Asked whether he would back proposals being circulated on social media for a statue of Mrs Cox at Westminster, Chancellor George Osborne told ITV1's Peston on Sunday: "I think it is very much for the family to guide us in this. I hope there will be a memorial, not just to her tragic death but to her incredible life.

"I think what we've seen in the last couple of days is not just the nation mourning the manner of her death but celebrating what she achieved in her short life.

"The fact that you see people giving money to the fund that's been set up to support the charities that she supported I think is wonderful. It's the kind of Britain that we don't talk about enough - a Britain that is very generous and open-hearted."
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Victim: Attackers threaten to set fire on us for not fasting and drinking alcohol

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CAN UGUR / @canugur1987

A group of Islamists stormed a record store in Cihangir, Istanbul on Friday and attacked fans of a British pop band Radiohead, gathered for a record-listening event, claiming that they were "drinking alcohol during Ramadan.

Bulent is one of the victims. He was hit and wounded on his head during the attack. While we were listening the new record, suddenly a large group of people came down yelling, swearing and insulting us. We could not even guess what was about to happen, then the attack started. They beat us up.

When they stormed in, a man with a white t-shirt attacked all of us and all of these were recorded he says. After that, the attackers threaten them with those exact words: Well set the store and you on fire. Arent you ashamed drinking alcohol and not fasting during the Ramadan?

After the medical treatment and getting sititches to his head, Bulent is in a good condition but certainly concerned: We are arranging our lives according to those who attacks us, for some time now. The more we step back the more they get on us.

I dont know how far it may go? he asks.

Police pressure on protesters

The tension escalated on Saturday, after hundreds of people gathered to protest Fridays attack in Cihangir. Police tried to disperse peaceful demonstrators firing rubber bullet, tear gas and using water cannons. But continued in their peaceful demonstrations. Some demonstrators were wounded and some were taken into custody.
Amazing House Owners Who Refused To Sell Their Properties Life oi-Syeda Farah

In today's world, the cities are widening constantly and growing larger with new buildings and roads coming up in places where once the area was a barren land. This is one of the best ways to make the connectivity and infrastructure better.

While there is constant development, there are encroachments happening wherein people are paid in peanuts for their property rates by builders and they are forced to vacate their homes.

In this article, we are here to share info on some of the amazing house owners who have refused to sell their houses during the time of developing the area.

Find out about these stubborn and stern owners who've refused to let go of their properties and have made the government adjust to their ways in either building their roads on a different path or by building roads that take a total 360 degree angle.

Read on to know more about these interesting house owners and houses that will blow your mind for sure.

The House With A 360-Degree Road View

Builders encircled the homes of three families in China with a four-lane flyover after they refused to make way for the bulldozers. Since the owners refused to sell their houses, the builders had to make construction adjustments.

Image Courtesy

An Elderly Chinese Couple Who Refused To Move

An elderly Chinese man named Luo Baogen and his wife insisted on living in the half-demolished building in the city of Wenling, in Zhejiang province, China. They claimed that the compensation the government offered them was not enough. To ensure the couple's safety, adjacent rooms in the five-storied building have been left intact.



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The Woman Who Refused To Sell Her Home

An 84-year-old woman named Macefield saw the quirky, quiet neighbourhood of Ballard, a neighborhood of Seattle, becoming more and more gentrified. Different developers came knocking on her little two-story home's door with plans to bring down her little house and the surroundings. They wanted to make a shopping mall. She refused to sell her property, even after they offered her a million dollars. The developers had no choice but to build a house around her little nest.



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The Four-Lane Highway Built Around Two Apartments

In 2015, builders were forced to build a $15 million road around two apartment blocks in China, when several families refused to move out. These house owners said that they were happy to move out only if they were offered a fair price for their property.

Image Courtesy

The House That Ended Up At The Bottom Of A Giant Pit

This three-story building in Yichang, Hubei province in China, is in the middle of a construction site meant for a high-tech industrial park. Unfortunately, it had fallen victim to China's rapid urban development. Apparently, the house owner had moved out of the house for a short while, but returned due to finances crisis.

Image Courtesy

The Man Who Rejected A $2 Million Offer





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Austin Spriggs had the equivalent of a golden lottery ticket. But, he was not fortunate enough, as the amount the builders offered him is not something that he got when he finally sold his property! Spriggs wanted to turn the place into a pizzeria; however, unfortunately, he could not, as he ran out of finances. He ended up selling his golden hen for $750,000.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/06/2016 (2321 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Twelve workers in the Canadian Pacific Railway Brandon Division will be part of countrywide layoffs that could leave an estimated 260 maintenance workers temporarily unemployed.

Notices were served late Friday afternoon, but Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, the union representing CP maintenance employees, said it wouldnt have a tally of those affected until next week.

According to Gary McDougall, the Prairie region director for TCRC, some workers received notices as early as Wednesday. He represents the area between Thunder Bay, Ont., and Swift Current, Sask., where more than 30 workers will be given their pink slip.

He called the layoffs a potential public safety risk, explaining that the workers who are losing their jobs are responsible for inspecting the tracks and correcting any defects.

McDougall considers the timing of the layoffs odd as summer is usually the time they blitz the track maintenance programs.

To us, this is just about reducing a head count, right, and  for lack of a better way of putting it  to just artificially inflate the share price so that its attractive to investors  Just because youre losing 260 bodies doesnt mean that the work doesnt have to be done, McDougall said.

Because their agreement ensures vacancies caused by layoffs arent filled with private contracts, McDougall is worried that the maintenance work could be deferred  or not done at all.

However, CP media relations adviser Salem Woodrow said safety would not be compromised by the job cuts, stating, CP has a strong safety culture. That will not change.

CP announced at the end of their first quarter that an additional 300-400 positions from the original 1,000 would be affected throughout the system, and that it would impact both union and management staff.

As market conditions improve over the longer term, we look to bring back employees in order to meet market demand, the CP representative said.

We adjust staffing levels according to business ebbs and flows associated with global markets and operational efficiency gains.

Of the anticipated 260 cuts, approximately 220 are seasonal employees. The layoffs will occur over the next 10 working days, or over the next three weeks depending on the employees work cycles.

 aantoneshyn@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @AAntoneshyn
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/06/2016 (2322 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Child care and early learning education may be one of the most undervalued tools we have for strengthening the Canadian economy.

Full disclosure: My wife Edith and I are expecting a third child in the early fall. It has been almost a decade since our youngest was born, so the news did come as a bit of a surprise. Before I launch into a diatribe about early learning policy, I wanted to make sure I levelled with readers about the connection of the topic with my own personal circumstance.

For better or worse, my views about the topic havent shifted dramatically over the past several years, so my opinion is no better informed by the pending arrival.

Weve long known the important role that the early years play in human development. I take it as a given that we all accept that. The role of the government in providing subsidies and support, however, is one that has a more divergent set of views.

If we wind back the clock to 11 years ago, Canadas public policy approach to early child care was a hot topic in 2005 leading into the 2006 federal election.

It featured an enthusiastic showdown between famed Montreal Canadiens goaltender-come-cabinet minister Ken Drydens plan for a five-year, $5-billion pan-Canadian approach to expansion of early learning centre spaces and then critic Rona Ambroses exclamation that old white guys should not be telling us what to do. Her alternative proposal was to let all Canadians, regardless of income level, with children under five years old get $100 a month and decide for themselves how to invest in child-care services.

Watching it unfold, Ambroses sound bites were much crisper and Dryden struggled to explain a complex system through the mediums of the era. In the end, Ambroses party was victorious and a national child-care strategy was swept aside in favour of tax credits for all.

Personally, my family was a beneficiary of this development. While I appreciate the politics of the two options, I found it hard to embrace as the right policy choice for Canada.

Typically, we want our policy choices to enable and encourage changes in behaviour and outcomes. However, it would be nearly impossible to secure child care for $100 a month. If one turns to the example of a single parent, the chosen policy option of $100 would not have facilitated their ability to secure child care and then enter the labour market.

Entering the labour market could have been life-changing for the individual and their children, and at the same time helped fuel an economy that was starved for people at that time. In my view, it is these important individual, family and societal economic and social benefits that merit consideration for a pan-Canadian approach.

That being said, child care and early learning are generally areas of provincial jurisdiction and most of the policy choices are made by provinces.

Here in Manitoba, early learning centres have recently received a fair amount of media attention, with both the number of available spaces and supply of skilled employees often being central story lines. Another personal disclosure: when I was moving to the province in June 2010, I quickly signed up for a spot but sat on a wait list for well over two years. Again, for me this was a manageable situation, but for far too many the inability to access affordable child care would preclude their ability to participate in the labour market. Unfortunately, this results in elevated social assistance levels, less available skilled workers, less mobility in the labour force and a host of other economic challenges.

Assiniboine Community College has been a significant actor in the development of trained professionals for the early learning sector in the province. For a decade and a half, Joanne Broatch has capably led our colleges efforts and she will be sincerely missed when she retires next month.

The college currently delivers early childhood education in a variety of delivery formats and in a multitude of locations across the province. This includes offering full-time, class-based study in Brandon and Dauphin, distance education delivery (individually and in clusters), workplace-based delivery options, and through partnership arrangements with the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.

In order to support early learning centre expansion in the province, the college recognizes that it will need to increase the availability of the program. We have also worked with key leaders in the provincial sector to develop an applied bachelors degree in early childhood education leadership. This will help to prepare more professionals for leadership roles in the industry, including early learning centre directors, program developers, government-related positions and educators in the sector. After many years of discussion, the program has now been submitted for approval to regulatory officials.

While I agree with the notion that many parents would love the opportunity to be at home with their children during the early years, in todays economic and social structure in Canada, this is an option that isnt available to many. Further, for a country that wants to develop self-reliant citizens and have more people actively engaged in the workforce, a high-quality, accessible child-care system is critical infrastructure for enabling economic development.

In Manitoba, there has been considerable attention on our lagging primary and secondary school academic achievement as measured through PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Manitobas new government has resolved that education achievement is a problem we will tackle head-on. The solutions to improve the performance of Manitobans may lie as much outside the K-12 system as within.

We know the importance of the early years in setting the stage for human development. Early learning centres could be particularly important in making a contribution, especially for the most vulnerable in our society. With education, you can never start too soon.

 Mark Frison is president of Assiniboine Community College. Twitter: @markfrison
The Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has said the Government will do all it can to prevent fraud around the newly proposed Paternity Leave payment.

The Government is due to publish the bill tomorrow which will bring about 2 weeks' paid paternity leave for new fathers from September of this year.
David Cameron and George Osborne have issued an impassioned appeal for a vote for Remain, warning that leaving the EU would be the "big mistake" putting Britain's prosperity at risk.

With campaigning in the referendum set to resume after the shocking murder on Thursday of Labour MP Jo Cox, Mr Osborne said he hoped the debate could be conducted in a "less divisive tone" in the final days before polling.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, he said: "Let's have less inflammatory rhetoric and baseless assertion, and more facts and reasoned argument."

But while the British Chancellor said it was "deeply troubling" that the Leave camp continued to ignore the warnings of independent experts like the IMF about the threat to the economy, pro-Brexit Justice Secretary Michael Gove insisted Britain would thrive outside the EU.

His comments were in sharp contrast to Mr Cameron who, in an article for the Sunday Telegraph, warned that the country was facing an "an existential choice" from which there would be "no turning back".

He said the economy "hangs in the balance", with trade and investment set to suffer, in the event of a vote for Leave, a "probable recession" that would leave Britain "permanently poorer".

"If you're not sure, don't take the risk of leaving. If you don't know, don't go. If we were to leave and it quickly turned out to be a big mistake, there wouldn't be a way of changing our minds and having another go. This is it."

In an interview with the Sunday Times he criticised Mr Gove and Boris Johnson for urging voters to discount the advice of economic experts.

"If you were about to get into your family car and drive your family at high speed on a motorway and the mechanic said to you, 'The brakes are faulty, the fuel is leaking, don't get in that car', you would listen to that expert," he said.

"Would you take a risk with your family and get into a faulty car? You wouldn't."

His warning was echoed by Mr Osborne who pointed to the latest assessment of the IMF that 440,000 jobs could be lost if Britain made "the most terrible mistake" of withdrawing from the EU.

"I say to people weighing up how to vote on Thursday. Stop and think. If there's any doubt in your mind, don't take the risk with an irreversible vote to Leave," he wrote.

While Mr Gove acknowledged there were risks in leaving the EU, he insisted he did not believe a vote for Out on Thursday would plunge the country into recession.

"There are great things that Britain can do in the future as a progressive beacon. By voting Leave, we have that opportunity. People should vote for democracy and Britain should vote for hope," he told the Sunday Telegraph.

"There are economic risks if we leave, economic risks if we remain. I don't think there will be a recession as a result of a vote to Leave."

With the latest clutch of opinion polls suggesting the Remain camp is regaining ground after slipping behind Leave, Mr Gove said the result was too close to call.

"Many of the arguments we have made have resonated. I don't know because I think the result is on a knife edge. I genuinely think that the public are making up their mind at the moment. It could go either way," he said.

In the first poll conducted entirely following the murder of Mrs Cox, Survation for The Mail on Sunday put Remain back in the lead on 45%, three points ahead of Leave on 42%.

Despite deep anger among many pro-Brexit MPs at the way Mr Cameron had led the Remain campaign, Mr Gove insisted he would carry on as Prime Minister whatever the outcome of the vote.

"I don't want to have anyone else as Prime Minister other than David Cameron and if people spend their time thinking about some of this stuff then they are getting in the way of two things: one, a fair, open, fact-based referendum debate, and two, the Conservative Government continuing afterwards in a stable and secure fashion," he said.

Boris Johnson also backed Mr Cameron staying on as Prime Minister, saying the Tory party leader had his "full confidence".

In an interview in The Sun on Sunday, he said: "The most important thing first of all is that David Cameron should stay on as Prime Minister - and I am sure he will.

"He will need to send a very powerful message to our European friends and partners that this is not a vote against Europe. It will be a vote against the institutions of the European Union."

He told the newspaper that, in the event of Brexit, steps could happen within days, including quitting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Calling the referendum a "once-in-a-lifetime chance" to take back control of the country's democracy, he said: "We are working flat out to achieve this. It's a chance to take back control of huge sums of money and to take back control of our trade policy."

Defending the Leave campaign's focus on immigration, Mr Johnson said he was "pro-immigration" but wanted a policy that was "fair and balanced".
The UK's Chancellor George Osborne has branded a controversial poster unveiled by Nigel Farage "vile", comparing it to extremist literature produced in the 1930s.

Speaking on ITV1's Peston on Sunday, Mr Osborne said that the poster was the latest in a series of efforts by Mr Farage to "whip up division", also including "baseless" claims that millions of migrants were likely to arrive from Turkey.

The poster, showing a stream of non-white migrants walking through the British countryside under the slogan "Breaking Point" has been reported to police for alleged racism, and some on social media have compared it to images from the Nazi era.

But Mr Farage has dismissed suggestions that the poster was racist, insisting it was an "accurate, undoctored" picture of the consequences of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's announcement that she was opening the doors to refugees from the Syrian war.

The Chancellor said: "There are perfectly legitimate concerns about migration, concerns that are felt in every Western democracy in the world.

"But I think there is a difference between addressing those concerns in a reasonable way and whipping up concerns, whipping up division, making baseless assertions that millions of people are going to come into the country in the next couple of years from Turkey, saying that dead bodies are going to wash up on the beaches of Kent, or indeed putting up that disgusting and vile poster that Nigel Farage did, which had echoes of literature used in the 1930s.

"That is what we should say `No' to. This referendum vote is a vote on the kind of Britain we want.

"Do we want a prosperous outward-looking Britain that's leading in Europe or do we want a meaner, narrower Britain that is poorer in all senses of the word?"

Britain's Justice Secretary Michael Gove, one of the leaders of the official Vote Leave campaign, also distanced himself from the poster.

"When I saw that poster I shuddered. I thought it was the wrong thing to do," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.

"I am pro-migration but I believe that the way in which we secure public support for the continued benefits that migration brings and the way in which we secure public support for helping refugees in need is if people feel they can control the numbers overall coming here."

However, he defended a warning by Vote Leave that there could be an additional one million immigrants from Turkey within eight years if Britain remains in the EU, even though the Government has insisted it will be many years before Turkey will be able to join.

"The rate and speed at which Turkey will join will depend on a variety of political factors but it is the case that during the course of this year that the European Union have made it clear that they want to accelerate that process," he said.

"I think that when Turkey is becoming less democratic that is not the right thing to do."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for the poster to be withdrawn, describing it as "vile and racist".

Speaking on the Murnaghan programme on Sky News, she said: "In these last few days I hope we can have a debate that doesn't focus on immigration.

"Yes, people's concerns about immigration need to be addressed, but let's also make the positive case for a world and a Europe where we all have the freedom of travel and the positive case for immigration and the benefits that brings to our economy.

"On that point, the poster that Nigel Farage unveiled last week was vile and racist...and I hope he does agree today to withdraw that poster, because that kind of sentiment has no place in a civilised debate."

Ms Sturgeon continued: "My argument is let's deal with the impact, let's invest in housing and public services rather than blame immigrants or take a view that we should somehow close our borders. Inward migration is good for our economy."

She added: "Let's have a balanced and proper debate about immigration, not one in which people's legitimate concerns are exploited in a way that is designed to encourage people to turn inwards.

"That is what the Leave leadership I think have been doing and I think it is deeply regrettable."
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The cost of a good night's sleep What's inside the white box? Credit:Greywing / Supplied How much should you pay for a bed? Certainly not full price or RRP, admits Forty Winks CEO Con Dekazos. "That's the nature of the industry. It averages around a 30 per cent discount basis, but I would argue that you'd get that almost every day from a bedding retailer. "In the retail environment, there are always mark-ups. That's because of the bricks and mortar model  you've got to pay wages, electricity, gas. You can't compare the mark-ups on a bricks-and-mortar versus online model."

Forty Winks has been in trouble for this before  the ACCC whacked them with an enforcable undertaking in 2005 for selling products far below the RRP. But even if you buy a bed on sale, the margins are still huge, says former GM Wilson. In addition to marking a bed up 240 to 300 per cent, the retailer gets a "rebate" from the manufacturer for each sale  about 12 per cent of the sale price. Why do consumers accept such huge mark-ups? Because all mattresses essentially look the same, and manufacturers carefully guard the details of what's in a bed, says one former franchise owner who spoke on condition of anonymity. "There is a lot of confusion in that space, because apart from looking at the mattress you cannot tell what's inside it. It's a trust issue, to be honest. You've just got to trust what the seller is saying."



No comparison Manufacturers and retailers also work together to ensure shoppers cannot comparison-shop mattresses, says Wilson. Each individual mattress chain is given a range of beds by manufacturers including Sealy. But each bed is given a different name and price point for each retailer, ensuring no competing store is selling the same product. Fairfax found 131 different Sealy mattresses on sale at Snooze, Forty Winks, Bedshed and Harvey Norman under names like Trafalgar, Navi, Molise, Threadbo, Veneto, Hotham and Guthega. Every single mattress was unique and couldn't be purchased at another store. "They are dealing with all the major retailers including all the smaller retailers, and they are providing an individual product to each store so they can say this is only available at our store," says Wilson.

"They'll have a different colour, a different name, and probably a slight difference in the materials that are above the springs." Wade Gunzer, marketing manager at Sealy Australia, says the company tailors individual mattress ranges to meet the needs of each company's customers. "Each bed is individual, so it get so it gets a different name. In some beds there might be minor changes, and in some there might be major changes." The former franchise owner puts it differently. "Nowadays you could call it the Nurofen rule," he says. "That company was packaging drugs for various things, but they were all the same Nurofen tablet."

So how much does a mattress cost to make? There are an emerging group of young upstart entrepreneurs who say they have discovered a secret: mattresses are much cheaper to make than you'd think. "We thought  wow, there is a lot of margin in the middle," says Richard Li of his first impressions of the mattress industry. After calling a few factories, Li discovered he could make a bed thousands of dollars cheaper than the ones that are sold in stores. So he did  he called it Greywing, priced at $1195, and says business is booming. Ringo Chan, founder of Ecosa, is another upstart. His foam mattresses cost up to $1350.

He was approached by a major retailer  he won't say which one  who wanted to stock his range. But they baulked when they realised in order for the store to make a profit, they would have to sell it for a 300 per cent mark-up on the amount of money it actually takes to make the bed. "They would have to get us to mark-up the price to cover everything," he told Fairfax. Stefan Papas makes OzMattress, an online mattress that includes springs and gel, just like something you might buy in Forty Winks. His top of the range sells for $2100; the mark-ups in-store are so big, he says, that it competes on quality with beds sold for $10,000. "At some point the major manufacturers along with the major retailers decided to take the Australian public for a ride. It's a racket," he says. Wade Gunzer, marketing manager at Sealy Australia, rubbishes those claims. There are no mark-ups, he says. "A lot of technology, innovation and work goes into making these.

"It's a really unique and precious industry." Greywing and Ecosa's foam mattresses are much cheaper, but they aren't without their own problem. Gunzer says they can never be as supportive as a spring mattress; there are also questions over the mark-ups they themselves charge. A foam bed can be made for less than $100 in China; if that's so, says a critic, how much of a mark-up are they charging? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO MAKE A MATTRESS? It is difficult to work out exactly what's in a mattress, because manufacturers are very opaque about the amount of each ingredient that goes into a bed. Fairfax has spoken to two mattress industry insiders, who agreed to reveal the general details of some of their price lists

A top-of-the-range bed. Total cost to make: less than $1500. Components include: Gel - $350 to $400

Springs - $240

Quilting - $150 A standard memory-foam bed, with three layers. Components include: 2.5 centimetres of latex - $132

22 centimetres of gel memory foam, plus HD support foam - $534 A more complex multilayer bed, manufactured in China. Components include:
As the digital boom transforms the world we work in, more people are shedding their pasts for a future in tech.

Australia's Productivity Commission last week said 40 per cent of traditional jobs could be displaced in 15 years. And Deloitte predicts the growth of digital jobs is set to outstrip that of the wider workforce.

A forum in Melbourne discussed the disruption of established business models, and how to transition to jobs of the future. Credit:AP

It's a stark warning that appears daunting to many, especially those of us without programming prowess.

But how do the digital employers weigh your resume, and what are they really looking for?
The just over $3 billion in spending included about $1.3 billion in new money and heavily reflected Labor's commitment to healthcare. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten greets former prime minister Bob Hawke and former prime minister Paul Keating during the launch. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The new measures in Mr Shorten's speech included $81 million for suicide prevention, $884 million to reverse the Turnbull government's cuts to diagnostic imaging and pathology and $88 million for stage four of the Nepean Hospital redevelopment in Western Sydney. The biggest cheers of the speech were prompted by the commitment to give small businesses with a turn over of less than $2 million tax breaks of up to $20,000 if they hire workers who typically have trouble getting into the workforce - parents returning to work, carers, and people aged under 25 or over 55. The measure will cost $257 million, spread over four years. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten arrives at the Australian Labor Party 2016 Federal Election Campaign Launch at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, in Penrith, NSW. Credit:Wolter Peeters

"We will speak up in particular for the long-term young unemployed and for older Australians." On infrastructure, Labor confirmed spending of about $1.7 billion - $520 million over four years - on projects it has previously indicated support for - $400 million for the multi-billion dollar western Sydney rail link taking in Badgerys Creek, $380 million of the $11 billion Melbourne Metro rail project and another $120 million on Victoria's Park and Ride Access Fund, and $800 million for the cross-river rail project in Brisbane. Labor is not expected to make any further major spending announcements, but it does plan to release further savings measures to improve its budget bottom line. "We will not be a big-spending government," Mr Shorten said, adding that "we can win this election" as he mocked the Prime Minister for being complacent. "Make no mistake if the Liberals win, we shouldn't be worried about Mr Turnbull breaking his promises, we should be worried about him keeping them."

With just 12 days left until election, Labor leads 51-49 in the Fairfax-Ipsos poll's two-party preferred vote but strategists on both sides have suggested Labor has not yet done enough to win a net 21 seats to reach a majority in the lower house. Mr Shorten sought to project a confident position, repeatedly saying: "We can win and we must win." The launch was attended by former prime ministers Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and Julia Gillard but not Kevin Rudd, who is currently in Russia. All were greeted with rapturous applause and Mr Hawke in particular, as the creator of Medicare, was repeatedly praised by Mr Shorten in a bid to underscore the party's enduring achievements. "When you are in the fight of your life, when your family member is in the fight of their lives, you need a government on your side and we will be that government," he said of the suicide prevention package. Mr Shorten also targeted the Coalition's business tax cut, saying that $30 billion of the $50 billion cut would go "straight overseas". Mr Shorten also sought to portray Mr Turnbull as a leader who is out of touch on issues such as housing affordability and access to childcare places.
A Labor government would aim to cut the number of Australians committing suicide by half over the next decade, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said, as he pledged $84 million in new spending to tackle the issue.

Speaking at the launch of Labor's election campaign in western Sydney on Sunday, Mr Shorten described suicide as "a hidden story in this country".

"Teenagers are taking days off school to attend the funerals of classmates who've taken their own life. Parents are sitting at kitchen tables, numb with incomprehension, shattered by grief, trying to write a eulogy for their child. No parent should ever bury their child. Yet seven Australians die every day at their own hand, every single day. We can do better than this."
The last of the Bureau of Meteorology's severe thunderstorm warnings for Queensland have been lifted, but south-east Queensland residents have been warned to remain cautious.

Power has been restored to many homes, however Energex is still working to rectify connections to more than 6000 properties. For the latest updates on power outages visit the Energex website.

The bureau said conditions could still be hazardous in the aftermath of the severe thunderstorms, particularly on the roads.

That concludes our live coverage of the weather conditions today. Stay safe.
Charlotte Thompson, 13, has tried a sip of her mum's champagne before and, frankly, "it tasted disgusting".

Maybe when she's 20 she will have a glass of wine with her friends when they go out, but until then ... nah. "I don't really see the appeal of getting drunk when you could be at home watching Netflix."

Emma Thompson and her 13-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Credit:Penny Stephens

Her parents don't drink much at all around her or her older sister, Lauren, 16, Charlotte says. "Just a glass when my mum has book club. Not that they read books; they just read the wine label," she adds with glee.

Her mum, Emma Thompson, laughs as she listens to her daughter. But she knows that as Charlotte gets older she will have greater exposure to alcohol and other drugs.
The father of shark attack victim Ben Gerring has spoken publicly for the first time about his loss at a memorial paddle-out off the Mandurah coast.

A jetski patrolled, keeping watch, around dozens of friends paddling on Saturday in memory of Mr Gerring, lost to a great white a fortnight ago as he was surfing.

Mr Gerring's fiance Jasmine Boyer, pregnant with their first child, watched from shore as his brother Rick took part in the paddle-out.

"I'm pretty proud. Very proud," Shayne Gerring told Nine News Perth before choking up.
A Perth real estate agent has adopted a novel sales tactic  telling the truth about the "decrepit" property he is selling.

The single-storey two-bedroom, one bathroom home on 8 The Paparet in Willetton, which is in the catchment area for one of the most desirable public schools, is dubbed by real estate agent Brent Compton as "the worst house on the best street".

Mr Compton said he was trying to attract buyers with the ugly truth, telling Channel 9 News Perth the house he is selling "is in need of a little bit more love than most other properties."

Overgrown and run down, Mr Compton recommends one of two options: "Renovate or detonate."
Las Vegas: Donald Trump has voiced annoyance at continued resistance to his presumptive presidential nomination from some Republicans as he accused former Florida governor Jeb Bush of trying to undermine his candidacy and appeared to take aim at Texas senator Ted Cruz.

"We are going to beat Hillary [Clinton]. And it would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit," said Mr Trump. "You know? OK? Just a little bit."

After complaining in general terms about talk of a "revolt" against him, Mr Trump later suggested that Mr Bush was involved in an opposing "movement" and that another well-known Republican was also plotting against him.

"By the way, Jeb is working on the movement, just so you understand. I love competition like that. I love it," said Mr Trump. He added: "And the other one should be obvious to you, but we'll figure that out very easily."
"It's been our goal to get as much information about this investigation into the public domain as possible," Ms Lynch told CNN's Dana Bash in an interview on State of the Union. "So people can understand, as we do, possibly what motivated this killer, what led him to this place and also provide us with more information."

Washington: United Stated Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that authorities would release redacted transcripts of the phone calls between Orlando shooter Omar Mateen and police.

She told Bash that the transcripts will show when Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group, how he explained his reasoning for the attack and what he mentioned more broadly about US foreign policy while holed up in a gay nightclub for at least three hours with the 49 people he killed and 50 or so he injured.

Police direct people away from the Pulse nightclub in Orlando during the shooting. Credit:AP

FBI Director James Comey said Mateen had three phone calls with Orlando police during the attack.

Ms Lynch said on CNN that the transcripts, which would be released Monday local time, would be redacted so as "to avoid re-victimising those people that went through through this horror. But it will contain the substance of his conversations."

Ms Lynch will travel to Orlando on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement, first responders and the victims and their families, as well as other key community members. She said that the investigation is ongoing and that her agency is piecing together who in Mateen's life knew what about his plans and when, including his wife.
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Sol Feuerwerker grew up as an alien. Not alien as in illegal immigrant. Alien as in someone from another planet.

That planet was Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

While many people in Williamsburg lead lives most of us can relate to, Sol was the youngest of 11 children in an ulta-Orthodox Jewish family. The religious sect he grew up in, a group called the Satmar Hasidim, believes in large families and distrusts the modern world. Members wear distinctive clothing  the men are in black suits, white shirts, and side curls  and speak Yiddish. They do not mingle with outsiders. They do not watch any media. Boys like Sol go to sex-segregated schools and are forbidden to study almost anything other than religion. No non-Jewish studies beyond what a fourth or fifth grader would get at public school.

Which is why it is all the more remarkable that about a week ago, Sol stood up in front of a crowd of 300 and announced that he had been accepted to medical school.

The crowd went wild. This was the annual downtown gala sponsored by Footsteps, the organization that helped Sol and hundreds of others find their way out of ultra-Orthodoxy to lead lives of their choosing. Footsteps is not anti-religion, it is pro-freedom. Its slogan is Your life, your journey, your choice.

Our core value is choice, says Lani Santo, the executive director. We really help people think through the consequences of their various decisions.

Because people leaving ultra-Orthodoxy are often shunned by the community they left behind, including their own families, Footsteps provides counseling, practical help, and a home base for those who lose their entire support system.

The gala was organized to celebrate the milestones in the lives of Footsteps participants, since few had family members to cheer them on. Instead, the audience of Footsteps supporters whooped for a member who just got her first tech job, and another who just became an Uber driver. Several members had become engaged, provoking joyous applause. Then Sol took the stage as the evenings keynote, and the audience sat in stunned silence as he told his story.

You need to understand just how insane it is for me to be here, the 26-year-old man began. I grew up in a typically sized family in Williamsburg: I have 10 siblings. Exposure to the mainstream world is almost non-existent. Some people say Im an immigrant in my own country, but I prefer alien. An immigrant might know about science and history and politics  an alien doesnt. An immigrant has read books and watched television  an alien hasnt. An immigrant has spoken to people of the opposite sex without feeling like the world is about to end. An immigrant might be culturally unaware, but at the same time be an informed citizen of the world. An alien is just an alien and let me tell you, if an alien is going to successfully transition to immigrant, they need Footsteps.

Sol heard about Footsteps through the grapevine as a teen. By then hed already been sneaking off to the DVD store in the Puerto Rican part of his neighborhood and voraciously renting action flicks. These taught him colloquial English, and gave him direction: He wanted to be a cop, just like the guys in the movies. But then he went on a tour of Hunter College sponsored by Footsteps and his life changed.

Classes in art and sociology! Laboratories! Students of every stripe talking, studying, laughing together. Footsteps was founded by a Hunter student, Malkie Schwartz, whod made her way out of ultra-Orthodoxy and wanted to help others who chose that path. Sol enrolled  and immediately floundered.

He had to make up for lost time and, at first, he couldnt. He was in danger of failing, but reached out for help. And by the next year, he rose to the top of his class in chemistry.

He continued to climb, getting As in his coursework while working part time, and becoming a mentor to others following in his, well, footsteps. He began volunteering at Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital and doing genetics research.

And last year, he did it. He graduated with a degree in sociology.

Now Sol is heading to Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Yes, he will be an immigrant from New York.

But not an alien.
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To what extent do men in Zimbabwe suffer in marriage just like Hosea?(25)Divinity Revision Questions|19 June 2016- The above question might be challenging. The reader will realize that after reading the article the mind will be overcrowded by answers.Hosea is well known by so many students.The as a prophet was commissioned to marry a harlot. He used his life to deliver the message .His wife was Gomer ,his three children had cryptic names. Hosea in his marriage suffered physical and spiritual. This include the following things unfaithfulness, disrespect, loneliness, depression, reputation and social status. On the ongoing article the writer will prove that men in Zimbabwe suffer just like Hosea .- Hosea as he went on to marry Gomer "a woman of loose morals" she gave birth the first born and the child was named "Jezreeel" .However, the last two children of Hosea it is a moot among scholars whether they belonged to Hosea or not .Some are of the view that that Gomer went on to practice prostitution whilst she was under Hosea ,hence, unfaithful to Hosea .Hosea might have suffered spiritual because of the behavior of Gomer .In Zimbabwean context it is recorded that men suffer as a result of unfaithfulness of their partners .Bulawayo24.com,Masvingo Mirror, Southern Eye in May recorded story of a Zimbabwean soldier who committed suicide after he discovered that his wife was unfaithful during his absenteeism. The story of Mathias Mhere is well known ,Social Networks helped to broadcast the story ,Therefore, this indicate that men in Zimbabwe suffer just like Hosea whenunfaithfulness of their partners is concerned.- Hosea after divorcing Gomer .This is recorded in Hosea 2 .He faced challenges. This might be loneliness. One will understand that when Hosea divorced Gomer ,it looked like it was a permanent divorce but Hosea went on to remarry Gomer .What led Hosea to think of remarrying Gomer? This might be loneliness ,as such this indicate that Hosea suffered. In Zimbabwean context it is recorded that man experience loneliness especially when marriage issues are concerned. Victoria Falls is good example. In 2003-2009 ,prostitution was on its peak. As a result ,the statistics proved that there were more of divorces than engagements. To some point men being divorced by their wife .The divorced being left at home as maids ,as a result they experience loneliness just like Hosea .This indicate that men in Zimbabwe suffer just like Hosea.- Hosea experienced depression this cannot be denied .Hosea in chapter 2 divorced Gomer .She went back to her former husbands. This is supported by Hosea 2:5-6.Some scholars believe that Gomer went on to her husbands who were far rich than Hosea ,this can be supported by Hosea 2:5 "For their mother..For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil" The reason why Hosea went to remarry it is submitted that Hosea was angered by enjoyment of Gomer "jealous" .Jealous cannot be separated with depression it is beyond no doubt that Gomer experienced depression. This might be supported by the fact that Hosea went on to punish Gomer for a while ,chapter 3 will support this. In Zimbabwean context ,it is recorded that men experience depression as result they end up executing or stabbing the new partner of the wife [Media records such stories on daily basis .This will help you to understand the Zimbabwean context when subject is concerned]N.B There so many points which can be added .This include~social status~reputation- In as much as men in Zimbabwe suffer just like Hosea ,one will be totally short sighted if the writer ignore the other side of the coin. In Zimbabwean context it has been recorded by media that Zimbabwean men suffer because of monetary issues.[shortage of money]. Bulawayo24.com and Chronicles in mid June 2016 recorded the story of man who was arrested for stealing as he claimed that he was divinely inspired. Chronicles between January and March 2016 recorded a story of Bulawayo 6 gangsters who had tendency of ambushing in Cowrdry Park suburb as they will be searching for money. The local magistrate went on to sentence them 500+ years in prison .They are all suffering now behind the bars. The origin of this being the monetary issues ,therefore, this indicate that some of men in Zimbabwe don't totally suffer like Hosea.- N.B There are so many points which can be added~infertility- Show the extent- Using writer's angle men ,To a greater extent men in Zimbabwe sufferjust like Hosea+263777896159 ( WhatsApp)Witness Dingani (Like my Facebook page )To subscribe for Daily Divinity Questions and Answers with Witness Dingani use the above contacts."We do not necessarily have to import textbooks when we have people who can write books, which can suit and apply to our context" Arthur Marara
Opinion / Letters

'Dear President Khama



In the last 15 years or so Zimbabweans have increasingly looked to Botswana as a model of good governance. We have been comforted that Botswana could always be relied on to speak the truth to President Mugabe  even if it was a lone voice.



We are grateful for your patience in the face of the influx of Zimbabwean refugees and other problems we have caused you as our country's economy collapsed. You have been a true friend and we will not forget your solidarity with our suffering people.



Your predecessor, former President Festus Mogae, was quoted by the UN recently as saying: 'Sovereignty has limits like any other right. A leader cannot kill and harass his people and hide behind sovereignty. A true leader does not kill but protects his people. We still have leaders in Africa who think they are indispensable, larger than life and more important than their countries. That must stop. If a leader loses control, the world will and should intervene to save the people.'



We of the Zimbabwe Vigil have been protesting outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London for the past 14 years demanding an end to human rights violations and calling for free and fair elections. We fear that our country could be torn apart as President Mugabe clings to office into his nineties with no designated successor.



In your closing months as Chair of the Southern African Development Community we submit to you the following petition calling for SADC intercession to avert disaster. The petition has been signed by thousands of people from all over the world who have passed by our Vigil outside the Embassy.



With the army going unpaid while the government tries to find the money, the Vigil delivered a petition to the Botswana High Commission in London calling for the help of the Southern African Development Community to avert disaster in Zimbabwe.A Vigil delegation was given a courteous reception at the High Commission, being greeted by its defence secretary, a bridadier, and then introduced to a senior diplomat, who accepted a letter to pass on to President Ian Khama as Chair of SADC. They were interested to hear that a member of the delegation had been at school with President Khama in Zambia. Our letter said:"To the Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), President Ian Khama of Botswana We wish to alert you to alarming threats by the military in Zimbabwe to employ violence against people opposed to the Zanu PF regime. The threats come amid worsening splits in the party and rising popular outrage at the demolition of the homes of the poor and the imposition of pre-paid water meters for an unreliable supply. The Commander of the Presidential Guard Brigadier-General Anselem Sanyatwe has threatened force to stop ousted Vice-President Joice Mujuru from opposing Mugabe. He told his troops 'Professionalism is over . . . Zanu PF should rule forever'. The national army commander Lieutenant-General Phillip Sibanda later warned that 'the Zanu PF axe' could be wielded again. You will be aware that Zimbabwe has recently been judged the worst governed country in SADC. Bad governance has destroyed the economy, reducing people to desperation while the ruling elite drive past in their luxury cars from their mansions to the expensive restaurants. There is growing resentment. Provocative moves by the military could cause an explosion of anger. We call on SADC to prepare to intervene to stop a meltdown."We remember how SADC facilitated the government of national unity after the violent 2008 elections, arresting catastrophe. It is not for Zimbabweans in the diaspora to prescribe what any solution should be but we want a government that observes the rule of law and will conduct free and fair elections. We believe this is the key to the restoration of Zimbabwe.Yours sincerelyZimbabwe Vigil Co-ordinators'
Higher taxes, trash pickup? Many special questions await voters Nov. 8

They're sometimes easy to miss, but many South Jersey communities have special questions before voters on their Nov. 8 ballots.
THE MONEY CULT

Capitalism, Christianity, and the Unmaking of the American Dream

Chris Lehmann

Melville House

403 pages; $28.95



How can the most hedonistic consumer culture on the planet also be host to some of the most religious people in the world? Why hasn't the bureaucratic rationality of corporate capitalism erased the last vestiges of faith in God, especially in the United States, still the farthest outpost of modern-industrial society? Chris Lehmann, a co-editor of Bookforum, has the answers in The Money Cult.
The GVK's EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute) service in Chhattisgarh had landed in controversy with allegation that the state government floated the norms to award contact to the company.
In order to tap the fast growing e-commerce business in the country, has tied up with about 10 e-tailers to sell dairy products, fruits and vegetables, aiming to boost its revenue and farmers income.

Mother Dairy, which supplies about 30 lakh litres of milk in the national capital region, had posted a turnover of Rs 7,186 crore during last fiscal, out of which about 75% was from dairy segment.

"We are tying up with e-commerce like Big Basket to increase our reach to the customers. We also want to improve farmers' income through increased procurement of milk and fresh fruits and vegetables," Managing Director S Nagarajan told PTI.

The company has tied up with nine e-tailers - Big Basket, Grofers, AskMe Grocery, Sangam Direct, SRS Grocery, Just Buy Live, Innerchef, Grocermax and Orange E-Tokri - for sale of dairy products, ice-cream and frozen/fresh fruits and vegetables in different cities.

" is witnessing a growth of 10% in sales month-on-month through e-commerce space," he said.

Asked whether the company would launch its own e-commerce platform, Nagarajan said: "We do not want to enter into that space directly".

On expected turnover this fiscal, Nagarajan said it should be close to Rs 8,000 crore.

As part of the expansion plan, Mother Dairy is setting up a processing plant in Ranchi at a cost of Rs 75 crore.

The pulp and concentrate line, which has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum of finished products, is expected to be operational by January next year, he said, adding that the plant would be fully operational next fiscal.

Mother Dairy was commissioned in 1974 as a wholly- owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

The company sells milk and milk products including ice creams, paneer and ghee under the 'Mother Dairy' brand. It is into edible oil business under Dhara brand. Moreover, it sells frozen vegetables, unpolished pulses and other processed foods under the 'Safal' brand. Mother Dairy has 400 'Safal' outlets in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday put the delay by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in sending to the United Kingdom requests for extraditing industrialist Vijay Mallya and former Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi on the doorstep of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said her ministry was confident that it would be able to persuade China to support Indias entry to the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday asserted that India's High Commissioner to Britain, Navtej Sarna, was not at fault for the presence of business tycoon at a book release function in London.

"Unka koi dosh nahi hai (there was no fault of the High Commissioner)," she told reporters sticking to the ministry's line that Mallya was not originally in the invitee list of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

"The moment the High Commissioner saw Mallya, he staged a walkout. So, I don't understand what is the controversy about?" Sushma Swaraj said.

The External Affairs Ministry, in a statement on Saturday, had said, "The list of invitations was determined by the LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list."

However, Mallya, in a series of tweets claimed he is not a gatecrasher.

Mallya's presence at the function sparked off controversy because the liquor barron has been declared a proclaimed offender by a Mumbai court on the urging of the prosecution and the Enforcement Directorate.

His deportation has been sought from Britain, where he is currently based since the past around four months. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued in connection with the investigations into cases lodged against him.
India has not yet approached the UK for extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL boss Lalit Modi, wanted by Indian investigators in multiple cases, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today, as the ED is still to provide required documents to her ministry.

Swaraj said that in the case of Mallya the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sent her Ministry the extradition request but certain changes were suggested and the probe agency was yet to respond. With regard to Lalit Modi's case, she said the ED has not sent the required documents.

"When we get requests for extradition in both the cases, we will send them (to the UK)," Swaraj told a press conference. She said the previous UPA government had only sought deportation procedings against Modi and it was only NDA government which was seeking his extradition.

Both Mallya and Modi are wanted by the ED in its money laundering probe and the agency has also sought a global arrest warrant against them from the Interpol.

On the controversy over Indian High Commissioner in UK Navtej Sarna attending an book launch event where Mallya was also spotted in the audience, Swaraj said the envoy was "not at fault at all."



The Minister said neither event organiser London School of Economics(LSE) nor the Indian High Commission had invited Mallya for the event where a book by socialite Suhel Seth was launched.

"If Suhel Seth invites someone then the High Commissioner did not know that. There were two kinds of invitation that were sent. The first was for launch of book and the other by the High Commissioner for reception.

"The first invite was sent by LSE. LSE has formally written a letter to us and said that they did not send invite to him (Mallya) but it is also true that there was an open invitation too because they (LSE) had to fill a hall of 400 people and students go on vacation in summers. Hence, through the open invite anyone could come," she said.

Swaraj added that the HC's reception invite too did not go to Mallya.

"There was no authorised invite by LSE to him (Mallya) nor any from the High Commissioner. You also know that as soon as the HC (Sarna) saw that Mallya is present there, he left in five minutes.

"I don't understand then why this is being made an issue. When we see the invitees list and the conduct of HC then this issue does not remain," she said.

Television news channels had showed pictures of Sarna and Mallya in the hall where the event was held and questions were raised over the presence of the High Commissioner at an event where a personality wanted by enforcement agencies in India was also present.
The unprecedented event of Raghuram Rajans exit, or Rexit as some call it, as the chief of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), may sentimentally drag down the equities on Mondays opening trade. But banking stocks in the private and public sector may not react negatively or may fall by a lesser margin, say analysts.
A quick search on Google for 'Escorts Service India' shows around 2,470,000 results. Even after factoring that some of these would be news, websites of companies with similar names, around 85 per cent of these offer "companionship and other related services" for a few hours at a price.
India's move to clean up the books of its banks saddled with $120 billion of sour loans will be largely unaffected by the decision of central bank chief to step down, say bankers and government officials.

As banks struggle with record levels of distressed assets, Rajan had set an ambitious March 2017 deadline for them to fully reveal the problem loans and make adequate provisions.

An unprecedented asset quality review of banks ordered by the central bank led to reported bad loans surging more than 70% in the six months to March.

Rajan's decision to bow out in September has, however, raised questions on the fate of a clean-up seen as crucial to reviving new lending to support a nascent recovery in Asia's third-largest economy.

Bankers and government officials told Reuters Rajan's successor may be less aggressive in fighting bad loans, but the general direction will remain the same.

"Having worked with eight (RBI) Governors, I have not seen any new incumbent turn an earlier policy, particularly relating to banks, on its head," said G. Padmanabhan, a former executive director at the RBI who currently chairs the board of third-biggest state-run lender, Bank of India.

"Second, and more important, this was not a one man decision and had the support of government as well," he said, although there could be some tweaks as the timeline was "aggressive" and banks' capital needs had to be factored in.

Shares in top lender State Bank of India have gained about 16 percent since it reported March-quarter earnings on May 27, on hopes that the worst was behind it in terms of bad loans. The second biggest state-run bank, Bank of Baroda, is up about 12% during that period. Two dozen lenders majority-owned by the Indian government hold the bulk of the soured loans.

Deputy Finance Minister Jayant Sinha said recently it was prudent for the RBI to pursue its asset quality review of the banks, signalling government support for the clean-up.

"Investors of course like it. What Rajan and the RBI did was generally good, but I would say they were a bit too harsh," said one senior public sector banker, who still sees no clarity on how bad loans will be resolved.

Others agree that the mechanics of resolving the issue still need to be clarified.

In the absence of a strong system to buy bad loans from banks, deciding on haircuts and government capital infusion in banks may hobble resolution of the issue, said another senior banker with a state-run bank.

Despite this, most remain confident that the RBI has already gone too far to reverse course.

A senior policymaker who works closely with Rajan said the bank clean up exercise had been "institutionalised" and was on auto-mode, playing down any impact from Rajan's exit.

"He (Rajan) expedited things, but it was on the RBI's agenda," the official said, adding the clean-up was long overdue.
India and the UAE will set up an Emirati-Indian parliamentary committee and exchange visits of lawmakers to boost parliamentary ties as part of their growing strategic partnership and unify their visions on various issues, including security and challenges facing the region.

A decision was taken in this regard during a meeting between first woman speaker of UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) Amal Abdullah Al-Qubaisi and the Indian ambassador here T P Seetharam yesterday.

During the meeting, Al-Qubaisi stressed the importance of activating parliamentary relations between FNC and Indian parliament by establishing a friendly Emirati-Indian parliamentary committee, and by prompting parliamentary visits between the two sides, state-run WAM agency reported.

Al Qubaisi said it was important that the two countries strengthen relations in all fields and achieve the required communication for parliamentary diplomacy, as well as to unify their visions and positions on various issues as part of their important roles in addressing issues of security and stability and the challenges facing the region.

The two sides stressed the importance of consultation and coordination between FNC and Indian parliament delegations during their participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to unify positions and views on various issues of interest to both countries and peoples.

They also agreed to prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the parliamentary committee, and highlighted existing areas of cooperation in various political, economic, cultural and investment sectors.

Al Qubaisi and Seetharam stressed that bilateral relations have reached a higher level of strategic partnership following the momentous visit by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in February to India, the report said.

She said India has a deep-rooted democracy in the world and serves as a model for a constitution based on democracy, pluralism, and women's political participation.

Al Qubaisi also paid tribute to the important role played by the Indian parliament locally and internationally in serving the people of India.
The finance ministry was prepared for Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajans Saturday evening communication to central bank employees that he would not seek a second term.
The ambassadors of Russia and Belarus have been excluded from this year's Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm because of the war in Ukraine
At least 47 Talibani militants were killed while 41 others wounded during an operation in the restive Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement said the operation was conducted in Charchino district by the Special Forces of the Afghan National Army to suppress the insurgency activities of the Taliban militants, reports Khaama Press.

However, no details were disclosed regarding the possible casualties of the Afghan armed forces.

The operation was conducted in the wake of deadly attacks by Taliban on the Afghan armed forces in Dehrawood district in which at least 10 soldiers died and 12 others went missing following the attack on a check post.

In a separate incident, at least 23 ISIS loyalists were killed in an airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

The security officials today said the militants were killed in an airstrike conducted in Achin district which is home to scores of ISIS loyalists, adding that another ISIS militant was wounded during the airstrike.

However, it is yet not clear if the raid was conducted by the Afghan Air Force or the US forces in Afghanistan.
With Raghuram Rajan announcing his decision to leave his post as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor on the completion of his term, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy, who had actively sought Rajan's dismissal, said on Sunday that his next 'project' is to expose a group of bureaucrats loyal to Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi

"My next project is to expose 27 bureaucrats who are in various Ministries and loyal to TDK. They were handpicked and positioned by PC," Swamy said in a tweet.

Swamy, who yesterday welcomed Rajan's decision, had said that he did not understand the fuss about the RBI Governor's announcement to leave his post at the end of the term, as he was not even getting a second term in the first place.

Swamy told ANI that Rajan made this decision in order to save his self respect.

"Was he getting a second term in the first place? How do we know that he was getting a second term? I have no information that he was getting a second term. So if he says he wants to go and wants to save his self respect, I have no problem. Let them pretend that he is giving up and going but as long as he goes, it's good," Swamy said.

Swamy had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May asking for the dismissal of the Reserve Bank of India governor.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asserted that Centre respects Rajan's decision and also appreciated the 'good work' done by him, adding that his successor would be announced 'shortly'.

"Dr. Raghuram Rajan has announced his intention to go back to academics at the end of his current assignment. The Government appreciates the good work done by him and respects his decision. A decision on his successor would be announced shortly," Jaitley said on his Facebook page.

However, former home minister P. Chidamabaram stated that this was clearly India's loss and lashed out at the Centre for inviting this development.

"I am disappointed and profoundly saddened by the decision of Dr Raghuram Rajan to leave the RBI on completion of his term on September 4, 2016, but I hasten to add that I am not surprised at all," Chidambaram said in a statement.

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre for being responsible for this development, he added that it was the 'craftily planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist' which led to Rajan's announcement.

Yesterday, Rajan announced that he would return to the academic world at the end of his term on September 4, 2016, adding he will always be available to serve his country when needed and asserted that his 'successor' would take the nation to new heights.

Rajan is currently on leave from the Chicago Booth School of Business where he holds the post of Distinguished Service Professor of Finance.

"The approaching end of my three-year term and of my leave at the University of Chicago was, therefore, a good time to reflect on how much we had accomplished. I am confident my successor will take us to new heights with your help. I will still be working with you for the next couple of months, but let me thank all of you in the RBI family in advance for your dedicated work and unflinching support. It has been a fantastic journey together!" the statement said.
Accepting the United States is probably the world's sole superpower, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was ready to work with Washington.

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said: "America is a great power. Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that."

"We want to and are ready to work with the United States," Putin added.

Hinting to the US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine, Putin said: "The needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them. But we don't need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live, preventing Europe from building a relationship with us."

When asked about presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Putin called him as a "flamboyant" or "colorful" man.

Putin also spoke about the presumptive Democratic nominee,Hillary Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was the Secretary of State.

"She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations," he said.

The Russian President, however, praised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton.

"We had a very nice relationship," the Guardian quoted Putin as saying.
The Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday said that the acid was thrown on a college teacher in Bhopal by her brother-in-law.

"There was an incident of acid attack on a 24-year-old girl named Shailja Namedeo, who is a college teacher. The victim's brother in law, who is a resident of Dongargarh, was putting pressure on the girl for marriage," DIG Raman Singh Sikarwar told the media here.

"After the girl denied his proposal several times, he took his friend Subham Tiwari from Dongargarh on a motorcycle. They reached MP Nagar in Bhopal on the 17th and stayed at Hotel Amar...They bought acid on their way which was kept in a bottle...They stopped her on the pretext of asking for an address and threw acid on her," he added.

According to reports, Namdeo, a polytechnic teacher in a Bhopal college, has been admitted to Narmada hospital in critical condition. She has suffered severe burns on her shoulder and hand.

The police is further investigating the matter.
The SIT probing the Bihar Class 12 toppers' scam on Sunday recovered a pistol and five live rounds during search operation from the office of Baccha Rai, principal of VR College.

Earlier, gold worth Rs. 20 lakh was recovered from the Vaishali residence of Baccha Rai. He was sent to two day SIT remand over Bihar topper scam on Friday.

The top scorers in the Bihar state board intermediate exams were exposed in media interviews soon after their Class 12 results were announced last month.

Police had on June 11 arrested Baccha Rai, the kingpin of the toppers scandal, from Bhagwanpur police station in Vaishali district.

Rai is the secretary-cum principal of controversial Bishun Rai College.

A court has on June 15 already issued arrest warrants against former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and his wife, former JD(U) MLA Usha Sinha, in connection with +2 toppers scandal in the state.

Earlier, an FIR was registered against four students and the director of the college in connection with Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) results issue.

The four students against whom the case has been registered are Sourabh Shrestha, Rahul Kumar, Ruby Rai and Shalini.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Sunday downplayed the Congress' allegations that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy was responsible for Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision not to continue in office and said the government takes decisions on merits and logic.

Singh, however, said that the Finance Ministry would be the best to respond on this issue.

"I am not directly related to the matter. I don't know much about it. The concerned ministry and the concerned department would give reply to this. But as part of the government, I can say with confidence that the present government takes decision on the basis of merits and logic and doesn't do partiality," Singh told ANI.

Escalating his attack on the Congress for targeting the Centre, Singh said the grand old party, which has been in the Opposition for the last two years, is not yet able to digest its defeat.

"Being in the opposition, they should compromise this much and give the freedom to the government to take decisions," he added.

Justifying his earlier stand, Swamy earlier today escalated his attack on Rajan and alleged that the latter was a Congress 'agent'.

Swamy told ANI Rajan's decision only proved what he had always suspected, adding that the RBI Governor had been working in tandem with the Congress as their 'agent' since the BJP-led Centre came to power.

Rajan announced that he would return to the academic world at the end of his term on September 4, 2016, adding he will always be available to serve his country when needed and asserted that his 'successor' would take the nation to new heights.

Rajan is currently on leave from the Chicago Booth School of Business where he holds the post of Distinguished Service Professor of Finance.

Swamy, who has been one of the chief critics of Rajan, yesterday welcomed the latter's decision and said that he was not even getting a second term in the first place.
Asserting that good ties are key to solving complex issues between New Delhi and Islamabad, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said the 'warmth and simplicity' that reflected in the relationship shared between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif was unprecedented.

Giving a detailed account of the progress made in the India-Pakistan relations since the NDA government assumed office, Swaraj said, "The issues involved in the relations between India and Pakistan are very complex. It is not right to expect that such issues would be solved within few meetings. But a good relationship is needed to solve issues. Never before did the relationship shared between both the Prime Ministers reflect such warmth and simplicity."

"Simplicity was evident when Prime Minister Modi visited Lahore to meet Nawaz Sharif on his birthday, while he was on his way back to Delhi from Kabul," she added.

The EAM said there was a stark difference in the way Pakistan responded before and after the Pathankot terrorist attack.

"You will see that there was a difference in Pakistan's reaction after the Pathankot attack as compared to its reaction after other attacks. Earlier, after every terrorist attack, Pakistan used to slip into a denial mode," she said.

She said that earlier, Pakistan used to out rightly reject its involvement and blame India of falsely accusing it.

"This time after the Pathankot attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called up PM Modi and said that he would take action if given the evidence. This was the major difference in their attitude after Pathankot as compared to their previous reactions," she added.

Swaraj further said the desire to have good relationship cannot come at the cost of lack of alertness at the borders. She said that India would continue to be alert and careful to guard its interests.

"It is not that we would drop our guard or be less careful while pursuing relationship with Pakistan. We are alert and careful. Both Home Ministry and Defence Ministry are doing their duties well," she added.

Asserting that there are forces that want to disrupt the relationship between the two nations, the Minister spoke of the three-pronged approach adopted by the government since assuming office.

"I will tell you the policy we have adopted towards Pakistan. This will clear all the questions. The moment we took over government we formulated a three point agenda towards Pakistan," she said.

"First is that, we want to solve all issues with dialogue. Secondly, is that there would only be two parties in the dialogue - India and Pakistan. No third party can be a part of it. And, thirdly, terror and talk cannot go hand-in-hand," she added.
Actress Kriti Sanon, who was rumoured to be dating the 'Kai Po Che!' star Sushant Singh Rajput, has rubbished the news via social media and has termed it as 'baseless'.

The 25-year-old actress recently took to her Twitter handle to quash the rumours and tweeted, "Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars, there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks."

Earlier, the rumours were making the rounds that the 'Heropanti' actress, who will be seen with Sushant in her upcoming film 'Raabta,' was in a romantic relationship with him.

However, both the actors maintained silence on the rumoured news which began a few months ago as a mere speculation.

Sushant, who recently had a break-up with his long-time girlfriend Ankita Lokhande, is yet to comment on the news.
An anti-terrorism court has dismissed the bail plea of former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, who was a close aide of former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari.

The court, which yesterday heard a case relating to the treatment of alleged terrorists at his hospital, turned down the bail application of the former minister, who held the portfolio of petroleum and natural resources.

Asim has been booked on the Rangers complaint for allegedly treating and harbouring suspected terrorists, militants and gangsters at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of some Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan People's Party leaders, reports Dawn.

MQM's mayoral nominee Waseem Akhtar, MPA Rauf Siddiqui, PPP's Abdul Qadir Patel and PakSarzameen Party's Anis Kaimkhani and Usman Moazam have also been named in the FIR against Asim.

According to the prosecution, the five suspects of four different parties had allegedly asked Dr Asim to provide medical treatment to "political militants", Lyari gangsters as well as activists of the banned militant outfits after they sustained wounds in shootouts with the police and Rangers.
If you rely on a fertility app to track your cycle, bad news

The study included the top 20 fertility websites found using a Google search, and the 33 most popular fertility apps in the Google Play store and the Apple App Store.

Usually, a woman with a standard 28-day menstrual cycle will ovulate around day 15, which would also be the last day of a six-day fertile window. While most reliably predicted the day of ovulation, the research found that only four provided the correct fertile window.

This suggests thousands of women are being wrongly informed about when they are most likely to conceive.

Dr Robert Setton, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital, said that before using any website or app, women need to understand that the actual fertile window consists of the day of ovulation plus the preceding five cycle days.

The findings suggest that women should be cautious about relying only on websites and apps to predict the best days each month to try to conceive, the authors concluded.

The study appears in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The recent incidents including the sentencing of 81-year-old optician Abdul Shukoor, under Pakistan's anti-blasphemy law for possession of innocuous Ahmadi literature clearly shows that that governments National Action Plan (NAP) which was passed following the ghastly December 2014 Taliban attack on 132 schoolchildren, has been as counter-productive as its blasphemy law.

Pakistan's government unanimously passed a National Action Plan (NAP) so that there would be no room left for extremism in any part of the country following the December 2014 Taliban attack.

NAP among its 20 points, outlaws radical literature and funding, calls for restructuring in the FATA region and Balochistan to address regional grievances, and lifts the moratorium on the death sentence for convicted terrorists.

But reports suggest that over a year into its execution, NAP has been less effective and more counter-productive.

The Express Tribune in its blog has highlighted such cases where National Action Plan has been least productive.

Optician Shukoor, an Ahmadi Muslim, and his assistant Mazhar Sipra, a Shia Muslim, were sentenced to eight-year imprisonment under both the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act and anti-blasphemy law.

Their alleged "crime" was the possession of innocuous Ahmadi literature in his store, which according to provincial authorities was seditious and treasonous and thus could incite violence.

Following the arrest, Robert P George, Chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, condemned the action.

".. the country (Pakistan) uses anti-terrorism laws as pretexts for denying peaceful citizens [like Shakoor] the fundamental human right to religious freedom," The Express Tribune quoted him as saying.

In another such case, a pan-Islamic demagogue Abul Ala Maudoodi had prompted religiously-motivated riots in Lahore in 1953.

Islamabad imposed martial law and he was issued the death sentence.

But Maudoodi was soon released because of the popular support ultimately.

He later swayed public opinion to allow former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, to introduce the third constitution in

Pakistan's short history and re-establish the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan".

He then became the single most powerful force in materialising General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's Islamisation of Pakistan and subsequent introduction of its infamous anti-blasphemy laws.

Since then the Pakistan's anti-blasphemy laws carry on Zia's legacy.

In another such incident, a mob murdered a Christian couple after being falsely accused of ripping out pages of the Quran in 2014.

Same year, a paranoid schizophrenic, sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy, was shot and injured by a policeman inside the prison.

Adding to another example of such incident, a teenager chopped off his own hand after mistakenly believing he had committed blasphemy this January.

Though the cleric responsible for labelling the teenager a blasphemer was arrested, he was released following protest from other clerics.

Even the teenager's father has supported the cleric.

In Pakistan reportedly judicial intervention in blasphemy cases is rare because witness testimony counts as sufficient evidence.

And following the murder of human rights lawyer who agreed to defend a professor accused of blasphemy, few in the region are willing to challenge the laws.

While no has ever been executed for blasphemy under Pakistan's judiciary, more than 50 individuals have been murdered before their trial was completed.

Ironically, the National Action Plan has propelled, not quashed for what it was introduced in first hand.

The case of Salman Taseer's killer is another one. The hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, this February can be explained by the courts capitalising on the mass fear of extremists, not a meaningful shift in Pakistani jurisprudence.

Aasia Bibi, the Christian woman whom Taseer publicly defended of falsely accused in blasphemy, has spent six years on death row, while her family has gone into hiding.

And despite Qadri's execution, the Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Lawyers' Forum, provides free representation to ensure "death for anyone who commits blasphemy."

Ironically, even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law has supported Taseer's killer by deeming the murder a "religious duty."

Sadly, while the court system dealt with Qadri, no one has been held accountable for the assassination of Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti.

Bhatti was a Roman Catholic and outspoken critic of anti-blasphemy laws in the country.

For the NAP to fully realise its goal, the citizens should appreciate the concept of a true republic and work together in negating the mob rule. But for it to be fully effective, the governing elites should also look into matter with grave concern and not permit the pendulum of justice to wildly swing, otherwise the result could prove devastating.
Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) are the only two departments still using secret service funds.

He made this statement at the National Assembly on Saturday while responding to lawmakers' concerns over the grants and expenditures that were laid before the house, reports Dawn.

Dar said that 34 departments were using secret funds when his party took over in 2013.

"On Jun 11, 2013, four days after the cabinet took the oath, we abolished the secret service funds of 32 organisations. Only ISI and IB still retain theirs, and a proper mechanism is in place for their audit", he added.

Earlier, the Jamaat-i-Islami's Sher Akbar Khan took issue with the government's incessant borrowing and stressed the need to devise policies that would help reduce the country's external debt.

Pakistan Peoples Party's Shazia Marri also criticised the amount of interest piling up on Pakistan's debt.
Single working moms, you may want to take extra care of yourselves as according to a recent study, your heart is most at risk.

Researchers from Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, examined data on health, work and marital status for almost 11,000 women in Europe and 6,000 women in the US who were born between 1935 and 1956.

The odds of being a single working mother were twice as high in the US than Europe, they found.

In the US, 11 per cent of women had been in that position at some point in their lives, compared to 5 per cent of women in Europe.

Compared with married mothers who worked, single mothers with jobs were 40 per cent more likely to have heart disease and 74 per cent more likely to have a stroke.

They were also 77 per cent more likely to smoke, the study found.

The study is published in the American Journal of Public .
Apparently, Anil Kapoor is currently obsessed about Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman-starrer 'Red.'

Daughter Sonam Kapoor took to her Twitter handle to post the 'cool' teaser poster of the movie and wrote alongside, "My dad's current obsession! #RED @AnilKapoor First look Out now!! ! What a cool poster!"

For the unversed, the 'jhakkas' actor's AKFC production banner along with International studio Lionsgate has recently announced their collaboration for the Hindi version of the action film 'Red.'

Inspired by the limited comic book series of the same name, the Hollywood film also starred John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban and Marie-Louise Parker.

However, the cast of the Bollywood version is still being finalised.

Earlier, the 'Dil Dhadakne Do' actor posted the intriguing teaser poster on Twitter and wrote, "And here it is! We bring you the multi-starrer action-comedy phenomenon #RED! Let the adventure begin! @Lionsgate"

Like its Hollywood poster, this Hindi version too has a reddish tint and grungy background, but we see silhouettes of the stars instead of the stars themselves.

In a recent statement, the 59-year-old actor mentioned, "After successfully adapting '24' Season 1 and Season 2, we are looking forward to remaking Red for the Indian audience. This successful movie that boasts of a huge multi-starrer cast is perfect for India as it has all the elements our audience loves - action, drama and comedy mounted on a huge canvas."

"We intend to revive the multi-starrer action movie genre that was so popular up to the 90's. We are happy and excited to partner with Lionsgate in co-producing Red and are looking forward to delivering an exciting and high production movie," his statement added.
The prime suspect in the twin murder case of bloggers Avijit Roy and Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy was killed in a "gunfight" with the detectives in Khilgaon, Dhaka, today.

Identified as Shariful alias Sakib alias Sharif alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi-1, the suspect was a top organiser of banned militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (media) of DMP.

He was a prime suspect in blogger Avijit and Niladri murders as evidence of his presence was found at the crime scenes. The police had also announced Tk five lakh bounty on him, reports the Daily Star.

According to DMP website, Sharif used to recruit and train the ABT men on firearms and information technology.

The incident occurred a day after the killing of 18-year-old Golam Faizullah Fahim claimed to be a member of banned outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir.

Fahim was killed in police custody during a "gunfight" between the men in uniform and his cohorts.

Fleeing after hacking a Hindu college teacher in Madaripur, he was caught by the locals and handed over to the police.

Over the last three years, suspected militants have attacked and killed university professors, writers, publishers, secular bloggers, gay rights activists, foreigners, policemen and members of religious minorities.
Eight militants including a key Taliban leader was killed in an airstrike in the restive Kunduz province in north of Afghanistan.

"During an air strike, eight armed Taliban were killed including Qari Ali a key member of armed Taliban," Khaama Press quoted the Ministry of Interior (MoI) as saying.

According the statement, the airstrike took place in Taraki village, Dasht Archi District of northern Kunduz province, yesterday evening.

"This group was involved in many terrorist and destructive activities in this district and other areas of Kunduz province," the statement added.

The MoI further said that after eliminating the group, the security situation in the area is expected to improve."

Kunduz is among the relatively volatile provinces in northern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant groups are operating actively.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday expressed his apprehension about the future of his party's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the alliance cannot come at the cost of self-respect.

Addressing the party workers at the NSE grounds in Goregaon on the occasion of Shiv Sena's 50-year celebrations, Uddhav critisized both the Centre as well as the state government for failing to reign in rising prices.

"I am not sure about the alliance in coming elections, but be ready to fight it alone also," he said.

"I want to make it clear that I don't want break the alliance but at the same won't do alliance at the cost of self respect," he added.

The Shiv Sena on Sunday celebrated the party's golden anniversary through a series of events held across the city.

An exhibition capturing key moments of the party's 50-year journey in politics was also opened at opened at NSE grounds in Goregaon.

The Shiv Sena was founded by Bal Thackeray, a cartoonist-turned-political leader, on June 19, 1966, to fight for the rights of Marathi-speaking people.

The Shiv Sena bagged 42 seats in the Thane Municipal Corporation for the first time 1968.

The party sent its first MLA to the state assembly in 1972. The party's first Mayor was installed at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 1973.

In 2003, Bal Thackeray's son Uddhav was chosen over nephew Raj, as the executive president of the Shiv Sena.

The event comes when the party continues to be locked in a tussle with the BJP, with which it is an ally in power.

The event comes when the party continues to be locked in a tussle with the BJP, most recently over issues in the city, from the irregularities in the roads works to the construction of the Metro-3 line.
Shrugging off cries of outrage and allegations from the opposition holding him responsible for RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not continue with his post, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Sunday asserted that he did not care what the others said, as Rajan was the government's employee, adding that he was a Congress 'agent' bent on sabotaging the Indian economy.

Speaking to ANI here, Swamy said that Rajan's decision only proved what he had always suspected, that the RBI Governor had been working in tandem with the Congress as their 'agent' since the BJP-led Centre came to power.

"He sabotaged our economy by trying to put all the small, medium industries out of business. And as you know the small and medium industries give employment to the semi-skilled workers, who come from agricultural sectors and poor rural areas," Swamy said.

He further alleged that Rajan had the complete support of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other 'sycophants' to sabotage the economy as he was an agent of the grand old party.

"I could not earlier say that he was an agent. Now after Rahul's remarks, I can say that he was a saboteur in our government. Who cares what the opposition says, he was our employee and we sent him home. This is not a popularity contest," Swamy added.

He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'withstanding international and media pressure' and for standing his ground and declining a second term to Rajan.

Following Rajan's announcement, Rahul Gandhi took a shot at the Centre saying that Prime Minister Modi did not need experts like Rajan since he already knew 'everything'.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows everything. He has no need for experts like Raghuram Rajan," Rahul said in a series of tweets.

Asserting that it was people like him who made India great, Rahul thanked Rajan for steering the Indian economy in difficult times.

Meanwhile, expressing disappointment over Rajan's decision former home minister P. Chidambaram asserted that this was clearly India's loss and lashed out at the Centre for inviting this development.

"I am disappointed and profoundly saddened by the decision of Dr Raghuram Rajan to leave the RBI on completion of his term on September 4, 2016, but I hasten to add that I am not surprised at all," Chidambaram said in a statement.

Rajan announced that he would return to the academic world at the end of his term on September 4, 2016, adding he will always be available to serve his country when needed and asserted that his 'successor' would take the nation to new heights.

Rajan is currently on leave from the Chicago Booth School of Business where he holds the post of Distinguished Service Professor of Finance.

Swamy, who has been one of the chief critics of Rajan, welcomed the latter's decision and said that he was not even getting a second term in the first place.

Swamy also told ANI that Rajan made this decision in order to save his self respect.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Centre respected Rajan's decision and appreciated the 'good work' done by him, adding that his successor would be announced 'shortly'.
Training guns at the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as corrupt and inefficient respectively, Union Finance Minister on Sunday said it is crucial to save Punjab from falling prey to the hands of these two political outfits.

Addressing a rally in Bathinda, Jaitley highlighted the corruption free image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre.

"There was a lot of corruption during the ten-year tenure of the Congress government. They were cheaters; they cheated the nation so much that I cannot even express it before you all. In the last two years, we have uprooted corruption from the nation. Nobody can point fingers at the Central Government as there is no corruption anymore," said Jaitley.

"In 2002, there was a Congress government in Punjab and the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh used to say that Sukhbir ji possesses land in Australia and night clubs as well as petrol pumps in America. But sadly they could not find that, but we found the bank accounts of Amrinder Singh's family in Switzerland," he added.

Taking a jibe at the Congress and AAP, Jaitley said that the grand old party is shrinking where as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is busy accusing the Centre instead of working for development of Delhi.

"This has happened for the first time that the NDA has 340 seats in the Lok Sabha and has government in 15 states whereas the Congress has shrunk to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha and has its government in just six states," he said.

Jaitley further said it is very easy to run a government in Delhi because the Centre invests a lot for development there.

"If the state government performs even 5-6% of work, Delhi will run on its own, but the AAP government does not even do the little work it has to do. Every day the party chief comes up with some new topic to fight with the Central Government and we have to save Punjab from this kind of politics," he added.

Elucidating the NDA government's achievements in the last two years in office, Jaitley said that India has surpassed China's growth rate and become the world's fastest developing economy under Prime Ministers Modi's leadership.

"The NDA is making relentless efforts to accelerate the development in the nation and now we are planning to clean all rivers of Punjab to increase its capacity. We have decided that this year we will start 35 new airports in the small towns to improve connectivity. Moving on to improve medical facilities in Punjab, we will be opening AIIMS here in Batindha," said Jaitley.

"In the past two years, the people across the world are writing that India is the fastest developing country in the world and has surpassed China's growth rate," he added.

The Finance Minister also took a dig at the Third Front, saying they make several assertions but do not know anything about governance.

Jaitley also lauded Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal government and said this has changed the economic face of Punjab.

"Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has given the details of development to me. I am extremely impressed and would like to congratulate Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and all their ministers for the commendable work they have done to develop Punjab. They have improved the economy of Punjab," Jaitley said.

"If you have to develop a state or a province, the first thing which one has to do is to connect it through the development of the nation. One has to connect a state to the Centre. And this work has been done by the Punjab Government," he added.
Asserting that yoga with its cosmic message of universal union established India as the world's spiritual thought leader two millennia ago, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday urged all to practice the same for physical well-being and spiritual enlightenment.

"On #IDY2016, I urge every citizen of Earth to practice #Yoga for physical well being and spiritual enlightenment," Singh tweeted.

"Yoga with its cosmic msg of universal union established India as world's spiritual thought leader 2 millennia ago," he added.

A yoga practice session for the legislators is being held today at the Chhattisgarh Assembly Complex.

The Chief Minister was yesterday all gaga about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule at the Centre, saying the latter has brought in 'magical change' in the entire nation in the last two years.

With as many as 10,000 people participating in the International Yoga Day celebrations in the capital on June 21, the Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is all set to organize the mega event at the Connaught Place.

Buoyed by the success of the United Nations' recognising June 21 as the 'International Yoga Day' and huge participation in last year's Yoga Day celebrations at the Rajpath here, Prime Minister Modi has asked all his Cabinet colleagues and ministers to commemorate Yoga Day with the people by fanning out across the nation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released a list of 50 ministers with their assigned locations, where they will participate in the Yoga Day celebrations on Tuesday.

The list of 50 leaders includes even towering names like Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh (Lucknow), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (Mumbai), Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu (Delhi), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar (Kanpur), Union Road transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur) and Union HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani (Bhopal) besides others.

Prime Minister Modi will also attend an 'International Yoga Day' function in Chandigarh, where over one lakh people will be participating. He will be joined by Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on the occasion.

The Prime Minister had in his address at the mass yoga demonstration event at Rajpath last year said it is the beginning of a new age to train the human mind to achieve new heights of peace and harmony.

"This has been a tradition for centuries and over the time a lot of things became associated with it. Mind, body, soul, intellect should all be balanced and in harmony, they should be in their natural state of balance and to achieve this state yoga plays an important role," said the Prime Minister.

"Today on the beginning of this occasion, I want to convey that it is only and the only programme for human welfare, a programme for de-stressed world, a programme to spread love, peace, unity and harmony, it is a programme to spread the awareness about Yoga and to forever make it a part of our lives," he said.
Iran has reached an agreement with the US Boeing to purchase 100 passenger planes to renew the country's aging fleet, the media reported on Sunday.

The deal awaits the US government's approval, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAO) Ali Abedzadeh said, Xinhua reported.

"We have 250 planes in the country, 230 need to be replaced," said Abedzadeh, adding that there could be no precise timeline for the contract without the US Treasury's permission.

Reportedly, the value of the deal amounts to $17 billion, but it is open for further negotiations.

On Wednesday, Iran's Minister for Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said the deal with the US aircraft manufacturer was finalised and more details would be disclosed in a few days.

In January, Iran reached an agreement with Airbus to buy 118 passenger planes worth around $27 billion.

The country has announced its need for about 400 passenger planes in the next decade to modernise its aging fleet, according to Tehran Times daily.

Reports said Iranian airliners are no longer interested in buying more Russian planes, as their performance during the period when Iran was under heavy Western sanctions was poor and unsatisfactory.

--IANS

py/vt
Citing "privacy" reasons, Delhi University (DU) has rejected another RTI query on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree, sparking criticism from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Right to Information query was filed by Delhi-based lawyer Mohd Irsad.

"DU, as a matter of policy, seeks to maintain the privacy of every student as it holds the data pertaining to a student in a fiduciary relationship with the student concerned," the RTI response from the university read.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kejriwal, who had alleged earlier that Modi's graduation degree was fake, said Delhi University cannot refuse the information sought on the prime minister.

"This deepens the mystery around PM's degree. If DU feels it is private info, then under RTI Act, DU shud write to PM and seek his permission," he tweeted.

In April, Kejriwal urged the Central Information Commission (CIC) to make public the details of Modi's educational qualifications.

Modi graduated from Delhi University and later did a post-graduation course in Gujarat.

Following Kejriwal's letter, the CIC asked the DU to make the graduation degree public.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley then made public Modi's degrees.

But the AAP immediately alleged that the degrees shown by them were fake.

Kejriwal on Sunday sought to know why Modi's degree should be regarded as a private affair since Shah and Jaitley had made it public.

"Didn't Amit Shah n Jaitleyji say that degree was genuine and anyone cud take it from DU?"

--IANS

av/mr
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticised recent military manoeuvres of NATO in Eastern Europe against Russia, accusing the military alliance of "warmongering", and calling for more dialogues with Russia.

"What we shouldn't do now is to inflame the situation further with loud saber-rattling and warmongering," Xinhua news agency quoted Steinmeier as saying in an interview to a local newspaper.

"Anyone who believes that a symbolic tank parade on the eastern border of the alliance will bring more security is mistaken," he said, "We are well advised not to create pretexts to renew an old confrontation."

NATO launched a large-scale exercise in Poland on June 6. The two-week drill involved 31,000 troops, 14,000 of them from the United States.

On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced to deploy four multinational battalions to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Steinmeier warned that it would be "fatal to narrow the view to the military and to seek the tranquillity only through deterrence". Instead, dialogues and cooperation were also needed.

"We must also enhance dialogues with our partners about the benefits of disarmament and arms control for security in Europe," the top German diplomat said, adding that it was in people's interests "to unite Russia in an international partnership of responsibility".

--IANS

lok/
A gunfight broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Friday evening, police said.

Police here that security forces cordoned off Chillipora village in Shopian following specific in formation about a group of militants hiding there.

"When the security forces tightened the cordon, they were fired upon by hiding militants triggering a gunfight," police said, adding firing exchanges were going on in the village as of 9.30 p.m.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday that she had categorically conveyed India's concerns to China that ambiguity on the likes of Maulana Masood Azhar and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi were creating obstructions in global fight against terrorism.

She said China has been categorically told about India's stand on the issue even as she claimed overwhelming support to India's position on terror menace even from the Gulf region.

"Let us not say good terrorists or bad terrorists; or my terrorists and your terrorists. A terrorist does not act against any one country, he acts against humanity," Sushma Swaraj told a press conference here.

She said the issue has been flagged off by India in the trilateral talks between Russia, India and China (RIC) and China has been conveyed New Delhi's stand separately.

"I had raised the issue with China and told them publicly also that sitting in the UN 1267 committee on Azhar and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi (Lashkar-e-Taiba) is an obstruction in global fight against terrorism," she said.

In April this year in Moscow, Sushma Swaraj had also raised the issue of China blocking India's bid to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Azhar as a terrorist at the UN with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a bilateral meeting.

Sushma Swaraj claimed there has been overwhelming global endorsement to India's firm stand on terrorism and even Gulf countries have shared New Delhi's vision on the global menace.

"Those Gulf countries who had never defined any individual in the past are now ready to do so. This is a big support to our stand and everyone seems to agree that there should not be any attempt to distinguish between bad terrorists and good terrorists," she said.

--IANS

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India on Sunday exuded confidence that it will get membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) and clarified it won't oppose the application of any other country.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also said New Delhi will pursue with its concensus approach on the issue and even try to win over China's support.

"Hum China ko bhi mananey mein kamyabi hasil kar lenge (We will succeed in convincing China too)," she told the media.

Sushma Swaraj said India would not oppose any other application for entry into the NSG but underlined the final decision should be decided on merits.
The Islamic State (IS) terror group has released information about US military bases in South Korea with the aim of attacking them, Seoul's intelligence services announced on Sunday.

The IS revealed the location of the US air bases in Gyeonggi and North Jeolla provinces as well as the personal data of a few South Korean citizens through an online messaging service, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.

The outfit obtained the information from its hackers unit, according to NIS, which has also intercepted messages in which the IS encourages attacks against the bases, EFE news reported.

The intelligence agency added that South Korean authorities have taken all necessary steps to protect the country from such attacks in collaboration with the armed forces and the US military.

The IS has already issued threats against South Korea for being an ally of the US.

The South Korean Army has intensified its anti-terrorist preparations in recent months and deported around 50 foreign nationals over the past five years for alleged links with terrorist outfits.

Two South Koreans have also been arrested for allegedly trying to join terrorist organisations.

--IANS

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Israel's recently-appointed Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday started an official visit to the US, his first overseas trip in his new post.

Lieberman, who joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government last month as the latter set out to increase his ruling coalition's majority in the Israeli parliament, will have introductory meetings during his visit, Xinhua cited a statement from his office as saying.

The minister, known for his hawkish views and militant statements, will meet US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter during his visit.

Lieberman will also meet members of the US Senate Committees and take part in the inauguration of the F-35 fighter jets at the Lockheed Martin's factory in Texas.

The visit takes place amid ongoing negotiations between the US and Israel regarding a 10-year aid package, estimated to be worth around $30 billion.

An Israeli defence official said there were still gaps between the two sides.

--IANS

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Fourteen lawmakers of the ruling Congress are likely to be inducted in the Karnataka council of ministers in the revamping scheduled for Sunday afternoon, a party official said.

"The list of new ministers is being finalised by the chief minister (Siddaramaiah) in consultation with the party's state unit president (G. Parameshwara) and senior colleagues for sending it to the governor (Vajubhai R. Vala) by afternoon for the swearing-in ceremony at 4.00 p.m. in Raj Bhavan," the official told IANS here.

Among the probables who might take oath as new ministers are legislative assembly Speaker K. Thimmappa, former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Eshwar Kandre, Santosh Lad, Tanveer Sait, S.S. Mallikarjun, Basava Raya Reddy, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Pramod Madhwaraj and M.R. Seetharam.

Karnataka has a 34-member ministry, including the chief minister.

Among the 14 to be dropped include Srinivas Prasad, Kimmane Ratnakar, Baburao Chinchansur, Qamarul Islam, M.H. Ambarish, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Sathish Jarkiholi, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, P.T. Parameshwar Naik, Vinay Kumar Sorake and S.R. Patil.

"The chief minister got approval of the party's high command for both the lists of new ministers and those to be dropped on Saturday in New Delhi after a detailed discussion with the party president (Sonia Gandhi) and the vice-president (Rahul Gandhi) on Friday," the official said.

Congress General Secretary and in-charge of party affairs in the state Digvijay Singh and Parameshwara were present when the list of probables was finalised.

The major reshuffle of the three-year ministry comes a week after the Congress won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats and four of the seven seats in the state legislative council's biennial elections.

"The revamp will ensure proportionate representation to all the people across the state, spanning castes and regions," the source asserted.

Interestingly, Mallikarjun will replace his father Shivashankarappa from Davangere, while Ramesh will replace his brother Sathish from Belagavi district in the council of ministers.

Karnataka is the only major state where the Congress is in power now after the grand old party lost in Assam and Kerala in the recent assembly elections.

Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara are hoping the revamp will restore the party's image, tainted by drought crisis, farmers' suicides and a spate of controversies.

"Siddaramaiah wants to inject new and young blood in the cabinet and move some of the ministers for party work in the run-up to the next assembly election, due in early 2018," the party official added.

--IANS

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that her ministry will seek extradition of former IPL chairman Lalit Modi and industrialist Vijay Mallya, both in Britain, once it receives revised requests from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"As soon as extradition request is received about these two (Lalit Modi and Vijay Mally), we will forward it," she said at a press conference here.

Sushma Swaraj's respond came in a reply to a question why India is not getting support from Britain on the extradition of Modi and Mallya.

Mallya has fled India earlier this year with more than Rs. 9,000 crore of outstanding dues to 18 Indian banks. A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued by a Mumbai court against the business tycoon.

The ED is probing Modi and other executives associated with IPL since 2012 for alleged violation of anti-money laundering laws.

Sushma Swaraj said the NDA government is keen for "extradition", or the formal process by which a criminal suspect held by one government is handed over to another government for trial or to serve his sentence, of the two and reiterated that the previous UPA government in contrast used to talk only about "deportation", or mere expulsion of a person from a country.

She xplained that her ministry had earlier received ED's "extradition request" for Mallya but returned it, seeking some changes.

"ED had sent us extradition request for Vijay Mallya. Our team suggested few changes which has been sent to the ED. Once we receive the revised application from ED, we will forward the request," she said.

The ministry is also waiting for ED's revised version for the extradition process.

A special court in Mumbai in March this year issued an order allowing the ED to begin extradition proceedings against Modi in connection with the money laundering probe against him and others.

In August last year, the agency moved the Interpol to get a red corner notice issued against Modi but the international police organisation has not obliged yet.

Interpol authorities have sought additional information from ED investigators on their money laundering case against Modi as part of the process to issue such a world-wide warrant against him.

Sushma Swaraj also said India's High Commissioner to Britain, Navtej Sarna, was not at fault for the presence of business tycoon Mallya at a book release function in London.

"Unka koi dosh nahi hai (there was no fault of the High Commissioner)," she told reporters sticking to the ministry's line that Mallya was not originally in the invitee list of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

"The moment the High Commissioner saw Mallya, he staged a walkout. So, I don't understand what is the controversy about?" she said.

--IANS

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Actor Liam Hemsworth says he would give up anything to pursue his passion for surfing.

The "Independence Day: Resurgence" star said that surfing is his "favourite" thing in the world, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I grew up surfing and surfed competitively until I was 18. Surfing is my favourite thing to do in the world. I would rather do that than anything. If I could travel around the world and surf for a living, I would," Hemsworth told Men's Fitness magazine.

However, the actor has been unable to ride the waves since suffering a back injury last year.

"I injured my back pretty badly surfing last year, and I haven't managed to do it since then. It is killing me. I grew up doing it, it is what I love to do when I'm not working. I skate-boarded for the first time in a while a couple of days ago but I have dreams every night where I'm surfing," he said.

--IANS

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Former West Bengal minister and Saradha scam accused Madan Mitra on Sunday backed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision ordering a probe into the Narada sting operation in which several Trinamool Congress leaders were allegedly shown receiving wads of currency notes.

Alleging the sting to be "a provocation and conspiracy to create a hostile public reaction", Banerjee on Friday ordered the probe to be conduct by city Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. The opposition, however, has dismissed the move as "farcical" and "aimed at shielding" her partymen.

"Known for taking the appropriate decisions, the chief minister has done the right thing by ordering the probe," said the former Transport Minister who was one of the several high profile Trinamool leaders caught in the alleged bribery scandal.

Mitra also took a jibe at the opposition parties for questioning the probe.

"All these days' people were questioning why a probe is not being ordered. And when that has been done, people are again questioning why a probe has been ordered," said Mitra, the only Trinamool leader allegedly caught in the Narada sting, to have lost the recent assembly polls.

Jailed in the multi-crore scam, Mitra on Sunday was discharged from the government-run SSKM Hospital and taken to the jail.

"Life itself is like a jail. I have been discharged from the hospital and now I am going back to jail," said Mitra who has spent a large part of his incarceration period at the hospital.

Indicted of criminal conspiracy among other offences, Mitra was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in December 2014.

--IANS

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Entrepreneur and interior designer Sussanne Khan on Sunday said a complaint accusing her of falsely projecting herself as an architect to secure a contract with a company, is false, motivated and preposterous.

A news report claimed Sussanne Khan, the former wife of Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan, has been booked by Panaji police in an alleged Rs 1.87 crore cheating case by Emgee Enterprises.

Responding to this, Sussanne, who is currently in London, said in a statement: "The said complaint is motivated and preposterous and has been only filed to intimidate me and pressurise me to withdraw the arbitration proceedings initiated by me in the first instance to recover my dues and damages resulting from breach of contract."

According to the news report, Emgee Enterprises in September 2013 executed a written contract with Sussanne "for architectural and designing services" for its Naira Complex being constructed at Siridao in Tiswadi, North Goa.

The complainant alleged that Sussanne failed to deliver the project within the period stipulated in the contract.

Explaining her side of the story, Sussanne said she had challenged the termination of the contract with Emgee Enterprises and has invoked arbitration under the contract for recovery of her dues.

"As a counter-blast to the said proceedings, Mudhit Gupta, only with the intention to harass and pressurise me to give in to his frivolous counterclaim, initiated the criminal complaint," she added.

Sussanne maintained that she had not made any misrepresentations, and "maintained the highest standards of ethics in discharge of my work".

She plans to give a "befitting response" to the "frivolous complaint", she said.

"Such complaints do not scare me. Rather it encourages me to stand up for the truth. The allegations in complaints are false and defamatory and I will take appropriate proceedings in accordance with law," she added.

--IANS

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Actor Shahid Kapoor, who has featured in "Udta Punjab" based on drug abuse in Punjab, has thanked the audience for praising the Abhishek Chaubey directorial. He has even given thumbs up to "honest and fearless cinema".

The controversial film collected Rs.10.05 crore on its opening day on Friday in the country. It has also been lauded by celebrities like Kunal Kohli, Rajkumar Hirani, Guneet Monga and Ayushmann Khurrana.

"Humbled and thankful. Your love has been overwhelming. More power to honest, fearless cinema. Thank you all," Shahid tweeted on Sunday.

"Udta Punjab" makers experienced problem in securing a release certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which first suggested as many as 89 cuts in the movie. Thereafter, its Revising Committee asked for 13 cuts.

Ultimately, the makers moved the Bombay High Court which overruled the CBFC-recommended cuts to the film and cleared it for release with just one cut and three disclaimers by the filmmakers.

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Rohit Roy wishes Happy Father's Day to Big B

Actor Rohit Roy wished megastar Amitabh Bachchan Happy Father's Day on Sunday and thanked the "Piku" star for his blessings.

On the occasion of Father's Day on Sunday, Rohit took the virtual route to wish the "fathers" in his life.

"Wishing my 'dad' Ronit Bose Roy a very happy Father's Day. The only man who will have my back no matter what," Rohit tweeted referring to his brother Ronit.

He also shared an image of their father and captioned it: "We both are just a little bit of what my father was. No one ever had a bad thing to say about him. Miss you baba."

The "Shootout at Lokhandwala" actor then thanked Big B. "And finally, happy Father's Day to a man who we love and respect as one. Thank you Amit ji for your blessings," he wrote.

He ended the Father's Day wishes by posting a few images of his mother. He wrote: "And the most important Happy Father's Day wish goes to the lady who was both mother and father to Ronit and me."

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Rahul and Anushka design for Jaqueline Fernandez

Fashion designers Rahul Anand and Anushka Laul have designed an Indo-Western ensemble for actress Jacqueline Fernandez.

The duo designed a gold bralet paired with a printed maxi sleeveless jacket and black pants for the "Kick" star.

Designer and owner of label Rahul and Anushka, Laul said in a statement: "Jacqueline looks absolutely dazzling in royal lotus print jacket and at the same time, elegant and hot in gold galaxy gown."

"I believe that Rahul Anand and I have done proper justice to our label which is known for offering royal luxury women's wear in bold and beautiful look," she added.

Jacqueline sported the look for the cover of a magazine.

--IANS

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A consignment of 1005 tonnes of steel rods arrived on Sunday in Tripura from West Bengal through Bangladesh as part of revised 'Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol' between the two countries.

The protocol was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka in June last year.

"A Bangladeshi ship from Kolkata carrying 1005 tonnes of steel rods meant for Tripura governemnt's Rural Development Department reached Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh on June 15," an Indian custom official said.

"Bangladeshi trucks then carried the goods from Ashuganj port to Tripura's Akhaura checkpost, from where the transporter would arrange to have the goods delivered to six places in Tripura," the customs official said.

Akhaura checkpost, just along Agartala city, is the second largest trading point and land port between India and Bangladesh after the Benapole-Petrapole land port with West Bengal.

Ashuganj port on Meghna river in Bangladesh is about 40 km from Tripura's capital Agartala.

"Four Bangladeshi trucks arrived here on Sunday. Then Indian trucks carried the freight to their destinations inside Tripura. More such trucks would carry the goods from Ashuganj port to Tripura in subsequent days," Sujit Roy, the transporting company's manager, told IANS.

The transit facility with provision of third-country access was formally inaugurated on Thursday at Ashuganj port by Bangladesh Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan in the presence of Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Bangladesh Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman.

The custom official said Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura route cuts the Kolkata-Agartala distance via Siliguri's 'chicken neck' and Assam and Meghalaya from 1,600 km to 500 km.

"The reduced distance substantially cuts transportation costs from mainland India to the northeastern region and the time from 15 days to just 10 days."

The revised Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol also gives India and Bangladesh the right to use each other's territory for transiting goods to third countries.

Bangladesh can thus use Indian territory to transit goods to Nepal and Bhutan while India can access Myanmar via Bangladesh.

The official said: "The protocol facilitates trade and development not only between India and Bangladesh but in the entire sub-region facilitating trade and development in the sub-region."

Earlier, as goodwill gesture, Bangladesh government last year allowed India's Food Corporation of India to ferry 35,000 tonnes of rice in different phases to Tripura from Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh and Kolkata port via Bangladesh, using the Ashuganj river ports and Bangladesh highways.

In 2011-2012, Bangladesh had allowed India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and over-dimensional cargoes through Ashuganj port for the 726-MW Palatana mega power project in southern Tripura.

Both these transits were duty free and as part of goodwill gesture of the Bangladesh government.

India had long been seeking transit and trans-shipment facility to carry goods to northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura -- from West Bengal and other parts of India through a shortened route via Bangladesh.

--IANS

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At least eight Syrian civilians were shot dead and eight injured by Turkish border guards while trying to cross into Turkey from northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday.

Among the victims of the Saturday night shooting were four children and two women who tried to enter the Turkish territory through the Syrian border town of Kharabet al-Joz.

SOHR said the death toll may increase as some of the victims have suffered serious injuries.

Turkish border guards have killed 60 people, including eight children and seven women, since the beginning of the year, according to data released by the London-based NGO in May.

Shooting has become the common method that Turkish border guards use to respond to Syrians crossing the border since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

--IANS

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The Jharkhand government on Sunday announced that two senior officers will probe the mysterious death of an inspector at a police station in Dhanbad district.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das has ordered an independent inquiry in the death of Umesh Kacchap, an official statement said.

Cabinet Secretary Surendra Singh Meena and Additional Director General of Police (CID) Ajay Kumar Singh will conduct the inquiry within a week, it said.

Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police Surendra Kumar Jha has been asked to stay out of the matter.

Kacchap was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his official residence at the Topchanchi police station, of which he was in-charge, early on Saturday morning.

Police said it was a case of suicide but the family cried murder.

Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Sunday demanded a probe by a special investigation team or the Central Bureau of Investigation into the death.

--IANS

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Odisha's film stars who are members of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will be shown the door if they are found to have been complicit in the chit fund scam, party Vice President Damodar Rout said on Sunday.

"We did not invite them (cine actors) to join our party. They came with somebody else's recommendation. If we get an iota of proof, they will be shown the door," said Rout, who is also Odisha's Excise Minister.

They were given membership of the BJD as crowd-pullers during the elections, he added.

Industry Minister and BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the party president, has always taken the right decision when it comes to members who bring disgrace to the party.

However, the allegations of opposition parties that BJD politicians are involved in the chit fund scam should be based on facts, he said.

Actor-turned-BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty said the media had little reason to link his name with the chit fund scam.

"You (media) are unnecessarily dragging the issue. This is not based on truth," Anubhav told reporters here.

He said there was not an iota of truth about his involvement in the chit fund scam.

Notably, Anubhav, Sidhant Mohapatra (another BJD MP) and comedian Tatwa Prakash Satapathy (who unsuccessfully fought assembly polls in 2014 on the BJD ticket) have acted in Odia films produced by Oscar Chit Fund group chairman Prabhash Rout, who is an accused in the case.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trained its gun on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and said it was shielding the chit fund accused after entering into a deal with the state government.

BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra said the government, the CBI and the chit fund accused have joined hands, leaving the common people high and dry.

"Going into its mode of investigation, the CBI has proved that it is guiltier than the chit fund companies. The fact remains that the chit fund companies are not afraid of the CBI investigation which is amply clear with the name of Oscar Chit Fund company coming to the fore," said the BJP leader.

--IANS

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Raghuram Rajan's statement on Saturday that he will be returning to academia after his current term as governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expires is disappointing. While a two-year extension for the RBI governor is not automatic, and the government is within its rights to decide whether or not Mr Rajan deserves that extension, there were many good reasons for ensuring stability at this point. But the specific consequences of Mr Rajan's departure are not the main point. What is most unfortunate is that an economist with a fine international reputation, and one who has brought about a lot of change in the years he has been in charge of one of India's most critical institutions, has been driven to this step by what is, in effect, a shameful public campaign against him - a campaign that was not condemned or held back by those in positions of power.
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Why I should be tolerant. This title of my new book has generated much interest. The fact is that as an environmentalist, I should be increasingly intolerant at the growing filth, disease, pollution and wasted war against poverty and basic services. Then why would I argue for tolerance?



In December 2016 at the Paris climate conference when the debate on intolerance was at its height in India, there was another side to intolerance that I could see. Climate change intolerance meant that for the first time since the beginning of climate negotiations, the erstwhile climate renegades were in control of the dialogue, narrative and the audience. The Umbrella Group is led by the US and includes the biggest rich polluters, such as Australia and Japan, who have always been in the dock for not taking action to combat climate change. In Paris, these countries went through an unbelievable image makeover.
The buyer-builder relationship has always been in favour of the latter. From booking of property to possession, builders had an upper hand because of one-sided agreements. For example, before giving possession, developers make buyers sign a document that states flat owners have inspected everything and the house is delivered according to the agreed specifications. This leaves little scope for buyers to challenge discrepancies in the court.
Nimesh Shah, managing director & chief executive officer, ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company, answers your questions



I want to discontinue my Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) for some time but not withdraw the funds, as I might restart it. Is this possible?



If you know beforehand that you will be unable to pay SIP installment(s) for a/certain month(s), you can take a pause for your SIP investments through the 'SIP Pause' option.
The Shiv Sena (SS), on completion of 50 years since its foundation day, faces a challenge to counter its senior partner, the Bharatiya Janata Partys move to be in the drivers seat in the Mumbai civic body. And, thereby, cut its lifeline ahead of the civic poll slated for 2017.
Karnataka, the last big bastion of the Congress, saw its first big Cabinet reshuffle two years ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
It was 2012. The debate on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retailing was at its height. As parliamentary affairs minister, it was the job of Chhindwara MP to ensure the motion to open FDI was passed. When it was cleared, Nath just could not contain his joy. He tried hard to look modest but failed miserably, and then, swaggered out of the House in the manner of a pop star, as his colleagues slapped his back and sought to shake his hand.
Shrugging off cries of outrage and allegations from the opposition holding him responsible for RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not continue with his post, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Sunday asserted that he did not care what the others said, as Rajan was the government's employee, adding that he was a Congress 'agent' bent on sabotaging the Indian economy.

Swamy said that Rajan's decision only proved what he had always suspected, that the RBI Governor had been working in tandem with the Congress as their 'agent' since the BJP-led Centre came to power.

"He sabotaged our economy by trying to put all the small, medium industries out of business. And as you know the small and medium industries give employment to the semi-skilled workers, who come from agricultural sectors and poor rural areas," Swamy said.

He further alleged that Rajan had the complete support of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other 'sycophants' to sabotage the economy as he was an agent of the grand old party.

"I could not earlier say that he was an agent. Now after Rahul's remarks, I can say that he was a saboteur in our government. Who cares what the opposition says, he was our employee and we sent him home. This is not a popularity contest," Swamy added.

He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'withstanding international and media pressure' and for standing his ground and declining a second term to Rajan.

Following Rajan's announcement, Rahul Gandhi took a shot at the Centre saying that Prime Minister Modi did not need experts like Rajan since he already knew 'everything'.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows everything. He has no need for experts like Raghuram Rajan," Rahul said in a series of tweets.

Asserting that it was people like him who made India great, Rahul thanked Rajan for steering the Indian economy in difficult times.

Meanwhile, expressing disappointment over Rajan's decision former home minister P. Chidambaram asserted that this was clearly India's loss and lashed out at the Centre for inviting this development.

"I am disappointed and profoundly saddened by the decision of Dr Raghuram Rajan to leave the RBI on completion of his term on September 4, 2016, but I hasten to add that I am not surprised at all," Chidambaram said in a statement.

Rajan announced that he would return to the academic world at the end of his term on September 4, 2016, adding he will always be available to serve his country when needed and asserted that his 'successor' would take the nation to new heights.

Rajan is currently on leave from the Chicago Booth School of Business where he holds the post of Distinguished Service Professor of Finance.

Swamy, who has been one of the chief critics of Rajan, welcomed the latter's decision and said that he was not even getting a second term in the first place.

Swamy also told ANI that Rajan made this decision in order to save his self respect.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Centre respected Rajan's decision and appreciated the 'good work' done by him, adding that his successor would be announced 'shortly'.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday gave a call to party members to be ready to go solo in the ensuing election to nine municipal corporations in Maharashtra slated for next year. At the meeting of office bearers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the party here, Thackeray said he did not know the fate of the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party but clarified that his party did not desire to break the alliance. However, he warned that alliance won't be at the cost of self-respect.
When the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam was sworn into office on May 25, it was not only its workers and supporters who rejoiced.
Divyangs, a term coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the differently abled, are being imparted special training for the mega yoga event on June 21 in Chandigarh, which will see as many as 150 of them take part.

These special participants comprise people who are intellectually disabled, visually challenged, deaf and mute. There are also 18 former army soldiers who are wheelchair bound.

All these participants are enrolled with Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID), Chandigarh, where they are undergoing special training for the past one month.

Manisha Verma, a yoga therapist at GRIID, says the participants are looking forward to the event with a lot of enthusiasm. "These students are very excited about the event and they want to give their best performance. They also talk about getting a selfie with the Prime Minister," Manisha Verma said.

Training the specially abled in yoga requires immense patience and creativity, according to their therapist. "We need to show a lot of patience and love. Our teaching method for the intellectually disabled needs to be playful. For instance, if I am teaching them Bhadrasana then I will tell them to turn into a butterfly, if I am teaching them Vrikshasana then I ask them to become a tree. So, we need to weave a story around the asana in order to develop their interest in the activity."



Similarly, verbal instructions are given to the blind. In case of the deaf and mute we have our yoga instructors accompanied by a special educator who can communicate with the participants through sign language.

A total of 190 differently abled volunteers will be taking part during the dress rehearsal from where 150 will be shortlisted for the final event, according to Verma.

Prime Minister Modi will attend the International Yoga Day celebrations in Chandigarh.

In the national capital, too, there will be 20 differently abled participants, who will give a special performance during the opening ceremony on June 21 at Connaught Place.

This will include 10 performers from a group called "Miracle on Wheels", which has performed across the world and is the only one in the world to perform yoga on wheelchair professionally, according to its director Syed S Pasha. The performers will demonstrate some really difficult asanas like Shirshasana or Headstand.
Fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah has displaced at least 30,000 people in three days, the Norwegian Refugee Council said today, warning that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding.

Iraqi forces achieved a breakthrough on Thursday, taking over the centre of Fallujah while the Islamic State group retreated to areas in the north of the city.

That allowed thousands of civilians who had been used as human shields to flee the city, a key jihadist stronghold west of Baghdad that had been besieged for months.

"The estimated total number of displaced from Fallujah in just the last three days is now at a staggering 30,000 people," the NRC said in a statement.

The aid group, which runs displacement camps around Fallujah, said another 32,000 people had already been displaced since the start of the government offensive against the IS bastion nearly a month ago.

It said it believed dozens of families were still inside Fallujah, including the most vulnerable civilians such as pregnant women, the sick and the elderly.

The aid community has been overwhelmed by the influx of people and many were sleeping in the open, in the scorching summer sun and waiting for a tent at one of the displacement camps.

"We implore the Iraqi government to take charge of this humanitarian disaster unfolding on our watch," NRC's director Nasr Muflahi said in the statement.

NRC said it could no longer provide the required assistance, with water rations drying up fast.

It cited the case of a newly-opened camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah that houses 1,800 people but has only one latrine for women.

"We need the Iraqi government to take a leading role in providing for the needs of the most vulnerable civilians who have endured months of trauma and terror," Muflahi said.

Fallujah was the first city to fall out of government control in January 2014, as the jihadists began to establish a foothold on parts of the country.

Around 3.4 million people have since been forced from their homes by conflict across the country. More than 40% of them are from Anbar, the province in which Fallujah is located.
The construction work on the four-lane road between Vadodara and Ankleshwar till the under-construction Statue of Unity has begun, a Gujarat minister said today.

"The Gujarat government has issued work order of Rs 2,979 cr to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to construct the Statue of Unity, which would be the tallest statue in the world," state Finance Minister Saurabh Patel said.

"To facilitate the road travel of tourists from all over the world who would visit the Statue of Unity after it is built in a few years, the government is focusing on building the four-lane road from Vadodara and Ankleshwar leading to the statue," Patel, who is also the Tourism Minister of the state, said.

The 182-km-long statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which would be developed as a major tourist attraction, would come up in Narmada district.

Altogether, 102 vehicles including goods-carrying



trucks entered Tripura yesterday till 7 PM but that did not ease the crisis situation, Saha said.

Apart from this, Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh yesterday visited badly-damaged Lowerpoa at Karmganj area and assured all help to the construction firm working for repair of the highway.

"Tripura government was prepared to supply bricks and stone chips needed for construction in case they faced problems of materials. The works for repair of the damaged highway was progressing at snail's pace," Singh told reporters.

Saha said petroleum products could be brought through Meghalaya's Dawki to Dharmanagar via Sylhat in Bangladesh. He said the state had only 42 days food stocks and in such situation urgent steps needed to be taken by the central government for dispatching food grains.

"Despite state's repeated request to the Centre for urgent interference in the situation, it was just playing the role of onlooker. It is nothing but a conspiracy," Saha added.
As many as 589 labourers, mostly tribals from western Madhya Pradesh, died due to silicosis in last ten years while working for the quartz crushing factories in Gujarat, according to a study.

The deceased were among 1,721 people from 743 families hailing from tribal-dominated Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur districts who had migrated to Gujarat, claims the study carried out by three NGOs including 'Silicosis Peedit Sangh' (SPS), between October 2015-March 2016.

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a mineral that is part of sand, rock, and mineral ores such as quartz.

SPS worker Amulya Nidhi told PTI today that the study covered 105 villages in the three districts.

He said the Supreme Court had on May 4 directed the Gujarat government to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to 238 people among the deceased on the recommendation made by the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) in 2010.

Amulya said they have forwarded a list of remaining 351 deceased to NHRC to facilitate compensation to their families from Gujarat government.

He said NHRC had recommended to MP Government in 2010 to prepare a rehabilitation plan for the silicosis-affected patients.

The SPS worker said though some steps have been taken to help the silicosis patients in Madhya Pradesh a lot still needs to be done.

"Many patients of the respiratory disease are unable to reap the benefit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) and Indira Gandhi Awas Yojana," he added.

According to him, the labourers fell prey to the deadly disease in Gujarat after inhaling crystalline silica and silica dust in the absence of safety measures.

When contacted, Indore Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Dubey said that he would be able to comment on the contents of the report only after perusing it.

Conceding that silicosis is a reality, he said the government is working out measures to ensure that labourers need not migrate to Gujarat to earn livelihood.
Activists said at least eight Syrian refugees, including four children, were shot dead while trying to cross into Turkey.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the eight were shot by Turkish border guards while trying to cross from Kherbet al-Jouz in northwestern Syria into Turkey's Hatay province late yesterday.

The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, put the toll at 11 dead and also blamed Turkish border guards. It says at least one of those trying to cross was from Jarablus, a northern Syrian town under Islamic State control. Turkish officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Syrian war has pushed over 2.7 million refugees into Turkey, according to the UN Turkey has tightened security along its border in recent months to prevent further inflows.
Algerian soldiers killed 14 armed Islamist militants in an ongoing operation south of the capital today, the defence ministry said giving a new toll.

It said the "terrorists" were killed in an ambush in a mountainous area of the Medea region, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Algiers.

Weapons, ammunition and an explosive vest were seized, it said.

The ambush was part of an ongoing operation against militants that began on June 9 and had so far led to the killings of 17 "terrorists" and the arrests of four .

The authorities in the North African country use the term "terrorists" to refer to Islamist militants.

A brutal civil war in the 1990s between the government and Islamists claimed about 200,000 lives.

Despite adopting a peace and reconciliation charter in 2005 aimed at turning the page on the conflict, armed groups remain active in some areas.

At least 101 armed Islamists have been killed by security forces this year, according to an AFP count compiled from official bulletins.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange starts his fifth year camped out in the Ecuadoran embassy in London today, an occasion his supporters intend to mark with events celebrating whistleblowers.

Supporters said they were planning to stage songs, speeches and readings in several European cities.

Assange, 44, is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador's UK mission for four full years in a bid to avoid extradition.

The anti-secrecy campaigner, who denies the allegation, walked into the embassy of his own free will on June 18, 2012, with Britain on the brink of sending him to Stockholm, and has not left since.

His lawyers say he is angry that Swedish prosecutors are still maintaining the European arrest warrant against him.

The Australian former computer hacker fears that from Sweden he could be extradited to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files, where he could face a long prison sentence.

Listed participants in Sunday's anniversary events include Patti Smith, Brian Eno, PJ Harvey, Noam Chomsky, Yanis Varoufakis, Ai Weiwei, Vivienne Westwood, Michael Moore and Ken Loach.
Kolkata Police today arrested another person in connection with Thursday's back-to-back clashes between two groups at Entally's Bibibagan area of the city taking the total number of arrests in the case to two.

Jamil Ahmed alias Sheikh Neazu, a resident of the Convent Lane in the same locality, was arrested from inside the Howrah-Rajdhani Express at Burdwan station for his "direct involvement" in the shoot-out at Entally that left two persons injured, a senior police officer said.

"This person has serious past records and going by our probe, it is quite clear that he has direct involvement in Thursday's incident. We are questioning him to get a clear idea of who else are involved in the clash and what was the reason behind it," the officer said.

Teams of the Kolkata Police anti-rowdy section and Entally Police Station on Thursday night itself had arrested Sukhen Das in this case.

The clash, police had described, as "primarily" related to the construction business in the area.

"There are a few more people involved in the case. We are looking for them and hopefully they will be nabbed soon," the officer said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today visited the Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal Hill here to oversee the preparedness for the famous Ambubachi Mela to be held there from June 22.

The Chief Minister inspected the arrangements made for the pilgrims coming from different parts of the country and abroad for the Mela at the holy temple and asked officials to ensure all arrangements in respect of accommodation, drinking water and sanitation for the pilgrims.

Keeping its rich tradition of according highest respect for visitors since ages, the state would keep up the tradition on a constant high by welcoming the pilgrims during the five-day Ambubachi Mela, Sonowal said.

Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay was also directed to ensure a full-proof security apparatus in and around the Shakti shrine.

The Chief Minister also appealed to the people as well as the pilgrims to maintain cleanliness in the temple and its peripheral areas in the true spirit of 'Swacch Bharat Mission'.

After paying obeisance to Goddess Kamakhya for peace, prosperity and amity in the State, Sonowal also visited the camp set up at Sonaram Higher Secondary School playground near the temple to oversee the facilities put in place for the pilgrims.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, facing rape allegation in Sweden, on Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of his life holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy here.

The 44-year-old is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been hiding in the embassy since he was given an asylum as he fears being extradited to the US to be quizzed over the activities of Wikileaks if he travels to Sweden.

His supporters have planned a series of demonstrations around the world, including London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Belgrade, under the banner 'First They Came for Assange'.

They will mark the beginning of what organisers have dubbed 'Assange Week', with further events planned for New York, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

A UK Home Office spokesperson said that Assange has exhausted all his avenues of appeal under the Extradition Act 2003.

"The UK has a legal obligation to extradite to Sweden, where he is wanted for an allegation of rape," the spokesperson said.

"The European Arrest Warrant in respect of Mr Assange was issued in full accordance with the law and has been upheld by the Supreme Court. We are clear that our laws must be followed and he should be extradited," he said.

The Australian former computer hacker founded Wikileaks in 2006 and has been portrayed in two films in recent years.

Assange has compared living inside the embassy to a life on a space station.

His small room is divided into an office and a living area where he has a treadmill, shower, microwave and sun lamp and spends most of his day at his computer. He got a cat last month to keep him some company.

Last month a Stockholm district court maintained a European arrest warrant against Assange, rejecting his lawyers' request to have it lifted.

"The court considers that is still suspected of rape and that there is still a risk that he will abscond or evade justice," it had said in a statement.

Assange plans to appeal the ruling.
Filmmaker Paul Cox, lauded as the father of independent cinema in Australia, has died.

He was 76.

The Australian Directors Guild announced the death of the Dutch-born filmmaker, author and photographer on Twitter, without disclosing the cause of the death.

Cox's body of work included "Man of Flowers" in 1983 and last year he released "Force of Destiny", starring his frequent collaborator David Wenham, which was based on the director's cancer battle before an eleventh-hour liver transplant in 2009 pulled him back from the brink of death.

The director's 1982 film, "Lonely Hearts", which explored the life of a middle-aged man searching for love through a dating agency, won the AFI award for best film and was nominated in four other categories.

"Man of Flowers", which was cowritten by Bob Ellis, was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes film festival.

Cox was born in Venlo, Limburg, the Netherlands, the son of Else, a native of Germany, and Wim Cox, a documentary film producer. He emigrated to Australia in 1965.

The filmmaker's Melbourne-based daughter, Kyra Cox, turned to Twitter to express her grief.

"Goodbye my beautiful daddy. I love you with all my heart and am so very proud to be your daughter," she wrote.
US government agencies should avoid using religiously-charged terms like 'jihad', 'sharia', 'umma' and instead employ "plain-meaning" American English in their counter-terrorism discourse, a report by the Department of Homeland Security has recommended.

The Homeland Security Advisory Council report also recommended that the department focus on American milliennials by allocating up to USD 100 million in new funding.

It also urged greater private sector cooperation, including with Muslim communities, to counter what is described as a "new generation of threats to the Homeland related to the threat of violent extremism."



The funds would be used for hiring experts and new social media programmes and technology to influence young people not to join terror groups, The Washington Free Beacon reported, citing the report.

Under the section on terminology, the report calls for rejecting use of an "us versus them" mentality by shunning Islamic language in "Countering Violent Extremism" (CVE) programmes, or CVE, the Obama administration's euphemism that seeks to avoid references to Islam.

Under a section on recommended actions on terminology, the report said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should "reject religiously-charged terminology and problematic positioning by using plain-meaning American English."



Government agencies should employ, "American English instead of religious, legal and cultural terms like 'jihad', 'sharia' (islamic law), 'takfir' (apostasy) or 'umma' (entire Muslim community)," stated the June 2016 report by the Council's countering violent extremism subcommittee.

The limits on counter-terrorism terminology outlined in the report are the latest sign of verbal censorship within government imposed by President Barack Obama. The president this week launched into an angry public denunciation of Republican critics of his policy of avoiding use of the expression "radical Islam".

"The department's CVE (countering violent extremism) efforts are an attempt to protect our nation's young people from extremists who prey upon the Millennial generation," the report was quoted as saying.

"The department must reframe the conversation to reflect this reality and design a robust programme around the protection of our youth, which must include predator awareness and an understanding of radicalisation. In doing so, our citizens will be better equipped for this threat," it said.

The DHS report also called for avoiding a confrontational "us versus them" stance in public efforts to counter Islamic radicalisation, government programmes should use the term "American Muslim" instead of "Muslim American".
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Centre to constitute a high-level panel to revamp the "sagging agrarian economy" in the country and put it on a strong pedestal.

"Otherwise the national economy on the whole would be in tatters," Badal said while addressing a gathering at the foundation laying ceremony of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Manawala, near here.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and HRD Minister Smriti Irani were among those present at the programme.

Badal said there is utter disappointment among the peasantry due to unviable agriculture policies of the successive Congress governments at the Centre in the past.

He said it was an extremely deplorable situation that the farmers who heralded the Green Revolution in the 1960s and made the country self reliant in food production were now committing suicide.

The Chief Minister sought Jaitley's immediate intervention for formulating a concrete policy to bring an end to the "agrarian crisis."



Badal hoped the IIM would also prove to be a mentor to the state in devising agricultural policies that could benefit of the farmers.

Attacking the previous UPA government at the Centre for its apathetic attitude towards Punjab, Badal alleged that it was always inimical to Punjab and its people.

He blamed the UPA "for ruining our state socially, economically and politically through its anti-state policies".

Badal urged Jaitley to consider an industrial package exclusively for border districts, if not for the entire state.
Amidst a spar between the ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today greeted Uddhav Thackeray on Shiv Sena's 50th anniversary, even as he "greatly missed" party founder late Balasaheb Thackeray's guidance.

"Shiv Sena completes 50 years today. My heartfelt greetings to party chief Uddhav Thackeray and the party workers," Fadnavis said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Late party supremo Balasaheb Thackeray's guidance has always proved valuable. He is greatly missed today!," he said in another tweet.

Talking about the CM's tweets, a BJP leader said Fadnavis' statement is an indication that had Balasaheb been alive, the 25-year-old alliance between both parties would not have broken (ahead of the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly polls) and the Sena would not have constantly targeted the BJP on each and every issue, which it is seen doing today.

"Had Balasaheb been alive today, he would not have let the two decades year old alliance break. There had always been ups and downs in our relations, but they were resolved amicably. But lately, the taunts and criticism have increased way beyond the permissible limits!," the leader said.

"The CM rightly said that Balasaheb is sorely missed today," he added.

The Sena is hosting a grand event this evening at NSE ground in Goregaon East showcasing its 50 years of political journey that has been shaped by the contribution of Balasaheb Thackeray and his family.

However, in an apparent snub to BJP ahead of the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, Sena has not invited its ally for the event.

The party's mega show is being seen as sounding of poll bugle for the prestigious BMC elections.
About 3,500 people today attended Yoga events in eastern China's Wuxi city, considered to be the biggest yoga performance in the region, ahead of the second International Yoga Day to be held in June 21.

The event was hosted at the iconic Wuxi Hollywood Studios as nearly 3,500 people from Wuxi registered and participated in the Yoga celebrations, Prakash Gupta, Consul General of the Indian Consulate in Shanghai said.

The event was organised by the Consulate along with the local government.

"It may be noted that in the Eastern China Region, Wuxi, became the largest scale Yoga performance, given the sheer numbers of the participants that joined in the celebrations today," a statement from the Consulate said.

The Consulate is organising a series of yoga events in eastern China region of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu to celebrate the UN Yoga Day on June 21.
Accusing Naveen Patnaik regime in Odisha of being highly inefficient and corrupt, BJP today alleged that the state received adequate central funds but BJD always levelled allegation of negligence by NDA government in order to hide its inabilities.

Addressing the state executive meeting of BJP in Sundargarh, senior leaders including Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan charged the BJD government with being a total failure and neck-deep in corruption amid chit-fund and other scams.

"This government is inefficient and ineffective. It should not be allowed to continue any longer. BJD must be dethroned in order to safeguard the interest of the people of the state," said Pradhan in his speech.

"The BJD government is availing all the benefits from central funds but always blaming the Centre and levelling false allegation of negligence. It is unable to spend central funds but always complaining to hide its inefficiency," Pradhan claimed.

Pradhan alleged that there were large scale irregularities in distribution of ration cards under National Food Security Act and preparation of BPL list.

The state Government is only filling the coffers of its cadres as majority of card holders are BJD cadres which proves the ruling party is cheating the poor, said Pradhan.

Pradhan said BJP would not allow Naveen government to play with the sentiments of the citizens of the state and would go on exposing it.

Senior leader Saudan Singh said, "We are taking all steps to strengthen the party at the grass root level. From now on there would be a state executive, district executive and block executive meeting in every three months."



Jual Oram in his speech asked the cadres to unite and work for strengthening the party. He also spoke extensively about the developmental and welfare activities undertaken by his ministry.

Oram alleged that funds meant for the tribals remained unspent by the BJD government which is a tragedy for the state.

"The state government is only shedding crocodile tears for the tribals. In reality it is against the tribal people," the senior tribal leader claimed.

BJP's Odisha unit president Basant Panda said the party would further expose BJD leaders for their alleged role in chit fund scam.
For the second time in more than a year, Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed K Sera Sera Digital Cinema's allegations of unfair business practices made against firms including Walt Disney, Warner Bros and Fox Star Studios.

It was alleged that these entities indulged in anti- competitive practices in the digital cinema exhibition market.

The complaint was filed against US-based Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), Limited Liability Company (LLC), which is a joint venture, and its six stakeholder partners  The Walt Disney Company India, Fox Star Studios, NBC Universal Media Distribution Services, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros and Paramount Films India.

Allegations made by K Sera Sera was first rejected by the Commission in April 2015, following which the complainant approached the Competition Appellate Tribunal.

The tribunal then asked the regulator to reconsider the matter and also examine potential of technical rules in creating anti-competitive conditions and establishing monopolistic conditions.

After looking at the matter again, the regulator has rejected the complaint saying there is no case of competition norms violation.

It was alleged that Digital Cinema has been formed with an object to dominate and monopolise the market of digital cinema exhibition in India and elsewhere.

"Nothing is stated in the information or submitted by the informant which can disclose there exists an agreement amongst opposite parties which can be considered as anti-competitive in terms of Section 3(4) of the Act. The information also does not disclose any case of abuse of dominant position by any of the opposite parties in terms of Section 4 of the Act," the order, dated June 8, said.

Section 3 of Competition Act relates to cartelisation while Section 4 pertains to abuse of dominance.

With regard to alleged collective abuse of dominance by the opposite parties, said, "Since there are no provisions for collective dominance under the Act, the matter need not be assessed on this aspect".

Among others, it was alleged that DCI, LLC is a cartel through which the opposite parties are deciding the price of movie hall tickets by forcing the cinema owners to install expensive DCI-compliant servers and projectors.

The theatre owners are deprived from exhibiting Hollywood movies because of the possession of non-DCI compliant equipment and such restrictions crush the relatively small and technologically independent players in the market, it was alleged.

"Only approximately 5% of the total revenue earned by the Indian film industry were derived from Hollywood movies implying that the informant would not be adversely affected if it is not able to screen the movies of opposite parties," said in its order.
China today criticised the Indonesian navy for using "excessive force" on its fishermen which injured a Chinese crew member in the disputed South China Sea, the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries.

The foreign ministry strongly protested over the Indonesian navy's "harassment" of Chinese fishermen.

"China strongly protests and condemns such excessive use of force," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign ministry.

Chinese fishing boats were harassed and shot at by several Indonesian navy warships in a disputed fishing ground in the South China Sea on Friday, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

One crew member was injured. Another fishing boat and seven crew were detained, it said.

The incident took place ina traditional Chinese fishing ground where China and Indonesia have overlapping maritime rights claims, Hua said.

Indonesia's actions violated international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and harmed the lives and property of Chinese fishermen, Hua said.

"China urges Indonesia to stop taking action that escalates tension, complicates issues, or affects peace and stability," she said.

Last month, China strongly protested after the Indonesian navy seized a Chinese boat in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands for allegedly fishing illegally.

The two countries have clashed before over the islands on the southwestern edge of the South China Sea.

China claims almost all of South China Sea which is disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Indonesia does not reject China's ownership of reefs or islets in the disputed waterway, but objects to Beijing's claims as they overlap with its own exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.

The US has been dispatching its warships into the waters claimed by China to assert freedom of navigation.

China has strongly opposed such action, saying the US threatens China's sovereignty and security, endangers the safety of people and facilities on the reef and harms regional peace and stability.
A CRPF commando was today killed and two others were injured in an IED blast carried out by Naxals in the jungles of Aurangabd district of Bihar.

Officials said the incident occurred around noon in the Ganjoi Pahar area of the district when commandos of CRPF's elite 205th CoBRA unit were on an anti-Naxal operation.

There was a brief exchange of gunfire between Naxals and security forces after which the Maoist squad fled, they said.

A trooper of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) has been killed while two others have been injured, they said.

The martyred commando has been identified as A Deka while the injured are A K Yadav and K Kakoti.

"The injured have been rushed to a hospital in Gaya," they said.
A large group of restaurateurs led by a Bangladeshi union has made a common cause with Indian-origin minister Priti Patel to call for Britain's exit from the EU in a highly-anticipated referendum this week to "save" the 4-billion-pound curry industry struggling with staff shortage.

The move has made the 'clash of curries' a central theme to the campaign in the lead up to Thursday's referendum which will decide Britain's future in the 28-member European Union.

The Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) has sided with Patel to call for 'Brexit' to "save Britain's curry industry", arguing that free movement of people from Europe hampers the industry's ability to bring in trained chefs from the Indian sub-continent.

"Curry is our national dish but unfortunately four to five curry houses are closing every week. There is a clear double standard in the immigration policy, where we are unable to bring in skilled chefs but thousands are free to come in from Europe," said Pasha Khandekar, president of the BCA, which represents around 12,000 restaurants and takeaways up and down the UK with their roots in the subcontinent.

However, on the opposing end is the UK's Asian Catering Federation (ACF) which has been backing the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU, while continuing to lobby the government on staff shortages within the curry industry.

The ACF, which represents a wider network of around 20,000 restaurants by working alongside the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers UK, the Chinese Takeaway Association UK and the Malaysian Restaurant Association, believes Brexit is not the answer to Britain's curry woes.

"The ACF recognises the contribution of EU members, especially those from Eastern Europe, who are prepared to undertake demanding work and anti-social hours associated with the hospitality industry," it said in a statement.

ACF president Yawar Khan has also written to British Prime Minister David Cameron to further discuss the problems faced by the curry industry but has meanwhile asked its members to vote to remain in the EU.

Curry dates back to 1810 in the UK, when the first such restaurant opened in the country. It has since become a generic term used to refer to food originating in the Indian subcontinent and tailored to suit British palates. Chicken Tikka Masala, a typically British twist to chicken curry, has been famously-branded the nation's favourite dish.

Curry houses in particular have their roots largely among Bangladeshi-origin migrants, with some from India and Pakistan. In recent times, authentically Indian restaurants with roots in India tend to occupy the slightly higher-end of the market.

(Reopens FGN 1)



However, stricter immigration norms over the years have made it tougher for many of these restaurants to bring in qualified chefs from the subcontinent, leading to the closure of hundreds of curry houses in the past year.

"Curry has become a powerful symbol of our diverse and tolerant society, one that welcomes those who work hard, pay their taxes and contribute. That includes the generations of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis who have brought their wonderful cooking to Britain. But it also includes more recent waves of immigration from Eastern Europe who have also brought their own unique contributions to our country," says Keith Vaz, another Indian-origin MP who is campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU.

The chair of the influential House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee has repeatedly challenged Patel's claims over EU being responsible for Britain's curry demise.

He said: "The heart of the problem is the current visa scheme which has set a salary threshold of 29,750 pounds for chefs, much higher than the average salary for cooks in curry houses. This makes it extremely difficult for the nation's curry restaurants to recruit chefs from abroad.

"This could easily be solved in a stroke of Priti Patel's pen by lowering the minimum salary requirement for chefs, something I have campaigned for along with MPs from all parties. But Priti has failed to address this vital issue and is now conveniently using the EU as a scapegoat."



Patel, who is part of the UK Cabinet as employment minister, believes a fairer immigration system is the only solution to this curry clash.

"Ourcurryhouses are becoming the victims of the EU's uncontrolled immigration rules. By voting to leave the EU we can take back control of our immigration policies, save ourcurryhouses and join the rest of the world," she said.

Patel last month launched a "Save Our Curry Houses" campaign, blaming EU migration for the industry crisis.

With opinion polls showing a lead for the Vote Leave camp in the last few days, it would seem her end of the argument is resonating with at least some curry lovers.
In a noble gesture, diamond merchants of Surat and Mumbai donated 10,000 goggles, RO water purifiers besides ECG machines and a host of other items for use by BSF jawans guarding the Indo-Pak border in scorching heat.

The items were handed over to the BSF at a special function organised here, which was also attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The initiative followed a request by Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary who himself is associated with diamond trade.

Appreciating the gesture, the Home Minister said diamond merchants across the country should join hands with the security agencies for the welfare of jawans who lay down their lives protecting the nation.

Describing Border Security Force as the "first wall of defence," Singh said government would do its best for their all-round welfare.

Chaudhary, an MP from Banaskantha in Gujarat, which touches the International Border, told the Surat-based 'SRK Knowledge Foundation', that led the initiative, to come forward with more such welfare schemes.

Among the articles which were donated include 10,000 sunglasses worth Rs 650 each, ECG and X-Ray machines, medical laboratory equipment, an ambulance, 10 oxygen concentrators, 10 RO water plants of 500 litre capacity each and 7,000 mattresses.

Besides, it was decided to upgrade three BSF hospitals with contribution from the diamond traders at a cost of Rs 15 lakh each and develop three shooting ranges at an investment of Rs 25 lakh. Residential units will also be constructed for children of martyrs studying in Gandhinagar.

'SRK Knowledge Foundation' chairperson Govind Bhai Dholakia said that he was immensely happy to help the BSF jawans, who guard the frontiers in challenging conditions.

India shares 3,323 km border (including Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir) with Pakistan, of which 826 km falls in Gujarat.

The initiative is currently being undertaken for the BSF jawans posted in Gujarat and will be gradually expanded to other borders, Chaudhary said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he had not anticipated the "enormous enthusiasm" from across the globe for his call which had led the UN to declare June 21 as the last year, asserting that yoga was much more than a physical exercise.

"When I outlined a vision for an International Day of Yoga in September 2014 at the United Nations General Assembly, even I did not anticipate the enormous enthusiasm for the occasion from all corners of the world," he said in a video message ahead of the second on Tuesday.

Modi said the support and participation of the people last year and once again now "redeems the commitment to nurture and promote this ancient discipline and reaffirms yoga as an exemplary manifestation of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world as one family)."



"I recall the iconic images from that momentous day last year. All the way from the Pacific Islands to Port of Spain, from Vladivostok to Vancouver and from Copenhagen to Cape Town, thousands gathered to unite the bodies and minds through the practice of Yoga," the Prime Minister said.

And the reverberations of the discipline found a "natural home" at the UN Headquarters in New York, where the journey had begun, he said. Through a historic resolution, the UN General Assembly designated 21 June International Day of Yoga last year.

Maintaining that "Yoga is much more than a physical exercise," he said "it enables us to access a new dimension of the self, even while providing a holistic approach to preventive healthcare and well-being."



"Yoga helps us to restore our balance and furnishes us with a much-needed sense of clarity. And through its unifying power, we seek completeness, and at the same time, a oneness with the world," he said.

"It gives me great pleasure to address you as we prepare for the 2nd International Day of Yoga - this unique occasion that brings all of us together to celebrate the invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition," Modi said.

He thanked the people for their commitment to promote the discipline, saying "today all of you are the Ambassadors of Yoga, taking forward India's ancient message to the world.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) today demanded the resignation of the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya Director over the alleged assault of some junior resident doctors and nurses on June 14 by a group of people after a 'premature' baby died there.

FORDA has written a letter to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in this regard.

"The incident, which happened on June 14, was because of the absence of ventilator facility in the ward..., for which the administration should be held responsible. Instead doctors and nurses were assaulted by relatives of the deceased baby which is not correct.

"The administration is trying to hide its fault so we demand his (Director of the hospital) resignation and action against him," said FORDA president Pankaj Solanki.

According to hospital director Anuo Mohta, the 'preterm' baby had died following which the grandfather, along with other family members, abused and assaulted the doctor and nurses in the ward.

The resident doctors and nurses at the hospital in Geeta Colony have gone on a strike demanding arrest of the family members of the baby, affecting health services at the only government-run children's hospital in the city.

"They even tried to strangulate the junior resident doctor using his stethoscope. This is not at all acceptable as the baby died due to sickness. We have filed a police complaint. The family members of the deceased baby also have filed a complaint," said Mohta.

"Patients at present admitted at the hospital are being treated by the faculty of the hospital," said Mohta.
Citing lack of clinching evidence, a Dubai court has acquitted eight Indians of rioting, arson at a labour accommodation and inciting hundreds of others to go on a strike this year at a port town here.

The defendants, aged between 23 and 34, were accused of inciting 300 workers to strike, start fire after the management they worked for barred them from bringing liquor to the accommodation. They were booked over a complaint of the company's administrative manager.

Citing lack of corroborated and decisive evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance cleared all the eight men of the charges, Gulf reported.

The available pieces of evidence were insufficient to establish who had started the riots and fires and staged the strikes, the court said in its ruling yesterday.

The eight men from India were acquitted of running riot at a labour accommodation, setting fire to properties deliberately and causing damage worth around 353,000 dirhams (USD 96,108 or Rs 64,46,199), the report said.

The workers - three blacksmiths, three carpenters and two labourers - were said to have incited hundreds of workers to go on a strike, started deliberate fires to many properties and wrecked cars, offices, machinery and electronics at the accommodation in Jebel Ali port town in January, it said.

The accused had pleaded not guilty and rejected what they described as prosecutors' unfounded accusations.

A police corporal told prosecutors that Dubai Police were informed about workers rioting at the accommodation at Dubai Industrial City.

The company's Palestinian administrative manager testified that the suspected workers had earlier said that they rioted because they had been allegedly robbed and demanded their rooms' keys to lock them, the report added.
Alejandro 'Jano' Fuentes, a Chicago music teacher and contestant on Mexico's version of "The Voice", has died after he was shot in an ambush while celebrating his birthday with friends.

Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed that the 45-year-old musician died on Saturday, reported Chicago Tribune.

Fuentes was in a car in the 4300 block of South Archer Avenue after celebrating his birthday with friends and colleagues when someone walked up, showed him a gun and told him to get out.

When he wouldn't get out of the car, the gunman fired multiple shots, hitting him in the head.

Police initially said the man had been pronounced dead soon after the shooting, but he was placed on life support so relatives could arrive from Mexico, according to family and friends.

Fuentes gained fame in his native Mexico after participating in the Mexican version of "The Voice" in 2011.

He opened a performing arts studio in Brighton Park called Tras Bambalinas, Spanish for Backstage, which taught young people singing, dancing, acting and modeling. He was shot on the same block as the studio, which also served as his home, according to records.

Since opening Tras Bambalinas, Fuentes has been a regular at Mexican-American cultural events, staging elaborate costumed musicals as he taught youngsters the fundamentals of performing arts and entertaining.

The attack comes less than a week after the killing of Christina Grimmie, who appeared on the US version of "The Voice".

Authorities say a man shot her while she was signing autographs after a performance in Orlando. The man then killed himself.
Four children, who were riding bicycles, were killed today after being hit by a truck in Khol area of Haryana's Rewari district, a senior police official said.

The children, all boys aged between 11-14 years, were related to each other and two of them had come to Rewari from Jaipur to visit their maternal uncle during summer vacation, Rewari SP Sangeeta Rani said.

She said a case of rash and negligent driving was registered against the truck driver, who was arrested after the mishap.
Gold worth nearly Rs nine lakh seized from smugglers has mysteriously disappeared from customs vault at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here, prompting the authorities to file a police case.

An FIR was registered recently by Delhi Police on the complaint of customs officials who said two gold chains and bangles, together weighing 298 gms, valued at about Rs 8.83 lakh, have been replaced with yellow-coloured non-precious metal.

The incident came to light when packets containing 1.27 kg gold, including the stolen gold chains and bangles, duly sealed at the instance of a court, were opened by the customs officials before a departmental committee as part of inventorisation proceedings.

"It appears that the contents i.E. Two gold chains of primary gold total weighing 220 gms and four bangles of primary gold total weighing 78 gms were replaced with one rectangular slab (cuboid) of yellow metal (non-precious metal), which was not made of gold," reads the FIR.

The FIR under Section 409 for criminal breach of trust by public servant and 120B (criminal conspiracy) was registered against unknown persons on June 15 at the IGIA police station.

"Police prima facie suspect it as an insider's job but nothing can be ruled out as the matter is under investigation," a senior official said.

It is not for the first time that gold has gone missing from the customs vault.

Over 23 kgs of gold worth more than Rs six crore had earlier gone missing from the customs warehouse, officials have said in response to an RTI query filed by PTI.

In June last year, the customs officials had lodged an FIR in connection with disappearance of 11 kg of gold worth Rs 2.92 crore from its vault. The gold was seized in five incidents from passengers at the international airport.

In most of these cases, gold was replaced with yellow-colour non-precious metal.

Another case was registered in 2014 to probe similar instances of theft.

Theft of gold from five packets had been reported to the police on January 16, 20, April 30 and December 23, 2014 in which gold worth lakhs of rupees was replaced by a yellow metal.

"All these cases, including the latest one, are identical in nature," as per the FIR.
In a major boost to religious tourism, the government is hopeful of completing by next April the construction of highways through Uttarakhand for Kailash- Mansarovar to make it easy for people to visit the abode of Lord Shiva.

The highways will make the arduous journey to one of the most revered treks at high altitude easily accessible from next year onwards as tough Himalayan rocks are being cut to make highways for reaching Kailash-Mansarovar -- a famous Hindu pilgrimage site in Tibet, Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

Kailash-Mansarovar in the high altitudes could be reached only through the arduous Lipulekh Pass route and Nathu La Route, opened by China in 2015 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Kailash-Mansarovar is the identity of our rich ancient culture and heritage. We want to enhance tourism including religious tourism. We are cutting rocks through Himalayas to make a new alignment of highways through Uttarakhand for going to Mansarovar. It is my sincere effort that the highway is built by April next year," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told PTI.

He said it is a difficult task to build highways in rugged terrain of Himalayas cutting through its rocks but the work is in full swing.

"We cannot go there ...It has a history. Now are building a new road from Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) for reaching Mansarovar. Himalayan alignment is very difficult. To cut the rocks, we have brought machines from Australia," the Minister said.

Kailash-Mansarovar is believed to be the seat of Hindu God Lord Shiva and Yatra is organised by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) annually with pilgrims requiring to travel to high altitudes through inhospitable and rugged terrains, with a part of the journey overseen by Chinese authorities.

"It is my vision that next April this road will be clear. We can reach Mansarovar directly through Uttarakhand," he added.

He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is engaged in the project and cutting ice in the Himalayas for the purpose.

Asked about the proposed expenditure on the project, Gadkari said, "We will do whatever expenditure it will entail and I will take the Prime Minister to Mansarovar from this route, which hopefully will be built by April 2017."



The Minister said the 75.54 km route through Ghatiabagarh-Lipulekh Road in Uttarakhand is under construction by the BRO.

The work on this road is being done from Ghatiabagarh at 0km and also from air maintained detachment at Gunji at 45 km.

The connectivity has been achieved up to 62 km towards Lipulekh and up to 29 km towards Ghatiabagarh side. The formation cutting from Ghatibagarh side also been started and reached up to km 2.90. The work on this 10-km stretch was outsourced during December 2015, according to an official.

The adjacent sector stretch of 10 km to 20 km also has been outsourced but work has not yet started on this stretch due to non-connectivity of this stretch from either end, he added.

Gadkari said, "It is a great means for bringing foreign



exchange from overseas and Indian travellers to India... Cruise tourists contribute handsomely to local economies... It has the potential to be a driver of growth for the areas touched by it."



Apart from its huge coastline, India has the geographical advantage as it is strategically located between the Mediterranean and China, he said.

Recently, the Mumbai Port Trust, which has a dedicated berth for cruise tourism, hosted its largest passenger ship Genting Dream with 1,900 passengers. Against 40 ships a year, 59 cruise ships confirmed their visit to Mumbai Port during the current fiscal. The number is expected to rise to 100 next fiscal, an official said.

A cruise ship carries 3,000-4,000 tourists with 1,500-strong crew to various coastal cities, islands, countries, and itself acts like a destination with all entertainment, leisure activities on board.

Listing out the policy initiatives to promote cruise shipping, the minister said ships are now allowed to stay for 3 days, up from the earlier 24 hours, and rules have been simplified to attract more vessels.

He said easier standard operations procedure (SOP) for cruise operations involving multiple agencies has already been issued.

The government has allowed foreign flag vessels carrying passengers to call at Indian ports without securing a licence from the director general of shipping till February 5, 2024.

Also, major ports will offer a minimum of 30 per cent rebate across the board on all vessel related charges for cruise shipping and not levy any priority fees.

"Incentives to attract cruise liners to make major ports as homeports include a rebate of 25 per cent in vessel related charges for coastal cruise movement, in addition to existing 40 per cent rebate for coastal vessel," an official said.

The official said that on land excursions, an average tourist spends USD 70-100 per day and with a cruise ship of 3,000 capacity, this translates into enormous volumes.

Also, average employment on a cruise ship is one job for 3-4 passengers, which translates into a boost for the recruitment sector.
The Delhi High Court in an interim order has allowed Delhi University's Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College to commence its counselling process but said it cannot admit students till July 21 when a plea by some teachers against its minority status would be heard.

Justice Sunil Gaur passed the order on the plea of some teachers, who have challenged the order of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, which granted minority status to the college, on the ground that it would affect the interests of SC/ST students.

The college was granted minority status in 2011 and this was challenged by the teachers as well as Delhi University (DU) on whose plea a stay was granted by the high court in 2012, according to the petition filed by the teachers.

As per the plea, DU had withdrawn its petition in July last year saying it had no objection to the minority status granted to the college.

The issue of whether the college would be bound by the SC/ST Reservation Act would be heard by the court on July 21.
The Delhi High Court has quashed the detention of an IB officer in connection with a case of gold smuggling at Goa Airport in 2014, and ordered his release, citing "unexplained delay" in execution of the order for detention.

A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal in its June 2 judgement set aside the March, 2015 detention order issued by the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Unit on the ground that there was "unexplained delay" in execution of the order.

The officer was detained in December 2015, nine months after the detention order was issued, and that too, when he had surrendered before Goa Police despite the fact that he was working in the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) at Bhubaneshwar, the court noted in its decision.

"Thus, in our view, the order of detention is liable to be quashed as there is unexplained delay in execution of the impugned detention order," the bench said.

Another reason cited by the bench for quashing the decision was that the officer was not supplied with the "relevant mechanism" to view the material considered by the authority prior to issuing the detention order.

"In effect, it can safely be said that to form a subjective satisfaction, the detaining authority has relied on the CCTV footage, and thus, the CCTV footage in the 12 CDs are held to be relied upon documents.

"Merely because the CDs provided to the detenue along with the show cause notice or he was shown the CCTV footage at the time of recording of the statement under the Customs Act, in our view cannot take the place of providing the mechanism for viewing the CDs in view of the settled law of the land. On this ground as well, in our view, the order of detention is liable to be quashed," the court said.

The order came on the petition filed by the wife of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer seeking quashing of the detention order.

As per the petition, the officer had initially joined the



Indian Navy as a sailor in July, 1993 and had retired in 2008. Thereafter, he had joined the IB and was posted at the Goa Airport.

In July, 2014, when he was on duty as wing in-charge in the Immigration Department, four persons were arrested on the allegation of smuggling of 19.4 kg of gold.

On August 2, 2014, he was summoned for an inquiry with regard to the incident and had denied any knowledge of the case.

Another summons was issued to him asking for certain documents such as his posting order, but he informed the IO that they were in possession of the department.

In November, 2014, he was transferred to SIB, Orissa and then in January, 2015, he was issued another notice in which allegations were made against him of assisting the accused.

He denied all the allegations and went on medical leave. Thereafter, he got to know about the publication of the detention order in an English daily in Goa.

He had then moved the Kerala High Court which denied him relief, saying he must first surrender. He went in appeal to the Supreme Court which was also of the same view. He had then surrendered before the Goa Police.
Three persons including a heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been killed for marrying without their family's consent in two separate cases, the latest incidents of "honour killing" in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother.

In the first incident, Christian parents of a woman Nasreen Shahzadi, 25, allegedly stabbed her to death yesterday for converting to Islam after marrying a Muslim man, Irfan Rehmani, in the country's eastern Punjab province's Layyah district, some 350 kms from Lahore.

Shahzadi eloped with Rehmani three months ago and contracted court marriage, a police official said.

Her father Emanuel Masih talked to her over phone and told her that he and his wife had pardoned her, he said.

"The parents also invited the couple to their house. Yesterday, Shahzadi visited the house of her parents where they stabbed her to death and dumped her body in a field," the official said.

A murder case was registered against the couple and their son but no arrests were made so far.

In a separate incident, Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his heavily pregnant wife Aqsa, 26, were shot dead for "honour" by Aqsa's brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia.

The couple, married for four years and lived in Thikriwala village in the province, was killed for marrying without the family's consent.

Four days ago, Aqsa's brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple's home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them.

The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night.

Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre.

Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil's father, Khushi Muhammad.

An autopsy report revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots on their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies. The report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days.

The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run.

Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her mother in the province's Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families' will.

Last week, an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice.

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.
Orthodox churches from around the world met in Greece today for the first such gathering in a millennium, but the absence of several branches of the communion threatened to mar the event.

The religious leaders celebrated Orthodox Pentecost in the town of Heraklion on Crete where a "divine liturgy" was given as part of the gathering that will last until June 27.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the so-called Holy and Great Council on issues including wedlock, fasting, and united representation in dioceses in countries such as the United States and Australia.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos took part in the mass that was aired live on state broadcaster ERT.

But the absence of Russian Orthodox leader Kyrill, who represents some 130 million faithful -- half the world's Orthodox population -- threatened to undermine the image of unity that the gathered leaders had sought to project.

Aside from Russia, the Orthodox churches of Bulgaria and Georgia are also absent. Both are considered close to Moscow.

The Patriarchate of Antioch is also staying away because of a spat with Jerusalem over the appointment of clerics in Qatar.

"This great and holy council will carry the message of unity... It will help to escape the deadlocks of the present," Patriarch Bartholomew of Crete told local media.

The last such meeting was in 1054 when Christianity split between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, in the so-called "great schism" -- and working out the details of the new council has taken over 50 years.

"The unity of Orthodoxy is good for us all. It is those who are absent who will miss out," said Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.

The Orthodox communion has about 250 million followers worldwide and consists of 14 autonomous churches though it has been shaken by the upheavals in the former Soviet bloc and the Middle East in recent decades and is frequently plagued by national and political strife.
An FIR has been registered by Goa Police against Sussanne Khan, ex-wife of Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan, for allegedly cheating a real estate firm by "posing" as an architect.

However, Sussanne has dubbed the allegations against her as "false" and "defamatory" and a pressure tactic by the firm.

"The case was registered against Sussanne Khan on June 9 after the real estate firm lodged a complaint against her. The firm has claimed that she cheated them by posing as an architect through her firm 'The Charcoal Project'," police inspector Siddhanth Shirodkar told PTI today.

She has been booked under section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of IPC.

'The Charcoal Project' is a Mumbai-based interior design store set up by Sussanne.

As pat of the investigation, police have sought documents from Sussanne's address in suburban Andheri in Mumbai.

The complaint was lodged by Emgee Properties alleging that Sussanne claimed herself as an architect to secure a contract to design its building in Panaji in 2013.

Company's Managing Director Mudith Gupta has mentioned in the complaint that his firm signed a contract for Rs 1.87 crore with Sussanne.

The complaint stated that she failed to submit the requisite design in a stipulated period of time and that the designs submitted by her were not of professional standards.

Sussanne, presently in London, rubbished the allegations in a statement today.

"The said complaint is motivated and preposterous and has been only filed to intimidate me and pressurise me to withdraw the arbitration proceedings initiated by me in the first instance to recover my dues and damages resulting from the breach of contract," she said.

As per the statement, Sussanne has challenged the termination of the contract and has invoked arbitration under the contract for recovery of her dues from the firm.

"As a counter-blast to the said proceedings, Mudhit Gupta, with the only intention to harass and pressurise me to give into his frivolous counter-claim, initiated the criminal complaint," she was quoted as saying.

Sussanne denied any "misrepresentations" while stating that she maintains the highest standards of ethics in discharge of her work.

The statement said that Sussanne intends to take the arbitral proceedings to the logical conclusion and will give a befitting response to the complaint.

"Such complaints do not scare me rather it encourages me to stand up for the truth. The allegations in complaints are false and defamatory. I will take appropriate proceedings in accordance with law," she added.
Hungary's controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban will publish an open letter in British media this week urging Britons to vote to remain in the European Union, his government said today.

The appeal by the populist Orban, who has himself been fiercely critical of the EU, will be published on Monday, Orban's spokesman Zoltan Kovacs announced on the government's website.

"The Hungarian government is often accused of being anti-European but this current 'pro-Europe' gesture shows how much we believe in the European Union's achievements, even if we have different views on the continent's future," Kovacs said.

In the appeal Orban will tell the British: "The decision is yours but Hungary is very proud to be a member of the EU with you."



Kovacs said Hungarian diplomats across Europe would also be arguing the anti-Brexit case in the last days before Thursday's in-out referendum.

Hungary's intervention comes as Budapest prepares for a referendum in the autumn on an EU plan for distributing 160,000 refugees among EU members. The government is campaigning against the plan.
An Indian-origin author's book on Queen Victoria's relationship with her trusted Indian aide in the late 1800s would soon be made into a film in which Oscar- winning British actress Judi Dench will play the protagonist.

'Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closet Confidant' by author Sharbani Basu was released nearly six years ago.

It captures the relationship between the British monarch and her trusted Indian aide Abdul Karim in the late 1800s.

"I'm absolutely delighted that my book is in such safe hands. To have Dame Judi Dench play Victoria is absolutely perfect. With Stephen Frears directing and the screenplay by Lee Hall, it's a dream team," said Basu, the London-based journalist and author of books like 'Spy Princess' and most recently 'For King and Another Country'.

"As a writer, one spends years sitting in archives and researching a piece of forgotten history. It's a great feeling when the book goes out into the world and you can share the story. The film will take it to an even wider audience," she said.

Karimwas just 24 when he arrived in England from Agra to wait at table during Queen Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887. He grew close to Queen Victoria, becoming her teacher - or munshi - and instructing her in Urdu and Indian affairs.

Award-winning British filmmaker Frears, behind Helen Mirren starrer 'The Queen', will now transform the tale for celluloid with Oscar-winning Dench.

The film will mark the second time 81-year-old Dench is to play the historical figure after 'Mrs Brown' in 1997, for which she received an Oscar nomination.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has cut by more than half the time it takes to finalise a crude oil import tender after the government gave flexibility to state refiners to devise their own crude import policies.

IOC, the nation's largest oil firm, used to take 26 hours to decide on a tender for import of crude oil from spot or current market.

In April, after the Cabinet gave state-owned oil refiners freedom to devise their own crude import policies, the time has been shrunk to 12 hours, a senior company official said.

Time for deciding on tenders for export of petroleum products or fuel has been cut to just 9 hours from previous 35 hours.

"Earlier, we had a three-member committee comprising two company executives and one senior official of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas to decide on awarding tenders for import of crude oil from the spot market.

"Now we have an internal committee which can take decisions quickly," he said.

The government gave flexibility to oil PSUs to help them secure cheaper oil cargoes in an oversupplied market.

The new policy almost puts state-owned refiners on par with private firms like Reliance Industries and Essar Oil.

"We now have greater flexibility but still to operate within the framework of (anti-corruption watchdog) CVC guidelines," the official said.

The previous policy limited purchases to a handful of companies, often leading to PSUs missing out on chance to grab cheap, distressed cargoes.

Oil PSUs, on an average, import 70-80% of their oil through annual supply deals, also called term contracts. The remaining is bought from the spot or current market through tenders.

Term imports on official selling price of the exporter country and there is not much that can be done about it. But operational and financial autonomy in spot purchases help better margins.

"We imported 63% of our crude oil on term contract and the remaining 37% from the spot market in 2015-16. This is compared with 76% term import and 24% spot purchase in 2014-15," the official said.

Reduced time in deciding tenders helps realise better price, he added.

India imports about 80% of its crude oil requirements. Last fiscal, its imports rose 4.6% to 197.43 million tonnes.

As oil prices slid in global markets, the oil ministry last year encouraged state-owned to increase their spot purchases to take advantage of market conditions. They stepped up spot purchases which used to be normally 20% of their total requirement to up to 30%.

The existing policy for import of crude oil was approved by the Cabinet in 1979. In 2001, the Cabinet cleared amendments to permit state refiners to buy crude oil from top 10 foreign firms -- Exxon (which has merged with Mobil), Shell, BP, Elf (merged with Total Fina), texaco (merged with Chevron), South Korea's SK, Chevron, USX of USA, Spain's Repsol and Nippon Mitsubishi of Japan.
Turkish police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to break up a rally by the LGBT community in Istanbul today, in the second crackdown in as many days on protests by secular Turks.

Several hundred riot police surrounded the main Taksim Square -- where demonstrations have been banned since major anti-government protests in 2013 -- to prevent the "Trans Pride" event taking place during Ramadan.

It was the latest crackdown by police in Turkey against an event during the Muslim holy month.

As the police swooped in on the rally of about 150 people, the crowd fled into nearby streets.

Turkish media reported that at least two people were detained.

The "Trans Pride" rally was to kick off LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) week in Turkey.

The demonstrators unfurled a rainbow flag, a symbol of the LGBT community, and then tried to read a statement but were prevented from doing so by the police.

Istanbul authorities said yesterday they had banned the annual gay pride parade set for June 26 to "safeguard security and public order" after a string of bombings around Turkey over the past year, some of them blamed on the Islamic State group, others claimed by Kurdish militants.

"We want to march for humanity but the police ban everything," an activist who gave her name as Ebru told AFP.

Earlier today, 11 anti-gay protesters, apparently Islamists, demonstrating near Taksim Square were arrested, according to the Dogan agency.

"We are Ottomans," shouted one, according to video of the incident. "We don't want any of those people here."



A group of ultra-nationalists asked the authorities last week to cancel the gay pride parade, saying it would make sure it did not take place if police did not heed the call.

The annual Istanbul parade has taken place for the last 12 years without incident with thousands of people taking part in the most important LGBT gathering in a Muslim country in the region.

Today's crackdown on the Trans Pride event came a day after police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse a protest over an Islamist attack on fans of British rock group Radiohead.
Education and agriculture will have to go hand in hand for India's development as has been the case in countries like Japan and South Korea, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today as he laid the foundation stone for a new campus of IIM-Amritsar.

This would be the own campus of IIM-Amritsar, the 15th Indian Institute of Management in the country, which has been so far operating from a temporary facility.

Jaitley said the government and private companies will have to join hands for taking the education sector forward in Punjab.

Stressing that 55 per cent of people are engaged in agriculture, Jaitley pointed at rising unemployment in the farm sector which has forced people to look at other sectors for income and stressed on the need for good quality education.

He also said that the government's efforts to develop the premier institute in Punjab will encourage more educational institutes to set up campuses in the state.

"Education and agriculture will have to go hand in hand as we have seen in other countries like Japan and South Korea... Government and private institutions both will have to contribute for development of education in India," Jaitley said.

The Union Minister also highlighted the contribution of Narendra Modi government in bringing reputed institutions like the AIIMs and IIMs to Punjab.

The new campus of IIM-Amritsar, which commenced its first batch last year out of a temporary facility, will be built on a 60-acre land in Manawala on the National Highway-1.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also attended the event.

"In the coming years, IIM-Amritsar will become a premier



educational institution," Jaitley said.

In her address, Irani said that she hoped IIM-Amritsar will soon be among the top-five institutes of the country.

"I hope in Punjab, which is known for farmers, milk and agro processing, the IIM-Amritsar will have courses as per the state's priorities," Irani said.

Jaitley in his first Budget in July 2014 had announced setting up of five new IIMs in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Amritsar was chosen in Punjab for setting up the IIM. Jaitley had in 2014 unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha election from Amritsar, where he lost to former Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh of Congress.

The IIM at Amritsar is reported to be the smallest among the IIMs in the country. Most of the 14 existing IIMs have 90 acres or more land for their campuses.

IIM Calcutta was the first IIM to be set up in November 1961 followed by ones at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, Shillong, Rohtak, Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Kashipur, Udaipur and Visakhapatnam.

In the Union budget presented on Feb 28, 2015, two more IIMs were announced at Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana.
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac today said his government plans to introduce a new online sales tax collection system using latest technology similar to the one in Delhi.

"If required, we will bring out a new legislation to implement the scheme," he said in a statement after a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Isaac said that under the proposed new system, his ministry would access the bill details from traders through a sophisticated software to make tax collection hassle-free, instead of resorting to the "usual practice of inspection and raids".

"We hope the traders will cooperate with the new scheme," he said, adding the government expects 20 per cent growth in sales tax collection next year.

"We plan to stop the usual practice of inspection and raid at the places of trade and make the process of tax collection hassle-free through an online process which was successfully implemented by the Delhi government last year," Isaac said.

This scheme has helped the Delhi government in attaining 24 per cent growth rate in tax collection last financial year, he added.

Isaac met Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia and discussed various tax collection schemes being implemented in Delhi.

Earlier, the Delhi government had adopted the 'Lucky VAT coupon' project of Kerala government in the name of 'Bill Banavo, Inam Pavo'.

Eighty-five per cent of the tax amount collected in Kerala is from 16,000 traders out of a total of two lakh in the state, Isaac said.
Kim Kardashian's ex-husband Kris Humphries is gushing over her new shoot for a magazine cover and is telling his friends she looks amazing.

The 31-year-old athlete has reportedly started missing the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star after he saw her on the cover of the latest edition of GQ magazine, reported Hollywood Life.

"He's loving everything about Kim's spread. He's going lady goo goo gaga over it. Yeah, dude is missing his ex right now. Looking at those pics is making him daydream about the kinky freaky stuff they used to get into," a source said.

He even told his friends that the mother of two looked "scrumptious" in the photo. "To him, she's stacked taller and looks more scrumptious than double blueberry pancakes. He's loving everything about Kim's spread," the source added.
Actress Kriti Sanon has finally broken her silence over dating rumours with Sushant Singh Rajput, saying they respect each other as co-stars.

Kriti, 25, and 30-year-old "Byomkesh Bakshy" star have been teaming up for the first time for upcoming movie "Raabta", whose Budapest leg of shooting they finished last week.

"Had enough... As much as we like and respect each other as costars, there is absolutely no truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks," the "Heropanti" star posted on twitter.

Sushant, who broke-up with his longtime girlfriend Ankita Lokhande in May, is yet to comment on the .
Actor Logan-Marshall Green is in talks to join the cast of "Spider-Man: Homecoming".

The film already stars Michael Keaton, Donald Glover, Robert Downey Jr, Zendaya and Tom Holland.

Keaton is playing the main villain in the movie, and Green



is reportedly set to join his team, reported E! online.

The franchise reboot will revolve around Peter Parker's high school roots and his desire to find his true identity and where he really belongs in this world.

Holland will play the young Peter Parker, while Tomei will play Aunt May and Zendaya the female lead.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" starts production later this month and is set for a July 7, 2017, release.
BJP MP from East Delhi Mahesh Girri today sat on a hunger strike outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, demanding that he prove his allegations regarding the murder of NDMC official M M Khan.

Kejriwal, in a letter to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, had accused him of trying to "save" Girri and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice-chairman Karan Singh Tanwar in Khan's murder.

Girri had asked Kejriwal for a public debate over his allegations.

In a letter to Kejriwal on June 16, Girri had invited him to Constitution Club to produce "evidence" he had against him in the M M Khan murder case on Sunday 4 pm.

Kejriwal did not accept the challenge following which Girri, accompanied by his party supporters, reached the Chief Minister's flagstaff Road residence and sat on hunger strike.

The BJP MP has asked Kejriwal to either prove his charge against him or "resign" from the post of Chief Minister.

"If he manages to prove, then I will quit politics, otherwise he should do so," Girri said.

Khan, an estate officer of NDMC, was shot dead in Jamia Nagar on May 16, a day before he was scheduled to pass the final order on the lease terms of a hotel which was functioning on a property leased out by the civic body.

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Hitting back at Girri, AAP's Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey said an open debate with Kejriwal would not solve the problem, instead the BJP MP should be ready for a fair investigation.

The party also reiterated its demand for arrest of Girri and Tanwar in connection with the murder.

The owner of the hotel, Ramesh Kakkar, was arrested on charges of murder.

AAP MLA from Okhla Amanatullah questioned Girri's ties with Kakkar.

Pandey also alleged that Tanwar took money from Kakkar to get Khan transferred and the BJP leader had also threatened the NDMC officer.

Pandey claimed that a letter was written by Tanwar to Khan. AAP and people of Delhi want to know the content of the letter which has since gone missing, he claimed.
Former West Bengal Madan Mitra, accused in the multi-crore Saradha chitfund Scam, was today discharged from hospital and sent back to Alipore Jail after the doctors declared him "fine".

Mitra, lodged in the jail in connection with the Saradha scam, was shifted to the SSKM Hospital on the night of April 26, a few days before his constituency Kamarhati went to polls, as he had complained of chest pain and breathlessness.

While coming out of the hospital Mitra said, "I will again appeal to the court to have a look in my case. There are several people questioned by the CBI in this case but all have been released. I am the only person who is jailed for so long. I have cooperated with them (CBI) every time they wanted to question me."



The TMC leader was arrested by the CBI in December 2014. He lost his seat to Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Manas Mukherjee by over 4,000 votes in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

Mitra was purportedly seen accepting money for consideration in the Narada sting operation.

Asked if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to initiate a probe into the Narada sting operation was right or not, Mitra said, "I am nobody to judge nor I have the audacity to say whether the chief minister is right or wrong. She has always taken right decisions."



"And everybody wanted an investigation in Narada case and now that she has ordered it. Let's wait for the truth to come out," he said.
Malaysia will convene a two-day meeting with Australia and China to chart out a course of action for the investigation into the missing flight MH370, which is presumed to have crashed into the sea off Western Australia's coast with 239 people on board two years ago.

Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi told state-owned agency Bernama here that the meeting would also look at in detail, other issues, including the recent discovery of debris.

The meeting, involving officials from Australia, China and Malaysia is expected to take place at the transport ministry office beginning from tomorrow.

"Top of the agenda of the meeting is on the future direction of the search operation for MH370. Only high ranking officials will attend the meeting. Malaysia will be represented by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman," Ab Aziz said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which leads the multi-nation search in the Indian Ocean, is expected to complete searching the designated 120,000 sq km of the sea by end of this month.

Australia, China and Malaysia have said previously they will call off the search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean.

So far 105,000 square kilometres of the 120,000-square- kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success.

Several pieces of debris found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area have so far shed no light on the cause of the disaster.

The Beijing-bound MH370 aircraft with 239 passengers and crew on board disappeared from civilian radar screens on March 8, 2014 and its flight path is believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Awantipora area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir this evening, police said.

Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Ladoo area of Awantipora, 30 kms from here, following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.

As the security forces were closing in on the militants, the ultras opened fire which was returned by the troops, the official said.

Intermittent exchange of firing was going on till reports last came in, the official said, adding no casualty has been reported so far.
Two persons were today arrested from Chhattisgarh in connection with the acid attack on a woman college teacher here with police saying one of them was her relative who was angry at being spurned by her.

Trilok Chand Namdeo (28), a relative of the victim, and his accomplice Subham Tiwari (21)- a second year student of a polytechnic college, were arrested a day after acid was hurled at the teacher in front of her house in posh Arera Colony while she was on her way to college.

"Namdeo and Tiwari, both hailing from Dongargarh city of Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh, were arrested today," Bhopal DIG Raman Singh Sikarwar told reporters here.

He said the prime accused, Namdeo, is married with two kids. "The crime was the result of unrequited love," the police officer said.

Namdeo told police that he hurled acid at the teacher as he was angry with her for turning down his proposal, the DIG said.

"Namdeo and Tiwari came to Bhopal all the way from Ranjandgaon on a motorbike to throw acid on the teacher," Sikarwar said quoting the statement recorded by the duo with police.

Namdeo was wearing a burqa whereas Tiwari had covered his face with a mask while committing the crime.

The victim sustained severe burns on her hand and waist and was admitted to a private hospital where her condition is stated to be stable.

They have been booked under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived here today to scout for investments for his state and hold talks with senior Chinese officials.

Chouhan will address a business seminar here tomorrow in which several Chinese investors are expected to take part.

He is also scheduled to meet Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and Zhao Leji, Politburo member and Minister of the Organisation Department of the CPC.

CPC international department maintains close ties with different political parties in India including BJP and also state governments.

Chouhan is also set to meet several Chinese CEOs and industrialists individually in the next two days.

This is Chouhan's second visit to China as chief ministers from several Indian states have visited the country in recent years to pitch for Chinese investments.

Chouhan will later visit Guangzhou city where he is due to address a business seminar and meet local officials and investors.

Last month, President Pranab Mukherjee had addressed a India-China Business Forum in Guangzhou pitching for Chinese investments in India.

Chouhan's visit will be followed by Finance Minster Arun Jaitley's trip here during which he is due to address a business forum here on June 24 and attend the 8th India-China Financial Dialogue.

Jaitley will also attend the first Board of Governors meeting of the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to be held on June 25-26.

India is a founding member of the bank in which 56 other countries have joined.
A Mumbai-based journalist has embarked on a globe-trotting journey and his is no oft-beaten path.

Vishnudas Chapke, who quit his journalism job after working with few English newspapers, has decided to traverse the countries with hitch-hiking and using other cost-saving ways.

He has a shoe-string budget, barely sufficient to manage the paperwork and procedures that are needed for international travel.

Starting his sojourn from Mumbai on March 19, he has covered four countries and is currently in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.

Chapke asks for a lift from fellow commuters to cover the distances. For night halt, he requests local residents for shelter, and if that is not available, he sleeps in the open or stays at temples, pagodas and bus stations.

Once, after running out of money in the middle of the journey, he posted on Facebook seeking monetary support. "A few strangers, besides some friends responded," he said.

"My plan is to circumnavigate the globe by land in 20 months. I would use water transport only in case of reaching the nearest port to continue my surface journey," he said.

"From Vietnam, I plan to go to Australia in a freighter, and am waiting for necessary permissions and more financial assistance," Chapke said.
Nepalese police have arrested 36 doctors, including six women, in a major crackdown on medical professionals in the country who had allegedly obtained medical degrees and licenses by using fake academic credentials.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police have detained 36 doctors as part of the 'Operation Quack', on charges of practicing medical by using fake certificates.

The CIB today presented the doctors, who used fake academic credentials at the Kathmandu District Court seeking judicial remand for further investigation, police said.

The court remanded them to custody for five days for further investigation.

Earlier, the police had arrested the doctors from 10 districts across the country on Friday. The suspected doctors include six women.

A police official said the CIB would try to complete the investigation procedures within next five days.

The CIB had launched operation 'Operation Quack' a few months agoto crack down on medical professionals who had allegedly obtained medical degrees and Nepal Medical Council licenses by using fake academic credentials.

The Nepal Medical Council and the Higher Secondary Education Board have been assisting the police in launching the operations.

Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has deplored the action taken by the police against the doctors.

"Although NMA believes that any one indicted for any activity forbidden by the laws should be liable to punishment accordingly, the arrest of on-duty doctors without warrant from their workplace in an authoritarian style is deplorable," said Mukti Ram Shrestha, General Secretary of the association.

The association has claimed that the authorities have violated human rights while taking action against the doctors.

They have also warned that if the government continues to "intimidate" doctors in the manner that it made the arrests, it would be forced to announce protest programmes from tomorrow.
A Nepali man here has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his wife and trying to destroy evidence.

Parkash Chand, a resident of Naryara villagein Karsog area, was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 by the additional sessions judge, Pune Ram.

Parkash will have to further undergo rigorous imprisonment forthree yearsand pay a fine of Rs 10,000 for trying to dispose of the bodyof his wifeNarvada Devi in order to destroy the evidence.

Both sentenceswould run concurrently.

The court also sentenced Bhim Singh, the brother of Parkash, to rigorous imprisonment for two years anda fine of Rs 5000 for trying to destroy the evidence.

A complaintwas filed against the two in May 2014 for hiding the body inside a chicken house. The police recovered the body and arrested them.

The prosecution examined 17 witnesses to prove its case.
In a shocking turn of events relating to the controversial arrest and subsequent bail of two Dalit sisters for allegedly attacking a CPI(M) activist here, one of them allegedly attempted suicide at her home.

The condition of 25-year-old Anjana, now in the intensive care unit of Indira Gandhi Cooperative hospital, is stable and she has been kept under observation, hospital sources said.

She was brought to the hospital here at around 1230 hrs last night after she consumed some tablets.

Akhila (30) and Anjana (25), daughters of Indian National Trade Union Congress leader N Rajan, were arrested on a complaint by CPI(M) that they had barged into their party office here and attacked one of their activists.

The sister duo were released on bail yesterday.

Asked by reporters in Delhi about the incident, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said "Ask police. I am not saying anything now".

Anjana, who had yesterday participated in a television debate, come home and allegedly consumed some tablets. As she showed signs of restlessness, she was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Her family said that during the TV debate, a woman CPI(M) leader had remarked that the two sisters were part of a "criminal goonda gang".

Akila told reporters, "We are being portrayed as members of a criminal gang which trespassed into the Marxist party's office with dangerous weapons."



"For the past many years, we were being traumatised and insulted by CPI(M) workers. We had not gone there to attack anyone, only to question them for calling us by our caste and mocking at us. Just because we belong to this caste, does it mean we do not have a right to live?" Akila asked.

She said her sister was under a lot of mental strain, but the family did not suspect she would take any extreme step.

She said the family wants to live peacefully.

"We kept quiet all these years because we are girls. A policeman behaved as if we are criminals," she said.

Kannur district Police Chief Sanjay Kumar Gurudin, who visited the woman in the hospital,said: "We are keeping a check on her health condition. The reason why she took the extreme step is not known.
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Orlando gay nightclub gunman Omar Mateen was dismissed from a prison guard training programme in 2007, days after the Virginia Tech massacre, for joking about bringing a gun to class.

In 2007, the Department of Corrections employed Mateen and financed his schooling at Indian River State College to become an officer. But it lasted only six months.

Mateen, who was killed by police after his attack on Pulse nightclub, was removed from the Florida Department of Correction's Criminal Justice Training Institute on April 27, 2007, for sleeping in class and making "extremely disturbing" comments about weapons, according to records obtained by the Palm Beach Post.

Another recruit in the prison guard programme informed Mateen's teachers about his twisted joke -- which he made just two days before a gunman killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus.

"On April 14, 2007 while the class was given a 15-minute break, Omar Mateen approached me laughing saying that if he was to bring a gun to school would I tell anybody," the trainee wrote. "I looked at him and turned away".

The concerned student filed the report on April 23, days after the April 16 Virginia shooting. The chilling timing of the joke -- and Mateen's habits of dozing off in class and skipping school -- prompted the warden of the Martin Correctional Institution to kick Mateen from the programme.

"In light of recent tragic events at Virginia Tech, officer Mateen's inquiry about bringing a weapon to class is at best extremely disturbing," Warden PH Skipper wrote. "I am recommending probationary dismissal on recruit Omar Mateen."



In the dismissal recommendation, Skipper also said Mateen had two write-ups in his file for napping during shooting range practice and even more undocumented incidents.

"While my squad was in the back (at the shooting range) and it was not out turn, I dozed off in the lounge chair about two times," Mateen wrote in a letter to a teacher, according to the documents released Friday.

Skipper mentioned that the troubled recruit once skipped class entirely. Mateen wrote a letter explaining he ditched school because he developed a fever and went home to rest, the New York Daily reported.

"The mistake I made was that I did not tell any instructor of the situation," Mateen wrote.

The Virginia Tech massacre was the US' deadliest mass shooting before Mateen's rampage at an Orlando nightclub last Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. Nine years earlier, a senior at the school in Blacksburg, Virginia, had shot and killed 32 people.
Over one lakh events have been planned in the country on second International Yoga Day to be celebrated on Tuesday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said today.

On the occasion of the International Yoga Day, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) will, in collaboration with over a dozen noted social organisations, hold 1,00,260 yoga programmes at different centres across the country, he said.

Of these, 10 regional-level mega events will be hosted in Varanasi, Imphal, Jammu, Vadodara, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Vijayawada, Bhubaneshwar, Shimla and Hoshiarpur, said Singh, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office.

The main programme will be held at Chandigarh which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said yoga day programmes will also be organised in 391 Universities, 16,000 colleges and 12,000 schools across the country.

Various entities including NCC (National Cadet Corps), NSS (National Service Scheme), Patanjali, Art of Living, Bharatiya Yoga Sansthan, Brahma Kumaris will participate in the events.

Singh said, International Yoga Day is not only an occasion for all of us to remind ourselves of the need for the well being of mind and body, but also to celebrate the world's acknowledgement of the time-tested Indian tradition.
Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the 'University of Jihad' and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar.

"I am proudly announcing that Darul Uloom Haqqania Nowshera will get Rs 300 million to meet its annual expenditures," Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister Shah Farman told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly this week.
A Palestinian shot by Israeli soldiers during clashes last month died of his wounds today at a hospital in the West Bank, the hospital said.

Arif Jaradat, 22, was wounded during clashes with the Israeli armed forces on May 4 in his home village of Sair, in the south of the occupied West Bank.

He was transferred to the hospital in Hebron where he succumbed to his wounds.

Violence since October has killed at least 208 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.

Most of the Palestinians were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Others were killed in clashes with security forces or by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
Nearly 2,000 people got "pie faced" and broke a world record for the largest shaving-cream pie fight, held in honour of comic actor Stan Laurel.

The 1,186 people taking part exceeded the 869 holders of the current record.

The fight took place at the annual Another Fine Fest in Ulverston, held in honour of comic actor Laurel, who was born in the town.

Ceri Hutton, from Team Pie, said it was "a moment of pure joy when the pies started to fly".

"Just the sound of over 1,000 people squealing and laughing," she was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"It's only right that Ulverston, birthplace of comedy legend Stan Laurel, should hold this record."



Organisers have to send evidence to Guinness to confirm the new world record, they said.

They said they were confident of validation having followed official counting protocol with a "huge electronic turnstile" and thrown nearly 3,000 pies of the regulation size of 16.5cm for one minute.

The previous record was set in Belfast in 2015, the report said.
A country-made pistol and five live cartridges were seized today from Bachha Rai's office in Bishun Rai college which is at the centre of controversy in the toppers' scandal in Bihar Intermediate examination, police said.

"A country-made pistol (manufactured in Munger) and five live cartridges were seized from Bachha Rai's office at Bishun Rai College," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The SSP is heading an SIT probing the toppers scandal.

The police team found the pistol and cartridges kept in an almirah at the college principal's office, another police source said.

Rai, the alleged kingpin in the toppers' scandal, was arrested on June 11.

He is the secretary-cum-principal of Bishun Rai College in Vaishali district. Arts and Science toppers Ruby Rai and Saurabh Shrestha belonged to that college.

Police have arrested eight persons so far, including Rai, in this connection.

Former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and his former MLC wife and ex-Principal of Ganga Devi College, Patna Usha Sinha are still absconding.
As many as 57 Union ministers will spread across the country on Tuesday for the 2nd International Yoga Day programmes, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ancient Indian physical exercise in Chandigarh.

The Ministers will be leading various programmes hosted by the government across the country during the mega event, including ten of them concentrating in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to participate in these events.

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.

Following this, the first International Yoga Day was observed across the world on June 21 last year with Modi performing yoga along with 36,000 people at the Delhi's historic Rajpath.

The 57 Minister who have been assigned the task of leading this year's programme include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, among others.

Significantly, some 10 Ministers including Jaitley, Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Maneka Gandhi have been lined up for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to lead these programmes.

The series of programmes this year include mass yoga events, workshops and seminars.

While Modi will be performing Yoga along with thousands of people at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, his cabinet colleagues Singh and Jaitley have been assigned the task of leading the 2nd IYD programmes in Lucknow and Mumbai respectively.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has been assigned to lead a programme in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to participate in Kanpur.

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is likely to participate in a programme in the national capital while Power Minister Piyush Goyal is slated to perform Yoga with others in Raipur. Health Minister J P Nadda has been assigned Ahmedabad for the purpose.
The Prime Minister's Office has convened a meeting on June 21 to deliberate upon a roadmap for further easing of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms to attract more foreign investment.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair the meeting in which officials from ministries, including Commerce and Industry, Finance and Home Affairs, would participate," sources said.

The meeting assumes significance as the government is considering relaxing in more sectors, including existing pharmaceutical companies.

The Department of Economic Affairs has proposed that FDI up to 49% should be allowed in existing pharmaceutical companies through the automatic route and anything beyond through approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.

FDI in the sector is a contentious issue as concerns have been raised over mergers and acquisitions of Indian pharma companies by foreign giants.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has also proposed complete ban of FDI in tobacco sector. The proposal was supported by the Finance and Health Ministry but the Niti Aayog has raised certain issues.

According to sources, the other sectors which may see some kind of policy tweaking include single brand retail and food processing.

Last year, the government relaxed in about dozen sectors at one go including defence, retail and construction development.

Steps have also been taken to improve business climate of the country by promoting ease of doing business.

FDI in the country has touched an all time high of $40 billion in 2015-16.

Foreign investment is considered crucial for India, which needs around $1 trillion for overhauling its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth.

A strong inflow of foreign investments will help improve the country's balance of payments situation and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar.
Qatar rejected the verdict by an Egyptian court in a spy case linking ousted president Mohamed Morsi to passing state secrets to Doha.

In addition to Morsi's conviction being upheld and receiving a life sentence, two journalists from the Qatar-based state-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera were also handed death sentences.

But in a statement released late yesterday by Qatar's foreign ministry, officials in Doha said the verdict was unfounded.

"Though it is not final, the verdict is unfounded, goes against truth and contains misleading claims which are contrary to the policy of the State of Qatar towards all sister countries, including Egypt," said the ministry's director of information, Ahmed Al Rumaihi.

"The charge of espionage for Qatar against a former president and media men is surprising and unacceptable."



Rumaihi added that the verdicts lacked "the proper sense of justice".

Morsi, who has been sentenced to death in a separate trial, was Egypt's first democratically elected president but the army overthrew him in 2013.

He was given life in prison yesterday for leading an unlawful organisation and 15 years for having "stolen secret documents concerning state security," his lawyer said.

But Morsi was acquitted of having supplied classified documents to Qatar, one of his main backers, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud told AFP.

The two Al-Jazeera journalists were tried in absentia.

In a separate statement yesterday, the media network denounced the verdict as an attack on the free press.

Egypt has long accused Qatar -- and Al-Jazeera -- of being sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Yoga exponent Ramdev will hold a mass session with over 3,000 BSF jawans and officers to mark the (IYD) on June 21 in Jodhpur.

Officials said Ramdev will hold an early morning yoga session in the border town at a Border Security Force camp where over 3,000 troops of the paramilitary force and others will participate.

Jodhpur has a large contingent of the border guarding force deployed to secure the Indo-Pak international boundary running along Rajasthan.

The event is part of the overall programme prepared by the government to celebrate the IYD which will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Chandigarh on the same day.

Close to 30,000 troops from various central paramilitary forces like BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB will take part in these events across the country to mark the day.

While about 2,000 Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel will join the event in Chandigarh, men and women of the force which guards the Sino-India border will also display their yoga skills at the high-altitude Pangong lake in Ladakh.

The paramilitary personnel will also perform yoga exercises in cities like in Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Lucknow, Patna, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Gangtok, Agartala, Imphal, Kohima, Itanagar, Aizawl.

Similar activities will also be undertaken in Dehradun, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Chennai, Bengaluru, Raipur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and Ranchi, by the personnel to make the event successful.

In Delhi, the event will be led by the Central Industrial Security Force at the Central park in Connaught Place.
BOZEMAN  A Montana lawmaker is proposing that the Legislature rename Columbus day with a name that celebrates Native Americans.

State Rep. Bridget Smith, D-Wolf Point, submitted a bill request last week that would change the holiday to celebrate indigenous people instead of the explorer.

Smith says Columbus has a legacy of cruelty and slavery and that he and his exploratory crew committed atrocities on Native Americans.

Montana would not be the first state to enact legislation changing the holiday. In 1989, South Dakota established the second Monday in October, federally recognized as Columbus Day, as Native American Day. Earlier this year, the Bozeman City Commission adopted a similar measure.
Betting big on mobile trading in derivatives market, leading brokerage today said it it investing heavily in new technologies including robo-analytics and expects over 30% of its broking business to come from mobile trading platforms.

"The number of mobile traders increased from six lakhs to nine lakhs in last one year (growth of 50%). In volume terms, we see this emerging as a Rs 6,000 crore market in next 2-3 years and scaling upto Rs 10,000 crore in next five years," CEO B Gopkumar told PTI.

Reliance Securities, the broking and distribution business of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group's financial services arm Reliance Capital, has recently launched new trading platforms, including a mobile-based trading product for derivatives.

Gopkumar said the mobile market share in overall trading will grow to 3-4% in next couple of years, where more than 90% of volume share will still be from futures and options.

"We have launched two products Tick and Tick Pro. While Tick is a web trading platform aimed to provide a normal user offering features of a high-end dedicated platforms at affordable rates under our value broking model, Tick Pro is India's first mobile app specially for derivatives market. We believe there is a huge potential for this segment," he said.

Talking about the derivatives market, Kumar said an estimated 94% of overall market volumes is contributed by derivatives.

"Of this about 60% is purely through online trading translating into Rs 60,000 crore daily volume. Cash market is a minuscule 6%. Derivative volume has grown by 150% in the last seven years compared to cash market volumes which grew only by 50%," he said.

He further said that in the last one year, the overall market share of mobile trading has increased from 0.5% to 1.2%.

"In volume terms, the daily average volume growth on mobile has increased from Rs 600 crore to nearly Rs 1,600 crore. 90% of this volume of mobile trading is derivative trading.

"Within the online platforms, Futures and Options volume on mobile grew three-times in fiscal 2015-16 whereas growth in other online platforms was at 55%," he added.

Kumar said more contracts would be added while extension of market timings and introduction of options in commodity markets would be other key drivers for growth of the market.

"On the technology front, dedicated and customised platforms for Futures and Options traders, like TickPro, that focus specifically on derivative trading on mobile will aid the growth," he said.

On Reliance Securities, Kumar said, "We would not like to limit our growth in this segment by any number but are hopeful of taking at least a 30% share of this mobile market with our dedicated app and platforms.

"Our key focus is to make it so simple for the trader to take derivative calls by virtually eliminating complex excels and calculations, that these trades can be completed on mobile. We hope to be the biggest broker in terms of mobile derivative trading is concerned."



In the next three years, Kumar said expects over 30% of its broking business to come from mobile users and mobile apps.

"We are investing heavily in technology - backed by Robo analytics and big data - to induce a shift in trading and enabling complex trade calls to be executed easily on our mobile," he added.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has expressed concern over indefinte postponement of Bhakra Beas Management Board stakeholders meeting to resolve the issue on sharing of power and water, and urged the Centre to reschedule it at the earliest.

The BBMB projects meet of chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh was slated for June 20.

In a statement, the Haimachal Pradesh chief minister said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had convened the meeting to resolve the issue regarding share in power and water in BBMB projects tomorrow but now the meeting has been indefinitely postponed and that he came to know about it after reaching Delhi.

Singh urged the Centre to reschedule the meeting because the matter was long-pending and so that Himachal Pradesh could get its due share in the BBMB projects.
: A senior scientist of the Central Sheep and Research Institute at Mannavnur near Kodaikanal in this district has sought upgradation of laboratory facilities and latest equipment for large-scale breeding of Bharat Merino sheep, whose wool is used for making jackets and overcoats.

A S Rajendiran told PTI that it was necessary to maintain the grazing area of the sheep as the institute planned to take up major research work for increasing the population of Bharat Merino and Avikalin variety (wool used for making carpets) sheep.

"We want to do large-scale breeding of sheep ..And also improve tourist attraction.. If the government helped improve the infrastructure facility at the institute, it will reflect in the sheep breeding, and all the states across the country would be benefitted," he said.

"If we are able to produce more male sheep,the population of Bharat Merino and Avikalin sheep would automatically go up across the country," he said.

The Institute now has 82 Avikalin sheep and they planned to bring 300 more such sheep from Rajasthan.

Besides 500 Bharat Merino sheep were being reared at the Institute. This variety is a cross breed of indigenous Chokla and Nali sheep with Rambourillet and Merino Rams, he said.

The male sheep yields four kg of fur while the female sheep three kg, he said.

The Institute had approached textile mills to make woollen items like shawls locally in the state and was willing to help self-help groups if sufficient funds were made available to them for marketing the woollen yarn, he said.

Referring to breeding of giant rabbits, he said it has come to a halt following a government ban on the activity some years ago.

"Now there are about 100 giant size rabbits at the institute."



Highlighting the problems facing the institute, he said the lab was facing frequent power cuts without a proper Transformer close to it. In fact there was not even central government auditing of the laboratory since 1997, he alleged.

Besides, he claimed, the institute, a major tourist attraction where woollen products are exhibited, lacked even basic parking facilities.
Richfeel, which runs a chain of hair and scalp care clinics, plans to add 25 centres across India and overseas in the next two years as part of its expansion plans.

"Currently Richfeel has 75 clinics in 25 cities in the country. In next two years network would have over 100 clinics including the ones that are planned for Dubai and Abu Dhabi," Richfeel Apoorva Shah told PTI.

The company has major expansion and growth plans for the next two years in terms of widening clinic network, increasing portfolio of the latest and best global technologies, he added.

"In India our expansion plans would be by and large in the cities that where we are currently present," Shah said.

The company has presence in cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Noida, Pune, Siliguri, Surat and Udaipur.

When asked about the investment amount, Shah said: "Each clinic investment is around Rs 70 to 80 lakh."



This would be through internal accruals, bank dept and private equity investment in the company, he added.

On the size of the hair and scalp market in the country, Shah said: "The market in India is estimated at 3 USD billion and trichology services are a small part of it, which is growing fast."



Established in 1986 by Apoorva Shah and Sonal Shah, Mumbai based Richfeel employs over 800 people and more than 150 medical trichologists.
The Russian military has rejected the Pentagon's accusations that it targeted US-backed Syrian opposition forces, saying the US failed to warn about their locations.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman, Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov, said the area targeted in Thursday's strike was 300 kilometres away from locations earlier designated by the US as controlled by legitimate opposition forces. The Pentagon said Russian warplanes struck Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State group in At-Tanf.

Konashenkov said in today's statement that the Russian military had warned the US in advance about the planned strike, but the Pentagon had failed to provide coordinates of legitimate opposition forces.

On a conciliatory note, he added that yesterday's video conference with the Pentagon was "constructive," reflecting a shared desire to improve coordination and avoid incidents.
In a statement that could stir up another hornet's nest, Union Minister Ramshankar Katheria has said there "will be saffronisation of education and the country" if it is "good" for the nation.

"I am saying there will be saffronisation in education and in the country. Whatever is good will definitely take place. Be it saffronisation or 'sanghwad', if it's good for the country then it will definitely take place (...Shiksha me bhi bhagwakaran aur desh me bhi bhagwakaran hoga. Jo desh ke liye accha hoga wo hoga. Chahe wo bhagwakaran ho ya sanghwaad ho)," he said.

The Minister of State for HRD was addressing a function at the Lucknow University to celebrate 'Hindvi Swaraj Diwas Samaroh' to mark the 342nd coronation year of Shivaji. His remarks are likely to lend further ammunition to the opposition to attack the Modi government.

"It is for the benefit of the country and whatever is good for the country... Call it 'bhagwakaran' (saffronisation) or 'sanghwaad' if you will, but it will be done," he said.

"We have been seeing this for a long time...Whatever is in the interest of the country, for the benefit of the country, on the basis of which the nation can stand with pride in the world, should it not be made part of the syllabus or should it not been taught to our children," he said.

"If students do not read about Maharana Pratap or Shivaji, will they then read about Ghengis Khan," he asked.

He said people like Shivaji inspired India's independence. The minister also claimed that India's history had been "tailored" to suit the "tastes of a few people" and called it "India's greatest misfortune".

He called seeing "sacrifices of national leaders" in a political light, "a growing disease" in the country.

"Ambedkar is seen as the personal property of one party, or of Dalits. In fact, Ambedkar is not just an ideal leader and nationalist for the country, but for the entire world," he said.

Remembering the contributions made by several stalwarts in the freedom struggle, Katheria said they lived their lives for humanity and welfare of the nation.

He took the opportunity to blame the ruling Samajawadi Party in Uttar Pradesh for the state's "educational backwardness". "Uttar Pradesh is backward in all areas and zero in education," he alleged.
Some shopkeepers in Pakistan's Sindh province allegedly sold shoes with sacred Hindu word 'Om' inscribed on it, angering the minority community in the country which described it unfortunate and blasphemous.

The patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), Ramesh Kumar told PTI they had already lodged protests with the Sindh government and local authorities in Tando Adam Khan after it was brought to the notice of the Hindu community that shoes were being sold with the sacred word 'Om' inscribed on them.

"It is most unfortunate that some shopkeepers in Tando Adam Khan are selling shoes on the occasion of Eid ul Azha with the Hindu sacred word inscribed on them and the purpose just appears to be to insult the sentiments of the Hindu community," Kumar said.

"The pictures of the these shoes have been circulated on the social media by concerned members of the Hindu community and we demand they be removed from the shops immediately," he said.

Kumar added the sale of such shoes was an insult to the Hindus in Pakistan as it is blasphemous to use the sacred word 'Om' on shoes.

"As 'Om' is the sacred religious symbol of Hinduism which talks about the oneness of God, let's protect this oneness peacefully for the progressive and positive face of Pakistan. Let's appeal the authorities concerned to take notice of the matter immediately to override any expected mistrust within the locals," said another statement released by the Pakistan Hindu Seva.

The local Sindhi newspapers have also reported that similar shoes were also being sold in some other places of Sindh.
In wake of the "Udta Punjab" censorship controversy, superstar Salman Khan feels more categories should be created for clearing films in the 'adult' segment.

Recently makers of "Udta Punjab" were embroiled in a battle with CBFC over the number of cuts in the Shahid Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer film.

The makers got a lot of support from the industry and even the court ruled in their favour.

"There are certain cuts given for U/A and U certificate and some cuts in A certificate films. Put XX, XXX (to 'A' certificate films) for people, who come to see that kind of films as they are aware about what is there in it," Salman said in an interview here.

Salman's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" had also run in trouble with censor board and some religious organisations, who objected to the title.

"In 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' case, we were asked to change the title. We were like if the film was (based) in Maharashtra then it would be 'Bajrangi Bhau', in UP 'Bajrangi Bhaiya' and in Punjab 'Bajrangi Paaji'. But the character is going to Pakistan so it is called 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'," the 50-year-old star said.

The CBFC gave U/A certificate to the Kabir Khan-directed film, where Salman played the role of an ardent devotee of Hanuman, who embarks on a journey to reunite a mute six-year old girl (Harshali Malhotra) with her parents in Pakistan.
State-run banking behemoth has been named in a 'Hall of Shame' list of 158 banking and financial institutions globally that have invested billions of dollars in making cluster bombs.

State Bank of India (SBI) is the only Indian entity on the list, which includes global giants like JP Morgan, Barclays, Bank of America and Credit Suisse that invested over USD 28 billion in seven producers of cluster munitions between June 2012 and April 2016, according to a report by Dutch campaign group PAX.

While said it "always works in accordance with local laws and regulations" and there is "no prohibition, whatsoever either in US or in India to finance such commercial projects", PAX said the investments have been made in these cluster bomb producers despite an international ban.

In its 275-page report, PAX said the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) categorically bans use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.

This convention was signed by 94 countries in 2008 and it came into force from August 1, 2010.

Most financial institutions named in the Pax list are from countries that have not signed this convention. However, there are also banks from the countries that have adopted this treaty over years.

The maximum number of 74 banks are from the US, followed by China (29) and South Korea (26).

has been included in the list because of its exposure to Orbital ATK, a US-based company specialising in the design, manufacture and launch of small and medium-class space and rocket systems for commercial, military and other government customers.

Orbital ATK is one of the world's largest manufacturers of ammunition and a leading supplier of precision systems and electronic warfare. The company is also active in propulsion systems, the report added.

Pax said "State Bank of India (India) has made an estimated USD 87 million available to the on the red flag list since June 2012."



When contacted, an SBI spokesperson said, "The syndicated deal was arranged for Orbital ATK Inc by major global banks -- Wells Fargo Securities LLC, BoA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup JP Morgan, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey among others."



"The mandated joint leaders had conducted due diligence and completed compliance procedures on the lendee company.

"To achieve its business growth objectives, SBI participates in syndicated credit deals to finance projects across the globe. SBI always works in accordance with local laws and regulations and would like to confirm that there is no prohibition, whatsoever either in US or in India to finance such commercial projects," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Pax said its earlier 'Hall of Shame' list published in 2014 had 151 financial institutions. Of these, 112 financial institutions are still in the 2016 list and 34 have been removed, while 44 new ones have been included.

It further said these 158 financial institutions invested more than USD 28 billion in the seven cluster munitions producers -- China Aerospace Science and Industry (China), China Aerospace Science and Technology (China), Hanwha (South Korea), Norinco (China), Orbital ATK (US), Poongsan (South Korea) and Textron (US).

These financial institutions provided loans for at least USD 6.3 billion, provided investment banking services worth at least USD 9.1 billion and owned or managed shares and bonds worth at least USD 13.0 billion.
A little-known party founded by a former BSP leader, SBSP, today claimed that it has tied up with the BJP for the upcoming Assembly elections due next year in Uttar Pradesh and would contest 20 seats.

"I had talks with BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi on June 17 after which BJP has decided to ally with us for the assembly elections. The party (BJP) has agreed to give 20 seats to us," Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) President Om Prakash Rajbhar said.

He said that on July 9, a mahapanchyat of dalits and backwards would be held in Mau in which Shah would also participate and the alliance would be formally announced.

Earlier, Shah had sought a report in this regard from state BJP incharge Om Mathur, who had discussion with Rajbhar on May 24 and gave a nod to the alliance.

He claimed that the tie-up would "finish" Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Eastern UP, where the Rajbhar community constitutes about 18 per cent of the population.

Rajbhar claimed that the vote of Rajbhar (backward) community was about 25,000 to one lakh in 122 constituencies of Eastern UP and would be a deciding factor in the victory of candidates.

He said in the 2012 assembly elections, his party contested on 152 seats in which BJP and Congress candidates secured less votes than party candidates in 26 and 47 seats respectively.
No one was injured but a garage was substantially damaged in a fire Saturday afternoon, according to the Billings Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Terry Larson said the last occupant of 1128 North 24th St. had left to go to the grocery store when the garage fire broke out around 4 p.m. The fire was reported by at least seven neighbors, and the flames were knocked down within 10 minutes, according to Larson.

In a press release, Deputy Fire Marshall Jaime Fender wrote that the fire caused damages of around $120,000. Fender also wrote that the property was insured.

Larson said the garage was empty at the time of the fire. Inside the house, where smoke from the garage fire had seeped in, a young German shepherd named Lola was rescued and later provided with oxygen by BFD.

Larson said utilities to the home had been cut off and that the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. The back of the house did receive some damage from its proximity to the fire.

BFD also received reports of some suspicious activity in the area around the time of the fire.

Neighbors gathered all along the sidewalk to watch the firefighting effort on a warm, sunny afternoon. On the street were four fire engines, a liner truck, a battalion chief truck, an ambulance and at least two Billings Police Department cars.

The house was the same location of a fatal shooting in October 2013. Mahpevana-Hane Lorne Bearcomesout was sentenced a year later to 40 years in prison for killing 32-year-old Misael Santiago over a dispute involving a stolen gun and pitbull puppy.
Somalia's Shabaab jihadists have confirmed the death of a commander suspected of organising the 2015 attack on Kenya's Garissa University that left 148 people dead.

The killing of Mohamed Mohamud aka Dulyadin was announced by Somali officials on June 1 and Shabaab confirmed his death with the release of an obituary yesterday.

"We console ourselves and our nation for the martyrdom of the Muslim knight commander Sheik Mohamed Mohamud Ali (Dulyadin). May Allah accept him and lift him to paradise," it said.

Shabaab said the commander, also know by the aliases 'Kuno' and 'Gamadhere', was killed by "US crusaders".

Somali officials had said he died in a Somali special forces raid close to the southern port town of Kismayo. Somalia's special forces are trained by and receive logistical support from the US.

Mohamud, a Kenyan national and an ethnic Somali, was killed alongside three other commanders and his body later put on display by local authorities.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condoled the death of Apurba Deka, a CRPF jawan, who was killed in an encounter with extremists in Jharkhand recently.

In a statement here today Sonowal said, "The death of Apurba Deka is a great loss to our society. I am particularly saddened by the sudden death of Deka who till the last minute rendered his services valiantly. I express my profound condolences and deepest sympathy for the bereaved family members."



Apurba Deka hailed from Maloibari village in Sonapur in the newly curved out East Kamrup District, the statement said.
Spain is coaxing Indian moviemakers to use its colourful fiestas and historic monuments as settings for their films, in a move to grab a bigger share of India's fast-growing overseas tourism market.

As part of its bid to lure visitors from the world's second most populous country, Madrid will host next weekend the annual International Indian Film Academy awards, dubbed the "Bollywood Oscars".

In global tourism, Spain ranks as the third most visited country, but it now wants to diversify its tourism base beyond the traditional northern European sunseekers that account for the bulk of its visitors.

Among the Bollywood stars who will attend the awards ceremony in Spain will be hunky Indian actor Hrithik Roshan, the green-eyed star of the 2011 coming-of-age movie "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which was produced in close collaboration with the Spanish tourism promotion agency, Turespana.

The film about three friends on a pre-marriage road trip across Spain includes scenes at "La Tomatina" festival in the town of Bunol, where half-naked revellers hurl mushy tomatoes at each other, as well as at Pamplona's San Fermin bull running festival.

With scenes also set in Barcelona, Seville and the beaches of the Costa Brava, the movie was the first major Indian production to shoot extensively in various locations in Spain.

It was also the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2011.

"There was an immediate impact in the number of people requesting entry visas to travel to Spain," the director of the London office of Turespana, Enrique Ruiz de Lera, who led the agency's talks with the producers of the movie, told AFP.

The year after its release, 60,444 Indians visited Spain, nearly double the 2011 figure, according to the industry and tourism ministry. Last year 85,000 Indians visited Spain.

Lonely Planet in 2013 launched a guide to Spain aimed specifically at the Indian market and travel agencies still advertise tours to the locations featured in the "Zindagi" movie.

India's ambassador to Spain, Vikram Misri, said the film "was singlehandedly responsible for making Spain a household name in India and increasing tourism from India".
The Centre has taken a grim view of "some" states not releasing funds to their respective high courts to buy new hardware for the prestigious e-courts project, with Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda asking them to to do so "immediately".

In a letter to all chief ministers, Gowda has said Rs 202.23 crore has been allocated to states to make it available to high courts to procure hardware for the e-courts project.

"It seems some of the state governments have not made the funds available to high courts...The funds may be released immediately and adequate technical manpower may also be provided for smooth functioning of the project," Gowda said in his letter sent this month.

India has 24 high courts.

He has also urged the chief ministers to take early action and intimate to him "periodical progress in this regard."



Gowda, however, did not name the states which have not released the funds.

The issue of failure on part of the states to provide funds to the high courts was flagged during the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of states and Chief Justices of High Courts held here on April 24.

The eCourts Integrated Mission Mode Project is one of the national eGovernance projects being implemented in High Courts and district/subordinate courts across India.

The objective of the eCourts project is to provide designated services to litigants, lawyers and the judiciary through information communication technology enablement of district and subordinate courts in the country.

According to a note prepared by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry, as on March 1, 2016, more than 95 per cent of the mandated activities have been completed.

As part of the project, laptops have been provided to 14,309 judicial officers.

A unified national core application software - Case Information System (CIS) software - has been developed and made available for deployment in all computerised courts. Entry of data regarding past cases has been initiated and data in respect of over 5.5 crore cases are available online.
Launching his outreach programme 'halqe vich Captain' from the home constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said his rival has "lost touch" with the people and is "concentrating mostly on his private business".

"Sukhbir understands people don't like him and he has already started avoiding meeting them and was focusing mostly on his private business like building five star hotels and the transport business," the PCC chief claimed.

He said Sukhbir is trying to "run away" from his "Jalalabad constituency...So much so that in one of the villages there 37 farmers committed suicide and he did not even care to visit".

Sukhbir is exploring the options of fighting from Maur Mandi in Bathinda, he claimed.

"But no matter how much he tries to run away, we will chase and defeat him wherever he goes," the former Chief Minister said.

"There are indications he has given up on Jalalabad," Amarinder said.

Explaining as to why he started his outreach programme, 'halqe vich Captain' (Captain in constituency) from his rival's seat, Amarinder said, "I wanted to make a point that if the condition of the people living in the Deputy CM's constituency can be so pitiable what will be the condition in rest of the state."



During the six-month programme, Amarinder will cover all 117 Assembly Constituencies to connect with voters in the run up to the 2017 Assembly elections in the state.

On the issue of allotment of ticket, he said, winability will be the only criterion.

A block president in Lambi, who indulged in indiscipline during yesterday's protest dharna has been suspended.

Amarinder said, he had already announced that all the deserving candidates will be duly and properly accommodated if the Congress forms the government in Punjab.

During his programme, Amarinder met party workers and listened to their problems and grievances, which are being registered and recorded by a team of volunteers.

More than 3,000 people today gathered on the first day of



Amarinder's outreach programme.

"I have come here today to hear your problems, to discuss the issues you face. I request you all to share with me your problems and I will look into them, set up a taskforce within the first 100 days of my government being elected to resolve your issues," he said.

Amarinder also interacted with over 1500 local party workers, where they shared constituency issues and gave their suggestions for campaign.
Anand Kumar, the founder of Super 30 which has been helping underprivileged students prepare for IIT JEE, often gets strange requests like action against a wife-beating man or saving someone wrongfully convicted of a crime.

"Almost every day, no less than 10 people come to Anand with requests of varying natures - someone's husband hits them, someone wants their children to be educated, someone has been wrongfully convicted of a crime," writes Biju Mathew in the book "Super 30: Changing the World 30 Students at a Time."



They all think Anand can help him but he is helpless. Everywhere Anand goes, youths in great number come out to hear him; to be part of the revolution in education.

"Some people think Anand is a big personality and often some poor woman would come to Anand begging him to teach her nine-year-old son. There have been also cases when a woman whose family was harassing her for dowry turned to Anand for help," Mathew writes.

The book, published by Penguin Books India, tells the story of Anand, a mathematics teacher who defied all challenges to set up one of the most successful and innovative initiatives in the world -Super 30.

Born in Gaudiya Math in Patna, Anand secured a place at Cambridge University, but couldn't attend because he had no money and sold papads in the evenings instead. He dealt with his own disappointment by setting up the innovative school in 2002 to prepare underprivileged students for the IIT JEE examination.

Super 30 has an astonishing success rate and, on average, 27 to 28 of the 30 students crack the exam every year.

After making up his mind on doing something for underprivileged children, he decided to hold an entrance exam to test their potential. Out of these, he would pick the top 30 students and prepare them for the IIT JEE free of cost. And he would house the students nearby and provide them food cooked by his mother.
Syrian government forces advanced to within six miles (10 kilometers) of the Islamic State-occupied Tabqa air base in the northern part of the country today, part of a push to try to unseat the extremist group from its de facto capital, Raqqa.

Government forces recaptured the nearby Thawra oil field from IS militants, according to a Syrian journalist Eyad al-Hosain, who is embedded with the army. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the army advanced to within seven kilometers (four miles) of Tabqa.

The Tabqa base, 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Raqqa, holds strategic and symbolic value in the government campaign on the IS capital. It was the last position held by government forces in the Raqqa province before IS militants overran it in August 2014, killing scores of detained soldiers in a massacre they documented on video. Raqqa itself became the militants' first captive city.

A Syrian opposition coalition, meanwhile, called on Turkey to investigate the deaths of at least eight Syrian refugees, including four children, who were allegedly shot dead by border guards yesterday night while trying to cross the frontier.

A statement by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces accused Turkish border guards of firing at a group of civilians trying to cross from Kherbet al-Jouz in northwestern Syria into Turkey's Hatay province, killing 11 people.

The coalition, which relies on Turkish political and financial support, said the incident "clashes with the generosity displayed by the Turkish government and brotherly people toward displaced civilians."



The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at eight. The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, said at least one of those trying to cross was from Jarablus, a northern Syrian town under Islamic State control.
Taking forward its agenda for Swachh Bharat, government has asked corporates to carry out cleanliness drive for a fortnight as well as take pledge in this regard.

Corporate Affairs Ministry, which is implementing the Companies Act, has asked firms and other stakeholders to carry out activities related to cleanliness for a fortnight as part of the 'Swachhata Pakhwada'.

Officials associated with the initiative said it is a voluntary exercise aimed at promoting cleanliness.

'Swachhata Pakhwada', started on June 16, would be on till June 30.

Each day, the Ministry is suggesting a particular activity like 'always keep your table clean' to ensure cleanliness.

The three apex institutes of chartered accountants, cost accountants and company secretaries along with industry bodies -- Ficci, CII and Assocham -- are part of the 'Swachhata Pakhwada'.

The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and National Foundation for Corporate Governance (NFCG) have also joined hands with the Ministry for the initiative.

'Swachhata Pakhwada' is based on the theme 'corporate volunteering by private organisations and corporate entities' and coincides with the United Nations Public Service Day on June 23.

Interestingly, users now have to take the pledge online to access the Corporate Affairs Ministry website.

'I will devote 100 hours per year that is two hours per week to voluntary work for cleanliness' and 'I will neither litter nor let others litter' are part of the pledge.

In 2014-15, companies shelled out more than Rs 42 crore towards ' Kosh' as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

The funds were used for achieving the objective of improving cleanliness levels in rural and urban areas, including schools.

Under the new companies law, certain class of entities are required to spent at least two per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards CSR activities.

As many as 460 companies spent a little over Rs 6,337 crore for CSR activities in 2014-15. This included 51 PSUs which spent Rs 2,386.60 crore.

is a pet project of the Narendra Modi-led government, which has been making various efforts to improve cleanliness as well as sensitise people about it.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults said.

The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where "bacha bereesh" -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders.

The Taliban over nearly two years have used them to mount a wave of Trojan Horse attacks -- at least six between January and April alone -- that have killed hundreds of policemen, according to security and judicial officials in the province.

"The Taliban are sending boys -- beautiful boys, handsome boys -- to penetrate checkpoints and kill, drug and poison policemen," said Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, who was Uruzgan's police chief until he was removed in a security reshuffle in April amid worsening violence.

"They have figured out the biggest weakness of police forces -- bacha bazi," he told AFP.

The assaults, signifying abuse of children by both parties in the conflict, have left authorities rattled, with one senior provincial official who echoed Rogh Lewanai's view saying "it's easier tackling suicide bombers than bacha attackers".

The killings illustrate how bacha bazi is aggravating insecurity in Uruzgan, a remote province which officials warn is teetering on the brink of collapse, unravelling hard-won gains by US, Australian and Dutch troops who fought there for years.

"These bacha attacks have fuelled deep mistrust within police ranks," Seddiqullah, a police commander at a checkpoint near the provincial capital Tarin Kot, told AFP.

The insurgents are using boys as honey traps, said 21-year-old Matiullah, a policeman who was the only survivor from an insider attack in Dehrawud district in spring last year.

He said the attacker was the checkpoint commander's own sex slave, a teenager called Zabihullah. Late one night, he went on a shooting spree, killing seven policemen including the commander as they slept.

"He brought the Taliban inside and poked all the bodies with rifle butts to see if anyone was alive. I pretended to be dead," said Matiullah, who now works as a tailor, pointing out a gash on his forehead.

"As his Taliban accomplices gathered our weapons and ammunition, Zabihullah declared: 'Everyone is dead'."



The Taliban, who banned bacha bazi during their 1996-2001 rule, roundly denied deploying any underage boys for insider attacks.
Thousands of South Africans gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country today to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Hundreds of Yoga enthusiasts of all religious and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburg's Zoo Lake park.

The Indian High Commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg co-ordinated events with a host of community organisations in these and other cities and towns.

"Yoga may have been born in India, but given that yoga is practised by all segments of society in all parts of the world, it belongs to everybody," Indian High Commissioner Ruchi Ghanashyam said.

"We are very blessed that in South Africa, there is already a very big culture of yoga with almost every major school from India being represented in South Africa," Ghanashyam said.

"They have been our very valuable partners in providing the guidance and support for these events," he said.

Commenting on the objective of taking yoga to children as well, Ghanashyam said the main event on the actual day on Tuesday would see the Johanensburg Consulate teaming up with the Art of Living Foundation to take yoga to hundreds of mainly Black school children in Soweto.
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Tornado relief. The entire community of Baker came together last weekend to help neighbors who were injured or left homeless by the strongest tornado ever recorded in Montana. As of Friday morning, nearly $7,000 had been donated since the Baker Relief Fund was established on Tuesday. Theres a Baker Tornado Relief Facebook page with a link for donating through Pay Pal. Checks may be sent to: Baker Tornado Relief, Bank of Baker, P.O. Box 739, Baker, MT 59313. The relief fund has been set up by Southeast Montana Area Revitalization Team, the local economic development agency, so donations are tax deductible. As specific needs come up, we will determine how best to distribute the money, said Mona Madler, SMART executive director. Well make it go as far as we can. Billings, lets help out Baker.

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March for justice. Severely beaten and burned, Roylynn Rides Horse, 28, cannot speak for herself or care for her six children while she is healing at a Salt Lake City hospital. But the appalling story that this young woman was set afire and walked miles for help inspired 100 people to gather along Highway 212 Thursday to bring awareness to the brutal attack, and the fact that no arrest has been reported.

UP

Cleanup volunteers. Buildings and an alley that had been marred with graffiti have a cleaner look, thanks to about 30 volunteers organized by the South Side Neighborhood Task Force and paint donated by local businesses.

UP

New citizens. U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby administered the oath of allegiance to the United States Thursday to 22 new citizens from 15 countries.

DOWN

Fatal failure. The hitch on a trailer failed, ripping into an oncoming vehicle and fatally injuring the driver. The driver of the SUV towing the trailer that caused the wreck promised he would get help and then drove away and didn't return, according to witnesses. A Florida man was killed and his wife was injured. The crash occurred about 1:25 p.m., Wednesday on U.S. Highway 212 in Big Horn County. The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating.
Over 10,000 people from all walks of life today participated in various yoga and meditation sessions near the iconic Tower Bridge here to mark the International Day of Yoga.

The day-long event at Potters Fields Park was conducted by the High Commission of India and the Government of India Tourist Office in London in collaboration with 14 British yoga institutions.

"It is by now acknowledged worldwide that Yoga has the advantage of being able to provide a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, and is a perfect way towards harmony between man and nature," said Navtej Sarna, High Commissioner of India to the UK while inaugurating the event.

"It is important, however, that Yoga is practised correctly and in a disciplined manner to tap into its full potential. Today, we have practitioners of the various forms of Yoga in almost every country of the world. In this event today, here at Potters Park, I welcome our partners to demonstrate by their example, Yoga in its correct form," Sarna said.

Special messages for the occasion from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were screened at the event.

Indian-origin minister in the UK Cabinet Priti Patel, who is also British Prime Minister David Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion, sent a message congratulating the Indian High Commission.

"I must emphasise, however, that the International Day of Yoga on 21 June is just a day to remind the world of India's gift of yoga to the world, but it is for each individual to benefit from the practice of Yoga throughout the year, indeed throughout their lives," Sarna said.

Lord Ranbir Singh Suri and Bob Blackman MP also attended the event and recognised Modi's initiative of bringing Indian yoga to the world stage as never before.

The organisations who came together for this year's event included British Wheel of Yoga, Patanjali Yog Peeth (UK) Trust, The Art of Living Foundation, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Brahma Kumaris, Isha Foundation, Datta Sahaj Yoga Mission UK, Heartfulness, Coolherbals, Chi Kri, The World Yoga Festival, Special Yoga Foundation and SKY Trust UK.

Two other key events are also planned - yoga aboard a barge that will float down the Thames tomorrow morning and another on the 73rd floor of The Shard, the UK's tallest building on Tuesday.

The resolution for International Yoga Day was proposed to the General Assembly of the United Nations by Modi last year.

The initiative found unprecedented support and was adopted by 177 member states without a vote in record time to declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga.
Strongly defending the anti-Muslim rhetoric of Donald Trump, a close confidant of the Republican presumptive presidential nominee today said a "very toxic" extremist group within Islam is attacking the US.

"The whole (Obama) administrative agenda is out of touch with the reality. We have a very toxic extremist group within Islam that is attacking the United States," Senator Jeff Sessions told the Fox in an interview.

"We have convicted or charged 580 people since 9/11, almost all Islamic terrorist threats. This is a real threat to America. We need to do much more to defend ourselves against it," he said.

Sessions said the threat of Islamic extremism was expanding.

"President Obama won't even call the name of the threat. So, that's the kind of thing that if he is not going to leave, not going to be able to be a force for protecting our security, maybe he should step aside. I think that's what Trump was saying," Sessions said in defense of Trump.

Sessions claimed Democratic leaders were pushing to try to create an impression that guns were the responsible cause of the attack in Orlando, when it is really a toxic ideology.

"That's what caused it. That's what seduced this man into doing this kind of thing," he said.

"And we can tighten up the law some, it won't make a big difference in my opinion in securing America's safety. But people on the terrorist watch list, I believe, should be denied the right to get a gun, but they should have a chance to protest that they're wrongfully on the list. I think that's fair and we should be able to reach language," he said.

A day earlier Trump said that no one on the terror watch list should be able to buy a gun.
A trial is on for a vest, designed for BSF jawans patrolling along Rajasthan border, which claims to keep the user's body cool for around six hours.

Trial of ten such vests is going on in Shahgarh area, BSF DIG, Ravi Gandhi, said.

The vest manufactured by a private company is claimed to be compatible to keep the body of the user cool for close to six hours.

Jawans patrolling along the border areas in harsh summer conditions are testing the vest and after the trial is done a report will be forwarded to the BSF headquarters, he said.

The vest has 12 pockets containing certain material which helps in keeping the body of the user cool.
A 15-year-old boy has become the first child in the UK to be fitted with a GPS tag, allowing police to track his "anti-social" behaviour, media reports said today.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order in a landmark ruling which requires him to wear the Global Positioning System (GPS) tag for six months, The Mirror reported.

The offender must wear the electronic tag at all the times so that police can track and monitor his each and every step, the report said.

Initially, he was given a youth order but continued to offend, including threatening a 14-year-old girl with a replica firearm and brandishing a firearm in the street, it said.

A youth court delivered the judgement after the teen wreaked havoc in Oxford and Didcot in November last year, committing a string of crimes including burglary and robbery, the report said.

Fed up with his behaviour, a judge ordered the boy's movements be monitored using a tag in April this year.

Police Constable Mike Ellis, Oxford anti-social behaviour officer, said it was the first case in the country where an under-18 had been given the punishment.

"We believe there may have been a similar order made with an adult in London but this is the first in the country with a youth. I think it will be very successful not just in this case but also in the future," Ellis said.

"It allows us to see if he is involved in any anti-social behaviour we get reported to us. The tag allows us to see if he has been in the area where the crime took place or whether he is behaving himself. This is really to act as a deterrent to the offender as they know we will be able to see whether they were near where a crime took place," he added.
In a horrific incident, a 17-year-old girl in the UK was raped and stabbed in the stomach after being dragged out of a restaurant by a man in a "violent and pre-planned attack" in a busy town centre.

The 32-year-old man, who according to police's prima facie investigation was known to the victim, entered the Pizza Hut branch in Epsom at around 10.30 PM (local time) and assaulted a member of staff who tried to intervene, before dragging the girl from the building and leaving the area on foot.

The girl, who has suffered a "horrific ordeal", was subjected to the "violent and pre-planned attack" on Friday evening in Epsom, Surrey, police said.

The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital in Tooting where she is in a serious but not life-threatening condition, Surrey Police said.

Police arrested the man in a nearby recreation ground soon after the incident occurred. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnap, rape and grievous bodily harm and is in custody.

Detective Inspector Nick Chambers said the girl had suffered a "horrific ordeal".

"This appears to have been a violent and pre-planned attack which took place in a very public location in the centre of Epsom," Chambers said.

"Epsom on Friday night is a busy place so I am sure passers-by and motorists must have seen this incident unfolding and I would like to hear from anyone who saw anything out of the ordinary in or around Pizza Hut or Court Recreation Ground Friday night.

"A member of staff at Pizza Hut tried to intervene when the man entered the restaurant and suffered injuries to his arm as a result but fortunately his injuries are not believed to be serious," he said.

The victim and the man are thought to know each other and officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, he added.
Amid reports of alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said if the information is correct, Uttar Pradesh government must take proper action.

"If some people are forced to leave their native place by any individual or gang, state government must take proper action," he told PTI here.

The Home Minister was speaking for the first time on the controversy after a BJP MP alleged that many Hindu families were forced to leave town in western Uttar Pradesh allegedly due to threat from a particular community.

Singh said he has information that some people have left but the incidents should not be given a communal colour.

"Communal colour should not be given to the incidents. But at the same time there should not be a situation when people have to leave their native place," he said.

The Home Minister said those who have left their native place, should be properly rehabilitated.

Asked whether similar incidents have taken place in some other parts of Uttar Pradesh, as claimed by some BJP leaders, Singh said he had heard about it but there has been no confirmation yet.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had recently released a list of 346 families who had allegedly been forced to flee the town, which has 85 per cent Muslim population. Kairana is in Shamli district which witnessed communal riots in 2013.

The state government had recently ordered a probe by the Shamli district administration into the alleged migration from Kairana and it had found that 188 of 346 families mentioned in the list had left over five years ago.

A UP home department spokesman had said that on verification of the list provided by the BJP MP, it was found that 66 families had left Kairana 10 years ago.

It was also found that 60 families were living elsewhere for reasons relating to education, employment, health, or others.

As many as 28 families mentioned in the list are still residing in Kairana, the spokesman had said.
In another controversial remark, presumptive Republican presidential nominee today said that the US should start thinking about racial profiling to prevent incidents like the mass shooting in Orlando.

Citing the example of Israel and other countries in this regard, 70-year-old Trump argued this is not the worst thing to do.

"Well I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump told the CBS's 'Face the Nation' in an interview.

"Other countries do it, you look at Israel and you look at others, they do it and they do it successfully. And I hate the concept of profiling but we have to start using common sense and we have to use our heads," he argued.

Trump's comments come one week after 49 people were shot and killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Following the massacre, Trump renewed his calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US.

During the interview, Trump, said horrific incidents like Orlando shooting could be prevented if the Muslim community would report suspicious things.

"When you look at, when you look at people within the Muslim community and where people are living and they don't report, and a good example of that would be San Bernardino," he said.

"I mean, they had bombs all over their apartment floor and people saw it and nobody reported them, and 14 people were killed, many injured," he added.

Trump said Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, had red flags before the attack.

"You look at his past, I mean? I've never seen a past quite like that. You look at his record in school, you look at a lot of other things. There were a lot of red flags, this was not a very good young man," he said.

Trump said he is working with the National Rifles Association (NRA) to develop a policy that people on no fly list would not be allowed to buy a gun.

"We understand there are problems with that because some people are on the terror watch list that shouldn't be on. So I'm working with the NRA, we're discussing it and again the NRA has the best interests of our country, it just has the absolute best interests of our country," he said.
The Central Committee (CC) of CPI(M) today discussed review reports on its performance in the recently-held Assembly polls in five states, with the West Bengal results and alliance with Congress continuing to be in focus for the second day.

"Yesterday, the review reports of all the five states concerned were presented to the CC. The discussion mainly revolved around West Bengal. Today the review reports of all the states were discussed, but the West Bengal remained the focus," a party source said.

The source added the Central Committee is yet to take a decision on its future course of action in the states including Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, besides its erstwhile bastion West Bengal.

"The CC will decide its line only on the concluding day of the discussions, that is tomorrow. But before the CC draws that line, as it had decided on June 11, the West Bengal unit is firm on its stance of continuing alliance with Congress in view of attacks by ruling TMC there," the source added.

In Kerala, the Left Democratic Front led by the CPI(M) put up an impressive show winning over 90 seats to form government in the state.

The sources said, the 101-member Central Committee, will also discuss national issues including the performance of the Narendra Modi government, besides international affairs.

In the West Bengal Assembly polls, the CPI(M) suffered a humiliating defeat, winning only 26 seats in the 294-member House and was relegated to third position after TMC and Congress.

In Assam and Tamil Nadu, it failed to open account, while in Puducherry, an Independent candidate backed by the party emerged victorious.
Stating that he has no desire to snap alliance for ensuing elections to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and 9 other civic bodies, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today issued a veiled threat to his estranged ally BJP saying that he will not tolerate any "twisted" alliance deal.

Uddhav was addressing Shivsainiks on the occasion of Sena's 50th foundation day here. As he broached the topic of MCGM elections, it evoked a strong chorus from the crowd "no alliance, let us contest alone".

The Sena chief said that he would leave it to the judgement of the Sainiks.

"I will not tolerate any 'twisted' alliance deal," he said.

Referring to the debate over holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Uddhav took a dig at frequent foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying, "it would be better if simultaneous polls are held or else it might create constant hurdles in someone's foreign visits."



On 50 years of the party's journey, Uddhav said, "25 years of it went in stitching alliance with the BJP."



A lion always moves with a pride, but a tiger always moves alone and hunts head-on, Uddhav said.

Lambasting NCP chief Sharad Pawar for advising Sena to leave (both state and Centre) government, he said that it was the NCP, which in order to avert split, had stayed in power for the last 15 years.

Clarifying that he was not criticising for the sake of it, Uddhav said he had praised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his leadership.

However, referring to the rising prices of Dal, the Sena chief asked the Chief Minister to do something to at least bring some relief to common man if not 'Achche Din' (better days).

Speaking on the recent reports of alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Uddhav reminded the BJP that it was in power at the Centre.

"In Kashmir too it (BJP) is now in alliance and what has it done to gives homes to those Kashmiri Pandits in that state," he said.

Referring to the BJP wave in 2014, Uddhav said, "Even



logs of wood float in water and flags waive in the wind, but its the saffron flag that keeps on fluttering even when there is no wind."



Taking a swipe at the rivals, he said Sena has welcomed people from other parties, but it has always been "the party of originals".

On critics terming Sena as regional, communal and narrow minded, Uddhav said even (TMC chief) Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal is talking about regionalism when she says 'Ma, Matti and Manoosh'.

He said like his father late Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, he too "was not desperate for power and would not compromise (for it)".

Uddhav said that he joined power at the Centre and (in the) state as he did not want people to again fall prey to false promises.
The UN's refugee chief says a worrying "climate of xenophobia" has taken hold in Europe as the continent struggles with the biggest influx of migrants since World War II.

Speaking to AFP in Tehran at the start of a regional tour, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said European leaders needed to do more to coordinate migration policies and to combat negative stereotypes about refugees.

"Refugees... Don't bring danger to us, they flee from dangerous places," said Grandi, who took office in January.

National leaders need to better explain that immigration "in fact contributes to the development of societies," he said.

"Those who do the opposite, who stir up public opinion against refugees and migrants, have a responsibility in creating a climate of xenophobia that is very worrying in today's Europe," he said.

"It provides a negative example to countries further away."



Protracted conflicts -- in particular Syria's five-year civil war -- have prompted an unprecedented wave of migration to the continent, with a record 1.25 million Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and other migrants entering Europe since January 2015.

The influx has sparked a backlash in some countries, including in Austria where the anti-immigration Freedom Party nearly won the presidency last month and in Hungary where authorities have sealed the border with Serbia with razor wire and made illegal border crossing a criminal offence punishable by jail.

Grandi said it was unfortunate that decisions taken last year by the European Union to better handle the influx "were not implemented".

It was, he said, "a missed opportunity" because "each country made decisions separately. Borders closed."



He called for "a more collective collegial system of managing refugee flows based on solidarity and burden-sharing between the states, as opposed to trying to do it by themselves with the result that only some countries receive a large number of refugees and others close the borders."



Grandi also called for greater efforts to help those displaced by conflict within their own countries.
Last Wednesday, Rep. Ryan Zinkes office announced that he bucks party leaders and votes NO on transferring ownership of public lands.

The news release trumpeted Zinkes opposition to H.R. 3650, a bill introduced by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and supported by all but one other Republican on the House Natural Resource Committee. The bill was approved by the committee even with Zinkes no vote.

Zinke didnt brag about another vote he cast in that same committee meeting when he joined all other Republicans in approving H.R. 2316, a bill introduced by Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, that aims to transfer management of millions of acres of national forest lands to states.

Both are really bad, said Land Tawney, national president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a group based in Missoula. The Young bill is flat out transfer. Labrador cuts out multiple use right away.

Zinkes press release noted that H.R. 3650, the State National Forest Management Act of 2015, would permit up to 2 million acres of public lands owned by the U.S. Forest Service to be transferred to state ownership. To add insult to injury, the bill also does not include a provision requiring that purchased or exchanged lands remain in public ownership.

We use our land for hunting, fishing, hiking, and to create jobs, Zinke said in his news release. Our outdoor economy is a billion-dollar economic engine for the state that creates jobs. The federal government needs to do a much better job of managing our resources, but the sale or transfer of our land is an extreme proposal and I wont tolerate it.

So why would Zinke tolerate the scheme in Labradors Self-Sufficient Communities Lands Act?

In this version of the continuing effort to turn federal land over to states, governors in states with national forests would have authority to appoint committees to manage a minimum of 200,000 acres in each national forest. These lands would no longer be subject to federal wildlife, clean water and clean air laws as they apply to the federal government. The governor-appointed committees would be required to generate money from the forest land to pay for committee administration and management, and then would distribute 75 percent of the profits to local governments where the forest land is located. The other 25 percent would go to the federal government.

For Tawney, the most encouraging aspect of having these two national forest land/management transfer bills come out of committee last week is the limited House schedule for the rest of this year.

There are so few work days left on the House calendar that the chances of either land bill passing are slim. However, theres the possibility that a land/management transfer bill could be attached to must-pass legislation such as an appropriations act.

Zinke has called himself a Theodore Roosevelt Republican. To legitimately make that claim, he must be consistent in his support for public access and unwavering in opposition to legislation that diminishes the publics opportunity to use its lands.

National forests are supposed to provide multiple use. Hunting, hiking, camping and fishing are managed along with grazing, logging, drilling and mining.

Our national forests belong to all Americans. They produce value for visitors from afar and for those of us who live nearby. Recent University of Montana poll numbers that show Montana Republicans, Democrats and independents all strongly support public access to public lands.

We call on Montanas lone congressman to show us that he will be vigilant in protecting our land heritage by voting against both of these bills alone or as riders.
Ahead of the second International Day of Yoga, a yoga assembly for world peace was organised at the Red Fort grounds here today.

The assembly, organised by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, was attended by about 40,000 'raj yogis' and yoga aspirants.

"The purpose of this yoga assembly is to create and spread awareness among public about the true meaning, process and benefits of 'raj yoga' as a simple, natural and easy way of remembering our spiritual father, the supreme soul, while doing daily worldly duties," the organisers said in a statement.

Yoga guru H R Nagendra, chairman of Swami Vivekanand Yoga Sansthan, told the assembly that 'raj yoga', which aims at calming, controlling and mastering mind, if regularly practised, can not only restore peace, health, harmony and positive powers in self, surroundings and in the world but also can elevate human being to divine level.

E L Malekar, head priest of Judaism Synagogue in Delhi, said yoga has nothing to do with any religion in particular as it is essentially a scientific technique of promoting physical, mental and spiritual health of a person.

"Raj yoga...Can endow the individual with inner powers and qualities which are needed to lead a balanced and blissful life," Dadi Hirdaya Mohini, additional chief of Brahma Kumaris, said.

"Yoga can help us grow better and become successful in life," said Buddhist monk Lama Lobzong.

The second International Day of Yoga will be celebrated on June 21.
Hundreds of thousands of yoga lovers from London to Melbourne have rolled out mats to bend and twist their bodies in complex postures to mark the second International Day of Yoga with fervour.

The High Commission of India and the Indian government's Tourist Office in London, in collaboration with 14 British yoga institutions marked International Day of Yoga today, two days ahead of its second anniversary.

The day-long event at Potters Fields Park, near the iconic Tower Bridge, saw over 10,000 people from all walks of life participating in various yoga and meditation sessions.

In South Africa, thousands gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Hundreds of Yoga enthusiasts of all religions and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburg's Zoo Lake park.

The Indian High Commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg coordinated events with a host of community organisations.

The secondInternational Day of Yoga was also celebrated across major Australian cities including Canberra and Melbourne with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hailing yoga as one of India's gifts to the world.

Turnbull commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi'svision of supporting global peace and well-being and describedthe ancient practice of yoga as one of India's gifts to the world and acknowledgedits aim to develop resilience, thoughtfulness, respect and harmony, towards each other and the world.

Meanwhile, in China a large number of yoga enthusiasts yesterday participated in events held across the country in association with the Indian Embassy to mark the celebrations leading up to the second International Day of Yoga on June 21.

China's Wuxi city organised the biggest yoga get together today in which 3,500 people took part.

The event was hosted at the iconic Wuxi Hollywood Studios and nearly 3,500 yoga lovers from Wuxi registered and participated.

In America, Indian classical dances and demonstration of popular yoga asanas on the lawns of magnificent US Congress yesterday kicked off the week-long International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Yoga enthusiasts and health conscious Americans turned up in large number to enjoy dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam and flex their muscles under the guidance of trained yoga instructors.
Gov. Steve Bullock just announced his important public lands access initiative including creation of a full-time public access specialist, creation of an Office of Outdoor Recreation and full authorization of Fish Wildlife and Parks to purchase land for conservation under the Habitat Montana program.

Habitat Montana is a state program, around since 1987, funded by sportsmens dollars and used to secure critical wildlife habitat. It generates about $3 million a year, and, since inception, has secured thousands of acres through use of conservation easements and fee-title purchase. In addition to conserving critical habitat it provides critical public access for hunting, fishing, hiking and all types of outdoor family recreation.

However, the 2015 legislature regrettably said no more private land acquisitions. This was pretty much a bad deal for everyone. Hunters, anglers and other recreationists are denied the right to see the funds they provided used for the intended purpose. Landowners who might have an opportunity to sell to the state under the program are denied that opportunity, even though some would like that to be part of their legacy.

The upcoming 2017 Legislature can fix this. You can contact your returning legislator and ask them to overturn this ban. You can also insist that legislative candidates understand what is going on and pledge to rescind this restriction. Habitat Montana is one of our best tools to secure public access and guarantee hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities for our kids and grandkids.

Lee Gustafson

Laurel
Look down the list of 49 victims who died in the hail of gunfire at the nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and several things strike you.

The first is that the victims were overwhelmingly young. All but a few were under 40 years old. The majority were in their 20s and 30s. Such a loss of young people.

The other thing that strikes you are the names. The list is dominated by Hispanic last names. Sotomayor. Guerrero. Rivera. Cruz. Martinez. Perez. Velasquez. Fernandez.

This was a Hispanic tragedy.

I was thinking of this as opponents to lighting the Harbor Bridge in rainbow colors appeared before the City Council this past week.

The Harbor Bridge is lit up this weekend in rainbow colors in memory of the 49 victims who died at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The rainbow flag has long been adopted by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups as a sign of unity and pride.

The nightclub was a place that was known in Orlando as a place where the LGBT community could hang out in safety and socialize free of social censure. Yet the nightclub was most likely singled out by the lone gunman who died in the attack precisely because it was where gays congregated.

The lighting is not a city government action. The lighting is being paid for privately by Mayor Nelda Martinez and council member Colleen McIntyre..

But the speakers who came before the City Council objected to lighting up the Harbor Bridge in the multicolored hues.

Professing sorrow at the Orlando shootings, the objectors nevertheless said it was more appropriate to use the colors of the American flag than the rainbow. Some of the victims, they asserted, were not gay and to use the colors would discriminate against them.

"We need to recognize people as people," the Rev. Rick Milby of Abundant Life Fellowship told the City Council.

The objections suggest that it would be uncomfortable, or even un-Christian, for some people to mourn for the dead if they were identified as gay or lesbian.

Somehow, the objectors suggest, it would be more acceptable to mourn the victims if their identifications were blurred to a more general description: American.

To many Christians, homosexuality remains a sin. But should that keep such well-meaning faithful from standing in solidarity with the families of the victims, with all who mourn such an appalling loss of life and with all who empathize with every grieving parent who lost their child in that massacre?

I refuse to believe so. Now is not the time for condemnation, but for the most Christian attitude of all, love.

If we allow ourselves to go down that path, of choosing on whom we will bestow charity and compassion and those we don't, we ourselves risk being stripped of our own humanity.

Already, we dismiss the deaths of thousands of innocent Muslims caught in the violence of the Middle East and yet agonize over the fate of the few Christians left in the region. The truth is that they are all victims.

Like so much of the nation, the Orlando area has experienced a rapid growth in its Hispanic population. The Pulse nightclub was having a Latin theme on the night of the shooting, perhaps further heightening the number of young Hispanics attending that fateful night.

Some commentators have noted that the tragedy may be putting Hispanic families in confrontation with something they didn't know about their children  that they were gay. Add to this that some victims or their families are illegally in the country and the complications of the tragedy only deepen.

Yet what parent who has lost a child wouldn't want them back in their arms no matter what?

Simply labeling them all "American" would certainly be true, even if we quibble about the few that might have been undocumented. But each of the 49 was an individual, even if they died in a mass shooting. Each one had a different future. Each one had their own dreams. They were mostly young and they were mostly Hispanic.

But what they had in common was that they were in a certain place, a place that had a specific designation, a place for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgender. To the killer, that's all that mattered.

Nick Jimenez has worked as a reporter, city editor and editorial page editor for more than 40 years in Corpus Christi. He is currently the editorial page editor emeritus for the Caller-Times. His commentary column appears on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Contributed photo HELP took the Second Chance students from the Juvenile Justice Center to Whataburger Field. The students explored different employment opportunities, took a tour of the ballpark, and got to watch a Hooks game. The students were shown how to apply for summer and year-round job positions, both part time and full time. HELP's Executive Director was on hand to sing the national Anthem, and a great time was had by all! This trip was courtesy of Gabe Guerra and Kleberg Bank, great friends of HELP.

SHARE Contributed photo The Corpus Christi Crime Stoppers Board members include Louis Williams (from left), Christina Butler, Alexis Mays, Audrey Vicknair, Daniel Nash, D'anne Buquet, and Stephen Rybak. Contributed photo Grande Cares Club officials donated $3,500 to HELP's Windows on the World (WOW) Program be installed at Veterans Memorial High School.

Amit Verma, an associate professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, released her second literary fiction novel "The Lives and the Times II." It's the sequel to the novel "The Lives and the Times."

Information on the novels can be found at www.facebook.com/TheLivesAndTheTimes.

Caliber Collision is hosting the fifth annual Rhythm Restoration Food Drive to help the Food Bank of Corpus Christi provide meals for children who need food over the summer break, officials said.

Caliber Collision has set up food collection bins at each of its four centers in the Corpus Christi area and urges the community to drop off food items or cash donations during its food drive through June 24.

Nonperishable food items or cash donations can be dropped off at any of the Caliber Collision locations listed below. The food bank cannot accept glass or open containers, perishable or homemade items.

Locations for collection bins include:

5330 Ayers St. Information: 361-854-4641

4722 S. Padre Island Drive. Information: 361-854-2695

3615 S. Padre Island Drive. Information: 361-225-2930

6721 Weber Road. Information: 361-225-3303

Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities, awarded the Texas State Aquarium a four star rating for good governance, sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency, officials said.

The Texas State Aquarium, which first earned the four star rating in 2014 and continues to retain that status, is one of only nine aquariums in the nation that have earned the rating. Charity Navigator works to help charitable givers make intelligent giving decisions by providing information on more than 8,000 charities nationwide and by evaluating their financial health. It calculates each charity's score based upon several broad criteria, including how much is spent per dollar raised, what percentage of funds goes to programs versus administrative and fundraising expenses, and the organization's long-term financial health. It then assigns a rating from one to four, with four being the best rating, officials said.

HALO-Flight, Inc. has a new location designed to make the training classes more accessible with classrooms on the campus of Coastal Bend College, Alice Campus, officials said. Enrollment is underway for the Academy at Coastal Bend College, Alice Campus, 704 Coyote Trail, Alice. Classes begin July 6.

Classes will be from 6-10:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings between July and December. The class will be limited to 20 students who have met the prerequisites. For a list of prerequisites, candidates should contact Greer at wendyg@haloflight.org. Registration question can be directed to Debbie Cadena at dcadena@coastalbend.edu or 361-664-3039.

The Academy's curriculum includes:

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Advanced EMT (AEMT)

Goals and objectives for the Academy are dynamic and change to meet the evolving needs of the EMS community. HALO-Flight EMS Training Academy offers EMR, EMT and Advanced EMT levels of TDSHS EMS certification training, continuing education, and EMS Skills proficiency testing as well as provides many specialized courses such as 12-Lead ECG; Advanced Airway; IV therapy; AHA BLS (CPR); ASHI First Aid.

The Texas Legislature created the Texas Crime Stoppers Council on June 8, 1981 to oversee the growth of Crime Stoppers in the State of Texas.

In 35 years Texas Crime Stoppers has grown from eight certified organizations to more than 200 certified organizations, officials said. Those Crime Stopper programs serve schools and communities across Texas.

Corpus Christi Crime Stoppers is a volunteer organization that has provided assistance to protect Nueces County and has received over 70,000 anonymous calls from tipsters, officials said. Those tips, plus cooperation with the Corpus Christi Police Department, has resulted in 3,147 arrests, $1,230,340 dollars in seized narcotics, and $3,950,621 dollars in recovered stolen property.

To provide an anonymous tip, call or 888-TIPS (8477) or submit the information online at www.888TIPS.com.

Grande Cares Club donated $3,500 to HELP's Windows on the World (WOW) Program to help the program be installed at Veterans Memorial High School, officials said.

This will be the 10th WOW program to be installed in CCISD. This will promote the program and it will be offered to CCISD high schools students to sample local in-demand careers from their respective schools, officials said. Once a student has located the "job of their dreams," they may apply with HELP to be taken there on a field trip to view the job or career up close and personal.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Members of the Greater Shiloh Scripture Club perform a scripture during the Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at South Bluff Park in Corpus Christi.

SHARE GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Arlena Pullam talks about early African American history in Corpus Christi during the Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at South Bluff Park in Corpus Christi. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Community members applaud as Arlena Pullam is introduced during the Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at South Bluff Park in Corpus Christi.

By Esther Hackleman, Esther.M.Hackleman@caller.com

Four-year-old Serenity Bunton looked over the crowd at South Bluff Park and proudly recited the Pledge of Allegiance on Saturday at the 2016 Juneteenth Celebration.

Serenity beamed as she spoke the last six words: "With freedom and justice for all."

The audience erupted into applause and cheers as Serenity bounded off the stage. Despite the melting June temperatures, those in the crowd were committed to celebrating the freedom and justice those words represented.

Each year, the Corpus Christi chapter of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People celebrates the emancipation of slaves and educates new generations about African-Americans' ongoing struggle for civil liberty.

"I really believe that we cannot forget," Serenity's mother, Cynthia Bunton-Gonzales said. "If we can introduce (children) to our history at a young age, they'll carry the torch."

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day the Emancipation Proclamation was read aloud in Galveston, more than two years after it was issued by Abraham Lincoln. Texans have celebrated Juneteenth, an abbreviation of "June nineteenth" since then, and in 1979, it became a Texas state holiday.

"We do this in remembrance of telling a story," Corpus Christi NAACP chapter President Terry Mills said. "Those who came before took a stand on things that were unprecedented and unheard of, but they dug their feet in the sand to make a difference."

The keynote speaker, Arlena Pullam, discussed African-Americans' history and impact in Corpus Christi. She quizzed the audience on important African-Americans who lived in the city during the Civil Rights era.

African-Americans' fight for civil liberties were built on sit-ins and peaceful protests, Mills said. Now the community remembers those struggles through poetry, songs and dance.

Mills said the celebration is not about race but instead about pursuing liberty and unity.

"African-Americans did not free themselves. They had help," Mills said. "We invite Hispanics, whites  we invite all God's people to the table to share in family love."
When is hurricane season? Here's what you need to know in South Texas
Caller-Times file The author, then-Councilwoman Betty Turner (left), and Mayor Luther Jones look through a scope in the USS City of Corpus Christi in 1983.

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After 33 years of proudly serving the nation, the "City of Corpus Christi" (SSN 705), a Los Angeles-class submarine and the second ship of the Navy to be named for Corpus Christi, was decommissioned in Pearl Harbor on May 31. The city's band, the Veterans Band, participated in the celebration to the delight of people in attendance including many returning crew members.

The submarine was originally launched in 1981, sponsored by Mrs. John Tower, and formally commissioned in January 1983 with Cmdr. Jerry Ellis in command.

The Navy originally planned to use the name USS Corpus Christi for the submarine but the "City of" prefix was added before its commissioning in response to several Catholic politicians and many others who protested naming a nuclear warship with the Latin word Corpus Christi, which translates to "Body of Christ."

The submarine visited Corpus Christi in 1986, 1989 and 1999.

It was welcomed each time by countless local and area residents, some of whom toured the boat and entertained the crew with dinner parties in their homes.

As the mayor pro tem and the mayor of Corpus Christi, I was on hand to welcome the submarine to the city and rode into our port on the submarine standing on the boat's sail (or "tower" as I call it.) The commander awarded me photographs and a certificate naming me "An Honorary Member of the Ship's Company" which I still display in my office.

I have maintained contact with some of the boat's crew and this year I wrote to the commander, now Rear Adm. Ellis, to inquire about the possibility of having the submarine given to Corpus Christi to become an exhibit much like the Lexington.

However, he wrote me that no complete nuclear submarine has been provided to any city except for the first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus, because of the way it is processed after being decommissioned.

This involves cutting the submarine in two and removing the reactor compartment. Then cutting up the rest of the submarine, because it is nuclear-powered and special procedures have to be followed.

The "City of Corpus Christi" submarine will begin its inactivation process in fiscal year 2022 and the removal of structural pieces will take place six to eight years after inactivation.

So it will take several years and a lot of patience to secure anything.

Although the hulls of former nuclear-powered vessels cannot be donated, it is possible that the submarine sail and/or nonstructural artifacts such as awards, plaques, ships bell, silverware, etc., could be donated although specific timely and costly procedures for doing so are required, beginning with an initial letter of intent.

In the case of nonstructural artifacts, the requester is responsible for shipping, site setup and installation. The requesting organization must be nonprofit or a government entity.

The requesting organization must have clear title to the site or city/town approval in writing.

The site plan and proof of title must be submitted to NAVSEA  The Naval Sea Systems Command  for approval.

Various forms of correspondence are also required.

Submarines are recycled at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Washington.

Removal of the sail occurs after the boat is inactivated and recycled.

Ellis has been extremely helpful and prompt in providing information about this process.

He has suggested that the city begin taking action this year to acquire the sail if we want it. However, he recommends having a committee with strong leadership and great support from the city's leaders and state politicians to oversee this request.

Ellis suggested that a retired senior naval officer (admiral preferred) who lives here would likely be the best choice to be the leader.
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You might think that the state of fatherhood in this country is abysmal, or you might believe it looks good and dads are more involved in their children's lives than ever before. In either case, you would be right. Both of these statements are accurate at the same time. But more of us need to understand why. Doing so will help children get the most out of life.

Newspaper articles, magazine features and blog posts decrying the number of absentee dads are plentiful. Their concerns are borne out by research showing that more and more fathers are breaking up with their children's mothers  if they are even partnered with them in the first place  and having children with multiple partners. These things dramatically increase the likelihood that fathers will have little consistent contact with their kids.

At the same time, there are newspaper articles, magazine features and blog posts glorifying today's "new" dad, who is much more involved in his children's lives than his father was in his. Again, such pieces are grounded in research demonstrating how fathers are getting up in the night to feed infants, reading to young children and managing older children's educations, among other things. Such involvement promotes the health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Unfortunately, many children who have little contact with their fathers already are disadvantaged, or poor and isolated. Not having a father makes that worse. Conversely, many children with involved fathers already are advantaged with a good financial foundation and access to high-achieving schools. Their fathers' presence compounds those advantages. As a result, the gap grows between the haves and have nots.

These growing inequalities have inspired action. But efforts to do something face an uphill climb. Programs to increase the number of fathers living with their children have not seen much success, and they do not go far enough  being present is good, but being involved is better.

Programs directly targeting fathers' involvement, in turn, also face barriers. These barriers are practical and cultural. Getting involved takes time that many fathers do not think they have. And lingering views of parenting as feminine discourage even enlightened men from trying.

How do we make progress? Two ways provide a good start.

First, family-focused programs to increase paternal involvement cannot succeed without changes in policies that are work-focused. Most fathers want to be involved, but work won't let them. I say this as a father who feels that conflict between job and family. Paid parental leave policies are a start, but many men don't take the full time. They fear that taking leave will cost them at work. Quebec might provide the best example of what to do. The Canadian province created a leave program specifically for fathers. An analysis for the Council on Contemporary Families showed that this policy change increased how much time men took off after the birth of a child and how involved they were at home.

For those fathers who are in insecure jobs with poor or no benefits or are in and out of jobs, money is often more important than time. They see the question of whether to take leave as "rich people problems." We need to design policies that support parents in more lines of work and that address the economic instability that keeps many on the sidelines.

Second, even when fathers want to be involved, they may not know what they are doing. Unlike women, men rarely receive lifelong socialization into the role of being a parent. Troublingly, they are often discouraged from engaging in some parenting tasks. Consequently, parenting is a skill that men need to develop. That is what happened to me, and I still feel clueless sometimes. Psychologists have designed parenting education programs to help facilitate positive parenting skills, and these programs could be better tailored to the special needs of fathers.

It is a worthy cause to give fathers the help that they need to stick around and get involved. It might take a lot of time and effort, but that help would be good for fathers, good for children and good for society.

Robert Crosnoe is chair of the Department of Sociology and a research associate in the Population Research Center at The University of the Texas at Austin. He is also the deputy editor of the Journal of Marriage and Family and president-elect of the Society for Research on Adolescence.
An Amber Alert issued in North Carolina was canceled Sunday morning after a missing 8-month-old boy was found safe in a Missoula hotel.

At about 3 a.m. Sunday, Missoula Police found John Aston Lorell Eastlack at a Howard Johnson hotel on Brooks Street in the company of Chad Douglas Eastlack, 35, and an adult woman whose identity was not released. Chad Eastlack was arrested on outstanding warrants from North Carolina and the woman was released pending further investigation, said Sgt. James Caton.

Caton said police located a silver Chrysler Town and Country in the Howard Johnson parking lot that matched the description of the vehicle in the Amber Alert. Several officers responded and identified the room where the people driving the minivan were staying.

Eastlack and the woman were all taken to the police station without incident. The young boy was placed in custody with Missoula Child Protective Services and arrangements are being made for his return to North Carolina.

A Wednesday post on the Randolph County Sheriffs Offices Facebook page said the infant had been placed in the custody of Randolph County Social Services at the time of his abduction. Chad Eastlack and Penny Diane Worthy as the boys biological parents and abductors.

The post said Eastlack was also wanted for the theft of a firearm and a silver 2008 Chrysler Town and Country from a residence in Franklinville, N.C.
| BY Lynchy |

McCann Health won the coveted Network of the Year Award at the 2016 Lions Health last night, the opening awards show of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Lions Health is dedicated to life-changing creativity, showcasing and inspiring ideas that transcend especially challenging boundaries.

The McCann Health network this year won five Lions (1 Gold Campaign, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze) and 22 Shortlist Awards, with the wins representing 12 McCann agencies on six continents.

Says New York-based Aussie expat Jeremy Perrott (far left), McCann Health global chief creative officer: The only way to win this award is when every agency in the network is performing at top level. This would not have been possible without our talented teams and our clients terrific support and belief in our work around the world. I want to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone at McCann Health for their incredible energy and commitment to generating life-changing ideas that improve the health of humanity.
| BY Lynchy |

WWF-Australia will launch a national TV commercial tonight showcasing the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, yet warning of the devastating impacts of global warming.

The visually stunning spot, a creative concept by WWF produced by Motion Picture Company, spotlights the Reefs breathtaking underwater world and features an array of turtles, fish, corals, manta rays, sea horses and whales swimming serenely in their natural marine environment.

The spot is brought to life by the world-renowned song Time to Say Goodbye  made famous by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

WWFs ad will air tonight on Channel 9s The Voice and 60 Minutes, and in cinemas nationally from Thursday. It will be utilised across WWFs online and social media channels to reach thousands of people in the lead up to the election.

Dermot OGorman, CEO, WWF-Australia, said that the ad, part of WWFs ongoing campaign to halt dangerous global warming and protect the Reef, aims to let the next Australian government know that no Australian wants to say goodbye to the Great Barrier Reef on their watch.

Australians love the Reef and its amazing wildlife, but this election will determine its future and we we are keen to bring that message home to voters, said Mr OGorman.

Global warming, driven by the mining and burning of fossil fuels like coal, saw water temperatures on the Reef soar this summer and 22 percent of the Reefs corals bleach and die.

We hope to remind Australians that our country needs to stop mining and burning fossil fuels, and spending billions of dollars subsidising the declining industry. We need to invest in our future and in clean renewable energy to help save the Great Barrier Reef.

Motion Picture Company has done a fantastic job of showing the Reef at its best and its worst. I think weve created a powerful reminder of exactly what were fighting for.

Says Peter Slee, creative director at Motion Picture Company: MPC is proud to work with, and support the team at WWF on an issue like the Great Barrier Reef.

The concept is simple and powerful. Its not time to say goodbye to the Great Barrier Reef, its time to save it, he said.

This election, WWF is calling on all major political parties to strengthen their policies to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

We urge the next Australian Government to commit to a full package of protection measures including the transition to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2035, net zero pollution by 2050 and an end to the $7.7 billion per annum in fossil fuel subsidies, said Mr OGorman.
Jioining a cookie exchange, hitting a festive potluck or sharing in a little holiday spirit with family? No matter what fuels your desire to bake, youll turn to these foolproof, yet impressive goodiesand their simple variationsall season long.
"We've reached the view that as long as a thing that is shared from place to place identifies the originator of the material, and that readers of the material are aware of who has originated things  that's sufficient for the readers to have an indication of who the author of the material is."
She said more needed to be done to ensure proper follow-up and support for those who were known to be at risk of suicide and their families.
"I don't think there's been one Labor announcement for Canberra this election," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if there's a bit of a protest vote where people say, 'If the seat was at least a little more marginal we'd send those local Labor members a message that you can't take it for granted'."
"My wife and I had taken a couple of hours out from a night on which I didn't have any campaign events to go to the cinema and while we were away someone knocked on the door," he said.
BASIN  Joseph Robertson moved into an old camper down by his ponds about a month and a half ago.

His wife, Carri, is staying up at their cabin. Robertson cant be in their home because he cant be around the firearms there, a condition of his release following a conviction in April on federal charges he polluted waters of the United States. His sentencing is July 20.

Im facing 15 years and three-quarters of a million in fines, the 77-year-old said recently on his property, supporting himself with a hand on one of the plentiful aspen that canopy the land and a work boot resting on a downed fir. What theyre doing to me, the feds, they shouldnt have the ability to.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Robertson discharged dredged and fill material as a result of a series of ponds he built on land above the small town of Basin, just off Interstate 15 between Butte and Boulder.

Robertson doesnt deny building the ponds; he freely admits using an excavator and rubber-tired backhoe to do the work. Last week he talked about improvements he still wants to make, even after his conviction and before that a series of letters and visits from federal officials over several years telling him he was breaking the law.

They stopped me before I finished, Robertson said. I have a lot of work to do. I need to put a proper drain in here one of these days.

What he doesn't understand is how someone could claim his ponds could pollute anything, let alone the nearest navigable river  the Jefferson about 60 miles away. But the EPA has said, and a jury agreed, Robertson's actions dirtied waters that are critically important to the Jefferson and restoration would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I don't know how they say what happens up here can mean something all the way down there," he said, pointing through timber that obscured Cataract Creek, which eventually flows into the Boulder River and then the Jefferson.

The tale of Joe Robertson has all the characters of a new storyline playing out across the West: a landowner who doesn't think what he calls an "overreaching" EPA and Corps of Engineers should have a say about what he does on his property, two federal agencies that are tasked with protecting the countrys water resources and interested parties and likeminded groups watching from the audience, deciding if, when and how to take action.

Lack of legal clarity

The crux of Robertson's case is what qualifies as a waters of the United States, as defined by the Clean Water Act. The EPA only has jurisdiction over those waters, but definition of the term is as unclear as a muddy stream.

The inclusion of waters that have a significant nexus to navigable waterways comes out of a split U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2006 in which Justice Anthony Kennedy said a continuous surface connection wasnt necessary for a wetland to fall under the Clean Water Acts jurisdiction. A jury found that Robertson's ponds met the nexus test.

At Robertson's trial, experts from the EPA and Corps of Engineers testified the ponds Robertson built were in a stream and wetlands that had a significant nexus to traditional navigable waters  running into Cataract Creek, then the Boulder and finally the Jefferson, which the government said has been documented as navigable going back to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Montana State Program Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who determined Robertson was in violation of the act, explained the importance of adjacent waters during Robertsons trial like this:

You think of a tree or a plant leaf where you've got a main branch and a leaf or a main branch on a tree and you get many smaller branches that come off of it and leaves on those branches. It all is connected into  you know, it's all part of the same tree or part of the same plant.

The Supreme Courts lack of a majority in 2006 created confusion, in the wake of which the EPA proposed the Clean Water Rule rule in an attempt to clarify what falls under its jurisdiction.

The rule "was developed by the agencies to respond to an urgent need to improve and simplify the process for identifying waters that are and are not protected under the Clean Water Act, and is based on the latest science and the law," said EPA Deputy Press Secretary Monica Lee.

The rule was published in the Federal Register in June 2015 and added headwaters, tributaries and adjacent wetlands and nearby waters to what the EPA can regulate. Organizations like the Farm Bureau said the rule would hamstring farmers' ability to work their property that may have isolated wetlands or other protected waters while groups like Trout Unlimited said it will ensure protections for fish habitat.

Just four months later, on Oct. 9, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a nationwide stay against enforcing the rule after a lawsuit filed by several states that called it a power grab by the agency. Since then, the EPA and the Corps of Engineers have used earlier regulations to determine what is a waters of the U.S.

By resolution, Congress overturned the rule on Nov. 4, 2015. Montana Republicans Rep. Ryan Zinke and Sen. Steve Daines voted to overturn; Sen. Jon Tester voted no. But in January, with his ninth veto, President Barack Obama rejected that resolution. Senate Republicans tried to override the veto, but didn't get enough votes. Daines voted for the override; Tester voted against it.

Zinke said he thinks decisions about water are best made locally, not at the federal level.

What I face every day is someone in Washington, D.C., who has a better idea of how to manage our resources and control our resources than Montana, he said. If a person violates or dams a river or affects your neighbor or the environment adversely, certainly the state and even the county has enough provisions to take action. I dont think you need to prosecute under federal law for something that is a very local issue.

A spokesman for Tester said the EPA rule needs to "protect our most precious resource and work on the ground," adding the goals aren't mutually exclusive. He also said the failed override would have prevented future administrations from providing needed clarity on waters of the U.S. Daines has been a critic of the rule, saying it would have a harmful effect on farmers and ranchers and is an attack on private property rights."

In a related case, on May 31 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision saying landowners could challenge jurisdictional determinations made by the U.S. Army Corps, the agency that makes the call on if waters fall under the federal government's oversight.

In that decision, Justice John Roberts touched on the severity of punishments for those found guilty of violating the Clean Water Act, writing it imposed substantial criminal and civil penalties for discharging any pollutant into water covered by the act without a permit.

Amidst this murky legal picture, Robertson is one of those facing a substantial penalty. He could have to pay fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and go to prison for 15 years, what could amount to a life sentence for the disabled Navy veteran.

Mining area

Robertson hung his red-sleeved arm out the door of his green pickup as he drove bumpy roads through a patchwork of patented and unpatented mining claims and federally owned land near his home. His therapy dog, a retriever named Sasha, is prone to hanging her head out the toppers back, scanning the surroundings. Robertson has lived in the area since about 1996 and has a complicated legal past that includes many encounters with local, state and federal law enforcement. He has ended up in district court, the state Supreme Court and federal court before, though he's never faced charges this serious.

With pale blue eyes and abundant smile wrinkles around his eyes, Robertson could pass for a decade younger, though he likes to joke about his age. Hes old, he said, but not nearly as old as some of the ponds in this area dug by miners in the 1880s.

The land above Basin has been mined for more than a century and evidence of such is almost anywhere you look. Theres tailings on the shore of Cataract Creek just 100 yards downstream from a stump marking where the unnamed tributary Robertson polluted dives under the road and flows into the creek.

Thats ancient, he said, pointing to dry ditch that may have carried water down to whats now just the remnants of an old mill. I dont know how you can say Im polluting when youve got all that around.

Elk, ducks, geese and moose all frequent Robertsons ponds and it looks to be a bumper year for frogs. Though the ponds provide water for his five horses and two goats, Robertson is most proud of their utility in fighting fire.

The larger pond has connections to allow the tactical tender parked nearby to fill up.

Fighting fire is something Robertson cares deeply about. For years, he said, he and his wife ran a Type 2 tactical water tender and spent their summers fighting fire, one 14-hour day at a time across the West.

His other devotion lies with fellow veterans  his wallet is stuffed with business cards for a group he organized to bring local veterans and their families out to his land.

We have a lot of old, disabled veterans that have PTSD who want to come here, relax and enjoy life, he said, though hes discouraged visitors since his legal troubles started.

Robertson has struggled with PTSD himself and spent five-and-a-half weeks in an inpatient trauma recovery unit at Fort Harrison.

Thank God I did because with these people coming up and packing weapons, he trailed off, referring to armed Forest Service agents who have visited his land to see if he has complied with court orders over the years to move structures and property he put on federally owned lands.

Support

State Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, is one of several starting to rally around Robertson. Her name is written in pencil along with other contacts of supporters on the back of a manila folder where he keeps all his legal papers.

Manzella said she first saw Robertsons story on Redoubt News, the communications outlet of a political movement that encourages migration to so-called safe-haven states in the West for like-minded conservatives who anticipate the downfall of the federal government.

The website features stories like one about a rally in Plains earlier this month that brought together self-proclaimed patriots including Robertson and the family of Jake Ryan, a 27-year-old Montanan who was arrested after a takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon at the start of this year, and Jeanette Finicum, whose husband was shot and killed by law enforcement when five of the militants were arrested about 50 miles north of the refuge on Jan. 26.

My concern is protecting our citizens, protecting our state sovereignty, Manzella said about Robertsons case. Where does our state sovereignty end and the federal government take over in a situation such as this?

Jim Buterbaugh, who lives in Whitehall and has known Robertson for years, said hes tentatively planning a rally at the July sentencing.

This is the government going too far, Buterbaugh said. Hes a mile away from the creek, so I dont see where hes going to be polluting since his ponds are groundwater ponds.

The Oath Keepers, a group of constitutional activists known for armed support of individuals fighting government overreach, launched an online alert last month supporting Robertson and encouraging donation to his legal defense.

I find it astonishing that theyre picking on this veteran, said Oath Keepers spokesman Jason Van Tatenhove.

I dont think the guy deserves to die behind bars, he said of a potential prison sentence.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes joined Van Tatenhove in lambasting the investigation and court case. They allege fabrication of some evidence while ignoring other evidence in a retributive prosecution and failed defense.

Rhodes declined comment on whether the Oath Keepers is considering an armed operation in support of Robertson, but did say, we want to see this fought in the courts.

Radio Free Redoubt host John Jacob Schmidt in an interview with Robertson referenced a Second Amendment-type of option when talking about what happens next.

But Robertson said he doesnt want anybody armed to come up near his land unless theyre hunting.

Oh no, he said. I wouldnt want that. I wouldnt want any part of that. Its bad enough, there are a lot of disabled vets living up here. Thats a bad situation. Carri had a guy with PTSD hunting that ran into armed Forest Service agents. This poor guy, it scared him to death.

Whats next

Ray Kagel, who runs a wetlands, water and wildlife consulting firm in Rigby, Idaho, calls into question the EPAs report, so much so that he produced a pro-bono report countering the government's.

In our opinion, there were no measurable or quantitative adverse impacts to the aquatic ecosystem, he said.

Kagel said he used to work for the Corps of Engineers and the EPA as a senior project manager and enforcement officer and said his work as a federal employee informs he about why the government pursued a case against Robertson.

Its kind of like a feather in the cap showing Wow, what a great job we are doing as an agency based on all these enforcement actions weve taken,'  he said.

He contends Robertsons ponds neither fit the significant nexus definition nor are a continuously flowing stream because the flow goes underground.

In his 2006 opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia said intermittent and ephemeral streams are not waters of the U.S," though the jury in Robertson's case was told to use the nexus text.

Kagel has done free work for others in similar situations, including a Wyoming rancher who was facing millions in fines over a stock pond he built and later settled with the EPA, saying he didn't pay a fine and kept his pond. He also produced a report for an Iowa woman who pleaded guilty to building a pond at her campground in violation of the Clean Water Act. The charges were dismissed, though the government held the right to continue the case later.

But Kagel's report was done after a jury found Robertson guilty and years of federal agents telling Robertson he didn't have permission to build his ponds. Robertson points out he did get a state-issued 310 permit to build an off-stream pond, though that permit expired before he started work and the state official who issued the permit said the ponds Robertson built didn't meet requirements. Robertson was never issued a 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers, which is required for activity that will result in the discharge or placement of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S.

Meanwhile, Robertson continues to talk about improvements to his nine ponds and make plans for the rest of his life. He and his wife own a blue sailboat theyd like to put in Canyon Ferry, and more immediately theres a seeder in the back of his truck he needs to put to use.

I gotta get that done before I go to prison, he laughed.

 Helena Independent Record reporter Tom Kuglin contributed to this report.
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Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

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You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
DICKINSON -- While the oil boom in North Dakota may be over, the recent wind boom could be here to stay.

In the past decade, there have been more than 400 wind turbines placed on the western side of the state with an additional 550 proposed to be constructed by 2018.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission has approved every wind farm in the state and Commissioner Brian Kalk said there will only be more wind farm developments in the future.

North Dakotas wind capacity is the best in the country, Kalk said.

Kalk said other states are relying on North Dakota to reach renewable energy portfolio standards in the future. Thirty states have adopted RPS, which requires a specific percentage or amount of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal be produced within a certain amount of time.

PSC Chair Julie Fedorchak said one reason for the multiple wind projects proposed in a short time is because companies are trying to meet the deadline for the federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit, which expires at the end of the year

I think you are seeing that as the drive for the companies to meet the deadline for the production tax credit, she said. They are under the gun to meet those deadlines and North Dakotas limited construction season.

Kalk said with larger North Dakota wind farms costing around $250 million, theyre simply more economical when there are federal tax subsidies.

NextEras projects

NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based company with 11 operational wind farms in North Dakota, proposed three projects in the state in a short period of time.

Brady Wind Energy Center I, in southern Stark County, generated heated debates among neighbors and created the PSCs longest public hearing on a wind project at 15 hours on March 31.

Kalk attributed the hearings length to an increased awareness in wind energy, which brought with it more questions from residents.

The PSC on Thursday approved the $250 million Brady Wind I project, which will produce energy purchased by Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

The 87-turbine, 150 megawatt wind farm was one of the most contested projects the PSC has heard, commissioners said.

The Concerned Citizens of Stark County, a grassroots group opposing the project, was granted intervener status by a judge prior to the public hearing and brought their own exhibits and testimony on why Brady Wind I shouldnt be approved.

The PSC said after approving Brady Wind I that its legacy could be multiple changes to the way the commission holds public hearings on wind projects. Kalk called Brady Wind I kind of a reset for wind siting in the state because of the issues presented that the commission hadnt really seen before.

Nonetheless, construction will begin on the project as early as next week with the 87 turbines set to be in operation by the end of the year.

While Brady Wind I was being debated, the second phase of the project in northern Hettinger County was approved by the county commissioners and sent to the PSC for a 10-hour public hearing on June 7. The PSCs first work session for the 72-turbine 150 megawatt wind farm is Tuesday.

Another NextEra project, the 48-turbine 100-megawatt Oliver Wind III in Oliver and Morton counties -- an add-on to an older 54-turbine two-phase project -- was presented to the PSC for consideration on June 1.

NextEra spokesman Bryan Garner said the company has to make sure their possible locations have strong wind resources, access to transmission lines to deliver the energy and willing landowners.

Fedorchak said North Dakotas transmission lines make it attractive to wind investors because, at one time, they carried coal-fired energy.

The transmission system that exists in North Dakota has been reinforced and enhanced in the recent years to facilitate more wind, she said.

More wind farms in North Dakota

Some of the most wide-open spaces of western North Dakota, which ironically are also home to hundreds of oil wells, are being eyed as possible wind farm locations.

In Bowman County, Apex Clean Energy is proposing 100 turbines near Rhame. The company hopes to have construction completed by 2018. In the meantime, its also considering Homestead Wind, a project of undetermined size in Williams County.

Apexs website states that both projects are estimated to generate up to 300 megawatts of power.

Orion Renewables Energy Group is looking at northern Billings County for a 115-turbine project that would generate 250 megawatts of power. That project, however, hasnt been brought before that countys commission.

In northeast Williams County, Enel Green Power North America has started construction on its first North Dakota wind farm, the 75-turbine Lindahl Wind Farm.

We are going to see more wind farms in North Dakota, Kalk said.

As more wind turbines go up in the state, the industry is making small improvements that could hold a lot of weight with the PSC.

During the hearing for Brady Wind II, NextEra presented a system recently approved by the Federal Aviation Administration that would eliminate the constant red blinking lights atop the wind towers.

The company said it plans to incorporate an Aircraft Detection Light System, a new radar system to warn pilots in the vicinity of the towers with the lights only flashing when they are within a certain proximity.

Fedorchak, who made her distaste for the constant blinking lights known during the Brady Wind I hearing, said she plans to bring the system to the attention to every wind energy company aiming to erect turbines in North Dakota.

"We would sure like this being used as soon as it's turned on," she said during the hearing for Brady Wind II.
Two join staff

Nicole Kessler and Missy Schmidt are new employees at KLJ Solutions.

Kessler is an accounting specialist with bachelors degrees in business-accounting and information technology management from the University of Mary. Kessler has more than eight years of experience in accounting.

Schmidt is a recruiter. She earned a bachelors degree in human resources from Valley City State University and has more than eight years of experience in human resources.

Honored, promoted

Amber Nelson, a Credit Collections Bureau employee in Bismarck, has been named collector of the month for May. Nelson also has been promoted to division supervisor.

Kristie Bauer, also employed in Bismarck, has been named a CCB client services representative of the month for May.

Leading agent

Ann Andre was the top producing agent for May at Keller Williams Roers Realty Fargo/Bismarck, leading in closing, listing and written volumes.

Mulloy gets award

Micheal A. Mulloy, of Stebbins Mulloy Law Firm in Bismarck, was recently awarded the 2016 Client Satisfaction Award from the American Family Law Institute, which he also received in 2014.

Mauch with firm

Paige Mauch has joined Keller Williams Roers Realty in Bismarck.

She previously worked on the firms Brandenburg Crew in Fargo.

Mauch grew up in the Fargo area.

Two agents excel

Two Bismarck agents of Farmers Union Insurance were top performers in April.

Jamie Ressler was a top-5 producer of long-term care insurance and Ryan Schnell was a top-5 producer of FUMI commercial insurance and PACCO auto insurance sales.

Jans gets award

Debra Jans, a financial representative with Thrivent Financial in Bismarck, is among 39 representatives nationwide to receive the 2015 Voices in Philanthropy Award from InFaith Community Foundation in Minneapolis.

Selection was based on total outright and deferred charitable gifts made by a representatives clients through InFaith in 2015.

Bohl promoted

Corvette Bohl has been promoted to proposal manager at KLJ in Bismarck.

Bohl joined KLJ in 2007. She earned a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Mary and is a recent graduate of the Center for Technology and Business Womens Leadership Program.

Lindsey hired

Chance Lindsey, a Crosby native, has been hired by CBRE as first vice president to lead advisory and transaction services in North Dakota. He will be based in Fargo and Williston.

Previously president of Opulent Real Estate Investment Group, Lindsey holds a bachelors degree in exercise science and business from North Dakota State University.

Hovick transfers

Jacob Hovick, who joined American Engineering Testing Inc.s Dickinson office in 2012, has been promoted to construction materials project manager of the companys Rapid City, S.D., office.

Two with FCCU

Jeri Boehm and Megan Kuhn have been hired as member service representatives at First Community Credit Union, 3201 Weiss Ave., Bismarck.

Boehm is originally from New Salem and earned an associate's degree in business management at Bismarck State College. She has several years of retail sales, service and receptionist experience.

Kuhn is originally from Richardton and most recently was an assistant manager at Vanity.

Schneider joins

Jenna Schneider recently joined Bismarck Motor Co. as a marketing specialist.

Schneider, a Bismarck native, graduated from North Dakota State University with a major in public relations and advertising.

She interned for Kupper Automotive for the past three years and is now a full-time employee.

Belanger at Sanford

Dr. Eric Belanger recently joined Sanford Health in Bismarck.

A longtime Bismarck neurosurgeon, Belanger graduated from and completed his residency in neurosurgery at Laval University in Quebec. He is board certified in neurosurgery by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
By Gary Moore

Okanagan Lake was a wet and wild place to be Saturday for the Boat for Hope fundraiser.

The Kelowna Yacht Club and Okanagan Boys & Girls Clubs teamed up once again to host the special day.



About 250 children and their families were treated to a pirate-themed adventure put on with Variety, the children's charity in downtown Kelowna.



"It's all about Pirates! We've got treasure stations out on the water giving away loot bags to the kids, our boats are decorated, the skippers are dressed up. It's a mighty good time," said Karin Pasqua, senior event co-ordinator with Variety.



Boat for Hope is an annual fundraiser for Variety, which has raised over $1.2 million since its inception 18 years ago.



But today was about leaving all the pressures of hospital and doctor visits behind for the day.



"For our families, it's a day they don't have to be stressed. It's inclusive, they don't feel judgment. I've been told it's a day they look forward to more than Christmas," said Pasqua.



Wherever there are kids in B.C. who have special needs, Variety is there to help, she added.



For more information, visit their website.
Photo: CTV

Police in southern Vancouver Island have released an update on the search for two men wanted in connection with a drive-by shooting on Tuesday.

West Shore RCMP say two people believed to be suspects fled from a house in Sooke, B.C., that officers were investigating on Wednesday evening.

A large scale search for the suspects in the wooded area around Thetis Lake was unsuccessful.

Police say Josh Lafleur and a second unnamed suspect are still wanted.

Lafleur is described as six feet tall, 190 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.

Police warn residents not to approach the men and call 911 or Crime Stoppers with information on their whereabouts.
Photo: Twitter- Colin Dacre

Local authorities are establishing resiliency centres for those impacted by flooding in the Peace Region.

These centres will be located in the communities of Dawson Creek and Chetwynd to assist residents in their recovery and to provide access to information about the Provinces Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program.

Information regarding the resiliency centres and other recovery steps will also be conveyed at town hall meetings in both communities early next week.

A town hall meeting will take place in Dawson Creek on Monday, June 19, at 7 p.m. in the Encana Centre located at 1, 300 Highway 2, Dawson Creek.

The Dawson Creek resiliency centre will be located at the Calvin Kruk Centre at 10401  10th Street, Dawson Creek.

While the centre is being established, general inquiries can be directed to the Peace River Regional Districts Emergency Operations Centre at 250-784-3200.

A town hall meeting will take place in Chetwynd on Tuesday, June 20, at 7 p.m. at the Chetwynd Recreation Centres Cottonwood Hall at 4600 North Access Road.

Later in the week, the Chetwynd resiliency centre will open at the same address.

Emergency Management BC has deployed DFA experts to the region to begin assessments of damage and assist qualifying flood victims.

DFA is now available to eligible British Columbians in the Peace Region, including Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Pouce Coupe, the First Nations community of Saulteau and the Peace River Regional District who may have been impacted from the major flooding that occurred this past week.

DFA is available to homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, farmers, charitable organizations and local governments who were unable to obtain insurance to cover these disaster-related losses.

DFA is available when the losses could not be insured or where other programs are not available, and it helps to replace or restore essential items and property that have been destroyed or damaged to pre-disaster condition.

If you are returning home or were unable to get home during the recent flooding, Emergency Management BC asks that you take precautions for your personal safety.

Do not return home until your local emergency operations authority announces the emergency is over. Before returning, make sure there is a safe water supply and that the sewage disposal system in your area is functional.

Contact your local health unit about possible contamination of foodstuffs. As a general rule, avoid a health hazard by destroying all food which was submerged in flood waters.

Do not turn on an electrical switch, or any electrical equipment which has been flooded, until it is checked by a qualified electrician.

Use caution when removing building materials and furniture that have become wet with flood water.

Extensive mould growth will likely occur.

Failure to remove contaminated materials and reduce moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks such as respiratory disease and allergic reactions.

People with mould allergies or compromised immune systems are most at risk of potential illness.
Penticton

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Photo: http://lotto.bclc.com/

A single winning ticket was sold in British Columbia for the $12.8 million jackpot in Saturday night's Lotto 649 draw.

The winning ticket was purchased somewhere in Coquitlam.

The guaranteed $1 million dollar prize was claimed by a ticket purchased in Quebec.

The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on June 22 will be an estimated $5 million.
Photo: DriveBC

UPDATE: 11:15 a.m.

Highway 97 is now open in both directions following a collision this morning.

Motorists are being told to expect delays.

ORIGINAL: 9:15 a.m.

Highway 97 is closed in both directions north of 150 Mile House due to a crash.

The highway is closed between Old Road and Mission Road due to the vehicle incident approximately six kilometres north of 150 Mile House.

Motorists are being told to expect delays.
The Greater North Dakota Chamber has created a new forum for small business owners within its organization.

Small business is the backbone of North Dakota and the U.S. economy as a whole, said Heidi Ripplinger, GNDC marketing and communications director.

The concept for the Small Business Council was based on the same format as the chambers CEO Roundtable, and chamber board members felt small business could benefit from a similar program. The business owners receive information from a presenter and talk among themselves about how to address common problems.

Sometimes, its nice to have one on one with other business owners, said Ripplinger, adding that, in group discussions, the business owners often feed off each others questions.

Mike Gallagher, district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, spoke on financing options offered through SBA. He said SBA is constantly trying to get the word out about its programs.

People signed up for the next one already without knowing the topic, Ripplinger said as an indication of the events success.

As someone who works with small business owners in the state, Gallagher said he sees the Small Business Council as a way for the chamber to better connect with small businesses. The state chamber is a representative of business to the state government and being able to make that connection is what sets the Small Business Council apart from other business education programs.

While some local chambers may get involved with the state Legislature, the state chamber has a further reach.

So many issues come out of state Legislature that having somebody to keep on top of issues is one of the key areas, Gallagher said, and the state chamber can be that for small businesses that dont have the resources to do it themselves.

Ripplinger said there were a few more than 20 people at each of the two first events held in Dickinson and Fargo. She said there were quite a few emerging business owners at the Fargo event, so new they didnt even have their business. However, the event is meant to be open to all business people, from lawyers to clothing boutiques to pizza shop owners, and could help all of them with the challenges they face.

GNDC chose to hold the events over lunch hour and move them to a bunch of locations around the state in order to adapt and reach as many of the busy owners of small companies as possible.

Theyre so busy running their business that theres so little time for them to do research, Ripplinger said, so GNDC tries to bring the answers to them.

She said GNDC also has the benefit of a larger network.

(A business) may do well locally but have not had the opportunity to reach out statewide, Ripplinger said.

GNDC board member Tim Brumfield of Gate City Bank hosted the Dickinson event. He said the board suggested the formation of the council because small business is important and it wanted to ensure the small business voice was being heard.

The big plus to me was the roundtable with CEOs of successful local businesses answering questions for startups, he said of the first event. The thing I remember most was the willingness of established businesses to share their expertise; its invaluable.

The next Small Business Council events are scheduled for Oct. 18 in Bismarck and Oct. 25 in Grand Forks and will focus on marketing.
Herda retired

Lt. Col. Stephen Herda was honored during a retirement ceremony May 15 witnessed by family, friends and fellow service members at the Raymond J. Bohn Armory in Bismarck. A native of Mandan, Herda has served in the U.S. military for more than three decades, including more than 20 years in the North Dakota National Guard.

Enlisting into the U.S. Army in 1983, Herda's first assignment after graduation from basic combat training and advanced individual training was with the 32nd Army Air Defense Command in Darmstadt, Germany, where he served as a classified document custodian. He later returned to North Dakota to attend the University of North Dakota, where he took engineering classes and enrolled in the school's Reserve Officers Training Program. During his time there, he joined the North Dakota National Guard in 1986 and commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1988.

Herda then moved to Rapid City, S.D., and attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and graduated as a geological engineer in 1992. He continued to serve as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1997, Herda rejoined the North Dakota National Guard, as a signal officer assigned to the Minot-based 164th Engineer Battalion. He has held myriad positions within the organization, including assignments as the assistant operations officer for the 164th Engineer Battalion, commander of the 957th Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge), environmental officer for Joint Force Headquarters and operations officer for the 34th Engineer Brigade.

In March 2007, Herda deployed with the 34th Engineer Brigade to work reconstruction projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq. He was stationed at Camp Black Adder, Basrah Air Station, and worked as the Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer and Maysan Area engineer. Herda was wounded in action on Oct. 15, 2007, and received the Purple Heart.

Upon returning to North Dakota, Herda resumed duties as the environmental manager and environmental branch chief for Joint Force Headquarters and later as the director of public works at Camp Grafton Training Center until his final appointment as the director of personnel for the Joint Force Headquarters' Domestic Operations section.

Since November 2002, Herda has served full-time in the North Dakota National Guard's Environmental Office, including positions as the cultural and natural resources manager, and later as the environmental program manager. Under his leadership, the Environmental Office has received several environmental security awards for excellence in waste management and conservation management. During his tenure, the North Dakota National Guard has not received any notice of violation of any environmental regulations.

An esteemed marksman, Herda has actively competed and supported North Dakota National Guard shooting competitions and events since 2002. He has competed in the North Dakota Adjutant General's Match at Camp Grafton Training Center, the Marksmanship Advisory Council Region VI Match at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., the Winston P. Wilson Match at Camp Robinson, Ark., and the All-Army Competition at Fort Benning, Ga. Additionally, he has supported many of these events by acting as the officer-in-charge, as well as leading numerous unit qualification events, preliminary marksmanship instruction and range certification training.

He was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his military achievements.

Herda lives in Mandan with his wife, Karla, and three children.
State agencies are feeling the burn from Gov. Jack Dalrymple's mandated budget cuts, and administrators from nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are bracing for diminished funding starting January. Some are exploring creative cost-savings measures and other ways to grow revenue.

In North Dakota, nursing facilities stand to lose at least $25.1 million next year as a result of cutbacks, said Shelly Peterson, president of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association.

Most nursing homes and long-term care facilities receive funding through the North Dakota Department of Human Services, which had to reduce its 2015-17 budget by $53.9 million.

The $25.1 million represents a loss in reimbursement nursing facilities receive from the state and federal government each year  compensation and incentives many facility administrators rely upon when structuring budgets.

Though no facilities are expected to close, many will have to deficit spend or dip into their savings.

The Long Term Care Association determined exactly how much funding facilities will lose: about a 5 percent decrease in overall revenue for each facility, ranging from $73,000 to $1.2 million.

Nursing home administrators are looking at what they can do now and in January, when cuts kick in. In addition, North Dakota Long-Term Care Association members and representatives of nursing homes are meeting with legislators to talk about the impacts of the budget cuts and how to get funding restored next session.

Staff reductions

When Peterson first heard about the required cutbacks, they seemed unreal. The vast majority of spending in nursing homes is staff, and cutting staff is not an option, she said.

We fear having to cut back on staff because we need them. Its the last place that we should be cutting back," said Peterson, who estimates that nursing facilities would need to cut about 900 positions to account for the $25.1 million loss, an amount calculated by the average salary of a certified nursing assistant  around $28,000.

Were not saying at all that facilities are going to do that because its inconceivable," Peterson said.

But many nursing homes have no where else to cut except staff wages or the number of employees.

Employee pay is one cost you can control, said Reier Thompson, CEO and president of Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck.

Well, you can say, OK, were not going to do raises this year, and thats something you can control. But we cant control the fact that health insurance is going up, or the cost of electricity is going up, or the cost of food is going up," he said.

Costs are always going up every year, and reimbursement from the state helps a lot, Thompson said.

For many nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, there is never enough help. In November, 53 nursing homes in the state reported 741 vacant positions.

To help fill some of those openings, facilities often rely upon contract staffing. Nursing homes as a whole spent $19 million last year on contract agencies, Peterson said. Four out of five nursing homes are using contract agencies.

Richard Regner, administrator at Napoleon Care Center, said last month he spent $11,000 on contract staffing.

Currently, the facility is staffed at a comfortable level, Regner said, and the hiring of contract staffing or CNAs "runs in stretches."

Regner said the nursing home is the town's largest employer, and though the budget cuts aren't going to cause the facility to go broke and close its doors, decisions will have to be made on where in its budget it can make cuts.

We dont know where to cut," Regner said.

As far as growing our revenue, I dont know what other options there are other than keeping our beds full," Thompson said. Out here in the rural areas, resident occupancy is always a challenge. Youre always running several beds open.

Thompson said he and other administrators at Missouri Slope are looking at cost-saving measures, everything from changing the paper they use to attrition in non-direct care services, such as housekeeping or custodial positions. A management position also will be left unfilled, he said.

Were looking at all positions, but, as far as prioritizing, were trying to make sure we keep as much of the direct care as possible," Thompson said. "If we can cut other amenities, other services, that wont affect the ability for us to provide the nursing care that they need each day, thats what were going to do first.

Also, Thompson said he's looking at growing revenue rather than cutting expenses. One possibility is a restorative nursing program.

The program, starting potentially next month or August, will include nursing interventions to help residents gain more independence, or strength, and prevent decline.

If we can get some more people in restorative nursing, that will help us bring more revenue to the organization, Thompson said.

Its providing more therapy, which is a billable service," he said. And therapy is a win-win. Its a revenue generator, and it helps people maintain their health and well-being.

At a meeting in Bismarck last month with nursing home administrators and legislators, Rep. George Keiser, R-Bismarck, said all state agencies are "making adjustments."

Were going to come into session and everybodys going to be in a difficult position," Keiser said. Everyone.

The argument that, Well, we just want to be held harmless, is going to be a tough sell," he said.

In recent years, lawmakers have supported the nursing industry by increasing funding for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to remain competitive in the marketplace, but "that tide has turned right now," Keiser said.

"Were working on it. The good news is were going to support your patient population.

Ongoing monitoring

Peterson, president of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association, said the association will continue to monitor the quality of care within nursing homes as a result of the budget cuts.

In addition, Peterson said she hopes funding for nursing homes will be restored next session; otherwise, facilities will become financially disabled.

The association is requesting lawmakers restore funding by July 1, 2017, so facilities will only absorb seven months of cuts.

"We're hoping that's when relief will come in," Peterson said.
Recently the IBEW decided to support Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. For those who are not aware, the IBEW is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the union that is supported in the local power plants and gas plant.

This has been a real letdown for me and many fellow members and we strongly oppose their action. I just don't think that the IBEW really values its coal worker union members and it seems obvious to me that we are not a big enough group to affect their politics.

Even though unions have traditionally endorsed Democratic candidates, Clinton is an avowed coal hater and is bad for our business and our area. As a power plant worker, I don't want to see this happen, not only for my sake but for the better of the country.

I ask those members of the IBEW to make their opinion heard by speaking to their representatives. If the IBEW could not stomach Donald Trump, they should have just kept their mouths shut and abstained in 2016.
Chino, CA (91710)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 76F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 53F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
FARGO -- Doug Burgum has a message for those surprised by the magnitude of whats regarded as his upset victory over Wayne Stenehjem in the Republican gubernatorial primary: You should have paid closer attention to voters.

The breadth of Burgums 20-point margin of victory in the Tuesday primary is widely attributed to crossover votes of Democrats, an explanation Burgum dismissed as speculation, since its impossible to measure accurately because North Dakota lacks voter registration.

The crossover theory, the entrepreneur-turned-politician said, fails to give credence to what he views as the obvious reason he beat Stenehjem, who had won many statewide races as attorney general by impressive margins that likely included many Democrats.

North Dakota voters want a business leader outside the political system, Burgum said in an interview three days after the primary in the offices of his Kilbourne Group company, which is active in developing real estate in downtown Fargo. Thats the answer.

The outsider appeal shown in the North Dakota GOP primary contest echoes the preference voters have shown at the national level, Burgum said. We werent immune to that.

Yet explanations Burgum sees as obvious have received little discussion among the political chattering classes, he said.

People, they want to find another explanation, he said.

Because of the broad appeal Burgum demonstrated in the primary vote, some have expressed hopes that the political newcomer will take a more bipartisan approach to governing. Teamwork and collaboration were hallmarks of Burgums leadership style at Great Plains Software, which became part of Microsoft, his former colleagues have said.

Im only looking forward, not backward, he said. Weve said from the get-go we want to serve everyone. I want to be the governor of all the people. The best ideas come from the caldron of the debate.

Elected officials who lose touch with their constituents, just as businesses that fail to keep abreast of the market and their customers, will fail, he said.

If youre not listening to the people, youre in the echo chamber, which is Burgums analogy for the conventional storyline that comes to dominate political discussions and campaign reporting.

If youre not listening to the people, he said, youre losing.

In the November election, Burgum faces Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla, the Democrats nominee. Its a race in which he, as Stenehjem would have been, is considered the heavy favorite. If he wins, Burgum said he will reside full-time in Bismarck, presumably in the governors residence.

I fully intend to move to Bismarck upon the inauguration, if successful, he said, adding that his youngest son, Tom, will be a senior next year at Fargo Oak Grove High School, where he will remain.

In office, he said, his agenda would focus on the entwined goals of expanding the economy, addressing the fiscal crisis facing the state budget and bringing more efficient processes to government operations and services. Thats the priority, Burgum said. That drives everything else.

After Burgum defeated Stenehjem, the partys endorsed candidate who had the support of the overwhelming majority of the states heavily Republican Legislature, some have speculated lawmakers could move in the next legislative session to end North Dakotas open primaries that allow voters to cast ballots for any party. It would require establishing voter registration, making North Dakota the final state to adopt registration requirements for elections.

If such a bill passes, and if Burgum is governor, would he sign it?

I would want to understand what problem theyre trying to solve, he said. We want to get more people voting, not less. Thats good for democracy.

Now that he has the nomination in hand, Burgum said he has time to plan for exiting business roles if elected governor. Burgum declined to discuss details, including whether he would resign from any of the half-dozen corporate boards or partnerships in which hes involved. That includes Kilbourne Group, the firm he founded that has numerous ongoing development projects in downtown Fargo, including a high-rise office, hotel and residential complex about to start construction.

Those plans, including executive succession plans, still are being developed, he said. But he promised to be fully engaged as governor.

People saw how much I dedicated myself full-time to campaigning, he said. That should give people an indication of how I intend to govern, and that is that Im all in.

Burgum noted that hes involved in farming and ranching, which is common for North Dakota governors. Gov. Jack Dalyrmple farms near Casselton, former Gov. George Sinner was involved in a farm partnership in Casselton, and Gov. Art Link had a farm in McKenzie County, to cite recent examples.

Burgum said he would avoid conflicts of interests if any arise because of his business ties, adding that hes been involved in corporate governance for 20 years, subject to strict disclosure requirements.

Ill be pristine in making sure that if there are conflicts of interest, Ill recuse myself, he said, adding that he wants to reassure people that he understands good governance.

Other recent governors, including Ed Schafer and John Hoeven, had extensive business interests before they were elected. The alternative would be elected officials who had no real stake in the state, Burgum said

I think its beneficial that Ive spent my life building businesses and creating jobs in this state, he said.
WILLISTON  Residential lots that Halliburton purchased for employee housing in Williston will soon be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The oilfield service company is selling 21 residential lots in Willistons Harvest Hills neighborhood through a live auction June 30.

The residential lots, as well as two commercial lots in Williston, will sell without a minimum bid, said Fontana Fitzwilson, executive vice president of sales for Williams and Williams Real Estate Auctions, which is handling the sale.

They want buyers to know theyre committed to selling these, Fitzwilson said.

New home construction in Williston has significantly slowed with the drop in oil prices. Williston had issued four building permits for single family homes this year, according to numbers updated through the end of May.

In 2015, Williston issued 76 building permits for new homes, the lowest number in six years.

Halliburton also is selling surplus properties in other areas around the country, Fitzwilson said.

Williston is the first community where Halliburton built homes for employees, according to a letter written by Brent Eslinger, Halliburton senior district manager, to Williston city leaders related to the citys discussion on workforce housing.

Halliburton invested about $100 million in Williston to build permanent housing for employees, Eslinger wrote.

The company is not selling any homes, townhomes or apartment buildings that Halliburton built in Williston, said Emily Mir, director of public relations. Halliburton is only selling vacant residential and commercial lots in Williston where the company did not build homes or apartments, she said.

The live auction is at 4:30 p.m. June 30 in Williston, though bids can also be submitted online. For more information, including photos of the available lots, visit williamsauction.com/Halliburton.

We think this is an opportunity for a variety of different kinds of buyers, Fitzwilson said. Every buyer needs to do their own diligence and come and bring their highest and best.

Williams County listed the value of the residential lots as between $50,000 and $70,000 in 2015.
TEHRAN, Iran  Boeing Co. is negotiating a deal to sell 100 airplanes to Iran, state-run media reported Sunday, a sale potentially worth billions that would mark the first major entry of an American company into the Islamic Republic after last year's nuclear deal.



Chicago-based Boeing declined to discuss details of the talks or the figure of 100 planes, attributed to Ali Abedzadeh, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization.



Regulatory hurdles and U.S. sanctions that remain in place after the nuclear agreement could complicate the deal. Despite efforts by the U.S. State Department to encourage trade to Iran, many American firms remain worried about the legal and political ramifications of any agreements with the country.



The state-run IRAN newspaper quoted Abedzadeh as saying negotiations took "several stages" and final figures and terms had yet to be reached.





"Both sides  Iran and Boeing  have reached a written agreement for buying Boeing airplanes," Abedzadeh was quoted as saying.



Fakher Daghestani, a Boeing spokesman based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, declined to answer any questions about Abedzadeh's comments.



"Any agreements reached will be contingent on U.S. government approval," Daghestani said in a statement.



Iranian airlines have some 60 Boeing airplanes in service, but most were purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamists to power.

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Out of Iran's 250 commercial planes, about 150 are flying while the rest are grounded due to lack of spare parts. Parts and servicing remained nearly impossible to get while the world sanctioned Iran over its contested nuclear program.



Included in last year's nuclear deal is approval for airline manufacturers to enter the Iranian market. Already, Iran Air has signed agreements to buy 118 planes from the European consortium Airbus and 20 more from French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR.



Iran is a lucrative market, with the Airbus deal alone worth $25 billion. But Boeing has treaded cautiously.



U.S. sanctions not tied to the nuclear program remain in place, and American lawmakers have warned Boeing not to do business there as the Iran deal remains a hot topic in the ongoing presidential election. Boeing may need to run the sale through an overseas subsidiary and use a currency other than U.S. dollars in order to avoid running afoul of American laws.



In April, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Maqsoud Asadi Samani, the secretary of the Society of Iranian Airlines, as saying Boeing officials offered 737, 777 and 787 model aircraft on a trip to Tehran.



In his published remarks Sunday, Abedzadeh said that "Iran will not be in a hurry about the agreement since the U.S. has always used Iran's old fleet as leverage."



"Iran will apply caution in the talks," he said.



Associated Press
Anita Wilson had nowhere else to go except a nursing home when she got sick. She is one of more than 19,000 people who receive long-term care in nursing homes and other basic care facilities in the state each year.

Wilson, 64, taught sociology and philosophy for nearly 30 years, most recently at Bismarck State College.

Wilson cared for her 89-year-old mother until she got ill. Wilson had undiagnosed diabetes, high blood pressure, and once fell down twice in one day, right after the semester had completed. She was admitted to a hospital, where she stayed for three weeks.

While in the hospital, Wilson decided she needed long-term help; she was no longer able to take care of herself or her mother. Wilson couldnt walk anymore. She would later have two operations on her foot and brain surgery to remove a brain tumor.

After Wilson got out of the hospital she and her mother went to Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, where they've been for three years. They currently share a room at the nursing home.

Wilson's kidney failure requires her to have dialysis three days a week. She also take 45 pills a day, which staff keep track of.

It would be a full-time job trying to take care of that," Wilson said.

The staff at Missouri Slope create activities for her and other residents to do, which helps pass time and keeps her stay at the nursing home more enjoyable, according to Wilson.

Wilson likes to cook, and sometimes staff will let her go to the kitchen where she'll make bread or cookies.

Last year, staff members took her to a Steve Miller concert, accommodating her in her wheelchair.

Theyre quality people who really care about us," Wilson said.
I need your help with an Avalon Waterways trip from Amsterdam to Brussels that I booked through Vacations To Go. A few days before we were supposed to leave, my husband was in a serious biking accident. He spent two days in the intensive care unit.

My husband had two small brain bleeds. His cognition is now intact, but he has many physical problems, including broken ribs, a broken nose, multiple stitches to his face and a swollen knee.

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For the first time, we did not get travel insurance  a lesson learned. We were going to Europe with friends to celebrate 50 years of friendship. They left this morning.

RELATED: TRENDING LIFE & STYLE NEWS THIS HOUR

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I have been given the runaround, as one company blames the other for not helping. I am dealing with representatives from our travel agency and our tour operator, but I'm being batted back and forth. American Airlines was kind enough to refund the frequent-flier miles we used for the trip, but it looks like I'll lose 80 percent of our trip. Avalon has offered to refund only $1,500 for a $6,700 trip.

I'd like to do the trip next year. Can you help me recover some of the money we spent on this trip?

 Mara Bronstone, Los Altos Hills, Calif.

A: You're right, travel insurance could have helped you, but there's no guarantee. For example, some policies have named exclusions that specifically state that pre-existing medical conditions aren't covered. If your husband had an illness that suddenly flared up, you might still be asking your tour operator for help  and still looking at losing 80 percent of your vacation.

The terms of your cruise were clear. If you cancel fewer than 30 days but more than one day before your trip, you forfeit 80 percent of what you paid. If you're within one day of traveling, you usually get nothing back. You can see the terms and conditions on the Avalon site here: http://www.avalonwaterways.com/terms. As far as terms go, these are pretty good. Remember, the closer to departure you cancel, the more likely it is that the cabin you reserved will go unoccupied, so the tour operator loses money.

Still, Avalon should have at least taken your personal circumstances into account. After all, when something goes wrong with one of its cruises, like low water levels, it reserves the right to either cancel the tour or transfer you to a bus, turning your riverboat tour into a bus tour. It expects passengers to understand. Why shouldn't it work the other way around?

Several efforts to reach out to your travel agent ended in frustration. Vacations To Go repeatedly asked Avalon to waive some of its rules on your behalf, but it refused. You also sent a brief, polite email to the company, asking it to consider a one-time exception to its rule. (I publish a list of the executive contacts for Avalon on my consumer-advocacy site: http://elliott.org/company-contacts/avalon-waterways.) The company eventually agreed to offer you a 75 percent credit that is good for two years. You're happy with that outcome.

Next time, get the insurance.

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Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the author of "How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler." You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org, or email him at chris@elliott.org.

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A streetcar makes its way through traffic along King street at Bay. (Richard Lautens / Toronto Star)

Toronto is a Great Lakes city like Chicago in many ways: It has about the same population, hot summers, freezing winters and a colorful patchwork of ethnic neighborhoods.

But there are differences north of the border. The money is prettier. Crime is less violent. Milk comes in plastic bags.

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One major contrast is in the sister cities' transit systems. Despite having fewer rail lines and stations, Toronto's public transit ridership has seen years of steady passenger growth  up 15 percent from 2008 to 2015, while the CTA's is down 1.6 percent over the same period. With 2.7 million daily boardings compared with the CTA's 1.6 million, the Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, has become the busiest system in North America, after New York City and Mexico City.

TTC also is getting billions in capital dollars from the province of Ontario for service expansion, while Springfield lacks a current capital program. The entire Toronto region is undergoing a transit revolution and offers an example of what can be done for transit, if the political will and money are available.

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Yonah Freemark, project manager of Chicago's Metropolitan Planning Council, said that continued investments in improving service, coupled with a growing population and development planning that links residents to transit lines, all are boosting use of Toronto's system.

"We really need to campaign for the state to provide more funding for transit services  buses and rail," Freemark said. The council has been pushing for $43 billion in new capital funding for transportation infrastructure over the next decade.

The capital connection

Unlike Illinois, which has no current capital plan because of the state budget impasse, Ontario has committed $8.4 billion in support of new transit in Toronto. The province is putting $31.5 billion in capital investments over 10 years to build an integrated provincial transportation network. The total package includes improvements to roads and bridges and to the frequency of GO trains  Toronto's equivalent to Metra.

The money specifically for the TTC includes $5.3 billion for the Eglinton Crosstown, an 11.8-mile light rail line that will be the largest transit expansion in the city's history, to be completed in 2021.

An additional $2.1 billion is going to two other light rail lines. The TTC and the city are in the early stages of planning a new "relief" subway line to manage subway congestion downtown, and an extension to the Scarborough area, which will cost $3.56 billion in city, provincial and federal funds.

Due to open late next year is a 5.3-mile extension on the city's main Yonge-University line, built with provincial, federal and local funds.

New project funding is separate from the TTC's $9 billion 10-year capital program for maintaining the system, building elevators and buying streetcars, TTC spokesman Brad Ross said. The TTC is $2.7 billion shy for this program but proceeding as it can.

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In contrast, the CTA needs $13 billion over the next 10 years to keep its much older system in a state of good repair. Its last all-new line, the Orange Line, opened in 1993.

The CTA committed $5 billion in the last five years to rehabbing stations and other improvements. It wants to invest more to improve service  a big initiative is the $2.13 billion Red and Purple Line modernization project to rebuild tracks that are more than a century old.

But the agency lacks a reliable source of capital funding. It has a pledge of $1 billion in federal money, but that isn't guaranteed without a local match.

CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said the stop-and-start nature of capital funding makes it difficult to plan effectively.

"You have to constantly hope and work for funding, and you don't have the stable funding stream," Chase said.

The Toronto way

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Toronto's system is slightly more expensive to ride than Chicago's. The adult cash price is $3.25 in Canadian dollars or about $2.52 in U.S. dollars, compared with $2.25 for the Chicago "L." Most Toronto riders use a monthly Metropass for $141.50, or about $110 in U.S. currency. The CTA 30-day pass costs $100.

TTC transfers are free, as are rides for children younger than 12, and there's a discount for college students. Fares cover about two-thirds of operations, while the city covers the other third, plus most good repair projects.

TTC's rail system is smaller  with four lines and 69 stations compared with the CTA's eight lines and 145 stations. TTC rail does not extend into the suburbs as the CTA does, and shuts down at night for maintenance, unlike CTA Blue and Red line trains, which run 24 hours.

The TTC can seem oddly inadequate  rail stations don't open until 8 a.m. on Sundays.

But Toronto does have a larger network of bus and streetcar service with about 170 routes, said Ross, compared with the CTA's 130 bus routes. Night service is offered through a network of buses and streetcars.

Ross noted that TTC service was cut under the former mayor, the controversial Rob Ford, who died earlier this year. The current mayor, John Tory, reinstated service that was cut. He also wants a separate initiative called SmartTrack, which would adapt a commuter rail corridor for urban use, with electrification and more stops.

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TTC growth

One reason TTC's ridership is growing is because the city is. Toronto has 2.86 million people, according to the World Population Review, up from 2.5 million in 2006. Chicago's population has slipped to 2.72 million, according to U.S. Census data.

Toronto also has less highway capacity than Chicago, and rush hour traffic is horrendous.

"Because Toronto has fewer highways, it's encouraging people to take transit," Freemark said. About 68 percent of Toronto morning commuters use transit, said chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat. That's compared with 28 percent of Chicago commuters, according to 2014 Census figures. Of Toronto public transit commuters, 85 percent use the TTC, Ross said.

Another factor is Toronto's strategy of linking new development with transit corridors, Keesmaat said. Transit-oriented development  putting dense retail and residential development near train stations to encourage people to ditch their cars  is starting to happen in Chicago, with high-rises springing up near "L" stations.

But in Toronto, high-density development near transit corridors is part of a 10-year-old plan, Keesmaat said. The city has reduced requirements for parking spaces, and 80 percent of growth is on main transit corridors.

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"As we grow, we want to not add cars but provide the option for people to primarily get around on transit," Keesmaat said. "We've linked our transit capital building projects to the vision of the city we're trying to create."

Freemark said improved bus service also is a factor in TTC's progress. CTA bus ridership has dropped while its rail ridership has gone up.

The TTC can be too popular, and rush hour trains and streetcars get "squishy," which shows the need for more capacity, Keesmaat said.

Besides the line expansions, the TTC is growing space for riders through investing in new train control technology that will allow more trains to run per hour, and adding new streetcars and trains with more room onboard, Ross said.

For example, newer trains on the system lack doors between cars, which allows riders to look down the entire train from end to end. This allows for about 10 percent more capacity, Ross said.

There are some hard choices ahead. Metrolinx, Ontario's regional transit agency, has been developing a plan to merge the fare systems of the Toronto region's transit operators.

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A possible scenario would be to change the TTC's flat fare model, similar to the CTA's, to a distance-based model. But the TTC says this would require major renovations, and community activists fear it would result in big fare hikes.

A recent softening of TTC ridership may be caused by the economy slowing, or some people peeling off to take Uber or biking, Ross said. TTC riders gripe about their system just like CTA riders do. They complain about overcrowding, system breakdowns, riders who evade fares, and those who talk too loud or eat smelly food on the trains.

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But TTC riders do have something to look forward to  big expansions to a system that most residents depend on every day.

"There's a big modernization effort going on," Ross said. "It does take time, though. It's a big ship to turn around."

Kyle Whitehead, campaign director for the Active Transportation Alliance, said the Chicago region needs to imitate Toronto in thinking bigger about transit improvement and expansion.

"There's been such stagnation in recent decades, I think a lot of people in Chicago think that's the way it is and that's the way it's always going to be," Whitehead said.

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"If we can move forward with projects like Ashland Avenue bus rapid transit service, and other expansion projects, people will see the improvements and see more areas clamoring for improvements," Whitehead said. "I think that's what's happening in Toronto."

mwisniewski@tribpub.com

Twitter @marywizchicago
A judge Sunday afternoon set bail at $100,000 for a Little Village man who is accused of reckless homicide after a crash Thursday that left a 62-year-old West Garfield Park woman dead.

Heriberto Aguirre, 28, appeared for a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, where Judge Peggy Chiampas set the bail. Aguirre, of the 2600 block of South Kostner Avenue, is charged with reckless homicide and failure to report an accident, police said.

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Prosecutors in court said Aguirre fled on foot after the car he was driving hit a car, killing Renee D. Showers at about 5:55 a.m. Thursday in the 700 block of South Kostner Avenue, police said.

An autopsy Friday determined Showers, of the 800 block of South Kilbourn Avenue, died of multiple blunt force injuries from the crash, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

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Showers was pronounced dead at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Stroger Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office, which ruled her death an accident.

On Thursday morning, Aguirre was driving north on Kostner in a Chevy Traverse SUV with his cousin in the passenger's seat, prosecutors said.. Prosecutors said the black box in Aguirre's car showed Aguirre was driving 58 mph just before the crash, which is 28 mph over Kostner's 30-mph speed limit.

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Showers was driving a Jeep Cherokee SUV by herself, prosecutors said. She was driving to her job as a home health-care worker, and is believed to have made a right turn from Lexington Street onto southbound Kostner just before the crash.

The crash occurred west of the center line, so that Aguirre was in Showers' lane of traffic. Upon realizing Aguirre was in her lane, Showers made a sharp right, trying to avoid being struck, prosecutors said. As a result, the front of Aguirre's car struck the driver's side of Showers' car, prosecutors said.

Showers' car drove onto the west sidewalk area and through a wrought iron fence, prosecutors said. The car was damaged and Showers was found unconscious.

A witness who identified Aguirre said that after the crash, Aguirre left his car, fell to the ground, got up, began talking on his phone and then walked away westbound on Lexington before police arrived, prosecutors said. Another witness, who lives across the street, allegedly heard Aguirre tell the person on the phone that he believed he was going to jail. That witness also allegedly said she believed Aguirre had been drinking, as he had a strong odor of alcohol and bloodshot eyes, prosecutors said.

Aguirre turned himself into police about 12 hours later, and was arrested about 6:32 p.m. Thursday. Prosecutors said Aguirre admitted leaving the scene because he panicked. Prosecutors said Aguirre allegedly told police that after the accident he went to his sister's house, where he slept until 3 p.m.

Prosecutors said that Aguirre told police he doesn't remember the details of the accident. Prosecutors said he told police he believes he had been dozing off while driving and that he may have fallen asleep.

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Aguirre had a valid driver's license and insurance and has no criminal history, prosecutors said. Aguirre is a high school graduate who attended Malcolm X College, his defense attorney said. He has been employed as a janitor for the past three years.
A Lincoln Park lawyer appeared in bond court Saturday after he was arrested Friday and charged with attacking a police officer after allegedly stealing car keys.



Raymond Prather, 35 of the 1800 block of North Halsted Street, was held in lieu of $50,000 for aggravated battery of a police officer, theft of an item $500 or under, and resisting arrest.



According to court records, Prather stole a set of keys from a 21-year-old man and when police tried to arrest him, he lowered his shoulder and struck the officer in an attempt to escape.



The officer defended himself and attempted to subdue and handcuff Prather, according to court officials. But Prather then struck the officer in the groin and bit his left elbow, according to court documents. The officer defended himself again and with the help of another officer, detained Prather and took him into custody, according to court documents.



Prather declined to comment after posting bail.
A 48-year-old man has died after the car he was in accidentally plunged into a retention pond as he tried to reach another man to drive Sunday morning in Aurora, police said.

Dawa Tamang, 48, of the 300 block of Westpark Avenue in Aurora, was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. Sunday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to police.

Tamang had been airlifted there after the incident, which happened about 8 a.m. in a quiet parking lot in an industrial area the men thought would be a good place to practice driving, according to a statement from Aurora police.

A 33-year-old Chicago man was practicing parking in a spot near the pond in the 300 block of Marshall Avenue when the car somehow slipped into the pond, flipped on its roof and trapped him and his 48-year-old relative in water 4 to 8 feet deep for about 10 minutes, police said.

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Three officers arrived, and with the help of a civilian bystander, jumped into the pond and righted the 2010 Nissan Maxima. The Fire Department's dive team arrived and pulled the two men out of the car after cutting their seat belts off, police said.

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The 33 year old man, who suffered critical injuries, continues to be treated at an Aurora hospital, police said. There were no outward signs of alcohol or drug use at the scene of the crash.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call Aurora police at 630-256-3330.
A Little Village man arrested for attempting to kidnap a 20-year-old woman in the Little Village neighborhood this week appeared in bond court Saturday.



Juan Robles, 35, of the 3100 block of South Keeler Avenue, was charged with kidnapping with force or threat of force and appeared at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.



The victim, who did not know Robles, left her home to go to work and was walking northbound on the 2700 block of South Keeler Avenue and saw Robles driving a gray minivan in the opposite direction from where she was walking, prosecutors said. The window was down and Robles was looking in her direction, prosecutors said. The victim saw Robles lean out of his window but ignored him and kept walking.



Robles then put the van in reverse and backed up to where the victim was walking and began to shout at the victim, who continued to ignore him, prosecutors said.



As she was walking, she felt Robles wrap his arms around her waist and lift her off the ground. She dropped her weight low, which caused her and Robles to fall to the ground, and then Robles grabbed her left leg and continued to drag her south and she began to scream for help, prosecutors said. She also tried to use her cell phone to call 911 but was unable to do so, prosecutors said.



Robles was dragging the victim with her left leg and her shoe came off, allowing her to escape and grab onto a wrought iron fence and she continued to scream for help, prosecutors said.



A person tackled Robles to the ground and officers arrested him, prosecutors said.



The victim had scratches on her back as well as pain in her left leg.



Bail was set at $850,000 by Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that the FBI will release a partial transcript of the conversations between the gunman within the Pulse gay nightclub and Orlando police negotiators.

Meanwhile, Orlando residents paused throughout the day  at a bar in the early morning hours, at morning church services and at an evening candlelight vigil in the heart of downtown  to remember the victims of the worse mass shooting in modern U.S. history, exactly a week later.

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"We are hurting. We are exhausted, confused, and there is so much grief," said Larry Watchorn, a ministerial intern, during a sermon at Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando, whose congregants are predominantly gay. "We come to have our tears wiped away and our strength renewed."

Lynch said in interviews Sunday on several news shows that the FBI would release a partial, printed transcript of the conversations between gunman Omar Mateen from within the Pulse nightclub and Orlando police negotiators. Armed with a semi-automatic weapon, Mateen went on a bloody rampage at the club June 12 that left 49 people dead and 53 others seriously hurt. Mateen died in a hail of police gunfire after police stormed the venue.

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Lynch told ABC's "This Week" that the top goal while intensifying pressure on ISIL  the extremist group thought to have inspired Mateen  is to build a complete profile of him in order to help prevent another massacre like Orlando.

"As you can see from this investigation, we are going back and learning everything we can about this killer, about his contacts, people who may have known him or seen him. And we're trying to build that profile so that we can move forward," Lynch said.

Lynch said she would be traveling to Orlando on Tuesday to meet with investigators.

Investigators are still interviewing witnesses, and looking to learn more about Mateen and others who knew him well, including members of his mosque.

A lawyer for the Council of American-Islamic Relations said that the FBI interviewed a man who worshipped at the same mosque as Mateen. Omar Saleh said he sat in on the Friday interview at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, the same mosque that Mateen attended near his home. Saleh said the interview lasted about 30 minutes.

Speaking to CBS' "Face The Nation," Lynch said that a key goal of the investigation was to determine why Mateen targeted the gay community. The victims were predominantly gay and Hispanic since it was "Latin night" at Pulse.

At the Parliament House, a gay club and resort near downtown Orlando, the music stopped as patrons paused for a moment of silence at 2 a.m., the time Mateen started shooting at Pulse just a few miles away.

Megan Currie, a Joy Metropolitan Community Church member, said during a Sunday morning sermon that Mateen's attack was an effort to put fear in the gay community.

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"This was a hate crime and this happened because someone was homophobic," Currie said.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott described the attack as "devastating" while praying at the First Baptist Church of Orlando. He said the gunman targeted "two very vulnerable populations."

"But here is the positive out of it ... people have come together," Scott said. "There are so many people who have done so many wonderful acts."

Around the city, people left balloons, flowers, pictures and posters at a makeshift memorial in front of the city's new performing arts center and at Orlando Regional Medical Center where 49 white crosses were emblazoned with red hearts and the names of the victims.

A rainbow appeared over Lake Eola Park Sunday evening as tens of thousands of people turned out for an evening vigil to honor the victims of the shooting. The park was filled with people holding white flowers, American flags and candles.

One of those people attending, Traci Hines-McKenzie, says the timing of the rainbow was perfect.

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The crosses were built by a Chicago carpenter with a history of constructing crosses for victims of mass shootings. Greg Zanis drove from Illinois to Orlando last week and installed the crosses at the medical center, where many of the 53 shooting victims who survived were taken for treatment.

He said Sunday that the crosses are a message for people of all faiths: "Quit judging and start loving."

Associated Press
Workers spraying pesticides on a sugar cane field discovered the badly decomposed body in a ditch just south of Baton Rouge.

Lyntell Washington, a middle school administrator, had been missing since last week. Police began looking for the 40-year-old after finding her 3-year-old daughter wandering alone in a Baton Rouge parking lot near her mother's abandoned vehicle.

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The body turned out to be Washington's. She died from a gunshot wound to the head, and she was seven months pregnant.

On Friday, police arrested Brookstown Magnet Honors Academy assistant principal Robert Marks in his co-worker's slaying, alleging that the pair may have had an affair that Washington threatened to expose, the Associated Press reported.

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Authorities say they are still determining a motive, as Marks has told detectives very little, Baton Rouge police spokesman L'Jean McKneely told the Advocate.

"We continue to press him for information and still no answer and still no emotion," McKneely told the Advocate. "This is a heinous and senseless crime."

But police pointed to a text message, noted in an affidavit, as showing Marks knew about the pregnancy, the Advocate reported.

In one message, Washington asked Marks whether he was "attempting to avoid his responsibilities with 'our unborn daughter,'" the report read, according to AP.

Marks's attorney, Lionel Lon Burns, said his client denies any involvement with the death of Washington. The attorney described the two as "friends" but said he wouldn't comment on the allegation that Marks was the father of the woman's unborn child.

"I'll let the Baton Rouge Police Department provide the sensationalism," AP reported Burns as saying. "I'll let the facts come out in court."

Burns added: "His wife stands firmly by his side."

At the time of Friday's arrest, Marks was already in custody on charges related to Washington's 3-year-old, including aggravated kidnapping and desertion of the child. He now also faces first-degree murder and first-degree feticide charges.

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Burns said police tried to get statement from Marks despite his requesting a lawyer and asserting his right to remain silent, the Advocate reported. A police report includes an alleged admission from Marks of an affair.

The defense attorney also said it was "reckless" for the police department to release statements from Washington's 3-year-old child. She reportedly told investigators her mother was "sleeping" and "in the lake," and that "Mr. Robbie" had hurt Washington, the Advocate reported, citing a police report.

An autopsy showed Washington died from a gunshot wound to the head and there was no trauma to the fetus, WAFB reported.

Blood was found in Washington's abandoned car. McKneely told the Advocate police are still investigating where the shooting took place, and no gun has been found.

Washington's death has shaken the East Baton Rouge Parish schools community. Superintendent Warren Drake said they were "deeply saddened" by the "tragic loss" of Washington and her unborn baby. (Parish is the equivalent term to county in Louisiana.)

"Ms. Washington was a treasured member of our team, and will be remembered for the impact she had on the many lives she touched through her work in our district," Drake said in a statement. "We will continue to offer support to Ms. Washington's co-workers and students during this difficult time."

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Lana Williams taught with Washington at her previous school. She told the Advocate that Washington "was one of the most generous people I knew."

"When she was actually teaching, even when she was low on money, she was doing everything she could for her students, buying materials and bringing them in," Williams said.

LaTafta Spivey told the newspaper she last spoke with Washington in March. "You're going to be an aunt!" Washington told Spivey at the time, the Advocate reported.

But the friend wasn't happy when she was told about the father, described only as "Robert," and told Washington "I don't get a good feeling from this."

Since Washington went missing, Spivey has been unable to sleep.

"I can't express to you how beautiful her spirit was," Spivey told the newspaper. "I'm very sad."
After doubling down on his proposal to ban immigrants from countries with a history of terrorism, Donald Trump is now doubling down on another controversial idea in the wake of the Orlando massacre: profiling Muslims already in the United States.

In an interview with CBS's John Dickerson that aired Sunday on "Face the Nation," Trump called profiling Muslims "common sense."

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"Well, I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," he said when Dickerson asked Trump whether he still supports the idea, which he has floated before. "And other countries do it; you look at Israel and you look at others and they do it and they do it successfully. You know, I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to start using common sense, and we have to use, you know, we have to use our heads ... we really have to look at profiling. We have to look at it seriously. "

In the wake of the San Bernardino, California, shooting in December, Trump first indicated that he would support profiling Muslims - if neighbors or relatives seemed suspicious.

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"Well, I think there can be profiling," he told Dickerson at the time. "If they thought there was something wrong with that group and they saw what was happening, and they didn't want to call the police because they didn't want to be profiling, I think that's pretty bad."

In the interview that aired Sunday, Trump appeared to indicate that he would support broader profiling of Muslims. He appeared to suggest, for example, that ethnic profiling could be useful at his political rallies to keep people safe:

"People that obviously had no guns, no weapons, didn't know anything and they were going through screening and they were going through the same, the same, you know, scrutiny. The absolute same scrutiny as somebody else that looked like it could have been a possible person. So we really have to look at profiling."

After he won enough delegates to be Republicans' de facto presidential nominee in May, Trump appeared to back off his more controversial counterterrorism proposals, such as a call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States. But after the Orlando massacre, he has doubled down on the idea, earning him criticism from fellow Republicans, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.).

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AMELIA, Ohio  As the owner of a popular gun store in Amelia, Ohio, James Baker was known for preaching safety first.

In the end, a gun-safety class cost the 64-year-old his life.

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On Saturday, Baker was fatally shot when a student in a concealed-carry class at KayJay Gun Shop accidentally discharged a weapon while practicing malfunction drills, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The bullet traveled through a wall and into an adjacent room, where Baker was struck in the neck, the paper reported.

Baker was pronounced dead at the scene, according to ABC affiliate WCPO. Clermont County officials told the Enquirer that the death was accidental.

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"I can't say enough about him -- how much he was loved by the whole community -- and we lost someone really special," Anita Fritz, a neighbor, told the station. "He loved and wanted to protect. That's why he did what he did."

The Clermont County Sheriff's Office told the Enquirer that about 10 people were attending the concealed-carry class at which the shot was fired. The name of the individual who discharged the fatal shot has not been released, the paper reported.

According to the gun shop's website, the class included basic pistol-safety instruction, two hours at a shooting range and two hours reviewing Ohio's concealed-carry laws.

"All courses are taught by qualified instructors with Law Enforcement or Military backgrounds," the website says.

Neighbors told NBC affiliate WLWT that Baker's death is a loss for members of the community and law enforcement officers, whose weapons he serviced.

"Sheriffs and the cops come in and out all the time because they loved him, you know? Everybody did. All the neighbors did," Fritz told the station. "So it's a tragic thing that happened."

The sheriff's office told the station that the investigation is ongoing.
LAS VEGAS  Donald Trump voiced annoyance Saturday at continued resistance to his presumptive presidential nomination from some Republicans as he accused former Florida governor Jeb Bush of trying to undermine his candidacy and appeared to take aim at Sen. Ted Cruz. R-Texas.

"We are going to beat Hillary. And it would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit," said Trump. "You know? Okay? Just a little bit."

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After complaining in general terms about talk of a "revolt" against him, Trump later suggested that Bush was involved in an opposing "movement" and that another well-known Republican was also plotting against him.

"By the way, Jeb is working on the movement, just so you understand. I love competition like that. I love it," said Trump. He added: "And the other one should be obvious to you, but we'll figure that out very easily."

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The Washington Post reported this week that dozens of Republican convention delegates are trying to devise a plan to block Trump at the summer's party meetings. Many of the delegates involved supported Cruz but said they are not taking cues from any of Trump's former rivals.

"There's a little movement. And I just heard today where it's coming from. It's coming from people that have been badly defeated," said Trump. At another point, he cited "a couple of guys who were badly defeated" who are "trying to organize maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt."

While he did not spell out who was the second person he was talking about, Trump at one point appeared to take an indirect swipe at Cruz, who was effectively the runner-up to the real estate mogul in the primary race. He attacked Republicans who said he could not clinch the necessary delegates to win the nomination, adding: "One of the people, who probably hasn't quite given up yet ... was trying to buy up all of the second ballot people." As a candidate, Cruz made an effort to woo convention delegates to support him in a scenario in which the convention was not decided on the first ballot.

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks explained his remarks by saying: "Mr. Trump was stating the fact that with almost 14 million votes and with 37 state victories, he won the nomination in a landslide and that anybody who he so soundly defeated would have zero path to getting the nomination both from a practical or a legal standpoint."

Spokesmen for Cruz and Bush did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither Cruz nor Bush has endorsed Trump. Bush has said he will not vote for Trump.

Trump made his Saturday remarks at a campaign rally inside a theater at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Supporters lined up to enter hours before the event, and many were turned away due to space constraints. Trump was scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. but took the stage about 40 minutes late. He blamed the delay, in part, on the TSA, for not bringing enough security screening equipment to get people in fast enough.

People hold signs as they wait for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to speak at the Treasure Island hotel and casino, Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Las Vegas. (John Locher / AP)

In his remarks, Trump cited a statement from a Republican National Committee spokesman seeking to tamp down talk of a convention revolt.

"Reince Priebus. You know what that is, right?" Trump asked, mentioning the name of the RNC chairman.

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The crowd didn't react favorably.

"No, he's a good guy," Trump interjected.

The mogul said he has helped raise $12 million to $13 million for the Republican Party in the last couple of days.

But there are lingering tensions between Trump and his party's leaders. Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Wis., who has voiced strong disagreements with Trump even as he continues to support him, said in an interview to be broadcast Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press" that House Republicans who don't want to back Trump should not "do something that's contrary to their conscience." In making the comment, Ryan applied virtually no pressure on rank-and-file Republicans to back the presumptive nominee - an extraordinary stance for the sitting speaker this far along in an election year.

As Trump started speaking Saturday, there were at least two rows of seats in one corner of the venue - which has a capacity of about 1,600 people - that were empty. But supporters continued to enter as he spoke. By the end, that section, like the rest of the theater, was full.

By 8:45 a.m., the line of people waiting to enter the rally stretched onto the casino floor, where the slots were ringing, and some Electric Daisy Carnival festival-goers were wandering about. More and more Trump supporters showed up, creating a snaking line through the casino.

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Soon after 10 a.m., security guards toward the line's end began shouting, "we're at maximum capacity!"

Most ticket holders who were turned away took it in stride, calling the lengthy lines an impressive victory for Trump.

"It's just nice to be this close to him," said Margo Fisco, 62, who spent 20 minutes trying to find parking and knew her odds of making it in the rally weren't good. "I'm a big fan."
Art Griesbaum Jr. was luckier than many on that April day in 1945 when the ship he served on in World War II, the USS Colhoun, was sunk by Japanese kamikaze pilots.

The former longtime Elmhurst resident suffered head wounds. He rarely talked about that, but later in his life he wrote four pages of memories from the event.

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"Despite his age, he could recount every little detail," said his son, Mark. "He wrote about his ship being blitzed by kamikaze pilots and the terror he felt as he tried to save as many lives as possible. There were 34 killed and 21 injured."

Among his fallen shipmates was a young man from Chicago. Soon after Griesbaum's discharge in 1946, he traveled from his home in southern Illinois to visit his good friend's family in Chicago.

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"He wanted his friend's parents to know what a brave man their son was and how much he admired and respected him," his son said. "They sat and talked for hours."

At the end of their conversation, the shipmate's father, an executive with Sears, Roebuck and Co., suggested Griesbaum apply for a job at the Sears store in St. Louis and offered his personal recommendation. Griesbaum was hired and entered the retailer's training program, the start of a 33-year career with Sears.

Griesbaum, 94, a Purple Heart and Silver Star recipient who retired from Sears in 1979 as national merchandise manager of its hardware division, died of natural causes June 5 at Burgess Square, an assisted living facility in Westmont, his family said

"Art was a great guy and extremely well-versed in business," said Chuck Cebuhar, a retired vice president of home electronics at Sears. "But he was also a kind man who understood what it took to keep our customers happy and coming back."

Born and raised in New Baden, a small town in southern Illinois, Griesbaum grew up on a farm and was the first in his family to attend college, earning an accounting degree from St. Louis University in Missouri. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a lieutenant during World War II in the Pacific theater.

After finishing his training program with Sears, he became customer service manager at its St. Louis store. In 1949, he was transferred to the company's headquarters in Chicago and assigned to merchandise inspection, quality control and factory service.

In 1953, he was assigned to the hardware department, becoming assistant buyer of carpenters', masons' and precision hand tools. He was promoted to buyer of this line in 1956 and became buyer of mechanics' hand tools in 1960. Griesbaum helped introduce "ratchet" socket tool technology to the entire industry in the early 1960s through his partnership with manufacturers in the U.S. and Japan.

He was promoted to national merchandise manager of the paint and wallpaper division. While there, he developed the "Great American Home Like Yours" campaign with Sears' advertising partner J. Walter Thompson, and the interior paint brand Easy Living, and exterior brand Weatherbeater, which still exists today.

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"Even though Art was retired before I began at Sears, anyone who was anyone knew of him because of his wonderful reputation," said Don Lively, a retired division manager with Sears. "He was such a smart guy and had worked throughout the organization. He knew his stuff and was tough, but always fair. He represented the very best of what Sears had to offer."

In the mid-1970s, Griesbaum was promoted to national merchandise manager of the hardware division, Sears' largest revenue-generating department, and moved into an office on the 24th floor of the newly constructed Sears Tower.

One night, during a severe wind storm, Griesbaum's office window was blown out and his desk chair was sucked outside and landed on Jackson Boulevard, his son said. No one was hurt.

"That day he had avoided using the revolving doors on the ground level," he said. "He told us they were spinning around all by themselves."

Griesbaum's wife of 68 years, Marilyn, died in 2015. He was also preceded in death by a son, David.

Other survivors include a daughter, Linda Tyrrell; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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Services were held.

Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
President Teddy Roosevelt put a portrait of Abraham Lincoln in the Oval Office and, when confronted with a problem, would ask, "What would Lincoln do?"

Today, the answer, I'm afraid, would be roll over in his grave. There are 10 reasons for this and only some contain the words "Donald Trump."

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1. Donald Trump. In Lincoln's day, the best people often ran for office. Today, well, maybe not. Being a lying, narcissistic, racist, misogynistic know-nothing does not seem to be an impediment to seeking the highest office in the land. Not yet, anyway. If the 16th president heard Trump say he was proud to belong to the party of Lincoln, he would wonder if his name had become a joke while he was away.

2. The new social civil war. Lincoln would be thrilled that we elected a black president but dismayed this milestone has enraged and emboldened racists. When Fox News ran an online story about Malia Obama deciding to attend Harvard, the piece drew so many racist responses  some with full names attached  that Fox had to shut down its comments section.

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3. Voter cynicism. In Lincoln's day, citizens were passionate about politics. They flocked to political speeches as if they were sporting events. In 1860, the year Lincoln was elected president, 81.2 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. In 2012, the number was a pathetic 57.5 percent. Lincoln considered politics a noble pursuit and he would be horrified to find that only 11 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of Congress.

4. The internet. Lincoln would love the internet  in theory. After all, it could spread detailed knowledge to every corner of the nation and create a more enlightened electorate. In theory. Alas, Lincoln would find it has become a wondrous mechanism for spreading lies. It has Balkanized the country at least as much as it has informed it.

5. Science denial. Lincoln was extraordinarily rational and curious. The only president to receive a patent, he signed legislation creating the National Academy of Sciences in 1863. If he came back and learned that, as the French ambassador to the U.S. put it, the only group of people in the world who do not believe in human-caused climate change are the Republicans in the U.S. Congress, he would not be amused.

6. Income inequality. Lincoln believed in a strong and growing middle class. He hated slavery partly because he believed it depressed wages for the average worker. He was a capitalist, but a somewhat unusual one by today's standards. "Labor is the superior of capital," he declared. If he learned that real wages for the middle class had been falling in recent decades and that CEOs now out-earned the average employees in their companies by more than 300 to 1, he would be heartsick.

7. Crumbling infrastructure. Both the left and right agree that we have "Third World" infrastructure. Lincoln wouldn't know what Third World meant  unless he landed at LaGuardia International Airport  but he would recognize underspending when he saw it. From his days as a state legislator in Illinois, he was passionate about government spending on "internal improvements," as infrastructure was known back then.

8. Political purity. An irony of history is that Lincoln  the Great Emancipator  spent much of his political life battling abolitionists. He thought abolishing slavery was unconstitutional and believed that whites would never support a war whose primary objective was to end slavery. (The Emancipation Proclamation was permissible because it was enacted as a wartime measure.) Seldom an absolutist, Lincoln said the issue with a law "was not whether it has any evil in it; but whether it has more of evil than of good." Our current inability to reach compromise solutions would dismay him.

9. Return of nativism  Trump is stirring up, and profiting from, anti-immigrant feelings  much as the Know-Nothing party did in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Lincoln, who saw America as a haven of opportunity for everyone, would deplore such prejudice and might remind us that many male immigrants in the 1850s and 1860s joined the army and helped preserve the union.

10. Belief in government incompetence  Lincoln thought part of the federal government's job was to do things for people they could not do themselves. He was an activist president. Under his leadership, the government established land-grant colleges (the forerunners of today's great state universities) and passed the Homestead Act, which gave settlers 160 acres of federal land for a small filing fee. He knew from experience that government could do some things more effectively than the private sector. But times were different then. Oh, were they different.

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Andrew Feinberg is the author of "Four Score and Seven," a novel that imagines that Abe Lincoln comes back to life for two weeks during the 2016 campaign and encounters a candidate who resembles Donald Trump.
Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke shares a hug with Mazher Ahmed, founder of the Batavia Islamic Center during a dinner at the Congregational Church in Batavia Saturday. (Mike Mantucca-The Beacon-News) (Mike Mantucca / The Beacon-News)

In a church hall in downtown Batavia, Muslims, Jews and Christians came together Saturday as strangers and left with a message of peace.

About 80 people attended the interfaith Ramadan dinner co-hosted at the Congregational Church of Batavia with the Batavia Islamic Center, which was founded by couple Mazher and Hamid Ahmed.

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"Dialogue is a human approach to create a vision of cooperation. An understanding that creates an atmosphere of connection, collaboration and coordination," Mazher Ahmed.

"My heart desires to connect," she told those gathered. "My hope is that you connect with the person seated next to you."

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Ramadan is a holy month of Islam, observed with prayer and dawn-to-dusk fasting intended to strengthen spiritual growth and remember those who are less fortunate. Muslims often give to charities during the holy month.

The dinner began at sunset with a sip of water and fresh dates, followed by prayer in the lower level of the church. Families made traditional Muslim dishes prepared with spices and herbs, including lentil dumplings in a spicy yogurt sauce, unleavened flatbread and Konafah, a pastry made with phyllo dough and cheese. Ramadan perfumed oil was placed on the hands of guests and modest bouquets of flowers set each table.

The couple originally began prayer sessions in their home in 1977. The Fox Valley Muslim Community Center was built in Aurora in the mid-1990s in response to the growing Muslim population. The Ahmeds decided to continue Friday night prayer services and established a relationship at the Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia in 1983.

Mazher Ahmed made sure people of diverse faiths were seated next to one another to promote connection and those who had fasted were invited to the buffet first.

She said there have been community Ramadan observances on a smaller scale over the years, but this year they were invited by members of the Congregational Church as part of their long-standing relationship.

Yvette Eber, pastor of the Congregational Church of Batavia, said the event, planned before the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., took on a deeper meaning.

"We wanted to gather as brothers and sisters of God, not people of opposite religions," Eber said as the hall began to fill. "It's important to be a physical witness of the aspects of life that pull us together so that we are not defined by the actions of one or any of the violence that is pinned on one religion. All religions need to come together physically to stand for love and not be defined by actions of hate."

Eber said she was "shocked" by her original reaction to the horrific shootings at the Orland gay nightclub last week.

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"I felt desensitized. There has been too much violence and shootings. It took 24 hours to allow myself to feel," Eber said, adding her church held a spontaneous prayer service in memory of the victims and their families.

"Welcome to a room of love and peace in a world that is sometimes confusing to be a member of. There is nothing confusing about being a member in this room tonight," she told the guests.

Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke, among the guests, shared the historical significance of gathering in a church that has a history that "speaks to its great appreciation and reverence" to the belief that "all men are created equal."

He said the Congregational Church was created in the 1840s and was "greatly involved" in the abolitionist movement.

"Batavia has a history of being a place where we have a diverse population that can live in the community in harmony," the mayor said.

He said every neighborhood is very well integrated and that is a badge of honor the community wears proudly.

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Schielke described Mazher Ahmed as a "disciple" picking up where past generations left off.

"Mazher has brought human growth and understanding to the goodness of the human spirit regardless of race, religion or creed. Batavia is proud to have her as one of our own," the mayor said.

Mazher Ahmed said there are 1.3 million Muslims in the world.

"I have to admit that lately, we worry of feeling like the 'other' in society. The political speeches we hear group us all as the other, for the horrific mistakes of very few," she said.

She said an "us" versus "them" attitude does not help anyone.

"I cannot exist without you - we are not rivals. We depend on one another," Mazher Ahmed said.

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"Maybe today is the day under shadows of threats, violence and distrust we can begin together a new era of connection, compassion and trust," she said.

Audrey Compere, a member of the Baha'i Temple in Elgin, said she came to support the fellowship and love between religions.

"I wanted to support my belief that we are one human family. It doesn't matter how we worship  we can live together in peace," Compere said.

Barbara Njus, a member of the Congregation Kneseth Israel in Elgin, added: "I feel any threat to any group identified in any way is a threat to all of us. We have to work hard against those forces that want to define us. Understanding and peaceful coexistence is possible."

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter.
Escaping the heat in Springfield over budget negotiations, four suburban Chicago Democrats back in their home districts met with constituents Thursday in Bolingbrook to address issues plaguing voters.

State senators Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, and Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood, and representatives Emily McAsey, D-Lockport, and Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, spent more than an hour with dozens of voters at the town hall meeting inside the Fountaindale Library.

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The Democrat lawmakers tackled a range of issues, including giving reasons why one long-time resident of Illinois should stay in the state and perhaps the most pressing crisis in Illinois: the lack of a state budget.

Illinois currently possesses the dubious distinction of being the only state in the nation without a budget after the General Assembly did not pass one by the May 31.

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Now 11 months long, the budget impasse between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled legislature could come to an end if a bipartisan working group can delicately chisel a compromise before the new fiscal year starts July 1. Rauner wants lawmakers to approve business incentives and changes to collective bargaining laws, while Democrats are trying to pass budgets that, while are unbalanced, restore funding for human services and other social programs.

Education and social services have been the hardest hit by the ongoing stalemate. Colleges and universities face the threat of closing down, none more imminent than Chicago State University. The predominantly black university on Chicago's South Side continues to face financial struggles, even after a $600 million emergency funding fix was signed by Rauner in April.

Money for the human services portion of the state budget has Tabitha Boshears of the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living the most concerned. The senior care center in Joliet also is in a dire situation due to a state funding shortfall.

"We've had to lay off a staff (member). We're taking furlough days as a cost-saving measure to try and keep our door open," Boshears said.

Rauner is backing a stopgap budget measure that would fund human services, health care services, corrections, public safety and public health, but it lacks money for centers of independent living, Boshears said.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"I'm sure everyone in the room agrees Illinois needs work," McGuire told the crowd.

McGuire, whose 43rd Senate district includes areas east of Joliet, said it is frustrating that lawmakers can't get to work on other issues because of the impasse.

About 90 percent of the Fiscal Year 16 state budget is "going out the door" due to orders from the Illinois courts to pay, McGuire said. The remaining 10 percent in limbo covers education and human services.

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"This is the cruelest of fates, that there is no court order, no consent decree, compelling the state to fund organizations that help seniors, to help people with developmental disabilities, to help people challenged by mental illness and substance abuse," McGuire said. "That money is stuck."

Lawmakers left Springfield at the beginning of June after failing to pass a budget for the second year in a row.

Despite the stalemate, McAsey, whose 85th district includes Lockport to the south, said she remains hopeful the working groups will "continue to have fruitful discussion" as negotiations continue.

Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
An Orland Park man advertising his services as a house cleaner stole several expensive pieces of jewelry while on a job, Orland Park Police said in a news release Friday.

John Maslar Jr., 47, 14218 84th Ave., was being held at Cook County Jail on $75,000 bond after being arrested Wednesday and charged with theft, police said.

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Maslar had placed small yard signs on various parkways and at intersections in the Orland Park area advertising his cleaning service, and a family in the village hired him based on that advertising, according to the release.

On May 27, after his third visit to clean the home, the homeowner left to run some errands, and upon returning noticed Maslar hastily packing up and leaving early, according to Orland Police Lt. Tony Farrell. The homeowner then found that not only had the home not been cleaned, but several expensive pieces of jewelry, which the family had kept out of sight, were missing, he said. Also snatched from the front of the family's refrigerator was a business card with Maslar's name and number on it.

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The missing pieces were valued at more than $10,000, but an investigation by police led them to an area pawn shop, where a high-end wristwatch Maslar allegedly had taken was recovered, Farrell said. Maslar was identified as the person who had pawned the item, police said. Reports said about six pieces were taken from the home, but that the watch was the only item recovered so far.

Maslar also has two outstanding arrest warrants issued in Harris County, Texas, including one for felony theft, Farrell said. He said Maslar is originally from Texas and has been living in Orland Park for about three months. Police said Maslar would likely be extradited to Texas on those warrants after his case here is resolved.

Bond for Maslar was set during a hearing Thursday at the Bridgeview courthouse, and his next court date is June 29.

Farrell said police are reminding residents that before they hire someone to do cleaning or other work in their home, they should do their homework, including asking for verifiable references and checking the company's background with the Better Business Bureau.

mnolan@tribpub.com
Robert Martin, 30, of Chicago, flips chicken wings on a grill during Sunday's Real Men Cook community event in Dolton. (Nick Swedberg / Daily Southtown)

Dolton became one of the new locations for a long-running Father's Day tradition where men volunteer to cook for the community.

Hundreds lined up Sunday outside the Dolton Park District's Early Learning Center to sample food prepared by chefs from Real Men Cook, a charity event now in its 27th year.

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Real Men Cook had been a single event in Chicago, but expanded this year to also include Dolton and Gary, Ind. It came to the south suburban community as part of a collaboration between the charity and the local Fathers and Blessings non-profit group, said event founder Yvette Moyo.

"We decided last year that because of the social justice we hear about, and the problems in our communities, we ... (would) make it more accessible to people who don't have the means to travel to a destination and pay a fee," Moyo said.

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Moyo, 62, of Chicago, believes social and economic changes have "taken our father's way," making an event like Real Men Who cook vital for communities.

Moyo said she was encouraged that men in their 20s were out in June heat to cook.

Stanley Buffington, 49, of Chicago, takes a break from chopping chicken during Sunday's Real Men Cook community event in Dolton. (Nick Swedberg / Daily Southtown)

"The younger generation is taking over," Moyo said.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Community mentors from Dolton reached out to Moyo about partnering with Fathers and Blessings, a nonprofit facility that caters to men who are disabled, recovering from substance abuse or mental health issues or who have been in prison.

Two years ago, Demetrius Walker started the organization after battling back from homelessness and serving time in prison, he said.

"I think God gave me a vision," said the 40-year-old father from Dolton. "Once I settled down, got older and got a lot wiser, I thought about how I could help the community, how I can give back, how I can lend a hand to my people."

Real Men Cook offered the chance for men to connect with other nonprofit organization.

Fathers and Blessings teaches men "holistic living" through a skills and training program, Walker said. The organization also has contracted jobs in lawn care work for some of the men it has trained.

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"We're doing great things in our community," Walker said.

Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown
A Chicago woman was killed Saturday night after a crash near Horseshoe Casino in Hammond.

Dana Lukauskas, 85, of the 2700 block of West 71st Street in Chicago, suffered blunt force trauma in a crash at Indianapolis Boulevard and Casino Center Road, according to a news release from the Lake County Coroner's Office. She was pronounced dead at 8:07 p.m. at St. Margaret Health-Hammond.

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Hammond police would not provide additional details Sunday.

cnance@post-trib.com
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The 2016 Boao Forum for Enterpreneurs is held in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, June 18, 2016.

More than 500 politicians, economists and businessmen gathered in south China's island province of Hainan for the 2016 Boao Forum for Entrepreneurs Saturday.

Secretary general of China's Xinhua News Agency Liu Zhengrong said in a keynote speech that the forum serves as an exchange platform for entrepreneurs at home and abroad and promotes cooperation between businesses and governments.

Long Yongtu, former Chinese vice minister for trade, addressed at the opening ceremony that the event, with increasing support from partners, is growing into an influential brand just like the Boao Forum for Asia.

The two-day forum is hosted by the China Economic Information Service of Xinhua News Agency, with support from the provincial association of industry and commerce, the provincial commerce department, and partners from media, organizations and companies.
Thanks to the old Silk Road my Polish ancestors in the Middle Ages were familiar with the value of Chinese silk as well as other advances of Chinese civilization. However, for hundreds of years they didn't know what Chinese people really looked like, because Chinese goods arrived in Europe through a system of Persian and Arabic middle men. Personal contacts hardly existed between Europeans and Chinese.

The first European to see the Chinese with his own eyes was Benedict Polak. He was an ambassador of the Roman Pope to the Mongolian Khan from 1245 until 1247. He wrote a memoir about his journey. This was the first European description of the Chinese people.

Two hundred years later Micha Boym, also a Pole, was an ambassador to the last Chinese emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the author of fundamental works about Chinese civilization that went on to inspire European sinology. In the 18th century, Chinese culture was very popular in Poland and throughout Europe. Still today, there is a Chinese alley in Warsaws oldest park.

Poland was the second country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with People's Republic of China. During the half a century that followed we closely cooperated. In Poland, we remember that the Communist Party of China supported Polish authorities in the conflict with the USSR over the "Polish model of socialism" in 1956. This enabled us to avoid Soviet army intervention. In the 1960s Warsaw hosted confidential, Chinese-American diplomatic talks, which resulted in the establishment of Chinese-American diplomatic relations.

Our cooperation continued throughout the political changes within the USSR and the economic changes in Eastern Europe. Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski (1995-2005) renewed and strenghtened Polish-Chinese relations. His successor Bronisaw Komorowski signed the "strategic Polish-Chinese partnership" contract on December 20, 2011 in Beijing.

In April 2012 during a diplomatic visit from Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, a new economic and political agreement was created, the "16+1." It was an agreement between 16 countries in Eastern Europe with the People's Republic of China. Warsaw became the capital of this European "Sixteen."

The historic trading routes became especially important in 2013, when President Xi Jinping initiated the "Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. In 2014 a direct train connection between Chengdu and the Polish city of odz opened up. Thanks to this new "silk" connection, Chinese goods can reach the EU directly and faster than by the sea.

After 10 years in the EU, Poland has claimed the leading role in agricultural production, especially healthy ecological food. Polish producers are interested in Chinese markets and their products are gaining a good reputation there.

Chinese companies have invested for over 20 years in Polish engineering, aviation and, more recently, food industries. Chinese people also invested in "Calisia" -- a renowned piano factory. They have favourable conditions. For the last five years there are two big Chinese banks operating in Poland: Bank of China and ICBC, as well as many consulting companies.

The Chinese people can count on Poland. Currently China, especially Chinese culture and design are in fashion, especially among young people. It can be observed by an increasing number of Polish tourists in China and students studying sinology. There are common cultural undertakings, including Polish-Chinese movies. In Poland we often joke that Poland is very close to China, that it's almost our neighbor. There is only one country between us -- Russia.

The old Silk Road allowed Europeans to get to know Chinese civilization, but without contact with its creators. The new Silk Road enables not only the exchange of goods, but also facilitates interpersonal relations. It will allow us not only to learn what we look like, but also how we think. It will help us to get to know each other, understand each other and become friends.

Piotr Gadzinowski is deputy chief redactor of dailypaper TRYBUNA, member of Program Councuil in Polish Public Television, former member of Polish Parliament, former head of the Polish-Chinese Parliamentary Group.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping met here Saturday with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation and the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Earlier in the day, Xi and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic signed a joint statement to lift bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi told Vucic that the decision will inject fresh impetus into China-Serbia pragmatic cooperation and promote bilateral ties to a new stage.

Under the new situation, China-Serbia cooperation has a broader prospect, according to the Chinese president.

He called on the two sides to steadily push forward cooperation in major infrastructure projects, noting that China is willing to work with Serbia to put the Hungary-Serbia railway into operation at an early date.

The two countries should accelerate the integration of the Belt and Road Initiative and Serbia's national development strategy, Xi said, calling on both sides to make sure the Smederevo steel mill deal and other major projects perform as expected so as to create more jobs, improve people's livelihood, promote Serbia's economic growth and achieve win-win results.

The president also urged the two sides to expand cooperation in trade, finance, customs, taxation, science and technology, culture, people-to-people exchanges and other areas.

The cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has maintained a rapid growth and entered a harvest time, said Xi, calling on both sides to build the CEE into a priority area of China-Europe partnership.

China is ready to work with Serbia to promote a smooth development of the China-CEE cooperation at a higher level, said Xi.

For his part, Vucic said that it is in line with the interests of both peoples to deepen bilateral traditional friendship, political mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation in a comprehensive way.

The Serbian government attaches great importance to the ties with China, the prime minister said, stressing the country is committed to expanding cooperation with China in wider areas.

Serbia welcomes more investment from China and is willing to join hands with China to reap harvests of major projects at an early date, said Vucic.

All members of the Serbian cabinet participated in the meeting.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Chinese and Serbian legislative bodies to increase exchanges in various fields to contribute to relations between the two countries on Saturday.

Exchanges between legislatures will be an important component of the newly-upgraded China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said at a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic, noting that the exchanges have yielded positive results in recent years.

The legislative bodies can improve their communication mechanisms, further deepen friendly ties at all levels, and strengthen exchanges of experience in legislation, supervision and governance, according to the president.

Xi also urged the legislatures to promote China-Serbia mutually beneficial cooperation in economy, trade, culture, people-to-people exchanges and to enhance collaboration in international parliamentary organizations.

Through these efforts, the legislatures can contribute to the healthy and stable development of the comprehensive strategic partnership, said Xi.

Earlier in the day, Xi and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic signed a joint statement to lift bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

China is willing to work with Serbia to increase high-level contacts, strengthen communications and coordination on major global and regional issues, deepen pragmatic cooperation under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative, China-CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) cooperation, and international production capacity cooperation, and expand direct exchanges between the two peoples, Xi told Gojkovic.

Gojkovic said she believes that Xi's state visit to Serbia, a big event for the Serbian people, will surely upgrade the traditional friendship and cooperation.

The Serbian National Assembly is committed to Serbia-China friendship and is ready to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China's legislature, the National People's Congress, to promote bilateral ties in various fields, she stressed.

Xi arrived in Belgrade Friday for a three-day visit to the Balkan country. It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to Serbia in 32 years.
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China and Serbia published their blueprint for building a comprehensive strategic partnership on Saturday as Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying a state visit to the Balkan country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic attend a signing ceremony for a joint statement to lift bilateral relationship of China and Serbia to comprehensive strategic partnership after they held talks in Belgrade, Serbia, June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Xi and his Serbian counterpart, Tomislav Nikolic, signed a joint statement to lift bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the basis of their strategic partnership established in 2009.

In the statement, the two countries agreed to elevate their practical cooperation in various fields including aligning development strategies, infrastructure, industrial capacity, investment, finance, culture, education, healthcare, science and technology.

Serbia said it is ready to play an active role in China's Belt and Road Initiative, in an effort to seize the opportunity and align their development strategies so as to realize common development and prosperity.

The two sides pledged to continue joint efforts in putting the Hungary-Serbia railway into operation as scheduled, and to work with other Central and Eastern European countries on major regional connectivity projects.

On economy, China and Serbia, having achieved positive results in infrastructure construction cooperation, will further strengthen practical cooperation in such fields as energy, transportation infrastructure, industrial capacity and agriculture.

The two sides also agreed to promote and facilitate two-way trade and investment, providing convenient access for each other's enterprises and products, so as to help the balanced development of bilateral trade.

Settlement in local currency in bilateral trade and investment will be promoted by both countries, a move to further enhance financial cooperation between China and Serbia.

China's central bank signed a currency swap deal worth 1.5 billion yuan (228 million U.S. dollars) with its Serbian counterpart on Friday. The pact, inked with the National Bank of Serbia, will last three years and can be extended if the two sides agree, according to the People's Bank of China.

The two countries will continue to enrich their exchanges and cooperation in cultural and people-to-people fields such as education, sports, healthcare, tourism, science and technology, and news and publishing.

They also looked to expand cooperation in new fronts including film and TV production, think tank and media.

Summing up the successful experience in cultivating China-Serbia ties, the statement said it has proved that differences in historical background, social institution, ideology and development model are not necessarily blockages to developing relations between countries.

China and Serbia pledged to respect and support each other in choosing development paths and policies according to their national conditions, and in issues of core interests and common concern, based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and non-interference in internal affairs.

Serbia reaffirmed its stance in upholding the one-China policy, while China expressed respect for Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China understands Serbia's efforts to join the European Union, while Serbia highly appreciates China's role in promoting Asia's regional cooperation, integration and connectivity.

On regional and international affairs, the two sides agreed to support the United Nations in playing a leading role in settling global issues, safeguarding world peace and promoting joint development. They vowed to push for the democratization of international relations.

The document also included China and Serbia's condemnation on terrorism in any form, urging the international community to constantly strengthen anti-terror cooperation and eliminate the roots of terrorism.

Xi arrived in Belgrade on Friday for a historic visit to Serbia as China seeks to carry forward traditional friendship and step up economic engagement with the country. It is the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Serbia in 32 years.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic attend a signing ceremony for a joint statement to lift bilateral relationship of China and Serbia to comprehensive strategic partnership after they held talks in Belgrade, Serbia, June 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

China and Serbia agreed Saturday to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in a show of their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit.

"China and Serbia are all-weather friends and important cooperation partners," Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is here for a state visit, said during talks with his Serbian counterpart, Tomislav Nikolic.

"Our two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship. Our relations have stood the test of time and history and grown even stronger," Xi added.

Xi attributed the robust momentum of bilateral relations to the time-honored friendship between the two peoples, the mutual understanding and support between the two countries on major issues, and their mutual learning and assistance in the pursuit of development.

Noting that bilateral relations now face new opportunities for development, Xi said China is ready to make joint efforts with Serbia to continue boosting political mutual trust, enhancing mutual understanding, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and constantly expanding the platform for bilateral collaboration.

Nikolic, for his part, said that the Serbian people cherish the sincere friendship with the Chinese people, and that the two countries have maintained a high level of mutual trust, carried out extensive and reciprocal cooperation, and shared similar positions on major international issues.

The Serbian people are glad to see the achievements China has made in economic and social development, the improvement of the Chinese people's living standard, and the growing influence of justice-upholding China in international affairs, he said.

Nikolic said he believes that Xi's visit will boost the all-round development of bilateral relations and deepen the all-dimensional cooperation between the two countries.

The two leaders agreed to upgrade the bilateral ties in a bid to inject fresh vigor into the China-Serbia traditional friendship and bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples.

They pledged to maintain high-level contacts and promote exchanges between the two governments, legislative bodies, political parties and armed forces.

They decided to, on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits, continue to enhance communication on major international and regional issues and increase coordination within the United Nations and other international organizations.

With an eye to pushing the bilateral cooperation to a new height, the two presidents agreed to focus on key areas and major projects, prioritizing cooperation in infrastructure construction, industrial capacity and agriculture.

The two sides vowed to strengthen exchanges in personnel, culture, education and sports, with China promising to support Serbia in establishing Confucius Institutes and promoting Chinese language teaching in the country.

In addition, the two leaders pledged to jointly promote the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, seek synergy between Serbia's national development strategy and the initiative, and align Serbia's development with the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

After their talks, Xi and Nikolic inked a joint statement on the establishment of China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership.

They witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals, covering industrial capacity, finance, infrastructure construction, trade, energy, telecommunications, science, technology, local affairs, culture and tourism.

Nikolic also decorated Xi with the Order of Republic of Serbia to extend gratitude to the Chinese president for his outstanding contributions to advancing the bilateral ties.

"I have been paying close attention to President Xi's visit and the relations between our two countries," said Andrija Maticevic, a 23-year-old student majoring in Chinese studies at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade.

"I chose to study the Chinese language because I have been interested in Chinese culture since my childhood," said Maticevic, who noted that his Chinese major could help him get more opportunities to find a good job.

He also believed the investment from China can help make Serbia develop faster.

The Chinese president arrived in Belgrade on Friday. From Serbia, he will travel to Poland and Uzbekistan for state visits as well as the 16th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State in Tashkent.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- It seems almost quaint now, the optimism that Mississippi legislators expressed in 1999 when they created a health care trust fund.

The idea was to sock away the state's multimillion-dollar annual payments from a tobacco lawsuit. The trust fund balance would grow, the money would be invested and the state would spend only the earnings to cover health care expenses.

Things didn't work out as planned.

The Great Recession happened. Budget problems happened. The body of the trust fund was whittled away year by year. And now, the health care trust fund has been drained dry.

The budget summary from the 2016 legislative session shows the fund will have a zero balance on July 1.

The state will receive about $116 million for its annual settlement payment in the next few months, but that money won't be invested for the future. Instead, it will prop up the tight state budget for the coming year.

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In 1994, Mississippi became the first of many states to sue tobacco companies to recover public costs of treating sick smokers. Democratic Attorney General Mike Moore used private attorneys to represent the state, and Republican Gov. Kirk Fordice said the lawsuit was a money grab by trial lawyers who were some of Moore's most generous campaign donors.

In 1997, Mississippi settled its lawsuit with a promise of perpetual annual payments from tobacco companies to the state, and a generous payday to the private attorneys.

Although the payments to the state are supposed to continue as long as the tobacco defendants are in business, the winnings were often expressed in easy-to-digest terms: Mississippi would receive about $4 billion over the first 25 years.

In 1999, legislators created the trust fund with a long-term vision of having an ever-growing pot of money to pay for health care.

____

Draining the trust fund has been a bipartisan effort. It started when Democrats controlled the House and Senate and has continued under Republican control the past several years.

Just a year after the fund's creation, it was helping pay for children's health insurance, nursing homes, trauma care and mental health services. State tax collections were running $28 million short of expectations in January 2000, and education cuts were looming. After a briefing that month on the half-billion dollar balance in the health care trust fund, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Charlie Capps of Cleveland, joked: "I get a little greedy when I see all of that."

House Public Health Committee Chairman Bobby Moody, D-Louisville, replied that he would oppose any change to the trust fund. Once legislators started dipping into it, Moody predicted it would be "spent on every program that somebody comes along with."

____

During his final year as attorney general in 2003, Moore warned against frittering away the fund.

"If they keep spending the money, it'll be gone," he said. "It's not a slush fund; it's a trust fund."

For the past several years, legislators have put annual tobacco settlement payments directly into the state budget rather into the body of the trust fund, where it could earn more money. The tobacco settlement has been spent on health care. For example, Medicaid has received nearly $63 million from the trust fund this budget year and will receive more than $87 million from it next year.

But tax dollars that might have gone to health care have been spent instead on a wide variety of other state programs. There's also a good argument that the money has helped mitigate budget cuts during tough times.

The health care trust fund is an all-purpose budget booster, but one that falls substantially short of its original purpose.
BELGRADE - The United States maintains that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and does not support the independence of Tibet, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday.

During a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kerry said the U.S. policy on the Tibet issue remains unchanged and will not change.

Wang, for his part, reiterated China's principled position on the issue of Tibet, urging the U.S. side to refrain from interfering in China's domestic affairs, and take practical actions to safeguard the overall China-U.S. relations.

Kerry hailed the success of the recent U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogues and U.S.-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, which were held in Beijing earlier this month.

The United States stands ready to further push forward U.S.-China relations, Kerry said.

Wang said the latest round of China-U.S. dialogue was successful thanks to the joint efforts by both the Chinese and U.S. sides.

The recent dialogue has sent clear signals that both sides are committed to building a new type of major-country relationship, which will create favorable conditions for the further healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations, Wang said.
Front cover of Who Sets the Price of Gold? [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

About 30 years ago, the price of gold was $35 per troy ounce. However, it surged as high as $1,900 per ounce in 2011. Now gold is around $1,200 per ounce. What factors drive the price of this precious metal?

As the biggest gold producing country and the world's largest bullion buyer, China has been in the spotlight for many years. What role can China play in determining gold prices?

A new book published this month, Who Sets the Price of Gold?, written by a Chinese researcher tells the history, secrets, changes and reform of gold prices, China's role in the global gold pricing system and also the trends and future demand to Chinese readers.

The book reveals that since 1919, the most common benchmark for the price of gold has been the London gold fixing, a twice-daily telephone meeting of representatives from five bullion-trading firms on the London bullion market. Furthermore, gold is traded continuously throughout the world based on the intra-day spot price, derived from over-the-counter gold-trading markets around the world.

One important highlight of this book is that it stresses that the presence of Chinese banks in the global gold pricing system can strengthen the nation's ties and cooperation with the global bullion market and increase transparency.

China never played a direct role in determining London gold prices until last year. In past years, gold prices in China were normally fixed through trading on the Shanghai Gold Exchange.

Last February, Bank of China Ltd became the first Asian lender to be a part of the auction process that sets gold prices on the London market. The bank also started participating in the twice-daily electronic auction.

With the entry of the Chinese lender, the book points out that the auction process will better reflect the gold supply and demand trends from the Chinese market.

China and India are the largest consumers of gold globally. The two countries account for more than 50 percent of the global demand. China is also the world's biggest importer of the yellow metal and consumes more than three times the amount of gold it produces.

The Bank of China's decision to join the gold pricing process has been widely welcomed by bullion market participants, who expect it to boost trading volumes.

According to the book, a larger and more diverse pool of participants in the pricing system will help maintain its transparency.

In the absence of transparency, gold prices can be rigged to benefit banks at the expense of producers, traders, investors, jewelry producers and other market participants, the book says.

The book also says that with its new role in the gold pricing system, the Chinese bullion market is set to take on a more international hue. And more Chinese banks will join the system soon.

Facts proved that the book is right. In 2016, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China also joined the auction process to set the benchmark price of gold, beginning May 16. ICBC is the third Chinese direct participant to join the London Bullion Market Association gold price after the Bank of China and China Construction Bank.

This brings the number of participants to 13 alongside JP Morgan Chase Bank, Scotiabank, HSBC, Societe Generale, UBS, Barclays and Goldman Sachs in the LBMA gold price, which formally replaced the near-century-old London gold fix on March 20.
The Great Wall, bamboo and the concept of harmony were the three most popular items representing Chinese culture as chosen from a list by foreign youth.

The survey, conducted by the Beijing Institute of Culture Innovation and Communication, was released on Saturday. It selected 18 symbols that represent Chinese culture in humanities, philosophy, art, nature, lifestyle and people.

"Foreign youth have the best understanding of Chinese humanities. They know about Chinese kung fu, they know Chinese celebrate the Mooncake Festival. Regarding philosophic concepts, they know about harmony. They may not fully understand the deep meaning of it, but they understand peace and harmony as a united goal for human beings. In foreign cultures, there are similar concepts," said Yu Dan, a professor of Chinese culture at Beijing Normal University and director of the Beijing Institute of Culture Innovation and Communication.

The survey collected 3,134 questionnaires from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia, South Korea, Germany, Russia, Turkey, South Africa and Israel.

Respondents, from 18 to 44 years old, were asked to rate their understanding of Chinese culture on a five-point scale from excellent to poor.

"The survey studies foreign youths recognition of Chinese culture because youth are the most active and tolerant group to accept foreign cultures. Youth is also the most important audience to promote Chinese culture," Yu said.

The first survey was released last year, and five countries were added this year, including Russia, Turkey and South Africa.

"We add developing countries and countries along Belt and Road Initiative to the study this year because we noticed that foreign countries have different needs and willingness to know Chinese culture," she said.

More than 70 percent of respondents are willing to learn Chinese culture through travel and making friends with Chinese. Fifty-one percent believe Chinese philosophy is attractive.

Respondents from Israel, South Africa and Russia rank the highest for travel to China to learn Chinese culture.

Respondents from the United States, France and the UK rank the highest in considering Chinese philosophy attractive.

"Dragon dances and dumplings may not satisfy foreigners desires in some countries to learn Chinese culture," Yu said.

"The willingness to learn, love, be humble, etc, are great virtues from China," said Constantin Lupeanu, chief of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing, adding that communication between eastern and western culture is a great force to drive global civilization.
A collective exhibition of Chinese contemporary artists from Beijing's 798 Art Zone was featured in the Italian capital this week, giving people here an unprecedented insight into China's artistic avant-garde.

"Beijing 798 Impression" was inaugurated on June 15 at the main building of the 16th century Villa Celimontana, which is home of the Italian Geographic Society, and would run until June 19.

Some 40 selected works from well-known artists were exhibited overall, bringing the experience of China's most notable contemporary artistic space to Italy for the first time ever.

Their paintings, pictures and sculptures hung from or lay on the shelves of the Geographic Society's library, whose rooms holds texts dated back to the 17th century, a world globe from the mid-19th century, or a mosaic tile floor from the third century AD.

Many visitors seemed most intrigued by the strong discordance between the modernity of the artworks and the surrounding scene.

"I visited the original 798 Art Zone in Beijing once, with its post-modern atmosphere," Monica Scarabottini from Rome told Xinhua.

"Here at the Villa Celimontana, the context is totally the opposite, and creates a positive strong contrast effect with the contemporary works of art."

Specialized in Sinology studies at Rome Sapienza University, Scarabottini seemed to appreciate the creative path covered by the Chinese artists.

"What I like most of them is that they often introduce a provocative element, and each of their works always seems to convey multiple messages," she explained.

"Furthermore, they often combine East and West, blending elements drawn from the traditional Chinese art and suggestions from contemporary life."

Some of the artworks on show would fit with these impressions. For example, there was Luo Brothers' fiberglass sculpture named 'Welcome Welcome', featuring the well-known plump smiling baby holding a Pepsi can.

There was the acrylic painting 'One Love' by Wu Mingzhong, with a woman embracing and kissing a child. Both were glassy, transparent figures, with an intense red color seemingly passing between them with the kiss.

"The woman seems Western, and the baby Asiatic. I wonder: is the mother feeding her child with that kiss, or the other way around?" Scarabottini said.

A final example was an embroidered panel by Chang Xugong's portraits series. "His subjects are always very contemporary, like in the pop art. Yet, he uses silk embroidery, which is one of China's ancient and most relevant forms of folk art," she noted.

Blending the Chinese avant-garde with Rome's ancient cultural heritage and landscape seemed indeed one key factor for bringing "Beijing 798 Impression" here.

The initiative was organized by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-Council and Beijing Administrative Committee of 798 Art Zone, in cooperation with Rome Expo.

Its goal was "to build an artistic bridge between China and Italy, showing the evolution of the Chinese society through the sensibility of some of its best contemporary artists," according to curator Cheng Xindong.

"The 798 has become one of the most exciting art districts in China and in the world," Cheng said.

On the other hand, "Rome has arts and history everywhere", and would provide a distinguished scene to exhibit Chinese contemporary works, according to him.

Such modern artistic injection was welcome, visitors confirmed.

"The exhibition is quite a novelty for Rome's artistic scene, and especially since it concerns contemporary art from China," medical student Angela Iurlaro told Xinhua.

"I knew it through a friend's twitter, and I came because I am most interested in the Asian cultures and arts".
In her June 2 speech on national security, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton mocked the Republican presumptive presidential candidate Donald Trump in a manner much like a late-night talk show.

The former secretary of state and former first lady described Trump as someone who doesn't understand America or the world, quoting Trump calling the US a "Third World country." For those words alone, Clinton claims that Trump does not deserve to lead the US.

A replay of Trump's speeches over the past months shows that when he described the US as a Third World country, he was referring to the dilapidated infrastructure, sometimes in contrast with China's.

For example, he said on Feb 20 before the South Carolina primary that "I see airports in different places of the world. You go to some of these Asian countries, you go to some of the Mideast. You go to Saudi Arabia, you go to Qatar, you go to different places in China. You see airports and infrastructure the likes of which you've never seen. They have in China trains that are so modern, so fast, so incredible, you never see that, we don't have anything. We got trains that go bup, bup. They're like from 150 years ago. We've become a Third World country."

Trump's words are largely correct. According to the authoritative World Airport Awards by UK-based Skytrax, no US airport made it into the top 20 airports in the world in the 2015 rating announced this year. The only US airport entering the top 30 was Denver's, ranking No 28.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport was ranked No 5, Beijing Capital Airport No 16 and Taiwan Taoyuan Airport No 20. China's Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Xi'an Airport and Chengdu Airport made it into the top 50 while two other US airports that made it into the top 50 were Cincinnati/Kentucky Airport and San Francisco Airport.

In a word, more airports from China made it into the top 100 list than those in the US.

For high-speed rail, with speeds of at least 120 mph, China has by far the longest in the world. According to the International Union of Railways, there are 12,000 miles in operation and another 11,300 miles under construction in China, compared with second place Spain, which has 2,000 miles in operation and 1,120 miles under construction.

The US ranked 20th in the world, with only a length of 28 miles on the Acela Express, including an 18-mile stretch in Rhode Island and 10 miles in Massachusetts, with a maximum speed of 150 mph.

People can argue that the US is really a society on wheels, not on rails. But in terms of airports and trains, the US clearly lags behind Third World China.

Speeches by another Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders, like the one I heard in the Armory Stadium in Washington last Thursday, clearly did not suggest the US was a First World country.

"We had the best rail system in the world. No longer the case," Sanders told the roaring crowd. Interestingly, Sanders said that "we can create up to 13 million good-paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, which is exactly what I intend to do." That number 13 million was exactly the number of new jobs created in China in 2015.

In his speech, Sanders said the US is not supposed to be a country that has more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth and the highest childhood poverty of almost any country on earth.

"This is the United States of America, we should not be having 47 million people living in poverty," he said.

"Why in God's name are we spending $80 billion a year to lock up 2.2 million fellow Americans?" he continued.

According to the London-based World Prison Population list by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, the US has the world's largest prison population of 2.2 million, in contrast to China's 1.7 million even though China's total population is almost four times as big as that of the US.

The institute's figures show that the prison population rate, or per 100,000 of national population, was 119 in China compared with 698 in the US.

In her 2010 book, Third World America, the conservative-turned-liberal Arianna Huffington painted a picture of the US from its education system and infrastructure to its middle class and political system, which she said has descended from a 21st century superpower to a backwater banana republic.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com.
LODZ - "Look, it's the train from China!" The waiting crowd broke into a loud applause. Standing among them, Tomasz Gorzelak, Chief Executive of Polish Hatrans Logistics Company, waved at the train cheerfully with a bright smile on his face.

This was a moment captured at midday Thursday at a railway station in the central Polish city of Lodz, where a freight train carrying dozens of cargo containers just entered the platform after a journey of merely 10 days from Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province in southwest China, to Poland.

As soon as the train stopped, logistics workers from the Polish side started to unload the containers, under the coordination of Gorzelak.

"These containers are loaded with mobile phones, tablets, laptops and accessories for electronic devices from China," he told Xinhua while busy monitoring the crane operations.

These "made in China" goods, according to Gorzelak, will soon be delivered to various regions in Poland and reach clients within hours.

"The current China-Europe railway is just like a 'new Silk Road' linking China with central and east European Countries," Gorzelak said.

"In ancient times, we have the historic Silk Road, which had served as a trade route and an economic corridor linking China and the West for some 2,000 years, and it really played an indelible role in both economic and cultural exchanges between both sides," he explained.

Gorzelak told Xinhua he believes that with the support of the Belt and Road Initiative, the significance of the China-Europe express trains will go beyond economic values and benefits.

"The trains will also build a bridge for bilateral exchanges on culture, technology and tourism, help further enhance mutual understanding and deepen the friendship between the two peoples," he said.

As one of the major rail routes between China and Europe, the Chengdu-Europe Express Railway Service began operation on April 23, 2013, linking Chengdu with Lodz, an emerging European logistics transit hub. This route was extended in April this year to Kutno, another city in central Poland.

Kutno is situated at the intersection of major international transport routes, both from Asia to Europe and from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic, which makes it one of the most important logistics centers in the European Continent. Train cargos from Asia will be distributed to different destinations in Europe via rail and road transport.

To take full advantage of this direct rail route, Chengdu has proposed a new strategic plan named "Chengdu-Europe Plus," which is in line with the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Chen Zhongwei, Director of Chengdu logistics office.

"We aim to become a pivot for logistics between Europe and pan-Asia by expanding international railway networks and establishing a European commodity distribution center," said Chen.

According to the new plan, goods from Europe will be distributed from the city to China's Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Economic Rim, as well as some Southeast Asian countries and regions. Meanwhile, Chinese products transported through the Chengdu-Europe express route will be distributed to European countries from Kutno, Chen explained.

The municipal governments of Chengdu and Lotz have established offices in each other's cities to better coordinate and promote the logistics route, and about 400 cargo trains are expected to take this route in 2016, Liu Lijuan, commercial counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw told Xinhua.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative and European Coordinators agenda proposed by the European Union (EU) complement each other," Liu said, adding that a successful cooperation between the two will provide new export opportunities for Polish products.

"Synergies between China, EU development plans and frequent exchanges of goods and personnel have laid the groundwork for a strong China-Poland partnership," Liu said.

Thanks to the successful establishment and operation of the China-Europe express rail service, Sichuan, a regional economic hub in southwest China, has developed an ever-closer relationship with Poland, who has become the province's biggest trade partner in central and eastern Europe.

In 2015, trade volume between Sichuan and Poland has reached 123 million U.S. dollars, with the province's imports from Poland accounting for 34 million U.S. dollars, a rise of 36 percent compared with the previous year.
Protesters raise placards reading "Anger was over the limit" during a rally against the US military presence on the island and a series of crimes and other incidents involving US soldiers and base workers, at a park in the prefectural capital Naha on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo June 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO - Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets of Okinawa in Japan's southernmost Prefecture on Sunday to express their ongoing anger at the disproportionate presence of US military personnel on the island and the crimes committed by them, in particular the brutal rape and murder of a local women by a base-linked worker recently.

The rally took place in a park in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa, and saw around 65,000 protestors united in calling for the withdrawal of the US military on the island and the urgent review over an archaic agreement inked between the United States and Japan governing the handling of incidents caused by US military personnel in Japan.

The protesters, the majority of whom were dressed in black in spite of the scorching heat to show their respects for the murdered women, holding placards and shouting slogans like "US Military Out!" and "How many more crimes will we suffer?" as well as "Relocate the (US) bases outside Okinawa," and chanting like "We want our land back!"

The rally, the biggest organized protest in Okinawa since three US servicemen viciously raped an elementary schoolgirl in 1995, follows the alleged rape, murder and dumping of a 20-year-old local woman by Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, 32, a former US Marine.

Shinzato stands accused of raping the deceased in a grassy area beside the road in Uruma in central Okinawa, as the young lady was walking home before stabbing her to death with a knife on April 28.

Initially, Shinzato told investigators he had struck the women multiple times from behind with a metal bar and stabbed her repeatedly. There were also reports that Shinzato also attempted to strangle his victim whom he'd been driving around to search for, for as long as 3 hours prior to the premeditated attack.

The accused has not been cooperating with local investigators and has remained silent regarding pertinent information to the murder, such as the location of the knife and his motive, although the metal bar has been retrieved from a water channel. Investigators have said that Shizato has remained silent during interrogations since May 20.
President Xi Jinping's state visit to Poland, just six months after his Polish counterpart's trip to China, is a clear message that Poland is an important partner for China in Central Europe, a leading think tank analyst says.

Justyna Szczudlik, a China specialist with the Polish Institute of International Affairs, says: "This is evidence that bilateral relations on the political and high-level are excellent. Political dialogue is regular, very intensive, comprehensive and institutionalized."

Poland, she says, perceives the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, which despite being upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2011 is still rather modest.

Finest Amber and honeystone from Poland are on display in the 2016 China Yiwu Imported Commodities Fair. Lv Bin / For China Daily

Figures from the International Trade Centre show Polish imports from China stood at $14.5 billion (12.9 billion euros) last year while exports were just $2 billion.

Szczudlik says the Belt and Road Initiative will be useful in expanding Polish exports to China, admitting that Poland also sees the initiative as a means to attract Chinese investment.

To further strengthen collaboration between the nations, she suggests the initiative be connected with the Morawiecki Plan, which assumes reindustrialization and improvement of infrastructure in Poland.

"In other words, Chinese capital and technologies could be used in infrastructure projects like the Via Baltica (a road through the Baltic States and Poland), the Via Carpathia (an ancient route connecting the Baltic Sea and the Aegean), high-speed trains, and the modernization of sea ports."

Poland was the first Central European country to join the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member.

Szczudlik says: "Poland's membership of the AIIB is a natural implementation of the Polish diplomatic agenda of reinvigorating relations with Asia, especially China. The Polish application was another message that Poland is consequently filling a rather vague concept of the strategic partnership with real content."

At the initial stage, the bank may be a source for Polish companies to gain knowledge about Chinese and Asian markets, while in the longer perspective it could be a venue for launching cooperation with Asian counterparts and facilitating Polish exporters' entry into Chinese and Asian markets, as well as attracting Chinese investment to Poland, she says.

Although the general political and economic climate in Poland is welcoming, the stock of Chinese investments in the country is believed to be low.

One of the reasons, Szczudlik says, is the semantic difference in investment perception, adding: "Poland would like to attract greenfield, brownfield and research and development investments, as they create jobs and lead to technology transfer. But China is still interested in mergers and acquisitions, which provide access to the existing infrastructure, management resources and distribution channel."

She notes that it seems Chinese entrepreneurs are not familiar with European Union law, especially regulations related to public procurement. In that sense, China is still learning about Poland's investment conditions and regulations.

"What's more, both sides are waiting for project proposals from the other side, and both countries present a rather reactive and passive approach," she says.

Nevertheless, she adds, this approach is changing. The best examples are Poland's project proposals presented during the visit by the Polish foreign minister to China in April.

Xi's visit to Poland and Serbia comes only months after he visited the Czech Republic, which was hailed by analysts as "clear evidence that Central and Eastern Europe is no longer on the peripheries of China's foreign policy".

wangmingjie@mail.chinadailyuk.com
Mr. Mirosaw Gajewski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the People's Republic of China, for "China Daily"

1. What pragmatic outcomes do you expect from President Xi's visit? What agreements will be signed during the visit? And what issues will be discussed during the visit?

President Xi's visit to Poland is yet another confirmation of the importance of Polish-Chinese strategic partnership, after the visit Poland's President Andrzej Duda paid to China in November last year. High-level bilateral exchanges constitute a foundation of our cooperation, which is also developing on other levels: as EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership, in the "16+1" format (of which Poland is the by far largest European participant), as well as on regional and local level. President Xi will hold talks with President Duda, and also meet Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydo and the Speakers of both houses of the Polish Parliament.

We expect discussions on a wide range of issues, focusing on bilateral economic cooperation (trade, investment, finance, transportation, infrastructure), but also touching upon areas such as culture, education, science and technology, tourism, agriculture. Both sides will also exchange views on major regional and international issues. We especially hope to intensify bilateral discussion on the question of security and stability along "One Belt One Road", which are of decisive importance to the success of this initiative.

We expect that the visit will bring tangible results, in particular in some of the most important areas, for example the opening of the Chinese market for Polish food and agricultural products. Poland is one of the largest exporters of such products in the EU. We expect the signing of several important agreements that will facilitate market access for Polish fruits, poultry, meat and enhance cooperation between the veterinary authorities of both countries.

Bearing in mind Poland's huge trade deficit with China, we hope that agreements signed during the visit will contribute to the expansion of Polish exports. We also expect that closer cooperation will be initiated between Polish and Chinese customs authorities.

We expect the signing of an agreement on mutual tax exemptions on services in international transportation. Such a step would contribute to the promotion of our trade and people-to people exchanges.

We will also discuss common initiatives in areas such as infrastructure, logistics and transportation. We are aware of the ambitious "Belt and Road" initiative. That initiative fits the concept of improving connectivity between Europe and Asia. We are considering different projects that would be beneficial to the Polish economy and Polish companies, as well as our trade and investment relations with China, and, on the other hand, could also be beneficial to China in the context of the "Belt and Road" initiative.

Dozens of agreements are expected to be signed during President Xi's visit. These will facilitate and enhance the development of our bilateral cooperation in the fields of market access. investment, logistics, finance, industry, energy and infrastructure, create favorable conditions for an increase in educational and cultural exchanges between our countries. We are working on opening new areas of cooperation, including space technology and explorations, customs, and crime fighting.

2. How do you expect will President Xi's visit help promote China-Polish ties?

We believe that there is immense potential in exchanges between China (the second largest economy in the world and a powerhouse of global growth) and Poland (the largest economy in Central and Eastern Europe, a leader of growth in the European Union). This potential has not been fully tapped into so far, therefore we need to increase efforts on both sides to unlock it.

We expect Chinese business community to realize that Poland offers great opportunities as Europe's sixth largest and fastest growing economy, with a unique geographical position at the very heart of the European continent and a very business-friendly environment. The number and scale of foreign investments in Poland and the intense cooperation of Poland's manufacturing industry with Western European enterprises are the best proofs for the attractiveness of my country for top-notch businesses.

We hope Chinese consumers will become aware of the wide array of outstanding products Poland has to offer  products that are renowned for their quality in European markets. These include Polish food, widely known for its unmatched taste and strict adherence to safety standards, and Polish cosmetics and medicines, manufactured with equal commitment to quality and safety. Poland is also a major exporter of furniture, which combines unique design with attention to detail. The international success of Poland's gaming industry demonstrates how good we are at combining creativity with technology.

Furthermore, we hope that President Xi's visit will bring our Chinese friends' attention to Poland as a tourist destination. Having a rich historical heritage and a diverse culture formed at the crossroads between East and West, North and South, beautiful natural landscapes (including the sea, mountains, lakes, primeval forests, wetlands, and even a desert), Poland is one of the "gems" still waiting to be discovered by Chinese travelling abroad for leisure.

We would also like to showcase educational opportunities Poland has to offer. The numbers of Chinese students at Polish universities are increasing by around 20percent per year, but we see much more potential in this field. Knowing how highly valued education is in China, we believe we can offer great opportunities to young Chinese seeking knowledge abroad, and we can do that at a fraction of the cost of studying in Western Europe.

3. Could you share with us the efforts Poland has made to help develop the Belt and Road Initiative? And what benefits does Poland expect from the initiative?

We welcome with a great interest China's initiative to strengthen economic links between East Asia and Europe, and create new development opportunities for countries along the "New Silk Road". Poland, due to its strategic location and unique advantages, should be viewed in China as an ideal partner for some of the projects under the "Belt and Road" framework.

We have already gained a lot of experience with the handling of freight from China. Since 2013, two direct rail connections have been operating between Poland and China. One is the Chengdu to Lodz express link, operated by the Polish company Hatrans Logistics. Another one is the Suzhou to Warsaw express link, operated by PKP Cargo Logistics, a subsidiary of the second largest rail shipment company in the European Union. Our geographical location and our leading position in the European logistics market make us a natural partner for such initiatives as the "Belt and Road".

One of our most important goals concerning the "Belt and Road" cooperation is to make sure that it is a "two-way street". This should be our major contribution to this initiative. New transportation links will be viable and sustainable only if goods are shipped both ways. We believe that the development of direct freight connections can contribute to an increase in the volume of trade between Poland and China.

From our perspective, the new communication routes between China and Europe provide a perfect basis for cooperation between Polish and Chinese regions and cities, which is one of the pillars of the strategic partnership between our countries. The "Belt and Road" initiative can become a great contribution to our strategic partnership with China.

Last but not least, Poland's government unveiled a new strategic plan earlier this year  the "Plan for Sustainable Development". One of its crucial components is international economic cooperation. We believe we can create synergies between this Plan and the "Belt and Road".

4. As the largest country of the 16 Central and Eastern European countries, what is Poland's role in strengthening the cooperation between China and the 16 countries?

First of all, Poland's government attaches great importance to the development of regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. We are interested in promoting closer links within our region. The China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation fits very well with this key feature of our foreign policy.

The "16+1" cooperation format was launched in Warsaw in 2012. Poland remains committed to the multifaceted exchanges and cooperation developed under this mechanism. We are actively participating in the "16+1" contacts, as evidenced by the personal participation of President Andrzej Duda in last year's Suzhou Summit. We are currently hosting the secretariats of two coordination mechanisms within the "16+1" framework: the China-CEEC Business Council and the China-CEEC Investment Promotion Agencies Contact Mechanism. We have offered to host another mechanism, serving the development of China-CEEC cooperation on maritime issues.

We expect tangible results of the "16+1" cooperation in the near future. Our priorities in the "16+1" cooperation include projects related to connectivity: new logistics routes and hubs, development of new and upgrades to existing railways, development of roads and sea connections, cooperation on the development of telecommunication systems or participation of entrepreneurs from CEEC in infrastructure projects in third countries (i.e. implemented within the "Belt and Road" initiative). We also believe that the "16+1" cooperation can boost the growth of our exports to China, which will contribute to the narrowing of our trade deficit.

We are looking forward to more Chinese investments in Poland and other CEE countries. We are especially welcoming Greenfield investment that create new jobs.

We also see the potential of "16+1" in the expansion of people-to-people contacts, in particular in the areas of tourism and education.

5. Why did Poland choose to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank? What is this organization's role in strengthening China-Polish relations? How will the AIIB help Poland's development?

Poland decided to join the AIIB (as the only Central and Eastern European country), which we perceive as a new, important financial institution, as its founding member. The reason for this decision was simple, as explained by Poland's President Andrzej Duda during his visit to China last year: if we expect to gain something, we need to be ready to contribute something first. We would like to increase connectivity between East and Central Asia and Europe by expanding the infrastructure linking those regions. Due to the competitive advantages of Polish companies, we believe they can successfully participate in projects financed by the AIIB. Moreover, we see the development of Eurasian connectivity as generally beneficial to Poland, and AIIB can make a significant contribution to this area.

Poland has a strong interest in cooperation with China in financing infrastructure projects (transportation, railways, airports), in the field of rural and urban development, and logistics. In my numerous meetings with AIIB's President Mr. Jin Liqun, I have also stressed that Poland would like to be involved in projects in Central Asia, where Polish and Chinese companies could jointly carry out projects financed by AIIB (especially in the energy sector). Poland has a vast experience and a history of presence in that region, which might create synergy effects, if combined with the advantages of Chinese companies.

6. What are the areas in which Poland wants to strengthen cooperation with China, and why?

As I have mentioned, there is immense potential in Polish-Chinese cooperation in a number of areas. Let me just stress the most important ones. Development of bilateral trade, especially reduction of Poland's huge deficit, is obviously an important goal  we are successfully working on improving access of our products to the Chinese market. Another important area is investment. Given Poland's beneficial investment environment and the potential of Chinese enterprises, the scope and scale of direct foreign investment originating from China in Poland is disappointingly low. We welcome high-quality Chinese investments, which will create jobs, contribute to the development of our industrial base, and transfer advanced technologies  these investments would not only benefit Poland, but also the Chinese investors, giving them significant opportunities to develop their businesses into high-end markets. We are also hoping to boost tourism between China and Poland, as well as educational, academic and scientific exchanges.
Peng Liyuan (L, front), Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife, visits the elementary school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno for children with disabilities, together with Dragica Nikolic, wife of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, in Belgrade, Serbia, June 18, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BELGRADE - Peng Liyuan, Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife, met here Saturday morning with a group of students and teachers from the Sirogojno special education school.

Clapping to the music and sometimes giving a thumbs-up sign, Peng watched a dance performance of the students, most of whom are with mild and moderate intellectual disability or autism.

Together with Dragica Nikolic, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic's wife, Peng also watched the students making handicrafts.

"You are amazing! It's so beautiful!" she encouraged the students.

Peng gave toy pandas and toy cars to the students, and received handicrafts the students had made as gifts.

"I must tell you a little secret of mine," Dragica told Peng. "I made my mind to open a special education school like this in Serbia after I had visited China and visited China's special education schools and services."

Peng spoke highly of the achievements the school has made in special education, expressing hopes that special education schools in China and Serbia could promote communication and exchanges so as to raise education quality.
WARSAW - At Saturday noon, a freight train carrying dozens of containers pulled into the station at a logistics park in Poland's central city of Lodz, whistling a soothing tune for those waiting for its arrival.

The train, which is part of the China-Europe freight train service -- China Rail Express, traveled more than ten days since leaving China's western city of Chengdu.

Every week, two such trains loaded with Chinese goods, mostly electronic products and machine parts, arrive at the park operated by Lodz' leading logistics company Hatrans. They go back to China with European products.

"More and more Polish companies, especially food producers, request us to transport their products to China," said Krzysztof Janeczko, an engineer working at the logistics park.

"It is pleasant to do business with the Chinese people," Janeczko said, adding that he has been engaged in such train service for over four years.

The trans-continent train service began in 2011. At present, there are over 20 scheduled trains shuttling between the two continents, almost all of which go to Western Europe through Lodz. Two of the trains end in Poland, one departing from China's western city of Chengdu to Poland and the other from China's eastern city of Suzhou to Warsaw.

Janeczko sees huge potential in freight train service, which is more cost- and time-efficient compared with other means of transportation. It is estimated that rail transportation saves as much as two thirds of the time used by sea transportation and four fifths of the air transportation costs.

Pointing at the containers bearing Chinese logos piling at the two sides of a railway going through the logistics park, the freight train service can give a big boost to bilateral trade, Janeczko said.

Thanks to the train service, trade between Poland and the Chinese province of Sichuan, whose capital is Chengdu, has grown remarkably, with Poland's export to Sichuan surging 36 percent in 2015, according to Chinese embassy officials in Warsaw.

Janeczko believed Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit will bring more vigor to bilateral business ties.
Polish President Andrzej Duda. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping's arrival in Central and Eastern Europe for the second time in less than three months signalled his full recognition of the region's dynamics and importance.

"I have no doubt President Xi Jinping perfectly understands the dynamic in this part of the world. We are developing fast; so is China," Duda told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

Duda, 44, said his country is well prepared to welcome Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to Poland today after his sojourn in Serbia. At the end of March, Xi paid a state visit to the Czech Republic, beefing up political ties and signing dozens of economic and trade projects.

"This second trip (within less than three months) underlines how important Central and Eastern Europe is becoming for China," said Duda, who visited China in November.

Recalling that during his first-ever trip to China he was deeply impressed by China's thousands of years of history and heritage, Duda stressed that President Xi will perceive Poland and the whole region as an extremely attractive market, a land of boundless opportunities for deeper economic cooperation.

During his trip to China in November, China and Poland signed a cooperation document on the Belt and Road Initiative and Poland officially became a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

"We see it as an opportunity to find new ways of funding ambitious infrastructural projects in Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe," Duda said.

The Polish leader said that Poland has to improve the North-South axis, which has been neglected since it joined the European Union in 2004, and it needs to build more motorways and more railroads, which would form a link between the Baltics and the Balkans.

"I am convinced this would give an enormous boost to all of us," Duda said.

"And China can play an important role in this area."

"On the other hand, we also hope that Polish companies will benefit hugely from the Belt and Road Initiative," Duda said, adding that they have experience and a highly qualified workforce and he is sure they can establish long-lasting and fruitful partnerships with Chinese firms.

Duda said he realizes that Beijing is playing an increasingly crucial role in the international arena, that many Chinese companies are well-known and respected abroad, and that China has seen millions of people getting out of poverty over the last few decades.

He said one of the biggest challenges these days is the social inequality and uneven growth in urban and rural areas, and he knows how much Chinese authorities have done to tackle this issue.

"On the other hand, many European nations have had to cope with the very same problem recently," Duda said.

Duda said dozens of bilateral agreements will be signed during the visit, which will be the foundation for further cooperation between China and Poland.

"But our relations should not be solely of an economic nature," Duda said.

"I am sure both President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, will fall in love with Polish culture, Polish music and, last but not least, Polish cuisine as well," he said.

To contact the reporter: fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Xu Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Poland PHOTO BY FU JING / CHINA DAILY

China and Poland are expected to upgrade their strategic partnership to a "comprehensive level" on Monday during President Xi Jinping's visit in this fast-developing country, according to a senior Chinese diplomat.

And the scaling-up of the bilateral relationship, five years after establishing Sino-Polish strategic partnership in 2011, will be happening after Poland adjusted its foreign policy in recent years by engaging all global players, instead of mainly the West.

"Our bilateral relationship had made tremendous solid progress in all fronts in previous years and we will recognize such harvests during President Xi's visit," said Xu Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Poland during an exclusive interview with China Daily on Friday.

Xu, also having worked as ambassador in Romania, said the burgeoning development of partnership between China and Central and Eastern Europe is also the reason behind the "re-positioning" of the China-Poland relationship during Xi's visit. Xi arrives in Poland on Sunday after his three-day state visit in the Republic of Serbia, at the crossroads between Central and Southeast Europe.

Xu said both sides are expected to sign dozens of documents on Monday to boost cooperation at political, economic, trade, high-tech and people-to-people fronts.
On June 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Belgrade to begin a state visit to Serbia. Serbia deployed fighter jets to escort Xi's plane when it entered the country's airspace. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were greeted by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and his wife, Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic at the airport, which indicate the host nation's high grand reception to welcome Xi. As the first public event, Xi and his wife paid homage to the Chinese martyrs killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999. They were then accompanied by President Nikolic to attend the inaugural ceremony of foundation laying of the Chinese Culture Center in Belgrade.

Serbia is the first nation among Central-Eastern European countries to establish a strategic partnership with China, and is one of China's all-weather friends. The two countries share a special brotherly bond. Historical memories will help two peoples to cherish the traditional friendship forged with blood and lives forever. During Xi's first day visit, the Serbian President, Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister accompanied him in all activities, serving as a reflection of their brotherly friendship. "Honor Martyrs, Cherish Peace." History should not be forgotten, peace should be cherished forever. We believe that Xi's visit will upgrade China-Serbia strategic partnership relationship to a higher level and will revitalize a special traditional friendship.
President Xi Jinping called for more cooperation with Serbia to benefit the people on both sides while visiting a Chinese-invested steel mill on Sunday.

Accompanied by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Xi traveled to the Smederevo Steelworks and talked with workers there. Founded in 1913, the Smederevo steel mill was acquired by China's HeSteel Group for 46 million euros ($51.6 million) in April.

China would like to provide advanced technology as well as management experiences for Serbia to create more job opportunities and improve the people's livelihoods, Xi said.

Calling Serbia an important partner "on the same boat" with China, Xi said that the two countries have great potential to enhance cooperation, given that the bilateral relationship is based on deep traditional friendship.

The president's remarks came a day later after the two countries signed a joint declaration to lift the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the first one of its kind in the Central and Eastern European region. The two countries signed more than 20 cooperative documents covering areas that include investment, economic and trade, people-to-people exchange and culture communications.

Located on a key point along the China-proposed Belt and Road route, Serbia could play an active role in implementing projects along the routes, Xi said.

Founded in 1913, the Smederevo steel mill went bankrupt in 2003, and then it was sold to US Steel for $23 million. Serbia became the owner of the steel mill once again in 2012 when the investor from the US withdrew. After the departure of US Steel, the country looked for a new investor.

Nikolic said that the workers in the steel factory will become richer and richer because the company is being managed by "friendly and just Chinese partners".

Vucic expressed gratitude for China's investment in Serbia, adding that he hoped more Chinese companies and investors would be interested in investing in major projects in Serbia.

"Thanks to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese company for bringing new hopes to the 5,000 workers at the steel mill," he said, adding that the country has been working hard to look for an investor for the factory in the past three years .

Stanuovic Lorica, 50, a female worker who spent 20 years in Smederevo, said that China's investment will bring more opportunities for the development of the century-old steel factory.

"We are glad to see that the links between the two countries are becoming closer, which has benefited common people like me," she said.

Ljubisa Obradovic, secretary of the association of the metal-electro industry, metal mines and metallurgy at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, said the Serbian metal-electro industry gained a lot from Chinese investment.

"The arrival of HeSteel to Serbia opens huge potential in the metal-electro industry and mining in the sense that the level of production will double," he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pay homage to the Chinese martyrs killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999, after arriving in Belgrade for a state visit to Serbia, June 17, 2016. The three martyrs were journalists Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua News Agency, and Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying, of the Guangming Daily newspaper. [Photo/Xinhua]

NANJING - Xu Linhua was thrilled when she learned from news that Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a state visit to Serbia, paid homage to the three Chinese martyrs including her brother, Xu Xinghu.

Xu Xinghu was a journalist with the Guangming Daily when he was killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 1999, with his wife and another journalist Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua News Agency.

"The whole family were busy farming at the time, until neighbors learned the news of my brother's death on TV and came to tell us," Xu told Xinhua on Saturday.

"We kept it from my father who was ill in bed. But many journalists came to our house the next day and it was impossible to conceal the news. My parents were heartbroken."

Born in a village in east China's Jiangsu Province, Xu Xinghu was the only son in the family, with two older sisters. Though they hated to be parted from their boy, his parents had been very supportive of his career choice, including stationing abroad.

"It was like the sky was falling down on us knowing that he would never come back home," she said.

Xu recalled her brother worked very hard and had always been the pride of the family.

Telephones were not common in rural areas at that time. Xu's family had a telephone installed in 1999, but hardly used it because of the high cost. Most of the time, they were just waiting for Xu Xinghu to call. In Xu Linhua's memory, her brother called only three times before his death.

"We had a very difficult time before we could get over his death," she said.

Party leaders and government officials have been very supportive of Xu's family over the years. "Especially when our father fell seriously ill in 2013, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Guangming Daily paid a visit to comfort us and offer help."

"I'm deeply grateful that President Xi paid homage to my brother," she added.

As the first public event after arriving on Friday, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan joined Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and all other cabinet members in paying silent tribute to the martyrs.

Leaders of the two countries laid wreaths to a new memorial erected on the site where the embassy once stood, engraved with "Honor Martyrs, Cherish Peace."

On May 7, 1999, U.S.-led NATO forces carried out a missile attack on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which left the three journalists dead, dozens of others injured, and the embassy building severely damaged.

To commemorate the reporters and thank China for its support to Serbia, the Belgrade city government set up the first memorial in front of the embassy site on May 7, 2009.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ( 2nd L ) and his wife Peng Liyuan ( 1st L) pose for a group photo with Polish President Andrzej Duda (2nd R) and his wife during the welcome ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, June 19, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping arrives in Warsaw, Poland, on Sunday afternoon for a state visit that is expected to boost China's ties with Europe.

During the visit, Xi will hold talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda and the two sides will sign a number of agreements on business, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.

China and Europe should closely match each other's development strategies and deepen joint interests, Xi wrote in an article published in the major Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Friday.

"Both China and Europe are currently pushing forward structural reform," Xi wrote in the article.

"As two major powers, major markets and major civilizations of the world, China and Europe can closely match each other's development strategies, deepen joint interests, promote joint growth and contribute to world peace and development," he wrote.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at the school of international studies at Renmin University of China, said Xi's visit will further develop China-proposed Belt and Road projects.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road. Considering their geographic importance, Central and Eastern Europe are key parts of the Belt and Road Initiative, as a quarter of the countries along the routes are in that region.

"Countries in Central and Eastern Europe including Poland are keen to develop ties with China to attract more Chinese investment," Wang said.

Poland is China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, while China is Poland's third-largest supplier of imports. Trade between the two countries reached $17.2 billion in 2014.

Xi's state visit to the Czech Republic in March has produced fruitful results, prompting many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, to develop closer ties with China, Wang said.

The Central and Eastern Europe region now faces the challenge of upgrading its transportation, electricity and other infrastructure, as well as industrial equipment, while China is strong in construction capacity and support services and can meet the environmental standards of the region, said Chen Xin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Last November, Polish President Andrzej Duda paid a state visit to China, during which Xi announced that China would explore a new logistics corridor to reach Central and Eastern Europe through Poland.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
Andrzej Duda,Polish president Polish president says Chinese leader recognizes area's dynamics, importance

Polish President Andrzej Duda says the arrival of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Central and Eastern Europe for the second time in less than three months signals Xi's full recognition of the region's dynamics and importance.

"I have no doubt President Xi perfectly understands the dynamics in this part of the world. We are developing fast, and so is China,"Duda told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

Duda, 44, said Poland had prepared well to welcome Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan on Sunday after's Xi's visit to Serbia.

At the end of March, Xi paid a state visit to the Czech Republic, strengthening political ties and signing dozens of economic and trade projects.

Duda, who visited China in November, said, "This second trip (within three months) underlines how important Central and Eastern Europe is becoming for China."

He said he had been deeply impressed by China's thousands of years of history and heritage during his first trip to the country.

He stressed that Xi will see Poland and the region as an extremely attractive market  an area of boundless opportunities for deeper economic cooperation.

During Duda's trip to China, the two countries signed a cooperation document on the Belt and Road Initiative, and Poland became a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Duda added, "We see this (visit) as an opportunity to find new ways to fund ambitious infrastructure projects in Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

He said Poland needs to build more highways and more railroads to form a link between the Baltic Sea and the Balkans, adding that China can play an important role in this.

"We also hope that Polish companies will benefit hugely from the Belt and Road Initiative,"Duda said, adding that these enterprises have experience and a highly qualified workforce, and he is sure they can establish long-lasting and fruitful partnerships with Chinese companies.

Duda said Beijing is playing an increasingly crucial role in the international arena, many Chinese companies are well known and respected abroad, and China has seen millions of people escape poverty in recent decades.

He said one of the biggest challenges is social inequality and uneven growth in urban and rural areas, and he knows how much the Chinese authorities have done to tackle this.

"On the other hand, many European nations have had to cope with the same problem recently,"he said.

Duda said dozens of bilateral agreements will be signed during Xi's visit, which will provide a foundation for further cooperation between China and Poland.

"But our relations should not be solely of an economic nature,"he said.

"I am sure that both President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, will fall in love with Polish culture, Polish music and, last but not least, Polish cuisine.

Contact the writers through fujing@chinadaily.com.cn


(Photo : Gerty Images) China worried by India

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China has declared that it could support India's entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) if it 'played by the rules.' This is despite China's vocal opposition to the United States supporting the move and dark warnings that India's inclusion could hit "raw nerves "in neighboring Pakistan.



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Fu Xiaoqiang, a researcher with the State-run China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, highlights China's strong opposition to India's entry into the exclusive club in an article he wrote.



"New Delhi seems to have inched closer to NSG membership after Indian Prime Minister Nahendra Modi gained backing from the United States, Switzerland, and Mexico in a bid to join the elite nuclear club this month," the statement read.



The statement went on to add that by gainig inclusion, India will gain international acceptance as a nuclear powerhouse.



It added that India will be able to import civilian nuclear materials from the vast global market, enabling it to save its internal nuclear materials for the military. This seems to be a bone of contention for Beijing, which says that the move will give India an edge over Pakistan in nuclear matters.



China is worried that Pakistan's strategic interests will be threatened, in turn changing the strategic balance in South Asia and destabilizing peace in the region.



The write-up said that while several years ago Modi could not get a US visa, he has now visited America more times than any other country. According to the statement, India's new found friendship with the United States is the reason for the latter's whole-hearted backing. Washington sees New Delhi as her strongest ally in the region.



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Tagschina, India, Asia, Nuclear Power
(Photo : Getty Images.) The Maharashtra government may seek China's help for cloud-seeding technology to induce artificial rain in the drought-hit state.

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China is in discussions with India to offer cloud-seeding technology to induce artificial rain in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, which has been facing severe drought problem for two years.



A team of Chinese scientist proposed the idea during their recent visit to Maharashtra. China's top communist party member Han Zheng also discussed the issue with Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in May.



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If the Maharashtra government accepts the proposal, then Chinese experts would lend expertise and training on cloud seeding technology to Indian Meteorological Department officials. This training would be put to practical use to induce rain in Maharashtra's Marathwada region during next year's summer season, people familiar with the matter said.



Cloud seeding technology uses rockets tipped with silver iodide to induce rain. China began using cloud seeding technology way back in 1958, and at present it has some of the most advanced cloud-seeding technology in the entire world.



China has heavily relied on this technology to induce artificial rain across different parts of the country.



India has been comparatively less successful in leveraging cloud-seeding technology. However, experts say that nationwide drought caused by bad monsoons has propelled India toward cloud-seeding technology.



Maharashtra and other Indian states have been so badly hit by drought that millions of farmers have committed suicide. Increasing burden of debt and apathy from the Indian government pushed these farmers towards ending their lives.



Earlier this year, the Maharashtra government had to shift Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to other Indian states due to the drought problem.



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Tagschina, India, Cloud Seeding Technology, China and India
(Photo : Getty Images.) the Indonesia navy has detained a Chinese boat and its crew members for allegedly fishing in Indonesian maritime territory.

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Indonesian navy officials detained a Chinese boat along with seven Chinese crew members for allegedly fishing in Indonesian maritime territory in the disputed South China Sea region, Indonesia's navy spokesman said on Saturday.



Indonesia's Admiral Edi Sucipto told reporters that navy officials responded to a report from maritime air surveillance officials that 12 foreign fishing vessels were spotted at Natuna Islands, which is claimed by both China and Indonesia.



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"When approached by our warship, the foreign fishing boats maneuvered and escaped," Edi said. "Finally, after some warning shots, one of the 12 foreign fishing boats stopped."



Edi added that after the necessary investigation, officials discovered the vessel was a Chinese boat and the crew members, including one woman and six men, were all Chinese citizens.



Beijing has not yet released any official statement on the incident.



This is the second big fishing spat between the two countries in recent days. In March, Indonesia arrested eight Chinese fishermen for allegedly intruding on the Natuna Islands.



The Indonesian government then defied China's call to free the Chinese prisoners and vowed to prosecute them under Indonesian law.



The Indonesian government has beefed up security around Natuna Islands, around which Indonesia has built a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that slightly overlaps China's maritime territory. Currently, the Indonesian government has reportedly deployed 800 military officials to the islands, a number which is likely to rise to 1,000 by end of this year.



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TagsSouth China Sea Dispute, Indonesia, China and Indonesia, Natuna Islands
(Photo : Getty Images) Apple CEO Tim Cook

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Apple has decided not to provide money or tech support for the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in July where controversial businessman Donald Trump will be named the party's official candidate for President of the United States of America.



Apple joined other business giants such as Coca-Cola and Hewlett Packard that have either refused to provide money or tech support for anything having to do with Trump or are scaling back their support for the candidate.



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Reports said Apple has told Republican leaders it won't provide financial and tech support for the party's convention. Apparently, Apple is taking issue with Trump's incendiary and oft repeated statements condemning women, minorities and immigrants, including Muslims.



One other reason is Trump has continually attacked Apple for outsourcing its production to China. Without saying how, Trump claims he will force Apple to "build their damn computers and things in this country."



Trump also assailed Apple for refusing to assist the FBI open the password-protected iPhone of the two San Bernardino ISIS-inspired shooters that murdered 14 persons in December 2015. Embarrassingly, Trump used an iPhone to tweet his call for a total boycott of Apple devices because of this incident.



Apple previously donated money or technology to past Republican presidential conventions. In 2008, Apple provided $140,000 in technology devices to both the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions.



Not all tech giants plan to boycott the Republican convention, however. Google said it would hold an exhibit during the convention despite a protest by liberal groups and civil rights activists.



Microsoft plans to donate computers and software to the GOP convention while Facebook promised financial and other support for the event.



It's unknown if Apple will donate to the Democratic convention also being held in July but in Philadelphia. Hillary Clinton will be formally nominated as the Democratic Party's candidate for President.



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Tagsapple, 2016 Republican National Convention, donald trump
(Photo : Getty Images.) India's top diplomat S. Jaishankar reportedly made a secret visit to Beijing to gain China's support for India's NSG membership.

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India's Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar reportedly made a secret visit to Beijing this week to seek China's crucial backing for India's Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) membership. The low-profile visit by India's top diplomat comes ahead of the all important plenary meetings in Seoul next week, which will decide India's NSG membership.



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Top sources in both New Delhi and Beijing have confirmed Jaishankar's visit, but did not give any further details. India's foreign secretary is said to have met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.



In the meeting India is believed to have requested China to not create any hurdles in its bid for NSG membership.



Jaishankar was India's longest-serving ambassador to China, serving more than four years. He reportedly enjoys personal rapport with Chinese leadership and has extensive knowledge of Chinese diplomacy.



India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. The meeting is considered equally crucial to India's chances for NSG membership.



China has staunchly opposed India's entry into the 48-member nuclear club, citing the fact that India is not a signatory to Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and therefore does not qualify for NSG membership. However, experts claim that the real reason for China's tough stance is to help its close ally Pakistan gain entry into the elite nuclear club along with its foe India.



Nevertheless, China has signaled that it might soften its position. This was reflected in an article that had appeared in Chinese state newspaper Global Times earlier this week. The article stated that China may support India's inclusion in NSG if it "played by the rules."



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TagsIndia, china, NSG, Nuclear Supplier Group, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
(Photo : Getty Images) Serbia's President Tomislav Nikolic said Belgrade is ready to become an important partner of China, even beyond the region

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic signed more than 20 bilateral agreements on Saturday, demonstrating Beijing's desire to establish a significant presence in Europe, specifically in the Balkans.



At the first stop in his three-nation European visit, President Xi said that China wants to further enhance and deepen its relations with Serbia, taking the relationship to a higher level by establishing a strategic partnership between the two countries.



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Xi, who signed a declaration on strategic partnership with Nikolic, presided over the signing of 21 cooperation agreements and memorandums covering various sectors such as infrastructure, economy, defense, finance, energy, technology, and others.



"The relationship between our two countries is being widened and taken to a higher level," Xi said during the signing ceremony.



Economic relations



Over the years, China has been vocal in wanting to boost economic relations with the Balkan region and strengthen ties with the European Union. Xi said his three-nation state visit to Eastern Europe was the perfect opportunity to realize this goal.



China and several Eastern European countries had held several meetings in the past, in which Beijing poured billions of dollars in investment projects into the region.



Reports said China is eyeing several projects in infrastructure and energy to get its economy running and improve its relations and economic links in Europe.



" One Belt, One Road"



Xi said he is looking forward to Serbia's important role in China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative. He said Beijing has plans to strengthen economic relations and open new markets in Belgrade.



"The development of our relations is based on big projects," Xi said. "We are expecting an increase in trade and investment."



For his part, Nikolic said Belgrade is expecting to be China's most important partner, even beyond the region.



"I am convinced that Serbia's future will look completely different from today," said Nikolic.



The Serbian president awarded Xi with a Serbian state medal in honor of the occasion.



In the coming days, Xi will be paying state visits to Poland and Uzbekistan, where he will push for infrastructure project investments as top of his agenda.



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TagsSerbia, Balkan region, European Union, President Xi Jinping, china
(Photo : Getty Images.) Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday that the US must not interfere in the Tibet issue.

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The United States must stay away from China's internal affairs on matters relating to Tibet, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi categorically told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone call on Saturday.



According to the Chinese foreign ministry website, during the call Kerry assured Yi that US policy on China remains unchanged and does not recognize the Tibetan independence movement. The phone call on Saturday comes after President Obama met exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, earlier this week.



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China had issued a warning before the meeting, stating that the meeting may damage the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. However, the US downplayed the Obama- Dalai Lama meeting, claiming that the meeting was purely a personal affair between the two leaders that had no political connotation.



China considers the Dalai Lama as a separatist leader, who was responsible for the Tibetan uprising in 1959. The Dalai Lama immediately fled to India and has since been living in exile in India.



China fought a full-fledged war against India three years after the Tibetan uprising.



The Chinese government maintains that Tibet is an integral part of China and discourages any interference in the matter by any third pay. Almost all important countries, including the US, have fallen in line with China's view on Tibet.



Even India has soften its stand on the issue, with the Indian government rarely issuing any controversial statement on Tibet. However, the Dalai Lama continues to live in India without causing any political problems.



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Tagschina, John Kerry, Tibet, China and US, Wang Yi
Genres : Comedy, Science Fiction, Horror

Starring : George Clooney, John Astin

Plot Synopsis

The killer tomatoes are back! But this time around, they're going to have to contend with late '80s George Clooney and his wicked mullet Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Nope, it's Return of the Killer Tomatoes!



Ten years on from the Great Tomato War, mankind lives in fear of another uprising by the waxy red menace. Meanwhile, Professor Gangreen  played with gusto by the great John Astin from TV's The Addams Family  sets out to pursue his own evil ends by creating a burgeoning army of tomato militia men (who, somewhat conveniently, look just like regular men).



Following on from the 1978 cult classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Return of the Killer Tomatoes came armed with a healthy sense of its own ridiculousness and would expand upon a franchise that now comprises four films, two TV series and a video game. So what are you waiting for? Make Return of the Killer Tomatoes one of your five-a-day now!
(Photo : Blue Origin) The same New Shepard booster that flew to space and then landed vertically in November 2015 has now flown and landed again.

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For the first time ever, private space company Blue Origin will host a live webcast tonight of the launch of its new rocket Blue Shepard, from its home facility in West Texas. Blue Shepard is also not just any rocket, it's also a reusable rocket that can rival SpaceX's Falcon 9.



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Tonight at 10:15 P.M. EST, Amazon's Jeff Bezos who also founded Blue Origin will prove that reusable rockets are the future of manned missions to Mars and beyond, that will revolutionize long term spaceflight and exploration. Typically, rockets are discarded after launching a satellite or cargo resupply shipment to the space station, which then burn up in the atmosphere. Now, rockets are now reused to launch and fly back to Earth autonomously to slash expensive space launch costs.



Blue Origin's first attempt to launch and land safely back a rocket was last November 2015, as this also marked the first rocket to vertically land on Earth after returning from space. Bezos' vision is to transport space tourists into suborbital space, about 62 miles above the plate with these reusable, inexpensive rockets.



Apart from this, Blue Origin aims to carry space tourists by 2018 for them to experience microgravity in lower Earth orbit. Past launches were quite secretive as the private space company rarely gave out interviews as they only publicize the results of the test flights after their completion.



For tonight's launch, Blue Origin will finally demystify their successful test flights, as they launch the new Blue Shepard rocket with live steaming.



Initially, this launch was first scheduled for Friday, however, technical problems with the rocket capsule moved the launch to Sunday. Not only will the Blue Shepard test its rocket, it will test its capsule that is expected to carry humans to suborbital space and back.Three parachutes will be launched after the reusable rocket returns to land, for the crew capsule to land safely back to Earth.



Watch this live webcast on their website, which will commence at 9:45 A.M. EST, Sunday.



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Tagsblue origin, watch blue origin live, blue shepard rocket, blue origin reusable rocket launch, reusable rockets, Jeff Bezos, watch live tonight blue origin rocket launch
(Photo : Fabiana Martin/CEHA/University of Adelaide) Extinct jaguar: Partial jaw of a large, extinct jaguar discovered in a cave in the Ultima Esperanza region of Patagonia.

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A new study suggests how the deadly combination of climate change and humans, all played a crucial role in the extinction of Ice Age giant beasts that once ruled the Earth such as elephant sized sloths, bears weighing one ton, and sabre toothed cats. In a span of 3,000 years megafauna and humans co-existed, however, within just 300 years, these creatures were wiped out due to warming temperatures.



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This new study also challenges the "Blitzkrieg" theory that involves how humans are responsible for wiping out the populations of the world's largest beasts. In this new study by researchers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, new findings reveal the significant effects of climate change that ultimately contributed to the disappearance of the this megafauna.



Led by Alan Cooper of the University of Adelaide, the team of scientists retraced the genetic history of these populations and analyzed ancient DNA from teeth and skeletal remains from South American caves. Researchers found out that some 12,300 years ago, megafauna disappeared in just 300 years, based on carbon dating. Evidence also shows that humans were also living in Monte Verde, Patagonia about 14,600 years ago based on the fossil record, suggesting how these beasts and humans overlapped.



The team along with researchers from the University of New South Wales found out that a rapid warming in the South American climate occurred during this timeline, leading to the animals' extinction.



This new study also suggests that human colonization along with the effects of climate change and global warming provided a deadly combination for this megafauna extinction. The only large species that survived this extinction are the ancestors of the llama and the alpaca, which is the guanaco.



This new study is published in the journal Science Advances.



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Tagshumans climate change ice age extinction, sabre toothed cats, ice age giants, Climate Change, ice age animals extinction, Ice age, megafauna
Battling Church Decline at the Earliest and Youngest Level



LOVELAND, Colo., June 19, 2016 /



The Children's Ministry Local Training Tour, from Group Publishing, is set to launch a 100-city campaign starting this August and continuing through the fall. The workshop was created to provide practical training and insight to children's ministry leaders and volunteers, while helping churches strengthen their volunteer base, congregational-wide support, and children's ministry programs as a whole.



Christine Yount Jones, Executive Editor of Children's Ministry Magazine, explained the workshop is a response to exclusive research Group has gathered over the past decade.



"In the past 10 years, the number of churches doing Sunday school has declined 18 percent, and now, 1 in 5 churches are intentionally no longer reaching out to children and families through Sunday school," she said. "If outreach to children and families is stagnating, it's no wonder churches as a whole are facing plateau and decline."



During the workshop, presenters will address 5 brutal realities impacting the church and how to navigate them. In addition, the workshop will reveal what it means to be Jesus-Centered in children's ministry.



Joani Schultz, Group's Chief Creative Officer, explained Group Publishing is uniquely qualified to present this type of workshop and is proud to do so.



"Group has served as an innovative voice in the ever-transforming world of church ministry for the past 42 years. That makes us uniquely equipped to present this type of training," she said. "We're thrilled to have an opportunity to travel the country, sharing what we've learned, inspiring those who love children."



Schultz added the training is geared toward all levels of children's ministry teams from ministry leaders to Sunday school teachers and volunteers.



Each Children's Ministry Local Training is set for a half-day and is priced as-low-as $29.95 per person. For more information and a list of workshop dates, times and locations, visit



The Children's Ministry Local Training Tour officially kicks off August 20th.



Group Publishing is a leader in innovative children's ministry resources, small groups, youth ministry and much more. Group's stated mission is to "Create experiences that help people grow in relationship with Jesus and each other."



Images and interviews are available upon request.

Share Tweet Contact: Rochelle Dorsey, Children's Ministry Marketing Manager, Group Publishing , 970-292-4306, rdorsey@group.com LOVELAND, Colo., June 19, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- A new nationwide workshop tour will equip churches to counteract decline in attendance by fighting it where it matters most to familieschildren's ministry.The Children's Ministry Local Training Tour, from Group Publishing, is set to launch a 100-city campaign starting this August and continuing through the fall. The workshop was created to provide practical training and insight to children's ministry leaders and volunteers, while helping churches strengthen their volunteer base, congregational-wide support, and children's ministry programs as a whole.Christine Yount Jones, Executive Editor of Children's Ministry Magazine, explained the workshop is a response to exclusive research Group has gathered over the past decade."In the past 10 years, the number of churches doing Sunday school has declined 18 percent, and now, 1 in 5 churches are intentionally no longer reaching out to children and families through Sunday school," she said. "If outreach to children and families is stagnating, it's no wonder churches as a whole are facing plateau and decline."During the workshop, presenters will address 5 brutal realities impacting the church and how to navigate them. In addition, the workshop will reveal what it means to be Jesus-Centered in children's ministry.Joani Schultz, Group's Chief Creative Officer, explained Group Publishing is uniquely qualified to present this type of workshop and is proud to do so."Group has served as an innovative voice in the ever-transforming world of church ministry for the past 42 years. That makes us uniquely equipped to present this type of training," she said. "We're thrilled to have an opportunity to travel the country, sharing what we've learned, inspiring those who love children."Schultz added the training is geared toward all levels of children's ministry teams from ministry leaders to Sunday school teachers and volunteers.Each Children's Ministry Local Training is set for a half-day and is priced as-low-as $29.95 per person. For more information and a list of workshop dates, times and locations, visit www.group.com/cmlocaltraining The Children's Ministry Local Training Tour officially kicks off August 20th.Group Publishing is a leader in innovative children's ministry resources, small groups, youth ministry and much more. Group's stated mission is to "Create experiences that help people grow in relationship with Jesus and each other."Images and interviews are available upon request.
Christians flee Pakistan only to find more heartache and challenges in their place of refuge

Out of the frying pan into the fire.

Such a fate has befallen a Christian family who fled persecution in Pakistan only to realise later on that their situation has gone from bad to worse.

Interviewed by CBN News recently, Mustaq Faisal said he and his family had no choice but to abandon their home in Pakistan and flee to Thailand after he and his family were marked for death by their Muslim neighbours last year.

In quivering voice and eyes filled with tears, Faisal recalled an incident when their neighbours accused him of tearing pages from the Quran and threatened to kill his family in revenge.

"I was so scared. I told them I would never do anything like that to their holy book, but they didn't believe me," he said.

Faisal became so fearful that he decided to take his wife, Samina, and son, Joshua, to Thailand, imagining the latter as a country where they can start a new life and freely practice their Christian faith without being threatened by Muslim zealots.

He and his family filed an asylum application with the U.N. However, six months after arriving in Thailand, the U.N. agency responsible for protecting refugees still could not issue them any asylum document.

With his family's three-month tourist visa in Thailand having lapsed, Thai immigration police came to arrest them since overstaying a tourist visa is illegal in this Southeast Asian country.

"I was not at home when the Thai police came to our apartment," Faisal said. "My wife told them she was a heart patient and that they should not arrest her, but they didn't listen."

The police arrested Samina and Joshua and took them to the Immigration Detention Center (IDC).

Samina's heart condition worsened and she got very ill last Dec. 20, but Thai authorities refused to bring her to a hospital.

Faisal went to the U.N. office and pleaded officials there to help his sick wife. "I kept asking, I kept crying, but they did not listen to me," he told CBN News.

He also begged the guards in the detention facility to at least heart medications to her wife.

"I told them that if you don't do anything, she will die," he said. His plea fell on deaf ears.

Faisal's wife and son were detained in a facility where the illegal migrants were denied access to healthcare and medicines, according to Wilson Chowdhry, the director of British Pakistani Christian Association.

The facility houses 200 people crammed in rooms that barely fit 100 with only two toilets, according to Chowdhry.

"The stench as you walk in is overpowering," the Christian human rights advocate told CBS News.

Moreover, some of the male detainees were "chained like dogs," he added.

On Dec. 30, 2015, the U.N. finally responded to Faisal's asylum plea, but it was too late for his wife Samina who died in detention.

"My life is so terrible right now," Faisal said as tears streamed down his cheek. "We faced so many difficulties in Pakistan and that's why we escaped to Thailand. Now I'm here and my wife is dead! What am I supposed to do? My son keeps asking, 'Where is mommy?' But I don't have the courage to tell him the truth."

Six other Pakistani Christian refugees have also died in Thai detention centres.
Orlando Shooting: Tense scenes at the funerals of victims

Funerals for two of the 49 victims killed in the shooting at a nightclub in Florida were marked by tense scenes on Saturday, as an impatient driver was accused of injuring two law enforcement officers and another took place under the watch of anti-gay protesters.

Two Osceola County Sheriff's deputies on motorcycles were injured at the funeral procession for Jean Carlos Mendez in Kissimmee, Florida, some 20 miles (32 km) south of Orlando, when a driver cut through the cortege and struck them with her car, according to a statement on the sheriff's Facebook page.

The deputies were taken to the hospital, where both were in stable condition, said the sheriff's spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain.

At the funeral of another victim, Christopher Leinonen, at a church close to the centre of Orlando, a handful of protesters from the Kansas-based anti-gay Westboro Baptist Churchstood silently for about 45 minutes. They were blocked from view of those attending the funeral by about 200 counter-protesters, some holding rainbow screens, who cheered when the Westboro members left.

Authorities are still investigating what motivated Omar Mateen to kill 49 people at the popular gay nightclub Pulse in the early hours of last Sunday, perpetrating the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mateen was later killed in a shoot-out with police.

The shooting has sparked a new push for gun control legislation and Congress is expected to vote on proposals starting next week, including one on stopping people on terrorism watch lists from buying guns.

Democrats, including President Barack Obama, are framing gun restrictions as a national security issue after Mateen professed loyalty to Islamist militants. But authorities believe he was "self-radicalised" and acted without any direction from outside networks.
Time is the one thing in life no one can escape. We're given just so much of it to accomplish so many goals and enjoy the experiences we seek to have. Careers, love, friendship, legacy, all are something each of us experiences in our own ways. Olivier Assayas's Palm d'Or nominated film 'Clouds of Sils Maria' is a deconstruction of these themes through the eyes of an aging stage and screen star who is asked to take on a role in a remake of the film that launched her career. While the film features amazing performances and takes a thoughtful look at what it means to get older and effectively be replaced, its musings about the film industry and art become distracting and can feel entirely too self-absorbed for its own good.

Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) owes all of her career successes and longevity to a single screenwriter and director. This one work, a love affair between two women that turns tragic launched her name into the marquee above movie theaters and onto the biggest Broadway and East End stages. The story was about an older woman named Helena and her relationship with a younger impressionable girl named Sigrid. And now, over twenty years later, Maria is being asked by hot new film director Klaus Diesterweg (Lars Eidinger) to take on the role of the older Helena in a new remake. The role of the younger woman would be going to up-and-coming tabloid troubled starlet Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloe Grace Moretz).

Initially, Maria refuses the opportunity out of respect to her departed mentor and costar. But, after the urging of Maria's young assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart), Maria reluctantly takes the part. Together Maria and Valentine travel deep into the Swiss Alps to isolate themselves and help Maria prepare for the role. At first, the private rehearsals between Maria and Valentine go smoothly, but as Maria roots herself deeper into the role of Helena, she sees a reflection of the past. Where once she was the brash young star, she is now the aged veteran actress who is on the way out in an industry that favors youth. The emotional strain of finding herself in this new role could be more than Maria is prepared to handle emotionally and physically.

At its core, 'Clouds of Sils Maria' is a ponderous look at age, beauty, and how everything changes whether we want them to or not. Where the film is at its strongest and the interplay between Kristen Stewart and Juliette Binoche works best is when the film plays with these themes. Stewart's Valentine is young, attractive, she has her own life and romantic liaisons apart from an industry that obsesses over youth and beauty. This puts Binoche's Maria in a sad and rather an unfortunate position of having to see the world she can't go back to through her assistant's eyes. She can't roll back time or the fame she's acquired. She can't become that bright new actress again and redo past events. With the arrival of the hot new star of the hour Jo-Ann Ellis played by Chloe Grace Moretz, she can see her inevitable replacement. It's a wonderfully dramatic and arresting theme and the performances from its central players are fantastic.

Where 'Clouds of Sils Maria' falls away for me is when it gets to be too industry reflective for its own good. By tackling the themes of actors, actresses, writers, and directors being a revolving door of talent that is replaced every generation, the film already made a grand statement about the industry. Where the film runs aground and can be difficult to take earnestly is when it starts to take stabs at genre tastes, in particular, the rise and popularity of Superhero films. I won't hide from this point, I grew up reading comic books. As a kid who had to deal with his share of rampant degrading bullying, comic books were my anchor to the world and my escape. Sure, some of them are silly and soulless pieces of pop entertainment, but they also taught me an appreciation of language, art, and story structure. To that end, I can get defensive when a film such as 'Clouds of Sils Maria' turns its nose up at a genre like Superhero films and other mass audience friendly genres the way that it does. While there is a valid point that Hollywood may well be too obsessed with these films, it's also an aspect of the industry that has always been there. From musicals to political thrillers to science fiction space operas to westerns, Hollywood goes through genre-obsessive cycles. While the quality of these films waiver from one to the next, they produce big box office receipts. They keep people employed. They give young talent a chance to shine. And, these popular films inevitably allow dramatic arthouse films to be made and released because the talent involved has proven themselves on a larger stage. 'Clouds of Sils Maria' didn't need to make this point by throwing a cheap imitation of superhero films at the audience. Especially one that hasn't been relevant since the late 1990s.

Normally I would forgive a film acting a bit high and mighty, but there are several breaks throughout 'Clouds of Sils Maria' where the thrust of the story comes to a dead halt. These moments seem to only exist so that Valentine and Maria can get into a spirited conversation about film as art, modern films versus those made decades ago, and whether or not a young star is as talented as an older more established one. 'Clouds of Sils Maria' continually circles these themes through multiple conversations to the point that I began to roll my eyes in frustration when the next of these conversations started up. I appreciate it when a film has subtext and layers to it, but this film constantly keeps pulling the themes and subtext to the forefront and distracts itself from the heart of the story. Even through these tedious moments, the amazing performances that Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart provide manage to shine through. The film is worth seeing just to appreciate these talented actresses work off each other. Some may be enraptured by the film and love it completely. Others may find it too self-absorbed to be fully accessible. Unfortunately, I found myself floundering in the later category.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Clouds of Sils Maria' arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of The Criterion Collection. Pressed onto a Region A BD50 disc. Housed in a standard Criterion Collection clear case, the disc comes with a booklet featuring stills from the film as well as an essay by Molly Haskell. The disc opens directly to the film's main menu featuring standard navigation options.
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Allied Orion Group has named Ian P. Douglas as chief operating officer of the company's property management division, where he will oversee 25,000 apartment units nationwide.

Chad Castille has been named managing partner of the newly opened Houston office of Dallas-based Dan & Lyons. He is joined by trial lawyers Tom Sartwelle, Matt Pletcher, Jeff Nobles and Matt McCracken The office is at 1001 Fannin, Suite 1925.

Brannyn McDougalhas joined of Burditt Consultants as community development manager. McDougal is leading a comprehensive planning project for the city of Hondo and is on the parks and open space master plans project teams for the cities of Manvel and Huntsville.

John Coffin has been named IHI E&C's vice president-engineering. In addition, Punit K. Shah has been appointed director of supply chain management.

Randy Millier has joined Mueller Environmental Designs, a Houston-based manufacturer of natural gas processing equipment, as chief technology officer.

John Arnold is joining Locke Lord as a partner in its energy practice group.

Michael Mahanhas been appointed chief operating officer and general counsel for Houston-based Sudhoff Cos., a provider of consulting, marketing and sales for builders and developers.

Daniel Sternthalhas joined Baker Donelson as a shareholder in the firm's health law group.

David B. Jones of Houston has been named chief executive officer of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation.

Kirksey Architecture announced the following promotions to senior associate:Jody Henry, PK-12 team; Stoney McDowell, information technology; Susan Musngi, healthcare team; Michelle Old, design team; and Justin Chu, renovation team.

Renewable Power Direct has named Mark Mancino as vice president sales and Michael Adcock as vice president supply at its new Houston office. Renewable Power Direct is a wholesale power marketer that specializes in supplying renewable electricity to Fortune 1000 commercial and industrial consumers.

Kenneth Bickett has joined Opportune as president in its outsourcing practice.

Kevin Bruce has joined Fieldwood Energy as director of government and industry affairs.
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Mickey Rosmarin, who influenced the style of Houston's social set as the owner of Tootsies, died Friday of a heart attack. He was 63.

For more than 40 years, he was a fixture on Houston's fashion scene. He dressed the city's trendsetters.

Rosmarin hosted many social and charity events at the store, which relocated in 2011 from its Highland Village digs to a ultra-modern fashion palace in West Ave. For many fashionable women, it's the place to buy ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags and jewelry.

"From a fashion perspective, he instinctually knew what was right for me - for any of us. And he was brutally honest about what worked and didn't," said Gracie Cavnar, founder of Recipe for Success. Many of the nonprofit's fundraisers and fashion shows have been hosted at Tootsies.

"Our mutual love of fashion was such a small part of our friendship. He filled my heart, always smiling, the most fun, my favorite dinner partner. I have hole in my heart."

Susie Rosmarin, his sister and a Houston artist, said he had not been ill. "He seemed fine. He loved life. He was full of energy."

She added that their father had a heart attack at age 54.

Rosmarin attended Bellaire High School and the University of St. Thomas. He first sold T-shirts at Allen's Landing. When he opened his first store, Honest Threads, on lower Westheimer in 1973, he sold recycled jeans, vintage Hawaiian shirts and funky, offbeat designs.

"Mickey had a vision to open a T-shirt shop downtown when we were in high school," said Jeff Cohen, Houston Chronicle executive editor, opinions and editorials, who grew up with Rosmarin in Meyerland. "You knew then that he spoke the language of fashion. As he went through life, he was determined that everyone in Houston would also speak it fluently."

As Houston grew up, so did Rosmarin's taste.

In 1975, he launched the successful Tootsies concept in the Galleria area.

Rosmarin was the first in Houston to carry such cutting-edge designers as Jean Paul Gaultier, Andrew Gn and Kenzo.

When the new store opened, manager Shelley Taylor Ludwick said it reflected Rosmarin's personal style, as well as his eye for design. "The store sparkles with a new and vintage sensibility that is very Mickey Rosmarin," she said.

The spacious store features designer collections including Valentino, Givenchy, Celine, Rick Owens and Nina Ricci. Amenities include 21 dressing rooms, free valet and a catering kitchen for private events. It has marble floors and art on the walls; there's even a vintage sofa from the original Sakowitz store of the 1970s.

"I've always wanted a department store since I was a little boy," Rosmarin said when his West Ave store opened. "I love legacy and history, and I don't think everything should be brand new."

Rosmarin is survived by his brother, Kenny Rosmarin; sisters Susie Rosmarin and Judy Pliner; daughter Aurey Harper; and step-siblings Adrian and Diana Shapiro and Stephanie and Bob Hageman.
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The strange, unique and often unpredictable presidential campaign of Donald Trump swept through Houston on Friday for the most conventional of reasons - to rally the troops and beg for money.

A year after launching his long-shot presidential bid, the presumptive Republican nominee came to a state that had soundly rejected him in its March primary for a three-day blitz that he hopes will net millions for the campaign treasury and build relations with an arch-conservative electorate that had preferred rival Ted Cruz, the state's junior U.S. senator, and given rise to a tea party movement that has been reluctant to trust the real estate mogul.

Trump's address to an enthusiastic throng in The Woodlands repeated his nationalistic vows to "make America first," come out on top of all trade deals, force friendly countries to pay more for defense, keep out immigrants in the country illegally, and put "smart people" in charge of government. He repeated his promise to build a wall along the southern border, noting, as he has said often before, that the Great Wall of China had been completed without the help of modern construction equipment.

"We have leaders that are not smart - they're rather stupid, actually," Trump told a crowd of several thousand boisterous supporters in the ballroom at the Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in The Woodlands. "We are like a country that is being led by the dumb people. That's not going to happen anymore. It's America first, America first."

Repeatedly tossing red-meat rhetoric to the vehemently red-state crowd, Trump insisted he is a conservative and touched on long-familiar subjects, including the importance of protecting gun ownership as never before.

"Nobody will protect your Second Amendment like Donald John Trump," he said. "Nobody! Nobody! We're going to preserve it and we're going to cherish it and that's what we have to do."

'We don't win anymore'

Referring to the recent shooting at a gay Orlando night club, in which 49 patrons were killed by a man armed with a handgun and the civilian version of an assault rifle, Trump urged the audience to imagine a different scenario if someone there had had a pistol strapped too his ankle. It would have been great, he said, if someone had fired a shot "right smack between the eyes of this maniac."

As the crowd roared, he went on: "You know, that would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight, folks."

Trump even stressed that he, not likely Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, would be the better candidate to press the interests of the LGBT community. He pointed to a sign in the crowd that said "Gays for Trump."

"Who is better for gays? Who is better for women?" he said.

Noticeably pleased by the long line of supporters still out front as he reached the hotel, Trump never veered from the theme of his candidacy, that he alone is the candidate strong enough and smart enough to ensure American security, bring back jobs that have gone overseas, and restore the country's position in the world. No hecklers were heard in his hourlong, improvised speech.

"Folks, we don't win anymore. We don't win with anything. We're going to start winning again. We're going to start winning so much you are going to get sick of it," he said.

Few conflicts

Before the raucous rally, Trump attended a brief private reception for wealthy donors in River Oaks. That meeting lasted about an hour, then his motorcade headed toward The Woodlands where several thousand supporters awaited, many having waited under a scorching sun for hours before clearing security.

Occasional shouting between a small cluster of protesters and the line snaking toward a security checkpoint at times reached a crescendo. But no significant incidents were reported. A protester and supporter were taken away after a scuffle, and one man who had a gun reportedly was arrested in a nearby parking garage.

The hearty legion of diehard Trump supporters and a smaller number of protesters began to assemble as early as 1 p.m. in The Woodlands, their political enthusiasm tested by the soul-sapping heat. At times, the line to enter the rally was about half a mile. At least one woman was carted away by medical personnel on a stretcher.

Kazeem Abiodun of Conroe, an Army veteran and Nigerian immigrant, and his wife sneaked into the front of the queue by virtue of their 3-month-old daughter in a buggy, needing to get out of the heat. Abiodun said he wanted to hear Trump speak without being filtered through the media.

As someone who immigrated legally, he said he likes Trump's immigration stance because the nation is too accessible to terrorists, especially on the southern border.

But Abiodun supports Clinton as the more experienced candidate, and finds himself repelled by what he called Trump's racially divisive rhetoric.

"You can't keep talking to every American like we are the problem," he said.

Lynet Witty of New Caney, who immigrated from Mexico 20 years ago, is voting for the first time, having just earned her citizenship. Her mother brought her to the U.S. legally, she said, and she believes others should do the same.

She takes Trump's abrasive language in stride. "He's just one of those people that can get riled up," she said.

Economic issues

For some of those showing up to voice their support for Trump, social issues took a back seat to fiscal policy. Bernard Navarro, originally from Cuba, said Fidel Castro's government shut down his father's hotel. He sees American governance on its way out of control.

"I believe America is on a steady downhill spiral, especially with Barack Obama," he said. "I think the only salvation we have is with Donald Trump ... I hope America wakes up."

Trump arrived in at Bush Intercontinental Airport at about 3 p.m. Friday, with the first order of business a private reception at the River Oaks home of noted trial lawyer Anthony Buzbee.

The small event lasted a little more than an hour and was no different from scores of similar charitable and political money-raising gatherings that take place regularly in one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods.

Accompanied by former Gov. Rick Perry, Trump met with about 300 people and took questions after a brief address. One of those in attendance, JoAnn Petersen, said the billionaire businessman discussed economic matters, especially the growing deficit but did not drop any bombshells or mention who might be on the short list of running mates.

Protesters were kept at a distance. Those meeting with Trump arrived on the property via a back way and only saw them by peeking through the windows.

A handful of Trump supporters, outnumbered about 10-1, also were pushed away from the front of the home. The two sides took little notice of each other and there was no conflict beyond the philosophical.

While Trump's appearance in Houston produced no incidents between supporters and protesters, the passions of both remained predictably high.

Outside Buzbee's River Oaks mansion, Trump fan Randy Locke, 55, showed up early to stake out a spot in the shade and carried a sign that read "MOGUL M.A.G.A," which he said was short for "make America great again."

"It's kind of an acronym most Democrats wouldn't be able to figure out," Locke said.

Among the reasons Locke favors Trump is his view on immigration. Locke said he went back to college after being laid off from his trucking job, obtained a degree in finance from the University of Houston, yet still has been unable to find work. He blames immigrants.

"We're all being replaced," he said. "Even the immigrants who got here 15 years ago, many of them are unemployed and can't find jobs because we're just flooding the country."

Across River Oaks Boulevard, not far from where Locke stood, Maryanne Delgado, a 69-year-old retired school teacher, joined more than 100 Trump opponents in the blazing afternoon heat and offered a predictably different view of the real estate mogul.

"He's dividing the country," Delgado said "He's a bigot; he's a liar. I could go on about every horrible thing he says."

Missing the fun

The same schism was apparent up in The Woodlands, where Lynette Bryant wore a white TRUMP T-shirt and acknowledged she was not the typical supporter. For one thing, she's an African-American woman. And she ran for governor of Arkansas in 2014 as a Democrat, polling 15 percent of the votes in the primary after complaining she had not been treated fairly by state party leadership.

Bryant echoed that complaint with her assessment of Clinton's race against Bernie Sanders. She said the race was rigged for Clinton from the beginning.

"How is that the people's voice?" Bryant said. "(The Clintons) thought they could just walk into the White House," she said. "What has (she) ever done except take our money  that's a form of slavery, indentured servitude."

On Friday, she served as the head volunteer for the rally in The Woodlands. She smiles as she engaged supporters and opponents waiting to enter the venue.

"Who's going to be our next president?!" she shouted, riling up the crowd.

"Trump!" they responded.

"Make sure to stay hydrated, we don't want you passing out," she said. "You'll miss all the fun."

Alas, no fun, or even satisfaction, was had by Mahir Sayeed, a 17-year-old senior at The Woodlands High School, who had planned to bring local Muslims to the event to shake hands with Trump supporters in an expression of good will.

Sayeed said he hoped that attendees would contrast the candidate's harsh rhetoric on Islam with the nice Muslims they met outside. But Friday morning, elders in The Woodlands Muslim community called and asked him to call it off.

They said that some recent protests had grown violent, noting the presence of rifles among some of Trump's supporters at a Dallas rally. They warned Sayeed that he could be harmed - whatever his intent. Most of the people who planned to go with him dropped out, he said.

Bridget Balch, Susan Carroll, Andrew Kragie, Dylan Baddour, Mark Collette, Samantha Ketterer, Monica Rhor, Dane Schiller and Will Axford contributed to this report.
Genres : Comedy

Starring : Jason Ritter, Emmanuelle Chriqui, James Brolin, Christine Lahti, Vinay Virmani

Director : Andrew Currie

Plot Synopsis

In this cute and charming comedy, an uptight New Yorker (Jason Ritter, "Girls") and his party-girl sister (Emmanuelle Chriqui, "Entourage") visit their Dad (James Brolin, "Catch Me If You Can") at his lake house in Ontario to meet his new wife (Christine Lahti, "Chicago Hope"), and rough-around-the-edges kids. When the parents announce they're adopting a child to bring the family together, it has the opposite effect.



Blu-ray comes with English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.
I was an editor at Wired from 1993  1998. In 1997, I went to CES in Las Vegas and reported on the Adult Video Exhibition there.

"Customization" and "control" are the buzzwords at this year's Adult Video Exhibition, the part of CES held at the Sands Convention Center and practically throbbing with loud music, laughter, squeals of joy, and whoops of glee.

At the Pixis booth on Friday, a man is demonstrating a new CD-ROM game called UltraVixen. With a slick Japanese anime look, UltraVixen pits a "beautiful, innocent college student" (who looks all of 14 in her schoolgirl uniform) against a "sex fiend overlord" who "tortures and enslaves young girls in his maniacal mechanical machines," the product flyer states.

While the stated goal of UltraVixen is to "destroy the sex machines forever," oddly enough, the player is also the controller of the torture devices, which include a flame thrower aimed at the woman's breasts, nipple pinchers and pullers, a large penetrating piston, and a hypodermic syringe filled with some kind of green liquid. (You can shove a robotic ball gag into her mouth to stifle her screaming if you prefer to torture her in silence.) "There's some sick stuff," says the demonstrator happily. "Look, her eyes are watering!"

Over at Digital Playground, Dave and Tammy tell me about their latest CD-ROMs. "The new generation of CDs are about interacting with a virtual girl," says Dave. "The first adult CDs were much more limited  you could maybe pick a choice, but in these CDs you can make the girl actually do something." Like what? Tammy hands me a flyer for Virtual Sex with Jenna James, featuring the porn industry's current It Girl. "In this one," explains Tammy, "you're the person doing Jenna. You tell her what to do and she does it to you."

For porn consumers who want to control a real human being, as opposed to a prerecorded video or computer animation, they can visit one of many different live one-on-one video shows transmitted over the Web. Ted Walker, who runs Cyberporn.com ("we grabbed the name after Time put out that article") tells me that his company used to make good money, "until everybody else started offering the same thing." A computer monitor sits next to Walker, displaying a small video image of a woman's torso in a red bikini. She's sitting in a chair in an otherwise empty white cubicle. Her head is not visible. A conventioneer is typing on the keyboard:

Man: Hi how are you?

Woman: (jumps up from the chair and begins tapping on her keyboard) Fine. How are you? (sits back down)

Man: Great now that I'm looking at you!

Woman: (jumps up) Mmm  Thank you! How are you?

Man: Take off your bikini.

Woman: No, sorry. You'll have to call our service for that.

Man: Can I see your face?

Woman: No, you may only see my face if you call our service. (sits down)

(man walks away)

Walker tells me that there are about 500 such companies offering "live one-on-one" service but that only "a half dozen companies supply the girls and connections, who then sell to the Web sites." He explains that the women featured in Cyberporn.com work out of Florida. "In case they get too busy and run out of girls," he says, "it rolls over to Denver, where they have more girls working."

Will customization and control over live and virtual sex objects take over porn? Tony Lovett, who works at VCA Video and has designed a game based on Shock, one of Vivid's bestselling videos, doesn't think so. "People want hi-res, where they can stop, start, and fast forward," he says. "Video is always going to be the supreme onanistic medium."
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.
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.
Werner OTTO | ullstein bild | Getty Images

Let's start with the facts: Most Americans likely will have a hard time retiring on time, let alone early. For starters, the average retirement account balance for U.S. households ages 50 to 64 is $150,000  and the median is only $12,000  according to a report from The New School. Nearly a third of families have no savings at all, the study found. Even if your nest egg is substantially larger, you'll have to account for living longer. If it's tricky to save for 30 years of income, stashing enough for 40 might seem especially difficult, said Christine Benz, director of personal finance at Morningstar. But that is not to say it can't be done, she said. The first step in any plan to leave the workforce ahead of schedule must be acknowledging the obstacles you're up against. For one, you cannot count on high market returns, said Benz. "Bond yields are very low, and the recent rally in equities suggest the decade ahead might not be as good as what we've seen in the past," she said. So  unless you're on the receiving end of a big inheritance  the most secure way to fund an early retirement might be what's easier said than done: pumping up savings during your working years. Sound unfeasible for your circumstances? You'd be surprised. These three moves can bring you a big step closer to your early retirement dreams.

Harness opportune moments

In order to retire on time, experts suggest that people in their 20s should be saving at least 10 percent of income each year. Those who hope to retire early should be saving 15 percent at an absolute minimum, said Benz. And folks who didn't start saving as young adults may need to stash anywhere from 35 percent to 50 percent annually if they realistically expect to retire early. While that might seem like an intimidating hurdle to clear year after year, leaping at chances to accelerate savings during "easy" years can balance out shortfalls during harder ones. "Saving doesn't tend to be linear," Benz said. "It's hard to save when your kids are young, but that empty-nest phase once they are out of college are great years to make up for lost time."

The time before you have kids and after you secure pay raises are also crucial opportunities for hard-core saving, said Kyle Winkfield, a financial advisor in Washington, D.C. "If you want to retire at 50, it will certainly help if you figure out how to live on half of your money during the years prior," he said. "Of course, some years there will be interruptions to saving because of big expenses or taxes." That means that any windfalls you get really must go straight to the bank. If you change jobs, consider the power of negotiating a salary bump: A recent study found that a young person negotiating a salary just $5,000 higher than their starting offer will earn more than $630,000 extra over the course of their career.

Francis Dean | Corbis | Getty Images

Overhaul your narrative

It's natural to go on autopilot when it comes to the daily consumption choices you make about food, transportation and discretionary purchases. Once you get used to even the smallest luxuries, it is hard to let go of the feeling that you "need" to dine out or upgrade your car with frequency. But one pattern common among those who have more than $1 million saved for retirement  despite earning relatively modest salaries  is how their internal narrative reinforces good habits, said Winkfield. His most successful clients view saving money not as punishment, but rather just as intrinsically satisfying as spending it, he said. "People who are super savers actually enjoy it," Winkfield said. "They have a saver's mindset and don't just want nice stuff. They always want a nice deal." These clients view comparison shopping almost like a game and, despite seven-figure account balances, they clip coupons, shop at big-box stores, brown-bag lunch and carpool, he said. In a word, they are self-aware. "If you ask them, 'How much do you spend on gas each week?' they respond, 'Spring, summer, fall, or winter?'" Winkfield said. The biggest obstacle you'll face is so-called lifestyle creep, Benz said. Most people who get raises tend to grow into their earnings instead of saving the difference, learning to rely on new extravagances like housekeepers. Something as simple as spending more time with frugal or lower-earning friends can help give you a reality check, especially if you can see they are just as happy living on less, Benz said.

Offset money you draw down
A British exit from the European Union could trigger similar moves by other member states in Eastern Europe, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said in a German newspaper interview published on Sunday.

Britain votes on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defense and diplomacy on the continent.

"It cannot be ruled out that Brexit leads to a domino effect in Eastern Europe," Asselborn told Tagesspiegel am Sonntag.

It had been a "historic mistake" from Prime Minister David Cameron to even think about calling a referendum about Britain's membership of the European Union, Asselborn added.

Even if Britain should decide to stay in the EU, "this would not solve the problem that results from the negative attitude of the British towards the European Union", Asselborn said.
Types of obituaries

The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories.
What you need to know ahead of mandatory CWD sampling in Missouri
Person making an ATM transaction (Getty Images/Purestock)

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By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal

Editor's note: Officials from Regions Bank said they have not found any skimming devices on their ATMs in the Memphis area.

Jewel Weatherspoon spent the weekend of May 14 running errands  a stop at a SuperLo, a Dollar Tree and a Regions Bank ATM to take out some cash.

On May 16, Weatherspoon checked her bank account and was surprised to see $200 more than she expected withdrawn from her checking account. A phone call to her bank lead to the discovery that an additional $800 was taken from her savings account as well.

"I was tearful," Weatherspoon said. "I really wasn't sure I would get it back or not."

An investigation by her bank revealed the withdrawals had been made more than four hours away at a gas station in Baxter and an ATM inside a mall in Knoxville. Weatherspoon wondered how this was possible because she didn't lose her debit card and had stayed in Memphis that weekend.

"Regions said they didn't contact me because my PIN was used," she said. "They asked 'Do you have your card?' And I said my card hasn't left me at all."

Weatherspoon was the victim of card skimming, a crime that takes place when someone puts a device on an ATM or gas pump that steals credit card information.

"Most of the time it's kind of slim so you don't even notice it," Memphis Police Department Sgt. Marcus Mitchell said. "So when you slide through the regular slider to pay for your purchase or withdraw from an ATM, you're also skimming and it's downloading your credit card information. Most people are not even paying attention."

Mitchell said this type of crime is common. In the past three months, there have been at least 399 reported instances of credit card and ATM fraud in Memphis, according to MPD's CyberWatch database. Records do not differentiate which of the incidents involved skimming and which do not. In 2015, there were 9,236 reports of credit card and ATM fraud statewide; less than 15 percent of those cases were cleared, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

"Mass skimmings," in which someone steals card information from a large group of people or targets multiple ATMs at one time, are less common, Mitchell said.

According to Mitchell, the most recent mass skimming took place in early May when someone placed skimmers on multiple bank ATMs in Cordova. More than 100 people filed reports claiming their information was stolen, he said.

Police obtained video footage of the suspects placing the skimmers on the ATMs, but no arrests have been made he said.

In Sept. 2015, another mass skimming incident took place at the Shell Gas Station on Union Avenue and Belvedere Boulevard when multiple gas pumps were compromised with skimmers.

Bank of America spokesman Matthew Daily said his organization recommends customers use online banking to frequently check their accounts and immediately report any fraudulent charges. If something at the ATM or gas pump seems suspicious, go inside and notify an employee, he said.

After the bank is notified, Mitchell recommends the victim file a report with the police so officers can attempt to trace the location where the skimming took place.

"When we start receiving reports, we try to ask people the last place they remember using their cards," Mitchell said. "That's how we catch people ... we kind of narrow it down to a location to where the skimming is coming from."

It took 10 days for Weatherspoon to get back the $1,000 taken from her checking and savings accounts, but no one was arrested for the theft. And she's still not sure where the skimming occurred.

Now she uses cash when she goes to a gas station and does all her banking online or inside the building, she said.

"No one wants to have to go to an ATM, to a gas pump and you've got to check it and see if it's got a skimmer on it or anything," Weatherspoon said. "I felt like I shouldn't have to do that."
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By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal

An unidentified man is in critical condition after being struck during an altercation, according to Memphis police.

According to Sgt. Karen Rudolph, the male victim was struck with an unknown object after getting into a dispute with an unidentified suspect in the 5200 block of Scottsdale.

The two apparently knew one another, Rudolph said.

The victim was taken to St. Francis Hospital, and an investigation is continuing.
February 28, 2016 - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks to the congregation Greater Imani Church Cathedral of Faith in Raleigh during a campaign stop fresh off her resounding victory in the South Carolina primary. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

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By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON  Megan Barry and Madeline Rogero know from their own experiences what a powerful message it sends to girls and women when someone like Hillary Clinton makes history.

Barry, who made history herself last year when she became the first woman elected mayor of Nashville, was walking in the city's Christmas parade last December when she overheard someone tell two little girls the mayor was approaching.

"They looked at me, and they looked at the guys behind me and said, 'Which one is he?'" Barry recalled. "I got to say, 'It's me. I'm the mayor.' One of the little girls said, 'Oh my god. Girls can be mayor?'"

Rogero, the first woman to serve as mayor in Knoxville, said parents have introduced her to their young daughters while making the point that girls can grow up to be mayor, senator or even president.

Clinton's landmark achievement as the first woman to win a major political party's presidential nomination, Rogero said, is particularly helpful in showing girls and young women they can attain whatever goals they set.

"We've come a long way to finally get to this point," said Rogero, now in her second term as mayor.

For many women in Tennessee, Clinton's achievement is cause for celebration  and a chance to take stock of how far women have come in a country where less than a century ago they couldn't even vote.

"Where we are now is pretty stunning to me," said Linda Haney, who through her involvement with the Democratic Women of Knoxville has worked to honor Tennesseans who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement.

Beyond its historical significance, Clinton's nomination also could end up affecting politics and policy at both the state and national levels if she goes on to win the White House in November.

"Here in Tennessee, it's especially important," said Mary Mancini, chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. "We have a legislature that has a Republican supermajority, and in the past couple of years, we've seen both a blatant dismissal of the issues that affect women and their families, like expanding access to health care and equal pay, as well as a blatant disregard for their well-being."

Just this year, the state legislature failed to approve what had been a routine renewal of funding for the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, which studies employment policies, educational needs, domestic relations and other issues impacting women. The absence of funding means the 18-year-old agency will close its doors at the end of the month.

"Because of these things, the fact that we have a woman nominee as president will probably have an impact on our down-ballot races and the women and men who have stepped up as Democrats to take on our backward state legislature," Mancini said. "Having (Clinton) at the top of the ticket really gives them hope and purpose and a feeling of solidarity."

State Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis, witnessed some of that solidarity when she recently took part in a leadership program at Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics.

"It was just amazing the number of women that were there and how they felt about a woman as president and that having a woman at the table of power was just something we needed at this moment in time," Camper said.

Though they're from different parties, Camper said she felt that same sense of pride when state Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, was elected unanimously five years ago as the first woman speaker in the state House.

"That was significant for Tennessee and just in general," she said. "I'm just proud to be a part of that history  to actually see it."

Clinton's background as a lawyer, first lady, senator and secretary of state makes her "probably the most qualified person to ever be in this position," Rogero said.

Lenda Sherrell of Monteagle said she has followed Clinton's career for years and has always admired the way she's charted her own course, even turning setbacks into triumph. When Clinton was humiliated by the Monica Lewinsky scandal that led to former President Bill Clinton's impeachment, she picked herself up, ran for Senate, and won. When she lost the 2008 presidential race to Barack Obama, instead of retreating from public life, she became Obama's secretary of state.

"She has just been the model of a woman who is strong and resilient and has always done what she wants to do with her life," said Sherrell, who helped Clinton's campaign organize its grassroots network in Tennessee during the Democratic primary.

Not all women, though, have embraced Clinton's candidacy. Polls consistently showed that young women in particular gravitated toward Clinton's opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, in the Democratic primary.

Haney said she understands why young people would take an interest in Sanders, who made economic issues, including college debt and raising the minimum wage, the centerpiece of his campaign.

Those voters may feel that change would happen faster under Sanders, but Clinton has fought for women, children, the poor and the disadvantaged her entire career, Haney said.

If Clinton wins in November, she said, "that will make a huge difference for women  and for the world  to see that we finally have a woman president. It took us a long time."
Brandon Vandenburg (right) (Larry McCormack/The Tennessean)

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By Stacey Barchenger/The Tennessean

A jury found Brandon Vandenburg guilty as-charged late Saturday in the rape of an unconscious woman he was dating in his Vanderbilt University dorm room nearly three years ago.

The jury deliberated more than four hours before delivering the verdicts about 8:20 p.m. Jurors found Vandenburg guilty on all counts: Five counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated sexual battery and unlawful photography.

The victim nodded in the courtroom as the verdicts were read.

Vandenburg faces 15 to 25 years in prison for the crimes. He was taken into custody immediately after the verdicts were read, as required by Tennessee law. His mother sobbed in the front row, where she has watched the trial all week.

(To read the complete story, got to Tennessean.com.)
June 15, 2016- Construction crews work alongside traffic on Canada Road at the Interstate 40 interchange. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

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By J.T. Mullen, joseph.mullen@commercialappeal.com

Construction to improve the Interstate 40 interchange at Canada Road continues to create headaches for travelers, businesses and Lakeland area residents, but those involved with the project believe the payoff will be worth it.

"It's huge  not just for traffic, but we believe it's going to spur other development around that area," Lakeland City Manager Jim Atkinson says.

The interchange project, launched in mid-2014, is on track to finish in May 2017 as scheduled. When complete, it will replace the current diamond interchange with a more compact variation. The project will include a new bridge over I-40 and a wider Canada Road to accommodate higher traffic volumes.

"It really improves on the existing congestion that's there and really makes the ramps and the functionality of the entire interchange more efficient," said Brandon Akins, an operations district engineer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

In the meantime, work is taking its toll in the form of congestion and lower sales for surrounding businesses. Exxon and Fireworks City, south of the bridge on Canada Road, are among the most impacted since construction obstructs the entrances to both businesses.

"With progress and change, unfortunately, comes inconvenience," Katie McGinnis, operations district supervisor for TDOT, said. "But the residents and business owners of the city of Lakeland have been very gracious in adapting to the work zone and traffic control changes."

Bell & Associates Construction, the contractor, is currently tearing down the old bridge over I-40 to begin working on the second half of its replacement. Throughout the process, traffic will travel over the completed half of the new bridge. This phase of the project also requires closing I-40, which means interstate traffic will be directed up the off ramps and back onto the on ramps.

To avoid major delays, TDOT said all major closures will take place at night when there is the least amount of traffic.

When finished, TDOT and Lakeland officials believe the $28 million project will spur economic growth.

"Lakeland has been growing significantly for the last 15 to 20 years," Atkinson, the Lakeland city manager, said. "So has Arlington and so has Cordova to the south of Lakeland. So the amount of traffic going through that interchange had significantly increased and congestion was a big part of it. It was a definite need."

McGinnis said the interchange was built when Lakeland was still rural. She said the bridge wasn't wide enough to accommodate the area's booming population.

"The Lakeland area had easily reached overcapacity for the interchange and delays were substantial, demanding a need for change," McGinnis said.

The new interchange will feature more lanes, new ramps and a single-signal system, which will control all movements to limit congestion.

As an added touch, Lakeland funded aesthetic features such as stone finishing, stamped pavement and decorative lighting.

"(Lakeland) funded a portion of this project to really make this interchange standout  really, unlike any other interchange we have in West Tennessee," Akins said.

Residents and travelers can keep up to date on the project and any potential delays or closures through TDOT's and Lakeland's social media accounts and websites, and with TDOT's SmartWay website and phone app.
Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal files In January, newly naturalized citizens of the United States recited the Pledge of Allegiance during a ceremony at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. The event was one of two Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. naturalization ceremonies at the library.

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By Stephen J. Lyons, Chicago Tribune

I was walking to my local post office one morning a couple of years ago when I passed an elementary school in the small Illinois town where I live.

It was a warm, early spring day just a couple of weeks from the end of the school year, and the tall classroom windows were open. As I passed by on the sidewalk, I heard a chorus of young voices reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

I imagined their little hands placed over their hearts as they faced an American flag. I remembered the last time I recited the pledge, some 50 years ago in a public school in Chicago.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Thirty-one words. Chances are those children did not know the weight of those words. When I was their age I also did not know the pledge was first published in a kids' magazine in 1892 as a 400th anniversary commemoration of Christopher Columbus' journey to America. Or that Congress added the words "under God" in 1954 at the height of the Cold War that we were waging with our ungodly foe, communism.

Thirty-one words. It was the earnestness in each child's voice that moved me then and has stayed with me. In a nation that seems so divided and so filled with angry, divisive voices, I too began to feel something I hadn't felt in years: hopeful.

Several weeks later I stood in the back of a second-floor chamber in Illinois' Old State Capitol State Historic Site in Springfield, as 57 immigrants from 29 countries became American citizens. They were cheered by their families, friends and supporters. The occasion was joyous and emotional.

Some were fleeing political unrest and a lack of opportunity, but many had been here for years and had jobs and owned businesses.

An internationally renowned glass artist from Denmark had his own studio in central Illinois. A man from Mexico worked on a quarter-horse farm. A woman from Taiwan came for an MBA, fell in love with a farmer, married and stayed.

When the 57 new citizens recited the Pledge of Allegiance, they spoke with the same unified voice that I had heard among the schoolchildren that had moved me just a few weeks previously.

Like many Americans, I have become fearful. I am more cautious about going out to public spaces. My anxiety began with 9/11 and has grown through our never-ending wars in the Middle East, domestic terrorism in Aurora, Colorado, and Newtown, Connecticut, the Islamic State-inspired terror that spawned the slaughters in San Bernardino, California, and the recent attack in Orlando, as well as the unceasing carnage on the streets of my troubled hometown of Chicago.

Is a gunshot wound now a rite of passage?

Yet I often think back to that spring morning when I heard those bright young children raise their voices in unison to an ideal of "liberty and justice for all." I was reminded of a simple normalcy that far exceeds the abnormal pervading our national consciousness.

Liberty and justice are in no small part why those new citizens came to our shores and eventually found themselves in the same building where Abraham Lincoln once advanced his great career. Who knows what similar greatness awaits our newest citizens.

Because of those two events I feel a renewed sense of purpose. It's time to tune into the image of those young hands over hopeful hearts. Time to feed off the courage of immigrants who still believe that becoming citizens of this imperfect union is worth the sacrifice.

So here is my pledge: I pledge to continue to frequent public gathering spaces. I pledge to continue to travel, even to international destinations, budget willing. I pledge to combat negativity by practicing compassion.

I believe when we act collectively  even for the briefest of moments when we pledge, pray or sing together  that it just might be enough to overcome what often feels unattainable: an indivisible nation.

Stephen J. Lyons is a two-time recipient of fellowships from Illinois Arts Council and the author of four books, including "Going Driftless: Life Lessons from the Heartland for Unraveling Times."
SHARE Associated Press photos Krystle Martin cries as she speaks to the media near a makeshift memorial last week in Orlando, Fla., following fatal shootings at the Pulse nightclub. The gunman, Omar Mateen (top right), carried out the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history in a lone-wolf attack that anti-terrorism experts say is the most serious and increasing threat for America. Experts say national security investigators don't have the manpower or resources to keep watch on every person who fits the lone-wolf profile. FILE -- This undated file image shows Omar Mateen, who authorities say killed dozens of people inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday, June 12, 2016. U.S. authorities say Omar Mateen, the man who carried out the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, had touted support not just for the Islamic State but also other radical factions that are enemies of the Sunni militant group. He not only professed allegiance to IS but also expressed solidarity with a suicide bomber from the Syrian branch of al-Qaida, which is known as the Nusra Front and which is Islamic State's top rival. (MySpace via AP, File)

By Jay Weaver and David Ovalle, Miami Herald

MIAMI  In the aftermath of 9/11, the nation's top domestic security priority focused on stopping foreign sleeper cells planted by al-Qaida or other radical groups.

Now, Omar Mateen defines what anti-terrorism experts say is the most serious and increasing threat for the United States  the "lone wolf."

One person, perhaps beset by some mix of mental and personal issues, who "self-radicalizes," proclaiming an affinity for Islamic extremists and acting on it alone with easily accessible high-powered weapons.

That's what investigators believe the 29-year-old security guard from Fort Pierce did last Sunday morning, killing 49 and wounding 53 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to become the nation's worst mass murderer.

For federal agencies charged with thwarting terrorism, Mateen's case underlines the difficulty they face in tracking lone wolves. Before Mateen, there have already been a string of similar loners who have been arrested in Florida, including one man who threatened to blow up a Jewish center in Aventura in April.

President Barack Obama said "it is increasingly clear" that the killer, a U.S. citizen, became "radicalized" by "extremist information and propaganda over the internet"  noting that such lone-wolf attacks are "the hardest to detect."

Some critics say the FBI may have dropped the ball with Mateen, who was investigated twice in 2013 and 2014  first for spewing extremist rhetoric and then for possible associations with another Fort Pierce man who died as a suicide bomber in Syria.

But others working at the front of the nation's domestic war on terror say today's No. 1 enemy, the lone wolf, can be so unstable and unpredictable that it's difficult to track them or predict when or if they might strike  as mass shootings in Orlando; San Bernardino, California, and Fort Hood, Texas, have shown.

Typically, there are no complicated plots for agents to uncover, no communications chatter to offer clues.

"Instead of large-scale attacks on landmark targets, we are now seeing these mass shootings," said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at American University in Washington, D.C. "The problem in these cases is, the perpetrator is committing the crime the second he pulls the trigger. By then, it's too late to stop him."

The horror in Orlando already has renewed political debate about stalled federal legislation that would block sales of firearms to people on the government's terror watch list.

Mateen, who in recent weeks bought an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle and Glock 9 mm pistol from a Port St. Lucie gun dealer, had been on the list but was taken off in 2014 after he was no longer considered a possible threat, the FBI said.

In Mateen's case, FBI Director James Comey said agents opened a preliminary investigation in May 2013 when he was working as a contract security guard at the St. Lucie criminal courthouse. Co-workers had reported that he made some statements that were "inflammatory and contradictory" about terrorism, including claiming family connections to al-Qaida and then saying he was a member of the West Bank terrorist group, Hezbollah, a bitter enemy of the Islamic State.

Using confidential sources, FBI agents followed Mateen, recorded conversations and reviewed his communications  then interviewed him twice.

"He admitted making the statements that his co-workers reported, but explained that he did it in anger because he thought his co-workers were discriminating against him and teasing him because he was Muslim," Comey said during a news conference.

Deemed no longer a potential threat, the FBI closed the 10-month investigation.

In July 2014, the FBI questioned Mateen again, but this time about possible connections to Moner Mohammad Abusalha, who lived in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach and had blown himself up for the Nusra Front in Syria  a group in conflict with the Islamic State.

Agents learned that Mateen knew the man "casually from attending the same mosque" in Port St. Lucie, but the investigation turned up "no ties of any consequence" between them, Comey said.

The FBI director vowed to "look hard at our own work to see whether there is something we should have done differently. So far, the honest answer is: I don't think so."

Vladeck, the law professor, and other experts said national security investigators don't have the manpower or resources to keep a constant eye on every "true believer" or "deranged person" who fits the profile of a self-radicalized, lone-wolf terrorist  with possibly hundreds, if not more, across the country.

"You can't stop them at the border; they're already here," said Miami lawyer Jeffrey Sloman, a former U.S. attorney in South Florida.

"You don't need to go to the Middle East to be trained as a jihadist; you can be influenced by these extremist views on the internet in the confines of your home."
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By Noah Feldman

The first wave of state legislative reactions to the Supreme Court's 2015 decision legalizing gay marriage typically involved state versions of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The motive might have been anti-gay, but the form was hard to criticize legally, since other states and federal law already provided the same religious-liberty protection.

Not so for Mississippi's new law, which gives opponents of gay marriage special protection.

Now facing its first challenge in federal court, it should be held unconstitutional because it violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment by singling out one set of religious beliefs for positive treatment.

Signed in April, the Mississippi law calls itself the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act." It is different from laws in other states modeled on the federal religious-freedom legislation. Those laws seek to restore the status quo as it existed between the Supreme Court's 1963 Sherbert v. Verner decision and the 1990 case of Employment Division v. Smith.

In that golden age, believers were entitled to an exemption from any law that incidentally imposed a substantial burden on their religious exercise, unless the government had a compelling interest not to exempt them and tailored its law narrowly to achieve it.

The federal law and its many state imitators apply equally to all sincere religious believers and their beliefs. The Mississippi statute doesn't.

It begins by singling out three religious beliefs or moral convictions for protection. They are that "marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman"; that "sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage"; and that "male (man) or female (woman) refer to an individual's immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth."

The law then goes on to insulate believers in those principles from a whole range of anti-discrimination actions by the state. These include housing discrimination, employment discrimination and refusal to offer commercial services like photography and flowers to gay couples who are getting married.

It allows any entity to refuse to participate in sex-reassignment therapy or treatment. It also protects entities from having to allow transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding to the sex to which they have transitioned.The law also says that anyone authorized to perform marriages in Mississippi can choose not to perform gay marriages.

What makes the Mississippi law unconstitutional is that it chooses specific religious beliefs for protection. That violates the establishment clause in at least two ways. It favors particular religious beliefs over others. And it sends a message that the state endorses some religious beliefs more than others.

Consider those religious faiths that think gay marriage is fine. They're not being given any special exemptions. Now consider a faith that says interracial marriage violates God's laws. That faith isn't getting any special protection, either. The protection is going only to the specific faiths that condemn gay marriage.

When he was on the court, Justice John Paul Stevens used to worry about the danger that religious exemptions designed to safeguard the free exercise of religion might run afoul of the establishment clause. In the 1986 case Goldman v. Weinberger, involving an Air Force psychologist who wanted an exemption from military regulations to wear his yarmulke, Stevens wrote a concurrence explaining why the exemptions would be a bad idea.

"The very strength of Captain Goldman's claim," he wrote, "creates the danger that a similar claim on behalf of a Sikh or a Rastafarian might readily be dismissed." He concluded that "an exception for yarmulkes"  however reasonable in itself  "would represent a fundamental departure from the true principle of uniformity."

Stevens' concern was that exemptions applied on a case-by-case basis would favor some religions over others. That's exactly what the Mississippi law does.

There's no case law expressly stating that an exemption targeting one type of religious belief is inherently unconstitutional. But that's at least partly because such laws are exceedingly rare. The only vaguely analogous law I can think of is an old Connecticut law that allowed non-Sunday Sabbath observers an exemption from Sunday closing laws. The Supreme Court struck down that law in 1985.

The Mississippi law is an outlier, a case of religious liberty gone so far that it turns into a religious establishment. The federal court in Mississippi should strike it down.

Noah Feldman, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard.
Letter To Justin Trudeau On Canada Re-joining UNCCD

By CBD Alliance

19 June, 2016

Countercurrents.org

June 19, 2016

To Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0A6

justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,



We, the CBD Alliance, the global platform of civil society and academic organisations working on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), congratulate your government for the decision to re-join the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The three Rio conventions including the UNCCD are of great importance to developing countries and Indigenous Peoples. The Rio Declaration that is incorporated in the UNCCD gives States the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. The same responsibility is contained in Article 3 and Article 14 (d) of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

But the biodiversity of developing countries, where many of the members of the CBD Alliance live and work, is being continuously and irreversibly damaged by the emission of greenhouse gases by the private citizens of Canada, by the government of Canada, by the private corporations of Canada operating in Canada and by the Canadian corporations domiciled in Canada and operating in other countries. By continuing to violate the United Nations Framework on Climate Change your government is also violating the Convention on Combating Desertification as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity. We urge your government to abate the damage being caused to the environment of other States and other areas outside Canada by the distribution, consumption and production relations within your jurisdiction.

Furthermore, the Harper government made the decision to pull Canada out of the UNCCD sometime in 2012 with no consultation or publicity. The previous government has claimed that it was part of the plan to cut the deficit, and the decision was a very anti-democratic one. Your government should be better as it has raised new hopes about Canada across the world. We therefore urge you to uphold democracy and withdraw the ban on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] campaign against Israel that started in South Africa and has been taken up in many countries. This is an affront to democratic choices of the people, let alone taking the side of an occupier that violently and systematically degrades the lands of its victims, in violation of UNCCD and more specifically the Principle 23 of the Rio Declaration which states The environment and natural resources of people under oppression, domination and occupation shall be protected.

For ecological movements democracy is the air we breathe. Our sacred environment on which our freedoms depend gets trampled unless there is open and transparent discussion of all public concerns.



With best regards



Anandi Sharan

On behalf of the CBA Alliance Board

Letter in PDF format












Iran Regime Sentences Three Ahwazi Young Men To Public Execution

By Rahim Hamid

19 June, 2016

Countercurrents.org

A senior Iranian regime judiciary official has issued the final confirmation of the death penalty for three Ahwazi rights activists, with another four sentenced to between 25 and 35 years in prison, as well as exile.

Gholam-Hossein Mohsen EieI, the First Deputy Head of the Iranian regimes Judiciary, confirmed the sentences in an interview with the regime-affiliated Moj News Agency, adding that the sentences issued by the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz had been upheld by the Supreme Judicial Court in Tehran on appeal.

Three of the defendants, Qais Obeidawi, Ahmad Obeidawi and Sajad Obeidawi were sentenced to death by public execution. Of the other four, Mohammed Helfi and Mehdi Moarabi were sentenced to 35 years each, to be served in exile from the Ahwaz region (also known as Khuzestan province, the name it was given in 1936) in a prison in the city of Yazd, while Mehdi Sayahi and Ali Obeidawi were sentenced to 25 years each imprisonment. It should be noted that the four prisoners sentenced to lengthy prison terms were exiled to prisons outside the Ahwaz region in June of 2015.

The seven men were arrested in April of 2015 in the city of Hamidieh in the Ahwaz region on charges of killing an Iranian policeman at a checkpoint. They were subjected to kangaroo trials held in secret without being allowed any access to lawyers, a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions. The prisoners have also been prevented from having any contact with their families since their detention.

Human rights activists in Ahwaz, who strongly suspect that the men were tortured into confessing to the crime, a standard regime policy towards detainees, have demanded that the United Nations International Council on Human Rights intervene to prevent the executions from taking place, warning that they are expected to be carried out imminently.

The Iranian regime has stepped up its already brutal oppression of Ahwazi Arabs and other minorities in Iran under the administration of the moderate reformist President Hassan Rouhani. Since coming to power in 2013, Rouhani has presided over the execution of at least 1,800 people as well as public beatings, floggings, and amputations.

The real number of the regimes victims is believed to be far higher than the publicly admitted figure, with many executions reportedly unannounced. With Ahwazi Arabs and other minorities increasingly viewed as a threat to the Islamic Republics leaderships consolidation of a homogenous Persian Shiite nation, the theocratic regime is stepping up its already brutal repression in an effort to crush dissent, as well as implementing a policy of population transfer within Ahwaz as a means of changing the demographic composition of the region.

The rights groups pointed out that the primary goal of such executions is to intimidate further and terrorise Ahwazi Arabs into silence and submission following a wave of protests for freedom and human rights which have swept the Ahwazi, Baluchi, and Kurdish regions.

It is imperative that international human rights organisations and the United Nations put pressure on the Iranian regime to force it to desist from its systematic violence and oppression against Ahwazis and other minorities, and to respect the fundamental human and civil rights of Ahwazi Arabs, including the right to be educated in their own Arabic language, which they are currently denied, as well as the rights to employment, freedom of expression, free assembly and free association, as enshrined in international law.

We urge all human rights organisations and all peoples of good conscience worldwide to raise their voices and to contact their political representatives in order to force the Iranian regime to abandon its unconscionable state-sanctioned policies of racial segregation, oppression and brutality, and to free all prisoners of conscience and individuals detained simply for participating in peaceful demonstrations.

Remaining silent in the face of such monstrous crimes against humanity should no longer be considered an option. In the words of Italian-American human rights activist Ginetta Sagan, silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressor.

Rahim Hamid Ahwazi Arab freelance journalist based in the USA










Kashmir's Exile Poetry: An Aesthetic of Loss

By Basharat Shameem

19 June, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Having been in exile for more than two decades now, many Pandits are taking to poetry and other forms of art to express their profound angst on their life as migrants and a gradual loss of their communitarian identity. In their new found voices, they can be seen yearning for their loss home or paradise while also lamenting on the suffering that the differential experience of exodus brought for their lives. In their poetry, the Pandit poets engage with the multitude of experiences which emanated from their exodus and the subsequent life of being migrants.

The age old traditions of Kashmiriyat had long characterized the socio-cultural milieu of Kashmir as it had been an abode of people of varied religious and ethnic affiliations whose shared ways of living evolved a unique identity known as Kashmiriyat. In its essence, Kashmiriyat is characterized by the universal values of pluralism and tolerance. In this milieu, it was difficult to differentiate between people on the basis of their religious affiliations. However, the rise of militancy in the late 1980s and early 1990s changed the scenario dramatically; the timeless bondage of love and trust between the two communities suddenly received a jolt. The Pandits were suddenly overcome with apprehensions of fear and persecution while the Muslims began to harbor suspicion. Renowned Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahids poem Farewell, which he refers to as a plaintive love letter from a Kashmiri Muslim to a Kashmiri Pandit evocatively, describes this tragic aspect:

At a certain point I lost track of you.

You needed me. You needed to perfect me:

In your absence you polished me into the Enemy.

Your history gets in the way of my memory.

I am everything you lost. Your perfect enemy.

Your memory gets in the way of my memory

Lalita Pandit

Lalita Pandit, another Kashmiri-American academician and poet, reveals this aspect in her poem Anantnag in these lines: What of that? Now you are/ a stranger, an enemy. Ever since their migration from the land of their birth, now almost a quarter of a century ago, Kashmiri Pandits have felt a gradual erosion of their identity coupled with profound sense of rootlessness. The thought and intellectual activities have seen a cataclysmic transformation. The Kashmiri Pandits encountered terrible conditions in their forcibly initiated new life as migrants in their own country. It was a time where history seemed to turn its tables on them. Just as the prominent Kashmiri Pandit poet Subhash Kak writes in his poem Snow in Srinagar about the assault on the Pandit identity by the forces of oppression:

Who knew then that decades later a terror will come to Srinagar

and I will be unable to see my home where I was born

where we had played cowries on many new snows.

The terrorists want us to bury our past

forget the deeds of our ancestors.

The Pandits were forced to live a life of misery in the migrant camps in Jammu and other places in wretched conditions in an unfamiliar climate. These pathetic conditions of living in the migrant camps, coupled with the loss of home resulted in the Pandits, especially their elders being overcome by trauma, depression and dementia. Prominent Kashmiri Pandit poet K L Chowdhary writes in his poem Summer in Exile:

The limbs refuse to carry,

blank goes the mind,

limp and prostrate the body,

the lungs tired,

the heart tardy.

These were the new experiences which the Pandits confronted and engaged with a profundity which now finds expression in their literary endeavours. As they come to terms with their new existence of being cultural and spatial migrants, a new current dominates their literary expressions, one which is spurred by a multitude of tragic experiences that they confront. Different Pandit migrant poets create images and symbols out of these experiences. Their identity, uncertain of its future, is driven by a fast fading memory. In his poem Dear Departed Ancestor, Subhash Kak writes: For while the taps run dry/here in exile,/Vitasta* is only a memory. All this remembrance or memory has to hold itself in a struggle for hope and one of the ways of charting out this struggle is the realm of poetry. And precisely, this is what the different migrant Pandit poets are aiming to achieve in their poetry. The past, which articulates ones identity, becomes almost indispensable to do away with. It has an all-pervasive presence in the lives of these people. It formulates the present of the people snatched of their homeland and identity. It is their past which is enabling the Pandits to sustain the continuity with their roots of belonging while also defining their future as they come to terms with repression and dislocation. Memory becomes a central territory in which the present takes refuge as Subhash Kak writes in his poem The Records of our Lives:

And if memories don't matter, then how do we define

ourselves? How is our responsibility

measured? If our memories are forced

by those around us, how much of credit

is theirs? Where is our freedom?

It is difficult for the Pandits to delineate their past from their present. For instance, in his poem Exile, Subhash Kak writes: Memories get hazy/even recounting doesn't help. K L Chowdhary also yearns for this past in his poem Keys:

Even after a decade in exile

I hang, from my girdle, this bunch of keys,

keys that I carried with me

when I was forced to flee,

keys to my home,

keys to my relics, my diary, my library,

keys that opened the sanctum

where my gods reside

While coming to terms in exile in different parts of the world, the Pandits could still feel the tragic happenings which continued unabated back home in the valley of their birth. As K L Chowdhary writes in his poem The Curse:

That mighty river of life,

the Vitasta,

now a foul gutter,

her bosom laid bare

and unable to hide the secrets

of broken bones and crooked skeletons

of her once daughters and sons.

The idea of loss becomes the new metaphorical ingredient of this type of poetry. Out of its specific set of circumstances, it tries to develop a new aesthetic out of the elements of a lost joy and the current moments of suffering. The joy of past and loss of present find their expression in these lines of the poem Exile by Subhash Kak: The best paradise/is the paradise we are exiled from.

Besides these poets, there are many other migrant Pandit poets, who write in various languages, and express the deep angst of living in exodus, away from the land of their birth. Poetry, like this, throws up new and interesting perspectives with which we try to redefine literature. Poems like these engage with historical experiences which spur them and hence are no way detached from their immediate realms of reality.

Basharat Shameem Lecturer in English Literature, Directorate of Distance Education, University of Kashmir












Neoliberalism: Its Reality Exposed

By S.G.Vombatkere

19 June, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Neoliberalism or free-market fundamentalism

The central dogma of neoliberalism is economic growth, achieved by:

# Increasing competition through deregulation (watering-down of social, welfare, health, labour and environmental laws), and opening domestic markets to foreign competition, and

# Severely limiting the role of the State by privatization of state assets and liberalization of economic policies, simultaneously increasing corporate influence and involvement in governance.

This agenda of economic growth has become the focus of economic thinking and is institutionalized in countries across the globe with impetus imparted by the economic clout of IMF-WB-WTO. The reason that this was accepted by countries across the globe is that it admirably suited the elite politician-corporate nexus which governs all countries, including democracies.

Neoliberalism is personal (corporations are legal persons) profit-at-any-cost from capital-intensive economic growth, reckoned using economic parameters like GDP growth and per capita consumption. This model of economic development promotes debt, global trade and consumerism, subordinating or negating democracy, equity, social justice and freedom. Indeed, Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, speaking at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002), said: Let us face an uncomfortable truth. The model of development that we are accustomed to has been fruitful for a few and flawed for many. A path to prosperity that ravages the environment and leaves a majority of humankind behind in squalor will soon prove to be a dead-end road for everyone.

But IMF-WB continues to advocate neoliberal economics, which is maximum market freedom and minimum state intervention. In effect, government maintains the interests of the ultra-rich, who control government to confine itself to creating and defending markets, protecting private property and defending the realm. Thus government functions are gradually taken over by private enterprise which is prompted by the profit motive to supply essential services, with the aim of achieving corporate freedom from democracy. [Ref.1].

Indias New Economic Policy

Over the decades IMF-WB, as the worlds foremost lending agencies and purveyors of knowledge, have heavily influenced Third World governments. Beginning in the 1970s, WBs global training and outreach programs targeted opinion-makers and decision-makers like central and state legislators, bureaucrats, technical specialists, journalists, teachers and civil society leaders. They were trained in WB Institutes and partner institutions including reputed western universities, in subjects related to economic development. [Ref.2].

WB thus trained influential persons to generate debt and manage it through IMF-recommended structural adjustment, because debt is an efficient tool [which] ensures access to other peoples raw materials and infrastructure on the cheapest possible terms. [Ref.3].

Democratic processes were bypassed and governments influenced at various levels, and public opinion moulded towards a radical change in beliefs and perceptions about the nature of public goods and the balance between government responsibility and private-sector opportunity. All this constituted coercive introduction of neoliberal policies.

Indias New Economic Policy formulated by Dr.Manmohan Singh as union finance minister in 1991, was specifically about IMF-WB-orchestrated economic reform including structural adjustment effected by a slew of measures like currency devaluation, liberalizing the economy, removing subsidies, privatizing public assets, relaxing environmental and labour laws, and deregulating and lowering standards to encourage foreign investment. NEP-1991 was effectively furthered by the thousands of WB-trained opinion-, decision- and policy-makers in governments and educational institutions.

NEP-1991 was pursued with dedication by successive Indian governments over nearly three decades under PMs P.V.Narasimha Rao, A.B.Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. Currently, PM Modis government is aggressively accelerating the same economic policy and widening the economic gap, with unpredictable social consequences.

Opposition to neoliberalism

The effects of neoliberal policies led by IMF-WB-GATT were debt crises, severe environmental degradation and crashing Third World economies. More specifically, it caused reduced public spending on health and education, currency collapse, rising unemployment, rising food and fuel prices, and falling wages. Spontaneous worldwide peoples campaigns opposed the displacement of populations due to mega-projects and consequent environmental degradation. In India, the hundreds of large, medium and small dams in the Narmada river valley constructed with WB loans were questioned by the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

Besides these grassroots movements on all continents, intellectuals also consistently critiqued neoliberal policies, but were rarely if ever given half-decent coverage in the corporate-owned mainstream media. Chile was an extreme case, where opponents of neoliberalism were liquidated in their thousands. [Ref.1].

Neo-liberalism in India

Successive Indian governments over nearly two decades under PMs Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and now Modi, have moved towards a closer political relationship with USA under successive Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama. Politics between and within countries is increasingly driven by economic considerations, and the cutting edge of the strategic India-US relationship, declared as civilian nuclear and defence cooperation, is finally based upon congruence of economic policy.

This policy remains firmly founded upon economic reform advocated and subtly enforced by the IMF-WB-GATT trinity, as built into Indias NEP-1991. It also led to India joining WTO in 1995 without discussion in Parliament. Thus, Indias economic policy position is currently dictated by the IMF-WB-WTO combine, which is largely under USAs control.

Corporate control of government functions in USA has for long been blatantly obvious. In India, beginning with the introduction of NEP-1991, the effects of neoliberal policies have become starkly obvious in the last decade. Neoliberal economics has enlarged the economic gap between growing numbers of Indian dollar-billionaires and the less-than-Rs.20-per-day vast majority.

Neoliberalism is alive and well

In India, neoliberalism has grown strong roots, and Big Money has entered governance, beginning with influencing the election process itself and into all democratic processes, to influence the executive, legislative and even the judicial functions of the State.

The Radia tapes scandal and the on-going Essar/Ambani tapes episode, which alleges corporate collusion with the executive, the legislative and the judiciary to bypass constitutional processes, are very scary to say the least. Since it spans a period of about 15 years including PMOs beginning with PM A.B.Vajpayees period, it is evidence that regardless of the party in power, corporates influence governments in their own interest, and the public or national interest in governance remain a poor second.

Umpteen evidences of neoliberal policies can be provided, but three examples are quoted here. One. Budget. In the budget 2015-16, Rs.5.49 lakh-crores was written off as revenue foregone by government against corporate income tax, excise duty and customs duty. If that is what the present NDA-2 government did, in the period 2005-06 to 2014-15 of UPA rule, the total revenue foregone was Rs.42 lakh-crores, of which customs duty revenue foregone on gold, diamonds & jewelery alone was Rs.4.38 lakh-crores. At the same time, merely Rs.34,700 crores was allocated for MNREGA, and many poor people who had managed to get the guaranteed employment have not been paid their miserable wages for months-long periods. Two. Finance. Vijay Mallya was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 with the support of the Congress & JD(S), and for a second term in 2010 with BJP-backing. His debts are estimated to exceed Rs.4,000 crores with public sector banks, which have kindly assisted him by restructuring his loans, providing fresh loans of public money to pay the interest on earlier loans on which he had defaulted. And he is among the smallest of several corporate captains who are defaulters, together forming the bulk of the growing NPAs of public sector banks. This is evidence of the politician-corporate nexus across political parties. However, the same public sector banks frequently announce auction-sale of properties of persons who have defaulted on loans of one or two lakhs. Three. Transportation. On 16 June 2016, as part of economic reform, the NDA-2 government approved the National Civil Aviation Policy to increase air connectivity, make it easy for new airlines to operate abroad, permit European and SAARC country airlines to operate in India, and plan new airports. It also made air travel cheaper in India. When air travel is the least fuel-efficient transportation mode, and even cheap air travel is possible only for those who are already well-off, investment in this sector clearly favours the wealthy. Cheaper and more fuel-efficient transportation modes to serve the majority receive less investment and attention. In the railways, heavy investment is planned for high-fare bullet trains, when ordinary trains for ordinary people remain wholly inadequate. In UPA times (2013), Government announced that bulk diesel consumers like railways and state transport corporations would have to purchase diesel at market-determined rates, while diesel purchased at fuel outlets (for private car owners) would continue to receive subsidy, displaying the tilt away from greater public good while keeping the wealthy happy.

Over at least the past two decades, there are literally hundreds of on-going peoples movements all over India, protesting against one or other proposed, on-going or completed infrastructure project, or against state and central governments policies and laws which actively violate, deny or dilute peoples constitutional rights and freedoms in favour of corporate interests. The foregoing examples are barely representative.

It is noteworthy that Dr.Manmohan Singh was a WB employee before he became union finance minister and later prime minister for two full terms. Also, when he first assumed office as PM, he immediately nominated Montek Ahluwalia who joined him from IMF as his Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. The present RBI Governor, Raghuram Rajan, was Chief Economist in IMF. This is adequate demonstration how the neoliberal agenda has been very effectively imposed on India.

However, even though neoliberalism is alive and well in India and apparently in the rest of the world too, clouds appear to be gathering on the horizon.

From the temple of neoliberalism

An internal study group of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently reported that their decades-long advocacy and practice of neoliberal economics have serious failings. The Report is titled Neoliberalism Oversold?, with the boldfaced sentence: Instead of delivering growth, some neoliberal policies have increased inequality, thereby jeopardizing durable expansion. [Ref.4].

The Report recognizes that a major effect of neoliberal economics has been to heighten economic inequality between and within nations. As Benjamin Dangl wryly puts it, They were only about 40 years late. [Ref.5].

While the Report claims benefits of neoliberal ideology (there is much to cheer in the neoliberal agenda) it admits that it has not delivered on the following aspects:

# Benefits in terms of growth are difficult to establish,

# The costs of increased inequality are prominent, and

# Increased inequality hurts the sustainability of growth.

Forbes article by Tim Worstall [Ref.6] decries the arguments of failure of neoliberalism by quoting Financial Times: . the article is more a reflection of the vigorous debates under way inside the IMF than an official take-down of the free market policies the fund has long advocated.

One observes that the holy grail of hitherto unassailable Hayek-Friedman economic growth has been questioned from within the temple of neoliberalism itself. Even if one admires the atmosphere of vigorous debate within IMF and the courage of the analysts of Neoliberalism Oversold? , one cannot help surmising that questioning what was unquestionable for 40-plus years is a step towards take-down of [IMFs] free market policies, especially in light of 40-years-long well-argued criticism, and intellectual and grassroots objections to free-market policies.

It is curious that Worstalls supportive article dated May 28, 2016, predates IMFs Neoliberalism Oversold? which is dated June 1, 2016. Notwithstanding that IMF has admitted to certain failings of neoliberalism and not to its failure, the failings that it has admitted to are so central to the success of neoliberalism that it is tantamount to admission of failure.

Benefits and costs

The free market has long been touted as the best means to create growth and lift people out of poverty. Accordingly, the benefits claimed in the Report are:

# Global trade has rescued millions from abject poverty, and

# Privatization of state-owned enterprises has in many instances {emphasis supplied} led to more efficient provision of services and lowered the fiscal burden on governments.

The claimed benefit of rescuing millions from abject poverty is disputable because governments have long been manipulating statistics to show decreasing levels of poverty so as to provide an attractive investment climate which will improve economic growth. The second claimed benefit is qualified by the phrase in many instances, which implies that in many other instances, privatization was not successful if not actually harmful. Also if, as admitted, benefits in terms of growth are difficult to establish, how can efficient provision of services   by privatization of state-owned assets be claimed except for specific instances?

A telling sentence in the Report speaks of uncertain benefits and certain costs: Although growth benefits are uncertain, costs in terms of increased economic volatility and crisis frequency seem more evident. And as Benjamin Dangl puts it: Instead of delivering growth, the report explains that neoliberal policies of austerity and lowered regulation for capital movement have in fact increased inequality and this inequality might itself undercut growth. [Ref.5].

Further, in a masterly understatement, the Report says:  the benefits of some policies that are an important part of the neoliberal agenda appear to have been somewhat overplayed {emphasis supplied}. It also goes on to say,  there is now strong evidence that inequality can significantly lower both the level and the durability of growth, even while the economic gap between the 1% haves and the 99% have-nots widens, and social tensions mount.

The Report states in the very first paragraph, that the phrase neoliberal agenda [is] a label used more by the critics than the architects of the policies. That the authors of the Report use the phrase repeatedly throughout the text indicates that the thrust of the Report is admission of the failings of the neoliberal agenda. Perhaps they claim its benefits (there is much to cheer in the neoliberal agenda ) to maintain their credibility within IMF and ensure the not unfavourable internal review of the Report. However, the fact that the Report has seen the light of day does credit both to the authors and to IMF.

Is the neoliberal ideology unraveling?

The present commentary is written in the hope that governments, economists, teachers and proponents of the neoliberal free-market economy, and the politician-corporate nexus which drives the neoliberal agenda, will begin to understand that the growth-at-any-cost ideology cannot be sustained from the points of view of democracy, social justice, economic inequality, environment (as a source of material resources and a sink for wastes), ecology and climate change. They also need to understand that continuing in the current direction is self-defeating.

Ben Geier opines : Neoliberalism  is not going to be overtaken by another ideology overnight. But the IMF paper signals that the system is starting to tear apart at the seams. [Ref.7].

There are undoubtedly many who may pray that neoliberalism will drop dead tomorrow. They are sure to be disappointed, because it will not. Not even next year. Neoliberalism is a system fathered by its high priest Milton Friedman, based upon an economic paradigm which was created by input of enormous energies, and which grew and matured over decades. It resulted in huge benefit to very few and enormous harm to the vast majority of humans, with irreversible damage to the environment and all other living species.

The publication of the Report Neoliberalism Oversold?, from the very temple of neoliberalism, may be the writing on the wall indicating the terminal decline of neoliberalism. It gives hope to those who believe that democracy, social equity and justice, and freedom are vital for a sustainable future. But when and how it will finally collapse is in the womb of time, but small consolation for the many millions who have died, suffered and continue to suffer the irreversible ill-effects of inequality due to neoliberalism.

For its part, the 99% clearly understand that freedom will never be presented on a platter by the 1% power structure, for no system will be tamely surrendered by those who profit from it. The 99% will certainly renew efforts to grasp freedom with both hands and claim it for its own. But what the 99% will do with that freedom, and what sort of economic system will emerge from the turbulent transition is also in the womb of time.



References

1. Naomi Klein; The Shock Doctrine; The rise of disaster capitalism, Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt & Company, New York, 2007.

2. Michael Goldman; Imperial Nature: The World Bank and Struggles for Social Justice in the Age of Globalization; Yale University Press, 2005.

3. Susan George; A Fate Worse Than Debt; New York; Grove Weidenfeld, 1990.

4. Jonathan D. Ostry, Prakash Loungani & Davide Furceri; Neoliberalism Oversold?, Report of IMF Finance & Development, June 2016, Volume 53, Number 2, pp.38-41.

5. Benjamin Dangl; After Empowering the 1% and Impoverishing Millions, IMF Admits Neoliberalism a Failure; http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/06/01/after-empowering-the-1-and-impoverishing-millions-imf-admits-neoliberalism-a-failure; Counterpunch; June 1, 2016.

6. Tim Worstall; The IMF Has Not Rejected Neoliberalism Nor Austerity: Rather, They've Examined Them; May 28, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/05/28/the-imf-has-not-rejected-neoliberalism-nor-austerity-rather-theyve-examined-them/#7f9889a22986

7. Ben Geier; Even the IMF Now Admits Neoliberalism Has Failed; http://fortune.com/2016/06/03/imf-neoliberalism-failing



Major General S.G. Vombatkere, VSM, retired in 1996 as Additional DG Discipline & Vigilance in Army HQ AG's Branch. He is a member of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). With over 480 published papers in national and international journals and seminars, his current area of interest is strategic and development-related issues. E-mail: sg9kere@live.com












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William and Crystal Schafer

50th anniversary

William and Crystal Schafer of Allendale, Illinois, plan to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary later this fall.

Schafer and the former Crystal Barrett were married June 26, 1966, at First Baptist Church in Princeton, Indiana.

They are the parents of Patricia Siemon of Indianapolis. They have two grandchildren.

They both retired as teachers from Lawrence County, Illinois.
Past Albion Fellow Bacon Award winners from left: Vaneta Becker, Estella Moss, Roberta Heiman, Barbara Williams, Luzada Hayes and Marvaline Prince.

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Staff reports

The Women's Equality Day Committee is seeking nominations for this year's Albion Fellows Bacon Award.

The award will be presented at the annual Women's Equality Day luncheon  noon on Aug. 26 the Old National Events Plaza.

The award is named for noted Evansville reformer and author, Albion Fellows Bacon, and is presented to an individual who has shown "exemplary dedication through his or her active engagement in reform efforts or influence of public policies that improve the quality of life for our citizens."

The recipient is chosen from nominations by a subcommittee of the Women's Equality Day Planning Committee.

To make a nomination, download a form from womensequalitydayevansville.com.

In addition to the form, include two letters of support from two different supporters.

When describing a nominee, the following questions need to be addressed  Why does the nominee qualify for the award? How has the community been positively impacted by this nominee's reform efforts or work to influence public policy?

All nominations are due to Indiana Sen. Vaneta Becker by July 10 by emailing them to vbecker9402@twc.com.

According to Willard Library, which holds a collection of her work, Albion Bacon Fellows actively worked with local charities, two of which evolved into the YWCA and the Visiting Nurse Association.

"She is most noted for her campaign to improve substandard housing, persuading the Indiana Legislature to pass a housing reform bill in the early 20th century. Bacon was also involved with the Indiana Child Welfare Association and the Commission on Child Welfare, as well as other social agencies. Some of her writings recount her career as a reformer, while others relate her spiritual experiences."

Former award recipients include Marvaline Prince, Luzada Hayes, Barbara Williams, Roberta Heiman, Estella Moss and Becker.
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By Crystal Duan, USA TODAY NETWORK, Indianapolis Star

A crowd gathered on the statehouse lawn Saturday as the words, "Present colors!" rang out. Community members lined up holding six rainbow flags as a recording of Lady Gaga singing the national anthem played.

People were there to stand in solidarity with victims of the Orlando, Fla., shootings for the "Hoosiers Unite Against Hate" campaign put on by Freedom Indiana.

Members of the organizations Indy Pride, Indiana Youth Group and the Muslim Alliance of Indiana shared their reactions to the tragic event.

"We cannot let the hate of a single individual force us into silence," said Jason Hinson-Nolen, president of Indy Pride. "We are not going anywhere."

Indiana Youth Group's Kris Posthuma said in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of 49 people at the gay nightclub Pulse that the organization tried to listen to young people's concerns. One said he was afraid he wouldn't be able to live up to his potential, because he identified with the young victims of the Orlando massacre.

Rima Khan-Shahid, executive director of the Muslim Alliance of Indiana, affirmed the fear that the Muslim community lived in but encouraged groups that are hurting to validate one another.

Ruth Hawkins was aware that the Orlando shooter targeted a gay bar, which had implications for Metro, the Indianapolis gay bar she manages.

Hawkins has been associated with the business for the past 11 years. She said she knows her regular bartending duties  but for tending a gay bar, it's much more complex. She, like other owners, knows they have a reputation for safety and giving the LGBT community a place for self-expression. The gunman's actions aimed to destroy that space, she said.

"The gunman attacked someone's home," Hawkins told Saturday's crowd. "This could have happened at Metro. We assumed it would have never happened here."

"It's time our state reps start taking this issue seriously," Evansville's Shawna Fine said after the rally. Fine, a Democratic delegate, was in town for the Indiana Democratic State Convention. Wearing an "Ally" button pinned to her blazer, she said she stopped by the rally because she "wanted to show her support" to Indianapolis residents.

The best way to do that?

"Register your voters to vote!" campaign organizer Katie Blair told the crowd, who cheered back.

Listeners at the rally also held hands, while Hinson-Nolen said the weight of each person's individual hand connected everyone.

"We are united not through hate, but through love," he said.
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By Jessie Higgins of the Courier and Press

For the thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses who gathered in Evansville this month, the downtown construction caused some confusion and headaches. But they're not complaining.

Many are eager for what that construction will bring.

"We will definitely be staying in the new hotel if at all possible," said Jim Leithliter. He oversaw the media department at the Jehovah's Witness annual convention, held in the Ford Center.

"It will be far more convenient," he said.

More than 10,000 witnesses from the Midwestern region made their way to Evansville over the last two weekends for the annual gathering. Though some live close enough to commute, many, like Leithliter, stayed in various lodgings around the city.

Lisa Godar traveled from Murray, Kentucky to attend the convention. She comes every year, she said. This year, she camped in John James Audubon State Park to save money.

"If I have the money, I'd really like to stay in the hotel next year," Godar said. "It would be really convenient. It depends on the price."

New hotel or not, Leithliter said he doesn't see the Witnesses hosting their convention anywhere else. The religious group has held it's annual gathering in Evansville since 2003. The Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates it brings about $2.8 million to the local economy.

"We're kind of sold on Evansville," Leithliter said. "We get a very positive response here. It gets better every year."
Photos by DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS More than 50 volunteers scan the banks of the Ohio River on Saturday morning. They came out to Downtown Evansville for the Ohio River Sweep, a six-state cleanup of the river's banks. Workers came out to collect trash along the length of the river, which runs from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Ill. "Without sounding corny, it's the right thing to do,", said volunteer Nathan Bass.

SHARE Among the volunteers was 7-year-old Audrey Kehler, of Newburgh. The group along the Evansville shore collected truckloads of debris, according to Carl Gist, of the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility. If anything is dropped into a gutter, eventually it will be washed through a storm drain and into the river, he said. "What we take out of here affects what people down the river see," he said. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Carl Gist (right), of the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility, gives instruction to the over fifty volunteers taking part in Ohio River Sweep part of a six-state clean up of the river banks in Evansville, Ind. Saturday morning, June 18, 2016. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Liz Adams of Evansville brings her full trash bag for pick up, Adams was part of a group of volunteers from St. Lucas UCC church taking part in Ohio River Sweep part of a six-state clean up of the river banks in Evansville, Ind. Saturday morning, June 18, 2016. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Over fifty volunteers taking part in Ohio River Sweep part of a six-state clean up of the river banks in Evansville, Ind. Saturday morning, June 18, 2016.

By Jessie Higgins of the Courier and Press

About 60 volunteers scoured the banks of the Ohio River across from Downtown Evansville on Saturday morning, hauling away truckloads of trash.

It was the 27th annual Ohio River Sweep. The six-state event, sponsored by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, encourages communities to clean their sections of the river.

"We hauled out a good three or four truckloads of trash today," said Carl Gist, of the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility. "We had such a great turnout of volunteers this year. What we take out of here affects what people down the river see."

Most of the trash gathered along the river Saturday was washed off Evansville's streets, through storms drains and into the river, Gist said.

"If it collects in the gutters, when it rains it's going to eventually end up in the river," Gist said.

Much of the trash collected during Saturday's three-hour event was plastic bottles and other debris that floats. Though there are always some surprises. One volunteer pulled an old shopping cart from the river Saturday. Nathan Bass and his 10-year-old son, Sam, found an old box television.

"I was surprised at how big the glass was," Nathan Bass said.

Sam gathered the glass into a trash bag while Nathan and another volunteer carried the television to a truck.

This is Nathan and Sam's second time volunteering for the cleanup.

"Without sounding corny, it's the right thing to do," Nathan said.

Evansville and other nearby communities participate in the cleanup every year. Nearby Posey County picks up trash at two locations along the river.

The Ohio River Sweep spans the length of the river, from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois.
President Obama spoke Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Yosemite National Park on the efforts of conservation and preservation as the 100th anniversary of the national parks approaches in August.

SHARE Yosemite Falls was one of the attractions President Obama and his family saw during a visit to Yosemite National Park on Saturday, June 18, 2016.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif.  As Yosemite Falls roared in the background, President Obama spoke to a crowd Saturday on the values of national parks, conservation and preservation of what he called, Americas best great idea.

Less than two months shy of the official 100th anniversary of the national parks, the first family spent much of the weekend in Yosemite, the first trip for a president to the park in nearly 55 years.

You cant view this on your iPad or a flat screen. You have to breathe this in yourself, he said to a crowd of several hundred invited guests. Its a park that captures the wonders of the world. It changes you by being here.

He spoke of seeing nature firsthand, from bears and falcons to deer and bobcats. He described the giant sequoias, waterfalls and granite walls that make Yosemite world famous and encouraged conservation efforts to preserve the natural wonders that have made Yosemite among the most popular national parks  nearly 4 million visitors last year alone.

Obama said his administration, which he noted has helped save 265 million acres of public land  more than any other president  is encouraging more people to visit national parks annually. He promoted the initiative to allow military personnel and their families into the parks for free and started a new campaign this year that gives every fourth-grader in the nation a free pass to explore national parks.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama handed numerous fourth-graders from across California a free pass at a Kids in the Park event prior to speaking Saturday morning.

As the president and first lady were distributing national parks cards, a boy turned to the president and said, "Happy Father's Day for tomorrow."

"Thank you! the president said.

Phillip Kilbridge, CEO of Nature Bridge, a non-profit that helps connect children and national parks, said the group of students in attendance were in awe.

Its unbelievable. Some of them said theyre never washing their hands again, he said. We bring 35,000 kids in the park a year. None have ever met the president. This is an experience theyll never forget.

Californias 27 national parks bring in more than 38 million visitors every year, spending more than $1.8 billion and generating more than $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually to the state. Obama noted studies that showed spending $1 on park maintenance, renovations and projects, brings in $10.

Congress allocated $2.85 billion to the national parks this year  short of the $3 billion Obama requested, and far short of what the agency actually needs. The park service reported last year that its deferred maintenance backlog had grown to $11.9 billion. Yosemite alone had a backlog of $550 million as of September  second only to Yellowstone among the flagship national parks.

Californias outdoor recreation opportunities across the state support hundreds of thousands of jobs and bring in billions in consumer spending. Industry estimates that outdoor recreation in California generates more than $85 billion in consumer spending in the state and supports more than 732,000 jobs.

Obama said he wants to look to the next 100 years. He called the national parks the envy of the world.

"The task of protecting our sacred places is even more important," he said. "We have plenty to celebrate ... but the biggest challenge we will have in protecting this place is climate change."
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TRUMBULL  The Rotary Clubs 16th Annual Sunset 5K Run will be held on Friday, July 22 at Twin Brooks Park

Participants can run in honor of their hero, whether its mom, a close friend, a cancer survivor or someone in the military. Last year, several runners dressed up as Batman, Superman and other super heroes, organizers said.

Online registration is now available at http://www.TrumbullRotary.org. Race day registration begins at Twin Brooks Park at 5:15 p.m. The Kids Fun Run starts at 6:15. The chip-timed 5K race starts at 6:45 p.m. As a special thanks to all who served our country, veterans and active-duty military run free.

This year, the Trumbull Rotary Club is celebrating 50 years of service. Proceeds from the annual 5K Sunset Run go back into the community, funding projects in the Trumbull community and throughout the world.
WESTPORT  The Westport schools will be testing alarm and voice alert systems next week, from June 20 to June 24.

Police said when the testing begins an alert will sound for approximately five minutes on both the internal and external horns at the school.
Curse the darkness, starve a fever, I always say.

Some news stories never cease to please, in that wonderfully twisted way that could foster cynicism, if the insights into the human condition werent so damn amusing. Nor do the stories ever fade away.

It was 12 years ago this week that the Connecticut Supreme Court ordered John G. Rowland to appear before the House Select Committee of Inquiry to testify about free luxury air charters to Las Vegas and Florida worth $90,000, and improvements to his Bantam Lake summer shack in connection with million-dollar tax breaks to the air carrier and a $56-million contract he steered to a New Britain construction company.

Rather than face the music, and imminent impeachment, Gov. John Gee, who once responded to a reporters question in that spring of 2004 with the existential Why should I resign if Ive done nothing wrong? abdicated on that July 1. He copped a guilty plea in federal court five months later, wangling a short 10-month stretch in the slam.

This is the same disgraced former governor who became a two-time loser, after rolling the dice in a federal trial for attempting to evade campaign-finance reporting requirements while advising a losing 5th Congressional District race in 2012. Looking at two-and-a-half years in prison this time, Rowlands appeal of a guilty verdict was rejected Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Rowland is an annuity for news reporters.

I was feeling the same about the nearly two-year saga on Gov. Dannel P. Malloys use of at least $300,000 from the Democratic State Central Committees federal account that supplemented his $6.5-million war chest from the states public election fund in his 2014 re-election campaign.

I thought that maybe sometime around the summer of 2018, the State Elections Enforcement Commission would finally order Malloy, then in his second year as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, to pay back the $6.5 million for accepting supplemental DSCC contributions, despite his signed 2014 promise that he would not accept outside funding.

But no.

Instead, after masterful stalling tactics and an imminent state court ruling that could have opened up the DSCCs aromatic fund-raising protocol for all to see, Democrats and elections officials came to a settlement last week.

Sure, the $325,000 stipulated agreement  meaning the SEEC can take the DSCC to court if the payments arent concluded by the September 2018 deadline  is the largest since the post-Rowland campaign reforms of 2005 created Connecticuts public-financing program.

But the illumination is now extremely limited. Well never know the full extent to which Democrats steered state-contractor cash that is prohibited from General Assembly and statewide campaigns to their federal account so it could be laundered ever-so-lightly and invested in Malloys re-election bid.

Lets go back to something DSCC executive director Mike Mandell said on the witness stand in Superior Court last fall as the party was battling the SEEC to get off the hook. Certainly the threat of revealing information is chilling to our operation, he said.

The agreement between the SEEC and the Democratic Party is weak and toothless, said Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, ranking member of the legislative Government Administration & Elections Committee, which deals with campaign law. It basically just certifies that if you break the rules today, you may pay later, but the election is over.

This has been incredibly frustrating for everyone following it and trying to get the information, said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of the watchdog Common Cause in Connecticut. The agreement is not insignificant. Theres more disclosure and it closes the loophole of a federal account.

Maybe if you go back to that summer of 2014, you can see why the Democrats cared less about the possible future penalties. On Sept. 10 of that year, the Quinnipiac University Poll found Malloy 6 points down to Republican Tom Foley.

During that two-year cycle, the DSCCs federal account accumulated nearly $5 million in contributions, including $1.1 million from 460 builders, lawyers, lobbyists and others prohibited from contributing to statewide and/or General Assembly races.

Charlie Urso, a former FBI agent who was the lead investigator for the SEEC until his retirement earlier this year, said Friday he believes a million dollars from the DSCCs federal account ended up in the Malloy campaign both before and after the governor promised that the only money going into his re-election effort was the $6.5 million from the Citizens Election Program.

If the conduct was proven that Malloy knew that the money was being channeled to his campaign and he willfully signed the application for Citizens Election Program money, that violation would potentially dwarf the Rowland case, Urso said over the phone from his retirement home last week. But since we were not allowed to conduct any investigation, well never know.

Urso speaks from experience, since he was the lead FBI agent who busted Rowland the first time.

Ken Dixons Capitol View appears Sundays in the Hearst Connecticut Newspapers. You may reach him in the Capitol at 860-549-4670 or at kdixon@ctpost.com. Find him at twitter.com/KenDixonCT. His Facebook address is kendixonct.hearst. Dixons Connecticut Blog-o-rama can be seen at blog.ctnews.com/dixon/
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When most people hear the word franchise, their first thought is food. It's a natural reaction, considering how many high-profile franchise concepts are food-related. In fact, our Franchise 500 list this year contained 119 food franchises, representing more than 200,000 individual places to grab a bite, from vending machines and carts to drive-thrus and sit-down diners.

This month, we look at the top food franchises -- a list full of trends, such as spicy flavors (people love their Buffalo wings), wacky food mash-ups (bacon on everything) and over-the-top treats (ice cream with gummy bears). But the leaders of these franchises say they succeed because of other ingredients as well -- transparency, responsibility and sustainability. The traditional attributes of lower calorie' or low fat' are no longer the defining hallmarks for healthy choices, says Firehouse Subs CEO Don Fox. And the determination of what is good for you, for the world -- or what is not -- is a complex and personal mosaic that's different for each customer.
Teams and players to watch in the District 5 boys soccer playoffs

Check out the teams and players to watch and the District 5 Class 1A and 2A boys soccer playoffs open.
Cajun time: Buster Tubbs brings the spice to Tavares

Longing for some Louisiana fare? Consider Buster Tubbs in Tavares, where the secret is in the roux, according to chef and spice-master Pernell Stewart.
Opinion Wordle

The next day I woke to find myself in a WhatsApp group titled Quordle is Awesome!! A small group of three. There was no getting out of it now.
Our ancient political system has lasted because it accepts that nobody is ever wholly right, and that nobody is ever right all the time. No Parliament can bind its successors. Every government knows that, in due time, it will lose office to its opponents who can overturn those changes they feel were wrongly forced on them.

This imposes an important rule on our national debates. We must be conscious that our common nationhood binds us together in these islands. We must be civil to those with whom we disagree, however hard we fight them in debate. We must listen to them if we expect them to listen to us. We must always keep in the back of our minds the possibility that we may be mistaken.

Forget this, even for a short time, and we begin to tread the unpleasant, slippery path that leads inexorably downwards, first to mutual spite and then to despotism.

Our ancient political system has lasted because it accepts that nobody is ever wholly right or right all the time

Now we are in the thick of a monumental contest about the future of our country in which both sides have deployed powerful, persuasive arguments.

Although they have fought their cause from the best of motives, sometimes, as in all such battles, they have let their standards slip: bent their figures, deployed personal attacks, exaggerated here and minimised there.

This weekend, the truly shocking murder of Labour MP Jo Cox has stilled some of the sound and fury of the campaign.

Jo was a strong believer in the British democratic process, and would have wanted voters to exercise their judgment on Thursday based not on emotions, but what is best for the future of this country.

Thankfully, our sophisticated electorate is capable of grieving for her loss without allowing the tragedy  and accompanying theories about her attackers motivations  to influence their decision.

As we near the end of this extraordinarily intense and volatile campaign, we are all about as well informed as it is possible to be about the rival cases.

So what do we know?

Firstly, those who yearn  as many do  for national independence, pure and simple, have learned that this is only on offer at a price.

By any calculation, a United Kingdom which left all the structures, markets, restrictions and protections and rules of the European Union would be bound to face higher tariffs, turmoil in the financial markets and a period of economic uncertainty.

Britain would be compelled to stand and fight alone for its existence in a hard, globalised world where those who cannot survive on their wits quickly fall behind.

The single-minded leaders of the Leave campaign contend that the issue is not, in the end, economic, but that they value independence so highly they are ready to pay any price for it.

So eager are they for a divorce that they are prepared to sacrifice a large chunk of our income, and trade down on living conditions, in order to walk out into a rose-tinted future of freedom.

Though it is interesting that they have been careful to make no such a declaration. Perhaps their reluctance to do so is they know that others  who do not share their passion for estrangement  may also have to pay the price, perhaps with their jobs.

It is not much of a vote-winner to say to the electorate: You may have to suffer for my ideals.

If their calculations are wrong, and leaving the EU does hurt others, will they be ready to face them and tell them it was worth it? This is why the great chorus of economists, businessmen, educators, historians, scientists and others who have urged that we remain in the EU cannot simply be brushed off as if their opinions are so much babble.

People have had enough of experts, sniped Michael Gove in the face of an alliance led by the Governor of the Bank of England, the CBI and the TUC  the most powerful stewards of the British economy, British business and British workers.

As we cannot know the future, it is at least reasonable to listen to those who can prove they have a good understanding of the present and have good knowledge of the past.

So, as we survey the much-pounded political battlefield, what do we see?

Many readers feel Remain has failed to deal with the question of border control and immigration

Many readers will think that the Remain camp have failed to deal with the question of mass immigration and control of our borders. The Prime Minister deserves some credit for toughening up the rules on EU migrants to Britain claiming in-work benefits.

But the overriding impression remains that the EU offered little of substance to Mr Cameron on this subject. It is a grave and continuing worry, not just for this country but for the whole of the EU. In the end it has been this one issue which has kept the Leave campaign united and above water. Without it, they would have sunk without trace.

If we remain in the EU after Thursdays referendum  and Mr Cameron continues to lead the Government  he needs to heed that overwhelming message from the campaign.

If Brussels refuses to make further concessions over the principle of freedom of movement  granting us greater control over who is allowed to live on our sovereign soil  the issue of Europe will continue to contaminate British politics and cripple the essential functioning of the Conservative Party.

Andrew Green from Migration Watch claims an Australian points system would increase immigration

But as we vote, we must consider whether the immigration problem is enough on its own to decide the matter. The Brexiteers are themselves divided and inconsistent on it, even now. How would they handle it if they found themselves in charge in a post-referendum Britain?

Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, in their hearts, are not against large-scale migration as such, though they may have given the impression that they are. For all his protestations, Mr Johnson is not even consistently against the accession of Turkey to the EU that he now appears to oppose.

The enthusiasm of the Brexit leadership for the Australian points system for immigration is misplaced and poorly researched.

Even Lord Green of Migration Watch  an organisation dedicated to radically reducing net migration to this country  has written in this newspaper that adopting this policy would increase overall immigration to the UK. Mr Gove and Mr Johnson have no coherent idea of how they would actually do better if they obtained the control of our borders.

This nebulous promise, made by people who may not be wholly sincere about it, and who in any other circumstances would probably be at each others throats, is not enough to make us take the biggest national leap of faith in living memory. The human heart yearns for simple solutions and uncomplicated choices. The human head knows that, especially in the world we now inhabit, our deepest desires must somehow be moderated to suit the increasingly tough reality of a competitive world in which, though still a great nation, we no longer have the power or the wealth which once allowed us to live in splendid isolation.

Those who would have you believe in the plucky Little England of the past are selling a dangerous illusion.

Between 1950 and 1973, the year that Britain joined what we now call the EU, our economy was the slowest growing in Europe. Since 1973, the growth of national income per head has become the fastest, outstripping Germany, France and the US.

Mr Cameron, pictured, deserves credit for toughening up the rules over in-work benefit for migrants

We have attracted billions in foreign investment for companies looking for a gateway into Europe that enables our companies to export to the Continent free from tariffs and with freedom of movement. Block that gateway and we may stumble and fall.

It may well be that the nationalist ideals espoused by the charismatic leaders of the Leave campaign temporarily thrill the imagination.

But the sloganeering and rhetoric of the wider Brexit campaign  most notably Nigel Farages disgraceful Breaking Point poster  has at times veered into deeply unsavoury territory.

As we highlighted earlier in the campaign, the Brexiteers have been embarrassed by the activities of far-Right fellow travellers, whose bigotry has polluted Leaves authentic concerns about the effects of record levels of immigration. When deciding the future of nations, we require more reasonable men and women who are prepared to resist the clarion call of small-minded self-interest and face the hard slog of negotiation and compromise, and so retain for us those things which have been so skilfully won.

This newspaper believes that this is not the time to risk the peace and prosperity of our nation.

The economy will not implode if we leave, but it is naive to assume  as the Brexiteers do  that the Europe we reject but must continue to trade with will readily cut us a new deal, let alone one better than the one we have today.

We may be lured by the notion of being marginally freer, but we will be significantly poorer. For modern Great Britain to thrive and prosper we must work with, not against, our European partners; we must keep our seat at Europes top table and help shape its destiny; our strong, clear voice must be heard inside Europe, not be shouted from the sidelines.
It's all true: Jo was warm and mischievous and funny and brave and principled and passionate

Everything you have read about Jo Cox is true. She was warm and mischievous and funny and brave and principled and passionate. But she was also tiny. 'Just a slip of a girl,' as my grandmother would say.

Over the past 72 hours, people have kept trying to rationalise. To get into the head of the man who stood over that warm, mischievous, funny, tiny woman and stabbed her and shot her and then kicked her, as she lay dying at his feet. Was he simply mad? Did he have some warped political motive? Was he nursing some poisonous personal grievance?

I don't know what was in his head. But I know what was in his heart. Hate.

One of the many perversions of the modern political process is that when a serving MP dies, the grieving process is measured in minutes, rather than days or weeks. So even before anyone had received official confirmation that Jo Cox had lost her battle for life, the battle to frame her death was beginning.

Three popular narratives have already emerged from that blood- stained pavement in Birstall. The first is that Jo's murder is, in some way, a product of our declining respect for people in public office; we are quick with condemnation, but lazy with appreciation and empathy. The second is that a clear line can be drawn between the brutal nature of our political discourse and the savagery that was unleashed on Thursday. Words may be cheap, but eventually they will be matched with deeds.

The third is the most contested. It holds that there is some link connecting her killing and the EU referendum. That the emotions stirred up by that campaign are now spiralling violently out of control.

I would start by urging caution. It's true that we delight in negative caricatures of our Members of Parliament. 'They're lazy.' No, they're not  MPs are incredibly hard-working. 'They're in it for themselves.' No, they aren't  they are driven by a desire to improve the society in which they live.

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Warning: Nigel Farage unveils his pro-Brexit poster ahead of the EU referendum in Smith Square in London

It's equally true that verbally abusing politicians is now a national pastime, and an increasingly narcissistic one.

No debate is complete without an 'ordinary member of the public' trotting out their rehearsed line about politician X 'being out of touch', to snatch 15 seconds of fame on social media.

But for our democracy to work, it has to be robust. We must be free to disagree passionately, and even within appropriate boundaries aggressively. The most dangerous societies in the world are not those where politicians face overt cynicism, but those where they bask in excess veneration.

People seeking a connection between the increasingly toxic tone of our national debate and the appalling events of last week are on firmer ground. But again, I would urge caution  or at least consistency.

It is correct that hatred is becoming the new currency of British politics. Those condemning the disgusting, racist poster Nigel Farage unveiled just an hour before Cox was stabbed  claiming a mythical army of refugees had brought the nation to 'Breaking Point'  are not acting with the benefit of hindsight.

People have been warning for years we would some day pay a price for Ukip's appropriation of the BNP's fading brand. But hatred is not the preserve of the Right. I was at the Tory conference last year when Left-wing activists spat and kicked Conservative delegates, branded women delegates 'whores', and threatened to rape them.

Labour MPs who are prepared to serve under a leader who calls the terrorists of Hamas his 'friends', a Shadow Chancellor who praises the 'bravery and sacrifice' of the IRA, and share a membership card with people who ask 'What debt do we owe the Jews?' must look to their own movement if they are serious about combating the poison seeping into the body-politic.

Which brings us to the third idea: that the killing was somehow linked to the EU referendum.

I suspect we will never know for certain what motivated the man who murdered Jo Cox. But there are some facts we do have, and they are instructive.

A special unit that searched the alleged killer's house found Nazi regalia and far-Right literature. It is believed they found manuals about the construction and assembly of firearms. Police have confirmed they are pursuing links to extremist far-Right groups. When asked his name in court, he gave it as 'Death to traitors, freedom for Britain'.

In the immediate aftermath of Cox's killing, some supporters of the Leave camp attempted to deny these facts. One wrote: 'Are we seriously being expected to believe that this act of violence by a deranged loner represents a statement on the political climate of Britain?'

No, we are not. Because the suggestion we have at the moment is that he was not merely a deranged loner, but a proto-typical far-Right terrorist. And they have killed and maimed in Britain before.

We have heard much during this campaign of Project Fear. The time has come to talk about Project Hate. Three weeks ago we all woke to the following quote from a pro-Brexit MP: 'I don't want to stab the Prime Minister in the back  I want to stab him in the front so I can see the expression on his face.'

One week later Nigel Farage said that British women risked being raped if we didn't vote for Brexit. At the same time posters began to circulate from the Vote Leave campaign  replete with shadowy footsteps  warning of 55 million migrants entering the UK from Turkey. Last week, as immigration began to slip down the agenda, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove again demanded Cameron 'veto' Turkish accession.

A day after the Orlando terrorist attack, a poster was published by Leave.EU urging people to 'act now' before a similar attack occurred here in the UK.

This followed a warning from Gove that if Turkey were granted access, 'extremists everywhere will believe that the West is opening its borders to appease an Islamist government'. They know what they are doing. Farage. Gove. Johnson. They have always known. That they were opening a Pandora's Box. But it glistened before them so brightly.

Jo Cox has gone. That warm and mischievous and funny and brave and principled and passionate woman has been lost to us for ever

And now we know too. The signs are everywhere. The plunging pound. The increasing panic on the stock market, not to mention the ever more strident attacks on the governor of the Bank of England, and any of the other despised 'experts' who dare to suggest Brexit represents a leap into the darkness.

In some ways, this is the most insidious element of all. The bonfire of reason that now underpins the Leave campaign. Facts, logic, experience  the foundations upon which any rational debate must rest  are systematically dynamited in pursuit of an intellectual abstraction known as 'sovereignty'.

Project Hate has brought us to the brink. Britain  the country we live in this morning  stands on the edge. This time next week it could all be gone. Our economic security. Our national security. Our international security. Imagine if it works. The overt racism. The overt demonisation of refugees. The graphic threats to stab the Prime Minister in the chest. Imagine if that is what constitutes a successful British political campaign in 2016.

We have seen campaigns like that before, but they have always been defeated. Defeated because moderate voices on the Left and the Right united to oppose them. Today there is no such unity.

The voices of moderation have fallen silent. Actually, it's worse than that. They have not fallen silent, but actively joined the chorus of anger and hate.
She is an heiress to one of Australia's biggest fortunes, but James Packer's niece says she won't be following in her businessman uncle's famous footsteps and instead plans to forge ahead as a philanthropist.

Francesca Packer Barham is part way through a psychology degree at the prestigious Sydney University, but the 21-year-old brunette claims her charity work feels like a much more 'natural fit'.

'I love business, I just don't think I'm going to be a casino magnate,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Francesca Packer Barham is part way through a psychology degree at the prestigious Sydney University but the 21-year-old brunette claims her charity work feels like a much more 'natural fit'

Heiress to one of Australia's biggest fortunes, the 21-year-old said she won't be following in her uncle James Packer's (pictured) footsteps into business

The eldest grandchild to media tycoon Kerry Packer, she and her brothers - Benjamin and William - stand to inherit a portion of her mother Gretel's $739 million fortune.

But despite showcasing her lavish lifestyle on social media, Ms Packer Barham is passionate about giving back to the community and strives to enrich other's lives by giving them a glimpse into the world of art and culture.

She was said to be one of the 'driving forces' behind setting up her family's $200 million National Philanthropic Fund, which 'encourages excellence, innovation and creativity in the Arts' and finances indigenous education programs.

The business savvy socialite, who lives in Sydney's Double Bay, also works with the breast and ovarian cancer charity Pink Hope.

Globe trotting: Ms Parker Barham poses with sparkling fairy lights in New York City during a recent holiday

Motherly love: The philanthropist shared a childhood picture of her and her mother Gretel on Instagram

Ms Packer Barham lives alone with her three dogs - Elizabeth Taylor, Louis and Minnie Mouse

The socialite wows on the red carpet wearing a tasteful navy number (left) and flashes some cleavage in a more risque dress (right)

Ms Packer Barham shows off her back in a plunging dress while attending a charity event for cardiac research

The heiress smiles on the red carpet with her grandmother Ros (middle) and mother Gretel (left)

She champions women in business and hopes to use her position in the spotlight to help others tap into their own potential.

'I don't mind the fact that men seem to think they're better in certain situations because I like to think we [women] can do anything they can do, but we can do it in heels,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Ms Packer Barham, who has shunned social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat, said her grandfather would have loved the instant and visual nature of the internet revolution but argued many have reached a point of 'over sharing'.

'Maybe the privacy and over-sharing, he'd be a little bit, 'Woah, what is going on there?' but I think that's how most people would react who haven't experienced the level of openness that my generation seems to find very, very exciting,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

She champions women in business and hopes to use her position in the spotlight to help others tap into their own potential

The 21-year-old regularly shares images of her extravagant holidays, including this snapshot from Cochella

'I don't have Snapchat and I get furious when anyone tries to take photos of me for it,' she added.

The 21-year-old regularly shares snapshots of her Sydney society lifestyle, complete with lavish 21st birthday celebrations in Sydney's Luna Park and countless holidays abroad.

In the past year, Francesca has uploaded photos from Miami, California, Jackson and Devon in the UK, sharing images from trips on James Packer's super-yacht with Robert De Niro to private helicopter flights.

Star struck: She said it was a 'dream come true' meeting Robert De Niro on her uncle's super yacht

But despite her extravagant holidays, Ms Packer Barham told Harper's Bazaar earlier this year that she does not identify with the word heiress

'Everyone on the planet inherits something, so everyone on the planet is an heir or heiress in some way,' she said

In the past year, she has uploaded photos from Miami, California (pictured), Jackson and Devon in the UK

But despite her extravagant holidays, Ms Packer Barham told Harper's Bazaar earlier this year that she does not identify with the word heiress.

For me, honestly, its a term I have never in my life considered relevant to myselfever, not once, she said.

Its just not relevant anymore. Everyone on the planet inherits something, so everyone on the planet is an heir or heiress in some way, she continued.
Said he wanted to reflect on what he has learned about fatherhood

The Duke of Cambridge met with families to talk about mental well-being

Prince William has marked his third Father's Day as a parent by encouraging other fathers to discuss mental health issues with their children.

The Duke of Cambridge displayed once again that he is a natural with kids as he met with families to discuss the importance of mental well-being.

He said he wanted to use the day to reflect on how much he has learned about fatherhood, as well as discussing the issues facing dads in other walks of life.

Prince William has marked his third Father's Day as a parent by encouraging other fathers to discuss mental health issues with their children

He also encouraged fathers to overcome the common hurdle of struggling to talk about their own feelings.

William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry launched the Heads Together Campaign earlier this year to help tackle unresolved mental health problems.

The 33-year-old royal, who is father to George, two, and Charlotte, one, met with a number of fathers and father-figures at a coffee shop in London for breakfast earlier this week.

They included Mark Conneely and his five-year-old triplets Ciara, Michael and Tadgh, who wore headbands in support of the campaign.

William also challenged them with a quiz, where they had to answer questions about each other.

In an article for Heads Together, William spoke of the importance of tackling mental health issues.

He met Mark Conneely and his five-year-old triplets Ciara, Michael and Tadgh, who wore Heads Together headbands in support of the campaign

William, 33, encouraged fathers to overcome the common hurdle of struggling to talk about their own feelings. He is pictured here Brendan Brown and his mentor Carl Reid

He said: 'Today I celebrate my third Father's Day as a father. For me it is a day not just to celebrate how fortunate I am for my young family, but to reflect on just how much I've learned about fatherhood and the issues facing fathers in all walks of life.

'In particular, it is a time to reflect on my responsibility to look after not just the physical health of my two children, but to treat their mental needs as just as important a priority.'

William said that unresolved challenges from childhood can lead to issues such as addiction, suicide and homelessness in adolescence and adulthood.

'While the circumstances of any one situation are unique, it is clear that many families could have been helped if they had found it easier to talk openly about mental health challenges in the home,' he said.

William also challenged them with a quiz, where they had to answer questions about each other. Here he is speaking to Brian Matthews and his son Dante

'It is often said that fathers can often find it hard to talk about their own feelings so there's no wonder they struggle to speak to their son or daughter about the topic.

'But we don't really have a choice. I really believe that a child's mental health is just as important as his or her physical health.'

William said a 'generational shift' had taken place in attitudes to mental health, allowing a better understanding of things that in the past went unacknowledged.

He said: 'A fifth of children will have a mental health issue by their 11th birthday. And left unresolved, those mental health issues can alter the course of a child's life forever.

'So on this Father's Day, I encourage all fathers to take a moment to ask their children how they are doing. Take the opportunity to discuss how you are coping with life and fatherhood with your wife, partner or with your friends.

'And know that if your son or daughter ever needs help, they need their father's guidance and support just as much as they need their mother's.'
Tess Holliday has only had her son in her life for less than a week, but it seems that the model is simply head-over-heels for the tiny tot.

The 30-year-old mom took to Instagram on Friday to share a sweet black and white snap of her newborn son Bowie Juniper Holliday's little feet and to gush about her new arrival.

'Looking at Bowie's tiny feet & thinking about all the amazing places they will take him,' the proud mom-of-two wrote. 'He makes my heart swell.'

Tootsies: Tess Holliday has shared a sweet photo of her new son Bowie's feet on Instagram, gushing about 'all the amazing places they will take him'

Our handsome little guy is here, Bowie Juniper Holliday @nickhollidayco snapped this while I was dressing him to go home  A photo posted by Plus Model | Mom | Feminist (@tessholliday) on Jun 14, 2016 at 11:45am PDT

The photo shows Tess's hand with a glittering manicure, giving the sole of little Bowie's feet a rub with her thumb.

And, according to the model's followers on Instagram, the image also appears to show that baby Bowie's second and third toes on each foot are webbed.

'And his second and third toes are married! My baby boy has those webbies too,' said one fan, while another commented: 'He's gonna be an incredible swimmer!'

The size 22 model and her fiance Nick Holliday welcomed their first child together, Bowie Juniper Holliday, on Monday, June 13.

At the time of his birth, Bowie weighed 8lbs, 10oz. and measured 22 inches long, and the 30-year-old mother-of-two is clearly over the moon about her new bundle of joy.

The baby's name is presumably inspired by the late musician David Bowie whom Tess publicly mourned on social media after his death in January.

Celebration: Tess, 30, and her fiance Nick Holliday welcomed their first child together on Monday. Nick is pictured with their newborn son

Tess took to Instagram on Tuesday afternoon to reveal that they were getting ready to take their new son home.

'Our handsome little guy is here, Bowie Juniper Holliday @nickhollidayco snapped this while I was dressing him to go home' she wrote.

The picture sees Tess gazing down at her newborn son who is wearing a white onsie featuring large stars.

Nick also shared a precious photo of Bowie on Instagram, writing: 'Cats outta the bag! Meet my little guy, Bowie Juniper Holliday.'

In the heartwarming black and white image, Nick and Bowie are nose to nose as they look at each other with love.

Good times: The couple can be seen at their Hawaiian-theme baby shower in May

Putting it out there: The 30-year-old proudly showed off her bump with this nude image posted to Instagram last month as she hit back at critics who claim her weight could harm her baby

The social media star, who was born Ryann Hoven, is already a mom to a ten-year-old son, Rylee, whom she had with a previous boyfriend she no longer speaks to.

Throughout her pregnancy, Tess became an even more vocal body advocate, sharing plenty of candid photos of her growing baby bump as well as nude photos to celebrate her changing body.

The plus-size model would often take to Instagram to hit back at critics who insisted that her baby's life was in danger because of her size. She appears to have given birth a perfectly healthy baby boy.

Tess, who publicly confirmed her pregnancy in January, celebrated her impending arrival in May by throwing a tropical-themed baby shower  which doubled as a housewarming party  and invited her nearest and dearest to come celebrate with her and Nick.

There at their Long Beach, California home, guests were treated to a faux-Hawaiian getaway, complete with straw umbrellas, pineapple-shaped desserts, drinks with cute cocktail umbrellas.

Just a few weeks before she gave birth, Tess spent her Memorial Day weekend flaunting her baby bump in a two piece swimsuit, sharing a photo of herself cooling off in a Los Angeles rooftop pool as she balanced a red Solo cup on top of her stomach.

Total talent: The 31-year-old share this playful snapshot of herself as she balance a red Solo cup on her baby bump over Memorial Day weekend

Proud of her body: Tess, recently posed for a naked photoshoot while seven months pregnant, taking to Instagram a few weeks ago to share one of her nude portraits

'Showing off my #babybump skills,' she captioned the image, which sees her modeling a black bandeau top and black and hot pink striped bathing suit bottoms.

Tess was joined by her friend, make-up artist Priscilla Ono, during her relaxing day at the rooftop at TenTen Wilshire, and the two were filmed with their hands on the pool's steps as they kicked their legs and splashed the water behind them.

In an interview with ET last month, Tess hit back at critics who insist her weight is a danger to her unborn child, claiming that her doctor had just given her a clean bill of health.

'I literally saw my OB/GYN yesterday and everything's fine,' she said.

She added: 'He's happy. Everything's fine and I'm fine.'

Tess also discussed with the publication her decision to post nude photos on social media, despite the criticism she ultimately receives from online trolls.

'The more they don't want to see things like that or are criticizing my body, the more I want to do it,' she said. 'Since you are complaining about my covered-up photo, I am going to give you a nude photo to make you even angrier.'

All good: Tess revealed that the more people criticize her body, the more she wants to post photos

Take that! Tess shared this photo in April as she insisted that she and her baby are healthy

Her latest racy snap appeared on her Instagram on a few weeks ago, featuring the pregnant mom displaying her bump at 37 weeks and poking fun at people who tell her: 'I can't tell you're pregnant.'

She wrote in the snap's caption: 'I will continue to live unapologetically, to thrive in this body, prove the naysayers wrong and laugh at the ignorance.'

It's just the latest instance that Tess has bared her bod for her fans  and critics  as she previously shed her clothes while seven months pregnant to pose stark naked for a sultry new photoshoot celebrating her size 22 figure.

Tess proudly took to Instagram on to share a nude photo of herself, which was taken last month during her shoot with The Telegraph.

When captioning the portrait, Tess used a quote from her interview with the British publication, writing: 'What I want to say to you is that when people told me I couldnt model, I would always think, Ive literally had some of the s****est things happen to me and survived them, so me being a model is not the most ridiculous thing that I have had happen to me. Ive never taken no for an answer.'
Dont believe theres such a thing as a happy housewife? You may be wrong. A recent survey found that on balance, home-makers are happier than women in any other occupation, and a third of women who do work would like to join their ranks.

But what does a typical housewife in 2016 actually do?

We may no longer be warming hubbys slippers, or wearing a frilly pinny, but it seems were very keen on clean sheets (though were happy to let the cat sleep on them) and well invest hours in cleaning the loo to a gleam you could eat your dinner off - even if that dinner is more likely to be microwaved.

Dont believe theres such a thing as a happy housewife? You may be wrong. A recent survey found that on balance, home-makers are happier than women in any other occupation

So is todays average home-maker secretly slumped in front of Come Dine With Me in a drift of pet hair and crusty coffee cups or is she constantly on the move, vacuuming in case a neighbour pops round unexpectedly? You may be surprised...

THE BEDROOM

Most of us change the sheets every two to three weeks, leaving plenty of time to amass bacteria and dirt in our scruffy nests. A recent survey for Yougov found half of us think a fortnightly wash is fine, but a fastidious third launder them once a week.

All women, however, felt leaving bedding to fester for a month was unacceptable. But the average housewife has never washed the pillows or the duvet according to research - an unhappy thought for any house guests forced to lie on Jurassic layers of other peoples bacteria.

And if they suffer allergies, they should probably check into a B&B, as 77 per cent of cat owners admit theres a special place for Fluffy on the duvet.

We may no longer be warming hubbys slippers, or wearing a frilly pinny, but it seems were very keen on clean sheets and well invest hours in cleaning the loo to a gleam you could eat your dinner off

But as central heating provides the perfect breeding ground for fleas which can lay up to 50 eggs a day and have a two-to-three week life cycle, chances are youll be sharing the bed with more than just your beloved pet.

Youre normal if:

You change the sheets at least every two weeks.

You never wash pillows or duvets.

The cat sleeps on the bed, but the dog doesnt.

THE BATHROOM

Loo hygiene is dear to the heart of the average British housewife, with only a quarter of us never changing the brush (and that quarter need to do some serious thinking) and a huge 95 per cent of Hyacinth Buckets happy with the state of their loo when guests visit.

Were also a pretty clean nation, with 65 per cent showering or bathing daily, although the remaining 35 per cent spend 111 days a year without a shower (thats a failure to wash on three days every week), which suggests were living with some fairly stinky companions.

Loo hygiene is dear to the heart of the average British housewife, with only a quarter of us never changing the brush

A further survey found an efficient 88 per cent of housewives change the towels at least once a week, which is a good idea as they are the most germ-infested item in any household, with bacteria that can lead to E.Coli found in over a quarter of bath towels.

And after years of debate on this important subject, 75 per cent hang the loo roll so the paper rolls out from the top, not the bottom. There are no statistics on how many husbands admit to leaving an empty roll on the holder for their wife to change.

Youre normal if:

You always clean the loo before guests arrive.

You change the towels every week or more.

Your loo roll dispenses from the top.

THE LIVING ROOM

If you sit at the dining table for meals then youre in the majority as 64 per cent cite it as our preferred place to eat dinner, although a whopping 70 per cent admit they also sprawl on the sofa, and 58 per cent often watch TV while they eat.

Luckily, the average housewife also cleans the sofa regularly, with 82 per cent cleaning it properly every few months - and with 63 per cent of Brits owning a sofa thats less than five years old, thats just as well.

When it comes to dusting, though, the average housewife is what mothers-in-law used to call a slattern as 90 per cent only dust every few weeks.

Youre normal if:

You let the dog sleep on the sofa.

You eat watching TV - but only sometimes.

You vacuum the cushions on the sofa regularly.

THE KITCHEN

Only use the dishwasher for big meals? Then youre surprisingly average, with 53 per cent of Brits doing the washing up by hand, according to a survey.

And if you grudgingly mop the kitchen floor just once a week, youre very normal with 75 per cent of us doing the same.

When it comes to meal preparation, the average time spent cooking is between 30 minutes and an hour, but dont expect to produce anything fabulous. New research found the average family enjoys a takeaway once a week, and the typical Brit has a repertoire of just six meals they can cook from scratch.

The average housewife admits she doesnt enjoy cooking - 55 per cent of us actively dislike the process, and 56 per cent said they couldnt live without their microwave. And when youre fed up of cooking you may well head out to eat - 67 per cent of over-55s enjoyed dinner in a restaurant in the past two weeks.

Youre normal if:

You mop the kitchen floor once a week.

You cook for up to an hour a day but dont really enjoy it.

You eat as a family at least once a week.

HOUSEWORK

The average housewife over-55 cleans three times a week. She has a well-practised routine, and no young children to mess things up. Each cleaning session takes an average of one hour, 18 minutes.

Brits are split on taking their shoes off at home, with only 45 per cent of women kicking them off as they walk through the front door but when visiting other people, 92 per cent will happily remove their shoes.

The normal household spends 264 hours a year doing washing, with four loads in the machine each week

As for the laundry, the normal household spends 264 hours a year doing washing, with four loads in the machine each week.

And what about division of labour? Well, according to a study from the Institute for Social and Economic Research the average British housewife does an enormous 70 per cent of the housework. In the typical UK household, men are committed to sorting out household bills, taking out the bins, and DIY.

Yet further research from Oxfam discovered 66 per cent of women say they dont want more help in the house, because either theyre happy with the balance they have, or more often, they believe their partner wont do things properly.

Thats Mrs Average - changing the sheets, cleaning the loo, cooking a stir-fry, vacuuming up a storm - and utterly convinced her husband is incapable of helping.

Youre normal if:

You clean three times a week.

You actually secretly like doing the vacuuming.
Women may be scarred for life by comments about their weight made by their parents when they were children, scientists warn

Women may be scarred for life by comments about their weight made by their parents when they were children, scientists warn.

Daughters recalling their parents remarking about their waistlines were more likely to think they needed to lose ten to 20 pounds  even when they werent overweight.

The US study found that well-meaning parents are better off keeping their mouths shut, even if they are worried their child is packing on the pounds.

This is because comments about weight are often predictors of unhealthy eating, bingeing and other eating disorders.

Rebecca Puhl, deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, said: Parents who have a child whos identified as having obesity may be worried, but the way those concerns are discussed and communicated can be really damaging. The research shows it can have a lasting impact.

Dr Puhl says this influence on girls can be particularly destructive because girls are exposed to so many messages about thinness and body weight, and often womens value is closely linked to their appearance.

In the study, published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, 500 women in their 20s and early 30s were asked questions about their body image and also asked to recall how often their parents commented about their weight.

The scientists found that whether the women were overweight or not, those who remembered parents comments were much more likely to think they needed to lose weight.

Professor Brian Wansink, the studys lead author and director of Cornell Universitys Food and Brand Lab, claimed the parents critical comments had a scarring influence.

He said: We asked the women to recall how frequently parents commented, but the telling thing was that if they recalled it happening at all, it had as bad an influence as if it happened all the time.

A few comments were the same as commenting all the time. It seems to make a profound impression.

The US study found that well-meaning parents are better off keeping their mouths shut, even if they are worried their child is packing on the pounds

In the UK, an NHS scheme designed to crack down on child obesity has caused controversy as some claim it labels youngsters as overweight from an early age.

The National Child Measurement Programme calculates the BMI (body mass index) of children in the first and last year of primary school and, if they are deemed to be overweight, letters are sent to parents along with healthy eating advice.
More than seven million Britons will develop cancer, heart disease and diabetes within the next 20 years because they are too fat, a stark report warns today.

It predicts that four in ten adults will be overweight or obese by 2035, equal to just over 40 million people.

This means an extra 4.62 million cases of type 2 diabetes, 1.63 million of heart disease, 670,000 of cancer and 680,000 strokes on top of all those caused by other factors  a total of almost 7.6 million cases.

A new study predicts that four in ten adults will be overweight or obese by 2035, equal to just over 40 million people

And the figures, based on current trends in obesity, do not include other obesity-related conditions such as liver disease and kidney failure.

The report, by the Obesity Health Alliance, warns unless the Government clamps down on junk food firms, a generation of children face a lifetime of disease and early death.

The group, made up of 30 medical organisations including Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Royal College of Physicians, is urging ministers to publish their long-awaited obesity strategy.

Obesity rates in Britain are among the highest in Europe. More than two-thirds of adults are obese or overweight, along with a third of children.

The obesity strategy was due to be published last September but was postponed, leaving food and drink firms to set targets for reducing sugar and calories in their products.

Obesity rates in Britain are among the highest in Europe. More than two-thirds of adults are obese or overweight, along with a third of children

The strategy, which is unlikely to appear until the autumn and may be further delayed due to the EU referendum, is expected to call for a ban on junk food adverts during family TV programmes and for tougher industry targets.

Alison Cox, director of prevention at Cancer Research UK, said: These numbers are shocking.

Its difficult to think of the impact this will have on public health and an already strained NHS. Without bold action, the next generation will face more disease and live shorter lives.

Modi Mwatsama, Director of Policy and Global Health at the UK Health Forum, the charity which compiled the report, said the study was a wake-up call. She added: We cant expect industry to make changes on their own ... Without government action, our children face a life of disease and early death.

Ministers announced a sugar tax on soft drinks in Aprils Budget, due to come into force in 2018/19. Many experts suspect it will not be implemented as the Government will say the industry has done enough to reduce sugar voluntarily.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum charity, urged the Government to publish its obesity strategy immediately after the referendum at the end of the week.

He added: Not to do so would be yet another betrayal by the Government in safeguarding our childrens future health.
Upholding its tradition of dynastic politics, the Congress on Sunday appointed six legislators to the Siddaramaiah governments Cabinet who are either the sons or relatives of senior party leaders.

Seven other MLAs also made it to the three-year-old Cabinet.

Protests broke out in many parts of south Karnataka over the reshuffle, which has angered supporters of many other Congress leaders.

The surprise inclusions were first-time legislators Priyank Kharge (the son of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge), and Pramod Madhwaraj (the son of senior Congress leader Manorama Madhwaraj).

This is absolute injustice I have been a party worker for decades and elected as legislator for multiple terms. It is clear that Kharge lobbied hard for his son. Siddaramaiah had told us that he would not appoint any first-time MLA as a minister. Now, what has he done? The Congress High Command is useless, said Congress legislator ST Somashekar, a ministerial aspirant.

However, Mallikarjuna Kharge, who was present in Raj Bhavan to witness his son taking the oath, dismissed the charges.

It is the prerogative of the CM to decide whom to induct into the Cabinet. My concern is only ensuring that the Congress retains power in the state after the next Assembly elections, he said.

Many Congress leaders have alleged that Kharge arm-twisted Sidddaramaiah into inducting his son into the Cabinet.

Supporters of sacked ministers such as Qamar-ul-Islam and Baburao Chinchansur vowed to ensure the defeat of Kharge and his son in the next polls.

But Kharge seemed unruffled by the protests against him.

In addition to these six new ministers, there are five other ministers in the Cabinet whose families have been in politics and in particular with the Congress - G Parameshwara, HK Patil, UT Khader, MB Patil, and Krishna Byre Gowda. That takes the total number of ministers who hail from political families to 11 in Karnataka.

The Cabinet reshuffle has upset the second largest community - the Vokkaligas (13 per cent of the population) - in Karnataka, as Siddaramaiah sacked film star-turned-politician MH Ambarish and Kimmane Ratnakara (well-known Vokkaliga leaders), and did not appoint anyone in their places.

Though senior legislator M Krishnappas name figured in the list of probable candidates, he was denied a Cabinet berth for unknown reasons. This led to widespread protests in the Vokkaligas-dominated south Karnataka districts of Mandya, Bengaluru and Mysuru.

Supporters of Ambarish and Krishnappa staged road agitations and disrupted vehicular traffic. It is said that Krishnappa and his son Priya Krishna (also a legislator), along with six other legislators, including RV Devaraj, ST Somashekar, and Bairathi Basavaraju, may tender their resignations in protest.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis security will get more canine power soon, as the elite Special Protection Group (SPG) has decided to double the strength of its dog squad by the end of this year.

The SPG has asked the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to train two batches of dogs a year.

The Crack K9 Wing of the SPG needs more dogs for the PMs security, in view of the heightened threat perception. The dogs being trained by the ITBP are experts in sniffing explosives and detecting improvised explosive devices.

The SPG has asked the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to train two batches of dogs a year. (Pictured: Labrador Retrievers march with their handlers from the dog squad of Delhi Police.)

The SPG K9s, formed in 1984 by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, are entrusted with ensuring the safety of the PM and other VIP subjects.

A batch of SPG Labradors and German Shepherds have passed out from the ITBPs National Training Centre for Dogs ( NTCD) in June this year.

Due to an urgent operational need to employ more trained dogs, SPG is seeking ITBPs help to bring their K9 wing at par with the ITBP Crack K9 dogs who were the only ones selected by the US Marines to dove-tail with the Navy Seal Dogs during the visit of the US President in January 2015 and the French Premier in January 2016, in secret operations code named Op Obmo and Op French Toast, respectively, said a security official.

The next batch of dogs will begin training in July, but security officials did not want to divulge details of the exact numbers due to security concerns.

The dogs are trained intensively to ensure they can detect explosives, before being sent to the 'Crack K9 Wing' to protect VIPs including the Prime Minister

Earlier this year a small batch was trained by the ITBP, after which another group were also sent to their dog training school in Bhanu near Chandigarh.

The dogs are enrolled in the gruelling 24-week training programme when they are four months old, and by the time they complete the training they can get the whiff of even a minuscule amount of explosives.

Keeping in mind the changing dynamics of security the training methods modules are designed to keep pace. Not only sniffing but these ferocious dogs are trained for assault and reconnaissance patrols as well, said an official.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said agriculture and education must go hand-in-hand to build a developed India

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been in Punjab to lay the foundation stone of IIM Amritsar. He said education and agriculture will have to go hand-in-hand for Indias development, as has been the case in countries like Japan and South Korea.

IIM-Amritsar, the 15th IIM in the country, had previously been operating from a temporary facility.

Jaitley said the government and private companies will have to join hands to take the education sector forward in Punjab.

Mega yoga event in Chandigarh

The majority of the Union ministers will be practicing yoga on Tuesday on the second International Yoga Day with PM Narendra Modi, who will be in Chandigarh for the event.

The ministers will be leading various programmes hosted by the government across the country during the mega event, including 10 of them concentrating on poll-bound UP.

The 57 ministers include Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, among others.

Swaraj: Abducted Indians are alive

The 39 Indians abducted by ISIS in Iraq in June 2014 are still alive, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said.

The minister dismissed reports about their killing and insisting that efforts to trace them are ongoing.

In her annual press conference, the External Affairs Minister said the government was was trying its best to ensure the safe release of Judith D'Souza, an aid worker and resident of Kolkata, who was abducted by suspected militants in Kabul on June 9.

Time is ripe for party-hopping

Come the elections, politicians start hopping from one party to another. As polls approach UP, two Samajwadi Party leaders joined BJP on Sunday.

Local SP leaders Maninder Pal Singh and Rahul Yadav joined the saffron party along with their supporters in the presence of UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya at the partys headquarters.

Sources said some more leaders from other parties may join the BJP in the coming weeks.

Gadkari gives ethics class

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has asked party workers not to hanker after ministerial positions and said senior functionaries should demonstrate ethical conduct.

His comments came at a party event where sacked former minister Eknath Khadse, who was removed over corruption charges, was also present.

Gadkari further appealed the party workers to devote themselves to organisational work and the national cause.
Delhi University has rejected a right to information query about PM Modi's degree from the varsity

Delhi University has once again rejected a right to information query on PM Narendra Modis BA degree, citing privacy reasons.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who had alleged that Modis degrees were fake, said that the latest development deepens the mystery around PM Modis degree.

This deepens the mystery around PMs degree. If DU feels that it is private info, then under RTI Act, DU shud write to PM and seek his permission. DU cant reject, tweeted the Delhi chief minister.

DU, as a matter of policy, seeks to maintain the privacy of every student as it holds the data pertaining to a student in a fiduciary relationship with the student concerned, the RTI response from the university read.

What? But why? Didnt Amit shah n Jaitley ji say that degree was genuine and anyone cud take it from DU? Kejriwal said in a tweet.

This is the second time Delhi University has refused to release information on PM Modis degree.
In what appears to be a significant move to shed the RSSs anti-Muslim image, ambassadors from nearly 140 countries - Muslim and non-Muslim allies of India - have been invited by a Sangh Parivar organisation to attend an international Roza iftar party at Parliament House Annexe on July 2.

The event is being organised by the RSS-propped Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), a body of Muslims patronised by Sangh pracharak Indresh Kumar. Pakistan has been included on the invite list.

This years iftar party is intended to be truly international in flavour owing to the large number of foreign representatives.

The iftar party, an initiative by the RSS-propped Muslim Rashtriya Manch, will see more participation from foreign countries this year

According to Kumar, the move should not be seen as a political ploy, but rather a way to profess to the world that in times of communal strife India is a country where all religions and shades of people have co-existed in harmony.

The MRM, which is an organisation of - and for - Muslims, have organised this mega international iftar party. Muslim intellectuals from across the country would be participating in this event, apart from representatives from Muslim as well as non-Muslim countries. The aim is to tell the world that Indian-ness and the Indian culture are an umbrella under which people from all nationalities and religions live with equal rights and dignity. India is a symbol of world peace, Kumar told Mail Today.

The last Prophet had himself said that in times of internal and external disturbances, the spiritual waves of peace and calmness come from the east, from India. He said this nearly 1,400 years ago. India is a ray of hope and peace for the Muslim world. I hope this is the line of approach of all the speakers at the party, Kumar added.

However, the RSS pracharak distanced the Sangh from the event.

It is being organised by Muslims and for the Muslim community. The Sangh does not organise iftar and this is not being done by the RSS either, Kumar said.

Meanwhile, MRM chief Mohammad Afzal also talked to Mail Today, claiming that the scale and canvas of this years iftar had been expanded way beyond last years event.

This time we have invited ambassadors from over 140 countries, including Pakistan. Also, the intellectual cream of the community in India would be attending, such as IAS, IPS officers and vice-chancellors as also the Vice-President of India. We will be going and meeting them in person to extend our invitation. Not just Muslim, but non-Muslim allies and friends of India have been invited, he said.

Afzal said members of PM Narendra Modis Cabinet would be taking part in the event, as well as representatives of the RSS.
The prospect of India entering the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was met with cautious optimism on Sunday.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she hoped there would be a consensus soon for Indias membership to sail through.

The crucial plenary meeting of the 48-member nuclear group is scheduled to be held on June 24 in Seoul.

Sushma Swaraj said India has asked China to judge its membership bid not on the basis of criteria, but on its credentials

Sushma Swaraj said that South Block is on a diplomatic mission to garner support, and the minister herself has been dialling the numbers of her counterparts in at least 23 countries, some of whom have doubts and questions.

Mission

Earlier the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed what Mail Today had first reported that Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had undertaken a quick secret visit to Beijing. The Ministry confirmed that Jaishankar met with his counterpart and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on June 16 and 17.

Elaborating on the agenda of the meeting, Sushma Swaraj added that India asked China to judge its membership bid not on the basis of criteria, but on its credentials.

She reminded that procedures and criteria had already been addressed when India was granted a special NSG waiver in 2008 that allowed it fuel and nuclear technology.

In his meeting with the Chinese foreign minister, the top Indian diplomat drove home the point that India had been meeting all international safeguards and standards since 2008 and its nuclear non proliferation record is impeccable.

Responding to a Mail Today question, Sushma Swaraj clarified that New Delhi is not in a position to block Pakistans possible entry into the nuclear club at the moment since India is yet to join itself. And in future India would not be a roadblock to Pakistan or any country whose membership should be judged on its own merits.

China has so far raised objections, and this time publicly, to granting any specific exemption to a non-NPT signatory country, which includes the likes of India, Pakistan and Israel.

South Africa, Turkey, and Austria are among the other nations that need to be wooed.

Much will hinge on Narendra Modis meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) Summit meet in Tashkent next week.

The meeting scheduled just around the time when the bureaucrats will be huddled at the Seoul meeting, might be able to bring China on board, as was done with American persuasion in 2008.

Asked if not getting into the NSG would mean any serious loss, Sushma Swaraj stressed that there is a difference in sitting inside and outside a room.

And for Indias declared goal of switching to 40 per cent non fossil fuels, at least one third of nuclear energy would be needed. Countries would also need stability to partner with India, which the NSG full membership could help attain.
Giving the usual pomp outside Congress headquarters a miss, the Youth Congress celebrated Rahul Gandhis 46th birthday by reaching out to poor students in Delhi and Mumbai, and comforting cancer patients.

In Delhi, Youth Congress members offered to pay the annual fees for 31 students of Delhi University who were on the verge of dropping out in their second year of graduation due to financial hardship.

Whenever and wherever anyone has required any kind of support, we have been there to help, said Youth Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja.

The Youth Congress spent Rahuls 46th birthday reaching out to poor students and comforting cancer patients

The Youth Congress activists also donated a water cooler and paid the monthly grocery bills of children at the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, Alipur.

In Mumbai, city Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam led party workers to Bandra Hospital to spend time with cancer patients and distributed fruits and food items among them.

Later, party workers gave out notebooks to deprived children from the Borivali area of the city.

In the morning, Rahul met senior leaders at his residence and later went to the party headquarters to interact with workers, who had gathered to wish him well.
Poachers and traffickers are using code-words to deal in protected animals online, officials have revealed.

A senior central government official said the online sale of animal parts is conducted through popular shopping and free ad-posting sites, various company websites, and even via social networking sites.

On June 15, authorities in Uttarakhand arrested a 19-year-old who was sold a protected species of turtle on the e-commerce website OLX.com.

An Uttarakhand teenager was recently arrested for selling Indian Star Tortoises on OLX.com

Another young man had uploaded an advertisement to sell a bunch of Indian Roof turtles on OLX. The demand for such animals is quite high in Delhi, where the teen was trying to sell them.

A strict vigil is being kept on various websites, which are being used to sell such animals. However, it is impossible to keep a complete check as new websites pop up every day. Legal issues arise when trading is being done on a website hosted outside India and in most of the cases, sellers use fake ids and change their IP to operate, said Triveni Singh, additional superintendent STF.

Earlier this month, Singh cracked a group of poachers who were involved in killing deer and selling their horns.

Singh explained that to escape the police radar, traders are using code-names for animals and their parts. He also blames websites for being negligent and allowing such advertisements to be uploaded without filter.

There are over 400 protected birds and animals, but the websites and portals do not even know it. They are selling animals and their parts not knowing that even they are party to the crime, Singh said.

Tokay Geckos, a protected species, are sold in significant numbers online due to high demand

A senior Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) officer also confirmed that there are over 200 websites being used to trade in animal parts.

WCCB is a statutory multidisciplinary body established under the ministry of environment, forests and climate change to combat organised wildlife crime in the country.

People use code-names such as aloo (potato) for musk deer, kola (banana) for elephants tusk, etc. Despite the ban on all ivory ads, traders sell it using code-words, a senior WCCB officer said.

He added that these code-names are frequently changed to stay away from the police net. For example, as soon as a law enforcement agency catches on to white gold as a code for ivory, a new code-word pops up.

Even People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) monitored a similar coding used by sellers on the OLX site.
Belvoir founder: Mike Goddard spent 17 years in the RAF ending up as a Wing Commander

Mike Goddard spent 17 years in the RAF, ending up as a Wing Commander at a base in South Wales. At the age of 45, he decided he had had enough of military life, left with a tidy sum of cash and founded Belvoir, a property rental business.

That was in 1995. Today, Belvoir Lettings is the largest franchise-operated lettings group in the UK with 301 high street sites and more than 54,000 managed properties.

The shares are 121p, dividends are generous and the stock should do well whatever the outcome of Thursdays referendum.

Goddard adopted a franchise model within the first year of founding the company because it allowed him to expand the business faster.

He also believed that franchisees would be more committed to success, as they are, in effect, running their own mini-businesses.

Under the Belvoir system, franchisees pay an upfront fee to be part of the group, they are responsible for leasing and running their individual agencies and they pay 12 per cent of their annual turnover to the parent company.

The remaining 88 per cent is theirs to keep, so the better they do the more money they make and the more cash flows to Belvoir.

In return for giving up some of their turnover, franchisees receive a number of benefits, including regular training, constantly updated legal and regulatory advice, access to the Belvoir group website and a range of marketing materials. They also gain the kudos of being part of a well-known, established brand, which tends to attract both landlords and tenants.

The system clearly works as Goddards first franchisee, based in Elgin, North-East Scotland, is still with the company after 21 years, while turnover among other franchisees is minimal.

Belvoir also won an award as Lettings Franchise of the Year last week, the sixth time it has taken gold position since the award began seven years ago (and the only time that it did not win, it came second).

This award is particularly valuable in the lettings world. Most of Belvoirs landlords own one or two properties and they expect the company to manage these flats and homes on their behalf.

Treating both landlords and tenants well is a crucial ingredient in this regard and Goddard works hard to ensure that his franchisees provide consistently good service.

For many years, Belvoir existed as a single brand but last year it acquired two smaller franchise operators, Goodchilds and Newton Fallowell, and two weeks ago the group announced its biggest acquisition to date, Northwood, for up to 22 million.

Franchise model: The Belvoir brand, which has 300-plus outlets, attracts landlords and tenants alike

Northwood brings 86 outlets and 17,000 properties to Belvoir, cementing its number one position in the UK. Size matters in this industry because larger groups can secure better deals with suppliers and websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove.

Cost savings can be made with headquarters and office functions and the deal puts Belvoir in pole position for further consolidation in the property franchise industry.

Altogether, about 3.5 million properties are let in the UK so Belvoir, with 54,000 managed sites, still has just a fraction of the market, the bulk of it being made up of small, local players. Over time, this is expected to change.

Smaller agents may sell and even large operators, such as Martin & Co or Winkworth may join forces with Belvoir. Meanwhile, Northwood is expected to enhance Belvoirs figures from the start.

Brokers expect 2016 profits to increase by 58 per cent to 3.8 million, rising to 4.7 million in 2017. The dividend is expected to go up from 6.8p in 2015 to 6.9p for this year and 7p next year.

Praised: Belvoir also won an award as Lettings Franchise of the Year last week

Goddards policy is to ensure that each brand within the group retains its name and identity so outsiders would not necessarily know they are part of the same business. This not only allows Belvoir to operate several agencies in the same area but it also fosters competition among the franchisees.

The transaction comes at an interesting time in the rental market, just months after Chancellor George Osborne changed the taxation on buy-to-let properties so landlords could claim only basic-rate tax relief on mortgage interest. Fortunately, most of Belvoirs landlords own their properties outright so they are unaffected by the move.

Franchisees report that business remains robust and an update earlier this month said trading in the first five months of the year had been encouraging.

The company is also expected to benefit from continued demand for rental accommodation, given the shortage of housing stock.

Goddard is keeping an eye on developments online too. Most tenants come to the group from searching online but landlords tend to prefer face-to-face contact with lettings agents.

Midas verdict: Belvoir floated on the junior AIM market in 2012 at 75p and had a chequered early start, with several board changes and some disappointing results.

Now however, Goddard is firmly in charge with an extremely competent finance director, Louise George, at his side.
Renewing his call to reduce gun violence, President Barack Obama characterized easy access to weapons as 'unconscionable' Saturday, less than a week after the worst mass shooting in US history.

The President has resurrected his plan to ban so-called assault weapons, in the aftermath of the Florida nightclub shooting.

'Even after we see parents grieve for their children, the fact that we as a country do nothing to prevent the next heartbreak makes no sense,' Obama said in his weekly radio address, which fell one day ahead of Father's Day.

Forty-nine people were killed and 53 were injured when a gunman opened fire early Sunday at Orlando, Florida's Pulse nightclub, armed with a legally bought assault rifle.

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President Obama on Saturday renewed his call to ban so-called assault weapons, in the aftermath of the Florida nightclub shooting and other recent terror attacks on U.S. soil

The gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in the packed gay club, pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group before being killed in a police raid.

'Being tough on terrorism, particularly the sorts of homegrown terrorism that we've seen now in Orlando and San Bernardino, means making it harder for people who want to kill Americans to get their hands on assault weapons that are capable of killing dozens of innocents as quickly as possible,' Obama said.

The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, a self-radicalized Muslim who pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, used a handgun and a Sig Sauer MCX assault rifle in the massacre.

Congress in 1994 passed a ban on semi-automatic weapons like the one Mateen used inside Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. However, the ban expired in 2004.

In a similar incident, a man and wife opened fire in San Bernardino, California, on a Christmas party in December, killing 14 people in a separate mass shooting.

As Democrats ramp up their attack on so-called 'assault weapons' the NRA has hit back with a video by former Navy SEAL Dom Raso explaining why the AR-15 is a common sense weapon for self-defense

'Like all dads, I worry about my girls' safety all the time. Especially when we see preventable violence in places our sons and daughters go every day -- their schools and houses of worship, movie theaters, nightclubs, as they get older.'

'It's unconscionable that we allow easy access to weapons of war in these places,' Obama said.

An effort in Congress led by Senate Democrats and pushed by Obama after the 2012 mass shooting inside a Newtown, Conn., elementary school to reinstate the ban ended in bitter defeat.

'Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad,' Obama said earlier this year when announcing his own efforts, through executive action, to tighten gun control.

Obama's renewed push comes at the same time Senate Democrats are trying again for tougher gun-control laws.

On Thursday the president traveled to Orlando, where he met with the families of the victims and demanded that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control.

'We need our kids to hear us speak up about the risks guns pose to our communities, and against a status quo that doesn't make sense. They need to hear us say these things even when those who disagree are loud and are powerful,' Obama said Sunday.

Raso described the weapon as 'easy to learn and easy to use' and explained again, for those who don't get it, that the Second Amendment doesn't have a thing to do with hunting

Meanwhile, the NRA lobby is already gearing up for the fight over Second Amendment rights, releasing a 5-minute-long video this weekend featuring a Navy SEAL veteran named Dom Raso.

'Let me say something to every political hack pretending to know an AR-15 from a double-barrel shotgun, in the wake of the Orlando attack,' Raso says.

'For the vast major of people I work with, there is nothing better to defend their homes against realistic threats than with an AR-15 semi-automatic.'

Raso described the weapon as 'easy to learn and easy to use' and explained again, for those who don't get it, that the Second Amendment doesn't have a thing to do with hunting.

He also chastised presumptive Democrat presidential nominee for her stance on banning the firearm.

'Being tough on terrorism -- particularly the sorts of homegrown terrorism that we've seen now in Orlando and San Bernardino -- means making it harder for people who want to kill Americans to get their hands on assault weapons that are capable of killing dozens of innocents as quickly as possible,' Obama said in his address

'Hillary Clinton says 'weapons of war' have no place on our streets and that we need to ban AR15s immediately,' he said in the five-minute video.

'She knows AR-15s are a powerful defense against radical Islamic terrorists,' Raso continued. 'That's why she's been surrounded by guards armed with them for the past three decades.'

'The only way for us to stay free was by having whatever guns the bad guys have,' Raso said. 'This firearm gives average people the advantage they so desperately need and deserve to protect their life, liberty, and happiness.'

Remembering his time in the SEALs, he said, 'I fought this enemy face-to-face for 12 years, I know how they think, and I know the hatred that burns inside them.'

Donald Trump has been endorsed by the NRA, but the presumptive GOP presidential nominee told Fox News on Wednesday that he wants to meet with the group to discuss barring people on the terrorism watch list from buying guns.

About 71 percent of Americans, including eight out of 10 Democrats and nearly six out of 10 Republicans, favor at least moderate regulations and restrictions on guns, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Monday to Thursday.
A man was killed by his wife's father and brothers because they disapproved of their marriage, Pakistani police said.

Muhammad Irshad, 43, reportedly had his throat slit in the middle of a marketplace in the Punjab city of Burewala on Friday, officials said today.

Each year, hundreds of Pakistani woman are murdered by family members who claim to be punishing them for perceived wrongs, but it is rare for men to be targeted in such attacks.

Pakistani activists hold placards during a protest against honour killing in Islamabad

Mr Irshad married Mussarat Bibi, the daughter of a rich local agricultural family, 12 months ago but later fled the area, fearing his in-laws would kill him.

He was attacked when he returned to see his parents, police said.

'The assailants were armed with knives and hatchets and after inflicting several wounds on Irshad's body they slit his throat,' district police chief Ghazi Salahuddin told AFP.

A manhunt had been launched to find Mr Irshad's in-laws, who remained at large, he added.

Last week 16 year-old Zeenat Bibi was killed in Lahore by her mother for marrying a man of her own choice in a case that sparked condemnation throughout the country.

It was swiftly followed by another killing, of a couple in Lahore who married without their family's consent.

On Thursday relatives slit the throat of a young mother who was pregnant with her second child after she married against their will in the village of Buttaranwali, some 46 miles north of Punjab provincial capital Lahore.

On Sunday a young girl was killed by her brother for insisting on marrying the man of her choice in the city of Sialkot, also in Punjab.
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The music was thumping and crowds were dancing on Saturday at gay pride events across the United States, with some revelers saying the partying was proof that people won't give in to fear after last weekend's attack at a gay nightclub in Florida.

Festivals and parades went ahead under increased security in cities such as Chicago, Columbus, Ohio and Providence, Rhode Island, a week after a gunman fired on a crowd at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The attack left 49 people dead.

Parades were also held in New Orleans and Syracuse, New York, and a beach party was planned in California.

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A youth group carry letters speling out 'Orlando' during the Gay Pride Parade in Syracuse in upstate New York on Saturday

A woman holds a sign remembering Orlando shooting victim Jean C Nives Rodriguez while marching in the New Orleans Pride parade, on Saturday

A group of people in white shirts hold white signs with the names of Orlando shooting victims during the Wilton Manors Stonewall Festival, a yearly Parade commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York. This year it's honoring the Pulse victims

Thousands gathered at Capitol Park in Boise, Idaho, for the annual PrideFest rally and parade Saturday afternoon

Brandon Chauvin from Louisiana shows off amazing face paint as a participant in the New Orleans Pride parade

As security was tight at events over the weekend, authorities set up security fences, bag checks, and police officers rode Segway scooters and walked with bomb-sniffing dogs. No serious problems were reported at gay pride events across the country.

At Chicago Pride Fest, security staff meticulously checked bags, unzipping each and every pocket, and extra police patrolled on foot.

The annual two-day street festival in the Boystown neighborhood draws thousands of revelers and serves as a warmup to Chicago's even bigger Pride Parade the following weekend.

Attorney Kavita Puri said that after Orlando shooting, the Chicago event took on even more importance.

'I wouldn't call it defiance,' she said. 'I wouldn't call it perseverance. I would call it just living your life and not being scared to live your life.'

By noon on Saturday, a D.J. had already cranked the music to ear-splitting volume, energizing a crowd that included young clubbers, families pushing children in strollers, and retirees.

The only outward sign of the Orlando attack was a makeshift memorial of flowers, rainbow flags and candles clustered on a street corner a few blocks away.

The attack was on Cheryl Hora's mind. The school bus driver from suburban Rolling Meadows, Illinois, said her son, a drag performer, had done a show at Pulse in October and has a close friend who lost a cousin in the attack.

A group of people walk through the streets carrying a rainbow-colored cloth during the New Orleans Pride parade

Parade participants in New Orleans hold up signs with names of Orlando shooting victims, including Christopher Andrew Leinonen and Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado

Police escorts pictured in New Orleans. Festivals and parades went ahead under increased security in cities such as Chicago, a week after a gunman fired on a crowd at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The attack left 49 people dead

A group of cheering parade participants, many adorned with rainbow-themed items, are pictured in New Orleans

A sign with the logo of the Pulse nightclub hangs on the entrance of Mags 940 Bar in New Orleans, Louisiana

Her son was performing Saturday at the Chicago festival, and Hora  wearing a button with the words 'I love my gay son'  said it was important for her to turn up and cheer him on.

'We're just down here to support him,' she said. 'We thoroughly believe in what he's doing and thoroughly believe in his happiness.'

In Syracuse, upstate New York, thousands of people attended a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride parade and festival on Saturday.

Marchers with colorful face paint, glitter and rainbow capes marched through the streets under a heavy police presence.

In New Orleans, more than a hundred people led a gay pride parade holding aloft hand-scrawled posters for LGBT rights and pictures of the Orlando nightclub victims pasted on pieces of colored paper.

The parade kicked off Saturday night in the French Quarter. It's the highlight of a weekend of festivities tempered by sadness over the Orlando shootings.

Participants said they are celebrating the progress of the gay rights movement while honoring and mourning the victims.

Frank Bonner and Pedro Egui wore matching American flag tank tops as they stood with their arms around each other outside a bar called the Phoenix where the city's pride parade would pass. Bonner and Egui both had Orlando on their minds.

'I never imagined this,' said Bonner. 'I have many friends in Orlando. I didn't lose any. But I'm...' he shook his head and his voice trailed off.

'It's really hit me hard,' said Equi, who said he lost a partner to suicide a couple of years ago. 'It's like all the grieving is sort of seen again,' he said. 'So I'm happy to be here to celebrate life and celebrate all of us.'

Local sheriff's deputies were posted outside the Phoenix. And in the French Quarter, a strong police presence was evident.

Ahley Newman, of Boise, waves a rainbow flag during the Boise Pride Festival on Saturday outside the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise

Father Fred Daley, center right, carries a sign supporting the people of Orlando during the Gay Pride Parade in Syracuse, New York

Hunter Kusak, of Syracuse, New York, holds up the rainbow flag during the Gay Pride Parade in Syracuse on Saturday

Barbara Spencer, left, dances with her daughter to Uptown Funk before the start of the St Joseph Gay Pride parade on Saturday in Missouri

Drew Milligan, front, of Providence, and Graham Stokes, of Exeter, Rhode Island, hold a flag while listening to music at Rhode Island PrideFest in Providence on Saturday

A gay pride event participant in Chicago stands in the street while in costume. At Chicago Pride Fest, security staff meticulously checked bags, unzipping each and every pocket, and extra police patrolled on foot

Security was tight elsewhere, too. At a pride event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, police patrolled by car, bike and on foot, and enforced a clear bag policy to keep suspicious items out of the street fair, WZZM-TV reported.

In Denver, about 2,000 people took part in the PrideFest parade through town to Civic Center Park as hundreds of people lined sidewalks.

Ron Freeny, a Vietnam veteran, said he drove to Denver from Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Sunday's parade.

Freeney said he was forced to resign as a Navy lieutenant commander in 1978 after someone told military officials that he was gay. The military said he could resign or get court-martialed.

'The country has made a lot of strides since then, but there are still some people in the military that have a dislike for our kind,' he said.

Providence patrolman Patrick Hourahan looks over the crowd as he works a detail assignment at Rhode Island PrideFest on Saturday

A security guard checks a woman's purse at the entrance of Gay pride event in Chicago on Saturday

Dona Rives, left, and her wife of three years Jelyna Rives hold an equality flag during the St Joseph Gay Pride parade in St. Joseph, Missouri

A group of gay pride participants march through the street as they pass the state Capitol in Denver on Sunday

Patrick Mulligan, who was wearing a rainbow hula skirt, said he has lived in Denver all of his life, but never attended a PrideFest parade, a tradition in the city for 40 years. He said he is not gay, but he wanted to show that hate and fear will not define him.

'After Orlando, I think everyone needs to show support,' he said.

In Columbus, Ohio, Pride Parade grand marshal Lana Moore, a retired firefighter who is transgender, said there was heightened resolve in the aftermath of the Orlando attack, which was carried out by a gunman who had expressed hatred of gay people and sympathy for Islamic extremists.

'This is America and we're a free people,' Moore told the Columbus Dispatch.

The Columbus chapter of Muslims for Progressive Values marched in the parade for the fourth time. Group founder Frank Parmir told the newspaper that they were trying to combat the hatred felt toward gay people.

'It has to stop,' he said.

Two dancers perform in the street during gay pride events over the weekend while wearing leotards that read 'BE'

Em Whitwell, 14, joins a throng of people at the annual PrideFest rally and parade in Boise, Idaho

Revelers toast champagne to kick off New Orleans Pride festivities at Napoleon's Itch Bar in Louisiana on Saturday

Members and supporters of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities enjoy at Gay pride event in Chicago

At the 40th annual Rhode Island PrideFest, extra police and fire personnel patrolled on foot.

The mood was festive, with several people donning capes made from rainbow flags. Some carried signs that read: 'We stand with Orlando.'

Shay Pimentel, who has volunteered at PrideFest for three years, said this year's event was calm. There's more security, and there are fewer attendees, she said.

'I think some people might be scared with everything's that happened,' Pimentel said.

Some said the Orlando attack struck a blow to the community in contrast to last year when the LGBT community celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

At a parade and festival in Syracuse, New York, Mary Gillen wondered if a safer environment for gays in recent years was under threat from divisive political rhetoric.
A man who owned a gun shop was fatally shot by one of his students in a conceal and carry class.

James Baker, 64, who owned the Kay Jay Gun Shop in Amelia, Ohio, about 20 miles east of Cincinnati, was accidentally shot in the neck on Saturday around 1pm as he sat in another room during a gun class.

The student has not been identified. Officials say the shooting was an accident

Gun shop owner James Baker (above) was accidentally killed when a gun discharged in one of his classes

The Kay Jay gun shop sold all sorts of guns and rifles and 'builds full auto machine guns for law enforcement, military, and government customers only'

The Kay Jay Gun Shop (above) was the scene of tragedy on Saturday when it's owner was accidentally killed by a student

A gun shop owner was shot during a conceal and carry class at his store, he was shot through the neck

According to the gun shop's website, the class taught basic pistol safety, gave attendees range time and reviewed Ohio's gun laws. 'Seats available for this weekends Tactical Rifle/Carbine class. First class of the year so this one will cover a lot of the basics in the first portion of the class and we'll go up from there,' said a post about the class on the shop's Facebook page.

The student was practicing weapon malfunction drills when the bullet went through a wall and killed Baker.

'He loved the community and he wanted to protect [it], that's why he did what he did,' friend Anita Fritz told WCPO.

The gun shop manufactured both firearms and ammunition and sold the KJ class of rifles

The business holds a Type 07 and Type 06 federal firearms license allowing it to manufacture both firearms and ammunition. It also holds a Class 72 Special Occupation Taxpayer license, which is needed to manufacture firearms regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934 that placed tighter restrictions on fully-automatic weapons and other categories of firearms, according to Cincinnati.com.

The shop advertises that it sells the Ares Rifle, the KJ-M4, and 'builds full auto machine guns for law enforcement, military, and government customers only.'
Harriet Wran, the daughter of former political icon Neville Wran, has reportedly told her family she wants them to abandon her as she faces charges of murdering a drug dealer.

Wran, 28, is charged with being a principal in the second degree to the 2014 murder of Sydney drug dealer Daniel McNulty, and has told her family that supporting her through her trial, which begins on Monday, would be too hard for them, The Daily Telegraph reports.

But her mother, Jill Hickson-Wran, has sworn to give her support regardless.

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Harriet Wran, who's due to face trial for murder beginning on Monday, has told her family to abandon her, as it will be too hard for them

Jill Hickson-Wran, Harriet Wran's mother, has sworn to stand by her daughter during the trial despite Ms Wran's comments

Harriet Wran has been in prison awaiting her trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court as he bail was refused

Former State Labor Leader Neville Wran and his wife Jill. Mrs Hickson-Wran has vowed to stand by her daughter

Wran, the daughter of deceased former NSW premier Neville Wran, whose estate was estimated at $40m, is also charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and robbery in company.

She's been in jail for the past two years after being refused bail, waiting for her trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court.

It is alleged that on August 10, 2014, Wran, and two others - Lloyd Edward Haines and her then boyfriend Michael Lee - murdered McNulty in a drug den.

Lee changed a plea of not guilty of murder to guilty less than a week before he was due face trial, the Telegraph reported.

Harriet Wran was allegedly involved in the murder of a known ice dealer, Daniel McNulty (pictured)in 2014

Since being in jail, Ms Wran has written letters to former boyfriend Dennen Chew, revealing she regretted ever using the drug ice

Since being in jail, she's written letters to former boyfriend Dennen Chew describing the conditions, apologising for the way their relationship ended and telling him she wished she had never used the drug methamphetamine, also known as ice.

The letters revealed Ms Wran was told not to write to anyone she had used with, but she decided to ignore those orders, The Sunday Telegraph reported

Jail is pretty much what youd imagine  a dirty, tiny cell with a waifer (sic) thin mattress, creepy writing all over the walls and a metal toilet in arms length from the bed, Ms Wran wrote.

She was concerned with putting on weight in jail because 'theres little else to do in here except eat.

The young woman goes on to explain she is allowed to study via distance from jail.

Ms Wran's family has hired eminent barrister Phillip Boulten SC and solicitor David Giddy to represent her.

Ms Wran's family has hired eminent barrister Phillip Boulten SC and solicitor David Giddy to represent her

Neville Wran poses with his wife Jill, daughter Harriet and a guest at a charity event in 2005
The biochemistry student later said it was a 'big mistake'

She said the cash was from sex work and the drugs were for 'personal use'

A biochemistry student found dealing drugs first told police the bags of cocaine and MDMA in her home were for 'personal use' and that the wads of cash were made through prostitution.

Student and sex worker Madeline Christine Sawyer, 19, pleaded guilty to dealing with suspected proceeds of crime and six counts of supply and possession in Campbell Local Court, after it was revealed she was selling drugs to her friends and clients.

The University of Western Sydney student's home was searched after she and a fellow student, Al Khafaji, were pulled over by police who found drugs in the car and text messages indicating that she was also dealing, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Madeline Sawyer, 19, was found to be dealing drugs and working as a prostitute while studying biochemistry

Police found 28 capsules of MDMA, 11 grams of cocaine and 11 bags of methamphetamine inside her home, as well as $3660 in cash, which Sawyer initially claimed was made through sex work.

Her lawyer told the Sydney Morning Herald she regretted lying to police and had done everything she could to made things right following the 'big mistake'.

Text messages between Sawyer and Khafaji - where he ordered more drugs and she responded with 'no worries' - sparked the investigation, but police found further evidence of her drug dealing and sex work after properly sifting through her messages.

Sawyer's lawyer said she regretted lying to police and had done everything she could to made things right following the 'big mistake'

Police found 28 capsules of MDMA (left), 11 grams of cocaine (right) and 11 bags of methamphetamine inside her home, as well as $3660 in cash, which Sawyer claimed was made through sex work

Sawyer was studying biochemistry at the University of Western Sydney (pictured) when she was arrested

Sawyer had been in communication with her clients and sent a message to someone who had sampled her cocaine 48 hours before her arrest asking how the 'rack' went, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The 19-year-old also divulged that she sold cocaine for around $300 a bag.

Sawyer will be sentenced at Campbelltown Local Court on Monday.
Andrew Lloyd Webber: 'I have made my mind up. Despite sharing a mountain of misgivings with the Brexiteers, I believe it is vital that we remain'

Only six months ago I was reminded of the frustrations of Britain being a member of the EU. My show, Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom, opened at the Stage Operettenhaus in Hamburg, the culmination of months of hard work.

Alas, the first night was marred by an unfortunate breakdown, the direct result of EU working time directives. A separate production of Phantom in Germany will soon close for similar reasons  36 days paid holiday and up to 42 days paid sick leave is too much for the show to carry!

In my maiden Lords speech nearly 20 years ago, I pointed out that tickets to my shows in some EU countries cost twice as much as they did in Londons West End. The gap has come down, though only because Brussels regulations have forced us to raise our ticket prices closer to theirs.

There are so many examples of cirrhotic EU bureaucrats meddling that make theatre producers apoplectic, you could almost write a play about it  though it would have to be a farce. It is the same in every industry, making even the most staunch pro-European teeter towards Brexit.

I should say here and now that, in my view, the June 23 referendum should not be taking place.

David Cameron should have sought a postponement last autumn when it was clear Vladimir Putin, through his military action in Syria, was deliberately fuelling the migrant crisis. Putin knew it would strain Europe to breaking point and stir up old enmities along the way. He eyes Brexit with glee, knowing that if we quit Europe, there is a good chance it will hasten his dream of the break-up of the EU.

I am sure I speak for millions when I say I have found it very difficult to make up my mind. The quality of debate has not helped.

I am not alone in deploring the extremist rhetoric deployed by both sides. For Leave, Boris Johnson invokes the name of Hitler. For Remain, Cameron warns of a recession if we dont stay in.

Lord Saatchi recently summed up the dilemma we voters face when he said: To remain is too frustrating. To leave is too dangerous.

So should we remain or leave?

I have made my mind up. Despite sharing a mountain of misgivings with the Brexiteers, I believe it is vital that we remain.

On June 23, we need to think back further than last years migrant crisis. My generation have been the lucky ones. Our parents and grandparents tended to view Europe through their generations experiences of Ypres or the Normandy beaches on D-Day. My generation tends to see it as a holiday destination, a trading partner, somewhere to work or live.

Only six months ago I was reminded of the frustrations of Britain being an EU member. The opening night of my show, Love Never Dies, in Germany was marred by breakdown due to EU working time directives

But there are new dangers with chilling echoes of the Europe our parents and grandparents knew.

Austria has recently missed electing an extreme Right-wing president. Marine Le Pen could become president of France next year. The far-Right has made advances in Norway and Finland. Nationalists run Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Happily, today Germany and Britain are not at each others throats. But the Putin-fuelled refugee crisis has undermined Angela Merkel, once the most powerful and stable politician in Europe, and the German far-Right is back in business.

Never has it been more important for the moderating voice of Britain to be heard loud and clear at the heart of Europe.

Within Europe we can influence. Outside we cannot.

I have made my mind up. Despite sharing a mountain of misgivings with the Brexiteers, I believe it is vital that we remain

According to some polling experts there are a large number of people known as shy Remainers, who do not shout their views from the rooftops. They are like the shy Tories who won the Election for David Cameron despite the political cognoscenti suggesting otherwise.

I am happy to out myself today as a not-so-shy Remainer. Yes, to remain in the EU will mean more frustrations, but I honestly believe that to leave at such a parlous time could be catastrophic.

IT is impossible to ignore a moderate like the former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk when he says: As a historian, I fear that Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also of Western political civilisation in its entirety.

OK, hes president of the European Council, but such an extreme statement from an eminently reasonable man has to be considered seriously. Perhaps it is not as astonishing as it seems.
It's been a sombre few days for politics. The tragic death of Jo Cox has shocked everyone in Parliament and in the referendum campaigns. All our prayers are with her family.

But even in the face of this terrible news, on Thursday the country will take the biggest decision for a generation.

What happens next if, by Friday morning, Britain has narrowly voted to leave the EU?

Chris Grayling: If Britain votes to leave the EU, the first thing is that there is no need to panic. Nothing changes the day after and until the formal leaving process is over

The real answer lies with the Prime Minister and the Government. But as Leave campaigners, we must give some answers too.

The first thing is that there is no need to panic. Nothing changes the day after and until the formal leaving process is over.

The commonly accepted way to leave is in Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the document governing the EU.

We give notice and then have two years to agree our future relationship. After that, we leave automatically unless we and our partners agree to take longer.

So the starting point should be a period of informal preparation. The Prime Minister should set up the negotiating team, preferably with a cross-party element.

He should have informal talks with other EU leaders. We should state clearly that while we will leave the EU, we will remain co-operative neighbours and continue to work side by side in organisations such as Nato.

The Prime Ministers position remains immensely important. Its why I have always said he must stay on in the event of a Brexit vote.

He will play a vital role in maintaining stability in the markets, and his personal relationships with other EU leaders will be invaluable. Then the formal process begins.

The first priority is talks on trade. Other EU countries may be upset, but they will come round in the end.

The Prime Ministers position remains immensely important. Its why I have always said he must stay on in the event of a Brexit vote

Money and jobs are always a priority for politicians, and we are their biggest customer. European businesses will want to retain free-trade access to the UK  their biggest export market.

One in five cars built in Germany is sold here. Thousands of French farmers produce food for the UK.

In the end, it will be in everyones interests to agree a free-trade relationship. The formal period for the exit talks is two years. There is no reason why this should be difficult.

It may have taken seven years for the EU and Canada to reach a trade deal. But they had to negotiate new industrial standards and rules.

We have no such issues. UK businesses already conform to EU standards. The deal can be done quickly.

Then there will be changes to our laws, for example the scrapping of the Act of Parliament that took us into the EU.

At the end of all of this, people will still holiday in Spain or travel round Europe.

Airlines will fly as normal. Youll still buy French cheese or Italian wine. Roaming charges will continue to disappear.

London will remain a great cosmopolitan city. Companies will still sell their products to people around Europe, as they do now.

But from the moment we leave, our 350 million a week EU subscription stops, giving us extra cash for priorities such as the NHS.

We take back control of our laws and Britain will be a proud independent nation again.
A trio of World War II heroes, who have been best friends since 'grammar school', graduated from high school together more than 70 years after the war.

The three war veterans, Julian Lopez, Lupe Malacate, both 90, and Tony Romero, 88, collected their diplomas from Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles on Monday, according to Fox News Latino.

Lopez's wife, Henrietta, who is 89, also received her high school diploma.

The three war veterans, Julian Lopez (right), Tony Romero (center) and Lupe Malacate (left), collected their diplomas from Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles on Monday, 70 years after serving in World War II. Lopez's wife, Henrietta (second right), who is 89, also received her high school diploma

All three men, who have been friends since 'grammar school', were drafted in 1944 to serve in World War II, which forced them to drop out of school

All three men, who have been friends since 'grammar school', were drafted in 1944 to serve in World War II, which forced them to drop out of school, according to Fox.

Henrietta, who Julian when they were 15 years old in junior high science class, was also forced to quit school because she was prohibited from attending after she married Lopez just days before he was deployed to fight in the Pacific.

'Oh, my God, we feel so grateful,' Henrietta Lopez told Fox News Latino about graduating.

'I didn't believe we were going to do this. I still can't believe we did it. I'm sure there were a lot of young men who were ready to graduate, and they didn't.'

Julian told NBC 4 that he was 'more nervous' before the graduation ceremony 'than when they drafted me'.

The graduation was setup by Julian's daughter, Connie Miranda, who pushed the Los Angeles United School District to recognize the four as graduates.

Their graduation was setup by Julian's daughter, Connie Miranda, who, through a year-long process, pushed the Los Angeles United School District to recognize the four as graduates

The three heroes are pictured 70 years ago before they were drafted into the war. Lopez is pictured (left) along with Romero (center) and Malacate (right)

Miranda told NBC that she believed 'anybody who served their country is entitled to all the benefits'.

'Each of their families was so excited,' Miranda told Fox News. 'It was like a normal graduation  we wanted the balloons, confetti and the party. It was so much fun.'

Christian Garcia, 28, was there to see his grandfather, Malacate, graduate.

Malacate told Garcia he felt nervous because there were so many people there.

Garcia, who is Malacate's only grandson, told Fox that he was 'very proud' of his grandfather, adding that Malacate 'served in the military as a Latino back then during a difficult time'.
Donald Trump's campaign urged its supporters to donate $100,000 in just one day Saturday, as it geared up against a multi-million-dollar ad blitz from Hillary Clinton.

'Right now we're facing an emergency goal of $100,000 to help get our ads on the air. We need your contribution by 11:59pm. Tonight,' an email from Team Trump read according to CNN.

The message warned Trump's supporters that Clinton was about to 'invade' their television screens with ads attacking their preferred candidate, but assured them that his team was preparing to 'fight back'.

Clinton and her Democratic allies have invested at least $41 million in commercials in crucial states such as Ohio, Florida and Nevada over the next six weeks, a series of summer broadsides against her Republican opponent.

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Donald Trump (pictured speaking in Dallas, Texas on Thursday) and his campaign urged supporters to donate $100,000 in just one day Saturday to fight back against an ad blitz planned by Hillary Clinton's team

Those messages will be echoed by hundreds of Clinton workers in those same states and amplified by President Barack Obama and other top Democrats.

Meanwhile Trump did not begin raising money in earnest until May 25, having largely financed his primary bid through personal loans to his campaign, and now appears to be playing catch up.

The email sent Saturday pledged to blast Clinton for her role in the 2012 Benghazi attack, the FBI investigation into the private email server she used while she was secretary of state, and the integrity of those who donated to her campaign.

Trump has made few preparations for contending with the well-oiled political machine displayed by Clinton.

His campaign has no advertising plans and is just now hiring employees in important states.

Republican leaders are far from in agreement on how best to talk to voters about the polarizing billionaire, or if they will at all. And Trump is running out of time: early voting starts in Iowa in just three and a half months.

'It's political malpractice,' said Mitch Stewart, Obama's 2012 battleground states director and a Clinton backer.

'He's in for a rude awakening. This isn't a national vote contest where you can be on cable news every day and dominate coverage. This is literally going state by state and coming up with a plan in each.'

Clinton (pictured earlier this week at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and her Democratic allies have invested at least $41 million in commercials in crucial states such as Ohio, Florida and Nevada

Clinton's large June and July ad buy comes as a reward for her near-constant fundraising. In May, she raised $27 million in primary election money that must be used before she accepts her party's nomination at the convention in late July.

Her latest spots, highlighting her past advocacy for children, are an attempt to reintroduce the returning presidential candidate  she lost the 2008 Democratic primary to Obama  to general election voters.

Her campaign is spending about $23 million on ads by the convention, according to advertising tracker Kantar Media's CMAG.

But those voters are also hearing from Priorities USA, a super political action committee financed by millions of dollars from Clinton's staunchest supporters. The goal of those that $18.7 million batch of ads: cast Trump as a con-man and bully unprepared to be commander in chief.

'When I saw Donald Trump mock someone with a disability, it showed me his soul. It showed me his heart,' says the father of a young girl with spina bifida, whose story is featured in one of the ads.

It's a strategy Democrats successfully used four years ago against Obama's GOP opponent, Mitt Romney. Over that summer, Priorities USA relied on an intensely negative advertising campaign to define Romney as unconcerned with the worries of average Americans.

Now, facing an opponent with far higher negative ratings and a weaker political organization, Democrats see an opportunity not only to retain the White House but make a strong play for winning control of the Senate and adding scores of Democrats to the House.

In the past week, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren have lined up behind Clinton.

Trump has struggled to win over much of his party's establishment and lacks that kind of a bench behind his message. Many top Republicans, including Romney and past Presidents George W Bush and George H W Bush, do not plan to attend the party convention in July. Others refuse to answer questions about their nominee, largely leaving Trump to defend himself.

'Donald Trump has people hiding under rocks hoping he doesn't know where they are,' said New York Rep. Steve Israel, former chairman of the House Democrats' campaign arm.

For example, in critically important Ohio, where the state GOP backed Governor John Kasich's failed presidential campaign, party officials have been unwilling to throw much support behind Trump.

Kasich, who had signed a pledge to back the Republican nominee, recently told MSNBC he 'just can't do it' unless Trump makes some significant changes.

Marc Short, a Republican strategist who advised Florida Senator Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign and previously led political operations for the billionaire Koch brothers' network of conservative donors, said Trump would be in a far stronger position if he weren't still getting organized.

'He has been underestimated throughout the process, so I'm hesitant to be too judgmental,' Short said. 'But it is always better when everyone is singing from the same song sheet.'

Trump, who has belittled the need for endorsements, has signaled a willingness to go it alone if he believes the Republican leadership is undermining him.

'Republicans, either stick together or let me just do it by myself,' he told a rally this past week in Atlanta.

Clinton's long-cultivated donor network and commitment to fundraising gave her a running start on general election staffing. She began sending employees to Ohio and other states months ago. Trump, who plans to rely on Republican National Committee support, has few, if any staff singularly devoted to his campaign in any of the most competitive states.

Clinton's aides argue their early investment will pay off in the final weeks of the campaign.

Data analyzed by Obama's campaign in 2008 showed the enthusiasm of his supporters in the last six weeks was higher in areas where the campaign's local operations got an early start, according to former staffers.
An elderly man was repeatedly punched in the face after he asked a passenger to stop smoking on a Gold Coast bus.

The 71-year-old man was travelling via bus from Tweed Heads to Southport with a female friend on Saturday night.

A group of six men in their early twenties boarded the bus at Tugun at about 11.15pm, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

An elderly man was repeatedly punched in the face after he asked a passenger to stop smoking on bus at Palm Beach (pictured) on Saturday

The 71-year-old man was travelling via bus from Tweed Heads to Southport with a female friend on Saturday night (stock image)

One of the men started smoking on board and was asked by the elderly man to stop.

An argument broke out at Palm Beach and the man punched the 71-year-old in the head and face, before the group fled the scene.

The victim was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital where he is still recovering from facial injuries, the publication reported.

Police described the attacker as 175cm tall, Caucasian, with short blonde hair and wearing a white jumper.

Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
PRISON DRAMA: Harry Potter star Noma Dumezweni

She has braved controversy as the black actress chosen to play Hermione Granger in the new stage show Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.

But the row over the casting of Noma Dumezweni  a furore dismissed as 'racist' by Potter author J. K. Rowling  is nothing compared to the real-life drama of how her family fled apartheid South Africa, arriving in Britain as political refugees.

Dumezweni, a mother of one who is acclaimed for her roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, says she has been encouraged by 'texts from mums saying how huge it is for their daughters that I am playing Hermione'.

The play, which is now previewing in London's West End, is set 19 years after the last Potter book, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

What the actress rarely talks about, however, is how she arrived in Britain in 1977, with her younger sister Mandisa.

Her mother, Nomanono Isaacs, has told the full story in her self-published book Escaping Apartheid: A Letter To My Mother, revealing how her family had been displaced by the white authorities in 1959 and she had gone on to marry an anti-apartheid activist, Thami Dumezweni.

The young couple were forced to flee in 1968 after he came to the attention of the South African Special Branch and Nomanono was threatened with imprisonment on Robben Island Prison if she did not betray him to the authorities.

On one occasion she was interrogated by men who threatened to beat her, while she saw men who had clearly been tortured.

The couple fled with a couple of bags and Nomanono's pay cheque  she worked as a teacher  and walked 60 miles, crawling under barbed wire barriers and struggling through game reserves in the pitch dark, to reach a safe house in Swaziland.

Nomanono later wrote: 'I weep for my family back in South Africa, especially for you [her mother], for I knew I was not going to be able to help you.

'But I felt relieved and positive that I had a new beginning ahead of me.'

In Swaziland, the couple married and subsequently had their first daughter, Noma. They then moved to Botswana and eventually Uganda, where the marriage broke up.

Cape Towns notorious Robben Island where Noma's mother Nomanono was threatened with imprisonment

Nomanono and her daughters subsequently sought and gained political asylum in the UK, settling in Suffolk.

In a recent interview, Noma Dumezweni revealed that she had visited South Africa and met her father for the first time in 30 years. But she said that she felt an 'outsider' as she could speak only English.
A woman who was 'slut-shamed' after her Tinder profile was shared on Facebook has revealed it was just the beginning of almost a year of abuse.

Olivia Melville, 25, of Sydney, has been attacked countless times about her weight, received rape threats and called names, after she quoted Canadian rapper Drake on her Tinder profile with the lyric read: 'The type of girl that will suck you dry and then eat some lunch with you'.

Almost a year after the incident, Ms Melville told the ABC the abuse she has received was so bad she couldn't go home for five days after her profile was shared.

Olivia Melville's Tinder profile (left) and the post about it that was made on Facebook, resulting in a torrent of abuse directed at Ms Melville

Zane Alchin is facing court charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence relating to alleged abuse of Ms Melville, to which he has pleaded not guilty

'I couldn't be alone [and] I was really scared,' she said.

'I was getting all these messages from people, and that was the most frightening thing  people were just bombarding me, abusing me, and saying I was in the wrong.'

She said seeing her image being shared online was terrifying.

One of those who allegedly abused her, Zane Alchin, 25, will face a trial on Monday, charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Alchin's trial begins at the Downing Centre Court in Sydney on Monday, June 20

University of New South Wales senior lecturer Dr Emma Jane who studies online gender abuse, told the ABC the trial was landmark case which would put the focus on how the legal system and police react to abuse against women online.

When other users voiced their objection to her profile being shared, Mr Alchin commented: 'you know the best thing about a feminist they don't get any action so when you rape them it feels 100 times tighter.'

The 25-year-old then started responding directly to other people in the post, saying to one person: 'Do me a favour go home and slap your mother obviously your father never did it enough.'

He continued to escalate the conversation from there, adding: 'If anything you've proven the only thing a woman's mouth is useful for is to get face f***ed till she turns blue then have a man h** l*** shot straight down it.

Ms Melville also part of a group formed after the attacks to tackle threats and abuse online, called Sexual Violence Wont be Silenced

Friends of Ms Melville, including Paloma Brierley, defended the 23-year-old and also took screenshots of the conversation, which they later gave to police when reporting Alchin.

'Raping our friends, raping our families, raping our mothers, our grandmothers, some pretty awful comments [went] around,' one of the women, Ms Brierley told New Matilda at the time.

'We decided to step back from that. We decided to stop replying and we decided to go to the police.'

She's also part of a group formed after the attacks to tackle threats and abuse online, called Sexual Violence Wont be Silenced.

Mr Alchin's trial begins in the Downing Centre Court, and if convicted, faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
In almost 50 years of business, I have launched hundreds of new ventures. There is an enormous thrill in starting something from scratch  the excitement of entering a new market, of building a team, the fun of disrupting the status quo.

Over the years Ive had to take many leaps of faith as we moved into fields we knew little about. I signed an unknown musician named Mike Oldfield and created my own record label because Id never before heard anything quite like Tubular Bells.

I convinced Boeing to lease me a jumbo jet to start a single-plane airline from London to New York, because I knew there was a gap in the market for an airline that really cared. I ordered tilting trains when we did not have a track ready to run them on, because it would eventually speed up journeys.

I am one of a rare breed of business people still going who can remember what it was like before the European Union was formed. When I took my first steps in business in the 1960s and 70s, trade and travel were a drag

But no matter what the challenge  and there were many we got wrong too  I always made sure I understood the downside risks involved before I leapt in. Today, the UK faces a decision where the risks are great. My reputation is of being a risk-taker  the cat with nine lives  but leaving the European Union is not a risk I would want to take. Not as an investor, not as an entrepreneur and certainly not as a father and grandfather concerned about the world we leave to the next generation.

I am one of a rare breed of business people still going who can remember what it was like before the European Union was formed. When I took my first steps in business in the 1960s and 70s, trade and travel were a drag.

In those days I couldnt move my people between Britain and continental Europe without visas and months and months of trying to get permission. I couldnt move goods between Britain and Europe without high taxes and the enormous bureaucracy that went with it.

But over the past decades, the European Union has knocked down those barriers and made it easier for UK companies to expand abroad. They can trade without tariffs or taxes.

People can live, work, and travel wherever they please within the Common Market. And thousands have seized the opportunity to study abroad, whether in Barcelona, Berlin or Budapest.

Although I personally have lived overseas for some years now, Virgin businesses employ nearly 50,000 people in the UK and these British businesses trade around the globe. Were not alone. Up to three million British jobs are linked to the UKs membership of the worlds largest single market  a market of more than 500 million consumers, offering unparalleled opportunities for investment and trade. Almost half of all British exports go to other EU countries. That could change quickly.

Those polled thought Prime Minister David Cameron has had the best referendum campaign so far

Brexit would deal a devastating blow to the UKs economy, killing many jobs and hitting the strength of the pound. Some say leaving is about sovereignty. Well, if the goal is to stay in Europes Economic Area and to reap the benefits of free trade, the UK would still have to play by the same rules and pay into the pot. Yet, the Government would not have a seat at the table when the rules are made. Thats not what Id call sovereignty. Thats a bad idea.

Bear in mind that even the UKs trade with the rest of the world benefits from dozens of trade agreements the EU has negotiated. Painstakingly, I should add.

Renegotiating those agreements would be complex and onerous. Why? Because the rest of the world would much rather have access to a market of 500 million than one of 64 million. Thats not fear-mongering but common sense. The global market is competitive enough as it is. Why set up more obstacles?

Brexit raises other key questions: would UK citizens ever enjoy visa and passport-free movement across Europe again? What about the status of the estimated two million EU nationals working in the UK, quite a few of them for Virgin businesses? Where should they go?

Even under the terms granted to Switzerland and Norway, freedom of movement is not negotiable. Nor should it be. Study after study has shown that the effect of European immigration on the UK is a positive one, as immigrants tend to contribute more to the country than they take out. Blaming breakdowns in public services on them is not just disingenuous. Its a myth.

Only 10 per cent of voters think Nigel Farage has had a good campaign while 43 per cent think this poster depicting migrants was inflammatory with less than a third thinking it was fair

Britains universities  among the best in the world  will be affected. They produce ground-breaking research and world-class innovation. Much of that relies on EU funding, about 500 million every year. Brexit would seriously limit the flow of funding, risking a brain drain of the UKs best minds to other countries. One of the EUs most important achievements is that its members no longer go to war with each other. I lived in the UK for five decades and represent the first generation of my family not to fight on European battlefields, as my father and grandfather did.

Instead I was able to become an entrepreneur, thanks to a new vision of peaceful partnership between Europes nations  one built on trade, openness and collaboration. Even Winston Churchill was a fan.

As early as 1946, he called for a United States of Europe, where millions will be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living. Nobody is perfect, but Europes institutions have delivered on this promise.

There are few occasions in your life where you can see things going horribly wrong. This is one of those occasions, where the wrong decision will do irreparable damage both to Britain and to Europe.

Some people think that by voting Leave they will somehow punish the ruling class. Some are looking backwards and inwards for inspiration and hope  when they should be looking forward at a wide world of opportunity. If you vote Leave you are not kicking the establishment in the b***s  you are shooting yourself in the foot.

The global threats facing British citizens young and old, like climate change, financial crisis or conflict, are best addressed collectively. No question, being part of the EU not only makes Europe stronger, but the UK too. June 23 will determine if voters would rather live in Little England or in Great Britain.
Figures come from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis

Across the rest of America only 12 cities managed to excel at two factors

They are Des Moines, IA; Oklahoma City, OK and Omaha, NE

Sorry, New York; too bad, San Francisco - the best cities to live in the U.S. have been revealed, and they're all firmly in the Midwest.

Josh Lehner at the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis looked at what's called 'the housing trilemma' - the desire to live somewhere that has good economic strength and a high quality of life but still has affordable property.

In the whole of the U.S. he found just three cities that excel in all three areas - and they're not on either of the coasts, Gizmodo reported.

More than OK: Oklahoma City was named one of the three best cities in the U.S. by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, having a strong economy, a great quality of life and affordable housing

Struggle: The struggle to find cities that fit all three ideal categories is known as 'The Housing Trilemma'

Lehner looked at America's top 100 cities, and according to his calculations, the only places that truly have it all are Des Moines, Iowa; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Omaha, Nebraska.

They might not sound like the sexiest places to live, but only they have managed to get all three criteria - while only 12 others managed to get high marks in two categories, one usually being quality of life.

According to Lehner's notes, 'quality of life' is measured using factors as diverse as violent crimes per capita, amount of sunshine, the arts and culture index, and even the average slope of the land in the metropolitan area.

Meanwhile economic strength is calculated using job growth, the percentage of the 25-54-year-old population that's employed, and the share of firms that are start-ups.

And housing affordability comes down to the ratio of average house price to average wages, the share of rental households paying 30 percent on more rent, and the share of vacant or second homes.

The reason it's so hard to balance all three factors, Lehner says, is because market forces pull down one if the others get too high.

Quality time: Omaha, Nebraska, was also one of the cities. 'Quality of life' is based on level of sunshine, number of violent crimes, the arts and culture index, and other factors

'People want to live in cities with a strong economy and high quality of life,' he said.

'Increased demand for housing leads to higher prices and lower affordability. Nice places to live get their housing costs bid up due to strong demand.

'The opposite is true as well. Regions with underperforming economies and a lower quality of life do have better affordability.'

Those that managed to score two include Houston, Texas, which has affordability and economic strength; and Cincinatti, Ohio, which is both affordable and has quality of life.

And for those willing to shell out cash for both a strong economy and a good quality of life can head to - in decreasing order of affordability: Boise, Idaho; Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; and - yes Portland, Ohio.

Yes, Portland - which was once held up as America's ideal city, especially if you like beards and lumberjack shirts - is now too expensive for many to live there, largely because demand is outstripping available housing.

The solution, Gizmodo argues, is simple: build more housing.
40% of people choose where to eat before they leave for holiday

Forget the landmarks  whether you can get a decent meal has become just as important when deciding where to go on holiday.

According to a new survey, the quality of food on offer was a deciding factor for 32 per cent of British travellers when choosing the destination of their next getaway.

Thats not only the same proportion of people who consider major monuments are important  its more than the 24 per cent who think museums and galleries are a consideration, and almost twice as many as the 17 per cent who take a friends recommendation into account.

One in ten people say they will go on a gastro-holiday, where food is the prime reason for getting away

The poll also challenges the image of Britons abroad sticking to home comforts such as fish and chips.

One in ten people say they will go on a gastro-holiday, where food is the prime reason for getting away. Thats a near-sixfold increase in three years.

Alex Platts, of online travel firm Expedia, which commissioned the survey, said: Its great to see Britons are becoming a nation of foodies and looking to broaden their food horizons when it comes booking their next trip.
On Christmas Day, 1991, I told my father I was giving him quite an upgrade on the quality of gift that I usually inflicted upon him. It was time, I said, for him to be painted by an artist of his choice, with the resulting portrait hanging at Althorp, alongside those of his many Spencer ancestors.

A proper present! my stepmother purred in the background. And that was indeed how it was intended: a proper mark of my love and respect for my father, and a proper addition to our family collection. Sadly, it was not to be.

My father, who had battled reduced health for some years with great bravery (as witnessed, with global admiration, when he walked my sister Diana down the aisle of St Pauls in 1981 with stiff, wavering, but determined steps), went into a London hospital three months later.

PROPER LIKENESS: Earl Spencer with the portrait of his father he commissioned after his death

It wasnt meant to be serious  merely precautionary examinations on lungs touched by bronchitis. But we hadnt appreciated how much buffeting my fathers heart had suffered during the vast effort of coming through his stroke, when he had been on a life-support machine for many weeks in 1978.

Thinking my father would soon be released  we had chatted on the telephone the night before, and he thought he would be out in a day or two  I was sitting in Althorps dower house when the telephone rang. Youd better come quickly, the nurse said. I arrived to find my father had died suddenly and, very sadly, alone, taken away by a devastating haemorrhage.

A year ago, my wife Karen and I were hosting our annual literary festival at Althorp. We invite all the speakers to stay the night, and after dinner I gave a quick tour of the house.

We came to the portraits of some 20th Century Spencers  among them the Orpen of my great-grandfather, the Augustus John of my grandfather, and the Nelson Shanks of Diana and me  and I pointed apologetically to the two tiny pictures of my father. One was of him as a blond-haired boy and the other showed him square-jawed and handsome, as a 21-year-old lieutenant who had just survived landing in Normandy with his regiment, the Scots Greys, on D-Day Plus One. Its one of my eternal regrets, I said to the distinguished group of guests, that I dont have a proper portrait of my father.

The 8th Earl walks his daughter Diana down the aisle at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981 as she weds Prince Charles

After we had all returned to the library downstairs, Julian Fellowes  creator of Downton Abbey, of course  quietly took me aside. You know, he said, there is one artist who is actually very good at posthumous portraits. He then told me of Paul Brason, whom I contacted, liked, and commissioned.

Brason knew of my father, but had never met him. I lent him photographs to help with the physical likeness. The artist then said he needed a full understanding of my fathers character, so he could get that across in the portrait. Well, I thought, where to begin?

In the publics mind, my father was a very likeable bit-part player in the Royal Family soap opera  Dis dad! as he would joke, self-deprecatingly. He first came into peoples consciousness as the immensely proud, softly spoken man who was found mingling outside Buckingham Palace with the crowds on the day his youngest daughters engagement was announced.

Certainly that approachability was a hallmark of my father. He loved people, and I never heard him talk down to anyone. I remember how he would speak to my school friends, asking them about plans for everything from their summer holidays to their future careers.

He never laughed at them if they said they were going to be an astronaut, cowboy, or prime minister. If he saw them a year, or several years, later he would remember what they had said to him, and stun them by asking questions that proved the point. It was the same with members of the public. He was happy, when Althorp was open to the public, to chat to visitors from around the world. He kept a map, and took great pleasure in putting pins in it to show where these people had travelled from.

As a friend, he was extraordinarily generous. A light drinker, he would delight in opening exceptional bottles  from Petrus, or dYquem  with those he invited to stay. He was never less than engaged and courteous  a gentle man who was also a gentleman.

Even today, nearly a quarter of a century after his death, I regularly have people tell me of their fond memories of my father: He was a lovely man, is the frequent refrain. Above all, he was a family man. The high point of his year was the tea party he gave as a grandfather in the run-up to Christmas. All of his grandchildren and their friends would come in fancy dress. There was an entertainer before tea who kept everyone revved up till the doors to Althorps Sunderland Room were thrown open. Each child would find their place marked by a cupcake, with their name piped on to it.

The 8th Earl and Countess Spencer pictured outside Buckingham Palace after the announcement of the engagement of their daughter Diana Spencer to Prince Charles in 1981

After gorging themselves silly, the children were given a pouch of silver and gold chocolate coins, which they took into the entrance hall. There, they found tables groaning with toys that they could buy with their coins. And then they headed out into the floodlit courtyard to shout Father Christmas! into the darkness. Into view would come Santa, on a donkey-drawn cart, with a sack containing another present for each little boy and girl.

Unveiling Paul Brasons portrait, I was thrilled to see the setting was Althorps Library, and that the artist had included in the background small portraits of my mother and of my eldest sister, Sarah. It connects my father with his family, and his favourite room in the house. My father is  appropriately  in jacket and tie, but he hated dressing smartly, so there is a healthy sign of crumpled rebellion in his clothing.

I recently hung this hugely successful portrait of my father centre stage, above the main staircase at Althorp, surrounded by some of his closest relations. I felt relief, gratitude and real happiness that I had finally honoured my promise of 25 years ago. There is now a proper likeness of my father in its proper place. The result shows him very much as he was  everyone says that. And I love the fact that, out of the 500 portraits hanging on Althorps walls, that of my father is the only one where the subject is smiling  broadly.
A Pro-EU ally of David Cameron vowed to take revenge if the UK votes to cut all ties with Brussels in an extraordinary row with a Brexit-backing colleague.

Conservative Health Minister Alistair Burt shouted at Right-wing Home Office Minister Mike Penning: The Maastricht rebellion will look like a tea party if we come out of Europe.

A friend of pro-Brexit Mr Penning is said to have shot back at Mr Burt: Dont make threats.

Alistair Burt, right, threatened right wing Tory MP Mike Penning, left, inside the Commons' Tea Room with a massive split in the Conservative Party if the Brexiteers are successful on Thursday

Eye witnesses said the confrontation took place in the hallowed Commons Tea Room early last week as Tory tensions over the impending EU vote referendum reached boiling point.

Ardent Europhile Mr Burts reference to Maastricht relates to the Tory revolt in the 1990s over the EU Maastricht Treaty signed by former Prime Minister John Major.

It plunged the party into a series of bitter rows and deep divisions widely thought to have contributed to the Tories disastrous General Election result in 1997 when Sir John was thrown out of power.

Ex-Grenadier Guard Mr Penning is a former aide to ex-Tory leader and leading Vote Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith who played a leading role in the Maastricht rows.

The row will dismay Tory colleagues who have so far clung to the idea that however bad the partys current internal splits are, they have not degenerated to the savage exchanges of the 1990s.

That is despite the fact that the Tea Room bust-up is only the latest of a series of so-called blue on blue attacks during the referendum campaign, including pro-Remain Energy Minister Amber Rudds acid-tongued jibe that Boris Johnson was the life and soul of the party but hes not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening.

Last night, friends of Mr Burt denied that he was personally threatening to stay up at nights, tabling amendments to wreck pro-Brexit legislation.

One said: I think he was referring more to the general mayhem that would follow a referendum vote to quit the EU and we all know the chaos that could lead to.

North East Bedfordshire MP Mr Burt himself declined to comment on the row. He said: The Tea Room has always been a place of strong private opinions on which MPs should never comment  particularly this week when it all seems so petty in the light of other events.
MPs have been accused of patronising taxpayers who raised concerns that money from Britains enormous overseas aid budget was being wasted.

They were slammed by fellow MP Andrew Percy for rudely dismissing the views of more than 231,500 people who signed The Mail on Sundays petition calling for the controversial aid programme to be reined in.

The row came at a packed Westminster debate triggered by our End The 12 bn Foreign Aid Madness petition which called on the Government to review its commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas aid each year.

Labour MP Stephen Doughty (left), a former adviser at the Department for International Development, said it was lazy and wrong to claim much of the foreign aid budget was being wasted. Several MPs  including ex-Tory Cabinet Minister Eric Pickles (right)  demanded answers over concerns highlighted by this newspaper that UK aid money could be indirectly getting into the hands of Palestinian terrorists

The petition argues that having a fixed target, which is set to rise to 16 billion by 2020, leads to waste and corruption, and that UK aid should instead be spent as and when required.

But the appeal fell on deaf ears for most MPs present  with some appearing to downplay the concerns because this newspaper had led the way in highlighting them.

Labour MP Stephen Doughty, a former adviser at the Department for International Development, said it was lazy and wrong to claim much of the foreign aid budget was being wasted.

He added that it was irresponsible to raise concerns that some of the aid money fuelled corruption and corroded democracy in developing countries.

SNP MP Patricia Gibson accused the Right-wing Press of whipping up public concern based on misinformation.

But Mr Percy hit back, saying: Rather than being sniffy or patronising about The Mail on Sunday, we should thank it for raising the issue and giving a voice to the concerns felt by many people.

The Brigg and Goole MP admitted that he, too, backed the 0.7 per cent target, but added: Instead of being rude about people with such views, we must go out and win the debate.

Several MPs  including ex-Tory Cabinet Minister Eric Pickles  demanded answers over concerns highlighted by this newspaper that UK aid money could be indirectly getting into the hands of Palestinian terrorists.

International Development Minister Sir Desmond Swayne insisted UK aid to the Palestinian Authority funded named civil servants to provide public services and helped prepare a government in the event of a two-state agreement in the region.

Sir Desmond said he respected the people who backed the petition but insisted his department could provide a point-by-point rebuttal of all the accusations over aid being misspent.

The depressing day your concerns were simply swept aside

By IAN BIRRELL, MoS FOREIGN REPORTER OF THE YEAR WHO LED OUR CAMPAIGN

It should have been momentous: Westminster forced to reconsider the folly of adopting a fixed rate of foreign aid spending after an unprecedented display of people power.

So hopes were high when MPs gathered on Monday for the first parliamentary debate inspired by a petition raised by a national newspaper.

More than 100,000 people signed up on the first day, underlining the depth of feeling on this issue. Now almost a quarter of a million signatories back The Mail on Sundays demand for money to be spent only on deserving causes.

Hopes were high when MPs gathered on Monday for the first parliamentary debate inspired by a petition raised by a national newspaper

Here was a chance for politicians to prove they were listening to their public. And to show that online petitions are not simply a sham.

Sadly, instead came bogus statistics, self-congratulation, sneering attacks on the media and naive speeches that showed little understanding of core issues.

With rare exceptions, MPs ignored the central tenet raised by this paper and many experts: that adhering to a fixed rate of aid is wasteful, unaffordable and ultimately damages development in poor nations.

Even Tories dismissed the UKs 12 billion aid bill  rising to 16 billion by 2020  as a trifling sum. The result could not have been less representative of the voters who pay them: unanimous rejection of the petition.

Opening speaker Tory MP Steve Double, a former pastor, made an instant dig at this newspaper because it gave voice to a family devastated by his adulterous liaisons. He went on to deny stories of mis-spending I have seen with my own eyes and claimed every last penny offers good value for money.

It was a poor performance  not least given our revelations of fat cat private contractors creaming off vast profits, funding foreign civil servants who have not worked for almost a decade, fuelling corruption and supporting daft schemes around the world.

In denial:Steve Double (pictured) speaking at Westminster's foreign aid debate

Double even claimed the petitions suggestion to abandon the absurd target of giving away 0.7 per cent of gross national income was impractical.

Yet other rich nations fritter away far less  with the US spending just 0.17 per cent of GNI  while politicians in Holland told me they improved aid after ditching the target with its emphasis on spending rather than results.

Labours Stephen Doughty brushed aside 12 billion as a tiny investment  but then he was once an official with Oxfam, which does so well for itself spending these tiny sums.

Many speakers thought Britains stance was an example for the world, rather than questioning why no other major economy followed suit.

Needless to say, many MPs had enjoyed trips abroad investigating this issue. One was just back from Ethiopia, another told of travelling to Kenya with Christian Aid, a third to Burundi with Action Aid, a fourth to Bangladesh, a fifth to Nepal, a sixth to Israel.

This offered insight into how the bloated poverty industry  now worth an astonishing 92 billion a year worldwide  works: a self-serving alliance of politicians, charities and private firms scratching each others backs at taxpayers expense.

So many MPs wanted to display their compassionate credentials that speeches had to be limited to first four minutes, then three, during the four-hour debate.

Yet few dared puncture the complacent concept that Britain was saving the world.

Instead, they talked sanctimoniously about the moral imperative of aid  although the petition attacked a fixed target distorting priorities and fuelling waste, not aid itself. Others declared it a false choice to decide between spending on concerns at home and abroad.

There were a handful of honourable exceptions. Labour MP Joan Ryan made a searing condemnation of aid funding the Palestinian Authority, which hands salaries to convicted terrorists.

She accused Ministers of wilfully ignoring the funding of murderers  a point that was supported by several other MPs.

Her Labour colleague David Lammy condemned the poverty porn promoted by big charities and the failure to ask tough questions over governance in recipient nations and stressed aid should not be seen as a panacea.

Tory MP Andrew Percy rebuked colleagues for being sniffy and patronising towards a newspaper that had given a voice to the concerns felt by many people.

And two Tories did question high spending. James Cartlidge questioned the affordability of Britains aid policies, especially given a public spending deficit. Japan, the United States, Italy, Portugal and Spain are not international pariahs and they spend 0.2 per cent, he said.

And Newark MP Robert Jenrick pointed out that hundreds of his constituents had signed our petition, adding: As a general rule in politics, if we brush aside the fears of our constituents, it only damages the goals that some of us wish to further.

Yet that was precisely what these politicians did as they swept aside concerns from all those citizens who signed the petition. Not one dared to dissent.
It comes amid calls for reform in system of political party donations

Malcolm Turnbull's office said donations made since were all above board

The Wentworth Forum, a fundraising vehicle, has not operated since 2009

Malcolm Turnbull has been linked to secretive donations made to the Liberal Party in his electorate of Wentworth

Malcolm Turnbull has been linked to secretive fundraising, with donations in his electorate pulling in thousands of dollars ahead of the election.

A report in The Sydney Morning Herald claimed on Sunday a fundraising vehicle in the prime minister's electorate of Wentworth is still active despite claiming to have stopped handling donations in 2009.

The Wentworth Forum was mentioned in donations made to the Liberal Party in the past seven years, according to the report.

One disclosure by a private donor made in 2010 showed a $2,000 donation to Wentworth, Mr Turnbull's electorate.

A representative for the Prime Minister insisted on Sunday that the forum was no longer in operation and hadn't been for seven years, adding that all donations made in or beyond Wentworth had been done so lawfully.

It comes after the former Liberal Party treasurer voiced concerns over the integrity of donations being made across all parties and branches.

Michael Yabsley, one of the party's most senior former fundraisers, told ABC's Four Corners earlier this year it was 'high time' the system be amended to stamp out opportunities for corrupt donations.

'I believe this is now crunch-time,' he told the programme somberly.

'The damage that has been done to the reputations of many, many individuals, many companies and to the reputations of the major political parties... it all points to the absolute case to do away with the system of political fundraising that we currently have.

'I've spent a significant part of my life raising money in this way so there is something of the poacher turned gamekeeper but that whole process has illustrated to me that it really is high time to do something about this.

'To eliminate what will always be a serious accident waiting to happen.'

In May the NSW Electoral Commission ruled that the party would not be granted access to $4million in donations made by banned contributors that had been funnelled through a company to make them appear legitimate.

Michael Yabsley, one of the party's most senior former fundraisers, is calling for urgent reform to Australia's political donations system

Officials failed to disclose donations made to the Free Enterprise Foundation for the 2011 election.

In its ruling the Commission said: 'In truth, the foundation had been used by senior officials of the party and an employed party fundraiser to channel and disguise donations by major political donors, some of whom were prohibited donors.

'When the foundation purported to pay the money to the Liberal party... it was in truth acting as an agent for the donors.
The Brexit vote is in the balance with polls showing the country may still be undecided ahead of Thursday's EU referendum.

A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead in the wake of the killing of the Labour MP Jo Cox.

But another survey revealed today shows the two sides are level while a third has voters saying they are more enthusiastic about leaving the EU than staying.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage today said the killing could have halted 'momentum' behind the Leave campaign.

The Brexit vote is in the balance with polls showing the country may still be undecided ahead of Thursday's EU referendum. In One poll out today, by Opinium for the Observer, shows the race finely balanced at 44-44. A Survation poll for the Mail on Sunday shows Remain ahead 45-42 but a YouGov survey for Good Morning Britain shows Leave ahead 44 to 42. A fourth survey by BMG for Herald found Remain on 46 per cent to Leave on 43 per cent

A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead in the wake of the Killing of the Labour MP Jo Cox (pictured)

Campaigning was due to resume today after a suspension lasting more than two days following the fatal attack on Mrs Cox, a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU.

The man charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain' when he appeared in court on Saturday.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is due to take part in a major BBC interview to mark Mrs Cox's death and make the case for Remain.

The BBC's Andrew Marr will also interview Michael Gove as campaigning resumes with just four days to go, while Chancellor George Osborne and Ukip leader Nigel Farage are both due to be grilled by ITV's Robert Peston.

Prime Minister David Cameron will take part in a live BBC Question Time special tonight to make his case for staying in the UK.

Survation's results changed dramatically in polls carried before and after Thursday's tragic events. On Thursday, the firm found Leave was ahead by 45-42 but another poll carried out yesterday showed the reverse. In both surveys 13 per cent of people were still undecided

Ukip leader Nigel Farage today the 'momentum' behind the Leave campaign was halted when the referendum was halted by Mrs Cox's killing.

He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: I think we have momentum.

'We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy. It has had an impact on the whole campaign for everybody.

'When you are taking on the establishment, you need to have momentum. I don't know what's going to happen over the course of the next three to four days, but (this was) the action of one person with serious mental issues.

'What we saw was an act of terrorism.'

Today's Survation poll was gathered on Friday and Saturday as the nation mourned Mrs Cox and showed Remain on 45 per cent with Leave on 42 per cent.

And the gap could get bigger: 46 per cent say Remain are likely to benefit from any additional late surge, with 33 per cent forecasting a late swing to Leave.

The findings reversed the result of Survation data on Thursday which had Leave ahead on 45 per cent and Remain on 42 per cent.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage today said the Leave campaign had momentum before Thursday's killing of Jo Cox but admitted the tragedy would have an unknown effect on all the campaigns

Earlier, a clutch of polls conducted either partially or fully before campaigning was suspended following the death of Mrs Cox on Thursday, continued to present a mixed picture.

Opinium for The Observer puts the two sides level on 44 per cent - with Leave up two points on last week while Remain was unchanged.

A UK-wide BMG telephone survey for The Herald put Remain ahead on 46 per cent with Leave on 43 per cent, and 11 per cent undecided or unwilling to say.

By using a series of questions to calculate the likely voting intention of people who say that they will vote but have yet to decide or do not want to say, BMG put the Remain camp ahead on 53 per cent compared to 47 per cent.

Meanwhile a ComRes Poll for The Sunday People and The Independent suggests voters are more enthusiastic about leaving the EU than staying, with 44 per cent saying they would be 'delighted' with an Out vote compared to just 28 per cent who would feel that way about In.

According to the Sunday Mirror, attitudes towards the referendum shifted as news of the attack on Mrs Cox broke.

Pollsters for the newspaper were still gathering responses as news of the shooting emerged. Figures showed the Remain camp receive a nine point boost after 2pm on Thursday from people saying they would be 'delighted' if Britain stayed in the EU.

According to a Survation poll for the Mail On Sunday, the Remain vote has surged ahead of Brexit since Thursday's murder of Jo Cox in West Yorkshire

Andrew Hawkins, chairman of ComRes, told the Independent that the attack might have influenced responses.

He said: 'Not all respondents will have learned of the attack immediately, and the results should be taken with a degree of caution, but across all emotions reaction to a Leave vote was more negative among those interviewed after 2pm on Thursday.'

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times newspaper showed support for Britain staying in the EU had restored a narrow 44-43 per cent lead over the 'Out' campaign.

That poll was based on interviews conducted on Thursday and Friday, but the Sunday Times said the shift did not reflect the fatal attack on a British lawmaker on Thursday which led to the suspension of referendum campaigning.

Instead, the bounce in support for 'In' was more a reflection of growing concerns among voters about the economic impact of a so-called Brexit, it said.

- Survation interviewed 1,001 adults by telephone on June 17 and 18.

- Opinium interviewed 2,006 UK adults online between June 14 and 17.

- ComRes interviewed 2,046 GB adults online between June 15 and 16.

- BMG interviewed 1,043 UK residents aged 18 and over by telephone between June 10 and 15.

Campaigning was due to resume today after a suspension lasting more than two days following the fatal attack on Mrs Cox, a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU
plans to create 30,00 jobs and protect Medicare under the

Labor Leader Bill Shorten sought to court small business owners ahead of the July 2 election by offering a $20,000 tax break if they hire a mum returning to work, someone under 25, or a mature-age job seeker.

Mr Shorten made the announcement on Sunday in Western Sydney as he officially launched Labor's campaign.

The Labor faithful gave Julia Gillard, Paul Keating and Bob Hawke a rousing reception as the former prime ministers arrived at the party's launch in Penrith.

Labor Leader Bill Shorten (pictured) sought to court small business owners ahead of the July 2 election by offering a $20,000 tax break if they hire a mum returning to work

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Tanya Plibersek (left), Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten (centre) and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen (right) at the Labor campaign launch at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre

Former prime ministers Paul Keating and Julia Gillard arrive to listen to Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten at the Labor campaign launch

Former prime ministers Bob Hawke (right), greets Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten (left) at the Labor campaign launch

Mr Shorten made announcement on Sunday in Penrith in Western Sydney as he officially launched his campaign, joined by former prime ministers Bob Hawke (left), Paul Keating (centre) and Julia Gillard (right)

Former prime minister Julia Gillard at Labor's campaign launch in Penrith on Sunday

Former prime ministers Bob Hawke (left) and Paul Keating (right)

Party members rose to their feet, clapping and cheering enthusiastically as the party legends walked into the event.

Labor promised to introduce a tax plan to create 30,00 jobs and protect Medicare,The Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Shorten unveiled a new plan to allow small businesses with a turnover under $2 million to claim a tax deduction to offset the wages of up to five new employees.

The $257 million plan will be focused on unemployed people under 25 and over 55, as well as parents or carers returning to work after six months out of the workforce.

Labor has previously backed a cut in the corporate tax rate for small business but is resisting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's plan to deliver a 10-year tax cut plan covering all sizes of businesses.

Mr Shorten made the announcement on Sunday in Western Sydney as he officially launched his campaign, which will be a promise to introduce a tax plan to create 30,00 jobs and protect Medicare

Volunteers stand around placards with the image of the Australian Labour Party leader Bill Shorten on them before the 2016 election campaign launch in Penrith on Sunday

Mr Shorten also promised not to go ahead with Mr Turnbull's planned cuts to bonus payments for pathologists and radiologists who bulk-bill.

The pledge will cost about $2.9 billion over 10 years.

Western Sydney is a key battleground for Labor with two weeks to go until election day.

Labor requires 21 extra seats to win government.

Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten arrives at a press conference as part of the 2016 election campaign in Perth on Wednesday

Volunteers attach placards with the image of Bill Shorten on them onto a fence in Penrith
Rhode Island experienced a windfall - literally - on Wednesday as a security truck's back doors 'popped open', resulting in tens of thousands of dollars being tossed into the air.

According to the crew of the Brink's truck, the money toppled out of the open doors as they turned into the main entrance of Rhode Island Hospital. A car then ran two bags over, sending notes flying into the air.

And though the cash dashed, what was a terrible day for the truck crew might have turned out very nicely for some Rhode Island residents, as $20,500 is still missing, WPRI reported.

Spilled: A Brink's truck had its doors open by accident Wednesday, leading to money bags spilling into the street. Those bags were then run over, causing them to burst and unleash a whirlwind of cash (file photo)

Hospital call: The accident occurred as the truck was turning into the entrance of Rhode Island Hospital (pictured) both cops and the hospital have footage of the incident, in which $20,500 was lost

The security guards on the truck rushed to grab as many notes as they could, but still came up short by tens of thousands of dollars - though they didn't know how much until later.

Exactly what caused the accident to occur is being investigated, but Major David Lapatin of Providence Police Department told WPRI that police had heard 'conflicting stories'.

However, both the hospital and cops say they have security camera footage of the event, so the truth may still come out.

In the meantime, it's not clear whether or not the missing notes can be traced.

Lapatin told WPRI that if the notes came from a bank then the serial numbers would be traceable, but if they were collected from, for example, a store, 'there's no serial numbers that have been recorded'.

Mystery: This local resident said despite living 'right down the street' he hadn't heard anything about the cash being found. The case is being investigated internally by the security team at Brink's

Many residents in the Upper South Providence area said they hadn't seen or heard about the event until it appeared on the news.

'Nobody's heard about nobody finding any money,' one person told WPRI. 'Nothing, nothing - and I live right down the street.'

Then again - how many people who found the money would admit to it?

When asked by the station whether anyone had owned up to finding the money, Lapatin just chuckled: 'Not yet.'

Internal investigators at Brink's are looking into the incident.

Bizarrely, this is the second time in two years that a Rhode Island armored truck has spilled its cargo.

In August 2014, a Garda truck overturned on Route 10, spilling money everywhere, WPRI said at the time.

People 'swarmed' onto the truck, but whether - or how much - money was lost wasn't known.
A former prostitute has told a court she was paid to provide her services only to a building company manager who was defrauding his business to pay her.

Belinda Leonard says she was paid to be Damian O'Corrigan's personal prostitute, providing sex up to three times per week for eight years from 2004, as well as providing home baking for his staff.

She allegedly spent $1.65million on a credit card he gave her for expenses.

Former prostitute Belinda Leonard, who was hired for eight years by Damian O'Corrigan to provide sex and other services

O'Corrigan was a finance manager for Leighton Contractors, was jailed for 12 years for defrauding the company of $20.7 million

Leighton Contractors, for whom O'Corrigan was finance manager before being jailed for 12 years for defrauding the company of $20.7m, is trying to recover some of its losses, according to The Courier Mail.

It has brought a civil claim against Ms Leonard over the money she got from him.

The Supreme Court in Brisbane heard that O'Corrigan gave her $1000 plus the credit card after she gave up a job as a prostitute that paid $3000-4000 to provide for him.

He also bought a house for her, cars, horses, trips and a veterinary course.

When O'Corrigan's wife Julie (right) was away from home, Ms Leonard would stay at their family home, but was restricted to certain areas of the house so she wouldn't be seen

When his wife and daughter were away, she would stay at his family home - but was restricted to certain areas so she wouldn't be seen.

She told the court of the range of home baking she would provide for him and his office staff, including biscuits, cakes and slices.

Her melting moments were a favourite, it was reported.

In addition, she would provide him with advice about topics like work and clothing.

'He was my employer. I was paid to do what he wished.'

But, she said, she didn't enjoy it.

'Not particularly. To be crass, I needed the money,' The Courier Mail quoted him as saying.

Final submissions on the case will be heard on Friday.
Neighbors said they had a feeling that something wasn't right at the Pennsylvania home where Lee Kaplan allegedly kept 12 girls aged between six months and 18 years old

A neighbor said she felt 'something isn't right' at the home where a man allegedly kept a house full of 12 girls.

Lee Kaplan was arrested on Thursday after police found the supposed captives - aged from six months to 18 years - at his house in Festerville, Pennsylvania.

The 51-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who was gifted to him by Amish parents and fathering two children with an 18-year-old who was also living at the property.

Jen Betz of Feasterville, Pennsylvania, said she called authorities because was concerned about the young girls she saw at the property.

She said the house had boarded windows and high weeds.

'They're so sad and fearful every time I see them. That's what made me call,' she said Saturday.

'I've been telling my husband for years 'Something isn't right, something isn't right.''

Kaplan faces charges including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and aggravated indecent assault.

The eldest, who is 18, told police that she and Kaplan have a three-year-old and a six-month-old.

District Attorney David Heckler said the parents of the girl Kaplan is accused of assaulting told police they were going to lose their farm until Kaplan 'came out of the blue and saved them from financial ruin.'

Authorities allege in an affidavit that the girl's father told an officer he gave his 14-year-old daughter to Kaplan after researching the legality of such an action online.

On Saturday, police and dogs scoured the home's backyard for evidence. Lt. Ted Krimmel of the Lower Southampton police department said authorities waited until dawn so they would be able to search the property in daylight.

'We have a search warrant for the entire property,' he said. 'There are dogs searching for evidence.'

Krimmel said officials are trying to verify who the parents of the other children found at the home are. The teenager's parents told police the other nine girls in the house were their children, but no birth certificates or Social Security cards could be located to confirm that, he said.

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Kaplan, 51, is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who was gifted to him by Amish parents and fathering two children with an 18-year-old who was living at the property (pictured)

When police entered the home Thursday, 'all the children were running around,' Krimmel said. 'Some were hiding. They were well-behaved, but scared.'

The oldest girl's father, Daniel Stoltzfus, is charged with conspiracy of statutory sexual assault and children endangerment.

His wife, Savilla Stoltzfus, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

The couple and Kaplan were being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Court documents don't list attorneys for them.

WPVI--TV reported that the Stoltzfuses 19-year-old son, John, told the station at the house Friday night that his folks are 'good parents.'

Heckler said the children apparently did not attend school and it was unclear if they had ever been to a doctor, but they didn't appear to be in bad health and showed no visible signs of trauma.

Amish parents Daniel (left), 43, and Savilla Stoltzfus (right), 42, are accused of giving their daughter to Kaplan because their farm was in financial trouble

Another neighbor, Bob Greenfield, said Kaplan seemed 'weird' and he now wishes that he also had called authorities.

'You knew something was wrong,' he said. 'It makes you feel bad. If I had said something a while ago, they would have come earlier.'

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Stoltzfuses were born into the Amish faith, but renounced it amid a long fight with community elders, according to a federal lawsuit they filed in 2009 against their former church. The lawsuit, which was dismissed later that year, said they operated a metalworking business on their property.
The mother of a young man who was poisoned after drinking a methanol-laced cocktail has shared a video of the rusty tins and garbage bins used by bootleggers to produce the deadly mix.

Liam Davies, from Perth, started having violent seizures in the back of a car after drinking what he thought was a vodka and lime at a bar in Lombok, an island in Indonesia, on New Years Eve 2012.

The 19-year-old went into organ failure and died of methanol poisoning three days later. He had unknowingly consumed the dangerous concoction arak, which is made on the streets in dirty tins and often decanted into bottled liquor sold in bars and clubs along the tourist strips.

Tourists are drawn in by the extremely low prices for alcohol in bars in places like Bali, but the real cost can be deadly.

Mr Davies' mother Lhani said she still feels 'robbed' more than three years after his death and has made it her life's work to educate others about the serious effects of drinking the home-made brews.

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Liam Davies, from Perth, died after drinking a methanol-laced cocktail in Indonesia on New Years Eve 2012

Mr Davies' mother Lhani (middle right) said she still feels 'robbed' more than three years after his death and has made it her life's work to educate others about the serious effects of drinking the home-made brews

She shared a shocking video of the disgusting conditions the alcohol is made in to a Facebook group called Life Saving Initiatives About Methanol, or LIAM, in a bid to show other vulnerable tourists the reality behind the inexpensive but potentially deadly spirit.

Ms Davies scans her camera over eight charred metal drums which are boiled over an open fire allowing the alcohol to evaporate through bamboo shoots and into grubby plastic containers.

The mix is then transferred into larger plastic vats where it ferments until it is transported to local bars - sometimes disguised in legitimate spirit bottles - to sell to holidaymakers.

'There it is fermenting ready to go,' she said. 'And that's what we drink in our cocktails.'

Ms Davies shared a shocking video of the disgusting conditions the alcohol is made in to a Facebook group in a bid to show other vulnerable tourists the reality behind the inexpensive but potentially deadly spirit

The mix is transferred from rusty tins to grubby containers then larger plastic vats where it ferments until it is transported to local bars - sometimes disguised in legitimate spirit bottles - to sell to holidaymakers

HOW CAN METHANOL POISONING BE TREATED? Methanol poisoning is treated by administering ethanol which prevents the toxicity by halting the production of formic acid. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a high dose of vodka or whisky - which both have an alcohol content of at least 30 per cent - can be used as it will be processed by the liver first. This delays the deadly methanol from absorbing before dialysis is started to clear the system. Dom LaVigne from the Methanol Institute said a 70 kilogram person will be given 125 millilitres of alcohol followed by a smaller hourly dose of 30 millilitres. Advertisement

If arak is distilled at the wrong temperature it can produce a methanol, a toxic byproduct which is known to cause blindness, organ failure and death, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Other cases have reportedly seen bootleggers intentionally lace the alcohol with ingredients such as shoe polish or mosquito repellent so it causes hallucinations.

Around half of all spirits in Indonesia are made at home and without strict safety regulations on its production, an increasing number of tourists are finding themselves violently ill after a night out.

Dr Lanang Suartana Putra from Bali's Sanglah Hospital told the Sydney Morning Herald that methanol causes the body to be 'embalmed from the inside out', with some symptoms delayed for up to 24 hours.

Symptoms can include fatigue, headaches and nausea, which can often be mistaken as side effects of excessive drinking, according to government website Smart Traveller.

Others experience difficulty breathing, blurred vision, agitation, dizziness, stomach pain, flashes of light and tunnel vision.

Ms Davies claims if her son had of received proper medical treatment, he would 'still be alive' today (Pictured left to right: Father Tim, brothers Keegan and Conner, with mother Lhani)

Mr Davies was tested for tetanus as he had been seizing but by the time the results came back negative he already had a major bleed in his brain.

Ms Davies claims if her son had of received proper medical treatment, he would 'still be alive' today.

She said he was tested for tetanus as he had been seizing but by the time the results came back negative he already had a major bleed in his brain.

'It took 20 hours of begging to get him medivaced back. 'When he arrived in Perth they diagnosed it within 10 minutes,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Liam's case is not an isolated incident and we are working to make changes and to raise awareness so no other family has to go through what we have,' Ms Davies wrote on Facebook.
A woman has been repeatedly clubbed in the head with a metal steering wheel lock during a brazen armed robbery at a Melbourne milk bar.

A man entered Burwood East milk bar at about 5.30pm on June 11 where he beat the shopkeeper with a club lock after threatening her with a taser and demanding cash.

On Sunday Police released CCTV footage of the brutal assault in the hope of identifying the man.

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A woman has been repeatedly clubbed in the head with a metal steering wheel lock during a brazen armed robbery at a Melbourne milk bar (pictured)

The man was wearing a black hooded jumper and ski goggles with white rims at the time

The video shows the woman reaching for the club lock before the attacker wrestles it from her.

The man continues to beat the woman with the metal object as she falls to the ground.

The shopkeeper sustained serious facial and arm injuries and remains in hospital a week after the incident.

The man was wearing a black hooded jumper and ski goggles with white rims at the time.

Detective Senior Constable Jason Stewart described the assault as cowardice.

It's one of the worst attacks on a victim during the course of an armed robbery that I've seen, he told ABC News.

The man continues to beat the woman with the metal object as she falls to the ground

On Sunday Police released CCTV footage of the brutal assault in the hope of identifying the man

During the Glen Waverly incident the man was wearing a black hooded jumper with GSTAR printed on it, black tracksuit pants, black runners, black gloves and a bandanna covering the lower part of his face

Police believe the armed robbery is linked to another that occurred in Glen Waverley last month.

A man entered a milk bar on Capital Avenue on May 26 and approached the counter.

He then threatened the two staff members with a taser before leaving with cash and cigarettes.

During the Glen Waverly incident the man was wearing a black hooded jumper with GSTAR printed on it, black tracksuit pants, black runners, black gloves and a bandanna covering the lower part of his face.

The man is a described as being Asian in appearance and aged in his early to mid 20s.
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Demand by hipsters is driving the price of houses in Australia's trendiest suburbs up by as much as $600,000, according to new research.

House prices in the hippest locations in Sydney, Melbourne and other capitals have skyrocketed by up to 75 per cent, with Sydney's inner-city Darlinghurst leading the pack, according to a study by Microburbs.

In Sydney, other suburbs with high 'hip ratings' include Newtown, Redfern and Erskineville - where house prices have soared by $500,000.

But the study named Melbourne as Australia's most hip city, with 21 suburbs scoring a hip score of 10, rated on several factors including proximity to tattoo parlours, health foods, alternative therapies and number of residents who hold a creative degree.

Sydney had 20 suburbs that scored 10 on the hipster rating.

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Hipsters are driving the cost of living as house prices continue to soar by up to $600,000 in Australia's coolest suburbs, including Surry Hills (pictured 24 Dawson Street)

Sydney's hippest locations house prices skyrocketed in the past five years, with Darlinghurst's property (pictured 121 Womerah Avenue) prices increasing $600,000

Darlinghurst properties (including this property at 121 Womerah Avenue) prices have spiked by 75 per cent in the past five years

Other inner-Sydney suburbs, which scored high 'hip ratings', included Newtown, Redfern (pictured 773 South Dowling Street) and Erskineville and saw house prices soar by $500,000

The study named Melbourne as Australia's most hip city, with 21 suburbs (including Collingwood, pictured 15 Forest Street) scoring a hip score of 10

The hipster score was marked on several factors including proximity to tattoo parlours, health foods, alternative therapies and number of residents who hold a creative degree (stock image)

Hipsters are driving the cost of living as house prices continue to soar by up to $600,000 in Australia's coolest suburbs (stock image)

The data found nationwide the median house prices in suburbs with a hipster rating of nine, including Newtown, (pictured 79 Newman Street) rose 13 per cent, to $1.3 million

Surry Hills homes including this open air apartment at 9265 Crown Street have been impacted by the rise of hipster residents

HOW IS A HIP SUBURB MEASURED? - Number of bicycle commuters - Number of university students - Number of creative d egrees - Number of single men - Number of single w omen - Diversity, number of parents born overseas - Proximity to body and ear piercing stores - Proximity and number of art stores and spaces - Proximity and number of alternative therapies - Proximity and number of tattoo parlours - Proximity to health foods - Proximity to pubs, restaurants and coffee shops Advertisement

The data found nationwide the median house prices in suburbs with a hipster rating of nine, rose 13 per cent, to $1.3 million.

Luke Metcalfe, of Microburbs, said hip suburbs are generally zones where a lot of single people working in creative roles or studying at university reside, who tend to be ethnically diverse and commute by foot or bicycle.

'Being able to quantify the cool factor of an area helps people find the kind of places they want to live, even if they're moving from overseas and don't know their destination city,' Mr Metcalfe said.

'For investors, increasing hipness can also be a leading indicator for price growth.'

Mr Metcalfe said the 'hip score' algorithm takes into context bars and restaurants considered 'hip', with travel time, directions and ratings.

'Art galleries, body modification studios and yoga centres also light the way to Hipsterville,' he said.

In Melbourne's most hip suburb, Fitzroy, the data found there were 20 art shops and spaces within 500 metres of the middle of the suburb, and 20 alternative therapy stores within 400 metres.

The suburb had at least 20 pubs within 500 metres and almost 60 per cent of residents had at least one parent born overseas.

The Victorian capital's top five hippest suburbs were rounded out by St Kilda, Collingwood, Flemington and Windsor.

In Melbourne's most hip suburb, Fitzroy, (pictured 219 Argyle Street) the data found there were 20 art shops and spaces within 500 metres of the middle of the suburb, and 20 alternative therapy stores within 400 metres

Fitzroy (pictured 219 Argyle Street) had at least 20 pubs within 500 metres and almost 60 per cent of residents had at least one parent born overseas

The Victorian capital's top five hippest suburbs were rounded out by St Kilda (pictured 27 Bath Street), Collingwood, Flemington and Windsor

Luke Metcalfe, of Microburbs, said hip suburbs are generally zones where a lot of single people working in creative roles or studying at university reside, who tend to be ethnically diverse and commute by foot or bicycle. Pictured is 44 Paris Street in West End, Queensland

Hipster suburbs scored highly in their proximity to renowned pubs, restaurants and coffee and added to

Number of tattoo parlours and proximity to body piercing shops were factors measured as part of the study

Mr Metcalfe said the 'hip score' algorithm takes into context bars and restaurants considered 'hip', with travel time, directions and ratings. Pictured is a luxury home at 12 Refinery Parade, New Farm, Queensland

'Art galleries, body modification studios and yoga centres also light the way to Hipsterville' - Mr Metcalfe described the major factors of a high scoring hip suburb. Pictured is a remarkable home at 256 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace

WHAT ARE THE HIPPEST SUBURBS IN YOUR CITY? Sydney 1. Darlinghurst, 9.9 2. Surry Hills, 9.9 3. Darlington, 9.8 4. Rushcutters Bay, 9.7 5. Potts Point, 9.7 6. Chippendale, 9.7 7. Redfern, 9.6 8. Elizabeth Bay, 9.6 9. Newtown, 9.6 10. Erskineville, 9.5 Perth 1. Northbridge, 9.8 2. Perth, 9.7 3. West Perth, 9.7 4. Highgate, 9.6 5. Leederville, 9.4 6. Mount Lawley, 9.3 7. North Perth, 9 8. Fremantle, 9 9. South Fremantle, 9 10. North Fremantle, 9 Melbourne 1. Fitzroy, 9.6 2. St Kilda, 9.5 3. Collingwood, 9.5 4. Flemington, 9.5 5. Windsor, 9.5 6. West Melbourne, 9.5 7. Balaclava, 9.5 8. North Melbourne, 9.5 9. Burnley, 9.5 10. South Yarra, 9.5 Brisbane 1. Fortitude Valley, 9.5 2. Petrie Terrace, 9.5 3. West End, 9.5 4. New Farm, 9.5 5. Milton, 9.5 6. Highgate Hill, 9.3 7. Bowen Hills, 9.3 8. Newstead, 9.2 9. Teneriffe, 9.2 10. Kelvin Grove, 9 Advertisement

Sydney's most hip suburbs were all located south of the Harbour Bridge, with Darlinghurst playing host to more than 20 restaurants within 400 metres and 20 per cent of residents holding a creative degree.

Affluent suburbs Surry Hills, Darlington, Rushcutters Bay, Potts Point all made the city's top five suburbs and inner-west hotspots Newtown and Erskineville made the top ten.

Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, located two kilometres from the city centre, rated 9.5 on the hip score.

Central Perth suburbs topped the list of hip hotspots with Northbridge recording a hip score of 9.8 and Adelaide's city centre rated the coolest place to live in the city.

The Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and ACT are yet to have a suburb score the hip list with a nine point score,

Central Perth suburbs topped the list of hip hotspots with Northbridge (pictured 115269 James Street) recording a hip score of 9.8

Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, located two kilometres from the city centre, rated 9.5 on the hip score. Pictured is nearby New Farm home at (12 Elystan Road)
A five-month-old girl with eczema so severe she had to have mittens taped to her hands to stop herself from scratching her face until she bled will have to wait a year to see a skin specialist.

Brisbane mother-of-two Alexandra Dean, 25, first noticed the nasty skin condition on her little daughter Kelsey when it was just a tiny red spot on her left cheek at seven weeks old.

But the irritation soon took over the rest of Kelsey's face and neck, turning her smooth skin into rough patches of raw blood blisters that regularly burst when agitated.

The condition means most of Kelsey's short life has been spent in tormenting pain - unable to sleep and constantly crying and screaming as she struggles to cope with the unbearable itchiness.

Brisbane mother Alexandra Dean had to tape mittens to the hands of her five-month-old daughter Kelsey because her eczema was so severe

The skin irritation started as a small spot on her left cheek at seven weeks old, but quickly spread all across her face and body

The condition means most of Kelsey's short life has been spent in pain - unable to sleep and constantly crying and screaming

'Nothing worked': Mother Alexandra (pictured) tried everything to fix her daughter's debilitating eczema but nothing eased the pain

'We had to tape mittens on her hands because shed literally rip them off herself, and then rip at her skin,' Ms Dean told Daily Mail Australia.

'I used to stay up at night with her and just cry because I had to pin myself on her ... because even with the mittens on shed just have to rub her face.'

The nightmarish ordeal reached a peak when Ms Dean left her daughter in a cot for three minutes, and came back to find her bed sheets and clothing covered in a coat of blood.

Kelsey had taken off her mittens and scratched at her scabby skin, ripping flakes off and leaving behind a pool of blood.

Doctors initially prescribed Kelsey moisturising creams, but they did little to alleviate the stinging pain.

'I probably saw four GPs, hospital nurses, doctors, private dermatologists but no-ones treatment helped  I did everything. Their suggestions just didnt work,' Ms Dean said.

When a nasty infection underneath the skin sent Kelsey to the hospital's emergency room six weeks ago, she was given a nine-day hit of cortisone steroid cream to help with the eczema.

The antibiotics worked for the nine days they lasted, but the relief was short-lived.

'The day after she stopped the course of antibiotics it came back just as bad,' Ms Dean said.

Unfortunately for Ms Dean, Kelsey is one of a staggering 200 children on a 12-month waiting list at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital just to see a special dermatologist.

Despite the considerable pain and discomfort Kelsey is in, she has been placed on the hospital's 'least critical' list, meaning she is at the bottom of a long pile of patients waiting for treatment.

Kelsey is one of 200 other people on a waiting list to see a special dermatologist at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital

Facing a one-year wait through the public health care system and unable to afford private practitioners, Ms Dean headed to a South African dermatologist for an alternative treatment

For the young mother, the private health care system was simply too expensive.

But a one-year wait for her suffering child was not an option either.

Ms Dean turned to a South African dermatologist recommended by friends, who prescribed a 'miracle cream' with overnight results.

'We saw a difference overnight. Now that she's ten days into the treatment her skins doing really well and she only scratches occasionally, like a normal baby would,' Ms Dean said.

For the mother-of-two the real joy has come in showing affection to her baby daughter, something she hasn't been able to properly do since Kelsey was just five weeks old.

'Shes probably getting really annoyed with me because all I do is touch her face, I havent been able to kiss her cheeks or touch her face since she was five weeks old.'

But the alternative treatment doesn't come cheap, and with no help from Medicare she's relying on friends and family to help offset the $200-plus it costs each month.

She has since set up a GoFundMe fundraising page with the hope that others might be able to financially assist her as she continues to fight Kelsey's lifelong battle with debilitating eczema.

Pictured is the dramatic difference after just one night's use of the new treatment

Ms Dean says she is finally able to show her daughter affection by kissing her on the cheek - the first time she's been able to do it since Kelsey was just five weeks old
A high school senior who missed his graduation because he was in a medically induced coma following a horror crash, was surprised to receive a do-over from his classmates.

Scott Dunn was heartbroken when he found out that he had missed his high school graduation while he was in a coma.

'I remember waking up in the hospital and asking my mom what day it was. She told me it was the 28th,' he told ABC 27.

'First thing I said, I looked at her and said, "I missed my graduation".'

Scott Dunn was heartbroken when he found out that he had missed his high school graduation while he was in a coma

But little did he know that his fellow classmates at East Juniata High School in McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, were preparing to give him a second chance at graduating

Graduation for the students of East Juniata High School in McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, had happened on May 25

But Dunn had gotten into a serious car accident on May 22 and was kept sedated until a week later

But little did he know that his fellow classmates at East Juniata High School in McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, were preparing to give him a second chance at graduating, according to ABC News.

Dunn's original high school graduation date was May 25.

And he had gotten into a horrific car accident just three days prior on May 22, according to ABC.

He was kept sedated until a week later.

The school's principal, Benjamin Fausey, contacted Dunn's family once he got word that the student was recovering.

Fausey told the family that the school 'wanted to do something special for him'.

On Tuesday, more than half of Dunn's class came back to recreate the original graduation ceremony just for him.

Fausey told ABC that 'all the students were all excited and in their graduation gowns and caps again', adding that 'there was so much positive energy'.

Dunn led his classmates in a procession to 'Pomp and Circumstance,' Fausey said.

After a few brief speeches, Dunn was called to the stage to receive his diploma.

And as he walked across the stage, his classmates applauded and cheered.

After the ceremony, Dunn's classmates formed a circle around him and tossed their caps into the air.

Dunn told ABC that the 'whole event left him "speechless"'.

'I don't know how to even explain it,' he said. 'I'm speechless to know that this many people are behind me.'

Dunn is now deciding whether he will go to college or join the military.

After the school's principal got word that Dunn was recovering, he reached out to the teen's family and told them the school 'wanted to do something special for him'. Dunn is pictured with his family

After the ceremony, Dunn's classmates formed a circle around him and tossed their caps into the air in a show of solidarity




A three-year-old boy is in critical condition after being found in a backyard pool.

The unidentified child's parents were administering CPR when paramedics arrived just after 3pm on Saturday in the 9900 block of Sagedowne Lane in southeast Harris County, in Houston, Texas.

Its not clear how long the child was in the pool, according to KHOU.

A toddler fell into a house (above) in Sagedowne Lane in southeast Harris County, in Houston, Texas on Saturday

The child was rushed to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.

In April, a toddler died after slipping into an apartment complex pool in west Harris County, at the Woodbridge Crossing Apartments, located at 14501 Empanada.

Baby Aiden was airlifted to the same hospital, according to the outlet.

The three-year-old boy reportedly fell into the family pool and is now in critical condition in the hospital

In 2014, Texas had the highest number of children drowning deaths in pools, behind Florida and California.

Drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death up to age four years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On average, there are 390 deaths per year due to drowning in pools or spas up to age 14. Seventy-six percent of those deaths are children age five and under.
the distance then hit the driver in the head

An SAS sniper took out two ISIS car bombers with a single shot when they were driving towards their target in Libya.

The heroic sharpshooter saved hundreds of lives by hitting the driver in the head with a deadly shot from 1,000m.

The bullet went through the driver's skull and lodged in the passenger's neck, killing them both.

An SAS sniper took out two ISIS car bombers with a single shot when they were driving towards their target in Libya (stock image)

The jihadis were transporting a massive bomb to Tripoli where they planned to detonate it in a packed market, intelligence revealed.

After the marksmen took out his targets, their white 1990s Mercedes which was travelling at 30mph came to a halt.

Libyan troops, who were working with the SAS on the ambush, then sprayed the car with machine gun fire until it exploded in a raging fireball.

SAS sources are already calling the shot one of the best of all time.

'It was an amazing shot. It wasn't so much about the distance but the fact that it was a moving target,' a source told the Daily Star Sunday.

'If the sniper had missed a lot of people would have lost their lives.'

After the marksmen took out his targets, their white 1990s Mercedes which was travelling at 30mph came to a halt (stock image of ISIS troops)

The source also praised the sharpshooter for his quick-thinking - the Libyan soldiers working with the four-man SAS team were supposed to take out the car but they panicked and fired their weapons too quickly, missing the target.

It was at that moment that the sniper intervened with his .338 Lapua Magnum rifle. He fired two shots to gauge the distance of the car before the third struck home.

'He was with the team advising the Libyans who were meant to be doing the ambush. He had little time to act,' the source added.

The shooting happened last month while members of the Hereford-based SAS were assisting the fight against Islamic State in Libya.
A British couple were 'beaten senseless' by bouncers at a Magaluf party hotel after the woman allegedly threw a plastic cup at them.

Shocking footage has emerged of a young couple being pummelled by security staff at the four-star BH Mallorca Hotel in Magaluf, Spain, on Friday following a disagreement.

In the short clip a woman wearing a black bikini is pinned to the floor by a bouncer after she was allegedly slapped in the face while two security guards appear to punch and kick her boyfriend.

The couple have been named on social media as model Robbie Hofmann and her boyfriend hardcore dance DJ Alex Henderson, who works under the name 'Alex Prospect'.

In the short clip filmed in Magaluf a woman wearing a black bikini is pinned to the floor by a bouncer (pictured left) while another two security guards appear to punch and kick her boyfriend (right) as he is on the floor

At one point the video shows three bouncers punching, hitting and kicking the man (pictured) on the floor

According to an eyewitness one of the bouncers slapped the woman after she threw a plastic cup at one of them, prompting Mr Henderson to jump in.

At one point the video shows three bouncers punching, hitting and kicking the man while he is prone on the floor.

It is understood Miss Hofmann sustained cuts and bruises while her boyfriend suffered more serious injuries.

Following the incident a shocking picture of Mr Henderson sporting a bloodied and swollen face was posted on the BH Mallorca Facebook page, along with dozens of complaints about his treatment at the hands of the bouncers.

Following the incident a shocking picture of Mr Henderson sporting a bloodied and swollen face was posted on the BH Mallorca Facebook page, along with dozens of complaints about his treatment

Jakub Matejko, from Manchester, shared the original shocking video on Facebook.

He wrote: 'I'm so disgusted with the staff SAFE 4 u working at the BH Mallorca hotel ... guards picked up on a girl because she threw a plastic cup at one of them, the guy went up to her and slaps her so her boyfriend trying to protect her jump in and end up with broken head and bleeding from eyes.

'They even kicked and punched the girl afterwards as you can see on the video, this is not what should be happening at four star hotel.

'The guy was not moving, and the guards were still kicking his head in.

'Helpless and purple with the force the guards been using, is this what you get when you go on holiday with your 2nd half?'

His post prompted dozens of complaints on the hotel's Facebook page, with many demanding the chain apologise to Mr Henderson.

Dennis Nicholls wrote: 'Terrible video footage showing security guards beating up that couple, If that's the kind of security you hire then you will not be in business much longer. I think an apology is needed for that couple.'

Evelyn Mielcarek said: 'Unbelievable. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for this type of action against anyone. You hired thugs to beat up patrons - you are as guilty as your employees. You ought to lose your Hotel license.'

David King added: 'Throw those scum bags in jail & throw away the key & close the hotel down, IMMEDIATELY! security are meant to make people feel safe & not make people feel scared in case they turn on the guests!'

According to an eyewitness one of the bouncers slapped the woman after she threw a plastic cup at one of them, prompting Mr Henderson to jump in

The couple have been named on social media as model Robbie Hofmann and her boyfriend hardcore dance DJ Alex Henderson, who works under the name 'Alex Prospect' (both pictured)

Danielle Roberts said: 'Disgusting hotel - disgusting staff. Just plain evil, just watched the video of the woman getting beaten by your security guards and a guy almost to death. Then to read your statement is f****** ridiculous not even an apology in there. You should hang your heads in shame.'

BH Mallorca Hotel spokesman said: 'The management of BH are as troubled as everyone else by what is shown on the video yesterday.

'The guests were not staying at BH Mallorca, they were visiting for the day and refused to leave at closing time.

'We do not condone the use of violence & we have been working with local authororities since last night to establish exactly what happened before and after what is shown on the film that lead up to this incident.'

BH Mallorca is a popular hotel for British tourists on holiday. The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann regularly stays there.
If cuteness guarantees votes, then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull must be pleased after being upstaged by his grandson Jack Turnbull Brown at a trucking rally.

The pint-sized Jack couldn't contain his excitement after rolling into a truck rally in Sydney on Sunday.

'I want go in the trucks!' the two-and-a-half-year old said as he rushed into Mr Turnbull's arms.

Dozens of trucking business owners, the employment and infrastructure ministers and other Liberal MPs watched on as the Prime Minister and the little truck enthusiast played in the driver seat of a nearby vehicle.

Scroll down for video

'I want to go in the trucks!' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was upstaged by his grandson Jack Turnbull Brown at a Sydney trucking rally

The pint-sized Jack couldn't contain his excitement after rolling into a truck rally at the Sydney Trucks & Machinery Centre on Sunday

The crowd didn't appear to mind the extra wait as Mr Turnbull took Jack to a nearby hauler.

The Prime Minister sat his grandson on the driver's seat and encouraged him to blow the truck horn.

'Give it a little twirl,' he told his grandson.

Little Jack tried - but it didn't work.

'He's very happy in the driver's chair,' Mr Turnbull said, shortly before doing the job himself for the cameras.

The PM announced at the Sydney Trucks & Machinery Centre that the $4 million saved from abolishing the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal will be diverted to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sat his grandson on the driver's seat and encouraged him to blow the truck horn

Jack Turnbull Brown stole his grandfathers thunder before at the Prime Minister's pre-budget press conference in May

Dozens of trucking business owners, the employment and infrastructure ministers and other Liberal MPs watched on as the Prime Minister and this grandson played in a nearby hauler

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addressed truck drivers at Sydney Trucks and Machinery Centre. Mr Turnbull said $4 million will be diverted to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

It's not the first time Jack Turnbull Brown has stolen his grandfathers spotlight.

The two-and-a-half-year old grew restless at the Prime Minister's pre-budget press conference in May.

The PM was fielding questions from the press pack about Senate voting reforms when he caught sight of his grandson.
Former BHS boss Sir Philip Green has taken delivery of a 48million state-of-the-art private jet as thousands of workers face the dole after the store's collapse.

The 64-year-old purchased the Gulfstream G650ER - which has a top speed of 680mph - as an upgrade to the luxury jet he already owns.

It is the aviation company's newest flagship which can carry eight passengers and buyers have the choice of 12 predefined floorplans. It is described as the 'ultimate VIP status symbol.'

The new purchase comes despite the 571million BHS pensions black hole, reports The Sun.

Only 181 models of the 100ft-long luxurious Gulfstream G650ER (stock photo) have been made

It is the aviation company's newest flagship which can carry eight passengers and buyers have the choice of 12 predefined floorplans

A source told the newspaper: 'It's the most luxurious private jet on the planet, the fastest of its kind. Most employees at BHS will struggle to even pay for a budget flight to Spain this summer.

'So the idea he's splashing out on this will be hard to stomach.'

Only 181 models of the new plane, which is the fastest and largest private jet available, have been made. It is so exclusive there is a three year waiting list to buy one.

A Gulfstream spokesman said it is like being in an 'office in the sky'.

Sir Philip's wife and businesswoman Lady Green is said to be spending 300,000 to redesign the interior of the plane.

The purchase made by Sir Philip Green (pictured) comes despite the 571million BHS pensions black hole

The standard features of the 100ft-long plane include 26-inch televisions and a convection oven

The standard features of the 100ft-long and 26ft-high plane include digital audio and high-definition video equipment and 26-inch televisions and a convection oven.

A description of the plane on the aviation company's website reads: 'Wide seats and generous aisle spaces are benefits of the G650ER.

'The sense of spaciousness is further enhanced by 16 Gulfstream panoramic windows, the largest in the industry, that stream sunlight into the cabin and galley.

'The G650ER cabin is replenished with 100 percent fresh air every two minutes.'

The couple also own a 100million superyacht, the 300ft Lionheart, delivered earlier this year. Their children Brandon and Chloe have use of another superyacht and a third is available for charter.

Although the Lionheart and G650 were understood to have been ordered before BHSs collapse and the loss of around 11,000 jobs, the timing of their delivery has been a public relations disaster for Sir Philip, who sold BHS for 1 last year.

Sir Philip's wife and businesswoman Lady Green (right) is said to be spending 300,000 to redesign the interior of the plane

A Gulfstream spokesman said: 'You can use your phone, it has four living areas and 100 per cent fresh air which is refreshed every two minutes, so you land feeling rejuvenated.'

MPs have recently called for Sir Philip to be stripped of his knighthood following his handling of the High Street chain.

But questions are now being asked about Lady Green's finances and she is expected to be called before MPs.

The wealthy couple also own a Gulfstream G550 plane, a helicopter and a speedboat.

Asked for comment, Sir Philip's told The Sun: 'I don't want to talk to you, is that clear? Goodbye.'
Michael Gove, pictured today arriving for an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr

Michael Gove today denied there would be a recession triggered by a Brexit vote on Thursday, rejecting an economic consensus warning of a downturn if voters quit the EU.

The Justice Secretary said Britain would in fact thrive if freed from the constraints of Brussels and in an 11th hour plea to the electorate, urged them to 'vote for hope'.

Mr Gove's intervention, ahead of a major TV interview today, comes as the referendum campaign gradually resumes following the shocking killing of Labour MP Jo Cox.

Both sides of the referendum battle shut down for two days after the shocking events on Thursday as a shattered Westminster was left reeling by the attack.

Mr Gove's intervention, in the Sunday Telegraph, urged voters to support democracy when they go to the polls on Thursday.

He told the paper: 'There are great things that Britain can do in the future as a progressive beacon.

'By voting Leave, we have that opportunity.

'People should vote for democracy and Britain should vote for hope.'

Mr Gove said: 'I can't foretell the future but I don't believe that the act of leaving the European Union would make our economic position worse, I think it would make it better.'

Amid reports some Tories are lining up Theresa May as a 'caretaker' replacement for David Cameron should he lose on Thursday, Mr Gove insisted the Prime Minister should stay on whatever the result.

He told the Telegraph: 'I absolutely think that David Cameron should stay, whatever the result of the referendum and I hope that he will stay for the full second term which he was elected to serve.

'I don't want to have anyone else as Prime Minister other than David Cameron and if people spend their time thinking about some of this stuff then they are getting in the way of two things: one a fair, open, fact-based referendum debate; and two, the Conservative government continuing afterwards in a stable and secure fashion.'

In his own return to campaigning today, Mr Cameron warned the economy 'hangs in the balance' on Thursday.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Prime Minister said: 'If you're not sure, don't take the risk of leaving... If you don't know, don't go.'

He added: 'If we choose to go out of the EU, we will go out  with all of the consequences that will have for everyone in Britain.

Prime Minister David Cameron resumed campaigning activities today, two days after an extraordinary joint appearance with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Birstall, Yorkshire, pictured. Mr Cameron warned the economy 'hangs in the balance' on Thursday

'If we were to leave and it quickly turned out to be a big mistake, there wouldn't be a way of changing our minds and having another go.'

The Sunday Times today said senior Conservatives were planning on how to deal with the aftermath of the referendum 'if everything goes wrong'.

Sources told the paper Home Secretary Mrs May could be thrust forward to ease the party through a transition period.

An unnamed cabinet minister said: 'Several of us are talking about whether she should be a caretaker leader to get things back on an even keel.
Kian Coggin, 28, (pictured) who is believed to be originally from Falmouth in Cornwall, runs Magaluf Boat Parties which runs 'booze cruises' and club nights on the Spanish island

An expat who runs a boat party firm in Magaluf has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a British woman at his home in Majorca.

Kian Coggin, 28, who is believed to be originally from Falmouth in Cornwall, runs Magaluf Boat Parties which runs 'booze cruises' and club nights on the Spanish island.

He was arrested at an address in Calvia after Interpol asked Spanish police to find him after the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she was assaulted at his home last summer.

Spanish police said: 'An investigation was launched in January after we received a request for help from Interpol.

'The alleged victim, a 20-year-old Brit, didn't report the incident to police in Spain at the time but filed a complaint when she returned to England.'

The Sun reports that Coggin appeared at a Spanish magistrate's court on Wednesday and was released on bail.

Coggin denies the allegations.

He wrote to friends on Facebook: 'I'm not Excatly guna [sic] hide from it or take it lying down that's a serious allegation and anyone that Nos me nos this is complete utter b*******.

'This is totally out the blue and total b*******.'
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A humpback whale certainly put on a spectacular show for beachgoers as the marine mammal returns to Australia's east coast for its annual winter migration.

Sydneysiders were treated to the mesmerising display as the whale launched out of the waves and rolled around in the surf at Clovelly Beach on Sunday.

The magnificent sea creature pirouetted through the ocean, with hundreds more expected to pass through the city as part of the whale migration season, which is from May to November each year.

Whale watchers braved the cold as they huddled under umbrellas to catch a glimpse of the playful mammal twisting and breaching simultaneously in the water.

And much to their delight, the whale certainly wowed the crowd with multiple huge splashes after slapping its tail and fins on the water.

Witnesses said the whale was among a pod of three, with up to 20 whales spotted in the distance off the coast over the weekend.

A playful humpback whale breaching simultaneously after returning to the coast at Clovelly Beach, east of Sydney, on Sunday

A pod of marine mammals are passing through Clovelly Beach over the weekend as part of their annual winter whale migration

Sydneysiders were treated to the mesmerising display as the whale launched out of the waves and rolled around in the surf

A humpback whale certainly put on a spectacular show for beachgoers as the marine mammal returns to the coast for its winter migration

The playful humpback whale certainly wowed the crowd with multiple huge splashes after slapping its tail and fins on the water
Nigel Farage today insisted there would not have been such a 'row' over Ukip's controversial pro-Brexit immigration poster if Jo Cox had not been brutally killed.

The Ukip leader complained he was the 'victim' of hatred and insisted the party would be putting out more material focusing on the key issue of control over our borders.

The defence came as politicians from all sides in the EU referendum battle lined up to slam the 'racist' poster.

Mr Farage unveiled the image - which featured the headline 'Breaking Point' over a photograph of refugees walking into Europe through Slovenia - on Thursday just hours before Labour MP Jo Cox was shot dead and the referendum battle was suspended.

Michael Gove today revealed he 'shuddered' when Ukip unveiled an anti-immigration poster featuring refugees just a week before the EU referendum.

The Justice Secretary said the poster, branded racist by critics, was the 'wrong thing to do'.

Chancellor George Osborne, who supports the Remain campaign, also condemned the poster today as having 'echoes' of far right literature from the 1930s.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Brexit-backing Labour MP John Mann all slammed the poster in interviews today.

Michael Gove today told the BBC's Andrew Marr that he 'shuddered' when he saw the Ukip poster on immigration when it was unveiled last week

Nigel Farage unveiled the controversial poster on Thursday, exactly a week before the EU referendum but was immediately condemned for the tone

Mr Gove said: 'When I saw that poster, I shuddered. I felt it was the wrong thing to do.

'I must stress, I believe in free speech, I don't want to deny anyone a platform, and when I have had the opportunity to talk about migration during the course of this debate.

'I hope I have been very clear I am pro-migration but the way in which we secure public support for the continued benefits migration brings, the way we secure public support for helping refugees in need is if people feel they can control the numbers overall coming here.'

Chancellor George Osborne, who supports the Remain camaign, also condemned the poster today as having 'echoes' of far right literature from the 1930s.

Mr Osborne told ITV's Peston on Sunday: 'I think there is a difference between addressing those concerns [about immigration] in a reasonable way and whipping up concerns, whipping up division, making baseless assertions that millions of people are going to come into the country in the next couple of years from Turkey, or saying that dead bodies are going to wash up on the beaches of Kent  or, indeed, putting up that disgusting and vile poster that Nigel Farage did which had echoes of literature used in the 1930s.

'That is what we should say no to and this referendum vote is a vote on the kind of Britain we want.'

Mr Farage today rejected the charge of stoking up hatred, telling ITV interviewer Robert Peston: 'I think I have been a politician who has been a victim of it, to be honest with you.

'When you challenge the establishment in this country, they come after you, they call you all sorts of things. We saw the Chancellor a few minutes ago - despite the fact that overnight he talked about turning down the rhetoric - doing the same thing again.'

Despite his criticism of the Ukip poster, Mr Gove defended the official Vote Leave campaign's claims about immigration and particularly the possibility of Turkey joining the EU

Asked if he wished he hadn't unveiled the poster, Mr Farage replied: 'I wish an innocent Member of Parliament hadn't been gunned down on the street.

'That's the point, and frankly had that not happened, I don't think we would have had the kind of row that we've had over it.'

He added: 'There was a big momentum developing right across the country, [then] a tragic death... It's difficult to see where either of the campaigns go.'

Mr Farage said: 'That poster reflects the truth of what's going on. We have a new poster coming out tomorrow morning and we'll unveil a new poster for every day.'

Mr Gove defended the claims on immigration made by his own campaign about Turkey, insisting it was not wrong to ensure migrant numbers are controlled.

Interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Gove was challenged on Vote Leave leaflets which claim Turkey's high birth rate would mean a million more people having the right to come to Britain.

Mr Gove said: 'I think it is important to stress that when we are thinking about the enlargement of the European Union - and it is the official policy of the EU to accelerate Turkey's accession.

'I think the fact that both the British government and the EU want Turkey and other countries to join is clear. The rate and speed at which Turkey will join will depend on a variety of political factors.

'But it is the case that during the course of this year the EU want to accelerate that process and I think that when Turkey is becoming less democratic that is not the right thing to do.'

Mr Gove denied discussion of Turkey's birth rate made him 'queasy' and added: 'I think it is very important when we are talking about migration to take into account numbers overall as well.

'One of the things about numbers is that we benefit from migration if the numbers are controlled.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today admitted he did not believe there could be limits placed on free movement in the EU as he claimed the Government was at fault for not giving communities resources to cope

Scottish first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon today renewed her criticism of the Ukip poster.

She told Sky News: 'In these last few days I hope we can have a debate that doesn't focus on immigration.

'Yes, people's concerns about immigration need to be addressed, but let's also make the positive case for a world and a Europe where we all have the freedom of travel and the positive case for immigration and the benefits that brings to our economy.

'On that point, the poster that Nigel Farage unveiled last week was vile and racist and I hope he does agree today to withdraw that poster, because that kind of sentiment has no place in a civilised debate.'

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was asked directly whether he thought there should be an upper limit on the numbers coming to the UK.

Chancellor George Osborne today said the Ukip poster had 'echoes' of 1930s literature

Mr Corbyn said: 'I don't think you can have one while you have the free movement of labour, and the free movement of labour means that you have to balance the economy.

'So you have to improve living standards and conditions and so that means the EU's appalling treatment of Greece is a problem.

'If you deliberately lower living standards and increase poverty in south eastern Europe, then you're bound to have a flow of people looking for somewhere to go.

'Surely the issue is an anti-austerity, growth package all across Europe rather than this.'

Defending his poster amid attacks from all sides of the political spectrum, Mr Farage claimed 'all' the people pictured in the poster will have EU passports within years.

'This is a statement about the whole of the European Union and politically I really do think that the European Union is at breaking point,' he told the BBC as he unveiled the poster in Westminster.

Mr Farage today told ITV Vote Leave should answer for their own posters.
Some critics on Twitter said it was a questionable use of taxpayer's money

a front-flip and fell on his back

Minnesota police have released a video of their officers doing the worm and front-flipping for their take on the latest viral dance craze.

Everyone from receptionists to the SWAT team of the Bloomington Police Department were spotted busting moves in an entry for the Running Man Challenge.

The amusing clip, which also featured an officer dressed as a dog, showed colleagues dancing in front of a shopping centre and in a donut shop.

Minnesota police have released a video of their officers doing the worm and front-flipping for their take on the latest viral dance craze

The Bloomington Police Department were spotted busting moves in an entry for the Running Man Challenge

The amusing three-minute clip, uploaded to Youtube, starts with a bomb disposal unit member walking through clouds of purple smoke on a field.

As the smoke clears, his stern-looking colleagues come into view amid two patrol cars.

Suddenly the shot flips and the officers start dancing manically to the tune of My Boo by Ghost Town DJs.

As one officer enthusiastically does the worm in a line across the grass, his female colleague does an Egyptian-style dance.

The amusing three-minute clip starts with a bomb disposal unit officer walking through clouds of purple smoke on a field - before busting into a jig, as one officer tried to do a front flip and fell on his back (pictured right)

Even members of the SWAT team were spotted throwing shapes to the tune of My Boo by Ghost Town DJs

One adventurous police officer even attempts a forward flip - but falls flat on his back.

The camera then cuts to an officer speeding past on a Segway in front of the shopping centre Mall Of America.

He then spins on the spot as other officers begin dancing in the middle of the road.

At the end they challenge Burnsville Police Department to submit their own dancing video.

Many flocked to Twitter to praise the video, with Dartmouth Police sharing their support - while some questioned the use of taxpayer's money.

A user going by the handle @Jordananimator wrote: Great use of taxpayer dollars... Nice military gear, too. What war you prepping for?'

The camera then cuts to an officer speeding around on a Segway in front of the shopping centre Mall Of America

Another officer rides around on a bicycle while his colleagues dance in the middle of the road

The video even features someone dancing dressed bizarrely as a dog wearing a trench coat

However, Kelley Wollak said: 'Best produced Running Man Challenge video goes to my hometown PD.'

Austin TV news reporter Carlos Garcia added: 'Need a smile? @BPD_MN takes on the running man challenge. Personal fave: the guy doing the worm.'

The official account for Dartmouth Police wrote: 'LMAO!! Great job Bloomington P.D. I pulled a hamstring just watching this video!'

The Running Man Challenge was created by the teenagers Kevin Vincent and Jerry Hall and the first video was posted several weeks ago.

Since then it has become a hugely popular trend among police departments nationwide.

Detroit Police Department's rendition is one of the most watched with 8.4million views. At the end of the clip the department challenged Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago.

Chelsea captain John Terry celebrated England's dramatic Euro 2016 victory over Wales by completing the Running Man Challenge on Friday.

The former Three Lions defender did his own version of the dance craze while on holiday in Montenegro.

At the end of the entertaining clip men in firefighting gear shared the dancing limelight with police officers
Jeremy Corbyn today admitted he did not think there was a limit on free movement of people within the EU.

The comments, just four days before the referendum, will frustrate many on the Remain side determined to shift the argument to the economy.

Vote Leave immediately seized on the remarks as evidence Remain campaigners had 'no answers' on how to control immigration numbers.

Mr Corbyn has argued before Government has responsibility for mitigating the impact of free movement by ensure enough services are provided to communities.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured on today's Andrew Marr programme, said said he did not think it was possible to cap free movement within the single market of the European Union

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Corbyn was asked directly whether he thought there should be an upper limit on the numbers coming to the UK.

Mr Corbyn blamed Eurozone austerity for driving up migration across Europe - and condemned the European Central Bank for its treatment of Greece.

He said: 'I don't think you can have one while you have the free movement of labour, and the free movement of labour means that you have to balance the economy.

'So you have to improve living standards and conditions and so that means the EU's appalling treatment of Greece is a problem.

'If you deliberately lower living standards and increase poverty in south eastern Europe, then you're bound to have a flow of people looking for somewhere to go.

'Surely the issue is an anti-austerity, growth package all across Europe rather than this.'

Mr Corbyn said pressures caused by free movement were the fault of government failing to address rising demand for services.

He said: 'It's a failure of our government to properly fund local authorities, it's a failure of our government to provide housing for people, it's a failure of our government for attacking school budgets.

'It's that that is the problem and they should turn their anger against this government and the austerity that's been put forward by Cameron and Osborne over the past six years.'

Mr Corbyn attacked the European Union for imposing austerity on countries such as Greece and said new economic policies were important to ease migration across the continent

Mr Corbyn, who has made the argument about immigration in the past, said it was not true to say there was 'uncontrolled immigration'.

He insisted: 'There is no uncontrolled immigration, there is free movement of people across the EU that goes both ways - more than two million British people are living in Europe.

'There is controlled immigration from outside Europe.

'I represent a very mixed constituency where there are great problems of getting family reunions and there are not equal rights for people coming in from Europe - they don't get benefits and they don't get access to benefits. It's not totally uncontrolled.'

Vote Leave chairwoman Gisela Stuart said: 'The IN campaign have no answers on how we can control immigration if we stay in the EU.

'They have no plan for how we will fund the NHS so it can cope with the extra pressures that staying in the EU will create.

'They have no plan for where we will build the extra houses and they have no plan to help people who will see further pressure on their pay packets.

'The only way to get a fairer immigration policy and to bring in an Australian style points-based system is to Vote Leave on 23 June.'

In a separate interview yesterday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan also said there should be no upper limit.

The comments cap a week of chaos among Labour ranks over the issue. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the party would look again at free movement of labour.

Deputy leader Tom Watson said the party would have to make the case to revise the EU edict. He added that while he backed In, the issue of uncontrolled migration was coming up on the doorstep and people needed reassurance.

Ukips Mike Hookem said Labours policy on immigration was farcical and they do not have an answer to peoples genuine concerns.

It came as George Osborne was accused of being wrong on immigration by economist Jonathan Portes. The Chancellor told ITV hed seen absolutely no evidence migration levels will fall in the event of Brexit.
Traumatic: Olivia Nickles, eight, could be scarred for life after using Banana Boat Kids suntan lotion

A horrified mum claims a controversial brand of suntan lotion left her daughter's legs looking like they'd been sprayed with ACID.

Louise Nickles, 28, took nine year-old Olivia on the holiday of a lifetime in Mexico where she bought Banana Boat Kids Ultramist Spray Sun Lotion SPF 50.

But after applying the spray-on lotion to her legs she realised the high street brand was melting her skin.

She quickly washed the toxic suncream off but the damage was already done and doctors say Olivia could now be scarred for life.

Louise said: 'I sprayed it on her a few times throughout the day, after I applied suncream in the morning, but she still had a t-shirt on as her shoulders were a bit red.

'She said her legs were really sore later in the day and I just knew she'd been burnt.

'That afternoon she came out of the shower and I saw where I had sprayed it as it had dripped down her legs and it was bright red.

'It looked like she'd been sprayed with acid. It was supposed to stop her from burning, not cause her to burn.'

In 2012 nearly two dozen varieties of Banana Boat's UltraMist was recalled in American and Canada after reports that it was flammable.

It was taken off shelves amid claims a user's skin could catch fire if they got close to an ignition source before the spray dried.

Similar reports were made in Australia and New Zealand where customers came forward with second degree burns after applying a higher SPF version of the lotion.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) have even claimed that Banana Boat Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen is one of the worst suncreams of 2016.

It was stated that its hazardous chemicals were known to disrupt hormones and caused a 'moderate' health concern as it damaged sun-exposed skin.

But the product is still available to buy in the UK.

Olivia had to wear leggings for the rest of the holiday in the tropical heat of Playa de Carmen, Mexico.

Since coming home doctors have prescribed moisturising and steroid creams but Olivia wears leggings under her school skirt because she fears other children will stare at her.

Burns: Olivia's mother Louise Nickles, 28, (both pictured) bought and applied the suntan lotion during a family holiday to Mexico, not knowing that the cream would leave awful damage to her daughter's skin (right)

Louise, from Exeter in Devon said her daughter was so upset she has vowed 'never to wear skirts or shorts again'.

She said: 'I took suncream with us but when we'd been there a few days I went into the local shop and saw they had the spray.

'I thought it would be easier to apply than a lotion.

'I'd seen it before on offer in the UK so I trusted the brand enough to use it on my daughter.'

Lotion: Louise claims lotion just like this led to her daughter suffering horrible burns on her legs

Louise says her father Gary, 51, also came out in lumps on the back of his neck where he'd sprayed the cream.

The single mother paid 382 Mexican pesos, around 14, for the cream.

She said: 'I sprayed some on her face and she complained straight away that it was stinging and I took it off.

'On the bottle it says 'UVA and UVB protection' and also that it is hypoallergenic.

'It needs to be taken off the shelves because it could easily have been a baby.

'You just don't expect it to happen after you buy suncream to protect your children's skin.'

Olivia's grandmother, Donna Bennett, 48, said: 'It looks like she's been sprayed with a bottle of acid.

'I've been to Sainsbury's and it's there on the shelves on special offer and it's going to entice parents to buy it when it should be withdrawn.

'It still keeps Olivia up at night with the pain and itchiness. It's starting to scab and bleed and she might be scarred for life.'

Louise made an official complaint to Banana Boat the day she arrived back in the UK and has posted pictures of Olivia's injuries on their Facebook page.

Five days later she received a reply, stating that it was a North American company and suggested she complain to Edgewell Personal Care in the UK.

Louise said: 'I sent a picture of Olivia's blistering legs to my sister back home and she replied with 'Oh my god' and she sent me a link to the Facebook page where it had happened to someone else.

'It was going to be 200 to call a doctor out in Mexico.

'The day after we arrived home we saw the doctor and he said he'd never seen anything like it.

'It's just horrible and if it does scar she will have it for the rest of her life.'

Upset: Olivia now refuses to wear skirts or shorts as a result of the scarring left by the suntan lotion

Banana Boat's official Facebook page says the company was founded in 1978, and claims to sell suncream products that are tested in 'seven real-life conditions'.

They include: sun, pool water, ocean water, wind, sand, sweat and extreme heat.

The page states: 'Banana Boat has the whole family covered with a variety of sprays, lotions, stick and lip sunscreens in a wide range of SPF levels, as well as after sun products.

'Our products have carried The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation for nearly two decades.'

A spokesperson for Banana Boat said: 'We stand behind the quality and performance of our products.

'Consumers can rest assured that all Banana Boat sun care products, including Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free Sting-Free SPF 50 lotion, are formulated to be safe and effective when used as directed by the product label.

Side effects: The scarring keeps Olivia (pictured, with her mother) up at night with pain and itchiness and is now starting to scab over and bleed

'To ensure we provide consumers with safe and effective options for everyday sun protection, our products undergo rigorous internal and independent testing to ensure they are appropriately labelled, including for SPF, and meet all relevant regulations.

'We are dedicated to helping people make informed choices about appropriate sun protection because it is essential for optimal health.
A female university student has been suspended after asking her lecturer if he and his wife would like to have a threesome with her in Bali.

The 30-year-old physics student at Auckland University in New Zealand has been banned from studying at the institution until the end of the year.

The student emailed her lecturer saying she wanted to 'experiment' with him and his wife during an exotic holiday.

A 30-year-old female physics student at Auckland University in New Zealand has been banned from the institution for asking a lecturer for a threesome with him and his wife

The student emailed her lecturer saying she wanted to 'experiment' with him and his wife during an exotic holiday (stock image)

'Would you like to have sex in Bali?' the email read, according to the New Zealand Herald.

'It's rather forward of me but I wondered if you and your wife are the open experimental type? I met an interesting person I respected of this lifestyle.

'She had several honest concurrent relationships of varying degrees of intimacy and a couple who are my close friends have shared with me they invite a third person in for a short time when it feels right.'

The student, who is studying her second degree, said she plans to appeal the suspension

'Bali Indonesia rendezvous in July if you are interested I've made a booking for a week here before I go diving in the Komodo Islands... I'd like to spend the week getting to know you intimately.'

To the student's surprise, the lecturer filed a sexual harassment claim with Auckland University.

'I thought that I tidied it up at the end and said if you don't want to, no pressure, no coercion, nothing,' she told the NZ Herald.

'Just be happy and go on your way. The next thing I know I was inundated with sexual harassment policy and basically I was suspended.'
Millions of people across Australia have wondered how convicted murderer and crooked cop Roger Rogerson managed to sleep at night - and now you can find out for just $420.

Rogerson's former holiday home in Long Jetty on the New South Wales central coast was sold last month for $555,000, with the new owner now trying to find a renter to move in.

The house went under the hammer so the convicted killer was able to pay lawyers who defended him during his recent trial, according to the Daily Telegraph.

A holiday house owned by convicted killer Roger Rogerson has been sold and is now available for rent

Rogerson's former holiday home (pictured) in Long Jetty on the New South Wales central coast was sold last month for $555,000, with the new owner now trying to find a renter to move in

A rental listing for the property advertises it as a 'cute 1950s beach cottage', with a 'huge' living area and master bedroom with built-in wardrobes, Domain reports.

The cost to live in Rogerson's former home is $420 per week.

The listing also says the cottage-style property is 'close to transport, shops, (and the) waterfront', and has a double lock-up garage, updated bathroom and undercover deck.

It comes after Rogerson and fellow disgraced police officer Glen McNamara were found guilty of murdering Sydney university student Jamie Gao in a drug deal gone wrong.

The house went under the hammer so the convicted killer was able to pay lawyers who defended him during his recent trial

A rental listing for the property advertises it as a 'cute 1950s beach cottage', with a 'huge' living area, kitchen, and master bedroom with built-in wardrobes

The listing also says the cottage-style property is 'close to transport, shops, (and the) waterfront', and has a double lock-up garage, updated bathroom (pictured) and undercover deck

Roger Rogerson's former home is in Long Jetty on New South Wales' Central Coast

The pair were convicted at NSW Supreme Court last week of killing the 20-year-old at a storage unit in Padstow, south-west Sydney, two years ago.

The court heard that the pair had made a drug deal with Mr Gao who they lured to the Rent A Storage unit on May 20, 2014.

They shot him dead to steal three kilograms of ice he had brought with him before dumping his body at sea using McNamara's boat the next day.

They will be sentenced in August.

Rogerson (pictured) and fellow disgraced police officer Glen McNamara were found guilty of murdering Sydney university student Jamie Gao in a drug deal gone wrong

The pair were convicted at NSW Supreme Court last week of killing the 20-year-old (pictured) at a storage unit in Padstow, south-west Sydney, two years ago
The High School Certificate is celebrating 50 years of late nights, stressed students and study sessions.

Australian students first sat the HSC exam in 1967, were they answered questions about design appreciation in the home, micrometeorological studies and economic decisions on Merino sheep.

Could you answer the questions on the HSC that students first sat 50 years ago?

The High School Certificate is celebrating 50 years of late nights, stressed students and study sessions

Australian students first sat the HSC exam in 1967, it was introduced to replace the Victorian-era Leaving Certificate which was required for students who wanted to go to university

The HSC was introduced to replace the Victorian-era Leaving Certificate which was required for students who wanted to go to university.

Half a century ago just over 15,000 students in NSW took Maths and English, a much more popular subject choice compared to Japanese with just 5 candidates.

Some subjects have disappeared completely over the years, modern students no longer need to worry about studying for Sheep Husbandry or Wool Technology.

More than 2.3 million NSW students have taken the examination and Malcolm McDivitt was among the first.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Cumberland High alumnus said being among the initial group of students to take the test had its advantages.

'It was an open ticket,' said Mr McDivitt.

'Forget tertiary entrance ranks, nobody had done the HSC the year before and universities were crying out for people. You could basically pick what you wanted to do.'

So how do the questions fare 50 years on? Do you think you could answer the same questions on Agriculture, Home science and Music that students did half a century ago?
Adil Khan, 51, (inset) and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, (top) had been told they are to be deported from the UK for the public good after being part of a gang convicted in 2012 of a catalogue of serious sex offences against young girls. Judges Charlotte Welsh and Judge Siew Ling Yoke, a diversity and community relations judge, released their 31-page legal ruling today stating that Khan had shown a 'breathtaking lack of remorse' and in his and Rauf's case there was a 'very strong public interest in their removal.' A decade after they were jailed and following a legal battle involving multiple legal challenges and appeals up to the Court of Appeal, both have been told their challenge against deportation on human rights grounds has failed. In June, their appeal against deportation was heard before an Immigration Tribunal. Khan got a girl, 13, pregnant but denied he was the father, then met another girl, 15, and trafficked her to others - using violence when she complained. He was sentenced to eight years in 2012 and released on licence four years later. Rauf, a father-of-five, trafficked a 15-year-old girl for sex, driving her to secluded areas to have sex with her in his taxi and ferry her to a flat in Rochdale where he and others had sex with her. He was jailed for six years and released in November 2014 after serving two years and six months of his sentence. The Rochdale grooming gang's abuse was dramatised in a BBC programme called Three Girls (bottom).
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The haunting momentos of allied soldiers who fought the Germans in World War One have been discovered inside eight miles of secret tunnels deep in the forests of Northern France.

The winding tunnels used by the American Expeditionary Force, sent by President Wilson to reinforce Britain and France, were recently discovered by an amateur battlefield explorer.

Pictures show how the raw recruits carved 250 military insignias and portraits of themselves and their horses into the stone as they were holed up in a quarry they used for shelter from the relentless German assault on the Western Front.

Other pictures show shells, bombs, grenades and shrapnel on the floor of the eight miles of tunnels, recently rediscovered by Battlefield explorer Marc Askat, 31, from Paris, who spent eight hours at the site.

Other historical images show the soldiers who would have used the tunnels as they sheltered from the German forces.

The haunting momentos of allied soldiers who fought the Germans in World War One have been discovered in eight miles of secret tunnels deep in the forests of Northern France

The winding tunnels used by the American Expeditionary Force, sent by President Wilson to reinforce Britain and France, were recently discovered by an amateur battlefield explorer

Pictures show how the raw recruits carved 250 military insignias and portraits of themselves and their horses into the stone as they were holed up in a quarry they used for shelter from the relentless German assault on the Western Front

This picture appears to be portrait of one of the soldiers who sheltered in the quarry, or perhaps a historical figure form the US

There were also a series of spent shells, bombs and grenades on the floor of the eight miles of military tunnels in Northern France

A French tunnel digging a tunnel underneath the German trenches, behind enemy lines, to set mines that would kill German soldiers. The artists impression (top left) shows how it was done

This picture shows an opening to one of the tunnels in Northern France, with American soldiers standing outside the capture dug-out

Mining - the process of laying mines underground, was a key art of the the Battle of Messines between 1914 and 1918. The attack began with the simultaneous detonation of 19 huge mines in shafts dug beneath the German lines

Mr Askat said: 'I have spent a lot of time exploring the limestone quarries used by soldiers during first and second world war and the fact is that very few remains of U.S and Commonwealth soldiers are visible.

'After several months of research on the war diaries and the position of trenches on maps, I found a quarry that was exactly on their target.

'After a long crawl underground, I was lucky enough to see a giant Bold Eagle blaze sculpted by the 26th Yankee Division of the United State Army Infantry was in front of me.

'On the floor were, bombs, mortars, hand grenades and many heavily rusted metal devices that you don't want to touch or even know what they are.

'Many names, nicknames, masonic logos, city names were etched into the walls. This place was very rich with finds, I didn't even check my watch during almost eight hours underground.

'I left quickly after finding a rusted mortar with mustard gas bottles pieces in it locked on the floor, you really don't want to breath that even after one hundred years.

'This location is invisible on maps and very few people even know of its existence. It is very deep into a forest and if you don't know where it is you have no chance to find it by accident as no one goes there.'

This is another military insignia seen on the wall of the quarry, which the soldiers spent hours in sheltering from the German attack

There were also pictures of the soldiers' horses (left) and historical images show the soldiers who would have used the tunnels. Pictured are the 103rd Infantry Regiment (right) near the Chemin Des Dames, March 1918

Boston's 26th Infantry Division arrived in Saint-Nazaire, France, on September 27, 1917, to support British and French forces

Second Lieutenant Joseph Bridges (left), Company F, 103rd Infantry Regiment, in 1918, and the company by the side of the road (right)

Soldiers of Company F, including Joseph Bridges, seated, centre, with glasses. All their recruits were from New England so they were given the nickname 'Yankees'

An unknown soldier from the 103rd Infantry Regiment (left) and Company H stringing wire at the Gondrecourt Training Area in 1918

Boston's 26th Infantry Division arrived in Saint-Nazaire, France, on September 27, 1917, to support British and French forces.

All their recruits were from New England so they were given the nickname 'Yankees' - which describes someone from the northern state.

The Yankees were the second division the US deployed in the First World War in what was the first US intervention in a European conflict.

The action heralded a newly interventionist US foreign policy from that time on, which later saw them come to the aid of the allied forces against the Nazis.

The division received six campaign streamers (military honours) for combat throughout northern France.

In total, after 210 days of combat, 1,587 Yankees were killed and 12,077 were wounded.

The survivors returned to the USA on May 3rd 1919 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts.

This portrait of an American soldier in uniform is signed F E Julian in the quarry, which it is hoped may one day become a museum

This signature in stone is among 250 carvings found by the military explorer who spent eight hours inspecting the scene

A ship is seen carved into the walls by the regiment, which lost 1,587 men during fighting, and 12,077 were wounded

This carving is actually signed by a soldier from Maine, New England, in 1918, the year in which the American soldiers were in the quarry

It could be the last time that these carvings will be seen as the tunnel will have to undergo an expensive and time-consuming de-mining process before it is re-entered

Soldiers of the 103rd Infantry Regiment in training at Neaufchateau, France (left). Pictured, right, is Second Lieutenant Joseph Bridges, Company F

Mr Askat added: 'In the future the entrance hole is going to be sealed with an iron door but there is not much planned after that. The site is too dangerous to plan anything without proper, long and costly de-mining action. Some trees even contain unblown ammunitions in their roots.

'It is really sad that no one is able to create a museum in there without removing two meters of earth on the ground.

'This is why I took the pictures of this place, and moreover, why I am exploring in general. I want people to see forbidden or forgotten places.

'That's a way for them to exist in people's memory even if they disappear.

'Places like these need to be preserved with respect for those who fought, died, and now remain there, as the ground is still full of lost soldiers' bodies.
Microsoft agreed a secret deal with HMRC to avoid paying over 100million in tax to Britain despite making billions from UK customers.

Microsoft Ireland's accounts show that the computer giant made 2.3bn in revenues from sale of hardware and software in the year to June 2015, but its British arm paid a poultry 16,9million in corporate tax.

Bosses avoided shelling out a fortune on tax bills thanks to a secret deal with the Government called an advanced pricing agreement (APA), reveals an investigation by the Sunday Times.

Microsoft, co-founded by Bill Gates (pictured), agreed a secret deal with HMRC to avoid paying over 100million in tax to Britain

An APA is a contract organised ahead of time, and often lasting a number of years, by a tax payer and the authority - regarding a pricing method for its transactions.

Over 140 of the agreements were made by the HMRC, some of which involved the world's largest companies.

The deals also allow profit to be sent to accounts registered in different countries - which in Microsoft's case was Ireland.

Alex Cobham, of the TaxJusticeNetwork, told The Times today: 'HMRC may be allocating substantial government revenues back to multinationals, entirely in secret and with no public accountability.'

Microsoft has sent over 8billion of revenue generated from British customers to Ireland since 2011, where corporation tax is just 12.5 per cent, compared to 20 per cent in the UK.

Its deal with HMRC runs until 2017 and involves a structure that eventually leads to a company called RI holdings in Bermuda.

The European Commission is now clamping down on APA's with probes launched to ensure they do not breach rules on state aid.

South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, who sits on the public accounts committee, has called for transparency when it comes to the tax records of companies such as Microsoft and has labelled their special treatment 'unfair'.

He told the Sunday Times: 'The average person is getting sick and tired of this kind of thing. These are strategies which are not open to most ordinary companies.

'It is the suspicion of most informed people that companies like Google and Microsoft get away without paying their fair share. [People] see that as wrong and unfair.'

Microsoft sent revenue to its Irish arm (pictured, Microsoft Ireland's head office) to avoid paying millions in tax

By using a complicated strategy to register sales in a different country, Microsoft is not breaking any tax laws.

However, firms who employ such tactics are coming under pressure to pay more tax in the countries where their purchases are taking place.

While the revelation about Microsoft's money-saving scheme is sure to enrage British tax-payers, HMRC has reassured that APA's are not a way for firms to avoid paying what is owed.

A spokesman told the Sunday Times: No company will pay a single penny less in tax because of [advance pricing agreement]. These simply set out how the tax rules will apply on complex transactions ahead of time and we keep them under complex review.'
Murdered Labour MP Jo Cox was today described as a '21st century Good Samaritan' by her local Reverend as churchgoers gathered in the village where she was killed.

The Rev Paul Knight told the congregation at St Peter's Church in Birstall, near Leeds, West Yorkshire, that the 41-year-old was 'someone with whom Jesus would have been so pleased'.

Around 50 people attended the service and tributes were paid to the mother of two, who was shot and stabbed at lunchtime on Thursday, as she made her way to a meeting with her constituents.

Rev Knight said: 'This week you can't have missed the clear truth that we have had amongst us someone who Jesus would have been so pleased by.

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The Rev Paul Knight held a service this morning at St Peter's Church in Birstall, near Leeds, West Yorkshire

Around 50 people gathered inside the church to pay their respect to mother of two, who was killed on Thursday

'I don't know what Jo was like as a girl but I know she grew into a fervent advocate of the poor and the repressed.

'Her humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as a 21st century Good Samaritan.

'Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others. I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

'And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile.'

Churchgoers attended the emotional service in the village where the MP was killed on Thursday

Mrs Cox was today described as a '21st century Good Samaritan' by her local Reverend inside the church

Members of the congregation attended the special mass to pay tribute to slain Labour MP Jo Cox

Hand-written notes from British Prime Minister David Cameron (bottom), and Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corby (centre), are pictured in a book of condolence at the church

Rev Knight was speaking as Mrs Cox's husband Brendan tweeted: 'Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus MoreInCommon'

The Reverend also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Mrs Cox's aid outside Birstall library on Thursday.

After reading the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, the vicar said: 'There is much wickedness in our world.

'But thank God there is so much goodness - goodness that does not recognise colour, not nationality.'

Parishioner Leif Wickes led prayers for Mrs Cox's family during the Sunday service.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pays tribute to Mrs Cox at a vigil this evening outside Islington Town Hall, in his Islington North constituency

Mr Corbyn carried a bunch of flowers to lay on the steps of the town hall and called the MP's death 'an assault on democracy

Mr Corbyn embraces on the mourners paying tribute to Mrs Cox at the vigil in her memory at Islington Town Hall

Mr Wickes said: 'Pray for Jo's and Brendan's children - still too young to understand the horror of what happened but old enough to suffer from the loss of their mother.

'As they grow up and hear about Jo's life and achievements, may they be inspired to follow her example and serve the world's underprivileged in their turn.'

And Mr Wickes prayed for the causes Mrs Cox supported, including children fleeing from war zones 'seeking safety among us', the people of Syria, children locally 'left behind in comparison with children in London' and people living with autism.

He added: 'Jo's compassion for all at the bottom of the world's heaps - help us to look afresh at the world through her eyes and to play our part in continuing the work that she undertook.'

A book of condolences that had been set up in the Church paid tribute to Mrs Cox, including messages from the Prime Minister David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn and Hillary Benn.

David Cameron wrote that politics had lost a 'huge talent' and described her as a 'loving mother, wife and a passionate campaigner and MP'.

Popular MP Jo Cox died after she was shot three times and stabbed as she arrived for a constituency meeting in Birstall near Leeds. She leaves behind her husband Brendan and two children

Floral tributes have been left in memory of slain Labour MP Jo Cox, are piled near the library where the mother of two was killed

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn described her as a 'totally committed campaigner for human rights and justice'.

Hillary Benn MP wrote: 'In loving memory of Jo Cox. You were - and always will be - the best of humanity.'

One tribute from a parishioner described himself as 'one of thousands' of people impressed by Jo and said it was a 'privilege to know you'.

A prayer given to the Church by one of the members of the congregation spoke of Mr Kenny and said: 'We pray for the healing of body and mind of Bernard Kenny and may he find support and comfort from our prayers.'

Rev Knight added: 'Bernard Kenny showed the same passion for the stranger as Jo Cox did.'

Kim Leadbeater, the sister of Labour MP Jo Cox, embraces her father Gordon as they look at floral tributes in Birstall, West Yorkshire

Jean Leadbeater, the mother of murdered MP Jo Cox, laid flowers in tribute to her daughter on Saturday

Meanwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the death of Mrs Cox as an 'assault on democracy' at an emotional vigil in London tonight.

Mr Corbyn was joined by the shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry at the solemn event, which was held on the doorstep of his parliamentary constituency outside Islington Town Hall.

Standing alongside religious leaders, he called Mrs Cox's death 'an assault on all of us, an assault on democracy and an assault on freedom of speech.'

The Islington North MP then laid a bunch of flowers and signed a book of condolence as those gathered offered him their apologies.

He was joined by the local Imam, Rabbi and Christian leaders in condemning the attack on Mrs Cox who was shot and stabbed in her constituency of Batley and Spen on Thursday.

At the service an emotional Ms Thornberry called the attack 'shocking' and quoted from a poem by Kurdish writer Zeki Majid called Mothers Day.

The service was held one day after Mrs Cox's sister Kim Leadbeater paid a heartfelt tribute to her sibling.

Thomas Mair (middle) today appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he was charged with the murder of Jo Cox

People gathered on Sunday to look at floral tributes left in memory of slain Labour MP Jo Cox, that are piled near the library in Birstall

A woman looks at floral tributes left in memory of murdered MP Mrs Cox in her hometown in West Yorkshire

Miss Leadbeater fought back tears as she gave a poignant speech dedicated to the politician and described her late sister as being 'perfect'.

She added that her sister will 'live on' through her 'truly wonderful children' and that the family is broken 'for now' but that it will mend over time because they will never let 'Jo leave their lives'.

The heartfelt tribute came just hours after suspect Thomas Mair, 52, appeared in court this morning charged with her murder and gave his name in the dock as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain'.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court after he was charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.

Meanwhile, a World Record attempt of the longest daisy chain of kisses - held in support of Britain staying in the EU and in memory of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox - was held today in London.

People gathered a wore 'Vote Love' t-shirts to pay their respects and a giant board was filled with messages in the capital today.

Devastated locals continued to gather at her memorial in Birstall to pay their respects for Mrs Cox's death on Thursday

Meanwhile, a World Record attempt of the longest daisy chain of kisses, held in support of Britain staying in the EU and in memory of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, was held today in London

People gathered a wore 'Vote Love' t-shirts to pay their respects to the murdered mother of two
A marine unit is searching the Delaware River in Philadelphia for anyone who may have been in a minivan that plunged into the river.

Authorities are also trying to determine why the vehicle went into the water.

The minivan, which has since been pulled from the Delaware River, was speeding toward the river shortly before 3 am on Sunday.

Azi Babbussabur told ABC 6 he saw the silver 2007 Buick Terraza hit the metal railing and then he heard a splash.

A van (pictured) drove through a guardrail and into the Delaware River in Philadelphia early Sunday morning

A witness saw the van drive through the guardrail, which ripped off the fender, before plunging into the water

'We're at the light at the intersection and a car comes flying by. I heard a crash and I'm thinking it crashed into another car.

'I look over and I saw the gate missing and then I heard a splash. I told my friend in the car, "Somebody went into the water",' he said.

When the car was finally removed from the river at 5am on Sunday, police noticed one of the windows had been kicked out.

The car's windows had been kicked out and the windshield was smashed, leading police to believe someone had been ejected from the van

No one was inside the van and police are now searching for any occupants.

Babbussabur said he ran to the end of the dock, where a part of the car's fender had been ripped off.

The van had disappeared from view and Babbussabur waited 15 minutes but no one surfaced.

CBS Philly reported the car's windshield was smashed and that police speculated someone had been ejected through the front of the van.

The marine unit and a special operations fire rescue unit were called to remove the van.

The Coast Guard has also been brought in to help search for victims.
Gay actor Rupert Everett has warned about the dangers of children having sex change operations after revealing he wanted to be a girl when he was young.

The 57-year-old, who explained he always dressed as a girl in his youth, encouraged people to embrace the 'ambivalence' of their gender rather than resort to medical procedures.

He said he would have regretted a sex change.

Gay actor Rupert Everett has warned about the dangers of children have sex change operations after revealing he wanted to be a girl when he was young. He dressed as a woman in St Trinian's (right)

'I really wanted to be a girl. Thank God the world of now wasn't then, because I'd be on hormones and I'd be a woman. After I was 15 I never wanted to be a woman again,' he told the Sunday Times magazine.

The Musketeers star believes parents who 'get medical' are scary, adding: 'It's nice to be allowed to express yourself, but the hormone thing, very young, is a big step.

'I think a lot of children have an ambivalence when they're very young to what sex they are or what they feel about everyone. And there should be a way of embracing it.'

He also suggested that Caitlyn Jenner, the TV personality who was formerly Olympian Bruce Jenner, had made a mistake in undergoing gender transition and had no clue' in what being a transsexual involves.

The St Trinian's actor also spoke of how former girlfriend Beatrice Dalle, the French actress, thought she may have been pregnant with his child.

Everett told the magazine: 'She and I often talk about what would have happened if we'd both had this child. And I would have loved to have had that child, actually.

'God, it probably would have been in rehab by now.'

He also revealed that he is 'turning into his mother', and plans to move back in with her in Norfolk.
Police are searching for a man who bashed an elderly passenger on a Gold Coast bus so badly he had to be taken to hospital.

Mehmet Hunturk, 71, was travelling on a bus in Queensland on Saturday night when the incident took place.

Six young men boarded the bus at Palm Beach, with one lighting up a cigarette.

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Police are searching for a man who bashed an elderly passenger (pictured) on a Gold Coast bus so badly he had to be taken to hospital

Mr Hunturk asked the man to stop smoking, however he was told the group 'didn't care', according to Nine News.

The 71-year-old then tried to tell the bus driver about the fellow passenger who was smoking, allegedly prompting the beating.

Mr Hunturk was punched in the head and face by one of the men, leaving him with a swollen eye and broken glasses.

After the attack he was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Mehmet Hunturk (pictured), 71, was travelling on a bus in Queensland on Saturday night when the incident took place

Mr Hunturk was punched in the head and face by one of the men, leaving him with a swollen eye (pictured) and broken glasses

The 71-year-old said he was disappointed the driver let the men get away after the attack.

'I think bus-driver shouldn't open the door...let them go. He should lock door until security come,' Mr Hunturk told Nine News.

Queensland Police said the man is described as in his early twenties, 175cm tall, Caucasian, with short blonde hair.
A mother-of-three who collapsed during a photo shoot with her newborn son and two young daughters is lucky to be alive after undergoing a double lung transplant.

Samantha Martin, 29, from the Gold Coast, was totally unaware that a rare disease in the arteries of her lungs would cause her to faint and leave her on oxygen support while waiting for a donor.

The young mother was rushed to the Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, where doctors said she would have just 14 days to find a new set of lungs before dying, the Courier Mail reported.

Luckily, after landing on an urgent nationwide waiting list a matching donor was found within a week.

Gold Coast mother-of-three Samantha Martin (pictured), 29, nearly died after collapsing at a family photoshoot

Ms Martin has a rare disease in the arteries of the lungs that stops the heart from pumping blood efficiently

WHAT IS PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PPH) ? - Pulmonary hypertension is an increase of blood pressure in the arteries to the lungs - The heart has to work harder to pump blood - Main symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting and leg swelling - The cause is relatively unknown, although more women than men are affected - Some forms of the rare disease can be fatal Advertisement

'To have Jacob (newborn son) healthy and happy is a miracle, I think. And for me, I know someone was there watching over me,' Ms Martin told the publication.

The young mother was victim of primary pulmonary hypertension; a debilitating condition that stops the heart from efficiently pumping blood into the lungs.

The uncommon disease mostly affects women aged between 21 to 40 and has no concrete causes, although doctors believe Ms Martin's pregnancy may have aggravated the condition.

Prince Charles Hospital Adult Intensive Care Unit director Dr Marc Ziegenfuss told the Courier Mail that Ms Martin was a matter of days from death.

'(She) was literally standing at death's door and her life was saved by an excellent team effort,' Dr Ziegenfuss said.

Ms Martin is now recovering in hospital after the taxing surgery, and is endlessly thankful for the selfless generosity of the donor that saved her life.
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The Battle of the Somme remains one of the bloodiest battles in military history, when more than one million men were wounded or killed.

Yesterday thousands of people turned out in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to watch a dramatic re-enactment of the largest battle of the First World War as part of a number of events held to mark 100 years since the bloody conflict.

A minute's silence was held at the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall during a wreath-laying ceremony.

Around 15,000 people took part in a Somme centenary parade through the city centre before hundreds of volunteers re-enacted the moment troops went over the top of the trenches for a new film documenting the battle.

The 2016 Committee organised both the parade and re-enactment to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme.

The scenes for the as yet unnamed film, which was described as a 'Game of Thrones style' epic by director Jonathan Waite, were shot at Belfast's Woodvale Park yesterday afternoon.

Pictures show men in replica First World War uniforms marching, charging at one another and falling as replica canon fired over the park.

Mr Waite said: 'It's been something I have been banging on the door, hoping to get made, for a number of years. It's aimed towards a Game of Thrones scale.'

He said the extras were all bandsmen and people from Somme commemorations and people that are just generally interested in history, while the script focuses on a father and son relationship.

He added he hopes to get the film finished in time to feature in the Cannes Film Festival next year.

Some 20,000 British troops were killed and 57,470 were injured on the first day of the conflict alone.

The centenary of the 141-day battle is being marked with a series of formal events, including a national commemoration in Manchester, and vigils at Westminster Abbey, and in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and County Down, in Northern Ireland.

Organisers also hope Britons will hold vigils in their homes at sunset on June 30 or July 1, lighting candles, reading poems and sharing stories of relatives and loved ones who fought in the battle.

Beginning on July 1, 1916, the Somme was intended to achieve a decisive victory for the Allied forces. But the offensive became a bloody stalemate on battlegrounds that turned into a muddy quagmire after torrential rains in October of that year.

Drama: Yesterday thousands of people turned out in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to watch a re-enactment of the largest battle of WWI

Battle: Hundreds of volunteers re-enacted the moment troops went over the top of the trenches for a new film documenting the battle

Spectators: The scenes for the as yet unnamed film were shot in front of hundreds of people at Belfast's Woodvale Park yesterday

Remembering the fallen: The Battle of the Somme remains one of the bloodiest battles in military history - more than one million men died

New film: Men in replica First World War uniforms were seen marching, charging at one another and falling as canon fired over the park

Bloody conflict: Some 20,000 British troops were killed and 57,470 were injured on the first day of the Battle of the Somme alone

Extras: The director said the volunteers are all bandsmen, people from Somme commemorations and those interested in history

Movie: The film's director said he hopes to get the epic historical film finished in time to feature in the Cannes Film Festival next year

The '2016 Committee' organised a parade and re-enactment to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme

Memorial: The Battle of the Somme Centenary parade took place yesterday with feeder parades starting off from different parts of Belfast

Authentic: A large group of women dressed as First World War nurses march through Belfast city centre yesterday afternoon

Mark of respect: A man dressed in full uniform lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in the centre of Belfast city centre following the parade

Honour: The centenary of the 141-day battle is being marked with a series of formal events, including a national commemoration in Manchester, and vigils at Westminster Abbey, and in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and County Down, in Northern Ireland

Marking 100 years: Around 15,000 people took part in a Somme centenary parade through Belfast city centre on Saturday
A 66-year-old woman has been charged after she was allegedly caught driving more than five times the legal blood alcohol limit.

The Queensland woman was travelling along Kraft Road in Pallara, south of Brisbane, around 10am on Sunday when she was pulled over by police for a random breath test.

Police allege the woman recorded a positive reading on the side of the road. She was taken to Inana Police Station for a breath analysis, where she allegedly provided a reading of 0.266 BAC.

A 66-year-old woman has been charged after she was allegedly caught driving more than five times the legal blood alcohol limit (stock image)

The woman was charged with one count of driving under the influence of liquor.

She is due to appear in the Richards Magistrates Court on Monday.

Anyone with information in regards to this matter is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
She made the move for citizenship so she can vote against Trump this year

Machado has now taken all the steps to become a legal U.S. citizen

She says after winning, she was subjected to Trump's harassment

Machado has lived in the U.S. for two decades since winning the

A former Miss Universe winner has chosen to become a U.S. citizen so she can cast her vote against the GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Alicia Machado, the 1996 Miss Universe representing Venezuela, has lived in the United States for 20 years.

After competing the the pageant, Machado said she was subjected to verbal abuse from Trump.

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Alicia Machado (pictured), the 1996 Miss Universe representing Venezuela, is becoming a U.S. citizen to vote against Donald Trump

After competing the the pageant, the model and actress said she was subjected to verbal abuse from Trump

She says he called her 'Miss Piggy' because she began to gain weight.

Machado, who was also the first winner of Miss Universe to model for Playboy, was just 19 when she won the crown, shortly after Trump took over the competition.

But when Machado gained 40lbs after winning the competition she says Trump began bullying her and invited media outlets to watch her work out without telling her they would be there.

Asked about the issue at the time, Trump told reporters: 'She weighed 118 pounds or 117 pounds and she went to 160 or 170. So this is somebody that likes to eat.'

The 39-year-old Machado added that she suffered from bulimia and anorexia for five years as a result.

'He hates girls. He considers girls to be less. We have another status to him.

'He made me feel small. He threatened me, treated me rudely. He called me Ms. Housekeeping in front of his friends,' Machado told ThinkProgress.

Despite two decades in the U.S., what spurred Machado to become a formally recognized citizen was Trump's bid for the White House.

She says Trump (pictured) called her 'Miss Piggy' because she began to gain weight and that he doesn't like women

'It was like a great monster reappearing in my life. In the beginning, I thought there was no way this loco will ever win.

'But after the primaries I realized I need to vote. I cant invite my community to step up if I wont do it myself,' she said.

Machado has passed her citizenship test and is waiting to receive her U.S. passport.

Now she's encouraging others to follow her lead.

She's also teamed up with legendary civil rights activist Dolores Huerta to rally a common cause, according to Indy100.

Machado and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta are teaming up to encourage Latino and Hispanic voters to cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton

Both are encouraging Latino and Hispanic voters to cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton.

'We are a free country, and we cant give that up for a crazy, ignorant, ambitious, misogynistic despot who just wants to slake his thirst for power,' Machado told the New York Times.
An ex-soldier who received a full face transplant after becoming horribly disfigured in a car accident has told of how the traumatic accident changed his life.

Mitch Hunter, 35, only the third ever person to undergo the pioneering procedure in the United States, even revealed the bizarre origins of his facial hair.

'It's the donors beard, hair follicles come with skin,' Hunter said during a revealing question and answer session on Reddit.

He was a fresh faced 21-year-old when a car he was riding in smashed into a 10,000-volt electrical utility pole.

He pushed the female passenger next to him out of harm's way. As he did so, a near-lethal force of electricity surged up his foot, through his body, and out of his face.

Within five minutes he was unrecognizable.

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Astonishing: Mitch Hunter pictured before his car crash (left) as a 20-year-old army private; after the crash that mutilated his face in 2001, but before his transplant (center); five years after the 2011 transplant (right)

Mitch Hunter, 35, the third-ever person to receive a full face transplant in the United States, revealed that his impressive new beard is actually the donor's

Hunter answered questions in a Reddit IAmA thread, where users are encouraged to 'ask anything'

Now 35, with three children (son Clayton, pictured), Hunter says his sense of humor is what got him through the ordeal

Despite undergoing more than 20 initial corrective operations - grafting skin from his legs, arms and back - children would still scream at the sight of him in the street.

In a desperate bid to regain some normalcy in his life, Indiana-based Hunter submitted himself to become one of the first people in the world to receive a face transplant in 2011.

Five years later, the father-of-three has spoken out to describe his incredible recovery, saying his sense of humor is what got him through the ordeal.

'The transplant looks great, I'm still trying to figure out how you survived being shocked for that long! Five minutes is a lifetime. Have the doctors ever discussed with you how you managed to get through it?' one user asked Hunter in the thread on Reddit's IAmA forum.

'I tell them my sense of humor go me through it all,' Hunter replied.

He elaborated in another comment: 'My identity is the same, my sense of humor has gotten a lot better and more darker [since the accident].'

'Don't worry about offending me, it's damn near impossible, I make fun of my shortcomings all the time!'

Hunter said he still speaks to the woman whose life he saved. But as for the driver who caused the accident, Hunter claimed he was betrayed by him in a horrible way.

Hunter pictured at different stages of recovery. He went through 20 corrective operations before the face transplant

'He tried to say I was driving when I was in a coma and supposed to die,' Hunter wrote.

In an interview with WISHTV8 in April, Hunter said he felt better than ever.

'I feel just as healthy as I did when I was 21, and I feel great,' Hunter said, as he sat with his son and twin daughters who were all born before the procedure.

'I look back on it as something that made me stronger,' he said.

'I mean, yeah, I'd like to have my leg and my face back, but without that happening I wouldn't be who I am today.'

Hunter was in a car with his friend and his friend's girlfriend along a North Carolina highway when the friend lost control of the wheel and plowed into a pylon.

The girlfriend jumped out the car, was struck by one of the fallen lines, and as Hunter pushed her out of harm's way it made an electrical connection. Electricity flowed through his arm which was grounded by touching the car.

For five minutes, 10,000 volts pumped through his body, exiting through his hand and face. Most of it went to his face.

But Hunter has no recollection of those traumatic 300 seconds.

'People tell me that I'm fortunate that I don't remember [the accident] because it would probably cause a lot of pain,' he explains.

At first, he and his girlfriend simply tried to get on with their lives and his recovery, as doctors carried out the only kind of skin-graft surgeries available at the time.

But eventually, Hunter decided it wasn't enough. His girlfriend Katarina got pregnant, and he couldn't imagine his own child afraid of his face, so he sought out new innovations in the medical world.

Horrific: This is Hunter's face after the car he was in plowed into an electrical pylon. For five minutes, 10,000 volts pumped through his body, exiting through his hand and face. Most of it went out of his face

A team of 30 doctors at Boston's Brigham Hospital worked for more than 14 hours to fully attach the new face

He needed micro-vascular surgery to connect the two main arteries to the new face, allowing his heart to start supplying it with blood. The operation replaced his nose, eyelids, lips, facial animation muscles and nerves

'Imagine walking into a room and like falling, and everybody noticing. That's how it was every time I walked in a room because of the way my face looked.'

There had only been two successful face transplants in America, and 10 in the world.

After a series of screening tests, Boston's Brigham & Women's Hospital gave Hunter the go-ahead, and set about finding a donor.

Then began the more than 30 procedures to complete the operation.

He needed micro-vascular surgery to connect the two main arteries to the new face, allowing his heart to start supplying it with blood.

A team of 30 doctors worked for more than 14 hours to fully attach the new face.

The operation replaced Hunter's nose, eyelids, lips, facial animation muscles and the nerves that power them and provide sensation.

It took five months for the swelling to subside and the true traits of his facial features to emerge.

It took five months for the swelling to subside and the true traits of his facial features to emerge

Five years on, he has grown a beard, and only has minor traces of disfigurement around his eyes, which Boston doctors are still working on. But despite plenty more healthcare to come, he has never been happier

Transformation: Hunter looks healthy and unrecognizable from the moment his face melted from electricity

Five years on, he has managed to grow a beard, and only has minor traces of disfigurement around his eyes, which Boston doctors are still working on.

But despite plenty more healthcare to come, Hunter has never been happier.

'It's a lot easier to go out in public, I will tell you that,' he admitted.

Now, even the simple sensation of a breeze on his face is something he cherishes.

'Hot, cold, pain, tickle, rubbing my beard, someone kissing my face  I can feel everything.

'I think it's an amazing journey. I mean, it's been a hard journey.
A 29-year-old Canadian tourist has been missing for six weeks, after he was last seen in Cairns, Queensland.

Maxime Gagnon has traveled all around Australia, having previously spent a month picking cherries in the Derwent and Coal River valleys in Tasmania.

A Queensland Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia they believe Mr Gagnon was staying in a hostel in Cairns at the time of his disappearance.

Canadian tourist Maxime Gagnon, 29, was last seen six weeks ago in the Queensland city of Cairns

The backpacker has traveled all around Australia, having previously spent a month picking cherries in the Derwent and Coal River valleys in Tasmania

In a sad coincidence, a friend posted on Maxime Gagnon's Facebook before he went missing.

Translated from French, the comment reads 'Enjoy your youth and be careful!'

The Montreal local was reported missing after failing to contact friends or family after May 6.

There has been one unconfirmed sighting of Mr Gagnon since his disappearance, around the Cairns Esplanade lagoon pool in the last week of May.

It isn't the first trip to Cairns for the backpacker, he had visited the area in August 2015, according to a post he made on the Paradise Adventure Facebook page.

'Just had an amazing trip on Fraser Island. It was everything I was told and even more. I'm glad I stopped by Paradise Adventure when I was in Cairns.'

He had also spent time in Tasmania in January, 2015 where he worked as a fruit picker.

The 29-year-old is described as 180cm tall, Caucasian in appearance, proportionate build with blue eyes and brown hair.

The Queensland Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that they believe the tourist arrived in the country in April.

Anyone who has seen Mr Gagnon is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444.

It isn't the first trip to Cairns for the backpacker, he had visited the area in August 2015, according to a post he made on the Paradise Adventure Facebook page

The 29-year-old is described as 180cm tall, Caucasian in appearance, proportionate build with blue eyes and brown hair
Monica Lewinsky had a tantrum at the White House gates when she realized President Bill Clinton was with another woman, a former Secret Service officers claims.

The intern enjoyed special access to the Oval Office for years and routinely arrived out-of-hours asking to 'see the president's secretary', writes former agency officer Gary Byrne in his tell-all book.

But one day in late 1997, Byrne claims, Lewinsky turned up and the officers blocked her - because the president was allegedly with Eleanor Mondale, the TV journalist daughter of Vice President Walt Mondale.

According to Byrne, Lewinsky 'lashed out' at the officers who had let her pass at will since early 1996.

'Monica... still regarded herself quite favorably as the president's singular mistress,' Byrne writes in his book The Crisis Of Character, according to the New York Post.

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'Lashed out': Monica Lewinsky got all-access from 1996, former Secret Service officer Gary Byrne claims. But in 1997 she allegedly had a tantrum at the gates when she realized Bill Clinton was with another woman

Clinton was allegedly with Eleanor Mondale (pictured), the journalist daughter of Vice President Walt Mondale

'So now she was pissed off. She pressed the officer about the delay and wanted to know why she was left standing in his security booth.'

When the officer gave her a vague excuse, Byrne writes, Lewinsky allegedly gestured at her own body and said: 'Whats he want with her when he has this?'

The scene is one of many explosive accusations against the Clintons.

Byrne describes his intimate connection to the president's private life.

'I stood guard, a pistol at my hip, outside the Oval Office, the last barrier before anyone saw Bill Clinton. The last barrier before Monica Lewinsky saw Bill Clinton. Yes, I'm that Secret Service officer,' Byrne writes.

Byrne was one of the Secret Service agents questioned by a Grand Jury about Bill's dealings with Monica Lewinsky in 1998.

According to the Washington Post article published on the hearing Byrne complained to then-White House deputy chief of staff Evelyn S. Lieberman about Lewinsky's actions in 1996.

A short time later Lewinsky was removed from her position because of 'immature and inappropriate behavior'.

He claimed that he saw Lewinsky in the West Wing of the White House when she was not authorized to be there.

Byrne, one of the agents who complained about Monica Lewinsky's behavior, says he wants voters to see the 'real' Hillary before they head to the polls

The New York Times reported that Mr Byrne also expressed concerns about Ms Lewinsky's after-hours access to the West Wing, which houses the President's Oval Office and the work spaces of the most senior White House aides

He also complains about other women, saying: 'We wondered how he got any work done and joked that he would have been better at running a brothel in a red-light district than the White House.'

Byrne admits he was not present for Lewinsky's alleged tantrum at the gates but said he heard about it over the officers' radio system.

He also claims he once had to clear up after a a tryst between Clinton and an unidentified receptionist, saying he threw out a White House towel stained with a woman's lipstick and the president's 'bodily fluids'

The book will be released on June 28, one month before the Democratic Convention.

However, the most blistering attacks are directed at Hillary Clinton, now the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee.

He said the former first lady had a 'volcanic' temper and occasionally got violent with her husband  and that a loud 1995 fight left the president with a black eye.

In one chapter, Bryne details arriving at work after a 1995 shouting-match that left a light blue vase 'smashed to bits' and Bill sporting a 'real, live, put-a-steak-on-it black eye.'

Things got so bad that Secret Service agents had discussions about the possibility they might have to protect the president from his wife's physical attacks, the New York Post reported in advance excerpts of the book.

'Everyone on post that night' couldn't help but hear the fracas, according to early chapters posted online. It describes a big argument that 'ended with a crash.'

Byrne writes that he saw the president at about 9 am after the fight.

'I was well-accustomed to his allergy-prone puffy eyes,' he writes. 'But this was a shiner, a real, live, put-a-steak-on-it black eye. I was shocked.'

When Byrne asked White House scheduler Nancy Hernreich about the black mark on the president's face, she replied, 'Oh, uh, he's allergic to coffee,' Bryne writes she responded.

'I'm also alergic to the back of someone's hand,' Byrne says he responded.

The book casts Hillary, who is expected to lock up the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, as' too 'erratic, uncontrollable and occasionally violent' to lead the nation, according to promotional excerpts for the book.

'Hillary Clinton is now poised to become the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, but she simply lacks the integrity and temperament to serve in the office,' writes Bryne.

'From the bottom of my soul I know this to be true. And with Hillary's latest rise, I realize that her own leadership style  volcanic, impulsive, enabled by sycophants, and disdainful of the rules set for everyone else  hasn't changed a bit,' he adds.

Gary Byrne says he was posted outside Bill Clinton's Oval Office in the 1990s and what he saw 'sickened him'

The Clinton camp dismissed the book as fantasy. 'Gary Bryne joins the ranks of Ed Klein and other 'authors' in this latest in a long line of books attempting to cash in on the election cycle with their nonsense,' said campaign spokesman Nick Merrill.

'It should be put in the fantasy section of of the book store,' he added.

Former New York Times reporter Ed Klein wrote his own harsh indictment of the Clintons, called 'Unlikeable: the problem with Hillary' that detailed intimate conversations the Clinton camp says he couldn't have known about.

Former Washington Post reporter Ronald Kessler also described a fight between Bill and Hillary in his 2014 book, 'First Family Detail.'

The book titled Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate is set to hit shelves on June 28.

The Democratic convention, where Hillary could be confirmed as the nominee, will take place a month later.

A description of the book reads: 'Posted directly outside President Clinton's Oval Office, Former Secret Service uniformed officer Gary Byrne reveals what he observed of Hillary Clinton's character and the culture inside the White House while protecting the First Family.

'Now that a second Clinton administration threatens - their scheme from the very beginning -- Byrne exposes what he saw of the real Hillary Clinton.

'While serving as a Secret Service Officer, Gary Byrne protected President Bill Clinton and the First Family in the White House and outside the Oval Office.

'There, he saw the political and personal machinations of Bill and Hillary Clinton and those who were fiercely loyal to them.

'In CRISIS OF CHARACTER Byrne provides a firsthand account of the scandals - known and unknown - and daily trials ranging from the minor to national in scale.

'Having witnessed the personal and political dysfunction of the Clinton White House - so consumed by scandal and destroying their enemies, real and imagined - Byrne came to understand that, to the Clintons, governing was an afterthought.

His expose is reportedly causing deep concern in the White House and its release comes as Hillary comes within touching distance of securing the Democratic nomination

LIST OF CHAPTER TITLES Chapter 1 - The Vase Chapter 2 - The Air Force Security Police Chapter 3 - Club Fed Chapter 4 - To The White House Chapter 5 - Meet The New Boss Chapter 6 - The Boy From Hope, Arkansas Chapter 7 - 'Billary' Chapter 8 - Clinton World Chapter 9 - Oklahoma City Chapter 10 - Mole Chapter 11 - Wild Bill Chpater 12 - USSS Work Environment Chapter 13 - Tours And JJRTC Chapter 14 - Mud Drag: Part 1 Chapter 15 - Mud Drag: Part 2 Chpater 16 - *Commerce Firing* Chapter 17 - New Skies Chapter 18 - Cyprus (Source: Drudge Report) Advertisement

'He now tells this story - before voters go to the polls - in the hopes that Clinton supporters will understand the real Hillary Clinton.'

Since her husband's administration ended, Secret Service agents assigned to Hillary have slammed her behavior.

In investigative journalist Ron Kessler's explosive book, The First Family Detail, he claims that agents saw her as one of the most detested assignments and believed her marriage to Bill was 'fake'.

It reveals how both current and former agents strongly dislike being on Mrs Clinton's detail, while also revealing how they felt about protecting Chelsea Clinton and Bill Clinton.

In the book, Kessler presented Chelsea as someone who not only respected and appreciated her agents, but also was a model protectee.

The former president is described as a difficult chief executive who is also easygoing in the book.

However, Hillary is exposed as being the complete opposite of her husband and daughter, and instead is reportedly very rude and acted nasty toward a number of agents.

'Hillary was very rude to agents, and she didn't appear to like law enforcement or the military,' former Secret Service agent Lloyd Bulman recalled to Kessler.

'She wouldn't go over and meet military people or police officers, as most protectees do.

'She was just really rude to almost everybody. She'd act like she didn't want you around, like you were beneath her.'

On another occasion, a member of the uniformed Secret Service once cheerfully greeted Mrs Clinton by saying 'Good morning, ma'am.'

'F*** off,' is how she replied, according to Kessler's book.

Kessler explained in the book that when Mrs Clinton is in public, she smiles and acts graciously.

'As soon as the cameras are gone, her angry personality, nastiness, and imperiousness become evident,' he wrote.

'Hillary Clinton can make Richard Nixon look like Mahatma Gandhi.'

His book also revealed how Mrs Clinton allegedly didn't like the attire military aides wore.

'Hillary didn't like the military aides wearing their uniforms around the White House,' one former agent recounted to Kessler.

Dan Emmett, who began covering President Clinton on his first day in office in January 1993, said Hillary was arrogant, never said 'thank you' to the agents and treated them like 'hired help'.
Jo Cox's husband took his two young children camping last night to remember their mother who loved sleeping under the stars.

Brendan Cox posted about their experience on twitter this morning, three days after the MP was shot and stabbed in her constituency of Bristall, West Yorkshire.

Mr Cox wrote: 'Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory and remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon'

Jo Cox's husband took his two young children camping last night to remember their mother who loved sleeping under the stars

Brendan Cox posted about their experience on twitter this morning, three days after the MP was shot and stabbed in her constituency of Bristall, West Yorkshire. Pictured: Jo Cox with her young children

The post was made as friends and constituents attended a church service in her honour.

At St Peter's Church in Birstall, the Rev Paul Knight said Mrs Cox's 'humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as an amazing example - a 21st century Good Samaritan'.

He added: 'Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

'I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

'And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile.'

Popular MP Jo Cox died after she was shot three times and stabbed as she arrived for a constituency meeting in Birstall near Leeds. She leaves behind her husband Brendan (right) and two children

The Rev Paul Knight held a service this morning at St Peter's Church in Birstall, near Leeds, West Yorkshire

The service was held one day after Mrs Cox's sister Kim Leadbeater paid a heartfelt tribute to her sibling.

Miss Leadbeater fought back tears as she gave a poignant speech dedicated to the politician and described her late sister as being 'perfect'.

She added that her sister will 'live on' through her 'truly wonderful children' and that the family is broken 'for now' but that it will mend over time because they will never let 'Jo leave their lives'.

The heartfelt tribute came just hours after suspect Thomas Mair, 52, appeared in court on Saturday charged with her murder and gave his name in the dock as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain'.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court after he was charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.

Kim Leadbeater, the sister of Labour MP Jo Cox, embraced her father Gordon as they looked at floral tributes in Birstall, West Yorkshire yesterday
Chilling CCTV footage shows the moment before a mechanic was stabbed to death in a gruesome attack while he was walking his pet husky.

Mechanic Paul O'Donnell was captured on video walking his dog to a shop in Keysborough, 27km south-east of Melbourne's city centre on Saturday night.

Authorities reached the Olive Grove address where Mr O'Donnell had been attacked at about 7.30 where paramedics attempted to revive him but he died at the scene.

Footage shows the man walking in an empty industrial car park to his workshop followed closely by his dog.

Emergency services are seen arriving shortly after running through the car park to help Mr O'Donnell but were unable to revive him.

Mr O'Donnell was known to take his dog to a nearby easement to relieve itself, reported Fairfax.

Loved ones were seen mourning the mechanic's death as they arrived to the scene on Sunday including Jake Hewgill, who described Mr O'Donnell as a father figure.

CCTV footage shows the moment before a mechanic Paul O'Donnell (pictured) was stabbed to death in an attack while he was walking his pet husky back to his shop in Keysborough in Melbourne's south-east

'I am so broken over this,' he told 9News.

'I loved him like a dad and he always wanted to help other people.

'He was a true friend with intentions to help no matter what, and he deserved a lot better than this.'

A neighbouring business owner Zoran Erovic told 9News he was 'shocked'.

Emergency services are seen arriving shortly after running through the car park to help Mr O'Donnell but were unable to revive him and he died at the scene (pictured)

Authorities reached the Olive Grove address (pictured) where Mr O'Donnell had been attacked at about 7.30 where paramedics attempted to revive him but he died at the scene

He said: 'Paul was a very quiet man. He didn't have trouble with anyone around here.'

The assailant remains on the run while police continue investigations into the attack.

Homicide detectives and forensic officers are examining the CCTV footage at the scene, which shows several cars and people in the area at the time of the attack.

A post mortem will also be carried out to determine the cause of death.

Mr O'Donnell's murder marks the third stabbing in Melbourne and Geelong in the last 48 hours.
Donald Trump has revealed that he would be open to certain changes in the law to make sure no one with 'even an inclination toward terrorism' can legally purchase a gun.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said he believes individuals who are on the FBI terrorist watch list, which contains more than a million names, should be restricted from buying guns.

Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people and injured 53 more last Sunday at the gay club Pulse in Orlando, was on the FBI terrorist watch list for 10 months.

Mateen legally purchased both of the guns he used in the attack just days before unleashing the worst mass shooting in US history.

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Donald Trump has revealed that he would be open to certain law changes to make sure no one with 'even an inclination toward terrorism' can legally purchase a gun

Trump said he believes individuals who are on the FBI terrorist watch list should be restricted from buying guns. Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people in Orlando last Sunday, watch on the FBI list for 10 months

'We have to make sure that people that are terrorists or have even an inclination toward terrorism cannot buy weapons, guns,' Trump said on ABC's This Week on Sunday.

Trump tweeted earlier this week that he would be meeting with the NRA to discuss banning individuals on either list from being able to legally purchase guns.

The NRA, which endorsed Trump in May, said they were 'happy to meet' with the presidential hopeful and said the organization's stance has always been 'no guns for terrorists - period'.

'If an investigation uncovers evidence of terrorist activity or involvement, the government should be allowed to immediately go to court, block the sale, and arrest the terrorist,' the group said in a statement.

'At the same time, due process protections should be put in place that allow law-abiding Americans who are wrongly put on a watchlist to be removed.'

The Senate struck down a proposal in December that would have allowed the attorney general to block the sale of a gun or explosive to a suspected or known terrorist.

Only one Republican voted in favor of the bill, which was proposed by California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

'We are now living with the consequence of that vote,' New York Democratic Sen Chuck Schumer said the day after the horrific bloodbath at Pulse.

Trump tweeted earlier this week that he would be meeting with the NRA to discuss banning individuals on either list from being able to legally purchase guns

'How many more people have to die at the hands of a terrorist with a gun before the Senate acts?'

The Senate finally agreed to vote on two gun control measures this week, including the watch list ban as well as mandatory background checks at gun shows, following a 15-hour filibuster led by Connecticut Democratic Sen Chris Murphy.

Although the aftermath of Orlando has reignited discussion on gun control, Trump continued to reiterate that he believed Mateen's victims would have survived if they had been armed.

Trump said during a Phoenix rally on Saturday that there would have been a 'very different result' if 'somebody' in the club had a gun strapped to their hip or ankle.

The GOP hopeful did not mention the armed security guard who was working at the club the night of Mateen's horrific massacre.

But Trump later said the attack wasn't about guns at all - it was about terrorism.

'President Obama is trying to make terrorism into guns and it's not guns, folks,' he said during a rally in Texas on Friday.

'It is not guns, folks. It is not guns, this is terrorism.'
Environmentalist activist Scott Jordan (pictured) has spoken out about the terrifying moment a group of men allegedly terrorised his Tasmanian home

A Greens candidate has spoken out about the terrifying moment a group of men allegedly tore down election signage at his home and threatened his 15-year-old daughter.

Environmentalist activist Scott Jordan, from Tasmania, claimed several men had refused to leave his Burnie home on Saturday night after being told he was not at home.

The Braddon candidate was enjoying a night out with his wife when he received a distressing phone call from his teenage daughter who had locked herself inside the house.

His terrified daughter sat in the hallway with the lights turned off as the men allegedly tore down campaign signs and yelled abuse at the young girl.

'[They] proceeded to yell at the house in a manner aimed at intimidating a teenage girl who is not on any ballot paper,' Mr Jordan alleged in a Facebook post shortly after the incident.

'Two nights ago a British MP was shot. Democracy should be passionate. It should be earnest. It should be contested with vigor [sic]. It should not be thugs in the dark terrifying a fifteen year old.'

Mr Jordan, whose home and family have been subjected to abuse in the past, said the allege attack has not deter him from continuing his political campaign.

'If you don't share my politics, feel free to vote for another candidate, write to newspapers, mount a public campaign against policies I advocate, even run yourself,' he said.

The Greens candidate spoke out after his daughter was allegedly threatened by a group of men at their home

The allege incident happened just two days after British Labour MP Jo Cox was killed near Leeds

A handbag and shoes lie on the ground as police cordon off an area after the 41-year-old was shot and stabbed by an attacker at her constituency Thursday afternoon

'Democracy gives you these rights. It also gives you the right to expect that your family is safe from intimidation and harm while you do so.

'But I urge you, do not tolerate this kind of behaviour. Call it out. But most importantly do not give in to intimidation.

'I have re-erected the sign. it says "Standing up for what matters". I'll keep doing that. And I have a few spare signs if anyone wants to join me.'

He praised police for arriving at the scene quickly as an investigation has been launched into the incident after the men were cautioned.

'The police have attended and I am satisfied of the safety of my family. Thank you to the attending officers for acting swiftly,' he added.
Ten years after his eight-year-old daughter was strangled to death and sexually assaulted in a shopping centre toilet, Gabriel Rodriguez says his family has no hatred.

Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu was murdered at a Perth shopping centre in 2006 in one of the most heinous crimes the country has ever seen.

Dante Wyndham Arthurs, then 21, followed Sofia to a toilet at the Livingston Marketplace shopping centre where he strangled her to death and sexually assaulted her.

Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu, pictured, was murdered and sexually assaulted in a toilet at a Perth shopping centre in 2006 in one of the most heinous crimes the country has ever seen

Dante Wyndham Arthurs (pictured), then 21, followed Sofia to a toilet at the Livingston Marketplace shopping centre where he assaulted and strangled her to death

Sofia's father has for the first time given an in-depth insight of how the evil crime affected the family

Her naked body was found lying motionless on the bathroom floor as Arthurs fled. Hardened police described it as the worse case they had seen.

Sofia's father has for the first time given an in-depth insight of how the evil crime affected the family.

'She was an absolutely gorgeous, normal girl,' Mr Rodriguez told The Sunday Times.

Mr Rodriguez said that although the family feels no anger, he hopes his daughter's killer is never released from prison.

'We don't have anger in our family,' he said. 'Since this guy's in jail, hopefully for as long as possible, we just keep on with our own lives. I wouldn't like to see him come out, I don't think he would make a contribution to our society.'

Arthurs will eligible for parole in 2019. Homicide laws introduced in 2008 in Western Australia now grants judges the power to send child killers like Arthurs to jail for the rest of their lives.

Sofia's father, Gabriel and mother Josephine after their daughters funeral service in 2006

The family of eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu - her father Gabriel, mother Josephine, eleven-year-old sister Ines and three-year-old sister Isabel

Police came under fire at the time of Sofia's murder for bungling a previous case against Arthurs.

In 2003 he was charged with sexually interfering with another eight-year-old but the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the case because police interview tactics were too aggressive.

At the time of Sofia's death, the Rodriguez family issued a statement saying she could still be alive had the earlier charges not been dropped.

'Had her killer been convicted for his earlier crimes, had his name been added to a register of child sex offenders... Sofia might be alive today,' the statement read.

It was later revealed that Arthurs had been stalking at least 10 young girls before Sofia's murder.
Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed last week. The elected member evoked strong pro-EU views

David Cameron yesterday evoked the pro-EU views of murdered MP Jo Cox amid a continuing row over whether the tragedy was being politicised.

On Twitter, the Prime Minister highlighted the final article written by the Labour MP, in which she warned voters not to fall for the spin that quitting the EU would solve concerns over immigration.

Mr Cameron praised her strong voice in the referendum campaign and said it would be badly missed in the closing days.

Stronger In campaigners said that by linking to her article, the Prime Minister was simply ensuring her voice would be heard.

But the intervention came amid clashes over whether Mrs Coxs death was being politicised.

At lunchtime, pro-Brexit Labour MP Kate Hoey told a rally: Jo was a democrat and she would want this referendum campaign to continue, and she would want no one to link anything around this referendum with that terrible tragedy.

Mrs Coxs final article was re-published yesterday in several newspapers and by the Stronger In campaign.

Alongside a link to it, the Prime Minister tweeted: Jo Coxs strong voice in the campaign to remain in the EU will be badly missed.

In the piece, Mrs Cox wrote: There is now an unprecedented consensus that leaving the EU would hurt our economy and hit our pockets.

We cannot allow voters to fall for the spin that a vote to leave is the only way to deal with concerns about immigration.

We can do far more to address both the level and impact of immigration while remaining in the EU. I very rarely agree with the Prime Minister but on this hes right: we are stronger, safer and better off in.

However, the row came after a former defence minister lashed out at pro-EU figures for trying to 'spin' the tragic killing of Jo Cox in a bid to win the referendum.

On Twitter, the Prime Minister highlighted the final article written by the Labour MP, in which she warned voters not to fall for the spin on quitting the EU

Tory MP Andrew Murrison tweeted the comment as polls showed the race was neck and neck again after a surge for Remain.

However, soon afterwards he deleted the post and replaced it with one that urged both sides to put their cases 'squarely, honestly and decently'.

Mr Cameron praised Mrs Cox's strong voice in the referendum campaign and said it would be badly missed in the closing days

Campaigning resumed yesterday after being put on hold in the aftermath of the fatal attack on Mrs Cox, a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU.

The man charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain' when he appeared in court on Saturday.

A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead on 45 per cent to 42 per cent - reversing the firm's findings from Thursday.

Another showed the two sides are level while a third has voters saying they are more enthusiastic about leaving the EU than staying.

Pollsters have suggested that the apparent surge for Remain could be down to undecided voters plumping for the status quo as the crucial ballot looms.

But Mr Murrison complained that pro-EU figures may be exploiting the tragedy to bolster support for ties with Brussels.

'Remain side spinning Jo Cox murder for partisan advantage in #EUReferendum shameful,' he wrote on Twitter.

Within hours the MP had deleted the post and replaced it with one that said: 'Can both sides in this horrible #EUReferendum campaign & the press use the last few days to put case squarely, honestly and decently?'

Pro-EU figures have stressed the need for unity and condemned the tone of the campaign in the wake of the killing.

In a letter to the Observer today, Tony Blair, ex-deputy PM Nick Clegg and Conservative grandee Lord Heseltine say the vote is about 'what sort of country we are'.

The message - which was highlighted on Twitter by David Cameron - said: 'There is something more fundamental at stake: the sort of country we are. A democracy where disagreements do not degenerate into incivility and where debate is not used to divide our communities.

'We have a chance as a country to reject division, isolationism and blame. To choose co-operation. For the future of our children, that is a chance we must take.'

Tory MP Andrew Murrison tweeted that Remain supporters were 'spinning' Jo Cox's killing, before deleting the post and urging both sides to put their cases 'squarely, honestly and decently'

Brexit campaigners Michael Gove and Chris Grayling today joined condemnation of a poster unveiled by Ukip leader Nigel Farage, depicting a queue of migrants on the Slovenian border and the message 'Breaking point'.

Mr Gove said the image had made him shudder, but insisted it was right to raise other concerns about our inability to control our own borders.

At a rally in London yesterday, Boris Johnson insisted voting to cut ties with Brussels would 'neutralise' extremists who scaremonger about immigration.

'I'm not only pro-immigration, I'm pro-immigrants,' the former London mayor said.

'And I am in favour of an amnesty of illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

Boris Johnson told a rally in London that Brexit was the best way to 'neutralise' extremists spreading fear about immigration

'I'll tell you why. Because it is the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing to do.

'And it means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.

'If we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points based system, we'll be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world and we will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants.

'That is the way forward. To neutralise the extremists.'

Rival MPs could mix for tributes to Jo Cox in House of Commons

Rival MPs could break with tradition and sit together in the House of Commons when they pay tribute to MP Jo Cox.

Leader of the House Chris Grayling said MPs should 'do what they feel comfortable doing', while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also signalled he was open to the idea.

Parliament is being recalled todayto allow MPs to remember Mrs Cox, who was killed in her constituency of Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire on Thursday.

Neighbouring Labour MP Jason McCartney, who represents Colne Valley, has written to Speaker John Bercow requesting that backbenchers be permitted to sit together across the House in a mark of solidarity.

Asked about the rules of the house, Mr Grayling said: 'I don't think there are any formal rules but I think for tomorrow's event it is a celebration and a commemoration and an expression of profound sadness and to my mind it is an occasion where people should do what they feel comfortable doing.'

Meanwhile, leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron said it is a 'great idea' and would show that MPs are 'united against hate'.

Mr Corbyn told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'I received that suggestion last night actually and we're thinking about that and have a talk tomorrow, but tomorrow is going to be a dignified occasion, it's not going to be a time for lots of long speeches.'
More than 9,500 homes already without power in parts of Queensland

Another massive storm is smashing the eastern coast of Australia

Brutal weather is again smashing the eastern coast of Australia, with flash flooding hitting parts of Queensland as experts warn the worst it yet to come in New South Wales.

Parts of outback Queensland copped heavy rain, with falls of up to 100mm recorded around Charleville and about 50mm in areas between Townsville and Mackay.

But the worst of the rain drenched the populated south-east corner where about 50mm came down on Sunday evening.

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Cars are seen stuck in the street during flash flooding that hit parts of Queensland on Sunday night

The wild weather left some roads entirely covered in huge torrents - making it impossible for drivers to get through

Images posted online showed how quickly the water rushed into many suburbs, with some photographs showing cars stranded in the street.

Others showed water lapping up against front-fences, and entire chunks of roads flooded by torrents of water.

Several streets in Brisbane were flooded after 106mm of rain fell on the city throughout Sunday - more than half the total coming in the evening.

Streets were also fully or partially closed at the Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe and Caboolture, with fallen trees and flooding causing problems in these areas.

A shopping centre car park is almost completely flooded near Brisbane on Sunday night

Despite the wild weather and people ignoring warnings to stay away from flood waters, no one has needed to be rescued.

There are no reports of injuries across the state.

'It's looking pretty good,' a police spokesman said.

A street in Rosalie, Queensland, is covered in water during a huge deluge of rain on Sunday night

Some people attempted to drive through the huge pools of water - despite warnings from authorities not to do so

A street in Clayfield, Queensland, is almost entirely flooded - with water lapping up against front-fences at a number of houses

According to the Courier Mail, more than 9,500 homes were without power on Sunday night

Earlier on Sunday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a flood watch for southern and central Queensland, saying rivers in those areas could reach minor flood levels, and was also warning of possible, localised flash flooding.

After doing damage across Queensland, the wild weather is forecast to push down into New South Wales and wreak further havoc.

A severe weather warning has been issued for the state's south and is expected to remain in place until Tuesday.

One resident shared this picture showing how quickly the water made its way into his home

Some roads and streets across Queensland were closed due to the brutal weather smashing the state

On Sunday experts warned Sydney's major dams are expected to spill over and put thousands of homes at risk.

Authorities are keeping a close eye on the almost-full Warragamba Dam in Sydney's south-west as the catchment remains at about 98 per cent capacity on Sunday evening.

Forecasters and hydrologists predicts the dam could overflow on Monday as heavy downpours, gale force winds and flash flooding are continue to batter the east coast overnight.

'It's possible that the dam may spill, but it depends on how much more rain it gets and how widespread across the catchment that rainfall is,' a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster said.

Warragamba Dam is expected to spill over on Monday following a weekend of heavy downpours. Pictured is the dam spilling over in March 2012

A photograph taken at Warragamba Dam near Sydney on Sunday shows how close it was to overflowing

Storm clouds gather in Sydney Harbour as a massive low-pressure system brings torrential rain and gusting winds to Australia's east coast

Eleven areas in NSW have been put on flood watch and 40mm of rain has already dumped on drought-ravaged areas of Queensland.

Parts of the state have copped heavy falls during the weekend, with 61mm of rain recorded at Lightning Ridge on Sunday morning while at Frenchs Forest, in Sydney's north received 31mm.

Gale force winds gusting up to 90km/h are also forecast for coastal areas as a low-pressure system builds over the ocean near the Illawarra region.

This upcoming weather event has sparked the NSW Government to announce $690 million to raise the dam's wall by 14 metres to offer people downstream 'extra protection', Premier Mike Baird told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Up to 134,000 people would need to be evacuated if major flooding was to happen.

Authorities are keeping a close eye on the almost-full Warragamba Dam in Sydney's south-west (stock image)

Sydneysiders have been told to brace for flash flooding this weekend as the city's major dams are set to spill over when a predicted east coast low hits. Above are huge waves at Bronte Beach

The east coast low almost two weeks ago added an extra 12.1 per cent of water to Sydney's major dams.

In the week leading up to June 9, Warragamba Dam had 170mm of rainfall and it now sits at 97.7 per cent, according to WaterNSW.

The Upper Nepean, Woronora, Shoalhaven and Blue Mountains got 270mm, 310mm, 280mm and 170mm in the same period.

The areas that will bear the brunt of the weather event will be the region between the Central Coast and Jervis Bay.

Mr Morrow said Sydney's metropolitan areas was also 'prone to flash flooding'.

Above is a weather map showing the amount of rainfall predicted from Friday through to Monday

Brisbane has received up to 86mm of rainfall since Sunday morning.

Emergency services authorities have warned people to be prepared for a wild weather weekend.

'We will be watching closely and it is a good trigger there for people to understand what the risk is in their area,' Mr Morrow said.

'If you live near creeks that flash flood quickly, or you realise that you are in the middle of heavy rain, then certainly be aware of your surroundings and checkout side and watch the warnings on our systems.'

This east coast low comes almost two weeks after NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania was lashed by torrential rain and strong winds.

Sydney's northern beaches suburb of Collaroy had chunks of its coastline swallowed by massive waves and Tasmania experienced widespread flooding in its northern regions.

Vehicles drive through a partially flooded Paramatta Road in Sydney earlier this month when an east coast low hit

Sydney's northern beaches suburb of Collaroy had chunks of its coastline swallowed by massive waves and Tasmania experienced widespread flooding in its northern regions

Wild weather waves ripped parts of the coast into the sea and left a dozen beachfront homes teetering precariously on eroded coastline.

'Any sort of erosion is much less of a problem,' the forecaster said.

The foul weather is expected to hang around the state's south early in the week before heading towards Bass Strait.
Two suspected people smugglers have been arrested in The Channel after their boat ran into trouble.

The two men, said to be in their 30s, are from countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) and were picked up by a Border Force cutter around four miles off the coast of Dover.

It is believed that the boat contained a number of spare life-jackets but no sign of any other migrants when it was found at around 8am today.

Two suspected people smugglers have been arrested in The Channel after their boat (pictured, blue) ran into trouble and was twoed to safety. File image

It is believed that the boat contained a number of spare life-jackets but no sign of any other migrants when it was found at around 8am today

The 15ft motor launch was spotted four miles from Dover after making a mayday call.

They were brought back to Dover harbour while the launch was towed into port.

A UK Border Force spokesman said they are now checking the validity of their documents.

The men are being questioned over suspected people smuggling, Sky News reports, and the vessel was seized.

James Clapham, RNLI Coxswain for Dover Lifeboat Station in command of the City of London II Severn Class ALB, said: 'We efficiently managed to locate the vessel using our direction finder which tracks the direction of VHF Radio frequencies from our position.

'Their location was very close to the South West edge of the Goodwin Sands..'

Ed Baker, spokesman for Dover Lifeboat Station, said: 'The persons on board the vessel did not have any navigation or GPS equipment to navigate safely or efficiently at sea.

'Please remember to respect the water and carry appropriate equipment on board which you are competent to use to navigate your vessel safely.'

A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'The UK Coastguard received a mayday call from a motor cruiser which was lost and in distress off the Kent coast at 8am this morning.

'Two EEA nationals were on board and Border Force officers are now checking the validity of their documents.'

It's the latest in a string of arrests in Kent, which is increasingly becoming the main route into Britain for dozens of migrants.

Last month, 18 Albanians were arrested when their rigid dinghy suffered engine failure just off the British coast near the village of Dymchurch, also in Kent.

Local people reported that the village had become a hive of activity for people smugglers, with dinghies seen being driven through the streets on trailers in the dead of night.

Just a few days later, a lorry full of 17 migrants - including women and children - was stopped nearby, just 13 miles away.
Security measures for the annual London Pride festival have been ramped up as the authorities fear Orlando copycat attacks.

The Metropolitan police has committed more officers to the annual LGBT event, with 40,000 people expected to enjoy the festival and parade on June 25.

Pride has the third largest police presence of any British annual event, behind Notting Hill carnival and New Year's Eve. But it will enjoy an even bigger force this year with officers asked to volunteer, reports the Daily Star Sunday.

The Metropolitan police have committed more officers to the annual LGBT event, with 40,000 people expected to enjoy the festival and parade on June 25

The commitment is being made as organisers and the Met consider the possibility of an attack similar to that at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12.

Tragically 49 people were massacred at the club, which catered for the LGBT community, by ISIS supporter Omar Mateen.

It is believed the attack was carried out as a homophobic hate crime.

The Pride parade route takes place in the heart of Central London, with a plethora of colourful floats and groups marching, playing music and dancing.

People will line Regent Street, as the carnival makes its way past and through Picadilly before heading down Pall Mall as they celebrate LGBT groups from all walks of life.

A police source told the Star: 'No one is suggesting there will be an attack anything like the horrific tragedy that hit Orlando.

A commitment of extra officers is being made as organisers and the Met consider the possibility of an attack similar to that at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12 (Pictured, last year's parade in London)

'But at the same time tensions are running high and some kind of copycat threat or homophobic attack is very possible.'

The revelation comes as Istanbul was forced to cancel its Gay Pride march due to threats of violence by Turkish Islamic groups.

An ultra-nationalist youth group, the Alperen Hearths, said the march, planned for June 26, was immoral and threatened violence.

People pose for a selfie during the LGBT pride march in Istanbul, which is at risk of being attacked this year

The Alperen Hearths' Istanbul chief, Kursat Mican, said: 'Degenerates will not be allowed to carry out their fantasies on this land...We're not responsible for what will happen after this point.'

Relatives of victims of the Orlando massacre have began to say goodbye to their loved ones as memorial and funeral services take place just days after the incident.

Angel Candelario Padro, 28, was remembered at an open-casket wake in his native Puerto Rico on Thursday night, while Javier Jorge Reyes, another Puerto Rico native, was also honored in his hometown.

Pictured, People visit a memorial to the 49 people killed by Omar Matten at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando

Best friends Peter Ommy Gonzalez-Cruz and Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez had a joint funeral in Florida and Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, a 25-year-old dancer, was among those buried in Orlando on Friday.

Christopher Sanfeliz, 24, a personal banker whose parents emigrated to America from Cuba, and Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24, a married mother-of-two, were also laid to rest.
A former BNP member who claims the Left are trying to 'milk' the death of Jo Cox and blamed gay people for the Orlando shootings will contest her seat in the by-election.

The MP was stabbed three times and shot at point blank range outside her constituency on Thursday and the man accused gave his name as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain' in court.

Her bereaved husband Brendon Cox has since vowed to fight right-wing extremism in her name, but today, an extremist politician vowed to contest her seat in the by-election triggered by her murder.

Hours after she was shot, Buckby, who idolised BNP leader Nick Griffin, shamelessly tweeted: 'Media and left will milk this for all it's worth.'

Jack Buckby has declared that he will contest the Batley and Spen by-election sparked by the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox. The Tories, Lib Dems and Ukip have said they will not field a candidate

Hours after she Jo Cox was shot, Buckby, who idolised BNP leader Nick Griffin, shamelessly tweeted: 'Media and left will milk this for all it's worth'

His Twitter feed is packed with extremist views and after 50 people were shot in a gay club in Orlando, Buckby recorded a video and said the LGBT community have 'blood on their hands'

His Twitter feed is packed with extremist views and after 50 people were shot in a gay club in Orlando, Buckby recorded a video claiming that the LGBT community have 'blood on their hands'.

He added: 'The left and LGBT cry their crocodile tears, but THEY are responsible for the murder of over 50 people in a gay club in Orlando. It's time the left realised that they brought this on themselves.'

Buckby also shows total reverence for Donald Trump, the US presidential candidate, and poses proudly with a cap saying 'Make America Great Again', one of the Republican's campaign slogans.

He also slams London Mayor Sadiq Khan, posting a picture with the caption 'London surrenders to Islam' after the Labour candidates victory.

The controversial young politician said today he would ignore a cross-party truce and stand as there was 'too much at stake'.

Mrs Cox was shot three times and stabbed in a brutal attack on Thursday as she arrived for a constituency surgery in Birstall, near Leeds.

In the days after Mrs Cox's death the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Ukip all announced their intention not to stand in the by-election.

He also slams London Mayor Sadiq Khan, posting a picture with the caption 'London surrenders to Islam' after the Labour candidates victory

Buckby also tweets about what he calls the 'Ramadan Mombathon' talking of terror in the name of Islam

However Jack Buckby, now a member of the Liberty GB group, said Labour had 'blood on its hands', and there was 'too much at stake' to allow them to retake Batley and Spen unchallenged.

Mr Buckby's announcement was criticised as 'inflammatory' by the Green party group leader on Kirklees council.

Councillor Andrew Cooper said: 'If we have learnt anything in the last few weeks and certainly in the last few days, it is that people need to be more respectful to people who have different and contrasting views.'

Mr Buckby, 23, who is a former BNP member and stood for election for Liberty GB in the 2014 European elections, said: 'We cannot let Jo Cox's tragic death be in vain.

'We must use this election as an opportunity to create dialogue and give a voice to the millions of working and middle class Britons who are seeing their communities trashed by an arrogant and out-of-touch political class.'

Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed last week

The announcement came after Mrs Cox's sister called for people to show 'strength and solidarity' in the wake of her death.

Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.

Campaigning resumed in the EU referendum today after being largely put on hold since Thursday as a mark of respect for Mrs Cox.

Brexit supporters have been distancing themselves from a poster unveiled by Ukip leader Nigel Farage last week that featured the headline 'Breaking Point' over an image of refugees walking into Europe through Slovenia.

Michael Gove said he 'shuddered' when he saw the anti-immigration pitch, saying it was the 'wrong thing to do'. House of Commons leader Chris Grayling also slammed the image.

Chancellor George Osborne, who supports the Remain campaign, also condemned the poster as having 'echoes' of far right literature from the 1930s.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Brexit-backing Labour MP John Mann all slammed the poster in interviews today.

Meanwhile, former defence minister has lashed out at pro-EU figures for trying to 'spin' the tragic killing of Jo Cox in a bid to win the referendum.

Tory MP Andrew Murrison tweeted the comment today as polls showed the race was neck and neck again after a surge for Remain.

However, soon afterwards he deleted the post and replaced it with one that urged both sides to put their cases 'squarely, honestly and decently'.

David Cameron today highlighted about a strongly pro-EU article Mrs Cox wrote days before her death, stating.

Alongside a link to the piece, the Prime Minister tweeted: 'Jo Cox's strong voice in the campaign to remain in the EU will be badly missed.'

Pro-EU figures have also stressed the need for unity and condemned the tone of the campaign in the wake of the killing.

Tory MP Andrew Murrison tweeted that Remain supporters were 'spinning' Jo Cox's killing, before deleting the post and urging both sides to put their cases 'squarely, honestly and decently'

In a letter to the Observer today, Tony Blair, ex-deputy PM Nick Clegg and Conservative grandee Lord Heseltine say the vote is about 'what sort of country we are'.

The message - which was highlighted on Twitter by Mr Cameron - said: 'There is something more fundamental at stake: the sort of country we are. A democracy where disagreements do not degenerate into incivility and where debate is not used to divide our communities.

'We have a chance as a country to reject division, isolationism and blame. To choose co-operation. For the future of our children, that is a chance we must take.'

At a rally in London today, Boris Johnson insisted voting to cut ties with Brussels would 'neutralise' extremists who scaremonger about immigration.

'I'm not only pro-immigration, I'm pro-immigrants,' the former London mayor said.

'And I am in favour of an amnesty of illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

'I'll tell you why. Because it is the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing to do.

'And it means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.

'If we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points based system, we'll be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world and we will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants.

'That is the way forward. To neutralise the extremists.'
Teachers at Britain's leading girls' schools have been told not to call pupils 'girls' or 'young women' in case it offends any questioning their gender identity.

Head teachers belonging to the Girls' Schools Association were instructed to use gender-neutral words like 'pupils' or 'students' to avoid discrimination.

The advice issued last week also banned the phrase 'young ladies' and recommended the creation of unisex lavatories.

Teachers at Britain's leading girls' schools have been told not to call pupils 'girls' or 'young women' in case it offends any questioning their gender identity (stock image of pupils at a girls' school)

Caroline Jordan, President of the GSA and headmistress of 33,000-a-year Headington School in Oxfordshire, backed the advice saying it affects an increasing number of young people questioning their identity.

'In assemblies, instead of saying "Girls, go to lessons," staff should consider saying "Pupils, go to lessons," or "Students, go to lessons,"' she told the Sunday Times.

'I do not want anyone to think that girls' or boys' schools are invested in one way of being a girl or one way of being a boy.

'My view is that where you can use gender-neutral language about people that is a good thing,' she added.

The advice was given to the GSA by Gendered Intelligence whose chairman, Jay Stewart, branded the phrase 'young ladies' sexist and 'transphobic'.

Caroline Jordan, President of the GSA and headmistress of 33,000-a-year Headington School in Oxfordshire, backed the advice

He said about one per cent of the population were transgender and that the new guidance helps them to not feel like 'freaks.'

The news follows the revelations last month that some parents were being asked to help their four-year-olds choose a gender before they start primary school.

Brighton and Hove City Council sent a letter to hundreds of families telling them which school their child would attend in September but asked them to respond with which gender their child preferred.

Along with the main text in the letter, there was also a note next to the tickbox for male/female explaining that the national recording system only gives two options for gender but to help their child choose a gender they most identified with.

It read: 'We recognise that not all children and young people identify with the gender they were assigned at birth or may identify as a gender other than male or female, however the current systems (set nationally) only record gender as male or female.

'Please support your child to choose the gender they most identify with. Or if they have another gender identity please leave this blank and discuss with your child's school.'
Controversial: Azad Chaiwala, 33, is the brains behind SecondWife.come and Polygamy.com

A controversial Muslim entrepreneur has created a dating site to help men find a second wife with close to 35,000 Britons signing up.

Azad Chaiwala, 33, is the brains behind SecondWife.com and Polygamy.com, with the former aimed at Muslim men and the latter catering for those of all faiths.

Bigamy is illegal in Britain and carries a jail sentence of up to seven years, but Mr Chaiwala insists that his service is promoting fidelity and stopping women from being lonely.

His sites, he claims, are about old fashioned values.

Mr Chaiwala explains: 'Users police each other and every picture is vetted for decency. We do not allow cleavage.'

However, not all are convinced by his progressive romantic vision.

Leading Muslim MP Khalid Mahmood has branded the venture 'stupid' and warned that women entering a polygamous relationship are waving away financial rights usually attached to a marriage.

He said: 'It puts a person in huge peril because they are not allowed to claim, as a partner, on his estate. It is not acceptable and puts individuals very much at risk, it puts them at a huge disadvantage.

'They think they are doing the right thing, but it does put them at risk in terms of the financial situation.'

While Mariam Khan, councillor for Washwood Heath in Birmingham said: 'It is the women who suffer.

'The modern-day version of looking for a second wife is disrespectful to women, and it is not using the Islamic teaching in a fair way. It ends up in a deteriorating relationship between the husband and first wife.'

SecondWife has 35,000 members, mostly from the West Midlands, while Polygamy has 7,000 since its launch last year.

Visitors first click on a verse from the Quran, that reads: 'Then marry women of your choice, two or three, or four, but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly, then only one.'

Mr Chaiwala said that polygamy, across all religions, is more popular than it has ever been.

The East Midlands businessman intends to use SecondWife.com to find two more partners - but admits his Leicester wife has concerns.

Family values: Mr Chaiwala, 33, said his dating sites promote fidelity and stop women from being lonely

'There is not a woman on earth who would be totally comfortable with it,' he said. 'Even the Prophet Muhammad's wives showed signs of jealousy. I'm quite picky.'

Mr Chaiwala stresses that he is not promoting a criminal act with his websites. His religion allows a man to have up to four wives, as long as they are in agreement with the arrangement.

Those tangled relationships can be celebrated through a civil-style ceremony in mosques but cannot be cemented through a legal service.

Mr Chaiwala, who is convinced that polygamy will eventually be made legal in the UK, said: 'This is my wedding, I do not need to have a piece of paper. Is it illegal to have a mistress?'

He added: 'People go to a nightclub and have a one-night stand and that's the end of it. Men go with prostitutes; people look for swingers' clubs.

'A man wants to get married to multiple partners in an honourable manner, he wants to share his love and resources - why do you have an issue with that?

'It is not for everyone - some men are not physically, or financially, capable of taking care of other women.'

Illegal: Bigamy is against the law in Britain and can carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison. However, Mr Chaiwala (pictured) is convinced that it will become legal eventually

Mr Chaiwala stressed that polygamy is not confined to the Muslim faith.

He said: 'Two hundred years ago, there were British viceroys who had seven or eight wives.

'Islam puts a limit on the number of wives, while with other religions there is no limit. If it is good for me and acceptable in the eyes of God, it must be fine.'

The growing popularity of Polygamy.com, underlines the broad appeal of having multiple partners, the father-of-two claims.

He said: 'The response has been amazing. It has changed all previous notions.

'Polygamy is still a taboo. How many have the guts to say, 'I want to partake in it'?

'But if people do want to partake in it, I am giving them that service.

'Those who protest about what I'm doing are mistaken. It's hypocritical to say it's wrong.

'I am not saying I hate women, I am saying, 'Love women, provide for them, be faithful to them'.
A top private school is teaching girls how to fit a bra and boys how to shave after fears that parents do not have enough time to teach them life skills.

Oakham School in Rutland has introduced lessons to teach teenagers what they 'need to know' when they start approaching adulthood.

The independent school - where fees are more than 17,000 a year - welcomed a barber into its halls where he shaved a teacher so the watching youngsters could learn how to do it.

The road leading up to Oakham School in Rutland, which has introduced lessons to teach teenagers what they 'need to know' when they start approaching adulthood

And experts from department store John Lewis went in to show girls how to fit a bra.

According to The Sunday Times, deputy head Sarah Gomm reckons the lessons help 'to fill the gap that parents in traditional family scenarios used to fill'.

'Parents are busy, no time to talk. We have lost that round-the-dinner-table time to sit down and chat because these days both parents work, may get home late and the chance to have those kinds of conversations has gone.'

Gomm added that bra fitting is 'really tricky' and that she just 'muddled along' when she was younger.

The life lessons also talk about topics such as sexting, drugs and smoking.

The headteacher of the school, Nigel Lashbrook, said in a blog for The Sunday Times that he thought teaching certain skills should be compulsory at all schools.
A 16-year-old boy and another teen reportedly slipped out of school unnoticed, stole an unlocked car and killed a grandmother in a hit-and-run before at least one returned to school after the ordeal.

On April 25, classes had not begun at Camden High School in New Jersey when the teens sneaked out of the building without any of the school's 11 security guards noticing, Philly.com reported.

After making their exit that morning, the male teens spotted an unlocked silver Cadillac DeVille half a mile from the school, hopped in and started cruising around Camden's streets, police said.

Tia Walker, 53, of Camden, New Jersey (let and right) was killed after she was struck by a car driven by a 16-year-old boy in a hit-and-run crash in April, police said. She leaves behind two children and three grandchildren

On April 25, it was not even the start of first period at Camden High School (pictured) when the teens sneaked out of the building without any of the school's 11 security guards noticing

At some point during their joyride the car was reported stolen, and when an officer started following the vehicle, the 16-year-old behind the wheel suddenly accelerated, police said.

As the car took off, it struck 53-year-old pedestrian Tia Walker, who at the time was crossing the street as she walked home after cleaning the house of an elderly relative, according to Philly.com.

The boys abandoned the car at a nearby median, fled the scene on foot and at least one returned to the high school, authorities said.

Walker was transported to Cooper University Hospital where she died the next day.

The 16-year-old boy has since been arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter among other charges.

It is not clear if the other teen will face charges and neither of their names have been released because they are juveniles.

A makeshift memorial is pictured at the site near where Walker was struck by the vehicle

A hand-made flag hangs from a fence that reads 'Forever Our Angel Tia - 4.26.16.' Walker died a day after the crash

Meanwhile, Walker's relatives are still trying to cope with her loss.

'I don't know what's worse: that we had to bury our sister or that these perpetrators were children,' Walker's brother, Brother Minister Wasim Muhammad, who also is a member of the Camden school board, told Philly.com.

'I just don't know which is the greater tragedy.'

While sad by such a tragic loss, Muhammad said he has forgiven the teens.

'These are misguided young people,' he told Philly.com.

'It's just a fact that it wasn't intentional. They weren't targeting my sister.'

Walker was a long-time Camden resident and for many years was a maintenance worker in City Hall, and also worked as a day-care aide, according to Philly.com.

She leaves behind two children and three grandchildren.

The 16-year-old boy has since been arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter among other charges. It is not clear if the other teen will face charges

'She was just a beautiful soul,' her 23-year-old son, Juan Walker told Philly.com.

'She never had an enemy or any problems with anyone.'

Her daughter, Taneeyah, is getting married later this year and Walker had already picked out her dress for the special occasion. Her family said she was buried wearing it.

Following the incident, the schools spokesman said the district is working with prosecutor's office and the local law enforcement following the incident.

'We're pained by the tragic loss of a Camden resident,' Schools spokesman Brendan Lowe said.
The Liberal Party has yet to respond to the social media reaction

Superimposed image of the tradie on the moon deemed 'more

Users on social media have slammed the new campaign advert for the Australian Liberal Party just hours after its first broadcast.

The hashtag #FakeTradie trended on Twitter on Sunday night as people responded to Malcolm Turnbull's ad.

The advert features an actor dressed as a tradesman saying the Labor leader wants to go war with various groups, including miners, the tradies' bank and even the tradie himself.

Bill Shorten even wants to go to war with me. Someone who just wants to get ahead through an investment property.

Users on social media have slammed the new campaign advert for the Australian Liberal Party just hours after its first broadcast

Bill Shorten even wants to go to war with me. Someone who just wants to get ahead through an investment property, the fake tradie says

One Twitter user wrote: 'I dont do politics. I just know thats one of the most cringe worthy pieces of advertising Ive ever seen.'

Another added: 'Why is his work bench in a lane-way nowhere near work site? Where did the shiny new mug come from? Will this ad agency work again?'

Many raised health and safety concerns over the tradesman's gold watch and bracelet.

'Be like fake tradie. Lose your arm when your gold bracelet gets caught in your circular saw.'

'Good to see #faketradie risking it all by sitting on a powersaw with a cup of hot coffee and no protective gear while defending the banks,' said one

Various Twitter accounts parodying the fake tradie also emerged in light of the social media response

The advert features an actor dressed as a tradesman saying the Labor leader wants to go war with various groups, including miners, the tradies bank and even the tradie himself

One Twitter user wrote: 'I dont do politics. I just know thats one of the most cringe worthy pieces of advertising Ive ever seen'

'Good to see #faketradie risking it all by sitting on a powersaw with a cup of hot coffee and no protective gear while defending the banks,' said one Twitter user

Various Twitter accounts parodying the fake tradie also emerged.

'Labor's declared war on banks, mines and blokes like me, while the Libs have declared war on decent campaign ads.'

Others were quick to come up with their own versions of the ad. An image of dog dressed up in a hardhat and protective goggles was posted with the caption: 'I found your dog #FakeTrade.'

Another, featuring the tradie cut out and imposed in front of the moon landing was described as 'more believable,' by its author.

The Liberal Party has yet to respond to the social media reaction.
Voting for Brexit would 'neutralise' extremists who try to exploit people's fears over mass immigration, Boris Johnson has insisted.

The former London mayor spoke out as supporters of cutting ties with Brussels condemned a controversial Ukip referendum poster.

Nigel Farage unveiled the poster - which featured the headline 'Breaking Point' over an image of refugees walking into Europe through Slovenia - on Thursday just hours before Labour MP Jo Cox was shot dead and the referendum battle was suspended.

Boris Johnson told a rally in London today that Brexit was the best way to 'neutralise' extremists spreading fear about immigration

Justice Secretary Michael Gove today revealed he 'shuddered' when he saw it, while House of Commons Leader Chris Grayling said it was 'wrong'.

And speaking at a rally in London today, Mr Johnson argued that leaving the EU would help silence those who 'play politics' with immigration.

'I'm not only pro-immigration, I'm pro-immigrants,' he said.

'And I am in favour of an amnesty of illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

'I'll tell you why. Because it is the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing to do.

'And it means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.

'If we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points based system, we'll be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world and we will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants.

'That is the way forward. To neutralise the extremists.'

Mr Johnson, who was celebrating his birthday today, was address an audience of a few hundred people alongside Mr Gove and employment minister Priti Patel and Labour's Kate Hoey.

Mr Gove said leaving the EU will not just be a 'vote of confidence' for Britain but will show solidarity with those in struggling economies such as Greece, Spain and Portugal who, he claimed, have suffered because of the EU.

He said: 'The people who lead the European Union have never said sorry, never apologised, never admitted that they've got anything wrong.

Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed last week

'Why? Because they believe that they can ride roughshod over expressions of popular opinion and concern.'

He added: 'We'll be saying that they're running the countries of Europe into the ground.'

Ms Hoey warned that the EU was 'no longer a social Europe' and was instead a 'Europe for the elite'.

She said: 'As a Labour MP, I feel very strongly that (the EU) has been working more and more in the interests of the big banks, the big corporations.

'It's in the interests of those people to stop the small business people, to stop them from being able to compete with them.

'That is why working class people will vote leave.'

Campaigning resumed today after being put on hold in the aftermath of the fatal attack on Mrs Cox, a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU.

The man charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain' when he appeared in court on Saturday.

A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead on 45 per cent to 42 per cent - reversing the firm's findings from Thursday.

Another showed the two sides are level while a third has voters saying they are more enthusiastic about leaving the EU than staying.

Pollsters have suggested that the apparent surge for Remain could be down to undecided voters plumping for the status quo as the crucial ballot looms.

But Mr Murrison complained that pro-EU figures may be exploiting the tragedy to bolster support for ties with Brussels.

'Remain side spinning Jo Cox murder for partisan advantage in #EUReferendum shameful,' he wrote on Twitter.

Within hours the MP had deleted the post and replaced it with one that said: 'Can both sides in this horrible #EUReferendum campaign & the press use the last few days to put case squarely, honestly and decently?'

Pro-EU figures have stressed the need for unity and condemned the tone of the campaign in the wake of the killing.

In a letter to the Observer today, Tony Blair, ex-deputy PM Nick Clegg and Conservative grandee Lord Heseltine say the vote is about 'what sort of country we are'.

The message - which was highlighted on Twitter by David Cameron - said: 'There is something more fundamental at stake: the sort of country we are. A democracy where disagreements do not degenerate into incivility and where debate is not used to divide our communities.

'We have a chance as a country to reject division, isolationism and blame. To choose co-operation. For the future of our children, that is a chance we must take.'

Tory MP Andrew Murrison tweeted that Remain supporters were 'spinning' Jo Cox's killing, before deleting the post and urging both sides to put their cases 'squarely, honestly and decently'

Mr Cameron has also posted about a strongly pro-EU article Mrs Cox wrote days before her death, stating.

Alongside a link to the piece, Mr Cameron wrote: 'Jo Cox's strong voice in the campaign to remain in the EU will be badly missed.'

Brexit campaigners Michael Gove and Chris Grayling today joined condemnation of a poster unveiled by Ukip leader Nigel Farage, depicting a queue of migrants on the Slovenian border and the message 'Breaking point'.

Mr Gove said the image had made him shudder, but insisted it was right to raise other concerns about our inability to control our own borders.

At a rally in London today, Boris Johnson insisted voting to cut ties with Brussels would 'neutralise' extremists who scaremonger about immigration.

'I'm not only pro-immigration, I'm pro-immigrants,' the former London mayor said.

'And I am in favour of an amnesty of illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

'I'll tell you why. Because it is the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing to do.

'And it means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.

'If we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points based system, we'll be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world and we will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants.
Fires in Arizona, New Mexico and California have raged throughout the weekend, stoked by hot and dry climates

Performance charts for most modern aircraft have not been produced for air temperatures greater than 120F and so flights at Sky Harbor International airport would have to be suspended until the mercury fell

Phoenix could face airline and train delays, as well as, power failures and heat wave victims as temperatures soar

New Mexico, southern Nevada, Southern California and other parts of Arizona are expected to see temperatures as much as 20 degrees above average  up to 110 degrees

Triple-digit temperatures are nothing new for the U.S.'s deserts but the weather can cause cities to shut down

On Saturday, a 25-year-old Phoenix man also died of heat exposure while hiking in neighboring Pinal County

She had set out around 6 a.m., carrying water, but became exhausted about three hours later, then could not breathe

A 28-year-old woman died after she became unresponsive while mountain biking with friends in north Phoenix

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Four people have lost their lives as the southwestern United States bakes under some of the highest temperatures on record, close to 120 degrees.

A 28-year-old woman became unresponsive while mountain biking with friends in north Phoenix. She had set out with two friends around 6 a.m., carrying water, but became exhausted about three hours later, then could not breathe.

On Saturday, a 25-year-old Phoenix man died of heat exposure while hiking in neighboring Pinal County.

Later Sunday, two hikers, a man and a woman in their early 20s hiking in Pima County left the trail without taking along water and had to be rescued by helicopter, authorities said.

The woman died before deputies arrived, and the man was being treated at a hospital.

In a separate incident, one man died and another remained unaccounted for Sunday night after their hiking group was overcome in Ventana Canyon near Tucson.

'If we are going to 115 or 120, people need to realize they are really in a life-threatening situation if they don't wet themselves down and drink water,' Kevin Kalkbrenner, Phoenix's director of homeland security and emergency management, told ABC News.

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A Hotshots member from the U.S. Forest Department sets a back fire while battling the the so-called 'Sherpa Fire', which has grown to over 1100 acres overnight, in the hills near Goleta, California

An aerial fire boss flies a jet down a canyon, toward scorched terrain At the Sherpa Fire near Santa Barbara, California

Warning: The National Weather Service tweeted that the heatwave began on Sunday urging people to stay cool and keep hydrated

Red fire retardant dropped by aircraft covers thick chaparral brush as a scorched landscape smolders in the distance.The so-called Sherpa fire in the Los Padres National Forest is raging full speed, fanned by strong winds, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency

The fire is the tourist region's largest since 2009, a Santa Barbara spokeswoman said

Firefighters douse a fire under State Route 2 after a brush fire swept through threatening homes in Los Angeles on Sunday

Excessive heat warnings blanketed Southern California and Arizona, where temperatures soared into the triple digits Sunday and were expected to remain there until Monday, according to the National Weather Service. 'The interior areas will remain dangerously hot,' the NWS said.

At least five major wildfires across the desert Southwest are being tackled. A heatwave in Phoenix, Arizona, could see airplanes unable to take off and power grids strained or stalled as transmission lines struggle to keep the system cool.

Triple-digit temperatures are nothing new for the U.S.'s deserts, but the Arizona capital is coming painfully close to its all-time high record of 122 degrees.

The heat will remain constant in the West and expand into the middle of the country by midweek, said Reynolds Wolf, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel.

'It's like you take a salt shaker of madness and sprinkle it' over the western half of the country, Wolf said.

Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained the fire in the densely populated neighborhood along a freeway

Fire converts thick chaparral brush covered mountainsides to grey ash at the Sherpa Fire near Santa Barbara, CaliforniA

Members of the elite Dalton Hotshots crew drink at the end of a shift at the Sherpa Fire near Santa Barbara, California

Arizona (pictured) is struggling through near-record-breaking heat waves that have seen the capital city of Phoenix hitting triple-digit degrees

This year highs of 120 degrees and dry conditions have stoked massive fires that have burned 10,000 acres of land in Show Low, Arizona

Arizona's hottest day on record was in 1990 when temperatures hit 122 degrees, said Nancy Selover, and the weather this week could come close to breaking that record

COULD FLIGHTS FROM PHOENIX BE GROUNDED? On June 26, 1990 Phoenix Sky Harbor airport set a record with temperatures reaching 122F. At the time, airlines stopped taking off and landing for part of the day, because at the time they did not have aircraft performance charts for temperatures that high. Even today, performance charts for most modern aircraft have not been produced for air temperatures greater than 120F. If Phoenix were to post a temperature greater than 120F this week, takeoffs and landings would once again be suspended by Sky Harbor International Airport. Advertisement

Residents have been warned to watch for signs of heat stroke or illness, which include thirst, red skin, cramping, exhaustion and a lack of sweat, as the blazing temperatures climb.

One elderly woman has already succumb to the heat this month after exposure in her backyard, officials confirmed.

Last year, the summertime heat contributed to the death of 84 people in Arizona.

Hikers have been asked to be off of trails by noon and the Phoenix parks department has stationed extra rangers around the hiking areas.

Because excessive heat can throw off performance calculations, airlines will have to monitor temperatures to decide if they can safely take off.

Flights could be delayed until the weather cools down, but it is unclear what officials will decide.

Arizona's hottest day on record was in 1990 when temperatures hit 122 degrees, said Nancy Selover, state climatologist. ABC News reported.

At that time, airlines were forced to ground flights out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, she said.

Even though they're designed with heatwaves in mind, the Valley Metro Rail lines expand in the blisteringly hot weather and cotton crops beg for more water while state lakes and reservoirs begin evaporating.

Power companies must be vigilant to ensure outages are kept at bay and extra maintenance crews will be on duty.

In Arizona (pictured), more than 5,500 acres have burned and the community of Cedar Creek has been evacuated and thousands more have been told to prepare to leave

Residents have been warned to watch for signs of heat stroke or illness, which include thirst, red skin, cramping, exhaustion and a lack of sweat, as the blazing temperatures climb

However, it's people who will be the hardest to prepare as that is where the heat's biggest impact is felt.

Centers will be passing out cool water for anyone - especially the homeless - who passes their doors.

'We're a church so it's what God called us to do,' pastor Jerry Savocchio, whose church is one of 50 cooling stations in Maricopa County, told ABC News.

Pets can also be subjected to painful heat when they come in contact with the ground outdoors, which can reach surface temperatures of 150 to 170 degrees.

Glendale Fire Department firefighter Chris Greene, right, gets a case of water from service worker Edi Marroquin, left, from the dozens of cases of water at the Glendale Fire Department Resource Center as they prepare for the record-setting heat predicted for the weekend.

Glendale Fire Department firefighter Chris Greene carries a case of water as he walks past dozens of cases of water at the Glendale Fire Department Resource Center in preparation for expected record-setting heat.

The Sunday forecast (pictured) shows four states - Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada - topping out at triple-digit temperature highs

As temperatures in at least Texas and New Mexico drop back down into the double digits, Arizona and Nevada will stay stoked in the 100s

'If it's too hot to walk in your bare feet it's too hot to make your dog walk on it,' said Melissa Gable, spokeswoman for Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.

In three states, including Arizona, massive wildfires stoked by the heat have cause thousands to evacuate and damaged even more thousands of acres of land.

In Arizona, a fire near Show Low has grown to 10,000 acres and - like the Dog Head Fires in New Mexico - has caused evacuations. Thousands of residents in the area are in pre-evacuation mode.

Firefighters battle an expanding wildfire at the Sherpa Fire near Santa Barbara, California (pictured). A fire in the Los Padres National Forest had expanded to two square miles

Fires raging in California (pictured), New Mexico and Arizona have grown in size and burned thousands of acres of land

'Humidity values less than 15 per cent and dew points as low as the single digits will be present and persistent across a large portion of the Southwest through at least Sunday,' said meteorologist Jonathan Belles

So far only a dozen people have been forced to leave their homes.

In California, a fire spread by the 'Sundowner' winds has caused a massive 6,000 acre fire to spread in the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County.

Mandatory evacuations are in place and the state's main highway U.S. 101 had to be shut down for hours on Friday as firefighters battled the blaze.

A state of emergency has been declared in New Mexico as the 'Dog Head Fire' tripled in size to 17,000 acres on Saturday.

Manzano Mountains, south of Albuquerque, has had forced evacuations due to the growing blaze caused by wind and high temperatures.

In New Mexico 24 homes and 21 other minor structures have been destroyed.
The ashes of Australian man Rye Hunt have been returned home to Tasmania after he was cremated in Brazil.

The 25-year-old's body was found washed ashore at Marica near Rio de Janeiro on June 8 following a desperate search after his disappearance 18 days earlier.

Brazilian authorities believe Mr Hunt may have died from dehydration or drowning after attempting to swim while under the influence of recreational drugs.

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The ashes of Australian man Rye Hunt (pictured) have been returned home to Tasmania after he was cremated in Brazil

His uncle Michael Wholohan and girlfriend Bonnie Cuthbert arrived back in Hobart with his ashes on Sunday morning.

'The family spent the day with them debriefing and sharing memories of Rye,' his sister Romany Brodribb told AAP on Sunday.

'We are planning to hold a celebration of Rye's life on July 10 in Hobart for family and friends.'

Rye's sister, Romany Brodribb, opened up about losing her brother on Saturday just a week after giving birth to her son.

He is pictured here with his girlfriend Bonnie Cuthbert, who is expected to bring his remains home this week

Ms Brodribb gave birth to a baby boy a day after her brother's body was identified and named the child Edward James Rye saying that his birth was 'a little bit poetic, but sad at the same time.'

Brazilian authorities returned Mr Hunt's body to his heartbroken family who cremated him in a local funeral home in preparation to bring him back to Tasmania.

Ms Brodribb who always felt like Rye was 'her baby' told her family it was a 'little bit poetic' that her son was born at the time that he was, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

She said: 'I think we have lost an amazing, amazing special boy in our lives, and we have gained one as well.

'It is a little bit poetic, but sad at the same time as well.'

Rye Hunt's sister Romany Brodribb (pictured) has opened up about her relationship with her baby brother and spoken out about how 'poetic' it is that her son was born when he was

The mother-of-two told the newspaper that her brother would have been a doting uncle and said that little Edward 'looked a little like her brother'.

Next month the family are set to properly farewell Rye in a private service on July 10 for direct family and friends.

Relatives and people who are close to the family are flying in from all over Australia and New Zealand to say their goodbyes.

Ms Brodribb said that rather than it being a funeral it would be a 'celebration of life'.

On June 12 Ms Brodribb took to social media in memory of her 'baby brother', detailing her grief in a heartbreaking post.

Ms Brodribb posted a touching tribute to her 'baby brother' just a few days earlier alongside this photograph

'What's on my mind?...,' it began.

'I don't think I've begun to process the enormity of what life without my baby brother will be like.

'But I know that he was loved - by so many of us. And I know he would want his life to be celebrated,' Ms Brodribb wrote.

'Right now though... My heart feels fractured and my own words feel empty and insufficient.'

She then went on to quote a poem from W.H. Auden, alongside a photo of Mr Hunt with angel wings.

The day before the post it was confirmed that a body which washed up on a beach in Rio, near where the 25-year-old was last seen, belonged to Mr Hunt.

Brazilian police said it is suspected a psychotic episode had driven Mr Hunt into taking the fatal swim

Forensic investigators have now confirmed the Tasmanian electrician died during the drug-induced 800-metre swim from Cotunduba island (pictured)

Following the discovery of his body the Tasmanian man's partner and family released statements revealing their heartbreak.

'Rye was the youngest member of our family and was known for being loyal, loving, generous, cheeky, and as a brother totally infuriating!,' Ms Brodribb said at the weekend.

'Thinking about life without him is unfathomable.

'He will be very missed by all of us.'

Mr Hunt went missing on May 21 and was found washed up on a beach in Marcia, Rio Di Janeiro.
Imam Muhammad Ehsan Ullah sits down with pupils to discuss the teachings of the Koran and how ISIS has misinterpreted it

An Islamic school is giving students as young as 11 classes in order to help them recognise violent propaganda to prevent jihadists from grooming them online.

More than 600 students aged between 11 and 16 attend the Al-Hira Educational and Cultural Centre in Luton, Bedfordshire, each week for weekend and evening classes on the Koran.

The school syllabus promotes peace and now teaches children to recognise violent propaganda online and use the Koran to determine whether the message they are being told is false.

More than 600 students aged attend the Al-Hira Educational and Cultural Centre in Luton, Bedfordshire, each week for weekend and evening classes. Pictured: Imam Muhammad Ehsan Ullah

The town has seen a number of people leaving the UK in order to join ISIS and the lectures aim to teach students how ISIS is targeting young people like them on social media.

Last year a family of 12 left Luton to travel to Syria to join ISIS and just last month two men were convicted for plotting to join ISIS to kill US soldiers.

Imam Muhammad Ehsan Ullah sits down with pupils to discuss the teachings of the Koran and show them how ISIS has misinterpreted it.

He said: 'The premise is simple and I believe that there is an ideological war.

'As well as ISIS promoting their crimes they misuse the Koran. We want to teach the children the real message of the Koran and for their mind to be clear.

'If you ask any Muslim they would tell you that it's completely against Islam to kill any innocent person.

The school syllabus promotes peace and teaches children to recognise violent propaganda online and use the Koran to determine if the message is false

'No religion promotes hatred, they all promote peace.'

Al-Hira have been giving the anti-ISIS classes for the last eight months and they also teach manners and morals and social, economic and political studies..

Dawood Masood, senior manager of Al-Hira, added: 'We ask the students that if there is an Islamic State, what does it look like and what are the laws they should have?

'Part of that is that ISIS have hijacked the sacred name, and they are not what Islam is about.

'Islam does not talk about killing innocent people, it tells us to say 'peace be upon you' when we meet someone.

'Sometimes the national media does the marketing for them, and young people are exposed to that on Facebook and social media.

'We feel that it needs to be an open discussion with young people to ensure that they don't take the wrong interpretation from places online.

'It's teaching them what Islam is from the Koran. It's a way of life.

'It's a shame that we have to come forward again and again to say that what this lot are doing is not right.

'We live in an age where people expect that, but if it helps then that is something we have to do.'

Student Zeeshaan Shazad, 16, has attended Al-Hira for three years, he said: 'We are taught that ISIS do not consider other people's beliefs..

'We are taught to respect other people and that we are all one with peace and respect.

'They [ISIS] have quite a lot of videos promoting their activities with guns and violence that are seen by young people.

'I know a couple of people who have watched those videos and they are very persuasive.

'But they know that it is wrong and we have been taught to stay away from it.'
Attorney General Loretta Lynch says she has 'never' discussed the Justice Department's probe of Hillary Clinton's emails with President Barack Obama.

'We have never discussed the Clinton case,' she said today on Fox News Sunday. 'I have never spoken about it with the president or really any one at the White House.'

Lynch said, 'That's not the kind relationship that I have with people there, and it would be inappropriate to do so.'

Attorney General Loretta Lynch, pictured here last week at a summit at the White House, says she has 'never' discussed the Justice Department's probe of Hillary Clinton's emails with President Barack Obama

The White House routinely points to the independent nature of the Justice Department as the reason it cannot comment on ongoing criminal probes, including the the review of Clinton's email system.

Today Lynch affirmed that neither the president nor his advisers are pushing her to exonerate Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, for political purposes.

Lynch said the president did not discuss his endorsement of Clinton with her and asserted 'the investigation into the State Department email matter is going to be handled like any other matter.'

'I don't get involved in whom the president endorses, and I dont have comments...on any of the candidates,' the attorney general said.

Lynch serves at the pleasure of the president like the rest of his cabinet.

She said that has not affected her department's investigation into the security of the private server that Clinton kept in her basement.

Career lawyers and agents are assigned to that investigation, she said. 'And they will follow the facts and follow the evidence wherever it leads and come to a conclusion.'

Lynch likewise brushed off host Chris Wallace's suggestion that Obama's endorsement of Clinton is a conflict of interest.

'No this is not a conflict for me or for the department or for anyone,' she said. 'We will continue to do all of our work in the same way that we always have, with the interest of the american people first and foremost.'

Lynch serves at the pleasure of the president like the rest of his cabinet. She said that has not affected her department's investigation into the security of the private server that Clinton kept in her basement. Obama is seen here with Lynch on Tuesday at the Department of Treasury

The FBI has not filed its report on Clinton's email practices and and has not indicated when it will do so.

It's unlikely the probe will result in criminal charges for Clinton, who says she never sent nor received classified information through her personal email, and therefore did not break the law.

A State Department review of her emails did not contradict her statements, though many of the emails were retroactively classified or redacted before they were released to the public.

Obama endorsed Clinton for president a week and a half ago in a video shot inside the White House once she locked up the popular vote in the Democratic nomination.

'I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office. She's got the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done, Obama said. 'I'm with her. I am fired up and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary.'
The Trump supporter was ordered off the train and left to applause

One passenger told him 'In New York, we protect our own and we don't give a f*** what anyone looks like or who they love, or any of those things'

Racist man also ranted about immigrants and how Donald Trump is right'

He told 'terrorist foreigners' to 'go home and take their bombs with them'

A subway car full of New Yorkers leaped to the defense of two Muslim women being harassed by a racist Trump supporter.





Commuter Amaira Hasan was riding on the F train from Jamaica, Queens, to her job in Manhattan on Monday morning - the day after the Orlando massacre - when she says an man stepped onboard and began hurling abuse at two women wearing hijabs.





'This guy comes onto the packed train and is yelling as he got on about the 'two terrorist foreigners', telling them to get off the train,' she said in a Facebook post that has been shared 30,000 times.

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A subway car full of New Yorkers leaped to the defense of two Muslim women being harassed by a racist Trump supporter (pictured is a man believed to be the aggressive passenger)

'The man insisted that the two women "go back home and take their bombs with them."'

Hasan, who is also Muslim, said the women were understandably terrified by the verbal attack.

The 25-year-old said she stood to confront the bully, who she said was continuing to rant about illegal immigrants and how 'Donald Trump is right', when the whole carriage of passengers leaped to the defense of the women.

'A bunch of people began to yell, you need to get off this train,' she told Pix 11.

A passenger had then explained that New Yorkers would not put up with that kind of racist behavior.

'This is New York City. The most diverse place in the world. And in New York, we protect our own and we don't give a f*** what anyone looks like or who they love, or any of those things. It's time for you to leave these women alone, sir,' he told him, according to Hasan.

'I couldn't have said it better,' she added.

Commuter Amaira Hasan (left) was riding on the F train from Jamaica, Queens, to her job in Manhattan on Monday morning when she says an man (allegedly the man pictured on the right) stepped onboard and began hurling abuse at two women wearing hijabs

She says a Romanian man also confronted the aggressor, who who was on the train with his baby, asking if he should be forced to leave because he was also a 'foreigner'.

And gay man challenged the passenger whether he had a problem with the LGBT community as 'he seemed to have a problem with everyone else.'

Eventually the Trump supporter exited the subway - to the applause of everyone on board.

'This royal douche got off the train to the sound of cheering,' Hasan said.

Another passenger, Dino Vela, later posted a short video which purports to show the passenger attempting to defend himself, as he insisted that he would not be quiet because 'this is America.'

'My racist co-commuter this morning,' he wrote on Facebook. 'Generalized the entire subway car as foreigners.

'Asked people to go back to their countries. Had something to say something about illegal immigrants and their reliance on welfare.

Hasan (pictured) who is also Muslim, said the women were understandably terrified by the verbal attack

The 25-year-old said the whole carriage of passengers leaped to the defense of the women (pictured is the F train)

'It was beautiful to see that so many different denominations had a word for this insensitive and misinformed commuter. Don't tolerate hate!! #ftrain #racist #trumpsupporter #nyc #immigration #welfare #discrimination.'

Hasan said she previously wore a headscarf so is sadly all too aware of the negativity some Muslims can face.

She was particularly cautious of trouble on Monday following the worst mass shooting in recent times after Omar Mateen, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, shot dead 49 people at a gay club in Orlando on June 11.

Hasan warned that much of the rhetoric following the shooting was was 'erring on the side of nasty' but said that her heart had been warmed by the response of her fellow passengers.

'I say all this to say that in light of all the bad happening around us, remember that there's so much good and so much love.'

There are concerns after the Orlando shooting that hate crimes against Muslims could soar - after similar increases following San Bernardino and 9/11.
Charlie Sheen claims Donald Trump once tried to impress him with an improvised - and worthless - wedding gift.

The actor said Trump came up to him at a restaurant where he was having dinner with his then-wife Brooke Mueller and offered him fake jewelry as a present.

'I noticed Donald staring at my watch. He says, "I want to give you an early wedding gift from me and Melania,"' Sheen said during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show.

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During an appearance on the 'Graham Norton Show,' Charlie Sheen said Donald Trump once gifted him cuff links made out of cheap material

'He says, "These are platinum diamond Harry Winston," and he pulls off his cuff links and he gives them to me,' Sheen said of Trump

Sheen said an appraiser deemed the cuff links to be made out of 'cheap pewter and bad zirconias'

Trump's wife, Sheen added, was 'very sweet and very pretty but kinda just sits there.'

'Anywho, so he says, "These are platinum diamond Harry Winston," and he pulls off his cuff links and he gives them to me.'

Months later, when Sheen had the jewelry appraised, he said an expert found the cuff links to be utterly worthless.

'[The appraiser] took the loupe, spent about four seconds and kind of recoiled from it  much like people do from Trump,' Sheen said.

'She says, "In their finest moment, this is cheap pewter and bad zirconias." And they're stamped "Trump."'

Donald Trump was labeled a 'charlatan' by Charlie Sheen in a recent television interview. Pictured speaking in North Carolina last week

'I just thought, what does this really say about the man that he said, "Here's a great wedding gift," and it's just a bag of dog s**t?'

Sheen, who has been on a recent publicity blitz advocating for the use of condoms in light of his highly-publicized HIV infection, is a vocal opponent of Trump, even though he once petitioned to be the presumptive Republican nominee's running mate.

He branded him a 'charlatan' in the interview with Norton.
A mother-of-three is believed to have drowned while on a two-week holiday to a Spanish resort.

Jennifer McKenzie, from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, was in Santa Susanna in Spain's Costa Brava with her husband David and three children.

The 34-year-old is believed to have died on Wednesday after drowning.

Tributes poured in online from devastated family and friends.

Mother-of-three Jennifer McKenzie (pictured) is believed to have drowned while on a two-week holiday to a Spanish resort

Friend Magdalena Jozefowicz, who was on the same college course as Jennifer, told the Daily Record: 'It's terrible that this has happened.

'She was a fantastic person. She was always very helpful and smiling. I never saw her angry or upset once.'

She added: 'She was very good with children.

'And she was so very proud of her children.'

The mother is believed to have been a social sciences student at Fraserburgh's North East Scotland College campus and had planned a career in child care.

Another friend posted online: 'Jennifer Mckenzie, I cant put into words the grief i'm feeling. You have been taken from us too young and too soon. RIP my friend xxx'.

The mother is believed to have been a social sciences student at Fraserburgh's North East Scotland College

Santa Susanna in Costa Brava, Spain, where Jennifer was holidaying with her family before she drowned

And somebody else added: 'So sad thoughts are with her family.x'
Donald Trump opened the door to profiling as he talked about how the U.S. might prevent terror attacks from happening in the future.

'Well, I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country,' Trump told CBS' John Dickerson on Sunday's Face the Nation.

Trump talked terror one week to the day after 29-year-old Omar Mateen killed 49 people in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida  the nation's deadliest shooting in history.

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Donald Trump did the Sunday morning shows today and on Face the Nation talked terror with CBS' John Dickerson

Donald Trump said he'd be open to some sort of profiling as president, though was uncomfortable with the idea that a Muslim receiving extra scrutiny when buying a gun or ammunition

Trump, who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, found himself reluctant to say if a Muslim buying ammunition and weapons should get extra scrutiny, though was open to some degree of religious profiling.

'You know, I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to start using common sense and we have to use, you know, we have to use our heads,' Trump said.

'And other countries do it, and it's not the worst thing to do,' Trump continued, name-dropping, for one, Israel.

'I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to use common sense. We're not using common sense,' Trump added.

Trump talked about recent conversations he's had with the NRA.

The Republican slightly bucked the party line, which has essentially been to stand firm against any new gun control measures, and said shortly after Sunday's shooting that he was open to legislation that would ban gun purchases for those on the terror watch list.

'These are people that love their country incredibly and I don't think they get enough credit for it,' he said of the gun lobbying group's leadership.

'I'm talking to them about the whole concept of terror watch list,' the businessman continued. 'You know, should we take somebody directly off? If there is a terror watch list that if somebody's on, should they be allowed to buy a gun?'

The counter point has been that sometimes people end up on the list who don't belong on it,

'Now we understand there are problems with that because some people are on the terror watch list that shouldn't be on,' Trump explained.

'Maybe we can reverse it and we work very hard to find out, if they can't get a gun, we work hard and diligently to get them off the list if they indeed shouldn't be on the list,' he said.

'So, you know, I'm working with the NRA, we're discussing it,' Trump added. 'And again, the NRA has the best interest of our country, it just has the absolute best interest of our country. They want to make the best decision. These are great people and these are great Americans.'




Bill and Hillary are 'overjoyed' to be grandparents again

Said they were 'overwhelmed with gratitude and love',

Chelsea tweeted the news on Saturday morning, on Sunday she shared the first photo of Aidan on Twitter

The little boy, Chelsea's second child with husband Marc Mezvinsky, is named Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky

Hillary looked serious, had an aide carrying her $3,500 Ralph Lauren bag which was packed with files

Bill and Hillary Clinton met their grandson Aidan for the first time on Saturday then visited on Sunday

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Hillary Clinton visited her newborn grandson on Sunday - and brought an assistant to carry her bulging designer bags.

The aspiring president looked serious as she strolled into New York's $1,700-a-night Lenox Hill Hospital on Sunday morning wearing dark sunglasses and a cape-like black cloak.

Clutching a coffee, she was followed by an aide who was lugging Clinton's $3,500 Ralph Lauren calfskin handbag plus two other big bags.

Former president Bill held up the rear, beaming as he bounded into the Manhattan building wearing a pink shirt and carrying a canvas tote bag.

Chelsea Clinton gave birth to her second child with Marc Mezvinsky on Saturday morning, a boy named Aidan. Their daughter and first child Charlotte was born in September of 2014.

On Sunday, Chelsea tweeted the first photo of her and Marc gazing lovingly at Aidan. She added the caption: 'At 7:41 AM Saturday, our family and hearts expanded with Aidans arrival. We are blessed.'

Hillary Clinton then tweeted a photograph of her, Bill and Aidan.

And Bill tweeted a photo with Aidan and Marc in honor of Father's Day.

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Hillary Clinton visited her newborn grandson on Sunday - and brought an assistant to carry her bulging designer bags. The aspiring president walked out of New York's $1,700-a-night Lenox Hill Hospital on Sunday morning smiling and wearing dark sunglasses and a cape-like black cloak

Former president Bill Clinton held her by her hand as the two left the hospital after visiting their grandson. Bill and Hillary Clinton met their grandson Aidan for the first time on Saturday then visited on Sunday

After the Clintons left the hospital, they were spotted heading back to Chelsea's Manhattan apartment, a 5,000-square-foot dig close by at 21 E 26th St, where Jennifer Lopez owns a unit, which her and her husband purchased for $10.5 million in 2013

It appeared the two were walking separately back to Chelsea's apartment. Bill was all smiles strolling down the street with a bottle of water in his hand as Hillary stayed ahead with her designer bag in hand

First photo: Chelsea Clinton posted this photo of her and husband Marc Mezvinsky with their son Aidan on Sunday, writing: 'At 7:41 AM Saturday, our family and hearts expanded with Aidans arrival. We are blessed.'

Hillary Clinton posted this photo with the caption: 'What a joy being with our new grandson, Aidan. So grateful'

Bill tweeted: 'Aidan has made two dads very happy this Father's Day. Hillary and I are thrilled for Marc and Chelsea!'

Helping hand: Hillary Clinton looked serious in sunglasses holding only a coffee as her assistant carried her $3,500 Ralph Lauren handbag into Lenox Hill Hospital on Sunday morning to visit Chelsea and her son Aidan

Protected: The grandmother stood out from other families as she strode surrounded by Secret Service agents

Busy: It seems Hillary has plenty planned for her second visit to her grandson, with so many packed bags

Exclusive: The Clintons and their security did not face cameras as they headed into the $1,700-a-night building

Jolly: Former president Bill held up the rear of the visiting party on Sunday morning, beaming as he bounded into the Manhattan building wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans, a blazer, and carrying a canvas tote bag

Hillary's more serious appearance comes a day after she and Bill beamed at reporters following the announcement.

On Saturday, she offered a satisfied smile to the cameras outside the hospital.

Bill waved to well-wishers as they left the exclusive Manhattan hospital where they had met their grandson for the first time.

Surrounded by their Secret Service detail, the Clintons walked out of Lenox Hill Hospital in tandem early on Saturday evening, where daughter Chelsea had given birth to their first grandson, Aidan.

Appearing to be in fine spirits, the Clintons earlier issued a statement saying that they were 'overjoyed' to be grandparents again as Chelsea and her husband Marc declared themselves, 'overwhelmed with gratitude and love'.

The Lenox hospital is famed for its exlusive and elegant maternity suite.

A concierge can accommodate any whim the family has, and a 24-hour food service reportedly will whip up everything from lobster to cheesecake, delivered straight to the suites kitchen.

The cost per night is upwards of $2,000.

Chelsea isnt the only new celebrity mom to have stayed at Lenox Hills maternity ward dedicated solely to the rich and famous.

In January 2012, Beyonce and Jay-Z welcomed their daughter Blue Ivy on the same floor. The couple occupied a double room that has since become known informally as the Beyonce Suite.

And Simon Cowells girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, gave birth to their son, Eric, at the hospital in February

Earlier, the Clintons released a statement, saying they were 'overjoyed to be grandparents again'.

'We are all over the moon as Chelsea and Marc welcome Charlotte's little brother to the world and grateful for our many blessings,' Hillary and Bill said.

'Chelsea and Aidan are both doing well and enjoying this very special time together.'

Proud grandparents: Hillary and Bill Clinton leave the Lennox Hospital where their daughter Chelsea clinton just announced had her second baby in New York City

Second time around: Hillary Clinton is flanked by an agent of her Secret Service detail as she departs Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side of New York City

Pleased: Former President Bill Clinton prepares to get into his car and be driven away after seeing his daughter after she had given birth to her second child, a son

Chelsea Clinton (pictured earlier this month) has given birth to a baby boy named Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky

Clinton, who announced she was expecting in December, tweeted news of the birth on Saturday morning

Luxury: The Lenox hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan is where the city's rich and famous choose to give birth

Aidan is the second child for Chelsea, 36, and her husband Marc Mezvinsky. The couple's daughter Charlotte was born in September 2014

Chelsea, 36, announced in December 2015 that she was expecting her second child with hedge fund manager Marc.

'Next summer, Charlotte is going to be a big sister! Feeling very blessed & grateful this holiday season,' she tweeted, keeping the baby's gender under wraps.

Hillary Clinton often brings up her 20-month-old granddaughter, who was born in September 2014, on the campaign trail.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has said being a grandmother is like 'falling in love all over again'.

'It's transformational and until you did it, it is hard to know,' she continued. 'And it has for me been an absolutely life-changing experience.'

Hillary has said in the past she was curious to see how Charlotte would handle being a big sister.

'We are wondering how this very independent, very assertive little girl, Charlotte, how she's going to adjust to the new baby,' Clinton said during a campaign event earlier this month.

Both of Charlotte and Aidan's grandparents have deep political ties. Mezvinsky is the son of former US Rep Edward Mezvinsky and former US Rep Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky

Bill and Hillary were doting grandparents the minute Charlotte was born, pictured here leaving Lenox Hill Hospital with Chelsea and Marc after her birth

'That will be our next adventure,' Clinton said.

'We talk to her about it. She seems to be less interested in that than she does in Elmo and other games and toys.'

Chelsea and Mezvinsky, who wed in 2010, both appeared on stage with her mother earlier this month to celebrate her presumptive presidential nomination for the Democratic party.

Clinton said that night she wished her mother Dorothy Howell Rodham, who passed away in 2011, could be there that night to watch her make history.

'I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea could become and meet her beautiful granddaughter Charlotte,' Clinton added.

'I wish she could see her daughter become the Democratic Party's nominee.'

This is Chelsea Clinton's second child with hedge fund manager Marc Mezvinsky (pictured together with their 20-month-old daughter Charlotte)
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More than 50,000 visitors witnessed the prowess of the Royal Air Force with acrobatic displays by iconic aircraft old and new.

The RAF Cosford Air Show featured crowd favourites like the Spitfire, Hurricane and the Red Arrows as well as a flypast by a modern Typhoon fighter jet.

Bi-planes from the First World War were given equal showing to more modern aircraft like the troop-carrying Chinook helicopter and a colourful Jaguar jet which was one of a number of static displays.

Aircraft including from the U.S. and the Netherlands were also flown and displayed at the air show near Wolverhampton. A mighty American Boeing B-52 Stratofortress flew over the crowds as did a MiG-15UTI fighter from the Norwegian Historic Squad.

A British Army Apache attack helicopter was maneuvered by its skilled crew through a pyrotechnic demonstration at the sold-out show.

The University of Wolverhampton Race Team also showcased its Morgan Plus 4 Babydoll racing car, based on a 1950s design.

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Red Arrows in display with an RAF King Air trainer monoplane flying over the crowds at Cosford Airshow in the Midlands

Two of the 10 Red Arrows, which help 500 charities a year, are pictured here with the famous bright smoke at RAF Cosford Airshow

The Red Arrows are the public face of the Royal Air Force and are acknowledged as one of the worlds premier aerobatic teams

The Red Arrows have always flown whichever aircraft is in service as the Royal Air Forces advanced fast jet trainer; currently the BAE Systems Hawk T1

An Royal Air Force Typhoon, which are currently in service, is flown showing its agility and maneuverability at the show earlier today

Typhoons, also known as Eurofighters, were designed by British engineers alongside counterparts on the continent in the 1980s and 90s

The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight planes are also used at national events such as celebrating the Queen's birthday

A Spitfire and Hurricane from the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight wowed the crowds at the air show - 20,000 Spitfires and 14,000 Hurricanes were built during the Second World War

The Hawker Hurricane was a key RAF fighter during the Second World War and helped defeat Nazi Germany and its allies

Two triplanes from the Great War Display Team demonstrate how far aerospace engineering had developed in the early 20th century

Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c (yellow-coloured plane) was designed and built in 1912 at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough and was Britain's first-ever military aeroplane. It is pictured alongside a German Junker CL1 ground-attack aircraft

Two German Fokker Dr1 Triplanes, which were armed with two forward firing Spandau machine guns during the First World War, and the Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c

A Belgian Air Force Augusta 109, which is a lightweight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter, was flown at the show
Nineteen people working for the biggest donor to the Conservative Party have been arrested in France in connection with a multi-million pounds tax and money laundering scandal.

All are linked to Lycamobile, the multinational telecoms giant, which has given at least 2.2m to Prime Minister David Camerons party since 2011, including half-a-million last year alone.

Lycamobile also allowed Boris Johnson to use one of their call centres during his successful 2012 campaign to become Mayor of London.

Chairman of Lycamobile Subaskaran Allirajah, pictured in Canary Wharf, London

The telecoms giant Lycamobile has given at least 2.2m to Prime Minister David Camerons party since 2011, including half-a-million last year alone

Those arrested include Lycamobile director, Alain Jochimek, who is well known as a prominent Jewish community leader in France, where he runs Bnai Brith, the pro-Israel service organisation.

Bnai Briths British branch was highly critical of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as he dealt with an anti-Semitism crisis in his party last month.

Mr Jochimek appeared in a Paris criminal court on Friday, along with nine others who have been charged with a variety of offences related to financial fraud.

They specifically relate to alleged illicit transactions of 13 million pounds, but the French authorities believe the figure could be far higher.

It follows a an investigation by BuzzFeed that caught Lycamobile employing three cash couriers to drop rucksacks stuffed with hundreds of thousands of pounds twice a day at Post Offices scattered across London, according to the news site.

Bundles of cash were seized in raids on Lycamobiles Paris headquarters, and a series of residential and business addresses across the city, while the company s French bank accounts have since been frozen.

Lycamobiles Sri Lankan-born owner, Subaskaran Allirajah, is a member of the exclusive Leaders Group for top Tory donors.

He has dined with Mr Cameron or members of his cabinet twice in the past six months, and is also close to Mr Johnson, after bankrolling his campaign.

The owner of Lycamobile has dined with David Cameron in the past six months, and is also close to Boris Johnson, after bankrolling his campaign

None of those involved admit any wrongdoing, with Lycamobile previously claiming that the filmed cash drops were just day to day banking.

But according to Buzzfeed investigators the French authorities have identified money coming from shell companies suspected of acting as fronts for various networks laundering profits from crime.

Buzzfeed probed 19 companies that allegedly funnelled tens of millions of euros into Lycamobiles French accounts.

All but one was registered at PO boxes, vacant offices, derelict buildings, or a construction site. David Cameron pledged to crack down on money laundering and offshore tax avoidance at the global anti-corruption summit in London last month.

He said he wanted to send a clear message to the corrupt that there is no home for them here.

According to the Buzzfeed investigation, Lycamobile is selling its prepaid calling cards on the black market in Paris for cash, and is then using a a vast system of false billing to invoice fake companies for the sales in order to conceal other illicit payments.

Lycamobiles own auditors declared over the past two years that they could not account for total of 646 million that moved through 10 companies in its complex corporate network.

Lycamobile is the worlds largest mobile virtual network operator, buying international airtime in bulk and selling it to millions of customers around the world on relatively cheap prepaid calling cards.

It has reported an annual turnover of 1.5 billion pounds, while legally avoiding corporation tax in the UK and Ireland by moving its money to the tax haven of Madeira.

Following the original Buzzfeed enquiry, the Labour Party wrote to the Conservatives demanding that the party freeze all donations from Lycamobile pending further investigations, but the letter was ignored.

The French enquiry, which opened in January, is being coordinated by prosecutors at the Parquet National Financier (PNF) A spokesman for the PNF said: On Wednesday and Thursday, 19 people suspected of being involved in a money-laundering system implicating Lycamobile and Lycamobile Services were arrested.

The arrests were part of a Paris judicial investigation into money laundering and VAT fraud. Several places in Paris and its outskirts were raided and police seized about 130,000 euros in cash and 850,000 euros from bank accounts.

Nine people were brought in front of a judge on Friday and charged with money laundering among other things, and eight were released on bail while one man was remanded in custody.

'The charges relate to money laundering of at least 17 million euros and VAT fraud of several million euros.
American treasure hunters are risking a deep-sea battle over plans to recover 12billion in Spanish booty that was sunk off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago, it has been reported.

The San Jose, a 60-gun, three-masted galleon of the Spanish Navy, was carrying gold, silver and precious jewels back to Spain when it was attacked by the British Royal Navy in 1708.

The ship sunk to the watery depths of the Caribbean Sea near the Colombian port city of Cartagena, where it lay until it was found in the 1980s.

However there is an ongoing dispute between Washington-based salvage firm Sea Search Armada (SSA) and the Colombian government over who is entitled to its multi-billion pound cargo.

Dramatic battle: The San Jose, pictured on fire during a battle with the British Royal Navy in 1708. The Spanish galleon sunk to the depths of the Caribbean Sea, where it lay undiscovered for nearly 300 years

Hidden treasure: The Colombian government released these images showing the loot of the San Jose buried beneath the seabed. The haul of gold, silver and precious jewels is said to be worth as much as 12billion

SSA has announced plans to continue with plans to recover the ship despite threats by the Colombian government to use 'armed forces' to halt the mission, according to the Sunday Times.

The San Jose was transporting six years' worth of treasure from the Americas, reportedly to help fund its war of succession against Britain. It was tracked down by English Commodore Charles Wager, who planned to take control of the Spanish ship's crew and cargo.

But before the treasure-laden ship could be captured, it was blown up. Most of the 600 Spanish sailors on board perished when the vessel sank.

The San Jose gained the reputation of the 'holy grail' of shipwrecks, with one of the most valuable hauls ever to be lost at sea.

According to US court papers, the coins and bullion on board are estimated to be worth between 2.8billion ($4billion) and 11.8billion ($17billion).

The SSA claims that it discovered the wreck in 1982 after an extensive search of the seabed. It agreed to pass on details of the location of the ship to the Colombian government in 1984, on the understanding that it would be entitled to 35 per cent of the property salvaged from the San Jose.

Lost at sea: A map showing the approximate location for the San Jose, known as the 'holy grail' of shipwrecks

Multi-billion pound haul: Colombian pictures show the treasures lying at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea

Contested finding: A US salvage firm claims it is entitled to 50 per cent of the treasure, pictured above

However the Colombian Parliament soon passed a law giving Colombia all rights to treasure from the site, paying the SSA only a 5 per cent of the total value as a finder's fee.

This was challenged by the SSA, who claimed Colombia had breached their agreement. In 2007, the Supreme Court of Colombia eventually ruled the SSA should be entitled to 50 per cent of the riches.

According to the Sunday Times, this has been ignored by the Colombian government, who last December announced it had found the wreckage at a different location to the one provided by the SSA. The salvage firm said the discrepancy was due to a change in tracking technology.

Celebrating the discovery, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said the country would build a 'great museum' displaying the treasures, hailing it as 'one of the greatest - if not the biggest - discoveries of submerged patrimony in the history of mankind'.

The SSA told the Sunday Times that it is still planning a voyage to recover the wreck by the end of 2018, even if it means risking a deep-sea battle.

The salvage firm claims it was sent a letter from the Colombian government in 2010, warning: 'The National Armed Forces will prevent the realisation of unauthorised activities in jurisdictional maritime areas.'

Jack Harbeston, managing director of SSA, told the newspaper: 'We will be in a US-flagged vessel, so if they fire on that vessel it's an act of war against the United States.'
Sen. Marco Rubio has decided to run for re-election and will jump into the U.S. Senate race next week, Republican sources told CNN Sunday.

The network's John King reported that 'barring some unexpected last-minute glitch' Rubio was set to enter the race, a reversal from his original plan to return to the private sector when his term ended in January after bowing out of the presidential race in mid-March.

The CNN report said that Rubio was telling his top supporters that he had changed his mind.

On Friday, Republican representative David Jolly announced that he was getting out of the Senate race to succeed Rubio and would instead run to keep his own House seat, clearing the way for the incumbent's own run.

Sen. Marco Rubio will indeed run for re-election, CNN reported Sunday, adding that the former GOP presidential hopeful is starting to let top supporters know the news

David Jolly, who decided to run for his House seat instead of for the Senate, told CNN Marco Rubio is saying he's 'getting in,' but Rubio's spokesman later walked back the comment

'Today I'm asking you for the opportunity to keep doing my job,' Jolly wrote supporters in an email Friday.

'I ask for your support in seeking reelection to the House of Representatives.'

Jolly appeared on CNN Friday morning, and hinted that Rubio was jumping back in the race, after saying he wouldn't seek reelection during his failed presidential run.

'Marco saying he is getting in,' Jolly said in a segment where he talked about his own political plans.

Minutes later, an aide walked back the statement and said Jolly has 'no actual knowledge of a Rubio decision.'

Rubio on Wednesday confirmed to Capitol reporters a report in Politico that another GOP candidate, his friend Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, had told Rubio he should reconsider his own decision not to run.

'The report earlier is accurate,' Rubio said. 'Carlos and I had a conversation on Sunday in Orlando before I left. Obviously, I take very seriously everything that's going on, not just in Orlando but in our country. I've enjoyed my service here a lot.'

'So I'll go home later this week and I'll have some time with my family,' Rubio said. 'If there's a change in our status, I'll be sure to let everyone know.'

Politico reported that Lopez-Cantera spoke to Rubio inside Rubio's pickup truck after appearing Sunday at the site of the Pulse nightclub killings in Orlando.

'You should reconsider running for your seat,' Lopez-Cantera said he told Rubio.

'I don't want you to feel like you have to say that because of outside pressure,' Rubio responded, according to his pal.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is among other GOP power-brokers urging Rubio to reconsider his decision.

'We hope our candidate will end up being Marco Rubio,' McConnell told the Huffington Post Tuesday.

Rubio would likely face off against a well-funded Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, though Murphy must overcome liberal firebrand Rep. Alan Grayson in the Democratic primary in August first.

Murphy previewed what a Senate race against Rubio might look like, referring to the Republican as the 'most homophobic' lawmaker in Congress' upper chamber.

Murphy had been asked whether Rubio was using Sunday's terror attack in Orlando as an excuse to run for his seat again.

'That's up to the voters,' Murphy said, according to the Tampa Bay Times, before adding that many people in the LGBT community had reached out to the Democratic lawmaker to admonish Rubio for his change of heart.

'Many of which are actually Republican, right now calling me and saying, "this is atrocious, this is despicable" that a senator who is one of the most homophobic senators in this country, someone who voted to keep this terrorist gun loophole open, who has a 100 percent voting record with the NRA,' Murphy began.

'And now all of a sudden is going to use this horrific mass shooting, this act of terrorism, this hate crime to decide to run for the U.S. Senate?' the Democrat added.

Pickup line: Florida lieutenant govenor Carlos Lopez-Cantera told Rubio 'You should reconsider running for your seat' while seated in Rubio's truck Sunday night

The two friends spoke about their political future inside Rubio's pickup truck

Sen. Marco Rubio's friend Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is telling Rubio he should run for reelection if he wants to

On Monday, Rubio reflected on the pull of public service when discussing the Orlando massacre.
It is his last Father's Day in the White House.

So President Obama is killing two birds with one stone, taking his daughters and wife on a work trip to the sun-soaked West Coast.

He was the special guest at the centennial of the National Park Service in New Mexico on Friday.

And on Saturday, the family sidled over to the breathtaking landscape of Yosemite to celebrate together.

First Lady Michelle Obama posted a photograph on Instagram on Sunday of Barack, Sasha and Malia dressed in casual clothing in front of the Yosemite Falls.

The president, wearing a casual shirt and jeans, beams as he wraps his arms around his girls.

He marked the occasion with his own tweet, posting a throwback picture of him with Sasha and Malia on a sofa, plus the caption: 'Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.'

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The President and his family boarded Air Force One to return to Washington, DC on Sunday after visiting Yosemite National Park

The four Obamas visited two national parks this Father's Day weekend, celebrating the beauty of America's sites as the national parks system nears its 100th birthday

President Obama, his wife and his two daughters left Yosemite National Park on Sunday via helicopter (pictured) and later went to board Air Force One after a Father's Day hike

The President and his family boarded Marine One (pictured) accompanied by a Secret Service agent as their weekend getaway neared its end on Sunday

Michelle Obama and her husband (pictured) followed their two daughters to board the Marine One helicopter in a meadow at Yosemite National Park as they prepared to leave the site

The family exited Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, upon returning from their weekend getaway in New Mexico and California

President Obama, his wife and their two daughters were photographed arriving to the White House Sunday night after returning from Yosemite National Park

Happy Father's Day! First Lady Michelle Obama posted a photograph on Instagram on Sunday (pictured) of Barack, Sasha and Malia dressed in casual clothing in front of the Yosemite Falls

The president marked the occasion with his own tweet, posting a throwback picture of him with Sasha and Malia on a sofa, plus the caption: 'Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there'

Obama can't help but laugh as a group of fourth graders from San Francisco join forces to try and help him get up after snapping a photo together

Obama told the schoolchildren to 'say cheese' and 'say national parks' during the cute photo op

Obama and the First Lady were up early Saturday morning to meet with the fourth graders as part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative at the California landmark

The President's motorcade (pictured) took him to a recreation center Sunday morning for a gym workout at Yosemite National Park in California

Tourists lined up the road (pictured) while Obama and his family took a hike nearby in Yosemite National Park on Sunday as part of their weekend trip

Obama and his family touched down at the park on Friday night after visiting the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.

They were up early Saturday morning to meet with the fourth graders as part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative at the California landmark.

The White House youth initiative gives every fourth grade student across the country free access to America's public parks, forests and wildlife refuges for the 2015-2016 school year.

Michelle greeted the children by asking them if they knew how to scare bears away.

As the kids all began to scream, the president remarked: 'Oh, I would get out of here!'

The president then talked to the group of youngsters about the initiative before personally handing out free national park passes, according to the Fresno Bee.

Obama told the children about the very first time he saw moose and deer in a national park when he was 11 years old.

'That changes you. You're not the same after that,' he told the group.

'We've got kids all across this country who never see a park. We've got to change that.'

'We want to make sure that you and kids all around the country get a chance to use the national parks more often.'

The First Couple then got on the children's level, literally, and sat down on the ground for a photo op as Obama instructed them: 'Everybody say cheese. Everybody say national parks.'

He then asked the children to say happy birthday in honor of one of the girl's in the group.

Michelle greeted the children by asking them if they knew how to scare bears away. As the kids all began to scream, the president remarked: 'Oh, I would get out of here!'

Obama told the children about the very first time he saw moose and deer in a national park when he was 11 years old and how it 'changed' him

Obama personally handed out free national park passes to the youngsters after his talk

'Who is going to help me up now?' he asked after the photo was taken.

Yosemite Falls, one of the world's tallest waterfalls as 2,425 feet, served as a stunning backdrop as Obama gave a speech about climate change on Saturday afternoon.

'Make no mistake. Climate change is no longer just a threat. It's already a reality,' the president warned the crowd.

'Rising temperatures could mean no more glaciers at Glacier National Park. No more Joshua trees at Joshua Tree National Park,' he said, adding that a changing climate could destroy vital ecosystems in the Everglades and threaten landmarks like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Obama said global warming was already affecting the very land they were standing on, noting how rising temperatures were causing Yosemite's meadows to dry out.

'We have more work to do to preserve our lands and culture and our history,' he said. We're not done yet.'

The weekend getaway has also given Obama the opportunity to recap his record on preserving open spaces and promote administration initiatives aimed at boosting tourism at the more than 400 national and other parks, monuments, battlefields and other sites in the National Park System.

Officials say there's an economic case for supporting the sites: They sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs while visitors pump billions of dollars into surrounding economies.

Yosemite Falls, one of the world's tallest waterfalls as 2,425 feet, served as a stunning backdrop as Obama gave a speech about climate change on Saturday afternoon

Obama said global warming was already affecting the very land they were standing on, noting how rising temperatures were causing Yosemite's meadows to dry out

The First Family touched down at Yosemite on Friday night during the Father's Day weekend getaway

The first stop of their family vacation was in Roswell, New Mexico (pictured)

The Interior Department said in a report Friday that more than 305 million people visited national parks last year. They spent $16.9billion in nearby communities.

'I want to make sure that the American people are able to enjoy the incredible national parks, the incredible beauty, the mountains, the oceans that have been one of the greatest gifts that we've ever received,' Obama said in a Facebook video about the trip.

'And I want to make sure that the whole world is able to pass on to future generations the God-given beauty of this planet.'

Obama has protected more than 265 million acres of public lands and waters from development, more than any other president, the White House said.

Environmental and advocacy groups applaud what Obama has done so far, but have been urging him to exercise his authority under a 1906 law to put even more public spaces off limits before his term ends in January.

Some members of Congress accuse Obama of overreach every time he uses that authority to create a national monument without their input.

Congressional objections aside, Obama will use the postcard-perfect scenery at both of the parks he's visiting with his family after a difficult week

Obama was most recently in Orlando to mourn the deaths of the 49 people shot at gay nightclub Pulse last Sunday, the worst mass shooting in the history of the country.

The family stared in amazement while a member of a National Park Service gave them a tour of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico on Friday

Carlsbad Carverns (pictured) has more than 119 caves, which were formed when sulfuric acid ate through the surrounding limestone
For decades, British troops taken prisoner have been under orders to resist providing information to their captors, even under the most grim and painful torture.

But the traditional approach of giving just their rank, full name, date of birth and serial number - enshrined in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 - is on its way out, it has been claimed.

Although the Ministry of Defence maintains its policy has not changed, a traffic light system is said to have been adopted by many commanders, under which troops are being trained to take a slow release approach to handing over information.

British troops taken prisoner by the enemy have reportedly been told they can give up sensitive information if they are captured and tortured

Hostages who could be captured by groups such as Islamic State or al-Qaeda, should first start with green level information, the least sensitive, before moving up through amber to red, the most classified, The Sunday Times has reported.

Green intelligence can be released by prisoners of war early in the interrogation process while amber and red should be stalled for as long as possible, troops are told.

Major Charles Heyman, who served in the British Army for more than 20 years, said last night that the policy, taught to troops on the ground was sensible adding: You hold out for as long as you can but you know full well in the end that you are going to say something.

Mr Heyman, author of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom handbook added that it was widely accepted that if a person was captured they would probably only be able to withhold information for an hour or two.

He added: I was taught as well that you should try desperately, no matter how much youre tortured, to give away no really important information for about 48 hours.

If youre going to be tortured you must never tell a lie because if they find you out on a lie they may just kill you straight away.'

Mr Heyman said that although the policy was not laid out in black and white in army handbooks, it was well known unofficially.

He added: I never saw that published anywhere or written down anywhere but it was certainly taught.

I was taught on an escape and evasion course that that was what I had to do but I never saw it written down in a handbook.

Resistance to interrogation training is reportedly given to special forces, pilots and those who are mostly likely to be captured.

It is believed that hostages who could be captured by groups such as Islamic State, pictured, or al-Qaeda, should first start with green level information, the least sensitive, before moving up through amber to red, the most classified

According to the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war should only disclose their name, rank and date of birth.

The convention reads: No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever.

Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind.

Guidance from the Ministry of Defence adds: You do not have to do any work of a humiliating, dangerous or military nature for your captors.

But the principles laid out by the conventions are not followed by non-state terror groups such as IS.

A source told The Sunday Times: We are fighting people who dont care about the Geneva Conventions. Torture will often be their first weapon of choice during an interrogation.

Last night, the Ministry of Defence said its official guidance to troops had not changed.
David Cameron was hammered by voters over his failure to tackle immigration last night as he pleaded with them not to sacrifice the economy by leaving the EU.

The Prime Minister was told by one woman that public services were at risk of being 'flooded' by levels of inflows, while a man compared him to Neville Chamberlain for appeasing other EU leaders during his renegotiation bid.

He was also accused of 'shameful' scaremongering during the referendum campaign - and refused three times to say that he would deploy Britain's veto to prevent Turkey joining the EU.

But Mr Cameron insisted there was no 'silver bullet' to bring down numbers and cutting ties with Brussels would severely damage UK plc.

The brutal exchanges came as he appeared in his last big television set-piece before the nation goes to the polls on Thursday.

David Cameron was involved in the brutal exchanges came as he appeared on a BBC Question Time special with just days to go until the nation goes to the polls

During the 45-minute BBC Question Time special, which took place as campaigning resumed after being put on hold in the aftermath of the fatal attack on pro-EU MP Jo Cox, Mr Cameron:

Lashed out at Nigel Farage over a controversial poster depicting a stream of migrants, saying that politicians should be respecting Mrs Cox's 'values' of tolerance

Struggled to explain why leaving the EU was not a 'silver bullet' to meet his target of slashing near-record migration levels

Was mocked by the audience for behaving like complacent pre-war PM Neville Chamberlain by appeasing EU leaders during his membership renegotiation bid

Had to fend off accusations of 'shameful' examples of 'scaremongering' over terrorism and the economy during the campaign

Repeatedly refused to say he would use the UK's veto to block Turkey from joining the EU, merely arguing that it was 'not going to happen'

A string of polls have shown a surge for the pro-EU camp over recent days.

Research by Survation for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead on 45 per cent to 42 per cent - reversing the firm's findings from Thursday.

Another showed the two sides are level while a third has voters saying they are more enthusiastic about leaving the EU than staying.

Pollsters have suggested that the apparent boost for Remain is down to undecided voters plumping for the status quo as the crucial ballot looms.

But there has also been some criticism that pro-EU campaigners are trying to make capital out of the killing of Mrs Cox.

One audience member warned the PM that immigration was threatening to 'flood' public services

Mr Cameron - who today used his Twitter feed to highlight a article praising ties with Brussels that was written by Mrs Cox days before her death - urged voters to defend her 'values'.

'First of all let me say how shocked I think the whole country's been by this appalling murder,' he said.

'Two children have lost their mother and a loving husband has lost his wife and my heart breaks when I think of them and what they're going through.

'I think the most important thing for the politicians is to remember what she was all about, which was service, community, tolerance  these are values we should all try to live by and promote in order to remember her.

'I don't think we know why exactly this happened or what the motivation was or the rest of it and we have to wait until the police investigation until we do that.

'But I think what we do know is wherever we see intolerance, hatred, division, we should try to drive it out of our communities, out of our public life and we have to be careful that debates  yes they can be passionate  but we have to make sure they're not based on those things.'

One man took Mr Cameron to task over the way he had 'appeased' fellow EU leaders during his renegotiation

David Cameron was hammered by voters over his failure to tackle immigration last night as he pleaded with them not to sacrifice the economy by leaving the EU

David Dimbleby was chairing the BBC referendum programme with Mr Cameron last night

Mr Cameron took the opportunity to hit out at Nigel Farage over his controversial poster depicting male Syrian refugees on the Slovenian border amid the refugee crisis last October.

The Ukip leader today dismissed criticism of the poster, which has come from both sides of the debate, and insisted it had only triggered such a 'row' because of Mrs Cox's death.

But Mr Cameron said: 'To be frank I think there have been some moments like the Nigel Farage poster which I think are just wrong  wrong in fact because it's a picture of people in the European continent from Syria and elsewhere, they're not coming to Britain.

'But actually wrong in motivation because it's an attempt to frighten people, to scare them, to divide people.'

The Prime Minister dismissed claims his own campaign had been scaremongering and 'sour'.

'I would say that there's nothing more positive than trying to have a growing economy and having jobs and opportunities which is what the case for remain is all about,' he said.

Audience members berated Mr Cameron for the way the campaign had been conducted, with one woman saying 'both sides' should be 'ashamed of how they behaved'.

He was also mauled over his failure to tackle immigration - with net numbers currently running at a near-record 333,000 a year including 184,000 from the EU.

The Prime Minister was told that public services were at risk of being 'flooded' by levels of inflows, while audience members laughed at his claims that other EU states could be trusted not to renege on commitments to reform

Mr Cameron, who had pledged to cut net migration to the 'tens of thousands' before entering Downing Street, was challenged by a young woman in the audience who told him: 'I think that it's an only logical thing to understand that if we have absolutely no limitations on immigration from the EU that people are obviously going to immigrate over here.

DIMBLEBY GAFFE: BROADCASTER SHOCKS VIEWERS BY INTRODUCING FIRST QUESTION FROM 'JO COX' David Dimbleby shocked viewers with his gaffe on Question Time last night David Dimbleby shocked the Question Time audience after mistakenly saying the first question of the debate came from an audience member called 'Jo Cox'. The veteran presenter immediately apologised for the 'terrible' gaffe' and called the correct audience member, who asked David Cameron about the late Labour MP tragically killed on Thursday. Introducing the opening question, Mr Dimbleby said: 'Right Prime Minister, our first question comes from Jo Cox please, oh sorry, Adam Bardy, what a terrible thing to say.' After the broadcaster's embarrassing gaffe, Mr Bardy asked: 'Has this referendum soured the political debate in this country in the light of the murder of Jo Cox?' Mr Dimbleby received sympathy from TV viewers on Twitter, however, with David Bulls saying he must be 'mortified for that slip about Jo Cox'. Advertisement

'We've got our public sector, we've got NHS that's under tremendous strain at the moment  you're not doing anything to invest any kind of thing into them to make them any stronger or better - knowing full well that if we don't put a limit on this immigration - and the only way to do that is to leave the single market - then everything is just going to get flooded.

'You're not doing anything to counterbalance all the immigration coming into these services.'

The Prime Minister replied by insisting the only way of sustaining funding on the NHS was to have a strong economy by staying in the EU.

Pointing out the views of professional bodies in the NHS, Mr Cameron said: 'What I'd say is, let's take the health service. What I'd say is that we are putting more money into the NHS.

'Now we can argue we should put even more in, let's work how to get the growth in our economy into the NHS.

'But when you listen to the people in the NHS  the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Physicians, the guy Simon Stephens who runs the NHS, the trade unions who work in the NHS  they all want us to remain in a reformed European Union because they think that's better for the NHS because a bigger economy, a better economy, a stronger economy is always better for our NHS.'

However he was interrupted by the audience member, who shot back: 'But you keep saying this reformed European Union that we are part of. Yes, fair enough you've negotiated some changes that you say 'oh it's going to make a massive difference to the immigration'.

'But realistically it's not, it's not going to make a massive difference to the levels of immigration, especially considering we have other countries that are about to join the European Union.'

She said she wants to leave the single market and 'negotiate our trade worldwide'.

'You are not doing anything to counterbalance all the immigration coming into those services,' he said.

But Mr Cameron said: 'It is really worth leaving the single market damaging our economy to make progress with this issue. There is no silver bullet on this issue. There is no simple way.'

Mr Cameron was roundly mocked by Twitter users during his performance. After the PM assured the audience that he would not be in Downing Street in 30 years, one wag joked that he would not last 30 days

Challenged by presenter David Dimbleby that leaving the EU would in fact be a 'silver bullet', the premier insisted it would not be that simple.

'I am explaining why it has been a difficult thing to do,' he said.

Mr Cameron was also taken to task over his previous claim that Isis terrorists want Britain to quit the EU.

PM LASHES FARAGE OVER 'WRONG' IMMIGRATION POSTER AND URGES MPs TO UNITE AFTER JO COX DEATH David Cameron took the opportunity to hit out at Nigel Farage over his controversial poster depicting male Syrian refugees on the Slovenian border amid the refugee crisis last October David Cameron lashed out at Nigel Farage for trying to 'frighten' voters with his controversial immigration posters as he appealed for politicians to shun hatred in respect of the late Labour MP Jo Cox. The Prime Minister was asked whether the bitter EU referendum campaign had helped create a 'sour' and divided political atmosphere in the light of Mrs Cox's death. He singled out the Ukip leader for his 'wrong' poster published last week that told voters the EU was at 'breaking point' alongside a picture of male Syrian refugees walking along the Slovenian border during the migrant crisis last October. He said politicians should instead be reminding voters 'what she [Jo Cox] was all about, which was service, community, tolerance,' adding: 'These are values we should all try to live by and promote in order to remember her. 'I think what we do know is wherever we see intolerance, hatred, division, we should try to drive it out of our communities, out of our public life and we have to be careful that debates  yes they can be passionate  but we have to make sure they're not based on those things.' Asked to give an example of the type of 'sour' strategies that had helped sew division in society, Mr Cameron took the opportunity to hit out at Mr Farage and was careful to stay away from more blue-on-blue attacks. He said: 'To be frank I think there have been some moments like the Nigel Farage poster which I think are just wrong  wrong in fact because it's a picture of people in the European continent from Syria and elsewhere, they're not coming to Britain. 'But actually wrong in motivation because it's an attempt to frighten people, to scare them, to divide people.' Advertisement

'I think the terrorists that want to do us harm want the West to be divided,' the premier said. 'They don't want Britain and France and Belgium and Germany to work together to defeat terrorism. They'd like to see us separate from each other.'

But one member of the audience in Milton Keynes asked him: 'Do you think by comparing the EU referendum to Isis, you are merely scaremongering rather than portraying the facts?'

Told that he should feel 'ashamed', Mr Cameron responded: 'I certainly wasn't comparing the referendum to Isis or Daesh, I was saying that I think one of the strongest arguments for remaining in the EU is that we are stronger together, we are safer together.

'We do face a dangerous and insecure world. I've been your Prime Minister for the last six years and I sit in those meetings, and I see that we work together to try to face down these threats and I think we will be stronger if we work together.

'Working together against terrorism, working together against (Vladimir) Putin and his aggression in Europe, it must be better to try and stay together to work together, rather than to be separate.'

At one point a man in the audience attacked Mr Cameron over his EU membership renegotiation.

Comparing him to Tory predecessor Neville Chamberlain - who famously returned from talks with Hitler waving a 'piece of paper' committing to peace - the man said: Mr Cameron, you say that your policy that youve negotiated with Europe cannot be overruled  it can.

'So are you really a 21st century Neville Chamberlain waving a piece of paper in the air saying to the public this is what I have, I have this promise where a dictatorship in Europe can overrule it?'

Mr Cameron responded: 'What I say is that the other 27 prime ministers and presidents have agreed it and they know if Britain votes to remain they will implement it.'

Pressing on despite loud laughter from the crowd, the premier said: 'This is not some empire and dictatorship.

'We are proving through this referendum that if Britain wants to leave this organisation we can, we are a sovereign country, we choose to join Nato or we chose to join the EU

'And if we choose to leave we leave, but lets be clear if we do leave  thats it.

'Were walking out the door, were quitting were giving up on this organisation, which even if we leave will have a huge effect on our lives, on our children, on our opportunities and on our businesses.

'And I dont think Britain at the end is a quitter, I think we should stay and fight  thats what we should do.'

Mr Cameron invoked the memory of Winston Churchill, saying: 'He didnt quit, he didnt quit on Europe, he didnt quit on European democracy, he didnt quit on European freedom.'

The Tory leader refused to say that he would deploy Britain's veto to prevent Turkey joining the EU.

David Cameron - who today used his Twitter feed to highlight a article praising ties with Brussels that was written by Mrs Cox days before her death - said: 'First of all let me say how shocked I think the whole country's been by this appalling murder

He insisted the issue of Turkey joining the EU was a 'red herring' because it wouldn't crop up for another three decades 'when I'm not going to be Prime Minister'.

But Question Time presenter David Dimbleby pressed him on why he couldn't 'stop the discussion' over Turkey by telling the world: 'I veto this'.

Mr Cameron replied: 'If this was going to happen in the next couple of years I would not support it, but it's not going to. This is about 30, 40 years' time.'

He was repeatedly challenged over whether he would quit as PM if he lost the referendum on June 23, and whether he would call a snap general election.

But he insisted he would stay on and stressed that the Tory general election manifesto last year had included a commitment to hold a national vote on EU membership.

Earlier, Tory ex-defence minister Andrew Murrison complained that pro-EU figures may be exploiting the tragedy to bolster support for ties with Brussels.

'Remain side spinning Jo Cox murder for partisan advantage in #EUReferendum shameful,' he wrote on Twitter.

Within hours the MP had deleted the post and replaced it with one that said: 'Can both sides in this horrible #EUReferendum campaign & the press use the last few days to put case squarely, honestly and decently?'

Tory MP Andrew Murrison tweeted that Remain supporters were 'spinning' Jo Cox's killing, before deleting the post and urging both sides to put their cases 'squarely, honestly and decently'

Pro-EU figures have stressed the need for unity and condemned the tone of the campaign in the wake of the killing.

Mr Cameron has highlighted a strongly pro-EU article Mrs Cox wrote days before her death.

Alongside a link to the piece, the Prime Minister tweeted: 'Jo Cox's strong voice in the campaign to remain in the EU will be badly missed.'

In a letter to the Observer today, Tony Blair, ex-deputy PM Nick Clegg and Conservative grandee Lord Heseltine say the vote is about 'what sort of country we are'.

The message - which was highlighted on Twitter by David Cameron - said: 'There is something more fundamental at stake: the sort of country we are. A democracy where disagreements do not degenerate into incivility and where debate is not used to divide our communities.

Boris Johnson told a rally in London today that Brexit was the best way to 'neutralise' extremists spreading fear about immigration

Cameron branded the '21st century Neville Chamberlain' as he faces claims his EU reforms could be ripped up by member states

David Cameron was branded the '21st century Neville Chamberlain' last night as he faced claims his EU reforms could be ripped up by fellow member states after Thursday's referendum.

An angry audience member mocked the Prime Minister's renegotiation, which was agreed after hard-fought discussions with EU leaders earlier this year.

Waving his hands to mimic Mr Chamberlain's 'peace to Europe' non-aggression pact he signed with Germany a year before the outbreak of the Second World War, the audience member challenged Mr Cameron over whether voters could trust EU leaders to honour their word over the reforms.

An angry audience member (pictured) mocked the Prime Minister's renegotiation, which was agreed after hard-fought discussions with EU leaders earlier this year

'Are you really a 21st century Neville Chamberlain waving a piece of paper in the air saying to the public this is what I have, I have this promise where a dictatorship in Europe can overrule it?' the middle-aged man asked.

It drew an impassioned response from Mr Cameron, who insisted all other 27 EU leaders had agreed the changes and urged viewers to trust his European counterparts.

He shot back: 'This is not some empire and dictatorship,' adding that Britain was a 'sovereign country' that can 'choose to leave' the EU.

A visibly pumped up Mr Cameron added: 'But lets be clear if we do leave  thats it.

'Were walking out the door, were quitting were giving up on this organisation, which even if we leave will have a huge effect on our lives, on our children, on our opportunities and on our businesses.

'And I dont think Britain at the end is a quitter, I think we should stay and fight  thats what we should do.

David Cameron was branded the '21st century Neville Chamberlain' as he faced claims his EU reforms could be ripped up by fellow member states after Thursday's referendum. Pictured, Chamberlain waves his notorious 'piece of paper' after talks with Adolf Hitler

Adding his own bit of history to the debate, Mr Cameron said: 'My office is it two yards away from the Cabinet room where Winston Churchill decided in May 1940 to fight on against Hitler, the best and greatest decision perhaps anyones ever made in our country.

'Now he didnt want to be alone, he wanted to be fighting with the French, with the Poles with the others.'

'He didnt quit, he didnt quit on Europe, he didnt quit on European democracy, he didnt quit on European freedom.'

David Cameron refuses THREE TIMES to use veto to stop Turkey joining the EU as he insists the issue is a 'red herring'

David Cameron refused three times to say he would veto Turkeys entry into the European Union.

The Prime Minister repeatedly ducked the question during his 45-minute appearance on Question Time, claiming there was no prospect of the country becoming a member in the near future.

He claimed the issue was the biggest red herring in this referendum debate and that voting to leave for fear of Turkish entry would be a crazy thing to do.

But given three clear opportunities to say he would use his veto to stop it, he declined to do so.

The issue of Turkish accession has been a highly charged one in the EU referendum debate, with Leave claiming free movement rules could give millions of their citizens the right to work in Britain.

Brexit campaigners said Mr Cameron sidestepped the question because in truth he is a strong backer of Turkish membership of the EU saying as recently as two years ago: In terms of Turkish membership of the EU, I very much support that.

Asked by audience member Michael Tindale (pictured) whether he would veto Turkey's membership of the EU, David Cameron replied: 'I don't think it's going to happen for decades so as far as I'm concerned that question simply doesn't arrive'

And they pointed out that earlier this year the EU announced it would be accelerating Turkish accession as part of an agreement to deal with the migrant crisis.

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: You cannot trust Cameron on Turkey.

Audience member Michael Tindale asked Mr Cameron: Will you veto the accession of Turkey into the EU?

The Prime Minister replied: I dont think its going to happen for decades, so as far as Im concerned the question doesnt arise.

I think this is the biggest red herring in this whole referendum debate. I cant find a single expert anywhere in the country or in Europe who thinks that Turkeys going to join the EU in the next three decades.

Mr Cameron said negotiations were going so slowly that at this rate theyll join in the year 3000.

He went on: This issue doesnt arise and I feel strongly about this because people are getting through their letterbox leaflets from Leave saying basically Turkeys gong to join the EU  not true; theres going to be a European army with Britain in it  not true; and we give 350million a week to Brussels  not true.

If we want to vote to leave this organisation, lets vote to leave it but lets not do it on the basis of three things that are completely untrue.

David Cameron (pictured during the Question Time debate in Milton Keynes) refused three times to say he would veto Turkeys entry into the European Union

Asked by host David Dimbleby whether he would veto Turkeys entry, the Prime Minister replied: Its not going to come up  a response that was greeted with some jeers from the audience.

If this was going to happen in the next couple of years I would not support it, but its not going to, he said.

This is about 30 or 40 years time and Im not going to be prime ministers in 30 or 40 years time. Its a red herring.

If people have decided to vote leave on the basis of turkey joining the EU, youd be voting to leave an organisation, to damage our economy on the basis of something that is not going to happen.

And that would be a crazy thing to do.

Asked for a third time by Mr Dimbleby about why he does not say at this stage he will veto Turkish entry in the future, the Prime Minister again sidestepped the question.

He said Britain was being positive to Turkey because we want it to be a Western-leaning country, but admitted it isnt going very well at the moment.

Referring to Turkish entry, the European army and the 350million claim, he said: It would be tragedy if we damaged our economy, wrecked job prospects on the basis of three things that are completely untrue.

Nigel Farage claims his pro-Brexit immigration poster only sparked such a row because Labour MP Jo Cox was KILLED

Nigel Farage today insisted there would not have been such a 'row' over Ukip's controversial pro-Brexit immigration poster if Jo Cox had not been brutally killed.

The Ukip leader complained he was the 'victim' of hatred and insisted the party would be putting out more material focusing on the key issue of control over our borders.

The defence came as politicians from all sides in the EU referendum battle lined up to slam the 'racist' poster.

Mr Farage unveiled the image - which featured the headline 'Breaking Point' over a photograph of refugees walking into Europe through Slovenia - on Thursday just hours before Labour MP Jo Cox was shot dead and the referendum battle was suspended.

Nigel Farage unveiled the controversial poster on Thursday, exactly a week before the EU referendum but was immediately condemned for the tone

Michael Gove today revealed he 'shuddered' when Ukip unveiled an anti-immigration poster featuring refugees just a week before the EU referendum.

The Justice Secretary said the poster, branded racist by critics, was the 'wrong thing to do'.

Chancellor George Osborne, who supports the Remain campaign, also condemned the poster today as having 'echoes' of far right literature from the 1930s.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Brexit-backing Labour MP John Mann all slammed the poster in interviews today.

Mr Gove said: 'When I saw that poster, I shuddered. I felt it was the wrong thing to do.

'I must stress, I believe in free speech, I don't want to deny anyone a platform, and when I have had the opportunity to talk about migration during the course of this debate.

'I hope I have been very clear I am pro-migration but the way in which we secure public support for the continued benefits migration brings, the way we secure public support for helping refugees in need is if people feel they can control the numbers overall coming here.'

Chancellor George Osborne, who supports the Remain camaign, also condemned the poster today as having 'echoes' of far right literature from the 1930s.

Mr Osborne told ITV's Peston on Sunday: 'I think there is a difference between addressing those concerns [about immigration] in a reasonable way and whipping up concerns, whipping up division, making baseless assertions that millions of people are going to come into the country in the next couple of years from Turkey, or saying that dead bodies are going to wash up on the beaches of Kent  or, indeed, putting up that disgusting and vile poster that Nigel Farage did which had echoes of literature used in the 1930s.

'That is what we should say no to and this referendum vote is a vote on the kind of Britain we want.'

Mr Farage today rejected the charge of stoking up hatred, telling ITV interviewer Robert Peston: 'I think I have been a politician who has been a victim of it, to be honest with you.

'When you challenge the establishment in this country, they come after you, they call you all sorts of things. We saw the Chancellor a few minutes ago - despite the fact that overnight he talked about turning down the rhetoric - doing the same thing again.'

Asked if he wished he hadn't unveiled the poster, Mr Farage replied: 'I wish an innocent Member of Parliament hadn't been gunned down on the street.

'That's the point, and frankly had that not happened, I don't think we would have had the kind of row that we've had over it.'

He added: 'There was a big momentum developing right across the country, [then] a tragic death... It's difficult to see where either of the campaigns go.'

Mr Farage said: 'That poster reflects the truth of what's going on. We have a new poster coming out tomorrow morning and we'll unveil a new poster for every day.'

Mr Gove defended the claims on immigration made by his own campaign about Turkey, insisting it was not wrong to ensure migrant numbers are controlled.

Interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Gove was challenged on Vote Leave leaflets which claim Turkey's high birth rate would mean a million more people having the right to come to Britain.

Mr Gove said: 'I think it is important to stress that when we are thinking about the enlargement of the European Union - and it is the official policy of the EU to accelerate Turkey's accession.

'I think the fact that both the British government and the EU want Turkey and other countries to join is clear. The rate and speed at which Turkey will join will depend on a variety of political factors.

'But it is the case that during the course of this year the EU want to accelerate that process and I think that when Turkey is becoming less democratic that is not the right thing to do.'

Mr Gove denied discussion of Turkey's birth rate made him 'queasy' and added: 'I think it is very important when we are talking about migration to take into account numbers overall as well.

'One of the things about numbers is that we benefit from migration if the numbers are controlled.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today admitted he did not believe there could be limits placed on free movement in the EU as he claimed the Government was at fault for not giving communities resources to cope

Scottish first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon today renewed her criticism of the Ukip poster.

She told Sky News: 'In these last few days I hope we can have a debate that doesn't focus on immigration.

'Yes, people's concerns about immigration need to be addressed, but let's also make the positive case for a world and a Europe where we all have the freedom of travel and the positive case for immigration and the benefits that brings to our economy.

'On that point, the poster that Nigel Farage unveiled last week was vile and racist and I hope he does agree today to withdraw that poster, because that kind of sentiment has no place in a civilised debate.'

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was asked directly whether he thought there should be an upper limit on the numbers coming to the UK.

Chancellor George Osborne today said the Ukip poster had 'echoes' of 1930s literature

Mr Corbyn said: 'I don't think you can have one while you have the free movement of labour, and the free movement of labour means that you have to balance the economy.

'So you have to improve living standards and conditions and so that means the EU's appalling treatment of Greece is a problem.

'If you deliberately lower living standards and increase poverty in south eastern Europe, then you're bound to have a flow of people looking for somewhere to go.

'Surely the issue is an anti-austerity, growth package all across Europe rather than this.'

Defending his poster amid attacks from all sides of the political spectrum, Mr Farage claimed 'all' the people pictured in the poster will have EU passports within years.

'This is a statement about the whole of the European Union and politically I really do think that the European Union is at breaking point,' he told the BBC as he unveiled the poster in Westminster.

Mr Farage today told ITV Vote Leave should answer for their own posters.

He said: 'Well, have you seen their posters? They've been doing very strong posters, not only about Turkey, but about the number of terrorists and criminals who come into Britain under free movement rules.'

Brexit will NOT cause a recession but help Britain thrive, Michael Gove defiantly claims in a plea to the country to 'vote for hope'

BREXIT HANGS IN THE BALANCE AFTER JO COX MURDER: POLLS DIVIDED AFTER MP's KILLING LEAVES COUNTRY UNDECIDED AHEAD OF EU VOTE The Brexit vote is in the balance with polls showing the country may still be undecided ahead of Thursday's EU referendum. In One poll out today, by Opinium for the Observer, shows the race finely balanced at 44-44. A Survation poll for the Mail on Sunday shows Remain ahead 45-42 but a YouGov survey for Good Morning Britain shows Leave ahead 44 to 42. A fourth survey by BMG for Herald found Remain on 46 per cent to Leave on 43 per cent The Brexit vote is in the balance with polls showing the country may still be undecided ahead of Thursday's EU referendum. A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead in the wake of the killing of the Labour MP Jo Cox. But another survey revealed today shows the two sides are level while a third has voters saying they are more enthusiastic about leaving the EU than staying. Ukip leader Nigel Farage today said the killing could have halted 'momentum' behind the Leave campaign. Campaigning was due to resume today after a suspension lasting more than two days following the fatal attack on Mrs Cox, a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU. The man charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain' when he appeared in court on Saturday. The campaign appears to have turned around dramatically over the past few days, according to polls Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is due to take part in a major BBC interview to mark Mrs Cox's death and make the case for Remain. The BBC's Andrew Marr will also interview Michael Gove as campaigning resumes with just four days to go, while Chancellor George Osborne and Ukip leader Nigel Farage are both due to be grilled by ITV's Robert Peston. Prime Minister David Cameron will take part in a live BBC Question Time special to make his case for staying in the UK. Ukip leader Nigel Farage today the 'momentum' behind the Leave campaign was halted when the referendum was halted by Mrs Cox's killing. He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: I think we have momentum. 'We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy. It has had an impact on the whole campaign for everybody. 'When you are taking on the establishment, you need to have momentum. I don't know what's going to happen over the course of the next three to four days, but (this was) the action of one person with serious mental issues. 'What we saw was an act of terrorism.' A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead in the wake of the Killing of the Labour MP Jo Cox (pictured) Advertisement

Rival MPs could mix for tributes to Jo Cox in House of Commons

Rival MPs could break with tradition and sit together in the House of Commons when they pay tribute to MP Jo Cox.

Leader of the House Chris Grayling said MPs should 'do what they feel comfortable doing', while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also signalled he was open to the idea.

Parliament has been recalled on Monday to allow MPs to remember Mrs Cox, who was killed in her constituency of Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire on Thursday.

Neighbouring Labour MP Jason McCartney, who represents Colne Valley, has written to Speaker John Bercow requesting that backbenchers be permitted to sit together across the House in a mark of solidarity.

Asked about the rules of the house, Mr Grayling said: 'I don't think there are any formal rules but I think for tomorrow's event it is a celebration and a commemoration and an expression of profound sadness and to my mind it is an occasion where people should do what they feel comfortable doing.'

Meanwhile, leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron said it is a 'great idea' and would show that MPs are 'united against hate'.

Mr Corbyn told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'I received that suggestion last night actually and we're thinking about that and have a talk tomorrow, but tomorrow is going to be a dignified occasion, it's not going to be a time for lots of long speeches.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was considering whether to allow his MPs to mix in with those of other parties during Commons tributes to Jo Cox tomorrow
The family of the Orlando gunman's widow claim she is innocent and was 'unaware' of his plans to attack a gay nightclub.

Noor Zahi Salman's relatives released a statement to ABC News saying the murderer's wife doesn't understand 'cause and effect'.

One of the 30-year-old's former teachers has also revealed she had 'learning difficulties' in middle school.

The mother-of-one is being investigated by the FBI in the wake of the massacre by her husband Omar Mateen that left 49 people dead.

They have said she could face charges following accusations she knew about the shooting and was with Mateen when he bought the guns he used in his deadly rampage.

The family of Noor Zahi Salman (left), the widow of Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen (right), claim she is innocent and wasn't aware of his plans

The teacher, identified by ABC has Susan, said Salman was enrolled in special education classes.

She said: 'Noor had difficulty with retention, she had difficulty with conceptualizing, understanding, all challenges to her. She tried hard. She was very sweet.'

The family said Salman took part in the classes because she needed extra help in school.

The only thing Noor Zahi Salman did to prevent the worst gun massacre in US history was try to talk her husband out of it, FBI sources told NBC and ABC.

Salman, 30, admitted she was with Mateen, 29, when he bought his ammunition and holster.

The mother-of-one is being investigated by the FBI in the wake of the massacre by her husband that left 49 people dead

And she drove him to Pulse nightclub and other target scenes - including Walt Disney World - 'because he wanted to scope them out'.

In fact, they visited Disney World more than once to survey the area before Mateen opted for Pulse, law enforcement sources told CBS.

However, Salman never made any attempts to contact authorities about the impending terror attack.

Shortly after the attacks, Daily Mail Online visited Salman's father-in-law, Seddique Mateen, at his home in Port St Lucie.

He said he knew nothing about his daughter-in-law's alleged involvement in his son's terrorist plot.

'I don't know anything. I will wait till (law enforcement officials) tells me,' he told reporters at the front door of his four-bedroom custom-built home on busy Bayshore Boulevard in Port St, Lucie, Florida.

'I don't think she was involved.'

Omar Mateen and Noor Salman, 30, were married in September 2011 after meeting online.

They then had a son together. Since the shooting, police have revealed that she was texting Mateen during the shooting spree.

She also called her husband a little after 2am when his mother contacted her and said she was concerned about his whereabouts, a law enforcement official working on the investigation told CNN.

Mateen, who was just starting his brutal massacre at that time, did not answer, so at 2.30am Salman texted: 'Where are you?'

At that point Mateen responded, telling his wife: 'Do you see what's happening?'

When she replied back to that by texting 'no' he wrote: 'I love you babe.'

There were no text messages exchanged between the two after that, though Salman did call her husband again a few hours later during his standoff with police. He did not answer his phone.

Investigators on the case are not revealing if Salman called authorities or 911 at any point during the shooting to identify her husband as the gunman.

Courtesy WSVN
Outgoing Information Commissioner Christopher Graham (pictured) says he has repeatedly begged MPs to throw the book at the directors running the country's worst cold-calling firms

The Government is failing to stamp out nuisance calls by not targeting those personally responsible, the boss of Britain's data watchdog has claimed.

Outgoing Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says he has repeatedly begged MPs to throw the book at the directors running the country's worst cold-calling firms.

However, he insists that during his seven year tenure none have ever been held to account.

Mr Graham says the strength of his powers were limited to only fining the companies rather than those behind them, despite his near constant pleas to be given more scope to punish those in charge.

He believes had Westminster granted him more robust powers, more call centres targeting home owners with nuisance calls would have been shut down.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Graham said: 'The Information Commissioner needs increased powers.

'There should be personal liability for directors of companies so they cannot just shrug their shoulders and close down and then open up as something else.'

He added: 'We want to go after their assets. Here we have a real problem of fly-by-night operators who close down and open up again with a slightly different name and operation.'

Current laws allow rogue operators to be fined for pestering the public with random phone calls. Directors remain immune from prosecution.

The uphill struggle the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) faces is illustrated in the case of one company, Reactiv Media.

In 2014, the firm were handed a 75,000 fine for cold calling. Its owner Tony Abbott then closed it down. A short time later, he opened a similar company.

Figures show that 75 per cent of firms punished by the ICO for nuisance calls have either gone bust or became insolvent months after.

Over 2014/15, the office issued 360,000 in financial penalties for companies breaching cold calling rules (stock photograph)

Over 2014/15, the office issued 360,000 in financial penalties for companies breaching cold calling rules.

The following year, fines totalled more than 2million.

Mr Graham added: 'It's a bit like painting the Forth Road bridge but it's important we keep at them disrupting their business.'
A woman is heard pleading for help in a harrowing 911 call after a toddler was dragged off by an alligator at a Disney World resort in Florida.

'Please come to the Grand Floridian, please. Someone drowned in the... in the... Seven Seas Lagoon Lake,' a female voice is heard telling an emergency dispatcher in a newly released audio tape.

The unidentified woman called authorities from the beach pool at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa where two-year-old Lane Graves was snatched by the reptile on Tuesday.

The boy drowned and his body was found the following day.

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Lane Grave's (pictured) mother and father tried to save him from the mouth of the reptile, but they couldn't stop him from being taken away

The boy's parents, who were on vacation from Nebraska when their son died, said they have been 'overwhelmed with the support and love' that have poured in since the tragedy

It is believed that the caller worked at a resort bar.

In the 911 audio, the dispatcher tells the woman to get closer to the shore and call back to give more information.

But the woman never called back, because emergency responders arrived within minutes. An earlier 911 call had been made automatically when a lifeguard rushed to assist the toddler at 9:15pm, ABC News reported.

The boy's parents, who were on vacation from Nebraska when their son was dragged from the water's edge by the alligator, said they have been 'overwhelmed with the support and love' that have poured in since the tragedy captured national attention.

'Melissa and I continue to deal with the loss of our beloved boy, Lane, and are overwhelmed with the support and love we have received from family and friends in our community as well as from around the country,' father Matt Graves said in the statement issued by their church in Elkhorn, Nebraska, on Saturday.

Over the weekend, Disney unveiled a new sign that will be installed where Lane Graves was dragged to his death.

The new warning has already been installed on the beach after Disney World Resort closed all beaches in the wake of the horrific incident

It will be put up after the company faced growing questions as to why there was nothing warning guests about the deadly predators.

Resort staff have also erected temporary barriers around the water's edge in the wake of the attack.

There was previously a sign on the beach saying: 'No Swimming', but many thought that wasn't enough.

The dangerous reptiles had even been spotted lurking in the water days before the horrific incident.

Other close encounters were also reported in other parts of the park.

Lane, whose body was found 15 hours after he was pulled underwater, hadn't even been swimming at the time - he had just been wading near the edge of the lagoon.

The new post will read: 'Danger. Alligators and snakes in area. Stay away from the water. Do not feed the wildlife.'

Jacquee Wahler, Vice President of Walt Disney World Resort, told Daily Mail Online in a statement: 'We are installing signage and temporary barriers at our resort beach locations and are working on permanent, long-term solutions at our beaches.

'We continue to evaluate processes and procedures for our entire property, and, as part of this, we are reinforcing training with our cast for reporting sightings and interactions with wildlife and are expanding our communication to guests on this topic.'

Florida's legal community predicted a multi-million-dollar payout for the boy's family.

Matt Morgan, an Orlando lawyer, predicted a multi-million-dollar settlement for wrongful death.

'Every parent across America has had this family's nightmare running through their minds and it's heartbreaking to think that this may have been a preventable tragedy,' Morgan told the Times of London.

A number of wooden posts have also been installed on the water's edge to act as barriers

These barriers have been put up next to the water at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando where the toddler was pulled under by the beast on Tuesday

He said any case would focus on what Disney knew about alligators in the lagoon and when they knew it, and whether the company had taken sufficient measures to protect its guests.

He pointed to claims that guests had previously fed alligators on the beach where the boy was snatched.

On Friday, TMZ reported that an alligator had been spotted clambering onto a raft on the Tom Sawyer Island on the Rivers of America at the Disney World resort in Orlando.

One guest filmed the horrific incident on their cell phone.

The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, which neighbors the Walt Disney Resort already has a sign which clearly reads: 'Please be aware of alligators in the lake.'

Photos of the alligator warnings at the Hyatt resort were shared on the Disney fan website Mouse Steps, and the signs have been there for at least three years.

As a result, hundreds of people poured onto social media condemning Disney's sign policy in the wake of the horrifying incident.

The firm announced it would review its regulations and has now decided to install the sign.

The company faced growing questions as to why there was nothing warning guests about the deadly predators. There was a sign that read: 'No Swimming' (pictured), but many thought that wasn't enough
But she said investigators are conducting a 'very aggressive investigation' into the massacre which included talking to family members

Lynch would not confirm if Salman faces charges over her alleged role

out of it but never told

Sources say she tried to talk Mateen

Attorney General Loretta Lynch has refused to say whether the Orlando gunman's wife will be arrested over the worst mass shooting in America.

Lynch told Fox News that federal investigators are in the middle of a 'very aggressive investigation' into the atrocity at Pulse gay club in Orlando, Florida, on June 12.

The Attorney General confirmed that authorities were talking to family members but declined to say why the wife of shooter Omar Mateen has not been arrested amid claims she helped plot the terrorist attack which killed 50.

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Attorney General Loretta Lynch is staying silent on whether arrests will be made over the Orlando nightclub massacre

The FBI is reportedly considering at least two charges against Noor Zahi Salman (left) following the Pulse nightclub massacre. She is pictured with her husband and attacker, Omar Mateen (right), and their three-year-old son

FBI sources say that Noor Zahi Salman may have known what her husband was planning, went on location scouting trips, and even accompanied Mateen to buy ammunition.

But she never warned authorities of his plot.

The only thing she did to prevent the worst gun massacre in US history was try to talk her husband out of it, FBI sources told NBC and ABC.

Salman, 30, admitted she was with Mateen, 29, when he bought his ammunition and holster.

And she drove him to Pulse nightclub and other target scenes - including Walt Disney World - 'because he wanted to scope them out'.

The FBI and federal prosecutors meanwhile are planning to bring evidence about Salman's role in the shooting in front of a grand jury, which could see her indicted for her alleged role in the attack.

She could face multiple counts of murder and attempted murder for each of her husband's victims, sources claim.

Salman (left) had been married to Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, 29, for at least three years. Lynch said investigators are in the middle of a 'very aggressive investigation' into the massacre which includes speaking to family members

Hiding: Salman pulled her hood over her face as she walked into the apartment she shared with the terrorist on Monday after the attack

First appearance after the attack: Salman seen on Monday night arriving at her home to collect her belongings

An FBI source told Fox News that a panel has already been put together to target Salman, who could be facing any possible number of charges.

That source also stated that Salman could ultimately be charged with 49 counts of murder and 53 counts of attempted murder for her role in the shooting, which the FBI has declared was both a terrorist attack and a hate crime.

Lynch would not confirm if charges will be brought against Salman.

Investigators have reportedly obtained surveillance footage showing Salman buying ammunition with Mateen days before the attack.

It is unclear though just how much she may have known about her husband's plans, with the FBI and investigators on the case keeping quiet when it comes to that question.

Despite initially resisting questions, law enforcement said Salman is now fully cooperating with the investigation.

She was seen on Monday returning briefly to the apartment in Fort Pierce, Florida, that she shared with Mateen and their three-year-old son, before getting back in a police car to continue questioning.

Salman has not commented publicly since the attack, which began around 2am early Sunday.

'I can assure you that we're working with our law enforcement partners to find out everything that we can about what happened at the Pulse nightclub,' Lee Bentley, the U.S. Attorney for Florida's middle district said on Wednesday.

'We are using all law enforcement and legal tools to reconstruct not only the events of that night but the events of the past several months.

John Malcolm, director of the Heritage Foundations Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, said that other possible charges Salman could face include aiding and abetting, being a co-conspirator, or making false statements to federal investigators.

Pictured: Noor Zali Salman in a family photo. A second-generation American, Salman was born into a well-to-do Palestinian family who emigrated to California from Ramallah, in the West Bank, in the 1970s

Salman had been married to Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, 29, for at least three years and shared an apartment in Fort Pierce, Florida, with the killer and their three-year-old son.

During his rampage, Mateen texted with his wife telling her 'I love you, babe' while shooting dead his helpless victims inside the Orlando gay club.

A second-generation American, Salman was born into a well-to-do Palestinian family who emigrated to California from Ramallah, in the West Bank, in the 1970s. She grew up in the small town of Rodeo, north of San Francisco, and attended a business college in nearby Concord.

According to the NBC report, authorities were 'considering' charges against Salman for not reporting her husband's massacre plan. The FBI said she is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Lynch would not say whether investigators were planning to arrest Salman but said the investigation was focused on re-tracing Mateen's steps during his final days.

'We are trying to re-create the days, the weeks, the months of this killer's life before this attack,' said Lynch. 'And we are also asking those people who had contact with him to come forward and give us that information as well.'

During his rampage, Mateen (left and right) texted with his wife telling her 'I love you, babe' while shooting dead his helpless victims inside the Orlando gay club

Investigators outside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where Omar Mateen killed and wounded his victims

Mateen was the focus of two FBI investigations into suspected terrorism. But both the 2013 and 2014 probes deemed him not to be a threat.

He was allowed to buy an AR-15 rifle and semiautomatic pistol which he used to gun down and kill 49 people at Pulse, injuring more than 50 others.

Mateen, who called 911 and a news station to pledge allegiance to ISIS during the attack, was then killed in a shootout with police.

Lynch said the Justice Department is 'going to go back and see what changes could have been made' in how the FBI investigations into Mateen were handled.

The Attoney General also spoke about her support for an amendment scheduled to go before the Senate on Monday, that would allow the government to delay a gun sale to a suspected terrorist for up to 72 hours.

After the delay period, prosecutors would be able to persuade a judge to block sale permanently.

Lynch said the change would be crucial in allowing the government the ability to stop a sale of a weapon to somebody off the terror watch list.

The amendment is one of four gun-control measures scheduled for a vote Monday. However, each is unlikely to pass in the GOP-controlled Senate.
A pregnant woman in Pakistan and her husband were found dead in a canal with gunshot wounds to the head, according to authorities.

Aqsa Shakeel, 26, a healthcare worker, and her husband, Muhammad Shakeel, 30, were having family visit when they were allegedly kidnapped from their home in Thikriwala, a village in Pakistan's Punjab province.

An argument broke out between the family and the couple, police say, because Aqsa's family disapproved of her four-year marriage to Muhammed, who worked in a government school.

Aqsa's brother, named as Muhammad Mauvia, and her mother, Majeeda Bibi, are believed to have been a part of the group who snatched the couple from the home on Wednesday.

Police began a search for the couple when Muhammed's father, Muhammed Kushi, reported the couple missing.

Their bodies were later discovered in a canal near the village the following day.

An autopsy revealed the couple had been tortured before being shot in the head and tossed in the water.

Aqsa Shakeel, 26, a pregnant healthcare worker, and her husband, Muhammad Shakeel, 30, were kidnapped, tortured and killed before being tossed into a canal in Thikriwala, a village in Pakistan's Punjab province (pictured)

So far only one relative has been arrested, CNN reported.

M Khawar was taken into custody for the alleged murder and other relatives, including Aqsa's mother and brother, are believed to be on the run.

Although this case is considered a murder case by police, there have been a recent surge of 'honor killings' in Pakistan, CNN reported.

Honor killings are a tribal and cultural practice used as punishment for bringing dishonor to a family.

It is also the second time in June a pregnant woman has been killed by her family, it is believed.

Another pregnant woman was killed by relatives in eastern Pakistan because she, too, married someone against the family's wishes.

Muqaddas Tawfeeq was married for three years and eight months pregnant when her mother 'dragged her away' from a maternity clinic, where the woman was having a checkup.

Once her mother 'dragged' her back to her home, her brother slit the pregnant woman's throat.

Another honor killing, this time of a teenager, happened days after Tawfeeq's death.

A man beat his teenage sister to death with a wooden stick because he didn't want her to marry her boyfriend.

Yousuf Masih, the girl's father, said the family opposed the marriage because the families are relatives.

'They started arguing. He hit her with the stick, he has no intention to kill her. Things just got out of hand, he reacted in anger. In the end, I guess it did become an issue of honor,' Masih told CNN.

However, honor killings in Masih's area, which is a part of Pakistan's Christian community, is very rare.

A woman and her son killed a teen by burning her to death after the girl eloped against their wishes.

In the first five months of this year more than 200 women have died in 'honor killings'.
Russian President Vladimir Putin denied calling presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump 'brilliant,' charging that he was mistranslated.

Putin was answering questions posed to him by CNN's Fareed Zakaria at the 20th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The journalist was reading from a report that said Putin had called the businessman 'brilliant,' 'outstanding' and 'talented,' and asked the Russian president what led him to that judgement and if he still felt that way about Trump.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said he never called presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump 'brilliant,' but instead called the American presidential hopeful 'bright' - as in colorful

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) threw journalist Fareed Zakaria (left) some shade for a news report that had translated a word that means 'bright' - or colorful - into 'brilliant'

Putin, speaking Russian that was being translated into English, said there was no such high praise.

He directed his remarks first at Zakaria.

'You, personally, are very famous in our country. You're not only famous as a journalist at one of the biggest TV stations, but as an intellectual. Why do you always change the meaning of what I said?' Putin said through a female translator.

'Because at the moment you speak as a journalist, not as an analyst. Why are you juggling with what I said?' Putin continued.

'I only said that he was a bright person. Isn't he bright? He is,' Putin said. 'I did not say anything else about him.'

Zakaria was pointing to remarks that Trump made in December 2015.

The word Putin used, according to the Guardian, was 'yarkii,' which can mean 'bright' or 'brilliant,' but not in the intellectual sense.

Rather it can be translated into colorful, vivid or flamboyant.

When that is taken into account, Putin said, 'He is a very colorful and talented man, no doubt about that.'

'He is the absolute leader of the presidential race, as we see it today,' Putin continued.

Trump had been atop the polls for practically off of the fall, going into the winter. And started winning primary contests in early February, starting with New Hampshire.

'He says that he wants to move to another level of relations, to a deeper level of relations with Russia. How can we not welcome that? Of course we welcome it,' Putin said at the time.

He made a nearly identical statement about Trump when speaking about the presumptive Republican nominee with Zakaria this week.

After correcting the journalist's translation, Putin said, 'there's one thing I paid attention to and will definitely welcome.'

'Is that Mr. Trump says he's ready to restore full-fledged Russian-American relations,' Putin continued.
A man saved a six-month-old girl from a burning car crash which killed the baby's mother.

Michelle Green, 20, was driving home from work with little Michaela on Wednesday afternoon outside Atlanta, Georgia, when a Budget box truck smashed into her Jeep.

The car was crushed, killing Green instantly.

Astonishingly, a passing motorist rushed over to the wreckage and found little Michaela was alive.

The motorist, Miguel Willis, pulled the baby from the car.

Tragic: Michelle Green, 20, was driving home from work with little Michaela on Wednesday afternoon outside Atlanta, Georgia, when a truck smashed into her Jeep. Green was killed in the crash, Michaela survived

Horrific: The Jeep burst into flames when it was hit by the truck (pictured afterwards)

She was airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. She is now being treated for severe head trauma in intensive care.

'The truck hit the Jeep pretty hard,' Willis told KRMG.

He said his only thought was to 'get the door open and get the child out, because the Jeep caught on fire.'

The family is now reeling, trying to raise money for Green's funeral and to support Michaela.

Green did not have life insurance.

Green's mother-in-law Shilesta Ryals told WSB-TV that the Jeep has a mechanical problem that made it stall and jolt at random.

She believes that may have caused the crash.

'Her car would stall, once she take off it would stop on her and stall and then it would just jerk into place and go, and I know that's what happened,' Ryals told the station.

Two men in the truck were also taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

To donate to Green's family, click here.

Rescue: A bystander rushed to the car and was astonished to find a live child inside the burning wreckage
Comfortable: Albanian murderer Ardian Rragami, 45, outside his Essex home

An Albanian killer who was extradited from Britain to his homeland to face a 15-year jail term has come back to live in the UK after serving just four years.

Ardian Rragami, 45, has made a mockery of the extradition process by returning to Britain just a few years after he was kicked out to face justice for murdering his neighbour in cold blood.

Rragami was back behind bars last night after immigration officers were shamed by the Daily Mail into getting him off the streets. Immigration officers swooped on the killer, who sprayed his victim with four bullets, hours after we submitted a series of questions about the farce to the Home Office.

Now the UK authorities face a lengthy and costly battle to send him back to his home country for a second time.

His case deepens the scandal surrounding Albanian murderers who have fled to the UK to escape justice, exposed by the Mail in the past month.

Posing as a Kosovan refugee called Ardian Gashi, he first sneaked into Britain shortly after committing the appalling murder of a man in northern Albania in 1998.

The fugitive met and married a divorcee in London in 2002, later starting a family with her, and is reported to have been granted asylum after Home Office officials bought his lies about being from Kosovo.

Interpol belatedly tracked him down to Britain in 2009  when he was working as a builder in Essex  and in 2010 he was extradited to Albania to serve a 15-year jail sentence handed out to him while he was on the run.

But after successfully appealing against the length of his jail sentence, Rragami was controversially freed in 2014 and then moved back to the UK to be reunited with his cosmetic tattoo artist wife Chrysoulla Michaels, 46, and their two daughters in Essex.

The ease with which he has been able to slip back into Britain, having previously lied to gain residency here, is hugely embarrassing for the authorities. And last night, in response to a series of questions from the Mail, the Home Office said officials are aware of his presence in the country and are currently trying to extradite him due to his 'overseas convictions'. Sources said the bill for trying to kick him out of the UK could be substantial.

The Home Office also revealed Rragami was detained by immigration officials in February last year, but released after a month pending the outcome of his bid to stay in the country.

Last month the Mail revealed how one-legged Albanian convicted double killer, Saliman Barci, 41, has been granted legal aid to fight extradition  despite allegedly confessing to his crimes to his wife.

THE NOTORIOUS DOUBLE KILLER WHO GOUGED HIS VICTIM'S EYES OUT Notorious Albanian double killer Avni Metra, on the run for 18 years, was arrested earlier this month after an investigation by the Mail revealed he was living in a squalid bedsit. The 53-year-old fugitive was arrested after we alerted Scotland Yard to his whereabouts. Metra was granted a UK passport after sneaking into Britain in 1998 falsely claiming to be a Kosovan refugee. He has since pocketed thousands of pounds in benefits. The father of four has been dodging a 25-year jail term for two murders. Metra, who gouged out the eyes of one of his victims, is now fighting extradition on human rights grounds. Dodging jail: Avni Metra, pictured with two knives when he was confronted, was on the run for 18 years Advertisement

Following a major international investigation by this newspaper, another notorious Albanian double killer fugitive, Avni Metra, 53, was arrested by Scotland Yard earlier this month after spending 18 years in hiding in the UK.

Metra was high on an Interpol Most Wanted list when we tracked him down to his bolthole in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, and tipped off police to his whereabouts.

Rragami is so confident of his right to live in the UK that he has been using his real name on Facebook and named the Essex town where he lives. He no longer claims to be from Kosovo, openly admitting he is from Shkoder in northern Albania.

ONE-LEGGED DOUBLE MURDERER The scandal of one-legged double killer Saliman Barci, 41, who has been granted legal aid to fight extradition even though he has allegedly confessed, was exposed by the Mail last month. Barci has spent a year in custody battling a request to be returned to Albania to serve a 25-year sentence for two murders in 1997. The father of three arrived in the UK in 2002 claiming to be a Kosovan refugee. His true identity came to light after he was arrested over an ugly incident at his London home last summer. But his battle suffered a huge blow after his estranged Albanian wife told the Mail he had confessed to her on the night of the killings. Scandalous: Saliman Barci, 41, allegedly confessed to his wife on the night of the killings Advertisement

It was in Shkoder in July 1998 that Rragami, previously an anti-Communist demonstrator, shot his victim four times with a machine gun during a dispute at a bar.

Rragami and his victim lived in the same building. According to reports, the pair fell out over a trivial matter and Rragami murdered him in cold blood before going on the run.

Two years later he was jailed for 15 years in his absence, after the court heard evidence from a number of witnesses. By then, it seems, he was settled in the UK after slipping in posing as a Kosovan refugee. When he married his wife, then a mortgage arranger, in north London in July 2002, Rragami called himself Ardian Gashi and claimed to be a cafe manager.

Two years later, when their first daughter was born, he was still using the same bogus name and said he was a market trader who was born in Albania.

But the following year, in 2005, he had changed his country of birth to Kosovo and called himself a company director.

He is now living with his wife and their two daughters in a smart housing association property in Essex which, according to Land Registry records, belongs to the same housing association that owns one-legged Albanian killer Barci's four-bedroom home in west London. Drug dealer Barci, who has claimed 2,000 per month in benefits, lives at his house rent-free.

Last week Rragami was seen going out in his wife's white Fiat 500 car in a matching Adidas T-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and 'man bag' and was later enjoying a pint with a couple of shaven-headed friends in a local pub.

It is not clear when his wife became aware of his true identity, but judging from the loving pictures they have posted on Facebook  and the fact they are back living together  it is evident she is standing by him following his prison sentence. Speaking to the Mail on the doorstep of their home, Miss Michaels had a distinctive heart-shaped tattoo on her arm, featuring her husband's first name Ardian. Next to it were the words 'ti je jeta jeme'  Albanian for 'you are my life'.

She declined to answer questions about her husband, including whether she knew his real identity when they married, and his current immigration status.

She added that she would not speak without consulting Rragami who, she said, had 'popped out for a while'. Sources in the justice ministry in Albania said Rragami was sentenced to 15 years in his absence in 2000, after being found guilty of murder. But following his extradition in 2010, he appealed against the length of the term  first having it reduced to 12 years and then to eight years.

He was released in October 2014, four years after he was forcibly returned to Albania to face justice.

Sources said he got more years shaved off for good behaviour, working in prison and as a result of the 'annual presidential amnesty'.

In the UK, the minimum time a murderer must serve is 12 years. Rragami was detained on Friday night, pending extradition, as the Mail prepared to expose the case.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'Mr Rragami has been detained by Immigration Enforcement officers and we are pursuing his deportation from the UK.
The NRA's top lobbyist went on television Sunday to threaten lawmakers supporting gun-control measures that they will have to 'pay a price for it.'

'We have a God-given right to defend ourselves and firearms are an effective means of doing just that,' Chris Cox, the executive director of the gun lobby group's Institute for Legislative Action, said on ABC's 'This Week.'

'The politicians who want to divert attention away from the underlying problems that suggest that we're somehow to blame will pay a price for it,' Cox said.

The fiery comment went unchallenged by ABC News's chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl, whose only response was 'We're out of time.'

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National Rifle Association executive director Chris W. Cox said lawmakers supporting gun-control measures will have to 'pay a price for it.' Pictured at the National Rifle Association convention Saturday, May 21

Donald Trump is introduced with Chris Cox, left, and Wayne LaPierre, at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum during the NRA Convention in Kentucky in May

The threatening rhetoric from the NRA comes as Senate Democrats push for tougher legislation on gun ownership after last weekend's mass slaughter at a gay nightclub in Orlando.

Days after the attack, which left 49 innocent victims dead and another 53 wounded, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut held the floor along with colleagues in a nearly 15-hour filibuster

'We can't just wait, we have to make something happen,' said Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, at an emotional news conference where Democrats joined family members of people killed in recent mass shootings. 'These are people bound by brutality, and their numbers are growing.'

But Republicans were coolly dismissive of Democrats' demands. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, derided Murphy's filibuster as a 'campaign talk-a-thon' that did nothing but delay potential votes.

Noting that a few Democrats had skipped a classified briefing on the Florida nightclub shooting to participate in the filibuster, McConnell chided: 'It's hard to think of a clearer contrast for serious work for solutions on the one hand, and endless partisan campaigning on the other.'

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre argued Sunday that 'the politically correct White House' is pushing gun restrictions as a way of diverting attention from its failure in the 'terrorist area'

While Democrats spoke of the need for new gun legislation, Republicans cited the threat posed by the Islamic State group, to which Orlando gunman Omar Mateen swore allegiance while committing the massacre in Orlando early Sunday.

But the two sides mostly talked past each other, and efforts to forge consensus quickly sputtered out. As a result, the Senate faced the prospect of taking dueling votes beginning Monday on Democratic and GOP bills, all of which looked destined to fail.

In Sunday's interview, Cox said that the 'catastrophic situation' facing the country has 'nothing to do with firearms.' He says it's about stopping 'radical Islamic terrorists.'

Meanwhile, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre chimed in during an interview with CBS' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday, arguing that 'the politically correct White House' is pushing gun restrictions as a way of diverting attention from its failure in the 'terrorist area.'

'Laws didn't stop them in Boston, laws didn't stop them in San Bernardino  and they didn't stop it in Paris,' he said. 'It's all being politicized.'

The back-and-forth came after President Barack Obama visited the victims' families in Orlando on Thursday and called on lawmakers to act.

'Those who defend the easy accessibility of assault weapons should meet these families and explain why that makes sense,' Obama said.

The U.S. Supreme Court may also weigh in on the gun control issue in the coming week. The justices are due to announce as soon as Monday whether to hear a challenge by gun rights advocates to assault weapon bans in two states.

The Connecticut and New York laws prohibit semiautomatic weapons like the one used by Mateen, who committed the mass killing in Orlando with guns he bought legally.
A terrified woman who refused to jump from the window of a Sydney apartment block as it went up in flames has been dramatically rescue by firefighters.

Footage captured by a witness shows the woman sitting on her windowsill as a small group of people below her on the footpath shout at her to jump onto a mattress below.

The video obtained by 9News shows flames coming out of a rear window as the fire engulfed the building on Campbell Parade in Bondi Beach, in Sydney's east, just after midnight on Monday.

A terrified woman who refused to jump from the window of a Sydney apartment block as it went up in flames has been dramatically rescue by firefighters

Footage captured by a witness shows the woman sitting on her windowsill as a small group of people below her on the footpath shout at her to jump onto a mattress below

A short time later, firefighters arrived at the scene.

One of them climbed up a ladder, put the woman under his arm and brought her down to safety.

A total of 25 people were evacuated from the block and a unit was destroyed, according the Fire and Rescue NSW.

Paramedics were called to the scene shortly after midnight and treated two women at the scene.

The video shows flames coming out of a rear window as the fire engulfed the building on Campbell Parade in Bondi Beach, in Sydney's east, just after midnight on Monday

A short time later, firefighters arrived at the scene. One of them climbed up a ladder, put the woman under his arm and brought her down to safety

A total of 25 people were evacuated from the block and a unit was destroyed, according the Fire and Rescue NSW. Pictured is the firefighter rescuing the woman

One woman was treated for smoke inhalation before she was taken to hospital.

'Paramedics treated two patients for minor injuries. One was transported to Prince of Wales and the other to St Vincent's,' a NSW Ambulance spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.

The firefighter who rescued the woman from the window sill was also treated for smoke inhalation and taken to hospital.
David Cameron refused three times to say he would veto Turkey's entry into the European Union last night as he faced public anger over his failure to curb immigration.

Appearing on a special Question Time, the Prime Minister repeatedly ducked the question, claiming there was no prospect of the country becoming a member in the near future.

He claimed the issue was 'the biggest red herring in this referendum debate' and that voting to leave for fear of Turkish entry would be a 'crazy thing to do'. But given three clear opportunities to say he would use his veto to stop it, he declined to do so.

Vexed: David Cameron points his finger as he is taken to task on a BBC Question Time special last night

Appearing in his final TV debate before Thursday's vote, Mr Cameron received a mauling from the audience on his Government's approach to tackling EU immigration. He also risked accusations he was patronising the public after he said people have been finding the debate 'perhaps quite confusing'. He added he needed to do 'better' in getting the Government's message across.

The debate also saw host David Dimbleby shock the audience after mistakenly saying the first question came from an audience member called 'Jo Cox'. He immediately apologised for the 'terrible' gaffe' and called the correct audience member, who asked Mr Cameron about the murdered MP.

The issue of Turkey's accession has been a highly charged one, with the Leave camp claiming free movement rules could give millions of Turkish citizens the right to work in Britain.

'Terrible gaffe': The debate also saw host David Dimbleby, pictured with the Prime Minister, shock the audience after mistakenly saying the first question came from an audience member called 'Jo Cox'

Last night Brexit campaigners said Mr Cameron sidestepped the question because he is actually a strong backer of Turkish membership. As recently as two years ago, he said: 'In terms of Turkish membership of the EU, I very much support that.' Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: 'You cannot trust Cameron on Turkey.'

THREE CHARGED OVER TERROR THREAT TO EURO 2016 FANS Three alleged terrorists have been charged in Belgium following a threat to attack fans during a Euro 2016 football game. The trio, accused of 'attempted terrorist murder', were among 12 suspects seized during a series of raids over the weekend. They were named by prosecutors as Samir C, Moustapha B and Jawad B. Belgian media had earlier reported that Islamists were planning to attack fans at an area of Brussels where the national team's games in the tournament in France are screened. Forty people were initially detained and 152 garages searched during the raids. Belgium is still reeling from the Islamic State suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the city's metro on March 22 which killed 32 and wounded hundreds more. Officers moved on the town of Zaventem close to Brussels airport, with other raids taking place in the suburbs of Molenbeek, Schaarbeek and Forest.All are closely associated with the perpetrators of both the Paris and Brussels attacks. Molenbeek is notorious for being a hotbed of Islamic extremism where Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the ten-man jihadist team that attacked Paris, killing 130 people, hid out for months until his dramatic arrest on March 18. Two suspected people smugglers were in custody last night after their boat broke down four miles from Dover. It came after officials were forced to close the port at Calais after migrants entered the water and tried to swim towards ferries bound for Britain. Advertisement

During the debate in Milton Keynes, audience member Michael Tindale asked Mr Cameron: 'Will you veto the accession of Turkey into the EU?'

The Prime Minister replied: 'I don't think it's going to happen for decades, so as far as I'm concerned the question doesn't arise.

'I think this is the biggest red herring in this whole referendum debate. I can't find a single expert anywhere in the country or in Europe who thinks that Turkey's going to join the EU in the next three decades.

'This issue doesn't arise and I feel strongly about this because people are getting through their letterbox leaflets from Leave saying basically Turkey's gong to join the EU  not true; there's going to be a European army with Britain in it  not true; and we give 350million a week to Brussels  not true. If we want to vote to leave ... let's not do it on the basis of three things that are completely untrue.'

Asked by Mr Dimbleby if he would veto Turkey's entry, Mr Cameron replied 'It's not going to come up', prompting jeers from the audience.

'If this was going to happen in the next couple of years I would not support it, but it's not,' he said. He added that voting to Leave and 'damage our economy' on the basis of Turkey joining would be 'a crazy thing to do'.

When asked again by Mr Dimbleby why he will not say he will veto Turkish entry in the future, the Prime Minister again sidestepped the question. He said Britain was being 'positive' to Turkey because we want it to be a 'Western-leaning' country, but admitted it 'isn't going very well at the moment'.

Last night Mr Elliott said Mr Cameron had refused to say he would veto Turkey joining 'because  in his own words  he is the 'strongest possible advocate' of Turkey joining. He has said before that he is 'angry' that it is taking too long for Turkey to join.

'The EU has recently accelerated talks with Turkey with David Cameron's support and UK taxpayers are sending 1billion ... to help them join.'

Voters who challenged Cameron on migration

'You say that your policy that you've negotiated with Europe cannot be overruled  it can. So are you really a 21st-century Neville Chamberlain waving a piece of paper in the air, saying to the public this is what I have, I have this promise where a dictatorship in Europe can overrule it. Simple answer  yes or no?'

Left: 'I think it's only logical  if we have absolutely no limitations on immigration from the EU, people are obviously going to emigrate over here. We've got a public sector [and] our NHS under tremendous strain. You're not doing anything to invest in them to make them stronger or better, [while] knowing full well that if we don't put a limit on this immigration  and the only way to do that is to leave the single market  then everything is just going to get flooded. You're not doing anything to counter-balance all the immigration coming in to these services.'

Right: 'You say that your policy that you've negotiated with Europe cannot be overruled  it can. So are you really a 21st-century Neville Chamberlain waving a piece of paper in the air, saying to the public this is what I have, I have this promise where a dictatorship in Europe can overrule it. Simple answer  yes or no?'

Above: You said Europe is increasing work-wise. Spain, Greece, Italy, France have got higher unemployment than we have and no prospect of increasing jobs. Why are you telling us that Europe is increasing [jobs] when it is not? Europeans come here because they see the problem at home and yet we try and stay in Europe and not see the problems that they have got. You want to spend five minutes with me  I can tell you all about it.
The Wisconsin congressman added that he wouldn't force anyone to support a candidate who is against his or her 'conscience'

' as Speaker of the House - among them not to create a 'chasm' in the Republican Party

Ryan articulated that he has 'certain

House Speaker Paul Ryan suggested that he was obligated to support the presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump because of his leadership position within the party.

'I have certain responsibilities, as not just Congressman Paul Ryan from the first district of Wisconsin, but as Speaker of the House,' Ryan told NBC's Chuck Todd in an interview that aired today on Meet the Press.

Ryan said if he didn't support Trump, who he called 'a very unique nominee,' he's create problems for his party.

'I get that this is a very strange situation,' Ryan noted.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he has 'certain responsibilities' in his position, which include supporting the Republicans' presumptive nominee Donald Trump

In a sit-down with NBC's Chuck Todd (right), House Speaker Paul Ryan admitted that it's a 'very strange situation' to have Donald Trump, a non-politician who is becoming increasingly disliked, as the nominee

'And imagine the Speaker of the House not supporting the duly elected nominee of our party, therefore creating a chasm in our party to split us in half, which basically helps deny us the White House, and strong majorities in Congress,' Ryan said.

As Trump was sewing up his primary win in May, Ryan had told CNN's Jake Tapper that he was 'just not ready' to back his party's voters' pick for the presidency, but on June 2 he formally endorsed Trump by writing an op-en in the Janesville Gazette, a local Wisconsin paper.

'I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people's lives. That's why I'll be voting for him this fall,' Ryan wrote at the time.

But this week, the Stop Trump movement, which had seemingly gotten stuck as Trump earned enough delegates to become the party's presumptive nominee, got a slight breeze back under its sails.

Trump's response to Sunday's Orlando shooting wasn't well received by members of the opposing party, nor from many members of his own.

Ryan was even asked if he'd ever play take-backsies with his endorsement.

'Thats not my plan. I dont have a plan to do that,' the House Speaker said at his weekly press conference.

Talking to Todd, Ryan maintained his support for Trump, though said he couldn't push other Republicans to follow his lead.

'The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that's contrary to their conscience,' Ryan told the NBC newsman.

The House Speaker, who is chairing the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio next month, wouldn't weight in on whether delegates should be unbound at the confab so they're not forced to vote for Trump.

'That's not my place to decide,' Ryan reiterated. 'It's not my job to tell delegates what to do, what not to do, or to weigh in on things like that. They write the rules. They make their decisions.'

In the end, Ryan pointed to the fact that, with Trump, the voters had spoken.

'He won the election,' Ryan said. 'The voters voted for him ... that's the choice they made. What can I control?'
Boris Johnson today warns the out of control immigration system is depriving families of certainty over access to school places, housing and healthcare.

In a direct appeal to women voters, he says the only way for families to be in control of their own destiny is to vote to leave the EU on Thursday.

Mr Johnson yesterday insisted he was a huge supporter of immigration  and even suggested there should be an amnesty for illegal workers who have been in the UK for 12 years or more.

Boris Johnson today warns the out of control immigration system is depriving families of certainty over access to school places, housing and healthcare

But in an exclusive Daily Mail interview, he said uncontrolled EU immigration was preventing the public sector from properly planning to ensure there are enough schools, GP surgeries and homes.

He warned that  in turn  this is depriving families of the ability to plan for the future of their children.

Mr Johnson said: It is about control. It is about security, safety of your country and your economy and being in charge.

You want to be able to manage your household yourself, you want to be able to manage how things work pretty exactly.

If we take back control of immigration we can help local authorities plan for vital services. That will mean that young people will have a better chance of getting on the housing ladder and there will be less pressure on school places or the NHS. At the moment the system is out of control and no one can plan effectively.

In an exclusive Daily Mail interview, Mr Johnson said uncontrolled EU immigration was preventing the public sector from properly planning to ensure there are enough schools, GP surgeries and homes

He added: It will take time  but if you have an immigration system that is based on the needs of the economy rather than just a doctrine and ideology of free movement, I think you get to plan better.

Youre thinking about your kids and whether they are going to be able to afford a home. That is of great importance. Whether your kids can be part of an economy that is outward-looking and mobilised  able to do deals with growth economies not locked into the EU.

Id be thinking where is Britain going  what is it going to be like for us in 20 or 30 years time. Are we going to be part of this very closed system or are we going to take back control and really set our priorities?

Mr Johnson dismissed the doom-mongering of David Cameron and the Remain camp, saying: I have seen no evidence of an economic shock. He went on: The only way to end this tidal wave of gloom from the Government is to vote Leave.

I think the negativity is very intense and I do not think it is doing anybodys mood much good. If I were them I would not have fought the campaign this way.

At a rally in London yesterday, Mr Johnson said the way to neutralise extremist views in Britain was for the country to regain control of its borders. He said those who play politics with immigration would be silenced if the UK was able to take charge of a completely out of control system.

The former London mayor also repeated previous calls for an amnesty on illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years.

He said: If we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points-based system, well be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world and we will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants. That is the way forward.

He asked Leave supporters to imagine waking up on Friday morning to face the terrible sense of shock and disappointment that Remain have narrowly won.

Mr Johnson said the TV cameras would turn to [European Commission president] Jean-Claude Juncker celebrating with what looks suspiciously like champagne, and then go to Peter Mandelson and the rest saying the way is now clear for Britain to join the euro.

He added: We will have missed a fantastic opportunity for change and improvement for Europe and this country ... We cannot vote for a status quo, with the EU morphing relentlessly into a superstate, with activist judges making decisions including who can be on our streets whether they are terror suspects and convicted criminals or not.

Attacking the Remain side, he added: They endlessly say we cant do it, we darent do it, we mustnt do it  and we say that we can.

'Ignore Obama's threats'

A group of powerful US Congressmen yesterday said Britain will be at the front of the line for a trade deal in the event of Brexit.

The 11 politicians demolish a central plank of the case that Britain will not be able to trade freely with the world outside the EU.

In a letter to President Obama, they also attack him for his misguided effort to try to bully Britain into a vote to remain.

In a letter to President Obama, pictured, a group of powerful Congressmen have attacked him for his misguided effort to try to bully Britain into a vote to remain

In April, Mr Obama made the extraordinary threat that we would be at the back of the queue for a trade deal  even though his presidency is nearly over.

The signatories to the letter include Devin Nunes and Pat Tiberi, two former chairmen of Congresss Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade.

Their letter states that while a Brexit vote may open new opportunities for cooperation with our British friends, it will not diminish any of our vital ties . It adds: For us, Britain stands at the front of the line.

Polls say it's too close to call

The EU referendum looked too close to call last night as two polls showed a late swing back to the Remain camp.

The polls based on the latest surveys of voters  which were conducted almost entirely after the killing on Thursday of Labour MP Jo Cox  both put the In side in the lead.

It reverses a rise in support for Leave, with seven out of nine surveys released before the murder putting the pro-Brexit camp ahead.

A Survation telephone poll for The Mail on Sunday, conducted on Friday and Saturday, put Remain on 45 per cent, with Leave on 42 per cent. Survations previous poll, published on Thursday, had shown Out ahead of In by the same margin.

A YouGov online poll for The Sunday Times, conducted on Thursday and Friday, showed a 44-43 per cent lead for In. It reversed a lead of seven points for Out in a YouGov survey last Monday.

But an online poll by Opinium for The Observer showed Leave drawing level with Remain on 44 per cent each. Interviews took place between Tuesday and Friday. An Opinium/Observer poll, published on June 11, showed In ahead of Out by 44-42 per cent.
A tornado-like storm has torn roofs off homes, crushed cars, pulled down power lines and caused major flooding with half the annual rainfall hitting Queensland in one day as the storm moves south to Victoria.

Police have declared an emergency situation in Mooloolaba in Sunshine Coast, which suffered the worst of the storm on Sunday night.

Roofs were pulled off apartment blocks and homes, as winds exceeding 100km/h took down power poles and brought live wires onto the road and crushed cars.

'It just all happened very quickly and it was anarchy very quickly,' Chris O'Connor told 7 News.

Scroll down for video

Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast was hit by a mini tornado causing extensive damage to homes and property

The storm caused major flooding with half the annual rainfall hitting Queensland in one day

As well as roofs pulled off apartment blocks and homes, winds exceeding 100km/h took down power poles and brought live wires onto the road and crushed cars

Roofs were pulled off two apartment blocks (one pictured) and one home in Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast

An aerial view of roofs pulled off two apartment blocks in Mooloolaba in Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Sunday night

Julius Toole said he and his partner were having dinner when the roof flew off their unit. The pair had to rescue their dog Rusty from under the rubble.

'We were just looking out to the sky. The glass had all smashed through,' he told Nine News.

'My partner was screaming and we dug through the rubble and found this guy under the roof and all the wires and stuff. It was probably the scariest two minutes of our life.'

Another resident in the building, Kumar, said their glass door 'exploded' before the roof was torn away - destroying all their possessions.

Police have declared an emergency situation under the Public Safety Preservation Act in Moolooaba on Monday morning

Alice Boraso, who lost the roof of her house, was visibly upset as she is helped by police officers in Mooloolaba

An exclusion zone has been established in Mooloolaba. Police are asking residents to avoid the area so crews can assess the damage

Police declared an emergency situation under the Public Safety Preservation Act in the Sunshine Coast suburb on Monday morning

Police said the emergency situation announcement was due to the weather event which un-roofed several buildings in the area and caused varying damage to adjacent properties

Julius Toole said he and his partner were having dinner when the roof flew off their unit and had to pull their dog Rusty out from under the rubble (all pictured)

'Everything's happened in 15 seconds and we lost everything,' he told Nine News.

'My parents are still in shock, I couldn't believe myself [that it] happened in 15 seconds. I don't know where we're going to stay now.'

Alice Boraso, who lost the roof of her Mooloolaba house, was visibly upset when she was helped by police officers.

Police declared an emergency situation under the Public Safety Preservation Act in the Sunshine Coast suburb on Monday morning.

'This is due to a weather event over the weekend which un-roofed several buildings in the area and caused varying damage to adjacent properties,' police said in a statement.

Alice Boraso is helped on Monday morning after the roof of her Mooloolaba home was torn off in the storm

Residents salvage items from their flooded homes in the area cordoned off by police, declared an emergency situation

Residents take items from their homes with damage to their homes forcing them to stay elsewhere

A resident takes items from his home in the emergency area in Mooloolaba, the worst affected area

An exclusion zone has been established which encompasses the intersection of Akeringa Place and Corowa Court, as well as Amarina Avenue.

Police are asking residents to avoid the area so crews can assess the damage.

Resident Margaret Gellel's home was flooded in the worst storm she's seen since she moved into the Rosalie, Brisbane, home 40-years-ago.

'I didn't see this water coming I was looking in the front in the back there I didn't see it coming,' she told 7 News.

A family took refuge on top of their car after driving into flood waters in Coopers Plains, south-west Brisbane.

A man managed to swim to safety and call for help, before Emergency Services pulled the mother and daughter from the top of the car.

Residents survey the damage on Monday after a severe storm tore through their street in Mooloolaba

Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast has been declared an emergency situation due to damage caused by the storm

A car has been crushed by the roof of an apartment building which was pulled off in Mooloolaba

Residents of one of the apartment buildings which lost its roof have told of being 'in shock' and of 'losing everything in 15 seconds'

An area in Mooloolaba has been declared an emergency situation as authorities assess the damage

Residents salvage items from their homes after roofs were pulled off two apartment blocks and one home, while power poles were brought down and cars were crushed

Several streets in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Sydney were flooded and closed

The damage bill from Sunday's deluge is expected to be significant after nearly 350 calls for help were made

'The water come really quick. When we just got here the water is not too much, it wasn't too high, but because everywhere block we just tried to go in and then we got stuck there,' the rescued mother told the Nine News.

Several streets in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Sydney were flooded and closed.

The damage bill from Sunday's deluge is expected to be significant after nearly 350 calls for help were made.

Queensland Fire & Emergency said their firefighters conducted 27 rescue operations during the 'big wet'.

Many parts of the southeast recorded more than 100mm of rain in just a few hours, and some spots copped double that.

A car is pictured crushed amongst a destroyed fence on Monday in the aftermath of the storm

A car is taken away after it was crushed in the storm on Sunday night in Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast

The Brisbane suburbs of Toowong and Mitchelton both got about 170mm, while Warner, north of the city, got almost 200cm.

Emergency services have expressed frustration after motorists ignored a long-running safety campaign and drove across flooded roads.

'We had a total of 23 swift water incidents - five were life rescues where we actually had to go into the water to take people to safety,' the duty manager of fire operations in Brisbane, Steve Hollands, has told the ABC.

'Plenty of scared people and small babies.'

At one point 9,000 properties were without power across the southeast, but almost all of them have since been reconnected.

Seqwater were releasing water from Somerset Dam into the larger Wivenhoe Dam, northwest of Brisbane, on Monday morning.

One family inside the apartment blocks had to save their dog from the rubble

'I didn't see this water coming I was looking in the front in the back there I didn't see it coming,' a Rosalie resident told 7 News (pictured: damage to Sunshine Coast apartment blocks)

Roofs torn off apartment blocks caused damage to cars, with winds exceeding 100km/h

The destructive winds snapped power poles and brought live wires down onto the road

So far there are no reports of injuries, but the damage bill from Sunday's deluge is expected to be significant after more than 300 calls for help were made

Another resident in an apartment building which lost its roof said their glass door 'exploded' before the roof was torn away - destroying all their possessions

Emergency services are pictured removing trees and branches from houses in the storm affected area

There are no plans for any releases from Wivenhoe.

Outflows from Enoggera Dam in Brisbane have also been increased to cope with the volume of water.

The worst of the weather is now expected to move south to Victoria from the NSW south coast and Illawarra regions.

SES spokesman Phil Campbell said they were expecting the storm to move into Gippsland in Victoria by Monday afternoon.

'Here [in Gippsland] we are expecting some fairly heavy rain, with falls of up to 100 to 150 millimetres of rain as well as winds gusting up to 90 kilometres [an hour],' he told ABC.

There were six flood rescues in Nowra on the NSW south coast overnight and the State Emergency Service has warned workers in the Illawarra and south coast to stay home on Monday.

Police are asking people to avoid Mooloolaba on Monday morning after a mini tornado caused extensive damage (pictured: Inspector Matt Wilson talks to media)

Trees were brought down in the Sunshine Coast suburb in southeast Queensland

Pictured: a tree narrowly avoided hitting a home in Mooloolaba, where cars and homes have been destroyed

'My parents are still in shock, I couldn't believe myself [that it] happened in 15 seconds. I don't know where we're going to stay now,' the resident, Kumar, said

But it appears to have 'drifted off' down to the state's southeast.

'It looks like we have dodged a bullet in NSW,' SES acting deputy commissioner Mark Morrow told the Nine News.

Mr Morrow said the overnight heavy burst settled down very quickly and only two rivers, the Bogan and Brunswick, went into minor flood.

'Up on the north coast we had just over 100mm of rain; certainly nothing like those conditions in Queensland,' he said.

Fears that Warragamba Dam would spill have eased, but authorities are keeping a watch.

Fears it would overflow sparked the NSW Government to announce $690 million to raise the dam's wall by 14 metres to offer people downstream 'extra protection', Premier Mike Baird told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Resident Margaret Gellel's home was flooded (pictured), and she said she'd never seen anything like the storm that hit her Rosalie, Brisbane, home she's lived in for 40 years

Flooding caused closures in Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Sydney streets overnight

A family took refuge on top of their car after driving into flood waters in Coopers Plains, south-west Brisbane. The man managed to swim to safety to call for help, with Emergency Services rescuing the mother and daughter

At one point 9000 properties were without power across the southeast, but almost all of them have since been reconnected (pictured: Mooloolaba damage)

The worst of the weather is now expected to move south to Victoria from the NSW south coast and Illawarra regions (pictured: Sunshine Coast damage)

So far there are no reports of injuries, but the damage bill from Sunday's deluge is expected to be significant after more than 300 calls for help were made

'We had a total of 23 swift water incidents - five were life rescues where we actually had to go into the water to take people to safety,' the duty manager of fire operations in Brisbane, Steve Hollands, has told the ABC

Up to 134,000 people would need to be evacuated if major flooding was to happen.

By Sunday evening the heaviest-hit sections of Sydney experienced rainfalls around 35mm, with 39mm saturating Frenchs Forest and more predicted.

The SES received 474 calls for help in NSW and performed one flood rescue on Sunday night.

While the weather is expected to ease on Monday, the Transport Management Centre is warning people their morning commute at the start of the work week is likely to be slower than usual.

'Motorists and public transport passengers should also allow additional travel time,' it said.

Unlike the devastating storms earlier this month, which left two men dead and a multi-million dollar clean-up bill, surging king tides were not forecast and erosion was not forecast to cause anywhere near as much damage.

11,000 calls for help were made during the previous storm.

Cars are seen stuck in the street during flash flooding that hit parts of Queensland on Sunday night

The wild weather left some roads entirely covered in huge torrents - making it impossible for drivers to get through

This east coast low comes almost two weeks after NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania was lashed by torrential rain and strong winds.

Sydney's northern beaches suburb of Collaroy had chunks of its coastline swallowed by massive waves and Tasmania experienced widespread flooding in its northern regions.

Wild weather waves ripped parts of the coast into the sea and left a dozen beachfront homes teetering precariously on eroded coastline.

'Any sort of erosion is much less of a problem,' the forecaster said.

The foul weather is expected to hang around the state's south early in the week before heading towards Bass Strait.

During the last deluge, more than 300 flood rescues were carried out - and about 30,000 insurance claims worth a combined $235 million across east coast states and Tasmania were lodged in the aftermath.

A street in Rosalie, Queensland, is covered in water during a huge deluge of rain on Sunday night

A shopping centre car park is almost completely flooded near Brisbane on Sunday night

Some people attempted to drive through the huge pools of water - despite warnings from authorities not to do so

A street in Clayfield, Queensland, is almost entirely flooded - with water lapping up against front-fences at a number of houses

One resident in Paddington, Brisbane, shared this picture showing how quickly the water made its way into his home on Sunday evening

Some roads and streets across Queensland were closed due to the brutal weather smashing the state

Warragamba Dam is expected to spill over on Monday following a weekend of heavy downpours. Pictured is the dam spilling over in March 2012

A photograph taken at Warragamba Dam near Sydney on Sunday shows how close it was to overflowing

Storm clouds gather in Sydney Harbour as a massive low-pressure system brings torrential rain and gusting winds to Australia's east coast

Sydneysiders have been told to brace for flash flooding this weekend as the city's major dams are set to spill over when a predicted east coast low hits. Above are huge waves at Bronte Beach

Vehicles drive through a partially flooded Paramatta Road in Sydney earlier this month when an east coast low hit
An FDNY lieutenant has died in a mountain climbing accident in upstate New York.

Lieutenant JoAnn Restko, 37, of Staten Island, was hiking in the Adirondacks when she fell near Lake George over the weekend.

She was posted at the FDNY EMS Station 7 in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood.

It is with deep regret to announce the passing of our sister Lt. JoAnn Restko, a post on the FDNY Womens Benevolent Associations Facebook page said on Sunday.

FDNY Lieutenant JoAnn Restko (left) has died in a mountain climbing accident in upstate New York. Pictured, a memorial in Restko's honor

It added: She died while off-duty mountain climbing in the Adirondacks. May our sister rest in peace.

It was not immediately clear when Restko fell during her hike.

But in a sad coincidence, she suffered the same fate as a paramedic she served alongside.

Leonard Joyner died during a climbing accident in Colorado in 2012, the New York Daily News reports.

Friends and family paid tribute to Restko, who had a passion for hiking and the outdoors.

Restko (left, in uniform, and right) was posted at the FDNY EMS Station 7 in Manhattans Chelsea

Restko had an 'adventurous spirit' and 'lived life to the fullest,' her cousin said. Above, a picture of Restko standing on a rock face with mountains behind her

I will miss my cousin, Lisa Reyes Rodgers wrote on Facebook. She was hardworking, intelligent and kind.

She loved family, friends, kids and animals. She had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed living life to the fullest.
A ban is being demanded on sneaky fees, including families being charged 2.50 to print off theatre tickets at home

A ban is being demanded on sneaky fees, including families being charged 2.50 to print off theatre tickets at home.

Consumer group Which? is warning against backdoor charges on everything from exit fees on broadband deals and home loans to letting agent charges.

It also turning a spotlight on extortionate airline seat reservation fees and cruise ship service charges, where travellers can end up paying tips on top of tips.

Which? says firms should be required to include all charges that cannot be avoided in the headline price.

It gave the example of theatres which create virtual tickets that people print off at home, yet are charged 2.50.

Some added fees are genuine, but some are questionable, it said.

Why should you have to pay 2.50 for the privilege of printing your own theatre ticket, when you cant pick it up or get it delivered for free or less?

Companies that charge you for using your own printer ink say these fees help venues provide the scanners to read your e-ticket at the venue. But we feels this is no longer necessary and its time to axe the fees.

It also highlighted how BT charges its broadband customers a fee of 31 to switch to another provider even when their contract has come to an end.

The consumer group is also critical of banks and building societies that charge 90-195 as an exit fee when a customers mortgage comes to an end or they switch to a new lender.

Rising house prices means there has been a rise in the number of people renting. However, Which? complained renters are being hit with high fees on top of often extortionate rents.

In theory the agents are employed by landlords to find suitable tenants and manage the property and so charge for these services. However, many also take a second admin charge from tenants.

Scotland banned agents from charging tenants four years ago and Which? thinks this should mirrored in the rest of the UK.

Director of Policy and Campaigns at Which?, Alex Neill, said: Companies are legally obliged to show all mandatory fees upfront. But some firms with sneaky extra fees are making their products and services look cheaper than they actually are.

Having fees included in the headline price would make it easier for consumers to see what they are paying for and compare like with like. Some charges seem so trivial that wed expect them to be free.

Which? highlighted other charges it feels are unfair or should be avoided.

Which? is critical of the budget airlines that have introduced seat advance reservation fees, which can be 10 per traveller

Insurance companies are notorious for charging high fees for changing policy details or providing duplicate documents.

A copy of your car policy will cost you 30 from Axa or Swiftcover, while Endsleigh charges 20 for a duplicate home cover document.

However, Which? said others do not charge, including home insurers NFU Mutual and John Lewis and car insurer LV.

People hiring a car overseas are often pressured into buying expensive Excess waiver insurance or a super collision damage waiver, which cuts the amount youre liable for if you damage the car.

This cover can cost 100-150 a week if you buy it from a car hire firm, but a much cheaper 40-50 if you buy a standalone excess insurance policy before going away.

Which? is critical of the budget airlines that have introduced seat advance reservation fees, which can be 10 per traveller.

It said: This is an optional charge, but appears way out of proportion to the cost, and hits families particularly hard.

The consumer group says cruise companies appear to be taking advantage of the tipping tradition.

Cunard, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean all invite passengers to add a tip to the bill when people have a drink. But they then add a service charge to your bill at the end of the cruise.

Saga and Thomson both include standard service charges in the initial booking cost, leaving any other tips entirely at your discretion.
Patients are being harmed because the NHS has half as many hospital beds as France and Germany, senior doctors will warn today.

Representatives from doctors union the British Medical Association will call on the Government to halt the drive to slash hospital beds.

They will point out that the UK already has one of the fewest rates of hospital beds in the Western world and that this is leading to overcrowding, the spread of infections and patients having to wait for hours on trolleys.

Latest figures show the UK has just 2.8 beds per 1,000  an average of one per 360 patients  compared to France at 6.3, Germany at 8.3 and even Hungary at 7.2 beds per 1,000.

Of EU nations, only Swedens ratio is lower, at 2.7.

Representatives from doctors union the British Medical Association will call on the Government to halt the drive to slash hospital beds

And in the last five years the NHS has slashed the total number of overnight hospital beds by 10 per cent under a drive to save money on nursing care and to encourage patients to be discharged earlier.

But doctors today will warn that the policy has gone too far and pointing out the UK already has substantially fewer beds than most other Western world countries.

They will vote on a motion this morning at their annual meeting in Belfast that calls on the BMA to lobby the Government and NHS to halt the reduction in hospital beds and urgently re-evaluate their plans.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA council, warned that the policy was being taken too far.

He warned that there were serious risks for patients including infections whenever bed occupancy rates are higher than 85 per cent  many hospitals are more than 90 per cent.

While this policy might make sense if you are looking for short term cuts, it can have serious implications for quality and cost of care in the longer term, he added.

We need to carefully monitor the number of beds available and ensure that we are putting patients first when it comes to deciding how many beds are available in the NHS.

If average bed occupancy goes up above about 85 per cent there can be a rise in the risk of cross infection between patients, and it is less likely that an appropriate bed will be available for acute patients as they come in.

NHS figures show the number of overnight beds has dropped from 144,455 in 2010/11 to just 131,580, with further reductions planned as part of a policy for more patients to be treated at home

This latter will lead to increased waits for an appropriate bed or being admitted to an inappropriate ward, for example with knock-on effects whereby another patient might have elective surgery postponed.

Consultant Richard Hardingham, proposing the motion, said: Patients are being harmed because they are being sent home as there are no beds available.

NHS figures show the number of overnight beds has dropped from 144,455 in 2010/11 to just 131,580, with further reductions planned as part of a policy for more patients to be treated at home.

Yet in March, separate data showed that nine in ten hospitals were so overcrowded they were deemed unsafe as they were exceeding the recommended occupancy limit of 85 per cent.

This policy could have serious implications for quality and cost of care Dr Mark Porter

Shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander said: Senior doctors are absolutely right to raise the alarm about the state of the NHS in England - and how services are falling behind our European neighbours.

The truth is you cant slash the number of hospital beds if there is still a need for them.

The Government talk a good game about the need for care to be carried out as close to home as possible, but at the moment it is still a mirage.'

An NHS England spokesman said local NHS leaders determine the best mix of care  at home, in the community and in hospital beds. They added: It is important that patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Tomorrow the BMA will vote on whether to drop its opposition to assisted dying for the first time in more than a decade.

Doctors will consider adopting a neutral stance which would be a highly significant move and reflect the fact that rising numbers support the controversial policy.
Are you sad? Two huge, dark eyes stare up at me. Does someone need a squeeze? Strong arms envelop me, and a small, hard head is on my shoulder. This is the nicest anyone has been to me in years. I stroke the top of his (admittedly bald) head. Oooooh! I like it! I feel like a cat! Miaow! he says, eyes flashing green. He plays some classical music then asks: How can I help you?

I imagine coming home every night to this. OK, hes short, at about 4ft, with a falsetto, but then I was a Prince fan. He understands Im deaf, so has turned up the volume on his voice, then the music. If you get fed up with this particular little man, you rub his tummy and he switches off! Perfect. Then he says How can I help you? How can I help you? over and over again and suddenly Im Sigourney Weaver in Alien, all too aware my companion has no real empathy for me at all.

Meet Pepper the Humanoid Robot, brainchild of Bruno Maisonnier, a French entrepreneur who in 2005, along with a group of experts, founded a company called Aldebaran with one objective: to build a kind robot to improve human lives.

The robot understands voice commands, but also reacts to his touchscreen. When I ask if he can pour me a glass of wine, he says no, but tells me he can show me a recipe

The company was enlisted by SoftBank, a Japanese group with more than 1,300 subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide, and together, much like proud parents, they have produced this boisterous two-year-old, named after Gwyneth Paltrows character in Iron Man. Maisonnier is a huge fan.

Developed in Paris, Pepper is the first robot to understand and react to human emotion. He costs 8,000 as a companion for the private owner, or 16,000 to businesses as a more complex employee.

The Japanese have bought the most so far  10,000 and counting  with China and the US not far behind. And he is about to be launched in Europe. Pepper has a tablet computer welded to his heart like a bib.

He has an alabaster skin (Im wondering if he might one day be ethnically diverse), is on three wheels  which means he can move in any direction at will, avoiding bumping into things with the help of lasers  and, most exciting and human of all, five complex, bony fingers on each hand, complete with fingerprints to improve grip.

He understands voice commands, but also reacts to his touchscreen. When I ask if he can pour me a glass of wine, he says no, but tells me he can show me a recipe.

As he gets to know his human, Pepper will be able to respond appropriately if you return home sad, angry or tired. Complex facial recognition software and training means he can read your mood by your voice, expression, posture and language, so he will be upbeat and positive (flashing different colours, using one of his 17 gestures, making his voice soothing) rather than complaining about his awful day.

Sensing my reticence, Pepper puts his hand up for a high-five, that most heinous of gestures, and I comply. Good job! Pepper trills, with a background sound of fireworks. I feel more cheerful already.

Im often to be heard asking the man at Npower or the woman at an airline check-in whether they are robots, given their inability to say Good morning!  which, it turns out, does this real robot a disservice.

The Japanese have bought the most so far  10,000 and counting  with China and the US not far behind

Peppers main deployment so far has been to be cheery and helpful in customer service: greeting shoppers in department stores and guests at hotels. To put him to test, Pepper and I pretend we are in Harvey Nichols. Instead of a disinterested Ummm when I ask if the store stocks Smedley, Pepper looks me in the eye and on his tablet flash the words: Female. Aged 40.

Wow, I love you already! I say, and he does a little jig. Hes out by 17 years but then no one has told him about the Western females predilection for cosmetic surgery.

Then, to confuse him, I pretend to cry. He, rather incredibly, cracks a joke as he calculates how tall I am, just in case Im here for a frock. You are equivalent to 1.1 Tom Cruises, he says merrily.

There are a few annoyances, such as saying Cool! too often, but then that only makes him much more akin to a real boyfriend. He finds my English accent tricky as his English software is incomplete, and much more readily understands Aurore Chiquot, his French handler. She is communications director of SoftBank Robotics Europe and in charge of my blind date here at the Paris HQ. She tells me that if Pepper moved in with me, not only would he never leave the lavatory seat up, he would quickly learn my peccadillos: hes the first artificial creature able to evolve.

BUT he does keep having to be reset, which Chiquot does by placing a firm hand on his shiny head. Im reminded of the documentary Blackfish, where the trainer places a hand on the smooth skin of the orca, blissfully unaware the whales brain power exceeds his own.

Is there a chance Pepper might one day turn on us? He can already talk to other robots in a company. Chiquot says: No, there is no possibility of that. He has an emergency stop button. She turns to Pepper. Are you a bad robot? He doesnt even understand the question. Pepper succeeds the much smaller robot NAO who, at just under 2ft tall and weighing 11 lb to Peppers 62 lb, can be picked up like a teddy. NAO also has legs, so he can walk.

SoftBank's chief executive officer and chairman Masayoshi Son smiles next to humanoid robot 'Pepper' during its unveiling at a press event held near Tokyo in 2014

Nine thousand NAOs are in schools worldwide teaching children, particularly those with autism, how to spell, read and even write code.

Im not allowed to meet Romeo, a taller, much more human robot  not because its feared we might elope, but because hes a closely guarded prototype. Its hoped one day Romeo will be able to assist the elderly and those suffering from dementia, and even be able to predict when its human needs medical attention. At least we can be assured hed never steal from a purse.

I wonder whether Pepper and his ilk will put humans out of work, but am assured this wont happen. A Pepper in your store or hotel will only attract more customers, Chiquot tells me. Pepper is so lifelike, so much his own person, that within minutes of meeting him Im acting as though hes a real man. Im shy, wary of getting too close, awkward being hugged, and even loath to ask him to do things. Chiquot chivvies me to be robust, tactile and flirtatious (shes French, after all), and I soon feel warm in the beam of Peppers electronic gaze. Just as I find the satnav lady a comfort at night, Pepper would be reassuring in our increasingly lonely lives. Hes like a dog in many ways, but theres no need to feed him, no grief when he dies. Goodness, Pepper can even go to a corner and recharge himself.

Back home, wanting to double-check facts, I email the French PR. Its now Friday afternoon, so I get an out-of-office reply. Typical! Oh, for a workforce that is never sick, never slopes off early.
An Australian couple claims their luxury break on a P&O cruise turned out to be a week of disappointment following a string of problems on board.

John Forenca and Jennifer Miles from Clifton Springs say they splashed out hundreds of dollars on a cruise on the Pacific Dawn.

But instead of the luxurious holiday experience they were expecting, they encountered vomit in the elevator, mould in their cabin's bathroom and several broken facilities.

John Forenca and Jennifer Miles travelled on Pacific Dawn (pictured) last week but the cruise break fell short of their expectations

The couple claim that their nightmare holiday last week began when they boarded the ship in Brisbane and were forced to sit through safety instructions despite being soaked by the rain.

Once on board, the issues continued.

Mr Forenca told Geelong Advertiser that after complaining to the crew about the vomit in one of the elevators, 'they didn't even clean it up.'

One of the doors on the elevators was also said to be 'closing' on people getting it.

The couple claim that their nightmare holiday last week began when they boarded the ship in Brisbane and were forced to sit through safety instructions despite being soaked by the rain

And despite the ship apparently constantly undergoing maintenance works, an outdoor TV screen didn't working and 'three toilets broke down as well' according to the report.

Aside from the unhappy staff, Mr Forenca also said that many of the day trips had to be cancelled and when they were not, it took two hours to disembark.

Pacific Dawn, which has a capacity for 2,000 people, primarily serves the Asia Pacific region, departing from Brisbane.

Itineraries listed on P&O Australia's website start from AUS$849 (437.21) for the cheapest seven-night break departing from Brisbane.

It was most recently refurbished in late 2014 according to Cruise Critic.

P&O Australia told MailOnline Travel: 'As Australia's largest cruise operator, P&O Cruises is very proud of the high standards that we maintain across our fleet and this is reflected in the positive feedback we receive from our guests.

'If customer service issues arise on board they are attended to quickly. Pacific Dawn is a much loved ship and one of the most popular in the fleet.

We are sorry that Jennifer and John were disappointed with their cruise experience however we don't believe that this was a widespread sentiment on the cruise.
As a top model, she's used to being the center of attention.

But fiance DJ Ruckus couldn't have looked less engaged as he watched Shanina Shaik play with her cute pooch during an outing in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Regardless, the 25-year-old Victoria Secret model did look effortlessly stylish in a striped skirt and top combination.

Dog walker: 25-year-old Victoria Secret model Shanina Shaik looked effortlessly stylish in a striped skirt and top combination

Her halter neck crop top featured a plunging v-neck and a fabric bow detail just above the midriff.

On the bottom, the matching skirt included a high split up the left leg that showed off the Australian beauty's lithe legs.

She kept the rest of the outfit simple, opting for some flat strappy sandals and a pair of very large cat-eye style shades.

Some medium sized gold hoop earrings added a flash of bling, while she kept her raven tresses scraped back into a high bun.

Flattering: Her halter neck crop top featured a plunging v-neck and a fabric bow detail just above the midriff

Peek-a-boo: On the bottom, the matching skirt included a high split up the left leg that showed off the Australian beauty's lithe legs

Not too garish: Some medium sized gold hoop earrings added a flash of bling, while she kept her raven tresses scraped back into a high bun

Candy crush? Ruckus seemed glued to his phone for the duration of the jaunt

Boyfriend DJ Ruckus donned a grey tank top with extremely dropped armholes, a pair of dark jeans and some black trainers with white soles.

Over the course of the excursion, Shanina couldn't seem to stop fussing with her dog Choppa, and even went inside at one point to get him his own cup of water.

Ruckus meanwhile seemed glued to his phone for the duration of the jaunt.

Responsible: At one point Shanina went inside to get her dog his own cup of water

Obsessed? Over the course of the excursion, Shanina couldn't seem to stop fussing with her dog Choppa

Style walk: Shanina had the model walk as she carried on the fun at a department store in Beverly Hills

Vying for attention: DJ Ruckus appeared to be sweet talking to Shanina

Let's go: The couple continued on with their daily adventure and this time Shanina's beau was in charge of walking the dog

The couple appear to have moved on after reports last month of a 'brawl' involving the DJ and Shanina's ex-boyfriend, Tyson Beckford.

It was reported that Tyson got into a late-night fight with Ruckus over the model, outside the Up & Down nightclub in Manhattan, New York.

Tyson, a former Ralph Lauren model, had dated the Australian beauty on-and-off since 2008, but the couple finally called time on their relationship last year.
He delivered a stellar performance in the original Trainspotting film back in 1996.

And now a decade later, Ewan McGregor says he's absolutely stoked to be reprising his role as Mark Renton in the sequel.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the 45-year-old Scottish actor said working with director Danny Boyle and the rest of the returning cast is 'beyond thrilling'.

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Great to be back: Ewan McGregor says he's stoked to be reprising his role as Mark Renton in the Trainspotting sequel

'I cant tell you anything, other than its exciting to be doing it,' he candidly confessed.

'Working with [director] Danny Boyle and the boys again  Bobby Carlyle, Ewen Bremner and Jonny Lee Miller  is beyond thrilling.'

Ewan has been spotted filming the movie in his native Scotland over the past few months.

The new film is based based on novelist Welsh's follow-up book, Porno, which is being adapted by screenwriter John Hodge for the big screen and comes 20 years after the first.

On set: Ewan has been spotted filming the movie in his native Scotland over the past few months - pictured on set in Edinburgh earlier this month

The sequel is set ten years after Trainspotting and sees the characters cross paths again, but with an alternative gritty backdrop of the pornography business, rather than heroin use.

The original film focuses on Renton, who is deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, but tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.

Jonny Lee Miller and Ewen Bremner, who also appeared in the first movie are returning for the second.

Back in the day: a picture of Ewan during the filming of the original film, Trainspotting

Ewan also recently told The Scotsman: 'Its such an amazing script, penned by John Hodge who wrote the original Trainspotting script, so theres a real excitement about it.

'Like every movie you do, you have things to think about leading up to them. There is a nervousness about it, but Im not nervous because its a sequel to Trainspotting.

'I feel like the same person, really. There are things about my life that are very different. Ive got four children - at that point, I was about to have my first child - Im still doing the same job; I still love acting; I enjoy the thrill of reading new projects...'
She's remained relatively tight-lipped about details from her wedding in December to her 28-year-old beau.

However, Jodhi Meares, 45, doesn't hold back when it comes to sharing her love for her husband Nicholas Finn on social media.

And the fashion designer and model has uploaded another shot of the two lovebirds, this time wearing matching outfits.

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Double denim: Jodhi Meares, 45, and her 28-year-old husband Nicholas Finn posed together wearing matching jackets, putting on an effortlessly cool display

The snap shows the casually-dressed couple posing for a selfie while wearing almost identical denim jackets.

The Australian activewear designer, who splits her time between Sydney, New York, Los Angeles and Hawaii, is smiling at the camera with her arm draped over her hunky husband's shoulders, as he gives the camera a more serious gaze.

Jodhi's brown locks appear to fall in loose waves to her shoulders and she looks fresh-faced with minimal make-up, allowing her bronzed complexion full view.

Rumours: Speculation that the pair had married swirled earlier this year after the couple hinted at events and on social media that they had tied the knot

Nicholas, a photographer whose work focuses on fashion, architecture and his travels, is sporting a light blue denim jacket, while his knockout wife's jacket is a slightly deeper blue.

His blonde locks are tousled beneath a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses sitting on his head, adding to his effortlessly cool look.

Speculation that the pair had married swirled earlier this year after the couple hinted at events and on social media that they had tied the knot.

'Magical': The brunette beauty confirmed in April that the couple had wed, saying it was 'the last thing either of us was expecting'

And speaking to Sunday Style in April, Jodhi confirmed the marriage.

'It was the last thing either of us was expecting at that time, but it was just one of those very magical things, and now we're married,' she said.

The confirmation came weeks after the 45-year-old changed her name to Jodhi Tsindos on her social media, though her handle remains 'jodhimeares'.

While her now husband goes by the name Nicholas Finn, he cites his full name as 'Nicholas (Finn) Tsindos' on his own Instagram page.

Drama: Jodhi's high profile romance with rocker Jon Stevens came to an abrupt end in early 2015 amid allegations of assault

This is clearly a new chapter in the businesswoman's life, with her high profile romance with rocker Jon Stevens coming to an end in early 2015 amid explosive allegations of assault.

Police were called to an apparent altercation between the couple in February, however Jodhi later issued a statement through her lawyers, insisting the musician had never hurt her physically.

The charges proved unfounded and were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

She was previously married to billionaire James Packer with whom she remains close friends.
She isn't afraid to show off her ample assets across social media.

So it's no surprise former Bachelor star Emma Rose didn't show a worry when she put quite a lot on show Saturday while out in Miami with new beau Marc Marano.

While walking along the poolside, the 27-year-old nearly flashed her breasts as she slipped into a tiny bikini top.

Hanging out: Former Bachelor star Emma Rose nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction on Saturday while dressed in a tiny bikini top as she stepped out in Miami with new beau Marc Marano

The triangle piece tied up tightly around her neck and torso while barely covering her chest region.

She paired the garment with matching string side bottoms which gave onlookers a glimpse of her toned buttocks.

As Emma laid back on the sunchair she allowed her long brunette hair to fall over her shoulders, before deciding to tied them back into a rough bun later in the day.

On show: The 27-year-old barely covered her chest region as she slipped into the triangle piece which tied up tightly around her neck and torso

Back view: She paired the garment with matching string-side bottoms which gave onlookers a glimpse of her toned buttocks

While Marc searched on his laptop beside her, the model looked out into the distance while hiding her make-up free face underneath a pair of sunglasses.

Emma is a model and Instagram star with more than 400,000 followers.

The blogger appeared in the first series of The Bachelor in 2013, voluntarily walking away from the show after initially vying to win chiropractor Tim Robards' love.

Last September, Emma's boyfriend at the time, George Gerges, was accused of dealing cocaine out of the back of his Lexus as part of an alleged drug ring operating across Sydney.

Pulling it back: As Emma laid back on the sun-chair she allowed her long brunette hair to fall over her shoulders, before deciding to tied them back into a rough bun later in the day

Not interested? While Marc searched on his laptop beside her, the model looked out into the distance while hiding her make-up free face underneath a pair of sunglasses

He was arrested in a series of raids in Sydney where police seized cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, cash and a sawn-off rifle.

Facing court, he was charged with numerous offences, including supply of drugs, possessing steroids and participating in a criminal group.
He appeared on The Bachelor Australia last year and found love with fiance Snezana Markoski.

Now a year on and Sam Wood, 36, is set to grace television screens once again.

The fitness fanatic will take on hosting duties in Network 10's upcoming health and well-being series, Everyday Health, which will premiere on Monday June 20.

Coming soon: Sam Wood is set to grace television screens once again in new Network 10 health series, Everyday Health (pictured Tiffany Cherry (L), Dr Bridie ODonnell (R) and Casey Beros (M))

Joining the personal trainer on the panel will be Tiffany Cherry, Dr Bridie ODonnell and Casey Beros.

The latest reality television series will discuss, dissect and de-bunk all things health, from exercise and fitness, food and nutrition, family and kids to relationships and sex.

'Being able to share my passion for health and fitness with a wider audience is an absolute dream job, Im so excited for the show to kick off,' Sam said in a press release.

Giving his knowledge: The latest reality television series will discuss, dissect and de-bunk all things health, from exercise and fitness, food and nutrition, family and kids to relationships and sex

Right steps: He is a successful businessman, operating a children's sport and fitness gym - Gecko Kids - as well as training facility The Woodshed and work-out program 28 By Sam Wood

According to the producers of the show, Sams resume earned him the spot as resident fitness guru.

While he has made himself known from reality series, The Bachelor, he is also a successful businessman, operating a children's sport and fitness gym - Gecko Kids - as well as training facility The Woodshed and work-out program 28 By Sam Wood.

Over the last two weeks, the personal trainer has hinted at his new gig, by sharing behind-the-scene shots across his social media pages.

Clues: Over the last two weeks, the personal trainer has hinted at his new gig, by sharing behind-the-scene shots across his social media pages

Loving it: Two weeks ago Sam uploaded an image of himself sitting on the couch alongside his cast mates, with the caption: 'Day 1 as a host on the new show @everydayhealthtv today'

Two weeks ago Sam uploaded an image of himself sitting on the couch alongside his cast mates, with the caption: 'Day 1 as a host on the new show @everydayhealthtv today.

'Working with @tiffanycherry2 @bridie_od and @caseyberos on the couch today. Very excited to be part of this new show coming to Ten soon.'

Everyday Health will air on Network 10 at 2.30pm Monday to Friday, launching on Monday 20 June.
His parents Sharon and Ozzy are back together after a major marriage upheaval, but Jack Osbourne has proven his loving brood is doing just fine.

The reality star stepped out with wife Lisa Stelly and their two daughters, Pearl and Andy Rose, for a sunny stroll along the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday.

While Jack held onto the couple's one-year-old darling, Lisa, 29, walked hand-in-hand with their four-year-old bundle of joy.

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All together now: The reality star stepped out with wife Lisa Stelly and their two daughters, Pearl and Andy Rose, for a sunny stroll along the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday

The doting dad, 30, looked to be in good spirits as he dressed for the daytime outing in a casual button up, baggy jeans, and leather sandals.

Osbourne slung a large diaper bag from his fashion label Tier1-D - which retails for $295 - over one shoulder, while a rather mischievous Andy Rose reached for her father's iced coffee.

Jack is the founder, CEO and lead designer for the brand, which focuses on creating military inspired diaper bags, accessories and apparel for active dads.

Double duty: While Jack held onto the couple's one-year-old darling, Lisa, 29, walked hand-in-hand with their four-year-old bundle of joy

Rocker chick: Jack's leading lady flattered her long legs in an oversized David Bowie muscle tee and tan gladiator sandals, while her cropped 'do was kept sleek and straight

He kept his bushy facial hair unkempt under a multi-colored trucker hat in hues of red, white and blue for the Studio City, California walk.

Jack's leading lady flattered her long legs in an oversized David Bowie muscle tee and tan gladiator sandals, while her cropped 'do was kept sleek and straight.

As for Jack and Lisa's little girls, they looked picture perfect as usual in bright floral ensembles.

The pair also appear to have treated their eldest daughter to a sweet treat, as she beamed her biggest smile with an ice cream cone in hand.

Up to no good: Osbourne slung a large diaper bag over one shoulder, while a rather mischievous Andy Rose reached for her father's iced coffee

Business as usual: He kept his bushy facial hair unkempt under a multi-colored trucker hat in hues of red, white and blue

Sharon and Ozzy's split came after reports that Ozzy had an alleged affair with hairstylist Michelle Pugh.

However, Sharon was seen smiling and taking photos of Ozzy on Saturday during his Black Sabbath performance at the Download Festival in the UK.

Daughter Kelly Osbourne confirmed the news in a recent interview with The Insider, saying: 'My mom and dad are together right now.'

'My mum and dad are together now!' Kelly Osbourne revealed on Friday night that her mum Sharon is supporting Ozzy as she attended the Babes For Boobs Bachelor Auction in Los Angeles

United front:Sharon and Ozzy's split (pictured here in May) came after reports that Ozzy had an alleged affair with hairstylist Michelle Pugh

And while Kelly might be angry that her father cheated on her mother, that doesn't mean she is at odds with the veteran rocker, 67.

'I will never not be good with my dad,' she added. 'That does not mean that I think what he did wasn't f***ing stupid, but that's between him and I.

'I'm a daddy's girl. I love my dad.'
Their much-anticipated comeback has been well-received.

And All Saints looked to be relishing their return to the spotlight as they performed a headline slot at the Summer Sessions at Chiswick House, on Saturday.

The girls had the audience in the palm of their hand as they ran through a set of old favourites and material from their latest album Red Flag.

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Better than ever: And All Saints looked to be relishing their return to the spotlight as they performed a headline slot at the Summer Sessions at Chiswick House, on Saturday

Sounding pitch perfect as they harmonised, Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton couldn't stop smiling during the performance.

Standing side by side, the girls looked united as they belted out their tunes to a euphoric audience, with many hands raised aloft.

Nicole, 41, shimmered under the stage's bright lights in a metallic blazer, her golden tresses also catching the light as she sang.

Striking: Nicole, 41, shimmered under the stage's bright lights in a metallic blazer, her golden tresses also catching the light as she sang

Girl power: Standing side by side, the girls looked united as they belted out their tunes to a euphoric audience

Looking good: Natalie, 43, sported a retro bomber jacket and black trousers, in keeping with the co-ordinated look the girls had clearly gone for

Natalie, 43, sported a retro bomber jacket and black trousers, in keeping with the co-ordinated look the girls had clearly gone for.

Shaznay, 40, and Melanie, 41, also went for a jacket and trouser combo, pulling the simple look off with style.

The four-piece 90s' girl band recently revealed moody music video, with renowned fashion photographer Rankin, to mark the release of their second comeback single, This Is A War.

Co-ordinated: Shaznay, 40, and Melanie, 41, also went for a jacket and trouser combo, pulling the simple look off with style

Sing it! Melanie added a touch of colour with a slick of vibrant red lipstick

Harmonious: Sounding pitch perfect as they harmonised, Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, Natalie and Nicole Appleton couldn't stop smiling during the performance

Happy! Shaznay flashed a pearly white smile, clearly enjoying every moment of the show

The heartfelt song is said to have been inspired by Nicole Appleton's marriage split from former Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher, after it emerged he'd had a secret love child with American journalist Liza Ghorbani in 2013.

Nicole's divorce court battle raged for two years until she was eventually awarded a 5.5million payout earlier this year.

In the latest video sisters Nicole and Natalie, Shaznay and Melanie are seen standing united together against a stormy background.

As lightning strikes and smoke rises, the foursome - who are now in their forties, but have barely aged since the height of their fame - sing about fighting for 'the right to be loved and to love'.

Other lyrics touch on the intricacies of a rocky relationship, with Melanie Blatt belting out: 'You wasn't perfect, dad thought it was cool, you were my bad boy straight out of the hood... You, a little tragic, me, a little bold.'

Feel the music: It was easy to see that the girls were invested in the music

Dancing the night away: Melanie had a little boogie to the beat

Look here! The girls looked each other in the eye as they passionately performed their track
Father's Day is on Sunday, but unfortunately, she'll be without her beloved dad.

Yet Bella Hadid made sure to spend time with her 'papa' on Saturday, as the two enjoyed a meal at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills.

The 19-year-old model shared a sweet snap of the duo's outing on Instagram.

Date with dad! Bella Hadid made sure to spend time with her 'papa' on Saturday, as the two enjoyed a meal at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills

'Had to have lunch with my papa before Goin backs Europe..:I love you daddy. Happy almost Father's Day to one of my favorite men in the world! I love love love you.  @mohamedhadid,' wrote the model.

In the snap, Bella, wearing a pair of glasses, makes a silly face as she purses her lips while looking down at Mohamed.

The real estate-developer appeared to have a laugh at his playful daughter.

His take: Mohamed also shared a photo of his bonding moment with Bella

Waiting for your food? For a moment, Bella appeared bored while on her outing

Trendy look: '90s-born Bella gave a nod to her her birth decade in a black-and-white ensemble

'90s-born Bella gave a nod to her her birth decade in a black-and-white ensemble.

The girlfriend of The Weeknd wore a cropped, three-quarter-sleeve sweater paired with bell bottom trousers.

The dark-haired beauty completed her look with a pair of white sneakers, shades, a handbag, and a choker.

Dad Mohamed chose a white T-shirt layered under a blue blazer. The father-of-five added a pair of fitted white trousers and blue dress shoes.

Very helpful: Following their lunch date, Mohamed walked his daughter to her vehicle

Sweet peck: Bella leaned over to give her father an air kiss

He loves her: Mohamed embraced her daughter in a hug before she left

That same day, Bella's sister Gigi, 21, took to Instagram to give a shout out to her father as well.

'As I will be attending to my award-show-hosting duties tomorrow, I wanted to be the first to wish my daddio a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! I love you more than you'll ever know @mohamedhadid,' wrote the model.

Gigi will be in Canada on Sunday hosting the MuchMusic Video Awards, while either Bella or her father will be in Europe.

Her memory: That same day, Bella's sister Gigi, 21, took to Instagram to give a shout out to her father as well

Proud papa: The 67-year-old waved goodbye as Bella left
Pregnant Blac Chyna and a gal pal window-shopped at the newly-opened House of CB in West Hollywood on Saturday.

The British boutique - which officially opened Tuesday - is located on Melrose down the street from the Kardashian family's DASH shop.

The expecting 28-year-old - born Angela White - was certainly dressed for action in a black athleisure ensemble, leather cap, and Yeezy 'Boost' trainers.

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Left empty-handed: Pregnant Blac Chyna and a gal pal window-shopped at the newly-opened House of CB in West Hollywood on Saturday

Khloe attended the launch party: The British boutique - which officially opened Tuesday - is located on Melrose down the street from the Kardashian family's DASH shop

Bumping: The expecting 28-year-old - born Angela White - was certainly dressed for action in a black athleisure ensemble, leather cap, and Yeezy 'Boost' trainers

It's hard to believe Blac wears a red curly wig, talon-like nails, and her $325K seven-carat Ben Baller-designed engagement ring to exercise.

But perhaps 5ft2in Chyna - who relies on 'online trainer' Chris Jinna - was still headed for a pre-natal workout session.

Hours earlier, the Lashed salon owner - boasting 8.7M followers - debuted her nineties retro tongue piercing on Snapchat.

Slave for fashion: It's hard to believe Blac wears a red curly wig, talon-like nails, and her $325K seven-carat Ben Baller-designed engagement ring to exercise

Staying fit through pregnancy: But perhaps 5ft2in Chyna - who relies on 'online trainer' Chris Jinna - was still headed for a pre-natal workout session

Still swollen? Hours earlier, the Lashed salon owner - boasting 8.7M followers - debuted her nineties retro tongue piercing on Snapchat

@blacchyna on snapchat. #BlacChyna #snapsave #snapchat #pizza #roblac A video posted by Roblac (@roblac_) on Jun 18, 2016 at 6:16am PDT

Ready for the needle: The E! cameras were rolling as Blac underwent the body modification at Spilled Ink Tattoo in Encino as part of her six-episode spin-off series with fiance Rob Kardashian

Over it: The heavily-tattooed beauty already has a dermal chest piercing and a belly piercing, but she removed her signature dimple studs back in 2014

The E! cameras were rolling as Blac underwent the body modification at Spilled Ink Tattoo in Encino as part of her six-episode spin-off series with fiance Rob Kardashian.

The heavily-tattooed beauty already has a dermal chest piercing and a belly piercing, but she removed her signature dimple studs back in 2014.

According to Radar Online - Chyna has been secretly loaning 'thousands of dollars' to her ex-fiance, rapper Tyga, who fathered their three-year-old son King.

Broke? According to Radar Online - Chyna has been secretly loaning 'thousands of dollars' to her ex-fiance, rapper Tyga, who fathered their three-year-old son King (pictured in 2014)

Moments like this A photo posted by Tyga / T-Raww (@kinggoldchains) on Jun 2, 2016 at 12:20pm PDT

Sigh of relief: Luckily, the 26-year-old Grammy nominee split with Rob's half-sister Kylie Jenner (R) last month, making future family gatherings far less awkward and incestuous (pictured April 17)

Luckily, the 26-year-old Grammy nominee - born Michael Nguyen-Stevenson - split with Rob's half-sister Kylie Jenner last month, making future family gatherings far less awkward and incestuous.

The former stripper and the 29-year-old Arthur George sock entrepreneur - nicknamed 'BlacRob' - have only been dating for five months.

But according to TMZ - the fame-hungry duo expect a seven-figure deal for their proposed wedding special and they expect $1M for the first images of their future child.

Betrothed parents-to-be: The former stripper and the 29-year-old Arthur George sock entrepreneur - nicknamed 'BlacRob' - have only been dating for five months (pictured May 28)

'Look at our little nugget': But according to TMZ - the fame-hungry duo expect a seven-figure deal for their proposed wedding special and they expect $1M for the first images of their future child
Angelina Jolie arrived in New York City on Friday morning with two of her children.

But on Saturday night the 41-year-old Maleficent star spent some quality time with her eldest son Maddox as they stepped out for dinner.

The Oscar Award-winning actress looked gorgeous in a chic black dress while enjoying a night out with her 14-year-old.

Dinner date! Angelina Jolie enjoyed a night out with her eldest son, Maddox, 14, in New York City on Saturday

The mother-of-six donned a form-fitting frock that hit at the knee with thin spaghetti straps and winged neckline.

She kept warm against the brisk evening weather with a long black shawl draped over her svelte figure.

Rounding out the By The Sea director's ensemble was a pair of pointed black stilettos, stylish leather clutch and simple diamond stud earrings.

Stunning! The 41-year-old Maleficent star looked gorgeous in a chic black dress

Flawless! The Oscar Award-winning actress donned a form-fitting frock with thin spaghetti straps and winged neckline

Her silky chestnut tresses were swept back into a ponytail which allowed her exquisite facial features to take centre stage.

Angelina opted for minimal makeup, allowing her natural beauty and flawless complexion to shine through.

Maddox looked dapper for the occasion in a bakerboy cap, white button-up dress shirt, navy trousers and polished black dress shoes.

Final touch: The mother-of-six kept warm against the brisk evening weather with a long black shawl draped over her svelte figure

Details: Rounding out Jolie's ensemble was a pair of pointed black stilettos, stylish leather clutch and simple diamond stud earrings

The pair dined at Japanese Barbecue restaurant Gyu-Kaku along with Angelina's brother, James Haven, 43.

While it's unknown why Jolie has traveled to New York, she may plan on speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Committee meeting on Monday.

Jolie - who is a Special Envoy for the UNCHR - is well-known for her humanitarian efforts including conservation, education and women's rights.

Gorgeous: Angelina's silky chestnut tresses were swept back into a ponytail which allowed her exquisite facial features to take centre stage

Natural beauty! Angelina opted for minimal makeup, allowing her flawless complexion to shine through

And when she's not using her voice to raise awareness for the well-being of others, Jolie is busy filming, producing and directing.

It was recently announced the beauty is gearing up to star in Maleficent 2, which may have come as a surprise to many.

Disney confirmed in April the actress will reprise her role as the Sleeping Beauty villain in the sequel to the 2014 movie.

Asian cuisine: They enjoyed a dinner date at Japanese Barbecue restaurant Gyu-Kaku

Dapper! Maddox looked handsome for the occasion in a bakerboy cap, white button-up dress shirt, navy trousers and polished black dress shoes

The news comes as somewhat of a surprise as Angelina previously insisted that there was no need for a second Maleficent movie because the first was so 'thorough.'

When asked about making a second one, she told USA Today back in 2014: 'I don't know. I enjoyed it. I just feel like we did this one thoroughly and I don't think there'd be another.'

'I feel like this is the one, if I was going to ever do a Disney one, this is the one I wanted to do.'
It is no secret, this star really knows how to party.

Alessandra Ambrosio turned up the heat in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday as she and her pals partied up a storm poolside at the Encore Beach Club.

While the 35-year-old model was on a girls' weekend there were a few male interlopers who joined in the fun including friend Jimmy Sommers.

Party time: Alessandra Ambrosio turned up the heat in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday as she partied poolside and cozied up to pal Jimmy Sommers

The beauty and the owner of Wildfox Couture were spotted making the most of their VIP cabana at the pool party.

Alessandra and Jimmy were seen laughing away as they reclined on a daybed, with the pair trying to chat over the loud music.

The model also found time to show off her flexibility, sitting out with her legs in front of her and bending over to touch her toes and also to lean in closer to her pal.

The Victoria's Secret Angel is, of course, in a long term relationship with businessman and father of her two children Jamie Mazur.

Having a blast: The beauty and the owner of Wildfox Couture were spotted making the most of their VIP cabana at the Encore Beach Club

That's a stretch: Alessandra and Jimmy reclined on a daybed where the model also found time to show off her flexibility, sitting out with her legs in front of her and bending over to touch her toes

But seems Jamie skipped the trip to allow his partner to have some time with her friends.

And she was certainly having a ball, with the 35-year-old later seen demonstrating her pole dancing skills at the day club - pictures of which she posted on Instagram.

The 35-year-old supermodel donned a revealing snakeskin swimsuit and Daisy Duke shorts while partying it up in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Sipped it: The model's beau Jamie stayed back in Malibu, California, so that his longtime love could have fun on her girls' trip, plus a few male interlopers

She's got skills! Alessandra also demonstrated her seductive pole dancing skills in an Instagram snapshot she shared on Saturday

The Brazilian beauty wore a low-cut iridescent lavender suit that her ample bosom nearly spilled out of while swinging from the silver post.

Her endless supermodel stems were on full display in the light wash denim cutoffs she wore.

She was clearly having the time of her life as she danced around with her friend, stylist and television personality Matheus Mazzafera, 34.

Brazilian bombshell! The Victoria's Secret Angel wore a sexy snakeskin swimsuit and Daisy Dukes while partying in Las Vegas with her 'bestie' - stylist and television personality Matheus Mazzafera, 34

'Vegas with my bestie @matmazzafera,' the statuesque stunner captioned of the pair.

Alessandra wore a pair of retro-inspired shades and platform wedge heels.

Later in the evening she posted a short video, but this time she sported a short blonde bobbed wig.

Undercover! Later in the evening the supermodel sported a short blonde bobbed wig and posted a short video dancing

Balancing act! The genetically gifted model danced the night away, with a cold beverage in one hand and swinging herself around the pole with the other

The genetically gifted model danced the night away, with a cold beverage in one hand and swinging herself around the pole with the other.

She was unrecognizable in the platinum blonde wig that was styled straight with blunt bangs.

Earlier in the day, she wore the swimming costume as she and her pals chilled out in a cabana at the Wynn Hotel's Encore Beach Club pool party.

Exposed! The night before Alessandra went bra-less and flashed some serious sideboob while she partied at the Intrigue nightclub in the Wynn Las Vegas

And while the mother-of-two went with casual cutoffs for a Saturday night out on the Vegas strip, she opted for a daring low-cut asymmetrical black dress the night before.

Ambrosio went bra-less and flashed some serious sideboob while she partied at the Intrigue nightclub in the Wynn Las Vegas.

The model was joined by a host of gal pals in Sin City, including fellow Brazilian models Fernanda Motta, Renata Maciel, Gabi Lopes and Michelli Buback.
Ashanti bared her midriff in a tiny red two piece while performing at the 21st Annual Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash in Atlanta on Saturday.

The 35-year-old Grammy winner - who relies on stylist Wilford Lenov - paired her sequinned pants with a cinching belt, nude fishnets, and black thigh-high boots.

The Long Island-born beauty sported full contoured make-up, lashes, gold hoop earrings, and coiffed curls for her concert.

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Hard at work: Ashanti bared her midriff in a tiny red two piece while performing at the 21st Annual Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash in Atlanta on Saturday

Ashanti (last name Douglas) was joined onstage the Philips Arena by fellow R&B belter Lloyd (last name Polite), with whom she recorded the 2004 duet Southside.

The Let's Go songstress will next kick off her joint 11-date tour with rapper Ja Rule on August 25 at Manhattan's Playstation Theater.

Ashanti and the four-time Grammy nominee previously collaborated on the tracks Always on Time, Mesmerize, and Wonderful.

'I just posted snippets of a few songs [we've been recording] on Snapchat and the response from my fans was overwhelming,' the Scar crooner teased to Ebony earlier this month.

Thigh's the limit! The 35-year-old Grammy winner - who relies on stylist Wilford Lenov - paired her sequinned pants with a cinching belt, nude fishnets, and black thigh-high boots

Lady in red: The Long Island-born beauty sported full contoured make-up, lashes, gold hoop earrings, and coiffed curls for her concert

Met em on the #Southside  #Birthdaybash #Atl A video posted by Ashanti (@ashanti) on Jun 18, 2016 at 8:10pm PDT

Reunion! Ashanti (last name Douglas) was joined onstage the Philips Arena by fellow R&B belter Lloyd (last name Polite), with whom she recorded the 2004 duet Southside

'Ja and I are like family. We talk all the time and we've been performing a lot recently.'

Ashanti is scheduled to drop her sixth studio album Chapter VI later this year.

The Mothers and Daughters actress will next play Eve in the long-delayed musical drama Stuck, about six strangers (including Amy Madigan and Giancarlo Esposito) on a stalled subway train.

The 5ft3in diminutive diva - who boasts 5.9M followers - has been single since splitting with St. Louis rapper Nelly in 2012 following a nine-year romance.

'Ja and I are like family': The Let's Go songstress will next kick off her joint 11-date tour with rapper Ja Rule on August 25 at Manhattan's Playstation Theater

'The response from my fans was overwhelming': Ashanti and the four-time Grammy nominee previously collaborated on the tracks Always on Time, Mesmerize, and Wonderful (pictured January 14)
She rose to fame last year after starring in Ex On The Beach.

But Megan McKenna proved that she was slotting into her new role, in The Only Way Is Essex, perfectly, as she joined co-star Courtney Green for a girls' night out on Saturday.

The 23-year-old cut a sultry figure for the outing in a plunging black jumpsuit that exposed her chest with a deep V-neckline.

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Ladies' night! The Only Way Is Essex star Megan McKenna stepped out for a girls' night out in Essex on Saturday

The sizzling black ensemble clung to Megan's womanly curves in all the right places, creating a svelte silhouette.

And although she dared to bare the flesh in the chest department, she kept the rest of her look demure as she covered up her limbs with long sleeves.

Despite shunning accessories, Megan's jumpsuit also featured her trademark choker detailing, which accentuated her elegantly long neck.

The only way is glam! The 23-year-old cut a sultry figure for the outing in a plunging black jumpsuit that exposed her ample cleavage with a deep V-neckline

Keeping her look coordinated, Megan slipped on a pair of patent peep-toe heels that matched perfectly with her stylish shoulder bag and even her leather watch.

However, she couldn't resist adding a touch of sparkle to her outfit with a gold chained strap.

Megan maintained her high-glamour appearance in the make-up department, as she scraped her glossy brunette locks back into a timeless half-up do to expose her pretty features.

Daring! The sizzling black ensemble clung to Megan's womanly curves in all the right places, creating a svelte silhouette. as she joined her BFF Courtney Green

Best friends: Megan shared a laugh with her TOWIE co-star Courtney (right) as they walked down the street

Women in black! The pair wore coordinating one-pieces for the evening in Essex

For, alongside her permatan, the Essex-native drew attention to her impossibly high cheekbones with carefully placed contouring and highlighted her piercing peepers with lashings of mascara and perfectly preened brows.

Meanwhile, fellow TOWIE star, Courtney, looked equally glamorous in a super short playsuit that she cinched in at the waist with a thin black belt to accentuate her tiny frame.

Ripping up the fashion rulebook, the TV personality exposed both her racy lingerie and toned pins in the bold outfit.

True to form: Megan's jumpsuit also featured her trademark choker detailing, which accentuated her elegantly long neck

Mix and match: Megan slipped on a pair of patent peep-toe heels that matched perfectly with her stylish shoulder bag

All that glitters! Megan couldn't resist adding a touch of sparkle to her outfit with a gold chained strap

And she couldn't resist adding some extra height to her look with some towering strappy wedges, that featured a thick woven sole.

Courtney also made the most of her luxuriously long hair, as she styled it into loose waves that cascaded down past her chest in a sleek and sophisticated style.

The TOWIE beauties were joined on their night out by two equally glamorous friends, who stood out from the crowd in vibrant yellow and pink outfits.

Sleek! Megan scraped her glossy brunette locks back into a timeless half-up do

Stunning! The Essex native drew attention to her impossibly high cheekbones with carefully placed contouring

Here come the girls! Courtney, looked equally glamorous in a super short playsuit that she cinched in at the waist with a thin black belt

And the girls couldn't contain their laughter as they held hands and strolled down the street.

Megan recently found herself at the centre of a social media storm when a fan accused her of having 'cellulite'.

The 23-year-old TOWIE star unleashed her famous temper, giving the online troll a taste of her wrath as she hit back with a quick-fire response.

The incident occurred when Megan uploaded a photo of herself at a pool party in the Spanish resort, living it up behind the DJ decks.

Ripping up the fashion rulebook! Courtney exposed both her racy lingerie and toned pins in the bold outfit

Painting the town yellow! The TOWIE beauties were joined on their night out by two equally glamorous friends

However, her slender physique caused a troll under the name of 'bully bully' to query, 'u have cellulite?'.

Megan lashed out: 'yeah do you have a problem with that! Every girl does! At least I don't edit the s**t out my pics unlike most people! #boreoff'.

The star then effortlessly brushed off the comment, continuing to post bikini pictures on social media.
She's balancing first time motherhood with running a multi-million dollar fitness empire.

And Michelle Bridges wasn't about to let the rainy Sydney weather stop her taking a stroll with her baby son Axel on Sunday.

The 45-year-old was spotted with her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis as they bundled up in matching beanie hats for a trip to a Potts Point cafe.

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Under the weather: Michelle Bridges (right) and her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis (left) weren't about to let the Sydney rain stop them taking a stroll with thier baby son Axel in Potts Point on Sunday

The couple looked noticeably glum due to the wet weather but they beamed with joy when doting on their six-month-old baby.

Michelle wrapped up against the chill in a grey winter coat and skinny jeans, which she paired with stylish leather boots.

Seemingly make-up free, the personal trainer looked remarkably fresh-faced despite her busy work schedule and parenting duties.

Brr! Michelle wrapped up against the chill in a chic grey winter coat and skinny jeans

Working mother: She finished off her look with a pair of stylish leather boots

Meanwhile, Commando displayed his prominent leg tattoo in a pair of denim cut-off shorts and sneakers.

He rounded off his everyday look in a dark zip-up hooded top and appeared to clutch a coffee and take-away meal.

They were seen taking a brisk walk as little Axel was protected from the rain in his stroller, before heading home together.

Bundle of joy: The couple looked glum due to the wet weather but beamed with happiness when doting on Axel

In sync: Michelle and Steve bundled up in matching beanie hats at a Potts Point cafe this weekend

This month, the couple launched a four-week fitness campaign which Commando claimed will 'help Australia combat the obesity crisis.'

Michelle recently defended remarks from herAustralian Story documentary in April that she was 'yet to meet someone who is morbidly obese and happy'.

In the backlash, she was widely criticised on Twitter and by several celebrities and media figures for 'fat shaming'.

Busy schedule: Michelle balances motherhood with running a multi-million dollar fitness empire

Tatt's alright! Commando displayed his prominent leg tattoo in a pair of denim cut-off shorts and sneakers

But she clarified to The Daily Telegraph two weeks ago: I never said fat. I didnt say overweight. I didnt even say obese.

'What I said was that Ive never met someone who is morbidly obese and happy, and I meant happy in the context of their health. I stand by that statement, absolutely.'

The ABC profile also touched upon her family life with Commando, 40, while maintaining a business relationship with ex-husband Bill Moore.

Make-up free: Michelle looked remarkably fresh-faced despite her busy work schedule and parenting duties

On the go: Commando rounded off his everyday look in a dark zip-up hooded top and appeared to clutch a coffee and take-away meal

Michelle and Commando met on Network Ten's weight loss-reality TV show The Biggest Loser Australia in 2007 when they were in relationships with other people.

They went public with their romance in May 2013 following Michelle and Bill's separation, and welcomed baby Axel on December 19.

Commando has two children - Ella and Jack - with his former partner Froso, and an older daughter, Brianna, from a previous relationship.

New beginning: Michelle and Commando went public with their relationship in May 2013 after working together on The Biggest Loser Australia for six years. They welcomed baby Axel (pictured) on December 19
Beauty queen Zara Holland has quit reality show Love Island after her mother Cheryl Hakeney was taken ill.

The 20-year-old, who was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2016 title on Thursday, left the ITV2 dating show in Majorca.

A statement from the show read: 'Owing to an illness in the family, Zara Holland has left the Love Island villa to return to the UK. Our thoughts are with her and her family and we send all of our best wishes.'

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She's gone: Zara Holland has quit Love Island after her mother Cheryl Hakeney was taken ill

Zara lamented: 'I'm so sad to leave the villa but it's important for me to get home and spend time with my mum while she gets better.

'I've had the time of my life on Love Island and would like to thank all of my fellow Islanders and the production team for all their support.'

Zara learned of her mother's illness on Saturday and made the decision to quit the show and fly home to England.

Close: Zara has rushed back to England to be with her mother, Cheryl Hakeney

Turmoil: Zara is seen breaking down in tears in Sunday's episode when she finds out she's been stripped of her Miss Great Britain title

However, producers said they would keep the door open should Zara decide to return to the programme.

The shamed beauty queen had been on the show since the first episode of the current series kicked off on 30 May.

After appearing to be unlucky in love on the series so far, Zara ended up having sex with newcomer Alex Bowen on Wednesday's episode.

Following the broadcast, pageant executives announced they had made the decision to strip Zara of her title, making runner-up Deone Robertson the new Miss GB.

They said they had strictly forbidden her from having sex on the show when they gave her permission to join the cast.

Shamed: Zara has been stripped off her Miss Great Britain title following her sex shame

Miss GB bosses told MailOnline last week: 'We feel it important to explain that we have no problem at all with sex and our contestants/winners being sexually active and exploring their sexuality with another consensual adult.

'This has never, and will never be a problem. However, we simply cannot condone a reigning title holder doing so on TV.

'To put it into context... if a school teacher took part in the show, that person would have a level of responsibility they would be expected to uphold because of their role, and are certain they would face similar consequences if they took part in similar actions on national television.

'For those saying going into Love Island, its inevitable that she would have sex, that is not true. It is not a prerequisite of the show that you have sex.

'We gave our permission for Zara to enter, as our current winner, under the stipulation that she did not have sex on TV. Zara fully agreed to this and knowingly went against our wishes.'
His mother, Cindy Crawford was one of the world's most famous supermodels from the '90s and has graced the cover of Vogue, as well as walking the runway for Dolce and Gabbana in her hey day.

So it was little surprise to see the famous fashion house had snapped up her son Presley Gerber, to help launch their Spring/Summer 2017 collection at Milan Men's Fashion Week.

Hitting the runway alongside Jude Law and Sadie Frost's model son, Raferty, the 16-year-old aspiring photographer and model cut a chiseled and suave figure.

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His mother's son: Following in his mother Cindy Crawford's footsteps, Presley Gerber had snapped up by Dolce and Gabbana to help launch their Spring/Summer 2017 collection at Milan Men's Fashion Week

Striding down the chessboard runway in front of the fashion elite of Menswear, which included the likes of GQ's Dylan Jones, the teenage clotheshorse looked every inch the runway king.

Clearly taking after his mother, Presley fixed a steely stare on his chiselled features as he strutted down the catwalk in a black two-piece pindot suit.

Teaming the modern-cut jacket and turned-up trousers with a simple whit shirt and skinny tie, the son of Cindy and second husband Randy cut a refined and chiseled figure.

Suave and seriously stylish: Hitting the runway, the 16-year-old aspiring photographer and model cut a chiseled and suave figure in a two piece pindot suit

Making his mark: Jude Law and Sadie Frost's model son, Rafferty, 19, joined Presley on the runway, and looked every inch the rising model as he strutted the runway in a matching silk shirt and bomber jacket

Adding a flash of high-fashion styling to the classic look, Presley had been kitted out in a pair of patent leather oxfords which her wore without socks - a now common summer trend for fashion savvy gents.

With his blond-frosted locks swept up into a slick yet carefully dishevelled fringe, the rising male model certainly commanded the FROWs attention.

Clearly proud of her son's choice to follow in her footsteps, Cindy posted a pic of him on the ranway, captioned: 'My little boy all grown up! @PresleyGerber on the @DolceGabbana runway in Milan! #DGMusica [sic].'

Presley is in the building! Teaming the modern-cut jacket and turned-up trousers with a simple whit shirt and skinny tie, the son of Cindy and her second husband Randy cut a refined and chiseled figure

Sharing the limelight: Presley wasn't the only famous celebrity off-spring to take to the runway at the show, which featured a glittering Great Gatsby themed adornments, as Rafferty was also on-point for D&G

But Presley wasn't the only famous celebrity off-spring to take to the runway at the show, which featured a glittering Great Gatsby themed adornments, as 19-year-old Rafferty also graced the catwalk with his presence.

Looking the spitting image of his famous father, Jude, the model - who has already featured in campaigns for the likes of Burberry - looked at home strutting his stuff in selction fo smart casual wear.

The young fashionista rocked a black silk shirt, which featured a pattern of musical instruments, and a pair of black high-waisted military-inspired trousers.

Stand-out stars: Leading a pack of immaculately groomed models, the Presley and Raferty were the stand-out walkers in the show

Flare for fashion: The S/S 17 collection featured the usual mix of formal and smart casual wear, but with the D&G flourish of bold prints mixed with understated yet stylish tones

Kitted out with matching varsity jacket and skinny black tie, Rafferty's look was rounded off on a casual note - thanks to a pair of black leather trainers.

Leading a pack of immaculately groomed models, the Presley and Raferty were the stand-out walkers in the show.

However, the FROW was just as star-studded when it came to famous off-spring as the likes of Lucas Maurice Morad Jagger - Sir Mick's 17-year-old son - was in attendance.

As was 21-year-old Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, who showcased his own sartorial sass in a metallic suit paired with a black sweater, shirt and shades.

Is that you Mick? The FROW was just as star-studded when it came to famous off-spring as the likes of Lucas Maurice Morad Jagger (pictured Right with Austin Butler) - Sir Mick's 17-year-old son - was in attendance

Making a sartorial statement: Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, 21, showcased his own sartorial sass in a metallic suit paired with a black sweater, shirt and shades
They've remained devoted and faithful to each other amid the constant drama on The Real Housewives of Melbourne.

And Gamble Breaux looked happier than ever as she put on an affectionate display with husband Dr Rick Wolfe on holiday in Tasmania on Sunday.

The reality TV star was spotted cuddling and kissing the respected eye surgeon as they enjoyed the sunshine on the Hobart waterfront.

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Blessed: The Real Housewives of Melboure star Gamble Breaux (left) looked in happy spirits as cuddled up to her husband Dr Rick Wolfe (right) while on holiday in Tasmania on Sunday

The couple televised their Byron Bay wedding back in March and appeared to still be very much in the honeymoon period over the weekend.

Gamble could barely keep her hands off her handsome beau as they took a leisurely stroll together before setting sail on the SV Rhona H.

They were in Tasmania for the Dark Mofo food and arts festival, and Gamble was previously spotted having lunch with with Rick's son, Luke.

Get a room, Gamble! The 44-year-old reality TV star was spotted kissing her handsome husband as they both enjoyed the sunshine on the Hobart waterfront

The Wolfe pack! Gamble could barely keep her hands off her eye surgeon husband as they took a leisurely stroll together before setting sail on the SV Rhona H

Kicking back for a bit: They were in Tasmania for the Dark Mofo food and arts festival

Meanwhile, the 44-year-old dressed appropriately for the chilly weather in a chic zip-up jacket and skinny jeans.

She rounded off her look with a pair of thigh-high laced boots and aviator style sunglasses, as her blonde hair flicked about in the breeze.

Rick looked casual yet distinguished in jeans, a navy jacket and Chelsea boots, and wore his trademark white hair cropped.

True love: The couple televised their lavish Byron Bay wedding back in March and appeared to still be enjoying their honeymoon period as they attended the Dark Mofo food and arts festival over the weekend

Loved-up: The couple certainly appeared to be having a great time as they packed on the PDA

Earlier this year, Gamble and Rick tied the knot in a lavish outdoor ceremony on the New South Wales northern coast.

She dazzled in a custom-made Alin Le' Kal wedding dress which clung to her figure and featured a long and billowing train.

Gamble was given away by her best friend and artist Charles Billich, and her co-star Gina Liano also helped host the televised event.

Winter chic: Meanwhile, the 44-year-old dressed appropriately for the chilly weather in a chic zip-up jacket and skinny jeans

Sitting pretty: She rounded off her look with a pair of thigh-high laced boots and aviator style sunglasses, as her blonde hair flicked about in the breeze

Cool style: Rick looked casual yet distinguished in jeans, a navy jacket and Chelsea boots, and wore his trademark white hair cropped

Making it official: Earlier this year, Gamble and Rick tied the knot in a lavish outdoor ceremony on the New South Wales northern coast
Atomic Kitten are reestablishing themselves as pop idols.

So Kerry Katona was determined to look her pop star best as she joined her Atomic Kitten bandmates Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon on stage in Chester on Saturday.

The 35-year-old went for a striking beauty look as she piled on mounds of foundation with heavy eyelashes and a slick of plum lipstick - making for a dramatic effect.

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A strong look! Kerry Katona was determined to look her pop star best as she joined her Atomic Kitten bandmates Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon on stage in Chester on Saturday

Kerry flaunted her figure in a black jumpsuit which boasted a slightly plunging neckline and gold zip down the centre, while cinched her in at the waist.

While her ensemble was stunning it was her make-up which grabbed the attention of crowds as she sported a mass of foundation with heavy false eyelashes.

Her vampy eyes, deep lips and poker straight blonde tresses made for a dramatic look alongside her more naturally made-up bandmates.

Her spirited nature comes after it was reported she suffered a 'meltdown' at the Capital FM Summertime Ball earlier this month after she refused re-entry by security, while her 14-year-old daughter Molly McFadden was left inside the venue with her friend.

Over the top? The 35-year-old went for a striking beauty look as she piled on mounds of foundation with heavy eyelashes and a slick of plum lipstick - making for a dramatic look

Girl band glamour: Atomic Kitten took the stage at The Bolesworth International on Saturday

Making an impact: Kerry flaunted her stylish streak in a black jumpsuit which boasted a slightly plunging neckline and gold zip down the centre

Excited to perform: Her vampy eyes, deep lips and poker straight blonde tresses only added to her confident display, which saw her flashing a huge grin while playing with her mane

They go way back: Kerry had plenty of fun as she shared the stage with her old pal Natasha

According to The Sun, the reality star allegedly went outside for a cigarette, but was then told she couldn't get back in by security.

The insider added: 'She was quite drunk and kicked off, threatening to call the police if they wouldn't let her in.

'She met a guy outside who took her to the Ibis hotel for a drink before she picked the girls up later.'

Having a blast: Natasha put on a leggy display in a pleated wrap mini-dress

Bubbly beauty: She allowed her fiery red locks to run supreme as she belted out her hit tunes while her pins were on full display

Much younger than her years: The mother of four looked sensational as she grabbed on to the mic with her red-manicured hands

She also enjoyed a weekend getaway to Dublin before the festival, where she partied the night away with her bandmember Natasha.

While Natasha put on a leggy display in a pleated wrap mini-dress and allowed her fiery red locks to run supreme during the performance, she's had quite the intense love life.

The mother-of-four was in a relationship with 5ive member Ritchie Neville since 2013 who she met on The Big Reunion, which saw successful bands from back in the day get back together.

They welcomed a child Ella Rose in September 2014 but went on to split in March.

Edgy: Liz looked like the ultimate rock chic in a sleeveless leather top and tipped jeans

After forming in 1998, the threesome enjoyed success with songs such as The Tide Is High and Eternal Flame, before Kerry decided to leave in 2000 and was replaced by Jenny Frost.

Kerry, who has struggled with a somewhat turbulent life since leaving the band, admitted on The Big Reunion that reuniting with her former band-mates has been an emotional experience.

Boyband 5ive also took the stage at the The Bolesworth International, where they were were missing former members Abz Love and J Brown.
She helped throw a fun mermaid-themed party for her daughter Penelope and niece, North West, on Saturday.

And following the colourful kids party, which was attended by the whole Kardasian clan, it seem mother-of-three Kourtney was in the mood for a party of her own.

Heading out to the Doheny Rooms in West Hollywood with a group of friends, the 37-year-old E! star cut a racy and stylish figure in a plunging teal top and leather trousers.

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Keeping up with Kourtney: Following the colourful party she threw for her daughter Penelope and niece, North West, it seem mother-of-three Kourtney Kardashian was in the mood for a party of her own, on Saturday night

Having lavished attention on her daughter, three - whose birthday falls three week after North's - with the joint party, the eldest Kardashian daughter headed out for a night on the town.

And in-keeping with her seemingly single status - following her split from partner Scott Disick last year - the mother-of-three ensured she cut a chic yet saucy figure at the eatery and cocktail bar.

Donning a sleeveless teal vest which featured a low-cut corset neckline, Kourtney ensured plenty of skin was showing whilst managing to retain a modest hint to her look.

Going Hell for leather: Heading out to the Doheny Rooms in West Hollywood with a group of friends, the 37-year-old E! star cut a racy and stylish figure in a plunging teal top and leather trousers

Flashing a hint of her black bar and her decolletage, the raven-haired beauty ensured she there was a tantalizing edge to her look.

She teamed the top with a pair of skin-tight leather trousers, which allowed Kim and Khloe's elder sister to showcase her lithe legs as well as her pert and perky bottom.

Kourtney rounded her sassy evening look off with a pair of simple open-toed stilettos, which further defined the reality star's fantastic figure.

Saucy style: And in-keeping with her seemingly single status - following her split from partner Scott Disick last year - the mother-of-three ensured she cut a chic yet saucy figure at the eatery and cocktail bar

Sleek and slinky: Donning a sleeveless teal vest which featured a low-cut corset neckline, Kourtney ensured plenty of skin was showing whilst managing to retain a modest hint to her look

A subtle flash of flesh: Flashing a hint of her black bar and her decolletage, the raven-haired beauty ensured she there was a tantalizing edge to her look

Low-key, minimal fuss: Keeping her look uncluttered, the Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star opted for a metallic tassel-fringed handbag, whilst only choosing to wear a silver chain necklace and bracelet

Natural beauty: Wearing her raven locks scraped off her face in a scalp-lock do, the Californian native ensured her famous and striking features were on display

Having a blast: Jumping into the back of an SUV with her friends, the star was clearly having fun, as she giggled and laughed

Keeping her look uncluttered, the Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star opted for a metallic tassel-fringed handbag, whilst only choosing to wear a silver chain necklace and bracelet.

Wearing her raven locks scraped off her face in a scalp-lock do, the Californian native ensured her famous and striking features were on display.

Letting her natural pretty looks shine clearly through, the reality star left her features largely unadorned, only wearing a flesh-toned foundation, a dewy-slick of coral lip gloss and a flash of eyeliner.

Jumping into the back of an SUV with her friends, the star was clearly having fun, as she giggled and laughed.

Earlier on in the day, Kourtney had helped throw a colourful under-the-sea two cousins, who celebrate their special days just three weeks apart, enjoyed a mermaid-themed bash with a cake each.
She's the ultimate career mum with an impressive acting career and successful lifestyle publication.

And Gwyneth Paltrow proved life couldn't be sweeter as she stepped out to run errands in Santa Monica on Saturday.

The 43-year-old star flaunted her flair for fashion in a ruffled sleeveless shirt and blue denim skirt as she made her down the street, while sporting a huge grin.

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Anything but blue: Gwyneth Paltrow, 43, proved life couldn't be sweeter as she stepped out to run errands in Santa Monica on Saturday

The Seven actress tied her blonde locks up into a messy bun, which allowed the collared neckline of her top to stand out.

Her high-waisted skirt cinched in at the waist and flared down to a midi-length as she completed her look with her brown handbag.

A pair of cool black sunglasses framed her seemingly make-up free face as she basked in the glorious Californian sunshine.

Her high spirits may also have something to do with her romance with Glee co-creator Brad Falchuk, who she started seeing back in 2014.

Always stylish: The actress tied her luscious blonde locks up on to a messy bun, which allowed the collared neckline of her top to stand out as she sauntered forth

One love: The blonde beauty took to Instagram on Saturday to provide her support at her ex Chris Martin's tribute to the recent Orlando nightclub massacre during his Coldplay gig at Wembley Stadium

Despite being smitten in the relationship, Gwyneth is still on great terms with her ex-husband Chris Martin.

The blonde beauty took to Instagram on Saturday to show her support for the Coldplay frontman after his touching tribute to the recent Orlando nightclub massacre victims during his gig at London's Wembley Stadium.

Gwyneth shared a snap of the sold-out concert which saw rainbow coloured confetti falling on the crowds.

She captioned the image: 'Rainbow cloud of confetti during #everytearawaterfall made my heartbreak again for the beautiful men and women of Orlando who senselessly lost their lives. #orlando', in reference to one of Coldplay's songs.

Frontman duties: Chris has been busy this past month performing at a number of high profile venues across Europe

Friendly exes: Gwyneth and Chris 'consciously uncoupled' in March 2014 and they reportedly finalised their divorce earlier this year

While she didn't attend the London concert in person, she did jet off to Barcelona last month for a stop on Coldplay's European tour with their children, daughter Apple, 12, and son Moses, 10.

She even shared a sweet Instagram snap where Apple looked up at her dad performing on stage, which she titled: 'Sometimes your dad really needs you to visit him at work.'

In March 2014, Gwyneth and Chris announced their decision to 'consciously uncouple' after a decade of marriage, and they reportedly finalised their divorce earlier this year.

Chris has been dating 31-year-old actress Annabelle Wallis since last year, after enjoying a romance with 25-year-old Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.
She's just returned to the US following a trip to Sydney to visit boyfriend Michael Fassbender while he film Alien Covenant.

And it seems that Alicia Vikander was keen to catch-up with her friends, as the actress enjoyed a night out in Los Angeles, on Saturday night.

Heading to the Doheny Rooms, West Hollywood, the 27-year-old actress put on an eye-catching display, as she flashed her black bra thanks to her choice of a sheer floral top.

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Sheer style: It seems that Alicia Vikander was keen to catch-up with her friends, as the actress enjoyed a night out in Los Angeles, on Saturday night

The Oscar-winning Ex-Machina star appeared to be enjoying a catch-up with her social circle, and looked slightly bleary eyes as she left the popular cocktail bar and eatery.

But never one to shy away from showcasing her sassy sartorial leanings, the stunning Swedish star showcased her saucy side by opting for a sheer black floral top - through which her black bra could be glimpsed.

Teaming the see-through garment with a pair of high-waisted flares, which tapered out towards the ankle, Alicia allowed focus to fall on her trim waist and lithe pins.

Flashing fashion: Heading to the Doheny Rooms, West Hollywood, the 27-year-old actress put on an eye-catching display, as she flashed her black bra thanks to her choice of a sheer floral top

She rounded her look off with a pair of peep-toe stilettos, which featured metallic accents on the straps.

Keeping her look simple yet stylish, The Danish girl star added a boxy black handbag to her look, as well as a smattering of rings and a stunning Monica Vinader signature bangle.

Wearing he long dark locks in gentles waves, which cascaded down and around her face past her shoulders, the actress allowed her striking features to be framed.

Matching her make-up to her sartorial theme for the evening, the Burnt star added a flash of colour to her look with a flash of mauve lipstick.

A hint of skin: Never one to shy away from showcasing her sassy sartorial leanings, the Swedish star showcased her saucy side by opting for a sheer black floral top - through which her bra could be seen

Keeping it casual: Teaming the see-through garment with a pair of high-waisted flares, which tapered out toweards the ankle, Alicia allowed focus to fall on her trim waist and lithe pins

A well-heeled display: She rounded her look off with a pair of peep-toe stilettos, which featured metallic accents on the straps

Natural beauty: Wearing he long dark locks in gentles waves, which cascaded down and around her face past her shoulders, the actress allowed her striking features to be framed.

Leaving the nightspot with her group, Alicia appeared to have enjoyed catching up with her social circle after enjoying a trip to see Michael, 39, in Sydney.

Her boyfriend isn't the only one gearing up for a blockbuster however, as it was announced in April that Alicia is set to strap on her gun holsters and lave-up her hiking boots for the new Tomb Raider movie.

Currently in pre-production, the movie - directed by Roar Uthaug - will be a re-boot for the franchise which previously starred Angelina Jolie in the lead role.

Although little is know about the plot, it is thought the film will stick closely to Square-Enix's video game re-start, which tells the origin story of a young Lara Croft.
She recently got back back from a sun-soaked holiday with her boyfriend Tommy Mallet in Mexico.

But the fun didn't stop there for Georgia Kousoulou as she glammed up for a night on the town with her gal pals in celebration of her upcoming birthday on Saturday.

The TOWIE beauty, who turns 25 on Monday, oozed confidence for the party as she showed off her gym honed figure in a form fitting black outfit that clung to her every curve.

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Birthday girl! Georgia Kousoulou glammed up for a night on the town with her gal pals in celebration of her birthday

Georgia embraced all the hottest trends of the moment, as she poured her shapely silhouette into a pair of wet-look leather trousers that featured a flattering high waist.

She teamed her sultry bottoms with a crochet crop top that came complete with intricate crisscross detailing across the bust and teased her ample assets underneath.

The reality TV star also made sure that all of her accessories fully conformed to the black theme, with a small leather shoulder back and retro '90s choker.

Stunning! The TOWIE beauty oozed confidence for the party as she showed off her gym honed figure in a form fitting black outfit

And she couldn't resist adding an extra few inches to her already never-ending legs with a pair of towering strappy sandals, that she laced carefully up her ankle.

Although she opted to wear dark shades for the evening out, Georgia still showed off her colourful personality with an eye-popping neon pink nail varnish.

Georgia's trademark golden locks also contrasted dramatically to her all black ensemble as they glistened in sleek and luxurious curls that cascaded down past her chest.

Here come the girls! Georgia was joined for the night out in Essex by a casually dressed friend, who sported a simple peplum top and ripped jeans

The night before, Georgia took to Instagram with an equally glam group of friends, as she announced: 'Birthday celebrations have started'.

Georgia's TOWIE co-star, Kate Wright, also featured among the crowd and showed off her impossibly taut abs in a daring crop top and low-slung jeans.

However, Tommy didn't appear in either of the celebratory snaps.

Georgia and Tommy have been dating for 20 months, and spoke to OK! earlier in the year about their romance.

'Birthday celebrations have started': Georgia took to Instagram with an equally glam group of friends

Well have a big Greek and Irish-themed wedding,' Tommy told the magazine.

'You get to smash plates, do some mad Greek dancing and pin 50 notes on each other!

And while they have the ITVBe reality show to thank for their blossoming romance, the loved-up pair explained they had to work extra hard on their relationship in order to avoid the dreaded TOWIE curse that has broken up so many of their friends.

It only puts pressure on you if you allow other people to get involved, Tommy said.

'The curse is going on personal appearances and cheating on your girlfriend, but I havent done that.

Now I dont have girls coming up to me and trying to stick it on me, they all just say how much they love us together,' he said.
She was one of a few minor celebrities mooted as candidates for the next Bachelorette.

But Lana Jeavons-Fellows, who took herself out of the running earlier this week by revealing her seven-month relationship, said she would like to see a fresh face for season two.

Louise Pillage would be great, as would Sarah-Mae Amey, but I think it would be really nice to see someone new, she told Daily Mail Australia at the Sydney Film Festival closing night on Sunday.

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Get someone new: Lana Jeavons-Fellows would like to see a fresh face for The Bachelorette season two

The former Bachelor runner-ups comments come after a Channel 10 executive said minor celebrities [were] putting their hands up after season ones success.

The 28-year-old joined Louise, who recently broke up with former Bachelor Blake Garvey, and former Miss World Courtney Thorpe as rumoured considerations.

Season one featured Sam Frost, who won Blakes heart only to be ditched for Louise soon after.

Walking the SFF red carpet in a tight black-and-white speckled dress and black thigh-high boots, the brunette beauty also shared the secret of her enviable figure.

Stepping out: The Bachelor runner-up walked the SFF red carpet in a tight black-and-white speckled dress and black knee-high boots

'I just started doing this BootyBarre class which is really fun. Its little bit of ballet and activating different muscles, she told DMA.

On Thursday, Lana shared a behind-the-scenes shot from a photoshoot for NW Magazine clad in a colourful bikini that showed off her impressively toned abs.

Its then no wonder that she was off the market so soon after her disappointment on The Bachelor and in a happy relationship with entrepreneur Jake Meah, 35.

Runner up: Lana finished second in the last season of The Bachelor

The union is going so swimmingly that Lana told the magazine they already had babies and marriage on their mind.

'We talk about it freely,' gushed Lana when asked if marriage was on the cards.

She continued: 'I sent him a picture the other day of someone's wedding photo, but ours would be much less conventional. I'm not a big-white-puffy-dress girl.'

She also said she wants two or three children, while Jake wants three.

Fit and Fabulous! Lana shared to Instagram a behind-the-scenes snap of herself in a colourful bikini from her NW shoot, where she introduced her new boyfriend of seven months
He's a Hollywood star, who comes from one of Tinsel Town's most famous acting families.

So it's no surprise that diners at a South London curry house were shocked to see Charlie Sheen turning up for a quiet curry, on Saturday night.

Arriving at the Chak 89 restaurant, in Mitcham, the 50-year-old Platoon star was all smiles as he and his friends sat down for a meal.

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Currying favour? Diners at a South London curry house were shocked to see Charlie Sheen turning up for a quiet curry, on Saturday night

Charlie - who is currently in London promoting condom brand Lelo Hex and hosting a live show - looked to be in high spirits, as the group rolled up to their table.

But with Tinsel Town royalty stepping out in the sleepy London borough being a rarity, the restaurants other patrons clamoured to grab a selfie with the Wall Street star.

Never one to let his fans down, Charlie happily posed for pictured with some star-struck patrons following his meal, and even signed the table he sat at.

Star-studded selfie: Arriving at the Chak 89 restaurant, in Mitcham, the 50-year-old Platoon star was all smiles as he and his friends sat down for a meal

Not quite the walk of fame: Never one to let his fans down, Charlie happily posed for pictured with some star-struck patrons following his meal, and even signed the table he sat at

The Hollywood Hell-raiser rocked his signature louche, casual look, wearing a blue tee teamed with a navy jacket and dark jeans.

Wearing his dark locks swept up into a messy quiff, and staying true to his A-List credentials Charlie also sported a pair of dark oval sunglasses.

Following his meal Charlie headed back into central London to visit Stringfellows gentlemens club in the West End.

Charlie's curry house: Never one to let his fans down, Charlie happily posed for pictured with some star-struck aptrons following his meal, and even signed the table he sat at

Smile! The Hollywood Hell-raiser rocked his signature louche, casual look, wearing a blue tee teamed with a navy jacket and dark jeans - and even threw on a pair of shades despite the late hour

However, the star was at the club to visit his old friend Peter Stringfellow, who the actor got to know by frequenting his now defunct LA club.

Charlie, who announced he was HIV positive in November, arrived in London on Thursday to promote the new Lelo Hex condom.

And speaking at the event, the outspoken star broached the matter of his private life, candidly revealing: 'I'm not dating, I'm spending a lot of time with my family. Right now I couldn't get laid in a women's prison with a handful of condoms.'

Before adding: 'It doesn't give me a great opening line: "Hey, I've got HIV - busy later?"'

Catching-up: Following his meal Charlie headed back into central London to visit Stringfellows gentlemens club in the West End, where he met-up with the club's owner, Peter Stringfellow, a longtime friend of the actor's

Not just a social visit: Charlie, who announced he was HIV positive in November, arrived in London on Thursday to promote the new Lelo Hex condom

However, Charlie said although his humour is an inescapable character trait, he also wanted to impress the idea of being 'responsible'.

'It is what it is, and I don't want to make light of it,' He explained. 'But it changes the whole approach on it, because it's no longer about my interests and my folly, it's about the other person.

And while he's been catching up with friends as well as appearing on the BBC's Graham Norton show too, the main event in the actor's stop-over in London will occur on Sunday night.

Appearing at the Drury Lane Theatre, the actor will answer questions fielded by DailyMail.com's Editor At Large, Piers Morgan.

Along with film clips Charlie will give a rare glimpse into his world sharing on screen and backstage tales from a lifetime in the business, whilst also speaking at length with the audience.
She has thrown herself fully into her latest role as Corporal Georgie Lane in BBC drama Our Girl.

And Michelle Keegan was yet again proving the extent of her talent as she sprinted through the streets of her native Manchester while filming action-packed scenes for the show on Sunday.

The 29-year-old former Coronation Street star sported skin-tight jeans and a hoodie before pulling on a bullet proof vest while filming an explosion scene on-set.

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Run! She has thrown herself fully into her latest role as Corporal Georgie Lane in BBC drama Our Girl

With her stunning good looks and phenomenal figure, Michelle could make any look seem glamorous as illustrated when she looked beautiful for filming.

Showing off her slender legs, the former soap star pulled on tight denim jeans while sporting a cornflower blue hoodie and box-fresh white trainers.

As she sprinted along the residential street Michelle expertly pulled on a bullet-proof vest while heading to the explosive scenes ahead.

Despite acting as a troubled Corporal in the face of peril, the brunette beauty's hair was perfectly styled while her make-up was camera ready and flawlessly applied.

It's gonna blow! And Michelle Keegan was yet again proving the extent of her talent as she sprinted through the streets of her native Manchester while filming action-packed scenes for the show on Sunday

Running along! Despite acting as a troubled Corporal in the face of peril, the brunette beauty's hair was perfectly styled while her make-up was camera ready and flawlessly applied

Joining Michelle on set was a trio of actors dressed as policemen in protective gear, clutching heavy guns and sporting helmets.

The scene was packed with a host of emergency vehicles, including police, fire and ambulance services, among the devastation.

Michelle's filming has been consuming much of her time as she has travelled globally to prepare for the big reveal of her debut in the show.

Getting into it: Michelle's filming has been consuming much of her time as she has travelled globally to prepare for the big unveil of her debut in the show

Scary scenes: Joining Michelle on set was a trio of actors dressed as policemen in protective gear, clutching heavy guns and sporting helmets

Fabulous figure: Michelle was flashing her phenomenal physique as she sported skin-tight jeans

The former Coronation Street signed on for the leading BBC war drama in June 2015, replacing Lacey Turner's Molly Dawes in the leading role of Corporal Georgie Lane.

The other big change sees the action switching from Afghanistan to Kenya, where Michelle plays an army medic in a refugee camp.

Speaking to The Mirror, Michelle said: 'First time I put on the uniform it felt quite surreal but then I immediately felt the sense of duty - as if I was in the military.'

The BBC has said: 'It won't be an easy posting as Georgie has to earn the love and trust of her fellow soldiers, and the greater respect of her commanding officer, while working alongside aid workers in the world's biggest refugee camp.

Terrifying: The scene was packed with a host of emergency vehicles, including police, fire and ambulance services, among the devastation

Speedy: Michelle looked the part as she got ready for the scenes of devastation ahead

Stunner: Michelle no doubt turned heads of set despite looking low-key

'Kenya will be full of surprises that will challenge Georgie professionally and personally.'

Earlier this year Michelle was on location for two months, away from her husband of a year - Mark Wright - a marriage which has been riddled with rumours of strife.

Meanwhile, Mark, 29, returned from five days partying up a storm in Las Vegas on a lads' holiday, last week.

Mark failed to silence rumours of trouble between the pair as he was spied chatting to a bevvy of beauties during the trip - further fueling rumours of a split between the pair.

Be careful! Michelle ran for cover as she was threatened with an explosive scene ahead

Terrifying: The scenes were shocking as they were wrapped up in the police garb
There's just a month to go before Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen welcome their first child together.

And it looks like the couple are feeling the flushes of excitement about their little family as they shared a tender kiss at the dancer's baby shower earlier this week.

The former Strictly Come Dancing professional, 38, showed off her large bump in a black and pink lace maternity gown at the intimate party in central London.

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Baby joy: Heavily pregnant Kristina Rihanoff and boyfriend Ben Cohen share a kiss as they leave their baby shower in London last week

Blooming: The dancer showed off her large bump in a black and pink lace maternity gown

The Russian dancer looked glowing as she was joined at the party by her retired rugby player boyfriend, who she famously met on Strictly in 2013.

She completed her glamorous look with a pair of silver wedge sandals, while wearing her long blonde hair down.

Meanwhile, 37-year-old Ben was rather more casual in jeans and a grey T-shirt.

Standing tall: The mother-to-be completed her look with a pair of silver wedge sandals

Big news: The dancer's pregnancy was first announced in January after she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother

The pair were joined by friends and family, including TV and radio presenter Lizzie Cundy, fashion designer Julien Mcdonald and swimwear designer Melissa Odabash.

The dancer's pregnancy was first announced in January after she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.

In an interview the same month, Kristina spoke of her happiness at becoming a mother: 'It was a surprise but I am obviously delighted.

Loved up: The Russian dancer looked glowing as she was joined at the party by her retired rugby player boyfriend, who she famously met on Strictly in 2013

Experienced: Ben already has eight-year-old twin daughters from his first marriage

Sharing the love: It was a rare public display of affection for the couple, who have been low-key about their relationship

'My mother was with me over Christmas and when we found out she put her arms around me and she cried with joy. It is her lifelong dream for me to have a child and it was lovely to see her so happy.'

Kristina's new life as a mother comes after she revealed she was leaving Strictly Come Dancing after eight years on the show.

While it will be the first child for Kristina, Ben has twin daughters Isabelle and Harriette, eight, with his ex-wife Abby.

Excitement: Kristina revealed her pregnancy was a surprise, but she was looking forward to becoming a mother

Getting serious: Ben's impending fatherhood comes after he divorced wife Abby earlier this year following their separation in 2014

Big news: The dancer's pregnancy was first announced in January after she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother

Abby and Ben announced their separation in September 2014, with the athlete's relationship with Kristina becoming public last year.

Ben and Kristina have always insisted they didn't start dating until after his split from Abby.

Last December, Ben's ex-wife Abby posted a lengthy statement on her Twitter page referring to her difficult year.

Let's rumba: Ben and Kristina became acquainted when they were partnered together on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013

A new phase of life: Kristina and Ben went public with their romance last year following the breakdown of his marriage

Helping hand: Ben was joined by a male pal as they carried the gifts to the car

She wrote: 'So 2015 is nearly to a close. A year I personally would like to put behind me. One that has brought me many tears, of joy and also great sadness.

'As of all you know, it hasn't been the easier for me. I lost what I thought was the most important person to me and my life, only to make me realise that actually, I haven't.'

Ben met Abby in 1995, at the age of 17, and the couple married in 2003 before having their daughters in 2008. Their divorce was finalised in March this year.

Whirlwind romance: The surprise pregnancy comes after a whirlwind relationship for the athlete and the dancer

Bearing gifts: Ben was helped back to his car with lots of baby gifts for his future son or daughter

Countdown is on: Kristina is expected to give birth to her first child in July
She is making her return to The X Factor judging panel in a blaze of glory.

And Nicole Scherzinger was sure to bring her fashion A-game as she led the judges arrivals at the London round of auditions for the show in London.

The 37-year-old hitmaker opted for an intricately detailed jumpsuit with a racy lace-up front and skirt overlay as she sizzled while hitting the red carpet.

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Dazzling: Nicole Scherzinger was sure to bring her fashion A-game as she led the judges arrivals at the London round of auditions for the show in London

Nicole, who first worked on the show in 2012, ensured she made a sartorial statement as she arrived at the latest round of auditions, this time in the capital.

Her nude-hued jumpsuit featured extremely wide-legged Pallazo pants just visible beneath a tabard-style top with a racy lace-up detail along the hips.

Beneath the unique ensemble was a thick black body chain which dangled between her visible cleavage and extended to a hip-tickling length.

Proving her attention to detail, Nicole gave the look a further edge with the addition of a slick pewter manicure on pointed nails - a perfect addition to the vampish ensemble.

Chic: The 37-year-old hitmaker opted for an intricately detailed jumpsuit with a racy lace-up front and skirt overlay as she sizzled while hitting the red carpet

Striking look: Nicole, who first worked on the show in 2012, ensured she made a sartorial statement as she arrived at the latest round of auditions, this time in the capital

Chic: Proving her attention to detail, Nicole gave the look a further edge with the addition of a slick pewter manicure on pointed nails - a perfect addition to the vampish ensemble

Her make-up was flawlessly applied and enhanced her clear skin to maximum effect, with foundation and bronzer highlighting her flawless bone structure.

Opting for an edgy hairdo with her honeyed tresses cascading in a straight style with a harsh top knot pulled atop her head for a chic look.

Completing the ensemble was her accessories as she wore stacks of rings with an ear cuff adorned with chains and connecting from the top to the bottom of her ear.

Dolled up: Her make-up was flawlessly applied and enhanced her clear skin to maximum effect, with foundation and bronzer highlighting her flawless bone structure

Snapping away: Nicole snapped away with fans who looked overjoyed to meet the singer

Joining Nicole at arrivals was fellow reinstated judge, Sharon Osbourne who returned to her gothic roots for her turn at the show.

As the wife of Ozzy, the so-called Prince Of Darkness, the fiery judge gave a nod to her husband in a long black coat with a dramatic high necked collar.

Beneath the coat she sported tapered black trousers and a white shirt while clutching a midnight blue clutch bag and accessorising with a large crest shaped brooch.

Her trademark red tresses were worn in their usual spunky crop and boosted at the root to provide a stylish, volumunious do, while her make-up was perfectly applied.

Stylish as ever: Joining Nicole at arrivals was fellow reinstated judge, Sharon Osbourne who returned to her gothic roots for her turn at the show

Chic: As the wife of Ozzy, the so-called Prince Of Darkness, the fiery judge gave a nod to her husband in a long black coat with a dramatic high necked collar

Smooth: The 63-year-old music manager showed off her extraordinarily smooth skin as she beamed on the red carpet

Chatting away: As ever Sharon looked extremely glamorous for her outing

Since the panel of judges were confirmed at the start of June, the excitement backstage has also clearly been building, as Nicole couldn't contain her glee at the confirmation of her return.

'I'm excited about discovering, mentoring and winning with an exciting new act this year. And having had winning contestants in the past, Simon knows I will do it.'

Also clearly delighted to be back on the red carpet, and back behind the judges desk, was Louis Walsh, who couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

Last year's judges Rita Ora, Nick Grimshaw and Cheryl all opted not to return to the show, making the only remaining figure Simon, prompting a complete reshuffle.

Look at me! Her trademark red tresses were worn in their usual spunky crop and boosted at the root to provide a stylish, volumunious do, while her make-up was perfectly applied

Chic: In her teetering heels and stylish ensemble Sharon looked years younger than her age

Slick: Head honcho Simon Cowell opted for a classic ensemble in a black crew neck jumper paired with his favoured longline jeans

Head honcho Simon Cowell opted for a classic ensemble in a black crew neck jumper paired with his favoured longline jeans.

He pulled on a pair of aviators which enhanced his star power, while also showing his smattering of salt and pepper hued facial hair.

Flashing a peace sign to vying admirers, Simon no doubt thrilled fans as he headed into the next round of his world famous brain child.

Man of the people: He pulled on a pair of aviators which enhanced his star power, while also showing his smattering of salt and pepper hued facial hair

Peace out: Flashing a peace sign to vying admirers, Simon no doubt thrilled fans as he headed into the next round of his world famous brain child

Stick to the stuff you know... Simon is never known to stray far from his fashion choices - such as his long jeans and plain tops

Joining the arrivals was Louis Walsh who stuck to his tried and tested smart casual look, this time comprising of a powder blue jacket layered over a white shirt.

He gave a superstar edge to the ensemble with the addition of a pair of large sunglasses.

Proving himself to be a man of the people, Louis stopped to pose with fans and hilariously pulled a cheeky pout for one selfie with an admirer.

With the exception of Nicole - who joined in 2012 - the new panel includes the original judges from the first season in 2004, which was then hosted by Kate Thornton.

Smiling away: Simon appeared happy to be back in the hot seat as he returned to the show

Stalwart: Louis is the longest-serving member of the panel, who sat on the judging panel for 11 series before a break last year and said he cannot wait to return

Down with the kids: Proving himself to be a man of the people, Louis stopped to pose with fans and hilariously pulled a cheeky pout for one selfie with an admirer

Louis is the longest-serving member of the panel, who sat on the judging panel for 11 series before a break last year and said he cannot wait to return.

Speaking to the Press Association, Louis quipped: 'He'd say otherwise but I knew Simon missed me last year! I'm delighted to be back on the panel, especially beside my two favourite female judges Sharon and Nicole, and I'm looking forward to taking them all back to Dublin this year when we head there for auditions.'

Meanwhile, Sharon - who appeared on the panel between 2004 and 2007 before returning in 2013 - said the thing she is most looking forward to is meeting Cowell's baby son Eric.

She said: 'I'm overjoyed about going back to The X Factor, sitting with Lou, gorgeous Nicole and naughty Simon. But most of all, I can't wait to meet baby Eric.'

Cheeky! Louis pulled a host of silly faces as he hit the red carpet and snapped selfies

He's back! Speaking to the Press Association, Louis quipped: 'He'd say otherwise but I knew Simon missed me last year
She often talks about the lack of racial diversity on Australian TV screens.

And in a new interview, Miranda Tapsell has revealed she believes her role in Love Child has introduced her to mainstream Australia.

The 27-year-old believes encouraging diversity in the nation's TV and movie industry will have a more positive effect than berating the same group of people for being so slow to act.

'Negativity can often alienate people': Miranda Tapsell has revealed she believes her role in Love Child has introduced her to mainstream Australia

Tapsell stars in the hit Nine Network drama, for which she won two prestigious Logies.

'To me, the only way to do it (talk about diversity) is in a positive manner,' she confessed, reports AAP News.

'Negativity can often alienate people. I'm saying, the more encouraging I can be, the more I feel the strides forward are going to happen.

'It's definitely going in the right direction but I don't want us to rest on our laurels now and it can only strengthen from here.

Star appeal: The 27-year-old actress plays the role of Martha Tennant in Love Child, for which she won two prestigious Logies

'It's definitely going in the right direction': The star believes encouraging diversity in the nation's TV and movie industry will have a more positive effect than berating the same group of people for being so slow to act

The acclaimed actress said it's been her biggest break, even bigger than appearing in acclaimed movie The Sapphires, because it landed her in a major commercial prime-time production.

She also claimed the industry in Australia is moving in the right direction, albeit slowly, but she hopes it moves at a faster rate in the future.

Meanwhile, Miranda is buoyed by the recognition, at least, of black actors on Broadway.

Three African-American actors took home major Tony awards for starring roles in Hamilton, which received a record 16 nominations.

'It really excites me what's happening over in America at the moment. I'm seeing how people are loving everything - that is the number one show has an African-American leading the show.

In demand: The acclaimed actress said Love Child has been her biggest break, even bigger than appearing in acclaimed movie The Sapphires

'And you have African-American leads in How To Get Away With Murder and Scandal. I'd love to go over there because of that.'

After The Sapphires, Tapsell appeared mainly in productions with indigenous storylines, including Mabo and Redfern Now, until she landed the role of Martha Tennant in Love Child.

Now she's gracing the screen in the recently released Aussie dramas Wolf Creek, on Stan, and Secret City on Foxtel.

She warned fans of Love Child to keep their 'tissues' close as it's another highly emotionally charged new season.

Love Child returns on Monday at 8.30pm on Monday, June 20

Making it big: Tapsell is now gracing the screen in the recently released Aussie dramas Wolf Creek, on Stan, and Secret City on Foxtel
It seems as though Guy Ritchie has been given a Father's Day to remember.

As the Snatch director was not only joined by eldest son Rocco and his children with wife Jacqui Ainsley - Rafael, Levi and Rivka - but also his adopted son David Banda.

Having flown in to London with his elder sister, Lourdes Leon, 10-year-old David Banda appeared to be delighted to be reunited with his father, brother and half-siblings on Saturday.

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Happy man? Guy Ritchie was in for a Father's Day to remember, as he was not only joined by eldest son Rocco and his children with Jacqui Ainsley - Rafael, Levi and Rivka - but also his adopted son David Banda

Clearly pleased to have his second son - who he and first wife Mdonna adopted in 2006 - back by his side, Guy couldn't help but place a tender arm around David's shoulders.

Having flown in to London alongside his big sister, 19-year-old Lourdes, the youngster was clearly filled with anticipation at seeing his father.

Flying out of Los Angeles on Friday night, the two siblings appeared to be taking their transatlantic trip in their stride, with Lourdes leading her brother through the airport.

Home from home: Having flown in to London with his elder sister, Lourdes Leon, 10-year-old David Banda appeared to be delighted to be reunited with his father, brother and half-siblings on Saturday

A tender moment: Clearly pleased to have his second son - who he and first wife Mdonna adopted in 2006 - back by his side, Guy couldn't help but place a tender arm around David's shoulders

Lourdes - Madonna's eldest child from her relationship with Carlos Leon - rocked an all-black tracksuit and trainers, clearly well versed in how to travel comfortably.

David likewise had followed in his sister's footsteps, and wore a grey and green Adidas tracksuit and trainers for his travels, with a colourful backpack slung over his back.

David appeared to be in high spirits on arrival at the airport, and was still smiling when he landed in London.

Jet-setting siblings: Flying out of Los Angeles on Friday night, the two siblings appeared to be taking their transatlantic trip in their stride, with Lourdes (left) leading her brother through the airport

Excited to be back? David appeared to be in high spirits on arrival at the airport, and was still smiling when he landed in London

Lourdes meanwhile appeared to be in a nonchalant mood, and was engrossed in a phone call as the duo met some minders at the airport before heading off to join Guy and Jacqui at their house.

But if there was any doubts about David's feelings towards seeing his father and the rest of the Ritchie clan, he certainly showed how happy he was as he greeted Guy and Rocco, 15, with a smile.

Though it seems Guy and Jacqui were planning on whisking the family away for the weekend, as a large minibus arrive outside their London home - ready to spirit the extended Ritchie-clan away.

Having had a quick change, David sported an all-white ensemble: teaming a shirt and trousers with a cap and sneakers.

Off on their travels: Though it seems Guy and Jacqui were planning on whisking the family away for the weekend, as a large minibus arrive outside their London home - ready to spirit the extended Ritchie-clan away

Hanging with boys: And after a catch up with his father and brother, David helped Guy and step-mother gather their younger children up ready for the off - packing them into a minibus which was outside the family home

Never off-duty: Guy carried a leather bag and toy tractor to the group's huge vehicle, although the Snatch director looked as dapper as ever in a cardigan, shirt and chinos

Kicking back: Rocco rocked his now trademark skater look, and teamed a navy hoodie with red frayed trousers and black Vans skate shoes

Full of beans: David was full of excitement as he raced towards the bus

And after a brief catch up with his father and elder brother, David helped Guy and step-mother gather their younger children up ready for the off.

Helped with their belongings into the vehicle by a number of assistants, the Ritchie clan appeared to be packing the bus for a break - with a dog cage and toy tractor amongst some of the items being taken along with them.

David lavished attention on four-year-old Rafael and Rivka, three, as he played with them and ushered the two tots into the waiting bus.

Big brother duties: David lavished attention on four-year-old Rafael as he played with him and carried him over to the bus

Safe hands: David also helped out with his half-sister Rivka, three, helping to load her into the bus too

Lourdes, however, didn't appear to be at the house - possibly having chosen to escort David over before heading off on her own.

David's arrival in London comes as relations between Guy and his first wife Madonna appear to have thawed, following a prolonged custody dispute over their eldest natural child, Rocco.

Having left his mother's Rebel Hearts tour in December to spend time with his father in London, Rocco refused to return to New York where he had been living with his mother.

The prolonged custody argument appeared to subside in may when Madonna and Rocco were seen enjoying some time together in London, before the teen spent a week in New York at the start of the month before returning to his father's house in London.

Effortless ease: Jacqui looked to bet taking the family trip in her stride, and looked completely at ease as she marshalled her small children back to the family home

Mummy's here: Jacqui looked the picture of a devoted mother as she soothe Rafael when he began to cry

Where's the kitchen sink? Helped with their belongings into the vehicle by a number of assistants, the Ritchie clan appeared to be packing the bus for a break - with a dog cage and toy tractor among items being taken
Photographs taken at Star Trek star Anton Yelchin's home show the twisted metal gate and mailbox that the 27-year-old was fatally crushed against during a freak accident.

The body of the Russian-born actor was found at around 1am on his driveway in Studio City, California. He had been hit by his own car, authorities said.

According to police sources, the star was pinned against the gate by his 5,000 pound (2.5 ton) Jeep Grand Cherokee after he got out of the car but left the SUV in neutral.

Investigators believe the vehicle rolled backwards and into Yelchin. They have not established why exited his car.

A friend found Yelchin's body pinned between his car and a brick mail box, which was attached to a security gate and is on a very steep incline.

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Tragic death: Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin has been found dead at the age of 27; he is seen in April at the premiere of Green Room in Hollywood

Tragic scene: The damaged gate at Yelchin's home is seen on Sunday; his body was found in the early hours of the morning pinned between the brick mail box and his car

No supicious circumstances: When Yelchin's body was found his car was in neutral, with the engine running

His friend had visited his Los Angeles home after growing concerned when Yelchin failed to attend a planned rehearsal earlier in the evening

When Yelchin's body was found his car was in neutral, with the engine still running.

His friend had visited the home after growing concerned when Yelchin failed to attend a planned 11 pm rehearsal earlier in the evening.

Police are still investigating the sudden death, but sources told TMZ that there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.

'It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death,' LAPD spokeswoman Jenny Houser told the Hollywood Reporter.

Yelchin's publicist confirmed the sad news, saying in a statement: 'Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.'

Biggest role: The actor will next be seen in Star Trek Beyond, which comes out in July

Most famous role: Yelchin stars in Star Trek Beyond as Chekov, seen here with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk

'Amazing actor': Yelchin, left, is seen alongside co-stars Chris Pine Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana in the 2009 Star Trek movie

Yelchin was born in Saint Petersburg in Russia, the son of well-known professional figure-skaters Irina and Viktor Yelchin.

After 15 years as the stars of Russias Ice Ballet, the Yelchins fled to the United States as political refugees when their only child was still a baby.

Raised in Los Angeles, Yelchin attended the University of Southern California.

He started acting as a child, taking his first professional role at age nine in A Man Is Mostly Water.

Small roles in indie films and various television shows followed, before he broke out in films like the crime thriller Alpha Dog and the teenage comedy Charlie Bartlett.

His biggest role to date had been a recurring role as Ensign Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek films - the third of which, Star Trek Beyond comes out in July.

He also appeared in Terminator Salvation, Jim Jarmushs Only Lovers Left Alive, and Hearts In Atlantis, based on a novel by Stephen King.

Raised in Los Angeles, Yelchin attended the University of Southern California. He started acting as a child, taking his first professional role at age nine in A Man Is Mostly Water

Only child: Yelchin with his parents Irina and Viktor in 2007; well-known professional figure skaters in their homeland, the couple fled to the US as political refugees when their son was just a baby

Rising star: The Russian-born actor started small with roles in indie films and various television shows, before breaking out in films like the crime thriller Alpha Dog and the teenage comedy Charlie Bartlett

Final post: Yelchin, who was an only child, is seen on Instagram this week

Yelchin's famous friends and colleagues rushed to share their condolences after learning the tragic news.

His Star Trek co-stars were obviously devastated by the loss.

John Cho wrote: 'I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins.'

Tribute: Yelchin's friend and co-star Zachary Quinto wrote that the actor was 'wise beyond his years'

And Zachary Quntio called Yelchin 'our dear friend'.

Sharing a picture of the young star, he wrote: 'Our comrade. our Anton. One of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know.

'So enormously talented and generous of heart. Wise beyond his years. And gone before his time. All love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief.'

JJ Abrams, the director of the rebooted franchise, shared a hand written tribute to the actor.

'Anton,' he wrote, 'You were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented.

'And you weren't here nearly long enough. Missing you. JJ.'

JJ Abrams, the director of the rebooted franchise, shared a hand written tribute to the actor.

'This is unreal,' the actor's friend Anna Kendrick tweeted on Sunday. 'Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss.'

Chad Michael Murray tweeted: 'Just heard about Anton Yelchin. What a great talent and good young man. Gone far too soon...Terrible loss. You will be missed.'

Chris Kelly was one of many to complement the growing star's acting skills.

'Very sad to hear Anton Yelchin has died,' he wrote. 'Do yourself a favor and watch "Like Crazy." I love love love that movie. And he is amazing in it.'

'Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends', Kat Dennings wrote.

'Can't say anything that conveys what this feels like.'

British comedian Matt Lucas wrote: 'Dreadful news about Anton Yelchin. I thought he was an amazing actor.'

Pain: Yelchin's famous friends and colleagues rushed to share their condolences after the tragic news

Tragic: A variety of stars expressed their shock at his death

Meanwhile Lindsay Lohan claimed the two were friends, and gave her condolences to Anton;s father.

In a rambling message, she blamed 'Hollywood' for the death.

'This is the result of Hollywood,' she wrote on Instagram. 'A beautiful life has come to an end. A brilliant actor and a loving friend.

'Surround your life with good people and know who your true friends are. My prayers and love goes out to anton's family This breaks my heart. He was my friend I am so sorry to Anton's father.'
He split from Millie Mackintosh back in February after two years of marriage.

But Professor Green is seemingly still smarting from the divorce, after he hinted his ex would not be pleased with his latest lyrics.

The 32-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, told The Sun he was 'not worried' about how his former wife, 26, would react to his new music.

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In happier times: Professor Green is clearly still smarting from his divorce, after he hinted his ex Millie Mackintosh would not be pleased with his latest lyrics

'People assume they know me and they know the box I fit into but I grew up rapping a totally different way,' he said.

'I hope people will let me release the music and the style that I want. I'm not going to be nice just to sell records.'

Millie's reluctance to start a family with Professor Green is said to be one of the key factors in their divorce.

The rapper was reportedly keen to have children in the near future, which caused 'crazy, explosive rows' with the reality star-turned-fashionista, who wasn't ready to become a mother.

Glamorous: The 32-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, told The Sun he was 'not worried' about how his former wife, 26, would react to his new music

In a celebration attended by Lily Allen and other Made In Chelsea stars, the couple married in 2013 at Babington House, Somerset.

But they were granted a 'quickie divorce' in May at the Central London Family Court with Millie citing 'unreasonable behaviour' as the reason for their split.

Millie wasted little time moving on, and days after her divorce went public with her new romance, sharing a public kiss with new beau Hugo Taylor during a trip to Monaco.

The pair were romantically linked again in March after they were spotted looking cosy at the British Polo Day in Dubai - five weeks after Millie announced her impending divorce.

New love: Millie didn't hold back with her advances as she leant in for a passionate kiss with new beau Hugo Taylor at The Cartier Queen's Cup Final

The wealthy reality stars originally dated for six months in 2011, but Millie dumped Hugo after finding out he had cheated with her best pal Rosie Fortescue

Following Hugo and Millie's PDA, Pro Green posted on Twitter that 'money really can't buy you class can it', just after pictures were published of his ex looking worse for wear in Monaco with Hugo.

And earlier this month Millie was seen passionately kissing Hugo at The Cartier Queen's Cup Final.

Putting on a sultry display with her former flame and fellow ex-Made In Chelsea co-star, Millie seemed in good spirits at Guards Polo Club in Egham, Surrey.
On Friday she donned a risque black lace dress without any underwear.

And on Saturday evening, socialite Paris Hilton put on yet another racy display as she attended the Philipp Plein Autumn/Winter 2016/2017 show at Milan Fashion Week.

Honouring her host Philipp, she looked absolutely radiant wearing one of his very daring designs.

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Leggy lady! On Saturday evening socialite Paris Hilton put on a chic but racy display as she attended the Philipp Plein Autumn/Winter 2016/2017 show at Milan Fashion Week

The floor-sweeping dress features a deep thigh split, which Paris worked to perfection as she posed and showed off her endlessly lithe left leg.

Her stunning decolletage was on fine display thanks to the gown's deeply plunging neckline and an ornate neck embellishment, which drew extra attention to her assets.

Although the dress hugged her every contour perfectly, Paris risked showing off a bit too much of her cleavage when she stretched her arms out to take a selfie while seated on the front row.

Her perky right breast nearly popped out from her gown, no doubt leaving excited onlookers on the edge of their seats.

Spilling cleavage: Although the dress hugged her every contour perfectly, Paris risked showing off a bit too much of her chest when she stretched her arms out to take a selfie while seated on the front row

Twirl: Honouring her host Philipp, she looked absolutely radiant wearing his Torn Evening Dress - a sexy, sleeveless number that retails for 5,511 euros

Perfect pins: Paris, who wore Philipp's Precious silver heels, which retail for 750 euros, showed off her legs courtesy of a deep thigh-split

The Hilton hotel heiress elongated her 5ft 7in frame in a pair of the designer's Precious silver heels with spiked vamp.

The pumps, which retail for 750 euros, went perfectly with her black handbag, which featured metallic detailing, and the decorative crystal embellishments that dotted her cinched waist, shoulders and neck.

The blonde beauty wore her golden locks in a side-part, wrapping some of them behind her smooth neck and allowing the rest to gently curl before falling on her left bosom.

Matching: The silver pumps went perfectly with her black handbag, which featured metallic detailing, and the decorative crystal embellishments that dotted her cinched waist, shoulders and neck

Paris' sexy display comes at a time of family turmoil.

Her younger brother Conrad, 22, was recently sentenced to two months in prison after he admitted to using drugs during his probation.

The famous family is 'disappointed' but not surprised, a source close to Conrad's parents Kathy and Rick Hilton told People.

'Of course they're disappointed, but the news wasn't a surprise for anyone,' the source said, adding: 'Conrad has had a drug problem for years, since he was a teen, and it's never gotten better.'

Giving face: The hotel heiress happily posed for selfies before and after the show, pouting to perfection and finding the light to best show off her on-point make-up game
There's no denying that Kim Kardashian likes to be the centre of attention.

And true to form, the reality star made sure all eyes were on her as she celebrated Father's Day with her family on Sunday.

Flicking her glossy hair, and adjusting her cleavage, the mother-of-two played up to the watching cameras, as she strutted past them at Nobu in Malibu.

Kim showed off her hard-earned figure in a skintight tank and mini skirt as she carried a sleepy North into brunch at Nobu.

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Family outing! The Kardashian-Wests put their best foot forward on Sunday as they were spotted in Malibu hitting Nobu for brunch to celebrate Kanye West for Father's Day

Putting in the leg work! Kim showed off her hard-earned figure on Sunday afternoon in a skintight tank and denim mini skirt

Mom's the word! The 35-year-old carried her sleepy daughter North

The 35-year-old was joined by the man of the hour, Kanye, as the family celebrated Father's Day at the popular restaurant in Malibu, California on Sunday.

Kim wore a form-fitting, tan tank top, which featured a low-plunging front that put the star's ample assets on display.

She wore the skintight top - which also showcased her taut stomach - tucked into a light wash, denim mini skirt.

Her fitted mini showed off her toned pins, and she coupled those with a pair of tan, suede, heeled boots.

Teamwork! Kim and Kanye worked together as they got their children out of the car before heading into the Malibu restaurant

She's got some front! The mother-of-two sported a figure-hugging tan tank top with a low-cut front that put her ample assets on display

Voluminous: The raven-haired beauty flaunted her enviable tresses - which were worn in a center part and styled in soft waves - as she hopped out of the car

Cheeky: Kim put her famous derriere on display in a tight, light wash denim mini skirt

Kim accessorized with a small, gold necklace, as her long, brunette tresses were worn in a side part and styled in soft waves.

She kept her make-up natural for the family outing, sporting a nude lipstick as she was seen getting out of their Range Rover and preparing to bring young daughter North inside the restaurant.

Kanye looked sharp for his special day in a loose-fitting, white button down, worn with a pair of fitted, white jeans.

Happy to be here: Kanye looked to be in good spirits for his Father's Day brunch, flashing a peace sign to fans

He coupled the look with a pair of grey, Yeezy Boost sneakers, as he helped Kim tend to the children.

The Life of Pablo star looked to be in good spirits for the outing, and flashed a peace sign to fans at one point.

The couple were seen pulling a stroller out of their white SUV, and assembling the piece so it could hold a baby carrier.

On trend: Before heading inside, Kim was seen grabbing a long, tan cardigan from their Range Rover

It's a process: The celebrity couple spent a bit of time by the car before grabbing brunch, as they had to take out their strollers and grab the children from car seats

It takes two! Kim was seen pulling a stroller out from the trunk of the SUV, as Kanye held a baby carrier

She's got her hands full! The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star didn't miss a beat as she set up the stroller in her skintight mini skirt and heeled boots

Kim also grabbed a stylish, tan sweater, before picking up three-year-old daughter North to head inside.

The doting mother-of-two was seen carrying her sleepy, little girl, who had just turned three earlier this week.

The little girl's big day was marked with a mermaid-themed party, which was shared with her cousin Penelope (Kourtney Kardashian's daughter), who turns four on July 8.

Chic: Kanye sported an all-white ensemble for the family outing, donning a loose-fitting button down and fitted jeans

Time to go! The Kimoji creator could be seen reaching into the luxury vehicle to awaken a sleepy North

Mommy's little girl: The three-year-old - who celebrated her birthday earlier this week - dressed all in white as well, sporting lace-up sandals and a sundress
She's a proud mother to two darling little girls.

But Sunday afternoon was all about the special men in Jessica Alba's life, as she stepped out with her entire family for a celebratory Father's Day brunch at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Along for the memorable outing was the 35-year-old's husband Cash Warren, their daughters Honor and Haven as well as Jessica's parents Mark and Catherine Alba.

'Luckiest girl in the world': Jessica Alba shares sweet Father's Day message as she celebrates with Cash Warren and her entire family at Four Seasons in Beverly Hills

Father's Day: She stepped out with her entire family for a celebratory brunch at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

The loving family of four arrived to the posh locale in coordinating shades of baby blue and creme, a perfect homage to the male-centric holiday.

The Honest Company founder looked blissful in a high-waisted floral skirt paired with a chic boyfriend-style blazer and platform heels in the same color.

Alba pulled her brunette tresses into a sleek bun at the nape of her neck, opting to accessorize with a single statement earring in gold.

Daddy daughter moment: Alba's film producer hubby sported a striped button down, casual shorts and white sneakers as he lovingly gripped eight-year-old Honor's shoulders while walking in

Over here, Haven! The Honest Company founder looked blissful in a high-waisted floral skirt paired with a chic boyfriend-style blazer and platform heels in the same color

Her film producer hubby sported a striped button down, casual shorts and white sneakers as he lovingly gripped eight-year-old Honor's shoulders while walking in.

Both Honor and Haven, four, stole the spotlight in precious summertime frocks with bright blue hair bows.

At one moment, Alba's youngest daughter darted around the car to reach her mommy's side.

On trend: The loving family of four arrived to the posh locale in coordinating shades of baby blue and creme, a perfect homage to the male-centric holiday

Inside the Four Seasons, Alba and her brood seemed to be enjoying each other's company as she documented the entire celebration on both Instagram and Snapchat.

The Fantastic Four star beamed from ear to ear as she wrapped her arms around her father and husband with their daughters close by.

She captioned the loving snapshot: '#happyfathersday to my hubbs @cash_warren and my papasito @markdalba -love you both to the moon and back.

Nothing but love: Alba's father - who is a real estate broker - posted his own photo of the duo, writing: 'With Baby Girl on Father's Day'

Split splash: With LA temperatures getting into triple digits, Father's Day turned into a pool party

'Feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have these incredibly loving men in my life,' she added.

Alba's father - who is a real estate broker - posted his own photo of the duo, writing: 'With Baby Girl on Father's Day'

Jessica's Snapchat was filled to the brim with even more sneak peeks into the famous family's day, including quite a few must-see memories.

Happy day: Jessica's Snapchat was filled to the brim with even more sneak peeks into the famous family's day, including quite a few must-see memories

'Love you papasito': Jessica and Mark share a close relationship as father and daughter

Daddy's little girls: Cash appeared overjoyed to be spending his special day with his adoring daughters

Warren even played dentist for the day, as Jessica caught her beau inspecting Haven's teeth for any dental mishaps.

She wrote: 'Dad checking Havie 4 cavities - he thinks she may have a cavity, too much,' substituting the word with multiple chocolate bar emojis.

The issue didn't seem to be of too much concern though, as the toddler later enjoyed playing around with her mommy's goofy Snapchat filters.

Man of many talents: Warren even played dentist for the day, as Jessica caught her beau inspecting Haven's teeth for any dental mishaps

All smiles: The cavity scare didn't seem to be of too much concern though, as the toddler later enjoyed playing around with her mommy's goofy Snapchat filters
She's been busy with both professional and personal commitments of late - and spent time with her dad for a pre-Father's Day treat yesterday.

But Bella Hadid proved she wasn't one to slacken the pace as she jetted into Heathrow on Sunday, direct from LA.

The 19-year-old model looked like she had walked straight off the catwalk - despite the long flight - and rocked a sophisticated outfit at the airport.

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Sophisticated: Bella Hadid proved she wasn't one to slacken the pace as she jetted into Heathrow on Sunday, direct from LA

She teamed a simple wide-necked black top - which bared her midriff - with skintight dark jeans and added an understated matching scarf tied around her neck.

Finishing off her elegant ensemble was a pair of contrasting white shoes, with a chunky sole to add height to her already lofty frame.

The star accessorised with a monochrome leather bag and some fashionable blue tinted sunglasses.

Her brunette tresses were worn in a relaxed tousled style pushed back over her shoulders, highlighting her flawless complexion.

Elegant: The 19-year-old model looked like she had walked straight off the catwalk as she rocked a sophisticated outfit

High fashion: She teamed a simple black wide-necked top - which bared her midriff - with skintight dark jeans and added an understated matching scarf tied around her neck

Smart: Finishing off her elegant ensemble was a pair of contrasting white shoes, with a chunky sole to add height to her already lofty frame

On Saturday the model posted an adorable picture on Instagram of her with her father.

She wrote in the caption: 'Had to have lunch with my papa before Goin backs Europe..:I love you daddy. Happy almost Father's Day to one of my favorite men in the world! I love love love you.  @mohamedhadid.'

The same day, Bella's sister Gigi, 21, took to Instagram to give a shout out to her father as well.

Date with dad! Bella Hadid made sure to spend time with her 'papa' on Saturday, as the two enjoyed a meal at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills

Glamorous: The star accessorised with a monochrome leather bag and some fashionable blue tinted sunglasses

Luscious locks: Her brunette tresses were worn in a relaxed tousled style pushed back over her shoulders, highlighting her flawless complexion

High spirits: The star did not appear fatigued after her long flight across the Atlantic

'As I will be attending to my award-show-hosting duties tomorrow, I wanted to be the first to wish my daddio a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! I love you more than you'll ever know @mohamedhadid,' she wrote.

Gigi will be in Canada on Sunday hosting the MuchMusic Video Awards.

Bella landed in the UK without her Grammy-winning musician boyfriend The Weeknd, whom she has been dating for around 16 months after they met in early 2015.

She was last seen with the R&B star at the West Hollywood hotspot Madeo Restaurant on Friday evening.

Star power: The model was accompanied by a female friend as she made her way through the terminal

Poised: Bella looked effortlessly glamorous in the arrivals halls as she mingled with fellow passengers
He's forged a successful name for himself overseas, having starred in NCIS, The O.C. and blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier to name a few.

And Alan Dale, who first rose to fame playing on Neighbours' playing Jim Robinson, has revealed how happy is he got fired from the soap more than 20 years ago.

'I'm happy to be out of it - look at my career', the 69-year-old shared in an interview with TV WEEK.

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Not looking back: Ex Neighbours star Alan Dale, 69, has revealed in an interview with TV WEEK Magazine that he is happy to be out of the popular soap after being fired for an off-the-cuff remark more than 20 years ago

An original cast member of the popular Australian drama, his character was on the show for eight years before dying of a heart attack.

Alan's distaste over how much the actors were paid was common knowledge among the crew.

But it wasn't until management heard an off-the-cuff remark during a conversation with a co-star, that the veteran actor was fired.

'I made some sort of crack about the fact that when we started doing Neighbours [in 1985], we got paid the same money as when I was doing The Young Doctors [which he starred in from 1979-1983],' he told the publication.

The New Zealand-born star also revealed that although they were paid $600 a week, half that amount was overseas residuals.

Back then: The dad-of-four came to our screens as Neighbours' Jim Robinson

An original: Alan's character was on the show for eight years before dying of a heart attack

Distaste: The star made it no secret that he was unhappy over how much the actors were paid

Pay issues: The New Zealand-born actor also revealed that although they were paid $600 a week, half that amount was overseas residuals

Since leaving the show, the dad-of-four has carved a successful career for himself, moving the US about 16 years ago.

However he has been spending time of late in Cape Town, South Africa, to film supernatural action series Dominion, as well as returning to Australia for the political thriller Secret City, alongside Jacki Weaver.

Earlier this month he told AAP that while many actors pretend fame isn't a goal when they're younger, they might as well be kidding themselves.

'When youre young you pretend thats (being famous) not what you really want but it is,' Alan said.

'As you get older ... Ive had my share of all that sort of stuff, I dont need crowds in the street,' he added.

American star: Alan took on the role of Caleb Nichol in the hit teenage soap The O.C.
Taliban use child sex slaves to kill Afghan police

The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults told AFP.

The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where "bacha bereesh" -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders.

The Taliban over nearly two years have used them to mount a wave of Trojan Horse attacks -- at least six between January and April alone -- that have killed hundreds of policemen, according to security and judicial officials in the province.

The Taliban, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- the sexual abuse of young boys, have been using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police Rateb Noori (AFP/File)

"The Taliban are sending boys -- beautiful boys, handsome boys -- to penetrate checkpoints and kill, drug and poison policemen," said Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, who was Uruzgan's police chief until he was removed in a security reshuffle in April amid worsening violence.

"They have figured out the biggest weakness of police forces -- bacha bazi," he told AFP.

The assaults, signifying abuse of children by both parties in the conflict, have left authorities rattled, with one senior provincial official who echoed Rogh Lewanai's view saying "it's easier tackling suicide bombers than bacha attackers".

The killings illustrate how bacha bazi is aggravating insecurity in Uruzgan, a remote province which officials warn is teetering on the brink of collapse, unravelling hard-won gains by US, Australian and Dutch troops who fought there for years.

"These bacha attacks have fuelled deep mistrust within police ranks," Seddiqullah, a police commander at a checkpoint near the provincial capital Tarin Kot, told AFP.

The insurgents are using boys as honey traps, said 21-year-old Matiullah, a policeman who was the only survivor from an insider attack in Dehrawud district in spring last year.

He said the attacker was the checkpoint commander's own sex slave, a teenager called Zabihullah. Late one night, he went on a shooting spree, killing seven policemen including the commander as they slept.

"He brought the Taliban inside and poked all the bodies with rifle butts to see if anyone was alive. I pretended to be dead," said Matiullah, who now works as a tailor, pointing out a gash on his forehead.

"As his Taliban accomplices gathered our weapons and ammunition, Zabihullah declared: 'Everyone is dead'."

- 'Addiction' to boys -

The Taliban, who banned bacha bazi during their 1996-2001 rule, roundly denied deploying any underage boys for insider attacks.

"We have a special mujahideen brigade for such operations -- all grown men with beards," a Taliban spokesman told AFP.

The insurgents have long denied using children in combat, a claim repeatedly debunked by rights groups and the government.

Survivors of insider attacks who spoke to AFP, including Matiullah, suggest the Taliban are exploiting the institutionalisation of bacha bazi in police ranks for military gain.

Practically all of Uruzgan's 370 local and national police checkpoints have bachas -- some up to four -- who are illegally recruited not just for sexual companionship but also to bear arms, multiple officials said.

Some policemen, they said, demand bachas like a perk of the job, refusing to join outposts where they are not available.

Horrifying abuse at checkpoints makes the boys, many unpaid and unregistered, hungry for revenge and easy prey for Taliban recruitment -- often because there is no other escape from exploitative commanders.

Many who have tried to escape have been dragged back with trumped up charges of Taliban links, two senior provincial judges told AFP.

Boys have also spurred a deadly rivalry between policemen, with officials reporting incidents such as a public gunfight this year between two commanders in Gezab district as one of them angrily accused the other of "stealing" his bacha.

"To restore security in Uruzgan, we will first have to separate policemen from their bachas," one of the judges said.

"But if they are told to reform their ways, a common reply is: 'If you force me to abandon my boy lover, I will also abandon the checkpoint'. The Taliban are not blind to notice that this addiction is worse than opium."

- 'Male rape' -

Bacha bazi, which the US State Department has called a "culturally sanctioned form of male rape", peels away the masculine identity of boys in a society where the sexes are tightly segregated.

In conservative areas women are mostly invisible in public -- and often unattainable due to steep bride prices. Bachas supplant the role of women, adopting a feminine gait and sometimes wearing makeup and bells on their feet.

Many in Uruzgan see bacha bazi neither as paedophilia nor homosexuality, which is forbidden in Islam. If social norms had a pecking order, violating boys would be seen as far more ethical than violating women.

"Bacha bazi is pervasive sexual slavery of children, seen widely as a cultural practice and not a crime," Charu Lata Hogg, a director at London-based charity Child Soldiers International, told AFP.

"Since it is mostly practised by those in positions of power -- warlords, commanders, politicians -- it is hard to stamp out. It appears sustained partly by the fact that access to women is limited."

Insider attacks by child slaves have also been reported in recent years from neighbouring Helmand and Kandahar provinces, where bacha bazi is prevalent.

But the tactic appears more deep rooted in Uruzgan, where the boys are widely flaunted as a totem of affluence, with some officials openly displaying cellphone images to AFP of their "handsome bachas".

"Come see my beautiful bacha," said Naqibullah, a police commander in Dehjawze village near Tarin Kot, boasting that he had been holding the teenager for two years.

With a touch of kohl on his eyes, and bleached blond curly hair poking out of his embroidered hat, the boy sat in a corner of the checkpoint surrounded by opium farms, quietly refilling tea glasses for Naqibullah's guests.

- 'Predatory behaviour' -

"Commanders prowl neighbourhoods for young boys. We are scared of dressing up our children or buying new clothes that will make them attractive," said Nader Khan, a tribal elder in Dehrawud.

Khan's 13-year-old nephew was taken captive earlier this year by Naqibullah, a local commander not related to the Dehjawze official, when his family sent him to deliver bread for policemen. He was released only after angry tribal elders besieged the governor's office in Tarin Kot.

Governor Mohammad Nazir Kharoti told AFP he ordered Naqibullah's arrest but he was released in less than a month because he was needed for combat duty.

"It is difficult to implement the law 100 percent when we are faced with a war situation," Kharoti said, without elaborating on the case.

Afghanistan's interior ministry refused to confirm or deny that bachas were being used in insurgent attacks, but said it was committed to police reforms and acknowledged that "bacha bazi within the ranks of police is a serious crime".

The practice has put the United States and its NATO allies, who have spent billions of dollars to build Afghan forces, in a precarious position.

The US Congress last year voiced concern over "predatory sexual behaviour by Afghan soldiers and police", prompting watchdog agency SIGAR to launch an investigation that is still ongoing.

The head of a government-affiliated agency in Uruzgan showed AFP two letters from the attorney general in Kabul, one last year and another dated January, ordering a separate probe into sexual abuse and the illegal recruitment of child conscripts.

"We haven't been able to visit even one checkpoint to investigate," he said, speaking in hushed whispers in his own office.

"Do you think police commanders will leave us alive if we probe their crimes?"

Taliban in Afghanistan Adrian LEUNG (AFP)

Afghan police commander Seddiqullah, 30, (L) sits with his subordinates as he speaks to AFP about the use of child sex slaves by the Taliban to attack police in Tarin Kot, Uruzgan Rateb Noori (AFP/File)

Najeebullah, 18, who survived a Taliban insider attack carried out by a bacha or child sex slave, smokes a shisha in Tarin Kot Rateb Noori (AFP)
Australia taxes foreign home buyers as affordability bites

Sydney is imposing new taxes on foreigners buying homes as concerns grow that a flood of mostly Chinese investors is crowding out locals and killing the "Great Australian Dream" of owning property.

Ownership rates across the country are among the highest in developed nations, with having your own house long viewed as a key aspect of Australian identity.

But as prices rise to record levels -- Sydney is ranked only second to Hong Kong as major cities with the world's least-affordable housing -- new potential homeowners have been increasingly forced out of the market with foreigners blamed as a key factor.

Sydney is imposing new taxes on foreigners buying homes amid growing concerns that a flood of mostly Chinese investors is crowding out locals William West (AFP/File)

"The governments want to respond to a perception about housing affordability and the impact of foreign investment on that," KPMG Australia's indirect tax specialist Michelle Bennett told AFP.

"(Politicians) are raising money from people who aren't voting, so superficially you can understand that it's possibly not bad politics," she added, but warned the measures could be a "blunt instrument" that could hurt the market.

Last year, leading apartment developer Lend Lease sold out more than Aus$600 million (US$445 million) worth of new units in Sydney's Darling Harbour in under five hours, with The Australian Financial Review reporting that one-third of buyers were foreign.

Lend Lease said the sale broke local records but such reports have also fuelled calls for government action to protect Australian buyers.

In response, the New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland state governments have introduced or are set to slap new property and land taxes on foreign buyers, sparking an outcry from developers fearful that they will flee to other markets such as New Zealand and Canada.

"It is very bad. Without the Chinese nothing would ever get built," the country's richest man and head of prominent developer Meriton, "high-rise" Harry Triguboff told The Australian Financial Review this week.

"Never mind the bullshit stories, sales volumes have already dropped and prices are coming down steadily. The Chinese buyers are already disappearing."

- Government crackdown -

Analysts say Australia is an appealing market particularly after Hong Kong and Singapore introduced a 15 percent property tax on non-local buyers and as the local dollar weakened against other currencies.

The proposed tax in Sydney's New South Wales state to be announced this week would be only four percent, in Queensland it is three percent and in Victoria seven percent.

The island continent experienced an average 7.25 percent annual housing growth over the past three decades according to the central bank, attracting Chinese investment into commercial and residential real estate.

Chinese invested Aus$4.2 billion in 2011-12, rising to Aus$24.3 billion in 2014-15 according to Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board, making them the largest overseas buyers.

But foreign investment -- including in local firms and agricultural land -- is politically sensitive and last year the national government forced some offshore owners to sell properties after tightening regulations.

Housing affordability, and the role of property investors, has also been a key battleground ahead of national elections on July 2.

But with housing prices appearing to be coming off the boil and the economy transitioning away from a mining boom, analysts say the state taxes could backfire.

"It'll have ramifications down the track when the market goes through a pretty significant downturn in terms of construction and developers are finding it hard to get projects going," BIS Shrapnel's managing director Robert Mellor told AFP.

Signs of a softening housing market could also be why states appear to be trying to "grab some revenue while it's on offer", leading property data provider CoreLogic's Australia research head Cameron Kusher said.

Meanwhile, there are question marks about whether current data adequately captures the full extent of foreign investment in Australian real estate, with some statistics not delineating between commercial and residential property purchases.

In one estimate, University of Sydney researchers last year said offshore Chinese purchases only totalled two percent of all transactions in 2014 out of overall residential home sales of Aus$270 billion, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Despite the new tax hurdles, Kusher expects long-term Chinese housing investment to continue.

"The people that are buying for the long-term... maybe at some point to migrate to Australia, I don't think it would act as too much of a deterrent for them," he told AFP.

In 2015, apartment developer Lend Lease sold out more than Aus$600 million worth of new units in Sydney's Darling Harbour in under five hours, with The Australian Financial Review reporting that one-third of buyers were foreign Saeed Khan (AFP/File)

Sydney (pictured) is ranked only second to Hong Kong as major cities with the world's least-affordable housing Peter Parks (AFP/File)
Iran reaches deal to purchase 100 Boeing planes

Iran said Sunday it has reached an agreement with American aerospace giant Boeing to purchase 100 aircraft to renew its ageing fleet, though the deal must still be approved by the US government.

The Islamic republic has ordered about 200 planes from three Western manufacturers since mid-January, when economic sanctions were lifted following a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's civil aviation authority said in remarks published by the daily Iran newspaper that an agreement had been reached with Boeing for the purchase but said the deal was contingent on US Treasury permission.

Iran and US aerospace giant Boeing have reached a deal for the purchase of 100 aircraft to renew the country's ageing fleet Roslan Rahman (AFP/File)

Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan however said Sunday that he hoped the initial accord could be completed within a month.

He told the Fars news agency that the deal would be "the largest and most important contract" with the United States -- barring military deals -- since before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A nuclear agreement in July with six world powers, including the US, has lifted some of the economic sanctions on Iran in return for limits on the Islamic republic's controversial atomic programme.

Many of Iran's ageing civil aviation fleet -- 230 planes out of 250 according to Abedzadeh -- are in desperate need of replacement.

Boeing has fallen behind the race to restock Iran because as an American company it has to obtain the greenlight from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control before completing any contracts with Iran.

It has requested final authorisation for the sale, according to Abedzadeh.

He said the contract's reported value of $17 billion (15 billion euros) was not final and that more details will be provided after further negotiations.

Boeing confirmed on Wednesday that it was in talks with Iranian airlines interested in buying its passenger planes.

"We have been engaged in discussions with Iranian airlines approved by the (US government) about potential purchases of Boeing commercial passenger airplaned and services," the company said in an email to AFP.

In February, the American company was granted approval from the US government to explore resuming sales to Iran after sanctions were partially lifted in January.

- No diplomatic ties -

Iran and the US broke diplomatic ties in 1980 following a hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of modern Iran, dubbed the US the "Great Satan" and his successor supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has kept Tehran on a stridently anti-American path.

Despite allowing nuclear negotiations with Washington, Khamenei has repeatedly warned of American and Western "infiltration" in the post-sanctions era.

Although the nuclear deal lifted most economic sanctions, the US and the European Union have kept up some measures due to Tehran's support for groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as its ballistic missile programme.

This means major international banks, particularly in Europe, are still reluctant to do business with Iran for fear of punitive US measures.

Iran in January reached a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the purchase of 118 planes.
Renewed fighting pins down Mozambique's economy

In Mozambique's central Nhamapaza region, around 150 cars stand idle on the country's main highway, waiting for a military convoy to escort them safely north.

"You now need four days instead of two to travel to Nampula (in the north) from Maputo (the capital)," said a bus driver who declined to give his name.

"You have to take two military convoys... and it takes three hours to drive 100 kilometres (62 miles)," he said.

Street vendors sell to drivers along Mozambique's main north-south road as they wait for a military escort to provide protection for trucks and travellers John Wessels (AFP/File)

This is the new normal in a country where clashes between Frelimo, the ruling party, and Renamo, a movement that operates as both an armed insurgent group and an elected opposition party, have intensified, reviving the spectre of a civil war that ended more than 20 years ago.

Frelimo and Renamo fought a bloody civil war between 1976 and 1992 that claimed one million lives.

Since 2013, tensions have risen and Renamo fighters have again taken up arms in a battle that it says is against a Frelimo elite who has enriched itself at the expense of the country.

Starting with a low-level insurgency, attacks escalated from late last year, forcing thousands to flee to neighbouring Malawi.

That came as the country's economy was jolted by a drop in global prices for commodities that it exports, such as natural gas and aluminium. The local currency, the metical, plunged in value by more than 40 percent against the US dollar last year.

Meanwhile, donor nations and institutions that contribute to Mozambique's state budget recently suspended their support over revelations the government hid $1.4 billion in debt, much of it for a fleet of naval vessels that had originally been presented as a loan for fishing boats.

- Import dependent -

In the second half of May, Renamo carried out 18 attacks on the main road, killing seven people and leaving more than 30 wounded, according to police.

The disgruntled driver had parked his red bus, full of passengers, in the middle of the line of cars, its windshield cracked in four places from the impact of bullets during a recent Renamo attack in the north.

"Men from Renamo came out of the forest and shot at the bus," the driver said. "Thank God, they missed me and I'm still alive."

To get to Maputo, a seaside city, from the north about 2,000 kilometres away, has become a high-stakes challenge.

The military has put in place armed convoys to provide protection for trucks and travellers, but they are criticised for not being frequent or fast enough to support the economy.

"These military convoys have led to a decline in economic activity in a country that sorely depends on imports," economic analyst Joao Mosca told AFP.

"Products arrive late, companies are no longer able to produce, and consumers stop buying," he said.

- Waiting for convoys -

On the main road, a few cars down from the bullet-riddled bus, Eliseu Nalhwali, a poultry farmer, bides his time.

Nalhwali spent the night waiting for the military convoys. He has no choice but to make the journey north in the sweltering heat that threatens his cargo.

"I'm transporting live chickens and some will die because of the heat," Nalhwali told AFP.

"You can lose up to 400 chickens on a drive like this" -- or about 40 percent of what he is carrying.

It is a little after nine in the morning in Nhamapaza when two military vehicles wind their way to the front of the convoys where the line of cars and trucks is idling.

Two police cars round out the line at its tail, while more soldiers will ride in various cars inside the convoy to provide another measure of security.

A hundred kilometres north, in Caia, they will make a U-turn and escort the vehicles heading south. This has become the daily routine.

Once the convoy gets going, the road will be impassible: vehicles will have to wait for the next convoy, 24 hours later.

- Villages hard hit -

Rotting foodstuff, coupled with the cost of transport that rises with the length of the journey, have had a crippling effect.

In certain villages hit by the renewed conflict, market stalls stand empty and houses are abandoned.

The centre of Mozambique, a country already classified as one of the world's poorest, has no public services in many places.

The hospital in Canda, a village near the main highway, has been pillaged and the school is all but empty.

Teachers and school administrators, afraid of staying in the village, leave the school early each day.

"When people see the military come through the village, they run here to get their children," said Jafar Estevao, a former guide who is now unemployed because there are no longer any tourists visiting the picturesque mountains of Gorongosa, also the site of a leading wildlife park.

Street vendors are seen through a bullet hole in a bus windscren alongside the Mozambican Main North South road (NH1) John Wessels (AFP/File)
Mounting pressure unlikely to sway Obama on Syria

Exasperated US diplomats are in open revolt over Barack Obama's Syria policy, but radical change is unlikely in the twilight of his presidency.

More than 280,000 people have been killed. Millions more have fled their homes.

A relentless drumbeat of cluster bombs, barrel bombs, chemical bombs, murder, rape and torture has turned swaths of Syria to dust.

Above all US President Barack Obama has tried to avoid entanglements in the Middle East, defining US interests in Syria as part of a counterterrorism effort to dismantle the Islamic State group Saul Loeb (AFP/File)

Humanitarian aid sometimes drips into the beleaguered cities, but when it does, President Bashar al-Assad's regime makes sure "punishment" bombings quickly follow.

"The Assad regime's actions defy all definitions of human decency," said one US official.

There are ominous signs the regime is moving to strangle food production.

In Syria, "you think you've reached the bottom and then you hear a faint scratching from below," another official said.

Through it all, the Obama administration has insisted only Assad -- and his Russian and Iranian sponsors -- can end the madness.

But privately, even senior diplomats admit that their inability to stop five years of butchery has challenged their conscience. They say that whatever comes next, Syria will have left an indelible stain on their years in public service.

In a deliberately leaked memo, 51 serving US diplomats have now said "enough," insisting that Obama has a moral obligation to stop the carnage.

To force Assad into real peace negotiations, they say the 44th president must launch airstrikes against the Syrian regime.

Such a policy, they argue, could increase the cost of Assad's intransigence and perhaps stem the suffering.

The White House has quickly signaled it is not ready to embark on such a 180 degree shift.

"The president has always been clear that he does not see a military solution to the crisis in Syria and that remains the case," White House spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman said in response to the memo.

The White House has stuck fast to a credo -- borne from the folly of the Iraq war -- that the United States should not, indeed cannot, solve all the world's crises.

Above all Obama has tried to avoid entanglements in the Middle East, defining US interests in Syria as part of a counterterrorism effort to dismantle the Islamic State group.

That has left his Secretary of State John Kerry with an unenviable -- and probably impossible -- task of negotiating an end to the broader crisis with little or no leverage.

His counterparts in Moscow or Damascus know Obama's reticence well, and have the upper hand on the ground, so see little incentive to deal.

- 'Morally vacuous, politically bankrupt' -

For years diplomat frustration with this perceived fool's errand has been building.

Frederic Hof, a former Syria advisor resigned from the Obama administration in protest in 2012.

Obama's policy is "morally vacuous and politically bankrupt" he said. It "cruelly and gratuitously leaves innocent civilians at the mercy of a mass murderer."

Today, Assad's regime and it's Russian allies are running roughshod over a ceasefire that Kerry helped broker.

Critics say it is increasingly difficult to tell the difference between an imperfect ceasefire and no ceasefire at all.

Similarly, Kerry's efforts to get Russia to force Assad to step down have run into the sand. Russia remains either unwilling or unable to help.

By leaking the memo in an election year, the diplomats would like Obama to reconsider.

They might find allies elsewhere in Washington.

CIA and Pentagon efforts to keep Syria's opposition afloat are faltering, even as progress is made in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Russian aerial assaults on moderate groups have met no response from Washington, forcing allies to seek the protection of larger, better-armed militant groups, including those linked to Al-Qaeda.

Might an administration led by Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton be much more willing to push back against Assad, check Russian influence and bring America's vast military power to bear?

There are signs that Russia wants to make sure the next president, whoever it is, faces a choice only between dealing with Assad or letting the jihadists.

Russia recently directly targeted US-backed fighters who had no part in the fight against the regime.

"This is a small tribal fighting force that has been pretty well equipped by the United States and tasked with taking the eastern flank of Syria away from the Islamic State," said Faysal Itani, a Syria analyst at the Atlantic Council, a think tank.

"This is as close as you are going to get to a textbook definition of a proxy group."

It's an escalation that may leave US-backed fighters, like Obama's own diplomats, asking what US power is worth.

US President Barack Obama's efforts to avoid entanglements in the Middle East, has left Secretary of State John Kerry with the task of negotiating with little or no leverage Evan Vucci (POOL/AFP)

Fighters from the Free Syrian Army prepare to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Jobar, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus Sameer Al-Doumy (AFP)
Pregnant woman and husband gunned down in Pakistan honour killing

A pregnant woman and her husband have been abducted and shot dead by relatives who disapproved of their marriage, police said Sunday, the latest in a surge of reported "honour killings" in Pakistan.

The couple were murdered near the village of Thikriwala in Punjab province last Wednesday, senior local police official Malik Waris told AFP. The bodies were discovered after they washed up in a canal.

Waris said Aqsa Bibi, aged 22, and Shakeel Ahmed, 26, both worked at a local pharmacy and had got married in a court ceremony four years earlier.

Pakistani human rights activists protest against 'honour' killings, in Karachi Rizwan Tabassum (AFP/File)

Aqsa was expecting a child, though it was not immediately clear how many months' pregnant she was.

Their match enraged Aqsa's family, who lived in a nearby village.

Matters came to a head when one of her brothers, named as Muhammad Moavia, who had recently returned from abroad assembled a group of relatives to kidnap the couple.

They then shot them both in the head and dumped their bodies in the canal.

The accused remain at large, said Waris, adding that raids are underway.

Muhammad Azhar, another police official, confirmed the incident.

It was the latest in a string of "honour" killings, which are thought to claim around 1,000 lives every year in Pakistan.

Last week a man's throat was slit by relatives of his wife who disapproved of their match -- a rare instance of a male victim.

The week before, 16 year-old Zeenat Bibi was killed in Lahore by her mother for marrying a man of her own choice -- a case that sparked condemnation throughout the country.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to eradicate the "evil" of honour killings amid publicity for the Oscar-winning film on the subject, "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness".
US military on Okinawa fights to check stigma of crime

Crimes by US troops based on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa have long angered residents, who for decades have claimed the American military was out of control.

Tens of thousands of islanders rallied Sunday after anger was rekindled by the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman in April.

A US civilian base worker -- a former Marine -- has been arrested. In a separate incident earlier this month a US sailor was detained after injuring two people in a drink-driving incident.

Demonstrators hold placards that read "our fury has gone beyond the limit" during a rally against the US military presence in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, on June 19, 2016, following the alleged rape and murder of a local woman by a former US marine Toru Yamanaka (AFP)

Statistics do not suggest a major problem with US military crime on the sub-tropical island. But the cases have fuelled persistent irritation at the intrusive American military presence on overcrowded Okinawa.

The island hosts about 26,000 US troops, more than half the total Washington keeps in all of Japan under a longstanding security treaty, and residents have long complained at the disproportionately heavy US footprint.

Okinawa was the scene of a bloody battle between Japan and the US in the waning months of World War II, followed by a 27-year American occupation that only ended in 1972 with its reversion to Japanese control.

The US military has gone all out to condemn the recent incidents and take measures to avoid further trouble, while the vast majority of its troops try to avoid the stigma created by their comrades who break the law.

Worried that more crimes could jeopardise the alliance, the military has been quick to express sympathy with Okinawans and taken steps to curtail problematic behaviour, such as restricting alcohol consumption and imposing a curfew.

"The overwhelming majority of American service members are law-abiding, upstanding members of this shared community," First Lieutenant George McArthur, a Marine public affairs officer, told AFP in a written response to questions.

"There is not an Okinawan and an American way to view horrific crimes -- only one view, and that is that we are all repulsed, angry and grieving together."

- 'Stomach turn' -

Troops have been instructed to stay away from the venue of Sunday's protest in the prefectural capital of Naha out of respect "and to prevent any possible conflict", McArthur said.

Most American personnel approached by AFP were reluctant to speak about the situation. If they did, they stuck mostly to talking points.

"We're doing everything we can to support the host nation," said a serviceman at an American-style off-base shopping mall in the beachside town of Chatan near the sprawling Kadena Air Force Base with his girlfriend.

Since the murder fewer troops are visiting the outdoor mall -- where shops, restaurants and bars have names like American Depot, Garage House, Camp Market and Outlet J. -- during evening hours, said Yoshie Morota, who runs a souvenir shop, though they still come during daytime.

"The crime made my stomach turn," Morota, 60, said of the rape and murder. "But it doesn't mean that all the Americans are bad."

She said around 30 service personnel picked up litter at a busy car parking area early Saturday at the complex and appeared to share a sense of grief with local residents.

In May the US military imposed a 30-day period of mourning, putting troops under curfew and banning the buying and consuming of alcohol off base.

Last year criminal cases suspected to be linked to the US military represented just 0.8 percent of all cases in Okinawa, according to figures from the prefectural government, remaining under one percent for the third year in a row.

But critics say high-profile incidents are likely to keep happening as the actual number of troops coming to Okinawa is larger than statistics suggest, given they regularly rotate through and tend to stay for a limited period.

"In reality, the number of perpetrators is huge," said Suzuyo Takazato, a female rights activist in Okinawa.

"Even if only one serviceman out of 100 commits a crime, it means 10 out of 1,000, and 100 out of 10,000, do," she added.

The US has more than 26,000 troops based on the Japanese island of Okinawa Toru Yamanaka (AFP/File)

A demonstrator holds a placard during a rally against the US military presence in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, on June 19, 2016 Toru Yamanaka (AFP)
Hong Kong bookseller likens China detention to 'Cultural Revolution'

The Hong Kong bookseller who broke silence earlier this week about being blindfolded and interrogated in detention in China likened his ordeal to Cultural Revolution repression in an interview with AFP on Sunday.

Lam Wing-kee is one of five booksellers who went missing last year -- all worked for a Hong Kong publishing house known for salacious titles about leading Chinese politicians.

His story sent chills through Hong Kong where the booksellers' case has heightened fears Beijing is tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city.

Lam Wing-kee (C), one of five Hong Kong booksellers who went missing last year, is surrounded by supporters and pro-democracy leaders after giving a speech during a rally in Hong Kong, on June 18, 2016 Isaac Lawrence (AFP)

He told Thursday how he was detained for months after being picked up in the southern mainland city of Shenzhen in October on a visit to see his girlfriend.

Lam, who was placed on suicide watch during his detention, broke bail Thursday and is refusing to go back over the border, where he is under investigation for bringing banned books into the mainland.

Dressed in a neat blue shirt and cap the 61-year-old told AFP how he felt terrified during his detention, where he was threatened with 30 years in jail and was harangued by two men who said they had come from Beijing.

"They made me feel it was a Cultural Revolution denunciation," he said, referring to the decade of torture, executions and public vilifications carried out under communist leader Mao Zedong across mainland China from 1966.

"They said we published, sold and mailed books to demean the state leadership. We are reactionaries. (They told me) I could be jailed for 20 to 30 years until I die.

"It was made clear to me that their power was huge and does not require legal means.

"I was just sitting there watching them. When I said one thing they would say 30 things...banging the table."

Lam says he was told that a "special investigation unit" was dealing with his case.

He was allowed back into Hong Kong for the first time Tuesday on the condition that he pick up a hard disk listing bookstore customers and return to the mainland Thursday. Instead he decided to cut loose and break his silence.

"If the worst comes to the worst, I could die. (But) 'civilians do not fear death, why threaten them?'," said Lam, quoting an ancient Chinese idiom often used to describe fearless defiance of repressive regimes.

"I am a free man."

- No asylum -

Lam is staying with a relative and says he has not asked city authorities for protection.

"There is no use," he said. "They cannot protect me forever."

He has also turned down an offer from a pro-democracy politician to help him seek asylum in another country, saying he wants to remain in Hong Kong and continue to speak out.

Critics have accused the Hong Kong government of being a Beijing puppet that can no longer protect its own citizens, and are demanding to know what authorities have done to try to help the booksellers.

Lam led more than 1,000 protesters through the city centre Saturday over his detention.

He told AFP the Mighty Current publishing house, where the five booksellers worked, and its outlet the Causeway Bay Bookstore -- which Lam managed -- had been targeted as part of a wider crackdown to deter Hong Kong from putting out political titles.

During his interrogation he was asked to hand over details of authors and customers, he said.

The case has spooked some Hong Kong bookshops into removing controversial titles from their shelves -- but Lam says he will continue to sell them if he can.

"There are no banned books in Hong Kong," Lam said.

"It's a place with freedom of publication...there is a market."

- 'I'm not a hero' -

Since Lam went public, three of the other booksellers have cast doubt on his story.

One of them, Lee Bo, the only one of the group to have disappeared on Hong Kong soil, refuted Lam's claim that he had told him he was taken to the mainland against his wishes.

The two other booksellers who questioned Lam's version, Lui Por and Cheung Chi-ping, were quoted by pro-Beijing media as speaking from the mainland, where they are believed to still be under investigation.

Lam says he sympathises, describing them as "under threat".

The fifth bookseller, Gui Minhai, is in detention -- his family is demanding his release.

Lam has been hailed a role model by those in Hong Kong who feel Beijing is suffocating its cherished freedoms.

But he says he is nothing special.

"I am not a hero," he told AFP.

"The people of Hong Kong are heroes ...as long as we keep fighting there is hope."

Lam Wing-kee (L), one of five Hong Kong booksellers who went missing last year, speaks at a protest in Hong Kong on June 18, 2016 Isaac Lawrence (AFP)

Five booksellers who published salacious titles about leading Chinese politicians disappeared at the end of last year in a case that exacerbated fears Beijing was tightening its grip on Hong Kong Philippe Lopez (AFP/File)
Iraq faces humanitarian disaster after Fallujah breakthrough

Aid workers scrambled Sunday to cope with a massive influx of Iraqi civilians who fled Fallujah after government forces retook much of the city from the Islamic State group.

Tens of thousands of civilians escaped the city, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on the back of a major advance that saw Iraqi forces thrust into central Fallujah in recent days.

The humanitarian community has been struggling to cope, with thousands of people already suffering from hunger and trauma now stranded in the scorching summer heat with no shelter.

Displaced Iraqis from the city of Fallujah rest in a safe zone on June 17, 2016 in Amiriyiah al-Fallujah, after they were evacuated Moadh al-Dulaimi (AFP/File)

"The estimated total number of displaced from Fallujah in just the last three days is now at a staggering 30,000 people," the Norwegian Refugee Council said.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said up to 84,000 people had been forced to flee their homes since the start of the government offensive against the IS bastion nearly a month ago.

"Agencies are scrambling to respond to the rapidly evolving situation -- and we are bracing ourselves for another large exodus in the next few days as we estimate that thousands more people remain trapped in Fallujah," the UNHCR said.

"We implore the Iraqi government to take charge of this humanitarian disaster unfolding on our watch," NRC's Iraq director Nasr Muflahi said.

NRC said it could no longer provide the required assistance, with water rations drying up fast.

It cited the case of a newly opened camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah, south of Fallujah, that houses 1,800 people but has only one latrine for women.

"We need the Iraqi government to take a leading role in providing for the needs of the most vulnerable civilians who have endured months of trauma and terror," Muflahi said.

An Iraqi aid worker employed by the government at a camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah said the resources were inadequate to deal with the scope of the crisis.

"Four hundred families have reached my camp in the last four days, they don't have anything," said the camp manager, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We were shocked by the number of displaced people and we weren't prepared to receive them," he said.

"We secured tents for some of them but the rest, including women and children, are sleeping on the ground under the sun," he said. "Their situation is a tragedy."

- Sniper fire -

The temperature in Baghdad has been hovering above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and it often gets hotter in Anbar province, where inhabited areas along the Euphrates River are flanked by desert.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has promised to support the displaced.

On Friday evening, after Iraqi forces raised the national flag above the main government compound, he declared Fallujah had been "brought back to the fold."

Yet Iraqi forces have some work left to do, with hundreds of IS fighters still holed up in the city's northern neighbourhoods.

Abadi announced the liberation of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, in December but the area was not brought under control until February.

Sporadic IS attacks there have continued, the latest of which was a thwarted ambush on the top military commander for Anbar Sunday in an area called Zankura.

Despite facing less resistance than expected from IS in Fallujah, an emblematic jihadist stronghold, sniper fire, car bombs and booby traps remained a risk for Iraq's forces.

"Our forces are cleansing central Fallujah of pockets of Daesh (IS)," federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadist group.

In the Officers neighbourhood of Fallujah, IS snipers shot at an Iraqi flag pole until it broke, an AFP photographer reported.

The loss of Fallujah would continue a losing streak for IS that already leaves the "caliphate" it proclaimed two years ago looking moribund.

To keep the pressure on the jihadist organisation, Iraqi forces also rekindled offensives east and south of Qayyarah in the north of the country.

With its strategic location west of the Tigris and its air field, Iraqi forces hope to make it a key launchpad in a major push to retake Mosul.

Abadi vowed on Friday that Mosul, the country's second city and IS's last remaining major urban hub in Iraq, would be liberated "very soon".

Iraq: the battle for Fallujah Valentina BRESCHI, Thomas SAINT-CRICQ (AFP)

Iraqi government forces patrol the city of Fallujah on June 18, 2016 as they hunt down holdout jihadists after retaking the Islamic State group's last remaining major hub in Iraq
Shebab confirms death of Garissa attack leader

Somalia's Shebab jihadists have confirmed the death of a commander suspected of organising the 2015 attack on Kenya's Garissa University that left 148 people dead.

The killing of Mohamed Mohamud aka Dulyadin was announced by Somali officials on June 1 and Shebab confirmed his death with the release of an obituary on Saturday.

"We console ourselves and our nation for the martyrdom of the Muslim knight commander Sheik Mohamed Mohamud Ali (Dulyadin). May Allah accept him and lift him to paradise," it said.

A Kenyan soldier stands guard at the entrance of Garissa University after it re-opened nine after a deadly siege by Shebab gunmen in April 2015 Tony Karumba (AFP)

Shebab said the commander, also know by the aliases 'Kuno' and 'Gamadhere', was killed by "US crusaders".

Somali officials had said he died in a Somali special forces raid close to the southern port town of Kismayo. Somalia's special forces are trained by and receive logistical support from the US.
Moscow denies strikes on US-backed rebels in Syria

Russia's defence ministry on Sunday denied bombing US-backed rebels in southern Syria earlier this week.

In a video conference with Russian military officials, the Pentagon said Saturday that it had expressed "strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the Al-Tanaf garrison."

Hours later Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied that Russia had bombed areas where US-backed rebels are operating.

Russia launched its Syria bombing campaign on September 30 Paul Gypteau (AFP/File)

"The target that was bombed was located more than 300 kilometres away from the area" indicated by the United States, he said.

Konashenkov insisted that the Russian air force had acted "within the framework of the agreed procedures" and had given advance warning of its ground targets to the US-led coalition.

Russia's defence ministry said late Thursday that it had not carried out strikes against opposition forces included in the ceasefire but did not mention Al-Tanaf.

The Pentagon voiced its concerns as Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a surprise visit to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss military cooperation "to fight against terrorist organisations on Syrian soil."
Worrying 'climate of xenophobia' in Europe: UN refugee chief

The UN's refugee chief says a worrying "climate of xenophobia" has taken hold in Europe as the continent struggles with the biggest influx of migrants since World War II.

Speaking to AFP in Tehran at the start of a regional tour, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said European leaders needed to do more to coordinate migration policies and to combat negative stereotypes about refugees.

"Refugees... don't bring danger to us, they flee from dangerous places," said Grandi, who took office in January.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi speaks during a press conference in Tehran, on June 18, 2016 Hamed Malekpour (TASNIM NEWS/AFP)

National leaders need to better explain that immigration "in fact contributes to the development of societies," he said.

"Those who do the opposite, who stir up public opinion against refugees and migrants, have a responsibility in creating a climate of xenophobia that is very worrying in today's Europe," he said.

"It provides a negative example to countries further away."

Protracted conflicts -- in particular Syria's five-year civil war -- have prompted an unprecedented wave of migration to the continent, with a record 1.25 million Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and other migrants entering Europe since January 2015.

The influx has sparked a backlash in some countries, including in Austria where the anti-immigration Freedom Party nearly won the presidency last month and in Hungary where authorities have sealed the border with Serbia with razor wire and made illegal border crossing a criminal offence punishable by jail.

Grandi said it was unfortunate that decisions taken last year by the European Union to better handle the influx "were not implemented".

It was, he said, "a missed opportunity" because "each country made decisions separately. Borders closed."

He called for "a more collective collegial system of managing refugee flows based on solidarity and burden-sharing between the states, as opposed to trying to do it by themselves with the result that only some countries receive a large number of refugees and others close the borders."

- Focus on Afghanistan -

Grandi also called for greater efforts to help those displaced by conflict within their own countries.

"Two-thirds of the world's displaced are displaced internally," he said.

"We have millions of them in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen... they are the most difficult to reach because they are usually in the midst of wars therefore it's dangerous to bring assistance."

Grandi, an Italian diplomat long active in UN humanitarian work, was due in Afghanistan on Monday to mark World Refugee Day. He said he wanted to use his first year in office to highlight the plight of that country's refugees.

"The Afghan refugee crisis has been unfortunately forgotten repeatedly in its history," he said.

It "only gets remembered when something big happens like September 11 and now the arrival of Afghans in Europe among hundred of thousands others."

The root cause is instability in Afghanistan, he said, adding: "That's why my first message here is let's make peace in Afghanistan."

After meeting with Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Grandi praised Tehran's efforts to assist Afghan refugees.

Iran hosts more than three million immigrants from neighbouring Afghanistan, a million of them legally.

"The space given to the refugees for assistance, to give them opportunities and protection, is considerable" he said,

He pointed to a decree from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last year allowing all Afghan children to be allowed into schools in the Islamic republic.

"There are things that have been done here in Iran that are truly examples for other countries, like giving access for children to the school system," Grandi said.

It was "one of the most important gestures that any country has expressed for refugees anywhere in the world in the past few years."

Germans attend a 2015 rally by the Islamophobic PEGIDA movement in Dresden, eastern Germany Sebastian Kahnert (dpa/AFP/File)
'Limited transcripts' of Orlando shooters exchanges with police to be released: Lynch

US authorities will release "limited transcripts" Monday of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen and police negotiators' telephone conversations during his attack at a gay nightclub that left 49 people dead, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday.

Lynch said the conversations included Mateen's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State group, and his views of US policy.

But those statements will not be included in the transcripts released to the public, she said.

The Orlando gunman was identified as Omar Mateen

"What we're not going to do is further this man's propaganda," she said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "We're not going to hear him make his assertions of allegiance."

On CNN's "State of the Union," Lynch said the transcripts would cover only portions of the telephone exchanges with police negotiators so as "to avoid re-victimizing those who went through this horror."

Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim security guard armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun, stormed into the Pulse nightclub June 12 in Orlando, Florida, raking the crowd with gunfire.

The attack then turned into a three hour hostage-taking that ended with a police SWAT team retaking the venue by force and shooting Mateen dead.

Mateen, described by his ex-wife as physically abusive and given to fits of anger, appears to have had mixed up motives.

His father said Mateen had been upset at the sight of a gay couple kissing, but other witnesses said he had been a repeat patron at Pulse and used gay dating apps.

Alongside that was a history of FBI investigations into him for possible Islamic extremism.

Lynch called the Orlando massacre "an act of terrorism and an act of hate, targeted against a community, the LGBT community, the Latino community."

However, she told CNN that Mateen didn't get into his feelings about gays in his exchanges with police.

"So we're still exploring why he chose this particular place to attack," she said.
IS tries to break siege in Libya's Sirte

The Islamic State group tried Sunday to break a siege on their last holdouts in Sirte but were pushed back by fighters allied to Libya's unity government, a spokesman said.

IS fighters have been pinned down in parts of Sirte since forces allied to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an operation to dislodge them from the coastal city last month.

On Sunday pro-GNA forces said they clashed with the jihadists who had launched a bid to break away from positions west of Sirte using "medium-sized" weapons.

Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government launched an operation to drive Islamic State fighters out of Sirte on May 12 Mahmud Turkia (AFP/File)

"Our forces confronted them and forced them to retreat," spokesman Reda Issa told AFP.

"Two of our men were killed and five wounded" in the clashes around the Al-Ghrebat sector of Sirte, he said.

Jihadist groups took root in Libya in late 2014, taking advantage of the chaos and power struggles that followed the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The pro-GNA forces launched an operation to drive IS out of Sirte on May 12.

Last week they imposed a siege around the Mediterranean city and advanced into parts of it but the operation has slowed down with jihadists holed up in residential areas.

"The pro-government forces are advancing cautiously because IS fighters are barricaded inside homes and we are trying to avoid using heavy artillery to spare civilians who could also be inside," said Issa.

IS has counter-attacked during the past week, including with suicide bombings that have killed at least nine pro-GNA forces.

Issa said the pro-GNA forces were now focused on trying to "bolster their positions on the outskirts of Sirte to reinforce the siege and provoke IS fighters to come out of hiding".

At least 166 pro-GNA forces have been killed and more than 500 have been wounded since the assault was launched last month, according to an AFP count based on reports from medical officials.

No casualty figures are available for the jihadists in Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of the capital.
China says Indonesia fired on fishing boats, injuring crewman

China accused Indonesia Sunday of firing on its fishermen and injuring one of them, in the latest flare-up of tensions between the two nations in the South China Sea.

The foreign ministry in Beijing launched a strong protest over what it termed the Indonesian navy's harassment of Chinese fishermen.

It said several Indonesian naval ships opened fire on the boats in a disputed fishing ground on Friday.

An Indonesian Navy officer in April, standing before a Chinese trawler that was allegedly operating illegally in Indonesian waters Abimata Hasibuan (AFP/File)

One crew member was injured, it said without giving details, while another fishing boat and seven crew were detained.

"China strongly protests and condemns such excessive use of force," ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying was quoted as saying in a statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency.

The agency said the incident took place in a "traditional Chinese fishing ground" where the two countries have overlapping maritime claims.

Indonesia's actions violated international laws, Hua was quoted as saying.

"China urges Indonesia to stop taking action that escalates tension, complicates issues or affects peace and stability," she said.

Indonesia's navy confirmed the incident in a statement, saying a Chinese-flagged vessel was detained, but that nobody was harmed.

The navy said it intercepted 12 foreign vessels illegally fishing which fled as the warships approached.

Navy vessels pursued and fired several warning shots, until eventually a Chinese-flagged ship was stopped and boarded, the statement said.

Navy spokesman Edi Sucipto said all seven crew aboard were unharmed.

"All the crew are safe. The six men and one woman are now in Ranai," he told AFP, referring to the navy base.

"Whatever the flag, when they commit violations inside Indonesia's jurisdiction, we, in this case the navy, will not hesitate to act decisively," he added in a statement.

Beijing late last month lodged a strong protest after the Indonesian navy seized a Chinese boat in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands for allegedly fishing illegally.

The two sides have clashed before over the islands on the southwestern edge of the South China Sea.

In March Chinese coastguards rammed a Chinese boat detained near the Natunas and helped it escape as the Indonesians towed the vessel to shore.

Jakarta responded furiously, lodging a protest and summoning China's top envoy in the country.

China asserts authority over almost all the South China Sea despite partial counter-claims from several Southeast Asian nations.

Unlike its neighbours, Indonesia does not dispute ownership of reefs or islets in the sea. But it objects to Beijing's claims because they overlap with its own exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.
Yemeni rebels free 276 loyalists

Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen announced on Sunday the release of 276 government loyalists who had been held captive for months, in a gesture of good will.

The rebels' sabanews.net website said 200 detainees were set free in Rada, a town in the central province of Baida, and another 76 were let go in nearby Dhamar province.

The move was a sign of "good will" on the occasion of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, said the website, citing officials.

Huthi rebels seized control of the Yemen capital Sanaa in 2014 Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)

The detainees in Rada had been captured for allegedly "cooperating with the Arab military coalition and being loyal to the government" of UN-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, an official there told AFP.

Those freed in Dhamar had been taken in on accusations they had been preparing to join government forces, the official added.

The releases come a day after the exchange of 194 prisoners in Taez, in southwestern Yemen, following tribal mediation unconnected to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait.

Those negotiations, now in their ninth week, have made no major breakthroughs, even on the issue of prisoners.

Earlier this month, the rebels freed 187 captives while Saudi Arabia released 52 children it was holding.

Those negotiations, now in their ninth week, have made no major breakthroughs, even on the prisoners issue.

Earlier this month, the rebels released 187 detainees while Saudi Arabia freed 52 children it was holding.

More than 6,400 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015, the majority of them civilians, the UN says.
Turkish border guards fire on fleeing Syrians, 8 dead: monitor

Eight displaced Syrians, including four children, were killed by Turkish border guards while trying to flee their war-torn country Sunday morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The National Coalition umbrella opposition group -- based in Istanbul and backed by Turkey -- gave a higher toll of 11 killed and condemned the "terrible tragedy."

Turkey has repeatedly denied accusations of its security forces firing on Syrians trying to cross the frontier, which has been closed for several months.

Turkey has repeatedly denied accusations its soldiers fired on Syrians trying to cross the frontier, which has been closed for several months Mustafa Ozer (AFP/File)

But the Observatory has recorded numerous incidents this year, and said Sunday's toll was among the highest.

The Britain-based Observatory said the group of eight had been displaced by fighting around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, held by the Islamic State group and under attack by US-backed forces.

They fled northwest towards Idlib province and the border, but were killed "when Turkish border guards opened fire on them as they tried to cross into Turkey," said the Observatory.

It said that four of those killed were children, adding that eight people were wounded, some of them critically.

Since the beginning of the year, at least 60 people -- all civilians -- have been killed in fire by Turkish border guards, the Observatory said.

In May, Human Rights Watch accused Turkish border guards of shooting and beating Syrian asylum seekers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied the reports, and the Turkish army says it only fires at armed smugglers, not at civilians.

But in its statement, the National Coalition expressed its "surprise and condemnation after this terrible tragedy against our brothers fleeing the regime.

"The deaths of defenceless Syrians contradicts the hospitality of the Turkish government and the Turkish people," it said.

Turkey is hosting over 2.7 million refugees from the conflict in Syria. Only a quarter of a million live in refugee camps, while the rest are in towns and cities.
An Israeli pro-settlement group is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU to punish it for what it says is its pro-Palestinian stance, one of its officials said on Sunday.

Regavim is a right-wing NGO that supports Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, though they are considered illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Its campaign includes a mock video of a masked Palestinian militant purportedly from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip urging UK citizens to remain in the European Union because it supports the Palestinians.

The settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law Ahmad Gharabli (AFP/File)

It also highlights EU financing of Palestinian structures in the West Bank.

Meir Deutsch, director of policy and government relations for Regavim, said the NGO wanted to harm the EU over its "intervention in the internal conflict here between Israel and the Palestinians."

Some 60 percent of the West Bank is under Israeli control and Palestinians face extremely difficult odds in receiving building permits in those areas.

The EU has helped finance various projects in the West Bank and Israel has regularly demolished those it considers illegal.

The cash-strapped Palestinian Authority also receives finance assistance from the EU.

The mock video posted by Regavim on its campaign website (http://www.supportisraelleaveeurope.com/) shows masked militants with the logo of Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and in the background a line in English that reads: "Hamas wants UK to stay in the EU".

A male voiceover is then heard delivering a statement in British English in which he praises the EU for carrying out construction projects in the West Bank.

"If you truly hate Isra-Hell and the Jews and want to support our struggle, help Britain to stay in the EU," it says.

The voiceover also praised a recent European directive to label produce from Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.

Deutsch called the EU's actions "one-sided and anti-Israel, in the marking of products as well and paying salaries of terrorists," he said.

"We think they should be acting in a more balanced way. As long as that is not happening, we want the EU to be damaged."

Deutsch said their campaign was aimed at dual Israeli-British nationals living in Israel, and "anyone who cares for Israel" in the UK.
Trump says he is open to racial profiling

Donald Trump said Sunday he is open to racial profiling, touching another raw nerve on the issue of race in America.

African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person's race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime.

Trump, the free-talking presumptive Republican presidential nominee, came close to endorsing racial profiling outright in an interview aired Sunday on CBS.

Donald Trump came close to endorsing racial profiling outright in an interview aired Sunday on CBS Timothy A. Clary (AFP/File)

His comments came in a discussion on the Orlando nightclub massacre by shooter Omar Mateen, who is Muslim, and past comments by Trump to the effect that if elected president in November he "respectfully" would place mosques under surveillance.

Trump was asked point-blank if he was talking about increasing profiling of Muslims in America.

"Well, I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump told the program "Face the Nation."

He added: "So we really have to look at profiling. We have to look at it seriously. And other countries do it, and it's not the worst thing to do. I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to use common sense. We're not using common sense."

Trump asserted that Israel practices racial profiling, and that France also places mosques under surveillance.

"They're doing it in France. In fact, in some instances, they're closing down mosques. People don't want to talk about it. People aren't talking about it. But look at what they're doing in France. They're actually closing down mosques," Trump asserted.
Springbok Lambie out of Ireland series decider

South Africa fly-half Patrick Lambie will miss the series-deciding third Test against Ireland in Port Elizabeth on Saturday as he has not recovered from concussion.

"Patrick is still experiencing symptoms of concussion and will not be available for selection," said Springboks team doctor Konrad von Hagen.

Lambie was concussed in an aerial collision with Irish flanker CJ Stander during the first Test and missed the second, which the Springboks won to level the series.

Patrick Lambie, pictured in training on May 30, 2016, was concussed in an aerial collision with Irish flanker CJ Stander Rodger Bosch (AFP/File)

Stander was red-carded after the incident but will be available for the Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium having served a one-match ban.

Elton Jantjies deputised for Lambie in the second Test, which South Africa won 32-26 in Johannesburg thanks to a dramatic last-quarter comeback.

Prop Trevor Nyakane (ankle) and loose forwards Duane Vermeulen (elbow) and Warren Whiteley (shoulder) will have scans to determine the extent of injuries sustained in the second international.
Sudan summons UN mission chief in Darfur over mandate extension

Sudan summoned Sunday the head of the international peacekeeping force in Darfur after the UN recommended a one-year extension of UNAMID's mission despite Khartoum's reluctance.

About 20,000 troops and policemen from more than 30 countries are currently in Sudan's western region of Darfur as part of the African Union-United Nations mission, UNAMID.

A report by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, recommends that UNAMID's mandate be extended by another year.

Sudanese children walking past a UN-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) vehicle at the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons in Northern Darfur on April 12, 2016 Asharf Shazly (AFP/File)

The report which was submitted to the Security Council cites the "limited progress" made to reach a viable solution to end the conflict in Darfur that has killed tens of thousands of civilians since 2003.

"With tens of thousands of people newly displaced in 2016 and approximately 2.6 million remaining displaced in Darfur, civilians across the region continue to bear the consequences of the volatile security situation," the report said.

It recommended extending UNAMID's mandate -- which expires at the end of the month -- "for 12 months, until 30 June 2017."

The UN Security Council is expected to meet before the end of June to endorse or reject the recommendation.

Khartoum insists that unrest in Darfur has ended and has stepped up pressure for a complete exit of the international peacekeepers from the war-torn region, where they have been deployed since 2007.

On Sunday, Sudan's foreign ministry summoned UNAMID chief Martin Uhomoibh to discuss the report, the ministry said in a statement.

"The report by the African Union and the United Nations consists incorrect information about the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur," it said.

Last month Sudan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Kamal Ismail, said: "It's time to say goodbye to the UNAMID mission."

"This mission came to protect civilians, but now there is no danger to civilians, there is no conflict in Darfur," he added.

Violence erupted in Darfur when ethnic minority rebels rose against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Bashir mounted a brutal counter-insurgency and at least 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict, the UN says. Another 2.5 million have fled their homes.

-- 'Conflict persists' --

Khartoum says that an April referendum -- boycotted by the opposition and criticised internationally -- in Darfur "turned a page" on the Darfur conflict.

Officials said almost 98 percent of voters opted to maintain the region as five separate states.

The UN report insists that the conflict is far from over.

"Intercommunal fighting and incidents of violence against the civilian population by criminal groups and militias have continued to spread, despite the government efforts to contain them," it said.

In May, Arab tribesmen shot dead eight ethnic minority villagers as they prayed in a mosque, in a revenge killing in West Darfur.

In April, as many as 20 people were killed in clashes between two rival Arab tribes in East Darfur sparked by livestock thefts.

"Some 2.7 million people now face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity in Darfur," the UN report said.

For peacekeepers to exit from Darfur, certain benchmarks have to be achieved, including protection of displaced civilians.
Demos greet Chinese president in Poland

Rival demonstrations greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping as he arrived in Warsaw on Sunday on a three-day visit focused on investment and trade with Poland, the EU's largest eastern economy.

Holding banners calling on Beijing to "end the persecution of (spiritual group) Falung Gong", dozens of members of the religious movement banned in China demonstrated along a road leading from the airport to central Warsaw as Xi arrived.

Meanwhile hundreds of Xi's supporters waving placards welcomed him in front of his hotel. No incidents were reported.

Chinese citizens in Poland welcome China's President, Xi Jinping who arrives for a two-day visit to Poland on June 19, 2016 in Warsaw Janek Skarzynski (AFP)

Xi will meet President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Beata Szydlo during his trip focused largely on investment in Poland.

The presidents are expected to sign several agreements, including ones doing away with VAT on flights between their countries and boosting Polish food products exports to the Chinese market, among others.

Xi and Duda on Monday attend the New Silk Road Forum 2016 in Warsaw, an international trade fair bringing together Chinese and European entrepreneurs.

The Chinese are interested in Polish food products, electronics, renewable energy technology, auto manufacturing and white goods.

Poland is China's largest trade partner in the region and in 2015 bilateral trade reached 17.09 billion dollars (15.2 billion euros) according to Chinese figures, but experts note a chronic imbalance in favour of Beijing.

Warsaw will want to boost trade using the "train connection between the town of Lodz in central Poland with Chengdu in Sichuan province to export to China more Polish agricultural products" like milk, meat and apples, Professor Bogdan Goralczyk, an expert at Warsaw University, told AFP.

In 2014 China banned pork imports from Poland, a leading EU exporter of the meat, after Warsaw confirmed African swine fever among wild boars.

Xi and Duda will also meet a freight train rolling into the Polish capital from China on Monday after a 13-day trip from Chengdu in Sichuan province.

Trains began running between China and Poland in 2013, with rail carriers saying the journey lasts 11-14 day, a fraction 40-50 day sea journey.

The rail link -- one of the world's longest -- is part of China's much vaunted "new silk road", also known as the "Belt and Road" comprising land and sea links facilitating European trade and touted as a revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route.

Xi's visit to Poland is part of a three-nation tour that kicked off in Serbia on Friday and will also take him to Uzbekistan.

A nation of 38 million people, Poland remains one of the EU's most vibrant economies, clocking uninterrupted annual growth since it shed communism in 1989.
'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin dies in car accident

Anton Yelchin, a rising young actor who starred as Chekov in the new "Star Trek" film, was killed early Sunday in a freak car accident, his publicist said. He was 27.

"The news is so sad and true," Jennifer Allen said in a statement.

Yelchin "was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning," she added. "His family requests you respect their privacy."

Actor Anton Yelchin, pictured on September 4, 2014, was killed in a car accident at age 27 Tiziana Fabi (AFP/File)

The accident took place in the driveway of Yelchin's San Fernando Valley home around 1:10 am (0810 GMT), when he was preparing to meet friends for a rehearsal and momentarily left his car, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Jenny Hauser said.

The car "rolled backward down his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence," she said.

After he failed to show up, his friends found him dead by the car, she added, saying it was unclear how long after the accident they arrived.

Born in Russia, Yelchin moved to the United States when he was six months old with his parents, star figure skaters with the Leningrad Ice Ballet.

"I tried ice-skating and wasn't very good at it," he told the Daily Beast in 2011, saying that a friend of his parents urged them to enroll him in acting classes.

He made his film debut at age nine in "A Man Is Mostly Water," and went on to win roles in television dramas and films.

His breakout performance came in the 2006 crime thriller "Alpha Dog," and his movie credits include J.J Abrams's "Star Trek," "Star Trek into Darkness" and "Star Trek Beyond," which is set for release next month.

He starred most recently in last year's critically acclaimed thriller "Green Room." He was also a member of the band HammerHeads.

Yelchin's fellow actor John Cho, who also starred in the new Star Trek series, was among those to pay tribute to him on Twitter.
Buhari returns to Nigeria after London medical stay

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Abuja on Sunday, saying he was feeling well after a two-week stay in London where he received treatment for an ear infection.

"I'm ok. You can see me inspecting the guard of honour," the 73-year-old told reporters as he arrived back at Abuja airport.

Speaking in the local Hausa language, he jokingly added: "I'm strong, If you want to wrestle with me, let's wrestle."

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari arrives at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after health checks in a London hospital, on June 19, 2016 Sunday Aghaeze (AFP)

His spokesman Femi Adesina said the president would resume work on Monday.

Buhari left Nigeria on June 6 for tests on what the presidency described as a "persistent ear infection" that had forced him to pull out of a series of engagements.

According to the presidency, Buhari went to see an ear, nose and throat specialist in the British capital "purely as a precaution".

The presidency has historically been reticent about disclosing health matters of the head of state and speculation has swirled for weeks about the seriousness of Buhari's condition.

Ahead of the trip to London, he notably cancelled a planned visit to Lagos and missed a meeting of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS.

Buhari had initially been due to arrive back in Nigeria on Thursday.
2 killed, 3 wounded in Ohio shootout between biker gangs

WARREN, Ohio (AP)  Police say two people have been killed and at least three people wounded in a shootout between two local two biker gangs in northeast Ohio.

WFMJ-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1WUBFeo ) the Ohio State Highway Patrol is searching by air and police on the ground for a possible suspect after the shootout Saturday in the parking lot of a bar in Warren Township, about 55 miles southeast of Cleveland. The shootout occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m.

Police say one of the three people wounded was flown to a hospital in Cleveland.

___
Election victories bolster scandal-tainted Malaysian leader

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  The party of Malaysia's scandal-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak has won two parliamentary by-elections in a landslide, further strengthening his rule despite corruption allegations.

Najib's United Malays National Organization retained the Sungai Besar seat in central Selangor state and Kuala Kangsar in northern Perak state in the elections Saturday with much larger majorities. The elections were triggered after the deaths of the incumbents in a helicopter crash.

The victory was expected due to a fractured opposition, as well as the ruling coalition's well-oiled machinery and money. Voters in the two rural constituencies are mostly ethnic Malays, the bedrock of support for Najib's Malay party.

FILE - In this May 3, 2013 file photo, a Malaysian ethnic Chinese woman rides past a billboard of Malaysia's ruling National Front coalition with a portrait of Prime Minister Najib Razak which translates "I vote for National Front coalition" ahead of the upcoming general elections in Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The party of Malaysia's scandal-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak has won two parliamentary by-elections in a landslide, further strengthening his rule despite corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin, File)

Najib said the victory showed that the people rejected "politically-motivated slander" against his government. Last month, he also secured a major win for the coalition in a state election.

"This will significantly strengthen his position in UMNO. Najib can claim that he can lead the party and the coalition to electoral victories despite all the scandals," said James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at Australia's University of Tasmania.

Najib has been grappling with accusations of corruption and mismanagement over allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars had been channeled into his accounts from an indebted state fund.

Under pressure to resign, Najib has denied the money came from state investment fund 1MDB. The government cleared him in January, saying the money was a donation from the Saudi royal family and that Najib had returned most of it. The explanation was met with widespread skepticism.

The fund, which Najib started in 2009, is still mired in debt and is being investigated in several countries for embezzlement. A Malaysian parliamentary inquiry recently found massive unexplained payments and called for a police investigation of the fund's former head.

Chin said Saturday's victories also showed the waning influence of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has campaigned against Najib. Mahathir has been a fierce critic of Najib over the 1MDB scandal and has quit the Malay party.

Chin said the big win could prompt Najib to call early elections to secure his position. General elections are not due until 2018.
Alabama police officer fatally shoots armed drunk-driver

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP)  Police say a police officer has fatally shot an armed man who was driving drunk in northern Alabama.

Huntsville police spokesman Lt. Stacy Bates tells local news outlets that an Alabama state trooper approached the man in the Central Square parking lot before the suspect pulled a handgun Saturday morning. Bates says the suspect refused to drop the weapon before he and the trooper battled over the gun.

Bates says a Huntsville police officer fired his weapon and struck the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Troopers received a call of a suspected drunk driver who had struck several mail boxes in Madison County.
Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Paul Cox dies aged 76

BRISBANE, Australia (AP)  Award-winning Australian filmmaker Paul Cox has died, the Australian Directors Guild said Sunday. He was 76.

The guild did not disclose the cause of death, but Cox said last year that his transplanted liver had cancer.

He wrote and directed the 2015 movie "Force of Destiny," starring David Wenham, which follows the journey of a man who finds love while waiting for a life-saving liver transplant.

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2014, file photo, Australian film director Paul Cox speaks during the inauguration of the Kolkata International Film Festival in Kolkata, India. The Australian Directors Guild said Sunday, June 19, 2016, award-winning Australian filmmaker Cox has died. He was 76. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

The film was loosely based on Cox's own cancer battle before a transplant in 2009 pulled him back from the brink.

His early features, "Lonely Hearts" in 1981, "Man of Flowers" in 1983 and "My First Wife" in 1984 were acclaimed in Australia and internationally.

His documentaries included "Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent van Gogh" in 1987, and "The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky" in 2001.

Cox was born on April 16, 1940, in Venlo, in the southeast Netherlands, and migrated to Australia in 1965 as a professional photographer.
UK referendum campaign resumes in earnest with vote near

LONDON (AP)  Britain's long and difficult referendum campaign has resumed in earnest after a three-day halt caused by the killing of Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox in a brazen knife and gun attack.

The death has cast a pall over the referendum set for Thursday, and its impact on the eventual results  if any  is unclear.

The campaign tone was perhaps a bit more moderate Sunday as both sides in the bruising battle over whether Britain should remain a member of the 28-nation European Union seemed to take a more civil approach.

A young couple with faces paint in European, left, and British colors, pose with a sign "Our Love For Great Britain" during a Kiss Marathon event at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Sunday June 19, 2016 to support the ' Remain' voters in Britain's referendum. The campaign in the referendum over Britain's future in the European Union is about to resume full throttle after being on hold due to the killing of a popular lawmaker. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)

The content remained the same: the "remain" camp predicts economic doom if Britain leaves the EU while the "leave" campaign warns of the perils of uncontrolled immigration unless Britain strikes out on its own.

Prime Minister David Cameron, leading the "remain" campaign, invoked Cox's memory as a contrast to the values of some of the "leave" campaigners, singling out UK Independence Party chief Nigel Farage for taking a negative approach.

In a newspaper column, he said Cox  who favored EU membership, and wanted Britain to do more to help Syrian refugees  offered a hopeful vision for Britain while Farage wants to divide the country, not unite it.

"Are we going to choose Nigel Farage's vision  one which takes Britain backwards; divides rather than unites; and questions the motives of anyone who takes a different view. Or will we, instead, choose the tolerant, liberal Britain; a country that doesn't blame its problems on other groups of people," he said.

With the resumption of campaigning, including a London rally featuring former Mayor Boris Johnson, a popular "leave" figure, fresh attention was focused on a poster unveiled by Farage's supporters hours before Cox was killed.

The poster showed a long line of immigrants fleeing poverty and warfare in the Middle East and elsewhere trudging across Europe with a warning in capital letters that said: BREAKING POINT. In smaller type, it accused the EU of failing Britain.

The poster has been cited by politicians and commentators as a prime example of how jarring the tone of the referendum campaign has become.

Treasury Chief George Osborne Sunday called it "vile" and compared it to Nazi propaganda of the 1930s.

Even Justice Secretary Michael Gove, a prominent leader of the "leave" campaign, decried the poster. He said he "shuddered" when he saw it.

"I thought it was the wrong thing to do," said Gove, a former Cameron ally who has broken with the prime minister over Britain's future in Europe.

Farage did not apologize for the provocative image, but he conceded that the Cox killing, which he called an act of terrorism, may have blunted the "leave" campaign's momentum at a key moment just days before the vote.

He blamed the tragedy on "one person with serious mental issues" and said he does not know how the public mood will sway in the next four days.

A range of public opinion surveys suggest the race is close.

The Cox case is likely to remain in the public eye because Thomas Mair, accused of murdering her, is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

At his first court appearance, he gave his name as "death to traitors, freedom for Britain," generating lurid headlines throughout the country.

Parliament will also meet in special session to give fellow lawmakers a chance to honor the youthful mother of two who had only served a short time before she was stabbed and shot to death.

With so much sadness in the air, one group introduced a bit of levity into the debate over Britain's ties to the vast continent that lies across the English Channel by holding an "Anglo-European kiss-in" near Parliament Square.

The goal was to show love between Britain and Europe, with similar events held in several other European capitals.

Young people kiss each other at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Sunday June 19, 2016 to support the ' Remain' voters in Britain's referendum. The campaign in the referendum over Britain's future in the European Union is about to resume full throttle after being on hold due to the killing of a popular lawmaker. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 17, 2016 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron addresses members of a World Economic Forum event focusing on Britain's EU referendum in London. In calling a referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union, Cameron has made a gamble that could end his career _ and take his country out of an international alliance it joined more than 40 years ago. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool, File)

FILE - In this June 16, 2016 file photo, Leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage poses for the media in front of an EU referendum campaign poster in London. British Prime Minister David Cameron warned Sunday June 19, 2016 of the dangers of embracing "leave" campaigner Nigel Farage's vision of Britain ahead of the country's referendum on its European Union membership. (Philip Toscano/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT

Former London Mayor Boris Johnson prepares to speak at a Vote Leave campaign event, at Old Billingsgate market, London, Sunday June 19, 2016. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT

Campaigners kiss as they hold hands, during a gathering, in London, Sunday, June 19, 2016. There was also an Anglo-European kiss-in near Parliament Square as Britons and Europeans attempted to show love between Britain and Europe by kissing. Similar events were held in several other European capitals. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. (AP Photo/Jill Lawless)

Campaigners kiss and hug during a gathering, in front of Rome's ancient Colosseum, Sunday, June 19, 2016. With the Anglo-European kiss-in Britons and Europeans attempted to show love between Britain and Europe by kissing. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. (AP Photo/Fabio Frustaci)

Campaigners kiss and hug during a gathering, in front of Rome's ancient Colosseum, Sunday, June 19, 2016. With the Anglo-European kiss-in Britons and Europeans attempted to show love between Britain and Europe by kissing. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. (AP Photo/Fabio Frustaci)
Hong Kong bookseller contemplated suicide in China detention

HONG KONG (AP)  A Hong Kong bookseller whose disappearance sparked international concern said Sunday that he was so despondent during his detention by authorities in mainland China that he considered suicide.

Lam Wing-kee told The Associated Press that he thought about using his clothes to hang himself but couldn't find a way to do it in the small room where he was kept under constant watch for five months.

Lam and four other men who worked for a Hong Kong publishing company disappeared last year, only to turn up months later in police custody on the mainland.

Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee listens to a reporter's question during an interview in Hong Kong, Sunday, June 19, 2016. The Hong Kong bookseller whose disappearance sparked international concern says he was so despondent during his detention by authorities in mainland China that he considered suicide. In an interview Sunday, Lam told The Associated Press that he thought about using his clothes to hang himself but couldn't find a way to do it in the small room where he was kept under constant watch for five months. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

The publisher specialized in gossipy books on China's communist leadership that were popular with Chinese visitors to Hong Kong but banned on the mainland.

Their case raised concerns that Beijing is tightening its hold on the former British colony and undermining its considerable autonomy. Hong Kong retains rule of law and civil liberties such as freedom of speech unseen on the mainland under its status as a special Chinese administrative region that runs until 2047.

Lam, 60, returned to Hong Kong on Tuesday, following three other colleagues who had done so earlier. But he went off the script written for him by the Chinese authorities and spoke out Thursday at a news conference, giving a harrowing account of his ordeal, which unfolded when he paid a visit to the neighboring mainland city of Shenzhen in October.

He was handcuffed and blindfolded, taken on a 13-hour train ride and then confined to a small room for months while he was interrogated about the authors writing for the Mighty Current publishing company and the customers at its Causeway Bay Bookshop, which he managed.

Lam's story contradicted the version of events given by his colleagues to Chinese media and Hong Kong police, in which they said they traveled to the mainland voluntarily to aid in investigations or confess to crimes. Lam said he was forced to sign a confession admitting to illegally mailing books to mainland buyers.

Lam said his interrogators were particularly interested in details about the writers behind two of the company's books.

One was about a Communist Party directive that urged officials to curb the spread of ideas such as press freedom, judicial independence, civil rights, civil society and the party's historic mistakes. It was based on a high-level internal circular leaked in 2013 that was seen as an attempt to attack Western democratic ideals and crush dissent to protect the party's rule.

The other book was about the purported love lives of President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders.

"At the later stage of interrogation, I was questioned about information of authors, whether I knew these authors, the source of transcripts," Lam said. "I was asked to give detailed accounts. I didn't know much about the authors because I was there to sell books. I could only tell them the limited information I knew."

One of Lam's most frightening times came when two unidentified men arrived from Beijing to aggressively question him. They accused him of trying to "overthrow the Chinese government by mailing books to mainland customers, maliciously defaming Chinese leaders and causing terrible influence and damage to society," he said.

"I was told I could be put in prison for 20 to 30 years or even life imprisonment, without any announcement following the sentence," he said.

Lam's mental health deteriorated.

"I planned to end my life in the quickest way," he said.

But there was nothing in the room that he could use to kill himself. He couldn't carry out his plan with his pants because there was nowhere to hang them from. The people watching him also took away any hard objects he could use to hurt himself.

Lam said he has stopped worrying about his safety after speaking out publicly.

"That's not my main concern, it's not so important," he said. "I know I made the right decision."
Referendum gamble will define legacy of UK's David Cameron

LONDON (AP)  It's often said that David Cameron is a lucky politician who has seemed to coast through politics on instinct and charm during a career that has culminated in six years as British prime minister. But now his luck may be running out.

In calling a referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union, Cameron has made a gamble that could end his career  and take his country out of an international alliance it joined more than 40 years ago.

It would be a rare but fateful miscalculation for a politician who has a reputation for thriving under pressure and astutely judging political risks.

FILE - In this Friday June 26, 2015 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron pauses before speaking during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels. In calling a referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union, Cameron has made a gamble that could end his career _ and take his country out of an international alliance it joined more than 40 years ago. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

"I think he's actually been pretty stunned by the strength of the 'leave' cause," said Cameron biographer James Hanning. "The golden rule is, never hold a referendum unless you're confident of winning it, and I think he thought that the moderate voices would prevail by some distance. But that's not the way the polls are suggesting it's going to go."

The referendum campaign has been unexpectedly bitter and divisive, and was brought to a shocked halt when Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street last week. The suspected killer gave his name in court as "death to traitors, freedom for Britain."

Both sides suspended campaigning until Sunday out of respect for Cox, amid fears that the political fury unleashed by the EU campaign was somehow connected to the killing.

Before Cox died, opinion polls had shown surging sentiment in favor of a British exit from the 28-nation EU  known as Brexit. A majority of supporters of Cameron's Conservative Party said they would vote to quit the bloc in Thursday's referendum.

That's bitter news for Cameron, who called the referendum to puncture growing support for the anti-EU U.K. Independence Party and placate the strongly Euroskeptic right wing of the Conservatives.

Victoria Honeyman, a lecturer in British politics at the University of Leeds, said Cameron had seen EU battles poison the leaderships of former Tory leaders John Major and William Hague and "feared a civil war in the Conservative Party."

She said the referendum was about "defusing that time bomb"  but Cameron has "moved from having one ticking time bomb to having another ticking time bomb."

When he promised the referendum, in 2013, Cameron said it would "settle this European question in British politics" once and for all.

He told voters he would forge a new deal between Britain and the EU that would make remaining an attractive prospect. At a Brussels summit in February, he won changes to welfare benefits that he said would reduce immigration and an exemption for Britain from the EU's commitment to "ever-closer union"  a phrase that stirs images of a European super-state in some patriotic British hearts.

But many voters have proved resistant to Cameron's message that Britain is stronger, safer and more economically secure within the EU than it would be outside it.

The concessions he gained have been dismissed as paltry by "leave" campaigners, who say they will do little to limit immigration from other EU nations because the bloc guarantees free movement among member states. It's a subject that resonates with many voters, who have seen hundreds of thousands of people come to Britain over the past decade from new EU members in eastern Europe. (Hundreds of thousands of Britons also live in other EU countries, a less remarked-upon fact).

"I think he has underestimated the enduring nature and the strength of the Euroskeptic support in the country and also the extent of the bitterness inside his own party," Hanning said.

Far from healing Conservative divisions over Europe, the referendum has exacerbated them. Cameron has led the "remain" campaign, but let Euroskeptic members of his Cabinet call for a "leave" vote. As a result, senior Conservatives, including former London Mayor Boris Johnson and Justice Secretary Michael Gove, have spent months attacking him.

Tory leader for a decade and prime minister since 2010, Cameron has vowed to stay in office if there is a "leave" vote.

"Will I carry on as prime minister? Yes," he told the BBC last week, vowing to "construct a government that includes all of the talents of the Conservative Party." But many feel he will have little choice but to resign quickly, with a pro-Brexit figure like Johnson or Gove his likely successor.

Even if Britain votes to remain, Cameron's days as leader are numbered. He has already announced he will step down before the next election in 2020. A deeply divided party will likely want him to leave long before that, so that a new leader can help heal the referendum's wounds, and dissident Conservative lawmakers could trigger a no-confidence vote to oust Cameron.

Hanning said 50-year-old Cameron will be worried about what the referendum means for his legacy. A son of privilege, educated at elite Eton College and Oxford University, he has a strong sense of national duty. He won two elections espousing a fiscally conservative, socially moderate "one-nation Conservatism" that he believes speaks to a large swath of the British public.

Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London, said Cameron had hoped to be remembered for restoring the economy after the 2008 financial crisis and for social reforms such as legalizing same-sex marriage.

"I think gay marriage will still be an important one," Bale said. "But unfortunately I think he's going to be remembered in the history books as the prime minister who took us out of Europe."

Hanning said Cameron would find that "mortifying." But he said a vote for Brexit would overshadow Cameron's other achievements, just as the decision to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 has clouded the legacy of former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"You might say that is his Iraq," Hanning said. "Blair had foreign affairs successes in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, Kosovo  and then Iraq was the manifestation of his overconfidence. I suppose people might say this is Cameron's."

___

Follow Jill Lawless on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
Syrian forces advance on IS-held air base

BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian government forces advanced to within six miles (10 kilometers) of the Islamic State-occupied Tabqa air base in the northern part of the country on Sunday, part of a push to try to unseat the extremist group from its de facto capital, Raqqa.

Government forces recaptured the nearby Thawra oil field from IS militants, according to a Syrian journalist Eyad al-Hosain, who is embedded with the army. Activists said Sunday's government assault was accompanied by an aerial campaign on the town of Tabqa, five miles north of the air base. The activist group, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, which smuggles news out of IS-held territory, reported that fighter jets struck the town with cluster munitions, killing at least 10 civilians.

The Tabqa base, 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Raqqa, holds strategic and symbolic value in the government campaign on the IS capital. It was the last position held by government forces in Raqqa province before IS militants overran it in August 2014, killing scores of detained soldiers in a massacre they documented on video. Raqqa itself became the militants' first captive city.

A Syrian opposition coalition, meanwhile, called on Turkey to investigate the deaths of at least eight Syrian refugees, including four children, who were allegedly shot dead by border guards Saturday night while trying to cross the frontier.

A statement by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces accused Turkish border guards of firing at a group of civilians trying to cross from Kherbet al-Jouz in northwestern Syria into Turkey's Hatay province, killing 11 people.

The coalition, which relies on Turkish political and financial support, said the incident "clashes with the generosity displayed by the Turkish government and brotherly people toward displaced civilians."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at eight. The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, said at least one of those trying to cross was from Jarablus, a northern Syrian town under Islamic State control.

A senior Turkish official said Turkey was unable to independently verify the claims regarding the shooting, but said authorities were investigating.

"Turkey provides humanitarian assistance to displaced persons in northern Syria and follows an open-door policy  which means we admit refugees whose lives are under imminent threat," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.

Later Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement denying that border guards had fatally shot Syrians trying to cross illegally into Turkey.

The Syrian war has pushed over 2.7 million refugees into Turkey, according to the United Nations. Turkey has tightened security along its border in recent months to prevent further inflows. The Observatory says border guards have shot dead 60 refugees trying to cross since the start of this year.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah's TV station Al-Manar broadcast footage Sunday of a fierce aerial and artillery campaign against Syrian rebels, driving the militants to abandon their positions in the thick of the battle.

It said the footage was from the southern Aleppo countryside. Activists reported Saturday that rebels in coordination with al-Qaida militants managed to take two towns in the area, further threatening the government's supply route to its neighborhoods in divided Aleppo city. Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to back President Bashar Assad's forces and has played a key role in a string of government victories.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 86 pro-government fighters were killed in four days of fighting there. Al-Manar said government forces killed 167 militants, including some two dozen leaders.

Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry said Sunday that a Russian soldier has died of wounds he suffered in a militant suicide attack in Syria, the military's 11th casualty since the start of its campaign there.

Sgt. Andrei Timoshenkov died at a hospital at the Russian base in Syria, the ministry said. It said Timoshenkov was protecting an area where the Russian military was handing out humanitarian aid to residents in Homs province on Wednesday and opened fire to stop a vehicle speeding toward the site. The car, rigged with explosives for a suicide attack, blew up, wounding the serviceman. He died the next day in a hospital.

Elsewhere, a suicide blast targeted the entrance to a park in the Syrian city of Qamishli, which is shared between government and Kurdish forces, killing three people, an hour after a memorial was held there for victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.

"Had the bombing taken place earlier, there would have been a massacre," Qamishli resident and writer Suleiman Youssef told The Associated Press by telephone. Qamishli lies on Syria's northern border with Turkey.

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Russia says US failed to provide Syrian opposition locations

MOSCOW (AP)  The Russian military on Sunday rejected the Pentagon's accusations that it had deliberately targeted U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces, arguing the U.S. had failed to warn about their locations.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said the area targeted in the strike was more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) away from locations earlier designated by the U.S. as controlled by legitimate opposition forces.

The Pentagon said it held a video conference Saturday with the Russian military to discuss Russian air strikes Thursday on the At-Tanf border garrison, which targeted Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State group.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second left, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

"Russia's continued strikes at At-Tanf, even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of ongoing coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces," it said in a statement.

Konashenkov retorted that the Russian military had warned the U.S. in advance about the planned strike, but the Pentagon had failed to provide coordinates of legitimate opposition forces, "making it impossible to take measures to adjust the Russian air force action."

He added that the Russian military had proposed months ago to share information about locations of various forces involved in military action in Syria to create a comprehensive map, but the Pentagon hasn't been forthcoming.

On a conciliatory note, he added that Saturday's video conference with the Pentagon was "constructive," reflecting a shared desire "to improve coordination in fighting terrorist organizations in Syria and avoid incidents while conducting military operations there."

The video conference was held as part of bilateral communication channels intended to prevent incidents in the crowded skies over Syria.

Russia has conducted an air campaign in Syria since last September, helping Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces win back some ground. Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled back some of Russia's warplanes in March in what he described as a move to help encourage peace talks, but the military has maintained a strong presence at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Lattakia, Assad's Alawite heartland.

The Defense Ministry said Sunday that a Russian soldier has died of wounds he suffered in a militant suicide attack in Syria, the military's 11th casualty since the start of its campaign there.

Sgt. Andrei Timoshenkov was protecting an area where the Russian military was handing out humanitarian aid to locals in the Homs province on Wednesday and opened fire to stop a vehicle speeding up to the site. The car, rigged with explosives for a suicide attack, blew up, wounding the serviceman. He died the next day in a hospital, the ministry said.

On Saturday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Syria to meet Assad and inspect the Russian air base there. The Defense Ministry said the talks with Assad, which Shoigu conducted on Putin's directive, focused on cooperation between the two militaries and "some aspects of cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups."

A U.S.- and Russian-brokered cease-fire that began on Feb. 27 helped reduce hostilities for the first time in the five-year conflict, but fierce fighting has continued in many areas, particularly around Aleppo. The Islamic State group and the al-Qaida branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, have been excluded from the truce.

Russia and the U.S. have traded mutual accusations over the treaty. The U.S. accused Moscow of failing to prevent violations by Assad's forces, while Russia criticized the U.S. for its failure to encourage opposition groups it backed to pull out from areas controlled by Nusra.

RETRANSMITTING FOR IMPROVED QUALITY Syrian President Bashar Assad shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, third left, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second right, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

RETRANSMITTING FOR IMPROVED QUALITY Syrian President Bashar Assadleft, meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second right back, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Syrian President Bashar Assad listens to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during their talks in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second right, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, third left, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)
Albania's broken men fear prison horrors will be forgotten

SPAC, Albania (AP)  Buried in the mountains of northern Albania are crumbling buildings and an old copper mine where political prisoners were once forced to work to exhaustion and even death.

The doors and window frames of the infamous Spac prison have rotted away and signs above the doorways have faded. But the nightmares never ended for former inmates who as young men were labeled enemies of Albania's communist dictatorship and punished there with years of hard labor.

As the prison falls into ruin, some of them fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism.

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo, former political prisoner Hysen Haxhiaj , in tears, describes his experience at the notorious labor camp of Spac northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

"This is a symbol of communist hell. It must not be lost and forgotten," said Bilal Kola, the head of the prisoners' institute which is leading the campaign.

One former inmate, 75-year-old Hysen Haxhiaj, hopes help might come from the West to preserve this site of suffering where the regime broke its opponents  some falsely accused  as the tiny country descended into isolation and paranoia over nearly five decades.

"We're hoping Germany or the United States can help us turn this place into a museum. Forget about our government," said Haxhiaj, a stocky, silver-haired 75-year-old, who served 13 of 15 years of hard labor at Spac.

As a young man, Haxhiaj joined a tiny book club in his hometown of Durres in western Albania. Their group of seven friends discussed novels and poetry, but some of the books had apparently been banned as being pro-Western or too pro-Soviet. Though communist, Albania had split with other Communist countries.

The club was spied on, denounced for "anti-state agitation," and its members were jailed for a minimum of 10 years.

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RUTHLESS REGIME:

Albania was ruled for more than four decades after World War II by Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, with state repression steadily growing as Albania split from other Communist countries  similar to the course taken by North Korea.

Religion was banned, so was leaving the country. Criticism of the regime, even in private conversation, could destroy a person's life with a hefty jail sentence. Cut off from the world, the country relied heavily on forced labor to build infrastructure and service its mines.

Abuses at Spac and other labor camps were first exposed in the mid-1980s by Amnesty International , which documented accounts of beatings, solitary confinement and desperate conditions described by a handful of former inmates who managed to escape the country.

The truth turned out to be far worse.

In late May, Haxhiaj and other former inmates traveled north along 13 kilometers (8 miles) of dirt road to Spac to mark the anniversary of a prisoner uprising. The revolt started on May 21, 1973 and lasted three days. The country's red-and-black national flag, without the communist red-star, was raised over the prison. Police cut off water and food and the inmates were easily crushed. Four alleged rebel leaders were executed and 1,700 years of jail times was added for 100 others.

Forty-three years later, visitors at Spac prison were keen to tell their story, many overcome with anger or breaking down in tears as they gave their accounts:

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INMATES' NIGHTMARES:

 Zenel Drangu from near the northern town of Shkodra was jailed for 16 years after fleeing for three days to neighboring Yugoslavia. He visited his former cell at Spac. "In this room 54 people slept in three-tier bunk beds. The mattresses and pillows were made out of hay."

 Pajtim Lamaj, 62 from southern Vlora, served 15 years. Nine of his cousins were imprisoned for a total of 143 years and two of them executed. Drangu kept him alive, giving him water, when a section of the copper mine collapsed and they were cut off for three days. "I can't believe I am alive today," he said.

 Bajram Dervishi from central Berat, served 28 years. He said inmates were forced to meet quotas of digging copper ore. "In an eight-hour shift every man had to fill seven wagons with copper pyrite." Failure to comply, he said, would lead to prison isolation, beatings or torture: Freshly boiled eggs placed under people's armpits or electric shocks to their genitals.

 Dush Martini, 65, from Shkodra, served 11 years in Spac and remembers the extreme conditions prisoners were subjected to. "Imagine working in over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) 2,500 meters (a mile and a half) deep into the mountain and then to come out in minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit)."

Haxhiaj had a young daughter when he was imprisoned. He divorced his wife to try and spare his family reprisals that were commonly carried out against the relatives of political prisoners. Alone at Spac, he tried to take his life, climbing a barbed wire perimeter fence and hoping to be shot by guards. A fellow inmate stopped him.

Between 1976 and 1990, he worked at three hard labor camps. After his release, he re-married his wife.

"I left our daughter at two years old and found her at 17."

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FADING HISTORY:

Some 43,000 Albanians were imprisoned, sent to internment camps or executed during the Communist rule which lasted from 1944 until 1990, according to Albania's Institute for the Integration of Former Political Prisoners.

The Hoxha regime had 50 prisons and internment camps; 5,577 men and 450 women were executed; about 1,000 died in jail; 17,900 were imprisoned with 914,000 jail years and only about 2,700 of them are still alive now; more than 30,000 were sent to internment camps.

Twenty-five years after the regime collapsed in chaos, nearly half the country's 3 million population has no or little memory of life in one of the world's most isolated countries. The ambassadors of Germany and the United States have visited Spac, and in 2009, the Albanian government in 2009 listed it as a national monument.

That's all it did.

The New York-based World Monument Fund has described Spac Prison as being "in an extremely advanced state of deterioration," considering it as one of 50 most endangered monuments worldwide in 2016.

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo, Zenel Drangu, a former political prisoner, describes his experience inside the living quarters at the notorious labor camp of Spac northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo, Zenel Drangu, a former political prisoner, walks past an abandoned building at the notorious labor camp of Spac northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo, former political prisoners gather at the notorious labor camp of Spac in northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo, Hysen Haxhiaj talks to other former political prisoners as they gather at the notorious labor camp of Spac northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo, visitors and former political prisoners take pictures of an abandoned building at the notorious labor camp of Spac northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

In this Saturday, May 21, 2016 photo Pajtim Lamaj, a former political prisoner points towards his living quarters at the notorious labor camp of Spac northern Albania. As the prison falls into ruin, some of the former prisoners fear that the thousands who suffered there will be forgotten, and they are campaigning to have the site turned into a museum and to have May 21 declared a national day of remembrance for those who suffered under communism. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
India sure of China's support for nuclear group's membership

NEW DELHI (AP)  India said Sunday that it was confident of winning China's support for U.S.-backed efforts for its membership in a group of 48 nations controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters that China was not opposing India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, but that it has raised objections relating to criteria and processes.

An Indian Foreign Ministry official recently visited Beijing and held discussions on the membership issue and highlighted India's track record in efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons.

FILE- In this June 8, 2014 file photo, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, right, shakes hands with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, before their meeting in New Delhi, India. India says its confident of winning China's support for membership in a group of 48 nations controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology. Swaraj says China is not opposing India's entry into the group, but that it has raised objections relating to criteria and processes. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das, File)

Asked whether China was linking India's membership of the nuclear group with Pakistan, Swaraj said India's stand was that each country's membership should be decided on merit. Pakistan, India's archrival, also has applied for membership to the group.

"India is not yet a member of the group and it has no say on the membership of any other country," Swaraj said. "We will not oppose any other country's membership, but would like it to be decided on merit."

She said India would succeed in getting China's support before the next meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group on June 23 in South Korea.

The group is focused on restricting nuclear proliferation by controlling which countries can gain access to technology used in making atomic weapons.

Only countries that have ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are normally eligible for membership. India hasn't, but has committed to some controls of its nuclear program under a nuclear cooperation pact with the United States.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Washington, President Barack Obama came out in support of Indian membership in the nuclear group, which led other nations, including Mexico and Switzerland, to suggest they too were on board.
AP FACT CHECK: Facts undercut Trump's post-Orlando arguments

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump says the United States admits Syrian refugees without checking their backgrounds and that Hillary Clinton wants to allow "radical Islamic terrorists to pour into our country."

Neither is so, part of a pattern of exaggeration that strains the credibility of his argument since the Orlando nightclub shooting that the U.S. faces apocalyptic danger from Muslim immigrants.

Trump's rhetoric has been slashing, polarizing, passionate and at times illogical. He confuses immigrants with refugees and overlooks the fact some extremists are U.S. citizens. He speaks as if the U.S. border is a gate wide open. And his numbers are off.

FILE - In this June 3, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures to a his camouflaged "Make America Great" hat at a campaign rally at the Redding Municipal Airport in Redding, Calif. Trump's prediction that he can win California in the November presidential election challenges the dismal history for Republican nominees in one of the nation's Democratic strongholds. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

It's a given that hyperbole comes with Trump territory. He's acknowledged that exaggeration for dramatic effect is part of how he rolls. It's how he connects at a gut level with supporters who look past mangled facts to what they see as a larger truth, while opponents stand back aghast.

Altogether, the Orlando massacre by a U.S. citizen with Islamist beliefs, radical sympathies and an apparently tortured psyche has reignited a tangle of debates on domestic terrorism, threats from abroad, the nation's refugee traditions, hate crimes and guns in the early days of the Trump-Clinton general election campaign.

A look at some of Trump's recent statements on those issues and how they compare with the facts:

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TRUMP: "We are taking in thousands of people into our country. We have no idea where they come from, we have no idea who the hell they are. We know they believe in certain things that we don't want to believe in."

THE FACTS: It's not true that the government knows nothing about refugees who come to the United States.

The State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration keeps detailed records about how many refugees arrive monthly, and from where. The information is available to the public online through the agency's Refugee Processing Center (www.wrapsnet.org). The arrival information is broken down by country and region.

In May, for example, 6,511 refugees were resettled in the United States. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had the largest number of refugees who arrived last month, 1,274.

Annual data about immigrants is also available from the government through the Homeland Security Department's Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.

Would-be immigrants and refugees are screened to ensure they haven't been identified by intelligence agencies or law enforcement as having ties to terrorist organizations or criminal records. But people's belief systems are not generally considered as part of their applications to move to the United States.

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TRUMP: "And yet you see this great migration, which is a horrible thing to watch."

THE FACTS: Trump is right that there is a mass migration taking place from Syria and other countries in the Middle East.

Millions of people are thought to have fled. But he's wrong to imply that the huge influx has come into the United States.

Since 2011, about 5,760 Syrian refugees have been brought to the U.S.

As of the end of May, 41,424 refugees from around the world have come to the United States since the start of the budget year in October. According to the State Department, 14,898 of those people are from the "Near East/South Asia" region, which includes Syria. But only 2,805 Syrians were among them.

As a whole, African nations have accounted for more refugees and Myanmar (also known as Burma) leads all countries, with 8,112 refugees, in the first eight months of the current budget year.

According to the U.N. High Commission on Refugees, more than 1 million Syrians have sought refuge in Europe since 2011. That's the "great migration."

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TRUMP: "Now she (Clinton) wants to allow them to come into our country pretty much unvetted because every law enforcement person that I've spoken to and that you watched and that you read is saying it's very hard, if not impossible, to check out people. There are just no papers. There are no papers. And yet you see this great migration."

"Altogether, under the Clinton plan, you'd be admitting hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Middle East with no system to vet them or to prevent the radicalization of their children.

"Clinton wants to allow radical Islamic terrorists to pour into our country  they enslave women and murder gays."

THE FACTS: That's not what Clinton has said.

The presumptive Democratic nominee says she wants to "begin immediately to put into place the mechanisms for vetting the people that we would take in, looking to really emphasize some of those who are most vulnerable, a lot of the persecuted religious minorities, including Christians, and some who have been brutalized, like the Yazidi women."

Clinton proposes that the United States accept as many as 65,000 people from Syria, compared with President Barack Obama's plans to resettle 10,000 people from that country this year. She has never suggested that she would scale back the refugee processing system as it exists today.

Late last year, the Obama administration for the first time disclosed details about how refugees are investigated. Officials described a drawn-out process that includes in-person interviews overseas and involves multiple agencies, led by Homeland Security.

Refugees must submit to interviews before they can come, and provide biographical details about themselves  their families, friendships, social or political activities, employment, telephone numbers, email accounts and more. They also provide biometric information, including fingerprints. Syrians are subject to additional, classified controls that officials have declined to describe specifically.

Refugee processing generally takes 18 months to 24 months. It can be longer for Syrians.

While Trump is wrong to say Syrian refugees undergo no screening or practically none, that's not to say the system is foolproof.

Contrary to Trump's assertion that "there are no papers," refugee applicants must provide documentation. But the administration has acknowledged it can be difficult to verify the accuracy or authenticity of documents provided by refugee applicants against foreign government records from countries that don't cooperate with the U.S. government, such as Syria.

It can be tough for the U.S. to check foreign government records for local arrests or lesser bureaucratic interactions, such as bank records, business licenses or civil filings.

Refugees from Syria in particular tend to provide extensive documents involving their day-to-day lives. They often have family histories, military records and other information that can be useful for American authorities investigating them.

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TRUMP: "We have a dysfunctional immigration system which does not permit us to know who we let into our country, and it does not permit us to protect our citizens."

THE FACTS: Trump may be right on his overall description of the U.S. immigration system as "dysfunctional." It's demonstrably false to say the U.S. doesn't know who is being allowed into the country.

Illegal immigration along the Mexican border remains a problem. Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children and people traveling as families, mostly from Central America, have arrived at the U.S. border this year.

The U.S. still lacks a comprehensive exit system to determine more effectively who has stayed in the country after their visas have expired.

But the U.S. government obviously knows who receives the government's permission to legally immigrate into the country. Would-be immigrants, refugees and foreign tourists are all subjected to background checks and various forms of screening.

In the case of tourists, people from 38 countries approved for the Visa Waiver Program must submit biographic and other data about themselves before they can legally travel to the United States using the online Electronic System for Travel.
Egypt, Qatar at loggerheads over Morsi-era espionage case

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Regional adversaries Qatar and Egypt have renewed their animosity, trading harshly-worded statements over the sentencing to death by a Cairo court of six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, for allegedly passing Egyptian documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of President Mohammed Morsi.

Relations between Egypt and Qatar have been fraught with tension and suspicion since the ouster by the military in 2013 of the Islamist Morsi, who enjoyed the support of the tiny but super-rich Gulf nation throughout his one year in office. Egypt claims that Qatar endangers its national security by supporting Islamist groups, including Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which is now banned in Egypt and has been declared a terrorist group by the government.

Cairo also accuses the Doha-based Al-Jazeera network of bias in favor of the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups.

Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, wearing a red jumpsuit that designates he has been sentenced to death, raises his hands inside a defendants cage in a makeshift courtroom at the national police academy, in an eastern suburb of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 18, 2016. An Egyptian court has sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. Morsi, the case's top defendant, was also sentenced on Saturday to 25 years in prison. He was ousted by the military in July 2013, and has already been sentenced to death in other cases. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Saturday's verdicts, which can be appealed, have further enflamed tensions between the two countries.

In a statement on Qatar's state news agency late Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said the verdicts lacked a "proper sense of justice" and did not help in consolidating ties between the two countries.

"The verdict is unfounded, goes against truth and contains misleading claims," said Ahmed al-Rumaihi, who heads the information office at the Foreign Ministry. He said the charge of espionage involving Qatar is both "surprising and unacceptable."

Egypt's Foreign Ministry fired back, saying the country's judiciary was independent and professional.

Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid also said it was not surprising to see such comments from a government that had "devoted resources and efforts over the past years to mobilize its media mouthpieces to be hostile to the people of Egypt and its state and institutions."

The case involved a total of 11 defendants, of whom seven, including Morsi, are in custody.

Morsi, the top defendant, and two of his aides were sentenced to 25 years in prison for membership in the Brotherhood but were acquitted of espionage, a capital offense. Morsi and his secretary, Amin el-Sirafy, each received an additional 15-year sentence for leaking official documents. El-Sirafy's daughter, Karima, was also sentenced to 15 years on the same charge.

Egypt's first freely elected leader, Morsi has already been sentenced to death. That death sentence and another two  life and 20 years in prison  are under appeal.

Former Al-Jazeera news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and former director of news Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal were sentenced to death in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to the Brotherhood. Others sentenced to death include a documentary producer, an EgyptAir employee and an academic.

The verdicts drew widespread criticism from rights groups, including Amnesty International, which described the outcome as "appalling." Al-Jazeera condemned the verdicts, saying they were part of a "ruthless" campaign against freedom of expression, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the journalists.

Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, listens to his verdict inside a defendants cage in a makeshift courtroom at the national police academy, in an eastern suburb of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 18, 2016. An Egyptian court has sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. Morsi, the case's top defendant, was also sentenced on Saturday to 25 years in prison. He was ousted by the military in July 2013, and has already been sentenced to death in other cases. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Former employees of the Egyptian presidency under ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi give the four-fingered symbol of Rabaah that refers to the deadly dispersal of Morsi supporters in August 2013, inside a defendants cage in a makeshift courtroom at the national police academy, in an eastern suburb of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 18, 2016. An Egyptian court has sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Morsi. The former president, the case's top defendant, was also sentenced on Saturday to 25 years in prison. He was ousted by the military in July 2013, and has already been sentenced to death in other cases. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian judge, Mohammed Shirin Fahmy, second right, reads the verdict against former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, in a makeshift courtroom at the national police academy, in an eastern suburb of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 18, 2016. An Egyptian court has sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. Morsi, the case's top defendant, was also sentenced on Saturday to 25 years in prison. He was ousted by the military in July 2013, and has already been sentenced to death in other cases. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Road to 270: Donald Trump stuck on GOP's California dream

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP)  Bob Dole thought he could win California with a "fishhook" strategy. George W. Bush came armed with $15 million. John McCain was bullish, too. They all lost.

Donald Trump's prediction that he can capture the biggest prize in the November presidential election, the state's 55 electoral votes, rubs up against a dismal history for Republicans over a generation. The names on the ballot have changed, but the outcome has been the same  double-digit wins for Democrats since 1992.

Here's Trump's challenge: unite Republicans while finding millions of new supporters in a state where Democrats hold every statewide office and both chambers of the Legislature. They also have a 3.1 million edge in voters, a number equal to the population of Iowa.

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 1996 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole takes the stage during his rally in Elk Grove, Calif. Dole thought he could he could win California with a fishhook strategy. Trump's prediction that he can win California in the November presidential election challenges the dismal history for Republican nominees in one of the nation's Democratic strongholds. (AP Photo/Eric Draper)

In 1996, Dole was brimming with confidence about his chances against then-President Bill Clinton. Dole's campaign aimed to drive up vote margins in Republican-friendly communities down the state's interior spine, then up through coastal counties in the south, roughly in the shape of a fishhook. Money and staff poured in. Dole's running mate, Jack Kemp, had special credentials: He grew up in Los Angeles.

It wasn't even close. Clinton ran up a 51-to-38 percent win.

"Since 1996, the California electorate has swung even more to the left," said Ken Khachigian, a former chief speechwriter in the Reagan White House who ran Dole's campaign in the state.

"Five months out, it's political malpractice to rule out any possibility," Khachigian added. But a Republican win in California "comes as close as anything to an exception."

The home turf of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, California was once Republican in presidential elections. But pronounced demographic shifts, particularly a boom in the Hispanic population, have transformed the state.

The number of Hispanics, blacks and Asian-Americans combined has outnumbered whites in California since 1998, and Latinos alone now outnumber the white population. Most of the new voters are Democrats or independents who tend to vote like them.

Trump is looking to expand his support at a time when he already faces challenges with Hispanics and women. That stems in part from his promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico and his verbal attacks on U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is hearing a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump also has criticized New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who heads the Republican Governors Association.

Richard Hoyt, a registered independent from Westminster, in Orange County, is the kind of voter Trump needs to pull his way. But the 64-year-old retired engineer says he's leaning toward Clinton, in part because of Trump's statements about Curiel and the judge's family's Mexican roots.

Hoyt said he would give Trump a "zero for his mannerisms" and added: "I can't imagine how all of the sudden he's going to change."

Part of Trump's challenge is simple arithmetic.

In California's June 7 primary, the billionaire businessman ran essentially unopposed, pulling in about 1.5 million votes, or about 75 percent of the total. Ted Cruz and John Kasich were still on the ballot, though they earlier dropped out of the race.

Analysists predict 14 million people are likely to vote in November.

To win, Trump would need a heroic turnout from the state's 4.9 million Republicans, while finding 2 million or more swing voters to get near a majority. Indeed, some of those swing voters could be lurking in counties where Republican candidates have outperformed the party's registration numbers.

But there are more than 8 million Democrats, and the state's 4.2 million independents  about 1 in 4 voters  tilt Democratic.

Trump's state director, Tim Clark, emphasized that Trump's supporters are strongly motivated in a year when many voters are looking for candidates from beyond Washington. As an outsider, Trump could appeal to a vast pool of dormant voters soured on status quo politics, Clark said.

"Elections are won by those who show up, and those who show up are those motivated by their candidate," Clark added.

The last significant push by a Republican to win California was in 2000, when Bush was backed by $15 million, then lost to Democrat Al Gore by 12 points. In 2004, Bush's campaign vowed to compete in California, but the campaign effectively shut down in early autumn.

McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee against Barack Obama, boasted about competing in California, but he lost by 24 points. Mitt Romney suffered a 23-point loss to Obama in 2012.

Aside from her registration advantage, Clinton also has a formidable get-out-the-vote operation. The campaign made 2 million phone calls in the final days before the state primary. Trump has no comparable organization. An energized Hispanic turnout is likely, favoring Clinton, who also carried the state in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.

Republicans remain healthy in pockets of California, including parts of the vast farm belt and the so-called Inland Empire running east and north of Los Angeles. But party registration overall has withered to 27 percent of the state total, compared with 45 percent for Democrats.

Independents now outnumber Republicans in nearly two dozen of the state's 53 congressional districts.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson, a Ted Cruz supporter who now backs Trump, is the last Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in the state, in 1988.

He acknowledges the steep climb Trump faces, but said in an unpredictable political year Trump could make inroads with independents and voters wary of Clinton. At the minimum, he said Trump could win a tactical victory if he forces Democrats to compete on their own ground.

Democrats "will have to respond and they will have to spend time and money here," he said.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
AP EXPLAINS: What's behind Britain's wrangling with the EU?

LONDON (AP)  British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. With the stakes high and the issues complex, the AP explains the ins and outs of the UK-EU relationship.

WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION?

West Germany, France and four other nations formed the European Economic Community in 1957, determined to banish forever the bloodshed of two world wars. The grouping became the EU in 1993 and has grown into a 28-nation bloc of more than 500 million people stretching from Ireland to the Aegean Sea, with substantial powers over member states' laws, economies and social policies. It has its own parliament, central bank and 19 EU members use a common currency, the euro.

FILE- In this Oct. 15, 2015 file photo, a member of protocol adjusts the British and EU flags at EU headquarters in Brussels. As Britain prepares to vote whether to leave or stay in the European Union on June 23, 2016, goodwill between the continent and the island nation is fraying on both sides. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

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WHY IS BRITAIN CONSIDERING LEAVING?

Britain joined the bloc in 1973, but many Britons feel their island nation  a former imperial power with strong ties to the United States  is fundamentally different to its European neighbors. Anti-EU Britons resent everything from fishing quotas to fruit sizes being decided in Brussels.

The anti-EU view is especially strong in the Conservative Party of Prime Minister David Cameron. It was partly to appease his party that Cameron promised to hold a referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prospect of Britain leaving the EU is known as "Brexit"  short for British exit.

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WHY DO SOME BRITONS WANT TO STAY?

Supporters say Britain's economy and security are enhanced by EU membership. They argue that membership makes it much easier for British companies both large and small to import and export goods to other member countries with minimum hassle. Supporters say being part of the 28-nation bloc gives them many more options and makes it easy for them to live and work in other countries.

Labour Party leaders also argue that European rules and regulations and European courts have improved the way British workers are treated. They say removing these protections could lower living standards.

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WHAT ISSUES ARE SHAPING THE CAMPAIGN?

The "remain" side, headed by the prime minister, argues that Britain's economy would suffer a tremendous blow if the country leaves the trading bloc. This position has been backed by many prominent business leaders who warn of a possible catastrophe.

The "leave" side has focused on concerns about immigration from other parts of the EU since membership in the bloc gives residents of other countries the right to live and work in Britain. They argue that by leaving, Britain can take total control of its borders and set up its own entry rules.

EU leaders have refused to compromise on the EU principle that citizens may live and work freely in other member states. But they have offered Britain an "emergency brake" that will allow it to restrict social welfare benefit payments for a period if it can show its welfare system is under pressure.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Navy warship to trade some speed for firepower, armor

BATH, Maine (AP)  The Navy spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to fulfill its need for speed with a new class of fast and agile warships capable of zipping along at highway speeds.

It turns out speed is overrated.

The Navy has learned lessons from the light-and-speedy littoral combat ships: Upcoming ships will trade some speed in favor of more weapons and heavier armor.

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2012, file photo, the littoral combat ship USS Forth Worth arrives at the port of Galveston, Texas, to prepare for its formal commissioning ceremony. The Navy spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to fulfill its need for speed with fast and agile warships like the Fort Worth. The gee-whiz factor of the ships, designed to meet unconventional threats and to operate in shallow coastal waters, has been overshadowed by concerns over costs and survivability during combat. (Thomas B. Shea/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

Rear Adm. Peter Fanta, director of surface warfare, said the goal is to increase the offensive punch of all warships from the biggest to the smallest. For the littoral combat ship, that'll begin with the installation of over-the-horizon missiles this summer.

"Each ship that I now have  I have to make more lethal because I cannot build ships fast enough, or enough of them," Fanta told The Associated Press.

Two versions of the warships were sped into production to meet the Navy's goal of an affordable, fast ship to operate in shallow coastal  or littoral  waters.

The ships, which are capable of topping 50 mph, utilize steerable waterjets instead of propellers and rudders to operate in shallow water.

They also are built to be equipped with swappable mission modules for surface warfare, anti-submarine duty or mine removal. That's in contrast to larger, multi-mission ships like the 610-foot Michael Monsoor, a Zumwalt-class destroyer christened Saturday at Bath Iron Works.

But the gee-whiz factor was overshadowed by concerns over growing costs  the latest versions cost $482 million to $563 million apiece  along with criticism by the General Accounting Office that the warships were too lightly armed and too lightly armored.

Two high-profile breakdowns, in December and January, raised additional questions about reliability: The USS Milwaukee had to be towed 40 miles to a naval base in Virginia, while the USS Fort Worth was sidelined in Singapore.

Fanta said the Navy is learning from the initial deployments and incorporating changes into a new version which will be called a frigate. The Navy also intends to zero in on one design either next year or the following year, leading to cost savings.

The Freedom class with a steel monohull is built in Marinette, Wisconsin, while the tri-hulled, aluminum Independence class is built in Mobile, Alabama.

Both were rushed into production to deal with unconventional post-Cold War threats including swarm boats and pirates. But the threats have changed again with China flexing its muscle in the South China Sea and Russia reasserting its naval presence.

Despite growing pains, Fanta sees the warships as being made more capable through heavier armor plating and shock mounting to make them sturdier, along with additional weapons.

The first over-the-horizon missile capable of hitting targets more than 50 miles away is to be installed this summer and it will be followed by tests of a second missile variant this fall, he said. Some of the capabilities will be fitted onto existing ships, about two dozen of which are either in the fleet, under construction or under contract. Eventually, the Navy plans to build 40 of them.

The resulting ship will be slightly slower and heavier, but the weapons will make enemies keep their distance, he said.

It's unclear how much speed will be lost because of the added weight.

"We acknowledge that there will be trade-offs in speed based on additional weight to support increased capabilities. That number will be defined further as the ship's design continues to mature," said Ensign Marc Rockwellpate, a Navy spokesman.

Loren Thompson from the Lexington Institute said it makes sense to place less emphasis on speed. "You can't outrun a missile," he said.

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Follow David Sharp on Twitter at https://twitter.com/David_Sharp_AP. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-sharp.
World Orthodox leaders meet despite Russia's absence

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  The leaders of the world's Orthodox Christian churches have gathered on the Greek island of Crete for a landmark meeting, despite a boycott by the Russian church  the most populous in a religion of some 300 million people  and three other churches.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew led prayers attended by other church leaders Sunday to mark the start of the weeklong summit  the first of its kind in more than 1,200 years.

Pope Francis sent a message of support on Twitter, writing: "Let us join in prayer with our Orthodox brothers and sisters for the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church opening today in Crete."

In this Saturday, June 18, 2016 photo released by Holy and Great Council, Orthodox Partiarchs taking part in the historic Holy and Great Council celebrate Vespers of Pentecost in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. A historic attempt to bring together all leaders of the world's Orthodox churches for the first time in more than a millennium has stalled after the powerful Russian church and three others pulled out at the last minute over disputes ranging from the seating plan to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican. (Sean Hawkey/Holy and Great Council via AP)

Despite decades of preparation, Orthodox leaders failed ahead of the meeting in Crete to overcome differences. They include efforts to reconcile with the Vatican and areas of influence that typically predate current national borders.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is not attending the meetings, arguing that preparation had been inadequate. Serbia's Church leadership did attend despite having close ties with the Russian Church, but the Georgian, Bulgarian and Syria-based Antioch patriarchates skipped the synod.

In a statement Friday, Kirill said he hoped religious leaders gathered in Crete could prepare for a full meeting at a later date. Kirill visited Greece last month, joining Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip to the monastic sanctuary of Mount Athos.

Church leaders gathered at the Cretan city of Iraklio also stressed the need for unity among the churches, with some publicly supporting efforts to organize a later meeting with the Russians present.

"We are on a steady course toward a great Synod and sending the message that our people need," Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus said. "Orthodoxy has shown that it can be united."

Unlike the centralized authority of the Vatican over Roman Catholics, Orthodox churches are autocephalous, or independent, with Bartholomew considered as the first among equals.

But the Ecumenical Patriarchate is based in Istanbul in predominantly Muslim Turkey and is frequently at odds with Moscow, with the Russian Church having restored much of its power after Communism and representing more than 100 million faithful.

"It is well known that relations between the Church and state have gone through many stages. But regardless of how one may characterize these relations, both the church and the state are interested in the welfare of man," Bartholomew said.

Last week a spokesman for Bartholomew had expressed disappointment at Moscow's decision.

"The Church of Russia's decision was 48 hours before the primates were expected here in Crete. Nothing else had happened in the months between January and their decision in early June," the spokesman, Rev. John Chryssavgis, told a Church internet channel.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who holds a largely ceremonial role, traveled to Crete to greet the church leaders.

The Syria-based Antioch Patriarchate was absent due to a dispute with the Jerusalem Patriarchate over the jurisdiction of the Muslim Gulf state of Qatar.

But representatives from many other parts of the world were represented, including Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa, Archbishop Rastislav of Czech Lands and Slovakia, and Archbishop Anastasios of Albania.

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Follow Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

Press Office for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at http://twitter.com/EcPatrPress

In this Saturday, June 18, 2016 photo released by Holy and Great Council, Orthodox Patriarchs taking part in the historic Holy and Great Council sit outside the church of St. Titus before celebrating Vespers of Pentecost in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. A historic attempt to bring together all leaders of the world's Orthodox churches for the first time in more than a millennium has stalled after the powerful Russian church and three others pulled out at the last minute over disputes ranging from the seating plan to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican. (Sean Hawkey/Holy and Great Council via AP)

In this Saturday, June 18, 2016 photo released by Holy and Great Council, Orthodox priests taking part in the historic Holy and Great Council celebrate Vespers of Pentecost in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. A historic attempt to bring together all leaders of the world's Orthodox churches for the first time in more than a millennium has stalled after the powerful Russian church and three others pulled out at the last minute over disputes ranging from the seating plan to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican. (Sean Hawkey/Holy and Great Council via AP)

In this Saturday, June 18, 2016 photo released by Holy and Great Council, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew takes part in a mass at the church of St. Titus during celebrations of Vespers of Pentecost in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. A historic attempt to bring together all leaders of the world's Orthodox churches for the first time in more than a millennium has stalled after the powerful Russian church and three others pulled out at the last minute over disputes ranging from the seating plan to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican. (Sean Kawkey/Holy and Great Council via AP)
Sting operation: Jellyfish targeted before they can multiply

BRICK, N.J. (AP)  Environmental officials and waterfront homeowners in New Jersey are conducting a reverse sting operation against jellyfish in inland waterways, going after the gelatinous pests before they have a chance to grow and multiply.

The state's Department of Environmental Protection recently carried out a program to show people living on bay and riverfronts how to launch a pre-emptive strike on sea nettles, a species of stinging jellyfish that have turned some parts of Barnegat Bay and associated rivers into no-go zones for swimming.

Soon after the effort began, a dime-sized species called the clinging jellyfish began appearing in the bay and in the Shrewsbury River about 45 minutes to the north. The invasive species that's native to the Pacific Ocean packs an intensely painful sting, and recently sent a New Jersey swimmer to the hospital where he needed to be treated with morphine for three days.

In this May 19, 2016 photo, employees of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, work to scrub jellyfish polyps from a bulkhead in a lagoon in Brick, N.J. The state is enlisting homeowners in an effort to kill jellyfish when they are young and tiny, before they can explode into millions of adult jellyfish in the state's inland waterways. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

The idea is to scrub or power wash bulkheads and underneath floating docks where speck-sized jellyfish polyps attach themselves and grow until the time is right in late spring for them to burst forth into millions of new jellyfish that are sting-ready by summer.

And scientists are researching potential natural predators of infant sea nettles. Nudibranchs, a type of marine gastropod mollusk, are being collected from Barnegat Bay and studied to see which species chow down the most on jellyfish polyps.

The effort won't make much of a dent in the numbers of ocean-borne jellyfish that visitors to the Jersey shore may encounter. But it could at least help slow down the advance of sea nettles along the hundreds of miles of lagoons, river and bay fronts that are an integral part of the Jersey shore's tourism economy.

"If you go swimming and you get stung, it's not pleasant," said Paul Bologna, director of marine biology and coastal sciences at Montclair State University, whose research has earned him the nickname "Dr. Jellyfish."

Several species of jellyfish can cause problems like painful stings, and a few can even kill, in rare cases. In 2013, jellyfish briefly shut down a nuclear power plant in Sweden by clogging the intake pipes it uses for water to cool the reactor. A year earlier, a similar mishap idled a California nuclear plant.

People do swim in portions of Barnegat Bay, but jellyfish stings have plagued some areas; the Metedeconk River in Brick has to close its beach to swimming several times a year when jellyfish get too numerous.

Some species in Asian coastal waters that can grow to 400 or 500 pounds have ripped fishermen's nets, and ruined their fish catches by stinging them with toxins.

That led to the development by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology of a jellyfish-shredding robot. It looks like a self-propelled fan that seeks out large swarms of jellyfish and uses rotating blades to shred them into strands of goo.

Jellyfish have some benefits: They are food for sea turtles and some species of fish. But in inland waterways like New Jersey's Barnegat Bay or Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, they can do more harm than good.

Ed O'Malley, of Cranford, New Jersey, sails his boat on Barnegat Bay near where state crews were scrubbing jellyfish off docks one recent day. He welcomes the attack on the infant jellies, recalling how dense the sea nettle population can become in the area.

"You could almost walk across the bay on jellyfish," he said of one particularly bad summer a few years back. "It was wall-to-wall sea nettles. I'm thrilled to see this kind of effort. It should have a big impact."

While sea slugs can eat the sea nettle polyps, the jellyfish are thriving in the low-oxygen waters of lagoons, which don't get flushed all that much by tides.

Residents and researchers agree that sea nettles receded somewhat after Superstorm Sandy pounded the Jersey shore in 2012, lashing jellyfish polyps off bulkheads and docks. The storm also destroyed many bulkheads and floating docks, depriving the jellyfish of habitat on which to grow.

But most of the damage from the storm has been repaired, and the idea is to prevent the population from exploding again.

"If you can get a handle on this population now, you can make a dent in the adult population in the summer," Bologna said, watching as crews used brushes to scrub the underside of a small floating dock for a personal watercraft. "Something like this can hold 50,000 to 100,000 polyps."

That was just one of hundreds, if not thousands of such docks along the miles and miles of bulkhead along the shore.

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Ohio gun shop owner fatally shot by concealed carry student

AMELIA, Ohio (AP)  Authorities say the owner of an Ohio gun shop teaching a concealed carry class was fatally shot in the neck by a student who accidently fired a weapon.

The (Cincinnati) Enquirer reports (http://cin.ci/1UI2z35 ) 64-year-old James Baker was shot Saturday while students practiced weapon malfunction drills. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office says about 10 people were taking the class at the time at KayJay Gun Shop in Monroe Township, about 25 miles southeast of Cincinnati.

Baker died at the scene. The student who fired the weapon hasn't been identified.

According to the gun shop's website, the concealed carry class included basic pistol safety instruction, shooting range sessions and a review of Ohio's gun laws.

The Clermont County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting.

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Algerian military kills 12 Islamist fighters over weekend

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP)  The Algerian military says it has killed 12 armed Islamist fighters and captured four others during a weekend offensive against extremists.

The Defense Ministry said that eight of the fighters were killed Sunday in Medea province, some 85 kilometers (53 miles) from Algiers.

It said that on Saturday it killed four and captured four others in the area of Rouakeche alongside a hoard of AK-47's, rocket launchers and other firearms.
Thailand's Royal Palace claims gains in aging king's health

BANGKOK (AP)  Thailand's Royal Palace has announced that doctors have drained excess fluid that was putting pressure on the brain of 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

A statement from the palace, reported Sunday in Thai media, said the doctors were satisfied with the results of the procedure, which was carried out Saturday night. It also said that electrocardiograms and other tests found that a June 7 treatment to clear a clogged artery had successfully resulted in strengthening of the king's heart muscles.

Bhumibol, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has been hospitalized for a large part of the past decade, mostly with ailments associated with aging. He has not made a public appearance since January.

In the past month, official announcements about his health have increased in frequency, but their narrow and technical focus make it hard to gauge the king's overall condition. At various points he has been said to been fed intravenously and been given oxygen to assist his breathing. Saturday's drainage of cerebrospinal fluid was the second time this procedure has been carried out in the past month.
Turkish police fire rubber bullets, tear gas at LGBT parade

ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered Sunday for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban.

Dozens of participants advocating transgender rights assembled off Istiklal Street, a major commercial artery, some brandishing rainbow flags.

Police called on them to disperse and prevented activists from marching or making statements. A couple of individuals were detained.

Turkish police officers charge demonstrators who gathered for the gay pride march, despite a government ban, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban over security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

More than 300 policemen in anti-riot gear and backed by water cannons were deployed along the pedestrian thoroughfare and on side streets.

Istanbul's governor had banned gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from holding two annual parades this year, both Sunday's seventh Trans Pride March and a broader LGBT pride parade on June 26. His office cited security concerns as the basis for the ban.

In a statement that they were prevented from reading publicly, Trans Pride organizers said the community was "terrorized by both the state and puritanical groups."

Turkish Islamist and ultra-nationalist groups had threatened counterdemonstrations to stop the parade from taking place but didn't turn up Sunday.

Istanbul has witnessed a series of deadly bombings in the past year, including two suicide attacks targeting tourists  one on Istiklal Street.

On Friday, Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week organizers issued a declaration with a #LoveWillWin hashtag in Turkish rejecting security concerns as a reason to ban the parades.

It said "the governorship prefers to limit people's rights and freedoms instead of taking measures to deal with the threats."

Sunday's organizers, in their statement, also paid tribute to the victims of a bloody rampage at a gay night club in Orlando that left 49 people dead.

"We bow with respect to the memory of our friends massacred in Orlando and promise a world without homophobia and transphobia," their statement read.

The U.S. consulate in Istanbul this week unfurled the rainbow flag in celebration of gay pride and to honor the Orlando victims.

Turkish police officers fire tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally despite a government ban, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Istanbul's governor had banned gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from holding two annual parades this year citing security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

People gather to protest against the ban on the gay pride march, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban over security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

People protests against the ban on a gay pride march, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban. stanbul's governor had banned gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from holding two annual parades this year citing security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

Turkish police officers fire tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally despite a government ban, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Istanbul's governor had banned gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from holding two annual parades this year citing security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

People protest against the ban on a gay pride march, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban. Istanbul's governor had banned gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from holding two annual parades this year citing security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

People gather to protest against the ban on the gay pride march, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban over security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)

People protest against the ban on a gay pride march, off Istiklal Avenue, central Istanbul's main shopping road, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who gathered for a gay pride rally in Istanbul despite a government ban. Istanbul's governor had banned gay, lesbian and transgender individuals from holding two annual parades this year citing security concerns. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel)
Fire scares Los Angeles as larger blazes burn across West

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A brush fire that broke out Sunday near downtown Los Angeles threatened a densely populated, hilly neighborhood along a freeway as sizzling temperatures elevated fire danger across the West.

Crews knocked down the blaze in the Silver Lake neighborhood after it damaged two homes, destroyed three shed-like structures, scorched yards and sent trees up in flames.

Neighbors scrambled with garden hoses and buckets, while water-dropping helicopters and scores of firefighters chased embers and doused steep hillsides to keep the flames from spreading.

Firefighters douse a hillside under State Route 2 after a brush fire swept through threatening homes in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained the fire in the densely populated neighborhood along a freeway. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

The blaze only charred 8 acres, but it put urban residents on alert to the hot, dry conditions that have helped wildfires spread rapidly across more remote places from the California coast to New Mexico.

A fire that has burned 12 square miles west of Santa Barbara stayed in check, but firefighters braced for the return of afternoon and evening gusts that fanned the flames earlier in the week, threatening hundreds of homes and leading to evacuations of popular coastal campgrounds. The fire was just over halfway contained.

A new wildfire that broke out Sunday forced the evacuation of about 75 people from a tiny town in the California desert near the Mexico border.

It had surged to over 2 square miles amid triple-digit temperatures near the town of Potrero, a ranching community just a few miles north of Tecate, Mexico, and about 40 miles southeast of San Diego.

In New Mexico, a 28-square-mile fire that erupted last week and destroyed 24 homes in the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque was largely uncontained. But higher humidity overnight allowed crews to strengthen lines around the fire and keep a lookout for hot spots where flames could jump the line.

In eastern Arizona, a fire that has burned 19 square miles southwest of Show Low advanced south, but containment increased to 40 percent.

The Los Angeles fire erupted near a freeway, with flames soaring up tall trees and sending heavy smoke across the road.

Paul Gaffner had been swimming at a pool a few minutes from his home and was planning to run errands when he saw heavy smoke near his house.

"Man, that fire is at my house," he said he thought.

When he arrived, his neighbor was hosing down flames in his backyard. In his flip-flops and shorts, he joined the fight as neighbors chipped in help protect their houses.

"It was a lot going on," Gaffner said as he handed out bottles of Gatorade to firefighters. "You've got it in front of you, you don't have time to panic."

A firefighters douses a tree with water along a hillside under State Route 2 after a brush fire swept through threatening homes in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained the fire that was in a densely populated neighborhood along a freeway. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

A firefighters douses a tree with water along a hillside under State Route 2 after a brush fire swept through threatening homes in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained the fire that was in a densely populated neighborhood along a freeway. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

A British Aerospace BAe-146 belonging to Neptune Aviation makes a Phos-Chek drop Saturday, June 18, 2016, on wildfires in Santa Barbara County, Calif. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)
GOP's Trump says US should consider profiling Muslims

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump suggested Sunday that the United States should "seriously" consider profiling Muslims inside the country as a terrorism-fighting tool, the latest example of the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting increasingly backing positions that could single out a group based on their religion.

"We really have to look at profiling," Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." ''It's not the worst thing to do."

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee added that he "hate(s) the concept of profiling, but we have to use common sense" over "political correctness."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, shouts to Secret Service agents that supporter Diana Brest, right, had been waiting in line since 2 a.m. to see the candidate speak at a rally Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Trump's proposal runs counter to Justice Department policy, which explicitly prohibits profiling on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity and national origin. That profiling ban applies not only to federal agents but also to local law enforcement officers who participate in federal task forces.

Trump's increasing embrace of policies that could isolate Muslims in America is extraordinary for a candidate assured of his party's presidential nomination. The proposals have been roundly dismissed and criticized by many Republican leaders, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. Civil libertarians, Muslims and others also have strongly disagreed, arguing that profiling is unconstitutional and often constitutes unlawful discrimination based on race, religion and other factors.

Law enforcement should remain allied with groups that might have helpful information, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview that aired Sunday.

"It is very important for to us maintain our contacts within the Muslim community, because, often, individuals, if they're from that community and they're being radicalized, their friends and family members will see it first. They will see activity first. And we want that information to come to us," Lynch said on CNN's "State of Union."

Trump's statements are consistent with his other, long-expressed views on how to stop terrorism in the United States, including a temporary ban on foreign Muslims from entering the country until the U.S. can figure out "what is going on." But he's intensified his approach since Omar Mateen carried out the worst mass shooting in modern American history on June 12 at a gay club in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were killed in the attack, which stoked a mix of fears about terrorism, guns and violence against gays.

Mateen's motive isn't clear, but a letter from the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, said Mateen wrote on Facebook that "real Muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the West." He also pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, his ex-wife said he was mentally ill and his father suggested that gays had angered him.

Trump's response to the tragedy was, in part, a pointed confrontation with Muslims, whom he singled out for knowing where terrorists are and not turning them into authorities. In the same speech, he also expanded his ban on Muslim immigration to include people from regions with a history of terrorism.

On Sunday, Trump also said the government should investigate mosques in the U.S. in much the same way the New York Police Department's Demographics Unit spied on Muslims and mosques around the city with help from the CIA. The group assembled databases on where Muslims lived, shopped, worked and prayed, infiltrated Muslim student groups, put informants in mosques and monitored sermons, The Associated Press reported in 2011.

Under Mayor Bill de Blasio, the NYPD announced it had abandoned the program following lawsuits and complaints.

"You do (it) as they used to do in New York prior to this mayor dismantling" the program, Trump said Sunday.

Americans are strikingly divided over whether to single out Muslim communities as part of a plan to fight terrorism, according to an AP-GfK poll conducted March 31 through April 4.

Forty-nine percent of respondents said they favor surveillance programs aimed at predominantly Muslim communities in the United States to obtain information about possible radicalization. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed opposed the practice.

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Abused horses now rehabbed to help veterans with PTSD

NIANTIC, Conn. (AP)  After losing sight in his right eye from a 2013 rocket attack in Afghanistan, retired U.S. Army Maj. Dan Thomas recovered with help from an equine therapy program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Hoping to help other veterans, he and his wife traveled from their home in Alabama to Connecticut last week to purchase two massive, jet black carriage horses, animals that were put up for auction by the state after they were seized from a breeder in February as part of an animal abuse investigation and rehabilitated through a state program involving female prison inmates who help with the care.

Thomas said the two Friesian mares, among 32 emaciated and depressed horses taken from the farm, are the perfect animals to help veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this June 13, 2016 photo, Dan and Amy Thomas try to calm the two Friesian horses they were picking up at the Connecticut Department of Agriculture's large animal rehabilitation center at the York Correctional Center in Niantic, Conn. The horses were among others seized in February as part of an animal-cruelty probe, that were later auctioned off. (AP Photo/Susan Haigh)

"They know what it's like to go through hell and come out the other side," said Thomas, who plans to create a program similar to the one he experienced at the couple's 160-acre ranch in Black, Alabama. The Friesians, 1,400-pound Francisca and 1,000-pound Rosalind, will join seven other horses the couple previously rescued.

Considered a "war horse" in the Middle Ages, Friesians are a highly sought-after breed, recognized for being gentle and intelligent. Thomas knows firsthand that such a demeanor in a horse can be a calming influence for returning combat veterans.

"I've been through lots and lots of things. After being blown up, it's quite a traumatic experience for you. The horses are what works for me. So I know it's out there and works for other people because I've seen it," Thomas said, explaining how there's peace in being around such a powerful creature that could hurt you but doesn't.

The 32 horses seized by Connecticut officials in February from the Fairy Tail Equine breeding center in East Hampton have attracted great attention from across the country because of the type of horses involved. The Department of Agriculture received inquiries from as far away as Alaska about the sealed, monthlong auction. Besides Friesians, Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner horses were also seized.

Adam and Tracy Erickson, owners of Skywalker Stables in Jamestown, New York, were visibly thrilled to take home Voruke, another Friesian. The couple has rescued horses from the slaughterhouse, buying the animals from meat buyers at the eleventh-hour. They rehabilitate the horses and find them good homes. Tracy Erickson said she's never come across a Friesian and plans to keep Voruke.

"It's just a wonderful, gentle breed of horse," she said.

Money raised from the state's auction will help offset the cost of caring for the horses, which has exceeded $100,000, not including staff time. Raymond Connors, supervisor of the department's animal control division, said winning bidders were screened to make sure the animals will go to a suitable place.

As the buyers coaxed their new horses into trailers, Connors remarked how the animals look "1,000 percent better" than the day when they were seized. The owners of the breeding center were arrested on animal cruelty charges. Their case is still pending in court.

Dan Thomas saw photos of Francisca and Rosalind after they were seized.

"I'm just really impressed with what the state of Connecticut has done here because these horses are beautiful now," he said. "It looks like the state of Connecticut has saved some lives."
Murray beats Raonic to claim 5th Queen's Club title

LONDON (AP)  Britain's Andy Murray claimed a record fifth title at Queen's Club on Sunday as the top-seeded defending champion recovered from a set and 3-0 down to beat Milos Raonic 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3.

Neither player faced a break point in the opening set, and after taking the tiebreaker Raonic made an intimidating start to the second by dropping just one point in the first three games.

Murray appeared to be overwhelmed, but he responded by winning the next five games en route to leveling the match.

Britain's Andy Murray lifts the trophy after beating Canada's Milos Raonic in their final tennis match of the Queen's Championships London, England, Sunday June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

Continuing his momentum in the final set Murray broke to lead 1-0, and a further break at 5-3 secured him his second title of the year.

"It's a tournament that obviously means a lot to me," Murray said.

"It always has a great field and the players I have beaten in the finals, a lot of times have been top players. It's not like I have had easy finals."

Murray was one of eight players to have won the title four times since the event began in 1890, and is the first to have retained his title since Andy Roddick did so in 2004 and again in 2005.

The record books favored Murray, who is second only to Roger Federer among active players in the number of grass-court titles won. In addition to his five victories at Queen's Club, Murray won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and the Wimbledon title a year later.

As well as being the first meeting on grass for Murray and Raonic, Sunday was the first time that Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe have met as coaches. Lendl has returned to Murray's coaching team and McEnroe is working with Raonic.

Britain's Andy Murray lifts the trophy after beating Canada's Milos Raonic in their final tennis match of the Queen's Championships London, England, Sunday June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

Britain's Andy Murray chases a drop shot from Canada's Milos Raonic during their final tennis match at Queen's Championships London, England, Sunday June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
Pro-settler group urges British Israelis to 'leave' EU

JERUSALEM (AP)  An Israeli advocacy group that is allied with the West Bank settler movement is urging British-Israelis to vote in favor of leaving the European Union in Britain's referendum this week.

Regavim says the European Union is biased against Israel and says voters should oppose the 28-nation bloc and try to weaken it by encouraging Britain to leave.

The group claims that European aid money to the Palestinians has reached terrorists, and that the EU is funding illegal Palestinian construction in the West Bank. It also alleges an EU rule labeling settlement exports to Europe is anti-Semitic, and that the EU funds hostile anti-Israel groups.

Josh Hasten, a Regavim spokesman, called EU policies toward Israel "aggressive and destructive."
Scientists battle to save world's coral reefs

HONOLULU (AP)  After the most powerful El Nino on record heated the world's oceans to never-before-seen levels, huge swaths of once vibrant coral reefs that were teeming with life are now stark white ghost towns disintegrating into the sea.

And the world's top marine scientists are still struggling in the face of global warming and decades of devastating reef destruction to find the political and financial wherewithal to tackle the loss of these globally important ecosystems.

"What we have to do is to really translate the urgency," said Ruth Gates, president of the International Society for Reef Studies and director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

This May 2016 photo provided by NOAA shows bleaching and some dead coral around Jarvis Island, which is part of the U.S. Pacific Remote Marine National Monument. Scientists found 95 percent of the coral is dead in what had been one of the worlds most lush and isolated tropical marine reserve. More than 2,000 international reef scientists, policymakers and stakeholders are gathering in Hawaii starting Monday, June 20, 2016, to discuss the latest coral science and what can be done to stop widespread death of the world's reefs. (Bernardo Vargas-Angel/NOAA via AP)

Gates, who helped organize a conference this week for more than 2,000 international reef scientists, policymakers and others, said the scientific community needs to make it clear how "intimately reef health is intertwined with human health."

The International Coral Reef Symposium convenes Monday to try to create a more unified conservation plan for coral reefs. She said researchers have to find a way to implement large scale solutions with the help of governments.

Consecutive years of coral bleaching have led to some of the most widespread mortality of reefs on record, leaving scientists in a race to save them. While bleached coral often recovers, multiple years weakens the organisms and increases the risk of death.

Researchers have achieved some success with projects such as creating coral nurseries and growing forms of "super coral" that can withstand harsher conditions. But much of that science is being done on a very small scale with limited funding.

Bob Richmond, director of the University of Hawaii's Kewalo Marine Laboratory, said the problems are very clear: "overfishing of reef herbivores and top predators, land-based sources of pollution and sedimentation, and the continued and growing impacts of climate change."

While reefs are major contributors to many coastal tourist economies, saving the world's coral isn't just about having pretty places for vacationers to explore. Reefs are integral to the overall ecosystem and are an essential component of everyday human existence.

Reefs not only provide habitat for most ocean fish consumed by humans, but they also shelter land from storm surges and rising sea levels. Coral has even been found to have medicinal properties.

In one project to help save reefs, researchers at the University of Hawaii's Institute of Marine Biology have been taking samples from corals that have shown tolerance for harsher conditions in Oahu's Kaneohe Bay and breeding them with other strong strains in slightly warmer than normal conditions to create a super coral.

The idea is to make the corals more resilient by training them to adapt to tougher conditions before transplanting them into the ocean.

Another program run by the state of Hawaii has created seed banks and a fast-growing coral nursery for expediting coral restoration projects.

Most of Hawaii's species of coral are unlike other corals around the world in that they grow very slowly, which makes reef rebuilding in the state difficult. So officials came up with a plan to grow large chunks of coral in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

Coral reefs have almost always been studied up close, by scientists in the water looking at small portions of reefs.

But NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is taking a wider view, from about 23,000 feet above. NASA and other scientists recently launched a three-year campaign to gather new data on coral reefs worldwide. They are using specially designed imaging instruments attached to aircraft.

"The idea is to get a new perspective on coral reefs from above, to study them at a larger scale than we have been able to before, and then relate reef condition to the environment," said Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences' Eric Hochberg, principal investigator for the project.

If the scientific community and the world's governments can't come together to address coral's decline, one of earth's most critical habitats could soon be gone, leaving humans to deal with the unforeseen consequences.

"What happens if we don't take care of our reefs?" asked Gates. "It's dire."

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Follow Caleb Jones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CalebAP Find more of his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/caleb-jones

Oahus Hanauma Bay on Wednesday, May 6, 2016 near Honolulu. Much of the inner reef at Hanauma Bay is dead after decades of tourist interaction, but the outter reef is still relatively healthy. More than 2,000 international reef scientists, policymakers and stakeholders are gathering in Hawaii starting Monday, June 20, 2016, to discuss the latest coral science and what can be done to stop widespread death of the world's reefs. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

A man rests his hand on a dead reef as he snorkels in Oahus Hanauma Bay on Wednesday, May 6, 2016 near Honolulu. Much of the inner reef at Hanauma Bay is dead after decades of tourist interaction, but the outer reef is still relatively healthy. The International Coral Reef Symposium convenes Monday, June 20, 2016, to try to create a more unified conservation plan for coral reefs. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

This May 2016 photo provided by NOAA shows bleaching and some dead coral around Jarvis Island, which is part of the U.S. Pacific Remote Marine National Monument. Scientists found 95 percent of the coral is dead in what had been one of the worlds most lush and isolated tropical marine reserve. Researchers finishing an emergency U.S. government undersea expedition described what they called a graveyard of coral around Jarvis Island in the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument. Normally, a unique ocean current brings cold water up from the deep to make that underwater region vibrant with coral, nutrients, fish and sharks. (Bernardo Vargas-Angel/NOAA via AP)

Oahus Hanauma Bay on Wednesday, May 6, 2016 near Honolulu. Much of the inner reef at Hanauma Bay is dead after decades of tourist interaction, but the outter reef is still relatively healthy. More than 2,000 international reef scientists, policymakers and stakeholders are gathering in Hawaii starting Monday, June 20, 2016, to discuss the latest coral science and what can be done to stop widespread death of the world's reefs.(AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
The Latest: Thousands turn out for weekend gay pride events

DENVER (AP)  The Latest on gay pride events across the country (all times local):

11 a.m.

People in wheelchairs, walking on stilts and riding rainbow-decorated motorcycles turned out for gay pride events over the weekend, including people on parade in Denver on Sunday carrying posters of people the names or faces of victims who died in last weekend's attack on a gay nightclub in Florida.

A youth group from ACR Health carry letters to commemorate the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., during the Gay Pride Parade in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, June 18, 2016. Thousands of people have attended a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride parade and festival in upstate New York, less than a week after a deadly attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando. (Michael Greenlar/The Syracuse Newspapers via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

In Denver, about 2,000 people took part in the PrideFest parade through town to Civic Center Park as hundreds of people lined sidewalks.

Security was tight at events over the weekend. Authorities set up security fences, bag checks, and police rode Segway scooters and walked with bomb-sniffing dogs.

No serious problems were reported Saturday at events across the country.

___

11 p.m.

Festivals and parades went ahead Saturday under increased security in cities such as Chicago, Columbus, Ohio; and Providence, Rhode Island, a week after a gunman fired on a crowd at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The attack left 49 people dead.

At Chicago Pride Fest, security staff meticulously checked bags, unzipping each and every pocket, and extra police patrolled on foot in a highly visible presence.

The annual two-day street festival in the Boystown neighborhood draws thousands of revelers and serves as a warmup to Chicago's even bigger Pride Parade the following weekend.

A revelers waits for a champagne toast to kick off "New Orleans Pride" festivities at Napoleon's Itch Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Jai Rodriguez and Chris Harder chat during a champagne toast to kick off "New Orleans Pride" festivities at Napoleon's Itch Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A sign with the logo of the Pulse nightclub hangs on the entrance as revelers for "New Orleans Pride" festivities enter Mags 940 Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A revelers for "New Orleans Pride" festivities walks across a rainbow painted sidewalk in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Revelers toast champagne to kick off "New Orleans Pride" festivities at Napoleon's Itch Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Jai Rodriguez and Chris Harder chat during a champagne toast to kick off "New Orleans Pride" festivities at Napoleon's Itch Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Revelers wait for a champagne toast to kick off "New Orleans Pride" festivities at Napoleon's Itch Bar in New Orleans, Saturday, June 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A man holds up the rainbow flag as the parade moves down a street during the Gay Pride Parade in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, June 18, 2016. Thousands of people have attended a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride parade and festival in upstate New York, less than a week after a deadly attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Michael Greenlar/The Syracuse Newspapers via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Thousands gather at Capitol Park in Boise, Idaho, for the annual PrideFest rally and parade Saturday, June 18, 2016. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Dona Rives, left, and her wife of three years Jelyna Rives hold an equality flag during the St. Joseph Gay Pride parade on Saturday, June 18, 2016 in St. Joseph Missouri that ended at the Felix Street Square. "It makes us really want to show our support, it's sad that that is something we have to worry about," said Jelyna. When asked about the festival this year and how the Orlando shooting impacted it. "We try to come every year but felt it's important to come both days this year and show our support and that we are a community and we are here for each other." (Dougal Brownlie/The St. Joseph News-Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Fire officials say 10 horses have died in a stable fire outside Los Angeles.

Montebello Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Fredrickson says the suspicious fire broke out early Sunday morning at a boarding stable near a river.

Fredrickson says investigators are not necessarily looking at the fire as arson but haven't ruled it out.

Ten horses were killed in a fire that destroyed two stables in Montebello in the early hours of Sunday morning

The fire broke out around midnight in a stable on Bluff Road. There was no one tending the animals when the fire started

Fredrickson says stable workers freed many of the horses, and some firefighters were nearly hit by horses running from the fire.

Fredrickson says 22 horses escaped injury, but 10 perished in the blaze.

Some chickens in the barn next door were also killed, but authorities said no civilians were hurt.

No people were injured in the fire that took two hours to knock down.

Fredrickson says anxious owners arrived after the fire to look for their horses.

Montebello FD officials said it took fire crews about two hours to put out the blaze, and a major issue for them was getting access to the fire.

Firefighters had a hard time getting to the stables, which were at the bottom of the hill

'It's an open, wood stable with a corrugated metal roof atop of it, so it made it very difficult for us to get into the area and put it out. The area that burnt is about 120 feet by 170 feet -that was enclosed under a roof,' said Montebello FD Battalion Chief Richard Frederickson to ABC7.

Breeders and friends were helping the homeowner locate surviving horses that were able to escape the deadly fire.

'I'm happy but at the same time it sucks for a lot of people because, you know, it's like these horses, like I said, it's family...I mean, if I had enough money, I'd buy them a new one, but it's not the same, you know,' said Jose Sandoval, one of the breeders.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, and police said they were looking into the homeless population in the area for leads.
'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin killed when his car hits him

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Anton Yelchin, a rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, was killed by his own car as it rolled down his driveway early Sunday, police and his publicist said.

The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Los Angeles, Officer Jenny Hosier said. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Hosier said. When he didn't show up, the group came to his home and found him dead.

FILE - In this June 11, 2015, file photo, Anton Yelchin arrives at a special screening of "Burying the Ex" held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, June 19, 2016, his publicist confirmed. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

The freak accident tragically cuts short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were still getting to know and who had great artistic ambition. "Star Trek Beyond," the third film in the rebooted series, comes out in July.

Director J.J. Abrams, who cast Yelchin in the franchise, wrote in a statement that he was "brilliant ... kind ... funny as hell, and supremely talented."

His death was felt throughout the industry.

"What a rare and beautiful soul with his unstoppable passion for life," Jodie Foster said. "He was equal parts serious thinker and the most fun little brother you could ever dream of."

Yelchin co-starred in Foster's 2011 film "The Beaver."

"He was a ferocious movie buff who put us all to shame," said Gabe Klinger, who directed Yelchin in the upcoming film "Porto," likely to be released this fall. "He was watching four or five movies every night."

Klinger said Yelchin had a particular affinity for silent films.

Yelchin began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and various television shows, such as "ER," ''The Practice," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." His breakout big-screen role came opposite Anthony Hopkins in 2001's "Hearts in Atlantis."

He transitioned into teen roles in films such as the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the comedy "Charlie Bartlett." He also played a young Kyle Reese in 2009's "Terminator Salvation."

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn't very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.

"I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing," Yelchin told The Associated Press in 2011 while promoting the romantic drama "Like Crazy." He starred opposite Felicity Jones.

"(My father) still wanted me to apply to college and stuff, and I did," Yelchin said. "But this is what I wanted."

The discipline that Yelchin learned from his athlete parents translated into his work as an actor, which he treated with seriousness and professionalism, said Klinger, the director.

He drew on his Russian roots for his role as the heavily accented navigator Chekov in the "Star Trek" films, his most high-profile to date.

"What's great about him is he can do anything. He's a chameleon. He can do bigger movies or smaller, more intimate ones," ''Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus told the AP in 2011. "There are a lot of people who can't, who can only do one or the other. ... That's what blows my mind."

Yelchin seemed to fit in anywhere in Hollywood. He could do big sci-fi franchises and vocal work in "The Smurfs," while also appearing in more eccentric and artier fare, like Jim Jarmusch's vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive" and Jeremy Saulnier's horror thriller "Green Room," a cult favorite that came out earlier this year.

Klinger recalled a conversation with Jarmusch about Yelchin before Klinger cast him in "Porto."

"Jim was like, 'Watch out. Anton read Dostoyevsky when he was like 11 years old!'" Klinger said.

The director said that for Yelchin, every film was an opportunity to learn and study more. He admired Nicolas Cage's laser-focus on the Paul Schrader film "Dying of the Light" and also got to work with one of his acting heroes, Willem Dafoe, on the film "Odd Thomas."

"He used to refer to Willem as an artist, not an actor," Klinger said. "That's the kind of actor he aspired to be, where people didn't regard him as an actor, they regarded him as an artist."

Yelchin's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, file photo, Actor Anton Yelchin poses for portraits during the 71st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, June 19, 2016, his publicist confirmed. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)

The driveway to the home of Anton Yelchin, a rising actor, best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, is seen in the Studio City area of Los Angeles, on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Yelchin was killed by his own car as it rolled down his driveway early Sunday, police and his publicist said. The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Los Angeles, Officer Jenny Hosier said. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Television reporters record the driveway to the home of Anton Yelchin, a rising actor, best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, is seen in the Studio City area of Los Angeles, on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Yelchin was killed by his own car as it rolled down his driveway early Sunday, police and his publicist said. The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Los Angeles, Officer Jenny Hosier said. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Thousands turn out for weekend gay pride events

DENVER (AP)  People in wheelchairs, walking on stilts and riding rainbow-decorated motorcycles turned out for gay pride events over the weekend, including participants in a Denver parade who carried posters of the names or faces of the victims who died in last weekend's attack on a nightclub in Florida.

About 2,000 people took part in Denver's PrideFest parade through town to Civic Center Park on Sunday as hundreds lined sidewalks. Crowds estimated at several hundred thousand attended a two-day festival in front of Denver's city hall.

Security was tight at events over the weekend. In Denver, authorities set up security fences, bag checks, and police rode Segway scooters and walked with bomb-sniffing dogs.

A crowd cheers for participants in the gay pride parade in Denver, Sunday June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Organizer Debra Pollock said in past years, the festival area was fenced in overnight, and when parade-goers arrived, they threw open the fences and people swarmed in for dancing and other performances.

"This year, they have to go through security," Pollock said.

New Orleans authorities held a news conference Thursday to say extra officers and state troopers would be on duty.

Crystal Luna of Tampa, Florida, and Joelasa Oquendo, of Odessa, Texas, a married couple in the Navy, said they'd been a bit worried before the New Orleans event, but were reassured by seeing uniformed police officers.

In Portland, Oregon, on-site security was up 25 percent from previous years.

No serious problems were reported at gay pride events across the country, but the mood for many people was somber. A small number of anti-gay protesters also showed up.

Forty-nine people were killed and more than 50 wounded when Omar Mateen opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando last weekend.

The motive for his attack is still unclear. He pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call, his ex-wife said he was mentally ill and his father has suggested he was angry with gays.

Other festivals and parades went ahead Saturday under increased security in cities such as Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, and Providence, Rhode Island.

Parades were also held in New Orleans and Syracuse, New York, and a beach party was planned in California.

Ron Freeny, a Vietnam veteran, said he drove to Denver from Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Sunday's parade.

Freeny said he was forced to resign as a Navy lieutenant commander in 1978 after someone told military officials that he was gay. He said he told that he could resign or be court-martialed.

"The country has made a lot of strides since then, but there are still some people in the military that have a dislike for our kind," Freeny said.

In Rhode Island, extra police and fire personnel patrolled on foot. Several people donned capes made from rainbow flags. Others carried signs that read: "We stand with Orlando."

In Syracuse, marchers with colorful face paint, glitter and rainbow capes marched through the streets under a heavy police presence, and in New Orleans, more than a hundred people led off a gay pride parade holding aloft hand-scrawled posters for LGBT rights and pictures of the Orlando nightclub victims pasted on pieces of colored paper.

Christi Layne, who helped organize Denver's gay pride festival 40 years ago, said only seven people showed up for the original meeting, and only 2,000 people showed up for a parade that year. This year was different.

"We insulated ourselves 40 years ago. We had only like-minded people. Now this is open to the world and understanding is spreading," Layne said.

People who have never attended a gay pride event showed up in Denver this year, including some who just wanted to express support.

Patrick Mulligan, who was wearing a rainbow hula skirt, said he has lived in Denver all of his life but never attended a PrideFest parade. He said he is not gay, but he wanted to show that hate and fear will not define him.

"After Orlando, I think everyone needs to show support," he said.

U.S. Army veteran Sarah Alder, left, her partner Joyce McCall, second from left, and their daughter Lydia help carry a giant American flag in the gay pride parade, in Denver, Sunday, June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Participants in the gay pride parade ride mototcycles, in Denver, Sunday, June 19, 2016. People in wheelchairs, walking on stilts and riding rainbow-decorated motorcycles turned out for gay pride events over the weekend, including people on parade in Denver carrying posters of the names or faces of the victims who died in last weekend's attack on a gay nightclub in Florida. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Participants in the gay pride parade pass by the state Capitol, in Denver, Sunday, June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

A protester stands along the gay pride parade in Denver, Sunday June 19, 2016. Security was tight at the event. Authorities set up security fences, bag checks, and police rode Segway scooters and walked with bomb-sniffing dogs. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
A Chicago man has been charged with manslaughter after crashing his van into a car on a Virginia highway, leaving six people dead.

Wenceslao Cruz-Marquez, 50, was at the wheel with 15 passengers when his 1998 Dodge van ran off the road early Saturday morning in the Bowling Green area, about 20 miles south of Fredericksburg, police said.

The vehicle came back on the road and hit a Toyota Camry, then overturned five to six times on Interstate 95.

Four men, one woman and one child died at the scene after getting thrown from the van.

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Wenceslao Cruz-Marquez, 50, was at the wheel with 15 passengers when his 1998 Dodge van (pictured) ran off the road early Saturday morning in the Bowling Green area, Virginia

The survivors, which include Marquez and nine other passengers, were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Driver fatigue is being considered as a factor in the crash according to Virginia State Police.

It appears that no one inside the van was wearing a seat belt when the van crashed around 12:30am, authorities said.

The group inside the van was on the way to New Jersey from North Carolina.

The Toyota Camry's driver was uninjured.

The names of the deceased will be released once relatives are notified, police said.

The crash caused all lanes on the I 95 to shut down in the area, WTVR reported. They have since reopened.
The Latest: Actor Anton Yelchin killed by own rolling car

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on the death of "Star Trek" film actor Anton Yelchin (all times local):

1 p.m.

Los Angeles police say Anton Yelchin, an actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, was killed by his own car as it rolled backward down his driveway.

FILE - In this June 11, 2015, file photo, Anton Yelchin arrives at a special screening of "Burying the Ex" held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, June 19, 2016, his publicist confirmed. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Officer Jenny Hosier says the car pinned Yelchin against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence early Sunday. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police didn't say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

Hosier says Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal. When he didn't show up, the group came to his home and found him dead.

His biggest role has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films as navigator Chekov. The third film in the series, "Star Trek Beyond," comes out in July.

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11:05 a.m.

Anton Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen confirmed.

Yelchin started small with roles in indie films and various television shows, before breaking out in films like the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the teenage comedy "Charlie Bartlett." His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films  the third of which, "Star Trek Beyond" comes out in July.
Next out: Leslie Odom Jr. to exit 'Hamilton' in July

NEW YORK (AP)  A week after winning a best leading actor Tony Award, Leslie Odom Jr. has announced he will leave the hit Broadway musical "Hamilton," joining key principals out the door next month.

The actor, who plays Aaron Burr in the hip-hop hit musical about Alexander Hamilton, announced Sunday on Facebook that he'll leave the show on July 9 when his contract is up. He has been with the show since it first began performances in early 2015 downtown.

Odom said on Facebook that he would never forget the people he met during the process, which he described as "healing" and "inspiring." In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, the actor said that he wanted to focus on his music after he leaves the show. This month, he released a self-titled jazz album, his first in a new four-CD deal with S-Curve Records.

FILE - In a Sunday, June 12, 2016 file photo, Leslie Odom Jr. accepts the award for leading actor in a musical for "Hamilton," at the Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre, in New York. Odom, Jr. will be leaving the show after its evening performance on Saturday, July 9, along with his costars Lin-Manuel Miranda. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Odom's announcement follows that of show creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who said Thursday that he also would exit the show on July 9. Phillipa Soo who plays Eliza Schuyler also announced this week that she'll exit the show in July. So far, there is no word on two other principals  Tony-winners Daveed Diggs and Renee Elise Goldsberry.

Many who celebrated the 11 Tony-haul of "Hamilton" have been with the show for a long time, most for a punishing eight-show-a-week schedule. And producers will soon be introducing new cast members for a production in Chicago, a national tour that kicks off on the West Coast and a London company.

Odom, who studied at Carnegie Mellon University, became the youngest ever cast in the Broadway company of "Rent." He also was on TV in the series "Smash" and "CSI: Miami," in the film "Red Tails" and on Broadway in "Leap of Faith."

On Friday, Odom told The AP that he was looking forward to other people tackling Burr, which was written specifically for minority actors. "It's a great part that now exists for actors of color," he said. "I have friends that I want to see sink their teeth in this part."

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The Latest: Dozens evacuate from fire in California desert

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on wildfires in the West (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

A fast-growing wildfire grew to more than 2 square miles in just a few hours and forced dozens of people to evacuate from a tiny town in the California desert near the Mexico border.

Firefighters douse a fire under State Route 2 after a brush fire swept through threatening homes in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained the fire in the densely populated neighborhood along a freeway. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

State fire spokesman Kendall Bortisser says about 75 people had to evacuate Sunday afternoon from Potrero, a town along State Route 94 just a few miles north of Tecate, Mexico, and about 40 miles southeast of San Diego.

Horses and other animals are also being evacuated in the ranching community.

The blaze broke out shortly before noon amid triple-digit temperatures and significant winds.

Fire officials had initially said the entire community of Potrero, which consists of about 600 people according to the 2010 census, had been evacuated. But they later clarified that only about 75 residents were under evacuation orders.

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6:40 p.m.

A new wildfire has forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from a small town in the California desert near the Mexico border.

State fire officials say the blaze broke out late Sunday morning and by early evening, had surged to nearly 1.5 square miles amid triple-digit temperatures.

An evacuation was ordered for the community of Potrero, a town of about 600 people along State Route 94.

The town is just a few miles north of Tecate, Mexico, and about 40 miles southeast of San Diego.

The Red Cross has opened two community centers and an elementary school for evacuees.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

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3:20 p.m.

Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained a brush fire that threatened homes in a densely populated neighborhood along a freeway.

The fire broke out Sunday along State Route 2, scorching dry brush and trees and burning two structures described as toolsheds.

The freeway was closed as firefighters chased embers and hosed down backyards to douse flames and prevent them from flaring up again.

Neighbors in the Silver Lake area worked together to fight the blaze before firefighters arrived.

Paul Gaffner says he returned home from swimming at a pool to find a neighbor spraying down his burning yard.

The fire ignited as a heat wave sizzles across the region. Firefighters were working in triple-digit temperatures.

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3 p.m.

A Los Angeles fire official says a blaze tearing through brush near downtown has burned several small structures, but not houses.

Capt. Daniel Curry says firefighters were getting a handle on the blaze that spread quickly Sunday near the Silver Lake neighborhood. He describes the structures as toolsheds built into terraced hillsides behind homes.

A Fire Department spokesman said earlier that one home had burned.

The fire broke out as a heat wave sizzles across the region. Firefighters were working in triple-digit temperatures in the densely populated hilly neighborhood near State Route 2.

Curry says firefighters were chasing embers that were igniting as they landed in dry brush near the freeway.

___

2:25 p.m.

Los Angeles firefighters and water-dropping helicopters are battling a blaze that has burned one home and threatens several others as it tears through dry brush in a densely populated neighborhood.

A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott says firefighters are working aggressively in 100-degree temperatures to keep the flames from spreading to other homes in the Silver Lake area near downtown.

Scott says it's not clear if the fire began in a house or in brush along State Route 2. The hilly area is near Interstate 5 and not far from Dodger Stadium.

___

12:05 p.m.

Firefighters say they plan to vigilantly monitor a massive wildfire in central New Mexico amid hot and dry conditions.

Fire officials said Sunday that light winds could fan the blaze that erupted last week in the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque.

Higher humidity overnight allowed crews to strengthen lines around the fire and mop up. Firefighters are now keeping watch for any potential hot spots where flames could jump the line.

More than 950 personnel are working to combat the fire, and helicopters and air tankers are dropping retardant.

The roughly 28-square-mile wildfire has destroyed 24 homes and is still a threat to several rural, mountain communities.

It is 9 percent contained, and its cause is under investigation.

A firefighters climbs down a ladder along a hillside under State Route 2 after a brush fire swept through threatening homes in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Los Angeles firefighters say they have contained the fire that was in a densely populated neighborhood along a freeway. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Jo Cox was a "21st century Good Samaritan", churchgoers have been told in the village where she was killed.

The Rev Paul Knight told a congregation at St Peter's Church in the West Yorkshire community that the 41-year-old MP was "someone with whom Jesus would have been so pleased".

He said: "Her humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as an amazing example - a 21st century Good Samaritan."

Churchgoers during a service for Jo Cox at St Peter's Church in Birstall, west Yorkshire.

Mr Knight said: "Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

"I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

"And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile."

Mr Knight was speaking as Mrs Cox's husband Brendan tweeted: " Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon"

Prayers were said at St Peter's for Mr Cox and the couple's two young children.

Mr Knight also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Mrs Cox's aid outside Birstall library on Thursday.

After reading the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, the vicar said: "There is much wickedness in our world. But thank God there is so much goodness - goodness that does not recognise colour, not nationality."

The memorial service comes after Mrs Cox's sister called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death

Kim Leadbeater told crowds gathered in Birstall on Saturday that they should "focus on that which unites us and not which divides us" as part of her sister's legacy.

Ms Leadbeater, parents Gordon and Jean Leadbeater, and other family members viewed the hundreds of floral tributes and messages left to the Batley and Spen MP since her death on Thursday.

They embraced as they looked at the flowers in Birstall marketplace, metres away from where she was shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency surgery.

A memorial fund to raise money for charities Mrs Cox supported has reached more than 620,000, with donations from over 20,000 people.

The charities, chosen by Mrs Cox's friends and family, represent her campaigns as an MP to help civilians caught up in the Syrian war, to fight racism and extremism in Britain, and to help residents in her Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, a petition set up calling for Mr Kenny to be given the bravery honour the George Medal, has garnered close to 500 supporters.

He remains in hospital in a stable condition.

A 52-year-old man who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday over the killing gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Thomas Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.

Asked whether he would back proposals being circulated on social media for a statue of Mrs Cox at Westminster, Chancellor George Osborne told ITV1's Peston on Sunday: "I think it is very much for the family to guide us in this. I hope there will be a memorial, not just to her tragic death but to her incredible life.

"I think what we've seen in the last couple of days is not just the nation mourning the manner of her death but celebrating what she achieved in her short life.

"The fact that you see people giving money to the fund that's been set up to support the charities that she supported I think is wonderful. It's the kind of Britain that we don't talk about enough - a Britain that is very generous and open-hearted."

The Rev Paul Knight (left) during a church service for Jo Cox at St Peter's Church in Birstall.

The Rev Paul Knight during a church service for Jo Cox at St Peter's Church in Birstall.
Event celebrating whistleblowers marks Assange embassy milestone

A global event celebrating whistleblowers and freedom of expression will be held to mark the fourth anniversary of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's stay in the Ecuadorean Embassy.

Under the title First They Came For Assange, songs, speeches and readings will be held simultaneously in a number of cities today.

Mr Assange has been living inside the embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over a sex allegation, which he denies.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been in the Ecuadorian Embassy for four years

He believes he will be taken to the United States to be quizzed over the activities of WikiLeaks if he goes to Sweden, with the FBI pursuing charges including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, theft of government property and computer crimes.

The simultaneous events at Paris's Centre Pompidou, Berlin's Volksbuhne, Brussels' Theatre Bozar, Madrid's Circulo de Bellas Artes, Milan Fashion Week, Belgrade, Naples and Sarajevo will kick off Assange Week, with additional events in New York, Quito, Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Participants include Patti Smith, Brian Eno, PJ Harvey, Noam Chomsky, Yanis Varoufakis, Ai Weiwei, Vivienne Westwood, Michael Moore and Ken Loach.

Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat, a founder of the Democracy in Europe Movement, and one of the organisers of the event, said: "The inspiration for the title of the event comes from the famous Martin Niemoller poem about the cowardice of intellectuals and purging of dissidents.

"What we want to stress with these events is that we live in a critical time. We are gathering all around the world on June 19 to speak out for Julian, because he has spoken out for all of us."

Film-maker Loach explained he will join the event because "our legal system is being manipulated to keep a brave man in isolation" and that "all who care about freedom of information should demand that the threats made against Julian should be lifted.
David Cameron invokes Churchill in 'we stay and fight' plea for Remain vote

David Cameron has issued impassioned appeal to voters not to give up on the European Union but "stay and fight" Britain's corner in the way that had made the country great in the past.

As campaigning in the referendum resumed after being suspended following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox, the Prime Minister said it would be a "tragedy" if the country voted to leave the EU, wrecking future job prospects, on the basis of the false claims of the Out camp.

Appearing in front of a BBC Question Time audience in Milton Keynes, he said a vote for Brexit on Thursday would be "irreversible" as he urged people to "think very carefully" before casting their votes.

Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a special referendum edition of BBC One's Question Time, hosted by David Dimbleby

He was clearly stung by one man in the audience who likened him to a "21st century Neville Chamberlain waving a piece of paper in the air saying to the public 'I have this promise'" - a reference to the pre-war appeasement of Hitler.

Mr Cameron flatly rejected the comparison of the EU to a "dictatorship" and evoked the wartime spirit of Winston Churchill to urge voters to carry on the fight for British values within Europe.

"If we choose to leave, we can leave but let's be clear if we do leave we are walking out the door, we are quitting, we are giving up on this organisation which even if we leave will have a huge effect on our lives, our children, on our opportunities, on our businesses," he said .

"I don't think Britain at the end is a quitter. I think we stay and fight. That is what we should do. That is what made our country great and that's how it will be great in the future.

"At my office I sit two yards away from the Cabinet Room where Winston Churchill decided in May 1940 to fight on against Hitler - the best and greatest decision anyone has made in our country

"He didn't want to be alone, he wanted to be fighting with the French and with the Poles and with the others but he didn't quit. He didn't quit on Europe, he didn't quit on European democracy, he didn't quit on European freedom.

"We want to fight for those things today. You can't win, you can't fight, if you are not in the room. You can't win a football match if you are not on the pitch."

Mr Cameron rounded on the Vote Leave campaign, headed by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, over their "untrue" claims about the prospects of Turkey joining the EU, the creation of a European army, the UK's 350 million-a-week contribution to Brussels.

"I don't want anyone to vote in this referendum on the basis of Turkey joining because it is not going to happen, just like the European army is not going to happen, just like the 350 million isn't true," he said.

"I would be a tragedy if we damaged our economy, wrecked job prospects in our country, on the basis of three things that are completely untrue."

During the at times heated 45 minute debate, the Prime Minister came under pressure over the Government's failure to bring down the immigration numbers with one woman warning public services would be "flooded" if Britain remained in the European Single Market.

An exasperated Mr Cameron admitted: "There is no silver bullet on this issue. There is no simple way of solving this issue."

Earlier, with immigration set to be one of the key issues in the remaining days of the campaign, Vote Leave seized on an admission by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that there could be no upper limit as long as Britain was in the EU.

"I don't think you can have one while you have the free movement of labour," he told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show.

Concerns about immigration have widely been blamed for driving traditional Labour voters to swing heavily towards Leave.

The pro-Brexit Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who chairs Vote Leave, said: "The In campaign have no answers on how we can control immigration if we stay in the EU."

The Remain campaign, meanwhile, continued to focus on the economy, with Chancellor George Osborne warning investors were already withdrawing funds from the UK due to uncertainty over the outcome on Thursday.

He said the hit to the economy could be significantly worse than the 5.6% loss to GDP the IMF predicted in its latest forecast.

"Personally, I think it's possible it could be quite a lot worse than that," he told ITV's Peston On Sunday.

In contrast Mr Gove insisted that Britain would be better placed to cope with the challenges of the global economy outside the EU.
Jo Cox described to churchgoers as '21st century Good Samaritan'

Jo Cox was a "21st century Good Samaritan", churchgoers have been told in the village where she was killed.

The Rev Paul Knight told a congregation at St Peter's Church in the West Yorkshire community that the 41-year-old MP was "someone with whom Jesus would have been so pleased".

He said: "Her humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as an amazing example - a 21st century Good Samaritan."

Churchgoers during a service for Jo Cox at St Peter's Church in Birstall, west Yorkshire.

Mr Knight said: "Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

"I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

"And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile."

Mr Knight was speaking as Mrs Cox's husband Brendan tweeted: " Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon"

Prayers were said at St Peter's for Mr Cox and the couple's two young children.

Mr Knight also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Mrs Cox's aid outside Birstall library on Thursday.

After reading the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, the vicar said: "There is much wickedness in our world. But thank God there is so much goodness - goodness that does not recognise colour, not nationality."

The memorial service comes after Mrs Cox's sister called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death

Kim Leadbeater told crowds gathered in Birstall on Saturday that they should "focus on that which unites us and not which divides us" as part of her sister's legacy.

Ms Leadbeater, parents Gordon and Jean Leadbeater, and other family members viewed the hundreds of floral tributes and messages left to the Batley and Spen MP since her death on Thursday.

They embraced as they looked at the flowers in Birstall marketplace, metres away from where she was shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency surgery.

A memorial fund to raise money for charities Mrs Cox supported has reached more than 620,000, with donations from over 20,000 people.

The charities, chosen by Mrs Cox's friends and family, represent her campaigns as an MP to help civilians caught up in the Syrian war, to fight racism and extremism in Britain, and to help residents in her Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, a petition set up calling for Mr Kenny to be given the bravery honour the George Medal, has garnered close to 500 supporters.

He remains in hospital in a stable condition.

A 52-year-old man who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday over the killing gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Thomas Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.

Asked whether he would back proposals being circulated on social media for a statue of Mrs Cox at Westminster, Chancellor George Osborne told ITV1's Peston on Sunday: "I think it is very much for the family to guide us in this. I hope there will be a memorial, not just to her tragic death but to her incredible life.

"I think what we've seen in the last couple of days is not just the nation mourning the manner of her death but celebrating what she achieved in her short life.

"The fact that you see people giving money to the fund that's been set up to support the charities that she supported I think is wonderful. It's the kind of Britain that we don't talk about enough - a Britain that is very generous and open-hearted."

The Rev Paul Knight (left) during a church service for Jo Cox at St Peter's Church in Birstall.

The Rev Paul Knight during a church service for Jo Cox at St Peter's Church in Birstall.
Illegal rave clampdown results in nine police officers injured

Nine police officers have been injured after trying to shut down an illegal rave attended by thousands of people.

Missiles were launched at officers by punters at the unlicensed music event in a venue on Thames Road, Barking, on Saturday night, the Met Police said.

Four of those injured required hospital treatment and ni ne men were arrested at the disturbance.

Nine police officers were injured after trying to close down an illegal rave in Barking

Around 1,000 people were discovered outside the building after authorities were called at 9.45pm, with a further 1,000 revellers found inside.

It took several hours for the site to be cleared, police said, and the venue was emptied by 2am.

Road closures around the area will remain in place for the rest of Sunday and officers are still in place at the scene.

Temporary chief superintendent Sean Wilson said: "A number of officers were injured whilst going about their duties and this will not be tolerated.

"A full investigation has been launched and we will endeavour to bring those responsible to justice.
U.N. calls for investigations into Tripoli prisoner killings

TRIPOLI, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.N. envoy to Libya called on Monday for investigations inside and outside Libya into the killing of 12 men jailed on suspicion of crimes against protesters during the 2011 revolution and granted conditional release last week.

Libya's judicial police say the men were released from Tripoli's Al-Baraka prison on Thursday, a day before their bodies were found dumped in different parts of the capital.

According to their families, the men had been beaten savagely, shot in the chest and head, and some had their hands and feet tied.

"This crime should be thoroughly and independently investigated and perpetrators must face justice," said U.N. envoy Martin Kobler. "I urge the relevant Libyan authorities to establish a joint national-international investigation and I will follow developments closely."

The attorney general in Tripoli has said the case will be investigated. The U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli has also called for an urgent investigation.

The United Nations said the killings may constitute international crimes under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

The case is sensitive because the GNA arrived in March with the acquiescence of some of the armed factions that have long controlled Tripoli and acted with impunity there. Many were originally formed of rebels who took part in the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, and present themselves as guardians of the revolution.

The GNA, which is designed to replace two rival governments set up in 2014 in Tripoli and the east, says it is working to integrate armed groups in Tripoli into a national security force as it tries to ease the previous government in the capital aside.

But its critics, especially in the east, have accused the GNA of legitimising militias operating in western Libya by seeking their cooperation and not acting quickly enough to disband them.

The eastern government, parliament and military forces all released statements on the prison killings, with the government pointing the finger at "outlawed groups that control the jail".

Al-Baraka prison houses hundreds of inmates, many of whom are accused of being Gaddafi loyalists.

Last year detainees at the jail told Human Rights Watch that prison guards frequently beat them, and administered electric shocks.
Peru's ex-leader Fujimori treated for hypertension, depression

LIMA, June 17 (Reuters) - Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori was moved from his prison cell to a clinic to undergo urgent care for high blood pressure and depression, the head of the state penitentiary institute Julio Magan said on Friday.

Fujimori, 77, has been serving a 25-year sentence since 2009 for graft and human rights abuses during his 1990-2000 authoritarian rule.

"He was transferred urgently," Magan said on local broadcaster RPP, saying Fujimori suffered from high blood pressure, depression and tongue pain.

Fujimori has received medical treatment outside of his prison cell several times in recent years, including for surgery to remove a growth on his tongue and cataracts in one eye.

The most recent spell follows his eldest daughter Keiko Fujimori's second straight narrow defeat in a run-off presidential election two weeks ago.

President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former investment banker, has said he would not pardon Fujimori but would sign legislation that allows ageing prisoners like Fujimori to serve their sentences under house arrest.

Keiko Fujimori's party has a solid majority in Congress.
Tension at funerals for Orlando victims with protest, irate driver

By Bernie Woodall and Roselle Chen

ORLANDO, Fla., June 18 (Reuters) - Funerals for two of the 49 victims killed in the shooting at a nightclub in Florida were marked by tense scenes on Saturday, as an impatient driver was accused of injuring two law enforcement officers and another took place under the watch of anti-gay protesters.

Two Osceola County Sheriff's deputies on motorcycles were injured at the funeral procession for Jean Carlos Mendez in Kissimmee, Florida, some 20 miles (32 km) south of Orlando, when a driver cut through the cortege and struck them with her car, according to a statement on the sheriff's Facebook page.

The deputies were taken to the hospital, where both were in stable condition, said the sheriff's spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain.

At the funeral of another victim, Christopher Leinonen, at a church close to the center of Orlando, a handful of protesters from the Kansas-based anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church stood silently for about 45 minutes. They were blocked from view of those attending the funeral by about 200 counter-protesters, some holding rainbow screens, who cheered when the Westboro members left.

Authorities are still investigating what motivated Omar Mateen to kill 49 people at the popular gay nightclub Pulse in the early hours of last Sunday, perpetrating the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mateen was later killed in a shoot-out with police.

The shooting has sparked a new push for gun control legislation and Congress is expected to vote on proposals starting next week, including one on stopping people on terrorism watch lists from buying guns.

Democrats, including President Barack Obama, are framing gun restrictions as a national security issue after Mateen professed loyalty to Islamist militants. But authorities believe he was "self-radicalized" and acted without any direction from outside networks.

TROUBLED PAST

U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Friday questioned a member of the Florida mosque attended by Mateen, as new information surfaced revealing the killer had exhibited chronic behavioral problems during his youth.

Academic records obtained by Reuters showing Mateen was frequently suspended as a student added to a disturbing portrait of the long-troubled gunman.

Mateen, a 29-year-old private security guard, has been described by his first wife as an abusive, mentally disturbed man with a violent temper.

Others who knew him recalled Mateen, a U.S. citizen and Florida resident born in New York to Afghan immigrants, as a quiet, socially awkward individual who kept largely to himself.

The FBI has acknowledged interviewing Mateen in 2013 and 2014 for suspected ties to Islamist militant groups but concluded he posed no threat. Still, evidence in the Orlando case points to a crime at least inspired by extremist ideology.

Authorities have said Mateen paused a number of times during his three-hour siege at the Pulse nightclub to place cell phone calls to emergency 911 dispatchers and to post internet messages professing support for various Islamist militant groups.

U.S. officials have said his second wife, Noor Salman, had known of his plans to carry out the attack and a federal grand jury was convened earlier in the week to decide whether to charge Salman.

Obama, who met with survivors of the shooting and families of the dead in Orlando on Thursday, urged Congress to make it more difficult to legally acquire high-powered weapons like the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack.

The Senate is expected to vote on Monday on four proposals for limited gun restrictions, although all four are expected to fail. A group of Republican senators attempted on Friday to craft compromise legislation that might stand a better chance of passing.
(OFFICIAL)-Three workers injured in accident at Kia plant in Mexico

MONTERREY, June 18 (Reuters) - Three workers were injured at a new Kia Motors factory in northern Mexico on Saturday, after one fell into a sewer ditch and two others attempted a rescue but were also hurt, the head of emergency services said.

Luis Felipe Puente, Mexico's national director of emergency services, told Reuters that no explosion had taken place and the workers were being treated at a local hospital.

A local emergency services official earlier said there had been an explosion, but later said that was not the case.

Kia Motors started production at the $1 billion factory last month and plans to increase its total production capacity to 300,000 vehicles a year, from this year's projected 100,000.

It is located just outside the industrial city of Monterrey in the town of Pesqueria.

A local spokesman for the South Korean carmaker did not immediately return calls seeking additional information.
Hong Kong's stateless children lost in translation as refugee claims soar

HONG KONG, June 19 (Reuters) - The number of stateless children born to refugees is growing in Hong Kong, where claims from asylum seekers have more than tripled in the last two years, alarming residents and lawmakers.

While Europe grapples with an influx of people desperate to escape fighting in Syria, asylum seekers from Asian nations such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Vietnam are flocking to Hong Kong, along with a sprinkling from Africa.

But human rights activists and non-government bodies accuse authorities in the Chinese-ruled city of dragging their feet on the approval of claims, to avoid spurring a further influx.

Hong Kong has approved just 52 of more than 8,000 claims since 2009. There are more than 11,000 asylum seekers in the Asian financial hub, some still uncertain about their fate after waiting for more than 15 years.

"Our future is already gone, so we are thinking of our kids' future," said Adjouma Ibrahim, chairman of the Refugee Union, who has been in Hong Kong for 11 years.

"Our kids are stateless. We don't have travel documents - nothing," he told Reuters.

Ibrahim is from Togo in west Africa, and his son and daughter, despite both having been born in Hong Kong, are among the more than 580 refugee children denied the right of abode, making it impossible for young people to get jobs or leave.

The government of the former British colony pays 30 percent of the costs for refugee children to attend school, but few parents are able to pay the rest, as they cannot legally work while waiting for their status to be approved.

"One of the very negative parts of the system here in Hong Kong is children of asylum seekers and refugees," said Mark Daly, a principal at law firm Daly and Associates, which focuses on human rights.

Despite being born in Hong Kong and fluent in both English and the Cantonese regional dialect, they are not allowed to work, Daly said.

"They are trying to think about their futures and thinking about decisions they shouldn't have to make - 'Where do I go, what do I do, what can I work as?'" he added.

The refugees have become a sensitive topic for residents and politicians, with media often blaming them for a spurt in crime.

Such portrayals feed prejudice, said Rizwan Ullah, an educational adviser of the Pakistani Students' Association in Hong Kong.

"These stereotypes bring prejudice, and that brings discrimination," he said. "These guys are not criminals. They just want a better situation."

Politicians have pushed for tighter curbs after the government adopted a screening mechanism in 2014 to select those meeting the refugee criteria set out in international law.

"Hong Kong is a very convenient place and our government has been very generous to people who seek asylum," said Dominic Lee, a Liberal Party official.

"This provides a huge incentive for these fake refugees to come to Hong Kong and take advantage," added Lee, who is demanding repatriation of refugees and camps to house them.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, in a legislative document this year, it acknowledged the need to streamline the lengthy screening process. Over the past five years, it has more than doubled the number of staff handling claims.

For Mohammad Kazi, a former member of the Bangladesh National Party, Hong Kong was the best place to escape the danger he said his family had faced at home.

He hopes to settle in Hong Kong permanently, despite house prices that rank among the world's highest, but is unable to send his daughters, Shahzia, 5, and Samia, 6, to school.
Malaysia PM Najib defeats former mentor Mahathir's challenge in twin by-elections

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Reuters) - Malaysia's ruling coalition coasted to victory as expected in two by-elections, defying a political movement led by former premier Mahathir Mohamad who has sought to turn voters against his scandal-tainted former protege Najib Razak.

The victories allow Prime Minister Najib, under pressure to resign over a graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), to further tighten his grip over the country and within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact.

Najib's party won the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seats on Saturday with increased margins compared with those in 2013 general elections, the election commission said. Both areas are mostly made up of farming and fishing communities along peninsula Malaysia's west coast.

"Tun Mahathir Mohamad turned the elections into a referendum on my leadership," Najib said in a statement.

"They (the people) rejected Tun Mahathir's lies, they rejected his unworkable coalition of former enemies, and they rejected the incoherent opposition - partly because of their alignment with Tun Mahathir," he said.

While the outcome of the by-elections would not tilt the balance of power in parliament, observers noted that it may offer clues as to whether Mahathir's influence is waning.

Najib's alliance secured a landslide win in the Borneo state of Sarawak last month, and political experts feel he may call snap polls to consolidate his strong position.

James Chin, director at the University of Tasmania's Asia Institute, told Reuters there was a "high probability that there will be a snap polls if BN wins by big majorities."

The next general election is scheduled for 2018. The coalition lost its two-third majority in the 2008 polls, and Najib lost the popular vote in 2013 despite BN retaining power.

Najib's critics have demanded his resignation after reports claiming billions of dollars had been misappropriated through his pet project 1MDB, and that up to $1 billion was deposited into his personal bank account. Najib has denied the reports.
Flash floods kill 24 in Indonesia, thousands of homes damaged

JAKARTA, June 19 (Reuters) - Flash floods and landslides killed 24 people in Indonesia's Central Java province, officials said on Sunday, forcing residents to evacuate to safer areas as torrential rains damaged thousands of homes.

Rescue teams searched for 26 others who remained missing after the region, among the most densely populated parts of the country, saw heavy rainfall overnight.

"Heavy rain has caused floods and landslides in 16 regencies in Central Java," Sutopo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.
Italy's mayoral elections deal defeat to Renzi; 5-Star breakthrough

By Gavin Jones and Crispian Balmer

ROME, June 19 (Reuters) - The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement looked set to easily win the election for the mayor of Rome on Sunday and clinch a surprise victory in Turin, in a major setback for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

The result is a breakthrough for 5-Star and is likely to pile pressure on Renzi, who faces a crucial referendum on constitutional reform in October on which he has staked his political career.

The prime minister has struggled to boost economic growth after years of stagnation and been hurt by scandals in the banking sector. He has also been criticised by PD hardliners, who say he has moved his party too far to the right.

In the run-off ballot in Rome, the 5-Star candidate, Virginia Raggi was on course to win a commanding 67 percent of the vote, against 33 percent for the centre-left's Roberto Giachetti, making her the capital's first woman mayor.

"We put ourselves on the line and we lost," said the PD's Stefano Esposito, a close Renzi ally, as the extent of the defeat in Rome became clear.

In some consolation for the prime minister, the PD looked likely to cling on to the financial capital Milan, but the biggest shock came in Turin, the home of carmaker Fiat.

In the traditional centre-left stronghold, the incumbent Piero Fassino was trailing the 5-Star's candidate Chiara Appendino, who overturned an 11 point gap after the first round ballot on June 5.

Five-Star supporters gathered outside Appendino's headquarters to give voice to the movement's trademark chant of "Onesta" (Honesty).

The result is a huge boost for 5-Star, the movement founded seven years ago by comedian Beppe Grillo, which has so far controlled just a handful of medium-sized towns.

If it can successfully manage both Rome and Turin, the party, which is running a close second to the PD in opinion polls, would be in a strong position to take power in national elections due in 2018.

RAMPANT CORRUPTION

The fiery Grillo, 67, has retreated from front-line politics over the last 18 months, making way for a generation of young leaders who have given 5-Star a more moderate image and broader appeal.

Five-Star's protests against rampant corruption in Italian public life remains its chief asset. However, analysts say it has outgrown its image as purely a party of protest and its proposals are now also being taken seriously.

These include universal income support for the poor, tougher penalties on white collar crime and tax evasion, closing down or privatising many publicly owned companies and cutting taxes for small businesses.

Renzi has insisted the vote will have no impact on his government's stability and has focused instead on the October referendum which he calls "the mother of all battles".

Renzi has said he will retire from politics if Italians reject his proposals to wrest decision-making autonomy from the regions and reduce the powers of the upper house senate.

He says the reforms will increase government stability and streamline parliamentary decision-making, but recent opinion polls suggest the outcome may be extremely close.

Some 8.6 million people, around a fifth of the total electorate, were eligible to vote on Sunday for mayors of 126 towns and cities where no candidate won more than 50 percent of the vote in a first round of voting.

Naples, Italy's third largest city, was already a lost cause for the PD, whose candidate was knocked out on June 5.

In the run-off in the southern port city, the incumbent former prosecutor Luigi de Magistris, who has no party affiliation, looked set to win easily against his centre-right opponent.
Brexit could have domino effect in Eastern Europe - Luxembourg's Asselborn

BERLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - A British exit from the European Union could trigger similar moves by other member states in Eastern Europe, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said in a German newspaper interview published on Sunday.

Britain votes on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defence and diplomacy on the continent.

"It cannot be ruled out that Brexit leads to a domino effect in Eastern Europe," Asselborn told Tagesspiegel am Sonntag.

It had been a "historic mistake" from Prime Minister David Cameron to even think about calling a referendum about Britain's membership of the European Union, Asselborn added.

Even if Britain should decide to stay in the EU, "this would not solve the problem that results from the negative attitude of the British towards the European Union", Asselborn said.

Asselborn said he sometimes had the impression that Cameron and the head of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski, had a silent agreement on rolling back European integration.

"Both seem do have the same agenda regarding their critical stance towards the EU," he added.

Since winning elections last year, Poland's conservative and eurosceptic government has clashed with EU regulators on a range of issues, including freedom of speech and democracy as well as energy and environment issues.

Poland is the biggest economy in the EU's eastern wing and the largest recipient of structural funds in the bloc.
Thousands protest U.S. bases on Okinawa after Japan woman's murder

By Tim Kelly

NAHA, Japan, June 19 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people gathered in sweltering heat on Japan's Okinawa island on Sunday in one of the biggest demonstrations in two decades against U.S. military bases, following the arrest of an American suspected of murdering a local woman.

The protest marked a new low for the United States and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in their relations with the island and threatens plans to move the U.S. Marines Futenma air station to a less populous part of the island.

Organizers said 65,000 people attended the rally at a park in central Naha.

"Japan is part of Japan and when you hurt your little finger the whole body feels pain. I want Abe to feel Okinawa's pain," said Shigenori Tsuhako, 70, who came to the event because his grand daughter is the same age as the 20-year-old murdered woman, Rina Shimabukuro.

The United States and Japan agreed in 1996 to close Futenma, located in a residential area, after the rape of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl by three U.S. military personnel spurred mass demonstrations.

That plan has been on hold because residents near the proposed relocation site oppose the move, worrying about noise, pollution and crime.

Okinawa assembly members against the move won a majority in the prefectural assembly election this month, providing support for Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga's plan to have the base move elsewhere.

Speaking to the crowd in Naha, he said he would fight to have those U.S. Marines moved off the island.

Okinawa hosts 50,000 U.S. nationals, including 30,000 military personnel and civilian contractors.

The site of some of the bloodiest fighting between the U.S. and Japan in World War Two, Okinawa remained under American occupation until 1972 and around a fifth of it is still under U.S. military control.

Lieutenant General Lawrence D. Nicholson, commander of the U.S. Marines there, told Reuters on Saturday that Washington may be able to return a 10,000 acre (40.5 square km) tract of jungle early next year, which would be the biggest hand back since 1972.

Yet, with the United States and Japan looking to contain China's growing might in the East China Sea, the Okinawan island chain, stretching close to Taiwan, is becoming strategically more valuable to military planners.

Japan's Self Defence Force, which is pivoting away from defending its northern borders, is fortifying the region with radar bases and anti-ship missile batteries.

Last month's arrest of the U.S. civilian worker prompted the U.S. military to announce a 30-day period of mourning for the victim and restrict off-base drinking in a bid to assuage local anger.

But relations frayed further with the subsequent arrest of a U.S. sailor on Okinawa on suspicion of drunk driving following a car crash.
Germany's Steinmeier favours gradual phasing-out of Russia sanctions

BERLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - The European Union should gradually phase out sanctions imposed against Russia over the Ukraine crisis if there is substantial progress in the peace process, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted on Sunday as saying.

"Sanctions are not an end in themselves. They should rather give incentives for a change in behaviour," Steinmeier told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, a network of local newspapers.
South Africa's Eskom gets new hydro plant fully linked to grid

JOHANNESBURG, June 19 (Reuters) - Eskom hailed a milestone in its efforts to overcome South Africa's chronic electricity shortages on Sunday, saying it had linked up the last of four units at its new Ingula hydro-electric power plant to the grid.

"We look forward to Ingula rapidly nearing commercial completion and meeting the 2017 deadline, thereby enhancing the security of Eskom's electricity supply to power South Africa into the future," Eskom's Chief Executive Brian Molefe said.

Eskom, which has in the past been forced to impose power cuts to prevent demand surging past capacity, is scrambling to repair its ageing power plants and grid.

The utility, which provides power for Africa's most developed economy, is also adding new plants.

Unit one of the hydro-powered Ingula plant, which is in the northeast Kwazulu Natal province, added an additional 333 megawatts (MW) to the grid, Eskom said in a statement.

Construction of the 25 billion rand ($1.7 billion) plant began in 2006 and all four units are expected to be fully operational in 2017, with capacity to produce 1,332 MW.

Eskom said on June 13 that it had linked up unit four, adding 333 MW to the grid.

The remaining units are on track for commercial operation in 2017, Eskom said.
After Brexit: Roadmap for a leap in the dark

By Alastair Macdonald

BRUSSELS, June 19 (Reuters) - Dawn, next Friday. The votes are in. The British have spoken in their EU membership referendum and they want out. It is a scenario European leaders are planning for in earnest while praying it never happens.

Secret meetings in Brussels and across Europe reveal huge uncertainty, officials and diplomats familiar with the proceedings say, over what would follow a vote that British Prime Minister David Cameron calls a "leap in the dark" - and also no little concern about what happens if Britain stays on.

This is a rough roadmap to Europe after June 23, based on conversations with many diplomats and officials, few of whom speak of it in public for fear of inflaming debate in Britain:

DAY 1 - FRIDAY, JUNE 24 - THE THREE R'S - OR MORE

Polls close at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT). No mainstream exit polls are planned but overnight counts should give a result by around the time the midsummer sun comes up over Brussels.

Aside from the result itself, there are already several big imponderables. Cameron says he will notify the EU "immediately" if Britain is leaving. But he may take at least a few days. If he has lost he will be under huge pressure from his divided Conservative party to resign. He might also be, even if he wins.

Money markets will be volatile. The Bank of England and European Central Bank have contingency plans to deal with a "Brexit shock" to sterling and the euro.

EU affairs ministers and ambassadors from member states gather in Luxembourg by 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) for routine talks that will provide the first chance for many to react.

Expect joint statements from Germany and France and from EU institutions. Foreign ministers from the six founders of the bloc - Germany, France, Italy, Belgian, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - may meet in Berlin on Friday, officials say.

However Britons vote, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU chief executive, will host European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU summits, and European Parliament President Martin Schulz at his Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels at 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT). Also present will be Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose government holds the rotating EU presidency, to take stock and deliver a message.

Look for a mantra of Three Rs: Regret - at losing nearly a fifth of the EU economy and more of its military and global clout; Respect - for the will of the British people; and Resolve - to forge ahead with European integration.

"The show must go on," one senior EU official said.

There may be a fourth message. Call it Reprisal, perhaps, though Britons should not take it personally; warnings of woe for those leaving will aim to discourage others from following suit. "Don't try this at home," as a senior EU diplomat put it.

DAY 2 - SATURDAY, JUNE 25 - Some euro zone finance ministers have suggested their Eurogroup might hold an emergency meeting but senior officials call that unlikely; managing banking and market turbulence will be up to the ECB and other regulators.

DAY 3 - SUNDAY, JUNE 26 - RALLYING ROUND THE EU FLAG

After a Brexit vote, Commission President Juncker will chair an emergency meeting of the executive's "college" of 28 commissioners, including Britain's Jonathan Hill, officials say. The Commission will be responsible for negotiating the divorce.

EU officials insist there is no "Plan B" for Brexit. But, recalling the same denials during last summer's near departure of debt-laden Greece, one speaks of a "Room B", where a fire-fighting team of EU lawyers and experts will be ready. "The idea is to have everything ready for Monday," the EU official said.

Member states' ambassadors and leaders' "sherpa" advisers are expected to meet in Brussels in the event of a Brexit vote.

DAY 4 - MONDAY, JUNE 27 - KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

The start of a new week on global financial markets will see investors and voters demanding answers on where Britain and the EU are heading. Expect both to offer assurances of orderly talks, while nothing changes immediately, for firms or citizens.

DAY 5 - TUESDAY, JUNE 28 - "DAVID, ARE YOU LEAVING NOW?"

A 24-hour EU summit is scheduled. After a Brexit vote, his political career will be over but Cameron would likely stay on until his deeply divided party elects a successor. He would be expected to appear for dinner in Brussels. Big question - would he notify summit chair Donald Tusk that he is triggering Article 50 of the EU treaty, the legal basis for Britain to leave? In London, pro-Brexit would-be successors may try to play for time.

EU officials and diplomats say they would want Britain to launch the process right away and rule out any new negotiations, though for now they see no legal way to force London's hand. The EU treaty does not allow for expulsion but there would be fierce political pressure, urging London to respect voters' wish to leave, and the other 27 could start discussions without Britain.

If Cameron secures a referendum win, the summit will discuss quickly enacting the reform package he won from them in March to give Britain a special deal to stem EU immigration.

DAY 6 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 - "PLEASE WAIT OUTSIDE, DAVID."

Day Two of the summit and, if it is to be Brexit, leaders of the 27 other states will confer without Cameron in the room - a pattern Britons will have to get used to. Article 50 sets a two-year limit on divorce talks. The EU must fill a Britain-sized hole in its budget and reassure millions of EU citizens living in Britain and Britons on the continent of their future rights.

EU leaders may push for a quick show of unity on more integration. Divisions between Berlin and Paris on managing the euro zone probably rule out a big move on that front before both hold elections in 2017. Closer EU defence cooperation, without sceptical Britain, may be revived. A major EU security policy review is already on the summit agenda.

Other initiatives, aimed at blunting Marine Le Pen's far-right, eurosceptic bid for the French presidency in 2017, could include a push to create more jobs, especially for the young.

However, others, including summit chairman Tusk from Poland, caution against alienating voters by moving ahead too fast.

EU leaders must give the executive Commission a negotiating mandate. Some in Britain see exit discussions lasting longer than two years to include talks on new trade terms. But an extension requires an EU unanimity that few in Brussels expect.

Some suggest talks with Britain on its future trade terms can run in parallel. Juncker has said the EU's priority would be a two-year divorce, then talks starting "with a blank slate".

FROM DAY 7 - NOTHING (AND EVERYTHING) CHANGES; HELLO ESTONIA

After a Brexit vote, all EU laws apply in Britain until two years after London starts the process to leave. Then none would apply. Meanwhile, British lawmakers sit in the EU parliament, Hill in the Commission, thousands of Britons would go on working as EU civil servants and British ministers sit in EU councils. But they will have no real voice and Britain would renounce its EU presidency in the second half of 2017; Estonia might come forward to start its first stint in the chair six months early. Other solutions include new member Croatia being slotted in.

Some see heavy pressure to exclude British MEPs from a say on EU laws and to deprive Hill, a Cameron appointee, of his sensitive portfolio overseeing financial services regulation.

Whatever the referendum's outcome, a host of other EU plans, shelved for fear of alienating British voters, will come out of cold storage, including energy-saving rules to limit the power of toasters and kettles. Dealing with the fallout from a Swiss referendum on EU migration and a Dutch rejection of the EU trade deal with Ukraine will get back on track, as will a review of the EU's seven-year budget, which covers a period out to 2020.

If Britain votes to stay in, some, notably in France, fear a new British-led push to free up EU markets and rein in regulation. Some British officials see a mandate to do just that after a referendum win, though others doubt that Cameron, if he survives at all, would have much appetite for deeper EU engagement amid post-campaign Conservative blood-letting.

A post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU is the great unknown. Many EU leaders, wary of eurosceptic voters at home, are determined Britain cannot have access to EU trade and financial markets if it wants to keep out EU workers and refuse to contribute to the EU budget. "Out means out," they say.

New trade barriers would hurt both sides' economies. But the EU fears a political "domino effect" would cost more long-term.

END OF THE ROAD?

Leaders have much else on their plates to distract them from negotiating with Britain, including Russia, the euro, jobs and refugees. London may have other priorities, too, not least the likelihood europhile Scotland would bid again to break away.

There is a "Brussels consensus" that Britain would face a chilly future, cast out to perhaps talk its way back later into some kind of trade access in return for concessions such as free migration from inside the bloc and contributions to the EU budget - things which Brexit voters want to end. But cautious diplomats do not rule out surprise turns.
Irish central bank sees mortgage limits as 'permanent feature'

DUBLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - Ireland's Central Bank expects to make permanent controversial loan-to-value and loan-to-income limits on mortgage lending introduced last year, though the levels may be calibrated, the deputy governor said on Sunday.

Politicians from across the political spectrum have criticised the limits, which aim to avoid a repeat of the 2008 property crash, saying the required 20 percent deposit puts house ownership beyond the means of many.

The crash forced Ireland to seek an international bailout to save its banks.

The Central Bank is due to review the rules in November, but Deputy Governor Sharon Donnery told Ireland's Sunday Independent newspaper it was not considering removing the limits.

"Our expectation at this stage is that the caps will be a permanent feature and what we will analyse will be the calibration," she said, according to a transcript of the interview published by the bank.

"Our intention is that some form of cap around LTV (loan-to-value) and LTI (loan-to-income) would become a permanent feature."
Germany's Steinmeier favours gradual phasing-out of Russia sanctions

BERLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - The European Union should gradually phase out sanctions imposed against Russia over the Ukraine crisis if there is substantial progress in the peace process, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted on Sunday as saying.

His comments reflect divisions within Germany's ruling right-left coalition over policy towards Russia. Steinmeier's Social Democrats (SPD) back a more conciliatory stance towards Moscow than Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc.

Merkel has repeatedly said that sanctions imposed against Russia can only be lifted once the peace agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine is fully implemented, not only partially.

Steinmeier struck a different tone. "Sanctions are not an end in themselves. They should rather give incentives for a change in behaviour," he told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, a network of local newspapers.

The minister said he was in favour of lifting sanctions gradually if the Russian government showed it was doing its part in implementing the Minsk peace plan for Ukraine, adding: "An all or nothing approach, even if it sounds good, doesn't work."

Steinmeier rejected criticism that he was acting like an "advocate for the Kremlin".

"We must still be able to have a joint reflection if we want to find solutions for other big conflicts," Steinmeier added, pointing to the civil war in Syria where Russia is actively backing President Bashar al-Assad against various rebel groups.

On Friday, the European Union extended for a year a ban on business dealings with the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that has not been internationally recognised.

In addition, the bloc is expected this week to extend until the end of 2016 its broader economic sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis in Ukraine.
China's Xi sees Serbia as milestone on new "Silk Road"

By Ivana Sekularac

SMEDEREVO, Serbia, June 19 (Reuters) - Serbia could play a significant role in Beijing's ambitious plan for a new "Silk Road" to boost trade with Europe, Asia and Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.

Xi said China was ready for more cooperation with Belgrade during a visit to Serbia that has seen his country strengthen its economic presence in the Balkans with more than 20 finance and infrastructure deals.

China's One Belt, One Road initiative, intended to open new trade links for Chinese firms as the domestic economy slows, envisages a new Silk Road from Western China to Central Asia and on to Europe via the Balkans, a region keen to attract Chinese investment.

Addressing workers and officials at a steel-works bought by a Chinese company, Xi said: "We are developing the One Belt, One Road project ... with its position and advantages Serbia will have a significant place in this."

He added: "This cooperation should be an example of Chinese cooperation with countries in Southern and Eastern Europe."

China's Hesteel signed a 46-million euro deal in April to buy the Smederevo steel-works, a 100-year-old company that was part of U.S. Steel during the early years of this century before being handed over the Serbian government.

Hesteel chairman Yong Yu said his company would make the plant one of the most competitive in Europe.

European Union steel producers have complained that the purchase of a steel-works in an EU candidate country by a state-owned Chinese enterprise raises serious concerns about unfair competition from state-backed enterprises.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia was in talks with the Chinese on setting up a free trade zone at Smederevo, a city on the banks of the Danube a short distance from Belgrade.

Vucic also invited Chinese companies to invest in Serbia's troubled copper and petrochemical industries.

Since China and Serbia signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2009, China has invested more than $1 billion in Serbia, mostly in soft loans for infrastructure and energy projects.
Algerian troops kill 8 Islamist militants south of capital - ministry

ALGIERS, June 19 (Reuters) - Algerian troops killed eight Islamist armed fighters and captured weapons on Sunday in an operation south of the capital, the ministry of defence said.

Four other suspected militants were also arrested during the operation in Rouakeche area of Medea, APS state news agency reported. But the statement did not say to which group the suspects belonged.
Indonesian navy fires on Chinese boat, injures fisherman - Beijing ministry

BEIJING, June 19 (Reuters) - An Indonesian naval vessel fired on a Chinese fishing boat on Friday, injuring one person, China's foreign ministry said, the countries' third reported confrontation this year near a chain of islands as regional tensions mount in the South China Sea.

Beijing had made official protests over the incident, the ministry said in its statement on Sunday, and urged Indonesia not to take any more actions to complicate the situation.

Indonesia's navy said it had fired warning shots at several boats with Chinese flags that it said were fishing illegally near the Natuna Islands, but did not mention any injuries.

Indonesia is not part of a broader regional dispute over China's reclamation activities in the South China Sea and Beijing's claims on swathes of key waterways.

But Jakarta has objected to China's inclusion of parts of the Indonesian-ruled Natuna Islands within a "nine-dash line" that Beijing marks on maps to show its claim on the body of water.

China has said it does not dispute Indonesia's sovereignty over the Natuna Islands, although the statement said the area where the incident occurred is subject to overlapping interests.

The Indonesian warship damaged one Chinese fishing boat in the incident near the Natuna Islands and detained another with seven people aboard, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said on the ministry website.

The Chinese coast guard rescued the injured fisherman, who was transported to the southern Chinese island province of Hainan for treatment where his injuries were under control, Hua said.

It was unclear from the statement whether Indonesia was still holding the vessel and those aboard.
Germany's Schaeuble calls for stronger EU days before British vote

KIEL, Germany, June 19 (Reuters) - Germany's veteran Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble made an impassioned plea for a stronger, unified European Union on Sunday, days before Britain votes on whether to leave the bloc.

Schaeuble did not mention Britain directly but said no country in Europe would be able to cope with the challenges of the 21st century on its own.

"Our European (Union) is not perfect," Schaeuble said in a speech during an award ceremony at the IfW economic institute in Kiel, but it remained the best way to confront issues including the regulation of financial markets and global warming, he added.

"We should preserve and strengthen, not destroy it," Schaeuble added, echoing statements from a chorus of European leaders and institutions that have urged Britain to stay.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday Britain would lose privileged access to the single European market if it decided to leave the EU.
Libyan unity govt condemns attack near eastern oil terminals

By Ayman al-Warfalli

BENGHAZI, Libya, June 19 (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed unity government condemned an attack by a newly-formed militia group on eastern military forces close to key oil facilities, as clashes resumed on Sunday for a second day.

Fighting erupted south of the coastal town of Ajdabiya on Saturday between military units loyal to Libya's eastern government and a group calling itself the Benghazi Defence Forces. At least three people were killed and 10 wounded, military spokesman Akram Bu Haliqa said.

The Benghazi Defence Forces is largely composed of fighters pushed back earlier this year by brigades loyal to the eastern government commander Khalifa Haftar. Haftar has been waging a campaign for two years in Benghazi against Islamists, including some loyal to Islamic State, and other opponents.

The condemnation by the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is significant because some in the east suspect the GNA - whose leadership has itself been divided - of siding with Islamist-leaning militias.

The fighting near Ajdabiya, close to three oil terminals and north of major oil fields, risks opening a new front in the conflict between forces that backed competing governments set up in Tripoli and the east in 2014.

Since March, the GNA has been seeking to replace the rival parliaments and governments and integrate armed groups, including forces loyal to Haftar, into national security forces.

But the eastern parliament has held back from endorsing the new government, accusing it of legitimising militias in western Libya whilst undermining the eastern military.

"The Presidential Council (of the GNA) strongly condemns this criminal act and holds the leaders and members of these militias fully responsible," said a statement published on the Presidential Council's Facebook page on Sunday.

"These militias are attacking to assist the remnants of the Islamic State terrorist organisation in Benghazi and Ajdabiya which have faded and had their strength sapped by the strikes by our brave military."

Clashes erupted again early on Sunday, a resident said.

Armed groups in Libya have remained highly fragmented in the political turmoil that followed the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Islamic State established a presence in several parts of the country from 2014, and has been active between Benghazi and the militants group's coastal stronghold of Sirte, about 380 km (240 miles) to the west.

In recent weeks, however, the ultra-hardline group has retreated into the centre of Sirte after GNA-aligned forces advanced from the western city of Misrata.

The Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), a separate force that controls the oil terminals near Ajdabiya and is also aligned with the GNA, has pushed Islamic State back to the east of Sirte.
Egypt's Suez Canal charging VLCCs coming from the Arabian Gulf $155,000

CAIRO, June 19 (Reuters) - Egypt's Suez Canal Authority has set new toll rates for oil tankers as part of a six-month experiment that came into effect on Thursday, it said on its website.

Very large crude carriers (VLCCs) transitting the canal from the Arabian Gulf after discharging at the SUMED oil pipeline will be charged $155,000 if they are carrying more than 250,000 in deadweight tonnage.

VLCCs are to pay $230,000 on their return ballast trip.

The canal is one of Egypt's main sources of foreign currency. Egypt has been struggling to revive its economy since a 2011 uprising scared away tourists and foreign investors, other main sources of hard currency.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated an $8 billion expansion of the canal last year that aims to double daily traffic and increase annual revenue to more than $13 billion by 2023.
Algeria blocks Facebook, Twitter to stop exam cheats - state media

ALGIERS, June 19 (Reuters) - Algerian authorities have temporarily blocked access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to try to stop cheats posting high school exam papers online, state media reported on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of high school students were retaking part of their baccalaureate exams after details were shared over social media.

"The cut in social media is directly related to the partial baccalaureate exams that are taking place on Sunday," an official source told the APS state news agency.

"This is to protect students from the publication of false papers for these exams."

Access to the internet through the 3G mobile network also appeared to be disrupted on Sunday.
Turkish troops kill 11 Syrians trying to cross border - monitor

AMMAN, June 19 (Reuters) - Turkish border guards shot dead at least 11 Syrians, mostly from one family, as they tried to cross into Turkey from northwestern Syria, activists and a monitoring group said on Sunday.

At least two women and four children were among those killed in the shootings overnight as the refugees sought to cross into Turkey from the border village of Khirbet al Jouz, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Several activists in the area backed up the report.

The monitor, which tracks violence across Syria, said it had documented the deaths of nearly sixty civilians while trying to flee from Syria since the start of the year in shooting incidents by Turkish border guards.

Turkish military sources denied the reports.

"Claims that Turkish soldiers killed nine people that were trying to cross the border in Hatay province ... are not true. Last night there was an attempt to cross the border illegally but no shots were fired directly on people," one Turkish military source said.

"After warning shots, a group of seven to eight people ran towards the woods," the source said.

Turkey, a major sponsor of groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has mostly closed its borders to Syrian refugees, but admits Syrians whose lives are under imminent threat.

It is also hosting some 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees, about 280,000 of whom live in camps.

Rockets launched from Syrian territory controlled by Islamic State militants have regularly struck Turkish border towns and have killed at least 20 people in recent months.
Italy's Ferragamo CEO sees no let-up in luxury sector slowdown

MILAN, June 19 (Reuters) - Salvatore Ferragamo will focus on boosting profits this year to combat lower growth in the luxury industry as a whole, its outgoing chief executive said on Sunday.

Slower economic growth in China, plunging oil prices, volatile exchange rates and security threats that have curbed tourist flows have all put the brakes on spending on upmarket handbags, shoes and other accessories.

Ferragamo posted a larger-than-expected 5 percent rise in first-quarter core profit in May but revenue fell 2 percent to 321 million euros ($362 million).

Speaking before the brand's menswear show at Milan Men's Fashion Week, Chief Executive Michele Norsa said the luxury sector would have to focus on managing risks.

"Growth will not be as strong as in past years, when the Chinese economy and new markets have been opportunities for the industry," said Norsa.

He said Florence-based Ferragamo, whose founder designed ballet shoes for Audrey Hepburn, is on track to continue increasing profitability and that it would not be affected if Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Ferragamo will continue to focus on widening the profit margins on its products rather than pushing sales, "given the growth of volumes will be hard to forecast", Norsa said.

Norsa, who has been at the helm of the luxury group for a decade and presided over its stock market debut in 2011, is due to leave by the end of the year. He will be replaced by Eraldo Poletto, former head of handbag maker Furla.

Ferragamo's shares have more than doubled in value in the five years since the listing, but have slid 9 percent so far this year as the luxury industry faces weakened demand.
Record heat sparks warnings, boosts fires in western United States

By Ian Simpson

June 19 (Reuters) - Fire warnings were in place across three western U.S. states on Sunday as record-breaking heat threatened to feed wildfires that have blackened thousands of acres (hectares), especially in California and New Mexico.

The National Weather Service said temperatures of 120 Fahrenheit (49 Celsius) were possible in southwestern deserts through Wednesday.

"Red flag warnings" for potential fires covered an area stretching across southern California, southern Nevada and southern Arizona.

"These extreme temperatures can be life-threatening," the weather service said on its website. The high temperatures have joined with a prolonged dry spell to worsen the fire threat.

The agency declared an elevated threat in California's Santa Barbara County from dry conditions and evening winds. More than 2,000 firefighters there are battling the so-called Sherpa Fire, which had burned 7,811 acres (3,161 hectares) in coastal canyons.

Firefighters estimated the fire was 45 percent contained. The Sherpa Fire broke out on Wednesday and has forced mandatory evacuations in some areas.

Another blaze, the Dog Head Fire, southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has destroyed about two dozen homes and forced evacuations.

Almost 1,000 personnel were fighting the blaze that has burned through about 17,615 acres (7,129 hectares) of timber and logging zones.

In Alaska, a fire warning was also in place for the eastern part of the Alaska Range, with winds forecast to gust to 60 miles per hour (96 km per hour).

Saturday's high temperature was 112F (44C) at Death Valley, California, the weather service said.
Investigators examine damaged EgyptAir black boxes

By Ahmed Aboulenein

CAIRO, June 19 (Reuters) - Investigators have begun analysing the two severely damaged black boxes from EgyptAir flight MS804 as they seek to explain why the plane plunged into the sea, killing all 66 people on board.

It would require "lots of time and effort" to fix the two badly damaged black box recorders, sources on Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee told Reuters on Sunday.

The committee said it started the analysis of the devices, with representatives from France and the United States, which are crucial to explaining why the Airbus A320 crashed on May 19 en route from Paris to Cairo.

The memory units from both the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder were extracted from the devices and dried in a military facility for eight hours, the committee said in a statement.

Investigators are now conducting electrical tests on the memory units, the final step before trying to extract data.

If intact, the cockpit recorder should reveal pilot conversations and any cockpit alarms, as well as other clues such as engine noise. But crash experts say it may provide only limited insight into the reason for the crash.

With the data recorder, investigators have a greater chance of discovering the cause, provided its chip is still intact.

Investigators need to further analyse the memory units before deciding if they can be fixed locally or if they need to be sent abroad for repairs.

Search teams retrieved the Cockpit Voice Recorder on Thursday which they said was damaged but had the memory unit intact. They found the Flight Data Recorder on Friday.

While no explanation for the disaster has been ruled out, current and former aviation officials increasingly believe the root of the crash lies in the aircraft's technical systems, rather than deliberate sabotage.

There has been a series of airplane accidents at high altitude blamed on a cocktail of technical and pilot flaws.

The crash is the third blow since October to Egypt's travel industry, which is still suffering from the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Egyptian investigators analysing EgyptAir flight recorders - statement

CAIRO, June 19 (Reuters) - Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee started analysing the parts of the black box flight recorders from the crashed EgyptAir plane on Saturday with representatives from France and the United States in attendance, it said on Sunday.

The memory units from both the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder were extracted from the devices and were dried in a military facility for eight hours, the committee said in a statement.
Bangladesh police shoot dead militant behind killing of bloggers, gay rights activists

By Ruma Paul

DHAKA, June 19 (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh on Sunday shot dead an Islamist militant wanted for the killings of several liberal bloggers and gay rights activists, a senior official said.

The militant, identified as Sharif, one of the leaders of the banned group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, took part in the killing of blogger Avijit Roy, U.S. citizen of Bangladeshi origin, in Dhaka last year, police official Abdul Baten said.

Sharif was also behind the killing of two gay rights activists in April, as well as four other bloggers and a publisher, the police officer told a news conference.

Bangladesh, a deeply religious but moderate Muslim-majority country of 160 million people, is struggling to control attacks by Islamist groups on bloggers critical of extremism, atheists and religious minorities.

This month the government, facing growing pressure from an international community alarmed by the spate of attacks, launched a crackdown across the country under which more than 11,000 people have been arrested.

A 19-year-old suspected Islamist militant was killed in a shootout on Saturday, days after he critically wounded a Hindu college teacher, police said.

Police officer Baten said Sharif was killed in a gunbattle that erupted following a raid on a militant hideout on the outskirts of Dhaka.

"During the pre-dawn raid, our personnel had to open fire after three suspected militants on a motorbike started firing at them," he said, adding that Sharif died in the gunfight while two others fled.
More than 10,000 protest against racism in several German cities

BERLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of Germans formed human chains against racism in several large cities on Sunday after a surge in hate crimes against foreigners following a record influx of more than a million migrants last year.

Organisers said over 20,000 people joined protests in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig and Bochum while police counted more than 10,000 demonstrators.

The human chains were jointly organised by church groups, trade unions and human rights organisations under the motto "Hand in hand against racism - for human rights and diversity".

Reiner Hoffmann, head of the DGB trade union confederation, said the turnout showed that many Germans still supported the "Willkommenskultur" (welcoming culture) that greeted arriving migrants last year.

He urged the government to not only step up efforts to integrate migrants, but also implement reforms to support low-wage earners. "We must not play them off against each other," Hoffmann warned.

Germany is on the front line of efforts to integrate migrants into Europe after more than a million arrived in the country last year alone, most of them Muslims fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere.

The influx has increased tensions in Germany, where police registered a record surge in crimes by right-wing radicals last year. Attacks on refugee centres rose more than five-fold.

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has become a political force over the past year by branding Islam as incompatible with Germany's democratic constitution and calling for a ban on minarets and women's face veils.
French workers suspend strike at Fos-Lavera oil port - union official

PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) - French CGT union workers have suspended a four-week strike at the Fos-Lavera oil terminal in southern France, a union official told Reuters on Sunday.

Hardline CGT members at France's biggest oil port terminal joined nationwide rolling protests against government labour reforms on May 23, disrupting the loading and unloading of vessels including oil, LNG and chemical tankers.

CGT Union representative Pascal Galeote said workers at the port terminal would now join national days of protest scheduled for June 23 and June 28.
President Buhari returns to Nigeria after medical treatment

ABUJA, June 19 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari arrived back in the capital Abuja on Sunday after a nearly two-week stay in Britain where he had treatment for an ear infection and a holiday.

Buhari exited his plane waving to ministers and army chiefs who came to greet him.

"I am ok. I am better. You can see me inspecting the guards of honour. Now you can do the assessment yourself," Buhari told reporters at the airport.

Buhari returns a day before the naira currency is set to be devalued under a new market-driven trading system, ending the central bank's 16 month fixed exchange rate policy.

Buhari has for months said that he does not want the naira to be devalued, but backed a more flexible exchange rate policy when the central bank outlined its plans in May, without elaborating.

The 73-year-old flew to London on June 6 to see an ear, nose and throat specialist after two doctors in Nigeria recommended further evaluation "as a precaution", his team said.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said last week that Buhari was in perfect health and would resume work on Monday.

The People's Democratic Party, Nigeria's main opposition, said on its Twitter feed on Sunday that Buhari was "critically ill" and he had returned to Abuja to continue treatment, without giving a source for the information.
U.S. to release partial transcripts of Florida club gunman's calls

By David Lawder and Roselle Chen

WASHINGTON/ORLANDO, Fla., June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. officials will release transcripts of phone calls placed to emergency 911 dispatchers by a gunman during a shooting rampage a week ago that killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Sunday.

Omar Mateen, 29, who died in a gunfight with police at the end of the attack, is said by authorities to have repeatedly paused during his three-hour siege to call 911 and post internet messages from inside the Pulse nightclub professing his support for Islamist militant groups.

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" program, Lynch said partial transcripts of Mateen's three 911 calls would be made public on Monday. She said they would include the "substance of his conversations," recorded as the security guard carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Lynch said investigators were focused on building a complete profile of Mateen, a New York-born U.S. citizen and Florida resident of Afghan descent who has been described by U.S. officials as "self-radicalized" in his extremist sympathies.

The Pulse massacre, which also left 53 people wounded, has spawned a week of national mourning and soul-searching over the easy accessibility of firearms and the vulnerability of people in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to hate crimes.

In the largest public show of solidarity yet for victims in the central Florida city where the June 12 slayings unfolded, thousands of people gathered at a lakeside park in Orlando for a memorial vigil on Sunday evening.

Many waved rainbow-striped flags with the message "Orlando Strong," while others wore T-shirts emblazoned with the slogans "Orlando United" and "Orlando Love." Organizers strolled through the ethnically diverse assembly of young and old handing out white daisies. As twilight fell, candles were lit and held aloft by the crowd.

Many were moved to tears by the outpouring of emotion, briefly heightened as an actual rainbow arched across partly cloudy skies over the lake.

"We are all mourning for the people who died, and we totally condemn this act of violence," said Safia Akhtar, 71, a Pakistani native who lives in Orlando and works as a real estate agent. She carried a sign that read: "Muslims condemn extremism."

'TALKING TO EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM'

Authorities have said preliminary evidence indicates Mateen was a mentally disturbed individual who acted alone and without direction from outside networks, despite a pledge of loyalty he made to the Islamic State militant group in one of his phone calls. Lynch told ABC's "This Week" program that the transcripts being released on Monday would not include such a pledge.

The attorney general, who will travel to Orlando on Tuesday to confer with investigators and meet survivors and victims' loved ones, declined to say whether a federal grand jury was likely to charge Mateen's second wife, Noor Salman, or anyone else.

U.S. officials have said Salman knew of her husband's plans to carry out the attack.

"Because this investigation is open and ongoing, we're not commenting on anyone else's role in it right now, except to say that we are talking to everyone who knew him, and that of course includes his family, to determine what they knew, what they saw in the days and weeks leading up to this," Lynch said.

On Capitol Hill, the Orlando massacre has triggered a fresh effort to break a long-standing stalemate in Congress over gun control.

The Senate was set to vote on Monday on four competing measures - two from Democrats and two from Republicans - to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales for people on terrorism watch lists.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said last week that Mateen was on a watch list between May 2013 and March 2014 while under investigation after claiming a connection to or support for multiple Islamist extremist groups.

In an interview on the CBS show "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Comey said politicians were misguided in thinking tougher gun restrictions would stop someone intent on carrying out a massacre.

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the Nov. 8 election, said he shared the goal of keeping guns out of the hands of people on watch lists.

"We have to make sure that people that are terrorists or have even an inclination toward terrorism cannot buy weapons, guns," he said on ABC's "This Week."

But partisan divisions continue to cast doubts over whether Congress will pass new gun control legislation anytime soon.

Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the powerful National Rifle Association gun rights lobby, said the Democratic proposals would undermine the due process rights of people unfairly put on watch lists, a view widely shared among Republican lawmakers.
For Australia's big banks, July election may open Pandora's box probe

By Swati Pandey and Jonathan Barrett

SYDNEY, June 20 (Reuters) - Australia's four leading banks face the biggest test to their dominance since the 2008 global financial crisis as politicians calling for a public inquiry into how they operate look set to emerge from national elections in July with decisive influence.

The calls for a special parliamentary investigation, known as a Royal Commission, follow a series of poor conduct charges levelled at big banks, from giving consumers bad financial advice to claims of rate-rigging by three of the top four lenders.

A Royal Commission with far-reaching powers could be a headache for the "Big Four" - Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Westpac Banking Corp, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and National Australia Bank (NAB). The four are behind 80 percent of the country's lending and have scored strong profit growth for years.

"A Royal Commission is very negative because anything can be opened up, so I understand why banks are so keen to avoid it at all costs," said Omkar Joshi, who manages A$1 billion ($738 million) at Watermark Funds Management.

Under Royal Commissions, executives can be compelled to attend public hearings and answer questions under oath. Findings can trigger major reforms: a police regulator was established after a Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police in 1995 uncovered widespread corruption.

Polls predict a tight race in the July 2 federal election. While the ruling Liberal-National coalition does not support a public inquiry into banks, even if it emerges from the ballot as the leading political force it could be outvoted on the issue in parliament, with both the main opposition Labor Party and key independent lawmakers backing a comprehensive probe.

"I think we need to have a robust Royal Commission," Senator Nick Xenophon, whose newly created party, Nick Xenophon Team, could have the balance of power in the Senate, told Reuters.

"It should be about how do we better protect consumers, how do we strengthen those non-'Big Four' banks as well in relative terms?"

Pauline Hanson, leader of the right-wing One Nation party and well placed to win a seat in Australia's Senate, also supports a wide-ranging inquiry. "We definitely have to have one. That's high on our agenda," Hanson told Reuters.

Officials at the four main lenders did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment for this story.

DOMESTIC SHIELD

Bank executives have rejected the calls for a probe, saying consistent industry regulation offers the best solution.

"We are not denying there have been problems, we are not denying there has to be ongoing scrutiny of the industry," Australian Bankers' Association Chief Executive Steven Munchenberg said earlier this year. "The question is do we need a Royal Commission to do that? No, we do not."

NAB's CEO Andrew Thorburn said in a statement in April a Royal Commission would be a "serious distraction", while ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott said such an inquiry could damage Australia's standing among global investors.

The market grip of Australia's main banks - among the tightest of all developed economies - has left the sector in the political spotlight before. The big four's domestic scale helped shield them from the 2008 financial crisis, and has kept them largely insulated from competition with overseas rivals and financial technology disruptors.

A financial services inquiry in 2014 found the banking sector was concentrated to a level that could create risks to both the stability and the degree of competition in the financial system.

But banks have returned as an issue in the election campaign: public trust has been damaged by incidents including bad advice that led to thousands of customers losing savings and rejected insurance claims.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is also pursuing court actions against NAB, ANZ and Westpac over alleged manipulation of the bank bill swap rate, Australia's equivalent to Libor, for their financial advantage - an allegation the three banks refute.

Against that backdrop the concern for banks is that a Royal Commission has the ability to continually widen the scope of its investigation.

"It's a real worry and we're laying low until the election," one senior bank executive told Reuters, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue. ($1 = 1.3548 Australian dollars)
"Can we have a cup of tea?" John (name changed) asked us as we were leaving Karachi for another city in the Sindh province. We said we will have tea and breakfast once we crossed Karachi. It was the month of Ramzan and therefore, Karachi was closed.

Our team was about to meet local people and were accompanied by a foreign visitor. It was ex-dictator Pervez Musharraf's era in Pakistan.

As we we crossed Karachi and entered Hyderabad, we found that a local dhaba had opened and people were having breakfast.

John asked us why Karachi was closed. The Sindhi member of our team replied, "During Ramzan, you cannot eat or drink in Karachi during fasting time, but other small cities and villages in Sindh open."

I was reminded of this incident when I saw the photo of the 80-year-old Hindu man Baba Gokal Das, who was injured after being beaten by local police constable Ali Hassan Haidrani in the Ghotki area, for having food before iftar (the evening meal when Muslims end their daily Ramzan fast at sunset).

An injured Baba Gokal Das.

The photo of Gokal Das with a bloodied hand went viral on social media. The photo shook my soul and mind.

It reminded me of another incident in my life, which I would like to share with the readers.

Once in my office in Karachi, I was drinking water. It was the month of Ramzan. The person who used to make tea for us looked at me strangely and coming up to my table said, "Madam, I believe you are a Sindhi Hindu (without knowing my identity). I don't wish to call you a kafir, as I know in other cities of Sindh you can eat and drink during the fasting time, but avoid doing it in Karachi."

I did not wish to get into a long-drawn-out discussion with him on this. I simply told him, " Don't you think fasting is a matter between you and Almighty?" A few days later he came up to me and asked if he would make tea for me.

Many Pakistani friends know that Sindhis eat openly during Ramzan and have discussions over it.

Gokal Das' photo just shattered us. I am sure he would have witnessed the tolerance that Sindh is known for, but after the attack on him, it would not be surprising if he loses affection for the land that he belongs to.

Gokal Das' assailant perhaps forgot that Sindh belongs to the elderly man and the minorities as much as it does to anybody else. It is a place where everyone is allowed to perform his/her religious activities freely, and nobody orders you on what to do and what not to, even during Ramzan.

Fasting is personal matter and people have fasting to increase their own will power. It is sad if that will power is shaken by the mere sight of another person eating and drinking.

The constable not only assaulted an elderly man, which is unacceptable in itself, what's worse, he did so for no fault of the victim. Certainly, Gokal Das did no wrong by eating before iftar.

What's heartening to note, however, is that the constable was arrested and the Hindu community in Pakistan has been requested to forgive Gokal Das' assailants.
Robert Somers remembers taking to the sky with J.J. Quinn when the two were just teens growing up in circa 1950s Culpeper County.

I have known J.J. since 1940, wrote Somers, of Greer, South Carolina, in a recent letter to the Star-Exponent. We grew up together, went to school together and learned how to fly to together.

The beloved local pilot died May 24 as a passenger in a plane crash in rural Orange County. Quinn was 81. The pilot, Charles Neal Caldwell, 57, a recent Madison County resident, died too when the small aircraft he had recently purchased came down near Mine Run shortly after doing training exercises at Orange County Airport. The incident remains under investigation.

Caldwell was logging instruction time with the veteran pilot when the crash occurred. The plane had been parked at Culpeper Regional Airport in Elkwood for weeks awaiting a break in the rainy weather. Its where the flight school is located for which Quinn was lead instructor.

Somers and Quinn got their aviation start at the local airport which was then located closer to town.

Our flying licenses were only one number apart, Somers said. We bought our first airplane while still in high school, a Piper J-3 Cub, with a non-flying partner, my brother Ken. Each of us paid the $72 down payment, but individual payments of $6 per month were hard to come by.

There were other expenses, Somers added.

Gas was a whopping 28-cents a gallon, and our first annual inspection cost $60, he said. Insurance was a non-item. We didnt plan on hitting anything."

Somers said they owned an airplane before a car, but they did have bicycles.

The airport was on Clores farm, at that time, and close to town, he said.

After college at Randolph-Macon, Quinn continued his flying career with the U.S. Navy, according to his high school friend, then with Capital airlines, later United Airlines.

By his mandatory retirement age, J.J. was flying their largest airplanes, the Boeing 747, and on the longest trips, such as Hong Kong, Somers said.

Quinn loved flying, he added, and there is no age limitation on flight instructors so his last aviation job was next on his list after the airlines.

And back at Culpeper where he started out, Somers said. A better, more experienced instructor could not be found anywhere. Just ask those he trained. J.J. was a people person and a compassionate participant in many charities  he was a friend of mankind.

Somers sent with his letter a poem, Those Who Were Truly Great, by Stephen Spender, as a tribute to his boyhood friend: Near the snow, near the sun, In the highest fields. See how these names are feted by the waving grass  Of the streamers of bright cloud. Of the whispering wind in the listening sky. These are the names of those Who in their life fought for life, Who wore at their hearts the fires center. Born of the sun they traveled for a short while Towards the sun And left the vivid air signed with their honour.

Somers also included a 1952 article from the Culpeper High School newspaper, Peppergram, about himself and his sky-bound friend, Reporter Discovers Two Fly-Boys in Culpeper Senior Class, by Lois Doyle. According to the article, they got their pilots licenses that year: CHS is sincerely proud of Johnny and Bobby because of their unusual achievements, and we feel certain that theyll make a success of the hobby.

Others in the community continue to remember Quinns lifetime of achievements, including Culpeper Town Council, which recently passed a resolution in memoriam.
LONDON - England - The Prime Minister and Chancellor have made some blatantly false claims in recent TV appearances, and these falsities have mostly gone unchallenged. Here their deliberate lies to the British public are comprehensively debunked.

1 The supposed requirement for EU migrants to have a job offer

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has claimed that EU migrants must have a job offer to come to the UK. Asked by Andrew Neil whether David Camerons fallback then was to say that EU citizens couldnt just come here looking for work, they had to have a job, thats what he promised, and he bottled that too, because thats not the case?, George Osborne said: Im afraid it is the case. Asked to clarify this, the Chancellor reiterated that if you dont have a job, you have to go.

This claim is false. As early as 1991, the European Court held that the Treaty entails the right for nationals of Member States to move freely within the territory of the other Member States and to stay there for the purposes of seeking employment. Even David Camerons own renegotiation agreement notes that EU citizens are entitled to reside [in the UK] solely because of their job-search.

2 The purported inability of all EU migrants to claim unemployment benefit

The Prime Minister has repeatedly asserted that EU migrants cannot claim unemployment benefit in the United Kingdom. On SkyNews on 2 June, he claimed if you come to our country first of all you dont claim unemployment benefit. On ITV, he claimed: What I have secured is this idea, this proposal that if people come here, first of all they cant claim unemployment benefit.

This claim is false. EU law gives EU nationals the same rights to jobseekers allowance as UK nationals following a period of employment of a year in the UK, and an equivalent right for six months if they have been employed in the UK for less than a year. It is certainly true that there is no requirement under EU law to pay non-contributory cash benefits designed to provide subsistence to persons who entered the UK seeking work and who have never found it. However, that was clear before the Prime Minister began his renegotiation.

3 The length of time in which EU jobseekers can reside in the UK

The Prime Minister has claimed EU migrants must leave the United Kingdom after six months. On SkyNews, he claimed that after six months if you havent got a job you have to leave. On ITV, he alleged that if they dont have a job within six months, they have to go home. George Osborne has told Andrew Neil that if you dont have a job after six months, you have to go.

These claims are false. In 1991, the European Court of Justice ruled that article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union forbids the removal of jobseekers from another EU member state regardless of the duration of their stay if the person concerned provides evidence that he is continuing to seek employment and that he has genuine chances of being engaged. This applies regardless of the length of time that jobseekers have resided in the UK.

This ruling is incorporated in the Free Movement Directive. This provides that: an expulsion measure may in no case be adopted against Union citizens or their family members if the Union citizens entered the territory of the host Member State in order to seek employment. In this case, the Union citizens and their family members may not be expelled for as long as the Union citizens can provide evidence that they are continuing to seek employment and that they have a genuine chance of being engaged. Contrary to the Prime Ministers claims, therefore, EU law precludes national rules under which all jobseekers are removed after six months.

It should be noted that the Government admitted in December that many jobseekers could remain for longer than six months. The Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire, admitted in December that some EU migrants can keep the status of jobseeker for longer than six months. It is also the case that there is no mechanism for monitoring whether or not jobseekers remain in the UK for over six months. EU law forbids systematic verification of whether EU citizens are lawfully resident in the UK, providing that: this verification shall not be carried out systematically.

4 The nature of proposed reforms to in-work benefits

The Prime Minister has stated that it is a certainty that proposed reforms to in-work benefits will take place and that these only apply to the United Kingdom. On ITV, he said: Uniquely in Britain, you are going to have to work here for four years paying into the system, contributing to our economy for four years before you get full access to our welfare system.

This contains several errors. Leaving aside the very real question of the compatibility of the emergency brake with the Treaties, there is no certainty that it will come into force. Since the new proposed new Regulation is to be adopted by co-decision, it could be vetoed by the European Parliament after the referendum. In addition, the European Councils conclusions make clear that the Council of Ministers could authorise the UK to restrict the payment of non-contributory benefits, not that it would do so. Contrary to the Prime Ministers claims, there is nothing in the renegotiation to suggest this applies uniquely to Britain.

The Government has itself admitted that the emergency brake may not come into force since it will be subject to further renegotiation. Just after the renegotiation agreement of 19 February, the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord ONeill of Gatley, conceded that: Details of the proposals for restricting in-work benefits for EU nationals will be subject to further negotiation and we cannot speculate on these. The Minister was unable even to state which benefits the emergency brake might apply to.

5 The supposed ability of the United Kingdom to exclude EU citizens

The Prime Minister has made several false statements about the UKs ability to exclude EU citizens from the UK. On SkyNews, he asserted of course it isnt freedom of movement if you are a criminal, it isnt freedom of movement if you are a terrorist. On ITV, he asserted we can stop anyone at our border, EU nationals included, and if we think they are a risk to our country, we dont have to let them in.

It is false to suggest that those involved in terrorism cannot exercise free movement rights in the UK. ZZ was an Algerian-French national who had resided in the UK between 1990 and 2005. In 2005, the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, refused him readmission on return from a trip to Algeria and expelled him on the grounds of public security. Following a series of legal challenges, including a reference to the European Court of Justice, in 2015, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission ruled the Home Secretary, Theresa May, could not exclude ZZ from the UK because of EU law. The Commission noted that:

We are confident that the Appellant was actively involved in the GIA [Algerian Armed Islamic Group], and was so involved well into 1996. He had broad contacts with GIA extremists in Europe. His accounts as to his trips to Europe are untrue. We conclude that his trips to the Continent were as a GIA activist.

It is also wrong to suggest there is no free movement for criminals. The Free Movement Directive (which in this respect is unchanged by the renegotiation) provides that persons can only be removed for reasons based exclusively on the personal conduct of the individual concerned. Previous criminal convictions shall not in themselves constitute grounds for taking such measures. Recently, the UK was required to readmit a Romanian rapist, Mircea Gheorghiu, whom the Home Secretary had expelled, and grant him permanent residence. It is notable that the Government has in the past conceded there is free movement of criminals.

It is also false to suggest that the UK can turn away anyone who we think is a risk to the country. EU law requires that the personal conduct of the individual concerned must represent a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society. This is patently a much higher threshold than mere risk.

6 The effect of the renegotiation on the UKs ability to exclude EU citizens

The Prime Minister claimed he had strengthened the ability of the UK to exclude EU citizens during his renegotiation. On ITV he stated: in my renegotiation, I strengthened that [the ability to exclude EU citizens] to give us more freedom to do that my renegotiation means we have more freedom to stop people coming in in the first place.

This is false. As part of the renegotiation, there is no proposal to amend the Treaties or the 2004 Free Movement Directive in this respect. The proposals agreed at the European Council will be contained in a Communication to be issued by the European Commission. As the Commission accepts, a Communication is a policy document with no mandatory authority. The Commission takes the initiative of publishing a Communication when it wishes to set out its own thinking on a topical issue. A Communication has no legal effect. The European Court has held that a declaration of member states which purports to limit rights under EU law has no legal significance unless and until it is incorporated in EU law.

The Commissions declaration states that the UK may take into account past conduct of an individual in the determination of whether a Union citizens conduct poses a present threat to public policy or security. Yet the European Court has already ruled that a previous conviction can be taken into account in so far as the circumstances which gave rise to that conviction are evidence of personal conduct constituting a present threat.

The Commissions declaration also states that member states may act on grounds of public policy or public security even in the absence of a previous criminal conviction on preventative grounds but specific to the individual concerned. Yet the European Court ruled it was possible to remove persons in the absence of a criminal conviction in 1974 in the first case referred to that court after the UK joined the EU.

7 The UKs supposed exemption from Eurozone bailouts

The Prime Minister has said that the UK can never be required to contribute to a Eurozone bailout. On SkyNews, he said we can never be asked to bail out eurozone countries.

This is false. Article 122(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (which was not, and could not be changed by David Camerons renegotiation) permits the Council of Ministers by qualified majority to grant Union financial assistance as part of ad hoc bailouts of the Eurozone. It was article 122 which was used as the legal basis for the creation of the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism in 2010, which was subsequently used to bail out Ireland and Portugal. There is nothing in EU law which would prevent its use to create another fund, financed out of the EU budget, to which the UK would be obliged to contribute.

The European Court has consistently ruled that the establishment of Eurozone-only bailout mechanisms does not affect the Council of Ministers powers under article 122(2). In 2012, it ruled that:

The establishment of the ESM [European Stability Mechanism, a eurozone-only fund] does not affect the power of the Union to grant, on the basis of art.122(2) TFEU, ad hoc financial assistance to a Member State when it is found that that Member State is in difficulties or is seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control.

In September 2015, the General Court confirmed that article 122(2) enables the Union to grant ad hoc financial assistance to a Member State. Unless and until article 122(2) is amended, the UK remains liable to bail out the Eurozone.

8 The VAT lock and last years judgement of the European Court

The Prime Minister has claimed that the European Court has not overruled his VAT lock. When asked on SkyNews whether the European Court was overruling the sense of one of your promises in a Queens Speech to decide what British VAT was, the Prime Minister said: I dont accept that.

This claim is false. The Prime Minister made a clear commitment before the last election that there would be no increases in VAT  nor an extension of its scope. Parliament legislated to give effect to this soon after the election. On 18 November 2015, the Finance (No.2) Act 2015 became law. Section 2 of the Act contains the VAT lock. It provides that no item subject to the reduced rate of VAT on the date the Act became law may be made subject to the standard rate of VAT before the next general election.

On 4 June 2015, the European Court upheld an action by the European Commission against the United Kingdom that the UKs reduced rate of VAT on energy saving materials was contrary to EU law. HMRC has admitted that the UK is required to implement judgements of the CJEU without any undue delay and is proposing an increase in VAT as a consequence. The UK is therefore obliged to raise VAT on the installation of some energy saving products in direct breach of the VAT lock set out in the Finance (No.2) Act 2015.

9 The supposed absolute requirement for a referendum before further transfers of powers to the EU

The Prime Minister has asserted it is impossible for further powers to be transferred to the EU without a referendum being held. On SkyNews, he alleged: Any powers passed from Britain to Brussels have to be put to a referendum of the British people so Labour could not join or no other government could join the euro without asking the British people in a referendum you cant transfer further powers from Britain to Brussels without asking the British people first in a referendum. On ITV, he alleged if there is any proposal to pass further powers from our Parliament to Brussels, automatically there has to be a referendum. So theres a lock on whether more powers can be passed.

These claims are false. It is an established constitutional principle that no Parliament can bind its successor. As a result, the European Union Act 2011 (to which the Prime Minister must be referring) does not bind future Parliaments. It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to suggest there is any legal guarantee of a referendum in case of a future Treaty conferring new competences on the European Union.

Further, it is unarguable that the European Court of Justice can issue judgements that remove powers from the UK. It routinely does so. There is no appeal. There is no referendum. In many respects the remorseless weight of the European Courts judgements over time is one of the most significant ways in which the EU undermines British democracy.

10 The supposedly legally binding nature of the Prime Ministers deal

The Prime Minister has claimed that the renegotiation agreement is legally binding and irreversible. The justification for this claim was set out by the Government in its White Paper on the renegotiation, which states: As the European Court of Justice has confirmed in the case of Rottmann, it is required to take these provisions into account when interpreting the Treaties in the future, giving our decision force before the courts.

This is extremely misleading. In order to assess the substance of the claim, it is necessary to consider the fate of the Danish renegotiation of 1992, which was cited in the case of Rottmann by the European Court.

In 1992, Denmark was promised  via exactly the same type of deal that the UK is now being offered  that EU citizenship would not in any way take the place of national citizenship. The question whether an individual possesses the nationality of a Member State will be settled solely by reference to the national law of the Member State concerned. The Prime Minister, John Major, said the Danish deal was a legally binding decision. Less than a decade later, the European Court broke this agreement, declaring EU citizenship would be the fundamental status of nationals of the Member States.

The European Court explicitly ignored the Danish renegotiation in the only case in which it has been cited, Rottmann. In that case, the European Court said that Member States must, when exercising their powers in the sphere of nationality, have due regard to European Union law, blocking member states from automatically stripping national citizenship from those who acquire it fraudulently, in direct breach of the Danish deal. The European Court took the Danish renegotiation into account (as the Government says), but nonetheless ignored it.

Our own Supreme Court has said the Danish renegotiation has been ignored by the European Court. Last year, Lord Mance JSC said, with the concurrence of a majority of the court, that the decision in Rottmann is in the face of the clear language of promises made to Denmark. Several leading lawyers have also made clear that the deal will not bind the European Court. These include Lord Pannick QC, Marina Wheeler QC and John Howell QC.

It is therefore false to claim that the Prime Ministers deal will bind the European Court, just as Michael Gove pointed out in February. The ECJ itself will decide which parts of Camerons deal it will uphold, if any. There is no appeal from its decisions.

Conclusion

The Prime Minister and Chancellor have said repeatedly that the British public should not expect another vote on the EU for at least a generation. The voters are being asked by them to vote to maintain the current supremacy of EU law with all that entails for the democratic legitimacy of policies as diverse as immigration, tax, and terrorism.

It is therefore vital that false statements made by the Prime Minister and Chancellor are challenged and brought into the light, as the fate of the nation depends on truth  not lies.

We Will Vote Leave on June23
ANKARA - Turkey - British Embassy staff in multiple non-EU countries, including Turkey and Serbia, are working to facilitate their entry into the European Union. This is despite claims by the IN campaign that there is no prospect of new countries joining the EU in the coming years.

The Government webpage for the British Embassy in Ankara states we have a dedicated team working on projects to improve Turkeys prospects of joining the EU, whilst the Government webpage for the British Embassy in Belgrade explains that the UKs main goal in Serbia is to see the implementation of the political, economic and social reforms necessary for Serbias EU accession.

Furthermore, the webpages for British Embassies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine and Georgia all contain statements that the UK is supporting their ambitions of EU membership.

UK taxpayers are already paying almost 2 billion to support the accession of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, however these findings suggest that further dedicated resources are being used to help them join the EU.

Responding to the findings, Matthew Elliott, Vote Leave Chief Executive, said:

It is clear that despite David Cameron protestations, the machinery of Government is being used to accelerate the pace at which Turkey and other nations join the EU.

 This evening the Prime Minister failed to clarify whether it remains official Government policy to pave the road from Ankara to Brussels and how much, and in what way, taxpayers money is being spent to help Turkey and other nations join the European Union, on top of the 2 billion bill we already know about.

We send 350 million every week to the EU. With our public services already under huge pressure, it is perverse for taxpayers money to be spent on helping these countries join the EU when the result would inevitably be increased migration to the UK, only adding to the strain. This is why its safer to take back control on 23 June.

British embassies clearly show that the UK is supporting the accession of countries to join the EU

The official Government website for the British Embassy in Turkey states that there is a dedicated team working on projects to improve Turkeys prospects of joining the EU.

The official Government website for the British Embassy in Serbia states that the UKs main goal in Serbia is to see the implementation of the political, economic and social reforms necessary for Serbias EU accession.

The official Government website for the British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina states we are working in Bosnia and Herzegovina to help reform areas including the rule of law, justice, anti-corruption and defence, to meet conditions for EU and NATO membership.

The official Government website for the British Embassy in Ukraine states we work closely with Ukrainian authorities to support the EU integration of Ukraine

The official Government website for the British Embassy in Georgia states we support Georgias Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

UK pays 1.8 billion to help Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey to join the EU

In 2014, the EU Council agreed to an Instrument for pre-accession assistance to pay money to potential candidate countries. These include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The UK voted against the creation of this instrument in the EU Council, but was outvoted.

Money is paid to align candidate countries laws with EU laws and standards in order that they can join the EU. The Commission describes it as an investment in the future of the EU, which creates incentives for EU future members. The Commission is explicit that the funds are paid to prepare the countries for the rights and obligations that come with EU membership.

The total amount to be paid to these countries between 2014 and 2020 is 11.7 billion. Using HM Treasury figures for the total proportion of EU revenue accounted for by UK contributions, it is possible to calculate the UKs total and annual payments into this fund. For consistency, we have used 2014 exchange rates.

Instrument for pre-accession assistance Budget (2014-2020) (m) 11,699 UK share (m) 1,471 UK share (m) 1,186 UK annual payment (m) 169.5

Source: Regulation 2014/231/EU, art. 15, HM Treasury, HMRC

The table shows that the UK will pay 1.19 billion to the EUs pre-accession assistance programme between 2014 and 2020, or 170 million each year.

In addition, the UK agreed to pay up to an additional 640 million to Turkey as part of the recent EU-Turkey deal. This deal has been struck with the stated aim of re-energis[ing] the accession process of Turkey to the EU. The UK will pay Turkey 250 million in bilateral assistance and will pay a further 97 million as part of EU payments to Turkey: 347 million in total between 2016 and 2017. A further 3 billion will be provided by the EU by 2018. The UKs share of this payment will be at least 293 million.

Combining commitments under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and obligations to Turkey under the recent deal, the UKs total payments to candidate countries will be 1.8 billion. The EU as a whole will be paying over 17.5 billion in total to candidate countries to join the EU.

Total UK payments to Turkey in the period 2014 to 2020 could be as high as 1.19 billion.
New Delhi: The Finance Ministry expects the country's growth rate to climb to 8 per cent in the current financial year on the back of above normal monsoon. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das expressed hope that the likely passage of Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill in Parliament would further add to the business sentiment, fuelling growth.

"We will certainly exceed 7.6 per cent growth. If the monsoon is good which we expect it will be because of the forecast and once the GST is passed, we can expect our GDP to touch 8 per cent in the current fiscal," he told PTI in an interview. In 2015-16, the country's economy grew 7.6 per cent and the Economic Survey in February had projected a growth rate of 7-7.75 per cent for the current fiscal while RBI had forecast 7.6 per cent for the current fiscal.

He further said although the GST is likely to be rolled out from April 2017, its passage would significantly help in boosting sentiment and generating economic activity. "The moment GST is passed, the business environment will improve. This will give a huge boost to business sentiment and economy is all about real factors and sentiments.

So, the sentiment will turn strongly positive and then industry and business will also start the process of re- orienting their business for GST purpose. You will suddenly see a lot of spurt in activity," he added.

Earlier this month, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had stated that there is no possibility of a "deficient" monsoon this year and 96 per cent chances are that the rainfall would be "normal to excess". But later, the IMD said the slow progress of the south-west monsoon has led to overall deficiency of rains by 22 per cent from June 1-15.

The government is hoping to get the Constitution Amendment Bill passed by Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon Session. It plans to roll-out GST from April 1, that will subsume excise, service tax and all local levies.
New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office has convened a meeting on June 21 to deliberate upon a roadmap for further easing FDI norms to attract more foreign investment. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair the meeting in which officials from ministries, including Commerce and Industry, Finance and Home Affairs, would participate," sources said.

The meeting assumes significance as the government is considering relaxing FDI norms in more sectors, including existing pharmaceutical companies. The Department of Economic Affairs has proposed that FDI up to 49 per cent should be allowed in existing pharmaceutical companies through the automatic route and anything beyond through approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).

FDI in the sector is a contentious issue as concerns have been raised over mergers and acquisitions of Indian pharma companies by foreign giants. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has also proposed complete ban of FDI in tobacco sector.

The proposal was supported by the Finance and Health Ministry but Niti Aayog has raised certain issues. According to sources, the other sectors which may see some kind of policy tweaking include single brand retail and food processing.

Last year, the government relaxed FDI norms in about dozen sectors at one go including defence, retail and construction development. Steps have also been taken to improve business climate of the country by promoting ease of doing business.

FDI in the country has touched an all time high of USD 40 billion in 2015-16. Foreign investment is considered crucial for India, which needs around USD 1 trillion for overhauling its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth.

A strong inflow of foreign investments will help improve the country's balance of payments situation and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar.
Mumbai: RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not seek a second term is a "personal one" which everybody should respect, ICICI Bank MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar said today.

"Rajan's decision to return to academia is a personal one which we must respect. I wish Rajan all the very best for the years ahead," Kochhar said in a statement today. In her comments, which come a day after Rajan surprised all by disclosing his decision to return back to the University of Chicago, Kochhar said under him, the RBI played a major role in steering the economy in a volatile world.

There has been a widespread criticism about the government's inability to retain Rajan, who has been widely lauded for his leadership during the three-year stint at the central bank, for another term.

Rajan's decision, which came after sharp criticism by ruling BJP's Subramanian Swamy where the lawmaker also questioned the Governor's patriotism, has been used by the Opposition to attack the government.

"Today, India is the world's fastest growing large economy with stable macroeconomic indicators...India will continue to remain on a very robust growth path," Kochhar said.
New Delhi/Mumbai: RBI governor Raghuram Rajans abrupt decision to quit came as he increasingly felt he lacked support from his political bosses finance minister Arun Jaitley and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to friends and colleagues.

A newspaper report a week ago that a selection panel would consider a field of candidates rather than directly offer the former IMF chief economist an extension to his three-year term, effectively forcing him to reapply for his own job, may have been the final straw, according to these people and a finance ministry source.

He felt it would belittle the position of the RBI governor if he had to appear before the committee, said one senior commercial banker who knows Dr Rajan personally but had not spoken to him since his decision.

It would reveal a lack of government support. Rather than have two more years of constant quibbling, he decided to go. Dr Rajan was also upset that Mr Jaitley had not backed him more strongly after criticism from BJP MP Subramanium Swamy of both his policies and his perceived lack of Indian-ness, the sources said.

When Dr Rajan decided to leave, he did so without warning and on his own terms: in a sign of growing tensions he did not inform top members of the government before releasing an open letter to staff on Saturday, a move that took investors and the government by surprise.

Five sources familiar with the matter said Dr Rajan had not contacted Mr Modis office directly. Nor was a meeting or discussion between the two planned, said one senior official.

I am surprised, said one person who has worked with Rajan and who spoke on condition of anonymity. A week back he was sounding very much interested in serving a second term.

Sources in RSS say it was Dr Rajans own forays into politically sensitive territory that led the Hindu right to target him  in particular over a speech last October to students in Delhi in which he said that social tolerance was vital for a countrys development.

It was Modi who protected him for the longest time but the defence wall collapsed when Rajan entered the no-go zone of politics, one senior RSS official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Friends also say his family had wanted him to return.
Mumbai: Anurag Kashyap should have breathed a sigh of relief after the release of 'Udta Punjab', but it seems he is running out of luck. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused to certify Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer 'Haraamkhor'.

'Haraamkhor' directed by Shlok Sharma stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi.

The film which also stars Shweta Tripathi revolves around the illicit relationship between a 14-year-old girl and her tuition teacher in a small town. It has received positive response from all quarters and has also bagged the Silver Gateway Award in the India Gold section of the 17th Jio MAMI Film Festival.

According to reports, the Censor Board refused to pass the film because of an objectionable theme. Apparently, teachers are respected people in society and they can't be shown having an affair with an underage girl. This move comes as a surprise because Pahlaj Nihalani's film 'Andaz starring Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Karisma Kapoor, was based on the same lines.

The makers can either approach the Revising Committee or the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. Anurag expressed his anger over the issue in a series of tweets.

Just heard..another film Neeraj Pandey's "Saat Uchchakkey" refused certificate.. Can we please just go straight to the Tribunal to save time  Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) June 20, 2016

What's the point of taking a film seeking an adult certificate to the CBFC #saatuchakkey #haraamkhor  Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) June 20, 2016
Mumbai: Actor Kriti Sanon, who was rumoured to be dating her Raabta co-star Sushant Singh Rajput, has rubbished the news via social media and has termed it as baseless.

Read: Was Ankita Lokhande's recent post directed at ex-boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput?

The 25-year-old actor recently took to her Twitter handle to quash the rumours and tweeted, Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars, there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks.

Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars,there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks  Kriti Sanon (@kritisanon) June 18, 2016

Earlier, the rumours were making the rounds that the 'Heropanti' actor, who will be seen with Sushant in her upcoming film 'Raabta', was in a romantic relationship with him.

However, both the actors maintained silence on the rumoured news which began a few months ago as a mere speculation.

Sushant, who recently broke-up with his long-time girlfriend Ankita Lokhande, recently moved in to his new sea-facing apartment in Bandra. To celebrate the occasion, Sushant hosted a house-warming party on Friday night and invited his friends over for a late-night bash.
To live in India and not have a tale that begins with, Once upon a time when I was in an auto, would mean that you have truly not experienced the culture. From the bickering driver to the shifty meter, bumpy ride to the exorbitant fare..., are what one can easily share when it comes to the annoying autowalas. You can imagine, how hilarious and complex the auto rides might be for two Swedish guys, aka 2 Foreigners in Bollywood, who landed in Mumbai nine months ago.

Hampus Bergqvist, 25, and Johan Bartoli, 26, recently shared a video on their Facebook titled some auto guys can be real pain. When we were new in India, a lot of autowalas tried to rip us off because we had no idea about the prices and they saw us as walking ATM machines, says Hampus, who moved to Mumbai with his friend Johan. The two of them, along with their Indian flatmate Pratap came up with the idea to make a fun video clip out of this scenario. And in less than two days the video got more than 171k likes. Pratap asked an autowala if we could borrow his rickshaw for 10 minutes and then we just recorded the clip with an iPhone. We had no idea it would become such a hit, says Hampus.

Apart from the auto ride, its also their personal journey thats interesting. Best friends since university, the two decided to follow their dreams of acting in Bollywood. The mystery of Bwood intrigued us deeply, so we felt that we just had to go there and experience it ourselves. Our families were shocked when we told them about moving to India to work in Bollywood. Our friends from business school, too, told us moving to India will spoil our chances of having a good career in Swe-den, Hampus says.

When the two landed in Mumbai, they knew absolutely no one. We did not know where to start. We started to explore the city, telling people in the streets about our journey and our goals of working in Bollywood. Most people thought we were crazy.

The two met a guy in Andheri East that knew a person working in Bollywood as a co-ordinator. We got his number and a few days later the same person had hooked us up with our first movie job. It was a one-day shoot where we acted as drug addicts in Goa, the shoot took place in Madh Island. Since then, they have worked in five different projects  including Banjo and Rangoon (starring Kangana).
Amitabh Bachchan is a global figure in his own right. And while most of the credit for his iconic status should go to his power-packed performances, the superstar himself contends that not all the credit belongs to him. The actor went on a trip down memory lane in a chat with us and recounted the big names that have shaped his illustrious career.

He says, All of them, I would say, have made some contribution towards my journey as an actor. Talking about his debut film, which was directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, he says, Abbas sahab was bestowed with very powerful writing. In many ways a cultural socialist, he believed in the common man and his stories. He also pushed his actors to conduct themselves in the same way, like a common man. For example, in Saath Hindustani, the actors actually travelled via trains in third class compartments.

Big B has a special place in his heart for Hrishikesh Mukherjee, with whom he made Abhimaan, Mili and Anand. He says, He was a master in editing and he used to edit films of filmmakers such as Bimal Roy. So many times we would not know what he is saying. He would tell us to go stand there and say our dialogue. When we would ask why? He would say dont ask, just do it. But when you see the completed film, you would understand that he had the whole thing edited in his mind and he knew everything. He was very conservative in his filmmaking style. Now you see these fabulously decorative sets, but he would just take an L-shaped room, put some chairs and make the actors stand. Those were devices that saved money, but the end result was perfect.

Talking about Prakash Mehra of Zanjeer, he says, Prakashji was a great storyteller; the way he narrated his story, he never bothered about camera angels. He just put the camera in one place and told the actors chalo start karo. On the other hand, Manji (Manmohan Desai) was completely different. He had to have massive sets, just the grandeur of everything was more important to him.

On Yash Chopra, he takes a deep breath and reveals, He was a romanticist by heart, he was fond of poetry in everything. He was also very passionate about his work. During Deewar, we werent sure if he could deliver as a director because it wasnt his type of film, but he did it.

Speaking of the current lot, he praises Sanjay Leela Bhansalis prowess enthusiastically and says, Look at Sanjay Leela Bhansali, his entire film is one big painting.
Young Turk Prithviraj shows no signs of slowing down as he is busy committing back to back projects, each bigger than the next. Soon after the official announcement of Tiyan starring Prithviraj and brother Indrajit comes another ambitious project that the actor has given his nod to titled Karachi 81 directed by K.S. Bava. As the name suggests, the film is set in the neighbouring country of Pakistan. A source adds, This will be the first Malayalam film to be shot in Pakistan and also has locations like Moscow, Rajasthan and Kochi. The film will be an action oriented one and is based on a real life incident. The rest of the cast is yet to be sorted out and discussions are on. This film will take off only after Tiyan is canned.
Field officers asked all families to get the vaccine administered to their children aged six weeks to three years. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The government has set up 756 booths in Hyderabad and 116 in Ranga Reddy district to administer the inactivated polio vaccine from Monday to June 26.

During the enumeration programme that was being carried out over the last week, field officers asked all families to get the vaccine administered to their children aged six weeks to three years.

Government doctors have roped in pediatricians to sensitise young mothers who have queries about this vaccine.

Dr G Srinivas Rao, government co-ordinator for the programme, told this newspaper: We want to cover all the children. We are requesting all parents to come forward and have the vaccine administered for their children. It is safe and will boost the immunity of the child.

Officers of the World Health Organisation are observing the programme and documenting all observations as it is the first special drive being held after India was declared polio-free.
According to IMS Health, which conducted a study, stent prices contribute only 20 to 25 per cent of the overall angioplasty costs.

Hyderabad: Despite a 30-50 per cent reduction in the price of stents in the last four years, patients have not benefitted as the cost of the procedure has increased by two to seven per cent, officers in private hospitals said.

According to IMS Health, which conducted a study, stent prices contribute only 20 to 25 per cent of the overall angioplasty costs. The study comes at a time when the Union health ministry is considering the proposal of including stents in the essential prices list.

The study clearly shows that the benefit of reduction in stent prices has not been passed on to patients. The price cuts have benefited the hospital industry, which is claiming that its overhead costs have increased, said Dr A. Ratnam, who is involved in hospital management.

This is partially true. All companies have not reduced their prices; only a few Indian manufacturers have. But the overhead costs of hospitals continue to remain the same, said cardiologist Dr Sashi Kant, a member of Cardiology Society of India.

Dont patients have the right to know what is the actual cost of the stent? Each patient is given the price of the stent  premium, middle and moderate package. The patient can opt for it and accordingly stents are used, said cardiologist Dr R. Shanker Kumar.

Lack of transferring benefits is one of the prime concerns of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, which is under pressure as the government wants to get the popular device under the EPL.

The high cost of the procedure is blamed on the stent and not on the overheads cost. This is proving to be a major deterrent to the industry, which is working hard to provide good medical devices. Large volumes have allowed for a reduction in prices but hospitals must also work towards passing it on to the patients. Till this is done, it will not be of any use, said a senior member of the association.
Hyderabad: Ahead of the International Yoga Day Celebrations, doctors and yoga instructors are emphasising an often overlooked element of yoga  unsupervised, it can cause serious injuries and strain.

With people opting to learn from videos, CDs and Do It Yourself apps, caution is advised. Private hospitals in the city have seen young people coming in with problems of back and knee pain due to wrong postures. Hence Yoga instructors advise people to practise only under the guidance of trained people.

Yoga postures are complex. People need guidance and help to perform it. With people now being aware of the benefits of yoga, the number of practitioners has increased. But watching DVDs or videos will not do., said C.N. Kanth, a yoga instructor.
Many large mammals like the bison, spotted deer, jackal, sambar deer, sloth bear, and leopard have been killed by speeding vehicles on these highways that pass through wildlife habitats.

Bengaluru: Wild animals are being regularly killed by speeding vehicles on three state highways and a national highway passing through critical wildlife habitats of Khanapur taluk in Belgaum district.

The admission has been made by the authorities concerned in response to an RTI query by an activist, Giridhar Kulkarni. It appears that as many as 12 large mammals have been killed since 2012 on the three state highways of Sindhanoor-Hemmadaga, Belgaum-Chorla and Alnavar- Ramnagar, and National Highway 4A running from Belgaum in Karnataka to Panaji in North Goa.

Many large mammals like the bison, spotted deer, jackal, sambar deer, sloth bear, and leopard have been killed by speeding vehicles on these highways that pass through wildlife habitats. Animals of the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary and Kanakumbi Forest continue to be under threat even today, says Mr Kulkarni.

 Sadly, cases are booked only when a larger mammal gets killed. Deaths of smaller animals like langurs and bonnet macaques and snakes go unnoticed, he regrets, also noting that hundreds of wild animals are being killed due to the delay in carrying out impact mitigation measures by the PWD and KRDCL.

Although numerous meetings have been held and civic agencies have agreed to install rumble strips, speed- breakers and sign boards to prevent animals from being killed by vehicles in these parts, nothing has been done till now," he complains.

Wildlife activists point out that the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) has suggested to the Ministries of Surface Transport and Railways that they should take care to bypass all national parks and sanctuaries when planning their projects in the interest of the animals. Either wildlife corridors should be entirely avoided, or at least night traffic banned in these parts to protect the animals, they underline.
Matchmakers expect the girls to make the effort and travel to another city to meet a name on the list.

There are two sets of people who are among the most harassed lots. Ones the set of single girls (aged between the mid twenties and late 30s) and the other set are the anxious mothers.

The single girl, first. For a good 10 years, she will suffer the assault of just one question  arey, when will you get married? The barrage comes from all quarters  from the neighbour, the pop-up aunt, her friend, the worried neighbourhood Army uncle and even the soon-to-retire postman. Everyone just rushes to mom and becharis aid as if they were a car crash.

And rescue often comes in the form of match-making. In theory its always fun to be introduced to new people but in practice, nothing can be more awful.

Because matchmakers often find you people who have been single, for a reason. You have some strange souls who cite, I dont eat ghutka, under best virtues. Some are hunting for free nurses to care for ageing parents and others are duller than office-walls.

But according to the matchmaker, every boy on that list is pure gold  especially if hes rich. In the world of professional matchmaking, a boy is rated on the basis of turnover, income and wheel base.

The Indian marriage-industrial complex will even charge girls above 30, 30 per cent extra in finders fees and this is in addition to the lakh they could be charging for the finding.

Then, there are the meetings. Matchmakers expect the girls to make the effort and travel to another city to meet a name on the list. Why? Well, youre the girl... duh! The meetings themselves are often hilarious. One girl says the guy she met wasnt sure of his age. Im 27 to 28 years old, he said. Another explained family hierarchy and told her to be on the yes sir, yes sir, three bags basis with almost every family member. The third gem the girl was introduced to wanted to know if she was still in love with her ex.

Even as this goes on, hordes of well-meaning relatives dive in. The aunts want you to puja everything thats visible through a telescope and according to some, an education abroad is a strict NO because that means youve been alone with the world, exploring cultures  what sacrilege!

The 30s is worse. The matchmaker acts as if he had to dredge the harbour to find you options.

Finally, once a potential is identified, starts the mother of all checks. The matchmaker asks for your entire dating history as if all thats on a server somewhere. You are even told to take down precious photos which have you celebrating with friends because hey, vodka ruins rishtas. Also, brace for impact if you turn down a potential. Why would you do that? You should be grateful he agreed, girl? The only time this process may turn funny is if by one helluva chance you meet Mr Right.

Otherwise, the profitable part of the entire Indian wedding industry is all about a hunt.
This is the second incident of rape with a minor girl in Jaipur recently. (Photo: Representational Image)

Jaipur: A three-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from a government hospital here and raped, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred last night when the minor's mother, who is differently-abled, was talking over phone and the girl went missing from the premises of SMS hospital, SHO Motidungari police station Babu Lal Vishnoi said.

Read: Chhattisgarh: Minor girl raped by elder brother, neighbour

The girl was found bleeding near a gate of the hospital early this morning with injury marks on her face and neck, he said, adding she was rushed to JK Lone hospital.

Vishnoi said the mother and daughter belong to another state and had come to Jaipur recently.

Read: Delhi children's home head held for raping 10 minor girls, filming assault

"The girl underwent a surgery conducted by a team of five doctors. She is admitted in ICU but her condition is stable," Dr Ashok Gupta, Hospital Superintendent said.

Investigation is underway and efforts are on to identify and apprehend the accused, the SHO said.

This is the second incident of rape with a minor girl in Jaipur recently.

A three-year-old girl was abducted and raped on Agra Highway here on the night of June 11. The accused was arrested and is in police custody.

Meanwhile, President of Jaipur Congress Committee and former MLA Pratap Singh Khachariyawas visited the victim at the hospital and held the BJP government responsible for the incident.

"This is shameful that the government is allowing law and order situation to deteriorate. Police is doing nothing to control crime," he said.

PCC President Sachin Pilot also condemned the incident.

"The incident occurred on the premises of SMS hospital where a police chowki is present. Despite that the incident occurred," he said.

Targeting the home minister, Pilot said the minister claimed that crime rate has come down but cases of rape and atrocities against women are on the rise.

"BJP government has completely failed in controlling crime," he said.
The note also said that his organs should be donated. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: A 36-year-old doctor was found dead in his flat at Ramnagar in Musheerabad on Saturday in a pool of blood.

Police said that Dr M. Vijay Kumar has cut his stomach using a surgical blade. Police found a suicide note saying that he was depressed over his loneliness.

The note also said that his organs should be donated. "It said that if the organs are not usable the body should be given to Gandhi Medical college," said SI B. Ravi Kumar Reddy.

Dr Vijay Kumar, who was pursuing DM in Nephrology at the Osmania Medical College, had been living alone after he got divorced. The suicide note said that he was depressed because of the divorce. His cousin, D. Nagaraju, said he and his brother had been trying to contact Vijay Kumar since Friday.

However, he was not available on the phone. Dr Vijay Kumar also did not go to medical college on Friday. Feeling suspicious, Nagaraju inquired with the neighbours of Dr Vijay Kumar on Saturday and they said the flat was locked from inside.

Nagaraju, who stays at Nacharam rushed to the doctor's flat and knocked.

Later, he broke into the house with the help of neighbours. They found the body of Dr Vijay Kumar in a pool of blood in his room. It looks like he himself cut his stomach with a surgical blade and died, said SI Ravi Kumar Reddy

Dr Vijay Kumar, who hails from Hindupur in Anantapur district, got married five years back. However, they decided to end the relationship and got divorced.

Police said that Dr Vijay Kumar had said in his suicide note that no one was responsible for his death.
Unable to bear the burden of bringing up two daughters, a couple sold their two-month old daughter to an unidentified couple in Dundigal under the garb of adoption. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Unable to bear the burden of bringing up two daughters, a couple sold their two-month old daughter to an unidentified couple in Dundigal under the garb of adoption. News of the couple selling their second daughter spread like in the tanda and reached officials of the Integrated Child Development Services.

When the ICDS officials questioned him, Nayak, said that he had given their daughter in adoption to a relative, Madhu. His wife said that she did not know Madhu. Officials found that through Madhu, they had sold the baby to an anganwadi worker in Medak. ICDS officials lodged a complaint with the police.
Vadodara: A 21-year-old nursing student on Saturday filed a rape case against a prominent educational entrepreneur and founder-president of the privately-owned Parul University located at Waghodia near Vadodara, police said.

The complainant also accused the woman rector of the girls' hostel of the nursing institute affiliated to the university, where she is studying, of abetting the crime, police said.

In the FIR, the complainant said she was raped by 66-year-old Jayesh Patel at his residence, located near the girls' hostel, after the rector Bhavnaben Patel took her there, Vadodara Rural Superintendent of Police Saurabh Tolambiya said.

The nursing student said she was taken to the residence of Patel last night, following which he raped her. After the alleged crime, he threatened to expel her from the institute and fail her in her nursing course in case she revealed it to anyone, police said.

She said she was also taken to his house on Thursday night, although no crime had taken place then. Ms Patel was in the know of the crime and in fact facilitated it, the victim said in the complaint.

A case was lodged at Waghodia police station against Patel under sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, while Bhavnaben has been booked under 114 (abetment), police said.

In the past, Patel had contested state assembly elections twice as Congress candidate against sitting BJP lawmaker Madhu Srivastava, but lost both the times. He had recently joined the BJP.
Cops take Ameerul Islam, the migrant labourer, arrested in the Jisha murder case, from a covered police van to the court by making him wear a helmet so as to hide his face. The identification parade of the Assamese youth is yet to be done forcing police to do the covering act. (Photo: DC)

KOCHI: The identification parade of the 23-year-old Ameerul Islam, the suspect in the rape and murder of Jisha, the Dalit LLB student at Kuruppampady near Perumbavoor, is likely to be held on Monday. Shibu Daniel, Judicial First Class Magistrate of Kunnu-mpuram will conduct the parade inside the Kakkanad district jail.

The legal formalities linked to conduct identification were handed over to the jail officials. Summons directing the witnesses to attend for the examination have been also served, officials said. The probe team has arranged nearly 10 other migrant workers to be lined up along with the accused during the parade.

The witnesses comprised those who said to have seen the accused emerging out of the victims house on that day, the shop owner who sold the sandals to the accused and others.

The investigation team probing the case has been busy in collecting fresh evidences connected with the gruesome rape and murder of the 30-year-old girl inside her house on April 28. A team dispatched to Assam to question Anarul, a friend of Ameerul, has traced him on Sunday, sources said. The probe team suspects that Anarul was present in Perumbavoor on the day of the murder and left for his village soon after the incident.

The probe team hopes to gather details that led to the murder by questioning Anarul. Officials however declined to comment whether this person was having any direct link with the murder. The police team in Assam will also conduct a detailed interrogation of the close relatives and friends of Ameerul in his home village in Assam.
Experts check the contents of the IED after it was recovered from the scene. (Photo: DC)

VIJAYAWADA: An improvised explosive device with wire, camera flash, gelatine sticks and detonators were found outside the compound wall of the house belonging to a relative of SC advocate Vikas Bansode at Machavaram in Machi-lipatnam, headquarters of Krishna district in AP, on Saturday night.

Mr Bansode is allegedly facing threat to life from the iron ore mining mafia. Mr Bansode is the son-in-law of Additional SP Krishna Prasad and the house belongs to Mr Krishna Prasads mother-in-law who he was visiting. Machilipatnam DSP D. Surya Sravan Kumar said the device has been sent to the forensic laboratory.

Bansode security was scaled down by Karnataka police

An improvised explosive device (IED) containing wire, camera flash suspected gelatine sticks and detonators were found outside the compound wall of the house belonging to a relative of Supreme Court advocate Vikas Bansode at Machavaram.

Mr Bansode was also a legal adviser to the former Governor of Karnataka H.R. Bharadwaj. He had argued against the iron ore mafia in the Supreme Court. He was given Z-plus security in Karnataka which was later scaled down to X category. After Mr Bansode moved to Hyderabad, Telangana state police had provided him Two Plus Two category security.

The Andhra Pradesh police is not providing any security. Police registered a case based on a complaint lodged by one of Mr Bansodes personal security officers, Mr Sravan Kumar said. The police had received information about the box at about 8.30 pm on Saturday.

Mr Bansode, who resides in Banjara Hills, had participated in a medical camp in Machavaram on Saturday evening. Following the incident, he left the village early on Sunday.
J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti said the four south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian accounted for the highest number of incidents of militancy (61). (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: Over 190 people, including 47 security personnel and 108 militants, were killed in militancy-related violence and ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the 12-month period from Januray 15 last year.

About 800 persons were also arrested, while four magisterial inquiries have been ordered into the incidents of militancy during the same period, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a written reply to a question by opposition National Conference leader AM Sagar in the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar.

Read: Clashes in Jammu as 'lunatic' defiles Hindu temple; Mehbooba monitoring situation

Mehbooba, who also holds the Home portfolio, said a total of 146 militancy-related incidents took place between January 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016, leaving 169 people  108 militants, 39 security personnel and 22 civilians - dead.

A total of 181 incidents of border firing were reported during the same period in the state which left 22 persons including eight security personnel dead and 75 others, including 13 security men injured, she said.

Read: Mehbooba Mufti asks Army to minimise visibility in J&Ks civilian areas

Mehbooba said the four south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian accounted for the highest number of incidents of militancy (61), resulting in the death of 54 persons including 12 security men and 34 militants.

However, the three north Kashmir districts of Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora which share border with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, witnessed almost double the number of fatalities compared to south Kashmir districts in such incidents.

The north Kashmir districts together accounted for 57 incidents of militancy which resulted in the death of 92 persons including 60 militants and 21 security personnel, the

Chief Minister said, but gave no details about the number of militants who were killed along the Line of Control while trying to infiltrate into the Valley from across the border.

The summer capital Srinagar recorded 15 militancy-related incidents in which one civilian was killed, while seven districts, out of total 22 across Jammu and

Kashmir, including the winter capital Jammu witnessed no militancy-related violence.

Other districts, where no such incident took place, included Ganderbal in central Kashmir, Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region and Rajouri, Reasi and Kishtwar in Jammu region, Mehbooba said.

Poonch district in Jammu region witnessed five incidents, resulting in the death of six militants and a security jawan, while two militancy-related incidents took place in Kathua, also in Jammu, leaving seven persons including three security men and two militants dead, the Chief Minister said.
Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23 and is expected to discuss the NSG issue with him. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday said that Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar had made a two-day trip to China on June 16 and 17 to discuss India's NSG membership with his Chinese counterpart.

In a statement released on Sunday, the MEA said that they have received several queries seeking confirmation if Jaishankar had indeed visited Beijing.

"Yes, I can confirm Foreign Secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including India's NSG membership, were discussed," the statement read.

Read: US urges NSG members to support Indias bid to enter elite club

This visit comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23 when both leaders attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' meeting in Tashkent.

China has maintained that more talks were needed to build a consensus on which countries can join the 48-nation NSG following the United States' push to include India in the elite group.

The countries, who oppose India's membership, argue that its inclusion in the group would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation and also infuriate New Delhi's rival Pakistan.

Islamabad, which enjoys the backing of its close ally China, has also responded to India's membership bid and asked for its admission as well.

The decision on Indian membership will only be decided at the NSG plenary meeting in Seoul scheduled on June 23 and 24.

While reports surfaced that Beijing would try its best to stop India's entry into the group, Washington has already vouched its full support during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to United States last week.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that China was not opposed to India's entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and that it only wanted to deliberate on the process that allows new countries to be a party of the elite group.

"As far as China is concerned, China is not opposing India's entry into NSG, it wants to discuss the criteria based process that would allow new members into the club," Sushma said at a press conference that was held to highlight the achievements of her ministry since the NDA came to power.

Read: Ahead of Seoul meet, India holds talks with China over entry into NSG

Sushma also claimed that India had no problem with Pakistan's entry into the exclusive grouping and hoped that those with merit would make it to the NSG.

"When it comes to the question of Pakistan, since India is not a member of the NSG yet, we do not have any role to play in opposing somebody's entry. But we are not going to protest the entry of any country and want that the decision would be taken on the country's merit," she said.

Read: US urges NSG members to support Indias bid to enter elite club

The Minister expressed hope that India would be able to convince China and secure its place in the NSG by the end of this year.

"I am personally in contact with over 23 countries on the matter and only one or two countries raised concern. But in our opinion, we have managed to achieve a broad consensus," Sushma said.

Earlier on Sunday, the ministry had revealed that Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar was sent to China on June 16 and 17 to hold talks with his counterpart on India's NSG membership bid.
Appreciating the gesture, Rajnath Singh said diamond merchants across the country should join hands with the security agencies for the welfare of jawans. (Photo: PTI)

Nadabet BOP: In a noble gesture, diamond merchants of Surat and Mumbai donated 10,000 goggles, RO water purifiers besides ECG machines and a host of other items for use by BSF jawans guarding the Indo-Pak border in scorching heat.

The items were handed over to the BSF at a special function organised in Nadabet BOP, which was also attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The initiative followed a request by Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary who himself is associated with diamond trade.

Appreciating the gesture, the Home Minister said diamond merchants across the country should join hands with the security agencies for the welfare of jawans who lay down their lives protecting the nation.

Describing Border Security Force as the "first wall of defence," Singh said government would do its best for their all-round welfare.

Chaudhary, an MP from Banaskantha in Gujarat, which touches the International Border, told the Surat-based 'SRK Knowledge Foundation', that led the initiative, to come forward with more such welfare schemes.

Among the articles which were donated include 10,000 sunglasses worth Rs 650 each, ECG and X-Ray machines, medical laboratory equipment, an ambulance, 10 oxygen concentrators, 10 RO water plants of 500 litre capacity each and 7,000 mattresses.

Besides, it was decided to upgrade three BSF hospitals with contribution from the diamond traders at a cost of Rs 15 lakh each and develop three shooting ranges at an investment of Rs 25 lakh. Residential units will also be constructed for children of martyrs studying in Gandhinagar.

'SRK Knowledge Foundation' chairperson Govind Bhai Dholakia said that he was immensely happy to help the BSF jawans, who guard the frontiers in challenging conditions.

India shares 3,323 km border (including Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir) with Pakistan, of which 826 km falls in Gujarat.

The initiative is currently being undertaken for the BSF jawans posted in Gujarat and will be gradually expanded to other borders, Chaudhary said.
Dubai: Seeking to boost the growing bilateral strategic ties, India and the UAE will set up a joint panel of parliamentarians to enhance relations and facilitate their visits to promote cooperation to tackle security issues and challenges facing the region.

A decision was taken in this regard during a meeting between first woman speaker of UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) Amal Abdullah Al-Qubaisi and the Indian ambassador here T P Seetharam on Saturday.

During the meeting, Al-Qubaisi stressed the importance of activating parliamentary relations between FNC and Indian parliament by establishing a friendly Emirati Indian parliamentary committee, and by prompting parliamentary visits between the two sides, state-run WAM news agency reported.

Al Qubaisi said it was important that the two countries strengthen relations in all fields and achieve the required communication for parliamentary diplomacy, as well as to unify their visions and positions on various issues as part of their important roles in addressing issues of security and stability and the challenges facing the region.

The two sides stressed the importance of consultation and coordination between FNC and Indian parliament delegations during their participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to unify positions and views on various issues of interest to both countries and peoples.

They also agreed to prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the parliamentary committee, and highlighted existing areas of cooperation in various political, economic, cultural and investment sectors.

Al Qubaisi and Seetharam stressed that bilateral relations have reached a higher level of strategic partnership following the momentous visit by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in February to India, the report said.

She said India has a deep-rooted democracy in the world and serves as a model for a constitution based on democracy, pluralism, and women's political participation.

Al Qubaisi also paid tribute to the important role played by the Indian parliament locally and internationally in serving the people of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE in August last year, during which the two countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

India and the UAE agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence-sharing and capacity building during Modi's visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the joint dedication of renovated stadium in Jaffna, in Sri Lanka, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on Saturday. The Union minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj and other dignitaries are also seen (Photo: AP)

Chennai: Declaring open through video conferencing the renovated Durraiappah Stadium in Sri Lankas Jaffna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stressed that India strongly believes that its economic growth must drive and bring benefit to its neighbouring countries.

The stadium, named after former Jaffna Mayor Alfred Durraiappah, who was shot dead by the LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran in 1975 at the beginning of his career in militancy, was renovated at a cost of Rs 7 crore. It was jointly inaugurated by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Modi, who joined the event from New Delhi through video conferencing.

In his speech, the Prime Minister said India will walk side by side with Sri Lanka as it charts its own path to progress and prosperity for all of its citizens.

This is what makes our enduring ties relevant to our present, as also to our future. Indias desire is to see an economically prosperous Sri Lanka. A Sri Lanka where: unity and integrity; peace, harmony and security; and equal opportunity and dignity, prevails throughout the country among all its people, Modi said in his brief speech.

Recalling his historic visit to Jaffna last year becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Northern Province, Modi said Durraiappah Stadium was not just brick and mortar, but a symbol of optimism and economic development and an arena for a prosperous and healthy future for Jaffnas youth.

Our relations are not limited to the confines of our two governments. They reside in the rich contacts of our history, culture, language, art, and geography. India strongly believes that its economic growth must drive and bring benefit to its neighbours. Durraiappah Stadium embodies the spirit of our cooperation. Indeed, Indias support for Sri Lankas development is a promise of our friendship, Modi said.

Both countries celebrated the start of the International day of Yoga with a curtain raiser from the Durraiappah Stadium where thousands performed the Surya Namaskar. The renovated stadium has a seating capacity of 1,850.
Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Ladoo area of Awantipora, 30 kms from Srinagar, following information about presence of militants there. (Photo: ANI)

Srinagar: An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Awantipora area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir this evening, police said.

Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Ladoo area of Awantipora, 30 kms from Srinagar, following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.

As the security forces were closing in on the militants, the ultras opened fire which was returned by the troops, the official said.

Intermittent exchange of firing was going on till reports last came in, the official said, adding no casualty has been reported so far.
Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013 when Chidambaram was the finance minister. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Congress on Sunday accused RSS and some BJP ministers of lobbying against RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and said his decision not to seek second term was the "most unpleasant thing" for the country.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said the present regime does not deserve a person of Rajan's level.

Read: Arun Jaitley hails Raghuram Rajans work as RBI chief

"I don't know the reason. Of course it is well known to him. But the manner in which some of the BJP spokespersons and also Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ... also one important leader Subramanian Swamy.... Some of these people including Nagpur RSS camp (were) lobbying against him," Moily said.

Terming it as the "most unpleasant thing" for the country, he said, "I think in the present context of the governance and also the present regime, I think they do not deserve a person of his level. He is a global person. I think the country was endowed with him."

Read: Rajan has given large measure of credibility to RBI: SBI Chief

Echoing similar views, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said that the people were feeling "very safe and secure" with the kind of measures taken by the RBI Governor.

"But in the last few days, the kind of expressions which were used attributing certain motives which were never there in his performance and his functioning. I think if there is a person with a moral framework, somebody committed to his values, what else do you expect him to do," he said.

Rajan has taken the right decision because "seeking a second term would have have meant working with people like Swamy," he added.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who ran a tirade against Rajan, took a jibe at the outgoing RBI Governor over his decision on Saturday, saying whatever "fig leaf" he wants for hiding the reality, the people should not grudge it and wish him good bye.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said he was "disappointed and profoundly saddened" by Rajan's decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.

"As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser," he said, alleging that the government had invited this development through a craftily-planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist.

Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013 when Chidambaram was the finance minister.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had alleged that the government had "hounded" a good man as it did not have the courage to ask him to leave.

"The message that this fascist government is sending to regulators is that if you do not toe our line we will mount a campaign of calumny and wild insinuations and bludgeon you into submission. What Rajan has done is what any self-respecting man under such circumstances will do," he had said, adding the RBI governor had done "phenomenal" work in his tenure.
The paramilitary personnel will also perform yoga exercises in cities like in Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Lucknow, Patna, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata and more. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Yoga exponent Ramdev will hold amass session with over 3,000 BSF jawans and officers to mark the International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21 in Jodhpur.

Officials said Ramdev will hold an early morning yoga session in the border town at a Border Security Force camp where over 3,000 troops of the paramilitary force and others will participate.

Read: Did not anticipate enormous enthusiasm for Yoga day: Narendra Modi

Jodhpur has a large contingent of the border guarding force deployed to secure the Indo-Pak international boundary running along Rajasthan.

The event is part of the overall programme prepared by the government to celebrate the IYD which will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Chandigarh on the same day.

Close to 30,000 troops from various central paramilitary forces like BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB will take part in these events across the country to mark the day.

While about 2,000 Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel will join the event in Chandigarh, men and women of the force which guards the Sino-India border will also display their yoga skills at the high-altitude Pangong lake in Ladakh.

The paramilitary personnel will also perform yoga exercises in cities like in Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Lucknow, Patna, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Gangtok, Agartala, Imphal, Kohima, Itanagar, Aizawl.

Similar activities will also be undertaken in Dehradun, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Chennai, Bengaluru, Raipur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and Ranchi, by the personnel to make the event successful.

In Delhi, the event will be led by the Central Industrial Security Force at the Central park in Connaught Place.
Hyderabad: While children across the world are preparing to celebrate Fathers Day on Sunday, a few fathers in Hyderabad are fighting to simply meet their children.

Fathers who are victims of dowry harassment and maintenance cases and who want a hand in raising their children, allege that their wives do not even allow them to meet their children despite crystal clear court orders that support meetings.

Our society, which responds immediately when a woman faces trouble from her husband, turns a blind eye on such husbands, who are deprived of their basic right to meet their children at least once a week  which is crucial if the fathers want to develop a bond with their children.

Around 50 fathers under Share-A-Childhood foundation staged a two-hour-long protest at Basheerbagh on Saturday. The members said that parental alienation had become a big concern as more than 1,000 divorce cases were being filed in city courts every month.

In most of these cases, women approach the police to threaten the husbands or to claim their property, or to get away from the responsibility of taking care of their spouses parents. The court, which orders the men to pay maintenance to their wives, also allows the father to visit the child weekly or every month.

Just a few hours is not enough to develop the father-child bond and many times the wives do not even comply with the court orders. As a result, children are facing troubles and often tend to take extreme decisions during childhood, said Share-A-Child founder Y. Narendra.

The fathers at the protest requested the government to intervene and ensure that wives complied with the visitation orders. We just want to be a part of the holistic growth of our children and make them better persons. We do not want the differences between us to have an impact on their childhood or their future, another member added.

The fathers also demanded proper infrastructure and facilities to be provided for visitations, not in court premises or temples or other locations, and the setting up of a proper monitoring authority and system to oversee the visitation process.

The members of the foundation will be celebrating Fathers Day with the inmates of the State Home at Yousufguda on Sunday.

I saw my child a year ago

The last time I saw my daughter was a year ago, when she waved to me while riding pillion behind her mother on a bike near her school. I had gone to pay her school fees, recollects Rajashekar (name changed), a research scientist working for a central organisation in the city.

The trouble started when he refused to register his flat on his wifes name. She filed for divorce and threw him and his old parents out of his house. His wife, an engineering graduate and working for an industrial organisation in the city, now receives around Rs 30,000 from him towards maintenance, but never allows him to meet his daughter.

Rajashekar, a native of Maharashtra, has been working as a scientist in the city for the past 12 years. He got married to Shalini (name changed) nearly 14 years ago and they were living in Nacharam, along with their daughter and his 85-year-old father and 78-year-old mother.

Two year ago, after a fight, the wife asked him to register the flat in her name but since it was under mortgage, he could not do so. I faced allegations of dowry harassment and I was thrown out of my own home, says Mr Rajashekar.

The court had granted him monthly visitation rights but his wife has never turned up, in a year. She claims my property but denies access to my daughter, he says, adding that the truth will come out someday and he will meet his daughter.
Hyderabad: Tension mounted in CMs home district Medak with agitations and counter-agitations over land acquisition for the Mallannasagar reservoir intensifying with each passing day. On Saturday farmers and villagers in Etigadda Kistapur attacked TRS MPTC Prathap Reddy, alleging that he was helping with the government acquire land. The farmers damaged his car and set his crops on fire.

The construction has divided villagers facing submergence in Medak and those elsewhere that want a solution to their water problems. A large police force has been deployed in Medak and surrounding districts to prevent any untoward incidents. Congress MLA Jivan Reddy demanded a judicial commission to set a framework for compensation to the farmers. Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao said, We are offering higher compensation than in the Land Acquisition Act. As per existing rate, they wont get even Rs 3 lakh per acre as per the Act but we are offering them up to Rs 10 lakh besides a 2BHK house.
I have complained to the Chief Minister and demanded his immediate ouster," she claimed. (Photo: Representational Image)

Mumbai: A woman doctor from Jalgaon district has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging she was "harassed" by the state Health Minister Deepak Sawant's Personal Secretary, a charge denied by the official.

Sawant's Personal Secretary (PS) Sunil Mali has rubbished her charges stating it as a "conspiracy to defame him".

The 26-year-old doctor had recently claimed to have fully digitised a primary health centre (PHC), in terms of equipment and data, at Patonda village in Jalgaon district of the state.

"Mali asked inappropriate and personal questions from me for around two hours in the minister's ante-chamber, when I went to Sawant to give him a presentation on replicating her project across 1,800 PHCs across the state," the doctor alleged.

"In March, during the Budget session, I had given a presentation to Sawant to replicate the project across the state's 1,800 PHCs. After the presentation, the minister's PS

Sunil Mali kept me in the minister's ante-chamber for about two hours and asked me about my personal life against my wishes," she alleged.

"He tried to convince me that everyone needs a godfather in the government to get their projects implemented.

I have complained to the Chief Minister and demanded his immediate ouster," she claimed.

Asked why she did not raise the issue for three months, the doctor said she feared that she would be transferred from the Patonda PHC.

"Now when some people have come forward to complain against him for his alleged involvement in corruption in transfer of officials, I mustered up the courage to speak up," she said.

Meanwhile, Mali said, "It is a conspiracy to defame me. All allegations levelled against me are baseless."
New Delhi: In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, where political pundits are predicting Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party will make a comeback, the BJP is making a systematic effort to create a dent in the BSPs support base and project itself as the protector of dalit interests while highlighting the BSP supremos flaws. While upper castes are the BJPs core votebank, dalits are numerically a strong votebank in UP.

The BJPs strategy to woo dalits includes dalit outreach events and associating with dalit identity. The Narendra Modi governments initiatives to commemorate dalit icon B.R. Ambedkars legacy are part of this strategy.

The ongoing Dhamma Chetna Yatra by Buddhist monks, in which they talk about Buddhism, Ambedkar and the governments initiatives for the community, is also part of this strategy.

Dalits or Scheduled Castes comprise around 21 per cent of the total population in UP, where Assembly elections are due early next year. But on a larger scale, the BJP has actively tasked its dalit leaders in the state to reach out to dalit intellectuals and highlight the flaws of the BSP and the style of functioning of its supremo, Mayawati.

These sessions are being held till the district level and the party feels that its electoral prospects could increase if its good work for the community is promoted by the community members themselves.
Hyderabad: The Centre has stepped in to resolve the row over bifurcation of common institutions listed under Schedules IX and X of the AP Reorganisation Act between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It has summoned officials of both states to Delhi on June 21 to break the deadlock over bifurcation of institutions.

The Centre is planning to set up a committee for bifurcation, which Telangana opposes. The meeting convened by the Union home ministry assumes significance as it is the first to be called after the Supreme Court ruled in the AP State Council of Higher Education case in March that the assets and liabilities of institutions listed in Schedule X should be shared 52:48 on the basis of the population of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The council is one of the 107 Schedule X institutions, most of which are located in Hyderabad. The home ministry has invited secretaries of the State Reorganisation Cell and resident commissioners of both the states.

Senior IAS officers, L. Premchandra Reddy and S. Ramakrishna Rao, will attend the meeting on behalf of AP and Telangana as secretaries of SRC.

Infographic

After the Supreme Court judgement in March, Andhra Pradesh had written several times to Telangana for bifurcation of the Schedule X institutions. As there was no response, Andhra Pradesh approached the Centre.

The Telangana government argues that the Supreme Court judgement is limited only to the education council. It is unwilling to share the institutions with Andhra Pradesh on the ground that a review petition is pending.

The Centre wants to resolve the issue as the Andhra Pradesh government has started moving its administration to Amaravati and Andhra Pradesh wants it settled the transfer is complete in October.
I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure India will become a member of NSG this year. NSG entry is crucial for India., says Swaraj.

New Delhi: With foreign secretary S. Jaishankar making a secret visit to China on June 16 and 17 to convince Beijing to drop its opposition to Indias NSG membership push ahead of the crucial NSG meeting in Seoul that is expected on June 24, India on Sunday said China was not opposing its entry and had only spoken about procedure, while New Delhi announced it would not oppose any countys entry into the NSG, including Pakistan.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said New Delhi had no role in Pakistans NSG application since it (India) was not a member, but added every countrys membership application should be judged on its merits.

She also said Mr Jaishankar had conveyed to Beijing it should focus on Indias credentials in non-proliferation instead of just the criteria for admission. She added she was confident that India would be able to convince China and a consensus is evolving on Indias membership.

The minister said the South China Sea issue was not discussed during Mr Jaishankars visit but added that Japan had become a permanent participant in the Malabar exercises along with India and the US. India fully well realises that its dreams of joining the 48-nation NSG group will be shattered if China continues to oppose its entry.

Russia too is backing India in NSG

With foreign secretary S. Jaishankar making a secret visit to China on June 16 and 17 to convince Beijing to drop its opposition to Indias NSG membership push ahead of the crucial NSG meeting in Seoul that is expected on June 24, India on Sunday said China was not opposing its entry and had only spoken about procedure, New Delhi is relying on quiet diplomacy away from the media glare to press its case with Beijing.

Speculation is rife that India may attempt to work out an informal deal with China, with New Delhi indicating it is not opposed to Pakistans entry. But whether Indias bid to get China to relent will bear fruit or not seems to be the million-dollar question.

There are also reports that Russia is actively backing Indias candidature, with just days to go for the Seoul meeting. As the NSG meeting date nears, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms Swaraj may also personally reach out to the Chinese leadership.

China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to NSG, Ms Swaraj said.

I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure India will become a member of NSG this year, she said, adding: The NSG entry is crucial for Indias energy policy. She further added: Im myself in contact with 23 nations, while 1 or 2 raised concerns, I think a consensus is there.

The minister said as far as Pakistans entry is concerned, India, being a non-member of NSG, cannot comment on its entry. But we will not oppose entry of any nation to NSG, she said.
Hyderabad: Collectors who had earlier proposed 23 districts for the state, will come up with a detailed report adding three more. The proposals will be submitted to the chief secretary on Monday during a review to be held on the delimitation of districts.

The new districts are proposed to be created on Dasara. Except for two or three, most collectors have completed their search for land required for new offices, and plans to utilise existing offices in the proposed districts.

Nalgonda officials, for example, have identified 70,000 square feet of office space in Bhuvanagiri for the proposed Yadadri district. Officials have also identified 30 acres near Bhuvanagiri ITI and at Suryapet for both the proposed districts.

Infographic

A temporary collectorate will be set up at the Bhuvanagiri municipality for the Yadadri district, and the DSPs office will be converted into the SPs office for the proposed district, a source said.

The source said Bhuvanagiri had an indoor stadium with about 3,000 sq. ft, 4,000 sq. ft at the TTD function hall, 2,500 sq. ft at the old CC bank, 1,800 sq.ft at the Meena-nagar library, 40,000 sq. ft at a local office and other buildings.

Ranga Reddy officials have proposed the TB Hospital located at Anantagiri Hills for the collectorate of the proposed Vikarabad district.

Officials have identified 100 acres for the construction of government buildings.

In Nizamabad district, officials have prepared a report on the details of government buildings at Kamareddy. The collectorate will be located at the Minority Bhavan at Kamareddy.

Karimnagar officials have identified existing buildings for the proposed Jagityal and Sircilla districts. The 4,997 staff at Karimnagar will be divided among Karimnagar (1,677), Jagityal (1,670) and Sircilla (1,650).

Police to undergo district split pangs

Police chiefs at district levels are preparing proposals for the bifurcation of staff including Civil and Armed Reserve for the new districts. As the government has proposed to create new mandals and revenue divisions, the police has had to increase posts including sub-divisional police officer and new police stations taking the mandal as a unit along with the increasing posts of station house officers.

Ranga Reddy district would lose some police stations as the government has proposed to bifurcate the Cyberabad police commissionerate. Mahbubnagar district has nearly 2,200 civil police and 800 AR personnel in 74 police stations in 64 revenue mandals.

Two revenue sub-divisions, and 11 mandals will be created and the police is pre-paring proposals for additional staff for the three proposed districts  Mahbub-nagar, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy.

The Ranga Reddy collector, SP and Cyberabad police commissioner have prepared proposals for staff bifurcation. The Adilabad collector has sent a proposal to consider Bellampally as a new district to be called Mancherial. He said that Bellampally was being considered as a police district.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandra-sekhar Rao is likely to visit the US for the first time in July to seek investments for Telangana. His son and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao had recently toured the US for two weeks and met industry heads who expressed their willingness to set up their operations in the state and to sign MoUs.

The CMs trip is being planned to finalise and sign these MoUs. CMO sources said Mr Rama Rao had briefed the CM about the response that his US trip had evoked among prominent industrialists and corporates. The investment proposals could materialise if the CM himself visited the US, met them personally and signed MoUs, he said.

The CM has never visited the US so far. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao obtained a passport and went abroad only after he became CM in June 2014. He has visited Singapore, Malaysia and China. He had applied for a US diplomatic visa and obtained it in December 2014 but did not travel.
Refugees from Pakistan who live in India hold the Indian flag as they gather for a protest on Pakistan s Independence Day in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: The Government is coming out with a policy on accepting foreign refugees from persecuted minorities (in Indias neighbourhood and beyond) and this will comprise not just Hindus but also other minorities like Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday.

She made the comment in response to questions on the killings of Hindus and threats received by them in Bangladesh. She, however, lauded the Bangladesh Government for their efforts to tackle the crimes.

The attacks are unfortunate, she said, adding that the Bangladesh Government is leaving no stone unturned to tackle these crimes, with about 3,000 people having been apprehended.

When asked whether India would open its doors only for persecuted Hindus, she said the Government was making a refugee policy that would include all those refugees who belong to persecuted minorities in their country and not just Hindus.

Swaraj silent on Cabinet reshuffle

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday refused to be drawn into speculation regarding the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle and whether she would like to move on to another ministry or else stay on in the MEA, saying it was the Prime Ministers prerogative and that she would not like to comment on it.

She also released a book on the governments foreign policy achievements. Meanwhile, the 39 Indians, kidnapped by the dreaded ISIS in Iraq in June 2014, are still alive, she said, dismissing reports about their killing and insisting that efforts to trace them are on.
Akhila, Anjuna and Advika being received by their family and Congress leaders outside Kannur prison on Saturday, after the sisters were granted bail. (Photo: DC)

KANNUR: A nationwide outrage against sending two Dalit sisters and an 18-month-old baby has led to their release on conditional bail. Akhila, 30, and Anjuna, 25, daughters of INTUC leader N. Rajan, were remanded on Friday and sent to the womens cell of the Kannur Central Prison. Ms Akhilas daughter Advika was also with them.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairperson Dr P.L. Punia said he would seek a report from the DGP as well as the SP, while top Congress leaders and Dalit rights activists protested, both online and offline. Thalassery chief judicial first class magistrate court granted them bail on the condition that they should report to the nearby police station every week and surrender their passports.

The attack on the Dalit sisters calling their caste and the arrest and jailing along with an infant is shocking. The police officers behind this act, where the victims were jailed, will be brought before the law, said Dr Punia. DGP Loknath Behera sought a report from North Zone ADGP Sudesh Kumar. Mr Kumar, who is away, said he had directed the IG and the SP to probe the matter personally, and he would take over the investigation as soon as he is back.

The sisters, from Kuttimakkool near Thalassery, were detained on a complaint by DYFI Thiruvangad East Village Committee joint-secretary Shijil, who said the women entered the party office on June 11 and attacked him. However, the sisters say they only questioned the CPM workers, when they insulted them while they were passing by from the party office on the second floor of the building.

The bail was granted on a petition by Mr Rajan on Saturday. Rajans family said the women were called to the police station under the pretext of recording their statements in a case they filed, and they were taken to Kannur Second Class Magistrate court, and from there to the womens cell.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, who visited the sisters, said it was unfortunate that the Chief Minister is still unaware of the incident. Earlier, Congress leader K. Sudhakaran and K.C. Joseph MLA visited them in jail.
Bhopal: As many as 240 VVIPs including Chief Justice of India T S Thakur and other judges of the apex court along with their spouses were served dinner in silver crockery and presented gifts worth several lakhs of rupees by Madhya Pradesh government during a programme here in April this year.

All the invitees were given the status of "State Guest" during the period of their stay to attend the programme, which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee, according to information received in response to an RTI query filed by social activist Ajay Dubey.

A payment of Rs 6.94 lakh was made by the state government for the dinner hosted on April 14 during the 'Judges' Retreat' programme. About Rs 3.57 lakh was paid for silver crockery and Rs 3.37 lakh for food, according to the file notings provided by the government.

Traditionally, arrangements for dinner hosted by the government on occasions like these are made by Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Board. However, as per instructions from Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, quotations were invited and it was decided to engage a reputed caterer from Indore, the file notings said. Silver crockery was arranged to suit stature of the programme's attendees, it said.

A bill of Rs 3,17,270 was also approved for the retreat to meet expenditure incurred on high tea and gifts etc, the file notings said.

"All the judges and their spouses were given dinner in silver crockery and gifts at the cost of tax payers' money. We are not against dinner but unnecessary expenses on silver crockery and gifts," said Dubey.

In reply to another RTI query filed by Dubey, the National Judicial Academy (NJA) has asked him to define 'hospitality' as a prerequisite for disclosure of details of expenses incurred on the programme.

The President had on April 16 formally inaugurated the 4-day 'Fourth Retreat of the Judges of the Supreme Court' at the academy, which is a Union government-funded training institute for Judicial Officers.
Parents continued their protest for the second day in front of St. Andrews School in Old Boinpally.(Representational image)

Hyderabad: Hyderabad collector Rahul Bojja said on Saturday that he would direct the district education officer to take stock of the situation at St. Andrews and Amrita Vidyalayam schools against whom parents have been protesting.

Commenting on private school charging exorbitant fees, he said the government was working on a policy to address the issue. While in St. Andrews the issue was about barring parents from entering for more than 20 minutes after the closing bell was rung, at Amrita Vidyalayam, 27 students were issued transfer certificates after their parents protested against excess fees.

Meanwhile, parents continued their protest for the second day in front of St. Andrews School in Old Boinpally. They demanded the management to revise the timings for handing over children to their parents and also to tender an apology for closing gates from inside even while parents were trying to talk to staff on Friday.

Tension prevailed with a large crowd assembling by afternoon. Police had to control the situation after a scuffle broke out when parents did not allow the gate of the school to be opened.
Anjuna is sensitive unlike us and was deeply upset when her friends called up after seeing the comments.  Akhisha, Victims younger sister

KANNUR: The Dalit woman who was bailed out on Saturday from a womens prison in Kannur along with her sister, attempted to commit suicide late on Saturday night. She is currently in the intensive care unit of Indira Gandhi Cooperative hospital, Thalassery. Anjuna, 25, daughter of INTUC leader N. Rajan, Kunuyil House, Kutti-makkool, tried to end her life, allegedly upset over the remarks made by a woman leader from the DYFI and negative comments on social media. She was earlier remanded along with her elder sister Akhila Vikas, 30, in prison.

Kannur District police chief Sanjay Kumar Gurudin said that a case will be registered for abetting suicide, if someone from the family files a complaint. Along with the complaint, a statement from Ms Anjuna is also to be taken. However, she is currently not in a position to talk. He submitted the report on the issue to the DGP on Sunday. Mr Gurudin told this newspaper that the report was purely on the issue and not did not focus on the case.

Anjunas younger sister Akhisha said that Anjuna was very upset with a debate on a TV channel and social media comments portraying them as quotation gangs. She is sensitive unlike us and was deeply upset when her friends called up after seeing the comments. I found her unconscious and immediately took her to the hospital, said Akhisha

However, Kannur district panchayat vice-president P.P. Divya stood by her comments on a channel on Saturday night. She had referred to the sisters as public nuisance and members of a quotation gang. They were not my views, but the sentiments of the locals. Even during the UDF rule, cases were registered against them. There were incidents where they attacked the neighbours. That time, no cases were registered since they were also relatives, said Ms Divya.

Former MP Mullappally Ramachandran, Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, DCC president K. Surendran, former minister A.P. Anil Kumar and Mahila Congress state president Bindu Krishna visited Anjuna at the hospital. The sisters were jailed for attacking DYFI Thiruvangad East village Committee joint secretary Shijil, after entering the party office. However, they said that Shijil and others called them caste names and they just questioned them.
Bengaluru: The developments over cabinet reshuffle in New Delhi has left many loyal Congressmen flummoxed back home. Many legislators and ministers who were not happy with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's style of functioning were under the impression that his wings would be clipped by the high command. But Saturday's developments in Delhi proved otherwise and seem to have given a boost to Kuruba strongman's image.

On Friday night, party top leaders had sent back Mr Siddaramaiah, asking him to evolve a consensus on his list of ministers. He worked behind the scenes to make it happen and got the blessings of the top leadership to go ahead with the reshuffle. The chief minister's first list did not have the names of Mr M. Krishnappa, Mr Kagodu Thimmappa and Mr M.R. Seetharam, but were recommended by the party seniors, sources said.

But the biggest surprise for his detractors was the high command's approval to Mr Siddaramaiah's plan to drop 14 ministers and induct the same number. Till Friday evening, even the CM's camp was not sure whether the high command would accept his plan. But, when he disclosed it before party president Sonia Gandhi during Saturday's meeting, she did not oppose it. Mr Siddaramaiah operated cleverly by using the clout of AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Digvijay Singh, to get an appointment with Mrs Gandhi and also get the plan approved, the sources said.

In the final list, Mr Siddaramaiah had a say in dropping 7-8 ministers and picking a similar number, which proved his dominance in the party. Sources said that he might have a say in the appointment of new KPCC chief too, sources said.

Jarkiholi exit sends shockwaves in Belagavi

The possibility of Small Scale Industries Minister, Satish Jarkiholi making way for his brother, Ramesh Jarkiholi in the cabinet has sent shock waves in political circles here as the former has dominated the districts politics for over a decade.

But seeming unfazed, Mr Satish Jarkiholi said he was prepared to accept the high commands decision and wished his brother well as minister. His supporters, however, made their displeasure clear, protesting in his hometown of Gokak and Belagavi and calling his ouster an injustice done to a popular and hard working minister.

According to sources, a group of ministers close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had successfully ruined his relationship with Mr Satish some years ago, lobbied for Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi, though he is not a popular leader of Belagavi and managed to have him inducted.

But many believe the removal of Mr Satish from the Cabinet could prove a setback for the Congress in Belagavi where most party candidates in the past depended on him for their victories.

It is unfair if Satish is being sacked because two of its candidates were defeated in the recent council polls from north west teachers and graduates constituencies. He will now stay away from mainstream politics in Belagavi and this could be a big gain for the BJP," said a close associate of the minister, K Ravi.

Kimmane takes FB route, thanks friends

Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Kimmane Rathnakar, who could face the axe in Sundays Cabinet reshuffle, took to Facebook to respond.

Thanking his friends for worrying about his future in the ministry for the past two or three days, he said he had received many phonecalls and messages from his well wishers.

 I am grateful for their concern My opponents have called me a white collared politician and other names. But I fought and won. I am not interested in retaining power, the minister wrote.

 I have tried my best to ensure justice apolitically, but some decisions may have been indigestible to some persons. I came to be known as egoistic because of my straightforwardness. But I also got pats on the back for being fair and sincere. The system has given me opportunities. I have done my job responsibly and I express my heartfelt thanks to those who helped my progress, he added, signing off his FB post with, Your eternal friend, Kimmane Rathnakar.

The minister, was not available for comment when contacted.
The chairman of the standing committee said that the panel had, in an earlier report submitted three years ago, recommended reducing the time between enforcement of the model code and the day of polling. (Image for representational purpose only)

New Delhi: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for polls is under review by a Parliamentary Committee, which will suggest ways to check use of cash and other freebies to lure voters during the elections.

"We have begun an exercise to study the working of the Model Code of Conduct. The Committee is visiting three states to talk to various stake holders about it. Soon we will cover other states too," said E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, chairman of Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.

He said the panel had, in an earlier report submitted three years ago, recommended reducing the time between enforcement of the model code and the day of polling. "It is now for the government and Election commission to work on that proposition," he said.

Natchiappan said the panel has suggested that the MCC should come into force from the date of notification and not the announcement of election schedule.

"It (the proposal) is pending with the government. It is to be looked into quickly to avoid the frustration of people over non-implementation of the recommendation of the Committee for the past three years," he said.

The Committee has also decided to suggest ways to check distribution of cash and freebies ahead of the polls. The move comes after it took cognizance of the cancellation of polls in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies in Tamil Nadu recently following evidence of use of money and gifts to influence the voters.

"This will be an exercise to protect democracy and fair play and to ensure people's faith in the election process. It is for the Parliamentary Standing Committee to suggest ways to check distribution of cash and freebies during the elections after an in depth study and interactions with stakeholders," Natchiappan said.

He said the observers appointed by the Centre face certain hurdles and the panel will discuss with stakeholders ways to ensure fair elections.

"The central government appoints observers for a poll bound state to check such activities. But at times things can be beyond their control for the fact that they are outsiders and may not know the local ways of distribution of cash, freebies and other irregularities.

"We will work on ways to ensure that the democratic process in the world's largest democracy is conducted without any allegations of rigging and in a fair manner," said Natchiappan, a Rajya Sabha member from Tamil Nadu.

He said the panel had last year tabled its report in both Houses of Parliament which favoured holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

"From media reports we know t he government is seriously considering the recommendation. But the final call has to be taken by Parliament and the government after a wider debate," he said.

Natchiappan, whose term as MP ends later this month, said the panel will meet on June 28 to decide on submission of its findings.
Chennai: Tamil Maanila Congress on Sunday demanded that the Tamil Nadu government bring out a timetable with details of how it planned to close liquor outlets in a phased manner, as promised by the ruling AIADMK.

"People of Tamil Nadu are expecting closure of all TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) outlets. I request the government to come with a timetable giving details of closure of all TASMAC outlets in a phased manner in the state," TMC president G K Vasan told reporters here.

He was responding to a query on the AIADMK government's announcement to shut 500 liquor shops with effect from today.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the run up to the May 16 Assembly polls had promised that prohibition would be implemented in a phased manner in Tamil Nadu.

After winning the elections, she first ordered reduction of the business hours of TASMAC outlets. She had also directed closure of 500 retail outlets.

Tamil Maanila Congress is part of the People Welfare's front, comprising MDMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Left Parties, which fought the May 16 polls.
Noida: Shrugging off cries of outrage and allegations from the opposition holding him responsible for RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not continue with his post, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Sunday asserted that he did not care what the others said, as Rajan was government's employee, adding that he was a Congress 'agent' bent on sabotaging the Indian economy.

Swamy said that Rajan's decision only proved what he had always suspected, that the RBI Governor had been working in tandem with the Congress as their 'agent' since the BJP-led Centre came to power.

"He sabotaged our economy by trying to put all the small, medium industries out of business. And as you know the small and medium industries give employment to the semi-skilled workers, who come from agricultural sectors and poor rural areas," Swamy said.

He further alleged that Rajan had the complete support of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other 'sycophants' to sabotage the economy as he was an agent of the grand old party.

"I could not earlier say that he was an agent. Now after Rahul's remarks, I can say that he was a saboteur in our government. Who cares what the opposition says, he was our employee and we sent him home. This is not a popularity contest," Swamy added.

He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'withstanding international and media pressure' and for standing his ground and declining a second term to Rajan.

Following Rajan's announcement, Rahul Gandhi took a shot at the Centre saying that Prime Minister Modi did not need experts like Rajan since he already knew 'everything'.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows everything. He has no need for experts like Raghuram Rajan," Rahul said in a series of tweets.

Asserting that it was people like him who made India great, Rahul thanked Rajan for steering the Indian economy in difficult times.

Meanwhile, expressing disappointment over Rajan's decision former home minister P. Chidambaram asserted that this was clearly India's loss and lashed out at the Centre for inviting this development.

"I am disappointed and profoundly saddened by the decision of Dr Raghuram Rajan to leave the RBI on completion of his term on September 4, 2016, but I hasten to add that I am not surprised at all," Chidambaram said in a statement.

Rajan announced that he would return to the academic world at the end of his term on September 4, 2016, adding he will always be available to serve his country when needed and asserted that his 'successor' would take the nation to new heights.

Rajan is currently on leave from the Chicago Booth School of Business where he holds the post of Distinguished Service Professor of Finance.

Swamy, who has been one of the chief critics of Rajan, welcomed the latter's decision and said that he was not even getting a second term in the first place.

Swamy said that Rajan made this decision in order to save his self respect.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Centre respected Rajan's decision and appreciated the 'good work' done by him, adding that his successor would be announced 'shortly'.
Mysuru: Senior Congress leader V. Srinivasprasad who is upset over being dropped from the Cabinet, said he would henceforth stay away from the party leadership, government and even organizational activities. He would remain neutral for now and would shortly decide his next move.

Siddaramaiah entered politics by chance, he has the habit of forgetting those who helped him. He doesnt seem to be concerned about the party, but is keen on completing his tenure, realising that a Dalit will be given an opportunity to become the next CM, he said.

I had not expected this. Though I and CM are from the same place (Mysuru) and from neighbouring constituencies, he did not give me even a clue on dropping me which is what has hurt me, he said.

Siddaramaiah did not have money or peoples support when he got into politics. He even contested GP elections against Shivabasappa. It was I who brought Siddaramaiah to Ahinda convention. I feel it was a mistake to bring him into the party. At one point when Siddaramaiah decided not to contest elections, it was I who made him contest. Are there no supporters of mine in Siddaramaiahs constituency? I would also like to ask Mr Kharge if it was right for him to induct his son by omitting a Dalit Minister? In fact I did not support the demand for a Dalit CM for Siddaramaiahs sake, he said.
Five decades after it came into being, where does the Shiv Sena stand today? The Sena, which turned a half-century on Sunday, is in power in Maharashtra, but as a junior partner; it controls the countrys richest civic body, Brihan-mumbai Municipal Corporation, and it has strength in smaller towns like Thane, Pune and Nashik. But how does this compare with other regional outfits like Trinamul Congress, TD and TNs Dravidian parties? Has the Sena managed to fulfil the main objectives for which it was set up? On June 19, 1966, a group of people  18, according to one account  gathered at Bal Thackerays home and broke a coconut, and the Sena was born.

It began as a movement to protect the rights of sons of the soil, Bombays Marathi-speaking people; it wanted them to get preference in public and private sector jobs. Other conditions were laid down for anyone to be part of the Sena: They had to take an oath that they would help each other, they wouldnt sell property to a non-Marathi speaker, buy goods from Marathi shopkeepers and boycott Udupi restaurants (as South Indian restaurants were called). The oath for a sainik also included a resolve to learn English and cast away laziness.

Maharashtra was born in 1960 after a protracted bloody struggle, in which over 100 people died in police firing. Six years later, there was a growing feeling that Marathi speakers were still no better off and that outsiders were in control of the economy. High finance and petty trade were in the hands of Gujaratis, the restaurant business totally monopolised by South Indians and the private sector was a mix in which Maharashtrians got only the lowest jobs.

Soon, his storm troopers,began beating up lungiwallas (South Indians) and bhaiyyas (North Indians) as well as barging into offices demanding that Maharashtrians be hired. The Sena was also against Gujaratis and that faultline has remained to this day. Soon the Sena also began attacking Communists, who controlled the citys mill workers class. It has long been said that the Sena was backed by Bombays capitalists who were afraid that a West Bengal-like situation would emerge in the nations commercial capital.

The Congress, under V.P. Naik, was happy to look the other way; and it may have even tacitly backed the Sena. The Sena grew from strength to strength, but it took three decades for it to win power at the state level. Though the party had captured the municipal corporation in the city, Bal Thackeray just couldnt spread his network outside Bombay Even the victory in the state elections was in an alliance with the BJP. That has been a big failing of the Sena, that has remained a nativist party and not a bona fide regional one. It shifted from being just pro-Marathi to a Hindutva party in 1990s, but even that hasnt yielded benefits in the hinterland.

There are many reasons for this, but put simply, the Sena has nothing to offer rural Maharashtra: its violent tactics of little use in places where the core issues are different. Under Bal Thackeray, the party continued to grow, but after he died political pundits felt his son Uddhav, an altogether less fiery personality, wouldnt be able to keep the party intact; and there was a real danger that the flock would move in large numbers to cousin Raj Thackeray, who displayed all the aggression of his uncle. But Raj Thackeray flattered to deceive and the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray has held intact. He has shown keen political acumen and work under the BJP, that now dominates Maharashtra.

True to form, the Sena gets its own back by constantly sniping at its ally. But the satisfaction of hurling a barb can only be temporary. The Sena has to ask itself some fundamental questions: Are the states Marathi manoos better off than they were 50 years ago? Has the Sena got them a better deal? Theres a good chance the party will do well in the coming Mumbai civic elections. Any party must expand, otherwise it withers away. It cant sit on past glories, nor keep deploying the same methods as it did years ago. Marathi youngsters want jobs, not promises.

The BJP is making inroads among the Marathi manoos and has been increasing its voteshare. Its success can only be at the Senas cost As it celebrates the past, the Sena would do well to start thinking of the future  does it want to remain a Mumbai-based party or turn into a serious political player whose voice counts beyond its own backyard.
The glass ceiling has been broken significantly with three women fighter pilots commissioned into the Indian Air Force. After 150 hours of training, they will soon be in the cockpits of advanced fighters like Sukhois and Mirages. India isnt the first country to allow women in such roles, even if theyre likely to remain on non-combat duty for some time. Such a mindset may not be appreciated in Israel, where women perform all kinds of combat duties, as well as in the US.

Women have been in Pakistans military since 1947, and for 10 years been pilots, with one said to be combat-ready. The breakthrough in India is a fine strike for gender equality, provided it doesnt descend into mere tokenism. The numbers are very small now, and the armed forces must make way for more women in strategic roles if true equality is desired, and not just in the medical corps or as Army lawyers.

There are reports that roles for women in the Army are shrinking, despite the doors being thrown open to them in 1992. The Army is said to be short of 9,000 women officers, and while this looks alarming, it must be seen in the backdrop of the armed forces struggling to find suitable candidates, among men too. A soldiers life, with its rigorous discipline, is not the most attractive career choice. One option might be to throw open the forces for women in all roles, only of course if they qualify to take up the challenge.
Time will tell if India is the loser with Raghuram Rajans decision to return to the world of academia after his term as RBI governor ends in September. It will also reveal if India is still the most attractive investment destination among emerging markets. But the events that led to Dr Rajans decision is a definite blot on the Narendra Modi government. The way it turned a deaf ear to the manner one of its MPs tried to denigrate Dr Rajan makes it equally culpable. To question Dr Rajans nationalism over his US green card was despicable, to say the least.

The statistics on Indians with green cards and those in queue is telling: 85 per cent of 234,000 people waiting for this US document are Indians. In the past decade, 279,000 Indians sought green cards. Does it make all of them anti-national, suspect or having hearts that dont beat for India? The number of Indians who already have green cards runs into several thousands, with some top industrialists not only possessing these cards but also making sure their children are born in the US so that they automatically become US citizens.

The entire thing smacks of irrationality, specially in the context of Dr Rajans contribution to stabilising the economy and the rupee. Dr Rajan gave a very dignified response when he said earlier his nationalism was seen in his love for his work  he used the word karmayogi. There is some reason to suspect that those affected by Dr Rajans relentless efforts to clean up the banks are behind his exit. As Prime Minister Modi said in another context about those opposing him, he had deprived them of their sweets, and hence the protests.

Dr Rajan could well say the same. Those deprived of using the banks as their personal fiefdoms, whether as customers or within bank management, had been deprived of their sweets due to the reforms he had initiated within the banking system. Also, the appointment of a Bank Board Bureau with top professionals to assist in cleaning up the balance sheets of banks made life even more difficult for all those used to milking the system.

While its perfectly true that no individual is indispensable in any system, Dr Rajans contribution was commendable. He saw the nation through one of the gravest global crises, brought stability to the rupee, ushered in bank reforms, promoted payments banks and mobile banking, to name just a few things. As any economist or anyone who knows how a government is run is aware, monetary policy alone cant cure all the ills of an economy. There must be efficient fiscal decisions too, and both should work in tandem if the economy has to grow.
My favourite place in the world is by the sea. I can sit for hours watching the rhythmic calm of the sea which I find to be meditative and energising. Perhaps this is what engineering pioneer, Frenchman Girard and his son also reflected on in 1799 when they developed the first wave energy generator. They, like others that followed them, were not interested in the meditative energy, of course, they were interested in electricity! Since then, a lot has happened on harnessing the potential energy of the waves.

Yoshio Masuda, a former Japanese navy officer, may be regarded as the father of modern wave energy technology, doing research in Japan since the 1940s. He developed a navigation buoy powered by wave energy, equipped with an air turbine, which was named an oscillating water column. These buoys were commercialized in Japan in 1965, and later in USA. A renewed interest in wave energy was motivated by the oil crisis in 1973. Englishman Stephen Salter's 1974 invention, known as Salter's duck or nodding duck, could stop 90% of wave motion and could convert 90% of that to electricity giving 81% efficiency. In Japan, Masuda promoted the construction, in 1976, of a much larger device, a barge measuring 80m x 12m, named Kaimei, used as a floating testing platform housing several oscillating water columns equipped with different types of air turbines.

In the 1980s, as the oil price went down, wave-energy funding was drastically reduced. Nevertheless, engineering and prototype developments continued. More recently, thanks to growing awareness to climate change, there is again a growing interest for renewable energy, including wave energy.

The world's first marine energy test facility was established in 2003 to kickstart the development of a wave and tidal energy industry in the UK. Based in Orkney, Scotland, the European Marine Energy Centre has supported the deployment of more wave and tidal energy devices than at any other single site in the world. Its grid connected wave test site is situated, on the western edge of the Orkney mainland, and is subject to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean with seas as high as 19 metres recorded at the site.

In the first week of June this year, Gibraltar made history with the connection of its new wave power project, an array of ocean energy converters from the Israeli company, Eco Wave Power. Though small in size, it is the first clean power plant of its kind in the EU. When fully built out, the plant is expected to meet 15% of Gibraltars electricity demand. The company claims that the Gibraltar array is the first grid-connected, multi-unit wave power plant in Europe, to operate under the terms of a commercial power purchase agreement.

Drew Barrymore said, I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows, and this consistency of waves is what makes wave energy promising. But there are two challenges to overcome  salt water corrosion, and the ability to handle a combination of high wind and high seas. These two factors are a big reason why wave power has not scaled up as quickly as solar and wind energy. But it seems that all this is changing.

The next couple of years should be big for wave energy technology around the world. Besides Eco Wave Power which is gearing up for 111 megawatts worth of projects in the near future, the US Navy has also been quite active with a free-floating buoy-based system called the StingRAY, developed by Columbia Power Technologies.

John Burroughs will be smiling happily, as he watches all these developments, because, in 1916 he had said, The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, waves, the suns heat, and so forth.
Nubra constituency in Ladakh shares its borders with both China and Pakistan. The charming valley, partially opened to tourism, is one of the most strategic spots of Indias northern borders. Last fortnight, it was in the news for quite a different reason. An English daily reported the local MLA felt ashamed on seeing the development on the other side of the Line of Actual Control. The MLA, Deldan Namgyal, told the newspaper the Chinese and Pakistani villages across the LAC along Ladakhs scenic Nubra valley are electrified and enjoy better facilities, and the Chinese Army has been taunting border villagers to move to China. He added: Unless there are immediate developments and the quality of life gets better on the Indian side, the borders will not be safe.

Mr Namgyal has a point. Infrastructure, roads, electricity and the communications network is amazing on the other side, he says. The irony is that the Chinese (Army) keeps suggesting to the sarpanch in Demchok to join China rather than sitting with India. What could be more humiliating than this? Whether it is true is difficult to say, but it certainly points to something which could become a serious problem if not tackled wisely and quickly. In April, the Daily Excelsior spoke of local discontent in Demchok, the last Ladakhi village in southeast Ladakh: Frustrated with the Chinese Armys frequent intervention and objections over carrying out any kind of development activities near the border, the inhabitants of Demchok village have demanded resettlement.

What has so far been the strength of the Indian position is the deep-rooted nationalism of the population living on the borders, whether in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand or Ladakh. According to Excelsior, residents of 39 households have been on dharna after the Chinese Army raised objections over villagers laying a pipeline from the hot spring to their village for drinking water. Villagers sitting around the national flag decided to set up a tent on the banks of the Demchok nallah, that marks the Sino-India border. Later a delegation led by sarpanch Rigzin Tanges gave a memorandum to the deputy commissioner in Leh.

The problem is that the Peoples Liberation Army is advancing in the region. Before 2008, a villager told the Jammu-based publication: No PLA post was existed at Demchok and only routine patrolling was conducted from Chagchik post, located around 45 km from Demchok. In 2008, on the pretext of the Beijing Olympics, the PLA had established their post at Demchok. While the overall situation along the LAC with China is relatively stable, thanks to Army vigilance and regular meetings between military officials of the two sides at the two border meeting points (BMPs) at Chushul and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), the situation remains complex.

The ritual encounters are usually marked by saluting both nations flags, speeches and exchanges of greetings and good wishes. This, however, doesnt resolve the main problem, which is Chinas irredentism, whether it is in the South China Sea or on the Himalayan slopes. The Chinese Armys strategy seems to be to keep raising objections over trivial issues such as laying water pipes or building infrastructure on the Indian side of LAC, so that the matter of Demchok cannot be permanently settled. Perhaps just as critical for India is the deluge of Chinese tourists in Tibet. Last year, 20 million tourists visited the Tibetan Autonomous Region. This year, according to Lhasas tourism bureau, it got 176,100 tourists during the May Day holiday (April 30-May 2).

Bayi, located north of the Indias Arunachal Pradesh border, got more than 174,000 tourists from January to March 2016, up by 53.23 per cent. Bayi (or 8-1) means the area belongs to the PLA, whose anniversary falls on 8-1 (August 1). At the same time, western Tibet (opposite Ladakh) has seen a five-fold rise in visitors over a year.All this doesnt deter the Indian government from archaic policies like an antiquated Inner Line Permit that dates back to the Raj and still prevails in border areas. Will this ever change?

To welcome millions of tourists, Beijing is developing the infrastructure on the plateau at a rapid pace. Take the new railway between Chengdu and Lhasa. An English daily recently wrote: A colossal roller-coaster is how a senior engineer described it. He was talking about the railway China plans to build from the lowlands of the south-west, across the worlds most forbidding terrain, into Tibet.

A Xinhua article explains the importance of Chinese tourism for Indias security. Titled Across China: Heavenly road brings the high life to Tibetan Plateau, it refers to National Highway 219, known in India as the Aksai Chin road.

Xinhua says: It is the melon season in neighbouring Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, fresh fruit is stacked up at the roadside, waiting to be ferried through the Kunlun Mountains and up to the plateau along the Xinjiang-Tibet highway. This road not only links the two most strategic (and restive) provinces of China (Tibet and Xinjiang), but also helps tremendously to cut the cost of the PLAs operations on the border with India. Xinhua explains: With a safe, modern highway, transport costs from Yecheng to Ngari have fallen by 55 per cent, leading to 40 per cent cuts in the price of commodities in the Tibetan town. Better yet, the number of tourists in Ngari has surged fivefold. In other words, Chinas India front will get its supplies faster and cheaper.

It is time for New Delhi to wake up to what is happening on the other side of the LAC. This is specially important when the two fronts facing India (Ladakh and Arunachal) have been merged by the PLA into one western theatre command, greatly improving Chinas management of its borders with India. A few weeks ago, the Jammu and Kashmir government approved the construction of a 150-km long Chushul-Demchok road. But this proposal has now been sent to the National Board for Wildlife for clearance! And as usual in India, final clearance will take years, and construction will continue for decades.

In 2013, Thupstan Chhewang, Ladakh MP, said: If we say Ladakh is our territory, why does anyone who wants to go beyond Pangong have to get permission from New Delhi? Demchok should be opened for tourists. That will make our claim strong and help develop border areas. Will New Delhi have the foresight and the time to look into this issue, and perhaps do something about it. China, meanwhile, advances its pawns, slowly but surely.
At the July 2015 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at Ufa, it was decided to upgrade two observers  India and Pakistan  to full membership. The aspirations of another observer, Iran, were, however, kept on hold. This process is likely to be completed at the coming SCO summit in Tashkent on June 23-24. For SCO, this decision was a sign of increasing maturity and expression of a desire to play a larger role by reaching out to South Asia, that has been historically linked to Central Asia for at least two millennia. For India, the SCO decision adds to its consistent post-USSR policy of close political, economic and strategic ties with Central Asia.

Many analysts believe SCO is a political, military and economic alliance. Its foundations rest on Chinas move to settle its borders after the Soviet Unions collapse: the Agreement on Strengthening Confidence in the Military Field in Border Areas in 1996 between China and the new nations that shared its border: Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. This was followed in 1997 with the Agreement on Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in Border Areas. Later Uzbekistan, that doesnt have a border with China, was also inducted and the six countries adopted a Declaration of Creation of SCO in June 2001.

The goals, tasks and activities of SCO are thus primarily related to peace, security and stability. Regional economic and social cooperation is a secondary objective. In the SCO Charter, its first three goals and tasks are defined as: to strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good neighbourliness; to consolidate multi-disciplinary cooperation in maintenance and strengthening of peace, security and stability in the region; and to jointly counteract terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their manifestations. Article 10 of its charter is devoted to the establishment of a Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, based in Tashkent.

The SCO has also held large-scale military exercises since 2003. In 2007, the exercises in Russia were witnessed by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao. It is therefore evident that SCO is primarily a security and stability-related entity, but not a conventional defence alliance as it has no reference to collective security or to mutual assistance in the face of any external or internal threat. How membership of this quasi-defence alliance sits with Indias well-established policy of staying clear of any military alliances must be critically analysed by strategic experts.

In contrast, Saarc, the only other regional organisation of which India is a member, steers clear of any security activity or function. Its seven objectives enshrined in Article 1 of the charter adopted in 1985 dont even refer to security, peace or stability! The SCOs six founding members arent members of the nonaligned movement. The anti-West and anti-US bent of its two key members, China and Russia, is well known. India has to steer its interaction within SCO carefully so that SCO decisions dont adversely affect our friendly ties with other major powers.

Another important factor needs clarity. SCO was so far seen as an outfit focusing Central Asia. If two key South Asian countries are included, does SCOs core area expand to include South Asia too? Or will the inclusion of India and Pakistan only advance the legitimacy of their own interests and activities in Central Asia? Our preferred interpretation should be the latter, and SCOs focus should remain on Central Asia and Afghanistan, which is a bridge between Central and South Asia. Regarding Afghanistans security and stability, the SCO has done little beyond issuing strong statements, this despite the establishment of a SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group way back in 2005.

A question was raised on why China agreed to Indias inclusion. Russia has been a longtime advocate of Indias admission and as host country at Ufa it perhaps overrode any Chinese reservations. The Chinese consolation prize is the simultaneous membership of its all weather friend, Pakistan. There are two issues where developments will be keenly watched. One hopes there is no quid pro quo, and China will not push for membership of Saarc. Indias SCO membership will not in any way dilute the predominance of China and Russia in Eurasia due to their geographical proximity, economic strength and strategic heft. But China in Saarc would drastically dilute Indian influence in the South Asian body, and would have long-term adverse consequen-ces for us.

The second issue is Pakistans participation in RATS, in which members are expected to contribute to and share a database of terrorists and terrorist outfits. It is well known that the leadership and operatives of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and East Turkistan Islamic Movement have got sanctuary in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Theres a real possibility of information of operational value leaking to the terrorists through Pakistan. After all, the United States had deliberately shut Pakistan out from its operations against Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mansour for a reason. It is well known that Uzbek and Tajik intelligence agencies are wary of Pakistan, and have little confidence in Pakistans anti-terror protestations.

Indias membership of SCO will be charting a new course by both Indian diplomacy and anti-terror outfits. This will supplement Indias other initiatives to reach out to Central Asia through Chabahar port in Iran and the North-South Economic Corridor. For the SCO, membership of the largest democratic country as a member would enhance its credibility and recognition as an important player to push peace, security and stability in Central Asia.
He is the newest kid on the block and has made a spectacular entry into public life. Aditya Yadav, son of Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Singh Yadav and the newest member of the Yadav clan, is all set to make a formal entry into politics. His birthday this week gave enough indication of his debut in politics. Huge hoardings with his photograph and a tongue-twisting caption that screamed Adwitya Aditya (unparalleled Aditya) sprung up in Lucknow and set political circles buzzing. As soon as the hoardings came up on his birthday, he was flooded with bouquets from party leaders and workers who sensed the potential in him  almost overnight.

Aditya, who got married earlier this year, is already chairperson of the UP Cooperative Federation, a post that comes with ministerial rank, but he is known to keep a low profile and does not flaunt his status and clout. His biggest quality is that he also keeps a safe distance form family politics. If the grapevine is to be believed, Aditya Yadav will make a debut from Jaswant Nagar Assembly, a seat that his father now holds. With yet another addition to the Yadav clan, one can safely say the more, the merrier.

Congressmen on Tenterhooks

The appointment and resignation of Kamal Nath had put local Congressmen in Punjab on tenterhooks, apart from generating a controversy. Prior to Mr Naths appointment, Shakeel Ahmed was Punjab in-charge. As per the protocol, the local party unit was preparing for Rahul Gandhis dharna in Jalandhar against the drug menace.

The party unit splattered the town with hoardings and posters of Mr Gandhi along with Mr Ahmed for the dharna. However, to the surprise of local Congressmen, the party in-charge was changed at the last minute (a day before the proposed dharna). The local unit swung into action and tried to create new posters with the pictures of newly-appointed in-charge, Mr Nath. They were running against time and finding it difficult to replace the posters. However, as the controversy over the appointment of Mr Nath generated some heat, some seasoned leaders advised the state unit to go with the old posters with pictures of Mr Ahmed.

Naveen's goof-up

Believing media reports sometimes lands politicians in unexpected trouble and embarrassment. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik got a taste of this on Wednesday. Some television channels aired the news that Manimala Devi, a top Oriya movie actress, had passed away in a hospital after battling prolonged illness.

Mr Patnaik took immediately to Twitter: Saddened by news of the demise of the doyen of Oriya cinema Ms Manimala Devi. May her soul rest in peace. Shocked at Mr Patnaiks tweet, the actress son Shankar Ghosh said: My mother is alive, even if she is on ventilator support. She is well. A few minutes later, the television channels that aired the news that the nonagenarian actress had passed away, expressed regret over their mistake.

Knowing he had also made a goof-up like the media, Mr Patnaik tweeted: Relieved to know Ms Manimala Devi is bravely battling for life; retract earlier tweet responding to news. Prayers for her early recovery. Some advice for the CM: Kindly check your facts before tweeting, Mr Patnaik.
Armed Misrata fighters loyal to the unity government on the main street of Sirte. (Photo: AP)

Sirte, Libya: US-backed special forces and navy seals advanced to the Islamic State group's stronghold of Sirte in Libya, a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, threatening the terror group's existence in the region.

In a bid to maintain their stronghold, ISIS terrorists are now using young girls and women to prevent security forces from storming their region, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Commandos from the SBS -- Special Boat Service attacked ISIS by land, water and air, thus retaking a crucial land of the oil port in Libya.

Read: ISIS forces birth control pills on girls to keep them 'available for sex'

With proper co-ordination, US-backed forces and SBS commandos deployed drones and hi-tech infra-red cameras to keep a watch on jihadists in the region. With a series of airstrikes, the forces are driving ISIS militants out in the open.

By the next day, the terrorists were forced to move out in the open in a specific area which was about six square miles -- regarded as 'kill boxes' by the US forces.

Read: 'I felt liberated': Syrian girl reveals joy removing niqab after US forces expel ISIS

To save themselves from the US and Libyan forces, ISIS terrorists used a different tactic. This time it was young girls as well as pregnant women.

Storming the kill boxes is a tempting option for the Libyan military forces, who are desperate to get IS out of their country. But there would be risks to families they are holding hostage, a senior military advisor was quoted as saying.

Read: Islamic States unborn army: Women used to breed future terrorists

Recently, dozens of families fled Sirte after the violent clashes between ISIS terrorists and Tripoli government fighters began to escalate. Witnesses said that people packed their belongings, stuffed them into cars and headed towards Misrata to the west of Libya.
But gender activists and some political parties condemned the practice, with the Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party describing it as "patriarchal and anti-women". (Representational Image)

Johannesburg: A controversial scheme offering university scholarships to young South African women who remain virgins is unconstitutional, the Commission for Gender Equality ruled on Friday.

The "maiden's bursaries" offered by a local mayor sparked a nationwide debate in January, with critics slamming the scheme's emphasis on virginity as outdated while traditionalists said it would help preserve African culture.

On Friday, the gender commission said the program discriminated against women because male students were not subjected to the same tests.

"Any funding by an organ of state based on a woman's sexuality perpetuates patriarchy and inequality in South Africa," it said in a statement.

Rights groups applauded the ruling.

"It is not the cultural practice that is the problem here; it is the allocation of state funds on the basis of girls sexuality that violates the constitutional protection to equality, dignity and privacy," said Sanja Bornman, an attorney with Lawyers for Human Rights.

Recipients of the scholarships, which were offered only to women, were required to undergo virginity testing each time they returned home for holidays, and could lose their scholarships if it was determined that they had engaged in sexual activity.

Dudu Mazibuko, the mayor who initiated the program, said in January it would help reduce teenage pregnancy and the spread of HIV/Aids as well as widening job opportunities for women in her small municipality in KwaZulu Natal province.

Mazibuko, a member of the ruling African National Congress, argued that there was already a strong culture of virginity testing in the poor eastern coastal province.

But gender activists and some political parties condemned the practice, with the Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party describing it as "patriarchal and anti-women".
Hillary Clinton has boasted about being a grandmother as one of the achievements of which she is most proud. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Hillary and Bill Clinton welcomed the birth of their second grandchild on Saturday, gushing that they are "over the moon."

"We are overjoyed to be grandparents again with the arrival of our grandson, Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky, born on Saturday, June 18, 2016," the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and her husband, the former president, wrote in a statement.

"We are all over the moon as Chelsea and Marc welcome Charlotte's little brother to the world and grateful for our many blessings," they added. "Chelsea and Aidan are both doing well and enjoying this very special time together."

Chelsea, 36, had announced via Twitter a short time earlier that she and husband Marc Mezvinsky had become parents to a baby boy.

"Marc and I are overwhelmed with gratitude and love as we celebrate the birth of our son," she tweeted.

The former first daughter delivered at Lenox Hill Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

She gave birth to her first child, daughter Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, in 2014.

Hillary Clinton has boasted about being a grandmother as one of the achievements of which she is most proud.

"Until it happened to me, I just could not understand the impact," she was quoted as saying at a campaign event earlier this month.

"It is truly like falling in love all over again. There is nothing like it.

"It's transformational and until you did it, it is hard to know," she added. "And it has for me been an absolutely life-changing experience."

Chelsea Clinton is the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by her father to address global health issues and other causes.

She married Mezvinsky, 38, in 2010. Both studied at Stanford University. An investment banker, he is the son of two former Democratic members of Congress.

Hillary Clinton is not the only presidential candidate to have welcomed a new grandchild on the campaign trail.

Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Clinton's Republican rival Donald Trump, gave birth to a third child in March. The baby is Trump's eighth grandchild.
New York: Orlando gay nightclub gunman Omar Mateen was dismissed from a prison guard training programme in 2007, days after the Virginia Tech massacre, for joking about bringing a gun to class.

In 2007, the Department of Corrections employed Mateen and financed his schooling at Indian River State College to become an officer. But it lasted only six months.

Mateen, who was killed by police after his attack on Pulse nightclub, was removed from the Florida Department of Correction's Criminal Justice Training Institute on April 27, 2007, for sleeping in class and making "extremely disturbing" comments about weapons, according to records obtained by the Palm Beach Post.

Another recruit in the prison guard programme informed Mateen's teachers about his twisted joke -- which he made just two days before a gunman killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus.

"On April 14, 2007 while the class was given a 15-minute break, Omar Mateen approached me laughing saying that if he was to bring a gun to school would I tell anybody," the trainee wrote. "I looked at him and turned away".

The concerned student filed the report on April 23, days after the April 16 Virginia shooting. The chilling timing of the joke -- and Mateen's habits of dozing off in class and skipping school -- prompted the warden of the Martin Correctional Institution to kick Mateen from the programme.

"In light of recent tragic events at Virginia Tech, officer Mateen's inquiry about bringing a weapon to class is at best extremely disturbing," Warden PH Skipper wrote. "I am recommending probationary dismissal on recruit Omar Mateen."

In the dismissal recommendation, Skipper also said Mateen had two write-ups in his file for napping during shooting range practice and even more undocumented incidents.

"While my squad was in the back (at the shooting range) and it was not out turn, I dozed off in the lounge chair about two times," Mateen wrote in a letter to a teacher, according to the documents released Friday.

Skipper mentioned that the troubled recruit once skipped class entirely. Mateen wrote a letter explaining he ditched school because he developed a fever and went home to rest, the New York Daily News reported.

"The mistake I made was that I did not tell any instructor of the situation," Mateen wrote.

The Virginia Tech massacre was the US' deadliest mass shooting before Mateen's rampage at an Orlando nightclub last Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. Nine years earlier, a senior at the school in Blacksburg, Virginia, had shot and killed 32 people.
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's ruling party won two parliamentary by-elections on Saturday that were closely watched for indications of whether graft allegations hounding Prime Minister Najib Razak were affecting his governing coalition's support.

The results in two mainly rural constituencies were largely expected, as support typically runs strong in such areas for the dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The UMNO-led ruling coalition also enjoys huge advantages in money and machinery over a splintered opposition.

UMNO candidate Budiman Mohamad Zohdi won the parliamentary seat of Sungai Besar of west-central Malaysia, while Mastura Mohamad Yazid won the Kuala Kangsar constituency seat in the country's north, the election commission announced. Both candidates also pulled off a thumping victory as predicted.

The contests -- held after the previous incumbents died together in a helicopter crash in May -- are the first parliamentary electoral contests since the corruption allegations emerged last year. But for the second time in as many months, the results provided relief for Najib and his ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Last month, the BN scored a thumping victory in Sarawak state assembly polls to extend its decades-old control of that stronghold state.

"The victory in both the constituencies (on Saturday) will enable Najib to entrench himself as the powerful leader of UMNO," said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

UMNO benefited in the contests from opposition discord. It had faced candidates from the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Amanah, a new party comprising mostly former PAS members. Amanah's members split acrimoniously from PAS last year, largely over the latter's increasing Islamic conservatism. Experts say that likely split the votes of the Muslim ethnic Malays who are the country's majority group.

Najib faces allegations that billions of dollars were plundered from a state-owned investment fund he founded. The accusations, which burst forth last year, include the revelation Najib received at least $681 million in deposits to his personal bank accounts in 2013. Najib and the state fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), deny wrongdoing.
Assange, 44, is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador's UK mission for four full years in a bid to avoid extradition. (Photo: AFP)

London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange starts his fifth year camped out in the Ecuadoran embassy in London on Sunday, an occasion his supporters intend to mark with events celebrating whistleblowers.

Supporters said they were planning to stage songs, speeches and readings in several European cities. Assange, 44, is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador's UK mission for four full years in a bid to avoid extradition.

The anti-secrecy campaigner, who denies the allegation, walked into the embassy of his own free will on June 18, 2012, with Britain on the brink of sending him to Stockholm, and has not left since.

His lawyers say he is angry that Swedish prosecutors are still maintaining the European arrest warrant against him. The Australian former computer hacker fears that from Sweden he could be extradited to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files, where he could face a long prison sentence.

Listed participants in Sunday's anniversary events include Patti Smith, Brian Eno, PJ Harvey, Noam Chomsky, Yanis Varoufakis, Ai Weiwei, Vivienne Westwood, Michael Moore and Ken Loach.
Ben Homan blamed the accident on shoddy workmen who used the wrong type of fasteners in the museum, which celebrates the birthplace of the cherished 26-country Schengen passport-free zone. (Photo: YouTube)

Schengen, Luxembourg: When the ceiling fell in recently at the European Museum in the tiny Luxembourg village of Schengen, the local mayor was quick to deny that there was any wider symbolism.

Ben Homan blamed the accident on shoddy workmen who used the wrong type of fasteners in the museum, which celebrates the birthplace of the cherished 26-country Schengen passport-free zone.

But just as the museum remains under repair, the dreams on which the European Union was founded seem to defy any quick fix, with the bloc itself seemingly more unloved than at any time in its history.

Britain could be headed towards voting to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23, while the future of the Schengen zone itself is threatened by the biggest migration crisis since World War II.

"We need to get these visions and these dreams back, and to go back to doing what we can together," Homan said as he watches the flood-swollen River Moselle course past hills covered in vineyards.

"When you are here, you live out the Schengen accord every day because if you move just 100 metres (yards) you can be in another country. Here we have seen the whole region benefit from the accord."

The picturesque village was chosen for the signing of the deal that would eventually create the Schengen area in 1985 because it sits at the point where Luxembourg, France and Germany meet.

Around 50,000 tourists a year from as far afield as Asia now come to visit this monument to European unity, complete with the European Museum that opened in 2010.

'One crisis to another'

But Schengen is part of the wider European project that has been shaken to its foundations in recent years.

Support is drying up for the utopian ideals that led to the creation of the EU more than 60 years ago from the ashes of post-war Europe.

A recent survey by the US-based Pew Research Center showed a sharp dip in favourable views of the EU among Europeans, with a huge 17-point drop to 38 percent in France over a single year.

Europeans are "not any longer passionate or in love with the European dream", with its benefits largely now taken for granted, Janis Emmanouilidis, director of studies at Brussels-based think tank European Policy Centre, told AFP.

"Over the past six or seven years the EU has been running from one crisis to another -- things are not getting better, they're getting worse."

The migrant crisis has had a huge impact, with many countries suspending Schengen border-free movement as leaders failed to agree how to share the burden of a million-plus refugees.

The economy remains in dire straits with massive youth unemployment across southern Europe and the Greek debt crisis still threatening the eurozone while nations bicker over the cost.

More deeply, Euroscepticism and populism are growing across the continent.

Brussels meanwhile is increasingly accused of meddlesome bureaucracy and undermining national sovereignty -- and moreover of symbolising the global elites who are in the crosshairs of political protests around the world.

'Obsessed with total integration'

EU leaders have started acknowledging that Europeans do not share their appetite for the dream of "ever closer union".

Even European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, an arch federalist, admitted that citizens were "stepping away" from the European project because Brussels was "interfering in too many domains of their private lives".

But increasingly Europeans are rejecting any kind of idealism at all.

"The European dream that is being dreamed, who is dreaming it? Even those who should be defining it are becoming more realistic," said the EPC's Emmanouilidis.

An example is EU President Donald Tusk, who warned last month that Brussels was "obsessed with the idea of instant and total integration" and that "we failed to notice that ordinary people, the citizens of Europe do not share our Euro-enthusiasm."

In tiny Schengen -- which boasts eight petrol stations to cater for French and German motorists coming to fill up their tanks cheaply -- people say they hope the European dream will survive.

"People forget the 30, 40, 50, 60 years before, with the wars and all the problems that existed then," said Diogo Camelo Irmindo, visiting Schengen with his partner Marie-Alice Cerqueira, whose father is buried in the village.

"I think Great Britain shouldn't leave because it won't make anyone's life any easier. It will create borders, complicate the institutions trying to allow people to live a peaceful life, without problems or war," said the long-term Luxembourg resident.
Visitors at the rapidly growing makeshift memorial at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Orlando. (Photo: AP)

Vienna: Tens of thousands of Europeans paid tribute in Gay Pride marches on Saturday to the 49 people massacred in a gay nightclub in Orlando last weekend in a defiantly festive atmosphere.

At the largest, Vienna's "Rainbow Parade" involving around 130,000 people according to organisers, a minute's silence was held during the 20th annual anything-goes parade.

Leading the march was a black-clad group called "Victims of Hate Crimes - Marching for those who can't", holding a rope around a space where normally a float full of dancers would be.

The "ghost float" represented "those lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender and inter-sex people who lost their lives in Orlando and who can't be marching with us", organisers said.

The deadliest mass shooting in US history saw lone gunman Omar Mateen murder 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning with a legally purchased assault rifle and pistol.

Mateen was killed when police stormed the club. Officials say he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. But witnesses said he had frequented Pulse in the past and used gay dating apps.

Not scared

Lui Fidelsberger, co-head of the Vienna Homosexual Initiative (HOSI), Austria's oldest lesbian and gay organisation, said the best answer was to be even louder and prouder.

"The response must be more visibility and pride. And so despite the great sadness... this year's Rainbow Parade will again celebrate loudly and stridently a big festival of diversity," Fidelsberger said.

Security in the Austrian capital was tighter, however, with several hundred police on duty -- more than last year because of the Orlando attacks, police spokesman Roman Hahslinger said.

In Italy, tens of thousands of people took part in Gay Pride events nationwide, with 30,000 in Florence, 5,000 in Genoa and thousands more in Palermo, Treviso and Varese, organisers said.

In Genoa, the first procession float sported a large rainbow flag crossed with a black banner reading: "We are Orlando".

The Palermo event's organiser, Massimo Milani, appeared at the parade in a white wedding dress splattered in fake blood and with a ribbon reading: "We will survive".

In Lisbon, a parade of more than 5,000 people paid tribute to the Orlando victims, according to organisers, but with pumping music and extravagant costumes they still managed to have fun.

A large black banner at the head of the procession in the Portuguese capital carried the photos of the victims in Florida.

"This massacre has affected us all," said gay rights campaigner Paulo Corte Real. "We are here to show our strength and to refuse all this hatred that we are still confronted with."

Around 2,000 revellers, police said, took part in a Gay Pride event in Metz in eastern France. Local reports said a memorial was set up with the inscription "Solidarity with Orlando".

Around the same number gathered in Vilnius while around 1,000 held a minute's silence at the Soviet Army monument in downtown Sofia, waving flags, some of them with the #weareorlando hashtag.

The Bulgarian crowd chanted "Stop Homophobia!" and "Happy Pride!" and was addressed by several foreign ambassadors, although numbers were significantly smaller than last year.

"There are fewer people this year but I would like to think that it's the scorching heat that is to blame and not fear after the Orlando tragedy," said participant Ria Naydenova, 24.
The referendum for Brexit will be held on June 23.

London: Dont try to talk to Brian Hall about economics, trading blocs or the value of the British pound. He wont listen. There's one factor  and one factor only  shaping his view in the June 23 referendum on whether Britain should stay in the European Union: immigration.

Hes tired of Eastern Europeans arriving on these shores, and he plans to use his vote to make that point.

In Dover, the biggest issue is immigration, said the proprietor of the W&G Hall convenience store. Im speaking for a lot of people here  weve been inundated, and theyve changed the face of the town, not for the better.

The remain camp led by Prime Minister David Cameron appears to be winning the economic argument, with key business figures warning that leaving the EU might bring economic calamity in the form of higher taxes and spending cuts.

The leave camp, however, may be winning the emotional argument about how staying in the EU will lead to un-checked immigration and the transformation of British life.

Led by former London Mayor Boris Johnson and UK Independence Party chief Nigel Farage, the leave campaigners charge that British workers have been hurt because EU freedom of movement laws mean that Hungarians, Slovaks, Poles and others can come to Britain visa-free to live, work and claim benefits.

They warn that if Turkey joins the EU  a prospect that is not imminent  it will give access to Britain to millions more. And they point out that Cameron's government has failed to make good on promises to cut immigration. Official figures show net migration of 3,30,000 people into Britain last year, far higher than Camerons targets.

UK Dilemma: To Leave or Not Leave

On June 23, British people will vote in a referendum to decide whether to continue to be a part of the European Union or not. Against the background of the epoch-making vote, here is a lowdown on how the decision will affect a plethora of issues.

Immigrants: The Prime Minister himself has refused to rule out the possibility of deportations, which to some might seem like reasonable validation of their anxiety.

Brain Drain: l Universities in UK estimate that British institutions benefit from 1.2bn each year. Its likely Britain would lose that funding if it exits the European Union.

House prices: Analysts at Deutsche Bank and the credit rating agencies S&P and Fitch have warned in recent months that voting to leave the European Union would instantly reduce the value of UK houses.

Security: Some in the military staunchly maintain that the UKs defences will become severely weakened the longer one stays in.

Business: To judge by most of the statements from leading business people, the business community seems to be against the idea of Brexit.

On European Union: The U.K. currently contributes 5.8 percent of the E.U.s operating budget. If the E.U. loses the U.K., it loses 15% of its GDP.

Tourism: It seems a no-brainer: with weaker sterling, the rest of the world will get more pounds for its euros, dollars, yen, etc, making the UK a cheaper destination to visit.

Trade: The Remain side claims British exit from the EU would have a negative impact on trade. The Leave camp dismisses this as scaremongering.
These children are provided with rigorous training to become lethal fighters of the terror group. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

Around 31,000 women held captive by Islamic State are being used for breeding the next generation of Islamic State terrorists, according to a report in the Independent.

Quilliam, a UK-based think tank released a detailed report titled 'Children of Islamic State', which reveals how ISIS recruits children and then gives them jihad training by indoctrinating them at school, and sometimes at home too. These children are provided with rigorous training to become lethal fighters of the terror group. They are then infiltrated into the terror group's caliphates.

Islamic State militants providing children with martial arts training. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

The report also focuses on how these jihadi children are inculcated with extremists values since their birth or when they are too small to distinguish between right and wrong. Tagged 'blank slate' by militants, these kids are provided with extreme martial arts training.

Even worse, these children are encouraged to play with decapitated heads to make them familiar with ISIS's environment and mould them with brutality.

Islamic State training camp for children. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

Young boys are provided with tough training, including memorising Quran verses, whereas girls are asked to stay at home and take care of their husbands.

"There's a systematic creation of the next generation of mujahideen - the next generation of fighters, said Nikita Malik, a senior researcher at Quilliam, who was quoted in the report.

Malik said that more than 31,000 women are pregnant with the children of ISIS terrorists, adding that the terror group has a defined strategy for breeding their future generation of terrorists, where the initial brainwashing of children begins at birth, followed by training in schools and jihadi camps which results in - robust terrorism.

In the past, Islamic State had released a spine-chilling video of children who are being trained to be terrorists.

Watch the video here: Islamic States children military training camp
The two Al-Jazeera employees - identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal - were sentenced in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. (Photo: AP)

Cairo: An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi.

Morsi, the case's top defendant, and two of his aides were also sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Morsi and his secretary, Amin el-Sirafy, received an additional 15-year sentence for a lesser crime. El-Sirafy's daughter, Karima, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Morsi was ousted by the military in July 2013 and has already been sentenced to death in another case. That death sentence and another two - life and 20 years in prison - are under appeal.

All of today's verdicts can be appealed.

The two Al-Jazeera employees - identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal - were sentenced in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood was banned and declared a terrorist group after Morsi's ouster.

The three other defendants sentenced to death today are documentary producer Ahmed Afify, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohammed Keilany and academic Ahmed Ismail.

Egypt's relations with Qatar have been fraught with tension since the ouster of Morsi, who enjoyed the support of the tiny but wealthy Gulf state. Cairo also maintains that Al-Jazeera's news coverage of Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East is biased in favor of ISIS groups.

Last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi pardoned two imprisoned journalists from the Al-Jazeera English news network. Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-born Canadian, and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were arrested in December 2013.

They were sentenced last year to three years in prison for airing what a court described as "false news" and coverage biased in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The prosecution of the two, along with Australian Peter Greste - deported in February last year - drew strong international condemnations.

Their long-running trial was entangled from the start with the wider political enmity between Egypt and Qatar following Morsi's ouster.
Damascus: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu met in Damascus on Saturday with President Bashar al-Assad to discuss anti-terrorist "cooperation" in Syria's conflict, a bone of contention between Moscow and Washington.

Shoigu, the highest ranking Russian official to travel to Syria since the conflict erupted five years ago, was sent by President Vladimir Putin for the surprise meeting with Moscow's long-time ally Assad, the Syrian state news agency SANA said.

"The talks focused on military cooperation between the two countries and joint action to fight against terrorist organisations on Syrian soil," it said.

In Moscow, the defence ministry said the discussions centred on "current questions of military and technical cooperation... as well as certain aspects of the cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups operating in Syria".

The visit came as a US defence department spokesman said that Pentagon officials in a video conference with Russian counterparts had voiced "strong concerns" over Moscow's alleged bombing of US-backed forces in southern Syria.

US military officials "expressed strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIS forces at the Al-Tanaf garrison, which included forces that are participants in the cessation of hostilities in Syria", Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.

The Pentagon "emphasized that those concerns would be addressed through ongoing diplomatic discussions on the cessation of hostilities", he said.

US defence officials have said Russian warplanes carried out raids in Al-Tanaf targeting a meeting of combatants supported by the US-led coalition that was held to coordinate the fight against ISIS jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

The Syrians belonged to the New Syrian Army, trained by the British and the Americans in a coalition camp in Jordan, while the Iraqis were tribal fighters, officials said.

Russia, however, said it had not carried out any strikes targeting opposition forces included in a ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow that excludes ISIS, without mentioning Al-Tanaf.

Shoigu, whose country's military intervention since last September turned the tide of the conflict in favour of Assad's regime, also inspected Russia's air base in Hmeimim in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia, his ministry said.

The West has repeatedly accused Russian forces of also targeting non-jihadist rebels with air strikes in an effort to prop up the regime.
Iraqi security forces advance their positions during the fight against Islamic State militants in Fallujah.(Photo: AP)

Baghdad: Fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah has displaced at least 30,000 people in three days, the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Sunday, warning that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding.

Iraqi forces achieved a breakthrough on Thursday, taking over the centre of Fallujah while the Islamic State group retreated to areas in the north of the city.

That allowed thousands of civilians who had been used as human shields to flee the city, a key jihadist stronghold west of Baghdad that had been besieged for months.

The estimated total number of displaced from Fallujah in just the last three days is now at a staggering 30,000 people, the NRC said in a statement that was released on Sunday.

The aid group, which runs displacement camps around Fallujah, said another 32,000 people had already been displaced since the start of the government offensive against the IS bastion nearly a month ago.

It said it believed dozens of families were still inside Fallujah, including the most vulnerable civilians such as pregnant women, the sick and the elderly.
The reports published quoting me as saying I sought Indian PM Narendra Modi's intervention to ensure Bangladesh's minority communities' security is not true, the lawyer said. (Photo: PTI)

Dhaka: A Bangladeshi lawyer has clarified that contrary to reports, he has not sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's help to take up the issue of safety and security of Hindus in Bangladesh with the government in Dhaka.

"The report published in different media quoting me as saying I sought Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to ensure Bangladesh's minority communities' security is not true," Advocate Rana Dashgupta said.

Read: Terrorism is 'haram': One lakh Bangladeshi clerics issue fatwa

"At no stage I made any comment pointing out the name of the Indian Premier and seeking his intervention to overcome the existing situation," Dashgupta, also the General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, said in a statement.

"We strongly believe it is the responsibility of the State and Government of Bangladesh to ensure the security of Bangladesh's people," Dashgupta said.

Bangladesh has recently witnessed a series of brutal attacks on minority Hindus, secular rights activists and bloggers by suspected Islamists.
Avijit Roy was hacked to death here by machete-wielding assailants in Dhaka. (Photo: AP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Sunday killed a militant with a bounty of Tk 500,000 on his head for murdering secular bloggers, as authorities stepped up their nationwide crackdown on Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation that has seen a string of brutal attacks on minorities and activists.

"We have found out that he was a member of Ansarullah Bangla Team and one of the six extremists for whom we earlier announced a bounty of Taka 500,000 (USD 6374)," a senior police officer said.

He said the militant was killed in a pre-dawn encounter in Dhaka and was named in a police list as Shariful or Sharif, but he previously used several other names like Sakib alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi-1.

The officer said Sharif was wanted for the murder of Bangladesh-born American science writer and blogger Avijit Roy, who was hacked to death by several men as he returned from a Dhaka book fair in February last year.

The militant was also believed to have been directly involved in the subsequent killing of another blogger Niladri. The identification of the alleged militant came hours after police said a "miscreant" was killed in a shootout with police detectives in the capital's Khilgaon area.

Sharif was a firearm and ICT trainer and key-recruiter of ABT, which along with Jamaatul Mujahiedeen Bangladesh (JMB), is blamed for a series of fatal attacks on secular or liberal activists and religious minorities, according to a post on the website of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Sharif's death came a day after another militant, who was arrested four days ago while carrying out an attack on a Hindu college teacher in southwestern Madaripur, died in a shootout.

The 17-year-old, identified as Golam Faizullah Fahim, was killed in the surprise shootout a day after police secured a court order to interrogate Fahim in custody in connection with the murder attempt on Ripan Chakraborty, 50, a mathematics lecturer of a government university college in Madaripur.

Bangladesh in recent months witnessed a series of deadly clandestine attacks on religious minorities and secular and liberal activists.

But Fahim, a student of a college in Dhaka, was the lone assailant to be grabbed by people in the neighbourhood though two other attackers fled the scene while Chakraborty survived the assassination attempt sustaining critical head injury.

Islamic State or al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent claimed responsibilities for most of the attacks. However, authorities attributed the attacks to home grown militant outfits like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh or Ansaral Islam.
Members of a breakaway faction of the Taliban fighters walk during a gathering, in Shindand district of Herat province, Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)

Peshawar: Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the 'University of Jihad' and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar.

"I am proudly announcing that Darul Uloom Haqqania Nowshera will get Rs 300 million to meet its annual expenditures," Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister Shah Farman told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly this week. He said the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was not raiding and targeting religious institutions but has been cooperating and providing financial assistance to it.

The madrassa in Akora Khattak in Nowshera district of the province is known for having several top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including former Taliban chief Mullah Omar who received an honorary doctorate from the seminary.

Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader Asim Umar and slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a US drone strike last month, were among alumni of the seminary which is dubbed as the 'University of Jihad'.

When asked about such a big chunk of financial assistance to a single seminary, Minister for Religious Affairs Habibur Rehman said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had promised to Haqqania madrassa's administration financial assistance of Rs 150 million which was adjusted in the Auqaf fund this year, the News International reported.

"Darul Uloom Haqqania is one of the oldest and largest seminaries of Pakistan and it deserves financial assistance," Rehman, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Rehman said that Rs 150 million would be provided to the madrassa in 2016-17 while the remaining amount would be given to it next year.

Founded in 1947, the Islamic seminary is currently headed by Maulana Sami ul Haq, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. He also serves as the chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 groups, including Hafeez Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Farman said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was providing financial assistance to other seminaries and mosques in the province.
The Udta Punjab battle has scarred many, led to hyperactivity within the industry as well as on social media and left a trail of personal attacks and political expediency in its wake. Trouble began late May when the Examining Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) brought a stay on the film.



They wanted 13 categories of changes with a total of 89 cuts, including excessive use of expletives, as well as scenes of drug consumption. Specific cuts  like a predatory dog named Jackie Chainas well as a scene of leading man Shahid Kapoor urinating on the audience during a rock concert - were also suggested. Also, there was objection to the use of the word Punjab in the title.



Anurag Kashyap, the co-producer, the face of the films fight against the censorswith his track record of censor hiccupsrefused to go to the Revising Committee because he did not have high hopes from it. Kashyap sought help from the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), a government body that functions independently of the CBFC, but decided against it as a members leave of absence would have meant delay in the films release. The producers thus bypassed FCAT and went to court.



As the entire industry rallied around the producers  Ekta Kapoors Balaji Telefilms, and Kashyap and partners under his banner Phantom Films  the Bombay High Court overruled the CBFC and allowed the films release with just one cut, Shahids now infamous scene. Meanwhile, a petition in the Supreme Court by an NGO called Human Rights Awareness Association claimed that the film showed Punjab in bad light, but on June 16, the apex court declined a stay. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, too, dismissed a stay on the film.



On June 17, as per schedule, Udta Punjab was released in 1,800 halls and has, reportedly, already been screened in some countries overseas. A leaked pirated version online has added to the woes of the producers. However, wild allegations over a vindictive CBFC are baseless, since in no format is the film ever retained by the board. Most people consider this fight as a long-simmering censor-filmmaker tussle that has now boiled over. This major imbroglio has raised, for the umpteenth time, a number of questions and issues, both general and specific to the film. Do we need censors in a democracy, especially now, in the Internet era? Since the erstwhile censor board was renamed Central Board of Film Certification years ago, should it not live up to its name and certify films as per their content, rather than ordering cuts? Does gag on efforts to highlight a real issue serve any purpose?



On the other hand, with our present classification of films as U (universal exhibition), U/A (under-18s need to be accompanied by adults) and A (adults only), and the huge disparity in our population in economic and educational levels, cultural values and so on, how much of such freedom can be afforded by the Indian society? Even today, so many impressionable, even educated, minds still cannot delineate the difference between real and reel, and the police and social workers also find so many crimes and offences inspired by cinema.



Finally, do we really need to show verbal or physical depravity merely to depict darker aspects of society realistically? Social ills as bad, or worse, than drug abuse, like sexual exploitation, child labour, prostitution or communal conflicts have been depicted by committed filmmakers for decades. Real-life depravity has been shown with skilled symbolism, and that too more out of choice rather than any fear of the censors. Language, whether in the spoken word or lyrics, has been kept wholesome. After all, in India, cinema is still about family viewership.



Proof of the pudding



Having watched the film, I can state that Udta Punjab exposes the drug menace, using the state as the backdrop because of drug statistics and cinematic convenience, to highlight a global issue. However, expletives in the film are in needless overdrive, and the urinating scene would have added precisely nothing. More important, even if a single cussword had not been used, the script, characters and situations, and thus the impact, would have remained absolutely the same. This clearly shows misuse of the freedom of expression to outrage, sensationalise and generally draw undue attention.



In actual fact, the film may have won its argument with authorities, but will stand to lose so many friends, the audience. However, the other proposed cuts by the CBFC, like junkies consuming drugs, certain words from a song Chitta ve (including chitta, which means a white narcotic) were downright immature.



There is sufficient audio-visual substance within the film condemning or warning against the use of drugs with hints about tackling the menace at every level. Also, other suggested cuts like references to Punjab and words like MLA, elections, Parliament and party, were completely ludicrous. Of course, the entire controversy, while it lasted, highlighted how political parties are quick to try and gain mileage out of such contretemps. The larger issue that crops up, however, is whether making such subjects will need recourse to courts despite an existing government-appointed body. Yes, a precedent has been set, but when will the authorities, now equated with moral policing, adapt to changing social mores and times?



For the record, no CBFC chief watches a film alone, but only acts on the report from the team. After receiving loads of personal flak and also making needless allegations, the defensive Pahlaj Nihalani also made a sane statement. He said the archaic Cinematograph Act should be amended as his team was merely following existing guidelines. Information & Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has assured that a quick overhaul of norms is coming, with a committee headed by Shyam Benegal looking into every aspect.



Nevertheless, the ideal way out is good self-censorship from the filmmakers themselves. Filmmakers must find ways to lure and engage audiences, not alienate them. Yes, arbitrary censorship can demotivate creativity and brave filmmaking, but in a country like ours with low literacy and other ills enumerated above, what we certainly do not need is a lack of responsibility along with our much valued freedom of expression.



(The writer is a Mumbai-based film critic, author and former National Film Awards Jury member)
Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) president Nitish Kumar on Saturday accused the BJP of trying to foment communal passion in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections were due early next year.



Addressing a public meeting at Chunar in state's Mirzapur district, about 300 kilometres from here, Nitish also targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP and sought support from the people for a government led by JD (U) alliance.



There is a need to be careful.....some forces may try to engineer communal violence in UP to gain mileage in the polls...we should thwart the designs of such forces, the Bihar chief minister said.



He also attacked the BJP for making false promises to the people of the country during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP government at the centre has not fulfilled any of the promises made during the polls, he said.



Nitish also sought total prohibition in UP and declared that the JD (U) would impose complete ban on liquor inthe state if it came to power after 2017 assembly elections. People in Bihar are very happy after prohibition, he claimed.



Bihar chief minister's choice of venue was significant as the region had a sizeable number of 'kurmi' voters.



Apparently Nitish, who hails from the same caste, had set his eyes on the community, which traditionally supported the Apna Dal, a regional caste based outfit, formed by Sonelal Patel.



Apna Dal, which had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BJP and won two seats in UP, has since split. While one faction was led by LS MP Anupriya Patel, the other was led by her mother Krishna Patel.



Nitish had earlier addressed a public meeting at Pindra in Varanasi district, the Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi.
Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday said crime rates have come down in the state with Jodhpur and Jaipur commissionerate recording significant decline of 15 and 11 per cent respectively.





After reviewing the crime situation at a monthly meeting of senior police officials, Kataria said effective monitoring and supervision by senior officials has delivered positive results.



The crime rate has come down in the last five months with commissionerate of Jodhpur and Jaipur recording significant decline of 15 and 11 per cent respectively, he said.



Barring Alwar, Bundi, Baran and Banswara district, there has been a decline in cases of crime. Kataria asked the officials to take prompt action in cases of rape and atrocities against dalits and nab the accused without any delay.



Directions for action against liquor smugglers, recovery of missing persons particularly minors, three-month special training of policemen engaged in investigating cyber crime were given by the minister.

DGP Manoj Bhatt informed the meeting that the department has identified 52 tainted policemen from constable to inspector rank against whom appropriate action is being taken.



ADG Vigilance D C Jain said series of 28 tainted policemen have been terminated in the last 5 months whereas 27 policemen were dismissed last year.
The Delhi High Court has acquitted a man, who was jailed for 10 years by a trial court for raping a woman here in 2011, observing that she was in a live-in relationship with him and her statement regarding the alleged incident was suffering from "serious infirmities".



The court set aside the order passed by the trial court in 2013 in which it had convicted the man for alleged offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and had awarded him a 10-year jail along with a fine of Rs 15,000.



"From the above documents (referred in the judgement), which have not been considered in right perspective by trial court, it is clear that the prosecutrix (woman), who had been living alone away from her husband in Delhi, was in live-in relationship with the appellant (man)," Justice Pratibha Rani said.



While allowing the appeal filed by the man against his conviction, the high court said that "deliberate improvements" were made by the woman on material points related to the case and her testimony does not inspire confidence.



According to the police, an FIR was lodged on the basis of woman's statement in which she had alleged that the incident took place on the intervening night of January 13-14, 2011, when she was alone at her house and was mourning the death of her daughter who had expired a few days back. She had claimed that the door of her house was open and the accused entered her room and raped her.



The accused had denied the allegations levelled against him and during arguments on the appeal, his counsel said that the woman was in a live-in relationship with his client.



The lawyer argued that prior to the incident, the woman had borrowed Rs 11,000 from the man and after he insisted on repayment, she falsely implicated him in the case.



Opposing the appeal, the police had argued that the man had committed the crime when the woman was alone in her house.



In its verdict, the high court noted that the woman had changed her version at every stage and the man was well known to her.



"She admitted having received Rs 11,000 on October 31, 2010 i.e. much prior to the alleged rape incident on the night intervening January 13-14, 2011. Thus, her statement that this amount was paid to her for changing her statement is falsified from the record," the court said.
Congress today accused RSS and some BJP ministers of lobbying against RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and said his decision not to seek second term was the "most unpleasant thing" for the country.



Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said the present regime does not deserve a person of Rajan's level.



"I don't know the reason. Of course it is well known to him. But the manner in which some of the BJP spokespersons and also Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ... also one important leader Subramanian Swamy.... Some of these people including Nagpur RSS camp (were) lobbying against him," Moily said.



Terming it as the "most unpleasant thing" for the country, he said, "I think in the present context of the governance and also the present regime, I think they do not deserve a person of his level. He is a global person. I think the country was endowed with him."



Echoing similar views, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said that the people were feeling "very safe and secure" with the kind of measures taken by the RBI Governor.



"But in the last few days, the kind of expressions which were used attributing certain motives which were never there in his performance and his functioning. I think if there is a person with a moral framework, somebody committed to his values, what else do you expect him to do," he said.



Rajan has taken the right decision because "seeking a second term would have have meant working with people like Swamy," he added.



BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who ran a tirade against Rajan, took a jibe at the outgoing RBI Governor over his decision yesterday, saying whatever "fig leaf" he wants for hiding the reality, the people should not grudge it and wish him good bye.



Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said he was "disappointed and profoundly saddened" by Rajan's decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.



"As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser," he said, alleging that the government had invited this development through a craftily-planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist.



Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013 when Chidambaram was the finance minister.



Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had alleged that the government had "hounded" a good man as it did not have the courage to ask him to leave.



"The message that this fascist government is sending to regulators is that if you do not toe our line we will mount a campaign of calumny and wild insinuations and bludgeon you into submission. What Rajan has done is what any self- respecting man under such circumstances will do," he had said, adding the RBI governor had done "phenomenal" work in his tenure.


Bangladesh police today killed a militant with a bounty of Tk 500,000 on his head for murdering secular bloggers, as authorities stepped up their nationwide crackdown on Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation that has seen a string of brutal attacks on minorities and activists.





"We have found out that he was a member of Ansarullah Bangla Team and one of the six extremists for whom we earlier announced a bounty of Taka 500,000 (USD 6374)," a senior police officer said.



He said the militant was killed in a pre-dawn encounter in Dhaka and was named in a police list as Shariful or Sharif, but he previously used several other names like Sakib alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi-1.



The officer said Sharif was wanted for the murder of Bangladesh-born American science writer and blogger Avijit Roy, who was hacked to death by several men as he returned from a Dhaka book fair in February last year.



The militant was also believed to have been directly involved in the subsequent killing of another blogger Niladri.



The identification of the alleged militant came hours after police said a "miscreant" was killed in a shootout with police detectives in the capital's Khilgaon area.



Sharif was a firearm and ICT trainer and key-recruiter of ABT, which along with Jamaatul Mujahiedeen Bangladesh (JMB), is blamed for a series of fatal attacks on secular or liberal activists and religious minorities, according to a post on the website of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.



Sharif's death came a day after another militant, who was arrested four days ago while carrying out an attack on a Hindu college teacher in southwestern Madaripur, died in a shootout.



The 17-year-old, identified as Golam Faizullah Fahim, was killed in the surprise shootout a day after police secured a court order to interrogate Fahim in custody in connection with the murder attempt on Ripan Chakraborty, 50, a mathematics lecturer of a government university college in Madaripur.



Bangladesh in recent months witnessed a series of deadly clandestine attacks on religious minorities and secular and liberal activists.



But Fahim, a student of a college in Dhaka, was the lone assailant to be grabbed by people in the neighbourhood though two other attackers fled the scene while Chakraborty survived the assassination attempt sustaining critical head injury.



Islamic State or al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent claimed responsibilities for most of the attacks. However, authorities attributed the attacks to home grown militant outfits like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh or Ansaral Islam (ABT).
As many as 57 Union ministers will spread across the country on Tuesday for the 2nd International Yoga Day programmes, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ancient Indian physical exercise in Chandigarh.





The Ministers will be leading various programmes hosted by the government across the country during the mega event, including ten of them concentrating in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to participate in these events.



June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.



Following this, the first International Yoga Day was observed across the world on June 21 last year with Modi performing yoga along with 36,000 people at the Delhi's historic Rajpath.



The 57 Minister who have been assigned the task of leading this year's programme include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, among others.



Significantly, some 10 Ministers including Jaitley, Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Maneka Gandhi have been lined up for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to lead these programmes.



The series of programmes this year include mass yoga events, workshops and seminars.



While Modi will be performing Yoga along with thousands of people at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, his cabinet colleagues Singh and Jaitley have been assigned the task of leading the 2nd IYD programmes in Lucknow and Mumbai respectively.



Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has been assigned to lead a programme in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to participate in Kanpur.



Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is likely to participate in a programme in the national capital while Power Minister Piyush Goyal is slated to perform Yoga with others in Raipur. Health Minister J P Nadda has been assigned Ahmedabad for the purpose.
As India makes a determined bid to get NSG membership, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said that China was not opposing its entry even as Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to secure its support.





Stating that China is talking only about the criteria and procedures to be adopted for membership of the elite 48-nation atomic trading bloc, Swaraj said India was hopeful that it will be able to convince China to give its backing. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India can scuttle its bid.



Swaraj also said that India was confident of getting membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) this year.



"China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to the NSG," she told a press conference here while highlighting her ministry's achievements in the last two years.



"I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year," she said, adding, "The NSG entry is crucial for India's energy policy."



"I'm myself in contact with 23 nations, 1 or 2 raised concern but think consensus is there."



Swaraj said that instead of talking about criteria with respect to India's bid its credentials should be discussed.



The Minister said as far as entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on its entry and its role. "But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit," she added.



Jaishankar's visit to Beijing on June 16-17 came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the NSG scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where India's membership is likely to be discussed.



"Yes, I can confirm Foreign Secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including India's NSG membership, were discussed," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said



China is believed to be strongly opposing India's membership at the premier club arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).



Earlier this week, China's official media said India's NSG membership would "jeopardise" China's national interests besides touching a "raw nerve" in Pakistan.



The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG "remain divided" on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for "full discussions".



India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its membership of the bloc whose members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology.



The US has backed India and asked various NSG members to support New Delhi's bid.



It is understood that a number of countries including Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand were not in favour of India's entry into the NSG.





Swaraj said India has "strong credentials" to become member of the NSG.





Referring to the waiver given to India by the NSG in 2008, she said India's track record and credentials should be the basis in deciding its membership rather than the criteria.





She said India becoming member of the NSG will make a huge differnce as it will be part of the decision making process.





"I must tell you that we are engaged with NSG for the last 12 years and for the last 5 years, there is talk about our membership with NSG."





Swaraj said India plans to have 40 per cent of its energy requirement from non-fossil fuels out of which one-third will be nuclear.





She said NSG membership will help India getting "quick investments" including from overseas in its nuclear sector.




Among those who manage gobs of money, the possibility that Britain might actually disavow the European Union seemed until recently like a remote and even outlandish possibility.



But days before voters go to the polls to determine their future, masters of finance are suddenly absorbing the prospect that Britain might really walk, unleashing anxiety and uncertainty throughout the global economy.



Like local responders readying sandbags as a hurricane menaces their shores, financial industry overseers have been quietly drawing up contingency plans while surveying the expensive havoc a Brexit is wreaking. Central bankers from London to Washington have been monitoring the tempest while making preparations to unleash credit should markets seize with fear.



Angst has seeped into the calculations. As investors digest the possibility that the largest marketplace on earth may be days away from a messy alteration, they have been yanking money out of riskier storehouses like stocks and putting it into safer instruments like bonds. The British pound and London stocks have been falling in frenzied trading.



The conversation is now focused on managing the risks of Brexit. The trouble is that the worries are so diffuse and rife with unknowns that any attack plan amounts to an exercise in guesswork and hope. Executives, bankers and bureaucrats are grappling with something that could be minor or momentous and has never happened before.



Maybe the Brexit  for British exit  would merely lop value from the pound before traders turned their attention to a more consequential plot twist elsewhere. Perhaps it would inspire separatist movements from Scotland to Spain, embolden anti-trade populists across the continent and reinvigorate existential questions gnawing at the common euro currency. That could sow fear across world markets.



A Brexit might spook investors into entrusting their money only to the safest repositories like US Treasuries. That could strengthen the US dollar and weaken US exports, while starving riskier emerging markets of investment.



Whatever stories policymakers and businesspeople tell themselves, the only certainty is a surplus of uncertainty. Whatever provisional plans they sketch, they will find themselves mostly just wishing that nothing terrible happens.



On the financial markets, there is nothing they can do; it will just hit them, said Adam S Posen, a former member of the rate-setting committee at the Bank of England and now president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. If my house is going to catch on fire, I can plan to have some water on hand, but theres only so much you can do.



If you run a central bank, water comes in the form of liquidity. Most experts assume the Bank of England and its counterparts have readied plans to lend to financial institutions that could face cash shortages. In recent days, European Central Bank officials have signalled readiness to inject money into the financial sphere. In a speech last week, the Federal Reserve chairwoman, Janet Yellen, warned that a Brexit could have significant economic repercussions.



Much of the business world once shrugged off the Brexit vote as noisy political theatre that would eventually be muted by economic common sense. But last weeks polls showed the leave camp slightly ahead. That kind of threw the cat among the pigeons and panicked everyone, said Jeremy Cook, chief economist at World First, a London company that manages foreign exchange for multinationals. Weve seen a pickup in client hedging.



A company that, say, imports goods from China to sell in Britain fears that the pound is about to drop, making those Chinese goods more expensive. So it buys contracts that essentially lock in todays exchange rate for the future.



According to Laurence Wormald, head of research at FIS, which provides technology and market intelligence to financial services companies, British stocks would most likely fall 15% after a Brexit, with the pound dropping by a similar proportion.



If a Brexit vote hurts the British economy, the central bank might feel compelled to lower rates to motivate businesses and households to borrow and spend. But the bank might well do the opposite, raising rates to stop a currency slide.



The most nettlesome variable may be trade. Britain sells nearly half its exports within the European Union. Multinational corporations have set up headquarters in Britain, using those bases to serve customers across the continent.



Those campaigning for a Brexit assure that a vote to leave would change nothing right away. Britain would remain a fully fledged member of Europes marketplace for two years as it negotiated a new arrangement with the 27 remaining members of the union.



But if Britain failed to secure a deal, commerce with Europe could be governed by the terms of the World Trade Organisation, which gives member nations the authority to impose potentially steep tariffs on imports.



The debate over the Brexit is full of references to sundry alternative models. Norway enjoys access to the European market although it remains outside the union. Switzerland has achieved similar status through a thicket of treaties. But in both cases, they must accept something supporters of Brexit want to eliminate  European rules that allow people to move liberally from country to country.



Paying the price



Those urging a Brexit insist Britain can negotiate a tailor-made deal. Many economists describe that notion as somewhere between fanciful and delusional. Eager to discourage other members from considering an exit, Europe would seek to ensure that Britain paid a price.



If Britain dumps Europe, they are not going to say, Well, OK, heres a good deal, said Paul Johnson, director of Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent research institution in London.



Nowhere are preparations more intense than in finance. London has parlayed expertise in banking and inclusion in Europe to secure dominance over large areas of trading. As the referendum approaches, financiers are now consumed by a jigsaw puzzle of diabolical complexity: They are mapping out what assets they hold and where, seeking to anticipate what jurisdictions and rules might apply post-Brexit.



Investment banks and asset managers are pre-booking law firms, consulting firms and accounting firms for July, said William Wright, managing director of New Financial, a research institution in London. If we do vote to leave on June 23, no one is going to have the faintest idea what impact it will have.



Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, recently visited Britain with a pointed warning. If the UK leaves the EU, we may have no choice but to reorganise our business model here, he said. Brexit could mean fewer JPMorgan jobs in the UK and more jobs in Europe. Citigroup offered a similar caution.



If the sun rises on June 24 with Britain on its way out, such a shift could happen sooner rather than later. At a time of crippling uncertainty, banks would feel a compulsion to at least eliminate variables by quickly announcing their plans, moving people within the EU  to Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt, Germany, and Paris.



In the end, contingency plans may be devised more as salves for frayed nerves than bona fide operational blueprints. Britain may be on the verge of refashioning the world map. If that happens, the vote will set off proceedings so complex that the only guaranteed winners are the lawyers. All plans will be subject to change.




The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu has ordered the closure of 500 state-run liquor shops with effect from Sunday. This is seen as the first phase in bringing prohibition to the state, even as political parties welcomed the move.





Ahead of the elections in May, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had promised voters that prohibition in the state will be implemented in a phased manner. The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), which is authorised to sell liquor in the state, issued an order instructing the closure of the shops, after their business hours were curtailed. The working hours were revised from 12 noon to 10 pm, as against the previous 10 am to 10 pm schedule.



In Madurai, 201 outlets were closed, followed by Trichy (133), Coimbatore (60) and Chennai (58).
To counter the BJP's relentless attack over the mass exodus of Hindu families from Kairana in Uttar Pradeshs, Shamli district on the Akhilesh Yadav government, the Samajwadi Party (SP) roped in Hindu saints.





A group of saints comprising Acharya Pramod Krishnan, Hindu Mahasabha leader Swami Chakrapani, Narayan Giri, Swami Kalyan Devji Maharaj and Swami Chinmayananda among others on Sunday visited Kairana and met several families to know the truth.



The team of saints went to the areas from where reports of migration had been received. The saints visited several houses and also met the family of a gang-rape victim, according to the sources.



The team also held a meeting with the district officials.



Later, speaking to reporters, Acharya Pramod Krishnan said that the criminals in Kairana enjoyed political patronage.



All the political parties provide patronage to the criminal elements...it is because of this patronage the common people have been facing problems in Kairana, he said.



We spoke to a large number of people from different communities...our main objective is to ascertain if a mass exodus has taken place and if not then whether there is a conspiracy to vitiate the communal atmosphere in Kairana, Krishnan said.



Krishnan said that the team would submit its report to the UP government on Thursday.

Earlier, delegations of BJP and some opposition parties had visited Kairana.



A Congress delegation is likely to visit the place in the next few days.



Senior UP minister and SP general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav urged the saints to visit Kairana and speak to the people to know if a mass exodus of hindus had taken place.

The saints do not belong to any political party...their report will be free from any bias, Shivpal had said BJP MP Hukum Singh recently released a list of 346 hindu families, which, he claimed, had migrated from Kairana owing to threats from members of a particular community.


Pakistan has sought more time to probe leads on the Pathankot terror attack and to decide on the reciprocal visit by the National Investigation Agency, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said here on Sunday.





As India waits for Pakistan to act against the perpetrators, she made it clear that Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two neighbours would not resume unless there is concrete action from Pakistan as talks and terror could not go together.



After the Pathankot attack, there were expectations from the government and people that there should be some concrete steps from their side. This expectation is not unreasonable. So we are waiting for concrete steps from their side, she said. Swaraj maintained that following the visit of a five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan between March 27-31 to collect evidence on the Pathankot attack, there was a review meeting in which the Pakistani side sought more time to work on the leads.



India observed since JITs visit was on a reciprocal basis, the NIA team investigating the case would like to visit Pakistan. But there is no green signal yet from the Pakistan government.



Swaraj said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had met the authorities on the issue twice and they said they were analysing the evidence. They have not refused (to allow the NIA to visit). They just said they want more time, she said.


In Prime Minister Narendra Modis adopted village, things are not as rosy as they are made out to be.





Sukhu, a 45-year-old brick kiln worker, was expecting a home under the Centres rural housing scheme, but his dream is yet to be fulfilled.



Shiv Prakash, 28, has completed his high-school and spends most of his time doing odd jobs and rests at the bus shelters built after Modi adopted Jayapur, about 30 km from Varanasi, under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).



Despite the number of youth-centric schemes launched by the Modi government, Prakash has heard none of it, not even the much-publicised Mudra Yojana that gives small loans to poor to start their own ventures.



The work is not up to our expectations. Only the village got publicity across the country, thanks to the media, says Sukhu looking wistfully at the damaged road that leads to the village that has a population of 4,200.



However, Vijay Kumar, a 40-year-old farmer, does not share the views of Prakash. Kumar, who grows vegetables on his one-acre farm, waxes eloquent about the transformation of the village after Modi adopted it under SAGY.



The two solar power plants set up in the village light up each and every home, Kumar said.



He was referring to the two 25KW solar power plants that light up two LED bulbs and a mobile charging point in each house.



Besides, 135 solar street lamps have lit up the once sleepy village. But, Sukhu pointed out that many solar lamps were non-functional as the batteries that power them have been stolen.



Situation improved

The power situation has improved manifold, our children can even study at night, said Mukesh Patel, a graduate in agricultural science.



Since Modi adopted the village, Jayapur has got its own post office, a BSNL mobile tower, better schools and branches of two nationalised banks.



Manish Kumar, who runs a small shop in the village, complained about the fewer number of houses built under the Centres rural housing scheme.



Only the musahar caste families have been given homes, he said referring to the 14 homes that form the Atal Nagar on the outskirts of the village.



Prakash said the Samajwadi Party government has marked villages dotting Jayapur for all round development under the Lohia Gram Yojana.



People in these villages get Rs 3 lakh to build homes. The villages also have better sewage system and more hand pumps, Manish said.




The ecology of the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) has taken a beating, due to the unabated stone quarrying in the area. Adding insult to injury is the confusion over the grant of a no-objection certificate (NoC) for the activity.





Quarrying, blasting and stone-crushing continue unhindered in survey numbers 69 and 71 of Ragihalli and Shivanahalli villages in Anekal taluk, adjoining the Bannerghatta National Park.



The quarrying meets the growing demand for stone from the construction industry in Bengaluru.



The rapacious assault on the forest is also affecting the lives of the local residents. That the BNP is a prime elephant corridor makes protecting it that much more significant. But the authorities concerned seem least bothered.



The deputy director of the Mines and Geology department claims that the Forest department had given the NoC for quarrying and based on this, the office of the deputy commissioner (DC), through the single-window clearance committee, had accorded permission.



We have nothing to do with it, he said. However, Sunil Panwar, the deputy conservator of forests (BNP), questions the claim.



How can we give permission when we wrote three letters to the mines and geology department to stop quarrying in survey numbers 69 and 71. In one of the letters, I have said that if anything happens to the wildlife, prosecution orders will be issued, as it is a prime elephant corridor, he said.



Another Forest department official was dismissive. Maintaining buffer zone around BNP remains only on paper. It is a terminology of the legislature. Wildlife authorities have been asked to stop interfering, he said.



Incorrect info

Records available with Deccan Herald show that the applicants had submitted incorrect information to seek permission for quarrying in survey numbers 69 and 71 from the member secretary, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority in 2015.



On the question whether proposal required clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, Wildlife Protection Act, 1975 and CRZ Notification, 1991, the applicant had written, not applicable  the area does not fall under forest or under CRZ and there is no nearby wildlife sanctuary or other sensitive area.



But, the facts are to the contrary. Survey numbers 69 and 71 share boundaries with the BNP and connect to the road to Ragihalli and Shivanahalli.



The area is also at the tip of the Western Ghats, Panwar said.



This road cuts through the BNP and is surrounded by several hamlets, a government school, the Sharada Devi government hospital, the Ramakrishna Mission ashram and Camp GD. Around 100 trucks, carrying the stones quarried and the mined sand, travel on this road day and night, disturbing the serene surroundings.



Also, Ragihalli and Shivanahalli are two of the 16 villages that were adopted by H N Ananth Kumar, the Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister, for development under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.



Last year, we requested Ananth Kumar to stop the quarrying, but to no avail, said Chandu Rao, a resident of Shivanahalli.



In 2015, the local residents wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then Chief Justice of India H L Dattu, seeking help in putting an end to the quarrying, but nothing happened. They also contacted D K Suresh, the Bengaluru Rural MP, but were turned away.



Lurking danger

The Gram Panchayat members have filed a police complaint against the company undertaking the quarrying, citing illegality and life threats to them. The police are yet to act on the FIR, said Manjunath, a resident of Shivanahalli.



There are many instances when stones have fallen on our homes during blasting. The police and the ministers have done nothing about it, Manjunath said.



DC promises action

On his part, Bengaluru Urban DC V Shankar admits that the quarrying was illegal.

Four months ago, quarrying was stopped in the area and the earthmovers involved in the work were seized. But now, as I am being informed that it is continuing, another raid will be conducted soon, the dep-uty commissioner said.


The much-awaited ministry reshuffle carried out by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday led to resentment among the Congress workers in different parts of the state.





Supporters of the ministers who were dropped and the aspirants who failed to make it to the ministry staged demonstrations and also took to violence to vent their ire. A massive protest was held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Circle in Kalaburagi against the dropping of senior minister Qamar-ul-Islam. Hundreds of his supporters set fire to tyres and vehicles. They vandalised the Congress office and damaged furniture. The police resorted to mild lathicharge to control the mob. A NEKRTC bus was set afire by the supporters of ministerial aspirant Malikayya Guttedar at Farhatabad in Afzalpur taluk.



In Bengaluru, hundreds of motorists were left stranded when the supporters of Vijayanagar MLA M Krishnappa took to the streets, after he was denied a ministerial berth.



Ballari



Protests were held across the district, after expectations that Ballari Rural MLA N Y Gopalakrishna would find a place in the ministry were belied. Also, P T Parameshwar Naik, MLA from Hoovinahadagali was dropped from the ministry purportedly over the controversy involving DySP Anupama Shenoy who resigned in protest against his highhandedness.



Yadgir



After senior legislator A B Maalakareddy failed to find a place in the ministry, the Congress workers took to the streets. Members of the CMC, zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat coming under his Yadgir Assembly constituency as well as Congress office-bearers resigned in protest. Party workers set fire to tyres at Subhash Circle.



Belagavi



Supporters of MLA Satish Jarkiholi staged a protest in Belagavi demanding the party high command to retain him as minister or give him a key post in the party.



Members of Satish Jarkiholi Abhimani Balaga staged a protest at Rani Channamma Circle and raised slogans against Siddaramaiah. They also blocked the national highway at Kakti.



Koppal



Supporters of MLA Shivaraj Tangadagi staged a protest at Ashok Circle condemning Siddaramaiah's decision drop him from the ministry. Sangappa Sajjan, a supporter of Tangadagi, tried to commit suicide. The police intervened after he doused himself with kerosene and took him into custody. Seven ZP members resigned en masse.



Tumakuru



Hundreds of supporters of Madhugiri MLA K N Rajanna staged a protest in Tumakuru, demanding a ministerial berth for him. The protesters threatened that if Rajanna is denied a ministerial berth, all the five ZP, 17 TP and 345 GP members from Madhugiri Assembly constituency will resign en mass.



Mysuru/Chamarajanagar



Supporters of Nanjandud MLA V Srinivas Prasad have called for a bandh in Chamarajanagar and Nanjangud on Monday. Congress members in the local bodies of Nanjangud have threatened to resign if their leader is not retained in the ministry. Prasads supporters also staged protests in Mysuru.



Mandya



Demonstrations were held across the district over the dropping of M H Ambareesh from the Cabinet. C M Dyavappa, one of his supporters, attempted self-immolation. However, he was taken into police custody. Ambareeshs supporters have threatened to launch an indefinite blockade of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway from Monday.



Udupi



The Kaup block Congress members have resigned en masse to express their dissatisfaction over the removal of urban development minister Vinaykumar Sorake from the ministry.



The supporters of Deputy Speaker N H Shivashankara Reddy staged demonstration in his constituency Gauribidanur in Chikkaballapur district protesting the denial of ministerial berth to him.








Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was on Sunday forced to keep one ministerial berth vacant due to infighting among the Vokkaliga leaders in the ruling Congress.





M Krishnappa (Vijayanagar, Bangalore city), Dr K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapur), C P Yogeshwara (Channapatna), S T Somashekar (Yeshwanthpur), N H Shivashankar Reddy (Gauribidanur) are among the prominent Vokkaliga MLAs lobbying to become ministers. Of the 33 berths in the council of ministers, currently there are four Vokkaligas. Two leaders from the community  M H Ambareesh and Kimmane Ratnakar  were dropped from the ministry on Sunday.



Somashekar said that a meeting of eight legislators who have been denied cabinet berths would hold a meeting soon.



Highest representation has been given to the Lingayat community (eight) followed by SCs/STs (six) and three Muslims. Vokkaliga leaders had been complaining that the Siddaramaiah government has not given adequate representation to the community.



Sources in the party said Energy Minister D K Shivakumar has been lobbying to make Yogeshwara a minister. Yogeshwaras support is key for Shivakumar to maintain his dominance over Ramanagar and Bengaluru Rural districts. Shivakumar even made last-minute efforts to convince Siddaramaiah to induct Yogeshwara. But the Chief Minister deferred a decision as he was under immense pressure from other Vokkalinga leaders. Krishnappas supporters held Shivakumar responsible for scuttling his chance to make it to the Cabinet.



Ramya to ministry?



Supporters of actor-politician Ambareesh resorted to violent protest in Mandya district, demanding that he should be re-inducted. Various sections of Kannada filmdom are also extending their support to Ambareesh and have decided to stage a protest on Monday. Name of former MP and actor Ramya is making the rounds as the Ambareeshs replacement. He is yet to react to the losing of ministership.



The sources said Siddaramaiah had almost finalised Krishnappas name on Saturday but later dropped it due to pressure from other Vokkaliga MLAs. Former union minister Veerappa Moily, who met Siddaramaiah on Sunday, is said have bated for Shivashankar Reddy.



After completing the reshuffle exercise, Siddaramaiah is facing the challenge of pacifying the disgruntled legislators. Of the 14 out-going ministers, 12 of them kept themselves away from the swearing-in ceremony. The out-going ministers were so upset that they even refused to submit their resignation letters to the chief minister, forcing Siddamaramaiah to drop them.



Normally, the out-going ministers submit the resignation letters to the chief minister, who, inturn, recommends to the Governor to accept them. But Siddaramaiah, on Sunday recommended to Governor Vajubhai Vala to drop the 14 ministers. Besides, only a handful of Congress legislators were present at the swearing-in ceremony.



Caste break-up in the ministry



Lingayat 8

SCs/STs 6

Vokkaliga 4

Muslim 3

Kuruba 2

Brahmin 2

Ediga 1

Bunt 1

Balija 1

Maratha 1

Nekara 1

Gangamatasta 1

Reddy 1

Christian 1






Rayareddy not to draw salary, allowances



Soon after being sworn in as Cabinet minister, Basavaraj Rayareddy declared something pleasant to the ears of tax-payers. He said he is not going to draw salary, dearness, house and train travel allowances among others.



He had not claimed his salary even when he was the housing minister in H D Deve Gowda government and later in 1998 as Karnatakas special representative in Delhi. As an MLA, he has not drawn his salary till now which comes to nearly an Rs one lakh a month, including perks. As minister he would be entitled for a monthly house rent allowance of nearly Rs 75,000.



I consider politics as social service. I am not an employee to draw salary. I was an MP. So I have the privilege of having a complimentary railway pass. Why should I claim train travel allowance as an MLA or minister? If I claim travel allowance, then it would amount to cheating. I have a house in Bengaluru. So I should not claim house rent allowance. As minister, I would be entitled for Rs two to three lakhs worth allowances which I would not like to touch. Also, I would not like to seek food allowance from the government.

However, he was candid to say that he would not be giving up using government car, petrol or telephone.



Of fathers and sons



Call it a strategy or yielding to pressure. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faced no problems in handling two senior leaders Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shamnoor Shivashankarappa. For, the senior Kharge ensured that his son Priyank became a minister and Shamnoor made way to his son S S Mallikarjun in the Cabinet. Kharge and Shamnoor attended the swearing-in ceremony of their sons at Raj Bhavan. Kharge was seated next to Siddaramaiah.



Speaking to reporters, Priyank said his fathers name is an added advantage to build his political career.



I have come up from grassroot level working as NSUI and youth Congress worker. My fathers four-decades of experience in politics has also come as an advantage to me.



Arrogance of money power



The BJP spokesman S Suresh Kumar had his own way of analysing reactions of three ministers who were dropped. On his Facebook page, without naming any ministers, Kumar quoted a nonagenarian leaders (obviously referring to Shamnoor Shivashankarappa) statement: It is no loss for me. Till now I was traveling by the government Innova. Henceforth I will use my own Benz and helicopter. This is nothing but arrogance of money power, the BJP MLA commented.



On another minister who was dropped (indirectly referring to V Srinivas Prasad), the former ministers remarks that ministership was something petty for him, Kumar wondered, why he lobbied so hard to continue in the Cabinet. In an oblique reference to Kimmane Rathnakar, Kumar said the minister wrote a thanking letter to his staff, returned the government car and left to his Tirthahalli constituency.
Vandalisation at the Vijayanagar metro station by MLA M Krishnappas supporters has exposed chinks in security apparatus at metro stations. The incident has forced the BMRCL and city police to make concerted efforts to ensure security and law and order in and around the BMRCL facilities.





A senior BMRCL officer told Deccan Herald that an emergency meeting has been called on Monday to discuss the security-related aspects at metro stations, in view of the vandalisation at Vijayanagar station. BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said that a decision would be taken on lodging a complaint against the MLAs supporters. We will also discuss about availing the services of the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) to guard metro stations, he said.



The city police said that it was the primary responsibility of the BMRCL to ensure security at its facilities. The police also suggested that the KSISF was constituted for such purposes and the BMRCL could avail of its services.



The KSISF does not fall under the Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate and the city police will definitely ensure law and order in and around the BMRCL facilities, said the police. The police admitted that the security at the BMRCL facilities has assumed significance, though no untoward incident had been reported at such facilities till now.



The city police will not tolerate any efforts to disturb law and order at any place including metro stations. Stern action will be taken against those who created ruckus at Vijayangar metro police station, City Police Commissioner N S Megharik said.



The city police are in consultations with the metro officials to have a proper security apparatus and regular security exercises. The security and law and order are inter-related issues and the city police will positively respond to any of the BMRCLs demands, he said.



The top cop said that he had directed the subordinate officers to relocate Hoysala vehicles and patrolling to cover metro stations. The police have not made any arrests so far in connection with the vandalism and are contemplating suo motu action in case the BMRCL does not lodge a complaint.



Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director, BMRCL: A decision will also be taken regarding lodging a complaint against the MLAs supporters and seeking the assistance of the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force.






V Srinivas Prasad, who was dropped from the Cabinet as revenue minister, has launched a tirade against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.





Siddaramaiah hopped to Congress from JD(S). He has forgotten his past. I will not approach the Congress high Command, questioning his move, but will distance myself from the party activities, Prasad told reporters here on Sunday. He said that he had played a role in making Siddaramaiah as the chief minister. I have been dropped despite the advice of senior leaders G Parameshwara and Mallikarjuna Kharge. I had no idea that I would be removed, he said.



Siddaramaiah has proved that he has no respect for prompt and loyal workers. People will teach him a lesson. I was dropped only because Siddaramaiah wants to make his son a minister and the new Cabinet is not created based on the ability of MLAs. Siddaramaiah is playing a game, as he knows that the upcoming Assembly elections will be under the leadership of a Dalit leader, Prasad commented.



Meanwhile, former minister and BJP leader S A Ramdas met Prasad at the latters residence and held discussions. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy called Prasad over the phone.




Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said on Sunday that the ministry reshuffle had stirred up a hornets nest and the disappointed Congress leaders were expressing their ire against the chief minister publicly. This could lead to collapse of the government.





Speaking to mediapersons, Shettar said, instead of a reshuffle, Siddaramaiah should have dropped non-performing ministers. He said, though the Siddaramaiah-led government completed three years, it had still not taken off. It would be difficult to expect good governance from Siddaramaiah now onwards as he would be busy preparing for the 2018 polls.
Kannada film Thithi won Asia New Talent Awards for best film and best script writer during the ongoing 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in China.





Thithi is a light-hearted story about three generations of men reacting to the death of the familys 101-year-old patriarch. The films cast were non-professional actors from Indian villages, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.



The film, written by Raam Reddy and Ere Gowda, is directed by the former. It is an Indian-American co-production, jointly produced by Pratap Reddy from Prspctvs Productions and Sunmin Park from Maxmedia. The film premiered at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival on August 8, 2015. It won the Golden Leopard in the Filmmakers of the Present category for Reddy and the Swatch First Feature award.



Later, it received numerous other awards at film festivals held in Mumbai, Palm Springs, Marrakech and various other cities. It was released in Karnataka in May first week. It recently won three Karnataka state film awards in best film, best supporting actress and best dialogue category.



Thithi was adjusted as the best feature film in Kannada at the national level last year.
After much calculation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday inducted 13 new faces into his council of ministers.





He also dropped 14 ministers, amid brewing dissidence in the Congress party. At the same time, he has managed to retain his old-time associates.



Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at the Raj Bhavan. There are nine Cabinet-rank ministers and four ministers of state. The chief minister may also reshuffle the portfolios, most likely on Monday.



Siddaramaiah has kept one seat vacant in the 34-member council of ministers, apparently to quell the growing dissidence, especially among the Vokkaligas.



Meanwhile, V Srinivas Prasad and Baburao Chinchansur, who lost ministership, and A B Maalakaraddy, who could not make it to the Cabinet this time too, openly hit out at senior party leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Mallikarjun Kharge. Many unhappy legislators even threatened to quit the party.



Siddaramaiah, while removing ministers M H Ambareesh and Kimmane Ratnakar of the Vokkaliga community, has not yet accommodated anyone from the community. This has not gone down well with others from the community. The chief minister is likely to accommodate a Vokkaliga leader in the existing one vacant seat, sources said.



Prominent among the new ministers are former speakers Kagodu Thimmappa and K R Ramesh Kumar, known for their caustic remarks against the Siddaramaiah government.



Interestingly, the chief minister has re-inducted mining company owner Santosh Lad, who had resigned within six months of the Congress coming to power in 2013 for his reported involvement in illegal mining. Siddaramaiah had even led a padayatra to Ballari to oppose illegal mining. Besides, Kharges son Priyank Kharge has made his debut as minister.



Of the 13 new ministers, four belong to the erstwhile janata parivar  Ramesh Kumar, Santosh Lad, H Y Meti and Basavaraj Rayareddy. MLC M R Seetharam, whose family owns the M S Ramaiah group of educational institutions, has been inducted.




The first phone poll conducted entirely after last Thursday's tragic killing of MP Jo Cox showed 'Remain' in the lead.

Of the 1,001 people interviewed by Survation, on behalf of The Mail on Sunday, a majority of 45% of respondents said they backed the option of the UK remaining inside the European Union, versus 42.0% who favoured 'Leave'.

Another poll carried out by YouGov for The Sunday Times, a third of which was conducted before the death of Ms. Cox, put support for 'Remain' at 44.0% and that for 'Leave' at 43.0%.

On Sunday, in a letter to The Sun 37 executives, including the boss of Patisserie Holdings, Luke Johnson, said small businesses would thrive after leaving behind the "straitjacket" imposed by Brussels.

In an article penned by Cox for The Mail on Sunday, four days before her death, the MP called on voters not to "fall for the spin that voting to exit the European Union would resolve immigration.

We can do far more to address both the level and impact of immigration while remaining in the EU, she said.

On Saturday, Cameron wrote in The Daily Telegraph said quitting the EU would trigger a probable recession and there would be "no going back".

If youre not sure, dont take the risk of leaving, he said.

If you dont know, dont go.

In an interview with the same newspaper, also on Saturday, Vote 'Leave' leader Michael Gove claimed the UK would not fall into a recession as a result of Brexit and urged Britons to "vote for hope".

Britain would be better placed to cope with the challenges of global economic disruption if it took back full control over its own affairs, he said.
INTERVIEW: Chef'Special On Cracking America, Hit Single In Your Arms & Touring With Twenty One Pilots [Exclusive]

Hailing from The Netherlands, alternative pop band ChefSpecial impacted on the American music market last year with the release of their first international EP, distributed by their US label of Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic Records, which spawned the very well-received single called In Your Arms (CF already have two studio albums out back in their home country where they are BIG!). Now, having solidified an image in the United States, and having garnered a powerful following, ChefSpecial is en route to make a another huge career accomplishment. The five-piece band will open for label-mates Twenty One Pilots on their massive and sold-out EMTINAL RADSHW this summer across the US.

Direct Lyrics recently caught up with Joshua Nolet, Guido Joseph, Jan Derks, Wouter Heeren and Wouter Jerry Prudon of ChefSpecial to discuss their journey to date, cracking the USA, the music scene back in The Netherlands, their thoughts on Twenty One Pilots, their upcoming projects and much more! Do not miss this exclusive interview!

The Interview

1. Hi guys! Where are you answering this Q&A from, and hows your day been like so far?

At this moment we are sitting outside our bus, which is parked on the parking lot of a best western hotel, where our bus driver is catching up on some sleep. We've had a day off in Baltimore, which was fun. We went sightseeing in the harbour area and went to a guitar centre to get some stuff.

2. First of all, how did you come up with the name Chef'Special and how did you all meet?

Jerry and Dub were friends for a long time already, and Jerry knew Joshua from the music scene in Haarlem, our hometown in the Netherlands. Dub, G and Jan knew each other from a conservatory in Rotterdam where they were studying. At that time we were all looking for people to form a new band, and very ambitious to take it as far as possible. We all loved to play a lot of different styles of music and mixing them together in an energetic live show, and to create positive energy and make people dance. Our first tours were along the coasts of France and Spain, where we played at all the surf spots, in return for food and a place to sleep. We built a name for ourselves and more people started to come to our shows. We put out a few singles and our last one, "In your arms", became a hit in the Netherlands, and hopefully the people in the US like it too!

After several months of struggling to come up with a name we decided to have dinner in a restaurant, and not leave before we had one. The waitress came to tell us about the menu, and at the bottom was the "Chef'Special". We all instantly realized that it was our destiny to go by that name.

3. You are a very eclectic band. Your songs are a blend of different genres. Some are reggae, others pop, then you have rock, and when you least expect it, you serve us reggae. Was there ever a discussion like hey guys, lets all sit down and talk about what sound we want to have?

We have that talk sometimes, but we always end up just making the music that we feel like making. We all like a wide variety of styles of music, and we think its cool to put a lot of different influences in our songs. What we care about the most is if the song is good. We found out that if you write a good song, it can come across in a lot of different styles and settings.

4. You are a big in your home country of The Netherlands and in many other European territories as well. You have released two full-length album to date and your streams on Spotify are already beyond the 8 million mark. How would you briefly describe your amazing pre-U.S assault journey? Ever imagined to be loved/supported by so many people?

It has always been our goal to reach as many people as possible and travel the world with our music. As I mentioned at question 1 we started out with doing tours along the west coast of Europe. We played everywhere we could, in exchange for food and a place to stay. We gained a lot of experience and started to get a reputation for being a good live band. After a few singles we had our first hit "In Your Arms", which got us to the big stages and festivals.

5. You are now trying to build a name in America hand in hand with Fueled by Ramen and Atlantic Records. Tell us a bit how you got to sign your American deal.

An intern of our A&R manager Stefan Max heard us on HypeMachine while they we're out on vacation somewhere. Stefan liked the song and flew to the Netherlands to watch a show. Already a week later they flew us to New York to do a showcase for the whole Atlantic board. That was one of the most nerve-wrecking things we ever did, playing our music in a small rehearsal studio in front of all those big bosses. But luckily they liked it and we got signed!

6. You dropped last summer your self-titled debut EP in the U.S. The EP is made of four songs that were originally included in your second album released in Europe. Was it hard choosing what song made the EP tracklisting? Did you wish to include an original song?

That was very hard, yes. But we felt it was good to release those 4 songs first, because they represent what we were doing at the time. Like you said earlier, we play a lot of different styles, and if we would release everything at once, people may get confused about what kind of band we are. So we chose to focus on these four, and release the rest later.

7. Your current U.S single is In Your Arms. A very personal story inspired this song. Could you elaborate for those who havent heard it yet?

"In Your Arms" is a very special track to us. Joshua wrote it for his father, who passed away. He had been trying to write something for his dad for a long time, but he was never satisfied with what he made, and after a while he gave up. Until G played him this demo that he made, just one night before the final recording of the album started. That night Joshua wrote the lyrics, and the next day we all agreed the song had something special. It felt sad and hopeful at the same time, and although Joshua wrote it for his dad, it felt like the song could speak to a lot of people in different situations.

8. Im personally loving all four songs on this Chef'Special EP. When can fan expect a new album? Already writing songs for that? If so, how is it shaping up to be?

Thank you! We are right now in the process of finishing up a new album, which we are aiming to release this fall. We have been working in a lot of great studios in different places in the US, with a lot of great people. That really is one of the perks of being signed to a great label. We used to do everything on our own in our home studios in the Neherlands before.

9. You have been given the opportunity to tour with Twenty One Pilots this summer all across the U.S. How did you react when you first heard the news?

We almost couldn't believe it! We are very thankful to have been given this opportunity, we really can't think of a better tour to be on. The 21 pilots fans have been amazing to us so far. They always come early so it is already relatively full when we start to play our set, and their reactions have been very inspiring. We also learn a lot from watching 21 pilot 's show, which is absolutely mind-blowing on so many levels!

10. What do you admire of Twenty One Pilots and whats your favorite song by them?

First of all their great songs. They mix a lot of styles together, and make great songs that appeal to a lot of people. That is obviously something that we aim to do as well. Then there's their live show, which looks amazing, they have a visual concept that has been worked out with great detail, and their visuals look so good. They are both great musicians, and and on top of all that, even pretty decent acrobats!

Our personal favourite is "Ride".

11. What can tour-goers expect from a Chef'Special show?

We always try to put on an energetic and uplifting live show, and build a party together with the audience. We think its very important that the audience feels involved with what's going on on stage, and that we generate positive energy together.

12. Whats a song that you havent covered yet that you are looking to do in the tour?

We are still in the process of perfecting our setlist. Every night we try stuff out and watch the reaction of the audience, to see if we made a good move. I can't think of any song in particular that we need to get in there, but maybe later on in the tour we will start to play a new song that could become our new single.

13. What are Chef'Specials Top 5 songs (of other artists) of the moment?

1. Text Message - Busy Signal

2. Cocoa butter kisses - Chance the rapper

3. Nocturne in E-Flat Major. Op. 9, No.2 - Frederic Chopin

4. Muizenberg - John Wizzards

5. Can't help falling in love - Elvis Presley

14. This last question is a bit of personal curiosity. I know everybody speaks English in The Netherlands. But, do you imagine yourselves ever recording a full EP or album in Dutch? Or whats the situation of Dutch language in music over there?

There is a large tradition of singing in English in the Netherlands. I think this has to do with two things.

- A lot of music that is played by Dutch bands is inspired on English/American music. And sometimes to us the language is a part of the sound of that music. Therefore it feels better to sing in English. Also funny enough, classic phrases like "Twist and shout!", or "Come on baby lets rock!" are not really translatable to Dutch in a way that sounds cool in a lyric, and so are a lot of other phrases. It's sad but true.

- Second reason is that the Netherlands is a really small country, so if you sing in Dutch, there are only about 23 million people in the world that can understand you. If you have international aspirations like us it's therefore much better to sing in English.

Because of those reasons I don't see ourselves doing an album in Dutch anytime soon. There is however big scene with Dutch music in The Netherlands.

15. Thank you for your time, guys. Any last thing youd like to share with our readers at Directlyrics.com?

Listen to a band called "The Slackers"! They are one of our favorite bands ever.
GOP candidate for Franklin County auditor says porn 'likes' by hacker

Jarrod Golden, GOP candidate for Franklin County auditor deleted his Twitter account linked to his campaign, saying it had been hacked.
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.
dpa ElectionsData

With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
The Michigan Democratic Party Justice Caucus is hosting their 2016 Millie Jeffrey Awards Dinner later this month and their keynote speaker is progressive champion Congressman Elijah Cummings. The Ranking Member on the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Cummings has been a fierce warrior for a wide array of progressive issues and has held the line again Republican partisanship and game playing. His comments and questions during the Benghazi hearings, the inquisition against Planned Parenthood, and in holding Michigan Republicans like Gov. Rick Snyder culpable for their actions in the Flint water crisis are recent examples of Rep. Cummings leadership.

The event will take place at the Westin Southfield (1500 Town Center in Southfield) on Sunday, June 26. There is a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the dinner at 6:30. Tickets need to be purchased by Wednesday, June 22 by going to www.Justice4Michigan.org.

If you have the funds and the time, this is an event that is well worth your while. Youll hear from and be inspired by a true progressive hero and will help a terrific progressive organization in the process.

Be sure to order your tickets before Wednesday, June 22.
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Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) is exploring possibilities of teaching the Korean language and inviting South Korean students to visit it for short- and long-term courses . Cho Hyun, Koreas ambassador, recently met Talat Ahmad, vice chancellor, to discuss academic opportunities in respect of Korean language and culture at the university.

The vice chancellor is interested in creating a Korean language and culture studies programme with the support of the embassy and Korean Foundation, Seoul, in the near future.



The university offers courses in languages including Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish besides Arabic, Persian, English, Hindi and Urdu.

The Korean ambassador discussed the strength of the bilateral co-operation between India and South Korea as well as the economic opportunities due to it.
Prior to pursuing my MBA , I was working as a software engineer at Goldman Sachs. I enjoyed my job and the opportunity to tackle challenging problems at the intersection of finance and technology. However, I realised that to effectively leverage my background and accelerate my career growth, I needed to develop a stronger understanding of business fundamentals. This drove my decision to take an MBA.

Since I was applying to international business schools (while working in India), I wasnt able to travel to all I was interested in. So, I interacted with students to learn more about their experience to help me make my decision. I also used data points provided by web portals and different MBA rankings to make my final decision.

I was attracted by the University of Virginia Darden School of Businesss focus on using the case method approach that forces you to be an active participant in a high-pressure environment. It encourages you to take decisions based on limited data, simulating the conditions that business leaders are expected to function in.

From bankers and teachers to people who have served in the military, the school attracts students from a variety of professional backgrounds. This, combined with the case method approach, ensures a dynamic learning environment. My learning experience has been shaped by the diverse set of opinions of my classmates that helped me develop different ways of viewing and solving complex business problems. One third of my class is international. This brings a global perspective to cases discussed in class.

The residential MBA programme is an intense experience. The first six months at the school were hectic. But my Wall Street experience had prepared me to handle the pressure. Time management is of utmost importance. Students have to maintain a delicate balance between classes and their social lives. They are divided into sections and remain with theirs from August till February/March of the following year when they first arrive. During this period, they take the same core courses to develop their business fundamentals in accounting, finance, marketing, leadership, ethics and other areas. Once this period ends, they are free to select different electives. The school provides the option of pursuing a concentration, but it is not mandatory. I didnt opt for a concentration and took a range of classes across different areas based on my interest.

After completing my MBA, I was an intern at Google last summer. I will now join the company on a full-time basis to work with publishers to help them monetise their websites and apps using Googles advertising solutions. I am excited about starting this new phase of my career and look forward to applying the business and leadership lessons, learnt during my MBA, in the corporate world.
I belong to Chennai. Having chosen maths, physics and chemistry in class XII, I opted for my Bachelors in Computer Science and Engineering at a university in my hometown. Computers have held a life-long fascination for me. I grew up watching the digital revolution unfold in society while helping my father in his small-scale business of marketing mainly food grains across South India. I always wanted to do my Masters in computer science as I was keen to pursue my passion. I wished to not just experience but to be a part of the digital revolution and leave my signature on it.

During my research on courses offered by various universities in Europe, I found University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland had a degree tailored to students goals and experience. The course I wanted to take was flexible with a portfolio of subjects across five streams: data science, cloud computing, software engineering, forensics and security, artificial intelligence and cognitive science.

Initially, when I, the first graduate in my family, decided to take up Masters studies, the dearest and closest members of my family opposed and humiliated me for being a girl as well as my parents for supporting my decision. I am thankful to my parents for their trust and support in hard times.

When it came to studying abroad, I was worried about the cost of attending a European university, but I received a 2,000-euro Global Graduate Scholarship from the university. On joining the course, there was a Student Needs Advising session, where a member of staff assessed my expertise as well as current intellectual and career goals, and guided me in module selection. Also, the university allowed me to attend lectures of any module of my interest as extracurricular (audit module) apart from my core modules.



>Industry Sponsorship

I am glad to be the first Indian girl to be selected and sponsored by Accenture Analytics Innovation Centre, Dublin (Accentures global headquarters) to do my Masters degree research in data science and digital analytics in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Also, I secured a job as business technology consulting analyst in October 2015. I am proud that I am the only woman working in Deloitte Irelands, Digital Innovation, Robotics (RPA  Robotics Process Automation) and one among the handful of women scientists around the world who have established their careers in data science and robotics. My Masters degree and university experience helped to boost my career.

My study abroad experience made me strong. It taught me to be myself and discover my ability to pursue my dream career.
All it takes is a spark, a fragment of an idea, and suddenly the world of business ignites for hopeful entrepreneurs, businesses and creative thinkers. Keeping the fire burning however requires knowledge, support and advice. It can be difficult to know what direction to take, making the right contacts and investing time and money in the right places can all seem overwhelming at a crucial time for any new business.

India

entrepreneurship

opportunities

career

ideas

work

After deciding to take the plunge the first issue to consider is what industry the business idea fits into. Working out where the business fits in the market will allow comprehensive market research and competitor analysis. 50% of all business start-ups fail in the first 3 years which is often due to insufficient market research. One should not step into unknown waters and hope for overnight success.You must research into your local or national competitors, what makes your business stand out from theirs, what need will you be fulfilling for your customer, who will buy your product/service and what will they pay? These are just a few of the things to consider. You must follow every avenue and leave no stone unturned. The more information you have the better prepared you will be for all that running your own businesses has in store for you and you are more likely to see which hurdles may be in your way, allowing time to overcome these.There are also many trends to consider before starting your own business. Are you selling to an upcoming, static or declining market? What is the next up and coming technology or social trend & will this help or hinder your business? What will the outcome of the planned EU referendum mean for your suppliers, customers and business and what is happening to the local and national labour market? The UK has evolved from a manufacturing and product focused economy into a service and knowledge focused economy. With careful thought and planning, now is a good time to start a business in the UK, we have one of the lowest corporation tax rates in the G20. Supporting small businesses and start-ups is a key part of the UK governments current economic plan. There is more support than ever from the UK government for those looking to start-up their own business. Apart from UK, seeing the kind of entrepreneurial energyIndia holds, I believe the country has great potential too.Indian market, in the past few decades, has emerged as one of the most suitable platforms for starting up new business ventures. In the beginning of 2015, India had over 48 million small businesses, almost double of US and today, especially after one-and-a-half years since the launch of Make in India campaign by the Indian Government, a positive change has been witnessed in the status ofin India. The country has uplifted its position in the Ease of Doing Business rankings by the World Bank Group by 12 ranks, thereby presentlymaintaining its position at the 130th rank. Moreover, deviating from the traditional methods and creating a much more convenient, flexible and hassle-free environment for opening up enterprises, make Indian market as one of the most suitable for entrepreneurs.Entrepreneurship is now no longer a quirk of the super-rich but is now considered a viableoption. With programmes such as Dragons Den and The Apprentice, people are becoming more confident in their businessand their ability to solve a problem for consumers and are more willing to give entrepreneurship a go. Many celebrities are also now adapting and diversifying into new unexplored areas. Entrepreneurship is in the spotlight more than ever. With the new trend of disruptive business, many budding entrepreneurs who previously worked for big corporate organisations and thought they could do it better are now doing it alone and shaking up the market. With record numbers of new businesses starting every year, the trend is definitely pointing towards entrepreneurship being viewed as a viable career option that is not only growing but thriving.It is widely recognised that there is a growing number of benefits to entrepreneurship. Many are attracted to the prospect of being their own boss and making money for themselves rather than someone else. For those wanting to be entrepreneurial, there is the opportunity to earn your living doing something you really enjoy rather than doing a job as a necessity to earn a living. For those wishing to make a difference in their community, there is the opportunity with a business in social enterprise. For many, entrepreneurship means greater control and flexibility over ones time. Setting up your own business is often a solution for those who cannot find employment that fits aroundtheir personal circumstances such as family and health considerations. For some it is the control of their own salary that attracts them. The idea of setting up your own salary and that it is directly proportionate to the amount ofone wants to put in appeals to many. Whether you merely want a supplementary income or if you want to earn the big bucks, entrepreneurship is for everyone at every stage. Lastly you can create your own vision and work to your own personal ethics and moral standards. You can do business in a way that means something to you and that you agree with rather than working to someone elses vision and standards. Putting ones ideas into actions and establishing an enterprise not only benefit the entrepreneurs, but also bring prosperity to others by making them employed and financially stable, thereby,adding to a countrys growth and development. Therefore, entrepreneurship is a very powerful tool and an integral part of any economy which is hard to overlook.
Banking focuses on deposits, lending and customer service. With an increase in competition and the change in the demographics of the customers, it is most important for banks to hire professionals who use technology, product innovation and business alliances to provide ease and convenience to its customers.

SCOPE

jobs

trends

Today, the banking industry is doing well and provides good growth opportunities for those who have the ability to learn and are willing to go the extra mile. With new bank licences, there will be more opportunities for freshers and experienced professionals to further their career scope. Various Indian banks depute their staff to international locations to expand their geographies. Foreign banks are also hiring Indian banking professionals rapidly. A graduate degree is essential for those who wish to make a career in banking. An MBA in finance is also a good way to step into the field.A graduate can opt for roles within branch banking like that of a teller or customer service officer. Those with an MBA can work as relationship managers in retail banking, SME or corporate banking. CAs, CFAs and engineers are usually selected for credit and risk roles.Currently, mostin the banking sector are open for sales and frontline positions. For these roles, communication skills and customer service etiquette is important. For some back-office-operation jobs, it is important to be detail oriented, have thorough knowledge of documentation and data entry, etc. For roles in credit and treasury, apart from analytical ability, understanding of the financial markets,and economy are important.The industry is currently focusing on managing risks of the quality of assets. Most banks are expanding their reach to 'unbanked' locations and tier two to six cities. And to further their inclusion agenda, banks are getting into several business correspondence relationships. With an increase in gen Y customers, technology has played an important role and banks are now thinking like fintech companies.The remuneration purely depends on the role and experience of a professional. While banks in the recent past have become cautious about their staff costs, the remuneration offered at campuses is on par with other industries.
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.
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
After keeping her away from the public spotlight for so many years, it looks like Katie Holmes has had a change of heart when it comes to her 10-year-old daughter, Suri Cruise. In fact, the Hollywood actress has recently shared multiple photos of her mini-me on her Instagram account, which is something she's never done in the past.

Holmes surprised fans when she shared a photo of the two behind-the-scenes of one of the actress' upcoming movie. Suri even sat in a director's chair with her name on it in the black-and-white photo which Holmes captioned with, "My sweetie #setlife #gratitiude."

A photo posted by Katie Holmes (@katieholmes212) on Jun 17, 2016 at 7:49pm PDT

In another photo, Holmes shared a pic young Suri's profile. Many of her Instagram followers commented on the photo with, "Is this Suri? She's just as beautiful as her mother," along with, "I love all of these new pics Katie. Would love to see more of you and Suri on here."

Holmes pulled the plug on her marriage to Tom Cruise back in 2011. Since then, the actor has supposedly not been seen with his daughter, nor has he allegedly made any contact with her, too. Many sources say this is because both Holmes and her daughter are no longer a part of the Church of Scientology, making them "suppressive people" to Cruise, meaning he's to cut them out of his life.
The FBI "rap sheet" is basically just a matter of running your fingerprints against the FBI's data base. The desired outcome is a stamp on the form saying "No record found." Unless you were fingerprinted and "put in the system" (yeah, I watch too many cop shows <g>) chances are nothing will turn up on your record.

Cheers,

Bev
Thanks for your answers.



She had to submit a copy of her passport for clearance, therefore I assume they are doing somekind of background check? How extensive should that be? Given she has been workin here there should be no problem, but then again why are they doing the check then?



Would it be wise to go speak to the bank now, even though there is no offer letter yet, only a verbal commitment pending the clearance, or wait? What is the general action banks take for people with loan in between jobs? I have no experience with any of this and have only the read the stories of people doin a runner or facing jail possibly.



If her visa gets canceled she will get 30 days grace period correct? Wipl she be able to do a visa run if the bank knows she has been terminated as she would technically leave the country? Then again, if they dont let her leave, can she just hang around till the new jobs starts or will she face problems?



Thanks again and any help is much appreciated.
Hi,



I am a 19 y/o British American student studying at a British institution in Paris. I recently became aware that at a certain point I will have to file US tax returns, but I am confused as to whether I have to start doing this now or if I only need to worry about this when I get a job. I vaguely remember receiving something from my French bank last year about filing US taxes, but I threw it away thinking it didn't apply to me because I am not yet earning an income (any money I receive is from the UK government or from my two non-American parents). Can someone explain to me when I need to start filing tax returns and what are the requirements? I fear I was meant to do the paperwork anyway just to prove I do not earn enough to be taxed by the IRS.
Hahaha...Yes! And in the northeastern city of Ubay...there are absolutely NO TAXI's at all!!! There are some forms of public transportation, (but only a few), but for some reason...no one has ever set up a taxi service in this entire city, which by the way has the largest population in all of Bohol...



Nearly half of the entire island population lives in Ubay, (44% of Bohol's total population resides in Ubay according to the voter registration records from this past election a few weeks ago...and the Duterte curfew has already been implemented there! We were all forced to be off the streets by 10:00pm or risk getting picked up by roving police patrols. We were at a hotel near the Chocolate Hills and wanted to drive that evening up to some secluded beaches for some early morning scuba diving the next day and the hotel guards would not let us leave because they told us the roving police patrols would haul us all to jail for breaking the curfew! While we were talking to the hotel guard, two different patrols drove past...cruising the streets looking for curfew violators! Is this the new Philippines?



As I mentioned in my earlier post...it just seemed strange that the largest population center in the entire island of Bohol has no BPI or BDO banks, no McDonald's or Jolibee's, no Chow King or Karaoke Bars, no SM Department Stores or Wilcon Depots...all the businesses you see everywhere in the Philippines are eerily missing from this island community and I am just trying to find out why, (if anyone really knows).



There are hundreds of thousands of people living there and they have money and they want to buy these products or services from these businesses so it makes me wonder why there are no branches there...businesses want to make money and if there is a peso to be made, they would certainly be there....but they are not...(?????).



Anyway...it is not of major importance...the thought just crossed my mind while I was there and I wondered if anyone here in this Forum knew the real answer. The only story I could find was that the local island government is trying to keep Bohol "purely Filipino" and only utilize local mom and pop type operations and supposedly they are fighting against the arrival or expansion of any other chain businesses or franchises on the island. But I do not know if this "story" is actually true. The only place where i could find any of the above mentioned businesses was in the smaller capital city of Tagbilaran close to the islands only airport...but once we left Tagbilaran, the McDonald's and the Jolibee's and the BPI's and BDO's all disappeared!
I need some advice on my ban from SA. I am a UK citizen and lived in SA for 5 years. I left SA in June 2014 and was issued with a 5 year ban, due to an expired visa. I was advised not to travel until my new visa was issued but I had to start a new job in the UK and couldn't change my departure date. I had applied for my Visa extension in the Feb and was issued with a 3 year visa in August 2014. I married my South African wife in SA in Feb 2014 and my daughter is also South African. I was told I had to go to the embassy within 10 days of arriving in the UK, but this wasn't an option. I wasn't planning on returning to SA, but now need to head back for a couple of weeks due to Family reasons. I have been trying for months to get a response using the below details, with no success. Its the overstays appeal email address, but I cant post it on here. Has anyone had any success using these contact details. I have all the relevant paperwork for my visa application and also proof I was awarded a visa in my absence.I have missed dealing with home affairs!!Persons who are declared undesirable persons in terms of Section 30(1)(h) read with 50(1) of the Immigration Act, no 13 of 2002 as amended (no. 13 of 2011) must submit the written representative as indicated below:The following documents must be submitted:Written representationA copy of the declaration of undesirability (form 19) that was issued at the Port of EntryCopy of the relevant pages of the passport, including bio pageAcknowledgment of receipt( in cases where the applicant has applied for a permit and the status is still pending)If the applicant overstayed due to medical reasons a medical certificated must be submitted.The appeal must be e-mailed to:
Hi, There , prices for pattaya , One of my friend's is a school teacher in Bangkok his salary is 30,000 Baht per month and stays in Bangkok, travel's down to Pattaya on holidays and weekends off , PS drinks like a fish , so yes it can be done on , 30K , Me I live in pattaya, prices are low level condo no air conditioner 2,500 to 3,500 Baht , next is regular size condo 28 m/2 , 5,000 Baht a month with air-conditioning, and the one I am in is 37m/2 , fully furnished, micro , tv,fridge,cooking and air-conditioning, this sets me back 8,000 Baht month , my water electricity and maintenance fee is 2,000 Baht month , PS my air-conditioning on all the time , Oh I am also right in the middle of pattaya, rent a bike 3,000 per month , that is all the major stuff sorted , up to you on food and booze , if you need any help when you get here I can take you around places and get you sorted out
Billionaire Sumner Redstone made a move to boot Philippe Dauman off the board of Viacom Inc. But for now, Redstones once-trusted associate and close personal friend isnt going anywhere.

Dauman, 62, remains CEO and chairman of Viacom, the owner of MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures, until a Delaware court rules on the legality of his ouster, which may take four months or more. National Amusements Inc., Redstones theater chain and Viacoms controlling shareholder, announced Thursday that it was replacing Dauman and four other directors.

The appointment of new directors gives National Amusements enough votes on the board to change Viacoms management, which the Redstones blame for the companys declining stock price. Dauman, whose working relationship with Redstone, 93, spans three decades, has been president and CEO of New York- based Viacom for almost 10 years.

At this point, absent court intervention, it seems that Mr. Daumans removal as CEO is inevitable, said Darren Oved, head of litigation at Oved & Oved LLP, a New York law firm thats not involved in the case. The markets begun reacting positively to the possibility of a shakeup at Viacom.

Viacoms shares rose last week  even after the companys earnings forecast for the current quarter fell short of analysts estimates  as investors speculated that Daumans tenure is drawing to a close. Still, the stock has lost half its value the past two years amid falling ad sales and earnings at the companys cable networks, along with forecasts for a 2016 loss at the Paramount Pictures film division.

Profit will reach $1 to $1.05 a share in the fiscal third quarter, Viacom said Friday in a statement, That compared with $1.38, the average of analysts estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Earnings were hurt when a major film release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, failed to connect with moviegoers.

Whoever ends up running Viacom certainly has a tremendous amount of work to do to turn this thing around, Paul Sweeney, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said in an e-mail.

A court decision in Delaware could take months, according to legal experts. As Viacoms controlling shareholder, Redstone would traditionally have that power so long as he followed proper procedures and didnt abuse his position, said Larry Hamermesh, a Widener University law professor who teaches Delaware corporate governance.

Redstones mental capacity and whether the billionaire properly consented to the removal of Viacoms directors may be the focus of the case, Hamermesh said. Viacom lead independent director Fred Salerno, an ally of Dauman, has asked the court to deem the move invalid, arguing that Redstone has been unduly influenced.

The question may be whether he had the capacity to agree to the consents, Hamermesh said. Any look at this capacity would be limited to that issue. This case isnt going to delve into whether he was of sound-enough mind to make a will or manage a trust.

Redstone was born in Boston in 1923 to a linoleum floor salesman who later owned and managed restaurants, nightclubs and movie theaters.

In recent years, the media mogul stopped speaking at quarterly earnings calls and didnt appear at other public company events. He stepped down as chairman in February, ceding the position to long-time protege Dauman.

The threat of challenges to Redstones competency help explain the way in which National Amusements has sought to tighten the reins on Viacom. The Redstone family made its first move a month ago, removing Dauman and Viacom director George Abrams from the board of National Amusements and the family trust that will govern Redstones assets when the billionaire dies or is incapacitated.

That eliminated one pillar of support for Dauman, who could have used the trust to retain control of Viacom. It also left Daumans tenure at Viacom less secure. He and Abrams rejected their dismissals, arguing that Redstone had been manipulated by daughter Shari Redstone.

Dauman and Abrams sued the elder Redstone in a Massachusetts court, challenging his competence and questioning the motives of a new cast of lawyers, spokespeople and advisers, a pattern repeated in response to other tussles between Viacoms board and its controlling shareholder. Viacom will pay their legal fees in the case, according to a June 13 indemnification agreement.

Director Salerno wants a Delaware judge to order that the current board remain in place while litigation over its ouster continues. Redstone sought the same thing, but asked that targeted directors be barred from taking any action outside of the ordinary course of business, according to court filings.

With his decline in health, Shari has placed Mr. Redstones decades-long plan to run Viacom as an independently controlled and professionally managed company in jeopardy, Salerno wrote. Sensing an opportunity presented by her fathers severely impaired mental and physical condition, and unsatisfied with the limited role for her at her fathers companies that he envisioned, Shari has implemented a scheme to wrest control of Viacom in contravention of Mr. Redstones well-established desires.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Dauman and Abrams also fired back Friday, asking the Massachusetts court to order an immediate hearing in that case. They cited unprecedented and improper actions including the replacement of five Viacom directors. A hearing is currently scheduled for June 30.

National Amusements left a few hints as to what would happen if the Delaware court approved its new board members by not replacing Tom Dooley, Viacoms chief operating officer. That puts Dooley in line to succeed Dauman. Dooley stands to receive more than $60 million if the board votes to replace Dauman and doesnt offer him the top job.

Investors have cheered at every indication that a change was coming. The stock has risen 18 percent since Redstone first moved against Dauman.

Wall Street wants this company to be sold or managed by someone else, said Laura Martin, an equities analyst with Needham & Co.

Dauman has been at Redstones side for the better part of three decades, orchestrating mergers and creating his media empire. As Redstone fired executive after executive and fought with his family in public, Dauman rose from lawyer to deputy to prodigal son.

Redstone brought in Dauman to run Viacom in September 2006 after firing Tom Freston, a popular executive who worked at MTV in its earliest days and created many of Viacoms current cable networks. Viacom thrived for a few years under Dauman, but in recent years struggled to reach young viewers flocking to web outlets such as YouTube.

The elder Redstones influence on Viacom re-emerged, at least via intermediaries, after Dauman announced plans in February to sell a stake in Paramount Pictures and slashed his pay to zero.

The Redstone contingent initially may have intended for their actions to constitute a stern warning to Mr. Dauman not to pursue a strategic transaction involving Paramount, lawyer Oved said. However, when Mr. Dauman doubled down on his efforts to oppose the Redstones, and the markets began reacting positively to the possibility of a shakeup at Viacom  the entire process seemed to take on a life of its own.
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Considering the polarization Donald Trumps promised border wall has created in the presidential campaign thus far, its no big surprise that there was apprehension in his visit to San Antonio  the largest majority-Hispanic city in America as of the 2010 Census.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a longtime Clinton supporter, took to Twitter on June 6, 2016 with his take: "@realDonaldTrump is coming to San Antonio, which is 60% Mexican-AMERICAN & built on respect for many cultures. The last place he'd fit in."

"That was my best approximation of San Antonios Mexican-American population," Castro, D-San Antonio, said in an email.

We wondered whether Castros very specific tweet accurately described San Antonios demographics. Is the city 60 percent Mexican-American?

We started by looking at what percentage of San Antonios population claims Mexican heritage when describing their ancestry to the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to methodology information on the U.S. Census Bureaus website, when U.S. Census respondees check the box identifying as "Hispanic/Latino," theyre asked about their "specific origin," with four possible answers: "Mexican, Mexican Am[erican], Chicano," "Puerto Rican," "Cuban," and "another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin" (with a write-in option).

According to numbers from the most recent American Community Survey in 2014, the city of San Antonio is 63.8 percent Hispanic or Latino (916,540 of 1,436,723 people are Hispanic or Latino). The 822,106 people identifying their specific origin as Mexican are by far the largest subgroup, making up 57.2 percent of the citys overall population  not 60, but close. The margin of error given is plus or minus 0.9 percent, so it could be as high as 58.1 percent or as low as 56.3.

But what about the "American" part of Castros claim? The bureau counts every resident, regardless of immigration status.

So, how many of that 57.2 percent of San Antonians are citizens?

On this front, we turned to the Texas state demographer, Lloyd Potter, who by email pointed us to Census Bureau numbers estimating that in 2014, roughly 11 percent of Hispanics in San Antonio (almost 90 percent of whom are Mexican or Mexican-American) were non-citizens as of 2014.

The 2014 Census data doesnt specify the citizenship status of San Antonians of Mexican origin, but since Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are such a large share of San Antonios Hispanic population, the citizenship numbers for Hispanics overall can help us get a rough idea of how many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are citizens in San Antonio.

Estimating using the overall citizenship rate for San Antonio Hispanics of 89 percent would mean that of 822,106 Mexican Hispanics in San Antonio in 2014, 731,674 were citizens. The same year, by our calculation using the bureaus population estimate for the city, those citizens would have comprised 50.1 percent of San Antonios population  and 55.9 percent of San Antonios population of U.S. citizens (which totaled 1,309,676 that year).

Complicating things is the existence of legal permanent residents (green card holders). These people are not naturalized citizens but could be considered "Americans," since they are authorized to live and work in the country indefinitely so long as they dont violate certain rules  according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, "Lawful permanent residents are legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States." They pay taxes, register for the draft, and have Social Security numbers.

In 2013, a report from the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Immigration Statistics estimated that 1.32 million permanent residents lived in Texas, 950,000 of whom were eligible to be naturalized as citizens.

Bureau records dont show how many live in San Antonio, but its perhaps worth noting that some of that 11 percent of San Antonio Hispanics who are noncitizens are likely to be permanent residents.

Its also been a year and a half since the American Community Survey was conducted (in January 2014). In the period since, the Hispanic share of San Antonios population (which has historically grown faster than the overall population) has probably increased. By email, Potter told us "The county population projections for Bexar County produced by the Texas Demographic Center indicate the percent of the population that is Latino will continue to increase and the percent that is non-Hispanic white will decline."

Our ruling

Castro said San Antonio is 60 percent Mexican-American.

The city of San Antonio is 63 percent Latino, or Hispanic, with the number of people of Mexican descent pegged at 57 percent of the population. But how many of those residents are American, either naturalized or holding permanent resident cards, is undetermined.

Because of the unknowns, we rate this claim Mostly True.

MOSTLY TRUE - The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.
San Antonio-area couple Richard and Nancy Culpepper flew last week to Cabo San Lucas to celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary, but within hours of their arrival the pair was killed when a massive wave engulfed them while they strolled the beach.

A rogue wave came and washed them out to sea, Ben Culpepper, the couples oldest son, said in a telephone interview Saturday from Mexico.

Richard Culpepper was 86, and his wife, Nancy, was 83 when they died Wednesday. The two, who met while attending Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio and later operated Culpepper Cleaners, would have marked their 66 years of marriage on Friday.

Though they had traveled to Mexico often, this was their first visit to Cabo San Lucas. Ben Culpepper described it as kind of a compromise destination for his parents.

He liked to fish and she liked to shop, and so they thought this was the place to go where they could do both, he said.

Richard Culpepper had already died when rescuers pulled him from the water. Nancy Culpepper was rescued by a Mexican navy boat and a fire-rescue boat but she couldnt be revived, said Ben Culpepper, a San Antonio attorney.

Ben Culpepper described the beach his parents were on as quite treacherous.

The beach is beautiful but it drops off steeply, maybe 20 feet from the ocean, he said. Theres rogue waves that just come up higher than you are anticipating. So its just a dangerous place. There are signs posted. Theres no swimming or surfing at this beach.

Ben Culpepper, his wife Joy, and his sister Terri Walker traveled to Cabo San Lucas on Friday. He said they met with the rescuers to thank them. The family was planning to return to San Antonio with the bodies on Saturday.

Richard and Nancy Culpepper were high-school sweethearts and married soon after she graduated. She was 17 and he was 20. They joined Culpepper Cleaners, a business Richards father had started in 1911.

The couple took over the business around 1960 and expanded the number of locations, including adding a plant on Callaghan Road, Ben Culpepper said.

They were very hard-working people and worked together long hours for many years to build up their business, he said.

They sold the business to their son Jess Culpepper, his wife Jo Anne, their daughter Terri Culpepper Walker and her husband Mickey Walker in 2000. But it was about another five years before the couple completely stepped away from the business, Jess Culpepper said.

Richard and Nancy Culpepper kept active, operating a ranch in Quihi in Medina County. They raised cattle and farmed, though they had leased the farm land in recent years.

Richard loved the outdoors, Ben Culpepper said.  He couldnt stand being indoors. It was either hunting, fishing or working outside with cattle. He also became an accomplished woodworker.

Nancy Culpepper was a talented artist, who painted in oils and acrylics. She also made beaded jewelry that she enjoyed giving to family and friends, he said.

Last month, the couple organized a family trip to Cedar Bayou on the Gulf Coast. Four generations of Culpeppers made the excursion.

It was on her bucket list to take (us) to Cedar Bayou, Ben Culpepper said. It was a wonderful trip.

Besides their three children, the Culpeppers are survived by six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The couple will be buried in a cemetery across from the church they attended, the New Fountain Methodist Church near Hondo. Services have not been finalized.

pdanner@express-news.net
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Texas Democrats embraced a party platform with pointed shots aimed at state Republican leaders and Donald Trump, a call for the immediate decriminalization of marijuana and the inclusion of several policy positions pushed by Bernie Sanders supporters.

The state Democrats platform committee wrapped up the largely symbolic document laying out the partys guiding principles on Saturday, the final day of the Texas Democratic Party convention in San Antonio.

The platform includes strong opposition to GOP positions on abortion and urges for stricter gun control laws and the eradication of the death penalty, all mainstays in previous state Democrat platforms.

Democrats are also touting what they say is their platforms most far-reaching call for LGBT rights, which includes a direct rebuke of Republican state leaders angling to restrict transgender people to bathrooms corresponding to their sex. The platform supports the right of all people to be allowed to use facilities consistent with their gender identity.

This is a consensus document to remind us why were all Democrats, said state Rep. Celia Israel, an Austin Democrat who chaired the platform committee.

Throughout the weekend, Democratic officials repeatedly went after Texas top state leaders, saying Republicans in Austin have bred a culture of corruption. Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, was also named dropped in just about every speech as fodder to ignite party faithful.

The state partys platform reflects that.

Democrats pounce on Trumps plan to try to force Mexico to pay for a border barrier, denouncing efforts to build an unnecessary border wall of any size and the unrealistic claims a foreign country will pay for a border wall. Another part of the platform chides the Republican-led Legislatures decision to spend $800 million on border security.

In a section on ethics, an ongoing issue at the state Capitol was highlighted by urging the end to abuse of personal leave policies by Texas officials. Several state officials have drawn scrutiny for continuing to pay ex-employees after their resignations by putting them on "emergency leave.

A draft of the platform also sought to highlight Agriculture Commissioner Sid Millers use of taxpayer money to pay for a trip to Oklahoma for a medical procedure called the Jesus Shot. The plank read: Texas officials should not be using taxpayer funds to pay for Jesus shots or other personal or political activities, it read.

But the committee scratched the item from the partys platform.

Our platform should be about the issues, said Andrew Denny of San Antonio who led the effort to remove the Jesus Shot language. I dont think we should attack people or incidents in our platform.

Two years ago, Texas Democrats used their party platform to call for the decriminalization of marijuana after the Legislature had a chance to study laws in other states. This time around, the platform advocates for the immediate decriminalization.

Several policy ideas backed by Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders were also included in the platform.

Previous platforms had called for raising the minimum wage to a living wage, but this years Democratic blueprint species that the living wage should be at least $15 an hour. The platform also endorses overhauling campaign finance and making it easier to vote.

One of the most vigorous platform debates erupted over hydraulic fracturing. Environmentalists were pushing for the state party to support a ban on fracking, but several delegates working on the platform pushed back. They argued that calling for a moratorium on fracking could tank the Texas economy.

An outright ban or the suggestion is the wrong way to go, said Steven Schafersman, an oil and gas geologist from Midland.

A compromise was worked out that recognizes the importance of the oil and gas industry in Texas but endorses safe, responsible and well-regulated fracking. It did not appease everyone.

We can say thank you to the oil industry and the energy industry, but its time to say thank you and goodbye, said Barry Abraham Zavah of Alpine, who pushed for the fracking ban.

Supporters of the fracking ban gathered the necessary signatures for it to be approved as a stand-alone resolution endorsed by the party, official said, though it will not be incorporated into the platform.

Another lengthy debate was spawned over guns. The platform calls for a repeal of a law passed last year that allows Texans to openly carry their pistols. On the issue of guns and terrorists there was

In the wake of last weeks Orlando shooting, Democrats debated whether to add language to the partys platform specifying that anyone on a federal watch list should be banned from being able to buy guns.

Some stressed that a caucus of gun-loving Democrats expressed full support for such language a day earlier, but others said any ban on guns could resonate the wrong way in Texas. Others were concerned with using the word terrorist in the platform.

Darryl Sullivan of Arlington pushed for strong language.

Terrorist watch lists exist. For us to say were not going to avail ourselves of what already exists  I feel would be irresponsible, said Sullivan. We should be able to limit people from obtaining mass-killing weapons.

Democrats rejected the terrorist watch list proposal and ended up passing language to the platform on guns that says: The Texas Democratic Party supports the language of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and recognizes the need for a balanced approach between upholding and respecting our fundamental constitutional rights and those needs in protecting the rights from those seeking to cause harm.

drauf@express-news.net
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Its been a turbulent two years for the Anders family.

Codi Anders husband, Mike, was diagnosed with melanoma cancer in 2014 and died less than a year later, leaving behind two children now ages 4 and 7.

At the same time, Anders father, Rex, was at the end of an almost 10-year battle with leukemia. Anders found out he had cancer in 2006, and after eight years of failed treatments, Dr. Paul Shaughnessy, the medical director at the Methodist Hospital, said a transplant was his only hope. Four matches  all on the National Marrow Donor Registry  either experienced complications or disappeared before going through the procedure needed to save his life.

I fought leukemia for 10 years, I used every treatment they threw at me and finally they just said it wasnt enough, Anders said. It was just a long process. Youre away from your family, your friends  you pray to God a lot and just hope you get through this.

Right after Codi Anders lost her husband, Shaughnessy told her father that he had a match who was ready to start the process right away. The Anders family was ecstatic.

We just prayed (the donor) wouldnt change her mind, Rexs wife, Jeni, said. Were a strong family, you know, weve had to go through a lot to get to this point.

Anders, who is from Thorndale in Central Texas, had the life-saving transplant surgery in November of that year and was declared cancer-free. He felt connected to the woman who gave her stem cells and saved his life, but couldnt reach out to her for a year because of transplant regulations.

On Friday, two days before Fathers Day, Rex and his family finally got to meet Stefanie Hightower, a 27-year-old Alabama native whom they now consider their unofficial third daughter.

The reunion took place at the Methodist Hospitals Adult Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant Clinic. Rex Anders hadnt planned anything to say to Hightower ahead of time, but handed her a bouquet of flowers and embraced her for more than a minute while his daughters wiped away tears.

Shes actually an angel in heaven to me, he said. Shes given me a second chance in life to get to see my daughters grow up.

Hightower was married a year after her donation, and decided to make the trip from Anniston, Alabama, to San Antonio with her husband as a honeymoon trip. She initially signed up to be a donor in 2008, after losing a friend and her grandmother to cancer.

It kind of kick-started me into trying to figure out how to help more, Hightower said. But then she put it out of her mind, until someone called her from the registry in 2014. I was shocked.

Unlike a traditional bone marrow transplant, doctors extracted the stem cells for Rex Anders from the blood surrounding Hightowers marrow. Shaughnessy said the process is relatively easier than a traditional bone marrow transplant. But the possible side effects, including nausea and vomiting, plus several injections and a day hooked up to a machine, mean it might not be so simple for the donor.

The doctor said if she hadnt gone through with it, Rex Anders cancer would have been terminal.

He had failed all standard treatments, in fact, we were moving on to experimental treatments to try to keep it under control  even that was failing, Shaughnessy said. So his one chance was the bone marrow transplant. (Without it), it is quite possible he would not be alive right now.

llepro@express-news.net
San Antonio public relations specialist Alan Weinkrantz was killed Saturday in central Tel Aviv, Israel, when a driver crashed into a packed restaurant, according to multiple sources.

Former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, who is related to Weinkrantz though her husband, former state Rep. Steven Wolens, told the San Antonio Express-News that Weinkrantz was in Israel on business and that he had been commuting there for several years.
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The biggest personality at the Texas Democratic Convention was the man who wasn't there  incendiary Republican Donald Trump, who swept through the state grabbing campaign cash, snagging headlines and igniting blue-party hopes of a comeback on the strength of his ability to offend.

My only concern is that he wont last until the (national Republican) convention, said James Fletcher of Colleyville, a Hillary Clinton backer who was among delegates meeting at the Democratic convention while Trump had a fundraiser in San Antonio, sandwiched by campaign events in Dallas and Houston.

Democrats slammed Trump in convention speeches and at press conferences for his remarks about groups including women, Muslims and Latinos, his response to the Orlando shootings that seemed more focused on himself than the victims and a tone they call dangerously divisive.

The Republican candidate for the highest office in the land  he's a bigot. Some Republicans  my opponent comes to mind  are afraid to call him out, Pete Gallego of Alpine told convention-goers on the gatherings final day Saturday.

In a closely watched race, Gallego is fighting to regain the sprawling Congressional District 23 seat he lost two years ago to Republican Will Hurd of Helotes. Hurd has worked to distance himself from Trumps divisive rhetoric and to appeal to Latinos in the district that stretches from San Antonio to El Pasos outskirts.

Hurd campaign manager Justin Hollis said Gallego had been a do-nothing congressman and sought to tie him to the president who lost Texas by double digits on his way to the White House. A vote for him is another vote for four more years of Obama, Hollis said.

Some Democrats say Clinton has a chance at winning a majority in Texas, where interest is heightened because U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has been mentioned as a possible Clinton running mate.

Theyre looking for Trumps rhetoric to help unite Democrats behind their presumptive nominee after her hard fight with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, although there are still signs of division.

Were going to win. Its going to be bigger than what Obama was able to do when he ran in Texas, said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston. Donald Trump has done one thing for us. Hes united us.

Others simply are hoping for some progress, given the hill ahead of Democrats who last won a statewide election in 1994. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate lost to a Republican by only single digits in Texas was the 1996 Bill Clinton-Bob Dole race, a year when Ross Perot got nearly 7 percent of the vote.

I think that the best that Democrats can hope for this cycle is that were getting better, said Democratic strategist Colin Strother. What Democrats can hope for this cycle is that everybody gets a little more engaged that they get out there and start busting their knuckles and building our list and improving our fundamentals.

Rice University political scientist Mark P. Jones put some parameters on what better could look like for Democrats.

 Better is keeping Trumps victory in the single digits, and taking back somewhere around a half-dozen state House seats, taking back Congressional District 23 and turning Harris County blue, Jones said. In Harris County, he said, that means reclaiming the sheriffs office, flipping the district attorney and tax assessor-collector offices and sweeping the overwhelming majority of countywide judicial elections.

How well Democrats will do this year depends in large part on whether they reach the growing Hispanic population, said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa.

The political opinion research firm Latino Decisions said in a 2014 report that 61 percent of eligible Hispanics in Texas didnt vote in the 2012 presidential election. That report said state and Census Bureau estimates put the eligible but non-voting Hispanic population at about 2.9 million.

Ultimately, it all depends on whether the Hispanic population in Texas someday decides that its important for them to vote, Hinojosa said. If this is not going to get them out, I dont know what else is.

Democrats throughout the convention drove home the contrast with Trump through means including a much-booed video showing him making derogatory statements about Mexicans and calling for exclusion of Muslims and a deportation push. Trump's slogan of "Make America Great Again" was mocked by several speakers.

That guy wouldn't know greatness if it bit him in the ass, said state Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, who refused to refer to Trump by name. America's greatness will not be defined by that fool. It will not be defined by a charlatan, a demagogue.

U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela Jr., D-Brownsville, who made headlines earlier with harsh comments about Trump's proposed border wall, picked up where he left off and widened his criticism to include U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Vela, who said his ancestors arrived in this country 30 years before Trump's, defended a federal judge whose Mexican heritage was assailed by Trump and called on Ryan to retract his endorsement of his partys presumed nominee.

I know you're in a box, but you either support a racist or you don't, Vela said. We cannot let Donald Trump lead our country down a road of bigotry, racism and hate To Mr. Trump I say, you often repeat that today's politicians are too politically correct, and that is one point we can agree on. You can take your racism, you can take your bigotry and you can take your wall and shove it.

Fletcher, the Colleyville delegate, saw hope for his party.

I think she (Clinton) is going to draw out all demographics but especially the Hispanic population that historically has had a low voter turnout, because Trump alienated that community to such a degree that we have the best potential we have ever had of carrying texas to make it blue, he said.

Delegate Joan Schauer of Pearland, near Houston, said Trump will help Democrats because if any women, Latinos, African Americans vote for him  I dont think that many will, lets just say that, because hes offended all of them.

Even if the Dump Trump movement succeeds  as Fletcher, with a smile, said he feared  Schauer said the GOP already has been hurt.

There has already been so much damage done to the Republican Party because of Trump that if they do release their delegates and come up with something else, I dont know that its even going to make a whole lot of difference, she said. Too much has gone on.

Staff writer Filipa Ioannou contributed to this report

pfikac@express-news.net

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez
This may surprise Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, but transgendered Texans have been using the bathrooms of their choice for a long time. So how many assaults of innocent girls has this resulted in?

The Charlotte Observer, in the overheated state of North Carolina, recently conducted a thorough PolitiFact investigation into the question. The study noted that the entire state of Maryland and a long list of cities around the nation have had nondiscrimination laws in effect for years permitting transgendered men and women to use the bathrooms in which they are the most comfortable. Not mentioned was that fact that many transgendered persons do so in states, like Texas, that have no laws covering the question.

The Observer found three cases in the past 17 years in the entire nation in which a biological male was convicted of a crime involving entering a womens bathroom or locker room dressed in womens clothing.

None of the cases occurred in a state or city with a law allowing transgendered persons to use the restrooms of their choice. And none of the crimes involved sexual assault.

One of the men punched a woman in the bathroom in the course of a barroom brawl. One exposed himself in a Walmart bathroom. And one committed trespass for entering a womans restroom in Oregon and attempting to talk to children. Its not clear if any of the men considered themselves transsexual.

I think three inferences are appropriate. The first is that transgendered people are not by nature sexual predators. The second is that there is no indication that actual sexual predators are using nondiscrimination laws to invade womens restrooms. The third is that we already have appropriate laws  if we choose to use them.

The most notorious case of restroom assault in San Antonio history makes that point.

In 1978, a 15-year-old up-and-coming Golden Gloves champion boxer named Tony Ayala didnt bother to put on a dress when he snuck into the ladies room at Mission Drive-in Theater and attempted to rape a girl. She fought and suffered terrible consequences: a beating so severe that it ruptured her bladder and bruised her kidneys.

Ayala pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, with a possible sentence of 10 years. But Bill White, the now-deceased district attorney, agreed to repeated delays in sentencing while Ayalas lawyers tried to buy the girls agreement to probation. She at first testified she would rather see Ayala go to prison than take his familys money. The case dragged on for nearly two years before the girl wept on the stand before asking for leniency for Ayala while prosecutors stood silent. She was paid $40,000 for her pain and suffering.

The judge agreed to 10 years probation, but within two years Ayala was caught breaking into an apartment, apparently looking for a female who wasnt home. Again the judge, with the DAs assent, allowed Ayalas lawyers time to induce the apartment dweller to agree to a plea deal.

Unbelievably, the judge didnt revoke Ayalas probation and send him to prison. Instead he merely added a condition. Ayala had to stay out of Texas.

As a result a schoolteacher in New Jersey was brutally raped and sodomized by Ayala in her home. Without the Texas good old boys watching his back, Ayala was sentenced to 35 years, serving 16.

So we dont need more laws to protect women and children. The laws are there.

But it is politically much more profitable to play to irrational fears of people who are not like us than to take on the things that are truly scary. Such as the fact that 171 children died in Texas last year of abuse or neglect  clearly related to a Child Protective Services and foster care system overwhelmed by more than 108,000 cases of reported abuse.

Working on that very real problem would require hard work and the political courage to find funding. Fostering fear is much easier  and cheaper.

This column first appeared as the Last Word on KLRNs Texas Week with Rick Casey. The program appears Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
WOOSTER, Ohio  About everywhere you went, the sound was the same.

The putt-putt-putt of hundreds of two-cylinder tractors, and the chatter of exhibitors and tractor fans, all at the Eastern National John Deere Expo, held June 16-18 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.

There was John Deere green and yellow across the grounds  with many repeats of the same model. But each owner had a unique story  about how they got into tractors, where their tractors came from, or why they brought the ones they did.

Family event

Wayne County local Brian Starcher, and his sons, Michael, 14, and Steven, 12, brought four tractors, including a 1942 Model HN that they restored as a family project.

It took three years, three salvage-part tractors, and 55 cans of spray paint.

Believe it or not, this was painted with spray cans, said Brian Starcher. We dont have a paint gun.

Despite using cans, the tractor had a smooth finish that rivaled some of the paint jobs that had been professionally done.

Rare displays

The Starchers had four tractors on display,including an unstyled Model B, with a large, wooden sweep rake attached to the front, which would have been used to scoop and move hay.

This was the first year Starcher was able to attend the Eastern National show, which had previously been held in Springfield, Ohio. He drives truck, and took a week of vacation so he and his sons could be at the show together.

Its a family thing  all of us but the wife, he chuckled.

This years featured farm tractor was the Model B, and the featured lawn tractor was the Model 112. But the show included a wide variety of makes and models, with nearly 600 pieces total.

I think weve got one of everything that was (ever) available, said co-chairman David Howman.

Different conditions

Most of the tractors were restored, and some were painted and restored to better conditions than when they were first produced.

But unrestored tractors, including those still used for farming, were also welcome.

Everybody is proud of their tractor, Howman said. It doesnt have to be perfect.

Hyler Bracey, of Taylorsville, Georgia, brought a tractor that stood 9 feet above the ground  designed specifically for flame-cultivating. As Bracey explained, propane used to be cheap enough that some farmers used it to burn weeds in their fields, and his high-clearance tractor allowed the operator to haul a propane tank, while burning the weeds below.

Before tractors, Bracey and his wife, Cass Flagg, showed horses and old cars, but for their 24th anniversary, he bought his wife an old, unstyled John Deere. They took it to a show in 2000, and enjoyed the camaraderie so much, theyve been collecting and showing tractors ever since.

Theres no judge here, Bracey said. Everybody is happy to see everybody  the people are the salt of the earth.

Tom Crawford, a friend of Braceys from North Carolina, brought a John Deere 530. Crawford said he usually tries to bring something rare, like orchard tractors.

You like to bring one that nobody else has, Crawford said.

Balanced on Coke bottles

Walter Weldon, of Dalton, had something rare with his 1936 John Deere D  propped up and running perfectly fine on four glass Coke bottles. The bottles were filled with water and placed beneath the axle of the tractor, do demonstrate how smooth the tractor operated.

Weldon said its a display that John Deere used to do in the 1930s, at county and state fairs, to show how smooth and how well-balanced the engine is.

Weldon said farmers at the time were worried that Deeres two-cylinder tractor would be too rough for belt-work, and Deere responded by putting their tractor up on glass bottles  to show just how smooth its engine ran.

Like Starcher, Weldon works as a truck driver and took a week of vacation to be at the show with his wife, Emily. Asked what brings him, Weldon pointed to a small, John Deere 62 driving past  a rare predecessor to the Model L. He said he likes seeing the rare exhibits, and, of course, educating people about his own.

Educational seminars

In addition to a tradeshow and vending opportunities, the expo offered a variety of seminars designed to teach new and experienced tractor collectors about such things as painting and restoration, threshing and shelling, and plow care.

Steve Fender, of Ageless Iron Restoration in Baltic, Ohio, led three presentations on painting and fiberglass repair. Fender has been doing tractor restorations since 1990, and offers professional painting and restoration services.

In an opening-day talk on painting materials and preparation, he told tractor owners about the different kinds of paints, reducers and hardeners available. He said one of the most important factors is temperature  and making sure its kept consistent during and after the machine is painted.

Planning ahead

Tractor owners also need to consider the size and duration of the project, making sure that the paint reducer and the paint itself matches the project, and gives the painter enough time to coat the piece, before the finish begins to set.

Fender said he prefers to sandblast before priming, and that it can be done without much damage as long as delicate parts are masked, and some common sense is used. He said its important to get a primer coat on the bare metal soon after its been stripped  especially in humid conditions  when the metal can quickly re-rust.

Fender uses a variety of primers, depending on the job, but said sanding between coats is usually a must.

Theres just no easy way out of this stuff  it takes time  it takes work, he said.

The painter also needs to consider the type of gun being used, and the spray tip. Fender said cheaper guns may work fine for occasional use, but the tip and other settings should all be made correct.
"We need to think the same way. Its incumbent on us as scientists to share our discoveries and promote our value, otherwise we go to the back of the queue in terms of funding as we are out-competed by other worthwhile causes.
He said while there were no plans to expand the site in the near future, the company was investing in other facilities in southern WA.
What was it like to be an Oath Keeper? John Zimmerman can tell you
Mariah Carey has been left baffled by Nick Cannon's angry new rap.

Mariah Carey

The 'America's Got Talent' host released a song called 'Divorce Papers' on Thursday (16.06.16), in which he ranted about how he "can't see [his] kids 'cause the government sucks" and how it is "f***ed up" that time spent with his twins, five-year-old Moroccan and Monroe, is referred to as "visitation".

However, his estranged wife is said to be confused by the song as she and Nick - who she split from in August 2014 - have always got along very well, and she has never denied him access to the children.

It was previously claimed Nick had been deliberately stalling on signing his divorce papers, but sources told TMZ they think he is being manipulated by his lawyers because there is no issue between him and Mariah.

Despite the claims, in the song, he raps: "It's been two years and I'm the one that's been waiting."

At the end of the track, he then says: "Man, f**k it. Let's sign the papers."

Despite Mariah's confusion, Nick recently explained he released the rap to vent his frustrations about accusations made against him, and not about his relationship with the 46-year-old star.

He said:"My purpose for creating this 'Divorce Papers' freestyle was not to feed the tabloid chatter, or even to diffuse it. This was strictly a creative way for me to express my frustrations with the media, the naysayers, myself and ultimately with the voices in my head.

"As Father's Day approaches this weekend, I've been reflecting quite a bit on my life as a father and how I want to be the best one I can be.

"My ex and I are in a great place and are diligently moving things along so we both can continue to be happy ... I sincerely hope the media doesn't once again try to manipulate my words or my purpose for releasing this song. As the world knows, I am an open book and I'm proud of that. When it comes to expressing myself, I take the fearless approach and that's what I chose to do here."

However, the 35-year-old star was reluctant to unveil the track.

He said: "I've been sitting on the song for almost a week now because I was really torn on whether or not I should release it."
Prithviraj has a bagful of exciting projects with each one in the kitty having something new to offer for the actor in Prithviraj.

According to reports, the actor would feature next in a film which would be directed by Idiots fame K S Bava. The projects is said to be having some specialities.

If reports are to be believed, the project which has been tentatively titled as Karachi 81 would be the first film in Malayalam to be shot in the land of Pakistan.

The film is expected to be an army based film. Earlier, the actor had featured in Major Ravi's Picket 43 which dealt with an army based subject.

The film which would be produced by Maha Subair under the banner of Varnachithra Big Screen is expected to be a big budget film. The film would also be shot in locations like Moscow, Karachi and Kochi.

The film is expected to go on the floors in the month of September. Meanwhile, Prithviraj has completed the shoot of his upcoming film Oozham directed by Jeethu Joseph.

The film would grace the theatres during the Onam season.

Prithviraj would next join the sets of Ezra, an upcoming film which would be directed by debutante Jayakrishnan. The film which is tipped to be a horror-thriller also has Tovino Thomas and Priya Anand in prominent roles.
Aurangabad: A CRPF commando was on Sunday killed and his two other colleagues were injured in an

IED blast carried out by Maoists in the jungles of Aurangabad district, police said.

UPDATE: 1 CRPF jawan killed, 2 injured in an IED blast in Bihar's Aurangabad district.  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

The Maoists triggered the blast near Bandhu Bigaha village when three commandos of CRPF's elite 205th Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit were riding on two bikes on way to their camp from Bali Pahari locality, Deputy Superintendent of Police P N Sahu said.

CRPF personnel were engaged in an encounter with the ultras since last night in Bali Pahari.

The blast occurred around noon, officials said. One commando was killed on the spot while his two other colleagues sustained injuries, Sahu said.

"The body has been sent for post-mortem at a government hospital, while the two injured have been rushed to the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (in Gaya)," Sahu said.

The martyred commando has been identified as A Deka while the injured are A K Yadav and K Kakoti.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has acquitted a man, who was jailed for 10 years by a trial court for raping a woman in New Delhi in 2011, observing that she was in a live-in relationship with him and her statement regarding the alleged incident was suffering from "serious infirmities".

The court set aside the order passed by the trial court in 2013 in which it had convicted the man for alleged offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and had awarded him a 10-year jail along with a fine of Rs 15,000.

"From the above documents (referred in the judgement), which have not been considered in right perspective by trial court, it is clear that the prosecutrix (woman), who had been living alone away from her husband in Delhi, was in live-in relationship with the appellant (man)," Justice Pratibha Rani said.

While allowing the appeal filed by the man against his conviction, the high court said that "deliberate improvements" were made by the woman on material points related to the case and her testimony does not inspire confidence.

According to the police, an FIR was lodged on the basis of woman's statement in which she had alleged that the incident took place on the intervening night of 13-14 January, 2011, when she was alone at her house and was mourning the death of her daughter who had expired a few days back.

She had claimed that the door of her house was open and the accused entered her room and raped her.

The accused had denied the allegations levelled against him and during arguments on the appeal, his counsel said that the woman was in a live-in relationship with his client.

The lawyer argued that prior to the incident, the woman had borrowed Rs 11,000 from the man and after he insisted on repayment, she falsely implicated him in the case.

Opposing the appeal, the police had argued that the man had committed the crime when the woman was alone in her house.

In its verdict, the high court noted that the woman had changed her version at every stage and the man was well known to her.

"She admitted having received Rs 11,000 on October 31, 2010 i.e. much prior to the alleged rape incident on the night intervening January 13-14, 2011. Thus, her statement that this amount was paid to her for changing her statement is falsified from the record," the court said.
Siliguri: The two-day BJP state working committee meeting in Siliguri resolved to launch a movement in protest against post-poll violence in West Bengal.

Urging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to put an end to such attacks on opposition, the meeting on Saturday passed a resolution which called for a movement to stop such atrocities.

In another resolution, the meeting referred to the attack on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh and called upon the Sheikh Hasina government to put a halt to such attacks.

The resolution, however, appreciated the steps already taken by the Awami League government in this regard.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh was present as an invitee in the deliberations which was also attended by Union Minister JP Nadda and party's all India General Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh on the inaugural day.

The meeting also expressed satisfaction over BJP's performance in the assembly elections in West Bengal and said it was better than previous results.

Nadda had told the media yesterday before leaving that the state, the state unit will be provided with all support to keep the momentum in the TMC-ruled state.

Meanwhile, the BJP working committee meet in an organisational revamp divided the states in five zones and brought in a few new faces.

Significantly GJM leader Roshan Giri attended the BJP meeting as a guest.

The meeting took place in Siliguri in the wake of the saffron party's improved showing in North Bengal, a BJP leader said.
Thalassery: In a shocking turn of events relating to the controversial arrest and subsequent bail of two Dalit sisters for allegedly attacking a CPM activist in Thalassery, one of them allegedly attempted suicide at her home.

The condition of 25-year-old Anjana, now in the intensive care unit of Indira Gandhi Cooperative hospital, is stable and she has been kept under observation, hospital sources said.

She was brought to the hospital in Thalassery at around 1230 hrs last night after she consumed some tablets.

Akhila (30) and Anjana (25), daughters of Indian National Trade Union Congress leader N Rajan, were arrested on a complaint by CPI(M) that they had barged into their party office Thalassery and attacked one of their activists.

The sister duo were released on bail on Saturday.

Asked by reporters in Delhi about the incident, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said "Ask police. I am not saying anything now".

Anjana, who had on Saturday participated in a television debate, came home and allegedly consumed some tablets.

As she showed signs of restlessness, she was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Her family said that during the TV debate, a woman CPM leader had remarked that the two sisters were part of a "criminal goonda gang".

Akhila told reporters, "We are being portrayed as members of a criminal gang which trespassed into the Marxist party's office with dangerous weapons."

"For the past many years, we were being traumatised and insulted by CPM workers. We had not gone there to attack anyone, only to question them for calling us by our caste and mocking at us. Just because we belong to this caste, does it mean we do not have a right to live?" Akhila asked.

She said her sister was under a lot of mental strain, but the family did not suspect she would take any extreme step.

She said the family wants to live peacefully.

"We kept quiet all these years because we are girls. A policeman behaved as if we are criminals," she said.

Kannur district Police Chief Sanjay Kumar Gurudin, who visited the woman in the hospital, said: "We are keeping a check on her health condition. The reason why she took the extreme step is not known."

The two sisters were summoned to the police station on Friday and a case under non-bailable offence registered against them for "trespassing" into CPM's office and attacking M Shijin, a party activist, some days ago.

They were then sent to the prison.

Akhila's 18-month-old daughter was also with her at the police station.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has taken note of the developments and the state SC/ST Commission has registered a case in this regard.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders, including former Union minister Mullappally Ramachandran, K Sudhakaran and Mahila Congress President Bindu Krishna visited the woman at the hospital.

Bindu Krishna alleged that CPM was harassing the family for the last 15 years and the situation had worsened after the local body polls that their father contested and after LDF came to power.

KPCC President V M Sudheeran told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that Kannur was once again turning into a "conflict land".

He said a bomb was hurled at a reading room in Kannur recently and Congress and UDF workers were attacked, but the CM's reaction was that he was "unaware" of the incident. "We cannot accept this", Sudheeran said.

He also picked holes in CPM's charge that the family of the two women had not moved for bail.

He pointed out that the bail application was moved before Kannur magistrate court on Friday itself as the Thalassery court magistrate was on leave. But they were not granted bail.

"Unfortunately, the two women along with the child were forced to spend a day in prison for a false case lodged against them," he said.

Sudheeran said all legal aid would be provided to the two and justice provided to them.

The Congress leader alleged that there was a "mismatch" between the proclamations and actions of the LDF government.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar follows only those provisions of the Constitution which fit in agendas of his vote bank politics and ignores others, senior BJP leader Suhsil Kumar Modi alleged on Sunday.

"Nitish Kumar refers to the Directive Principles while implementing prohibition. But he does not want to go through the provisions in the Constitution about implementing Uniform Civil Code and ban on cow slaughter. His faith in in the Constitution is partial and in vote bank politics total," Modi alleged in a tweet on Sunday.

The Bihar Chief Minister has stated at several public functions, in and outside of the state, that the Directive Principles talk about implementing prohibition which his government is following.

JD(U) chief spokesman Sanjay Singh reacted sharply to Modi's statement and claimed the "volume of beef export has increased" after the BJP came to power at the Centre.

"Sushil Modi may be talking about protection of cow but the fact is the volume of beef export has increased after the BJP came to power at the Centre...the Narendra Modi government had also given a subsidy of Rs 15 crore in its first budget for opening new slaughter houses and modernisation of the old ones," Singh said in a release.

Claiming that the meat export went up to 22,000 tonnes in 2010-11 from 10,600 tonnes in 2001-02, Singh said India exported 24 lakh tonnes of meat in 2014-15 which accounts for 58.7 per cent of the total meat exports of the world.

The NDA government earned more money from the export of beef than the export of Basmati rice, he said while asserting that there is already a law in Bihar for protection of cow and it is very much in the operation in the state.
London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange starts his fifth year camped out in the Ecuadoran embassy in London on Sunday, an occasion his supporters intend to mark with events celebrating whistleblowers.

Supporters said they were planning to stage songs, speeches and readings in several European cities.

Assange, 44, is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador's UK mission for four full years in a bid to avoid extradition.

The anti-secrecy campaigner, who denies the allegation, walked into the embassy of his own free will on 18 June, 2012, with Britain on the brink of sending him to Stockholm, and has

not left since.

His lawyers say he is angry that Swedish prosecutors are still maintaining the European arrest warrant against him.

The Australian former hacker fears that from Sweden he could be extradited to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files, where he could face a long prison sentence.

Listed participants in Sunday's anniversary events include Patti Smith, Brian Eno, PJ Harvey, Noam Chomsky, Yanis Varoufakis, Ai Weiwei, Vivienne Westwood, Michael Moore and Ken Loach.
Qatar on Saturday rejected the verdict by an Egyptian court in a spy case linking ousted President Mohamed Morsi to passing state secrets to Doha.

In addition to Morsi's conviction being upheld and receiving a life sentence, two journalists from the Qatar-based state-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera were also handed death sentences.

But in a statement released late on Saturday by Qatar's foreign ministry, officials in Doha said the verdict was unfounded.

"Though it is not final, the verdict is unfounded, goes against truth and contains misleading claims which are contrary to the policy of the State of Qatar towards all sister countries, including Egypt," said the ministry's director of information, Ahmed Al Rumaihi.

"The charge of espionage for Qatar against a former president and media men is surprising and unacceptable."

Rumaihi added that the verdicts lacked "the proper sense of justice".

Morsi, who has been sentenced to death in a separate trial, was Egypt's first democratically elected president but the army overthrew him in 2013.

He was given life in prison Saturday for leading an unlawful organisation and 15 years for having "stolen secret documents concerning state security," his lawyer said.

But Morsi was acquitted of having supplied classified documents to Qatar, one of his main backers, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud told AFP.

The two Al-Jazeera journalists were tried in absentia.

In a separate statement on Saturday, the media network denounced the verdict as an attack on the free press.

Egypt has long accused Qatar  and Al-Jazeera  of being sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Washington: US President Barack Obama has warned that the effects of climate change were already being felt in national parks across the country.

Speaking from Yosemite National Park in California on Saturday, one of the most popular natural sanctuaries, Obama said that climate change is the "greatest challenge" facing nature reserves, EFE news reported.

"Make no mistake, climate change is no longer just a threat, it is a reality," said Obama from the Sentinel Bridge, which faces one of the highest waterfalls in the world, Lower Yosemite Falls, with a drop of 740 metres.

"Here in Yosemite, streams are drying up, the birds are moving north, alpine mammals are moving up to escape the high temperatures. The largest glacier in Yosemite has now almost disappeared," he added.

Obama also recalled that fire seasons were becoming longer and more expensive while rising sea levels could one day destroy the Everglades National Park in Florida or "even threaten" the Statue of Liberty in New York.

"The idea that these places that remain engraved in our memories may be damaged or lost forever, is something to take seriously," he said.

According to the White House in 2015, more than 305 million people visited national parks in the country, with some $16.9 million going to local communities in tourist revenues.

On Friday, Obama and his family also visited Carlsbad Caverns national park in New Mexico.

To commemorate the centenary of the creation of the National Park Service, a ceremony that will be held this August, Obama has also participated in recording a National Geographic virtual reality video.

He is the first American president to make such a tribute to the ceremony, according to the White House.
Lahore: Three persons including a heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been killed for marrying without their family's consent in two separate cases, the latest incidents of "honour killing" in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother.

In the first incident, Christian parents of a woman Nasreen Shahzadi, 25, allegedly stabbed her to death on Saturday for converting to Islam after marrying a Muslim man, Irfan Rehmani, in the country's eastern Punjab province's Layyah district, some 350 kms from Lahore.

Shahzadi eloped with Rehmani three months ago and contracted court marriage, a police official said.

Her father Emanuel Masih talked to her over phone and told her that he and his wife had pardoned her, he said.

"The parents also invited the couple to their house. On Saturday, Shahzadi visited the house of her parents where they stabbed her to death and dumped her body in a field," the official said.

A murder case was registered against the couple and their son but no arrests were made so far.

In a separate incident, Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his heavily pregnant wife Aqsa, 26, were shot dead for "honour" by Aqsa's brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia.

The couple, married for four years and lived in Thikriwala village in the province, was killed for marrying without the family's consent.

Four days ago, Aqsa's brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple's home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them.

The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night.

Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre.

Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil's father, Khushi Muhammad.

An autopsy report revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots on their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies. The report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days.

The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run.

Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her mother in the province's Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families' will.

Last week, an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice.

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.
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Buy high or buy low? Probably the best answer is to do both -- depending on the unit of measure.

Buying stocks with relatively high dividend yields can prove to be a really smart move over the long term. Over the last 10 years, nearly 30% of the total return generated by the S&P 500 index came from reinvesting dividends. Over the last 80 years, the level jumps to more than 40%.

Buying low can work well, too, with respect to valuation. There's a pretty good correlation between returns over a 10-year period and stock valuation.

I like the idea of combining these approaches by buying stocks with strong dividend yields and bargain valuations. What are some dividend stocks that you can buy on sale right now? I'd put AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), AT&T (NYSE: T), and Cummins (NYSE: CMI) at the top of the list.

1. AbbVie

AbbVie claims one of the best dividends in the healthcare sector. Its yield currently stands at 3.93%. The drugmaker has an exceptionally strong track record of dividend increases, boosting its dividend by 140% since being spun off from Abbott Labs in 2013.

The pharma stock also ranks as one of the best healthcare bargains. AbbVie shares trade at less than 11 times expected earnings. The stock hasn't performed well so far in 2018 in part because of investors' concerns about the possibility of changes that could allow biosimilars to reach the market more quickly and eliminate the rebates paid by drugmakers to payers.

But AbbVie CEO Rick Gonzalez thinks those worries are overblown. Gonzalez stated in the company's Q2 earnings call that there were "probably more positives than negatives" for AbbVie related to changes proposed by the Trump administration. He also noted that AbbVie's top-selling drug, Humira, has competed very well in countries where there are no drug rebates.

Humira has been the primary driver of AbbVie's success in recent years. However, the company also has a couple of fast-rising stars: cancer drug Imbruvica and hepatitis C drug Mavyret. In addition, market research firm EvaluatePharma ranked AbbVie's pipeline No. 2 in the biopharmaceutical industry on the strength of potential blockbuster candidates like immunology drugs risankizumab and upadacitinib.

2. AT&T

AT&T boasts a juicy dividend yield of more than 6%. The telecommunications giant has increased its dividend for 34 consecutive years, making the company part of the elite group of Dividend Aristocrats.

The telecom stock is also really inexpensive right now, with shares trading at nine times expected earnings and only 6.4 times trailing-12-month earnings. Merrill Lynch upgraded AT&T stock in July, noting that the stock was then the cheapest it had been in 20 years based on its P/E multiple.

There are some reasons behind AT&T's bargain price. The company's second-quarter update wasn't very impressive. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is appealing a federal judge's decision allowing A&T to merge with Time Warner. And AT&T has a huge debt load of more than $190 billion.

But AT&T should profit as it rolls out high-speed 5G wireless networks that support lots of new applications. The company should be able to reduce its debt over time. And some observers think the DOJ's chances of winning the appeal are pretty slim. All in all, I think AT&T should be able to grow and continue paying its solid dividend well into the future.

3. Cummins

Global engine manufacturer Cummins doesn't have a long streak of dividend hikes like AT&T does. However, Cummins has increased its dividend by a whopping 551% since 2010. The dividend currently yields 3.18%.

Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger thinks his company's stock is "significantly undervalued." I think he's right. Cummins trades at less than 10 times expected earnings. The company likes this attractive valuation so much that it's accelerating stock buybacks.

The primary factors causing Cummins stock to be priced at a discount are the company's product recalls. Cummins is recalling around 232,000 Dodge Ram truck engines and recently announced another recall of 500,000 trucks. All of these recalls relate to emissions-control system problems.

Still, Cummins is firing on all cylinders financially. The company reported all-time high revenue in the second quarter. It's expecting significant year-over-year revenue growth for full-year 2018. Cummins is also expanding into new areas such as powertrains. I think this stock -- and its great dividends -- will keep on trucking for a long time to come.

Best pick

Which of these bargain dividend stocks is the best pick for investors? AT&T has the highest yield and the lowest valuation. However, I think that AbbVie could generate the highest total returns for investors because of its growth prospects.

Wall Street analysts project that AT&T will grow its earnings by an average annual rate of 6.2% over the next five years. They think Cummins will increase its earnings by 11.7% annually. But AbbVie's earnings are expected to grow more than 16% on average each year. This growth advantage, combined with its strong dividend yield, gives AbbVie an edge over AT&T and Cummins.

Are the Wall Street growth estimates for AbbVie overly optimistic? I don't think so. Even though the company faces biosimilar competition for Humira in Europe later this year, the drug will continue to rake in enormous amounts of cash for years. AbbVie's other current drugs and its very promising pipeline candidates should enable the company to deliver on growth expectations.

Buying stocks with high dividend yields and low valuations is a smart move for long-term investors. But I think that buying stocks that also have high earnings growth prospects -- like AbbVie -- is even smarter.

10 stocks we like better than AbbVieWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has quadrupled the market.*

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Keith Speights owns shares of AbbVie and has performed consulting services in the past for Abbott Labs. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Cummins. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Getty Images.

Real Estate Investment Trusts, known as REITs, are a favorite investment vehicle for real estate investors around the world. REITs can be structured with either an external, third-party manager or an internal, employed manager. Externally managed REITs are considered more efficient and simpler in their organization, but manager fee structures can create conflicts of interest and corporate governance problems. Internally managed REITs have less conflicts of interest and are generally thought to be a more shareholder-friendly structure.

The case for externally managed REITs

The very first REITs, formed over 50 years ago in the U.S., were structured with external managers, based on the established model prevalent in the private equity industry. As the model evolved, U.S. REITs gradually shifted to the internal-manager model. Around the world, however, the externally managed REITs remain a popular operating structure alongside internally managed REITs.

A REIT, generally, will opt for an external manager for two reasons. First, an external manager will often have better scale than the individual REIT, bringing more advanced back-office and analytical capabilities than would otherwise be possible. Second, an external manager can allow the REIT to simplify its operations. Instead of having to manage a fully functional investment team with back-office support, the REIT can simply hire the third-party manager and rely on his or her existing infrastructure.

External managers are usually paid in two components, a base fee calculated from a fixed percentage of the assets under management and an incentive fee based on the manager's success achieving specific performance metrics.

The case for internally managed REITs

The case for an internal manager at a REIT is largely based on the problems that can arise from an external manager.

The most significant problem is the potential conflict of interest between the external manager and the REIT's shareholders. The external manager is incentivized to maximize his or her own benefit, which is not always in line with maximizing shareholder value. An external manager could, for example, prioritize growing the firm's assets to maximize his or her base fee at the expense of picking profitable, high-return investments. This problem doesn't exist with an internal manager as in-house management is fully aligned with the company's objectives.

Internal managers have other advantages as well. For example, an internal manager will have responsibility for only one portfolio, whereas an external manager may have responsibilities with several REITs that split his or her time and attention. The added focus of an internal manager can enhance capital allocation, ongoing portfolio management, and ultimately, shareholder returns.

The choice between internal and external management largely comes down to geography

In the end, a REIT's decision to go with an internal or external manager is heavily influenced by conventions in the company's home market. U.S. and Canadian REITs, for example, are by and large internally managed, though a small minority do have external management. The same is true in European markets.

On the other hand, Japanese REITs are predominantly externally managed. Australian REITs are a mixed bag of internal and external models, as is the case in the Singaporean and other Asian markets.

This article is part of The Motley Fool's Knowledge Center, which was created based on the collected wisdom of a fantastic community of investors. We'd love to hear your questions, thoughts, and opinions on the Knowledge Center in general or this page in particular. Your input will help us help the world invest, better! Email us at knowledgecenter@fool.com. Thanks -- and Fool on!

The article Externally Managed REIT vs. Internally Managed REIT originally appeared on Fool.com.

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Nearly every American expects to rely on Social Security to provide them with valuable income after they retire. Roughly 60 million people get benefits from Social Security, and recent news about the financial health of the program has many people nervous about whether those benefits will continue to be there when recipients need them.

Social Security gets its funding from three primary sources, and so in order to address any financial problems that Social Security has, you have to look closely at each of those revenue generators. Unless you want to cut benefits, maintaining the fiscal viability of Social Security will require changes to boost program revenue -- and that makes understanding how each of these funding sources works critical.

The big 3

Social Security has three main places it gets its funds. First, it collects payroll taxes from employees, employers, and self-employed workers. Second, it collects income taxes on the portion of Social Security benefits that are included in taxable income. And finally, Social Security uses interest that the money in the Social Security trust funds generates.

The chart below shows how those three sources compare in terms of size as of 2018, the most recent year for which full statistics are available.

As you can see above, the largest source of funding comes from payroll taxes that most workers pay into the Social Security system. For employees, a 6.2% payroll tax applies that goes toward Social Security. Employers pay a matching 6.2% amount on the worker's behalf. For those who are self-employed, the full 12.4% amount gets included in the self-employment taxes that the IRS collects.

However, the payroll taxes aren't collected on all earnings. Every year, the Social Security Administration sets a limit on the amount of income on which Social Security payroll tax gets charged. For 2019, that amount is $132,900, which means that the most that any employee will have to pay in payroll taxes for Social Security is 6.2% of $132,900, or $8,239.80. Those who are self-employed could end up on the hook for twice that amount, or $16,479.60.

How income taxes and interest add to Social Security

Workers end up paying the lion's share of money that goes toward Social Security, but they're not responsible for everything the program brings in. Benefit recipients have to include a portion of their benefits in taxable income if their countable income exceeds certain threshold levels. The exact calculations are complicated, but in a nutshell, you take half your Social Security benefits received during a year and then add in income from other sources. If that total number is above $25,000 for singles or $32,000 for joint filers, you might have to include as much as half your benefits as taxable. A higher maximum of up to 85% applies if your countable income is larger than $34,000 for singles or $44,000 for joint filers.

Note that the amount included in taxable income doesn't mean that you have to pay that full amount to the IRS. Rather, your regular tax rate applies to the part of your Social Security income that's included. So most taxpayers will end up paying somewhere between 10% and 24% of that amount in taxes. Add all that up and you get the roughly $34.5 billion figure indicated above.

Finally, the Social Security trust funds have substantial assets that generate interest. With almost $2.9 trillion in assets invested in government securities, the trust funds generated $83 billion in interest in the most recent year.

Unfortunately, that number is likely to go down in the future. As benefit obligations begin to exceed program revenue, Social Security will have to use trust fund assets to cover shortfalls. That will reduce the remaining trust fund balances, leaving less money to earn interest. Combine that with interest rates that have remained relatively low, and it's almost certain that interest will play less of a role in helping to support the total revenue that Social Security brings in.

Looking at solutions

Policymakers have looked at various solutions to address Social Security's financial challenges, including raising the limit on income subject to payroll tax, adjusting the thresholds above which benefits get taxed, and expanding allowable investment of trust fund assets to try to generate greater levels of interest or other investment income. But in all likelihood, it'll end up taking a combination of solutions in order to bridge the entire gap and ensure that Americans get all the benefits that they expect indefinitely into the future.

The $16,728 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,728 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

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Image source: Lumber Liquidators.

It hasn't happened often since early last year, butLumber Liquidatorsshareholders caught a break last week. Shares of the leading standalone retailer of hardwood flooring soared 17% on the week after federal regulators closed an investigation on the condition that the chain no longer sell Chinese-made laminate flooring.

It's not much of a concession for Lumber Liquidators to make despite having to dump its existing inventory of China-sourced laminates. The chain had stopped selling the stuff 13 months ago, following a scathing 60 Minutes report claiming that its Chinese laminates contained noncompliant levels offormaldehyde.

That single nationally televised segment has been brutal. The stock closed at $51.86 before last year's March 1 airing of the investigational report. It is trading 70% lower now, even after last week's pop. That's nearly $1 billion in market cap that has vanished.

Walking the plank

Customers seeking flooring solutions haven't forgiven or forgotten. The 370-store chain has seen net sales fall for four consecutive quarters, widening to double-digit percentage slides in three of the past quarters. Comps have also been negative for five quarters, and that's also important because it means that we're now already pitting the store-level performance against the prior year's declines. Lumber Liquidators should be bouncing back by now. Instead we see comparable-store sales slipping by 13.9% in its latest quarter after a 6.2% slide a year earlier.

Folks don't trust Lumber Liquidators, but that mind-set could change. TheU.S. Consumer Production Safety Commission recently said that Lumber Liquidators tested more than 15,000 households, and formaldehyde levels were in line with air-quality guidelines.

The stock is a far cry from where it used to be, but it has moved 58% higher since bottoming out in February. The comparisons should get easier at this point. Comps slid 10% during the second quarter of last year. If Lumber Liquidators is able to effectively communicate that it's no longer selling potentially toxic laminate flooring, it could win back floor-hungry patrons.

Analysts see Lumber Liquidators stretching its streak of quarterly deficits to six periods here, but they do see losses narrowing. Wall Street pros see sales still declining slightly during the current quarter but turning positive during the second half of this year. A return to profitability will have to wait until next year, but it's once again the scandal-rocked retailer setting the stage for a turnaround. Clearing its name in the eyes of federal regulators last week is important. Now it's time to win back the customers that matter.

The article Can Lumber Liquidators Keep Going After Last Week's 17% Pop? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Lumber Liquidators. 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.
NASA has a new space rocket -- the Space Launch System, or SLS -- built cooperatively by such leading aerospace lights as Boeing and Lockheed Martin , Orbital ATK and Aerojet Rocketdyne .

Sometime in the next decade, NASA intends to send up SLS to lasso an asteroid from the Van Allen Belt and put itin orbit around the Moon, then revisit said asteroid with a second SLS and conduct research upon it. In addition to the pure science aspects, the missions also offer an opportunity for NASA to practice procedures that could be used to redirect asteroids found to be on potential collision courses with Earth.

There's just one problem: Congress has yet to cough up the funds.

Asteroids are all around us -- and NASA plans to grab one. Image source: Getty Images.

Baby steps... to Mars!

NASA's plan, which depends heavily on prime contractor Boeing to implement it, aims to gradually build up proficiency in "deep space" missions beyond low earth orbit, or even geosynchronous transfer orbit around the Earth. That accomplished, NASA would take the final step of assembling all this knowledge -- and one really big spaceship -- for a manned voyage to Mars.

But as our friends at Spaceflight Insider reported earlier this month, Congress is not exactly enthralled with this idea. According to SI, House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith has criticized the twin asteroid mission plans as "uninspiring," while the House Appropriations Committee worries they will not "appreciably contribute to the overarching mission to Mars."

Result: A recent bill before the House, covering funding for NASA in fiscal 2017, states clearly: "[N]o funds are included in this bill for NASA to continue planning efforts to conduct either robotic or crewed missions to an asteroid. Instead, NASA is encouraged to develop plans to return to the Moon to test capabilities that will be needed for Mars, including habitation modules, lunar prospecting, and landing and ascent vehicles."

(Funding) lost in translation

Translation: "Asteroids? We don't need no stinkin' asteroids. (And we're not going to pay for them, either.)"

This could pose a problem for Boeing and its compatriots on the SLS project. According to the Government Accountability Office, the SLS program is expected to generate revenue of $23 billion for Boeing, Lockheed, Orbital ATK, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and their partners. These funds would cover "the first planned SLS flight in 2018, the ground systems for that effort, and the first two Orion flights currently planned for fiscal years 2018 and 2021 or 2022."

But what happens if funding for two-thirds of the planned flights gets nixed by Congress? Even assuming funding for the first SLS flight, the ground systems, and the costs of general overhead get funded, that's probably still something on the order of $14 billion in revenue that Boeing and its partners were expecting -- out the space hatch.

What it means to investors

SI notes that opposition to NASA's asteroid missions is not as pronounced in the U.S. Senate as in the House. Until the two bodies reach an agreement on how to fund NASA(and which programs to fund), there's still a chance the asteroid missions will happen, and the asteroid revenue will flow to Boeing.

Even failing that, legislative language urging NASA to invest in "plans to return to the Moon," to build "habitation modules," practice "lunar prospecting," and develop "landing and ascent vehicles" all offers opportunities for Boeing to recoup revenue that might be lost if the asteroid missions get canceled.

On the other hand, it also offers opportunities for Boeing competitors to swoop in and snatch away revenue for modules and mining (Bigelow) and for landers and ascenders (SpaceX). Boeing isn't out of the woods -- or maybe out of the asteroid field would be a better metaphor? -- yet.

The article Congress Could Nix Asteroid Mission -- and Cost Boeing Billions originally appeared on Fool.com.

Rich Smithdoes not own shares of, nor is he short, any company named above. You can find him onMotley Fool CAPS, publicly pontificating under the handleTMFDitty, where he's currently ranked No. 298 out of more than 75,000 rated members.The Motley Fool recommends Orbital ATK. 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: Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Chipotle Mexican Grill prides itself on offering a healthier alternative to fast food, but a recent study seemed to challenge this claim after finding that entrees at fast-casual chains like Chipotle have an average of 36% more calories than entrees at fast-food chains such as McDonald's and Wendy's .

The issue, however, is that the study doesn't actually support this contention. Nor, to be fair, does it claim to. According to its conclusion:

Here's what the authors mean: While it's true that the typical entree at Chipotle has more calories than entrees at McDonald's and Wendy's, the story is different once you consider add-ons. There's a reason, after all, that McDonald's employees have long been trained to ask: "Do you want fries with that?"

Consider this: A burrito at Chipotle with a flour tortilla, chicken, white rice, black beans, salsa, cheese, and lettuce packs in 940 calories. Adding sour cream increases the total by 115 calories, and guacamole boosts it another 230. For the sake of argument, then, let's say that there are 1100 calories in a typical Chipotle burrito. (NOTE: The breakdown in the image below includes all of the fixin's, so to speak.)

Data source: Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chart by author.

If you compare this to a standard McDonald's entree, say a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, it's clear that the study is onto something. Each of these entrees has 540 calories. And the same is true at Wendy's, where a Quarter Pound Single with Cheese has 590 calories.

But what's important to keep in mind is that, unlike at Chipotle, I think it's fair to say that most people who go to McDonald's and Wendy's order more than a single item. I typically order two -- though, being the cheapskate that I am, I also stick to items on the value menu. I usually get two double cheeseburgers, which adds up to 880 calories. That's 60 calories more than my usual burrito order at Chipotle.

The same is true when you factor in snacks and sides at McDonald's and Wendy's. A medium fries at McDonald's adds 340 calories. And a large order adds 510 calories. The range at Wendy's is from 320 to 530. When you include that with an entree, you get a total of between 850 to 1100 calories. Based on calories alone, in turn, eating a burrito at Chipotle is essentially no different than getting a meal at McDonald's and Wendy's.

Consequently, while the results of the study initially seemed to undermine Chipotle's value proposition, which is one of the foundations of the chain's success, it's clear that there is more to this story than meets the eye.

The article Dont Be Fooled: Chipotle Isnt as Unhealthy as This Study Claims originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Maxfield owns shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
In some Costco stores across the US there is little indication that on June 20 the company undergoes a major change. Costco is dropping its American Express loyalty credit card in favor of a new one from Visa.

The only sign of the change in my local Costco is an information kiosk with signage that generically refers to credit cards, otherwise there is very little in-store to indicate that anything is happening.Perhaps that's because in the period leading up the change, the company finds itself in a state of limbo. It still honors the old American Express cards and the new Costco Anywhere Visas are not even active until June 20. However, once the date occurs, the switch will be absolute.

To minimize the impact of the change, Costco has also suspended all new signups for either the old or the new card, which has hit its bottom line.CFO Richard A. Galanti discussed this during the company's Q2 earnings call

That's a relatively small financial fallout, though it's possible that come June 20 if the process doesn't go as smoothly as planned they could incur more financial damage.Once the big day arrives, the old American Express cards won't only be useless at Costco, they won't work anywhere. It's a very abrupt transition but here's everything cardholders need to know (and do) to be ready for the day.

Visa is taking over Costco's rewards card program. Image source: Citigroup.

1. You don't have to do anything

"Your new Costco Anywhere Card will be mailed between the end of May and early June," wrote Citigroup --which is providing the new Visas -- on its website. If your card has not arrived or your address has changed, call the number on the back of your current Costco American Express card to report the problem/update your info.

Once you receive your new Visa, follow the instructions on it to activate it, and remember to sign the back. The new card is being sent to all current members. It does not require a credit check and Visa will not be pulling a credit report before issuing the new card.

2. Your old card will become useless

While consumers need not do anything to get their new card, they will have to update any recurring payments being made with the old one. As of midnight on June 19, the old American Express account will become inactive. The new cards will have a different account number, a new expiration date, and an updated security code (CVV).

The only exception that consumers will not need to update is their actual Costco membership. If a cardholder was previously set to auto-renew his or her membership and charge it to their Costco account, that payment will transfer to the new card without him or her having to do anything.

3. All of your balances and rewards will be transferred

Any cardholder with a balance on the old card will find it transferred to the new one as of June 20. The same is mostly true for any earned rewards, though there is one exception, according to Citigroup:

For anyone who has American Express Membership Rewards points which don't transfer over, Citigroup suggests calling American Express.

4. Update your details once the new card goes live

While consumers with the old card don't need to do anything to get the new one, some will have to transfer information to Citigroup about authorized users. Any person who had a card on the primary holder's account will receive a new one during the same May/June timetable, but the account owner will have to go online or call Citigroup customer service (the number is on the back of the card) to set any spending limits on those cards. Even if a limit existed on the old American Express card, it will have to be reset on the new Costco Anywhere Visas.

5. Download your statements now

After June 20, anyone who holds the old American Express card will no longer be able to download their previous credit card statements. Citigroup will be able to provide them by request, "which may take a few days," according to the company, which suggests downloading them before June 20 to avoid the hassle.

6. What else do consumers need to know?

The changeover period will inevitably lead to some confusion and in most cases, the answer is "call the number on the back of your new Costco Anywhere Visa." That's the answer Citigroup provided for everything from checking account terms to disputing a charge made on the old American Express cards.

What does this mean for Costco?

In the short term, as Galanti noted during the earnings call, the company has lost some new signups because it's not taking them during the transition. In addition, the company might experience some confusion at its checkout on June 20 when, not only will the old cards not work, but the warehouse club will no longer accept any American Express cards. Add that to whatever number of customers ignore their mail and fail to realize a change is under way and the chain's lines might get a bit longer, with some added consumer frustration.

In the long run, however, the change should benefit Costco because the new card offers better rewards which should help it land new members.

The new card (which has no fee, but requires you to pay Costco's $55 annual membership charge) offers 4% cash back on gas purchases, up from 3% (for the first $7,000 spent in a year, an increase from a $4,000 limit). Costco has also increased givebacks from 2% to 3% onrestaurants and eligible travel, while it will return 2% cash back on all Costco purchases, and offer the same 1% American Express did on everything else.

June 20 and the days after that will be difficult for Costco and its customers, but the confusion should ebb quickly. Ultimately the company has offered its customers a better product -- or at least better rewards -- which should eventually have the credit card program performing better than it does now.

The article A Final Checklist for Costco's June 20 Credit Card Switch originally appeared on Fool.com.

Daniel Kline has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Costco Wholesale and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends American Express. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Getty Images.

Put plainly, you'd struggle as an investor to find a faster growing industry than marijuana.

According to ArcView Market Research, a cannabis research firm, legal marijuana sales in the U.S. totaled $5.4 billion in 2015 and could grow at a compound annual rate of 30% through 2020. This growth comes after Ohio became the 25th state to legalize the use of medical marijuana earlier this month. Meanwhile, four states -- Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Alaska -- have legalized the sale of recreational marijuana since 2012.

Patient access to medical marijuana is really starting to blossom, and drug developers are getting in on the act by researching cannabinoids designed to interact with the cannabinoid receptor system located within our bodies. GW Pharmaceuticals' Epidiolex is a great example. In a phase 3 study reported in March, GW Pharmaceuticals announced that Epidiolex had reduced monthly seizure frequency in 39% of patients with Dravet syndrome, a childhood-onset form of epilepsy, compared to just 13% for the placebo. Epidiolex, along with traditional forms of medical cannabis, could offer new pathways of treatment for sick patients.

Within the U.S., the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana at the state level has also been a boon for state lawmakers looking to raise tax revenue without angering their constituents. Excise taxes on marijuana solely affect growers, processors, and retailers, as well as cannabis consumers. The result, in many states, has been extra revenue for education, law enforcement, and other programs.

Image source: White House on Flickr.

Inaction on Capitol Hill stymies U.S. growth

But the U.S. cannabis market is also a nightmare for investors because of the federal government and its unwavering stance on marijuana as a schedule 1 drug. Despite allowing states the opportunity to regulate their own marijuana industries, Capitol Hill hasn't been in any hurry to reconsider its current illicit classification.

Federal lawmakers sitting on their hands are causing two big issues for the marijuana industry.First, marijuana businesses must pay tax on their gross profits instead of net profits.

The second issue is that only around 3% of the approximately 6,700 national banks are willing to do business with the cannabis industry. Without access to lines of credit or even checking accounts, the marijuana industry is stuck dealing predominantly with cash.

Image source: Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

Prime Minister Trudeau lays out the case for cannabis in Canada

However, if we look to our neighbor to the North, Canada, we see a country that could be on the precipice of becoming the most profitable market for cannabis in the world.

Current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had campaigned on a platform that vowed to legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana. Last week, Trudeau laid out his case to Canadian lawmakers, citizens, and perhaps even lawmakers beyond the borders of Canada for why legalizing recreational marijuana would make a lot of sense. And what's most interesting is that Trudeau's reasoning had very little to do with the taxable revenue that could be generated from a legal cannabis industry.

Courtesy of The Washington Post, here's what Trudeau had to say at a recent Canadian economic conference:

Preaching to the regulatory side of the equation instead of focusing solely on the taxable revenue to be generated could be the catalyst Trudeau needs to sway Liberal Party politicians to seriously consider legalizing recreational marijuana throughout Canada. We've heard similar arguments against legalization in the U.S. due to the potential for adolescent cannabis access, but Trudeau argues that legalization would only increase regulation within the industry to ensure that marijuana doesn't fall into the hands of adolescents.

If you're curious what the economics are behind a prospective legalization in Canada, a report from CIBC World Markets suggests it could be worth as much as $10 billion. Note that that's well below the peak estimates in the U.S. of around $35 billion in market value when legalized -- but with a possible legalization on the horizon in Canada and the U.S. government still sitting on its hands, Canada could vault into the spotlight as the marijuana industry's biggest opportunity.

Image source: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

A blunt reality

However, before you get too excited, keep in mind that Canada is also not a lock to legalize marijuana.

Trudeau's campaign promise failed to highlight the struggles the Canadian government will likely endure if it attempts to legalize marijuana across the country. There are three international treaties that Canada is a part of that label the possession and production of marijuana as a "criminal activity," meaning lawmakers in Canada would need to find a way to legalize the drug without violating its treaties. This would require Canada to walk a very fine line with regulating its cannabis industry and appeasing its treaty partners.

Additionally, as reported by Newsweek, support for legalization hasn't really gotten off the ground at the provincial level in Canada. Whereas we've witnessed half of all U.S. states legalize medical marijuana, and up to a dozen states could be placing marijuana initiatives on the ballot for the Nov. 2016 elections, Canada's provinces have made little effort to get legalization efforts off the ground.

In effect, the Canadian government is interested in legalization, but appears restricted by existing treaties, whereas the U.S. federal government could change the existing laws, but has no interest in legalization for the time being.

The blunt reality for investors is that marijuana remains a risky investment that's best left untouched. It's always possible the Canadian or U.S. government could legalize marijuana, which would certainly change the outlook and investment nature of the industry. But until that happens, the risks will likely outweigh the rewards.

The article Forget the United States -- This Country Could Easily Represent Marijuana's Biggest Opportunity 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 has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
In the past year, a long-running debate has broken out into the open as numerous politicians have claimed that short-term thinking on Wall Street is hurting the U.S. economy.

Pressure from Wall Street -- so the story goes -- leads companies to prioritize short-term earnings over investing for the future. Even worse, companies are spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually to buy back stock (and to a lesser extent, to increase their dividends) rather than pouring more money into research and development and capital expenditures to support growth.

American companies are returning huge sums of cash to shareholders. Image source: The Motley Fool.

Researchers have made some cogent arguments about the threat to the U.S. economy from short-term thinking. Nevertheless, these fears are overblown -- largely because critics of short-term thinking focus primarily on large, successful companies. Despite being successful, these companies aren't always in the best position to drive the economy's future growth.

Innovation isn't always the answer

Innovation and productivity improvements are the key drivers of long-term growth in per-capita income. However, for any given company, investing in R&D to pursue revolutionary breakthroughs may not be a good strategy.

There are countless cases of companies spending millions and billions of dollars in pursuit of innovation and winding up with little or nothing to show for it. Let's take a look at just three cases: Apple , Keurig Green Mountain, and Boeing .

Did Apple investors get too greedy?

Apple has become a popular whipping boy lately for critics of short-term thinking. In the past few years, Apple has spent tens of billions of dollars annually on share repurchases, all while spending a lower percentage of its revenue on R&D than most tech firms.

Apple's revenue declined last quarter for the first time in more than a decade. It's tempting to argue that if Apple had just invested more money instead of spending billions of dollars on dividends and buybacks to please a handful of fund managers, it would still be posting strong revenue and earnings growth.

Yet Apple is on pace to spend about $10 billion on R&D this year, up from less than $1 billion a decade ago.

AAPL Research and Development Expense (TTM)data by YCharts.

A decade ago, Apple was in the midst of inventing the iPhone and iPad. If it can't produce anything equivalently innovative on a $10 billion budget, why would it be able to do so with a $20 billion or even a $50 billion R&D budget?

It's still fruitful (no pun intended) for Apple to invest in R&D to improve its existing product lines and develop complimentary products. But based on Apple's recent track record, there's a good chance that bold investments to move into completely new areas would fall flat.

Keurig should have rested on its laurels

In the past decade, Keurig has revolutionized the coffee world with its pod-based single-serve coffee brewers. In recent years, Keurig Green Mountain returned plenty of cash to shareholders. However, it also invested hundreds of millions of dollars to develop the Keurig Kold home soda-making machine, which was designed to be the company's next big growth driver.

It wasn't alone. Coca-Cola invested more than $2 billion in Keurig Green Mountain to get a piece of the action. The Keurig Kold system can make a variety of Coca-Cola's products.

Keurig Kold ended up being a complete failure. Keurig recently announced that it is discontinuing the product less than a year after it went on sale and offering full refunds to anyone who bought one.

In hindsight, it should have been obvious that Keurig Kold was a terrible idea. It was big, loud, expensive, and made small portions of soda for several times the cost of buying a can of Coke. Coca-Cola was lucky to get bailed out of its investment earlier this year when coffee giant JAB Holdings bought Keurig Green Mountain for a sizable premium.

Boeing's moonshot crash-lands

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner jet shows the perils of investing in innovation on a much larger scale. The company likely spent more than $15 billion to develop the groundbreaking, fuel-efficient Dreamliner. The development process was plagued with delays and snafus, partially because Boeing outsourced a lot of the work in order to avoid shouldering even more risk.

It will take decades for Boeing to turn a profit on its Dreamliner program. Image source: Boeing.

Five years into production, Boeing has racked up more than $30 billion in deferred production costs -- essentially losses on the first several hundred aircraft it produced -- and unamortized tooling costs. The total investment over the past 12 years is thus nearly $50 billion.

While Dreamliner sales are finally turning profitable, it will probably take at least another decade for Boeing to recover all of its costs. By the time the last 787 rolls off the production line, the program is likely to have produced a pitifully low single-digit rate of return.

By contrast, Boeing's most successful product is the narrowbody 737 jet. Boeing has invested billions of dollars improving the 737 over the years and engine manufacturers have developed state-of-the-art engines for the new 737 MAX family, but the underlying design is more than 50 years old.

The American economy is still innovative

There's an important lesson here for investors, analysts, and policymakers. Just because a company is big and highly profitable doesn't mean that it can replicate those profits on an even larger scale by investing huge sums on R&D and capacity expansion. In many cases, the best use of cash is to return it to investors.

However, a lack of innovation at the largest, most-established companies in America doesn't mean the whole economy is doomed to stagnation. Nor does it mean that their profits are being wasted on making the rich even richer.

Instead, a lot of the most valuable innovation comes from young companies, some of which are not even public. Unlike the failed Keurig Kold, which was developed by a sizable and highly successful corporation, the original Keurig -- which became a massive hit -- was developed by two guys working in their kitchen and a small office, using handmade K-Cups.

Three of the 10 most valuable companies in the U.S. were founded in the past 25 years: Alphabet, Facebook, and Amazon.com. For the first two, at least, the sources of their value -- the Google search algorithm and the massive Facebook social network -- were well established before they even went public.

Furthermore, half of the 10 most valuable start-ups worldwide are based in the U.S. Many of these companies need to invest huge sums of money to develop their businesses. One reason why they can so readily raise money is that larger companies are returning cash to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.

Thus, it's true that American companies need to invest in R&D to produce the innovative breakthroughs that will power our economy for the next century. It's just not necessarily the case that the biggest corporations should always be the ones making those investments.

The article Is Short-Term Thinking Killing the American Economy? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of The Boeing Company and is long January 2017 $85 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Apple, Coca-Cola, and Facebook. The Motley Fool is long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Getty Images.

It can be really tough to value gold stocks. That's because most valuation metrics, such as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, require a company to actually earn money to be of any use. That has been a problem for gold stocks in recent years, because gold prices have been rather dull, leading many producers to post steep losses due to the writedown of expansion projects or reserves.

Having said all that, there is one valuation metric that cuts through this lack of earnings and shines a light on actual cash flow: the price-to-cash-flow from operations per share metric.That metric compares the underlying cash flow of a company to its stock price.In doing so, it also makes it clear that some gold stocks are actually ridiculously cheap right now compared to their peers. When we use that metric to compare the ten largest gold stocks, five really stand out:

Gold Stock Price-to-CFO per share Barrick Gold 8.0 Newmont Mining 9.2 Goldcorp 10.4 AngloGold Ashanti 5.4 Franco-Nevada 40.3 Agnico Eagle Mines 17.8 Randgold Resources 22.4 Kinross Gold 7.4 Yamana Gold 7.3 Royal Gold 26.2

Data source: YCharts.

The five gold stocks that stand out are Barrick Gold, Newmont Mining , AngloGold Ashanti , Kinross Gold, and Yamana Gold , because each sells for less than ten times its trailing twelve months' cash flow from operations per share. In some cases, that's more than half the price of a rival gold stock.

What makes these gold stocks so cheap?

One of the big weights on gold stocks over the past couple of years, other than the price of gold, has been the debt on their balance sheets. That's certainly the case with this group, with all five having elevated leverage ratios compared to their peers. In fact, Randgold Resources is basically debt-free, while Agnico Eagle Mines, Royal Gold and Franco-Nevada all have minimal net debt. Even Goldcorp has maintained a lower debt level than its cheaper rivals, boasting of an investment-grade balance sheet.

Those debt-light balance sheets have proven to be a competitive advantage because debt doesn't come cheap: it eats away at cash flow via interest payments. This is a big reason why investors aren't willing to pay as high a premium for the cash flow of higher-debt gold producers.

This is a weight that all five of these companies have been working to address over the past few years. Newmont Mining, for example, has sold $1.9 billion in assets since 2013 in order to bolster its balance sheet. As a result, Newmont Mining has improved its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio from a level above its peer-group average at the start of 2014 to well below its peer-group average last quarter. Barrick Gold, likewise, has jettisoned assets in order to improve its balance sheet, with the company reducing its total debt by $4 billion since the end of 2014; it plans to lop another $2 billion in debt off its balance sheet by the end of this year. We find similar debt-reduction stories at Kinross Gold, Yamana Gold, and AngloGold Ashanti. This is important because as these companies de-lever, more of their cash flow can be used for other purposes, such as shareholder distributions or growth spending, which is something that investors are willing to pay a premium for.

Another big weight that pulled down the valuations of these five gold stocks is their higher cost structures, which led to weaker margins at lower gold prices. This is another issue all five companies have worked hard to address, with each making meaningful progress. AngloGold Ashanti, for example, has lowered its all-in sustaining costs (AISC) by 11% year over year, to $910 per ounce. Likewise, Yamana Gold dropped its AISC last year by $40 an ounce across its core mines. Meanwhile, Kinross Gold's AISC last year was roughly flat from 2014, but the company sees it falling from last year's average of $975 to as low as $890 in 2016. By driving costs lower, these producers should be able to capture higher cash flows, which eventually could warrant premium valuations.

Investor takeaway

These five gold stocks are ridiculously cheaper than their peers because of their weighty debt and higher costs. Because of those problems, these gold stocks didn't warrant a premium valuation in a weak gold market. That said, all five have been working hard to improve their balance sheets and costs, which has the potential to narrow the valuation gap in the future, especially with gold prices improving this year.

The article These 5 Gold Stocks Are Ridiculously Cheap originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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.

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Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos threw a high-school graduation party for son Michael at Locanda Verde in Tribeca Thursday.

Sources told the New York Post the glitzy guests toasting Michael included Bravo host Andy Cohen and Elementary star Lucy Liu. Consuelos also joined his wife on her show, ABCs Live With Kelly, on Friday to talk about the milestone.

How are we old enough to have a kid thats going to college? well-preserved Ripa asked.I dont know, Consuelos said, adding that he hoped their son would take a gap year before heading to college.

Ripa jokingly disagreed, saying, Ive got big plans for his bedroom  that bedroom is going to be turned into a megacloset!

Click here to read more in the New York Post.
For many, the Ice Bucket Challenge in summer 2014 was their first encounter with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrigs disease. But while the videos have disappeared from social media timelines, the disease continues to rob patients of their ability to interact with the world.

ALS is an invariably fatal disease in which the nerve cells that control movement progressively degenerate, leading to paralysis and death from respiratory failure. It is diagnosed in about 5,000 Americans each year. Up to 10 percent of ALS cases are an inherited form of the disease. In most cases, though, ALS occurs for no known reason.

However, thanks to technology like Tobii Dynavox I-15 and the new PCEye Mini, patients are no longer faced with watching life pass them by. Released in 2013, the Tobii Dynavox I-15 is designed for patients with severe communication needs and typically fully covered by Medicaid or Medicare. Its embedded with eye tracking technology and can also be activated by touch.

Its really exciting for a lot of reasons because the design and support is pushing people toward living an independent life, with people being able to reach their full potential, Tara Rudnicki, president of Tobii Dynavox, North America, told FoxNews.com.

The device is outfitted with software called Wake on Gaze, which enables patients to turn it on from bed by looking at it, eliminating the need for a caregiver to complete the task for them. It can also be used in an emergency situation, as its outfitted with alarm buttons, a speaker and programmed with emergency telephone numbers.

Its pretty revolutionary for people to communicate in bed without any interference with anybody else, Rudnicki said. It improves independency and autonomy; they dont have to ask somebody for things we take for granted so much every day.

The Tobii Dynavox I-15 also gives patients the opportunity to participate in everyday tasks, as is the case with Kip Jackson, who recently surprised his wife Robin by ordering groceries on Amazon. Jackson, 44, used the device to tell FoxNews.com that one of the things he misses most since being diagnosed with ALS in July 2012 is being able to take care of Robin.

Being able to do groceries  even though its something little  its something that means the world to me because he thought of me and helped me out, Robin told FoxNews.com.

Jackson has also used the device to accomplish amazing feats, like producing music and writing a novel. Using the Tobii Dynavox I-15, Jackson told FoxNews.com that as a self-proclaimed geek/electronics hoarder, he has always been interested in producing music. He found a program online called FL Studio that is based on virtual synthesizers and drum machines.

With a few twists and turns of knobs, I found I could make original and unique sounds. Then I started making melodies and recording them, Jackson said.

Jackson also keeps a blog where hes detailed the happenings of his upcoming novel, a thriller titled Watching You that will be released July 31. He also uses the blog as an outlet to show others what its like to live with ALS.

Today, Im a quadriplegic, fed through a feeding tube, ventilator dependent and trached. I cant talk, swallow or smell (this has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.) Despite this, I am the happiest that I have ever been in my life, Jackson wrote in his blog.

ALS has taken away my ability to move and breathe but it cannot  I refuse to let it  touch my soul, he added.

Robin said the post is true to her husbands nature. With the help of the Tobii Dynavox I-15 the couple, who met in 2007, has been able to keep much of their daily routine, and enjoy a date night each weekend. Every other weekend they typically visit a Barnes and Nobles bookstore Jacksons favorite with a family member who helps carry his equipment. In the store the Tobii Dynavox I-15, which is also fitted with a camera so a caregiver can see what the patient is looking at, plays another vital role in their experience.

Its great because Tobii has the ability to speak on it, but also Tobii has the camera on it so I can see what hes looking at, Robin said, adding that if its a particular book she knows to grab it for him.

Robin has been able to keep her job as a social worker while Jackson uses his time during the day to work on his book and music. A caregiver stays with him while Robin is at work, but the device, which Jackson has called his everything, meets most of his needs.

Robin said the Tobii Dynavox I-15 has helped them keep the spark of their relationship alive. Despite the diagnosis, Jackson has used the Tobii Dynavox I-15 express himself creatively. He still jokes with friends and argues with Robin like any other couple does and its enabled him to live his life the way he wants to, which is something that most believe disappears with an ALS diagnosis.

Even though its a terminal disease, you can live with it and have a productive life, Jackson said.
Brother, can you spare a C-note?

If Peter Sands, a Harvard University fellow and former bank executive, gets his way, the answer may be no. Mr. Sands wants to get rid of the $100 bill, the 1,000 Swiss franc note, the 500 note and the 50 British note because those high denominations make it easier for criminals to conceal large sums of cash and eliminating them would make it tougher for the bad guys to do business.

My argument is if you have something that society doesnt really need but illegal activity really likes, why are you producing it? asked Mr. Sands, a former chief executive of Standard Chartered PLC and a senior fellow at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government.

But the U.S. government isnt ready to give up its Benjamins.

A spokeswoman for the Treasury Department said the agency has no plans to drop the $100 bill, and several agencies, including Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the Drug Enforcement Administration, outlined reasons for sticking with the C-note:

The $100 bill is important globally. There are 11.1 billion $100 bills in circulation, and about 75% of them are held in other countries, in part because the U.S. dollar is the dominant international reserve currency. Retiring it would have a ripple effect beyond the borders of the U.S.

Replacing the bill would be expensive. It costs 14.3 cents to produce a $100 bill. The next largest denomination, the $50 bill, costs 10.6 cents, but twice as many would have to be printed, at a higher cost overall. (The $100 bill is more expensive to make because of its security features.) Transporting a greater number of smaller bills would also cost more. And some seignioragethe profit made by the government by issuing currencywould be forfeited.

Read more at the Wall Street Journal
Attorney General Loretta Lynch declined Sunday to say whether the FBI will charge anybody in connection with the Florida nightclub massacre and expressed support for a proposal from a Republican senator to tighten gun control.

Lynch, the countrys top law enforcement official, told Fox News Sunday that federal investigators are in the middle of a very aggressive investigation that includes talking to family members.

However, she declined to comment why the wife of shooter Omar Mateen has not been arrested, amid purported evidence that she helped her husband plot the June 12 murders.

Lynch said the FBI on Monday willl release a partial transcript of Orlando police department hostage negotiators talking to Mateen inside the nightclub. However, much of his talk about allegience to radical Islamic groups has been removed, she said.



Mateen, a Muslim, killed 49 people and wounded dozens of others inside the Orlando, Fla., nightclub before dying in a shootout with police.

The 29-year-old Mateen pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, even during his shooting rampage inside the gay nightclub.

We are trying to re-create the days, the weeks, the months of this killers life before this attack, said Lynch, who spoke on all of the major Sunday talk shows. And we are also asking those people who had contact with him to come forward and give us that information as well.

Mateen was the focus of two FBI investigations into suspected terrorism. However, the probes were concluded without further action, and Mateen was allowed to legally buy firearms.

Lynch said the Justice Department is going to go back and see what changes could have been made, regarding how the investigations were handled.

She also expressed support from an amendment scheduled for a vote Monday in the Senate by Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn that would allow the federal government to delay a gun sale to a suspected terrorist for as long as 72 hours. Afterward, prosecutors would have to persuade a judge to block the sale permanently.

Lynch said such an amendment would give the federal government the ability to stop a sale to somebody on the terror watch list.

However, she argued the federal government needs flexibility and the authority to protect the classified information used in denying a sale, if potential buyers exercise the constitutional rights to file an appeal.

The American people deserve for us to take the greatest amount of time, Lynch said.

The amendment is one of four gun-control measures scheduled for a vote Monday, each with long odds of passing the GOP-controlled Senate.

Lynch also said neither she nor anybody in the department face a conflict of interest in investigating Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while secretary of state, despite President Obama endorsing her for president.

The investigation into the State Department email matter is going to be handled like any other matter, said Lynch, essentially repeating earlier responses to such questions. We've got career agents and lawyers looking at that. They will follow the facts and follow the evidence wherever it leads and come to a conclusion. This is not a conflict for me or for the department or for anyone.
President Obama on Saturday broke from his family vacation in Yosemite National Park to urge Americans to act on climate change, which he argued is destroying the countrys precious natural resources.

Make no mistake, climate change is no longer a threat, its a reality, the president said in a roughly 10-minute speech, ahead of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the National Parks system.

Obama said Yosemite rangers told him that signs of climate change, or global warming, are already occurring across the roughly 761,000-acre park in California.

Yosemites largest glacier, (once) almost a mile long, is almost gone, said Obama, standing behind the majestic Yosemite falls.

Global warming has in large part been blamed on human activity and on coal and other fossil fuel-burning plants.

The president has been criticized for vowing, since essentially the start of his presidency, to make developing alternative or green energy a priority, while his administration has proposed changes that have the potential to shutter coal-firing plants and prevent new ones from opening.

He also appeared to take a jab Saturday at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump who has threatened to dissolve the Paris climate change agreement.

This shouldn't lead to careless suggestions about scrapping an international treaty we spent years putting together, Obama said.

The president attempted to spread to the responsibility to act on all Americans, saying thats especially true for our leaders in Washington and that our generation must make an effort.

Over the last 100 years, there has been plenty to celebrate, Obama said. Over the next 100 years, protecting (open) spaces is even more important.
Barack Obama has called the husband of Jo Cox to offer condolences on behalf of the American people, the White House has said.

The President, who is on a tour of several US national parks with his family, spoke on the phone with Brendan Cox while he was travelling on Air Force One.

Mrs Cox had worked on Mr Obama's 2008 presidential election campaign before she became MP for Batley and Spen.

The White House said in a statement: "President Obama offered his sincere condolences on behalf of the American people to Mr Cox and his two young children, as well as to her friends, colleagues and constituents.

"The President noted that the world is a better place because of her selfless service to others, and that there can be no justification for this heinous crime, which robbed a family, a community, and a nation of a dedicated wife, mother, and public servant."

Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency surgery in Birstall, near Leeds in West Yorkshire, on Thursday.

On Friday, Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said she was "horrified by the assassination" of the Labour MP and called her a "rising star".

"It is cruel and terrible that her life was cut short by a violent act of political intolerance," she said.

Click for more from Sky News.
Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed concerned he not be quoted as overstating presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's intelligence, but he praised billionaire businessman's desire to improve U.S.-Russian relations.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Putin disputed that he had ever called Trump "brilliant" but said that he believed the celebrity businessman to be "bright."

"I only said that he is a bright person. Isn't he bright?" Putin said. "He is. I did not say anything else about him." But there's one thing that I paid attention to, and that I definitely welcome, is that Mr. Trump said that he's ready to. What can there be bad about it? Don't you welcome it? We all welcome it."

It was in December that a Russian news publication quoted Putin's praise for Trump.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
The Supreme Court is set this week to begin announcing decisions on roughly a dozen remaining cases, including contentious ones on abortion and immigration.

The rulings will be released from the bench starting Monday, with the high court typically waiting until the last week of June to announce those on the most contentious issues, in a tradition known as "spring flood" and just before the justices go on summer recess.

Rulings on this seasons slate of cases were complicated by the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia -- leaving the bench with four remaining conservative justices and four liberal ones.

"Eight, as you know, is not a good number for a multi-member court," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recent said. "That means no opinions and no precedential value; an equal division is essentially the same as a denial of review."

Such ties mean a default victory for the party that won at the lower court, but only in states covered by that appeals court's jurisdiction.

The lack of precedent leaves legal uncertainty nationwide. And the high court could re-argue the case when it operates at full strength with nine members.

The court has already deadlocked twice this term, and essentially punted in another high profile case.

A challenge by religious-affiliated employers -- including a Catholic charity of nuns -- to ObamaCare's contraception mandate was sent back to the lower courts.

"The Court expresses no view on the merits of the cases," the unsigned ruling read.

The outcome suggested the court lacked a majority for a significant ruling and that it could be a template for other divided cases to be resolved in the coming days.

On a pending ruling regarding abortion-clinic restrictions in Texas, Carrie Severino, chief counsel of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, see a possible 4-4 decision but thinks the case will come before the court again, in perhaps a year or two.

However, some progressives hope the court's so-called "swing vote" will break with his conservative colleagues.

"I think all eyes are going to be on Justice [Anthony] Kennedy and I don't think it will split 4-4," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "I think Justice Kennedy will join the more liberal justices to say the Supreme Court has reaffirmed there is a constitutional right for a woman to choose whether or not to have an abortion."

Both court watchers spoke Sunday to Fox News Chief Legal Correspondent Shannon Bream, on "America's Election Headquarters."

Scalias unexpected death in February, during a presidential election year, left the court shaken and short-handed, a situation Ginsburg noted wistfully.

"The Court is a paler place without him," she said of her best friend on the court.

President Obama has nominated Merrick Garland as a replacement, but Senate Republican leaders have vowed that the federal appeals court judge will not get a hearing or floor vote this year.

That would leave his successor with an immediate opportunity to shift the court's shaky ideological balance to either the right or left.

While public debate over the direction of the nation's highest court continues to animate the presidential race, the court remains notoriously tight-lipped on internal discussions.

Still, Chief Justice John Roberts last month told a group of judges he and his colleagues were operating under a new dynamic.

"I try to achieve as much consensus as I can," Roberts said. "We kind of have to have a commitment as a group. I think we spend a fair amount of time-- maybe a little more than others in the past-- talking about things, talking them out. It sometimes brings you a bit closer together."

Another consequence of the current vacancy is that the court has accepted fewer cases for full review, meaning its fall docket is so far pretty thin.

Under court rules, it takes at least four justices to put a case on the argument calendar, and five to ultimately prevail on the merits.

But Roberts said a go-slow approach often is best long term.

"I think we should be as restrained in when we decide the issues when it's necessary to do so," he said. "I think that's part of how I look at the job."

Among the cases yet to be decided:

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The case could be a definitive, landmark ruling on the use of race in public university admissions. Justice Elena Kagan has already recused, meaning conservatives might have a 4-3 edge to cut back on such policies. Or Kennedy could side with his more liberal colleagues to uphold the school's diversity model.

The justices first heard the case three years ago but essentially sidestepped a binding resolution. The court at the time affirmed the use of race in the admissions process but made it harder for institutions to use such policies to achieve diversity. The 7-1 decision avoided the larger constitutional issues.

ABORTION ACCESS: Whole Woman's Health v. Cole. The constitutionality of a Texas law requires all clinics performing abortions in the state to be "ambulatory surgical centers" and that doctors performing abortions first obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

Lawmakers in the state's Republican-majority Legislature have said the regulations contained in the 2013 law -- known as H.B. 1 -- would improve patient care and safety.

Abortion rights groups argue the law is designed to make it nearly impossible to operate an abortion clinic in Texas. Only 10 such health centers would qualify to stay open, and large areas west and south of San Antonio would have no full-time abortion providers.

EXECUTIVE POWER: U.S. v. Texas. The case is a multi-state challenge to the president's use of executive power to block certain undocumented aliens from being deported, despite being in the country illegally. A tie decision would essentially be a win for the states, since the lower courts have put the president's programs on hold.

At issue is whether as many as 4 million immigrants can be spared deportation -- including many who entered the U.S. illegally as children, or those who are parents of citizens or legal residents.

The president's programs -- known as the Deferred Action for Parents of American Citizens and Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) -- effectively went around the Republican-led Congress. Opponents -- including 26 states and GOP members of Congress -- say the White House's broad immigration policy plan exceeds constitutional power.

PUBLIC CORRUPTION: McDonnell v. U.S. The case addresses the definition of "official acts" that can lead to being prosecuted for public corruption. Virginia's former GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell was convicted of providing favors to a friend and benefactor.

In oral arguments from April, a majority of justices appeared poised to void McDonnell's conviction and place new limits on the reach of federal bribery laws.

Several on the court, across the ideological spectrum, expressed major concerns that the laws give prosecutors too much power to criminalize the everyday acts that politician perform to help constituents.

SEARCH AND SEIZURE: Birchfield v. North Dakota; Bernard v. Minnesota; Beylund v. Levi. The justices are considering the constitutionality of warrantless roadside drunk-driving tests and of assumed consent to such tests.

The high court also expressed doubts in oral arguments about laws in at least a dozen states. Drivers prosecuted under those provisions claim they violate the Constitution's 4th Amendment protections. Some states suggested it would be too burdensome in many instances to seek an expedited search warrant every time.
House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan is trying to keep fellow Republicans in control of Congress but said Sunday he wouldnt ask them to endorse Donald Trump for the sake of party unity, to save their Capitol Hill majority or keep Democrat Hillary Clinton out of the White House.

Imagine the speaker of the House not supporting the duly elected nominee of our party, therefore creating a chasm in our party, the Wisconsin Republican said on NBCs Meet the Press. I don't want to see Hillary Clinton as president. I want to see a strong majority in the House and the Senate.

Ryan has endorsed Trump but waited about a month after he won enough primaries, caucuses and accompanying delegates in early May to become the GOPs presumptive presidential nominee. After some direct conversations with Trump and assurances that he would support a conservative agenda, Ryan officially backed Trump earlier this month.

However, Ryan has since criticized some of Trumps subsequent comments, including the suggestion that an American-born judge presiding over a civil suit against Trump University real estate school could be bias because of his Mexican heritage.

I disavow these comments, Ryan told reporters earlier this month. Claiming a person can't do their job because of race is sort of like a textbook definition of a racist comment.

After the June 12 massacre at an Orlando, Fla., nightclub committed by Omar Mateen, a Muslim who was apparently self-radicalized, Trump renewed his call to temporarily keep Muslims out of the country.

Ryan later repeated his disapproval for such a ban, saying it was not in our country's interests.

Still, Ryan suggested Sunday that he wouldnt tell a Capitol Hill Republican seeking reelection on any party member to back Trump for the benefit the party in 2016.

The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that's contrary to their conscience, Ryan said.

Ryan, chairman of the GOP nomination convention in July, also said he disagrees with a purported effort by convention delegates to switch their assigned allegiance from Trump to another candidate to deny him the nomination. However, Ryan said he has no authority over such rules and related decisions

The voters picked (Trump.) He beat Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush and everybody else, Ryan said. He won the delegates. My place  is to call balls and strikes and just play it by the rules. So it is not my job to tell delegates what to do or what not to do or to weigh in on things like that.
EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump views himself as battling an intensifying wave of media hostility and is disappointed in the growing chorus of criticism from Republican leaders.

In an interview, Trump shrugged off his slippage in the polls, boasted of his big crowds and predicted he would win big league, even though he says the critical media attention is hurting him.

Trump wouldnt admit to any mistakes, even in tone, after the Orlando massacre. And he is particularly puzzled by the way Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is chiding him.

In short, even as pundits and many in his own party are clamoring for a course correction and a softer rhetorical style, the presumptive nominee made clear he doesnt plan any major changes.

Trump sees a drastic shift in the media since he clinched the nomination: When I was running against 16 Republicans, it was somewhat unfair, but at least you could see it. Now its beyond belief. They are protecting Hillary Clinton like you wouldnt believe. I dont think it helps, but I think Im going to end up winning.

He added that the media are very negative toward a Republican, toward a conservative Republican, and certainly very negative toward me, saying they report only a quarter of each statement he issues. That is true for most candidate releases.

Ignoring several polls that show him trailing Clinton by six to 12 points, Trump cited a One America survey that has him at only a 2-point deficit.

The only hint that things have hit a rough pitch came when Trump told me that maybe certain things were not 100 percent happy with in his very young campaign, but he declined to elaborate. He conceded the challenge he faces on the electoral map, saying, The Democratic road is very much easier than the Republican road to the White House.

The billionaire has given his detractors ample ammunition in the last three weeks, a period that stretches from his remarks about the Mexican heritage of the judge in the Trump University case to his tweets about having predicted a terrorist attack such as the one in Orlando but not wanting any congratulations.

Trump has been hammered for saying on Fox & Friends that when it comes to fighting terrorism, President Obama is either not tough, not smart, or he's got something else in mind. And the something else in mind, you know, people can't believe it.

Speaking by phone from Texas on Friday, Trump dismissed the resulting firestorm.

I dont think Orlando was a mistake at all, he said of his comments. Im saying what everyone else is saying and thinking. The problem is everyone wants to be politically correct, and you cant be politically correct because these people are after our country, theyre after our lives.

With rising unease among Hill Republicans, McConnell told Bloomberg News that Trump should pick an experienced running mate because it's pretty obvious he doesn't know a lot about the issuesI object to a whole series of things that he's said -- vehemently object to them, including these attacks on various ethnic groups in the country."

Im so surprised at Mitch, Trump told me. Youd think hed be very positive. I always thought I had a good relationship with Mitch, but perhaps I dont.

The candidate said the press overlooks the fact that some members of the GOP are backing him, and proclaimed a great relationship with party chairman Reince Priebus.

Im disappointed that some of the Republicans arent more positive, but I think in the end they will beYou wonder why theyre doing that.

He also brought up his former rivals: Some of them wouldnt endorse me because I beat them very badly. And I even understand it. It was a rough, rough primary.

Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and John Kasich are among those who remain sharply critical of Trump, despite having pledged to support the nominee.

During the primaries, they wanted me to sign the pledge, Trump recalled. The pressure was unbelievable.

We talked about his decision to yank the Washington Posts credentials, based on its headline about the Fox & Friends comments: Donald Trump Suggests President Obama Was Involved with Orlando Shooting. The paper, on its own, later softened this to Donald Trump Seems to Connect President Obama to Orlando Shooting.

How does Trump benefit by adding the Post to a group of media outlets whose credentials have been revoked?

At some point I would love to give it back if Im covered fairly, but that was only an indication of the kind of press they give me, he replied. They actually said that I essentially said Obama was in cahoots with this guy that did the killing. It was a horrible headline, an unfair headline.

What about the New York Times, which Trump has repeatedly criticized? He deflected a question about its credentials, but said the New York Times has certainly been marginal, hasnt been much better than the Washington Post. Trump added that its chief Washington correspondent, David Sanger, has been fair.

Without prompting, Trump brought up Politico, whose credentials were revoked months ago. He took issue with the websites reporting on rivalries within his campaign and tensions between the candidate and the RNC.

Trump said he has read such accounts in very dishonest places like Politico. I dont even talk to them. They make things up, theyre fiction. Politico is fiction. A spokesman for Politico declined to comment.

Perhaps his strongest words were reserved for MSNBCs Joe Scarborough. The former Republican congressman, who regularly interviewed Trump and talked up his chances during the primaries, has turned harshly critical in recent weeks. The candidate says hes stopped watching Morning Joe.

As soon as I won the nomination, Trump said, he went essentially to the Democrats side. He went totally rogue. He was embarrassed to be so high on a RepublicanIts very dishonest what hes saying.

Scarborough told me that he and co-host Mika Brzezinski have been friendly with Trump for years. Its sad for Mika and me to see him fall off a cliff, chasing conspiracy theories, suggesting the president is connected with ISISSuggesting a judge from Indiana is incapable of fairly ruling on certain cases because his parents, like Donald Trumps, werent born in America. And his continued vilification of 1.5 billion Muslims is un-American.

Scarborough said Trump had no complaint when his analysis was upbeat: You cant love John Madden when he says your team is going to win the Super Bowl, then hate John Madden when you start throwing the ball backwards 20 times a game.

Trump, for his part, sees a different motivation in Scarboroughs shift. Im sure MSNBC puts tremendous pressure on him and he wants to keep his job, Trump told me.

But Scarborough said he was forecasting Trumps nomination last year: If the liberal network MSNBC had any influence on us, they certainly would have asserted it and suggested we not be so far out in our predictions on Donald Trump.

For weeks now, Trumps tight-knit campaign has been battered by critics on the right as well as the left, amid growing pessimism about his general election chances. Before wrapping up the conversation, Trump offered this observation:

I was written off five times in the primaries. I ended up coming back stronger than I ever was.
Donald Trump suggested Sunday that the U.S. start profiling people inside the country to thwart terrorism, calling it a hateful but common sense tactic, in the aftermath of recent terror attacks.

"I think profiling is something we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to start using common sense.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee also argued that other countries, including Israel, profile and they do it successfully.

Trump, as he has frequently argued, said radical Islamic groups are creating big problems.

However, he didnt directly say those groups should be the sole focus of profiling -- a strategy in which individuals or groups are targeted for additional law-enforcement scrutiny because of race or other characteristics.

Omar Mateen, the shooter in the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., was a radicalized Muslim and the subject of two FBI investigations into possible connections to terrorism.

Mateen pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, even during the attack in which he fatally shot 49 people and wounded dozens of others inside the gay nightclub before being killed by police.

This is not the first time Trump has made controversial comments related to terrorism and radical Islam, particularly after the Orlando attack and the 2015 Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., strikes, all connected to ISIS and radicalized Muslims.

Trump, a billionaire businessman and first-time candidate, told the Fox Business Network in October 2015 that the U.S. should absolutely shut down mosques in the fight against ISIS, if it had the legal authority and as France and Britain have attempted.

And he has been supportive of a post-9/11 effort between the FBI and the New York City police department in which mosques were put under surveillance. The effort apparently ended in 2014 under Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"Youre going to have to watch and study the mosques, because a lot of talk is going on at the mosques," Trump told MSNBC in November. "In the old days, meaning a while ago, we had great surveillance going on in and around mosques in New York City.

In the wake of the 2015 attacks and after the Orlando massacre, Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslims coming into the United States until the government improved its vetting process.

The idea was widely criticized last year and last week.

Ive talked before about how this approach is un-American. It goes against everything we stand for as a country founded on religious freedom. But it is also dangerous, said presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Trumps likely general election rival.

And House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., last week repeated his disapproval of such a ban, saying it was not in our country's interests.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren continued to fill the role as attack dog Saturday, as she tore into presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump calling him a thin-skinned racist bully who shouldnt be allowed anywhere near the White House.

Warren blasted Trump on several hot button issues over the course of her speech and even openly boasted that she could really do this all day.

"Every day we learn more about him, and every day it becomes clearer that he is just a small, insecure moneygrubber who doesn't care about anyone or anything that doesn't have the Trump name splashed all over it," Warren declared speaking before hundreds of fellow Democrats in New Hampshire.

Warren delivered her scathing speech at the state partys annual convention, riling up the crowd as the general election begins in earnest. Warren stayed focused on Trump, barely mentioning the Democratic Party or speaking about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"Whether you supported her in the primary or not, we can all say Hillary Clinton is a fighter," Warren said. Spontaneous chants of Sanders' name broke out several times during Warren's speech, but the convention went on with few fireworks.

Warren berated Trump for his remarks on minorities and women, his economic policies, views on climate change and for allegedly using deceptive marketing practices for the defunct Trump University.

She declared Trump is only qualified to be "fraudster in chief" and said he relies on tearing others down.

The speech comes roughly a week after Warren formally threw her support behind Clinton. And while the speech mostly focused on Trump, Warren also talked up Clinton as a fighter for children and families and someone who is never afraid to take on "an army of right-wing lunatics."

"We can whine about Donald Trump. We can whimper about Donald Trump. Or we can fight back. Me? I'm fighting back," Warren said. "Hillary Clinton is fighting back."

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is running against Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, also railed against Trump in their remarks. Hassan's race against Ayotte is one of the nation's most competitive and closely watched, and Hassan slammed the first-term senator for supporting Trump. Ayotte says she will support Trump as the GOP nominee but has criticized many of his remarks. Hassan said the criticism is not enough.

"Is there anything Trump could do to lose Kelly Ayotte's support?" Hassan said. "Apparently not."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An exclusive private school in Boston has filed a $2 million lawsuit against an independent Springfield school that serves a large number of minority and low-income students over their similar names.

Annual tuition and fees at the Commonwealth School in Boston's Back Bay are $40,000. At Springfield's Commonwealth Academy about 90 miles away, annual average tuition is less than $1,200.

The Commonwealth School, founded in 1957, says in its suit the Springfield school deceptively uses the word "commonwealth" and has caused the Boston school "great harm."

The Boston school wants the court to force the Springfield school to change its name.

Commonwealth Academy, founded in 2011, has offered to include "Springfield" in its name but refuses to drop "commonwealth." It accuses the Boston school of engaging in a "knowingly false and malicious campaign."
Funerals for two of the 49 victims of last weekends massacre at an Orlando nightclub were marred by overwhelming tension Saturday, as one service took place under protest from anti-gay demonstrators and another saw an apparently impatient driver run over two sheriff's deputies.

A handful of Westboro Baptist Church protesters stood silently while the service for Christopher Leinonen was ongoing, Reuters reported. The protesters were blocked from viewing the funeral by about 200 counter-protesters. Some of the counter-protesters were holding rainbow screens and cheered when the church members left the scene.

Those counter-protesters formed a human chain to block the Westboro Baptist Church members, The Washington Post reported. The members descended upon the city with makeshift wings and stayed around the service only until about 11 a.m.

Angel Gabriel Vazquez and his husband Adam Vazquez came to Orlando from Pennsylvania to counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church. They said they watched the news as the events unfolded in their former hometown.

This is where we grew up. This is where we matured as young gay men. And to be Puerto Rican, Latin night was one of our favorite nights, Angel Vasquez told The Post.

Adam Vazquez told the paper that the members of the group push people away from Christianity.

God loves everyone, Angel Vazquez said. He made me this way. I cant help it. I tried to be normal, straight, but its who I am. Its who I was made to be.

In a separate incident, two Osceola County Sheriffs deputies were hospitalized after a driver cut through the funeral procession for Jean Carlos Mendez and struck them with her car, authorities said in a statement on Facebook.

Sherifs spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said the deputies were in stable condition.

Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the murders that Omar Mateen committed at the Pulse Nightclub.

Click for more from Reuters.

Click for more from The Washington Post.
The suspect charged with murder in connection with a vacant building fire in Los Angeles was in the United States illegally and had a string of arrests to his name -- but the feds never deported him, officials said Friday.

Homeless man, 21, charged with murder for Westlake fire that killed 5 https://t.co/kbl9akY3Hg pic.twitter.com/VTsSmVVa9o  ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 15, 2016

Johnny Sanchez, a 21-year-old citizen of Honduras, was initially arrested in 2012 for crossing the southeastern California border illegally, the Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities said they released him because he had no criminal history or previous immigration violations at the time.

He was arrested again in January on suspicion of domestic violence and twice in the ensuing months on suspicion of drug possession, officials said.

After he crossed the border, authorities reportedly placed him under supervision and ordered Sanchez to report to them regularly -- but he stopped doing so in 2014, the Times adds.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement never started the process of deporting him, spokeswoman Virginia Kice said, adding that the reason why was unclear. She told the newspaper it's ICE policy to focus on individuals who pose a public safety threat.

The fire on Monday killed five homeless people. Four of the badly burned bodies weren't found until Tuesday afternoon, when search dogs located them under a heap of debris on the second floor.

Sanchez was in some kind of fight with the others and lit the fire with the intent to kill, Los Angeles Police Capt. Billy Hayes said.

The suspect was charged Wednesday with five capital murder counts and was ordered held without bail.

The charges against Sanchez, who's also homeless, make him eligible for the death penalty if he's convicted, if prosecutors choose to pursue it.

It took nearly 150 firefighters more than two hours to extinguish the fire in the green, two-story building that once was home to an acupuncture clinic. It is surrounded by strip malls and an apartment building in the Westlake District about a mile west of downtown LA.

The structure appeared to be singed and some of its windows were blown out. It did not appear seriously damaged from the outside, but the inside was badly burned and most of the roof was gone.

There had been complaints about the building recently, Terrazas said, and authorities had contacted the owner -- who has sought a demolition permit for the building -- about keeping people out.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Muslims showed up warily and in reduced numbers for the first Friday prayers since the nightclub massacre here, as some mosques stepped up security and hired armed guards.

At the Islamic Center of Orlando, not far from Walt Disney World, as many as 1,500 people usually come during Friday prayers. This Friday, hundreds arriveda much smaller crowd than normal, members said.

Throughout central Florida, home to tens of thousands of Muslims, many fear retaliation because the gunman, Omar Mateen, a U.S. citizen, was a Muslim who declared allegiance to Islamic State during his attack on Pulse, a gay nightclub.

Ever since Sundays attack, mosques across Florida have received threats and angry messages in telephone calls and on social media, according to the state chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil-rights organization. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local officials publicly warned against threats or violence toward Muslims and their property.

Wilfredo Ruiz, spokesman for CAIR Florida, said the organization is trying to discern which messages are just anger and which might be serious threats.

Last year, CAIR Florida launched a training program for Muslims to focus on mosque safety, home safety, personal safety and how to identify and combat extremism among mosque members, said Nezar Hamze, a Broward County deputy sheriff and council operations director who has trained about 40 of Floridas roughly 100 mosques so far. Since Sunday, he has been deluged with calls, he said.

At the Masjid Al-Rahman, on the east side of Orlando, attendance at Friday services was down significantly, said Muhammad Musri, the mosques imam. We are tremendously threatened, he said.

Since the Sunday shooting, the mosque has received letters and emails ranging from critical to menacing. Some of the messages were, We know where you are, we know your location  we will come at the right time,  Mr. Musri said.

The mosques leaders have responded by beefing up security. Even before the Sunday attack, they had installed security cameras, fences and gates. This week, they hired an off-duty police officer to stand watch.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
Orlando mosques beef up security, fearing retaliation in wake of massacre

By ,

Muslims showed up warily and in reduced numbers for the first Friday prayers since the nightclub massacre here, as some mosques stepped up security and hired armed guards.

At the Islamic Center of Orlando, not far from Walt Disney World, as many as 1,500 people usually come during Friday prayers. This Friday, hundreds arriveda much smaller crowd than normal, members said.

Throughout central Florida, home to tens of thousands of Muslims, many fear retaliation because the gunman, Omar Mateen, a U.S. citizen, was a Muslim who declared allegiance to Islamic State during his attack on Pulse, a gay nightclub.

Ever since Sundays attack, mosques across Florida have received threats and angry messages in telephone calls and on social media, according to the state chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil-rights organization. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local officials publicly warned against threats or violence toward Muslims and their property.

Wilfredo Ruiz, spokesman for CAIR Florida, said the organization is trying to discern which messages are just anger and which might be serious threats.

Last year, CAIR Florida launched a training program for Muslims to focus on mosque safety, home safety, personal safety and how to identify and combat extremism among mosque members, said Nezar Hamze, a Broward County deputy sheriff and council operations director who has trained about 40 of Floridas roughly 100 mosques so far. Since Sunday, he has been deluged with calls, he said.

At the Masjid Al-Rahman, on the east side of Orlando, attendance at Friday services was down significantly, said Muhammad Musri, the mosques imam. We are tremendously threatened, he said.

Since the Sunday shooting, the mosque has received letters and emails ranging from critical to menacing. Some of the messages were, We know where you are, we know your location  we will come at the right time,  Mr. Musri said.

The mosques leaders have responded by beefing up security. Even before the Sunday attack, they had installed security cameras, fences and gates. This week, they hired an off-duty police officer to stand watch.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/orlando-mosques-beef-up-security-fearing-retaliation-in-wake-of-massacre
Authorities have been searching the home of a Pennsylvania man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager whose parents police say gave her to him when she was 14 because he helped them financially. She was one of a dozen girls living in the residence.

Officials in Bucks County acting on a tip Thursday found 51-year-old Lee Kaplan at his Feasterville home, along with 12 girls ranging in age from six months to 18 years. One girl, now 18, told police that she and Kaplan have a 3-year-old and a six-month-old. Kaplan faces charges including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and aggravated indecent assault.

On Saturday, police and dogs scoured the home's backyard for evidence. Lt. Ted Krimmel of the Lower Southampton police department said authorities waited until dawn so they would be able to search the property in daylight.

"We have a search warrant for the entire property," he said. "There are dogs searching for evidence."

District Attorney David Heckler said the parents of the girl Kaplan is accused of assaulting told police they were going to lose their farm until Kaplan "came out of the blue and saved them from financial ruin."

Neighbor Jen Betz of Feasterville said she called the authorities because she was concerned about the girls she saw outside the home, which she said had boarded windows and high weeds.

"They're so sad and fearful every time I see them. That's what made me call," she said. "I've been telling my husband for years 'Something isn't right, something isn't right.'"

Krimmel said officials are trying to verify who the parents of the other children found at the home are. The teenager's parents told police the other nine girls in the house were their children, but no birth certificates or Social Security cards could be located to confirm that, he said.

When police entered the home Thursday, "all the children were running around," Krimmel said. "Some were hiding. They were well-behaved, but scared."

Authorities allege in an affidavit that the girl's father, Daniel Stoltzfus, told an officer he gave his 14-year-old daughter to Kaplan after researching the legality of such an action online. Stoltzfus is charged with conspiracy of statutory sexual assault and children endangerment. His wife, Savilla Stoltzfus, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

All three were being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Court documents don't list attorneys who could respond to the charges.

WPVI--TV reported that the Stoltzfuses 19-year-old son, John, told the station at the house Friday night that his folks are "good parents."

Heckler said the children apparently did not attend school and it was unclear if they had ever been to a doctor, but they didn't appear to be in bad health and showed no visible signs of trauma.

Another neighbor, Bob Greenfield, said Kaplan seemed "weird" and he now wishes that he also had called authorities.

"You knew something was wrong," he said. "It makes you feel bad. If I had said something a while ago, they would have come earlier."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Stoltzfuses were born into the Amish faith, but renounced it amid a long fight with community elders, according to a federal lawsuit they filed in 2009 against their former church. The lawsuit, which was dismissed later that year, said they operated a metalworking business on their property.

Heckler said the children are now together in protective custody.
Massachusetts prosecutors said Saturday they havent stopped trying to solve the 2000 murder of 16-year-old Molly Bish.

They are hoping to crack the Bish killing when enhanced DNA testing becomes available in September, Fox 25 Boston reported.

The science is always getting better, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said Saturday ahead of the 16th anniversary of Bishs disappearance.

The blonde-haired girl vanished June 27, 2000, a day after starting a lifeguard job at a pond in Warren. After the largest search for a missing person in the states history, her remains were discovered three years later in a remote wooded area in another town about 5 miles from her familys home.

In 2009 a man named Rodney Stanger emerged as a person of interest after he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend in Florida. Stanger lived less than a mile from where Bish got her lifeguard certification that summer and may have been seen at the pond the day she disappeared, Fox 28 reported.

Detectives want a DNA lab to test 24 pieces of evidence collected during the investigation. The evidence has never been tested.

Early said Mollys case still sparks tips to investigators on a weekly basis. He said they track down every tip.

Mollys sister spoke to The Boston Herald about the latest development in the investigation.

Heather Bish told the paper she had not been told which items will be tested, but said some came from the pond where Molly was last seen.

Its things that wouldnt work with the technology even three years ago, she said.

The sister said she was hopeful the DNA testing could lead to a break in the case.

You dont always get these second chances to try to solve these cases, she said.

Click here for more from Fox 25 Boston.
Authorities in Indiana are searching for two inmates that they say escaped through a two foot hole in their cell at the Fayette County Jail.

Jail staff noticed Chadwick R. Heath and Michael D. Roberts were missing around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when performing a routine head count before locking them into their cells for the night. Officers checked the inmates cell and noticed a 2' by 2' hole in both the interior and exterior walls, and then notified the sheriff.

Officers and K-9 units were dispatched to the scene to try and find the inmates, but were unsuccessful.

Authorities checked the camera system and observed Heath and Roberts escaping through the hole around 11:30 p.m.

Heath is currently charged with four counts of dealing in a narcotic drug, maintaining a common nuisance and visiting a common nuisance. Roberts is currently charged with burglary and two counts of theft.

Deputies say a vehicle has been reported stolen from a man that Roberts used to work for and that he had reportedly stole from in the past. The 2015 White Ford F350 went missing Sunday morning. The trucks Indiana license plate is SZP509. The truck had white and black lettering saying  JOBE BROTHERS on the side doors.

The Fayette County Sheriffs Department is offering a cash reward of $1,000 for any information that would lead to the apprehension of the escaped inmates.

Click for more from Fox 59.
One patient was killed and a nurse and an off-duty policeman were wounded when armed men stormed a Rio de Janeiro hospital in a brazen plot to free a suspected drug trafficker, Brazilian police said.

The melee sparked a shootout with officers.

Rio investigators said in a statement that at least five men arrived at the Hospital Souza Aguiar early Sunday to rescue the 28-year-old suspect, who was being treated there for a gunshot wound.

Police are studying security camera footage to identify the attackers.

Brazilian media reported the patient who died had been taken to the downtown hospital by a friend, the off-duty officer who was wounded along with the nurse.
At least 14 children died in a storm while boating on a lake in Russia on Saturday, despite repeated warnings advising against going out on the water, officials said.

Three people have been detained on suspicions of violating safety rules: two instructors and a deputy director of a hotel where the group was staying and which reportedly organized the boating trip, said Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the nation's main state investigative agency.

"They didn't have the right to go out boating," regional Karelia lawmaker Alexei Gavrilov said on Rossiya 24 television.

The boats -- carrying 47 children and four adult instructors -- overturned in a storm in Syamozero, about 75 miles east of the border with Finland. Local experts said the lake could be extremely dangerous to navigate in strong winds, and even experienced local fishermen stayed away from the lake during the weekend as the Atlantic cyclone approached. Several warnings about the treacherous conditions had been issued in the days before the disaster.

The boating party consisted of two boats and one raft, RT reported. The children who died in the incident "apparently had no life vests" and children with vests "managed to survive," children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told RIA.

"Now we are trying to figure out who gave permission for the journey, if all were provided with life vests," Astakhov said.

Vladimir Kucherenko, the director of a local tourist company, said that most children had apparently died from long exposure to cold water, as water temperatures in the lake was about 46-50 degrees Fahrenheit. He said strong winds might have driven boats across the lake, making it hard for the children to get to the shore.

"I would like to look the person who allowed them to go boating in the eye," Kucherenko said in televised remarks. "It was suicidal."

One 12-year-old girl in the boating party washed ashore unconscious, but eventually came to and was able to walk to a nearby village and seek help, Life.ru reported.

The children on the boats were attending a summer camp near the lake and were all originally from Moscow. The capital's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, offered condolences to the victims' families.

"A great tragedy has occurred in Karelia," Sobyanin tweeted.

The lake is one of the favorite holiday destinations in the area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran reportedly reached an agreement Sunday to buy 100 planes from Boeing, pending the final authorization from U.S. Treasury officials.

Reuters, citing an Iranian officials remarks published by a state-run newspaper, reported that 230 of the countrys 250 passenger planes have to be replaced.

Ali Abedzadeh told the daily Iran that a deal had been signed with Boeing to buy 100 aircraft.

According to Reuters, Boeing has only been allowed to present products to Iranair and several other airlines as it tries to catch up with Europes Airbus.

Top House Republicans have raised some concerns that could eventually kill the deal between Iran and Boeing, warning it could end up benefiting Irans military and the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

While the talks have not drawn objections from the Obama administration, Reps. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, sent a letter Thursday raising concerns about Tehran's history of using commercial planes to support "hostile actors."

We strongly oppose the potential sale of military-fungible products to terrorisms central supplier. American companies should not be complicit in weaponizing the Iranian Regime, the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg.

Though the Iranian official didnt disclose Sunday the terms of the deal, a source told The Washington Post that the deal could be worth more than $17 billion.

If agreed, the deal would be one of the most significant since the easing of trade sanctions on the country in January as part of the Iran nuclear deal signed last year.

Fox News Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Click for more from Reuters.
Tens of thousands joined together Sunday in a massive protest against the presence of U.S. military bases on the southwestern Japanese island of Okinawa, where an American contractor and former Marine is accused of raping and killing a local woman.

The rally calls for a review of the U.S.-Japanese security agreement, which burdens Okinawa with hosting most of the U.S. troops in Japan. The murder set off outrage on Okinawa, where tensions periodically run high over crime.

The U.S. and Japan agreed in 1996 to close and relocate the Marine Corps Futenma air station after the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three American servicemen. The crime also spurred massive demonstrations about the U.S. presence on the island.

According to Reuters, the plan had been on hold since residents living at the proposed relocation site have protest against the move over potential noise, pollution and crime.

The island hosts 50,000 Americans, including 30,000 military personnel and civilians employed at U.S. bases. Okinawa remained under U.S. control after World War II until 1972 and about a fifth of the island is still occupied.

Though the murder marks a low point in relations between the U.S. and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the two sides are still working closely together to stunt Chinas ever-growing growth in the East China Sea and the Okinawa island chain is a point of emphasis in military maneuvers.

Japans Self Defense Force is fortifying the region with radar and anti-missile batteries.

Last months arrest of a 32-year-old U.S. contractor working at an American military base, prompted the U.S. to announce a 30-day mourning period for the victim and restricted off-base drinking.

Further restrictions were placed on drinking after an American sailor was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Okinawa on June 6. The sailor drove the wrong way on a freeway and hit two other vehicles, injuring two people in the other cars.

The U.S. Navy has since eased the ban on drinking.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The leaders of the world's Orthodox Christian churches have gathered on the Greek island of Crete for a landmark meeting, despite a boycott by the Russian church  the most populous in a religion of some 300 million people.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew led prayers attended by other church leaders Sunday on the eve of the weeklong summit held following decades of preparation.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and leaders of two allied churches are not attending the meetings, arguing that preparation had been inadequate. In a statement Friday, Kirill said he hoped religious leaders gathered in Crete could prepare for a full meeting at a later date.

Kirill visited Greece last month, joining Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip to the monastic sanctuary of Mount Athos.
SnoozeWise Announces Launch Of Contour Foam Pillow With Complimentary Hypoallergenic Pillowcase Set

There's no denying the value of a premium quality pillow when it comes to getting a quality night's sleep. SnoozeWise has recently announced the release of their new contribution in this area, the Snoozewise Contour Foam Pillow, a premium pillow at an affordable price point.

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With the number of people suffering from poor night's sleep seeming to rise, in the eyes of many experts, finding a premium quality pillow is high on many list of priorities. Enter SnoozeWise, a small family business devoted to helping deliver the perfect night's sleep and their recent release, the SnoozeWise Contour Foam Pillow. Available at an attractive price point, the new pillow has been designed to help a person using it to relax quicker and more deeply, while incorporating the latest research in its manufacture to better promote good health. The company also will be shipping the pillow for a limited time only with a free bonus package, which includes a hypoallergenic pillow cover, top quality eye shades and foam ear plugs - delivering a complete "sleep like a king or queen" package.

"We are excited about the release of our Contour Foam Pillow, a product we have absolute confidence in to help encourage a wonderful night's sleep," commented a spokesperson from SnoozeWise. "It's also our pleasure to be able to include the free bonus package as our way of saying thank you to the many people who have been supportive of our business and our products. As always our mission is to exceed expectations."

The dimension of the pillow are 22.414.4 inches with two neck heights of 3.6 and 4.4 inches, making it very useful as a tool to relieve neck and back pain. It weighs two pounds. The inner cover of the pillow is 100% polyester, while the outer cover is 100% cotton.

According to the company, the SnoozeWise Contour Foam Pillow delivers several key benefits to users, which they feel will go a long way towards turning the new product into a success. Highlights of these benefits include: a special design that encourages proper neck and spinal alignment, which many credit for relieving back and neck pain, as well as a reduction in the number and intensity of migraines; the pillow is durable, retaining it's shape even under harsh conditions, a quality that has made it a favorite with travelers; and encourages good health by being completely anti-microbial and hypoallergenic, saving pillow owners from some of the issues associated with lesser quality brands.

Early feedback from shoppers has been positive across the board.

Michelle C., from Brooklyn, recently said in a five star review, "I've used cheap quality pillows for years and my sleep has always been quite poor. My boyfriend suggested rather than experiment with medicine to relieve this problem to make other improvements to how I sleep first. The foundation of this has been my new SnoozeWize Contour Foam Pillow, which I can't say enough good things about. The price was great and my sleep immediately improved. Fully recommended."

Amazon shoppers looking for SnoozeWise's new Contoured Memory Foam Pillow can purchase it exclusively through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177DKOSK. The product retails for $37.99 but customers can save with our Launch Special Price of just $17.99 plus you can save an extra 10% by entering code SNOOZE10 at Check Out. This product is backed by SnoozeWise with a 100% Money Back Guarantee which promises a full refund. No questions asked if dissatisfied.

For more information, please visit http://www.snoozewise.com

Contact Info:

Name: Michelle Jones

Email: sales@snoozewise.com

Organization: SnoozeWise

Address: 2443 Fillmore St #380- 5737, San Francisco. USA.

Phone: 415 830 3919

Video URL: https://youtu.be/t398LNMaRn8

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/snoozewise-announces-launch-of-contour-foam-pillow-with-complimentary-hypoallergenic-pillowcase-set/119522

Release ID: 119522

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SnoozeWise Launches New Line Designed For A Relaxing And Healthy Night's Sleep

SnoozeWise company has been focused on customer satisfaction by ensuring their products created are in line with the specific health desires of health conscious customers have just released a new Hypoallergenic Memory Foam Contour Pillow, plus One Pack and Two Pack Hypoallergenic Pillow Cases.

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Snoozewise aims to satisfy their customers better than other pillow and pillow case companies and it clearly shows in that their products are of high quality and that they are specific to the customer needs. They wish to remain committed to serving their customers in the foreseeable feature and eliminate any barrier that can compromise quality, service and delivery. The great value for their customers has made them remain close to them by identifying whether they are meeting their customers' needs optimally. Their strategic plan clearly shows the road map with the resources needed, their internal capabilities, and how the company will react to dynamics in the environment. They appreciate the fact that the market is made of individuals with diverse needs that keeps changing, which explains their increasing commitment to market research.

SnoozeWise has established seamless supply chains that ensure the free flow of products from the factory to consumers within the United States. The company also has a website at Snoozewise.com with detailed information regarding the organization's product line and support options. All their customer feedback via the web and from email is used as a basis for improving the supply chain and customer support.

Their entry to the Pillow and Pillow Case market was motivated by the existence of many customers who were not satisfied with the current products. The existing producers never created products that addressed the customer's ongoing health needs at a reasonable price point. The absence of quality pillow and pillow cases compromised the sleeping experience due to the critical roles the two elements play during sleep. Customers are interested in not only comfort but as well as the health implications of the materials used.

SnoozeWise identified the opportunity of supplying the market with healthy pillows and pillow cases that guaranteed maximum comfort as well as ensuring the materials used do not raise health concerns. Conducting further market research revealed the specific features of the most preferred pillows and pillow cases that customers desire. Having a comprehensive understanding of the customer needs supported the creation of their product line.

The company's objective was realized by controlling the raw materials to ensure materials used do not compromise the user's comfort. The materials are sourced from specific suppliers to ensure the quality of inputs are tightly controlled. An evaluation on each supplier is conducted to ensure the suppliers are of good reputation. Health experts were also involved when designing the product with an aim of ensuring that the products do not compromise the user's health.

For more information, please visit http://www.snoozewise.com

Contact Info:

Name: Michelle Jones and Tony Jones

Email: sales@snoozewise.com

Organization: SnoozeWise

Address: 2443 Fillmore St #380-5737, San Francisco. USA.

Phone: 415 799 9232

Video URL: https://youtu.be/t398LNMaRn8

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/snoozewise-launches-new-line-designed-for-a-relaxing-and-healthy-nights-sleep/119525

Release ID: 119525

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Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air Launches With Customer-Focused Drive

New HVAC company will lead industry in customer service and work quality, serving residential, commercial, and industrial clients 24/7, Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air reports

--

With summer already here, Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air has launched to provide a level of HVAC service never before seen in the city. Local demand for Heating and Air repair and maintenance has grown at a record pace in recent years, leaving many residents and businesses desperate for a service that can keep up. Founded with a mission of providing the kind of customer service that others promise but rarely deliver, Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air will offer a full range of residential, commercial, and industrial HVAC attention twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year.

"We're proud to announce that we have opened our doors and our now working with our first clients," Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air representative Josh Smith said, "We didn't take this move lightly, having put in many hours behind the scenes to learn about what people and businesses in the area need from an HVAC specialist. We think this preparation is going to pay off for all who give us a chance. We invite anyone who is interested in learning more to head to our brand-new website to see what we're about."

Modern HVAC systems are complicated devices, typically relying on a large number of electrical, mechanical, and other principles to get their work done. As a result, HVAC technicians who hope to provide effective, reliable service need to master a number of distinct disciplines in order to do so.

At the same time, demand for HVAC repair and maintenance has been rising steadily for decades, leaving a real shortage of qualified specialists in the industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in fact, estimates that 14% predicted growth in the industry over the next decade will only exacerbate the situation.

With Cambridge experiencing an enviably low 2.5% unemployment rate that is still trending downward, the need for top-quality HVAC service is likely more evident here than anywhere else in the state. Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air was founded to provide a much-needed source of top-quality service for all residential, industrial, and commercial clients alike.

With a commitment to responding quickly whenever called and delivering the highest quality of work on every single job, Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air is now accepting new customers. Those interested in experiencing the best HVAC service the area has to offer are invited to visit the new company's website to learn more.

About Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air:

Delivering the kind of great customer service that makes a difference, Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air provides a full range of residential, commercial, and industrial HVAC services twenty-four hours per day.

For more information, please visit http://www.cambridgemassachusettsheatingandair.com

Contact Info:

Name: Josh Smith

Organization: Cambridge Massachusetts Heating and Air

Address: 770 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: 918-928-8634

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/cambridge-massachusetts-heating-and-air-launches-with-customer-focused-drive/120153

Release ID: 120153

For more information visit r



Recent Press Releases By The Same User

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Discussion Guide Stirs Evangelical Church Debate over LGBTQ Issue

Kathy Baldock is launching a new study guide to her book, "Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Restoring the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community", available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and online. More information is available at the website: http://goo.gl/zyHpDx

--

Kathy Baldock, author of "Walking the Bridgeless Canyon", announces the release of a discussion guide to her ground-breaking book.

Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Restoring the Breach between the Church and the LGBT Community, carefully constructs a historical timeline detailing the social, medical, cultural, political, and religious discrimination impacting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. The newly released study guide is designed for groups willing to explore the lenses and filters through which LGBT people are viewed. Each of the nine sections reviews parts of the textbook to set up discussions. The material may be frequently challenging, but the structure is simple to follow and allows anyone to moderate the group.

Kathy Baldock is Executive Director of Canyonwalker Connections, and a leading expert on LGBT issues in the United States, especially dealing with historical and current discrimination faced from the socially conservative Christian church and political sector. A graduate of Rutgers University's College of Engineering as well as an accomplished entrepreneur and small business owner, Baldock had no ties to the LGBT community until 2001 when she forged a friendship with a woman who she later found out was a lesbian. Through organic relationship and years of research, Baldock shifted her views and saw the immense need for accessible education in this area.

Baldock currently travels the country speaking in venues from churches to universities, sharing the findings of her research. She engages with a visual timeline in ways that help audience members identify, assimilate, and retain information to guide them in overcoming cultural biases and understand the sources of negative images of LGBT people today. She speaks with conservative Christian pastors and church leaders who may be starting to do further investigation into the LGBT issues their churches have historically stood against.

The original book and the newly released study guide, published by Canyonwalker Press, are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, at in bulk online at http://goo.gl/zyHpDx. Those interested in learning more about the author can visit her blog: http://canyonwalkerconnections.com/.

For more information, please visit http://goo.gl/zyHpDx

Contact Info:

Name: Kathy Baldock

Email: kathy@canyonwalkerconnections.com

Organization: Canyonwalker Connections

Address: PO Box 19017, Reno, Nevada 89511

Phone: 972-567-7376

Release ID: 120108

For more information visit r



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A disease forecasting system that can warn of disease up to four weeks before symptoms are seen will be behind a new CropMonitor service being launched this autumn.

As part of an Innovate UK project, the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) has been developing spore trapping and detection technology to measure pathogen risk in fields. The forecasts would then help farmers with their spraying decisions.

Judith Turner, head of plant pathology at Fera, explained that the prototype machine essentially amalgamates a spore trap with a Genie detector system.

See also: Improved SDHI fungicide on the cards for next season

But unlike normal spore traps, it samples a much larger volume of air and is, therefore, more sensitive.

It sucks in 100-140 litres/min compared with 5-10 litres/min with normal traps, making it more powerful when looking for rare spores. The sample is then placed in one tube every 24 hours and analysed using DNA for the different pathogens.

Results are then transmitted via mobile or satellite connection and then fed through the CropMonitor forecast models to identify risk.

Validation

The technology has undergone its second season of validation and she highlighted an example where the detector showed a small spike in yellow rust spores at a site in Cambridgeshire on 13 April.

Four weeks later, the disease was observed. The average temperature was 6C and over four weeks this equates to 170 degree days, which matches the diseases latent period.

Equally, there have seen situations where conditions were conducive, but there were no spores and, consequently, there was no disease.

In the next two weeks, the fully automated prototype will be going out in field trials. This be the first time spore detection will be done in the field in real time, she said.

This is automating the process, as previously it involved human input.

Dr Turner added that the machine is modular and initially will detect septoria, yellow rust and brown rust. However, it can be used to monitor any disease as long as it produces airborne spores.

Forecast service

This spore detection system is set to bolster the CropMonitor service, and it will also be at 30 sites increased from the current six.

In future, she sees even more sophisticated diagnostic tests that may indicate the strains present, such as sensitivity or resistance to specific fungicide actives.

Will Charlton of Bayer, who are partners CropMonitor, sees this as having significant value, as it can help farmers reduce resistance risk.

He believes the system will benefit farmers by giving them an earlier warning, allowing them to adapt their fungicide programme to the disease risk.

Farmers should stick with the traditional T timings, but can tweak according to what diseases are present.

Dr Turner added that the project is working towards farmers being able to reduce sprays applied and be more targeted. This will reduce input costs and help reduce resistance pressure.

Farmer system

Another spin-off for the future is an in-field detector for farmers. She believes a commercial system could be developed that is smaller and used by farmers or agronomists wishing to monitor disease in their own crops.

The three-year project is a collaboration between OptiGene, Fera, the University of Hertfordshire, Bayer and Frontier.
Dusseldorf A Eurowings flight originating in Dusseldorf and flying to Dresden left about 70 passengers behind. A spokesperson from the airlines confirmed media reports.

Two buses were scheduled to bring airline passengers to the Eurowings aircraft at Dusseldorf Airport on Friday evening. Only passengers in the first bus made it to the plane on time.

The pilot of the aircraft had arrived late from Italy and wanted to get back up in the air before the nighttime flying ban kicked in. A Eurowings spokesperson confirmed, About 70 guests were brought to the plane and boarded. The other passengers couldnt be brought to the plane on time. Because of the time crunch, the aircraft had to take off without them.
U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 19, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Bomber, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 16 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed three ISIL oil well heads.

-- Near Raqqah, three strikes struck two ISIL-used bridges and an ISIL staging area.

-- Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed two ISIL rocket systems.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Manbij, nine strikes struck nine separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 11 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Mara, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

Strikes in Iraq

Rocket artillery and bomber, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 18 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Baghdadi, two strikes struck an ISIL beddown facility and an ISIL staging area and destroyed an ISIL bunker.

-- Near Beiji, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL recoilless rifle and an ISIL mortar system.

-- Near Fallujah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 22 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles, 10 ISIL heavy machine guns, seven ISIL light machine guns, an ISIL recoilless rifle, three ISIL rocket-propelled-grenade systems and an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Kisik, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL assembly area.

-- Near Mosul, a strike struck an ISIL oil headquarters.

-- Near Qayyarah, five strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL command-and-control node and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb, an ISIL boat and an ISIL light machine gun and damaged a separate ISIL boat.

-- Near Tal Afar, a strike struck two separate ISIL foreign fighter command posts.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Yemen's Houthis release 276 prisoners loyal to Hadi

Iran Press TV

Sun Jun 19, 2016 1:9PM

Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement on Sunday announced the release of 276 prisoners loyal to the Saudi-backed resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, in a gesture of good will.

Houthi officials speaking to the Sabanews.net website said 200 of the prisoners were set free in Rada'a, a town in the central province of Bayda. The remaining 76 were released in the nearby Dhamar province.

On Saturday, Ansarullah and forces loyal to Hadi exchanged nearly 200 prisoners.

Local sources said the Hadi loyalists released 118 prisoners, while Ansarullah freed 76 detainees who had been captured during the battle for the southern city of Ta'izz.

The latest exchange has been brokered by local tribesmen and is not related to the UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait taking place between the warring sides of the conflict.

This is one of the largest prisoner swap deal to take place since March 26, 2015, when the Saudi regime started its deadly campaign against Yemen.

In Kuwait, negotiators have made no significant progress other than a preliminary agreement to release some prisoners. Houthis had earlier announced the release of 187 prisoners. Saudi Arabia said in early June that it had freed 52 children.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh had pushed the warring parties to release half of all detainees before the holy month of Ramadan.

The UN envoy has also frequently called on the warring parties to "make concessions in order to strike a comprehensive peaceful solution" to the conflict.

The ongoing peace talks on Yemen have failed to establish peace as delegations trade accusations of violation of a ceasefire agreement that took effect on April 11.

The negotiations, now in their tenth week, have made no major breakthrough. Thousands of Yemeni civilians, including women and children, have been killed since the start of the Saudi-led war on Yemen in March 2015.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen in a bid to reinstate Hadi and crush the Houthi movement.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured in the Saudi campaign.

According to a report this month by the United Nations, over 14 million Yemenis, more than half of the country's population, are in need of emergency food and life-saving assistance.

Some reports indicate that the Saudi-led forces are fighting side by side with the al-Qaeda and Takfiri Daesh terrorists against Ansarullah in some parts of Yemen.

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US plans to keep special forces in Yemen: Report

Iran Press TV

Sun Jun 19, 2016 9:42AM

The US reportedly plans to extend its military presence in Yemen by keeping a force of special operations advisers in the war-torn country.

The force, deployed at the request of the Emirati government around the port city of Mukalla back in April, would remain in Yemen for the foreseeable future, The Washington Post reported.

The force, which consists of about a dozen personnel, would help troops from the UAE fight militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the paper cited unnamed US officials as saying.

In March, forces loyal to former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Emirati troops overran the city of Mukalla after AQAP militants left the seaport in southeast Yemen.

Early in May, the US military deployed more than 200 US Marines in the port city, which is located in the central province of Hadramout.

Yemen's southern coast is now under the control of US troops, who are deployed to the region under the pretext of battling AQAP.

The deployment of US troops comes more than a year after the withdrawal of the forces from Yemen.

In March 2015, the US evacuated its remaining forces out of al-Anad airbase "due to the deteriorating security situation" a day after al-Qaeda captured the nearby city of al-Houta.

Al-Qaeda has become stronger in Yemen taking advantage of the chaos created by the Saudi military campaign against Houthis more than a year ago.

Lately, Riyadh and its allies have announced an offensive against al-Qaeda in a decision seen by analysts as an attempt to ward off international criticism of the Saudi intervention in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015, in a bid to bring Hadi  who is a staunch ally of Riyadh  back to power and defeat the Ansarullah movement.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

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Yemeni missile kills 31 Saudi mercenaries in Jawf: Report

Iran Press TV

Sun Jun 19, 2016 8:29AM

Yemeni forces have reportedly targeted a center of gathering belonging to Saudi mercenaries in the country's northern province of al-Jawf, leaving more than two dozen of the militiamen dead.

On Saturday, Yemeni forces launched a ballistic missile at the Army's 115th Division base in the provincial capital city of al-Hazm, where pro-Riyadh armed men had converged, Yemeni al-Masirah television network reported.

The strike claimed the lives of at least 31 Saudi mercenaries and left 24 others injured.

At least six high-ranking military commanders apparently died in the attack, according to a report published by September 21 news website.

Elsewhere in the central Yemeni province of Ma'rib, a senior Saudi-backed militant commander, identified by the nom de guerre Abu al-Qa'qah, was killed after Yemeni armed forces pounded the Atis base.

Separately, Saudi fighter jets carried out a raft of aerial assaults against the city of Sirwah, situated about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the capital Sana'a, as well as Nihm district in Yemen's northern province of Sana'a. There were no immediate reports of casualties and the extent of the damage caused.

Saudi warplanes also bombarded a residential neighborhood in the al-Maton district of Jawf Province, although no reports of casualties and damage were available.

Also on Saturday, Yemen's warring parties exchanged nearly 200 prisoners captured during fighting in the city of Ta'izz, situated 346 kilometers (214 miles) south of the capital.

Tribal chief Abdullatif al-Muradi said the militia forces loyal to the former government released 118 Ansarullah fighters, while the Houthis freed 76.

The prisoner swap in the embattled city, which marked the largest since the outbreak of Yemen conflict last year, was a local initiative and had no connection to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015, in a bid to bring former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi  who is a staunch ally of Riyadh  back to power and defeat the Ansarullah movement.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

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China warns US against meddling on Tibet

Iran Press TV

Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:33AM

China has warned the US against interfering in its internal affairs, following a meeting between US President Barack Obama and Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone call on Saturday that Washington should refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs on matters related to Tibet.

Kerry assured the Chinese FM that there had been no change in US foreign policy on Beijing, reaffirming that Tibet was part of China, according to an account of the call posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website.

Kerry then reiterated that Washington had no support for Tibet's independence campaign from China.

The phone call by the Chinese foreign minister came after Obama met with Dalai Lama at the White House last week despite Beijing's warning that the meeting would damage diplomatic relations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier it had conveyed its "firm opposition" to the meeting to the US Embassy in Beijing.

China views Dalai Lama as the leader of the secessionists pursuing independence for Tibet.

"The 14th Dalai Lama is not simply a religious figure but a political figure in exile who has been conducting secessionist activities internationally under the pretext of religion," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang.

The meeting with Dalai Lama "will send the wrong signal to Tibetan separatist forces, and it will undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the US," he said.

Tensions are already high between the US and China over Washington's military presence in disputed territories claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea.

China and some regional countries, which all have overlapping claims with China, lay territorial claims to a set of islands in the South China Sea.

Washington has been taking sides against Beijing in the disputes.

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Germany's Foreign Minister Accuses NATO Of 'Warmongering'

Last updated (GMT/UTC): 19.06.2016 11:15

by RFE/RL

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has criticized NATO military exercises in Eastern Europe as "warmongering."

"What we should avoid today is inflaming the situation by warmongering and stomping boots," Steinmeier told the German tabloid Bild Am Sonntag in an interview to be published on June 19.

He said it is a mistake to think "you can increase security in the alliance with symbolic parades of tanks near the eastern borders."

NATO announced on June 13 it would deploy new battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to ease fears those countries have of Russian aggression amid Moscow's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and subsequent support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 16 that Russia was seeking to create "a zone of influence through military means" and was undergoing "massive militarization" along its borders with countries in the military alliance.

Russia opposed NATO's expansion into former Soviet republics and says it will react to any of the bloc's steps to increase military assets near Russia's borders.

NATO officials will meet in Warsaw next month to formally approve the plans for new deployments along the bloc's eastern flank.

Aleksei Pushkov, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Russia's State Duma, welcomed Steinmeier's comments as a "voice of reason" amid what he described as anti-Russian hysteria by NATO and Stoltenberg.

"Steinmeier spoke against Stoltenberg's course for scaring Russia. Some voices of reason could be heard from behind the curtain of threats and hysterics," Pushkov tweeted.

President Vladimir Putin, speaking on June 17 at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, said that the United States and its allies have used the Ukraine crisis to "justify the existence of the North Atlantic bloc."

"They need an external adversary, an external enemy, otherwise what's the purpose of this organization?" he said. "There is no Warsaw Pact, no Soviet Union, so whom is it directed against?"

In a separate interview on June 19, Steinmeier said the European Union should gradually phase out sanctions imposed against Russia over the Ukraine crisis if there is substantial progress in the peace process.

"Sanctions are not an end in themselves. They should rather give incentives for a change in behavior," Steinmeier told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, a network of local newspapers.

Steinmeier added that he was in favor of lifting sanctions gradually if the Russian government showed it was doing its part in implementing the 2015 Minsk accords, which set out steps to bring a lasting peace to eastern Ukraine.

The Minsk deal calls for a cease-fire in fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces, along with a range of political, economic, and social steps to end the conflict, including holding local elections in the east.

"An all-or-nothing approach, even if it sounds good, doesn't work," Steinmeier was quoted as saying.

With reporting by AFP and BBC

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia- nato-germant-steinmeier-exercises- warmongering/27806479.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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S. Sudan Government 'Sees' International Plot Seeking Regime Change

by Peter Clottey June 19, 2016

South Sudan's information minister says a section of the international community is undermining the government in Juba, by turning civil society groups and public sector workers against the administration. He says it is an effort seeking regime change in the country.

In an interview with VOA on Sunday, Information Minister Michael Makuei said, "There are some members of the international community who are now agitating here, agitating the civil society, agitating the public servants to go on strike. This is something orchestrated in order to declare the government a failed government. This is something to do with the policy of a regime change, [and] this is what we know."

"There are certain elements within the international community that are doing this and we know them," Makuei added. He did not identify who the "elements" may be.

Labor action

Public sector workers have begun a strike to pressure the government for unpaid salaries. Some say they have not been paid for the past three to four months and the strike is the last resort to ensure the administration pays them.

Makuei denied the workers have not been paid for several months.

"We have heard that in some institutions there are some public sector workers who are already on strike and others will follow. All these things are being done on the pretext that their salaries have not been paid. Others have been exaggerating it, saying people have not been paid for four months, others for five months and so forth, which is not true," said Makuei.

"The government of South Sudan is doing its level best, and within this coming week they would be paid and everybody would have his salary, if it is the question of salary. And thereafter, it would be clear to us as to what are the intentions because if it is the question of salaries, the salaries would be paid this coming week. If it is another thing then it will be clearer and we will know what it is."

Critics of the government in Juba rejected Makuei's statement that members of the international community are to blame for the government failure to meet its obligations to public sector workers. They said the administration's mismanagement and inefficiency led to the failure to pay the workers. They said, the workers have the legitimate right to demand their pay from the government.

Makuei agreed the public sector workers have a legitimate right to demand their pay.

"The government of South Sudan had some financial or economic problems that need to be addressed, and the government is doing its level best to ensure that this situation is addressed. So there are certain elements now using that to agitate using that as an excuse to achieve their objective," said Makuei.

Corruption blamed

Opponents of the government said the administration has the money to pay, but has been unable to do so due to endemic corruption and the inability of the country's leaders to demand the return of stolen public funds. They contend senior government officials have been living lavishly and driving luxurious vehicles, despite claims that the public coffers are empty.

"This is why I am saying there are people who have other objectives other than the reality," said Makuei. "The luxurious cars, which are allegedly being used by ministers, were just not bought now. These are luxurious cars which were bought [during] those days when the government of South Sudan had the necessary resources. So there is nothing new about the luxurious cars which people are talking about."

"The question of ministers being seen living luxurious lifestyle, that is not true, it is not correct. Those people who talk like that are those agitators who have ill intentions. They are not genuine, they are not serious and these are mere statements, which are not substantiated. Ministers are usually the last to be paid," he added.

Judiciary may join

Meanwhile, judges have also signaled they would embark on a strike action beginning Monday for unpaid wages, lack of personal security and office space. Makuei denied local media reports about the rationale behind the anticipated strike by the judges.

"That is not correct, the demand of the judges is not because of the delay of salaries or because they are not being paid, it is because they have their own demands. They have demands of the improvement of their conditions of service on their allowances and so on and so forth ... The government is doing its level best to address some of the concerns of the judges. Among them was the question of promotion [and now] some of the promotions have been made," said Makuei.

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Algerian Special Forces Kill 8 Al-Qaeda Militants in Mountainous Region

Sputnik News

17:17 19.06.2016(updated 17:29 19.06.2016)

According to countries defense ministry, Algerian security forces carried out a special operation, during which they killed eight members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) militant organization in the mountainous Medea province.

ALGIERS (Sputnik)  Algerian security forces carried out a special operation, during which they killed eight members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) militant organization in the mountainous Medea province, the country's defense ministry said on Sunday.

"Army forces carried out a sweep of the area and were able to kill eight militants," the ministry said in a statement seen by Sputnik.

The ministry added that four militants were captured alive.

AQIM is a a Salafi-jihadist terrorist organization, which emerged in the 2000s with an aim to overthrow the Algerian and other regional states' governments deemed apostate, and to create an Islamic state there. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by a number of countries, including the United States and Russia.

 Sputnik

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India Voices Hopes of Joining Nuclear Suppliers Club by End of 2016

Sputnik News

15:30 19.06.2016(updated 16:26 19.06.2016)

India hopes to become member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) by the end of 2016, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Sunday.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  India submitted an application to join the NSG on May 12. Over the following weeks, the country gained the support of a number of countries, including the United States. However, after the NSG members' meeting in Vienna on June 9, reports have emerged claiming China is opposed to India's NSG membership bid at this stage.

"We are trying to ensure that India becomes a member of NSG by the end of this year. We are hoping that we will be able to convince China also. I am personally in contact with 23 nations, among them one or two have raised concerns but I think consensus is there," Swaraj said at press conference.

China is not opposing India's accession to NSG, it is concerned about the criteria procedure to the country's membership in the organization, she specified.

The NSG comprises 48 nuclear material-producing countries. The body is one of the chief tools for controlling the exports and proliferation of materials that could potentially be used in making weapons of mass destruction, as well as tackling the black market trade of nuclear technologies.

 Sputnik

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Commander: Presence in Atlantic Ocean on Navy's agenda

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

19 June 2016 / 13:48

TEHRAN (ISNA)  Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy announced that the presence of the country's warships in the high seas, specially Atlantic Ocean, is on the Navy's agenda.

"The presence in the Atlantic Ocean on the basis of the international laws and regulations is on this year's agenda of the navy," Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters.

"In view of the present of Iranian warships in the Gulf of Aden, the needed security for vessels that are supported by Iran is prevalent," he added.

He said that efforts are underway for the progress in the field of sciences and equipment for the navy in line with powerful presence in the sea and undersea which is highly important.

Rear Admiral Sayyari, meantime, underlined Iran's preparedness to win in the soft war against the enemy.

"As we have won in the military warfare against the enemy, we will also be triumphant in the soft war," Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

He reiterated that the security conditions of Iran is in such a manner that no country dares to attack the country.

End Item

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Foreign Ministry felicitates Iraqi gov't on liberation of Fallujah

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, June 19, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Ministry congratulated the Iraqi people and government on taking full control of the strategic city of Fallujah in the Western province of al-Anbar.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari felicitated the Iraqi nation on the occasion of the victory by the army, popular and tribal forces against the Takfiri terrorists in Fallujah city.

He expressed the hope that the Iraqi government, backed by national unity and integrity among the country's political and social groups and streams, would gain more victories in its all-out war against terrorism and extremism.

On Friday, the Iraqi Police Chief declared full liberation of Fallujah after the two-year-long ISIL control over the strategic city.

Commander of Iraq's Federal Police Major General Raed Shaker Judat appeared on the country's national TV in an interview carried out at the center of Fallujah, declaring that the city has been completely purged of ISIL terrorists.

Meantime, Fallujah Liberation Operation Commander Abdol-Wahhab Saedi told the state-run TV that his forces are in control of the entire city and state buildings now.

Iraqi government troops continued their advances in the city of Fallujah on Friday by winning back new strategic regions. The police and security forces seized back al-Arsan and al-Nazal regions as well as the governor's building of Fallujah city earlier today. The ISIL terrorists had planted bombs in Fallujah governor's building.

The government forces also purged terrorists from the entire Western bank of the Euphrates River.

On Thursday, government troops restored security to newly-liberated district of Shuhada in Southern Fallujah after they made a significant advance in the battle against ISIL militants in Fallujah.

The victory by the Iraqi forces came as they continued their clashes with ISIL militants in al-Anbar.

2050**2050

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Russia Says It Agrees With U.S. To Improve Military Coordination In Syria

June 19, 2016

by RFE/RL

Russia agreed to improve coordination with the United States on military operations in Syria, following blunt accusations from the Pentagon that Moscow had targeted U.S.-backed opposition forces.

Russia's Defense Ministry made the announcement on June 19 after military officials from both countries spoke by video conference.

In Washington, Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook called the video conference "extraordinary" and said U.S. officials expressed strong concerns about the June 16 attack on forces at the At-Tanf garrison.

He said in a statement June 18 that the Russian air strikes came even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces and created what he said were safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the area targeted was 300 kilometers away from locations the United States had designated as controlled by legitimate opposition forces.

And he insisted that the Russian Air Force had given advance warning of its ground targets.

Also June 18, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made an unannounced visit to Syria to discuss military cooperation "to fight against terrorist organizations on Syrian soil."

Russia launched its air campaign in Syria last September, seeking to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled back some warplanes in March in what he described as a move to help encourage peace talks, but the military has maintained a strong presence at an air base in Latakia Province in northwest Syria.

A U.S.- and Russian-brokered cease-fire that began on February 27 helped reduce hostilities for the first time in the five-year conflict, but fierce fighting has continued in many areas, particularly around Aleppo.

U.S. officials have said Russia has made little effort to heed U.S. calls to differentiate between terrorist groups like Islamic State and Al-Nusra fighting Assad's forces and more moderate groups backed by the United States and other allies.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-united-states- military-cooperation-syria/27807574.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Militant Shelling Kills Eight People in Aleppo, Syria

Sputnik News

06:55 19.06.2016(updated 12:24 19.06.2016)

A member of the Syrian Democratic Council said that eight people were killed during militant shelling of the Sheikh Maqsood district in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Eight people were killed during militant shelling of the Sheikh Maqsood district in the Syrian city of Aleppo, a member of the Syrian Democratic Council said.

"A Red Crescent ambulance was hit while trying to transport those injured, with eight injured people killed as a result," Rezan Heddo told Sputnik on Saturday.

Sheikh Maqsood a Kurdish district of Aleppo, which is held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, has come under increasing attack from Islamist militants present in and around the city. The Nusra Front, Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaish al-Islam have been shelling the district with conventional armaments as well as chemical weapons.

Early in June, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said that nearly 120 people have been killed in Sheikh Maqsood since February.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27. The ceasefire does not apply to terrorist organizations, such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front, both of which are outlawed in many countries, including Russia.

 Sputnik

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Erdogan to go ahead with controversial Gezi park redevelopment plans

Iran Press TV

Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:4AM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the revival of controversial plans to redevelop a central Istanbul park that sparked major anti-government protests back in 2013.

"A project that we need to address in a courageous manner is (that of) Gezi park in Taksim. We will build this historic structure," said Erdogan during a Saturday speech in Istanbul.

The plans consist of rebuilding an Ottoman-era barrack and other buildings on land currently occupied by Gezi park, which is one of the few remaining green spaces in Istanbul. The barracks was originally built in 1789 and was torn down in the 1940.

At least eight people were killed and thousands more were injured in the demonstrations which followed the announcement of the redevelopment plans.

Following the wave of protests, Turkish authorities halted the plans. But, last year, they changed their decision following a request by the city's municipality.

"If we want to preserve our history we must rebuild this historic structure, we will rebuild it," Erdogan added.

"One of the issues that we have to be brave [about] is Gezi park in Taksim," Erdogan added. "We will construct that historical building there," he said.

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The American Armoured Foundation Tank Museum in Danville hosted its bi-annual Flamethrower Day on Saturday to the delight of hundreds of watchers.

Director Daniel Gasser was one of three people operating the flamethrowers, two of which are owned by the museum and one owned and operated by Charlie Hobson. They held three showings throughout the day, with at least 100 people at each show.

Flamethrower Day has been a tradition at the museum since its opened in 1981, according to William Gasser, who started the museum.

Daniel Gasser said they decided to start the event because its just one of those weapons you have to experience. You could tell people Flamethrower and they just dont get it, he said. Until you see it in person, then its like Wow, flamethrower. I get it now.

While the flamethrowers do throw off a lot of heat, the museum takes great precautions to make sure the viewers are safe. They do this through using a low combustion fuel and models of flamethrowers that are always reliable, as well as keeping fire extinguishers and a hose on hand during the demonstration.

The display shows how the flamethrowers would affect trees, wooden structures and people  with the help of some displays and a mannequin named Flammable Fred, who winds up mostly melted at the end of the show.

Sarah Speare said after the first show, I just think its terrifying that they actually used those on people. Like, just thinking about that is horrible.

Flammable Fred is something that the Gassers didnt expect viewers to like, but the crowd eats it up, according to Daniel Gasser. That is what that weapon was designed for. When you can see the clothes just melting away, falling off, that is the [reality] of that weapon.

The Morrin family had been to the museum before, but since they live in Maryland, they had not been in about five years. They came back into the area for a race in Greensboro, North Carolina, and could not resist the opportunity to come see Flamethrower Day.

Tanya Morrin said it was an outstanding event, and her son, Jason, said, I honestly thought my beard was going to singe off after standing in the super hot zone during the show.

Daniel Gasser thought that 10 percent of any crowd has usually been to the museum before, for one event or another, and he hoped that people would come back on Sept. 3 for the next Flamethrower Day.

There are several other events coming up at the museum throughout the year, including radio control tank battles at the indoor battlefield and vehicle run day, where they allow the tanks to roam around the museum, and offer rides in some.
Alfonso Cuaron, from left, Jonas Cuaron and Carlos Cuaron attend the "Desierto" premiere at the Visa Screening Room during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. (Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/TNS)

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The director tried to steer Jonas away from film but is proud as can be of his sons feature Desierto

By Josh Rottenberg Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES  Jonas Cuaron never thought hed follow in his fathers footsteps.

As the son of Alfonso Cuaron, the Mexican director of such films as Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men, Jonas grew up watching his dad work on movie sets and hearing him continually rave about this or that cinematic classic  none of which held all that much appeal.

He would pitch me all his scripts to entertain me on car rides, Jonas, 33, recalled one recent afternoon, sitting outside a West Hollywood photo studio beside his father, 54. He kept wanting to show me good cinema, but I didnt want to watch black-and-white movies. I never myself wanted to do cinema.

Well, so much for all of that.

While studying art and English literature at Vassar College in the early 2000s, Jonas became entranced by filmmaking and has since worked to establish himself as a screenwriter and director in his own right.

Jonas made his feature debut with the 2007 drama Ano Una and collaborated with his father on the screenplay for the 2013 sci-fi hit Gravity, which was nominated for best picture and earned the elder Cuaron an Oscar for directing. Now Jonas has directed the upcoming film Desierto, a brutal, stripped-down thriller starring Gael Garcia Bernal as a Mexican migrant being chased by a sadistic American vigilante (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who hunts border-crossers for sport.

With the elder Cuaron on board as a producer, Desierto is set to be released on Oct. 14, just weeks before the climax of a presidential campaign in which the topic of immigration has been, to put it mildly, a hot-button issue. An allegory about xenophobia and intolerance wrapped in the trappings of a survival horror film, the movie, which was given the closing-night slot this month at the L.A. Film Festival, is certain to spark discussion.

In the context of the election, its going to be very interesting, Alfonso said. It seems that speech of hate has been kind of accepted and dialogue has become: Youre stupid! No, youre stupid! This isnt a rhetoric film, but if it can open more of a real dialogue, that is so important.

The elder Cuaron is clearly proud of what his son has accomplished. I wish my first film had the assurance Desierto has, he said. Still, as a young father raising Jonas, the first of his three children, he admits he had actually hoped at first to steer his son away from a career in cinema. He knew firsthand how difficult it was to make ones way as a filmmaker, and trying to do it under the shadow of a successful father promised to be that much harder.

I kept pushing him into other stuff, Alfonso said. I wish he had been a doctor. A doctor in the family is always a good thing, you know? The reason I was pushing him away from film was love. I was thinking, Youre a smart guy! You have potential!

For the Cuarons, however, the benefits of cinematic collaboration have flowed both ways. I think an important part in any craft is finding a teacher, said Jonas, and in that sense I was able to skip that whole part because I had such a great mentor right close to me.

For his part, Alfonso believes working with his son has helped to keep his own work vital. When I started working with Jonas on Gravity, I remember him telling me, I like your films. Your films are all right. Its just that you like all this philosophy and stuff  its a bit boring.

He laughed. My theory is that the older collaborator has to be wise enough to be receptive to what the younger collaborator has to say, he said. If we as artists are not connecting with the times and with the new generations  thats been the doom of amazing master filmmakers.
SHARE Michelle and Robert King attend the Casting Society Of America's 31st annual Artios Awards at Hard Rock Cafe in New York on Jan. 21, 2016. (Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan Co./Sipa USA/TNS)

Good Wife pair turns dysfunction into satire in BrainDead

By Meredith Blake Los Angeles Times (TNS)

NEW YORK  On a recent afternoon in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, everyone was talking about bugs. Not the skittering cockroaches one would expect to see in this industrial corner of the borough, but something more extraordinary: brain-eating insects from outer space.

In BrainDead, a genre-bending political satire filming on a sound stage standing in for Washington, D.C., a swarm of voracious insects descends upon the capital. The mysterious ant-like creatures devour the brains of lawmakers and citizens alike, turning them into partisan zombies. (And, yes, its a work of fiction.)

In character as Laurel Healy, a Capitol Hill staffer, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is confronting her controlling father, Dean (Zach Grenier), a political patriarch reminiscent of Joseph Kennedy, about the rapidly spreading epidemic. Unlike his daughter, Dean is not concerned by the insect-borne plague.

Youre not going to convince me this is a good thing, she says.

Then let me convince you its inevitable, he replies, ominously.

BrainDead, which premiered Monday on CBS, is a summer series with politics on its mind. Arriving just as an already surreal presidential election begins to heat up, the pilot opens with clips of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail and text reading, In the year 2016 there was a growing sense that people were losing their mind.

The idea for BrainDead was spawned during the federal governments shutdown three years ago when, like millions of other Americans, series creators Robert and Michelle King found themselves wondering just how Washington, D.C., had become so dysfunctional.

There was so much going on in D.C. that was absolutely inexplicable that we needed to create a narrative to explain it, said Michelle King. Space bugs seemed no more absurd than reality  that the job of governing had turned into a zero-sum competition between Democrats and Republicans.

With a tone the Kings describe as Roger Corman meets Paddy Chayefsky, BrainDead blends satire with screwball comedy and B-movie sci-fi. While its zanier than other current political dramas, like House of Cards, it still has a serious point to make.

The left and the right wings are being pushed to extremes, said Robert King. Theres the Bernie Bros on one end and the tea partiers on the other end. The moderates are kind of disappearing. Thats what the show is really coming out against, this loss of the moderate middle.

The series follows Laurel, whos rejected the family business of politics to pursue a career making documentaries about obscure subjects (clog-dancing, religious music in the Solomon Islands).

To fund her latest unfinished project, she accepts a bribe from her father and goes to work for her playboy brother, Luke (Danny Pino), whos carrying on the political dynasty as a Democratic senator and majority whip.

Luke needs all the help he can get, as a budget stalemate threatens to shut down the government. Laurel negotiates flirtatiously with Gareth Ritter (Aaron Tveit), legislative director for Sen. Red Wheatus (Tony Shalhoub), a mildly corrupt Republican. Tipped off by a constituent, Laurel embarks on an investigation that eventually leads to the discovery of the brain-eating creepy-crawlies.

BrainDeads topical focus will be familiar to fans of the Kings legal drama, The Good Wife, which ended its acclaimed seven-season run on CBS in May. The series was inspired by a number of real-life political sex scandals and often weighed in on current events, from NSA surveillance to protests in Ferguson, Mo. There are also obvious similarities between Laurel and Alicia Florrick, the disgraced spouse turned cunning lawyer played by Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife.

They both live in the same universe of a pragmatic female lead whos underestimated by a lot of people around her, said Robert King, who was impressed by Winsteads Margulies-like ability to balance comedy and drama.

BrainDead even uses much of The Good Wifes production infrastructure, including the same sound stage and certain key crew members.

Still, the foray into genre storytelling represents a bold move for the Kings.

I love that they chose to do something so risky and weird as their next project, said Winstead, who is juggling her role on BrainDead with duties on the PBS Civil War drama Mercy Street. You need that in TV right now. Unless its a swing for the fences, theres not much point in doing it.

BrainDead is almost certainly the only show on broadcast TV that relies on what its creators describe as a Jonathan Swiftian metaphor, or that has episode titles worthy of a dissertation. (The pilot is called The Insanity Principle: How Extremism in Politics Is Threatening Democracy in the 21st Century.)

The series is also making a provocative argument about contemporary politics. Not only is it saying that the country has become very polarized but that ideological purity, not corruption, is what ails Washington.

We think everybodys going after the wrong thing, said Robert King.

Idealism keeps people from actually talking to each other and compromising. The brilliance of the American government should be that it encourages people to compromise, and thats the only way things get done.

Their perspective was forged during research trips to Washington, D.C., where they consulted with Judy Smith, the fixer who inspired Scandal, and David McCallum, deputy chief of staff for Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

With such ambitious themes, BrainDead might seem out of place in the summer, traditionally a time when pop culture goes for spectacle over substance. But with its sci-fi trappings and occasional bursts of gore, the show fits in comfortably at summertime CBS, which in recent seasons has turned to shorter-run genre series such as Under the Dome, Extant and Zoo.

For the Kings, exhausted after churning out 22 episodes of The Good Wife every season, a shorter run was not just appealing but also essential.

Unfortunately, it happened that production on The Good Wife overlapped with that of BrainDead. So instead of going to 13 episodes this year, we went to 35, joked Michelle King.

For cast and creators alike, the biggest challenge has been nailing the tone, which swings from comedy to drama to thriller within a single scene.

And as Shalhoub observed, it can be tricky to parody a political era that already seems farcical: I keep thinking were starting to swing over into absurdist mode. Then I went to see Weiner  the documentary about former Rep. Anthony Weiners doomed New York mayoral run  and I started to think, Wow, maybe our show is not as wild I had imagined.
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By Rachel Webber

Dear Dr. Universe: What is the deepest spot in the ocean?  Lawrence, 11, Philippines

Dear Lawrence: Deep underwater, not too far from Guam, lies a crescent-shaped canyon called the Mariana Trench. It is home to the deepest known spot in the ocean: the Challenger Deep.

That's what I found out from my friend Ray Lee. He teaches biology at Washington State University and studies animals that live in the deep sea.

A few explorers have made the nearly 7-mile journey to the Challenger Deep. To go there, we would have to go in a specially designed underwater vehicle, and we'd go through several different ocean zones along the way.

First, we'd pass through the Sunlight Zone. These are the brightest waters, and we might see some fish, turtles, jellyfish or stingrays swimming along.

We'd then pass through a part of the ocean called the Twilight Zone. Everything around us would start to get darker and darker. We might even see some critters making their own light, or bioluminescence, in the dark.

Next we'd pass through a part of the ocean called the Abyssal Zone. No sunlight would be able to reach us here. There would be no plants. The living conditions would be extreme, too. We might see extremely hot water from deep in the Earth erupting from chimney-like vents.

Lee is really curious about these vents and the creatures that are able to live in such extreme conditions. One of his favorite parts of his job is building instruments and devices that help us investigate these kinds of deep-sea environments.

The ocean can be a tricky place to study. It's not only really dark, but the deeper you go, the greater the pressure of water pushing down on you. But Lee likes the challenge of exploring the mysterious deep.

"We are always interested in the unknown," Lee said. "And the ocean has perhaps more things that are unknown than any other environment."

Even deeper than the Abyssal zone is the Hadal Zone. This is where we find deep ocean trenches  and the Challenger Deep. I found out it wasn't until recently that scientists were able to go explore it.

James Cameron, an explorer and filmmaker known for "Titanic" and "Avatar," piloted a one-man trip down to the Challenger Deep a few years ago. Before that, oceanographers Jaques Piccard and Don Walsh went to investigate.

They had to use special vehicles and equipment to reach these deep waters. Scientists have even set up underwater cameras that help us look at what life is like there. In the Hadal Zone, there are big mountains rising from the floor and possibly more sea vents. Scientists are learning about some of the creatures, such as sea cucumbers and really small crustaceans, that call this part of our world home.

There is so much more to explore, Lawrence. Maybe one day, you'll help us discover even more about our deep, vast oceans.

Send emails to Rachel Webber at Washington State University, Dr.Universe@wsu.edu or visit her website at askdruniverse.com.
Researchers report that paid family-leave laws that support father-infant bonding have made headway in the past decade, with both New Jersey and Rhode Island passing legislation. (Fotolia)

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By Nara Schoenberg Chicago Tribune (TNS)

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill.  Seven years ago, when he was a newly minted stay-at-home dad, Lance Somerfeld looked for a New York dads group that was holding meet-ups at playgrounds and kiddie classes.

It didnt exist, he says.

Today, the City Dads Group ( www.citydadsgroup.com

Dads are just as interested in potty training, introducing solids, how to install car seats as moms, says Somerfeld. So (we thought), wouldnt it be nice for experts to come and school us and be able to do it in a circle, with other men?

Fathers are more involved in their childrens lives today than they were even 10 years ago, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics that draws on census data, surveys and a new wave of academic research. Among the findings:

 The number of stay-at-home dads increased by more than 60 percent from 98,000 in 2003 to 159,000 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census.

 Fathers spent 17 hours a week on child care and housework in 2011, up from 6.5 hours in 1965.

 Paid family-leave laws that support father-infant bonding have made headway in the past decade, with both New Jersey and Rhode Island passing legislation.

There is a shift, said Dr. Craig Garfield, a co-author of the report. Theres a palpable shift in what mens expectations are as they start to build families, and how that balances with work.

Garfield, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said research on fatherhood is a fairly recent phenomenon, so its difficult to compare dads of today with fathers in the 60s, for example. But he said change is in the air, as evidenced not only by formal studies, but by cultural phenomena such as the rise of dad-vertising, in which fathers are portrayed as capable, hands-on parents, rather than workaholics or bumbling oafs.

Madison Avenue understands whats happening on Main Street, Garfield said. They know dads are out there and involved.

Moms still do more child care than dads, but the gap is narrowing.

Women are getting more advanced degrees, more women are entering the workforce and dads are being asked to take more of a role in child care, Garfield said.

The report, published online June 13 and slated for publication in the July edition of the journal Pediatrics, also explores a wave of recent research focusing on the fathers role in child development.

A 2006 study found that, at 3 years of age, father-child communication was a significant predictor of advanced language development, while mother-child communication was not. (Fathers are more likely than mothers to introduce new words when talking to young kids.)

Another study indicated that, when fathers were more engaged in infant care and play, children had better mental health at age 9. And several recent studies have found that adolescents with more involved fathers took part in fewer risky behaviors and experienced less depression.

Garfields interest in the role of fathers in their childrens lives dates to 2000, when he took a year off work as a pediatrician to be a stay-at-home dad to his then-18-month-old son.

Garfield noticed that his sons pediatrician didnt pay much attention to him, the dad, focusing instead on his wife. Later, when Garfield was back at work and doing research, he started looking at the role of the father in the family.

The report recommends that pediatricians make fathers feel welcome and encourage their involvement in their childrens care. Other suggestions: Communicate with fathers, and stress the unique role dads can have in a childs development, especially when it comes to play. (Dads so-called rough-and-tumble interactions may lead to better behavior and social skills.) Doctors should also consider screening fathers for postpartum depression, which has been found in 2 to 25 percent of new dads.

Involved dads still face some barriers  try to find a diaper-changing station in the mens restroom  but Somerfeld, 42, sees signs of progress. When he told the principal at the school where he used to teach that he was taking a leave of absence to take care of his first child, the principal got on the speaker system and made an announcement to all 2,000 students and staff members:

Ive got Mr. Somerfeld in my office here, the principal said, and hes leaving us next year to become a modern man.
Experts recommend using gel bait, traps or insect sprays to eliminate ants in your home, or call a professional for serious infestations. (Photo courtesy of Angie's List member Brad F., Carmel, Ind.)

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By Tom Moor Angies List (TNS)

Although ants generally dont cause harm to people  they dont carry disease, like some other pests  an infestation can be a major nuisance.

Ants can be extremely persistent creatures, seemingly coming from nowhere and can be difficult to entirely get rid of, says Kelly Garvin of Greenix Pest Control in Dublin, Ohio.

Fortunately, DIY and professional pest removal options are available.

REASONS FOR ANT INFESTATION

Ants typically invade your home for one reason: food. Most feed on sugary or greasy items.

Sugar ants  also called odorous house ants  are one of the most common ant invaders and among the first pests to show up in the spring. Theyre about one-eighth of an inch or smaller and are attracted to food sources.

The common pavement ant, which is brown to black and about 1/10th of an inch long, will set up colonies near driveways or patios and then send out scouts to search for food in your home. They eat meat, grease, seeds, dead or live insects, and can sting and bite if disturbed.

Carpenter ants, which are black and up to half an inch long, look for protein rather than sugar, and will eat through wood to find nesting locations. Small piles of wood shavings called frass found under windows or door frames are signs of carpenter ants.

Moisture ants are larger  about 4 to 4.5 mm long  and are usually an indication of excessive water somewhere. Either can be a problem in bathrooms.

Knowing what type of ant youre dealing with can help you prevent or combat an infestation.

KEEPING ANTS OUT

The first step to prevent an ant infestation: clean house. If you see scout ants in your home, kill them immediately. Make sure you dont leave any food out and keep all kitchen surfaces clean.

If you continue to see ants, make sure youve closed off possible entry points, including sealing small cracks in your walls or under windows. Start by caulking potential entry points, such as window casings.

Next, you can lay down barriers like salt or talc under doors to turn ants away, or apply scents such as vinegar, peppermint oil or cinnamon. Bear in mind, however, that anything you put down will also be of interest to pets and children, so be careful what you use.

DIY METHODS FOR ANT REMOVAL

If ant explorers have morphed into a full-on colony, then you need a plan.

Start with soap and water. This will not only kill chemical trails, but any ants it touches. Add citrus to the water to increase its effectiveness.

You can also purchase pest sprays and baited ant traps from local grocery and hardware stores. These use a mixture of sugars and ant poison, such as boric acid to attract, trap and kill ants. Proceed with caution when using poison.

Bear in mind, too, that these traps wont work on protein-feeders like carpenter ants, since the sweetness wont interest them.

In addition to trapping ants inside, you can also spray around the exterior of the home where the house meets the pavement or ground to prevent more ants from infiltrating, says David Anderson of Eastside Exterminators in Woodinville, Washington.

Garvin recommends spraying problem areas with a mixture of Windex, vinegar and water. She says spreading Diatomaceous Earth in carpeted areas around the bathroom is a safe and natural way to kill ants because its a food source.

The Windex or vinegar is really a quick fix and not really that effective, but it will remove the immediate ants and wipe away their pheromone scent they use to follow trails, Garvin says.

Dan Miles, owner of Total Exterminating in Indianapolis, suggests spraying all cracks around the baseboards and the base of the toilet if the infestation is in the bathroom.

HIRE A PEST CONTROL PROFESSIONAL

Large-scale infestations require assistance from a pest control professional.

Pros address ant problems by locating the colony itself; typically this starts by laying bait traps, which contain poisoned food taken back to the nest. Once found, exterminators can use a variety of techniques including chemical sprays to totally eliminate the ants in your home.

In the case of carpenter ants, early detection is critical. Left unchecked, they can cause significant damage to your home. A pest control professional may need to drill small holes in your wall to make sure the entire colony has been eliminated, and will often book a follow-up visit to make sure problems dont recur.

 Additional reporting by Angies List Contributor Doug Bonderud



Tom Moor is a reporter at Angies List
Michael Driskill took pictures after measuring the rooms in the old Household Furniture building on Chadbourne Street. The students from Texas Tech were doing a site analysis to see what the structure and stability were.

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By Jayna Boyle

The two-story brick house in downtown San Angelo that Rod Bridgman moved into eight years ago had fallen into disrepair.

It had been abandoned for 20 years and needed plumbing and electrical work, and the floors and walls needed to be restored. After several years of work - most of which he did himself - he has a unique space that fits his tastes.

"I have no idea how much I've spent," he said, "but I like it better that way."

Bridgman's story of creating the perfect home downtown is rare because the city's core has few housing choices. In all, only about 30 residential units exist downtown, said Bridgman, who heads an informal downtown residents group.

Texas revitalization experts say developing more housing downtown is crucial to reviving the area. San Angelo, though, has little success to point to on that front.

Downtown developments, leaders are finding out, require big investments, a proposition filled with risk because it is difficult to gauge market demand. A lack of off-street parking is another major stumbling block.

Downtown San Angelo Inc. and the city of San Angelo are looking into government subsidies at local, state and federal levels to create incentives for investors to develop housing downtown, said Del Velasquez, executive director of the nonprofit group dedicated to revitalizing downtown.

Leaders are calling for research on the issue, while those who have come downtown to live say they enjoy their experience.

Meanwhile, a group of Texas Tech University students is exploring how vacant, dusty, rundown commercial space can be resurrected into residencies. Recently, the architecture students visited an old furniture building downtown to do a class project that requires them to create designs for turning the space into residential lofts.

"It's a really exciting building," said Matt Bartholomew, an architecture student. "It definitely has a lot of character. There's a lot we can do with it."

Bartholomew said the goal will be keeping the building historical but giving it modern flare.

"The layout may be a challenge because you can only get upstairs from the back of the building," Bartholomew said, "but it could be an opportunity."

John West of West Office Supply at 2 S. Chadbourne St. owns the former Household Furniture Store at Chadbourne and Harris streets that the students surveyed for design plans.

He said his father bought the building in 1976, and nothing has operated from the building during that time - his office supply business uses it for storage.

West said he would love to see the building - with a footprint of about 10,000 square feet - turned into three lofts upstairs and three storefronts downstairs, but the cost of such a project is a big concern. Because San Angelo real estate is always reasonably priced, he said, it makes it tougher to renovate and recover costs.

"I will leave (this project) to my heirs," West said, "if I pass on before it's done."

Velasquez acknowledges West's concerns. Velasquez said his group needs to do research about the interest in downtown housing.

With the limited space available now, it is hard to tell whether few people live downtown because few want to live there, or whether it is just because housing isn't available.

Downtown living might best be marketed toward people looking to downsize and reduce the maintenance of their homes, Velasquez said. Another idea might be jumping on the Angelo State University housing shortages and marketing downtown apartments or lofts to college students.

To get this type of development rolling, Shawn Lewis, city planning director, said the planning division and the City of San Angelo Development Corp. are in the early stages of creating incentives for investment. Right now, the city is trying to make it easier for developers to use land that the city owns.

In December 2006, the city approved a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone in downtown San Angelo, which may also help with new housing. The tax zone creates a separate fund for property taxes collected above the level of the initial year and uses that money for economic development in that area, and incentives for housing development are among the possibilities.

Bridgman said a demand exists for housing in downtown San Angelo. Bridgman, 60 and a former leader of Downtown San Angelo, bought his house for next to nothing, but now has boxes and boxes of receipts he knows he needs to go through.

At first, he could only live in two rooms, and the house had no heating or cooling for two years; he washed dishes in a bathtub.

"It was like camping," Bridgman said.

But he says he would never live in suburbia again. Bridgman, in his capacity as leader of the residents group, said the 12 apartments in the Cactus Hotel have a waiting list of about a year.

About six units downtown have been restored as storefronts on the ground level, with the owners living upstairs, Bridgman said.

"We all feel like we have a secret asset, and we're living a better life," Bridgman said.

He said he loves living near several local businesses and being able to walk to the grocery store. His favorite spot at his house is the second-story balcony, where he can look out at everything going on downtown.

"I can go days at a time without getting in the car," Bridgman said.

He admits that downtown living isn't for everyone - backyards are scarce, and sometimes residents can't park right next to their home.

Susan Daniel opened her downtown business, the Black Swan Fine Art and Glass Gallery, at 118 S. Chadbourne St. in September and moved her home into the space above the gallery. The building took her a year and a half to renovate, but she said she loves working in the same building where she lives.

"It almost has a New Orleans feeling," she said of her home, which overlooks a small courtyard behind the building, where she keeps her dogs.

Steve Eustis of the Steve Eustis Co., a commercial and investment real estate business, has a handful of downtown San Angelo properties on the market.

A few investors have shown an interest in creating downtown housing, he said, but the buildings that would be best for apartments or lofts lack off-street parking.

"Any housing project is going to need parking solutions," Eustis said.

While Eustis said creating downtown housing in San Angelo is a good goal for the city, he doesn't know how likely it is that it will happen anytime soon. The question is the cost to bring buildings up to code and make them ready for residents.

Another consideration is how much people would be willing to pay to live downtown,.

"An investor would need pre-sold units," Eustis said.

Jim Gaines, a research economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&amp;M University, said cities across the state have had a mixed bag with housing developments in downtown areas.

"Not everything will work," Gaines said, "but you have to make sure the first one does."

Cities without downtown housing tend to have a "ghost-town effect" after 5 p.m., Gaines said, but it might be tricky for San Angelo to find a demand for downtown living.

"San Angelo is not big enough that people are tired of commuting," Gaines said.

However, downtown areas have focal points -with shopping, food, and museums - that may be enough to draw people to residential areas there, he said.

"You have to have a little bit of vision," Gaines said. "A lot of times, the first thing is letting it be known that the city is not going to fight it."
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Activists say it contains racist whitewashing

By Julie Chang, Austin American-Statesman (TNS)

AUSTIN  A Mexican-American studies textbook proposed for Texas high schools is a racist whitewashing of history, according to some scholars and activists, who are urging the state to find an alternative.

Concerns about the book include the following:

 Simplistic treatment of Native Americans

 Describing the Chicano movement as an effort to reconquer the United States

 Using the term "illegal" to describe immigrants who are not authorized to be in the U.S.

 Describing immigrant neighborhoods as riddled with crime

The book, "Mexican American Heritage," posted for public review on the Texas Education Agency's website, is unfit for Texas students, more than half of whom are Hispanic, said State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez Jr., D-Brownsville.

"Based on the initial conversation with these experts, I don't believe that this book should see the inside of any classroom in any shape, form or fashion," Cortez said. "If it's as bad as they're all telling me, there's not a chance in hell I'm going to support this book."

Other board members say they're reserving judgment.

State Board of Education Chairwoman Donna Bahorich, R-Houston, said that she and fellow members are checking with Mexican-American studies scholars on the book, adding that it's too early to tell if the board should write off the book.

Board member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, who opposed asking for a Mexican-American studies course and textbook, said the proposed book seems fine.

"It's really kind of amusing. The left-leaning, radical Hispanic activists, having pounded the table for special treatment, get approval for a special course that nobody else wanted," Bradley said. "Now they don't like their special textbook? I bet they want everyone to also get an A for just attending? The one thing we can't fix in this world is unhappy people."

The textbook is the result of a divisive measure in 2014. Instead of creating a statewide Mexican-American studies course as a high school elective, the education board opted to offer districts recommended textbooks for such a course and other ethnic studies areas.

The Mexican-American textbook was the only ethnic study area book submitted for consideration.

Although textbooks in any subject that the board approves are optional for school districts, many end up adopting them instead of finding other material.

Trinidad Gonzales, Mexican-American studies professor at South Texas College, said that incomplete treatment of Native Americans occurs in the first chapter of the book.

Gonzales said authors neglected to mention one of the largest urban communities in the pre-Columbian U.S. was a Native American city called Cahokia, located on the Mississippi River near present-day St. Louis. Instead, the book's description of the Plains Indians is limited to their use of tepees and their reliance on buffalo  "the Hollywood definition," Gonzales said.

"It's a simplistic presentation of Native American history that is very problematic, that is not based on current scholarship," Gonzales said.

Gonzales also said the book's statement that colonial Protestants believed in the separation of church and state is incorrect.

Among the largest problems with the book, though, according to scholars and activists, is its portrayal of Chicanos. The book's authors said Chicanos "adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society."

"It is appalling this textbook would claim Chicanos want to destroy society. If a student turned in this textbook as a research paper, it would be graded an F," state Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, said in a recent statement.

Gonzales said that the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which has spawned generations of Mexican-Americans who identify as Chicanos, was fighting for equal access to social programs created under the Great Society, "not to destroy the U.S."

Christopher Carmona, who is a committee chairman of the Texas chapter of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies, said that the discussion questions at the end of the Chicano chapter aim to penalize students if they do not interpret the historical events in a certain way.

For example, one reads, "Are Chicano Studies beneficial to Mexican-American culture? Explain. How did Cesar Chavez challenge this vision?"

Chavez "couldn't really get involved in the Chicano movement because he was involved in the farmworker movement," Carmona said. "They are conflating two things that have nothing to do with each other, and they are bringing them together to form an answer: The Chicano movement is bad. That's what they want you to say."

The authors also repeatedly use the term "illegal immigrants" in reference to those who immigrate to the country illegally. The book also says that "crime and exploitation can circulate unabated in their neighborhoods."

"We're talking about human beings," said Gonzales. "Calling individuals illegal is very problematic and very un-American."

A call and email to the publisher of the textbook, Momentum Instruction, were not returned.

According to the left-leaning Texas Freedom Network, which typically analyzes social studies textbooks submitted to the state, the authors of the book  Jaime Riddle and Valarie Angle  have backgrounds in education but not specifically in Mexican-American studies.

Riddle's online professional profile on LinkedIn says that she is a "professional developer of conservative instructional content."

Almost all Mexican-American studies courses offered in seven Texas school districts are college-level classes that were established in the last few years, Carmona said. He said the growing interest in the course is in response to the xenophobic treatment of Mexican-Americans as well as a link between student performance and ethnic studies.

A 2014 study in Tucson, Ariz., found that Latino students who took such a course were more likely to graduate and do better on state standardized tests. University of Arizona researchers conducted the study after the Arizona government  arguing that the curriculum was too political  eliminated the Tucson school district's Mexican-American studies program in 2010.

Carmona said that the recent textbook controversy, along with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments about Hispanics, will only serve to stoke interest in Mexican-American studies.

Three hundred people have signed up for this year's summit on June 18 to implement Mexican-American studies in Texas public schools  a far cry from the 50 people who have attended the summit in the past.

The Austin school district, which educates about 50,000 Hispanic students, is considering offering ethnic studies, including Mexican-American studies, said Paul Saldana, vice president of the school board.

Mexican-American students "are able to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, and it gives them more confidence and drive to educate themselves, whereas before they were lost in the system," Carmona said.

EXCERPTS FROM MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE THAT SOME SAY ARE PROBLEMATIC:

Illegal immigration has since caused a number of economic and security problems in the United States over which people are divided on how to solve.

The home ownership rate in the Mexican-American community is lower than the national average, but this is due to the substantial percentage of Mexican-born immigrants that form almost one-third of the Mexican-American population, many of whom are poor, undereducated, or illegal.

Due to the fact that illegal immigrants fear deportation and involvement with legal authorities, crime and exploitation can circulate unabated in their neighborhoods.

WHAT'S NEXT

The public can submit comments on the textbook through the Texas Education Agency's website until September. The left-leaning Texas Freedom Network and a committee of State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez, D-Brownsville, will release their analyses of the textbook this month. A state committee of teachers and other members of the public also will review the book for its alignment with the state's curriculum standards and any errors.

In November, the State Board of Education will vote whether to approve the textbook. If it's rejected, the state wouldn't be able to propose a book for another two years, to give publishers time to write a book. In the meantime, school districts could find and use their own textbooks as long as they prove to the state that the material is aligned with state curriculum standards.
Miami-Dade mosquito control worker Carlos Vargas dumps a barrel of standing water that can incubate the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. Getty Images

SHARE Associated Press A trap holds mosquitoes at the Dallas County Mosquito Lab in Hutchins.

Engineered mosquitoes elicit pushback

By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

BALTIMORE  As federal authorities weigh a plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes to help control the spread of the Zika virus, they need to overcome public fears about the risks and potential unintended consequences.

Under the plan, the British biotechnology firm Oxitec wants to release millions of altered mosquitoes in Key Haven, Fla., a small community on Stock Island just east of Key West. Oxitec said the mosquitoes are engineered to produce sterile offspring that die young, reducing populations of the mosquito species that commonly carries Zika.

So far, government and outside researchers have found little to fear about the plan, but opposition has emerged in Key Haven. A survey released this month by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that 58 percent of residents in the Key Haven study site oppose the release of the genetically modified mosquitoes.

That stands in contrast to national surveys. A Purdue University survey in February found that 78 percent nationally supported using engineered mosquitoes to fight Zika, while a University of Pennsylvania survey in March determined that a little over half approved of such action, with only 29 percent opposed.

Understanding the attitudes of the community is really important for the plan to move forward, said Crystal Boddie, a senior associate at the UPMC Center for Health Security in Baltimore who helped conduct the study as a doctoral candidate at the Bloomberg School. Gaining acceptance will require a lot more dialogue between the residents and public health officials, the local mosquito control office and the company that wants to do this.

Boddie said she thought the timing of the Bloomberg survey might have influenced the results. Few people surveyed may have felt at risk since it was conducted before the Zika virus began making headlines and its scientific link to the severe birth defect microcephaly was known. Microcephaly stunts the development of the brains and heads of afflicted fetuses, and it has been linked to Zika infection in pregnant women.

Support could have grown with the rising alarm about Zika, said Boddie, who wants to repeat the survey.

Oxitec has wanted to conduct a field study of its genetically modified mosquito in Key Haven since 2008, before an outbreak of dengue fever swept through the area in 2009 and 2010. The dengue virus is carried by the same species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti, that transmits Zika.

Oxitec said that its mosquitoes have reduced populations of Aedes mosquitoes by more than 90 percent in the laboratory and small field studies in other countries, including Brazil, where Zika has had the heaviest toll. Those tests have had no adverse impacts, company officials said.

If successful in Key Haven, Oxitec plans to apply for government permission to sell the vector control in other U.S. cities.

The plan took a tentative step forward in April when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that it found no significant adverse impact from the modified mosquitoes, but the agency, which has final regulatory say, has not issued a final ruling or said when it will.

Residents of Key Haven have voiced worries about the safety of releasing millions of genetically modified mosquitoes. Others expressed concerns about being used as test subjects without their consent, while some questioned the need for such an action, since neither Zika nor dengue appears present in the Florida Keys.

Scientists who study vector control say theyre more concerned the plan wont reduce the mosquito population enough or wont stem cases of mosquito-borne disease but said the community concerns cant be dismissed.

The company needs to explain the technology and how they plan to mitigate any risks, however small, said Thomas W. Scott, an entomology professor at the University of California, Davis and a member of the World Health Organizations Vector Control Advisory Group.

The chance of any harm is really remote, said Scott, who once worked with Oxitec on another kind of mosquito control. People are smart but dont have the kind of education to understand the science. The company has to explain this. The communication part can be really difficult.

He said there are other, newer technologies that raise concerns, such as so-called gene drives that promote specific gene inheritance and can alter entire populations.

In addition to regulatory and community approval, such systems would require careful design considerations as they move through their development to avoid potential negative consequences, said Scott, citing the possible ecological and evolutionary impacts from altered genes jumping among species.

In Key Haven, local mosquito control officials plan to take a public vote in August to assess public sentiment on Oxitecs plan.

By then there could be cases of Zika transmitted by local mosquitoes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are now 618 travel-related cases of Zika in the United States, including 195 pregnant women. Most cases worldwide are in Central and South America.

Jack Bobo, chief communications officer for Oxitecs parent company, Intrexon, said officials will be going door to door in Key Haven to present their scientific findings.

The main goal is to help people understand the public benefit, he said. If someone doesnt see the potential benefit, its not surprising theyre going to focus on the risk.

Scientists outside of Oxitec say that modifying pests has been done since the 1950s to benefit agricultural crops, and many see little risk in modified mosquitoes.

Dr. Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, is less concerned about the safety and environmental impact of the modified mosquitoes and more concerned about how well they would control disease.

So far, to my knowledge, its not clear whether (genetically modified) mosquitoes have been tested at full scale and whether they have been shown to reduce dengue or Zika transmission, he said. This is important because we know the old methods of Aedes aegypti control work, even if they are labor-intensive.

Those methods largely include spraying insecticide and draining standing water and treating for larvae.

Max J. Scott, professor of entomology at North Carolina State University who studies pest control, agreed that modified mosquitoes arent likely a silver bullet to stop Zika and he understands public fear about the technology, though its not exactly new. He said modifications to pests in the past have been done in different ways than gene modification.

But Scott supports the trial because its likely to work for some time. The problem is that only one gene has been modified in the mosquitoes and, eventually, the virus might become resistant to the change.

Risks are very, very low, he said. This definitely works and could be a really useful tool for people charged with controlling mosquitoes in Florida.  (But) with the single lethal gene mechanism, there is potential for resistance to develop long term.
SHARE Vasquez Carter

By Rashda Khan, Rashda.Khan@gosanangelo.com / @Rashda_SAST

San Angeloans have time and again voted against a charter change that would allow the City Council to appoint a police chief, preferring instead to hold elections for the position every four years. But the issue of elected versus appointed keeps coming up.

Incumbent Tim Vasquez and his opponent Frank Carter, vying for the position in a July 2 runoff election, were asked at a candidate forum last week where they stand on the issue.

"There are pros and cons to both choices," said Carter, who has 24 years with the San Angelo Police Department. "I'm for the people. The people have spoken and asked for an elected police chief, and that's where I stand on that. There are politics involved with the elected position, but it's up to the individual candidate or the chief that's in position to remove those politics."

Vasquez, who was first elected police chief in 2004, said he has long supported the idea of making the office an appointed position. San Angelo is the largest U.S. city that still elects its police chief, he has said.

"As the administrator for the last 12 years, I can tell you which one is better for the organization," Vasquez told attendees at the Pachyderm Club's monthly luncheon Wednesday. "I know that as a community we have overwhelmingly selected to keep it an elected position. That being said, I think right now is a prime example of why we should make the position an appointed one."

He said the department averages about 300 arrests per month, but in May  during the election cycle  SAPD's number of arrests dropped to about 100. He later clarified that he meant the number had dropped by 100.

Carter, in a text Saturday, challenged the chief's assertion and said SAPD's May arrests totaled more than 350, a number he said was from Tom Green County judicial records.

Vasquez, in a phone interview Saturday, said he got his numbers from Assistant Chief Jeff Fant, who is in charge of administration  including computing, statistics and other data.

"The whole point is, productivity is down," Vasquez said. "Every time we have a contested race with a candidate from within the department running against the incumbent, we see a separation in the department and decrease in productivity. I have monitored it for years."

"I love my job, but the hardest parts are personnel issues and elections," Vasquez said in an interview earlier this year. "Do I spend my time accomplishing what I need to or refuting rhetoric and conjecture that's thrown out there (during election season)?"

In the initial election in May, there were three candidates from within the SAPD  Vasquez, Carter and Mike Hernandez  and one former SAPD officer  Jeff Davis. Now the runoffs are pitting two department veterans against each other.

"I think by involving officers as supporters, you create issues and tension," Vasquez said, adding that he has never asked his officers to endorse him. "Feelings are hurt, friendships are broken, some friendships are broken forever."

Vasquez at the luncheon made reference to his opponent's endorsements.

Carter responded by saying all the people he has asked for support are no longer with the department. "Personal relations can be affected within the department," he added in a text Saturday. "But officers are professionals. (Election season) doesn't stop how they do business on a daily basis."

He added: "I will say that (the job) is much easier when you have the vast majority of the employees' support as I have now."

In the end, Vasquez said, politics becomes problematic for the overall organization.

"So as much as we like to vote, and the distrust we have for government  state, local and nationwide  I think, from an administrative standpoint  the position should be appointed."
<p>Graphic Illustration - Ken Grimm</p>

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By Andrew Atterbury

A female teacher at Grape Creek High School has been put on paid leave pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations she had improper relations with a male student, according to a complaint filed with the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office.

The complaint was called in by school Principal Roger Henderson on Feb. 12 and assigned to Deputy Stewart Potter, who compiled an incident report Feb. 13.

The incident report was furnished to the Standard-Times by the sheriff's office in compliance with the Texas Open Records Act. As of Friday, no charges had been filed by the 119th District Attorney in connection with the complaint.

The DA's office had no comment Friday.

"I don't even have a piece of paper in front of me," said Bryan Clayton, first assistant district attorney for the 119th District.

Because no charges have been filed, the Standard-Times is not publishing the name of the teacher.

According to the incident report, the teacher is alleged to have had sexual relations with the student.

Carla Barron, assistant principal at Grape Creek High School, had noticed the teacher "having some issues lately" causing her to cry at school, according to the report. When she saw the teacher and student enter a classroom, Barron turned on the intercom in the classroom, enabling her to hear what was going on inside; she heard the two crying, according to the report.

The teacher told the student she "did not want it to end this way" and offered to correct his school work, Barron said to authorities. "So I will be passing?" the student replied before saying he needed to go to practice, and that he loved the teacher, according to the report.

During the conversation, Barron called Principal Roger Henderson over to where she was listening to the intercom, according to the report.

Henderson called the teacher into his office as she was leaving the school building, then questioned the teacher about the conversation, the report said. The teacher told Henderson she and the student were only friends, the report said. Henderson then asked if she had seen the student after school hours, according to the report.

The student called her one night from a party, saying he was intoxicated and needed a ride home, the teacher told Henderson. She had warned her class against drinking and driving and told the students they should call her should they ever need a ride home, the teacher told Henderson, according to the report.

Henderson and Barron told investigators they had a strict conversation with the teacher when she was hired a year ago, which included the directive that teachers are not allowed to exchange phone numbers with students or interact with students on social media, according to the report.

Henderson reported this to the sheriff's office investigators, who arrived on campus the night of Feb. 12 to meet with administration and the student's parents.

Speaking to authorities, the student's mother noted her son had spoken about the teacher a lot over the past few weeks, according to the report. The mother also said she had noticed her son text messaging a girl whose name she did not recognize, and he had been out partying on several occasions.

The student said he didn't want the teacher getting in trouble when his mother told him she was speaking about her to administrators.

Grape Creek Independent School District Superintendent Barbie McMath told authorities about her conversation with the teacher, who told McMath nothing had happened between her and the student.

McMath placed the teacher on paid leave, advised her not to come on school property and to turn in her keys pending an investigation, according to the report ? all moves meant to protect students and staff, she said.

Henderson questioned the student about his relationship with the teacher; the student said he cared about her but the two were only friends and nothing had happened sexually between them, according to the report.

Henderson told the student about the conversation he had overheard on the intercom and told the student his relationship with the teacher was wrong, then again asked if they had sexual relations, according to the report.

The student broke down crying and said he had had sexual relations with the teacher, according to the report.

Authorities asked Barron, Henderson and McMath to provide written statements regarding what they knew and heard.

The TGCSO, with McMath's approval, seized two computers and an iPad belonging to the teacher, the report said.

"Our primary concern has been and will continue to be the safety and welfare of our students," McMath said in an emailed statement to the Standard-Times. "Upon receiving information of possible educator misconduct the employee was immediately placed on leave and all information was forwarded to local law enforcement. We have been and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement during their investigation."

As of Friday morning, the case remained under investigation and the TGCSO has asked for a warrant from the district attorney's office, according to Chief Deputy Dale Pearce.
Jerry Lackey Columnist SHARE Gus H. Spiser in 1955 was the volunteer weather observer for the United States Weather Bureau. Here he inspects his rain gauging equipment. Spiser started his volunteer job in 1946 when he and his wife Lydia moved to Eden. Contributed photo

He spent 40 years as weather bureau volunteer

Gus H. Spiser, the volunteer weather observer for the United States Weather Bureau in Concho County for 40 years, said the most memorable rainy spell came in July of 1938, when 17.35 inches of rain fell in eight days.

"I get a lot of kidding about the weather, but it's all good natured and I take it that way," Spiser told the Standard-Times when he retired in 1965.

When asked about the weather he always had an answer ready, and he modestly admitted that he's right more than 90 percent of the time, said Otis Bobbitt, head of the San Angelo Weather Bureau, when presenting him a gold lapel pin for his years of service.

In reminiscing about the weather at Eden, Spiser said, "If I could have predicted anything but dry weather I could have become rich."

Gus Spiser married Lydia Schuster. Her father was Rudolph Schuster who was born in Loesau, Thuringen, Germany. At 14 years old, he immigrated to America.

Rudolph's wife, Emile Schrank, came from Bavaria, Germany when she was 12 years old. They were married in 1879.

On Oct. 29, 1901, Rudolph bought 320 acres on Brady Creek 2 miles southwest of Eden. The land was part of the original Fisher Miller Land Grant.

Rudolph and Emily Schuster had eight children: Eugenie Schuster Rauhaut, Erna Schuster Pfluger, Hulda Schuster Lubke, Lydia Schuster Spiser, Hubert, Elsie Regina "Ella" Schuster Jeske, Hildagarde Schuster Bufe and Antonia Schuster Bunger.

The Schusters were one of the founding families of the Zion Lutheran Church and Cemetery at Priddy in Mills County.

The Schusters raised cattle, hogs, chickens, wheat and corn on the 320 acres. In 1916, Gus and Lydia Spiser acquired title to the Schuster property. They added registered Black Angus cattle and registered Rambouillet to their livestock inventory.

Drought years in the 1950s forced the Spisers to sell about two-thirds of the cattle herd. "All we kept was three cows, just enough to start a new herd," Gus said.

Gus and Lydia Spiser had five children: Rosalie Spiser McCoy, Alvin Hilton, Louise Spiser Anderson, Kermit and Edgar.

In 1946, Gus and Lydia moved to Eden where he was postmaster and owned and operated a drugstore. It was also when he started his volunteer weather observer job.

Gus and Lydia Spiser purchased a historic two-story rock house in Eden in 1929. The house was built over a three-year span from 1889 to 1892 by a Russian Jewish merchant in Eden named Daniel G. Benchoff.

Built of native stone quarried a few miles north of Eden, the house had two inside walls and all outside walls built of the stone that were 22 inches thick, ground floor ceilings that were 12 feet 8 inches high and second floor ceilings 13 feet 8 inches high.

It was a little difficult to heat in the winter, but the thick walls kept it at least 10 degrees cooler than the outside in the summer, Spiser told the Standard-Times in 1965.

The Spiser's son, Alvin Hilton Spiser, acquired title to 305.1 acres of the old Schuster farm after serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II when he came home to farm in 1946.

Alvin Spiser married Joni Sorrell. They had one child: Jacquelyn Diane.

Jacquelyn, who taught school in Austin for 21 years, returned to Eden in 1999 to care for aging parents and continued to teach in Menard High School where she retired in 2004.

In 2005, when Jacquelyn Spiser applied and received the Texas Family Land Heritage award from the Texas Department of Agriculture, the family stockfarm had been in continuous ownership for 104 years.

In 2005, Jacquelyn owned and operated 1,065 acres, which included the 305.1 acres purchased by her great-grandfather, Rudolph Schuster, in 1901.

Gus Spiser died June 7, 1976 and Lydia Schuster Spiser died June 4, 1978. Alvin Spiser died in 2005 and Joni Sorrell Spiser died in 2000.

Jerry Lackey is the agriculture editor emeritus. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net.
Adam Sauceda/Standard-Times Makalyn Sloan, 7, and her brother Marcus, 6, swing at Martin Luther King Jr. Park during Saturday's Juneteenth celebration.

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Celebration draws 800 residents

By Adam Sauceda of the San Angelo Standard-Times

Despite organizers' recent difficulty in finding support and participation, another Juneteenth was successfully celebrated Saturday at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

With help from the newly formed Minority Alliance Council of San Angelo, the Juneteenth Committee was able to throw a celebration that drew about 800 residents. They gathered to mark the day Texas learned the Civil War was over and that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves.

"We were just so happy and thrilled to have them, and we're looking forward to working with them again next year," said Todd Aubrey, vice president of San Angelo's Juneteenth Committee.

Aubrey said Juneteenth helps ensure that younger generations know their history and take pride in themselves.

"I think our children need to know that the life they're enjoying, it hasn't always been like this," he said. "They need to know from where we've come, and I think it'll help them have a lot of respect for the older people who have gone through some things that they can't even imagine people going through."

The committee hopes that with the new help it can help plan more activities to mark Juneteenth next year.
Adam Sauceda/Standard-Times A TimeClock Plus employee works at the company's new location at 2905 Southwest Blvd.

SHARE Adam Sauceda/Standard-Times The new TimeClock Plus location is at 2905 Southwest Blvd.

Visitors laud fast growth, value to area

By Federico Martinez, Federico.Martinez@gosanangelo.com / @Federico_SAST

One of San Angelo's fastest-growing companies, TimeClock Plus, took a short break Friday to celebrate its new headquarters in Sunset Crossing Shopping Center, 2905 Southwest Blvd.

The international company, which has been headquartered in San Angelo for 28 years, served up free snow cones, festive music and public tours of its new facility to dozens of residents, business leaders and politicians.

"The economic impact they've had has been crucial to San Angelo," said Laura Lewis, membership director for the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. "Just as important has been their involvement in the community.

"It's so heartwarming to see them here and see this parking lot full."

The company was previously at 1 TimeClock Drive, just off 306 Loop East near College Hills Boulevard. It finished moving into its new quarters a week ago. The building was previously occupied by MultiChem, a supplier of chemicals to oil field businesses, which commissioned an architectural redesign of the 64,000-square-foot interior and moved in during 2008.

In recent years TimeClock Plus has enjoyed phenomenal growth, said President Jordy Moorman. For example, in November the company employed 130 people. It now has 180 employees. Officials say the company plans to hire as many as 40 more people by the end of the year.

Company officials in recent years discussed the idea of relocating to a larger community such as Austin, where they have a smaller office, Moorman said.

Part of the concern is that the company needs technology-savvy workers.

"It's harder and harder to find technologically skilled people in San Angelo," Moorman said. "We had to ask ourselves, 'Can we find the people we need here?' "

However, company officials discovered that skilled people are very willing to relocate to San Angelo, which has a small-town atmosphere but the amenities of a larger city, Moorman said.

Moorman, a longtime Wall resident, said he also has a sentimental attachment to keeping the company's main base of operations in San Angelo. Officials do plan to expand their Austin location in the near future, he said.

Moorman and TimeClock Plus CEO Ernie Nabors say they "accidentally stumbled" across their new site last year. A quick tour of the building convinced the men the site was a good fit.

As the company's name implies, TimeClock Plus makes proprietary software that helps its clients manage employee work hours and other human resources and workforce functions.

Vanessa Ramirez, whose husband has worked for TimeClock Plus for three years, said "there is no comparison" between the new building and the company's former headquarters.

"The old building looked pretty bland; you would never guess it was a big company," she said. "This is a beautiful building and I'm glad they were able to put it to use for our community."

The new building includes a private area where employees can work more discreetly on projects still in development, a spacious training room for new employees, and a large working environment for support staff whose jobs include helping businesses with technical questions about the firm's software.

The company, which is known for its employee-friendly environment, also has installed a fitness area that includes a locker room and shower area. A day care area for employees with young children is also being planned, officials said.

"This is the company we want to be," Moorman said. "We want a culture that is one of inclusion."
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By Paul A. Anthony

Never mind the mine field that is a political campaign; Martin Lucero has experienced the real thing.

Lucero, running for Precinct 1 Tom Green County constable, spent six months with the Army in Bosnia as part of a NATO peacekeeping mission, and part of his duties were to rescue broken down or stranded tanks - including one that rolled off the road and into a mine field.

"That was very scary," he said, adding that his commander ordered him to hook cables to the other tank with a cautionary note: "If you stay on the tracks, you'll be fine."

Running for local political office may not be avoiding mines in Bosnia, but Lucero said both activities stem from the same impulse: Serving the San Angelo community in which he grew up.

"I really want to help people," he said. "I want to help the children, the kids, the schools."

Lucero was born and raised in San Angelo, then left for a six-year tour in the Army after graduating from Central High School. While in training in Germany, Lucero received his orders to go to Bosnia once training was complete.

In 2001, Lucero left the military - just before terrorists struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon. His unit left for Afghanistan without him.

"That's what we had trained so hard for," he said. "Six years of training, and I wasn't able to go. I was disappointed."

Instead, Lucero joined with the Air Force as a civilian mechanic, repairing planes at the American base in Qatar. He returned after six months and soon after took his present job as a corrections officer with the Tom Green County jail.

Lucero, barely more than half the age of his opponent, 59-year-old Roy Balderaz, is campaigning on his youth, arguing that it will allow him to better interact with local children in various anti-drug and other programs and more enthusiastically carry out the constable's duties.

"We don't want to reinvent the wheel," he said. "We may want to make it wider to cover more ground."

The Lucero file

Name: Martin Lucero.

Age: 31.

Hometown: San Angelo.

Family: An 11-year-old son.

Education: Central High School, 1995; attending Howard College and peace officer training.

Occupation: Tom Green County corrections officer.
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By Sharon Randall

The announcement came as no surprise: The flight to Las Vegas was completely full and all roll-a-board bags for passengers in the last two boarding groups would need to be checked.

Milling about the gate like a herd of cattle at a salt lick, the crowd mooed its displeasure.

Seems nobody wants to spend an hour in Vegas hanging out in baggage claim, least of all folks in town for a wild weekend.

To me, it didn't matter. I live in Vegas. My roll-a-board was already checked.

Finally, we began boarding, squeezing into seats that for the next five hours would keep us cozied up to people we had never met and would probably never see again.

Luckily, I had an aisle seat. I get claustrophobic in the middle or by the window.

A big guy sat by the window talking on his phone. A little woman took the middle seat.

"It's freezing in here," she said.

I closed the vent over my head. She closed hers and looked at the guy on his phone. He kept talking. When she reached over to close his vent, he shot up a hand. "Don't!" he snapped.

She didn't. She just glared at him, then rolled her eyes at me.

Meanwhile, a few rows back, two people were talking and laughing, growing louder and more profane, unaware or uncaring of children nearby.

After an especially graphic outburst, I caught the eye of the young man who'd shouted it, and with my best "I'm not mad at you, but you need to watch your mouth" mad-mom-smile, I said, "Hey, buddy, there are little people on board."

He ignored me. It was going to be that kind of flight.

I had just spent four days at the Frederick Buechner Writer's Workshop at Princeton University, attending seminars that challenged my writing and chapel services that fed my soul.

I'd loved meeting people of various ages and backgrounds, talking in depth about writing, about our lives and our faith.

On the last day of the workshop I had dinner with four women I now call friends. We talked and laughed for hours, sharing our stories, baring our souls. It was a beautiful thing.

I've seen that kind of trust and vulnerability shine time and again in small groups or one on one. I'm sure you've seen it, too. Given a chance to confide to a gracious listening ear, most of us will gladly open a vein.

Stories hunger to be heard. Listening feeds the soul for both the teller and the told.

It was a lot to process in four days. I left Princeton exhausted, but inspired. One hour into the flight home, with f-bombs exploding behind me, I was close to what my grandmother would call "losing my religion."

So I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and began to pray. Silently, of course. Praying out loud on airplanes tends to make people tighten their seat belts.

I prayed for my family and friends. For new friends I'd just met. For people on the plane, some I liked more than others.

Suddenly I heard a glorious sound: The peace that begins where profanity ends. Mr. Foulmouth had fallen asleep. Or passed out. And my seatmates  two complete strangers who had snarled at each other over a stupid air vent? They were snoring like woodchippers, blissfully unaware that her head was resting on his shoulder and his chin was on her cheek.

I wish you could've seen them.

Were they dreaming? Let's hope so. What would we be without our dreams?

I dream of a world in which, differences be damned, we will treat one another with respect. Not because we all deserve to be respected, but because we all deserve to be respectful.

Do you dream that dream, too? I hope so. Maybe one day we can all dream it together.

Sharon Randall can be reached at P.O. Box 777394, Henderson NV 89077 or on her website: www.sharonrandall.com.
michelle christenson/Caller-Times file A mesquite tree in Kingsville.

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Flinty survivor unfairly reviled as water waster

By Steve Nelle

A great deal of myth, misinformation and folklore surrounds mesquite ? the most common and most unpopular tree in West Texas.

For decades, this attractive native tree has been maligned, abused and misunderstood. Yet mesquite survives and thrives, even in the midst of persistent drought and massive human efforts to eradicate it.

The most pervasive myth about mesquite is that it uses exorbitant amounts of water and is responsible for the drying of aquifers, springs, creeks and rivers. Common sense, logic and science argue against this myth.

Look at where mesquite naturally grows and this alone will demonstrate that it is well-suited to water-deficient environments. You will observe plenty of mesquite in the very driest parts of West Texas where annual rainfall ranges from 10 to 15 inches and where drought is the norm. If mesquite were a heavy user of water, it would not be able to survive in these places.

The amount of leaf surface of mesquite is much lower than other broadleaf trees, meaning that it has much less leaf area from which to transpire water; this is a common characteristic of water-conserving plants.

Furthermore, mesquite leaves develop a layer of wax by late spring, which further reduces the amount of water used. Contrary to popular belief, mesquite is actually an effective conservator of water.

Even during the terrible drought of 2011, mesquite fared well ? not because it was sucking water from the aquifer, but because it is well-suited to grow in dry soil. Other trees that require more water died or were damaged by the drought, but mesquite endured.

In some regards, mesquite is like other trees ? if given lots of water, it will use it. Mesquite growing adjacent to creeks and rivers will use its share of water (though less than other trees). However, when growing on dry upland sites away from creeks, it uses relatively little water. Scientists at Texas Tech discovered this back in the 1980s.

Compared to pecan, oaks, ash, elm or just about any other popular landscape tree, mesquite uses much less water and is an excellent choice for San Angelo landscapes. Once established, it never needs supplemental water or fertilizer. The thin lacey foliage is attractive and allows enough sunlight passing through to grow flowering plants or grass beneath.

We will see the day when nurseries will produce and sell mesquite, and homeowners and landscapers will plant them and appreciate them as beautiful, long-lived, water-efficient trees. Future entrepreneurs will provide a valuable public service and make a lot of money by growing and selling native mesquite trees.

Look around town and notice the many old mature mesquite trees. They are beautiful, graceful and completely natural ? perfectly fitted for our environment. These are called "bull mesquite" and they are usually revered and protected on area ranches. They add lasting character to any landscape. The twisted, often gnarled trunks are artistic and interesting; each mesquite is unique.

Ranchers have a legitimate reason to manage and control excess mesquite in their pastures. Mesquite often grows so thick that it is difficult to effectively tend and manage livestock. The selective thinning of dense mesquite, leaving the large trees, has become the norm for progressive, astute ranches.

Many ranchers have noted that the best grass often grows under mesquite. This is because of the natural fertilization effect of mesquite (nitrogen fixation) and the partial shading that creates a slightly cooler and moister environment for grass growth.

The state and federal government has spent millions of your tax dollars to control mesquite with the promise and expectation that it would increase the water supply. Unfortunately, there is no additional water to show for these lavish expenditures of public funds despite decades of effort.

Credible scientific research shows that control of mesquite does not result in more water in creeks and rivers or in aquifers, although stubborn policy-makers refuse to acknowledge it.

In San Angelo, our water use habits must change. One of the best ways to reduce water use and still maintain natural beauty is to alter our landscapes and use drought-tolerant grasses, trees, shrubs and flowering plants.

Our perception of a beautiful landscape must also change. Days are gone when big green yards with water-loving grass and trees are acceptable or responsible. Besides mesquite, there are dozens of other attractive trees, shrubs and flowering plants that can be used to create interesting, appealing, natural water-conserving landscapes.

No doubt the ill-informed will ridicule these unorthodox thoughts as heretical. That is always the way it is when old paradigms are challenged. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest and the simplest ideas are the best. When God put mesquite in West Texas, he knew what he was doing.

Consider mesquite, the perfect example of West Texas character and culture ? tough, enduring, resourceful, conservative and handsome.

San Angeloan Steve Nelle is retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he spent 35 years providing land, water and wildlife conservation assistance to Texas landowners.
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San Angelo is fortunate that two capable and well-qualified candidates are in the July 2 runoff election for police chief.

When incumbents are facing re-election, especially those with long tenures, it's the responsibility of the challenger to make the case for change. In the view of the editorial board, Lt. Frank Carter has not done that in his bid to unseat Chief Tim Vasquez.

Over the past 12 years, Vasquez has been an able leader. As San Angelo's longest-serving chief, he has elevated professionalism in the department and made it more responsive to residents. He also has advanced personally and professionally in that time.

His qualities have made him so well-regarded outside the city that he serves as president of the Texas Police Chiefs Association. That organization has recognized San Angelo for implementing "best practices" strategies and programs that enhance policing.

Vasquez also deserves credit for improving transparency in the SAPD. He is committed to keeping residents informed, especially in high-profile cases.

Some critics say morale is low in the department, but that isn't clear. And if it's true, it's less a function of leadership than the elective chief system. He has stood for election four times, and in each of the races members of the department chose sides and some were unhappy with the results. Unless San Angeloans change their minds about having an appointed rather than elected chief, there will always be divisions that affect morale and, ultimately, performance.

Vasquez seems comfortable in the public nature of the chief role, and while long tenure can cause a person to grow stale in a job, we do not see signs that he has lost his desire to serve as the city's top public safety official.
Niki Lauda admitted he was less than impressed with Lewis Hamilton's performance in Baku qualifying.

The reigning world champion dominated the entire weekend on F1's spectacular new street circuit until Saturday afternoon, which was strewn with errors until he smacked into a wall that leaves him tenth on the grid.

"Just an off day," Hamilton said.

After a sluggish start to 2016, the Briton had shown he was back on track with wins in Monaco and Canada but team chairman Niki Lauda indicated that is no excuse for Baku.

"It is important that you drive with less risk and take the pole," he is quoted by the German broadcaster RTL. "Just as Nico (Rosberg) did."

Lauda, a triple world champion, denied that a technical problem was to blame for Hamilton's scrappy driving.

"I looked him in the eye and he told me he is aware of his guilt. We all make mistakes," Lauda said.

He added: "What I don't understand is that he made two mistakes and still had this crash."

Now, Lauda said it is once again now important that Hamilton turns down the risk and survives the hectic first lap of Sunday's race.

"We saw what can happen in GP2," he said, referring to a calamitous support race on Saturday that saw only 10 cars finish.

Lauda said he is expecting the European grand prix to be particularly long.

"With no safety car the race lasts 1 hour 51," he revealed. "There are only three cranes, exactly where they are not needed.

"So I believe that after two hours, the race will be over."

(GMM)
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Yuri Vodolaga, the artistic director at the Greenwich Ballet Academy, born in Kiev and trained there and in Russia, is not one to coddle the rising dancers who are in his charge.

First of all, it is discipline, he said when asked about what makes ballet such an irresistible lifelong challenge.

At 56 years old, Vodolaga brims with energy during a conversation, checking frequent texts from his students updating him on their acceptances to colleges. He is reluctant to talk about himself, but when asked, he discusses his contribution to the academy and his recently won honor, the Outstanding Teacher award from the Boston regional competition of the Youth American Grand Prix.

They know my professionalism, he said. Its honest work  my heart and my soul  that I am giving to them.

Leaders of the academy, which is actually based in Port Chester, but also holds classes at the Greenwich Arts Center, say the students appreciate Vodolagas strict ethic, delivered with a sense of humor.

Children have a radar for honesty and they respond very well to it, said Marisol Rivera Thurman, board chairman of the academy, and the mother of one of its recent graduates. Were in a society where theyre used to being great and fantastic at everything and getting a trophy just for standing on a stage. That doesnt happen at G.B.A. They know they have earned through their own hard work whatever praise comes their way.

In his earlier years, Vodolaga graduated from the Kiev State Ballet Academy and joined the Kiev State Ballet Theater. He later received his masters degree in teaching from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. In 1993, after touring the United States, he chose to stay.

He had, he said, no money, no food. We came, and I decided I have nothing to lose.

In the United States, he amassed an extensive string of teaching experience, and has been a guest teacher at the San Francisco Ballet, Baton Rouge Ballet, Connecticut Ballet among others, according to the school.

He took over as artistic director of the Greenwich Ballet Academy in 2006, but still is in demand elsewhere, Rivera Thurman said. In 2014, when renowned ballerina Natalia Osipova was rehearsing to dance in Don Quixote at the Royal Ballet in London, she had Vodolaga flown to London to help her train.

I think there are only a handful of people in the world who are like Yuri who have his training and his experience, said Christina Volkwein, a board member of the school. The combination of the world-class training, the dance and teaching experience made him an ideal fit for the academy that seeks to offer students top training without making almost daily trips to New York City.

The training is aimed at launching the dancers on to professional careers  or at least achieving that level of accomplishment, even if they choose other vocations. Rivera Thurmans daughter Olivia recently graduated as a co-salutatorian at the Convent of the Sacred Heart school in Greenwich and will go to Harvard University in the fall, Rivera Thurman said.

The board president said her daughter wrote the essays for her college applications about Vodolaga, and that training at the dance school six days a week taught her how much she could accomplish.

Thats where she learned the most important lessons about perseverance and about excellence, she said.

When Vodolaga received the Outstanding Teacher award in Boston, it was one of several accomplishments that the school boasted. Three students from the academy emerged to go on to the Youth American Grand Prix finals in New York City, where they competed against students from schools from Japan to Brazil.

Explaining the success, Vodolaga said, They like our clean academic style.

He was happy to receive the award, he said, but when asked about it, he again turned the talk to his students.

My pleasure is to teach and see how they rise, he said.

GBA board members boast that Vodolaga not only teaches, he choreographs. In order to obtain his degree at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, he had to learn to stage the classic ballets  Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, La Bayadare and others, they said.

One of his strengths is putting the performances together and getting them to be (danced) exquisitely, Rivera Thurman said. Its just remarkable how clean and precise the performances are.
Published on 2016/06/19 | Source

One in every five elementary schools across the country takes in fewer than 10 new children this year as the birthrate drops and the population ages.

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According to the Education Ministry on Monday, 1,395 or 22.4 percent of the 6,218 elementary schools in the country accepted fewer than 10 first-year students this year.

This was particularly marked in rural or fishing communities, which are dying out.

North Gyeongsang and South Jeolla provinces topped the list with 217 elementary schools each. Next came North Jeolla Province (187), Gangwon Province (179), and South Gyeongsang Province (165).

Secondary schools are also thinning out. Some 335 middle schools and 16 high schools across the country had fewer than 10 first-year students this year, according to the ministry.

The Office of Education in North Gyeongsang Province said the number of schoolchildren in the region is expected to fall about 17.2 percent by 2030 and there are many primary and secondary schools with fewer than 10 new students.

"The trend could affect students' learning and their peer relationship", a ministry official warned. "The regional offices of education need to merge schools based on ministry guidelines".

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By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2016/06/18

"Breathless" was one of the biggest international successes of 2008, winning awards from a plethora of festivals all over the world and having a vast impact in Japan, where most competitions hailed it as the best foreign film of the year.

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Sang-hoon is a low-level gangster, working for a loan shark named Man-sik, who happens to be his sole friend. His job chiefly incorporates searching for individuals who owe money, and subsequently, violently forcing them to pay. Usually, a young man from the syndicate accompanies him, seemingly to train in the field, but actually for Sang-hoon to treat as a punching bag, constantly cursing and hitting him. However, underneath his violent facade resides a tragic story. His cruel father, who regularly rampaged on his family, eventually killed his wife in an incident that landed him in prison and Sang-hoon in the hospital. When he is released, he returns to his home with Sang Hoon, who, not being able to forget, wreaks his fury upon him, beating him every time he gets drunk. The only people Sang-hoon seems to tend to are his sister and her son, to whom he leaves a large part of his income, and generally treats them with love. This love, however, is expressed in his own, unique fashion, which includes, expectantly, extensive verbal abuse. One day, during his line of work, he meets a school girl, and a peculiar friendship initiates between them. She also has horrible family issues, since her mother has left their home, her father is a half-mad individual who spends all of his time in front the TV, and her brother, Yeon-jae does nothing but asking her for money. Things become even more complicated, when Yeon-jae is employed by Man-sik and eventually becomes Sang-hoon's assistant.

In distinct, one-man-show fashion Yang Ik-june directs, pens and plays Sang-hoon, doing a wonderful job in all three of them, creating very demanding characters and playing the most difficult among them, in a film that is mostly autobiographical. His primary purpose is to delve into the concept of domestic violence, and he accomplishes that by depicting it without constraints regarding the abuse it incorporates, both physically and verbally. The outcome is grotesque as much as it is realistic. His message is clear: the cycle of domestic violence is almost impossible to end. What makes "Breathless" additionally extreme is that in the overwhelming majority of its duration, violence is present, not only from the protagonist, who seems to stop cursing only when he is beating someone, but also from parents toward their children. His biggest achievement though, in terms of direction, is that he does not let the film become a melodramatic tearjerker, despite the drama that permeates it.

His acting is very realistic, as he manages to portray a truly despicable individual in a fashion that eventually makes him likeable, as it becomes clear that violence is his only form of expression. Kim Kkobbi is also great as Yeon-hee, elaborately emitting the despair that comes from her family status and the hope that Sang-hoon represents for her in a truly harsh environment.

Technically the film is evidently low budget, and this is mirrored in both the cinematography and the editing. The first aspect, though, matches the general aesthetics of the film, as it presents realistically the harsh environment the protagonists live in, without trying to impress the audience with unnecessary images of beauty. The second aspect is probably the film's sole shortcoming, since the film is somewhat overextended in its 130 minutes, to the point that it almost overstays its welcome.

"Breathless" is a bit hard to watch due to its excessive violence, slow pace and large duration, but if someone gets past those aspects, he would realize that this is actually a true masterpiece, a triumph of low-budget filmmaking.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Breathless" is directed by Yang Ik-june and features Yang Ik-june, Kim Kkobbi, Lee Hwan, Park Jeong-soon, Lee Seung-yeon-I and Kim Hee-soo.

Available on DVD from YESASIA



DVD (TW - English Subtitled)
Published on 2016/06/19 | Source

The number of foreigners living in Korea has more than doubled over the last decade to 1.9 million people.

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According to immigration census data released on Wednesday, the proportion of foreigners in the population rose from 1.5 percent in 2005 to 3.7 percent last year.

Most were Chinese with 955,870 people or 50.3 percent of the foreign population, followed by Americans (138,660 or 7.3 percent), Vietnamese (136,760 or 7.2 percent) and Thais (93,350 or 4.9 percent).

Meanwhile, the number of foreign visitors to Korea increased 10 percent per year until 2014 but dropped 6.3 percent last year to 13.36 million due to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

During June to September last year, when the MERS outbreak raged, there was a whopping 30.7 percent drop on-year in foreign visitors.

Chinese also made up the largest group of visiting foreigners with 46 percent or 6.15 million, followed by 1.86 million Japanese, 859,000 Americans and 551,000 Taiwanese.

A total of 19.58 million Koreans traveled abroad last year, up around 19 percent compared to 2014.

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Published on 2016/06/19 | Source

The government will partially privatize the power and gas grid now monopolized by state-run KEPCO and Korea Gas Corporation.

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The aim is to end the decades-long monopoly of the state-run companies over the utilities and make the bloated businesses more efficient. The measure was announced in a workshop chaired by President Park Geun-hye for CEOs of state-run companies.

Korea, Mexico and Israel are the only countries in the OECD that have not at least partially privatized their utilities.

Private businesses must sell any electricity they produce from solar panels and windmills to KEPCO, which sells them to consumers. But the government wants to end KEPCO's monopoly as early as the second half of this year so private firms can sell power directly to consumers.

Critics fear that electricity prices may rise as they have in many Western countries that privatized their utilities, while there are moves afoot in some countries to take the grid back into public hands.

But Chae Hee-bong at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "Electricity fees for household use still stand at only 60 percent of charges in other OECD member nations. The latest reforms are at reducing costs and allowing new energy businesses to enter the market quickly".

Korea Gas Corporation controls 94 percent of the natural gas import business in the nation. POSCO, GS Energy, SK E&S and Korea Midland Power are allowed to import natural gas for their own use but are barred from reselling it.

The gas market is to be opened to private businesses by 2025.
Published on 2016/06/19 | Source

Korean brands rank a poor sixth in the lucrative Chinese market for high-end consumer goods like perfume, fashion, jewelry and handbags. But exports of high-end goods to other countries in Asia are increasing thanks to the popularity of Korean TV dramas and movies in the region.

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According to the Institute for International Trade on Sunday, China imported US$20.9 billion worth of high-end consumer goods in 2014, with Korean products accounting for 2.8 percent.

Italian products led the field with 14.9 percent, followed by French with 12.3 percent and Swiss with 9.1 percent. Japanese products accounted for five percent and American for 3.5 percent.

Korea's share of the Chinese high-end market rose only 0.2 percentage point from 2.6 percent in 2011 due to a lack of global brand awareness.

According to a study by Deloitte, the only Korean-owned brand among the world's top 100 luxury consumer goods is MCM, originally a German brand.

Last year, Korea exported $6.1 billion worth of high-end luxury products, a mere 8.5 percent of Italian and 10.1 percent of French shipments. They account for just 1.2 percent of Korea's overall exports.

But in terms of growth Korea's high-end consumer products are faring better than key exports, which are slowing down due to the global slump.

Korea's overall exports declined eight percent last year, but exports of high-end consumer products rose 13.1 percent and an average of 29 percent over the last five years mainly on the back of premium beauty products

In Vietnam they account for 7.8 percent of the market, a respectable slice and the highest anywhere.

Shim Hye-jeong at the institute said, "The Asian population is expected to grow from 52.5 billion in 2009 to 322.8 billion in 2030, which translates into a marked increase in demand for high-end products, so we need to develop new luxury brands and try to acquire leading foreign brands". Shim also recommended diversifying sales channels to meet changing consumption patterns.

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BY LINDSEY BAHR

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

"Central Intelligence," a buddy action-comedy starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, doesn't pack many big laughs, but it is likely to keep a smile on your face for the duration.

That's largely because of the charisma of its two leads, who wholly embrace the earnest goofiness of Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen's ("The Mindy Project") story about two guys at the opposite ends of the high school hierarchy. There's more to it than that, but at its heart  and yes, this movie has a big, beating heart  this story centers on a high school prince who grows up to be an ordinary guy (Hart's Calvin Joyner) and the overweight outcast who sheds his flab and becomes exceptional (Johnson's Bob Stone) and what they learn from one another. Seriously!

The movie, from "We're The Millers" director Rawson Marshall Thurber, who also has a script credit, opens on a flashback of a 1996 high school pep rally where Calvin offers an act of kindness to his less fortunate classmate when everyone else just sits there and laughs. Cut to 20 years later and "most likely to succeed" Calvin is married to his high school girlfriend (Danielle Nicolet) and working as a midlevel accountant who's just been passed over for a promotion that his former assistant gets instead. It's the eve of their high school reunion and he'd rather not go at all. He's feeling a little too average for the "what are you doing now" small talk.

That's when Bob comes back into his life. A random friend request from a mysterious fellow who claims to like guns, pancakes and unicorns, followed by a few enthusiastic Facebook messages, lead to the two getting together for drinks. Bob is not the 300-pound pariah anymore. He's The Rock. And yet, despite the exterior upgrade, though, he's still an affable dweeb at heart, rocking a fanny pack, jean shorts, a unicorn t-shirt. He's genuinely thrilled to be hanging out with Calvin, too.

It just so happens that Bob is also a super spy who is on the run from his fellow CIA agents for mysterious reasons. Calvin, of course, gets entangled in all of this, bringing the requisite wide-eyed WTF perspective needed in this sort of over-the-top comedy.

Again, it's the actors who really bring "Central Intelligence" home. One of Johnson's great onscreen strengths is that he has a believable softness to him that belies his hard shell, even in his more hardcore roles. Here, that high-wattage charisma is turned up to 11. He's almost daring you not to smile along with him.

Hart, in the straight man role, gets to flex some muscles that not many comedies ask of him  relative subtlety. For a man who displays such unwavering confidence most of the time, Hart's Calvin is like a less depressed Louis C.K. In some past life, this might have even been a Steve Martin role.

"Central Intelligence" also boasts an impressive roster of cameos and bit parts from comedians like "Silicon Valley's" Kumail Nanjiani and a few others that I won't spoil here.

The plot is pretty silly and not worth much discussion, although in its nearly two-hour runtime, some scenes drag on interminably and bits start to feel a little repetitive. Thurber should have trimmed some of that fat but he probably didn't want to throw out any even slightly amusing footage of his two superstars. And what didn't make it into the film can probably be found in the blooper reel at the end.

Despite its shortcomings, "Central Intelligence" is a satisfyingly sweet summer distraction that should only improve with time and repeat viewings.

"Central Intelligence," a Warner Bros. release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action violence, and brief strong language."

 Two and a half stars out of four. PG13.
ABINGDON. Va.  Its been a century since Charles K. Findlay (1899-1962) fired up his new Indian Power Plus motorcycle, and blew out from Montgomery, Alabama, to his fathers ancestral hometown of Abingdon. That was on June 8, according to Gwen Shogs Phillips. The Harrisonburg, Virginia, nurse has been recreating Findlays ride for weeks. The first half of the journey culminates with her Abingdon arrival, Wednesday, June 22.

Bitten by the Findlay bug since 2008, shes haunted historical societies (including the Historical Society of Washington County, Abingdon), universities and museums  has snooped out, bought up or downloaded 1,100 maps. Armed with Findlays remembrance, Phillips has pinpointed all the roads, ferries, bridges and towns he referred to. Phillips has poured over the 1914-1916 Automobile Blue Books (the GPS of the day), and historic topographic, soil and railroad maps.

Shes secured the moral support and blessings of Findlays remaining relations, including Abingdons Janet Derting, Bristol, Virginias, Dan Smith and Tampa, Floridas, Val Hirvela. Finally, shes spent three years visiting locations beforehand. Shes serious.

Sticking to 1916 Route

Phillips hopes to recreate Findlays route as closely as possible, using roads that existed in 1916 for 90 percent of her trip, and duplicating Findlays daily tally of miles. Shes inhaled Findlays diary. He logged 854 miles in 43 hours and 35 minutes, from Montgomery to Abingdon. Her bike, like his, is new this year, and Phillips, too, will pen a road diary, creating an account for historians and motorcycle enthusiasts alike.

All along Findlays trail, Phillips will seek to capture and honor the spirit and memory of Findlays excursion. She has no choice but to recreate his Savannah River ferryboat ride via pontoon  the original crossings now under Lake Hartwell.

Back in 1916 in Rocky Mount, Virginia, floods forced Findlay to take a train to Wytheville where his uncle lived, leaving his bike with a Roanoke stranger. Phillips has to settle during this century for a bus and a taxi, but is also leaving her bike in strange hands. Given opportunity, she believes most people can be depended on to do the right thing.

Its hard to explain. In 2006, I got as far as High Level, Alberta, an oil town  nothing, abandoned, stripped. My input shaft of transmission went out, breaking power between the engine and transmission. I was sitting there, scratching my head, thats when I heard some John Wayne kind of voice behind me say, Can I help you, maam?

This guy called someone, who called someone else and 40 minutes later, a man driving a flatbed trailer truck pulled up. The second guy gave me keys to his house and car, told the first guy where to store my bike. People just kept stepping up, sending me parts, everything. These people fed me, took me out for cycle rides  even got me a job, building decks for three days, Phillips said.

Who Was Charles Findlay?

Charles Kleiber Findlay was born 116 years ago on Aug. 3. The son of Abingdons Alexander, and Germanys Ella Kleiber Findlay, he was a five year-old tyke when his mother died. Findlay Sr. thereafter determined his son would be raised in such a way as to encourage natural talents and abilities, which came roaring out of Charles.

The Findlays were the top one percent of their time, but down-home likeable, said Phillips. They were community-minded, had human values, gave back. Alex helped establish Emory & Henry. They were supportive of the unprivileged, connected with womens colleges, outside the box.

Hardly surprising Charles was a musical prodigy. He was accomplished on violin and cello by age 10.

He also gave early indication of strong ability utilizing another side of his brain. Fascinated by mechanical work on machines, he excelled at dismantling and reassembling bicycles, then motorcycles. Findlay was 15 when he convinced his father to allow an extended round trip on a 1915 Indian cycle, to visit Springfield, Massachusetts, Indian Motorcycle Company. His father worried hand injuries might ruin his sons burgeoning musical career.

But fears didnt stop Findlay, the son, who raced against time in 1916 from Montgomery, where his father had just remarried, to his father and grandfathers ancestral home of Abingdon  then back. The ancestral residence was the northeast corner of Valley Street, at Church, just east of Summerfield Inn.

Following his fathers death, Findlay joined the army during WWI, learning to build and fly planes, going up in experimental ones. Another talent instilled by his dad, photography, led to further natural interest in capturing aerial views.

Findlay was married to an Alliance, Ohio, woman for 30 years before his death at age 63, leaving behind no children but a legacy that fascinates descendants and outsiders.

Phillips, who describes herself as a long distance driver whos made a few Iron Butt rides, said, What totally captured me was his riding against the clock.

Details About the Route

Doesnt that come with built-in pressure?

By now, Im numb to pressure, said Phillips. Ive spent over $10,000 of my own money, not counting the motorcycle, put in countless hours. Cant put a dollar value on it. Feel my entire life has led me to tell this story. Im so detail-oriented, most people wouldnt put in the time. Its been a monumental effort.

Reading excerpts of Findlays diary is like reading a silent comedy script, as the mad dash gets made. Self-challenge paid off: Got back to the town square of Montgomery at 10:15 a.m.  ON TIME to the second!

[W]ent ... to the Womens College to let ... dad know ... I had run 625 miles in 26 hrs .25 minutes. I used 9 gal [.] gas ... an average of 69 & 1/2 miles to a gallon.

Along the road, Phillips will sometimes depend upon property owners to ride over private property. In Pulaski, one owner will conduct her across his property, riding his own historic bike.

Phillips hails from Aiken, South Carolina. She grew up a tomboy on a working farm. She met her Virginia Beach architect husband in Blacksburg, where he put up Techs stadium. She lived in Culpepper until one and a half years ago, while he launched a second stadium at James Madison. Her father is an engineer, her mother an English Major.

Right theres who I am, she says regarding their careers, showing dual nature like Findlay himself.

Phillips has been in nursing for 20-plus years. She painted signs before that. Never tell an artist how to do his job. They cant flourish if you restrain them, she said.

She likes nursing, because you can do all kinds of things under one job title. Ive worked in ICU, emergency room, MedSearch, you name it. But Im older now and wanted to slow it a bit.

I work for a wonderful, really splendid Mennonite Retirement Community, said Phillips. They do everything from rehabilitation for independent living to total care. Its one mile from my house. Its a new job.

But I had this trip on my burner. So I told them up front during the interview. Told them the trip meant more than the job, but nursing means more than the trip. Told them I wanted to be the person about whom someone says, Im glad she took care of me. They understood me.

The Biker Within

Shes been biking for some time. It was 1999 when Phillips, filling up her 1985 dodge caravan to drive over 70 miles one-way to work, threw her hands in the air. She drove to a Honda shop and bought a used Honda Rebel.

I financed the jacket, boots, gloves, all of it, Phillips says. Guy delivered it and spent over an hour with me. Two weeks passed, as I walked by it to my 1985 dodge caravan, thinking, What have I done? One day I walked out, turned back, went back inside, put my stuff in my sons backpack and took off, 74 miles to work.

By 2006, Id gone 60,000 miles that year and gone through several bikes, she said

I had a near-fatal crash in 07, broke two back vertebrae, my sternum, clavicle, had a concussion, said Phillips. A friend of mine from an online community crossed paths with Jan [Derting]. Jan loaned the Findlay diary to him. I learned of it. Firstly, I wanted to get well enough to re-do the ride Id been on. But finally, I tracked this diary down in Tampa, with Val Hirvela. And when I read this diary, life opened up.

I want to tell the best story I can. Things work out when you let things flow, let go and enjoy the ride. Thats what Charles did 100 years ago.

Readers may keep up with Phillips road trip progression by going to facebook.com/Findlays Road or twitter.com/shogsgwen. They may also visit GoFundMe to make a donation toward helping with excursion expenses.

All along the route, Phillips will be eating in historic places, staying in historic lodging. Hereabouts, shell be having dinner on June 22 at The Tavern. Phillips invites friends, philosophers, artists, moral supporters or fellow riders to pop in and say hello. Shell be traveling with photographer/videographer Tim White, a friend since her wedding, documenting her experiences. (Of course he rides a bike!)

Her collaborator on the written diary, liable to pop up in documentary fashion as well, is HSWCs Dan Smith, noted local historian, genealogist  and distant Findlay kin (third cousin, twice-removed).

If Phillips ticket to ride stays on track. Shell be back in Montgomery on the June 25, leave on the 26 or 27 to see an as yet unmet biker friend from Dothan, Alabama.

Then its back to reality, Phillips said.

C. Robert Weisfeld is a freelance writer from Abingdon.
BY TOM NETHERLAND

SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Tenn.  Two babies cried on the day they were born, decades apart.

Ones a girl, Bellamy Briar Mays, age 15 days.

The others a fellow  yours truly.

Her father held her moments after birth.

It waswow! said Nathan Mays, 39, of Bristol, Tennessee.

His father sat behind the wheel of a milk truck, miles away and working to earn money for his young family. Those were the days.

Today is Fathers Day. Some such as Nathan Mays are brand new fathers, look-ing forward into their newborns future. Many are in the role of their life trying to raise children or to let adult children lead their own lives.

And there are others, including James Netherland Sr.  whose license plate read TENN JIM for his nickname Tennessee Jim, are gone and leave those who knew and loved them to look back upon that which they left behind.

It was hard to believe, Mays said of holding his daughter for the first time. Something that little andyoure the reason why theyre here.

Welcome to fatherhood, Mr. Mays. May the dreams begin.

Dream On

My dream for her, Mays said, is that she can achieve her dreams.

Mays works as a photographer. Now he works as a father, too. One job pays well. The other pays memorably. One job has a set number of hours. The other one is around the clock.

Its diapers, food and no sleep, Mays said. But you know, its a joy to watch her. My wife, Amber, and I dont really sleep now. Its more like nap-ping.

Someday the Mays daughter will probably look back on her childhood. These are the days that shell never remember, but they are the toddling times that her parents will never forget.

She needs her father. She needs her mother. Perhaps now more than ever to come, shes totally dependent on them.

Shes in good hands, Mays said.

My Pappy Was a Pistol

My Dads hands were the size of ham hocks and strong as vice grips. You see, hed worked on the farm during his oft-unhappy childhood.

Born in Bluff City, Tennessee, his welcome to the world as the ninth and fi-nal child among the family of Netherlands came as world war was about to reel America into the fray. Work started early, carried on as often, even among the kids, including my father. Well, those were the days.

Many men hardened as a result. Often more stoic and even stern, expressions of emotions and feelings were rare among their lexicon. They were John Wayne without a horse and saddle. My dad certainly was, anyway.

Yet to quote Roger Millers Dang Me, My pappy was a pistol, Im a son-of-a-gun. The man who encountered a razor strop on more times than surely he wanted to remember but could never forgot didnt even spank his four boys. Ev-er.

Those steel strong hands? No one ever walked the planet who could extricate splinters from a childs hand or foot as painlessly as my father. Not even close. He spoke gently as surgery was performed as carefully and delicately as most anyone would never assume he could given his size, strength and John Wayne-ish demeanor.

But we never cried.

He didnt either. Dad wasnt the crying kind.

Born Again

Mays did exactly that on the day his daughter was born. Couldnt help it.

There were tears, he said. It was a miracle, her birth. Holy cow, it is a miracle! And it happened to us.

Merely two weeks later, Mays still cant believe it  hes a father, shes a baby and he helped create her. When she cries, he aches. When she smiles, he warms. When she needs him, hes there. She needs him, and perhaps he doesnt realize it yet, but he needs her even more.

When she was born I thought, shes so helpless, Mays said. She was born into this cold and cruel world, but Im going to make it the best for her. You want to protect her. I will protect her. Shes going to have it better. Shes going to be watched and taken care of.

With the birth of Bellamy Briar Mays came the death of Nathan Mays of old. Life as he knew it ceased as a new life dawned on June 4, 2016.

Thats the way it is, being a father.

She is a princess, Mays said. Shes daddys little princess.

Looking Back to See

Dad died nearly seven years ago, but hes never left anyone who knew him. Fathers Day follows his birthday from one month to the next amid an avalanche of memories and still, disbelief.

Yep, still cant believe hes gone.

But then thoughts of days not so gone by as to betray fond reminisces arise to the fore. Those were the days of innocence.

Like the day when dad took his four boys to see a NASCAR race for the first time. Right here in Bristol, Tennessee, to Bristol International Speedway (as it was known then) we went  dad, his four sons and our cousin, Mike, who had lost his father at age 4. Dad couldnt bring himself to overlook Mike. So, he paid his way, too. He bought souvenirs for us all. Snacks, too.

Hey, those were the days that one never forgets. Amid the roar of the en-gines and warmth of the sun that day, thoughts of dads selflessness werent really thought of that day. But now we cant forget the way he was.

Now, dad never said I love you to us kids. Didnt have to. We knew.

His love and affection came through blue eyes that watched over us without fail. It came through his strength that led and protected to no end. And yes, it came through hands of sinewy muscle that melted to a loving touch when we needed a splinter taken from our hand.

We look back, those of us whose fathers are gone. Mays looks forward.

So welcome to Fathers Day, a time to remember and a time to herald fathers gone and fathers newborn.

My life is halfway over, but its a whole new life now, Mays said. Im in the best half now.
The best Penn State personality? Check out what the punter did now ...
Some years ago, Uddhav Thackeray, president of the Shiv Sena told me with great pride, "My father is the only leader in the world who has headed one party for more than four decades. This has not happened anywhere else in the world."

As records go, that could be a dubious one (of course, even the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhis cannot claim that for themselves). For the Shiv Sena began not as a political party but as a cultural organisation to fight for the sons of the soil. It gave itself a hasty constitution and party hierarchy only during the Emergency or they could otherwise be shut down under the Representation of People's Act. Bal Thackeray figured nowhere in that hierarchy  for the fear that he could be arrested for unlawful political activities. But there was never any doubt that he was the unquestioned leader of the Shiv Sena and every word of his was the law to his supporters.

The Sena started by fighting for the local Maharashtrians in Mumbai in order to get them houses and jobs, which were being steadily usurped by south Indians migrating to the city and Thackeray hated the Gujaratis, who were largely responsible for building the metropolis even before Independence, for their wealth. Hence, much of the Sena's ire was directed against these two communities. But it was a hatred shared by the then Congress stalwarts, who found in Thackeray a convenient tool to drive these communities down or out of Mumbai, and much of the Sena violence in the early years was condoned for that very reason.

But the issue had limited appeal and the Sena has always been in search of an issue to stay relevant. In the 1970s and 1980s, Thackeray reinvented his party as a communal entity and it actually became a serious political party only after the mid-1980s when it forged an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shiv Sena 'Pramukh' Bal Thackeray with BJP's Nitin Ghadkari when the two parties were political allies (HT Photo)

Now that the longest-standing alliance in Indian political history stands broken (though the Sena continues to partner the BJP at the Centre) and, in its 50th year, it is still a party in search of a raison d'etre. The Sena's partnership with the BJP in this new government is an uneasy one  they are bitter rivals but have no choice but to stay together. The Sena does not agree with many of the NDA government's policies  particularly the surreptitious attempts to shift various institutions like the port trust and Reserve Bank of India headquarters to neighbouring Gujarat as it has workers unions in these institutions and fears it will lose its support base should this happen. Its ministers continue to write letters to the Union government protesting this injustice to locals but awaits the civic elections in 2017 which will determine who controls the metropolis. Their biggest threats are not the Congress or the Nationalist Congress Party but the BJP which is determined to systematically finish off its ally which occupies the same space in terms of political ideology.

But even today, the Sena is unable to move beyond its "injustice to local Maharashtrians" rhetoric. Do locals really care that the RBI might be headquartered in Ahmedabad or the port trust in Porbandar? Or are they keen and eager to take their place alongside the best of Indians in a global economy that will open the doors to prosperity and realise their aspirations?

I emphasise this point because the Sena began by fighting for lower-rung jobs to be given to locals. Five decades later it is still beating up taxi drivers and peanut vendors from north Indian communities - all these years of fighting for their rights doesn't seem to have taken the Maharashtrian youth upwards but downwards, who now seem to be threatened by migrants taking away jobs in the unorganised sectors.

The continuing emphasis on Marathi as the lingua franca of the state is another issue that keeps local Maharashtrians from connecting with the best in a globalised scenario. This handicap is already being felt by the new generation of Shiv Sainiks and it is a telling commentary that the grandchildren of the old timers now go to the best English medium schools in quiet defiance of the Thackeray diktat. Bal Thackeray never encouraged education among Shiv Sainiks for he wished to build up an army of musclemen who would accept his diktats quietly and enforce fear and violence in the city for as little as a job as a fitter or a loader at the Mazgaon docks or Air India where the Shiv Sena has its workers unions among many other institutions.

Uddhav Thackeray needs to address the issue of lack of skills and education amongst the Shiv Sainiks (HT Photo)

Such lack of skill and education has set a whole generation of Shiv Sainiks back by a generation and Uddhav needs to address their concerns immediately or see his party lose relevance should he fail to win the BMC elections.To that extent, the Sena's problems are similar to that of the Congress which emphasises more than necessary on doles and charity than on making the youth capable of standing on its feet.

But, as a senior Shiv Sena leader told me, "The trouble with Uddhav is that he only has a coterie but no good advisers. His father had people surrounding him from all walks of life  the rich and the poor, educated classes and working masses, socialists and capitalists and he listened to everybody before coming to his decisions. The problem with the new generation is that they think the old methods and ideas will work in this century  Maharashtrians want to be defined by more than just violence and blue collar jobs."

Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has collapsed due to its extreme ideologies (HT Photo)

The best and biggest example of the risks that the Sena faces is the manner in which Uddhav's estranged cousin Raj Thackeray's party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, collapsed for defining itself with little more than violence and xenophobia. It will be a long time, if at all, before the MNS will be able to rise again. Uddhav faces the same risk - the Sena could sink sooner than expected if it fails to reinvent itself in the modern idiom.

The patriarch is no more. But the Sena tiger could soon be extinct!

(This story was first published on June 19, 2015)

Read

All eyes on next chapter in Senas state story



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Entrepreneur and designer Sussanne Khan has allegedly been booked by the Goa Police in a Rs 1.87 crore cheating case on Saturday.

The ex-wife of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, Sussanne has been accused for falsely projecting herself as an architect by Emgee Properties, a real estate firm in Goa, the Times of India reported.

Read: Sussanne Khan reacts to allegations of fraud

Managing partner Mudhit Gupta said the company paid Sussanne Rs 1.87 crore in 2013 for architectural and designing services, ANI reported. Sussanne however failed to deliver her designs within the stipulated time, and what she finally submitted was sub-standard, Gupta alleged.

Suspicious of her credentials, the company checked with the Council of Architecture and found that she wasnt registered as an architect, Gupta further stated.

An entrepreneur and designer, Sussanne heads a few companies, including The Charcoal project, a high-end decor store based in Mumbai. (Twitter)

Sussanne, 37, is known for her interior decoration and design skills and heads a few companies, including The Charcoal project, a high-end decor store based in Mumbai.

Emgee Properties legal counsel Arun Bras de Sa also claimed that police were reluctant to file an FIR in the matter, but finally obliged when they approached the court.

Read: Hrithik Roshan will always be my son, says Sussannes mom Zarine

A case has reportedly been filed under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.

Read: Sussanne Khan opens up about her divorce with Hrithik Roshan

When contacted, Sussanne Khan simply stated , Ive already sent out my response to everyone. My PR people have sent it out. When asked to comment further on the matter, she said, Its retarded and the response is already out there, without revealing any further details.
Actor Kriti Sanon, who was rumoured to be dating her Raabta co-star Sushant Singh Rajput, has rubbished the news via social media and has termed it as baseless.

The 25-year-old actor recently took to her Twitter handle to quash the rumours and tweeted, Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars, there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks.

Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars,there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks  Kriti Sanon (@kritisanon) June 18, 2016

Earlier, the rumours were making the rounds that the Heropanti actor, who will be seen with Sushant in her upcoming film Raabta, was in a romantic relationship with him.

Read: Have you seen this Sushant Singh Rajput, Kriti Sanons selfie?

However, both the actors maintained silence on the rumoured news which began a few months ago as a mere speculation.

Read: Kriti Sanon punched Sushant Singh Rajput in the face. Heres why

Sushant, who recently broke-up with his long-time girlfriend Ankita Lokhande, is yet to comment on the news.

Read: Kriti Sanon, Sushant Singh Rajput look perfect together in this still

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Its a known fact that Akshay Kumar goes on a family holiday with his wife, Twinkle Khanna and kids  son Aarav and daughter Nitara  every year during the summer. A couple of days back, the family took off for their annual vacation, and will be visiting Europe, USA and UAE, in the coming month.

READ: Nitara will be a little ninja: Akshay Kumar on his daughter

Unlike his usual outings abroad, during which Akshays staff accompanies him, and takes care of all his requirements, this time around, it is Akshay who will personally be taking care of his family during the vacation. For instance, the star will be handling the familys lodging, and will even be driving them around. That is because none of his team members have gone with Akshay for the holiday.

Happiness is...watching him stumble,struggle & eventually grow into a fine young man #HappyFathersDay pic.twitter.com/PgZdAlK8L2  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) June 19, 2016

When contacted, the actor, who is currently camping in an Italian village, says, Family vacations are the best and the worst time of the year for me. It is the best because I dedicate every waking hour to my wife and kids, and the worst because I am also the butler, driver, spot boy, disciplinarian, clown, adventurer, cook, tour guide and even the bell boy [while on a family vacation].

READ: I make films that mean something to me, says Akshay Kumar

Although Akshay admits that he misses his staff on such trips, he also gets a kick from being a complete family man. He adds, I have an entire entourage to take care of everything that I need the rest of the year. But on holidays, I am the staff. When the people you love depend on you for the most fulfilling time of their life, theres nothing better than being the one who makes that happen. Plus, an actor needs to step back and keep things real too. Holidays are a time to reflect for all of us as its during times like these that one appreciates ones employees the most (smiles).

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Anand Kumar, the founder of Super 30 which has been helping underprivileged students prepare for IIT JEE, often gets strange requests like action against a wife-beating man or saving someone wrongfully convicted of a crime.

Almost every day, no less than 10 people come to Anand with requests of varying natures - someones husband hits them, someone wants their children to be educated, someone has been wrongfully convicted of a crime, writes Biju Mathew in the book Super 30: Changing the World 30 Students at a Time.

They all think Anand can help him but he is helpless. Everywhere Anand goes, youths in great number come out to hear him; to be part of the revolution in education.

Some people think Anand is a big personality and often some poor woman would come to Anand begging him to teach her nine-year-old son. There have been also cases when a woman whose family was harassing her for dowry turned to Anand for help, Mathew writes.

The book, published by Penguin Books India, tells the story of Anand, a mathematics teacher who defied all challenges to set up one of the most successful and innovative initiatives in the world -Super 30.

Born in Gaudiya Math in Patna, Anand secured a place at Cambridge University, but couldnt attend because he had no money and sold papads in the evenings instead. He dealt with his own disappointment by setting up the innovative school in 2002 to prepare underprivileged students for the IIT JEE examination.

Super 30 has an astonishing success rate and, on average, 27 to 28 of the 30 students crack the exam every year.

After making up his mind on doing something for underprivileged children, he decided to hold an entrance exam to test their potential. Out of these, he would pick the top 30 students and prepare them for the IIT JEE free of cost. And he would house the students nearby and provide them food cooked by his mother.

Founder of Super 30, Anand Kumar, celebrates along with his students who cracked the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) 2012, in Patna. (PTI)

But why 30?

Anand had arrived at the number 30 after much pondering  50 would have been beyond their means but he felt 30 was a number they could strive towards, the book says.

Anand was hailed as a hero by People magazine, and his unique initiative was celebrated as one of the four most innovative schools in the world by Newsweek magazine.

While describing the atmosphere outside Shanti Kutil, the Super 30 house, just before the IIT JEE 2008 were to be declared, the author writes, Expectations were sky high as twenty-eight students had cracked the coveted IIT entrance exam the previous year, in 2007.

Anand fielded calls from journalists who had grown close to him over the past few years as Super 30s fame spread.

I hope the result doesnt disappoint, prayed Anand, as 9 am ticked nearer. Outwardly, he was the picture of calm - reassuring the students, charming the media.

At about quarter to nine, Anand positioned himself in front of the computer screen with a list of roll numbers in hand. The students huddled around and more and more people pressed themselves into the cramped room. At 9.01 am, Rakesh Kumar was in! A cheer went up, Rakesh was thumped on the back, a journalist surreptitiously tried to lead him outside so he could get an interview.

Anand Kumar still had 29 more names to go.

...A few minutes later, Jai Ram had made it through! And now it was 18 on 18. Anand was perspiring freely but a hint of a smile played on his lips. He went on checking result after result  sometimes it would pop up immediately, leading to raucous cheers and in other moments, the error page would come up.

Nearly an hour and a half later, it was just Anand and Ranjan Kumar, the thirtieth student left at the computer. Chinta mat kariye, sab achha hoga, Anand said to the white-faced Ranjan. He had made it. He hugged Anand tightly and started laughing, and then crying, and then shouting garbled victory cries.

History had been made. Super 30 had achieved a 100% result.
State-run banking behemoth SBI has been named in a Hall of Shame list of 158 banking and financial institutions globally that have invested billions of dollars in companies making cluster bombs.

State Bank of India (SBI) is the only Indian entity on the list, which includes global giants like JP Morgan, Barclays, Bank of America and Credit Suisse that invested over USD 28 billion in seven producers of cluster munitions between June 2012 and April 2016, according to a report by Dutch campaign group PAX.

While SBI said it always works in accordance with local laws and regulations and there is no prohibition, whatsoever either in US or in India to finance such commercial projects, PAX said the investments have been made in these cluster bomb producers despite an international ban.

In its 275-page report, PAX said the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) categorically bans use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.

This convention was signed by 94 countries in 2008 and it came into force from August 1, 2010.

Most financial institutions named in the Pax list are from countries that have not signed this convention. However, there are also banks from the countries that have adopted this treaty over years.

The maximum number of 74 banks are from the US, followed by China (29) and South Korea (26).

SBI has been included in the list because of its exposure to Orbital ATK, a US-based company specialising in the design, manufacture and launch of small and medium-class space and rocket systems for commercial, military and other government customers.

Orbital ATK is one of the worlds largest manufacturers of ammunition and a leading supplier of precision systems and electronic warfare. The company is also active in propulsion systems, the report added.

Pax said State Bank of India (India) has made an estimated USD 87 million available to the companies on the red flag list since June 2012.

When contacted, an SBI spokesperson said, The syndicated deal was arranged for Orbital ATK Inc by major global banks --Wells Fargo Securities LLC, BoA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup JP Morgan, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey among others.

The mandated joint leaders had conducted due diligence and completed compliance procedures on the lendee company.

To achieve its business growth objectives, SBI participates in syndicated credit deals to finance projects across the globe. SBI always works in accordance with local laws and regulations and would like to confirm that there is no prohibition, whatsoever either in US or in India to finance such commercial projects, the spokesperson said in a statement.

Pax said its earlier Hall of Shame list published in 2014 had 151 financial institutions. Of these, 112 financial institutions are still in the 2016 list and 34 have been removed, while 44 new ones have been included.

It further said these 158 financial institutions invested more than US $28 billion in the seven cluster munitions producers -- China Aerospace Science and Industry (China), China Aerospace Science and Technology (China), Hanwha (South Korea), Norinco (China), Orbital ATK (US), Poongsan (South Korea) and Textron (US).

These financial institutions provided loans for at least US $6.3 billion, provided investment banking services worth at least US $9.1 billion and owned or managed shares and bonds worth at least US $13.0 billion.
NEW DELHI: The countrys largest communist party said on Saturday it saw no need to cap a proposed Goods and Services Tax, isolating the opposition Congress further on a contentious clause and brightening the governments chances of winning parliamentary approval for the measure.

Political differences have held up the GST, with the Congress refusing to back it unless the government agreed to cap the tax rate at 18% and create an independent mechanism to resolve disputes on revenue sharing between states.

But the Communist Party of India (CPI-M), which also opposes several other reforms measures, said it was not insisting on a cap on the tax rate in the 122nd Constitution (Amendment) Bill, which Parliament needs to ratify for the tax to take effect.

The government says no cap should be put because exigencies might arise in future to revise the rates, which will require parliamentary approval every time.

We are not echoing what the Congress is saying. We will be happy even if the government gives an assurance on the floor of the House to keep the tax rate low, CPI(M)s politburo member and Lok Sabha leader Md. Salim told Hindustan Times.

Earlier this week, finance minister Arun Jaitley had signalled that support had broadened among states for what is seen by investors as Indias biggest tax reform in decades. The CPI(M)s views could now force the Congress, the original author of the GST bill, to soften its stand.

The GST-linked bill has been approved by the lower House of Parliament, Lok Sabha, but the numbers in the upper House, Rajya Sabha, are stacked against the government. Support from communist scan help change that.

If Leftists support the bill, the Congress may no more be in a position to stall the constitution amendment bill that requires two-third members of the House present and voting in favour. This comes to 164 MPs in a 245-member house.

But government managers fear the Congress might disrupt the House proceedings to stall the landmark legislation. The Congress and the parties from Tamil Nadu, AIADMK and DMK, which oppose the bill, account for 74 members in the Rajya Sabha.

The CPI(M) may still propose some amendments when the GST bill comes for passage. Salim said, We were the first to support the bill even when the Congress and the BJP-ruled states were opposed to it. Our finance minister headed the first empowered committee of the finance ministers to resolve disputes on the GST.

The government has indicated that two other demands of the Congress  doing away with a 1% entry tax and setting up a dispute redress mechanism with more powers to the states  could be considered.

Jair am Ra mesh, a key Congress strategist on GST, said: We are not opposed to the GST. But NDAs bill is pro-industries. We want a pro-consumer GST.

We will do what we have to do. Let them (the Centre) do what they want to.

In a television interview telecast on Saturday, Jaitley said the government had no intention of isolating the Congress on GST and denied there was any trade-off between the Centre and the regional parties.

The Goods and Sales Tax bill is not a BJP bill. It was mooted by the Congress. The GST will help the country, Jaitley said.

There is no political trade-off. The understanding is if any state loses revenue the first five years the Centre will make it up.

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NEW DELHI: The Delhi education department has warned Presidium School, Dwarka 16 B, against increasing fee without approval. The department said it would take action against the school if it failed to comply.

Directorate of Education has asked the school to follow the orders under the Delhi School Education Act and comply with directions on the determination of fees from the academic session 2009-10 to 2015-16, said an official statement from Delhi government.

The department acted against the school following complaints of arbitrary fee hike from parents. The school has also been asked to refund the excess fee that the parents had been charged. The direction has been issued to the school as it is located on the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land.

School authorities, however, said they had complied with the directions and not violated any rules of the department.

As desired by the department, we have not increased the fee for the academic session 2016-2017, said GS Matharoo, chief executive officer, Presidium Schools.

For other years which the department has notified, the school said there was no rule in place and the decision was taken as per norms.

HT on January 26 reported on the letter being sent to the school against an arbitrary fee hike. Then the department had conducted an enquiry. It was established that the school had formed two fee structures for student studying in the same class.

The students enrolled in the school and being promoted to the next class had to pay more fees than new students being admitted to the class.
NEW DELHI: June is nearing its end but there is still no word on the Delhi University convocation this year. The delay has especially put PhD scholars, who will be awarded degrees this year, in a bind.

The convocation is usually held in the month of March. Last year too, the function was delayed and held on May 30. This year, it has fallen way behind schedule.

According to heads of departments, the delay is because the final examiner, who was to be invited for the final viva of the scholars, has not yet been selected by vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi.

As only the V-C has the power to take the final selection, the process has been delayed.

Apart from the viva delay, the PhD of the scholars who have completed the thesis has not been notified yet. The notification by the examination department allows students to apply for jobs and post-doctoral research.

This is putting a lot of research scholars in a fit. The University Grants Commission (UGC) issues applications for the post doctoral research just once. The last date of application is June 30. Students may have to lose a year because of this delay, said a head of department on condition of anonymity.

The V-C however did not comment on the delay in the selection of the external examiner but said that he will expedite the matter with the examination department.

The examination department is busy with the entrances but I will personally check on this matter. There has been a delay this time for the convocation as the admission process came in between. But we will notify it soon, said Tyagi.

Almost 10 days ago, the dean of Faculty of Arts along with heads of department of different languages had met the dean of examinations over the issue.

The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) guidelines clearly say that the student should get their degree in time within the set time frame even if the university does not hold a convocation. DU doesnt seem to be following this, said another HOD, who did not want to be named.

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LONDON: India reacted with fury on Saturday at the brazenness with which proclaimed offender Vijay Mallya joined a book launch event at the London School of Economics attended by Indian high commissioner Navtej Sarna, who walked out mid-way.

India is likely to take up strongly with the David Cameron government Mallya s apparent attempt to embarrass its representatives in London. The LSE event on Thursday evening was to launch Suhel Seths book on 21 Indian CEOs titled Mantras for Success.

Why should the Indian high commissioner have to leave such an event? It should be Mallya doing so. He has taken to embarrassing India with his brazenness, which calls into question Britain s action or inaction to respond to Indias requests to bring him to justice, a senior representative said.

She added: It also calls into question the nationalism of Indian circles who invite a proclaimed offender to events. High commission officials are doing their job representing India, but is it only their duty to do so?

There were indications India will soon take up Mallya-related issues strongly with the Cameron government. Britain previously advised India to consider initiating extradition proceedings against him instead of seeking deportation.

Mallya created a flutter at the book launch when he walked in with his daughter and sat through most of the session. The event was organised by the 100 Foot Journey Club, a joint initiative of the LSE South Asia Centre and the Indian high commission. Sarna, who was on the dais with universities minister Jo Johnson, Seth and LSE academic Mukulika Banerjee, did not stay for a panel discussion and left LSEs Old Theatre venue in Aldwych after becoming aware of Mallyas presence. Mallya exchanged pleasantries with Seth and some members of the audience before leaving.

Indian high commission sources told Hindustan Times that Mallya was definitely not invited by the mission. He was also not invited to a reception held after the book launch at the nearby India House, they said.

An external affairs ministry spokesperson said in New Delhi that there were two clear segments during Thursdays event - the book launch by British minister Jo Johnson and the discussion at LSE, and later a reception at the high commission for select guests.

The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the high commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance, the spokesperson said.

When the High Commissioner spotted Mallya in the audience he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session.

Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the high commission and was not present.

After arriving in London on March 2 in the wake of allegations of financial irregularities involving thousands of crores of rupees, Mallya was not seen at India-related public events until recently. The book launch was the latest event at which he was publicly seen.

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NEW DELHI: Pranab Bhakta was stunned when he received a letter from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September for a loan he never took.

When the 55-year-old man chased the Noida-based Noble Co-operative Bank, which had apparently sanctioned a Rs 30-lakh loan to him, what unfolded was a unique fraud in the real estate sector which is already under scrutiny for large scale scams.

But Bhakta is not alone. HT has found more than 30 other home buyers whose names have been used to take loans in the range of Rs 15-40 lakh from the same bank by the same builder for its controversy-ridden residential project Charms in Greater Noida.

A routine inspection on the loans had raised suspicion in the central bank.

All the promoters of the project  developed by Shiv Kala Builder  are in jail after an HT report in November 2013 exposed how flats were sold to multiple buyers with multiple finances from well-known banks.

But this is the first instance in which it has come to light that loans were extended to the developer in the name of buyers without their knowledge. In September 2015, I wrote back to RBI that I have bought a flat in Charms project and did avail a loan but from some other bank and I never visited Noble Co-operative Bank ever in my life, Bhakta said.

In January 2016, the cooperative bank issued a no-dues certificate to him saying that the loan amount has been settled.

This is to certify that a housing loan of Rs 30 lacs only sanctioned in favour Pranav Bhakta in April 2010 vide loan account no HL-02 (sector 53 branch) has been fully repaid. There is nothing outstanding in the above loan account and the said loan account stands closed, the certificate reads.

Nithesh Shetty another buyer whose identity was used to take a loan, also received a similar clearance letter from the bank. So did 30 others, while none repaid, Hindustan Times has learnt.

RBI officials refused to speak on the issue.

VK Sharma, the CEO of the bank, instead of replying to HTs query, requested not to highlight the matter.

We are anxious how the loan was first disbursed without our knowledge and then settled. Even our signatures are forged in the documents, Nitesh added.

Experts pointed out that home loans are cheaper than normal business loans and cooperative banks are vulnerable to such frauds due to a low compliance mechanism.

Most cooperative banks dont share their loan details with the Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI), formed to minimise loan frauds for which it maintains and operates a registration system of loans on property.

When any financing institution feeds the address of a property in the system and if there is already a loan on that property, the system throws an alert, said AK Ralhan, former COO of CERSAI.

But out of 1,600-odd urban cooperative banks, only 150 share their data on a regular basis with CERSAI.

We have requested cooperative banks to become members of CERSAI but the response has remained very poor till now, said Subhash Gupta, chief executive, National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks.

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GHAZIABAD: Tension prevailed in Indirapuram on Saturday morning after residents found a truck with seven dead cattle and a calf that was alive.

When police took the carcasses for postmortem, 250 residents allegedly pelted stones at them. A sub-inspector was severely injured in the attack, said cops. Locals claimed they were cows.

The mini-truck crossing Nyay Khand-1 met with an accident at 3 am on Saturday, police said. The driver, unable to start the damaged the truck, abandoned it in front of Indirapuram Public School and fled.

At about 7 am, the security guard of Indirapuram public school saw the truck and asked people around about it. He heard the sound of an animal breathing rapidly, said Ghaziabad superintendent of police (city) Salman Taj.

An hour later, residents broke open the trucks back door, he said. The locals found seven dead cattle and one living calf inside it after which they informed the police, Taj said.

I informed the police at about 7.45 am...The PCR van reached the spot within 10 minutes. By then the locals had already broken open the back door of the mini- truck.., said Indirapuram Public School security guard Ram Naresh Yadav.

Residents said word spread like wildfire. There was commotion when the police started taking the carcasses for postmortem. People were raising anti-government slogans and trying to vandalise the truck, said Abhinav Tyagi, a resident of Makanpur village in Indirapuram.

Following the alleged attack, cops from Sahibabad, Link Road and Khoda police stations were called in. Sub-inspector Netrapal Dikshit was allegedly injured while cops tried to reason with the mob.

After nearly two hours, the locals were pacified and asked to go back home, said Indirapuram circle officer Atul Kumar Yadav.

An FIR was registered against the unidentified truck driver.

CCTV footage of the Indirapuram Public school has been acquired, said Taj.

The carcasses were buried at the Nandigram cow shed near river Hindon. The calf was kept under police care. An FIR was registered for rioting and violence against 250 unidentified men who allegedly attacked the police.

Video of the mob pelting stones at the police has been obtained and the miscreants will be identified, added Taj.
NEW DELHI: Doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital reconstructed the nose of a 22-year-old man who was born with half a nose, a rare birth defect known as arhinia.

Just about 100 cases of arhinia have been reported in medical literature across the world.

Arhinia or the absence of a nose is a very rare condition. He was born with half a nose and only one nostril, a condition called hemiarhinia, which is rarer still, said Dr Sam eek B hat ta char ya, the surgeon who performed there constructive surgery.

Mausam, 22, who was born in Motihari, Bihar, was taken to several private practitioners to find a cure.

Most clinics could not provide treatment and the ones that did was costly. We owned a small piece of land and did not earn much. I wanted to have two kids, so it was important for me that my firstborns on looked normal , said Mausams mother, Rekha Jha.

The family sold their land and moved to Delhi for his treatment when he was four. His father started earning by loading goods on truck. As a young boy, he was scared of getting scan sand doctors could not plan a surgery without it.

After taking him to several hospitals, including AIIMS, I gave up. In the meantime, I gave birth to two girls and a boy. He started noticing that his siblings looked different. After that he stopped going out, said Rekha.

The 22-year-old has been living with social anxiety. I do not go to any social events because people either stare at me or make fun of me. Nobody respects me so I cannot even keep a job. This time, I will go back home only after I look normal. Then, I will get a job which will let me travel, said Mausam.

For the reconstructive surgery, the doctors had to create half a nose using tissues from his forehead and the inside lining of the nose using skin from the right cheek. They created a septum from cartilage taken from his right ear to hold his nose upright.

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NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have arrested three persons allegedly involved in over 100 cases of car theft and recovered nine luxury cars from them. The police found in their possession engine control modules (ECMs) -- a computer system fitted in the car -- that they used to unlock the cars.

Mehtab (42), Hukum Singh (28) and Abdul Sajid (28), all three from Meerut, would visit Delhi on the direction of their bosses, Nawab and Gulfam.

They would bring ECMs with them. There is a specific ECM for every car. They would identify the cars, in which they could fit their ECM, in South Delhi and NCR at night. With the help of their instruments, they removed the ECM of the car and replaced it with theirs. This way they would unlock and start the car easily.

The ECM consists of three parts, one is fitted under the dash board of the car and the other two parts inside the car near the steering lock.

The accused men replaced all three parts of the targeted vehicle with the ECMs they carried to synchronise the ignition of the vehicle. It took them 15 minutes to complete the process , said Ishwar Singh, DCP, South.

The accused men would then sell the cars in Meerut after replacing the engine and chassis number plates on the basis of forged documents.
NEW DELHI: Two bike-borne assailants allegedly shot at a 40-year-old businessman and snatched his bag containing Rs 70,000 in West Delhis Uttam Nagar area on Friday night.

The businessman, Rajender Chhabra, was on his way home after closing down his fabric shop in Hastsal. He was taking home the days collection when he was intercepted by the men on a bike around 9.30pm.

They allegedly tried to snatch the bag from him and as Chhabra resisted, one of them took out a pistol and opened fire. The bullet hit Chhabras thigh and he fell on the ground. One of the men riding pillion then got off the bike and drove away with Chhabras scooter, police said.

In his statement, Chhabra said the moment he raised an alarm and tried to push the men away, one of them took out a pistol. He first threatened to shoot and within seconds, he opened fire.

The bullet hit his thigh and he collapsed. After the men fled the spot, Chhabra managed to make a call from his phone. A passerby, who saw him bleeding, made a PCR call and even rushed him to the hospital, a senior police officer said.

The police suspect the involvement of Chhabras former employee, who worked as a helper at his shop.
NEW DELHI: Two Delhi Police constables were seriously injured by a speeding truck after it rammed into a PCR van in Outer Delhis Alipur Road here on Saturday.

The incident comes close on the heels of two persons including a policeman being killed by a speeding truck three days ago in South Delhi.

Police said the incident was reported about 5.30am when constables Dharampal and Roshal Lal were patrolling near Bhaktawarpur village. The impact of the incident was such that the PCR van was flung to the road side.

According to police, the truck was at a high speed and coming from Rohtak Road and when both Dharampal and Roshan signalled it to stop, the driver rammed the truck against the vehicle (PCR van).
The AIIMS has been directed to pay Rs one lakh by a consumer forum in Delhi to the parents of a girl child for alleged negligence in carrying out transplantation of cornea in her eye.

South Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum bench presided by justice NK Goel asked the hospital to pay the money to the parents of Haryana resident Baby Priyanka, noting that three corneal graftings (surgery for cornea transplantation) in her left eye failed consecutively as they were done without proper care and caution.

The three consecutive failures by the doctors of the hospital (AIIMS) establishes that corneal graftings were not done with proper care and caution as was expected from medical experts and certainly failure was the result of negligence on the part of doctors in doing the corneal graftings, the forum said.

Therefore, we hold the opposite parties (AIIMS and its doctors) guilty of deficiency in service, it said, directing AIIMS to pay Rs one lakh compensation to victims parents.

It also noted that there is every reason to believe that corneal grafting on all the three occasions in the left eye of the girl was done by the junior/trainee/new doctors and the grafting failed on all three occasions and, therefore, she was advised to undergo fourth corneal grafting in June 2005.

According to the complaint, the girl had suffered injury in her left eye with a knife and was operated by a doctor at Patiala in April 1998.

However, when she did not get any relief, she was taken to AIIMS for treatment in October 1998 and the three corneal graftings were done in her injured eye on different dates between 1998 and 2001, it said.

It said that post that treatment the girl lost sight in her left eye and, thereafter, she was advised for fourth corneal grafting in June 2005 at AIIMS, it added.

The complaint added that three surgeries were performed in girls left eye by the junior/trainee/new doctors without there being any senior doctor and the junior/trainees/ new doctors did the treatment for their practical/learning purposes.

It was also alleged that few broken sutures (stitches) were found in the left eye of the girl which caused her immense pain for around four years.

AIIMS, however, had denied the allegations levelled against it.
The Delhi high court has acquitted a man, who was jailed for 10 years by a trial court for raping a woman in 2011, observing that she was in a live-in relationship with him and her statement regarding the alleged incident was suffering from serious infirmities.

The court set aside the order passed by the trial court in 2013 in which it had convicted the man for alleged offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and had awarded him a 10-year jail along with a fine of Rs 15,000.

From the above documents (referred in the judgement), which have not been considered in right perspective by trial court, it is clear that the prosecutrix (woman), who had been living alone away from her husband in Delhi, was in live-in relationship with the appellant (man), justice Pratibha Rani said.

While allowing the appeal filed by the man against his conviction, the high court said that deliberate improvements were made by the woman on material points related to the case and her testimony does not inspire confidence.

According to the police, an FIR was lodged on the basis of womans statement in which she had alleged that the incident took place on the intervening night of January 13-14, 2011, when she was alone at her house and was mourning the death of her daughter who had expired a few days back.

She had claimed that the door of her house was open and the accused entered her room and raped her.

The accused had denied the allegations levelled against him and during arguments on the appeal, his counsel said that the woman was in a live-in relationship with his client.

The lawyer argued that prior to the incident, the woman had borrowed Rs 11,000 from the man and after he insisted on repayment, she falsely implicated him in the case.

Opposing the appeal, the police had argued that the man had committed the crime when the woman was alone in her house.

In its verdict, the high court noted that the woman had changed her version at every stage and the man was well known to her.

She admitted having received Rs 11,000 on October 31, 2010 i.e. much prior to the alleged rape incident on the night intervening January 13-14, 2011. Thus, her statement that this amount was paid to her for changing her statement is falsified from the record, the court said.
Demanding the abolition of new Wakf Lease Act, which would allegedly lead to eviction of many shops in the capital, Wakf board tenants held a protest on Sunday.

Tenants Welfare Association organized the protest against the new law implemented from April onwards and alleged that it will cause eviction of more than 6,000 shops in Delhi.

We want that the definition of encroacher should be abolished and auction of wakf properties should be stopped immediately. We want that the maximum lease period should be for 99 years, rent should not be related to circle rate, reasonable enhance of rent should be there and rent should increase 10% after every three years, said Indrajeet Madan, spokesperson of Tenants Welfare Association.

Protestors from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh also participated in the protest at Jantar Mantar. They also demanded scrapping of the Wakf Board and giving them right to property, the association said in a release.

Several other organizations like Delhi wakf traders, Chawri Bazar vapar mandal, APMA (Delhi Auto Part Association), Sadar Bazaar shopkeepers, Maliwara traders association, trade associations from Karnal, Rohtak Haryana, and Punjab also participated in the protest.

The affected tenants have also presented their demands and submitted a memorandum to the minister of minorities affairs Najma Hepatulla, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop the immediate eviction of the tenants and to make the necessary corrections in the law.

Delhi government has already formed a committee to look into the demands of tenants.

We also want that the lease period should be same of all tenants with auto renewal facility and there should be no bar on civil court jurisdiction. We also want that the donations paid should be treated as premium of properties and right of descendants should be protected, Madan said.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Alexander Pope wrote in An Essay on Man.

Perhaps it is this optimism that guides the families of 39 Indians who are missing from Mosul (Iraq) for the past two years. In June 2014, the Islamic State (IS) was capturing town after town and taking civilians (especially foreign nationals and minorities) hostage. In Mosul, 40 Indian construction workers, mainly from Punjab, were captured, and one person managed to escape. The whereabouts of the 39 is unclear. The government has maintained that it has credible intelligence that the hostages are alive, while media reports state that they have been executed.

Now as pro-government forces in Iraq prepare to take on the IS in Mosul, uncertainty looms over the fate of the 39 missing Indians.

Read | In ISIS wake, India may tweak West Asia policy

If such speculations have done the rounds it is partly because the government has failed to convincingly back its claim  it has cited intelligence reports from West Asian governments, but has failed to show proof of life.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has met the families of these missing Indians at least nine times and on November 28, 2014, she assured Parliament that six different sources had informed the government that the 39 hostages were alive. Our search for their safe release is on... It is my duty and responsibility to keep the hope of tracing them alive and bring them home safely, she said.

Read | Whats happening in Iraq and why India should worry

Hostage crises are difficult and delicate situations for any government . Each one is different from the other. However, it is the duty of an elected government to ensure the safe return of its people from foreign soil.

The NDA government has failed to bring closure, especially for the 39 families that are going through the longest two years of their lives.

The MEA should bring clarity to what is soon turning out to be a dark chapter in Indias foreign diplomacy.

The events in Mosul handed the NDA government its first foreign policy crisis, and unfortunately, two years later, it is yet to be resolved. The lack of clarity and of information is prolonging the agony of the affected families.
Its rare for someone to star in a film theyve grown up watching. But that is what happened with Australian actor Liam Hemsworth. The 26-year-old watched Independence Day (1996) when he was six or seven years old.

Now, Liam will be seen in the soon-to-be-released film  Independence Day: Resurgence. The Hollywood actor, who is also known for his roles in films such as The Expendables 2 (2012), The Hunger Games series and The Dressmaker (2015), spoke to HT Cafe exclusively from Sydney, Australia.

Liam, who says he was excited to be part of the project, recalled his first day on the films sets. It was something to do with flying the space tug (a spacecraft). It may have been with Jeff (Goldblum; actor). My character came to earth from the moon to pick him up. But the crew had been filming for two weeks before I reached there. So, before my work began, I would just be hanging around the sets. It was a trip in itself to realise that we were shooting for this film.

Read: Are Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth getting married?

Liam also talks about the daunting task of shooting for the movie in front of a blue screen, especially the flying scenes. He says, It is a process you have to get comfortable with you are on your own and not reacting to a character (there isnt a second person to enact the scene). The writers of the film did make it comfortable for me. But in the beginning, it was weird.

Meanwhile, the actors elder brother, Chris Hemsworth, who has starred in movies such as Star Trek (2008), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015), was in India a few months back. Can we expect Liam to visit the country soon? I would love to come to India. I have heard a lot about Indian cities and the people there. I have also seen a few Indian movies... So, Im aware of the film industry there, he says.

On the family front, Liam says that his brothers, the second one being Luke Hemsworth, also an actor, are his best friends. While growing up, we were competitive and would fight with each other. But now, we value the time we spend together, he says, adding that the three dont discuss work often. We pick work that we think is right for us. We make our own decisions, says Liam.

Read: Independence Day Resurgence trailer: Oh my God, were all going to die
Three Indian pilgrims and one Canadian of Indian origin have been killed in Tibet while undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

The deaths, which took place between Thursday and Saturday, were due to a cardiac arrest and altitude sickness as a result of low acclimatisation to high altitudes in the Himalayas.

All the deaths took place in the Tibet region of China over the last three days with the last casualty happening on Saturday, deputy chief of mission of Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Vinay Kumar, told Hindustan Times.

The deceased have been identified as 59-year-old Daulat Singh from Madhya Pradesh, 62-yeal-old B Lingeshwara, 76-year-old Bhogilal Patel from Rajasthan and 62-year-old Krishna Murthy, a Canadian of Indian origin.

Singhs body reached India by road while three were airlifted to Kathmandu. Of these, one has been sent back to India while the remaining two will be sent on Sunday.

The Indian embassy in the Himalayan nation issued a travel advisory earlier this month to avoid the Nepalgunj-Simikot-Hisla route for a few weeks due to inclement weather.

Read | India issues travel advisory for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims

Despite the advisory being issued after nearly 500 pilgrims were left stranded on the route due to bad weather conditions, there has been no let up in the traffic.

Local reports say over 3,000 Indian pilgrims have already crossed through Nepalgunj-Simikot-Hisla on their pilgrimage. Most of them fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot in small aircrafts and then take helicopters from Simikot to Hisla, which is on the border with China.

Thousands undertake the Kailash Mansarovar yatra every year between April and June.

The Nepalgunj-Simikot-Hisla route came into operation after China closed the Tatopani border with Nepal following the devastating earthquake last year.

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The 39 Indians, kidnapped by the dreaded Islamic State (IS) in Iraq in June 2014, are still alive, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said, dismissing reports about their killing and insisting that efforts to trace them are on.

In her annual press conference, Swaraj said the government was was trying its best to ensure safe release of Judith DSouza, an aid worker and resident of Kolkata, who was abducted by suspected militants in Kabul on June 9.

The External Affairs Minister also said India was in touch with top authorities in Bangladesh after a priest of Rama Krishna Mission in Dhaka received death threat.

About 40-year-old Judith, Swaraj said We are trying our best. The way we are going ahead, I think it will be resolved soon.

Replying to a question on the 39 Indians kidnapped around two years back by ISIS militants from Mosul town, Swaraj said she did not have any proof of their killing than the statement of Harjit Masih.

Masih, who had managed to flee from captivity of the ISIS, claimed all the 39 Indians had been killed. Swaraj questioned Masihs claim saying two heads of states in the Gulf region told her, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee that the Indians were alive.

I am not giving false assurance. If I had confirmation that they were killed, then definitely, I would have sought apology from their families the with folded hands and said they were killed. Their killing in such a situation in Mosul in Iraq would not have been blamed on me.

When I say they are alive, I have taken on myself a major responsibility of tracing them....Nobody except Harjit Masih said they were killed. I will do injustice to them if I say they have been killed. It is my the responsibility to (find them) and I will not shy away from it, Swaraj said, adding I do not abandon any Indian national.

When asked about the death threat to a priest of the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka, Swaraj said, It is very unfortunate. It is painful for us. We are in touch with top authorities.

Replying to a question on a spate of targeted attacks and killings of Hindus and other non-Muslims in Bangladesh, Swaraj said the Sheikh Hasina government is leaving no stone unturned in coming down hard on people who are involved in these incidents.

More than 3,000 people have been arrested. Sheikh Hasina is taking strong action. More than this, I am happy that Islamic clerics and religious leaders have issued a fatwa saying these kinds of activities are anti-Islamic and it has been signed by one lakh religious leaders, she said.

Swaraj said the government was drafting a policy to help persecuted minorities in various countries. She said the government will help people of all religions and not only the Hindus.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Assam used computerised lottery to post 7,234 teachers across 10 districts.

The appointment letters for these teachers will be uploaded on the websites of education or associated departments from where they can download and join their assigned schools on June 27.

The selected 7,234 teachers were among 38,000 candidates who passed the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET). They were selected on the basis of their marks and on whether were passing or appearing for their Bachelor/Diploma of Education (B Ed/D Ed) exams, a must under the Right to Education Act.

Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said six leading educationists oversaw the lottery, conducted on Saturday, as neutral observers.

The lottery was done at least twice for these 10 districts to offset any technical or human error. In the case of (western Assams) Barpeta district, the lottery was done four times, Sarma said on Sunday.

The highest number of teachers  2,619  was posted in western Assams Dhubri district, bordering Bangladesh. The least, 48, was in north-central Assams Darrang district.

The entire process was video-recorded, and anyone who has doubts can obtain the footage through RTI, he said.

Officials said the district from where a candidate applied was taken into consideration when the computerised lottery was conducted. At least 30% of the appointed teachers were women, as per norms.

Sarma said 30,000 posts of teachers are vacant in Assam, but they cannot be filled up as the state does not have enough candidates with a B Ed degree or diploma.

We can, in keeping with our pre-poll promise, appoint the remaining 30,700 TET-passed candidates temporarily working under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan... We are making arrangements so that they can acquire the [B Ed/D Ed] degree through distance learning, Sarma said.

Appointment and regularisation of teachers was one of the saffron partys election promises. This was the second major step since Sarbananda Sonowals BJP-led alliance government took charge on May 24.

Last week, the education department made college and higher education free for students belonging to families whose combined annual income was less than Rs 1 lakh. This took effect from the current academic session.

The response in rural and semi-urban areas has been so tremendous that private colleges have sought a similar scheme for them as they are not getting enough students, Sarma said.

The government, he said, has also decided to make education from higher secondary to university level free for differently-able students from the current session.

There is no family income ceiling for such students. They will also be given the benefit irrespective of their academic performance, Sarma said.

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China is not opposing Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday, underscoring the governments efforts to convince Beijing to give up its defiant stand.

Her statement came after an unannounced visit by foreign secretary S Jaishankar to Beijing on June 16 and 17 to drum up Chinese support for Indias push to join the 48-nation club controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology.

China is talking only about criteria and procedures and is not opposed to India becoming an NSG member, Swaraj said, addressing her annual press conference.

The group, set up in response to Indias first nuclear test in 1974, aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. But India enjoys most of the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NSG rules, granted to support its nuclear cooperation deal with Washington, though the country has never signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the arms control pact. China has been maintaining that the NPT is central to the NSG.

Read: As it happened: Sushma addresses media on 2 years of her ministry

Foreign minister Swaraj was hopeful that India would be able to convince China.

I think there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become an NSG member this year, she said. Im in contact with 23 nations  one or two raised concern but I think there is a consensus.

The NSG works on the principle of consensus and a single hold-out country can spoil Indias chance to be part of the grouping.

New Delhi is making all efforts before the NSG plenary session in Seoul on June 24, where Indias membership is expected to be discussed. Jaishankars visit to Beijing came a week ahead of the plenary.

Yes, I can confirm the foreign secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including Indias NSG membership, were discussed, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Chinese official media had commented that Indias NSG membership would jeopardise Chinas national interests besides touching a raw nerve in Pakistan. The Chinese foreign ministry too called for full discussions on non-NPT countries intending to join the NSG.

But Swaraj pointed out that Indias credentials should be discussed, instead of talking about criteria.

Read: China can push Indias NSG bid, but there are riders: State media opinion piece

The minister refused comments on Pakistans push to join the NSG, saying India cannot say anything since its not a member of the elite club.

We will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit, she said.

Pakistan joining the group would be unacceptable to many, given its track record. The father of its nuclear weapons programme, AQ Khan, ran an illicit network for years that sold nuclear secrets to countries, including North Korea and Iran.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to Washington, President Barack Obama came out in support of Indias membership in the nuclear group. Russian President Vladimir Putin too backed Indias bid and hoped that issues raised by China could be ironed out.

(With agency inputs)

Read: Terror and talks cant go together: Sushma on India-Pak ties

Read: PMs overseas travels brought FDI, says Sushma
Complaint into the alleged tapping of telephone conversations of some top industrialists and politicians by the Essar Group has been forwarded to the home ministry for appropriate action.

The complaint was made to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) by lawyer Suren Uppal alleging that the Essar Group had ordered its former security chief Albasit Khan to tap into its business rivals telephone conversations.

Complaint regarding Essar leaks has been forwarded to home ministry for appropriate action, official sources said.

The complaint includes call logs for purported conversations of Mukesh and Anil Ambani with directors/ promoters of the two companies and other senior officials as well as conversations that show how business rivals reach out to politicians to seek favours.

The complaint also mentioned purported conversations of senior officials of the PMO including Ranjan Bhattacharya and Brajesh Mishra.

Essar has denied any wrongdoing.
One of the two Dalit sisters who were arrested for allegedly assaulting CPI(M) workers in Thalasserry (Kannur district) and later released on bail was admitted in a hospital in serious condition after overdosing on pills.

She was rushed to the hospital after she collapsed in her house. The 25-year-old is still not out of danger, said a senior doctor of Indira Gandhi Co-operative Hospital.

The girls relatives said Anjana was disturbed after a CPI(M) leader spoke rudely about her during a TV channel discussion after she was released from Kannur central jail on Saturday evening.

Their arrest on non-bailable charges triggered protests, and the National Commission for SC/ST sought a report on the matter from the state police chief. However, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan feigned ignorance when he was asked about the incident in Delhi.

The CM was in Delhi to attend the party central committee meeting.

The incident has also caused significant embarrassment to the fledgling government, and spiralled into a major political controversy with both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dubbing it the latest instance of the CPI(M)s politics of intolerance in its stronghold, Kannur.

National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam and BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi visited Pinarayi town, the CMs village, and surrounding areas that have witnessed large-scale post-poll violence.

Daughter of local INTUC leader N Rajan, 30-year-old Akhila and Anjana, were summoned to Thalasserry police station on Friday in connection with a case of allegedly barging into a CPI(M) office and manhandling three party workers. The sisters were later sent to jail along with Akhilas 16-month-old child.

The girls, however, claim they went to the office to question some party workers who often harassed them by calling them by their caste name. They say the party worker verbally abused them when confronted.

A senior police officer, who did not want to be identified, said police were pressured to book the duo under stringent provisions.

PCC president VM Sudheeran and BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan condemned the police action. Kannur is witnessing a jungle raj under the CPI(M) regime, said state Mahila Congress chief Bindu Krishna.

The girls father was a Congress candidate in the last local body elections and his house has reportedly been attacked twice.

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Indias tourism numbers have received a boost with foreigners seemingly taking to using the e-tourist visa on arrival facility.

More than 4.34 lakh foreigners availed the facility in the first five months this year.

According to data released by the tourism ministry, around 1.10 lakh foreigners came to India using the same facility till June last year.

However, it should be noted that while only 43 countries could avail an e-tourist visa on arrival in 2015, the government extended it to 150 countries this February.

Read | To ensure smoother travel, govt plans to merge visa categories

Under the e-Tourist Visa scheme, an applicant needs an email from the Indian government authorising them to travel to India. Based on this document, the visitor can land in the country and then get their visa stamped on their passport by immigration officials at the airport.

In terms of availing an e-tourist visa on arrival, US ranks at the top with 18.52% of visitors, followed by UK with 15.63% and China with 8.17% visitors, according to the tourism ministry.

From March 1 this year, India also extended its visa-on arrival  which is different from e-tourist visa on arrival  to Japan. Those arriving in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad can avail this facility if the purpose of travel is business, tourism, conference and medical. The visa is valid for 30 days.

According to government data, around 1.80 lakh Japanese nationals visit India every year.

Overall, till June this year, 36.36 lakh tourist visited India while last year the figure stood at 33.32 lakh, registering a growth of 9.1%.
Foreign secretary S Jaishankar made a quiet trip to Beijing three days ago and held discussions with Chinese officials on Indias bid to enter a club of countries controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology, the government has said.

Ahead of a key Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) plenary in Seoul, New Delhi has stepped up its diplomatic outreach to China, which is holding out against giving India the membership of the 48-nation bloc.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the foreign secretary was in China from June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart.

All major issues, including Indias NSG membership, were discussed, he said.

Read: Why NSG membership matters to India: All you need to know

The NSG aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons by restricting the sale of items that can be used to make those arms. It was set up in response to Indias first nuclear test in 1974.

The group, which controls the global nuclear trade, is to hold an important plenary from June 23-24 in Seoul when the membership application of India and Pakistan are expected to be taken up.

India has got the backing of most countries, including the US, Britain, Italy, Mexico and Switzerland. Russia too has strongly backed Indias bid.

China is opposing Indias membership on the grounds that it is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Beijing says if the rules are relaxed for India, Pakistan too should get the benefits.

The handful of other nations resisting Indias admission to the group, including South Africa, New Zealand and Turkey, softened their stance somewhat, opening the door to a process under which non-NPT states such as India might join.

But, opponents argue that granting India membership would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation. It would also infuriate Indias rival Pakistan, an ally of Chinas, which has responded to Indias membership bid with one of its own.

The Chinese media has said Indias entry will shake the strategic balance in South Asia and even cast a cloud over peace and stability in the entire Asia-Pacific region.

An opinion piece in the state-run Global Times daily said this week that China could support Indias inclusion to the elite nuclear club if New Delhi played by the rules.

Jaishankars meeting with Chinese leaders comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Tashkent in Uzbekistan where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23 at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

India and Pakistan are set to be formally inducted as members of the China-led SCO at the meeting.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday India was confident of winning Chinas support for US-backed efforts for its membership in a group of 48 nations controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology.

Swaraj told reporters that China was not opposing Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, but that it has raised objections relating to criteria and processes.

Here are five things Swaraj said at an annual news conference of her ministry:

1) Swaraj said India will not oppose the entry of Pakistan or any other country into the NSG but asserted that the decision on all applications should be decided on merits.

Hum China ko bhi mananey mein kamyabi hasil kar lenge (We will succeed in convincing China too), she told the media here.

Answering questions, she said China is not opposed to Indias entry into the 48-nation NSG but it was only talking about the criteria procedures to New Delhis entry to the nuclear grouping.

The NSG is focussed on restricting nuclear proliferation by controlling which countries can gain access to technology used in making atomic weapons.

2) Fielding questions on India-Pakistan relations, Swaraj said while bilateral ties are jatil (complicated), New Delhi was firm that talks and terrorism cannot go together.

She said there was sehejta (simplicity) in the chemistry involving Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan.

This warmth and simplicity in relations between two Prime Ministers were never there in the past, she said. To resolve problems, you also need good relationship.

Swaraj said unlike in the past, there had been a significant change in Pakistans policy towards terror strikes in India.

Earlier whenever there used to be any terrorist activity, Pakistan used to go in denial mood. But after Pathankot attack, Nawaz Sharif himself called our Prime Minister and he said you give me proof, I will definitely take appropriate action.

3) The minister defended the Narendra Modi-led governments global outreach-driven foreign policy and said there are many benefits of such endeavours.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) does not come sitting at home, Sushma Swaraj said, in an apparent dig at critics who have often Prime Minister Modis frequent overseas travels.

Aaj jab Bharat bolta hai, duniya sunti hai (Today when India speaks, the world listens), she told the media here.

The minister said since the Modi government took charge in May 2014, there had been a substantial FDI inflow. As much as $55 billion or Rs 369,000 crore has come through the FDI route in the last two years. It is about a 43 per cent jump over what it was during the UPA rule.

4) Swaraj said Indias growing engagement with the US will not impact its relations with countries like Russia and China nor this will dilute New Delhis commitment to forums like the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

It is true we have enhanced engagement with the US now. But that does not impact our relations with Russia or China. Nor the growing Indo-US relations will put at stake our national interest.

5) Swaraj asserted the Indian High Commissioner to Britain, Navtej Sarna, was not at fault for the presence of business tycoon Vijay Mallya at a book release function in London.

Unka koi dosh nahi hai (there was no fault of the High Commissioner), she told reporters sticking to the ministrys line that Mallya was not originally in the invitee list of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The moment the High Commissioner saw Mallya, he staged a walkout. So, I dont understand what is the controversy about? Sushma Swaraj said.
India has not yet approached the UK for extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL boss Lalit Modi, wanted by Indian investigators in multiple cases, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is still to provide required documents to her ministry.

Swaraj said that in the case of Mallya the ED had sent her Ministry the extradition request but certain changes were suggested and the probe agency was yet to respond. With regard to Lalit Modis case, she said the ED has not sent the required documents.

When we get requests for extradition in both the cases, we will send them (to the UK), Swaraj told a press conference. She said the previous UPA government had only sought deportation procedings against Modi and it was only NDA government which was seeking his extradition.

Both Mallya and Modi are wanted by the ED in its money laundering probe and the agency has also sought a global arrest warrant against them from the Interpol.

On the controversy over Indian High Commissioner in UK Navtej Sarna attending an book launch event where Mallya was also spotted in the audience, Swaraj said the envoy was not at fault at all.

The Minister said neither event organiser London School of Economics (LSE) nor the Indian High Commission had invited Mallya for the event where a book by socialite Suhel Seth was launched.

If Suhel Seth invites someone then the High Commissioner did not know that. There were two kinds of invitation that were sent. The first was for launch of book and the other by the High Commissioner for reception.

The first invite was sent by LSE. LSE has formally written a letter to us and said that they did not send invite to him (Mallya) but it is also true that there was an open invitation too because they (LSE) had to fill a hall of 400 people and students go on vacation in summers. Hence, through the open invite anyone could come, she said.

Swaraj added that the HCs reception invite too did not go to Mallya.

There was no authorised invite by LSE to him (Mallya) nor any from the High Commissioner. You also know that as soon as the HC (Sarna) saw that Mallya is present there, he left in five minutes.

I dont understand then why this is being made an issue. When we see the invitees list and the conduct of HC then this issue does not remain, she said.

Television news channels had showed pictures of Sarna and Mallya in the hall where the event was held and questions were raised over the presence of the high commissioner at an event where a personality wanted by enforcement agencies in India was also present.
After Indian politicians, it may be Italian lawmakers turn to face the heat over the alleged scam in the Rs 3,727-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal of 2010.

AgustaWestland (AW) allegedly paid 12 million euro (Rs 90.8 crore) in kickbacks to Italian political party Lega Nord, via a former top official of Italian parent firm Finmeccanica, to seek its support in bagging the deal, found the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that probes financial crimes.

The payments to Lega Nord were part of the 70 million euro that AW paid to bag an Indian contract for the supply of 12 of its AW-101 choppers. Confirming the payments, an ED supplementary charge-sheet submitted to a Delhi special court on Wednesday named a then top Finmeccanica officer for links with Lega Nord. The ED charge-sheet said Giuseppe Orsi, the then managing director, made the payment to the political party in lieu of its support.

AW, Finmeccanica and Orsi were among 19  13 people and six firms  named accused by the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) and the ED in their first information reports registered to probe the irregularities in the 2010 deal.

The ED charge-sheet said AW paid over Rs 375 crore in bribes to ease a key technical requirement  service ceiling, which refers to a choppers maximum flying elevation. The service ceiling was reduced to 4,500 from 6,000 metres in March 2005, which enabled the otherwise ineligible AW chopper to re-enter the fray.

The investigators suspect AW may have paid Lega Nord for gaining access to Italian political authorities in the years preceding the conclusion of the Indian deal. Details awaited from Italy will throw more light on how exactly Orsi, AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica benefitted from Lega Nords political support in clinching the deal, said the source.

The rest, from the pool of 70 million euro fund, was paid to AWs three non-Indian middlemen  30 million euro to British businessman Christian Michel, and 28 million euro to Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, according to the charge-sheet.

The ED on Wednesday charged Michel for routing to India Rs 6.3 crore from the kickbacks he received in the chopper deal. It claimed Michel and two Indian directors, RK Nanda and JB Subramanyam, of his shell firm, Media Exim Pvt Ltd, helped him invest the bribe money in the country.

According to the charge-sheet, Michel met an AW Indian employee in Dubai in 2014 at a time the 2010 deal was being investigated by the CBI and the ED and in which the British middleman was an accused. When asked by the AW employee, who is based in Delhi, if he was concerned about the scam probe, Michel allegedly said there was no need to worry. Michel had earlier asked the employee if Finmeccanicas India office had forwarded a 9,500-page document on the 2010 deal to the CBI and was told it was done.

Slapping charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the ED found Michel camouflaged the Rs 6.33 crore as consultancy contracts payments through his Indian shell firm. The money to the Indian firm came from Dubai-based Global Services FZE, another firm owned by Michel.

EDs main charge-sheet against a few accused, including Gautam Khaitan, was submitted in 2014. The deal was scrapped by the previous United Progressive Alliance government the same year.

On April 7, Italys Milan Court of Appeals awarded jail terms to Orsi and a former AW top official, Bruno Spagnolini, for the Indian 2010 deal.
The management of Delhi Public School, Srinagar, on Saturday tendered an apology after allegations of a ban on wearing traditional Islamic dress, abaya, in the school triggered outrage in Kashmir valley.

The apology came a day after the J&K government censured the management of the school for the alleged ban, saying this is not France. Delhi Public School Srinagar management apologises for unintentionally hurting the sentiments of people, a release by the school read.

The school administration had allegedly asked a teacher to either stop wearing the abaya  a loose, full-length outer garment which covers the whole body except the face, hands and feet  or leave the job. She reportedly got angry and left, prompting protests by students.

The issue had rocked the state assembly on Saturday with Awami Etihad Party (AIP) chief and Langate MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid raising the issue during zero hour. Demanding action against the school, Rashid had charged the school administration of trespassing in ones faith. In response, education minister Naeem Akhtar had promised to raise the issue with the school management.
Former actress Mamta Kulkarni was named as a prime accused in a multi-crore drug racket linked to drug baron Vicky Goswami on Saturday. Mumbai police claimed she was involved in the illicit activities and plan on seeking her extradition from Kenya.

Addressing a press conference, Thane Police commissioner, Param Bir Singh, said the statements of arrested suspects in the case and inputs received from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) confirmed Kulkarnis involvement in the crime.

Read | Mamta Kulkarni accused in Thane drug case

Thane police got a major break in the case when they seized Rs 2,000 crore-worth of the banned party drug ephedrine on April 16. Based on information from two arrested peddlers, police found 18,000 kgs of the drug in a factory owned by Avon Lifesciences in Solapur. The former Bollywood actress is one of companys board directors and owns Rs 11 lakh worth of shares. An accused also testified that she was part of business meetings in Tanzania and Dubai in which details of their drug trade and distribution were discussed.

Read | Five things to know about Mamta Kulkarnis husband Vicky Goswami

The police are now in the process of having a red corner notice (international arrest warrant) issued against her.

After the drug bust in April, both Kulkarni and her husband Goswami came under police scanner, though Goswami  who has connections in Africa  is believed to be the main link in the racket. The couple is believed to be living in Kenya.

How Business Went Down:

April, 12  Two accused drug peddlers, Sagar Suresh Powale and Mayur Suresh Sukhdare, are arrested from Vartak Nagar. They were caught with ephedrine worth Rs 12 lakh.

April 14  Two more accused are arrested from Solapur, identified as drug peddler, Dhaneshwar Rajaram Swamy and senior production manager at Avon Pharma Lifesciences Limited, Rajendra Jagdamba Prasad Dimbri.

April 16  Police seize 18,000 kgs of ephedrine from a factory owned by Avon Pharma Lifesciences Limited in Solapur.

April 27  The companys director, Manoj Tejraj Jain, is arrested. Police also arrest Punit Ramesh Shingi who allegedly oversaw manufacture and transport of the drug across India, and Hardeepsingh Gill who transported the drug. During search operations, police find 10 kgs of ephedrine from Shringis car and 180 kgs from Gill. Kishoresingh Rathod, son of MLA Bhavsingh Rathod and believed to be the main dealer from Gujarat, is added to the list of accused.

May 2-5  The names of Mamta Kulkarni and husband Vicky Goswami crop up in the investigation. Police search her flat in Versova, and find that its maintenance is paid from an account in Gujarat owned by Rathod. DEA officers also visit Thane and share crucial information regarding the international drug racket.

May 15  Narendra Kacha, who allegedly supplied drugs from Solapur to Gujarat and was arrested in April, is brought to Thane.

May 30  Key accused Jay Mukhi is arrested from the Nepal border near Gorakhpur and brought to Thane the next day.

June 1  A forensic lab confirms that 50 of the 100 samples sent are ephedrine.

June 9  A chargesheet is filed against Powale, Sukhdare, Swamy and Dimbri.

June 15  Gujarat police take custody of Shringi and move him to Gujarat. Jain is also taken to Gujarat for questioning.

June 18  Thane police include Kulkarnis name in the FIR. So far, statements of more than 60 people have been recorded.

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The Kairana exodus episode brings more bad news for those planning to tie the nuptial knot in the near future.

The political drama that followed BJP MP Hukum Singhs claim of migration of Hindus from Kairana has instilled a sense of fear about the town in the minds of the people even from far off places. The town has been in news for all the wrong reasons, so much so that a young advocates marriage got called off because he belonged to Kairana.

While it became a hot political issue for political parties and their leaders, it also had a social impact on the lives of locals.

Advocate Shakti Singhals marriage was called off after the town came under spotlight over the alleged migration. His marriage was arranged with a girl in Roorkee in the first week of April. But Shakti told HT that the girl refused the proposal because of prevailing goondaraj in the town.

This is the second time when the Singhals marriage has been called off due to deteriorated law and order and the vitiating atmosphere in the region. Shaktis marriage was earlier fixed in 2013 but it was called off due to riots in Shamli and Muzaffarnagar in September 2013.

The family called off the marriage because in Kairana, Muslims are in majority, said Shakti, adding that it is unfortunate for the entire society which has been apparently divided on the lines of religion.

Sonu is an employee with an advocate. His marriage was called off because the girls family refused to send their daughter to Kairana. They suggested the boy to take house on rent outside Kairana. It is unfortunate, said Sonu.

Sanjay Rajput, president of Vyapaar Mandal, said the series of incidents are unfortunate for both the city as well as the residents. He said that he has also come across similar incidents where marriages have been called off.
A five-member team of Hindu seers contradicted the BJPs claim of an exodus of Hindu families from western Uttar Pradeshs Kairana on Sunday but reported an atmosphere of fear in the town because of criminals.

The team was formed by the state government after BJP parliamentarian Hukum Singh claimed over 350 Hindu families left the town, post alleged extortion threats from Muslim gangs.

Subsequent media reports and district administration probe indicate the exodus claim is false as many Hindu families left in search of jobs and the criminals targeted both communities.

The ruling Samajwadi Party says the BJP is using the Kairana issue to fan communal tensions ahead of the assembly polls next year.

Read | Doubts over the communal angle in Kairana exodus

No one complained about a Hindu exodus but there is an atmosphere of fear in Kairana, said Swami Chakrapani, who was a part of the team.

Read | Kairana exodus: BJP demands CBI probe, SP hits back citing Gujarat riots

The team met the brother of a trader who was killed in broad daylight in 2014 after refusing to pay the criminals money. The traders family told the panel that the terror of criminals prevailed over the town and that they were deprived of ex-gratia payments after the murder, despite an announcement by the then cabinet minister.

The team also met the families of two other traders who were killed in full public glare for refusing to pay the criminals. The family members said the state government didnt take care of them and that the town was under the shadow of terror because criminals were not afraid of the police.

The team included Swami Chakrapani, Pramod Krishnam, Swami Kalyandeo, Swami Chinmayanand and Swami Devendranand and will submit a report to the central and state governments on Thursday.
A government committee drafting Indias new education policy has proposed a raft of amendments to the UPA-era Right to Education Act, calling for flexible area-specific guidelines to replace a nationwide framework.

The proposed changes include a dilution of norms for recognising private schools as the TSR Subramanian committee feels the present guidelines threaten the closure of institutions doing stellar work in poor neighbourhoods.

The RTE stipulates benchmarks such as a play ground, a minimum teacher-pupil ratio and number of classrooms for according recognition  and thereby government funds  to any private school.

But the committee disagreed with the uniform national guidelines and said norms should be evolved for alternate schools in line with local conditions.

Lauding the initiative of an NGO running schools in the slums of Ahmedabad, the committee observed, After the RTE Act, such centres become illegal as they cannot satisfy the norms, their funding under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been stopped and they can be closed any time by authorities.

The committee said instead of parameters such as infrastructure, the government should look at learning outcomes and amend the RTE Act.

Infrastructure norms for recognition of private schools should also be applied to government schools. There should be no discrimination, the report said.

The RTE Act was passed in 2009 and implemented from April 2010.

The committee called for reviewing exemptions to minority institutions from admitting 25% poor students for free under the economically weaker sections (EWS) category.

The committee feels larger national obligations to meet the rights of economic weaker sections should extend to all institutions, including minority (religious and linguistic) institutions, the report said.

It rued the fact that the RTE Act was only partially implemented in most states, six years after it was passed, calling for greater flexibility to evolve norms that factor in local conditions.

India is a vast and divergent country and one set of norms cannot be applied rigidly and uniformly, the report said, in apparent criticism of the Act that was in the making for nearly a decade.

In other proposed amendments, the committee suggested dilution of the no-detention policy that prevents schools from detaining students in a class till the age of 14. It said it had heard a number of views for and against the policy before drawing up its recommendations. Promoting laggards drags down the standard of the whole class and handicaps the teachers ability to teach the curriculum at the expected pace, the report said.

The committee recommended that from Class 5 to 8, for children between the ages of 11 and 14, the system of detention of children who are below the requisite minimum standard should be reinstated. This will require a suitable amendment to section 30 (1) of the RTE Act.

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Allegations of foul play engulfed the killing of a suspected Maoist woman extremist in Chhattisgarh after a photograph showed her wearing a neat, loose-fit uniform that betrayed no signs of a fierce gunfight with security forces.

The woman, Madkam Hidme of Gompad village, was killed on June 13 after police engaged her in a forest in the restive southern Bastar district of Sukma.

But tribal rights campaigners dismissed the police version, saying security personnel forcibly took Hidme away from her home, dragged the woman into a forest, gang-raped her before shooting her dead. They alleged that an innocent woman was raped, killed and later branded a Maoist.

Sukma superintendent of police Indira Kalyan Elesela confirmed that she was killed in an encounter. A magisterial inquiry is on. It will reveal the truth. Its going to be an independent investigation not based on any image. On police record Hidme was a Maoist, the officer said.

The image in question is that of Hidme in a guerilla outfit that was uploaded on social media. Police denied uploading any such image.

The photo narrates a different story. We are not calling the encounter fake but the image of the dead woman in a uniform that appeared two sizes too big for her raises suspicion. Besides, no autopsy was conducted. Based on these, we petitioned the high court for a judicial probe into the incident, said Sanket Thakur, the Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) state coordinator.

Her dress apparently bore no signs of conflict inside a jungle, not even a wrinkle.

The trouser was folded close to the feet. Will a hardcore Maoist venture out in a loose-fit uniform with no belt and conveniently move inside the difficult forested terrain wearing a pair of sandals? The outfit had no bullet holes, though she was allegedly killed in a fierce gunbattle, Thakur said.

Tribal rights campaigner Soni Sori too dismissed the police version.

Police prevented me from visiting her village. Why? The undergarment of Hidme and her smashed ornaments were recovered by her relatives from the site, Sori said.

Sukma police maintained she was not allowed to go to Hidmes village because of security reasons.
Fifty-seven Union ministers will spread across the country on Tuesday for the second International Yoga Day programmes, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ancient Indian physical exercise in Chandigarh.

The ministers will be leading various programmes hosted by the government across the country during the mega event. Ten of them will concentrate on poll-bound Uttar Pradesh .

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.

Following this, the first International Yoga Day was observed across the world on June 21 last year. Modi performing yoga along with 36,000 people at the Delhis historic Rajpath.

People perform yoga at Rajpath as part of International Yoga Day celebrations in New Delhi on June 21, 2015. (Arvind Yadav/ HT Photo)

The 57 ministers who have been assigned the task of leading this years programme include home minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Arun Jaitley, defence minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, among others.

Around 10 ministers, including Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Maneka Gandhi, have been lined up for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to lead these programmes.

The series of programmes this year include mass yoga events, workshops and seminars.

While Modi will be performing yoga along with thousands of people at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, his cabinet colleagues Singh and Jaitley have been assigned the task of leading the 2nd IYD programmes in Lucknow and Mumbai

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu will lead a programme in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, while defence minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to participate in Kanpur.

Urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu is likely to participate in a programme in the national capital. Power minister Piyush Goyal will perform with others in Raipur. Health minister J P Nadda will visist Ahmedabad for the purpose.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday defended the Narendra Modi governments global outreach-driven foreign policy and said there are many benefits of such endeavours.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) does not come sitting at home, Sushma Swaraj said, in an apparent dig at critics who have often Prime Minister Modis frequent overseas travels.

Aaj jab Bharat bolta hai, duniya sunti hai (Today when India speaks, the world listens), she told the media here.

The minister said since the Modi government took charge in May 2014, there had been a substantial FDI inflow.

As much as $55 billion or Rs 369,000 crore has come through the FDI route in the last two years. It is about a 43 per cent jump over what it was during the UPA rule.

Sushma Swaraj said the foreign outreach had helped India enlist assistance of global players like the US, France, Germany and England in flagship schemes like Smart Cities.

With Australia alone, we had 13 agreements on skill development, she said, adding there had been cooperation with countries such as Germany and Japan for Namami Ganga programme.
Less than a fortnight after it banned family members as crew on the same flight, Air India has withdrawn the rule, partially.

A circular issued Saturday said flight attendants would be allowed to operate flights with their spouses, siblings and children, but was silent on whether this extended to pilots and co-pilots as well.

Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani had said the earlier decision to not have two close family members on the same flight roster was more to do with discipline. He did not comment on Saturdays partial rollback.

Senior management, in consideration of the representations received, has reviewed and decided to allow family members employed by Air India as cabin crew to be assigned on the same flight, read the circular. However, it is expected that all cabin crew maintain the highest standards of service with no cause for complaint from any quarter and abide by the rules and regulations, including country specific laws.

Airline sources said senior commanders were instrumental in getting the rule rolled back, albeit partially.

The sources said, however, that the new concession may not last too long.

A widespread culture of AI crew demanding colleagues of their choice for flights is said to have led to the ban.

A day after a senior pilot assigned to a Chennai-Male flight in April called in sick at the last minute, subjecting over 100 passengers to a five-hour delay, Lohani issued a stern note to pilots that put recent flight delays and passenger inconvenience down to three common excuses. These were turning down flight duty created by the automatic roster, demanding a particular co-pilot, and refusing to operate flights with a particular section of the crew.

At around the same time, AI pilot union Indian Commercial Pilots Association issued a statement claiming the Chennai-Male flights commander had operated 260 flights with a particular co-pilot.

Read | Air India pilot demands particular woman co-pilot, delays flight

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Intervention by schoolchildren helped uncover an international sex racket, leading to the arrest of the operations kingpin from Delhi along with a woman trafficker from Nepal.

Three traffickers were arrested at the West Bengal-Nepal border, and a police team from Darjeeling was rushed to Delhi to nab others involved in the racket. Members of Mankind in Action for Rural Growth (MARG), an NGO, accompanied the police team.

Gagan Verma, the alleged kingpin, was arrested from his residence in DLF Phase 2, Gurgaon, by the Darjeeling police team along with Haryana police on Saturday. Verma allegedly forged government documents such as Aadhaar cards to traffic girls, and force them to dance in bars and into flesh trade.

Most of the girls were trafficked from the hills of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Nepal. The racket was operational in the National Capital Region, particularly in Gurgaon and Mudrika area of Delhi.

However, Vermas aide, Sunni Tamang, managed to give police the slip and escaped to Nepal by road. MARG subsequently informed its partner NGO, Maiti Nepal, and Tamang was apprehended at the Nepal-West Bengal border at around 6pm on Saturday.

The Darjeeling police team comprised of two sub-inspectors, two women and two men constables. We are bringing Verma to the Darjeeling district. He will be produced at the additional chief justice court in Siliguri, said Deo Gazmer, officer-in-charge of Khoribari police station.

The operation to bring down the racketeers began after MARG received information from Maiti Nepal that a 15-year-old girl had gone missing from a remote village in the Sidhupalchowk district of Nepal.

The NGO has 12 Students Against Trafficking Clubs (SATC) running successfully in Darjeeling schools, under which students of Class 10, 11 and 12 are sensitised on the human trafficking issue.

We had alerted our SATC regarding the missing girl. Four of our students from an SATC we run in a school located in the remote part of the district bordering Nepal managed to trace [the girl] on a social network site and befriended her, said Nirnay John Chettri, president, MARG.

The students pretended to be residents of Nepal who were looking for jobs. The 15-year-old girl then introduced the SATC members to her friend in Delhi, who offered them jobs with a salary of Rs 15,000. They would have to work as bar dancers and entertain guests in Delhi.

When the SATC members raised concerns about being caught at the India-Nepal border, they were asked to e-mail their photographs and within 20 minutes they received fake Aadhaar cards along with their appointment letters.

The students then laid a trap, stating that they would run away from their homes for Delhi. They requested the person in Delhi to send someone to meet them in Panitanki on the Indo-Nepal border, located in the plains of the Darjeeling district, said Chettri.

At 1 pm on June 8, a man and a woman arrived at the rendezvous point in Panitanki, and were apprehended by police. The duo was identified as Ugen Tshering Bhutia, 43, of Jaldhaka in Kalimpong sub-division and Srijana Rai, 22, of Kumai in Darjeeling district.

The whole evening, we continued chatting with the Delhi people from where we learnt that a girl from their group had boarded the Rajdhani Express to pick up our SATC girls from the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) on June 9, said Chettri.

A second trap was laid on June 9 at NJP, and Pranita Mukhia, 22, originally from Sipchu in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, was arrested.
Protesters leading the second phase of the Jat quota agitation that began early this month have agreed to wind down their movement this Sunday, following the Haryana governments agreement over a 10-point charter.

Representatives of the Yashpal Malik-led All India Jat Aarkshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) met with government officials on Saturday to agree on terms, a statement released by AIJASS national general secretary, BS Ahlawat, said.

The government has agreed on the 10 point demand charter submitted by us. So we have decided to call off the agitation for the time being, Malik confirmed to Hindustan Times.

Read | Haryana Jat agitation: What has changed this time?

The Jat leader led AIJASS leaders who held parleys with state transport minister, Krishan Lal Panwar, and state BJP president, Subhash Barala, at New Delhi on Saturday. A day earlier, an AIJASS faction led by Hawa Singh Sangwan, which didnt play a proactive role in the second phase, made similar demands before the state government.

Among the points was a demand to have the criminal cases registered against Jats during the February violence and the present agitation withdrawn. The sedition case against Malik at Jind is also a part of the charter. Jat leaders have also asked the government to provide financial compensation for those killed and injured during the February violence.

The AIJASS also expects the release those jailed during the two agitations as soon as possible.

Read | Jat protesters dig in their heels as Congress, INLD extend support

The other demands put forth by the AIJASS include action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra, Rajkumar Saini, for his anti-Jat talks, dialogue with the committee constituted under the chairmanship of Union minister Venkaiah Naidu to look into the demand of a Jat quota in central government jobs, that the state government defend the Jat quota legislation in the Punjab and Haryana high court and immediately secure the Jat quota law under the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution to protect it from judicial review.

Sangwans faction presented similar demands on Friday, which were also accepted by Agriculture minister, OP Dhankar.

With Malik yielding, the agitation is expected to whittle down for the time being.

The AIJASS statement said that a delegation will visit all the dharna spots in Haryana and persuade those sitting on hunger strike to call off their protest. It has been decided by AIJASS national president that members of state and national executive will be responsible for postponing the stir by Sunday evening, the group said in a statement.

The AIJASS had earlier decided to hold dharnas sans any obstruction on roads and railway tracks from June 5. Malik had in fact given an assurance to this effect during a meeting held with Haryana Transport minister, Krishan Lal Panwar in New Delhi on June 2.

The February agitation that lasted more than 10 days turned bloody and violent as it spread, causing major destruction to civic property, loss of lives, and disrupting traffic moving in and out of the state.

Read more | Jat quota protests: Missteps by Khattar government fuelled violence
In a windowless room in Delhi, a group of elderly people are sitting, watching television and passing time as they wait for lunch. Abandoned by their families and left to fend for themselves in their twilight years, time is all these people have left.

The very people who we loved more than our lives, kicked us outI feel the loss of my children and grandchild every day. But they have never called me, nor have they ever been ashamed that they abandoned me, says 86-year-old GS Bhatia, choking on his words as tears well up in his eyes.

A resident of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, Bhatias woes started the day he willed his property to his two sons. They said, daddy, hum aapko nahin khila sakte, aap doosra raasta naap lo (We cant feed you. Please find your own way), he adds.

He is living at the Gharaunda old age shelter in South Delhi since 2005. It has also been 11 long years since he last saw his children.

Read: Old and alone: Why do senior citizens have to retire hurt?

According to 2014 estimates, India has more than 100 million elderly people (60 years and above). And 10 million of them live outside their family homes, most of them thrown out by their own children for property, activists say.

HelpAge, an NGO working for the elderly, says that 53.2 per cent of all elderly abuse was due to property and inheritance disputes.

Daughters-in-law and sons emerged as the top-most perpetrators (of abuse of the elderly), a 2013 study by the NGO found.

Vimla Chauhan (left), Rashi Chandra (second from left) and GS Bhatia (right) at Gharaunda old age shelter home. (Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times)

Kicked out by kin

Gharaunda is run by a private charitable trust Paras Jain Foundation and its trustees Rakesh and Parvesh Jain. It houses more than 50 senior citizens.

Wherever property or bank balance is involved, the children are nice to their parents till the time that it is willed to them. Afterwardsthe parents are kicked out, the shelters caretaker S Mohanty said.

Though the elderly often dont report such abuse to maintain confidentiality of family matters, their children are dragging them to court. Advocate MS Khan said there was a sharp increase in legal battles between parents and children.

Other Gharaunda residents have similar tales to share.

Rashi Chandra, 76, lost everything she had accumulated over 40 years  a healthy bank balance, several properties in Delhi and a successful company in Chandni Chowk.

She (the daughter-in-law) started to fight with me because my son was a good-for-nothing. For ten years, we fought in Meerut courts for possession of the property. The case cost so much, I kept selling bits of my land till there was nothing left, she says.

Watch: The elderly recount their stories of distress

Rashi won the case but by then she was so ill that she had to be taken to a hospital. In the two weeks she was away, her son sold everything in the house, even the chullah. With no hope of rebuilding her life, she came to the shelter home ten years ago.

Her son does visit her occasionally when he needs money.

Lawyers say daughters-in-law are often at the centre of such legal battles.

More and more criminal cases against old people are being filed by daughters-in-law, many at the behest of the persons sons. And the motive behind them is to pressure the old people into handing over property or money, Khan says.

Nek Ram, a 75-year-old, spent four years fighting with his eldest son over their ancestral property worth Rs.15 lakh.

A former chartered accountant with the commerce ministry, Ram says his son threw out a tenant to whom Ram had rented their ancestral home in Tigri and took possession of the property. When he sued his son, his daughter-in-law filed a case of dowry harassment.

Though Ram eventually won both the civil and criminal cases, he lost his health and family, he says. He also suffered three heart attacks because of the tension in the family and his sons threats to his life.

Activists and lawyers say many suffer the abuse as they are not aware of the redressal mechanism.

Increased abuse

HelpAge Indias studies show a marked increase in the percentage of elders who report abuse  from 23 per cent in 2013 to 50 per cent in 2014.

The NGO found that economic dependence of the abuser on the victim was a motivation for abuse: the elderly are browbeaten because their kids need their money or property. Even the youth have noticed: over 76 per cent said they had witnessed abuse of the elderly in their own homes, according to HelpAge.

The study also found that there was more abuse in lower middle-class and middle-class families. Lack of resources leads to more infighting, says advocate Babanjeet Singh.

Within upper middle-class people, there is usually more property to go around than lower middle class or poor folks, so there is more chance of a compromise happening, he says. Everyones greed can be satisfied somehow, so they dont need to come to court as much.

Another worrying factor, says Singh, is the rising incidents of dowry harassment and rape charges being slapped on the elderly.

The Parkashs (name changed), an elderly couple from north Delhi, say their daughter-in-law filed a false case of intimidation and dowry harassment against them after she fell out with their son.

She filed a case in 2015 and there are several sections, very vulgar sections, against me, 66-year-old Arvind Parkash says.

They, too, have filed more than 20 criminal cases of trespass and intimidation against their daughter-in-law and others in her family.

But the biggest regret for Anita Parkash is the fact that she cannot even meet her granddaughter.

I feel like crying all the time because Im not even allowed to meet her.

The daughter-in-laws account of the case, however, is different. In her FIR, she says her father-in-law tried to molest and intimidate her. As the case drags on, the couple is funding their legal costs with Parkashs meagre pension.

Many such cases are eventually resolved out of court, says Khan. But even compromise does not help the elderly. If anything, says Gharaundas caretaker Mohanty, it could make it worse.

In terms of property, many are finding that once they hand over the ancestral property to their children, the kids tell them to move out of their lives.

Read: Retirement colonies: Senior citizens find a home away from home for

Ageing India

As the number of such cases rises, so does the number of Indian elderly. According to HelpAge, by 2050, the population of people aged above 60 years will increase by 270 per cent, and the number of people over 80 will rise by 500 per cent.

In Rajpuri Sanstha another home in Delhi, a 99-year-old woman who wished to remain anonymous has filed an FIR against her two sons.

She says they are threatening her to hand over an unused property in south-west Delhis Mahipalpur area where property rates are high because of airport development. The property is worth over Rs.50 lakh now, she says. Her husband had willed it in her name. He never imagined they would turn on their own mother, she says.

Though the old-age homes take care of the physical needs of the elderly, the trauma of being betrayed by their own children remains.

Rekha Shirohi, a caretaker at the Rajpuri Sanstha in Delhis Pankha road, recalls a woman who stayed at the home for two months after her son threw her out following the death of his father who had willed the ancestral property to him. Shirohi says the woman eventually lost her mental balance and now lives in a mental asylum.

They are always sad, everything makes them cry. Theyll tell us that they had gone for a stroll. We later find out that they went walking till their childrens home or their grandchilds school, Mohanty says.

He says children even refuse to attend their parents last rites.

Till date, the trust has paid for and done the cremations for about 60 per cent of the deaths in the home. Some children even refuse to acknowledge that the dead person is their parent; some will switch off their phones after we call them once.

Bhatia, his eyes moist, however, points out that the wheel of time never stops turning.

Someday my sons will be in my position and it will be their turn. How they treated me is how their sons and daughters will treat them.

Read more: PM Modi speaks to Gandhis grandson living in Delhi old age home


Ahead of the International Yoga Day on June 21, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said it is irrelevant (to perform yoga) without imposing ban on sale of liquor across the country.

Yoga is a natural treatment process but liquor addicts cannot perform it. Yoga would be irrelevant unless a ban is imposed on sale of liquor across the country, he said at a meeting in Medininagar in Palamau district.

Kumar said, I have been doing Yoga since childhood but have never publicised it. A statement directed at PM Narendra Modi, who had actively participated in the International Yoga Day event last year.

He also accused BJP of turning the International Yoga Day event a party affair.

Ban on sale of liquor in Gujarat prevailed since Independence and Modi had no role in it. Hence, he should not try to take credit for it, Kumar said.

In a democratic system like ours, welfare of the society should be the priority over trade and business, he said,adding his government has decided to forfeit Rs 5,000 crore revenue being generated by sale of liquor.

There are other avenues to generate revenue, Kumar said, adding if conducive atmosphere prevails and law and order is maintained, adequate revenue can be generated by promoting trade, business and industry.

While I have decided to impose ban on sale of liquor in Bihar, Jharkhand government has increased liquor quota in the bordering areas to generate revenue in violation of the 1915 Excise Act, which prohibits sale of liquor within a limit of 3.6 km from the area under purview of the ban, he alleged.

I had apprised Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das of my governments decision to impose ban on sale of liquor from April 1, vide a letter dated January 18 and sought cooperation from him to make it a success, but his government did not cooperate, he claimed.

Referring to switching over of six JVM MLAs to BJP, Kumar, who was accompanied by JVM chief Babulal Marandi at the meeting, alleged, BJP can stoop to any level to grab power.

Speaking on the occasion, Marandi said, Opposing ban on liquor sale on the pretext of tribal culture is an insult to the community.

JMM supremo Sibu Soren had launched a movement against sale of liquor and money lending in 1970s and JVM, with the support of Kumar, would continue to pressurise Jharkhand government to ban sale of liquor in the state, he said.
The three-year-old daughter of a single mother searching for a job in Jaipur was abducted and raped on Saturday, exactly a week after a suspected drug addict committed a similar crime on a child of the same age.

The child was abducted from the campus of Sawai Man Singh hospital around 8.30pm when she was playing after dinner. The mother lodged a police complaint after a failing to trace her.

The girl was found on Sunday morning on the hospital premises and rushed to JK Lone hospital where doctors confirmed the rape. The girl was bleeding, was in pain and had wound marks on her back. She was in a state of shock, JK Lone hospital superintendent Ashok Gupta said.

He said she has been kept in ICU after surgery. Her condition is critical.

The childs mother, who is a person with disability, is from Ahmedabad. She said her husband deserted her five months ago and she first went looking for a job in Mumbai where she stayed in a government-run hostel with her two daughters.

My husband too is physically challenged. To raise my children I came to Jaipur on Saturday evening and went to Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti centre at SMS hospital in search of a job, she said.

The centre is for persons with disability where the Jaipur foot is fixed while crutches and tricycles are given free.

She suspected a one-legged, one-armed man at the centre for the rape. Police have detained some people for questioning.

This was the second incident of sexual assault on children in Jaipur in a week. On June 11, parents of a three-and-half-year-old lodged a police complaint that their daughter, was playing near a gurdwara at the Transport Nagar locality, has gone missing.

The girl was later found at an isolated area in Bagrana, around 14km away from her home. Police arrested on June 15 a 38-year-old suspect, who is a drug addict and a native of Punjab.

Shocked by the twin incidents, state womens commission chairperson Suman Sharma said there should be zero tolerance on rape of minors. It is very sad and painful, she said after meeting the girls mother at JK Lone hospital on Sunday.

State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Manan Chaturvedi suggested that mothers should keep an eye on children playing outside, especially after sunset. There is decline in moral values  subjects like moral science and sanskar should be taught again.

The incidents triggered criticism against the BJP-led government.

The Congresss state unit chief Sachin Pilot called the twin rapes an outcome of the deteriorating law and order in the state.

The offender left the girl at the hospital after the crime, displaying the growing audacity of criminals because of lax policing under the BJP government, he said. SMS hospital functions round-the-clock and there is a police checkpost nearby. Still a girl could be abducted and brought back to the same place

Congress spokesperson Pratap Singh Khacharia, who visited the hospital and met the girls mother, said two rapes within a week in Jaipur showed the governments failure in checking crimes.
PUNE: Countering the allegations of graft and wrongdoing levelled against his ministers, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis defended his cabinet colleagues, including senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse who was forced to step down earlier this month.

Speaking at the opening session of the partys state executive meeting in Pune on Saturday, Fadnavis said the allegations  against several ministers, including women and child development minister Pankaja Munde, education minister Vinod Tawde, water resources minister Girish Mahajan, and even partys state president Raosaheb Danve  were a false propaganda by the opposition.

Just as we are taking the development agenda forward, there is an attempt to target our ministers. How can Congress-NCP accuse us of land deals when they have been slammed by the CAG report for grabbing land? said the CM. This is a conspiracy... It is like Goebbels [Nazi propaganda minister] propaganda in absence of any evidence.

Fadnavis gave a clean chit to all his ministers, who have been facing various allegations, and insisted that even Khadse will come out unscathed after the agnipariksha (trial by fire).

The chief minister showcased a united front as he recounted the governments achievements and policy decisions, giving credit to the ministers concerned.

Fadnavis defense of his cabinet colleagues comes ahead of the 26 zilla parishad and 10 municipal corporation, including BMC, elections that will take place in Maharashtra between October 2016 and March 2017.

The outcome of these polls, touted as mini-Assembly elections in the state, will be seen as a referendum on the Fadnavis government and could have an impact on its remaining two years in power.

On Saturday, the message to the party leaders and workers was clear. As the BJP readies itself for the poll challenge, the focus has to be on opponents instead of battling allegations within the party and being defensive.

Indicating an aggressive stance against the Opposition, Fadnavis asked party workers to step out in greater forces against Congress-NCP. We cant let them hide behind their burkhas. Unmask their corruption rackets, collect documents and file cases against them, said the chief minister.

However, Fadnavis and the BJPs state president Raosaheb Danve made no mention of the trickier issue of the unease within the saffron alliance. But Union minister Venkaiah Naidu, who inaugurated the session, hinted at a ceasefire with the warring ally. Shiv Sena is BJPs oldest ally. There are differences even within the family; its best to sort them out together. These differences shouldnt be discussed outside. We have work to do together in the future, said Naidu.

While this indicates a climb down, it remains to be seen whether the allies can forge an amiable working relationship. More clarity could emerge after Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addresses his party workers on Sunday, when the party turns 50, and when the BJP passes its political resolution on Sunday.

Sources said the party will attempt to work out an alliance with the Sena wherever possible to avoid the latter coming together with Congress and NCP. The focus is to pick as many ZPs and civic bodies as possible, to make our position stronger ahead of 2019, said a BJP minister, on condition of anonymity.

At the grass-roots level, however, BJP has already started work on contesting the BMC polls solo, assessing situation to contest all 227 seats.

Union ministers Prakash Javdekar and Piyush Goyal along with a majority of the state cabinet ministers  education minister Vinod Tawde, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, co- operation minister Chandrakant Patil, Bapat  and even Khadse were present at the executive meeting on Saturday.

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THANE: The Thane police on Saturday added former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni to the list of suspects in the Rs2,000-crore ephedrine haul case. Following the arrest of two peddlers, the police had seized 18,000kg of the drug from a factory owned by Avon Lifesciences in Solapur on April 16. The police are now in the process of having a red corner notice (international arrest warrant) issued against Kulkarni.

A Thane police officer, who did not wish to be named, said, The arrested accused have revealed that Mamta Kulkarni is one of the directors of Avon Lifesciences and that she owns shares in it worth Rs 11 lakh. Vicky Goswani had bailed out the company after it suffered losses, and Mamta was made a director on his insistence.

Thane police commissioner Parambir Singh said, We are in the process of getting a red corner notice against Mamta. There is already one out for Vicky Goswami. We came to know about meetings held in January and April, attended by Mamta and Vicky, at which drug smuggling was discussed.

He added, Colombian and Moroccan drug dealers are also involved in the racket. The US Drug Enforcement Administration has shared pictures of Dr Abdulla, an international drug dealer from Kenya, who played a major role in the racket and is an important partner of Vicky Goswami.

Bharat Shelkhe, additonal commissioner of police, Thane crime branch, said, We have also learnt that Dr Abdulla was about to set up a company in Mombasa in Kenya where drugs from Solapur would be processed before being sold on the international market.

Information about the meetings came from the statements of two people  one an accused and the other a police witness. The accused has been identified as Jay Mukhi, a resident of Mumbai, whose identity had been kept secret up to now so as not to hamper the investigation.

According to the two statements, which were recorded before a magistrate to give them more weight, a meeting in Tanzania on January 1, 2016 was attended by Mamta, Vicky, Dr Abdulla and Manoj Jain, director of Avon Lifesciences, Jay Mukhi and a few others. A second meeting, at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in April, was also attended by Goswami, Manoj Jain, Jay Mukhi, Dr Abdulla and others. At these meetings, they alle gedly discussed how to transport the drugs and deal with the authorities.

Soon after the January meeting, a consignment comprising 100 kg of ephedrine was sent f rom Avon Lifesciences in Solpaur to Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai. From there it was sent to Kenya on a cargo plane. The Thane anti-narcotics cell is examining the route to find out about others involved in transporting the drug. According to the police, after the drug was sent to Tanzania and Kenya, Vicky sent crores of rupees to Manoj Jain.

Thane police chief Singh added, They also discussed the profit margin on ephedrine in the international market and who would get what. It was decided that 33% would go to Vicky Goswami and Dr Abdulla, 33% to Manoj Jain and Punit Shringi, and 33% to Kishoresingh Rathod and Jay Mukhi. They also decided to sell the drug at Rs 50,000 a kg.

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Even as senior BJP leader Eaknath Khadse had to resign as the states revenue minister in an unceremonious manner, the party strongman from North Maharashtra continues to enjoy clout, going by the scenes at the Maharashtra BJP meet on Saturday.

Khadse was supported by both chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Venkaiah Naidu. Fadnavis said he was confident that the senior leader will successfully pass through the agnipariksha while Naidu said opposition parties were making baseless allegations.

Read more: Naidu calls for brothers BJP and Sena to settle differencess

Several party leaders preferred to maintain a silence over the issue. Party workers were also curious to know whether Khadse will stay away from the meeting or will he participate, according to sources.

Khadse, however, arrived at the meeting well before the scheduled time and was seen exchanging pleasantries with the leaders. He was also given a prime position in the first row on the dais.

Khadse said he was waiting for all those who made allegations against him to submit proof.

Nobody is coming forward, he said and added that he will file a defamation suit against all those people. I wont spare even the media, he threatened. He said he resigned as the minister not because of the allegations against him but because he thought that the party should not suffer because of him.

Party spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that Khadse continues to be a senior party leader.

Not a single allegation has been established against him so far, Bhandari said. He is a respected leader of the party.
It was a dream come true for Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, as they were inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as the first women fighter pilots on Saturday.

Addressing the media after being commissioned at a function at IAF Academy in Dundigal on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Kanth said, I am privileged to be the first woman combat pilot in the Indian Air Force. I am also quite fortunate to get the chance of becoming the fighter pilot and it gives a sense of pride. Singh said it was a special feeling for her and thanked her parents for their support to make her dreams come true.

Terming it a great feeling, Chaturvedi said, We had to go through a rigorous selection process. Of the six shortlisted, we three made it to the last stage. We had to train at par with men. And we gave 100%.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said it was a red-letter day in the history of the Indian Air Force. It is also a golden day as for the first time these women are going to join the fighter pilots. This will inspire more women to take up most challenging task in the armed forces. Our long-term objective is to work towards gender parity in the armed forces, he said.

The minister reviewed the combined graduation parade of 130 flight cadets including 22 women trainees and commissioned them as flying officers. He conferred meritorious awards on the top ranking flight cadets. The graduation parade was followed by a spectacular air show by skilled pilots on Sukhoi fighter jet, Sarang helicopters and Akash Ganga skydivers.

Parrikar said the pilots will soon fly to Bidar in Karnataka for their next round of training including flying of fighter jets like Hawk, Sukhoi and Tejas. They will complete the training by next year, he added.

Parrikar said there was still a long way to go in inducting more women in all the three wings of the ar med forces. There are still a lot of technical and administrative difficulties in several areas in taking more women. We need to create a lot of infrastructure for women, especially in air force and navy wings. Yet, we will work towards creating more opportunities for them, he said.

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SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday censured the management of Delhi Public School, Srinagar, for the alleged ban on wearing traditional Islamic dress abaya, saying this is not France.

The school administration had allegedly asked a teacher to either stop wearing the abaya  a loose, full-length outer garment which covers the whole body except the face, hands and feet  or leave the job. She reportedly got angry and left, prompting protests by students on Friday.

The issue was raised in the state assembly during the zero hour session by Independent MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid. He said the ban by a Delhi-based educational trust in a Muslim state was condemnable.

Education minister Naeem Akhtar responded on behalf of the government saying they will raise the issue with the school authorities. It is a private school and we will get into the (sic) truth of the issue, Akhtar said. We live in a country with (sic) multi-cultural and multi-religious setup. We have a secular fabric. No force on any such issue will be accepted; we are not France where the government or some institute decides what dress people should wear, he said.

He said people have all the freedom to follow their culture and can dress according to their choice.

France has banned veils worn by Muslim women at public places. DPS teachers said they are allowed to wear the hijab but are asked to refrain from wearing Abaya inside the school. The administration has refused to comment.
INDORE: A dog took away the body of a stillborn from the state-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao (MY) Hospital on Saturday morning. The baby was delivered by a 19-year-old teenager from Dhar.

The pregnant mother was admitted to the burns unit in the hospital on Thursday after suffering 83% burns in an accident. Sonography tests diagnosed that the baby had died and the foetus was removed to prevent further danger to the mother.

Hospital authorities allegedly did not send the body to the mortuary immediately, but left the foetus in a tray in the surgery unit, when the dog whisked away the corpse.

I was waiting by my daughter s side when I saw a dog entering and picking the foetus from the tray. By the time I could alert anybody, it started running, said a family member.

We had kept the foetus in the tray as the family members were not much interested in the body since their daughter was also critical. They informed us later and we then caught hold of the dog and put the body back, said a nurse on the condition of anonymity.

Only last month, the hospital was caught in a maelstrom when two infants died from being given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen after a surgery.

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Pranab Bhakta was stunned when he received a letter from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September for a loan he never took.

When the 55-year-old man chased the Noida-based Noble Co-operative Bank, which had apparently sanctioned a Rs 30-lakh loan to him, what unfolded was a unique fraud in the real estate sector which is already under scrutiny for large scale scams.

But Bhakta is not alone. HT has found more than 30 other home buyers whose names have been used to take loans in the range of Rs 15-40 lakh from the same bank by the same builder for its controversy-ridden residential project Charms in Greater Noida.

A routine inspection on the loans had raised suspicion in the central bank.

All the promoters of the project  developed by Shiv Kala Builder  are in jail after an HT report in November 2013 exposed how flats were sold to multiple buyers with multiple finances from well-known banks.

But this is the first instance in which it has come to light that loans were extended to the developer in the name of buyers without their knowledge.

In September 2015, I wrote back to RBI that I have bought a flat in Charms project and did avail a loan but from some other bank and I never visited Noble Co-operative Bank ever in my life, Bhakta said.

In January 2016, the co-operative bank issued a no-dues certificate to him saying that the loan amount has been settled.

This is to certify that a housing loan of Rs 30 lacs only sanctioned in favour of Pranav Bhakta in April 2010 vide loan account no HL-02 (sector 53 branch) has been fully repaid. There is nothing outstanding in the above loan account and the said loan account stands closed, the certificate reads.

Nithesh Shetty, another buyer whose identity was used to take a loan, also received a similar clearance letter from the bank. So did 30 others, while none repaid, HT has learnt.

RBI officials refused to speak on the issue.

VK Sharma, the CEO of the bank, instead of replying to HTs query, requested not to highlight the matter.

We are anxious how the loan was first disbursed without our knowledge and then settled. Even our signatures are forged in the documents, Nitesh added.

Experts pointed out that home loans are cheaper than normal business loans and co-operative banks are vulnerable to such frauds due to a low compliance mechanism.

Most cooperative banks dont share their loan details with the Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI), formed to minimise loan frauds for which it maintains and operates a registration system of loans on property.

When any financing institution feeds the address of a property in the system and if there is already a loan on that property, the system throws an alert, said AK Ralhan, former COO of CERSAI.

But out of 1600-odd urban cooperative banks, only 150 share their data on a regular basis with CERSAI.

We have requested cooperative banks to become members of CERSAI but the response has remained very poor till now, said Subhash Gupta, chief executive, National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks.

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Health officials were left red-faced as they discovered that at least 1,500 empty blood bags were missing from Civil Hospital. The police is investigating whether there is a link between the fake blood plasma case cracked by counter intelligence cops in Bathinda and this case of alleged embezzlement.

Blood transmission officer (BTO) Dr GS Grewal lodged an FIR against the store keeper William Rajan of Haibowal.Police division number 2 registered a case against the accused under Section 408 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.

Dr Grewal told police that 1,563 empty blood bags were missing from the hospital. The police suspect that the accused sold the bags in the market for financial gains.

The counter-intelligence department of Bathinda had, on June 14, busted a gang and seized around 7,600 litres of fake blood plasma in 21,700 packets. The police have arrested five accused in this case. After the arrest, cops also raided two shops in Ludhiana, where they found out that the accused would buy empty packets of blood from here.

The team also found that some of the packets recovered from the accused were the same as those used by the health department. When health officials were informed of this, they decided to check their records. Station house officer Gurvir Singh of Police Station Division Number 2 said the accused took leave when he realised as soon as the FIR was lodged against him.
Taking notice of stray dog menace in the holy city, Amritsar municipal corporation (MC) gave a signal for sterilisation of stray dogs and registration of pet dogs at its general house meeting held at Guru Nanak Bhawan here on Friday evening.

After the passage of the resolution in this regard at the meeting that started at 5.00 pm and lasted for four hours, MC commissioner Sonali Giri (IAS) said Rs 500 each would be charged for registration of pet dogs and the amount that would be collected from registration, would be spent on sterilisation of stray dogs in order to prevent increase in their population.

A token will be issued to every registered pet dog and it will be mandatory for the owner to wear the token in neck of his dog. Besides, 20 cages will also be installed at different places of the city to control the stray dogs.

Cow cess

The house also passed a resolution of levying cow cess under Section 7 of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, for the care and maintenance of uneconomic cows. The cess will be charged for transpiration of oil, English wine, sale four wheeler vehicles and for mobile towers.

On pattern of Ahmadabad model, proposal of launching SMS tree campaign was also approved by the house. This campaigning will start from July 11 and total 1 lakh trees will be planted under this.

Pertinently, expressing concern over alarming ground water depletion in the city, the house did not give permission for 62 new tubwell connections. Amritsar has been declared black zone in respect of ground water by the Central Ground Water Board. So, permission could not be given for new connections, said Giri.

Pending resolutions

Resolution of night sanitation of streets and roads located around Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) was not passed as some councillors Surnder Singh Sultanwind, Jarnail Singh and Amarjit Singh Bhatia raised questions as giving contract of sanitation of broken streets in worthless and wastage of money.

After being questioned by many councillors, regularisation of as many as 195 sewermen, who are working under Mohalla Sudhar Committees, could not get houses approval. The councillors pointed out some flaws in the list of the sewermen. Some sewermen have been working since 15 years and some have got the job just one month ago. The house raised objection on this fact too.

The house also put bill of promoting leading firemen on hold considering that it is upto the state government to see the seniority of employees.

Rejected resolutions

Issue of selling out land that is located on back side of MC commissioners official residence remained unresolved during the meeting as the house rejected the previous auction of the land and asked to conduct fresh auction. The buyer of this land during the previous bid had not deposited the full amount timely. He had only paid 10% of it. As per law, the 10% amount will not be returned, passed the house.

Opposition plays proactive role

During the meeting, the councillors associated with Congress, played proactive role and opposed various proposal brought by the mayor. On some moments, they exchanged heated arguments with the mayor and commissioner. They also protest the commissioner who reached the house few minutes late.
Interacting with farmers during the Coffee with Captain here on Saturday, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh assured them of working for their betterment, if voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

The former chief minister also promised to lower the power tariff to Rs 4 per unit for all domestic consumers by applying a cess on the national grid price besides continuing to provide free electricity to farmers to run their tubewells.

Lashing out at the Punjab government, Captain said: They have destroyed all that I had created. I had done the ground work for creating 20 lakh jobs, but Akalis brought it to naught on coming to power. By increasing the power tariff and delaying payment of procured crops, the government has sidelined Punjabs pride (farmers).

Captain alleged several pro-farmer projects started by the Congress government under his leadership were stopped midway by the SAD-BJP government. He also spoke in support of the Swaminathan Commission report and said his government will ensure the implementation of its recommendations.

Promising there will be no farmer suicide under his regime, the Punjab Congress chief said all farm debts will be waived and the government will ensure that land of debt-ridden farmers is not auctioned. He also promised to help small farmers through cooperative banks and make special policies for them, including subsidy on pesticides. Stressing the importance of crop diversification, Amarinder Singh encouraged farmers to grow crops other than rice and wheat as well.

Farmers from across the region along with agricultural experts and scientists attended the interactive session that was organised by members of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). Previously, similar events were also organised in Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Chandigarh, where youth had interacted with Captain. One such programme was held with ex-servicemen in Pathankot.
Tempers ran high at a Congress protest rally in chief minister Parkash Singh Badals assembly constituency on Saturday when two groups of party workers clashed while state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh was present on the stage to address a gathering.

The incident comes close on the heels of Congress MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa slapping a party leader before Amarinders rally at Dinanagar on June 8.

The clash took place when supporters of district Congress president Gurmeet Singh Khudian objected to making of a video of party leader Jagpal Singh Abukhurana when he was addressing the workers from the stage. Soon, members of both the groups came to blows.

Two party workers, identified as Jaspal Kala, a supporter of Abukhurana, and Gurbaaz Singh owing allegiance to Khudian, were injured. Blood stains were seen on cloths of some of the party leaders after the clash. However, Congress leaders tried to downplay the incident.

Later, leading a protest against the alleged recruitment scam, Amarinder accused the Badal family of indulging in corruption. Everyone, including a front man of the CM involved in the scam, will be put behind the bars if Congress forms the next government in the state, he said.

Accusing Muktsar unit chief of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Dyal Singh Kolianwali of involvement in the scam, Amarinder said he would meet the same fate as that of Ravi Sidhu, former chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission, who was arrested and sentenced for corruption. He has spent most of his time in jail since then. Kolianwali could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Amarinder said those squeezing the hard-earned money of the poor would not be spared at any cost. He said the CMs front man Kolianwali also manages the black money of the Akalis.

Alleging that the Akalis would use money power in the assembly polls, the former chief minster said: I will not stop people from taking money from them as its their own money looted by the ruling party, but they should not vote for them as it will be detrimental for the state.

Referring to the agricultural crisis in the state, Amarinder said when his party would form the government, it would continue with free electricity to farmers. He said 300 units of free electricity would be given to the Dalits and the downtrodden. The amount under Shagun scheme would be enhanced to `51,000 and the old-age, widow and handicapped pension to Rs 2,000 per month, he added.

Later, addressing a press conference, Amarinder said the Congress would not allow auction of land of debt-ridden farmers. Alleging that the SAD was behind the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, Amarinder said: The situation suits them as it confuses the people.

Speaking on the occasion, state Congress vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal alleged that the name Sukhbir Badal had become synonymous with corruption. Corruption has gone into Sukhbirs blood and his greed is multiplying. So much so that his servants have also amassed huge wealth through corruption which has become the trademark of the Badals, he added.

Senior Congress leader and state unit vice-president Sunil Jakhar compared the state recruitment scam with the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.

The protest was attended by CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress senior vice-president Lal Singh, Indian Youth Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and Congress secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Chaudhary.

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Police on Saturday cane-charged protesting jobless elementary teachers at Jai Singh Wala village here, resulting in injuries to many.

Four teachers were admitted to the Bathinda civil hospital. Demanding jobs, Teachers Eligibility Test (TET)-pass teachers are protesting atop a water tank for the past more than three weeks. On June 11 too, cops had rained lathis on the protesters who had blocked the Bathinda-Mansa road.

After the lathi-charge, a protesting woman teacher tried to immolate herself, but was rescued by her colleagues. She has received burn injuries on her arm.

The protest took an ugly turn when teachers started marching towards Badal village to join dharna of Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, who was in Lambi.

Cops cordoned off the village and did not allow teachers to leave the place following which protesters blocked the Bathinda-Badal road near Nandgarh village. Police used force to disperse the protesters to clear way for Amarinders cavalcade.

Nandgarh police station in-charge Yadwinder Singh said they first tried to convince the teachers to lift their protest, but the latter did not budge.

The action was taken to clear route for the VVIPs visit. The cavalcade of union minister for food processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal too had to pass through the road, SHO said.

Condemning police action, Kamal Thakur of jobless teachers union said they were peacefully marching towards Lambi when a police party overpowered them.

He, however, said local authorities have fixed their meeting with deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and education minister Daljeet Singh Cheema in Chandigarh on June 21.
Coming in support of the protesting Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) doctors, chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu have asked them not to join duty on a meagre amount of Rs 15,000 per month.

Targeting the state government on Facebook, the CPS said doctors should not insult their profession and their hard work by joining service and instead should run a private clinic for better financial prospects.

In her Facebook post, Dr Sidhu wrote that the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, had not been implemented in the state.

Terming the government dictator, she wrote: Its better to be part of the unchecked and profitable system than be part of the dictator government that tortures you every now and then with excess workload by juggling you between multiple centres, transfers you every now and then without any policy, is never sensitive towards your needs and is busy in opening new centres sans staff. Good luck and be very sensitive in treating patients.
The Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) authorities at a press conference held here on Saturday demanded strict action against kin of MC worker Dalbir Singh, who was killed in road accident on Friday, for manhandling two junior resident doctors.

The 54-year-old sanitation worker was hit by a speedy car while he was cleaning a road ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony of IIM at Manawala here.

In a counter claim, the relatives alleged that Dalbir died due to the negligence and manhandling of doctors.

Reportedly, the doctors and the victims relatives got into a scuffle after the sanitation worker died.

The doctors, later on, also filed a police complaint with the local police officials.

Seeking security, one of the agitated doctors, Dr Gaganpreet Singh said, We demand an FIR against those who are guilty. We also demand deployment of heavy police force for security of doctors. We have given 48 hours to the hospital

to push the authorities concerned for action against the victims kin.. The doctors even asked for installation of CCTV cameras in the building.

Rubbing allegation of negligence during the treatment, protesting doctors said that everything was done according to the required medication.

When asked about the status of police complaint, Dr Ram Sarup, medical superintendent, GNDH, Amritsar said, We are yet to find out about the police complaint. However, whatever happened is really unfortunate. We will take action against the accused. I had a talk with the DC over the phone, and we will ensure that such things are not repeated in future.

The meeting was attended by Dr BS Bal, principal, Government Medical College, Amritsar, and a number of agitated senior and junior resident doctors. Notably the incident had created ruckus in the hospital, MC unions.

Meanwhile, MC commissioner Sonali Giri had even paid visit in the hospital and ensured of desired action.
Land sharks backed by Akali leaders raked in the moolah by purchasing notified land from the farmers at throwaway prices and then getting huge compensation from the government for the land acquired for the Jalandhar-Chintpurni national highway.

According to official documents procured by activist Rajiv Vashisht under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the land sharks earned more than Rs 50 crore at Piplanwala village situated on the outskirts of Hoshiarpur. Documents reveal that 14.75 acres worth Rs 86 crore was acquired at Piplanwala village on the Hoshiapur-Jalandhar road of which around Rs 77 crore went to land sharks and Akali leaders, who purchased the notified land from the needy farmers. A total of 103 acres was to be acquired for Rs 286 crore in Hoshiarpur district for the project.

The land acquired at Piplanwala was not a prime land and far from the national highway. But even then, the landowners got Rs 5.77 crore per acre as compensation on an average. Those owning the land along the highway, where the rates are high, got a compensation of Rs 2.77 crore per acre. Isnt it a scam? questioned RTI activist Vashisht.

Akali councillor, kin got richer

Akali councillor and realtor Harpinder Singh Gill got a compensation of around Rs 31 crore for the 442 marla barren land in the village which he purchased 10 days before the acquisition. Documents reveal that the land was shown as a residential colony.

Gills family members, including his son, mother, wife, brother, sister-in-law and niece, got a compensation of `5 crore for another piece of land as they were shown owners of the property.

Gill, cooperative bank chairman Satwinder Pal Singh Dhatt and Hoshiarpur market committee chairman Avtar Singh Johal are among the Akali leaders who got the land registered in their names to get compensation running into crores.

Records available with the RTI activist reveal that higher compensation was given to Akali leaders and land sharks in villages under the Naloian revenue circle and Singdiwala.

Market committee chairman Johal was given a compensation of Rs 3.24 crore for 25 marlas of land at Singdiwala village, situated on the outskirts of Hoshiapur, whereas a farmer of Piplanwala village got a meagre compensation of Rs 35,000 per marla for his agriculture land situated on the main road.

As we were not getting full compensation for our land, patwari Parminder Singh conveyed through a friend that if we want to get handsome amount for the land for which we were yet to be paid, we should sell it to them (land sharks), said a farmer, wishing not to be named.

DC orders inquiry

Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Anindita Mitra has ordered a probe into the land acquisition at Piplanwala village where a land was shown as a residential colony to get higher compensation. I have read some reports in newspapers. Though I am not involved in the acquisition, but as a DC, I have decided to probe the matter. I will personally visit the sites, she added.

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Two days ahead of the International Yoga Day to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Captitol Complex, Chandigarh, a team of the PMs Special Protection Group (SPG) overviewed the security arrangements here.

Sources said the SPG team along with the senior police officials visited the Capitol Complex in the morning, Raj Bhawan in the afternoon and the airport in the evening. They said the team checked the CCTV cameras installed around the complex and outside the Punjab Raj Bhawan where the PM is expected to stay.

The team also verified the security points and the position of guards and policemen deployed at these locations. A fleet of around 4,000 paramilitary personnel have already landed in Chandigarh while prohibitory orders have been issued at several places. Around 7,000 security personnel will be on duty during Modis visit. Of these, 4,000 are paramilitary forces jawans while 3,000 cops will of Chandigarh Police.

Rain likely on yoga day, says Met

The city is likely to witness light rain on June 20 and June 21, the day International Yoga Day is being celebrated.

Local meteorological centre director Surinder Paul said, There are 30% chances of thundershowers on June 20 and 60% chances of light rain on June 21. The thundershowers may occur during early morning or afternoon.
Mohana Singh, who is among the first three women fighter pilots commissioned by the Indian Air Force on Saturday, completed her graduation in Amritsar.

The Global Institute of Management and Emerging Technologies, Amritsar, on Saturday applauded the distinguished alumna for inspiring hundreds of young women in the nation to aim high, work diligently and achieve glory.

Mohana, who hails from Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan, pursued BTech in electronics and communication engineering at the institute and graduated with 83.7% marks in 2013. She joined the institute while her father, Pratap Singh, was posted here.

Institute chairman BS Chandi also congratulated other two commissioned women fighter pilots: Avani Chaturvedi of Madhya Pradesh and Bhawana Kanth of Bihar. In a special note felicitating Mohana, the institute has written: Mohana, you are now a distinguished fighter pilot of the country and your story inspires many. You are a woman of substance, who has shown by action that anything and everything is possible, especially for a determined woman... We feel that you are our Kalpana Chawla...
The civil and police administration remained on toes throughout the day in Kotkapura on Saturday as dera followers refused to cremate Gurdevs body, which has been kept at the naam charcha ghar here.

Thirty-five-year-old Gurdev, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, who was shot at in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village on Monday, succumbed to his injuries at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana on Friday.

The dera followers said they wont cremate the body until the accused were arrested. A large posse of police was deployed in Kotkapura as there were apprehensions that the dera followers might block the Faridkot-Kotkapura road and stage a dharna at the Lal Batti Chowk.

Member of the dera state committee Mahenderpal said they decided against blocking the road as it would have harassed the general public. But if the accused is not arrested, we will be forced to launch an agitation, he said.

Repeated attempts of the district administration officials failed to convince the dera followers to cremate the body. Meanwhile, scores of dera followers kept pouring in from nearby towns to Kotkapura.

Later in the evening, senior superintendent of police (SSP) SS Maan held a meeting with the dera representatives. Sources said dera representatives from Sirsa will reach Kotkapura to take a call on cremating Gurdevs body on Sunday.
Breaking a tradition of contributing towards presidential conventions of both parties, Apple will not support Republicans this time because of its unease with Donald Trump.

The Cupertino, California-based company has not officially announced its decision, but unidentified officials confirmed it to multiple US media outlets.

While Trump has attacked Apple for its production facilities in China, vowing to bring them back to the US, the company is more troubled by his racist and bigoted remarks.

It joins Hewlett-Packard, the other IT giant whose CEO Meg Whitman has compared Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, in refusing to support the Republican convention.

Apples help, as that of Microsoft and Google, which are all backing both conventions, may not amount to much in itself  Apple products worth $140,000 in 2008.

But the optics of it will be troubling for the Republican Party, which is struggling to come to grips with their nominee and his bitterly divisive remarks on race, religion and all in between.

Other companies that have decided to not sponsor the Republican convention include JP Morgan Chase and Ford Motors, according to a Bloomberg report.

Its a standard practice for many US companies to contribute towards both conventions through resources and products, without seeming to be taking sides. But 2016 will be different.

Trump, who likes to flaunt his private sector experience and friends, and who is usually quick to respond to slights and put-downs, had not responded till late Sunday.

The real-estate magnate has been struggling lately with his own partys continuing misgivings about him, alternating between seeking its help and claiming he will be fine by himself.

On Saturday, he sought help, telling supporters at a rally, Im raising a lot of money for the Republican Party, and a lot of beneficiaries, and I like doing it  but we have to have help.

You know, life is like a two-way street, right? Its a two-way street. So thats it. Otherwise, Ill just keep doing what Im doing. Ill just keep funding my own campaign.

His poll numbers, which he also likes to boast about on campaigns trail, have been tanking  un-favourability hit a record 70% high this week  adding to his woes.

A narrative is gaining ground that Trump has squandered away the advantage he had over Hillary Clinton, having wrapped up his nominating contests almost five weeks before her.

And now, Apple.


If pulses are costly, Pakistanis must consume chicken instead, nations finance minister has said.

Tell your voters to eat chicken if they say Daal Mash is Rs 260 a kg, finance minister Ishaq Dar told opposition members on Saturday.

Chicken is available for Rs 200 a kg, The News International quoted him as saying on Sunday .

The opposition had raked up the issue of rising prices of pulses.

Dar said the present government had reduced the fiscal deficit by half from 8.8 % to 4.3 %.

Development expenditure had been doubled while allocations for the social safety nets had been enhanced three times. He said: We are trying to reduce dependence on loans.


Renowned artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff can walk on water. And thanks to him so can you. But not while it rains!

Thousands of people stepped out onto artist Javacheffs latest work in northern Italy on Saturday, seizing the chance to walk on water until bad weather forced the evacuation of the floating walkway.

Organisers ordered the temporary evacuation of the walkway of 200,000 floating cubes covered in orange fabric floating atop Lake Iseo on Saturday evening, after wind and rain made it unstable.

The walkways were expected to reopen later on Saturday night, although storms forecast for Sunday could see them shut again.

Christo - the artist who can walk on water

Wearing dark wellington boots, a red and black all-weather coat, jeans and a smart striped shirt, Christo -- as he is universally known -- crossed his hands while standing in the middle of Lake Iseo in northern Italy.

All that separated him and the vast body of water was 2,00,000 floating cubes covered in orange fabric, creating a three kilometre-long (1.9 miles) runway that connects the village of Sulzano to the small island of Monte Isola on the lake.

Artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff walks on his monumental installation "The Floating Piers" he created with late Jeanne-Claude, on June 16, 2016 during a press preview at the lake Iseo, northern Italy. (AFP)

Its a very physical project, you need to go there (to understand it), he said Thursday of the project called The Floating Piers which will open to the public from June 18 to July 3.

Its not a painting, its not a sculpture. You need to walk on it... feel it with the sun, with the rain, with the wind. Its physical, not virtual.

First conceived in 1970 for the River Plate delta in Argentina, the Christ-like project that Christo, 81, devised with his late wife Jeanne-Claude has finally been resurrected.

Despite the long delay in realising his vision Christo said the project, his first since 2005, stayed in our hearts.

Forced to abandon the aquatic walkways in Argentina, then again in Japan due to permit troubles, the piers exhibition got the go-ahead in just two years in Italy, thanks to the enthusiasm of local officials and nearby residents.

A picture shows a partial view of the monumental installation "The Floating Piers" created by artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude, on June 16, 2016 during a press preview at the lake Iseo, northern Italy. (AFP)

Project director Germano Celant described the speed with which it has been accomplished as a miracle.

Made of 200,000 recyclable polyethylene cubes linked by 200,000 giant screws, the piers are covered with dahlia-yellow fabric made of tightly woven nylon designed to change tone as the sun sets and become an intense red when wet.

This is not Christos first artistic outing in Italy.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, both born in June 13, 1935, brought three projects to the country in the 1960s and 1970s, including an installation on Milans Cathedral square in which they wrapped a monument to King Vittorio Emanuele.

The couple first rose to fame for their eye-catching packaging of famous landmarks like the Pont Neuf across the Seine in Paris in 1985 and Berlins Reichstag in 1995 -- a project which took almost a quarter of a century of bureaucratic wrangling to get off the ground.

People walk on the monumental installation entitled 'The Floating Piers' created by artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff on Iseo Lake, in northern Italy, on June 18, 2016. (AFP)

- Artists do not retire, they die -

Describing his passion for reimagining objects with audacious wrapping and packaging, Christo said: I dont like to talk on the telephone, I dont know how to drive cars... Im interested (in the) real thing.

The Floating Piers cost 15 million euros ($16.7 million) to create but will be free to the public and is expected to attract 500,000 visitors by the time it closes.

It was funded as is typical for Christos works by the sale of his blueprints and design models.

Local businesses are already hoping to cash-in on the cultural phenomenon described by The New York Times as one of the musts of the year.

People walk on the monumental installation entitled 'The Floating Piers' created by artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff on Iseo Lake, in northern Italy, on June 18, 2016. (AFP)

Michele Pescali, a bakery owner based close to the lake, has created a line of Christo biscuits for the occasion made of pastry covered with jam and orange peel reminiscent of the artificial pontoons.

Some visitors like Almut and Walter Horstmann from Germany arrived days early so as not to miss the final stage of installation.

We wanted to see the construction work. We already saw the Reichstag, the wrapped trees in Basel, the wall of oil barrels, the Oberhausen gas holder in Germany, said Walter, 75.

People walk on the monumental installation entitled 'The Floating Piers' created by artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff on Iseo Lake, in northern Italy, on June 18, 2016. (AFP)

He described Christos latest feat as fantastic, with this mix of water, countryside, colour and fabric.

And fans of the octogenarian genius need not fear that Christo is winding down.

He is now thought to be awaiting approval for two projects, one in the US and the other in Abu Dhabi.

Asked if he plans to hang up his welly boots and settle down, he said simply: Artists do not retire, they die.

A picture shows Monte Isola island surrounded by the monumental installation "The Floating Piers" created by Artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude, on June 16, 2016 during a press preview at the lake Iseo, northern Italy. (AFP)

A picture shows a partial view of the monumental installation "The Floating Piers" created by artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude, on June 16, 2016 during a press preview at the lake Iseo, northern Italy. (AFP)

Rained off
Iran and US aerospace giant Boeing have reached an agreement for the purchase of 100 aircraft to renew the countrys ageing fleet, the head of Tehrans civil aviation authority announced on Sunday.

We have 250 planes in the country, 230 need to be replaced, said Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the civil aviation body, adding that the deal still needed approval from the US government.

In an interview with the Iran daily newspaper, Abedzadeh said there could be no precise timeline for the contract without US Treasury permission.

The Islamic republic has ordered about 200 planes from three Western manufacturers since mid-January when economic sanctions were lifted following a deal on Tehrans nuclear programme.

Boeing confirmed on Wednesday that it was in talks with Iranian airlines interested in buying its passenger planes.

We have been engaged in discussions with Iranian airlines approved by the (US government) about potential purchases of Boeing commercial passenger airplaned and services, the company said in an email to AFP.

Many of Irans ageing civil aviation fleet are in desperate need of replacement.

In February, the American company was granted approval from the US government to explore resuming sales to Iran after US sanctions were partially lifted in January.

Boeing has requested final authorisation from the US Treasury for the sale of aircraft, Abedzadeh continued.

He said the reported value of $17 billion (15 billion euros) for the contract was not final and that more details will be provided after further negotiations.

Iran in January reached a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the purchase of 118 planes.

That agreement is still pending permission from the US Treasury.

Airbus needs the approval of OFAC (the US Office of Foreign Assets Control) because more than 10% of Airbus components are of American origin.
Malaysias ruling coalition coasted to victory as expected in two by-elections, defying a political movement led by former premier Mahathir Mohamad who has sought to turn voters against his scandal-tainted former protege Najib Razak.

The victories allow Prime Minister Najib, under pressure to resign over a graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), to further tighten his grip over the country and within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact.

Najibs party won the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seats on Saturday with increased margins compared with those in 2013 general elections, the election commission said. Both areas are mostly made up of farming and fishing communities along peninsula Malaysias west coast.

Tun Mahathir Mohamad turned the elections into a referendum on my leadership, Najib said in a statement.

They (the people) rejected Tun Mahathirs lies, they rejected his unworkable coalition of former enemies, and they rejected the incoherent opposition  partly because of their alignment with Tun Mahathir, he said.

While the outcome of the by-elections would not tilt the balance of power in Parliament, observers noted that it may offer clues as to whether Mahathirs influence is waning.

Najibs alliance secured a landslide win in the Borneo state of Sarawak last month, and political experts feel he may call snap polls to consolidate his strong position.

James Chin, director at the University of Tasmanias Asia Institute, told Reuters there was a high probability that there will be a snap polls if BN wins by big majorities.

The next general election is scheduled for 2018. The coalition lost its two-third majority in the 2008 polls, and Najib lost the popular vote in 2013 despite BN retaining power.

Najibs critics have demanded his resignation after reports claiming billions of dollars had been misappropriated through his pet project 1MDB, and that up to $1 billion was deposited into his personal bank account. Najib has denied the reports.

Mahathir, who led the country for 22 years until retiring in 2003, quit the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party earlier this year in disgust over Najibs grip on the party despite the allegations surrounding 1MDB, which is now the subject of international probes in at least six countries.


The authorities in Pennsylvania have charged a man with raping a teenage girl with whom he fathered two children after receiving her as a gift from her parents, US media said Saturday.

Police arrested Lee Kaplan, 51, in the town of Feasterville -- around 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia -- on Thursday on charges including statutory sexual assault and corruption of a minor, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The teens parents and her nine sisters also lived in Kaplans home. The 18-year-old teen was the oldest among her siblings.

Child welfare authorities removed the young mother, her two young daughters and her nine sisters.

The victims parents, Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus, gave her to Kaplan four years ago in gratitude for helping (the) family out of financial ruin, according to criminal complaints.

She was 14 years old at the time. Her two children are three years old and six months old.

Her parents have also been arrested, news reports said. They and Kaplan are being held on $1 million bail each.

The Stoltzfuses told police they were going to lose their farm until Kaplan comes along and gives them money somehow, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler told the Inquirer.

The teen previously lived in an Amish town in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her parents and siblings before the family was kicked out of the community for unknown reasons, the authorities said.

Although Kaplan and the 18-year-old were not married, they acted as husband and wife, officials said.

The girls rarely went outside, neighbors told local media.

None of the children appears to have attended school and it was unclear if they had ever been to a doctor. However, officials said they saw no visible signs of abuse or poor health.

The authorities said an anonymous phone call had tipped them off.

Local media identified the caller as Jen Betz, a neighbour. She told television station WPVI she had seen several young girls living in the home all wearing blue dresses and appearing afraid.

I just wasnt gonna let go, Betz said.

I saw a couple girls last week standing in the driveway. They just looked unhappy and sad and again in the blue dresses, and Ive been telling my husband for years something isnt right, something isnt right.

Suspicious neighbours had complained about the home three years ago, local television station CBS3 reported.

I really cant believe it, because I really thought it was his own daughter, another neighbor told the station.


The moon was just rising over Half Dome, the setting sun reflected off its sheer granite face, as President Barack Obama and his family landed by helicopter in a meadow, the knee-high grass waving wildly while campers cheered.

It was a picture-perfect moment designed to resonate on social media as the White House works to cement Obamas environmental legacy as the January 20, 2017 end to his time in office draws nearer.

Obama brought his family late on Friday to Yosemite, one of the nations most popular national parks, on a working vacation. The trip was aimed at celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service, making the case for curbing climate change and encouraging more investment in conservation.

You cant capture this on an iPad or a flat screen or even an oil painting. Youve got to come here and breathe it in yourself, Obama said in a brief speech on Saturday at Sentinel Bridge, as the 2,425 feet of the Yosemite Falls cascaded behind him.

US President Barack Obama is helped to his feet during an "Every Kid in a Park" event with children at Yosemite National Park, California. (Reuters Photo)

Also along for the ride: National Geographic, working with Facebook to shoot an Oculus virtual reality video and taping an interview with Obama to be aired in August.

The White House said Obama would be the first sitting president to take part in a virtual reality experience.

Later on Saturday, there were more camera-ready moments. Obama handed out free passes to national parks to kids sitting cross-legged on a trail, comically growling at them when they shouted Go away bears! as a park ranger had taught them.

The passes - available to any fourth-grade student - are part of the Every kid in a park promotion to get more families to visit national parks.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama take a photograph with children attending an "Every Kid in a Park" event at Yosemite National Park. (AP Photo)

Obama recalled the first time he saw moose and deer in a national park at age 11. That changes you. Youre not the same after that, he said.

Weve got kids all across this country who never see a park. Weve got to change that, Obama said.

Obama highlighted his plan to reduce climate-changing carbon emissions and an international deal spurring other countries to take similar steps. He said climate change is putting national parks at risk.

Thats not the legacy I think any of us want to leave, he said.

Obama has added 20 sites to the national park system during his presidency and protected more than 265 million acres of public lands and waters from development - more than any other president.

Weve got to do a lot more, he said.


Orlando gay nightclub gunman Omar Mateen was dismissed from a prison guard training programme in 2007, days after the Virginia Tech massacre, for joking about bringing a gun to class.

In 2007, the Department of Corrections employed Mateen and financed his schooling at Indian River State College to become an officer. But it lasted only six months.

Mateen, who was killed by police after his attack on Pulse nightclub, was removed from the Florida Department of Corrections Criminal Justice Training Institute on April 27, 2007, for sleeping in class and making extremely disturbing comments about weapons, according to records obtained by the Palm Beach Post.

Another recruit in the prison guard programme informed Mateens teachers about his twisted joke -- which he made just two days before a gunman killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus.

On April 14, 2007 while the class was given a 15-minute break, Omar Mateen approached me laughing saying that if he was to bring a gun to school would I tell anybody, the trainee wrote. I looked at him and turned away.

The concerned student filed the report on April 23, days after the April 16 Virginia shooting. The chilling timing of the joke -- and Mateens habits of dozing off in class and skipping school -- prompted the warden of the Martin Correctional Institution to kick Mateen from the programme.

In light of recent tragic events at Virginia Tech, officer Mateens inquiry about bringing a weapon to class is at best extremely disturbing, Warden PH Skipper wrote. I am recommending probationary dismissal on recruit Omar Mateen.

In the dismissal recommendation, Skipper also said Mateen had two write-ups in his file for napping during shooting range practice and even more undocumented incidents.

While my squad was in the back (at the shooting range) and it was not out turn, I dozed off in the lounge chair about two times, Mateen wrote in a letter to a teacher, according to the documents released Friday.

Skipper mentioned that the troubled recruit once skipped class entirely. Mateen wrote a letter explaining he ditched school because he developed a fever and went home to rest, the New York Daily News reported.

The mistake I made was that I did not tell any instructor of the situation, Mateen wrote.

The Virginia Tech massacre was the US deadliest mass shooting before Mateens rampage at an Orlando nightclub last Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. Nine years earlier, a senior at the school in Blacksburg, Virginia, had shot and killed 32 people.


An 85-year-old Hindu man in Pakistan, who was badly beaten by a police constable and his brother for allegedly eating food before iftaar, is being coerced through a Hindu Panchayat by the accused to forgive and forget and let them off, a media report said on Saturday.

The accused, who are in police custody, are trying to resolve the issue through the panchayat and sending their representatives to the family of victim Gokal Das to settle the issue out of court.

The victim and his family, however, are not ready to oblige, The Express Tribune reported.

At least 20 persons representing the accused visited Das and tried to persuade him to settle the matter out of court, Das son Gobind Ram said, according to the report.

These people were informed that the victim might have pardoned them if they had come earlier. But, now it is too late because a case has already been registered. Let the law take its course, Ram said.

The local superintendent of police (Masood Bangash) is taking a special interest in this case. He has assured us that justice will prevail, he said.

Das was allegedly beaten up by constable Ali Hassan Haidrani and his brother in the remote village of Hayat Pitafi in Ghotki district of the southern Sindh province where he was eating food before iftaar, the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.

He was having a plate of biryani he had got from someone as alms.

The incident had triggered a social media campaign that led to the arrest of the cop and his brother.

Das was taken to a hospital for treatment as he was bleeding. The pictures of the incident showing Das with a injured hand and blood stained shirt were widely circulated on social media.

Social and civil rights activists criticised the intolerance exhibited by the police in the month of Ramadan, which started on June 7 and called for giving him proper punishment. It prompted the government to take quick action and arrest the police constable and his brother.

Currently, Haidrani and his brother are in police custody under a 13-day remand.
Pakistans Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the University of Jihad and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar.

I am proudly announcing that Darul Uloom Haqqania Nowshera will get Rs 300 million to meet its annual expenditures, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa minister Shah Farman told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly this week.

He said the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was not raiding and targeting religious institutions but has been cooperating and providing financial assistance to it.

The madrassa in Akora Khattak in Nowshera district of the province is known for having several top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including former Taliban chief Mullah Omar who received an honorary doctorate from the seminary.

Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader Asim Umar and slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a US drone strike last month, were among alumni of the seminary which is dubbed as the University of Jihad.

When asked about such a big chunk of financial assistance to a single seminary, Minister for Religious Affairs Habibur Rehman said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had promised to Haqqania madrassas administration financial assistance of Rs 150 million which was adjusted in the Auqaf fund this year, the News International reported.

Darul Uloom Haqqania is one of the oldest and largest seminaries of Pakistan and it deserves financial assistance, Rehman, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Rehman said that Rs 150 million would be provided to the madrassa in 2016-17 while the remaining amount would be given to it next year.

Read: Prayer, weapons and maps: A day in a Pakistan jihad camp

Founded in 1947, the Islamic seminary is currently headed by Maulana Sami ul Haq, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. He also serves as the chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 groups, including Hafeez Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Farman said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was providing financial assistance to other seminaries and mosques in the province.
Pakistan's broadcast regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), has pulled off the airwaves two religious programmes that it feels would cause backlash during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan. One of the programmes to be pulled off air, however, has caused an uproar as it deals with the treatment of the Ahmadi community in the country.

An immediate ban has been imposed on TV Ones programme Isq-e-Ramazan (hosted by Shabbir Abu Talib) and Aaj News programme Ramazan Hamara Iman (hosted by Hamza Ali Abbasi), a statement said on Friday. The programme by Shabbir Abu Talib attacks the mainstream Sunni community while the programme hosted by Hamza Abbasi questions what it alleges is second-class treatment meted out to members of the Ahmadi community.

The Ahmadi community was declared non-Muslim by parliament in the 1970s despite the fact that the community itself claims it is part of Islam. In his show, Abbasi talks about how the community has been victimised over the years. Hundreds of community members have been attacked and murdered by members of religious outfits, said Abbasi. His programme has triggered a harsh response from religious circles. One religious cleric threatened Hamza with dire consequences in another TV show.

Soon after the notification was issued, the actor said on social media, There is a divine pleasure in suffering in the way of Allah and Prophet Muhammad.
The kin of a pregnant woman in Pakistan slit her throat to punish her for marrying against their wishes, police said on Sunday, one of the several horrific cases of honour killing that have surfaced over the past week in the country.

Muqaddas Bibi, who was seven months pregnant with her second child, was murdered in Gujranwala earlier this week. Bibi had eloped with her neighbour Shafiq two years ago, and married him in court, in defiance of her family's wishes. Last week, her family convinced her to return home while she was visiting a health centre near their house. She was told all had been forgiven but when she reached home, her father Bashir, mother Amna, and brothers Adeel and Naseer slashed her throat with a sharp-edged weapon.

When police reached the house, they found Bibis body but her family had fled. The body was shifted to a morgue for autopsy while forensic evidence was collected from the scene.

Another pregnant woman and her husband were abducted and shot dead by relatives near Thikriwala village in Punjab province last Wednesday, police officials told AFP on Sunday. Aqsa Bibi, 22, and Shakeel Ahmed, 26, worked at a local pharmacy and had married in a court ceremony four years back, though Aqsas family disapproved of their union. Their bodies were discovered after they washed up in a canal. Aqsa was expecting a child, though it was not immediately clear how many months pregnant she was.

Police said on Sunday one of Aqsas brothers assembled his relatives, who abducted the two, shot them in the head and dumped their bodies in the canal.

On Saturday, the parents of a Christian woman, Nasreen Shahzadi, 25, allegedly stabbed her to death for converting to Islam after marrying a Muslim man, Irfan Rehmani, in Punjab provinces Layyah district, some 350 km from Lahore. Shahzadi eloped with Rehmani three months ago and married him in court, a police official said, adding that Shahzadis parents invited the couple to their house, where they stabbed her to death and dumped her body in a field.

In another incident, a 23-year-old woman was paraded in her villages streets after her face was blackened and her head was shaved, allegedly by her parents, for eloping with a man. Honour killings are thought to claim around 1,000 lives every year in Pakistan.

Last week a mans throat was slit by relatives of his wife who disapproved of their match -- a rare instance of a male victim. The week before, 16 year-old Zeenat Bibi was killed in Lahore by her mother for marrying a man of her own choice  a case that sparked condemnation throughout the country.

(With agency inputs)


A team of scientists have just discovered oxygen in a galaxy about 13.1 billion light-years away, making it the most distant oxygen ever discovered.

The discovery provides a glimpse into what the universe was like in ancient times.

The universe we know today is abundant with different chemical elements. But at the beginning of the universe, there was only hot, ionized gas filled with electrons and ions of hydrogen and helium buzzing around. After 4,00,000 years, the universe cooled, and electrons and hydrogen ions combined to form neutral hydrogen atoms.

The team was hoping to find out about the heavy chemical elements present in the galaxy, as they can tell us about the level of star formation, and hence provide clues about the period in the early universe known as cosmic reionisation. (Official website)

Nothing more happened for several hundreds of millions of years until the first generation of stars were formed, emitting strong radiation that ionized hydrogen once again, also synthesizing other heavier elements such as carbon and oxygen.

Studying these heavy elements from this era provides clues about what triggered reionisation, the nature of the first stars, and how galaxies were born. But studying these elements is extremely difficult because it requires astronomers to find objects as far away as possible, something only possible using the best telescopes available today.

One of these includes the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile. In June 2015, a team of researchers targeted SXDF-NB1006-2, a galaxy discovered in 2012 and confirmed by other telescopes as being the most distant galaxy discovered at the time.

Earlier in 2014, the team had run large-scale numerical simulations of galaxy formation to conclude that the ALMA telescope would be capable of detecting light from ionized oxygen in SXDF-NB1006-2.

As a result, ALMA detected radiation coming from doubly ionized oxygen. From the lights strength the team also calculated the amount of oxygen in the galaxy is much smaller than that of the Sun.

Our results showed this galaxy contains one tenth of oxygen found in our Sun. But the small abundance is expected because the universe was still young and had a short history of star formation at that time, said Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) Project Professor Naoki Yoshid.

The teams leader Akio Inoue of the Osaka Sangyo University has suggested the lack of dust could be an indication that almost all the gas in the galaxy is highly ionized.

SXDF-NB1006-2 would be a prototype of the light sources responsible for the cosmic reionization, said Inoue.

This is the first step to understanding what kind of objects caused cosmic reionization, added University of Tokyos Youichi Tamura.

The study appears in journal Science.
A toned-down campaign on Brexit resumed in Britain on Sunday, two days after it was suspended over Labour MP Jo Coxs murder, with Prime Minister David Cameron advising Britons that the country faced an existential choice in Thursdays EU referendum.

On Sunday television and other fora, leading figures of the Remain and Leave campaigns were strikingly sober as they paid tribute to Cox before continuing to make their case on why Britain should vote to stay in or leave the EU in the referendum, whose outcome will be irreversible.

Mass circulation newspapers and tabloids declared their stands, with media magnate Rupert Murdochs stable reflecting different stands. The Times came out in support of the Remain campaign, while The Sunday Times and The Sun exhorted readers to vote to leave the 28-nation bloc.

Writing in the pro-Brexit The Sunday Telegraph, Cameron wrote, We face an existential choice on Thursday. This country has a big decision to make  and there is so much at stakeThere is no turning back if we leave.

If we choose to go out of the EU, we will go out  with all of the consequences that will have for everyone in Britain. And if we were to leave and it quickly turned out to be a big mistake, there wouldnt be a way of changing our minds and having another go. This is it.

The International Monetary Fund was the latest economic organisation to advise Britain against leaving the EU. Brexit would be the largest near-term risk, it said in its annual outlook for Britain released over the weekend.

US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is due to travel on Wednesday to Scotland, where he has investments, repeated his stand to The Sunday Times: "I would personally be more inclined to leave, for a lot of reasons like having a lot less bureaucracy. But I am not a British citizen. This is just my opinion."

Parliament has been recalled on Monday to honour Cox, whose murder on Thursday prompted a rethink about the rhetoric in the referendum campaign. Commentators saw the murder as the outcome of dark forces unleashed by the toxicity in the campaign.

Days before her murder, Cox made an impassioned defence of immigration and called for voters to back staying in the European Union in an article on a politics website, asking them not to fall for the spin that a Leave vote was the only way to deal with concerns about immigration.

She wrote, Most voters recognise that our country has reaped many benefits from immigration, from the brilliant doctors in our NHS to the skilled workers helping our economy to grow. Yet across the country people face everyday worries about job security, school places and GP appointments.

We cannot allow voters to fall for the spin that a vote to leave is the only way to deal with concerns about immigration. We can do far more to address both the level and impact of immigration while remaining in the EU. I very rarely agree with the prime minister but on this hes right: we are stronger, safer and better off in, she added.

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In another controversial remark, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday said that the US should start thinking about racial profiling to prevent incidents like the mass shooting in Orlando.

Citing the example of Israel and other countries in this regard, 70-year-old Trump argued this is not the worst thing to do.

Well I think profiling is something that were going to have to start thinking about as a country, Trump told the CBSs Face the Nation in an interview.

Other countries do it, you look at Israel and you look at others, they do it and they do it successfully. And I hate the concept of profiling but we have to start using common sense and we have to use our heads, he argued.

Trumps comments come one week after 49 people were shot and killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Following the massacre, Trump renewed his calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US.

During the interview, Trump, said horrific incidents like Orlando shooting could be prevented if the Muslim community would report suspicious things.

When you look at people within the Muslim community and where people are living and they dont report, and a good example of that would be San Bernardino, he said.

I mean, they had bombs all over their apartment floor and people saw it and nobody reported them, and 14 people were killed, many injured, he added.

Trump said Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, had red flags before the attack.

You look at his past, I mean? Ive never seen a past quite like that. You look at his record in school, you look at a lot of other things. There were a lot of red flags, this was not a very good young man, he said.

Trump said he is working with the National Rifles Association (NRA) to develop a policy that people on no fly list would not be allowed to buy a gun.

We understand there are problems with that because some people are on the terror watch list that shouldnt be on. So Im working with the NRA, were discussing it and again the NRA has the best interests of our country, it just has the absolute best interests of our country, he said.
ISLAMABAD: Peace returned to Bumburet Valley of northern Pakistan on Saturday after a girl from the minority Kalash community, who was at the centre of a row over forced conversions, said she had embraced Islam of her own free will.

Reena was at the centre of a storm in the Chitral region earlier this week as Muslims and members of the animist Kalash community clashed over what was seen by many as the girls forced conversion by religious groups.

However, Reena appeared in a district office and said in a statement before a magistrate that she had converted to Islam on her own. She also told a news conference she had converted after reading books on Islam and after consulting her family members, many of whom were Muslims. Earlier this week, Reena s parents had invited her to their home but this resulted in fighting between local residents as some Muslims feared she was being pressured into taking back her decision to convert. The clash between the two groups became very intense and police intervened with rubber bullets and tear gas. Members of the Kalash community said they were attacked by hundreds of Muslims and it was the police who helped save their lives.

The issue of conversion is a sensitive one as hundreds of Kalash had embraced Islam in the past few years, local journalist Mukhamuddin said.
KIRKUK: Iraqi forces renewed their offensive against the Islamic State group around the second city Mosul on Saturday after driving the jihadists out of most of Fallujah, the defence minister said. Iraqi commanders announced the launch of an offensive to retake Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province in March but under political pressure the government diverted forces to Fallujah, west of Baghdad, last month.

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LOS ANGELES: The surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunited on Friday in a Los Angeles courtroom as bassist John Paul Jones testified in defence of his bandmates in a high-stakes copyright lawsuit that claims the band lifted a riff used in the rock classic Stairway to Heaven.

Zeppelins guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant are being sued by the estate of late guitarist Randy Wolfe, also known as Randy California, for using a passage from a song by Wolfes long-defunct LA psychedelic rock band Spirit. The estate claims Zeppelins 1971 song infringes on the 1968 Spirit song Taurus. Both bands played the same stage early in Zeppelins music career, though Page said he had never heard Taurus and was unaware of any similarities until recently. He, however, acknowledged that the band played a riff from Spirits Fresh Garbage in a medley that was a concert staple when Zeppelin first started out.

Led Zeppelin made its US debut in 1968, incidentally opening for a concert in Denver that Spirit performed at. The musicians are being sued for infringement and songwriting credits, potentially amounting to millions of dollars in compensation.

According to economist Michael Einhorn, who testified in court, Led Zeppelin works that include Stairway to Heaven generated revenues of nearly $60 million over the past five years.

In Zeppelins defence, Lawrence Ferrera, a music professor at New York University, said the main trait the two songs, notably a descending minor chord progression, is a common building block in songs dating back 300 years and is found throughout pop music .
WASHINGTON: Republicans leery of their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, are not giving up. An attempt, called the most organised yet, is underway to stop him at the party convention in July.

The plan is to unbind delegates through a change of rules and let them follow their conscience and vote for who they preferred, and not for candidates who won their respective states.

The Washington Post, which first reported this move, called it the most organised effort so far to stop Trump and said it was led by dozens of delegates who will attend the convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike previous attempts, such as the Never Trump movement by pundits and media figures, delegates can change party rules and do things needed to stop Trump.

The new push follows escalating concerns about Trump over his racist comments about a judge, anti-Muslim remarks and his support for gun reforms that go against the party.

This literally is an Anybody but Trump movement, a delegate told the Post. Another one said he wakes up every day struggling to accept that hes going to be our candidate . Many leading Republicans, including some governors, are not supporting Trump.

And a senior George W Bush administration Republican has said he, in fact, is voting for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Speaker Paul Ryan, a reluctant Trump backer who will chair the convention, said in a TV interview on Friday he would like delegates to follow their conscience.
LONDON: Thomas Mair, charged with the murder of popular Labour MP Jo Cox, was remanded to custody by the Westminster magistrates court on Saturday after giving his name in court as Death to traitors, freedom for Britain.

Campaigning for the June 23 referendum on Britains future in the European Union remained suspended for the weekend in view of Coxs murder on Thursday, but is expected to resume with a more respectful tone on Sunday.

Emma Arbuthnot, deputy chief magistrate, ordered that Mair be remanded in custody at Belmarsh prison until his next appearance at the Old Bailey on Monday. She suggested a psychiatric report be prepared :Bearing in mind the name he has just given, he ought to be seen by a psychiatrist.

Nick Wallen of West Yorkshire Police said Mair was charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.

Mair, 52, refused to give his name in court, and did not respond when asked to confirm his address and date of birth.

A 77-year-old man, who was injured when he tried to help Cox during the attack, was reported to be in a stable condition in hospital. Vigils have been held across Britain and Prime Minister David Cameron and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Coxs Batley and Spen constituency to pay tributes. Parliament has been recalled on Monday to allow MPs to pay tributes to Cox, a first-time MP elected in the May 2015 election.

The murder sent shock-waves around the world. The 41-year-old mother of two was shot and stabbed in the street in a daylight attack in her constituency in northern England.

Both sides in the deeply divisive Brexit campaign cancelled events amid calls for a less acrimonious political debate.
DHAKA : A teenage suspected Islamist militant being held in custody in Bangladesh was shot dead Saturday in a gunfight, police said, days after he allegedly hacked and critically wounded a Hindu lecturer.

Police said Golam Faizullah Fahim, 19, who was in custody for questioning, was killed when police officers came under attack in a farmland area after taking him to a river in search of his Islamist associates.

Miscreants fired at the police van as we came near a jute farm. A gunfight ensued. After the gunfight we saw Fahim was shot and wounded. He died after we brought him to a hospital, Sarwar Hossain, police chief of Madaripur where the shooting took place, told AFP.

Locals in Madaripur caught Fahim on Wednesday after he and two other suspected Islamists attacked and wounded 50-year-old mathematics lecturer Ripon Chakrabarti, a Hindu, police said.
I had to give up ranching or art, one, and art was paying a lot more than ranching

A cowboys work is never done. At least, it appears that way in All in a Days Work, a 30-by-40-inch oil-on-canvas collage of activities that filled a working cowhands day, from breakfast at the chuck wagon to gathering the horses, riding out to the herd, driving the cattle, branding and returning to camp for supper. Artist Bill Chappell doesnt just depict the working cowboyhe has lived that life. His experience informs his works in various media.

Back when I was in my teens, I got the privilege of going over to the [more than 500,000-acre] Waggoner Ranch [near Vernon, Texas] and picking up a few strays, he relates during an interview from his gallery and museum on the square in Hamilton, Texas. I never drew a Waggoner check, but I drew a check from the three little ranches that adjoined Waggoners. Theyd leave the [chuck] wagon out the entire year in those days and put it somewhere pretty close where we were going to work. Thats where we did everything. Id stay over there about 14 to 16 hours.

Born on July 16, 1919, Chappell grew up around cowboys, painting, carving leather, and sculpting clay and woodand cowboying. He also became a jackleg rawhide man, repairing saddles with rawhide for west Texas cowboys near Shamrock. I grew up in the Depression days, he says. You had no idea you could make a living selling art.

After marrying in 1939, Chappell served in the Navy during World War II, teaching leather crafts at a California base as occupational therapy. When the war ended, he returned to Seymour, Texas, running a saddle and boot shop until 1953. That year he and wife Fay bought a ranch in South Fork, Colo., where they brought up three children.

We kept expanding and going in debt all the time and working hard and paying for it, he says.

Chappells career got a boost in 1956 when he participated in a Colorado Springs art show, and five of his paintings sold in one night. This is for me, the aspiring painter told himself. Im ready to be an artist.

Initially, he kept his spurs, but then he came to a crossroads. I had to give up ranching or art, one, and art was paying a lot more than ranching.

Forty years later he hasnt looked back, except for inspiration to create his canvases in watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil, pen and ink, not to mention works in bronze and silver, including buckles, pistol grips and bolos. The Leanin Tree Card Company has featured Chappells work on Christmas and note cards. His work has also appeared at the Leanin Tree Museum of Western Art [www.leanintreemuseum.com], in Boulder; the Buckaroo Hall of Fame Museum [www.buckaroohalloffame.com], in Winnemucca, Nev; and in several fine art collections.

Health issues have forced him to slow down, but he and Fay still come to the gallery and museum six days a week, greeting visitors, sharing his art and telling stories.

Does he miss his days in the saddle? I miss it very much, he says. I got my pelvis broke on a bronc when I was 65 and thought, Well, this might be a good time to sell my horses. It was a privilege that I got to experience those chuck wagon days.

For more information on Bill Chappell see www.historynet.com/magazines/wild_west. Also visit www.billchappellart.com.
Barricaded in a freezing cold, rat-infested room inside the Alamo, the lone defender had gone almost three days without food, water or sleep after armed men had positioned themselves around the compound. Word of the standoff ricocheted across America, prompting a deluge of supportive messages for the fatigued but tenacious holdout.

Win or lose, we congratulate you upon your splendid patriotism and courage, read one telegram from New York signed by John B. Adams, a descendant of President John Adams. Editors from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wired San Antonio: Commandant of the Alamo:Will you senda message to the women of St. Louis, who are watching with great interest your own gallant defense of the Alamo?

The commandant was no military officer but a 46-year-old Texas schoolteacher named Adina De Zavala, who had commenced her one-woman siege on February 10, 1908. De Zavala replied to the Post-Dispatch: My immortal forefathers suffered every privation to defend the freedom of Texas. I, like them, am willing to die for what I believe to be right. . . . The officers cannot starve me into submission.

De Zavalas impassioned statement echoed the urgent message Lt. Col. William Barret Travis had dashed off 72 years earlier, on February 24, 1836, when his 200 Texan and Tejano rebels were fortified inside the old mission, surrounded by several thousand Mexican troops under President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World, Travis wrote, I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa AnnaI have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a manThe enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is takenI have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the wallsI shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, & every thing dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch. . . . If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his countryVictory or Death.

Travis plea was widely disseminated, but it was too late. Before sunrise on March 6, Santa Anna caught Travis men by surprise and breached the mission walls. Most of the defenders retreated into the chapel and long barracks and, in their haste, failed to spike the cannons. The Mexican soldiers swiveled them around and blasted the buildings at close range. The battle was over by sunup.

Six weeks later, on April 21, General Sam Houston and 900 soldiers hollering Remember the Alamo! surprised Santa Annas 1,400 troops encamped along the San Jacinto River. The battle resulted in one of the most lopsided triumphs in American history: Approximately 650 of Santa Annas men were killed, while Houston, who led the infantry charge and was wounded, lost only nine.

Houston negotiated a treaty that called for the withdrawal of Mexican forces from Texas. His interpreter, one of his most trusted advisers, was a 47-year-old Tejano named Lorenzo de Zavala (who spelled his name with a lower case d)Adina De Zavalas grandfather. Elected governor of one of the largest territories in Mexico in 1832, de Zavala was appointed by President Santa Anna to be the first Mexican plenipotentiary to France in 1833. He resigned his post in protest, however, when Santa Anna revealed himself to be a vainglorious dictator. De Zavala moved to Texas, where he fervently advocated for its right to be an autonomous nation. He signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in March 1836 and participated in drafting Texas constitution two weeks later. Impressed by his loyalty and political acumen, de Zavalas fellow delegates picked him to be the republics first vice president.

Adina De Zavala was born in her grandfathers house on November 18, 1861, and grew up hearing stories about the Alamo, San Jacinto and the Texas Revolution. After studying history at Sam Houston Normal Institute, she took a teaching post in San Antonio in 1887 and was dismayed to find the Alamo crumbling and vandalized. Graffiti marred the chapels walls, statues of saints had been smashed and the floors were slick with bat guano. A mercantile company, Hugo & Schmeltzer, had converted the barracks into a store.

In 1893 Adina founded the De Zavala Chapternamed after her grandfatherof the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, a group formed one year earlier to protect historic sites throughout the state. De Zavalas primary mission was to save the Alamo, and her chance came in 1903. When a prospective buyer approached Hugo & Schmeltzer with a plan to tear down the barracks and erect an upscale hotel, Gustav Schmeltzer offered to let the DRT make a preemptive bidof $75,000.

That was an astronomical price for the tiny, all-volunteer group, but De Zavala struck up a friendship with another staunch preservationist, Clara Driscoll, the 22-year-old heiress to the Driscoll family oil and real estate fortune. Like De Zavala, Driscoll came from noble Texas lineage (both grandfathers had fought at San Jacinto), and together they plotted to rescue the Alamo with an aggressive fundraising campaign, confident that loyal Texans would flock to its aid. But the financial cavalry never arrived. Over the next five years, Driscoll paid almost the entire amount herself, but De Zavala was able to shame the Texas legislature into reimbursing her friends generosity. At long last the Alamo was in safe hands.

But De Zavalas joy was short-lived; within months, a powerful new group, the Alamo Mission Chapter of the DRT, demanded that the barracks be destroyed entirely, leaving only the small chapel to represent the battle. Ironically, Clara Driscoll was one of the founders of the new chapter. Driscoll later conceded that shed bought the Hugo & Schmeltzer building only to raze the eyesore and create a spacious plaza that focused attention on the chapel. De Zavala excoriated her former ally for pandering to the rabid desires of the money-getters, who for business reasons only, want to tear down unsightly walls.  Each side claimed to be the Alamos true protector, and the clash spilled into the courts. The second battle for the Alamo had begun.

Accordingly, De Zavala made her stand at the old mission. Sheriffs deputies, she recalled, did not know I was in an inner room, and when I hurried out to confront them, demanding by what right they invaded the historic building, consternation reigned. They withdrew outside the building for whispered consultation. The instant they stepped out, I closed the doors and barred them. Thats all. There was nothing else for me to do but hold the fort. So I did.

Sheriff Dan Tobin was within his powers to remove De Zavala by force, but he decided against smashing down the Alamo doors and dragging her out kicking and screaming. Shed made it quite clear that she wouldnt go quietly. He did, however, order his men to withhold food and drink. He also shut off the electricity. A sleepless night in a dark, frigid building crawling with rodents and spiders would, he assumed, bring De Zavala to her senses.

He guessed wrong. De Zavala only became more obstinate, and media accounts were transforming her into a national hero. (She spoke to journalists through keyholes and cracks in the walls.) Public sympathy forced Tobin to back off, and De Zavala was given a single glass of water and two oranges.

Finally, Texas governor Thomas Campbell announced that the Alamo would be put back under state control and the demolition of any buildings postponed indefinitely. That was good enough for De Zavala, and she ended her protest after three days, to national fanfare. The Denver Post declared that she had risked her life to hold the Alamo, and the Baltimore American referred to her as a Joan of Arc in these modern commonplace times, ready to serve through patriotism and full of the spirit of her fighting sires. She was proof, the editors wrote, that all the romance and heroism of the world is not dead yet.

San Antonio developers fumed. Tearing down the barracks, they argued, would have created an open vista appealing to high-end hotels. Some implied that the entire Alamo compound could be done away with. We do not want to appear sacrilegious, remarked one prominent businessman, but we realize that the time has come to stop mentioning the Alamo in the same breath with San Antonio. . . . By doing it we are advertising San Antonio not as a modern and enterprising citybut are associating her with a name that carries with it the idea that San Antonio is still a Mexican village.

In the end, it was Adina De Zavalas efforts that boosted San Antonios reputation. Today, the Alamo is the most visited historic landmark in Texas and one of the top tourist destinations in America. Four million people stream through it each yearfour times more visitors than the Charters of Freedom receive at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. n

If you would like to share a little-known site where history happened, please visit www.HereIsWhere.org.


In February 1962just nine months after President John F. Kennedy called for the U.S. to put a man on the moon before 1970Mercury astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

On the morning of February 20, 1962, millions of Americans collectively held their breath as the worlds newest pioneer swept across the threshold of one of mans last frontiers. Roughly a hundred miles above their heads, astronaut John Glenn sat comfortably in the weightless environment of a 9 1/2-by-6-foot space capsule he called Friendship 7. Within these close quarters, he worked through his flight plan and completed an array of technical and medical tests as he cruised through the heavens.

It offered the legroom of a Volkswagen Beetle and the aesthetics of a garbage can, but the small capsule commanded an extraordinary view of the planet Earth. Through the crafts window, Glenn saw thick, puffy, white clouds blanketing much of southern Africa and the Indian Ocean. The Atlas Mountains of North Africa stood like proud, majestic statues on a planet that seemed as timeless as the stars that twinkled an eternity away. Dust storms blew across the deserts, and smoke from brush fires swirled into the atmosphere.

Oh, that view is tremendous, Glenn remarked over the radio to capsule communicator (Capcom) Alan Shepard, his fellow Mercury astronaut stationed back at mission control. As Friendship 7 passed over the Indian Ocean, Glenn witnessed his first sunset from space, a panorama of beautiful, brilliant colors. Before the conclusion of that historic day, he would witness a total of four sunsetsthree while in earth orbit, and the fourth from the deck of his recovery ship.

For Glenn, the historic voyage of Friendship 7 remains as vivid today as if it had happened yesterday. People still ask him what it felt like to be the first American to orbit the earth. And often he thinks of his capsules breathtaking liftoff and those subtle, emotionally empowering sunrises and sunsets.

Here on earth you see a sunrise, its golden, its orange, Glenn recalled recently. When youre in space, and youre coming around on a sunset or sunrise, where the light comes to you refracted through the earths atmosphere and back out into space, to the spacecraft that refraction has the same glowing color for all the colors of the spectrum . . . .

There have been more than ten thousand sunsets since his orbital flight helped launch the United States deeper into a space race with the former Soviet Union. And although Glenns political career as a Democratic senator from Ohio has kept him in the public eye, he is remembered by many of his countrymen as the first American to circle the planet and as the affable spokesman for the seven Mercury astronauts.

Glenn marvels at how people all over the world still recall the heady days of the Mercury program. Its been heartwarming in some respects and its amazing in others, he says. I dont go around all day, saying Dont you want to hear about my space experience? Quite the opposite. But if the kids come to the office here, or if I run into them on the subway and they want to stop a minute, I dont hesitate to stop and talk. I think its good; I think thats a duty we [former astronauts] have.

By the time Glenn and Friendship 7 burst through the earths atmosphere, the United States was already a distant second in space technology, behind the Soviet Union. The race to begin to explore the universe had unofficially begun on October 4, 1957, when the Soviets launched Sputnik I, the worlds first artificial satellite.

I think Sputnik sort of forced the hand, explains Gene Kranz, who served as Project Mercurys assistant flight director and section chief for flight control operations. I think we found ourselves an embarrassing second in space and related technologies. We were second best, and Americans generally dont like that kind of a role.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, however, was more concerned about the countrys security than its self-esteem. With the Soviets having the rocket power to propel a satellite into space, he wondered how long it would be before they were capable of launching a nuclear bomb toward the United States. In response to this perceived Soviet threat, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into being on July 29, 1958. One of the first assignments given to the new agency was to launch a man into space and return him safely to earth, and that fall, Project Mercury was created to fulfill that daunting task.

On April 9, 1959, NASA formally introduced to the world the seven test pilots who would, it was hoped, carry the U.S. banner to the heavens. Selected were: Lieutenant Commanders Malcolm Scott Carpenter, Walter Marty Schirra, and Alan B. Shepard of the Navy; Air Force captains Leroy Gordon Cooper, Virgil I. Gus Grissom, and Donald Deke Slayton; and Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn of the Marine Corps.

Born on July 18, 1921, Glenn was the oldest of the group, arguably the most celebrated, and an obvious candidate for Mercury from the beginning. A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Glenn had flown 149 combat missions and been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross five times. After completing test-pilot school in 1954, Glenn went to work testing the fastest jets America could produce. His career sparkled even more in 1957 after he set a transcontinental speed record for the first flight to average supersonic speed (700 miles per hour) from Los Angeles to New York.

From their first public appearance together, the Mercury 7 astronauts, as they came to be known, were celebrities and heroes. We were at first extremely surprised when we were announced to the whole world, and how crazy everybody went over the whole thing, laughs Cooper.

But enthusiasm for the project was one thing; making it a success was more difficult. There were countless variables and unknowns to conquer: weightlessness, a new capsule, an inconsistent booster in the Atlas rocket, and of course, the awesome specter of space. To put it bluntly, we didnt know what we were doing in many areas of the Mercury program and we were fortunate our country understood there was no achievement without risk, admits Kranz.

As the Mercury project evolved and moved into the next decade, NASA found a crucial supporter in President John F. Kennedy. Just weeks into his term, however, the Soviets scored another technological coup. On April 2, 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly in space, orbiting the earth once during his one hour, 48-minute flight, which came just three months after a U.S. Redstone rocket had carried a chimp named Ham into space and brought him safely back.

On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard made Americas first, manned suborbital voyage, flying for 15 minutes and reaching an altitude of 116 miles. Compared to Gagarins flight around the world, Shepards 302-mile mission was a mere stopover between ports of call. It was, however, a major boost to Americas pride. While Gagarin flew under a cloak of secrecy, Shepards flight was broadcast live on television.

The early success of the Mercury Program spurred President Kennedy to inspire NASA to reach for new heights. On May 25, he grabbed the worlds attention when he told Congress that the nations new goal was to complete a manned trip to the moon before the end of the decade. For the first time in its space duel with the Soviet Union, the United States, which had so far amassed just 15 minutes of manned space-flight time, had set the stakes. Gene Kranz recalls with a laugh that . . . we thought he was crazy, but the astronauts also felt energized to meet the new challenge.

NASA turned its efforts up a notch that summer. In July, Gus Grissom replicated Shepards short suborbital flight, and by the fall, NASA was ready to attempt putting a spacecraft in orbit. As a final test in preparation for a manned trip, a chimpanzee named Enos was launched into space in late November. The craft carrying Enos completed two orbits before landing safely back on earth, after which NASA announced that on December 20 of that year, John Glenn would make the first American orbital flight.

Before taking this next giant leap toward the moon, however, NASA had to ensure that an astronaut could function in a weightless environment for an extended period of time. Some scientists feared that without proper equipment and technology, a space travelers eyeballs would bulge out of their sockets and change shape. This, in turn, would distort his vision and preclude his flying the craft should any of the automatic controls fail. Also, scientists feared that fluid in the inner ear might float freely into the air and that Glenn would become so nauseated and disoriented that he would be unable to perform his tasks.

In addition to its concerns about Glenns adaptability to weightlessness, NASA worried about the inconsistent Atlas booster, the huge rocket designed to push Glenns ship into orbit. Two of the five unmanned test firings conducted on the 93-foot Atlas prior to Glenns mission had failed. The memory of one of those failures has remained vivid for Glenn. It was a night test, he remembers, and it was very dramaticsearchlights and a beautiful starlit night. Not a cloud in the sky. They light this thing, and up she goes . . . . At about 27,000 feet it blew up right over our heads. It looked like an atom bomb went off right there.

To add to the mounting tension, poor weather and mechanical problems with the rocket forced NASA to scrub Glenns scheduled mission nine times. Finally, on February 20, 1962, seven months after Americas last manned flight, John Glenn would don his bulky pressure suit for what would be the final time.

Rising out of bed in his ready room at NASAs spacecraft center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 2:20 a.m., he checked the weather report, which indicated a fifty percent chance of rain. Glenn showered and shaved and had the customary astronauts breakfast of steak and eggs, before taking a pre-flight physical. If the many weeks of anticipation weighed on Glenns mind, his body did not reflect it.

Four hours later, Glenn made the short ride to the rockets launch site. When he emerged from the transfer van, Launch Pad 14 resembled a movie set as giant floodlights waved streams of milky white upon the rocket and the surrounding area. The huge Atlas was a glowing silver sword in the coal-black night. My flight wasit was like you staged it, recalls Glenn. It was Hollywoodesque.

Two hours before his scheduled liftoff, Glenn squeezed into the cramped cabin of Friendship 7, perched atop the Atlas rocket. The sky was clearing, and just before 8:00 a.m. technicians began the laborious task of bolting on the entry hatch of the craft. Sealed inside the capsule, Glenn felt truly alone. The minutes ticked by slowly as he calmly and methodically worked through his preflight checklist. Finally, Glenn heard the flight team give his mission an A-OK over the radio. With all systems functioning normally, Glenn acknowledged his preparedness with a firm ready. As the final countdown to liftoff began, backup pilot Scott Carpenters voice crackled over Glenns radio: Godspeed, John Glenn.

At 9:47 a.m. the rockets three engines ignited. Friendship 7 began to vibrate as the mighty Atlas built up 350,000 pounds of thrust, the force needed to lift Glenn and his craft into orbit. For a few interminable seconds, the massive rocket held steady. Finally, its hold-down clamps released, and the Atlas slowly, agonizingly clutched and pulled at the bright blue sky. We are underway, Glenn reported to Mercury Control.

Minutes later, Glenn was a hundred miles above the earth and traveling at more than 17,000 miles per hour. With all systems running smoothly during his initial orbit, Control advised him that he had a go for at least seven turns around the earth. Unlike Soviet Cosmonaut Gherman Titov, who had experienced nausea and dizziness during his recent 16-orbit flight, Glenn worked and ate without difficulty. As he gazed earthward through the capsules window, he noted how fragile the planet appeared, shielded from the unforgiving vacuum of space by a film of atmosphere that seemed no more dense than an eggshell.

Back at Mercury Control, the flight team, headed by Chris Kraft and Kranz, kept their focus on more practical considerations. After Glenns first orbit, Control had received a telemetry signal indicating that his capsules heat shield might be loose. If that signal was correct, Glenn and the spacecraft would disintegrate in the three-thousand-degree heat generated by reentry into Earths atmosphere. There seemed to be only one solution to this potentially tragic problem. If Glenn refrained from jettisoning the ships retro-rocket package, a normal procedure just before reentry, its titanium straps might hold the shield in place. Control advised Glenn of their decision to end his flight and ordered him to plan for reentry after his third orbit.

Unwilling to burden Glenn with concern over the possible heat-shield malfunction, Control offered no explanation for their decision until he was safely home. Glenn was suspicious, but all parts of Friendship 7 seemed to him to be working properly so he concerned himself only with what was within his control. Before long, the capsule splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

When I started back in through the atmosphere, when the straps that held the retropack on burned off, one of them popped up in front of the window, Glenn remembers. I thought the retropack or the heat shield was breaking up. It was a real fireball. But the heat shield worked fine.

Glenns flight was a public relations boon for the U.S. space program. He returned to a heros welcome and a wildly emotional New York City ticker-tape parade. The United States had made a significant step forward in its competition with the Soviet Union and its quest for the moon. Few people knew, however, that the nations most famous pilot would never again fly in space.

As Glenn recalls, President Kennedy had passed word to NASA, and I didnt know this for some years, that I was not to be used again on a flight, at least for a while. You cant believe being the focal point of that kind of attention when we came back. I dont know if he was concerned about political fallout, or what. Glenn was disappointed that he never again traveled into space, but declares, I dont feel cheated because I had such a tremendous flight.

Three years after the confetti and streamers had blown away, John Glenn left NASA and, relegating space flight to a vivid memory, moved into another public arena. Politics is a high-profile world in which Glenns clean-cut image and amiable personality easily endeared him to his constituents and to the public in general. In 1974, he was elected to the U.S. Senate by his home state of Ohio, an office he has held through three more terms.

Despite the passage of more than a quarter-century, Glenn easily recalls the innocent joy he found in those wondrous space sunsets. He has never lost the ability to draw inspiration from his experiences and to channel it into a positive outlook. I think its an attitude, he says, of maintaining his inner youth. I think kids have an expectation of whats going to happen tomorrow. I think some people are able to maintain that whole thing, this expectation about what theyre looking forward to.

Not surprisingly, Senator Glenn can easily find his time consumed by the business of Capitol Hill. But when a red-headed, freckle-faced teenager with blue eyes ablaze asks Glenn to describe a launch or splashdown, the senator from Ohio again becomes one of Americas first astronauts, as he relives that historic day in 1962 when time stood still and three space sunsets blazed like campfires of a thousand sparkling colors.

Bryan Ethier is a freelance writer from Connecticut. After Mercury, his retrospective book on the effect the Mercury Space Program has had on the world, will be published in the spring by McGregor Hill.





This story was originally published in the October 1997 issue of American History Magazine. For more content, subscribe here.
ORDNANCE

Eighteen-year-old Sergeant Milton Humphreys changed the nature of artillery forever with his concept of indirect fire.

By Ben Crookshanks

Today, indirect firingshooting at an unseen targetis an integral part of warfare. During the Gulf War, Tomahawk missiles were launched from ships at targets hundreds of miles away. Out in the desert, banks of artillery pointing skyward fired at an unseen enemy, using the combined aid of satellites and computers. But during the Civil War, manning artillery was a good deal more art than science. With a solid cannonball it was fairly simplejust aim and fire. But when using an exploding shell, the gunner had to estimate the distance and time of trajectory and cut the fuse accordingly. There was a chart on the inside of the limber chest that he could use as a guide, but still, with no way to precisely measure the distance, all he could do was make an educated guess.

A Civil War gunner avoided firing explosive shells over his own troops if at all possible, because he never knew exactly when a shell would explode. Quality control in those days was not the best. Generally speaking, fuses produced in the North were more reliable than those made in the South.

For the most part, Civil War cannons were muzzleloaders, and being part of a gun crew was extremely dangerous. Out in the open, men and horses were sitting ducks for sharpshooters. A full crew consisted of a gunner, who directed fire, and seven artillerymen. The cannon and limber were drawn by four to six horses. Deployed for battle, the limber and horses were placed 6 yards behind the cannon; 11 yards farther back was the caisson, drawn by another four to six horses. All in all, that was a lot of targets bunched up in a small area.

Whenever possible, experienced gunners sought to use the terrain to lessen the danger. Since ground is never absolutely flat, they looked for a rise or swell. The gun was placed so that the cannonball would just clear the ridge of the swell. All that was visible to the enemy was the cannon barrel and the tops of the wheels. A cannon that was not tied down would recoil several feet upon firing. If the slope was great enough, the piece would then be out of the enemys sight, enabling the crew to reload with a greater degree of safety than would otherwise be possible. Although the cannon had existed for hundreds of years, this was as close to indirect firing as anyone had ever come. On May 19, 1863, however, an 18-year-old Confederate sergeant would change all that.

Milton Wylie Humphreys was born at Anthonys Creek in Greenbrier County, Va. (now West Virginia), on September 14, 1844. Humphreys was something of a prodigy. As the boy approached school age, his father started teaching him the alphabet. Andrew Humphreys quickly discovered that his son not only knew the alphabet but also could read. His explanation was that he wanted to know what was written in the newspapers. Teachers soon discovered that Humphreys long suit was mathematics, or figgers, as he called them. While still in grade school, using the face of a rock formation near his home as a chalk board, he solved complex math equations. At the age of 13, Humphreys entered Mercer Academy in Charleston, where he pursued college-level studies.

In 1860, he entered Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Va., and was at the head of his class when the Civil War broke out in April 1861. Humphreys wanted to join immediately, but his age held him back until March 27, 1862, when he enlisted in Bryans Battery of the 13th Virginia Light Artillery. It was immediately apparent that Humphreys possessed three innate qualities that made him an outstanding gunner: exceptional eyesight, with an extraordinary degree of depth perception; an engineering inventiveness; and unshakable courage under fire.

Federal troops had gained a footholdin western Virginia early in the war. This area, which would become the new state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863, was important to both sides. The North needed the railroads that ran across the northern counties as a link between Washington, D.C., and the West. Homes and factories in the North needed coal from the rich reserves of the area. For the South, the region was a crucial source of salt and food.

In 1862, a plan was drawn up by the South to invade the western counties, destroy the railroads and recapture the salt-rich Kanawha Valley. By early 1863, that plan had been partially abandoned. Instead, during May, Brig. Gens. William E. Jones and John D. Imboden conducted a series of raids attempting to destroythe Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and round up as many horses and supplies as possible. Coincident with the raids, a small infantry force mounted a diversionary attack to draw Union troops away from Jones and Imboden.

Bryans Battery had spent the winter of 186263 at Thorn Spring near Dublin, Va. After necessary repairs were completed to the buildings in which they were living, the soldiers settled into the boring routine of camp life while they waited for spring. The only military maneuver they engaged in (other than twice daily drills) was a march to Dublin on January 11 to attack an expected enemy force that did not show up. Humphreys noted in his diary, We stood around in the snow all day and returned to camp late. Fearing an attack on nearby Saltville, they left Thorn Spring on April 16, 1863, and camped on the north fork of Holston River.

On May 3, Bryans Battery moved north to Princeton. The march over rough ground took three days. While crossing Clinch Mountain, the men caught a rattlesnake, defanged it and kept it as a pet. They remained at Princeton until May 16, when they were ordered to move toward Fayetteville, the county seat of Fayette County, and attack the Federal fortification there as a diversion.

The small force under Colonel John McCausland consisted of the 36th Virginia Infantry, six companies of the 60th Virginia Infantry, a company of cavalry and four pieces of Bryans Batterytwo 3-inch rifled cannons and two 12-pounder howitzers. They averaged 15 miles per day, engaging in minor skirmishing as they neared the fort. On the morning of May 19, two miles from Fayetteville, they encountered a small force of Union cavalry. Bryans guns opened fire and drove them into the woods. One casualty was Humphreys favorite gun, Maggie, which jumped out of its brass trunnion bands and broke a front sight.

The Confederates arrived at a cleared plateau approximately a mile and a half in front of the fort. Humphreys gave the following account of the battle in his book, Military Operations in Fayette County, West Virginia. The infantry went down into the woods toward the works, he wrote. The road to Raleigh (now Beckley, West Va.) after running in a straight line nearly three-fourths of a mile from Fayetteville, turns square to the left, and ascends to a small cleared plateau with a hill on the right. On this ridge were posted Bryans third and fourth. The second piece (mine) was posted on the plateau at the end of a straight opening which had been cut in the woods and ran directly toward the Federal Fort.

My piece opened first and was immediately answered, and my third or fourth round cutting away the Yankee colors, they shelled us so vigorously and accurately with several guns that we were compelled to move to a place nearby where we could not be seen for the timber in front of us and the smoke behind us rising from the woods beyond the road which were on fire.

This was a perfect opportunity for Humphreys to try his theory of indirect fire. He knew that the fort was approximately a mile away. From experience, he knew the range of his cannon. By using trigonometry, he calculated how far he would have to elevate the muzzle of his piece to shoot over the stand of black pines in front of him and drop a shell into the vicinity of the fort. The distance from the gun to the fort formed the base of a triangle; the trajectory of the shell was the hypotenuse. Once the shell expended its momentum, it would drop to earth.

Humphreys placed a man on a nearby hill to direct his fire, which he kept up the rest of the day and well into the following day. Under orders to fire slowly, due to a shortage of ammunition, he fired only 65 shots. The Union commander, Colonel Carr B. White, sent an armed patrol out on the 20th to locate the cannon, whereupon the Rebels prudently withdrew.

Union losses were lighttwo killed, seven wounded and nine missing. There is no record of Confederate casualties. Much of the damage sustained was to the landscape around the fort and, no doubt, to the Union soldiers nerves. They had no idea where the shells were coming from.

In a modest explanation of what he had done, Humphreys wrote: The term indirect fire is firing upon a point or place (A) from a point (B) which is not visible to people at (A). It is necessary, of course, that the trajectory or path of the projectile should pass above the top of the mask or intervening object. At Fayetteville, May 19 and 20, 1863, the writer used a grove as a mask, but at Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864, he successfully used a low hill. I claim no credit for the invention; the thing is so obvious. In fact, if I invented it, I did not do it at Fayetteville, but in my day-dreams when I was about 8 years old.

After the war, Humphreys returned to Washington College to finish his education. In 1869, he graduated with a masters degree in ancient languages. From 1872 to 1874 he studied in Europe, earning a doctorate from the University of Leipzig. Upon returning to the United States, he taught at Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas. In 1887, he accepted a professorship at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where he remained until his retirement in 1912. Although he lived a life that had brought many honors, titles and degrees, Humphreys once wrote, I became known as the First Gunner of Bryans Battery, a title in which I take more pride in than any other ever bestowed upon me.

Humphreys died in 1928 and was buried in the chapel at the University of Virginia. His brilliant innovationindirect firinglives on.
In the summer of 1872, surveyors from the Northern Pacific Railroad were seeking the best route for the nations northern transcontinental line through the Yellowstone River valley. Because this pristine area was one of the important hunting grounds for the formidable Lakotas (Sioux), the railroad surveyors were given military escorts. Protecting one group of surveyors coming from the west was a force under Major Eugene M. Baker, and protecting another coming from the east was a force under Colonel David S. Stanley. A band led by Gall, a war chief of the Hunkpapas, the northernmost of the seven Lakota tribes, was the first to encounter the soldiers under Stanley. He reported Colonel Stanleys presence to fellow Hunkpapa Sitting Bull, who had already successfully dealt with Bakers smaller force 160 miles away.

Gall attacked Stanleys men twice in the wilderness area where the Powder River joins the Yellowstone. During their second encounter, at the Battle of OFallons Creek, Gall, now fighting in coordination with Sitting Bull, was driven back by Stanleys Gatling guns. The Sioux City Daily Journal proved that Gall was already gaining a fearsome reputation when it boasted about Colonel Stanleys decisive counterattack. If Mr. Big Gaul [sic] ever again attacks any party crossing the plains, he willfirst look sharply to see if they got any Gatlins [sic] with them.

Gall enhanced his new notoriety when he followed Stanleys 17th Infantry column back to Fort Rice on the Missouri River. With approximately 100 warriors, the ever-alert Hunkpapa war chiefs band, which was always on the lookout for stragglers, caught and killed two white officers and Stanleys mulatto cook; each of these men had foolishly gone out to hunt alone. One of the officers was 2nd Lt. Lewis Dent Adair, a first cousin to President Ulysses S. Grants wife, Julia Dent Grant. Gall also horrified many of Stanleys men by displaying the scalps of at least two of these victims on a hillock near Fort Rice. Because of the prominence of Lieutenant Adair and the open defiance of Gall, Lt. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan decided in 1873 to send a much larger force  more than 1,500 soldiers, including most of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custers 7th Cavalry  back to the Yellowstone. Although Galls name had appeared in federal records as early as 1866, he became a truly national figure by his bold escapades during the 1872 campaign.

The close cooperation between Gall and Sitting Bull in opposing the U.S. Armys 1872 and 1873 Yellowstone expeditions was a factor in the Northern Pacifics decision to delay for six years the construction of its transcontinental rail line through Montana Territory. The railroads financial collapse, which triggered the national Panic of 1873, was a much more important factor. Nevertheless, the alliance of these two Hunkpapa leaders was impressive  and it actually went back well before the early 70s.Sitting Bull was 9 years old when Gall was born in 1840 on the banks of the Moreau River in what would become South Dakota. For more than two decades, he watched young Gall grow into an increasingly powerful and fearless warrior. The older man would eventually become a mentor to the fatherless Gall. They both belonged to a prestigious warrior society, the Strong Heart Society, and together they organized an even more prestigious warrior society for their Hunkpapa comrades.

Although Galls and Sitting Bulls early exploits as warriors were largely confined to counting coup against such traditional tribal enemies as the Crows and Assiniboines, the encroachment of white settlers into their hunting lands in Dakota Territory created a new set of enemies for them. During the early stages of Americas Civil War, a bloody Sioux war called the Minnesota Uprising was put down by the states first governor, Henry H. Sibley. In 1863 Sibley and Alfred Sully, both of whom had been made brigadier generals by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, invaded the Dakota country. They were in pursuit of the routed followers of the chief Sioux leader of the Minnesota Uprising, Little Crow, who was killed at the Battle of Wood Lake in Minnesota. Sitting Bull and Galls Hunkpapas, joined by other Lakota tribes, soon became involved in a series of battles on the side of their Sioux brethren from Minnesota. In the summer of 1864, Gall and Sitting Bull fought against a large force of blue-coated soldiers under Sullys command in the bitterly contested Battle of Killdeer Mountain near the Badlands of North Dakota. Two weeks later, both were involved in an attack on a wagon train carrying 150 emigrants to the gold fields of western Montana Territory.

An 1862 gold strike in the Bannack area had already exacerbated the strained relations between Indians and white intruders. It had led to the development of the controversial Bozeman Trail, which was blazed through what would become Wyoming to connect the Oregon Trail with the promising Montana Territory gold fields. The Powder River country, which was directly in the path of the Bozeman Trail, was a treasured Lakota hunting ground wrested from the Crows. When the Army built forts along the trail to protect the gold seekers, the great Oglala Sioux leader Red Cloud besieged two of the forts. The effort by the soldiers at Fort Phil Kearny (in present-day Wyoming) to lift the siege at their post led to the December 21, 1866, Fetterman Fight, in which Captain William Judd Fetterman and approximately 80 of his men perished in an ambush engineered by Crazy Horse and his mentor, Minneconjou Sioux Chief High-Back-Bone (also known as Hump). Six months later, another attack by Cheyenne warriors, known as the Hayfield Fight, showed that Fort C.F. Smith in Montana Territory was also vulnerable.

Galls participation in these Powder River hostilities was probably limited. In late 1865, he was almost killed while encamped near Fort Berthold, in what would become North Dakota, where he had hoped to trade with Arikara Indians. He was spotted by Bloody Knife, who would later become Custers favorite scout. Bloody Knife, whose mother was Arikara, had lived in his fathers Hunkpapa camp and grown up with Gall and Sitting Bull. A deep animosity developed between him and Gall and lasted until Bloody Knifes death at the Little Bighorn in 1876. Harboring old resentments against Gall, Bloody Knife led a detachment of soldiers from the fort to Galls tepee. There, the unsuspecting Hunkpapa war chief was bayoneted in a vicious attack that almost cost him his life.

Largely because of Galls iron constitution, he survived his wounds to play an important role in the ratification of the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1868. Because of Red Clouds tenacious campaign against the intrusive Bozeman Trail, this treaty not only closed the forts along the trail but also gave the Lakotas an enormous tract of land, which was later called the Great Sioux Reservation. It encompassed all of western South Dakota, including the Black Hills, and provided annuities for those Indians who agreed to live there. The treaty also set aside as unceded Indian territory the Powder River country in Wyoming. Although most of the southern Lakota tribesmen were willing to live on the new reservation, a number of northern ones, including many Hunkpapas, were not.

The federal government even sent the intrepid Jesuit missionary Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet to Gall and Sitting Bulls Hunkpapa village to discuss the Fort Laramie Treaty. Only an imposing escort of strong-willed leaders, such as Gall and Sitting Bull, saved the popular priest from a possible assassination attempt at this tense meeting. In the end, Sitting Bull and the other leading chiefs refused to attend a July 1868 conference to ratify the treaty.

Sitting Bull did, however, send a delegation headed by Gall to Fort Rice for the conference, probably as a courtesy to Father DeSmet. Gall not only denounced with eloquence the treaty but also threw off his blanket to reveal his ugly wounds that had been inflicted by Army bayonets at Fort Berthold. But a generous offering of gifts induced Gall and the other delegates to agree to the treaty. Many of the older Hunkpapa chiefs were critical of Galls surprise turnabout. Yet Sitting Bull, who truly understood his valued protg, was not. You should not blame Gall, he remarked. Everyone knows he will do anything for a square meal.

Neither Gall nor Sitting Bull understood the binding nature of a treaty. In fact, at an 1869 meeting on the Rosebud, involving many Lakotas who had rejected the Fort Laramie Treaty, it was decided to organize all nontreaty Indians in an effort to protect their traditional way of life. Sitting Bull was made supreme chief; Crazy Horse, an Oglala warrior who had broken with Red Cloud, became his chief lieutenant; and Lakota leaders such as Gall and Crow King were made war chiefs.

This new coalition of nontreaty warriors proved that it had the will to resist white encroachments during the 1872 and 1873 Yellowstone campaigns. During the 1873 campaign, Gall made himself conspicuous on August 11 in what became known as the Battle of the Yellowstone, his first encounter with Custer. In an intense Lakota and Cheyenne charge up a steep bluff along the Yellowstone, occupied by such members of the 7th Cavalry as Custers brother Tom, Gall was spotted by New York Tribune correspondent Samuel J. Barrows. The Hunkpapa war chief stood out because of his muscular frame and the familiar red blanket that often marked his presence in any Hunkpapa war party. Galls pony was shot from under him during the fray, but the agile warrior, according to Barrows, leaped on a fresh horse and got away.

Coincidently, the equally dashing Custer had his 11th horse shot from under him during that same battle. Incidents such as this one explain why many soldiers called Gall the Fighting Cock of the Sioux.

The determination shown by Gall and other warriors at the Yellowstone created serious problems for the Grant administration. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 by an expedition led by Custer, for instance, prompted a gold rush that was in clear violation of the Fort Laramie Treaty. During the winter of 1875-76, the growing number of defiant Indians who gathered in the treaty-sanctioned unceded Indian territory of the Powder River caused great alarm in Washington. Conferences in the Executive Mansion (now called the White House) led to an ultimatum that all these nontreaty bands must return to their agencies on the Great Sioux Reservation by January 31, 1876, or face the consequences. But whether through defiance or because of severe winter weather, most did not return.

To enforce the federal governments ultimatum, General Sheridan planned a three-pronged attack against these obstinate nontreaty bands, who were now joined by many heretofore cooperative Lakotas from the Great Sioux Reservation. Brigadier General George Crook would approach the Powder River country from the south, Colonel John Gibbon from the west and Brig. Gen. Alfred H. Terry from the east. Serving under Terry was the experienced Indian fighter Colonel Custer and his 7th Cavalry. Crook was turned back by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors at the Battle of the Rosebud on June 17, 1876; Gall was probably there, but there is no evidence that he took an active part as Crazy Horse did. Eight days later, Custer and his 7th Cavalry, moving ahead of both Terry and Gibbon, attacked a huge encampment of Lakota Indians and their Cheyenne allies along the Little Bighorn River.

Galls role at the Battle of the Little Bighorn would become a controversial one. The encampment of Gall and Sitting Bulls Hunkpapas was one of the first to be struck by the three companies under Major Marcus Reno and their Arikara and Crow scouts led by Bloody Knife. In the first stages of the battle, Gall was more of a victim than an active participant; two of his wives and three of his children were killed by the Armys Indian scouts during Renos surprise attack. Although Gall was involved in the early phases of Renos ultimate rout, which forced the embattled major to retreat across the Little Bighorn River, the Hunkpapa war chief was denied the opportunity to meet Bloody Knife in combat; Galls mortal enemy was killed by a Lakota bullet that splattered his blood and brains all over the unfortunate Reno.

In fact, Gall spent most of the early phases of the battle scouting Custers five companies on the other side of the Greasy Grass, as the Lakotas called the Little Bighorn. His diligent search for the whereabouts of his family also continued. When he finally found the bodies of his dead family members south of the Hunkpapa camp, he was devastated. It made my heart bad, he later remarked. After that I killed all my enemies with the hatchet.

Gall eventually did lead a party of warriors across the Greasy Grass, but only after Crazy Horse and Crow King had preceded him. Following his crossing at Medicine Tail Coulee, Gall led a resolute charge against the dismounted troopers of Captain Miles W. Keough on a slope north of Deep Coulee. His main contribution was to exhort his warriors to stampede the horses of Keoughs embattled troopers, thus making it almost impossible for them to retreat. Gall was also one of the warriors who cut down those desperate members of Captain George F. Yates Company E who were charging down a hill to reach the Greasy Grass. One historian claimed that four or five of Yates men ran right into the avenging Galls arms and were promptly killed. The ubiquitous Gall even dashed across Custer Hill on horseback; he participated in the attack where Custer and approximately 40 of his men were killed during their so-called Last Stand.

Although Gall was probably not the bellwether at the Little Bighorn, as many historians have maintained, his observations have shaped todays understanding of the battle. In 1886, at the Little Bighorns 10-year commemoration, Gall became the first major Indian participant to give his version of this bloody conflict. He related his experience to Captain Edward S. Godfrey, who had fought under Reno on that hot and dusty day. Although much of his rendition was convincing to Godfrey and other Army officers, many Lakota veterans at the Little Bighorn were dubious. For instance, some criticized Gall for focusing on his own deeds at the battle. This rebuke was unfair given the common Lakota practice of not commenting on the battle achievements of others.

Although at 44, Sitting Bull had a minimal role in the combat at the Little Bighorn, he did exhort many younger warriors to fight. Thus, he and Gall were important figures at the battle for different reasons. Sitting Bulls famous vision just prior to the Battle of the Rosebud of soldiers and their horses falling upside down into the Indians camp had given the Lakotas great confidence at both the Rosebud and the Little Bighorn. Moreover, the two men continued to cooperate during the difficult months after defeating Custer. During the final phases of the Great Sioux War (1876-77), Gall fought alongside his mentor at such battles as Ash Creek and Red Water. Colonel Nelson A. Miles, however, continued his zealous pursuit, eventually forcing the Hunkpapas and their allies to cross the Canadian border. There on the buffalo-rich plains of Saskatchewan, many Lakota Sioux would live in exile for four years.

The early months spent by these nontreaty Indians in Grandmothers Land, as they called this remote western province of Queen Victoria, were reasonably happy. The Canadian government was represented by Major James M. Walsh of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), a strict but fair-minded man. The main problem for the Sioux exiles was the attitude of the U.S. government; it pressured the Canadian authorities in Ottawa to expel these defiant nontreaty Indians or at least discourage them from staying. During the late 1870s, Sitting Bull and Gall remained friends and allies while camped for the most part near the NWMP post at Wood Mountain (just north of Montana Territory). Sitting Bull, however, tended to rely more on his nephew One Bull to help him accomplish his goal of remaining free and content. Curiously, Gall assumed a rather low profile in Canada during much of the time.

More serious problems for these exiles occurred when a decline in the number of buffalo in Canada began to match an earlier decline of bison south of the border. This development soon worsened relations between the Lakotas and such Canadian tribes as the Crees, Bloods and Blackfeet, who also depended on the buffalo for survival. Although the Canadian government was willing to give the Canadian tribes a reservation for their support, it was unwilling to make a similar offer to the Sioux. Because of the buffalos diminishing numbers, many Lakotas, including Gall and his band, would often cross the international boundary in search of game. These crossings antagonized the U.S. government; more important, they were telling indications that the nontreaty bands were hungry and approaching starvation.

These difficult times made many of the Lakota exiles homesick. A growing number were eager to join their families on the Great Sioux Reservation. Sitting Bull, however, was still opposed to surrendering to federal authorities; he did not want to leave Canada and live under a government he did not trust. In the summer of 1880, Gall, on one of those illegal buffalo hunts south of the border, encountered an old friend, Edwin H. Allison. Allison was driving cattle to Fort Buford in North Dakota. He wanted Gall to arrange a meeting for him with Sitting Bull so he could convince the Sioux leader to surrender. When Allisons eventual meeting with Sitting Bull failed to achieve positive results, he won a pledge from Gall that he would bring 20 lodges of his people to Fort Buford for surrender.

When Sitting Bull heard about Galls pledge, he heaped bitter criticism upon his old friend. Gall, who had a mercurial temper, exploded with rage. He insisted that the Hunkpapas at their Canadian camp should leave Sitting Bull and follow him to Fort Buford. In the end, the stubborn Sitting Bull was left with only 200 loyal followers, while Gall may have ultimately brought as many as 300 lodges to the fort. After this bitter incident, the two men were never again really close.

Galls surrender at the Poplar River Agency in northeastern Montana in January 1881 was not a happy one. The commanding officer at the agency, Major Guido Ilges, provoked hostilities in which eight Indians were killed. He had insisted that Gall and his people be escorted to Fort Buford immediately, despite heavy snows and temperatures 28 degrees below zero. The angry Gall arrived at Fort Buford after a four-day march, but his stay there was only temporary. In late May, he, along with most of the one-time Hunkpapa and Blackfeet Sioux exiles, were sent to their permanent reservation home at the Standing Rock Agency in Dakota Territory. Sitting Bull, who surrendered at Fort Buford in July 1881, was still considered too dangerous; the aging chief was forced to live under guard near Fort Randall for two years before he could join his kinfolk at Standing Rock.

When Gall reached Standing Rock on May 29, 1881, he found a new mentor in Indian agent Major James McLaughlin. McLaughlin, who had a talent for manipulating people, was married to a Sioux woman who helped him understand and control his Indian charges with great effectiveness. He believed in rapidly assimilating Indians into the nations economy as small farmers; Christianizing them was also a goal he shared with many advocates of Indian reform back East.

Gall proved to be exceptionally cooperative on almost all counts. He served as a district farmer to help educate his people in good agricultural practices. He presided as a judge on the Court of Indian Offenses to acquaint them with the new judicial procedures that would govern their lives. He eventually became a convert to the Episcopal Church, being baptized and later buried by priests from that church. Some historians have felt that Galls change of heart was clearly the result of opportunism on his part. Others believe that Gall, like so many other Lakota warriors, was just facing reality.

When Sitting Bull arrived at Standing Rock in 1883, he tended to resist McLaughlins drastic changes, becoming in the process the leader of the tribes traditionalists. To blunt Sitting Bulls influence, McLaughlin elevated to leadership positions Gall, Crow King and a brilliant Blackfeet Sioux leader named John Grass. These men represented what some historians call the progressive faction at Standing Rock, and were organized to oppose Sitting Bulls more suspicious followers in the reservations tumultuous politics. This move further frayed the old friendship between Gall and Sitting Bull.

The schism between Sitting Bull and Gall was aggravated when McLaughlin persuaded John Grass and Gall to support the Sioux Act of 1889. This new law divided the Great Sioux Reservation into six smaller ones and opened up the reservations surplus acres to white homesteaders. Galls safety was soon menaced by Sitting Bulls angry followers, who resented Galls support, albeit reluctant, of the controversial Sioux Act. When Sitting Bull embraced the Ghost Dance religion in 1890, a new divisive issue was introduced to complicate the strained relations between the two men.

The Ghost Dance religion was the result of an electrifying vision of a Paiute shaman from Nevada named Wovoka. He claimed that if a dance the whites called the Ghost Dance was performed often enough by Indians throughout the West, their ancestors and the buffalo would return and the intrusive whites would disappear. Lakota leaders such as Gall and Red Cloud were skeptical of the new religion. But Sitting Bull, probably for political reasons, allowed his followers to participate in the Ghost Dance despite McLaughlins strong objections. These Ghost Dancers were so intimidating that Gall and John Grass asked McLaughlin for 10 guns to protect themselves and their bands from Sitting Bulls more zealous adherents.

A controversial attempt by McLaughlins Indian police to arrest Sitting Bull resulted in the stubborn chiefs untimely death on December 15, 1890. When some of Sitting Bulls outraged followers joined Big Foots Minneconjou band in their trek to Pine Ridge, where the most determined Ghost Dancers were, a tragic event occurred. Soldiers clashed with Big Foots people on December 29, 1890, at Wounded Knee Creek  the last major battle between the Lakota Sioux and the U.S. Army.

Galls response to Sitting Bulls death is still subject to conflicting interpretations. Until his death in 1894, the leader of Standing Rocks cooperative Indian faction did remain loyal to McLaughlin. But Galls years with Sitting Bull as a close friend and ally must have meant something to him. Nine months after Sitting Bulls death, he encountered McLaughlins influential Sioux wife, Marie Louise. He expressed his alarm over the tales of brutality surrounding the bungled attempt to arrest Sitting Bull. Her response was to scold him and warn him not to believe all the stories that were being circulated by the troublemakers who were responsible for the chaos at Standing Rock during the past year.

Galls forbearance in the face of Mrs. McLaughlins biting criticisms was as much a result of Major McLaughlins support for Gall as it was of the respect Gall felt toward the charismatic Indian agent. To minimize Sitting Bulls alleged obstructionism at Standing Rock, McLaughlin had lauded Galls accomplishments while denigrating Sitting Bulls. The result was that Gall, at the time of his death, was almost as well known as his old mentor. During the following years, however, Galls renown was dramatically eclipsed by Sitting Bulls. His accomplishments were downgraded almost as much as Sitting Bulls had been during his declining years.

This article was written by Robert W. Larson and originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Wild West magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Wild West magazine today!
One American man, Tyrel Martin Marhanka, stabbed his own neck in a Taiwan courtroom Thursday when he was sentenced for holding drugs. He decided that he did not want to live anymore.

The incident happened after he was charged for possessing poppy seeds, narcotics, and marijuana, which said he grew for personal use. They were found at his rented house in Yongjing Township.

The 41-year-old, who had resided for 15 years in Taiwan, is thought to have hidden a pair of scissors in a magazine so that he could avoid the courtroom's metal detectors, says Taipei Times.

Marhanka was seen shouting in a court at Chengu County near the western city of Taichung, after his interpreter told him that he was sentenced to four years.

"Four years?" he gasped. The interpreter suggested that he could appeal, but Marhanka was too distraught.

"I don't want to live anymore," he yelled and then plunged a pair of "separated" 8-inch scissor blades into both sides of his neck. It severed his arteries, which spouted blood.

He was taken to a local hospital, yet doctors could not help to heal him.

The court statement said: "We deeply regret that Tyrel Martin Marhanka killed himself during the sentencing," according to Agence France-Presse. "He was cooperative during the investigation and the trial. His attitude was mild and he did not show any signs that he would [kill himself]."

Court officials said that they would enhance the security and bring in an X-ray machine to scan people before they entered the courtroom.

Marhanka is survived by his Taiwanese wife, a son in second grade and a daughter in kindergarten. He had been teaching English and was living in Changhua in a rented house.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
'The Conjuring 2' turned out to be more of a horror flick than expected. It actually gave a heart attack Thursday to a 65-year-old Indian who died in Tamil Nadu, India.

He was a native of Andhra Pradesh, who watched "The Conjuring 2" in a Tiruvannamalai movie theatre with a friend. Suddenly, he found it difficult to hold his breath.

Before he could watch the film's climax to arrive at some solution to the suspense, he complained of chest pain and even fainted. He was rushed to an Old Government Hospital but could not be saved.

However, his friend was told by paramedics to transport him to the Tiruvannamalai Medical College Hospital so that he could undergo a postmortem. However, the corpse disappeared along with the friend.

Later media reports explain that the friend was spotted taking the corpse in an auto rickshaw, to their ashram, a spiritual heritage, where they reside. But the police were not able to find either the corpse or its friend.

Watching horror films such as "The Conjuring 2", has led to heart and breathing rates to shoot up phenomenally. A sudden suspense of the unfamiliar, or instant shock when an antagonist appears can lead the body to undergo terror, which directly attacks the heart.

Still, human psychology seems to revel in such effects. A 2013 study found that brain chemistry is vital in the human reaction to fear or distress.

Such a fear can shoot the flow of the blood from the heart to the extreme parts of the body, usually dubbed to be a "sensible evolutionary reaction to fear." With contracting muscles and rising cortisol levels, the eyes may move continuously, adrenalin levels can go up and some parts of the brain genetics respond.

Yet, even if humans tend to get fearful, they also seem to revel in such reactions. That is why the movie has grossed over $104 million globally.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Bearded lady is bound for The George...

Conchita Wurst, the bearded lady who swept the boards at this years Eurovision International Song Contest, will perform live at The George, in Dublin, on Friday 27th June, to celebrate this years Dublin Pride Festival. This will be Conchitas first live performance in Ireland since her Eurovision victory.

Im really looking forward to performing at The George and being part of the Dublin Pride Festival, Conchita told Hot Press. "I want to spread my message of tolerance, acceptance and respect for people who are different  I know my Irish supporters will help me do just that.

Darragh Flynn of The George is understandably enthusiastic about the prospect of Conchita playing Dublin.

Since her win at Eurovision, Conchita has become a worldwide sensation, he said. We are thrilled to have her perform again at the George and share in our Pride celebrations. Conchita embodies what The George is all about  acceptance, respect and fun  its going to be some party!

As part of her performance at The George, Conchita will sing her winning Eurovision song Rise Like a Phoenix.

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Rise Like a Phoenix is a powerful song that makes a strong statement, one that I can support 100%. No matter how hard things are, you can learn from these times and grow, Conchita added.

Tom Neuwirth, as Conchita is known in private, was born in 1988 in Gmunden in Upper Austria. The birth of Conchita can be traced back to Toms lifelong struggle against discrimination. In response, he created a woman with a beard, as a flamboyant statement  and as a catalyst to spark discussions on words like different and normal. Only the person counts, says Tom/Conchita. Everyone should be allowed to live their lives as they see fit, as long as nobody else suffers for it.

The George has been a home from home for members of the LGBT community in Ireland for more than 25 years and has been host to an array of international acts including Alexandra Burke, Daniel Johnson, The Saturdays and Bananarama.

Hosted by Shirley Temple Bar, doors will open at 8pm and admission is 15.
The food scene in Houston is electrifying  we all know that. But it's just as incendiary, if not more so, in Mexico City.

That's why local gourmands will not want to miss a special culinary cultural exchange coming to Houston June 30 to July 2. Billed as "Sabores CDMX," the event features four top Mexico City chefs who are coming to Houston to do three-day stints at three of H-town's leading restaurants: Americas, Cafe Annie and Arnaldo Richards' Picos.
A good 40 inches of rain has pelted Montgomery County this year - well ahead of the typical pace and too much at times for the usually tranquil streams in this rapidly growing area.

So regional leaders are embarking on a nearly $1 million study to improve and expand the early flood warning capabilities for the county.

Under the plan, the San Jacinto River Authority also would analyze water flows and explore ways to reduce the likelihood of flooding, such as scooping out parts of streams that can cause bottlenecks.

The authority, which manages surface water in the river basin, is teaming with Montgomery County and the city of Conroe. The entities are asking the Texas Water Development Board to cover half the costs.

"The more information you have, the more you can anticipate," said Jace Houston, general manager of the authority, which also operates Lake Conroe.

Recent storms ruined some 900 houses and flooded scores of streets in the county. The series of downpours that began May 26 raised Lake Conroe more than 3 feet above the reservoir's normal pool, the second highest level it has ever reached.

President Barack Obama has declared a disaster in the county twice since mid-April, separate decisions that allowed federal funds to be used for cleanup and recovery.

Houston said the new effort wasn't in reaction to the storms, but the heavy rains reinforced the need for more information in advance to protect people and property from flood dangers.

Montgomery County doesn't have a taxpayer-supported special purpose district, like the Harris County Flood Control District, to help reduce risks of high water.

The Harris County district, for instance, can provide rainfall amounts and water levels in bayous and major streams in real time. The system involves 133 monitoring stations throughout the county.

The San Jacinto River Authority can furnish some of the same data, but it's limited because there are fewer than 20 monitors in the basin.

The project's partners would use the additional information in different ways. The San Jacinto River Authority would utilize it when deciding how much water to release from the gates at Lake Conroe, Houston said.

Conroe, meanwhile, would use it to find ways to reduce flooding risks along Alligator Creek, which runs through the west side of the city.

And Montgomery County would be able to provide more time for emergency responders to evacuate low-lying areas. They conducted more than 200 high-water rescues during the recent storms, officials said.

"That ability to warn people to get out when they can is hugely advantageous," County Judge Craig Doyal said.

The planning study is expected to be done by the end of 2017.
Angels really do exist -- at least in Orlando. When the reviled hate group Westboro Baptist Church announced that it would be picketing the funerals of the victims of the Orlando gay bar shooting tragedy, a group of actors decided to fight back in a decidedly heavenly way.

Per American Theatre, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and the Angel Action Wings Project have teamed up to clothe local actors in massive white linen angel wings in the hopes of blocking the 40-member "church" group and their hate-filled signs, the most startlingly recognizable of which is "God Hates Fags." Thanks to donations, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater is building each of the angel ensembles in their costume shop.
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SAN ANTONIO _ The biggest personality at the Texas Democratic Convention was the man who wasn't there - incendiary Republican Donald Trump, who swept through the state grabbing campaign cash, snagging headlines and igniting blue-party hopes of a comeback on the strength of his ability to offend.

"My only concern is that he won't last until the (Republican National) convention," said James Fletcher of Colleyville, a Hillary Clinton backer who was among the delegates meeting at the Democratic convention while Trump had a fundraiser in San Antonio, sandwiched by campaign events in Dallas and Houston.

Democrats slammed Trump in convention speeches and at news conferences for his remarks about groups including women, Muslims and Latinos, his response to the Orlando shootings that seemed more focused on himself than the victims and a tone they call dangerously divisive.

"The Republican candidate for the highest office in the land - he's a bigot. Some Republicans - my opponent comes to mind - are afraid to call him out," Democratic congressional candidate Pete Gallego of Alpine told convention-goers on the gathering's final day Saturday.

In a closely watched race, Gallego is fighting to recapture the seat in the sprawling 23rd Congressional District that he lost two years ago to Republican Will Hurd of Helotes. Hurd has worked to distance himself from Trump's divisive rhetoric and to appeal to Latinos in the district, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso's outskirts.

Hurd campaign manager Justin Hollis said Gallego was a "do-nothing congressman" during his one term and sought to tie him to President Barack Obama, who lost Texas by double digits on his way to the White House. "A vote for him is another vote for four more years of Obama," Hollis said.

'We're getting better'

Some Democrats say Clinton has a chance at winning a majority in Texas, where interest is heightened because U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has been mentioned as a possible Clinton running mate. Castro said Friday that he isn't being vetted as one.

They're looking for Trump's rhetoric to help unite Democrats behind their presumptive nominee after her hard fight with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, although signs of division still exist.

"We're going to win. It's going to be bigger than what Obama was able to do when he ran in Texas," said state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston. "Donald Trump has done one thing for us. He's united us."

Others simply are hoping for some progress, given the steep hill ahead of Democrats who last won a statewide election in 1994. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate lost to a Republican by only single digits in Texas was in 1996, when President Bill Clinton defeated Republican Bob Dole nationally and Reform party candidate Ross Perot got 7 percent of the vote.

"I think that the best that Democrats can hope for this cycle is that we're getting better," said Democratic strategist Colin Strother. "What Democrats can hope for this cycle is that everybody gets a little more engaged  that they get out there and start busting their knuckles and building our list and improving our fundamentals."

Rice University political scientist Mark P. Jones put some parameters on what "better" could look like for Democrats.

"'Better' is keeping Trump's victory in the single digits, and taking back somewhere around a half-dozen state House seats, taking back Congressional District 23 and turning Harris County blue," Jones said.

In Harris County, he said, that means reclaiming the sheriff's office, flipping the district attorney and tax assessor-collector offices and sweeping the overwhelming majority of countywide judicial elections.

How well Democrats will do this year depends in large part on whether they reach the growing Hispanic population, said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa.

The political opinion research firm Latino Decisions said in a 2014 report that 61 percent of eligible Hispanics in Texas didn't vote in the 2012 presidential election. That report said state and Census Bureau estimates put the eligible but non-voting Hispanic population at about 2.9 million.

"Ultimately, it all depends on whether the Hispanic population in Texas someday decides that it's important for them to vote," Hinojosa said. "If this is not going to get them out, I don't know what else is."

Low voter turnout

Democrats throughout the convention drove home the contrast with Trump through means including a much-booed video showing him making derogatory statements about Mexicans and calling for exclusion of Muslims and a deportation push. Trump's slogan of "Make America Great Again" was mocked by several speakers.

"That guy wouldn't know greatness if it bit him in the ass," said state Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, who refused to refer to Trump by name. "America's greatness will not be defined by that fool. It will not be defined by a charlatan, a demagogue."

U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela Jr., D-Brownsville, who made headlines earlier with harsh comments about Trump's proposed border wall, picked up where he left off and widened his criticism to include U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Vela, who said his ancestors arrived in this country 30 years before Trump's, defended a federal judge whose Mexican heritage was assailed by Trump and called on Ryan to retract his endorsement of his party's presumptive nominee.

"I know you're in a box, but you either support a racist or you don't," Vela said. "We cannot let Donald Trump lead our country down a road of bigotry, racism and hate  To Mr. Trump I say, you often repeat that today's politicians are too politically correct, and that is one point we can agree on. You can take your racism, you can take your bigotry and you can take your wall and shove it."

Fletcher, the delegate from the North Texas city of Colleyville, saw hope for his party.

"I think (Clinton) is going to draw out all demographics but especially the Hispanic population that historically has had a low voter turnout, because Trump alienated that community to such a degree that we have the best potential we have ever had of carrying Texas to make it blue," he said.

Delegate Joan Schauer of Pearland said Trump will help Democrats "because if any women, Latinos, African Americans vote for him - I don't think that many will, let's just say that, because he's offended all of them."

Even if the Dump Trump movement succeeds - as Fletcher, with a smile, said he feared - Schauer said the GOP already has been hurt.

"There has already been so much damage done to the Republican Party because of Trump that if they do release their delegates and come up with something else, I don't know that it's even going to make a whole lot of difference," she said. "Too much has gone on."

Filipa Ioannou contributed to this report.
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For most of us, it's a minor inconvenience. We're at Target, or Lowe's, maybe with a full shopping cart, when we realize we've got to go to the bathroom.

For April, that situation raises anxiety and fear. She can't simply make a beeline for the nearest open stall. In fact, she's afraid of stalls. She looks for family restrooms, or ones marked gender-neutral.

If her wife of nearly 41 years is along, she'll go in first, make sure the coast is clear. Meanwhile, April searches out a manager or a salesperson to explain the situation.

"I'm 68," she told me in an interview, "and I've got to raise my hand and ask permission to use the restroom."

April is a transgender woman, the kind of person who is often the butt of jokes and fear-mongering. April is the name she goes by now; she declined to use her last name for fear that hatred would find its way to her family.

Looking at April last week in the offices of a local nonprofit where we met, she seemed the furthest thing from the boogeyman politicians and activists portray when they're trying to scare women and girls about bathroom access.

She's soft-spoken and polite. And that's her approach in public restrooms.

"I go in the restroom, and I hope a lady doesn't come on in," she said. "I just want to take care of things and go."

Combed-over wisps of thin gray hair just reach her shoulders. Her fair skin is streaked by time, and her cheeks tinted with a bit of rouge. She wears a skirt, dangling earrings and a wedding ring. Around her neck hangs a cross, inscribed on the back with words from Isaiah that she says may have saved her life: "Fear not, for I am with you."

April had agreed to tell me her story. From an early age in Long Island, she - then, a he - knew she was different. She didn't know what to call it. She'd never heard the word transgender, or even gay. She isolated herself. In class, she sat in the last desk, in the last row.

As an adult, she joined the Navy. Her father was a Navy man, and it's what he wanted.

But throughout the six-year stint, she said she felt intimidated, scared and depressed. One night in Manila, on a ship serving as air control during the Vietnam War, she walked down a bridge amid the stars.

"I was considering going over and bringing this thing to an end," April told me. "I just knew I was miserable."

But she had a discussion with God that night and later felt at peace.

Searching to feel whole

She left the Navy, but eventually fell back on what she knew and joined the Coast Guard. She retired 14 years later and then worked for the postal service. Along the way, she met and married her wife - whom she describes as a strong, open and boisterous woman she's still attracted to - and had two children, now in their 30s.

Then, in 2000, after her father had died, April said she couldn't keep hiding.

"I just threw my hands up in the air and said, 'I can't do this anymore.' I hated myself, I hated everything around me," April said.

She said her wife gave her a few weeks of silent treatment, and then came around, saying, "well, it's only clothes." But it was more than clothes. Dressed as a woman, April felt whole, and clean. She found a doctor who explained the different parts of gender: the one in the brain, the biological sex of the body, the masculine or feminine one we express. Then there's sexuality: the gender we're attracted to. It's a complex network that doesn't always function the way "normal" people expect.

" 'Normal' people," April said, using air quotes, "create these labels and then they kick you aside, and they miss so many of the good people."

April sought support from a transgender group she found on the internet, and then from church. Recently, she joined a women's Bible study.

"One lady asked me, 'Are you getting anything out of this?' and I'm thinking to myself: 'sitting here, amongst a group of 30 women and being accepted as a woman. Yes, I'm getting a lot out of this.' "

Little thing called 'love'

Eventually, her wife accepted her, she said. They eat out together, volunteer at the food pantry, shop at Macy's and Dillard's.

Her wife still calls her "husband." It doesn't bother April: "She's more than earned the right," she said.

I asked what she and her wife had that was able to transcend gender.

"I think it's a four-letter word called love," April told me. Her son and daughter have had a harder time adjusting. April's son, who lives outside of Houston, doesn't like her around his own son. The 5-year-old, though, seems to take it in stride, once telling April: "I love your earrings, Grandpa."

After she retired, she grew more comfortable with dressing as a woman, even if she knows she doesn't fully pass. She said something positive can come of being spotted: at least that person can not say they have never met someone transgender.

Where does it stop?

In the past week, April said she's spent a lot of time thinking about the importance she's given to the bathroom issue. She's been relegated to janitorial closets at times. On trips to Florida, she tries to avoid exiting in Mississippi or Alabama. Recently, she declined a trip to Liberty with her church group because she feared bathroom access in the East Texas town.

Still, April acknowledged, she's never had a bad experience in a bathroom. It's just the fear of confrontation that makes her anxious.

But after the horrific attack in Orlando, even that has faded, April said. She sat glued to TV coverage of the mass shooting that took 49 lives and injured dozens more. She cried about it in her Bible study. She has attended local interfaith services and vigils, feeling a deep connection to the LGBT people targeted.

"This whole argument is so trivial, as compared to what's going on," she said, referring to the bathroom debate.

Now, there is a weightier, more profound fear, she said. The power of the hatred encouraged every day by rhetoric. We've seen what it can do. Where does it stop?

April knows the answer is education. It's why she agreed to be interviewed for this column.

After more than 60 years, she's finally at peace with the person she is, inside and outside. She prays that someday that acceptance is the new normal.
Representatives of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the county's district attorney's office will confer on what action, if any, to take against a man who reportedly brought a firearm to a parking garage near the site of Donald Trump's Friday-night rally in The Woodlands, a sheriff's spokesman said Saturday.

Deputies initially handcuffed the man, but later released him, telling a reporter for KPRC-TV that they were returning him to his home. The man, who was wearing a pro-Trump t-shirt, told the television reporter that he had not been carrying a weapon, and that his interception by officers was the result of confusion.
Ricardo Delgadillo arrives at Ben Taub Hospital well before sunrise as part of a weekly ritual, close enough to death to maximize his chances for emergency kidney dialysis.

As an undocumented immigrant, he must wait until his renal failure becomes sufficiently dire for federal law to kick in and require doctors to hook him up to a machine that will cleanse his blood, then he'll come back in a few days and do it all over again.

Harris County's public health system is overwhelmed treating 200 to 300 undocumented patients like Delgadillo who need dialysis at least several times a month to stay alive. Taxpayers foot the entire patient cost of about $285,000 a year for the emergency treatment and complications that often arise, the most expensive way to provide the care.

In 2008, Harris County opened a farsighted dialysis clinic for undocumented patients as a means of cutting the cost of emergency services. The clinic provides 50 percent more dialysis treatment per patient at a cost of about $77,000 a year, but it is full, and Harris Health, facing a $70 million deficit, now finds it hard to invest in expanding such alternatives.

Even better care and greater savings could be realized, Harris Health physicians say, by performing kidney transplants on undocumented individuals in the Houston area whose relatives could serve as donors. But putting the undocumented on transplant lists, which could radically improve their life expectancies, is considered a political nonstarter in Texas.

Harris County's current system for providing dialysis on an emergency basis has proven to be the least efficient and humane way to provide ongoing care. "Some of them spend most of their life in the emergency department waiting to qualify for dialysis," said Dr. David Sheikh-Hamad, chief of renal services at Ben Taub, Harris County's largest public hospital. "These are essentially our community residents, and we can't really close our eyes to them and ignore them as if they didn't exist.  We're operating under a crisis situation from day to day."

Worst cases first

Delgadillo must drive 30 to 40 minutes to Ben Taub, sometimes alone, sometimes with his wife, Ebette. She owns a clothing store where Delgadillo works when he can muster the strength. They have two children, a 14-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. His brother-in-law takes the kids to school on days when he and his wife are at the hospital.

The dialysis room at Ben Taub doesn't open until 7 a.m., but Delgadillo has learned that he has to arrive early to maximize his chances of getting in. "Sometimes we get through on the first round, sometimes we're going to be second one or the third," he said. "Depends how you are looking after the blood testing."

One recent Wednesday morning, before dawn, Delgadillo went through the agonizingly slow drill: a technician drained two vials of blood from his arm, first step toward confirming that his sodium and potassium levels were high enough to require immediate treatment. Some patients admit to eating entire bunches of bananas or drinking the fluid from canned tomatoes to boost potassium levels and increase their odds of treatment.

Then it was almost an hour before he was called back for the EKG. He lifted the bottom of his hooded sweatshirt, revealing a catheter wrapped in gauze hanging from his chest.

In some ways, this catheter, known as a permacath, identifies Delgadillo better than the hospital bracelet on his wrist, a tell-tale sign of his health problems and his immigration status.

He grew up about an hour outside of Mexico City. When he was 19, economic stagnation drove him north to seek work in the United States, and "a better life for my family."

He had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and doctors told him he would have problems with his kidneys. Two years ago, when he lost his appetite for food or drink, doctors performed an ultrasound and a CT scan, and immediately admitted him to the hospital with kidney failure. Over the next four days, he underwent dialysis twice, and ever since, he's had to come back for treatment every four to five days.

Dialysis replaces only some of the work of the kidneys, removing waste products, salt and excess water from the blood stream. Without it, urea builds up in the brain, causing headaches and nausea. Fluid seeps into the lungs and potassium levels can climb so high they disrupt normal heart rhythms.

With only a dozen dialysis chairs at the hospital, doctors take the worst cases first. Others are told to wait or to try again tomorrow.

One week, Delgadillo was deferred four days in a row.

Harris Health System sees about 20 to 30 patients each day seeking emergency dialysis, 500 patient visits per month at Ben Taub, another 350 at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital across town.

"They don't all get dialysis, but they all get an EKG and blood work," Hamad said. "A lot of resources are being put into these patients."

The ideal frequency of dialysis depends on how badly the kidneys are damaged and how much residual function remains. Dialysis three times a week is considered the standard, but even then, it's a losing proposition. The kidneys work 24 hours a day to cleanse the blood, so a three-hour dialysis session can only do so much. As a result, life expectancy for dialysis patients runs from three to 10 years, although some survive for decades.

"There's a spectrum, those patients who come once or twice a month for dialysis, and then we have patients who come every day," said Dr. John Foringer, a nephrologist with UTHealth and Harris Health.

Emergency patients only get dialyzed on average once per week. That increases the risk of complications, which often leads to hospital and intensive care stays and drives up costs. One study found that skipping at least one dialysis session per month is associated with a 25 to 30 percent higher risk of death.

More rational approach

When Hamad became chief of renal services at Ben Taub in 2000, the situation was much worse. Patients were getting temporary catheters each time they showed up for emergency dialysis, damaging their veins and leading to infections. Hamad instituted the use of permacaths, a soft plastic tube inserted into a large vein in the base of the neck. About 6 inches of the tube extend outside of the body, splitting into two ends that can be connected to the dialysis machine. Patients with permacaths can get into dialysis faster and with fewer complications at a lower cost.

Hamad also was bothered by the way the hospital was treating patients who had long been a contributing part of the community. Some were in the country legally, but had not yet paid enough into the Social Security program to qualify for Medicare benefits. Moral and ethical considerations aside, he thought he could make an economic argument for a more rational approach.

In 2007, Hamad published a study that compared the health care costs incurred by those receiving emergency dialysis with those getting regularly scheduled dialysis in outpatient clinics.

Armed with the potential for cost savings, he convinced county and hospital officials to open the Riverside Dialysis Center in 2008, where undocumented patients could get dialysis three times a week. While most dialysis clinics have a mortality rate of 5 to 10 percent per year, at Riverside, it's less than 5 percent. Moreover, the clinic provides dialysis at an average cost of $33,000 per year per patient.

"We can provide better care at lower cost," Hamad said.

The original proposal was to serve one Medicare patient for every two uninsured patients, to offset the costs.

"Within a year of this place being open, it was already saturated with unfunded patients, sending all the funded patients to other places," said Dr. Michael Gardner, the administrator of ambulatory care services at Harris Health.

Medicare pays about $75,000 to $80,000 per year for dialysis, more than double what it costs the clinic. The rate is so lucrative it's driven huge growth in for-profit dialysis clinics. If Harris Health turns away Medicare patients, those private clinics are happy to take them. The uninsured and undocumented have nowhere else to go.

"Obviously, from a business point of view, that's a poor choice," he said.

The Riverside clinic started with three shifts per day using all 21 chairs, for a total of 126 patients per week. Demand was so great they added a fourth shift, bringing the total to 168, and keeping the clinic open a staggering 20 hours per day.

Last August, Mario Flores, a 56-year-old roofer who came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1986, was fortunate to gain a patient slot in the clinic after years of treatment in the emergency room at Ben Taub. His health has rebounded.

"It's three times a week, and it's perfect," Flores said through an interpreter of his current regimen.

Costly care

A few years ago, Harris Health paid to have 45 patients get dialysis through private clinics around town. That may have lowered the deferral rate in the emergency room, but it didn't save any money as new patients quickly took their places. Now the cash-strapped public health system couldn't come up with the money to outsource patients if it wanted to.

"Harris Health is projecting another deficit next year, so where does that money come from?" Gardner said.

Gardner recently spent time at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, where administrators shut down their outpatient dialysis centers because they couldn't absorb the costs of treating undocumented immigrants.

"They don't have the undocumented population that we have in Houston," he said. "Dallas doesn't do this. El Paso doesn't do this. Fort Worth doesn't do this."

The exception among safety-net hospitals in Texas is in San Antonio, where the dialysis center is big enough to handle both Medicare-funded and unfunded patients.

The dialysis room at Ben Taub was intended for patients who had been admitted to the hospital for other reasons. It is so small, that if it opened today, it would no longer meet code for the necessary space between patients.

Some patients are so unstable when they arrive, they must be dialyzed in the intensive care unit or one of the shock trauma rooms. It's not uncommon for one or two of Ben Taub's five trauma bays to be tied up for hours with dialysis patients.

"Both Ben Taub and LBJ struggle almost on a daily basis to try to transfer out," Gardner said. "It's getting difficult to find hospitals that will even accept the patients. These are sick people, and their health care is costly."

Harris Health officials are in the process of implementing a peritoneal dialysis program that could shift a significant number of patients to home dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis involves filling the abdominal cavity with dialysis fluid through a catheter. The liquid pulls waste products out of the blood over a couple of hours and is then drained from the body. After the two- to three-week initial training, the patient can do the dialysis at home, coming in to a clinic only once a month.

"It's my hope that by summer 2017, if you present to Harris Health with end-stage renal disease, that peritoneal dialysis will be our first-line therapy," Gardner said. "We don't think it will be a panacea. But we think it will be a step in the right direction."

The better solution, Hamad said, is a kidney transplant. Not only are the quality of life and outcomes better, over the long haul, it saves money. The average cost of a transplant is recouped in dialysis savings in less than three years. Undocumented immigrants might be even better transplant candidates because they are generally younger than the average American with kidney failure.

But there is political resistance to putting undocumented immigrants on transplant waiting lists. Even if they show up with a family member willing to donate a kidney, without insurance, they're unlikely to be able to afford the cost of the transplant or the immunosuppression drugs to prevent rejection.

Nationwide problem

"There's this urban myth that by offering these (dialysis) services, we're attracting the undocumented to come," Gardner said. "That just isn't the case."

California has implemented statewide outpatient dialysis coverage for undocumented immigrants and has not seen its caseload increase.

Public hospitals throughout the country are struggling with how to deal with the emergency dialysis problem. Texas and several other states have determined that the need for dialysis is not automatically an emergency that qualifies an individual for Medicaid. Harris Health officials are trying to make the case for outpatient dialysis by calculating how much money Medicaid loses by waiting until patients are near death.

Meanwhile, by 7:11 am, after more than three hours of waiting at Ben Taub, Delgadillo was one of the lucky ones. A nurse led him and another patient to the elevator, up to the sixth floor and down a long hallway to the dialysis room. Delgadillo was right on the nurse's heels, but the other man could barely shuffle along in his flip-flops. Ebette would wait outside for three hours as her husband's blood was cleansed and then they would drive home, completing their eight-hour ordeal.

Every four or five days, they'll repeat the same grueling process.
NWS

The National Weather Service is warning that a line of strong to severe thunderstorms is moving through west central Louisiana and is expected to hit northeast of the city, primarily in Polk, Trinity and Houston counties.

There is a chance that the storms will advance as far west and southwest as Conroe and Houston during the evening before beginning to weaken, said Lance Wood, with the National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston.
NASA is developing an electric plane to accelerate the introduction of zero-emission aircraft that use less energy and cruise at higher speeds than the aircraft of today. If successful, the plane could become a significant first step toward a new era of more efficient and environmentally friendly air travel.

The electric plane, which NASA is calling the X-57, will seat only a pilot. NASA is also planning five larger planes capable of carrying far more passengers and cargo.

The plane will include 14 motors that power propellers on an unusually thin wing. Typically such a narrow wing would be out of the question, because planes need the lift that a broad wing provides during takeoff and landing. But because NASA has a cluster of propellers lining the wing, more air will be blowing across the wing, providing extra lift.

While all 14 motors would operate during takeoff and landing, only two would be needed once the plane is cruising high in the sky.

The X-57 will have a limited range of about 100 miles and an hour or less of flight time. But the agency is thinking long-term and counting on advances in battery technology to dramatically augment the plane's power in future years.

"If batteries continue to be on the same rapid increase in energy density that they have been on over the past 10 years or so, one can envision five to 10 years out in the future the battery technology would be such that this particular aircraft could be enabled for a commercial-type aspect," said Matt Redifer, chief engineer on the project.

NASA has a four-year timeline for developing the aircraft. Its first step will be to convert a Tecnam P2006T, an Italian twin-engine light aircraft, to a purely electric powered plane.

NASA hopes to show that switching to a distributed electric system relying on 14 motors will be five times as energy efficient as a typical plane.

The development of an electric plane could prove valuable amid concerns about climate change. Commercial aircraft contribute 11 percent of U.S. transportation emissions and 3 percent of all U.S. emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Another benefit of an electric airplane would be less noise pollution due to the quieter motors.

This is the first experimental plane NASA has designed itself in a decade. The organization's history in experimental planes dates to 1947 with the first piloted airplane to break the sound barrier.

NASA is nicknaming the X-57 "Maxwell," in honor of James Clerk Maxwell, the 19th-century Scottish physicist who is known for his work in electromagnetism.
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CAIRO - An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Morsi, the top defendant, and two of his aides were sentenced to 25 years in prison for membership in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group but were acquitted of espionage, a capital offense. Morsi and his secretary, Amin el-Sirafy, each received an additional 15-year sentence for leaking official documents. El-Sirafy's daughter, Karima, was also sentenced to 15 years on the same charge.

Sentenced in absentia

Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, was ousted by the military in July 2013 and has already been sentenced to death in another case. That death sentence and another two - life and 20 years in prison - are under appeal. The Brotherhood was banned and declared a terrorist organization after his ouster. Khalid Radwan, a producer at a Brotherhood-linked TV channel, received a 15-year prison sentence.

All of Saturday's verdicts can be appealed. Of the case's 11 defendants, seven, including Morsi, are in custody.

Amnesty International called for the death sentences to be immediately thrown out and for the "ludicrous charges against the journalists to be dropped."

The two Al-Jazeera employees - identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal - were sentenced to death in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

Al-Jazeera condemned the verdicts, saying they were part of a "ruthless" campaign against freedom of expression, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the journalists.

"This sentence is only one of many politicized sentences that target Al Jazeera and its employees," the network's acting director Mostefa Souag said in a statement. "They are illogical convictions and legally baseless. Al Jazeera strongly denounces targeting its journalists and stands by the other journalists who have also been sentenced."

'More dangerous than spies'

A news story that appeared earlier on the Al-Jazeera English website identified Hilal as a former director of news at Al-Jazeera's Arabic channel and said Alaa Omar Mohammed was an Al-Jazeera employee until last year. The network's statement confirmed Hilal's status, but only said that Mohammed was "identified by the prosecution as an Al-Jazeera journalist."

The three other defendants sentenced to death Saturday are documentary producer Ahmed Afify, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohammed Keilany and academic Ahmed Ismail.

Judge Mohammed Shirin Fahmy recommended the death sentence for the six last month. Under standard procedure in cases of capital punishment, his recommendation went to the office of Egypt's Grand Mufti, the nation's top Muslim theological authority, for endorsement.

Fahmy quoted the Mufti's office as saying the six had sought to harm the country when they passed to a foreign nation details of the army's deployment as well as reports prepared by intelligence agencies.

"They are more dangerous than spies, because spies are usually foreigners, but these are, regrettably, Egyptians who betrayed the trust," the judge said. "No ideology can ever justify the betrayal of one's country."

Egypt's relations with Qatar have been fraught with tension since the ouster of Morsi, who enjoyed the support of the tiny but wealthy Gulf state. Cairo also maintains that Al-Jazeera's news coverage of Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East is biased in favor of militant Islamic groups.
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MOSCOW - Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region.

Sergei Shoigu met with President Bashar Assad in Damascus for talks that focused on cooperation between the two militaries and "some aspects of cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups," the Russian Defense Ministry said. It said Shoigu held talks with Assad on orders from President Vladimir Putin.

The visit comes a day after Putin suggested that some in the Syrian opposition could join the Cabinet to help advance the stalled peace process.

Shoigu also visited the Hemeimeem air base, where he met with pilots, according to the Defense Ministry's spokesman.

Russia has conducted an air campaign in Syria since last September, helping Assad's forces win back some ground. Putin pulled back some of Russia's warplanes in March to help encourage peace talks, but the military has maintained a strong presence at Hemeimeem.

A U.S.- and Russian- brokered cease-fire that began on Feb. 27 has helped reduce hostilities, but fierce fighting has continued in many areas, particularly around Aleppo. The Islamic State group and the al-Qaida branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, have been excluded from the truce.

Fighting around Aleppo has escalated in recent weeks, and Russia has recently issued an ultimatum for the U.S.-backed opposition units to leave Nusra-controlled areas or face air strikes, but later agreed to give more time for them to pull out.

Russia and the U.S. have traded accusations over the truce. The U.S. accused Moscow of failing to stop violations by Assad's forces, while Russia criticized the U.S. for failing to get opposition groups it backed to pull out from Nusra-controlled areas.
A week after the worst mass shooting in American history, a glint of common sense is shining through the tawdry propaganda blanket the National Rifle Association and its slavish congressional devotees long ago tossed over honest public discussion about gun-safety measures in a nation awash in weapons of death. The most obvious sign of light, albeit still rather dim, was a 15-hour filibuster waged last week by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., in an effort to force a vote on modest gun-control legislation.

Murphy, one of two senators who lives every day with the unbearable memory of Newtown, got what he wanted when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, agreed to hold votes on gun proposals as amendments to an appropriations bill funding the Commerce and Justice departments. That vote may come as early as tomorrow on two measures that should pass easily - easily, that is, if most Republicans and a few Democrats in Congress had not sold their soul to the gun lobby long ago and apparently cannot imagine ever buying it back.

Under consideration is a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., that would block individuals on the terrorist watch list from buying guns and another bill by Murphy, Feinstein and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey that would enact universal background checks. The purpose would be to intercept individuals who are legally barred from gun ownership, including those convicted of domestic abuse and those with mental illnesses. A large majority of Americans support both measures.

Republicans are likely to offer an alternative from U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas that would not automatically stop gun purchases from people on the watch list but would give the Justice Department 72 hours to seek a court order to block the sale if a judge finds probable cause that the person "has committed or will commit an act of terrorism." Most Democrats opposed the Cornyn measure when it came up in December on grounds that the unrealistically high burden of proof makes it essentially useless. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., may offer compromise legislation.

Although we cynically expect any sensible effort to be stymied by the gun lobby and its compliant representatives in Congress, we have to say - and will continue saying - that the measures under consideration are the very least that a rational government ought to be enacting. It is possible to end gun sales to suspected terrorists, even as we include due process for those under suspicion. Perhaps such a restriction would not have prevented Orlando, but it would make it harder for the next homegrown terrorist to acquire a lethal weapon whose only practical purpose is to kill many people quickly.

These modest measures are all we can hope for - for now - although they're certainly not all we need. A sensible Congress would approve measures that would keep a weapon designed only for mass battlefield killings out of the hands of those who have no legitimate need to use them; there's a reason the military itself keeps such weapons under lock and key when they're not being used in training or in battle. Lawmakers should reinstate the ban on assault-style weapons, allowed to lapse in 2004, as well as the ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines that keep shooters spraying death as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Lawmakers should keep in mind two quotes as they prepare to cast a vote this week. One is from a Justice Department spokesman signaling support for Feinstein's effort to close the so-called "terror loophole": "The amendment gives the Justice Department an important additional tool to prevent the sale of guns to suspected terrorists by licensed firearms. ... We also continue to support universal background checks as a necessary tool to prevent suspected terrorists from lawfully obtaining firearms."

Here's the other quote: "America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. So what are you waiting for?"

That exhortation is from a 2011 recruiting video, a recruiting video for al-Qaida.
Twisted logic

Regarding "GOP candidate has best outlook on immigration and other issues" (Page A19, Thursday), I was sucked into the tractor beam of Jacob Montilijo Monty's pro-Trump piece. It was curiosity, really, of how a third-generation Mexican American - and an ostensibly intelligent immigration lawyer - could endorse a guy who has insulted Mexican Americans with the rapid-fire relentlessness of an AR-15. The realization that Monty is also a GOP activist made his position a lot less curious.

At any rate, his entire pro-Trump argument seems to be: sure, the guy's a train wreck, but the fact that he's a train wreck makes him uniquely suited to put the all-important issue of train wreckage on the national agenda. Furthermore, Trump's bizarre and inconsistent behavior simply make him unpredictable, which means the possibility that he might do something smart can't be entirely ruled out, maybe.

I hope he stretched before writing that essay - he could pull a muscle twisting logic that far. There's a big difference between hopeful optimism and willful delusion. I pray that all ostensibly intelligent Americans recognize that distinction before November.

Robert Campbell, Katy

Dissection

Regarding "The only greatness Republican choice knows is about himself" (Page A19, Thursday), certainly it appears from the point/counterpoint that Garrison Keillor had the easier task. I read and re-read the essay by Jacob Montilijo Monty but still could not find a reason why he was supporting Trump except Trump isn't named Clinton and isn't a Democrat. Monty starts off and ends in the same place, "Donald Trump wasn't my first choice-or second." Between the beginning and ending he recites many reasons why Trump is the wrong candidate and why he should not be electable, namely the wall and remarks about the ethnicity of the judge. Then he talks about having to choose between two candidates.

Not a single word is written explaining why Trump and Trump's policies make him a candidate worthy of our support.

Keillor, on the other hand looks at Trump the egotistical candidate and flays his many shortcomings. However, he too is short on pointing out Trump policies that he disagrees with. Could it be that there are no policies that Trump has advocated that can be rationally supported? Could it be that there are no policies other than the wall, no Muslims, etc. that Trump has advocated that can be rationally dissected?

Bill Turney, Houston

Velquis nibh

Regarding "HISD to require 3-point seat belts; Trustees also cut ties with firm that tallied bonuses" (Page A8, June 10), with the defeat of the extension of the contract for value-added data gathering tied to the pioneering 10-year old Houston Independent School District teacher evaluation system originally known as ASPIRE, the Houston teacher union lobby and its fellow travelers on the HISD board finally won its long-sought victory over the objective measurement of teacher performance. This is a sad day for the district that had provided encouraging leadership for advancing the cause of educator accountability for growth in student achievement.

And to add insult, the union and the board did so knowing that the district would forfeit $14 million in federal grant funding that was earmarked for teacher compensation under the evaluation program. So much for representing the best interest of teachers, many of whom could have probably made good use of this bonus. But what else is new? It's not about advancing teacher quality, it's about protection.

This teacher union opposition is not surprising. The teacher lobby has been in consistent opposition to any evaluation system that is in any form based on the advancement of student achievement as measured by standardized assessments, even the measly 20 percent weighting of the state system, on which it has sued the state to block implementation. They simply do not want to be held accountable for student achievement. In fact, the entire movement toward standards and accountabilit- based reform over the past 20 years confronted its most significant opposition when it began to extend accountability for student achievement to the educators and their preparation programs, primarily the traditional colleges of education.

What is most disappointing is that Texas, after leading the nation in K-12 standards and accountability based reform for 20 years, is now lagging in this last and arguably most important area of reform, and according to a survey of state policy by the National Council of Teacher Quality is now one of only eight states that do not require a component of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations.

Jim Windham, chairman

Texas Institute for Education Reform, Houston
Yes, Hitler.

Some of you questioned my evocation of history's great villain in a recent column on House Speaker Paul Ryan's surrender to presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. I likened Ryan to Franz von Papen, a German politician who helped Adolf Hitler rise to power under the naive delusion that he could control him.

A handful of Trump fans found that, as one put it, "a bit of a stretch." One guy expressed his skepticism through the time-honored expedient of the triple punctuation mark: "Hitler???"

Yes, Hitler.

Not that their dubiousness is unreasonable. In recent years, Hitler and the Holocaust have popped up in political debate as routinely as dandelions on the lawn. One man said having to tack a "No Smoking" sign on his building was like being a Jew forced to wear a yellow star; another claimed popular anger over the excesses of the rich was reminiscent of Kristallnacht.

Almost by definition, Hitler and Holocaust comparisons trivialize that era and reveal the ignorant insensitivity of those who make them. But the key word there is, almost. Because for the record, I'm not the only one who sees the shadow of Germany in the 1930s over America in the 2010s. Once again, a clownish demagogue bestrides the political landscape, demonizing vulnerable peoples, bullying opponents, encouraging violence, offering simplistic, strongman solutions to difficult and complex problems, and men and women who bear more moral authority on this subject than I ever could see something chilling and familiar in him.

"I don't want to make any comparison to Hitler, but believe it or not his delivery and the way he conducts himself is very similar to Hitler's way of doing things. He discredits everybody who disagrees with him. He's insulting. He discriminates against everybody." So says Martin Weiss. He's a survivor of Auschwitz.

"It is repeating itself and it is again the inattention that people pay to real cues that one should understand. I think one has to speak up. And that's the one lesson from the Holocaust. Do not be a bystander." So says Margit Meissner, who fled occupied France on foot through the Pyrenees. Like Weiss, she spoke in January to Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank.

Then there is Eva Schloss, who in January said of Trump, "I think he is acting like another Hitler." Schloss, who spoke to Newsweek, was the stepsister of Anne Frank.

No, I don't predict a new Holocaust if Trump bamboozles America into electing him. But some new calamity, inconceivable to us now, but repulsive to the values we claim to hold dear, does seem certain. And that raises a question: If one should never be too quick to make comparisons to Germany in the 1930s, is it not also important, on the rare occasions it is merited, to make sure one is not too slow?

One reason, after all, that no one saw Hitler for what he was is that people simply could not conceive of anything as preposterously monstrous as what eventually occurred. They took refuge in the assurance - the false assurance, as it turned out - that reason would eventually reassert itself.

The failure of imagination is often a component in tragedy. That's why I've always declined to blame the Bush administration for 9/11. Before that, who could have conceived of fanatics using jetliners as missiles?

But afterward is another story. Once you have seen for yourself that the unthinkable is not, it moves from the arena of imagination to that of history. And then, you must use it to understand where we are and help chart where we should - and should not - be going. You can't blame people who didn't realize what Hitler was. They had never seen anything like him before.

You and I, however, have no such excuse.

Pitts Jr., winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Write to him via email at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
On the surface, it was a mundane moment Wednesday at Houston City Hall. The current mayor was voicing support for renaming a local parkway after a deceased mayor. Events like this happen all of the time.

But Wednesday's City Council meeting provided a highlight in Houston's political history and a noble act of reconciliation, one that should serve as a blueprint for those weary of the cynical brand of paralyzing political infighting that too often leaves our country perplexed and confounded. It also concluded one of Houston's bitterest political donnybrooks.

At the podium Wednesday stood Sylvester Turner, who in 1991 was poised to become the city's first African-American mayor. He was lauding Bob Lanier, the hardball former Texas Highway Commission chairman and developer whose campaign was later accused of feeding a story to a local television station that undermined Turner's bid only six days before runoff election day.

Until that point, polling indicated Turner held a slight lead over Lanier in what likely was the bitterest mayoral race in Houston history. Allegations against both had been swirling after they eliminated incumbent Mayor Kathy Whitmire in the general election - also a real doozy.

In the aftermath, black ministers and leaders protested outside the television station. Lanier, meanwhile, started his term being loathed by African-Americans, although he worked hard to earn their respect and did so by the end of his six years in office by safeguarding affirmative action protections and championing Houston's multicultural fabric. The feud continued long past the election. In 2003, Turner lost a second mayoral bid to the Lanier-backed Bill White. Until Lanier's 2014 death, their relationship has been described as cool, at best.

So in 2016, the last person one might expect to hear saying nice things about Lanier would be Turner. Payback, after all, can be sweet. But there he was Wednesday with Lanier's widow, Elyse. Turner praised her husband as council voiced support for renaming a portion of the Grand Parkway after the developer who promoted the outer ring that spurred Houston's expansive suburban growth.

This wasn't Turner staging some LBJ-esque keep-your-friends-close-and-your-enemies-closer exercise in political showmanship. He was genuine and sincere. He didn't merely laud his former adversary; he heaped dump-truck loads of praise.

"When you serve well, and you are as impactful as he was, your work will live way past yourself," Turner said of his former adversary.

Elyse Lanier, who sat behind Turner at his inauguration in January, was equally gracious.

"What a fine mayor we have here," she said. "Like Bob, Mayor Turner got right in the first day and started fixing potholes. Immediately, the chatter went down. Everybody became happy and thinking, 'This man means what he says.' "

Turner has displayed deft political dexterity since mounting his third try for mayor. His bridge-building with Elyse Lanier is one of many examples. Uncommon among mayors, he has crossed Bagby Street to visit councilmembers in their offices at City Hall Annex. It's little wonder Turner got his budget approved quicker than any other mayor.

Turner's message and approach is crystal clear: The past is past, so let's all roll up our sleeves and prepare for this city's future. The mayor has a lot of things on his plate. As he addresses them, Turner and Elyse Lanier are leading by example as Houston heads into make-or-break years filled with great opportunity and possible fiscal calamity.

As she stood in front of council Wednesday, listening to Turner extol the virtues of her husband, Elyse Lanier thought of President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill. Those two warhorses fought tooth-and-nail in the 1980s. But they also put aside their differences to strike deals that advanced the country.

I suspect Mayor Bob would agree.

Don't you wish that more politicians would do the same?

Williams, who covered the 1991 Houston mayoral race for the Houston Chronicle, is speechwriter and assistant to James A. Baker III.
It looks like Election Night will be over before it began, if you can even call it an election. State Sen. Rodney Ellis is already claiming victory in the bizarre June 25 contest to replace the late Precinct 1 County Commissioner El Franco Lee on the November ballot.

Lee died earlier this year with his name as the only choice in the March 25 primary and no opponent in the general election. The byzantine dictates of election law and political party structure mean that a smattering of 125 otherwise low-profile precinct chairs get to pick his successor for this powerful position.

The United States has never been a direct democracy, but this entire process is about as far as a political system can get from representative government without leaving the realm of a republic altogether. After a primary season that left plenty of voters jaded across the political spectrum, Democrats need to take a hard look at this replacement process.

With only 65 votes, Ellis can claim an unopposed path to a seat on Harris County Commissioners Court, where he'll represent 1.2 million people across a heavily gerrymandered and largely urban district that includes the heavily African-American Third and Fifth wards, in addition to southern parts of the county. In that seat, he'll control a $200 million budget and receive a base annual salary of nearly $170,000. Important issues like flooding, toll roads and the criminal justice system are controlled by that five-member court.

If history is any guide, Ellis will be able hold this safe seat for as long as he wants - Lee was commissioner for more than 30 years and had not faced a serious challenger in more than two decades. He passed away with $3.9 million in unspent campaign funds.

This whole scenario raises plenty of questions. Just who are these 125 chairs? How will they vote? Who are all the potential candidates that Ellis claims to have already beaten?

The Harris County Democratic Party told the Chronicle editorial board that nine candidates expressed interest in the vacancy: Ellis; Interim Commissioner Gene Locke; District B Councilman Jerry Davis; District D Councilman Dwight Boykins; District K Councilman Larry Green; Chairman of the HCCO Foundation Rev. DeWayne Lark; former candidate for At-Large 1 City Council seat Georgia Provost; former candidate for Texas House District 139 special election Ricky Tezino; and Nathaniel West Sr.

However, this is technically a mix of official and unofficial candidates because members of City Council can't formally run for another office without first resigning. The switch from two-year to four-year terms at City Council in the 2015 city election triggered this state provision.

It gets worse.

Some candidates told us that they had to file open records requests to learn the names of the precinct chairs. Others said they still weren't sure whether the eventual vote on June 25 would be a secret ballot or not. And Provost told the editorial board that she thought the party was working to push the whole thing in Ellis' direction.

While the bulk of local Democrats don't get to vote, they should at least consider themselves lucky that the chairs are apparently going with a well-qualified candidate. The only other challenger who comes close is Locke, a former Houston city attorney who was appointed to the position by County Judge Ed Emmett. Locke has worked as an attorney for the county and already has a deep knowledge of how county government functions and all the personalities at play. However, this insider perspective means that he'd be unlikely to shake up the status quo of the board's under-the-radar activities. For example, when he met with the Chronicle editorial board, Locke rejected claims that responsibility for recent flooding rests with the Harris County Flood Control District. Does this show that Locke is too close to county government to see the big picture?

By going with Ellis, the chairs would appoint someone willing to harness the budget, authority and bully pulpit of the position to aggressively push an agenda for criminal justice reform and all-around responsiveness in county government. A state senator since 1990 and a former city councilman, Ellis has demonstrated himself capable of leveraging political prowess, outsider expertise and media attention to successfully push a Democratic agenda in a state controlled by Republicans. Unlike many other longtime politicos, his years in elected office have done more to sharpen his skills than dull his dedication. Ellis has already drawn the ire of longtime Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack in a fight over incarceration rates - a healthy disagreement on a board that often seems all too willing to keep its activities out of public light.

Choosing Ellis may lose Democrats some power in the state Senate, but it will finally give them some real strength on Commissioners Court, even if the process itself isn't particularly democratic.
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An unequivocal resignation cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the employer;

In circumstances where a resignation is given during a heated discussion, an employer should act with caution and allow a cooling off period before taking reasonable steps to ensure a resignation is genuine; and

An employer cannot safely insist on its interpretation of words of resignation that are an emotional reaction or amount to an outburst of frustration if it is obvious on sober inquiry that the words were not meant to be taken literally and that this would have been obvious if the employer had made enquiry after the heat of the moment had passed.

ted circumstances can lead people to say and do things they may not necessarily mean, including resigning from their jobs. And while it may seem sensible at the time, HR professionals are being advised to proceed with caution when accepting resignations made in the heat of the moment.The issue has been raised in a recent Employment Relations Authority (ERA) decisions ( Mica Developments limited vs Charles Wang Labour inspector ) in which an employee called a company director and made statements to the effect he was resigning. However the following day he advised his employer he had reconsidered his position and was not resigning but went on sick leave due to stress. He then resigned two weeks later. The company refused to pay his sick leave as they felt it was not genuine and argued that it had accepted his previous resignation. The ERA however found the company had not accepted his earlier resignation.When ruling on the case, Authority Member David Appleton, said there are a number of basic principles on whether words uttered in the heat of the moment can be construed as words of resignation. They are:These principles are underpinned by the Act which, at s.4(1A)(b), provides that the duty of good faith owed by both parties requires the parties to an employment relationship to be active and constructive in establishing and maintaining a productive employment relationship in which the parties are, among other things, responsive and communicative. Therefore, when words are uttered in the heat of the moment, the duty of good faith requires an employer to inquire as to the true intention of the employee, once he or she has calmed down, he said.Karen Radich, barrister with Clifton Chambers, told HRM the key lesson for HR managers is that they should not leap to process a resignation that is tendered in heated circumstances.The notion of a cooling-off period has been mentioned in a number of cases now, including at Employment Court level. The notion of allowing a person time to cool off is particularly relevant where the apparent resignation is part of an outburst of frustration or is an emotional reaction, she explained.She advised that the task of following up the intentions of an employee once the heat of the moment has passed may be best undertaken by the HR person rather than by the manager, particularly if the manager was part of the original discussion with the employee.Taking this step will also avoid any later factual dispute about what the employee actually said to their manager and whether they even resigned at the time or simply expressed their displeasure at something, Radich said. Once an employee confirms their resignation in a cooler state - preferably the next day, after time to think about it overnight -, the employer should feel free to rely on that.
Dear Yasir Qadhi, Hamza Yusuf, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and fellow homophobic Muslim religious leaders of America.

The interview on CNN with Hussam Ayloush (CAIR-LA) and Nihad Awad (National E.D. CAIR) claiming to have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBTQI community is exemplary of your double speak.

Evidence #1: Prop 2008, Marriage Equality act in CA. I remember the Shura Council, an umbrella organization of 26+ mosques in Southern California, posted their opposition on Prop 8, urging members of their congregation to vote against it. It was only with backroom diplomacy with progressive churches and synagogues who argued that discriminating against LGBT people is unacceptable given that they have been in partnership with the very same mosques for Muslim rights in America, that official stance was taken off the website.

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Evidence #2: As a faith-based human rights organization, Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) collaborated with many like-minded faith organizations to have ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) include the prohibition of discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of one's sexual orientation and gender identity. Where were ISNA on this? They, along with other religious right organizations worked against the inclusion of LGBTQI folks and would only sign on only if religious institutions were exempted!

Evidence #3: Sumayyah Dawud, a niqab-wearing Muslim woman was harassed by the Arizonian police after a #BlackLivesMatter rally. The American Muslim civil rights organization CAIR took on her case, but quickly dropped it upon learning of her dispute with the Tempe Mosque; a dispute on Sumayyah'ssexual identity,which dictates where Sumayyah stands for prayers, the men's or the women's section.

When the Quran speaks of hypocrites, those who pretend to speak of truth, I never thought I would live to see the best of them all. Even Da'esh has more integrity than you. As twisted as Da'esh's belief system is, they, unlike you, are transparent, honest in representing their true beliefs.

As co-signers of the Orlando Declaration, you claim that as Americans we can only hold two positions: you are either anti-Islam or for Islam. There is a third category sandwiched in between and it is the homophobic category. As a Muslim I will not address the homophobes of other faiths, and will only address those of my co-religionists.

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The murderer of 49 party goers at Pulse in Orlando should be attached to your "Islam." An "Islam" that raised him to believe that homosexuals will burn in hell, that you cannot be Muslim and be gay; and that killing homosexuals is killing out of kindness.

Yes, this is your twisted version of Islam and it is not that much different than Da'esh's ideology. It is your "Islam" that has traumatized so many gay Muslims, that has alienated, ostracized and demonized them to the point of self-hatred. Self-hatred leads to mental health and suicidal tendencies, not an un-common by-product of your hate-filled theology toward homosexuals, a by-product exhibited in the killing at Pulse.

You don't get to wash the blood off your hands on this one.

Your Orlando Declaration is clever. You have borrowed from the Israelis who claim any criticism of Israeli policies, even constructive ones, are anti-Semitic. You have learned the art of deflection of responsibility from the best.

You claim to hold Prophet Muhammad's teaching in high regard. How about living up to it for once?

Spare us the robe, the beard, and the superficial religiosity.

Did Prophet Muhammad ever punish anyone for being gay? The answer is an absolute "no."

Is there punishment for being a homosexual in the Qur'an? To quote Hamza Yusuf himself , the answer is "no", although many of you will manipulate the story of Lot out of context to reinforce your homophobic stance. Quoting Qur'an Surah 2:256 -- "There is no compulsion in religion" to distance yourself as a homophobe is yet more evidence of your ignorance. Being gay is not a religious choice.

Being gay is also not a lifestyle choice. It has been proven scientifically that one's sexual identity is predetermined in the womb. Most intuitive parents can spot their homosexual child from a young age. To call it a lifestyle choice is proof you are speaking from heterosexual privilege.

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Why would anyone choose homosexuality as a lifestyle given the widespread prejudices against being one? Would you?

You cannot claim to support the American values of equality under the law if your version of Islam instead works to undermine the basis of one's individual rights and to nurture hate for another.

Can't you see the fact that only a dismal number of American Muslims see your organizations as representative of their values, it is a clear indication of how out of touch you are of our spiritual needs, and our American (and incidentally Islamic) values of egalitarianism, equality and justice? That we cannot stand the homophobic and misogynistic teachings, the over-emphasis of a culture and tribal-based Islam rather than that of values and principles?

42% of American Muslims agree and strongly agree with the Supreme Court's decision on Marriage Equality, but yet not a single American Muslim religious leader of your conservative stripe have stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBTQI American Muslims.

MPV will not allow your extremist homophobic teaching to define Islam and we will not allow the 49 lives to die in vain.

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Our challenge to Zaytuna Institute, religious schools and imams of every mosques in America -- for once and for all: End the teaching of demonizing homosexuality in the name of Islam in your curriculums and your sermons. Teach compassion, mercy, justice and peace. At its core, that is the message of the Qur'an and all its Prophets.
Members of Capital City Pride and others from the LGBT community hold up letters spelling out "Orlando" to honor of the recent shooting at a gay nightclub days earlier before the raising of a rainbow flag in front of the Washington state Capitol Wednesday, June 15, 2016, in Olympia, Wash. The rainbow flag was raised to mark the start of Gay Pride month, and was immediately lowered to half-staff to mark last weekend's mass shooting at a central Florida nightclub. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

One week ago, 49 souls were stolen from Orlando, murdered in an unimaginable act of terror. Hundreds more were injured or witnessed unthinkable violence.

Our City remains in a state of shock, our hearts broken as we grieve for the victims and their families. Everyone in our City is struggling to comprehend how Orlando, a place known around the world for joy and fun, is now also the site of the worst mass shooting in American history.

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In Orlando's darkest hour, our community has been uplifted by the love and support from across our country and around the world. For decades, the world has come to Orlando to have fun. This week, when we needed it most, the world came to Orlando's aid.

We heard Americans singing outside of the White House. We saw rainbow flags flying above Seattle's Space Needle and iconic landmarks lit up from coast to coast, all to show Orlando that we weren't alone. Tens of thousands gathered in London, chanting, "Orlando, we have your back." We witnessed candles alight in honor of our victims in front of The Coliseum in Rome. We saw the Eiffel tower lit up in the colors of the rainbow. So many of our victims are Hispanic, and we felt the love and strength of Latin America. Every day, we continue to watch unique and powerful displays of support from Germany, Sweden, India, Chile, Brazil, and on and on.



My hope is that we will be remembered, not as the city where a horrible shooting took place, but as the city that showed others that love can conquer hate.



On behalf of everyone in Orlando, we want to thank our brothers and sisters from across America and around the world for standing with us, praying with us and mourning with us. Your shared strength and resolve has helped our City.

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If there is any good to be found in the darkness that has consumed our City, it is that the world has had the chance to see the other side of Orlando. Not our famous theme parks, but the growing City that still has a small town feel. The place that in many ways is America's new melting pot. The City where diversity and inclusion are a vital part of our way of life.

When the worst that humanity has to offer visited our City, the residents of Orlando showed they were more than capable of showing the world the best of humanity. My hope is that what happened in Orlando and our response to it compels others to find ways to work together to overcome hate, intolerance and injustice. Incredibly, we've already begun to hear from those who say what has happened here and how our community has responded has sparked a change in their hearts.

My hope is that we will be remembered, not as the City where a horrible shooting took place, but as the City that showed others that love can conquer hate. And, my hope is that Orlando's tragedy is remembered as the event that led our country into a new ear of embracing diversity, equality and fairness.
As soon as Shoshana Bean was announced for Funny Girl at North Shore Musical Theatre, I knew I had to go. Months ago I wrote that I was going and friends expressed some disbelief. But how could I miss Shoshana Bean in Funny Girl? I've seen her in all her notable theater appearances--Godspell at the York, Hairspray and Wicked on Broadway and Beaches in Chicago. Plus, it's Funny Girl. I'm not stupid, I know how perfect Bean is for Fanny Brice.

While there is a West End mounting of Funny Girl (with a revised book by Bean's Hairspray costar Harvey Fierstein) right now, the show rarely has major mountings. Plans for a Broadway revival in the 2011-2012 season, oddly with Lauren Ambrose as Fanny Brice, were scuttled. My trip to Beverly, Massachusetts--where the show closes tomorrow after a two-week run--marked the third time I've seen it live onstage. The first time was over 15 years ago, sitting at Paper Mill Playhouse seeing Leslie Kritzer wow the crowd. (Coincidentally when this happened she had just finished costarring with Bean in Godspell.) I had hardly noted her Godspell performance, so I basically had no idea who Kritzer was. She was amazing. I thought: "Why isn't this show done more often?" Of course Funny Girl isn't a perfect musical--many say the shift in character and tone from Act I to Act II is too hard to swallow--but the main reason it isn't done is Barbra Streisand. Most say you can't watch Funny Girl and not think Streisand. The shadow looms too large. And no one is as good at doing Streisand as Streisand herself, despite what many drag queens might think. However, sitting there watching Kritzer I didn't think about Streisand. I simply enjoyed the tour-de-force performance she was giving and the show itself which, despite its flaws, is winning. (Kritzer has gone on to become a New York stage fixture, earning raves for a host of things and winning a Lucille Lortel Award last month for her performance in The Robber Bridgegroom. She enters Something Rotten! next month.)

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Number two I won't go into too much detail detail on. An actress who had helped me with my first New York Times story desperately wanted me to see her in a small community production. I of course did. And never have I wished more that I could fake reactions or even delivery a cursory "you were so great" post-performance. Sadly I'm too honest for all that. You need someone who can completely carry this show or else the whole thing comes off as embarrassing. Any good moments are overshadowed by the hollow center. You think "Streisand" to get yourself out of thinking about what is on the stage. Her performance is iconic enough that you can picture it while the orchestra plays.

The thing about Bean is that I thought she could do it. This seems like a role she was born to play. Unlike my trip to Paper Mill so many years ago, the trip to Massachusetts came with expectations. It is hard to live up to pre-existing high expectations, that's why I tell producers to undersell. Bean impressively exceeded my expectations. She was tremendous. I did not love much of the production's staging, as I felt like it did not properly use the in-the-round stage. Half the time in Act I I unhappily watched the back of Bean for full numbers or scanned the crowd to gauge the reactions of people seeing the performance from the front. The start was also a tiny bit rocky sound-wise, which didn't help. (Though shout out to supporting players, and Broadway vets, Rick Faugno, as Eddie Ryan, and Sandy Rosenberg, as Mrs. Strakosh. Most of the time I saw their work, and they were wonderful.)



But in the end it didn't matter--I was so happy I came. Again I didn't think of Streisand. Bean made the role her own, with particularly special takes on "People," "Who Are You Now?" and "The Music That Makes Me Dance." Bean was Elphaba in Wicked, so I think everyone knows she can belt. Those of you, like me, who saw Beaches or have listened to her recordings have a better idea of her vocal range. The thing that is really impressive in this is her inflection, as silly as that sounds. Many folks have heard these songs sung in cabaret performances with varying degrees of success. It is typical to internalize them as the standards that they are. But Bean imbued them with a degree of emotion that perfectly accompanied her performance in the book scenes, so the songs seemed uniquely suited to this particular performance. At intermission I was listening to all the audience members around me talk about how great she sounded. One said he was expecting this, because he listens to her CD during yoga. An older woman said she thought Bean might be better than Streisand. (Jews reading, I would never dare say that. I'm smart enough to fear my people. I'm just reporting.)

Bean is older than Streisand was by a good amount, but she got right the character's naivety and youthful zeal in the first act. You felt her falling for Nick Arnstein (played by Bradley Dean). A certain spunk present in all of Bean's performances (both theatrical and concert) propelled her work here. I was a tiny bit afraid that her final scene wouldn't have the emotional resonance it needed; it's a tricky one to pull off. Fanny has spent the whole first act being swept up, and the whole second act being brought down to earth. The character in that final book scene can come across as too dejected. Bean nailed it because you truly felt that Fanny was going to move on.

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"Have you ever been on live television before?" the KMVT-TV news director asked.

"Yes," I answered. It wasn't a lie. When I was 5-years-old I had been a guest on the children's show on KMVT with the host named Happy Holly. In college, I had concentrated on print journalism and had taken only one required class in Radio-Television but had never participated in a live interview or telecast.

I had just graduated from the University of Idaho, my mother was worried that I didn't have a boyfriend, and my father was worried I didn't have a job. I decided employment was the more important issue.

I drove to the station in Twin Falls and asked for a job that didn't exist. At the time, I was full of young naivety that I could do anything. The news team and the station manager asked me to read for the camera, and I performed as if I knew what I was doing. That day I was offered a full-time job at $450 a month with a raise in three months. With that, I became Idaho's first female television news reporter and talk show hostess. It was 1973, and I was 21-years-old.

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The station in Twin Falls provided the only television channel in southern Idaho, and the nightly newscast attracted more than 30,000 avid viewers. Twin Falls was not a major market, but it was my start in business and my first full-time job. I loved it.

Only one month after college graduation I was holding a microphone and interviewing Idaho Senator Frank Church. Another time, I interviewed Congressman Orval Hansen on the steps of the nation's capital. For the first time in my life, my parents no longer referred to me as the Problem Child. Instead, I became the television personality they personally had molded and supported from birth. The blinking red light on the top of the live studio camera became intoxicating with its access into homes and businesses I would never see.

I learned on the job how to load film into the camera, set it on a tripod, rush in front to interview a guest, then turn off the camera, drive back to the station, develop the film in the dark room in the basement, write the script, and deliver the news live on the air. I scoff now like a crusty curmudgeon when I see elaborate news teams with multiple employees dashing about performing tasks I did alone.

One harrowing news assignment still makes me queasy. I traveled in a helicopter with Senator James McClure, a nationally recognized leader in energy and natural resources. Our job was to tour wilderness areas in western Idaho in support of the senator's campaign to preserve the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. In addition to interviewing the senator, I also filmed the excursion with an old Bolex camera using black-and-white film. I had no formal training in filming, but had learned by watching the other newsmen. As the helicopter took off and rose straight up, I pointed my camera out the window and began filming.

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That's when I learned about vertigo and nausea. The erratic motions of the helicopter combined with the focus on filming made me nauseous. I blinked back tears and swallowed hard to quell the disruption from my stomach. Suddenly the helicopter lurched and I lost my composure and my lunch. A ghastly stream of soupy vomit spewed from my mouth onto the senator's expensive trousers. For one brief but terrifying moment, our eyes met and there was no affection between us. Only puke.

"Throw me out," I begged, dropping the camera and wiping my mouth with the skirt of my favorite blue dress.

The senator and his assistant grabbed some tissue paper and attempted to clean up the mess. The co-pilot tossed back a towel and I buried my face, wondering if I should play dead. The stench in the small craft became overpowering, and I vaguely remember hearing the pilot announce that we needed to head back. It seemed to take five years to return to the airport.

I rushed to my car and drove to my apartment where I threw away the dress, climbed into the shower, and tried to wash away the evidence of being a loser. Vomiting on a United States Senator was not included in my job description. I returned to the television station without the camera or my pride.

Years later, Senator McClure and I became good friends. He excused my outrageous conduct and said he'd seen worse behavior in Congress. He also joked that I'd given new meaning to his memory of Hells Canyon.

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Those early days of television provided the opportunity to meet many important people, from the Sheepman of the Year to volunteers trying to improve living conditions for local migrant workers. The politicians came and went away, but I'll always remember Senators Church and McClure. They were from opposing political parties, but they worked together on important issues. Their example of leadership and statesmanship doesn't exist anymore, and that's a national tragedy. Maybe we should return to the days when our elected leaders weren't afraid to get dirt on their shoes and puke on their clothes as they worked to preserve the land and save the country. I'd volunteer to go along on that ride, with a baggie.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:
Our immediate thoughts and prayers following the horrific massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando are with victims, survivors and their families. In their faces we see our own, and those of our family members. This attack, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, is hitting the Latino community particularly hard, as most of the victims are LGBTQ Latinos, and have been robbed of their promising futures at such young ages. What does this devastating attack mean for Latino civil society in America? First, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our LGBTQ brothers and sisters who were targeted in this heinous attack. These are members of our families, schools, and communities. The loss of LGBTQ lives is everyone's loss, and our entire community is acutely feeling the pain of the Orlando attack. Accordingly, the response from the Latino community has been unequivocal, as witnessed by our coalition member organizations and by the big number of national and local organizations in Orlando that immediately organized to provide support to family members and the broader community. Second, we welcome the sympathy that Muslims across America have shown, whether by expressing their condolences publicly, praying for the victims, or donating blood to help save the survivors. We will stand by our Muslim friends and reject any effort to use an attack on one community to justify attacks on another. Whether we call this a hate crime or an act of terrorism, or anything else, this attack has further shaken the sense of safety among LGBTQ people across the country, especially LGBTQ people of color, who have already had to endure decades of homophobic and transphobic attacks, police brutality, and indifference or outright hostility from political leadership and many different sources. This is especially acute for LGBTQ Latinos today, as they face the threat of rising rates of anti-immigrant, anti-Latino, homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. Further undermining any sense of safety, the Orlando attack happened in the middle of Pride Month, and in a space that is normally a sanctuary for those who have few places to freely be themselves. Finally, we must reaffirm our commitment to undoing the legacies of homophobia and transphobia by embracing our LGBTQ family members through our own advocacy work. The tragic events in Orlando underscore how critical it is for our community to address the needs of LGBTQ Latinos in the nation in a stronger way. Earlier this year, The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda unveiled its quadrennial Hispanic Public Policy Agenda, explicitly including more LGBTQ policy priorities than ever before. These priorities cover the specific health challenges facing LGBTQ Latinos and the need to address them. They call for protecting LGBTQ Latinos from employment discrimination. They demand reforms to improve the safety of LGBTQ immigrants facing detention, such as alternatives to detention and respecting individuals' gender identity. In the criminal justice system, our priorities call for improved data collection that includes sexual orientation, and demand an end to using solitary confinement for transgender and gender non-conforming people. These policy reforms, and many others, are important because we cannot advance the well-being of the Latino community, or the nation as a whole, if we fail to create a society in which we respect the dignity of every LGBTQ person and enable them to live to their full potential. One year ago, during Pride Month, we celebrated the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage equality, an achievement that once seemed impossible. This year, we are violently reminded that the march toward equality is not complete. As we stand in full solidarity with our LGBTQ brothers and sisters, let us unite and work together with renewed vigor for a more loving, peaceful, and just society for all.
Why don't more Muslims denounce extremism and terrorism?

I can still count on that question to surface whenever I teach about Islam in various Christian contexts. For the most part, it is asked by sincere, thoughtful people who are concerned about the world and sometimes confused about Islam. It reflects the fact that many people consider Muslim responses to extremism inadequate. Some--including both marginal voices and respected commentators--even talk of "deafening silence."



Answers to the question have been offered by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. So much so, in fact, that the question is a bit like a pesky fly at a picnic. No matter how many times you swipe, it keeps circling back. The responses offered, it seems, are either ignored or unpersuasive. Nevertheless, we need to keep swiping, and here is my attempt.



Let me start with a brief description of why I care. A student once asked why I, as a Christian, want to defend Islam. I am not interested in defending Islam per se, although sometimes I feel defensive for Muslim friends if I think they are being slandered. But more generally, I care for two reasons. First, as a Christian, I am called to be a truth-teller and never to "bear false witness against my neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). That includes speaking truthfully and fairly about Muslim neighbors worldwide, as I want them to do for me. Secondly, I am concerned that critics of Islam use the question as a kind of trump card which short-circuits more important discussions.

I recently wrote a post about how Islamic traditions have inspired virtuous and often heroic acts by Muslims throughout history. The article resonated with people and got some traction on social media. One comment that received many "likes," however, was from a woman who ignored my main points and simply retorted, "If Muslims are so good, why don't more denounce terrorism? The proof is in the pudding!"



The pesky fly circles again -- attracted to pudding, no less.

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I'm not sure what to say to stubborn skeptics. Their pudding seems only to consist of one insufficient "proof" captured in the mantra, "All I need to know about Islam I learned on 9/11." Even when Muslims do condemn extremism, some question the validity of their condemnations by claiming that Islam teaches them to lie. (Ben Carson provides a recent example of this logic based on gross caricatures of the Islamic concept of Taqiyya.) Damned if you do and if you don't, it seems.

So how do we avoid the blind blustering of such critics while still addressing the sincere questions of the concerned and confused?



Two caveats seem appropriate here. First, asking if Muslims adequately condemn terror is not the same as asking if Islam is compatible with modern liberalism. There are thorny debates about how Islam addresses, for example, issues of apostasy or the place of religious law in public life. For now, I can only refer readers to helpful authors such as Mustafa Akyol and Shadi Hamid, and to resources on Muslim diversity. Otherwise, I offer a simple reminder that someone need not fully embrace liberalism in order to genuinely oppose terrorism and extremist ideologies.

Secondly, I think it's fair to ask whether average Muslims should be held more responsible for denouncing extremism than non-Muslims. After all, most Muslims in the world have no connections to extremists. Therefore, expecting them to condemn extremism more than others might falsely suggest that all Muslims are somehow responsible for the behavior of a few. That point is worth more consideration. For now, however, it still seems reasonable to suggest that in today's world it is important for everyone -- including Muslims -- to assertively denounce terror done in the name of Islam.

So back to the question: Do Muslims condemn extremism and terrorism?



In short: Yes. Constantly. Loudly. In multiple ways. In fact, what is deafening is not the silence, but the consistent chorus of voices from across the Muslim world. Condemnations are common from top religious leaders, heads of state, average men and women, and youth. They come from every corner of the globe, from Chicago to Cairo to Cape Town, from Italy to Iran to Indonesia. They emanate from Sunni, Shi'i, Sufi, Ismaili, Ahmadiyya, and other Muslim communities. They appear in official fatwas, popular social media campaigns (#NotInMyName), academic treatises, open letters, joint declarations, and international conferences.



Troubling counter-examples do exist, of course, but a constant chorus of condemnation has reverberated since Islamic terrorism became a buzz-phrase. Public denouncements blared before the dust settled at Ground Zero in September 2001 and continued through this month's condemnations of the Orlando shooting. Additionally, denunciations often include efforts to "respond to evil with good." Consider, for example, the current "Muslims United for Victims of Pulse Shooting" or the recent Marrakesh Declaration of leaders from all over the Muslim world who assembled in Morocco to defend the religious freedom of Christians and other minorities in Muslim-majority countries.



Anyone interested in learning more can follow the embedded links I have provided or simply Google "Muslims denounce terrorism" and peruse the more than 370,000 results.

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When you walk into the lands of Woodbine Park on the east side of Toronto, it was transformed into this wonderland of amusement and sound for the second year of Bestival Toronto. Now running for 13 years in the United Kingdom lead by festival founder Rob Da Bank, Toronto was Bestival's first venture in North America when it debuted last year. The festival, which was marred by some issues in 2015 with the ferry transportation when it was held on the island, felt much more at home with a logical move to the main land and the surroundings were beautiful.

From the moment you walk in, you are just hit with a refreshing dose of positive stimulation, and it gives you an outlet to just check out from the everyday world for a couple days and try to find something uplifting. "We've held up as a festival where you can go and have fun and escape from reality," says Rob Da Bank about how Bestival stays relevant and branching off into Toronto. "I want this to have the same feeling. I want people to forget about normal life. So much bad shit going on in the world, it's like you can come here and you can escape for the day and go home maybe feeling a bit more positive about things."

(Bollywood Stage)

There's all these moveable parts of Bestival, from the marching band parade, the flash mob, to this crazy traveling unicorn dance party. When asked what sets Bestival apart from other festivals, Rob Da Bank talked about something that I noticed from the moment I walked in, "It's the attention to detail really. If you look around, the flags are handmade by artist in Spain. The bunting is handmade in England. All of our signs are hand painted. The bus over there is hand painted. Everything is really attention to detail."

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It's the details that make this festival a great experience. While big names like The Cure, Grimes, or Tame Impala sell the tickets, it's the smaller things that make all the time there worth it. It's the free water tents that shows an air of concern and responsibility for their attendees. It's the Balearics stage set up in the trees with a DJ playing where people can just chill out and vibe to the music. It's the inflatable wedding church that people have actually gotten married in that brings whimsy to it all.

With all these great parts of Bestival that are like gears in a clock, it's the music that is the center of it all. The way the three general stages are situated, you could have a completely different experience on day one then you have on day two. The Big Top stage, which looks just like a big circus tent, was home to more of the EDM style, while the Bollywood stage, which had the most extravagant of presentations, housed more of the techno artists. The Main stage is where the bands played, with Tame Impala headlining the first night and The Cure headlining the second.

Day one was much more of the EDM and techno experience for me with my day going back and forth from the Bollywood and Big Top stages. DJs likes Porter Robinson and Thugli shined in the Big Top stage, a place where people could get same shade from the hot, sunny weather but be entertained by bass-driven dance music all set to an amazing light and visual stage set up. At the Bollywood stage, Rob Da Bank took to his DJ duties running the gamut of dance music, even dropping a little Detroit flavor with Inner City's "Big Fun". Maya Jane Coles headlined the stage with a great showing, but it was the set from Grand Rapids, Michigan born, now transplanted to Berlin Jon Gaiser that really stole the show on day one.

On day two was more of Main stage band day for me, with excitement brewing to not only see legends like The Cure, but to finally get to see Grimes perform live. The big surprise for me of the whole festival was the performance from Daughter though, the three piece band from North London, England. Their music is just has emotive and beautiful live as it is on record.

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Musically, my experience at Bestival was different on each of the days with mostly enjoying the dance music the first day and the bands the second day. It's great that there was this organized variety with the lineups because it just makes this two day festival fresh throughout. When talking with Rob Da Bank after his set about organizing Bestival, he said that curating the lineups is a collaborative effort and feels because of that, they can stay on the pulse of what matters these days. Plus, he even hinted for next year doing a "legends of techno" lineup citing some of his favorites from Detroit include Juan Atkins, Rhythm Is Rhythm, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Inner City, and Underground Resistance.

Between the big name headliners and the up and coming artists, along with all the smaller details of Bestival, when paired together, makes this festival truly a fun experience while making it special for the attendees. As Rob Da Bank expresses, "There's plenty of other great festivals out there but I think hopefully people come away thinking those guys went the extra mile to look after us."

(Photo Credits: Kelly Frazier)
I remember an argument I had with my father as a little girl, in which I declared with my "Independent Women -- Destiny's Child" brand of girl power and wisdom that he was not a feminist.

He gave me a puzzled, unimpressed look and responded "I'm not a feminist?" before rolling his eyes and leaving me to attend to his other two, less boisterous daughters.

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In my ten-year-old mind, being feminist meant my dad couldn't tell me to wash dishes or do laundry because a man shouldn't expect women to be their personal Cinderella. I realize now how wrong my assumptions about my father and feminism were at the time. The man just wanted me to get my chores done.

A few years later, I got my first glimpse into Black feminism in the pages of book that I took from the bookshelf in his home office.

The book, No Disrespect by Sister Souljah, took me through a journey of my Black womanhood future. With the sentence, "I was born in the Bronx," I started to feel like I really had opened my sister's diary even though I now lived miles away from Seton Avenue.

As a teenage girl, I read Souljah's words as a cautionary tale that portended difficult and complex relationships with Black men in adulthood. I also took note that growing into a Black woman meant fighting for self-definition and self-determination, challenging the views of womanhood that attack us from all angles including from the ones we keep close.

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I suspect my father knew this too, so he made certain his daughters embraced our Blackness as we transitioned from girlhood to womanhood. He would drive from toy to toy store around birthdays and holidays until he found the Black version of the Barbie doll we had requested. He would buy my sisters and I copies of all the Black female coming of age novels like Coldest Winter Ever, Flyy Girl and The Skin I'm In. He never suggested our skirts were too short, clothes too tight, or behavior too unladylike. In one day, he would send us to swim practice in the morning, take us to the hair salon in the afternoon, and show us how to put air in our tires in the evening.

When he returned from his travels somewhere in the Caribbean or Africa, he would gift us jewelry, scarves, and dresses crafted by our Black sisters abroad. Above all, he ensured that our Black girlhood would be definitively Jamaican, reminding us that we were kindred spirits with Queen Nanny, the fearless leader of the Windward Maroons who freed nearly 1,000 slaves decades before Harriet Tubman was born.

My mother and sisters were a clan of women, but rather than play king, my father instituted in us more democratic principles -- particularly that being a woman did not stop us from accomplishing or doing anything we put our minds to.

Some of the most significant lessons my father gave us had to do with what we should expect and accept from the men we dated. First and foremost, we should never depend on any man for anything, unless of course we were on a date -- then he better be footing the bill.

Second, he advised us to pay attention to the relationship a man has with his mother. "The way he treats his mother, is how he will treat you" was just one of piece of wisdom he would dispense when we turn to him about our relationship problems.

Third, unlike fathers who feel compelled to control every aspect of their daughter's dating life, my father let us learn love and heartbreak on our own. When we love a man, he likes him. When we're ready to kick said man to the curb, he does not interfere except to remind us how many fish there are in the sea.

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To be sure, our father offered us a perspective of men that called for us to demonstrate patience as we confronted the patriarchy and misogyny we faced from other Black men. The other day I called him, furious after an encounter with a mansplainer in serious need of a civics course. He calmly reminded me of the education gap between young Black men and women in the United States; to consider my knowledge a privilege and to rely on the always reliable option of choosing silence over clapbacks.
One of the implications of the visit by a high-level Saudi delegation to Washington, California, and New York this week is that the Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz appears intent on investing in the development of Saudi-American relations in all fields and at all levels, while probing what will be needed to repair Saudi Arabia's image in US and Western perceptions. That mission will not be easy, because there has been almost automatic sympathy with the Islamic Republic of Iran and automatic anger against Saudi Arabia since 9/11 among many thinkers, journalists, decision-makers, and academics, amid propaganda campaigns blaming the government of the kingdom for the actions of some of its citizens. This automatic hostility is not spontaneous, but the result of wilful efforts by American entities that used "Wahhabism" as a rallying call against Saudi Arabia, and the result of well-funded propaganda campaigns meant to highlight Iran's "moderation" after the nuclear deal and cover up its abuses in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia was absent from this public relations battle, which sought to pressure the US into choosing between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the latter as a "loyal friend" to the US, and which also enlisted voices of sectarian incitement who decided that the enemy of the West was the Sunni Muslims. Saudi Arabia decided not to take part believing initially that all investments in friendly relations to improve Saudi Arabia's image in Washington had proven to be futile. Riyadh even sometimes pursued a policy of "sulking", for example when it refused to take its seat at the Security Council in protest at US policy. Today, there are signs of some serious thinking on the part of Riyadh on how to compensate for the Gulf's absence in the intellectual, emotional, and political scales that favor the Iranian foe in the US public relations arena. This requires a multidimensional approach that is not confined to US institutions, and must include Arab experts who are familiar with both Arab and American cultures and can translate this into new understandings and better relations. There an opportunity for a better approach, now on the verge of transition to a new administration in Washington, but the stakes are high against a formidable foe. Furthermore, America is not yet ready to be forgiving, especially that terrorism has returned to the US homeland, this time at the hands of an American youth born in Queens, New York to Afghan immigrants, a Muslim who decided to kill innocent people in the service of Islamic radicalism and radicalism of all kinds.The personality of the deputy crown prince has been met with welcome in America, along with his initiatives for change in both form and substance. The young prince has combined modernity and tradition, and appears comfortable with himself, confident and intent to leave an impression that challenges prejudices about his young age. He is the young man, after all, who was behind the Vision 2030 plan and its implementation mechanisms. Aware of the pitfalls but unafraid of digging deeper, he is the prince who dared to seek radical change in the relationship between the citizen and the state, in a quiet revolution with pragmatic goals and approaches. The 2030 Vision plan is nothing short of astonishing, a collective workshop towards a liberal economic and social governance replacing the stale patterns of nationalisation, rent-seeking, and dependency.This is what Prince Mohammed bin Salman is carrying to Washington, California, and New York, ready for a modern and qualitative leap to keep up with the requirements of the tech age.At the official level, the deputy crown prince was welcomed at the highest levels, sometimes in a climate that resembled a family reception. The general mood indicates the Obama administration has decided to soften the tension and seek warmer relations relative to what has been the norm under Obama, perhaps to spare the next administration having to inherit the burdens of the current administration's policies.The general decision in Washington is to restore a least in part the old US relationship with Saudi Arabia, which had undergone a difficult phase as a result of the fundamental shift pursued by Obama in the US-Iranian relations without doing what is necessary to get the Gulf countries, the traditional allies of the US, on board, and clarify to them their future position in the new paradigm.In intellectual circles, they call this turning the clock back. But what some may not understand is that the Saudi leaders that came to Washington this week have something more in mind. They want a new kind of relationship with different rules, drafting which they want to be part of rather than being dictated them. This will not be an easy undertaking, especially because those who want to sabotage a bid like this are priming themselves for a war against Saudi reputation to prevent the development of a new American-Saudi relationship that can undermine American-Iranian relations or American-Russian partnership in Syria.Traditionally, Saudi Arabia adopts a reactive policy instead of taking the initiative in propaganda wars, thus appearing on the defensive. Traditionally, there is a kind of elitism and haughtiness in how to deliver the message to its recipients, creating frustration, annoyance, and opposite results than the ones desired. Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has had no comprehensive political-media strategy, and has made a mistake in the past when it bought rather than financed [media arms] as a policy, for example.Now, there are indications the young leadership is undertaking serious self-review regarding the results of traditional strategies and the requirements of modern ones. However, this is still in its early stages, and the effort appears more gradual compared to the national transformation vision. At least this is what appears to us now, but perhaps radical change is in the offing. Either way, a media and intellectual strategy requires a major leap because the strategy of the axis comprising Iran, Russia, the Syrian regime, and Hezbollah is ready to double the amount of harm it has inflicted on Saudi Arabia, as part of a program that started years ago with formidable funding.According to a report by major media firm Quantum, several entities are involved in anti-Saudi propaganda. The Russian propaganda machine seems the most effective, spending nearly $450 million annually, employing 600 people, and addressing 30 languages since its inception in 2012, according to Quantum's report. The Iranian machine is even more formidable, spending $900 million annually. Both target Saudi Arabia primarily, working continuously to link terrorism to Saudi Arabia, and presenting Bashar al-Assad as a logical alternative to ISIS and terrorism. The two machines work hard to move the limelight away from Syria and the roles of their governments in its tragedies, instead focusing on Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen to portray it as something worse and deflect from Russian and Iranian actions in Syria.Quantum's conclusions boil down to the fact that Saudi Arabia needs to adopt two separate yet complementary strategies: One focusing on challenging and countering the image promoted by the machines of its opponents in the global arena. And one that focuses on promoting the image of the new face carried by the Saudi Vision 2030 and the achievements that have been made and that Riyadh intends to build on to deliver more.The political openness, economic privatization, and social diversity enshrined in the Saudi vision are together a new, bold, and modern philosophy that challenges insularity, isolation, and the aspirations for regional hegemony adopted by the Iranian regime. But many are not ready to accept a liberal Saudi Arabia, especially because of its "Wahhabi-fundamentalist" image. Therefore, changing impressions will be a daunting task, but not an impossible one if a conscious strategy is adopted. This seems part of what the Saudi delegation is carrying to Washington, California, and New York.In Washington, there has been reassurance felt towards the deputy crown prince as the key contributor to Saudi future, the architect of the Vision 2030, and a man with extraordinary executive powers. In California, the technology capital was primed to showcase its futuristic plans to the man who decided that his country must join the technological revolution as a partner and contributor. In New York, businessmen and financial institutions geared up for the historic event when 5 percent of Saudi Aramco's shares will be offered in the local and international markets for the first time in Saudi history, in what will probably be the largest IPO in the world's history. Saudi Arabia has decided to move away from its oil addiction to balanced development and investment.There will not be an immediate change in the image Americans have of Saudi Arabia. It will take time and a patient strategy. However, the image of the visionary, moderate, and open young prince has brought reassurance and challenged the racist tendencies that want to classify all young Muslims as radical extremists, at a time when the visit by the prince coincided with the terrorist attack on Orlando perpetrated by Omar Sadiq Mateen, an Afghan-American, and claimed by ISIS. Indeed, the image of the reformist with visionary aspirations shattered the claims by American hardliners that all young Muslims are nihilistic terrorists.Both Islamic radicalism and racist radicalism are dangerous, albeit in varying degrees because the terrorism that accompanies Islamic radicalism targets both Muslims and non-Muslims. Omar Mateen helped destroy what Islamic moderation had built, paying service to Islamic radicalism as well as Islamophobia. This will be exploited by hardliners in the US to support fantastical ideas adopted by the presumed Republican candidate Donald Trump, and will further inflame emotions on both sides of the political divide.Hillary Clinton has launched a campaign focusing on Donald Trump's lack of qualifications, leadership, and competence to highlight the danger he poses to US national interests. She may succeed if Donald Trump presses ahead with his arrogant approach and incoherent claims. However, inflamed emotions could bring an irrational surprise amid a charged atmosphere of escalation and incitement.All world leaders are closely watching the US elections. Some are readying themselves for the implications on US foreign policy. The Saudi visit came at the right time, and made it clear to those who want to listen that a quiet and pragmatic revolution is currently proceeding in the kingdom, with extremely important regional dimensions.(Note: Saudi Vision 2030: A quiet and pragmatic revolution, an article by the author tackled in detail the Saudi Vision 2030. It was published on May 2, 2016)Translated by Karim TraboulsiOriginal Arabichttp://www.alhayat.com/Opinion/Raghida-Dergham/16123627/%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A8
Under a steady drizzle, visitors at the makeshift memorial at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Orlando, Fla., mourn the victims of the Pulse massacre on Saturday, June 18, 2016. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)

This month, Americans will show that love is stronger than hate. Millions will take part in celebrations of LGBT pride, and Muslims will fast as they observe the holy month of Ramadan. Just last week, we remembered those gunned down at a Charleston Bible study a year ago -- killed by one man, but loved and missed by countless others.

And in the coming days, mourners will attend funerals, memorial services and vigils for loved ones murdered at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, most of whom were gay and Latino.

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Undoubtedly, in the weeks to come, the ugly rhetoric about bathroom bills, building walls, and barring people of an entire faith from entering this country will continue. Muslim women who wear the hijab may wonder if that is tantamount to a target.

Patrons of gay establishments may worry, as churchgoers did after Charleston, that sanctuaries where they had felt joy, community and the comfort of being themselves are now unsafe. And no doubt, there will be more gun deaths -- an average of 90 people die from gun shots each day in the United States, vastly more than in any other developed country. This is madness.

We must call out the hypocrisy when elected officials offer condolences after gun violence in one breath and defend civilians' right to own weapons of war in the next. With each successive mass shooting, I have grown convinced that a massive civic crusade on the order of the civil rights movement is necessary to force the hands of the gun lobby and their allies in elected offices.

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This must end.

The aim of the Orlando attack was to murder people like me, an LGBT American. So this is personal. But gun massacres have also taken place in schools, theaters, malls, churches, synagogues and office buildings. This must be personal for all of us.

We may never fully eradicate the hatred and instability that drove the shooters in Newtown, Aurora, Charleston, San Bernadino and Orlando. But we can and must do two things: take a stand against the hateful rhetoric that is seeping into American life, and address the easy availability of weapons that transforms haters into mass murderers.

Such rhetoric is spilling over from the relative confines of conservative talk radio into the daily discourse of a man seeking the country's highest elected office. Donald Trump's run for the presidency is about stoking hatred and division, without even the pretense of decency. He has mocked and mimicked a reporter's physical disability and exhibited reprehensible misogyny. He has renewed his call to bar Muslims from entering the United States and suggested that President Obama is sympathetic to ISIS. He has promoted the use of violence against peaceful protesters with calls to "beat the crap out of them."

Unfortunately, this ugliness is being mimicked in American life, with chants of "build the wall!" directed toward students from a predominantly Latino school, and with students tormenting classmates from immigrant families by saying they'll be sent "home" if Trump becomes president. One columnist calls it the "Trump effect."

This is alarming, but our public schools also offer hope. They help break down stereotypes and help promote understanding and respect, and celebrate, not demonize, diversity. They're where students know their classmates as their lab partner, the photographer for the yearbook, a Yankees fan and the kid who loves to drop rap verses -- rather than simply by their race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality or gender identity.

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Our public schools are where children learn that differences aren't bad. Far from it; they are part of the fabric of America, and of life. Our diversity and our work to make America more inclusive, with opportunity and justice for all, are part of what "makes America great."

Americans must stand up against efforts to marginalize certain people and groups. We must reject mass murders as the new normal. We must denounce those who whip up fear and try to turn Americans against each other. We must be our best selves, expanding an ever-widening circle of inclusion, showing greater openness to communities once excluded. There is a role for all of us in this -- working to change not only laws, but attitudes; finding new allies to fight for sensible gun legislation and against hate.

Love is stronger than hate. We must show that in the way we act, speak and vote.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 18: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of supporters during a campaign rally on June 18, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump returned to Arizona for the fourth time since starting his presidential campaign a year ago. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

For months, we have been waiting for Donald Trump to implode. No matter how grotesque his claims, no matter how tone-deaf his behavior, his sheer gassiness has kept Trump aloft.

But maybe, finally, his bizarre attempts to use the massacre in Orlando for his own cynical purposes have crossed a line. A terrorist attack was supposed to be good for Trump, but this turned out to be a domestic hate crime. Trump so bungled his response, got so consumed by his own narcissism, that voters got to see which candidate was the better president in a crisis -- and it wasn't Trump.

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Maybe, finally, Trump is over-exposed -- his own worst enemy. Over-exposure is on occupational risk of media celebrities. Maybe, belatedly, we will get to see Trump crash and burn.

But what exactly would that mean?

Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- has a crystal ball when it comes to Trump. But here are four possible scenarios to ponder.

Republicans Throw Trump Under the Bus. More and more Republican leaders could conclude that Trump is toxic, not just for the country, but bad for their party. In coming weeks more GOP leaders could decline to support him. The awkward pose of polite distance could turn into a stampede -- or to change the metaphor, ships deserting a sinking rat.

Key Republicans could decide that it's better for Trump to lose big in 2016, and then to regroup, take back their party, and try to make big gains in the 2018 mid-term House and Senate elections, when the party of a newly elected president (Clinton) normally suffers losses.

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This scenario would produce a carnival GOP convention, more significant for which Republicans don't show up, and a blowout win for Hillary Clinton, of which more shortly.

Trump Decides This Isn't Fun Anymore. The man is such a narcissist that as he becomes more and more a figure of ridicule, Trump could decide to walk away.

He could do this before, or after, the Republican National Convention. This is a long shot, but with Trump you never know.

If more Republican elected officials conclude that he is poison, then Trump's hard-core support dwindles to maybe 30 percent of the electorate, and he stands to suffer one of the worst election loses in American history. Rather than suffer that humiliation, he could decide that this stunt was fun while it lasted and go back to (un)reality TV.

What then? Well, actually, trouble for the Democrats.

The Republican National Committee would meet. The RNC is far more mainstream and pragmatic that the Trump camp, and would select a candidate with appeal in the general election. Compared to Trump, that nominee would seem moderate (even though moderate Republican nowadays means far right but not psychotic. Thank you, Donald Trump, for that low bar.)

Likely picks: Paul Ryan or John Kasich -- far tougher opponents for Clinton to beat. Okay, it probably won't happen, but with Trump anything can happen.

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Trump Gets Lucky. This would require one or more improbable surprises: Bernie Sanders going away mad and taking lots of his supporters with him. A worse than expected Clinton email revelation, some new bombshell from the Clinton Foundation, Bill way off the reservation, or a major real terror attack.

Even so, given how badly Trump has bungled the campaign so far, everything would have to break just right for this to be a cliffhanger election.

Hillary Wins Big. This is increasingly likely. In national polls Trump is now far behind other recent losing Republican presidential candidates at this stage of the campaign -- and sinking.

If Hillary Clinton wins really big, Democrats will take back both the Senate and the House. But then the trouble begins.

The Republican leaders -- Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan -- having distanced themselves from Trump, will not treat Clinton's win as any sort of mandate. They will seek to block her just as they blocked Barack Obama.

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All of the national security crises that helped give Trump his moment in the sun will not go away. Nor will the lousy economic conditions facing regular Americans that powered the appeal of both Sanders and Trump.



Clinton will need to be highly strategic about what she can accomplish by legislative action (not much) and by the use of executive power (some good things) if she is to avoid the fates that befell both her husband in 1994 and Barack Obama in 2010, when both suffered landslide losses in their first midterm elections and lost Congress to the Republicans.

For starters, she should avoid Bill's 1994 mistake of carrying water for Wall Street at the expense of Democrats in Congress, when Bill Clinton spent huge amounts of limited political capital to ram NAFTA through Congress on mainly Republican votes. And she should avoid Obama's 2010 mistake of listening to the fiscal hawks and declaring the economy in recovery when it desperately needed a second stimulus package being promoted by Congressional Democrats. In other words: govern as a progressive.

These are not easy challenges. But compared to the more catastrophic challenge of a President Trump, or even a President Ryan, we will have dodged quite a bullet if these are the main concerns come next January.
The India Today Group via Getty Images INDIA - AUGUST 02: Mani Shankar Aiyar, Union Cabinet Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj (Photo by Ravi S Sahani/The India Today Group/Getty Images)

BHUBANESWAR -- The former Union minister said that India should instead celebrate its diversity. The former Union minister said that India should instead celebrate its diversity.

Congress leader and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday dubbed as rubbish the BJP MP Subramanian Swamys call for rewriting Indian history to celebrate its unity and said the country should instead celebrate its diversity.

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Aiyar was participating at the Kalinga Literary Festival here along with Swamy, who in his keynote address at the event, and on its sidelines, advocated recasting the countrys history.

Rubbish. Who stops him from rewriting the history? He (Swamy) usually talks rubbish. He comes here and makes a political speech. Did I say anything political in my intervention? Aiyar told reporters while replying to a question on Swamys plea.

Referring to Swamys speech at the event where Aiyar was also on the dais, the Congress leader said, It is a literary festival. He does not understand. If he does not understand the meaning of this festival, how can you expect him to understand history?

On Swamys claim that all Indians have one DNA, Aiyar said, And, what does he mean that we are one people? We are proud of our diversity. Why abolish that diversity?

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Noting that one cannot get unity out of uniformity in a country like India, Aiyar said, We must celebrate our diversity instead of pretending that the DNA is same everywhere.

Swamy in his keynote speech at the festival said the country must celebrate its unity despite several bids to break it up. We must celebrate the unity of the country as it has sustained and remained one despite pressure, he said.

God knows which laboratory he (Swamy) went to. It must be as stupid a laboratory as the university which he went, Aiyar remarked referring to his claim during the speech that he had organised a DNA test of Raj Thackerey of Mumbai and a taxi-driver from UP at a laboratory.

Swamy claimed that the DNA of both Thackerey and the taxi driver was the same and concluded that all Indians have one DNA and therefore are one people.

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Tim Graham via Getty Images INDIA - MARCH 05: Muslim family group at Khas Mahal Palace built 17th Century by Mughal Shah Jehan for his daughters inside Agra Fort, India (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

A private school teacher in Kashmir has reportedly been fired for for wearing an abaya inside the campus.

While students of Delhi Public School in Srinagar staged a protest on Friday, the state government of Jammu and Kashmir have called it a serious issue and said that the state was not France.

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It is serious and would be taken up with the school administration. People here have all the freedom to choose their private lives. Our State is not France where the government or some institute decides what people should wear, he said.

France has banned Muslims from wearing the full-face veil - the niqab.

The teacher was reportedly asked by D.P.S. principal Kusum Warikoo to choose between her job and the dress code."

Independent lawmaker Engineer Rashid described this as "cultural aggression."

The mindless action amounts to cultural aggression. Wearing veil is important for Muslim women and the ban is a clear attempt to snatch religious rights and trespass into ones faith, he said.

The school teacher, 29, who resigned on Wednesday, told The Indian Express that the school did not inform her of any such condition when she joined.

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The principal was absent for two months. After she returned, she sent a message that I should not wear abaya. She categorically told me that Islamic dress is not allowed on the school premises. The (school) chairman later also told me that I should not wear it inside the school. When I refused, I was told that I have to leave the job," she told the newspaper.

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majivecka via Getty Images Vector silhouette of a family in the countryside at sunset.

Baba and I clung to our corners of the bed. The night - a grinding, relentless one spent texting anxiously and making hushed, nervous calls - had barely plodded past us. Baba was slowly falling asleep - his breathing had settled into a low, growling drone from the startled, choking noise that escapes his mouth when he is half awake. I wound myself into a roundel, trying to squeeze myself into my corner of the bed - where I imagined everything fixes itself, every wrong is made right, while I sleep. That's when the phone shrieked back to life.

My grandmother was dead.

Maa, her voice a wisp of fatigue, whispered that they may not be able to wait for Baba to return to Kolkata in a few hours for the cremation. Doctors had advised against it.

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"Won't I be able to see her once?," my father bawled into the phone.

Our little 'break' -- my father paying me a long deliberated and debated visit in Mumbai -- had taken a turn that had knocked us off our cold, adult composure.

As I gently prised the phone off his fist, Baba turned away. He hugged his knees, his face buried in them as his body racked with sobs. "Baba..," I mumbled, my own voice a scratchy whisper. It was a terrifying sight - watching the father I knew crumble rapidly before my eyes, his famed restraint splintering with every shaky whimper that rang across my tiny, airless room.

"Baba, Baba...," I called out, a little louder, a little more urgent this time.

He looked up, furiously rubbing his eyes, wiping his cheeks frantically with the side of a wilting pillow - vulnerability was never something he gave himself to willingly.

"Kendo na. Shobai uthe porbe (Don't cry. You'll wake everyone up)," I mumbled.

'O hyaan (Oh, yes)," he muttered and then rushed to the guest bathroom in a tiny three-room apartment I shared with two girls in Mumbai.

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As the room plunged back into its familiar, restless quiet, I realised Baba and I were not friends. We could barely even cry together.

***

That was 2013. Over the next few days, between nodding at aunts asking if I eat at all and trudging through the ceremonial inanity ushered in by death in the family, I wondered how we had gotten there. Baba and I, that is. I couldn't remember a time I made a deliberate decision to choose one parent over the other as a confidante. My teenage angst against parental control wasn't exactly directed against a single parent either. And I suspect, I was among the lucky few in high school whose parents - fathers especially - didn't weave fanciful dreams around IITs.

In fact, at about nine years of age, I realised, Baba had alarmingly low expectations from me.

"When you grow up, I will enroll you into the Army. They will wake you up with a gun at 5 every morning, and say, 'Putu, go do potty'." He was frequently exasperated at his own progeny's disinterest in his great enthusiasm for bowels.

So when it was conveyed to me that my closest friends' fathers were trying to make sure they always get their decimal divisions right, I realised mine perhaps had no clue I was learning division even. Forget decimals. He just wanted me to take a dump every morning.

Variations of this conversation - 'even Shah Rukh Khan takes a crap everyday' when I was 13 to 'ask Leonardo if he goes to the toilet or not' when I was 16 - made the helpful, somewhat comforting noise in the otherwise ear splitting quiet that thrived between us.

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So, about the silence. My father and I were never friends. When we were growing up - in the non-Dharma Productions, Bengali middle class universe - I am not sure if that was a phenomenon that was either rare, or found to be particularly strange. Now when I look back, it also perhaps fell right into the scheme of widely-endorsed and emulated gender roles - the mother as the quite literally the 'home-maker' and friend, and the father, the provider and a sentinel of sorts.

Our incomprehension of each other slowly and steadily grew with age, and our identical, comical incoherence when it came to articulating emotions. At about of 14 years of age, armed with my newly-acquired skills in French language and juvenile poetry writing, I decided to do something about this lack of empathy between Baba and me. What was a best way to go about it? Writing a poem in French for his birthday, of course.

"Baba, ei nao (Baba, take this)," I said, handing over a birthday card with 'Happy Birthday Daddy' scrawled over it in blue glitter. And I stood back, expecting him to choke with admiration and mumble 'oma (omg)' like my mother does when she is besides herself with awe at my supposed talents.

Only, my father's brows first knitted in confusion and then he chuckled, "Anniversary, kar anniversary abar (Anniversary, whose anniversary is it)?" For mostly Bengali speaking Bengalis, 'anniversary' in common parlance usually refers to wedding anniversaries. And 'bon anniversaire' - the only word he recognised in the 8-line poem - wasn't in his opinion, what he was celebrating that day. No one was supposed to laugh at my poems. And my French poems, fellow humans were only expected to stare at with deep reverence. Of course, my father didn't get the memo like always.

My father's attempt and what I call - emotion-ing - was a disaster double the size of mine. At 18 years - when cheek pulling was officially outlawed in my books - he was presented with the idea of finding actions that definitively conveyed that he took interest in my life. So once, after insisting he drops me off to college, at the gates, he whipped out his small green pocket comb.

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"Your hair looks fine," I scowled.

"I know. Yours don't," he said smiling, swiftly, trying to comb back a few errant tendrils of curly hair from my forehead. I shrieked in embarrassment -- 'Ki korcho ta ki (what are you even doing?) -- and quickly walked away, leaving him firm instructions to not stand and watch like parents of 'children'.

"No Baba, you don't need to drop me off to college." "No Baba, you don't need to keep my friends' numbers." "Baba please, don't stay up if I come home late."

Our conversations slowly became a series of suggestions and quick, alarmed rejections of the same. "Khali, naa, naa, naa. Shobetei naa (Only no, no, no. No to everything)," he grumbled as a routine, once every week. When the resentment for parental control meets the realisation that it is well within your power to reject it, dinner table conversations aren't something to look forward to. So Baba and I spoke lesser and lesser. Till the only conversations left was our common anger at a relative, the Left Front's excesses and water logging in College Street. Correction: those were the first silence fillers that we devised deliberately and meticulously. Over the years, we were to become exceptionally good at crafting them.

Occasionally, when we would sit across each other during breakfast, wiping the last speck of curry from our plates with luchi, I would wonder if something bothered him. Or scared him, perhaps. Oh come on, your life's no Rituparno Ghosh film, I would chide myself and move on. This is fine. This silence convenient and this distance, strangely liberating.

It didn't help that I couldn't put him in a box. Not patriarchal enough to whip up a grand rebellion against. Not liberal enough to go have a drink with. And he was always quick with comebacks. The girls-don't-drink arguments would quickly boil down to 'okay, then let me go pick you up'. The this-dress-is-too-short would get stuck at 'fine, I will drop you off'. The these-are-odd-hours-for-a-girl would always come down to 'I will stay up'. He was good at quiet defiance. Like an eerily silent cab ride to a pub. Or a brief, cold, 'call, when you are back' text. Or just a glum face when he opened the door in the wee hours of the morning. On days, it tasted like victory. On others, just like relationship that needed to breathe.

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Again, how did we get here? I can't possibly put a finger on one thing. Except perhaps the fact that no one around me - friends, family - seemed to ever think it was strange to not confide in your father, the way you do in your mother. There were always a bunch of things you never tell you father, always things you never do in front of him. It was perhaps 'normal' to treat your relationship with the father as a primer for things you must not do around a man. Nobody enforced these rules because nobody perceived them to be rules in the first place - it was as natural as breathing, treating fathers with some sort of an awed reverence.

Circa 2015. As a part of my 'know your father' initiative, Baba and I are watching Bajirao Mastani.

Baba: "Ei, ei chheleta ke hot bolo? (This, this is what you call hot?)

Me: Exactly!

Baba: Erom pawa jai? Oi Tinder ey? (You get these types on your Tinder?)

Later, we would go on to have 'wine prasad' - my father's description of what fruit-filled Sangria is. "Never do this to whiskey though," he warns, casting his 100th terrified glance at my glass.
Buhler JV and freshman football will not be defeated

The Buhler JV squad capped its unbeaten season with a 34-22 victory at McPherson Monday night with help from members of the freshman team.
Guvera Sets Meeting With ASX After $75M IPO Rejected [UPDATE]

[UPDATE 3] international music streaming service Guvera has been hemorrhaging cash; and its best, though risky, hope was to go to the public markets. that plan was dashed, after an rare rejection ASX, the Australian version of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Now the partied have agreed to meet.

______________________________________________________

In an almost unprecedented move, the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has rejected a $75 million IPO by international music streamer Guvera just one day after its was approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. We write to advise that the ASX has exercised its discretion to refuse the applicant (Guvera) admission to the official list, AXS officials informed Guvera on Friday.

Guvera has about 14 million users globally, of which 7 million are in India.

The IPO, announced earlier this month, was designed to raise $50 to $100 million AU ($38-$75 million USD) at a valuation of $1.3 billion AU. But analysts hit the panic button after filings showed Guvera had just $1.2 million AU in revenue in fiscal year 2015 with a net loss of $81.1 million AU. That loss was up from a $29 million AU the year before. Guvera also owes lenders $14.5 million AU and has been rumored to owe music companies millions more.

UPDATE  Guvera posted this message: "The ASX has confirmed a meeting with Guvera on Tuesday 21 June 2016 to discuss this decision."

Music streamer Deezer pulled its own planned IPO earlier this year after analysts questioned the financial viability of the company. Recent hiring has led to speculation that market leader Spotify is readying its own IPO for later this year.

What's Next?

Some in the Australian financial press are questioning how the country can finance future tech ventures if its stock exchange limits investor choice, as it has with the Guvera rejection. "The ASX is making itself the judge and jury in relation to risky, high-tech business models," according to the Financial Review. "There have been many loss-making companies that have listed on the ASX in the past and gone on to great heights."

But Guvera's money problems are far more immediate; and its options very limited. Several analysts see liquidation as the only path available.

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Imperial Valley News Center

Red Cross Responds to Grassley Memo: Defends Transparency and Spending of Donor Dollars in Haiti

Washington, DC - The American Red Cross strongly disagrees with the findings in Chairman Charles Grassleys Memo released today. We have accounted for every penny spent in Haiti and have posted on our website a detailed financial breakdown of how those donor dollars were spent. The publication of this breakdown represents a new level of transparency in the nonprofit sector.

The Red Cross already enjoys the highest rating for accountability and transparency from the independent nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator, as well as meeting the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability from the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The Red Cross is not a federal agencywe rely on the generosity or our donors and a volunteer workforceyet we receive more oversight from Congress than any other nonprofit we know.

Spending in Haiti

As outlined on our publicly-available website, the Red Cross has and is continuing to fund approximately 100 projects in Haiti, working with 50 partners to help us execute this work, and the funds awarded to each partner and status of each project are posted. We also fully shared what we spent on staff needed to carry out the work83 percent of our workforce are Haitiansand on the systems to support the delivery of our humanitarian assistance and conduct careful oversight of donor dollars. These are not overhead costs; they are legitimate expenses to implement humanitarian aid projectsand ensure they are properly implemented by our partners.

Chairman Grassleys Memo does not note a single finding of fraud or abuse in the Haiti Assistance Program. Red Cross accounting follows guidelines issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. In addition, we are annually audited by an independent auditor (currently KPMG) and reviewed by the U.S. Army Audit Agency. Each year, the Red Cross publishes the results of its audits for the public to see.

The story of Haiti is a very positive story that shows the American Red Cross and our partners have and continue to deliver close to half a billion dollars of humanitarian assistance in the form of new hospitals, repaired homes, clean water, vaccinations, job training, improved sanitation and other life altering assistance to millions of Haitiansand spent our donor dollars wisely and well. Our statement that 91 cents of every dollar donated went to our programs and services in Haiti is absolutely true.

GAO Report

The Red Cross has always been committed to providing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) with the information it needs to conduct its research on the American Red Cross. The GAOs authority to review the Red Cross is defined by federal lawa law written by Senator Grassleyand is limited by this law to review the Red Crosss involvement in any Federal programs and activities. Initially, there were several issues the GAO began to explore but ultimately did not pursue after the Red Cross raised legitimate issues about its scope as going beyond that authorized by Congress. But at no point did the Red Cross refuse to provide requested information. A dozen Red Cross personnel participated in interviews, and we shared many internal documents with GAO and provided extensive information about many aspects of our disaster relief activities and coordination with FEMA.

Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern did respectfully request of Congressman Bennie Thompson, who ordered the GAO report, if he would consider meeting face-to-face with us to address these concerns and end the GAO inquiry which was using a great deal of staff resources while the Red Cross was preparing for hurricane season and simultaneously responding to tornadoes, storms, wildfires and floods across multiple states. When that request was not granted, we continued working with the GAO.

Channels for the Public to Report Concerns

The American Red Cross offers many ways for the public, employees and volunteers to report concerns regarding the ability of the organization to fulfill its mission, including two 24-hour, confidential, toll-free tip hotlines, as well as online.

We maintain an active Office of Investigations, Compliance and Ethics (ICE). We also have an Ombudsmans office created in 2007 as a result of bipartisan legislation first introduced by Chairman Grassley. The Ombudsmans office handles hundreds of questions and internal and external concerns and provides a report issued annually to 10 Congressional Committees and posted on our public website.

The reason our Office of Investigations, Compliance and Ethics (ICE) is not as big as it was during Katrina, is because we were handling a lot more investigations during Katrina. In addition, the number of whistleblower complaints have been declining over recent years, and we believe this is because we have improved fraud detection and other compliance measures.

However, to ensure our investigations unit is adequately resourced, we are combining ICE and the Ombudsmans office to pool those resources so we can more effectively respond to whistleblower and other concerns in a timely manner.
Workshops Scheduled to Consider Potential Governance Structure of a

Sacramento, California - The California Energy Commission will host public workshops in Sacramento and Denver this month to consider a proposed governance structure for a western regional grid operator. Leaders from government, industry, and other stakeholders in the Western U.S. are exploring the possibility of PacifiCorp merging with the CAISO and becoming a regional grid operator.

CAISO manages the flow of electricity across the high-voltage, long-distance power lines that make up 80 percent of Californias and a small part of Nevadas power grid. PacifiCorp serves electricity customers in Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.The workshops will present proposals for governance of the proposed regional grid operator and will seek stakeholder feedback and public comment.

Who: The California Energy Commission and representatives from government, industry, and other stakeholders in the Western states.

What: Two public workshops to discuss the possibility of expanding the California Independent System Operator to establish a Western regional grid operator.
Former California State Senator Ronald Calderon Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Corruption Charge

Los Angeles, California - Former California State Senator Ronald S. Calderon has agreed to plead guilty to a federal corruption charge and admits in a plea agreement filed today that he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for performing official acts as a legislator.

Ron Calderon, 58, of Montebello, agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud through the deprivation of honest services to resolve a case against him that was filed in 2014. The plea agreement comes several weeks before Ron Calderon was scheduled to go on trial on charges contained in a 24-count indictment.

In the plea agreement, Ron Calderon admits accepting bribe payments from the owner of a Long Beach hospital who wanted a law to remain in effect so he could continue to reap millions of dollars in illicit profits from a separate fraud scheme and from undercover FBI agents who were posing as independent filmmakers who wanted changes to Californias Film Tax Credit program.

Ron Calderons brother, Thomas M. Calderon, 62, also of Montebello, a former member of the California State Assembly who became a political consultant, pleaded guilty last Monday to a federal money laundering charge for allowing bribe money earmarked for his brother to be funneled through his firm.

Public officials who engage in corrupt behavior threaten the basic fabric of our democracy, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. The Calderons have acknowledged their roles in a bribery scheme in which money for them and their families alone was driving legislation that would have benefited only a few individuals.

My office will not tolerate pay-to-play corruption by public officials and their associates, said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. While in office, Ron Calderon and others profited handsomely when bribe money was accepted and laundered, and Im gratified that he has chosen to take responsibility for his actions.

Ron Calderon is expected to plead guilty to the mail fraud charge this week before United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder.

In the plea agreement filed today, Ron Calderon admitted participating in a bribery scheme involving two areas of legislation and the hiring of a staffer at the behest of those paying bribes.

In the first part of the bribery scheme, Ron Calderon took bribes from Michael Drobot, the former owner of Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, which was a major provider of spinal surgeries that were often paid by workers compensation programs. (The spinal surgeries are at the center of a massive healthcare fraud scheme that Drobot orchestrated and to which he previously pleaded guilty. Ron Calderon is not implicated in the healthcare fraud scheme.) Drobot was a client of Tom Calderons political consulting firm.

California law known as the spinal pass-through legislation allowed a hospital to pass on to insurance companies the full cost it had paid for medical hardware it used during spinal surgeries. As Drobot admitted in court, his hospital exploited this law, typically by using hardware that had been purchased at highly-inflated prices from companies that Drobot controlled and passing this cost along to insurance providers. Drobot bribed Ron Calderon so that he would use his public office to preserve this law that helped Drobot maintain a long-running and lucrative healthcare fraud scheme, which included Ron Calderon asking a fellow senator to introduce legislation favorable to Drobot. The payments from Drobot came in the form of summer employment for Ron Calderons son, who was hired as a summer file clerk at Pacific Hospital and received a total of $30,000 over the course of three years, despite the son doing little actual work at the hospital.

In another part of the bribery scheme, Ron Calderon accepted bribes from people he thought were associated with an independent film studio, but who were in fact undercover FBI agents. In exchange for the payments  including $3,000 monthly payments to Ron Calderons daughter for services she never provided  Ron Calderon agreed to support an expansion of a state law that gave tax credits to studios that produced independent films in California. The Film Tax Credit applied to productions of at least $1 million, but, in exchange for bribes, Ron Calderon agreed to support new legislation to reduce this threshold to $750,000, according to the plea agreement.

Ron Calderon took several official actions with respect to reducing the threshold for the Film Tax Credit. Ron Calderon signed a letter on his official Senate letterhead indicating that he would propose legislation lowering the threshold, introduced a spot bill he told an undercover agent would be used to propose such legislation, and promised that he would vote in favor of that proposed legislation.

In addition to the payments to his daughter for work she did not do, Ron Calderon had one of the undercover agents make a $5,000 payment toward his sons college tuition and a $25,000 payment to Californians for Diversity, a non-profit entity that Ron Calderon and his brother used to improperly pay themselves.

As part of the agreement with the undercover agents, Ron Calderon performed official acts that led to the hiring of another undercover agent as a staffer in his district office at an annual salary of $45,105.

Ron Calderon knowingly concealed his bribery scheme from the public by submitting a false Statement of Economic Interest, California Form 700, to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, which failed to disclose the money and other financial benefits defendant he had received from Drobot and the undercover agents, Ron Calderon admitted in his plea agreement.

As part of Ron Calderons plea agreement, federal prosecutors have agreed not to seek a sentence of more than 70 months in federal prison, a term that is expected to be within the United States Sentencing Guidelines advisory range for this case. However, Judge Snyder would not be bound by any sentencing recommendation and could sentence Ron Calderon up to statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Tom Calderon pleaded guilty last week to money laundering and admitted that he agreed to conceal bribe payments for his brother from the two undercover FBI agents by having the money go through his company, the Calderon Group. Tom Calderon allowed payments to be made to the Calderon Group to conceal and disguise the fact that the money represented the proceeds of bribery, according to his plea agreement.

Tom Calderon deposited the $30,000 bribe payment from [the undercover agent] into the Calderon Groups bank account and then wrote a check for $9,000 from

the Calderon Groups bank account to Ronald S. Calderons daughter, Tom Calderon admitted in his plea agreement.

Tom Calderon provided a conduit for illicit bribery payments and played a key role in hiding corrupt activities from the voting public, said United States Attorney Decker.

As part of Tom Calderons plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than one year in prison, which is expected to be within the United States Sentencing Guideline advisory range for the offense. However, when Judge Snyder sentencing Tom Calderon of September 12, she could impose a term of up to 20 years in prison, which is the statutory maximum penalty for the money laundering count.

The Calderon brothers shamelessly defrauded the citizens of California to their right to honest services through an illicit bribery scheme," stated IRS Criminal Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando. IRS CI tirelessly untangled the web of fraudulent transactions that lead to these corrupt individuals being held accountable for their actions.

The investigation into the Calderons was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas M. Miller and Mack E. Jenkins of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Yorba Linda Chiropractor Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Defrauding Investors in $2 Million Real Estate Ponzi Scheme

Santa Ana, California - A Yorba Linda chiropractor who solicited more than $2 million from investors in a real estate scam has been sentenced to four years in federal prison.

Bobby Hamby, 56, of Yorba Linda, was sentenced Monday afternoon by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who also ordered the defendant to pay $1,257,628 in restitution.

Hamby pleaded guilty in May 2015 to two counts of wire fraud in connection with a real estate investment scheme he operated while doing business as B+E Family Investments LLC.

Hamby told investors that he would use the money invested in B+E to purchase and improve properties, resell the properties at a profit, and then share the profits with investors. Hamby falsely assured victims that their investments would be secure because he would put their names on the property deeds. At least 22 victims  some of whom were elderly  invested nearly $2.5 million with B+E during the scheme that ran from May 2008 through December 2011.

According to a plea agreement filed in this case, Hamby did not invest the victims money as promised. Instead, he spent the majority of his victims money to pay for personal expenses. Among other things, Hamby used the money to pay his mortgage, dues at the Yorba Linda Country Club, car payments, attorney fees, medical and dental bills, and expenses incurred at restaurants and several retail stores.

As a result of Mr. Hambys scheme, a number of victims will live out their lives under a dark cloud of financial uncertainty, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. Mr. Hamby must now trade the comfortable life that he financed with his victims money for this federal prison sentence.

In addition to the real estate scheme, Hamby also fraudulently solicited investors to finance laser equipment for his chiropractic office. In this separate scheme, Hamby collected approximately $150,000 from November 2010 through May 2011, but used only about $5,000 on laser equipment, spending most of the money on personal expenses that including mortgage payments and private school tuition for his children.

After returning some of the investors money in Ponzi-style payments, the total loss for both schemes totaled approximately $1.25 million.

This case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory W. Staples.
Orange County Businessman Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Investors out of nearly $50 Million

Santa Ana, California - A former Newport Beach resident has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for running a Ponzi scheme through his Orange County-based company that defrauded hundreds of investors out nearly $50 million.

Joseph J. Lampariello, 62, who recently relocated to Huntington Station, New York, was sentenced Monday afternoon by United States District Judge David O. Carter.

In addition to the prison term of just over 10 years, Judge Carter ordered Lampariello to pay $39,961,859 in restitution.

Lampariello previously pleaded guilty to one felony count of wire fraud and one misdemeanor count of willfully failing to file a tax return.

Lampariello was the president and chief operating officer of Medical Capital Holdings, Inc., a medical receivables financing company that operated out of offices in Anaheim and Tustin. Medical Capital administered several entities that raised money from investors who were told their money would be used to purchase account receivables from accredited medical providers, make secured loans and provide money for general operating expenses.

Over 11 months in 2008 and 2009, Lampariello misappropriated funds invested with one of the entities and used the money to make Ponzi payments to prior investors and to pay himself administrative fees. Lampariello, through Medical Capital, defrauded over 700 investors of nearly $49 million.

Mr. Lampariellos sentence properly reflects the significant harm he caused to hundreds of victims, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. This defendants false promises were designed only to provide wealth for himself, and he must now pay for that greed.

The massive monetary figures cant begin to explain the devastation to victims in this case, some of whom were forced out of retirement, some who lost their marriage and many more who lost trust and live with despair as a result, said Deirdre L. Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. Investors must do extensive research before handing over their hard-earned savings, and must never fall for phony online profiles as a way of determining a reputable investment business.

When you knowingly mix deceit and trickery into the financial well-being of individuals, you create a recipe for devastation that could last a lifetime, stated IRS Criminal Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando. Todays sentencing demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors for their own personal financial gain.

This case was the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier.
Sanford Spam King Wallace Sentenced To Two And A Half Years In Custody For Spamming Facebook Users

San Francisco, California - Sanford Wallace was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and was ordered to pay $310,628.55 in restitution for sending millions of spam messages to Facebook users and disobeying a court order not to access Facebook announced the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Wallace, 47, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty on August 24, 2015 to one count of fraud and related activity in connection with electronic mail, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1037(a)(1) and (b)(2)(A); and one count of criminal contempt, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  401(3). According to the plea agreement Wallace admitted to executing a scheme from approximately November 2008 through March 2009 to send spam messages to Facebook users that compromised approximately 500,000 legitimate Facebook accounts, and resulted in over 27 million spam messages being sent through Facebooks servers.

Wallace illegally obtained, stored, and exploited Facebook user account information and earned money by redirecting users to other websites. Specifically, Wallace admitted he opened a fictitious Facebook account in the name of David Frederix to test his spam messages and created an automated process to sign into a Facebook users account, retrieve a list of all of the users friends, and then send a message to each of the users friends Facebook accounts. The message was designed to trick legitimate Facebook account holders into accessing a website listed in the message that was purportedly from a Facebook friend. Once the user entered his or her information, the user would be redirected to an affiliate website. Wallace further admitted that he earned money for directing traffic to the websites and stored users email addresses and passwords in order to continue sending spam messages.

In addition, Wallace admitted that during three time periods he accessed Facebooks computer network to send spam messages to Facebooks users. First, on or about November 5, 2008, and continuing to November 6, 2008, he accessed Facebooks computer network in order to initiate the transmission of a program that resulted in more than 128,883 spam messages being sent to Facebook users. Second, he admitted that on December 28, 2008, he accessed Facebooks computer network in order to initiate the transmission of a program that resulted in nearly 300,000 spam messages being sent to Facebook users. Third, he admitted that on February 17, 2009, he accessed Facebooks computer network in order to initiate the transmission of a program that resulted in more than 126,000 spam messages being sent to Facebook users.

Facebook filed a lawsuit against him in United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging violations of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and Californias Anti-Phishing and Computer Data Access and Fraud Acts. (Facebook, Inc. v. Wallace, et al, No. C-09-00798 JF). On March 2, 2009, March 24, 2009, and September 18, 2009, U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel ordered Wallace not to access or attempt to access Facebooks computer network in any manner whatsoever nor create or maintain a Facebook account. Wallace admitted that on April 17, 2009, he willfully disobeyed Judge Fogels order by logging into his Facebook account while aboard a flight from Las Vegas to New York.

Wallace was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 6, 2011. He was charged with multiple counts of fraud and related activity in connection with electronic mail, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1037(a)(1) and (b)(2)(A); 18 U.S.C.  1037(a)(2) and (b)(2)(C); and 18 U.S.C.  1037(a)(4) and (b)(2)(B). Wallace was also charged with three counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1030(a)(5)(A) and (c)(4)(B)(i), for accessing Facebooks computer network and two counts of criminal contempt, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  401(3) for disobeying Judge Fogels order.

The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Judge. Judge Davila also sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on September 7, 2016.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Knight is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
South Bay Man And Utah Man Charged With Defrauding Japanese Investors In $7 Million Ponzi Scheme

San Francisco, California - A federal grand jury indicted John Holdaway and Kevin Kyes yesterday with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf.

Holdaway, 72, of Sandy, Utah, and Kyes, 68, of Campbell, Calif., allegedly ran an approximately $7 million Ponzi scheme, primarily involving Japanese investors, from December 2012 through July 2015. According to the indictment, Holdaway and Kyes offered investors the opportunity to invest with a group of entities that they controlled and referred to as Money Management Strategies, or MMS. The defendants allegedly told the investors their money would be invested in currency or derivatives trading with returns of 100% annually. The defendants also allegedly told investors that their investments would be safe, in part because their principal would never leave the bank accounts into which the funds were sent and that any trading losses would be borne by MMS. Based on the representations of Holdaway and Kyes, these investors wired or otherwise transferred money to bank accounts in Northern California controlled by Holdaway and Kyes. The Japanese investors sent approximately $7 million to Holdaway and Kyes during the scheme.

The indictment alleges that in reality, Holdaway and Kyes did not invest the money as promised. Instead, they spent the money themselves, used it to fund Ponzi-type payments back to investors, spent the money to pay back prior investors from other investment programs that they had run, and spent it on gold-related businesses. In addition, Holdaway and Kyes allegedly told investors that they were receiving distributions or returns on their investment. To back up their claims, the defendants also allegedly created and sent to investors fake documents, including account statements and letters from an accountant. Holdaway also sent emails to investors under fake names, to give the appearance that multiple people worked for Holdaway and Kyes, and lied about traveling to Europe or elsewhere to work on their investments.

Holdaway and Kyes are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1349; eighteen counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1343; one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1956(h); and five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1957.

Both defendants were arrested this morning and made their initial appearances in federal court, where they were released pending further hearings. Holdaways next scheduled appearance is at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, before the Honorable Laurel Beeler, U.S. Magistrate Judge. Kyess next scheduled appearance is at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22, 2016, before the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for each count of wire fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense. The maximum statutory penalty for each count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity or of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of property involved in the offense. Additional periods of supervised release and restitution also apply. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C.  3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Kingsley is prosecuting the case with assistance from Jessica Meegan and Daniel Charlier-Smith. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Direct Contact With Cold Sore Could Spread Virus

Jacksonville, Florida - The virus that causes cold sores usually is spread to other people through saliva. So, your inclination to avoid kissing while your husband has a cold sore is a wise move. But, its also true that some active virus is present at the site of a cold sore. That means any direct contact with the sore could spread the virus. There are a number of steps your husband can take to reduce the chance of spreading the virus that causes the sores and lower his risk for developing cold sores frequently.

Cold sores are tiny, fluid-filled blisters on and around the lips. The blisters often are grouped together. After the blisters break, a crust forms over the resulting sore. Cold sores typically heal within one week without leaving a scar.

The medical term for cold sores is herpes simplex labialis. You also may hear them referred to as fever blisters. The sores usually are caused by a herpes simplex virus, HSV-1. Most people who get this virus are first infected during childhood, and the initial infection typically produces few symptoms.

Once HSV-1 is in a persons body, however, it doesnt go away. Instead, it remains dormant in the nerve cells of the skin. Over time, the virus can reactivate and cause other cold sores to appear. Cold sores that come back in otherwise healthy people are thought to be triggered by stress, fatigue and sunlight.

To keep the virus from spreading, your husband should be careful to avoid kissing and other skin-to-skin contact with you and with anyone else while he has a cold sore. He also should keep his personal items, such as towels and lip balm, separate from other people in your household during the time he has a sore. Do not share utensils, cups or other dishes either.

As in your husbands situation, stress is a common trigger for recurrent cold sores. Sunshine exposure also may lead to cold sores in many people who have had them before. Regularly using a lip balm with a broad-spectrum sunscreen may help reduce his number of cold sore outbreaks.

Cold sores generally clear up on their own without medical treatment. But, if your husband continues to get them regularly, he may want to talk with his doctor about medications that are available for cold sores. Several kinds of prescription oral medication can be used to speed the healing of cold sores. They dont have an effect on the transmission of the virus to other people, though. For individuals who often develop cold sores, or for those at risk of serious complications from the sores, a daily dose of an antiviral medication may be useful to help prevent frequent outbreaks. - Dr. Jason Sluzevich, Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
Women Should Seek Treatment for Bladder Control Problems

Rochester, Minnesota - If you're one of the many women who experience bladder control problems, don't let embarrassment keep you from getting the help you need. Leaking urine, having to urinate frequently and experiencing other symptoms of urinary incontinence aren't trivial consequences of childbirth or a natural part of aging.

Not all doctors routinely ask about urinary function during an exam. It's up to you to take the first step. If you have bladder control problems, tell your doctor about them and ask for help.

Why to seek help

Bladder control problems require medical attention for several reasons. Reduced bladder control may:

Cause you to restrict your physical activities

Lead you to withdraw from social interactions

Increase risk of falling if you have balance problems and rush to the bathroom to avoid leaking urine

Sometimes having a bladder control problem means you may have a serious underlying medical condition, such as diabetes or kidney disease.

When to seek help

A few isolated incidents of urinary incontinence don't necessarily require medical attention. And most people, as they age, have to get up to urinate at night. But if the problem affects your quality of life, consider having your symptoms evaluated.

Make an appointment with your primary care provider if:

You're embarrassed by urine leakage, and you avoid important activities because of it

You often feel urgency to urinate and rush to a bathroom, but sometimes don't make it in time

You often feel the need to urinate, but you're unable to pass urine

You notice that your urine stream is getting progressively weaker, or you feel as if you can't empty your bladder well

Most of the time, symptoms can be improved.

When to seek a specialist

Many health care providers can evaluate bladder control problems without referring you to a specialist. In spite of better understanding and treatment of urinary incontinence, some providers may consider it an inevitable consequence of childbearing, menopause or aging. Others may lack the time, training or experience that make them likely to consider you for evaluation or treatment.

If your doctor dismisses symptoms that have an impact on your quality of life, or if the treatments he or she prescribes fail, ask for referral to a specialist. Doctors who specialize in urinary disorders include:

Geriatrician. This medical doctor specializes in the care of older adults, often with emphasis on problems related to common quality-of-life issues, such as urinary incontinence.

Urogynecologist. This is an obstetrician-gynecologist with additional training in problems that affect the pelvic floor  the network of muscles, ligaments, connective tissue and nerves that helps support and control the bladder and other pelvic organs.

Urologist. A urologist specializes in male and female urinary disorders, as well as the male reproductive system.

Bladder diary: A detailed symptom record

Before your visit, ask your doctor's office for a bladder diary and how to use it so that you can track information for several days in a row.

A bladder diary is a detailed, day-to-day record of your symptoms and other information related to your urinary habits. It can help you and your doctor determine the causes of bladder control problems and the most effective treatments.

To figure out how much urine you pass, you can use any collection device that allows you to measure ounces or milliliters.

Medical history review

Your visit will be more productive if you provide a good medical history. Make a list of:

Any surgeries, childbirths, illnesses, injuries and medical procedures, along with approximate dates

Current health problems, such as diabetes or any condition that affects your ability to walk or rise rapidly to a standing position

Past and current problems with your urinary system

Medications you're taking, including each drug's brand or generic name, dosage, when you take it, and what you take it for

Medications can be associated with bladder control problems, so list everything  prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements. If you're not sure whether something counts as a medication, put it on the list.

What to expect from treatment

As a first step, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to "train" your bladder, such as performing pelvic-strengthening exercises (Kegel exercises) and following a schedule for when you drink fluids and use the bathroom.

For some women, medications help. For others, surgery provides effect treatment. But, both medications and surgery have side effects you'll want to discuss with your doctor before deciding on these treatment options. What's best for you depends on the type and severity of your bladder control problem.

Your bladder control problems may significantly improve after treatment. Any improvement, however, counts as a success, as long as it helps you to do what you like and enhances your quality of life.
US postal worker among 6 charged in narcotics, money laundering conspiracy

New York - A two count indictment unsealed Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court charged six people with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and/or money laundering. The indictments follow an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The defendants allegedly conspired to transport cocaine through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico to New York. On Wednesday, HSI agents arrested, Jermaine Sandifer, a U.S. postal carrier assigned to the Highbridge postal station in the Bronx.

As detailed in the indictment and other court filings by the government, between approximately 2011 and 2013, the defendants Kelvin Cisnero Santos, 48, of the Bronx, Saul Ovalles Corniel, 40, of Newark, New Jersey, Carlos Bello Tirado, 40, of Leesburg, Florida, Ernest Pena, 40 of the Bronx, and Jermaine Sandifer, 40 of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, were members of a large-scale drug trafficking organization based in the Bronx. The organization purchased hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from suppliers in Puerto Rico, packaged the drugs, and sent the drug-laden parcels through the mail from Puerto Rico to pre-arranged addresses in the Bronx.

The defendant Sandifer, a U.S. letter carrier, intercepted those parcels at the post office and delivered them to members of the organization. According to the detention letter filed by the government, each parcel sent to Sandifer contained approximately one to two kilograms of cocaine, and Sandifer was paid between $1,000 and $5,000 per parcel. The defendants also conspired to mail cocaine from Puerto Rico to numerous post office boxes operated by the organization in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New Jersey. The cocaine was sold to various distributors in New York and New Jersey.

Defendants Santos, Corniel, Tirado, Pena, and others laundered proceeds from the drug sales through bank accounts in the New York metropolitan area to pay suppliers and make additional purchases of cocaine.

This U.S. postal employee allegedly used his trusted position as a letter carrier to conspire with others to flood our streets with hundreds of kilos of cocaine, said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in-charge of HSI New York. HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that wreak havoc on our neighborhoods.

However creative drug traffickers are in delivering their lethal product to our shores and the streets of our communities, we and our partners in law enforcement are committed to stopping them. The defendants will now be held to account, stated United States Attorney Capers.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Water Treatment Chemicals Manufacturer Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy Aimed at Eliminating Competition

Washington, DC - GEO Specialty Chemicals Inc., an Ohio company, has pleaded guilty for its role in a conspiracy to eliminate competition involving contracts to supply liquid aluminum sulfate to municipalities and pulp and paper manufacturers in the United States, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

GEOs Water Treatment Chemicals Division, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a manufacturer and supplier of water treatment chemicals, including liquid aluminum sulfate. The company has admitted to conspiring to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers involving contracts for liquid aluminum sulfate, a coagulant used by municipalities to treat drinking and waste water, and by pulp and paper manufacturers in their manufacturing processes. GEO has been sentenced to pay a fine of $5 million. GEO is the first corporate defendant, and fourth defendant overall, to be charged with participation in this decade-and-a-half-long conspiracy. One individual previously pleaded guilty and two others have been indicted in connection with the conspiracy.

GEO and its co-conspirators deprived municipalities and paper manufacturers of the competitive prices they rightly expected from their suppliers of liquid aluminum sulfate, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse, head of the Justice Departments Antitrust Division. This prosecution continues our efforts to hold criminally responsible those who collude to cheat their customers.

The FBI is committed to protecting the American consumers right to expect the benefits of free and open competition. However, GEO Specialty Chemicals and their co-conspirators colluded to circumvent competitive bidding and independent pricing for liquid aluminum sulfate contracts, and conspired to raise prices by submitting artificially inflated bids to their customers, said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher of the FBIs Newark Division. They also allocated customers in furtherance of their collusive scheme. By agreeing to violate both the spirit and the letter of the competitive process, GEO and others defrauded municipalities as well as pulp and paper companies out of millions of dollars.

According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, from 1997 until 2011, GEO and its co-conspirators engaged in their collusive agreement by meeting to discuss each others liquid aluminum sulfate business, submitting intentionally losing bids to favor the intended winner of the business, withdrawing inadvertently winning bids, and discussing with each other prices to be quoted or bid to municipalities and pulp and paper manufacturers.

The investigation into price fixing, bid rigging, and customer allocation in the liquid aluminum sulfate industry is being conducted by the New York Office of the Antitrust Division and the FBIs New Jersey Office. Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging, or customer allocation in the sale and marking of liquid aluminum sulfate should contact the New York Office of the Antitrust Division at 212-335-8000, call the Antitrust Divisions Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm.
CBP Announces Additional Enhancements to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization

Washington, DC - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced the addition of questions to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, as part of the continued implementation of the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (the Act).

The changes being implemented today add questions to the ESTA form in support of the eligibility requirement for travel under the VWP. Pursuant to the Secretary of Homeland Securitys announcement in February 2016 naming Libya, Somalia, and Yemen as countries of concern, nationals of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries who have been present in these three countries at any time on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited government/military exceptions) are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the VWP, absent a waiver issued in the law enforcement or national security interest of the United States. Individuals who are no longer eligible for travel under VWP may still apply for a visa at U.S. embassies or consulates.

In addition to the country-specific travel restrictions, the ESTA application has been further enhanced to include a request for ESTA applicants Global Entry Program Numbers, if applicable. This additional information can be used in adjudicating the travelers application for an ESTA.

Current ESTA holders should check their ESTA status prior to travel on CBPs website, https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/. If a traveler needs to speak to someone immediately, he or she may contact the CBP Information Center, http://www.cbp.gov/contact or their closest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Information on visa applications can be found at travel.state.gov.
Watch: Snake Attacks Owner As She Tries To Release It From Cage
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Jerry Lewis' The Day the Clown Cried has been embedded in the annals of Hollywood legend since it was made in 1972.

Hardcore film enthusiasts have attempted to source the holocaust drama for several decades now, its "bad taste" content seen by a very exclusive number of people.

ScreenCrush reports that 30 minutes of the unreleased film has now surfaced online.

Known for his comedic performances, Lewis (The Nutty Professor) turned his hand to drama for the project which saw him write and direct a story following a WWorld War I German clown who lures children into gas chambers.

Lewis even took on the role of the chilling character named Helmut Doork.

Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Show all 7 1 /7 Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Most people know to steer well clear of this one by now. If not, you obviously escaped one of the most scarring childhood memories, that of cute baby Bambis mother being shot dead by hunters, leaving him sad and alone in the woods. Rex Features Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Ursula makes a pact with mermaid Ariel that she will make her human in return for her voice. Her voice! She must then get a man to fall in love with her, without being able to speak. Every feminists nightmare. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies This one is seriously trippy. Its Disneys third ever movie but instead of pretty dresses and Prince Charmings and happily ever afters, all we got was a visit to Satans lair in Night on Bald Mountain. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies That fairground is enough to put you off any old-fashioned fun for life. Its called Pleasure Island but there is absolutely zero pleasure involved whatsoever. Naughty boys are turned into donkeys and the whole wooden puppet coming alive thing doesnt really do it for us either. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies There are plenty of frankly horrifying moments in this supposed childrens film from 1941, but none so harrowing as the scene when Dumbo visits his imprisoned, supposedly mad mummy elephant and she sings him a lullaby while cradling him in her trunk. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies This movie about bunnies may look cute enough but Watership Down is proof that animation does not equal adorable. Its possibly the most traumatic film youll have seen in, well, forever. Its really bloody in parts and should quite clearly never have been rated a U, even in 1978. Unintentionally terrifying children's movies Tiny Thumbelina is kidnapped by toads shortly after birth, nearly drowns in a waterfall, betrothed to a blind old mole who lives underground, forced to dress as a bug and dance at a freaky insect ball, spanked by Mr Beetle with a cane and her lover Prince Cornelius is frozen in an ice block. Oh and her best friend nearly dies. Lovely.

The compilation of rare footage was stitched together using clips from German documentary Der Clown.



While the entire film still exists, it was revealed last August that it had been acquired by the Library of Congress which renders it unavailable to view until 2024.

One of the few people to have seen the film includes Harry Shearer (The Simpsons, This Is Spinal Tap) who, in an interview with Spy magazine in 1992, branded the film "...drastically wrong."

"[It's] so wildly misplaced that you could not, in your fantasy of what it might be like, improve on what it really is."
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Apple has been ordered to stop selling two versions of its iPhone 6 in Beijing after a Chinese regulator found they look too much like a competitor's product.

The intellectual property tribunal said the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus looked too similar to the 100C model made by Shenzhen Beili, a small Chinese brand.

However, Apple has said a Beijing court stayed the administrative order on appeal and its sales will continue for now.

The order was issued in May but reported by the Chinese press this week.

In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale Despite the rain, some 40 on-line reservation buyers visit the Apple Store in Omotesando neighborhood as the iPhones new models - iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus go on sale in Tokyo, Japan Rex In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale Sam Shaikh holds up two bags containing the new iPhone as he is surrounded by store staff after the release and sale start of the new Apple IPhone 6S at the Apple store in Covent Garden, London In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale Apple fans pose for selfie at the store in Australia, during the launch of the new iPhone 6s In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale People cheer at the launch of the new iPhone 6s, at the store in Australia In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale 19-years-old David Kiss from Debrecen, Hungary, shows off his new iPhone 6s at the Apple store in Munich, Germany. Kiss camped in front of the shop for almost a week to be the first to get the new smartphone In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale A customer tries out a rose gold iPhone 6s Plus smartphone at the Apple Store near the West Lake in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale A member of staff processes a transaction as customer purchase phones during the launch of the Apple iPhone 6s at The Apple Store Opera, in Paris, France In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale The Apple store in Beijing launches the new iPhone 6s In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale Veronika Babochkina, 27, from Moscow, Russia, looks at the new iPhone 6s at The Apple Store in Opera, after queuing for few days, in Paris In pictures: iPhone 6s goes on sale Jonathan Pierrard, 26, from Rossignol, Belgium is the first customer to leave with the new iPhone 6s at The Apple Store in Opera, after queuing for few days, in Parisr to open new shortcuts - a feature Apple calls 3D Touch. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Apple shares fell 2.3 per cent after the news emerged, Sky News reports.

The setback represents the latest legal stumbling block for Apple in its second-biggest global market following the suspension of its iTunes movie service in April.

 Apple appeals court decision on unlocking an iPhone

The company also faces rising competition from local brands including Huawei and Xiaomi, which have gained market share.

In May, Apple suffered another setback when a court ruled that a Chinese company is allowed to use the iPhone trademark on bags, wallets and other leather goods.

Additional reporting by AP
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"Short-sighted" plans to scrap bursaries for nursing and midwifery will have a "detrimental effect on the NHS workforce", according to leading health unions, patient organisations and royal colleges.

This in turn could have an impact on patient care and safety, they warned.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, leaders from across the health sector said they were deeply concerned about plans to replace bursaries with loans for those studying nursing, midwifery and other health degrees.

The Government has said that replacing bursaries with loans will free up around 800 million a year, create extra nursing posts by 2020 and help students from all backgrounds take up the role.

But the coalition of health leaders, including those from the Royal College of Nursing, the National Union of Students, the Royal College of Midwives, Unison and Unite, have implored the Government to halt its plans and consider the implications on patient care in England.

The letter says: "These plans are a short-sighted attempt to solve a long-term and complicated problem.

"They have not been properly risk-assessed, and continuing with them as they stand would be nothing short of reckless."

It adds that the proposals are "an untested gamble with the future of the workforce" and "have not been properly risk assessed".

"These proposals will have a detrimental effect on the current and future NHS workforce, and also on the quality of patient care and safety provided in England."

The group urged David Cameron to reconsider the plans and called for a meeting to discuss their concerns.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We need more home-grown nurses in the NHS because they do an amazing job caring for patients, but currently two-thirds of people who apply to become a nurse aren't accepted for training.

"Our plans mean up to 10,000 more training places by the end of this parliament, with student nurses getting around 25% more financial support whilst they study."
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Teenagers in Australia are smoking in order to deliberately have smaller babies, research has found.

A study has found that the girls, who are as young as 16, are actively trying to have smaller babies due to fears that their own young bodies will not be able to handle childbirth. The teenagers reportedly got the idea from health warnings on Australian cigarette packets which state that smoking while pregnant can reduce the weight of your baby and rather than being deterred by the warning, actively sought the lower birth weights as they were afraid of labour.

Some who are already smokers are increasing their cigarette intake, while others who did not smoke before becoming pregnant are taking up the habit after conception.

The surprising results have been recorded in a 10-year national anthropological study into smoking in Australia, The New Zealand Herald reports.

Associate Professor Simone Dennis from the Australian National University told the newspaper: They had read on packets that smoking can reduce the birth weight of your baby, which is obviously not how the public health message is intended to be taken.

They were scared because they were small. The worst thing that could happen to them was to have an enormous baby. Some were young, 16 or 17 years, and their overriding fear was 'Oh my God, I'm going to have an enormous child', so they were actively using cigarettes to medicate against that.

Some had even taken it up for the first time for that very reason, and some smoked harder, hoping the promise on the packet would come true. If you smoked more, you could make it better. I was really struck by that.

The worst jobs for your health Show all 10 1 /10 The worst jobs for your health The worst jobs for your health 10. Surgical and medical assistants, technologists, and technicians Overall unhealthiness score: 57.3 What they do: Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel and perform medical laboratory tests. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 88 2. Exposure to contaminants: 80 3. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 69 The worst jobs for your health 9. Stationary engineers and boiler operators Overall unhealthiness score: 57.7 What they do: Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 99 2. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 89 3. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 84 The worst jobs for your health 8. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators Overall unhealthiness score: 58.2 What they do: Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 97 2. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 80 3. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 74 The worst jobs for your health 7. Histotechnologists and histologic technicians Overall unhealthiness score: 59.0 What they do: Prepare histologic slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 88 2. Exposure to contaminants: 76 3. Exposure to disease and infections: 75 The worst jobs for your health 6. Immigration and customs inspectors Overall unhealthiness score: 59.3 What they do: Investigate and inspect people, common carriers, goods, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the US or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 78 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 63 3. Exposure to radiation: 62 The worst jobs for your health 5. Podiatrists Overall unhealthiness score: 60.2 What they do: Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 87 2. Exposure to radiation: 69 3. Exposure to contaminants: 67 The worst jobs for your health 4. Veterinarians, veterinary assistants, and laboratory animal caretakers and veterinary technologists and technicians What they do: Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals and perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 81 2. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 75 3. Exposure to contaminants: 74 The worst jobs for your health 3. Anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants Overall unhealthiness score: 62.3 What they do: Administer anesthetics or sedatives during medical procedures, and help patients in recovering from anesthesia. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 94 2. Exposure to contaminants: 80 3. Exposure to radiation: 74 The worst jobs for your health 2. Flight attendants What they do: Provide personal services to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of airline passengers during flight. Greet passengers, verify tickets, explain use of safety equipment, and serve food or beverages. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 88 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 77 3. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 69 The worst jobs for your health 1. Dentists, dental surgeons, and dental assistants Overall unhealthiness score: 65.4 What they do: Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 84 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 75 3. Time spent sitting: 67

In the UK, just under 11 per cent of pregnant women smoke while they are expecting.

However, the prevalence rate varies dramatically by region. In Blackpool, 27 per cent of expectant mother smoke, compared to just 2 per cent in Westminster. This is thought to be due to socio-economic and lifestyle factors.
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A bus driver has been arrested over allegations he swore at a gay couple and banned them from his vehicle.

The incident is said to have taken place on board a McGill's bus in Peat Road in the Pollock area of Glasgow earlier in June.

The male couple, both 20, claimed the driver swore at them and said: People like you should not be on this f***ing bus.

David and Ian, who did not want to be identified by their surnames, told the Daily Record the driver also said hurry up and sit the f*** down as they got on the bus.

After sitting through the journey "in shock", they challenged the driver when alighting, the couple said.

The men claimed they were then told they were banned from using McGill's services and were prevented from boarding a bus driven by the same driver a few days later.

I cant believe someone can be so abusive, and that two people have to be subjected to such vile comments when doing as something as simple as stepping on to a bus, David told the newspaper.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed an arrest had been made in connection with the incident.

The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe Show all 15 1 /15 The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 15. Italy Getty Images The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 14. Macedonia The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 13. Poland Getty Images The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 12. Liechtenstein The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 11. Lithuania The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 10. Latvia This content is subject to copyright. The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 9. San Marino The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 8. Moldova The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 7. Belarus Getty Images The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 6. Ukraine Getty Images The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 5. Monaco The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 4. Turkey Getty Images The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 3. Armenia The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 2. Russia Getty Images The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe 1. Azerbaijan Getty/AFP

She said: "We can confirm that on 17 June a 46-year-old man was arrested in connection with an alleged offence contrary to section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 which is alleged to have occurred in Peat Road in Pollock on June 10.

"A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."

The Independent was unable to contact McGills on Saturday, but a statement from the company reported in the media said: We do not accept discrimination of any sort from any employees. An investigation into this alleged incident is underway.

Press Association contributed to this report
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Two men are being questioned on suspicion of people smuggling after they were rescued from a small boat filled with life jackets off the Kent coast.

The RNLI in Dover was sent out to rescue a small motor cruiser which had been spotted in difficulty at about 8am on Sunday morning.

Inside the 4.5 metre vessel were two men, who told their rescuers they were "lost", and a large number of life jackets but no other occupants.

A spokesperson for Dover Lifeboat Station urged people not to sail at sea without proper equipment.

He told The Independent: "The persons on board the vessel did not have any navigation or GPS equipment to navigate safely at sea."

It is understood that both men were transferred to the Border Force, the law enforcement unit within the Home Office responsible for immigration and customs controls.

Their boat has also been handed in as evidence.

In May, a pair of British men were charged with people smuggling when they were found aboard a rigid inflatable boat with 18 Albanian migrants.

Refugees settle in Germany Show all 12 1 /12 Refugees settle in Germany Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, plays with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, in the one room they and Mohamed's wife Laloosh call home at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany A refugee child Amnat Musayeva points to a star with her photo and name that decorates the door to her classroom as teacher Martina Fischer looks on at the local kindergarten Amnat and her siblings attend on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The children live with their family at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian asylum-applicant Mohamed Ali Hussein (R), 19, and fellow applicant Autur, from Latvia, load benches onto a truckbed while performing community service, for which they receive a small allowance, in Wilhelmsaue village on October 9, 2015 near Letschin, Germany. Mohamed and Autur live at an asylum-applicants' shelter in nearby Vossberg village. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Ali Hussein ((L), 19, and his cousin Sinjar Hussein, 34, sweep leaves at a cemetery in Gieshof village, for which they receive a small allowance, near Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, looks among donated clothing in the basement of the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to Mohamed, his wife Laloosh and their daughter Ranim as residents' laundry dries behind in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asya Sugaipova (L), Mohza Mukayeva and Khadra Zhukova prepare food in the communal kitchen at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Efrah Abdullahi Ahmed looks down from the communal kitchen window at her daughter Sumaya, 10, who had just returned from school, at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asylum-applicants, including Syrians Mohamed Ali Hussein (C-R, in black jacket) and Fadi Almasalmeh (C), return from grocery shopping with other refugees to the asylum-applicants' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat (2nd from L), a refugee from Syria, smokes a cigarette after shopping for groceries with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, and fellow-Syrian refugees Mohamed Ali Hussein (C) and Fadi Almasalmeh (L) at a local supermarket on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. All of them live at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian refugees Leila, 9, carries her sister Avin, 1, in the backyard at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to them and their family in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Somali refugees and husband and wife Said Ahmed Gure (R) and Ayaan Gure pose with their infant son Muzammili, who was born in Germany, in the room they share at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity, and are waiting for authorities to process their application for asylum 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses for a selfie with a refugee after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for refugees in Berlin Getty Images

About 5,000 refugees are living in poor conditions in Calais and Dunkirk, having fled war or economic difficulty in the Middle East and Africa.

Other EU nationals live in relative poverty in some parts of Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, Albania and elsewhere.

Since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, the UK government has accepted 1,000 Syrian refugees and says it will take 20,000 by 2020, at a rate of 4,000 people a year.

Germany has accepted more than 800,000 refugees since the start of the war, which has seen more than one million refugees flee to Europe.

HM Coastguard has urged people not to make the dangerous trip across the Channel, which has strong currents and a high volume of shipping traffic.
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Police have warned parents to be cautious after an apparent spate of attempted child abductions in south London.

Three incidents were reported to the authorities between 7 June and 15 June in the Wimbledon and Raynes Park area.

In one incident in Wimbledon Village, a male pupil at King's College School, whose age is unknown, was approached by a man driving a white minibus. He offered the boy a lift to school and made several attempts to coax him into the vehicle.

The child repeatedly refused and the man said: I'll give you credit for soldiering on like that, the Evening Standard reported.

While no children have been harmed, parents have been urged to be aware on school runs.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police told the newspaper: Police in Merton are aware of three reports of incidents of either attempted abductions or suspicious behaviour in the borough since 7 June. There have been no people harmed during any of the reported incidents.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA 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

To date, the descriptions of the vehicles and drivers given by the children are different and involve both male and female drivers. Patrols have been increased in the area. We are working with local authority partners to ensure appropriate personal safety advice is available.

Police are continuing their investigations.

Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111
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A dog who was stolen, strangled and dumped in a canal has become the first canine murder victim to feature on BBC programme Crimewatch.

Troya, a Spanish presa canario, was discovered dead in a canal in Stockport on 18 January after going missing three weeks earlier from her kennel in Romiley, Stockport.

The two-year-old dogs body was spotted by a woman working at a mill near the canal who immediately informed Anthony Taylor, the pet's owner.

Troya's corpse was recovered by Mr Wilsons step-dad, who stripped off, jumped in and swam over to her body before Mr Taylor and a friend pulled the corpse onto the bank.

There was an Aldi carrier bag around the dog's head secured with curtain wire. Chops Owen, a friend of Mr Taylor who witnessed the scene, described the killing as disgusting and sickening.

The canines death is being investigated by Greater Manchester Police and the RSPCA, with an award of 2,000 being offered to help find the killer.

A social media campaign that lobbied Crimewatchs spin-off show, Crimewatch Roadshow, led to the programme launching the appeal on Friday, complete with a reconstruction of the theft.

Mr Taylor's friends Roz Hedley and Ms Owen, who is also an animal campaigner, launched a Facebook appeal for information on Troya's disappearance and death, which now has nearly 14,000 supporters since it was set up in late December.

She told The Independent: We know she was hung or strangled and we know she wasn't poisoned, so Troya probably knew the people who did it as she didn't bark.

We are waiting for people to talk. There's a 2,000 bounty on their heads. People are fickle. Someone will fall out and then they will talk. Until then it's a waiting game.

Ms Owen and Ms Hedley hope the case will raise awareness of dog crimes and dog theft in the UK.

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

We have battered at everyone's door to make them listen. Dog crime and theft is a massive problem, she added.

They're not just robbed for bait. They're stolen for money. They're stolen to breed. They're stolen because people are horrible.

On Crimewatch Mr Taylor, 34, described Troya as his best friend.

Everybody loved Troya, everybody. She was part of the family, he said.

During the programme GMP officer Joseph Torkington described the killing as horrific.

Anyone with information should call Crimewatch on 0800 0468 999, text 63399 with CW and their message, tweet @BBCCrimewatch, or call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.
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Doctors chiefs have said they will debate whether to drop their opposition to assisted suicide.

A consultation by the British Medical Association, the trade union for doctors in the UK, into whether it should adopt a neutral stance on the highly controversial practice found many doctors raised concerns over helping people to die, which contradicts their prime role of saving their lives.

But campaigners have renewed their calls on the BMA to drop its opposition to assisted suicide, making reference a YouGov survey which found just 7 per cent backed the organisations current position.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: Dying people continue to be forced to take matters into their own hands.

More than one Briton a fortnight travels abroad to die and a further 300 terminally ill people take their own lives behind closed doors. The BMA should stop ignoring dying people, the wider British public and its members on this issue.

But the BMA insisted it has regularly debated the issue of assisted dying at its annual conference, only for doctors to reject the motion.

A spokesperson for the BMA told The Independent: "We appreciate that there are strongly held views across society on this complex and emotive issue, and recognise the ongoing public debate around this subject.

By engaging with doctors and members of the public in an eighteen-month long project, we have compiled a comprehensive body of qualitative research to look at the wider context of the issue and enable members to have informed discussions at this years conference, where they will be able to vote on whether to change the BMAs current position.

In 2005, the BMA changed its position on assisted dying to neutral, according to the union, but a year later the decision was reversed. Since then, its says, the issue has been voted on four times.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Rishi Sunak waves as he leaves from Conservative Party Headquarters in central London having been announced as the winner of the Conservative Party leadership contest AFP/Getty 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 UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA

Earlier this week, Canada passed a contentious bill to allow medically-assisted death for terminally ill people.

The law also requires that two independent witnesses be present when the patient signs a request for a doctor-assisted death.

Last year, 600 refugees in Australian detention centre wrote open letter demanding assisted suicide to to escape being "tortured and traumatised" every day.

The Department for Health declined to comment.
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This Sunday, families across the world will mark the special bond between fathers and their children. For many, this is often done through the giving of gifts and cards. Others prefer to enjoy a meal and quality time.

While sometimes criticised as being a commercial event, its roots are more historic than many people think.

When is it?

Fathers Day this year falls on Sunday, 19 June.

Is that everywhere?

No. While the third Sunday of June is the day celebrated in the UK, US and many other countries around the world, it is not the only day given over to fathers. In Italy, the Festa del Papa is celebrated on 19 March, as is Spain's Dia del Padre. In Ukraine, it's celebrated on the third Sunday of September and in Indonesia, its the twelfth of every November.

For this reason, this year's Google Doodle commemorating dads will only appear in the countries celebrating Father's Day, alongside the UK, such as Japan, India and Colombia.

Where does it come from?

Though it is certainly an American tradition, there are two popular stories which are used to explain the origins of Fathers Day.

According to one tale, it first began because of a woman named Grace Golden Clayton from Fairmount, West Virginia. An orphan herself, she lobbied her local Methodist ministers for a church service to honour fathers in 1908. It is thought she was inspired to do so after the Monongah mining disaster, also in West Virginia, in 1907. The calamity, one of the worst in US mining history, killed 362 local men.

Their deaths widowed 250 women and orphaned more than 1,000 children. Mrs Clayton wanted to pay tribute to the dead fathers, as well as her own.

And the other story?

The daughter of a civil war veteran, Sonora Smart Dodd, from Arkansas, was inspired to honour her father, who had brought up six children himself after his wife died in childbirth. Ms Dodd was just 16 when he died.

While listening to a sermon for Mothers Day  established in 1905 - Ms Dodd became convinced of the need to celebrate the male parent. Like Clayton, she campaigned to her religious leaders  also Methodists  for a special service dedicated to fathers.

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In 1910, the first Fathers Day celebration was held by Ms Dodd in 1910 in a YMCA in Spokane, Washington.

However, it took some time to gain the popularity it currently enjoys  many people feared it would be used purely as a commercial ploy.

Is it enshrined in law?

In 1913, US Congress officially designated that The third Sunday in June is Fathers Day, a date which has stuck.

President Calvin Coolidge also recommended that the day was observed nationally, though did not pass any orders enforcing this. The first presidential order calling for the observation of Fathers Day was by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. But it wasnt until 1972 that it was permanently signed into law by President Richard Nixon.
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Jo Cox has been described as a "21st Century good Samaritan" during a memorial service in the village where she was killed.

Ms Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, was shot and stabbed outside a library in Birstall, West Yorkshire, where she was holding an advice surgery for her constituents.

A petition to cancel next week's European Referendum has seen a surge in support in the days following her killing. Over 20,000 people have signed the statement on the Parliament website.

The memorial service was held at St Peter's Church, Birstall, came as Ms Cox's husband tweeted to say he took the couple's children camping in her memory.

Brendan Cox tweeted to say: "Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon"

Davide Martello, the pianist who played Imagine by John Lennon at the Bataclan theatre following the Paris terror attacks, also performed the song at Ms Cox's memorial.

The Reverend Paul Knight told the congregation at St Peter's Church: "Her humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as an amazing example - a 21st Century good Samaritan."

Mr Knight added: "Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

"I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

"And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile."

Mr Knight also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Ms Cox's aid.

Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London AFP Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes to Labour Party MP Jo Cox are placed on her houseboat in Wapping in London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures The Union flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House in London after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (2R) and deputy leader Tom Watson (L) light candles as they attend a vigil to slain Labour MP Jo Cox in Parliament square in London AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson (rear) arrive to leave tributes at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People leave St Peter's Church after a vigil in memory of Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flowers left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminste, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People react as they look at tributes left for Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A man writes a message at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People stop to look at tributes left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman arrives to lay flowers at a statue to Joseph Priestly in Birstall near to the scene where Labour MP Jo Cox was shot AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman places candles in tribute to Labour Party MP Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A member of the public signs a memorial for British MP Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London EPA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People sign messages of condolence for MP Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square in London Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flags at half mast outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People arrive in Market Square with floral tributes after the death of Jo Co Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are placed in Market Square next to the statue of Joseph Priestley following the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are brought to the scene after the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A police officer carries bunches of flowers at the scene of the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall REUTERS

On Saturday, Ms Cox's sister called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death.

Kim Leadbeater told crowds gathered in Birstall they should "focus on that which unites us and not which divides us" as part of her sister's legacy.

A GoFundMe page set up raise money for charities Ms Cox supported has received over 675,000 in two days.

 Thomas Mair appears in court

Thomas Mair, the man charged with Ms Cox's murder, gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain," when he appeared in court on Saturday morning.

Mair is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.

He will appear for a bail application hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday.

A number of eyewitnesses suggested the words "Britain first" were shouted by Ms Cox's attacker.
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The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, a day falling around late June when there are approximately 17 hours of light.

The name comes from the Latin solstitium meaning sun stands still. It happens because the sun stops heading north at the Tropic of Cancer and then returns back southwards.

In the northern hemisphere this means the days begin to get shorter.

But 2016 is a special year, because the solstice coincides with the Strawberry Moon, a once-in-a-lifetime occurence.

The most incredible space images of Earth Show all 30 1 /30 The most incredible space images of Earth The most incredible space images of Earth Striking Africa Explore ESA astronaut Tim Peake's stunning photos of Earth, taken from the International Space Station during his six month mission (captions by Tom Peake) "The striking colour and texture of Africa Illizi, Algeria" The most incredible space images of Earth Favourite Reef "Every day spent living in space is a great day, but today was particularly special. I got to speak with one of my inspirational heroes Prof Stephen Hawking and his amazing daughter Lucy, who developed the Principia Space Diary to engage children with STEM subjects. As well as talking about dark matter, quantum entanglement, alien life and light beam powered nanocraft we also got to see an amazing pass over the Bahamas and this - my favourite reef smile emoticon" The most incredible space images of Earth Russia's north-east coast "Sunrise approaching Russia's frozen north-east coast" The most incredible space images of Earth Hello London "Hello London! Fancy a run? :) #LondonMarathon" The most incredible space images of Earth Bahamas "50 shades of blue: Bahamas" The most incredible space images of Earth Yinchuan "Snow on the mountains next to Yinchuan in China" The most incredible space images of Earth Rocket flames in Africa "Is it just me or do I see some rocket flames down there? These strange land features are in the Erg Iguidi desert, with its yellow stripes of sand stretching from Algeria to northern Mauritania in the Sahara" The most incredible space images of Earth Stunning colours "Sunlight reflecting the stunning colours of this Himalayan lake" The most incredible space images of Earth The real Everest "The real thing: found Everest! Last picture turned out to be third-tallest mountain Kanchengjunga" The most incredible space images of Earth Go Exomars "Go #Exomars  have a great mission. Earth has more in common with Mars than you might think #AfricaArt" The most incredible space images of Earth Tenerife "Amazingly clear view of Tenerife" The most incredible space images of Earth Midday winter sun "Some midday winter sun glinting off Greenlands snow-capped peaks" The most incredible space images of Earth Sand dunes "Great texture in these huge sand dunes, Saudi Arabia" The most incredible space images of Earth Dragon Dam "The dam makes this river look like a dragons tail. Oahe Dam north of Pierre, South Dakota in the United States. (North is to the right)" The most incredible space images of Earth Smoking volcano "Spotted volcano smoking away on Russias far east coast this morning  heat has melted snow around top" The most incredible space images of Earth New Zealand "New Zealand looking stunning in the sunshine. Mt Cook centre left with the Grand Plateau to the front and Mt Tasman (3,497m) to the right of the Grand Plateau. Fox Glacier in the middle then Franz Josef curving right. Tasman Lake (largest at front) is at the foot of the Tasman glacier which runs along the front of them. The Hooker Glacier flows out behind Mt Cook coming down to meet the Mueller Glacier on the left of the photo. The Murchison Glacier is at the front of the photo running parallel with the Tasman Glacier" The most incredible space images of Earth Plankton bloom "Another great pass over Patagonia and a swirling plankton bloom off the coast" The most incredible space images of Earth Alaska "We dont often get such clear views of Alaska" The most incredible space images of Earth Lights along the Nile "Lights along the Nile stretching into the distance from Cairo" The most incredible space images of Earth Kamchatka "The Pacific Ring of Fire clear to see amongst the volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russia" The most incredible space images of Earth Cumulonimbus "Im guessing there was an impressive storm going on under that cumulonimbus cloud" The most incredible space images of Earth Night Sahara "Night-time Sahara  you can really see how thin the Earths atmosphere is in this picture" The most incredible space images of Earth Japan "Tokyo and Japanese coast. This image shows most of Japan with the largest mass of light corresponding to Tokyo. The white lights on the left are fishing boats" The most incredible space images of Earth Morning sun volcanoes "Morning sun striking active volcanoes in Guatemala" The most incredible space images of Earth Tapajos River "The vast waters of the Tapajos river, Amazonia" The most incredible space images of Earth Patagonia "Beautiful glacial river water flowing from this Patagonian ice field Lake Viedma, West is up" The most incredible space images of Earth Dubai Palms "Minus the #Dragon photobomb this time..." The most incredible space images of Earth Sediment in Ethiopia "Sediment spilling into this mountain lake, Ethiopia" The most incredible space images of Earth Italy "We have phases of short nights on the International Space Station  sunlight is nearly always visible right now. No prizes for guessing where this is" The most incredible space images of Earth Panama Canal "From one mighty ocean to another  ships passing through the Panama canal"

What is the Strawberry Moon?

It is a full moon, which occurs in June, named by early Native American tribes. It is a full moon like any other, but marks the beginning of the strawberry season. The two events coincide once every 70 years.

When is the summer solstice?

In the northern hemisphere, it can fall on different dates from year to year, between 20 and 22 June.

In 2016, it's on Monday 20 June. The sun will rise at 4.45am and sunset will happen at 10.34pm.

The winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) falls between 20 and 22 December in the UK. This year it's on 21 December.

Here's a list of the dates and times of solstices and equinoxes this year.

Vernal Equinox (Spring) March 20 2016 04:30 GMT

Summer Solstice (Summer) June 20 2016 22:34 GMT

Autumnal Equinox (Fall) September 22 2016 14:21 GMT

Winter Solstice (Winter) December 21 2016 10:44 GMT

 Spectacular solstice sunrise

Why is the summer solstice significant?

The summer solstice is a special day for many as it means the start of the summer.

It has links to many ancient cultural practices as different cultures have celebrated it being symbolic of renewal, fertility and harvest.

Why is Stonehenge significant for the solstice?

Stonehenge in Wiltshire is the most popular place in the UK to celebrate the longest day because the prehistoric monument aligns to the solstices. The rising sun only reaches the middle of the stones one day of the year when it shines on the central altar.

It is thought the original builders of Stonehenge had taken giant bluestones from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire to build the inner ring of stones at the monument for reasons that are not fully understood.

The English Heritage-run site is expecting around 20,000 visitors this year.

How to celebrate the summer solstice?

Every year, hundreds of pagans and non-pagans congregate at Stonehenge to see the sun rise in the morning and welcome in the summer.

Some pagans and druids perform a fire ritual to celebrate the occasion. This involves people with unlit candles forming a circle around a large central candle and lighting theirs off it one at a time.

In Sweden, its traditional to eat your way through the entire day. Feasts typically involve lots of potatoes and herring.
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The sex industry, specifically sex work and prostitution, has long been perceived and regulated as a dirty and disorderly feature of residential communities. The stereotypical, and unfair, view of sex workers is that they are vectors of disease and social contagions; its a moral hangover from the Victorians.

Regardless of their legal status, wider society still tends to stigmatise those who provide commercial sexual services, with street-based sex workers often most the subject of public, political and police scrutiny. This is reflected in the regulation and marginalisation of sex work by local and national government policies to dark and secluded areas of cities.

This marginalisation and stigmatisation is because many peoples knowledge and understanding of sex work is generally limited and informed by moral panics and stereotypes  particularly surrounding issues such as STI rates and trafficking. While it is important to recognise that such problems may occur in sex work, it is also important to stress that these are not experienced by the majority of those engaged in consensual sex work and should certainly not be portrayed as being the most important factor in all sex worker narratives.

Nevertheless, local councils and police forces periodically engage in clean-up campaigns that seek to purge local areas of sex work. The police raids in Soho during December 2013, when around 200 police targeted dozens of premises, have been one of the most high-profile examples of this strategy.

Such raids are generally justified by the media and local authorities on the basis that locals, especially women and children, need to be protected from the harmful effects of sleaze.

Interestingly, however, there has been little detailed or systematic research on the impacts of sex work on residential communities. Generally speaking, local authority clean-up strategies tend to be based not on science, but on a small number of complaints from a vocal minority who assert particular moral agendas.

The evidence that sex work is a problematic issue is rather limited, but it is clear that sex workers themselves are not considered community members and are rarely consulted about their own concerns and needs. Sex workers are just ordinary people  someones mother, aunt, brother, friend  trying to make a living.

Research by Phil Hubbard and colleagues, Penny Crofts, Sarah Kingston, and Emily Coopers own work suggests that sex work contributes to residential communities in much more complex ways than is commonly portrayed in the media.

Sarah Kingstons research on the impact of sex work on residential communities in Leeds highlights that the presence of sex workers can actually generate positive outcomes. For example, they (and associated clients, etc) provide passive surveillance against criminal activities and will report crimes. In addition, sex workers and their clients also contribute to local economies via the renting of premises, booking hotel rooms and spending money in local shops, bars and restaurants.

The Blackpool community

Coopers research on massage parlours and surrounding residential communities in Blackpool, reinforces these findings. 53 in-depth interviews were conducted (often more than once) with local residents, as well as a number of sex workers, police officers and council officers. Observations were also made over an 18-month period.

Those parlours surrounded by other non-sex work businesses and residences were often referred to by nearby non-sex work business workers as a means of breaking the ice and building rapport with customers, because of questions asked about the parlours being there. Reputedly, for some residents, the parlours also brightened up the mundane routine of peoples' daily social and work lives. This was also reinforced in Kingstons findings.

More crucially, some residents highlighted that the parlours  and their 24-hour vibrantly neon-lit presence  engendered a feeling of security in an area that is commonly frequented by either nobody or large groups of stag parties, which can be a bit intimidating (quote from resident).

Such views dismantle the common narrative, which suggests that the sex industry is something that attracts criminality rather than a feeling of security.

The Blackpool Gazette often uses dirt and disgust rhetoric to characterise the impact of massage parlours and the subsequent clean-up campaigns by regulatory bodies. Despite this, plus the ongoing effects of the recent recession, the massage parlours have shown resilience and remain an integral part of the social and economic fabric of Blackpool.

The stigma and stereotyping that tends to surround sex workers (and their clients) has the effect of alienating them and diminishing their sense of safety when working.

Very few residents in the study explicitly stated that they would like to see the sex industry removed. Those that did so were coming from either a stereotypical view of sex work as being inherently harmful or criminal, or from a desire to protect sex workers, who they considered friends and neighbours, from dodgy clients. Many residents discussed spending time with sex workers, as they would with any other neighbour.

Despite the fact that several sex workers in my study area lived locally, the long-established presence of massage parlours in Blackpool, and the friendly relationships between sex workers and wider community members, sex workers were still excluded from certain community spaces.

One sex worker, for example, noted that although she had a good relationship with residents adjacent to her place of work, she and another worker were asked to leave a Police and Community Together meeting by other residents because the meeting was partly about them.

Moving forward

Such exclusionary actions merely serve to reinforce the stigma imposed on sex workers and deny them their basic democratic rights. Community-based policy and consultation processes need to be more inclusive and appreciative of the fact that sex workers are as much a part of the local community as the next person. Their presence in and near residential communities needs to be viewed through a wider lens based on evidence, rather than a narrow moral one under the control of a vocal minority.

Emerging research suggests that the role and impact of sex work on local areas is more multi-faceted and less extraordinary than is commonly portrayed in the media or television dramas. The urban mythology and regulatory fetish surrounding sex work needs to be dispelled.

A more productive policy approach to regulating commercial sex premises would be to treat them like any other business. Ultimately, sex work should be decriminalised as this regulatory approach offers what other approaches dont  it guarantees the greater safety, health and well-being of sex workers.

Emily Cooper, Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Central Lancashire and Paul Maginn, Assoc Professor of Urban/Regional Planning, University of Western Australia

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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The final message written by Jo Cox four days before she was killed warned against what she called the "spin" around immigration in the EU debate.

Ms Cox, who was a vocal supporter of Syrian refugees, tackled what she described as the "legitimate concerns" over migration to explain why Brexit would not solve them.

The Labour MP said the Leave campaign wanted to adopt a "more liberal" approach to migration from outside the EU, therefore potentially worsening the situation - and added that an Australian-style points-based system had not slowed migration to that country.

Ms Cox likewise pointed out that EU migrants "have contributed 20 billion more to our economy than they've taken out in benefits" and that this money should be better directed to education and health services.

Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London AFP Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes to Labour Party MP Jo Cox are placed on her houseboat in Wapping in London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures The Union flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House in London after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (2R) and deputy leader Tom Watson (L) light candles as they attend a vigil to slain Labour MP Jo Cox in Parliament square in London AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson (rear) arrive to leave tributes at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People leave St Peter's Church after a vigil in memory of Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flowers left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminste, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People react as they look at tributes left for Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A man writes a message at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People stop to look at tributes left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman arrives to lay flowers at a statue to Joseph Priestly in Birstall near to the scene where Labour MP Jo Cox was shot AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman places candles in tribute to Labour Party MP Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A member of the public signs a memorial for British MP Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London EPA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People sign messages of condolence for MP Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square in London Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flags at half mast outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People arrive in Market Square with floral tributes after the death of Jo Co Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are placed in Market Square next to the statue of Joseph Priestley following the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are brought to the scene after the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A police officer carries bunches of flowers at the scene of the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall REUTERS

And she noted that the free movement of people would only come to an end by leaving the Single Market - a move that she said would have disastrous economic consequences.

She wrote: "We cannot allow voters to fall for the spin that a vote to leave is the only way to deal with concerns about immigration.

"We can do far more to address both the level and impact of immigration while remaining in the EU. I very rarely agree with the Prime Minister but on this hes right: we are stronger, safer and better off in."

Both sides of the EU debate suspended their campaigns following the brutal attack on Ms Cox as she left a constituency meeting in Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire, and there has been a national outpouring of condolences and condemnation over her loss.

The suspect charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as "death to traitors, freedom for Britain" during his appearance at Westminster magistrates court and evidence has been presented of his links to far-right, white supremacist groups.

Since her death, more than 600,000 has been raised for Ms Cox on a GoFundMe page which has been the biggest and fastest growing fundraising campaign of this kind ever.

Her husband, Brendan, has said his wife would want the UK to "unite to fight against the hatred that killed her."

Mr Cox has also warned that mainstream politicians are "clueless" about dealing with the debate surrounding migration.

"Petrified by the rise of the populists, they try to neuter them by taking their ground and aping their rhetoric," he wrote.

"Far from closing down the debates, these steps legitimise their views, reinforce their frames and pull the debate further to the extremes".
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Boris Johnson tried to soften the Leave campaign's public stance on immigration as senior Brexit figures clashed over a controversial anti-migrant poster.

Mr Johnson said he would be in favour of an amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been living in the UK for more than 12 years. The announcement was reportedly met with booes and shouts of "no" within the hall from members of the audience.

The Conservative politician said in a speech that an amnesty for illegal immigrants would not only be economically beneficial but would be the humane thing to do.

He said: Yes, let us take back control of our borders with a sensible, fair and impartial system. And let me take on this issue absolutely directly. Because I am pro-immigration, my friends. I am the proud descendent of Turkish immigrants.

"And let me stun you, perhaps, by saying I would go further. I am not only pro-immigration, Im pro-immigrants, but I am in favour of an amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

And I will tell you why: because it is the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing do to. And it means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.

And if we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points-based system, you will be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world, and you will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants. And that is the way forward, to neutralise the extremists by taking back control of our immigration system.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA 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

Earlier today, divisions appeared to show in the Leave campaign as senior figures sought to distance themselves from Nigel Farage's controvsial anti-immigration poster which has been compared to Nazi propaganda.

Michael Gove told The Marr show: "When I saw that poster I shuddered. I thought it was the wrong thing to do."

Chancellor George Osborne also criticised the poster, describing Mr Farage's campaign tactics as "disgusting and vile" and saying the poster echoed facist propaganda from the 1930s.

Latest polls suggest a swing in support towards the Remain campaign, with 44 per cent of the population intending to vote to stay compared to 43 per cent wishing to leave. One in 10 voters remains undecided about which side to lend their support to. Previous polls have recently suggested a comfortable margin in Leave's favour.

However, the strength of conviction on different sides varies, with 44 per cent of voters saying theyd be delighted by Brexit compared to 28 per cent of people saying the same about a Remain verdict.

Campaigning was temporarily suspended following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox this week, before resuming this weekend. Votes will be cast on Thursday, with results expected to be indicated in the early hours of Friday morning.
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A former BNP member is to contest the Batley and Spen by-election to decide the successor of MP Jo Cox, saying the Labour Party has blood on its hands over the politicians death. Mrs Cox died earlier this week after being shot and stabbed at a constituency surgery she was holding at a local library. A 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

All major political parties have said they do not intend to contest the upcoming by-election to elect an MP to the seat following the tragedy, out of respect for Ms Coxs family and colleagues. However, Jack Buckby has announced he will be contesting the seat for far-right political party Liberty GB, which lists as its main aims; "halting the Islamisation of Britain" and "promoting British values and assimiliation rather than multiculturalism".

Mr Buckby was formerly tipped to be a leading figure in the BNP while a member of its youth wing the BNP Crusaders and has been described as an "heir apparent to Nick Griffin", the former party leader. However, Mr Buckby left the BNP, citing concerns that the partys views had become racist.

Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London AFP Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes to Labour Party MP Jo Cox are placed on her houseboat in Wapping in London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures The Union flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House in London after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (2R) and deputy leader Tom Watson (L) light candles as they attend a vigil to slain Labour MP Jo Cox in Parliament square in London AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson (rear) arrive to leave tributes at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People leave St Peter's Church after a vigil in memory of Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flowers left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminste, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People react as they look at tributes left for Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A man writes a message at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People stop to look at tributes left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman arrives to lay flowers at a statue to Joseph Priestly in Birstall near to the scene where Labour MP Jo Cox was shot AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman places candles in tribute to Labour Party MP Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A member of the public signs a memorial for British MP Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London EPA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People sign messages of condolence for MP Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square in London Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flags at half mast outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People arrive in Market Square with floral tributes after the death of Jo Co Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are placed in Market Square next to the statue of Joseph Priestley following the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are brought to the scene after the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A police officer carries bunches of flowers at the scene of the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall REUTERS

In a statement announcing his decision to stand, he wrote: While the murder of Jo Cox is tragic, we must not let this tragedy blur the fact that the Labour Party is responsible for the demographic and cultural assault on Britain which has already done great damage in areas of Yorkshire.

Too much is at stake to allow Labour to retake Batley and Spen unchallenged. The constituency is part of a region that has been turned upside down by mass immigration, with mosques sprouting like triffids, Islamic extremism proliferating, child-rape gangs still on the loose, and long-standing English communities under threat of demographic eradication.

The Labour Party has blood on its hands. And by shutting down debate and labelling working class people concerned about their communities as racists, they risk driving desperate, disenfranchised people to further horrendous acts like this.

Announcing his campaign on social media, he also said he supported capital punishment for the person responsible for Ms Coxs death. He wrote: Liberty GB calls for a referendum on the restoration of capital punishment. I support it, and I say we hang the Jo Cox killer.

 Thomas Mair appears in court

He also criticised the decision of many members of the public to donate to the charity Hope Not Hate to honour the Labour MP who worked to improve community relations in her West Yorkshire constituency. He wrote: Nasty Hope Not Hate being given tens of thousands of pounds from the Jo Cox fundraising. And they moan about people politicising the killing.
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David Cameron has appealed to Labour supporters not to vote for Brexit in an attempt to kick him out of Downing Street.

In his last major television appearance of the campaign Mr Cameron pleaded with voters not to muddle up the future of this politician or that politician with the EU referendum.

It is an irreversible decision. There is no going back, he said.

Mr Cameron faced tough questions on immigration, Turkeys membership of the EU and benefits payments to EU migrants.

But the Prime Minister insisted that the UK would be going back to square one if voters backed leave and repeated George Osbornes claim that it would be necessary to put up taxes or cut spending in the event of Brexit.

I am absolutely convinced our economy will suffer if we leave, he said.

We will have less growth, we will have less jobs, we will have less livelihoods for people in our country."You don't gain money by leaving the EU. You make your economy smaller, you have fewer jobs, less tax revenues so therefore you have a big hole in your public finances.

If we leave and the experts are right  there will be no saving from (leaving) the EU.

Referring to Mr Osbornes warning that he would have to implement an emergency budget if the UK voted to pull out Mr Cameron said: You cant leave it. You have to put up taxes, cut saving or let borrowing rise.

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.

Mr Cameron also revealed that he would block Turkeys membership of the EU if it came up in the next few years.

But he insisted that would not happen and accused leave campaigners of distorting the debate for their own ends.

It is the biggest red herring of the referendum debate, he said.

People are getting leaflets from Leave campaign that are completely untrue.

He added: If it was going to happen in the next couple of years I would not support it. But it is not going to happen.

Mr Cameron also invoked Winston Churchill urging voters not to walk away from Europe. He said he sits a few yards away from where Churchill decided to go it alone in the fight against Hitler in Europe adding that he didnt quit and we shouldnt quit either.

On immigration Mr Cameron admitted that it had been a difficult issue to get to grips with but said even outside of the EU it was unlikely that migration would fall significantly.

Is it really worth leaving the single market to make progress on this issue (immigration), he said.

I dont think it is. There is no silver bullet to deal with this issue.

Mr Cameron admitted that many members of the public had found the debate confusing but stressed they should remember there was no going back on a decision to leave.

His appearance on the programme came as:

Three new polls showed the remain campaign pulling back into the lead. A YouGov poll found support for remain up 5 points to 44 per cent while support for leave has fallen 3 points to 43 per cent. Another poll for the Independent on Sunday suggested that the murder of Jo Cox may have swayed some voters to turn away from Brexit.

Britain's biggest banks said they were drafting in staff to work through the night on Thursday amid fears a Brexit could send shockwaves through financial markets. Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and US giants such as JP Morgan Chase and Citi are among those calling in senior traders and workers.

Boris Johnson sought to dial down the Leave campaigns rhetoric about immigration by calling for an amnesty to be given to migrants who entered the UK illegally more than 12 years ago. However, he was shouted down by some members of the crowd when he made the announcement with some people booing and shouting no.

Nigel Farage faced a furious attack from other Brexit campaigners for using an image of desperate refugees in a Ukip leaflet. Michael Gove today admitted he shuddered when he saw the poster while George Osborne said it was disgusting and vile. He added that it had echoes of 1930s propaganda.

In the final Sunday of the campaign both leave and remain sides were out in force trying to persuade those who have yet to make up their minds to support their cause. Campaigning was suspended on Friday and yesterday following the murder of Jo Cox.

George Osborne stepped up warnings of the threat to the economy saying that the damage could be "quite a lot worse" than even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was predicting with hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake.

For the Leave camp, Justice Secretary Michael Gove insisted Britain would be able to cope with "whatever the world throws at us" outside the EU.

Recommended Read more The four questions that could undo David Cameron on Question Time

However the Ukip leader Nigel Farage admitted the campaign had lost momentum following its suspension in the wake of the alleged murder last Thursday of Mrs Cox in her West Yorkshire constituency.

"We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy. It has had an impact on the whole campaign for everybody. When you are taking on the establishment, you need to have momentum," he told ITV's Peston on Sunday.

Amid heightened sensitivity over the way immigration has featured as an issue in the campaign, Mr Farage found himself under attack from senior figures on both sides over a controversial Ukip poster showing migrants queuing to get into the EU under the slogan "Breaking Point".

Mr Farage rejected claims that he was stoking up hatred, complaining that he was the one who was being targeted.

"I think I have been a politician who has been a victim of it," he said. "When you challenge the establishment in this country, they come after you, they call you all sorts of things."

 EU kiss-a-thon for UK to stay

With immigration set to be one of the key issues in the remaining days of the campaign, the official Vote Leave campaign seized on an admission by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that there could be no upper limit as long as Britain was in the EU.

"I don't think you can have one while you have the free movement of labour," he told The Andrew Marr Show.

Concerns about immigration have widely been blamed for driving traditional Labour voters to swing heavily towards Leave.

The pro-Brexit Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who chairs Vote Leave, said his comments exposed the inability of the Remain camp to control numbers coming into the UK.

"They have no plan for how we will fund the NHS so it can cope with the extra pressures that staying in the EU will create," she said.

"They have no plan for where we will build the extra houses and they have no plan to help people who will see further pressure on their pay packets."
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David Cameron has been accused of being a twenty-first century Neville Chamberlain during a Question Time special on the EU, by an audience member comparing the bloc to Hitler's Germany.

Members of the public were given the chance to grill the Prime Minister on Sunday evening as he made his last pitch for Remaining before Thursdays referendum.

The audience was made up evenly of Leave and Remain supporters, but the questions soon became overtly hostile, with little support in the room for Mr Camerons claims.

And one man challenged the Prime Minister, saying:  Mr Cameron, you say that your policy that youve negotiated with Europe cannot be overruled - it can.

"So are you really the twenty-first century Neville Chamberlain, waving a piece of paper in the air, saying to the public 'This is what I have, I have this promise where a dictatorship in Europe can overrule it? Simple question, yes or no.

The man was referring to Mr Camerons attempts to renegotiate certain elements of EU membership in advance of the referendum, including limiting migrants access to unemployment and child benefits.

But the audience member suggested it was akin to Chamberlain's programme of appeasement during Hitlers expansion in Europe. That Prime Minister led Britain through the first months of the Second World War, before being replaced by Winston Churchill.

Mr Cameron dismissed the comparison, saying: What I can say to you is the other 26 Prime Ministers and Presidents have agreed it. They know if Britain votes to remain, they will implement it. This is not some empire and dictatorship, were proving through this referendum that if Britain wants to leave it, it can. Were a sovereign country, we choose to join.

Earlier on Sunday, other senior politicians from both campaigns made their final pitches for either side as they enter the last few days of the referendum campaign. Boris Johnson called for an amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been living in the UK for more than twelve years.

While Michael Gove, also from the Leave campaign, distanced himself from Nigel Farages anti-immigration poster, saying When I saw that poster, I shuddered. I thought it was the wrong thing to do.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA 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

Chancellor George Osborne also criticised the poster on behalf of the Remain campaign, calling the content: disgusting and vile.

The UK will head to the polls on Thursday, with results expected to emerge in the early hours of Friday morning.
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David Cameron is a man well used to facing hostile television audiences - but he is used to coming out on top. This time last year he had just survived a bruising election campaign during which he had taken part in a very similar Question Time programme as he will do tonight. But the stakes are high - and avoiding any gaffes will be the order of the day. Here we humbly suggest what the Question Time audience should ask the Prime Minister - and what they should press him on if he tries to dodge the question.

Will you veto Turkeys membership of the EU?

One of the key claims of the leave campaign is that Turkey is in line to join the EU and up to one million new migrants could come to live and work in the UK. The Remain campaign has pointed out that all EU countries have a veto on any new country joining. So would Cameron exercise this veto? If not why not?

Why have you changed your tune on the economic impact of Brexit?

Last November  before he came out for a remain vote - Cameron said: I am not saying for one moment that Britain couldnt survive outside the European Union. No one doubts that Britain is a proud, successful, thriving country. Whether we could be successful outside the European Union is not the question. So has he changed his mind  or did he just not know then what he knows now?

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.

Youve accused Boris Johnson and Michael Gove explicitly of misleading the British people with their claims about Brexit. Do you want liars in your Cabinet after May 23?

David Cameron has made very clear he thinks Mr Gove and Mr Johnson are knowingly making misleading claims to try and win the referendum. That being the case, it is hard to see how he would want them back in his Government. Yet it seems he does - and he should be made to explain why.

How can you stay as Prime Minister if you lose?

There is no way Mr Cameron will stay on as Prime Minister if he loses the referendum, but he refuses to say so. He needs to explain how he could credibly negotiate Britains exit from the EU as a discredited leader who has lost a referendum that he called and failed to persuade voters to back his cause.
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The first opinion polls on the EU referendum since the killing of the MP Jo Cox have suggested the Remain campaign is pulling back into the lead.

There has been widespread speculation that the Labour MP's death could result in a shift in public opinion against the Leave campaign.

On Saturday, an exclusive Comres poll for The Independent that was carried out either side of the killing suggested there may have been a swing in support towards the pro-EU camp.

Of the 2,046 interviews carried out in the poll, 200 were done after the news of the attack emerged.

Andrew Hawkins, the chairman of the Comres, said the killing might have influenced responses: Not all respondents will have learned of the attack immediately," he said. "And the results should be taken with a degree of caution, but across all emotions reaction to a Leave vote was more negative among those interviewed after 2pm on Thursday.

And since then, three more polls have shown a significant shift in support following a week in which the Brexit camp appeared to be gaining a significant advantage.

Nigel Farage has acknowledged that the drive to win over waverers may have been hit by Mrs Cox's death.

"We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy," he told Peston on Sunday. "It has had an impact on the whole campaign for everybody.

"When you are taking on the establishment, you need to have momentum. I don't know what's going to happen over the course of the next three to four days, but (this was) the action of one person with serious mental issues. What we saw was an act of terrorism."

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.

He added: "It is difficult to tell, but I think those who have made up their minds to leave, because they want to get control over their country back, will go out and vote on Thursday."

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times found support for Remain is up 5 points to 44 per cent while support for Leave has fallen 3 points to 43 per cent.

About 1 in 10 voters are still undecided but, when pushed to predict which side they are more likely to support, 20 per cent plump for Remain  almost double the 11 per cent who say they are more likely to vote to Leave.

YouGovs previous survey carried out last Monday had Leave up seven points.

But the organization said they had detected a steady shift in opinion since then  with more undecided voters backing Remain. Sources in the Remain campaign say their private polling backs this up.

The YouGov findings also appeared to be backed up by two other opinion polls also published on Sunday.

A Survation poll for The Mail On Sunday found Remain had opened up a three-point lead in the wake of the killing.

The poll was gathered on Friday and Saturday after Ms Coxs death and showed Remain on 45 per cent with Leave on 42 per cent.

 All you need to know about the EU referendum

The findings reversed the result of Survation data on Thursday which had Leave ahead on 45 per cent and Remain on 42 per cent.

An Opinium poll for the Observer put both sides on 44 per cent, with 10 per cent saying they are undecided.

The online survey of more than 2,000 people was taken between last Tuesday and Friday, with 80% of the polling conducted before the death of Ms Cox.

The Comres poll also showed that the number of people delighted if the UK votes to leave the EU fell from 45 per cent to 38 per cent and the number delighted if we stay rose from 27 per cent to 36 per cent.

Similarly, the number disappointed if we leave rose from 32 per cent to 40 per cent and those disappointed if we remain fell from 44 per cent to 40 per cent.

The EU referendum debate has so far been characterised by bias, distortion and exaggeration. So until 23 June we will be running a series of question and answer features which will explain the most important issues involved in a detailed, dispassionate way to help inform your decision.

Will we gain or lose rights by leaving the European Union?

What will happen to immigration if there's Brexit?

Will Brexit make the UK more or less safe?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

What will Brexit do to UK trade?

How Brexit will affect British tourism

What will Brexit mean for British tourists booking holidays in the EU?

Will Brexit help or damage the environment?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

What will Brexit mean for British tourists booking holidays in the EU?

Will leaving the EU save taxpayers money and mean more money for the NHS?

What will Brexit mean for British expats?
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Michael Gove and George Osborne have attacked a controversial anti-migrant poster from Nigel Farage designed to convince voters to support Brexit.

The poster, depicting a line of desperate refugees trying to reach Europe, was launched by Farage last week under the headline "Breaking Point".

It was widely condemned by the Remain campaign at the time, but now even Mr Gove  who is leading the Leave campaign  said the poster was entirely inappropriate as part of efforts to persuade voters to pull out of the EU..

When I saw that poster I shuddered, he told the Andrew Marr Show. I thought it was the wrong thing to do.

"I am pro-migration but I believe that the way in which we secure public support for the continued benefits that migration brings and the way in which we secure public support for helping refugees in need is if people feel they can control the numbers overall coming here."

Mr Osborne was equally scathing of Mr Farage's attempts to persuade voters describing it as disgusting and vile. He added it had echoes of 1930s propaganda.

The Chancellor told Peston on Sunday: "There are perfectly legitimate concerns about migration, concerns that are felt in every Western democracy in the world.

"But I think there is a difference between addressing those concerns in a reasonable way and whipping up concerns, whipping up division, making baseless assertions that millions of people are going to come into the country in the next couple of years from Turkey, saying that dead bodies are going to wash up on the beaches of Kent, or indeed putting up that disgusting and vile poster that Nigel Farage did, which had echoes of literature used in the 1930s.

Despite his condemnation, Mr Gove defended statements made by the Vote Leave campaign on the number of Turks who could come to the UK if it votes to stay in the EU.

What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to 20 billion every year

He said such claims were justified on the grounds that it was British policy to support Turkeys membership of the EU.

On the same programme, Jeremy Corbyn also attacked the Ukip poster describing it as appalling. He said it showed the extent to which the far right had captured the Brexit campaign.

But Mr Corbyn will have irritated the remain campaign leadership with his comment that Britain would never be able to control migration from the EU as it was integral to the single market.

While he went on to stress that he didnt think Britain had uncontrolled migration, he nonetheless showed little empathy for Labour voters worried about the effects of EU workers on jobs and public services.

Instead he suggested the Government should introduce a migrant impact fund to help communities cope with large levels of immigration.

I think weve had endless years of newspaper headlines blaming everything on immigration, he said.

You dont blame people  bring people together to make a better society for all.

The poster has been reported to the police under the pretext that it allegedly incites racial hatred.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said the vile poster, which depicts a column of impoverished refugees under the text BREAKING POINT, breached race laws.

The EU referendum debate has so far been characterised by bias, distortion and exaggeration. So until 23 June we were running a series of question and answer features that explain the most important issues in a detailed, dispassionate way to help inform your decision.

What is Brexit and why are we having an EU referendum?

Does the UK need to take more control of its sovereignty?

Could the UK media swing the EU referendum one way or another?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

Will we gain or lose rights by leaving the European Union?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

Will leaving the EU lead to the break-up of the UK?

What will happen to immigration if there's Brexit?

Will Brexit make the UK more or less safe?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

Will leaving the EU save taxpayers money and mean more money for the NHS?

What will Brexit mean for British tourists booking holidays in the EU?

Will Brexit help or damage the environment?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

What will Brexit mean for British expats in Europe?
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Nigel Farage has admitted that Jo Coxs murder could damage his campaign to pull Britain out of the European Union and claimed that he too had been a victim of political hatred.

The Ukip leader said that prior to Ms Coxs murder, the Brexit campaign had momentum that may have been lost as a result of the killing.

He also described the murder as an act of one man with serious mental health issues that should not be allowed to influence the campaign.

Speaking to Peston on Sunday he said: I think we had momentum before this terrible tragedy, he said.

When you are taking on the establishment you need to have momentum. I dont know whats going to happen over the next three or four days.

Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London AFP Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes to Labour Party MP Jo Cox are placed on her houseboat in Wapping in London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures The Union flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House in London after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (2R) and deputy leader Tom Watson (L) light candles as they attend a vigil to slain Labour MP Jo Cox in Parliament square in London AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson (rear) arrive to leave tributes at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People leave St Peter's Church after a vigil in memory of Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flowers left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminste, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People react as they look at tributes left for Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A man writes a message at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People stop to look at tributes left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman arrives to lay flowers at a statue to Joseph Priestly in Birstall near to the scene where Labour MP Jo Cox was shot AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman places candles in tribute to Labour Party MP Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A member of the public signs a memorial for British MP Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London EPA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People sign messages of condolence for MP Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square in London Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flags at half mast outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People arrive in Market Square with floral tributes after the death of Jo Co Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are placed in Market Square next to the statue of Joseph Priestley following the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are brought to the scene after the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A police officer carries bunches of flowers at the scene of the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall REUTERS

Its difficult to tell. But those who have made up their minds to leave  I think they will go out and vote.

Mr Farage was also condemned by the Labour MP Yvette Cooper for suggesting that he had been a victim of hatred in politics.

Mr Farage denied that he was responsible for whipping up hate against immigrants and added: I think Ive been a politician that has been a victim of it [hatred] to be honest with you, he said.

Recommended Read more Rival MPs could sit together in Commons in memory of Jo Cox

But Ms Cooper said: Nigel Farage is still trying to whip up fear and hatred towards refugees who are fleeing from conflict. It was extremely ill-judged of him describe himself as a victim.

Earlier, one of the Leave campaign leaders, Michael Gove, admitted he "shuddered when he saw a controversial anti-migrant poster designed to convince voters to support Brexit.

The poster, depicting a line of desperate refugees trying to reach Europe, was launched by Mr Farage last week under the headline "Breaking Point".

It was widely condemned by the Remain campaign. But today even Mr Gove said the poster was entirely inappropriate as part of efforts to persuade voters to pull out of the EU..

 Family pays tribute to Jo Cox

When I saw that poster I shuddered, he told The Andrew Marr Show. "I thought it was the wrong thing to do.

However, Mr Gove went on to defend statements made by the Vote Leave campaign on the number of Turks who could come to the UK if we stayed in the EU.

He said such claims were justified on the grounds that it was British policy to support Turkeys membership of the EU.

On the same programme the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also attacked the Ukip poster describing it as appalling. He said it showed the extent to which the far right had captured the Brexit campaign.

On Monday, MPs from different political parties could give up their tradition places in the House of Commons tomorrow in a show of unity in memory of Ms Cox.

Parliament is due to be recalled on Monday to allow MPs to pay tribute to the Labour MP, who was murdered outside a constituency surgery last week.

Under a plan being considered, MPs would not sit along normal party lines for the debate but instead spread around the chamber.

Jeremy Corbyn said he had heard the idea suggested and was interested in it. I received that suggestion last night, he told the Andrew Marr Show. Were thinking about that."

He added: An MP dies and it is an attack on all of us. In her memory we have to create a more tolerant society.

The EU referendum debate has so far been characterised by bias, distortion and exaggeration. So until 23 June we were running a series of question and answer features that explain the most important issues in a detailed, dispassionate way to help inform your decision.

What is Brexit and why are we having an EU referendum?

Does the UK need to take more control of its sovereignty?

Could the UK media swing the EU referendum one way or another?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

Will we gain or lose rights by leaving the European Union?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

Will leaving the EU lead to the break-up of the UK?

What will happen to immigration if there's Brexit?

Will Brexit make the UK more or less safe?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

Will leaving the EU save taxpayers money and mean more money for the NHS?

What will Brexit mean for British tourists booking holidays in the EU?

Will Brexit help or damage the environment?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

What will Brexit mean for British expats in Europe?
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The owner of a gunshop in Ohio has been shot and killed as a weapons safety class was taking place at his business.

James Baker, 64, was in a room adjoining the class where a lesson was underway for around 10 people permitted to carry concealed weapons, when one gun was apparently discharged by accident.

Sheriff AJ Rodenberg told local media that one of the students fired by accident while practicing weapons-malfunction drills. Mr Baker was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday afternoon.

James Baker was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday afternoon (WCPO-TV)

The lesson had been taking place at the KayJay Gun Shop, which sells, repairs and engraves firearms and has the authorisation to manufacture its own guns and ammunition. It is located in Monroe Township, 25 miles southeast of Cincinnati.

Neighbour Anita Fritz recalled Mr Baker as a man who was much loved and spent his life teaching others how to protect themselves.

I cant say enough about him  how much he was loved by the whole community  and we lost someone really special, she told the WCPO-TV news channel. He loved and wanted to protect. Thats why he did what he did.

Another neighbor Sherri Ward, said Mr Baker serviced law enforcement officers weapons. He was very well known in the community as a result of his work and his friendly attitude, she said.

According to the gun shops website, the class taught basic pistol safety, gave students range time and reviewed Ohios gun laws. The student who fired the weapon has not been identified.
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A man has been arrested after he allegedly groped a 13-year-old girl during a flight.

Chad Cameron Camp, 26, is accused of repeatedly groping the teenager for half an hour during the flight from Dallas to Portland on Wednesday night.

A flight attendant told investigators she saw Camp's hand near the girl's crotch, CNN reports. She said she made Camp change seats after noticing a single tear on the girl's cheek.

Camp sat next in the middle seat next to the unaccompanied teenager, despite other seats being available.

He leaned against the girl, nudged her, touched her with his elbow and placed his hands on her knee and upper thigh three times, according to the complaint.

Chad Cameron Camp, 26, is accused of repeatedly groping the teenager for half an hour during the flight from Dallas to Portland (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)

Camp was arrested by police and FBI agents when the plane landed in Oregon and charged with abusive sexual contact.

She is already saying she doesnt want to be on an airplane ever again, attorney Brent Goodfellow told KOIN 6.

I sat with the family for about 3 hours she didnt want to be touched by her mom, every time she went to give her kind of a loving touch she would jump.

Mr Goodfellow said the family plans to file a civil suit against American Airlines.

According to the airline's website, adults can pay an extra $150 for "unaccompanied minor service" for children aged 5-17.

They didnt make him move, they let him sit there until she was abused for 30 minutes, he said.

From what I understand she was the only child on the airplane that evening, so it would have been pretty easy to take a few small steps.

Camp remains in custody at Multnomah County jail.
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Omar Mateen never visited Hanks, one of the oldest gay bars in central Florida. At least, not as far as the regulars know.

But as Orlando marks a week since Mateen launched his devastating attack on the Florida city  with mourners at some of the first funerals forced to endure further pain by the presence of anti-gay activists  plenty of people at Hanks have an opinion as to what drove the gunman to act.

As investigators have focussed on the 29-year-olds past  his apparent online radicalisation, his reported visits to gay bars and the suggestion he himself may have been gay or bisexual  an image has emerged of an individual who was confused, angry and ill-at-ease.

People take part in a candlelight memorial service the day after a mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando (Reuters)

I think he was involved with someone, and then something happened, said a regular who gave his name as Orlando. He was very good-looking. He would not have gone unnoticed. Then something happened and he lost it and went crazy.

The clientele at Hanks, a spit-and-sawdust establishment that offers only beer and where people take turns to play pool and play darts, admitted they had no specific information about either Mateen or the case. But their comments about the challenge of coming out as a gay man, particularly in a conservative environment and the impact of seeking to repress ones genuine feelings, may add to the pot of sometimes contradictory evidence and information being examined by FBI investigators. Just one week before he bought guns and set out on a killing spree, for instance, Mateen went to a clinic to donate his own blood.

I think he was gay. There are a lot of gay men who fight it all their lives, said a man called Bob, visiting Orlando from Arkansas. They get married and have kids. Then they reach a point and they just snap. I think he just snapped. Ive seen if before. Its usually after theyve had the kids and they have had all they can.

Bob, who is in his 60s, said he knew what it felt for a gay man to be unable to live openly. He said that even now, while his friends knew he was gay, he felt he couldnt tell his elderly mother or his sisters, who were stanch Pentecostal Christians. It would destroy her, he said. For them, homosexuality is the worst sin.

A week after 49 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded, many of them gravely, up to 20,000 people are due to take part in another vigil on Sunday night to honour the victims. Meanwhile, more details have emerged about Mateen, who was born in New York, whose parents were from Afghanistan and who was married to his second wife. They lived in a flat in an apartment building in Fort Pierce, two hours from Orlando.

A picture of Mateen has emerged of a man who was angry and confused (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

Investigators are questioning his wife, Noor Salman, and his father, Seddique Mateen, amid reports that his wife was aware he was planning some sort of attack but failed to inform the authorities. She has reportedly told investigators she was not aware of specific details, although she reportedly once dropped him off at the Pulse night club so that he could scope it out.

Both Matens wife and father have been added to the no-fly list that will prevent them boarding a commercial airline until investigators conclude what role they played, if any, in the shooting.

Matens father has said he was son was a good child. He has condemned the attack, but in a possible insight to the environment in which the young man was raised, he told reporters it was Gods role to punish people for the sin of homosexuality.

I dont know what made him [do this], I have no idea, I had no idea that he felt resentful in his heart and had gone to the gay club and killed men and women there, he said, using a derogatory word for gay.

The gunman's father, Seddique Mateen, said he was a 'good son' (AP)

The Associated Press said that Mateen grew up in a home fraught with violence, with his mother accused of beating her husband during their many fights. He had three sisters and no brothers.

Police had arrested Mateens mother, Shahla, on charges of domestic violence in 2002, police records show. Speaking to The Daily Beast, a former Walgreens coworker, Becky Diefendorf, described Shahla Mateen as paranoid.

Officers said they arrested Mateens mother after she and her husband had a heated argument that ended with her pulling his hair and pinching him so hard that it left a mark. According to the police report, her husband claimed she had beaten him before.

Mateens father, reportedly never pressed charges. Mateen, was 16 at the time. After the massacre, the killers ex-wife said he himself abused her.

Daniel Gilroy, a former colleague of Mateens in the security business, told The New York Times, that he was always shaken, always agitated, always mad.

 Who is Omar Mateen?

Americas top law enforcement official, US attorney general Loretta Lynch, said on Sunday that last weeks shooting was both an act of terror and an act of hate.

Speaking on CNN, she declined to say what charges may be brought. She is to travel to Orlando on Tuesday to meet with investigators. She will also on Monday make public, transcripts of phone conversations between the deceased shooter and police as the attack played out.

We're going back and looking at everything we did in our investigation of the killer and our subsequent contact with him, but also, all the information we are receiving to trying and learn his motivations, she said.

Reports said that while Mateen had professed his support for Isis in the final moments of his life and had previously been investigated for possible links to Islamic extremism, any such radicalisation was a recent thing. It was as if something had pushed him to snap.

In Hanks bar, a customer called David who moved to Florida from New York 30 years ago, said it was in many ways a pity that Mateen was not alive to answer the questions of investigators. Instead, people are left with just speculation.

He said he believed it was possible that Mateen was pushed to breaking point, as a result of his inability to deal with his sexuality and to talk openly with his father. Yes, it is possible, he sad. Because in that situation youre driving yourself mad.
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Hundreds of people have dressed as angels to protect mourners at funerals of victims of the Orlando shooting from homophobic protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church.

The Christian fundamentalist organisation are picketing the funerals with signs containing messages such as God Hates Fags and are well known for protesting funeral ceremonies of LGBT people.

Around 200 counter protesters have formed a ring around the funerals, with many wearing large white wings in order to block the church members from seeing or interacting with the mourners.

49 people died when Omar Mateen entered Pulse nightclub in Orlando and began shooting people with a Sig Sauer MCX gun. More than 50 people were also seriously wounded in the attack. Mateen was killed in cross fire with police officers at the scene.

The nightclub is a well-known gay club in the Orlando area and most of the victims were members of the local LGBT community.

The Westboro Baptist church is a small but vocal religious group in the US which is known for their demonstrations at funerals of those who they perceive as falling foul of Gods orders. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the Kansas-based organisation as extremist hate group, and say that they are arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America.

Earlier this week, the church issued a statement saying: God sent the shooter. It read: No coincidence that God is smacking Orlando with grievous sorrow, killing your children with shooters and alligators, when you are about to belly up to fathers day! DONT DO IT! Your faithless dads are to blame for your horrible sorrow.

In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Show all 44 1 /44 In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Frank Escalante AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Luis Daniel Conde AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Brenda Lee Marquez McCool In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Joel Rayon Paniagua AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Jerald Arthur Wright AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Paul Terrell Henry AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Shane Evan Tomlinson AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Antonio Davon Brown AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Jason Benjamin Josaphat AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Enrique L. Rios, Jr. AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Darryl Roman Burt AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Cory James Connell REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Tevin Eugene Crosby AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Jonathan Antonio Camuy-Vega AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Leroy Valentin Fernandez AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Christopher Andrew Leinonen AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Angel L. Candelario-Padro AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Simon Adrian Carrillo-Fernande AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Javier Jorge-Reyes AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Gilberto Ramon Silva-Menendez AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Juan P. Rivera-Velazquez AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Miguel Angel Honorato AP In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Jean Carlos Mendez Perez REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Mercedez Marisol Flores REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Anthony Luis Laureano Disla REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Franky Jimmy De Jesus Velazquez REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Oscar A. Aracena-Montero REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Martin Benitez Torres REUTERS In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Stanley Almodovar Facebook/Stanley Manolo Almodovar III In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Eddie Justice Faebook/ Eddie Justice In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Luis Vielma Twitter/@jk_rowling In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera Facebook/ Eric Rivera In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Juan Ramon Guerrero Facebook/ Juan Ramon Guerrero In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz Facebook/ Peter Gonzalez Cruz In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Amanda Alvear Facebook/ Amanda Alvear In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Anthony Disla Facebook/ Anthony Disla In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Edward Sotomayor Twitter/@ryanraiche In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo Facebook/Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo In pictures: The victims of the Orlando shooting Kimberley Morris Twitter/ @katiezavadski

Executive director of a local LGBT community centre Terry DeCarlo had called for calm and asked people to shower them with love instead of becoming angry with the church protesters.

He said: Lets shower them with our love. We have the ability to counter this hate and show the world once again why we are the City Beautiful and we cannot be broken by hate and those that would challenge our way of life.
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A large movement is underway to recall the judge who ruled in the Stanford rape case but the earliest this could happen is November 2017, according to Stanford law professor Michele Dauber.

The woman chairing the campaign to recall judge Aaron Persky, a white Stanford alumnus who sentenced Stanford student and athlete Brock Turner to six months behind bars for sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated woman behind a dumpster, told The Independent that she is 100 per cent confident their movement will succeed.

She said that after they undergo the legal process of collecting signatures, petitioning and asking Californians to vote on whether or not the judge should be recused, it will take until at least late next year before the judge could be recalled.

Judge Persky has just been re-elected for another term, as he ran unopposed for the position, and Ms Dauber said the only way to challenge his authority on the Brock Turner case before the next election in 2022 is to act now.

Asked whether Ms Dauber is concerned that the judge, who appeared to sympathize with Mr Turner, would rule similarly on other sexual assault cases, she replied: Yes, that worries me.

The judge was removed from a similar sexual assault case this month after Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen quoted the prosecutor's lack of confidence that judge Persky can fairly participate".

Under the state of Californias constitution, judges can be elected and are subject to recall.

The news came days after several potential jurors told the judge they could not serve on a jury in his courtroom due to the Turner sentence.

Meanwhile around two million people have signed two petitions to remove judge Perksy from the Brock Turner case, and Michele Daubers campaign has raised over $90,000.

Democratic congresswoman Jackie Speier, who called for Mr Persky to resign, and around 15 other representatives made history when they took turns to read out the gut-wrenching 12-page victim statement in congress this week.

Recent headlines have also focused on the role played by probation officer Monica Lassettre, whose recommendation for a moderate jail sentence and three years probation was effectively rubber stamped by the judge.

Neither judge Persky or Ms Lassettre could be immediately contacted for comment.

The probation officer said that Brock 'surrendered a hard earned swimming scholarship'; its nonsense and insulting to the victim and to women everywhere, said Ms Dauber.

 Hero Swedish student who stopped Stanford rape describes what he saw

Ms Lassettre used the victims words against her in court to argue that Turner should not spend long in jail.

Quoting Emily Doe, she said: I want him to know it hurt me, but I don't want his life to be over. I want him to be punished, but as a human, I just want him to get better. I don't want him to feel like his life is over and I don't want him to rot away in jail; he doesn't need to be behind bars.

In the victims statement, she responded: When I read the probation officers report, I was in disbelief, consumed by anger which eventually quieted down to profound sadness. My statements have been slimmed down to distortion and taken out of context. I fought hard during this trial and will not have the outcome minimized by a probation officer who attempted to evaluate my current state and my wishes in a fifteen minute conversation, the majority of which was spent answering questions I had about the legal system.

Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Show all 19 1 /19 Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Afghanistan Recommendation: I urge the Government of Afghanistan to adopt legislative reforms to ensure that sexual violence offences are not conflated with adultery or morality crimes and to establish infrastructure for the delivery of protection, health and le gal services to survivors. I call on the Ministry of the Interior to accelerate efforts to integrate women into the Afghan National Police, thereby enhancing its outreach and its capacity to address sexual and gender-based violence Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Central African Republic Recommendation: I urge the authorities of the Central African Republic to ensure that efforts to restore security and the rule of law take into account the prevention of sexual violence and that monitoring of the ceasefire and peace agreement explicitly reflects this consideration, in line with the joint communique of the Government and the United Nations on the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence signed in December 2012. I further encourage the authorities to make the rapid response unit to combat sexual violence operational and to establish a special criminal court Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Colombia Recommendation: I commend the Government of Colombia for the progress made to date and its collaboration with the United Nations, including through the visit of my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict in March 2015. I encourage the authorities to implement Law 1719 and continue to prosecute cases of sexual violence committed during the conflict to ensure that survivors receive justice and receive reparations. Conflict-related sexual violence should continue to be addressed in the Havana peace talks, as well as in the resulting accords and transitional justice mechanisms. Particular attention should be paid to groups that face additional barriers to justice such as ethnic minorities, women in rural areas, children, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals and women abused within the ranks of armed groups. I encourage the Government to scale up its protection measures and share its good practices with other conflict-affected countries Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Congo Recommendation: I urge the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure full implementation of the armed forces action plan against sexual violence, to systematically bring perpetrators to justice and to deliver reparations to victims, including payment of outstanding compensation awards. I call on donors and the United Nations system to support the Government in its efforts and to pay increased attention to neglected areas, including unregulated mining regions Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Iraq Recommendation: I commend the Government of Iraq for its national action plan for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and urge its swift implementation, including by training its security forces to ensur e respect for womens rights. Programmes to support the social reintegration of women and girls released from captivity by ISIL are urgently needed, as is community-based medical and psychological care. The capacity of the United Nations system should be enhanced through the deployment of Womens Protection Advisers or equivalent specialists Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Libya Recommendation: I urge the national authorities in Libya to implement Decree No. 119 and Resolution 904 of 2014 to ensure redress for all victims, including those affected by the current conflict, through the establishment of multisectoral services and the adoption of legislation to categorically prohibit sexual violence Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Mali Recommendation: I urge the Government of Mali, with support from United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, to develop a comprehensive national strategy to combat sexual and gender-based violence and to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers so that services can reach remote areas. I further call on all parties to ensure that conflict-related sexual violence is addressed in the inter-Malian dialogue and that perpetrators of sexual violence do not benefit from amnesty or early release Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Myanmar Recommendation: I urge the Government of Myanmar to continue with its reform agenda and, in the process, take practical and timely actions to protect and support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and to ensure that security personnel accused of such crimes are prosecuted. Sexual violence should be an element in all ceasefire and peace negotiations, excluded from the scope of amnesty provisions and addressed in transitional justice processes. It is critical that women be able to participate consistently in and influence these processes Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Somalia Recommendation: I reiterate my call to the Federal Government of Somalia to implement the commitments made under the joint communique of 7 May 2013 and its national action plan to combat sexual violence in conflict, including specific plans for the army and the police. I encourage the adoption of a sexual offences bill as a matter of priority Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life South Sudan Recommendation: I urge the parties to the conflict in South Sudan to adopt action plans to implement the commitments made under their respective communiques. I call upon the Government of South Sudan to address the negative impact of customary law on womens rights and to reflect international human rights standards in national law. I also encourage the African Union to make public and act upon the report of its Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Sudan (Darfur) Recommendation: I call upon the Government of the Sudan to grant the United Nations and its humanitarian partners unfettered access for monitoring and the provision of assistance to people in need in Darfur. Given that there has been grave concern over sexual violence in Darfur for more than a decade, I encourage the Government to engage with my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict to develop a framework of cooperation to address the issue comprehensively Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Syria Recommendation: I acknowledge the Governments invitation to my Special Representative to visit the Syrian Arab Republic and call upon the authorities, in the context of such a visit, to agree on specific measures to prevent sexual violence, including by members of the security forces. I condemn the use of sexual violence by ISIL and all other parties listed in the annex to the present report and call on them to cease such violations immediately and allow unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Yemen Recommendation: I urge the authorities in Yemen to undertake legislative reform as a basis for addressing impunity for sexual violence, ensuring the provision of services for survivors and aligning the minimum legal age of marriage with international standards. I further call on the authorities to engage with local community and faithbased leaders to address sexual and gender-based violence and discriminatory social norms Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Bosnia and Herzegovina Recommendation: I urge the relevant authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to harmonize legislation and policies so that the rights of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence to reparations are consistently recognized and to allocate a specific budget for this purpose. I further call upon the authorities to protect and support survivors participating in judicial proceedings through, inter alia, referrals to free legal aid, psychosocial and health services, as well as economic empowerment programmes Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Ivory Coast Recommendation: I urge the Government of Cote dIvoire to ensure the effective implementation of its national strategy to combat gender-based violence and the action plan for FRCI, and call on the international community to support these efforts. It is critical to accelerate disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and strengthen law enforcement to ensure that ex-combatants who have been reintegrated into the transport sector do not pose a risk to women and girls who are reliant on those services. The Government and the international community must provide monitoring and awareness-raising to mitigate the possibility of a recurrence of sexual violence in the context of the presidential elections to be held in October 2015 Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Liberia Recommendation: I call on the Government of Liberia to continue its critical efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence including through the United Nations-Government of Liberia Joint Programme, and in the context of recovery from the Ebola virus epidemic Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Nepal Recommendation: I encourage the Government to ensure that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence are recognized under the law as conflict victims, which will enable them to access services, judicial remedies and reparations. I further call on all parties involved in the transitional justice process to ensure that the rights and needs o f survivors of sexual violence are addressed in institutional reforms and that these crimes are excluded from amnesties and statutes of limitations Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Sri Lanka Recommendation: I call upon the newly elected Government of Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of sexual violence, including against national armed and security forces, and to provide multisectoral services for survivors, including reparations and economic empowerment programmes for women at risk, including war widows and female heads of household Countries where sexual violence has become a way of life Nigeria Recommendation: I encourage the Government to implement its national action plan on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) to ensure that womens protection concerns are mainstreamed throughout its security operations. I also call upon the authorities to guarantee security in and around internally displaced persons camps and to extend medical and psychosocial services to high-risk areas

Ms Dauber told The Independent that the victim likely did not even know that probation was an option, as the minimum sentence for this crime in California is two years in prison.

The victim was merely trying to tell Ms Lassettre during their 15-minute interview that she did not wish for Turner to spend 14 years in jail, the maximum sentence, according to Ms Dauber.

Ms Dauber urged people not to pinpoint responsibility on probation officer Ms Lassettre, however, as the final decision lay with the judge, an elected official.

The legislature gives the authority to the judge. The judge is not supposed to defer to the probation report, she said.

One of the offenses he [Brock Turner] was convicted for - assault with intent to commit rape - thats presumptively not even eligible for probation under the law. The judge bent over backwards to grant this man probation, she added.

Probation means that the defendant would be out of jail in three months but subject to certain restrictions like not drinking alcohol or owning a firearm.

In the probation report, Turner said his plans for the future include establishing a program for high school and college students to speak out against the college campus drinking culture and the sexual promiscuity that goes along with that.

Ms Dauber said that a registered sex offender would not be allowed near a school in most states, including Ohio where his parents live, and his future plans to speak to high school classes show a lack of remorse or understanding which make him unsuitable for probation.
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Democrats in Texas rarely have much to shout about but the return to San Antonio, where he used to be mayor, by US housing secretary Julian Castro as the marquee speaker at their annual state convention has them a fizz thanks to speculation Hillary Clinton may pick him as her running mate.

Two years after leaving San Antonio, the seventh biggest city in the US, to become the youngest member of President Barack Obamas cabinet, he has steadfastly beaten off questions about his ambitions. I'm not going to get into that. Number one, I've said for a long time, I don't believe that's going to happen, he told reporters late last week. This is a decision that she's going to make and I'm going to be happy to support whatever the ticket is.

Recommended Read more Bernie Sanders signals he will work with Clinton to defeat Trump

The gossip, however, refuses to go away. Mr Castro, whose identical twin brother, Joaquin, is a member of the US Congress, could appeal to Ms Clinton by virtue principally of his heritage. With a grandmother from Mexico, he stands as one of the highest-profile Hispanic political figures in the country. Never mind that his Spanish is actually pretty lousy.

There was some added piquancy to his appearance at the conventions opening session on Friday, because of a coincidental visit to San Antonio at that same moment by the Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, for a fund-raising event, following earlier stops in Dallas and Houston.

Julian Castro would offer a youthful boost to a Clinton ticket (AP)

It did not go unnoticed that a statement from Mr Castro on Thursday denouncing Mr Trumps record with the Latino community did not come directly from his office but rather was circulated to reporters by the Clinton campaign, signalling some already established mutual cosiness.

Donald Trump's message to the Latino community is clear: You are not American, Mr Castro wrote while also taking the property tycoon to task for his stance on LGBT issues. In Trump's America, Latinos wouldn't be welcome, our LGBT brothers and sisters wouldn't be able to marry who they love, and Americans would be discriminated against because of their religion, he added.

In a time where the Latino community is under attack, we need a leader who will be a partner, not someone who treats Latinos like second class citizens. We need a leader who will break down barriers for us, not build a wall. We need a leader who will strive for inclusion, not division, he said, leaving no doubt at all that he was referring to the former first lady.

With Ms Clinton unlikely to reveal her running mate before the Democratic Convention next month, several others names are in the ether. They include Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper as well as senators Tim Kaine of Virginia and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Another Latino who could help her is US labour secretary Thomas Perez

Elected to his first term as San Antonio mayor in 2009 at just 34 years of age  he was younger than any mayor of a major US city  Mr Castro, who is Harvard-educated, made a national splash with a keynote speech at the party national convention four years ago. Mr Obama made similar use of a speaking slot at the 2004 convention to make his name.

If Texan Democrats are getting ahead of themselves with their faith in Mr Castro they might be forgiven. They have not been able to elect one of their own to statewide office in Texas for more than twenty years. It remains a Republican bastion in spite of a recent influx of Latinos as well settlers from other states, notably California, with more progressive traditions.

Finding an Hispanic to be her running mate would have been urgent for Ms Clinton if her likely Republican opponent was threatening to make inroads into the Latino base of support that usually goes to the Democratic Party. But that is hardly the case with Mr Trump, whose entire campaign was kicked off by an effusion of slurs against Mexicans in particular.

So provocative has Mr Trumps rhetoric been thus far, it seems likely his mere presence in the race will spur Hispanics to come out in unusually high numbers to vote against him. If you read the national press the urgency of a Hispanic on the ticket seems to be diminishing, Garry Mauro, who is Ms Clinton's state director in Texas, told Reuters this week.

For that reason, it is possible that Mr Castro might be slipping down her list of preferences. Moreover if you believe the orthodoxy that it helps a presidential nominee to select a running mate from a battleground state, that would also count against him. Ms Clinton winning Texas in any circumstances is as likely as Mr Obama joining the board of the National Rifle Association.

Nor is Mr Castro viewed especially warmly by the progressive left who have thus far been backing Bernie Sanders for the Partys nomination and must now be persuaded to embrace Ms Clinton. In April, a coalition of progressive action groups issued a statement condemning Mr Castro for allowing his department to sell delinquent mortgages to Wall Street banks.

The record attracted a written rebuke of Mr Castro from Democrat Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who serves as co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Your own Distressed Asset Stabilisation Program, which was designed to help right the wrongs of the meltdown years, has been selling homes that once belonged to the families Ive spoken with at rock-bottom prices to the Wall Street entities that created this situation in the first place, he said.

At his own press conference in San Antonio on Friday, Joaquin Castro, came to his brother's defence saying the attacks had been partially politically motivated. I do believe that in some quarters there were politics involved, Castro said. I give credit to a couple of the groups for bringing that issue up that they have brought up before. But I think that there's a way for folks to work together in a positive direction.
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The parents of a Nebraska toddler killed by an alligator at Florida's Walt Disney World have said they are overwhelmed by the support they have received since the death of their son.

Matt and Melissa Graves of Omaha, Nebraska, said in a statement they appreciate the support and love from friends in their community and around the country.

"Melissa and I continue to deal with the loss of our beloved boy, Lane, and are overwhelmed with the support and love we have received from family and friends in our community as well as from around the country," the family said.

"We understand the public's interest, but as we move forward this weekend, we ask for and appreciate the privacy we need to lay our son to rest. Neither Melissa, myself or anyone from our family will be speaking publicly; we simply cannot at this time."

Sara Brady, who is serving as a spokeswoman for the family, declined to comment on when the funeral has been scheduled.

An alligator described as being as long as 7 ft snatched 2-year-old Lane Graves as he waded in shallow water in a lake at a Disney hotel Tuesday night. The boy's remains were found after a long search the following day.

An autopsy showed that he died from drowning and traumatic injuries, according to the Orlando medical examiner.

The boy's father tried to save his son and suffered lacerations (Twitter)

The beach, located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa across a lake from the Magic Kingdom, had "no swimming" signs but no warning about alligators.

The company added alligator warning signs on Friday. The resort's beaches remain closed.

Construction workers have started to put up wooden posts connected with rope along the edge of the lagoon where Graves was snatched.

This story has been corrected to show that Disney added alligator warning signs on Friday.

AP
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At least 11 people, including ten children, are dead after three tourist vessels were caught in a lake storm in Karelia, northwest Russia, the countrys Investigative Committee has said.

All of the children killed in Lake Syamozero, aged between 12 and 15, were from Moscow, according to the citys Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

Mr Sobyanin wrote on Twitter: In Karelia there was a great tragedy. On preliminary data Syamozero killed ten children from Moscow. Condolences to the family and friends.

Representatives of the Ministry of Emergencies, the head of the Department of Social Protection, doctors and psychologists have been sent from Moscow to Karelia.

The tourist convoy caught in the storm was made up of two boats and one raft, according to the Emergencies Ministry.

Rescuers have managed to save 11 people so far, the ministry said in a statement.

Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said there were 47 children and four adults on board the three tourist vessels.

Ekaterina Biktimirova, Karelias Culture Minister, told Russian News Agency TASS: "The group of 49 people started its voyage on Saturday.

"There were children between 12 and 15 years old with a guardian. They were caught by a storm overnight. There are casualties.

"Rescuers have found 11 bodies of children, two more children are still missing."

Only those children who were in life vests managed to survived, childrens rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov wrote on Twitter.

He added: "All children's tourist camps should be inspected. The Emergencies Ministry must agree on all the routes, and take into account the weather conditions.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The children were from a summer camp located near the lake, according to reports. One girl reportedly managed to reach the shore of the local resort by herself.

Lake Syamozero, a large freshwater lake roughly 100km from the border with Finland, is used for fishing, timber rafting and tourism.
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Turkish police have broken up a trans pride march in Istanbul, a leading human rights group have claimed.

Amnesty International Turkey says activists were marching this afternoon when police challenged them and insisted they disperse. They claim 11 people have been detained by police.

On the groups social media accounts they said the march is not being allowed to continue in the city and that negotiations with authorities are on-going.

Videos posted to Twitter appear to show police officers moving towards crowds to form ranks around streets and block participants from continuing in their planned route.

Although LGBT communities are not criminalised in Turkey, many say discrimination continues to affect their lives in the majority Muslim country where homophobia prevails among some sections of society.

Earlier this week, authorities in Istanbul banned trans and gay pride marches from taking place, citing security concerns and arguing the state could not guarantee public order if the marches went ahead.

The trans pride march taking place today is an annual event and the annual gay pride march is due to take place on 26 June.

A far-right group Alperen Hearths issued a warning that it would not tolerate the marches, saying: To our state officials: do not make a deal with us. Either do what is needed or we will do it. We will take any risks, we will directly prevent the march.

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

Last year, police forcibly prevented LGBT marches from taking place, using water cannon to disperse the crowds.

The state argued that the march coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and was therefore inappropriate, as it also falls this year.
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Turkish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd protesting an attack on Radiohead fans for listening to music and drinking beer during Ramadan, it has been reported.

The attackers, who have not been identified and are said to have totalled several hundreds, were reportedly angry that people were consuming alcohol and listening to music during the holy month. They reportedly forcibly entered the Velvet Indieground music shop in Istanbul where a Radiohead listening party was being held, before beating people with pipes, Al Jazeera reports.

The protest was organised in response to the attacks. Those taking part shouted "Shoulder to shoulder against facism" while marching. Skirmishes broke out between police and protesters, after which multiple arrests were reportedly made.

In a statement, Radiohead condemned the attack and said their hearts go out to those attacked.

It said: We hope that someday we will be able to look back on such acts of violent intolerance as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer fans in Istanbul our love and support.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Local mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan also condemned the attack, saying in a statement: The fact that this incident was associated with fasting and that lifestyle, the way this incident was serviced, is a planned assassination of social peace.

People who are trying to dynamite the contribution of Ramadan to social solidarity are going to fail, they will lose those responsible for the attack will be brought to justice.

According to local media reports three people are in custody in relation to the attack.
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New Zealand has increased its refugee quota from 750 to 1,000 per year  and said they should subscribe to "Kiwi values".

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse also confirmed that backgrounds checks will take place before refugees are allowed to live in New Zealand.

This begins with a simple background check, identifying the individual and their family. If an individual, or a member of their extended family, is connected with conflict, they will be ruled out on this basis.

Mr Woodhouse also said engaging in certain cultural practices could mean being turned away, for instance those practicing polygamy would be ruled out from a cultural perspective.

In Australia, refugees are required to sign a value statement, confirming that they understand and agree to respect Australian values such as tolerance, equality between men and women and freedom of religion.

David Seymour, the acting leader of right-wing Act Party, said something similar should be introduced in New Zealand: If youre not prepared to sign up, for instance, that you believe men and women should be treated equally, you shouldnt come to New Zealand, he said.

Though Mr Woodhouse agrees that some values, such as monogamy, need to be understood and accepted by refugees, he does not think that a document is necessary for this to happen, as he has found that refugees are eager to embrace New Zealand culture as part of their new identity: There are tremendously positive signs that these people want to connect with New Zealand society, but at the same time preserve whats good about their society, he said.

Prime Minister John Key agreed that refugees must subscribe to some Kiwi values when entering New Zealand, but said they shouldn't be forced to: "It's good for any person that comes to New Zealand to understand what they're coming to - the place they're coming to and the sort of values and principles that underpin us as a nation.

My experience of migrants when they come to this country is they become very patriotic Kiwis, and so I dont know whether they need a charter for that, he said.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

The New Zealand government has been criticised since the announcement of its increased quota, as campaigners say that increasing the already low number by one third is not good enough. Many have suggested that the government ought to have doubled their initial figure of 750, admitting at least 1500 refugees per year.

Mr Woodhouse says that the low intake numbers reflect a focus on the wellbeing of refugees that are taken in by New Zealand: Not every refugee does well; in fact they do quite poorly on a social basis.

Were doing everything we can to improve the outcome for those we do take. As well as increasing the quantity of those we take, weve got to make sure they do well, and thats what were continuing to focus on.

Mr Woodhouse stressed the importance of tackling barriers to education, paid employment and the learning of the English language  all of which are factors that contribute to social isolation of refugees in Kiwi society.
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Turkish border guards have killed at least eight Syrian refugees, including several children, as families were fired on indiscriminately after attempting to cross into the country, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said.

At least eight others were injured, according to the UK-based violence monitor, with the death toll likely to rise due to the number of people in critical condition.

The Observatory said in a statement: Turkish border guards have committed and are committing massacres against several refugees fleeing from the brutality of the regime and its bombardment since the beginning of the year.

The Syrian National Coalition, an opposition group based in Istanbul and supported by Turkey, gave a higher death toll of 11. It said many of the victims had recently fled the northern Isis-held town of Jarabulus.

In a statement, the Coalition expressed its "surprise and condemnation after this terrible tragedy against our brothers fleeing the regime".

It added: "The deaths of defenceless Syrians contradicts the hospitality of the Turkish government and the Turkish people."

The shooting reportedly took place at the unofficial Khirbet al-Jouz crossing north of the Syrian town of Jisr al-Shugour, which is controlled by jihadist groups.

The Turkish military rejected the claims, maintaining they were "not true".

It said in a statement: Last night there was an attempt to cross the border illegally but no shots were fired directly on people.

"After warning shots, a group of seven to eight people ran towards the woods. Since the beginning of 2016, nearly 60 civilians have been shot while trying to flee across the border from Syria into Turkey, the Observatory says.

Turkey currently houses around 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees  280,000 of whom live in camps. The country has now closed its borders to Syrians.

A Human Rights Watch report released last month accused Turkish border guards of regularly shooting and beating Syrian asylum seekers.

Gerry Simpson, a senior refugee researcher at Human Rights Watch, wrote: While senior Turkish officials claim they are welcoming Syrian refugees with open borders and open arms, their border guards are killing and beating them.

Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Show all 11 1 /11 Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey's two million Syrian refugees There are already over 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, but their current camps can only hold 200,000 people ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish citizens protest a new deal, also criticised by human rights activists, which will see refugees who arrived in Greece after March 20 be sent back to Turkey AP Photo/Emre Tazegu Turkey's two million Syrian refugees An estimated 80% of Syrian refugee children already in Turkey are unable to attend school BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Refugee children beg for water near the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey has been accused of illegally deporting asylum-seekers back to Syria BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees In Turkey, no-one from outside Europe is legally recognised as a refugee, meaning the 2016 deportations may not meet international legal standards for protecting vulnerable people BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A refugee child cries as she is searched by police at the Syria-Turkey border, where 16 refugees (including three children) have been shot dead in the last four months BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Many refugees are living rough on the streets of cities such as Istanbul or Ankara (pictured) ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish soldiers use water cannon on Syrian refugees BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Syrian refugees shelter from rain in the streets of Istanbul BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A derelict building housing Syrian refugees in Istanbul Carl Court/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey houses around half of all the refugees who have currently fled Syria Carl Court/Getty Images

Firing at traumatised men, women, and children fleeing fighting and indiscriminate warfare is truly appalling.

Earlier this year, families who fled the worsening violence in Aleppo told The Independent that Turkish police were regularly opening fire.
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British Airways passengers are facing severe delays after the airline's check-in system crashed, causing a backlog at Gatwick and Heathrow Airports.

The computer glitch reportedly began at Gatwick Airport before spreading to Heathrow Airport.

Passengers took to social media to complain about the delays:

The airline apologised to several passengers on Twitter.

A spokesperson for British Airways said: We have now resolved the IT issue which affected some of our check-in and boarding gate systems at a small number of airports.

We are sorry for the disruption to our customers travel plans and our teams are working very hard to get customers checked-in as quickly as possible.
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If Britain votes to leave the EU on Thursday, it would mean that the four largest parties in the House of Commons, Conservatives, Labour, Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats, most of whose MPs are for Remain, would have been contradicted by the voters who only a year ago sent them to Westminster.

Last week I described what I thought would be the immediate consequences. David Cameron would probably be replaced in October by Boris Johnson, who would start to negotiate the terms of our departure from the EU.

I said I thought the pro-EU majority in both Houses of Parliament would allow those talks to go ahead  it wouldnt try to force Johnson to go for the Norway option, of keeping us in the EUs single market and accepting free movement of EU workers.

Recommended Read more Six reasons not to panic in the event of Brexit

I didnt have time to get to the next stage. I assume that Johnson, if he becomes Tory leader and prime minister in October, would hold a general election, either in November or in the spring of next year.

This would not only secure his own mandate, something Gordon Brown failed to do in 2007, it would resolve the contradiction between direct democracy (a referendum that says Leave) and representative democracy (a parliament that says Remain). Johnson would fight the election on a manifesto committing the Tory party to completing our withdrawal from the EU, and explicitly ruling out the Norway option.

 Boris on campaign trail

Assuming that the Tories win, there would then be a majority in the Commons for Leave. Many Tory MPs might still be Remainers personally, but they would be bound by their manifesto.

Wait a moment, though, you might be thinking. What about the Fixed-term Parliaments Act? Johnson wouldnt be able to call an election, would he? Yes he would. The law should really be called the Flexible-term Parliaments Act while a single party has a majority in the Commons. The procedure would be a bit odd, because it would require the Government to propose a motion of no confidence in itself. If such a motion were passed, as it would be because the Tories have a majority, the Act, framed with a hung parliament in mind, requires a delay of 14 days to allow for the formation of an alternative government. No such alternative would be possible, because the Tory majority would block it, so Parliament would then be dissolved and an election held.

That election would cause Labour more problems than the Tories. Indeed, one of Johnsons secondary reasons for holding an election would be the calculation that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is not well placed to fight it. Labour MPs who thought they had three years to wrestle with their consciences will suddenly, like Republican senators and representatives with Trump, be forced to decide whether they can advocate a vote for their own party.

Apart from that, Labour would have to decide whether it accepted the referendum result. When the parties and the outcome were the other way round in 1975, Tony Benn, the leader of the Labour antis, said he accepted the decision, but he didnt. Eight years later the party fought an election on a promise to take Britain out of the EEC without a referendum.

Labour would be a sideshow, though. The opposition party of consequence would be the SNP. If the UK had voted to Leave, Scotland (and Northern Ireland) would have voted to Remain, unless something peculiar had happened. Nicola Sturgeons dilemma would be whether to go for a second referendum on independence. Opinion polls suggest Scots would vote against independence again, but SNP activists would demand it. She is now thinking of timing Scotlands departure from the UK to coincide with Englands from the EU, so she could present the second Scottish vote as being to keep Scotland in the EU.

The main act, though, would be the Conservative Party. I am told that, when David Cameron surveyed the referendum a few weeks ago, when it looked winnable, he dismissed concerns that the campaign would cause a lasting split. Apart from Europe, he said, the party is united behind my modernisation. Which is a bit like saying that, apart from the anti-capitalism and anti-Americanism, Corbyn is a Blairite.

You have only to say the words foreign aid to realise that there are many other questions on which the Tory party is divided.

So it was a surprise to read Johnson in The Sunday Times last weekend saying the same: I think were more united than people realise. Its much less difficult than the whole Maastricht business was. He said the party would pull together to deliver a one-nation agenda of reforming and improving public services, supplying better infrastructure, because that is the bedrock of a strong, dynamic wealth-creating economy.

Which is a paradox. It is truer when Johnson says it than when Cameron does. If Remain wins, Cameron would have a terrible time trying to keep his EU-phobic party together. If Leave wins, I think Johnson, as leader of a party in touch with public opinion, would have an easier time of uniting his party and carrying all before him.
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In another, less unutterably tragic context, an observation from the judicial figure who remanded Thomas Mair in custody on Saturday might strike you as comical.

Bearing in mind the name he has just given, said Emma Arbuthnot, deputy chief magistrate of Westminster, as she entrusted the self-styled Death To Traitors, Freedom to Britain to Belmarsh, he ought to be seen by a psychiatrist.

Bearing in mind the crime with which he had just been charged, the sobriquet seems a very minor footnote in a chapter of apparent insanity. Screaming Lord Sutch chose an eccentric nom de plume. But in the absence of any allegedly murderous attacks on MPs, or stockpiles of neo-Nazi literature, no one thought to send him forcibly to a shrink.

In the aftermath of the mind-scramblingly gruesome death of Jo Cox, you wonder if Britain, as it has a genius for doing at moments of maximum tumult, is looking in the wrong direction? Whether the nature of Mrs Coxs career was a less powerful influence on the event than Mr Mairs need for help which never materialised?

 Family pays tribute to Jo Cox

It is too soon to speculate about any extent to which this referendum campaign played a part, and vulgarly opportunistic to do so even were it not. Given the reported cry of Britain first as Jo Cox was attacked, of course it is difficult to see the killing in a vacuum, hermetically sealed from this poisonous anti-immigrant atmosphere. But not so difficult, I hope, that anyone would make political capital from the loss of someone who appears to have been saintlier than a democracy has a right to expect of an elected representative.

It is not too soon to ask whether as magnificently humane a woman as Jo Cox would regard Mr Mair as a fellow victim. The week before she died, she discussed concerns about the underfunding of adult mental health services in the area with a Labour councillor. We did talk about  the difficulties for people with mental health problems, said Musarrat Khan, particularly people who dont know how to access the system and fall through the net. Jo had a good understanding of mental health issues.

An unbearably poignant irony becomes more so when you learn that Mr Mair reportedly sought help the very day before the killing. At an alternate therapy centre in Birstall, he is said to have asked for treatment for depression. He said he had been suffering from mental health problems for a long time, but that reflex therapies and others hed tried in the past hadnt helped, said Rebecca Walker, owner of the Birstall Wellbeing Centre. She told him to come back the next day. Time will reveal if Mr Mair had previously sought help from more conventional resources than reflex therapy, but it is a safe assumption that anyone driven to trying alternative remedies had slipped through the net about which Jo Cox and the councillor spoke.

More than 30 years after the Thatcher Government launched the cost-slashing exercise euphemised as Care in the Community, care for the mentally ill has, as is acknowledged across the political divide, degenerated into a mark of national shame.

That is not to claim that a properly funded, well-staffed mental health service would have caught Mr Mair in its net. If all he was willing to admit to was depression, a GP would have done what time-ravaged doctors do in such a common event, reaching automatically for the pad to prescribe an SSRI medication such as Prozac.

Millions upon millions of us stoically endure chronic depression without seeking relief in neo-Nazi publications or brutal attacks. Perhaps even a high functioning NHS would not have discerned that Mr Mairs illness was far more acute and dangerous than depression.

Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London AFP Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes to Labour Party MP Jo Cox are placed on her houseboat in Wapping in London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures The Union flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House in London after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (2R) and deputy leader Tom Watson (L) light candles as they attend a vigil to slain Labour MP Jo Cox in Parliament square in London AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson (rear) arrive to leave tributes at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People leave St Peter's Church after a vigil in memory of Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flowers left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminste, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People react as they look at tributes left for Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A man writes a message at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People stop to look at tributes left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman arrives to lay flowers at a statue to Joseph Priestly in Birstall near to the scene where Labour MP Jo Cox was shot AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman places candles in tribute to Labour Party MP Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A member of the public signs a memorial for British MP Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London EPA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People sign messages of condolence for MP Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square in London Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flags at half mast outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People arrive in Market Square with floral tributes after the death of Jo Co Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are placed in Market Square next to the statue of Joseph Priestley following the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are brought to the scene after the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A police officer carries bunches of flowers at the scene of the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall REUTERS

Such horrors happen, after all, in more progressive countries with far superior mental health care than our own. In Norway five years ago, a neo-Nazi alternately diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and narcissistic personality disorder slaughtered 77 lovely young idealists on their island retreat. Had Anders Behring Breivik previously sought medical help, it is unknowable whether he would have slipped through the Norwegian net. But the odds against it would have been much longer there than here.

Nothing could or ever should make glib sense of Jo Coxs death. Nothing, certainly not a late swing to Remain, should be identified as a silver lining in this doomiest of skies. This is an indivisible tragedy. There can be no consolation.

But it would at least pay some testament to her work and beliefs if Britain were to treat Mr Mair with a portion of her own humanity, and that with which Norway has treated Breivik. And it would be a greater testament if her death becomes seen less as a frontal assault on democracy than cause the net that might have caught Mr Mair to be reinforced.

The deranged will always be among us, and a minute proportion of them will always be potentially lethal. Some will attack politicians, some celebrities, others traffic wardens. However alarming the moment in national life, however ugly and scary the mood, there is no existential threat to our democracy. The threat is to the right to regard ourselves as a civilised nation that treats effective mental health care as an unaffordable luxury.
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And so our membership of one of the worlds greatest multinational partnerships has been reduced to a single-issue protest over immigration. The dog whistle has been dispensed with. Now, with less than a week to go, those who wish us to leave the European Union have plugged their rhetoric into a speaker that emits a continuous low but all too audible hum.

An imagined tidal wave of immigrant bogeymen  from Poles to Romanians, Turks to Syrians  is now the backdrop to the big vote. Polls indicate this crude xenophobia is having its desired effect.

The laser-like focus on immigration has left the Remain side struggling to counter. But with World Refugee Day on June 20th and the referendum just days later, we must call out these tactics for what they are, and get real about immigration in the modern world.

 Farage and Geldof clash

The hostility towards foreigners being espoused by some in the Leave campaign sends a message that we think Britain  like a latter-day King Canute  can hold back the waves of migration sweeping the world; that if we pull up the drawbridge and stick our fingers in our ears, it will all just go away.

That couldnt be more wrong. International migration is a permanent feature of a globalised and interconnected world that tolerates extreme inequalities of wealth and opportunity. And if we look across the whole world  not just Europe  its quite clear that immigration and economic vitality go hand-in-hand. People flock towards centres of opportunity and this fuels growth and job creation. The phenomena are inseparable, especially in countries (like ours) where natural population change is either static or falling.

According to the UN, there were 244 million international migrants in 2015, up from 153 million in 1990 (a 60 per cent increase), plus another 60 million forcibly displaced people.

Whats more, there are 49 countries with a higher proportion of immigrants in their populations than the UK, many of which have (or recently have had) thriving economies. In some of the Gulf States, for instance, immigrants form over two thirds of the total population.

Its notable that the UK has the tenth highest number of its own citizens living abroad worldwide  nearly 5 million  many of whom left our shores to seek better opportunities.

So migration is simply a feature of our world as it is now. Its the new normal. Fortifying our borders in a misguided attempt to protect our wealth without doing anything to redress the global inequalities that are at the root of the problem will solve nothing.

Rather than seeking to withdraw from the world, Britain should be playing a full and active part in creating global prosperity so that people dont feel so straightjacketed by circumstances that they need to escape. The refugee crisis is a case in point. Britain has done precious little to assist, while throwing up obstacles to a fair distribution of refugees across Europe.

Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit Show all 10 1 /10 Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit A Fishing for Leave pro-Brexit "flotilla" makes its way along the River Thames in London PA Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit Boats from the 'Fishing for Leave' campaign group join a flotilla along the Thames River Getty Images Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit Supporters of the EU Remain camp attach banners to Tower Bridge as they await a flotilla of fishing boats campaiging for Brexit to pass under the bridge AFP/Getty Images Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit A Fishing for Leave pro-Brexit "flotilla" alongside HMS Belfast (left) as it makes its way along the River Thames PA Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit Bob Geldof (centre) on board a boat taking part in a pro-EU counter demonstration PA Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit A flotilla of fishing vessels campaigning to leave the European Union REUTERS Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit A boat from the 'Fishing for Leave' campaign group and smaller boats from the 'In' campaign join a flotilla along the Thames River Getty Images Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit A fishing boat campaiging for Brexit passes by the Tower of London AFP/Getty Images Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit A boat decked out in flags and banners from the 'Fishing for Leave' campaign group Getty Images Nigel Farage joins 'Fishing for Leave' flotilla campaigning for Brexit Fishing boats campaiging for Brexit pass under Tower Bridge AFP/Getty Images

The relatively small numbers of refugees that do make it here face the greatest opprobrium of all migrants: while being depicted as being mostly undeserving of our charity, their right to work is often denied while they are nevertheless castigated as a burden.

Taking an active role in the economies of host countries allows refugees to keep their morale high and develop their productive skills and capacities, allowing them to play a key part in post-conflict reconstruction if and when they repatriate.

In this, Britain and Europe could learn something from the experience of Uganda, which (unlike many of its neighbours) has given refugees entering its territory the right to work.

This has not only assisted integration, but also, in the case of Rwandans fleeing the 1994 genocide, enabled them to return home and rebuild their nation, creating one of Africas greater success stories.

The experience of Uganda also shows that, far from taking jobs from citizens, refugees often bring with them an entrepreneurial mindset that in fact creates wealth and jobs.

The mixing up of a Brexit decision with immigration issues will come back to haunt us. Were in danger of putting so much in jeopardy on the basis of the single issue of migration  a worldwide phenomenon that requires a worldwide solution, not a retreat into fairytale delusions that represent a denial of the real world.

Professor Henrietta Moore is director of the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity. She writes in a personal capacity
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At a host of referendum-related events over the past few months, the bigger picture has crystallised. The two big issues are the economy and migration. If you vote Remain  so the analysts say  it will be for economic reasons, despite your misgivings about migration. If Leave is your choice, it will be because your concern about immigration trumps any qualms about damage to the economy. I dont really fit those stark categories.

I am a Remainer, but not because I believe migration  EU or non-EU  has no disadvantages. Relaxed government policies have given us, in my view, a low-wage, low-skilled, low-productivity workforce, and I support the higher minimum wage in the hope this might encourage employers to invest in raising the qualifications of their staff.

Nor am I swayed by the economic arguments  promises or threats. If I had been a young Scot in 2014, I would have voted for independence, confident that control of ones own national destiny was a pearl beyond price and that Scots would be equal to any economic difficulties that ensued. Just look at how the Baltic States and others have thrived.

 Brexit: Iceland divided on UK's decision

But there was a corollary to Scottish independence, which was membership of the EU. The objective was full statehood within the EU, not as a component, however privileged, of the UK. As a citizen of the UK  or a future stand-alone England  I want the same: to belong to a nation state that is a member of the EU. One reason is the protection and clout that comes from membership of a bigger grouping, even for a rich, medium-sized country such as ours. The bigger reasons, though, have to do with identity and idealism.

I consider myself part of the European generation, our lives overshadowed at one remove by our parents experience of war. They had come tantalisingly close to something better. My mother would have spent the summer of 1939 in Switzerland; my father managed a school exchange to Germany the year before. Then conscription, the Blitz and rationing closed in.

As we children grew up, my father was intent on making up for lost time. We took road trips across still-divided Europe  some of which I have reprised now Europe is one. My sister and I studied languages. She lives in Italy; I have reported from all over the Continent. Five years based in Washington convinced me that, for all the attractions of the United States, Europe was where I belonged.

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

I am, if you like, a European fundamentalist. I would have the UK join both Schengen and the euro  the structures might have been more robust had the UK been in. I would be working towards joint security arrangements and EU armed forces.

This time last year, my husband and I drove through new Europe: from Vienna, through Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and back through Germany. The joy of the new Europeans at belonging; the vestiges of old border posts, showing how it used to be; the convenience of the euro (come on, Poland)  all these are successes to be chalked up to the European Union. They are a tribute to my, European, generation.

It would be a catastrophe if Brexit precipitated their loss.
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Most of the EU referendum debate has focused on the economy and immigration. But there is an elephant in the room  unfortunately a very big and ugly one  that hasnt featured in detail at all.

Will our referendum on June 23rd be seen by future historians as the event which triggered the end of the relatively peaceful and stable post-war period on our continent?

Are we about to deliberately scuttle the post-war European settlement which has, in one form or another, helped keep the peace on our continent (in effect, as NATOs European political associate) for most of the past 70 years?

Are we in fact sleep-walking back to the first half of the 20th century when our continent was, on the whole, a divided unstable political basket-case?

 Brexit: Iceland divided on UK's decision

All too many people seem to have forgotten (or have chosen to ignore) what a dysfunctional Europe actually looked like. It wasnt a pretty sight. To undermine our continents stability and security by voting Leave would be like playing Russian roulette with our and our continents future.

Weve been at relative peace here in Europe for seven decades and have been relatively unthreatened by external political/military forces for more than a quarter of a century. We have lulled ourselves into thinking that stability and peace on our continent is the natural state of affairs. Tragically it isnt.

And heres where a brief look at the historical record is spine-chillingly instructive:

The past five centuries conflict statistics tragically reveal our continents propensity for rivalry and war  and demonstrate, with chilling clarity, the crucial need for the continuation of pan-European cooperation.

The 16th century endured no less than ten major European wars, each involving, on average, seven countries/states. At least four million people lost their lives, equal to around five per cent of total average European population at that time.

During the 17th century, our continent was convulsed by only three major conflicts (each involving, on average, 12 countries)  but they were each long and particularly violent (over ten million deaths in total  equal to around ten per cent of average population at the time) and wreaked havoc for 44 per cent of the century.

In the long 18th century (1700 to the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815), nine major wars, each involving, on average, 13 countries, were responsible for the deaths of 9.5 million people, equal to some six per cent of average population at the time.

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

Thanks, in part, to a continent-wide cooperation system (the so-called Concert of Europe), the extended post-Napoleonic 19th century (1815 to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914), experienced massively reduced levels of warfare in Europe, in stark contrast to the suffering of many other parts of our planet.

In those 99 years, there were only two really big European wars (with a total of up to a million people losing their lives  equivalent to substantially less than one per cent of average population at the time), each involving, on average, just three countries.

But, following decades in which European cooperation had gradually weakened, 1914 saw a complete disintegration of European stability and the start of an epoch of unprecedentedly violent and lethal warfare. Over the next 31 years, the two world wars were responsible for the deaths of 90 million people, some 65 per cent of whom died in Europe (equal to around 13 per cent of our continents average population in those decades).

Without doubt, the clearest political implication of all those statistics is that our continents peoples (including the British) need to cooperate in shaping their destiny  or they will tragically discover how painful it is to hang apart.

Over those five centuries, only the 1815-1914 era (much of it associated with the Concert of Europe) and the period since 1945 (associated, of course, with the EU and its immediate predecessors) were relatively peaceful. For the rest of that twenty generation timespan, our continent has ripped itself apart with monotonous regularity and has sometimes also been a target for external or partially external invasions.

Because we are only 20 miles off the coast of continental Europe  and are therefore a geopolitically integral part of our continent, we have always been sucked into European calamities. It is therefore in Britains overwhelming interest to play our full part in ensuring that Europe remains stable, and that calamities do not occur. Prevention is far less painful (for us and our continent) than a cure.

The fundamental political fact that we ignore at our peril is that, in the absence of politically gravitational forces pulling our continent together, centrifugal ones will sadly and inevitably rip it apart.

If we vote to leave Europe on June 23rd, we will unwittingly be encouraging other nations to follow suit. There are already demands for British style EU referenda in France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Extreme right-wing, ultra-nationalist, anti-EU forces have been on the rise in several European countries  and Brexit will massively bolster and encourage them.
Tim Leissner and his wife Kimora at the Weinstein/Netflix after-party for the Golden Globes in 2014 Picture: Getty

A senior ex-Goldman Sachs banker who quit the Wall Street firm after being investigated over a falsified assurance letter - which, it is believed, he had sent to a European bank to assist a Malaysian tycoon's bid to purchase property from Nama - has become embroiled in a $6bn global embezzlement probe.

Tim Leissner, who had close ties to the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and was considered Goldman Sach's point man in Singapore dealing with the fund, was interviewed on January 19 this year in relation to "inaccurate and unauthorised statements" made by him in a June 2015 reference letter.

According to filings with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the US securities industry's self-regulating body, the letter was written without Goldman Sach's knowledge or approval.

Sources close to the case said Leissner's letter had included details about the finances of his client, who is believed to be well-known Malaysian tycoon Jho Low, while overstating the extent to which Goldman Sachs had done due diligence on him.

The letter, which vouched for Low and his finances to a financial institution in Europe, was to be used to help Low reach a deal to buy real estate from the National Asset Management Agency, it is believed.

A day after Goldman Sachs quizzed Leissner over the unauthorised assurance letter, he tendered his resignation with immediate effect. It is not clear if Low progressed any deal with Nama on foot of the letter.

Based in Singapore, Leissner had been a chief advisor to the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, that netted Goldman Sachs hundreds of millions of dollars in commissions for bond sales. The investment bank earned an estimated $593m in commissions and expenses from three bond sales totalling about $6.5bn since 2009.

The fund is one of the biggest investment groups in the world, with advisers including French billionaire Bernard Arnault.

Goldman has severed ties with the controversial fund that is now the subject of a $6bn international embezzlement investigation covering five countries including France, Switzerland and the UK, and allegations that $681m was routed to private bank accounts owned by Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Mr Razak has denied accusations of corruption, which have dogged his government for months. US investigators probing the troubled Malaysian state investment fund have subpoenaed Leissner, Goldman Sachs' former chairman for Southeast Asia. He denies any wrongdoing.

1MDB has said all its investments are accounted and that it would co-operate with any investigations.

Goldman Sachs hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing.

Billionaire tycoon Jho Low, who helped set up 1MDB, has strongly denied that he benefited from alleged improprieties linked to the fund.

Low is well-known in Irish property circles after his Wynton Group firm became embroiled in the bitter and highly public boardroom battle that broke out between Paddy McKillen and the Barclay Brothers for control of the landmark Claridge's, Connaught and Berkeley hotels in London.

The Malaysian-based investor, with backing from 1MDB, approached Nama over buying Derek Quinlan's loans.

According to court filings in the subsequent court action between McKillen and the Barclays, Low "acquired a debt due from Mr Quinlan to Nama in April 2011 which was secured on part of Mr Quinlan's shareholding in the company, bidding more for the debt than the Barclay interests were prepared to pay. The debt was acquired through an associate company called JQ2".

A letter from Wynton Group to shareholders in the hotel group in January 2011 stated that financing for the offer had "in principle been fully underwritten by Malaysian government-backed investment funds".

However, media reports at the time stated that Nama was initially reluctant to engage with 1MDB despite the size of its coffers.
Petroceltic shareholders are confirmed to have their holdings almost entirely wiped out after Worldview took control of the company last Thursday.

Employees managed to win better terms after voting down an initial examinership scheme, getting 20pc of payments, which had been estimated at some 3.6m, due to them under "change of control" clauses in their contracts rather than the 5pc originally proposed.

However, there was no change to the terms which provide for each of 9,034 shareholders to get a payment of 31c each regardless of the size of their holding. Each Petroceltic share was worth 221p as recently as 2014, and Dragon Oil had made an indicative takeover offer at 230p a share but ultimately walked away after turbulence in the markets.

Worldview has prevailed in a bitter battle for control of Petroceltic that has been ongoing since December 2014. Just one year later, Petroceltic announced that it had breached bank covenants, partly as a result of the drop in oil prices. Egyptian exploration assets were sold off to a joint venture partner and the company received a series of rolling waivers from its lenders, until Worldview's examinership application foiled another.

On Thursday night the board at the oil and gas explorer said that it would resign, with Brian O Cathain and Tom Hickey leaving their respective roles as chief executive and finance director.

Worldview chief executive Angelo Moskov said his company "looks forward to working with the Petroceltic team to ensure the long term success of the company as it develops its assets."

Worldview would not provide any further detail on its plan for the assets when contacted by the Sunday Independent.

Petroceltic's Egyptian production assets had attracted interest from Irish firms T5 Oil & Gas and Aminex in recent months, with the company engaged in furious efforts to raise cash.

The market will also monitor with interest the future of the Ain Tsila gas asset in Algeria, which Petroceltic repeatedly referred to as world class and which it said could begin producing gas in early 2019. Worldview has called Ain Tsila the company's crown jewel.

Moskov will be appointed to the company's board, the High Court heard last Thursday.
The Irish financier was unhappy with Ladbrokes' disclosure of an agreement made with gaming software company Playtech on the day prior to the merger being announced. Photo: PA

The appeal board of the UK Takeover Panel has ruled against Dermot Desmond in a row over Ladbrokes' plans to merge with fellow bookmaker Coral.

The Irish financier was unhappy with Ladbrokes' disclosure of an agreement made with gaming software company Playtech on the day prior to the merger being announced.

The deal meant Ladbrokes would pay Playtech 40m on completion of the merger in the form of Ladbrokes' shares, and a further guaranteed 35m in cash - due on certain milestones, but at the very least within 42 months of the merger.

"It is clear that Ladbrokes has failed to adequately disclose the basis for the extraordinary payment to Playtech. It was only in response to our requests that the Playtech amendment agreements were belatedly published on the company website," Desmond told Ladbrokes' shareholders at a general meeting called to vote on the merger.

Desmond's lawyer had asked the appeal board for a second shareholder vote on one of the resolutions placed before the general meeting, according to documents released by the Takeover Panel.

However, his request was refused.

"The circular could have given more contextual information about the justification for the 75m payment, but... if there had been fuller disclosure, there is no rational basis for concluding that the outcome of the shareholders meeting could have been different," the appeal board said.
Coral's role in the case relates to whether a deal between it and a company controlled by the defendants bought out all Lebedev's interests in TNK stock Stock photo: Depositphotos

The High Court has granted a request from the US authorities to have current and former directors of Irish-based Coral Petroleum give evidence in connection with a dispute between Russian oligarchs.

The $2bn dispute is between plaintiff Leonid Lebedev on one side and defendants Len Blavatnik and Viktor Vekselberg on the other. Vekselberg is a large shareholder in Dublin-based Falcon Oil & Gas via his Renova vehicle.

Lebedev, who made his money in the Russian oil sector and later became involved in the film industry, alleges that he entered into a joint venture with the defendants to help drive their effort to take control of oil and gas company TNK, publicly available American court documents state.

He alleges that when the defendants later sold their interests in TNK to Russian state-owned Rosneft, he should have been entitled to at least $2bn.

Blavatnik and Vekselberg claim they never entered into a joint venture with Lebedev.

Coral's role in the case relates to whether a deal between it and a company controlled by the defendants bought out all Lebedev's interests in TNK stock, as claimed by Blavatnik and Vekselberg.

Lebedev contends that the deal only bought out his rights to receive dividends from TNK stock, not all his rights. He claims further that he wasn't bound by the Coral deal as he wasn't the company's owner.

He claims that Coral's owner was his deceased friend Martin Bartek, and claims that Bartek advised him to nominate Coral to receive the proceeds of a $600m promissory note issued by Blavatnik and Vekselberg.

All parties agree that Lebedev ultimately received the $600m via a Coral subsidiary called Agragorn, whose bank accounts Lebedev controlled. The court documents say that it is "unclear to Blavatnik and Vekselberg how Lebedev could control Agragorn's bank accounts if Agragorn was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coral, but Lebedev had no control over Coral."

"Lebedev has submitted sworn testimony that Coral was owned by his friend, Martin Bartek, but Lebedev has also stated in a February 2014 interview with the Russian-language magazine Vedemosti, and in other documents, that Lebedev himself owned Coral," the documents say.

The New York Supreme Court asked for testimony from Coral directors and its auditors (Irish company Roberts Nathan), to try and shed light on the factual disputes between the parties. Company office records list Liam Grainger, with an address at Griffith Avenue in Dublin 9, and Helen O'Donovan, with an address at Trim Road in Navan, Co Meath, as previous Coral directors. Theofanis Philippou, a business associate of the president of Cyprus, is listed as a current director.

Both sides also dispute the nature of Coral's operations.

"Coral's publicly available records - including Coral's Memorandum of Association - indicate that the object for which the company was established is, inter alia, to act as a 'general agent on behalf of principals'. In addition, Coral's publicly available financial statements - audited by Roberts Nathan - indicate that Coral has had minimal financial activity and no substantial operations of any kind," the court documents say.

"Thus, Blavatnik's and Vekselberg's understanding is that, at all relevant times, Coral was merely a shell entity that Lebedev selected to act as his agent for purposes of entering transactions with Blavatnik and Vekselberg. Lebedev, however, contends that Coral is a 'well-known oil trading company' with substantial trading operations.

"To bolster this assertion, Lebedev purported to obtain a completely different set of financial statements - which are not publicly available and which appear to be audited by the Swiss firm Alber Rolle - from a colleague, Nikita Belous, who now works at Lebedev's company, Sintez."
The Pensions Council also points out that the kind of comparative pricing information in the report is not normally available to consumers or their intermediaries Photo: PA

Differences in pension fund charges can mean a loss of thousands of euros for individual pensioners, according to a new survey by the Pensions Council.

The survey examined charges across a number of Approved Retirement Funds (ARFs) taken out at retirement to provide pensions for the elderly. Six companies account for the vast bulk of the Irish ARF market - Aviva, New Ireland, Zurich, Standard Life, Friends First and Irish Life - and 23 separate products provided by that group were examined, the Pensions Council said.

The Council said that a pensioner investing 75,000 over 10 years might have saved up to 5,440 by choosing the fund with the lowest charges.

For an investment in the 150,000 region, a pensioner might have lost up to 11,700 - or nearly 8pc of the initial investment - by choosing the fund with the highest charges, it added.

"The survey results have one important lesson for consumers and intermediaries: shop around and compare all charges before choosing a particular ARF," the Pensions Council said.

The Pensions Council also points out that the kind of comparative pricing information in the report is not normally available to consumers or their intermediaries.

"It would be helpful if such information were made available on an on-going basis," they said.

"The survey provides a "snapshot" of charges at one point in time and charges may change over time. Furthermore, the survey did not cover intermediary/broker charges, which may be comparable to insurer charges."

The Pensions Council is a statutory body recently set up to provide advice to the Minister for Social Protection on matters relating to pension policy.

At its first meeting in March last year, former Social Protection Minister Joan Burton asked it to focus on charges and gender issues.
The Rubberbandits are an anarchic comedy duo from Limerick city. The plastic bag-wearing pair - known as Blindboy Boat Club and Mr Chrome - shot to fame with their song Horse Outside over Christmas 2010.

More recently, they presented a crash course in Irish history in The Rubberbandits' Guide to 1916, which was aired on RTE 2.

The duo have also performed in gigs around the country and had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014.

What is the most important lesson about money which your career in music and comedy has taught you?

Never accept bent fivers.

What's the most expensive city you've ever had a gig in?

We did a gig in Zurich where all the lighting equipment was powered by zinc - at a time when the market value of zinc was at an all time high.

Apart from property, what's the most expensive thing you have ever bought?

Hot air balloons - we invested almost everything in a hot air balloon company in Malta which left us severely in debt.

What was your worst job?

Syphoning petrol out of lawnmowers with chip shop straws and then setting warehouses on fire with those mouthfuls (for insurance fraud).

What was your biggest financial mistake?

Investing in a fiver-bending machine - bent fivers were huge after 9/11 as people didn't trust regular fivers anymore. We were left with trucks full of bent fivers that had to be thrown in a lake.

What was your best financial killing?

I shot a tenner in a woods with a bow.

Do you use any money saving apps?

Yes, dollarzoid, mantcoin, and hyperflap.

Do you have an Android or iPhone?

Both - one for each pocket to balance myself.

Do you have a mortgage? Is it fixed, variable or tracker?

I've an oval mortgage.

Have you ever made an insurance claim?

Loads. Non-stop.

Would you buy Irish property now?

Non-stop man, addicted to it. Up to my balls in it.

Do you know how much is in your current account?

I'm terrified of numbers so it's very difficult to check. Luckily, my bank manager kindly expresses my balance as a texture.

Have you ever switched utility provider?

Again, addicted to it.

Do you use iTunes or Spotify?

iTunes for the jazz, Spotify for the metal.

What was the last thing that you bought online?

A yard of hairdryers.

Do you pay in cash or by card?

Wet coins.

Do you ever haggle?

Yes, I use a haggling technique from Keynesian economics known as hammer laughing.

Are you better off than your parents?

Not sure man. They were born when pounds are around - totally different currency.
Dublin's outer commuter belt is next in line for a major house price hike as desperate buyers are forced further and further away from the capital.

The quest for an affordable new home is now snaking ever deeper into other counties.

First-time buyers, in particular, are willing to swap extra-long commuting times in return for a house which could be less than a third of what it would cost in the capital.

Estate agents in Longford, Kilkenny, Wexford, Offaly, and Cavan all report unprecedented interest from potential buyers based in the greater Dublin area.

Portarlington, in Co Laois, is among those towns attracting particular interest.

In 2015, there was a dramatic increase in the value of sales in the county, which rose by 29pc to almost 81m.

And the price for "middle range" houses also rose strongly last year - up over 26pc, or 23,000 - to 110,000.

This was the second highest growth rate in Ireland last year.

Local auctioneer, Paul Kelly from DNG Kelly, says the main towns in the county, such as Portarlington and Portlaoise, are proving popular, particularly with those trying to get a start on the property ladder.

"In the past 12 months we've noticed a growing number of people, mainly first-time buyers, who work in Dublin, relocating to Laois.

"Some have one or two young kids but the move is now seen as a viable option. The opportunity to commute by train is a huge attraction - there's an hourly service to Dublin which takes about 45 minutes.

"Stock levels are low at the moment, but house prices have definitely increased over the past year. The main areas of interest in Portarlington are along Station Road - not far from railway services.

"Houses around the Dublin Road and the Abbeyleix Road in Portlaoise are the most sought after.

"I sold two houses yesterday to families who work in Dublin and live in Kildare. They can no longer afford the cost of accommodation so they've decided to move to Laois.

"It's not only people from Dublin relocating to this part of the country. Couples who now can't afford prices in the counties immediately surrounding Dublin are also moving out."

The average cost of a three-bed semi-detached house is approximately 130,000, he says, while a four-bed would set a buyer back some 150,000."

Parts of Longford, meanwhile, remain among the least expensive locations to buy a home anywhere in the Republic.

Despite being approximately 73 miles from the capital, Frank Greene, from Frank Greene Property Sales, says first-time buyers, and those renting in Dublin, have now set their sights on the 'outer commuter belt'.

"A trend has started with young people buying here and taking the train each morning to work in the capital.

"They may have been renting for many years, but rents are now ridiculously expensive in Dublin. This means couples simply can't afford to save so they're moving to the midlands. It's not a major influx just yet, like it was back in the boom, but the trend is definitely making a return.

"People are commuting from Edgeworthstown and other locations close to the train station. Property is extremely cheap here."

However, he says while first time buyers can snap up a bargain, the daily commute can take its toll.

"It can be tough for some people because they have to get up at 6.30am to get the 7am train to Connolly station.

"They arrive in work at 9am, and when they get out of work at 5pm, they face a train journey home. It's particularly hard on families. It also takes about an hour and a half to drive into Dublin.

"Three-bed semis cost about 80,000, while a four bed is priced around 100,000. A four-bedroom detached house on a half-acre site would cost between 150,000 and 200,000."

Rental costs rose 3.5pc in Offaly last year - with increases in Tullamore and Banagher leading the way.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Hilary Hamill, a partner in Sherry FitzGerald Lewis Hamill in Tullamore, said they've sold a number of homes located within walking distance to the train station.

"Some of our clients are first-time buyers who were renting in Dublin but who simply couldn't afford prices in the capital. Proximity to the railway station is a priority for buyers. There's an excellent train service from Tullamore and it takes about an hour to get into the city. There are a lot of people who make the daily commute."

Meanwhile, house prices in Kilkenny are back to 2011 levels - with an increase of more than 20,000 in the median price of properties sold in the county last year.

But in a further sign that the "outer outer" commuter belt is attracting increasing attention, Monaghan saw the third highest rate of increase in average house prices last year - up almost 21pc, or 17,500 to 102,500.
Companies such as Dublin Aerospace, Hi-Spec, Prodieco, Dairymaster and Hermitage Genetics are looking at stable or increased sales for 2016

Russia's economy is grappling with trade sanctions, deflated oil prices and difficult international relations - but as a high-level, three-day conference in St Petersburg which concluded yesterday shows, this gateway to 250 million consumers is still up for doing business, and so too are powerful interests in the West.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Italian PM Matteo Renzi, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy were among the 7,000 attendees at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2016), which was addressed by Vladimir Putin.

The Irish delegation included Ambassador to Russia Adrian McDaid, and Enterprise Ireland chairman Terence O'Rourke, who were among the business leaders, journalists and academics from around the world contributing to debate about the global economy and Russia's place in it.

Entrepreneurship, medium-term macro-economic strategy, Eurasian Economic Union and world energy markets were on the agenda, along with development of market infrastructure, high-tech industries and Russia's regions.

As the guest list shows, this conference is more than Russian lip-service to economic openness. The country is actively seeking financial and expertise inputs.

Following steady growth averaging 3pc-5pc from 2009 to 2014, Russia hit a recession which reached its nadir in Q2 last year with a 4.5pc drop in GDP as the country hit a fiscal 'perfect storm' due to negative macro- and micro-economic events.

Predictably, this has had knock-on effects for Irish exports over the past 18 months. Figures for 2015 show a 55pc drop compared to 2014.

But things look like stabilising. The slowdown has been less pronounced over the past 12 months and Q1 figures this year show Irish exports up 4m year-on-year with the economy projected to flatline between now and 2020.

President Putin appears serious about further opening up Russia's 143 million-strong market to imports which will also help access to the 100 million people in the rest of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

"We must react more swiftly to the shifting demands of the market and to the looming transformation of the global technological landscape," the Russian President said in his welcome message at St Petersburg.

Irish exporters have lost ground in the Russian market recently - but opportunities still exist. Demand for high-quality niche goods and services is consistently increasing in the B2B and B2C sectors. Moreover, the relative clear-out of foreign competition due to the recent downswing means there is a more positive local response to companies making the gesture of visiting Russia to build partnerships in a highly relationship-focused society.

There are plenty of Irish success stories. Companies such as Dublin Aerospace, Hi-Spec, Prodieco, Dairymaster and Hermitage Genetics are looking at stable or increased sales for 2016.

These companies are similar in that they have a market presence, or make regular visits, demonstrating a willingness to listen to Russian partners and consult on solutions as a pathway to sales.

Potential exporters to this market should follow their lead. They all offer reliable after-sales support and offer products and services that compete in quality and price.

Our assessment is that it will become more difficult to sell directly into Russia going forward. However, long-term partnerships creating joint R&D, IP and products relevant to Russia as it develops its manufacturing, food production, and telecoms infrastructure, will give Irish-based 'hybrid' companies access to a huge and under-supplied market.

The first stage of forming those partnerships is our recent campaign to attract Russian start-ups to Ireland, integrate them into our business ecosystem, develop their international export potential and prepare them to scale-up for entry into the Russian market.

With a third of all applications, and 40pc of investment winners, for Enterprise Ireland's International Competitive Start Fund coming from Russia/CIS, this process has momentum, creating the opportunity to form partnerships from home and ultimately counterbalance the recent drop in Irish exports.

Gerard MacCarthy is Enterprise Ireland manager for Russia/CIS
The moment Justin Bieber falls off stage is captured on camera

Looked at from afar, Justin Bieber seems to lead a charmed life.

Aged just 22, he could retire today and never have to worry about money for the rest of his life. He has legions of adoring fans who hang on his every social media utterance as if its been carved on a stone tablet and carried down Mountain Sinai. Negative headlines ( Justin Bieber video is most complained about of all time; Justin Bieber kicked out of Mexican archeological site) have negligible impact on his career.

NOO THE FALL IS WORSE FROM THIS ANGLE how were you okay?? @justinbieber pic.twitter.com/oi8PBfKI6H  Justin Bieber (@bieberinmypants) June 17, 2016

Given his status as untouchable showbiz boy-king, it can be tempting to allow oneself a small amount of schadenfreude when something mildly unfortunate befalls young Biebs - like when he fell off stage mid-concert last week.

The fall occurred while Justin was adjusting his trousers during a show on Thursday night Saskatchewan, Canada.

Bieber was fine afterwards, getting up to carry on with the concert, after which he tweeted: "Great show tonight. #PurposeTour.

It was his second mid-concert tumble of the year, after this slip-up during a performance in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Domhnall Gleeson has been tipped for an Oscar for his role in an upcoming biopic centred on the life of Winnie the Pooh writer AA Milne.

The Irish actor (33) was mentioned in Vanity Fair, who believe Domhnall will be nominated for an Oscar for this role in Goodbye Christopher Robin, yet to be shot.

Domhnall, who is the son of actor Brendan Gleeson, has starred in many Hollywood blockbusters in recent years, including Oscar-nominated Brooklyn and Star Wars.

Writing for Vanity Fair, film critic Joanna Robinson said the actor has a shot at an Oscar win.

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It looks like the actor might get a shot at his own Oscar with his latest project: a biopic of Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne.

Whether sanitized and heartwarming or more complex, both Goodbye Christopher Robin and Domhnall Gleeson seem as though theyll have a real shot at being part of the Oscar conversation in 2018.

Despite the publications prediction, Domhnall joked that he didnt get an invite to this years Golden Globe ceremony, despite playing a significant role in Brooklyn, which starred Saoirse Ronan.

The 33-year-old was appearing on US talk show Today with Will Poulter when they were asked if he was attending the precursor to the Oscars, when Poulter responded: "I don't think so... Potentially."

Gleeson then said: "The deathly silence suggests that maybe we haven't been invited! Thank you for bringing it up! We're not gonna be at the Golden Globes. We're gonna watch at home!"
Gangland feud: Armed gardai on duty at Ballybough Bridge after Eddie Hutchs body was brought home to Portland Row in February during tit-for-tat killings by rival Dublin gangs

New drug laws being fast-tracked through the Dail could deal a financial death blow to the north inner Dublin drugs gang on the losing side of the current blood feud, gardai say.

The new law being promoted by Health Minister Simon Harris is targeted to shut down the legal loophole under which possession of prescription painkillers bought and sold by thousands of addicts in central Dublin every day is not against the law.

The illicitly imported drugs, many with well-known brand names, make up around 80pc of the illicit opiate market, according to academic research.

The northside gang were first to exploit the legal 'grey area' in the Republic's 40-year-old 'Misuse of Drugs' laws with a small network of inter-connected families becoming millionaires, gardai say. These families, and in particular two brothers, are the current targets of the State's biggest drugs cartel led by Christy Kinahan.

Despite being under severe pressure from the Kinahan-backed assassins, the northside gangs have been able to keep up the supply of prescription drugs in Dublin. Gardai say one of the driving forces behind the Kinahan gang onslaught is to wrest control of the 'tablet market' from their opponents and is not simply a matter of avenging the murder of their 'lieutenant', David Byrne (33) in the Regency Hotel attack in February.

The sale of the prescription tablets takes place mainly on the northside of the Liffey in territory which the Kinahan mob, whose centres of power are in the working-class areas of the south inner city, are unable to control.

However, sources say, that when gardai receive powers under the newly expanded Misuse of Drugs Act, they will be able to arrest the mainly northside street dealers who openly trade the prescription tablets in the city centre.

Last week, Mr Harris said that as a result of consultation with gardai in the north inner city, he had determined to fast-track the legislation to prohibit the sale and possession of branded opiate drugs unless they are legally prescribed.

Mr Harris said he expected the legislation to be in place before the Dail closes for its summer recess in early July.

The proposed amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act has been hanging around government for two years but put back after the successful constitutional challenge to other amendments to the Act covering methamphetamine 'head-shop'-type drugs in March last year. Gardai from the North Central Dublin Division have tried hard to remove the street dealers and addicts from open trading and have made thousands of arrests.

Between the two main gangs and the State's free methadone supply (costing taxpayers up to 250m annually), the city centre has been turned into the main drugs bazaar on the island.

Gardai have had very significant successes, mainly against the northside gangs since the feud began, but have also been working in co-operation with other police forces against the Kinahan cartel. The garda's Special Detective Unit (SDU) has played a major role in containing the feud as it uses its separate intelligence network to target the 'republican' elements that have become allied to both sides.

The group known as the 'New' IRA aligned early on with the northside gangs but has been hit hard by Special Branch actions and also by the murder of its main northern representative in Dublin, Michael Barr (34), who was shot dead at the Sunset House bar in the Summerhill area in April.

Another 'republican' group terming itself the 'New INLA' (Irish National Liberation Army) has also had a minor role in offering weapons and muscle for hire for either side, but appears to have been squeezed out of the picture after one of its leaders disappeared. It is not clear yet if he has gone on the run or was murdered and his body secretly buried.

Although the feud was sparked by the Kinahan mob's murder of Gary Hutch (34) in Spain last September, there had been deepening tensions between the gangs after an alliance was formed between the northsiders and a major Scottish gang involved in heroin and cocaine trafficking. This group was already at variance with the Kinahan mob.

The northside gangs were last week still active in supplying the illicit prescription market in the city from their bases in blocks of council flats which, local sources say, are being protected by gangs of spotters and armed 'teams' inside the flats complexes.

Meanwhile, there have been embarrassing problems over the establishment of the 'elite' 55-strong armed response unit that Minister for Justice and Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald announced in February.

The selection procedure for the unit is being challenged in the High Court by gardai who failed to be selected.

The unit, which is to be armed with 'high-powered' weapons, is also likely to be located at Dublin Airport, a good half-hour's drive from the main inner-city flashpoints. It is understood it is to fulfil a dual function of providing an 'anti-terrorist' response at the airport as well as support for Dublin gardai who have been successful in preventing every more deaths in the feud.
Gardai investigating the disappearance of Philip Cairns have begun tracking down a small group of people who they believe were being abused by the pirate radio boss Eamon Cooke around the time the schoolboy disappeared.

A garda file on Cooke's paedophile activities identifies "four or five" boys and girls suspected of being abused by the pirate radio boss in the mid 1980s, the Sunday Independent has learnt. Gardai now believe that their help could be crucial to solving the mystery of Philip Cairns' disappearance in October 1986.

The 13-year-old schoolboy vanished without trace as he returned to school in Rathfarnham, south Dublin, at lunchtime in October 1983. The mystery deepened when his schoolbag turned up in a laneway near his home six days after he disappeared.

Cooke, 79, who died in prison custody two weeks ago, has emerged as the chief suspect in his disappearance. Gardai now suspect that Cooke forced children to dump Philip's bag in the laneway.

They hope to interview a number of people lured by Cooke into his radio station as children in the mid 1980s. It is understood that detectives began contacting some of Cooke's victims in the past week.

Eamon Cooke was the focus of an extensive Garda investigation in the late 1990s which culminated in his being jailed in 2002 for sexually abusing four girls. His conviction was overturned on appeal but he was again found guilty after a retrial in 2007. The investigation began more than a decade after Philip's disappearance but the school boy's name did not crop up at during the inquiry, according to informed sources.

The investigation file on confirms that the paedophile preyed on young boys as well as girls. Detectives interviewed up to five boys who were molested by the serial child abuser, according to sources close to the inquiry.

It is understood that none was willing to make formal statements against him. One young man did make a statement against Cooke in the UK in the late 1990s but later withdrew it. Gardai believe he did so under pressure from Cooke. It has previously been reported that Cooke only sexually assaulted young girls.

A garda search for Philip's body is expected to focus on five properties.

The Sunday Independent has learnt that gardai searched most of Cooke's properties when they investigated the radio boss for child abuse. Gardai were looking for photographs and videos that Eamon Cooke had taken of the children he was abusing but nothing of evidential value was found.

A team searched a 40-foot underground bunker in a field in Tallaght where Cooke erected a mast for Radio Dublin. They also searched his holiday home in Aclare, in Sligo and his homes in south Dublin.

It has also emerged that gardai seized Cooke's computers but could not crack the access codes to examine their contents. The computers were subsequently returned to the paedophile with gardai failing to find out what was on them.

Last month a woman made a formal statement that Cooke struck Philip with an implement in the studios of Radio Dublin. The woman first came forward following an appeal for information in 2011 but was not ready to make a statement until last month.

An informed source told the Sunday Independent that the investigation file on Cooke was sent Rathfarnham Garda Station in 2012. Cooke was not interviewed until last month, when he was on his deathbed in a hospice in Raheny.
Rural communities in the west are at risk of being swallowed by towering woodlands as foreign investment companies buy up huge tracts of agricultural land to plant trees for export, the IFA says.

Last week, more than 200 farmers voiced opposition to the surge of afforestation in Leitrim - which they believe is being "unfairly targeted" by the Government's national policy to increase forestry.

Roscommon, Sligo, Cavan and Longford are also affected.

Young farmers in Leitrim say they are being "bullied" out of buying land to expand their farms as banks and other financial institutions favour international companies with "huge budgets".

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) fear entire parishes will be obliterated if planting continues. The organisation is calling on the Government to place immediate controls on foreign investors buying land to plant and to prevent them from availing of the same grants and tax concessions as farmers.

Adrian Leddy, IFA regional development officer for Leitrim, Longford, Sligo and Roscommon, says farmers are angry.

"If forestry is allowed to continue like this, it's going to wipe out rural communities in Leitrim and other counties with disadvantaged land. Not alone will the farmers be wiped out but we will lose local villages, schools and post offices, the whole fabric of rural Ireland will be destroyed," he said.

"It's vulture funds, pension funds and foreign companies with huge budgets who are buying up land for forestry. The money they have is totally out of reach of any farmer, young or old, who wants to buy land to make a decent, life out of farming," he said.

"Once the land is planted that's it, it is taken out of mainstream agriculture for good," he said adding that 17pc of the county is currently covered in woodland. Leitrim IFA are calling for a full review of the forestry programme.

"We don't want to a see a situation where farmers' sons and daughters have to go abroad to America or Canada we would like to see that there is a future for them on the land at home," he said.

Almost 11pc of the entire country has been planted with a vision of developing a vibrant export-orientated forest sector and to improve the national carbon footprint. The Government target for afforestation is 14,700 hectares per annum, leading to 18pc national forest cover by 2046.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture said: "The vast majority of lands planted since the 1990s are owned by farmers, in excess of 85pc. The remaining cohort consists of private investors, pension funds or private individuals who own lands".

Speaking in the Dail last week, Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture said he is "well aware" of the issue in Leitrim. "The bulk of new forest plantation in recent years has been undertaken by farmers. Forestry is a viable land use alternative and farmers have availed of the afforestation scheme in significant numbers in recent years," he said.
Gardai in Cork are appealing for information about a fire that broke out at the N Square Steakhouse and Seafood Restaurant in Cork city on the Wednesday before last.

The restaurant on Camden Quay was engulfed in flames early that morning, and emergency services arrived at the scene at 5.30am.

Around 100 residents were evacuated safely from adjoining apartments as six teams from Cork city fire brigade tackled the blaze.

There were no reported injuries.

Forensics carried out a detailed technical examination of the scene and have confirmed to gardai that the fire started in suspicious circumstances.

Gardai are appealing to anyone who was in the area of Camden St or Pine St during the early hours of Wednesday, June 8, to contact them.

They have specifically appealed for footage or images recorded at the scene on mobile phones or other devices.

Anyone with information is advised to contact Watercourse Road Garda Station 021 4558260 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
A newly appointed junior justice minister wants personal possession of all illegal drugs to be decriminalised as part of the Government's plan to tackle gangland crime.

Minister of State for Equality, Migration and Integration, David Stanton, also plans to use his new position to convince Fine Gael colleagues to recognise the Travelling Community as a distinct ethnic minority group.

Speaking for the first time since taking office, Mr Stanton also revealed Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald is supportive of both proposals.

As the former chair of the Oireachtas Justice Committee, the Cork East TD produced a report recommending that Ireland should follow the Portuguese legal system on possession drugs.

In Portugal, people caught in possession of certain small amounts of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and heroin, are not prosecuted by the courts.

Instead, police have the discretion to send drug users for counselling or education on the dangers of drugs.

"When we went to Portugal, I was quite in impressed with the whole system from start to finish," Mr Stanton told the Sunday Independent.

"The police were very happy about it because it meant they weren't tied up in courts. If somebody had a small amount of stuff on them, the police chiefs had the discretion to send them to dissuasion centres where they had interaction with a social worker, counsellor and a legal person," he added.

The minister said his report on decriminalising drugs was submitted last year to Ms Fitzgerald and he believes she accepted the findings "positively".

Mr Stanton said he will be urging his colleagues, including new junior minister with responsibility for drugs policy, Catherine Byrne, to have "an open mind" to the possibility of decriminalising drugs.

In his capacity as equality minister, the long serving Fine Gael TD believes it is time the travelling Community's "distinct history and culture" is recognised by the State.

Mr Stanton said he wants to become a "persuader" who will convince colleagues reticent about the idea of giving special recognition to Travellers as a minority group.

"Some people say 'Travellers are Irish, they are no different to me, they shouldn't have a different ethnic recognition' - and there are others who say 'they have culture, they have a history, they have a language, they have music'," he said. "I want to capture that culture. There is a certain richness there," he added.

Again, he believes the Tanaiste is supportive of the idea and Taoiseach Enda Kenny is also open to bringing such a proposal to the floor of the Dail.

"It's something we need to have a national debate about. I want to become a persuader on this - and I want everyone to work together on it," he said.

Officially recognising Travellers as a minority group would have no financial impact on the State and it would not include any additional rights, according to the minister.

The Cork East TD also revealed he's committed to drastically increasing the speed at which Syrian refugees are relocated in Ireland.

The Government promised to house 4,000 refugees fleeing war-torn Syria last year but, to date, little more than 300 have arrived.

The new minister recently agreed to increase the number of refugees arriving in Ireland from 40 to 80 every two months.

"We are ready here to receive them but things were not as organised as we liked on the other end but we have got that done," he said.

He said another issue is Syrians would prefer to be relocated in Germany, Sweden and the UK rather than in Ireland.
Businessman Declan Ganley extended a loan for an undisclosed sum to Lucinda Creighton's political party Renua Ireland to help cover its costs in the run-up to last February's general election, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the loan was used by Renua for a media campaign that saw prominent adverts placed in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent.

Asked for comment on the matter, a spokesperson for Mr Ganley said: "There's nothing to hide.

"Declan made it very clear on Twitter last year that he was a supporter of the party and that he wished them well. He was hugely on board with the 'flat tax' idea. When they came out with it, he was hugely enthused."

Explaining the Rivada Networks chief's decision to support Ms Creighton's party financially, the spokesperson said: "Their fundraising people got in touch with him directly and asked him if he would be in a position to provide some financial support. He made a loan to them. I'm not going to get into the amount, but obviously it was greater than the maximum allowable donation. It was a loan."

Mr Ganley's spokesperson added that representatives of Renua had been in contact "a couple of weeks ago to say that it [the loan] would be repaid with interest in October of this year."

Asked to outline the precise purpose for which the loan had been given to Renua, the spokesperson said: "It's not for me to say what the money was spent on. It was an election campaign, so I'm sure they spent it on [items requiring] election funding. I know they had approached a number of people. Declan was one of them, and he was happy to provide [the loan]."

While Mr Ganley made his support for Renua known through statements on his Twitter account and through his attendance at the party's first 'think in' last September, his decision to provide the party with financial backing in the lead-up to the general election has not been revealed until now.

The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) has strict regulations governing the provision of loans to political parties.

Sipo rules stipulate that in the case of loans given by individuals or bodies that are not financial institutions, it "must be evident that the loan offered is a bona fide loan." To satisfy itself in this regard, the ethics watchdog requires the terms and conditions of such loans to be stated clearly in writing and for the interest chargeable to "reflect the interest charged by financial institutions on loans of a similar amount and duration".

Sipo's regulations state that it "may require sight of the terms and conditions, including the interest charge, applying to the loan and may require confirmation that the loan has been repaid in accordance with these terms and conditions".

Where these conditions have not been adhered to, Sipo says the benefit of any non-repayment may be regarded as a donation.

Having failed to secure any seats at the election, Renua is seeking to redefine itself after Ms Creighton's resignation as party leader last month.
Pat Murphy pictured in his burnt out Clondalkin Home this morning

A DUBLIN family were lucky to escape with their lives when a petrol bomb was thrown through their window in an ongoing feud.

Pat Murphy, his wife Pauline, and their sons Alex (18) and Frankie (20) suffered burns and smoke inhalation when their house in Monksfield Green in Clondalkin was targeted at 1.40am.

Mr Murphy told the Herald the arson attack was an attempt to kill us all.

Speaking outside the gutted property he described the sequence of events.

A gang of lads came earlier at around 9.30pm and broke two windows in a car in the driveway, that was the start of it, he said.

Then at around 1.30am I was in the living room when something was thrown through the window, I looked back and saw the curtain being pulled over from the outside and the next thing the room was in flames, Mr Murphy added.

I tried to put out the fire while I was screaming at the others upstairs, but I was overcome by the fumes, he explained.

I'm a full time carer for my wife, and the two lads had to drag her down the stairs.

I got out, but Frankie thought I was still in the living room and he went in after me and suffered burns to his arms and face, as well as inhaling the hot, toxic smoke, he added.

This was an attempt on our lives. They tried to kill us all.

Alex Murphy said the arson attack was over a feud, but would not discuss who the row was with or what it was over.

We know who they are, he said.

PETROL

Pat Murphy said there was another attempt to petrol bomb the house three weeks ago which did not succeed.

I've done nothing on no-one, I've no record, he added.

Gardai cordoned-off the scene of the fire today pending a forensic examination by |the garda technical bureau.

The living room, hall and most of the kitchen were gutted in the blaze, and the fire spread to upstairs rooms and blackened the entire front of the house.

Gardai are treating the fire as an attempt to kill as well as arson. Three units of Dublin Fire Brigade and two ambulances attended the scene when the alarm was raised.

By Conor Feehan

cfeehan@herald.ie
A woman has died and four other people have been hospitalised following a two-car collision in Cork on Sunday evening.

Gardai in Mayfield, Cork are appealing for witnesses after the crash at Skew Bridge, Tivoli at 4pm.

A woman in her sixties was seriously injured at the scene, and was later pronounced dead in hospital.

She was a passenger in one of the cars involved in the collision.

Four other people have also been taken to Cork University Hospital where their injuries have been described as non life threatening.

Gardai have preserved the scene for a forensic and technical examination and local diversions are in place.

The Skew Bridge is located on the N8 on the north side of the River Lee - it was named so as the road bridge crosses over the railway line at a skew angle.

They have requested that anyone with information contact Mayfield Garda Station 021-4558510, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

The news comes after a 25-year-old woman died following a two car crash in Co Meath last night.

The incident occurred on the R148 at Blackwater Bridge, Enfield, Co. Meath shortly after 9pm.

The young woman - who was a passenger in one car - was seriously injured when the vehicle collided head-on with another car.

She was taken by ambulance to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin where she was pronounced dead.

The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, was also removed to Connolly Hospital, where his injuries are understood to be serious.
On the menu at The Ramen Bar, there's an item called kae-dama. It costs 3, and there's a helpful asterisk indicating what this means, for customers who are new to the whole ramen thing. It says: "Kae- dama is when you have almost finished your first serving of ramen noodles and [are] still hungry for more. Say kae- dama and your server will quickly bring you a fresh, extra portion of noodles. Please keep enough soup so you can enjoy ordering the kae-dama."

After my lunch at The Ramen Bar, I'm finding it hard to believe that anyone ever says kae-dama there. And that's not because the noodles are no good - far from it, they are excellent - but because the portions are so enormous that I can't imagine anyone ever finishes even their initial serving.

Ramen is a phenomenon. Originating in Japan, the cult of the noodle has been taken up in the US, where last year the food magazine Lucky Peach published a guide to the 20 regional ramen of Japan. I have never been to Japan, and suspect that until my visit to The Ramen Bar that I have not eaten fresh ramen before. The Ramen Bar's noodles are made on the premises using a state-of-the-art machine imported from the city of Kagawa, the first of its kind in Ireland.

My only other knowledge of ramen derives from the movie Tampopo, known as the first 'ramen western'. The film explores the relationship between food and love. In one scene, two men sit at the counter of a ramen bar. The older of the two instructs his companion as to the correct way to eat ramen. "First," he says, "observe the whole bowl, appreciate its gestalt, savour the aromas the jewels of fat glistening on the surface the shinachiku roots shining the seaweed slowly sinking spring onions floating concentrate on the three pork slices they play the key role but stay modestly hidden. First caress the slices" And on he goes.

I invited my American friend, Mei Chin, to join me for lunch. She is a food writer whose work has been published in Lucky Peach and other high-end publications. It's always a good idea to go to a restaurant with someone who knows more about the kind of food being served than you do - how else will you learn? - so I handed over the ordering duties to her.

Between us we tried three ramen dishes and two sides. The chicken kara-age is addictive, strips marinated in soy, ginger, garlic and mirin, and then deep-fried. A grown-up version of chicken nuggets but so much better. Chashu rice with pork - simple rice topped with meat, chashu sauce and mayonnaise - was tasty. Either of these would have made a filling meal on their own. Of the three ramen dishes that we tried, my favourite was the Kokoro tonkotsu black - tonkotsu soup (the pork and vegetable broth simmered for 14 hours until rich and creamy) with pork chashu, black garlic oil, green onion, dried nori seaweed and bean sprouts. The flavour from the black garlic was intense. We also tried the tonkotsu white - pork and chicken, and the spicy miso vegetable ramen. Mei added spiced eggs to each, which personally I found a bridge too far.

Afterwards, Mei wrote that finding actual Japanese ramen with homemade noodles in Dublin was mind-blowing. "It is miles ahead of any other place in Dublin, frankly. Plus it is a space where I, personally feel very comfortable. I would eat there regularly. It also might be an Asian-in-a-city thing, but I find a lot of comfort in the regular haunts: the places that aren't necessarily going to blow your mind, but the regular haunts that you go to to refuel.

"The broth needs to be improved; there needs to be more depth, and hopefully that can be sorted out. I wasn't sold on the black garlic as everyone else has been; but I think it was because the broth was meek, so therefore, the black garlic slightly overwhelmed. My personal preference is the miso ramen; which would be so much better if it had a rich pork stock (plus miso and butter) but I get that you can't please everyone. The noodles are really, truly lovely. As is, I think, the egg. Also the combinations are authentically Japanese."

With a couple of soft drinks, our bill came to 54.30, to which we added 10 for charming, efficient service. There was so much food left over that I asked for it to be packaged up for me to bring home, and there was enough in the leftovers for dinner for five of us. I decided to let the expert do the rating, and Mei gave the food nine out of 10, with the qualifier of that being in the Dublin context, where proper ramen has not existed until now.

ON A BUDGET

The cheapest ramen dish is the Kokoro torishio ramen (chicken broth, chicken chashu, pak choi, bean sprouts and spring onions) at 10. If you shared this and a portion of the chicken kara-age (6.95), the bill for lunch for two would come to less than 20.

ON A BLOW OUT

Its almost impossible to spend a lot of money at The Ramen Bar. The spicy salmon ramen costs 12.50, and if you had that with a side of pumpkin korokke, your bill would still be less than 20 per head.

THE HIGH POINT

Authenticity without pretension.

THE LOW POINT

The seasoned eggs. But thats just me.

The rating

9/10 food

8/10 ambience

8/10 value for money

27/30

Whispers from the gastronomicon

During the heady days of the Celtic Tiger, Ocean, on the ground floor of Millenium Tower on Charlotte Quay in Grand Canal Dock, was where it all happened on sunny evenings. More recently, the premises was home to the Mourne Seafood Bar. Now the space is being taken over by the Marc Bereen and the Coppinger Row (dish left) team, with Kilian Durkin (ex-Thorntons) in the kitchen. Expect simple Mediterranean-style plates with a hint of the Middle East when Charlotte Quay opens in early July. No better people to make that great location work.
Fresh to market this week, quoting 2.75m, is former President Mary Robinson and husband Nick's Mayo home - Massbrook House, a fine Victorian property on 113 acres along the shores of Lough Conn. The couple bought the house in 1994 towards the end of Mary Robinson's presidency. While she still travels frequently in her role as UN Special Envoy for Climate Change, the couple are downsizing from the five- bedroom property with its large grounds. The sale is being handled by Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Christies International Real Estate who expect 'strong interest' from abroad

The announcement this week by ministers Coveney and Donohoe of the 200m Local Infrastructure Housing Fund is a step in the right direction and hopefully the first in a raft of initiatives to deliver the 25,000 new homes required annually in Ireland. Based on figures to hand there will be a total pent-up demand nationally for 50,000 new homes by the end of 2016.

The fund was introduced to address the 'infrastructural deficits' preventing the commencement of many new housing developments. About 150m of the monies will be used to provide bridges, roads and other infrastructure necessary to allow work to begin on these projects. The remaining 50m will be made available through low-cost financing to local authorities through the Housing Agency.

This will help the councils to address the provision of social housing, something which has proven a real challenge to date. Currently, social housing has been delivered via the 10pc planning requirement on all new developments, the purchase of existing houses primarily with Housing Associations and, finally, through the construction of new homes by local authorities themselves.

In Dublin alone, there are currently 50,000 people on the social housing waiting list and the numbers provided have fallen well short of those required.

To put things into context, local authorities built 75 units nationally in 2015 and a further 400 were built by Housing Associations. According to Tom Parlon, CEO of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), "studies have shown that the actual physical materials and labour involved in housebuilding is only 45pc of the total cost of production".

This new fund should reduce the overall cost of house-building and help produce homes at affordable levels. It also has the potential to free up land that is zoned residential but is not adequately serviced by road access, water infrastructure and other vital local infrastructure. Let's hope it has the desired effect for both public and private housing construction alike.

Industry's big day out

The Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV), which represents 1,100 auctioneers and valuers across Ireland, held its annual conference in Dublin last week, managing to mix business and pleasure in generous amounts.

Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald officially opened the event. Dr Lorcan Sirr, lecturer in Housing at DIT, told the conference that "Ireland hasn't had a housing policy since 2011", and it badly needs one based on the reality of a rapidly changing Ireland.

He highlighted the need for a long-term plan for an affordable housing system based on new employment conditions, new financial rules and new family structures.

Successive governments, he says, have avoided some hard facts: "About 30pc of all households will end up renting for life, and a similar proportion may need help from the State to house themselves. Any plan for housing must therefore be based around these realities."

Other speakers included property commentators Karl Deeter and Frank Quinn, who discussed their co-produced first historical index of Irish house prices over 300 years.

According to Mr Deeter, projecting forward "we will experience a continued low interest environment for some time together with increasing house price growth."

And after all those impressive speakers, a gala dinner rounded off the evening with guest of honour, the rugby legend Paul O'Connell, enthralling 250 attendees with an account of the final days of his career.

Planning for the future

The latest CSO figures for planning permissions granted for the first quarter of 2016 only go to highlight further the need for significant government intervention in our broken housing model. While we are now starting to see a greater number of new homes coming to the market, especially in the Dublin area where the supply issue is most acute, it is important to assess what level of supply is coming down the track.

The number of planning permissions granted for new homes nationally in Q1 2016 fell to 3,091, a fall of 3.8pc from the figure of 3,213 for the first quarter of 2015. Alarming to say the least.

If this pattern was to continue through the remainder of 2016, the crisis will only increase.

Why is this the case?

Figures indicate that there is enough building land in Dublin alone for up to 49,000 housing units. It is clear then that many landowners are still not prepared to proceed to development stage in today's economic environment, which ultimately is determined by prices achievable.

It also comes as no surprise that the number of applications in the regions are down as it simply doesn't make financial sense to build new houses and will not for some time to come.

While the property market has made a recovery over recent years, the CSO's stats only go to prove that the Government has a mountain to climb in the area of housing supply.
Nostalgia has waved its friendly hand around my head over the last week.

Some of it was induced by the pleasure of being in Paris for the Sweden game - courtesy, I must ethically point out, of Kia. Over there I met up with my son Marcus, who took a break from his job as an economist in London to go to that match and yesterday's in Bordeaux. After an early start on Monday and a very late post-match celebration it was a pleasure to get back to Dublin and bed on Tuesday evening. The night didn't go uninterrupted as at 1.40am my daughter Laura phoned from Manchester to say she had just given birth to my third grandchild, later named as Thomas Daniel Jole.

Two articles in last week's Motoring, so well edited by Geraldine Herbert and designed by Philip Hedderman, on the demise of Saab and buying classic cars, had already sent my mind back, first to the 1970s when I had bought my first Saab 96, and then past another generation to my father's 1954 Riley 1 litre, which went out and back to Australia with us. I can still smell the lovely leather and wood, well-mixed with my father's pipe smoke and mother's My Sin. The car was impressively beautiful from outside but when you were inside you felt that there were still craftsmen about, even with such a car that was below the luxury brands but could still hold its head high at that time with marques like Jaguar.

I also remember the smell and touch of the Rovers and Wolseleys of those days, the Bentley of my father's friend (which was eventually driven off a cliff, but that's another story) and the Morgan that a former Spitfire pilot used to visit us in.

It is a far cry from where many brands have gone over the last generation with styling, inside and out, becoming so predictable. Yet that might be about to change, and I have been struck by how marques like Mercedes are really beginning to up their game, internally anyway.

This impression was reinforced by an article called 'Cabin Fever' in The Economist's 1843 magazine by Matthew Symonds. He writes: "Performance is no longer the main territory on which car companies compete: these days nearly all cars drive, brake and handle so well that their owners will never come close to exploring their limits on ordinary roads. Safety and reliability are not differentiators either, for most cars have a fair claim to both. Owners may fall for the beautiful lines of their cars' bodywork, but even the most infatuated petrolhead is not going to spend hours gazing at the object of his desire parked in the drive."

We have all seen the gap close between many once middle-market cars and those at premium level. One of the first was Honda, then Hyundai joined in with its slogan "affordable premium". Now Peugeot is not far behind.

Symonds writes: "Cabins have become the biggest point of difference between brands". He quotes Stefan Sielaff, head of design at Bentley, who says: "In the fight to appeal to the customer, the moment of first love may come from the external design. But it is the interior design that will create the bond of a long-lasting relationship."

Symonds points out that "No brand better illustrates the power of a great cabin to change a carmaker's fortunes than Audi. In the 1990s, Audis were seen as little more than tinselled Volkswagens, barely considered comparable to Mercedes and BMWs. All that changed when Audi's interiors suddenly stole a march on their previously more upmarket rivals, becoming admired for their fit and finish, and the sophistication of their interfaces."

After reading Symonds's article I heard from the impressive Emma Toner, marketing manager at Peugeot, about the latest development of the 3008 which, with the new GT and GT Line, continue the lion brand's move upmarket, and will be available at the end of 2016.

She writes: "Inside, the choice of materials, including alcantara or leather, fine copper stitching and genuine aged-oak trim on the dashboard and door panels, make a significant contribution to the level of luxury and perceived quality in the passenger compartment. The meticulous attention to detail on the part of the designers has produced something extremely refined and elegant."
'Celebrity Constellation' is based in Abu Dhabi this winter - combining ocean, city and desert in one terrific trip.

A serene stillness surrounded us as our camels trudged forward, their awkward gaits making us roll in the saddles amidst a sea of sand that stretched out to the far horizon.

Dunes rose and fell like swells on a great ocean; soaring hills of sand that swept down to steep hollows. I gave a happy sigh.

This is what it's all about... following in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia through the land of the Bedouin. Starring in my very own David Lean movie. Ready to...

Jaysus! What was that! Whoa!

The rolling gait had suddenly switched to that of a bucking bronco, and I was holding on for dear life as I was hurled every which way. Camels don't always take direction, it turns out. But thankfully, my grip (and my everything else) held firm.

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We were in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on a trip with adventurer and TV presenter Ben Fogle (above).

Ben has worked with luxury cruise line Celebrity Cruises to develop several 'Great Adventures', and our excursion into the Arabian sands - giving visitors a taste of desert life without any of the hardship - is one of the finest.

Celebrity is the first line to home port in Abu Dhabi's spanking new cruise terminal, with a host of itineraries available in the Gulf (and beyond) on board Celebrity Constellation for winter 2016/17. Sailings range from nine to 15 nights, featuring stops in destinations such as Dubai, Muscat and Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi - just a hop, skip and jump from Dubai - is booming.

Towering architectural wonders stand stark against the skyline, blinged-up exclamation marks to the stupendous growth that has turned it from desert dust bowl to chic, sophisticated city in 70 years. The black gold beneath the sands has served it well, and the government isn't letting it go to waste. Right now, they're spending untold billions on some massive developments.

One, a cultural district on Saadiyat Island, housing the first Louvre outside France (artists' impression, below), is well advanced. The museum's collection will be complemented by works from da Vinci and van Gogh.

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Plans are afoot to build a Guggenheim museum - 12 times bigger than New York's - making the area a rival to any of the world's great cultural districts. But there's more to it than the cultural quarter. The city's first Four Seasons hotel will open later this year, as will the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi and the Fairmont Marina Resort.

It's an amazing city, whether you visit before or after your cruise, or indeed, during it. Which brings us back to that camel ride and my encounter with Ben Fogle in the desert.

Ben's Great Adventures are shore excursions available exclusively with Celebrity Cruises, including rafting in Rome, hiking in Montenegro, and a speedboat adventure in the Helsinki Archipelago. My Abu Dhabi excursion includes a 4x4 jeep safari across the dunes (hugely enjoyable), a spot of sand-boarding (if you're so inclined), followed by a ride on the aforementioned camel and a desert feast with the stars as a canopy and the flutter of torch flames to light up the night sky. It's a pretty magical experience.

Don't worry - if you prefer meals away from the sand amongst five-star luxury, there are plenty of opportunities too.

The Yas Viceroy (viceroyhotelsandresorts.com) is a stunning example of Abu Dhabi's imaginative architecture, and far more besides. Boasting five restaurants (including top class Indian restaurant Angar), as well as a sumptuous spa, it overlooks the Yas Marina F1 racetrack, so Formula 1 fans can have a bird's-eye view of the cars as they visit.

Also worth mentioning is the 66-storey Jumeirah at Etihad Towers (jumeirah.com) - more five-star luxury accommodation with views to die for from its observation deck. You can lay back in one of its three pools, or walk its private beach, while still being just a short journey from some of the best retail outlets in the Middle East.

Further afield, you might visit the 'Oasis City' of Al Ain (explorealain.com), a 90-minute drive from the centre of Abu Dhabi. There's quite a bit to do here, from a visit to the camel market to white-water rafting, or a hike up Jebel Hafeet, the emirate's highest peak.

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Another experience worth exploring is the Pearl Journey, which is based at the Eastern Mangrove Hotel & Spa by Anantara (abu-dhabi.anantara.com) - a beautiful low-key, five-star offering great views of the city's natural mangroves. I found the trip on a traditional pearl fishing boat both informative and relaxing, with the added bonus of finding a real pearl in an oyster along the way.

So, Ben Fogle doesn't have to tailormake everything. There's lots to see and plenty to do on a trip to Abu Dhabi and, what's more, the Emiratis themselves are sincere, polite and very friendly, with a tremendous sense of loyalty to their homeland.

Before, during or after your cruise, you'll be impressed at the service, amazed by the ambition regarding future developments, and gobsmacked by the depth of pockets needed to fund these impressive and grandiose schemes. From desert dust bowl just a few decades ago, Abu Dhabi has come a long, long way.

Getting there

Celebrity Cruises Arabian Sea & India fly/cruise on Celebrity Constellation (pictured above) starts from 1,859pp based on two sharing an interior stateroom, including return flights from Dublin, transfers and a nine-night cruise with two overnight stays. Call 1800 932 611 or visit celebritycruises.ie for info.

What to pack

Comfortable, low-heeled shoes are useful for walking around the ship in daytime. Bring sunscreen and a hat for excursions, and bear in mind that sleeveless tops and shorts are not permitted when visiting mosques. A shawl or top is useful for air-conditioned malls or hotels, which can be chilly.

Where to stay

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In Abu Dhabi, rooms at the Viceroy Abu Dhabi start from AED749/179 per night including tax. Rooms at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers start from AED640/153 in spring (tax extra). For more on Abu Dhabi, see visitabudhabi.ae. For more on Ben Fogles Great Adventures, see celebritycruises.ie/BenFogle.

3 must-dos...

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Ferrari World

Its the worlds largest theme park, with the worlds fastest rollercoaster, but theres also go-karting, simulators, acrobatic shows, optical illusions and gravity-defying stunts. Entrance fees vary from AED250/60 to AED500/120 depending on Fast Pass options. ferrariworldabudhabi.com

Food, Glorious Food

Pearls by Michael Caines is well worth a visit. The two-Michelin-Star chef (not to be confused with the actor) offers fine dining in casual surroundings, and at reasonable prices. I had the magnificent taster menu for AED450 (about 110  not bad for an epicurean treat). jumeirah.com

Yellow Boat Route

If you yearn for a bit of a rush and some sight-seeing, theres no better way than to take a yellow boat tour, enjoying the views and spotting dolphins along the way (from AED200/48). Our amiable guide Danny set our blood racing with a high-speed tour along the waterfront. theyellowboats.com
'One thing I do not want to be called," Jacqueline Kennedy warned her White House secretary when she moved in, "is First Lady. It sounds like a saddle horse."

Now that his wife has made history by becoming America's first female presumptive presidential nominee, Bill Clinton may well share the sentiment - although any association with mute, purpose-bred animals will be the least of his concerns. And besides, it's too late. Given the variety of pro-Hillary swag available at campaign stops and on the internet - "Bill Clinton For First Lady" sweatshirts, "Mr First Lady" tank tops and "Anything Bill Can Do, Hill Can Do Better" mugs - America's already enjoying the joke a little too heartily. Should Hillary triumph over Trump on November 8, however, "the novelty factor of a female president will outweigh that of a male first spouse", insists political writer and blogger Chris Weigant.

I'm not convinced. Surely any "gag" that inspires this many bumper stickers is set to run well beyond the moment Bill's position is formalised.

His official title - "First Gentleman" - may already be established, but with the US press now riffing on that ("First Bubba" and "First Dude" are two favourites) and no historical precedent either to the title or the situation itself (Clinton would also be the first ex-president going back into the White House as a First Spouse, or second fiddle), it's still intriguingly uncertain what his role in a Hillary Clinton administration would look like. So what are the new rules for a First Gentleman?

Bill won't be "constitutionally required to be perfect", as Betty Ford was told to be (we're all too well aware of his foibles for that). Nor will he be "elected by one", as opposed to the nation, as Laura Bush always said she was. Much as his newly svelte figure will be admired, the First Gentleman's changing hairstyles and choice of designers won't be international incidents, as Michelle Obama's have been.

However, one thing's for sure: Bill does bear a startling resemblance to Lady Bird Johnson's description of what the perfect First Lady should be half a century ago: "A showman and a salesman, a clotheshorse and a publicity sounding board, with a good heart, and a real interest in the folks."

"Because he's a man, and a former president, the rule books are going to be completely rewritten," says Kate Andersen Brower, author of the New York Times bestseller, First Women.

Unlike former First Women - expected, like Hillary and Michelle Obama, to put their high-powered careers on hold - this First Gentleman wouldn't be devoting a micro-second, let alone his daily life, to picking out china, approving dinner menus or supervising floral arrangements. Since Hillary may be a little busy, it has been suggested that many of those duties will be handed over to Chelsea Clinton. "Certainly Bill will be exempt from all that," Brower goes on.

"And since Clinton's friends can't imagine him having an office in the East Wing, where the First Lady has traditionally worked, his office will likely be in the Eisenhower Executive Building, where vice presidents have an office, or even in the West Wing."

An ability to smooth over his other half's abrasive edges is one of Bill's First Lady-like talents, but such is his charisma that he will need to be given a substantial role of his own in order to prevent him from overshadowing his "co-president". Although Hillary has said that she would put her husband "in charge of revitalising the economy", Maney thinks it more likely that he will go to the United Nations. "He once told Madeleine Albright that the UN position was second only to the presidency as the office he most coveted," says the author. "And that way, he'd give Hillary breathing space but still be a major player."

In this single respect, Clinton would not be breaking new ground: his wife famously antagonised White House staff at the start of her husband's administration by becoming the first First Lady to set up shop in the West Wing. But Bill's enduring position as the most popular US politician of all time is likely to allow him a little leeway. Back in the day, Hillary's involvement in a variety of policy issues (rather than the charitable causes her predecessors were traditionally limited to) was rued by many, but it seems that voters would want as much Bill as they could get under a Hillary presidency.

"No president has had a more charismatic spouse than Bill in their armoury of surrogates," explains media mogul Tina Brown. "The Big Dog will be envoyed into trouble spots as her advance charm offensive." No doubt to great effect. And Patrick Maney, author of Bill Clinton: New Gilded Age President, seconds this: "Unquestionably, Bill will have a major influence, whether he exerts it in public or behind the scenes. And why not? A president needs all the help he (or she) can get. George W Bush might have been a better president if his father hadn't been so reticent to offer advice."

With Donald Trump potentially gone, Clinton will be the biggest entertainer in town: a major player and, perhaps, a slight liability? After all, nobody would want the first Mr First Lady in US history - a man who is the caveat in every generalisation and exception to every rule - to turn into Eleanor Roosevelt. "And the fact that he will for sure cause a little trouble himself," chuckles Tina Brown, "will only make it more interesting."
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Colm McCarthy Opinion Free money is not the way to head off a crisis

Managing the macro economy involves three perspectives. These are the short-term  the next six months or a year; the medium-term  the next four or five years; and the long-term  the issues that demand to be addressed decades in advance. From the perspective of Irish governments in recent times, only the short-term merits attention, with the medium-term left to the civil service and the long-term to sporadic commissions and academic worrywarts.
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Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash

We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus.
It was with shock and sadness that I learned of the death this week of Labour Party MP, Jo Cox.

My thoughts first and foremost are with Jo's husband Brendan and their two young children, and on behalf of the Irish Labour Party, I would like to extend my sympathies to them.

As a society we need to have a frank and candid discussion about putting an end to the abuse women politicians are subjected to on social media.

Many barriers already exist which make it difficult for women to become active in politics. The growing issue of online abuse is only adding to this problem.

We have learnt that Cox had been receiving threatening and abusive hate mail for months prior to her murder on Thursday, to such an extent that consideration was being given to increasing her security.

Unfortunately, this story of abuse is all too familiar in politics today. The time has come for us to look at how we, as a society, treat our politicians and those who put themselves forward to serve in public life.

It seems to be that women politicians in particular are subjected to a high level of threatening behaviour, be it online, behind anonymous Twitter accounts or physically in person.

We have to ask ourselves whether the attack on Jo Cox can be divorced from such abusive behaviour. Is this the kind of society we want to live in?

I myself have seen first-hand the vile abuse women politicians are subjected to on social media.

Two of my former colleagues, Senator Mairia Cahill and Lorraine Higgins, continuously received hateful and inexcusable abuse online.

There is no doubt the abuse women politicians receive online is unbridled misogyny.

Some male candidates in the recent General Election suffered abuse on social media, however the majority of those abused were women candidates.

We have to address why, in particular, women politicians are targeted and what can be done to end this.

We have to tackle the underlying misogyny in our society which leads some to think it is acceptable to abuse women politicians in such a disgraceful fashion.

The Guardian newspaper recently ran an online discussion called Web We Want. Analysis showed eight out of 10 abusive comments were directed at women.

The Guardian commentator Owen Jones recently wrote that the he is aware of women colleagues in the media who frequently turn down TV appearances for fear of being abused online over how they look.

I tried to stay away from social media as much possible during the election because of the level of hate online. Some colleagues of mine were actually forced to delete their social media platforms because of the abuse they were receiving.

This puts those politicians at a disadvantage because social media has become such an intrinsic medium in the modern age for communicating and engaging with the electorate.

Any controls over free comments are obviously controversial and difficult, but racist and homophobic remarks are properly subject to controls in the published media.

However, we have to put an end to people being allowed to get away with abusing others online.

Former senator Lorraine Higgins proposed extensive legislation to tackle online abuse.

She called on social media companies to take a more active stance in stopping people from abusing others online. This can be done by social media companies being more proactive in deleting abusive accounts.

A particular problem online is that people can hide their true identity by having anonymous social media accounts, which makes it easier for them to abuse people.

Lorraine also proposed that it becomes an offence for anyone to issue a message online, calling on someone to self-harm or take their own life.

Introducing these measures would go some way towards dissuading and punishing online abuse.

The political system is already stacked against women. Despite us now having the highest amount of women TDs in the history of the State, not enough women sit at Cabinet. We are yet to have our first woman Taoiseach.

Politics is a tough business. It is an honourable and important endeavour. It requires a huge amount of stamina and commitment.

I feel that politics in Ireland, and in general, is rapidly becoming tarnished by poisonous political rhetoric.

Those in positions of authority need to be mindful of the rhetoric they choose to deploy. Spurring people on with violent language can only have damaging repercussions.

We can begin by tackling this problem by confronting online abuse now before it becomes an even bigger problem and causes more harm to women politicians in Ireland and elsewhere.

Analysis, pages 21, 23, 24
Enda Kenny just spent Christmas with his wife Fionnuala and the kids in the family home in Castlebar.

The hard-working Taoiseach put his feet up for a few days and enjoyed some well-earned downtime in front of the TV after a hectic year in office.

A couple of months earlier he brought the Government back from the brink of collapse after budget talks stalled over differences with Fianna Fail.

The Independent ministers weren't much help either and seemed to go out of their way to complain about everything.

Nonetheless, Budget 2017 passed and now Kenny is preparing to set out his exit strategy to his parliamentary party when he returns to Leinster House in January.

This is the ideal scenario to a growing and anxious number of Fine Gael backbenchers. It's been said many times, but it's worth repeating - no one knows when the next election will be.

Within Fine Gael the belief is that it will be Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin who will decide when it is held, not Enda Kenny.

Throughout government negotiations, Kenny promised colleagues he "will not be around forever". There was an intimation that he would step aside within two years.

But then, two weeks ago, Kenny held an impromptu press conference for political correspondents.

The media briefing, which his press advisers hope will be a regular event, is part of a continuing effort by some in the Taoiseach's office to force Kenny to emulate British Prime Minister David Cameron in everything he does. It should be noted that Cameron eventually ditched the monthly press briefings.

Speaking of the Taoiseach's advisers, sources say an internal survey of Fine Gaelers found a large number of members believe certain elements of the Taoiseach's press team are unnecessarily hostile in their dealings with the media, which in turn is damaging Kenny's image.

Anyway, back to the point. At his press conference Kenny refused to give any details of his exit strategy and even suggested he would be going nowhere until the current programme for Government is implemented.

Given that the Coalition's programme wasn't fully implemented, God knows when that could be. He also wouldn't answer questions on whether he would challenge a heave.

His comments rankled with a lot of backbenchers - even some of those he might have considered loyal.

There is an overwhelming belief that when the inevitable happens it should be a bloodless coup. No one wants a messy, drawn-out war.

In saying that, there is a large group of TDs and senators who would like to see Kenny put the party rather than himself first and leave either between the budget and the Christmas break or in January. If not, people could move.

"He might want to go under his own steam and flex the last little bit of muscle he has, but the blunt reality is if he digs in it won't be him who makes the decision," a TD said.

However, his detractors were not heartened by the outcome of the recent Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman vote.

Kildare South TD Martin Heydon, who was unfairly seen as a Kenny candidate, beat Carlow-Kilkenny's Pat Deering by a massive 44 to 17 votes. While he is not a Kenny loyalist, Heydon is believed to have picked up a lot of votes from the Taoiseach's supporters.

Deering has been a dissident voice under Kenny's regime and would also be seen as being very close to Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar. The vote was a blow for Varadkar's leadership ambitions and means he may have to re-evaluate his subtle but active campaign to succeed Kenny.

"Every vote is a test of the leader, but that's the biggest vote Kenny won anything by," a Varadkar supporter said.

Last week, Varadkar reached out to Fine Gael councillors, who all hold a vote in the leadership contest, with a commitment to give them access to more social welfare benefits.

He has also been ringing unsuccessful Fine Gael general election candidates in recent weeks to commiserate with them after the party's drubbing in the polls.

Within the parliamentary party, his colleagues have noticed the minister gradually become more friendly and approachable.

There's more pints in the Dail bar and also in pubs outside of Leinster House, which has led to suspicion from those who were not invited.

And that is one problem Varadkar has - people are wary of him. They think he is erratic and they are not sure if he can be trusted.

However, he is miles ahead of the other presumptive leadership candidate, Housing Minister Simon Coveney, when it comes to courting backbenchers.

TDs regularly complain about the frustrating lack of access to Coveney in both his current brief and when he was in the Department of Agriculture.

Varadkar, on the other hand, goes out of his way to reply to queries from colleagues. He is also enjoying his new role.

Coveney is seen as a hard worker who tends to put his brief before his ambitions.

He carried out research in his constituency not long after the general election, leading some to believe it was a first step in his leadership bid. But sources close to the minister say that the polling and focus groups evaluated how Coveney lost so many votes to Fianna Fail rather than question his future in Fine Gael.

Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald is doing a bit of canvassing herself. At the start of the month, she brought a group of female Fine Gael TDs for lunch to Matt the Tresher, a restaurant in Dublin city centre.

None of the candidates wants a leadership race in the medium-term, which might come as a disappointment to their supporters. Varadkar is believed to prefer waiting at least two years, but this depends on events.

The summer will be crucial for those involved in the succession game.

Beyond the watchful eyes of both politicians and the media working in Leinster House, the three candidates can develop their support base.

For the time being, Varadkar has a clear edge over the other would-be king and queen, and his only real competition is the man sitting at the top of the Cabinet table.
I have been to Orlando twice in my life. First as a 13-year-old with my parents, when it seemed impossibly huge and impossibly exciting - and then as a 33-year-old when it seemed small, cheap and incredibly tacky.

In the interim, Orlando underwent its own seismic shift in perspective. In 1991, a group of gay men and women defied the saccharine family-only image of Disneyland and began congregating in Orlando's biggest theme parks.

There were only a few hundred of them in those years but they wore red shirts to make themselves more visible. They brought their children by the hand. Word of mouth turned Gay Days, as it became known, into a national festival in the US, nestling somewhere in the niche between Groundhog Day and Southern Decadence. By the time I returned, two decades later, the number of revellers had swelled to 300,000 and the message had been received loud and clear by Disney, and America generally: gay people are families, too. I had come out by then myself and Orlando, for all its kitschness, seemed to bookend the two big changes in my life; the onset of puberty and the slide into middle age.

I might then have felt, as many people here seemed to feel last week, that the tragedy in Orlando was kind of all about me. I might, as Owen Jones did on Sky News, have thrown an enormous strop because people weren't willing to underline the fact that this was all about my pain and my community's suffering. I might have written, as others did, that the unease they felt showing affection in public was related in some way to the shooting. I might, but I would have stopped myself, because I realise that a tragedy like the one in Orlando is a mirror in which every narcissist sees his own image.

In our relentless 24-hour news cycle, there is an unearned sense of immediate involvement in every grand tragedy that floats across our screens. On social media this breeds preening displays of faux empathy and flag washes over our Facebook profile pictures. It is inconsistent of course: we are Paris (but not Beirut or Baghdad), still the main thing is: we are all together and everyone knows we care.

Some of us have to care professionally. European news media organisations no longer have money to fly someone to Orlando to do on-the-ground reporting, so instead we have journalists projecting their own meanings and motivations on to the tragedy. Gun control is, of course, a bit tedious for us, since, besides gangland violence, we don't really have a gun problem and most of us fail to understand how America can't just sort the issue out. Islamic extremism is tough, too, because it's been done before and because, in our liberal guilt, we don't really like blaming Muslims.

Even mental illness isn't really a comfortable subject because we have to be careful about offending people who are mentally ill but without homicidal tendencies. Homophobic violence is a subject we can get our teeth into, however. And so following Jones's lead, the Western media seized on the one aspect of this shooting, besides its gargantuan scale, which made it different from all the others.

The most strikingly consistent thing about the endless gun shootings in America is the randomness of the settings in which they have occurred. Schools have featured, of course, but there have also been shopping malls, bowling alleys, rock concerts and the street.

We mostly don't give much airtime to the belief systems which might have informed the shooters' motivations, since these are self-evidently insane. We didn't ask ourselves, after Sandy Hook, what this meant for upper middle-class white children everywhere. When Anders Behring Breivik murdered 69 young people on an island off the coast of Norway his subsequent trial did not prompt the debate he had hoped for about immigration and white power in Norway. In Orlando, however, the homophobic motivations of Omar Mateen were placed front and centre. On CNN, Anderson Cooper grilled the governor of Florida about her record on gay rights and we began to see this shooting in terms of a hate crime.

Jones plaintively asked his fellow panellist on Sky News whether we would have failed to denounce the attack as anti-Semitic if it had happened in a synagogue but the analogy is false because of the context in which it occurred. Orlando, as a city, is nowhere close to the frontline of the evolution of LGBT rights and Omar Mateen committed his crime, in spite of, not because of, the attitudes that pervade in a city, which falls somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum in terms of its attitudes. Gay marriage has been legal there longer than it has been legal here and it hosts one of the biggest gay festivals in the US. The maniacal homophobia Mateen nurtured was his own. But, like the man charged with murdering British MP Jo Cox, he was quickly presented as the armed wing of a cause.

This struck me as disrespectful to those who died in Orlando. If I had got out of the Pulse nightclub trailing blood behind myself. I wouldn't really have much time for someone writing that this was like the time they felt afraid to hold someone's hand. If I were looking down from the afterlife, I would be dismayed that journalists and social media warriors thousands of miles away had followed the lead of an insane gunman and focused solely on my sexuality, or had stormed out of a television studio in such a dramatic huff that they had to spend the next 48 hours reiterating that they weren't trying to make this all about them (yes, you were Owen).

In the Irish Times last week, Una Mullally wrote "there is a difference between gunning random people down, and seeking out a subset of people for whom you wish to target with murderous rage. To deny that hate, or to subsume it into another narrative, denies its roots in society".

The glaring problem was that the narrative was so complex and foggy.

The major factors in the Orlando shooting - mental illness, access to guns, gender, internalised homophobia, and religion - did not lend themselves to a one-size-fits-all explanation. But if you were to be logical about it the things that the shooting shared with all other similar American mass shootings - the gender of the shooter, and his tragic access to firearms - would be the most helpful things to focus on in terms of trying to prevent this ever happening again. Instead we got wall-to-wall gay rights.

I have experienced homophobia in many different forms in my life. I have felt the unease that Una and others have written of. I have seen the spectrum of homophobia from the Fairview Park judgement to the casual bigotry of schoolyard; both seemed so sinister because they were folded into the respectability of suburban Dublin. Something about Orlando makes it seem far removed from all that, a random, distant crime, committed by an unwell loner, as unconnected with our Irish experience as the shooting of Malala Yousafzai was from feminism and children's rights here.

There is a tendency in life, as in academia, to see the world through the prism of your own expertise. Psychologists believe problems have their roots in our inner lives, economists see the world in terms of economics, and, given not that much to work with, gay journalists are able to see the complex causation of mass homicide in terms of LGBT politics. In doing so, they are fighting the good fight with the wrong weapons, and disrespecting the dead.
'When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" is a well known quote attributed to economist John Maynard Keynes.

It's meant to point up the absurdity of clinging on to beliefs after they have been proven factually wrong. We can hold as many contradictory opinions as we wish, but facts are sacred. We all know that knowledge is power and that education leads to enlightenment and clear thinking.

We know that an informed citizenry is preferable to an ignorant one and as believers in the democratic process we know that, as Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1789, "whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government".

Which is why so many logically minded people are scratching their heads in frustration at what they see as others' refusal to acknowledge the inherent inaccuracies - okay, let's say downright lies - that are at the core of two current political campaigns, neither of which initially seemed to stand a chance of winning, but now seem worryingly likely to do so.

Last month, The Guardian newspaper printed an editorial on the UK European Union (EU) Leave campaign, subtitled: "Show some respect for the truth."

They, and others, have been assiduous in proving to us that many of the "facts" being cited by politicians such as Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage - from the amount of cash the UK gives to the EU, the cost of EU regulations to British business, the likelihood of immigration lessening if the UK leaves the EU, to the 'ban' on bendy bananas - were downright false and were easily proven to be so. But the only people who cared were those who knew and believed the truth already.

For those who are ideologically in favour of the UK leaving the EU, the truth of what their politicians were spouting mattered not a jot to them. Their gut feelings tell them that the EU is bad, therefore it is. Facts are irrelevant.

Similarly, over in the US, PolitiFact (a fact-checking organisation) found that just 9pc of all statements made recently by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump are even remotely related to the truth.

In 2015, PolitiFact awarded him Lie of the Year when, out of 77 statements he made, 76 of them turned out to be "mostly false to false to pants-on-fire lies".

Yet as his statements are proved to be false, his popularity, like that of the Leave campaign, continues to soar.

As Mark Ritson wrote this week: "The debates have become childish slanging matches in which both sides throw bullshit in ever-increasing volumes at the other." He argues that the winner will be the side that can pull the emotional heartstrings the best, regardless of the facts.

It's not just in the political arena that 'whatever-belief-you're-having-yourself' trumps hard facts.

Give hardline anti-vaxxers, as they're called, irrefutable evidence that vaccinations have no serious ill effects and they will tell you that they are even more determined not to vaccinate their children. Give solid, scientific evidence that homeopathic 'medicines' are just sugar and water pills and those who swear by them will continue to believe that they work.

Prove to those who believe fluoride in our water causes all sorts of illnesses that there is absolutely no rational evidence to support their belief and they will just keep going believing that fluoride is the Devil's poison - again, regardless of the facts.

It's called the 'backfire effect'. Most of us like to assume that when our beliefs are challenged with facts, we will, like Keynes, change our beliefs.

However, researchers have discovered that in many cases the opposite is true; when a person's deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory thinking, their beliefs actually get stronger.

In today's world of 'all beliefs are equal', facts don't matter, 'feelings' do. Moral, cultural and scientific relativism is in, and validated, empirical 'truth' is out. Not only that, but there's never been a better time to get support and validation for not just factually incorrect but totally batshit crazy thinking. All you have to do is type "shape-shifting lizards run the world" into your laptop and you're guaranteed to get thousands of other fact-averse people supporting your claims and your gut feeling.

Or try it with "weapons of mass destruction in Iraq". Tony Blair did and he got the evidence he needed to invade the country. Evidence that Colin Powell later said was "a farrago of stovepiped intelligence, wishful thinking and utter bullshit".

The philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt first explained the difference between liars and bullshitters in his essay On Bullshit in 1986. Bullshitters - unlike liars, who are at least aware of the truth - don't care about the truth one way or another, it's irrelevant. Frankfurt's essay begins: "One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit." And he had yet to see the rise of the Internet and the way it has contributed to the spread of said bullshit.

Philosopher Stephen Law went further in 2011 with a book entitled Believing Bullshit: How not to get Sucked into an Intellectual Black Hole. In it, he succinctly explains how "Intellectual black holes are belief systems that draw people in and hold them captive so they become willing slaves of claptrap."

Law doesn't entirely agree with Frankfurt's description of bullshit, arguing that to some bullshitters, it matters that they believe the nonsense they spout to be true. Law explains strategies that people use for defending their own particular brand of claptrap. These include the "but it fits" strategy where "any theory, no matter how ludicrous, can be squared with the evidence, given enough ingenuity."

There's the "piling up the anecdotes" strategy ("but I know loads of people who used homeopathy and were cured") and my favourite one, "playing the mystery card", which Law explains is when bullshitters say: "Ah, but this is beyond the ability of science and reason to decide. You, Mr Clever Dick Scientist, are guilty of scientism, of assuming science can answer every question." This is often followed by that quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." When you hear that, alarm bells should go off.

We now live in golden age of bullshit where academic rigour in any subject is seen as elitist and therefore undemocratic.

It's a case of "my uninformed opinion is as good as your evidence- backed research - and if you say it isn't I'll call you out as an intolerant bigot - or worse."

Or as Richard Hofstadter (author of Anti-Intellectualism in American Life) said: "Intellect is pitted against feeling on the ground that it is somehow inconsistent with warm emotion. It is pitted against character, because it is widely believed that intellect stands for mere cleverness, which transmutes into the sly or the diabolical." This may explain why so many American Republican voters preferred Trump over other, less fanciful candidates. Trump may not have the truth on his side, but he is most certainly emotive and he is a Class A bullshitter.

And so many of the great political and social issues today will be decided not by information from experts who have spent years studying in their fields, but by those who can shout loudest and longest; by people who "just know".

As Charles P Pierce put it: "Fact is that which enough people believe. Truth is determined by how fervently they believe it." But political ignorance is dangerous in a democracy. Research shows that the more threatened people feel, the less likely they are to listen to dissenting opinions, and the more easily controlled they are.

This plays right into the hands of demagogues such as Farage and Trump, whose whole raison d'etre is to stoke up fear among their followers - "let's ban immigrants and build walls", etc.

But if people won't listen to the truth, how do we change hearts and minds?

One study suggested that people will actually update their beliefs if you hit them "between the eyes" with bluntly presented, objective facts that firmly contradict their preconceived ideas.

The problem, however, is that we've all become utterly terrified of offending other people's political, religious and cultural sensibilities, we're not in the habit of telling others that their beliefs are complete and utter hogwash.

We need to stop being so sensitive and call people like Trump and Farage out on their falsehoods, because the truth matters - and we better believe it.

@carolmhunt
Last Friday, a little girl from Meath arrived home with a special 'Happy Father's Day' card that she'd made in school.

She wrote: "To Daddy, I really, really miss you. So does mummy and [sister] you were the best Daddy ever".

It's been four years since her father took his own life; she was just three at the time. Her baby sister was two.

Some might think that by the age of seven she'd have started to process the trauma of losing a parent.

But the truth is her young heart is just beginning to break. When she showed the card to her mother, Lorraine, a lump quickly formed in her throat.

"I was filled with overwhelming sadness. She shouldn't have to deal with this. All she wants is to be Daddy's girl," Lorraine told the Sunday Independent.

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The little girl asked her mother if they could bring it to "his special place". Her father, Steve, was cremated but the family has a small plot at the local church where his two daughters place angels and messages.

Despite the passing of the years, Lorraine says her eldest daughter's grief has come to the fore recently.

"She suffers daily, she struggles so bad with the grief. His suffering is over but hers is just beginning four years later. She was like his shadow, she went everywhere with him," she said.

Lorraine sent the card to Console Ireland, the national suicide charity, to highlight the long-term grief endured by those left behind.

"A few weeks ago her friends at school were asking how her Daddy died, because they were talking about Father's Day and she had a complete meltdown, asking how did he die?," said her mother.

"She ripped up a family photo saying he wasn't here and she didn't want him in the photograph and then she would be sad. Every day there is something," she said.

After Steve took his own life, in the family home, Lorraine explained what had happened as best as she could.

"I said 'do you remember our fish Bob that died and didn't come back, well I'm afraid that's what has happened to Dad. That was her understanding of it at three," she said.

In the run up to Father's Day, Lorraine had to sit the seven-year-old down again.

"I said you know the way some people have broken bones, well, with Dad there was something in his head that was broken. So, I still haven't told her.

"I can't explain it to her the way she wants because she is too young to know that he took his life. I'm afraid she'll think 'was I not good enough?'" she said.

Although Lorraine knows the "dreaded conversation" is fast approaching, the potential impact on her daughter terrifies the mother of four. (Lorraine has two teenage sons from a previous marriage.)

"It's a massive worry and it's very frustrating. I didn't sign up to be part of a suicide. I feel stigmatised by it and I feel that my daughters are suffering and they will continue to suffer throughout the years when they find out what happened," she said.

"We're left with the scars, I want anyone out there who is thinking about taking their own life to just maybe take another second or an hour to think about it before they take that route. Just look for a bit of help," she said.

Although Lorraine says her late partner was "extremely funny" and "very well-liked", in hindsight she can see the signs of a hidden depression.

"He was made redundant from work but got a new job in America. He was due to start in June but I don't think he wanted to leave his family. He killed himself in April," she said.

She believes his sense of manhood was damaged by the financial crash.

"I don't think he felt that he was the man of the house. When the country went arse up, it stripped him of that dominant male role. He didn't feel good enough for us," she said.

Although she had no idea he was struggling so much, she believes if he'd opened up she could have helped.

"I know if he'd spoken to me he'd still be here, he loved me and the children with all his heart and I definitely think talking would have helped. There is so much professional help out there," she said.

After returning home on that awful day to find her partner of eight years dead, Lorraine says she fell into the squalor of "wine and closed doors".

"I thought I was doomed for a long time but I got out and I talked and told the truth of how I was feeling and it got me where I am now, and I'm much stronger," said Lorraine, who is in a new relationship and enjoying life.

However, her main focus is guiding her girls through the years ahead.

Her eldest daughter speaks to a counsellor every Saturday.

Paul Kelly, CEO of Console, said: "While the majority of Irish people will celebrate their father's life this Sunday, many thousands will be remembering a parent lost to suicide. Many of these people find it hard to talk about their loss, silenced by stigma, yet their father remains an important figure in their life," he said.
Hello, goodbye: Donald Trump is no-one's ideal candidate, but he's better than the alternative.

So, The Donald ain't gonna visit this cockamamie little island after all. In a great victory for cranky Irish lefties, it emerged earlier this week that Trump's planned exhaustive visit to Yurp will only include Scotland, which must have the Scots wondering just what they did to deserve this.

But here's the thing - I'm actually rather gutted he won't be coming here.

Not because I support all of his policies - let's be honest, even he doesn't support all of his policies - but because the craic we'd have during a Trump visit would have been mighty.

We've already seen Ruth Coppinger and Baby Boy Barrett do their little jig of righteous fury at the prospect of having to share the same air as the billionaire. But even their levels of impotent madness pale when compared to the venom directed his way by Ireland's most abundant natural resource - the keyboard commandos of the social media.

Forget the facts, just feel the outrage! The delicious thrill of letting all 15 of your Twitter followers know that you think he's worse than Hitler! He's going to start World War 3! He's a monster!

The protests themselves would surely have been a thing of joy.

Seldom in recent Irish history would so many numpties have gathered in one area to spout nonsense. It would have made the water protests look like an evening with Stephen Fry in comparison.

Frankly, I was rather looking forward to a bunch of hippies with silly beards and 'Free Palestine' T-shirts trying to perform a citizen's arrest before being cut down in a hail of bullets by Trump's trigger-happy Secret Service detail.

This isn't Joan Burton, after all. If they tried to block the Trump mobile, they'd be Tasered to within an inch of their life.

But hark! What's this we hear? The trip might go ahead after all!

Yes, according to the Mayor of Clare, James Breen: "I certainly welcome the fact the trip is back on track. Donald Trump is certainly welcome as a businessman who is investing in this county, particularly in west Clare where employment is badly needed," he told the Irish Independent.

Even Trump's official spokeswoman has suggested that he would like to visit, but if there's confusion surrounding Trump outside his camp, I rather imagine there's nothing but chaos and frantic flapping inside it.

Let's be honest, there are plenty of valid reasons for not wanting to vote for Trump and they're not for the reasons you might expect.

His controversial idea to build a wall along the southern US border is a smokescreen - an election promise as unworkable as an outgoing Irish government promising to fix the health service if only they are returned to power.

They know they won't be able to do it. The electorate knows they won't be able to do it. But when you're running for office, you have to differentiate yourself from your rivals and Trump has proved extremely adept at doing that.

No, the worries lie in his dark promise to regulate the media and the idea that the world might be landed with an American President who seems to spend too much of his life settling scores with people who made the mistake of offending him back in the day.

Similarly, his assertion that a federal judge of Mexican extraction shouldn't be allowed to rule on one of the many lawsuits against him had nothing to do with border security and everything to do with landing a gratuitously low blow.

So, let's be honest, Trump is nobody's ideal candidate. But he's a hell of a lot better than the alternative - not that you'd know that in Ireland, where Hillary is regarded as some sort of feminist icon.

I reckon most people in this country don't know or even really care about either Trump or Clinton, and are happy to form their opinion based on their own prejudices about America.

But compare the reaction to Trump's maybe/maybe not visit to the one that will be rolled out to Hillary Clinton when she visits in a few months' time.

RTE and the Irish Times are going to need incontinence pants when that hideous witch lands on our turf. You can be guaranteed no tough questions about Benghazi, her litany of lies or illegal email scandals here.

It will be sweetness and light as the woman who gave the order to kill hundreds of people is treated like a reigning queen while Trump, who has never - well not as far as we know - killed anyone, is seen as the threat to world safety.

Among those groups planning the Trump protest is the Irish Anti-War Movement.

How many wars has Trump waged? Clinton, as we discovered this week, has given the green light for more drone strikes than any of her predecessors.

The truly bizarre doublethink directed towards the two candidates can be seen with Boyd Barrett's comment on Thursday: "Let's not forget, Trump is an obnoxious, dangerous character and we would see it as a victory if he did not arrive."

A victory for what, exactly? A victory for stupidity. How else can you possibly describe any effort to deliberately piss off the man who may very well be the next POTUS?

That's applying logic, however. And logic is as welcome in progressive circles as Mein Kampf at a Jewish book club. But no, the Lefty Lilliputians have squawked and they want everyone to pay attention to what they have to say.

In the meantime, the rest of us will get the popcorn ready and look forward to the fun and games.

Let's face it - Irish is just a hobby

As the kids doing the Leaving Cert finished their Irish papers this week, I cast my mind back to the Very Long Ago to my own Leaving.

Back then - I presume it's the same now - you had to wait for half an hour before walking out, and myself and a mate counted down the minutes to when we could leave.

At the time, I, alongside most of the lads I knew, had a deep and visceral dislike for the language, something which has faded to mere background static in the intervening years.

Holding a grudge against an entire language is a monumental waste of energy, and there comes a time when we must leave childish things behind - my bugbears were the language and the Church, now I find myself unbothered by both of them.

During a segment on the Pat Kenny show about Irish during the week, myself and my opponent agreed to disagree, and it was all very civilised. But there was an underlying point which came through loud and clear - you can't really be Irish if you don't speak the language.

Now, I'm not so sure I want to conform to the very particular brand of Irishness the Gaeilgeoir grenadiers would have us aspire to, but it was fascinating to see how they have now adopted the new universal language - that of the persecuted minority.

It's ironic that practitioners of a language which ruined the schooldays of tens of thousands of kids now feel victimised when those children grow up and never want to hear it again.

If the language is to survive, it will be through the efforts of TG4 and shows like An Klondike, which brim with wit and imagination.

There was one delightful outcome from the radio item, though - I got lots of abusive emails, the majority of which were in Irish, which meant I couldn't actually understand them.

Now that's a waste of hate mail, if ever there was one...
Cheryl and Liam Payne welcomed their first child together last week.

Cheryl and Liam Payne are reportedly keen to have children together and are planning to start a family after six months of dating.

The couple, who have been dating since December, are said to be serious about a future together and a source confirmed to The Sun that they are trying for a baby together.

It's very serious now between Cheryl and Liam and they have been talking among close friends about starting a family, a friend of Liam's told the publication.

She's content and while they're in the honeymoon period, this feels like a connection for the future.

Expand Close Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole attend the Chopard Trophy Ceremony during The 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2016 in Cannes, (Photo by Venturelli/WireImage) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole attend the Chopard Trophy Ceremony during The 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2016 in Cannes, (Photo by Venturelli/WireImage)

A source close to Cheryl confirmed that the X Factor judge is keen to be a mum, but wants to finalise her divorce from husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, which was filed before Christmas.

The One Direction star recently brought Cheryl to his sisters wedding in Wolverhampton, where she was a big hit with his family.

Cheryl is believed to be preparing to move into Liams Los Angeles mansion within the next few weeks, to make the most of her time in the US.

Cheryl and Liam are getting more serious by the day, a source said.

They want to make the most of their time with each other before Cheryl has to go back to the UK, so it made sense for her to come and live with him. They are so happy together and head over heels.
Jo Cox was a "21st century Good Samaritan", churchgoers have been told in the village where she was killed.

The Rev Paul Knight told a congregation at St Peter's Church in the West Yorkshire community that the 41-year-old MP was "someone with whom Jesus would have been so pleased".

He said: "Her humanity was powerful and compelling and we would do well to recognise her as an amazing example - a 21st century Good Samaritan."

Mr Knight said: "Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

"I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

"And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile."

Mr Knight was speaking as Mrs Cox's husband Brendan tweeted: "Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon"

Prayers were said at St Peter's for Mr Cox and the couple's two young children.

Mr Knight also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Mrs Cox's aid outside Birstall library on Thursday.

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After reading the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, the vicar said: "There is much wickedness in our world. But thank God there is so much goodness - goodness that does not recognise colour, not nationality."

The memorial service comes after Mrs Cox's sister called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death

Kim Leadbeater told crowds gathered in Birstall on Saturday that they should "focus on that which unites us and not which divides us" as part of her sister's legacy.

Ms Leadbeater, parents Gordon and Jean Leadbeater, and other family members viewed the hundreds of floral tributes and messages left to the Batley and Spen MP since her death on Thursday.

They embraced as they looked at the flowers in Birstall marketplace, metres away from where she was shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency surgery.

A memorial fund to raise money for charities Mrs Cox supported has reached more than 620,000, with donations from over 20,000 people.

The charities, chosen by Mrs Cox's friends and family, represent her campaigns as an MP to help civilians caught up in the Syrian war, to fight racism and extremism in Britain, and to help residents in her Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, a petition set up calling for Mr Kenny to be given the bravery honour the George Medal, has garnered close to 500 supporters.

He remains in hospital in a stable condition

A 52-year-old man who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday over the killing gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Thomas Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.
Kevin Perry got separated from his friends in Bordeaux late on Friday night

A man who went missing at the Euros for nearly two days has to live with the embarrassment of his photo being shared "more times" than a Kim Kardashian adult video, his cousin has joked.

Nicola Perry posted an appeal for help locating missing Kevin in France after he disappeared on Friday night.

However the Belfast man turned up safe and well on Sunday afternoon, much to the relief of his concerned family.

Now, in a post on Facebook, Nicola has scolded him for his disappearing act and warned that he is grounded when he comes home.

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She wrote: "Thank you so much to everybody who shared the appeal my cousin Kevin has been found safe and well!!

"A big relief for the family and his friends.

"Now he has to face the embarrassment of his picture being shared round Facebook more times than a Kim Kardashian porno.

"Just delighted my wee cousin has been found- love you all- time for a bloody drink lol xxxxx [sic].

"One more time- this is the culprit!! Enjoy the rest of the euros kiddo- you're grounded when you get home lol xxxxx"

Kevin Perry got separated from his friends in Bordeaux late on Friday night and had not been seen since.

His cousin Nicola had taken to Facebook to appeal for help locating the missing man.

She wrote: Folks my cousin Kevin has been separated from his friends in Bordeaux from late on Friday night.

His name is Kevin Perry.

She issued an appeal to anyone who is in France to help with the search: If you have friends at the Euros can you ask them to keep an eye out and let us know he is safe and well.

She also said his phone is turned off.

A spokeswoman for the temporary Irish consulate in Bordeaux confirmed that they had been providing consular assistance to the family.

It was confirmed shortly after 4pm on Sunday that the young man was found 'safe and well'.
A terror attack on fans watching Euro 2016 was foiled with just hours to spare, Belgian officials indicated yesterday, as 12 suspects were arrested.

Officers had initially picked up 40 people 'of interest' in swoops linked to an alleged plot to attack supporters in Brussels watching the Belgium and Ireland match.

It came after authorities warned of Isil commandos preparing "imminent" strikes in France and Belgium.

A jihadist cell was said to have left Syria a week ago to commit atrocities in both countries. Belgian police would not clarify if the overnight raids were linked to earlier alerts. The terror squad was plotting an attack yesterday, broadcaster VTM said, and suspects reportedly drove near a fanzone.

Last night the federal prosecutor's office said a terrorism case judge had detained three Belgian nationals aged 27, 29 and 40, charged with attempted "terrorist murder" and being part of a terrorist group.

A spokesman said: "The other nine persons that had been arrested, were questioned... and released." The prosecutor's office said no weapons or explosives were found in 152 searches.

Belgian newspaper Le Soir said other potential targets included shopping centres and stations. Security measures have been increased in Brussels, with body searches and a ban on bags or backpacks inside fanzones.

Islamist suicide bombers killed 32 people in the Belgian capital in March following attacks in Paris last November in which 130 people died.

Investigators have found links between the Brussels and Paris attackers, some of whom were based in Belgium.

Last week a police couple were stabbed to death at their home in Paris in an attack claimed by Isil. The next day a note to police from Belgium's anti-terror unit emerged with the warning: "Combatants are thought to have left Syria around a week and a half ago to reach Europe via Turkey and Greece."
A third runway at Heathrow will provide a major boost for the Northern Powerhouse, the airport's chief executive has said, ahead of a crunch decision on capacity.

John Holland-Kaye said that without the ability to expand Heathrow, cities in the north would suffer.

He told the Press Association: "Without the third runway, other cities will also suffer and that's the point, it's for the whole of the UK, it'll help drive the Northern Powerhouse and create jobs.

"The country is losing 1bn a month because Heathrow doesn't have a third runway."

The plans have proved highly contentious, with local residents and campaigners railing against the extra noise and air pollution they claim expansion would bring.

Mr Holland-Kaye has moved to quell concerns by pledging to reduce night flights and curb noise and pollution if it is given the go ahead to build the runway.

He added: "There's been a very positive reaction to the night flight decision. The tone of conversation has improved enormously."

He also revealed that he has invited new London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who had backed a third runway as transport minister but changed his mind when running for office, for talks.

"We have a lot in common with Sadiq Khan, we wrote to him a few weeks ago to invite him to sit down with and solve the emissions problem together.

Last year, the Government's Airports Commission said a third runway at the west London hub is the best route to expanding airport capacity.

But David Cameron stalled on rubber stamping the recommendation, saying the Government required more time to assess the environmental impact.

A decision is now expected in the summer, and Mr Holland-Kaye believes the EU referendum could play a role.

"The Prime Minister said that there would be a decision this summer. Providing there's a Remain vote, the Government has a window before to announce the decision before July 21, otherwise it'll be September," he said.

Mr Holland-Kaye also reiterated his pro-Remain stance, saying: "We see the benefit of being in the EU and the trade it brings every day. In the short term, there would be a modest impact, but over the following years there would be volatility."
Firefighters battling wildfires in California caught a break as gusty winds died down, but with the region bracing for sweltering heat the respite could be brief, authorities said.

A four-day-old fire in California coastal canyons was 45% contained after 40mph "sundowner" winds failed to materialise.

Those gusts had driven the flames through steep, brushy canyons west of Santa Barbara on previous nights and forced the closure of a major highway.

No homes have burned, but about 270 homes and ranches are at risk and camp sites were evacuated with flames only two miles from more densely populated coastal communities.

In New Mexico, governor Susana Martinez directed the state National Guard to assist in securing communities affected by a massive wildfire in the central part of the state. Guardsmen will be patrolling and protecting evacuated homes from possible looting. They also will be called on to help with potential flooding.

Firefighters took advantage of cooler weather to reinforce holding lines around a blaze that has destroyed two dozen homes. Fire lines were strengthened on the western and southern boundaries of a blaze that erupted in the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque.

The fire has burned more than 27 square miles about six miles north west of Tajique since Tuesday and spread a pall of smoke as far as Denver. The damage includes 24 homes and nearly as many structures near the small community of Chilili.

In Arizona, a fire south west of Show Low was 30% contained. Firefighters beefed up containment areas on the northern and western sides of the blaze.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for the community of Forestdale. The fire has burned nearly 19 square miles since Wednesday.

Crews in Utah also made gains against three wildfires in the southern part of the state.

A 350-acre wildfire near Cedar City was 30% contained, but the blaze still threatened 20 structures including homes and outbuildings.

More than 1,200 firefighters attacked the California fire, which has engulfed nearly 12 square miles of mountain and agricultural lands. Crews nailed down lines on the fire's west side, which had not moved for days, Santa Barbara County fire chief Dave Zaniboni said.

However, the eastern side of the blaze was uncontrolled and virtually inaccessible.

"It's straight up and down... we can't put bulldozers in there," Mr Zaniboni said.

Crews were relying on aircraft water drops and on cutting fire breaks ahead of the flames. They hoped to set backfires to stop the spread, Mr Zaniboni said.

The battle had a deadline because "sundowner" winds gusting to 50mph are expected to return and that could stir up the fire, he added.

Weekend fire dangers were already expected to worsen as a heatwave will bring potentially record-breaking temperatures across the south west.
SHARE Marina Wooten holds her daughter, Karis, on the porch of the home where the childas father was fatally shot by an Anderson County sheriffas deputy on Monday night. Brad Evans Andrew William Aldrich

By Kirk Brown of the Independent Mail

Conflicting accounts have emerged about an Anderson County deputys fatal shooting of a man this week.

An autopsy conducted Tuesday found that Andrew William Aldrich, 24, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. A second shot fired at Aldrich missed, he said.

There were marks on Aldrichs face and indications that he was struck in the shoulder and upper chest with a deputys baton, Shore said. The autopsy also found evidence that Aldrich had used methamphetamine and marijuana before his death Monday night, the coroner said.

Shortly after the shooting happened at a home on Drake Circle, Sheriff John Skipper said that the deputy and Aldrich became involved in a scuffle when Aldrich refused to put down an unspecified object. Skipper said the deputys Taser fell to the floor and Aldrich picked it up and pointed at the deputy. The deputy then shot Aldrich, Skipper said.

A sheriffs report released Tuesday indicates that Deputy Justin A. Bannister went to the home at 110 Drake Circle in response to a domestic disturbance call. Bannister wrote in the report that a deputy Davis also responded to the call. Skipper said Tuesday that the second deputy was Shawn Davis.

Citing an ongoing investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Skipper did not identify which deputy shot Aldrich. He said the two deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave. According to Skipper, Davis has been employed at the sheriffs office longer than Bannister, whom he described as fairly new.

A South Carolina Law Enforcement Division spokesman refused to reveal any information about the case.

It would be inappropriate for SLED to discuss any specific details while an investigation is underway, agency spokesman Thom Berry said.

The sheriffs report offers some details that vary from Skippers version of events on Monday night.

The report says that Aldrich assaulted a woman inside the home as deputies tried to escort him outside.

Bannister wrote in the report, I attempted to restrain Aldrich from grabbing the female, at which time, a physical altercation began between myself, Aldrich, and also Deputy Davis who was on scene assisting me.

Bannister wrote in the report that Aldrich struck him in the head and kicked him several times.

During the altercation, Aldrich was able to take my county issued Taser, and was beginning to stand up while pointing it in mine and Deputy Davis direction, Bannister wrote. At that time lethal force was used to eliminate the threat.

Aldrichs longtime girlfriend, Marina Wooten, offered a sharply contrasting account of Monday nights events. She and Aldrich are the parents of a 1-year-old girl who was in the home when deputies arrived there Monday night.

Wooten said she accidentally called 911 on her cellphone. When deputies came 20 minutes later, Wooten said, she told them that she had not been harmed.

Wooten said the deputies went inside, dragged Aldrich out of a bedroom and told him to empty his pockets, which he did.

According to Wooten, Aldrich then agreed to walk out of the home accompanied by Wooten and their baby.

There were no weapons on him, she said. He was voluntarily trying to walk outside.

Wooten said one of the deputies tried to separate her and Aldrich, which is when the physical altercation started.

The deputy just threw him to the ground, Wooten said. They tased him like three times, and he was like, I quit. I quit.

Shore said the autopsy found no indication that Aldrich was tased.

Wooten said one of the deputies struck Aldrich in the face several times with his baton before shooting him.

They took it too far, she said. All he wanted to do is come out here with me.

A copy of a search warrant given to Wooten states that two shells, one bullet and a Taser projectile were found in the home. The warrant also says that one container of a leafy green substance, two marijuana pipes, a syringe and a plastic baggie with white powdery substance were seized.

According to court records, Aldrich had been arrested 20 times since 2007. In 2012 Aldrich received a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges that included possession of methamphetamine, possession of a stolen vehicle and receiving stolen goods. His most recent arrest was on Oct. 4, when he was charged with two counts of third-degree assault and battery. He was released from the Anderson County Detention Center the next day on personal recognizance bonds.

Monday nights fatal shooting was the second death in as many days involving deputes. On Sunday afternoon, 31-year-old Brad Evans died after he was tased twice by deputies following a car chase that began in Townville and ended in Starr. Shore said an autopsy found that the Iva man died of a combination of drug use and a heart condition.

Skipper said Tuesday that chases and confrontations involving deputies and suspects seem to happening more often, not only in Anderson County but in other parts of South Carolina and throughout the nation.

I dont know if it is our society or what, Skipper said, but this is getting to be a regular thing.

Independent Mail reporter Nikie Mayo contributed to this report.
SHARE Demetrius Hawkins

By Independent Mail

A new law passed in June is being put to use in the case of a man arrested Wednesday in Anderson.

Tenth Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams said Demetrius Antonio Hawkins is the first person in Anderson County to be charged with attempted murder since Gov. Mark Sanford signed the Omnibus Crime Reduction and Sentencing Reform Act of 2010 in June.

Hawkins, who is also charged with kidnapping, is accused of beating and choking Rachelle Williams on Tuesday.

His request for bond was denied.

The act amended South Carolina's Code of Laws regarding assault and defined what constitutes attempted murder.

Under Section 16-3-29 of the code, attempted murder is an attempt to kill another person with malice aforethought.

The amended code ranks assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature or assault and battery with intent to kill as secondary to attempted murder.

If convicted, Hawkins could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison without parole.

Anderson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Chad McBride said sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call on Tuesday afternoon to Huntington Apartments and found Rachelle Williams in a bedroom. McBride said Williams, 34, had been choked with a telephone cord and had suffered multiple head injuries.

Williams, a transsexual who was born Ronald Williams, was taken to AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson in serious condition, McBride said.

Williams remained at the hospital Wednesday.

Hawkins remains at the Anderson County Detention Center.
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By Frances Parrish of the Independent Mail

Future Farmers of America students and their parents are concerned about decisions Anderson School District 5 officials have made regarding the agricultural program for the upcoming school term.

The district plans to hire one agriculture teacher to replace the two who left at the end of the school year.

The new teacher will teach six classes in the agriculture program during one school term with three classes each semester, all at the Anderson Five Career Campus. The teacher also will serve as the FFA chapter adviser. The classes and the chapter are available for Westside and T.L. Hanna high school students.

District 5 Assistant Superintendent Veta New said there also will be support people to help with student chapter.

But students and parents are concerned that the workload for teaching six classes and leading an FFA chapter with about 70 members will be too much for one person.

"How many classes can one person teach?" parent Brian Jones said. "They can't be focused on only recruiting and just teaching introductory to agriculture."

Westside senior and District 5 FFA chapter president Mackenzie Jones said there is a lot of paperwork for advisers to fill out for competitions, conferences and other weekend activities.

"It's going to be really hard to keep everything organized," Jones said. "Two teachers is what we really need."

New said career programs ebb and flow and the hotter topics are mechatronics and engineering right now.

"We've had numbers going down," she said. "If this new teacher can grow the program to 150 students, we have it in the budget for another teacher ... I'm all about supporting what kids need, but at the same time I'm not going to have a teacher that isn't going to be teaching. That's irresponsible."

But students say the reason the numbers have dropped is because of confusion in course registration.

When it was time to register for classes Zane Junkins, a rising junior at Westside High School and an officer in FFA, said he couldn't sign up for the agriculture program.

"Up until last month, I was told I couldn't take agriculture," Junkins said. "I had to re-sign up. It's ridiculous they didn't let anyone know."

But New said she had not heard anything about enrollment problems.

She said students put in schedule requests to their guidance counselors and schedules are built on classes students need to graduate and what electives can fit as well. But schedule requests change throughout the summer, and students should call the school if they want to take the agriculture class.

"I know of at least 20 more students who want to join," Jones said. "At one point, guidance counselors were telling kids they couldn't sign up."

The district received 118 requests from students to take agriculture classes. Most of the second level courses had less than 10 students register. But 71 students requested the Plant and Animal Systems course. New said even if all of the schedule requests were approved, some of the classes with lower enrollments might be combined, creating six classes for the school year. An average class size is 24 students. If there are more than six classes a year in the program, there would be a need for another teacher, New said. She said most of the students who take the agriculture classes are in FFA.

But some think the district should contact the students about the classes.

"I think there are kids who are going to miss out," said Jones' mother, Michelle. "I would like for the district to send out messages to let kids know those classes are available."

In a county with a lot of agriculture opportunities, including Clemson University which has many agricultural programs, some students and parents think the district should be focused more on trying to grow the FFA chapter and the agriculture program at the career center. But New said that while the program is important, it will continue to grow if teachers work hard to recruit students.

To some students, such as Jones, the agriculture program and FFA chapter helped them form a career path.

"Hopefully I'll go to Clemson for agriculture education and then to law school for agriculture law," said Jones, who is the new president of the District 5 FFA chapter. "The FFA chapter gets kids out of their shells and shows there's more to it than farming."

Follow Frances Parrish on Twitter @frances_AIM
Photos by Mike Ellis/Independent Mail Bruce Herner and his son, Aric Herner, walk in front of a rare Turner automobile at the Day B-4 Father's Day Car Show in downtown Anderson.

SHARE Thousands of people and more than 300 cars were part of the Day B-4 Father's Day Car Show in downtown Anderson. Haylee Drew, 9, sits in the driver's seat of her grandfather's car at the Day B-4 Father's Day Car Show in downtown Anderson. Seven-year-old Robert Dasalva takes a photo of his father, Joao, standing beside a motorcycle at the Day B-4 Father's Day Car Show in downtown Anderson.

By Mike Ellis of the Independent Mail

Alan Johnson has a beat-up pickup.

But his truck has something going for it that most trucks don't.

He bought it a few years ago from someone who still had the original bill of sale.

It is a 1957 Chevrolet, it cost $1,979.

And no, he won't sell it for the sticker price.

Johnson's truck, half rust and half blue-green, was one of hundreds of cars at the Day B-4 Father's Day Car Show in downtown Anderson.

The car show has become a family show for Johnson.

His father-in-law brought two classic Buicks, which were the cars featured on the official car show T-shirts this year. This is the 17th year of the show.

His daughter and several other family members came, some sitting on chairs and while others mingled with old friends at the show.

"It's like a reunion," Johnson said. "We do this every year."

Next to Johnson's truck was Wallace Keese's 1966 Chevrolet Impala.

It is his father's car and Keese remembers back before it was a show piece, when it was the family vacation vehicle.

"He bought it for my mom in February '66," said Keese, the dean of students at Fort Valley State University in Georgia.

His favorite vacation was when they went, many decades ago with three kids in the back seat and oodles of luggage in the spacious trunk, to Philadelphia and back to Pendleton.

In that huge trunk, Keese now keeps a large framed picture of him and his father from when they won first place in their category at a different car show in 2004.

Having his father with him at the Anderson show, with the family's old car on the day before Father's Day was not lost on Keese.

"I love being with my father," he said.

Keese's father was at the show, but spent more time reminiscing with others while his son showed off the car to gawkers.

The next slot over had one of the more unusual vehicles, a 1935 McCormick-Deering tractor with a faded patina.

Owner Pat Carpenter said he got it a few years ago from someone in North Dakota, and he bought it as a way to remember his parents who had a similar tractor.

"Daddy and mama were farmers," he said. "Their first tractor, they traded for it with a pair of mules."

The show had the best weather it has ever had, according to several of the old hands and organizer Carey Jones.

Jones said he estimated about 8,000 to 10,000 people came to see more than 300 cars.

Because there are more cars every year and it had the best weather, it follows that this must be the best show ever, said Harold Carnes.

He looked fondly at a Chevrolet Bel-Air, he used to own one decked out like an old police car, a car he drove for fun back when he was a sheriff's deputy.

"Last year it was 100 degrees and you'd melt out in the sun in 15 minutes," Carnes said. "This is perfect."

Mike McCormick and his son, Ben, came to the show out of tradition.

They've been coming for years, since before Ben, a Clemson University student, was all that into cars.

"He was really young, didn't really appreciate all the great cars but now he may be more into them then me," Mike said.

The McCormicks go to pick out their dream cars, and to spend a bit of time together.

Mike wants a late 1960s Corvette.

Ben wants a new truck.

"I guess he's a bit more practical," Mike said.

Bruce and Aric Herner, another father-and-son duo, walked through the rows of cars trying to spy an AMC.

It's Bruce's favorite.

His son, Aric, enjoyed a powerful silver Mustang.

"We've been coming since the very beginning," Bruce said. "It's a father and son tradition."

Bruce joked that he was looking to get a Father's Day gift.

"I bought you the T-shirt," Aric laughed.

Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM
Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems today celebrated the foundation laying of a new facility in Hyderabad for its joint venture named TATA Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL). The joint venture has been established to co-produce Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages and other aerostructures, as well as to pursue integrated systems in aerospace.The Hyderabad production facility will eventually be the sole producer of AH-64 fuselages globally. The Apache has been flown or selected for acquisition by the United States and 15 other nations, including India.Participating in the ceremony were Manohar Parrikar, defence minister, Government of India; K. T. Rama Rao, honorable minister of IT and Industries & Commerce, Telangana; and other dignitaries from the Telangana government.The joint venture between Tata and Boeing is a significant step in developing Indias capabilities for aerospace & defense manufacturing and becoming a global exporter. This is a clear example of the significant progress made towards Make in India for defense, said Manohar Parrikar, Union Defence Minister. I am delighted to see Boeing and Tata step forward and make this significant investment in India."Speaking on the occasion, S. Ramadorai, Chairman of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), said, Todays ground-breaking ceremony is a significant milestone in furthering our commitment to the Indian aerospace sector. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 this partnership could boost the emerging manufacturing sector, contributing to the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision of Make in India. I am positive that this joint venture which brings together the core strengths of both companies will help take this strategic relationship to the next level."This joint venture is an exciting advancement for Boeing in leveraging our capital and expertise globally, said Pratyush Kumar, president, Boeing India, and board member of TBAL. I am delighted that every such step we take is forging the way towards building an indigenous aerospace ecosystem in support of Make in India.In November 2015, Boeing and Tata announced a joint venture for manufacturing aerostructures and collaboration on integrated systems development opportunities in India. This joint venture will create a manufacturing center of excellence to produce aerostructures for the AH-64 Apache and provide affordable manufacturing capabilities to the global aerospace industry.Todays groundbreaking is the next step in Boeing and TASLs journey to develop key technologies and capabilities, said Dave Koopersmith, Boeing vice president, Vertical Lift, and board member of TBAL. We will be making significant investments to ensure the success of this joint venture as we bring value to our customers globally and compete for additional manufacturing work in the global market.We are proud to partner with Boeing to manufacture complex aerospace aerostructures parts out of India, said Sukaran Singh, MD & CEO, Tata Advanced Systems, and Board Member of TBAL. Tata Advanced Systems has developed expertise in manufacturing as well as in large scale systems integration work in the aerospace and defence sector. Our capabilities are further enhanced through collaborations and partnerships with leading global aerospace majors. We intend to grow this unique joint venture partnership with Boeing, focusing on opportunities to collaborate on development and life cycle management of integrated systems.Boeing and Tata group companies have established partnerships in India to manufacture aerostructures for Boeings commercial and military aircraft. Tata Advanced Materials has delivered composite panels for the power and mission equipment cabinets and auxiliary power unit door fairings for the P-8I long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. TAL Manufacturing Solutions is manufacturing complex floor beams out of composite materials for the Boeing 787-9, the most modern aircraft with exceptional environmental and fuel-efficient capabilities. TAL Manufacturing Solutions has provided ground support equipment for the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter.
Cipla has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Russia's National Immunobiological Company to collaborate on HIV and Hepatitis C drugs, entailing an investment of 2.8 billion roubles (around Rs.289 crore).An Indian consortium, led by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) along with Oil India (OIL) and Bharat Petro Resources (BPRL), a 100% subsidiary of Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), have signed definitive agreement to acquire upto 23.9% shares from Rosneft Oil Company (Rosneft), NOC of Russia in JSC Vankorneft, a company organised under the law of Russian Federation which is the owner of Vankor and North Vankor Field licenses.: NTPC is planning to sell rupee-denominated offshore green bonds to raise up to $250 mn by the end of July, according to reports.: SpiceJet will offer passengers the option of booking a taxi to reach the airport at the time of ticket purchase, according to reports.Gammon India reported a net profit of Rs.53.38 crore for the quarter ended March 31, compared to a net loss of Rs.73.53 crore reported in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.The company announced that it has consolidated 100% shareholding in Srei Equipment Finance Limited ("SEFL").The pharma company has received tentative approval from US Food and Drug Administration for generic version of Astrazeneca's Prilosec drug, according to media report.Securities and Exchange Board of India has proposed relaxing real estate investment trust norms, including allowing investment of up to 20% of their funds in under-construction assets, among other things.HDFC is planning to raise Rs.500 crore by issuing secured redeemable non-convertible debentures through private placement.Jindal Steel and Power Ltd is seeking shareholders nod to divest 1,000 mega watt (MW) power plant of a subsidiary company and sale of its 920 MW captive power plants.L&T wholly-owned subsidiary L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering has bagged orders worth Rs11.70bn across business verticals.The company has acquired French company Adetel Group for an undisclosed sum.UCO Bank board has approved a proposal for raising Rs.42.43 billion Tier I Capital through issue of bonds and equity shares.The company is planning to raise up to Rs.245 billion through issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs).Tata Steel aims to ramp up production at the Kalinganagar unit in Odisha quickly, as per media report.The company said it has resumed full supplies to Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) from the companys other facilities in Noida, Pune and Chennai.Eros International announced a television syndication deal for their new and catalogue films with Zee Network.The company has decided to supply Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) to its customers from inventory in hand and imports, and consequently production of complex fertilisers, including DAP, is being temporarily suspended at Haldia, West Bengal.The Board of Directors at its meeting held on June 17, 2016, considered the recommendations of the Committee of Directors /Audit Committee and agreed to call for additional inputs before taking the decision for the proposed transfer of Companys Jaypee Bina Thermal Power Plant to its subsidiary company.The company has bagged an order worth EURO 130 million, to set up a high voltage direct current (HVDC) link to connect power supply networks of India and Bangladesh.The Board of Directors of Central Coalfields Limited, the Company's subsidiary, at its meeting held on June 16, 2016 has considered and approved the buyback of 2350000 fully paid equity shares of face value of Rs. 1000/- each.HCL Technologies has signed a strategic IT partnership contract with LeasePlan. Under the terms of agreement, HCL will create Group Competency in collaboration with LeasePlan Information Services to provide IT solutions in various domains such as core leasing platforms, business intelligence and data warehousing solutions, enterprise IT solutions, and application development & maintenance services.
On the occasion of Father's Day, we give you the tale of a bold mother, who recently shared her experience of a difficult childbirth.

We often come across inspiring stories of common people but it takes strength for a public figure to talk about personal issues like childbirth openly. One such bold woman is Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie. She has never shied away from talking about important issues and taking a stand for things that matter.

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So, when she talked about giving birth to her daughter Shiloh in Africa, it didnt come out as a big surprise. Instead, she gained, even more, respect for stating the harsh realities that women all around the world face.

(Read: Here's How Angelina Jolie Is Making The World A Better Place To Live, One Good Cause At A Time!)

On Friday, Angelina Jolie shared with BBC Radio 4s Womens Hour that she knows from experience that childbirth is not always a joyful experience.

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"I went to a hospital in Namibia, where I was having my daughter, and I was in breech," the 41-year-old mom-of-six said of giving birth to daughter Shiloh in 2006.

For the record, breech is when a child is born bottom first instead of usual headfirst birth!

"I needed a C-section, and I knew I was in breech because I had had the money to have an ultrasound. But I found even the local hospital with many, many people, many women  and this was a good hospital  did not have an ultrasound machine."

More than 800 women around the world die of complications from childbirth every day.

Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, Jolie, who joined Radio 4 as a guest editor, took it upon herself to talk about health in refugee camps. She then went on to shared the harsh reality of life as a pregnant woman without resources.

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So the amount of women that didnt know they were in breech, the amount of babies and complications when they got into labor, with one simple machine. But I know there are many extraordinary people who are working on this and womens health around the world, and many groups dedicated solely to that, and their work is so needed and these solutions can come.

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Hats off to Angelina Jolie! She is one of a kind and we just love her for all the humanitarian work that she does to make the world a better place. #Respect
From the sweet girl-next-door Tani in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi to the intense wrestler Aarfa in Sultan, Anushka Sharma has come a long way in her 7-year career in Bollywood. While talking about her upcoming film Sultan opposite Salman Khan, she hopes this film surpasses the box collections of both PK and Bhajrangi Bhaijaan.

Getting into the role of Aarfa was challenging for her. This is what she said about how she prepared for it.

"I'm a lot like Aarfa. I had less than 6 weeks to prepare and it was challenging. I was amazed by how Aarfa is and that's how most wrestlers are in India."

"I'm a lot like Arfa. I have always chosen Films that have been impactful."- @AnushkaSharma about @SultanTheMovie pic.twitter.com/mr90sAbbP4  Indiatimes (@indiatimes) June 18, 2016

She is so well-versed with Haryanvi that she tends to talk in Haryanvi on the sets of Phillauri.

'I used to write Haryanvi words phonetically how they are spoken and that's how I learnt Haryanvi'-@AnushkaSharma pic.twitter.com/9zaka5Aj9c  Indiatimes (@indiatimes) June 18, 2016

Anushka Sharma is one of the few actresses who has worked with all the three Khans in Bollywood.

"The similarity between them is that in spite of being in the industry for so many years, the kind of respect and love that they give back to people is amazing."

While talking about how she deals with trolls on social media, she said:

"I don't have a reaction. I dont want to react to a bunch of cowards, sitting in front of their computer screens, insecure with a shit idea of themselves. They think so lowly of themselves. They think kissi aur ko neeche girayenge to unki aukad badhegi. You can just feel sorry for them."

Now, thats the spirit Anushka!
India and Pakistan have a lot of things in common. No, we aren't just talking about it's history, culture or demography, we mean it's Censor Boards too!

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So after a major fight, Udta Punjab flew from the CBFC's nest and hit the Indian theaters with a bumper opening. But even before its makers could sustain their happiness, the film is facing another hurdle. It has now got stuck across the border too. Pakistan's film certification body has refused to grant the film permission to release. And the reason it gave doesn't seem shocking to us.

Walking on the same (authoritative) path like our CBFC, the Pakistan censor board has asked the film's makers to remove "objectionable dialogues" from the film!

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While the producers have all through asserted that the film is close to reality, and the language used resonates the way drug addicts and people in the interiors of Punjab speaks, it had mostly fallen on deaf ears!

According to Fakhr-Alam, chairman of Censor Board Sindh, the film has been viewed by the Board and they have asked the distributor to make a few changes. This has become a roadblock for the movie's release.

"We have told the distributor to delete the bad language, swear words, which are extremely explicit and in direct conflict with the law and censor code. We will [then] review to see that the compliance has been adhered to and then issue a certificate. As far as the release is concerned, it is up to the distributor." - Censor Board Sindh

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Udta Punjab fought a legal battle with India's CBFC last week against the 94 cuts demanded by the board. The Bombay High Court gave the film a clean-chit, leaving the entire industry and audience happy. Udta Punjab, which focuses on the impact and menace of drug abuse on the society, particularly in Punjab, went on to become one of the biggest openers this year. But with Pakistan standing strong in its approach to see the film as an important subject, it has strengthened the point on how the two censor boards are unified in terms of their dumbness, to say the least! Do we see another fight or will the makers give in to Pakistan's demands? Let's just wait and watch!

(Also read: Udta Punjab Film Review: A Movie That Was Almost Worth The Controversy)
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We saw actors posting adorable messages and throwback pictures with their dads this Father's Day. But one actor who prefers to play it differently, be it his onscreen characters, or his real life role of a parent, is Irrfan Khan. The actor chose to spend the day differently with his younger son Ayan. Irrfan took him to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, to make him understand the Gandhian philosophy.

Irrfan, who plays a vigilante in his upcoming film Madaari, is a strong believer of the Gandhian ideology. Hence, he ensured that his 11-year-old son understood the historical significance of the place and how the Father of the Nation, initiated his fight for India's independence from the ashram.

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He did not just pay homage to Gandhiji, but the father-son duo took the round of the famous charkha loom too, in which Mahatma Gandhi himself made the fabric of khadi. And going by the way Irrfan handled the charkha, he seemed to have mastered this art too! Check out the video.

Just to point out, that few days ago we told you how Irrfan's elder son Bilal gave a better company to Hollywood actor Tom Hanks with whom Irrfan acted in Inferno. And now the younger one is learning the Gandhian ways, Irrfan sure knows how to bring up his kids in the best possible manner.
A group of foreign missions in New Delhi will celebrate LGBTI pride events over the next few weeks, as the world reaffirms its solidarity with the homosexual community in the aftermath of the Orlando attack.

Samik Sen/BCCL

In an unusual joint statement, 28 missions here said "Planned events in New Delhi include, among others, the lighting of embassies in the iconic colors of the LGBTI rainbow flag, hoisting the rainbow flag on the embassies' flagpoles, LGBTI film screenings, lectures, and other social functions." The aim of the events, they said, was "We believe these diverse celebrations will foster a sense of community and belonging, and help to advance human rights for all throughout the world. We note with pride the increasing progress that is being made around the world to protect the fundamental human rights of LGBTI individuals."

Anindya Chattopadhyay/BCCL

The missions' statement has diplomatically avoided calling India out on Article 377 which continues to criminalize homosexual relationships. Instead, in an encouraging tone they highlight India's traditions of recognizing transgender people. "India has long recognized a community of five to six million third gender Indians as citizens who do not identify themselves as either male or female. In 2009, when the nation's election authorities decided to formally allow an independent designation for intersex or transgender voters and in April 2014 the Indian Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment granting transgender people legal recognition and access to "all rights under the law".

Jose Cabezas/Reuters

The statement goes on, "At home, and increasingly abroad, many countries support, organize, or participate in events to celebrate the diversity of their citizens, to reduce discrimination and misinformation about the LGBTI community, to build on individual and collective achievements, and to highlight what needs to be done to ensure fundamental human dignity of all individuals and full equality for all human beings regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."

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Th statement was supported by embassies of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, UK, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Malta, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and USA.

Anindya Chattopadhyay/BCCL

While the statement and events positioned the missions' celebration of homosexuals' choice worldwide, with the context being Orlando, the India gap is unmistakeable. The fact sheet starts off with "France becomes the first West European country to decriminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults, followed by the Netherlands in 1811, Brazil in 1830, Portugal in 1852, the Ottoman Empire in 1858, Guatemala and Mexico in 1867, Japan in 1880 and more than a hundred countries in the 20th century."

Samik Sen/BCCL

The sad truth is glaringwhile India might be a modern country its laws against sections of society like LGBTI are an anachronism.
The crackdown on the northeast poaching nexus continues as the Anti-Corruption cell of the Assam Police raided a Divisional Forest Officer's residence to find Rs 2 crore and 7 lakh worth cash, gold, jewellery along with tiger and deer skins.

The officer, Mahat Chandra Talukdar, has been posted in Dhemaji district in eastern Assam since 2014, has faced extortion charges before. It also during his tenure as the DFO at the Kaziranga National Park that a record 184 rhinos were reportedly poached.

PTI

In 1989, while Talukdar was serving as a ranger in Agartali range of the Kaziranga National Park, 42 rhinos were poached in and around the range. In 1992, 29 more rhinos were killed and their horns robbed while Talukdar was still serving as a ranger in that region of the Park.

Later when Talukdar was shifted to the Bagari range in 1992-1993, 89 rhinos were poached from the region.

These findings along with the deer and tiger skin discovered at his house during the raid clearly show that Talukdar has been playing a major role in the poaching nexus from Kaziranga and other parts of the country with China and Myanmar.

PTI

The raid by the Anti Corruption Cell was conducted simultaneously on his Guwahati and his Dhemaji residences.

The latest incident of rhino poaching took place while the Minister of Forest Affairs was visiting the Kaziranga National Park. Earlier, a rhino had been poached hours after the British royal couple's visit to increase global awareness for rhino conservation.

Rhino poaching had become the main agenda for people at the Assam election earlier this year with the people demanding action against the poachers and a safer life for Assam's one-horned rhinoceros.

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Talukdar has been sent to police custody for five days by a court of special judge on Saturday.
Next time, you apply for a grant to study in Pakistan, chances will be much better if you are training on behalf of or to join Taliban.

Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the 'University of Jihad' and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar.

Mohammad Sajjad/AP

"I am proudly announcing that Darul Uloom Haqqania Nowshera will get Rs 300 million to meet its annual expenditures," Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister Shah Farman told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly this week.

He said the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was not raiding and targeting religious institutions but has been cooperating and providing financial assistance to it.

The madrassa in Akora Khattak in Nowshera district of the province is known for having several top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including former Taliban chief Mullah Omar who received an honorary doctorate from the seminary.

Hoshi Jal/TOI

Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader Asim Umar and slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a US drone strike last month, were among alumni of the seminary which is dubbed as the 'University of Jihad'.

Mohammad Sajjad/AP

When asked about such a big chunk of financial assistance to a single seminary, minister for religious affairs Habibur Rehman said that chief minister Pervez Khattak had promised to Haqqania madrassa's administration financial assistance of Rs 150 million which was adjusted in the Auqaf fund this year, the News International reported.

"Darul Uloom Haqqania is one of the oldest and largest seminaries of Pakistan and it deserves financial assistance," Rehman, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Mohsin Raza/Reuters

Rehman said that Rs 15 crore would be provided to the madrassa in 2016-17 while the remaining amount would be given to it next year.

Founded in 1947, the Islamic seminary is currently headed by Maulana Sami ul Haq, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. He also serves as the chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 groups, including Hafeez Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Farman said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was providing financial assistance to other seminaries and mosques in the province.
Oxytocin has been banned in India for its effect on the health of the cows and buffaloes that it is administered to. Yet, dairy owners cannot look away from the fact that the lack of the illegal drug affects their profits.

Recently, the Union Health Ministry nabbed a large haul of the drug being sold under altered names of peptides and amino acids. The drug, Oxytocin, is the mixture of nine amino acids.

The haul was in Hyderabad earlier this year in which 140 vials of oxytocin were seized.

BCCL Since then, Drugs Controller General (India), Dr GN Singh, has asked his staff to keep a keen eye out and get a hold of the nexus. He has even asked the post offices to be careful with the consignments that they receive and forward.

Also in September 2015, oxytocin injections were seized from near New Delhi Railway station from a person. Like the March haul, the drugs were being hidden in unlicensed holds and without labels.

BCCL

"Misuse of oxytocin by importing it in the form active pharmaceutical ingredients under disguised names of custom peptides, other peptides and amino acids has been unearthed," a senior official in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Union Health Ministry said.

BCCL

While there is much talk about the effect of the banned drug on livestock, it is also poor for human consumption. Cow or buffalo milk laced with oxytocin can induce early puberty in children as well as cause early labour in pregnant women. Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, has also alleged that the continued consumption of drugged milk can lead to prostrate and breast cancer.

In the animal, the drug forces the udders to squeeze and relieve the extra milk held back for the calf by its mother. This not only deprives the calf of its share of milk but also affects the well-being of its mother, drastically reducing its lifespan and making it barren over time.
Ropni Devi and her daughter Priyanka Pahan are all set to get married to their respective partners on Sunday at town hall in Khunti. They are among 21 couples entering into a wedlock on the initiative of Khunti district administration and an NGO named Nimitt.

namasthetelangaana

The couples, all from the home constituency of rural development minister Neelkantha Singh Munda, have been living together, some for more than 30 years, but have not been married yet.

The couples, mostly tribal and belonging to Munda tribe are not economically sound to bear the cost of rituals associated with social marriage, especially throwing a feast for village elders and friends, which kept them away from entering into marriage.

namasthetelangaana

Nimitt founder-director Nikita Sinha said she came in touch with one Buddhu Nag in course of her visit to village for Mukhia induction programme. "We are working on a World Bank project for village sanitation when Nag came to me seeking help in getting him married," she said.
Alibabas founder Jack Ma believes that fake products are sometimes better quality than the originals. No, we kid you not!

He made this statement on Alibabas investor day in Hangzhou on Tuesday.

marketingchina.com

The problem is the fake products today are of better quality and better price than the real names. They are exactly the same factories, exactly the same raw materials but they do not use the names.

In no time, this comment caused mass outrage on social media. People couldnt help but blame him dodging and claiming responsibility for the longstanding presence of counterfeit goods on Alibabas online bazaar Taobao.

Since long many luxury brands have criticized the e-commerce giant Alibaba for not investigating and cracking down the fakes. So much so, that even today it isnt difficult to find replicas and fakes on the website.

His comments came to light when Alibaba is facing a humongous controversy over counterfeit merchandise on its websites.

Alibabas membership in the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, a nonprofit global organisation that fights counterfeit products and piracy, was suspended in May after questions were raised about conflicts of interest involving the coalitions president. In fact, Michael Kors called Alibaba our most dangerous and damaging adversary in a letter to the coalition.

We would love to work with the branded companies, Mr Ma said. He further added that the company had around 2,000 staff working on the problem. We cannot solve the problem 100 per cent because its fighting against human instinct. But we can solve the problem better than any government, any organisations, any people in the world.

As for Mr. Mas comments, he was pointing at one longstanding reason for the spread of fakes in China: outsourcing. Although Mr. Ma described it a new business model in China, his descriptions were mainly about the key flaw of contract manufacturing.

However, issues around contract manufacturing arent new for Western brands.

Mr. Ma said that such copycatters have always existed in China, and it is the internet that has made it easier for these Chinese producers to connect to their target customers and sell their products.

This is even true for smartphones. In the past, the necessity of physical sales channels resulted in a high barrier to entry. The ability to do all your sales online, a model introduced and led by Xiaomi, resulted in a boom of lesser-known Chinese smartphone brands to make similar products at lower prices.

Twitter

In his speech, Mr. Ma spoke about the inevitability of fakes due to human instinct and said Alibaba would continue fighting them, even calling Alibaba the worlds leading fighter of the counterfeits.

Every fake product we sell, we are losing five customers.We are the victims of that. We never stop fighting. he concluded.
marketingchina.com

Alibabas founder Jack Ma believes that fake products are sometimes better quality than the originals. No, we kid you not!

He made this statement on Alibabas investor day in Hangzhou on Tuesday.

The problem is the fake products today are of better quality and better price than the real names. They are exactly the same factories, exactly the same raw materials but they do not use the names.

In no time, this comment caused mass outrage on social media. People couldnt help but blame him dodging and claiming responsibility for the longstanding presence of counterfeit goods on Alibabas online bazaar Taobao. Read more about the issue

Here are 5 more stories from around that world, that may interest you:

1. Forest Official Turns Poacher In Assam, Tiger Skins, Elephant Ivory Worth Lakhs Recovered From Him

PTI

The crackdown on the northeast poaching nexus continues as the Anti-Corruption cell of the Assam Police raided a Divisional Forest Officer's residence to find Rs 2 crore and 7 lakh worth cash, gold, jewellery along with tiger and deer skins.

The officer, Mahat Chandra Talukdar, has been posted in Dhemaji district in eastern Assam since 2014, has faced extortion charges before. It also during his tenure as the DFO at the Kaziranga National Park that a record 184 rhinos were reportedly poached. Read more about his heinous crimes here

2. Pakistan Grants Rs 30 Crore To The University Of Jihad - A Madrassa Linked To Afghan Taliban

Mohammad Sajjad/AP

Next time, you apply for a grant to study in Pakistan, chances will be much better if you are training on behalf of or to join Taliban.

Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the 'University of Jihad' and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar. Read more about this institution here

3. Pepper, The Newest Staff Member At A Belgian Hospital, Is Taking Everyone By Surprise

Reuters

It is not unlike a scene from a Steven Spielberg film. In fact, some characters look quite similar! At the Ostend hospital AZ Damiaan, a new robot has joined forces with an older one to help facilitate services. Pepper, the new robot, looks quite similar to the characters we have seen in films. The older robot, Zora, is a slower version of Pepper (like Teddy in Artificial Intelligence and just as adorable) and has been used to keep patients occupied during their stay. Watch pepper in action here

4. In The Israeli Desert,The World's Highest Solar Tower Gets Ready To Light Up The Future

thetribune

The world is surely moving towards renewable energy; if not for the sake of the planet, then for the sake of economic and futuristic demands.

And while many countries including India are going towards solar cells as an alternative, there are some who are finding newer ways to use the sun!

In the middle of southern Israel's desert, engineers are hard at work building the world's tallest solar tower, reflecting the country's high hopes for renewable energy.

Once completed in late 2017, the Ashalim Tower will rise to 240 metres (787 feet), taller than Paris's Montparnasse Tower and London's Gherkin, according to the Israeli government and the consortium building it. Covered in stainless steel, the square tower in the rocky Negev desert with a peak resembling a giant lighthouse will be visible from dozens of kilometres (miles) away. Read more here

5. A Brave Mother Opened The Jaws Of A Mountain Lion With Her Bare Hands To Rescue Her 5 Year-Old Son!

Image Credit: AP

A brave mother fought a mountain lion to save her 5-year-old son in Aspen, Colorado. The boy was playing outside his home, when a ferocious lion attacked him. Hearing his screams, his mother came outside and physically removed her son out of the lions mouth with her bare hands. However, the family has not been identified yet.

He was then taken to the hospital in Aspen. His neck, head and shoulders were majorly injured, whereas his mother sustained injury on her hands and legs. Read more
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said the government is focused on rebuilding the North East, a region that has suffered devastation by terrorist group Boko Haram. He urged Japanese support alongside other local and international contributions in the effort.

According to him, insurgency in the region has given rise to 49,000 orphans in Borno State alone.

These are young children, some of them saw their parents killed, adding that government will intervene in the lives of the orphans including by building boarding houses and schools and getting widows to take care of the orphans, a statement by issued by Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande quoted the vice president to have said when he received a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Were looking at how we can build schools for these orphans among the Internally Displaced Persons and organize the widows so that they can be able to take care of the children, Osinbajo said.

He said it was very important to the Buhari presidency that there is improvement in the life of the Nigerian people.

The critical thing is improving the life of the people generally and we are working as hard as possible to ensure that. It is a lot of work, especially at a time when the economy is not doing as well as it could, he said.

Osinbajo, therefore lauded the commitment of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for collaborating extensively with the Buhari administration and acknowledged JICAS support to Nigeria.
A Chinese national, Sunk Kun, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command over an alleged attempt to assassinate his Nigerian business partner.

Kun, who has been resident in the state for 5 years, was reportedly arrested after one of the assassins who he paid N1.4 million to

kill his business partner, was arrested.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP, Fatai Owoseni, made this known on Saturday while parading the suspects, Channels Television reports.

According to him, the majority of the money paid to the hired assassin has been recovered.

Owoseni said, The Chinese national fellow who is in business with some Nigerians, happened to have a business misunderstanding with one of the Nigerians and he thought the best way to resolve the business misunderstanding is to eliminate his Nigerian business partner.

He had recruited a fellow who is his co-accused to go and help him recruit more people in order for them to kill the Nigerian business partner that he had a misunderstanding with and he had paid the sum of N1.4 million for the assignment, the CP confirmed.

But on interrogation, Kun denied ever wanting to assassinate his Nigerian business partner.

He said, This Nigerian man, many years ago, he did business with my company. He owed me money and is a fraudster.

I dont want to kill him but he wanted to kill me. This guy says he can do voodoo for me.

The money is not for assassination, it is for juju, and no one will be able to kill me, the Chinese man confessed.
An attack by herdsmen on residents of Gabo village in Nengev and Turan Councils wards of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday June 17th, has left six persons dead with several others injured.

The herdsmen stormed the village in the night, attacking the community members with machetes and other dangerous weapons. A member of the House of Representatives that represents Logo State Constituency, Hon. Terna-Kester Kyenge, told the Sun that he received six mutilated corpses

I received six mutilated corpses and addressed hundreds of displaced persons including women and children. I condemn the attack as gruesome and barbaric. I, however, call for restraint on the part of my people while I urge the federal and state governments to intervene in arresting the culprits and provide relief materials to the displaced people. Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu, said the corpses of the deceased victims had been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital, Ugbah. You know, these Fulanis always strike in a guerrilla manner. Once they strike, they leave the area. Security has been beefed up in the area and the people can now return to their homes, Yamu said

Source: The Sun
Amid allegations of diversion of relief materials donated to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, security agencies have placed some Borno State Government officials entrusted with the distribution of the relief materials under watch.

International donor agencies, government agencies, philanthropic individuals and corporate organizations among others have donated cash, food and other relief materials to the hundreds of thousands of IDPs in Borno State but there allegations especially on social media that officials have been stealing, re-bagging and selling some of the materials back to the displaced persons who can afford them and the general public.

The development has reportedly led to severe hunger among the IDPs spread across the over 20 camps around Maiduguri, the State capital, while officials keep smiling to the bank with the proceeds from their illicit and inhuman business.

Apparently disturbed by the allegations, the State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima at a meeting with the police and the State Security Services at the weekend, gave them marching orders to arrest officials involved in the despicable act.

The charge was given by the governor after he had travelled to Bama, 75km away from Maiduguri, to personally verify the allegation.

Gov. Shettimas visit, it was learnt, not only confirmed that many of the IDPs are hungry and malnourished on account of inadequate care, they were also dying at an alarming rate.

The governors aides claimed that he even cited fresh corpses of IDPs killed by hunger being buried.

The governor reportedly ordered that 61 of those with acute malnutrition be transferred to the intensive care unit of the Umaru Shehu Ultramodern Hospital, Maiduguri, immediately to save them from dying.

Another set of 478 children, alongside 219 adults with lesser cases of malnutrition, were also moved to a special care unit for proper feeding and medication, officials said.

Sources said that apart from food items, medical drugs, toiletries, beddings and clothing materials were regularly stolen and sold by greedy officials.
Residents, workers and passers-by on Saturday besieged Kara along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to view the sudden appearance of plants which grew on a section of the Ogun River.

A large number of people stormed the area with their phones and recording devices, while some went as far as walking over the water plants and praying.

Though several eyewitnesses described the occurrence as strange and mysterious, geological experts toldSUNDAY PUNCH that the plants were simply rapidly growing seaweed and that the incident was not extraordinary.

Our correspondent, who visited the site on Saturday, observed that a significant expanse of the river had been carpeted by a massive layer of the vegetation.

Scores of residents, including children, were walking, playing and praying atop the plant-covered river.

Michael Fagbenro, a panel beater with a workshop located at the Kara riverbank, said those in the area began to notice the plants surface at about 8am on Friday.

He said, It started gradually; the plants were flowing with the river. But by 12pm, the water began to flow forcefully and brought a lot more plants. It accumulated at a very rapid rate.

By Friday afternoon, it had completely covered the river. I have been here for over five years and this has never happened. It is obviously not normal. This is unbelievable. When I saw it, I was afraid because it is so strange.

Asked if he had attempted taking a walk on the seaweed, Fagbenro exclaimed frighteningly, Who, me? I dont have the courage to walk over it! I am not one of those born here and I cannot swim. I am even sure that when the plants leave, they will take someone with them.

Mrs. Christiana Monday-Egbu, a local trader, similarly said she and other workers at the site were fearful at the occurrence on Friday.

The cassava processing business owner, who set up shop by the river over a year ago, said, It was around 10am when the water started gushing, carrying the plants with the waves. It wasnt even raining when it started.

People were startled when it started. It all happened so fast. I have never witnessed such a strange occurrence in my life. Everyone rushed out to watch with surprise.

Another Kara-based trader of over three years, Mrs. Love Itoro, said prior to the strange development, canoes plied the river, conveying passengers, mostly traders, from one side to the other.

The food vendor explained that at the climax of the incident, a canoe was caught in the middle of the river with five passengers who were meat sellers.

When the plants started coming in large amounts, it blocked the boat and almost made it sink. The driver quickly came down onto the plants to help the passengers carry their meat. People from the other side then threw a rope and pulled the boat back to safety, Itoro said.

Mrs. Ability Udoh, a trader at Kara for five years, said the occurrence was not entirely strange. According to her, occasionally, the river would bring sea-based plants.

Udoh, however, admitted that she had never witnessed it in such magnitude.

We are happy that nobody died, she said.

Two other traders, Mercy and Blessing of Calabar extraction, said they were shocked and afraid when the incident occurred.

Mercy said, I too was so scared because I have never seen something like this.

Blessing added, I saw someone lying down on the plants on Friday; I was so scared. I cannot believe how daring some people are.

In an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, Dr. Folorunsho Adetayo of the Department of Geosciences, University of Lagos, identified the plants as seaweed.

According to the environmental geoscientist, seaweed is a regenerative product of algae.

Adetayo said, The plants are not harmful. People can come in contact with them without being harmed. The rainy season definitely contributes to it. I cannot say that it is the first time this is happening.

It could have happened in the past. During certain periods of time, the algae proliferate and are formed around the river course.

He also dismissed claims that the river had dried up, noting that the algae had the ability to reproduce and regenerate itself at a rapid rate within hours.

He said, No, the river cannot just dry up in the rainy season for that matter. It is an experience that is not restricted to Nigeria. At least, personally, I have witnessed it in Qingdao, China, two years ago.

Adetayo however warned, The government, however, needs to remove the plants because if allowed to stay long, it can become toxic to plants and animals, including human beings.

A Professor of Applied Geophysics, Department of Geosciences, UNILAG, Elijah Ayolabi, in an electronic mail, also explained that the occurrence was not strange.

He said, To the ordinary man, this may be strange, but to those of us who have conducted geophysical investigations and geological mapping around that area, it is not strange. However, I will like to see it myself and provide scientific deductions of the occurrence.

Source: Punch
Unidentified gunmen attacked the Ogijo community in Ogun state on Friday.

The gunmen attacked two hotels and a mosque while shooting sporadically at villagers. Eyewitnesses say there were about 100 gunmen and that shops were also looted.

While the residents of the community say 15 people were killed, a statement from the police claims that only three people were killed.

Some sources say the attack on Friday was a reprisal attack after men of the police force killed two suspected militants in a raid on a hotel on Friday morning.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Libya, assisted 162 stranded Nigerians migrants, including 28 women and 3 children, to return home to Nigeria from Libya. They arrived Murtala International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday June 16.

Of the group, 146 had spent months in immigration detention centres, namely Abu Saleem, Qarapoly and al Zawia detentions centres.

The repatriation, in close co-operation with the Libyan authorities, the Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli and the IOM mission in Nigeria, was on board a charter flight that departed Tripolis Mitiga Airport and arrived in Abuja the same afternoon. The repatriated migrants were received by IOM Nigeria at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and were provided with cash grants upon arrival. Of the group, 20 will be provided with some reintegration support.

Before departure all migrants were provided with hygiene kits, clothes and shoes. A mobile patrol from the Libyan Directorate of Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) escorted the buses to Mitiga airport.

The circumstances of this group were similar to the other migrants who were previously repatriated by IOM from Libya. Almost all the migrants traveling on this charter were detained after they were intercepted at sea, trying to get to Europe.

Some of the migrants who spoke to IOM explained why they felt compelled to embark on these perilous journeys.

Omar, a 19-year-old, tearfully told IOM of his ordeal. I made it to Libya six months ago, and I settled in Garaboli city, 60 km east of Tripoli, with the intention of travelling to Italy, where I was arrested by a militia member together with other migrants. He threatened to send us to prison if we refused to work for him. We worked at his farm, for no money at all. When we tried to escape he asked us to pay 500 dinars (USD 360) for our release. Then he put us in a room and shot at us with his gun. I was shot in the leg. He then threw gasoline on us and set us on fire. I was severely burned. I managed to escape from the farm and I was eventually taken to the hospital by police who found me lying on the side of the road.

Adama, a 38-year-old father of three, living with his mother, borrowed USD 5,000 price of salvation trip, he called it. He arrived in Libya five months ago and spent three months in the detention center. It does not matter which country, any country in Europe is a paradise for me and worthy of any risk to reach, even if the price is my life, he said.

Abdul, a 25-year-old paraplegic, said his physical condition did not prevent him from working as an auto mechanic in Nigeria, after dropping out of school, to help his parents and his brothers. However, he lost his job and struggled to survive. His frustration meant that he was easily convinced when his friends in Italy persuaded him that there would be plenty of opportunities for him under Italian disability laws. His journey was much harder than other migrants anyone else because of his condition. When he arrived in Libya, he was forced to work for two months in an electronic repair shop owned by a brother of one of the smugglers in Sabha (South Libya) to pay for his passage to Tripoli. Upon his arrival in Tripoli last February, he tried to find work to raise money for his passage on the boat.

He was however, arrested just two weeks after he arrived. I chose the humanitarian repatriation although Im sure that the situation at home is much worse. I have to face my family with empty hands after all that they spent to get me here in the first place. I hope the organization (IOM) will help in securing income same as it helped me to secure my return to my country, said Abdul.

Aicha, a 39-year-old mother of two, arrived in Libya five months ago via the desert. She had left her two children with her husband in search of a better life. She told IOM, It was a long and hard trip where my life was threatened twice when I fell down from the truck between Agadez (Niger) and Al Qatrun (Libya) because of the huge number of migrants that were on the back of the truck. After my arrival in Tripoli, I found work as a maid in one of the connection houses  which is more like houses of prostitution. Eventually, I had to escape and began to think seriously about the return. Luckily I heard from a friend that IOM organizes voluntary repatriation so I registered with the embassy.

Despite their journeys of hope ending in detention centres, these migrants consider themselves lucky to have escaped death trying to cross the Mediterranean, which this year has claimed the lives of 2,438 migrants and refugees on the central Mediterranean route.

The fund for this charter was provided by the Swiss Secretariat of Migration, under the project Provision of Humanitarian Repatriation and Reintegration for Stranded Migrants in Libya.

Source: IOM
The team bus of Nigerian Premier League side Ikorodu United was involved in an accident with a trailer on Friday, en route Makurdi for a weekend fixture against Lobi Stars. The accident happened along AMA Brewery Road 9th mile in Enugu.

A team official and seven players were treated in hospital for minor injuries, with 11 players and six officials of the Lagos-based side escaping unhurt after jumping out of the bus windows.

Ikorodu United team from Lagos, in an auto-crash en route Makurdi, Benue State A trailer was speeding in the direction of the Ikorodu bus, but the driver quickly swerved before the trailer crashed into another passenger bus, leaving it completely flattened, a team official said.

It was a scary moment but we all managed to get out of the bus through the windows, team media officer Babatunde Ayoola told BBC Sport. We are lucky to be alive because the crash impact killed all the passengers inside an 18-seater bus on the spot.

Source: Vanguard
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday said he was never invited for questioning by the police over alleged forgery of Senate rules.

The lawmaker expressed surprise at the lawsuit filed by the Federal Government against him and other suspected conspirators.

The Nigerian government charged Mr. Ekweremadu alongside Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi, to court for allegedly forging the Standing Rules that was used to elect the Senate presiding officers last June.

The charges were filed on June 9, exactly a year after the controversial election and inauguration of the two principal officers.

Acting on a petition filed by Suleiman Hunkuyi, the senator representing Kaduna North District on behalf of the Unity Forum, a group of senators opposed to Saraki and Ekweremadus election, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, ordered an investigation.

In the petition, Senator Hunkuyi alleged that the Standing Rules used for the June 9 presiding officers election was forged and accused the four officials of conspiracy.

Following the submission of its report to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Federal Government formally accused the quartet and pressed criminal charges of offence of conspiracy punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law; and offence of forgery with fraudulent intent punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law, against them.

Reacting to the charges, Mr. Ekweremadu, in a statement on Sunday by his spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, denied complicity in the alleged forgery, and described the suit as a form of intimidation and onslaught to rubbish him.

The hands of Sen Ike Ekweremadu are clean because he has no business whatsoever with the production of Senate Standing Orders, said the statement.

This is the latest attempt to try and convict him in the court of public opinion, notwithstanding that we do not want to mount a public defence.

We would rather meet them in court if they so wish.

We plead with our supporters across the nation to maintain the peace and go about their normal businesses unperturbed by this latest act of harassment and impunity.

We want to reassure them that no form of intimidation and onslaught to rubbish him will make him shy away from diligently carrying out the constitutional duties.

Ekweremadu will not legislate in fear, and he will certainly not fear to legislate, the statement further added.

Expressing surprise, the deputy Senate president said neither he nor Mr. Saraki was invited by the police or indicted in the report to Mr. Malami, querying why charges should be pressed against them.

According to him, in July 2015, the police spokesperson told the world (and it is on record) that the agency did not invite him for questioning and that the Force did not at any time question him over the so-called forged Senate Standing Orders.

We are, therefore, as surprised as other Nigerians at the current twists and turns by the same police one year after and also after they had since submitted to the Attorney General of the Federation, their investigation report, which neither indicted nor even made the slightest mention of Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Moreso that the petitioners never named Ekweremadu in their petition in the first instance, his spokesman said.

We wish to state that we read the reports of the so-called police invitation and charges allegedly preferred against Senator Ekweremadu; the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; and others on the pages of the newspapers like other Nigerian.

Even as we try to reconcile the reports of the simultaneous police invitation and court processes, nobody has, till date, served the Deputy President of the Senate any letter of invitation by the police or court summons.

The Office or person of the Deputy President of the Senate is not in the moon. The concerned authorities know how and where to reach Senator Ekweremadu if they want to. But, so far, everything remains in the realms of the usual propaganda onslaught to malign, bully, intimidate, and divert attention from the real challenges presently confronting the nation. However, when the bird jerks in the air, we can fathom where it would perch, the statement concluded.
The Joint Task Force (JTF), code name: Operation Pulo Shield has arrested three suspects, including two teenagers and an elderly man in Sumoge community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta, while fishing close to the Chevron oil flow station, Okan platform. They were alleged to be oil pipeline vandals.

According to reports, the community did not know about their arrest until Saturday morning when it was discovered that the suspects had not returned home from their fishing. The Sumoge community has, therefore, called for the release of their sons from military custody.

We thought their boats capsised in the sea, so we sent a search party to recover their bodies only for us to discover that they were arrested by security agents guiding pipelines, A legal practitioner and an indigene of the community, Mr Taiwo Orisabinone, said.

They are underage and we found their fishing nets on the waters. We have settled in that community for long and fishing has always been our means of livelihood.

It will be unfair to arrest natives, who know nothing about pipeline vandalism, he said.
Lailan Mary Amara Jacob is vexed over the recent trending statements Ooni of Ifes wife, Olori Wuraola and OAP Freeze made concerning gender equality.

Olori Wuraola had said shes not a huge fan of gender equality. While speaking at the Emerging Womens Forum in National Harbor, Maryland, she had said:

I am not a huge fan of Gender equality. We cant be equal, We cant be men. We have our roles to play here, a very pivotal one. How about if we think about it this way that we are limiting our potentials and where we could get to as women by us keep saying that we want to be equal. I dont think we can ever be equal.

OAP Freeze later backed Olori up saying:

The Olori of Ife, Her Majesty, Queen Wuraola-Zynab Ogunwusi, spoke what I consider words of absolute wisdom, when she stated her belief that gender equality is hardly achievable in the modern world.

I agree that men and women have equal rights I absolutely disagree that they are equal. If you are in doubt, attempt wearing your boxers on your head and your cap on your butt and then brush your teeth with your belt and hold your trousers together with your toothbrush, then perhaps, my point will be better illustrated.

Well, dear Olori, OAP Freeze, Amara has some strong words for you this morning. Kindly read:

When educated men and women display high level of ignorance, one is forced to speak. Before one makes a public speech, I think it is wise to do some research. It is always safer to get the facts right, before picking up a microphone to show off. Gender equality does not mean competing with ones husband. Neither does it mean rivalry between the man and the woman. Gender equality is not all about marriage. It goes beyond that. Let me educate you both, since you failed to do your home work.

What is gender equality?

In simple terms gender equality means the state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender. This means that boys and girls, men and women should get equal opportunities in every area of life. I will give you few examples.

Education

Everyone should get an equal opportunity to go to school. The girl-child should not be denied access to education because she is a girl. Are you not aware that in some cultures/religion women are not allowed to go to school?

Work

Men and women should get equal employment opportunity. Look at our work force today, it is dominated by the men. Do u know why there are more poor women than men today? It is because women dont get same opportunity as the men.

Politics

There should be equal representation. How many women get political appointments? How many are elected into public offices? How many women are governors? How many women are in the state and National Assemblies? Can men truly represent the interest of women?



Culture

We have obnoxious cultural practices that relegate women to background. Little girls are forced into marriages against wishes. Of course you know what widows go through in this part of the world. Is it fair

on our mothers? Is it fair that men who are physically stronger should molest women they are meant to protect? And you proudly say you are not a fan of gender equality? What ignorance!



Marriage

Women should be given same treatment as men. A woman should be allowed to have a say in her matrimonial home. She is not a slave. The man and woman are like two sides of a coin. They need each other. We have our different roles to play. If you have been pregnant before, then you will know what it means to carry a child for nine months in your womb, go through labour pains, then nurse the child to maturity. Most women are never appreciated by their men, what they get is abuse, abuse and abuse even when they are heavily pregnant. If I may ask, why did you leave your first marriage? And your second marriage? Why did you walk away and walked into a third one? Does it have anything to do with being treated like a slave? Does it have anything to do with

frequent abuse? Or did you just walk away without a reason? How can you convince me that you dont believe in gender equality when you already have two failed marriages? Why didnt you remain a slave in those marriages?

As for Freeze, my humble suggestion is that your university degree be investigated. It is shame that after passing through the four walls of the university and working in a media house for decades, you still dont know the meaning of gender equality. What are shame! Besides, you seem to be a man without principles. You are neither here no there. Speaking from both sides of your mouth at all the time in your desperate search for cheap popularity. Today you are here and the next moment you are on another side. Stay off social media in your own interest!

For all those who truly do not understand what gender equality means, here is your chance. It has been explained in plain simple English.

Mary

Amara Jacob

Source: Lailas blog
Punch

Mr. Godwin Obaseki has won the Edo State gubernatorial primary of the All Progressives Congress held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, the state capital.

Vanguard

Mild drama occurred, Saturday, while voting was on going the APC gubernatorial primary election in Edo State as Ogiennwonyi, Imasuagbon accused the Governor Adams Oshiomhole of alleged trying to intimidate delegates.

Thisday

Approves life pension for NAssembly presiding officers, removal of presidential assent in constitution review, LG autonomy, independent candidacy

The Sun

IN KEEPING with the injunction of the Quran, which obligates Muslim faithful, to do works of charity, exhibit servitude, restraint, patience and dedication to Allah, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and his friends have fed about 120,000 less privileged Muslims during their Iftar feeding programme since the Ramadan fast commenced.

Guardian

Female Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Pompomari camp in Damaturu, Yobe, have resorted to animal fattening using left-over foods provided in the camp.

Leadership

Mr Godwin Obaseki, winner of Saturdays All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Edo State, said his victory was a collective one for him, his co-contestants and the delegates.

Tribune

The Police in Ebonyi State have confirmed that 12 students of Ginger International School in the state had been hospitalised after they were administered with drugs by the school authorities.

The Nation

Battle weary Interim Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Ahmed Makarfi and the former acting national chairman, Sen. Modu Ali Sheriff, appear to be ready for truce.

National Mirror

The staff verification exercise embarked upon by the Niger State Government to authenticate the state workforce has uncovered a fraud of N800 million from alleged deliberate wrong placement of workers in the state Hospital Management Board.
The Nigerian Senate have put forward a proposal at its retreat on Constitutional Review.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu as well as some other Senators are pushing for lifetime pension for Presiding officers of the Senate.

SEE ALSO: Senate Pushes For Removal Of Presidential Assent

The lifetime pension would be for the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker as well as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Senator Ekweremadu while speaking in favor of lifetime pension said,

This has nothing to do with an individual. It is about the institution. Let us not politicise it. Nobody elected the Chief Justice of Nigeria, but he enjoys pension.

But if we cheapen our own institution, so be it. Let us not make this a personal thing,

Senator Stella Oduah and Senator Yerima also supported the suggestion while Godswill Akpabio and Senator Oluremi Tinubu kicked against the suggestion.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu asserted I think the principal members have had enough.
A member representing Esan Central/West/Igueben federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Joseph Edionwele has expressed optimism that current leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be resolved shortly.

Speaking in Abuja at the weekend, the PDP lawmaker disclosed that all genuine stakeholders of the party were striving to ensure that the issues were urgently and amicably resolved to usher lasting peace among members.

Ali Modu Sheriff is just flaunting himself as a chairman that he is not, and I believe that the issue will be addressed as soon as possible.

The PDP will definitely resolve the issue and come out strong.

The convention supersedes whatever anyone thinks he or she is doing to the party and that will not stop us from moving forward.

He is claiming to be the chairman of the party, let him come out and tell us who he is leading, Edionwele said.

He also backed the suspicions in some quarters that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could be instigating crisis in the PDP to weaken it.

I believe it, because it is an opposition party; they will want to do anything to weaken the PDP, looking at their body language so far.

From the beginning the police was involved then, suddenly they withdrew. So, I believe the APC is part of the crisis in the PDP, he said.

The lawmaker, however, called on PDP members to respect the supremacy of the party.

I want to say that the Constitution is supreme, the party is supreme and everyone who claims to be part of the party should respect the Constitution, he added.
Edo State Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike has commended delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their peaceful conduct during accreditation at the ongoing Edo 2016 Governorship primary election.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the APC Governorship primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin on Saturday, Ezike said he was impressed with the manner delegates have conducted themselves.

I am satisfied with the accreditation exercise, he said.

The accreditation was orderly, free and fair, and I believe the delegates will attest to the fact that it was a smooth exercise.

Unauthorized persons were taken care of and the security situation was in order, Ezike said

The Edo State governorship election holds on September 10.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu has said that science and technology were very essential to the development of the country.

Speaking during a visit to the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), in Lagos, Onu said science and technology could aid governments diversification programme and boost the job creation agenda of the government.

We cannot continue to be a consumer nation; all we need to consume should be from inside and not from outside and this will give rise to creation of jobs for the youths, he said.

The minister said that the National Research Innovation Council, through its National Research and Innovation Fund would help to boost research and development when funds are available.

Director General of FIIRO, Dr Gloria Elemo, said the institute was poised to assist the government for rapid transformation and diversification of the nations economy.

The institute is fully with you in your campaign of using the instrument of science and technology to drive the national economy being propelled by the Federal Governments change agenda.

The campaign is already yielding fruits as National Assembly more than ever is giving priority to science and technology in budgetary allocation.

Government have realised that the country cannot achieve true economic growth and independence as long as science, technology and innovation ebb, she said.
Senators and speakers of some state Houses of Assembly on Saturday proposed immunity for presiding officers of the legislative arm of government.

The decision was taken at a two-day retreat on constitution review, organised by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review, with the theme, Towards Ensuring Governance Accountability in Nigerian federalism.

If the proposal scales through and is inserted in the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who is being prosecuted for false and anticipatory assets declaration as well as alleged forgery, may be let off the hook.

His deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, may also have the forgery case against him dropped.

It was learnt that 21 lawmakers voted in favour of the proposal while 15 voted against.

The lawmakers argued that presiding officers in the legislature ought to enjoy immunity since the other two arms of government  the executive and judiciary  were enjoying it.

In his argument in support of the proposal, Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Kabiru Gaya, said the essence of immunity was to guard some public office holders against any form of distraction while discharging their duties.

He said, there are three tiers of government and only two arms enjoy immunity.

See what is happening to the President of the Senate now. We are not saying the case in court should be stopped.

But even yesterday we read in the papers that there is a fresh case of forgery of Senate Standing Rule against the presiding officers and some other persons and all is to destabilise us.

In the same vein, the Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, who is being tried for allegedly aiding the Boko Haram sect, supported the proposal.

He, however, opined that such immunity should be limited to civil offences committed by the presiding officers.

According to him, for criminal issues there should be no immunity but for civil offences there should be immunity. Whoever it is that is involved in a criminal matter should be prosecuted.

In his submission, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, proposed that all National Assembly members and Houses of Assembly members should enjoy immunity.

According to Akpabio, as elected officers saddled with the responsibility of ensuring good governance, lawmakers should be allowed to carry out their functions without any form of interference.

I propose that all principal officers of the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate, should enjoy immunity like the executive.

So all parliamentarians who have criminal cases can be investigated but they should serve their punishment after office, he said.

However, the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn NAllah, argued that Nigerians might misconstrue the proposal for immunity for the legislature to mean that they were arrogating so much power to themselves.

He, therefore, suggested total removal of immunity from all arms of government, adding: Let us remove immunity from everyone and let there be balance.

If you give immunity to everybody, a legislator may rape a lady and wait to finish his tenure before being prosecuted because he has immunity, NAllah said.

(NAN)
Shell Group of Companies in Nigeria spent no less than $195.5 million (N39 billion) on social investments in the country in 2015, the Managing Director Mr Osagie Okunbor said on Sunday in an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos.

According to him, $145.1 million of this amount was paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as required by law. Another $50.4 million was expended on social investment projects by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Limited operated by Joint Venture and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo).

Okunbor said these high levels of spending have not come about by accident, as Shell and its partners believe they can make a real difference in the lives of Nigeria, and have, therefore, targeted its investments at the community and enterprise development, education and health.

Of course, we cannot take the place of government but we are keen to play our part in the development of a country weve been part of for more than 50 years, he said.

He promised that the Shell Group would continue with its contributions to developing the countrys human and contracting capacities. He said that $900 million had also been spent on local contracting and procurement.
Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have asked that their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky be released unconditionally from detention without further delay.

Sheik Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat have been in DSS detention since December 12, 2015, following his arrest after his members clashed with soldiers in Zaria, where several people lost their lives.

In a statement issued by IMNs spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, the group called on the Federal Government to release Sheikh Zakzaky without any condition and without further delay, insisting that It is only Zakzakys release that will explain the mystery of him being in protective custody, not the explanation given by the Department of State Services (DSS) that he remained in protective custody in his own volition.

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria wont accept this protective custody explanation of the DSS, since for some months now it has refused to grant the Sheikh access to his leading counsel, Mr. Femi Falana. For the submission of the DSS before the court to gain any merit, it should with all urgency allow the lawyers of Sheikh Zakzaky to meet and talk to him.

People with conscience all over the world were baffled, when on Tuesday 15th June, 2016 the Directorate of State Services, DSS mentioned before a Federal High Court in Abuja that it is holding the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, in protective custody in order to fend him off from those who are hell bent on murdering him.

That Directorate of State Services has also confirmed that Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat Ibraheem, were never handed over to the Police for any form of investigation or interrogation.

But isnt it ridiculous to detain an innocent Sheikh? Where in our books and the laws setting up that Directorate of State Services is it mentioned that a person who has not committed any offence and without any prima facie evidence links to the commission of an offence should be detained indefinitely? Indefinite detention and detention without trial are only associated with military regimes and not democratic regimes.

Secondly the DSS is admitting there are some people in the corridors of power who want to extra judicially kill Sheikh Zakzaky, hence its giving him protective custody. As a follow up question, why didnt the DSS mention the name of those it is accusing of wanting to see the Sheikh dead? Are they sacred cows that the public would not be told their names? But it is public knowledge already that the GOC of One Mechanised Division Kaduna gave the order on behalf of the Nigerian Army that a cordon and search operation be carried out in Zaria that ultimately led to many crimes against humanity. Is the DSS now telling the Nation that it is protecting Sheikh Zakzaky from the murderers in the Nigerian Army?

It can be inferred also from the statement of the DSS before the court that all the allegations proffered by the army on why it carried out the massacre in Zaria are all false accusations, the statement said.
On this day in 2014;Delegates at the last National Conference, voted unanimously for life imprisonment for those who engage in the sale of fake drugs.

The conference also rejected a proposal for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution aimed at institutionalising the office of wife of the President of the country, which will be called Office of the First Lady, just as an amendment which sought to reduce the age limits for those aspiring to contest for the position of President, governors and other elective positions by five years was rejected by the delegates.

Another strong position taken by the delegates, was that public schools taken over by various state governments across the country 42 years ago be returned to the religious missions which were the original owners.

Also on this day in 2014;The former Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN,withdrew the money laundering charge preferred against the eldest son of the late military dictator, Mohammed Abacha. Mohammed was accused of concealing the sum of N446.3 billion allegedly stolen from the national treasury between 1995 and 1998.

He was said to have received the stolen money from his late father, General Sani Abacha, and hid same.

Equally on this day in 2013;Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State called for a 10-year-ban or more on public office holders found by the courts to have rigged themselves into power, noting that until same was done, cheats will continue to find themselves in power.

And on this day in 2013;the South West Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, endorsed former President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office, noting that he is constitutionally entitled to seek re-election.

It also appointed former President Olusegun Obasanjo as grand patron of the party in the zone, even as it constituted a stakeholders council under the Chairmanship of Senator Lekan Balogun.
The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) challenging a lower courts ruling, which nullified the removal of Ndidi Okereke-Onyiuke as Director-General of the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos, had in his judgment, described the removal of Mrs. Okereke-Onyiuke as reckless, hasty and done in bad faith.

The High Court also awarded N500 million as exemplary and aggravated damages against SEC for the reckless manner in which the former D-Gs right to fair hearing was violated.

Dissatisfied, SEC had filed an appeal and urged the appellate court to set aside the judgment.

In its notice of appeal, SEC maintained that Mrs. Okereke-Onyiukes sack was in exercise of its statutory powers to protect the interest of investing public and the Nigerian economy as a whole.

At the appeal on Friday, Mrs. Okereke-Onyiukes lawyer, Michael Akintayo, urged the court to take cognisance of a notice of discontinuance filed by the appellant.

Mr. Akintayo submitted that once a notice of discontinuance had been filed the proper order was to dismiss the appeal.

Counsel to SEC, however, urged the appellate court to ignore the notice of discontinuance, adding that it was filed in error.

But, in a short ruling, the panel of justices presided by Justice U.I Ndukwe-Anyanwu, noted that SEC had earlier filed notice of discontinuance of the appeal and that the appeal could not be resuscitated.

Justice Ndukwe-Anyanwu held that there was no appeal before the court since the notice of discontinuance had entered the record of the court.

You cannot build something on nothing, the appeal had ceased to exist before the court the moment notice of discontinuance was filed, the court held.

The appeal was accordingly dismissed.

Mrs. Okereke-Onyiuke, had in the suit, challenged the propriety of her removal by SEC as director-general and sought to restrain the commission and its agents from treating and relating to her as a removed director-general of the NSE.

(NAN)
Former governor of Sokoto state Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko hosted Muslims to a Ramadan dinner at his residence in Sokoto. Many people who attended the diner were teachers, community leaders, youths and other groups in need. See photos below,

Source: National Helm
The Centre for the Advancement of Literacy and Leadership (CALL) has alleged that the forgery suit instituted against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, by the Federal Government, was designed to ground the Senate.

In a statement signed by the Executive Director of the Centre, Mazi Bismarck Oji, the group stressed that the Assistant Force Public Relations Officer (AFPRO), Mr. Abayomi Shogunle, had in July last year, told newsmen at the Force Headquarters that though the police team met with the ex-Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Salisu Maikasuwa, they neither invited nor interrogated Senator Ekweremadu.

The most annoying part of the whole thing is the reported recent letter to the CNA tagged reminder and also referring to a purported letter of July 2015. You can only remind what has been earlier attempted or requested; and if you said you did not invite them, what then are you reminding? the group said.

It is even worse to try to obtain from the backdoor a statement after you have filed charges, because it shows somebody is desperate to nail somebody.

From what they have filed at the court and the police report, there is no statement that Saraki or Ekweremadu made on the alleged forgery; there is no particular role those interrogated accused Saraki or Ekweremadu of playing in the alleged forgery. Even the Senate unity Forum did not mention them in their petition. So, how did the Office of the Attorney-General zero in on Saraki and Ekweremadu?

And if you are talking about the leadership of the 7th Senate, Ekweremadu was not the Senate President or the Senate Majority Leader or Chairman of the Committee on Business and Rules. So, why is every other member of the leadership of the 7th Senate missing? Again, was Saraki a member of the leadership of the 7thSenate?

Oji said the Federal Government was desperate to put Ekweremadu in the dock in order to embarrass him, silence the opposition, and cripple the institution of the Senate.

He also said there were fears that Senator Ekweremadu was also being persecuted for condemning the alleged massacre of pro-Biafra demonstrators by Nigerian security forces.
The militant group Niger Delta Avengers on Sunday warned some prominent Nigerians, including a former militant leader, who it described as criminals, to stay off its activities.

The group, in a statement by its spokesman, Brigadier General Mudoch Agbinibo, posted on its website, said these same set of Nigerians were the one promoting what it called the political Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in order to discredit the Avengers.

Among those listed by the NDA as sabotaging its own efforts were Governor Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva; a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State and Itsekiri chief, Ayiri Emami; and an ex-militant leader, Ebikabowei Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf.

The statement by Agbinibo reads in full:

The high command of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) condemn in strong term the continuous efforts of Mr Ebikabowei Ben (Boyloaf), Ayiri Emami, Timipre Silva, Adams Oshiomhole and their paymasters to link and catch-in our activities to promote their political MEND that has purportedly named a team to negotiate with the Federal government. We are not however surprised by the resurrection of the defunct MEND by these personalities because these are groups of settled Ex-fighters that they have been arming, regrouping and rebranding over the years. The people of the Niger delta knows that the likes of Timipre Silva, Boyloaf and Ayiri Emami are professional conflict merchants in the region, the only surprised entry is the outgoing Governor of Edo state Adams oshiomhole which reason is not far fetch as such he want some assistance and machineries from the criminal elements of the defunct MEND.

We are making the last appeal and warning to this so-called MEND to excuse the NDA from their criminal ways and gangs ups. Nobody can ambush the struggle, the world knows that Boyloaf and his group of bank robbers have been settled since 2009 of which he is still collecting stipends for ghost names in the presidential Amnesty program (PAP). Please Mr. Victor Ben (Boyloaf) if you and your criminals want to resurrect the defunct MEND and negotiate with the Government that is your business but stop using ghost names to collect money from the Presidential Amnesty program. That is our only advise and remember we know all your activities.

We once again, restate that we are not going to be part of any dialogue and peace that will achieve only The peace of our time what the NDA want is Peace with honour which will enter the genuine framework in setting up the short, medium and long term action plan to the restoration of the essence of quality human life in the Niger Delta.
The Los Angeles education reform organization known as Great Public Schools Now (GPSN) has recently provided a closer look into its plans for K-12 schools in the City of Angels, announcing $4.5 million in grantsto an expanding charter school, an after-school and summer program, and the local chapter of Teach For America.

GPSN grew out of a proposal from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to greatly expand the number of charter schools in Los Angeles, as well as other quality public schools, to serve at least half of the citys public school children. At present, charters in L.A. serve more than 100,000 students. The Broad proposal received widespread attention in 2015 when it was leaked to the Los Angeles Times.

Related: A Heavyweight Ed Funder Looks to Expand Charters In His Home CityAnd Gets a Fight

We've covered this effort closely because it represents one of the most ambitious bids yet to expand charter schools in a major U.S. city. It's further evidence that some heavy-hitting reform funders are doubling down on charters, even as other funders have gravitated toward different pathways for boosting student achievement, such as personalized learning. This push also underscores how charter funders have been focusing on transforming public education in a handful of cities, as opposed to spreading funding more widely. While just 5 percent of U.S. public school kids attend charters after years of activist fundinghardly an encouraging sign of the scalability of this reform approachthose numbers are much higher in certain high-poverty school districts such as Detroit, Washington, Kansas City, and New Orleans. Los Angeles is the biggest target yet for a sweeping charter drive.

Related:

GPSN outlined its vision in a plan on its website, in which the organization described its plan as community-centric, focusing on improving schools without regard to a particular governance model or curricular orientation. GPSN plans to focus its reform efforts in southern and eastern Los Angeles, as well as a portion of the San Fernando Valley area. The organization is particularly interested in expanding educational options for low-income families. The plan states that more than 160,000 low-income students and English Language Learners attend low-performing schools in Los Angeles.

While GPSN outlines an ambitious vision, its plan, at only 15 pages in length, is light on details. Funding priorities identified in the blueprint are community outreach and engagement, teacher and leadership pipeline and support, facilities, and school replication grants.

The first $4.5 million in grants include $2 million for Equitas Academy Charter Schools, which serves the low-income Pico-Union area near downtown. Funding supports Equitas expansion into a third campus. Heart of Los Angeles, an after-school and summer enrichment program, will receive around $500,000. Meanwhile, the L.A. chapter of TFA is slated to receive $2 million, which will fund the training and support of 130 college graduates to teach in area schools.

Although GPSN describes its mission as focused on expanding the availability of quality public schools, regardless of whether they are charter, traditional, or otherwise, a look at its initial grant awards and key supporters suggest a preference for charters. GPSNs board includes Gregory McGinty, executive director of the Broad Foundation; Marc Sternberg of the pro-charter Walton Family Foundation; and Allison Keller of the W.M. Keck Foundation. Walton and Keck were part of a meeting of major education funders convened by Broad to discuss a plan for expanding the number of charters in the city.

The 600,000-student Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest public school system, does not appear to be on GPSNs funding radar, though the district could benefit indirectly through the funding to TFA, as many TFA interns teach in LAUSD schools. The citys teachers union has been critical of the GPSN, while the district seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach. LAUSD Superintendent Michelle King has her own plan for improving L.A. schools due this summer, according to Education Week. As we've reported, the LAUSD has stepped up its search for private support to boost traditional schools.

Related: Fight Donors With Donors: A Public School System's Plan to Fend Off Charters

GPSN says it is interested in education approaches that work, including any successful models in LAUSD. Whether its efforts will improve the district or undermine it by creating more schools that siphon away more students remains to be seen. What is certain is that all sides of the education reform debate should keep a close watch on events in the City of Angels as they unfold.
E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei.

Sky: Rafforzata leadership

Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018.

Sfida Serie A

Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia.
India vs. Brazil: An Overview

India and Brazil are both multi-trillion-dollar economies and members of the oft-cited BRIC countries along with Russia and China. While both are among the most-watched emerging markets, the economic fortunes of Brazil and India appear to be on divergent paths. India should continue to gain ground on Brazil unless the South American country confronts difficult political and economic challenges.

Key Takeaways India and Brazil are both important developing economies, part of the BRIC nations, with large populations and a wealth of natural resources.

While each has enormous potential, several limitations stand in the way of stable growth and prosperity for both countries.

India has a vibrant economy in the technology and service sectors; some of its limitations stem from regulatory inefficiencies, heavy financial burdens, and a large amount of poverty.

Brazil has an abundance of natural resources and a large workforce; however, its high inflation rate, corruption, and debt issues have hampered the nation's GDP growth.

India

India, a land of diversity and interesting opportunities, remains high on the list of investment destinations by international investors and businesses. It is the world's largest democracy and boasts a vibrant economy in many areas including technology and the service sector. With a lot of positivesa large population, stable government in the center, rising forex reserves, high-value capital marketsIndia seems to be on a firm growth path with the potential of a double-digit growth rate.

However, regulatory inefficiencies, corruption, bureaucratic red tape in starting and running businesses, political pressures, and heavy financial burdens due to subsidies are some of the challenges facing Indias economy and business environment. While there is wealth in India, there is also still a large amount of poverty and inequality remains high.

Brazil

Brazil is South America's largest economy. The country has a lot going for it as it has an abundance of natural resources and people to fuel its workforce. Yet, as negative economic events have shown, having an abundance of these things does not necessarily mean strong incomes for citizens. These resources must be appropriately managed and developed. Brazil has some of the fundamental components of what it takes to make its economy strong, but if it wants to truly improve the lives of its citizens then it will need to develop greater productivity and increase its international competitiveness.

In recent years, Brazil's economy has experienced some trouble. The country depends on its export-driven commodity trade, and China's slowing demand for these products is a lightning strike. On the upside, the trade war between China and the U.S. increased demand for Brazilian exports in agriculture and natural resources.

For investors in Brazil stocks, it's been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs for some years. The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, for example, fell 75% from a high in 2011 to a low in mid-December 2015. During this time, many hedge funds and institutional investors gave up and abandoned the old thesis of Brazil as a renaissance country leading Latin America to better days.

However, spurred by government policies cracking down on corruption, the outlook for Brazilian companies improved and the ETF climbed approximately 155% from January 2016 to January 2020. Much of this optimism quickly vanished during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ETF fell over 54% by March 30, 2020.

Comparing Economic Growth

Measured by aggregate gross domestic product (GDP), the Indian economy is larger than Brazil's. This is mostly because India's population, which is estimated at 1.34 billion in 2021, is significantly larger than Brazil's at an estimated 213 million as of the same year. Measured on a per capita basis, however, Brazil is far richer.

The estimated GDP per capita in Brazil was $6,796 in 2020, compared to India's $1,901 GDP per capita.

Greater exposure to international markets appears to drive India's growth. According to World Bank data, approximately 18.1% of India's GDP was generated from exports compared to 16.9% for Brazil in 2020. International markets and investors triggered an industrial revolution in India during recent decades, allowing cheap Indian labor access to more than just agricultural careers.

Brazil, meanwhile, saw international trade shrink after the U.S. energy boom and a devaluation of the Chinese yuan. The United States and China are Brazil's two largest trading partners and major components of its recent economic structure.

Brazil's Scandals and Cronyism

Several high-profile scandals rocked Brazil between 2014 and early 2016. The most notable involved former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, along with dozens of other politicians and the semi-public energy company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (NYSE: PBR). Known as Petrobras, it is perhaps the most important company in Brazil. A long investigation uncovered more than $2.1 billion in government kickbacks and bribes, which earned Petrobras lucrative contracts among other benefits.

Measured by market capitalization, Petrobras accounted for as much as 10% of the Brazilian economy in 2014. The scandal coincided with a global drop in commodity prices, which helped balloon fiscal deficits and job losses in Brazil.

The Brazilian economy cratered in the second half of 2015. Inflation remained a threat despite high interest rates and debt issues threatening the public and private sectors. By early 2016, the Brazilian Congress voted to impeach then-president Rousseff on charges of manipulating government accounting and she was forced out later in 2016.

Brazil's economy slowly began to recover in 2017 with 1% GDP growth and the same for 2018 due to a weak labor market, election uncertainty, and a trucker strike that halted economic activity in May. 2019 marked another year of very modest 1.4% GDP growth for the country, which was followed by a precipitous drop to -4.1% GDP growth during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. While the World Bank anticipates Brazil's GDP growth to rebound to 3% in 2021, recovery momentum could stall due to the second wave of the pandemic and the government's ability to respond.

India's Pro-Business Transformation

India entered 2016 with by far the lowest output per person among BRIC countries. Still, India's GDP per capita was roughly equivalent to Brazil's in 1985, Russia's in 2000, and China's in 2004. Each of those countries experienced more than a decade of strong growth in subsequent years, particularly after liberalizing markets. India has the chance to make similar strides, and it continues to be a bright spot in the struggling emerging market landscape.

For India to maintain its stride in productivity, the country needs to move from a rigid caste system and incorporate more efficient growth-oriented rules. Markets received a boost in 2014 with the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a pro-business reformer. India's growth hit a multiyear high of 7.3% during his first year in office. However, efforts to simplify the country's complex and redundant tax code and make it easier to acquire or transfer land stalled in parliament.

In 2020, India was the worlds fifth-largest economy and could become a high-middle income country by 2030. GDP growth was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but is expected to stabilize in 2022 and then grow at 6% per year. However, despite regulatory improvements to boost competitiveness, private investment and exports are at relatively low levels, which could slow long-term growth.
As president of the United States, Donald Trump was likely the wealthiest individual to inhabit the White House and his net worth remains a topic for debate.

In 2015, Donald Trump claimed in a press release that he was worth more than $10 billion, however, his net worth as of 2022 is estimated at $3 billion.

Key Takeaways Donald Trump is the founder of The Trump Organization, a private entity.

He is required to submit a financial disclosure document each year, although numbers are self-reported and dont provide an accurate estimate of his net worth.

Forbes estimates Donald Trump's net worth at $3 billion although Trump has claimed the value at $10 billion.

The Trump Organization

Since 1976, Donald Trump grew his wealth through global commercial, resort, and residential real estate development under the umbrella of The Trump Organization. As a private entity, The Trump Organization is not required to publish financial statements in the same manner as a publicly-traded company.

Donald Trump famously refused to publish his tax returns, which would show his annual income and taxes paid or owed. Although The New York Times published abbreviated information from Trump's tax returns on Sept. 27, 2020, the disclosure failed to provide details about his actual net worth.

As a former president, Trump completes a required annual financial disclosure to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Government financial disclosures may list assets and investments but in estimates and broad value ranges. In 2021, many of Trump's properties were valued at "over $50 million," however, these estimates are self-reported, unaudited, and also differ from numbers The Trump Organization has reported to state and local tax officials.

71 The number of properties in the portfolio owned and operated by The Trump Organization. This total includes commercial and residential real estate, golf courses, hotels, and personal estates.

Assets

In May 2022, Forbes estimated Trumps net worth at $3 billion, falling short of the $10 billion estimates that Trump suggested while running for office in 2015.

Forbes' numbers marry with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which placed the former presidents net worth at $2.97 billion in August 2020.Forbes has attempted to break down Trump's net worth by assets.

Net Worth The value of all assets minus liabilities.

Much of Trumps wealth is tied to multi-use buildings in Manhattan, including retail real estate in the busy Midtown district. His highest value asset is a 30% stake in the office and retail space at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, valued at $2.2 billion, with a debt value of $950 million on the property.



The Trump Organization owns several exclusive golf properties estimated at $730 million, including clubs in Scotland and Dubai. Trump's private golf club in Palm Beach, Fla, Mar-a-Lago, is valued at $350 million.

Trump holds approximately $275 million in cash and liquid assets. Other personal assets include three Florida homes and his 11,000-square-foot residence in New York City, the Trump Tower penthouse. Residential units throughout the United States and around the globe have an estimated value of $340 million. This includes hotels and residential locations in Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Europe, Asia, and South America.



Donald Trump announced in October 2021 that he was creating his own social media platform. Truth Social, held through Trump Media, garnered Donald Trump $430 million from investors. The Donald Trump brand, including his licensing and management business, is valued at just over $50 million.

Trump holds roughly $275 million in cash and liquid assets. Other personal assets include three Florida homes and his 11,000-square-foot residence in New York Citythe Trump Tower penthouse.



Trumps vast real estate empire includes approximately residential units throughout the United States. This includes hotels and retail locations in Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

What Are Donald Trump's Estimated Liablities? Trump has a lengthy financial record which includes corporate bankruptcies and lawsuits. In 2021, Trump Organization owed $590 million in debts due within four years by 2025.



What Prominent Real Estate Locations in New York City Has Donald Trump Owned? Donald Trump has owned and sold many buildings in New York including the Plaza Hotel, the St. Moritz Hotel, now the Ritz Carlton on Central Park South, and the land under the Empire State Building.

What Is Considered One of Trump's Bad Investment Decisions? In 2014, Donald Trump partnered with an Azerbaijani family that U.S. officials called notoriously unethical. The building, a five-star hotel, and residence called the Trump International Hotel & Tower Baku in Azerbaijan has never opened.

The Bottom Line

Donald Trump's net worth has ranged in estimates from $3 billion to $10 billion. With his private firm, The Trump Organization, and its limited public disclosures, it has been difficult to capture the true net worth of his global commercial, resort, and residential real estate as well as his licensing and social media ventures.
A new initiative will provide free legal aid to women who lived in mother and baby homes in Ireland between 1922 and 1998. The legal help will assist women in drafting witness statements to give to a commission investigating how women and children were treated at the homes.

The project has been set up by Justice for Magdalenes Research and the Adoption Rights Alliance, RTE reports. Known as Clann: Irelands Unmarried Mothers and their Children: Gathering the Data, the project has been endorsed by Philomena Lee and her daughter Jane Libberton.

Those behind the project say it will ensure the commission conducts the most comprehensive investigation possible.The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters is investigating how unmarried mothers and their children were treated at 14 state-linked religious institutions.

The group says that legal assistance will ensure that women can still give evidence even if they do not wish to do so in person.

While the commission's work is focusing on the 14 homes, it will also be gathering information on over 170 institutions and will compile a report based on the statements made by those affected.

For more information about Clann, go to the website ClanProject.org.
Harvard professor Karen L. King, who presented a small fragment of papyrus that referred to Jesus as married, now acknowledges that the fragment is most likely a fake.

The concession came after the Atlantic magazines website published an article investigating the background of the papyrus fragments owner, Walter Fritz, from Florida.

It appears now that all the material Fritz gave to me concerning the provenance of the papyrus . . . were fabrications, King told the Boston Globe.

King, whod named the papyrus The Gospel of Jesuss Wife, wrote an academic paper on the fragment in 2014 for the Harvard Theological Review.

Her interview in the Atlantic was the first time she had said the fragment is most likely a forgery; however, she told the Globe that she could not be utterly definitive that the fragment was a fake until scientific tests proved it or someone confessed to forging it.

She said she did not think it was necessary to retract her paper as her work was based on the information she had at the time and she said she allowed for the possibility of forgery.

I dont see anything to retract, she said. I have always thought of scholarship as a conversation. So you put out your best thoughts, and then people . . . bring in new ideas or evidence. You go on.

Many scholars had long ago dismissed fragment as a fake, based on analysis of its Coptic text and other evidence.

Mark Goodacre, a New Testament scholar at Duke University whose blog became a forum for the fragments skeptics, said Harvard needs to update the special Divinity School webpage about the fragment, which still says: Testing Indicates Gospel of Jesuss Wife Papyrus Fragment to be Ancient.

He said this still gives the very strong impression, with the Harvard imprimatur, that this was the real deal.

Fritz, a stranger, approached King, a distinguished scholar of early Christianity, by e-mail in 2010, asking her to have a look at a papyrus fragment he had. The fragment, which was about the size of a business card,referred to a married Jesus.

King took it to other specialists, including Roger Bagnall, a renowned papyrologist, who thought it looked like an authentic fourth-century artifact.

King released her finding in 2012 at a Coptic studies conference in Rome.

Fritz requested that he remain anonymous, and King said she never looked into his background or attempted to authenticate the documents he gave her related to their supposed origin, although she wrote about them in her paper.

She told the Globe that she did not have the time or resources for the sort of extensive detective work conducted by the Atlantic.

I would never agree to do an anonymous thing again. Lesson learned, she said.

The Atlantic article says that Fritz first denied then acknowledged that he was the owner of the fragment. He said he did not know if the papyrus was genuine, and he denied forging it.

According to the Atlantic article, Fritz, a German studied Egyptology in Berlin in the late 1980s and early 1990s and worked in a museum in the former East Germany. He now resides in North Port, Fla.

He told the Atlantic he bought a collection of papyri, including the fragment in question, in November 199 from his business partner, Hans-Ulrich Laukamp, in Florida. However, Laukamps relatives said Laukamp was in Germany at the time and that he had a limited education and no interest in ancient artifacts.

The Atlantic found many reasons to doubt the authenticity of one of the letters Fritz gave King that purportedly showed that the papyri had been examined by German Egyptologists in the early 1980s. The letter featured anachronistic stationery and spelling and an error in Laukamps address.

The article suggested Fritz may have been motivated by money troubles, resentment against elite academics, or perhaps even a desire to turn a Da Vinci Code fantasy into a reality.

Fritz denied having money troubles to the Atlantic, and the Globe reports he was unavailable to comment.

King never maintained that the fragment proved that Jesus was married, but she did say it suggested some early Christians portrayed him as having a wife.
Larne in Co. Antrim is to remember the launch of one of the first ships to bring Irish immigrants to America.

On May 1, 1717, the ship Friends Goodwill left the busy port of Larne on Antrims east coast and set sail on what would be a terrible four-month journey across the Atlantic.

Next year will mark 300 years since the ships master Edward Goodwin and his 52 passengers became some of the first Irish immigrants to the US, a journey that would pave the way for the thousands more and would mark the start, in particular, of the Ulster Scots relocation to America.

In tribute to the 18th century migration that did much to shape the US as we know it today, the Mid- and East Antrim borough council have decided that the 300-year anniversary cannot pass by without commemoration and planning is now underway to officially mark the historic milestone.

A monument to the Friends Goodwill already stands in Curran Park in Larne in honor of the brave passengers on this first emigrant ship, which was first unveiled on the 275th anniversary of the sailing of the ship in 1992. The statue depicts a family - mother, father and child - waiting to board the ship, with a large bible under the arm of the mother and the boy carrying his shoes, a trick employed so as not to wear them out. For many of the Ulster Scots emigrating at this time, the family bible was their most precious possession and many of them had their family trees written out inside.

Addressing the subject of the anniversary at last months monthly meeting, the borough council unanimously agreed to the commemoration when proposed by Alderman Gregg McKeen.

McKeen, a representative for the DUP, told the Larne Times: This was a significant event, as it marked the start of the whole migration of people from these shore to America.

It is an important part of Larnes legacy and it should be celebrated accordingly.

I have asked the council to start working up a plan for the anniversary in May 2017.

This could perhaps be based on a nautical theme and incorporate tall ships, reenactments and a number of other activities.

When Friends Goodwill eventually landed in Boston, Massachusetts, sometime between September 9 and 16 in 1717, they were very fortunate to have lost just one life on the passage over.

Meeting constant headwinds as they sailed west, the ship made extremely poor progress and food supplies grew lower and lower. They eventually fell in with another ship who prevented them from starving for a little while longer but the prolonged bad conditions and further delays caused meant that hunger was an ever-ominous presence.

The crew were able to catch some sharks and dolphins but the meagre supplies were still falling short. Already having spent three months at sea, the ship was struck by a further dangerous storm in August leaving the crew exhausted. Both crew and passengers were almost giving up hope that they would ever see land again when they slowly made their way into Boston harbor around the second week of September 1717.

Although others had left Northern Ireland for America before this, Friends Goodwill departed right on the cusp of what would become known as the Great Migration of Ulster-Scots and Scots-Irish from 1718 onwards.

Previously, the first major attempt at migration was in 1636 when 160 Presbyterians left Co. Down for New England but were forced to abandon the venture because of bad weather. From then until 1718, the migration was sporadic and mainly undertaken by individuals, often securing cheap passage on tobacco boats bound for Delaware. At least 12 ships left Belfast for Delaware between 1688 and 1703.

Read more: Where have all the Scots Irish gone? Numbers way down

H/T: Larne Times
Yesterday, the mother of three graduated with a degree in medicine from Trinity College Dublin  six years after returning to education as a mature student.

Emer, 33, who will take up a junior position in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, is considering a career in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Her youngest child was just a year old when she applied for a place on the Trinity Access Programme (TAP) Foundation Course.

The foundation course offers another way to third-level education for mature students and young adults whose social, economic and cultural experiences have prevented them from going to college.

I dropped out of school because I had no interest in education. A year later I became pregnant, said Emer.

At the graduation ceremony were Emers three children, Leanne, 14, Darren, 11, and Louise, who will celebrate her seventh birthday next month.

Also looking on with pride was Emers husband, David, whom she married in 2010 just after starting the access programme.

Emer Glanville left school with no qualifications but was inspired to start the Foundation Course by a woman who had returned to education as a mature student, and now has a degree in medicine.

I had a friend who had come through the access programme, she said. She completed a degree in psychology and encouraged me to go for it. I chose medicine because I was attracted to science and Sara Grimson, the TAP course co-ordinator, was very encouraging.

Emer found that she was a trail-blazer because no mature student had gone before her so she had no idea of what lay ahead.

I never failed a single subject, she said. I got excellent grades and was delighted with myself.

But there were tough times for Emer and her family who live in Glasnevin, Dublin: My husband, who is from Dublin, stopped working when I got into medicine. It was a big financial struggle from then on.

Emer and another foundation student, Andre Maseko, who also graduated in medicine yesterday, supported each other through the five-year degree course.

Andre Maseko is congratulated by a friend after receiving a degree in medicine from Trinity. Picture: Paul Sharp/Sharppix

It was tough in the beginning, said Emer. I was the only student without a primary degree, and I felt very isolated. But Andre and I stuck it out together. Even up to our final exams we were side by side supporting each other.

Andre came to Ireland from South Africa as a child after his father passed away. He had been living independently and supported himself throughout the course by part-time work as a cleaner. He will work his last shift as a cleaner in July, before starting his career as a medical doctor.

Andre has also supported TAPs work by volunteering as an ambassador to inspire younger students to fulfil their educational potential.

The TAP Foundation course for young adults and mature students began in 1997 and, to date, 617 students progressed to degree courses in TCD, including 39 who graduated yesterday.
Apple plans to use differential privacy (DP) in iOS 10 to maximise the accuracy of queries from data while minimising the likelihood of identifying who it is from.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook told the WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) that iOS 10 would use DP to collect more relevant data about its users  like knowing how many are using certain emojis, or where people travel.

As stated in its iOS 10 developer preview guide, DP will initially be used in the new Messaging App to recommend appropriate emojis (if you use the word love for instance and other users have inserted a heart symbol it may pop up) and to improve predictive text  again based on other users' experience.

It will also use it in search  Spotlight and Lookup Hints. It will improve context sensitivity and recommend apps, music, restaurants, or whatever based on what you are doing.

It all sounds innocuous enough, especially as it supposedly masks privately identifiable information (PII)  it is based on the "common" good  and delivers what people like you want in information and offers. In that respect it's better than Gmails outright scanning of your email or documents, Google feeding you advertising based on searches, and Facebooks database of private message URLs, all of which use PII.

Craig Federighi, Apples SVP of software engineering, said at WWDC that the technology works by adding "incorrect information" to the data Apple collects. Apples algorithms extract useful insights while making it very difficult for anyone to link data back to an individual user.

Apple says it is being used to gain an added insight into user behaviour  to identify patterns of how groups of similar users use the device, apps, and more. It will assign what it calls a "privacy budget"  a limit on the number of fragment submissions that can be made by a single person during a set period. Those that do get submitted go into an anonymous pipeline, and Apple will periodically delete fragment donations from the server.

The security community is sceptical at best.

The most quoted reference is Schneier on Security who says this anonymisation is much harder than people think and it is likely that this technique will be full of vulnerabilities.

Another forum says, The more information you intend to ask of your database, the more noise that has to be injected to minimise the privacy leakage. In DP there is a fundamental trade-off between accuracy and privacy, which can be a big problem when training complex machine leading models. Once data has been leaked, it's gone. Once you've leaked as much data as your calculations tell you is safe, you can't keep going  at least not without risking your users' privacy. At this point, the best solution may be to just to destroy the database and start over. If such a thing is possible."

Another says Cook must pay marketing executives pretty well for them to conjure up such an artful deception: "Yes we're spying on you (but, trust me, we're not) because the money is so good. Oh, and would you like to donate some blood to Apple while you're at it?"

Another says that while DP is effective in individual databases once its lumped together over time it is inevitable that PII will be exposed.

Whatever the case it will be interesting if Apple ever releases the inner workings of DP to public scrutiny. For now, it is just more data being collected for Apple's unknown purposes.
Australian professional services company Enable has taken the top spot in the business category at global ServiceNow's CreatorCon Hackathon.

In eight hours, Enables team of four built the "CreatorDoc" business application that automates document creation directly from ServiceNow. It will be available soon for local and international customers on ServiceNow Store.

The Hackathon is part of ServiceNows Knowledge16 Conference and featured three categories: platform, business, and innovation. In all three categories, developers tested their skills and competed for up to US$3000 in prizes.

It brings together the best developers from both customers and partners to innovate and compete to build applications and solutions on the latest release of the ServiceNow platform.

Enable demonstrated the app using a human resources example and says there are many innovative use cases that will save companies time and money. It sees the app as greatly improving the user experience across all business sectors, including procurement, marketing, legal and more.

Hackathon judges called Enables demo "impressive" and referenced customers they knew would be interested in, and gain value from, the application.

Enables director Bruce Hara, said, Knowledge16 was a huge hit with our team, and we are still buzzing with the feedback. Our Hackathon win shows Enables strength in automating business processes via the ServiceNow platform. Our aim now is to keep up the momentum, and that means fresh thinking about how the ServiceNow Enterprise Cloud can best elevate our customers.

Enables development team has added features and functionality to the application and it will be available on the ServiceNow App Store later this month.
Tenable Network Security, a global leader transforming security technology for future business, said the technology partnership with ServiceNow, a leader in enterprise cloud computing, would be one of its first TIPs.

Dick Bussiere, technical director, APAC, Tenable Network Security, said, "The integration of Tenable's SecurityCenter Continuous View with ServiceNow is a natural combination of Tenable's advanced monitoring and vulnerability assessment technologies with ServiceNow's advanced workflow automation technology.

Through Tenable's complete visibility into technical infrastructure, weaknesses, breaches, and configuration issues that require human intervention will be identified. ServiceNow provides its Security Operations suite to customers identify, prioritise and remediate vulnerabilities that facilitate workflow automation, both increasing productivity and improving security by reducing time and effort required when performing remediation activities.

Customers use ServiceNow to define, structure and automate the flow of work, removing dependencies on email and spreadsheets to transform the delivery and management of services for the enterprise. ServiceNow enables service management for every department in the enterprise including IT, human resources, facilities, field service, and security.

The integration underscores the importance of third-party integrations towards the goal of producing useful layered security solutions for our customers. Effectively Tenable's SecurityCenter provides a "security information network" by unifying visibility "inbound" from multiple third-party security products, producing incredible amounts of useful data in one place rather than in multiple locations. This same data can be leveraged "outbound" by other third-party products to provide even more value. The ServiceNow integration is a clear demonstration of the value that an "outbound" third-party integration can provide.

Many more integrations will provide even more value for our customers shortly, Bussiere added.

The Tenable app for ServiceNow Security Operations is available on the ServiceNow Store.
A smart technology team in Brisbane has designed a range of successful telecommunications products for its US parent, Accelerated Concepts. It is now stepping out of its parents shadow.

US-based Accelerated is an innovator in global cellular, cloud and network communications with industry-leading hardware and software solutions that expand primary and failover data connectivity and management capabilities.

Established 10 years ago, it is a little known fact that its key product development initiatives have come from its Australian subsidiary, a nine-person office based in the Brisbane suburb of Rocklea.

During the past year, under the leadership of managing director Matt Ramsay, the Australian operation has established itself as Accelerated Concepts Pty Ltd, registered for Australia Research and Development incentives and started developing a reseller channel, both in Australia and Asia.

There are plenty of opportunities in Australia, but our US parent has had its hands full handling growth in North America for the past few years. My role is to focus on developing our markets in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, says Ramsay.

Since creating its flagship product NetBridge in 2006, Accelerated has continued to innovate its line of cellular hardware, network management software and virtual private network (VPN) technology. Strong 2015 growth saw US core business revenue increase by double digits compared to the corresponding period the previous year while its fixed wireless business increased by triple digits.

In Australia, the company plans to focus on marketing wireless WAN products including the 6300-CX LTE router, which is ideal for retail locations.

Ramsay said Australian retailers increasingly recognised the value of having a cost-effective business continuity solution to avoid the disruption of an Internet outage. If the Internet goes down, this can impact their business severely by disrupting their ability to process over-the-counter sales, he said.

The 6300-CX is ideal for retail scenarios where they simply cant afford to be down. With this device in place, should their primary Internet link go down, it instantly fails them over to a Telstra LTE cellular connection so that Internet access continues uninterrupted.

Not only do they not lose any data, but as soon as their primary Internet connection returns, our device goes back into dormant mode, so costly cellular data services are only used when needed.

In the US, Accelerated cellular devices are certified by industry leaders, including Verizon and AT&T.

When Ramsay joined the company last year, he recognised Accelerateds Australian operation as a great opportunity. We have nine people in this office with no manager, just engineers, he said.

Were growing strongly in Australia. Late last year we hired two hardware and software engineers and moved into a new office with three times the space to set up a new hardware lab. We expect to hire more engineers later this year to keep up with demand.

These engineers design the hardware and software side of our products, which are manufactured in China and then sold and supported in the US. Our local team has worked for companies ranging from Australian tech export innovators such as Stallion Technologies, Moreton Bay Ventures and SnapGear to multinationals such as CyberGuard, Secure Computing, McAfee and Intel.

Were now building relationships with the telecommunications sector, both carriers and resellers, so that we can leverage our local expertise and US credentials, to start making more Australian sales. These products are professional-grade, so we plan to work with system integrators who can deploy them with the right cellular plan to provide customers with rock-solid business continuity.
Can digital data from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Vote Compass survey be used as the basis of broad pronouncements about the nation in the same way that scientific polling data from the likes of Galaxy, Ipsos and Roy Morgan Research is utilised?

This is a question that was asked by the online newsletter Crikey in an editorial on 6 June and answered in a few words: Vote Compass is complete bunkum.

The publication cited the claim made by the ABC that "more than 80 per cent of Australians would welcome a federal corruption watchdog similar to the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Vote Compass data shows".

And it commented "But Vote Compass, scientifically speaking, is completely useless. It is an opt-in poll  punters have to choose to visit the ABC's website and answer as many questions as they choose in Vote Compass."

Two days later, the ABC reacted, through Sally Jackson, its media manager for news and current affairs. In a letter published in Crikey she said the newsletter "demonstrates a lack of understanding of how this election tool works, as well as a weak understanding of modern survey research overall".

Jackson claimed that "most commercial polls... have issues with sampling. While Vote Compass is an opt-in tool, the data we report are weighted against the Census to ensure it provides a representative sample." She offered two documents to substantiate what she claimed and these are here and here. There is no mention of the weighting process against the Census in either.

So how does the ABC get the generalisations that it crows about to loudly? Is the data collected through Vote Compass submitted to some other agency that calculates the figures which are put out in these all-encompassing statements about this or that trait of the nation?

There are some curious aspects about Vote Compass, though, that would lead anyone with an inquiring mind to question Jackson's claims.

Vote Compass, by the ABC's definition, "generates an analysis of how your views compare to the positions of the candidates in a given election. This analysis is restricted to the specific issues included in the Vote Compass questionnaire and may not necessarily reflect your perceived political affiliation or intended vote choice".

In a FAQ, the ABC asks: "How can you stop people from trying to game the system?"

And it answers: "There are multiple safeguards in place to ensure the authenticity of each record in the dataset. Vote Compass does not make its protocols in this regard public so as not to aid those that might attempt to exploit the system, but among standard safeguards such as IP address logging and cookie tracking, it also uses time codes and a series of other measures to prevent users from gaming the system."

But you can take the survey more than once from the same IP address. And you can either give a postcode, your state of residence or else say you are from outside the country.

At the end of the 30 questions, there are various personal queries but these are not compulsory. You can then see how your views align with those of the major political players: the Coalition, Labor and the Greens. There is no indication of a submit button at the end of the process.

One needs to ask: If people can complete the survey without giving up any personal data, how is each person slotted into a given demographic for extrapolating to say "all Australians X" or "all Australians Y"?

When national polls are taken, they have to represent all segments of the population to mean anything. Does the ABC not record the data if one does not provide personal details? Or does every individual effort count towards what the ABC touts?

It is unclear but yet the ABC continues to use the stats collected to shout about this or that from the rooftops.

Back to Jackson's additional claim that the weighting used before the ABC makes its pronouncements on high, "happens on a sample of half a million people and we do the weighting across a whole range of variables  gender, geography, age, educational attainment, occupation, religion and more".

At the time of writing (8.17pm AEST Sunday), there had been 684,132 responses to the Vote Compass survey.

What was the total number of responses on 6 June when Crikey called the whole thing bunkum? The ABC says it was based on 230,641 respondents who participated in Vote Compass from 8 May to 25 May, much below the half a million that Jackson claimed.

And all these people gave their personal details without even batting an eyelid? If so, I can make one broad statement about the national population: the level of naivety is much higher than I ever thought.
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Workers respond to customer calls at the Time Warner Cable call center in Milwaukee. Charter Communications, which bought Time Warner, now has about 90% of the traditional cable business in the state. Credit: Sam Caravana

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Now that it dominates Wisconsin's cable television market, Charter Communications faces its next challenge: winning customer satisfaction where, often, it's been lacking.

Charter, with the recent acquisition of Time Warner Cable, now has about 90% of the traditional cable business in Wisconsin  a figure that's disturbing to consumer advocates who say the lack of competition in the cable industry fuels poor customer service and high rates.

"People are kind of stuck with what they have, and I mean really stuck," said Linda Sherry, director of national priorities at Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based advocacy group.

Stamford, Conn.-based Charter, now that it owns Time Warner Cable, is moving into Milwaukee and other markets under the brand name Spectrum.

The changes aren't noticeable yet, but they're starting this year and will take place over the next 18 months.

"In the coming months, you will hear more from us as it relates to network, product and service improvements," Charter CEO Tom Rutledge said in a recent letter to Time Warner Cable customers.

The changes will include an all-digital network with faster internet speeds, no modem lease fee and a plethora of television channels under various bundle plans, according to Charter.

Yet critics of the Time Warner Cable acquisition say consumers will likely remain skeptical as they've never seen much competition in the paid television marketplace, and this won't help on that front.

"We are not big on mergers, and we especially think that mergers in the cable industry can be a real problem for consumers because it just shrinks the available vendors down to usually one in an area," Sherry said.

In the 2015 American Customer Satisfaction Index, Charter and Time Warner Cable had comparable scores  of 57 and 58, respectively  of a possible 100 points for internet service. Charter scored 63 for subscription television, while Time Warner Cable's score was 51.

Charter says it's attracting more customers and keeping customers longer, yet it acknowledges the industry's critics.

"Cable companies talk about improving service a lot because there's a lot of improving to do," said Charter spokesman Justin Venech.

The company says it's bringing more than 10,000 outsourced customer service jobs back to the United States.

Combined, Charter and Time Warner Cable have about 90,000 employees nationwide and 3,900 in Wisconsin, including customer service centers and offices in Milwaukee, Appleton and Fond du Lac.

Charter says it plans to add about 20,000 jobs nationally as it expands into new markets and adds subscribers.

"I don't know how many of those would be in Milwaukee, but I can tell you that we are looking at adding jobs across the company," Venech said.

Over time, the Time Warner Cable name will be replaced by Spectrum.

Some industry experts say the Time Warner and Charter duo won't need as many employees as the separate companies had in areas such as customer service, billing and marketing.

Watch for what happens to the customer service centers in Wisconsin a year from now, said Barry Orton, a recently retired telecommunications professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

It's unlikely that Charter will keep all of those jobs, Orton said.

Charter says it will use fewer outside contractors for home service calls. It says customer bills will be easier to decipher, and there will be fewer fees.

For now, Time Warner Cable customers can keep their television and internet services and pricing.

"If a customer likes what they are receiving today, and how they are receiving it, we aren't going to force them into a new package," Venech said.

Charter television customers will still be required to lease the "set-top" box from the company.

Consumer advocates say the lease fees amount to a huge profit center for cable companies, at the expense of customers who have no choice in the matter.

"You will be renting that same old box for years. I remember once, when I moved to Washington, D.C., I was given a box that had cockroaches in it," Sherry said.

Time Warner Cable customers could get better television reception and more channels under the Charter digital network that's coming their way.

The company's reputation in Wisconsin isn't terrible compared with some other cable providers over the years, according to Orton.

"Charter has been reasonably good in Madison in the last year or two. There have been very few outages, and the company has been reasonably responsive to them," he said.

As it settles into Milwaukee and other new markets, Charter says it will launch community service initiatives such as a program that helps people with home repairs, weather stripping and smoke detectors.

The company has pledged to improve 25,000 homes nationwide by 2020.

Charter says it will offer a $14.99-per-month internet plan for low-income families and seniors who receive Supplemental Security Income.

Also, the company says it will extend broadband service to some areas that currently are not served or have slower broadband speeds.

Skeptics say there's not much recourse for consumers or regulators if Charter doesn't fulfill its obligations under the Time Warner Cable acquisition.

"If you are counting on the FCC and the federal government, I wish you a lot of luck," Orton said.

AT&T's U-verse television service is an alternative to cable in Milwaukee and other cities, but not in every neighborhood. Increasingly, AT&T is placing more emphasis on its DirecTV satellite service.

"We are leading our video marketing approach with DirecTV," said AT&T spokeswoman Samara Sodos.

One competitive threat to cable providers is the trend of "cord cutting," where customers drops their cable subscription in favor of video streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu.

That's the new normal for adults ages 18 to 34, according to a report from Horowitz Research. Millennials spend 54% of their TV viewing time streaming programs over the internet, according to Horowitz.

The trend is "absolutely growing and growing," Sherry said, partly from more on-demand video that is tailored to individual interests and schedules.

She added, "We have all joked about the 300 channels on cable, and you only watch five. I think most people could find video streaming choices that give them what they want to watch."
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The largest U.S. airlines missed their chance to lock in the cheapest energy costs in more than 12 years after jet fuel surged as much as 80% since January.

The fuel on the U.S. Gulf Coast was trading at $1.32 a gallon Thursday, up from less than 80 cents on Jan. 20, the lowest intraday level since November 2003. The gain came as oil prices rebounded about 70% over the same period.

Major jet fuel consumers, including Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Continental Holdings Inc., didn't lock in prices at those January lows after the airline industry lost billions on hedging as crude plunged to about $26 a barrel earlier this year from more than $100 in 2014. The carriers also were discouraged by the rising cost of the hedges themselves.

Had airlines hedged fuel they "would have had exceptional gains on that portfolio," said Bob Mann, president of airline consultant R.W. Mann & Co.

American Airlines Group Inc., Delta, United and Southwest Airlines Co. all reported record adjusted profits in 2015 and paid a combined $12 billion less for fuel, which historically accounted for about one-third of industry operating costs. Employee compensation has topped fuel as the biggest expense for carriers. The airlines said they would have made even more without the bad hedging bets.

Delta, which closed its hedge book in January after losing $4 billion in the past eight years trying to guard against a surge in fuel prices, got "burned" trying to protect against price spikes, Edward Bastian, the airline's chief executive officer, said in a Bloomberg TV interview. The company wouldn't return to hedging even if oil fell below $30 a barrel again, he said.

"There is too much volatility," Bastian said. "If we were to get back into the market, we wouldn't get back until we saw a point where there was some longer-term stability to know what to expect."

Delta didn't immediately respond last week to a phone request for additional comment.

United, which is 12% hedged for the final nine months of 2016, hasn't added hedging positions since July, Gerald Laderman, acting chief financial officer, said in an April conference call. The carrier no longer sees it as a way to manage "near-term volatility," Vice Chairman James Compton said on the call.

United lost $138 million from fuel hedges in the first quarter, down from $161 million a year earlier, according to its first-quarter financial statement. Megan McCarthy, United's spokeswoman, didn't return an email seeking comment.

American's Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said in April that the airline made "no change" in its strategy of shunning fuel hedging. American Airlines has "nothing new to add," Josh Freed, a company spokesman, said by phone June 9.

Southwest reduced by half the percent of fuel hedged for the second half of this year to between 30% and 35%, Tammy Romo, chief financial officer, said in January. The airline recorded fuel hedge losses of $275 million in the first quarter, up from $47 million a year earlier, according to financial statements.

"We view our hedging program as insurance against the volatile nature of fuel prices, which make up about a third of our cost structure," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said in an email on June 9.

Companies paid different prices for fuel in the first quarter, based on the extent to which they were still partially hedged. American paid $1.21 a gallon and Southwest $1.78, according to company statements. In the second quarter, United forecast it will pay $1.35 to $1.40 a gallon and Delta said $1.48 to $1.53.
Comedic folk duo Flight of the Conchords played a sold-out show at the Riverside Theater Saturday. Credit: Adam Miszewski/Pabst Theater Group

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Eddie Murphy's fluffy R&B records, Sam Kinison's late-stage division of concerts between stand-up sets and band sets and even Andy Kaufman's Elvis Presley impersonation are examples of a comedian's yearning to be a pop or rock star. None of them is particularly endearing.

Conversely, Flight of the Conchords was quite endearing Saturday night at the Riverside Theater because the duo made sport of the very idea of rock stardom while filling the venue to capacity, as rock stars do, and selling branded T-shirts and other merchandise, as rock stars also do.

The jokes usually worked because the duo, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, aimed at a wide range of music topics, from the relative largeness of their lineup compared to the "usual" one-man bands of New Zealand to the mundaneness of the 22 to 23 hours of a day touring musicians don't spend onstage.

When the jokes were directly musical, they worked even better: Clement and McKenzie were solid players, with McKenzie especially fine on piano, while supplementary instrumentalist Nigel Collins  introduced as the "New Zealand Symphony Orchestra"  added cello and double-bass shades.

However, Conchords' greatest musical talent remained the ability to ridicule rock and pop subgenres with authoritative affection.

Many mockeries came from 2009  the last time Flight of the Conchords appeared in Milwaukee  or earlier, when the duo had a TV series and two albums.

"Carol Brown," one of the best older numbers, was almost a "Sesame Street" ditty, albeit about the ingenious ways women found to dump Clement. Another standout put together two hip-hop attempts  the self-censoring "Mutha'uckers" and the croakily self-pitying "Hurt Feelings"  into a single parody of rap cliches and macho egomania.

Among repeated requests for the crowd not to tape as-yet-unreleased material, Conchords presented many new mockeries, too.

"Stana" (an anagram of "Satan," as the song duly noted) told a tumbleweed-country story of a mean man who eventually became the lover of his doppelganger, Anats. "Shady Rachel" was a pastiche of Tom Waits-style storytelling and jazzbo pretentiousness. And "Seagull" resembled an Al Stewart folk-pop song with interpretive interludes and a jump from silly symbolism to clumsy, hilarious literalism.

The new material wasn't regularly as tight as the old  "Stana" rolled on too long, as if it were a Sergio Leone-directed Western  and some audience members tried to duplicate the infamous unruliness of the crowd during the aforementioned local Conchords appearance in 2009.

Yet the show kept comedy and music mostly in balance and the audience mostly in check. The gents in Flight of the Conchords might not actually be rock stars, but they have learned to use star power to get some respect.
History in the eating

It's summer in Wisconsin, and that means one thing.

(No, not mosquitoes. Well, yes, it does  but I digress...)

Frozen custard.

As you lazily savor each rich and creamy mouthful of Wisconsin's favorite frozen sweet treat, perhaps you start to wonder  in a slow, methodical, frozen-brain sort of way  how frozen custard came to be synonymous with the city of Milwaukee.

Or maybe you begin to wonder who invented this masterpiece in the first place.

Or maybe you think, "Gee, if I only knew the history of frozen custard, I would have something interesting to share at parties."

Or maybe you just think "Oh my, this is the most delicious thing that I've ever eaten." (That's OK, too.)

But for the sake of those whose curiosity has been piqued, let's step back and explore the glory that is frozen custard and how it came to be.

Coney Island to your backyard

When digging into the history of frozen custard, the focus usually shifts to Coney Island, N.Y., in 1919, when the Kohr brothers, Archie, Clair and Elton, became the first to commercially produce frozen custard.

By adding egg yolks to their frozen desserts, they slowed down the melting process to produce a creamier product. The Kohrs sold their frozen custard along the Coney Island boardwalk during the summers.

But long before the Kohrs had established themselves as the Coney Island custard kings, Thomas Jefferson was making French-style ice cream, which included cream and egg yolks, at Monticello. He is credited with bringing the recipe to America in the late 1700s.

Newspapers from the early 1900s regularly mention frozen custard, providing recipes and tidbits for readers.

"A frozen custard is exactly like a French ice cream," noted the Escanaba (Mich.) Morning Press in 1914, "except that the cream is left out and one or two extra egg yolks are used in its place."

"Even the best of ice cream is hardly more delicious than a good frozen custard," advised the (Greenville, Pa.) Record-Argus newspaper in 1913. "Yolks of eggs are used liberally, and these make the dessert nutritious as well as refreshing."

Although the Kohrs were not the first to happen upon the magical addition of egg yolks to ice cream, they introduced the concept to thousands of sweet-toothed consumers who propelled frozen custard to its place in our culinary tradition.

On to Wisconsin...

Although the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago is often credited with being the catalyst that brought widespread interest in frozen custard to the Midwest, the importance of the ice cream and frozen custard industry in Wisconsin was already established by the early 1930s.

Wisconsin's ready supply of ice and the fact that many taverns switched to selling ice cream during Prohibition are likely contributing factors. But we're the Dairy State, and this is key. With our abundance of milk and cream, our statewide penchant for all things dairy made frozen custard a popular treat.

In fact, frozen custard was popular enough to stir up some controversy in 1932.

In spring of that year, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture launched a campaign against ice cream vendors marketing an inferior product labeled as frozen custard. State law required custard ice cream or frozen custard to have 13% butterfat, but according to the Appleton Post-Crescent, the department had found only 6% butterfat in certain frozen custard it tested. Stores and restaurants were using "a machine which turns the frozen product out rapidly," according to the Manitowoc Herald-Times, and our state wasn't going to stand for that.

Frozen custard machines were improved in the 1930s, and there's no doubt the World's Fair brought wider exposure to frozen custard in the Midwest, which is likely why the 1930s and '40s saw the debut of many now-iconic frozen custard stands throughout Milwaukee  Gilles (1938), Leon's (1942), Kopp's (1950) and many others.

Kopp's is credited with being the first to offer a flavor of the day, which they started in the 1960s. In 2003 Karl Kopp told the Journal Sentinel it was considered heresy to tamper with the purity of vanilla custard in the early days. Now it's a beloved tradition.

Culver's opened in Sauk City in 1984, and began franchising in southern Wisconsin within a few years. In the mid-90s it brought Wisconsin custard to other Midwestern states, and now has stores in 23 states.

But no other state supports as robust a frozen custard economy as Wisconsin.

The Sept 18, 1981, edition of The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle put forth the suggestion that the title of "Custard Capital" might be appropriately applied to the city of Milwaukee.

Today, Milwaukee is unofficially known as the custard capital of the world. But officially or unofficially, there's no doubt that frozen custard has achieved a place of permanence in the state of Wisconsin and in our summertime traditions.

Frozen custard, anyone?

Digging back into Wisconsin flavors

History in the Eating is a monthly feature that digs back into the flavors of Wisconsin, exploring how the foods we know and love have found their place in our state's heritage.
Marshfield native Linda Roehrborn is set to blast off into space as an astronaut for a commercial company. Credit: Contributed photo

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Linda Roehrborn decided she wanted to be an astronaut on Jan. 28, 1986.

The Marshfield native was in seventh grade, and she and her classmates were watching the space shuttle Challenger take off. Seventy-three seconds into its flight, the spacecraft disintegrated while Roehrborn, her classmates and the world watched, killing all seven members of the crew.

"I know it sounds kind of morbid," Roehrborn said in a phone call from her home in Cocoa, Fla., where she works as an educator for NASA. "But I just thought (the Challenger's seven-member crew) were so brave....And I thought they were the greatest people to follow their dreams and their passion, and I wanted to be like them."

Becoming an astronaut is not easy, and Roehrborn understood the challenges in making that dream come true. She joined the Air Force and rose to the rank of captain. She became a biologist and an oceanographer. But even as she took steps toward becoming an astronaut, the goal seemed to be moving away from her.

Until now. At age 43, she is on an unorthodox track into space. Roehrborn was chosen as one of 14 candidates for the PHEnOM Project, one of the world's first commercial spaceflight research programs that is training private citizens as scientist-astronauts. If all goes as anticipated, she'll complete the educational program by early 2018. Graduation will include a suborbital flight on a private spacecraft.

"I did kind of think the door was closed," Roehrborn said. "There were 16,000 applicants for NASA (in the last astronaut selection program). So I did not think I was ever going to see this type of thing."

Entering the private-sector space race gives Roehrborn a chance to get in on the ground floor of a new and exciting industry, she said, adding: "I feel like a pioneer."

The private project offers more people the chance to experience space flight, said Jamie Guined, the PHEnOM Project's principal investigator.

"It is through programs such as the PHEnOM Project that everyday people have the opportunities to contribute in a significant and meaningful way to the collective body of knowledge and understanding of the human exploration of space," Guined said.

Roehrborn developed her yearning for exploration and the natural world exploring the nooks and crannies of her family's strawberry farm.

"I would have to say my family's farm is one of my biggest influences," she said. "My family has always supported me, and even though I've moved away, that's the place I always want to go back to."

Roehrborn did a stint at NASA's Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., as a teenager, and by the time she graduated from Marshfield High School in 1991, "everyone knew I wanted to be an astronaut," she said.

She studied for two years at the University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County, then joined the Air Force in 1993 and spent four years on active duty. She transferred to the Air National Guard so she could go back to college and enrolled at Arizona State University to study biology, earning her degree in 2003. She went on to earn a master's degree in oceanography from Texas A&M in 2006.

"It kind of merged the Air Force and my love of the ocean, microscopic plants and animals in the ocean and also extreme environments," Roehrborn said. "I've loved the ocean and loved outer space. I didn't know how to incorporate the two together, but they are actually very similar. For example, it's much easier to practice weightlessness in the ocean."

As Roehrborn continued her career in the Air Force, she also became an environmental educator and researcher for the Galveston Bay Foundation in Texas. A few weeks ago, Roehrborn began a new job as an educator with NASA in Cocoa. To facilitate that move, she transferred to the Air Force Reserve.

The chance to go to space comes through the SeaSpace Exploration & Research Society, an organization devoted to support the study of the sea and space. The organization admitted Roehrborn into PHEnOM.

PHEnOM aims to work with private entities such as SpaceX, the rocket building company founded by Elon Musk, and Boeing, the aeronautical manufacturing and research giant.

Roehrborn pays tuition to participate in PHEnOM, which is an educational program. But she said it will place her in the front row for future private space exploration opportunities.

"I'm going to be learning and training with some great people, including retired astronauts," Roehrborn said. "Some of the classes will focus on HAM radio, human physiology in space. We'll be working with a company on designing space suits....I'm going to learn all this amazing stuff, and meet all these amazing people. It's just going to be something I've been dreaming about a really long time."

Email keith.uhlig@gannettwisconsin.com or follow him on Twitter @UhligK.

Follow Linda Roehrborn into space

When courses for the PHEnOM Project begin, follow Roehrborn's training at lindasweightlessventures.com.
Kansas City, Mo.  Nearly 40 men sat silently in church pews on a Tuesday evening last month.

They listened as a mother described the lasting anguish over her son's murder.

They listened as a case worker detailed services  job training, mental health treatment and more  available to them.

And they listened as police, prosecutors and federal agents made sure they knew they were there for a reason: All 40 had been connected to violence, either directly or through people they knew.

Kansas City police, mothers fight violence The Kansas City No Violence Alliance gathers would-be offenders where mothers affected by violence address them and they are given community support and offered resources. Video by Mike De Sisti

"You're wreaking havoc in our communities," Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte told them. "We know who you are, we know where you hang out and we know who you have problems with."

The meeting, known as a "call-in," was part of the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, or NoVA, which is one of the latest examples of a law-enforcement strategy known as "focused deterrence."

The approach involves identifying people most at risk to commit or to be victimized by gun violence  often the same individuals  and hosting call-ins where they are given community support and offered resources. They are told they have the attention of law enforcement and will face serious, immediate consequences, often federal charges and long sentences, if they are arrested again.

The initial results in Kansas City were dramatic: In 2014, homicides dropped by nearly 20% from the prior year, to 80 victims, the city's lowest total in more than four decades. Last year, the results were less clear-cut, but officials remain undeterred.

In the midst of a spike in homicides here last summer, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn acknowledged that the focused deterrence strategy used in Kansas City and in High Point, N.C.  where the strategy was used to dismantle open-air drug markets  have produced results.

Questions about why it is not being used in Milwaukee have repeatedly surfaced in community meetings and panel discussions.

Could focused deterrence work here?

Kansas City offers lessons  and so does Milwaukee.

A history of focused deterrence

Strong partnerships

The concept of focused deterrence has been around for more than two decades. The most famous example may be "Operation Ceasefire" in Boston, where homicides plummeted from 152 in 1990 to 31 in 1999  a feat termed the "Boston Miracle." Ultimately, those numbers came back up for a variety of reasons, but the concept remained popular.

The strategy depends on a web of strong partnerships among local and federal law enforcement, elected officials, social service providers and people in the community who have moral authority. They reinforce the message that gun violence  or robberies or carjackings or whatever the targeted crime problem is  will no longer be tolerated.

That's often easier said than done.

As criminologists Anthony A. Braga and David L. Weisburd wrote last year, criminal justice agencies "work largely independent of each other, often at cross-purposes, often without coordination and often in an atmosphere of distrust and dislike."

Still, if cities and agencies can overcome those barriers, focused deterrence can work. An academic review by Braga and Weisburd found nine of the 10 formal evaluations done in different cities concluded it had "significant crime control benefits."

Among the examples: A 63% drop in youth homicides in Boston; a 44% decline in gun assaults in Lowell, Mass.; a 42% drop in gun homicides in Stockton, Calif.; and a 35% decrease in homicides by gang or crime crew members in Cincinnati.

Those outside evaluations appealed to Kansas City officials, particularly Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who pitched focused deterrence to Mayor Sly James and Forte, the police chief.

"I wanted something with some staying power," she said.

That's how the Kansas City No Violence Alliance was born in 2012.

'It's about you'

Stopping violence starts at home

At every call-in in Kansas City, there's a moment when just about every person sits upright, eyes forward.

It happens when Rosilyn Temple speaks.

Temple's 26-year-old son, Antonio Thompson, was fatally shot inside his apartment in 2011. It was the day before Thanksgiving. Temple had promised to help her son host his first holiday feast for his friends. Half the food was at her house, the rest in his refrigerator.

The community must come together

She knew something was wrong when no one could reach him.

The cheesecake recipe he had jotted down while they were on the phone the night before was still on the counter when his body was discovered.

His killing remains unsolved.

Getting a job as a felon

"No mother or father should have to bury their child," she says, her voice echoing in the cavernous sanctuary.

"It's not about police; it's about you."

Focused deterrence requires a community message, a unified voice telling the target audience the violence must stop, or there will be consequences. Temple and other mothers like her  who together form KC Mothers in Charge  are that voice.

She implores her listeners to take advantage of the services detailed by a case worker, who refers to the men as "clients," meant to reinforce the message that the agencies aim to help and serve them.

Since the March call-in, 45 new clients had been connected to anger control classes, medical assistance, bus passes, housing support and more.

"We offer a smorgasbord of services," Baker, the prosecutor, said in an interview. "We should not assume we know what they need."

Milwaukee attempts

Milwaukee has tried focused deterrence at least three times in the past decade, but officials say they shelved each iteration after lackluster results.

One reason could be that the process here has been sporadically applied and less comprehensive. The services offered have been limited, public awareness has been scant, and often the community voice has been clergy, who may not resonate as deeply as a mother detailing the loss of a child.

In 2006, when Milwaukee leaders tried to replicate the High Point model, they saw a decrease of about 10% in violent crime in the targeted area, much lower than the 35% seen over several years in the North Carolina city, Assistant Chief William Jessup said.

Photo Gallery Mike De Sisti The Kansas City No Violence Alliance, an example of a law-enforcement strategy known as focused deterrence," identifies people most at risk to commit or to be victimized by gun violence  often the same individuals  and hosts call-ins where they are given community support and offered resources. Photo Gallery: Can Milwaukee learn from Kansas City in fighting gun violence?

In 2010 and 2011, Milwaukee police, prosecutors and other partners hosted several call-ins in District 5, on the city's north side. Again, there was some improvement, Jessup said, but nothing approaching levels seen in other cities.

Those efforts also coincided with other tactics, such as large-scale federal prosecutions of gangs and the expansion of Community Prosecution Units, which focus on blight and other quality-of-life concerns, said Assistant U.S. Attorney William Lipscomb.

"There's so much going on at the same time," he said. "It's really difficult to say, if you got a reduction, what was the cause of it."

In 2013, Milwaukee police worked with focused deterrence experts at John Jay College of Criminal Justice to identify a "top tier" group of 400 people who officers believed were driving violent crime.

"Over time, we made a number of arrests but, again, we didn't see any significant decrease in crime as a result of the initiative itself," Jessup said.

Last summer, Milwaukee's police chief said the lack of federal prosecution was the key missing element in that last attempt at focused deterrence.

"We haven't been able to deliver the sanction," Flynn said.

Indeed, a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis of U.S. Sentencing Commission data found federal gun sentencings in the Eastern District of Wisconsin dropped by 47% in fiscal year 2015 compared with the previous 12 months. It was one of the largest drops among the nation's 94 federal court districts, the analysis found.

Flynn has softened his criticism since last summer, amid signs of more involvement of federal prosecutors in fighting gun violence. The progress is thanks in part to the arrival of a new U.S. attorney and a new cooperative plan, the Milwaukee Gun Violence Reduction Initiative, to aggressively target and prosecute gun offenders in state and federal court.

Further, representatives from the U.S. attorney's office and the Milwaukee Police Department traveled together to Washington, D.C., several months ago after Milwaukee was named a member of the National Violence Reduction Network.

The network gives cities information on tested crime-fighting strategies and federal assistance to implement them. One of the network's featured approaches: Kansas City's No Violence Alliance.

The Kansas City alliance targets about 60 groups or gangs and 1,200 individuals.

Each quarter, the partners delve into the network and determine which people or groups were actively causing violence. It often isn't about drug or gang territory, but rather petty disputes and retaliation. Milwaukee faces similar causes of deadly violence: Arguments and fights were the primary factors in 30% of homicides here last year and retaliation-related homicides increased year-to-year.

Nonetheless, Jessup said focused deterrence seems to work better in cities where gangs are very structured with hierarchies, instead of the informal "crews" seen in Milwaukee.

"It doesn't mean it can't work, and we're not saying it won't work, but we're trying it in different ways right now as a result of our experience in the past," he said.

Don't wait for money

While Milwaukee seeks grants to implement focused deterrence again, Kansas City's initiative relies primarily on reorganizing staff and setting new priorities at the city's police department, county prosecutor's office, U.S. attorney's office, and the state probation and parole department  steps that don't require new money.

Programs in the works The Milwaukee Police Department, U.S. attorney's office and Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office have three pending grant proposals to use focused deterrence: one centered on youths caught stealing cars, one involving prisoner re-entry in the central city's Center St. corridor and one related to "high-value targets"  people who have been linked to violent crime. Local officials say they will try to enact the proposals whether or not they receive grant funding. Here is a look at what the programs aim to do: Juvenile crime: Milwaukee police, state prosecutors and Children's Court officials plan to focus on youths caught stealing cars and provide an immediate response. When a juvenile is arrested for auto theft, a team that includes a prosecutor, police officer and social worker would go to the youth's home within 24 hours  well before the three to four months it takes for a case to get through the juvenile court system, which is designed under state law to be a slower process. Authorities would try to connect the families to resources, including mentoring programs. Re-entry: Authorities will focus on people ages 17 to 26 who are returning from prison to the Center St. corridor in Milwaukee. They will meet with those individuals during a "welcome home" notification session that would include the state Department of Corrections, police, prosecutors, clergy and other neighborhood agencies. Law enforcement will detail exactly what penalties the individuals could face if they're caught carrying a gun, while the clergy and neighborhood agencies will offer community support. High-value targets: The Milwaukee Police Department already has received a federal grant to target prolific gun offenders. The department has narrowed its efforts to 64 people suspected of committing violent crimes in Milwaukee during the past five years. A task force of police and federal agents have arrested 20 of those people since January. A next possible step, officials said, is identifying the networks of people associated with those offenders and considering call-ins and focused deterrence with those gangs or crews.

Still, a two-year $250,000 grant from Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, as well as smaller grants from other local nonprofits, helped fund the case workers and what's known as "client deliverables"  bus passes, the cost of obtaining birth certificate copies and other essentials.

The law enforcement agencies, in some cases, also were able to get permission to redirect some existing federal grant money to focused deterrence.

The Kansas City Police Department dedicated a handful of people to the strategy originally, but much of the intelligence was scattered throughout the department in separate squads for gangs, narcotics and homicides.

A number of police officers didn't buy into the strategy  some saw it as a passing fad, while others thought of it as too soft an approach  which also hindered attempts to share information internally and with outside agencies, police Capt. Chris Young said.

"Putting our intelligence together was like putting a 1,000-piece puzzle together but only having 500 of the pieces," Young said.

A turning point came in late 2013. The police chief, mayor, county prosecutor and other key leaders traveled to New York for a crash course in focused deterrence from David Kennedy, who invented the concept and implemented it in Boston and other cities.

When they returned to Kansas City, the chief restructured the police department, which has 1,400 sworn officers, and created a Violent Crime Intelligence squad to serve as a clearinghouse for information on gangs and groups. He also permanently transferred 28 uniformed officers from patrol to the violent crimes division.

Meanwhile, Baker and U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson designated specific prosecutors for the No Violence Alliance, streamlining communication about which cases would be charged in state courts and which would be charged federally.

After that, when the partners gathered to share information about the targeted individuals, the quality of that information had drastically improved, according to an outside evaluation from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Those audits continued every 90 days.

Developing the "social networks" of the groups originally took months, but now is routine and, depending on the complexity of the group, can be completed in minutes or hours with the help of intelligence crime analysts, according to the evaluation.

"Don't wait for federal money to come in before undertaking this effort. Just do it," said Baker, the prosecutor.

Sharing the message

The 40 or so men at Kansas City's Independence Boulevard Baptist Church in May ended up at the call-in for various reasons. Some were on probation or parole and invited by their supervising agent. Others were contacted by police. A couple came with a friend who had been invited.

About 80 other people were told to attend and decided not to show up.

Graphic: Focused deterrence in action

Those who did come were screened by case workers in the church's basement fellowship hall to see what resources they needed. They went upstairs to hear from crime victims' families, the case workers, ex-offenders and police, who displayed the mug shots and sentences of men who had come to a similar church meeting months earlier but chose not to change their ways.

Afterward, the men returned to the fellowship hall, where they grabbed sandwiches and sat at long tables among the prosecutors, police, probation agents and mothers they had heard from upstairs.

One young man who didn't want to be quoted by name said he got connected to the program through his probation agent. He had spent time in and out of prison, but now has a job operating a forklift in a warehouse. His probation agent meets with him every two weeks and keeps him on track, the man said. The call-in was meant to reinforce that message.

"It's the longest I've been out of prison," he said.

Asked if he would share the message on the streets, he said no  but not because he didn't buy into it. Rather, he said he's trying not to associate with anyone who could get him into trouble.

Measuring success

When it comes to measuring success in Kansas City, there's one focus: homicides.

High-tech crime fighting How Kansas City police are using data and technology to fight crime. Video by Mike De Sisti

That's good and bad, said Ken Novak, a University of Missouri-Kansas City professor who assisted in evaluating the No Violence Alliance.

"The reason it's good is it keeps people focused," he said. "One of the easiest ways to get derailed is mission creep."

Although homicides have the most serious outcome, they are still relatively rare compared with other crimes, he added.

"If you get a swing of five or 10 homicides in any one direction, that can be the difference between success and failure," Novak said.

Kansas City's program saw such success its first year with the city's lowest number of homicides in a generation.

"We looked at it over time and used statistical methods to rule out other possible factors that would explain that dramatic decrease," Novak said.

They concluded focused deterrence was working. But in 2015, the numbers rose. By the end of the year there were 108 homicide victims, and the city was virtually back where it started.

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The researchers took a closer look at last year's data and found the raw number of group-related homicides  the specific type of activity the No Violence Alliance tries to curb  was still lower than in 2013 and also made up a smaller percentage of the total number of homicides.

"The non-group-member homicides increased dramatically and a lot of different things contributed to a pretty fatal 2015," Novak said.

So far in 2016, Kansas City is on track to reach last year's level of homicides.

Moving forward

The increase in homicides struck down some of the confidence in Kansas City, but officials remain committed.

Novak and others have suggested the strategy might be experiencing a "decay effect," in which impact slips away over time, the root causes of crime remain unchanged, and patterns re-emerge.

It also takes time to know if something is a trend, and even more time to determine what's causing it.

In Milwaukee, homicides spiked in 2013, reached a near-historic low in 2014 before a surge in 2015 to a 20-year high. Both cities saw increases in homicides last year, although Milwaukee had a larger year-to-year increase (69% compared with 35%) and a higher homicide rate per 100,000 people.

Podcast: Behind the Headlines To hear reporter Ashley Luthern talk about this story, listen to this weeks Behind the Headlines podcast, available Sunday at jsonline.com/behindtheheadlines, or subscribe in the iTunes store or through Stitcher radio.

Officials in Kansas City continue to analyze and try to improve the No Violence Alliance. The current program office  with police, analysts, county prosecutors, and probation and parole agents  will soon move into an office with FBI and ATF agents to improve information-sharing.

"If it was just about the numbers, then we should probably put this program away and go do something else," said Baker, the prosecutor.

"The added benefit of this is changing the dynamic between community and police, that there's another way to police, that there's another way to protect," she said.

No detail is too small to change. The sandwiches served after the May call-in? They were too easy to pick up and carry out, defeating the purpose of the communal meal. Next time, organizers plan to serve lasagna or another dish that requires people to sit down. And talk.

This project was done in partnership with Solutions Journalism Network, www.solutionsjournalism.org.

twitter.com/aluthern aluthern@journalsentinel.com
Yes.

A key step  communication  takes place at sessions bringing the targeted people to a church or other neutral location where they hear from police and prosecutors.

Authorities tell them they are under scrutiny; that certain actions (like shootings) will bring targeted arrests and prosecutions against them; that other crews have already faced prison time or other consequences; and how they can avoid the attention of law enforcement.

This session often is known as a call-in, notification or forum.
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A young boy has been reunited with his family, Milwaukee police said shortly after reporting he had been found alone Sunday morning.

The boy, about 3 to 4 years old, was found at 9:30 a.m. in the 3100 block of N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Police issued an alert just before 2 p.m. asking for the public's help in finding the boy's family. They issued an update less than a half hour later saying the family had been found.
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Law hampers MPS board

While reading the commentary from Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and Mequon-Thiensville Superintendent Demond Means in the June 15 Journal Sentinel regarding working together to improve Milwaukee Public Schools, I fully understand that these two have been placed between a rock and a hard place ("Work together to improve MPS," Opinions, June 15).

However, did anyone agree to having two state legislators  Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield )  craft an education law that does not apply to the districts and constituents they represent but chooses to hamper properly elected MPS School Board officials? Why didn't these two legislators experiment with how their constituents felt about their proposal and put it in place in their own backyards as a test case? And, whoever said that these two have any experience in educational issues in an urban school district?

Once again, Republican legislators in the state telling us poor Milwaukee citizens what is best for us and neutering further our elected School Board. So Abele and Means are left to try to keep up with a law that no one else in the state has to deal with. Once again, a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

I don't envy their task dealing with laws and legislators who simply don't have the vaguest idea of societal issues.

Gregory F. Johnson

Milwaukee



Liberals aren't alone

I will say that for a conservative, Jonah Goldberg's commentary on the whole is relatively thoughtful and fair. However, in a recent column, "Honest conversations? Well, no," he lets his partisanship poison his piece (Opinions, June 13).

Goldberg objects to the practice of exaggerating or fabricating some crisis or injustice in order to "start a conversation" with the aim of advancing one's social or political agenda. Certainly, his criticism is entirely appropriate. But he asserts and implies that this tactic is engaged in exclusively, and invariably, by those on the left. Nonsense.

If Goldberg were to loosen his partisan blinders, he could easily find innumerable examples of similar gamesmanship on the part of conservatives. See the concoctions we were offered in the run-up to the Iraq war in 2003. See the current Republican presidential nominee  rather a fountain of wild claims, distortions and inventions. How about Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who claimed that abortion was over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does? In reality, it's about 3%. When confronted about the discrepancy, Kyl's spokesman explained that Kyl "hadn't meant that to be a factual statement." In other words, he meant it to be a grotesque misrepresentation.

So if Goldberg wants to maintain a reputation as a fair and intellectually honest commentator, he should not be so foolish, or so disingenuous, as to insist that this kind of cheap tactic is only found on the other side of the aisle. Nor so careless as to paint all "liberals" with the same brush.

We would all do well to have a fair degree of skepticism when we hear shocking stories or statistics, even if they would seem to favor our preferred agenda, and avoid a premature rush to judgment. We should all follow PolitiFact, or otherwise maintain some diligence with our own further fact-checking.

And, by all means, call out this nonsense when you see it. Especially when it comes from your side of the aisle, because those are the ones that undermine your credibility when you actually do have a more valid concern or argument.

Bruce Moths

New Berlin



Loopholes for the rich

Reading Christian Schneider's column, "Americans  rich and poor  are entitled to what they earn," I was hoping for a bit more balance on the "rich and poor" part (Crossroads, June 12).

Mostly, however, it was a celebration of Donald Trump's ability to avoid paying taxes. While I don't know a lot about tax codes, my hunch is that the more money you have, the more loopholes you can find and the more lawyers you can hire to find them. The trouble then is that poor people earn less money and have fewer loopholes, not to mention lawyers.

A retired businessman friend in Santa Fe volunteers annually to help poor people file their tax returns properly. His "clients" are often amazed at what he can do to save them from unreasonable tax consequences.

So we are back to the old question of how to level the playing field, though I'm not sure we can count on Schneider to help figure that one out.

A.D. Stafanich

Milwaukee
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The arguments for and against gun control are so familiar by now, we might as well hit replay and skip the debate.

In the wake of the horrific murders of 49 people in an Orlando gay nightclub, America is re-enacting the usual drama: Politicians repeat past arguments, citizens retreat into their routines, killers reload.

Come Monday, Senate Democrats and Republicans are scheduled to roll out four gun-control bills  two from each side  attached as amendments to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill.

And, of course, given that 60 votes are needed to pass, none is expected to.

The most anyone can agree upon, including the National Rifle Association, is that terrorists shouldn't have guns. Well, it's something. I guess.

The holdup, as always, is how to balance the right to bear arms with the right to avoid being killed by a nut with a semi-automatic weapon. This shouldn't be too terribly hard to figure out, though you'd think we were cave dwellers trying to map the human genome.

But seriously, what's really on the line here? A few hours or days of inconvenience for someone who wants to buy a gun. In a nutshell, that's it.

Democrats want to close loopholes at gun shows by requiring universal background checks. And California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is proposing a previously defeated "no-fly, no-buy" bill that would prevent people on terrorist watch lists from buying a gun.

Not so fast. In a separate version of this idea, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn is proposing that the attorney general can delay a gun purchase for anyone who has been part of a terrorism investigation in the past five years  but only for three days.

Democrats say this is too limiting.

Seriously, esteemed senators: You can't figure this out? Make it five days, make it a week. But for heaven's sake, make it work.

Republicans argue that people may be erroneously placed on the watch list and therefore be denied due process. Democrats argue that due process will be "baked into it," whatever that means. Another bill backed by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley would allow terror suspects to buy a weapon but would ensure that the FBI be notified.

Okaaaaaay. This makes zero sense and has cover-your-rear-guard written all over it. Essentially, it protects the terrorist's Second Amendment rights while pretending to protect Americans. But to work, the FBI would need to conduct 24/7 surveillance lest the possible terrorist become a real one and slaughter his co-workers at his company's annual Christmas party.

I admit to having no interest in owning, if this constitutes a bias. But as someone raised around guns  and whose lawyer-father tutored me that "An unnecessary law is always a bad law"  I appreciate the tension between my right to survive an act of terror and another's to tend his own business. As always, every debate ultimately centers on: Where on the continuum of constitutional rights does one person's interpretation of the Second Amendment become secondary to another's right to survive said interpretation?

Is it not logical, however, that the right of the greatest number of people to survive supersedes the right of a relatively few who wish to own weapons intended to inflict mass casualties?

Obviously, the vast majority of people who buy assault weapons don't intend to kill anybody. But just as obviously, many of those who have killed massively had access to them. Adam Lanza, who killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, very likely would have been less successful but for his Bushmaster .223 caliber model XM15 rifle with its 30-round capacity magazine. Lanza fired off 154 shots in five minutes.

As a way of reframing the conversation, is it not possible to create both a good and necessary law? We now live in a world that requires a certain kind of law to address a specific kind of problem. It isn't only terrorists in our midst but loopholes that allow bad actors of all faiths, ethnicities and races (not just radical Islamists) to buy firearms, including assault weapons. Closing those loopholes and ridding society of weapons we know to be mass-killing machines are the least  and the only sane things  we should do.

Kathleen Parker is a columnist for The Washington Post. Email kathleenparker@washpost.com Twitter: @KathleenParker
In this May file photo, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson speaks with reporters in Green Bay. Credit: Associated Press

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At a campaign event last week, Donald Trump accused American troops of stealing funds earmarked for rebuilding Iraq. Naturally, after an immediate backlash to Trump's bizarre attempt to score political points by smearing servicemen and women who served honorably in Iraq, his campaign backpedaled and tried to claim that he wasn't actually referring to American soldiers. But the damage was done; Trump showed his true colors and the disdain he feels for America's veterans.

Of course, this isn't the first time Trump has demonstrated a total lack of respect for veterans. After he bragged about having raised millions of dollars, including $1 million of his own money, for veterans' causes back in January, it became clear that this claim was dishonest. Not only did the fundraiser raise far less than he claimed, Trump did not actually donate the $1 million of his own money until it became the subject of intense media scrutiny four months later.

As a veteran, these incidents are particularly painful for me to watch, but as an American I am also shocked and angered on a daily basis at Trump's slanderous comments about women, people with disabilities, immigrants and Muslim Americans.

Trump has proved himself to be not only vulgar and offensive, but also unpredictable and irresponsible, with little respect for freedom of the press or our rule of law. Having Trump in the Oval Office  and at the helm of America's military  would pose a serious threat to our security.

Unfortunately, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has refused to show the political courage to denounce this dangerous demagogue. He said that he would "support" the nominee, but not endorse him, as though there is any meaningful difference, and even went so far as to say he would campaign with Trump in Wisconsin. In spite of his recent claims that he does not support Trump's proposed ban on Muslim immigration to the United States, Johnson has still not denounced Trump or acknowledged the threat he poses to our country.

Choosing his party and his political career over the interests of our nation is indefensible, and history will not judge kindly those who stayed silent and failed to show leadership in this critical moment.

Birds of a feather flock together. Johnson has an opportunity to be a leader by unequivocally denouncing Trump and all that he stands for. If he does not support Trump's racist rhetoric and his attacks on America's veterans, it's time he said so.

Randy Bryce is an Army veteran who serves as president of the Veterans Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party's Veterans Caucus.
Gov. Scott Walker issued early this spring an open records directive to state agencies, aimed at speeding up state responses to public records requests, tracking them better and giving clearer guidelines on how much they should cost and how long they should take to fulfill. Credit: Associated Press

When Gov. Scott Walker issued early this spring an open records directive to state agencies, the move was welcomed by open government advocates, and rightly so. Aimed at speeding up state responses to public records requests, tracking them better and giving clearer guidelines on how much they should cost and how long they should take to fulfill, the directive could go a long way toward increasing government transparency.

The directive may have been especially welcome given Walker's fight last year against releasing certain so-called deliberative records, as well as the attempt to gut the state's open records law last July, in which his office and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos were driving forces.

"We view this announcement as good news and will be interested to see how some of the new tools featured in this announcement, like open government performance dashboards, are developed and used," said Christa Westerberg, an attorney and vice president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.

But that was three months ago. And progress has been a little slow: Only five of the 18 major agencies polled by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported full compliance with the order, the Journal Sentinel reported last week. Further, the Department of Administration  tasked with overseeing other agencies' efforts  only recently scheduled meetings to begin monitoring progress. Some agencies did report minor improvements, such as establishing central email addresses to receive requests and developing systems to track those requests.

Laurel Patrick, spokeswoman for the department, told the Journal Sentinel that meetings scheduled with agencies in June and July are meant to set expectations and determine how progress will be tracked and shared with the public.

The department hasn't set uniform measures to assess each agency, Patrick said, but instead will tailor expectations based on the types of requests an agency receives and its structure, the Journal Sentinel reported.

I sent an email to Walker's office, asking for the governor's reaction.

"We have actively engaged agencies throughout this process," Deputy Communications Director Tom Evenson wrote back. "Governor Walker's directive is the first of its kind in Wisconsin. It would be irresponsible to suggest this historic effort could be done overnight. We clearly have a plan, communicated expectations to agencies, and improved processes.

Thank you."

Well, I hate to be irresponsible (although my wonderful and tolerant wife Eileen may disagree) so I'm not about to suggest that it be done overnight. But a little more speed certainly would be welcome.

Evenson does have a point. The ship of state is heavy and cumbersome; it can't be turned on a dime. Furthermore, different agencies have different kinds of workloads. The state Department of Natural Resources is in its busiest time right now and receives a boatload of open records requests: more than 1,615 so far this year. The Public Service Commission, the state's public utilities regulator, has received just 10 requests so far this year. Guess who is going to be in compliance first?

I get all that. I also think that most officials  with the exception of Vos  have at least a vague understanding that it is part of their job as public servants to provide records when they are requested. I'm also told that this is a priority for the governor and that his office has emphasized  and has kept emphasizing  the importance of every state agency getting in line with the directive.

But color me skeptical given the events of last year. Words and directives are easy. It's results that matter.

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, got it right when he said "The good karma that the governor gets by issuing this directive will evaporate if it takes forever to happen."

It certainly will. So, no, not overnight. But how about more progress in the next three months?

Ernst-Ulrich Franzen is the Journal Sentinel's associate editorial page editor. Email: efranzen@jrn.com; Twitter: @efranzen1
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly speaks in favor of tapping Lake Michigan water for the City of Waukesha during a public hearing in February at Carroll College. Credit: Rick Wood

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Waukesha's proposal to borrow and return Lake Michigan water has undergone an intensive review, demonstrating a regional commitment to uphold the legal requirements of the Great Lakes Compact.

Waukesha is grateful for the commitment and the many hours of detailed technical review that the Great Lakes states and provinces provided as they scrutinized our application. We are hopeful that the states will provide the required votes to approve our proposal for a safe and sustainable drinking supply in a meeting June 21.

The compact, a 2008 federal law, prohibits water from being pumped beyond the Great Lakes Basin surface divide, but allows an exemption for communities in counties that straddle the divide, such as Waukesha.

To qualify for the exception, a community must show it has no reasonable alternative to Great Lakes water and, most important, must recycle the water back to the Great Lakes after use and treatment. In the case of Waukesha, we would use less than 1/1,000,000th of 1% of Great Lakes water, but return the same volume back to Lake Michigan.

We are applying for Lake Michigan water because our current water supply is unsustainable, due to a geological feature that restricts recharge from rain and snow. It also is contaminated by radium, a naturally occurring carcinogen.

Under the compact, findings of fact about our application were developed by the Great Lakes Regional Body, which is made up of the Great Lakes states, along with Ontario and Quebec. Although a final vote by the states still must be taken, the group's findings, which can be found at waukeshadiversion.org concluded that Waukesha meets the compact's strict requirements:

"(N)one of the evaluated alternatives were found to be reliable sources for a long-term, dependable, and sustainable public water supply and, therefore, the Applicant is without a reasonable water supply alternative" to Lake Michigan water.

"(A)pproximately 100% of the volume withdrawn from the Basin will be returned via flow through the Root River, a tributary of the (Great Lakes) Basin."

Waukesha's high quality "return flow will benefit a Basin tributary, the Root River ...Increased flow will result in an improvement of the fishery and benefits to the Basin salmonid egg collection facility located downstream on the Root River."

Approval of Waukesha's application, based upon compact requirements, would in no way provide a precedent for water to go to faraway places such as California or Arizona. They cannot legally apply. Unlike in Waukesha's case, the compact contains no provisions to consider such a proposal.

The Regional Body also found that the uniqueness of Waukesha's circumstances limits any precedent, even for other communities in straddling counties. One of the unique features is that our groundwater supply is actually interconnected with the Lake Michigan watershed. (We are only 1.5 miles outside the surface divide.) Our current wells pull groundwater away from the Great Lakes Basin and into the Mississippi River Basin. It is not returned to the Great Lakes Basin. The Compact provides that substantive consideration must be given to this connection, as it results in an unintended diversion of Great Lakes water.

The Regional Body concluded that approving our application to use and return surface water "will result in a net increase of water in the Lake Michigan watershed." Few other places could ever meet that precedent.

The Regional Body also recommended conditions to an approval of Waukesha's application, including substantially limiting the area that can receive water and the amount of water we can withdraw. Annual reporting, monitoring of the Root River, enforcement provisions and other conditions were also recommended.

Approval of Waukesha's application would be no threat to the Great Lakes. In fact, the commitment by states and provinces to a review based on science and the law  not politics, emotions or social media campaigns  shows that the critical protections provided by the compact are working as intended.

Shawn Reilly is the mayor of Waukesha.
The now-closed youth prison in Wales known as Ethan Allen School was among 10 possible state properties to sell listed by the Walker administration in a 2014 memo to the state Building Commission. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

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Madison  Since its passage three years ago, a law aimed at using property sales to reduce state debt has largely gone unused but has delivered $2 million to consultants.

In 2013, lawmakers agreed in the budget bill to give Gov. Scott Walker broad authority to sell state land and buildings to pay off state loans, but the program has only been used in one deal that had already been in the works for years before.

In that deal the state has approved selling two state properties, both connected to the same development to replace the state Department of Transportation headquarters. In that case, the $13.1 million from those two sales is mostly being used to hold down new debt on the massive project on Madison's west side.

Plans to sell state properties  and the controversy that can go with them  stretch back a decade in state government. But the proposals are often better at generating arguments than cash.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said the intention of the 2013 provision was to conduct a "top-to-bottom review" of the state's assets to identify properties that were too costly to keep up or of little use to the public.

"If the departments have not been doing that, that's disappointing," Vos said.

Steve Michels, communications director of Walker's Department of Administration, said in an email that the DOA has hired seven consultants to evaluate the potential sale or lease of land and buildings and is moving "thoughtfully and thoroughly."

In a June 2014 memo to the state Building Commission, the Walker administration listed 10 possible properties to sell, including: a hangar at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison; the now-closed youth prison in Wales known as Ethan Allen School; the Northern Wisconsin Center for the developmentally disabled; the Wiscraft Workshop and administration buildings in Milwaukee; and various heating plants, cooling plants and telecommunications infrastructure around the state.

But so far the state has not sought to sell any of the other properties that might be allowed under the law, including prisons, highways and university dormitories.

The 2014 memo gave no details on the potential property sales and omitted the fair market value of possible sale properties, even though a 2013 law required the administration to give that information to the Building Commission by then.

Michels said the state has paid its private consultants $2 million in fees on the two completed sales "as well as due diligence required for all other properties on the asset sale list."

The consultants are: Robert W. Baird & Co.; Public Financial Management; William Blair & Co.; Loop Capital Markets; J.P. Morgan Securities; and a partnership of the law firms Latham & Watkins and Godfrey & Kahn.

Some lawmakers have strong reservations about the state selling certain assets through the program, particularly a series of aging state power plants that were prominent in the 2013 debate over the law. Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Allouez) has pointed out that selling the plants could cost more in the long run if the state ends up paying a higher price to heat and cool its buildings.

"I'm not the only one to question whether the sale of a power plant benefits us," Cowles said.

The DOT headquarters is estimated to cost about $177 million and planning for it goes back to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's administration.

The two properties that were approved for sale as part of that development are the 14-acre Hill Farms state office building site in Madison and a 4-acre parcel on Badger Road on that city's south side currently housing the state Department of Employee Trust Funds. That office will move to the Hill Farms development alongside the DOT headquarters.

The properties were sold last year to the Smith Gilbane Co., the project's developer, for $12.1 million and $1 million, respectively.

Two million dollars of those proceeds will go toward paying off debt for the existing properties there, and the remaining amount from the sales will be used to reduce the amount of debt on the overall Hill Farms project, including a 1,700-stall parking ramp and a 600,000-square-foot office building, according to an analysis last October by the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office.

Most of the money from the sale will not go to retiring previous state debts, the ostensible purpose of the 2013 law.

Michels, the Walker administration spokesman, said the sale of the ETF building had been added to the original plan and that the overall deal held down debt and met the letter and the spirit of the law.

Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh), a member of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, said he was skeptical of that, arguing the administration was supposed to use sales to pay off existing debt.

Hintz said he opposed the overall plan because while governments can make money up front in such public asset sales, "the costs long-term to their constituents or to the state usually make it not worth it."

The state has tried to sell properties before without great success. The Doyle administration signed a contract to do that with a private real estate consultant, only to cancel it after serious problems were alleged with one deal involving a prime lakefront property in downtown Madison.

Citing the mixed history of property sales, Cowles said lawmakers shouldn't count on them or the money that might come with them.

"It's an illusory kind of promise because you just don't know," he said.
Chaze Biami is seen in his booking photo after his arrest Sunday morning. Credit: Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office

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A mother and her two children were injured early Sunday when their car was involved in a head-on crash with a vehicle being driven the wrong way on northbound I-43 at W. Wells St. by a suspected drunken driver.

Chaze Biami of Milwaukee drove his vehicle southbound onto I-43 northbound at Fond du Lac Ave. shortly after 4:30 a.m. Sunday before crashing into the other car, Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Fran McLaughlin said.

Biami, 36, had a blood alcohol level of 0.14 at the time, McLaughlin said, nearly double the 0.08 blood alcohol that is considered evidence of intoxication under state law. Biami did not have a valid driver's license, and he was arrested on suspicion of first-offense drunken driving causing injury.

The two children were in car seats and did not receive life-threatening injuries in the crash, which closed all northbound lanes of I-43 for more than two hours.

The Milwaukee Fire Department had to tear open the car to free the woman and the two children, a fire dispatcher said, and the mother was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The woman didn't have a pulse and wasn't breathing when firefighters arrived, but she was revived at the scene of the crash, McLaughlin said.

No updates on the conditions of the woman and her two children were available Sunday.

All northbound lanes of I-43 were reopened to traffic around 7:50 a.m. Sunday.

In July 2014, Biami was convicted in Milwaukee County of child abuse-intentionally causing harm. He was sentenced in August 2014 to one year in prison to be followed by one year of state supervision.
In its application for a Lake Michigan water supply, the City of Waukesha has proposed returning water to the lake by discharging treated wastewater to the Root River at S. 60th St. in Franklin. Credit: Don Behm

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A chorus of voices opposed to Waukesha's request for a Lake Michigan water supply is attempting to get the attention of the eight Great Lakes states' governors before they or their delegates meet Tuesday in Chicago for a final vote on the city's unprecedented plan.

Critics raising concerns this month include U.S. and Canadian advisers to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, mayors of U.S. and Canadian cities within the Great Lakes basin, and conservation and environmental organizations from the region.

Late last month, the Michigan state Senate adopted a resolution opposing the request.

Waukesha is asking the eight states to approve a $207 million plan for diverting lake water across the subcontinental divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins and returning an equal volume of water as fully treated wastewater to Lake Michigan via the Root River.

Opponents are attempting to create last-minute doubts about the merits of the proposal since they failed to halt the request in two earlier rounds of technical and environmental reviews by Wisconsin and Great Lakes officials.

In response to opponents' recent news conferences, Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly said in a statement that the city's request "would be no threat to the Great Lakes."

"We are hopeful that the states will provide the required votes to approve our proposal for a safe and sustainable drinking supply," Reilly said.

The city is attempting to become the first U.S. community located entirely outside the Great Lakes drainage basin to receive a diversion of lake water since a Great Lakes protection compact became federal law in 2008.

The compact requires a unanimous vote of approval among states participating in the final decision, so a single no vote Tuesday would end Waukesha's 13-year quest for a lake water supply.

None of the eight states has publicly commented on how it will vote Tuesday.

Last month, representatives of the eight states and two Canadian provinces gave preliminary approval to the city's request and set up Tuesday's vote by the states.

On May 18, the regional group on a 9-0 vote affirmed that the city's application for a lake water supply would comply with terms of the compact if numerous conditions were imposed on the plan. The Minnesota representative to that 10-member regional group abstained.

Two of the conditions recommended by the group include: no more than an average of 8.2 million gallons a day  less than the average of 10.1 million gallons a day at midcentury requested by the city  and a smaller distribution area.

The small area would include only the city's existing water service area, plus several town islands: small pieces of the Town of Waukesha surrounded by the city.

The opposition in response to the vote last month is silent on one surprising finding by the regional group: Waukesha's heavy use of deep wells drawing water from a sandstone aquifer already acts as a diversion of water from the Lake Michigan watershed.

About 30% of the water replenishing the city's deep wells  about 1.6 million gallons a day  is being pulled from the lake's watershed. After use by residential and business customers, that water is treated at the city's sewage plant and discharged to the Fox River in the Mississippi River basin. None of it is returned to the lake.

So halting Waukesha's use of the deep wells by switching the city to a lake supply would yield a net increase of 1.6 million gallons of water a day to the Lake Michigan watershed, the regional group concluded.

If the request is approved, Waukesha would halt use of those deep wells drawing radium-contaminated water from a sandstone aquifer that has been drawn down over time. Water levels in the deep aquifer are 350 feet below predevelopment depths.

In December, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources ended a five-year review of the city's request by finding that Waukesha did not have an adequate supply of water and all of the city's other options would have adverse effects on wetlands, streams and inland lakes.

The regional group last month agreed that Waukesha is without a reasonable water supply alternative to Lake Michigan, one of the compact requirements for such a diversion.

"None of the evaluated alternatives were found to be reliable sources for a long-term, dependable, and sustainable public water supply," the group says in a declaration of finding.

Even so, U.S. and Canadian advisers to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission last week asked the eight states to deny Waukesha's request because the city did not adequately justify there was no other option to meet its needs.

Mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative restated their opposition at the urging of Racine Mayor John Dickert.

Dickert became a critic of the request after Waukesha picked Oak Creek to deliver lake water instead of Racine, if the Great Lakes states approved the project.

In a Cities Initiative statement, Dickert said Waukesha has alternatives to a lake supply. He added: "I do not want to see their effluent contaminate the Root River in downtown Racine."

Waukesha would be required to return most of the water it used to the lake as fully treated wastewater, under terms of the compact. All wastewater discharged to the Root River must comply with state and federal discharge permits.

The Wisconsin DNR supported Waukesha's selection of the Root River for the return flow. The additional flow to the Root River will benefit fish and other aquatic life, according to the DNR.

Another condition recommended by the regional group would require Waukesha to monitor water quality in the Root River for a minimum of 10 years.
Ana Kasparian, Brett Erlich, Kenny Hamilton, & Meredith Planko | (Young Turks Video) |  

FBI director, James Comey, says that Donald Trump has it wrong about Muslims. The Republican presidential candidate blames the religion of Islam for the attack at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, and Comey says it is much more complicated than that. Ana Kasparian, Brett Erlich, Kenny Hamilton, and Meredith Planko, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

Republican Donald Trump on Monday placed responsibility for a mass shooting in Florida squarely at the feet of radical Muslims, who he said were entering the country amidst a flood of refugees and trying to take over our children.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee drew on the countrys deadliest mass shooting to sharpen his vow to ban Muslim immigrants, proposing that the United States suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism.

In his national security speech, Trump said it was time to tell the truth about radical Islam, the day after 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando by a gunman, likely self-radicalized, who had sworn allegiance to the rebel group Islamic State.

His comments contrasted sharply to those of Hillary Clinton, the wealthy businessmans likely Democratic rival in the Nov. 8 election, who urged increased intelligence gathering and more airstrikes on Islamic State territory, and cautioned against demonizing American Muslims.
Niqash.org | Baghdad |  

Newsletters sent to Islamic State fighters in Anbar indicate the groups problems with bad drivers and corruption. It also shows a decentralized command structure that ensures the groups ongoing survival.

A cache of internal correspondence and newsletters, sent by senior members of the extremist group known as the Islamic State to fighters in the Anbar province, in central Iraq, have been sighted by NIQASH. The papers were found by one of the pro-Iraqi government fighting units in Anbar, after the Islamic State group was driven out of the area.

It is well known that extremist group tries to behave like a state and some of the documents deal with more mundane organisational matters. But there are also some interesting pieces of information about lesser-known aspects of the Islamic States work in the letters.

For example, not many outsiders are aware that reckless driving appears to have been a problem for the extremists. One of the letters contained a directive telling the groups brothers that they should drive more carefully when in charge of vehicles belonging to the group, and that they should treat those vehicles as though they were their own private property.

Those members who did not do this and who caused road accidents would be punished, the letter said.

Another directive in another newsletter instructed members not to write on the outsides of envelopes that were used to take messages from different areas under the Islamic State, or IS, groups control. This information is supposed to be private, and in some cases, kept secret and the directive indicated that the leaks of some information had caused problems.

When mentioning individuals by name, the letters only use nicknames, never the real names of the individual, showing, once again, a high degree of forethought. Additionally members were told to conceal the addresses on the envelopes. This too had caused problems as it meant that anyone who saw the envelope knew where the IS group had bases.

The IS group appears to have developed a complex administrative system  and the letters indicate that not everything was going right with that system. Despite IS fighters professions of religious purity, there was administrative and financial corruption, as the directives in some of the other letters indicate.

We will not forgive those who do not deal with us honestly, not on earth and not in heaven, one of the letters says, referring to the movement of money between the different areas under the IS groups control and its central treasury. This is a betrayal of the state. It is cheating the state.

The letter did not mention any specific currency which some readers have taken to mean indicates that this was a general order and that there is financial corruption throughout the group.

The IS group relies on a complex system of rules which are very decentralized, explains Hisham al-Hashimi, a local researcher into armed militias in Iraq who also advises the Iraqi government.

This group of letters indicates that there is a standard chain of command that each key institution within the IS group uses, al-Hashimi suggests. Newsletters like this should be considered to have been issued and distributed locally. Each offshoot of the IS group has a lot of autonomy. The different centres of command have a lot of autonomy, even in military matters. This is one reason why the extremist group is still present in so many areas.

To see six of the letters sighted by NIQASH, please click here (in Arabic).

Via Niqash.org

=====

Related video added by Juan Cole:

CCTV News:  Iraqi forces retake central Fallujah from militants
KEARNEY - A Kearney man will spend the next eight years in prison for selling methamphetamine from his Kearney home to support his own drug habit.

Jason Glenn, 30, was sentenced today in Buffalo County District Court to eight to 15 years in prison for possession of meth with the intent to deliver, a Class III felony. He faced one to 20 years in prison and a fine.

Judge John Icenogle said Glenn could be eligible for parole in 3 years and eligible for discharge in seven years. Icenogle told Glenn he couldn't allow him back into society for "slowing poisoning people."

"If you are allowed back on the streets at this juncture you would continue with the lifestyle you've led in the past," he said.

A jury of four men and eight women found Glenn guilty in June.

In February, the Kearney Police Department served a search warrant on Glenn's home at Valley View Mobile Home Court following neighborhood complaints about suspicious activity at the residence. When the warrant was served, court records say, police found a filled meth pipe in Glenn's possession.

During today's hearing, Glenn's public defender, John Marsh of Kearney, asked that Glenn be sent to the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, placed in a treatment program, provided counseling and given jail time. Glenn didn't speak on his own behalf, but instead sat handcuffed in a jail jumpsuit, lifting his leg irons and stretching under the defense table.

Glenn sold meth to support his drug habit, Marsh said, and the conviction is a by-product of Glenn's long-standing addiction. Marsh said at the time of his arrest, Glenn was using up to an eight-ball, or 1/8 of an ounce of meth, a day.

Deputy Buffalo County Attorney Mike Mefferd said Glenn might not have made a living selling meth but he "sure contributed to a lot of other people's problems."

Mefferd said Glenn had been involved with the drug community for some time and that he deserved the penitentiary.

"If he had wanted to get out  the opportunity was there. It's only until he faces prison time that he is willing to do treatment," Mefferd said.

Referring to Glenn's presentence report, Icenogle said in 1999 Glenn was placed on probation, sent to a halfway house and went through a treatment program. When Glenn's probation ended, he quit the programs.

"All of the treatment, all of the counseling, all of the programs aren't worth anything if your first thought on your day of release is to go out and get high," Icenogle said.

Glenn's addiction, the judge said, is causing Glenn's teeth to rot and fall out.

"When a person starts to distribute to support their habit, they've chosen a habit far worse than anything else," Icenogle said.

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A woman and a child walk through the streets in Attawapiskat, Ont., on Monday, April 16, 2016. Health Canada makes some on-reserve patients jump through hoops or wait longer than non-indigenous Canadians to access prescription drugs their doctors believe they need to treat mental illnesses, a psychiatrist who has worked in First Nations communities says. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
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Ive had the chance to present the changes being brought by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) to audiences of hundreds of physicians  at ACPs Leadership Day on Capitol Hill, ACPs Board of Governors and Board of Regents meetings, several educational sessions and a news briefing at the Colleges Internal Medicine 2016 Scientific Meeting, and to the California Medical Associations Leadership Academy. Ive also had chats with dozens of physicians outside of these formal presentations.

Heres what I have learned: Most physicians look at the value-based payment reforms being brought by MACRA with a degree of trepidation. They arent sure how to proceed, what measures will be used, whether they will be unfairly penalized for things outside of their control, and worried it will result in more administrative hassles. It is certainly true that MACRA will make significant changes in the way physicians are reimbursed by Medicare, and ACP is addressing such concerns, through our advocacy with CMS and Congress, by educating our members about MACRA and by helping them be prepared. For instance, ACP has developed a two-page explanation of the law, recommended 10 steps physicians can take right now, and developed implementation tools to help them.

Understandable anxiety and trepidation is one thing, but what worries me is that there is a growing undercurrent (just Google MACRA will destroy private practice) that implementation of the law will be a sky-is-falling, end-of-medicine-as-we-know-it type of disruption.

Frankly, this is nonsense, because MACRA offers physicians far more flexibility and choices than what that they currently have to put up with.

Remember, MACRA didnt create the idea of linking Medicare payments to measure of value, physicians have had to report on quality measures for years, with their payments being adjusted upward (and increasingly downward) if they dont report successfully. So the real question is, is MACRA better than what doctors currently have to put up with PQRS, meaningful use, and value modifier programs?

Yes, by combining reporting of quality data into one program instead of the three separate ones, MACRA can substantially ease the burden of reporting. Already, CMS has proposed a reduction in the number of measures that have to be reported under the quality program that will replace PQRS and improvements in the Advancing Care Information program that will replace the Meaningful Use program to make them less burdensome. In addition, MACRA adds a new category for reporting on Clinical Practice Improvement Activities, with approximately 90 flexible options for physicians to get credit for many of the improvements they already are making in their practices. Further, CMS has emphasized its commitment to ensuring that smaller practices get the flexibility and support they need. Although CMSs proposed improvements dont go far enough, ACP intends to hold the agency to its commitment to streamlining and strengthening value and quality-based payments for all physicians; rewarding participation in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) that create the strongest incentives for high-quality, coordinated, and efficient care; and giving doctors and other clinicians flexibility regarding how they participate in the new payment system.

Yes, because MACRAs maximum potential penalties for failing to successfully report quality and cost data for the next four years are less than under the current reporting programs. Under the current PQRS, meaningful use and value modifier programs, physicians in 2017 could get a maximum downward adjustment of up to 8 percent: -2 percent from PQRS, -2 percent from meaningful use, -2 percent from the value modifier program (for physicians in groups of 2 to 7) or -4 percent (for groups of 8 or more). Under MACRA, the maximum downward adjustment a physician could get in 2019 (which CMS is proposing will be based on data submitted in 2017) is -4 percent, -5 percent in 2020, and -7 percent in 2021. Only in 2021 and subsequent years would MACRAs downward adjustment of -9 percent be greater than the current maximum downward adjustment of up to -8 percent under the current programs.

Yes, because MACRA allows physicians to earn positive payment adjustments while the current PQRS and meaningful use programs only allow physicians to avoid penalties (no positive adjustments allowed). Under MACRA, physicians can earn positive payment adjustments each year for quality reporting of up to +4 percent in 2019, +5 percent in 2020, +7 percent in 2021, and +9 percent in 2022 (although the actual maximum positive adjustments each year could be less than this, depending on how many physicians fall above or below the threshold required to avoid downward adjustments), and top performers can earn up to 10 percent more each year. Under the current PQRS and meaningful use programs, there are no positive upward adjustments available, only avoidance of penalties for failing to report successfully.

Yes, because under the current PQRS and meaningful use programs, Medicare keeps the money from negative adjustments to some physicians while MACRA keeps it in the physician payment pool. Under MACRA, any negative adjustments to physicians who fall below the scoring threshold needed to get positive adjustments are redistributed to physicians who score high enough to receive positive adjustments. While such budget neutral redistribution creates challenges, its clearly better for physicians that MACRA allows the money to stay in the physician payment pool rather than letting Medicare keep it as it now does.

Yes, because MACRA allows the thousands of physicians in certified patient-centered medical homes (or who decide to get certified) to get favorable scoring, helping them qualify for positive payment adjustments. No such opportunity exists under the current reporting programs. CMS is proposing a number of flexible options for practices to get certified as PCMHs.

Yes, because under MACRA, physicians in Advanced Alternative Payment Models can earn 5 percent Medicare FFS bonus payments each year from 2019 to 24 (and more favorable updates afterwards), plus whatever payment incentives and additional revenue opportunities apply to their advanced APM. To illustrate, CMS has proposed that physicians participating in the new Comprehensive Primary Care Plus program, which I blogged about last month, could qualify as Advanced APMs, meaning that they would get risk-adjusted prospective payments averaging $15 to 27 each month per beneficiary, plus at risk incentive based monthly payments of $2.50 to $4.00 per beneficiary per month (this portion would have to be paid back if savings werent achieved), plus their FFS billings, plus the 5 percent bonus on Medicare FFS payments available only to advanced APMs.

So yes, MACRA is a big deal, but not in the way many physicians think it is. Compared to what physicians are currently dealing with under the current Medicare reporting programs, MACRA offers more opportunities for physicians to earn positive adjustments, exposes physicians to less risk from negative adjustments through 2020, creates positive rewards for the thousands of physicians who are practicing in certified PCMHs or who choose to get such certification, keeps all of the money from downward adjustments in the physician payment pool rather than letting Medicare keep it, and creates very substantial payment rewards for physicians in advanced Alternative Payment Models. These changes are all good for physicians, especially those in smaller practices.

And, dont forget, because of MACRA, we no longer have to deal with the annual SGR cut and all of its associated baggage.

Sure, MACRA remains a work-in-progress; more can and must be done to simplify reporting and create additional options and flexibility for physicians in all types and sizes of practice, and physicians will need help in making the necessary changes in their practices. But even as it stands right now, MACRA clearly is a change for the better compared to what physicians currently have to deal with.

Bob Doherty is senior vice president, governmental affairs and public policy, American College of Physicians and blogs at the ACP Advocate Blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Im in the wrong era of medicine to be a doctor. Heres why.

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As a doctor ready to finish my residency in anesthesiology, most people would assume I am thrilled to be at the finish line of this long, challenging and grueling process. While I am happy to move on and begin practicing on my own, I am also somewhat terrified of what lies ahead. Its not caring for patients that I am afraid of, but the cultural state of medicine in the 21st century that I am worried about.

Medicine has never been any safer than what it is now. Vaccinations have eradicated common diseases that killed millions. Dangerous medical procedures are now safe, and kids born with congenital defects have more hope than ever. I am appreciative of the safety of the current state of medicine. However, there is another part of medicine, equally as important, which I believe is in a constant state of atrophy and disappearance; the human touch.

Lets take a step back into the dangerous era of 1950s medicine. Anesthesiology, being a relatively new field, was riddled in morbidity in comparison to todays practice. No continuous EKG, no pulse oximeter, no end tidal CO2.

You mask a patient with ether. You intubate. You listen to the lungs, you look at the patients color, listen to their heart. Bellows go up and down. You watch the chest rise. In essence, you are connected to the patient; medicine is personal.

The human aspect of medicine inspired my journey to become a doctor. As a first generation Mexican-American, I had the amazing opportunity to spend my childhood summers in a small town in Mexico. My great-aunt, a Catholic nun who helped manage a local hospital, would host my family. The convent and guest room was in the hospital.

I would constantly roam the hallways of the hospital as a child. No administrators, no children not allowed signs. I remember being about 6 years old when I saw a man stumbling in the hospital. He had just been in an automobile accident, hand severed, bleeding. Those were colorful memories, full of life, inspiration, and energy. People were poor, but rich in many other ways.

As a husband and father of 2 beautiful young girls, I am afraid my daughters will never experience a humanistic experience like I had those summers. Without a doubt, those summers helped inspire me to become a doctor.

Medicine has become gray, opaque, litigious, lifeless.

Lets look at the current psychological state of our doctors-in training. Recent reports show that depression rates in residents can be as high as 43 percent.

And how about the quality of our training?

Recent studies have shown a perception of un-readiness, among older surgeons, about the preparedness and training of newly minted surgeons. Additionally, many young surgeons also state they do not feel adequately prepared for practice.

Whats the answer to this worrisome trend? More simulation, more mannequins, more time out of the multiple years of training that our surgery colleagues spend away from their friends and families.

How about limiting our hours? More sleep? A recent study found that limiting trainee hours on service leads to more mistakes. Theres no doubt working 30 hours straight is counterproductive and dangerous. But slashing doctor hours is not a silver bullet for better training.

How about letting us practice? Letting us make mistakes? Letting doctors run hospitals and write health care legislation? Or letting us build our own experiences much like the countless stories older attending physicians gloat about in the OR? In my day, we would 

Surely patient safety should remain a priority at all costs. I am not advocating that we sacrifice patient safety for the sake of our training. A balance that optimizes patient safety and trainee experience is an achievable goal within our current model.

Our world as residents is filled with paperwork, algorithms, ICD-9 or 10 codes or whatever; anything but human interaction and independent thinking.

We all became doctors to care for people, to heal, touch and talk to patients.

Re-introducing the human aspect of medicine, the real practice of medicine, is a cultural step we must take to inspire current doctors and those considering the field of medicine.

Cesar Padilla is an anesthesiology resident.

Image credit: Cesar Padilla
The Herald reports:

Labour leader Andrew Little has today backed down from comments that the man charged with investigating New Zealands offshore trusts industry had advised the Bahamas Government on protecting its financial sector from tax changes. 

On April 13, Mr Little alleged that Mr Shewan and Dr Brash had effectively advised the Bahamas  a country known for tax haven activity  on how to protect its offshore financial services industry and maintain its haven status.

Appointing him to lead an inquiry on New Zealands offshore trusts industry showed a lack of judgment, he said.

But today, in a short statement, Mr Little admitted that he was wrong.

In April, I made statements concerning advice provided to the Bahamas government by John Shewan, the person appointed to review the disclosure rule concerning foreign trusts in New Zealand. Those statements were based on a report in a Bahamas newspaper, he said.

After meeting with Mr Shewan, I accept his explanation that while he advised the Bahamas government on tax matters he did not advise them on how to maintain their tax haven status.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High near 60F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Overcast. Low 43F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/TNS Josh Rotzoll, lead processor at Tailor Made, checks the machines that produce the molded plastic items. The Wisconsin company makes products for Walmart, which has begun pushing for more merchandise made in the U.S.

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By Rick Romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (TNS)

You won't hear anti-Walmart talk from Wisconsin manufacturers Tailor Made Products and Rockline Industries.

Both are among companies enjoying increased business as a result of a public pledge by the world's largest retailer to step up purchases of U.S.-made goods by $250 billion over 10 years.

Tailor Made added a production cell at its Elroy factory in 2014 after winning a contract to manufacture kitchen utensils  potato mashers, ladles, turners and such  that Walmart Stores Inc. formerly sourced from China.

Sheboygan-based Rockline expanded its factory in Springdale, Ark., within the last year, in part to produce facial wipes for the mega-retailer.

"Walmart has made this commitment, and I don't know if a lot of the general public believe it, but it is true, it is happening, and it is improving American life by offering high-quality jobs with competitive benefits," Jeff Wittkopp, senior vice president of product development at Tailor Made, said.

Others are less enthusiastic. This is, after all, Walmart, the $478 billion firm whose relentless drive to offer its customers rock-bottom prices is widely viewed as having helped push factory jobs from the U.S. to China and other low-wage countries in the first place.

"Reminds me of when you were a kid and someone took your candy and you got it back, and they wanted credit for giving it back to you," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a lobbying and research group founded by the United Steelworkers union and domestic manufacturers.

Cindi Marsiglio, the Walmart executive spearheading the initiative to buy more American-produced goods, has heard the candy-theft critique before.

"My general sentiment," she said, "is that does not preclude me from continuing to enthusiastically bring American jobs back as a retailer. It's kind of a so-what. So as a maker of nothing, as a manufacturer of nothing, if Walmart can accelerate this resurgence and play a role in bringing any American jobs back, we're going to do that."

Walmart announced its effort in January 2013, as rising factory wages in China were helping make U.S production of some goods more attractive, and with manufacturing employment here rising for the first time since the late 1990s.

Since 2010, the rebound has added nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs. But 5.7 million were lost from 2000 to 2010  one out of every three manufacturing jobs the country had at the start of the decade.

Most of that huge loss  the greatest the country had seen in at least 70 years  came before the 2007-2009 recession set in, and as imports from China soared.

With the Asian giant admitted to the World Trade Organization for most of the period, the value of its shipments to the U.S. have increased nearly sixfold since 1999.

Walmart's import volume from overseas has increased, too, though not as steeply. Last year, the company brought in nearly 795,900 containers of ocean-borne goods, more than three times the level of 1999, according to annual estimates by the Journal of Commerce, part of IHS Inc.

Walmart is easily America's largest importer in terms of number of seaborne shipping containers. And its container imports have continued to rise. Over the three years since the firm announced its domestic sourcing initiative, the number of seaborne containers it imports has increased by 10 percent, the Journal of Commerce estimates show.

Walmart says that according to data from its suppliers, items made, sourced or grown domestically account for about two-thirds of the retailer's spending on products for its U.S. operations.

Walmart won't specify where it stands on progress toward its $250 billion goal, other than to say the company is on target.

"If we were behind, we would say that we're behind," spokesman Scott Markley said. "If we were ahead, we'd certainly say that we're ahead on the goal. And where we are is right on schedule."

On its website, the company lists 40 suppliers it links to the initiative. Some have made major announcements.

Giti Tire is building a $560 million plant in South Carolina that will produce tires for Walmart. Giti has said it expects the factory to create 1,700 jobs over 10 years.

Walmart supplier Element Electronics Corp. has begun assembling television sets in a South Carolina factory that, according to the state commerce department, is expected to create 500 jobs.

Another supplier, Impact Innovations Inc., bought a shuttered Memphis factory and started making gift wrap for Walmart there last year. The plant now has 90 full-time employees and hires the equivalent of another 125 for seasonal work March through November, CEO John Dammermann said. Before opening the Memphis factory, he said, Impact made all of its gift wrap for Walmart in China.

Wisconsin figures prominently in Walmart's made-in-America commitment. No state outside the South has more suppliers on the retailer's list.

Besides Tailor Made and Rockline, Walmart cites: NUK USA, which makes baby pacifiers and infant spoons in Reedsburg; Uniek Inc., which produces photo frames in Madison; and Hampton Products International, a California company with a facility in Shell Lake, in northwestern Wisconsin.

A NUK spokeswoman said by email that the company strongly supports Walmart's initiative and had moved production to Reedsburg from Germany and China.

Given that Walmart already devotes two-thirds of its purchases to U.S. goods, natural growth in the company's sales could contribute significantly toward the $250 billion goal.

Still, even for a company as huge as Walmart, $250 billion in added spending over 10 years is a big number. If achieved, it could create 1 million jobs, the Boston Consulting Group has said.

The business consulting firm has been a prominent voice predicting a return of manufacturing to the U.S., saying that rising Chinese wages, higher American productivity and other factors will close the cost gap for many goods destined for North America.

Add it all up, Harry Moser says, and the U.S. now is roughly breaking even  domestic manufacturers still are moving jobs to other countries, but the jobs gained from re-shoring and foreign investment here roughly offset the losses.
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By Lydia X. McCoy of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Due to a federal investigation, Knox County Schools created at least one document that didn't exist before  a map showing where Holston Middle School students live by race and ethnicity.

The map, obtained by the News Sentinel through a public records request, was on a list of items requested by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights as part of an investigation into the district's school construction.

The Knoxville chapter of the NAACP filed a complaint on Nov. 13 alleging that building a new middle school in North Knox County's Gibbs community would resegregate students and make Holston Middle "underutilized and identifiable as a school intended primarily for black students."

The former Gibbs Middle School, a separate wing of the high school, was closed as part of a desegregation plan prompted by a similar federal probe roughly 25 years ago.

Gibbs students have been bused to Holston ever since, and Gibbs parents have called for the middle school's return.

A memorandum of understanding between Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and the school system last year allowed for middle schools to be built in Gibbs and West Knox County's Hardin Valley.

The map requested by the OCR allowed existing data to be formatted visually for the first time. No such map exists for other school zones, according to school officials.

School officials and the Knox County Law Department, which compiled the records, said the map offers a "general representation of the student population" of Holston Middle in September.

According to the map key, 897 students were zoned to attend the middle school at that time. Of those students, 103 were black.

The document shows the majority of black students live closest to the school and the city, while the area in the northern part of the school zone where Gibbs students live is dominated by dots that indicate white students, with just a few black students.

The Rev. John Butler, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, said he wasn't surprised by the data on the map and that it mirrored the chapter's research.

"I have seen this data before, maybe not this graphic, but I'm familiar with this," he said when shown the map. "That was the data. It hasn't changed since we conducted our research  before we ever did the OCR complaint to understand who was affected and how."

The map was included in several hundred pages of documents, along with more than 1,000 emails, sent on Jan. 27 and May 13 in response to the OCR requests, according to David Sanders, Knox County deputy law director.

Besides the map, the documents included emails to school officials from parents and advocates for a Gibbs middle school, emails from county officials to surveyors and each other about the process after the two new middle schools were approved, and enrollments by race at each school for the past three academic years.

In 2014, the school board conducted a middle schools survey that failed to show enough student capacity to build a new school in the Gibbs community. That information was also requested by the OCR.

Sanders said an added statement will also be sent to the OCR.

"We will provide a further update to (the OCR or a position statement from Knox County and the Knox County Board of Education, explaining that the construction of a new Gibbs Middle School does not violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," he wrote in an email to the News Sentinel. "We do not have a time frame when the OCR might provide a determination."

A spokesman for the Department of Education said the agency tries to complete investigations within six months, but some cases can take longer, based on the nature and the complexity of the issues involved.

Butler said the NAACP has been checking with the OCR about the investigation. He said it's his understanding the investigation could take six to 18 months.
Jeremy Carrigan of Maryville lights a cigar at Brewfest, held at the corner of Gay Street and Depot Avenue on Saturday, June 18, 2016. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL)

SHARE Father and son Bill and Rick Kambick seek out shade at Brewfest, held at the corner of Gay Street and Depot Avenue on Saturday, June 18, 2016. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL) Chris Albrecht of Knoxville receives a beer sample from Green Man Brewery at Brewfest, held at the corner of Gay Street and Depot Avenue on Saturday, June 18, 2016. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL) Crowds walk along Depot Avenue at Brewfest on Saturday, June 18, 2016. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL)

By John Shearer of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Within a few minutes after Knoxville Brewfest VI organizers opened the doors to the downtown festival Saturday, hundreds of people already had gold- and darker-colored beer samples in hand.

The cheers and fun had officially begun.

"It's nice to be out in the sun and have a few beers and hang out with like-minded people and enjoy ourselves," said Zach Rose as he sat at a table on the Gay Street viaduct.

His wife, Kate Rose, was also enjoying being there.

"It's a pretty day and a lot of people are around," she said. "And you get to try a lot of beers you wouldn't normally get to try."

According to Brewfest organizer Matt McMillan, this year's festival offered an opportunity to highlight what he called an up-and-coming beverage industry in the city and beyond.

"We have brought in about 90 brewers this year, over 260 beers and 2,500 patrons," he said.

Of those craft brewers, some came from as far away as Canada and Belgium, but others from Knoxville breweries either already in operation or looking to move beyond the home-brewing level.

McMillan said the city already has several local breweries in operation, and more breweries are scheduled to open in the next couple of years.

"There's a push to go local and support your neighbor, and also people's taste buds are getting a little more experiential," McMillan said.

Among those offering samples Saturday was the Last Days of Autumn brewery on East Magnolia Avenue. Employee Alex Chase said he was excited for his firm and the brewing industry in Knoxville.

"I think the brewery scene is just on the cusp of being something great in Knoxville, and I think people in Knoxville actually love it," he said.

McMillan said organizers wanted to set up the event to have enough brewers to allow for shorter lines everywhere and let people talk casually to the brewing representatives.

McMillan said proceeds from the event will go to the Cure Duchenne charity.
Brandon Vandenburg, right, a former Vanderbilt football player, listens during his rape trial Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. A jury earlier convicted Vandenburg after a trial that featured graphic cellphone videos and photos of the attack taken by the former players. However, the verdict was thrown out after it was discovered that the jury foreman had been a victim of statutory rape. (Larry McCormack, The Tennessean via AP)

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By Stacey Barchenger, The Tennessean, a USA TODAY Network paper

A jury found former Vanderbilt University football player Brandon Vandenburg guilty late Saturday in the rape of an unconscious woman in his dorm room nearly three years ago.

The jury of seven women and five men deliberated 4 hours before delivering the verdicts at about 8:20 p.m. Jurors found Vandenburg guilty on all eight counts, exposing him to a prison sentence of 15 to 25 years.

The victim nodded in the courtroom as the verdicts against the man she once trusted were read one by one.

Prosecutors gathered before media cameras in the courthouse hallway after the verdicts were read. Assistant District Attorney General Jan Norman praised the victim for enduring the case that was unlike any other. The case has lasted through three trials over nearly three years and innumerable media headlines.

All of this doesnt happen very often, Norman said. It doesnt happen to a rape victim. The media scrutiny and having it in the headlines every single time that theres a hearing and everything is streamed and people are commenting. She is one of the strongest people that I know. She has incredible courage. She is just an amazing, intelligent young woman.

Continue reading at The Tennessean, a USA TODAY Network paper.
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We forget, in our over-air-conditioned, too-containerized world, that nature is dangerous.

The heart-breaking tale of the toddler snatched by an alligator as he splashed his feet at the water's edge in the shadow of one of Florida's most luxurious hotels, his parents hovering closely nearby, must remind us to be careful out there. Very careful.

This summer, millions of Americans will head to our magnificent 59 national parks as the National Park Service, one of the most wonderful gifts we citizens have received, celebrates its 100th anniversary. Millions of those visitors will be unprepared for being in the great outdoors.

Just 10 months ago, a hiker in Yellowstone was killed by a grizzly. (The little cubs may be cute, but the mother bears always nearby are not and will attack in an instant.)

Also in Yellowstone, scalding, boiling, sulfurous hot springs and pools are far more dangerous than they look. There have been deaths and injuries suffered by children and adults who slipped off boardwalks into these springs or, incredibly, thought the waters were safe enough for swimming. They are not.

More often, tourists do not take enough precautions when trekking in the wilderness, assuming that because they're in a park, they will be safe. Last August, two French hikers died at White Sands National Monument. They did not have sufficient water for even one day.

Every year, between 120 and 140 people die (excluding suicides) in national parks. Suicide is the fourth most common cause of death in the parks following drowning, vehicular accident and falling. Other causes are avalanches, pre-existing medical conditions, heat or cold exposure, and wildlife.

On the other hand, at least 282 million people visit the parks each year  last year there were more than 307 million recreation visits  meaning your chances of dying in a national park are infinitesimal. Yet deaths occur. Years ago, a woman unadvisedly walking alone on the Appalachian National Trail wandered off the trail and died despite an extensive search for her.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Travel Medicine found that the most fatalities occurred in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Yosemite National Park. In general, the common-sense rules for park visits are don't hike alone, don't ski into blizzards alone, don't climb over guardrails, don't drink too much and don't jump in rivers, especially if you can't swim. And don't get out of your vehicle or get too close to wild animals  even if they seem tame. And be prepared for emergencies.

With care, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the amazing parks system, let's hope the worst experiences we encounter will be traffic jams and high entrance fees at the most popular parks.

Ann McFeatters is a columnist for Tribune News Service. She may be reached at amcfeatters@nationalpress.com.
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Splashed all over the news last week was precisely the sort of political crisis many party leaders were terrified about  more than three decades ago. Their solution was to invent a most unconventional convention concept: superdelegates.

These hundreds of uncommitted superdelegates would be free to choose a compromise nominee at the party convention  just in case a presumptive presidential nominee suddenly seemed somehow unacceptable or unelectable. Which, come to think of it, is just how presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has made himself appear to his party's leaders after his contemptible responses to the slaughter inflicted by a Muslim gunman in a gay club in Orlando, Fla.

Trump's inability, when under pressure, to stop blurting vile attacks and highly questionable policy pronouncements has caused many leading Republicans to worry that he may well lose the presidential election in November and also cause the defeats of many viable party candidates in many states. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others have condemned Trump's statements in which he vowed to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. GOP leaders realize such a ban would be contrary to America's values, principles and constitutional guarantees.

In responding to the Orlando tragedy, Trump repeated the tired GOP attack-mantra of insisting President Barack Obama should use the term "radical Islamic terrorism." And he suggested Obama must have a hidden agenda for not saying the words.

So (except for one slight detail) this summer's Republican convention would appear to be the perfect time for superdelegates to finally rescue a party from disaster by switching from Trump to any compromise candidate. Except this: Republicans don't have superdelegates.

It's only the Democrats who made that oddball superdelegate idea their conventional wisdom. And the Democrats may not have it for long. For their presumptively defeated challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders, has made scrapping the superdelegate concept one of his consolation super-causes. Perhaps because they helped Hillary Clinton clinch the nomination.

But before the Democrats jettison the superdelegate concept (which allows party bigwigs, including every Democratic governor, senator and representative, to be an uncommitted delegate) as a sop to Sanders and his still-furious supporters, they may want watch the next few acts of the catastrophe that's playing out in the ranks of the Republicans.

Trump blurted himself into trouble when he telephoned FOX News after gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 and wounded at least 53 in Orlando. Instead of speaking of unity, he attacked Obama: "We're led by a man that either is not tough, not smart or he's got something else in mind."

This was not a one-time accidental blurtation under pressure. Later, Trump (who just weeks ago promised GOP leaders he'd be more presidential) emailed an accusation that Obama "continues to prioritize our enemy over our allies, and for that matter, the American people."

On Monday, reading a speech from a teleprompter, Trump warned that increasing numbers of Muslim immigrants could increase terrorism in America. America must ban all Muslim immigration temporarily, Trump said.

Republican leaders rushed to condemn their presumptive leader's words. Ryan said: "I do not think a Muslim ban is in our country's interest. I do not think it is reflective of our principles, not just as a party but as a country."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who previously praised Trump, said: "Traditionally, it is a time when people rally around our country, and it's obviously not what's occurred, and it's very disappointing."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said: "I don't think he has the judgment or the temperament, the experience to deal with what we are facing." He called Trump's personal attacks on Obama "highly offensive."

And Wednesday afternoon, Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan announced he won't vote for Trump for president in November. Or Clinton. "I guess when I get behind the curtain I'll have to figure it out," he said.

At this moment, every Republican named above must privately wish he could be rescued by a posse of political superheroes  the superdelegates the Democrats are looking to deep-six.

Martin Schram, a columnist for Tribune News Service, is a veteran Washington journalist, author and TV documentary executive. He may be reached at martin.schram@gmail.com.
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I was shocked to hear reports that "medical errors should rank as the third leading cause of death in the United States." If one looks closely at the published summaries of the research, it is more a call for adding an item to death certificates "specifically asking if a preventable complication of care contributed." Justification for this change is to draw attention to preventable medical errors as a cause of death. I think this wrong-headed.

First, as a physician practicing in four decades, I just cannot bring myself to accept this is the true state of the U.S. medical community. I choose to think my colleagues take seriously the admonition to "first do no harm." There are incompetent doctors, just as there are incompetent lawyers and politicians and auto mechanics and electricians. These individuals should be identified, held accountable and in many cases expelled from their respective professions. But in my service in Knoxville, several other states and in international relief missions, I have found very few cases where I would conclude preventable medical errors were the cause of a death.

Second, we can debate what are proximate, root or underlying causes of death, but people seek medical care because they are sick or injured. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's death statistics include "only the 'underlying cause of death,' defined as the condition that led a person to seek treatment."

Third, I fear that unexamined or reflexive attention could have unintended consequences, such as medical error becoming a catchall excuse when any treatment does not bring an expected or desired outcome. We live in a world where assigning blame seems more important than solving problems. The notion that everyone is entitled to only positive outcomes is unrealistic. In medicine, it could quickly lead to frivolous malpractice suits.

Finally, there is no bright line between a calculated risk to save a patient and a medical error. Anyone unfortunate enough to witness true emergency care, in an emergency room or on a battlefield or during a natural disaster, has some sense of the horrendous decisions that these situations may require. Should these decisions always be seconded guessed? I would not want to limit the efforts of medical professionals in this way.

There are obvious caveats to my comments. Incompetent medical professionals, and there are some, must not be allowed to practice. Greedy institutions that save money by allowing sub-standard sanitary practices must not be condoned. Predatory providers that sell low-quality medical supplies must be restrained.

In the words of Bob Anderson of the CDC, a "better strategy is to educate doctors about the importance of reporting errors." Rather than hyping medical errors, let's reinforce the high calling and hallowed duty of providing medical care among those in and entering the medical professions.

Dr. Tom Kim operates The Free Medical Clinic of America, a nonprofit providing health care services to the working poor of East Tennessee.
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In the wake of last Sunday's attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left at least 49 people dead and 53 wounded, President Barack Obama renewed his call for gun control and chided Republicans for insisting on attributing the murders to "radical Islam."

"There is no magic to the phrase 'radical Islam.' It's a political talking point, not a strategy," Obama said in an address Tuesday, later adding, "We are now seeing how dangerous this kind of mindset and this kind of thinking can be."

But Republican leaders  and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump  have pushed back. "President Obama disgracefully refused to even say the words 'radical Islam.' For that reason alone, he should step down," Trump said in a statement.

Does the language matter? Do American leaders understand who the enemy is? Ben Boychuk and Joel Mathis, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, weigh in.

JOEL MATHIS

Does President Obama know who the enemy is? What a perfectly ridiculous question. He's the president who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden, after all. And he's spent the majority of his presidency quietly overseeing a drone war to assassinate militants  in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere  he's judged pose a threat to the United States.

The drone war has problems: Far too many innocents have been killed, and there's reason to believe the targeting process could use a few more checks and balances. But Obama's actions indicate that he's more than sufficiently aware of the dangers posed by terrorists and more than willing to take the fight to them.

So why doesn't he use the phrase "radical Islam?" Because he's interested in protecting Americans.

The Islamic State and other militant groups want the broader Muslim world to believe it is in a civilizational war with the West. The rhetoric of Trump and his fellow Republicans who demand the president say "radical Islam" aids their cause immeasurably.

"When we use loose language that appears to pose a civilizational conflict between the West and Islam, or the modern world and Islam, then we make it harder, not easier, for our friends and allies and ordinary people to resist and push back against the worst impulses inside the Muslim world," Obama said recently.

"This is not a thought of Obama's alone," the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg  who has his own criticisms of Obama  wrote recently. "Based on my own conversations at the Pentagon and in the intelligence community, I can say with reasonable certainty that there are no senior-level national security professionals in the U.S. who believe that it is in America's best interest to risk making Islam itself the enemy."

Get that? Obama has the national security establishment on his side on this issue. It's not because they're namby-pamby peaceniks. It's also worth noting: President George W. Bush took almost exactly the same approach, for exactly the same reason.

It's often the case that Republicans prize faux-toughness  and scoring political points against Democrats  over smarts in protecting Americans from violence. That's simply foolish.

BEN BOYCHUK

President Obama is wrong. What the phrase "radical Islam" may lack in "magic"  as the president put it  it more than makes up in the one thing missing most from U.S. counterterrorism strategy these past 15 years: clarity.

Clarity  as opposed to mealy-mouthed condescension. Clarity  as opposed to politically correct rhetoric and bureaucratic obfuscation.

Clarity  and not the overly cautious, timid, infantilizing line that the U.S. government has taken since the 9/11 attacks made it obvious for anyone with eyes to see that we are at war with a distinct group of people with distinctive beliefs.

Never before in our history has the United States fought a foreign war against an abstraction. The Revolutionary War was a war for independence from Great Britain. The War of 1812 was a war against British encroachments against American sovereignty. World War I was a war against German imperialism. World War II was a war against expansionist German National Socialism, Italian fascism and Japanese imperialism.

And this "war"? It used to be the "global war on terror," which was bad enough. In 2013, Obama ended that "war" and redefined the current conflict as "a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America."

It just so happens that those "specific networks" of "violent extremists" fight under the banner of violent Islamic jihad. Why not just say so?

Adjectives are important. The enemy is "radical Islam" or "militant Islam" or "jihadi Islam." Not Islam simply. Not all Muslims. Unless, of course, you think that Islam simply is all of those things.

Our enemy knows why he fights. He declares his philosophy openly. He justifies his atrocities citing chapter and verse from the Quran and the recorded sayings and traditions of Muhammad known as the Hadith. He does not deny the imperialist strain of militant Islam in history; rather, he celebrates it.

Our enemy is clear. In the absence of clarity, we're left with the sort of blinkered and insipid commentary over the past week that places the blame for a radical Muslim's murderous attack on a gay nightclub on "transphobia," evangelical Christianity and the National Rifle Association. It's insane.

Ben Boychuk (bboychuk@city-journal.org) is associate editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Joel Mathis (joelmmathis@gmail.com) is associate editor for Philadelphia Magazine.
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Several years ago Jim Mullen had a good idea. Actually it turned out to be a great idea, considering the state of American politics today.

As the president of Allegheny College, a 200-year-old institution dedicated to tutoring young men and women not only in the liberal arts but also in the principles of good citizenship, Jim thought about how best to accomplish that goal. Like a lot of Americans, he was increasingly concerned about the lack of civility in public life  the nastiness and disrespect that seemed to permeate nearly every aspect of every level of our national discourse, almost to the point of threatening the foundations of our democracy.

So Jim decided to use his highly respected school as a model for political decency. He established a national Prize for Civility in Public Life. It would reward those public figures who throughout their careers have promoted the idea that one can disagree without slandering or libeling one's opponent, and that it is possible to run a campaign or comment on one without personal rancor or violent language or hatefulness.

It's hard to think of a more welcome notion at a time when we have watched the races for the presidential nomination of both parties generate more vitriol and unseemliness than at any time in memory. Among the Republicans, the presumptive winner has resorted to a level of thuggish behavior unprecedented even in today's uber-partisanship.

As we look forward to the next five months of political warfare, we can hope (if cynicism hasn't utterly overcome us) that the two opponents  Hillary Clinton for the Democrats and Donald Trump for the Republicans  might take a lead from the two longtime public servants who received the Allegheny College award for civility this year. In a ceremony in Washington, D.C., recently, Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. John McCain, two who often have found themselves on different sides of the issues and competed with one another strenuously at the top of their respective parties during their many decades in office, spent an hour endorsing the respect and friendship they had for each other.

Biden called McCain, a Navy pilot who spent years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, a genuine American hero, with whom he was overawed. McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, praised Biden's many kindnesses and said his behavior toward his opponents was always exemplary.

Perhaps what was most refreshing about the exchanges was their genuine quality. They like each another, but more importantly they respect each other no matter the differences.

I recall a Washington affair a number of years ago when one of the speakers, former Ambassador Robert Strauss, once a key official of the Democratic Party, pulled from his pocket a letter from President Gerald R. Ford, written just after he had lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter. The letter, while acknowledging Strauss' fierce efforts in behalf of his party's candidate, nevertheless thanked him for his civility and appropriateness throughout the election.

It was what Jim Mullen had in mind. We can only hope that spirit will one day return to Washington.

Dan Thomasson is a columnist for Tribune News Service and a former vice president of Scripps Howard Newspapers. He may be reached at thomassondan@aol.com.
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The service at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on the 72nd anniversary of the Normandy invasion drew about 200. They came to give six people who had served their country a proper and decent burial and to ensure something more  an honorable and lasting remembrance.

The services were part of a national program to give a final and peaceful rest to members of the armed forces who died earlier this year but whose bodies were never claimed. All served at various times during the 20th century.

Servicemen and servicewomen on active duty from each branch of the armed services escorted the remains of their deceased comrades. The dead are:

n Sgt. Deborah Elaine Easler, Air Force;

n Fireman Robert Lowell Burke, Navy;

n Seaman Recruit Michael Lee McRill, Navy;

n Pvt. Calvin Coolidge Cherry Jr., Army;

n Spec. 4 Leonard David Fairchild Jr., Army;

n Pvt. Richard Eugene Traxler, Army.

Knowing the names of these veterans and their branches of the service restores a portion of their identity  an identity that now is forever with them as they rest in the cemetery on Gov. John Sevier Highway with others who served the nation.

The outpouring of support crowded the chapel at the cemetery, and speakers were set up to broadcast the service to those who couldn't find room inside. As part of the service, "taps" was played, six shots were fired and six doves were released. Flags were presented to organizations and representatives on behalf of the deceased.

Cesar Correa, pastor of NorthStar church's South campus, delivered the eulogy and read the names and basic information about those being honored. Like others in attendance, Correa wondered, "What were their stories?"

"We know so precious little about these veterans, their lives, their hopes, their struggles  " he added. "How sad it is for us that we know so little of them."

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, a strong supporter of veterans, expressed regret that untreated issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, might have played a part in their lives following military service.

"As a nation," Burchett said, "this is an indictment of us  that we have homeless veterans who are not getting the care they need. This should never happen in this great country of ours."

Burchett has a valid point. In a recent report, the inspector general's office of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department found the William C. Tallent Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville failed for years to provide patients with access to some mental health specialists and services mandated by the federal government. Dan Snyder, acting director of the Mountain Home VA Healthcare System, which operates the clinic, said the problems raised in the report have been addressed.

The June 6 ceremony brings to 42 the number of veterans whose bodies have been unclaimed in Knoxville and who have been given a final resting place in the veterans cemetery.

That effort for the past six years has been the task locally of Berry Funeral Home, an effort that deserves recognition. It is part of a national program of Berry's parent company, Dignity Memorial, which has sponsored more than 2,000 such services.

Jeff Berry, general manager, said the local funeral home works closely with the Regional Forensic Center to identify those whose bodies might be eligible for burial in the veterans cemetery. Berry coordinates the funeral service plans with local veterans groups.

"The last thing we can do," he said, "is make sure they're not forgotten."

It is indeed tragic that these former service members died with no one to claim their remains. Nevertheless, that tragedy is mitigated by the efforts of good people with the noblest of intentions to provide a final rest that is dignified and honorable.
Executives from Britain's top mobile carrier Everything Everywhere test SK Telecom's public safety long-term evolution technology during their visit to a demo site in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, June 8. / Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Yoon Sung-won

SK Telecom said Sunday it has established a demonstration network for its public safety long-term evolution (PS-LTE) service in Gangwon Province.

As the nation's largest mobile carrier has completed preparations to demonstrate and promote its PS-LTE technologies, it said it will seek deals not only for the national project by the Korean government but also in overseas countries.

"SK Telecom's disaster network technologies have been globally recognized and drawn interest, executives from Everything Everywhere (EE), Britain's largest telecom company, have come to Korea to test them," SK Telecom's network business division head Shim Sang-soo said in a statement. "Based on the experience gained in establishing the demonstration network, we will actively promote our technologies and enter markets where governments are considering introducing the PS-LTE technologies."

Earlier last week, KT said it has completed establishing its own demonstration PS-LTE network in the same region for the government's trial project to prepare to launch a nationwide public security network service before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

In a state of disaster, a PS-LTE network is designed to quickly transfer multimedia information such as high-resolution photos and videos between related government departments and agencies such as fire departments, police, rescue teams and control centers through high-speed LTE networks to support more efficient relief activities.

SK Telecom said it has passed all functional qualification tests and approval processes administered by the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, wrapping up the establishment project of PS-LTE networks in the Gangneung and Jeongseon regions it has pushed for since October last year.

The company said it has built mobile base stations and established an emergency recovery system to provide temporary networks in case network facilities are destroyed by natural disasters. These technologies have been certified by the Telecommunications Technology Association for compatibility and security, it said.

SK Telecom also said it has stocked up PS-LTE handsets to provide to government agencies.

In terms of technologies, the telecom company said it will introduce a real-time group communication technology called "Group Communication System Enablers Push-To-Talk (GCSE PTT)" and LTE routers and repeaters to extend wireless network coverage.

The GCSE PTT technology was demonstrated by the telecom company during the Mobile World Congress 2016 event in Barcelona in February.

"This technology has drawn great interest from around the globe as an efficient real-time communication system among rescue workers is essential in securing the golden time in dealing with massive natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis," SK Telecom said.
Japanese executives at the Seoul office of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. have come under criticism for sexual harassment of Korean female employees.



Harassment case reveals entry-level workers vulnerable to sex crimes



By Kim Jae-won, Lee Kyung-min

Kim, 28, was happy when she got a job at the Seoul office of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) three-and-a-half years ago, after completing graduate school. The Korean branch was located at Mirae Asset Center One Building in downtown Seoul, one of the most lucrative offices in Seoul's financial district, making her proud to be a part of the Tokyo-based lender.

It did not take long until her excitement gave way to embarrassment. She was forced to serve drinks at dinners for male Japanese executives coming from the company's headquarters. Most of the "office waitresses" were entry-level female workers in their 20s.

"Needless to say, she hated it," said an official at the bank familiar with the matter, asking not to be named. "But she could not resist because she was a one-year contract worker and did not want to lose her job."

Sexual harassment was not limited to business dinners. Kim's Japanese male bosses often talked about their experiences at karaoke bars in Gangnam, southern Seoul, where waitresses serve drinks for customers and sing with them.

Such talk made female workers uncomfortable, but their male supervisors did not care. They evaluated Korean female workers' appearances, ranking them against each other.

Kim was sexually harassed by her Japanese supervisor in a taxi coming home after a dinner in April 2015, which was no surprise given the "dirty and masculine" office culture at the lender.

The manager surnamed Oide, forcefully touched her thigh and hugged her a couple of times, even though she clearly rejected him, according to a Seoul district court ruling.

Kim filed a sexual harassment complaint against Oide with the police, and the police asked the prosecutors' office to indict him. Last month, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced him to two-and-a-half years in prison with an 80-hour sexual education program.

But, Kim's pains still prevail. For more than a year, she has sought treatment from Seoul National University Hospital for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as anxiety, depression and insomnia among others.

However, she received no compensation from the bank which argued it had nothing to do with the case. Recently, Kim filed compensation lawsuits against SMBC and Oide, which are pending at a Seoul district court.

"Kim wants the head of her office to apologize to Korean female workers over what the lender's executives forced them to do," said an employee at the lender who was close to her.

"She was upset with the bank's attitude denying its faults. She also thinks that the bank should take responsibility for failing to protect employees from harassment."

SMBC's Seoul office said that there was something wrong in what Kim said, but did not elaborate what it was. The lender also refused to confirm whether female workers are still serving alcohol drinks for male executives at office dinners.

"We cannot say much about the case," said the chief of the branch's human resources department. She declined to identify herself, saying it was her private information.

The sexual harassment case against SMBC came one year after AIG Korea CEO Steven Barnett was investigated by Korea's human rights agency over his alleged sexual harassment of female workers. He was accused of touching a female employee's waist during a dinner and verbally abusing the company's staff.

And, such cases are not limited to foreign firms. In January, Lee Eun-eui, 41, published a book titled "It's Okay to be Sensitive" in which the lawyer described a wide range of workplace sexual harassment cases.

Lee was also victimized by her boss at Samsung Electro-Mechanics 10 years ago, and she took the case to court. After a years-long legal dispute with the company, she finally won against the boss and the company, writing a new chapter in the nation's office sexual harassment cases.

She also authored the 2011 book "Working for Samsung" in which she unveiled details of the case and how an affiliate of the nation's largest conglomerate reacted to it.

Later, she went to law school, and now represents female workers suffering workplace harassment. In an interview with local media, Lee said she wanted to assist individuals to stand up against big organizations.
A sign warning people not to use smartphones while crossing the road waits to be installed in front of City Hall in downtown Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Kim Bo-eun

Korea, one of the world's top countries in smartphone penetration rate, has started to take steps to warn pedestrians about the risks of being occupied with their gadgets on the street, as the number of smartphone-related traffic accidents is growing.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government began last week to put up signs along the street and on the pavement at five locations to warn citizens of the dangers of using their smartphones while walking. The locations are near City Hall, Hongik and Yonsei universities, and Gangnam and Jamsil subway stations.

However, few passers-by seem to have noticed the signs so far, raising questions about the effectiveness of the measure.

Middle school student Park Gui-nam was peering into his phone while waiting for the bus in front of City Hall in downtown Seoul, Sunday.

"I guess there needs to be a lot of more of the signs for people to start seeing them," said the 14-year-old, who says he messages friends or is on Facebook while on the street.

A 35-year-old office worker, surnamed Jun, said, "I have noticed the signs on the pavement, but honestly, most people who are peering at their phones on the street aren't going to be able to see them."

Kim, another office worker in his 30s, who was looking at his phone while walking, said that he uses his phone only when there's something urgent, like when he has to read and reply to messages.

"But I don't think signs are going to stop people from using their phones," Kim said. "I think campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers are necessary."

Tauvia Siemens, an English instructor from Canada, also said she didn't notice the signs but acknowledged their need.

"I never use my phone at crosswalks, but I once had someone nearly walk into me because he was so immersed in his phone," Siemens said. "I was like  look where you're going! I think it's dangerous for not only the person using his or her phone, but also other people around them."

According to data compiled by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, the number of traffic accidents arising from the use of smartphones has more than doubled from 437 cases in 2009 to 1,111 cases in 2014.

The authority's study showed pedestrians noticed sounds from cars or other factors from 14.4 meters away from them on average, but the distanced halved when they were messaging or using apps on their smartphones.

Many other cities around the world have similar warning signs as Seoul's. The U.K. and Sweden have warning signs, Belgium has a separate lane for smartphone users and Germany recently installed lights in front of a train track in order to stop pedestrians who are occupied with their phones crossing it.

The city government will set up 300 signs during a six month trial period through the end of this year. Then it will discuss with the National Police Agency whether to officially include such signs as a transportation safety necessity.




By Lee Han-soo

A mob of about 20 Turkish nationals attacked a Korean-operated cafe in Istanbul because alcohol was being consumed at fan meeting there.

The store owner was taken to hospital with minor injuries after being beaten at the meeting, which was held to mark the release of rock band Radiohead's new album.

The fans were drinking beer while enjoying music.

"You should be ashamed for drinking during Ramadan," said one attacker.

During Ramadan, Muslims worldwide fast for a month during daylight hours to commemorate the first revelation of the Koran to Mohammed.

None of the attackers has been arrested.

An investigation is still ongoing and the cafe has remained closed.

Radiohead has issued a statement criticizing the attack.

"Our hearts go out to the victims who were attacked in Istanbul," said Radiohead. "This kind of violence is intolerable."
By Kim Hyo-jin



North Korea will attend a security forum this week, in which member nations of the six-party talks will gather to discuss the North's long-stalled nuclear program issue, the forum's organizer said Saturday.



The Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC), affiliated with the University of California, plans to hold the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday.



"I can confirm that representatives from the North Korean government will attend," said an IGCC official. North Korea said that Choi Sun-hee, the deputy director of its foreign ministry, will be sent to attend the three-day session, according to the official.



The NEACD is an annual conference, attended by government officials and experts from the parties to the six-party talks  South and North Korea, the US, Japan, China, and Russia  to share opinions on security in Northeast Asia.



North Korea, which had actively attended the meetings to report on its nuclear program, has not attended the forum for the past two years.



Although the North plans to attend the forum again, there has yet to be any signs that the isolated country will hold a bilateral meeting with the U.S. on the sidelines.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ori Abramowitz told reporters that "no meeting is planned."



According to the U.S. State Department, Ambassador Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea policy, will attend the forum and Beijing and Tokyo are expected to send Wu Dawei, China's special representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs, and Kenji Kanasugi, the director-general of the Asia-Pacific bureau at its foreign ministry, respectively.



Kim Kun, the vice negotiator of the six-party talks, will represent South Korea instead of Kim Hong-kyun, the chief negotiator who is serving as special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs.



The forum comes as Pyongyang has not shifted from pursuing nuclear weapons. It has restarted a nuclear power plant capable of producing weapons grade plutonium and processing uranium.




Saenuri Party floor leader Chung Jin-suk, left, bows and shakes hands with Kim Hee-ok, chairman of the party's emergency planning committee, after their meeting to address a conflict over the party's decision to readmit seven independent lawmakers. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyo-jin





Saenuri Party Interim leader Kim Hee-ok decided Sunday to return to work following his meeting with floor leader Chung Jin-suk in what seems to be a sign that a re-ignited factional feud is waning.



Complaining of Chung's use of rough and inappropriate language against him during a meeting, Thursday, in which seven independent lawmakers who were former party members were readmitted, Kim boycotted party affairs.



However, hours after meeting with Chung, who apologized for his remarks, Kim decided to attend a party meeting, scheduled for today.



"In order to complete reforming the Saenuri Party, he has decided to continue his duty as the interim leader," said party spokesman Ji Sang-wuk.



Ji added that the emergency planning committee will pick a new secretary-general to replace Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, who has been blamed for pushing ahead with the reinstatement of the controversial lawmakers.



After the meeting between Chung and Kim, Ji told reporters that Kim said he "will accept the apology but take time to consider whether to stay in his post," even though he was highly expected to return to work now that the floor leader has made a conciliatory gesture.

"I sincerely apologized for making crass, unnecessary and inappropriate remarks to the party's leader in the process of dealing with the controversial matter," Chung told reporters after the meeting.



The 11-member committee pushed a vote on whether to allow them to rejoin the party, although Kim was reluctant, afraid that the move could weaken the already-battered party.



Chung likened Kim's hesitance to a "serious crime," pointing out the overwhelming number of committee members supported a vote. Shortly after the decision was made, Kim left the party's headquarters, saying he was considering whether to quit his leadership post.



In the face of a possibility that the party could once again falter without stable leadership, Chung met Kim and apologized for his remarks.



The party is expected to get back on track again following the meeting. The factional conflicts, however, still remain in the aftermath of the independent lawmakers' return to the party.



Four of seven lawmakers who had already requested to come back, were immediately reinstated after the committee's decision.



They included Rep. Yoo Seong-min, who still has a sour relationship with President Park Geun-hye, and emerged as a political adversary to Park's loyalists in the general election. He secured a parliamentary seat as an independent lawmaker after quitting the party, denouncing the nominations as lopsided in favor of those affiliated with the President.



Pro-Park lawmakers strongly protested the decision, saying it was made without enough discussion among party members. Likening the move to a "coup" led by those who were not affiliated with them, some called on Chung to make an official apology to party members and for committee members who do not support Park to resign.
A SWAT team guards the U.S.Embassy in Seoul, Sunday, after the Islamic State group designated U.S. Air Force installations here and a South Korean citizen as targets for attacks, according to the National Intelligence Service.

/ Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye

The country's spy agency said Sunday that the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has designated U.S. Air Force installations in Korea and a Korean citizen as targets for attacks.

The group has recently incited terrorist attacks through Telegram, a German mobile instant messenger service, by revealing the locations of 77 air force installations belonging to the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) around the world, and the personal information of civilians in 21 countries, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

As to Korea, the extremist group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), unveiled the locations of U.S. Air Force units in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, as well as the personal information of an employee of a Korean welfare organization.

"While disseminating the location data of the installations and information on the individual, the group incited its sympathizers around the world to retaliate against them," the NIS said in a rare press release.

The location data of the American installations included Google maps, detailed coordinates and their websites, while the personal data of the civilian included the name, email and home addresses.

The group obtained the information from its own hacking group, called the "United Cyber Caliphate," the spy agency explained.

In preparation for any possible terrorist attack, the NIS has told the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) as well as Korean military and police to provide sufficient protection for those cited as targets.

In November, the group's propaganda video showed the flags of 60 countries, citing them as "the global coalition against the Islamic State," which included the Korean flag.

Earlier, Korea was listed as a potential target in the September edition of the group's propaganda magazine, "Dabiq."

The NIS said that IS has been apparently extending the scope of its terrorist attacks from Europe to the United States to Asia, beginning from the Nov. 13 Paris terrorist attacks.

"The latest message from ISIL once again confirmed that the group has included Korea among its targets," the NIS said.

The spy agency noted that terrorist threats have become a reality in Korea, citing that the nation has deported 50 people linked to terrorist groups over the past five years.

"Two Koreans were also caught attempting to join ISIL," the agency said.

The NIS added that the government will keenly monitor the movements of international terrorist groups by utilizing a counterterrorism center, which was newly established under the management of the Prime Minister's Office following the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law by the National Assembly in March.

The law called for establishing an entity under the control the office, which will decide on key policies related to counterterrorism as well as providing the NIS with access to personal information, including financial transactions, of terrorism suspects.

After the law was passed, some civic groups criticized it as allowing the NIS to abuse its power and violate human rights.
Representatives from Korea and Azerbaijan hold the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on June 14. / Courtesy of the Embassy of Azerbaijan







Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nazim Samadov

By Rachel Lee

Azerbaijan, often called the "Land of Fire," is ready to help more Koreans visit, an Azerbaijani deputy minister says.



As part of plans to diversify tourism industry markets, an Azerbaijani delegation was in Seoul to discuss how to bring the nations closer in cultural and tourism. The nations held the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation on June 13-15.

"The first session was an opportunity for us to contact directly the Korean government for various matters," Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nazim Samadov, 39, told The Korea Times.

According to the Azerbaijani Embassy, there were about 3,000 tourists from Korea last year, and the number has risen about 10 percent a year.

To increase the flow, the Azerbaijani government made a first step in February _ allowing Koreans to obtain a visa on arrival. By the end of this year, an electronic system will be available so Koreans can apply in advance.

"Now the next step is to create a direct flight between Seoul and Baku," the deputy minister said, adding that this would help achieve the country's annual target of 15,000 Korean visitors. "At the moment, people transfer at Turkey's Istanbul, which is more costly and time consuming."

According to the ministry, the number of tourists is increasing yearly. In 2011, more than 2.2 million foreigners visited the country. But over 95 percent are from neighbors  Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Russia.

Because the recent oil price drop has affected the economy, Azerbaijan felt the need to diversify and invest.

"If you want to have tourists from Korea, you have to invest in Korean-speaking tour guides, which we are lacking," Samadov said.

The deputy minister also met Azerbaijani students living in Korea and talked about opportunities for them to work as guides when they return home.

To increase its influence here, Baku took part in the 31st Korea World Travel Fair at COEX from June 9 to 12. It was the city's fourth time.

"I found out Koreans take a deep interest in nature," the deputy minister said. "We have what Koreans love. We boast rich flora and fauna and also you have the situation where you can swim in the sea and ski in the snow."

Azerbaijan is in the south-eastern part of the Transcaucasia region, western Asia. It borders Russia in the north, Georgia in the north-west, Iran in the south and Armenia in the west. In the extreme southwest, it borders Turkey.

Korea and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations in 1992. Since then, the two nations have developed firm cooperation in many areas.



Economic relations between the two, in particular, have expanded in transport, information and telecommunications, environment and construction.



The countries also have held several cultural exchanges, which included the Korean Film Festival in Baku, and the Azerbaijan Film Festival and Classic Music Concert in Seoul.
Spanish Ambassador to Korea Gonzalo Ortiz, far left, poses with representatives from the embassy's economic and commercial office at the "World Tapas Day" event at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on June 14. / Courtesy of the Spanish Embassy



By Rachel Lee

Spain has introduced its fashionable small plates of food  tapas  to Korea.



The Spanish Embassy hosted a "World Tapas Day" event at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on June 14. The special occasion dedicated to Spanish food culture actually falls on June 16.

According to the embassy, the goal is to "make the event known worldwide so that people all over the world can get a better taste of Spanish gastronomy."

"There is no doubt that Spain and Korea have different cuisines," Spanish Ambassador to Korea Gonzalo Ortiz said at the event.

"They are two peninsulas, in two opposite corners of the world. Nevertheless, we share the same taste for small snacks that prepare the mouth for bigger emotions."

Four Spanish restaurants in Seoul  Alma Foods, Spain Club, Sobremesa and Terreno  presented a variety of tapas. Barcelona beer brand Moritz, which sponsored the promotion, presented its range.

Moritz boasts 150 years of history and has become one of the symbols of Barcelona's gastronomy and culture.

The invited journalists had an opportunity at the end of the event to select the best tapas made by the eateries. Sobremesa won the contest and received a diploma signed by the Spanish ambassador on the first "World Tapas Day" in Korea.

"In Spain the tapa is always served with a drink, Moritz beer on today's occasion, and it is usually eaten standing up, being the perfect expression of friendship and happiness," the ambassador said.

"It does not matter if it is to close a big business contract or if it is just to have some chitchat about your last team match."

"World Tapas Day" has been celebrated since 2010, when the first event was held in 40 Spanish cities.


Russians seeks Korean investors



Representatives from Russia's mineral-rich Irkutsk region are coming to Seoul in search of more investment.



The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in Korea and the Irkutsk administration have organized "Presentation of Investment potential of the Irkutsk Region," scheduled for the KCCI on June 29.

The delegation, headed by Irkutsk Governor Sergey Levchenko, is expected to provide an overview of the area's investment climate and business opportunities.

According to the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in Korea, Irkutsk is the largest region in East Siberia and has abundant mineral resources, including gold, coal, oil, muscovite, natural gas and iron.

The driving forces behind the area's growth include metallurgy, the gas and petrochemical industry, a machine-building complex, pharmaceuticals, an agro-industrial cluster, the timber industry and wood processing, construction material production, tourism and recreation.

There will be a business meeting after the seminar.









Morocco strengthens ties with Africa



Morocco established the Superior Council of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in Fez on June 14, the Moroccan Embassy said Friday.



The initiative is a reflection of the long-lasting spiritual bonds between the region and the country, and seeks to promote "constructive cooperation with sister African nations in the religious domain," Moroccan Ambassador to Korea Mohammed Chraibi said.



The ambassador added an example of such cooperation is the enrolment of African students at the Mohamed VI Institute for the training of Imams, Murchideen and Murshidat (male and female preachers).



The ultimate objective of this initiative is to allow the council, along with other religious institutions, to "disseminate enlightened religious precepts, combat extremism, reclusiveness and terrorism, which are categorically rejected by Islam, but unfortunately advocated by some radical clerics in its name," he said.



On the occasion of the establishment, King Mohammed VI said: "This is another building block which further enhances our strategic policy designed to raise the level of political and economic cooperation between Morocco and a number of sister African nations in order to make it an effective, solidarity-based partnership, covering all sectors."



"I view the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulema as an institution for cooperation, for the exchange of experiences and for the Ulema to make concerted efforts to fulfill their duty and turn a spotlight on the true image of the pristine Islamic faith as well as on its open-minded values, which are based on moderation, tolerance and coexistence."



France collection shines at book fair



French writers have come to Seoul to present their latest publications.

According to the French Embassy, 15 representatives of publishers from the Bureau International de l'Edition Francaise took part in the "2016 Seoul International Book Fair" at Coex on June 15-19.

The experts held a seminar to discuss the French publications market, and children's literature in Korea and France. Three authors  Antoine Laurain, professor Antoine Schaefers and journalist Sebastien Falletti  brought their works and gave lectures at the Institut Francais.

There was a special booth at the exhibition for children.

The book festival featured newly published titles and design exhibitions from 115 publishing houses from 19 countries.
German Ambassador to Korea Rolf Mafael, second from right, poses with Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy

Minister Joo Hyung-hwan, far left, former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, second from left, and Science, ICT and Future Planning Minister Choi Yang-hee at a musical concert at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on June 15. Well-known Korean artists  including Park Jong-hwa  performed at the event designed to mark the 30th anniversary of the Korea-Germanyn agreement of cooperation in science and technology.



/ Courtesy of the German Embassy
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered his public security staff to hunt down and punish those who leak the reclusive state's internal information to South Korea, multiple sources said Sunday.



In a directive sent to the security agencies and the people, Kim warned that those who leak any information to South Koreans will be labeled as "spies" and face harsh punishments, including execution by firing squad.



"I understand that (Kim) has sent a directive to the security agencies and the people, which says he will sternly deal with rebellious impure elements that hand over our internal intelligence to enemies," a source said, declining to be named.



The directive also urges North Koreans who have attempted to make phone calls with those in China and South Korea to turn themselves in to the security authorities, and offers rewards to those who report any intelligence leaks to the authorities, according to the sources.



After the directive was issued, the communist state's security staff beefed up its inspections along the border with China, the sources said.



"In the past, those who were caught making phone calls with people outside the country could be set free with some kickbacks," a source said. "But now, they could be executed, and even their families could be punished."



North Koreans are known to contact their relatives in China or in South Korea with phones that they borrowed from Chinese operating within the North or with illegal Chinese-registered phones that they smuggled across the border with China. (Yonhap)




Strained ties between North Korea and China would not undergo a turnaround even if Beijing sends a high-ranking official to Pyongyang at a key anniversary next month, an expert at Seoul's think tank said Sunday.



North Korea and China will mark the 55th anniversary of the signing of a military treaty on July 11 amid the possibility that Beijing may send a high-ranking official to Pyongyang in return for the latest visit by the North's party official Ri Su-yong to China.



Also on July 27, North Korea will mark the 63rd anniversary of what it claims is its victory in the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce. China fought alongside the North against South Korea, the United States and the U.N. forces.



Lee Ki-hyun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), said that even if China sends its delegation to the North next month, it won't be easy to expect a major shift in their bilateral ties due to Pyongyang's nuke arsenal.



"At a time when China vowed to faithfully implement U.N. sanctions against the North, it won't be easy for their frayed ties to be improved if Pyongyang sticks to its nuclear program," Lee told a forum on North Korea.



Ri, a vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party, made a rare visit to China in late May in an apparent bid to improve strained ties with Beijing following Pyongyang's nuclear tests.



The North's official highlighted the country's commitment to simultaneously pursue nuclear and economic development during his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.



Lee said China's possible move in July would follow a similar pattern of a reciprocal trip made by Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao in 2013.



Li visited Pyongyang to attend a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement in July 2013 following the North's official Choe Ryong-hae's trip to Beijing.



"China would hope to persuade North Korea to change its behavior, but the North would not accept it. Even if a ranking Chinese official visits the North, it would be difficult to expect a positive outcome," Lee said.



Meanwhile, Choi Jin-wook, president at the KINU, said that if the North ends its call for Seoul and Washington to suspend their joint military exercises, it may be possible to begin denuclearization talks with North Korea at a level similar to the "Leap Day" agreement.



Under the Feb. 29, 2012, deal, also known as the "Leap Day" agreement, the U.S. promised to provide 240,000 tons of food aid in exchange for the North taking a series of denuclearization "pre-steps," such as a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests. (Yonhap)




/Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho



Renowned radiologist tells development of nonvascular stents

By Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chul

One of the hardest things for radiologist Song Ho-young was seeing patients suffer from an esophageal stricture, a narrowing of the tube that runs from the throat to the stomach.

Many of them suffer the condition as a complication of inoperable esophageal cancer, which made it difficult for them to swallow food. Thirty years ago, there was almost nothing Song could do for them.

One day, however, he came up with the idea of placing a Celestin tube in the patients' narrowed esophagus to alleviate their suffering. But developing the procedure proved to be challenging; the normal esophagus was only 2 centimeters in diameter, and it was difficult to fix the exact problematic area of the tube.

"But that was the only thing I could do for them," Song said in an interview. "Then I came across articles about endovascular stents in an international journal. I immediately flew to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas to meet the author, Dr. Kenneth C. Wright."

After learning the mechanism of the stent, which allows passage through strictures within the body, Song returned to Korea and set up a machinery lab at Chonbuk National University Hospital, where he worked as a professor. Few  even himself  expected the lab would become the birthplace of some of the most successful nonvascular stents at the time.

"Thanks to the kind Dr. Wright, I developed stents using silicone and later using stainless steel, but it turned out to be just the beginning of a long struggle," he said.

Because the hospital, just like many others in the country in the 1980s, did not have proper facilities for animal testing, so Song raised dogs on his own and conducted experiments on them on weekends. He also visited hardware stores to develop a stent delivery system from scratch. Yet his efforts were not appreciated that much at the hospital. Many raised eyebrows to what they believed was "not a job of doctors" at that time.

"The atmosphere is very different today as the government pushes hospitals to invest more in research, but almost no one knew its value back then," Song said.

Finally, after years of struggle, in 1991, he conducted the world's first metal stent placement in the human esophagus. "Of the eight esophageal cancer patients who received the procedure, no one had problems such as esophageal rupture or stent migration," he said.

After moving to Asan Medical Center in 1993, Song kicked his efforts to make the stent self-expandable, replaceable, smaller and more flexible into high gear. To make his work more efficient, he founded S&G Biotech in 2000, separating the tasks of research and development and delegating them to their respective groups of experts.

Although he developed the nonvascular stents to help esophageal cancer patients, they are now also used to treat strictures in many other areas of the body, including the urethra, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, biliary tract, duodenum and colon.

For example, an obstructed tear outflow tract, which could cause epiphora, a condition that involves the inadequate drainage of tears, can now be treated with the stents.

"The development of different stents is good news for anyone who has blocked pathways in his or her body," Song said. "Some people are born with such a problem, while others get it later in life from diseases or accidents."

During his 30-year career, Song has received many prestigious awards in Korea and abroad, including the nation's highest award for science and engineering from the government in 2008, the International Cooperation Award from the Chinese Interventional Radiological Society in 2010 and the Gold Medal Award from the Society of Interventional Radiology this year. He also founded the Society of Gastrointestinal Intervention to share his knowhow with scholars across the world. Meanwhile, he has also published more than 380 papers in medical journals and received 26 patents for stent technologies.





Kenneth C. Wright, second from left, smiles during a small Chirstimas party with Song Ho-young at the radiology department office of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas in December, 1988. / Courtesy of Song Ho-young



The future of stents

The key to treating narrowed tracts is to keep the stent in them for about six months, which is deemed enough time for them to recover. This long recovery period, however, poses complications, Song said.

"For example, roughly 70 percent of non-cancer patients with a narrow esophagus show complications in the first two months and need to get their stent replaced until their esophagus becomes properly functional," he said. "The current stents are not effective and safe enough for everyone."

Tissue growth is one of the most common complications. The drug-eluting stent, which slowly releases a drug to block cell proliferation, was developed to resolve the issue but failed to do so.

But Song believes that bioresorbable stents, which are still being developed, will resolve the issue eventually. These stents, many of which are made of polylactic acid, a naturally dissolvable material, are known to have fewer side effects.

"I'm pinning my hopes on my students, whom I believe can and will develop stents with almost no side effects," he said. "One of my plans before my retirement is to improve the research system at the hospital to help them do so."

Thanks to Song, who has advised Korean companies in developing nonvascular stents, the nation's nonvascular stent exports in 2012 was 6.4 billion won ($5.4 million), larger than its nonvascular stent imports (3.4 billion won), according to the Korean Health Industry Development Institute's latest data. This feat is impressive, given that Korea imports the most vascular stents.

According to the Korea Institute of Science Technology, the global stent market is valued at around 10 trillion won and is expected to grow fast.

Global medical power is moving to the East'

During his sabbatical from 2004 to 2005, Song looked at whether China had the potential to be a medical powerhouse.

"I saw the tremendous potential the country had during the year, and I became reassured of its bright future during my second sabbatical from 2013 to 2014," he said. "I believe the global medical power is moving to the East, which also means a big opportunity for Korea."

During his six-month stay in Nanjing, Song also traveled to many other parts of the country to lecture doctors at hospitals about stent development and writing English-language papers for journals.

"Every time I meet young doctors, I encourage them to learn Chinese as well as English, as these language skills will open enormous opportunities for them," he said.

Song started to learn Chinese 16 years ago to better communicate with his Chinese students. Today, he is fluent enough to lecture in Chinese.

He believes educating Chinese doctors is important because they can help their country play a larger role in saving and improving people's lives at home and abroad.

After his retirement, which is three years from now, Song plans to travel the world and settle down in China to continue educating Chinese doctors.

"I have had mentors who greatly helped me grow into a better doctor," he said. "Now, it's my turn to do the same."
Hyundai Steel, South Korea's No. 2 steelmaker, announced Friday that its original blast furnace in Dangjin, central South Korea, could be normalized next month.

The daily steel output of the blast furnace in Dangjin, about 120 kilometers south of Seoul, has recently dropped to about 3,000 tons a day, or 30 percent of its normal output.

Hyundai Steel said the temperature in the No. 1 blast furnace dropped below 1,500 C, the melting point of steel, due to a problem in heat transmission inside the furnace.

The company said it has been gradually working to normalize the No. 1 blast furnace to ensure there will be no negative effects, adding that the operation of the blast furnace will be back to normal early next month.

Hyundai Steel has three blast furnaces in Dangjin that have a production capacity of 12 million tons of steel products.

Hyundai Steel is a unit of the Hyundai Motor Group, which owns Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors. (Yonhap)
By Tong Kim

As Seoul and Washington stopped talking about dialogue with Pyongyang, some security experts are talking about the worst-case scenario: a nuclear war that could breakout on the Korean peninsula. North Korea continues advancing its nuclear and missile programs, while some call for Seoul's own nuclear armament.



Discussions of a nuclear war are taking place at a time when the Obama administration is distracted from its foreign policy in an election year, and the Park government is crippled by a defeat in recent parliamentary elections. Both administrations are resorting to the dubious efficacy of sanctions on North Korea, hoping that pressure would somehow lead to denuclearization.

Unlike during the Cold War, when a nuclear war was considered unthinkable and the concept of mutually assured destruction (MAD) effectively reined in decision makers from going to nuclear war, the possibility of fighting a nuclear war has become a serious topic for discussion.

In the past two weeks, three research organizations released their respective updated assessment of Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal, discussing the conditions for its use, its inherent threats to the security of South Korea and the United States, and the option of a military solution.

David Albright, founder of The Institute of Science and International Security, released a well-documented report on June 16, estimating that Pyongyang now has 13 to 21 nuclear weapons. Prior to the publication of this report, a widely accepted estimate was 10 to 16 bombs. In April 2015, Chinese experts said the North had close to 20 bombs, while Washington experts said at the end of 2015 that the North could have 20 to 100 by 2020.

On May 24, Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor), a geopolitical intelligence advisory firm in Austin, Texas, published a five-part article on how to eliminate the growing nuclear program militarily, short of using U.S. nuclear weapons. The Stratfor report suggests that the United States would have no military option left, if it waits for North Korea to perfect related technologies that the North claims it has. There is no scientific evidence yet proving that the North has a full, battle ready nuclear capability.

Like many other research organizations, Stratfor believes the North Koreans are nearing the completion of nuclear and missile technologies _ from miniaturization for putting a nuclear warhead atop a missile, to diversifying nuclear fissile materials from plutonium to uranium and tritium to produce hydrogen and thermal weapons, and completing an ICBM with atmosphere-reentry durability and target accuracy to strike the continental United States, beyond the ranges of Japan and Guam.

Stratfor favors a "minimal strike", targeting only the nuclear facilities to force the North to denuclearize. This contradicts the weight of its own argument that such a "minimal strike" can escalate into a comprehensive strike. Identification of known targets on the Yongbyun nuclear complex is pretty well known. However, there is no way to target hidden nuclear bombs and delivery systems, whose locations are not identifiable with current intelligence gathering devices.

Stratfor projects the types of weapons and how much of them would be required to take out the North Korean nuclear production infrastructure, as well as sites of delivery systems. According to this conceptual plan, the mission of a minimal strike would require 10 B-2 bombers and 24 F-22 tactical fighters, equipped with special ammunition such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), and 600 cruise missiles that can be launched from surface ships and submarines.

A minimal strike is very likely to escalate to a comprehensive campaign. On June 15, Pyongyang immediately responded to the Stratfor reports, vowing to "bolster up its nuclear deterrent  to foil any slightest provocation with  merciless counter action." Pyongyang should understand that Stratfor is not a government research arm and it does not necessarily reflect the views of American military planners.

Yet, it is conceivable that a U.S. strike on the North Korean nuclear infrastructure would immediately trigger a violent response with nuclear weapons from the North. The Stratfor report offers a mechanical calculation of what it would take to eliminate a North Korean nuclear capability but it certainly is not an attractive option for political decision makers, who would ultimately have to approve such a plan. It does not even discuss potential damage to life and property that it would cause.

On June 13, Garth McLennan published a sobering article "Needle in a Haystack: How North Korea Could Fight a Nuclear War" on 38 North, a website forum on North Korean issues run by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. The author argues, " it can no longer be assumed that nuclear weapons will never be used" and "topics of discussion related to nuclear weapons should extend beyond proliferation"

North Korea has said it would use its nukes only "when its sovereignty is threatened by invasive forces with nuclear weapons." McLennan warns, this "should hardly be taken as gospel"  there is no clear definition of ambiguous terms as "sovereignty" and "hostile." He also talks about the inherent usability of nuclear weapons by the North.

It is not inconceivable that the North Korean war planners would almost certainly respond with nuclear weapons to any U.S. initiated, limited or comprehensive, strike, as suggested by Stratfor. If the North would mix a few nuclear warheads with conventional missile and artillery systems for a counterattack, there is no way, even with deployment of the THAAD system, to defend the South.

Most major wars fought during the last century were triggered by wrong decisions, miscalculation, and misunderstanding. Few wars justify the victims and damage they have inflicted. Nobody wants war. There still is time and opportunity for all sides to prevent a nuclear war, and work for a peaceful resolution of differences. What's your take?

Tong Kim is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies. He can be contacted at tong.kim8@yahoo.com.
Fixing governing structure can no longer be delayed



There is no dispute that the overconcentration of power in the office of the President accounts for much of the current political inefficiency. As shown so far in the current Park Geun-hye administration and those before her, the current powerful presidential system hijacks the authority of the National Assembly, the legislature, and enables the heads of state to enjoy unfettered power comparable to that of an absolute monarch.



The irony is that this "imperial" presidential system is derived from the constitutional change brought about as a result of the pan-national protests that aimed at preventing the re-emergence of a dictatorship toward the end of Chun Doo-hwan's eight-year iron-fisted rule.



Now, the current five-year singleterm system has obviously outlived its usefulness as the nation's democracy is becoming mature enough to meet the rapidly changing needs of its voters.



Keeping a lid on ever-rising calls for change to this presidential system is neither healthy nor possible.



A recent poll shows that about 70 percent of people agree on such a change with only 13 percent in opposition. As indicated by the five-fold lopsided difference in the poll, the support sentiment is overwhelming across age groups, regions and party affiliations. The similarly strong backing is registered among lawmakers with 250 out of 300 parliamentary representatives opting for a change.



This near-consensus majority should be taken as a mandate for the start of talks among the government, parliament and scholars.



Among the involved parties, only President Park opposes this change, claiming that, if such talks begin, it would distract the nation from such pressing issues as labor, public sector and corporate reform, saying goodbye to Korea's dream of joining the ranks of advanced nations.



Park may well be afraid that the fervor of changing the constitution may render her a lame duck. But she should take the chance to be remembered as the head of state who allowed the nation's political narrative to take an important step forward. It could beat any presidential legacy she may expect to leave by insisting on the status quo.



Now, the agenda should be as inclusive as possible, taking in all three alternatives: the British style parliamentary system; the power-sharing format used by France, and the U.S. formula of allowing a president to serve two four-year terms, if re-elected.



The above-mentioned polls also show that out of the 250 lawmakers who back the constitutional change, close to 50 percent favor the U.S. system, while about 25 percent favor power sharing. For ordinary people, over 40 percent back two terms for the president with 20 percent for the French system.



Now, these more favored systems have one thing in common  keeping the president in check. The U.S. system enables people to show continued support for the incumbent if he or she opts to stand for re-election. In France, it is understood that the president deals with national security and diplomacy, while the prime minister handles domestic affairs. Although the parliamentary system is least favored in these polls, it is worth being considered in view of eventual unification.



By no means can we delay the talks for reforming our governing system. Let's begin now.




The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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Early last decade, one of Orange Countys largest apartment companies  owned by billionaire political power broker George Argyros  battled allegations that it kept tenant security deposits en masse for unneeded repairs.

To settle the investigation, Arnel Management Co. agreed to pay $1.5 million, a 2001 deal that paved the way for the real estate mogul to become ambassador to Spain, an appointment that had stalled amid the controversy.

But 15 years after the agreement with the California attorney generals office, some tenants claim that the problems with deposits continue.

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The countys fifth-biggest landlord continues to deduct hundreds of dollars for unneeded cleaning and repairs even when residents leave their units spotless, according to interviews with more than a dozen former tenants, four former employees and allegations contained in small claims lawsuits.

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Arnel, with 18 complexes totaling more than 4,500 units in Orange County, has been sued at least 38 times in Small Claims Court between 2010 and 2015 by tenants who alleged that the company unfairly kept their security deposits.

The largest landlord, Irvine Co., which according to CBRE Group owned at least 32,000 units in Orange County during that period, faced fewer than 10 such lawsuits, a review of court records found.

Arnel declined to comment on specific cases or make any of its executives available for interviews. But in a statement, the company said that it does not make security-deposit deductions a business practice nor does it automatically charge for cleaning and repairs no matter the condition of the apartment.

The 38 cases, Arnel said, represent but a small fraction of the more than 18,000 tenants Arnel has successfully moved in and out of its properties from 2010 to 2015.

The Villager Apartments in Anaheim, an Arnel Management Apartment community (Glenn Koenig/ Los Angeles Times )

Tenant advocates claim that the Arnel cases may hint at a larger problem at a company that rents to many lower- and middle-income households.

A lot of people dont have the resources or take the time to file a case, said Aimee Inglis, acting executive director of Tenants Together, a statewide renters rights organization. People just dont bother.

One who did is Sandy Dulaney, who last August sued Arnel for the return of her $650 deposit.

She said she and her husband left their $1,345-a-month unit at the Villager Apartments in Anaheim in immaculate condition, minus a small hole in a door that they had patched up. She said they even rented a steam cleaner to scrub the carpet.

We went above and beyond the call of duty, Dulaney said.

But instead of her $650 deposit, she received a bill for $159. I was in complete shock, she said.

Others were upset as well.

In a March lawsuit that sought her $650 deposit, Rania Khalil alleged that when she returned to her former unit there was a new tenant, but invoiced items had not been done.

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Stephanie Cesareo sued in April of last year, alleging that slightly more than half of her $600 deposit was withheld even though her apartment was professionally cleaned and pristine when she left.

In her lawsuit, she alleged that a manager told her Arnel always charges $50 to clean the carpet.

Both tenants settled their cases and received at least some of the money they demanded.

By law, landlords arent supposed to use security deposits to repair defects that existed when a tenant moved in, for cleaning a unit that has been returned to the same level of cleanliness when a tenant arrived, or for damages caused by ordinary wear and tear.

But four former employees said Arnel often charged for cleaning and repairs that werent needed. Kyle Gough said he worked in the corporate office for nearly a year where he handled accounting and customer service. The office, he said, took calls daily from irate tenants who believed that Arnel was unfairly withholding their deposits.

Gough estimated that in about a third of the cases that crossed his desk, residents were charged for items they shouldnt have been, based on photos taken by Arnel workers.

Sometimes, he said, residents were charged more than what Arnels vendors billed to make repairs, including instances where residents paid for carpet replacement but only a cleaning was done.

In its statement, Arnel denied charging more than its vendors do.

Gough said he left the company in July after he brought his concerns to his supervisor but no changes were made.

A significant part of the job was to talk to the residents and talk them down and try to justify where the charges were coming from, he said.

A property manager who left in 2011, but declined to be identified because he still works in the real estate industry, said he sometimes moved a new tenant into an apartment only to find incomplete repairs for which the maintenance staff charged previous tenants.

I dont think it was maliciously done, he said. [The maintenance workers] are in such a rush  Arnel is all about rent, rent, rent. We were all under the gun.

Even so, he believed that maintenance managers were pressured to maximize what they charged tenants after a move-out. Once, he said, an accountant from the corporate office called and asked why more wasnt done.

What happened here? he recalled the accountant saying. Why are they charged so little for this? Why not charged for this or that?

Arnel denied having accountants follow up to request further deductions.

Disputes about security deposits are among the most common disagreements between landlords and tenants  most of which center on competing interpretations of ordinary wear and tear, advocates for landlords and tenants say.

Debra Carlton, senior vice president for public affairs with the California Apartment Assn., provided the following example: An aging, worn carpet that is no longer pristine white would constitute ordinary wear and tear. But if a tenant spilled grape fruit juice and left a stain, the security deposit could then be used to clean it up.

If a landlord and tenant cant agree on ordinary wear and tear, a small claims judge may decide.

In its 38 cases, Arnel prevailed in two, but in the majority of lawsuits Arnel or an affiliated company either lost or agreed to settle and pay some -- if not all -- of the original security deposit.

Mohammed Ali Qureshi, for example, walked away with $600 after settling a 2012 case  even though Arnel initially agreed to give him just $32 from his $750 deposit, according to a move-out statement.

Others got everything back. Allyson Edge sued for her $650 deposit in 2014 and after mediation Arnel gave the paralegal a $680 check, which included $30 in legal costs.

Even with settlements, landlords who routinely deduct deposits unfairly could come out ahead, Inglis of Tenants Together said.

Its a numbers game. Say 15% of tenants push back, she said. They still made out with more money than they should have.

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In the Dulaney case, she and her husband, Ronnie Batin, were dinged for a host of charges including carpet cleaning, painting, general cleaning and the replacement of two doors, a move-out statement shows  deductions that left the couple with no security deposit and a $159 bill.

The 51-year-old fitness instructor did not dispute that she damaged one door. Pictures that Dulaney said were taken by both the couple and Arnel and reviewed by the Los Angeles Times otherwise show a largely clean apartment, except for a few small smudges.

The couple sued in August. The two sides settled two months later and Dulaney, who gave up several days work to fight the case, walked away with $619.

Arnel owner Argyros, the grandson of Greek immigrants, built his fortune in real estate, acquiring and building apartments as well as retail and office properties in Orange County.

Arnels website bills the communities as a home with the feel of a getaway, pointing to amenities such as pools and barbecues. Online reviews paint another picture of some of the complexes  one in which security deposit and habitability issues are a problem in the communities, composed of older, low-slung units.

The 19 complexes, which stretch from a solo Los Angeles County property in Rowland Heights to Laguna Hills, have helped make Argyros a wealthy man  money hes used to promote political and cultural causes. His name graces Chapman Universitys business school, while a stage at the South Coast Repertory is named for his wife, Julianne. Last year, Forbes estimated that Argyros and his family were worth an estimated $2 billion.

Argyros currently serves as chairman emeritus for Arnel Management, while Julianne is president, according to company spokeswoman Michelle Jordan.

She declined to make either of the Argyroses available for an interview, but the company said in its statement that it takes steps to minimize potential disputes before they happen. Arnel said it notifies tenants that they have a right to both a pre-inspection walk-through within two weeks before move-out, as well as a final inspection.

A former staff member contacted by The Times, Joe Rosenblum, said there werent problems when he oversaw the companys maintenance staff before leaving around 2010.

It was always discussed how to be as fair as possible. When I left there was always the standpoint of charging according to what the damages were, Rosenblum said.

Arnel also pointed to a reader-friendly lease addendum that defines ordinary wear and tear and recommends that tenants attend a move-out inspection, but some tenants said no one showed up for theirs. Others said that although they had a walk-through with maintenance staff, the workers didnt make it clear that they would be charged.

Although Arnel held up its security deposit addendum as a way to avoid problems, it didnt put such language on its lease voluntarily  its required under its 2001 settlement with the California attorney general.

The state office took over the case after Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas  who had accepted campaign cash from Arnel  was widely criticized for taking a personal role in his offices investigation.

In sworn declarations related to that case, former Arnel employees wrote that Arnel charged tenants two or three times what its vendors billed and that maintenance supervisors received bonuses tied to move-out charges.

Arnel did not admit wrongdoing but as part of the settlement was required to take steps to conduct move-out inspections and to not compensate employees based on revenue earned from retaining security deposits.

A spokeswoman for the attorney generals office said she could not comment on whether the office has received any recent complaints against Arnel, but stressed that the 2001 requirements remain in force.

Meanwhile, tenants say they still must battle to secure the money they are owed.

That includes Tatianne Velo and Yasser Giron, who didnt sue but filed a complaint against Arnel with the Orange County district attorneys office last year.

When the couple moved out their $1,690-a-month apartment in Tustin, the majority of their $750 security deposit was withheld  even though they said they paid $100 to purchase a carpet-cleaning machine and $125 for maid service.

Photos that Velos mother said she took during the move-out show spotless countertops, walls and a freshly cleaned carpet.

But Arnel returned only $356.70 and charged the couple for painting, general cleaning of the apartment, carpet cleaning/repair and counter-tops-kitchen, according to a move-out statement.

Velos mother, Rossana Velo, said an Arnel maintenance worker told her that the apartment was clean during a move-out inspection -- but it didnt matter.

They are going to charge the cleaning anyway, she recalled him saying. I tell every person I know when they ask me Dont clean, because they are going to charge anyway. 

In September, Giron and Velo heard back from the Orange County district attorneys office.

A paralegal told Tatianne Velo in a letter that the district attorney brings lawsuits when the interests of the public at large are involved. She said the office cannot represent individuals in civil matters [or] take action in order to obtain money owed to a consumer.

Instead, the letter recommended that Velo try Small Claims Court.

andrew.khouri@latimes.com

Follow me @khouriandrew on Twitter

Times researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report.

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Start-ups selling new blood tests directly to consumers raise safety and accuracy concerns
The ads for the new blood test, dubbed the cancer stethoscope, were designed to grab attention from even the healthiest Americans.

Did you know? warned the colorful ads promoting the cancer detection test on Twitter. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer.



For the record: An earlier version of this headline said start-ups are selling new blood tests directly to consumers. Some of the companies, including Pathway Genomics, require consumers to get approval from physicians before ordering the tests.

Pathway Genomics, a San Diego start-up, directed consumers through the ads to a toll-free number, where a customer service rep linked them to a panel of physicians, who ordered the test. The company then sent a mobile phlebotomist to draw blood at the persons home or office.

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Wed do it at a gas station if we had to, Ardy Arianpour, Pathways chief commercial officer, told a reporter when the blood test was launched last fall. The company eventually pulled the ads from its website.

Pathway is one of a growing number of start-ups trying to disrupt the $75-billion medical lab business by selling blood tests and other types of medical lab checks directly to consumers.

Its part of a new frontier of medicine, where tech companies say they are using data, software and genomics to create tools for personalized medicine, letting patients take the lead without always relying on a physician.

But Silicon Valley technologists face steep hurdles in their efforts to revolutionize the medical system the way they have communications or shopping.

And because of the hype surrounding the blood tests  many of which are not backed by reliable scientific studies  patients may be at risk of being misled or even harmed.

All that became clear recently with the crash of Theranos, the once high-flying outfit which sells quick, inexpensive blood tests for a host of diseases. The company said last month that tens of thousands of results it sent to patients were wrong.

The Palo Alto company now faces class-action lawsuits, as well as several government investigations into its operations, including whether it exaggerated the capabilities of its blood-testing technology.

Walgreens, which had built Theranos blood-testing stations in dozens of its pharmacies, said last week it was ending its partnership.

Theranos, Pathway and dozens of other start-ups are relying on a decades-old decision by the Food and Drug Administration that allows them to sell the lab tests without first getting regulators approval.

The companies slip into what has become a loophole by designing, manufacturing and using the tests inside a single lab. Because these so-called lab-developed tests once were confined mostly to hospitals and were relatively simple, the FDA decided in the 1970s to do little to regulate them.

But companies are now introducing far more sophisticated tests, looking for more serious diseases with greater consequences for the results, and selling them nationwide.

The explosion of new lab tests range from basic cholesterol checks to much more complex tests using genomics to evaluate health. Upstarts like 23andMe, Color Genomics and Cynvenio are joining a market long dominated by industry giants Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp.

Before Pathway began selling its cancer blood test on Sept. 10, the company had not completed a scientifically controlled clinical trial to show the test worked to detect the disease at an early stage, when patients have few symptoms.

In fact, no company or scientist has yet shown that such a blood test  often called a liquid biopsy  can detect cancer in patients who have no symptoms.

If you want to prove the test works, it will require trials with thousands of patients, said Maximilian Diehn, a Stanford oncologist who is separately working on a liquid biopsy testing technique.

The risks of an inaccurate test, Diehn said, include unnecessary treatment, anxiety and additional testing if it wrongly concludes someone has cancer.

Or if the test incorrectly deems the person is cancer-free, he said, the patient may get a false sense of security and forgo other recommended tests that could find the disease.

Pathways aggressive promotional campaign last fall quickly attracted attention from federal regulators, who have warned other companies marketing the tests directly to consumers.

On Sept. 21, the FDA sent Pathway a letter saying it was offering a high risk test that has not received adequate clinical validation and may harm the public health.

Regulators asked to meet with Pathway executives to discuss what evidence the company had to show the test was accurate.

Pathway continues to sell the test, but the company said that after meeting with regulators, it has changed its promotional materials. Consumers must now get a prescription before ordering the test, the company said, and no longer can use its physician panel.

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We are working with the FDA to clarify some of the questions and concerns that they have raised, the company said.

In a statement to The Times, the FDA confirmed that the company had responded to its concerns and has limited the claims of what their test does to ones that seem to be more in line with the current available evidence.

Pathway said it developed the blood test according to regulations for lab-developed tests. Those rules require the company to show it has high-quality standards in processing the tests. They do not include determining that the test actually does for the patient what the company claims.

The company said it now is recruiting volunteers for clinical trials to support those claims.

James Plante, Pathways chief executive, declined to be interviewed or allow a reporter to visit the companys San Diego lab. The company processes myriad genetic tests there, including those for heart health and inherited conditions.

Our claims are based upon a large body of literature that indicates that the 96 mutations that we examine have been associated with some cancers, the company said in email responses to questions. We have validated that our test can be positive in some patients with Stage I and II cancers.

Liquid biopsies could someday be one of the most lucrative lab tests. Doug Schenkel, a Cowen and Company analyst, estimates that giving the test to Americans at their annual checkup could create a market worth more than $100 billion.

A liquid biopsy that accurately detects cancer at an early stage before it has spread could save many lives, scientists say. A blood test is also far less invasive than a surgical biopsy in which doctors remove part of a tumor.

The technology was made possible by a century-old finding that metastatic cancer patients had tumor cells circulating in their blood. Many of the tests being developed search blood samples for DNA from tumors.

Scientists have found late-stage cancers with the technology, said Diehn, the Stanford oncologist, but finding early cancer is far more difficult.

Lured by the potential profit and chance to upend cancer treatment, venture capitalists have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into start-ups working on liquid biopsies.

In January, tech billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos led a $100-million round of funding for Grail, a new company developing a test. Pathway has raised more than $130 million from investors.

Many of the start-ups are led by software engineers and developers, rather than medical doctors or scientists.

Pathway filled its board with ex-government officials: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, and John Pistole, the FBIs former deputy director, sit on the companys strategic advisory board.

On occasion, Pathway has employed a degree of Hollywood glitz in its promotional efforts.

Last year, the company paid for a charity bash inside a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport that was attended by actors Kellan Lutz and Sophia Bush and other stars. The party, which included a performance by Kesha, appetizers and vodka cocktails, was part of the launch of Pathways test for the gene mutations known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which have been linked to breast and ovarian cancer.

In late September, the Kardashians filmed a scene of their reality show at Pathways offices.

You give them a little bit of blood  and they can see if youre predisposed to cancer, Kris Jenner told her daughters.

The company said the Kardashians ordered the tests through their physician and were not paid to feature the product.

Pathway and the other start-ups say they are focused on precision medicine  trying to anticipate and prevent disease in the healthy, while more precisely diagnosing and treating the sick.

CEO Plante, a Las Vegas entrepreneur with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering, said he founded the company with the goal of making genetic testing and personalized medicine accessible and affordable to everyone.

The company is offering the liquid biopsy, selling under the trade name CancerIntercept, for $299 to $699, depending on the length of the patients subscription to the testing.

CancerIntercept can detect a growing tumor in the body, before the patient may notice symptoms, promised a video the company released in September. Its like a cancer stethoscope.

But several times the company has faced scrutiny from the federal government.

In 2010, the FDA warned Pathway it was selling an unapproved medical device through Walgreens stores when it began offering an at-home genetic test, which came with a saliva-collection vial, for a variety of medical conditions. The drugstore chain quickly nixed the deal.

And in December, Pathway paid $4 million to settle claims by federal prosecutors that it had paid kickbacks to doctors to give their patients the companys genetic tests.

Pathway said it settled the case to avoid the expense of lengthy litigation and had done nothing wrong.

Worried about the rising number of unproven lab tests, the FDA has proposed strengthening its rules so that the agency can regulate the riskiest of the lab-developed tests.

Last year, the agency released a report detailing how 20 such tests had put people at risk and actually harmed some.

For example, companies have offered prenatal blood tests to examine fetal chromosomes, using a technique called cell-free DNA testing. The tests are sometimes inaccurate, the FDA said, causing women to abort what actually were normal pregnancies.

Even if the liquid biopsy tests eventually are shown to be accurate detectors of cancer, experts say widespread testing of healthy people introduces a host of risks. For example, finding slow-growing cancers that never would become a threat to the persons health can lead to unnecessary treatment with harmful side effects.

John Ioannidis, a professor at Stanfords School of Medicine, said the notion of selling quick blood tests at supermarkets and pharmacies makes him uneasy.

The more you test yourself, the more harm you cause, he said. The odds that this could be a disaster are pretty high.

Gary Robbins of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.

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The gig: Media companies can be caught by surprise by the immense cultural appeal of their fiction. Thats where Susan Kresnicka enters. The 48-year-old cultural anthropologist, who works at Troika Design Group in Los Angeles, has brought social science in to figure out why something becomes popular and help Hollywood executives spot opportunities more quickly.

Cultural stewards: Kresnicka says that media companies arent necessarily trying to predict the next blockbuster show, but rather might be thinking of what it meant to be stewards of culturally iconic shows. During a recent keynote address at the Scripted Summit conference, Charlie Collier, president of both AMC and SundanceTV, talked about hiring Kresnickas team at Troika to understand why TV has shifted from largely escapist fare toward more immersive content.

For the record: An earlier version of this article identified Kresnickas father as Ralph. His name was William.

Inner psychopath: Media companies are also watching a shift by audiences who root for career criminals, sociopaths and even serial murderers. People were out building memorials to Walter White, a fictional character, Kresnicka said, referring to the ever more heartless and violent lead in AMCs Breaking Bad. What did they tap into inside of us with that show? It really redefined what good and bad means. How could he be such a good dad and be so ruthless in this other part of his life?

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Beyond the water cooler: With group fan texting, in-episode tweets, Skype parties and other group media, there is a lot of work that has to go on reconciling things that are so fundamentally inconsistent, Kresnicka said. That doesnt stop when the show ends. Its no longer done in isolation. We had a collective reconciliation of what it means to be a good guy and a bad guy when we met Walter White. Fandom is a word that Kresnicka uses a lot to encompass the modern audiences group examination of highly immersive content. You are completely surrounded by the world of the show, mentally working, emotionally engaged. It leaves us processing very important questions.

Dissecting fandom: At Troika, we have a sociologist, an archaeologist, people in media design, a folklorist we just hired, Kresnicka said. The topic Ive put before this group is fandom. So were going to go at it from every angle we can think of. The clients are six major media companies, which she declined to name. The broad topic is what fandom means today. As an example, she turned to Star Wars and a man she met at a fan convention wearing a green What Would Yoda Do? bracelet. He hadnt had an easy life, hadnt always made the right choices, and developed a ritual when faced with a decision, explaining I just look down at my wrist and ask that question. For that man, Kresnicka said, the role that fandom plays is easily underestimated and sometimes it is quite profound. It can be a source of inspiration and moral guidance.

Teen bonding: Kresnicka has her own story about the power of fandom when she went though the all-too-common period where she and her teenage daughter could agree on very little, except the CW network series Supernatural. I watched one show with her and I was just totally hooked, Kresnicka said. At one point, we watched about 10 episodes in a row together. We had something shared to talk about.

Getting there: Kresnicka started off college as a biology-premed student, then shifted to international development before getting her graduate degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. Her advertising-industry dad, William, didnt react well when his daughters study and career choice meant that she wouldnt be a medical doctor. He looked at me and said Are you completely crazy? Youre going to do what? He would be utterly amazed that this has become a real profession and a guiding force for me, and has applications in media, which is what he did.

Detouring: To suggest that I had some clarity of long-term purpose here would be such a big misrepresentation, Kresnicka said, laughing. She was on a PhD track, walking the walk as though I was going to become a professor, but decided that the work would be too isolating. Instead, she headed to the French Culinary Institute. I cooked professionally for five years, she said, before opening a catering business called Verve Cuisine, which she ran until she was 32.

Degree of guilt: Ive got this graduate degree and Im cooking for a living, Kresnicka recalled thinking. But it can be good to be the only anthropologist in your circle of friends. When someone asked if anyone knew any ethnographic researchers, Kresnicka was the only one who might fit the bill. She wound up having to explain what an ethnographer does, then she got hired to do it studying people with diabetes who were on the cusp of insulin dependence. She was a qualitative research analyst for Scavone Consulting until 2007, then joined the Frank N. Magid consulting firm.

Anthropologists advice: Whenever possible, broaden the expertise, Kresnicka said. When you force yourself to open your mind to people who have a different set of boundaries based on their training, you will open up new questions and see different things, learn new things. Whatever topic you are studying, you are going to understand it better by coming at it from multiple angles.

Personal: The years of cooking werent wasted. Kresnickas baked ziti is a favorite with her son and daughter. I make the marinara sauce from scratch. I use a really good Italian sausage. Its oozy cheesy goodness.

ronald.white@latimes.com

For more business news, follow Ron White on Twitter: @RonWLATimes
Heres what you combine to create Steely Dan, according to Thomas Wilkins of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra: profound poetry, creative genius and a clear understanding of what a groove is.

Those are the elements Wilkins laid out, anyway, as he welcomed the veteran jazz-rock group to the stage Saturday night to open the Bowls 95th summer season.

Yet as generous as the conductor was, his list left out at least one thing, which was a willingness to risk looking like total sellouts.

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After all, Saturdays concert wasnt just Steely Dan at a venue its played several times, including less than a year ago, when the band was there with Elvis Costello. This was Steely Dan backed by the formally attired members of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra  precisely the kind of gig that the groups famously acerbic leaders, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, mightve scoffed at back in their 1970s heyday.

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And you could tell they had that about-face in mind. Addressing the capacity crowd not long into Steely Dans 85-minute set, Becker joked that hed thought theyd been booked to play a bowling alley  and had dressed accordingly in a T-shirt and windbreaker. (His partner had obviously been clued in: Fagen wore a necktie over his T-shirt.)

So how did this unlikely pairing shake out? Here are five thoughts on the show.

1. It definitely didnt feel like any great betrayal. About the worst you could say, as one reader emailed me afterward, is that the added horns and strings made Steely Dan sound a bit like Chicago (which, whaddyaknow, will play the same spot with the same orchestra over the Fourth of July weekend).

Sometimes the arrangements were mellowing the groups signature bile; Green Earrings, for instance, had kind of a Love Boat vibe, while Third World Man got pretty schmaltzy. But other songs used the orchestra more strategically. Take Deacon Blues, a song about crawling like a viper through suburban streets, making love to women languid and bittersweet; here, the sentimental strings were helping Fagen embody a character hes already warning us not to trust.

2. The band also got some surprising energy out of the classical players, who provided a touch of film-score menace in the intro to Josie and kept up with Steely Dans drummer, Keith Carlock, as he went to town on his kit at the end of Aja.

3. Heavy rock is one thing. But airtight funk? Evidently thats another, as Steely Dan had the orchestra sit out Time Out of Mind and Hey Nineteen, the latter of which received the nights biggest reaction from the crowd. (Its a tune, dont forget, about being mystified by the tastes of a younger generation.)

Jon Herington, left, and Walter Becker play guitar. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times )

4. Playing with an orchestra wasnt the only novelty for Steely Dan on Saturday. According to Fagen, the show also marked the first time the band had ever performed with fireworks, which exploded over the Bowl during Bodhisattva.

5. As is his custom, Becker paused Hey Nineteen before the lines about the Cuervo Gold and the fine Colombian to do a zany monologue, in this case a riff on how he and Fagen started Steely Dan in Los Angeles because they were too freaky-deaky for New York.

Hes held onto his local knowledge too. Thanking the assembled Angelenos for coming, Becker specifically shouted out people from the Valley and outlying areas, then zeroed in further. Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Reseda, he said. I know the names.

Twitter: @mikaelwood

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Anton Yelchin, who died Sunday after his vehicle rolled down his Studio City driveway and trapped him against a mailbox, was one of Hollywoods rising young actors. His list of credits spans 16 years and includes work with the likes of Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster.

News of the 27-year-olds death shook the industry, prompting actors including Anna Kendrick and Gabourey Sidibe to tweet their condolences.

This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss, Kendrick tweeted.

Yelchin is perhaps best known for playing Chekov in the recent Star Trek reboot. A number of his other roles, however, will be remembered by the industry as some of his finest work. Here are five of them:

Like Crazy

Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin, who starred together in Like Crazy. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) (Test)

Opposite Felicity Jones in 2011s Like Crazy, Yelchin played an American student who falls in love with a foreign exchange student from Britain (Jones) in the U.S. on an educational visa. Both actors were lauded for their performances in the Drake Doremus-directed picture. The film won nine awards and was nominated for more at festivals and ceremonies throughout the world, including the Hollywood Spotlight Award that Yelchin earned at the Hollywood Film Awards.

Of his performance, The Times film critic Kenneth Turan said in his review: Yelchin... expertly delineates the core quietness of Jacob, his tangible seriousness and sincerity.

The Beaver

Anton Yelchin stars with Jennifer Lawrence in The Beaver. (Ken Regan / Summit Entertainment) (Test)

When Yelchin began working on 2011s "The Beaver"  about a troubled husband and executive who uses a beaver hand puppet as his sole means of communicating  he put the headlines about costar Mel Gibsons personal life out of his mind. Yelchin, then 22, said media reports about Gibson's non-work behavior did not affect their relationship on set.

"I judge people on how they are at work and how they are to me at work, and he was lovely," Yelchin said during The Times second annual Young Hollywood roundtable.

Still Yelchin said, he found Gibson to be an "intense human being."

We had some really amazing rehearsals with him... where he would just talk and we would sort of be in character and it would just make me weep because he's got a lot going on inside," the actor said. "When someone shares that with you in really close proximity, it's very affecting."

Yelchin went on to receive a nomination for his role at the 2012 Prism Awards.

Green Room

Green Rooms Anton Yelchin, left, Patrick Stewart, center, and director Jeremy Saulnier pose at West Hollywoods Viper Room. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) (Test)

In promoting last years Green Room, Yelchin spoke to The Times Mark Olsen about the uniqueness of the story about a hardcore Virginia-based band called the Ain't Rights who find themselves forced to play to a crowd of racist skinheads. And somehow, after the gig, a dead body ends up in their dressing room, from which they cant escape.

"There has to be something bigger than they walked into this... and now they're stuck," said Yelchin. "And there really isn't. There is no why. They are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they are dealing with someone who felt the only way to solve a problem was a very pragmatic approach. And I find that heartbreaking."

The film received positive responses, including from critic Robert Abele, who wrote The Times review:

[Its] such a gonzo knockout of siege cinema  Deliverance meets Assault on Precinct 13  that you hope it finds an appreciative audience beyond horror lovers already itching to embrace it, Abele wrote. Simply put, when you watch a meticulously crafted movie like [director Jeremy] Saulnier's, you go exactly where he wants you to go, and that may be a more menacing prospect for chillseekers than any splashy act of violence.

The Smurfs franchise

Clumsy (Anton Yelchin), Grouchy (George Lopez) and Vanity (John Oliver) in Smurfs 2. (Columbia Pictures) (Test)

Yelchin was a part of The Smurfs family since its cinematic debut in 2011 as the voice of Clumsy. Though the films werent favorites of critics, fans worldwide flocked to the pictures, which also featured the voices of Sofia Vergara and Hank Azaria among others.

The original film went on to gross $563.7 million worldwide, and the sequel, 2013s The Smurfs 2, took in $347.5 million worldwide.

Star Trek franchise

John Cho, from left, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban , Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto and Simon Pegg in Star Trek Beyond. (Kimberley French / Paramount Pictures) (Test)

When it was announced that director J.J. Abrams and his writers of choice, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, were brought in by Paramount to reformulate the venerable space opera franchise that is Star Trek,critics and fans were skeptical. But as Turan said in his review: Though it has its over-caffeinated aspects and its missteps, this Star Trek has in general bridged the gap between the old and the new with alacrity and purpose.

Yelchin was a member of this new cast, playing Chekov, along with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana. As a group, they went on to win best cast from the Boston and Denver film critic societies.

The third installment of the franchise, Star Trek Beyond, is due out July 22.

Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson.
Film music is a dying art

I appreciated Mark Sweds column praising AFIs selection of John Williams for a Life Achievement Award [AFI Award: Music to His Ears, June 9]. However, I believe Mr. Swed did not go far enough. A great score can significantly elevate a films impact, just as a poor one can similarly diminish it. That George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and precious few others have understood this speaks not only to their filmmaking acumen, but also to their generation of filmmakers, a generation whose formative years were not discolored by the current societal disdain for great music and art. It is sad to consider that the movie industry is now leading us away from that same great orchestral sound as a result of ill-prepared producers, sound designers and music supervisors. John Williams is our most important link not only to the film music past, but also to the notion that living, breathing musicians give life and breath to movie music that no electronic simulation can ever hope to duplicate.

Robert Elias

Santa Clarita

:::

The AFIs tribute to John Williams illustrious career could be written in a minor key, as Mark Swed points out. Great film scores, once an integral part of the moviegoing experience, are now gone, no longer deemed important in our comic book culture. Can you imagine the thrill of Jaws without that ominous opening? Or the epic sweep of the original Star Wars without Williams rousing music score?

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Leslie Gargan

Beverly Hills

:::

Mark Swed is on the mark when he reminds us that music is a vital component of films. I likewise stay for the end credits and am often dismayed to see perhaps only one name for the music and then often to see that the music was recorded by musicians in Romania or other Eastern European countries. Although there are great orchestras across the pond, the greatest musicians in the world are in Los Angeles. Before and during World War II, film production was the life bread of many expatriate composers and being an accomplished musician in Los Angeles meant making a living was possible. Today, not quite so much.

Kara Knack

Malibu

Dealing with terror in the U.S.

Mary McNamaras review of the Tony Awards show [A Unity of Spirit Among Participants Is Powerful, June 13], made my jaw drop. Her intro put the spin of political correctness on the Orlando terror attack, defining it as the deadliest shooting in American history and referring to this time of seemingly endless gun violence, of terrorism perpetrated by Americans against Americans. I would remind her that radical Islam has declared war on the West  the U.S. in particular  and we must defend ourselves on penalty of the certain demise of ourselves and our freedom. And you cannot defeat an enemy whom you refuse to name.

Wynn Marlow

Sherman Oaks

The greatness of Bob Dylan

Great review of the Bob Dylan show [Its Never the Same Old With Dylan, June 13]. I hope everyone whos going to attend Desert Trip reads it. Great stuff!

Ivor Levene

Los Angeles

Make Americans act again

I agree with the previous letter [Feedback: American Cast? A Genius Idea! June 12] that both Jude Law and Colin Firth are terribly miscast in this film about the relationship between Thomas Wolfe and Maxwell Perkins. Why do producers keep casting Brits in American roles? I admired these actors when they were cast in their native tongues, but give us all a break and cast Americans next time.

Dennis Wong

Van Nuys

Lawsuit to heaven

[Regarding Heaven or Penalty for Led Zeppelin, June 11] . Why now, about 45 years after Stairway to Heaven was released? Why didnt Randy Wolfe sue sometime during the 1970s or even the 1980s? Ill bet it wouldnt be difficult to find 10 seconds in one that was similar to 10 seconds in another. But then, its only worth looking at the blockbuster songs to see if you can get a piece of the pie.

Larry Keffer

Chatsworth

Puzzling over the crossword

Regarding: Puzzler: Hybrid Crossing, June 5

Clever, but too many obscure names.

David Weaver

San Juan Capistrano

A new song on the way?

Now that Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris have reportedly split [Quick Takes: Just Her, Him and 45,000 Retweets, June 4], will we have to endure yet another song by Swift that spotlights the breakup? Advice to future suitors: Get a prenup from Swift that says you will not be the subject of a song in case things go south.

David Tulanian

Los Angeles

The Bard and the Donald revisited

The analogy to current politics and Shakespeare is clever yet offensive in the May 29 column Could Shakespeare Have Foreseen Trump? Referring to Donald Trump: He wins voters over by appealing to their spleens rather their minds. Trump speaks the truth that many are too meek or fearful to express. He has awakened America out of apathy and complacency, invigorating voters with his no-nonsense leadership boding for safety and security. As for the media pollution, his assessment is astute. We need a president who will make our country great again, not a charlatan with excuses for egregious errors or a socialist septuagenarian. A fiscal conservative who understands Neither a borrower nor a lender be, looking out for our own citizens over those of the world.

Stephanie Mardesich

San Pedro
Reginald Murray sat next to his mother for the first time in more than a year, under the alternately bored and watchful eyes of the guards in the visitors room at Atascadero State Hospital.

He teased his mother about her weight; she teased her son about the scruffy beard he had grown.

They werent allowed to hug after the initial greeting. Instead, Murray kept reaching over to touch his mothers arm. She made a show of being annoyed, but they were both smiling.

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The state mental hospital on Californias Central Coast wasnt where Murray wanted to spend the day after his 27th birthday. But it was better than where he had been a month earlier  in a solitary unit in the state prison in Lancaster.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  Attorney Mieke ter Poorten on the circumstances that led to her mentally ill client, Reginald Murray, being sent to prison

Over the last two years, Los Angeles County officials have announced a new focus on diverting people who are mentally ill from jail and prison. In July 2014, Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey told county supervisors that the jailing of mentally ill defendants was a moral question.

The use of the jail as a mental health ward is inefficient, ineffective and in many cases it is inhumane, she said.

But it is also growing.

See the most-read stories in Local News this hour >>

Even as officials have announced plans to address the issue, the number of mentally ill inmates has grown in both county jails and state prisons, although overall inmate populations have shrunk. In L.A. County jails, the average population of mentally ill inmates in 2013 was 3,081. As of mid-May it was 4,139, a 34% increase.

In the state prison system, the mentally ill inmate population was 32,525 in April 2013, making up 24.5% of the overall population. As of February, according to a recently released monitoring report, the overall population had fallen by 5,230 while the mental health population had grown by 4,275, and made up 29% of the total population.

A spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation gave an even higher percentage  37%  but noted that most of the patients have lower-level conditions that do not require inpatient or enhanced outpatient treatment.

Murray, who has been diagnosed at different points in time with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and has spent the last three years in jail and prison, is part of that surge. Those close to his case see it as an illustration of the pitfalls in the intersection between the mental health and criminal justice systems.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, said his attorney, Mieke ter Poorten.

*****

Murrays beginnings did not seem auspicious. He was raised in Watts, and his father had been in prison since Murray was a baby. But his mother, Kookie Williams, pushed her children to be successful. Murrays older sister grew up to be a teacher, his younger sister a corrections officer. Williams got a masters degree in social work and counsels veterans at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

Murray also seemed on track to do well. He showed an early aptitude for math and computers, and as a kid he earned spending money by fixing computers for people in the neighborhood. He decided he would become a computer engineer.

A photo of Reginald Murray and his sisters. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times )

Murray and his sister KyOnta  the one who grew up to become a prison guard  agreed on one thing about their futures. My brother promised me and I made a promise to him that we would never end up where our father was, no matter what, KyOnta said.

His senior year of high school, Murray won a scholarship and decided to enroll at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a historically black college in a town where he had relatives.

But shortly after his high school graduation, Murray was driving with a friend, hit a pothole, lost control and ran into a pole. The accident left Murray with a fractured skull and his friend paralyzed.

Murray sank into depression. He had trouble concentrating and came home after one semester in Arkansas. He went back to work at the computer lab at his old high school and took some community college classes, but friends and family said he seemed to be drifting.

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In 2010, the family suffered another blow: Williams brother, who had been a father figure to her children, died suddenly of an asthma attack.

Over the next couple of years, Murrays depression turned more ominous. He was hearing voices. He told his mother that crows were following him.

In March of 2013, he was taken to a hospital on a short-term, involuntary psychiatric hold after he called Kaiser Permanente and said he was thinking about suicide.

Im thinking of driving myself into something, but I dont think I can kill myself that way, he told the operator, according to a log of the call. I would shoot myself, but no one else.

Upon his discharge he was given a prescription for medication that he never filled.

*****

The situation came to a head on June 1, 2013.

Murray had gone to live with his aunt and cousins in Camarillo after his uncles death. His aunt, alarmed by his increasingly erratic behavior, told his mother to come get him.

The family called 911, hoping to have him taken in on another psychiatric hold, but Ventura County sheriffs deputies decided he didnt meet the criteria of being a danger to himself or others. Instead, Murray drove back to his mothers house in Los Angeles.

KyOnta, who met him there, said she called the police after he made what she believed to be a suicide threat.

By the time police arrived, she said, she and her brother were struggling at the front door as she tried to stop him from leaving. He slammed her into the front window, breaking the glass. She remembered him calling, Im sorry! before he ran out the door.

Again, the police did not stop him.

At 1:50 a.m. the next day, Murray crashed his car going more than 100 mph on the 110 Freeway.

In the next few minutes, witnesses said, Murray attacked a motorcyclist who had slowed down at the scene, punching the man repeatedly and trying unsuccessfully to ride off on his bike. He tried to pull another driver out of a pickup truck. After struggling with police, he was subdued and loaded into an ambulance.

Williams said she believes that if officers had taken her son in for psychiatric evaluation the day before his arrest, I dont think we would have been going through all this.

They would probably have reevaluated him and he would have been put on meds, she said.

In an interview, Murray said he blacked out while driving. He remembered crashing, then being hit by a car and by the motorcycle. He said the motorcycle rider then offered the bike to him.

A report by a California Highway Patrol officer who rode with him in the ambulance said he stared at the ceiling blankly, unresponsive to questions until he suddenly said, I told you I died at 1:20 tonight.

*****

Murray was charged with carjacking and attempted carjacking and faced a potential nine-year prison sentence. A public defender had Murray evaluated by a psychiatrist but did not mount a defense based on his mental health.

With the case moving toward trial, Williams hired Ter Poorten, a private attorney. After another psychiatric examination found that Murray had serious mental health issues, she tried to negotiate a deal that would allow him to serve his time in a locked mental health facility instead of prison. The district attorneys office did not agree.

Neither of Murrays defense attorneys formally declared a doubt as to his mental competency, which would have stopped the criminal proceedings and triggered a special hearing. His public defender did not respond to a request for comment; Ter Poorten said she was inexperienced with mental health cases at the time.

In April of 2014, Murray pleaded no contest to attempted carjacking and was sentenced to three years in state prison. At the plea hearing, Judge Craig E. Veals raised Murrays mental health issues and asked Ter Poorten whether she was sure they wanted to take the deal. Ter Poorten replied that going to trial would risk a greater sentence.

After consulting with him and his mother, we are very regretfully and with tremendous anguish accepting what we are doing today, she said.

Prosecutor Garrett Worchell told the judge that the charges were both serious and violent felonies and the fact that one was being dismissed may be a significant advantage to the defendant.

Williams said that while her son was in county jail awaiting trial, he had been housed in the psychiatric unit and was taking medication that seemed to help his mental state.

I saw him coming back to who he was, she said. I could see him, the son I knew.

But once in prison, she said, he was no longer being medicated. His letters became increasingly incoherent. Convinced that prison staff were poisoning his food, he refused to eat and lost 40 pounds.

In September, with a few months left in his sentence, Murray was charged with making criminal threats against a prison psychologist. The psychologist reported that while she was interviewing him at the door of his cell, he made an indistinguishable statement starting with If I dont get and ending with 28, I will kill you and any other [corrections officers]!

When the psychologist asked if he was threatening her, she said, he responded, Freedom of speech, then called her insulting names.

In an interview, Murray denied threatening the clinician.

Under a legal settlement with prisoners, California prison officials must assess whether mental health issues played a role in inmates behavior before deciding on discipline.

The clinician who evaluated Murray under that requirement wrote that he clearly indicated that the incident was not related to his mental health and said his mental condition should not be considered as a factor. Murray was sent to solitary housing and the case was referred to the district attorneys office.

Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman with the district attorneys office, said the office considered Murrays mental health when evaluating the charge, but the facts and other circumstances in this case supported the filing of a felony. He declined to comment further.

Ter Poorten declared a doubt as to Murrays mental competency, putting the proceedings on hold. After being evaluated by a psychiatrist at the Los Angeles mental health court, he was found incompetent to stand trial and sent to Atascadero State Hospital for treatment.

*****

Advocates often blame the swell in mentally ill inmates on the contraction of the mental health system.

In California, the number of acute psychiatric beds available in hospitals statewide decreased by 2,700  or nearly 30%  from 1995 to 2013, according to the California Hospital Assn., while the states population grew by 20%. The vast majority of state hospital beds are now reserved for people like Murray, who came in through the criminal justice system.

Williams said she saw her son becoming himself again in the hospital. His paranoia subsided and he resumed eating.

Murray said the food was better at the hospital than in prison. He liked being able to get calls from family and friends. The prospect of being put in restraints for violating hospital rules made him anxious, he said, but he was less worried about being roughed up by the guards there.

But as he sat next to his mother in the hospitals visiting room, Murray said the help was too late: To me, being in a mental institute now  Im thinking if they would have sent me here in the beginning, I wouldnt have to be here in the end.

abby.sewell@latimes.com

Twitter: @sewella

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High temperatures are expected to continue Sunday as Southern Californias heat wave intensifies, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say the weather system that has been building over Southern California is strengthening and will cause temperatures to keep climbing higher.

Temperatures are predicted to be in the low to mid-80s at the beaches and in the 90s to 100s inland. Cooling centers have opened up throughout the Southland for those needing refuge from the heat

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But Monday, the first day of summer, is expected to be the hottest. The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings in L.A., the valleys and deserts for that day.

The weather agency is predicting temperatures will reach 100 degrees in Los Angeles. Palm Springs may see temperatures reaching 121 degrees.

The extreme heat is being produced by an upper-level high pressure system that is expected to peak Monday and gradually weaken next week.

The dry and hot conditions have led the weather agency to issue red flag warnings for the mountains because of so-called sundowner winds in the southern part of Santa Barbara County.

The hot weather has become a second enemy for firefighters in Santa Barbara County as they continue to battle the Sherpa fire, which has burned more than 7,800 acres.

Smoke from the fire is contributing to hazy conditions as far south as Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Forecasters say relief is coming, but until then, stay cool.

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives

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Residents and local officials reacted with dismay and disgust this weekend to a widening sex scandal that has rocked the Oakland Police Department.

The scandal has claimed several top police officials and left some wondering whether the department needs outside help to truly reform.

The scandal involves allegations that officers were having inappropriate relationships with a teenage sex worker, possibly while she was underage.

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The woman at the center of the sexual misconduct scandal said in a televised interview that she had slept with more than a dozen Oakland police officers. She also accused several officers of having sex with her when she was underage and said she had had sexual encounters with members of several other Bay Area law enforcement agencies.

As the mayor of Oakland, I am here to run a police department, not a frat house, Mayor Libby Schaaf said Friday. Today continues to be a day where we are sharing disturbing information with you.

Schaaf vowed to root out what is clearly a toxic, macho culture within the citys Police Department.

Oakland Councilman Noel Gallo told KGO-AM (810) on Saturday that federal intervention is needed.

What occurred this past week and what is going to occur next week is really in terms of confidence, trust, in terms of leadership is certainly, were going to will be in the great debate from the mayor to the council and anyone whos a government employee, Gallo told the station.

Paul Figueroa, who resigned two days after being appointed Oakland police chief, is seen in 2013. (Doug Duran / Associated Press )

The scandal comes as the Oakland Police Department appeared to be making progress after years of problems.

Violent crime that once plagued the city was receding, and the department looked close to ending 13 years of federal monitoring sparked by notorious police brutality and racial profiling cases.

Other expressed concern for the woman making the allegations.

What happened to that girl is terror, said Cat Brooks, a local Black Lives Matter member, in an interview with the East Bay Times. I never had faith [in the police]. Im African American, I know better. We have a right to know all officers involved.

Acting Chief Paul Figueroa tendered his resignation to Schaaf on Friday, and the departments command staff now will report to City Administrator Sabrina Landreth, Schaaf said during a news conference Friday evening.

See the most-read stories in Local News this hour >>

Figueroa was appointed to replace Interim Chief Ben Fairow on Wednesday, after Schaaf said she had received information that made her question Fairows ability to lead.

Fairows tenure as Oaklands top cop lasted six days. He had been appointed to replace Chief Sean Whent, who resigned in the wake of the widening sexual misconduct scandal.

Im hoping to not have to fire anyone else anytime soon, said the mayor, laughing in response to a question from a reporter.

Schaaf did not say why Figueroa resigned.

In a statement released Friday, Figueroa said, I thank the city for the opportunity, and I am deeply sorry that I was unable to fulfill the functions of acting chief of police.

Figueroa voluntarily went on leave after resigning the chiefs post Friday, Schaaf said.

Schaaf also said Friday that the department was close to finishing an investigation into an exchange of racist text messages between officers.

The text message inquiry does not involve Figueroa, according to Schaaf, who said that situation was not as widespread as the sexual misconduct scandal.

According to Schaaf, several African American officers sent and received messages that were wholly inappropriate and not acceptable from anyone who wears the badge of the Oakland Police Department.

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She would not name the officers or disclose their ranks, but the situation is similar to a scandal that recently roiled the San Francisco Police Department, one of several that led to the resignation of Police Chief Greg Suhr.

Schaaf said the investigation of the text messages would be completed within two weeks.

Whent resigned on June 9, in what city officials termed a personal choice. But three sources with knowledge of the situation told The Times that Whent was let go over his mishandling of an investigation into the sex scandal.

Two officers have resigned and three were placed on administrative leave as a result of the sex scandal, city officials have said.

John Burris, the attorney who negotiated the 2003 settlement that placed Oakland police under federal oversight, said he hoped all of the departments skeletons can be revealed at one time in order to clear a path to real reform.

It appears to be a cesspool here, he said. But you gotta keep working at it to drain the swamps.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.

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A massive heat wave descended on Southern California on Sunday, bringing record-breaking temperatures and fueling fires throughout the region, including one in Silver Lake that threatened homes and forced the closure of the 2 Freeway for several hours.

Temperatures hit triple-digits in several valley and inland area cities, including 106 degrees in Pasadena and Lancaster, sending residents to air-conditioned shops and movie theaters as fire officials kept a wary eye on the forecast, worried that dry, gusty winds would make already-ripe fire conditions more dangerous.

Forecasters expected the heat to peak Monday, with temperatures ranging from 100 to 110 degrees in most inland areas and potentially breaking records along the coast. Public officials braced for the impact, issuing a flex alert asking residents to conserve electricity and opening cooling centers across the region.

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As fire crews continued to battle the so-called Sherpa fire that has burned roughly 7,893 acres in Santa Barbara County, firefighters in Los Angeles got their own scare in Silver Lake, where a fire spread into brush along the 2 Freeway, which was shutdown about 2 p.m. and reopened at 5:30 p.m.. Scores of firefighters  and some residents  quickly descended on the scene Sunday afternoon, trying to save nearby homes.

I hope its not telling us whats going to happen this summer, said Leesa Martling, a 56-year-old landscape designer who watched people try to douse the Silver Lake fire with water buckets. I hope this isnt going to be the hottest summer ever.

Meanwhile, a wildfire fueled by dry brush and sweltering temperatures has scorched 1,500 acres just north of the U.S.-Mexico border and prompted mandatory evacuations for the entire East County community of Potrero.

About 25 homes south of state Route 94 and east of state Route 188, near where the fire initially sparked about 11:30 a.m., were also evacuated.

Tuesday could mark the start of a cool-off, as a high-pressure system moves east and moisture-filled clouds blow in from Baja California, said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service. Temperatures should drop by about 10 degrees, he said.

See the most-read stories in Local News this hour >>

The hot, dry weather was a sharp contrast to the cooler, cloudier days Los Angeles has seen in recent weeks  nicknamed June gloom by locals.

It changes so fast, said Terry Choi, a Torrance resident avoiding Sundays heat at an ice cream parlor in Alhambra. I was wearing cardigans last week.

Downtown L.A. hit 96 degrees by mid-afternoon Sunday  far cooler than San Bernardino (111 degrees) or Ontario (110). Burbank peaked at 109 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 104 degrees set in 1973. Woodland Hills tied a record of 109 degrees set in 2008.

The National Weather Service also issued a red-flag warning, saying the soaring temperatures, low humidity and gusty sundowner winds could present an extreme fire danger.

That danger was highlighted in Silver Lake, where a fire quickly spread Sunday afternoon, threatening a neighborhood along the 2 Freeway. Smoke spread over the closed roadway as some residents tried to douse hot spots, shoveling dirt or spraying water from garden hoses.

Marnie Klein was sitting on her couch when she heard a rustling noise, like leaves. She looked up to see a telephone pole just beyond her Lake View Avenue backyard completely engulfed in flames. She grabbed a phone to call 911, wielding a garden hose in her other hand.

Somebody help! she screamed.

The fire started near the intersection of Lake View Avenue and Allesandro Way  the cause was under investigation  and pushed northwest by winds, Los Angeles fire officials said. Nearly 200 firefighters responded as a helicopter swooped over the freeway, dropping fire retardant.

Crews needed about 45 minutes to get the fire under control. Two homes on Corralitas Drive were damaged along with three sheds on nearby properties, said David Ortiz, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The dry weather and 100-degree heat set the stage for the fire, Ortiz said.

The biggest factor was the high temperature, he said. The grass was 100% receptive to the fire.

The flames stopped alarmingly close to Kleins home. Part of her back fence lay in a charred pile. The cushions on her patio furniture were singed. Her house smelled of smoke, but it wasnt damaged.

Im the most lucky person of the day, Klein said. There were guardian angels watching over me.

Another fire broke out Sunday afternoon in San Diego County, tearing through 100 acres of rocky, steep terrain and prompting dozens of evacuations west of Potrero, located not far from the Mexican border.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

In Santa Barbara County, firefighters worked to better contain the Sherpa fire before the weather conditions worsened. That fire, which sparked Wednesday afternoon near Refugio Road, chewed through a combustive combination of chaparral, tall grass and brush in a wilderness area that hasnt burned since 1955.

The fire also burned a small water treatment building at El Capitan state beach, fire officials said, and damaged avocado, lemon and olive crops. At one point, the fire forced the closure of the 101 Freeway.

As of Sunday afternoon, officials estimated the fire was 51% contained, but warned that the biggest challenge could still be ahead. A red-flag warning has been issued until 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The greater danger of the fire is always at night here because of the sundowner winds, said Costa Dillon, an information officer stationed at the command post.

Elsewhere in Southern California, families looked for ways to stay cool.

For Bryan Adams and Katia Kaplun, the years hottest day began with a stop at a splash park in City Terrace, where their young son could run through jets of water. After that came a stop at Fosselmans Ice Cream, where outdoor seats were empty as customers crammed into the air-conditioned parlor.

Adams said his familys house isnt well-shaded and doesnt have air-conditioning. They rely on wall-mounted units, outdoor fans and a kiddie pool to get through the summer, he said.

We have to be creative about ways to stay cool, Adams said.

Down the street, Valerie and Richard Gonzalez walked out of Target pushing a shopping cart loaded with two large tower fans. Theres no air-conditioning at their home in El Sereno, they said, so they planned to set up a pool, blast the fans and ice beers to stay cool.

Were just going to hang out and wait for the sun to go down, Valerie Gonzalez said.

When they reached their car, she sent her husband back inside the store to buy a towel for their drive home. The steering wheel was too hot to touch.

frank.shyong@latimes.com

cindy.chang@latimes.com

kate.mather@latimes.com

Times staff writers Alexia Fernandez contributed to this report.

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UPDATES:

8:15 p.m.: This story was updated with more information throughout.

This story was originally published at 11:25 a.m.
Crews battling the Sherpa fire in Santa Barbara County were bracing for strong winds Saturday night and scorching heat on Sunday.

Weather has become a second enemy for the roughly 1,900 firefighters confronting the blaze, which has burned more than 7,800 mostly wild acres.

Smoke from the fire, which has grown steadily since it began on Wednesday, contributed to hazy conditions as far south as Los Angeles and Orange counties on Saturday, according to an advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

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On Friday night, crews got an unexpected reprieve from the gusts, giving them time to more than double the portion of the fire they had contained, from 20% Friday night to 45% at midday Saturday.

But the winds were expected to return with a vengeance Saturday evening, with gusts as high as 50 mph, fire officials warned.

Things can get really bad, really quickly, said David Villalobos, a spokesman for Santa Barbara County.

 Los Padres National Forest fire (Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)

Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for El Capitan, Refugio, Venadito, Canada de la Destiladera and Las Flores canyons north of Santa Barbara. Residents of neighboring communities, such as Las Llagas, Gato, Las Varas, Dos Pueblos and Eagle canyons, received evacuation warnings.

Were also advising people who live in west Goleta, who arent in evacuation areas, to have things packed just in case things get really bad tonight, Villalobos said.

At Marketplace Drive in Goleta, families went about their weekend as usual, shopping and eating out. A Sherpa Fire Update with a map of the burn area, a weather forecast for the weekend and an air quality notice were posted to a wooden stand.

Its hard not to think about it when you see the smoke covering the mountains every day, said David Barone, a retired U.S. Postal Service employee. Ive lived here since 1977, Im used to it, but I also cant ignore it.

Others seemed less concerned.

Roseanna Bravo sat in front of Starbucks, sipping her iced drink and enjoying the sunshine.

No one worries about it here, Bravo said, determined not to let the blaze interfere with her plans. I went to Macys today. I dont sit around for fires, honey.

Severe heat is forecast for much of Southern California on Sunday and Monday, further drying the old brush, tall grass and chaparral as fuel for the blaze. The area involved hasnt experienced a major fire since 1955.

The heat is also expected to take a toll on firefighters, who get fatigued and dehydrated much more quickly as temperatures rise, said Michelle Carbonaro, a spokeswoman for the team of agencies combating the fire.

Two firefighters have suffered minor injuries battling the blaze, she said.

Officials estimate about 270 structures are in danger, but as of early Saturday evening only one had been lost -- a treatment plant that provided water to El Capitan State Park for bathrooms, water fountains and other uses, according to officials.

But the worst may be yet to come.

The high wind, heat and low humidity will create prime conditions for extreme fire behavior in Southern Santa Barbara County from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.

alexia.fernandez@latimes.com

john.dolan@latimes.com

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More than 1,000 people plan to protest Sunday outside a Sacramento Baptist church where a pastor praised the Orlando, Fla., killings in a sermon.

The protest is being organized through Facebook and is calling on people in Sacramento to gather outside the Verity Baptist Church on Sunday morning to decry the pastors praise of the massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub. So far, more than 1,000 people said they plan to attend the demonstration.

It disgusts me that this immoral sacrilegious individual is spewing hatred and ignorance, and is condoning murder to his churchgoers who may not be old enough to see what true religion is instead of the brainwashing he is doing, the statement read on the Facebook event page.

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Our community is built on love and trust. We have our intra-social issues as any other community does, however we can band together when our community is hit with intolerance, indecency, hatred, ignorance, and blatant bigotry.

Pastor Roger Jimenez touched off a firestorm of controversy after he posted a YouTube video of his sermon in which he praised the June 11 massacre of 49 people and called the victims pedophiles and predators.

I think Orlando, Fla., is a little safer tonight, he told his congregation, equating members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community to sexual predators. The tragedy is more of them didnt die. Im kind of upset he didnt finish the job!

Jimenez also said if it were up to him, gays and lesbians would be lined up against a wall so a firing squad could blow their brains out.

The video, which has since been removed, triggered backlash against the church and pastor from religious leaders and the LGBT community.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson condemned Jimenezs statements and a group of 700 area pastors known as the Sacramento City Pastors Fellowship issued a statement to denounce the pastors comments.

A Change.org petition was also started to have Jimenez removed as the head of his church.

ruben.vives@latimes.com | Twitter: @latvives

joseph.serna@latimes.com | Twitter: @JosephSerna
After nearly a week, Tiara Parker still repeats a mantra to herself as a reminder: Its real, its real, its real.

A survivor of last Sundays mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla., 20-year-old Parker sees and hears things everywhere that remind her of the attack. Even back in her bedroom in Philadelphia.

She notices a black rosary on her dresser and breaks down. It belonged to her cousin, Akyra Murray, 18  one of 49 people killed in the attack by gunman Omar Mateen, Orlando officials said.

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Nearby theres an award Murray won for graduating third in her high school class. And there are all the memories from less than two weeks ago, when the girls got ready together in that room before Murrays graduation.

Now, whenever she hears something crash to the floor, Parker said, her muscles get tense. It takes her back to the Pulse nightclub on her first full day of vacation in Orlando, with her cousin and her friend Patience Carter.

The girls researched clubs online Saturday afternoon and settled on Pulse  it sounded like the most fun. After arriving at the 18-and-over club, they danced and recorded cellphone videos. Parker said she was the cameraman, her cousin the star. The place stayed packed until closing time, Parker said, when her friend asked how they planned to get home.

Moments after Parker suggested they take an Uber, she heard a series of bangs. It must be the DJ playing a trick on us, she thought, expecting to see confetti fall from the ceiling. Then she realized it was gunshots. People scampered all around her, but she froze in place.

A few moments later, she saw her cousin and friend, who had both escaped the building but returned to look for her, sprinting toward her. They ran into a bathroom and hid in the big stall with several others. People tried to blockade the door, but the gunman shot his way in.

Parker remembers him screaming, Damn! after his gun jammed. Before long, he stared shooting again and bullets hit Parker, Murray and her friend. Her cousin, who was shot in the arm, pleaded with the shooter.

Please! Im already hit, Parker recalled Murray screaming. Please stop. Please.

1 / 81 Inaya Bava, 5, on June 16, 2016, draws on crosses set up to remember the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at the Orlando Regional Medical Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Relatives of those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack arrive at Amway Center on June 16, 2016, for private meetings with President Obama. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden bring flowers to the makeshift memorial at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 4 / 81 Jiffy Lube employee Ralph Nieves puts up a sign of support for the Orlando community following the shooting at the Pulse nightclub. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 5 / 81 Sarah Roemer, left, and Brandi Van Dongen, nurses at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital in Orlando, pray at one of the memorials. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 The Parliament House is one of the largest nightclubs catering to the LGBT clients. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 Rafael Rivera, left and Jeannette Gonzalez grieve at a wake for Eric Ortiz, one of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Members of the media and public wait to catch a glimpse of President Obama at Amway Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 A prayer service is held on June 15, 2016, for the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting at Delaney Street Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) 10 / 81 Kelly Greenwood prepares a casket on June 16, 2016, at the Cardinal Casket Company in Orlando, Fla. (John Taggart / EPA) 11 / 81 Candles are placed under American flags set in a circle outside a vigil at Christ Church Unity for the shooting victims. (Charles King / Orlando Sentinel) 12 / 81 At the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Taylor Green, 25, left, and Brittany Spencer, 25, grieve for those killed in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 ATF investigators continue to work the scene of the Pulse nightclub shooting along Orange Ave. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 Friends and family attend the funeral of Angel Luis Candelario-Padro. It was the first funeral for the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 15 / 81 Doctors, nurses and first-responders at a prayer service in the emergency room at Florida Hospital in Orlando to honor the victims of the nightclub shooting. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 16 / 81 FBI investigators continue to work at the Pulse nightclub on June 15. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Mourners embrace outside the visitation for Pulse nightclub shooting victim Javier Jorge-Reyes. (David Goldman / Associated Press) 18 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 Michelle Moment sing praise during a service at the First Baptist Church of Orlando during a special prayer service for the attack on Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 We were protected, we were saved it was just a miracle, said Orlando Torres, 52. A promoter at Pulse, Torres was trapped in a bathroom stall with a friend. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 With stitches in his hand, gunshot victim Angel Colon tells his story to the media at a news conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Patience Carter after describing the attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times ) 25 / 81 Gunshot victim Patience Carter, 20, left, is consoled by Dr. Neil Finkler at a news conference at Florida Hospital, joined by Dr. Brian Vickaryous, center, and fellow survivor Angel Santiago, 32, right, where they described the attack and its aftermath. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 Angel Santiago on June 14, describes how events unfolded during the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando two days earlier. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Doctors and other staff at Orlando Regional Medical Center involved in the response to the nightclub shooting answer questions at a news conference on June 14, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on June 13, 2016, to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Alison Cossio, center, holds a photo of her friend Christopher Sanfeliz, who one of the victims of the Orlando shooting, during a June 13, 2016, candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels plays guitar and sings during the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred Monday,night in remembrance of the 50 people killed in Orlando. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Marwa Balkar holds a candle at the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred on June 13, 2016, in remembrance of the 49 people killed in Orlando, Fla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Los Angeles City Hall is lit up in colors of the rainbow during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 Scott Phillips and Em Enagan mourn for the 49 lives lost in the Orlando shooting during a vigil at Los Angeles City Hall. (Callaghan OHare / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 A song is sung during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall, for the victims of Sundays shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial rally at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Madeline Lago, 15, and her mother Carmen Lago were among the thousands who gathered for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. They bowed their heads as the bell was tolled. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 Friends and relatives bring flowers and remembrances to the plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Danielle Irigoyen brings flowers to the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Im very close to many of the people who go to Pulse. Pulse was a safe place for us all, she sail. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 Investigators gather at the Pulse nightclub on Monday morning. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Investigators set up at the Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Family gather for victims at Beardall Senior Center in Orlandoon Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, who was killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, including Richie Compton, left, and Erik Winger, right, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. Shane Tomlinson was killed killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Family and friends arrive at the Senior Center in Orlando as they await news on their loved ones on Monday. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 Volunteers gather in prayer on Monday at the Senior Center in Orlando where they are there to help grieving family and friends of those killed and injured in the shooting at Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 FBI investigators in Orlando, Fla., look at the floor plans of Pulse nightclub as they gather on Monday morning to continue the investigation. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 People gather at Taylor Square in Sydney, Australia, to show solidarity with victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Dan Himbrechts / EPA) 49 / 81 City Hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, is lit up in solidarity with Orlandos shooting victims. (Oded Balilty / Associated Press) 50 / 81 New Zealand residents gather at Frank Kitts Park in Wellingtond to mourn victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 51 / 81 A man lights a candle in Paris on June 12 to remember those slain and wounded in the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Rapahel Satter / Associated Press) 52 / 81 New Zealand residents gather in Frank Kitts Park to mourn victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 53 / 81 Residents gather at Joy Metropolitan Community Church near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to mourn the mass shooting victims of the early morning attack on June 12, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 Johnpaul Vazquez, right, and his boyfriend Yazan Sale sit by Lake Eola, in downtown Orlando, thinking of those killed and injured. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Judy Rettig, center, and Dave Hack, left, hug after a prayer service held at the Joy Meropolitan Community Church in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Zafar Basith prays at a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 Raymond Braun, right, right, gets a hug after a vigil held in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting at the nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 Monte Dobbs and Jhoanna Galvez of Long Beach, comfort each other during a vigil service at the corner of La Cienega Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. (Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Orlando, second from right, was at the nightclub and trapped for three hours in a bathroom. Orlando and family attend a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 People hug in solaceafter a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 Susan Stephens, right, gets a hug from Karen Castelloes before a vigil and prayer service is held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 Investigators view the site of the early morning mass shooting on June 12, 2016, at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 People hold signs in support of the Orlando shooting victims on Sunday. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 64 / 81 Kelvin Cobaris, a local clergyman, consoles Orlando city commissioner Patty Sheehan (right) and Terry DeCarlo, an Orlando gay-rights advocate, as they arrive on the scene near where at least 50 people were reportedly shot and killed in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 65 / 81 Aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 66 / 81 A bomb disposal unit checks for explosives around the apartment building where shooting suspect Omar Mateen is believed to have lived on June 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 67 / 81 Ray Rivera, a DJ at Pulse nightclub, is consoled by a friend outside of the Orlando Police Department after 50 people were killed at the club on Sunday. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 68 / 81 Orlando police officers outside of Pulse nightclub after a fatal shooting and hostage situation on Sunday. (Gerardo Mora / Getty Images) 69 / 81 Terry DeCarlo, executive director of the LGBT Center of Central Florida, right, is comforted by an Orlando Police officer after a shooting involving multiple fatalities at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 70 / 81 An aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 71 / 81 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, center, and others have a moment of silence on June 12, 2016, in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting in Orlando, Fla., that happened early that morning. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 Emergency personnel at Orlando Regional Medical Center wait with stretchers for the arrival of victims from the fatal nightclub shooting. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 73 / 81 A police officer stands guard outside the Orlando Regional Medical Center after a fatal shooting at nearby Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 74 / 81 Law enforcement agencies and local city representatives speak at a news conference after 50 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 75 / 81 An Orange County (Fla.) Sheriffs Department SWAT member arrives at Pulse nightclub. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 76 / 81 Orlando police direct family members away from the Pulse nightclub, where 50 people were killed. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 77 / 81 Jermaine Towns, left, and Brandon Shuford wait down the street from the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 78 / 81 Bystanders wait down the street after a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 79 / 81 The scene outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., after the shooting early Sunday. (Univision Florida Central / EPA) 80 / 81 An injured person is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press) 81 / 81 An injured man is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. A gunman with an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a gay nightclub, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press)

Parker pressed her head against her cousins arm, trying to stop the blood. Every few minutes, one of the two tapped or lightly scratched the others arm  a way to tell the other they were still alive.

She can still hear the gunmans voice in her head. He called the police, she said, to pledge allegiance to Islamic State. At one point, he hunched down toward her and stared into her eyes. She froze and tried not to blink.

I guess he mustve thought I died with my eyes open, Parker said. He looked deranged, psychotic.

The gunman also told police he had enough bombs to light up a city block, Parker said. So when a tactical unit tore into the building just after 5 a.m., she thought it was a bomb being detonated.

I thought my life was over, she said. Mentally and physically I gave up.

After police killed the gunman and started grabbing people from the building, Parker tried to get her cousins attention. She touched her neck and felt a pulse, but wasnt strong enough to pick her up. She pleaded with the police, referring to her cousin and friend as her sisters, thinking thatd give the officers more urgency.

As officials loaded Parker into the bed of a pickup truck headed to the hospital, officials cut off her clothing in search of gunshot wounds.

God, please, please, please, Parker remembers screaming. Go get my sisters.

At the hospital, Parker said she kept asking about them, but nobody had answers.

After her medical examination, as she prepared for an interview with an FBI agent, Parkers mothers cellphone rang and she cried hysterically. Parker knew.

Now, memories of her cousin fill her thoughts. Most of all, she cant stop thinking about how Murray ran back into the club looking for her.

I want people to know my little cousin died a hero, Parker said, her voice cracking. She came back to save my life.

marisa.gerber@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber

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The Justice Department on Monday will make public some conversations between hostage negotiators and the perpetrator of the deadly Orlando, Fla., nightclub massacre, Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch said Sunday.

The partial transcripts of three separate phone conversations set to be released will reveal Omar Mateen discussing his motivations for the shooting rampage and pledging allegiance to terrorist groups, Lynch said during appearances on Sunday news programs.

Its been our goal to get as much information into the public domain as possible, so people can understand, as we do, possibly what motivated this killer, what led him to this place, and also provide us with information, she said on CNNs State of the Union.

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Lynch will travel to Orlando this week to receive additional updates about what she called a very aggressive investigation into Mateen, as well as others who may be subject to criminal charges in connection with last weeks killings. But she said it was too early to talk about who might be subject to investigation, including Mateens wife.

We are trying to recreate the days, the weeks, the months of this killers life before the attack, Lynch said on Fox News Sunday. And were also asking people who had contact with him to come forward.

Lynch reiterated that law enforcement officials viewed the Pulse nightclub massacre as both an act of terror and an act of hate. She said it was concerning that Mateen targeted a gay nightclub on Latin night in particular and added that part of her trip to Orlando this week would be to stand with those communities and repeat the commitment of law enforcement to protect them.

The transcripts will reveal Mateens stated allegiance to terrorist groups, but Lynch said no information indicates he was directed to commit the act by anyone overseas.

But we do have information that shows that, over the course of time, he, like, sadly, too many individuals, was consuming radical jihadist information online and was becoming radicalized here in the United States, she said on CBS Face the Nation.

So were looking at all of those connections as well to determine, when did it happen, and what was the point that led him to actually pick up that gun?

Speaking on ABCs This Week, Lynch acknowledged that Mateen had previously been on the radar of the FBI for discriminatory statements reported by his coworkers and later in connection with a separate investigation of a suicide bomber from Florida whom Mateen had been in contact with.

We are going back and scrubbing every contact we had with this killer, she said.

Part of the investigation will include a reevaluation of what more could have been done to prevent him from committing the crime, she said.

Mateens failed attempt to purchase body armor from one Florida retailer could not have prompted scrutiny of him, she said.

He didnt make a purchase. And so, because he didnt make a purchase, no identifying information was left, she said on Face the Nation. Once we realized after the news broke last weekend who the individual was, we were able to connect those dots.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said his panel would also examine why Mateen was not subject to greater scrutiny leading up to the attack.

What is our capability when someone posts a public social media posting that says that theyre going to conduct attacks on the United States, on behalf of the Islamic State. Why cant we pick up that information and then stop that act of terror? he said.

michael.memoli@latimes.com

For more White House coverage, follow @mikememoli on Twitter.

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Fifty years ago, when a small group of activists founded the National Organization for Women, the immediate issue that motivated them was sex discrimination in employment. They were irate that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was refusing to ban gender-specific help wanted ads.

Typical were ads seeking a well-groomed gal for a job as a receptionist.

Flash forward to today: Women make up close to 50% of enrollment in U.S. medical and law schools. One-third of federal judges are women, compared with just a handful in the 1960s. The U.S military is opening all combat jobs to women.

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At NOW and elsewhere in the diverse ranks of the feminist movement, theres deep pride in these changes, but also a consensus that the 50th anniversary  to be celebrated June 23  is not an occasion to declare victory.

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The battle goes on, said Eleanor Smeal, a former president of NOW who heads the Feminist Majority Foundation. So many of the things we fought for have been achieved, but we still do not have full equality.

Among the issues viewed as unfinished business: a wage gap that favors men over women, the persistent scourge of sexual assault and domestic violence, and the push in many states to reduce access to legal abortion.

Once virtually alone as a national, multi-issue feminist group, NOW shares the activist stage today with a multitude of other players  ranging from youthful online organizers to groups focused on specific issues such as abortion rights, campus rape and workplace equity. NOWs membership and revenue are down from its peak years, and some younger feminists wonder if it is losing some relevance.

The situation was very different back in 1966. NOWs founding was a pivotal moment in the rebuilding of a vibrant feminist movement in the U.S. after a period of relative dormancy in the 1940s and 50s.

The momentum of the feminist movement that won suffrage and expanded womens rights in the early 20th century had waned, says NOW in its own history. A negative media blitz proclaimed the death of feminism and celebrated the happy, suburban housewife.

The so-called second wave of U.S. feminism gained momentum in part because of The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedans 1963 book that gave a voice to women frustrated by the gender inequities of the status quo. Friedan was among the co-founders of NOW and was chosen as its first president at an organizing conference in October 1966.

She also wrote the Statement of Purpose adopted by NOW at that conference.

The statement vowed to break through the silken curtain of prejudice and discrimination against women in government, industry, the professions, the churches, the political parties, the judiciary, the labor unions, in education, science, medicine, law, religion and every other field of importance in American society.

Fifty years later, only patches of that silken curtain remain, and Hillary Clinton will have a chance this fall to add the ultimate breakthrough by becoming the first woman elected president. NOW has eagerly endorsed her, while depicting her Republican rival, Donald Trump, as a boorish, babbling bigot who disrespects women.

Trump prides himself on an ability to draw large crowds to his rallies; for many years, that was a hallmark for NOW as well. An estimated 100,000 people turned out for a 1977 march in Washington in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which ultimately failed to garner support from enough states to win ratification. Far larger crowds assembled for abortion rights marches in 1989 and 1992.

Eleanor Smeal addresses an Equal Rights Amendment rally in Detroit as the president of NOW in 1980. (Tony Barnard )

In subsequent years, there have been only a few mass mobilizations of feminists. NOWs president, Terry ONeill, says the drop-off in revenues and dues-paying membership resulted in part from a drop in engagement by activists who, after a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, perceived less of a threat to abortion rights.

ONeill declined to provide financial details, but said NOWs national headquarters in Washington is down to a staff of 11, about a third of its size 25 years ago.

While younger feminists appreciate NOWs legacy, some also question its tactical skills and its demographics.

Generational rifts have surfaced in the presidential campaign, as many young women backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race rather than Clinton. When renowned feminist Gloria Steinem suggested that Sanders young female supporters were doing so in order to meet young men, there was enough outrage to prompt an apology from Steinem.

Jessica Valenti, a New York-based author who founded the popular blog Feministing in 2004, said younger feminists, acting individually or in small groups, have become adept at online organizing and activism.

That doesnt mean the big national organizations are unnecessary, said Valenti, 37. I would love to see them continue to get funding and do work, but my hope is that they take cues from younger organizers and that their work evolves with us.

Crary writes for the Associated Press.
At least 50,000 people packed into an Orlando park for a candlelight vigil Sunday night, one week since a gunman shot and killed 49 people at a gay nightclub.

The event, both mournful and at times carnivalesque, drew a diverse crowd -- gay couples, Latinos, Muslims.

People chanted: Peace, love, Pulse and Love is love is love.

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Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer asked the crowd to stand up and speak out against hatred, violence and division.

Last Sunday was the worst day in the history of our community, Dyer said. But we will not and have not been defined by a hate-filled act of a deranged killer.

Teresa Jacobs, mayor of Orange County, Fla., made a tearful plea to straight people in the crowd: Open your hearts to acceptance, she said.

She asked parents and pastors to help stop gay young people from living secret or hollow lives in an effort to be accepted.

Enough is enough is enough, she said.

When gay Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan walked to the microphone, the crowd erupted in cheers. Since the shooting, she said, shes heard from faith leaders who have apologized and repented for their past behavior.

She added: I want to be clear. Hating a Muslim person is the same thing as hating a gay person.

For Marisol Del Rio, a Latina lesbian who attended the vigil, the passing of a week hasnt made the attack any less raw. She said shes angry that the gunman, Omar Mateen, is dead, because that means he cant give her answers she wants.

Why specifically that club? she asked, shaking her head. Why wait until Latin Night? Why? Why my people?

Nearby, an Orlando doctor, Sajid Chaudhary, who is Muslim, stood smiling at passers-by and holding a sign denouncing all acts of terrorism.

He called Mateen, who is said to have voiced support for an Islamic terrorist group during the attack, a crazy person and a wild animal.

We are Muslim and we are not part of this person, Chaudhary said, tears filling his eyes.

Julia Meffen, 48, said she attended the event with a friend to honor the victims and show solidarity with her community. She runs a pet boutique called Woof Gang Bakery and said one of the victims, Eddie Justice, 30, was a customer. He often came in, she said, with his small dog.

Meffen, a lesbian, said she hoped the shooting opened peoples eyes to the discrimination and violence faced by members of the LGBT community. We get this every day, she said, just not on this scale.

1 / 81 Inaya Bava, 5, on June 16, 2016, draws on crosses set up to remember the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at the Orlando Regional Medical Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Relatives of those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack arrive at Amway Center on June 16, 2016, for private meetings with President Obama. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden bring flowers to the makeshift memorial at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 4 / 81 Jiffy Lube employee Ralph Nieves puts up a sign of support for the Orlando community following the shooting at the Pulse nightclub. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 5 / 81 Sarah Roemer, left, and Brandi Van Dongen, nurses at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital in Orlando, pray at one of the memorials. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 The Parliament House is one of the largest nightclubs catering to the LGBT clients. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 Rafael Rivera, left and Jeannette Gonzalez grieve at a wake for Eric Ortiz, one of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Members of the media and public wait to catch a glimpse of President Obama at Amway Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 A prayer service is held on June 15, 2016, for the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting at Delaney Street Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) 10 / 81 Kelly Greenwood prepares a casket on June 16, 2016, at the Cardinal Casket Company in Orlando, Fla. (John Taggart / EPA) 11 / 81 Candles are placed under American flags set in a circle outside a vigil at Christ Church Unity for the shooting victims. (Charles King / Orlando Sentinel) 12 / 81 At the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Taylor Green, 25, left, and Brittany Spencer, 25, grieve for those killed in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 ATF investigators continue to work the scene of the Pulse nightclub shooting along Orange Ave. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 Friends and family attend the funeral of Angel Luis Candelario-Padro. It was the first funeral for the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 15 / 81 Doctors, nurses and first-responders at a prayer service in the emergency room at Florida Hospital in Orlando to honor the victims of the nightclub shooting. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 16 / 81 FBI investigators continue to work at the Pulse nightclub on June 15. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Mourners embrace outside the visitation for Pulse nightclub shooting victim Javier Jorge-Reyes. (David Goldman / Associated Press) 18 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 Michelle Moment sing praise during a service at the First Baptist Church of Orlando during a special prayer service for the attack on Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 We were protected, we were saved it was just a miracle, said Orlando Torres, 52. A promoter at Pulse, Torres was trapped in a bathroom stall with a friend. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 With stitches in his hand, gunshot victim Angel Colon tells his story to the media at a news conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Patience Carter after describing the attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times ) 25 / 81 Gunshot victim Patience Carter, 20, left, is consoled by Dr. Neil Finkler at a news conference at Florida Hospital, joined by Dr. Brian Vickaryous, center, and fellow survivor Angel Santiago, 32, right, where they described the attack and its aftermath. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 Angel Santiago on June 14, describes how events unfolded during the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando two days earlier. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Doctors and other staff at Orlando Regional Medical Center involved in the response to the nightclub shooting answer questions at a news conference on June 14, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on June 13, 2016, to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Alison Cossio, center, holds a photo of her friend Christopher Sanfeliz, who one of the victims of the Orlando shooting, during a June 13, 2016, candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels plays guitar and sings during the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred Monday,night in remembrance of the 50 people killed in Orlando. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Marwa Balkar holds a candle at the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred on June 13, 2016, in remembrance of the 49 people killed in Orlando, Fla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Los Angeles City Hall is lit up in colors of the rainbow during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 Scott Phillips and Em Enagan mourn for the 49 lives lost in the Orlando shooting during a vigil at Los Angeles City Hall. (Callaghan OHare / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 A song is sung during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall, for the victims of Sundays shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial rally at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Madeline Lago, 15, and her mother Carmen Lago were among the thousands who gathered for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. They bowed their heads as the bell was tolled. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 Friends and relatives bring flowers and remembrances to the plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Danielle Irigoyen brings flowers to the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Im very close to many of the people who go to Pulse. Pulse was a safe place for us all, she sail. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 Investigators gather at the Pulse nightclub on Monday morning. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Investigators set up at the Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Family gather for victims at Beardall Senior Center in Orlandoon Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, who was killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, including Richie Compton, left, and Erik Winger, right, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. Shane Tomlinson was killed killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Family and friends arrive at the Senior Center in Orlando as they await news on their loved ones on Monday. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 Volunteers gather in prayer on Monday at the Senior Center in Orlando where they are there to help grieving family and friends of those killed and injured in the shooting at Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 FBI investigators in Orlando, Fla., look at the floor plans of Pulse nightclub as they gather on Monday morning to continue the investigation. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 People gather at Taylor Square in Sydney, Australia, to show solidarity with victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Dan Himbrechts / EPA) 49 / 81 City Hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, is lit up in solidarity with Orlandos shooting victims. (Oded Balilty / Associated Press) 50 / 81 New Zealand residents gather at Frank Kitts Park in Wellingtond to mourn victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 51 / 81 A man lights a candle in Paris on June 12 to remember those slain and wounded in the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Rapahel Satter / Associated Press) 52 / 81 New Zealand residents gather in Frank Kitts Park to mourn victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 53 / 81 Residents gather at Joy Metropolitan Community Church near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to mourn the mass shooting victims of the early morning attack on June 12, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 Johnpaul Vazquez, right, and his boyfriend Yazan Sale sit by Lake Eola, in downtown Orlando, thinking of those killed and injured. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Judy Rettig, center, and Dave Hack, left, hug after a prayer service held at the Joy Meropolitan Community Church in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Zafar Basith prays at a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 Raymond Braun, right, right, gets a hug after a vigil held in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting at the nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 Monte Dobbs and Jhoanna Galvez of Long Beach, comfort each other during a vigil service at the corner of La Cienega Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. (Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Orlando, second from right, was at the nightclub and trapped for three hours in a bathroom. Orlando and family attend a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 People hug in solaceafter a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 Susan Stephens, right, gets a hug from Karen Castelloes before a vigil and prayer service is held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 Investigators view the site of the early morning mass shooting on June 12, 2016, at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 People hold signs in support of the Orlando shooting victims on Sunday. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 64 / 81 Kelvin Cobaris, a local clergyman, consoles Orlando city commissioner Patty Sheehan (right) and Terry DeCarlo, an Orlando gay-rights advocate, as they arrive on the scene near where at least 50 people were reportedly shot and killed in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 65 / 81 Aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 66 / 81 A bomb disposal unit checks for explosives around the apartment building where shooting suspect Omar Mateen is believed to have lived on June 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 67 / 81 Ray Rivera, a DJ at Pulse nightclub, is consoled by a friend outside of the Orlando Police Department after 50 people were killed at the club on Sunday. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 68 / 81 Orlando police officers outside of Pulse nightclub after a fatal shooting and hostage situation on Sunday. (Gerardo Mora / Getty Images) 69 / 81 Terry DeCarlo, executive director of the LGBT Center of Central Florida, right, is comforted by an Orlando Police officer after a shooting involving multiple fatalities at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 70 / 81 An aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 71 / 81 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, center, and others have a moment of silence on June 12, 2016, in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting in Orlando, Fla., that happened early that morning. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 Emergency personnel at Orlando Regional Medical Center wait with stretchers for the arrival of victims from the fatal nightclub shooting. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 73 / 81 A police officer stands guard outside the Orlando Regional Medical Center after a fatal shooting at nearby Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 74 / 81 Law enforcement agencies and local city representatives speak at a news conference after 50 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 75 / 81 An Orange County (Fla.) Sheriffs Department SWAT member arrives at Pulse nightclub. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 76 / 81 Orlando police direct family members away from the Pulse nightclub, where 50 people were killed. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 77 / 81 Jermaine Towns, left, and Brandon Shuford wait down the street from the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 78 / 81 Bystanders wait down the street after a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 79 / 81 The scene outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., after the shooting early Sunday. (Univision Florida Central / EPA) 80 / 81 An injured person is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press) 81 / 81 An injured man is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. A gunman with an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a gay nightclub, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press)

On Sunday morning, as families gathered for memorial services across the region, Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch said the Justice Department would make public some conversations between hostage negotiators and the perpetrator of the deadly nightclub massacre.

The partial transcripts of three separate phone conversations set to be released will reveal Mateen discussing his motivations for the rampage and pledging allegiance to terrorist groups, Lynch said during appearances on Sunday news programs.

We are trying to recreate the days, the weeks, the months of this killers life before the attack, Lynch said on Fox News Sunday. And were also asking people who had contact with him to come forward.

Lynch said she would travel to Orlando this week to receive additional updates about what she called a very aggressive investigation into Mateen, as well as others who may be subject to criminal charges in connection with the killings. But she said it was too early to talk about who might be subject to investigation, including Mateens wife.

The transcripts will reveal Mateens stated allegiance to terrorist groups, but Lynch said no information indicated he was directed to commit the act by anyone overseas.

But we do have information that shows that, over the course of time, he, like sadly too many individuals, was consuming radical jihadist information online and was becoming radicalized here in the United States, she said on CBS Face the Nation.

So were looking at all of those connections as well to determine, when did it happen and what was the point that led him to actually pick up that gun?

In one of a number of church services commemorating the tragedy, Pastor Paul Valo of Christ Church of Orlando described the last week as a blur.

Speaking from the pulpit, he described some of the people hed met  a weeping emergency response team member and a man suffering an anxiety attack amid the commotion  and told his congregation its impossible to make sense of insanity. Processing tragedy, he said, isnt linear.

Every person in this room is going to have to walk into restoration, he said. Away from fear.

The church, located down the street from the nightclub where the shooting occurred, was transformed shortly afterward into a hub for donations and crisis counseling.

Some in the congregation during Sundays service cried softly; others clasped their hands and bowed their heads in prayer. Outside, a strong rain fell.

Times staff writers Gerber reported from Orlando and Wilber from Washington.

ALSO

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Did gunman have bombs or an accomplice? Captain says questions made SWAT team use caution

For the builder of Orlandos 49 memorial crosses, his craft from the heart is a familiar one

UPDATES:

6:45 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details on the vigil.

5:46 p.m.: The story was updated with information about the evening vigil for victims of the nightclub shooting.

The story was originally published at 12:07 p.m.
A long line of crosses became small windows into 49 lives lost.

Puerto Rican flags flapped from nearly half, representing the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting a week ago Sunday who had ties to the island, a U.S. commonwealth.

Portraits taped to the front of each white cross showed the victims  mostly gay, Latino men in their 20s and 30s.

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As people during the past few days walked the row of crosses, which were built and delivered to Orlando by a retired carpenter from Illinois, some read the victims names aloud. Others knelt at the foot of each cross in prayer.

Nearly everybody walked the full line of crosses, stretching for a city block. To stop before the end, many said, felt disrespectful, perhaps similar to not reading every name etched into stone at war memorials.

This is a war that happened in our backyard, said Gama Garcia, 26, a nursing student who does clinical rotations at Orlando Regional Medical Center, which tended to victims after the attack, the worst mass shooting in modern American history.

1 / 81 Inaya Bava, 5, on June 16, 2016, draws on crosses set up to remember the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at the Orlando Regional Medical Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Relatives of those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack arrive at Amway Center on June 16, 2016, for private meetings with President Obama. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden bring flowers to the makeshift memorial at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 4 / 81 Jiffy Lube employee Ralph Nieves puts up a sign of support for the Orlando community following the shooting at the Pulse nightclub. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 5 / 81 Sarah Roemer, left, and Brandi Van Dongen, nurses at Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital in Orlando, pray at one of the memorials. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 The Parliament House is one of the largest nightclubs catering to the LGBT clients. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 Rafael Rivera, left and Jeannette Gonzalez grieve at a wake for Eric Ortiz, one of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Members of the media and public wait to catch a glimpse of President Obama at Amway Center. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 A prayer service is held on June 15, 2016, for the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting at Delaney Street Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) 10 / 81 Kelly Greenwood prepares a casket on June 16, 2016, at the Cardinal Casket Company in Orlando, Fla. (John Taggart / EPA) 11 / 81 Candles are placed under American flags set in a circle outside a vigil at Christ Church Unity for the shooting victims. (Charles King / Orlando Sentinel) 12 / 81 At the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Taylor Green, 25, left, and Brittany Spencer, 25, grieve for those killed in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 ATF investigators continue to work the scene of the Pulse nightclub shooting along Orange Ave. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 Friends and family attend the funeral of Angel Luis Candelario-Padro. It was the first funeral for the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 15 / 81 Doctors, nurses and first-responders at a prayer service in the emergency room at Florida Hospital in Orlando to honor the victims of the nightclub shooting. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 16 / 81 FBI investigators continue to work at the Pulse nightclub on June 15. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Mourners embrace outside the visitation for Pulse nightclub shooting victim Javier Jorge-Reyes. (David Goldman / Associated Press) 18 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 Mourners gather at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for a vigil in honor of the nightclub attack victims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 Michelle Moment sing praise during a service at the First Baptist Church of Orlando during a special prayer service for the attack on Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 We were protected, we were saved it was just a miracle, said Orlando Torres, 52. A promoter at Pulse, Torres was trapped in a bathroom stall with a friend. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 With stitches in his hand, gunshot victim Angel Colon tells his story to the media at a news conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Patience Carter after describing the attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times ) 25 / 81 Gunshot victim Patience Carter, 20, left, is consoled by Dr. Neil Finkler at a news conference at Florida Hospital, joined by Dr. Brian Vickaryous, center, and fellow survivor Angel Santiago, 32, right, where they described the attack and its aftermath. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 Angel Santiago on June 14, describes how events unfolded during the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando two days earlier. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Doctors and other staff at Orlando Regional Medical Center involved in the response to the nightclub shooting answer questions at a news conference on June 14, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on June 13, 2016, to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Alison Cossio, center, holds a photo of her friend Christopher Sanfeliz, who one of the victims of the Orlando shooting, during a June 13, 2016, candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels plays guitar and sings during the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred Monday,night in remembrance of the 50 people killed in Orlando. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Marwa Balkar holds a candle at the Islamic Center of Southern California and ICUJP Interfaith Vigil Against Violence and Hatred on June 13, 2016, in remembrance of the 49 people killed in Orlando, Fla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Los Angeles City Hall is lit up in colors of the rainbow during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 Scott Phillips and Em Enagan mourn for the 49 lives lost in the Orlando shooting during a vigil at Los Angeles City Hall. (Callaghan OHare / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 A song is sung during a candlelight vigil and rally, hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, at Los Angeles City Hall, for the victims of Sundays shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial rally at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Madeline Lago, 15, and her mother Carmen Lago were among the thousands who gathered for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. They bowed their heads as the bell was tolled. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Thousands gather for a memorial at the Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday to honor those killed and wounded in the Pulse nightclub attack. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 Friends and relatives bring flowers and remembrances to the plaza at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Danielle Irigoyen brings flowers to the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Im very close to many of the people who go to Pulse. Pulse was a safe place for us all, she sail. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 Investigators gather at the Pulse nightclub on Monday morning. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Investigators set up at the Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Family gather for victims at Beardall Senior Center in Orlandoon Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, who was killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Friends of Shane Tomlinson, including Richie Compton, left, and Erik Winger, right, gather in prayer and remembrances in downtown Orlando on Monday. Shane Tomlinson was killed killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Family and friends arrive at the Senior Center in Orlando as they await news on their loved ones on Monday. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 Volunteers gather in prayer on Monday at the Senior Center in Orlando where they are there to help grieving family and friends of those killed and injured in the shooting at Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 FBI investigators in Orlando, Fla., look at the floor plans of Pulse nightclub as they gather on Monday morning to continue the investigation. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 People gather at Taylor Square in Sydney, Australia, to show solidarity with victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Dan Himbrechts / EPA) 49 / 81 City Hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, is lit up in solidarity with Orlandos shooting victims. (Oded Balilty / Associated Press) 50 / 81 New Zealand residents gather at Frank Kitts Park in Wellingtond to mourn victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 51 / 81 A man lights a candle in Paris on June 12 to remember those slain and wounded in the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Rapahel Satter / Associated Press) 52 / 81 New Zealand residents gather in Frank Kitts Park to mourn victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. (Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images) 53 / 81 Residents gather at Joy Metropolitan Community Church near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to mourn the mass shooting victims of the early morning attack on June 12, 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 Johnpaul Vazquez, right, and his boyfriend Yazan Sale sit by Lake Eola, in downtown Orlando, thinking of those killed and injured. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Judy Rettig, center, and Dave Hack, left, hug after a prayer service held at the Joy Meropolitan Community Church in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Zafar Basith prays at a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 Raymond Braun, right, right, gets a hug after a vigil held in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting at the nightclub in Orlando. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 Monte Dobbs and Jhoanna Galvez of Long Beach, comfort each other during a vigil service at the corner of La Cienega Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. (Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Orlando, second from right, was at the nightclub and trapped for three hours in a bathroom. Orlando and family attend a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 People hug in solaceafter a vigil and church service held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 Susan Stephens, right, gets a hug from Karen Castelloes before a vigil and prayer service is held at Joy Meropolitan Community Church very close to Pulse nightclub. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 Investigators view the site of the early morning mass shooting on June 12, 2016, at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 People hold signs in support of the Orlando shooting victims on Sunday. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 64 / 81 Kelvin Cobaris, a local clergyman, consoles Orlando city commissioner Patty Sheehan (right) and Terry DeCarlo, an Orlando gay-rights advocate, as they arrive on the scene near where at least 50 people were reportedly shot and killed in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 65 / 81 Aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 66 / 81 A bomb disposal unit checks for explosives around the apartment building where shooting suspect Omar Mateen is believed to have lived on June 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 67 / 81 Ray Rivera, a DJ at Pulse nightclub, is consoled by a friend outside of the Orlando Police Department after 50 people were killed at the club on Sunday. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 68 / 81 Orlando police officers outside of Pulse nightclub after a fatal shooting and hostage situation on Sunday. (Gerardo Mora / Getty Images) 69 / 81 Terry DeCarlo, executive director of the LGBT Center of Central Florida, right, is comforted by an Orlando Police officer after a shooting involving multiple fatalities at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 70 / 81 An aerial view of the shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 71 / 81 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, center, and others have a moment of silence on June 12, 2016, in West Hollywood for the victims of the shooting in Orlando, Fla., that happened early that morning. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 Emergency personnel at Orlando Regional Medical Center wait with stretchers for the arrival of victims from the fatal nightclub shooting. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 73 / 81 A police officer stands guard outside the Orlando Regional Medical Center after a fatal shooting at nearby Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 74 / 81 Law enforcement agencies and local city representatives speak at a news conference after 50 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) 75 / 81 An Orange County (Fla.) Sheriffs Department SWAT member arrives at Pulse nightclub. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 76 / 81 Orlando police direct family members away from the Pulse nightclub, where 50 people were killed. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 77 / 81 Jermaine Towns, left, and Brandon Shuford wait down the street from the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 78 / 81 Bystanders wait down the street after a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press) 79 / 81 The scene outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., after the shooting early Sunday. (Univision Florida Central / EPA) 80 / 81 An injured person is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press) 81 / 81 An injured man is escorted out of the Pulse nightclub after a shooting rampage Sunday morning in Orlando, Fla. A gunman with an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a gay nightclub, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. (Steven Fernandez / Associated Press)

Katrina Manalastas, 30, spent about half a minute at each cross, snapping photos on her phone. She took a break about halfway through the sprawling memorial, overwhelmed, and spent a little extra time at the cross honoring her friend Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32, whose funeral she had just attended.

At the end, she scrolled through 13 rows of pictures  49 lives memorialized in half-inch-by-half-inch photos on her phone. Manalastas said she wanted to remember each victims face, not just the number 49.

Nearby, Alberto Capo crumpled to his knees in tears.

No, no, no, he repeated, staring at a picture of his nephew Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20, who died in the massacre.

His nephews dream was to become as famous as he possibly could, Alberto Capo said, and, yet, he had an extremely humble heart. He befriended a homeless man who lived near him, often delivering food and once giving him the hoodie off his back.

To me, Capo said, he was perfect.

As he stood up, drying his eyes on a T-shirt bearing his nephews name, a tall woman with blond hair walked by. She did a double take, noticing that the name on Capos shirt matched the one on the cross.

Oh, God, she whispered.

She wrote Love! in cursive on the cross, dropped a sunflower and told Capo she was so sorry. He nodded.

Capo lives in Cleveland and planned to drive home Friday night, but wanted to spend his final hours in Orlando at the cross. Before he left, he whispered goodbye to his nephew: Bye, Papi.

The memorial, at times, became a classroom for learning how to respond to tragedy. As a little boy walked toward the last cross, he stopped counting and looked confused.

49? he asked. I thought 50.

His older brother shook his head, explaining that putting the death toll at 50 would include the bad guy, adding that the bad guy doesnt count.

Their mother rested one hand on each of her boys shoulders and scrunched her eyebrows together.

He was very, very bad, she told them, referring to gunman Omar Mateen, but he counts.

The horizontal slat of each cross bore the victims names in big, capital letters, but loved ones added nicknames. There was Wonder Woman, nugget and El bebe  the baby. To some, Luis Omar Ocasio Capo was simply Ommy.

Messages from strangers and friends covered the crosses:

Disaster family loves you.

I will miss you, your smile, jokes and little dance moves. I love you so much nugget. Love, ladybug.

I promise to be here for your family. Rest easy.

On the back of each cross, there was a note in matching handwriting: Greg Zanis Loves You.

Zanis, 65, started building and delivering crosses to scenes of mass shootings years ago to cope with his own suffering. In the winter of 1996, he found his father-in-law lying in a pool of blood, he said, and the killing wrecked his life. He lost 50 pounds and struggled to find meaning in things.

A few months later, a 6-year-old was killed in Illinois and her mother asked Zanis if he would build a cross for $25. He refused the money, he said, but built her the cross.

Before long, crosses started popping up across Illinois and then the country. Zanis said hes made nearly 15,000 crosses and can hardly keep track of all the crime scenes hes visited.

After the 2005 school shooting on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota, he built crosses using scraps from a collapsed barn; he used parts of a deck for the crosses he took to Tucson after the 2011 shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; the next year, after the massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., he relied on pieces of an old fence.

In 1999, Zanis showed up to the scene of the Columbine High School shooting with 15 crosses, including two for the killers. The decision, which Zanis said was meant to empathize with the killers parents, who he imagined must be suffering immensely, sparked outrage, especially among some of the victims families.

Out of respect, he stopped making crosses for killers, he said, but sometimes still leaves behind a small wooden heart for their families.

After he heard about the Orlando shooting, which happened at a gay nightclub, Zanis, a Christian, said he started to get calls from longtime friends curious if he planned to build crosses this time. Of course, he told them. Some spoke negatively of homosexuality, which Zanis said infuriated him.

That was all the more reason for me to go to Orlando, he said.

After he set up the crosses, he met with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and dozens of victims families. Before driving home Friday, Zanis collected as many cell phone numbers as possible.

He plans to call the victims families before officials decide to remove the memorial.

The crosses, hell tell the families, are yours.

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Did gunman have bombs or an accomplice? Captain says questions made SWAT team use caution
As the hours ground on and the death toll mounted, Orlando Torres wondered when the police would come to rescue him and others trapped by the gunman who had stormed the Pulse nightclub.

The 52-year-old would later recall thinking, Whats taking them so long?

The question has been asked by many in the days following the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Omar Mateen launched his attack on the gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., around 2 a.m. Sunday, yet the ordeal didnt end until three hours later.

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But police insist that during those three hours, they were rescuing clubgoers and employees and trying to assess whether the gunmans boasts  he claimed to have an explosive vest  were real. In an interview, the commander of the Orlando Police Department SWAT team described the challenges they faced and how they made key decisions that morning.

Officers were running inside and grabbing people and throwing them in pickup trucks to be taken to hospitals, said Capt. Mark Canty of the SWAT team. There was never a time we were sitting there twiddling our thumbs. My guys were doing things from the beginning. We werent just sitting idly by. We were doing what we needed to do to save lives.

Canty happened to be awake when he got the call about what was happening at Pulse. He was on the phone with a lieutenant, discussing a carjacking the SWAT team had responded to the day before. The suspect had fled and holed up with two hostages in an apartment. Cantys team rescued the hostages and arrested the carjacker.

But the scene Canty confronted when he arrived at the nightclub at 2:45 a.m. was far more complicated, as was the standoff that would play out over the next two hours. In the end, 50 would die, including the gunman, and an additional 53 would be wounded.

This has been called an active-shooter situation, and it started off that way. But it became a barricaded person, and the tactics are different, Canty said Friday. We have to step back and position ourselves to contain him and assess what is the best way to enter the building.

An off-duty police officer working as a security guard had traded gunfire with the shooter at the entrance to the club and called for backup.

Its not clear why the off-duty officer didnt pursue the gunman into the club, Canty said, but its not surprising.

That officer is by himself and doesnt know how many people are involved. The guy is obviously armed with more advanced weaponry, Canty said. Mateen had a handgun and a Sig Sauer MCX assault-style rifle.

Some patrol officers responded to the call and traded gunfire with the shooter at the front of the club, Canty said.

Thats kind of what drove him into the bathrooms, and that allowed the officers to come in and remove some people who were inside from the main part of the club, he said.

One officer was grazed by a bullet that struck his Kevlar helmet, and a photograph of the green helmet  with its scuffed surface and bullet hole  soon became a familiar image from the attack. The officer wanted to stay on the scene, but fellow members of law enforcement forced him to get medical attention, Canty said.

I know people thought during that three-hour period we were just waiting. We were actually trying to rescue people.  Mark Canty, SWAT commander for the Orlando Police Department

After the gunman retreated to the rear bathrooms, where more than 20 patrons had crammed themselves into the stalls, Canty and other police began to position themselves outside the darkened building.

They considered smashing through a wall to reach the hostages.

We had been discussing the breach from shortly after I got there just because we realized it was going to be difficult to get to the hostages from the interior, he said.

An Orange County, Fla., Sheriffs Office bomb squad was on the way, and Canty asked the commander to prepare an explosive to break through the clubs walls. None of my officers are trained to deal with those type of explosives, he said.

But he said they didnt sit around waiting.

Some of the 44 SWAT team members replaced patrol officers stationed around the club in case the shooter emerged. They couldnt hear the gunman or those trapped inside, Canty said, but dispatchers could.

Police face questions about delayed response to Orlando shooting 

People inside were calling, texting their friends. They were calling dispatch, and they were relaying that to us, he said. I know people thought during that three-hour period we were just waiting. We were actually trying to rescue people.

And they did.

There was a group in a dressing room. They were kind of isolated from where the shooter was, and we were able to get them out a door on the north side of the building, Canty said. Outside, officers helped punch holes in a fence so people who had reached a patio could escape.

The club manager was in touch with employees trapped in another dressing room with an air conditioning unit in the wall. We were able to get that air conditioning unit out and get them out, he said. About a dozen people were freed from the two dressing rooms.

As the hours ticked by, Canty grew worried. The gunman was talking to a negotiator, but he was also checking Facebook, texting his wife and calling a local television station. Canty heard radio traffic that the gunman had made calls to 911 to say hed pledged allegiance to terrorist groups and he had made his peace with Allah.

Explosives were a major concern. The gunman claimed that a female accomplice armed with a bomb was playing dead among the victims and that he had snipers stationed nearby, hostage Richard Aiken texted a friend, who alerted police.

Are we going to be able to get them out of there? Canty said he wondered. Is there some explosive in there thats going to detonate and kill all the people in there and my officers that are there?

Normally, he said, when you know theres a bomb, the smart thing to do is back away like 1,000 feet. But his team wouldnt budge.

Even if I had given them an order, I dont think I could have dragged them away from their positions, he said.

Shortly before 5 a.m., the gunman called 911 with a threat.

He talked about putting vests on the hostages and sending them out to the four corners of the club, Canty said. Mateen claimed to have a vest for himself too, according to the police chief. And the gunman said hed take action in 15 minutes.

Considering what has gone on in San Bernardino and Paris, youre thinking the worst case, Canty said. We had started prepping [an explosive] charge. We were getting ready as quickly as we could.

It is imperative we get this right, FBI says of Orlando shooting investigation 

When Mateen made the call, Canty was at the command post a few blocks from the club with Orlando Police Chief John Mina. They reviewed the plan to rescue the hostages, and Mina made the call to use the explosive to break through a wall of the club.

In the bathrooms, Aiken, 29, heard police on a loudspeaker: Move as far away from the walls as you can. He said the gunman then started shooting again.

The first explosion didnt quite break the wall, so the SWAT team used an armored, Humvee-style BearCat vehicle to ram it, Canty said.

The hole was in the wrong spot. It was in the hall between the two bathrooms. So they attempted to make a second hole, he said.

When officers heard gunshots inside, they hurled in some nonlethal explosive flash-bang devices to divert the shooter and then rammed the wall a few more times, finally breaking into one of the bathrooms where the hostages were trapped with the gunman.

Thats when they faced off with Mateen.

He starts coming out of the first hole, and thats where he engages the officers in gunfire, Canty said. Ten SWAT team members opened fire and killed the shooter.

The team freed more than 20 hostages, helping those who could not walk. Still uncertain whether the gunman had acted alone, officers quickly searched the group for weapons. Concerned that Mateen might have explosives strapped to his body, officers sent a robot to inspect the corpse.

Canty said the rescue showed why police increasingly invest in military-style equipment like the BearCat. He said his team followed accepted tactics and did all it could to help those trapped inside the club.

As the investigation unfolded, police eventually would find 49 people dead. You have a lot of seasoned guys  theyre shaken by what they saw, Canty said.

Many SWAT team members stayed until 10 a.m., when they were sent home to rest. By 5 p.m., they were back on duty, Canty said, ready for anything else that may occur in the city of Orlando.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

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For the builder of Orlandos 49 memorial crosses, his craft from the heart is a familiar one

Nearly a week later, a shooting survivors mind races with memories of her hero cousin
Help wanted: Seasoned Republican politician with Washington experience. Must have high energy, conservative credentials and a strong stomach. Job requires working for mercurial boss who provokes needless crises without warning. On paper, youll be his deputy, but this chief executive prides himself on ignoring others advice. The successful candidate will roll with the punches and subordinate his/her public image to the bosss whims. Four-year, no-exit contract; once youre in, youre in.

Would anybody want this job?

As Donald Trumps scorched-earth style has driven his poll numbers downward, the question isnt only whom hell pick as his running mate; its also whether leading Republicans are willing to shackle their futures to his.

If you take the job, youre betting your reputation and your career on Donald Trump, said Vin Weber, a former Republican congressman from Minnesota who, it must be noted, is not a fan.

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The presumptive nominee has an albatross around his neck, agreed David Winston, a longtime GOP pollster. The share of voters who have an unfavorable opinion of Trump is higher than weve ever seen for a presidential candidate. That means he isnt just vetting potential running mates; hes going to have to recruit them.

If Trump loses the general election, his No. 2 risks collecting a share of the blame. If Trump wins, the new vice president gets to spend four years contending with a boss whose reality TV catchphrase was: Youre fired.

Small wonder that the list of prominent Republicans who dont want to be considered is as long as those who are signaling interest.

See the most-read stories in National News this hour >>

Nominees often find their running mates among the rivals they defeated in the primaries, but Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. John Kasich are all in the not me camp.

Trump has said he would like a vice president with experience in Congress, somebody that can help me with legislation. But some of his partys top figures on Capitol Hill dont appear interested, either.

House Speaker Paul Ryan would be a logical candidate; he was Mitt Romneys running mate in 2012, and hes beloved by many conservatives.

But while Ryan has formally endorsed Trump, he has repeatedly criticized the real estate mogul, slamming his criticism of a Mexican American federal judge as the textbook definition of a racist comment. Besides, Ryan is passionate about cutting future spending on Social Security and Medicare; Trump disagrees. That marriage isnt going to happen.

Contrary to popular belief, its not unprecedented for politicians to decline an offer to run for vice president. Its not even unusual.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Corker, has traveled to Trump Tower in New York to offer foreign policy advice. But if Corker was initially interested, hes sounding less enthusiastic now.

Last week, the senator said he was disappointed by Trumps statements after the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., in which the presumptive nominee accused U.S. Muslims of harboring terrorists and suggested that President Obama might secretly sympathize with extremists.

In an effort to be constructive, I have offered public encouragement [to Trump], but I must admit that I am personally discouraged by the results, Corker told me.

Who would take the job?

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, has been virtually campaigning for the role.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Trump was right about Orlando, he told conservative columnist Byron York. Trump has been warning again and again that this has been getting more dangerous.

Trump and Gingrich are also in broad agreement on domestic policy; like Trump, Gingrich criticized Romney and Ryan for proposing cuts to Medicare spending in 2012.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the first primary candidates to endorse Trump, seems eager too  all too eager.

Hes become a fixture on Trumps campaign, to the extent that The New Yorker reported that he has transformed himself into a sort of manservant, delivering the candidates lunch from McDonalds. (The governors office issued an indignant denial, at least about the lunch.)

Christies term as governor ends in January 2018, and he cant run again. But its not clear what hed bring to the ticket; his job approval in New Jersey has plummeted and he has no Washington experience.

Trump has said he would consider Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the first member of the Senate to endorse him. But Sessions has pointed out that hed be a bad strategic choice, since the GOP shouldnt need extra help in the Deep South.

The presumptive nominee has also said he likes Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a governor with solid conservative credentials; she has said shes honored to be considered.

Contrary to popular belief, its not unprecedented for politicians to decline an offer to run for vice president. Its not even unusual.

According to Joel K. Goldstein of St. Louis University, no fewer than seven Democrats turned down then-Sen. George S. McGovern in 1972, including Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and Walter F. Mondale. Kennedy went on to serve as one of the most powerful senators of modern times. Mondale served as vice president under Jimmy Carter and became the 1984 Democratic presidential nominee.

So it doesnt hurt a politicians career to turn down the second spot on the presidential ticket. But its definitely not a good sign for the candidate at the top.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION

Even in the Wild West, there were rules about carrying concealed weapons

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Liberal gun groups? Theyre out there  and they have a different take on stopping gun violence than you might expect
Dont bother checking your calendar  it isnt April 1, and there is such a thing as the Liberal Gun Club. The national organization is pro-gun ownership and pro-2nd Amendment, and attorney Lara Smith is the vice president of the California chapter, the clubs largest. She details where the group stands vis a vis the massively influential National Rifle Assn. and the countrys top-of-the-lungs arguments over gun rights and gun safety. If you search for the organization it online, youll find its name paired with the words libertas, gravitas, civitas, roughly liberty, seriousness, citizenship. It could just as well use whatever the Latin is for less heat, more light.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW ON THE PATT MORRISON ASKS PODCAST

I read on your website that some people dont think you really exist.

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I think thats a common misperception. There are approximately 33% of Democrats that admit to having guns in their houses and to being gun owners. The Liberal Gun Club seeks to have membership for them.

I think its really important to understand how diverse gun owners are in the United States. I think there is this perception that almost every gun owner is a white male approximately 50 years old. And that is just not true.

Women are the largest-growing segment of the gun population. Theres groups like the Pink Pistols, which is an LGBT gun rights organization. We are a huge, broad, different group of Americans. I think we probably represent every aspect of American society.

Only about 7[%] to 9% of gun owners are members of the NRA. If we even just had 1% of the remaining gun owners, we would be a huge powerful organization.

What is it about your group that your needs arent being met by these others?

One example today would be a tweet today from the NRA that says, Call your lawmakers and tell them to oppose any new gun control measure. But when you click through on the link, they link that to their quote, Obamas failed (supposedly failed) global war on terror. And that doesnt resonate with Democrats.

Democrats feel excluded from the gun debate. We own our guns, we support the 2nd Amendment, we support all of the Constitution, but were not represented when it comes to the national debate and the national stage.

We do not agree with the statement of fight all gun control. Now, is there a consensus in our group on what control there should be? No, absolutely not, but there is a discussion and there are certain things like universal background checks, well-implemented checks, that are generally supported.

When most people today think of the NRA, they think of the political arm, and that political arm has become nearly exclusively a supporter of the Republican Party. And gun rights today are seen as only being for the Republican, and theyre seen a being a divisive issue, that gun owners are seen as being against freedom of speech. Were seen as being pro-harm, were seen as being anti-LGBT. And that just cant be further from the truth.

You and I are speaking in the wake of the worst mass shooting in modern American history, and the questions being debated now are what is to be done, what should be done, about guns, gun ownership, gun safety, gun regulation in this country?

Well, thats an incredibly complicated question. I think if we knew what to do about mass shootings in general, we would probably have Nobel Peace Prizes.

I think there does need to be a real discussion in the United States about what is going to happen with guns? What restrictions do people want on the ability to obtain guns?

One of the things that comes up in the press fairly often are the issues of background checks. I think theres tremendous support for the idea of a universal background check system, especially if that system is not going to burden the gun owner. Many gun owners see the idea of a universal system as one that would help us.

Wed like to see some commonsense policies suggested that would allow for a universal background check system that would eliminate this hodgepodge of state systems. It would allow gun owners more ability to transport our guns across state lines.

Wed like to see a system that would be effective to allow law enforcement to find out that people who have committed a crime or who have mental health issues who are not under existing law entitled to possess a gun legally, that it would be more effective in catching them.

At the same time we recognize that background checks shouldnt be used as a proxy for a registry that could be used to take guns from lawful gun owners, that could be used to restrict the rights of certain classes of otherwise lawful people from having guns.

Is there a constitutional right to all kinds of guns, the ones that are not already banned?

I think this is a common misperception. AR-15s look like military weapons, but theyre not military weapons. There is not great consensus on even what assault rifle means.

Also, the Supreme Court has interpreted the 2nd Amendment as protecting weapons typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. Right now, theres something along the lines of 8 to 10 million of what are called modern sporting rifles, these so called assault weapons, in common usage in the U.S. I would say that because they are in such wide usage, that they are likely constitutionally protected.

Another thing to think about with them is that they are most likely the gun that causes the least amount of gun deaths in the United States in any given year.

But the most high-profile, I think.

Theyre absolutely the most high-profile. They look scary. They seem scary. But in reality they dont specifically work differently than other weapons.

People question whether there should be guns in civilian hands that can fire off 10 or 20 or 30 rounds in an extremely short period of time.

I think there is legitimate argument to be made about whether magazine capacity bans are effective and whether we should look at those. There is a huge divide within the Liberal Gun Club itself on that issue.

There have been some studies that suggest that magazine capacity restrictions are absolutely the most effective thing we could do to limit gun deaths in mass shooting situations, However, several of those studies have problems with their methodology.

I personally support them. Others, and certainly others in the Liberal Gun Club, think that they dont help.

After the Newtown shootings, President Obama was angry and said things must change. The response of Wayne La Pierre, the head of the NRA, was that, The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

As to that example, people pointed to the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. He was surrounded by six people with guns, all federal officers or local police, and he still got shot. Do you think that idea works, that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun?

Has a good guy with a gun ever stopped a bad guy with a gun? Certainly, I think thats happened. I dont think thats always happened. And I think thats a terrible oversimplification.

I think there are times that they have, in fact, that good guys with a gun have stopped bad guys. Now, do I think that is the only thing we should be looking at to stop the bad guys, to stop violence? Absolutely not.

Whats causing this violence in the first place? We need to address these underlying issues, and I think thats one of the biggest ways that the Liberal Gun Club varies from the NRA. We really believe that we need to work at ways to solve issues of poverty, lack of opportunity, lack of education, drug and alcohol dependency, under- and unemployment, untreated mental health issues.

We need to look at the failed drug war, and we need to look at how we can provide a social safety net so that these things that correlate with violence -- not just gun violence but violence in all forms -- are reduced in our country

What about the idea of making people pass training safety tests to show they know what theyre doing with the weapon that theyre buying?

I would say that in the membership of the Liberal Gun Club, there is significant support for that idea. However, one of the concerns about it is that it doesnt become an expense that would exclude people from gun ownership. However, there is something to be said for mandatory training and mandatory safety.

You have heard the phrase, too, as we all have, that any gun regulations start us down a slippery slope. Do you believe theres no way of saying this far but no further when it comes to gun safety laws?

No, I dont. I think thats the same argument as the 2nd Amendment is unlimited. I think that argument is incorrect. No less a conservative than Justice [Antonin] Scalia thought that was incorrect. I think that liberal gun owners understand the concern for a slippery slope, especially when people are calling for the confiscation of arms. But the idea that there can be no restriction? No , I think that is incorrect.

Youve noted theres a lot of discussion about ammunition and ammunition clips. You must laugh at the Chris Rock bit about charging $5,000 for a bullet as a crime-stopping technique.

I find that idea incredibly problematic for two reasons. One, I think that if youre going to stop ammunition, youre going to create the exact situation that alcohol prohibition did. Youre going to turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals because theyre going to ignore it.

I think the other issue is that that ignores how lawful gun owners use their weapons. If Im going to be good and accurate with the guns that I have, I need to be able to practice with them, and to practice with them I need to have a sufficient amount of ammunition.

It was a comedy routine, though. But youre concerned about the more serious implications.

I am concerned about the more serious implications because there are legislators in California right now who are looking to make it incredibly difficult for gun owners in California to get ammunition. The comedy bit  its funny, but it misunderstands how lawful gun owners use guns.

Questions are being raised about terrorists, people on terrorist watch lists, being able to buy weapons. Is your point that there should be maybe some kind of secondary check: Were going to look into this a little further before you can buy this gun?

The problem with stopping the gun purchases, that the FBI recognized, is that if youre going to stop that purchase, there must be due process for that person to challenge stopping [it]. And right now, the way the lists exist, theres no due process at all. We dont know how people are put on it.

We dont know whos on it. We dont know how you get off it. Theres no way to get off the list. I would say, as a liberal, Im against enemies lists of all types.

And it worries me that if this list can be used without due process to deprive someone of a constitutional right, what list is going to be used next to deprive someone of a different constitutional right? Having said that, I hope that this is a way that the lists that we have now are changed, so that there is due process for the people that are on them, and so we can stop terrorists from getting weapons.

How did you come to be a gun owner?

My husband is a Marine, and I have to say, I was a tremendous anti-gunner. And he and I would have these discussions, and he would say, But, no, you dont understand this about guns. And I would say, Youre right, I dont understand.

And so I said to him, Id like to learn this. But if Im going to learn this, I dont want you to teach me, I want to learn this with a woman instructor and I want to learn this with my own gun.

And Id say my story is very common for women. We wanted a voice in the debate, but we felt that we needed knowledge. And so we went out and we got that knowledge, and we found a sport that we really enjoyed.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
For Republicans, the news wasnt great last week. Donald Trumps response to the Orlando mass shooting was panned even by some in his own party. Discord erupted between his campaign and the Republican National Committee. Deficits surfaced in his campaigns fundraising, data capacity and organization.

By the end of last week, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan had announced in an NBC interview that party candidates should follow their consciences in deciding whether to back Trump. And rumbles renewed about an insurgent move to replace the presumptive presidential nominee at the July convention.

So it was more than strange that good GOP news arose in, of all places, California.

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California has been a graveyard for statewide Republican hopes for two decades now, apart from the quirky happenstances of the Arnold Schwarzenegger years.

Before the primary here, many Republicans here worried that Trumps presence on the ballot would depress turnout, threatening party candidates down the ballot. That possibility was heightened when Trumps challengers dropped out weeks before the California vote, making the result a foregone conclusion.

What happened on June 7? Republican turnout went up compared with Californias last presidential primary.

Its impossible to know what drove Republicans to the ballot box, but drive they did.

Overall, Republicans lost almost 300,000 voters between 2012 and 2016, to just under 4.9 million this year.

But in the votes tallied by Saturday afternoon, Republicans increased their turnout from 1.9 million in 2012 to nearly 2.1million. More than 1 million ballots remain to be counted and many of them are undoubtedly Republican, meaning that the increase will only get bigger.

Already, Trump had won more votes than Mitt Romney did in 2012 here, with 1.55 million votes. His vote also will grow as more tabulations are done.

As to overall GOP voting, the results were in line with turnout boosts among Republicans all over the country.

Generally people have been pretty excited and engaged in this election cycle, said Harmeet Dhillon, the state Republican Partys vice chairwoman. The Trump thing is one factor. It brought some Republicans who had not necessarily been engaged before.

Dhillon noted that Republicans worked to boost voter registration and turnout in key areas of the state with competitive legislative and congressional seats. But the growth in turnout was evident nearly everywhere.

Based on the most recent registration numbers, Republican turnout was more than 42%, a figure that will rise as more ballots are counted. The comparable figure in 2012: 37%.

Republicans saw a turnout boost both in counties which they control and in counties where they are underdogs.

For more on politics 

The partys most successful region is the Central Valley  and in Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties, Republicans on June 7 notched turnout increases in double-digit percentages.

In Fresno County, fewer than 55,000 Republicans cast ballots in 2012; by Friday night more than 63,000 had been counted for this years primary, a 15% increase and growing. Increases were even higher in Kern and Tulare counties.

More populous Southern California counties saw turnout jumps as well.

In the Inland Empire, voters responded to Trumps campaign with turnout far ahead of 2012  by almost 38% in Riverside and 26% in San Bernardino. Most of that increase was accounted for by Trumps advantage over Romney.

This years presumptive nominee also increased his edge over Romney along the coast, but not by the margins seen in the more conservative inland areas. In Los Angeles and Orange counties, about 14% more Republicans showed up. But Trumps advantages over Romney in those counties were far smaller.

Turnout is a concern for all political parties for a simple reason: Voters are most often lured to the polls by the candidate at the top of the ticket. Once there, they tend to stick around for races lower on the ballot. If Republicans are turned off by Trump this year, candidates all the way down the ballot will suffer.

That fear was not realized in the primary. In Central Valley congressional districts that are perennial battlegrounds between Republicans and Democrats, a drop in GOP turnout could mean losing the seat. Yet in the district held by Democratic target Rep. Jeff Denham, GOP turnout was up 13%; in the nearby district held by Rep. David Valadao, turnout was up nearly 17%.

None of this means California will turn red in November, despite Trumps public statements that he will contest the state. (presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has so far won more than 2.5 million votes-and-counting here, about 1 million more than Trump.) And Trumps presence on the November ballot may well increase the turnout of his opponents.

There is also the problem of Trump himself. The swell seen here occurred before many of Trumps recent remarks renewed concerns about his candidacy. Republican leaders here know that turnout in the general election cannot be taken for granted.

This is the primary, Dhillon said. There continue to be concerns and uncertainty for the general election.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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I finally spoke with Newport Beach City Council candidate Shelley Henderson, who plans to run against incumbent Councilman Tony Petros.

Last week I reported what little I could find on social media about Henderson.

Our conversation this week was interesting, but I didnt get a sense of where Henderson stands on the issues, meaning she wouldnt talk about any, saying there would be plenty of time in the coming months to discuss them.

She was willing to talk about her background.

Born in Philadelphia, her family moved to L.A. when she was 11.

Shes been in O.C. since 2012, and renting in Newport since 2014.

She expects to graduate in May from Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, focusing on constitutional law. She chose Trinity because its faith-based.

Henderson calls Newport Councilman Scott Peotter her mentor and looks forward to joining Team Newport, if elected.

She met Peotter in 2015 at a Unite OC Candidate Bootcamp  a training program supported by the Newport/Mesa Tea Party and the OCGOP in Stanton.

She doesnt feel her short time living in Newport is a campaign issue.

If you havent lived here all your life that doesnt mean you dont add value to the conversation and offer a new perspective, she says.

Henderson is challenging Petros, who has lived in O.C. all his life, mainly because last time, Tony ran unopposed.

The system works well when you have a debate and different perspectives, she says.

Does she take exception to Petros policymaking on council?

She says no, adding that shes never met or spoken to him.

I dont have anything negative to say about him, she says.

Why does her candidate intention statement not list her address? She lists the address for Political Reporting Plus in Inglewood.

Henderson says she didnt fill out the form. Representatives from Political Reporting Plus, her campaign treasurers, did.

Though candidates usually list their residence, its not required, according to Newport City Clerk Leilani I. Brown.

Henderson will have to supply an address during the nomination period, July 18 to Aug. 12, so Brown can verify her voter registration.

Henderson feels she has the experience for City Council.

My political career spans 20 years, starting as an intern for Republican Ohio Congressman JC Wattss Jr., she tells me.

Watts eventually hired Henderson, who worked for him for five years.

She volunteered for the Republican National Convention, helping George W. Bush get elected president, and will be at the RNC this summer in Cleveland too.

Henderson served as director of outreach education for faith-based communities under Bush and also worked for Karl Rove, Bushs deputy chief of staff, in the executive office of the president as public relations liaison. She dealt with strategies related to African American and faith-based groups.

Henderson became an ordained minister and organized the First Ladies Summit and prayer breakfast. Wives of African American pastors are referred to as first ladies, she explains.

Henderson says shes excited to run for council and is aware her candidacy breaks new ground.

I am the first black woman to run for City Council, and I am a black Republican, so Ive been a minority, and I am not uncomfortable speaking about race, she says.

In addition to being a minister and budding lawyer, Henderson is a political consultant and has her own health-and-wellness business.

So why is she considering political consultant Dave Ellis, who ran the conservative Team Newport slate, to run her campaign, when shes a consultant herself?

I would be foolish to do this on my own when there are people like Dave Ellis, she adds.

*

Howling good dog beach update

Kudos to Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel, who on April 26 will bring the Board of Supervisors a resolution that, if approved, will end the controversy surrounding off-leash dogs at the unofficial dog beach adjacent to Newport.

Steels office shared her resolution with me this week. She plans to hold a press conference featuring her announcement on the beach at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

The resolution would modify the current County Ordinances Sections 4-1-45 and 4-1-46, so that the property within the unincorporated area of the County of Orange, downstream from Pacific Coast Highway at the outlet of the Santa Ana River, is designated as an area on a public beach where a dog in the charge of a person competent to exercise care, custody, and control over such dog is permitted without restraint.

It also says, Nothing in this resolution is to be interpreted as restricting the ability of the Orange County Flood Control District to carry out dredging of sand or other flood control activities within said property.

This would essentially codify something thats been taking place for years.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com. Listen to her weekly radio segment on Sunday Brunch with Tom and Lynn from 11 a.m. to noon on KOCI/101.5 FM.
TRAVEL

Presentation

Mark Haskell Smith will read from his book, Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudists Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World, and discuss experiences in Spain, France and the Austrian Alps.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.

Admission, info: Free. RSVP to (626) 449-3220.

SEQUOIA

Workshop

REI experts will help you discover Sequoia National Park and its rivers, waterfalls and ancient pictographs.

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When, where: 7 p.m. Tuesday at the REI store in Santa Monica, 402 Santa Monica Blvd., and Wednesday at the Tustin store, 2962 El Camino Real.

Admission, info: Free. (310) 458-4370 for Santa Monica; (714) 505-0205 for Tustin.

Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com.
Arzu Canoglu was born in Turkey 48 years ago, grew up in Germany, loves both countries and speaks both languages fluently.

That places the dual citizen in the middle of a bitter debate that erupted this month when the German Parliament passed a resolution declaring that the slaughter of some 1.5 million ethnic Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago was a genocide.

Canoglu, a travel agent in Berlin, had no trouble choosing sides.

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Why are Germans sticking their noses in our history? she said. They should come to terms with their own past. Every country has its own dark past.

Her anger appears to be widespread among the 3.5 million Turks living in Germany. While the resolution was introduced and championed by German legislators with Turkish roots, some are now facing death threats. The Turkish government has also been lashing out at the politicians  and fanning more anger.

See the most-read stories in World News this hour >>

Turkey has long rejected the term genocide to describe the massacres in 1915 and 1916, arguing that the killings cannot be separated from the historical context of global upheaval during World War I and that many Turks were also killed. But most historians outside Turkey describe a state-organized campaign of ethnic cleansing that unambiguously meets the definition of genocide.

In recognizing it as such, Germany was joining more than 20 other countries that have already done so. While California  with a large Armenian population in the Los Angeles area  and some other U.S. states recognize the genocide, the federal government has not because it does not want to alienate Turkey, an important ally in the Middle East.

Why are Germans sticking their noses in our history? They should come to terms with their own past.  Arzu Canoglu, Berlin travel agent, born in Turkey

Germany, too, has a strong interest in maintaining good relations with Turkey, especially as Europe deals with a flood of refugees from Syria and elsewhere, helping explain why the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel at first tried to prevent the resolution from reaching Parliament. In the end, it passed with only one no and Merkel and hundreds of legislators skipping the vote.

The resolution was spearheaded by Cem Oezdemir, a leader of the opposition Greens party who has Turkish roots. He is now facing death threats in Germany and has been assigned police protection.

Back in Turkey, his fathers hometown stripped Oezdemir of his honorary citizenship. The greatest wrath has come from Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Traitors is how he has described the 11 members of German Parliament with Turkish roots, all of whom supported the resolution. State-controlled media in Turkey published wanted posters with their mugshots.

What sort of Turks are they? Erdogan asked. Their blood must be tested in a lab.

The comment was especially disturbing in Germany, where it was taken as a reference to the Nazi obsession with Aryan blood lines.

Erdogan accused Oezdemir of lacking character and playing a leading role in accusing his own country of genocide.

Oezdemir fired back, telling a German newspaper: It doesnt matter what Erdogan says. Im not going to cave in on the question of Armenian genocide. His threats are only raising my determination to stick with this.

Another Parliament member with Turkish roots, Oezcan Mutlu, told a German television network he was worried that Erdogans attacks could inspire some insane person taking actions into his own hands.

Sevim Dagdelen, another of the legislators, said she was proud to have voted for the resolution but was taking the threats seriously: For the fanatics out there, Erdogans words are a call for violence.

Mitri Sirin, a German TV anchorman with Turkish roots, said the fears are legitimate. Not only were the legislators themselves vulnerable, he said, but so were their relatives back in Turkey.

Erdogan is hugely popular in Turkey and among a lot of Turks in Germany, who mostly follow Turkish media, he said.

MORE: Get our best stories in your Facebook feed >>

Merkel eventually rebuked the Turkish president for his comments: The accusations and statements coming out of Turkey are incomprehensible, she said.

To Germans, who have embraced their own genocidal history, Turkeys refusal to come to terms with its history is jarring.

As Christians in a predominantly Muslim empire, Ottoman Armenians were declared enemies of the state at the start of World War I on the suspicion that they were collaborating with Russia. Village-by-village mass killings followed, along with expulsion from eastern Anatolia that pushed hundreds of thousands into the Syrian desert, where they died for lack of food, water or shelter.

Last year, the Turkish government offered condolences to descendants of Armenians killed. But Turkey has continued to reject the term genocide.

Many Turks only learn the other side of the story outside of Turkey.

I grew up never hearing a word about the genocide of the Armenians until I went away to college and was enlightened by other students, said one woman who was raised in Germany by Turkish immigrant parents. I was shocked, and started asking my father about it. But it was never discussed. No one wanted to talk about it.

Now 45 and a banker in Berlin, she agreed to be interviewed on the condition that she be identified only by her first name, Ayse.

Publicizing her acknowledgement of the genocide, she said, could create problems for her relatives in Turkey.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.

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An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced six people, including two Al Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi, the top defendant, and two of his aides were sentenced to 25 years in prison for membership in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group but were acquitted of espionage, a capital offense.

Morsi and his secretary, Amin Sirafy, each received an additional 15-year sentence on charges of leaking official documents. Sirafys daughter, Karima, was also sentenced to 15 years on the same charge.

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Morsi, Egypts first freely elected leader, was ousted by the military in July 2013 and has already been sentenced to death in another case. That sentence and another two  life and 20 years in prison  are under appeal. The Brotherhood was banned and declared a terrorist organization after his ouster. Khalid Radwan, a producer at a Brotherhood-linked TV channel, received a 15-year prison sentence.

All of Saturdays verdicts can be appealed. Of the cases 11 defendants, seven, including Morsi, are in custody.

Amnesty International called for the death sentences to be immediately thrown out and for the ludicrous charges against the journalists to be dropped.

The two Al Jazeera employees  identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal  were sentenced to death in absentia along with Asmaa Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsis Muslim Brotherhood.

Al Jazeera condemned the verdicts, saying they were part of a ruthless campaign against freedom of expression, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the journalists.

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Russias defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the countrys leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscows role in the region.

Sergei Shoigu met with President Bashar Assad in Damascus for talks that focused on cooperation between the two militaries and some aspects of cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It said Shoigu held talks with Assad on orders from President Vladimir Putin.

The visit comes a day after Putin suggested that some in the Syrian opposition could join the Cabinet to help advance the stalled peace process.

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Shoigu also visited the Hemeimeem air base in the province of Latakia, where he met with pilots and inspected their quarters, according to the Defense Ministrys spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

Russia has conducted an air campaign in Syria since September, helping Assads forces win back some ground. Putin pulled back some of Russias warplanes in March in what he described as a move to help encourage peace talks, but the military has maintained a strong presence at Hemeimeem.

A U.S.- and Russian-brokered cease-fire that began Feb. 27 has helped reduce hostilities, but fierce fighting has continued in many areas, particularly around Aleppo. The Islamic State group and the Al Qaeda branch in Syria, Al Nusra Front, have been excluded from the truce.

ALSO

Egyptian court sentences two Al-Jazeera employees to death

12 arrested in anti-terror raids by Belgium authorities worried an attack was near

Suspect in slaying of British lawmaker tells court his name is Death to traitors, freedom for Britain
Three longtime friends are finally graduating high school, 71 years after dropping out to fight in the war.

A video shared by NBC LA on Facebook tells the story of three friends and World War II veterans who sacrificed graduating high school to fight for their county.

The friends, Tony Romero, 88, Lupe Malacate, 89 and Julian Lopez, 90, were all drafted in 1944 and over the years several things got in the way of going back to school.

Connie Miranda, Lopez's daughter with his high school girlfriend, talked to the Los Angeles Unified School District about making their longtime dream of a high school diploma a reality.

I believe that anybody who served their country is entitled to all the benefits, said Miranda. I think I might cry when I see them walk across the stage to get their diplomas.

On June 13, the three friends, along with Lopez's wife, all walked across the stage at Abraham Lincoln High School and received their diplomas.

Check out their story here:
Marco Cancino, who serves as Mayor of San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico, has received a lot of criticism for his charitable work.

The mayor recently donated 25,000 brooms, as part of his "Happy Broom" program, to several communities in the city so that the residents could keep the streets clean.

The mayor was called out for suggesting that the community, particularly housewives, should have to be in charge of cleaning the streets.

Photos of the brooms being handed out were originally shared on Cancino's social media accounts but seem to have been deleted following the criticism, but not before people could share them.

No es broma, alcalde @cancino_marco de San Cristobal Chiapas lanza programa llamado escoba feliz #SerInvisible pic.twitter.com/RzT26W2FkY  Carlos Trujillo (@HawkingSagan) June 12, 2016

Alcalde Marco Cancino de San Cristobal #Chiapas regala escobas a mujeres para que hagan mejor su aseo Como la ven? pic.twitter.com/AGBAowCRSH  3 Minutos Informa (@3minutosinforma) June 12, 2016

In the photos, men are seen handing out the brooms and in other pictures, Cancino, who has been criticized for taking a lot of photos but changing very little, poses with the women who were handed the brooms.

Many called the act offensive, sexist and one concocted by masculine ideals and traditional social roles.
Amid reports armed gunmen recently stormed the home of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's mom, authorities are now also investigating the discovery of seven decapitated bodies found near the reputed drug kingpin's stronghold.

The remains of the seven men were discovered in Mexico's western Sinaloa state, otherwise known as the now jailed Guzman's old home turf.

Martin Robles, Sinaloa's deputy attorney general Martin Robles told reporters the seven men were loggers near the town of Rosario, located about 60 miles south of the Pacific resort of Mazatlan.

Could There be a Connection?

Word is authorities are not yet certain if Guzman's notorious Sinaloa cartel was involved in the killings.

Guzman is now being held at a prison near the U.S. border and facing possible extradition to the states on an array of federal drug-trafficking and money laundering charges.

Earlier this month the body of a Mexican soldier assigned to guard him was found near the prison with signs of torture to his body.

Guard's Slaying Still Probed

Jorge Maurico Melendez Herrera, 20, was part of the security detail assigned to guard the outside of the facility. Guzman has previously escaped from Mexican prisons on two different occasions.

His most recent escape occurred after he dredged through an underground tunnel leading from his cell to the outside world. He was recaptured earlier this year and recently moved to the facility near the U.S. border.

Melendez is reported to have died from a blow to the back of the neck. He had also been stabbed numerous times. As many as 300 soldiers have now been assigned to provide security around the prison.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities are reported to have signed off on Guzman being extradited to the U.S., but attorneys for the reputed leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel are fighting the move. Several Mexican guards and other officials are now facing trial on charges they aided Guzman in his last escape.
Apple has pulled the plug on all funding and support for the upcoming Republican convention, stemming from presumptive nominee Donald Trump's derisive rhetoric about immigrants.

In breaking from recent tradition that has seen the tech giants provide cash and technological services, Apple execs also cited Trump's controversial comments about women and other minorities as factors.

Facebook, Google and Microsoft have all pledged levels of support which may not match that of times past during next month's GOP convention in Cleveland.

Apple's stance, rumored to have been privately communicated to Republican leaders, is furthered viewed as a clear cut indication of the mounting friction between Silicon Valley and the outspoken Trump.

Trump recently called for a boycott of all Apple products over its stance on encryption and directly blasted CEO Tim Cook.

In times past, Apple has backed the conventions of both Republicans and Democrats, including providing $140,000 in MacBooks and other tech tools to 2008 events of both parties. It's unknown if the company will be contributing the Democratic convention in Philadelphia later this summer.

While tech industry execs have typically strived to maintain cordial and working relationships with politicians from both sides of the aisle, for some Trump has posed a challenge not often seen before.

Trump's hardline stance on immigration is in direct contrast with companies like Apple efforts to attract more high-skilled foreign workers to the U.S. The New York City real estate mogul has vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and build a wall along the Mexican border if he is elected

Apple's move places the company on a list of tech companies taking a stand directly against Trump. Under pressure from activists at ColorofChange.org, HP, Inc., a major donor to the GOP convention in 2012, announced in June it would not help fund the convention in Cleveland.

"We want them to divest from hate. We want them to pull all their money and support," said Mary Alice Crim, field director for Free Press Action Fund, which is part of the anti-Trump campaign.
Fixlist.ie is calling on the people of Leitrim and Sligo to vote for them to secure a share of a 125,000 fund.

Operated by local couple John Farrell and Sadie O'Hara Fixlist.ie from Dromahair has been shortlisted in a national campaign to win a share of the IE Domain Registrys (IEDR) 2016 OPTIMISE Fund. The OPTIMISE Fund, valued at 125,000, provides 10 days worth of digital consultancy, training and development to successful SMEs to enhance their e-commerce offering and online presence. Launched in 2011, the annual OPTIMISE Fund works shoulder-to-shoulder with Irish SMEs and micro-enterprises to improve their online presence by making greater use of existing web technologies and becoming e-commerce enabled.

To date, the OPTIMISE Fund has provided training, development and support services to the value of 750,000 to 75 Irish SMEs and micro-enterprises to improve their website and online sales capabilities.

There are 32 businesses shortlisted for this years OPTIMISE Fund, including Fixlist.ie. This shortlist will now be reduced down to a final 15 winners of OPTIMISE 2016.

The public will select 10 of the final 15 businesses via an online public vote, with the final five businesses being chosen by an independent judging panel.

Voting is simple; all 32 shortlisted businesses can be viewed on the IEDR website, www.iedr.ie/optimise. Simply log on and select your preferred business to cast your vote. Voting will close this Friday, June 17.

To vote, log on to www.iedr.ie/optimise.
In twelve years as Liberal Leader, David Steel only got to nominate eight peers. One of them was former National Coal Board chairman Derek Ezra, who died last December.

In London this week, Lord Steel gave a speech at Haberdashers Hall (Derek Ezra was an honorary Liveryman) in which he paid tribute to Derek Ezra. He also explained why his colleague was so in favour of a European organisation that worked together and kept the peace.

During my twelve years as party leader Prime Minister Thatcher was notoriously mean in Liberal peerages, allowing me only eight during that time in spite of the encouragement of the Tory leader in the Lords  Willie Whitelaw  to do better. Subsequent Prime Ministers were much kinder to Ashdown, Kennedy and Clegg and allowed them several nominations in each list. Inevitably my eight nominations were all either former senior MPs or party office-bearers  with one exception  Derek Ezra.

In his memoirs he says that I nominated him in order to introduce some industrial experience on to the Liberal benches and that is true but not the whole truth  I thought it important for the public to see that we had people of his calibre in public life. He was known as chairman of the National Coal Board but few knew he was an ardent Liberal, arguing against the pattern of them and us in so much of British business. And what a success he was, one colleague saying Derek ought to give lessons to the rest of us on how to put questions in the Lords and another describing his contributions  even from his wheelchair in later life  as combining integrity, clarity and relevance. I always considered his expertise on energy and conservation debates as adding greatly to the prestige of our party.

Lord Ezra was an active and committed European from his earliest days as a student at Cambridge, as Major Ezra during the war and in his four-year service in the European Coal and Steel Community in Luxembourg. Delivering a lecture in this very hall in 2005 he mentioned his earlier work with Jean Monnet one of the most remarkable men of the 20th century who was convinced that in order to avoid future wars and promote stability and prosperity, European countries would have to cooperate on a more integrated basis than ever before. Derek added Britain remained a reluctant participant  in my opinion much to our disadvantage.

Sadly the current referendum debate has been missing that big picture. People of Dereks generation  and mine  do not need reminding that twice in the last century Europe was engulfed in tragic wars. Indeed, but now that we are commemorating the centenary of the disastrous slaughter in the battles at Verdun and Jutland many younger people need to be reminded why Europe decided to come together in one organized Community.

My great predecessor Jo Grimond put it well when he described the creation of the Community as the disappearance of the cloud which has lain over Europe for a thousand years  the plague of Western European wars 

which has been so completely expunged that new generations do not even appreciate the boon of its dispersal; it is alone worth any petty tribulations that the EEC may inflict.

In the EU today there are admittedly many tribulations both real and imaginary, and if this were a vote to endorse the European Union as perfect we would deserve to lose. But it is not, and I want to see the UK government taking a lead in reforming it, not abandoning it.

The most squalid part of the current debate as John Major rightly described it is the attempt to suggest that migration problems would be solved by leaving the Union. Derek, as the son of Jewish immigrants himself would have been appalled.

Some suggest that people of my generation  in their seventies and above  will only vote remain to save their pensions against a likely drop in the stock market and the value of the pound if we leave. That would not be a good enough reason. We should be more concerned for the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We would do well to recall what the great newscaster Sir Alastair Burnet said at the close of the long boring TV results programme at the first European Parliament elections in 1979:

35 years ago the people of Europe from the Shetlands to Sicily were at war: today the people of Europe from the Shetlands to Sicily have elected a parliament. Goodnight.

Derek would have thoroughly approved of that.
Last Thursday,the European Movement held a Lead not Leave rally in Edinburgh in support of a Remain vote. Just before the event started, the news that Jo Cox had been shot came through but at that time we didnt realise the full horror of what had happened.

All the contributions from the cross-party panel were superb. The Greens Sarah Beattie-Smith was passionate on womens rights, climate change and the EU having the power to make sure multi-nationals pay their taxes. Tory Jackson Carlaw said hed been surprised by how much a Remain vote had come to mean to him. North East Fife SNP MP Stephen Gethins, who had been disgracefully misquoted on the Vote Leave leaflet was passionate about membership of the EU. Kezia Dugdale was warm and talked about some very practical reasons we need to stay for social justice and workers.

The final speaker was our own Nick Clegg. He was pretty stark. He talked about the reality of Brexit, waking up to discover that the Leave lot dont know whats happening, the Tories are immersed in a bloodbath, theres constitutional gridlock and the economy is, frankly, down the toilet. It was one of the best speeches Ive heard him make.

It was very different in style to his tremendous resignation speech, but no less powerful and compelling. The scenario he sets out is very plausible. He wasnt trying to appeal to the audience. He knew that he was at an event where most people were going to be pretty passionately in favour of Remain. He wanted to address his remarks to the waverers. Your mission, dear readers, for the next few days is to play this to as many waverers as you can.

Now, the whole thing is definitely worth watching, but if you just want Nick, go to about 25:55.

I had recorded his speech (and Kezias) on their own. It was my first time using Periscope and to say that I screwed it up royally is an understatement. For a start, I didnt realise you had to type in what your were broadcasting so people had a clue what the random video was.

I had meant to embed the tweets in which they were broadcast on Thursday, but it obviously wasnt appropriate to do so and they only last for 24 hours.

By some miracle, the recordings are still on the app, and Id love to shove them on You Tube but I cant work out how. If you know, please tell me.

Enjoy. The text (more or less) of Nicks speech is under the cut but listen to it if you can. The energy of his delivery really brings it alive.



Jo Cox is actually an old friend of mine and shes an absolutely lovely lovely woman and an outstanding politician. I just hope we dont have to hear the worst. My thoughts are with her and her family. and her team in her constituency. Im going to deliver the prose after the beautiful poetry wee heard about the decision we face next Thursday. Given that this is a European Movement event, I suspect most of the people in this room will be persuaded that we should remain. I want to address my remarks to those who arent absolutely convinced that we should stay or absolutely convinced that we should quit but those many many fellow citizens who might be wavering or tempted to vote for Brexit but could possibly be persuaded to vote for Remain next Thursday I would ask them and all of you, how it would feel if you should wake up on Friday morning and the UK has voted to quit the EU of which it has been a strong and powerful member for 41 years. Imagine again how would you feel not if you were like us, those who would feel heartbroken, at that decision taken contrary to our wishes but if you were one of those who voted for Brexit because you have been promised this land of milk and honey, you have been promised this utopia who have been promised that all of their troubles and frustrations, all the anger that people legitimately feel about the status quo would evaporate with the morning mist in the sun the moment they put the cross next to the Brexit choice How would they feel when they find out that the people who promised all this dont know what happens next. They might be united in their furious loathing of the EU, but they have absolutely no idea what happens next. Do we become like Albania, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland? We still dont know. How can it be that a week before we make this momentous decision the people who ware asking us to leap off the edge of a cliff dont even tell us if theres a parachute to allow us to land at the bottom at the other end. Its astonishing. Thats the first thing people will realise  that they have put their faith have put our trust in people who have no idea what to do next. Look to Westminster for the Govt for leadership for some sense of purpose. What happens next? What they will find there is a Conservative Party imploding. As Nicola has rightly said one bunch of right wing Tories replaced by an even more extreme bunch of right wing Tories. There will be a bloodbath in the party of government and Westminster will be pitched into years and years and years of constitutional gridlock. They talked quite recently about how theyll get it all done and dusted in 4 years. No they wont. You cant extricate yourself from a club which is in the very fabric of so much that we do of which weve been a member for 4 decades in a few short years and then effortlessly negotiate a trade deal where apparently having said bye bye we dont want to abide by the responsibilities of being a part of the EU, the rest of the EU is not going to turn round and say Have your cake and eat it. Of course they are not going to do that. Never mind the 50 other trade deals we would need to renegotiate of which we would suddenly no longer be a part I am one of the few people in British politics who used to negotiate those deals. We dont have any international trade negotiations left in the UK because the lead has been taken in the EU over the past 40 years. So, imagine not only the political chaos, the directonlessness of the Brexit leadership and a political establishment in London embarked in bloodletting and constitutional gridlock. Imagine the economics. I spent 5 as it turned out wholly thankless years trying to play my role in delivering what needs to be essential if you want your economy to recover from a trauma. Without political stability it is very very difficult to pick yourself up from the floor. It terrifies me that these reckless irresponsible elitists in the Brexit camp want to drag us back into the furnace of economic recession Its not their jobs that are at stake, its not their livelhihoolds are at stake its not their welfare thats at stake, its millions of ordinary citizens who will suffer. That is what will happen economically. The writing is on the wall. We are an open economy. We depend massively on the kindness and generosity of strangers to invest massively in our economy The pound will fall, prices will rise. I personally think that far from Project Fear such as its called overstating what will happen, I think they are understating it cos my experiences in economics is once you get a downward spiral it feeds off itself. The idea that such an open economy so integrated into the worlds largest borderless marketplace could somehow endure nothing more than a mild recession for a couple of years and then everything would be fine, I think is a fantasy. It is a naive and dangerous fantasy On immigration, the people who might vote for Brexit they will have seen today that repressible poster from Nigel Farage with a photograph of these desperate wretched vulnerable people fleeing conflict in Syria Iraq & Afghanistan. Hes using that on a poster! How dare he? But even on his own terms, does anyone seriously think that these people are going to stop moving in large numbers across the European continent just because the UK has pulled out of the EU. What a despicable lie. How dare you claim to people that immigration if that is what people are concerned about will suddenly disappear, that this mass movement of people will suddenly stop just because the UK is not in the EU. It is a fantasty, it is a mendacious fantasy and it is appalling that they keep peddling it as hard as they do. That is not to mention the at first imperceptible but over time very significant and unavoidable slide of our countrys relevance in the affairs of the world? There will be a slide in relevance in the status of our country in the world. How can we stand tall in Beijing, New Delhi, Moscow Washington if we cant stand tall in Brussels, Berlin and Paris. If we cant stand tall and lead in our own neighbourhood how can we stand tall in the world? What really concerns me is that these people who might be lulled into thinking that this false utopia that the Brexiteers are promising might come to pass. There isnt a land of milk and honey, there isnt a promised land where all our problems will disappear if we leave the EU next Friday. No there isnt. What there is is political upheaval, constitutional gridlock, economic decline, international irrelevance. Thats not what I want, thats not what we want. We dont want that for our kids our our grandkids either.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
A WEST Limerick builder has made the rare but significant archaeological find of a pin or handpin that is possibly 1500 years old.

But Denis Corbett has agreed with the National Museum of Ireland not to disclose the location of the find. It is not, however, he assured the Limerick Leader, the Newcastle West site where he is currently working.

It all happened quite by accident, Mr Corbett revealed.I was digging a drain and I thought at first it was a nail, he said.

But because he has had, through his building work, some experience of archaeology, he showed his find to an archaeologist who advised him that all such finds are the property of the National Museum.

He subsequently sent the pin to Dublin and the National Museum where it is being examined and catalogued.

Mr Corbett understands that the pin probably dates back to the 5th to 7th centuries and is possibly made of copper or bronze.

Handpins are quite unusual and not found very often so each new discovery is of particular interest, Mary Cahill, Keeper of Irish Anitquities at the Museum has told Mr Corbett. There are a few others from Limerick including one from the River Deel at Askeaton and another from Carrig Aille at Lough Gur.

A handpin almost exactly similar to the one found in West Limerick was discovered in Craigywarren Bog in Co Antrim. That one dates from the 7th century and is made of copper-alloy and enamel and is 23cm long. The five-fingered head suggests it is a later rather than an earlier form of such pins. Two bronze pins were found near the mouth of the river Deel in 1873. .

Staff from the National Museum are now anxious to examine in more detail the site where Mr Corbett found the pin. He also found a fragment of a quern stone, used in grinding cereal into flour.

As the finder of two archaeological artefacts, Mr Corbett may yet receive a finders fee but this is totally at the discretion of the director of the National Museum.
ABBEYFEALE is set to have fibre broadband by September, offering speeds of up to 100MBps for internet users. However, many rural parts of County Limerick remain poorly served by broadband networks, leading to calls for government intervention.

Fibre is currently available in most of Newcastle West as well as Glin, Ballyhahill, Shanagolden and Askeaton, with Rathkeale, Ballingarry and Dromcollogher due to get access shortly.

But the Governments national broadband plan shows that large areas throughout the county are unlikely to be covered by commercial operators for the foreseeable future. This includes areas such as Broadford, Feohanagh, Feenagh, Ballyagran, Granagh and Banogue.

Independent councillor Emmett OBrien, who lives in Pallaskenry, pointed out that there are many areas west of Limerick city where broadband service is particularly poor.

If is quite unacceptable that broadband isnt to the level it should be. The state needs to intervene to ensure equal access to quality broadband services for all, said Cllr OBrien, who believes that a good quality broadband service is as important now as rural electrification and the development of the posts and telegraph network were in their time.

Reliable, high-speed broadband, he believes, is essential for the development of rural businesses.

If you are serious about making Ireland an e-commerce country, then you need broadband for our rural areas, he said.

With many rural areas unlikely to be able to access fibre broadband anytime in the forseeable future, independent operators are filling the gap by providing a range of wireless and satellite-based services.

One local business which has benefited from the provision of such a service is Ward Waste Products in Tournafulla. Limerick-based provider BBnet erected a mast in their yard which provides them  and many homes in the area  with good broadband speeds.

Miranda Ward said that, prior to this, broadband access was scandalous but that they now enjoy very fast broadband.

However, others are not so fortunate.

Liam Lenihan, who lives just half a mile from the village of Tournafulla, described his broadband services as very poor. In rural Ireland it is a very big problem - that and rural crime. We are sick of talking. Action is what we need now, he said.

Barry OHalloran, of BBnet in Adare, said the delay in rolling out the National Broadband Plan highlighted the scale and complexity of the issue. At the end of the day, for financial reasons not every community will have fibre-based access. Rather, it will be a combination of fibre and wireless technologies that can provide a minimum speed of 30Mb download and 6Mb upload, that will be used in the more difficult to reach places, said Mr OHalloran.

Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins said the National Broadband Plan was in tatters and warned that slow broadband speed was holding back rural businesses and communities. We need to see the plan upgraded and fast-tracked. Fibre optic links must be the goal. State of the art fibre broadband will bridge the digital divide, bringing homes into the 21st century and opening up a global market for local entrepreneurs, said Mr Collins.
A LIMERICKMAN who stole a Bounty bar from a shop in the city and later produced a syringe, whilst threatening to kill an employee and relative of the shop owner, has failed to reduce his sentence.

Damien OBrien, 30, with an address at Singland Park, Garryowen, and in St Marys Park, appealed against the severity of a sentence of five years imprisonment, from October 21, 2014, when he entered custody.

The sentence was imposed by Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on January 30, 2015 following his conviction by a jury on a count of making a threat to injure another with a syringe.

The prosecutions evidence was that Ryan entered Gleesons shop in Catherine Street and stole a Bounty bar.

After leaving the shop with the Bounty bar, a nephew of the shop owners, Seaghan Gleeson and another employee, Karl Hanley, went outside to confront him.

Mr Hanley asked him to return the Bounty Bar. However, the defendant then produced and brandished a syringe and threatened to kill both Mr Gleeson and Mr Hanley.

Despite the unanimous verdict of a jury following a three-day trial, OBrien, then 29, who has more than 100 previous convictions, insisted he was an innocent man and had been convicted of a crime I didnt commit.

OBrien chased Mr Gleeson along a nearby street but he managed to escape his pursuer. He claimed in interviews with gardai that he did not have a syringe but that what he had in his hand was in fact a bookmakers biro.

The appeal centred on four grounds  firstly, it was complained that the sentencing judge  Judge Carroll Moran at the time  failed to assess the seriousness of the case with reference to the range of available penalties.

Secondly, that Judge Moran failed to have adequate regard to the fact that the syringe was brandished reactively in circumstances where the accused was being pursued by personnel from the shop from which he had stolen produce, and that he had not produced the syringe in the shop, nor threatened anybody with it in the course of stealing the Bounty Bar.

Thirdly, it was complained that the judge failed to have adequate regard to the need to incentivise rehabilitation, and fourthly that the sentence was simply too severe in all the circumstances of the case.

The appeal against the severity of the appellants sentence was dismissed at the Court of Appeal by Mr Justice Edwards. A syringe attack such as occurred in this case required to be treated in the first instance as being at the higher end of the mid range in circumstances where there was a maximum penalty of ten years. In circumstances where both aggravating and mitigating factors were taken into account in the appropriate way, and where a penalty at exactly the mid point on the scale was the end result, we find nothing in the circumstances to suggest an error of principle in the sentencing judges approach.
A BLOW-IN from Dublin, I wouldnt move back there today, as I love living in Limerick too much.

I even support Munster over Leinster, today. I started my education at Scoil Mobhi, Glasnevin, one of the first all Irish schools in Dublin and moved on to Scoil Chaitriona, which was also an all Irish school. In 1989, I graduated from St Pats in Drumcondra, where I trained as a teacher with music as my specialisation. After college, I taught in Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig, Lucan, which I loved. However, in a bid to escape Dublin traffic and for a better quality of life, my husband and I, moved to Limerick, in 2001, with our two small children.

My parents were always of tremendous support to me and, indeed, I grew-up in a family immersed in music, with frequent trips to the Gaiety and the National Concert Hall.

During my teens I played piano well, guitar badly and sang in various bands. Although I always drew and painted lots, it wasnt until my twenties that I started life-drawing, painting and sculpture classes, with wonderful artists and teachers, such as Tom McQuirk, and Desmond Carrick of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), and Gary Coyle, and Anne Marie Keaveney, in the National College of Art and Design ( NCAD). As with my first attempt to get into NCAD after school, which failed miserably, my second attempt was also nipped in the bud, but for happier reasons. In 1997, I was accepted to study Fine Art at night, in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT, or Dun-Laoghaire Art College as it was known then), but the following week I found out that I was expecting my first baby. Finally, in 2011, it was third time lucky, when I was accepted into Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), graduating in 2015.

Always artistically curious by nature, I wanted to draw, build things and make-up stories to the sounds I could produce on the piano, long before I could actually play it properly.

As a visual artist, drawing has always been my primary interest. Photography and drawing underpin my work as a printmaker and as a painter. Recently, I have been exploring a process of drawing with paint using one brush and one colour. I find it disappointing that there is so little emphasis on drawing in Art Colleges at the moment, but I firmly believe that this will come around again.

My most recent exhibition was in the Hunt Museum Cafe.

I was the featured artist for the month of April in a year- long group exhibition called; Twelve, run in conjunction with Limerick Printmakers. This work originated from the very large paintings on paper that I presented in my degree show last June, called; The Past Is A Foreign Country. The idea came from looking at how we have changed as a society in just two generations. I exhibited three screen-prints based on these paintings using a process that laid down layers of mixed, with decreasing levels of transparent, acrylic medium. This allowed me to build-up a print with the subtleties of a watercolour painting and the detail of larger paintings, condensed into a much smaller piece.

Everybody should be encouraged to explore their potential creativity.

This is especially important for children who tend to be over-scheduled if anything. I, also, worry that with constant access to the internet, people now never get to enjoy the boredom that drove us to experiment, and make stuff, for the want of something else to do. It is always difficult to be an artist, especially in Ireland, as our art market is practically non- existent. However, support is wonderful within the artistic community and nowhere more so, than in the art college town that is Limerick. There is so much going on in our city, in terms of music, dance, writing groups and theatre. A lot is unofficial and unfunded but it thrives given the public support we have in Limerick. We certainly dont become artists for the money; wanting to be an artist is like an itch you just have to scratch. Unfortunately, the necessity of having to earn a living gets in the way, and so many potentially creative people never have the time to go on that journey.

Photographing ourselves in this selfie generation has become more about how we look, and who we can tell about it, than about capturing memories.

Our whole body language has changed so observing this aspect of modern life interests me greatly. Broadly speaking, the human figure and the way people behave and interact around it, fascinate me the most. I am, also, interested in making work abstracted from interesting structures. A painting I based on the handcrafted roof trusses of Limerick Boat Club, (after the roof blew off in 2014), is now part of the IMPACT Trade Unions permanent collection.

I usually do the work first and think about a title to suit it afterward.

The President of Shannon Rowing Club asked me to put on an exhibition, and given that it is that Clubs 150th Anniversary this year, it would be nice to reflect that in some way. I may collaborate with some other artists on a group exhibition and all options are being explored. As yet it is still evolving as an idea. There are certain problems to be overcome, such as how to hang work in a listed building. Aside from this, my next venture will be with Limerick Printmakers at the Belltable in August. It is an exhibition entitled; Remembering and reimaging: Do we treat all of the nations children equally 100 years on?

For more information about the artist Moya Ni Cheallaigh please see: www.moyanicheallaigh.com
ANDY Irvine, Paul Brady Martin Hayes, Zoe Conway, Donal Lunny and members of Altan  the roll call of those taking part in Blas in the Irish World Academy in UL reads like a roll call of the best in Irish music.

The Blas International Summer School of Irish Traditional Music and Dance, which welcomes students from all over the world to the Academy year in, year out, marks a milestone 20th year in 2016, firmly establishing itself as one of Irelands most prestigious summer schools in the process.

Blas will mark its 20th year with a number of public events, including a series of free lunchtime concerts and a public interview between Noirin Ni Riain and Aine Hensey of Raidio na Gaeltachta, but the centrepiece is the 20th Anniversary Gala Concert at the UCH, featuring past and current Blas tutors, including Paul Brady, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Martin Hayes, Altan, Micheal O Suilleabhain and dancer Colin Dunne.

Blas director, the renowned concertina-player Ernestine Healy, says the school will this year welcome between 60 and 65 students to take part in a range of activities at the school, with attendees from the USA, Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Israel and more.

I think, especially the international students like the idea of  Blas means taste  being able to come and not just focus on one area, they like the idea that our tutors only work with us for one or two days. They get to meet with a lot of tutors and get as much out of it as they possibly can, which is great, she explains.

They take part in trips and excursions and ceilis, Irish classes, which they love, she added.

On reaching the 20th year, Ms Healy said: In terms of summer schools, it is a milestone, because there so many now in Ireland. We are still going strong, and we still have great support from a number of bodies, both within the university itself and externally, which is great.

See www.blas.ie for more.
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Three people who came before a sitting of Longford District Court last week charged with violent disorder have been convicted and fined over the incident.

Eileen Keenan, Martin Keenan and Thomas Keenan, all with addresses at 10 Barry Drive, Finglas, Dublin 11 appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes following an incident on August 27, 2015.

All three were charged with violent disorder at Palace Crescent, Ardnacassa contrary to Section 15 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

They were also charged with being intoxicated in a public place and with using threatening and abusive behaviour under Sections 4 and 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

The court was told by the trios defence barrister that following a previous court sitting, 1,000 had been handed in to the Garda Benevolent Fund.

That prompted Judge Seamus Hughes to quip: I hope you will remember your time in Longford, leading one of the defendants to reply: We wont forget it.

In mitigation, the court was told that while Martin Keenan had four previous convictions to his name both Ms Keenan and Thomas Keenan had not set foot in a courtroom before.

Judge Hughes noted those remarks and even singled out Ms Keenan by complimenting her on her previous unblemished record.

It would appear that although this was a very serious incident it seems to be out of character for the Keenans because they seem to go through life without (amassing) any criminal convictions and I have to recognise that factor, he said.

In remarking that the 1,000 to the Garda Benevolent Fund had already been handed in, Judge Hughes said he still had to issue some kind of monetary sanction on each of the accused.

Taking account of the violent disorder charge levelled against all three which he described as the most serious offence, Judge Hughes fined each defendant 250, giving them three months to pay.

He also subsequently struck out the remaining Section 4 and 6 Public Order charges, not before jokingly asking the Keenans whether they intended challenging the courts ruling.

Now, they hardly want to appeal that (ruling) do they, he said.

Their barrister agreed, saying he had been given no instructions about such a possibility.
Sunday will see a series of 32 gigs being held across the length and breadth of the island of Ireland in the space of seven days for a very special cause. Jarrah Folkman is a happy, bright and loving five year old boy from Cootehill, Co. Cavan who was born in 2011 with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, CVI Blindness and Refractory Epilepsy.

People can find out more and donate online at www.32gigs.com and on Facebook Jammin for Jarrah. They will be busking on the Main St in Longford town on Tuesday June 21 from 11  12pm.

Having a child with severe neurological and physical limitations has been extremely challenging for the family but now that Jarrah is getting older its becoming intensely more of a challenge.

As Jarrah grows his parents will struggle to safely lift him into the car seats, the bath and up the stairs  everyday tasks that most parents take for granted.

Having the correct equipment is crucial for Jarrah, it would provide him with comfort and opportunities to live a full life.

Jarrah's father Ben, through his love and passion for music launched Jammin for Jarrah as the primary fundraiser for Jarrahs cause. Ben and six friends will embark on an epic musical journey on Sunday June 19 around the 32 Counties of Ireland playing 32 gigs in just 7 days, aiming to play in one social club or popular spot in every county on the island of Ireland. They hope to delight each town with their raw talent building awareness and raising money for such a wonderful, deserving little boy.

It is set to be a Busking Bonanza of singsongs, guitars, and even some cowboy hats!! So when you see them in your local area, please show them your support. Local musicians in every county are invited to join the lads for a jam. Details of locations on www.32gigs.com.

Jarrah will stay at home with his loving mammy Elysha and his little sister Aria whose admiration for her big brother would make hearts melt.

The Grand Final Concert will take place in Errigal Country House Hotel in Cootehill, Co. Cavan at 8pm on the 25th of June. A raffle and auction will take place there and prizes include items such as a guitar signed by Def Leppard, a current Republic of Ireland signed jersey, a signed Leinster Jersey, and a signed Manchester Utd programme from Roy Keanes last ever game.

Tickets are 20.00. It is set to be an exceptional night with live music and fantastic raffle prizes.

Jarrah has the whole town rallying together and it looks like hes now set to inspire the country. Thats why were setting out on this mission, to spread awareness, and to also raise much needed funds so Jarrah can get the supports he needs and deserves. Hes growing bigger fast and often has to be carried. He needs special equipment and funds raised will go directly towards that. This initiative is also a celebration of his life and his courageous spirit. Hes just such a beautiful young boy, Id do anything for him. He deserves a decent life like any of us says Jarrahs father Ben as People can find out more and donate online at www.32gigs.com and at Jammin for Jarrah on Facebook.
Pets & Animal, Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: June 19 2016

Shawana Dearing Hughes and Lee Hughes pleaded guilty to thier part in the in the horrendous act of cruelty to Miss Harper. They are scheduled to be sentenced June 20.

Pictured: Miss Harper. The Nassau County SPCA will once again have advocacy members attend Nassau County Criminal Court Part 98 in Mineola on Monday, June 20.

Mineola, NY - June 19, 2016 - Shawana Dearing Hughes and her husband Lee Hughes are scheduled to be sentenced Monday June 20, 2016 9:30 am. Shawana Dearing Hughes and Lee Hughes pleaded guilty to thier part in the in the horrendous act of cruelty to Miss Harper.

The Nassau County SPCA will once again have advocacy members attend Nassau County Criminal Court Part 98 in Mineola (see map below) sentencing of Smith. Please join us! Miss Harper was found in September 2013, when she was just a puppy, with her back leg and both her ears cut off.

The Nassau County SPCA is eternally grateful to the advocacy members who continue to show their support in our quest for justice for Miss Harper.

The Nassau County SPCA Court Advocacy members will be present at all proceeding to convey a strong message to the defendant, the judge, and all other interested parties in the criminal justice system: this community cares about the outcome of these animal abuse cases.

We sincerely appreciate the court advocacy members who have taken the time to show their support for Miss Harper.
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London : Declared a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case and wanted in India, liquor baron Vijay Mallya was spotted at a book launch event at the London School of Economics this week that was attended by Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna, causing flutters back home. Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event on Thursday evening to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seth's new book, was also present at the event when the business tycoon arrived. As television news channels showed pictures of Sarna and Mallya in the hall where the event was held, questions were raised over the presence of the high commissioner at an event where a personality wanted by enforcement agencies in India was also present.

Suhel Seth contended that it was an open event at the LSE, where anyone could come because of the open invitation, Mallya was not invited and he probably came on his own. And to the subsequent event at the high commission reception neither was he invited nor was he present. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also got into the act when it issued a statement, saying Sarna left the event without waiting for the interactive session after he spotted Mallya. "When the High Commissioner spotted Mallya in the audience he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session," the MEA said in the statement.

The MEA said, "there were two clear segments the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests. "The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance."Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present."

PTI
Business / Companies

by Darlington Musarurwa and Africa Moyo

STINGING allegations of breaches of exchange control regulations, fraud and financial impropriety have become the core of a possible charge sheet against Fidelity Life Assurance (FLA) directors - Mr Simon Chapereka, the managing director; and finance director Mr German Mushoma - as more details of corporate sleaze continue to emerge.Fidelity is presently the subject of a forensic audit by KPMG at the instigation of regulator, the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC), following reports of plunder at the company.Ominously, the audit, which began in April, has since been extended to August.Details gathered by The Sunday Mail Business last week indicate that Mr Chapereka seemingly consolidated power in his office during his 13-year reign at the helm of the insurance group by sitting on the human resources committee, executive committee and audit committee with voting powers.Mr Chapereka, who had been Fidelity's finance director, took over as managing director from Mr Solomon Tembo in 2003.Ironically, Mr Tembo was subsequently appointed board chairman, which is a blatant violation of good corporate governance practice as spelt out in King Code II.It is also believed that the company operated with an acting company secretary "almost all the time".Sources claim that such an architecture, which enabled the MD to hold sway over the group, also gave him the carte blanche to dictate how the company was run.Suspicious transactions in Zambia, Malawi and AngolaPerhaps the most damaging allegations centre on the company's dealings in subsidiaries operating in Zambia and Malawi.FLA first ventured into the Zambian market in 2008 when it paid 700 million kwacha (about US$200 000) to purchase Cavmont Life and Asset Management of Zambia.Earlier in 2005, the firm had been given a five-year management contract by Cavmont.Within the management contract, Fidelity was given an option to buy the company before the contract lapsed.The acquisition, which culminated in the formation of Fidelity Life Assurance Zambia (FLAZ), was meant to spread the company's risk, especially at a time when the local economy was under siege.However, matters came to a head in 2009 when FLA clashed with the Pension and Insurance Authority of Zambia (PIA) after it tried to impose Zimbabwean executives to replace the Zambian executives that were running the unit.FLA claimed that the Zambian staffers had swindled from the company.Resultantly, PIA suspended the operating licence of FLAZ in December 2009.It was however reinstated two months later, but FLA opted to pass on the concession and on September 2, 2010; the group voted to exit the Zambian market.But sources claim that there is a trail of suspicious transactions that happened during the liquidation of the company.In July 2010, FLAZ is understood to have disposed Zanaco (Zambia National Commercial Bank) shares worth 2,5 billion kwacha through Pangeti Stockbrokers.Proceeds of the sale, which were paid into BancABC Zambia, were "illegally siphoned" into Fidelity Life's BancABC Zimbabwe account on August 7, 2010 and converted into $450 000.It is claimed that the final destination of the proceeds remain a mystery as the transaction was not reported in the group's financials for the year ended December 31, 2010.Statutory bodies such as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and IPEC are understood to be unaware of the transaction.The RBZ could not respond to questions sent by this paper on Wednesday by the time of going to print.There is speculation that Mr Chapereka might have used the funds to buy shareholding in FLA through MMG Pension Fund at a rights issue in 2010.The Fund once appeared on the top 20 shareholders list post the 2010 rights issue.MMG is a Zambian pension fund.Investigators believe that MMG couldn't have bought shares in FLA as the relationship between the two entities was not rosy at the time.Suspiciously, the stake was disposed of under unclear circumstances.Also, coincidentally, Mr Chapereka is alleged to have splurged on properties by buying houses in Greendale, Borrowdale, a house boat in Kariba and a fleet of top-of-the-range vehicles.He is also understood to have bought Gulf Drug Company at the time.There are now calls for a lifestyle audit on the suspended MD.Last week, Mr Chapereka refused to field questions on the matter, including on claims that he held a substantial shareholding in FLA through Grimston, and referred questions to the group.In turn, Fidelity said: "Investment by Fidelity Life into Zambia carried all the requisite and approvals from all the appropriate authorities."The operations and all results from the Zambian entity were incorporated into the Fidelity Life Group financial statements, up until the company's liquidation."There are also damaging allegations that Mr Chapereka got rich pickings from Vanguard Life Assurance Malawi, where he was a non-executive director.Before it was taken over by FLA in 2005, Vanguard used to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zimre Holdings Limited.In what is largely believed to be a departure from the norm, Mr Chapereka declared an annual performance bonus  of the princely sum of $20 000  for himself, a benefit that was not enjoyed by other non-executive directors.Also, shareholders were not getting any dividend from the investment.Some shareholders say such payments were supposed to be paid to FLA, the shareholder, and recognised as income for the company.Information suggests that the money was not declared by the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Malawi Revenue Authority as income to be paid to a non-resident.Similarly, the RBZ is said to be unaware of the bonus.Last week, Fidelity said the MD was entitled to the windfall."It is company policy that all staff and executives are awarded a performance-based bonus which is approved by the board. Any performance bonuses awarded to Mr Chapereka would have incorporated those from Malawi since as MD he had oversight of that unit," explained FLA.But contacted for comment, Mr Lawrence Tamayi, Fidelity Life's former board chairman, said Mr Chapereka and other directors were "drawing bonuses" not stipulated in their contracts and without board approval.Money disappears from London AccountThere are enquiries that are being made relating to proceeds from a management contract that was entered into between Fidelity Life and Mundial Insurance Company of Angola in 2007 and were sitting in a London Account in 2009."All the money ever paid into that account was never reported in the accounts and the management fee of about $100 000 disappeared without a trace," said a source.Stakeholders are also pushing for investigations into more than $80 000 in "seed capital" that had been invested in the New Sudan Insurance Company seemingly without RBZ and IPEC approval.Shocking management of local subsidiariesThose that are pushing to nail the suspended executives say local units were also not spared from gross mismanagement.It is alleged that over the past decade, 16 executives were given the boot on "flimsy grounds" in order to "destroy corporate memory and DNA".Any possible oversight that could have been provided by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), which holds a controlling 27,6 percent in Fidelity, is said to have been destroyed through an "incestuous" relationship between Fidelity directors and some key directors at the Authority.Stakeholders are of the opinion that it is precisely this relationship that was used to force out board chairman Mr Tamayi in December 2015.Two other non-executive directors  Mr Memory Nguwi and Ms Catherine Chitiyo  controversially resigned after disagreeing with the way the firm was run.This seemingly opened up the business for abuse, particularly by Mr Chapereka and Mr Mushoma.Mr Chapereka is alleged to have allocated himself 12 residential stands at Fidelity's Manresa and Southview projects and advanced himself an interest-free housing loan of a staggering $300 000.The loan had a tenure of 10 years, with monthly repayment installments pegged at $500; implying by the end of the repayment period, Mr Chapereka would have repaid a measly $60 000.This could potentially prejudice the company of $240 000.Likewise, Mr Mushoma, who was reportedly renting a house in Msasa when he started working for Fidelity Life in 2007, suddenly has over 40 properties and has been putting final touches onto his Glen Lorne mansion.Between 2009 and 2010, he obtained a $95 000 loan from POSB that was guaranteed by Fidelity Life.The money was used to build and complete a house in Goodhope.An additional $20 000 was sourced from Fidelity Life to roof his Borrowdale house.In addition, Fidelity Life human resources manager Mrs Sekai Makoni was allocated a $47 000 loan by Mr Mushoma to acquire a house in Mabelreign in May 2010.While sources suggest that the loans have not been repaid, Fidelity said last week the facilities are being serviced."Employees at Fidelity Life qualify for housing loans which are provided either as direct loans or as guarantees on personal borrowings. Mr Mushoma, in line with his contract, accessed a loan which he is fully servicing," said Fidelity.Funeral business scandalThe way Fidelity ran down its funeral assurance business has emerged as another focal point.The unit was capitalised from money that was sourced from policyholders, including some funds from Nicoz Diamond.Such an abortive undertaking is blamed for destroying Fidelity Life's investment portfolio as it unnecessarily strained the business.Actuarial deficits from the venture soared to $5,4 million by the end of 2013.Eventually, management took the decision to collapse the funeral assurance business into the life assurance business.Claims suggest that policyholders could also have been prejudiced from the rampant withdrawal of cash from the subsidiary, especially the medical aid business, without formal board resolutions.Loans from the Society to Fidelity Life were reportedly not reimbursed and, in some cases, never recorded."Money has been drawn out on the pretext that these funds were going into a sinking fund to help fund the housing development, without any hope of reimbursement of the money at a later time, nor is it with any form of interest. There has never been evidence that these funds were in fact used for the intended purpose," said sources.Such blatant disregard for corporate governance practices set management on a collision with the board, and it was the latter that lost the duel.Systematic jettisoning of Mr TamayiMr Tamayi, who became board chairman in June 2014, learnt the hard way.He is said to have uncovered massive underhand dealings involving top executives.Last week, he told The Sunday Mail Business that his efforts to reconfigure the way the business was run were frustrated by management.He became particularly unpopular after he held a workshop in February 2015 to sensitive employees on the need to observe good corporate governance.It was later resolved that a skills audit and a review of the terms of reference of the audit and human resources committees be undertaken.Mr Tamayi said when the board requested for an internal audit to look into issues of loans and stands that had been appropriated by executives, "management became uncomfortable and he (Mr Chapereka) began to work against the board"."He started doing discussions with one of the principals, NSSA, which is a shareholder. At that time, (Mr) Hashmon Matemera was acting general manager at NSSA."I am sure they had their own relations from the past when (Mr) Hashmon (Matemera) was the chief executive at BancABC, and Fidelity does a lot of transactions with BancABC (we had got credit financing from there for some projects) and so there has been some relationship," explained Mr Tamayi.Mr Matemera, who has worked for BancABC, CBZ and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, was sacked by NSSA in May this year.He was recently arrested and charged with facilitating the externalisation of over $300 million belonging to diamond miner Jinan to Botswana, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Dubai and China when he was still head of BancABC three years ago.The relationship between NSSA directors and Fidelity management are thought to have precipitated the downfall of Mr Tamayi.On November 17, 2015; NSSA wrote a letter to Fidelity's company secretary Mrs Nyaradzo Matindike seeking the appointment of Mr Fungai Ruwende as non-executive director representing the NSSA board on the Fidelity board.Mr Ruwende was also being nominated by NSSA to become the Fidelity board chairman, supposedly to replace Mr Tamayi, against the dictates of the law.The normal procedure is that the board chairman is appointed by board members.More importantly, the Articles of Association say a shareholder can cause the resignation of a board member if they have 75 percent stake but NSSA only has 27,6 percent.Mr Ruwende, a former partner in Actis, Africa's leading emerging markets private equity firm managing in excess of $7 billion of funds on the continent, has since been appointed an independent investment expert to NSSA's investment committee.Mr Tamayi later requested to meet NSSA board chairman Mr Robin Vela to iron out the issues.The meeting took place on November 30, 2015.But after a meeting that was supposed to mend bridges, Mr Tamayi got a letter from NSSA dated November 30, 2015 signed by Mr Matemera requesting that he steps down.What is however more curious is the part taken by Grimston Investments, which controls a 14,1 percent stake in Fidelity, to have Mr Tamayi dismissed.Mr Chapereka is alleged to be shareholder on the firm.Asked if he has a stake in Grimestone Investments, Mr Chapereka last week retorted: "Which company is this? Is it illegal to have shares in the company like you are asking? What is Grimestone involved in?"Stakeholders say the current forensic report will help the market to connect the dots of what was really happening at Fidelity.NSSA reacts to Fidelity sagaNSSA board chair Mr Vela says the board is "deeply concerned" with the issues that took place at Fidelity Life and will battle to recover any assets plundered by suspended bosses once they are implicated so as to restore value to policyholders.Mr Vela has declared zero tolerance for corporate governance malpractices at both the Authority and investee companies.However, his only blemish are allegations of inaction when he was appraised of what was happening at Fidelity.Last week, Mr Vela said once the forensic audit has been completed and a report presented, "we will we be able to determine the extent of the losses" suffered by Fidelity."We are deeply concerned about the issues at Fidelity, which date back to before this NSSA board was appointed, and await the findings of the forensic audit underway to take corrective action as soon as possible."That will also inform the next course of action. The recovery of assets and funds from the abusers will be the first priority in order to restore as much value to members as possible."Any further action will be taken in consultation with other stakeholders," said Mr Vela.He said they have endorsed the audit and is convinced the audit will give a fuller understanding of the "extent of the corporate abuse" and help the Authority to come up with the "most appropriate steps" to address the issues.Added Mr Vela: "The NSSA Board I lead has abandoned the previously passive approach with regards to investee companies. As such, expect to see us take a more activist shareholder role at all investee companies, including Fidelity."We have said we will call for the reconstitution of failing boards that support 'flat-footed' non-performing managers who are unconscionably well remunerated yet without paying dividend to the shareholder, who is ultimately the pensioner paid a paltry monthly amount."There has been resistance from some companies claiming the need for independent board members and yet their performance (with the independent board members) has deteriorated, their share price dived and no dividends being declared supposedly to protect cash resources."We are in the process of formulating calls for extraordinary general meetings to call for reconstitution of such boards," said Mr Vela.
The floating out of the worlds largest nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika in Russias St. Petersburg shows Russia's ambitions to control the top of the world in the 21st century.

The Arktika launched early on June 16, ahead of its original 2017 schedule. Powered by two nuclear reactors, the 568 foot leviathan displaces over 33,000 metric tons of water and can break through ice 10 feet thick and 13 feet deep, according to Sputnik News.

With a crew of 75 people, the Arktika will operate in the Western and Eastern Arctic seasonally. Russia is the only country in the world to use nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko said: "It's hard to overestimate what has been done by our scientists, designers and shipbuilders. I am very proud of our country and the people who created such a ship."

NPR suggests the move follows global warmings increasing of Arctic shipping routes and the construction of Russian bases in the Arctic Circle.

Russia already has more icebreakers than any other country - in fact, more icebreakers than all other countries combined.

The Arktika's 'sister ships', "Sibir" and "Ural", are scheduled to launch in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

According to the head of Rosatom, Sergey Kirienko, the new vessel opens fundamentally new opportunities for Russia's defense capability and ensures year-round navigation in Arctic regions. The Arktika also marks a new era in the economic development of the Arctic region, he added.
Standing near Greenland's Jakobshavn glacier, the reputed source of the iceberg that sank the Titanic over a century ago, U.S Secretary of State John Kerry saw evidence of another looming catastrophe.



Giant icebergs broken off from the glacier seemed to groan as they drifted behind him, signaling eventual rising oceans that scientists warn will submerge islands and populated coastal region.



Briefed by researchers aboard a Royal Danish Navy patrol ship, Kerry appeared stunned by how fast the ice sheets are melting. He was struck by the more dire warnings he was hearing about the same process underway in Antarctica.



"This has been a significant eye-opener for me and I have spent 25 years or engaged in this issue," Kerry said on the deck of the HDMS Thetis with Denmark's Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen during the two-day visit that ended late on Friday.



Kerry made his first visit to this part of the Arctic to witness the effects of climate changes and press the need to implement the Paris climate accord. He has called climate change "the world's most fearsome weapon of mass destruction".



The United States chairs the Arctic Council, a forum created in 1996 to tackle issues arising from increased Arctic activity.



The landmark Paris agreement included commitments by most nations to reduce carbon emissions contributing to climate change but lacked any enforcement mechanism, leaving open who will pay costs that will rise into the trillions of dollars.



"What we did in Paris ... is critical now to be implemented, but it is not enough," he said. "We have to all move faster in order to embrace new energy policies that are sustainable, that are clean, all of which are there for the using if governments and private sector make the right choices."



HUMAN CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE



By visiting Greenland and Svalbard in Norway's extreme north this week, Kerry focused on some of the most visible impacts of climate change.



"There is no mistaking that we are contributing to climate change, we human beings have choices that can undo the damage," said Kerry. "There is profound change throughout the Arctic."



Jakobshavn is one of the world's biggest glaciers and the most active in the Arctic, where ice sheets are melting at a rate faster than ever before.



David Holland, a New York University scientist studying changes on Jakobshavn, explained that the glacier could retreat by about 62 miles (100 kilometers) over the next 100 years if the thawing of its ice sheet continues at its current pace.



If Greenland's ice sheets all melted, that would raise sea levels by about 6 meters (20 feet) over thousands of years. That is modest compared to what could happen if Antarctica keeps thawing, said Holland.



Two developments in recent days show the magnitude of the challenge. For the first time in 4 million years, levels of carbon dioxide - a heat-trapping gas produced by burning fossil fuels - hit 400 parts per million in Antarctica, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.



The threshold shows the rising levels of climate pollution.



Last week, temperatures in Greenland's capital hit a record 24.8 degrees Celsius (76.6 Fahrenheit) for a single day in June, according to records dating back to 1958. Worldwide, 2016 has set repeated monthly records after a record warm 2015, according to NASA.



"GIGANTIC TRANSFORMATION"



"This is a gigantic transformation that is taking place," said Kerry. "You can see it with the naked eye, you see it where the ice has retreated from just in the last 15 to 20 years."



The Arctic is warming at about twice the global average, partly because the melting of the ice cover has revealed darker ground and water underneath that soak up even more heat.



"Things are changing and we are perhaps the last generation that can do something about it," said Jensen.



This new access to the ground underneath has opened the Arctic to increased political and commercial competition, including exploration for oil and minerals by countries that used to have no access to the region.



Kerry warned that exploiting newly accessible resources would undermine the carbon-reduction strategy of the Paris accord. He also said the public was still not sufficiently conscious of the challenge ahead.



"Even where there is awareness, the steps people are taking are not big enough, fast enough. We have a huge distance to travel," he said at the Blomstrand glacier at Ny-Alesund.



Temperatures in the Svalbard archipelago are now between six to 11 degrees warmer than normal, according to Jan-Gunner Winther, director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, who wonders whether the changes are a tipping point.



"We have more questions than answers," says Winther, "We are in the midst of a change that we have no comparison with in history because it is so much more rapid," he said.



(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Tom Heneghan)


The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is asking shipping and maritime companies to be vigilant to the potential commercial impact that cyber-attacks can cause.



IMB says that cyber security is not only about trying to identify and to prevent systems on board ships from getting hacked or taken over.



There is also a very real danger that emails being sent to and from ships are monitored or altered. This could have huge commercial effect on vessels, an IMB spokesman said.



At its recent Maritime Safety Committee meeting, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved interim guidelines on maritime cyber risk management.



The recommendations are aimed at enabling stakeholders to take necessary steps to safeguard shipping from current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities related to digitisation, integration and automation of processes and systems in shipping.



IMO says the interim guidelines seek to provide high-level recommendations for maritime cyber risk management.



This refers to a measure of the extent to which a technology asset is threatened by a potential circumstance or event, which may result in shipping-related operational, safety or security failures due to information or systems being corrupted, lost or compromised.



A new study led by Plymouth Universitys Maritime Cyber Threats Research Group established that vessels are under significant threat of cyber-attack because many are carrying outdated software and were not designed with cyber security in mind.



It said traditionally, attacks on ships have included piracy, boarding and theft, and while these attacks have often been successful and continue, they are well understood.



In contrast, the research says cyber-attacks are stealthier, and have a range of potential implications including business disruption, financial loss, damage to reputation, damage to goods and environment, incident response cost, and fines and/or legal issues.



The papers lead author, Professor Kevin Jones, Executive Dean of Science and Engineering at the University, said, In an increasingly connected and technologically dependent world, new areas of vulnerability are emerging. However, this dependency increases the vessels presence in the cyber domain, increasing its chances of being targeted and offering new vectors for such attacks.



Longer term, there needs to be a fundamentally different approach to security of the entire maritime infrastructure meaning there is great need for specific cyber security research programmes focused on the maritime sector, he said.



The research suggests maritime cyber-attacks would most likely target systems responsible for navigation, propulsion, and cargo-related functions, with many incentives for attackers, given that over 90 percent of world trade occurs via the oceans.



It however says that operators could easily mitigate against such dangers by updating security systems, improving ship design and providing better training for crews.



To find out more about the work of IMB with regards to ship and port security and maritime crime go here.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Saturday for countries to do more to help cope with Europe's migrant crisis, saying Greece could not manage on its own.



Speaking in Athens before heading to the Greek island of Lesbos, the gateway into Europe for nearly a million people last year, Ban said Greece had shown "remarkable solidarity and compassion" in dealing with the hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war, despite its economic hardship.



"Greece should not be left alone to address this challenge on its own," Ban told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.



"We must work together to protect people and address the causes of displacement. I continue to call for a greatest sharing of this responsibility across Europe and indeed across the world."



About one million people crossed the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greek islands last year in small and often overcrowded inflatable boats. Hundreds drowned trying to make the crossing.



The migratory shift from Turkey to Greece has slowed to a trickle since March, when the European Union and Turkey reached an agreement for Ankara to seal the route in return for financial and political rewards.



The accord obliges Greece to return to Turkey those migrants who either do not apply for asylum or have their claims rejected.



Officials say about 8,400 migrants are currently on Greek islands, nearly all of whom have expressed interest in applying for asylum, overwhelming the system.



Additionally, there are an estimated 48,000 on the Greek mainland, stuck there after a wave of border shutdowns throughout the Balkans.



Tsipras said Greece had taken a big burden on its shoulders and asked for solidarity so that his country could deal with the situation.



In a symbolic move, Tsipras offered Ban a life jacket, one of thousands of items Greek authorities have recovered from the shores of Greek islands since last year. He hoped the EU-Turkey deal was respected so that refugees and migrants would not need this life-saving tool in the future.



(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Michele Kambas; Editing by Mark Potter)




The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point graduated 229 new Merchant Marine and Military Officers as part of its Class of 2016 commencement ceremony today.



The keynote speaker, Gen. Darren W. McDew, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), gave the commencement address before a crowd of more than 2,200, including graduates, family members and representatives from the federal government, U.S. military and maritime industry.



Your craft now is leadership, said McDew. On behalf of the men and women of Transportation Command, and the men and women of our nations Armed Forces, Bravo Zulu on a job well done, welcome aboard, and welcome to the team.



This years graduates represent 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the three foreign countries: Republic Korea, Republic of Panama and Malaysia.



Superintendent, Rear Adm. James A. Helis, USMS, charged the graduates to lead with character and courage. He said, the American people will look to you, from this day forward, to protect and advance the Nations marine transportation and defense needs in peace and war. As officers in the Merchant Marine and the Armed Forces, you will be responsible for the safety, the wellbeing, and the very lives of those with whom you sail and serve.



Helis recognized and thanked Director of Music Capt. Kenneth R. Force, USMS, and Department of Marine Transportation Professor Capt. Douglas A. Hard, USMS, who are both retiring this year, for their many years of service to the Academy.



Speaking to the graduates, Distinguished Alumnus Speaker Rear Adm. Philip H. Greene, Jr., U.S. Navy, Retired, Class of 78, said, you are our future leaders of leaders, said. He charged the graduates and new alumni to always remember to live by our motto, ACTA NON VERBA!



Valedictorian Thomas Kloepfer, of Amityville, N.Y., said, there is one thing we are all guaranteed to miss: our classmates. Quoting musician Tim McGraw, he urged his classmates to always stay humble and kind.



Class President Benjamin Morris, of Panama City, Fla., thanked the families noting, without your help we wouldnt be here. He commended his classmates saying, everyone did their part to get the 229 of us here to graduate.



As part of the commencement exercises 38 graduates were sworn in as active duty officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Another 25 graduates will be sworn in to the Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard at a later date. The remaining U.S. graduates will serve as Navy reservists in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program while working aboard deep sea vessels, offshore supply vessels, tugs, towing vessels, and international flag vessels.



Each congressionally-nominated graduate received a Bachelor of Science Degree and an unlimited Merchant Marine Officer license from the Coast Guard, and an officers commission in the Navy or other branch of the military. In exchange for their education each has the option of serving as a Merchant Marine Officer while concurrently serving in any branch of the U.S. military in the reserves, or serving five years of active duty. USMMA graduates ensure a steady stream of Merchant Marine Officers who support the nations economic and security requirements in times of peace and war.



You cant do it alone; its through your family and friends that you get through, said Daniel Giaccio-Williams, of East Northport, N.Y. Its a beautiful day!
Indonesian navy officials detained a Chinese boat along with seven Chinese crew members for allegedly fishing in Indonesian maritime territory in the disputed South China Sea region, Ap reported quoting Indonesia's navy spokesman.

The Indonesian warship KRI Imam Bonjol-383 responded to a report from maritime air surveillance officials that 12 foreign fishing boats were illegally working in the Natuna Sea, First Admiral Edi Sucipto said.

The navy's warships spotted the China-flagged Yueyandong Yu 19038 fishing boat in Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) during a naval exercise on Friday.

An EEZ is a zone extending 200 nautical miles from shore over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

When approached by our warship, the foreign fishing boats manoeuvred and escaped, Edi said. The warship chased after them and fired a warning shot, but the boats ignored it.

After being stopped and checked by Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) team it was found that seven crew members of the Chinese boat including one woman were Chinese citizens.

"They have been detained at Ranai naval base for further process," he said.

This is the second big fishing spat between the two countries in recent days. In March, Indonesia arrested eight Chinese fishermen for allegedly intruding on the Natuna Islands.

The Indonesian government then defied China's call to free the Chinese prisoners and vowed to prosecute them under Indonesian law.
An Indonesian naval vessel fired on a Chinese fishing boat on Friday, injuring one person, China's foreign ministry said, the countries' third reported confrontation this year near a chain of islands as regional tensions mount in the South China Sea.



Beijing had made official protests over the incident, the ministry said in its statement on Sunday, and urged Indonesia not to take any more actions to complicate the situation.



Indonesia's navy said it had fired warning shots at several boats with Chinese flags that it said were fishing illegally near the Natuna Islands, but did not mention any injuries.



Indonesia is not part of a broader regional dispute over China's reclamation activities in the South China Sea and Beijing's claims on swathes of key waterways.



But Jakarta has objected to China's inclusion of parts of the Indonesian-ruled Natuna Islands within a "nine-dash line" that Beijing marks on maps to show its claim on the body of water.



China has said it does not dispute Indonesia's sovereignty over the Natuna Islands, although the statement said the area where the incident occurred is subject to overlapping interests.



The Indonesian warship damaged one Chinese fishing boat in the incident near the Natuna Islands and detained another with seven people aboard, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said on the ministry website.



The Chinese coast guard rescued the injured fisherman, who was transported to the southern Chinese island province of Hainan for treatment where his injuries were under control, Hua said.



It was unclear from the statement whether Indonesia was still holding the vessel and those aboard.



The incident follows on two other spats this year near the islands arising from encounters between the Indonesian navy and Chinese fishing boats.



(Reporting by Jake Spring and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor in Jakarta; Editing by Andrew Heavens)


On September 24, 2016 the Houston International Seafarers Centers will host their Annual Maritime Gala . Niels Aalund, Senior Vice President, West Gulf Maritime Association, will be honored as the " Bronze Anchor Award recipient.



Niels Aalund, serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice-President, West Gulf Maritime Association, with primary responsibility for advocating on behalf of member companies (steamship agents, vessel owners, and industry stakeholders) with local, state and federal agencies. From organizations such as Washington, D.C, based, National Maritime Association, to the commercial sector, Aalund has provided leadership for a variety of maritime related positions. He has extensive strategic planning experience in both operations and commercial maritime activities. Including management positions overseeing liner, break-bulk and stevedoring groups.



Currently Aalund serves on 14 regional and/or national committees and boards, including such groups as Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee, Area Maritime Security council (AMSC), South East Texas Waterways Advisory Committee (SETWAC) , Corpus Christi Harbor Safety Committee, National Association Maritime Organizations (NAMO) , Houston Seafarers Center, Propeller Club International Governing Board, the University of Houstons Center for Logistics Excellence, the University of Houston, College of Technology and as Chairman of the Houston Maritime Museum.



A Houston native, Aalund is a graduate of the University of Houston.. Aalund is an active public speaker at industry programs, seminars and conferences. He helps prepare the WGMA Daily Industry Update Report for maritime stakeholders. This daily report briefs the trade on regional, national and international developments and trends.



Event Details can be found by clicking: http://www.wgma.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016_MaritimeGala-Table-Sales-Flier.pdf


Entertainment / Events

by Rumbidzai Mbewe

EVERY year people around the country look forward to the Harare International Carnival where different countries showcase their cultures. Last year the Brazilian girls as always were the main highlight but the Lupane girls could not be outshined as many men were mesmerised by the bare breasted ladies.This year's carnival dates were revealed to the media by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Chief Executive, Karikoga Kaseke at the recently held Sanganai/Hlanganani press conference held in the city. He said the carnival will be held from 14 to 17 September.Those who are interested in taking part in the event are encouraged to register. Last year over 150 000 people excluding the street party attended the DRC night which featured Kofi Olomide, a positive change which showed that people in the country were slowly but surely understating and supporting the carnival.The street party started off with spins by car racers, showing off their skills on the wheel along Robert Mugabe Way through Angwa Street into Nelson Mandela Avenue.Most of the people in the capital and other cities such as Gweru and Bulawayo braved the scorching sun just to enjoy the cultural diversity through music, dance as well as regalia which were being displayed in the streets.As always the Momo King, the crowd-pulling Brazilian samba outfit, paraded in the streets, and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the ladies. The police had a hard time controlling the crowds which nearly caused a stampede. The police and army bands also took to the streets to entertain the public, with the Zambian entourage giving a thrilling performance, gyrating to traditional songs.Man of the moment, Jah Prayzah, left fans crying for more following a thrilling performance at the Parliament Building.The Harare International Carnival is one such occasion to celebrate all the afore-stated aspects of our national fabric.
The container ship-leasing company Seaspan Corp declined Hanjin Shipping Co.s request for a cut in charter rates by about 30 percent, dealing a blow to efforts by South Koreas biggest liner to revamp debt amid a prolonged trade slump, reports Bloomberg.

Hanjin Shipping operates seven container vessels leased from Seaspan. Seaspan recently said there were $11.6 million in charter-hire arrears from Hanjin Shipping.

Gerry Wang, CEO of Seaspan, said: We do not accept any rate cut. We have never done it. We wont tolerate a contract re-negotiation. Any call for rate cut is illegal by international laws.

"We are in continuous discussion and negotiation with Seaspan, and we are putting all our effort (into bringing) the best viable result as soon as possible, a Hanjin spokesperson said.

Hanjins securing of lower charter rates is essential to its survival. It is in talks with shipowners to reduce charter fees as part of a requirement by creditors in exchange for funds to improve its financials.

The Seoul-based company is in talks to lower fees for 60 container and bulk ships it has leased from 22 owners by some 30 percent for a period of about three-and-a-half years, says a regulatory filing.

Hanjin Shipping - the worlds seventh-largest shipping line - currently pays up to 1 trillion won ($849 million) annually for chartering 91 out of the 151 vessels it runs.

The South Korean government is reviewing various measures, including possible mergers, to revive an industry struggling with mounting debt after years of losses from weak demand.
Nearly 400 scientists from more than a dozen countries signed a letter urging U.S. President Barack Obama to take the Arctic Ocean out of the next federal offshore lease sale plan, thus ruling out the possibility of offshore drilling in the Arctic in the near future.

Scientists from 13 countries have signed the letter saying global warming will be accelerated by burning oil found in the Arctic Ocean.

No new oil and gas leasing or exploration should be allowed in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas in the foreseeable future, the scientists said.

The proposed federal oil and gas leasing program would last from 2017 to 2022 and includes two sales in the Arctic Ocean: the Beaufort Sea in 2020 and the Chukchi Sea in 2022.

The letter urged the administration to consult native Alaskan groups on any further Arctic developments.

The scientists said in the letter that expanding Arctic marine protection would help counter the effects of climate change.

The Arctic is home to vibrant communities of indigenous peoples, provides vital marine habitats for iconic wildlife such as beluga whales, walruses, and ice seals found nowhere else in the United States, and plays a critical role in global climate systems, the letter said.

The region is profoundly affected by climate change  including loss of sea ice, acidification of the ocean, and increased access for industries that pose significant risks to the ocean environment.
USCGC Sequoia (WLB-215), homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam, is scheduled to arrive in Saipan today, for a port visit before continuing aids to navigation operations in Western Oceania. The Sequoia will be open to the public for tours Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Port of Saipan in Tanapag Harbor. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Pets are not allowed aboard the cutter. Coast Guard crewmembers will be standing by to answer questions about Sequoia.



The Sequoia conducted fisheries enforcement patrols, supporting forum fisheries agency operations and conducting aids to navigation within Western Oceania in support of Operation Tui Moana and Island Chief 2016.



The aim of Operation Tui Moana and Island Chief 2016 is to detect, report and/or apprehend potential illegal, unreported, unregulated activity and to enhance countries throughout the Pacific island regions involvement and participation in maritime fisheries surveillance and response operations.



Media interested in conducting interviews must contact Sequoia's public affairs officer via email: [email protected]

In August 2015, Sequoia assisted with relief efforts in Saipan for Typhoon Soudelor by reopening the port to navigation, which allowed the flow of vital supplies and personnel to help restore the island.



Sequoia is a multi-mission, 225-foot, juniper-class seagoing buoy tender. In addition to maintaining aids to navigation in the Marianas and the Marshall Islands, the crew conducts search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement, homeland security, and living marine resources patrols. Sequoias crew is responsible for all Coast Guard-maintained aids to navigation in the Western Pacific and has a crew of eight officers and 43 enlisted.




TASS reports that Vladimir Monomakh Borey class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (Project 955) will complete the voyage to the Pacific Fleet before the yearend, quoting Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Korolev.

The Russian Navy has started receiving fourth-generation Project 955 Borei-class (Dolgorukiy-class) submarines recently. It has three of them now - the Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh.

The Prince Vladimir is due for delivery to the Pacific Fleet next year. Four more ships in the class are due before 2020. Thus, the Russian SSBN fleet will comprise 15 submarines, if the Project 667BDR family is decommissioned.

The Project 955 nuclear-powered submarine armed with Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles is designed to become the mainstay of Russias naval strategic nuclear forces for decades to come.
Reason Brexit Debate Has Gotten So Out of Hand is Nobody Understands What its About

The Brexit campaigns have started anew in the UK, and from what Ive seen here from left field barely a thing has changed since the murder of MP Jo Cox. Neither side has any qualms about using her death to make their respective points. The main, and perhaps only real, point is that nobody understands what the vote is about. Jo Cox, bless her soul, didnt either.

This lack of understanding is also, at the same time, the reason why the debate has gotten so out of hand. Nobody seems to understand its not about Cameron or Nigel Farage, or Michael Gove vs Boris Johnson, its about voting for or against the EU, for or against Juncker and Tusk and five other unelected presidents having a say in ones life.

And thats not all either. Its about voting to leave, or remain in, a Union that is already dead and preserved only in a zombie state. Brexit is just one vote and many more will inevitably follow. Brexit is not the first, Grexit had that honor last year. Later this month, elections in Italy and Spain have the potential to turn into preliminary Italix and Spexit votes. And then there will be more.

The reason why these things are taking place, and will be, going forward, is that the economies of all these countries are fast deteriorating. The sole reason why people have accepted the rule of Brussels coming from far away over their daily lives, is the promise that it would make those lives better and more comfortable.

That promise has been shattered. The EU has made things worse for most Europeans, not improved them. And when seen in that light, why should people agree to continue to be told what to do by those whove made them poorer? Theres no democratic model in which that remotely makes sense. There are only undemocratic models left.

Britains Brexit referendum has run head first into global developments, and there is no sign that any voice in the discussion recognizes this. They all think its about something else. And of course Camerons policies have devastated the country, and of course the even more right wing Leave campaigners would make that worse. But thats not what this is about.



What Cameron missed when he called the referendum is not that some of his friends could turn on him and go Leave, what he missed is that so many Brits from both the left and the right would turn on him. He never expected that to happen. He always figured his manipulated rosy pink economic numbers would outweigh peoples actual daily lives.

This is a global phenomenon, it has little to do with Cameron himself, other than his neoliberal budget cuts are often even more extreme than those of many of his pan-European and indeed American and global peers. It has a lot more to do with the neoliberalism embedded in Brussels, which has installed technocratic governments in many countries, especially in southern Europe, all with disastrous consequences for the populations.

Its an exact mirror image of what is happening in the US. The jobs numbers the government and media feed Americans look good once filtered through a hundred layers of manipulation, but people look at what job they themselves have, and what it pays them, and they look at their families, friends and neighbors, and then decide this just aint working out or adding up.

The Brexit vote is, in a nutshell, Britains last chance to hit the lifeboats and jump the Titanic before it hits the iceberg. This is not even because of the dictatorial character Brussels has taken on, which is starting to display cartoonish properties, its because the global economy has hit the debt iceberg well before the EU has.

Voting Remain in next weeks referendum comes down to Lets stay onboard so we can help rearrange the deckchairs. And while were at it, pick some nice tunes for the orchestra to play on the way down as we sink.



If theres one outstanding advantage to the Brexit debate, it must be that it has opened up British society to reveal all its festering boils, pimples, pustules, ulcers and neoplasms that had before remained veiled by either stiff upper lips or outright dumb-ass ignorance. Not that the discussion has done anything to lift the dumb-assery, mind you; the intelligence level of the Brits has been exposed as yet another hidden sore.

Nothing typically British there either. Neither the people nor the politicians nor the media in the country show any sign of comprehending what is happening to them. Nobody is capable of taking a step back and seeing a bigger picture. Jo Coxs death has done nothing to fix that issue. Indeed, if theres one thing Britain has been, and still is, showing the world its that its incapable of solving its problems.

But that incompetence is not going to be alleviated by handing the reins to Cameron or Johnson, or Corbyn, or indeed Juncker and Tusk. The only remedy is a cold hard look at whats really going on in Britain itself, a look at its place in a rapidly imploding global economic system, and a look at what being a part of the EU actually means.

To gauge that last bit, all one has to do is to look at Greece, at how the EU has forced the demise of the Greek economy, of its once magnificent health-care system, and of countless other segments of a society still mired today in inexorable decline. A look at the treatment of refugees holds a lesson or two as well.

The summarized lesson from all this is that Brussels will happily throw you under a bus if it feels that would further its ambitions. Of which the EU has many.

The treatment of Greece and the refugees has redefined the term Union, and everyone should take note.



In America, the Democratic and Republican parties have all but internally combusted and destroyed themselves. In Britain, Labo(u)r did that years ago through Tony Blair, and the Tories are doing it today by infighting over Brexit. None of these things are incidents or stand-alone events.

They are part of a much larger pattern, as evidenced by the popularity numbers of people like French president Hollande (8%?!). All but a few incumbent parties in the west are evaporating. And all for the same reason: the demise of the existing economic models and systems that they have based their policies and popularity on.

An economy in decline means the end of centralization and the end of existing political power structures. This is inevitable. Because both can exist only by the grace of ever growing economies. Its what our economies are based on. Its what our entire world view is based on. Sometime in the future historians will have a hard time understanding this, but for now its all we have, because its all were willing to consider: growth to infinity and beyond.

Which was, or seemed to be, kind of alright as long as there indeed was growth. But there no longer is any growth. And it will not return for a long time, arguably not in our lifetimes. Which makes it a problem that we havent prepared for the end of growth. Which is not terrible smart given that making a point for growth having stopped decades ago looks quite solid.



People in Britain try desperately to link Jo Coxs murder to some sort of larger movement or entity, even if for all they know, for all they can know, the killer is just another warped individual who didnt take his meds for a long enough period to make him go fully off kilter.

Yeah, he ordered some right wing magazines and books. But that doesnt mean theres a conspiracy behind the murder. Nor does it make this fascist and/or right-wing terrorism. Those claims are made solely in an effort to connect the tragedy to the Brexit vote. And that effort all by itself is a huge blemish on Jo Coxs life, her death and her legacy.

To truly honor her would be to make sure you understand, and help others understand, what she herself did not.

By Raul Ilargi Meijer

Website: http://theautomaticearth.com (provides unique analysis of economics, finance, politics and social dynamics in the context of Complexity Theory) 2016 Copyright Raul I Meijer - 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.

Raul Ilargi Meijer Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Brexit Fear-Mongering

The European Union is fundamentally undemocratic, a flawed system, a sinking ship, a CIA creation.





Paul Craig Roberts explained, citing Ambrose Evans-Pritchard s September 2000 article, saying:







DECLASSIFIED American government documents show that the US intelligence community ran a campaign in the Fifties and Sixties to build momentum for a united Europe.

CIA officials work(ed) aggressively behind the scenes to push Britain into a European stateThe State Department played a role. Controlling Europe was and remains a core element of US imperial policy.





Union undermines national sovereignty, making it subject to a higher authority, a deplorable state for any country - accepting vassalage over independence.





Ahead of next Thursdays vote, fear-mongering is intense, outrageous predictions of gloom and doom, economic and financial chaos, way over-the-top claims, gross exaggerations substituting for even-handed analysis.





Britains David Cameron absurdly warned Brexit means greater social service cuts, pensions and national health service benefits at risk, as well as continental peace threatened.





He called support for the move reckless and irresponsible, risking Britains economic stability, leaving it permanently poorer.





New York Times unsurprisingly joined the anti-Brexit chorus, calling the move dangerous, fear-mongering substituting for unbiased commentary.





True enough, a period of adjustment would follow, short-term disruption for longer-term gain. Bilderberg movers and skakers warned of a landscape of uncertainties for investors.





Times editors tried having things both ways. On the one hand, they called the EU a flawed (dysfunctional) institution.





On the other, they twisted reality, saying its an extraordinary achievement, a voluntary union, ignoring the CIAs behind-the-scenes influence, manipulating things to serve US interests.





Noted market analyst Marc Faber calls Brexit good for global economic growth. It would give France and other countries incentive to follow suit, he said, Switzerland an example of how a sovereign state can thrive independently, free from EU bureaucracy and control.





Brexit would encourage Britain to trade more with non-European countries, benefitting its economy longer-term, Faber explained.





Ambrose Evans-Pritchard said Brexit comes down to (choosing between) restor(ing) the full self-government of this nation, or to continue living under a higher supranational regime, ruled by a European Council that we do not electand that the British people can never remove, even when it persists in error.





Todays EU is a deformed halfway house that nobody ever wanted. Hes for Brexit, urging Brits make their own choice, saying theyll have to live with the consequences of going the wrong way.

By Stephen Lendman

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com

His new book as editor and contributor is titled Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

He lives in Chicago and can be reached in Chicago at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.



Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Monday through Friday at 10AM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on world and national topics. All programs are archived for easy listening.

 2016 Copyright Stephen Lendman - 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.




News / Africa

by Staff reporter

President Jacob Zuma has until July 4 to respond to complaints of hate speech laid against him at the Human Rights Commission by the Freedom Front Plus."I can confirm that several complaints were laid against President Zuma by the FF Plus and others [in connection with] a statement he made regarding the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck causing the problems in the country," the commission's spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, told News24.The commission investigated the complaints and sent a letter to Zuma asking him to respond to the investigation."We gave him until July 4 to respond," Mangena said.The FF Plus' parliamentary spokesperson, Advocate Anton Alberts, said the development was encouraging, "but it is still a pity that action is only taken after the FF Plus had to request the commission in April of this year in terms of the Promotion of Access of Information Act process to provide information as to the reasons why no progress had been made with the investigation".The complaint was submitted in January last year, shortly after Zuma made the "offending" remarks, Alberts said.During the ANC's 103rd birthday bash in Cape Town, Zuma said Van Riebeeck's arrival in Cape Town was the beginning of all South Africa's problems."How can you say we told the Afrikaners to go? No, I said the problem began when Jan van Riebeeck came here."When colonialists and Van Riebeeck arrived, it opened the way for racial discrimination, Zuma said."In the letter to the Human Rights Commission in April, questions were asked about the commission's apparent reluctance to investigate Zuma as not one of a number of complaints against the president had been completed in the past two years," Alberts said.Alberts said that apart from the responses that the commission has to provide to the FF Plus, it has to answer why it had allowed Zuma to disregard a clear deadline of May 8 of last year, without having taken action against him.Mangena, however, said the commission had to consolidate all the complaints against Zuma."There is no truth that we are reluctant to investigate. There have been several complains investigated. The reason for the perceived delay was that after the complaint by the FF Plus, there were other complaints and we had to assess all of them and consolidate them into one complaint," he said.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

Failing to give her husband many children has turned sour for a city of Harare woman who is being abused by her husband.Tsitsi Gudza accused her husband of bringing girlfriends to their matrimonial home to spite her."This man is my husband and we were blessed with one child. It is very unfortunate that I have failed to give him more children. He always say I should leave him because he wants to marry another woman. He is emotionally abusing me because I cannot stand him bringing in different women in my house. It is not my fault that I cannot give him more children. He is doing all this to spite me so that I leave him but that is not going to happen because we are married," she said.She said the girlfriend he brings home always insult her and she wanted court's protection from the abuse.Morris Gudza denied the claims saying he has never abused her emotionally and has never brought any women home.The magistrate Gamuchirai Siwardi ordered Gudza to stop abusing her.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

Northwood Primary School pupil, Trinity Munenzva (7) was crashed to death by a 'speeding' car as she crossed the busy Harare-Chivhu highway last week.Masvingo Mirror reported that the incident left her little friends shocked, stunned and speechless as they turned back to see the lifeless body of their classmate sprawling on the tarmac with blood splashed over the tarred road.What baffled everyone at the scene was that, like many other crossing points along Zimbabwe's Highways, there are no warning signs to alert drivers of a crossing point for school children. There were no Police officers or teachers to assist the children cross one of Zimbabwe's busiest highways.This is not an isolated case, tens of school children are killed every year along Zimbabwe's Highways and one of the most dangerous is Harare-Beitbridge which barely has the necessary warning road signs.Munenzva's body was taken to Chivhu General Hospital Mortuary.ZRP officer-in-charge of traffic in Chivhu, Richard Masiiwa confirmed the accident and acknowledged the absence of the necessary road signs to guide motorists and pedestrians alike. The school head Chengeto Mavhundu said there were 300 pupils at her school which runs from grade one to six. She, however, declined to give further comments.Masiiwa said their responsibility as the Police force was to alert the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development of places and points where crossing and other road signs are necessary.Masiiwa said school authorities can erect a sign post that informs the public and motorists that there is a school nearby. He also said that in order to reduce accidents of such a kind; the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Chivhu can carry out awareness campaigns targeted at both parents and pupils.Masiiwa said there were also some suggestions for a highway that does not pass through the central business district.The stretch of road has not just been treacherous to school pupils; adults have not been spared and several are killed almost every year.Two months ago, an old man was hit by an over speeding car whilst attempting to cross the same road. Allegations are that the car was over speeding to an extent that it stopped at a distance after hitting the pedestrian.Chikomba District Education officer Ngoni Mujuru expressed concern at the continous danger to life pose by that stretch of road.He said that his department has already started working on the problem and has sent an application to the Ministry of Transport for them to establish a pedestrian crossing point for the pupils. Another letter has also been sent to the Police with a request to provide police details to assist crossing children.The headmistress of Northwood has also been requested to provide a staff member who can assist infants to cross the road when they finish school at midday. He said the school used to assign a general hand to assist infants cross the road but now they have asked them to provide a staff member.
Board of Directors of Rimrock Credit Union (RCU) has engaged in an executive search as their

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

prepares to retire. This position is responsible for management of the

Credit Union with over $38 million in assets and service to our members since 1949.

Qualifications for the position:

* 3-5 years professional experience in Accounting, Banking, or the

Credit Union environment with at least 3 years in senior or

executive management.

* A comprehensive knowledge of banking and/or credit union processes

and regulations.

* A Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Finance and/or

Accounting preferred.

Compensation  DOE, depending on Experience and Qualifications.

RCU offers a competitive compensation package.

To apply  Email cover letter and resume to

[email protected]

or mail to:

Rimrock Credit Union

Attn: Search Committee, PO Box 21397

Billings, MT 59104-1397

No phone calls please.

Closing date: June 27th 2016
News / National

by BBC

An elephant in Zimbabwe has received medical treatment from a conservation group after being shot in the head by suspected poachers.The elephant was found by veterinarians from Aware Trust Zimbabwe in Mana Pools National Park.He is believed to have been living with the bullet in his head for between three and six weeks.Mana Pools has long been a target of poachers who kill elephants for their ivory.The team sedated him, took an X-ray and cleaned the wound but judged it safer to leave the bullet in place, Dr Lisa Marabini told the BBC.She said the elephant is believed to be around 25 years old and might require further treatment."We think he was shot outside of the park and came into the park for refuge," she said. Hunting areas exist near the park.She said the elephant, nicknamed Pretty Boy, approached the veterinarians and showed no aggression."It's like he knew we were there with the intention of helping him."If the shot had hit a few centimetres lower down it would have gone into his brain, she explained.The elephant also had a shoulder injury."We suspect he was shot in head first and turned to flee and the poacher put a bullet in his side."Earlier this year, an Italian father and son were killed by wildlife rangers in Mana Pool during an anti-poaching patrol in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe says doctors should stop valuing money at the expense of the need to serve people, saying the medical practitioners should understand the economic environment the country is operating in.Addressing thousands of mourners at the National Heroes Acre in Harare for the burial of Retired Brigadier General Felix Muchemwa, President Mugabe urged the doctors to take a cue from the late national hero, whom he said always put the needs of the people first."We appreciate the work of doctors, they deserve to be rewarded accordingly. However, they must also understand the limitations the government is facing. We are still fighting for our liberation, there are sanctions that are affecting our capacity to honour our obligations to workers.""Dr Muchemwa, as one of the first doctors who gave medical services to the liberation war fighters, had that understanding and we need his peers to understand also, he never put money first, but the people first and made great sacrifices. Right now as I speak there is a stand-off between our medical staff and us the government on remuneration," said President Mugabe.The remarks come at a time some doctors have decided to stop accepting medical aid and demand cash upfront from the 1st of July, a situation that could put more burden to the people of Zimbabwe.Mugabe also said in Muchemwa, the nation has lost a humble intellect with an amazingly charming personality."Muchemwa was a dedicated cadre, who despite his abilities, remained humble. Always humble, always smiling, that is what Muchemwa was. Different from other people who always boast of their educational success," said President Mugabe.He also said for the success of the liberation war, "we needed medical doctors like Dr Muchemwa. Of course he was not alone, we also had Dr Herbert Ushewokunze, Dr Muvhuti and Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, among others."On a lighter note, President Mugabe revealed that he only knew it recently that Dr Dr Sekeramayi's daughter is married to the late Dr Muchemwa's son.Earlier in his address, Mugabe chronicled how the white colonial regime resorted to the poisoning of food and clothes during the liberation war, adding that Retired Brigadier General Muchemwa died from an ailment caused by poisoning during the war.The late national hero died on Sunday last week in Egypt where he had gone to seek medical attention.
At present, harmful pathogens in food are mostly only discovered when people get sick. Earlier detection  preferably before food reaches consumers  could prevent many cases of foodborne illness and save the cost and effort involved in food recalls. Now, a team working toward solving this problem has developed a portable biosensor based on nanoflowers that detects harmful bacteria.

Share on Pinterest The nanoflower biosensor detects tiny chemical signals emitted by bacteria and amplifies them so they can be picked up easily with a simple handheld pH meter.

The new technology is the work of researchers at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, who describe how they developed and tested it in a paper published in the journal Small.

Even tiny amounts of harmful bacteria and other microbes can give rise to serious health risks, but the available sensor technology is unable to detect them easily and quickly in small quantities.

The key challenge in solving this problem is finding a way to detect the faint chemical signals that the harmful microbes emit at the molecular level.

If these pathogen signals can be detected, then it is a matter of amplifying them so that more conventional equipment can translate them into alert messages.

In their paper, senior author Yuehe Lin, a professor in WSUs School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and colleagues describe how they developed a nanoflower biosensor that is able to detect and amplify signals from Escherichia coli O157:H7, a food pathogen that causes severe diarrhea and kidney damage in people.

The biosensor uses a flower-like nanoparticle made from organic and inorganic components. Its key feature is the ability to maintain a large amount of enzyme activity for detecting antigens in a sample.

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Bethany Johnson, a UNC Charlotte research faculty associate in the Department of Communication Studies and a research affiliate for the University's Women + Girls Research Alliance, along with Margaret Quinlan, associate professor of communication studies and a core faculty member of the Interdisciplinary Health Psychology Ph.D. program at UNC Charlotte, are currently conducting academic research related to patient-practitioner communication in fertility clinics."Our interest is in helping practices to make patients feel seen, heard and understood while maintaining a healthy work-life balance for doctors and nurses," Johnson explained.Johnson and Quinlan's work explores the various issues facing individuals across the gender spectrum diagnosed with infertility, as well as some of the cutting-edge treatments now available.Although infertility is generally understood from a biological perspective, research shows that individuals with infertility face undesired emotional and social outcomes from treatment, such as stress (depression, anger and frustration), uncertainty, marital instability, anxiety-related sexual dysfunction, financial hardship and fear of social censure or a lack of social and emotional support. In addition to issues that individuals face, couples also can experience tension in their relationship that could compound other emotional and social outcomes like, sexual dysfunction, low self-esteem and fear of isolation."Families, friends and members of the medical community don't know necessarily what to say or how to support someone going through infertility treatment. Some things, although well intended can be hurtful. We hope to inform people of supportive and unsupportive messages" Quinlan said.In their study, Johnson and Quinlan explore the issues that accompany infertility and explain them, in part, as a result of the "taboo" associated with the condition and stress the need for conversation. The general sense of shame associated with infertility stems from pronatalist discourse in society, which is a practice that encourages women to become mothers as their "biological destiny." This in turn causes a stigma, ending a conversation before it begins. The two researchers used historical medical records, personal accounts and media coverage to examine attitudes about infertility among individuals and within the medical community and the public at large. This historical perspective allowed Johnson and Quinlan to address areas where progress has stalled."Our interviewees were looking for people to listen, to not give advice or have solutions but to be there," Quinlan said.As qualitative researchers, Johnson and Quinlan examine communication issues and create resources for patients and practitioners to make sense of infertility in formal and informal contexts. Their research revealed a discrepancy in desired patient support and the support patients received during treatment.Communication surrounding infertility can be difficult given that most patient care happens outside of the office."A lot of the infertility treatments are done at home instead of a traditional office setting. Not having someone to contact or ask questions is difficult for patients. It's a different kind of regimen that doesn't fit into the hours of nine to five," Quinlan said.The study references interviews from 26 women, most of whom related their experience to that of "cattle on a conveyor belt" being pushed through the infertility process. Research gathered by the professors indicates the disconnect caregivers display when communicating with patients, in some cases, can be improved by simply rephrasing the message or using the patients name during communication.Johnson and Quinlan also suggest making resources like a contact for emergency texts or a list of previously approved instructional YouTube videos for at home treatments, readily available for patients."Infertility treatment is expensive, and insurance doesn't always cover it. It can cost anywhere from $800 dollars to $30,000 dollars for each cycle. In North Carolina, there is no mandate of coverage for infertility care. If you're paying out of pocket, you may have higher expectations from your health care," Johnson said.The work conducted by the professors extends the current research in communication studies and provide preliminary data needed to understand the communication processes between patients and reproductive, endocrinology and infertility (REI) medical practitioners. The ultimate goal is to provide guidance to health care practitioners and patients with infertility as they interact in REI offices and treatment settings.Scholars who have previously studied infertility focus on the emotional and social consequences of treatment. Johnson and Quinlan surveyed the challenges arising from communication between patients and practitioners at REI practices during the treatment itself."Our work will fill a particular gap in the available literature. This study serves as the first entry into the patient-practitioner discourse, starting with the examination of females' stories, shedding light on issues of female patient agency during infertility treatment," noted the researchers.Source: Newswise
Opinion / Columnist

It is sickening to hear Mujuru, leader of the ZimPF launch a blistering attack on Mugabe and describing his recent rant against war veterans, which invoked ugly memories of Gukurahundi, as reckless.Mthwakazi peoples do not expect that from her. She should have used the opportunity to tell the people about her role during the dark hour in the lives of the people of Mthwakazi. What she uttered was an insult to the people of Mthwakazi.Mujuru's hands are as filthy as those of the entire zanu pf leadership that orchestrated the Gukurahundi Genocide (GG). Openly telling Mugabe, that his injudicious tirade, risked threatening the country's relative peace and stability, is ridiculous and hypocrisy. The country has been skating on thin ice for the past fifteen or so years, where was she then?For Mujuru, to utter anything blaming Mugabe, when she addressed attendees at Stanley Square in Bulawayo was testimony that she was (herself) not remorseful about the killing of an estimated half a million innocent civilians by the army, the 5th Brigade which was mainly recruited with the help of the North Koreans which was mainly made up of Shona youths who were deployed mainly in Matabeleland and the Midlands, in the early 1980s. As Mthwakazi peoples we note with grave concern at her reckless utterances in reference to his former comrade in arms."It is on public record that people who were Zimbabwean citizens and civilians for that matter, were killed, raped, tortured and had their homes and properties destroyed by the notorious and infamous Fifth Brigade mainly in and around Midlands and Matabeleland," Mujuru chided Mugabe.The above statement, evidently unmask Mujuru as a real hypocrite. She was in Zanu PF and she never opposed what was happening as her statement above vividly explains that she was aware then, together with her colleagues. So her business in Mthwakazi deserves is unacceptable.It is common knowledge that people in Mthwakazi were, through the use of GG, indoctrinated to believe that they were Zimbabweans, when they are not and they will never be. It's very bizarre and strange. Some creatures on Earth, with human lives sometimes forget what they did to some people especially when their comfort zones crush. This is the case with Mujuru. Would she have said all this, had she not been unceremoniously exited from Zanu PF? The answer is an emphatic "NO!!"Mujuru was reminding the people she was addressing about her dirty past in Zanu PF and people may not be taken wrongly if they say she was boasting about the GG, wherein documented evidence suggests that over 20 000 civilians were killed on unfounded allegations of supporting dissidents, which was a creation of Zanu PF.She was a hard core part of the leadership then. It is intriguing to realize that those who committed the crime are the ones acknowledging that they butchered about 20 000 civilians. That number is fake, false and criminal. Mthwakazi peoples, who are the victims, estimate that our butchered relatives far surpass that number given by the offender and Mujuru is part of the offenders' crew.We are saying 500 000 civilians were butchered. We say so because some of them are unaccounted for so we assume strongly that they were thrown alive in the disused deep mines in Bhalagwe among other places chosen by the demons, the 5th Brigade, a Zanu PF crack army created to fulfill what was crafted when Zanu PF cloned from pf Zapu in 1963. We have some Mthwakazi peoples among our midst who believe in the Zanu PF mantra that they killed about 20 000 unarmed civilians during the GG. Such peoples are an extension of Zanu PF and are a dangerous lot amongst the peoples of Mthwakazi. It is then our duty to de-teach that notion from them so that they see the light.It is true that the peoples of Mthwakazi are still traumatised by the Gukurahundi atrocities and that many children had grown up without parents because of the heinous act of political barbarism so having Mujuru reminding the Mthwakazi peoples about that, is a provocation of great proportions.As she pointed out that when elected into power in 2018 (if ever that dream will be attained) she would work to close "the sad chapter", by ensuring that all perpetrators of the massacre were made to account in their individual capacities, while victims were compensated. She forgot to tell the people that she will be the first to account. As for the compensation issue, the best is to let off Mthwakazi from Zimbabwe. By so doing, her name will boldly be inscribed in the annals of history and DNA of the Mthwakazi peoples forever.It is unfortunate that, the Restoration Agenda is drumming louder and she may not have that chance to put her colleagues to account in their individual capacities, as the story will be a different one. Moving towards 2018, will be a telling story as all Mthwakazi peoples must be preparing for a restored State. Every corner of Mthwakazi must know that freedom is just by the corner.The time for a commission of inquiry to look into the Gukurahundi atrocities is a smokescreen by the offender in the posture of the ZimPF leader. To us, it will be time to act on the offenders. As if afflicted by an all-powerful demon, Mujuru also said that political atrocities that had been committed since 2000 against opposition MDC supporters, including the abduction of journalist-cum human rights activist by the name Ithayi Dzamara, would also be investigated under the ZimPF government. Where was she, when all this was happening? Who is fooling who?So, as MLF, we strongly object to Mujuru statements in Bulawayo and say that Mthwakazi peoples must be on the watch for opportunistic personalities who pretend to be opposed to what they were yesterday because they want their votes, that's akin to provocation. The only solution and viable alternative is RESTORATION OF Mthwakazi where all the advances of the Shonalised government will be reversed and all the peoples then build a "paradise on Earth" which will be a model to emulate by not only the will be neighbor Zimbabwe,but the world in its entirety. Vuka Mthwakazi Vuka!!!!"Soyithola Kanjani Inkululeko Abanye Besahleli Emakhoneni?"
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Now, researchers are hoping to improve this imaging technique, known as molecular breast imaging or breast specific gamma imaging, with better image quality and precise location (depth information) within the breast, while reducing the amount of radiation dose to the patient for these procedures.According to Drew Weisenberger, leader of the Jefferson Lab Radiation Detector and Imaging Group, a new device called a variable angle slant hole collimator provides all of these benefits and more. When used in a molecular breast imager, the device has just demonstrated in early studies to capture 3D molecular breast images at higher resolution than current 2D scans in a format that may be used alongside 3D digital mammograms."These results really focus on the breast. We hope to build on this to perhaps improve the imaging of other organs," Weisenberger said. The new device replaces a component in existing molecular breast imagers.While a mammogram uses X-rays to show the structure of breast tissue, molecular breast imagers show tissue function. For instance, cancer tumors are fast growing, so they gobble up certain compounds more rapidly that healthy tissue. A radiopharmaceutical made of such a compound will quickly accumulate in tumors. A radiotracer attached to the molecule gives off gamma rays, which can be picked up by the molecular breast imager."You can image that accumulation external to the breast by using a gamma camera," said Weisenberger.Current molecular breast imaging systems use a traditional collimator, which is essentially a rectangular plate of dense metal with a grid of holes, to "filter" the gamma rays for the camera. The collimator only allows the system to pick up the gamma rays that come straight out of the breast, through the holes of collimator, and into the imager. This provides for a clear, well-defined image of any cancer tumors.The variable angle slant hole collimator, or VASH collimator, is constructed from a stack of 49 tungsten sheets, each one a quarter of a millimeter thick and containing an identical array of square holes. The sheets are stacked like a deck of cards, with angled edges on two sides. The angle of the array of square holes in the stack can be easily slanted by two small motors that slide the individual sheets by their edges. The result is a systematic varying of the focusing angle of the collimator during the imaging procedure."Now, you can get a whole range of angles of projections of the breast without moving the breast or moving the imager. You're able to come in real close, you're able to compress the breast, and you can get a one-to-one comparison to a 3D mammogram," Weisenbeger explained.In a recent test of the system, the researchers evaluated the spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio in images of a "breast phantom," a plastic mockup of a breast with four beads inside simulating cancer tumors of varying diameter that are marked with a radiotracer. They found that using the VASH collimator with an existing breast molecular imaging system, they could get six times better contrast of tumors in the breast, which could potentially reduce the radiation dose to the patient by half from the current levels, while maintaining the same or better image quality. The test results match a published paper that predicted this performance via a Monte Carlo simulation.The collimator was built at Jefferson Lab and the test results were analyzed at the University of Florida with funds provided by a Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology, and with matching support provided by Dilon Technologies.The test results were presented at the 2016 Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting in San Diego on June 13. The technologies developed for the Variable Angle Slant Hole Collimator are included in two filings to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a joint venture of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. and PAE Applied Technologies, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.Jefferson Lab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.Source: Newswise
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So, Mujuru has apologized for insulting Father Zimbabwe? No, wait a bit; Mujuru, according to the news, came short of apologizing. Uphose waxolisa  but the Zanu pride and arrogance stopped her right there! Then she hastened to blame us for being 'misled and hoodwinked' by the papers. But, if I remember well, these were the same papers who celebrated Mujuru calling Joshua Nkomo a 'senile old man', just as they celebrated the massacre, in cold blood, of tens of thousands of Ndebele people by Zanu. Even if she had apologized, it would have been, as they say, too little too late! Well, that is not the issue here, because no one expects Zanu to apologize for all the deliberate omissions and commissions against the people of Matabeleland ever!June 16 here, I observed, is a truly national holiday. I saw a number of different party representatives placing wreaths on the grave of the most famous of the youth that were mauled down by apartheid police in 1976  Petersen something. It demonstrated that we might have different views on how to run our different parties but we have a common purpose and destiny as a nation. And that is the inalienable truth! I have also seen the official opposition, the DA, use Nelson Mandela in their quest for votes.It brings forth the question whether the South Africans are living to the ideals that Mandela fought for? Mandela is not a property of the ANC; he transcends beyond tribal and party politics. He represents the dreams of the young and the old, rich and the poor, the good and the bad, and that of the oppressed and the downtrodden of this world. The ANC does not hoodwink potential voters using posters of Mandela. They place the current president's head on all posters as they canvass for votes. They know, of course, that Mandela is history and he must not be invoked to fight the battles the living. He did his bit; it is our duty to preserve whatever legacy he left, and build on it while we still can. And, incidentally, it is his ideals that still keep the present ANC leadership under so much pressure as the populace keep reminding them, this is not Mandela fought for.Meanwhile, across the border you know there is an election pending when the ruling party, which owns everything national, invokes Nkomo's name. They have found it so enjoyable not only to abuse Nkomo all his life but to continue to abuse him from his grave, something I personally find not only annoying but also disgusting! To quote Mujuru, I am sorry that my people are 'hoodwinked and misled' in the name of their most beloved Hero.Zanu has claimed sole ownership of all things national; be it the national anthem, national army, national police, heroes' acre, national holidays and national heroes. For instance, what is the common man's first reaction when a soldier appears or when they see a policeman? And, what do you think would happen if any of the opposition parties painted Nkomo's picture in any of their campaign material, or flighted the same on TV? What would happen if any opposition party held a rally at the heroes' acre  yes, because those heroes fought to liberate all Zimbabweans, and not just one party? Yes, during the war of liberation, we all suffered, fleeing the enemy and supporting the freedom fighters the best we could. It was not just Zanu people that suffered.Nkomo was aware of that  hence he fought the urge to be selfish and tribal and encouraged every Zimbabwean to be empowered economically, regardless of tribe, party allegiance or religious beliefs. Every citizen deserved a chance, according to him. If I may ask, is it the same mentality that prevails in Zanu then and now? How do they justify their use of a man whose dreams and ideals they are still so opposed to? Ok, after hoodwinking us to vote for them in the name of Nkomo, what do they do for us, as Nkomo's supporters, to honuor him? One can't even erect a statue in honuor of Nkomo anywhere without these people's approval. As people that lost our loved ones during the Gukurawundi insanity, are we allowed commemorate this fateful event? I know Nkomo would love to see us do this. But people like Mujuru and her Zanu would never allow it. If you look around the Matabeleland region, do you think this neglect, poverty, abuse, dilapidation  is what Nkomo had in mind about his people? Is this not perpetuating the many, some unprintable, insults that they threw at him every day of his political life? If Mujuru, as she claims now, regarded Nkomo as her father, what did she do to stop her party from hounding Nkomo and his supporters? Nkomo is her father now because she needs votes so desperately? And, as you shall see, she will talk about Nkomo just like they have done in zanu since Nkomo death. Nkomo this Nkomo that Nkomo the other! Nonsense!And to all of you Matabele  please stop helping these people insult your beloved leader. Bebengamthandi ephila, and lamanje abamthandi, they are just using him to 'hoodwink' you. If you want to vote for Zanu, please do so from your own free will, not because Nkomo this or Nkomo that. In other words, let us stop doing things under the pretext of doing it for Nkomo. We are abusing our hero and his legacy. Nkomo, may his brave, national soul rest in eternal peace, died almost a dozen years ago. He is a coward who expects a dead man to fight his own battles! Banjalo lababantu. They know they can never win any vote in Matabeleland without the help from Nkomo. We still hold him in awe and wouldn't want to disappoint him  Zanu has taken advantage of this and they know it.Uyaphika? Why bengakhulumi ngo Tongogara or any of their other leaders ema Ndebeleni? Further, Ndebele people are so loyal to their kings, past and present. So if a stranger shouts the name of any of their kings, the Ndebele will shake his hand, give him a chair, offer him meat and beer, and accept him as one of their own. Our loyalty and allegiance is being taken advantage of, and for granted afterwards. I know, we are so desperate to see Zanu gone but we should learn to shun anyone who holds the name of Joshua Nkomo in vain!Ngiyabonga mina!
For four months now, the Greek government has worked hard to provide every possible assistance towards the success of the Holy and Great Council. After all, the Left and Orthodoxy meet in love, in solidarity and in providing for people. Today is an historic day for everyone.
The funding was announced this week during the wheat program's field day in Frankenmuth.

The state's wheat growers established the program five years ago, largely to support research into boosting the crop's quality and yield. It has spent more than $1.5 million on studies of breeding, genetics, disease, crop rotation and weed control.

Michigan State will purchase 150 acres next to a bean and sugar beet research farm in Frankenmuth. Officials say that will allow rotation trials with other crops.

The university also has assembled a team of wheat specialists.

Nearly 8,000 farmers who grow wheat in 50 of Michigan's 83 counties fund the program.
For American service members, coming back from war can be its own form of psychological trauma.

That's a theory advanced by acclaimed author and war journalist Sebastian Junger in his recently published book, "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging."

Best known as the co-creator of gritty Afghanistan war documentaries "Restrepo" and "Korengal" and author of the book, "A Perfect Storm," Junger argues in "Tribe" that the military community thrives amid trauma and danger, but tends to become lost in the relative peace and security of our stratified modern society.

When troops leave their tight-knit community, Junger writes, they often feel isolated and detached, reporting a form of reentry trauma that he argues is frequently misidentified as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Junger avoids proposing a comprehensive solution to the problem he presents in "Tribe." But he told Military.com in an interview this month that one possible way to build a more cohesive society might be to create a different kind of draft: one in which some form of national service is mandatory for all eligible citizens, but the military is only one of several service choices, along with options like the Peace Corps and urban improvement projects.

"I think it's a shame that the only way to serve your country is with a gun," Junger said. "I think mandatory national service would throw every component of society into a pot together and stir it up, black, white, poor  everybody goes in there. And it would give young people a very valuable lesson that they're actually part of this incredible experiment."

Here are more questions and answers from the Military.com interview:

Q: You've received a lot of attention for Tribe because of your commentary regarding troops and veterans, but you don't actually discuss the military until the third quarter of the book. Were there other points of entry for you in writing this book?

A: I contemplated writing this book without talking about soldiers or PTSD at all. What interested me was the effect of modernity or the loss of communalism on our well being. I could have easily written this book without talking about soldiers, and I thought about it.

People advised me to start with soldiers and PTSD, and that to me was so not the point of the book that I was afraid it would be misleading to start with it, because it would make it look like that was my central concern and it really isn't.

But I feel like one way to understand modern society is to look at it from the eyes of people who are from here, who have gone away from it, and have come back. What do they see when they come back? What's missing? The reason I write about vets and PTSD is because it's such a great lens through which to see ourselves.

Q: You talk about the dangers of "over-valorization" of veterans for their service. What do you mean, and what are the greatest risks of doing that?

A: At one point, I use the phrase, you don't want to "ghettoize" soldiers and veterans in their heroism. You don't want to create a separate class of superior beings who aren't expected to engage in everyday life.

There's a wonderful painting by Winslow Homer that I just saw in The New York Times yesterday. It shows a young man with a scythe, it was painted in 1865 and he's cutting wheat. And it's called, 'The Veteran in a New Field.' This is fall harvest, immediately after the Civil War, and he's already back to work. It's an amazing painting, and it says a lot.

Obviously we aren't to assume that anyone who's physically or psychologically incapacitated needs to be taken care of by this society. But I think when you create excessive financial incentives to see yourself as psychologically incapacitated,when you self-diagnose PTSD and then apply for lifelong disability payments that are enough money that you don't have to work again, you risk turning soldiers into wards of the state. Their psychological health is ill-served by that.

Meanwhile, people who really, desperately need help have trouble getting it in an efficient and timely fashion at the VA. The irony is in both directions.

Q: What are other things society does that you think ultimately interfere with veterans' reintegration?

A: As nice a gesture as it is, letting military board airplanes first or have special parking spots probably doesn't speed their reintegration into a society where we all have to wait in line and look for parking. It's a totally nice gesture, but I don't think it speeds reintegration.

If we're not interested in reintegrating them, then let's keep doing that. I know it's heartfelt and well meant. But the effect is, it communicates [that] you're actually not one of us. We're not worthy of being in the same room with you.

Q: The post-Vietnam wars have been fought with an all-volunteer military. What do you believe are the consequences for troops and American society from fighting wars with volunteers?

A: If you have a draft, you definitely have people more focused on whether you're at war or not. You think college kids today are thinking about the war? No, not really. They definitely would be if they had a draft number that was going to come up as soon as they graduated.

That said, the draft has never kept America out of a war. There's some social justice in it. Maybe that would be the best argument for it. But there's also a moral argument against making people commit violence that they're opposed to. You could argue that having a small military could [restrain] us because  limitations of manpower could keep us from overextending into wars we don't need to fight.

You could make the opposite argument in that the draft and having masses and millions of people ordered to be at arms would actually allow the government to fight more wars than it needs to. You could argue it either way.

Q: You describe a contrast between order, and isolation and chaos that fosters close-knit community -- what you say troops experience in combat. Is there a middle ground?

A: Humans are probably wired to have it both ways. I don't know if we can. The closest I come to making recommendations is at the end of the book, where I talk about this veteran town hall idea [in which veterans can publicly share their experiences and perspectives from combat]. I think that those can act in really positive ways in communities, positive both for vets and for the communities themselves.

The reason veterans have a hard time coming home isn't because there's something inherently flawed about the transition process. It's because there's nothing to come home to. There's a society that's barely glued together and bitterly fractured.

There's the old joke, falling is not the problem, it's hitting the ground that hurts. Likewise, the transition isn't the problem; it's what they're trying to transition to. And ,ultimately, to help the vets we have to heal ourselves.

Q: You've said you're done writing about war. What's next?

A: I started covering war in the early 90s and I started thinking about this stuff in college as an anthropologist. In Tribe, though it's a short book, it's a sort of integration of things I've been working on and thinking about my entire life.

I was telling a friend of mine  I cooked one last meal that had everything in the refrigerator. I just put it all in a big pot, and now I need a new refrigerator and I don't even know where to go shopping. I don't know what's coming next, but something, I'm sure.

Tribe is published by Twelve, an imprint of Hachette, and went on sale in May.

--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.
BAY CITY, MI -- Officials from the Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau say they are ready to unveil plans for a new riverfront office near the gateway to the city, with a goal of connecting downtown and Uptown districts.

Annette Rummel, the CVB's chief executive, gives a presentation to the Bay City Commission at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 20, at Bay City Hall, 301 N. Washington Ave., about the tourism group's plan to build a new office at the city's center, off Veterans Memorial Bridge, that would allow visitors to easily access information when coming to town.

"This meeting is about asking the city if they're interested in working with us to make this a reality," Rummel said. "We see it not only as an opportunity to have a stronger presence in Bay City, but also an opportunity to clean up a part of the community that has fallen into disrepair."

The CVB, which currently operates out of an office at the Doubletree Hotel downtown, is eyeing a triangle-shaped plot just south of McKinley Street and north of the F.P. Horack parking lot.

"We don't need a big building, but we want to be very welcoming to the population and to the visitors coming to town," Rummel said.

The CVB also has offices in Saginaw at 515 N. Washington Ave. and in a temporary Midland location, with plans to move into the new "The H Residences" building in downtown Midland now under construction.

Details are few on what a new CVB building would look like in Bay City. Rummel declined to share specifics, saying "the final drawings haven't been vetted out yet."

"We definitely want it to be as small as it can be and don't want to overbuild," she said. "But a design hasn't been finalized."

Sara Dimitroff, who works in Bay City's economic development office, said part of the plans include the city creating a road from the bridge's eastbound offramp, connecting to Ninth Street in the south side of the Horak building.

The general area of the proposed site, which includes F.P. Horack's parking lot and two city roads, has fallen into disrepair over the years, Dimitroff said.

"This type of project could bring that part of the city back to life a bit," she said.

One potential challenge with the project is that the Michigan Department of Transportation owns a portion of that land, Dimitroff said.

"In our talks with MDOT, they've told us it's a great project that they would support," she said, adding the city would likely apply for an MDOT grant for road work near the site.

A permanent structure for the CVB, which had previously operated out of the Delta College Planetarium building, has been in the works for the past five years.

Rummel said the agency has been saving money it receives from a 5 percent regional hotel tax to fund the building project.

Candace Bales, executive director for the Bay City Downtown Development Authority, said that's why not as much money has gone toward marketing Bay City by the CVB during the past few years.

"We need that ability to get information to our visitors, so I'm looking forward to the details of this project," Bales said.

Bay City Manager Rick Finn, who serves as an ex-officio member of the CVB board, declined to comment on specifics of the plan. He said the city "has always taken a strong position to have a location for the CVB in a prominent location in the city."

Rummel said she would hope to break ground on the building project this fall.

"There's a lot that still needs to happen, but we're getting closer," she said.
Trent Moses GoFundMe image.jpg

Trent Moses GoFundMe image (https://www.gofundme.com/TrentMosesBurial)

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DETROIT, MI -- Lisa Moses of Detroit is attending her son's funeral Monday morning. Her grief is mixed with anger for Detroit police.

Fourteen-year-old Trent S. Moses died after crashing his minibike, a gas-powered, small-engine motorbike that can reach speeds of 40 mph, June 10 while trying to evade two Detroit police cruisers.

He crashed into the side of a Pontiac driven by 26-year-old Cynthia Clark of Detroit.

Detroit police submitted their investigation to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to review for possible charges against Clark, whose license was suspended at the time of the accident.

Worthy in a press statement said Clark wasn't at fault and she wouldn't be issuing felony charges. Clark was charged with misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.

"Honestly, I didnat want the woman to be charged, because she did not know what was going on," Lisa Moses said. "But had (the police) not been chasing my son, none of this would have happened.

"It definitely was their fault."

Moses said Detroit police Internal Affairs investigators visited her home to interview her last week.

The prosecutor, however, laid blame on Trent.

"At the time of the fatal crash in this case, the conduct of Mr. Moses speeding, evading the police, and running multiple stop signs was grossly negligent," Worthy said.

It was dusk, about 9:10 p.m. June 10 when Lisa Moses says Trent and his twin brother were riding their minibikes -- trent's black, his brother's red -- around the neighborhood.

Moses said she was outside her home on the corner of Paul and Rosemont on Detroit's west side when she saw two patrol cars chasing Trent. His brother, Lisa Moses said, went another direction and was not followed.

She said one officer was behind Trent while he traveled south on Rosemont and the other sped down a parallel street to try and cut Trent off down the road.

Worthy said the investigation shows Trent accelerated to near 45 mph and refused to stop when officers engaged their flashing lights and sirens.

Lisa Moses said police chased her son about a 1/10 of a mile, when he turned around, rode back toward the Moses home, ran the stop sign and crashed into Clark's car.

"They chased him all the way down to Dayton and Rosemont," she said. "They hit him, he maneuvered his bike, they tried to get him again and he cut through the cop cars."

The mother didn't see this but said she has spoken to neighbors who did. She hopes police will release dash-cam video to prove it.

Worthy said her office reviewed "interviews of witnesses, the crash scene investigation and the police in-car video." Worthy did not comment on what the video showed in her statement but said police discontinued the pursuit prior to the crash.

MLive has sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office requesting access to the records reviewed. Another request for public records from the Detroit Police Department is forthcoming.

Lisa Moses said her son was a hard-working, well-behaved student who attended the Academy for Business and Technology High School in Melvindale.

He worked part-time at a car wash and spent a lot of free time riding or tinkering with his minibike, Lisa Moses said.

Detroit police were criticized after another residential pursuit resulted in the death of two children and injuries to three others in March of 2015.

Michael A. Jackson, 6; and Makiah Jackson, 3, were killed when Detroit police chased a suspect believed to be armed with a handgun through an east side neighborhood in March 2015.

In that case, too, police said they disengaged from the chase before the suspect's vehicle lost control, careened off the road and ran into the children playing in their front yard.

An internal investigation found officers should have taken into consideration the geography, neighborhood and time of day prior to commencing a chase.

Officer Richard Billingslea, the driver, received a 3-day suspension; Officer Steven Fultz, the front passenger, underwent re-training, Sgt. Michael Woody told MLive in March.

Lorenzo D. Harris, the Detroit man who fled police and killed the children, is serving a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Full Wayne County Prosecutor charging statement:

Warrant Denied in Fatal Crash of Teen Mini Bike Rider

On June 10, 2016 at approximately 9:10 p.m., officers with the Detroit Police Department, in separate cars, were on routine patrol when they observed a male teen on red mini bike with another male teen on a black mini bike. The teen on the black mini bike did not have on a helmet and was travelling at speeds of 40 to 45 miles per hour in the area near Paul Street and Rosemont Street, a residential area that is designated a 25 mph zone. The officers turned on their emergency lights to pull over the driver of the black mini bike for speeding. The teen drove off at a high rate of speed attempting to evade the police cars, and ran through several stop signs. The officers turned off their emergency lights and discontinued their pursuit of the teen because he would not pull over and they were in a residential neighborhood near Rosemont and Drayton. The teen continued riding north on Rosemont and ran through a stop sign at Paul Street. He struck the back door of the driver's side of a white Pontiac as it was going through the intersection. The same police officers heard the collision and responded to the location.

Investigation by the police identified Cynthia Clark, 26 (DOB: 6/28/89), of Detroit, as the driver of the Pontiac. The teen on the black mini bike was identified as Trent Moses, 14, of Detroit. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. The medical examiner determined that Mr. Moses died of blunt force trauma and that the manner of death was determined to be an accident.

The investigation in this case included interviews of witnesses, crash scene investigation and the police in-car video. There is no evidence that Ms. Clark was at fault. She was driving the speed limit and was not under the influence of alcohol or any other substance that would cause impairment. At the time of the fatal crash in this case, the conduct of Mr. Mosesspeeding, evading the police, and running multiple stop signs was grossly negligent. It has been determined that no charges will issue against Ms. Clark in connection with the death of Mr. Moses.

On June 10, 2016, Ms. Clark was driving with a suspended driver's license. Today she was charged and arraigned in 36th District Court on one count of Operating a Motor Vehicle with License Suspended, a one-year misdemeanor. She received $2000 personal bond and must pay a fine of $350 by August 26, 2016.
Dearborn Police Department.png

Dearborn police photo

DEARBORN, MI -- A Dearborn police officer is suspended after accusations emerged that he groped women sexually during traffic stops, WXYZ-TV, Channel 7 reported Friday.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office told Channel 7 they have received an investigation into the mater and is reviewing it for possible criminal charges.

The Detroit News spoke with Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad, who confirmed there was an internal investigation but would not reveal any details of the allegations.

Dearborn, a Detroit suburb and city of about 95,000, had 182 sworn officers as of 2014, according to the most recent FBI law-enforcement employee report.
FLINT, MI - A $5 million matching grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation on the philanthropic group's 90th anniversary to the Flint Child Health and Development Fund has put the foundation over the $3 billion mark for giving.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation started in June 19, 1926, when its namesake gifted 2,000 shares of General Motors stock for philanthropy.

"I think that our leadership is demonstrated in the individual lives that the foundation has supported and helped throughout our history," said Ridgway H. White, the great grandson of C.S. Mott. "Either directly or indirectly, most of the residents in Flint have had a positive impact by the foundation. We may not have turned around the city, but our goal has been to impact individual lives where we've had a focus."

White said the C.S. Mott Foundation has now given away more than its worth - adding that the foundation's asset base is $2.7 billion.

"That speaks to the value of endowed philanthropy in helping to address society's most difficult problems," Foundation Chairman and CEO William S. White said in a statement. "The capacity to explore and test possible solutions, to support the painstaking process of building community partnerships, and to take the long view on strategies that may take years or even decades to bear fruit is absolutely essential to achieving positive change."

The $5 million grant to the Flint Child Health and Development Fund will help children impacted by the Flint water crisis.

The grant is part of the C.S. Mott Foundation's recent pledge of up to $100 million over five years to respond to the water crisis.

Mott was one of the founders of General Motors after moving to Flint from Utica, New York He also served three terms as mayor of Flint. Charles Stewart Mott died in 1973 at 97.

The C.S. Mott Foundation began when he started a trust and gifting 2,00 shares of GM stock, then valued at $160 a share.

Community school models were known around the world because of Mott's work with Frank J. Manley -- making schools the centers of neighborhoods that were open outside of regular school hours.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation put up more than $50 million to help launch the auto-themed amusement park Autoworld in 1984 but the effort ultimately failed and the park closed.

In 2005, the foundation gave $25 million to the University of Michigan Health System to build a new Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. To date, it is the largest single grant from the foundation.

"While I didn't know C.S. Mott, I would think that he would be proud that the children of Flint are beneficiaries of these dollars 90 years later and that there's going to be a positive impact in the lives even though they've experienced additional struggles as a result of the water crisis," Ridgway White said. "The $100 million really is in addition to what we're already giving, so it's been a stretch for us. We did exceed budget this year. If we do that over a period of time than we won't be here forever and our goal is to be here forever."

The idea behind many of the Mott Foundation's grant is to leverage more contributions.

"For 90 years, the Mott Foundation has been a dedicated partner to this community," said Community Foundation of Greater Flint President Kathi Horton said in a statement. "With this new grant, Mott will help to motivate and then match the support of others who care about Flint to ensure that our children will have access to the best resources, services and opportunities in the years to come."

Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Less than a week after a gay bar in Orlando was the site of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, the 28th annual

Grand Rapids Pride Festival

is happening downtown this weekend.

A street fair on Ottawa Avenue NW, south of Michigan Street, and a concert on Calder Plaza are scheduled to run through midnight. Admission to the street fair is $5, and concert entry is $20.

Also, a block party is planned 2-8 p.m. Sunday, June 19, on Sheldon Avenue outside the Grand Rapids Chidren's Museum and the Apartment Lounge.

Grand Rapids planned a heightened police presence at this weekend's festivities, in response to last week's shootings.

Earlier this week, Mayor Rosalynn Bliss offered condolences to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Matt Vande Bunte writes about government and other issues on MLive. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Sudanese children walking past a UN-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) vehicle at the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons in Northern Darfur on April 12, 2016. By Asharf Shazly (AFP/File)

19.06.2016 LISTEN

Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan summoned Sunday the head of the international peacekeeping force in Darfur after the UN recommended to renew its mission by one year despite Khartoum's reluctance.

About 20,000 troops and policemen from more than 30 countries are currently in Sudan's western region of Darfur as part of the African Union-United Nations mission, UNAMID.

A report by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, recommends that UNAMID's mandate be extended by another year.

The report which was submitted to the Security Council cites the "limited progress" made to reach a viable solution to end the conflict in Darfur since 2003 that has left tens of thousands of civilians dead.

"With tens of thousands of people newly displaced in 2016 and approximately 2.6 million remaining displaced in Darfur, civilians across the region continue to bear the consequences of the volatile security situation," the report said.

It also spoke of ongoing fighting in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur.

The report recommended extending UNAMID's mandate -- which expires at the end of the month -- "for 12 months, until 30 June 2017."

The UN Security Council is expected to meet before the end of June to endorse or reject the recommendation.

Khartoum insists that unrest in Darfur has ended and has stepped up pressure for a complete exit of the international peacekeepers from the war-torn region, where they have been deployed since 2007.

On Sunday, Sudan's foreign ministry summoned UNAMID chief Martin Uhomoibh to question him on the report's recommendation, the ministry said in a statement.

"The report by the African Union and the United Nations consists incorrect information about the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur," the ministry said.

Last month Sudan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Kamal Ismail, said: "It's time to say goodbye to the UNAMID mission."

"This mission came to protect civilians, but now there is no danger to civilians, there is no conflict in Darfur," he added.

Violence erupted in Darfur when ethnic minority rebels rose against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Bashir mounted a brutal counter-insurgency and at least 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict, the UN says. Another 2.5 million have fled their homes.
Accra, June 17, GNA - Mr Fred Awaah, the Secretary General of the All-Africa Students Union, has urged the youth and all voting-students to carefully scrutinise the manifestos of the various political parties before voting.

He said there is the need to be informed and keep abreast of all ideas of the political parties.

Speaking to the press as part of the organisation's State of the Union address, Mr Awaah said a 'students and youth against electoral violence campaign' would be held in the coming weeks to conscientise the youth on the need to vote wisely in the coming elections.

He said the organisation, which is the representative body of all African students, would hold its annual summit from August 11- August 15 and food security concerns is set to dominate the discussions.

Mr Awaah said the 12th congress of the Union would be held in Botswana from December 19 to December 24 December and in this regard, elections would be held for new executives.

He said the National Association of Nigerian Students, has been suspended for various reasons including holding unapproved award ceremonies in the name of the Union.

Mr Awaah said over the years, the organisation played various roles in various countries including the creation of the Ebola Disaster Fund to assist students.

He said the organisation currently has a harmonious relations with the EU, UN and other global entities and all these are to help improve the lot of African students across the globe.

Mr Awaah said amongst the challenges of the organisation is the emergence of xenophobia in some African countries and this has affected academic work among many members.

He said funding the organisation is also a challenge till government agree to sponsor and provide funding for its main logistical challenges.

GNA
Benghazi (Libya) (AFP) - Islamist militias attacked Libya's key oil-producing region on Wednesday and were repelled by forces commanded by controversial general Khalifa Haftar, military sources said.

The Benghazi Defence Brigades attacked Ben Jawad town near the coastal "oil crescent", where Haftar had seized four export terminals from pro-government forces in September.

The alliance of Islamist and tribal fighters was then repelled by Haftar's forces, Colonel Moftah el-Magarief, head of an oil facilities guard under Haftar's control, told AFP.

"We have taken control of Ben Jawad and seized equipment and prisoners from the Benghazi Defence Brigade," he said.

"The air force targeted equipment belonging to the attacking force and we can confirm that all the oil fields and terminals are under our forces' control."

An engineer at the Al-Sidra port, 30 kilometres (20 miles) east of Ben Jawad, said an aircraft belonging to Haftar's forces had bombed a column of military vehicles belonging to the Benghazi fighters.

"The Benghazi Brigades (then) targeted us with Grad rockets," he said.

Libya's oil exporting region is bitterly contested between the country's internationally recognised Government of National Accord and a rival administration in the east, supported by Haftar.

Pro-GNA forces this week ousted the Islamic State group from its coastal bastion of Sirte, between Tripoli and the oil crescent, after a seven-month battle.

Experts have raised fears that having won in Sirte, GNA forces would move to retake the oil crescent, triggering renewed fighting between forces allied with the two rival governments.

But the GNA on Wednesday denied reports it had ordered any group to advance on the area.

In a statement, it said it was "in no way involved with the military escalation on Wednesday in the oil crescent".

Rocked by chaos and divisions since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, Libya desperately needs to relaunch its oil exports, the backbone of its economy.

The head of its National Oil Corporation warned in September that the country faced financial collapse unless it swiftly resumed exports.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Nominee for the Ningo Prampram Constituency, Sam Dzata George, has denied using land guards to harass some residents of Dodowa in the Shai Osudoku Constituency.

He has thus absolved himself of any blame in the reported tensions that took place at Dodowa during the parliamentary primary in the Shai Osudoku constituency on Saturday.

Citi News' correspondent, Elvis Washington, reported that there were pockets of tension, mainly at the Post Office polling station, where one of the contestants, Dr. Michael Kpessa Whyte, the acting Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, was hooted at .

According to the crowd, Dr. Kpessa Whyte has allegedly brought land guards to intimidate them for which they were hooting at him and his team of well-built men. The situation could have gotten chaotic but for the timely intervention of the police who beefed up the numbers of personnel at the polling station.

Some of voters shouted: why would you bring land guards here to kill us if you are campaigning to lead us, Dr Kpessa Whyte, we don't know you so please kindly stay off the constituency among others.

Some of the angry voters also alleged that the NDC's Ningo Prampram Parliamentary candidate and presidential staffer, Sam George, who was seen in the company of Dr. Kpessa Whyte, is the mastermind behind the land guards in the town.

But speaking to Citi News, the Ningo Prampram Parliamentary Nominee, Sam George, denied the allegations saying he was currently in his own constituency.

Sam George however admitted he had earlier been in the Shai Osudoku constituency, specifically at the Post Office polling station, but only to monitor what was going on during the election.

According to Sam George, Whatever affects Ningo Prampram affects Shai Osudoku and whatever affects Shai Osudoku affects Ningo Prampram. This is the primary and so I decided to go to my constituency through Shai Osudoku just to be abbressed with the issues and whatever.

He also noted that at the Post Office polling station, he didn't see any incidents of violence or any macho men intimidating voters.

NDC not a violent party

Sam George further retorted that the NDC was not a party prone to violence and suggested that elements of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) were fanning tensions.

This is the NDC, we are not talking about the NPP. The NDC is not a violent party. We don't do things with macho men and land guards. I don't know if you spoke to the right people in the constituency or maybe NPP members in the community who just want to paint a bad picture of a very peaceful process in Shai Osudoku.

Widow floors Kpessa Whyte to win Shai Osudoku NDC primary

Meanwhile, Linda Akwele Ocloo on Saturday gave her late Husband a glowing tribute by beating Dr. Michael Kpessa Whyte , to win the National Democratic Congress' parliamentary primary, in the Shai Osudoku Constituency of the Greater Accra Region.

Mrs. Linda Akwele Ocloo, a teacher with no political experience, whose husband died in a tragic car crash in March after he won the primary, shockingly opted to contest, ostensibly in memory of her husband. There were suggestions she could not make any impact and would be no match for Dr. Kpessa Whyte, Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, who contested her late husband in the first primary of four contestants and came second.

But at the end of voting on Saturday June 18, Linda Akwele Ocloo polled 5,156 votes, with Dr. Kpessa Whyte managing 3,372 votes.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
19.06.2016 LISTEN

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Folks, the Akans have a saying about abuburo kosua (Whatever is destined to succeed knows no failure). Another one says that whoever legitimately owns something is the one to eat it, not the hungry one. We can say with all certainty that when someone is destined to become a leader, he/she doesnt struggle to be so. No weapon laid against that person ever works to subvert that destiny. So should it be for political office-holding in Ghana in our time. But the reality in the case of the NPPs Akufo-Addo raises eyebrows. Why so?

There is an overwhelming mass of noise from certain quarters easily betraying their political allegiance as they invoke the name of the Supreme Deity (God) and their local "gods" ( conceived and characterized in diverse senses and guises) to sustain the NPP's Akufo-Addo that he is divinely destined to defeat President Mahama at Election 2016.

Over the years since Akufo-Addo was trounced at Elections 2008 and 2012, he and his supporters haven't ceased encapsulating their political fate in the ambit of the Supreme Deity and those "gods".

Akufo-Addo himself has given much weight to that flight to spiritualism or escapism, especially when he led the NPP cabal top sing the cacophonous tune of "The battle is of the :Lord's (top fight for us)". They shouted themselves hoarse in the process and organized a series of vigils, especially during the hearing of their useless petition after Election 2012.

What didn't happen? Akufo-Addo even got into a circle of failed JSS students to intensify prayers and to create the impression that God was on their side for the Supreme Court to crown Akufo-Addo as the winner of Election 2012. Everything exploded in their faces!!

Akufo-Addo and Bawumia had done everything and expended energy and resources canvassing for votes in the religious circles, especially those identifiable as Christian and Muslim. No matter what they did, victory eluded them. Not even Akufo-Addo's "pilgrimage" to the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem could make God shine his favour on him. Nothing worked well. Ridiculously, the NPP's claim was that even though Akufo-Addo had won the elections as ordained by God, the wicked hands of human beings (citing those of Dr. Afari Gyan, especially) had turned the table against him. So, the human being is more powerful than God?

One would expect the NPP camp to show political maturity and self-respect in doing political outreach; but it might all be in vain, especially if we consider the fact that the NPP's fixation on whipping up sentiments in the religious community is either ineradicable or unstoppable. Only they know why they think that God is on their side and not on that of the other political camps.

For Election 2016, the rush to invoke God and whatever else seen in the spiritual realm by only those favouring an Akufo-Addo victory has assumed ugly dimensions. It is more than ridiculous.

When Akufo-Addo began his five-day tour of the Central Region, the chief at his first point of call set the tone, saying that by appearing before the "gods" (of his own Fante village, I suppose?) for the third time, pleading to be voted into office, he would succeed. The gods would not reject him at the third appeal, he sought to say.

Then, we are told today that "the Queen Mother of Denkyira, Nana Ama Ayensua Saara III, has said that God would make Akufo-Addo Ghana's President (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/God-will-make-you-president-Queen-mother-to-Akufo-Addo-448831).

Before then, a number of so-called "Men-of-God" had made similar noises, even if they couched theirs in threats to the Ghanaian electorate. We won't bother re-iterating their claims, but we want to say that whatever came from them has already created the impression that God has revealed to them the outcome of Election 2016.

It is intriguing how only these people are the beneficiaries of the Supreme deity's (God's) revelation regarding Akufo-Addo's fate. Is God so discriminatory to reveal the outcome of Election 2016 to these people and hide it from the mass of voters whose electoral decision matters most? Why would God tell them in advance what the voters haven't even yet decided to do? I don't believe God is so cheap.

And to think that the local "gods" in the Fante area that have so far been quoted as blessing Akufo-Addo to win Election 2016 adds a different complexion to the joke. So, which is which now? That the Christian God who abhors the local "gods" of these communities is now in cahoots with these same vile "gods" to crown Akufo-Addo's efforts? Surely, water and oil don't mix?

Taking the matter to a higher level, I wonder why the flight into religious sentimentalism should be attractive to Akufo-Addo and his camp. Of course, they may be operating on the warped basis that it is God who appoints Kings. If, indeed, that warped stance is even to be accepted, does it have to take so much muscle-flexing and all that has been happening in Akufo-Addo's case to wake God up so he could endorse his request to become Ghana's President at all costs?

The above question underscores concerns that Akufo-Addo is dangerously desperate. At no time in Ghana's political history has any aspirant done what he is doing, whipping up religious sentiments as if God has blessed him to become Ghana's President but the machinations of human beings detract from it all. This focus on religious sentimentalism is dangerous and must be pointed out as such.

Even if we accept Karl Marx's maxim that religion is the opium (opiate) of the masses (people), we should do so with a clear understanding that whatever is destined to succeed knows no failure. The point is that if Akufo-Addo were really destined to be Ghana's president, he won't have to go all this distance.

Let's just take a quick tour of our post-colonial political scene in Ghana to see how previous leaders emerged:

a. The Great Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a NOBODY who was brought back to Ghana by the UGCC. By dint of his own natural propensity as a political leader, he weathered the storm to outshine all those who stood against him, including the already-established Dr. J.B. Danquah and the entire UGCC or the later United Party elements. Nkrumah rose from obscurity to stardom without invoking God in any way to drive his campaigns.

b. The traitors who overthrew Nkrumah through the barrel of the gun succeeded in setting themselves up for a rude shock; and they are consigned to the backwoods of Ghanaian politics.

c. Dr. Busia rose to power on the waves of what the anti-Nkrumah traitors had set up; but how long did he last? Even, this NPP's Akufo-Addo's father (Edward) didn't expect to become Ghana's titular President; but when his Fate called, the system responded. He had worked hard to become Ghana's Chief Justice but had no eye on the titular Presidency, even if he had earlier surfaced as one of the "Big Six". He didn't even create any space for his son, this William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to step into in an attempt to emulate his shining example. He had no room for legacy.

d. Dr. Hilla Limann didn't force himself on anybody. He was a common official in Ghana's Foreign Mission but rose to the highest acclaim when he was favoured by the Imoru Egala team to lead the PNP to victory at Election 1979. His shortlived prominence belongs to history.

e. Jerry Rawlings saw death but survived to become the longest-serving leader of Ghana. He didn't make God the centre of his power-seeking venture. Even his simple attempt to tell Ghanaians that he didn't fear but loved God turned him into a vermin for them to berate.

f. Prof. Atta Mills was a lecturer who caught the eyes of the NDC establishment to succeed Rawlings. neither a politician nor a power-hungry person, he rolled along with the punches to power and left when his Maker called him unto himself. His personal investment in Christianity needs no elaboration, but he didn't drive his politics with any religious sentiments. he didn't win political power by invoking God and mobilizing forces to that effect. he won because he was destined to do so.

g. John Dramani Mahama's rise to fame began from a humble beginning. Even if he inwardly counted on God (or the gods of his Gonja extraction) to move him on, he never made any public demonstration of it. he is still in office, preparing to reach out to Ghanaians to be retained as such.

Here is where the snag appears. Why is it that it is the NPP's Akufo-Addo who is so fixated on God (and the local gods of areas he visits) as the basis for his political electioneering campaigns? Why is he so bent on circumscribing his own political ambitions in everything spiritual? I wonder; I truly wonder.

And for all those invoking the names of God (and the local "gods") to sustain his political manouevres, I wonder what they take Ghanaians for. Ours is not a theocracy but a democracy.

Funnily, though, even in countries whose politics is driven by theocracy, God is not invoked at election time. Rather, it is the electorate who are reached out. So, why is Akufo-Addo wasting time, energy, and resources on this flight to spiritualism? Is it because of the mistaken belief that Ghanaians are spiritually inclined and dumb enough to buy into anything attributed to the Supreme Deity or their local gods?

The fallacy thickens and will materialize sooner than later. Elections are won by those who know how to appeal to the voters with clear-cut, convincing messages. Those who turn to abstractions and phantoms lose out. They may not accept their fate and run around in circles, spiralling themselves out of control; but once their sad fate is determined and sealed, they become a public nuisance.

Let those who think that they can twist God's arms to do their bidding keep deceiving themselves. i will continue to poke fun at them for whatever they are: mere day-dreamers and wishful thinkers!!

I shall return
Mogadishu (AFP) - Somalia's Shebab jihadists have confirmed the death of a commander suspected of organising the 2015 attack on Kenya's Garissa University that left 148 people dead.

The killing of Mohamed Mohamud aka Dulyadin was announced by Somali officials on June 1 and Shebab confirmed his death with the release of an obituary on Saturday.

"We console ourselves and our nation for the martyrdom of the Muslim knight commander Sheik Mohamed Mohamud Ali (Dulyadin). May Allah accept him and lift him to paradise," it said.

Shebab said the commander, also know by the aliases 'Kuno' and 'Gamadhere', was killed by "US crusaders".

Somali officials had said he died in a Somali special forces raid close to the southern port town of Kismayo. Somalia's special forces are trained by and receive logistical support from the US.

Mohamud, a Kenyan national and an ethnic Somali, was killed alongside three other commanders and his body later put on display by local authorities.
The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) has taken a swipe at the Communications Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah for his comments that President John Dramani Mahama is an incorruptible man.

This is in response to comments made by the Dr Boamah on the Joy FM/MultiTVs news analysis programme, Newsfile on Saturday, June 18, that the President cannot be bribed by anybody.

A statement signed by the party's Policy Advisor, Kofi Asamoah-Siaw and copied to Myjoyonline.com said considering that a Ford Expedition vehicle was given to President Mahama by the Burkinabe contractor, Oumarou Djibril Kanazoe, there is no way anyone will absolve him (the President) of bribery.

President Mahama has come under severe criticism following Joy News Manasseh Awuni Azures revelation from his investigation that the President was given a Ford Expedition car valued at $100,000 by the Burkinabe contractor. The contractor was later to receive two contracts from the Ghana government.

Speaking on Newsfile, Dr Boamah said: I am here this morning not to attack the work of Manasseh but I am here this morning to indicate that my President, your president, our president is incorruptible and not corrupt and this mud will not stick on President John Mahama.

But the PPP said the ministers claim about the incorruptibility of President Mahama is unsustainable.

Read the full statement below:

The Minister Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah in his attempt to absolve President Mahama from any wrongdoing in the Ford Expedition gift saga, stated emphatically on Joy FM news analysis show Newsfile that the president is incorruptible. Perhaps, Dr. Omane Boamah does not appreciate the actual meaning of incorruptibility. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, incorruptible means incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted. We wish to focus on, for the time being, on incapable of being bribed.

The purpose of this statement is to make it clear to the Minister of Communications that the circumstances of the gift giving and acceptance of same by President Mahama renders the Ministers statement on the presidents incorruptibility inaccurate. The president accepted a gift that influenced the decision to award the Burkinabe native the two contracts in 2012.

The President of the Republic of Ghana has taken a gift from a Burkinabe Contractor under bizarre circumstances and the Minister of Communications wants Ghanaians to believe that the president is incorruptible. According to the Minister, the gift did not influence the successful bid of the Burkinabe for the two contracts and also that the gift was presented to the State by the president to shore up the presidential fleet after he received it.

We wish to make a number of things clear to the Honourable Minister of Communications why his conclusion on the presidents incorruptibility is unsustainable. Ghana has not commissioned our president to go around the globe accepting gifts from private individuals, contractors and friends to shore up the presidential fleet. What we have told our president to avoid conflict of interest situations as contained in article 284 of the 1992 Constitution.

Secondly, Dr. Omane Boamah should appreciate that all bribes come in the form of a gift. Moreover, two items of the same kind and same value can be a gift or bribe depending on the circumstances of the giver, the taker and the relationship between the giver and the taker. In this particular case, the relationship between the president and his Burkinabe friend constitutes a conflict of interest situation, and therefore the Ford Expedition gift is considered a bribe.

Thirdly, Dr. Omane Boamah and Mr. Kwaku Baako appears to justify the presidents taking of the Ford Expedition by applauding the decision of His Excellency to add the vehicle to the presidential fleet. It is important to note that the president took possession of the vehicle before he decided to add it to the presidential fleet. It is our contention that the president should not have committed the act in the first place. Also, it was the presidents sole right to decide how to dispose of his bonafide property. This is the reason why we argue that the commission of the act of accepting a gift or bribe cannot be obliterated by the decision of His Excellency to assign it to the fleet. Our point is that the president should NOT have taken the vehicle at all and that act of commission cannot be justified by subsequent decisions.

This matter of national and international embarrassment cannot be resolved with the usual propagandist approach without the culprit suffering the penalty for it. We expect parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president for this act of gross misconduct.

In the meantime, the PPP has instructed its lawyers to file a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in accordance with article 287 of the 1992 Constitution. Article 287(1) states that An allegation that a public officer has contravened or has not complied with a provision of this Chapter shall be made to the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and, in the case of the Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, to the Chief Justice who shall, unless the person concerned makes a written admission of the contravention or non-compliance, cause the matter to be investigated.

Kofi Asamoah-Siaw

Policy Advisor

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected]
Abuja (AFP) - President Muhammadu Buhari arrived back in Nigeria on Friday after nearly two months in London receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

The 74-year-old landed at the airport in the northern city of Kaduna at about 7:40 am (0640 GMT) and was flown by helicopter to the capital, Abuja, according to an AFP photographer and TV pictures.

In Abuja, the head of state, wearing a black kaftan and hat, stepped off the helicopter and walked across the tarmac to be greeted by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

A Periscope video on the Twitter account of the presidency's digital communications team showed him greeted by security chiefs and other senior government officials.

He was then driven away in a black official car.

Buhari flew to London on January 19, officially on holiday and to have what his office said were "routine medical check-ups" for an undisclosed condition.

But while he was away, aides had to counter persistent rumours online that he was seriously ill or even dead, despite photographs showing him meeting senior Nigerian politicians.

Buhari had previously travelled to London in June last year to receive treatment for what was described as a persistent inner ear infection.

The presidency announced his return on Thursday evening. Earlier in the day he looked painfully thin in photographs of his meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
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My gas and diesel are up, it's going up again. Saudi Arabia cut 2 million barrels a day after Biden asked them to produce more. They said they did it for economic reasons. They did. The dollars they receive are worth less because of Biden and his lockstep Dems in congress printing trillions of extra dollars chasing the same amount of goods. The Saudis understand inflation and ... (click for more)
Our favourite Scottish singer-songwriter is coming to NZ in July 2023 for what will be two incredible shows!
Several years ago Southern California was all ablaze - again. This latest forest fire episode only got my attention because the famed Mt. Wilson Observatory was directly in the flames' path! As a one-time amateur astronomer I was immediately caught up in the significance of this story and followed it closely. It was only on the very edge of my memory that I recalled that Dr. Harold A. - or as he perfers Hal - McAlister - of Chattanooga - was Director of that great astronomical icon. Its loss would be irreparable. The fire raged on for days and things looked really bad - until the brave fire-fighters of southern California (and elsewhere) were finally able to control the blazes and the fire abated. NBC News had been following these events on their Nightly News broadcasts, and News-anchor, Brian Williams, rushed to the scene to congratulate all who had participated in the dramatic rescue. Suddenly here was my former Clarence T. Jones Observatory friend on my TV screen - our first "meeting" in many, many years.

I recognized the name instantly! Those of you who have read my "Memories" articles from the start know that I grew up at the Clarence T. Jones Observatory, knowing Mr. Jones himself for several years before he died. Mr. Jones's enthusiasm for Astronomy was then taken up by another amateur Astronomer, Llewellyn Evans, who wanted nothing more than to continue Jones's "hands on" approach to the subject. Therefore some time later, in 1957, when the Russians blasted the first "Sputnik" artificial satellite into orbit, Evans organized an "Operation Moonwatch" here in Chattanooga. It was under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution and would provide data for scientific study in Washington. Hal McAllister joined that program in its earliest stages. Many a midnight of observation was spent on the observatory's observation deck roof, along with Evans's diverse team of older and younger associates.

This was the "Cold War" era and I had gone to the US Air Force, so could not participate. Young Hall McAlister - several years my junior - eagerly joined the group and soon was acquainted with all the observatory "regulars", and had the ear of both Dr. Karel Hujer of the University, and Llewellyn Evans, TVA's Chief Consulting Engineer, and amateur astronomer. If Evans was the head of the observatory's "Nuts and Bolts" department, then Dr. Karel Hujer was head of the philosophical department! Hujer had a Classical European background in Astronomy, having studied in Prague, Paris, and London. Hujer had the uncanny ability to inspire students to see beyond the purely mechanical and mundane things of the every day world, and was a great inspiration to McAlister. It was between Evan's practical mind, and Hujer's philosophical mind that Dr. Hal McAlister was, for life, molded.

* * *

Hal grew up in Brainerd and was one of the early graduates of Brainerd High School. Excelling in all fields, and with especially strong abilities in Math, he early settled on the goal of a career in Astronomy. His higher education took him first to our University of Chattanooga, which became the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga while he was in attendance there. When at UTC he met Susan P. Johnson (in Art111), and they later married in 1972, a year after he had gotten his Bachelor of Physics degree in 1971. From here he went on to the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, for both his Master's and Doctoral degrees, and was at all times an Honors student. He did post-doctoral research work at Kitt Peak National Observatory at Tucson, Arizona, 1975-'77.

Hal cannot emphasize enough how much our Dr. and Mrs. Karel Hujer influenced his early life. He declares that, "they were as influential in my life as my own parents, and I owe them a great deal". (I can personally attest to the Hujer's interest and generosity to many students).

Harold's employment record is much like his academic record - leading ever forward to a yet unclear goal. Like so many other things in his Chattanooga life, his employment carried some honorific weight, as when he and Rabbi Abraham Feinstein were selected as the first two male teachers ever employed by Girls' Preparatory School. Rabbi Feinstein taught Religion, and Hal McAlister taught Physics.

Hal gives his wife, Susan, much credit for helping him get his Doctorate in only four years compared with the five-seven years many PhD students require. Neither for Hal did things go in a straight line from graduation to a professorship at GSU. For it was then the "Cold War" era, and he was obligated to serve his military hitch as 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Defense Artillery Branch of the US Army. This only temporarily interrupted his progress in the field of Science, and the next step in that direction was the teaching position at Georgia State University where he started as an Assistant Professor in 1977. Very few people (like me) had any inkling of GSU's connection to Mount Wilson Observatory, and that our Dr. McAlister would one day be its Director (now Director Emeritus)! It would be hard for me to decide whether that job is more "honorific", or "hands-on". In Dr. McAlister's case, I guess it would be both!

Mount Wilson Observatory is located high in the mountains east of Los Angeles. When new, it was in an ideal location for telescopic observations, and is still world-famous for its historic assembly of telescopes and other astronomical instrumentation. For 30 years, its 100-inch telescope was the world's largest. Nowadays it suffers from light pollution, same as our Jones Observatory here in Brainerd. ONE advantage at Mt. Wilson, however, is that the layers of smog over Los Angeles, proper, actually insulate the observatory from drastic changes of temperature and humidity. Mt. Wilson Observatory had an established worldwide reputation among astronomers long before Dr. McAlister arrived on the scene. It was already noted for special branches of research, and no meeting of astronomers could be held without its mention. There are, besides, exciting NEW developments at Mt. Wilson which were brought about by our hands-on astronomer himself, Dr. McAlister. My absolute favorite of these is not called a "telescope", but an "array", for, sprawling over the sides of Mt. Wilson is a device known as the "CHARA Array", standing for GSU's "Center for High Angle Resolution Astronomy", which Hal founded in 1983. The Array is so sensitive a device that it can detect and describe an object the size of a NICKEL at a distance of 10,000 miles, making it the most powerful telescope in the world in terms of its ability to see detail! WOW! In my day, not even the then-new 200-inch telescope at Mt. Palomar could resolve any star into anything more than a single, tiny "point of light". With this amazing CHARA Array we can actually study the surfaces of stars many millions of light-years away from Planet Earth!

Dr. McAlister says it took a full decade to get the funding for this project, followed by another full decade for its construction. I cannot give the GSU website as it is normally written, but can ask that you put the h-t-t-p-/-/, followed by w-w-w -. gsu.edu/CHARA/. Sorry I cannot give it any more correctly than that, but it results in major PC problems when I do...

Anyway, the upshot of all this is that Dr. Hal McAlister IS the astronomer that Clarence T. Jones was longing to influence so many years ago, but the connection is unbroken, and the sequence would go something like this: Jones - Evans - Hujer - McAlister. And there is no doubt in my mind that those same names have spun off many another would-be astronomer as well. Harlowe Shapley and Bart Bok were two renowned astronomers of my day. Let us now add Hal McAlister to that list!

(Perhaps in a future story we might get Dr. Hal to give us an insider's view of how a great observatory works: who gets to photograph with the "big" scope tonight - and for how long. Or how they decide which of the several trillion stars will be measured in the first place. Inquiring minds want to know! And the average Chattanoogan is scratching his (or her) head wondering how Georgia State U. ever came into possession of Mount Wilson Observatory! So, we need you back, Dr. McAlister, and thank you for this first brief glimpse into your life!)

Dr. Hal and wife, Susan, have one daughter who is distinguished in her own field of Law. She is a partner in a major law firm in Atlanta.

(Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached at cymppm@comcast.net )
NEW YORK  Pine Brook, an investment firm focused on building businesses in the energy and financial services sectors, has led a Line of Equity financing arrangement for Accelerate Resources Holdings LLC.

Accelerate is a new energy company pursuing high quality assets in the most prolific oil and gas basins in the United States. The Dallas-based company will focus on non-operated working interest and leasehold acquisition opportunities.

Accelerate is led by President & CEO Brennan Potts, an experienced energy executive and entrepreneur. Previously, he led business development for several private equity-backed oil and gas companies with primary operations in the Eagle Ford and Mid-Continent region. Before founding Accelerate, Potts was part of the team that started and built Titanium Exploration Partners.

Potts is joined by co-founders Mickey Friedrich, Tom Deen, Kenny Worrell and Patrick George. Accelerate's management team brings strong industry experience from companies such as Pioneer Natural Resources, RSP Permian and Energy Spectrum.

Cahill Services completes Drive Rental acquisition

HOUSTON  Cahill Services LLC, a specialty rental services business serving companies in energy and related industries, announced the acquisition of Drive Rental Corp., a specialty flameless heating rental business with operations in Canada and the U.S.

Terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. This is the first platform acquisition by Cahill Services, which was formed in 2015 by a group of former Aggreko executives.

Headquartered in Alberta, Canada, Drive Rental has innovated unique heating technologies that deliver high levels of heat and airflow with substantial energy efficiency. The business will rebrand and operate as Cahill Heating.

Cahill Services LLC is a Houston-based provider of specialty rental services to customers in the oil & gas, refining, industrial, petrochemicals, utilities and related industries.

S&P Global Platts acquires RigData

NEW YORK  S&P Global Platts, an independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, has acquired RigData, a provider of daily information on rig activity for the natural gas and oil markets across North America.

The purchase extends the S&P Global Platts energy analytical capabilities by strengthening its position in natural gas and enhancing the company's oil offering. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 1986, RigData provides over 5,500 customers in North America with daily electronic reports on drilling permits, activity and rig locations in the United States, the Gulf of Mexico and Canada.

S&P Global Platts and RigData have been content partners since 2008, with RigData providing essential data to the Platts Bentek product suite.

Lime Rock Resources IV closes at $754 Million

HOUSTON  Lime Rock, a private equity firm focusing on the global energy sector, announces the closing of its fourth Lime Rock Resources fund, Lime Rock Resources IV, with $754 million in aggregate capital commitments.

As with the three previous Lime Rock Resources funds, the Houston-based Lime Rock Resources team will seek to acquire, improve, and directly operate producing oil and gas properties in the United States.

The Lime Rock Resources team launched the fundraising process for Fund IV in November 2015, held its first close in February 2016, and its final close in May 2016. The previous Lime Rock Resources fund, Lime Rock Resources III, held its final close in October 2013 on $750 million in investor capital commitments. Since inception in 2005, the Lime Rock Resources funds have made 23 major acquisitions in basins throughout the United States, primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and North Dakota.

Post Oak Energy Capital closes third fund

HOUSTON  Post Oak Energy Capital LP announced the closing of its third fund, Post Oak Energy Partners III, LP at its hard cap of $600 million.

Post Oak Energy Partners III will pursue the same strategy as the first two funds (Post Oak Energy Partners, LP and Post Oak Energy Partners II, LP) with equity investments in North American oil and gas companies, oilfield services and related infrastructure. Funding from Post Oak will continue to be used for growth capital, development acceleration, acquisitions and recapitalization purposes.

The composition of Post Oaks initial funds include 16 investments: 14 regionally focused oil and gas companies, one oilfield service company and one midstream company.

Former Devon analysts form acquisition company

OKLAHOMA CITY  Senex Energy Parnters LLC, a private and closely held start-up upstream oil and gas acquisition company, has been formed in Oklahoma City. Initially the company will employ 18 individuals.

Founders include John F. Templin II, president and CEO; A. Paul Baclawski, vice president and COO; John H. Graham Jr., vice president of Engineering; Steve T. Whitaker, vice Ppresident of Exploration; and Dean R. Richmond, vice president of Geosciences.

Most recently, each senior analyst was an integral member of Devons Corporate New Ventures & Acquisitions, and Exploration teams. They provided both detailed project analysis and driving rationale regarding Devon's high value acquisition and divestiture decisions.

The Senex team focus on taking advantage of current investment opportunities in acquiring oil and gas assets in proven producing fields and in the sweet spots of newly emerging trends.

Houstons Par Pacific buys Wyoming refinery, pipeline

By Jordan Blum

Houston Chronicle

Houston-based Par Pacific Holdings is buying the Newcastle refinery in Wyoming for $271.4 million from Black Elk Refining and its Houston parent, EOR Energy Services.

The deal includes the 18,000-barrel-per-day refinery and the 140-mile Thunder Creek crude oil pipeline system in northeast Wyoming that sources crude oil from the Powder River Basin.

Par Pacific, which also has a strong presence in Hawaii, changed its name in October from Par Petroleum Corp. Par moved to Houston in 2012 and began trading on the NYSE MKT in 2014. Par previously emerged from the ashes of Denver-based Delta Petroleum Corp.s bankruptcy.

Just before going public, Par focused on growing in Hawaii. In 2013, Par bought the Hawaiian refining assets of San Antonio-based Tesoro Corp. Last year, Par bought Mid-Pac Petroleum, the exclusive licensee of the 76 brand in Hawaii and owner of more than 80 retail sites and four terminals across the state.
When Planned Parenthood closed in Midland in 2013, two clinics shut their doors -- Planned Parenthood of West Texas, which provided only family-planning services, and Planned Parenthood Choice, which was the abortion clinic.

When in 2011 the Texas Legislature cut funding to any womens health care facilities providing abortion care, Planned Parenthood clinics across the state had to make a choice.

To maintain their ability to continue providing free family-planning services, Midlands Planned Parenthood created a legally and financially separate abortion clinic -- Planned Parenthood Choice. But soon, the state enacted another law that not only cut funding to those who provided abortions, but cut funding to those who referred to or even provided education about abortion.

If you had devised a way to shut down small, rural health care that was providing family planning that was it, said Carla Holeva, former CEO of Planned Parenthood of West Texas. Of course, the political atmosphere at that time was pretty hot and heavy and Gov. (Rick) Perry had vowed very publicly to close Planned Parenthood down.

The Texas Womens Health Program was created by the state to take the place of programs such as Planned Parenthood. Though Holeva said its a wonderful program that provides the same services that Planned Parenthood did, it prevented a woman from learning about abortion. The referral rule was what really clinched the perfect storm that shut down the Planned Parenthood programs in Midland, Holeva said.

We could have a woman come in that was paying cash for her family- planning services and in the course of her family planning we found out she was pregnant, Holeva said. Because shes paying cash, I could tell her all of her options, whether its continuing with the pregnancy, adoption or if shes choosing to end her pregnancy. I can give all three to her. Same thing if the woman was on Medicaid, a federally funded program.

But if that third woman came in and she was on the Texas Womens Health Program, I could not even discuss with her one of her options, Holeva said. And if she asked me about abortion, I would have to tell her that I was not able to discuss that with her.

So you think about it and youve got three women, two of them get full access to their options but the third one doesnt. Youre treating your patients very differently. It was crazy.

For a while, PPWTX and Planned Parenthood Choice -- which were housed in the same building on Secor Street -- managed to stay open and financially and legally separate. But a lack of staff and funds, and a loyalty to the Planned Parenthood belief of all-options care, forced them to close.

We could have stayed open and just been an abortion provider, but there werent enough patients here for that, said Karen Hildebrand, who served as CEO from 1991 to 2012. It just wasnt feasible to stay open and retain employees. We couldve stopped doing abortions, but we would have also had to stop doing pregnancy testing and all-options counseling. Its just sort of question of integrity and belief and faith in women as intelligent beings capable of making their own medical decisions. We believe that they should have access to complete, medically accurate information about all their options when theyre faced with an unintended pregnancy.

Considered an attack by some and a safety measure, by others, Texas House Bill 2, which went into effect in 2014, has been the most recent state law that targets abortion access.

Though Texas legislators created the bill for the purpose of making abortions safer, the requirement that clinics meet the standard of ambulatory surgical centers was what forced the closure of the majority of providers in the state, making such centers inaccessible to rural areas, particularly West Texas.

Reasons for abortion are varied

The reasons women seek abortions are sometimes lost in the pro-life vs. pro-choice narrative that dominates the discussion across the nation.

Nancy Tarleton, 24, moved to Midland from California five years ago. In 2013, during the height of the defunding of Planned Parenthood, she became pregnant, but the child was stillborn. She decided to go through with a medical (nonsurgical) abortion.

Working a waitressing job and without insurance, Tarleton went to Midland Health Center, where Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthood Choice were housed at the time.

She entered the building surrounded by yelling protesters, she said.

At the time of my abortion, they were in the process of defunding, so (for anesthetic) I literally got about 400 mg of ibuprofen, Tarleton said. Thats all they had because they were being defunded. People dont understand. They hear Planned Parenthood and they think abortion because (a woman) was irresponsible, or because of this and that. You dont know everybodys circumstances.

In 2011, 401 women living in the Midland-Odessa metropolitan area obtained an abortion, according to a study from the Texas Policy Evaluation Project. The activism of pro-life groups in this area was particularly high compared to other areas of the state.

Our primary goal was to give information to potential clients coming in or anybody else about abortion, about alternatives, about The Life Center or other alternatives, to provide sidewalk counseling for those who wanted to talk, said Mike Banschbach, coordinator of Pro Life Midland. But the goal was to inform and engage in discussion and to get them over to The Life Center. There is a lot of free stuff over there.

The Life Center is a non-medical clinic that provides pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds, prenatal classes, parenting education, consultations with a registered nurse, adoption information, and referrals for clinics that do STI/STD testing or birth control.

The center doesnt promote the use of the birth control pill or other forms of birth control other than abstinence, but staff does provide education on all options, according to a clinician at the center.

As part of their activism, Pro Life Midland would also often take down license plate numbers of those who were parked in the Planned Parenthood parking lot and send letters labeled with Planned Parenthoods address but containing information about The Life Center. Banschbach confirmed this practice.

Both Holeva and Hildebrand cited an instance of a woman who received one of these letters. She called them, sobbing over the phone, saying that she had a received a letter from Planned Parenthood stating that she should go to The Life Center.

The woman said that usually she doesnt get the mail because her husband is abusive and doesnt allow it, Hildebrand said. But the woman picked up the mail the day the letter arrived. She told Hildebrand, she would have been dead if her husband had found the letter instead.

This is what the impact this practice has. You hear about people being pro-life but its really about being pro-birth. Once the baby is born, this is the same group that wants to cut off funding for Head Start, food stamps and everything else that helps these families when theyre struggling after an unintended pregnancy.

Though this womans situation is not typical, it does happen. SafePlace of the Permian Basin also has seen the occasional client in this situation, said Tracy Black, victims advocate.

The Pro Life Midland group protested Planned Parenthood as a wholerimarily because of its abortion services, but also because it provides affordable access to the birth control pill, Banschbach said.

Friday for the most part was abortion day so we would certainly have a presence there on Fridays, he said. We would talk about birth control and contraceptives and their abortive natures.

However, most women who seek abortions do not do so because of the stereotypical notion they were promiscuous or using abortion as a birth control method, according to abortion clinics that have been serving Midland-Odessa women since Planned Parenthood shut down.

Funding help

West Fund, founded by Alyssah Roth and Raquel Ortega in part as a response to HB2, was the first entity to provide funds for assist women in El Paso who sought an abortion. About 12 percent of the clients they fund now are from Midland, Roth said.

On average, the folks were funding (from Midland) are 25 years old and about 50 percent of them already have children, and the majority are white, Roth said. Women from this area are some of the people who have to travel further. They are the ones being most affected by this clinic shutdown bill, as well as people who just tend to not know that clinics are still open, let alone that abortion is still legal. When you hear what theyre saying on the news, you just get bits and pieces and make assumptions and dont realize that there are options.

Many of the women who used the facilities that were shut down by HB2 for general womens health care and abortions were low-income and uninsured, which is why these abortion funds have sprung up throughout the state.

We know that access to abortion has a huge impact on someones life and that it has a huge impact on their access to other kinds of opportunities, said Nan Little Kirkpatrick of the Texas Equal Access Fund. So if a person is already in poverty or extremely limited income, we know that if they are unable to access an abortion they want, then they are three times more likely to fall into poverty than if they were able to access that abortion.

I worry not only that people will be forced to carry their pregnancies to term that they dont want and dont feel are right for them, that terrifies me. And so does the thought of people being forced to take matters into their own hands and possibly pursue underground methods of abortion, which we know from history happens, she said.

People from the Panhandle and West Texas are increasingly needing help with funding for travel and lodging costs, said Kirkpatrick, particularly due to the fact that HB2 requires a 24-hour waiting period between a womans mandatory ultrasound and sonogram viewing and the abortion procedure.

The lack of options is also causing women to get abortions later in their pregnancies, which leads to a higher-cost procedure.

West Texas and Panhandle families being some of the furthest from abortion clinics in Texas and New Mexico are being forced to have abortions later in their pregnancy. They are on average a week and a half further along than more local clients, Roth said.

West Fund, Dallas-based Texas Equal Access Fund, Fund Texas Choice and the Lilith Fund, both based in Austin, all have seen an increase or stable numbers in their clients from the Midland-Odessa area since HB2 passed.

Unlike Texas, New Mexico doesnt require 24-hour waiting period between ultrasound and actual abortion procedure and theres no required parental consent for minors. Both are big reasons why these funds send clients to New Mexico, said Natalie St. Clair of Fund Texas Choice.

The need just seems to keep growing all across the board, said Amanda Williams of the Lilith Fund. There are longer wait times at clinics because people are going to the same places now. Its a constant battle because once you procure money over a week, then youre one week more in your pregnancy so the price goes up again. Many of our clients are low-income, head of households, already have kids and cant take time off work or pay for child care for the time they take off.

Of the abortion clinics that remain open in the state, the closest to Midland-Odessa are Austin Womens Health Center, Whole Womens Health of Fort Worth, Whole Womans Health of San Antonio and Hilltop Womens Reproductive Clinic in El Paso.

There are a few ambulatory surgical centers that remain as well: Alamo Womens Reproductive Services and Planned Parenthood clinics in Austin, El Paso, Dallas and San Antonio.

Gloria Martinez, nurse administrator at Hilltop, says they see many women from Midland and that theres a great need out there.

To Banschbach, that need will continue to grow if the access remains.

Whats gonna keep people from coming back in a few months for another abortion? ... We have so many resources here. Are you telling me that if you have another mouth to feed no one is gonna step in and help? Cmon. thats just not real. Im sure there are plenty of people around here who would be happy to adopt.

To those who work in the field of women's health care, that is a given.

Our belief is that children are a treasure and they need to be brought into this world, they need to be loved and wanted, and when that cant happen, thats a tragedy and all of society pays a price, Hildebrand said. Almost every single social problem that we have can be traced back to somebody being born unloved and unwanted. And thats what Planned Parenthood was all about -- having the ability to decide when and if you have the ability to become a parent, and every child thats brought into this world being loved and wanted and treasured. So it is just a different way of looking at the world.
In response to multiple complaints and calls from concerned citizens and sportsmen, TWRA Wildlife Officers and the Blount County Sheriff's Office conducted a joint operation on TWRA Access Areas in Blount County on Saturday.

The TWRA Access Areas involved were Perry's Mill in Walland, Georges Creek and Lowes Ferry in Louisville, and Roddy Branch and Stock Creek Rockford. The goal of the operation was to rid these areas of drugs and criminal activity thus making them safe for the general public, sportsmen and sportswomen, and boaters of Tennessee, it was stated.

?The operation netted four arrests and several individuals charged with multiple violations:

?-Gary W. Parish DOB 02-27-1979 of Tallassee arrested for outstanding warrants in Blount County and is charged with Use of Alcohol on a State Access area.

?-Shane D. Delaney DOB 11-8-80 of Knoxville arrested for an outstanding warrant in Knox County and is charged with Simple Possession of Schedule VI and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

?-Todd Carter DOB 10-28-1976 of Knoxville arrested for an outstanding warrant in Knox County and is charged with Simple Possession of Schedule VI and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.-Timothy Joshua Hobby DOB 04-26-1994 of Knoxville arrested for an outstanding warrant in Knox County and is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area and Fishing with out a License.

-?Kali Perkins DOB 07-06-1994 of Glenwood, Iowa is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

-?Eric Grindstaff DOB 05-15-1985 of Maryville is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

?-George G. Gilbert 2nd DOB 10-20-1994 of Knoxville is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area and Fishing with out a License.

-?Jordon Hensley DOB 03-13-1995 of Knoxville is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

?-Grenista M. Duran DOB 05-18-1979 of Maryville is charged with Simple Possession of Schedule VI and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

-?Michelle M. Coolbeth DOB 09-0-1974 of Maryville is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

-Kevin John Tiano, Jr DOB 07-02-1982 of Maryville is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

-?Joseph A. Moore DOB 07-31-1987 of Maryville is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

-?Randy Lee Bunch 2nd DOB 03-17-1985 of Strawberry Plains is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area and Fishing with out a License.

?-Stephanie Nicole Bunch DOB 03-02-1979 of Strawberry Plains is charged with Use of Alcohol on State Access Area.

?"These Access Areas are paid for and maintained solely by boaters and sportsmen of Tennessee, said Wildlife Officer Jeff Pearce. This operation reflects the public's concern and shows the amount of illegal activity occurring on public access areas. TWRA and BCSO will continue patrols of these and other Access Areas with a zero-tolerance policy."
Speaker is totally wrong in his ...
Olmary Gonzalez was involved in a fiery car wreck earlier this year. The crash put Gonzalez, 35, in a coma for three weeks.

Her daughter, Kamicheliz, 7, didn't survive the accident.



On Saturday, Gonzalez had the opportunity to meet Michael Seesz, the man who used his knife to cut her seatbelt and rescue her from the burning car she was riding in.



Polk woman involved in April crash meet her rescuer

Seesz said the knife he used to cut her seat belt was a new addition to his vehicle

Olmary Gonzalez lost her daughter, Kamicheliz, in the crash



Seesz and his wife came to Gonzalez home with flowers.

"It's kinda hard. I don't really know what to say," said Seesz. "But, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad I was able to do something for you. For you to be able to be here."

"Thank you for everything," replied Gonzalez. She called him a hero and said if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be alive today.

Gonzalez's boyfriend, Harry Figueroa, who was driving the car, was there by Gonzalez's side. He also thanked Seesz for saving him.

Seesz told them that, oddly enough, he decided to start carrying the knife in his truck just days before the accident happened.

"You could say God had me do that for a reason," Seesz said.

Gonzalez said she doesn't remember much about the crash. Her family told her recently that her daughter, Kamicheliz, didn't make it out of the crash alive. The family said Gonzalez didn't cry and told them she already knew, and that Kamicheliz spoke to her in a dream.

"I lost my daughter, but I know she go to God with Jesus," said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez returned home Tuesday. She's learning how to walk again, and slowly regaining her memory.




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The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, on Friday voiced strong dissatisfaction after some U.S. lawmakers met with the Dalai Lama in Washington.

"The meeting went against the U.S. commitment that Tibet is a part of Chinese territory and it does not support 'Tibet independence'," said a statement issued by the NPC's Foreign Affairs Committee.

The meeting also breached basic norms of international relations and constituted a severe interference in China's internal affairs, the statement said.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and some lawmakers met with Dalai Lama in Washington on June 14.
Tens of thousands turned out Sunday for the vigil at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando to honor the victims of the tragedy one week ago at Pulse nightclub.

An earlier Orlando Police estimate put the crowd at around 37,000. But Visit Orlando now estimates the crowd has grown to around the expected 50,000.

An estimated 50,000 at Lake Eola vigil

The Cathedral Church of St. Luke held prayer service before vigil

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orlando Police Chief John Mina and District 4 Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan attended the vigil.

So did people from all walks of life. The LGBTQ and Latino communities were out in full force. The Islamic community came out to condemn violence.

Families also came out with their children.

"Everyone should accept people the way they are," said 9-year-old Payton Ackinson from Deltona, who came with her parents.

Latest Updates

8:55 p.m.

As the vigil wraps up, everyone cheers "One Orlando, Orlando United."

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as the crowd goes home.

8:50 p.m.

The Three Wise Guys -- Rev. Bryan Fulwider, Imam Mohammed Musri and Rabbi David Kay -- offer up messages of faith and support.

After some closing messages from the vigil organizers, local leaders are coming back on the stage to begin the reading of the names of the victims.

8:35 p.m.

The workers and owners of Pulse take the stage and cheers from the crowd. "Now, with the whole world watching, this is our time to show the world that love will conquer hate."

8:30 p.m.

As a singing begins to sing "Rise Up," candles are lit around Lake Eola.

8:25 p.m.

Diana Bolivar with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, spoke first in Spanish to the Latino community, who was particularly affected in the attack.

"Who the heck are we to judge?" Bolivar said. "I am a sinner."

A family for one of the survivors, who is still in the hospital, comes up on stage to applause from the crowd. The family is from Colombia. Bolivar has been tasked with helping families coming in from other countries who do not speak English.

A Hispanic vigil will be held Friday at 6 p.m. at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts.

8:20 p.m.

Visit Orlando, the tourism agency for the city, now estimates the crowd at the Orlando United vigil has reached the estimated 50,000 expected at Lake Eola.

7:50 p.m.

Commissioner Patty Sheehan takes the stage in tears at the overwhelming response from the community. "I love you, Orlando," she says.

Sheehan thanked LGBT advocates and allies, and pledged to fight against hatred in all forms.

"Hating a Muslim person is the same as hating a gay person," she said.

7:40 p.m.

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said it's time to find a human solution to the problems of our community. "Pulse 2016 was the moment in time when hearts were opened & minds were changed forever. This is the moment love will prevail," Jacobs said.

"We cannot let 49 of our brothers and sisters die in vain."

7:35 p.m.

The vigil has begun in downtown Orlando. Vigil organizer Chelsea Frost said, "We're here to lift you up and share our support."

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is the first among local leaders to speak, thanking the crowd and first responders. "We will not be defined by the hate-filled act of a deranged killer."

Dyer also told survivors and the families of the victims that the community would continue to stand by them and support them.

7:30 p.m.

The memorial service at Cathedral Church of Saint Luke is wrapping up. The vigil at Lake Eola should begin shortly.

7 p.m.

As the candle lighting ceremony continues at Cathedral Church of St. Luke, outside some 37,000 people have showed up so far at Lake Eola for tonight's vigil, per Orlando Police Dept.

6:40 p.m.

At Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, where a memorial has grown for the victims and survivors, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer have laid a wreath, ahead of Sunday's vigil at Lake Eola. Both are expected to attend the vigil.

6:35 p.m.

At Cathedral Church of Saint Luke, speakers have begun reading the names of the 49 victims of the Pulse attack. After that there will be a candle ceremony.

6:30 p.m.

Equality Florida has raised nearly $6 million for the victims' families and survivors, almost entirely through a GoFundMe account.

Equality Florida says it is working with the National Center for Victims of Crime to expedite the process of fund disbursement. The NCVC will verify identities, their expenses, and process payments. Equality Florida wants to make this effort as transparent as possible, and they've posted a page to explain how that will be done.

"It is our top priority to ensure we address the unique needs of the LGBTQ and Latino/a communities impacted from the Pulse Nightclub Shooting," the group said in a statement released Sunday.

6:20 p.m.

City of Orlando has called a special city council meeting for Monday at 2 p.m. This will be a brief meeting in lieu of the June 13 meeting, which was canceled in the wake of the Pulse shooting.

6:10 p.m.

A memorial service has begun at Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando in honor of all those affected by the Pulse attack.

Priests are offering to counsel and pray with those who need it. Bishop Greg Brewer is presiding, and Orlando Commissioner Robert Stuart is speaking.



The mourners will then walk hand-in-hand to Lake Eola for the vigil.

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More than 50,000 people on Facebook have said they'll attend or are interested in attending the Lake Eola vigil. Officials say there will be heightened security for the event.

Organizers of the Lake Eola vigil are encouraged to bring their own candles. Signs are welcome, but organizers say those signs need to have messages of peace, love and unity, not anything political.

All streets surrounding Lake Eola are shut down from 2 to 9:30 p.m. SunRail will run this evening for those who wish to attend the vigil. LYNX bus service is also providing some complimentary options.

Before the vigil, The Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando will hold a prayer service. Several priests will be at the church to offer counseling to those who need it. The several hundred people at the service are expected to then walk, with candles in hand, to Lake Eola.

To live through an evil event like this that targeted a particular group in our community, its devastating, said Rev. Canon Josh Bales of The Cathedral Church of St. Luke.

News 13 and Bay News 9 will bring you live coverage starting at 5:45 p.m. for the prayer service, followed by the Lake Eola vigil.

If you're away from your TV, we'll be streaming live on MyNews13.com and BayNews9.com to all, without a Bright House subscription, until the end of the vigil. You also can watch on your mobile device with the BHTV app.
More than 150 San Francisco firefighters battled a huge five-alarm blaze that broke out on the edge of the Bernal Heights neighborhood Saturday afternoon, closing the areas busiest street and displacing at least 42 people.

The inferno spread through as many as six buildings on the 3300 block of Mission Street, with firefighters reporting to the scene around 2:30 p.m.

Flames were shooting out of Playa Azul, a neighborhood restaurant, and the Cole Hardware store as firefighters used more than 40 pieces of apparatus to tame the blaze.

Authorities evacuated the surrounding buildings and blocked off nearby streets.

They ordered anyone within a five-block radius of the fire to shelter in place and warned others living close by to shut their windows and doors to avoid letting in heavy smoke and potentially toxic chemicals from the burning hardware store. The order was later lifted.

Chaotic scene

Meanwhile, the water poured on the fire rushed down toward 29th Street and Tiffany Avenue, forcing neighbors to use sandbags and brooms to push the foot-deep water out of their homes and businesses.

Firefighters were able to stop the fires spread and had contained it by about 6:30 p.m., said Jonathan Baxter, a Fire Department spokesman. Baxter said firefighters would later go into the buildings to take care of any residual fire and hot spots left inside.

Authorities said Mission Street would remain closed from Valencia to 30th streets through at least Sunday morning.

The fire spread through 3300 to 3322 Mission St. and 31 to 33 29th St., leaving businesses, apartments and low-income housing charred or nearly destroyed.

The block was a chaotic scene, with hoses streaming water down through the roofs of the buildings. The rear of the Graywood Hotel, 3308 Mission St., was destroyed by the fire. Blue sky filled the space where the building had been.

Investigating cause

Two people standing outside of the buildings were treated for minor smoke inhalation, officials said.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Merchants and residents by the hundreds gathered behind police tape along Mission Street. The manager of Good Frikin Chicken set up a free table of falafel, hummus and rice, feeding the firefighters and police officers.

Joe Williams lived on the second floor of the now-charred Graywood Hotel.

Williams said he went to check out the hallway Saturday afternoon after his wife thought she had smelled burning barbecue. He walked down the second floor hallway, near the top of the stairs, to check the fuse box.

I opened the fuse box, and smoke just poured out, he said. I ran to get the fire extinguisher, but it was already too late.

Williams has lived at the hotel for about a year with his wife and 1-year-old son. He was one of several people in the building who were previously homeless and had been referred to the building by social service agencies.

I just got out of being homeless, of moving from place to place, and here I am again, he said.

Williams said his family just managed to escape before the fire spread.

Maria Romero lived in a studio apartment with her son at 3316 Mission St.

She was working at Duboce Park Cafe when she got a call that her apartment was on fire.

Her son, 15-year-old Kenneth Cano, was able to escape with their bulldog, Spike, after someone ran through the building warning everyone to get out, she said.

Im so glad I was able to get the things that are important  my son and my dog, Romero said. Thats what I need to carry on in this life. Things happen.

The suddenly homeless residents were sent to the nearby Safeway parking lot for assistance from the Red Cross. A temporary shelter was opened at the Salvation Army on 1156 Valencia St.

Previous 5-alarm fire

Shukry Lama was working at the 3300 Club at 3300 Mission St. when the fire broke out. Lama, whose family owns the club, said there were a couple of customers and three employees in the bar watching the Giants game when they cleared out.

Saturdays fire was San Franciscos first five-alarm in almost two years. The last ripped through a building at 2632 Mission St. on Sept. 4, 2014, injuring four people.

J.K. Dineen and Kevin Schultz are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com , kschultz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen, @kevinedschultz
Anesthesiologist Robert Snyder, D.O., was recently awarded the Walter F. Patenge Medal of Public Service, the highest recognition from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Walter F. Patenge, a Lansing industrialist, was instrumental in the development and founding of MSUCOM, and served as the first president of the Michigan Osteopathic Medicine Advisory Board. In his honor, the Michigan Osteopathic Advisory Board established the Walter F. Patenge Medal of Service, which is awarded annually to leaders in health care, education and community service.
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Rwanda has announced plans to stamp out child labour which victimizes hundreds of thousands of children across the country.

According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda's Integrated Household Living Conditions data, about 367,810 children in Rwanda are engaged in child labour.

The small central African country on Saturday celebrated the 25th anniversary for the Day of the African child in Gikoba Village, Tabagwe Sector in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province.

The Day of the African child is commemorated every year on June 16 by all member states of African Union, and its partners. This year it was celebrated under the theme: "Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children's Rights."

Speaking at the event, Judith Uwizeye, Rwanda minister of public service and labour, said that individuals and organisations using under age children in their work related activities will face tough times ahead.

"Children are supposed to be in schools, not in labour force. It is good that we have this day today to try and resolve the problem facing our children," she told hundreds of parents and children gathered at the event which also attracted Rwanda First Lady, Jeannette Kagame.

Uwizeye called upon parents to allow their children have access to education, adding that the government is committed to child rights, assuring that it is their duty as government to see into it that the rights of the children are protected.

She stated that the ministry will work together with all stakeholders to eliminate all forms of child labour in the next few years.

However Dr. Papias Malimba Musafiri, Rwanda minister of education said that the Day is an opportunity to sensitise communities, dangers of engaging children in hazardous work.

"Our economic progress loses a lot of meaning if hundreds and thousands of children are not in schools and have no hopes of a future," he added.

The Ministry of labour has laid our several strategies to do way with all forms of child labour across the country, among others, include withdrawing of all children engaged in child labour through periodical inspections at establishments known to be susceptible to employing them.

There are also rehabilitation strategies by providing required assistance for all children withdrawn from exploitive child labour and integrating them in formal education and vocational school

At the event, Rwanda First Lady called on parents and all stake holders to work with the government to eliminate child labour and protect the rights of children.

"Let's ensure every child is protected and allowed to grow in a condusive family environment. Services to our children like education, health services and other forms of protection must be secured for our children," Mrs Kagame stressed.

"The girl child should not be forced to early marriage and should be given rights to education."

The Day of the African Child has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the OAU Organisation of African Unity.

It honors those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day. It also raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement of the education provided to African children.

In Soweto, South Africa, on June 16, 1976, about ten thousand black school children marched in a column more than half a mile long, protesting the poor quality of their education and demanding their right to be taught in their own language.
Fathers Day: a time to remember and honor our fathers that have been there, supporting, loving and providing for their children. But for Dave Itrich, it was 39 years before he was able to honor his father and build those memories.

Due to a divorce, Itrichs biological parents separated when he was 4. His mother took Dave and his sister, Angela, to Oklahoma. Shortly thereafter, the two children were adopted by Tamra Tripp.

I was told (my biological father Bill Pickens) was dead. And everyone connected to my family was dead, said Itrich, 39. This is awe-inspiring. This is the type of story you see on TV.

Finally, through a lot of searching and effort from both Itrich and Pickens, the pair were reunited in late December in Midland.

(The reunion) has given me a sense of identity. When I said, Im going to Michigan. Im going home. (Tripp) commented and said, Ive known you your whole life. Youve never called anyplace home, Itrich said. Ive always been that tumbleweed. I consider myself a hippie with short hair.

The reunion with Pickens came at a real low point in Itrichs life. He had just lost his son, Christopher, in early December.

Then at the darkest moment of my life, it turned around, Itrich said. My son was killed in December. I was at that dark point that parents get to. I didnt know what to do. I got the message from Bill and everything started falling into place.

One of those pieces was something that Itrich had been missing his whole life.

In that dark moment, and it was a dark one, I found happiness. Even my (adopted) mother says Ive never had happiness. Ive always been nice. But, Ive never been happy just for me, Itrich said.

ON THE ROAD TO A REUNION

The actual reunion took place after Itrich had visited Pensacola, Fla. with his half-brother. Pickens sent money for his son to take the long bus trip to Midland. The bus trip up here was 39 of the longest hours Ive lived in my life, Itrich said.

What was Itrich thinking when he got off the bus at the Forward Country Corners IGA Express, located less than a mile from Pickens house on M-30?

Hes not quite as ugly as I am. Thats a plus, Itrich said with a laugh, before turning serious. I was happy. Every man wants to know his dad.

It was actually Tripp who encouraged Itrich to embark on the courageous journey.

My mom said, you got to go. I thought about it and had some concerns: What if they dont like me? What if I dont like them? Itrich asked.

The concerns dissipated and Itrich followed the advice of Tripp, who has been so much more than an adoptive mother.

When I speak of my mom, Im speaking of Tamra Tripp in McAlester, Okla. I was never adopted by her. As far as she was concerned, my sister, Angela, and I were hers, Itrich said. Im a mamas boy. I love my mom, the one in Oklahoma. She is my world. I would break myself in half and lay myself on the ground if it would help her in anyway, without question.

Both Pickens and Itrich had a desire to reunite. Itrich looked from 18 to 26, but then stopped his search.

I kept running into red tape. At some point you accept that you are not going to reunite, he said. Finally the pair connected by Facebook and birth certificates.

A few months back, some of my ex-wifes children were on the internet talking to people and they typed in David Alan, born Jan. 29, 1977. If you have that name contact us. He contacted them, and they contacted me and think they had found him. He sent me his birth certificate, Pickens said.

However, Itrich remained cautious.

I thought it was bogus. At that point, my life was going down the toilet. They sent me a message on Facebook asking, is your name David Itrich? Were you born in Midland, Mich., Jan. 29, 1977? I thought, OK, whos this? Then I thought it might be something more than just a hoax, Itrich said. Come to find out, sure enough it was. The first visit lasted three weeks, before Itrich had to head back to his home in Minnesota.

It was a joy. We cut up some wood, went hunting and fishing. When he went back, he said he wanted to get a job and stay right here. He liked all my friends, Pickens said. But, it takes a while to build trust and a relationship.

Then two weeks ago, Itrich made his second trip to Midland and plans are to stick around for a while.

I think I actually enjoy it here. I went Saturday and explored Midland. I think it is the City of Modern Explorers. Ive walked to the hospital where I was born, the Tridge, the Farmers Market, and took a look at a couple of the parks, he said. I saw the Santa House. I could feel like I belonged here. It was a long road to get here, but Im very, very happy.

FAMILY

Itrich is the father of three boys, Dave, Jacob and the late Christopher. When he reached Michigan, he also realized he had siblings in the Midland area: brothers, Mikel and Mickey; and sister, Alisha. During the separation, Pickens had remarried a woman named Kathy.

Ive enjoyed meeting Alisha. When I talked to my son (Dave) on his 20th birthday, I said, Your aunt says, hi. Shes seven. He didnt quite know how to respond knowing he is 13 years older than his aunt, Itrich said.

Itrich said he has no memories of his biological mother. He and his adopted dad didnt get along.

His answer to everything was (force), Itrich said. I want to be a cycle breaker with my life.

He has a tremendous example in Tripp.

After my mom and adopted dad got a divorce, she worked three jobs to keep us in school. She would work all day at a landscape company, doing sales. She would get off there at 2:30 p.m. when we got off the bus. Get us over to grandmas and she would then go about 5 p.m. and work overnight as a manager at McDonalds. She did some odds and ends at a mowing place. She broke herself to help us grow up, Itrich said.

SIMILARITIES

Even though Pickens and Itrich were separated for 35 years, the similarities are uncanny.

Im kind of like him, (pointing at Bill). But, dont tell him that, chuckled Itrich. We might not always get along. Were both pretty hard-headed. I think he has got my philosophy: I may be mad at you, but youre still family. The word, family has a whole new meaning.

Both men served in the 25th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

When I was in Minnesota, he sent me a picture and he was wearing the same hat and emblem of the 25th Infantry Division. What are the odds? Itrich asked. After Oklahoma, I went into the U.S. Army and ironically, joined the same 25th Infantry Division my dad was in. Like 25 years separated us and about 500 yards, give or take.

Both have an interest in flying. Pickens owns a plane and Itrich was a paratrooper while serving in the Army. One afternoon last week, the pair went to Browne Airport in Saginaw to look at Pickens plane.

I love flying. But, Bill wont let me jump out. I dont have a parachute, laughed Dave.

Pickens said, I cant let him jump out even if he did have a parachute. I got to get an endorsement in my log book.

Even though the pair were separated they were building memories. Now, both Pickens and Itrich will have plenty of time to build new father-and-son memories for many years to come.
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CPS Energy is adopting new solar rebate policies to protect consumers from price-gouging and aggressive sales tactic by solar companies.

CPS officials recently met with solar installation companies to outline the new measures, which include a disclosure form that solar salespeople must show prospective customers and a per-watt price cap on systems that would qualify for the utilities solar rebate.

Until now, CPS had only heard of questionable sales tactics here and there, said CPS Senior Manager Rick Luna.

Whats unique this time is some of the pricing variations, as well as the complaints we were getting, Luna said.

Ben Rodriguez, spokesman for San Antonio Solar Alliance, a trade group of solar installers, said he has heard reports from CPS and personally witnessed salespeople using whatever-means-possible techniques.

These include overstaying their welcome in peoples homes and not quoting accurate energy production numbers, he said.

Lisa Gold, vice president of sales for South Texas Solar Systems, said most of the shady companies come from out of state. She advises consumers to shop local for solar and get two to three estimates before making a purchase. She supports the new CPS rules.

Gold described one companys tactic of sending young women dressed a little scantily door-to-door seeking appointments for salespeople to follow up. The women earn $1,000 commissions if the lead generates a sale, she said.

Most of the time our sales reps dont make $1,000 on the sale, she said. That tells you about how much theyre marking up their product.

To stop this, CPS will soon require solar salespeople to show customers a disclosure form that includes a typical market rate for a residential solar system in San Antonio and their rights as a consumer.

The utility will also set a cap of $4 per watt of direct current on residential systems, Luna said. Solar installers can still charge higher prices, but they will not qualify for the rebate.

bgibbons@express-news.net, Twitter: @bgibbs
An elderly woman had to be evacuated from her Northeast Side home Saturday night when a fire began in a bedroom then quickly moved to the living room.

The San Antonio Fire Department responded to a call at about 8 p.m., sending as many as 13 units to put out the fire in the 4100 block of Sunrise Drive.

SAFD Lt. Valdemar Pittman said the majority of the fire occurred in the back bedroom and in the living room, with an estimated fire damage of $50,000.

Delores Owens, a longtime neighbor, said the elderly woman, Irene Schwartz, made her way out of the house without assistance when she called the fire department. Schwartz, who was by herself at the time of the fire, is disabled and legally blind, she added.

Owens said a broken lamp may have caused the fire.

She was trying to feel her way out (of the house), Owens said. We saw the smoke coming out of the house and we ended up bringing her across the street. We didn't have time to get her motorized wheelchair.

Battalion Chief 7 is contacting the Red Cross and other services to assist Schwartz because she can't live in her home tonight, Pittman said.

The house needs repair, Pittman said. There's too much smoke damage. It wouldn't be healthy to get inside.

Pittman said arson is investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire.

qramirez@express-news.net

Twitter: @quixem
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San Antonio public relations specialist Alan Weinkrantz was killed Saturday in central Tel Aviv when a driver slammed into a packed restaurant, according to multiple sources.

Son Aaron Weinkrantz said the U.S. Embassy in Israel notified him of his father's death Saturday morning. He said his father had been out at dinner at one of Tel Aviv's many sidewalk cafes when a driver crashed into the restaurant.

Former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, who is related to Weinkrantz though her husband, former state Rep. Steven Wolens, told the Express-News that Weinkrantz was in Israel on business and that he had been commuting there for several years.

RELATED: Area couple killed by massive wave was celebrating 66th wedding anniversary

Multiple news sources report that a total of three people were killed and six others were injured when the driver, who is believed to have had a heart attack, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into them.

Weinkrantz also had a daughter Lauren Weinkrantz. Both Aaron and Lauren live in New York, Aaron Weinkrantz said.

Alan Weinkrantz had been going to Israel for business for the last 25 years at least once every year, according to his son, but during the last four years trips had grown more frequent.

Aaron Weinkrantz spent the day informing friends and family of the news. The last time he and his sister spent time with their father was about a month ago when Weinkrantz had a layover in New York on his way to Israel.

"He was planning to come back to the U.S. on Thursday," Aaron Weinkrantz said. "So this has been real tough and real, just crazy."

Weinkrantz was a prolific social media expert who operated Alan Weinkrantz And Company and was the senior advisor and brand ambassador for James Brehm & Associates.

Weinkrantz was also a former blogger and guest columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and mySA.com.

Video of the incident caught on a security camera shows the car, which appears to be traveling at high speeds, veering off the street onto a sidewalk and then into customers and the restaurant.

No other information is available at this time.
A man is dead after he was struck by a car in a hit-and-run Saturday evening while he was changing a tire on the side of Interstate 35 near Nogalitos.

Emergency personnel arrived at the accident scene around 5:45 p.m., but the man was pronounced dead after efforts to revive him failed, said San Antonio Police Sgt. Curtis Lewis. The two other people in the car were not hurt in the accident, he added.
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On June 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping departed Beijing for Serbia, Poland and Uzbekistan to make a state visit and to attend the 16th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. This is China's major diplomatic activity in Eurasian region, also a historic visit to promote cooperation between China - Central and Eastern European countries, and to raise the level of relations between China and Central Asian countries, as well as promoting SCO development along an efficient, pragmatic and healthy direction.

Xi's trip to Europe and Asia is a tour to accelerate the "Belt & Road Initiative". Serbia, Poland and Uzbekistan are all important partners of co-constructing the Silk Road Economic Belt. Xi will jointly discuss the development of bilateral ties and highlight cooperation on the Silk Road Economic Belt separately with leaders of the three states. This will also be a trip of setting an example for regional and international cooperation. During the Tashkent Summit, Xi will work with heads of state to discuss new initiatives to deal with the challenges and promote cooperation. The summit will be an occasion to integrate the "Silk Road Spirit" and "Shanghai Spirit", and to bridge the friendship across Eurasia. Xi's visit will inject new impetus to construction of the Silk Road, and open up new prospects for regional and international cooperation.
Donald Trump illustrates that the fight against the enactment of racist policies that target Latinos is still a battle that has to be waged and won across the country.

To some, Trumps pomposity may seem novel or unique. However, in San Antonio, where the shift to majority-minority status occurred long ago, leaders who espouse anti-immigrant rhetoric are nothing new, but thankfully civil rights champions like Mauro Mario Cantu have always emerged to challenge the rhetoric.

Forty years ago, on the morning of June 18, 1976, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization agents raided the popular downtown Mexican-food eatery Marios restaurant at 325 S. Pecos and charged Cantu with shielding illegal aliens from detection, and they arrested five men for illegal entry into the United States. Cantu was one of the first U.S. citizens prosecuted for shielding illegal aliens from detection under a law that until then targeted people who smuggled aliens into the country by bus, boat or plane.

In hindsight, it is likely that Mario was a target of the expansive law because of his aggressive stance of helping recent immigrants because he was one of the leaders of the Center for Autonomous Social Action. CASA was dedicated to helping recent immigrants assert their rights. Mario routinely referred to people who work in the U.S. without official papers as economic refugees. The goals of CASA included helping recent immigrants obtain legal permanent residency or U.S. citizenship; and CASA also called for an immediate halt to all deportations of Mexicans.

Cantu was convinced that closing the border by building a tortilla curtain was not in the best interest of Mexico or the U.S. government. For Cantu, the ultimate solution was to work to improve conditions in Mexico and provide basic necessities for Mexicans to halt the economic allure of the North.

Cantu appears to have been very prophetic in his analysis of immigration policies of the United States. Mexicos economy has improved, and there have been profound demographic shifts that have led to significant reductions in the migration flow out of Mexico.

In fact, for the last few years, there have been more Mexicans returning to Mexico then fleeing Mexico for the U.S. Unfortunately, some of the immigration goals that Cantu identified 40 years ago remain unfulfilled. There is still not a pathway to citizenship for nearly 11 million men and women who continue to live in the shadows, and Trump has catapulted himself as the presumptive Republican nominee by promising voters that he will build a wall and have Mexico pay for it.

On Oct. 15, 1998, on the downtown campus of UTSA, the precise spot where Marios restaurant used to be, Mario received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the area of community activism from the UTSA Hispanic Research Center. Mario was recognized for his lifelong commitment to the advancement of Mexican-Americans in San Antonio and South Texas.

Cantu is proof that a man with flaws but a great love for his culture and identity can make a difference. Sadly, he left us too soon, but the mace is still there for anyone who has the courage to pick it up.

Roger Enriquez is an associate professor and director of the Policy Studies Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The June 2015 discovery of chronic wasting disease, or CWD, in a Medina County captive deer breeding facility represents, arguably, the most serious threat our Texas white-tailed deer populations have experienced since they were on the brink of extinction in the early 20th century. It is ironic that captive deer breeding may be the figurative cure that destroys the populations it was originally meant to help rescue.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, or TPWD, recognizing the severity and potential impact of this disease, responded swiftly and responsibly to halt the movement of breeder deer until sufficient testing had been done on the population and a prudent plan was put in place for dealing with the disease.

Similarly, TPWD recognized the breadth of stakeholders affected by its decisions, so it implemented a series of professionally mediated forums of stakeholders in an attempt to build consensus around the states response to CWD. All major stakeholders were part of these forums, including all major deer breeding trade associations, and those groups agreed, in good faith, to the following ground rules: The participants would work together to reach consensus, and all parties would support the final group report.

An exhaustive and transparent process followed in which all parties demonstrated willingness to compromise on issues of greatest importance to white-tailed deer and to wildlife in general. The product of this forum was to be a report with recommendations for new guidelines to protect Texas deer herds from CWD.

Unfortunately, a small group of deer breeders that participated chose not to honor their commitment to consensus, and instead embarked on an effort to undermine the TPWD and the efforts of the other stakeholders. Instead of recognizing the clear and present danger CWD poses to wild deer herds, this small but vocal group chose instead to use lawsuits and other obstructions to impede TPWD efforts to prevent this disease from spreading to the wild whitetail deer population.

Conservationists, hunters , wildlife biologists, outdoor recreationists and the broader agriculture community, including a growing number of deer breeders, have consistently expressed their support for the TPWD in response to this fatal, highly contagious disease. We are all willing to share responsibility to help manage and control CWD. TPWD is doing its part, too, acting in a measured, pragmatic and responsible way, fulfilling its guiding philosophy to serve the people of Texas with fairness and respect, relying on the best available science to guide conservation decisions.

The deer breeding industry has a real problem with CWD, and while the rest of Texas can appreciate the burden of accountability the industry now bears, that does not mean that its problem should become everyone elses. I also understand the financial threat posed to deer breeders whose animals are infected with CWD. But the fairest way to deal with this threat is not to expose the rest of the states wild deer herd to this fatal disease, but instead take all necessary steps to control and limit the spread before it is too late.

I commend the TPWD staff and commission for their efforts, and I encourage all Texans who value our wildlife resources, hunting and rural economies to express support to the TPWD commission. Comments may be submitted at http://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/ .

The ability of future generations to enjoy wildlife in its native habitat depends on all concerned Texans making their voices heard. Please support our Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as it strives to protect our natural resources.

Joseph Fitzsimons is a rancher, lawyer and conservationist. He is a board member of Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage, a director of the Texas Wildlife Association and former chairman of the TPWD Commission.
The city of San Antonios annexation plan could have been a bold tool to address a startling case of urban blight that has haunted this community for years.

The endemic poverty, entrenched crime and mounds of garbage that have defined much of the Camelot II area merit the kind of attention that can come only with annexation.

This part of our community is sorely in need of code requirements, mandatory trash service, streetlights and better policing. The kinds of services that Bexar County, which has limited powers, either cannot mandate or adequately provide in an urban setting. While not officially in the city, Camelot II is definitely urban.

Instead, the city officials have turned their backs on the greater Camelot II area, leaving it out of the modified annexation plan staff is recommending to City Council with Mayor Ivy Taylors backing.

Bear in mind the Camelot II area exists in San Antonios extraterritorial jurisdiction and unincorporated Bexar County  a distinction that has been used as an excuse for inaction.

The best the city can offer at this time, apparently, are platitudes about exploring other options to bring more services to the area. What would those other options be?

City officials mentioned a vague plan where surrounding suburban cities such as Windcrest, Converse and Kirby would annex parts of the Camelot II region along with the city, sharing in the effort. Perhaps this is a workable solution, but details were sparse.

City officials also talked about lobbying the Legislature to allow Bexar County to require that landlords have trash service, an effort we support given the trash issues across the unincorporated county.

But we have yet to see legislative support for expanding county ordinance-making powers, and its not a policy step that should be confused as adequate for the Camelot II area.

The rationale for not annexing the Camelot II area is cost. It would cost the city $150 million over 20 years, officials said. But that eye-popping figure comes with a number of caveats.

First, its for two decades, so the net loss to the city is $7.5 million a year, which is still a substantial amount of money, but its also a far less daunting way to frame the cost.

Second, the $150 million figure is for a 12.7 square-mile area between I-10 and I-35 on the Northeast Side, which is significantly bigger than the greater Camelot II neighborhood.

Third, the city estimates the balance of its annexation plan along I-10 West and the commercial corridor along U.S. 281 North will generate $100 million in new revenue  after providing services.

Certainly some of that revenue could be used to offset the costs of annexing a blighted area.

We strongly encourage the city to study ways to bring the Camelot II area and other neglected parts of our community into the annexation plan.

San Antonio has been recognized as one of the most economically segregated cities in America, and Camelot II is literally known as a dumping ground for garbage. Inaction in Camelot has costs, too. It just comes in the form of unchecked blight and crime.
Community festival time is again upon us as we head into the warmer days of summer.

This past weekend I was pleased to participate in the Oakbank Chickendaze parade as well as the Old Tyme Country Fair parade in Niverville. Residents of both communities came out in large numbers to check out the floats and enjoy the nice weather as the rain held off this year.

There are many more upcoming community festivals across southeast Manitoba this summer and these celebrations are one of the things that makes representing a rural riding so special. Many of my colleagues in Ottawa represent ridings in large urban areas and they often tell me that they are amazed at the number of community events we have here in Provencher, not only in summer, but indeed year round. Provencher is a very large riding, extending from Winnipeg to the Ontario border, and some of the festivals happen simultaneously. This makes it impossible for me to attend all of them in the riding but I do try to visit as many as I can each summer.

We are fortunate that we have so many vibrant communities here in Provencher and summertime gives us the opportunity to celebrate our rich history, diverse natural and cultural heritage, strong values and many accomplishments. These community festivals give us the opportunity to meet up with not only our friends and neighbours, but also with people who travel from a distance to take part in the festivities. Often they serve as a catalyst for families to reunite with other family members who have long since moved away.

However, these community events would not be possible without the incredible hard work of the many volunteers behind the scenes. Their dedication year in and year out should never be taken for granted and Id like to personally thank them for all that they do to keep their communities strong.

I encourage everyone to participate in their local community events as these special occasions help keep the community bond strong and the history and heritage alive.

I hope to see you on the festival trail this summer!
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Editor's note: Attorneys at Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross respond to questions about Florida community association law. With offices in Naples, Fort Myers, Coral Gables and Boca Raton, the firm represents community associations throughout Florida and focuses on condominium and homeowner association law, real estate law, litigation, estate planning and business law.

Q: Our association has a handyman that we regularly use as an independent contractor. It is only him and sometimes a helper. He does not have workers' compensation insurance as he is exempt from being legally required to carry it. Our management company is telling us we should not use this person if he is not insured. Our association has its own workers' compensation insurance and general liability so I am not sure I understand the problem. What is your opinion on this topic?

 G.W.

Bonita Springs

A: Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence. So workers' compensation protects the employer not the association directly.

If an accident occurs, you have general liability insurance to cover the association and if the person somehow could prove he was an employee of the association that is what the association's workers' compensation is for. The downside of the employer not having workers' compensation is that if the employee gets hurt and the employer is not well financed the injured person will only have one entity to sue, the association.

If the employer has workers' compensation then some of the liability can be laid off on the employer and presumably less on the association. But another real problem is that if the handyman causes damage to the association property or injures someone, he has no general liability insurance to pay for it.

For those reasons we do not recommend the association hire people without workers' compensation, even if not legally required, and certainly not without general liability coverage.

Q: Our association has an owner in the community that lists himself as a consultant and the association pays him a consulting fee. For the fee, the person does things such as prepares meeting notices, prepares the budget, writes violation letters, prepares liens, prepares estoppel letters, files the corporate annual report, makes bank deposits and interfaces and hires other vendors who do work on the common areas. I checked with the state and the person does not have a community association management license. The person says he does not need a license as he is a homeowner that lives in the community and we are "self-managing." Is this legal?

 D.A.

Naples

A: No. Section 468.431(2), Florida Statutes defines "community association management as any of the following practices  when done for remuneration and when the association or associations served contain more than 10 units or have an annual budget or budgets in excess of $100,000."

The statute goes on to list the following activities as constituting management: controlling or disbursing funds of a community association, preparing budgets or other financial documents for a community association, assisting in the noticing or conduct of community association meetings, determining the number of days required for statutory notices, determining amounts due to the association, collecting amounts due to the association before the filing of a civil action, calculating the votes required for a quorum or to approve a proposition or amendment, completing forms related to the management of a community association, drafting meeting notices and agendas, calculating and preparing certificates of assessment and estoppel certificates, negotiating monetary or performance terms of a contract subject to approval by an association, drafting pre-arbitration demands, coordinating or performing maintenance for real or personal property and other related routine services involved in the operation of a community association.

Section 468.432, Florida Statutes provides that a person shall not manage an association without a license. So, if your community contains more than 10 lots or has a budget in excess of $100,000, then based on your description of his activities and because he is being paid, he must have a community association management license.

If the consultant was not being paid, then he would not need a license. The fact that he claims to be self managing does not change the fact that he is being paid to perform management services and therefore needs a license. Also, as an aside, the preparation of a lien for the association is considered the practice of law so unless the consultant is a currently licensed Florida attorney he is practicing law without a license.

Q: I have a question regarding items voted on at a board meeting. Is the board required to state the amount of an expenditure or project before they vote for approval or denial of an expenditure? When they vote on a project or expenditure without stating the cost, it appears there must have been private discussions and they are simply trying to rubber stamp the expenditure without indicating at least an estimated cost.

 J.R.

Naples

A: Except when adopting a special assessment, the board is not required to state the amount of the project when it is being approved at a board meeting. However, not to do so would seem awkward and unnecessarily secretive. As an owner, you have the right to attend most board meetings and speak on any agenda item. So in the future, I suggest you use your time to ask the board the amount of the project. If they will not answer your question at the board meeting, you can make an official records request to see the documents that would reflect the pricing.

Q: At a recent board meeting, one of the directors stood up and said, "I resign from this board." Later we got a letter from his attorney stating he had not resigned and that he was still on the board. Is a verbal statement of resignation effective?

 D.W.

Naples

A: Yes, in this case it was because he made his statement of resignation at an open, properly noticed board meeting. The Division of Condominiums has ruled that even though Chapter 617 of the not-for-profit corporation act requires resignations to be made in writing, a verbal resignation made unequivocally at a board meeting is effective.
SHARE Submitted Renee Gaddis, president and principal designer of Renee Gaddis Interiors, is creating the interior for tower residence 306, one of three model residences in Ronto's Seaglass at Bonita Bay.

Submitted By Caffrey & Associates

The Ronto Group announced Renee Gaddis, NCIDQ, ASID, GREEN AP, president and principal designer of Renee Gaddis Interiors, is creating the interior design for tower residence 306, one of three furnished model residences that will be presented at Seaglass at Bonita Bay, a 26-floor, 120-unit high-rise tower under construction by Ronto within the Bonita Bay community. Designs for the two additional models are being created by Robb & Stucky International and Cinnabar Design.

The model interiors will include the finishes on display at the Seaglass Design Studio located within the Seaglass sales center at 26951 Country Club Drive within Bonita Bay. Ronto's Finishing Touches Program allows future residents to visit the Design Studio and select finishes for their new home's flooring, cabinetry, countertops, door hardware, plumbing fixtures, and paint colors. To ensure each residence is finished to each owner's specific tastes, future residents may also specify finishes from other sources. With construction now underway, opportunities for future residents to specify preferred finishes for their new homes will become progressively limited.

Situated nearly 250 feet from its closest neighboring building, Seaglass will feature fully-completed, ready for occupancy residences with premium finishes, including flooring, paint, and trim. Each residence will come with two protected access under-building parking spaces. Private enclosed two-car garages will be available. Three tower residence great room floor plans at Seaglass range from 2,889 to 3,421 square feet under air and are priced starting at just over $1 million. One remaining penthouse residence at Seaglass is priced starting at $2.9 million and offers approximately 4,600 square feet of air-conditioned space.

The tower residence 306 floor plan offers 3,421 square feet under air and 525 square feet of outdoor covered terrace space. The open great room plan includes three bedrooms, a den or fourth bedroom, three-and-a-half baths, a large island kitchen and dining area, and a private elevator lobby. The design includes an optional fireplace and a dry bar with wine storage. Gaddis has incorporated her hallmark architectural details in the design, including ceiling and millwork details.

Gaddis's design will showcase classic, timeless style with a contemporary edge for a clean-lined look. She will incorporate a variety of wood tones, mixing light and dark for eclectic charm, and her color palette will be based on cool matte blue grays. The flooring will be in a warm wood tone with coffered ceiling details throughout.

From the elevator, a private lobby will provide a grand welcome. Adorned with fluted wall paneling in a pale neutral gray and a diamond-shaped flooring detail of inlaid white and blue Lagos marble, the space will accommodate a console with a mirror above and a large round tufted ottoman. Decorative crown molding and pendant lighting will add to the sense of arrival.

Double doors will open to the foyer where the lobby's flooring inset will be repeated for balanced emphasis. Applied moldings, millwork detail, and upgraded crown molding will add architectural texture, some painted to match the cool gray walls, some in clean contrasting white. The foyer will open into the sweeping expanse of the kitchen, dining room and great room.

The wall tones in the open concept living areas will be clean gray. A ceiling design in the dining area and kitchen will incorporate a unique double step detail with drywall plastered beams. While some final selections remain to be determined, the dining area between the kitchen and the great room will feature an elongated rectangular table that will seat eight. The kitchen will present a fresh clean aura with light counter tops, including the large island.

The great room will feature another ceiling detail in a checkerboard style and multiple seating areas for both practicality and aesthetic charm. A fireplace clad in streamlined marble will provide the focus for the television viewing area. Here, a sofa and two armchairs will be grouped with a cocktail table and two end tables. Behind the sofa, a console table with lamps will provide space for two ottomans tucked underneath.

In one corner, a dry bar will create an oasis for wine tasting with a small table and chairs. In another corner, separated from the dry bar by a wide window, a built-in banquette with a diamond tufted back and two separate chairs will be grouped around a square table ideal for playing cards. The furnishings will be classic in style with fabrics and finishes that lean toward the transitional.

From the great room, pocketing sliders will open to a wide terrace where the owners will enjoy the views and an al fresco Florida lifestyle. This generous space will accommodate a grill zone with a large dining table and chairs for six people as well as a conversation lounge area with an L-shaped sectional sofa adorned with decorative pillows and a round cocktail table.

From the great room, a short hallway leads to the owner's suite where the home's neutral color palette will continue. Gaddis will introduce an applied molding detail on the headboard wall featuring an arrangement of rectangles that are larger on the top and smaller on the bottom for added texture and dimension. A bed with an upholstered headboard and footboard will command attention. In a blend of painted and wood finishes, the night stands and dresser will add interest. A bench at the foot of the bed will add practicality while two side chairs will provide a quiet place for reading in this serene retreat. Sliding glass doors will open to the terrace.

A hallway past two walk-in closets will lead to the owner's bathroom. While final selections are yet to be made, his-and-her vanity cabinetry will feature solid surface counter tops and sleek finishes. The bathroom includes a shower, freestanding tub and ample space for a dressing ottoman.

Past the kitchen, a hallway will lead to the den and two guest suites. The den will be entered through an exterior mounted sliding door that rolls smoothly to the side like a barn door, but with contemporary flair. The den will function as a second gathering area, a lounging retreat space for relaxation and television viewing. Gaddis's plan calls for an inviting U-shaped sofa across from a custom built-in media wall that will accommodate a large television, display shelving and storage cabinetry.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining a dedicated computer workspace within the home, Gaddis's design will incorporate a custom office niche with a built-in desk and shelving tucked away within the hallway of the guest area.

The two guest suites, with elaborate ceiling details, will each feature a private bathroom and offer a private terrace with patio furniture. In these rooms, pendant lighting will be suspended from the ceilings above the night stands rather than typical lamps.

Visit Seaglass online at www.seaglassatbonitabay.com.
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Turkey is getting ready to widen its defense industry by building its own aircraft carriers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.

Erdogan said on June 18 that Turkey is getting ready to widen its defense industry by building its own aircraft carriers. [Photo/Xinhua]

"Turkey, after building its amphibious ship Anadolu, will be ready to construct its own aircraft carriers," Erdogan said at the launching ceremony of a Turkish naval corvette.

Turkey begun the construction of Anadolu in April, the country's first naval flagship set to be operational in 2021 and suitable for the landing of F-35 jets.

Erdogan, while stressing the importance of developing Turkey's defense industry, noted that the industry's foreign dependency was around 80 percent in 2002 but has dropped to 40 percent now.

He said Turkey cannot stall on defense industry and military issues "because of our strategic geographical location."
SHARE "Alligator Candy" by David Kushner. (Simon & Schuster)

By Mary Carole Mccauley, The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

The journalist David Kushner set out to write an account of the 1973 abduction and killing of his 11-year-old brother partly as a way to find out what happened after Jon rode his bike into the woods near the family's Tampa, Fla., home.

"It was the central story of my own life and a mystery I had to solve," Kushner said over the phone.

"Some of the details were incredibly upsetting. But, it would have much more difficult not to write this story. One of the ideas or themes that the book explores is the culture and behavior around death in this country, the taboos, the silence and isolation. That's how I felt for most of my life."

The author was just 4 years old when his brother died. Despite a childhood spent in the public eye, he grew up with a sketchy grasp of the events of Oct. 28, 1973.

Jon Kushner was kidnapped after leaving a local convenience store where he had bought candy for David. As he rode through the woods on his way home, he was stalked by two drifters who, according to court records, had been hunting for a random child to mutilate and kill. They knocked Jon off his bike with a pipe, gagged him and locked him in the trunk of their car.

Jon's murder galvanized the nation. In Tampa, Jon's disappearance sparked a weeklong community search. As a result of the intense publicity, the wife of one of Jon's killers found a key piece of evidence and contacted investigators.

"I have a sort of complex relationship with the media," Kushner said. "I grew up very skeptical of the media. Being on the inside and being under the spotlight is very traumatic. I also knew for a fact that a lot of what was being reported wasn't true.

"But without the media, I don't think this case would ever have been solved."

Johnny Paul Witt was convicted of Jon's murder, sentenced to death and electrocuted in 1985. His accomplice, Gary Tillman, who had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison in 1974.

David was so young when Jon vanished that his parents' instinct was to protect him by not telling him more than they thought he could handle. In retrospect, that might have been a mistake.

"Children are very aware of what's going on in ways that maybe adults don't recognize," Kushner said. "Not knowing was torture."

In the book, he vividly describes the toll exacted by his unanswered questions.

"My imagination had run wild," he wrote.

"I struggled to reconcile the snippets of information I picked up from kids at school, from newspaper accounts, from my family's occasional comments around the house. My brain had worked overtime, sometimes self-destructively, as it sought to provide the missing pieces, the empty pages, the scattered strips of film."

But it would be decades before Kushner was ready to tackle the project.

In the past quarter-century, Kushner has written for such publications as Rolling Stone and The New Yorker and previously published four nonfiction books chronicling topics as disparate as civil rights and the video games industry. And over time, the author began to find answers to his questions about his brother's death.

After learning that Tillman would be up for a parole hearing in 1997, the journalist and his older brother, Andy, delved into the case file. The brothers testified at the hearing that Tillman should remain locked up for the rest of his life. Ultimately, the parole board agreed.

But it wasn't until Kushner's father died in 2010 that the author felt ready to tackle his most personal project.

"After my father died, a lot of people were at my house," he said.

"I spoke with whoever I could  old friends of the family, police officers, teachers and psychologists. I'm an obsessive reporter, so I approached this memoir the same way. I went through hundreds of pages of case files and newspaper articles. Just about anything I could get my hands on, I read."

He decided to focus his memoir on answering a question that strangers asked again and again: How had his parents survived?

"Once I hit on that idea, I realized I could write the book," he said.

"One of the things I learned from my reporting was the sense that within each individual and each community there is a deep well of support and reserve.

"You don't even know it's there. It's like when you're driving a car and the gas tank is on empty and you can still go another 30 miles. We had people coming out of the woodwork to offer help that we had never even met. To be at the center of that kind of support was profound."

Kushner also has discovered that unspeakable tragedy can result in a psychological phenomenon that psychologists describe as "post-traumatic growth." This kind of positive personal development is different than resilience, which emphasizes returning to the way life was before calamity struck.

"For some people, trauma can lead them to make positive changes in their lives," Kushner said.

"Studies have found that a majority of people who experience trauma  veterans of wars, cancer survivors, you name it  experience some form of post-traumatic growth in the form of enhanced relationships or a renewed appreciation of life.

"It's a hopeful way of looking at things."
District School Board of Collier County. (Carolina Hidalgo/Staff)

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By Melhor Leonor of the Naples Daily News

Of Collier County's 48 principals of traditional public schools, one is black.

Calls for the Collier County School District to be proactive about creating a racially and ethnically diverse pool of principals intensified this month, when district officials filled three principal vacancies. They deemed two longtime black administrators who were finalists in the selection process  Palmetto Elementary Assistant Principal Sharon Wheeler and Shadowlawn Elementary Assistant Principal Oliver Phipps  not to be the best possible fit.

Vineyards Elementary Principal Mary Smith's appointment as the district's sole black principal preceded Superintendent Kamela Patton, whose five years at the helm of the school district and dozens of principal appointments have not placed any black administrators in a top school job.

While nearly 12 percent of Collier district students are black, 4 percent of teachers are. That's 98 teachers out of 2,752 teachers who chose to report their race and ethnic background, the Florida Department of Education reports.

Those numbers are reflected in the proportion of black school leaders. Of about 100 assistant principals and similarly ranked administrators, eight are black.

District officials said that number has increased from five in 2011, when Patton took the helm of the district, and show an effort to strengthen the pipeline and create more applicants for the opportunity to interview for principal positions.

The Collier chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People met with Patton and her staff earlier this month to talk about what they see as an issue being ignored.

"It's a great concern," said Diane Haynes, of the NAACP chapter. "We definitely want our African-American kids to see that people in charge can look like them, not just the assistants  but the principal."

Vianca Wheeler is also part of the group asking the district to make diverse leadership a priority. For her, the issue is personal; she is also the daughter of Palmetto Elementary assistant principal Wheeler.

"She got the (assistant principal) position, and that was when I was 16. I'm 25 going on 26, and it's been so long," Vianca Wheeler said. "This hasn't broke her, but I know that she's disheartened."

She had strong words for Patton, who Wheeler said "doesn't find it important whether the faces of the schools are diverse."

Human Resources Director Ian Dean, who spoke on behalf of the district on the issue, said that during the meeting with the NAACP, the district made it clear the process was designed to yield the best possible candidate for the job  regardless of race.

It's a very thoughtful process," Dean said.

He said to become a principal, interested candidates must submit application packets that demonstrate they possess the basic requirements for the job. After applications are reviewed, a group is selected to enter the "principal pool." New principals for schools that need them are selected from those in the pool.

Once in the pool, Dean said, every candidate has the opportunity to interview in person and may be observed in his or her current job if possible. When three positions  at Estates, Poinciana and Palmetto elementary schools  became available this year, nine candidates in the pool opted to be interviewed  including Wheeler and Phipps, the only two pool candidates who are black.

Dean reiterated that the process is a fair and consistent one. As for the lack of black principals, Dean said it's an issue that trickles down from the demographic of educators in lower positions and back to the applicant pool.

Assistant principals, district spokeswoman Leanne Zinser said, must complete 10 college-level leadership classes and pass a state exam. She added the district is working to strengthen its support system at this stage of the process.

But, Dean said, the biggest obstacle is found in the teaching applicant pool.

"We absolutely have a desire from a recruitment standpoint to continually seek out more diverse candidates. But in terms of our candidate pool, specifically, we are hiring consistent with the percentage of candidates we have from the different diverse background," Dean said.

He said it's especially difficult to attract young minority teachers because some are apprehensive of the demographics and lifestyle of Collier County.

Collier County is not the only district failing to match its educator cohort with its student population demographics. A 2015 report by the Albert Shanker Institute  which is backed by the American Federation of Teachers, one of the country's largest teacher unions  showed that while minority students make up more than half of the total public school population in the U.S., only 17 percent of teachers are minorities. While that number is growing slowly, the share of black educators specifically, is declining.

Haynes, with the NAACP chapter, said this reality should further compel the district to be more proactive about attracting minority candidates.

She suggested a mentorship program, which existed in the district more than a decade ago for minority candidates but is no longer in place. The strategic plan approved earlier this year does not have quantitative goals to increase diversity.

"I think that maybe we in the African-American community can sit down with the superintendent again and for her not to just tell us what she does and leave it at that, but to tell us what we can do to help the process," Haynes said.

Loretta Wallace, whose three children are graduates of the Collier County Public School system, said she plans to speak at the next school board meeting.

"With our children, we have to show them. Now you can see a little girl can become the representative of a major party," she added, speaking of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. "Before, you could dream; now, it's a possibility. It can happen."
KINFAY MOROTI/THE NEWS-PRESS About 2,000 people attended a vigil Saturday for the victims of the Orlando shooting at Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers.

By Melissa Montoya, The News-Press

Inka Schulz meticulously colored on the sidewalk as a crowd, flanked by rainbow flags, gathered behind her to show love will persevere.

The drawing of a woman's face framed by free-flowing hair was subtitled by a message the 17-year-old artist wanted to share: Love for all.

While the Cape Coral teen decided to express herself with art, others in downtown Fort Myers on Saturday evening chose to express themselves with speeches declaring love the winner, bigotry useless and togetherness important.

"You should be free to be yourself," Schulz said. " Love should be free for everyone in general."

The crowd of about 2,000 sang songs of joy, linked together to form a web and held a moment of silence in honor of the 49 killed in last week's shooting at the LGBTQ Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The vigil was organized by Pride-SWFL and Be Proud SWFL, two LGBTQ community organizations.

"We are here to show there is no amount of hate that will stop Americans regardless of their race or their sexual orientation," said Mel Crawford, who emceed the event. "This vigil is meant to show love and respect for all human life."

Imam Mohamed al-Darsani, of the Islamic Center for Peace, said he was there to send condolences to the families of those killed in the attack.

"The LGBT community for years stood behind the Islam community against Islamophobia," al-Darsani said. "We must stand together against hate."

Although the killer, Omar Mateen, has a Muslim name, al-Darsani said Mateen corrupted the Islamic religion.

The Rev. Allison Farnum, of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers, said the vigil shows the world that love wins.

"This is love made real in the world," Farnum said.

Andrew Sanchez moved to Fort Myers about three months ago. The 20-year-old, who identifies as gay, said it's important to join each other during times of tragedy.

"It's important to show that there are more people here that will love and support you," Sanchez said.

His friend Demetrius Fandrey, 21, agreed. He said he hopes people will take the message of love and peace with them after the vigil is over.

The crowd at the #Pulse vigil in Fort Myers is singing along to "True Colors." #SWFL #Orlando pic.twitter.com/YX3QsvuHfo  Maryann Batlle (@maryannbatlle) June 18, 2016

The acoustic medley ended with "Somewhere over the rainbow." pic.twitter.com/EtemKdo0wE  Maryann Batlle (@maryannbatlle) June 18, 2016

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RELATED STORIES/PHOTOS:
By Melissa Montoya, The News-Press

Authorities are searching for a 20-year-old man off the coast of Boca Grande.

He and a second man were swept away as they were swimming in the water, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley , of the .

The search for the men began around 4 p.m., she said.

One man was found by a jet skier, but the other remained missing as of 5:30 p.m., Johnson said.

The missing man was last seen wearing red shorts and a black life jacket.

The Coast Guard, the Lee and Charlotte sheriff's offices, Boca Grande and Englewood fire departments, and the are searching for the man about a quarter nautical mile off shore, Johnson said.

The Coast Guard has a boat crew from assisting, as well as aircraft.

"We've got all available assets on scene," she said.
Shane Tomlinson, center, and a member of his group, Frequency Band sing to Christina DeCoveny at her wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Hotel Resort in Naples, November 8, 2014. Tomlinson was a victim at the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub on Orlando, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Brian DeCoveny)

By Maryann Batlle of the Naples Daily News

Singing was Shane Tomlinson's gift, but his natural charisma gave him the "it factor."

Audiences enjoyed spending time in Tomlinson's glow, said Brian and Christina DeCoveny. They met Tomlinson five years ago when his cover band, Frequency, performed at Blue Martini in Tampa, where the couple lives.

"He drew us in right away," said Brian DeCoveny. "He was such a compelling performer.

When the pair was set to marry, the DeCovenys hired Frequency to entertain during the wedding reception at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples.

Tomlinson was always intended to be part of their milestone. If Frequency hadn't performed, the band members would have been at the wedding as guests, the DeCovenys said.

"He and the band became family to us," Brian DeCoveny said.

Tomlinson, 34, had built a growing fan base by sharing his music and joy with crowds across Florida. That's why Tomlinson's death in the recent mass shooting at Pulse, a popular LGBT nightclub in Orlando, has left a void in the DeCovenys' and many others' hearts.

Frequency's first public gig was in December 2012 at the Blue Martini in Naples, said the band's agent, Dennis Bailey, of D. Bailey Management.

"That band was ready to go to the next level," Bailey said. "He wanted the best for himself, and he strove to make everyone better all around him."

Videos of Tomlinson's performances with Frequency show his knack for starting celebrations and keeping them going.

His tall frame flowed with ease to any rhythm. His smile and enthusiasm invited people to let loose and have fun.

Off stage, Tomlinson was pragmatic about the music industry's business side  "a rare commodity" among artists, Bailey said.

"Only one comes along, every once in awhile," Bailey said. "When you have the whole package, which he had, that's what makes it magical."

Tomlinson had finished a show at Blue Martini in Orlando early that night before he went to Pulse, Bailey said. They exchanged text messages with each other until about midnight, and Bailey went to sleep.

Bailey woke up the next morning to go to church, and a friend told him Tomlinson was missing. There began an uncertainty that Bailey said was "overwhelming."

"We were just kind of waiting. Was he in the hospital? Nobody knew," Bailey said. "It was just mayhem then."

Tomlinson's name was on the list of 49 killed in this latest explosion of gun violence in America. Bailey said he learned the news as he was leaving Tampa to be closer to the crime scene.

"The drive to Orlando was very somber," Bailey said.

Tomlinson's parents came to Orlando from North Carolina, where he grew up and where he will be laid to rest, to handle the logistics of tragedy. They declined an interview because they are in mourning over his loss.

Through the unavoidable grief, Bailey said he will hold on to memories of his friendship with Tomlinson.

"I'm going to celebrate the time I got to know him," Bailey said. "And hope that his short life is not in vain."

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RELATED STORIES/PHOTOS:
By Melissa Montoya, The News-Press

Authorities continue their search for a 22-year-old Cape Coral man off the coast of Boca Grande.

Javier Castro and a second man were swept away as they were swimming in the water, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson, of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The search for the men began at around 4 p.m., she said. Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received an alert reporting Castro was missing after swimming with family members just off Boca Grande. Castro's father reported Castro and one of his brothers were swept out by a rip current.

One man was found by a jet skier, but the other remained missing as of 5:30 p.m., Johnson said.

The missing man is wearing red shorts and a black life jacket.

The Coast Guard, the Lee and Charlotte sheriff's offices, Boca Grande and Englewood fire departments, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are searching for the man about a quarter nautical mile off shore, Johnson said.

The Coast Guard has a boat crew from Fort Myers Beach assisting, as well as air craft.

"We've got all available assets on scene," she said.
SHARE Dr. Elias Shaheen Board-certified family medicine physician Physicians Regional Medical Group

By Elias Shaheen, M.D., Naples Board-certified family medicine physician Physicians Regional Medical Group

In addition to the celebration of Father's Day, June has always been a month for dads and men in general  think barbecues, Bermuda shorts and dad in the yard trying to get that lawn just right.

As the father of a 2-year-old daughter, I am even more aware of the importance of staying healthy, so that I will be around for all of the events in her life  the big ones, as well as seeing her grow and develop from day-to-day. In honor of Father's Day, I thought it might be worth sharing the importance for men to take an annual inventory of their health.

Whether you're a dad, a granddad or just a busy guy, here are the top 10 health checks every man should complete each year:

1. Height, weight and BMI. Experts now believe that cardiac health is impacted by even small increases above your ideal weight. If your weight has increased more than 5 or 10 pounds since last year, it may be time to consider some lifestyle changes.

2. Blood pressure. Blood pressure can fluctuate from day to day, so it's important to use a reliable machine to check it regularly. If your blood pressure is over 140 (top number) or 90 (bottom number), you should schedule an appointment with your primary care physician.

3. Cholesterol. There are several schools of thought on cholesterol, so any man with risk factors for heart disease (family history, diabetes, kidney disease) should talk at length with his doctor about individual goals.

4. Prostate screening. Again, recommendations vary by patient and physician. In general, men age 50 or older should discuss the appropriate level of screening for prostate cancer with their doctor. African-American men and those with a family history or prostate cancer should discuss screening at age 45.

5. Lung cancer screening. Men age 55 to 80 with a family history of lung cancer, or who have smoked for a number of years, should talk to their doctor about an annual CT scan of the lungs. Early detection is critical to survival rates for lung cancer, as there are typically no symptoms until the later stages.

6. Blood sugar and diabetes. Men should have a fasting blood glucose test at least every three years starting at age 45  more often if they are overweight or have high blood pressure. Another key measurement of healthy blood glucose is an A1C test  talk to your doctor about whether it's appropriate for you.

7. Bone density. Men age 50 to 70 with risk factors such as long-term steroid, tobacco or alcohol use should be screened routinely for possible osteoporosis and overall bone health.

8. Colonoscopy. Screening for colon cancer for most men starts at age 50. If testing reveals no abnormalities, it will typically only need to be redone every 5 or 10 years. Men who suffer with various "gut issues" can be at higher risk, and may need to screen more aggressively to catch this deadly cancer early.

9. Skin checks. Approximately 10,000 people each year die from melanoma, and two-thirds of those deaths are men. Add an annual skin check with a dermatologist or qualified practitioner to your health inventory.

10. Dental and eye health. Eye health and vision problems are often key indicators of other health problems, and dental problems can significantly impact the health of several vital organs. See your dentist for a deep cleaning at least once per year, and have your eye health and vision checked annually.

Because these tests are considered preventive, most of them will be covered by insurance plans at least once per year. However, there may be certain diagnostic or timing criteria you have to meet, so always check with your insurance company before making the necessary appointments.

From all of us at Physicians Regional Healthcare System to all the dads and granddads in our community, Happy Father's Day! Strong and healthy men are at the very center of a strong community, and we honor and celebrate you.
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Keeping tabs on tap water

(NaturalNews) Americans sat in front of their television screens in horror when it was revealed that children were being poisoned by lead-contaminated water in Flint, MI. These reports provoked concerns about the quality of public drinking water on a national scale. In an effort to address these concerns, forensic food scientist Mike Adams teamed with a former NASA contract scientist to conduct a nationwide scientific analysis of heavy metals in the tap water of U.S. cities, and the first 100 water sample test results are in.One hundred crowd sourced samples from municipal water supplies were obtained from major cities dotted throughout the country, and tested via ICP-MS using an Agilent 7700x instrument and an element-expanded variant of EPA methodology 200.8. The team tested for several heavy metals, including aluminum arsenic , copper, cadmium, mercury and lead down to concentrations in the parts per billion (ppb) range. Bear in mind, however, that these samples were not tested for other toxins like pesticides and fluoride "In the spirit of citizen science and the democratization of science, we are taking on this task because the EPA has failed the citizens of Flint, Michigan," explained Adams. "When government regulators refuse to do their jobs, it is the duty and responsibility of citizen scientists to take on that task in the public interest. The health and lives of millions of children are at stake. We don't have time to wait for the EPA to someday decide to do its job. We need to protect our children right now," he added.The effort was organized by the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (CWC) Labs. The results are published in the new, independent, peer-reviewed science journal the. Visit NaturalScienceJournal.com right now to download the first issue for free.Unlike other big science journals, includingand, what makes theunique, is that it is free of corporate funding and government influence, and does not sell advertising space. This means that drug companies, biotech corporations and government institutions have no influence over theAll scientific papers are peer-reviewed by other respected scientists before they are accepted for publication.The bulk of water samples submitted to CWC Labs used recommended 50mL polycarbonate vials available on Amazon.com. The first 100 samples accepted by the CWC Labs verification process were used for this study. All of the samples were inspected, and did not show particulate matter, discoloration or other signs that the vials had been tampered with.None of the water samples tested exceeded EPA limits set for copper, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. However, two of the water samples collected exhibited lead concentrations that exceeded the EPA limit. To see a full list of the results, click here "One hundred drinking water samples from municipal water supplies around the United States were analyzed for toxic heavy metal contamination. All but two of the 100 potable water samples exhibited toxic heavy metal concentrations below EPA limits. One sample from the Phoenix, AZ area and one from the Pleasanton, CA area exceeded the EPA limit for Lead. These households have been notified of the test results of their water samples," the authors wrote.The first 100 water samples are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to keeping tabs on America's tap water, throughout 2016, thewill publish articles on grocery foods contaminated by glyphosate , hidden pesticides lurking inside counterfeit organics , heavy metals in foods, superfoods and supplements from China, mercury in dog treats, cadmium content in chocolate bars and pesticide residues in popular food bars.Watch thewebsite for an announcement on how to submit scientific papers for consideration. In the meantime, feel free to download the first inaugural issue for FREE at NaturalScienceJournal.com
(NaturalNews) A government agency that is supposed to be driven to act based on sound scientific evidence rather than political agenda? Does such an agency exist? If so, itFor theamount of $190 million (of taxpayer money) the EPA has been busy purchasing its so-called unbiased experts. Okay, so the agency hasn't simply placed wads of cash in brown paper sacks and given it to "independent" advisors. The process is much more subtle and official-looking: The money has come in the form of "grants" to these advisors, in order to ensure that the agency's desired political  er,- goals are met through various "studies."In what would be considered fraud, embezzlement and other forms of illegal activity and corruption if the private sector were doing the same thing, the EPA, in this sense, is behaving no differently than a criminal enterprise: Buying loyalty.As noted byThe Energy and Environmental Legal Institute (EELI) is suing the agency on behalf of the Western States Trucking Association and Dr. James Enstrom, a former University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) disease transmission expert who was boycotted for testing EPA claims about particulate matter."The EPA has stacked the board, which is required by law to be autonomous and fair, with analysts who have gotten over $190 million in optional gifts from the EPA," said Steve Milloy, a lawyer with EELI, in an announcement."This plainly disregards the law and makes a joke of the thought of "autonomous" exploratory survey," he said.The agency depends on a board of scientific advisors called the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, to accept science claims regarding key clean air rules pushed by the EPA. In its case, the EELI is requesting that the court inhibit the EPA from assembling a panel tasked with looking into the science behind agency rules on fine particulate matter, or PM2.5.EELI says that the EPA has stacked the board with scientists which essentially serves as a rubber stamp for all agency actions pertaining to PM2.5. The agency likewise is dependent upon assertions contained in PM2.5 for the greater part of health benefits in some of its biggest regulations regarding power plants.The DC points out that 24 of the 26 members of the agency's PM2.5 panel have received or are currently receiving EPA grants . In sum, the board's members have received in excess of $190 million from the agency, according to figures provided by EELI.Milloy said that is a violation of federal law, which requires that such scientific bodies be "independent."EELI is not by itself in shining the light of scrutiny on likely problems in using scientific advisors who rely on the EPA for their living. Earlier this year. U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., sent a letter to the agency that was critical of it selection of advisors who were financially dependent upon federal grant dollars."I have observed EPA, under the Obama Administration, cherry-picking the same allies to serve on this advisory committee and its subcommittees at the expense of having an open and robust process for selecting external advisors," he wrote. "The majority of CASAC members have also received considerable financial support from EPA, which calls into question their independence and therefore the integrity of the overall panel."In a separate story, The DC noted that U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, pointed out in 2014 that "16 of the 20 members on CASAC's Ozone Review Panel were cited by EPA in key regulatory science documents the panel was asked to peer-review."Sources:
Earth won itself another celestial companion. A small asteroid was discovered in orbit around the sun, the 2016 HO3. The asteroid called a "quasi-moon" or a "quasi-satellite" is expected to remain in orbit for centuries to come, according to NASA.

"Since 2016 HO3 loops around our planet, but never ventures very far away as we both go around the sun, we refer to it as a quasi-satellite of Earth," said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object (NEO) in a press release. NASA's NEO office also said that there was a former companion to Earth but had since departed 10 years ago.

The small asteroid called 2016 HO3 spends half the time closer to Sun than the Earth and usually passes ahead of the planet, but spends another half farther away tailing behind. The cycle is expected to last for more than 100 years. Based from NASA's observation, the "quasi-moon" drifts ahead and behind the Earth but the Earth's gravity pulls the asteroid back. This is expected to occur again and again. The same effect causes the asteroid to refrain from approaching the planet much closer than 38 times the distance of the moon.

"In effect, this small asteroid is caught in a little dance with Earth," said Paul Chodas, in a statement published by Gizmodo.

The "quasi-moon", which is considerably small at approximately 120 to 300 feet across, cannot be considered as an actual moon of the Earth, but is considered as a quasi-satellite since it mimics the movement of the moon, orbiting the Sun.

The tiny asteroid 2016 HO3 was first spotted on April 27, 2016 by the Pan-STARRS 1 operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, which is funded by NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office.
A performer who was shot multiple times while leaving his Chicago studio to celebrate his birthday has died, authorities confirmed.

Alejandro 'Jano' Fuentes, 45, was pronounced dead at 2:07 p.m, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. He was shot Thursday, just after 10 p.m. in the 4300 block of S Archer in the city's Brighton Park neighborhood.

Police said he was in a vehicle with a passenger when a man with a gun walked up and ordered him out of the car. When Fuentes resisted, the gunman shot him several times in the head, critically wounding him.

Fuentes was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment and the gunman fled on foot before getting into a car a short distance away.

Friends of Fuentes say he and his assistant were leaving Tras Bambalinas, an academy for young performers owned by Fuentes, to celebrate his 45th birthday with friends.

"We are feeling confused and we have no explanation why all these things are happening, said close friend Miguel Sanchez, whose two children attend Fuentes academy. We are very sad because it's something you don't expect to happen to your close friends."

According to those who knew him, Fuentes moved to Chicago three years ago to take part in a play. He liked the city so much he decided to stay and open his studio. Video posted by the studio earlier that day shows a group inside singing him Happy Birthday.

Fuentes was also featured as a top 10 finalist in Mexicos version of The Voice, called La Voz, in 2011.

Jano Fuentes from la voz mexico on Vimeo.

He loved to help everyone, it didn't matter who it was, said Alejandra Arellano, who works at a bakery next to Fuentes studio. We're sad. We're concerned and also because of the violence."

Police have released few details about what may have prompted the shooting. But some believe the shooting was not a random act of violence.

"It wasn't random, Sanchez said. This guy, they were waiting for him. They were waiting for him to come out of the school.

No one is in custody and police continue to investigate.
Twelve people were killed and at least 43 more  including a 3-year-old boy were wounded in shootings across the city between Friday evening and early Monday, according to Chicago Police.

The most recent homicide happened about 1:30 a.m. Monday in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. Officers responding to a call of a person shot in the 7300 block of South University found the 22-year-old man lying in the gangway, according to Chicago Police.He was shot in the head and back and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Less than an hour earlier, a 29-year-old man was shot in the lower back and chest in Englewoods 1500 block of West 69th Street and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he later died, police said.

Late Sunday, a 21-year-old man was was in a vehicle in the 600 block of South Lake Shore Drive when shots rang out and he was struck in the lower back, police said. He was driven to the first block of East 35th Street, where he was abandoned, police said. Officers responding to that block about 10:40 p.m. found him lying on the ground and he was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he later died, according to police.

The Cook County medical examiners office had not confirmed those fatalities as of Monday morning.

Earlier Sunday evening, another 21-year-old man died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen after showing up at St. Bernard Hospital at 326 W. 64th St. about 6:50 p.m., according to police, who did not known when or where the shooting occurred. The medical examiners office has not released the mans name.

About 1:30 p.m., someone used a high-powered assault rifle to kill 22-year-old Salvador Saurez outside a Catholic church in the Back of the Yards neighborhood during Sunday Mass, authorities said. He was walking eastbound on 46th Street outside Holy Cross Church near Hermitage Avenue when a light-colored Saturn drove by and someone inside opened fire. Saurez, who lived in the 4500 block of South Hermitage, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:05 p.m., police and the medical examiners office said.

Saturday night in Auburn Gresham, a 33-year-old man was in a vehicle going south in the 7600 block of South Eggleston when another vehicle pulled alongside and someone inside it opened fire about 8:20 p.m., police said. The man was shot repeatedly in the torso and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Authorities have not released his name.

An apparent murder-suicide left a 73-year-old man and 65-year-old woman dead Saturday morning in Hyde Park. Officers called for a well-being check about 9:45 a.m. at a home in the 1400 block of East 54th Street found them dead at the scene with gunshot wounds to the head, with the mans wound self-inflicted, according to police. Their names have not been released.

About 5:30 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired found 23-year-old Eric Smith dead with multiple gunshot wounds in the 4800 block of West Monroe, according to police and the medical examiners office. Smith lived nearby in the 4800 block of West Adams, authorities said.

Two hours earlier, a shooting outside a University Village party left a 24-year-old man dead and two security guards wounded. Gunfire erupted about 3:40 a.m. when the guards pulled up to the party at a housing complex in the 1300 block of West Hastings, police said. A 24-year-old man whose name has not been released was shot in the back and pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Both guards  a 29-year-old man shot in the thighs and arm and a 30-year-old man shot in the hand  were taken to Stroger Hospital, where their conditions stabilized, police said.

About 1:30 a.m. in West Garfield Park, someone shot 18-year-old Latrell McMahon in the abdomen and a 19-year-old man in the leg in the first block of South Springfield, authorities said. McMahon, who lived in the 1800 block of South Fairfield, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:56 a.m. The older man was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital.

Late Friday in North Lawndale, 22-year-old Charles Wiley was shot in the neck about 10:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of South Kirkland, authorities said. Wiley, who lived in the 4200 block of West Cullerton, was taken to Mount Sinai, where he died at 11:04 p.m.

A 16-year-old boy was the victim of the weekends first fatal shooting, which happened just after 9 p.m. Friday in West Englewood. Melvin Cook was riding in a vehicle in the alley of the 6500 block of South Hamilton when two gunmen walked up and fired into the car, striking Cook in the head, authorities said. He lived in the 5700 block of South Calumet.

A 3-year-old boy was critically wounded in a Sunday evening shooting in Woodlawn on the South Side. He was in a vehicle in the 6100 block of South Kimbark when another vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, striking the boy in the right shoulder, police said. The driver took him to the University of Chicago Medical Center and he was transferred in critical condition to Comer Childrens Hospital.

At least 40 more people were shot across Chicago between 5:15 p.m. Friday and 4 a.m. Monday.

Additionally, a Chicago Police officer shot and seriously wounded a man brandishing a gun at the Puerto Rican Festival in the Humboldt Park neighborhood Sunday night on the West Side.
Gov. Bruce Rauner cancelled a Juneteenth celebration he was set to host at the DuSable Museum of African American History Monday after facing criticism from leaders in the African-American community.

"It is unfortunate that special interests politicized what was supposed to be a celebratory event," a Rauner spokesperson said in an e-mail. "Out of an abundance of caution and respect for the safety of visitors and the museum, we have regretfully cancelled the planned Juneteenth event at the DuSable Museum."

A representative for DuSable said the museum was not affiliated with the event, claiming the governor merely rented the space for an hour Monday afternoon to host a Juneteenth celebration. The holiday commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery.

Father Michael Pfleger, the outspoken pastor at St. Sabinas church in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, took to social media Friday to condemn Rauner's event at the museum.

Pfleger called the appearance "disrespectful" and urged readers to call DuSable to tell them to stop this.

Cant understand why the DuSable Museum will allow Gov. Rauner to speak there on Monday, Pfleger wrote on Facebook.

This man has abandoned and raped the community of resources, he added.

The pastor's incendiary post received a considerable amount of pushback on social media, with some users siding with Rauner.

"Rauner should have never been allowed," Pfleger told NBC 5 Sunday following the cancellation. "A person whose policies are keeping whole communities in bondage should not be allowed anywhere in the community unless he's coming to say he's sorry and sign a budget."

Additionally, a coalition of 20 community activist groups, including Freedom First International, planned a protest of the event Monday "to send a clear message to the governor that a political narrative was not welcome on Juneteenth at the DuSable nor anywhere else in our community."

Following the governor's cancellation, the group will now hold a peace rally instead.

Pfleger has been a sharp critic of Rauner throughout the budget impasse. In March, Pfleger and other activists staged a demonstration outside the Thompson Center to protest the governors budget proposal, which included deep cuts for social service agencies.

"You don't balance the budgets on the backs of poor people and balance it on child care and violence prevention programs. That's not how you're going to balance the budget," Pfleger said.

In May of last year, Pfleger pointed to Gov. Bruce Rauners declared budget cuts as a future obstacle in curbing gun violence in the city.

"With all these state cuts taking place in this city, all the jobs that are not going to be there, the programs are not going to be there, I think its frightening whats ahead of us right now in this city, Pfleger told NBC 5.

Illinois' anti-violence program CeaseFire, which treats violence as a public health issue, was among the programs that were cut as part of an executive order Rauner issued last February.
Five people were transported to the hospital after a serious crash in Andover Friday night, according to police.

Connecticut State Police responded to Route 6 in the area of Bailey Road around 6:54 p.m. Friday. When they arrived they found a 2010 Toyota Camry and a 1998 Honda Accord had collided head-on. The operators of both cars and their passengers were all transported to area hospitals.

The driver of the Camry, identified as Lan Zhang, 44, of Mansfield was transported to Manchester Hospital with minor injuries. Her passenger, Jiayu Wang, 23, of Mansfield was airlifted by LifeStar to Hartford Hospital with suspected serious injuries.

The operator of the Accord, identified as Brittney Flores, 19, of Willimantic was transported to Hartford Hospital with minor injuries. A 13-year-old passenger was transported to Hartford Hospital with suspected serious injuries. A 16-year-old passenger was also transported to Hartford Hospital with minor injuries.

State police troopers, Andover EMS, Columbia EMS and LifeStar all responded to assist with the accident. It is under investigation by state police. Anyone with information should contact Trooper Michonski at 860 465 4064.
A West Haven man was killed in a crash in Monroe Saturday morning.

Police say they responded to the intersection of Shelton Road and Wheeler Road around 10:20 a.m. Initial investigation suggests that the victim, 68-year-old Russell Curtis, was riding a 2011 Harley Davidson west on Shelton Road when he was struck by a 2003 GMC dump body pickup truck with a trailer traveling north on Wheeler Road.

Curtis was transported to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment but died of his injuries. The driver of the pickup has not been publically identified at this time.

There is a stop sign controlling traffic on Wheeler Road at the intersection, according to police. The circumstances of the crash are under investigation by the Monroe Serious Crash Investigation Team. Shelton Road was closed for an hour for preliminary investigation but has since reopened. There is no word on any charges.
Just in time for Fathers Day, we bring you the top dad-related Google searches in each state.

The map above displays dad-related searches that each state Googles more frequently than the other 49 states and the District of Columbia.

Its a culmination of hundreds of dad searches on Google complied by Estately, a Real Estate website. Here are some of our favorites:

Florida- Mens Cargo shorts

Alaska- Homer Simpson

Nevada- Combover

Arizona- Socks with sandals

Washington- Divorce lawyers for men, sperm bank, bacon salt

District of Columbia- Dad bods

Wyoming: Man cave

Colorado- Crocs

Alabama- Man cave ideas

Delaware- Mufasa

Texas- Man tattoos, dad memes

And last, but certainly not least:

Kansas- (nothing)
Police in Belgium charged three people with terror-related crimes Saturday after police raided dozens of homes in Brussels overnight, according to prosecutors, NBC News reported.

The three were charged as perpetrator or co-perpetrator, for having attempted to commit a terrorist murder and for participation in the activities of a terrorist group," the Belgium Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Twelve people were initially suspected of planning new terror attacks  nine were later let go. A total of 40 were taken in for questioning and 152 car ports were searched, the statement said.

The country is still under a level three terror alert  the second highest  following the March 22 attacks on the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32 people.
J.K. Rowling sent a message to one of the Orlando massacre victims that he will not be forgotten.

As 22-year-old student and Universal Orlando Resort employee Luis Vielma was laid to rest this weekend, the best-selling author decided to send a special message to his family.

According to social media, Rowling sent a floral wreath and handwritten note which were proudly displayed near the altar.

"To Luis, who died for love," her note read. "You will never be forgotten."

The thoughtful gesture came just a few days after Rowling learned one of the victims of the attack at Pulse nightclub in Florida worked at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

"Luis Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal," she tweeted. "He was 22 years old. I can't stop crying. #Orlando."

Many stars continue to step up and honor the victims who were injured or lost their lives.

While performing at Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Keith Urban stopped to pay tribute to the victims with a performance of U2's "One."

"Although I didn't know anybody in that horrific incident, I did, because they're just guys and girls, brothers and sisters," he shared with the sold-out crowd. "They had dreams, hopes, plans, just like every one of us."

Glenn Close recently announced she would be donating $75,000 to the Mental Health Association of Central Florida. The generous contribution will help fund counseling services for those impacted by the tragic events in Florida.

If you would like to help the Orlando shooting victims and their families, visit Equality Florida's official GoFundMe page.

How to Help Orlando Shooting Victims: Crowdfunding Campaign Raises More Than $1.6 Million

Do-Gooder Gallery
A widespread area of Southern California is under an excessive heat warning Sunday as record heat is expected to sear the region.

Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees in some areas, possibly reaching 107 in the valleys and 117 in Palms Springs.

By noon, temperatures had climbed to 103 in Montebello. In Burbank, the heat soared to 106, beating the 1973 record by two degrees, NBC4 meteorologist Anthony Yanez said.

Fire danger is elevated during this period, and Red Flag Warnings have been issued for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as well as southern Santa Barbara County, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters said "sundowner" winds will strengthen Sunday night, making it harder to battle the Sherpa wildfire in Santa Barbara County, which has already scorched 7,800 acres.

The red flag warning will be in effect through Tuesday night in the mountain areas of Santa Monica in Los Angeles County and the Angeles National Forest mountains in Ventura County. The combination of gusty winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create conditions that could lead to the rapid spread of fire.

Southland residents were advised to schedule outdoor work only early in the morning or in the evening, and take precautions to avoid heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Children, the elderly and pets were should also be closely monitored during the scorching heat.

More than 1,800 customers were without power in the Studio City area Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said. Power outages are likely during hot weather conditions, as electricity demands will be high. Residents are urged to turn thermostats to 78 degrees or higher. According to the LADWP, conservation is particularly essential from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the operation of California's electric power system, was asking residents to begin conserving electricity. On Monday, the Flex Alert would be in effect from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

By turning off all unnecessary lights, using major appliances after 9 p.m., and setting the AC to 78 degrees or higher, residents can help avoid power outages during the heatwave.

Monday is expected to be the hottest day, with temperatures ranging between 100 and 110 degrees, according to the NWS. Tuesday's temperatures are expected to remain hot and above average, but will cool down about 5 to 10 degrees.

For a list of cooling centers and more hot weather tips, click here.
A man wielding a hunting knife was shot by a San Bernardino homeowner after he found the intruder standing inside his living room early Saturday morning, police said.

San Bernardino Police responded to the home of a 60-year-old man in 1400 block of Sheridan Road.

The man told police he had gone out to his backyard and when he went back inside the house he found a man standing in his living room with a large hunting knife.

Police later identified the man as Timothy Mackay, 37, of San Bernardino.

Police said Mackay refused to leave even after several requests by the homeowner, and then began waving the knife, advancing toward the man.

The homeowner got his handgun and ordered Mackay to leave, who refused, police said.

The homeowner shot Mackay in the abdomen and then called 911, police said.

When police arrived, they said Mackay was still armed with the hunting knife.

Mackay was transported to a local hospital and will face charges once he has recovered, police said. Police believe Mackay is a transient in the area.
Authorities were searching for a hit-and-run driver who struck a pregnant woman in South Los Angeles Saturday night.

The collision occurred around 9:50 p.m. near the intersection of 51st Street and Broadway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police said the driver lost control and struck several parked cars before hitting the woman. The driver then took off in an unknown direction.

The woman is in stable condition and her baby is doing OK, police said.

No description of the driver or the vehicle was immediately available.
Five University of Southern California students arrested at an off-campus party by the Los Angeles Police Department in 2013 are to receive a settlement after the African American party-goers said they received a far harsher crackdown than those at a party attended by mostly white students right across the street.

A federal jury ruled Thursday that LAPD officers acted with malice and violated the students' constitutional rights when at least 79 officers responded to the house party at 23rd and Hoover streets, seven blocks north of USC, for a noise complaint on May 4, 2013, according to the students' attorney Fred Dorton.

In the caught-on-camera confrontations, students said officers used excessive force breaking up the party attended by mostly African-American students but failed to arrest anyone at a party hosted by white students across the street.

At the raucous party, students were celebrating the end of finals week, the students said in an earlier report.

Nate Howard, a USC senior who helped host the party, said he was handcuffed and pushed against the wall before he was placed in a squad car. He said he had just asked what was going on.

"There was no reason for me to be handcuffed, pushed the way I was," he said in an earlier report. "We were just having a good time."

Howard said the "battle of the DJs" party had a permit. About 79 officers lined up in the street wearing helmets and holding batons before they broke up the party at 2 a.m. as seen on a video posted to YouTube.

The LAPD launched an investigation into the incident after students complained of excessive force and racial profiling.

On Friday, the City of LA and students reached a deal before the case could enter the punitive phase, Dorton said. After the settlement announcement, the Los Angeles City Council would have to approve the payout.

Dorton did not reveal the settlement amount.
Police deployed a large response to reports of a man with a gun near West Hollywood Saturday one week after the terror attacks in Orlando, only to find the weapon was fake.

The uproar also comes a week after an armed man was arrested indicating he wanted to do harm at a West Hollywood pride parade.

At least 10 cruisers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a report of a man with a gun at 1346 Fairfax Ave at 9 p.m. which sits on the border of Hollywood and West Hollywood.

One person was taken into custody, LAPD said.

It wasn't clear if anyone sufferered any injuries.

Fairfax Avenue was closed between Fountain and Sunset Boulevard after the scare.
Hundreds of current and former NYPD officers paid tribute Thursday to a retired detective and World War II veteran who died alone, a day after the department asked that the community unite to give him a hero's farewell.

William Brown died last month at the age of 95. He had no friends or family by his side, and his body was discovered by police officers from the 113th Precinct who befriended him over the winter, the NYPD said.

But he was not without friends and family on Thursday. First Church of God in Christ in Jamaica was overflowing with people who joined to celebrate Brown's life; officers in their dress blues packed every pew. Some had to stand.

"Detective Brown embraced life, and he would be touched by the sea of blue here today," Deputy Inspector Frederick Grover of the 113th Precinct said.

It's possible the touching turnout would never have happened had it not been for a call to 311 last winter from a concerned neighbor. Brown hadn't been heard from amid freezing temperatures, and it turned out he was in the hospital with hypothermia after his heater broke.

Officers with the 113th Precinct were assigned the case and quickly found out he was a retired cop, joining the NYPD after serving in the Army with the 369th Infantry Harlem Hellfighters.

They fixed the heat in his home, made weekly visits and took him to the doctor's appointments. The seeds were planted for a beautiful friendship.

Det. Tanya Duhanne said the officers decided to plan his funeral after he died, and police and firefighters responded in force to a Facebook post the NYPD put up Wednesday asking for the community to "give Mr. Brown the hero send-off he deserves."

"We knew he didn't have a children, he did not have a wife," said Duhanne. "He didn't have friends he was close with, so we had to do that."

Rev. William T. Armstead said of Brown after the service, "He was energetic, he was private, he was humble. But he lived a life of service and sacrifice."

"'If you don't use it, you lose it!' That was one saying he would always say to us," said Detective Ferguson, one of the community officers who befriended him. "He was always very humble. Once you meet Mr. Brown, you will never forget him."

After the service, a lone bagpiper played "Amazing Grace" as the NYPD Honor Guard escorted Brown's flag-draped casket from the church.

Police officers and firefighters lined the street, giving Brown one last salute as his casket was placed in the hearse.
Two North Florida parents are facing charges after authorities say their 2-year-old son died from eating a morphine pill.

Thomas Marvin Howard, 34, and 26-year-old Christian Lachelle Morgan were arrested Thursday and charged with aggravated child neglect after a toxicology report showed morphine in the toddler's system, NBC affiliate First Coast News reported.

The Bradford County Sheriff's Office reports that Howard bought two 5-milligram morphine pills from a co-worker in April but realized he had dropped one when he got home. Howard and Morgan told investigators they searched for the pill and believed their son, Bradley Howard, had found it.

Instead of taking action, authorities say the couple smoked marijuana, drank alcohol and went to sleep after splitting the other pill. Morgan woke up the next morning, discovered the child dead and called 911.

The Florida Department of Children and Families has taken custody of the couple's two other children.

Howard is being held on $350,000 bond and Morgan is being hold on $250,000 bond. According to First Coast News, the State Attorney's Office could amend the charges beacuse the toxicology results that showed morphine in the child's system is from a preliminary report. A full report is due in a couple of weeks.
Anton Yelchin, a rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, was killed by his own car as it rolled down his driveway, police and his publicist said.

The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Los Angeles, Officer Jenny Hosier said. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Hosier said. When he didn't show up, the group came to his home and found him dead early Sunday.

The freak accident tragically cuts short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were still getting to know and who had great artistic ambition. "Star Trek Beyond," the third film in the rebooted series, comes out in July.

Director J.J. Abrams, who cast Yelchin in the franchise, wrote in a statement that he was "brilliant ... kind ... funny as hell, and supremely talented."

His death was felt throughout the industry.

"What a rare and beautiful soul with his unstoppable passion for life," Jodie Foster said. "He was equal parts serious thinker and the most fun little brother you could ever dream of."

Yelchin co-starred in Foster's 2011 film "The Beaver."

"He was a ferocious movie buff who put us all to shame," said Gabe Klinger, who directed Yelchin in the upcoming film "Porto," likely to be released this fall. "He was watching four or five movies every night."

Klinger said Yelchin had a particular affinity for silent films.

Yelchin began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and various television shows, such as "ER," ''The Practice," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." His breakout big-screen role came opposite Anthony Hopkins in 2001's "Hearts in Atlantis."

He transitioned into teen roles in films such as the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the comedy "Charlie Bartlett." He also played a young Kyle Reese in 2009's "Terminator Salvation."

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn't very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.

"I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing," Yelchin told The Associated Press in 2011 while promoting the romantic drama "Like Crazy." He starred opposite Felicity Jones.

"(My father) still wanted me to apply to college and stuff, and I did," Yelchin said. "But this is what I wanted."

The discipline that Yelchin learned from his athlete parents translated into his work as an actor, which he treated with seriousness and professionalism, said Klinger, the director.

He drew on his Russian roots for his role as the heavily accented navigator Chekov in the "Star Trek" films, his most high-profile to date.

"What's great about him is he can do anything. He's a chameleon. He can do bigger movies or smaller, more intimate ones," ''Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus told the AP in 2011. "There are a lot of people who can't, who can only do one or the other. ... That's what blows my mind."

Yelchin seemed to fit in anywhere in Hollywood. He could do big sci-fi franchises and vocal work in "The Smurfs," while also appearing in more eccentric and artier fare, like Jim Jarmusch's vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive" and Jeremy Saulnier's horror thriller "Green Room," a cult favorite that came out earlier this year.

Klinger recalled a conversation with Jarmusch about Yelchin before Klinger cast him in "Porto."

"Jim was like, 'Watch out. Anton read Dostoyevsky when he was like 11 years old!'" Klinger said.

The director said that for Yelchin, every film was an opportunity to learn and study more. He admired Nicolas Cage's laser-focus on the Paul Schrader film "Dying of the Light" and also got to work with one of his acting heroes, Willem Dafoe, on the film "Odd Thomas."

"He used to refer to Willem as an artist, not an actor," Klinger said. "That's the kind of actor he aspired to be, where people didn't regard him as an actor, they regarded him as an artist."

Yelchin's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.
The 17th annual Wilton Manors Stonewall Parade began on a more somber note this year.

The LGBTQ community honors the 49 who were killed in a Orlando nightclub last Sunday.

Fernando de Hoyos and his team with Latino Salud are giving out free hugs and offering a space for South Floridians to share their love with Orlando

"Our hearts go out to the victims of Orlando and we're going to celebrate their lives ," said Hoyos. "I hug people today and they say I've been wanting that the whole week."

Wilton Manor's 17th annual festival and parade commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Inn riots in New York City marking the start for the modern gay-rights movement.

"We're just hear to support everyone at festival, gay, straight it doesn't matter." said Kenny Lewis, a festival participant.

Lewis is a sponsor of the festival and says there's been a large police presence all day.

"I felt great, when we were setting up they brought the bomb dogs around to sniff packages and I felt that was a great thing that they're doing here," said Lewis. "It's nice that we can all feel safe today."

Police officers from across Broward County are working with the Sheriffs Office, Florida Highway Patrol and even the FBI to ensure safety for all.

The parade will continue Saturday until around 11 p.m.
A massive wildfire, fueled by strong winds, rising temperatures and an extended drought, has charred 7,811 acres in Santa Barbara County as firefighters brace for an extreme heatwave threatening to roast the Southwest.

The blaze, dubbed the Sherpa Fire, was 45 percent contained as of 11:30 a.m. Saturday, county officials said.

The weekend forecast suggests firefighters face a tough battle with the warmest weather so far this year. Temperatures in the triple-digits are likely across much of Southern California.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District declared a local emergency and issued a smoke advisory for Los Angeles and Orange counties in effect through Saturday in response to the fire, over fears that winds could push smoke from the blaze across the area.

About 270 structures remained threatened and at least 300 people were evacuated. One building has already been damaged, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries, fire officials said.

The Sherpa Fire, which is feeding off of brush and tall grass chaparral, began at the top of Refugio Road Wednesday afternoon, 25 miles north of Santa Barbara, near Refugio State Beach and Reagan Ranch.

A nearby ExxonMobil processing facility evacuated some employees Thursday, and those that remained, helped protect the plant against the flames, company spokesman Todd Spitler told The Associated Press. Capt. Dave Zaniboni said the crude refinery has a cleared buffer zone.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the areas of Refugio Canyon, Canada del Venadito Canyon, Las Flores Canyon, El Capitan Canyon, El Capitan Ranch, El Capitan State Beach and Canada de la Destiladera. Evacuation warnings are in effect for Las Llagas Canyon, Gato Canyon, Las Varas Canyon, Dos Pueblos Canyon and Eagle Canyon. An evacuation center has been set up at the Wake Center, 300 N. Turnpike Road in Goleta and for large animals at the Earl Warren Showgrounds.

County officials said crews will continue to work on reinforcing containment lines along the 101 Freeway, which may be closed again if the fire is determined to be a hazard to motorists. Calle Real from El Cap to Refugio Road remained closed.

More than 1,900 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Cal-Fire and Santa Barbara County Fire continue to battle the blaze.

Residents can monitor the status of the fire and any guidance on the County of Santa Barbara website at www.countyofsb.org or sign up for alerts at www.awareandprepare.org.

Anyone in the evacuation area needing assistance with animals, including livestock, should call (805) 681-4332.
A 70-year-old acupuncturist in New Jersey faces charges accusing him of touching a woman patient in a sexual way and practicing the traditional Chinese medical technique without a license.

Fort Lee police on Friday searched the office of Myung Ho Lee after a woman complained on May 4 that she had been inappropriate touched while receiving an acupuncture treatment, said acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal on Saturday.

Officers subsequently learned that Lee didn't have a valid license to practice acupuncture.

Lee was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and third-degree unlicensed practice of acupuncture, Grewal said.

Lee was remanded to Bergen County Jail in lieu of 10,000 bail.

There was no information available on whether he had obtained a lawyer who could comment on the charges.
A Long Island pilot escaped serious injury Saturday when he crash-landed his single-engine plane in the waters just off the Rhode Island coast to avoid people on the beach.

Alexander Piekarski, 62, of East Moriches, was flying alone from New York's Long Island to Taunton, Massachusetts, when his four-seat Beech Craft Bonanza began losing power, said Rhode Island state police. It happened shortly before 1 p.m.

Piekarski tried heading to Westerly Airport but made an emergency landing in the waters off Inn Beach when he started losing altitude.

He got out of the plane before it sank and was helped back to shore by two lifeguards, state police said. He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that weren't life-threatening.

Federal aviation and transportation authorities are investigating.
Police are looking for a suspect who slashed a man in the head after the victim tried to confront him for punching and beating a dog with a belt.

Investigators on Saturday released a surveillance video of two men who appear to be beating and mistreating two dogs on leashes.

A 32-year-old man was passing by the location on Staten Island on May 24 when he saw a man punching, kicking and beating a dog with a belt, police said.

The victim tried to intervene but the suspect pulled out a knife and slashed him above the eye, investigators said. Information about the extent of his injury wasn't available.

Detectives are looking to speak to the two men seen in the video.

Anyone with information about them is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
A man who was caught on camera stealing a jar that held donations for a New Jersey mother fighting cancer has been arrested, police announced Sunday.

Daniel F. Santos, 23, of Newark, is accused of taking the box from a bakery in Newark on Ferry Street on June 8, police said. He has been charged with theft. Information about his attorney wasnt immediately available.

The surveillance video shows a man approach the jar, which was connected to the register with a thin plastic rope. The man uses a lighter to burn the string and take the jar.

Officers went to an undisclosed business where Santos works and arrested him without incident after his boss called authorities, police said. The business owner said he identified his employee as the suspect seen in a surveillance video released by police and distributed by news outlets.

Fernanda Concalvezs family said they put the jar on the counter two weeks before it was stolen. The stores manager said it was holding about $200 in cash.

Concalvez told NBC 4 New York by phone it has been rough undergoing chemotherapy and radiation after being diagnosed with colon cancer last year.

The 42-year-old used to work as a patient representative at a Pennsylvania hospital, but she has been on unpaid medical leave since she began treatment.

Concalvez hopes to be well enough to attend a fundraiser on June 26 being held in Newark to recoup the loss and hopefully raise even more money to help her as she battles cancer.
A Pennsylvania teenager was killed and another man was wounded early Saturday morning after they were shot in front of a home in the Bronx, police said.

Officers responded to a 911 call about a shooting at about 3:30 a.m. in the Longwood neighborhood. The caller said two men had been shot multiple times.

At the scene, officers found 17-year-old Elwin Coste, of Harrisburg, who had been shot in the stomach, arm and leg. He died after being rushed to a local hospital.

They also found a 21-year-old victim who was shot in the torso and arms. Police said he was in critical condition Saturday afternoon.

Police released images Sunday night of two men wanted in connection with the shooting.

No arrests have been made.
Chelsea Clinton has given birth to a baby boy, the former first daughter announced on Twitter.

Clinton tweeted the news on Saturday morning, writing that she and husband Marc Mevinsky were "overwhelmed with gratitude and love as we celebrate the birth of our son, Aidan Clinton Mevinsky." [[383514031, C]]

In a statement, former President Bill Clinton and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said they are "overjoyed" to be grandparents again," adding that Chelsea and the baby "are both doing well and enjoying this very special time together."

The 35-year-old announced in December 2015 she was expecting her second child.

"Charlotte is going to be a big sister! Feeling very blessed & grateful this holiday season," Clinton wrote on Twitter at the time, keeping the baby's gender under wraps.

While campaigning for her mother's White House bid in New Hampshire earlier this year, Clinton said she has tried to follow her parents' example in raising her 21-month-old daughter, describing her own upbringing. [[289629031, C]]

"I know she doesn't really understand what's happening, but I talk to her about the news every day," Chelsea Clinton said. "I talked to her on Sunday evening about why I had to be gone for a few days to support her grandmother because it's really important for her future."

The younger Clinton is married to hedge fund manager Marc Mezvinsky, the son of former U.S. congressman Edward Mezvinsky and former U.S. congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky.
A driver hit two Florida deputies after cutting through a funeral procession held for one of the victims of the Orlando mass shooting, NBC News reported.

The Osceola County Sheriffs deputies were on motorcycles escorting the procession through Kissimmee from a church when the driver struck them, a spokesman for the sheriff's office said.

One of the officers is in stable condition, while the other is in critical condition. Neither officer was identified.

The female driver, who wasnt identified, likely wasnt paying attention. She is being questioned and charges are pending against her, the spokesman said.
George Bengal, the PSPCA's director of humane law enforcement who helped Philadelphia and surrounding cities fight animal abuse for decades, has died at the age of 69.

Bengal passed away Saturday at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania with his wife and daughter at his bedside.

Bengal first began his career with the Philadelphia Police Department after serving in the Vietnam War. Bengal became a Humane Law Enforcement leader, fighting animal cruelty for 20 years. Bengal then built Humane Law Enforcement operations at several animal organizations in the area, including the Delaware County SPCA and the Pennsylvania SPCA. He also became the PSPCA Director of Humane Law Enforcement in 2007.

George Bengal was an icon, a fierce warrior against animal cruelty, and a street smart cop who led by example. The animals have lost their best friend and we have lost a most special colleague. His officers didnt work under him. They worked next to him, said Jerry Buckley, CEO of the PSPCA. We always knew George was courageous in his work. But the way he faced his own death took courage to a new level. [[383539811, C]]

In 2016 Bengal was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that affected the membrane lining of his abdomen. Last month, knowing he had little time left, Bengal had one last request for the community he served, that they continue to support the SPCA, which runs only on donations.

"I just want to see this work desperately carried on," Bengal said.

Bengal's supporters created a #ThankYouGeorge hashtag on Twitter in which hundreds of people thanked him for his dedication to ending animal cruelty.

I never thought that I would have a following like this, and Id like to see it put to good use, Bengal said. This is not about one single person. Its about carrying the program forward. Weve all put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to make the program what it is. Ill be gone. We have capable people who can step up. I want to see the public and government support this program. If we didnt do this anymore, theres nobody to fill the void.

The PSPCA created the Bengal Fund to End Animal Cruelty in his memory with all donations going towards Humane Law Enforcement.

We are doing whatever we can to honor everything that George has taught us, said Sergeant Nicole Wilson. This department was his brainchild. Through sheer will, hes kept us performing at as high a level as possible. We continue to do our best to make him proud of what we do, and to put his name on it. Very few people are irreplaceable, but George is irreplaceable. We hope to continue his legacy.

Bengal is survived by his wife, two daughters and a grandson. He will be memorialized at Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, on Philmont Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia starting at 10 a.m. A military funeral service with follow at Sunset Memorial Park on County Line Road in Feasterville, Bucks County.
President Barack Obama wants more people to appreciate and visit America's national parks as the park system nears its 100th birthday in August.

Obama and his family spent the night at Yosemite National Park in California after touring an underground cave on Friday at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.

The president then gave a rousing speech at Yosemite that urged Americans to "get out into the great outdoors." He tapped Congress, thanking them for working to protect the parks.

"We appreciate congress continuing to work hard to support our national treasures," Obama said from Yosemite. "...You can't capture this on flat screen."

He also noted his own administration's accomplishments, citing the protection of 265 million acres of public lands and water.

"It's a park that captures the wonders of the world, and changes you by being here," he said. "There's something sacred about this place."

The speech at Yosemite on Saturday highlighted the economic benefits of the 400-plus sites managed by the National Park Service, as well.

"It turns out that studies show that every dollar we invest in our national parks generates $10," he said.

Obama also discussed climate change and other threats to the park system, and highlighted programs to encourage more people to visit parks, including one spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden that gives discounts and free admission to military families.

While Obama was poetic and flowery in describing the beauty of national parks, he was brusque and did not mince words when it came to discussing climate change, citing glaciers that have already melted and areas that have turned dusty and dry.

"Make no mistake. Climate change is no longer a threat," he said. "It's a reality."
A South Bay man will soon be honored as a hero for rescuing an almost unconscious driver from a burning car.

Video posted on social media shows the man pulling the driver out of the car at a bank parking lot in Cupertino. New video from the bank's surveillance camera also shows the life-saving act.

Some people who watched the vehicle catch fire called the scene surreal.

Aram Harutyunyan, who was having lunch nearby, saw something else. He was able to see a glimpse of the driver slumped inside, obscured by the smoke.

With the fire growing, Harutyunyan reaching into the Land Rover, pulled out the almost unconscious driver, and dragged the 200-plus pound man to safety.

"I'm not sure if it was adrenaline or I was out of breath. I pulled him like about six feet maybe the first time," Harutyunyan said. "I was breathing very heavily. There is heat also that comes from the car. I could feel it on my face."

Harutyunyan's friend also captured the heroics on video.

Leo Pekker was shooting what he thought was an empty vehicle on fire and ended up recording his friend's brave act.

"There was a lot of heat," Pekker said. "You just felt like it might blow up at any moment. I was worried about my friend, making sure he's OK."

Harutyunyan then told Pekker he was fine and made sure the victim was OK.

"We just put him on the curb, he was breathing and looked stable," Harutyunyan said. "Everything was OK. I just said 'Hey, you know, you're lucky.' and I just went to eat. And that's it."

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said it will be giving Haruyuntyan a Hero's Commendation.

The driver, Aman Matoo, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and arson.
A woman suspected of driving under the influence (DUI) hit a young boy and man biking in Solana Beach with family and friends, the San Diego Sheriff's Department (SDSO) said.

The crash happened at approximately 6:45 p.m. Saturday when a 24-year-old Carlsbad resident was behind the wheel of a 2016 Honda Civic, deputies said.

She was driving northbound on Camino Del Mar when she veered the car off the roadway at the four-way intersection of North Highway 101 and Via De La Valle, near the Brigantine's, deputies said. She ran the car onto the sidewalk.

The car struck an 11-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man who were on their bikes with a group of family and friends at the time, officials said.

The boy was taken to Rady Children's Hospital and suffered injuries to his leg. The man was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital with serious head injuries.

After the crash, the driver continued to drive, eventually stopping at South Sierra Avenue and Linda Mar Drive. A witness followed her there to where she stopped, deputies said.

When officials arrived, they contacted the driver and arrested her for Felony DUI and hit-and-run. She was taken to the Vista Detention Facility and booked into jail.

The crash is under investigation. Call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 with information and you will remain anonymous.

No other information was immediately available.
A 5-year-old boy attacked by a mountain lion Friday night outside of his home in Colorado is in fair condition, officials said.

The boy's mother told police he had been playing in the front yard with his older brother when she heard screaming and ran outside to find a mountain lion on him, the Pitkin Sheriff's Department said in a news release.

The mother told police she was able to pull the boy away from the animal.

The boy's father called 911 to tell dispatchers he was driving his injured son to the hospital just before 8 p.m. local time, authorities said.
Careless smoking was the cause of a raging fire that displaced nearly two dozen people in an apartment building in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Fire officials said the two-alarm fire broke out about 8:30 p.m Saturday at the 13900 block of Briarwood Drive in Laurel.

Laurel volunteer firefighters battled the blaze alongside several other units, including Prince George's County and Montgomery County firefighters.

One firefighter with the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department was taken to a hospital after falling from a ladder, according to Prince George's County Fire and EMS spokesperson Mark Brady. He was released from the hospital on Sunday, officials said.

Nine apartments were too badly damaged for the families who lived there to stay in them. The loss was estimated at $300,000. The Red Cross provided assistance for the displaced residents.

Brady tweeted the fire had been extinguished about 10:15 p.m.

Sunday, fire officials said the fire had started on a 3rd floor balcony where someone had not properly disposed of smoking materials.

That fire was one of three that Prince George's County firefighters had to battle over 12 hours.

While firefighters were still on the scene of the Laurel fire, the first reports came in of a fire in a one-story warehouse in the 7600 block of Barbara Lane in Clinton. No one was hurt, but the property loss was estimated at $100,000.

At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, another fire was reported in the 9300 block of Fontana Drive in Lanham. That building was a garage that had been converted into a living space.

No occupants were found. That fire did $75,000 in damage.
A new LGBT flag is flying at a D.C. restaurant nearly a week after someone burned the restaurant's rainbow flag.

The burned flag hung outside Bourbon restaurant on 18th Street in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.

D.C. police believe someone burned the gay pride flag sometime between 4 and 8 a.m. on Sunday -- hours after a gunman shot and killed 49 people at a gay club in Orlando, Florida.

It is not known if the flag burning was motivated by the shooting.

On Friday night, a new flag was presented to Bourbon during a public event in support of the LGBT community.

Bourbon restaurant

Police are investigating the burning as a hate crime.

There is no surveillance video of the incident, police said.
Police say an 11-year-old girl was molested while shopping with her father at the Target at the Mosaic District in Merrifield, Virginia.

Fairfax County police said in a news release that after the girl and her father got home late Saturday afternoon, she told him that a stranger had touched her buttocks while inside the store. The father called police to report the crime.

Police say the girl's story was confirmed by security video from the store.

Police say the man who molested the girl was wearing a gray shirt and dark shorts and left the store in a burgundy Ford Mustang.
Authorities in two Virginia counties and the District are looking for a man who they say carjacked someone on Friday night and led police on a high-speed chase early Saturday morning.

Prince William County police said 23-year-old Jose Neftaly Canales Granados, of no fixed address, carjacked a 51-year-old man at the Walmart on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge just before 9 p.m. Friday.

The victim told police the suspect opened his driver's side door and pulled him from the car before fleeing the area. Police said the victim had minor injuries.

At 1:41 a.m. on Saturday, officers saw the carjacked vehicle traveling on Old Bridge Road. The driver refused to stop when the officers activated their lights and siren and the suspect sped toward I-95, police said.

Officers chased the vehicle north into Fairfax County and then ended the pursuit for safety reasons.

D.C. police eventually found the vehicle, but Canales Granados ran off, police said.

Someone in the front passenger seat was taken into custody, but police said they were not connected to the carjacking.

Canales Granados is described as a Hispanic male, 5 feet 7 inches and 145 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

He is wanted for carjacking, felony eluding and drive on a revoked license, police said.

Prince William County police ask that anyone with information about Canales Granados' whereabouts call (703) 792-6500.
A woman who worked in youth ministry at a D.C. church was killed Saturday in a shooting in southeast D.C.

Police found Stephanie Goodloe, of Washington, shot in the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue SE around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Police she died at the scene, which is about a block away from the Potomac Avenue Metro station.

On Sunday, police said 49-year-old Donald Hairston, of District Heights, Maryland, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Goodloe.

Goodloe worked in youth ministry at Mount Gilead Baptist Church in northwest D.C., News4 has learned. She also apparently worked a daycare director at the Christian Tabernacle Church of God in northwest D.C.

The church posted a statement on its Facebook page Sunday: "We offer our prayers for the family of our former daycare Director Stephanie Goodloe who was taken from the world far too soon. We encourage you to love without restraint!"

Police did not say what may have led to the shooting.
A 9-year-old boy was hit by a car while he was riding a scooter Sunday afternoon on Cape Cod.

Police in Sandwich, Massachusetts, confirm he was hit by the vehicle in the area of Old Fields Road around 1:30 p.m.

The child was transported to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

His condition was not immediately known.

Police did not provide any information about the driver who struck the child.
The water ban in Uxbridge, Massachusetts implemented as a result of E. Coli contamination is lifted.

According to the Town of Uxbridge, test results have been returned with the water free and clear of any bacteria.

The Department of Power and Water will be flushing and continuing to chlorinate the water for a period fo time.

It has been deemed completely safe for consumption.

The water distribution station will remain open until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the DPW office at 147 Hecla St. It will also remain open tomorrow between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. only because of the contaminated chlorine.

Information about E. coli and safety tips are available on the town's website.
United States Senator Edward Markey says he wants to help educate young people about climate change.

The Massachusetts Democrat filed legislation last week that would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create a climate change education program for all age levels.

Markey says the program would explore solutions to climate change, the dangers of a warming world and how changes in daily routines can have a global impact.

The legislation would also establish a grant program to support public outreach programs that improve access to renewable energy jobs.

The bill is co-sponsored by fellow Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts; Al Franken, of Minnesota; Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, of California; Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire; Jeff Merkley, of Oregon; and Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York.
UPDATE: Essex district attorney's office says the 13-year-old boy who drowned Sunday afternoon in Walden Pond has been identified as Jose Angel Capellan Rodriguez of Lynn.

Earlier story below:

A boy has died after being pulled from a reservoir Sunday afternoon on the Saugus-Lynn line in Massachusetts.

Authorities learned just before 2 p.m. that the 13-year-old swimmer was in distress at Walden Pond, a reservoir in the Lynn Woods Reservation.

Police and fire crews from Saugus and Lynn responded to search the water and the land around it.

According to police, Saugus Fire crews advised just after 2:30 p.m. that the boy had been found.

Crews immediately began attempting to resuscitate the teen. He was taken to Union Hospital.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office announced around 5 p.m. that the victim had passed away.

Foul play is not suspected.

A sign by the water forbids swimming, informing people that it is a public drinking water supply. Police have tried to crack down on the problem by limiting parking. However, neighbors say teens regularly ignore the signs and swim anyway.
A pilot is safe after crash landing his plane in Westerly, Rhode Island, according to police.

The accident happened around 12:50 p.m. Saturday off Weekapaug Beach. Officials were contacted that an out of state plane crashed into the water.

The pilot, 62-year-old Alexander Piekarski of New York, was flying alone from Long Island, New York, to Taunton, Massachusetts.

A preliminary investigation indicates that Piekarski lost power and attempted to head toward Westerly Airport, but due to a loss in altitude, decided to make an emergency landing into the water so he wouldn't hit people on the beach.

The pilot was able to escape the plane before it sank. Lifeguards were able to help Piekarski back to the beach.

The pilot was taken to RI Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The plane will be inspected once it's removed from the water.
Two people in Connecticut were so desperate to avoid arrest during a drug deal they made some interesting attempts to hide heroin.

Milford Police interrupted a drug transaction between 26-year-old Jason Jacobs Jr. and 24-year-old William Clements in a parking lot on Boston Post Road near exit 39.

Clements tried to eat the heroin in front of detectives, according to police.

A trained narcotics detection dog helped officials discover two bags of heroin in the pants of 19-year-old Stephanie Pallas.

Both suspects, along with the drug dealer, were arrested and face multiple charges.


Seeking performers for Norfolk saint theatre Seeking performers for Norfolk saint theatre

A theatre company is seeking performers, musicians and a musical director for a new and exciting piece of theatre commemorating the life of Norfolk saint, St Walstan, to be performed in September in Bowthorpe.
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If the perhaps thousands of people who flocked to the Leinie Lodge Family Reunion of Saturday thought it was great, wait until next year.

The Reunion will still be held at the Lodge in Chippewa Falls next Fathers Day weekend. But 2017 is the brewerys 150th anniversary, and Leinies has something special planned for August.

This event, I think, will be bigger, said Dick Leinenkugel, president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., who was at Saturdays festivities to greet visitors to the reunion.

Leinenkugel said the brewery will have a celebration for the anniversary that will be held at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in Chippewa Falls on Friday, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, during Pure Water Days.

Theres a good chance many of the people who were at the reunion Saturday will return for that.

The reunion is in its 13th year and continues to grow. I think it all relates back to their love of beer, Leinenkugel said. As the brand continues to grow in national prominance, he said, It just brings more people (to the reunion).

People such as Julie Kohles of Des Moines, Iowa, who attended the reunion with her family for a fifth year. Its a great family outing, she said, citing the brewery tours and live music at the lodge.

Ted Cook of Amery was among 18 motorcyclists to roll into Chippewa Falls for the celebration. Cook, the former owner of a bar and restaurant in Amery and the Cedar Lake Speedway, said he was enjoying his first reunion. I like it a lot, he said.

The reunion also brought for a fifth year Jason Smith of Coon Rapids, Minnesota and his wife, Sara Smith, and Jasons brother and wife. Leinies is my favorite beer, he said of why he makes the trip from the Twin Cities. He said the reunion has a wholesome atmosphere.

The reunion also had its share of volunteer workers.

Stephanie Linzmeier and Barb Dukerschein were especially busy at the concession selling bottled water and soft drinks for $1 apiece. The proceeds went to the Feed My People food bank.

In an infrequent break between customer requests, Dukerschein said she has volunteered at the reunion with her husband, Don, for six years.

It looks like the Dukescheins will be busy lending a hand next year, too.
New Delhi: With Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan unwilling to head the central bank for the second term, senior government officials say that State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya is the frontrunner among the six contenders for the post.



The long list to replace Rajan includes RBI Deputy Governor Urjit Patel, former deputy governor Subir Gokarn, economists Rakesh Mohan and Parthasarathi Shome.



Chief Economist in the World Bank Kaushik Basu's name is also doing the rounds.



On Saturday, Rajan said he will not serve a second term as RBI head, sparking a war of words in which the Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central Government of hounding him out.



BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has been running a campaign seeking Rajan's ouster.



Rajan told his colleagues at the RBI that he will return to academics after his three-year term ends on September 4.



"I will, of course, always be available to serve my country when needed. I am an academic and I have always made it clear that my ultimate home is in the realm of ideas," he said.



Hours later, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted that the government appreciated Rajan's "good work" and respected his decision.







"A decision on his successor would be announced shortly," he had said.



Top industry leaders defined Rajan's decision not to take a second term as "nation's loss" as he brought economic stability and enhanced India's credibility on the world stage.
New Delhi: At a time when the Ayodhya issue is back in spotlight ahead of the UP polls in 2017, a book penned by a former IPS officer has claimed that the Ram temple was not demolished during the reign of Babar but of Aurangzeb.



Quoting from old files during British period, some ancient Sanskrit texts and reviews of archaeological excavation, the book has attempted to project that a Ram Janmabhoomi temple did exist in Ayodhya before a mosque was built on it.



The book "Ayodhya Revisited", written by Kishore Kunal, a former Gujarat cadre IPS officer of 1972 batch, propounds a new thesis about the period of the mosque's construction and seeks to demolish earlier beliefs on the issue.



Kunal hails from Bihar and is known there for his stint as a police officer and later as Administrator and President of Bihar Board of Religious Trusts. He was Officer on Special Duty in Home Ministry and officially associated with the Ayodhya dispute in 1990 before the disputed structure was razed to the ground. After retirement, he was Vice Chancellor of KSD Sanskrit University Darbhanga.



Former Chief Justice of India GB Patnaik has written the foreword of the book in which he says that the author has given a "new dimension to the history of Ayodhya" and establishes several facts, which are contrary to the common beliefs and also the opinions of several historians.



The book says the "demolition of the temple" did not take place in 1528 AD (during Babar's regime) but in 1660 AD when Fedai Khan was the Governor of Aurangzeb in Ayodhya.



Kunal (rpt Kunal) has held the inscriptions on the disputed site to be fake and tried to prove that the conclusions drawn by a number of historians on the basis of it are wrong.



"It is wrong to say that Babar ordered the demolition of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya. He never visited Ayodhya. The claim of the historians that Mir Baqi, the then governor of Awadh, got the Babri mosque constructed in 1528 is fictitious," he says.



Kunal goes on to argue that Mughal rulers right from Babur to Shahjahan were quite liberal and extended patronage to all religions. "All the Mughal emperors from Babur to Shahjahan were magnanimous and liberal rulers and the Bairagis of Ayodhya enjoyed patronage of the first four nawabs of Awadh.



"However, during the long rule of Aurangzeb, the country was engulfed in the fire of fanaticism," he says in the book.
Pulwama: One terrorist has been killed in a gun battle with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Sunday.



Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Ladoo area of Awantipora, following information about presence of terrorists there, a police official said.



As the security forces were closing in on the terrorists, the ultras opened fire which was returned by the troops, the official said.



Intermittent exchange of firing was going on till reports last came in, the official said.




Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India:



Boatman Ghulam Mohammad Guroo saved five tourists but lost fight to Jhelum river



For as long as he was alive, his houseboat, an old, crumbling wooden palace anchored on the banks of the Jhelum river in Rajbagh area of Srinagar, was Ghulam Mohammad Guroo's world. Few knew him, except for the tourists who came to him for a ride on his shikara, his only other prized possession.



But when he died last week  while saving five tourists from drowning in the Jhelum  the 56-year-old ended up being the face of "Kashmiriyat", his act winning him praise from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, as per a news report in The Indian Express.



JDU: 'Unfit' Amit Shah should practice Yoga before preaching



Continuing their tirade against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for playing politics over the sacred art of Yoga, the Janata Dal(United) took a shot at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Amit Shah, saying his body was proof that he did not practice yoga and added that he must inculcate the art in his personal life before preaching about its benefits across the nation. Read full article in The Indian Express.



Man impaled by 8-feet iron rod he fell on, AIIMS doctors remove it



A 32-year-old man was seriously injured when he fell from the roof of his house to the first floor of an adjacent under-construction building, and on top of protruding iron rods, one of which impaled him, as reported in The Indian Express.



The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday in a building in Taimoor Nagar, New Friends Colony. The man was identified as Manjeet Tarki, who hails from West Bengal.



Till property tear us apart: Why children are taking their old parents to court



In a windowless room in Delhi, a group of elderly people are sitting, watching television and passing time as they wait for lunch. Abandoned by their families and left to fend for themselves in their twilight years, time is all these people have left, as per a news report in the Hindustan Times.



"The very people who we loved more than our lives, kicked us outI feel the loss of my children and grandchild every day. But they have never called me, nor have they ever been ashamed that they abandoned me," says 86-year-old GS Bhatia, choking on his words as tears well up in his eyes.



Marriages in a knot: Would-be brides dumping Kairana men over safety



The Kairana 'exodus' episode brings more bad news for those planning to tie the nuptial knot in the near future.



The political drama that followed BJP MP Hukum Singh's claim of migration of Hindus from Kairana has instilled a sense of fear about the town in the minds of the people even from far off places. The town has been in news for all the wrong reasons, so much so that a young advocate's marriage got called off because he belonged to Kairana.



While it became a hot political issue for political parties and their leaders, it also had a social impact on the lives of locals. Read full article in the Hindustan Times.



Ban on Islamic dress not acceptable, we're not France: J-K govt



The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday censured the management of Delhi Public School, Srinagar, for the alleged ban on wearing traditional Islamic dress abaya, saying "this is not France".



The school administration had allegedly asked a teacher to either stop wearing the abaya  a loose, full-length outer garment which covers the whole body except the face, hands and feet  or leave the job. She reportedly got angry and left, prompting protests by students on Friday. Read full article in the Hindustan Times.



Why the world's wettest place gets thirsty



Residents of Mawsynram, a village in Meghalaya which gets a record-breaking 11,861 mm of rain a year, are used to clouds floating right into their homes. But once the monsoon is over, they have to queue up at taps and fight for water, as reported in The Times of India.



The village holds the global record for highest annual rainfall but lack of planned water conservation blamed for problem.



Woman returns stolen child after 12 days in MP



A woman, who had stolen an infant 12 days ago from Hoshangabad district, left the child behind at Hamidia hospital in Bhopal on Saturday. She also left a note, which included details of the child's parents. Based on the details provided in the note, police were able to hand over the baby to the parents.



"Ya Mere Maula Ya Mere Allah Mujhe Maaf Karna. Mai Mamta Mey Beh Gayee Thi. Mujhe Iske Amma Abba Se Bhi Maafi Mangni Hai (Oh my Lord, forgive me. I was carried away. I also want to say sorry to his parents)," the note left by the woman read, as reported in Times of India.



How a seventh grader of Indian origin from Texas is taking LED bulbs to poor people



Meera Vashisht was working on a science project in her school in Texas last year when she first heard about the Indian government's move to replace each of the 77 crore existing bulbs with powersaving light-emitting diode (LED) ones.



Meera, who was born and brought up in America and is a seventh grader in Sartartia Middle School in Sugar Land, began to think hard: would it be really possible for India's underprivileged to replace their incandescent bulbs with LED lamps that are over seven times as expensive. Read full article in The Economics Times.



Rajnath clarifies on Ishrat missing papers panel



The purpose of setting up an inquiry panel to find the missing files related to the encounter killing of Ishrat Jahan was not to implicate anyone but to recover the documents, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday amid the controversy over the officer conducting the probe having allegedly tutored a witness.



"The inquiry committee was set up not to implicate anyone but to find the missing files," he said in Ahmedabad, amidst allegations that the NDA government set up the panel to find faults in the previous UPA government, as reported in The Hindu.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Home Ministry to initiate an inquiry into the alleged tapping of telephone conversations of prominent people by the Essar Group.



On June 1, Suren Uppal submitted a 29-page complaint to the PMO alleging that Essar Group was tapping its business rivals' telephone conversations.



Uppal revealed that he is representing an Essar employee who allegedly tapped phones of high profile names between 2001 and 2006 including Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, his brother Anil Ambani, and Union Minister Suresh Prabhu.







The Home Ministry has been asked to submit a detailed report in this matter.



The complaint also mentioned purported conversations of senior officials of the PMO including Ranjan Bhattacharya and Brajesh Mishra.



Essar has denied any wrongdoing.



(With inputs from PTI)
Image: Twitter/ TheBunyadi

The first nude restaurant in posh south-east London called Bunyadi, opened recently has already has a staggering list of 46000 people in the wait list. Londoners felt privileged as they got a chance to dress up in their birthday suit to have an organic dinner, in a dim-lit exotic joint, where the only requirement was to be naked. Opened for only three-months in a year, this restaurant is an interesting experiment for those who call it the purest form of dining and an experience that offers complete liberation.The diners at the restaurant feel that this is a perfect destination for those who are comfortable with their body and want a dressing optional experience. The waiters were naked while the guests were expected to be nude too.The first nude restaurant in the world is in Tokyo, Japan, which has an Indian name called The Amrita-which is aims at giving the most natural platform possible. Entry to this hotel is only for those between 18-60 years, while overweight people or those with tattoos on their bodies are not allowed.Nudism, lately, has emerged as a pertinent device to make an announcement. These restaurants attached nudism with purity and naturalism to create a niche identity, while several social work groups and activist have been using it for a social cause. Political activists across the world are stripping to express their displeasure. It is no longer a word which was demeaned and used for titillation.A few weeks ago, nearly 200 people paraded topless on Brighton beach near London, to highlight nipple ban. These girls sunbathed on the pebble beach, to make the media/films/showbiz stop the sexualisation of womens nipples. Famous as Free The Nipple march, this was organised by comedian Samantha Pressdee.World naked bike ride took place last week on central Londons busy streets as hundreds of nude cyclist, rode through to protest against car culture and oil dependency. Thousands of onlookers, instead of ogling at the cyclists clapped in their support. The annual event is aimed to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists as road users and also to celebrate human body.Naked protests have clearly been a strongest form of protest. In 2004, nearly 40 middle-aged women in Manipur had stripped to allegedly stage an angry demonstration outside the Assam Rifles base to protest the death of Manipuri women Thangjam Manorama, who was picked forcefully by the army. The naked women also raised slogans against the alleged rape, torture and murder of Manorama.In China, hundreds of supporters of Chinese contemporary artist and political activist Ai WeiWei have been posing naked to demonstrate against the action of authorities by posing nude on the internet. This was the scathing response to the Chinese government after it accused WeiWei of pornography for a series of naked photos he made.Ukraines social organisation Femen, protested against rising sex tourism and prostitution in east Ukraine, as the women went topless. Animal rights organisation PETA had featured nude models and celebrities for its high-profile campaign Rather go naked than wear fur.
New Delhi: Try unexplored regions in the country like Dindi, a lazy village nestled on the intersection between the mighty Godavari River and the Bay of Bengal and Anaikatti, a green haven in the lap of the Nilgiris, says an expert.



Here are four unexplored holiday destinations, which one can explore this season.



Dindi: A slice of tropical heaven, Dindi is a lazy village nestled on the intersection between the mighty Godavari River and the Bay of Bengal. The mixing of salt and fresh water provides an excellent habitat for mangroves, in turn giving rise to exquisite plant and animal life. It is a mere two hours from Conringa Wildlife sanctuary, home to many endangered animals and birds including the curious fishing cat -- a tiger-like feline which swims and fishes.



Yercaud: As you travel up the mountain ranges to Yercaud, exchange your worries for cool hills and tranquility. Yercaud is a mere five hour drive from Bangalore and a seven hour drive from Chennai. The town was established by the British in the late 19th century as a coffee plantation, and its cool, pleasant climate attracted missionaries. Yercaud's hilly, cool terrain makes it an ideal destination for trekking and dirt biking; both of which can be organised locally at nominal rates.



Yelagiri: Get away from the hustle of Bangalore or Chennai and rejuvenate yourself with an experiential holiday in Yelagiri. It is a trekker's paradise, and you can hike to most of the local attractions, instead of driving. For instance, one can trek to the Jalagamparai Falls and bathe in them. The falls have medicinal properties because of the herbs that grow near the site. Other interesting trails include Perumadu waterfalls and Swamimalai Hill. Some of the less known but more exciting things to do at Yelagiri are paragliding at Kottur, Muthanoor and Raneri and visiting the Forest Department's Herbal Farm which houses and harvests rare herbs and medicinal plants on the edge of the picturesque Punganoor Lake.



Anaikatti: Anaikatti is a quaint, lost in time place so remote, so untouched, that it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page! It is a green haven in the lap of the Nilgiris. The town is on the Tamil Nadu, Kerala border, an hour's drive from the famous Silent Valley. The Anaikatti district hosts the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012, famous for elephants.



(With expert tips from Rajeev Menon, Chief Destination Officer, Sterling Holidays, a vacation ownership and leisure hospitality company)




Mumbai: Actor Boman Irani has slammed reports that he backed out of a Pakistani film, out of support for 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' director Kabir Khan ho was heckled at the Karachi airport in Pakistan earlier this year.



Present at an event for the Blender's Pride Reserve Collection, Boman was asked to comment on the report.



He said: "It is absolutely false. You all (the media) came up with this story that I backed out. I never backed out. I didn't have the time at that time, and I just didn't do the film."



Kabir Khan was reportedly heckled at the Karachi airport in late April this year for making anti-Pakistani films. A month later, there were reports that Boman backed out of a Pakistani film, as a show of solidarity and support for Khan.



When asked about incident involving Khan, Boman expressed surprise and said: "I came to know about it later on."



The Pakistani film was to be directed by Azaan Sami Khan, who was co-producing the project with actress Zeba Bakhtiar. Even Azaan had stated that Boman couldn't do the film due to date issues.



Boman was recently seen in the comedy 'Housefull 3'.


Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars,there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks  Kriti Sanon (@kritisanon) June 18, 2016

Since the news of Sushan Singh Rajput's breakup with long term girlfriend Ankita Lokhande broke, gossip columns started writing about Kriti Sanon's involvement.For the uninitiated Kriti and Sushant were about to leave for 3 months schedule at Budapest for their film 'Raabta' when Sushant and Ankita broke up. Post breakup, Sushant and Kriti were seen hanging out quite often and share pictures on their social media handles.While people already started sensing something, media nearly termed as the next 'It' couple of Bollywood. Both the stars never confirmed or refuted the rumours, till now.Bothered by the questions of her equation with Sushant, Sanon finally decided to speak up and clear the air. Kriti took to twitter and wrote, "Had enough..as much as we like & respect each other as costars,there is absolutely NO truth to these baseless manufactured stories! Thanks"Looks like there is nothing but friendship between the two Delhi-based actors and they are in no mood of absorbing any further misreporting. Well, so what if the two are no romancing each other in real life, fans would be glad to see their sizzling chemistry on screen in 'Raabta' next yaer.
New Delhi: Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has criticised the censor board after watching 'Udta Punjab', saying the films being made in the country are treated 'like patients in a mental institution'.



Bhatt shared his views in an elaborate Facebook post, wherein he shared his views on the Abhishek Chaubey directorial that was mired in controversy.







"Our films are being treated like patients in a decadent mental institution where shock therapy is given to all the patients. Then, they lie in the corner in a vegetative state, no one any different from the other," Bhatt wrote.



"No individuality... Just lumps of controllable protoplasm adhering to the parameters of social behaviour laid down by minds that cannot see the world for what it is," he added.



Criticising the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) objection towards the language used in the film, Bhatt wrote: "The CBFC had not met any of those people I had in the film. They just saw what they should make of people. There is no foul language in the film; it is just the language the people use".



"The doctor did not curse, but Tommy, the rock star, did. That was the difference between the two. Did the CBFC want to make them similar? They wanted to make a cokehead and a doctor speak the same lingo? Really?"



The 'Love Games' director said that "we are living in very dangerous times".



"'Udta Punjab' wanted to expose the menace of drugs but instead it ended up exposing much more. It exposed the inability of the keepers of our culture to see that all types of people exist, and we as an audience have the right to meet them," he wrote.



He also emphasised on the importance of freedom of speech for writers.



"If I cannot tell stories about the world I live in, if I cannot tell stories about the people who live here with me, if I cannot go to places where there is pain and misery, if I cannot tell you how those people speak, if I cannot distinguish between good and bad, if I cannot give you a slice of life, a slice of the world I live in, then I am a storyteller in chains," Bhatt wrote.



The release of "Udta Punjab" was beset with trouble after the CBFC first suggested 89 cuts, but later the Revising Committee asked for 13 cuts.



The makers moved the Bombay High Court which on Monday overruled the CBFC-recommended cuts and cleared it for release with just one cut and three disclaimers by the filmmakers.



Co-produced by Phanton Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, the film stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh. "Udta Punjab" released on Friday.


Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's vitriolic campaign targeting immigrants, minorities and women has led to tech giant Apple making it clear that the company will not provide funding or other support for the party's 2016 US presidential convention.



According to a report in the Politico.com, Apple told Republican leaders that Trump's controversial comments are behind the decision to stop the funding.



But other big names like Facebook, Google and Microsoft say they will provide some support to the GOP event in Cleveland in July 2016.



The report says Apple's political stand against Trump, communicated privately to Republicans, is a sign of the widening schism between Silicon Valley and the GOPs bombastic presumptive nominee.



Trump and Apple have had a strained relationship ever since the Republican leader called for a boycott of the company's products, and slammed CEO Tim Cook, over Apple's stance on encryption.



Asked about Apple's absence, a spokeswoman for the GOP's convention effor replied: "We are working with a variety of major tech partners who are focused on being part of the American political process."



Apple declined to comment on the developments.
A Labour of Love

For him, every day spent with his two children, Nathaniel, nine, and Natalia, seven, is a cause for celebration, a moment to be cherished.

It is really a normal day for me, Fournillier, 41, tells Sunday Newsday.

I still have to do all of the cooking, washing, all the duties I normally do on an ordinary day. For me, it is all about the children. He says, though, that while many children would likely visit the cake and ice cream parlours to celebrate the occasion with their fathers, such activities are commonplace at his home in Gasparillo Village, Upper Santa Cruz.

Treats on a weekend are a regular thing for them, he says with a smile.

The simple outings for ice cream are, perhaps, among the few occasions he gets to socialise with his children outside of the home, Fournillier says.

A farmer by profession, Fournilliers home is usually surrounded by lush vegetation. He produces mostly short crops - tomatoes, sweet peppers - and also dabbles in poultry to support his young children.

There, amid the fruit trees and rolling landscape, Fournillier says he bonds with the youngsters.

Natalia loves to make chow so she would always pick fruits from the trees in the yard, he says of his daughters weekend ritual.

Fournillier says while his daughter is preparing the chow, Nathaniel would sit in front of the television with a pile of cartoon DVDs.

He joked that at some point in the day, the youngsters will then join forces by running through the house and making mess. Being a self-employed individual with no fixed monthly income, he says, has taught him the importance of prioritising, staying focused and making careful provisions for his childrens daily needs and future.

Its all a labour of love for Fournillier, who assumed full responsibility for his children five years ago.

He did not wish to divulge much information about the scenario that led to him taking care of his children, but would only say that there was mutual agreement between him and their mother, who lives in Diego Martin And while the transition represented a major shift in focus, Fournillier says he readily embraced the challenge, so much so that he has little free time and absolutely no social life.

He would not have it any other way, though.

I do everything with my children.

I try to be with them at all times. They are always a few steps behind me, Fournillier declares.

They are more important to me than any social life. Fournillier says his challenges also include coping with his sons chronic epileptic condition.

Normally, I would get medication for his epilepsy at the hospital or pharmacy, but sometimes I would have to purchase it on the outside. Nathaniel is supposed to receive three bottles of Epilim syrup, everyday, twice a week. The prescription is supposed to be refilled every three months.

The condition, he says, triggers occasional mood swings.

There are challenges with getting him to cope with crowds and noise, he says, adding that Nathaniels medical condition also causes some tension between him and his sister. When I am dealing with him, she sometimes feels left out and I have to let her know that she is still appreciated. Fournillier says discipline also has been key in juggling his work schedule with the demands of single- parenting. Fournilliers days begin at around 5.30 am, when he prepares breakfast before getting his children ready for school.

During that time, I have to do a lot of multi-tasking, he jokes.

The farmer uses that period to plan his schedule, which may include activities outside of the farm.

I try to get what I could done by dealing with the important things first. Fournillier makes a point of picking his children up from school at the Imperial College, in Arima before returning home and attending to their homework.

The school caters to the special challenges my son has and my daughter attends the school as well because it is hard for me to have them in different places, he explains.

Like other families in which there are two or more children, Fournillier says siblings rivalry is also a common feature at his home. But, remarkably, the situation always manages to work itself out.

All siblings have that tension from time to time with a lot of complaining.

But eventually they all work out their problems. As a coping mechanism, Fournillier says he often tries to include Nathaniel and Natalia in each others activities.

I have made it my business to engage them in everything the other participates in so that they can learn together in the same situation instead of having to separate them. This has proven to be an every effective tool for me as a single parent. Fournillier says fatherhood has taught him that a child exists in everyone, regardless of age.

It does not matter how big you get, a person will still have childlike ways because it is important to get into their world and think how they think to get a better understanding of the things they are feeling. Regarding absentee and delinquent fathers, Fournillier says the issue boils down to responsibility.

There are usually differing stories on this issue but basically it is because many of them do not want the responsibility of being a parent, he says.

Fournillier adds there is also the thinking - unrealistic as it may be - that the child will eventually grow up.

He suggests most men are not equipped to deal with the challenges of parenthood.

If I had a choice I might have disappeared as well but I have made a conscious decision to stick it out with my children. Fournilliers wish today is that fathers, across the board, be treated with more respect.

Nobody has a heart for fathers. Mothers get everything easy.

They always have big celebrations. But there is nothing really for fathers at all.
TTs sweet victory

Returning to the annual competition after an absence of two years, the team won six gold medals, two silver medals, as well as the titles of Chef of the Year (Beef Category), Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year, and of course, the overall title of Caribbean National Team of the Year for the sixth time.

The team included Team Captain Adrian Cumberbatch, Senior Chef Brandon Maharaj, Senior Chef Jeremy Lovell, Pastry Chef Kimberly Jaggasar, Junior Chef Annelca Mendoza, Alternative Chef Adam de Freitas, bartender - Bartender of the Year, Clinton Ramdhan, and Alternative Bartender Kishion Guillaume.

The gold medal winners include Jaggasar, who also won the Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year title; Lovell who also won the Caribbean Chef of the Year (Beef Competition); Maharaj in the Chef of the Year category; Mendoza in the Junior Chef of the Year category; and de Freitas in the Chef of the Year (Seafood Competition). Ramdhan won a silver medal in the Bartender of the Year category while de Freitas won his silver medal in the Cheesecake Competition.

Brian Frontin, CEO of Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Association (THRTA), noted the winners of each category were announced at the end of the competition.

St Lucia, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and TT all received gold medals in the Team of the Year Competition, but they chose the best to win the title.

It was really exciting with each category that was announced.

It was phenomenal.

It probably got a bit frustrating for the other teams that in almost every category TT was coming up for either gold or silver but, for us, we were stoked at the medal count that night, he recalled.

Cumberbatch added that, while everyone on the team were extremely excited about the results, for him winning was very emotional because he realised they had touched peoples lives.

He related the story of a woman, a stranger, who stopped him in the street and gave him a hug.

She told me that I and the TT National Team made her feel as proud as the day Keshorn Walcott won the Olympic gold medal.

She said because so much negativity was highlighted in the news every day, she was happy to see that a young group of chefs could so positively represent TT , he said However, the excitement and joy were only the end result of a lot of hard work.

Frontin explained that after the team members were selected on March 30, they strategised and held practice dinners every Monday at the Hilton, inviting members of the public to dine and critique each dish as the team experimented with new concepts.

Pointing out that five of the team members were new to the competition, as team captain, Cumberbatch had to teach them the ropes of the culinary event.

Trinidad and Tobago is known as the team to beat in the Taste of the Caribbean competition so it was a lot of weight on my shoulders to execute this feat.

I had to balance making sure everyone had fun so that they would not burn out, and pushing them when necessary, he said.

Some days were a challenge, especially on mornings, but they made the effort and supported one another.

In fact, the night before someone had a competition, the camaraderie was impressive as everyone worked to make sure that person was well organised and ready, he added.

For the Team Competition, they had to create an appetiser, main course, and desert.

The appetiser consisted of citrus infused chicken, a Tobago chicken bisque shot, chicken-stuffed dumplings, roasted corn salsa, and a candied carrot and Angostura bitters puree.

The main course included a misery basket containing chicken, beef and pork.

They created clove scented pork loins with a curry/stew sauce, herb butter based beef topped with kutchela, provision and beef pastelles with a chow chow gastrique, and soused vegetables.

Desert was pimento mousse topped with a pumpkin compote, sorrel dusted marang sticks with a seven-year-old rum sauce, mango coulis, and pumpkin spice cake crumble.

Frontin noted that, early in July, THRTA and the team plan to host a post-event celebration dinner showcasing all five courses of the winning menu, including the three drinks that won Ramdhan the silver medal.

All this, he said, was possible because of the support of the sponsors, including The Ministry of Tourism, THRTA, Brydens, Angostura, Amco, Nestle, Caribbean Airlines, Batch Caribbean, and the 650 people who attended and gave feedback on the practice dinners.

They were also able to document the teams journey through social media as videos, photos and information were posted on the THRTAs Facebook page after each event.

Therefoare, when it was time for the winners to be announced, there was a following of hundreds of Trinidad and Tobagonians at home and abroad who connected to each member on an individual level.

One of the persons who has been affected by the results of the competition and its social media coverage was Mendoza.

She told Sunday Newsday that she studied culinary management at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI ) and was given the opportunity to participate in an internship at two hotels in France for three months.

Mendoza said originally she was not interested in being on the team but her friends encouraged her to participate.

During the competition, she fused her rustic, old-school French techniques with Trini flavours, which made her stand out to the judges.

It felt good to win the gold. It gave a lot of validation that I was not a typical chef in my field, that I do have something thats unique, thats different. Taste of the Caribbean allows you to realise that, she said. Mendoza owns her own business, Ann Iesa Events, a personal chef, events and catering company.

Since her return she said people have been showing more interest in her business, she has more clients, and there have even been talks about her becoming a brand ambassador for a local food manufacturing company, all because of Taste of the Caribbean.
AzATT keeps focus on Alzheimers

There were many opportunities in the month of June for AzATT , which celebrated its 16th anniversary last Thursday. The AzATT hosted an Alzheimers Cafe on June 11 at Aria Lounge on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook and World Elder Abuse Day was observed internationally on June 15.

The Cafe is a concept introduced in North America in 2008, which has since spread to 85 Cafes and similar programmes known as the Memory Cafe and its cousins, Dementia Cafe, Nostalgia Cafe. Cafes represent an .important shift in the approach to dementia and other brain diseases and is a monthly or bi-weekly celebration of the person with dementia as well as family, friends and caregivers. It focuses on the person beyond the disease and works to diminish the stigma. The local association aims for quarterly Cafes and plans are moving towards a meeting in September, in Arima. The keystones of the Alzheimers Cafe are love and acceptance.

Invitations to homes for residents and a caregiver to attend were eagerly accepted last Saturday and some feedback went like this: The folks had a wonderful time......A very interesting and exciting day. My residents were happy. However, Smith says this would not have been possible without the management of the venue and offered, a huge thank you to the owner of Aria Lounge, Aaron Yung, for allowing AzATT to use their lounge for our event; to the manager, Jason King, who was on board with us from start to finish and all the way through the event; and to the cleaning staff who ensured that the place was spic and span and ready for 9 am after what must have been a bumper Friday night/wee hours of Saturday morning affair - judging by the mound of garbage collected.

They really went all out to make it happen and to provide for us and make us comfortable. We got more than we bargained for. Moving on to AzATT s 16th anniversary, a joint letter of congratulations from Glenn Rees, chairman of Alzheimers Disease International (ADI) and Marc Wortmann, executive director ADI, extended, warm congratulations to AzATT on their 16th anniversary. The Alzheimers Association of Trinidad and Tobago is an active and important member of ADI and we are delighted to have been a part of their journey.

The organisation became a member of ADI in 2004. It has been a time of dramatic change. We now talk in terms of dementia as a chronic disease, prevention and dementia friendly societies. Together I believe we can look forward to even greater change in societal attitudes and progress in medical and scientific research. We welcome the regular presence and contribution of the association at ADIs annual conferences and various Alzheimer University programmes, and their willingness to share their knowledge and experiences of working on behalf of people with dementia and their carers in Trinidad and Tobago.....

The commitment and passion of the Alzheimers Association of Trinidad and Tobago has been evident from the very beginning. While Raymond Jessurun, ADI Representative Caribbean to International Organisations, in a letter of congratulations and greetings to AzATTT s Board of Directors, on behalf of ADI wrote, As the first Alzheimers organisation in the non-Latin Caribbean your organisation continues to inspire the dementia movement of the Caribbean.

It is encouraging to see how your organisation has developed in providing services in different districts.

To the Soroptimist visionaries and especially my dear friend Norma lnniss, on behalf of all of us in the ADI family, I want to express our sincerest gratitude. Thank you for your inspiring leadership and for having started and guided the Alzheimer Association of Trinidad & Tobago. And finally, what is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day? (WEAAD), which was launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organisation at the United Nations. Said UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon: On this Day, I call upon Member States and civil society to strengthen their resolve and redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence and abuse against older people. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

In addition, WEAAD is in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.

WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organisations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
End layoffs now

And, the proposal is likely to be presented at the next meeting of the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC), scheduled tentatively on Tuesday, FITUN president Joseph Remy said yesterday.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday, Remy said the proposal was of paramount importance given what he called the gravity of Trinidad and Tobagos (TT) economic downturn.

We want to look at critical areas to stimulate the economy because we believe there is urgent need to take us on a growth path.

TT is, in essence, at a standstill in an economic sense, he said.

One practice Remy and the labour movement want to see ended is the layoff of workers.

While we are prepared to make our sacrifice for the economic and social recovery of TT, we would not accept further retrenchment as one of the means of reviving the economy, he said.

Remy, who is also president of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), said he did not want to reveal details of the proposal ahead of the meeting but said the intention was to sustain jobs and give hope and confidence to citizens so that we could pull ourselves out of the morass that we are in. Members of the trade union movement will today journey to historic Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad, to celebrate the 79th anniversary of the June 19, 1937 (Tubal Uriah Buzz) Butler Riots.

Labour Day, which is observed annually, was declared a public holiday in 1973.

The event begins at about 7 am with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Fyzabad Cemetery in which the remains of Butler and other late stalwarts of the labour movement are interred.

This will be followed by the annual procession from Avocat Junction to Charlie King Junction.

President of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU), Ancel Roget, will then lead a team of speakers at Charlie King Junction, beginning from around 1 pm.

A cultural rally, featuring several leading cultural icons, will complete the days agenda.

Remy yesterday expressed regret that the NTAC had not officially gotten off the ground.

We are yet to develop a clear policy, he said. We are still at the stage of terms of reference and scope of work. Remy said the council has had three meetings since its establishment in March. The last meeting was held on last Tuesday at the Ministry of Finance, Eric Williams Financial Complex, Port-of- Spain.

Regarding todays Labour Day observance, the labour leader said citizens should speak out against continued retrenchment. I wish we would have a united voice from all working class citizens in TT outlining the value we have made to society in economic development and that such workers alone must not be called upon to bear the burden of any economic adjustment. Remy stated Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, whom he said has been open and amenable with labour leaders, should continue to listen to the voice of the trade union movement. Baptiste- Primus once led one of the countrys largest trade unions, the Public Services Association.

She must not be distracted and diverted by the right wing elements within her Government.

When she does that, then she will be considered to be the most successful Minister of Labour, he said. While, there has been no word from the Labour Minister ahead of todays observances, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is assuring Government recognises the role of the labour movement in seeking the interests of workers.

In his Labour Day message, last evening, Rowley said cooperation with civil society and the private sector is necessary to steer the country through the current challenges.

The Government is fully cognizant of the important role played by the labour movement through its representation of the interests of workers. Moreover, we exist in an environment where all of us, Government, civil society, private sector and labour are inextricably linked and dependent on one another for survival and our success. Recognition of this, is a major breakthrough in helping us navigate our present circumstance and improve the lives of our citizens, he said. He then quoted calypsonian Black Stalin urging all that we can make it if we try.
Carmona: OWTU failed to buy Rienzi medal

Even another trade union should have tried to purchase the medal, the countrys highest honour, awarded posthumously to Rienzi in 2012, Carmona said expressing disappointment during an event commemorating Rienzis fellow labour movement pioneer Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler, who also led the OWTU, in Fyzabad.

I have to admit that I felt disappointed that no trade union was standing in that queue to retrieve this trade union legacy, to buy the medal of the first president of the OWTU, Carmona said.

The President had expressed outrage with it emerged that Rienzis medal had been put up for sale by a relative at a starting bid of US$25,000 on the auction website. The highest offer made for the medal was US$31,000 before it was bought by one of Trinidads leading conglomerates, the Ansa McAL Group for the original bid price of US$25,000 and returned to the Office of the President in April.

The medal has since been placed with the National Library.

Carmona thanked the Ansa McAL Group for restoring the medal to the country.

It will be remiss of me if I do not express my heartfelt gratitude to a multi-millionaire, the chairman of Ansa McAL Group, Norman Sabga, who rallied the forces to ensure that the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago medal given posthumously to Adrian Cola Rienzi, the first president of the Oilfields Trade Union, did not suffer the ignominious legacy of being peddled like a trinket on the world market, the President said.

He hailed the legacy of Rienzi, also known as Krishna Deonarine, as a leader, along with Butler, who unified the two major races in Trinidad in their struggle against their colonial masters. Carmona then urged the population to once again unite in the face of todays trying times.

Race did not divide us then and therefore it must not divide us now, the President said during the inaugural street drama presentation of the life and times of Butler, of the 1930s, at Charlie King Junction.

Recalling the historical background of Africans and East Indians, one which had emerged from the bonds of slavery while the other had endured the hardships of indentured labour, Carmona said the two races had become integrated to such an extent that Rienzi had been elected as OWTUs first president general.

Now these two dominant ethnic groups became integrated in Trinidad and this culminated in the election of Krishna Deonarine as the first president of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union, yes, Krishna Deonarine was the first president of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union and, yes, you were wondering who is this Krishna Deonarine, well he was Adrian Cola Rienzi, labour leader, barrister, trade unionist, politician and real game changer, Carmona explained to small but lively audience.

And even as he chided them for not seeking to acquire the Rienzi medal, Carmona did thank the OWTU for coming on board with the Office of the President to stage the inaugural street drama saying the oil town of Fyzabad had been overlooked for its contribution to the countrys development.

Fyzabad, this once nondescript oil town has long been denied its true relevance as the genesis of social revolution in Trinidad and Tobago, and this has been the result of indifference, apathy, and sometimes plain simple ignorance on the role this oil town has played in the social transformation of Trinidad and Tobago, he said.
One Theory on the Big Jump

in Workers With Disabilities
(Newser)  The Mongolian post office is replacing traditional addresses with easy-to-remember three-word phrases courtesy of a British startup, Quartz reports. More than 75% of the world's population has no address capable of receiving mail, notes Forbes. What3Words solved this problem by dividing the globe into 57 trillion 3-meter-by-3-meter squares, replacing the complicated GPS coordinates of each with a three-word phrase. For example, using What3Words' system, the address for the White House is sulk.held.raves. Anyone can download the free What3Words app to make themselves easier to find, Post & Parcel reports. But Mongol Post is the first to start using it for government mail. Every citizen now has an address, What3Words' Giles Rhys Jones says in a statement.

Lack of addresses is an acute problem in Mongolia, where a quarter or so of the population is nomadic and not even all the streets in the capital have names. Mongolians often have to give landmark-based directions to delivery drivers over the phone or travel miles to the nearest post office to get their mail. Failed deliveries are commonplace, inconveniencing citizens, holding back the operations of both businesses and government, and raising the cost of deliveries, Rhys Jones says. Starting in July, Mongolians will be able to write a three-word phrase as an address and GPS will guide Mongol Post workers right to their door. So if you want to send a letter to the US Embassy in Mongolia, just remember: constants.stuffy.activism. (In other Mongolia tech news, read about its toxic lake of horror.)
(Newser)  Lawrence Rubin Montoya was 14 years old when a jury found him guilty of killing a Denver schoolteacher in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2000. Sentenced to life in prison, Montoya served more than 13 years before his conviction was overturned and he was released in 2014. Now Montoya, 31, has filed a $30 million federal lawsuit against Denver and police officers that were involved, saying his civil rights were violated, the Denver Post reports. There was no physical evidence tying Montoya to the murder of 29-year-old Emily Johnson, according to the lawsuit. And despite denying involvement 65 times during a 2-hour interrogation, the lawsuit alleges, authorities used "false evidence ploy, manipulation, minimization, threats, false promises, and other coercive tactics" to finally secure a confession from Montoya, ultimately leading to the teen's conviction.

At the trial, the Post reported at the time, the jury foreman said jurors didn't buy Montoya's alibi that he was at his girlfriend's house when Johnson was fatally beaten by assailants who showed up at her home to steal her Lexus. And they believed the testimony of Montoya's cellmate, who said the teen told him about the attack. While the lawsuit claims Montoya had no involvement in the murder or car theft, he does admit to being in the Lexus for a 20-minute joyride later in the day and not telling police. Upon his release in 2014, he pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, for which he was sentenced to time served. At that time, per CBS, Montoya's pro bono lawyer claimed he was "falsely accused and wrongfully convicted." The DA disagreed, saying Montoya declined a plea deal in 2000 and took his chances with a jury trial. ( A study warns that tasers can lead to false confessions.)
(Newser)  Tens of thousands on Okinawa protested Sunday against the presence of US military bases, reports the AP, many wearing black to mourn the rape and killing of a local woman in which an American contractor is a suspect. The rally called for a review of the US-Japanese security agreement, which burdens Okinawa with hosting the bulk of American troops in Japan. Also contentious is a plan to relocate a Marine Corps air station to a less-populated part of the island. The relocation plan developed after public anger erupted in 1995 over the rape of a girl by three US servicemen. The killing of the local woman, who had been missing for several weeks when her body was found last month, set off outrage on Okinawa, where tensions periodically run high over crime linked to American troops. The US contractor, a former Marine, was arrested on May 19 on suspicion of abandoning the woman's body, but has not yet been charged with killing her.

Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga told the crowd he wanted to apologize to the woman for failing to protect her, even after what happened in 1995. "We had pledged never to repeat such an incident," he said. "I couldn't change the political system to prevent that. That is my utmost regret." About 65,000 people attended the rally, per Kyodo News agency. "This is not how we want the country to be," says a university student. "We want the bases gone." This month, the US Navy imposed a drinking ban after an American sailor was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. The restriction was recently eased. But Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian history in Tokyo, said resentment will continue on Okinawa. "They just feel so frustrated," he said of residents. "These protests are not just going to go away." (Read more Okinawa stories.)
(Newser)  If the birth control pill helped usher in the sexual revolution, there have been several shakeups since in the options and, now, in the manner in which women obtain birth control. For modern women, there's an app for that, the New York Times reports. More specifically, there are at least six of them, run by for-profit and nonprofit agencies including Planned Parenthood. Meant to widen access to birth control in a nation in which 40% of pregnancies are accidental, some of these apps and websites issue prescriptions after women answer clinicians' questionssome use a video interviewwhile others ship direct to your doorstep. All of them offer birth-control pills, notes the Times, while only some offer birth-control patches, rings, or even the morning-after pill.

For some women, the new technology is a time-saver that allows them to avoid missing work to head to the doctor's office, while for others it affords privacy. In fact, it has the potential to become the "new normal," as a headline at Cosmopolitan puts it. On the flip side, the Los Angeles Times talks to a nurse practitioner who is worried about women missing out on important face time with doctors, especially the small percentage for whom birth control can result in serious side effects. Her suggested compromise: Women should see their doctor for their first prescription, use apps or similar services for refills, and return for a face-to-face visit after two years. The LAT runs through the more popular apps, while the NYT has a four-question primer on how to choose services. (Meanwhile, birth control for men is on the horizon.)
(Newser)  Authorities say the owner of an Ohio gun shop teaching a concealed carry class was fatally shot in the neck by a student who accidentally fired a weapon, reports the AP. James Baker, 64, was shot Saturday while students practiced weapon malfunction drills. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office says about 10 people were taking the class at the time at KayJay Gun Shop in Monroe Township, about 25 miles southeast of Cincinnati.

Baker died at the scene. The student who fired the weapon hasn't been identified. "He was a friend to everybody," a neighbor tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "If it snowed, he'd get everybody's driveway." According to the gun shop's website, the concealed carry class included basic pistol safety instruction, shooting range sessions, and a review of Ohio's gun laws. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting. (Read more shooting death stories.)
(Newser)  After losing sight in his right eye from a 2013 rocket attack in Afghanistan, retired Army Maj. Dan Thomas recovered with help from an equine therapy program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, reports the AP. Hoping to help other veterans, he and his wife traveled to Connecticut last week to purchase two massive, jet black carriage horses, animals put up for auction by the state after they were seized from a breeder as part of an animal abuse investigation and rehabilitated through a state program involving female prison inmates. Thomas said the two Friesian maresFrancisca and Rosalindare the perfect animals to help vets deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. "They know what it's like to go through hell and come out the other side," said Thomas, who plans to create a program similar to the one he experienced at the couple's 160-acre ranch in Black, Ala. The Friesians join seven other horses the couple previously rescued.

Considered a "war horse" in the Middle Ages, Friesians are a highly sought-after breed, recognized for being gentle and intelligent. Thomas knows firsthand that such a demeanor can be calming for returning combat vets. "After being blown up, it's quite a traumatic experience. The horses are what works for me. So I know it's out there and works for other people because I've seen it," Thomas said, explaining how there's peace in being around such a powerful creature that could hurt you but doesn't. The 32 horses seized in February from the Fairy Tail Equine breeding center in East Hampton attracted great attention because of the type of horses involved. Besides Friesians, Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner horses were also seized. Thomas saw photos of Francisca and Rosalind after they were seized. "I'm just really impressed with what the state of Connecticut has done here because these horses are beautiful now," he said. "The state of Connecticut has saved some lives." (Read more PTSD stories.)
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Kuala Lumpur:

Malaysia will convene a two-day meeting with Australia and China to chart out a course of action for the investigation into the missing flight MH370, which is presumed to have crashed into the sea off Western Australias coast with 239 people on board two years ago.

Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi told state-owned news agency Bernama here that the meeting would also look at in detail, other issues, including the recent discovery of debris.

The meeting, involving officials from Australia, China and Malaysia is expected to take place at the transport ministry office beginning from tomorrow.

Top of the agenda of the meeting is on the future direction of the search operation for MH370. Only high ranking officials will attend the meeting. Malaysia will be represented by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, Ab Aziz said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which leads the multi-nation search in the Indian Ocean, is expected to complete searching the designated 120,000 sq km of the sea by end of this month.

Australia, China and Malaysia have said previously they will call off the search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean.

So far 105,000 square kilometres of the 120,000-square-kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success. Several pieces of debris found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area have so far shed no light on the cause of the disaster.

The Beijing-bound MH370 aircraft with 239 passengers and crew on board disappeared from civilian radar screens on March 8, 2014 and its flight path is believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

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New Delhi:

Russia has finally decided its stance on Indias NSG membership big as President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said that he would raise the matter at a meeting in Seoul, beginning Monday.

In an exclusive interview to an English magazine, Putin said that he would not only raise the matter at NSG members meeting next week but will also take up the matter with China asking on what basis it has been opposing Indias bid for NSG membership.

Putin spoke on various issues ranging from bilateral ties to Chinas opposition of Indias entry into NSG. Considering Indias record of nuclear safety, Russia has been supportive of Indias global ambitions. Speaking on the flourishing Indo-US ties, Putin asserted that India and Russia are not going to have any impact on their relationships as the two countries share old ties.

He shared his thoughts on India entering the elite club saying that New Delhi's membership will not only touch a raw nerve in Pakistan and increase a nuclear arms race but also 'jeopardise' Beijing's national interests.

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Doha:

After an Egyptian Court sentenced ousted president Mohamed Morsi to life sentence in a spy case linked to passing state secrets to Doha, Qatar on Saturday rejected the verdict. In a statement released late yesterday by Qatars foreign ministry, officials in Doha said the verdict was unfounded.

In addition to Morsis conviction being upheld and receiving a life sentence, two journalists from the Qatar-based state-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera were also handed death sentences.

Though it is not final, the verdict is unfounded, goes against truth and contains misleading claims which are contrary to the policy of the State of Qatar towards all sister countries, including Egypt, said the ministrys director of information, Ahmed Al Rumaihi.

The charge of espionage for Qatar against a former president and media men is surprising and unacceptable. Rumaihi added that the verdicts lacked the proper sense of justice.

Morsi, who has been sentenced to death in a separate trial, was Egypts first democratically elected president but the army overthrew him in 2013.

He was given life in prison yesterday for leading an unlawful organisation and 15 years for having stolen secret documents concerning state security, his lawyer said.

But Morsi was acquitted of having supplied classified documents to Qatar, one of his main backers, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud told AFP.

The two Al-Jazeera journalists were tried in absentia. In a separate statement yesterday, the media network denounced the verdict as an attack on the free press. Egypt has long accused Qatarand Al-Jazeeraof being sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.

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New Delhi:

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to enlist support for Indias bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group which is being opposed by China.

Jaishankars visit came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the 48-nation atomic trading bloc scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where Indias membership is likely to be discussed.

Yes, I can confirm Foreign Secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including Indias NSG membership, were discussed, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said today.

China has been strongly opposing Indias membership at the premier club arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Earlier this week, Chinas official media said Indias NSG membership would jeopardise Chinas national interests besides touching a raw nerve in Pakistan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG remain divided on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for full discussions.

India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its membership of the bloc whose members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology. The US has backed India and asked various NSG members to support New Delhis bid.

It is understood that a number of countries including Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand were not in favour of Indias entry into the NSG.

India had managed to secure support of NSG members Switzerland and Mexico during Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to these two countries as part of a five-nation tour. Mexico and Switzerland were known to have strong nuclear proliferation concerns and were not in favour of allowing NSG membership to countries which were not signatory to NPT.

The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one countrys vote against India will scuttle its bid. Indias access to the NSG, a body that regulates the global trade of nuclear technology, is expected to open up the international market for Indias domestic nuclear energy programme.

India has been campaigning for membership of the bloc for last few years and had formally moved its application on May 12. The NSG had granted an exclusive waiver to India in 2008 to access civil nuclear technology after China reluctantly backed Indias case based on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

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New Delhi:

Asserting that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not a minority institution, RSS today said the varsity is committing a big crime by not implementing the policy of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs.

RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal said the NDA governments stand on the issue of AMUs minority status was in sync with that of previous governments, barring the UPA dispensation, and an order by the apex court in 1968.

The NDA government had told the Supreme Court in April that it would withdraw the appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict holding AMU as non-minority institution.

The Centre took the stand which was the position of Maulana Azad, (HRD Minister) M C Chagla, (Saiyid) Nurul Hasan. At that time, all the (then) three Prime Ministers Jawharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi were also there. Our stand is similar to the decision of the Supreme Court. We did not change the decision, it was done in 2005 by the UPA.

So, the present central government has not taken any new decision. They have taken the same decision which was given by a bench of five judges of the Supreme Court in 1968. Its the same decision taken by the Constituent Assembly, which had Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and several Muslim leaders, Gopal said.

He was speaking on a day-long workshop on National Reservation Policy and Aligarh Muslim University, which was attended by several BJP MPs and MLAs.

The issue assumes significance as BJP is raising the issue in view of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls where the party is seeking to repeat its Lok Sabha performance when it won 71 of the states 80 seats.

Speaking on this occasion, BJP from MP from Lalgang Neelam Sonker said injustice is being done by the varsity by not implementing the reservation policy and that she, along with other BJP MPs, will raise the issue in Parliament and take it before the people.

Gopal said all central universities give reservations to SC, ST and OBCs. He noted that even Banaras Hindu University, on whose basis the law for AMU was formulated, implements the policy of reservation.

On the basis of Kashi (Banaras) Hindu University, the AMU Act was made, but they (the AMU) dont give reservation. This is a dilemma. This is discriminatory. Not implementing the policy of reservation is a big crime, the RSS leader said.

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Mumbai:

On Fathers' day, Bollywood celebs got nostalgic on how their dad became their strength while they were working hard to excel in their careers. Prominent names like Amitabh Bachchan, Biapasha Basu, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar shared their thoughts on the micro-blogging website Twitter to celebrate the day.



Bachchan called out his fans to send their Fathers Day message through him as he will personally call up the parent. Express how much you love your father in a tweet or a post and send it to me with the #FathersDay2016, he wrote.



However, personally the megastar feels he celebrates everyday as Fathers Day. Fathers Day!! But it is every day for me...



Devgn visited an NGO and distributed goodies to kids. Thank you for your endless love. I am lucky to have so many children sharing their love with me on this Fathers Day, he wrote.



For Akshay, Fathers Day is seeing his son 13-year-old son Aarav growing into a fine young man. Happiness is...watching him stumble,struggle & eventually grow into a fine young man #HappyFathersDay.



Posting a picture of her father, Bipasha said, Papa you are the best father in the world... Thank you... Love you...



#happyfathersday to all Esha Deol wished for her father Dharmendras good health. Happy papas day!!! Pray you are always happy&healthy, she said.

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Mumbai:

For those bored of the everyday combo of dal, rice and chapatti, a unique spread of over 10 mouth-watering savouries, including beetroot risotto and five spice chicken, is on offer at an innovative culinary event here that provides small servings which are big on taste.



Small Plates Week, which claims to be a first-of-its kind culinary discovery platform, features 15 of Mumbais finest informal dining restaurants offering unlimited small servings of the best dishes that they have to offer.



The 10-day culinary event, which began on June 17 and will continue till June 26, features a minimum of six vegetarian and non-vegetarian savoury dishes each and four desserts. Diners can order each small plate on the menu and re-order servings of any particular small plate they enjoy.



The concept of Small Plates Week is based on market trends showing an upswing in informal dining outlets offering small plates on their menus through which diners can sample a wide variety of the restaurants culinary offerings.



Chef Viraf Patel, of Cafe Zoe at Lower Parel, who is participating in the event, says, Small Plates allows an option to try out more dishes. If customers were to order our regular sized menu items, it would take a lot longer to try out all the dishes. Having guests try more dishes is the focus.



Among the gourmet dishes offered by Patel are hot favourites like beetroot risotto, seared tortellini (veggies, almonds & cream cheese), and pulled pork in brioche.



He says any cuisine would serve well as small plates. The trend has existed for over a decade in the West, but its been a tradition for hundreds of years in many countries.



According to chef Gracian of Worli-based AKA Restaurant, The diner shall taste dishes that arent just run-of-the-mill. The focus is to expose our flavours and enable the customer to taste the new Mediterranean menu at AKA.



Foodies can sample Aubergine Ravioli (caponata and tomato ragout), Chicken Liver Pate- Red onion & orange marmalade, spiced apple chutney & toasted brioche, Moorish Style Chorizo- spinach, chickpea, cumin crumbs and flatbread, among the dishes offered by AKA on small plates.



Gracian says Mediterranean and pan-Asian food items serve best in the concept of small plates.



The trend is awesome as it gives the customer more variety to try at an affordable price, he said, adding We need more initiatives like this and maybe even include a large plates week.



Appreciating the concept, executive chef Prashant Puttaswampy, of The Fatty Bao in suburban Bandra, says The diners can taste up to 14 dishes from the menu (of his eatery) and explore different flavours, techniques of cooking and choices in different meat and vegetables - all this without feeling overstuffed.



He expected the restaurants succulent delicacies like Five Spice Fried Chicken Bao -with lettuce, mustard mayonnaise and tomato, Minced vegetables and water chestnut Dimsum and Fatty and the Egg-Coconut cream and passion fruit puree with a twist (baked phyllo sheets) to be popular during the event.



I think Asian cuisine works very well for small plates. The trend is picking up very well with most of the restaurants and chefs across in emphasising on small plates.



The diner has a wider variety to choose from and its fun to share and explore different flavours with friends rather than having a conventional meal, he said.



The event is the brainchild of Mangal Dalal and Nachiket Shetye of Cellar Door Hospitality.



Small Plates Week helps you discover restaurants through the nicest way possible - a menu covering 16 or so dishes that can be shared and repeatedly ordered, says Dalal, Director of Cellar Door Hospitality.



Underlying the current trend in the industry, small plates dining encourages consumers to have a more entertaining night out. A meal made up of small plates has some advantages it allows diners to experience a variety of savoury, sweet dishes and allows the restaurant to showcase dishes that give diners a feel of their culinary philosophy, Shetye said.



If your ideal dinner conversation involves talking to your friends about your food, then shared plates are perfect. Small Plates Week allows diners to taste a variety of dishes and then ask for more of the ones they liked, he added.

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Ahmedabad:

In the onging matter of alleged Hindu exodus in the city of Kairana, UP, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said if the information is correct, Uttar Pradesh government must take proper action.

If some people are forced to leave their native place by any individual or gang, state government must take proper action, he told PTI here.

The Home Minister was speaking for the first time on the controversy after a BJP MP alleged that many Hindu families were forced to leave Kairana town in western Uttar Pradesh allegedly due to threat from a particular community. Singh said he has information that some people have left Kairana but the incidents should not be given a communal colour.

Communal colour should not be given to the Kairana incidents. But at the same time there should not be a situation when people have to leave their native place, he said. The Home Minister said those who have left their native place, should be properly rehabilitated.

Asked whether similar incidents have taken place in some other parts of Uttar Pradesh, as claimed by some BJP leaders, Singh said he had heard about it but there has been no confirmation yet.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had recently released a list of 346 families who had allegedly been forced to flee the town, which has 85 per cent Muslim population. Kairana is in Shamli district which witnessed communal riots in 2013.

The state government had recently ordered a probe by the Shamli district administration into the alleged migration from Kairana and it had found that 188 of 346 families mentioned in the list had left over five years ago.

A UP home department spokesman had said that on verification of the list provided by the BJP MP, it was found that 66 families had left Kairana 10 years ago.

It was also found that 60 families were living elsewhere for reasons relating to education, employment, health, or others. As many as 28 families mentioned in the list are still residing in Kairana, the spokesman had said.

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New Delhi:

India's proclaimed offender Vijay Mallya retorted over his presence at the book launch event in UK. Not a gatecrasher was invited to the event which was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner.



Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarnas presence at the event on Thursday where Mallya was spotted sparked a row following which External Affairs Ministry yesterday issued a clarification that Mallya was not on the list of invitees of the event organiser.



Never gatecrashed in my life... I am not a gatecrasher and would never be one, Mallya tweeted today, responding to the claims that he was not among the invitees.



The MEA had said the High Commissioner left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments when he spotted Mallya in the audience. The event was organised by the London School of Economics.



The disgraced business tycoon, who had walked in soon after the event started, tweeted, I went for my friend - the author. Sat quietly with my daughter and listened. Headline news and unfounded speculation followed.



No evidence, No charge sheet. Before claiming all this should I not be given a chance to pursue my legal remedies? Most unfair, he said.



Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seths new book, attended the function with Mallya in the audience.



After the uproar over the issue, the MEA had said there were two clear segments to the June 16 event in question the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests.



The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance.



Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present, the MEA statement said.

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New Delhi:

On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Yog guru Baba Ramdev will hold a mass session with over 3,000 BSF jawans and officers on June 21 in Jodhpur.

Officials said Ramdev will hold an early morning yoga session in the border town at a Border Security Force camp where over 3,000 troops of the paramilitary force and others will participate.

Jodhpur has a large contingent of the border guarding force deployed to secure the Indo-Pak international boundary running along Rajasthan.

The event is part of the overall programme prepared by the government to celebrate the IYD which will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Chandigarh on the same day.

Close to 30,000 troops from various central paramilitary forces like BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB will take part in these events across the country to mark the day.

While about 2,000 Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel will join the event in Chandigarh, men and women of the force which guards the Sino-India border will also display their yoga skills at the high-altitude Pangong lake in Ladakh.

The paramilitary personnel will also perform yoga exercises in cities like in Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Lucknow, Patna, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Gangtok, Agartala, Imphal, Kohima, Itanagar, Aizawl.

Similar activities will also be undertaken in Dehradun, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Chennai, Bengaluru, Raipur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and Ranchi, by the personnel to make the event successful. In Delhi, the event will be led by the Central Industrial Security Force at the Central park in Connaught Place.

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Nagpur:

Three naxals were today killed in an encounter with security forces at Venkatapur area on Maharashtra-Telangana border, police said. The incident took place in the early hours when a group of naxals opened fire on a police patrol party from the C-60 squad in Kollapally forests of Venkatpur area in Aheri taluka of Gadchiroli district, an officer in the Naxal cell told PTI.

The security forces promptly retaliated, killing three of them, he said. The bodies have been recovered and are being brought to the district headquarters, he said. Further details are awaited.

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New Delhi:

A crater, nearly 10-kilometre wide on Mars has been named after one of the villages worst hit by the devastating earthquakes in Nepal last year. The crater has been named after Langtang, also a popular trekking site in Nepal. At least 215 people were killed in Langtang when a massive earth quake-triggered avalanche submerged the village.

The International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature approved the name on June 14. According to the researcher behind this move, Tjalling de Haas, it was a tribute to the Nepali village.

de Haas, who studies Mars's physical geography at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told the BBC that he chose Langtang because his colleague had worked there while studying Himalayan glaciers.

"It was his base camp for a long period, so we said maybe it's a nice tribute to call (the crater) Langtang," he said. The crater is said to have a diameter of 9.8 kilometres. Along with Langtang, three other craters on the planet were named Bunnik, Nqutu, and Talu respectively. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal in April devastating the Himalayan country and left nearly 9,000 people dead.

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Lucknow:

Quami Ekta Dal (QED) may forge an alliance or merge with the ruling Samajwadi Party ahead of the Assembly elections due next year in Uttar Pradesh.

At a meeting of the party held yesterday at Ghazipur, it was decided like-minded parties should come on one platform to deal with communal forces. All the office bearers of the party have assigned me to decide on an alliance or merger with SP for the assembly polls, President, QED Afzal Ansari told PTI.

After making a decision, I will make an announcement about it on June 21 in Lucknow, he added. He said that before the MLC and Rajyasabha polls, senior SP leader and cabinet minister Balram Yadav had met him asking him to extend support to the party and QED had then made up its mind to unite.

Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish had united to fight against communal forces in Bihar. Similar attempt is needed in UP also and all like minded parties should come together, Ansari said.

QED has two MLAsMukhtar Ansari from Mau Sadar and Sigbatullaha Ansari from Mohammadabad Yusufpur seat. Both are Afzals brother.
Bhopal:

Thanks to Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government, it was silver lining evening for around 240 VVIPs including Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and other judges of the Supreme Court along with their spouses when they were served dinner in sliver crockery and presented gifts worth several lakhs in April.

All the invitees were given the status of State Guest during the period of their stay to attend the programme, which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee, according to information received in response to an RTI query filed by social activist Ajay Dubey.

A payment of Rs 6.94 lakh was made by the state government for the dinner hosted on April 14 during the Judges Retreat programme. About Rs 3.57 lakh was paid for silver crockery and Rs 3.37 lakh for food, according to the file notings provided by the government.

A bill of Rs 3,17,270 was also approved for the retreat to meet expenditure incurred on high tea and gifts etc, the file notings said.

All the judges and their spouses were given dinner in silver crockery and gifts at the cost of tax payers money. We are not against dinner but unnecessary expenses on silver crockery and gifts, said Dubey.

In reply to another RTI query filed by Dubey, the National Judicial Academy (NJA) has asked him to define hospitality as a prerequisite for disclosure of details of expenses incurred on the programme.

The President had on April 16 formally inaugurated the 4-day Fourth Retreat of the Judges of the Supreme Court at the academy, which is a Union government-funded training institute for Judicial Officers.

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New Delhi:

It is not the opposition which creates problem for Prime Minister Narendra Modi but his own ministers. In a fresh row, Member of Parliament from Agra and Minister of State for Human Resource Development Ram Shankar Katheria said, There will be saffronisation of education and the country and also termed it to be beneficial for the country.

While addressing at the Lucknow University at celebrations of Hindavi Swaraj Diwas Samaroh marking the 342nd coronation year of Maratha warrior-king Shivaji, Katheria maintained that be it 'saffronisation or sanghwad' if it's good for the country.

The Agra MP said: Some journalists ask if we are we are promoting saffronisation of education. I am saying, yes, there will be saffronisation of education and of the country. Jo acha hoga, woh hoga (Whatever is good for the country will certainly happen) be it saffronisation or sanghwaad (propagation of the RSS ideology).

Katheria emphasized on the issue and said it is the need of the hour to create a curriculum that would increase the nations samman (honour) and swabhimaan (self-respect) in the world.

The ministers remarks provoked criticism on social media and across the political party lines with Congress calling such remarks as highly objectionable and anti-national.

The Parliamentarian is not new to controversy, as earlier this year, at a condolence meeting for a murdered VHP worker in Agram, he delivered hate-speech against Muslims, which led to uproar in the House.

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Lucknow:

The UP polls are round the corner and sensitive issues like Ayodhya are back in the spotlight. Not only right wing political parties but many have started warming their hands on the flame of it. In another controversy over the issue, a book penned by a former IPS officer Kishore Kunal has claimed that the Ram temple was not demolished during the reign of Babar but of Aurangzeb.

Quoting from old files during British period, some ancient Sanskrit texts and reviews of archaeological excavation, the book has attempted to project that a Ram Janmabhoomi temple did exist in Ayodhya before a mosque was built on it.

The book Ayodhya Revisited, written by Kishore Kunal, a former Gujarat cadre IPS officer of 1972 batch, propounds a new thesis about the period of the mosques construction and seeks to demolish earlier beliefs on the issue.

Kunal hails from Bihar and is known there for his stint as a police officer and later as Administrator and President of Bihar Board of Religious Trusts.

He was Officer on Special Duty in Home Ministry and officially associated with the Ayodhya dispute in 1990 before the disputed structure was razed to the ground. After retirement, he was Vice Chancellor of KSD Sanskrit University Darbhanga.

Former Chief Justice of India G B Patnaik has written the foreword of the book in which he says that the author has given a new dimension to the history of Ayodhya and establishes several facts, which are contrary to the common beliefs and also the opinions of several historians.

The book says the demolition of the temple did not take place in 1528 AD (during Babars regime) but in 1660 AD when Fedai Khan was the Governor of Aurangzeb in Ayodhya.

Kunal (rpt Kunal) has held the inscriptions on the disputed site to be fake and tried to prove that the conclusions drawn by a number of historians on the basis of it are wrong.

It is wrong to say that Babar ordered the demolition of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya. He never visited Ayodhya. The claim of the historians that Mir Baqi, the then governor of Awadh, got the Babri mosque constructed in 1528 is fictitious, he says.

Kunal goes on to argue that Mughal rulers right from Babur to Shahjahan were quite liberal and extended patronage to all religions. All the Mughal emperors from Babur to Shahjahan were magnanimous and liberal rulers and the Bairagis of Ayodhya enjoyed patronage of the first four nawabs of Awadh.

However, during the long rule of Aurangzeb, the country was engulfed in the fire of fanaticism, he says in the book.

He has also quoted from Father Joseph Tieffenthaler, an Austrailain traveller who visited India and remained here for more than two decades, that he was told by the locals that the demolition was carried out by Aurangzeb.

Quoting Sanskrit, English and French scholars, Kunal has tried to establish that a temple did exist at the site in question at Ayodhya. The author has heavily relied upon literary sources of foreign travel accounts and archaeological excavation reports.

In the foreword, Patnaik says the accounts of Western scholars Thomas Herbert, Joannes De Laet and C Mentelle have been produced for the first time while writing the history of Ayodhya.

It is a historical fact that until the British takeover of Awadh administration in 1858, both the Hindus and Muslims used to perform puja and offer Namaz respectively, he says.

The author has expressed hope that this book will transform the thinking of people on the Ayodhya issue and remove the toxin of communal canard in the country.

Accusing historians of both shades established and enthusiasistic, euphemism for historians with left-wing and right-wing orientations, of having done injustice to the writing of history on Ayodhya dispute, Kunal claims that through this book he has tried to expose them.

Claiming that the existence of a temple at the disputed site in past is based not on beliefs but on impeachable evidence, he claims that this also found an echo in the judgement of the Allahabad High Court and hoped that it will now put quietus to the disquieting dispute.

The book has come at a time when politics is in full swing for UP polls.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy recently said the construction work for the temple will start soon, while Union Minister Uma Bharti has said the issue of there being a Ram Janmasthan at the site was now a settled issue after the Allahabad HC said undisputedly that the dome in the middle is of Ramlalla.

Bharti has claimed the dispute now remains was only over land which can be resolved through dialogue or legislation.

In September 2010, a three-judge bench of Allahabad High Court, comprising Justices S U Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D V Sharma, had ruled that the disputed land be split into three parts. It had said that the portion below the central dome under which the idols of Ram and other gods were placed, belonged to Hindus.

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New Delhi:

Amid opposition from certain religious communities over chanting of Om and performance of surya namaskar during yoga events, Ramdev today said these practices do not change anyones religion and are secular, universal and spiritual in nature. He said at a yoga camp in Dubai yesterday, which was attended by Hindus and Muslims, besides members of the royal family, he had given the gathering an option to chant Om or Amin and that they had preferred chanting Om over Amin.

They experienced a divine feeling, he said at a yoga event at Rajpath, organsied by the Ministry of Ayush and attended by a large number of people, including Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley and Babul Supriyo and BJP MPs Meenakshi Lekhi, Manoj Tiwari and Vijay Goel.

Ramdev, who runs an FMCG empire, said that in next three years, Patanjali will conduct animal to human trials of ayurvedic medicines and clinical trials in yoga.

For this his organisation will invest Rs 500 crore. Additional Rs 500 crore will be invested on research pertaining to cow, he added.

I went to Dubai and I made people there to chant Om and perform surya namaskar. While performing surya namaskar, I also kept some Muslims along with me and told them that if their religion changes (for doing it), then dont do surya namaskar. No ones religion changed. Yoga is not a religious practice, but a secular and universal practice.

I said while performing yoga you can also say Amin and Om, but many people and majority of Muslims said Om instead of Amin... They said they got mental peace by chanting Om, Ramdev said.

Ramdev claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi too conveyed his wishes for the mega event at Rajpath.

He said if people perform yoga and encourage others to do so, India will again become a country of rishis and become a country dreamt by Ram and Krishna and by Swami Vivekanand and Dayanand Saraswati.

We dont want to make India any religious country. India is not a religious country. It is a spiritual country. We want to make India a spiritual country and world a spiritual place. This is our dream, he said.

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As the election is coming up, I thought it would be a a good idea to draw up a Free Press Pledge. No I'm not referring to my paper, rather the concept.

The document, to be given to every politician to sign, would have a number of key points, starting with a promise to talk to a reporter for at least 15 minutes whenever we ring.

This, of course, could be any hour, day or night. If you are not in, then we expect a call back as soon as possible.

There would be an absolute commitment in the pledge to give a straight and honest response to every question. No party political waffle allowed

Failure to sign the pledge or stick to it would lead to names being printed in the paper under the headline "Politicians who do not believe in a free press".

This may be a completely ridiculous scenario but it shows the sort of effect the CRE had when anti-racism campaigners revealed which politicians had not signed up to the pledge to oppose racism at the forthcoming general election.

They must have realised what the consequences would be, that the MPs would be embarrassed at the very least and at the very worst the innuendo would be that they may be racist.

People such as Michael Portillo, who did not sign, are, of course, not racist, but the incident has caused many to look at the Commission for Racial Equality in a more cynical light and in turn the local organisations which are part of it.

You have to ask whether the CRE was simply exploiting the situation as part of a political agenda to increase its profile, regardless of the consequences.

When the three prospective parliamentary candidates for Wycombe met to sign the CRE document at the offices of the Wycombe Racial Equality Council in March, I thought it looked like a good idea.

They put their names to it before the party leaders did it. It wasn't a high profile event and confirmed the principles by which all the candidates stand.

How wrong can you be. The actions of those who revealed the names has seen the spirit of the CRE compact go out the window.

It has led to pathetic mud-slinging rows between the parties in the media and patronising references to Chicken Tikka Masala (Robin Cook will now need more than a voice coach to save his job after the election).

Politicians seem to be happy using the race issue as the political football to kick around at the moment but you can bet all those promises they make in the next few weeks will be forgotten as soon as the election is over.
NEWTOWN - Debate over the link between assault weapons and mass murder, a debate that consumed Congress last week, will remain on the front burner Monday when Sandy Hook families suing the nations oldest gun maker fight a new round in court.

This is about whether or not it is reasonable to continue to arm citizens with military-grade assault firearms,said Josh Koskoff, the attorney for 10 families of Sandy Hook massacre victims suing the maker of the AR-15-style assault rifle used in the killings. What this lawsuit does in part is put the gun industry on notice that when these horrific events occur, it is no longer good enough to say that they were unpreventable or unforeseen, or that the industry that makes these weapons has no role to play because it is an issue of mental health or terrorism.

The latest court battle comes one week after the massacre of 49 people in a Florida nightclub, where a similar rifle was used.

The gun companies named in the Sandy Hook lawsuit are expected to argue Monday that they are protected under a federal law that gives the firearms industry immunity against most claims by victims when guns are misused. The gun companies will further argue that a loophole the families are trying to exploit in the law doesnt apply, because the manufacture, transfer and sale of the assault rifle used by the Sandy Hook shooter were all conducted legally.

[T]he legal issue in this case is straightforward: Have (the families) stated a permissible and legally sufficient claim against Remington, the manufacturer of one of the firearms used by Adam Lanza to murder 27 persons and take his own life? They have not, the manufacturers attorneys wrote in a 25-page motion to dismiss the case.

It will be up to Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis in Bridgeport to consider oral arguments from both sides and then deliberate over the first weeks of summer about whether the lawsuit should proceed to trial.

The judge has previously sided with the families by scheduling jury selection for spring 2018, and by ordering the defendants to begin turning over documents requested by the families in preparation for trial, over the objections of the gun companies.

Koskoff said the judges rulings support the merit of the families claim.

In other industries that deal with dangerous products, they issue warnings and cautions, such as Put your seat belt on, Koskoff said. But the gun industry doesnt caution anything - its goal is to sell as many of these assault weapons to as many people as it can.

The lawsuit - one of three initiated by Sandy Hook families following the horrific murders by Lanza of his mother and 26 first-graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 - has generated nationwide attention, in part because the further it progresses, the less it looks like a longshot and the more it looks like a landmark case.

Of the other two Sandy Hook lawsuits, one has been settled and one is pending.

In August, 16 victims of the Sandy Hook massacre received a settlement of $94,000 apiece from the estate of Lanzas mother.

In the pending case, two families suing Newtown and its school board over allegations that security measures at the Sandy Hook school were inadequate have offered to settle for $5.5 million apiece.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342
It has been 1,283 days since 20 schoolchildren and six staff members were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

We can wait no longer for change.
I now have a small, hole-riddled brown stone sitting on my desk.

It is from a beach at the Langanes Peninsula, an uninhabited spur of land in northeast Iceland, a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle. It is my personal Far North.

Officially, I went to Iceland to see birds, on a tour organized by Wildlife Iceland. Our guide, Gaukur Hjartarson, is one of the best birders in the country.

Because of his knowledge and patience with an inexpert American, I got to see the gyrfalcon, the national bird of Iceland. Its the worlds biggest falcon  a gray hunter, fierce and fleet in the air. I saw other great birds as well guillemots and terns and kittiwakes.

But I think I used birding as an excuse to go to Iceland.

Some 40 years ago, I read  and loved  Njals Saga, assigned in my college class on Medieval Literature. Five years ago, while recuperating from an operation, I read other sagas and was entranced by their everyday, matter-of-fact narratives of expeditions, valor, mayhem, revenge and plunder. They are great works of literature, written in the Middle Ages in a tiny, flung-out-to-sea island in the North Atlantic.

So I had Iceland as a country in my brain. Going there seemed almost mandatory. It may also say something about me that given the choice of going to Scandinavia or the Caribbean, I would choose the country where the people have last names like Arnarson or Hfransdottir.

The Iceland I saw, rather than imagined, was wilder and more extraordinary than I thought. There are black volcanic mountains everywhere. There are green fields pocked with brown, misshapen lumps of ancient lava. Sheep  baa-baa, black and white  wander around the outcroppings. Those bright green fields run uphill until the darker heath takes over. The heath gives way to bare rock and snow.

It is a spare, mostly empty country with simple colors  blue sky and ocean, black conical mountains, white snow, green fields. I had to remind myself regularly that people settled in Iceland five or six hundred years before the Pilgrims arrived. And thats not counting the Irish monks the first Norsemen drove out.

So to see that landscape was also to see the birds living in that landscape. Occasionally, in winter, a storm might blow a gyrfalcon or a skua  a bold thief of a seabird  in our direction. But up north is where they belong.

There are also certain useful contrasts.

I admit it: Connecticut lacks drama. We have no driftwood-filled beaches, no glacial rivers, no wild spaces where the people of Laxardal, hands sword-filled, once rode out to battle.

So going to a place like Iceland helps me see the place I live with clearer eyes. When I hear tourist-bureau claptrap about my native states beauties, I have a useful perspective. I know it is a small corner of the world with lots of people. It is not, nor ever will be, spare.

But it is also beautifully green and lush. It has colors. It has trees. Iceland does not.

And one of the advantages of living in a place with a temperate climate, with lots of people living in it, is that some of those people plant roses and peonies and mountain laurel. If you are a painter with a limited budget for paint purchases, Connecticut puts you at a disadvantage. Iceland you can do in charcoal on white paper

After I got home, I took my dog Bella on a walk at Topsmead State Forest in Litchfield. In an hours walk through its meadows I saw clover and vetch and daisies in bloom amid the timothy. That mix of wildflowers in a field was perfectly ordinary here, and perfectly beautiful. What Connecticut lacks in scale it makes up for in the brilliant details.

It also has days and nights that are clearly defined. Right now, it never gets dark in Iceland  2 a.m. looks like dusk, 4 a.m., like sunrise. In midwinter, other than a few gray hours at midday, it never gets light. I like the night sky in summer.

I have a little piece of Iceland  a rock Ill use as a paperweight  on my desk. I can close my eyes and see Arctic terns flying by. But when crows caw and wake me, this is where I will be.

Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy stood on the floor of the Senate for 15 hours Wednesday into Thursday, never sitting, in a filibuster to prompt action on stalled gun safety legislation. The Democrat from Connecticut finally sat down after Republican colleagues agreed to bring two measures to a vote on Monday.

These are excerpts from Murphys speech:

Our heart breaks for the people of Orlando because we know in a very real way the pain that exists there today, but we also know how that pain is really never ending, how the ripples of that pain are unceasing and unrelenting and they span generations. They span neighborhoods. They span years. Newtown is still putting itself back together, probably will be for a long time and Orlando the same.

I have been so angry that this Congress has mustered absolutely no response to mass shooting after mass shooting, in city after city that is plagued by gun violence. Im not saying we arent doing important work but there are 30,000 people dying every day on the streets of this country. And those that they leave behind  their moms and their dads and their little sisters and brothers  dont get the total indifference that we portray.

No set of laws can allow us to say with certainty that there wont still be killings in Chicago, in New Haven, and Los Angeles. Theres no legislative guarantee that there wont be another Omar Mateen. But the idea that we dont even try, the idea that we dont even proffer ideas on this floor, debate them  its offensive to those of us that have lived through these.

Sandy Hook was three and a half years ago, and Congress hasnt passed a single measure that would make the next mass shooting, the next murder of kids in this country less likely. The American public have already made up their mind that they want a background check system that captures potential terrorists. They want to make sure that everybody that buys a gun through a commercial sale has to prove that theyre not a criminal before they buy it. The American people have made up their mind.
Sixty-two years ago nearly to the day, a courtly, avuncular Boston lawyer few had ever heard of by the name of Joseph Welch faced down the blustering, bullying Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy at the so-called Army-McCarthy hearings when the red-baiting Senator attacked a young associate lawyer in Welchs firm as having once belonged to the activist National Lawyers Guild that McCarthy insisted was a Communist front organization.

On national television, Welsh said, Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. Youve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?

With that memorable line, the obscure Boston lawyer opened a chain of events that would lead to the downfall of McCarthy had his vicious, mostly unwarranted attacks on writers, actors, members of the Armed Forces, and people McCarthy deemed political enemies in general.

Welchs words directed to McCarthy may well have been directed toward Donald Trump in the wake of the horrific Orlando massacre. Before all the bodies of the slaughtered 50 men and women in Orlando had been identified, Trump was tweeting self-congratulatory I told you so messages to his rancid group of followers with what New Yorker writer and editor David Remnick called a velocity, rapidity, and sheer ugliness that (reflected) his character, his emptiness, and most of all, the shape of the election campaign to come.

As he has throughout the political season Trump has shown himself to be a shameless opportunist time and again demonstrates how absurdly unqualified he is to pretend to the office of President of the United States. And in what Trump apparently considers profound thought, he said, if we do not get tough and smart real fast, were not going to have a country anymore. I said this was going to happen  and it is only going to get worse We cant afford to be politically correct anymore.

Trump seems to suggest over and over that this nation and this administration is not engaged militarily against ISIS or that somehow political correctness is undermining our national security. He is the poster boy for the old joke that you know he is lying because his lips are moving. Despite evidence to the contrary, he ignores the enormous firepower being launched against ISIS, the diminution of territory and monies ISIS controls and the difficulties facing allied forces such as ISISs use of civilians as human shields.

It appears that every day Trump seems to seem to sink to a new level of malevolence and ignorance. He suggests  without a shred of evidence  that American Muslims know about pending terrorist attacks and have not reported. He has suggested that the president of the United States is somehow on the side of the terrorists. Donald Trump seems to be playing a perpetual game of limbo trying to find out how low can you go?

He is the abominable showman and how any reasonably sentient American could even consider voting for this egocentric, racist, misogynistic bully is simply beyond my understanding.

If you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

If you get into the same political bed with a demonstrably indecent man, there is no way to prevent being soiled yourself.

Stephan Lesher, a Southbury resident, is an author and retired journalist.
NY Legislature

Members of the New York Assembly during a break as they work to pass legislative bills in the Assembly Chamber at the Capitol on Friday, June 17, 2016, in Albany, N.Y.

(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Another legislative session is in the books, and another chapter in Albany's long story of backroom horse trading has come to a close -- without the reforms voters say are needed to address corruption.

The session started in January with some bold proposals to fix the state's porous campaign finance laws, beef up ethics enforcement and put limits on the pay lawmakers can make from side jobs.

But none passed during a six-month session that ended around 5 a.m. Saturday.

For good-government groups and officials long bewildered by Albany's inaction the resolution was as disappointing as it was unsurprising.

"When it came to important ethics reforms, a failure of leadership resulted in this year's session ending with a whimper of cynical distractions and half measures," said Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner following the end of the session. "Sadly, little was accomplished that would begin to restore a modicum of faith in Albany."

This year presented lawmakers with a rare opportunity to act on ethics. Ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, and former Senate Leader Dean Skelos, a Long Island Republican, were both convicted of unrelated federal corruption charges, becoming the latest in a line of more than 30 lawmakers to leave office facing charges or ethical allegations since 2000.

With hundreds of bills passed each year, there are always winners and losers in any legislative session. If public opinion polls showing that government corruption is a top concern are any indication, the voters of New York state are at the top of the list of losers this year. A Siena College poll last month found that 96 percent of voters consider ethics reforms to be an important priority for lawmakers, though 67 percent said they were pessimistic about the chances for such reforms passing.

While the bills that passed this year will allow lawmakers to claim they took action on corruption, they'll do little to address the underlying issues that have allowed scandal to flourish in Albany, according to the good-government groups that have long tracked state government corruption.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said ethics reforms were among his top goals for the year -- yet his most significant proposals to tighten campaign finance laws and restrict lawmakers' outside income never got serious attention from lawmakers, and Cuomo spent much of the session instead pushing for a minimum wage increase.

One is a potential constitutional amendment needed to strip the state pensions of lawmakers convicted of corruption. The idea gained momentum following the convictions of Skelos and Silver, who remain eligible for retirement benefits.

"Those who breach the public trust and violate their oaths of office do not deserve to be financially supported by the very people they failed to serve," said Assemblyman David Buchwald, a Westchester County Democrat.

But good government groups, while supportive, say taking away a crooked politician's pension isn't likely to deter future corruption, since the threat of years in federal prison time hasn't prevented it in the past.

The amendment also isn't a done deal. Because it would revise the constitution, it must be approved by the Legislature twice -- so lawmakers will have to hold another vote next year before it then goes to the voters.

Another bill passed this year aims to strengthen rules prohibiting supposedly independent political groups from working with campaigns. The measure, from Cuomo, was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which prohibits restrictions on independent political spending. Critics of the ruling say it allows wealthy donors, organizations or even candidates themselves to use independent groups to avoid campaign finance limits.

Additionally, lawmakers voted to change disclosure rules to require political consultants to identify clients and expand reporting requirements to cover smaller lobbying efforts.

Again, good government groups say that while a good idea, the changes won't solve the problems behind most of Albany's scandals, which they say are often attributed to lawmakers using their public office for personal gain.

"It's a grab bag cobbled together," said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group. "It doesn't deal with the heart of what U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called Albany's 'culture of corruption.'"

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the changes approved this year represented "significant steps in the right direction." But even some lawmakers who ended up voting for the legislation seemed underwhelmed. Sen. Daniel Squadron, D-Brooklyn, said they were "like taking an aspirin for a broken arm."

Instead, they recommend stronger independent ethics enforcement, caps on large campaign contributions, more transparency in the way the state budget is negotiated and the elimination of a loophole allowing limited liability companies to skirt campaign finance limits.

"If lawmakers won't respond to their constituents' demands, than voters will have to consider that information in the fall," said Common Cause-New York Director Susan Lerner.
Three policemen and six employees of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) escaped being lynched at the weekend follo...

Three policemen and six employees of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) escaped being lynched at the weekend following attacks on them by angry youths in different parts of Yenagoa, the state capital.The youths were said to be angry that amidst darkness for many days in their various suburbs, the workers under the protection of the policemen stormed their areas to recover debts and disconnect wires.It was gathered that the Business Service Manager, PHED, Pere Alazigha was cut with machete and left in the pool of his blood by the youths.One of the workers identified as Christian Umegbewe was reportedly pushed down from the ladder during the disconnection process.The Chief Operating Officer, PHED, Engr. Kingsley Achife, confirmed the development in a statement issued by the Protocol Officer, Corporate Communication, Sophilia Obire.He said that the security operatives attached to them were attacked by some residents of Epie community in Yenagoa.He said: The attack, which was spearheaded by youths, resulted in injury to three policemen, the Business Service Manager, Pere Alazigha, a linesman, Christian Umegbewe and other staff members involved in the disconnection exercise.While Alazigha was left with a machete cut on his body, Umegbewe was pushed down from the ladder by the youths during the disconnection process. Both of them were immediately hospitalized.Achife condemned the violence but said the attitude of the youths would not deter the commitment of PHED to service paying customers.He said the company would continue to ensure that all customers pay for energy consumed appealing to members of the public to stop attacking workers willing to render quality service to them.Speaking on the development, the Head, Glory City Main Integrated Business Centre, Yenagoa, Mrs. Ngozi Manafa, said the vehicle that conveyed workers to the community was also damaged with its windscreen shattered.She said: The Epie community has an outstanding debt record of over N60million and a current bill of over N2million to which they paid N70,000 and N50,000 respectively.The incident was the second in a week. Two days before then, disconnection team of PHED was also beaten up at Airtel Road.Only last month, some residents of Akemfa community attacked PHED staff on collection drive with the Business Service Manager, Mr. Festus Owi taken to the bush by some angry residents, a situation that led other PHED staff running for cover.Several other attacks have also been witnessed in Koroma in Gbarain clan of Bayelsa state, where one PHED staff was held hostage and the pick-up van was also damaged.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday returned to Nigeria after spending 14 days in London, United Kingdom. The presidential jet that c...

The presidential jet that conveyed the President landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 5.33pm.He was received by Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; members of the Federal Executive Council, top government officials, federal lawmakers and service chiefs among others.On arrival, Buhari inspected a guard of honour mounted by men of the Guards Brigade.With the elaborate airport ceremonies over, the President and some top aides left for the Presidential Villa.Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, told reporters that the President would resume today.He restated his position that the President did not go on medical vacation but merely followed the advice of his medial specialists.The President is fit, he is going to begin work in earnest, he saidHe thanked Nigerians for showing concern for the wellbeing of the President.Meanwhile, among government officials who were on hand to welcome the President were members of the cabinet including the Minister of the Environment Amina Mohammed, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of the Niger Delta affairs, Usani Usani.Others included Minister of Water Resources, Minister of State for Education, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning; Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe; Minister of Budget and National planning, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Health, Minister of Interior, Gen. Dambazzua; Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari; Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu. Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello and Chief of Army Staff, Bruntia were also on hand.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized a N2bn mansion allegedly owned by a former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Cu...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized a N2bn mansion allegedly owned by a former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko.Reporters who visited the mansion located at 1 Audu Ogbe Street, Jabi, Abuja, on Saturday observed EFCC inscriptions on the fence.The words painted in red, boldly read, EFCC, Keep off.It was learnt that Dikko, who submitted himself for questioning at the EFCC head office in Abuja, for allegedly diverting N40bn from the coffers of the NCS, had remained in custody since Thursday.A source at the commission said, The EFCC Act Section 71 (B) gives us the power to commence investigations into the property of any person if it appears to the EFCC that the persons lifestyle and extent of properties are not justified by law. Section 28 says for those arrested under the Act, the commission will immediately trace and attach all the assets and seizures of such a person which had been acquiredSection 29 permits the assets of a person arrested under Section 28 to be seized by the state. Dikko was a customs officer and served for about 30 years. He has to explain where he got the money to buy a mansion of N2bn.Dikko, it was learnt, had been on the radar of the EFCC for several months but his whereabouts remained unknown.A detective at the commission, who did not want his name in print, also said, You will recall that we have been looking for Dikko for quite some time. He turned himself in around 10am today (Thursday) and he is being quizzed over two key allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, diversion of public funds, theft, abuse of office and living above legitimate means.There is also a further allegation that he diverted over N40bn from customs coffers. The funds were drawn from proceeds of the seven per cent cost of collection and one per cent comprehensive import supervision scheme.Meanwhile, Babajide Obanikoro, a son of a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has hinted that he will not honour the invitation of the EFCC.It will be recalled that operatives of the anti-graft agency stormed Babajides home last week and seized the property located at 10, Mojisola Street, off Banana Island Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.In a letter addressed to Babajide and his brother, Gbolahan, the commission asked the brothers to appear before Hamza Abdulahi, an EFCC investigator, on June 22, 2016 by 10am at 30A Harper Crescent, Zone 7, Abuja.However, Babajide, who is in the United States along with his parents, siblings and other members of his family, slammed the EFCC for the invitation.In a Facebook post, Babajide wrote, After they illegally searched my house, stole my car and other things, they now invite me four days later for an interview. Im coming ooo (sic) wait.It will be recalled that N4.75bn was traced to a company, Sylvan McNamara Limited, in which Obanikoros sons have interest.The money was allegedly paid in several tranches into the companys account number 0026223714 with Diamond bank from the Office of the National Security Adviser account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.According to the EFCC, all the transfers were made between June and December 2014, a period that coincided with the preparation for and the conduct of the Ekiti State governorship election which was won by Governor Ayodele Fayose.Both Gbolahan and Babajide, sources disclosed, as directors of the company, were also signatories to its account until 2014 when one Olalekan Ogunseye was made sole signatory to the account.
The Federal Government has solicited the support of the Japanese Government to assist the country to achieve its economic diversification...

The Federal Government has solicited the support of the Japanese Government to assist the country to achieve its economic diversification agenda. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, made the call when he received a delegation from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Abuja.A statement issued by Mr Charles Dafe, Director of Information, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, quoted Udoma as saying that Nigeria appreciated Japan for its support so far. Our government is grateful that your country has supported us in some areas. Our present administration came at a difficult time when our revenue came down due to sharp fall in crude oil price. It is a crisis but an opportunity for us not to be dependent on oil. We are faced with the reality of diversifying our economy.We want your support in this direction. Nigeria wants investment in solid minerals and manufacturing, including self sufficiency in petroleum refining and rice production, Udoma said. He commended JICA for visiting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, noting that the challenges of resettling the affected population were enormous.The minister, however, called for international assistance to take care of the needs of the IDPs. According to the statement, the President of JICA, Mr Shinichi Kitaoka, said that the agency had assisted Nigeria in various sectors such as health, power, agriculture, water, emergency repair and overhaul work on Jebba Hydro Electricity Power Station.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he is resuming work stronger and more energetic. The president stated this while fielding questi...

President Buhari, jokingly, challenged one of the correspondents, who asked him of his state of health, to a wrestling competition.the president told the reporter.The president, who was clad in a light brown kaftan with a cap to match, did not use the helicopter meant to transport him to the presidential villa, but rather embarked on road journey.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential plane carrying the president landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 5.32 p.m.Members of the Federal Executive Council, Service Chiefs, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari and Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase were among those who welcomed President Buhari at the airport.Others at the airport were Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi and other government functionaries.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has alerted Nigerians of plans by security agents to scuttle the marking of this years Quds Day ...

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has alerted Nigerians of plans by security agents to scuttle the marking of this years Quds Day celebration in the country.In a statement signed by Ibrahim Musa, President, Media Forum of IMN, the movement said it received intelligence reports indicating that Nigerian Security agents have planned to carry out false flag operations unleashing mayhem in some unmentioned cities in the country, in an attempt to scuttle the marking of Quds Day celebration in the country.This annual event, the IMN had peacefully marked successively for the past three decades in solidarity with the suffering people of Palestine every last week of the Holy month of Ramadan.Two years ago, the event held simultaneously in more than twenty towns and cities across Nigeria, but it was only in Zaria that soldiers under the command of Lt. Col. S.O. Okuh brutally attacked the peaceful protesters, killing 34 people, including three children of our Leader Sheikh Zakzaky.With the benefit of hindsight, that was only a dress rehearsal for the Zaria genocidal attack of December 2015, in which over a thousand members of the IMN were extra-judicially killed in cold blood.For the benefit of doubts, we wish to reiterate to the public that IMN has been a peaceful entity from conception and has consistently employed peaceful means throughout its existence. That is not going to change, no matter the provocation. We therefore want the general public to know that any act of violence done in our name is not from us, and we by this hereby dissociate ourselves from it and denounce same.The Nigerian constitution has guaranteed citizens the right to free assembly and peaceful protest. This we will employ as we have always done in all our gatherings and processions. We will mark the Annual international Quds Day as has been the tradition just as it will be marked simultaneously all over the World. Nigeria cannot be an exception. We will bring out the name of Nigeria to take its rightful place among the comity of Nations in this regard.
Confusion reigned supreme in Osun State during the week as many students of Baptist High School, Adeeke, Iwo, appeared for lessons in re...

Confusion reigned supreme in Osun State during the week as many students of Baptist High School, Adeeke, Iwo, appeared for lessons in religious garbs instead of theifr usual uniforms. While some christian students discarded the uniforms outrightly in preference for choir robes and cassocks, others wore the religious outfits atop their uniforms.And to their schools they all trooped to join their hijab- wearing muslim colleagues. The result was an unhealthy cacophony of funny-looking students and an unending allegations and counter allegations about how the situation degenerated that far.Promptly, the state government issued a stern warning against the actions of the students as Governor Rauf Aregbesola warned on Tuesday that any student found disobeying school rules and regulations by appearing in school with any other attire aside the uniform, risks expulsion.But in a daring move, more students arrived the school for the next days lessons in church robes and other religious apparels. Expectedly, they were turned back by security men manning the gate who, however, allowed female Muslim students who wore hijab into the school premises, citing the governors orders.The situation took a new twist as some Christian leaders stormed the school and forcefully ensured the entrance of the students into the premises to join their colleagues. Reports had it that the Christian leaders were joined in the school by some Muslims, leading to a rancorous face-off between the two groups while the students watched.With the crisis deepening rather than abating all through the week, parents and other stakeholders are worried it could lead to a riot amongst students. Some observers of the ongoing crisis want the government to nip it in the bud before it escalates into a full blown religious face-off.A community leader in the town, Chief Tunji Opawunmi, told newsmen that the people of the town can no longer sleep with their eyes closed as they fear a possible riot amongst the students. He said the peace in Iwo today is that of the graveyard.On Thursday, it took the intervention of the paramount ruler of the town, Oba Akanbi, to avert a total break down of law and order in the school premise as clerics and parents dared one another over the issues. Oluwo had to use wisdom by inviting both the Christian and Muslim leaders to his palace for a meeting.But for that singular act, I can tell you that the story would have been different today because the students were already taking sides with their various religious leaders and punches were about to be exchanged across the two divides. From information available to me, the meeting with the Oluwo was deadlocked as both sides insisted on their positions.If you go round Iwo now, you will feel the animosity between the two camps. Our children have been turned against one another by this religious disagreement. Our fear is that unless something urgent is done, they may engage themselves in fights that will ignite a full blown riot, Opawunmi said.The entire controversy, it would be recalled, was ignited by the Friday 3rd June judgment of an Osun State High court that ordered that Muslim students should be allowed to wear hijab in all the public primary and secondary schools owned by the state government.The court presided over by Justice Jide Falola in a 51-pages judgment held that any act of molestation, harassment, torture and humiliation against female Muslim students using hijab, constitutes a clear infringement on their fundamental right as contained in Section 38 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria, as amended.The Osun State Muslim Community on February 14, 2013 had dragged the state government to court, seeking an order of the court to allow female Muslim students enjoy their fundamental rights by granting them order to use hijab in public schools.The suit which was directly instituted against the state government was also joined as respondents, the state Commissioner for Education, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice while the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, its chairman and others, voluntarily joined as respondents.In his judgment, Justice Falola traced the history of religion and observed that religion was introduced to the case when CAN and others joined the suit, noting that he decided to deliver the judgment after all plea to settle the matter amicably has proved futile. While government kept mute on the judgment, the Osun State Christian Association through its counsel, Barrister Ayandokun, signified its intention to appeal the case in the appellate court.Furthermore, the state CAN urged the state government not to execute the judgment with a threat that if such was done, it would direct Christian students in public schools in the state to start wearing church garments to school once Muslim female students start using hijab in schools in line with the court judgment.And following the appearance in school by some students adorning the hijab, and their admittance into the school by the authorities, some Christian students, allegedly prompted by a directive of the state chapter of CAN, took to wearing church robes and similar apparels to school.According to a communique issued by CAN and signed by Osun State CAN Chairman, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, the association faulted the court verdict and warned the state government not to implement the judgment.Ogundiya said that the judgment read severally that hijab is a means of propagation of Islam which he said is a fundamental right of Muslims girls and ladies which he claimed violates the religious right of the original owners of the mission as agreed upon when the schools were taken by the then government of Oyo state in 1975.He claimed that at the point of takeover of the schools in 1975, government guaranteed that only administration of the schools were being taken over and not the philosophy, beliefs and aim behind the establishment of the schools.But the Vice President of Osun State Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, appealed to Osun CAN to shun lawlessness in the best interest of justice and peace.There should be no argument concerning the implementation of the court judgment that granted the fundamental rights of female Muslim students in public schools in the state to use hijab during the school hours. Rather we should all commend Justice Falola for upholding his judicial oath to deliver justice without fear or favour while we appeal to the state government and all law enforcement agents to call the Osun CAN to order so as not to trigger avoidable religious clash in the state.Reacting to the development, Governor Rauf Aregbesola advised all aggrieved parties in the court judgment to channel their grievances according to the rule of law and not result to self help. He also insisted that any student found disobeying school rules and regulations risks expulsion. However, the governor refused to say anything on his administrations disposition to the court judgement.He stated that there are other legal options opened to any party who feels strongly about the judgment, saying the Judiciary is an independent arm of government, the decisions of which are not subject to any influence by other arms of government.Another source, a former council chairman in the state, said following a prayer meeting held by CAN in Osogbo which centred on the court ruling on hijab, there has been apprehension in the state over the matter. He cautioned religious leaders against inciting their followers into disorderliness.Many people have been talking about the prayer meeting held in Osogbo over the matter that happened here in Iwo. We were told some inciting statements were uttered. Some of these students we learnt were in attendance. Our fear is that religious leaders are inciting their followers to cause confusion in Osun State, he said.But Ogundiya nothing inciting was said at the Osogbo prayer meeting. According to the CAN boss, the prayer was also meant to seek peace from God and to nullify anti-kingdom laws and dealings with satanic forces tormenting the state in the past few weeks. He however advices that the government should promptly return mission schools to the original owners.We dont want crisis in Osun because of hijab issue. Already the state is being oppressed by the demonic spirit and evils as well as the country at large.He contended that in as much as they were trying to resolve the crisis with prayer, if government should expel any Christian pupil or student, all the students in public schools would be sent packing.
A large number of Niger Delta stakeholders are not impressed by federal governments ongoing negotiation with Ijaw militants from which o...

A large number of Niger Delta stakeholders are not impressed by federal governments ongoing negotiation with Ijaw militants from which other ethnic groups in the geo-political zone are excluded.The talks are aimed at ending the continuous destruction of oil/gas installations by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which has brought oil production to about 1.2million barrels per day with severe consequences for the economy.Notable Urhobo and Isoko leaders in Delta State, say the one-sided negotiation will only create more problems than it is seeking to solve.They are of the view that government should treat the Avengers and others damaging the economy as criminals and not negotiate with them.The negotiation, it is feared, largely fueled the recent emergence of a militant group in Delta -Utorogu Liberation Movement  which threatened to blow up the strategic Utorogu Gas Plant and other assets under Oil Mining Lease, OML 34 in the state.Frontline activist and one-time Secretary-General of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori, said he expected those involved in the destruction of the nations assets to be treated as criminals.The Urhobo and Isoko, speaking through the chairman of OML 30 Community Development Board (CBD), Morris Idiovwa, warned the federal government against dialoguing with those destroying oil and gas assets in the name of the Niger Delta as doing so could only degenerate into a fresh round of ethnic wars in the region.Some ex-militants, under the third phase of the federal government amnesty programme, who are of Urhobo stock threatened to also destroy critical oil and gas assets in their area if that is what would get them federal governments attention as the Ijaw groups have done.The Delta State government, reacting to the threat to blow up the Utorogu Gas Plant, convened an emergency security meeting in Jeremi, the headquarters of Ughelli South council area of the state on Thursday.Asked to comment on the reported negotiation between the federal government and some Ijaw militants, Chief Kokori, who is also a leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State said: Have they started negotiating with them? I wish them well if they have identified the right people, but to me I regard people who damage federal infrastructure as criminals.I dont know who they are discussing with and I dont know the type of negotiation they are holding, but I wish them good luck.For his part, Idiovwa, said the Urhobo who are the largest ethnic group, and the Isoko have more critical facilities in their localities than the Ijaw, who he said seemed to have blackmailed the federal government to talk to them by destroying the few assets in their own part of the state.He said:What we have been seeing in Delta State is terrifying; especially in the way a single ethnic nationality is taking over the identity of the entire Niger Delta. What is happening is outright criminality and we, as the largest ethnic group in Delta state, are not in support of this.We have never been criminals and we dont want to be criminals. We believe the best way to approach issues is dialogue. But with what we are seeing now, the intelligence we are gathering and what is in the media, a set of people decided to take up arms and disrupt the existing peace in the Niger Delta region because of their selfish interest.The federal government has already started inciting an ethnic crisis in Delta state because as we speak now, we have been receiving series of mails, SMS and calls from different regions and groups in Urhobo and Isoko.My office is responsible for ensuring safety of life and property here and if the people are aware that the same advantage they have, in terms of assets and production, is what some people in another part are using to get the federal government to come to negotiate with them, because those people have taken to arms struggle and are destroying the assets in their areas, what would you expect from those who have been law abiding, calm and watched over the facilities in their domain?So you want to disregard them because they have not taken up arms. This is one move we will resist.Government should tread carefully. We are not in support of any criminality by any set of people. We have not mandated Egbesu to negotiate for us, we have not mandated the Avengers, MEND, JNDLF or IYC to negotiate for us. We have not mandated any group to negotiate for the Urhobo or Isoko.We are standing on our own and we are telling the federal government that whatever is done for any group should be replicated across the entire Niger Delta states or host communities that are producing, otherwise the outcome will be disastrous.Also speaking in Ughelli for members of the third phase of the Amnesty Programme in Urhobo, General Gabriel Ogbuge said: We have been shortchanged and sidelined. What the federal government is doing is very bad. We have all those facilities here, but government has never thought of coming here to hear from us.We have been peaceful only because of the efforts of some of our leaders. If not we know what we need to do to get their attention; we have the capacity to inflict the kind of damage the Avengers are inflicting, and remember that more facilities are here.We see dialogue as a better option and thats why we have been listening to our leaders. If the federal government wants peace they should do the right thing, and not force us to do what the Avengers are now doing.To forestall the festering security crisis in Delta State, the state government convened a security council meeting on Thursday to discuss the new threats surfacing in the Urhobo areas of the state.Chairman, Ughelli South Council, Paul Etaga, presided at the meeting.In attendance were oil host community heads and security operatives.Reviewing the meeting, Etaga said: From preliminary intelligence report, the group raising the threat are external forces working with some internal collaborators. They gave OML 34 stakeholders, especially community people 14 days to leave the operating environment so that when they come for the attack they wont be hurt; that they want to come and destroy the gas plant. With that information, the governor immediately directed that I should call an emergency security meeting. The governor is aware and they are putting up measures in place for protection of life and property.
New owner, same popular food.

This year, Christy Creme, the 61-year-old ice cream shop along North Broadway, had a change of ownership, though a familiar face took over the new operation.

Matthew Preston, who had run the business for quite some time, officially became owner on March 1, buying Christy Creme from his father-in-law, Dave Christiansen.

It was a natural progression, Preston said. He was ready, I was ready.

Preston is married to Jordan, daughter of Dave and his late wife, Sue. Jordan Preston teaches at College View Elementary, while her husband has worked at Christy Creme since 2004.

Ive always enjoyed being a part of the family business, Preston said. Its an easy work environment, and I enjoy the people I work with. It was a good fit for me.

On why he decided to retire, Christiansen gave a simple answer.

It was time. Its time, and hes ready to do it. They both are.

The popularity of the food and ice cream should remain, Preston said.

We dont change much. We have something that works and well try to keep it up. Well keep doing the same thing were doing, serving quality products.

Well keep making good ice cream. Weve been here for 60 years. Id like to see us go for 60 more.

Arthur and Jeanne Christiansen built a small building in their front yard on North Broadway in 1954 and opened up for business. In 1972, the couple decided to sell the shop and retire, though their four children werent ready to take over.

Dave Christiansen was attending Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, at the time and planning for a career in the hotel industry.

We were living in different parts of the country at that time, he said.

The business changed hands three times between 1972 and 1976. Then, Dave Christiansen came home.

Working at a hotel and living in Houston at the time, he said he didnt want to raise his family in a big city. Christy Creme came up for sale.

When it came back on the market, we jumped on the chance to move into the old family home again and take over the business, he said. We did that and never looked back.

Dave and Sue Christiansen opened a second location at the Mall of the Bluffs, which operated from 1986 until 1994. In late 1994 and early 1995, the business tore down the old building and built the current location, opening in time for the 1995 season.

Sue Christiansen passed away in 2004, and Matthew Preston stepped in to help. Now, hell take over, with his father-in-law there to help when needed.

Hes certainly always ready to help with questions. Hes a good resource to have, Preston said.

Added Christiansen: I hope to continue to pop down there and help out when they get busy. Of course, Ill help out with the mowing, all that stuff that has to be done. Whatever they need me to do, Im still available to do. But Im able to get away for rare summer vacations now.

Christiansen remarried in 2011, and he and his wife, Caroline, plan to do more traveling from now on.

Weve never really been able to do that before, he said.

Preston said hes appreciative of the support from the community thats made Christy Creme what it is today.

I think we can thank our very loyal customer base for that. Our customers are great, he said. I cant say enough about the good people that come here.
WASHINGTON  Former Rep. Gabby Giffords was back in Washington recently with her husband, Mark Kelly, calling for a more civil public discourse during a campaign season filled with what Kelly called kind of historic poor rhetoric.

Giffords and Kelly were on hand to help the University of Arizonas National Institute for Civil Discourse launch its Revive Civility campaign, which aims to bring more respectful behavior to the 2016 campaign.

In modern political history, weve never seen anything like were seeing this year, said Carolyn Lukensmeyer, executive director of the institute.

The 2016 campaign has seen widely reported taunts between presidential candidates in the primaries, name-calling, racial epithets and outbreaks of violence between supporters and opponents at some campaign rallies.

We have become a very polarized country, not only nationally but here in Washington, D.C., in Congress, Kelly said. And polarization really kind of paralyzes us. And discourse that isnt civil makes it even harder.

He and Giffords joined former Oklahoma Republican Rep. Mickey Edwards and Ohio state Rep. Stephanie Howse, who are members of the advisory board to the institute. It was formed in the wake of the 2011 Tucson shooting that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Giffords, who was the target of the attack.

The assassination attempt forced Giffords, a Tucson Democrat, to resign her seat in Congress in 2012 so she could focus on her recovery.

In sporadic visits to Washington since then, Giffords appears to have made steady progress. She did not speak at the event, but walked unaided  if haltingly  to her seat on the panel and nodded in agreement to statements by the other panelists, interjecting a word or two on occasion.

Kelly, who spoke on Giffords behalf, said they were both dismayed by the current tenor of the national debate. He said its particularly important for both those in office and those running for office to behave respectfully.

People who run for the highest office in the land have to realize whether they like it or not, they are role models for young people, Kelly said. And they are accountable for what they say and to some extent theyre accountable for the actions of others. And we would all be in a much better place if everybody realized that.

He added that candidates should be held accountable at the polls by voters.

You dont reward people for bad behavior, Kelly said. So when you see somebody that may be using angry rhetoric, dont vote for them.

Edwards said the institutes focus has expanded from making sure there is civility between political leaders, to urging a standard of civility for the public as well.

Were not a Third World country, this is the United States, Edwards said. Were based on freedom of expression, were based on free speech and free press and the ability to exchange ideas.

Lukensmeyer said there is nothing wrong with opposing viewpoints and protests, both of which are deeply rooted in American tradition. But disagreeing with someone doesnt mean being disagreeable  or even violent.

The Revive Civility campaign includes standards of behavior, social media tools to encourage respectable behavior, a citizen toolkit and the civility seal of approval to highlight particularly good discourse, according to the institutes website.

Lukensmeyer said the current state of affairs developed over years and she knows it will take a long time to reverse the trends.

Were under no illusion that this campaign will not continue to be very negative and undoubtedly continue to give assignations to whole groups of people, Lukensmeyer said, assignations that she called just plain un-American.

Despite the size of the task, she said, the goal is not that complicated.

Theyre the things our mothers taught us before we went to school, Lukensmeyer said.
During our World Civility Day celebration in April, Community Civility Counts brought in some key partners from across the nation that are doing great things in the name of civility.

One of those groups is the National Institute for Civil Discourse, or NICD, based at The University of Arizona. At our event, a representative for the group spoke about their free training for politicians. We are hoping to get that going for the next Indiana session.

NICD is involved in a few other exciting areas as well, but most recently, they caught our attention with their #ReviveCivility campaign.

We have become full partners, so we are now featured on their website and they will be on our page nwi.com/civilitycounts.

NICD has created toolkits to get involved. There is a partner toolkit and a citizen toolkit. These can be found at www.nicd.arizona.edu/revivecivility.

I see a tendency for people to think there's nothing they can do. Sure, the election has created ugliness, but what can I do about it?

You can Become a Citizen for Reviving Civility. Sign the Standards of Conduct and live by them. Here they are:

Be respectful of others in speech and behavior.

Take responsibility for personal behavior, attitude, and actions.

Promote civility through everyday interactions.

Listen fully and attentively to the speaker, seeking to understand them.

Practice nonviolence, using words to inspire change.

Not that hard, right? If you agree, I encourage you to sign it. It would send a powerful message if we could get millions of Americans to agree that this is how we want to see everyone behave.

There are also standards for politicians and media.
EAST CHICAGO  A Hammond man was shot and killed late Friday night in the citys Indiana Harbor section, according to the Lake County coroners office.

Police responded just before midnight to the 4300 block of Euclid Avenue after the citys ShotSpotter technology indicated 15 shots had been fired there, according to police reports.

Manuel Francisco Martinez III, 31, was taken to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, where he was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was listed as gunshot wounds. The manner of death is homicide, according to a coroners news release.

The shooting occurred just north of George Washington Elementary School.

Attempts to reach the East Chicago Police Department were unsuccessful Saturday.
A loving mother and friend, a local radio host and her daughter, a father, a son, two teenage boys.

The Region has mourned for more than 30 people killed so far this year in shootings, stabbings and strangulation cases, including four double homicides. An armed robbery in Schererville in January led to a police chase, crash and manhunt in and around the Highland Meijer store.

For many, it seems the violence in Northwest Indiana is on the rise. Just over the state line, Chicago is grappling with a rising homicide rate.

However, data for this year provided by local authorities is mixed.

Police throughout Lake County have logged 30 homicides during the first five months of 2016, up from 26 during the same period a year ago. In Porter County, there have been no homicides so far this year, compared with two last year.

Overall crime in 2015  including violent and property crime  remained at or near the lowest levels since at least 1985, the earliest year data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report is available for many local communities.

Shootings proved to be a dark spot last year in East Chicago, Gary and Hammond: That number increased in all three cities despite a declining total number of aggravated assaults in the latter two.

However, shootings in the three cities so far this year are down.

All indicators seem to be very positive, kind of across the board in many of these communities, said Joseph Ferrandino, an associate professor at Indiana University Northwest.

Ferrandino, who leads the Northwest Indiana Public Safety Data Consortium, helps many local departments analyze their crime data.

Were pretty close to the floor in some places, meaning theres just going to be a certain number of things that will happen no matter what anybody does to prevent them, he said.

But there seems to be a high ceiling. Historically, crime rates were much higher.

Violence in the cities

Crime in the Regions larger cities tends to follow the national trend, Ferrandino said. Violence in Gary peaked in the mid-1990s, about the same time the national trend peaked.

It wasnt like Gary was super-violent and the nation wasnt, he said.

After a decline in crime nationwide, Chicago and many other major U.S. cities are now seeing a spike in homicides.

In Gary, which typically leads the Region in annual homicides, homicides were down during the first five months of the year. Gary logged 15 homicides through the end of May, compared with 19 during that period a year earlier. The city has recorded two additional homicides so far this month.

Homicides are up so far this year in Hammond, which had logged five by the end of May. The city recorded one homicide during the same period in 2015.

Homicides in East Chicago are about the same: the city logged one homicide as of May 2015, and two so far this year.

Outside of the three cities, Lake County sheriffs police are investigating three homicides, Merrillville police have responded to four and Schererville has logged one.

During all of 2015, homicides in East Chicago, Hammond and Gary were up compared with annual lows recorded in recent annual totals.

Gary logged a total of 50 homicides last year, up from 30 in 2011 and 37 in 2012  the lowest annual totals on record since at least 1985. The city saw more than 100 homicides a year in 1993 and 1996, when it was dubbed the murder capital of the U.S.

Homicides in East Chicago hit a record low in 2012, when the city recorded three. The number increased to eight in 2015, but remained lower than the double-digit totals recorded through the 2000s.

Last year, Hammond logged eight homicides, up two from a low of six in 2012. The city saw annual homicide totals in the double digits through much of the 1990s and 2000s.

In East Chicago, overall violent crime  homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault  increased during the past two years after hitting a low point in 2013. However, property crime  burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson  fell for the fifth year in a row to the lowest level in at least 30 years.

Violent and property crime in Gary and Hammond last year decreased to historic lows.

While many officials said even one homicide is unfortunate, they dont view the slight increase in countywide homicides so far this year as a sign of a wider crime trend in the Region.

At least eight of the 33 homicides this year in Lake County stemmed from family or domestic violence, which is generally considered an isolated crime.

Its a lot easier to predict whats happening on the street than it is to predict whats happening in somebodys home, Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said. Thats why you really have to work on prevention.

Freeman-Wilson  who serves as chairwoman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Working Group of Mayors and Police Chiefs and has testified before President Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing  recently announced a campaign to aid victims of domestic violence.

Were working together

Ferradino said hes particularly concerned about the opioid overdose epidemic, which is a wider trend that threatens the health and quality of life of residents throughout the Region.

Thats something that I think needs to be looked at comprehensively by everyone, he said. It doesnt just affect one community.

That concern was shared by Schererville Police Chief David Dowling, who said he plans to continue to put resources toward combating the drug problem and preventing traffic crashes.

Overall crime continued to trend down in a number of communities, including Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Griffith, Gary, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Lake County, Lake Station, Lowell, Merrillville, Portage, Porter County, Schererville, St. John and Valparaiso.

Griffith Police Chief Greg Mance and several other chiefs attributed the decreases, in part, to an improved regional approach to fighting crime.

Were working together better than ever before, and I think were seeing those results, he said.

Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said his department, like many in the Region, is working with Ferrandino as part of the data consortium. His departments efforts to be transparent with the public have paid off: They provide us with information and tips, he said.

Mance said a slight increase in thefts in his town stemmed mostly from drug use, and he hoped his departments new social services liaison can help prevent more serious crimes by helping families affected by addiction find assistance.

Munster Police Chief Stephen Scheckel said he believes in the data consortium so much hes hired a full-time forensic analyst and intelligence officer.

We have to start thinking about whats going on in the Region and collectively bring our resources to bear, he said.

Burglaries in Munster were down for the fifth year in a row, but thefts were up slightly  an increase Scheckel attributed to a growing commercial district.

Highland Police Chief Peter Hojnicki, whose officers patrol one of the Regions larger shopping districts, said crime in his town has declined despite the resulting daily population fluctuations.

Partnerships pay off

Several chiefs credited local, state and federal partnerships and said their officers participate in a number of task forces. They also credited U.S. Attorney David Capp for his offices work to bring street gang members and robbery suspects to justice.

Capp said in July 2015 his office would be teaming up with local authorities such as the Hammond Police Department and the Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area to investigate gang-related homicides. A number of recent federal indictments have targeted members of the Latin Kings operating in Hammond, East Chicago and Garys Black Oak section.

Hammond Police Chief John Doughty said the initiative with Capp's office has had an effect on gang activity. Assaults with firearms in Hammond so far this year have decreased significantly compared with last year.

Previous indictments targeting factions of the Imperial Gangsters and Two Six Nation in East Chicago and the Latin Kings removed about 60 people from the streets, Capp said during a news conference in December.

Doughty said Capps office has the ability to investigate in ways local police cannot because of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

They go after financial records and show that money was funneled as a result of criminal activity, he said.

The U.S. attorneys office also has charged several suspects in armed robberies under the Hobbs Act, which prohibits interference with interstate commerce. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said at a news conference with Capp in March that use of the federal statute allows for suspects to be charged in one case even when robberies span multiple jurisdictions.

Two Illinois men were charged in state court following the armed robbery in Schererville that led to the manhunt in and around the Highland Meijer store.

Lake Station Police Chief Dave Johnson said his department saw an increase last year in armed robberies at dollar stores and gas stations and eventually were able to secure federal Hobbs Act charges against a group of suspects. Suspects in robberies that occurred in Hammond, Cedar Lake and Crown Point are facing similar charges.

Hammond's Doughty said the prospect of federal charges likely deters would-be robbers, because offenders typically face harsher penalties and serve more of their sentences under the Hobbs Act.

Doughty also credited a number of other factors for the decrease in crime in his city, including a 12-year period of administrative stability under Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.

Its given us time to make effective and permanent change in the department, he said.

The department remains committed to putting more officers on the streets, he said. Two extra patrol units, referred to as Henry units, are on duty five days a week, and two more units have been added on the remaining two days through Labor Day, he said.

Officers are now required to make a specific number of contacts, which has increased visibility, he said. Also, communication among the department's different units  including the gang and narcotics units  is mandated, and community policing has been expanded, he said.

Freeman-Wilson said crime is down in Gary in large part because of the Gary for Life initiative, which takes a targeted approach and uses local, state and federal partnerships. The Multi-Agency Gang Unit has increased visibility but focuses specifically on high-crime areas and individuals believed to be involved in criminal activity, police Investigations Cmdr. Del Stout said.

Gary police partnered last year with the Lake County Sheriff's Department to form the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit, which allows detectives in the unit to focus strictly on homicide investigations.

The city has identified frequent offenders and offers them various types of assistance. They're also warned police will use every resource to stop them if they continue to commit crimes, Freeman-Wilson said.

"Taking violent individuals off our streets and notifying their associates that we are watching them as well, has made positive strides for a safer Gary," Freeman-Wilson and Police Chief Larry McKinley said in a statement.
DYER  Tom DeGiulio now serves as interim town administrator after the Dyer Town Council approved a contract agreement.

A Munster resident with 42 years of local government experience, DeGiulio replaces Rick Eberly, who retired earlier this year.

DeGiulio is not a town employee but is considered a professional contractor who is paid by a 1099 rather than a W-2. Town Attorney William Enseln is in the same category.

According to the contract agreement, DeGiulio is paid $40 per hour for work at home, $60 per hour for daily work at Town Hall and $75 per hour for attendance at public meetings outside of normal business hours. He is paid in regular monthly installments, the contract states.

This position is paid from the general fund in combination with the water, sewer, stormwater, sanitary district, county economic development income tax and motor vehicle highway funds.

The duties outlined in the contract include coordinating Dyers needs with department supervisors, setting department goals, researching and compiling information about grants, making economic development recommendations to the Town Council, supervising active projects such as infrastructure initiatives, vendor relationships and work with engineers/contractors.

A native of Chicago Heights, Illinois, DeGiulio received his bachelor and masters degrees from Illinois State University. He began his career in local government in Normal, Illinois, in 1974 while in graduate school.

DeGiulio served as the first city manager of El Paso, Illinois, a city in Woodford and McLean counties. Before moving to Northwest Indiana to serve as Munster town manager in 1984, he was assistant town manager in Normal.

In August 2014, DeGiulio stepped down as Munster town manager after 30 years of service.

This is the second time in the towns recent history that DeGiulio has helped Dyer. When Glen Eberly, Rick Eberlys father, retired in 2004, DeGiulio worked with the Dyer Town Council to find a successor. That search led to the hiring of Joe Neeb as Dyer town manager. Neebs tenure ended in 2010 when he took a job in South Dakota.
MERRILLVILLE  The Heritage Institute of Arts and Technology has passed its final before the Town Council, setting the stage for the charter school to open in August.

The council voted 5-1 to approve a special exception request permitting the charter school to locate in the former SS. Peter and Paul school building at 5885 Harrison St. Councilman Don Spann was the only member voting against the request.

Darlene Henderson, executive director/chief executive officer of HIAT, said the approval was the last step school officials needed to take before HIAT could open at the site.

Henderson said she was so excited following the council's decision and thankful for the town's support.

I think it's a good project, Councilwoman Marge Uzelac said of the school.

Henderson said there are a variety of reasons the school is focusing on arts and technology. Henderson said it's through arts that children develop their learning styles. Students will use technology to solve problems.

HIAT will start by offering classes for pre-K to fourth grade. An additional grade level will be added each year, eventually going to eighth grade, Henderson said.

She said the projected first day of school is Aug. 17. About 300 students could be enrolled for the first year of the school.

HIAT will use all of the 18 classrooms in the former building, which has been vacant since the early 1990s. The school will complete more than $500,000 in improvements to the facility before opening, according to the town.

Earlier this year, the Indiana Charter School Board approved the charter school for five years.

Proposals for HIAT had been turned down several times by Ball State University and the Indiana Charter School Board prior to the ICSB granting its approval this year.

In 2011, representatives for the charter school went before town officials for approvals to open in a different location off of U.S. 30. The council at that time denied that request, citing safety concerns about that location.
The Munster Police Department held its annual Drug Abuse Resistance Education graduation ceremonies at Eads Elementary School, Elliott Elementary and Frank Hammond Elementary. At the ceremonies the fifth-grade students were honored with graduation certificates and awards were presented for the best DARE essays, most-improved students (Albert's Award), and for the Daren Award (outstanding participation in DARE classes). The Eads graduation also included the presentation of the annual Jacob Homans Award, which honors two students for being outstanding role models for their fellow classmates. The DARE program is instructed annually to more than 1,600 Munster students and includes lessons on drug prevention, bullying prevention, internet safety, confident communication skills, stranger-danger, help networks and positive decision-making skills.
HOBART  On the day before Father's Day, it was Mother Earth receiving attention along the shore of Lake George.

Members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Native Americans were a highlight of Saturday's Water Festival in Hobart as they blessed Lake George during a water ceremony.

The Potawatomi prayed for the healing of the water and those participating in the ceremony at Festival Park.

They used rattles and drums to keep time as they sang. During one song, a copper kettle filled with water was held toward the sky. The large crowd that gathered was later given water from that kettle to drink.

Barbara Ann Warren, a member of the Pokagon Band, explained the importance of water to all and the need to bless it before the ceremony got underway.

Warren asked the crowd to think of Earth as a mother and compared waterways to the blood system.

We're going to tell this water how much we appreciate it, how much we love it, she said.

Warren told the crowd, you are water. On hot days like Saturday, people can become sick if they don't replenish themselves, she said.

It's used for healing, Warren said.

Water also gives life, and the Potawatomi who led the ceremony consisted primarily of women because women are lifegivers.

Following the ceremony, the Potawatomi poured unused water from the ceremony into Lake George. Patty Jo Kublick, cultural activities coordinator for the Pokagon Band, said that ensures all the prayers made during the ceremony reach the lake.

They also picked up debris found near Lake George. Warren encouraged the crowd to recycle and find other ways to decrease your carbon footprint on Mother Earth.

Many who watched the ceremony thanked the Potawatomi for performing the ceremony and including the public in it.

Tim Kingsland, Hobart's Stormwater District coordinator, was among those happy to have the Pokagon Band involved in the Water Festival for the second straight year. Long before Hobart was established, it was home to the Potawatomi, and Kingsland wants to continue to have the Pokagon Band involved in the city.

The area now known as Hobart and the water resources available there were significant for Native Americans. The location was considered a safe zone where no war was allowed. Native Americans gathered there to trade goods, tell stories, hunt and fish.
ST. JOHN  After a six-hour blockage of three crossings by a CSX train, it appears St. John might finally have gotten the help from the railroad it needed to eliminate such problems in the future.

Police Chief James Kveton said problems with trains blocking the crossings at Patterson Street, 81st Avenue and a private road off of Patterson were one of the first things he tried to tackle after his appointment as chief in January. It got more personal when he found himself stuck waiting for trains a couple of times.

After working with CSX to alter the hours of delivery to Schilling Lumber to times when traffic was not so heavy, the problem seemed to be alleviated. That lasted only about four weeks, Kveton said.

The blockages resumed and continued despite the town and the Lake County Sheriffs Department (two of the crossings are outside the town) issuing an estimated 45 tickets for blockages lasting more than 10 minutes.

On June 2, a CSX train blocked the three crossings for about six hours when the engine broke down and another had to be brought in from some distance away.

I was in touch with the CSX control center and the railroads police department several times, Kveton said. The officer I was dealing with was sharing my concerns with the railroad that night as he had done in the past.

The biggest concern was over the inability of emergency vehicles to get through. Kveton said the town did get a call of an accident in which it was reported a man on a bicycle had been struck by a car. The ambulance was unable to reach the scene because of the train.

The Times ran a story about the towns battle with the train blockages on June 5, and Kveton said he got a call the next day from a CSX official in Washington, D.C., saying the railroad was working on a solution. On June 9, Kveton met with another official, who said they had solved the problem.

The train was a very large one, and they were going to change it so, instead of coming from Riverdale, they would bring a shorter one from Lafayette, Kveton said. The new procedure was to take effect immediately, and Ive not had any calls of blockages since then.

The chief said CSX had changed some of its operations at the beginning of the year, which led to the blockage problem. It took them a while to figure out the solution. CSX spokesperson Gail Lobin said the company tries to work with the communities through which the trains pass.

The line that moves through this area is important to the entire Region to balance the safe delivery of commerce, Lobin said. We are pleased that our operations team was able to identify an alternative scheduling option, including running a local train from Lafayette, which allows us to meet customer needs while decreasing the incidences of blocked crossings in St. John.

Kveton said he was glad, too, but added, I thought we had it solved before, so Im not holding my breath.

As to the report of an accident, Kveton said a vehicle was backing up, apparently to turn around and get away from the blockage. A man on a bicycle behind the vehicle had to jump off the bike. Someone saw this and reported it thinking he had been hit, but he was not injured.
MICHIGAN CITY  Live Music Matters will present the inaugural Lighthouse Jazz Festival from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 9 in the lakefront Guy Foreman Amphitheatre in historic Washington Park.

The one-day festival features live music by top jazz artists, craft beers and wine, local cuisine, interactive activities for children and more. The festival will feature a Tribute to Miles Davis by his former musical director Robert Irving III and trumpeter Corey Wilkes.

Tickets are now on sale at http://j.mp/lighthousejazz

Michigan City is on the upswing of change and everyone, including me, wants to be a part of something big, said John Moultrie,k Lighthouse Jazz Festival artistic director. His regionally based firm is producing the music festival.

Michigan City reminds me of many of the neighborhoods in Chicago where I grew up. The culture and diversity makes me feel right at home. Not to mention the people that Ive come to meet  from small business owners, to corporate retailers, from the locals to visitors. We all want to do our part and support the new vision.

Moultrie was inspired by the announcement of Michigan Citys new slogan, Create. Play. Repeat, developed for the city by a firm commissioned to devise a plan to rebrand Michigan City.

When the city went through the new branding session, I saw how music and events could attract more people to the downtown businesses as well as entertain a diverse population. I knew then, I had to be a part of this.
Folks in Indiana understand what it means to be civil.

You know that it requires respect. It means treating your neighbor as you would want to be treated. It means disagreeing without being disagreeable. But Hoosiers dont understand civility better than the rest of the nation just because of Midwestern values. Its because every two years, Indiana is invaded by incivility.

Living in a swing state, Hoosiers are exposed to some of the worst in American politics. Every two years, the political machine rears its ugly head and dumps incivility in your laps. Your televisions become occupied by ominous advertisements sponsored by shady organizations with Orwellian names like Americans for an American America.

But this election is not like most elections  its worse. Recent polling conducted for The National Institute for Civil Discourse shows that 2 out of 3 voters say the 2016 campaign is less civil than other elections and 69 percent of Americans are saying that civility has decreased in the last few years.

In Washington, D.C., political fights are the norm, and, unfortunately, it always seems like election season. Politics is the business, and too many people are desensitized to incivility. Too many believe it is the natural state for an argument, and too often politicians here tread into uncivil territory, attacking their opponents personally instead of discussing their policy differences. Members of Congress are more likely to drive across the city for lunch than to cross the aisle to work with their colleagues.

It shouldnt be this way. Hoosiers know incivility isnt normal and isnt acceptable. We expect our leaders to reach across the aisle and compromise on policy proposals to find solutions that strengthen our country. We believe that for America to function, we need to be civil.

Thats exactly why we at the National Institute for Civil Discourse are working to #ReviveCivility. How else can we have national conversations about the biggest issues facing our nation  gun violence, climate change, economic justice, tax reform, you name it  if we cant be civil?

Our Revive Civility Campaign provides voters with concrete actions they can take individually or as a group to help improve civil discourse during this very contentious president election. Our Citizens Toolkit outlines steps individuals and organizations can take to revive civility. Our toolkit includes Standards of Conduct for Campaigns and clear guidelines that candidates, media and citizens should follow. These standards werent just created out of thin air: they were carefully crafted by academic experts, state legislators and NICDs national board  which includes former presidents, former secretaries of state, former members of Congress and a former Supreme Court justice.

In the race toward November, civility should not fall by the wayside. Were all Americans and we want the best for our country. Our elections should be about who has the best vision for America, not the best attack ad.

But with the 2016 election shaping up to be the most uncivil in decades, I fear that this tone and tenor represents the new norm for politics. The generation coming of age during this election will see our leaders trashing each other instead of working together. What happens when they grow up and run for office? Will they work together? Or will they model their behavior after what they grew up watching, splitting our nation even further apart?

Thats why Im glad that Northwest Indiana is home to the Civility in the Classroom program, born of a partnership between the Gary Chamber and The Times Media Co.'s Community Civility Counts initiative. The next generation needs to understand that incivility isnt the norm. Insults on Twitter are not a replacement for sound policy discussions. Sending a surrogate on TV to trash your opponent isnt an acceptable substitution for a debate on the issues. I hope more students will participate in the program and become the kinds of citizens that expect a civil society, where we work together to solve our problems.

Teaching civility starts with our students, and its up to us to ensure we dont fail the next generation.

For more on Reviving Civility, visit: www.nicd.arizona.edu/revivecivility.
Since 1942, United Way and AFL-CIO have partnered together, celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. The unique collaboration ensures Northwest Indiana has the resources to break barriers, creating opportunities for a better life for all. Much like organized labor, United Way focuses on education, financial stability, and health because these are the building blocks for a good quality of life.

More than 50,000 working families from over 68 different labor unions live and work in Lake and Porter counties. AFL-CIO have a national partnership agreement that outlines a common vision for strengthening the communities in which working families can prosper.

Far too many families are struggling to make ends meet in Northwest Indiana. Many children arent receiving the education they need to succeed, and not everyone has access to quality affordable health care. The long-time partnership between Labor and United Way increases our ability to make meaningful improvement in the lives of working families.

We want to thank union members for helping United Way to provide local services in the areas of education, financial stability and health. Some examples of United Way funded services that support local, struggling, working families include:

Quality, affordable early childhood education opportunities.

Safe, quality after-school and summer youth programs.

Job training for adults with disabilities.

Prescription discounts for the underinsured and delivery of food to the homebound.

Together, weve fed the hungry by collecting more than 1.4 billion pounds of food over 23 years with Stamp Out Hunger," the National Letter Carriers Food Drive. We impacted lives by leveraging the skills and commitment of local union members for community services to make big impacts in the lives of individuals. Weve raised millions of dollars to help local families move from a place of need to a place of stability.

When we live United, we can make changes that would be impossible to accomplish if we acted alone. Live United is a call to action for everyone in our community. Are you in?

Learn more about creating a healthy, prosperous region by contacting your local United Way at www.unitedwaypc.org in Porter County or www.lauw.org in Lake County.
Where did we go wrong, America?

There are more guns in this country than adults. And if the National Rifle Association has its way, that disparity will continue to grow.

Yes, the talk about gun control is renewed every time there is a mass shooting, like the one in Orlando a week ago.

But nothing happens. There is no reform. And those who shouldnt own guns continue to get them

And guns like the semi-automatic weapon used in Orlando continue to be legal although no one can give a justifiable reason as to why.

At least in part because of the NRAs stranglehold on many politicians in this country, there is more gun violence in the United States than any nation on Earth.

Unfortunately, the Orlando issue is being used by people like Donald Trump to play on emotions rather than use common sense.

Trump first said that if all the patrons at the Orlando nightclub had been armed, there wouldnt have been a massacre. Arming America wont bring an end to violence, but it may gain Trump a few votes.

Then Trump told a gathering, I am going to save your Second Amendment.

He isnt going to save anything, because no one is trying to take away the Second Amendment.

Prohibiting assault weapons and semi-automatic weapons is common sense  not an assault on the Second Amendment.

As if Trump isnt bad enough, I heard U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, being interviewed about gun reform.

Johnson  in responding to a CNN question  had the audacity to say there are no gun show loopholes in this country.

It is a bit frightening when a U.S. senator is so uneducated about gun laws.

That brings us to the Lake County Fairgrounds, where there are gun shows four times a year.

And yes, there are loopholes. While most of the guns sold there are through federally licensed dealers, anything goes with the loopholes.

Those dealers can sell firearms to anyone who walks in off the street  no questions asked. Those who legally cant possess firearms can buy them. And police and prosecutors have said that many of the weapons confiscated from gangs in the greater Chicago area were purchased in Lake County.

But Lake County commissioners, who control the fairgrounds, refuse to prohibit gun shows.

Eliminating gun shows at the fairgrounds would be a small part of what America needs.

Heaven forbid that the next mass shooting would involve an assault weapon purchased by a mentally unstable person through a Lake County gun show loophole.
Just another normal day in America. Just another senseless killing by handguns. Just add it to the tens of thousands killed each year in America. We return to our normal lives in America and meet further gun violence with further purchases of guns.

It's another time for a politician to mourn the dead but never is it time for Congress to meet to try to curb deaths by guns.

Christina Grimmie, your light burned bright too shortly, but we must return to our normal lives where your death is just another number.

Shame on us as a people, as a country, that we value our guns more then we do our people and our children. God forbid we put aside our fears, our anger, our disagreements and take a look at how other countries that view killings as abnormal approach the issue of guns.

Giovanni Savaglio, Munster
This is where the Duke of Sandringham comes in.

Claire ends up under his protection as she continues to pretend to be a kidnapped widow. At any point, the Duke could destroy Claires cover story. But instead he chooses to play along, at one point even making as if he needs her help as a way of placing a trap. Would we expect anything less of him at this point?

The British have been keeping an eye on him since his desire to play both sides against the middle has backfired, making him a prisoner in his own home. Claires presence provides him with a solution to his problem. He knows Jamie will come to rescue her and if he captured them both for the British, it would absolve him of any suspicion of being a Jacobite. The only hitch comes thanks to Mary, who happens to be his goddaughter.

Claire notices that Danton, the Dukes valet, has the same birthmark on his hand that she remembers from the attack. As always, the actress Caitriona Balfe is able to communicate deep wells of emotion with nary a word. Her body tenses up when she sees the mark, as if shes uncertain whether she should attack or run. Her eyes well with tears and anger as she realizes the depths of the Dukes depravity. He had his own goddaughter raped and for what?

The Duke owed St. Germain money, but he was able to convince the man that instead of killing Claire, having her raped would suffice. Rape is often used on Outlander as an important plot device. But its effect on the shows female characters and its effect on Jamie after his attack by Black Jack Randall are treated very differently. Marys rape was harrowing to witness but to what end does it enhance our understanding of her character or the world of the story? Learning that her tragedy is the result of a mans financial dealings and revenge against another woman is troubling. It also doesnt feel like a satisfying answer.

Mary and Claire get revenge, but the show doesnt fully wrestle with what this means for either of them going forward. Jamie and Murtagh are able to get into the Dukes home to save them. There is a fascinating moment when Mary grabs a blade after learning the truth about her rape. She considers it for a moment before stabbing Danton. But its Murtagh who gets the honor of killing the Duke in a rather bloody fashion, cutting off his head. Its somewhat comical to see him carry this head to Claire and Marys feet saying: I kept my word. I lay your vengeance at your feet. It doesnt seem right for the final statement about this story line to be about Murtagh.
Many other recipes to cook this coming week are available on Cooking. And of course there are yet still more on blogs and recipe sites across the World Wide Web. A public service announcement: You can save any recipe from any source to your Cooking recipe box, using this handy extension. (Heres hoping everything goes smoothly. If not, we are standing by to help: cookingcare@nytimes.com.)

Now, how about some distractions before your kitchen chores? Well start with Miley Cyrus singing Jolene out in the backyard. Im not sure you need to read the British naturalist Charles Fosters new book, Being a Beast: Adventures Across the Species Divide. But you absolutely should read Dwight Garners sprightly, hilarious review, and decide for yourself. You may read Justin Rohrlichs Could Eat a Horse, in Roads & Kingdoms. And take a gander at these beautiful sweetgrass baskets that Mary Jackson makes down in Charleston, S.C. Well be back tomorrow with more.
Before his entry into journalism, the born-and-bred Texan worked at a Ralph Lauren boutique in San Antonio. This year, he replaced David Granger, the deeply respected (if not exactly fashion-besotted) editor who amassed 17 National Magazine Awards during his 19 years at the Esquire helm.

Along with Mr. Fielden, copies of his first issue, with Viggo Mortensen on the cover in a denim Polo Ralph Lauren jacket and a Brunello Cucinelli shirt, awaited the guests. During his tenure, Mr. Fielden said, fashion will be a particular focus.

The landscape of mens style magazines is changing rapidly in America. At the end of 2015, Conde Nast folded Details; around the same time, Maxim, having hired Kate Lanphear to revamp the magazine in a more fashion-forward and luxury-centric direction, parted ways with her and returned to its naughty, laddie-mag roots. That leaves Esquire to duke it out with GQ, its Conde Nast rival, which held a Milan party of its own Saturday night.

Having a great competitor is a great thing for everybody, Mr. Fielden said.

Over a glass of pink Champagne (Champagne: The Manliest Order, says the latest Esquire, page 82), Mr. Fielden paused to chat, interrupted intermittently to receive double-cheek kisses and congratulations. A condensed and edited version of our conversation is below.
He is a son of Orna Z. Kafri of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Tal Kafri of Carrboro, N.C. The grooms mother is a registered nurse at UNC Health Care, a nonprofit medical system owned by the State of North Carolina and based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His father is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology in the Gene Therapy Center, also at the University of North Carolina.

The couple met in February 2013 at a kickball game with mutual friends in Silver Spring, Md.

I thought she was really cute, said Mr. Kafri, who had a girlfriend at the time. She was really sweet and very charming.

In September, Ms. Abou Negm and Mr. Kafri met again at her housewarming party in Washington, but it was no coincidence. Ms. Abou Negm had returned from the Peace Corps less than a year before and only knew a few people in the city, so she invited five friends, and told each of them to bring along a friend of their own. That opened the door for Mr. Kafri, who was now single and tagging along with a mutual friend in the hope of becoming better acquainted with Ms. Abou Negm, whom he remembered from their kickball game.

I really wanted to see her again, he said.

He soon got his wish, and when he was introduced to Ms. Abou Negm as a physicist, they spent a few minutes talking about quantum entanglement.

I liked him right away, Ms. Abou Negm said. I sort of remembered him from kickball, and I thought he was very cute and very nice.
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, a daughter of Bruce S. Aptowicz of Philadelphia and the late Maureen OKeefe Aptowicz, was married June 18 to Ernest Christy Cline, a son of the late Faye Imogene Cline and the late Ernest C. Cline, who lived in Ashland, Ohio. Derrick Brown, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the occasion, officiated aboard Freedom Elite, a yacht docked on the waterfront of Spruce Street Harbor Park in Philadelphia.

The bride, 37, is a poet and nonfiction writer in Austin, Tex. She is the author of Dr. Mutters Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine. She graduated from N.Y.U.

Her father retired as a civil engineer for the Philadelphia Water Department. Her mother was a senior analyst in Cherry Hill, N.J., for the Internal Revenue Service.

The groom, 44, is the author of Armada, a novel that he is turning into a screenplay for Universal Pictures. His debut novel, Ready Player One, is being made into a film by Steven Spielberg. The grooms first marriage ended in divorce.
Jennifer Jean Thaxton and Andrew Clayton Bird were married June 18. The Rev. Mary A. Sweet, a United Methodist minister, officiated at Buzzs Lakeside Inn in Whitehall, Mich.

Mrs. Bird, 31, is the deputy director for the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula in the defense secretarys office at the Pentagon. She graduated from the University of Michigan and received a masters degree in international affairs from Columbia.

She is the daughter of Becky J. Thaxton and Anthony S. Thaxton of Holland, Mich., who are retired. The brides father was the executive director of the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education, in Lansing. Her mother taught second grade at Blue Star Elementary School in Hamilton, Mich.

Mr. Bird, 30, was until April a detachment commander in Fort Campbell, Ky., for the Armys Fifth Special Forces Group; he was deployed to Iraq in 2009 and attained the rank of captain before leaving the Army. He graduated from Syracuse and plans to begin studying for an M.B.A. at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown in August.
Jennifer Lauren Tuft, a daughter of Diane H. Tuft and Thomas E. Tuft of New York, was married June 18 to Jay Brendan Brooker, a son of Marcia A. Brooker of Southbury, Conn., and Gerard Brooker of Bethel, Conn. Cantor Judd Grossman officiated at the Amangani Hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The bride, 36, and the groom, 37, work at the Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, where she is an executive in the global client strategy department and he is the head of content creation in its marketing division.

The bride graduated from Wesleyan University and received an M.B.A. from Columbia.

Her father, a former partner in Goldman Sachs, is the chairman of the global capital markets advisory unit of Lazard Freres, the investment bank in New York. He also is the chairman of the board of the Roundabout Theater Company and a vice chairman of the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art, both in New York. Her mother is a mixed-media artist specializing in photography whose work has been exhibited at the Marlborough Gallery in New York, among others. She is on the board of the International Center of Photography and the Cancer Research Institute, also in New York.

The groom graduated from Emerson College.

His mother taught heath and home economics at Staples High School in Westport, Conn., before retiring from the same teaching positions at Coleytown Middle School, also in Westport. His father retired as the chairman of the English department at Staples High School and is the author of several books.
Lisa Michelle Ellman and Jason Luke Amerine were married June 18 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington. Rabbi David A. Kuperman officiated.

Ms. Ellman-Amerine, 38, is a partner at the Washington law firm Hogan Lovells, where she is a co-leader of the practice handling law relating to commercial drones. She is also a co-executive director of the Commercial Drone Alliance, a trade group with headquarters in Washington and in Menlo Park, Calif.

She graduated from the University of Michigan and received a law degree and a masters degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. From 2008-2014, she was a presidential appointee at the White House and the Justice Department, most recently as a senior counsel developing drone policy at the Justice Department.

She is the daughter of Carol J. Ellman and Howard S. Ellman of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Mr. Amerine, 45, is a fellow at New America, a public policy institute in Washington. He retired from the Army last year as a lieutenant colonel, having served as an operations branch chief on the Army staff in Washington. He had been the leader of a Special Forces unit, and served during the invasion of Afghanistan, bringing Hamid Karzai back into the country to begin the guerrilla campaign at the outset of the conflict.
Patricia Gilchrist Gleacher, the daughter of Anne Gilchrist Hall of New York and Eric J. Gleacher of North Palm Beach, Fla., was married June 18 to Graham Nash Pitcairn, the son of Martha Nash Pitcairn and Duncan Bruce Pitcairn of Bryn Athyn, Pa. The Very Rev. Denis Brunelle, an Episcopal priest, performed the ceremony at St. Lukes Episcopal Church in East Hampton, N.Y.

Until June 9, Mrs. Pitcairn, 26, was a preschool teacher at the Meadowbrook School, an elementary school in Meadowbrook, Pa. She graduated from Northwestern University and received a master of science in education degree from Bank Street College of Education.

Her father, who retired as the chairman of Gleacher & Company, an investment bank in New York, is now a partner in Promethean Investments, an investment bank in London. He is also a trustee of Northwestern University. Her mother is a trustee of Prep for Prep, a nonprofit leadership program in New York that places high-achieving minority students in elite institutions. The bride is also the stepdaughter of Paula Gleacher and John H. Hall.

Mr. Pitcairn, also 26, is a United States Coast Guard helicopter pilot stationed in Atlantic City. He graduated with distinction from the United States Coast Guard Academy.
Carl Ducasses family in the Bronx had been planning something big to mark two approaching milestones: his graduation from high school this month, and his 18th birthday in August.

It was supposed to be a big celebration, his cousin, Narier Ducasse, 29, said on Saturday. And now were planning a funeral.

Carl Ducasse and a friend had gone out on Friday to get a milkshake from a bodega around the corner from where he lived in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx, Narier Ducasse said, but his cousin never made it back.

The police said he had been fatally stabbed in the chest during a robbery around 11:20 p.m. near the corner of East 175th Street and Walton Avenue, a block from the apartment where his mother had been waiting for him to return.
A 5-year-old boy was in fair condition on Saturday after his mother wrested him from a mountain lion that had pounced on the child outside their home near Aspen, Colo., the police said.

The boy, whose name was not disclosed, was playing outside with his older brother around 8 p.m. on Friday when his mother, who was inside the house, heard screaming.

She ran outside and saw a mountain lion on top of her son, who sustained injuries to his face, head and neck during the attack, the police said.
Democrats appear likely to include those proposals in their platform. Senator Sanders, working with other progressives, has transformed the debate, so that expanding Social Security is today a central and consensus tenet of the Democratic Party, Nancy J. Altman, the president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group, said at a hearing of the platform-drafting committee on June 9.

Representative Kevin Brady, Republican of Texas and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said the Democrats stance was not a surprise. Whenever theres a problem with a federal program, Mr. Brady said, the presidents answer is to raise taxes and throw more money at it.

Mr. Sanders has long pushed for the expansion of Social Security and made that a major theme of his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. The partys new consensus gave Mr. Sanders reason to crow.

A few years ago we were told that the debate on Social Security was not whether we were going to cut it, but by how much, said Warren Gunnels, the policy director for the Sanders campaign. Many of us stood up and fought back.

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.

Now, he said, after Mr. Obamas remarks this month in Indiana, we are all unified as Democrats, and the issue is not whether were going to expand Social Security, but how much were going to expand it.

Sixty million people receive Social Security benefits totaling more than $74 billion each month. So even small changes can have big implications.

At one point, just before the New Hampshire primary in February, Mr. Sanders challenged Mrs. Clintons record on Social Security and suggested that she might support increasing the age at which people become eligible for full retirement benefits. (That age, originally set at 65, increases gradually and is already scheduled to reach 67 for people born after 1959.)
PARIS  All up and down the boulevard, store windows were smashed  at a Starbucks, a supermarket, a handbag store. Young men clambered on top of bus shelters. Even a childrens hospital was attacked. The police brought out tear gas and a rarely used water cannon.

Even for a country used to unruly labor protests, the violence on the streets of Paris on Tuesday was a shock. But days later, the man behind the antigovernment protests that have rippled across France was barely apologetic. If anything, he promised more.

Philippe Martinez, the mustachioed boss of one of Frances biggest labor unions, the General Confederation of Labor, known as C.G.T., has mobilized tens of thousands of workers and sent them coursing through the streets of French cities for weeks.

This past week, it was Pariss turn. Mr. Martinez  55, stocky, pugnacious and combative  ordered over 600 buses to ferry union protesters from the provinces to a march here, which drew tens of thousands of demonstrators on Tuesday.
CAIRO  As Egyptian high school students take their final exams this month, the government is facing a wave of criticism and mockery after copies of at least two test papers  and their answers  were leaked on Facebook.

The leaks, which caused one of the tests to be canceled, have resulted in a barrage of criticism of the Education Ministry, and the police and military officers who guard the wax-sealed boxes that the exams are kept in before students take them.

The exams were leaked on a Facebook page by someone, or a group, called Chao Ming (the reason for the Chinese-sounding name is unclear). For the past four years, Chao Ming posted answers during testing, allowing cheating by students flouting a ban on cellphones. This year is believed to be the first time Chao Ming has posted copies of the exams and answers before testing takes place.

Chao Ming has spawned a host of imitators who use Facebook and other online platforms to help students cheat  and taunt the authorities. Some of the sites say they are acting to embarrass the Education Ministry and to change the educational system in Egypt.
WASHINGTON  Senior American and Russian defense officials held what the Pentagon described as an extraordinary videoconference on Saturday to discuss Russian airstrikes that days earlier hit a garrison manned by Syrian rebels backed by the United States.

The Russian strikes hit Syrian opposition fighters on Thursday at the al-Tanf crossing, which lies on Syrias border with Iraq. The rebels there are battling the Islamic State, the Pentagon said, and are also supposed to be covered by a partial cease-fire that the United States and Russia brokered in February.

During the videoconference on Saturday, Pentagon officials expressed strong concerns about the attack on forces that are fighting the Islamic State, Peter Cook, the Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement.

American officials told the Russians that their strikes had continued even after they were officially informed of allied air support underway for the rebels and that this had created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces, the statement said.
Binod Chaudhary is chairman and chief executive of CG Corp. Global, a Nepal-based conglomerate in hospitality, financial services, education, infrastructure and telecommunications.

Q. When did you first start to show an entrepreneurial streak?

A. I was maybe 14 years old and I was attending a vocational school in Nepal where we were being taught secretarial skills. I was a good student and one of my teachers encouraged me to set up a snack shop inside the school. I borrowed a few rupees and with some of my classmates we would go shopping, buy a few items and then set up a table and resell the items inside the school. Looking back, it was actually a great way of learning the dynamics of business  it really taught me the ABCs of buying, selling, stocking.

My second very important experience was setting up a discotheque in Kathmandu with a friend. It was the first discotheque there  I still remember flying to Hong Kong to buy some psychedelic lights. I was 17 years old and it was a lot of fun; but it was also a serious business and not an easy one, because you had to collect money from people getting high or people who forgot to pay because they were drunk. In fact, you had to be more serious than in a normal business, given the nature of the business. Here my friends were dancing with the girls, getting drunk, but I had to maintain a certain discipline so that my staff would also behave themselves. As a leader its important to lead by example, whatever the business youre in.

Q. Did your parents support these early initiatives?

A. I come from a very conservative family and running a nightclub was not an activity that was much appreciated. My father was not comfortable with the idea. He was apprehensive of my going down that alley and not returning to serious business.
Oscar Health was going to be a new kind of insurance company. Started in 2012, just in time to offer plans to people buying insurance under the new federal health care law, the business promised to use technology to push less costly care and more consumer-friendly coverage.

Were trying to build something thats going to turn the industry on its head, Joshua Kushner, one of the companys founders, said in 2014, as Oscar began to enroll its first customers.

These days, though, Oscar is more of a case study in how brutally tough it is to keep a business above water in the state marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. And its struggles highlight a critical question about the act: Can insurance companies run a viable business in the individual market?

Oscar has attracted 135,000 customers, about half of them in New York State. And some of its efforts with technology have been successful. But for every dollar of premium Oscar collects in New York, the company is losing 15 cents. It lost $92 million in the state last year and another $39 million in the first three months of 2016.
A quiet shift is taking place in how women obtain birth control. A growing assortment of new apps and websites now make it possible to get prescription contraceptives without going to the doctor.

The development has potential to be more than just a convenience for women already on birth control. Public health experts hope it will encourage more to start, or restart, using contraception and help reduce the countrys stubbornly high rate of unintended pregnancies, as well as the rate of abortions.

And as apps and websites, rather than legislative proposals or taxpayer-funded programs, the new services have so far sprung up beneath the political radar and grown through word of mouth, with little of the furor that has come to be expected in issues involving reproductive health.

At least six digital ventures, by private companies and nonprofits, including Planned Parenthood, now provide prescriptions written by clinicians after women answer questions about their health online or by video. All prescribe birth control pills, and some prescribe patches, rings and morning-after pills. Some ship contraceptives directly to womens doors.
Beethoven, a high-culture idol, was a departure for Mr. Baker, who said he had never attended a classical-music concert. He dabbled with the clarinet and the saxophone when he was growing up on the Jersey Shore. But painting beckoned after high school.

Now 62, he is a happy straggler when it comes to technology. He still has a flip phone, and he has never  yes, never  used Google. His main research tool is the World Book Encyclopedia, a 19-volume set from 1956 (those seeking further explanation of what that is can look it up on Google).

Image Mr. Bakers plan for the field, with a grid laid over Beethovens image. Credit... Roger Baker

That was where he found the image of Beethoven that he adapted for the field. As for the LPs at the yard sale  recordings of the pianist Alfred Brendel  I paid five bucks for them, he said.

The records were in perfect condition, he said, and he played them over and over, carefully lowering the needle to avoid scratching the old vinyl surfaces. Before he settled on Beethoven, he considered other famous musicians who happened to have impressive hair: Leonard Bernstein, Luciano Pavarotti, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mr. Baker pulled Volume 11, the M volume of the World Book, off a shelf and read up on Mozart. He was unimpressed. Mozart didnt have the verve, Mr. Baker said. I look at the portrait of Beethoven and think, dun-dun-dun-DUH. Mozart was just kind of standing there.

So Beethoven it was, and not just the portrait. He sketched the nine letters of the composers family name below the image. He decided ordinary-looking letters were not enough, so he copied Beethovens signature. The B is more than 90 feet tall. And he got permission to use the field rent-free  it is owned by friends, he said.
A man in the Bronx was fatally shot by New York City police officers early Sunday after he refused to drop a gun he was carrying and pointed it at the officers, the authorities said.

The police arrived just before 2 a.m. at the Soundview Houses, a New York City Housing Authority complex in the South Bronx, after receiving 911 calls reporting gunfire, the authorities said. The officers encountered the man, 25, holding the gun outside a building on the corner of Randall and Rosedale Avenues, the police said.

The man, whose name was not released, walked toward the officers with the gun raised, Assistant Chief Larry W. Nikunen, the police commander for the Bronx, told reporters on Sunday. He pointed the gun at them on two separate times, Chief Nikunen said.

The officers, who were in uniform and in plain clothes, ordered the man to drop the weapon, and he did not comply, the police said. Three of the officers opened fire; 31 shots were fired, the police said, and the man was struck several times.
A spokesman for Airbnb said that the company was open about its dispute resolution policies, including the waiver clause, and that these provisions are common and we believe ours is balanced and protects consumers.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process.

In an interview, Chris Lehane, the head of global policy for Airbnb, said the company was being proactive in dealing with discrimination claims. Airbnb recently removed two of its hosts, including one for writing racist epithets to a black user and another for refusing a transgender woman as a guest. Mr. Lehane said the company suspended, or in some cases permanently banned, those who violated its anti-discrimination policy.

Airbnb this month also hired Laura Murphy, the former head of the American Civil Liberties Unions Washington legislative office, as an outside adviser to look at the issue. Ms. Murphy said Airbnb was examining its internal structures and technology, and its processes for identifying and handling discrimination incidents, and building relationships with organizations like fair housing, human rights and travel groups.

Airbnb aims to have announcements in the next 10 days about preliminary actions it is taking on discrimination, and it plans to have a full report with proposed remedies in September, she said. Eventually, the company wants to have a division to handle and resolve discrimination complaints, Ms. Murphy added.

Litigation is always an option, but we think its better to take the time and effort to resolve problems if we can, she said in an interview.

When there is litigation, Airbnb has not been afraid to use the class-action waiver clause. In March, the company cited the clause in fighting a class-action suit that accused Airbnb of acting as an unlicensed real estate broker. The company said the suit was moot because the plaintiffs had agreed to waive their class-action rights and, in a related clause, agreed to resolve disputes through individual arbitration. The judge in the case is now deciding whether it should be placed in the hands of an arbitrator.

Airbnb is willing and eager to use the class-action waiver and arbitration clause, said Jeffrey Norton, the lawyer who filed that suit in February.
Mr. Sylvest, a fast-talking 50-year-old, offered tips on how best to share videos streamed directly from drones to commanders on the ground. During a recent fire in downtown Copenhagen, Mr. Sylvest said, he was able to beam high-definition images from high above, allowing his bosses to judge if a buildings walls would collapse (they did not). And when the police called him out last year after a man was reported missing, he flew his drone along a stretch of train tracks to guide colleagues on where best to look. (The man was found.)

We are just firefighters, he said as he nursed a cup of coffee during the first day of training. We have to be able to use drones in very simple ways.

The drone boot camp contrasts sharply with the experience of emergency workers in the United States, where it has been harder to use drones for such purposes.

In recent years, both parts of the world have set up rules to regulate drone use. European agencies, analysts say, have often been quicker to give licenses for public or commercial purposes, mostly because officials, more inclined toward regulation than in the United States, have been eager to control the use of the new technology.

The process to be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency in charge of national drone rules in the United States, is more protracted, though the agency is the first to require registration of devices used by the general public.

Europeans started giving out commercial licenses years ago, said Hendrik Bodecker, co-founder of the analytics company Drone Industry Insights in Hamburg. They just have more experience.

All of the team members gathered in Copenhagen had used drones before. But on the windswept field outside the city, each group still took turns running through preflight checks, ensuring that the onboard camera and battery were working properly, and practicing maneuvers like night flying and landing aircraft from afar that would form part of their daily routine. Over coffee and cake, the teams also showed off their custom drone modifications, including harnesses that allowed multiple cameras to be attached to each drone.
INTRO I dont think the majority of americans realize that this even occurred. [00:00:13.15] We were told you dont talk about this kind of stuff. [00:00:17.22] I said somethings wrong. My chest feels like its splitting open. I am trying my best to make sure that somebody listens to me [00:00:25.25] Heres at least one person that is not going to shut up and die. ACT 1 I entered the Air Force in September 00:03:30 of 1960,//(00:04:10) And I w as then transferred to Moron Airbase in southern Spain. My wife and I were transferred to Moron Spain in 62. We were very happy there, I had it made, I got to travel a lot... [00:04:16.13] There was nobody shooting at us. This wasnt Vietnam. We had friends who were really getting killed. Overall, I have to say the Air Force is a great way of life//but// 01:27:00 there were things that happened down there that I would just as soon forget about. TITLE? [00:00:40.19] On the morning of January 17th, 1966, I had reported for work at Maron Air Base, when sometime between 10:30 10:45, I received a telephone call that I was needed down at the base command post. [00:01:00:00] There was an aircraft accident, involving nuclear weapons. [00:01:06:03] The B-52 and the KC 135 were refueling and they crashed and there were four bombs aboard the b-52. [00:01:44.29] I was the first responder from Maron Air Base. When I arrived there, I merely had the clothes on my back//It was going to be a large scale operation because of the amount of wreckage that was strewn over such a large area//we knew we were going to need a lot more personnel at the scene. [00:01:18.02] So, we loaded up on the buses and pretty soon we were all headed south. [00:01:36.27] First of all, we couldnt find the stinking place. There was no highway, into that village. [00:02:16.01] The people who came with us, they werent trained in this. You didnt know where you were going? I didnt know what we was doing, you know, wes going to a plane crash. [00:04:50.06] I remember a couple of the officers holding up a map and talking about heavy radiation, It was theorized//that there was this stuff you cant see floating around across the valley. 00:03:03.19] BUT//We werent told there was radiation. //Thats somehting that I never would have thought of. [00:01:54.29] The first weapon we located was just// off the beach. And we were told that there was another weapon in one of the local residents backyards. And then we were told another weapon was located outside the village. [00:02:24.14] And so we combed the area, looking for a bomb. Stick one arm out, and touch the next guys shoulder, then spread out a little further. [00:02:50.20] I was located in the open fields. There were a lot of other military guys with me. None of us were issued any protective clothing, we had no respiratory equipment.//I would say it was around midday that we had plotted the location of the weapons. We knew exactly where they were. [00:05:27.22] There were 55 gallon drums that were brought to the area and then we were using shovels to put the soil into the barrels. [00:05:43.10] Work process was on//24 hours a day, night and day. [00:05:53.05] It mustve been pretty bad. Because Ive seen a picture of that area. And its just drum after drum and it just goes on for...and Im going holy cow! That ... I dont know. It just makes me wonder. [00:04:31.18] As far as the village is concerned, it was decided, bring those people back home as fast as we can. [00:04:36.07] We were in the detection phase, immediately. Where was the contamination? [00:04:42.22] I think we washed five houses that were in that vicinity of bomb three and the crater that were really hot. [00:03:21.15] And as we were exiting the field, there was a guy standing there with a geiger counter. He said we need to check you for radiation. First time I heard of it. [00:03:34.13] The geiger counter went off with that crackling noise that it makes and the guy said, you got radiation on you. And the only way to get it off is to go in the ocean and let the salt water wash it off your clothes. [00:03:51.20] And I went in, and he said, at least we got it off your clothes. [00:03:56.08] The atomic energy tech said he had to confiscate my uniform because it was contaminated. And I had to scrub myself to look like a lobster. [00:04:08.01] This is not good. But these people they are the technicians they are the experts, they know what theyre doing. Im going to do what they tell me to do. [00:05:07.03] We had been told that the local residents were reluctant or refused to eat their own fruits and vegetables, for fear that they were contaminated with radiation. [00:05:16.02] This was harvest time, and they were getting ready to go put those tomatoes on the market. And we then ate tomatoes. And we were filmed eating tomatoes. And we had tomatoes for breakfast noon and night. Oh god they were good tomatoes. Did it ever cross your mind that it was dangerous then? We didn t really know nothing about it. ACT 2 (00:00:29) I was commander of the Radiological Health Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. //We knew there was an accident. And when it became obvious that there was plutonium involved,// I felt // that we were going to have to tool up and do some analysis. [00:22:05] [00:27:07] //I made the recommendations and forwarded to my bosses and it was up to them to say yay or nay. Some said yes. Others said no. [00:27:19] And the nays won out. [00:07:31.07] I noticed a lump in my testy.. And it was cancerous. It was called seminoma. And. I was 28 years old at the time. [00:07:46.01] I got a cancer tumor in my bladder in 1979. [00:07:49.12] I retired in 1981 and two years later I had this blood disorder that was detected. 00:01:35 And then when Nolan was diagnosed with with kidney cancer and there was no history of cancer at all in his family// THEN I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON THIS ...// This has been over 50 years, and no one has ever acknowledged the fact that there could have been a danger of radiation exposure to the 1600 responders to the accident.//I want the Air Force to acknowledge the possibility that these responders could have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation! [00:07:56.28] My next diagnosis was mantle cell lymphoma, which is an aggressive type of cancer. I decided Im going to the VA and filed a claim and see. Because I was exposed to the radiation there. I had never thought about that. [00:08:16.06] And I got a denial back. [00:08:18.11] They had no record of me being exposed to any radiation. [00:08:22.16] And then I went through carefully looking for something about me being in Palomares. Nothing was there. [00:08:31.13] In terms of medical records, I was never there. [00:08:34.26] Our existing records do not have any radiation exposure information on Sgt. Garmin. [00:08:41.15] There is a period of time in my medical records where documentation is missing. Its not there [00:08:46.02] Why did my air force, our air force deny existence? [00:08:59.19] The records were there, After 5 and a half years of researching and everything Ive gone through, all the ups and downs, Theres no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the Air Force is trying to cover this up.//Theyre waiting for these guys to die. ACT 3 NONA AND NOLAN B-ROLL W DUCKS. THE FIRST TIME WE WENT TO THE VA AND ASKED ABOUT HIS, IT WAS NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE. IT MADE HIM FEEL BAD. ITS LIKE YOURE TRYING TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. YOU WERE MAKING UP A STORY AND THATS WHAT ALL VETS DO. WHEN I WENT TO GET THAT CLAIM, IT WAS LIKE I WAS TRYING TO STEAL FROM THEM. IT BOTHERS (NOLAN) HIM THAT THE AIR FORCE THAT HE CARED SO MUCH ABOUT, DOESNT CARE SO MUCH ABOUT HIM. I think we should have followed up.//Theres a tendency, not only in the military, but in any human endeavour, if you don;t recognize a problem, or pay attention to it, It may just wither away. [00:09:06.18] Im not looking for financial gain. Im looking for an acceptance of responsibility. [00:09:13.19] We dont exist. You know, the politics. Were not supposed to be talking about this. [00:09:20.03] But if I have something to share, and I die before it comes out, crying, I failed.
Shame has been part of the human condition ever since Eve fell for the serpents patter and she and Adam then realized that they were naked.

In this country, shaming punishments have been woven into the communal fabric at least since the days when scarlet letters were doled out and reprobates were slammed into stocks. To chasten defendants through means other than jail terms, modern judges have resorted to actions like forcing shoplifters to announce their crimes in newspaper advertisements, or making deadbeat fathers carry signs proclaiming their child-support delinquency.

The advent of social media has raised the volume on shaming as millions of judgmental types get in on the act via Facebook, Twitter and their online brethren. All too often, the line between understandable finger-wagging and unbridled bullying has been blurred or even erased by cybermobs. The potential for ugliness is examined in this final offering in the current series of Retro Report, video documentaries that return to major news stories of the past and explore how they continue to resonate.

The videos focus is on Jennifer Connell, a New York woman who found herself portrayed in both new and old media as a mix of Cruella de Vil, Lady Macbeth and Madame Defarge  only less sympathetic than any of those fictional women. (There is, too, a detour into tabloid-style shaming as embodied by Jerry Springers television show, long defined by the quiet good taste typically associated with the roller derby.)
And if interviews with about a dozen Sanders supporters who gathered here this weekend are any indication, the Bernie or Bust component of his large following will survive past the summer, even if Mr. Sanders eventually endorses Mrs. Clinton.

Hes been fighting against the 1 percent, and Hillary has become the 1 percent, said Mr. Winnett, an unemployed computer engineer. Shes become everything that were against.

Mr. Sanders has yet to concede the nomination, though in a speech streamed live last week to more than 200,000 viewers, he hinted that he might endorse Mrs. Clinton, saying, The major political task that we face in the next five months is to make certain that Donald Trump is defeated and defeated badly.

Mr. Sanderss advisers say that before he throws his support behind Mrs. Clinton, he is seeking assurances that she and the Democratic Party will embrace some of his ideas. Much of his speech was devoted to urging his followers to continue fighting for causes like universal health care, free public college and an end to fracking, regardless of who wins the general election in November.

That happened to be the theme of the gathering this weekend, which was called The Peoples Summit and drew thousands of people to McCormick Place, a large conference center in Chicago. Against a backdrop of Twister games, Lego sculptures and beanbag throwing contests, they talked about pushing progressive ideals.
Senior Democrats, thinking about both the fall election and a potential re-election in four years, said the right choice would stir up enthusiasm on the campaign trail, enhancing Mrs. Clintons strengths while not outshining her or overtaking events.

Mrs. Clinton is warm and personable one on one, the Democrats said, which creates an easy camaraderie when she teams up with people she likes.

In San Antonio, Mrs. Clinton seemed to light up in the presence of Julian Castro, the citys former mayor and now the secretary of housing in the Obama administration. She grabbed his hand and thrust it skyward at an outdoor rally, and the two glided naturally on the rope line, snapping selfies.

The photos from the event, with Mrs. Clinton, 68, beaming next to Mr. Castro, 41, turned out so well that cable networks often show the campaigns images of the two together on screen when Mrs. Clinton calls in for phone interviews.

On a Saturday night in Youngstown, Ohio, Representative Tim Ryan and Mrs. Clinton made a surprise visit to ODonolds Irish Pub and Grill for a couple pints of Guinness. Mrs. Clinton leaned comfortably on the bar next to Mr. Ryan and smiled widely as Born in the U.S.A. blared from the jukebox.

Mr. Ryan, holding his pint in the air, as the packed bar followed suit, said, To Hillary! The next president of the United States. Mrs. Clinton threw her head back and laughed, then took a long swig of beer.
WASHINGTON  Under pressure from Democrats, the Senates Republicans have agreed to allow a series of votes on restricting gun sales in the aftermath of the shooting rampage in Orlando, Fla. Rival measures from Republicans and Democrats to be taken up on Monday seek to address the so-called terror gap allowing people on terrorist watch lists to buy firearms, and to expand background checks for purchases at gun shows and online. Separately, President Obama wants to ban the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons similar to those used in recent attacks, but that issue is not on the Senates agenda.



Do any of the measures stand much chance of passage?

Probably not. Although Senate Democrats forced votes this time by filibustering for 15 hours beginning Wednesday, and Donald J. Trump has expressed support for stopping people on terror watch lists from buying guns, Republicans voted down similar proposals in December after a shooting rampage in San Bernardino, Calif., killed 14 people. Several moderate Republicans are working on a compromise, but they face an uphill fight because of election-year politics and the threat of opposition from the National Rifle Association for any Republican who breaks from the partys traditional stance.

Would a renewed ban on assault weapons have stopped the Orlando gunman from buying the weapon he used in the attack?

Possibly. The gunman, Omar Mateen, who had been on a terror watch list until 2014, bought a SIG Sauer MCX rifle  a spinoff of the military-style AR-15  as well as a 9-millimeter handgun at a Florida gun shop about a week before the attack. The original assault weapons ban passed by Congress in 1994 prohibited the sale of 19 kinds of semiautomatic weapons, including AR-15s, AK-47s and Uzis, as well as dozens of types of handguns, ammunition and other rifles that met certain military-style conditions. It is unclear how many of these military-style features were on the AR-15-style rifle that Mr. Mateen used, so it may or may not have fallen under the ban.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department will release partial transcripts of conversations between the police and the Orlando gunman from the night he carried out a deadly attack at a gay nightclub, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Sunday.

The transcripts, expected to be released on Monday, will include three calls between the gunman, Omar Mateen, and negotiators who spoke with him as the massacre was unfolding.

Law enforcement officials will also provide a detailed timeline of those calls.

Ms. Lynch said the calls should shed light on the motivation behind Mr. Mateens decision to walk into the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 12 and carry out an attack in which 49 people were fatally shot before he was killed by the police.
HONG KONG  Adopting the mantle of a whistle-blower rarely comes without consequences. Edward J. Snowden is in exile in Russia for leaking secrets of the National Security Agency. Michael Winston, who gained fame for exposing Countrywide Financials mortgage policies, spent years battling lawsuits. Now, in Hong Kong, it is Lam Wing-kees turn to feel the heat.

Many people in Hong Kong consider Mr. Lam a hero. His dramatic recounting on Thursday of his apprehension by the Chinese police, his forced confession and months of detention for committing an act that is not a crime in his native Hong Kong  selling politically sensitive books filled with gossip and speculation about Chinas leaders  led thousands of people to come out on the streets on Saturday to show their support for him.

But people close to him, including his former colleagues and a woman who says she is his girlfriend, are now making public rebuttals about what he said, in accounts published by Sing Tao Daily, a pro-Beijing newspaper. In the case of the girlfriend  identified only by her surname, Hu  the criticism is stinging.
TOKYO  Tens of thousands of people on the Japanese island of Okinawa gathered on Sunday to demand the removal of American military bases in what organizers said was the largest demonstration against the United States presence there in two decades.

The protest, in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, was billed as a memorial for a 20-year-old woman who was found dead last month. A United States Marine veteran who was working as a civilian contractor on the island has been arrested in connection with the killing, prompting a public outcry.

Organizers said 65,000 people had attended the protest. That would make it the largest demonstration since 1995, when two American Marines and a Navy sailor were arrested over the rape of a 12-year-old girl, an episode that shook the tight military alliance between the United States and Japan and is still bitterly remembered by many Okinawans.
Supporters of remaining in the union were also scathing in their criticism of Mr. Farage on Sunday.

Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, called for the poster to be withdrawn and described it as vile and racist. George Osborne, the British Treasury chief, said it had echoes of literature used in the 1930s.

Mr. Farage rejected the criticism, telling the ITV television network that, far from stoking hatred, he had been a victim of it. He described the poster as a reflection of the truth and added that Mr. Goves campaign had also released very strong posters.

But Mr. Farage also said the death of Ms. Cox might have had a negative effect on the chances of those who support a withdrawal, or Brexit. We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy, he said.

When you are taking on the establishment, you need to have momentum, Mr. Farage said. I dont know whats going to happen over the course of the next three or four days.
PARIS  The rest of the European Union nations are looking at the possibility of a British departure from the bloc with disbelief, trepidation and anguish. But they are also preparing to retaliate.

If Britons do vote in a referendum on Thursday to leave the European Union, they can expect a tough and unforgiving response, with capitals across the Continent intent on deterring other countries from following the British example, European officials and analysts said.

In other words, Britain will be made to suffer for its choice.

With other issues pressing, including Greek debt, the migrant crisis and terrorism, the largest and most powerful European nations will want clarity, and are not likely to tolerate a long period of post-referendum confusion.

In is in  out is out, the powerful German finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, told Spiegel magazine. I hope and believe that the British will ultimately decide against Brexit. The withdrawal of Britain would be a heavy loss for Europe.
The stronger Podemos looks, the more its opponents try to link the party to Venezuela, where the economy is collapsing and Mr. Maduros increasingly authoritarian government has declared a state of emergency. The message is meant to be scary and clear: Venezuela is a mess, and it can happen here.

One of the four parties that is competing in the campaign in Spain was hosted and formed in Venezuela, so if they want to bring that model here, they have to explain why, Albert Rivera, the leader of Ciudadanos, an emerging center-right party, told a group of foreign correspondents this month, shortly after returning from Venezuela. It is Podemos which brought Venezuela to Spain, not us.

The leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, fired back in a televised debate that his opponents were ignoring the issues that could really affect Spain, starting with a possible British exit from the European Union.

Podemos had its first electoral success in May 2014, when it won 8 percent of the votes in European Parliament elections. In its early days, Podemos looked to Syriza, the Greek party that came to power in early 2015, as an example of how a new and far-left party could overhaul the political establishment.

Podemos may be poised to do just that. After recently forming an alliance with a radical party, United Left, it could now leapfrog over the Socialists into second place, behind the conservative Popular Party of the caretaker prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, according to recent opinion polls. Such an outcome would overturn the two-party political order that has prevailed since Spains return to democracy in the late 1970s.
ISTANBUL  Turkish border guards killed at least 11 Syrian refugees, including at least three children, who were trying to cross into Turkey illegally on Sunday, Syrian activists and a monitoring group said.

The refugees were shot as they tried to enter Turkish territory near the border crossing of the Syrian town of Jisr al-Shoughour, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, monitoring group based in Britain, said in a statement on its website. Several other refugees were wounded, the group said.

Jisr al-Shoughour has become a key smuggling route since Turkey closed its borders to Syrian refugees this year.

A senior Turkish official said that the killings could not be independently verified and that an investigation was underway. Turkey, which is a host to nearly three million refugees, has denied similar previous allegations and maintains that it allows entry to refugees whose lives are under imminent threat.
JERUSALEM  The Israeli government on Sunday approved about $20 million in additional financing for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, underlining its strengthened right-wing orientation and raising the ire of political opponents and the Palestinians.

The move came as the Israeli hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman was to arrive in Washington on his first visit in his new role as defense minister, during which he is expected to meet with Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter. Mr. Lieberman, a settler, was appointed last month in a coalition deal that brought his ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party into the government.

The new money would add to what the settlements already receive from various parts of the governments budget. It was approved days after blistering condemnations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by two former Israeli defense ministers and military chiefs of staff. Speaking at a prestigious security conference, they accused the prime minister and his government of pushing a divisive agenda that threatened Israels future as a Jewish democracy and undermined its core values.

In remarks before the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu, the leader of the conservative Likud Party, said the assistance plan was intended to strengthen security for the settlements, as well as to bolster small businesses and encourage tourism.
These are dark days for the Fourth Amendment, as two measures to put an end to the governments unchecked surveillance of American citizens were recently defeated in Congress.

Things initially looked positive. In late April, the House unanimously passed, 419-0, H.R. 699, the Email Privacy Act, which would plug a privacy loophole in a 30-year-old law that allows government agents to search electronic communications stored more than 180 days without first obtaining a warrant. After all, the Fourth Amendment does not have a six-month expiration date. But then Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was forced to pull his corresponding legislation, S. 356, this month in the Senate after amendments were proposed that would have eviscerated those protections.

To make matters worse, on Thursday, the House rejected, 198-222, an amendment to the defense appropriations bill that would have defunded the National Security Agencys warrantless searches of Americans communications that are swept up in dragnet surveillance supposedly targeted at non-U.S. citizens without judicial oversight. It also would have prevented the government from requiring companies to include a backdoor in their encryption technologies that the government (as well as hackers, identity thieves, foreign governments and other bad actors) could access. The House had overwhelmingly passed similar measures the past two years, by votes of 293-123 in 2014 and 255-174 in 2015, but in both years it was stripped out of the final budget deal.

This year, however, lawmakers reasoned defenses of Americans liberties were overcome by fear in the wake of the Orlando nightclub terrorist attack. You cant waive the Fourth Amendment just because its not convenient at any point in time, Rep. Massie, who introduced the amendment with San Jose Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren, told Reason magazine. The irony of my [Republican] colleagues using the Orlando tragedy to erode the Fourth Amendment is they are castigating the Democrats for using the tragedy to erode the Second Amendment, he added.

If we let terrorism compel us to ignore the #Constitution, then havent the terrorists won? Rep. Massie argued in a Facebook post before the vote. Its a shame my colleagues are using the #pulse shooting in #Orlando to motivate an erosion of our rights.

The rights delineated in the Constitution are infrangible. The founders did not include provisions that permitted them to be suspended whenever the government claimed to be facing a threat  and with good reason. Such an exception would only encourage those in power to imagine or generate additional threats to justify their violations of our liberties. If our representatives are too spineless or naive to recognize this, then we must replace them with those who do.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY  More than 300 riders on Saturday attempted to establish a Guinness World Record for the largest parade of electric bike riders.

Pedego Electric Bikes, a Fountain Valley-based electric bike manufacturer, organized the event.

People think these are scooters or motorcycles, but they are not, said Don DiCostanzo, Pedego co-founder and CEO. These bikes produce no noise and no pollution  just try it and youll have fun.

Unlike a traditional bicycle, which riders have to pedal to move, an electric bike has a small motor to help push it forward. Electric bikes are legal to ride on bike paths and allow a rider to either pedal normally or get assistance from a battery-charged motor of up to 20 mph. The cost of electric bikes average about $3,000, DiCostanzo said, adding that the motor assistance can help take a rider 25 to 100 miles.

Though there is a Guinness World Record for the largest parade of electric vehicles (576 set in 2015 in Berlin), there has never been a category solely for the most electric bike riders.

DiCostanzo said they reached out to Guinness World Record officials who recommended at least 250 riders were needed to participate to set a record.

Guinness officials were not on hand to witness the event, which attracted 303 riders, he said. Video and pictures will be sent to Guinness World Record headquarters in New York to verify the record.

As part of the event, DiCostanzo said, his company is donating $10,000 to HomeAid Orange County, an organization that helps the homeless.

When youre riding along the bike lane, thats when youll see the homeless problem in Orange County, he said.

On a hot Saturday afternoon, bicyclists on colorful electric beach cruisers rode on the bike lane on Slater Avenue as part of a trek taking them 12 miles round-trip from Pedegos new headquarters in Fountain Valley to the end of the Santa Ana bike trail in Huntington Beach, and back.

Many of the participants were older riders.

Don Sayner, 66, of Carlsbad said he rides his electric bike 20 miles a day.

Its good exercise and good transportation, Sayner said.

John Mayes, 60, of Long Beach started riding an electric bike this year. He said hes lost 10 pounds and wanted to participate to see all the bikes, see all the different types and see how many people actually come.

Mayes said hes had bikes his whole life, but using an electric bike allows him to go farther and relieve stress on his body.

Ive never been on a better bike, Mayes said. Its just so much fun.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney
DANA POINT  Heidi Pelkola regularly reads to her son from his favorite book about sharks. The steely predators are described in great detail.

I just read to him about mermaid purses, Pelkola, 41, said Thursday. Here they are, theyre shark egg purses.

Pelkola, of Phoenix, was pretty stoked when she saw them at the Doheny State Beach Visitor Interpretive Center. It was one thing to read about them, another to come face to face with them.

Its the busy time of year for the 30-year-old center, which recently underwent a $650,000 renovation.

It has grown popular among millions who visit Doheny State Beach annually, as well as the hundreds of thousands of campers who stay at the parks seaside campground.

The interpretive center, funded by donations and fundraising events, and run by volunteers from Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association, familiarizes park visitors with the areas marine life and land mammals. It has the largest public aquarium in the California State Park system with five large tanks and a 900-gallon tide pool.

There are also display cases with mounted animals native to the Capistrano Valley, including seals, cougars, rabbits and snakes. Park birds and those that migrate along the Pacific Flyway throughout the year are also represented. Docents staff the center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays.

The Doheny Surf Festival  next weekend at Doheny State Beach  is among several signature events that raise funds for the interpretive associations programs and the nature center.

The festival will showcase longboard surfers and the Hobie Surfboard Surf Team. It will include classic woody cars, 50 vendors, Polynesian dancers, food and drinks, music and healthy-living demonstrations.

Everyone that comes to the nature center loves it, said Margie Black, president of the interpretative association. They enjoy seeing the tide pools and looking up close at the animals. You dont get to do that in the wild.

Thats what Simo Perovic of Ladera Ranch thought when he brought his two children to the center on Thursday.

The family was camping at the beach, and Perovic wanted his children to learn a bit more about where they were staying.

We love it here. They can get an idea of what they would see in the park or in the ocean without just watching it on TV, Perovic said as Amara, 7, and Mateo, 4, were mesmerized by a huge, red spiny lobster.

I didnt think they would be so big, Amara said. Ive never been able to see under the ocean before. It makes it different for me now. Im inspired to draw it.

Contact the writer: eritchie@ocregister.com
When he was younger, Zach Moos sought refuge in gay bars so discreet they lacked windows, let alone signs. In public, he rarely showed affection for another man. But today, at 42, Moos owns Velvet Lounge, a Santa Ana gay club that flies a rainbow flag and hosts well-attended professional mixers.

Almost two years ago, he was married to his boyfriend in a beachside ceremony  out there for everyone to see.

Moos life is proof of progress, a real-time sign of the tremendous gains made by the gay community just in the past few years.

And yet.

Moos hears the occasional slur yelled from a passing car. He reads about legislation viewed as discriminatory against LGBT people.

Last week, two Camp Pendleton Marines used Facebook to post a photo of one holding his gun with the caption Coming to a gay bar near you!

But nothing has shaken Moos like last weekends massacre of 49 people at an Orlando, Fla., gay club.

You develop this false feeling of security, he said.

Eager to do something, he helped organize a vigil Wednesday night, with local religious leaders coming to his bar, and a separate fundraiser for victims of the shooting.

Hes also starting to work on a terrorism response plan for his club.

The LGBT community in the United States is living in a time of unprecedented acceptance. They marry legally and raise children. They move easily in heterosexual circles.

Growing social acceptance is so strong that its often cited as a decline in a certain type of gay culture. Bars and other venues that once provided refuge for gay communities targeted in a straight world arent as essential as they once were.

Outing is sort of out of fashion. Theres nothing to come out of, said Kim Shepherd, a Laguna Beach resident and recruiting company president.

A man says, My husband and I, and nobody blinks an eye.

The Orlando gunmans motivations remain unclear. The shooting has been described as both an act of terror and an act of hate.

But for many LGBT people, Omar Mateens decision to target a popular gay club has served as a violent reminder of both their painful past and the unfinished nature of their movement.

Longtime partners Charles Walter and Travis Allen have a new house near Orange. They have nice neighbors. On most days, they enjoy a strong sense of belonging.

But Orlando shows once again that the work definitely isnt done, said Walter, a 31-year-old insurance agent.

This is a time of realization of that.

BATTLES, OLD AND NEW

LGBT community members are more likely to be the victims of a hate crime than any other minority group, according to 2014 FBI data.

And though same-sex marriage became legal nationally a year ago this month, the political fight recently has shifted toward transgender people.

In particular, transgender youth have struggled amid the debate over elected officials attempts to restrict what bathrooms they can use, said Kris De Pedro, 35, a professor of education at Chapman University.

De Pedro views such legislation as very confusing to young people, who are simultaneously told to be true to themselves even as they see and hear what they view as discriminatory legislation and political rhetoric.

If anyone were to stand in their shoes, he said, theyd be horrified.

Luke Reichle, a 60-year-old film and television costume designer in Los Angeles, left his small California hometown when he was a teenager and has since lived only in big cities  San Francisco, New York, L.A.

Living and working among people with similar views can create an insular world, one in which he rarely encounters negative reactions to his sexuality.

In the hours after Orlando, he went on Twitter and was enraged to read a now-deleted post from the lieutenant governor of Texas, quoting a Bible verse that includes the line a man reaps what he sows.

http://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js

Reichle, who typically uses his Twitter account for fashion news, began interacting with a woman who argued it was irrelevant that the shooter picked a gay club for his killing spree.

That dishonors their memory. You dismiss why they were being targeted, he said.

I dont want to discount the huge steps weve made. Weve changed hearts and minds, he added. But theres still this hate.

For some, Orlando revived feelings of how hard it can be to find self-acceptance.

Jason Jamilano, a 38-year-old Orange resident who has returned to college to be a social worker, says in many ways living in the world as a gay man today is far better than when he came out as a teenager.

But internally, he said, the struggle continues.

Im still stuck where I was at 18, uncomfortable showing affection in public, he said. His family is supportive, he added, but he cant shake the perception that people are staring at him and judging.

When he heard about Orlando, he began mourning for people who may be on a similar journey.

I knew they had gone through the same things as me, he said.

It could have been any of us.

In 2016, coming out as gay or transgender might be easier than it was decades ago, but that doesnt mean its easy.

Robert St. John, a 29-year-old Orange resident who works in real estate, briefly left home when he came out as an 18-year-old. It was one of the hardest times of his life, he said. Still, he was grateful to reconcile with his father before he died, and he and his mother now are close.

I realized how much love I have in my family, he said.

Hes equally positive that society will make a similar shift.

We still have things to march for, he said. But as a more diverse younger population grows up, he believes homophobia is going to dissolve away.

Yet Orlando might signal something else.

For many young LGBT people theres a new feeling  fear.

Last week, about 20 teens and young adults gathered around a TV screen in the back of the South Bay LGBT Center in Torrance and watched video of a Sacramento preacher condoning the attack in Orlando. When the screen went silent, the teens offered a range of emotions, from fear to outrage.

Gabe Hernandez, 20, said he and his friends were thinking twice about going to clubs in West Hollywood this weekend. Theyve read a tweet suggesting that someone should finish what the Orlando shooter started.

Of the author who made the threat, Hernandez said this:

We dont know where that person lives.

THE LONG VIEW

When Richard Hitt saw the news out of Orlando, his first reaction was, Here we go again.

Hitt, 82, is a longtime gay activist in Orange County and the unofficial historian of the local LGBT rights movement. He and Barbara Muirhead, 81, another activist, were sitting in Hitts living room one day last week recalling their own stories:

Hitt talked about how he feared hed lose his finance job at Disney when newspapers ran a photo of him at a Pride festival decades ago.

Muirhead said she was so afraid of losing her teaching job that she followed the Pride festival in her car.

They both once worried that cops would find reasons to ticket them as they emerged from gay bars, and how they floated in and out of the closet, for decades, revealing their true selves only in the most trusted company.

It was quiet then; there was no gayness, said Hitt, who came out when he was 35. His longtime partner died in 1990, and the urn holding his ashes remains on display in his home.

You had a little group you were with, then you went about your own business.

Both Hitt and Muirhead got involved with local gay rights organizations. They helped put together directories of gay-friendly businesses and maintained archives of the gay movement in Orange County.

Hitt quietly waged small battles, once ripping a sign supporting Proposition 8  the 2008 measure, approved by voters and later ruled unconstitutional, that banned same-sex marriages  out of his relatives yard.

That felt good, he said softly.

Muirhead, who remarried a year ago, still volunteers for PFLAG, formerly known as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. She noted that most of the recent political actions have focused on transgender people, a community that shes still trying to understand. When it comes to progress, she said shes never let down her guard.

A week after Orlando, she said her world remains what its always been: fragile.

Its fragile because they start passing all these new laws, she said. Its fragile because employers dont have to tell you why youre being fired. Kids still cant tell their parents.

A lot of things havent changed.

Staff writers Megan Barnes and Stephen MacLeod contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: jtillman@ocregister.com
In its never-ending political correctness crusade, the California Legislature is looking to stamp out yet another evil form of discrimination: differences in the prices of goods for men and women.

It seeks to accomplish this goal through the passage of Senate Bill 899, introduced by state Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego. The bill was spurred by cases such as the selling of a pink Radio Flyer scooter for $50  twice the price of an otherwise identical red one, as described in a December Washington Post article. Since girls tend to like pink, and boys red, the theory goes, this must be evidence of gender-based discrimination, and government force is necessary to make businesses price their goods equally.

Or maybe there is simply more demand for pink scooters than for red scooters. Or, as the California Retailers Association noted in opposing the bill, sizing, design and packaging are more significant factors in purchasing decisions for women in some product areas, particularly clothing, than they are for men. In some cases, significant costs are incurred in the design process when a product is intended primarily for women.

This is hardly the first instance of the state regulating gender-based commerce. Even Ladies Night promotions, where a nightclub offers women free admission or reduced drink prices, have been deemed illegal under Californias Unruh Civil Rights Act. So, having already persecuted businesses for charging women too little, the state is now going after them for charging too much.

SB899 provides that No business establishment of any kind whatsoever may discriminate, with respect to the price charged for goods of a substantially similar or like kind, against a person because of the persons gender. According to the bill, products are substantially similar or of like kind when they share the same brand, share the same functional components and share 90 percent of the same materials or ingredients. (Food items are exempt.) But determining whether 90 percent of the ingredients are the same may not always be easy, and who is really to say that products that share 91 percent of the same materials should be subject to the law, and potentially discriminatory, while those that share 89 percent of the same materials are not?

In effect, SB899 would ensure that an army of bureaucrats and trial lawyers is needed to determine whether goods are of a substantially similar or like kind, and encourage the creation of a cottage industry of serial litigants for gender price discrimination, not unlike the shakedown lawsuits filed in the name of the Americans with Disabilities Act against businesses that hang a bathroom mirror a fraction of an inch too high. Businesses that fail to correct a violation of the law within 30 days of receiving a written notice of the violation are subject to a $1,000 civil penalty. The bill passed 22-12 in the Senate and now awaits action in the Assembly.

Ironically, as many of the retail organizations and other opponents of the legislation point out, in a world that is moving away from strictly-defined gender roles and stereotypes, SB899 would force retailers to more explicitly associate their products with a particular gender so that they may be compared and examined for discrimination.

Then again, perhaps this anti-discrimination movement will usher in a fairer society after all. But eradicating the scourge of the gender tax is just the tip of the iceberg. To truly equalize society, there are many more injustices that should be righted. For example, the state could eliminate the ageist biases of charging adults more for a movie ticket than children, or restaurants offering senior citizens discounts on their food. After all, the theater seat taken up by a child, or the meal consumed by an elderly person, are the same as those purchased by those in nonpreferred classes (which clearly exceeds the 90 percent threshold set in SB899). What about the higher prices charged by many business establishments to those who are not veterans or current members of the military, or to those who are not first-time home or car buyers? And some gym establishments have the temerity to not allow male members at all!

All sarcasm aside, price discrimination is not always nefarious, as the above examples illustrate. In any case, the state has no business dictating prices. Our free society is based on strong property rights and voluntary exchange. Business owners are free to charge what they like, and customers are free to accept those prices or take their business elsewhere.

Even if retailers did try to charge women more than men for essentially the same product, women could, as the title of the aforementioned Washington Post article recommends, buy the mens version, or refuse to purchase such a product altogether. If price differences are based solely on gender, or are otherwise unjustified, people are free to publicly shame or boycott businesses that engage in such practices. Moreover, other manufacturers and retailers would have a strong incentive to lower their prices on those products  or develop new products of their own  to meet that demand and to capitalize on their competitors damaged reputation.

In short, contrary to the Legislatures apparent thinking, not all businesses are evil, and you have a right to spend the fruits of your labor as you see fit, but you do not have the right to force a business to sell you a pink scooter at a certain price.
With nearly 4 out of 10 Americans paying a landlord instead of owning a home, the number of rental houses is surging.

Hedge funds and institutional investors made headlines in the aftermath of the housing crash for amassing gigantic portfolios of single-family rentals.

Now, new online portals are springing up to help the little guy get a piece of the action.

Among them is HomeUnion of Irvine, one of at least three new companies helping investors buy rental houses in far-flung markets  from Chicago to Charlotte, from Birmingham to Baton Rouge  with higher rents and lower prices.

With the click of a mouse, investors can shop for properties, buy them, fix them up, hire a property manager, then start collecting the rent checks as home values rise.

The goal for HomeUnion and companies like Investability and Roofstock is to make single-family investing as easy as trading stocks and bonds, they say.

There is no good information on how to buy investment real estate. So what most people end up doing is they go to their own backyard, said Don Ganguly, HomeUnions founder and chief executive. The analog in the stock market would be like saying you have to live in Atlanta to buy Coke stock.

The difference between stocks and real estate is data, Ganguly said. Theres tons of information about stocks and mutual funds, but precious little about disparate neighborhoods in Chicago, Orlando and Houston.

His firm and similar companies hope to overcome that by providing big data about rental houses and their neighborhoods in choice markets.

School districts, crime, home values, rental rates, the number of Starbucks and Wal-Marts are combined to create neighborhood investment ratings. Properties are vetted. Once you buy, HomeUnion will take care of the broken appliances and stopped-up toilets.

HomeUnion is democratizing real estate investment, Ganguly said. Were expanding it from the realm of the few to access for all.

Beyond the backyard

Making this possible is Americas return to a rentership society.

U.S. home ownership rates fell to 63.5 percent of all households this year from 69 percent during the housing bubble, U.S. census figures show. Thats a drop of about 1.5 million owner households.

In Orange County, home ownership fell to 57.4 percent in 2014, the latest year available. Thats down from 62.7 percent, or 27,000 owner households, during the bubble.

The number of renters is rising, but apartments alone cant meet the new demand, especially since new apartments tend to have higher rents, Ganguly said.

Hence, the number of single-family rentals jumped by 3.9 million nationwide from 2005 through 2014  including 42,000 in Orange County and almost 250,000 in Los Angeles, Orange County and Inland Empire as a whole.

For an investor, its a pretty good situation because people culturally no longer want to (buy), Ganguly said. Parents are no longer telling their kids go buy a home.

The three biggest rental house investors  Blackstone Groups Invitation Homes, American Homes for Rent and Colony Starwood Homes  collectively own about 125,000 of the nations 15.2 million single-family rentals.

But among investors who own five or fewer properties, 70 percent own homes within 10 miles of where they live, said Dennis Cisterna, chief revenue officer for Denver-based Investability, an internet site that helps investors buy rental houses.

Most people invest in what theyre comfortable with, Cisterna said.

But for residents of high-dollar housing markets like Orange County and New York, better investments can be found elsewhere.

HomeUnion finds investments where the rent-to-price ratios are 1 percent of the purchase price.

For example, rental houses can be bought for around $116,000 in Chicago or Charlotte and rent for around $1,250 a month, or 1.1 percent of the purchase price. In Orange County, a $600,000 house in Anaheim rents for $2,650 a month, or 0.4 percent of the price.

Although some say its risky to become an absentee landlord, executives at Investability, Oakland-based Roofstock and HomeUnion say thats no longer the case, thanks to the availability of market data and local management teams.

All of us are saying you dont have to just invest in your backyard anymore, Cisterna said.

End-to-end service

HomeUnion opened for business with about $5 million in Silicon Valley seed money in 2014.

Today, the firm employs 90 people, 60 to 70 of them working out of the companys Irvine headquarters.

Unlike its competitors, HomeUnion provides end-to-end service: Vetting potential rentals, making the purchase, then handling all of the landlord duties, from finding renters, collecting the rent and making repairs.

Although HomeUnion makes the sale, the investor gets the deed. The company also can handle the sale when the investor is ready to cash out.

Transaction fees are 3.5 percent of the purchase price, Ganguly said. Management fees are 10-10.5 percent of rent.

HomeUnion provides research data, with information on 120 million U.S. properties and 200,000 neighborhoods, Ganguly said.

Clients outline their investment goals and risk tolerance, just as they would when investing in stocks and bonds, and HomeUnion presents them with a list of possible investments to meet those goals.

The company also has its own lending unit where clients can get prequalified.

Every home that you invest in, we make it a HomeUnion home, Ganguly said. That home goes up to a certain level where its livable at a good level for the renter.  So we have a list of what the refrigerator looks like, what the appliance looks like, what the floor looks like, what the painting looks like on the walls.

In the past two years, the firm has handled nearly $60 million in transactions, Ganguly said.

He declined to give exact numbers, but said under 1,000 clients have purchased homes through HomeUnion so far, three-fourths of them in the past nine months. The firm currently is managing just over 500 homes.

In March, HomeUnion announced it received an additional $16 million from four venture capital firms.

Still, the startup has yet to turn a profit.

Were in investment mode, Ganguly said. The firm projects it will become profitable sometime in the spring of next year.

A burgeoning industry

As home prices rise, many investors are pulling back, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac. Flippers are having a harder time making a profit, and larger investors are seeing decreased returns on their investments.

Rental house purchases by institutional investors (those owning 10 or more properties) peaked at 10.3 percent of all single-family transactions in the nation during the first quarter of 2013, RealtyTrac figures show.

They fell to 2.9 percent of all sales in the first quarter this year.

But mom-and-pop investors appear to be on the rise because theyre willing to accept lower returns, Blomquist said.

In addition, more companies are cropping up to help investors buy rental homes. Some, like HomeUnion, operate nationwide. Others operate regionally in places like Memphis, Tenn., and Jacksonville, Fla.

Its definitely a burgeoning industry, Blomquist said.

The new firms take differing approaches.

HomeUnion is geared more toward beginning or passive investors, such as doctors who are too busy to manage properties in markets across the country, industry observers said.

Unlike HomeUnion, Investabilitys website doesnt limit offerings to vetted homes in vetted markets, Cisterna said. Its site includes at least 800,000 properties from 365 multiple listing services in all 50 states.

Newly launched Roofstock, on the other hand, only lists homes that already have been renovated and have tenants, said Gary Beasley, co-founder and CEO. Roofstock also provides recommendations for property managers, but doesnt manage the properties itself.

Roofstocks transaction fees represent 0.5 percent of a homes purchase price, plus 2.5 percent paid by the seller, said Beasley, a former co-CEO of Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust (now part of Colony Starwood Homes).

Our fees tend to be quite a bit lower than HomeUnions, he said.

Ugly houses

The longest player in single-family home investing is Dallas-based HomeVestors, know for its We Buy Ugly Houses signs.

The company has more than 700 franchisees, including about 50 in Southern California, who buy, repair and flip or rent out houses in their local areas, said David Hicks, HomeVestors co-president.

Since the companys founding 20 years ago, its franchisees have bought about 65,000 homes and are on track to buy about 8,000 this year, Hicks said.

The ugly house signs generate leads from sellers who arent likely to sell through a real estate agent, Hicks said. Those are the homes that need upgrades that sellers are unwilling to make. Often, theyre inherited properties.

HomeVestors franchisees often have Rolodexes filled with painters, roofers and contractors who will do the work for less, so they have the ability to make ugly homes attractive rentals.

Our franchisees are people in the business, working the business, Hicks said.

Broken water heaters

While Ganguly and Beasley say their websites take the risk out of long-distance investing, Hicks discourages the practice.

I personally would never buy a property that I hadnt walked in, that I hadnt seen, he said.

A local investment club, the Orange County Real Estate Forum, used to allow companies to pitch out-of-town rentals to members. No longer.

When youre six hours away, things can happen, said Scott Mednick, the investment clubs owner. A hot water heater breaks, a roof leaks  you have to depend on other people.

Not all property managers are fair or honest either, Mednick said. Sometimes owners get charged for repairs that dont need to be done.

During the housing crash, a lot of investors got wiped out by loading up on investment homes using easy financing, he said. Often, they didnt understand the market cycles in other cities.

When values dropped substantially, rent dropped substantially, and people couldnt hang on, Mednick said.

Ganguly said, however, theres much less risk in todays market.

The crash was not in the underlying real estate. The crash was how we gave out mortgages to people if they had a pulse, he said.

That scenario is not going to happen because lending standards are way more stringent now than they were in those days.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7734 or jcollins@ocregister.com
Appraisers are real estates party poopers.

So, leave it to the folks who are paid for the unenviable chore of valuing properties to suggest that Orange Countys homes still arent worth what they were at the peak of last decades buying frenzy.

As you may know, CoreLogics widely watched median selling price for Orange County hit $645,000 in April, the first time back at the last booms pinnacle reached in June 2007. But that benchmark isnt the only yardstick of the local markets progress.

One of the most curious home-price indexes comes from the Real Estate Research Council of Southern California, a coalition of regional market watchers and real estate pros housed at Cal Poly Pomona. Every six months, the council sends out volunteer appraisers to reevaluate the exact same 39 Orange County homes. (They also do 269 other valuations across Southern California to create index for the seven-county region.)

The appraisal indexs odd logic attempts to eliminate the flaws of measurements based on closed sales. Median selling prices, for example, can be swayed by an ever-changing mix of what real estate is being bought for.

Yes, the appraisal indexs sample of homes studied is far smaller than, say, the 3,285 homes that comprise the CoreLogic median selling price for April. But the councils methodology also allows for the human eyes of the appraisers to take a crack a local valuation trends.

For April, the councils appraisal index for Orange County was up 5.4 percent in a year. That adds up to a 35 percent jump since the cyclical bottom hit four years ago. However, this index is still 9 percent below its peak, hit in October 2006  unlike CoreLogics local median thats all the way back.

Now, its not like this gap between indexes is monumentally noteworthy. Nor is the back-to-the-old peak event little more that perhaps a psychological footnote for local real estate.

Yet this difference in index results cements the notion that many homeowners have yet to recoup their post-bubble-bursting declines in values.

Do not forget the ridiculously easy lending standards of a decade ago. Those stupid mortgages disproportionally boosted prices in more affordable neighborhoods. Since then, bankers regained their sanity and toughened mortgage qualifications. Sadly, that doomed lower-priced communities to slower recoveries.

Just look at what the appraiser indexes tell us.

Orange County home values rose a stunning 250 percent in the 10 years ended in October 2006  only to tumble 32 percent in the next three years, the councils appraisal index shows.

The rebound that followed was by no means a level playing field.

Homes appraised for the council index in pricey South County and Orange County beach communities  average value of $811,529  have recovered all but 3 percent of the October 2006 pricing.

But in more affordable towns? In central O.C., the indexs appraised homes  average value $596,556  are still 11 percent below October 2006. And in the northern part of the county, the indexs homes  average values of $539,077  remain 14 percent off the October 2006 pinnacle.

This wont be the last time appraiser deliver disappointing news to local property owners.

Contact the writer: jlansner@ocregister.com
BAGHDAD  Iraqi forces gained control of the main hospital in Fallujah on Saturday and were clearing mines after driving the Islamic State group from most of the city, one of its few remaining strongholds in Anbar province west of Baghdad, a military official said.

Fighting was still underway in parts of the city, where U.S. and Iraqi warplanes targeted snipers and other IS positions, Brig. Gen. Haider al-Obeidi told The Associated Press.

Troops had cautiously advanced toward the hospital, fearing that the militants would use patients as human shields, but when they stormed the facility they found no patients inside, he said, adding that the Iraqi flag has been raised over the building.

The troops later captured the Dubbat neighborhood and are now pushing into the northern neighborhood of Golan and several small areas, he said.

Iraqi special forces swept into Fallujah on Friday, recapturing most of the city after weeks of fighting on its outskirts. Al-Obeidi said Friday that Iraqi troops controlled 80 percent of the city, with IS fighters concentrated in four districts on its northern edge.

Fallujah was the first Iraqi city to fall to the extremist group, in January 2014, and was the last major IS foothold in sprawling Anbar, the heartland of the countrys Sunni minority. The group still controls Iraqs second largest city, Mosul, in the north.

Iraqi troops have been advancing under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqs air force. The operation inside Fallujah was being conducted by the Iraqi army, regional and federal police forces as well as anti-terrorism units. Shiite militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Force, remained outside Fallujah and have not taken part in the recent battles.

Aid groups estimated that 50,000 civilians were trapped inside Fallujah when the assault began several weeks ago, and that 30,000 to 42,000 of those have fled since then. The majority have been staying in camps near the city.

As government forces swept in Friday, thousands of residents fled the city, some swimming across the Euphrates River to reach safety.

On Friday evening, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi spoke on national TV from the joint command center, congratulating the troops on their victories. We promised to liberate Fallujah, and it has returned to the embrace of the nation, he said.

The conflict in Iraq has forced more than 3.3 million people to flee their homes. Iraq is also hosting up to 300,000 refugees who have fled the civil war in neighboring Syria. Most are living in camps or informal settlements.

In the central province of Salahuddin, where IS suffered a major defeat last year when it lost former Iraqi leader Saddam Husseins hometown of Tikrit, government forces pushed north of the province toward IS territory, said Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul.

Rasoul said the fighting is concentrated north of the oil refinery of Beiji, Iraqs largest. The refinery has not been working since IS seized much of northern and western Iraq in 2014, declaring a caliphate.

Despite being under attack on several fronts in Iraq and Syria, the extremists carried out a suicide truck bomb attack near the office of a Kurdish group in northern Iraq.

The blast reportedly killed at least one person.
Everyone wants to keep dangerous people from getting weapons. But in her statements on Monday, Hillary Clinton revealed a lack of concern for the actual facts of the Orlando massacre.

If, yes, you are too dangerous to get on a plane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in America, Clinton argued. Of course, Omar Mateen, the Orlando nightclub shooter, wasnt on the no-fly list.

The American background check system prevents people from purchasing guns if they have been convicted of felonies or certain kinds of misdemeanors. Though being on the FBIs terror watch-list sounds bad, it doesnt mean that the person has been convicted of anything. You can be on the list simply because the FBI wants to interview you about someone you might know. About 40 percent of people on the watch list are under reasonable suspicion even though they have absolutely no affiliation with known terrorist groups.

Between February 2004 and December 2014, more than 2,000 people on the watch list bought a gun. Not one of these people has been identified as using a gun in a crime.

It is pretty easy to get on the terrorist watch list even if you havent done anything wrong. About 700,000 people were on the watch list two years ago, and this number has grown dramatically during the Obama administration. In 2014, about 50,000 people were on the no-fly list. This is a ten-fold increase since Obama took office.

Should the government be able to deny you the right to protect yourself simply because it wants to ask about someone you might know?

While some people on the no-fly list are there because they are suspected of terrorist activity, others get added because they are suspects in criminal cases, made controversial statements or tweets unrelated to terrorism, are victims of clerical error, or have refused to become government informants.

But not only do the terror watch list and no-fly list target many people who arent really threats, they also stop a lot of people who werent meant to be targeted. The late Sen. Ted Kennedy was stopped from flying five times because someone with a similar name was on the no-fly list. Other prominent individuals such as The Weekly Standards Stephen Hayes have run into this problem.

The error rate for identifying potential terror threats is probably similar to the error rate for background checks on gun purchases. More than 94 percent of initial denials for gun purchases are dropped after just a preliminary review. This happens because the wrong person was stopped or because the covered offenses were decades old and the government decided not to prosecute. The total error rate comes to about 99 percent.

Even if we are putting real terrorists on a list and legally prohibiting them from purchasing guns, that doesnt stop them from getting weapons. Just because illegal drugs are illegal doesnt mean that people cant get them. Its the same with guns. And incidentally, drug gangs supply both drugs and guns.

Frances strict weapon bans didnt stop terrorists last November from getting all the AK-47s and explosive belts that they needed for their devastating attacks on Paris.

A large academic literature has failed to find any crime-reducing benefit from criminal background checks on gun purchases.

After every major mass public shooting, President Obama has argued for background checks on private transfers of guns. Someone should ask Obama if any of the attacks during his administration would have been stopped by such a law. The answer, unfortunately, is no.

The current background check system is a mess. Adding more names to the mix is neither useful nor fair.

John Lott is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of More Guns, Less Crime (University of Chicago Press, 2010).
ANAHEIM  How did a kid from Marlborough, Mass., a tiny industrial town west of Boston, get more social media followers than many presidential candidates?

By posting most of his life story on YouTube, Joey Graceffa, 25, has garnered a massive following in the last nine years  6.2 million subscribers on YouTube, 3 million followers on Twitter and 4.1 million on Instagram  along with a best-selling memoir and a new web series.

This week, Graceffa will join other popular online celebrities, industry folks and more than 30,000 fans at VidCon, a sold-out three-day convention that kicks off on Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

YouTube is the leader of the pack when it comes to hosting and sharing online video content and continues its role as the main sponsor of VidCon, which is in its seventh year.

In February alone, 182 million people watched videos on YouTube, according to comScore, a digital-media analytic company. Facebook ranked No. 2 with 81 million.

Graceffas 1,400 videos, a mix of gaming, singing and personal blogs, have been seen 874 million times, said Social Blade, a website that tracks statistics across social media platforms.

Im connecting with them, Graceffa said of offering his fans such an in-depth look at his life. Maybe youll watch an actor and reality star and those people feel so unreachable. You never get to meet or connect with them in a deeper level.

I post the good and the bad. I share my struggles and how I feel. Its those videos that connect.

At the convention, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki will hold an industry keynote and discuss the expansion of original programming on the companys $9.99 a month, subscription-based website. Visitors will attend panels on how to get started using a camera, how to post video blogs, how to tell their stories online and even how to make six-second videos that will captivate an audience.

Graceffa will screen his new original web series for YouTube, Escape the Night, at the convention Thursday, judge a cosplay contest on Friday and host meet and greets throughout the three-day convention. His new reality adventure series  described as a mix of Clue and Survivor  airs online weekly on Wednesdays.

Graceffa had come to Los Angeles several years ago to pursue acting and follow a traditional path, but his online videos became so popular he decided to do his own projects.

I wanted to make my own path, he said. I made my own short films. I dont have to go to tons of auditions. I can create my own roles that I make up in my own head.  Now, a lot of these traditional opportunities have come to me because of what Ive been doing online.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney
ROME  Its a story almost too fantastical to be true: A flea market dealer finds a painting near a subway trash bin, submits it to laboratory analysis and emerges convinced he has a Modigliani on his hands.

No one would believe it, given the modernist master is one of the most sought-after and forged artists around.

But a public relations firm in Rome that doubles as the Amedeo Modigliani Institute is claiming a signed portrait of Odette could be a real deal. Its putting the work on public view next week saying it hopes to start an academic debate on its authenticity.

I assure you, this isnt a fake and we are dealing with a discovery, insisted Luciano Renzi, the institutes president and head of an eponymous publicity firm. While acknowledging that experts must make such a certification, he said he wouldnt put it up to critical review if the institute didnt firmly believe it.

However, the institute has no role or expertise in authenticating Modigliani works, has a financial interest in drumming up publicity for its exhibit, and even the lab it hired refuses to date the painting.

Amedeo Modigliani died in 1920 in Paris at age 35 of tubercular meningitis after a short but intense career that produced masterpieces: portraits, nudes and sculptures, many featuring the distinctive lithe necks of his muses. The most authoritative catalogue of his works, completed in 1972 by critic Ambrogio Ceroni, lists 337 known pieces.

The timing of Odettes appearance is certainly suspect: In November, Modiglianis Nu Couche (Reclining Nude) fetched $170 million at a Christies auction in New York, the second highest price ever paid for an artwork at auction. A host of museum exhibits around the globe are planned in the run-up to the 2020 centenary of his death.

And it comes as the Amedeo Modigliani Institute tries to recover from a credibility scandal involving forgeries and its past president, Christian Parisot, who was arrested in 2012 on charges he knowingly authenticated fake works. Parisot and Renzi founded the institute a decade ago to house the artists documentary archive, which had been bequeathed to Parisot by Modiglianis only daughter. The institute wasnt implicated in the scandal, but its reputation suffered by association.

Experts cautioned that any purported Modigliani must be greeted with an overdose of skepticism, given the propensity for hoaxes, fakes and forgeries and the financial interests of all involved. Most significantly, Odette has no provenance, or paper trail of past owners, rendering it virtually unsellable by any reputable gallery and problematic for any serious scholars to consider.

Its extremely rare that a work would pop up out of nowhere without any previous trace, said Kenneth Wayne, a leading Modigliani scholar who heads the Modigliani Project in New York. If a work just appears in 1990 or 2016 without any history whatsoever, no exhibitions, no programs, thats a major cause of concern. Its a red flag.

The institute and the paintings owner point to two sets of laboratory analyses that they claim date the painting to the first two decades of the 1900s, during the artists lifetime and before the first Modigliani copies started to appear. The analyses show no trace of titanium white, which only came into use in 1924 and would be a tell-tale sign of a fake given Modiglianis death four years prior.

The analyses point to the wood frame, canvas, colors and surface dirt as being consistent with the era in which Modigliani lived, said Alberto DAtanasio, a docent at a Brescia art academy who was brought in by the institute to give an artistic assessment before going public.

We dont know anything about this painting, conceded DAtanasio, who is not a Modigliani expert. Nevertheless, nothing, nothing makes me think this is a fake.

But even the laboratory hired by the institute refuses to make any claim about the paintings age based on its analysis.

The paint suggests an ageing  years have passed  but to bring it back to 100 years, we cant do anything like that, said Luana Casaglia, restorer at the Cooperativa Beni Culturali in Spoleto. It would be risky for us to say that.

Wayne, who hasnt viewed the painting, noted that the absence of titanium white doesnt exclude a more recent forgery using old paint. He also noted that Odettes measurements  2921 inches  arent found with any consistency in the Ceroni catalogue. Modiglianis portraits often measured 4025.5 inches, he said.

The owner hasnt come forward publicly, another red flag. His Rome-based lawyer, Gennaro Arbia, says only that his client is a flea market dealer who in June 2006 found the painting resting up against a trash bin at the La Rustica metro stop in Romes periphery. Rats had gnawed some holes in it.

Arbia, who previously represented a man claiming to be the son and heir of painter Renato Guttuso, said he sent a photo to Parisots Paris-based operation in 2006 hoping to get it certified. Parisots office responded saying there were no elements to suggest it could be authentic and declined to analyze it further, Arbia said.

His client persisted and 10 years later Arbia approached the Rome institute with a first set of lab analyses. The institute then hired the Spoleto lab for a more invasive analysis of the paint and accumulated dirt.

Arbia freely admits his client wants to sell the work, even though he would be hard pressed to find a collector willing to spend serious money for a painting with no provenance. The institute, too, has a financial stake in promoting it given the publicity for its upcoming exhibit of Modigliani reproductions at a Spoleto arts festival where Odette will be shown.

And all involved concede that Modigliani hoaxes abound: One of the greatest involved the discovery in 1984 of three sculpted heads purportedly tossed by the artist into a canal in his hometown of Livorno. Three young men eventually confessed to having carved the heads themselves with power drills and tossed them in as a joke.

What if Odette is found to be a fake?

Arbia pauses. The dream is over.
Last Sunday, as Americans were waking up to the carnage at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, MSNBC analyst Jim Cavanaugh was speculating on air about the shooters motivation.

You know theres a lot of domestic terrorists we classify that do that, they are rooted in white hate movements, he said. So it could be that.

Although its disturbing to think that someones first consideration upon hearing such news would be partisan, Cavanaugh seemed to be expressing a hope. In this, he was not alone. In any event, his theory was wrong  as was much of what has been said in the week since the shooting.

And much loonier stuff was coming.

Its time to admit that toxic masculinity drives gun violence, feminist columnist Armanda Marcotte wrote Monday. She blamed the worst mass shooting in U.S. history on Christian-identified men, caught up in the cult of toxic masculinity, sowing discord and causing violence in our country [such as] the gun-toting militiamen that caused a showdown in Oregon.

Perhaps you remember those gun-toting militiamen. They occupied a vacant building as a form of protest and shot exactly nobody, although their leader was subsequently gunned down by lawmen.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump amped up the wattage of his anti-immigrant rhetoric by invoking vague conspiracy theories against President Obama. Were led by a man who is not tough, not smart, or has something else in mind, the presumptive Republican nominee said. The something else in mind  people cant believe it. They cant believe [he] cant even mention the words radical Islamic terrorism. Theres something going on.

What was going on, on both the left and the right, was noxious political finger-pointing. As a country, we can do better. We have done better, and not all that long ago.

Hillary Clinton mentioned this. She wistfully invoked the days after 9/11 when George W. Bush went to a mosque to reassure peaceful Muslims. Clinton noted that she was a Democratic senator representing New York at the time, and that the president was a Republican, New Yorks governor was a Republican and the mayor of New York City was a Republican.

We did not attack each other, she said. We worked with each other to protect our country and to rebuild our city.

Without mentioning him by name, Hillarys rap was aimed at The Donald. But civil discourse, let alone national unity, was a standard of behavior Clintons allies did not apply to themselves. Democrats and liberals spent the week acting as though Jim Cavanaughs conjecture was true: that an evangelical Christian had gone into a gay nightclub with a semi-automatic weapon and murder in his heart, instead of a Muslim fanatic pledging fealty to ISIS.

Congressional Democrats castigated Republicans who didnt stress that the victims were targeted because they were gay. Meanwhile, other liberals accused Republicans who did mention solicitude for the LGBT community of doing so solely to stoke anti-Muslim feeling. Heads, I win; tails, you lose.

After previous shootings, liberals took to social media  and the regular media  to assert that Republicans who didnt support gun control had no business expressing empathy for victims. After Orlando, Democrats and their friends in the Fourth Estate doubled-down on this dubious logic: If you didnt support gay marriage, you cant feel bad for the victims.

When former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee asked his Twitter followers to join him in praying for the Orlando victims, a lesbian journalist who appointed herself as the victims spokeswoman snarked, We dont want your prayers. You hate LGBT people.

Remember when the American Civil Liberties Union stood for free speech? Its core mission these days seems to be online trolling of Republicans. When House Speaker Paul Ryan issued a sensitive sentiment about Orlando (While we must learn more about the attacker, the victims & families will not be forgotten) an ACLU official named Chase Strangio tweeted at Ryan: But there will be no self-reflection and people like you will continue to fuel and embolden this type of hatred.

So this was a liberal talking point. But if you parse it for a moment, it falls of its own weight. The logic amounts to this: Unless you currently embrace a stance that no prominent national Democratic elected official was willing to take until 2012, you are the equivalent of a mass murderer.

He wouldnt phrase it that way, but Obama indulged himself, too. His determination to avoid discussing violence committed by Muslims in the name of their religion led the president to end his first speech about Orlando with a bewildering call for Americans to find the strength and courage to change their attitudes toward the LGBT community. This, in a nation where gay marriage is the law of the land, and where Orlando, By-God, Florida boasts a thriving gay bar scene.

Not all the fatuousness was confined to the left. How could it be with Trump and the National Rifle Association on the loose?

Trump kept up his I told you so drumbeat all week, as if he was the only person whod believed America would suffer another jihadist attack. Trump also said the moral of the Orlando horror was that we need to curb immigration, notwithstanding the fact that the shooter was American-born and that the decision to admit his parents was three decades old. Trump seemed content to fight prejudice with more prejudice.

Gun rights enthusiasts didnt cover themselves in glory either. Conservative publications gleefully reported that the Pulse nightclub was a gun-free zone under Florida law, insisting this made it a soft target. That didnt exactly square with the facts of the case: an armed Orlando police officer was at the Pulse and couldnt stop the shooter. By Wednesday, Trump was going around saying relaxed carry and conceal laws could have prevented the massacre.

By Thursday, John McCain, no Trump fan, asserted that Obama was directly responsible for the Orlando attack. McCains explanation was that the president pulled U.S. troops out of Iraq prematurely, leading to the disintegration of the government there and giving rise to the Islamic State.

I admire John McCain, but what he meant was indirectly responsible. Its a stretch, anyway. By the same logic, George W. Bush, who launched the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, was responsible. And not just Bush; Hillary Clinton, John Kerry  and, yes, John McCain  are also responsible because they cast Senate votes approving the U.S. military incursion into that part of the world.

While were at it, lets blame the League of Nations for approving the British mandate in Iraq back in 1920. Or maybe Winston Churchill, Britains colonial secretary, who called the place an ungrateful volcano.

That volcano is still erupting, spewing ash all over the world, and apparently sweeping away rational American political discourse in the lava flow.

Carl M. Cannon is executive editor of RealClearPolitics.com.
MOSCOW  A historic attempt to bring together all leaders of the worlds Orthodox churches for the first time in more than a millennium has stalled after the powerful Russian church and three others pulled out at the last minute over disputes ranging from the seating plan to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican.

The Holy and Great Council, set to open Sunday on the Greek island of Crete, was to be the first meeting of all Orthodox leaders since the year 787, when the last of the seven councils recognized by both Orthodox and Catholics was held. The meeting is still on, but with the Russian Orthodox Church and three others staying away, its pan-Orthodox aura has faded.

Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, considered the first among equals since the time when Constantinople was the seat of the Byzantine Empire, has been the main driving force behind efforts to bring together the leaders of all 14 independent Orthodox churches. The gathering, for which preparations began 55 years ago, was meant to promote unity among the worlds more than 300 million Orthodox Christians. But in recent weeks, differences that at first seemed minor escalated as the date for the meeting approached.

The Rev. John Chryssavgis, a spokesman for Bartholomew, said the 10 patriarchs attending the council met Friday and issued a final plea even at the 11th hour for the other churches to attend, saying whatever issues they have will be examined. But he added that the council will go on without them, and organizers say the decisions made by the remaining 10 will be binding  a claim certainly to be rejected by Moscow and the others.

But Russian Patriarch Kirill reiterated Friday that his church would not attend, saying in a message to the council that he considered the Crete gathering a preparatory session for a synod that will unite all the churches without exception.

Our prayers will be with you in the days of the work ahead of you, he added.

The argument is certain to further fray the brittle relationship between many of the churches.

Unlike the Roman Catholics, the Orthodox churches are independent and have their own leadership. They also have different priorities, with some in recent years becoming more inward looking and nationalist, while others have turned more liberal as they try to appeal to a more globalized flock, which has been growing distant from what is perceived to be a conservative faith clinging to centuries-old traditions. The Council was to be an important step not only to show a unity of cause, but to rekindle interest in the faith among an often disparate community of believers scattered in small churches around the globe.

But at the heart of the matter is a struggle for spiritual influence over the worlds Orthodox faithful between the large, rich and dynamic Russian church, which represents more than 100 million faithful, and the older but far smaller Ecumenical Patriarchate headquartered in predominantly Muslim Turkey.

The Russian Orthodox Church and the churches allied with it are on the rise, said Roman Silantyev, a Moscow-based scholar, and can afford to resist any compromise.

Andrei Desnitsky, a Moscow-based author and commentator on religious affairs, said the rift reflected long-running tensions between the ecumenical patriarchate and Moscow. Any serious issues related to Orthodox policies reflect a soft rivalry between the two patriarchates, he wrote in a recent commentary.

One of the first disagreements was over seating. According to some reports, the Russian church strongly opposed a plan for the ecumenical patriarch to take a presiding seat during the council session, seeing it as an attempt to promote primacy. Instead, Moscow and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church reportedly insisted that the participants sit at a round table.

While the seating issue was settled, other disagreements were more difficult to deal with.

The Bulgarian church was the first to drop out, citing a lack of particularly important topics on the agenda, the seating plan, and the handling of documents. The Damascus-based Antioch Patriarchate said it would not attend unless an ongoing dispute with the Jerusalem Patriarchate was resolved ahead of the council. The two broke relations over the jurisdiction of the Muslim Gulf state of Qatar. The Georgian Orthodox Church cited a doctrinal issue to pull out.

Some observers say the three may have been influenced by the Russian church. Because of an agreement that all council decisions should be reached through consensus, the Moscow Patriarchate insisted on a postponement, arguing that the absence of even a single church would make that impossible.

Chryssavgis said Bartholomew could not postpone the council and unilaterally overturn the collective decision to meet. Bartholomew is not the pope, he cant just decide, he told the AP, adding that it cant be ruled out that the 10 churches present could vote for a postponement when they gather.

Some in the Russian church have been deeply suspicious of the ecumenical patriarchs intentions, fearing that the council could pave way to closer ties to the Vatican, Protestants and others, anathema for conservatives in that institution.

There are fears that the Orthodox will surrender their positions in the face of the Catholics, Silantyev said. There are a certain number of priests and some bishops who share that view.

Its a confrontation between liberals and anti-liberals, and Constantinople represents the liberal side, Silantyev added.

The Great Schism split Christendom in 1054 over the Vaticans power. Despite a landmark meeting between Pope Francis and the Russian patriarch Kirill in Cuba, many in the Moscow Patriarchate and other Orthodox churches do not want any rapprochement with the Vatican.

Some conservatives in the Russian church have been critical of Kirills decision to endorse a set of compromise documents prepared for approval by the council, including one on relations with other Christian churches.

The Russian churchs leadership has found itself in an awkward position and preferred to dodge attacks for taking part in the project initiated by its Constantinople rivals, posing instead as keepers of Orthodox unity, Alexei Makarkin, a deputy head of the Center for Political Technologies, a Moscow-based think-tank, wrote recently.

The Moscow Patriarchate has tried to downplay the rift, saying that differences could be settled and a council be held at a later date.

We arent inclined to dramatize it or see it as some sort of catastrophe, Moscow Patriarchates spokesman Vladimir Legoida told the AP. We dont see the difficulties that have emerged as insurmountable.
The shots rang out in the darkened video clip of the mass murder in Orlando, Florida early Sunday morning. First a few shots, then rapid automatic fire that made me wince as I pictured a hundred people being shot in a matter of seconds. Mostly young, gay, Latino and black, the partygoers started the evening enjoying music and dancing at the Pulse nightclub, not knowing that many would end up dead or wounded at the hands of a mass murderer.

First, we pause to mourn the loss of these young people whose lives were just beginning and to grieve with their loved ones at this tragedy. Then we turn our minds to trying to understand what happened, why it happened, and how we can prevent it from happening again.

While the shooters motives are yet to be proven, it appears he targeted this club because of his hate for the LGBT community, making it a horrendous hate crime. Yet another sad statistic in our national tracking of bias-related crime, motivated by hatred for people based on their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or other immutable aspect of their being. He also reportedly pledged support for the Islamic State, painting the picture of this tragedy as an act of terror.

In war, the vilification of the enemy is the first step in dehumanizing the other so troops can feel justified in killing them. It is with this knowledge that we can look to the systematic vilification of the LGBT community as one of the precursors to this type of hate crime. This informs our programming and how we teach people about the differences among us, in order to prevent dehumanization and thereby reduce the likelihood of violence.

Equally dangerous after horrendous violence like this, people use scapegoating to shift blame to others. People point the finger at Muslims because the attacker claimed he was Muslim, stoking the fears we all feel after such frightening tragedies. Directing that fear by scapegoating others can stampede us into shameful acts as a country  acts we later regret:

 The Japanese Americans were interned during World War II even as their family members fought valiantly in the 442nd Regiment, and the United States looks back with shame.

 Nine-hundred Jews, fleeing Hitlers Germany aboard the ship St. Louis, were denied port and sent back to the holocaust, and thousands more were denied refuge, and the United States looks back with shame.

 Thousands of Latino laborers were deported to Mexico in Depression-era sweeps that included some Mexican Americans, and the United States looks back with shame.

Today short-sighted opportunists are stoking the same fears that have led our great country to commit these shameful acts. The blame for this mass murder is not with Muslims. Such an atrocity is strictly forbidden in the Islamic faith, as it is in Christianity, Judaism and most other faiths of the world. Suggesting measures to target Muslims for surveillance, segregation or even exclusion is misguided and in practice plays right into the hand of the terrorists.

Recently, our nation has made major strides in knocking down policies that discriminate against members of the LGBT community. Some of these advances have been met with violent rhetoric and fear mongering. Irrational concerns about how marriage equality will undermine the institution and misplaced fears of transgender individuals disrupting bathrooms in our schools are common. These fears can be exploited for political purposes only when the truth is obscured.

Today we need to stand with these Latino/a, black, transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual young people and ensure tha their voices and their experiences are not obscured or silenced.

We are a stronger community when everyone is included. But we cannot just put out the welcome mat and expect that everyone will enter. We must reach out. We must listen. We must provide a safe place for everyone, but especially for those who have been shut out before.

Join us. Join us in creating a county where everyone can live free of violence, hate and discrimination.

Rusty Kennedy is the CEO of OC Human Relations, a non-profit organization that believes all people have a right to live free from violence and discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation or other aspect of their being.

www.ochumanrelations.org
Theres no contest when it comes to police privacy vs. the publics right to know. The cops are winning all the lobbying battles in the state Capitol this year.

Next up is a bill by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, that would allow a law enforcement officer to block a public agency from responding to a Public Records Act request for body-cam footage or other recordings.

This is an unwise and counterproductive bill, bad for the public and bad even for police in the long run. Yet Mr. Santiagos Assembly Bill 2533 sailed through the Assembly and is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday.

The bill  sponsored by the Peace Officers Research Association of California and opposed by the California Newspaper Publishers Association  would require a public agency to provide an officer at least three business days notice before posting on the internet any audio or video recording of the officer, recorded by the officer or involving the officer. That would give the officer time to seek an injunction and tie up release of the recording in court, even if the agency wants to comply with the public-records request.

As James Ewart, CNPAs general counsel, wrote to Asm. Santiago, his bill would allow a self-interested individual to have a stranglehold over information that the public has an overwhelming interest in obtaining and that a law enforcement agency may want to disclose immediately for the good of the community.

He cited as an example LAPDs infamous beating of Rodney King: In a similar case today, if AB2533 were the law, the agency could not release any officers body-cam footage for three days  or more, if the public has to overcome an injunction  while graphic videos by bystanders would be ubiquitous. That would stoke the communitys suspicion about police rather than allaying it, as a quick release of footage might.

The members of the Senate Public Safety Committee should stop this bill in its tracks.

On the other hand, a bill that would have greatly improved transparency for Californias police agencies died quietly in the Senate late last month.

Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Long Beach, used his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee to kill SB1286, by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, without debate. The bill had been passed by two Senate committees, but Sen. Lara placed it on suspense May 9 and didnt bring it back for consideration by the deadline to move bills to the Senate floor.

Sne. Lenos bill, co-authored by Sens. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa and co-sponsored by the CNPA, the ACLU and other organizations, would have allowed the public access to records of investigations and discipline in police use-of-force cases  but only when a police agency had found its officer had violated public rights, not when there are mere allegations.

It also called for members of the public who file a police misconduct complaint to be told how the department responded to it.

Those are records the public has access to in states like Texas and Utah, for example, but not in California. And our Legislature is keeping it that way.
In a state ruled by a former Jesuit, perhaps we should not be shocked to find ourselves in the grip of an incipient state religion. Of course, this religion is not actually Christianity, or even anything close to the dogma of Catholicism, but something that increasingly resembles the former Soviet Union, or present-day Iran and Saudi Arabia, than the supposed world center of free, untrammeled expression.

Two pieces of legislation introduced in the Legislature last session, but not yet enacted, show the power of the new religion. One is Senate Bill 1146, which seeks to limit the historically broad exemptions the state and federal governments have provided religious schools to, well, be religious.

Under the rubric of official tolerance, the bill would only allow religiously focused schools to deviate from the secular orthodoxy required at nonreligious schools, including support for transgender bathrooms or limitations on expressions of faith by students and even Christian university presidents, in a much narrower range of educational activity than ever before. Many schools believe the bill would needlessly risk their mission and funding to solve gender and social equity problems on their campuses that currently dont exist.

The second piece of legislation, thankfully temporarily tabled, Senate Bill 1161, the Orwellian-named California Climate Science Truth and Accountability Act of 2016, would have dramatically extended the period of time that state officials could prosecute anyone who dared challenge the climate orthodoxy, including statements made decades ago. It would have sought redress for unfair competition practices committed by entities that have deceived, confused or misled the public on the risks of climate change or financially supported activities that have deceived, confused or misled the public on those risks.

Although advocates tended to focus on the hated energy companies, the law could conceivably also extend to skeptics who may either reject the prevailing notions of man-made climate change, or might believe that policies concocted to arrest the phenomena may be themselves less than cost-effective or even not effective at all. So, fellow Californians, sign onto Gov. Torquemadas program or face possible prosecution and the fires of hell.

The new intolerance

Although they target widely different issues, these pieces of legislation reflect a highly authoritarian and illiberal brand of progressivism evolving into something of a state religion. On one hand, California cannot tolerate the autonomy of religious institutions if they refuse to embrace the secularist ideology that dominates the state. Even religious clubs on California State University campuses can no longer restrict their leadership to those who actually are believers.

Similarly, the emerging attack on anyone questioning climate change orthodoxy represents another kind of religion, one that gives officially sanctioned science something close to papal infallibility. Despite the fact that there remain widely divergent views on both the severity of climate change and how best to address it, one has to adhere to the accepted science  or else.

Perhaps most shocking of all, this new spirit of progressive intolerance is affecting other institutions, notably academia and the media. Long incubators for free thinking, the academy, as liberal legal scholars such as Alan Dershowitz note, now routinely violates due process.

The University of California even has promoted the idea of freedom from intolerance in order to protect students from any speech that may offend them as discriminatory. In the context of todays campus, this means that not only the lunacy of Donald Trump but even conventional conservatism must be curtailed as intrinsically discriminatory and evil. Yet, at the same time, proudly violent groups like the Black Panthers are openly celebrated.

This cult of political correctness has reached such ludicrous levels that the University of California considers it a microagression to assert America is a land of opportunity, or to dare to criticize race-based affirmative action. Perhaps more dangerous, such attitudes are incubated in our law schools, which increasingly embrace the notion that the law should be employed specifically to promote certain ideals  whether environmental, race-related or gender-related  embraced by overwhelmingly progressive institutions, irrespective of constitutional limits.

The media, to their shame, increasingly embrace these notions, for example, by refusing to print letters from climate change skeptics, as has occurred on outlets such as Reddit and the Los Angeles Times. Increasingly, mainstream newspaper accounts do not even bother considering skeptical views, including those held by dissenting scientists or questioning economists. What we used to associate only with Soviet-era papers like Pravda increasingly pervades much of the mainstream media.

In such an environment, its not surprising that legislators and elected state officials feel free to target churches, conservative think tanks or energy companies such as Exxon with criminal sanctions and penalties. That such approaches are disguised either as being scientific or reflective of social justice makes them no less heinous, and fundamentally illiberal, in terms of traditional American values of tolerance and respect for dissenting opinions.

Forgetting Madison, embracing groupthink

For the record, I am neither a Christian, nor do I deny that climate change could pose a potential serious long-term threat to humanity. What worries me most is the idea that one must embrace official orthodoxy about how to combat this phenomenon, or question its priority over so many other pressing concerns, such as alleviating poverty, both here and abroad, protecting the oceans or a host of other issues. Similarly, I have always disagreed with holy rollers like Sen. Ted Cruz, who would seek to limit, for example, abortion or the rights of gay people to marry, or would allow school prayer.

But the new progressive intolerance now represents, in many ways, as great, if not more pervasive, a threat to the republic than that posed by either religious fundamentalists or even the most fervent climate change denier. It violates the Madisonian principle that assumed that religious and moral ideas must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. To revoke that principle is to reduce the United States to just another authoritarian state, even if the official ideology is couched in scientific research or estimable embrace of racial or gender differences.

It is no surprise, then, that today many Christians  as much as two-thirds, according to one recent survey  feel that they are being persecuted. Indeed, if they dissent from orthodox views, they now can find themselves the subjects of official opprobrium, as seen in the case of Chick-fil-A in New York, where Mayor Bill de Blasio has urged his constituents, somewhat unsuccessfully, to boycott the popular restaurant. In some cases, you can lose your job by taking the wrong position, as was the case for Brendan Eich, former CEO of Mozilla. The attempt to impose orthodoxy on religious schools, as in SB1146, seems the logical extension of such thinking.

The jihad against anyone who dissents on climate issues also impacts those who are not religious. Couched in the oft-repeated hysterical language that has come to dominate green politics, anyone who dissents on the orthodoxy  whether a moderate Democrat, an energy company or the stray scientific skeptic  faces the possibility of official persecution.

Already, 16 Democratic state attorneys general are actively seeking such action against companies and individuals, which should offend anyone who believes in the ideals of free speech and diversity of opinion. That our own governor and Legislature embrace such repressive views is anathema to the very idea of California, where the free speech movement originated and fostering unorthodoxy has been something of a tradition. Slowly, our very essence  born of debate and dissent and the presence of so many ethnicities and world views  is being stamped out in an attempt to enforce orthodoxy. This process, as in so many areas, has been exacerbated by our transition into a one-party state where, increasingly, only the most orthodox views on all issues can be tolerated.

Ultimately, we as Americans  and Californians  will pay a price for this. History is replete with stories of decline brought on by enforced official orthodoxy, from Byzantium to Chinas Qing dynasty, the Spain of the Inquisition, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union or the current religious autocracies of the contemporary Middle East. As we seek to limit options and ways of thought about everything from marriage and bathrooms to how the planet operates, we dont just persecute dissenters. We also undermine our ability to innovate, adapt and evolve as a society.

Joel Kotkin is a R.C. Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and executive director of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism in Houston. His newest book is The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us.
Subleases. I avoid them at all costs. Why? Because subleases are generally unfavorable to the original tenant (sublandlord) and landlord (master landlord), risky and complicated.

Sometimes, a sublease cannot be avoided, and in isolated cases, there are some benefits to the parties. Heres a review of the ups and downs of a commercial real estate sublease.

What is a sublease?

When a tenant must end a lease obligation before its expiration, the need to sublease occurs. The lease of commercial real estate has a landlord and a tenant. The two parties agree to a term (commencement and expiration), an amount of rent to be paid monthly, any annual increases in the amount of monthly rent over the term, and any concessions, such as abated rent, building improvements and prepossession cleanup.

These points are detailed in a lease agreement and both parties sign. Ideally, every effort is made by the tenant to live up to the terms of the lease. Occasionally, the tenant finds himself unable to fulfill them.

In a sublease arrangement, the landlord becomes the master landlord and the tenant becomes the sublandlord. The new occupant is referred to as a subtenant. Confusing, huh?

Sublease is unfavorable to tenant

The tenant is committed to the landlord for an amount of rent over a period of time, and very few landlords would let the tenant walk without a hefty penalty.

A sublease is akin to a fire sale in which the lease is no longer needed or wanted and thus must be liquidated. The tenant (now the sublandlord) is desperate to get rid of the excess space but has very little leverage with which to negotiate.

Additionally, if a subtenant is located and a deal struck, the original tenant is still on the hook if the subtenant does not play nicely and fails to pay rent. Another unfavorable factor is the term remaining on the lease. Most prospective tenants seek a three- to seven-year lease term. If the term of the sublease has fewer than three years remaining, the sublease has less appeal to prospective tenants. Occasionally, a landlord will capitalize on the shortened term, realizing it is less marketable, and use the tenants desire to liquidate as a means to secure a new tenant.

Sublease is unfavorable to landlord

A layer of risk and complexity is added with a subtenant. The tenant with whom you negotiated and transacted is now vacating your building. Although the tenant is still obligated for the performance of the lease, the new subtenant is now your occupant.

To a certain extent, your original tenants faithful rent performance is dependent upon the subtenant. Frequently, if the remaining lease term is fewer than three years, a prospective subtenant may want a longer term. You now must commence negotiations several years sooner than you anticipated. You must now decide  well before the old lease expires  what your attitude is on a longer term.

Sublease is risky for subtenant

Subleases are generally taken as is, where is. Remember, the sublandlord (tenant) is out and consequently doesnt want to spend money refurbishing the space. The normal concession package of abated rent, building improvements and cleanup are rare with a sublease. You may be asked to vacate at the end of the sublease term because you will not have any options to extend or any renewal rights. What happens if the sublandlord fails to pay rent? Your position is compromised, or worse, you get evicted!

Sometimes benefits occur

Subleases appeal to new companies with little or no credit history. A sublandlord is less concerned with credit. After all, the sublandlord is still obligated. Subleases are advantageous for fast-growing companies. Because a shorter term remains with a sublease, a company has the flexibility afforded with a short term  it is not making a long-term commitment.

As revenue and employee growth are uncertain for these companies, the shorter term works. Sometimes, the market rate for new leases is greater than the rate for a sublease. On the flip side, a sublandlord can make money. Just make sure your agreement allows you to reap any profits taken from a sublease.

Allen Buchanan is a principal and commercial real estate broker at Lee & Associates, Orange. He can be reached at 714.564.7104 or abuchanan@lee-associates.com. His website is www.allencbuchanan.com
Whats the best part of Knotts Berry Farms 75th anniversary celebration of Ghost Town? Im sure that many fans would vote for the newly refurbished GhostRider roller coaster.

The biggest wooden roller coaster on the West Coast is faster and smoother than ever after Great Coasters International rebuilt its track over the winter.

But as much as I love that smooth new ride, my vote goes to Knotts new Ghost Town Alive.

I would describe it as a daylong, live-action play where youre invited to become one of the performers. Knotts has flooded Ghost Town with actors in period costumes, who play sheriffs deputies, schoolteachers, barbers and a wide variety of other workers in Knotts Ghost Town of Calico.

Knotts also refreshed and reopened all those storefronts in Calico, allowing visitors to step inside and talk with the characters theyll find throughout the town.

My daughter and I visited on Knotts recent media day, and we ended up running errands for the deputy sheriff while meeting half a dozen other Calico residents along the way. We spent more time interacting with the cast of characters than we did on any other attraction in the park that day.

Most theme park attractions dont require you to do anything more than sit down and enjoy the ride or show. But this is an interactive experience, where your ability to play along greatly affects how much youll enjoy it.

Fortunately, Knotts cast makes it easy to interact, meeting you where youre at in casual conversation, rather than demanding that you start by assuming some role. And thats one of the key reasons why Ghost Town Alive succeeds.

Theme park attractions should be a joy, not a chore. If you feel like youre working at any point during the experience, it fails. Slipping into an interactive experience such as Ghost Town Alive should feel as easy and natural as going about your everyday life  just a lot more fun and exciting.

Disneyland tried something similar a couple of years ago with its Legends of Frontierland: Gold Rush experience. But it felt more like a formal role-playing game than Ghost Town Alive. If the experience requires taking time to explain whats happening and to go over the rules, the illusion is shattered.

Plus, Disneylands Frontierland lacks the detailed storefronts and intimate settings that help make Ghost Town Alive feel like an authentic experience in a real Western town.

For an interactive experience to work it has to be simple, inviting and feel authentic. Knotts passes these tests more convincingly than any other large-scale interactive experience Ive seen in a theme park. The Wild West theme is familiar to almost every American, the setting is wonderfully detailed, and Knotts cast has the improvisational skills to draw visitors into the experience and make it fun for everyone.

Could other parks do this? Of course. Disneys already promised to incorporate this type of interactivity in its upcoming Star Wars land.

If Universal Studios Hollywood were to create a similar experience for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Id just try to move in and live at that park.

While Universals Harry Potter team members generally do a great job of playing in character  especially the ones at the interactive wand displays  Universal hasnt tied it all together with interlocking tasks and on-going narratives, as Knotts has in Ghost Town.

But given how crowded the Wizarding World can become in its first summer in Hollywood, perhaps its best that Universal hasnt done something that would cause thousands of fans like me to want to camp out there even longer every day.

Still, perhaps thats something to look forward to, for the future. Theme parks have been copying each others successes for decades. Heres hoping that other parks find inspiration in Knotts Ghost Town Alive.

Contact the writer: Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThemePark
Fremonts work so far to recruit a chicken processing plant has come under plenty of criticism  but does it violate the Nebraska Constitution?

An activist group earlier this month said part of what Fremont is doing violates state law. The group says it might sue. Fremont city officials say the citys actions are business as usual, and perfectly legal.

The issue  if its pushed  might have to be settled in court.

Heres the issue: Fremont is paying for some engineering services in preparation for the proposed Costco chicken plant. An engineering firm would do design work related to bringing water and wastewater services out to the plant, which could rise south of Fremont.

Under the agreement, Costco would repay the costs for the services  about $200,000. Costco declined to comment for this story.

The activist group, Bold Nebraska, says its tantamount to corporate welfare and an illegal loan for the city to pay the cost upfront. The Fremont city attorney disputes that.

Both are now hashing out arguments.

Bold Nebraska points out the state constitution prevents the city from lending money to a private corporation  thats how it characterizes the agreement. Bold Nebraska opposes the plant because of environmental concerns and concern for the treatment of chicken farmers.

Bold Nebraska attorney Brian Jorde, with Domina Law Group of Omaha, said he was considering a lawsuit. None had been filed as of Friday.

It sounds like an interest-free loan to me, Jorde told The World-Herald in an email. What is so foreign about the concept that for-profit enterprises should pay for their due diligence rather than taxpayers?

Fremont City Attorney Paul Payne disagrees with Bolds take. He said the city is not lending money or extending its credit to a business. Rather, he said, its paying for services related to its own water and sewer system.

Were allowed to do, under state law, exactly what were doing, he said. There is nothing that stops us from getting reimbursed for that expenditure. As a taxpayer, Id kind of like (the city) to get reimbursed.

Under the agreement, Costco will reimburse the city for expenses up to $195,825 for engineering and design services performed by Omaha-based HDR Inc., which submitted the low bid in a competitive bidding process, the city said.

A former City of Omaha attorney said that type of arrangement is commonplace. Often it happens under a redevelopment agreement, something Fremont is pursuing with Costco.

Its something that sounds like it could be done, Ken Bunger said. The City of Omaha has in the past had arrangements where developers would reimburse the city for certain work.

Bunger said that payback is common under a subdivision agreement or a redevelopment agreement  the type of agreement Fremont plans to pursue for the Costco project, though one is not yet in place. Redevelopment agreements, in part, allow for tax increment financing of the public costs associated with a private project.

Fremont Director of Utilities Brian Newton said Fremont commonly performs utility work on behalf of developers, such as when a new subdivision or commercial building goes up.

They reimburse us after the fact, he said. Well bill them for their share of the project. Thats quite common.

One difference between those projects and the Costco case is that usually there is no written reimbursement agreement on smaller projects, he said. But in this case there is, he said, to cover the city since Costco has not formally decided to build the chicken plant. And there is more scrutiny on this project than usual.

Both sides just agreed, lets put it in writing, Newton said. They could cancel the project. Its not something I want the ratepayers to pay. Costco was willing to step up and say, Well sign an agreement to pay for it. 

While the city does not yet have a redevelopment agreement in place, Newton said such an agreement would likely address the larger costs of actually extending city utility services to the plant: gas, water, sewer and electric  millions of dollars of work.

Debate over the chicken plant will continue this week in Fremont, with a Planning Commission meeting Monday and a City Council meeting Tuesday.

The commission is expected to recommend to the council that it annex land south of town for the plant, and that it rezone one property as industrial to accommodate the project.

Large crowds are expected for the meetings, which will include a presentation about the project for Costco officials.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, barbara.soderlin@owh.com
Cabinet approves infusion of Rs 1,500 crore in IREDA: Here are the Highlights

7th Pay Comm:Good news!Starting salary likely to be recommended at Rs 23,000; fitment factor to rise

India

oi-Reetu

New Delhi,June 19: A good news is there the for central government employees as the recommendations by the empowered group of secretaries have said that the minimum salary as well as the fitment factor should be raised in the Seventh Pay Commission.

The empowered group which is headed by Cabinet Secretary, is said to have recommended so in its report.

7th Pay Commission:Good news! Secretary Panel submits report;recommendations to be implemented soon

As per a Zeenews report, "According to the sources, the starting salary of government employees is expected to be around Rs 23,000, up from Rs 18,000 as recommended by AK Mathur led panel.

Sources said that the fitment factor is likely to be raised to around 2.7, up from 2.57 as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission."

Good News! Seventh Pay Commission: Cabinet approval expected in 15 days

According to a Dainik Jagran report, "The Cabinet Secretary met the PMO officials on Wednesday and apprised them about the secretaries panel's recommendations on the salary and allowances hike recommended for central government employees.

The secretaries panel reviewing the 7th pay commission's recommendations have submitted its report to the Finance Ministry. The Finance Ministry will prepare a note and present it before the Cabinet in the next 15 days."

OneIndia News
Explained: Why did the ECI freeze the symbol of the Shiv Sena

Not just future of Sena but democracy at stake, says Uddhav

Balasaheb greatly missed today: Fadnavis on Sena anniversary

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Jun 19: Amidst a spar between the ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today greeted Uddhav Thackeray on Shiv Sena's 50th anniversary, even as he "greatly missed" party founder late Balasaheb Thackeray's guidance.

"Shiv Sena completes 50 years today. My heartfelt greetings to party chief Uddhav Thackeray and the party workers," Fadnavis said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Late party supremo Balasaheb Thackeray's guidance has always proved valuable. He is greatly missed today!," he said in another tweet.

Talking about the CM's tweets, a BJP leader said Fadnavis' statement is an indication that had Balasaheb been alive, the 25-year-old alliance between both parties would not have broken (ahead of the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly polls) and the Sena would not have constantly targeted the BJP on each and every issue, which it is seen doing today.

"Had Balasaheb been alive today, he would not have let the two decades year old alliance break. There had always been ups and downs in our relations, but they were resolved amicably. But lately, the taunts and criticism have increased way beyond the permissible limits!," the leader said.

"The CM rightly said that Balasaheb is sorely missed today," he added. The Sena is hosting a grand event this evening at NSE ground in Goregaon East showcasing its 50 years of political journey that has been shaped by the contribution of Balasaheb Thackeray and his family.

However, in an apparent snub to BJP ahead of the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, Sena has not invited its ally for the event. The party's mega show is being seen as sounding of poll bugle for the prestigious BMC elections.

PTI
Baliga murder: RSS instructs members to distance Naresh and associates

India

oi-Shreyas

Mangaluru, June 19: The RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) in the coastal district has considered the arrest of close associate of Naresh Shenoy, key accused in RTI activist Vinayak Baliga murder case, Shrikanth very seriously.

Shrikanth's arrest was made official on Saturday, June 18. But he was in the police custody from over five days, a police source divulged. He is the co-accused in Baliga murder case.

The top sources in the RSS has confirmed to OneIndia that organisation has issued strong verbal stricture to all of its members including the BJP to distance Naresh and his associates, who are running helter-skelter to save Shenoy.

Besides, with the term of BJP General Secretary, Mangaluru South, Vedavyas Kamath coming to closure, the party has already popped-up red signal on continuation of second term for Kamath.

The sources in the Sangh Parivar tell "the organisation has considered the arrest of Shrikanth very seriously." The reports in the media, hot persuasion of the case by the cops and Naresh's continuation of hiding has forced the RSS to issue this oral stricture to the members of RSS and BJP.

The stricture issued to the members said the members (of Dakshina Kannada) must not display solidarity with Naresh Shenoy and his associates, both in open and in secret. However, RSS may take actions against those violate the instructions, sources added.

However, some members of the BJP and RSS has blatantly ignored this. Among them who allegedly did not bothered to heed are, Dakshina Kannada, MP (Member of Parliament) Nalin Kumar Kateel and RSS Samparka Pramukh, Prakash P S. Despite order, these two from the Sangh Parivar and the BJP have continued their moral support to accused Naresh Shenoy.

The sources say, the RSS has closely watching the movements of these two. If required the RSS top heads in Dakshina Kannada would send a detailed report on these two to higher rung to quell their alleged acts.

OneIndia News
Bengalureans come together to fight against rising drug abuse cases

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

Bengaluru, June 19: The spread of drug abuse is not limited to Punjab only. Experts say even Bengaluru-India's IT hub-is facing a serious social problem because of rise in substance abuse cases. The number of drug rackets busted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru, indicates how the menace has spread across the city.

The issue of drug addiction in Punjab became a national debate in the wake of the release of the controversial Bollywood film, Udta Punjab, earlier this month.

The makers of the film-based on the subject of drugs-had a bitter fight with the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Censor Board proposed 89 cuts in the film before it could be released. However, after the makers of the film approached the Bombay High Court the film was allowed to release with just one cut.

Rahul Gandhi to protest against drug abuse in Punjab

"In 2014, we busted eight drug rackets. The number of drug rackets busted by the agency went up to 17 in 2015. In the first two months of 2016, we've busted four rackets," Sunil Kumar Sinha, Zonal Director of NCB, Bengaluru, told OneIndia.

One more important fact that has come to the notice of the NCB, Bengaluru-- established by the ministry of home affairs in 2010 with jurisdiction over Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh-is that several illegal drug manufacturing units have come up across Karnataka in the last few years.

The officials of the NCB, Bengaluru, want the participation of the denizens of the city to end the threat.

As the agency is all set to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, it has asked full cooperation from the citizens.

"The NCB Bengaluru Zone seeks suggestions from individuals, communities, media and institutions, to name a few, for organizing various events on June 26. The day is observed as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

We also invite original slogans and posters (standard size) against drugs abuse in Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and English. The best slogan and poster will be given awards along with appreciation letter from the NCB. We will also use these posters and slogans as part of our awareness programmes," said a Facebook post of the NCB, Bengaluru.

The agency on a regular basis conducts awareness programmes against drug problem in various educational institutions in the city.

"The NCB, Bengaluru, is doing a great job by creating awareness against drug menace. Unless and until residents of the city don't contribute to end the problem, the menace won't be solved," said Shruthi KP, an IT professional.

OneIndia News
Chhath Puja fasting rules: What one must keep in mind during the 4-day festival

Gold worth Rs 9 lakh goes missing from customs vault

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Jun 19: Gold worth nearly Rs nine lakh seized from smugglers has mysteriously disappeared from customs vault at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here, prompting the authorities to file a police case.

An FIR was registered recently by Delhi Police on the complaint of customs officials who said two gold chains and bangles, together weighing 298 gms, valued at about Rs 8.83 lakh, have been replaced with yellow-coloured non-precious metal.

The incident came to light when packets containing 1.27 kg gold, including the stolen gold chains and bangles, duly sealed at the instance of a court, were opened by the customs officials before a departmental committee as part of inventorisation proceedings.

"It appears that the contents i.e. two gold chains of primary gold total weighing 220 gms and four bangles of primary gold total weighing 78 gms were replaced with one rectangular slab (cuboid) of yellow metal (non-precious metal), which was not made of gold," reads the FIR.

The FIR under Section 409 for criminal breach of trust by public servant and 120B (criminal conspiracy) was registered against unknown persons on June 15 at the IGIA police station.

"Police prima facie suspect it as an insider's job but nothing can be ruled out as the matter is under investigation," a senior official said.

It is not for the first time that gold has gone missing from the customs vault. Over 23 kgs of gold worth more than Rs six crore had earlier gone missing from the customs warehouse, officials have said in response to an RTI query filed by PTI.

In June last year, the customs officials had lodged an FIR in connection with disappearance of 11 kg of gold worth Rs 2.92 crore from its vault. The gold was seized in five incidents from passengers at the international airport.

In most of these cases, gold was replaced with yellow-colour non-precious metal. Another case was registered in 2014 to probe similar instances of theft. Theft of gold from five packets had been reported to the police on January 16, 20, April 30 and December 23, 2014 in which gold worth lakhs of rupees was replaced by a yellow metal.

"All these cases, including the latest one, are identical in nature," as per the FIR.

PTI
Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again

BJP shreds Kejriwal's demand for Lakshmi on notes; calls it his 'new mask'

Raghuram Rajan row: Congress hits out at Modi govt

India

oi-Shalini

New Delhi, June 19: A day after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan's announced that he will not be seeking second term, the Congress on Sunday, June 19 targeted the BJP government.

Congress party's senior leader and former Union minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad told media-persons that "he is saddened with the way an upright RBI Governor was treated by the BJP Government."

He also alleged that Rajan was being targeted since last one year by BJP leaders and MPs.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said he was "disappointed and profoundly saddened" by Rajan's decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.

"As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser," he said, alleging that the government had invited this development through a craftily-planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist.

Another senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said the present regime does not deserve a person of Rajan's level.

"I don't know the reason. Of course it is well known to him. But the manner in which some of the BJP spokespersons and also Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ... also one important leader Subramanian Swamy.... Some of these people including Nagpur RSS camp (were) lobbying against him," Moily said.

Terming it as the "most unpleasant thing" for the country, he said, "I think in the present context of the governance and also the present regime, I think they do not deserve a person of his level. He is a global person. I think the country was endowed with him."

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari alleged that the government had "hounded" a good man as it did not have the courage to ask him to leave.

"The message that this fascist government is sending to regulators is that if you do not toe our line we will mount a campaign of calumny and wild insinuations and bludgeon you into submission. What Rajan has done is what any self- respecting man under such circumstances will do," he had said, adding the RBI governor had done "phenomenal" work in his tenure.

On the same note, the Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday June 18, tweeted, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows everything. He has no need for experts like Raghuram Rajan. Thank you Dr Rajan for steering the economy in difficult times. People like you make India great."

Rajan acted as Congress agent: Swamy

While hitting back at the Congress, the BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said, "RBI Governor sabotaged our economy by trying to put all small medium industries out of business."

Swamy even went on to say that Rajan has been acting as a "Congress agent" ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in May 2014.

"This only proves what I have always suspected that Rajan worked as a Congress agent since the BJP came to power," Swamy said.

Reacting to Azad's remarks, Swamy told the media here that such remarks only substantiated his suspicion that Rajan acted as a Congress agent.

"This only proves what I have always suspected... that he (Rajan) worked as a Congress agent," he further said. [Can't choose RBI Guv on basis of popular vote: Swamy]

Swamy has been bitterly criticising Rajan for some time now, accusing the RBI Governor of derailing the Indian economy by keeping the lending rates high.

On Saturday, June 18, Rajan, who was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013, announced he would not want a second term after his current tenure as the RBI Governor ends in September. [Raghuram Rajan says no to second term as RBI governor]

I am saddened with the way an upright RBI Governor was treated by BJP Government: Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress pic.twitter.com/k8F9YxrYoe  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan being targeted since last one year by BJP leaders and MPs: Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress pic.twitter.com/fTsWJdzhAF  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

He (RBI Guv)sabotaged our economy by trying to put all small medium industries out of business:Subramanian Swamy,BJP pic.twitter.com/jnlNJYNSBn  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

This only proves what I have always suspected that Rajan worked as a Congress agent since the BJP came to power: Subramanian Swamy,BJP  ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

OneIndia News

(With agency inputs)
Mumbai scribe's curious no-frill globe-trotting

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Jun 19: A Mumbai-based journalist has embarked on a globe-trotting journey and his is no oft-beaten path. Vishnudas Chapke, who quit his journalism job after working with few English newspapers, has decided to traverse the countries with hitch-hiking and using other cost-saving ways.

He has a shoe-string budget, barely sufficient to manage the paperwork and procedures that are needed for international travel. Starting his sojourn from Mumbai on March 19, he has covered four countries and is currently in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.

Chapke asks for a lift from fellow commuters to cover the distances. For night halt, he requests local residents for shelter, and if that is not available, he sleeps in the open or stays at temples, pagodas and bus stations.

Once, after running out of money in the middle of the journey, he posted on Facebook seeking monetary support. "A few strangers, besides some friends responded," he said. "My plan is to circumnavigate the globe by land in 20 months.

I would use water transport only in case of reaching the nearest port to continue my surface journey," he said. "From Vietnam, I plan to go to Australia in a freighter, and am waiting for necessary permissions and more financial assistance," Chapke said.

PTI
Odisha electronics park likely to attract Rs 1K cr investment

India

oi-PTI

Bhubaneswar, June 19: Odisha government is expecting around Rs 1,000 crore investment in the proposed Greenfield Electronics Park, spread over an area of 203 acres, in the state capital.

The park is ready to house around 100 units of electronics manufacturing cluster with state-of-the-art, infrastructure and common facilities, state Industries Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said.

The cluster has been given final approval by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in a high- level meeting held on June 17 at New Delhi, he said, The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) is developing the park and master planning has been done by Jurong Consultants, Singapore, Mishra said.

Core infrastructure like road, provision of power and water for the park is almost ready and finalised. "It is expected to attract an investment of Rs 1,000 crore," he said.

The state government has given 203 acres land in Iarapur and Durgapur of Khurda district and providing around Rs 110 crore. Electronics manufacturing has been recognised as one of the five focus sectors to attract investment.

The state has formulated attractive investor-friendly policies such as Industrial Policy Resolution 2015 and ICT Policy 2014 to facilitate and incentivise investors in electronics manufacturing sector, the minister said.

In addition, the state has a Special Incentive Package Scheme which provides incentives to electronics manufacturing companies over and above the m-SIPS scheme of the Centre. The project envisages to create an attractive ecosystem for electronics manufacturing industry in the state and boost employment opportunities for the youth in the state. "Ready-to-use plug-and-play facilities are proposed to be set up in the park with excellent transport connectivity through air, rail and roads," he said.

This apart, Bhubaneswar is considered an ideal location for the park because of abundant skilled manpower made available through reputed technical and management institutions. The city has also topped the Smart City Challenge of the central government from amongst the 97 other cities and is emerging as one of the most preferred cities in the country to live in and do business, he said.

Many national and global companies in electronics sector have shown interest in setting up manufacturing facilities in Odisha.

The state had received interest from various companies during the Odisha Investors' Meet held on February 14 and 15 at Mumbai where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik led a delegation to project the new business opportunities and investment ecosystem in the state.

Industries and Electronics and IT Departments are working in tandem to make this Greenfield Electronics Park a reality by developing global standard infrastructure which will attract investment near the capital city.

In the joint road show of Electronics and IT and Industries Departments recently at Silicon Valley, U.S.A. and earlier in Taiwan, many investors have evinced interest to put up their manufacturing facility which will generate employment in Odisha, an official statement said.

Around 10,000 skilled and semi-skilled persons will be engaged in future, said Pranab Prakash Das, Minister, Energy, & Electronics & IT.

PTI
This UP village lights up on Diwali, for the first time ever!

UP Govt must take action if Kairana incidents true: Rajnath

India

oi-PTI

Ahmedabad, June 19: Amidst reports of alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday,June 19 if the information is correct, Uttar Pradesh government must take proper action.

"If some people are forced to leave their native place by any individual or gang, state government must take proper action," he said here.

The Home Minister was speaking for the first time on the controversy after a BJP MP alleged that many Hindu families were forced to leave Kairana town in western Uttar Pradesh allegedly due to threat from a particular community.

Singh said he has information that some people have left Kairana but the incidents should not be given a communal colour.

"Communal colour should not be given to the Kairana incidents. But at the same time there should not be a situation when people have to leave their native place," he said. The Home Minister said those who have left their native place, should be properly rehabilitated.

Asked whether similar incidents have taken place in some other parts of Uttar Pradesh, as claimed by some BJP leaders, Singh said he had heard about it but there has been no confirmation yet.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had recently released a list of 346 families who had allegedly been forced to flee the town, which has 85 per cent Muslim population. Kairana is in Shamli district which witnessed communal riots in 2013.

The state government had recently ordered a probe by the Shamli district administration into the alleged migration from Kairana and it had found that 188 of 346 families mentioned in the list had left over five years ago.

A UP home department spokesman had said that on verification of the list provided by the BJP MP, it was found that 66 families had left Kairana 10 years ago.

It was also found that 60 families were living elsewhere for reasons relating to education, employment, health, or others. As many as 28 families mentioned in the list are still residing in Kairana, the spokesman had said.

PTI
What's wrong with Indian government, ask animal lovers

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, June 19: Notwithstanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for conservation and to project India's eco-sensitive stance, the government's call for culling of "vermin" animals has caused a blot on its image abroad, with over 1.5 million people asking 'what's wrong with the Indian government'.

"It is distressing to learn that protected animals are being killed and treated as vermin. When laws are disrespected it does damage to the image of any country as one is committed to the rule of law and to protection of species," Kathy Hessler, Clinical Professor of Law and Animal Law Clinic Director at Lewis and Clark Law School, said. The institute is one of the only centres in the world that teaches animal law.

About 100 NGOs under Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation have urged Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to stop unscientific and indiscriminate culling of wild species declared as 'vermin'.

The Indian government has admitted to culling Nilgai, an antelope species, wild boar, and monkeys (rhesus macaque) on the specific request of state governments after terming them "vermin". The debate has now reached the Supreme Court, which will hear a plea challenging three government notifications that declared these species as vermin.

Prime Minister Modi, addressing the 'Third Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation' in April this year, had said that "conservation of nature should not be a drag on development and can happen in a mutually complementary manner".

Though India's own Wildlife Protection Act-1972 is considered one of the best and inspiring laws in the world, the reports of culling of 250 Nilgai in Bihar, and plans to kill other species, and the Union Environment Minister supporting the move, has shocked international institutes.

Hessler says the Indian government should seriously explore alternatives.

"We also recognize that human-animal conflicts cause real damage, but it needs to be prevented and managed better with the interests of all in mind," she added.

Javadekar has said there are laws that support culling. But experts disagree.

"Under section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act, certain animals could be declared vermin. But it never says that killing is to be the first solution. In the case of Nilgai, it seems that the government is not interested in exploring other options, which are easy and require no killing," Nikunj Sharma of PETA said.

He adds that ever since the debate on culling has arisen, India's image abroad as a society that has always respected conservation and valued the environment has taken a beating.

"We have been receiving reactions from across the globe. There have been some 15 lakh reactions on our webpage alone. People are asking what is wrong with the Indian government," he said.

According to Hessler, India needs to educate its public about the value of animals and the need for peaceful mutual coexistence for better functioning of the ecosystem.

Stating that Nilgai and wild boar are part of protected species in India, she said that culling of these animals is proof that laws need to be strengthened.

Kartick Satyanarayan of Wildlife SOS, who is working with ecologists in Alaska on bear conservation, also says that the news of culling of Nilgai has hurt India's reputation.

"The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is a visionary law. There are case studies on it. Students across the world come here to learn about conservation and people admire India for its pro-wildlife image. But the culling and consideration for more animals to be declared vermin has damaged our reputation," Kartick said.

IANS


Iraq forces retake central Fallujah from IS

International

oi-PTI

Baghdad, Jun 19: Iraqi forces raised the national flag over the government compound in Fallujah today, top commanders said, a breakthrough in the nearly four-week-old offensive against the Islamic State group's bastion.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi went on state television to announce that his forces were in control of the city except for a few small pockets of jihadists. They met limited resistance from IS fighters, who were fleeing the city, the commanders told AFP, leaving the organisation on the brink of losing one of the most emblematic strongholds in its two-year-old "caliphate".

It is the latest setback for the jihadists who have also lost territory in neighbouring Syria and in Libya in recent weeks. "We promised you the liberation of Fallujah and we retook it. Our security forces control the city except for small pockets that need to be cleared within the coming hours," Abadi said.

Military commanders explained that the forces had raised the flag over the government compound in the centre of the city. "The liberation of the government compound, which is the main landmark in the city, symbolises the restoration of the state's authority" in Fallujah, federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat told AFP.

Suspected ISIS sympathiser gets NIA custody till June 23

The overall commander of the operation, Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, said that "Iraqi forces have now liberated 70 percent of the city". Significant parts of northern Fallujah, where thousands of civilians are believed to remain, have yet to be retaken.

In December 2015, Abadi announced the liberation of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province where Fallujah lies, but it took several more weeks of fighting to establish full control. In the deserted, recently reconquered neighbourhoods of the insurgent bastion known in Iraq as the "City of Mosques", elite forces were consolidating positions, stocking up on food and weapons.

Dozens of bodies of dead IS fighters were left to rot under blankets amid the rubble of homes destroyed by air strikes, rockets or controlled explosions of the hundreds of bombs the jihadists themselves laid across the city.

Fallujah, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, is one of IS's key historical bastions and its loss would leave Mosul as the only major Iraqi city under its control.

AFP

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 19, 2016, 9:00 [IST]
Mallya seen at book launch event attended by India's UK envoy

International

oi-PTI

London, Jun 19: Declared a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case and wanted in India, liquor baron Vijay Mallya was spotted at a book launch event at the London School of Economics this week that was attended by Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna, causing flutters back home.

Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event on Thursday evening to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seth's new book, was also present at the event when the business tycoon arrived.

As television news channels showed pictures of Sarna and Mallya in the hall where the event was held, questions were raised over the presence of the high commissioner at an event where a personality wanted by enforcement agencies in India was also present.

While Suhel Seth contended that it was an open event at the LSE, where anyone could come because of the open invitation, Mallya was not invited to the high commission reception nor was he present.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also got into the act when it issued a statement, saying Sarna left the event without waiting for the interactive session after he spotted Mallya.

"When the High Commissioner spotted Mallya in the audience he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session," the MEA said in the statement.

Cheque bounce- Court grants more time to get Vijay Mallya's address

The MEA said, "there were two clear segments  the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests. "The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE.

They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance. "Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present."

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, June 19, 2016, 8:41 [IST]
Sonia chose Manmohan Singh as he posed no threat to her, Rahul Gandhi: Obama

From PM Modi to ex-US Prez Obama, see Cyrus Mistry's rare pics with politicians

Obama: Climate change biggest threat to US national parks

International

oi-PTI

Yosemite National Park, June 19: President Barack Obama says climate change is the biggest threat to US national parks.

Obama says meadows are already drying out at Yosemite National Park in California, where he spoke today after spending the night in the park with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha.

He adds that a rabbit-like animal known as a pika is being forced further upslope in Yosemite to escape warming temperatures.

Obama and his family are spending the weekend at Yosemite after touring an underground cave yesterday at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.

He wants more people to appreciate and visit America's national park as the system nears its 100th birthday in August.

PTI
'India won't listen to anyone': Anurag Thakur gives strong reply to PCB

'Vindication of determined efforts': PM Shehbaz Sharif on Pakistan's exit from FATF's grey list

Pakistan off the FATFs grey List: What this means

Pakistan actor banned from hosting Ramazan show

International

oi-PTI

Karachi, June 19: A Pakistani actor has been banned from hosting a popular Ramazan television show by media regulators for allegedly promoting controversial religious and sectarian views.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said it banned banned Hamza Ali Abbasi from hosting the show after receiving numerous complaints from viewers over the show's controversial content which it claimed violated the media regulator's code of conduct.

Abbasi surprised the Pakistani audience by speaking against the oppression of the minority Ahmadis on his show Ishq-e-Ramazan.

Abbasi also promised to have open discussions on the blasphemy laws and the government's decision to declare the minority Qadiani sect as non-Muslims on his show.

PTI
In a case of bad karma Taliban outs Pakistan on what India had always said on Azhar

Taliban use child sex slaves to kill Afghan police

International

oi-PTI

Tarin Kot, Jun 19: The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults said.

The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where "bacha bereesh" -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders.

The Taliban over nearly two years have used them to mount a wave of Trojan Horse attacks -- at least six between January and April alone -- that have killed hundreds of policemen, according to security and judicial officials in the province.

"The Taliban are sending boys -- beautiful boys, handsome boys -- to penetrate checkpoints and kill, drug and poison policemen," said Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, who was Uruzgan's police chief until he was removed in a security reshuffle in April amid worsening violence.

"They have figured out the biggest weakness of police forces -- bacha bazi," he told AFP. The assaults, signifying abuse of children by both parties in the conflict, have left authorities rattled, with one senior provincial official who echoed Rogh Lewanai's view saying "it's easier tackling suicide bombers than bacha attackers".

The killings illustrate how bacha bazi is aggravating insecurity in Uruzgan, a remote province which officials warn is teetering on the brink of collapse, unravelling hard-won gains by US, Australian and Dutch troops who fought there for years.

"These bacha attacks have fuelled deep mistrust within police ranks," Seddiqullah, a police commander at a checkpoint near the provincial capital Tarin Kot, told AFP. The insurgents are using boys as honey traps, said 21-year-old Matiullah, a policeman who was the only survivor from an insider attack in Dehrawud district in spring last year.

How Taliban uses the bacha bereesh against the lustful Afghan cop

He said the attacker was the checkpoint commander's own sex slave, a teenager called Zabihullah. Late one night, he went on a shooting spree, killing seven policemen including the commander as they slept.

"He brought the Taliban inside and poked all the bodies with rifle butts to see if anyone was alive. I pretended to be dead," said Matiullah, who now works as a tailor, pointing out a gash on his forehead.

"As his Taliban accomplices gathered our weapons and ammunition, Zabihullah declared: 'Everyone is dead'." The Taliban, who banned bacha bazi during their 1996-2001 rule, roundly denied deploying any underage boys for insider attacks.

AFP
Vladimir Putin to support India's bid for NSG membership

International

oi-Jagriti

Saint Petersburg, June 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin is firm to support India's bid for Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership. Putin cleared his intention during an interview to a magazine. Russia has been a key supporter of India since the time of cold war.

Putin is positive about finding a solution to the objections raised by China against India's application for NSG membership, this has been revealed in an interview with India Today on Saturday.

Putin also made it clear that he would raise the issue at a meeting set to start from June 20 in Seoul.

President Putin has also spoken to China over India's bid for NSG membership.

"Russia has been cooperating with India on all nuclear issues but only within the limits of the international law. We believe that India with its huge population, has economic problems and lot of energy challenges apart from national security issues. And therefore, India cannot be put in the same league as other countries. While we must act within the international law, we must look at all the opportunities to ensure, provide and support India's interests,"Putin was quoted as saying.

India's NSG membership 'appears positive'

India's chances of entering the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) "appears positive" with most countries of the 48-member group supporting New Delhi's bid at a meeting in Vienna, it was learnt, even as China was reported to have opposed India's membership along with five other countries.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, June 19, 2016, 9:33 [IST]
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The suspect in the murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox had ties to a US neo-Nazi organization, the Washington Post (6/17/16) reports, citing a leading hate group monitor:

"According to documents obtained by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the US-based organization that tracks extremist groups, [Thomas] Mair was a longtime supporter of the National Alliance, a once-prominent white supremacist group. In 1999, Mair bought a manual from the organization that included instructions on how to build a pistol, the center said. "Cox was shot by a weapon that witnesses described as either homemade or antique."

The National Alliance was founded in 1974 by William Pierce, an associate of American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell and the former editor of the magazine National Socialist World. The group was a reorganization of the National Youth Alliance, itself an outgrowth of Youth for Wallace, an organization that came out of the 1968 presidential campaign of segregationist George Wallace. Pierce turned the group, in the words of the SPLC, into "the most dangerous and best organized neo-Nazi formation in America."



The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing was inspired by a novel written by the founder of the neo-Nazi National Alliance

(Image by (photo: FEMA)) Details DMCA



While head of the National Alliance, Piece published The Turner Diaries, a novel that favorably portrays a guerrilla race war and the mass murder of Jews, gays and interracial couples. A chapter that depicts the bombing of an FBI building helped inspire Timothy McVeigh's 1995 bombing of a government building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people; when he was arrested, McVeigh had photocopied pages of the novel with him in his car, with selected passages highlighted (e.g., "But the real value of all of our attacks today lies in the psychological impact, not in the immediate casualties"). Phone records revealed that McVeigh had called a National Alliance number seven times the day before the bombing, SPLC notes.

Media spent little time examining the National Alliance connection in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, however. Once it became clear that media's initial assumption that the bombing had to be the work of Muslim terrorists was wrong, it was, as I wrote in Extra! (7--8/95) at the time, "as if the wind had been taken out of the media's sails when they discovered that they didn't have a new international terrorist menace to rail against." Journalists lost interest before delving far into the world of violent right-wing extremism.

The National Alliance turned up again in another terrorism story more recently, when Kevin Harpham planted a bomb filled with shrapnel and rat poison at the 2011 Martin Luther King Day parade in Spokane, Washington. Harpham, a one-time National Alliance member, is currently serving a 32-year prison sentence for the attempted bombing.

If you don't remember this story, don't worry -- it got very little coverage. As FAIR's Steve Rendall noted (Extra!, 5/11), it was only mentioned three times on the nightly news in the 10 weeks that followed; by comparison, the much less sophisticated "Times Square bomb," which failed to go off a year earlier, got 49 mentions in the same time frame, in a classic example of how acts of political violence carried out by Muslims are seen as inherently more newsworthy by US corporate media.



Talkshow host Bob Grant allowed neo-Nazi recruitment on his WABC radio show.

(Image by WABC) Details DMCA



The National Alliance was repeatedly promoted on the radio show of Bob Grant, a popular and influential talk-show host who broadcast on WABC in New York, the flagship of the ABC radio network (Extra! Update, 6/95). Grant, whose endorsement was avidly sought by prominent politicians despite the virulent racism that provided a substantial portion of his show's content, allowed callers to give out contact information for the National Alliance over the air; one described it as an "organization fighting for" the "white race" (WABC, 3/10/93), while another recommended it to "white Americans who are concerned about the future of their race and nation" (WABC, 3/24/93). When another caller (WABC, 3/27/95) recommended the National Alliance as a group "for support of European-American males," Grant twice declared: "I don't have any problem with the National Alliance!"

About a year after FAIR exposed his promotion of white supremacist groups, Bob Grant was fired by Disney (WABC's then-owner) for gloating over the death of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who was African-American (Extra! Update, 6/96). But even then, his connection to the neo-Nazi National Alliance did not become an issue. Lack of curiosity about the influence of the violent far-right is a long tradition in US corporate media; don't expect the murder of Jo Cox to change that.

*Jim Naureckas is the editor of FAIR.org. He's on Twitter: @JNaureckas.
OEN contributors often target the US media for not providing adequate or accurate news about the rest of the world, but it's difficult to identify precise examples of a failure. Today's Global Public Square, Fareed Zakaria's signature Sunday program, provides a glaring indictment of US media practices.

The Russian president's answer to Zakaria's questions were translated simultaneously, but the answer to the question about the reason for anti-Russian sanctions was cut and spliced several times, turning it into gibberish. After you listen to CNN, go to this link, https://www.rt.com/news/347236-putin-quotes-petersburg-forum / to read what Putin actually said and you will have an idea of the lengths to which the US media goes to distort US-Russia relations. Putin said that the coup in Ukraine was to justify NATO's existence.


Why are Republicans trying to invest IRS Commissioner John Koskinen with vast new regulatory powers?

(Image by U.S. government) Details DMCA



As Barack Obama becomes the lamest of Lame Ducks, you can count on him to take every opportunity to aim a parting shot at what's left of the American economy and the U.S. Constitution. In recent weeks he has abused his Executive authority on guns , overtime pay , imposing gender-bending bathroom rules on states and parents , and slipping U.S. "boots on the ground" into Libya , Yemen , and Syria .

Unsurprisingly, the GOP leadership in Congress is utterly ineffective in blocking him.

Even worse, on some matters top Congressional Republicans have shown their readiness to carry Obama's water for him. The best-known examples are the 2014 $1.1 trillion "Cromnibus" abomination (which funded Obama's illegal actions on immigration) and approval of "Obamatrade" authority last year to expedite horrible deals like TTIP (the "Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership" with the European Union) and TPP (the "Trans-Pacific Partnership"), which Donald Trump rightly has called "insanity."

Now there's yet another monstrosity waiting in the wings. Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew are trying to shoehorn the United States into a global financial reporting scheme that would trash American sovereignty, suck money out of the U.S. economy, and violate constitutional principles, such as respecting the Senate's advice and consent to treaties and requiring warrants for searches of personal data.

Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the Senate is lining up to help Obama and Lew do it.

At issue are seven obscure tax treaties being held up by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT). Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) is trying to pry loose Paul's and Lee's "hold" on the treaties and to rubber stamp them without fixing data reporting standards that violate the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The two Senators are happy to quit blocking the pacts, which are otherwise acceptable, if they are amended to remedy that defect.

A Dear Colleague letter signed by Corker-- but clearly drafted by Lew's Treasury Department -- claims to debunk Paul's and Lee's objections in what amounts to a rehash of Obama Administration talking points. For example, the letter (evidently prompted by my recent commentary opposing the treaties ) claims blocking them won't prevent operation of a little-known 2010 law called the "Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act" (FATCA), which the Obama administration has sought to implement using a series of unauthorized and unratified "intergovernmental agreements ." With all due respect to Chairman Corker, this claim is inaccurate. For example, Article 5(1) of the relevant agreement with Switzerland says in so many words that FATCA requests 'shall not be made prior to the entry into force' of a treaty the two Senators have a hold on. If that's not blocking, what is?

From the standpoint of American jobs and foreign investment in the U.S., there is even more at stake. Since the "Panama Papers" story broke, foreign officials have accused the United States of acting as a tax haven as well as permitting states like Delaware, Nevada, and Wyoming not to disclose "beneficial ownership" of corporations. There have been calls to blacklist the United States, and even to apply sanctions against us.

Barack Obama has invited these attacks on America by his administration's practice over the past five years of subjecting our trading partners to one-sided, costly, and humiliating FATCA demands under threat of financial sanctions. They have capitulated, in part because Obama -- as noted above, with no legal authority -- has promised foreign governments the U.S. would provide reciprocal data under the FATCA agreements he refuses to submit to the Senate as treaties. Now he expects Congress to make good on his imprudent and legally deficient pledges.

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Oregon author Deborah Hopkinson's latest book is about a 19th-century Missourian who began a school for free black children.

Oregon children's author Deborah Hopkinson has long brought history to life for young readers, introducing them to events such as the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 ("Into the Firestorm"), the sinking of the Titanic ("Titanic: Voices From the Disaster") and London's cholera epidemic ("The Great Trouble") as well as to numerous historical figures.

In Hopkinson's new picture book, "Steamboat School" (Disney/Hyperion, 40 pages, $17.99), she shines a light on one of her most inspirational subjects yet: a slave who bought his freedom, became a minister and, in the 1840s, opened a school in Missouri for free black children. "Steamboat School," featuring lyrical text by Hopkinson and poignant illustrations by Ron Husband, is told through the eyes of a fictional student who attends the school with his sister.

Hopkinson recently answered questions about the book by email.

Q: "Steamboat School" is inspired by a true story. How did you learn about this story?

Books are born in many ways, and "Steamboat School" is no exception. I actually can't take credit for being the first to have the idea of writing about 19th-century educator John Berry Meachum. Illustrator Ron Husband, the first African American animator at Disney, and one of his colleagues initially came upon the subject and thought it would make a fascinating book for children. I was brought into the project and was very excited to have the chance to work with Ron and to bring this little known story to life.

Q: You could have told the story as a middle-grade book or young adult novel, or as nonfiction, all formats you've worked in before. Why did you choose to write it as a children's picture book?

Ron Husband, who worked on films such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin," is a legend at Disney. Since he was involved at the outset it made that choice very easy. And one of the aspects of the final book that I love is how his cross-hatch illustrations both evoke a story in the mid-19th century but convey so much emotion.

Q: Were there any elements to the story you had to leave out that you wished you could have included?

Yes, there are always! In this case, I wish I could have added more about John Berry Meachum's wife, Mary, who after his death became known for her courageous involvement in the Underground Railroad. The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing became the first site in Missouri to be recognized as part of the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from "Steamboat School"?

I think the multi-faceted history of the struggle for all civil rights, including education and voting rights for all people, is very much on our minds during this historic election year. When I travel to schools in Oregon and across the nation, I am struck by the dedication of teachers like Reverend Meachum, who, day in and day out, inspire and nurture our children. It's a privilege to help bring some of these unknown stories of our history to young readers.

-- Amy Wang

awang@oregonian.com

503-294-5914

@ORAmyW
The Portland Streetcar runs on 16 miles of track, past soaring downtown office towers and through neighborhoods offering postcard-perfect river views.

But it was an unassuming spot near a short curve in the track, where the streetcar line's eastside spur meets the Tilikum Crossing bridge, that Dan Bower recently met a group of touring transportation officials.

"This," the director of Portland Streetcar Inc. said, "is our most important 45 feet of track."

The short section, opened at the same time as Tilikum Crossing in September, completed a full loop of Portland's central city. With it, a decades-old vision for a streetcar line circulating residents and visitors throughout the city's core was finally complete.

But streetcar officials aren't done. Bower's nonprofit, the city and TriMet are now negotiating a new vision, considering additional spurs that would compete with existing TriMet bus routes.

Few other cities have dared put streetcars up against workhorse bus fleets. A commuter route would tie the streetcar more tightly into the city's transportation network, and the experiment would be closely watched by cities across the country that have their own fledgling streetcar lines.

"What's going on here is an evolution from where we started out with streetcars to where we might be headed," said Portland Mayor Charlie Hales.

But it could also shine a spotlight on its shortcomings. Some transit experts say expansions could cost taxpayers a lot of money without improving service for commuters. Worse, an expanded streetcar network could actually hurt the commuting public by cannibalizing the bus system.

"Quite simply, the streetcar must prove that it is making speed and reliability better rather than worse, compared to the bus lines that are there now," said Jarrett Walker, a Portland-based public transportation consultant. "If a streetcar plan fails that test, then it is likely to make travel times and reliability worse while consuming money that could have been spent on making them better. This is going to be controversial."

Economic development origins

The streetcar is confronting an identity crisis that dates to its founding.

The Portland Streetcar made one of its first appearances in city plans in 1988 as a vintage trolley that would connect microbreweries, art galleries and retailers in what would later become the Pearl District.

It was conceived of primarily as a tool for economic development, designed to encourage housing development in downtown Portland and what would become the Pearl District. Backers claim credit for billions of dollars in economic development and property value increases along the route.

At $251 million to build, "It's the single best investment the city has ever made," said Hales, who promoted the streetcars both as the city's transportation commissioner as a private-sector consultant.

The Portland Streetcar is owned by the city, but its day-to-day operations are overseen by Portland Streetcar Inc., an organization with a board of directors made up largely of developers and others involved in real estate.

Despite that focus, at 15,200 passengers a day in April, the streetcar's ridership approaches that of the MAX Yellow Line. Hour-for-hour, it's busier than most bus lines.

Under Bower, a former Portland transportation bureau manager who in 2014 became Portland Streetcar Inc.'s first full-time director, the streetcar has made moves to improve its transit bona fides.

It has closed stops in order to decrease trip times through downtown, and Portland has approached Seattle about buying surplus streetcars to increase frequency.

"We should be doing everything we can to squeeze every last dime of out this existing system," Bower said. "As for growing the system in the future ... the best investment is to leverage it with little spurs out of it."

Dual missions

Along the way, Portland's streetcar has drawn criticism. In 2014, the office of the elected auditor found potential for conflicts of interest in the cozy relationship between Portland Streetcar Inc. and the city, ostensibly its client.

It followed up later that year with a second audit that criticized the city for not holding the streetcar accountable to stated goals. The city, for example, said it wanted the streetcar to be on time 98 percent of the time. Few, if any, transit systems could meet that high standard, and the streetcar couldn't come close. (The goal has since been relaxed to 85 percent by 2020, and the streetcar is currently at 82 percent.)

Yet the city had gone on to approve expansions that added complexity to the system. Meanwhile, the lack of a strategic plan for the streetcar left auditors confused as to how the city might evaluate expansion proposals.

"Is the system here for transit, or is the system here for economic development?" said Drummond Kahn, the city's director of audit services. "Streetcar suggested the system was there for both, but our audit found that it is unclear how the city reconciles any competing goals. Clear, overall goals would help any system decide when to expand and, if they do, which routes to prioritize."

The streetcar has since assembled a strategic plan that includes both transit performance goals and budget goals. It also outlines plans for the next expansion, with the goal of teeing up "at least one" new streetcar route for funding.

Expansion on commuter routes

Options under consideration include spurs that extend north on Martin Luther King Boulevard; east on Sandy Boulevard to the Hollywood neighborhood; east on Broadway Boulevard to Hollywood; or south from the South Waterfront on Macadam Avenue.

Each is a heavy transit corridor, some already served by frequent service bus lines, potentially putting regional transit agency TriMet in an awkward spot.

Though the city owns the streetcar and Portland Streetcar Inc. administers it, the streetcars are driven and maintained by TriMet employees, and the agency pays at least half the operating costs of each existing line. TriMet's contribution increases over time -- provided people are riding it.

"We expect the streetcar to serve a mobility role early and grow from there," said Alan Lehto, TriMet's director of planning and policy. "If we see a plan that doesn't seem to do that, we're going to have some questions."

And, he said, the system shouldn't replace the bus, forcing long-distance passengers to get out and transfer.

"The system has to work together," he said.

A streetcar could be an upgrade for some. Streetcars can carry more people than a bus and offer a smoother ride.

Like buses and unlike MAX, streetcars usually travel in traffic lanes and can get caught up in congestion. But unlike buses, streetcars are unable to go around a stopped vehicle or to temporarily reroute. They also don't offer the operational savings of MAX, which carries four times as many passengers as a bus.

"This is why very few American mixed-traffic streetcars have been built replacing existing bus lines," said Walker, the Portland transportation consultant. "The comparison with the existing bus service usually shows the streetcar is worse at actual travel time and access outcomes, and especially at reliability because of all the situations that will disrupt streetcars but not buses. "

Those issues leave transit experts skeptical a streetcar system would be worth the expense.

"The streetcar is really what planners call a place-making tool, not a transportation tool," said Aaron Golub, an associate professor at Portland State University. "It's not meant to transport a lot of people quickly, which a bus does."

But Bower said that belies the streetcar's growing transit role.

A survey showed some 32 percent of riders took the streetcar to work. Another 17 percent took it to college classes. And Bower said the streetcar deploys its wheelchair ramps more often than TriMet buses, suggesting frequent use by seniors and people with disabilities.

"It's not Carrie Bradshaw going from the Pearl District to the art museum and back," Bower said. "You've got 15,000 people riding this thing. It's really a disservice to all these people to just call it a development tool."

Cities look to Portland

A streetcar takes a practice run along Main Street in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, April 27, 2016. The new streetcar started operations in May with officials from Portland in attendance.

Portland's "modern streetcar" has become a model for cities across the country to move people around their downtown core. Brand-new streetcar systems have opened this year in Washington, D.C., and Kansas City, Missouri, and others are under construction in Detroit and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The national movement has been helped along by the Obama administration, which changed the way transportation agencies evaluated transit projects when doling out funding. Now, land-use and economic development can add weight to a project, along with cost effectiveness, rider time savings and reducing congestion.

"That's helped fuel the rush," said Art Guzzetti, the vice president for policy at the American Public Transportation Administration.

A recent analysis by researchers at the Mineta Transportation Institute, however, found that other cities should be cautious in following Portland's lead. Co-author Jeff Brown, who chairs the urban planning department at Florida State University and calls himself a streetcar skeptic, said most cities aren't treating their streetcar systems like legitimate transportation modes.

Portland, he said, has tried to balance transportation needs with economic development goals. But it could, perhaps, take a lesson from its own success.

"What are the implications for riders?" Brown said. "Is all of this going to actually lead to an overall ridership increase, and at what cost? From a transportation perspective, that's what we should be concerned about."

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus

This article has been edited to correct the spelling of Jarrett Walker's name.
FATHER-WORK-COMMENT

The senior Ted Gup in the mid-1950s at Mr. Ted's in Columbus, where he had his first store.

(Courtesy of the Gup family)

By Ted Gup

Special to The Washington Post

Much of what I know about my father as a man, I got from observing him at work. In our house, Father's Day was special, not because it was a day for our father but because it was a day for all fathers: a red-letter-day for his menswear store when business picked up (second only to Christmas,) when mother was called to work the cash register and I, even as a young boy, was called to man the broom, the stockroom and the tailor shop. The store, located in Canton, Ohio, was called Mr. Ted's and was tucked into a strip mall that was in walking distance of cornfields and catered to those who made their living with their hands. The store was named not for me but for my father. That we shared names was itself a breach of faith - my grandfather, a rabbi, could not have approved.

Much of what I learned not only about him but also the world at large, I learned in Mr. Ted's watching my father interact with those he had hired and those he waited upon. I would see him on bended knee, a yellow measuring tape draped around his neck, a square of chalk for marking cuffs clinched in his teeth, measuring the inseam of a plant worker from Timken Roller Bearing or Hoover Vacuum Sweeper -- he, a Harvard man, who, but for the call to duty of World War II, had set his sights on medicine. Instead, he settled for two years of college and the life of a merchant in a town of steel and grit.

From childhood on, the store was my other classroom. Under Father's tutelage, I was introduced to more than Ban-Lon shirts, Harris Tweed and BVDs. Even the drive to and from work with my father was a rolling course in economics, class mobility, free speech, justice and the responsibilities of citizenship, not that any of these were ever mentioned by name. Rather, they were embedded in the stories a father tells his son on the way to and from work. I was no more than 11 when this began - the age Father insisted I have a Social Security card as a fledgling worker.

I had much to learn. Once I forgot to lower the beam into the steel brace securing the back door, leaving it vulnerable to thieves. Father was not pleased. He explained to me that our "livelihood" depended upon the store and that it was my duty to safeguard it. I had let him down.

But I also remember the Sunday when, on our way to the Stark County Fair, we stopped by the store and discovered that it had been broken into. The drawer to the cash register was emptied and smashed in pieces on the floor, and a rack of suits was gone. Instead of fuming, Father calmly phoned the alarm company and off we went to the fair. We cheered the tractor pulls, sized up the prize bulls and marveled at gargantuan pumpkins - but not another word was spoken of the break-in. A few days later my father took out an ad in the local paper, The Repository, offering the robbers free alterations for anything that didn't fit and a standing invitation to return as paying customers. From that I learned that what really counted lay beyond the reach of thieves. And, yes, that humor could be found in unexpected places.

I liked working in the back of the store. My father made sure the bathroom detail fell to me. It was a message intended not only for me but also for everyone in the store who watched to see how the boss's son would be treated. With brush and Comet, I proudly scrubbed away the stains until the bowl and sink gleamed. I broke up boxes and piled them high in the back alley for removal. I wielded a wide broom around and under the tailor's shop and steam press, sweeping up fallen razor blades, bits of chalk, bobbins, severed cuffs, orphaned threads and discarded plastic coffee cups. It was also my chance to talk with the tailor, Remo, an Italian who always drove a new Riviera, and to steal a glimpse of his wall calendar that featured pin-ups. My father respected him and the hours he put in. Remo, my father explained, was an "immigrant," a word he uttered as if it were a title of nobility and a synonym for sacrifice.

Indeed, the store itself was consecrated to work, not as a burden but as a privilege. This was, after all, a trade that ran in our blood. A century before, my father's grandfather, Marcus, a Russian immigrant, had been a tailor to the Mardi Gras in Mobile, Ala. For decades, a sign reading "Gup the Tailor" hung in Mobile's Dauphin Street. Never did I hear my father complain that he did not get to return to Harvard after the war, (his roommate, Harish Mahindra, would go on to become a billionaire Indian industrialist) nor that his future unfolded in unexpected ways. For him, work was precious, and there was no form of it that was beneath him. He taught me this not in words but action.

I was in charge of making gift boxes, the flattened crimson boards that my thumbs deftly unfolded, fitted with tissue paper and stacked as mountains readied for outgoing customers. Thousands of boxes. Tens of thousands of boxes. My hands and my brain learned to work light-years apart. At the end of my arms the boxes rhythmically sprang to life, while in my head ran films of pretty girls, hard balls sailing over distant fences and bullies pummeled into submission. But at night I dreamt of making boxes. From that I learned that I did not want my life to be contained in those boxes - which, I am sure, is what Father had in mind assigning me the task.

Those who worked for my father respected him. Some even came to love him. It was an odd cadre of young men he had recruited, none of whom had gone beyond high school. Many had been forced to drop out early. They had "gotten a girl in trouble" - which was to say, pregnant. They were now teenage fathers. My father went out of his way to hire them and recognized in them their willingness to work and their need for a second chance. In him, they found a surrogate and forgiving father. He was slow to judge others and recognized that compassion was good for both the soul and business.

He gave his heart to these boys though not all were deserving. One of his "second sons" was found to have been stealing from the till over the course of many months, maybe years. He had been one of my father's favorites, and someone whom he had trusted. But he could not bring himself to go to the police or ruin the man's future. So he sat him down, told him how disappointed he was, that he could never again work for him, and then offered him a repayment plan that would stretch across the years. In time, the debt was paid and instead of bad blood between them, there was a different sort of bond. My father told me of this, but without a whiff of sanctimony or condemnation. He believed in redemption, not vengeance.

My father's store opened at 10 and closed at 9 six days a week, though his own hours were longer at both ends of the day. (In all those years I never saw him take a seat in the store.) He ate lunches at the counter of a five-and-dime where the waitresses kidded him. The mall had a fancier restaurant - "fancy" is relative in a Canton strip mall - but he preferred the counter's company. For his birthday, mother gave him a set of Harvard buttons for his blazer, but Father never wore them - he had no appetite for impressing others and no stomach for other's arrogance.

Each night, when the store finally closed, Father would let me go through the cash draw and pick out any silver dollars, Indian Head pennies or buffalo nickels. I replaced them, coin for coin, and showed my discoveries to my father. Tired and hungry as he was, he always made time to see what I had found and share in my enthusiasm.

After college, I stumbled a bit. My father had gotten out of the business and was about to get back in. He asked me if I would give him a year of my life to help him open a new store, a Mr. Ted's. I was reluctant. I feared that, as a young man with my own dreams - of becoming a journalist and writer - I might get forever sidetracked, much as he did after the war. And I feared that would create friction between us.

But I resigned myself to giving him that year - I figured I owed him that and more. On Thursday, May 9, 1974 - a morning so cold I had to scrape the frost from the windshield - I drove him to the Akron-Canton Airport, handed him his overnight bag and wished him a successful trip. (I even said a prayer for his safe return.) He was on his way to New York City, to the garment district, to buy the last bit of inventory he would need. That Monday, he was to come into possession of the store.

Instead, he died the next day. A heart attack. He was 50. That was to be his final lesson - that it is fruitless to worry about things that may never come to pass, and foolish to put off plans on the promise of a tomorrow that may not come. On this Father's Day, I will be thinking of him, my Mr. Ted, and be grateful that he shared with me his name, and so much more.

Ted Gup is a Boston-based author whose work has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, The Washington Post, Politico and elsewhere.
formosa.JPG

Pictured in 2009, water from the former Formosa Mine in Riddle leaks from pipes installed to carry it away from the hillside.

(Benjamin Brink/staff)

By Stanley Petrowski

We don't often include metals on Oregon's long list of natural resources. Other Western states have a more extensive history of mining, but Oregon is still home to its share of abandoned mines.

One of them, the Formosa Mine in Douglas County, is as bad as they get: a Superfund site that has been slowly poisoning nearby Middle Creek for nearly two decades. The Canadian company that ran it, Formosa Exploration, Inc., has walked away, leaving taxpayers to clean it up -- an unfunded mandate, since there is no funding for it.

Sadly, this disaster is in my backyard -- the South Umpqua River watershed. Anglers know Middle Creek was once prime coho and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat. Today it's a toxic waste stream, polluted by the acidic waters saturated with heavy metals leaching out of the abandoned mine. Merely walking on the highly acidic damp soils in the mine's vicinity is enough to destroy the threads holding the soles of your shoes on. To erase any doubt, an Oregon Department of Human Services study concluded that drinking or bathing in the water flowing from the site would make you sick.

This is not an isolated incident. Abandoned mines like Formosa threaten communities throughout the West, jeopardizing the water we need to drink, grow crops and support wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the cost for cleaning up these sites is a staggering $20 billion to $45 billion, far more than the agency's entire annual budget.

Here's the problem: While the EPA often inherits these places after a company defaults on its obligations, the agency can't require mining companies to prove that they have the funds for cleaning up after themselves. Mining companies are able to come in, dig out the valuable materials and walk away, leaving us to deal with their toxic mess.

But we do have a solution available to us, and we should muster the will to seize it. The EPA is developing new regulations that will require mining companies to provide funding, up front, to ensure that funds are available for the cost of cleaning up hazardous materials if the company isn't able or willing to do so. This is a long overdue requirement stipulated by the original Superfund program 30 years ago.

After decades of political red tape, a federal appeals court has ordered the EPA to release a draft of the regulations for public review this year.

It is high time to get this done. This is the EPA's chance to shift the financial burden of mine cleanup from taxpayers to the mining companies where it belongs. And it is critical that the reserved cleanup funds are backed by predictable, secure guarantees -- not just corporate promises.

Such reform will hold companies like Formosa Explorations accountable for cleanup and incentivize the mining industry to manage waste more responsibly.

The ongoing destruction of Middle Creek is a tragedy for those of us who live in the Umpqua basin. My hope is that our story can spur the changes necessary to prevent it from happening again to other communities and their watersheds -- especially those already beleaguered with resource extraction issues.

*

Stanley Petrowski lives on a ranch in the Tiller District of the Umpqua National Forest and serves as a South Umpqua River steward for the Native Fish Society.
Orlando nightclub shooting: Before rushing to judgment and labeling Omar Mateen's wife an accomplice for not reporting him before the massacre in Orlando, check out the reports from former co-workers and Mateen's ex-wife, whom he used to beat when they were married, that he was full of rage and hate. His current wife may have been too afraid of him for fear of retaliation. More than likely she had experienced staring straight into the face of raging anger.

R.A. Liddle

Southeast Portland

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Orlando nightclub shooting: Another great column from Samantha Swindler. Every time we read her comments in The Oregonian/OregonLive we realize how fortunate we are to have such an accomplished journalist writing about the issues that affect us all.

Swindler's thoughts about guns brought some sanity to this intractable issue.

She writes, "It is far too easy to go on a rampage with a gun, in particular with an AR-15-style rifle. There's a reason it's the weapon of choice among mass murderers."

Yes, it's far too easy! Let's hope that as a nation we can begin to move in the direction of addressing this problem.

And as Swindler so correctly put it, "We should politicize this because it's a political problem."

James Boone and Joseph Bucuzzo

Northwest Portland

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Orlando nightclub shooting: Bryan Wright makes the observation that politicians should be saying, "Islam is a religion in crisis." Hearing responses from some Protestant ministers celebrating the deaths in Orlando as good riddance to the undesirables and wishing for more of the same makes me think that in America the Christian religion is also in crisis.

I wonder what would happen if all the Christian churches in America took the words of Jesus more intentionally -- to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Marvin Friesen

Lake Oswego

*

Orlando nightclub shooting: Death in Orlando. How many more must die before some meaningful gun control measures are taken? Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Tax ammunition and use it to compensate victims and their families.

2. Tax weapon sales at the factory and at the dealer, and use the tax money to compensate victims and their families.

Putting aside the anguish, pain and loss of life, victims and families as well as our government should not have to pay all the expenses for gun violence. These taxes will make clear where much of the responsibility for gun violence lies.

Jon Eikenberry

Southwest Portland

*

Orlando nightclub shooting: Amen to Wayne P. Stewart (Letters to the Editor, June 14). I recall my deer hunting days in the Tillamook Burn. I bagged my first buck with one shot ... split the heart. I was 13. My second buck -- on Green Mountain in Linn County -- was also brought down with one shot ... split the heart. I was 14. Both were shot running. My father was my teacher. At a young age, he insisted, "If you can't get your deer with a few cartridges, you're not a good hunter." Most of my relatives hunt deer, elk, moose, bear (in Alaska) with a bow. They do not own an assault rifle.

The first time I heard a semi-automatic rifle while hunting in the Burn was in 1946. We could hear shots -- pop! pop! pop! At least 10 shots. One of the hunters in our party, commented, "Oh, that's Pete. He brought back an M1 carbine from the war. It's for his wife."

I, too, thought semi-automatic rifles were prohibited as hunting rifles in Oregon. And, if not, why not? Assault/semi-automatic rifles must be restricted to use at firing ranges only.

My brother-in-law witnessed the aftermath of a massacre of 32 cow elk, many with unborn calves in eastern Washington. The body mutilation was the result of semi-automatic rifles. Insane!

D.M. Alanen

Beaverton
By Kathleen Parker

WASHINGTON -- The arguments for and against gun control are so familiar by now, we might as well hit replay and skip the debate.

In the wake of the horrific murders of 49 people in an Orlando gay nightclub, America is re-enacting the usual drama: Politicians repeat past arguments, citizens retreat into their routines, killers reload.

Come Monday, Senate Democrats and Republicans are scheduled to roll out four gun-control bills -- two from each side -- attached as amendments to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill.

And, of course, given that 60 votes are needed to pass, none is expected to.

The most anyone can agree upon, including the National Rifle Association, is that terrorists shouldn't have guns. Well, it's something. I guess.

The holdup, as always, is how to balance the right to bear arms with the right to avoid being killed by a nut with a semi-automatic weapon. This shouldn't be too terribly hard to figure out, though you'd think we were cave dwellers trying to map the human genome.

But seriously, what's really on the line here? A few hours or days of inconvenience for someone who wants to buy a gun. In a nutshell, that's it.

Democrats want to close loopholes at gun shows by requiring universal background checks. And California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is proposing a previously defeated "no-fly, no-buy" bill that would prevent people on terrorist watch lists from buying a gun.

Not so fast. In a separate version of this idea, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn is proposing that the attorney general can delay a gun purchase for anyone who has been part of a terrorism investigation in the past five years -- but only for three days.

Democrats say this is too limiting.

Seriously, esteemed senators: You can't figure this out? Make it five days, make it a week. But for heaven's sake, make it work.

Republicans argue that people may be erroneously placed on the watch list and therefore be denied due process. Democrats argue that due process will be "baked into it," whatever that means. Another bill backed by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley would allow terror suspects to buy a weapon but would ensure that the FBI be notified.

Okaaaaaay. This makes zero sense and has cover-your-rear-guard written all over it. Essentially, it protects the terrorist's Second Amendment rights while pretending to protect Americans. But to work, the FBI would need to conduct 24/7 surveillance lest the possible terrorist become a real one and slaughter his co-workers at his company's annual Christmas party.

Meanwhile, the question remains whether a ban on military-style assault weapons that expired in 2004 should be reinstated. Hillary Clinton has called for renewing the ban. Donald Trump, though he tweeted his support for "no-fly, no-buy" legislation, has promised to preserve Americans' right to keep their assault weapons.

I admit to having no interest in owning, if this constitutes a bias. But as someone raised around guns -- and whose lawyer-father tutored me that "An unnecessary law is always a bad law" -- I appreciate the tension between my right to survive an act of terror and another's to tend his own business. As always, every debate ultimately centers on: Where on the continuum of constitutional rights does one person's interpretation of the Second Amendment become secondary to another's right to survive said interpretation?

Is it not logical, however, that the right of the greatest number of people to survive supersedes the right of a relatively few who wish to own weapons intended to inflict mass casualties?

Obviously, the vast majority of people who buy assault weapons don't intend to kill anybody. But just as obviously, many of those who have killed massively had access to them. Adam Lanza, who killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, very likely would have been less successful but for his Bushmaster .223 caliber model XM15 rifle with its 30-round capacity magazine. Lanza fired off 154 shots in five minutes.

As a way of reframing the conversation, is it not possible to create both a good and necessary law? We now live in a world that requires a certain kind of law to address a specific kind of problem. It isn't only terrorists in our midst but loopholes that allow bad actors of all faiths, ethnicities and races (not just radical Islamists) to buy firearms, including assault weapons. Closing those loopholes and ridding society of weapons we know to be mass-killing machines are the least -- and the only sane things -- we should do.

Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
McMinnville fatal crash.jpg

A 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer was speeding northbound on Highway 99W when it lost control and spun across the paved center median and struck a southbound 2004 Honda Odyssey van nearly head-on. The driver of that Mitsubishi and a newer 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer have both been arrested on reckless driving, manslaughter and assault charges. (Oregon State Police)

(Oregon State Police)

Jeremy G. Hopper II, 24, of Amity was arrested Sunday following a high-speed crash that killed one man and injured Hopper and two passengers in early May.

A second driver has been arrested on reckless driving, manslaughter and assault charges after two speed-racing Mitsubishi cars caused a May 4 fatal collision that seriously injured three other people, Oregon State Police said Sunday.

Jeremy G. Hopper II, 24, of Amity was arrested Sunday, police said. Back in May, police say, he was driving a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer that went out of control, crossed Highway 99W north of McMinnville and ran almost head-on into an oncoming Honda Odyssey van, killing its driver.

Hopper faces the same charges -- first-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault and reckless driving -- as his fellow racer, Andrew R.D. Olsen, 22, of Lafayette, police said. Olson, who was arrested Saturday, was driving a 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer that night and remained at the scene after the crash.

Claudio Martinez Marquez, 43, of McMinnville was driving the Odyssey and died at the scene. His son, Linfield College student Efrain Martinez, raised funds to transport his father's body to Mexico for the funeral.

Andrew Olsen was arrested Saturday and charged with reckless driving and manslaughter after a fatal May 4 crash. Olsen's Mitsubishi did not collide with any other vehicle but he is alleged to have contributed to the collision between two other vehicles by speeding northbound on Highway 99 W near McMinnville.

Passengers in the Odyssey and Hopper's Mitsubishi also were seriously injured, police reported.

Bonifacio Martinez Garcia, 33, of McMinnville was riding with Martinez Marquez and was transported to a hospital with serious injuries after the crash.

Natasha Fisher, 18, of McMinnville was riding with Hopper and had to be transported by air ambulance to a Portland hospital with critical injuries.

The crash occurred slightly before 9 p.m. on a Wednesday evening.

-- Betsy Hammond
United flight.jpg

(Wikimedia Commons)

A United Airlines flight from Seoul, South Korea, was diverted to Portland on Sunday morning after passengers smelled smoke coming from the plane's rear galley, a Port of Portland spokesman said.

Portland Fire & Rescue was on hand as the plane made its unscheduled landing at Portland International Airport, but no fire was found and all passengers disembarked safely, said Steve Johnson, a Port spokesman.

Johnson said he thinks the flight was bound for San Fransisco but was not certain.

-- Betsy Hammond
Eight years after the Great Recession, Americans are living through the slowest economic recovery in U.S. history. In fact, when adjusted to 2014 dollars, todays workers are making nearly the same as a worker in 1999 while more of their paychecks are going toward the goods and services they purchase.

That is why hardworking Michigan families cannot afford to see an increase in their grocery bills.

But that is exactly what will happen if the U.S. Senate fails to advance legislation that would prevent food prices from going up because of labeling costs.

If the Senate does not pass the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, food producers across the country will face costs and pass them along to shoppers in every aisle of the grocery store. Michigan families cannot afford to pay another $1,050 per year because of inaction.

This federal legislation is needed because Vermont is imposing a labeling standard on food producers that would raise their costs across America. Vermonts law is driven by fear of genetically engineered food and it is not based on sound science.

Nearly 75 percent of processed food in America contains ingredients that have been genetically modified. But, a recent report from the National Academies of Science found that genetically engineered food has no negative impact on human health. The report was based on decades of studies and research.

Complicating the issue of labeling is the fact that other states have or are prepared to pass their own labeling laws. This will drive up the cost of food as producers would potentially need to label and package food 50 different ways to comply with 50 different state laws.

The House of Representatives, where I am a member of the Agriculture Committee, has acted to provide consumers and food producers with one national standard they can easily identify in the grocery aisles. Now, the Senate should follow suit to ensure the cost of food does not increase for hard working American taxpayers.

The House bill protects consumers from the price increases that would occur if producers have to raise prices to comply with 50 different labeling and packaging standards while giving shoppers a uniform standard to look for in the grocery store.

Some companies have already announced plans to voluntarily label their products nationwide. This bill allows them to use a nationwide standard that reduces production costs and provides consumers the transparency they seek when choosing food for their families.

Small food producers and family farms, like many here in Michigan, can continue to operate without heavy-handed regulations from the government forcing them to increase their costs. Along with their customers, they can decide what packing and labeling best suits their needs.

A voluntary, nationwide standard gives consumers a uniform label to look for while they shop, and it gives food producers the flexibility they need in the marketplace.

The House has acted to keep food costs low for hardworking Michigan families. Its time for the Senate to pass a voluntary, nationwide standard before your prices go up at the grocery store.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, represents Michigans Fourth Congressional District which is made up of Clare, Clinton, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon, Shiawassee, and Wexford counties, and parts of Montcalm and Saginaw counties.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A federal appeals court has sided with a green chile growers group in southern New Mexico's Hatch Valley in a dispute over what food can be labeled with the renowned Hatch name.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday ruled in favor of the Hatch Chile Association and allied Albuquerque food distributor El Encanto in their efforts to subpoena records that may indicate whether a rival's products contain purely Hatch-grown chile as marketing suggests.

The subpoenas could influence the outcome of a related dispute before a federal trademark board over efforts by the Hatch Chile Co. to trademark the term "Hatch" for its exclusive use.

The written court decision pays tribute to the winding desert Hatch Valley for "producing some of the world's finest chile peppers," venturing that the area "may be to chiles what Napa is to grapes."

Reversing a district court ruling, a three-judge panel noted Hatch Chile Co. initially said it did not know where its chiles came from, and directed questions to supplier Mizkan Americas, the owner of Border Foods and its southern New Mexico chile processing plants.

When a subpoena was issued to Mizkan asking about the provenance of its green chile, both Hatch Chile Co. and Mizkan filed successful motions to block the request in federal court.

"This seemingly mild dispute turned hot during discovery," the judges wrote. "After seeming to encourage El Encanto to ask its suppliers for just this information, Hatch Chile filed a motion seeking a protective order."

El Encanto does business under the Bueno Foods label.

Ross Perkal, an attorney for Hatch Chile Co., declined to comment on the ruling, citing pending litigation.

Hatch Chile Association board member Preston Mitchell applauded the ruling as a possible step toward reserving the Hatch name for chiles that can be traced to the Hatch Valley through a shared certification process. The association is seeking a certification mark for Hatch chile to help consumers verify the source.
A group of Midland residents, all of different religions, have one common goal: progressing toward a Culture of Understanding.

Mike Stein, the Rev. Roger Pancost and Shona Siddiqui have collaborated on events and educational meetings for years, but recently cemented their partnership with a website  www.cultureofunderstanding.com  and a mission statement for their Culture of Understanding program, to bring people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, service and celebration to cultivate peace and respect.

About three years ago, the trio started to help themselves understand others of different faiths and saw an opportunity to encourage others toward understanding. For Pancost, the partnership was borne out of a need to build bridges and overcome stereotypes including heightened anti-Muslim rhetoric.

I wanted to do something for my part to counter that. What I learned is how easy it is to build those bridges and create those relationships, Pancost said. This is small town America, and weve done that.

While a Culture of Understanding has expanded to include all manners of religions, Stein said the core is made up of Abrahamic faiths that he, Pancost and Siddiqui represent. Stein goes to Temple Beth-El; Siddiqui attends services at the Islamic Center of Midland; and Pancost leads a congregation at United Church of Christ.

It started as a conversation of how to develop understanding and respect for other faiths, like visits to different houses of worship.

We did exactly that. Why dont we go in a church, in a synagogue, in a mosque and sit and experience the worship and the prayer? Siddiqui said. Thats what we did, we created opportunities for not just us and our congregations to do that, but anyone in Midland who wanted to come and be a part of that.

Those events were very well-attended, according to Pancost, and to the surprise of the organizers. Routine prayer was often followed by time for fellowship, when congregants could talk with visitors and share a conversation over food.

Instead of it being all about events and programs, it became about fellowship, Siddiqui said.

And friendships, Pancost added.

It didnt end at the end of the day, or the two hours. It became more than that, Siddiqui said.

For Siddiqui, it has simply meant being present at those meetings and showing that strangers can connect even with varying faiths.

I felt, whenever I go to any of these gatherings, Wow, we are one and the same. I feel an immediate sense of a bond between us, Siddiqui said. We all want the greater good for us. I felt that at all of those places. Sometimes thats the missing link.

The program started off with events at area houses of worship and has since expanded to a website with information from many religious institutions in the area, a petition of support for a Culture of Understanding, event archives and a calendar.

The group is currently working to organize an event to let the public know about a Culture of Understanding. They all agreed that Midland is a well-educated community, more diverse than some residents realize, and hope to include people of more faiths in their group.

Were not out there to convert people, its not our goal, Stein said. Its just to make people happy and to meet people. We want people to know thats what we are here for, to be a catalyst to bring people together.

It is also to combat any type of bigotry the group might see, Siddiqui said, and to educate about the similarities between many religions.

There are a lot of people who have a lot of questions because they are puzzled by what they are hearing and what they are seeing, Siddiqui said. My eyes were opened many times when talking to Christians and Jews.

The biggest component of a Culture of Understanding is to simply be open to learning, the group said.

You have to choose to try to understand, Pancost said. Thats why its part of the title.
The Daily News will run a weekly Political Roundup, highlighting the campaigns of candidates for both the 98th House and 99th House races. All five candidates have been contacted and asked to submit items for the round-up.

In the 98th House District, Republican Gary Glenn, R-Midland, will be facing Democratic challenger Geoff Malicoat in the Nov. 8 general election. The 99th House race will have Democrat Bryan Mielke squaring off against the winner of the Aug. 2 primary between Republicans Roger Hauck and Robin Stressman.

GEOFF MALICOAT

Geoff Malicoat is a native of the Saginaw Bay Region, who returned to the area to start a law practice focusing on the needs of senior citizens and veterans. Malicoat has never been involved in politics before announcing his candidacy for the Michigan House of Representatives for the 98th District.

I am running for this seat because I love my state and I love my community. We are so fortunate to live in Michigan, and we have so much untapped potential for prosperity. However, what is happening in Lansing is not working for most of us, Malicoat said. Last year over $40 million was spent lobbying politicians in Lansing. That is an obscene figure and more evidence that our state government is not working for us, but rather they are working for the wealthy and well connected.

We can continue to re-elect career politicians and hope that perhaps things will change, or we can forge a new path forward. We can return to the days of citizen legislators who serve their state and their communities and not campaign donors, legislators who serve their terms then return to their communities rather than search for the next office to seek or lobbying firm to represent.

If elected, my first priority will be to ensure that all of the governors and legislators communications are public record and I will introduce the toughest Anti-Corruption Act in the country and I will get it passed. Even if I have to travel to every county in the state, I will get it passed. With the books open and the dark money dried up, our state government can stop picking winners and losers and foster an environment where new and better jobs are created, our crumbling infrastructure is repaired, our children are properly educated and Michigan is once again a national economic powerhouse.

For more information about Malicoat: malicoatforhouse.com

GARY GLENN

 Following an endorsement last week by Right to Life of Michigan PAC, Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midlands 2016 reelection campaign has received a second major endorsement, this week from Michigan Farm Bureaus AgriPac.

 In the wake of the Islamic terrorist attack in Orlando, Glenn reiterated his support for legislation to eliminate so-called gun-free zones in Michigan, which he said restricts law-abiding citizens ability to arm and defend themselves in public places that are targeted by terrorists and other mass shooters precisely because they know their victims will be unarmed and defenseless. Glenn has also cosponsored legislation to allow all Michigan citizens to carry a concealed weapon without having to acquire a government permit.

 Following the Islamic terrorist attack on a military recruiting office in Chattanooga, Tenn., last year, Glenn introduced legislation to require that at least one military service personnel be armed at all recruiting offices and training facilities in Michigan that are accessible to the public.

 (Glenns) top legislative priority is to repeal Gov. Rick Snyders 2011 tax on some pension income, the Detroit News reported last year. Glenn supports House Bill 4027, which would repeal the pension tax increase, and he also voted for legislation  now law as part of the 2015 road-funding package  that increased the cap on the Homeowners Property Tax Credit, a move which will provide additional income tax relief primarily to senior citizens.

 Glenn is among Democratic and Republican cosponsors of a bipartisan package of 10 bills that will eliminate the exemption the governor and legislature currently have from the states Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The legislation would make the governors office beholden to FOIA, while creating a new law for the legislature called the Legislative Open Records Act.

For more information: GaryGlenn.US

ROGER HAUCK

My name is Roger Hauck and Im running to represent the 99th House district. Im running because I feel it is the best way for me to give back to the community that has helped me to achieve so much.

I grew up on a beef and dairy farm in Beal City, and later in life I moved to Union Township, which surrounds the city of Mount Pleasant. Ive been working at the Delfield Company, a factory that makes restaurant equipment, for 24 years. My brother and I decided to open our own small business. We build and rent duplexes around the township.

There are three issues I want to tackle when I get into office: taxation, regulation and education.

Education is an issue I am extremely passionate about. In Michigan we have a shortage of skilled trade workers. I believe that the current education system is driving students away from the skilled trades. To rectify this, I want to expand Career Technical Education programs across the state. These programs give students a taste of skilled trades and opportunities to find the profession they may actually enjoy and fill the hole in our workforce.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you want to learn more about me, feel free to check out my website at rogerhauck.com or find me on Facebook by searching Roger Hauck for State Representative. I hope to win your vote on Aug. 2.

BRYAN MIELKE

Over the last six years, we have witnessed Michigan sink in national rankings on everything from government transparency to higher education funding. But nowhere is the states failure more visible than in the classroom, where students in districts across Michigan daily find themselves in underfunded schools.

Every year, the Legislature chips away a little further at the already dwindling School Aid Fund, inserting budgetary provisions that send tax dollars into for-profit charter and cyber schools, advocated for by special interests and private school lobby groups. Everyone wins  except for the students that find themselves in crowded classrooms without textbooks and supplies, struggling to focus because theres no heat in the building. For many Michigan kids, budget cuts have effectively placed a quality K-12 education out of their reach.

As the husband of a Mount Pleasant Public Schools at-risk high school counselor, I see in real-time the immediate, lasting effects that classroom cuts have. When kids are forced to compete with 40 other students for the attention of the teacher, or for the use of a good math book, they are not only impacted academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

We cannot expect our kids to grow into skilled, vibrant adults if the lesson theyre absorbing in grade school is that the adults in charge of their education dont think theyre worthy of investment. Its time our kids had someone in Lansing ready to fight for them, and if elected, Im ready to make sure every child knows that not only is their education important, but so are they.

For more information about Mielke: bryanmielke.com
Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers of all time, an Olympic champion, a cultural icon, a civil rights activist and a charismatic yet polarizing figure who, for the last 32 years until his death two weeks ago, proved mortal as he battled Parkinsons Disease.

Although not widely known, "The Greatest" also was a college dad  at Western Illinois University in Macomb, where two of his nine children from four wives, twin daughters, Rasheda and Jamilah, went to school.

In August 1989, the Macomb Journal ran a photo of Ali, helping his girls lug stuff on residence hall move-in day.

Later, spotted on campus and asked by a student reporter if he ever does interviews, Ali said sure" and they walked over to the offices of the WIU student newspaper, the Courier.

Julie Meints of Bloomington  living in Macomb at the time, with a son enrolled at WIU  remembers how wonderful were Ali's daughters (they worked in a local bakery) and how Ali, while by the late '80s was financially strapped (i.e. virtually broke), would come to visit them.

One afternoon Julie remembers being in a drug store and looking out to see ... "Muhammad Ali, walking on the Macomb downtown square!"

Within minutes, people came for his autograph, says Julie. "Finally, someone brought a card table and folding chair."

And there he sat, "graciously" says Julie, "... for more than three hours ... until everyone finally had left.

Another who lived in Macomb then is Kathy Bisbee Johnson, a former Twin Citian, now of Broomfield, Colo.: "I remember one day I had just sat down for lunch at The Frontier (a popular Macomb restaurant) with my husband and another friend. My husband immediately said to me, 'Don't look now but one of the most famous faces in the world is at the next table.' "

It was Ali and as Kathy's husband and friend quietly discussed the famed Frazier-Ali fight of 1975, the so-called "Thrilla in Manila," Ali overheard and quickly wheeled around, says Kathy.

"Who said 'Joe Frazier'?" he blurted, in classic Ali style.

"It was so cool," says Kathy.

"Soon," she adds, "everyone in the restaurant realized who was there. No one said a word, but no one left their tables either. When he finally got up to leave with his family, people came to meet him. He was so gracious to everyone. He signed an autograph for my son (Matt Bisbee), too."

Muhammad Ali? "The greatest" as he boasted?

In Macomb, suggest Julie and Kathy and perhaps everyone else who remembers, he was better than just the greatest  he was simply a great guy and dad.

The saga of that Tony Roma's sign: When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, as an optimist once chirped. And at Tony Roma's, the east side Bloomington restaurant, you just keep trying to put up a sign out front.

It all began about 18 months ago.

That's when construction began of what was to be an uber-modern, electronic sign and message board along Veterans Parkway to advertise Tony Roma's and The Chateau, the hotel/conference center that houses it.

Due to construction problems and delays, utility-line issues and matters with fiber-optics digging, erection of the sign was slow.

Real slow.

Passers-by wondered if perhaps Tony Roma would hit the retirement home or give up cooking before the sign was done.

Then finally, it was. That was last summer.

It was beautiful, messaging brilliantly into the night. Then came an ice storm just after Christmas. The sign was damaged. Then in March came wind in excess of 70 mph. It fully KO'd it.

So after more than a year to build, it was dismantled and removed.

"People began to ask if we were closing," says Jason Groves, Tony Roma's general manager. "Our new sign ... it had already come down."

So many asked, in fact, that erected out front the other day, to ease any fears, is a temporary alternate sign.

"Look for our awesome new sign. Coming soon!" it reads.

The wait now, says Jason, is for insurance money. Then a new installation company, Prairie Signs, will begin erecting another sign in a day job thats become an odyssey.

Best guess now: at least 6 to 8 more weeks.

In the meantime, the ex-sign that became another sign that announces yet another sign has begun to create quite a spin.

"They're using a sign to get the public excited for a sign," muses John Koenig, who passed it last weekend.

Says Galen Crow, whose family moved nearby 16 months ago: "We've been following it closely. It went from the old Jumer's, modest signage to a giant electronic billboard. Then it slowly disintegrated, and eventually disappeared entirely. And now we have a sign announcing the coming of a new sign. It has almost been like performance art in slow motion."

Indeed.

You'd have to say it's a sign of things to come  in this one case, literally.
LEXINGTON  A delegation of agriculture educators from Russia are returning home with new ideas and a greater understanding of U.S. agribusiness and culture after a visit to McLean County.

Five people from Vladimir State University spent a week in McLean County, touring various agricultural facilities and staying with host families. A program facilitator from Russia and a U.S.-based translator were part of the group.

The Illinois State University Farm at Lexington was among their stops.

We received a lot of interesting ideas to explore, Yekaterina Shenterova said through the translator. We enjoyed seeing how research is done.

The visit was sponsored by the Vladimir/Canterbury Sister Cities Association of Bloomington-Normal with a grant through Open World Leadership Center, an arm of Congress that promotes visits by young foreign leaders from post-Soviet countries. This year, agriculture was an area of focus.

Elaine Cousins, the association's president, said that when the Sister Cities group saw agriculture was one of this year's topics, we immediately seized on this as something ideal for us.

Last year, the Sister Cities group hosted a delegation of special education teachers from Vladimir State University through an Open World grant.

With the variety of agricultural interests in Central Illinois, Cousins said, They were given a diverse look at farms in the county.

The idea was to let the visitors see what we consider best practices and what challenges there are, said Cousins.

During the visit, the Russians were taken to large-scale farms, including livestock operations, as well as smaller farms with multiple crops.

In addition to the ISU Farm, other site visits included the Bittner family farm, Epiphany Farms and Hayden Beef Farms, all in rural Bloomington; Ropp Jersey Cheese, rural Normal; Tim Kraft Farm, rural Towanda; River Valley Dairy, rural Tremont; Spence Farm, rural Fairbury; and White Oak Vineyards, rural Carlock.

The group also met with representatives of the Illinois Farm Bureau, 1st Farm Credit Services and the Illinois Corn Growers Association, and toured the GMS Soil Laboratory in rural Cropsey.

There were a few heated discussions about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, according to Cousins.

Through the translator, Anastasiya Rozhkova said the visit to Epiphany Farms was a good experience because they grow non-GMO and biologically clean crops. Rozhkova said Russians are against GMO crops.

The visit included more than just farm and agribusiness tours. There also was a combination of classroom-style information exchanges and hands-on experiences, Cousins said. And the group had cultural and historical experiences in Chicago and Springfield.

Not everything they learned here will be directly applicable to practices at home.

For example, Rozhkova noted that corn and soybeans  major crops in McLean County  aren't part of Russian agriculture.

But research methods used in connection with those crops can be helpful.

ISU graduate students gave a presentation on research involving the application of fertilizer to cover crops to add nitrogen to the soil.

Aleksandr Ragimov, who works with soil science and soil protection in Vladimir, asked many questions during the presentation. He also liked the visit to a soil testing lab.

Shenterova said she got involved in the program because the trip provided an opportunity to exchange our experiences with our American counterparts in the agricultural field and to learn a lot of interested and positive information.

She added, We hope we will be able to collaborate in the future.

The group's visit to the ISU Farm included an in-depth description by farm manager Russ Derango about how the university has partnered with the town of Normal to create compost using manure from the farm and landscape waste from the town.

The composting operation also includes food waste from ISU Food Services and a few major employers and grocery stores, Derango said.

After hearing an explanation of how the system works, the group traveled to the composting area, where they saw how the various materials are mechanically mixed to ensure enough oxygen gets to the material to aid the composting process.

In 2014, the project kept 800 tons of food waste from going into a landfill, according to Derango. The final product is sold  and quite popular, he said. In addition, by selling the compost, phosphorous generated by the manure leaves the farm  an important advantage as the Environmental Protection Agency develops regulations on how much phosphorous is in the soil, Derango explained.

Aleksandr Bryukhanov, the group's facilitator, said, We are very grateful to our host families. They are taking good care of us.

Cousins said, By staying with host families, they get to see what American families are like.
With electronic ignition, fuel injection and more computing power than the space shuttle, todays cars and trucks never backfire. Our politicians  with less horsepower and far less memory  often still do.

The latest may be British Prime Minister David Cameron who, during his 2015 reelection campaign, promised British voters a referendum on whether the United Kingdom should remain in or exit out the 28-nation European Union.

Back then, the idea looked like a winner and, indeed, Camerons Conservative Party rode it to victory. Few pundits, however, thought British voters would ever choose to leave, or Brexit, the worlds largest democratic union and second largest economy.

Now, however, leaving is a real possibility. Recent polls show the June 23 referendum neck and neck and Camerons winning promise last year looks like a warm beer this year. He had hoped the threat of a referendum would force the EU to grant the U.K. special status on tough issues like immigration and the EUs costly Common Agricultural Policy.

It didnt and, win, lose or draw June 23, wont. But now he  and the U.K.  is stuck with something no one really wanted.

Caught in the middle are U.K. farmers. Like their American counterparts, most are, by birth and disposition, political and economic conservatives. British journalist Nigel Farndale, who writes for the right-leaning weekly The Spectator, recently described U.K. farmers as TBC, True Blue Conservative, the stiff backbone in Camerons body politic.

But, noted Farndale in a Feb. 28 column, [T]he Brexit debate is leaving our True Blue farmers deeply conflicted. On the one hand, without EU subsidies, many of them would go out of business. On the other, their Tory [Conservative] instincts tell them that subsidies are a socialist idea, the opposite of free trade, and therefore plain wrong.

Farndale, a former Yorkshire farm boy himself, urged farmers to vote to leave the EU because it makes financial sense.

Just to continue paying farmers the same [CAP] subsidy as they are getting now, he explained, would cost the British taxpayer half as much, because, at present, we pay 6 billion (pounds) [$8.5 billion] a year into the CAP, but our farmers get only 3 billion (pounds) [$4.3 billion] back.

As such, he added, British farmers are effectively subsidising their competitors: the French, by far the biggest beneficiary of the CAP, receive three times as much.

Few things fire up U.K. farmers more than the idea that French farmers are getting the upper hand in anything. Farndales math, though, failed to stoke indignation in the English countryside. On June 14, Farmers Weekly, the respected U.K. ag publication, released poll results that showed 46 percent of those questioned said the interests of British agriculture would be best served by the UK remaining in the EU, while more than a one-third (35.5 percent) indicated it would be better to leave.

The reason UK farmers would vote to stay in the EU, noted the magazine, is that only 17.1 percent of farmers polled thought financial support for farming  todays CAP payment level  would remain at broadly similar levels in the event of Brexit, while 44.5% thought it would not

In short, U.K. farmers may be conservative in name and ideology but, thank you very much, theyre not trading their rock-solid EU subsidies for vague promises of equal payments from London.

Liberal politicians and left-leaning U.K. farm leaders agree; all say that tomorrows bird-in-hand EU subsidies will be worth far more than todays cheap talk by Londons squawking crows.

Or, as reported by Farmers Weekly, Former NFU [National Farmers Union] president Sir Peter Kendall, who is campaigning for the U.K. to remain part of the EU, said, leave campaigners were taking farmers for fools.

Well, someone is going to look foolish after the Brexit vote June 23 and, if the growing leave trend continues, that someone will be Conservative Party leader David Cameron and his ah-we're-not-ready-to-leave conservative farm backers.
NORMAL  Ken Kemp, best known as the Whistling Mailman of Normal, contributed his own melodic tunes to the Make Music Normal event in uptown Normal on Saturday.

Its very festive. I love it, said Kemp as he delivered mail along East Beaufort Street. Theres something for everyone. On one end, we have music for Peter, Paul and Mary and on the other end is music for head-bangers.

Nearly 40 bands and musicians took their turn performing at five stages tucked into corners around uptown, providing free mini-concerts.

Genres included acoustic blues, hip hop, classic rock, traditional Irish and electronic. The event also offered crafts, face painting and interactive music.

In the gravel lot adjacent to Maggie Mileys Irish Pub, Stan OConnor of Bloomington played an acoustic set with an eclectic mix of covers from The Beastie Boys to Prince.

I believe music brings communities together, said OConnor. This was very well put together. I enjoy meeting other musicians.

In the crowd were his uncle, Brian Davis of Bloomington, and his daughters, Claudia, 7, and Ellie, 3.

This is my first time at this event. Its fun to listen to all the different music and its great that theres crafty stuff for the kids, said Davis.

The sisters said they love to sing, especially to Taylor Swift.

Im still learning how to play guitar. I like music because of all the different things they say in the songs, said Claudia.

Mary Van Deven of Normal hosted a drum circle for kids. She teaches music classes for babies and toddlers through the Normal Parks and Recreation Department.

They all have rhythm inside them, said Van Deven. This is a chance to get it out, release some energy and calm them down at the same time.

Kids of all ages smacked on African, Caribbean and Djembe drums. There were also baskets of maracas and small hand drums.

Seven-year-old Silas Poppe hopped behind a tall drum to bang out a beat.

I play (upright) bass, piano and organ, said Silas. I just like instruments.

He was joined by his brothers Isaac, 12, and Owen, 9. Strapped to Owens' back was a cello he played in the Illinois State University String Project performance under the trees at Uptown Circle. Twin City students in grades 3 through 8 participate in the string orchestra program.

The boys parents, Matt and Jessica Poppe of Normal, said they appreciated the chance to experience different kinds of music.

With three musically inclined boys, Matt Poppe said, Music kids are the best kids.

Studies show if kids are involved in music, they do better in other aspects of life, said Jessica Poppe. Its great to have music in our community as a part of everyday life.
BLOOMINGTON  If Bloomington wants a private developer to build a hotel downtown, the city may need to put some cash up front to make it happen, say Normal officials who have done that twice.

Normal Mayor Chris Koos said his advice to the city of Bloomington is: "Be ready to go the long haul and be ready to write some checks.

The two privately-owned uptown hotels, the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and Hyatt Place, could not have been built without a public-private partnership, said Koos and Normal City Manager Mark Peterson.

"You can talk to cities all across the country and they'll tell you the same thing," Peterson said. "Particularly hotels in urban locations, unless there is some huge attraction or some draw, you almost always have to have public money invested."

To get the hotels built, the town "paid a lot of money up front," said Peterson. "We demonstrated our commitment up front. It wasn't, 'Well, if you come build this, we'll do other things.'"

The town's share for both hotels was nearly $26 million, including $5.1 million the town gave up front in the form of a grant to the developer of the Hyatt Place that opened in 2015. The remainder was paid up front to the late Springfield, Mo., developer John Q. Hammons over two years as the Marriott, conference center and parking deck were being built.

That figure does not include the town's cost to acquire the land, which was given to the developers.

And in Bloomington, it's going to require "a significant public incentive" to make that hotel work, said Peterson.

East Peoria developer Jeff Giebelhausen has asked Bloomington to consider a proposal to rehab the historic Commerce Bank and Front 'N' Center buildings in the 100 block of North Center Street into a brand-name hotel.

The proposal also includes constructing a parking deck and conference center in the block across Madison Street and linking them to the hotel with an elevated walkway.

Unlike Normal, development incentives will not involve the city putting cash up front, said Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, but other forms of public assistance are on the table (see related story).

The road to the two hotels now towering above Normal's townscape was hardly smooth, and the journey is "not for the faint of heart, said Peterson.

"I'm beginning to forget how many bumps along the way, but there were hundreds and hundreds, he said. These projects are hard. People have no idea how hard it is to do urban infill redevelopment."

I give the City Council tremendous credit for the leadership that they demonstrated and their resolve because there were so many times along the way that it would have been very easy to fold the tent and say, 'You know, this is just too much; it's too expensive, it's too painful, it's too controversial," added Koos.

When it began

In 2002, then Mayor Kent Karraker announced the town and Illinois State University would jointly own a hotel/conference center as part of a proposed downtown renovation plan that included bringing in the Children's Discovery Museum.

But after nearly 70 percent of voters in a 2003 advisory referendum opposed a town-owned hotel and conference center, the Normal City Council began seeking a private developer to build the hotel.

We had a well thought-out economic development plan for all of uptown, and when we would show that to the development community they'd say, 'This is a good plan,'" said Peterson.

"We had a very robust, well integrated financing plan so we knew how we were going to do it," he added. "The fact that we were debt-free and had the capacity, we were able to undertake this economic development project."

The $56 million, nine-story, 230-room Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, developed by Hammons, opened in 2009.

Originally, Hammons estimated it would cost $30 million, but with escalated global construction costs due to a construction boom in Asia at that time, his share of the project rose to $51.5 million.

The town agreed to contribute $2.5 million toward the hotel, $10 million for the town-owned conference center and $8.3 million for the town-owned parking deck, said Peterson.

Normal also provided Hammons free land that ended up costing the town $3.5 million to acquire. One of the parcels had to be pursued through eminent domain, the legal right by a government to acquire private property for a public purpose as long as the owner is compensated.

Six years later, the $25 million, eight-story, 114-Room Hyatt Place Hotel, developed by Doug Reichl and Tartan Realty Group, opened.

The developers of the Hyatt hotel agreed to contribute $7.1 million in cash equity while the town provided $5.1 million cash upfront and free land  the site of a mixed-use development planned on Uptown Circle by One Main Developers of Champaign, which never got off the ground.

Hammons died in 2013 at age 94. Reichl declined to comment.

"It's worth every nickel of it," said Peterson, referring to the Marriott. "People come down here and say they just can't believe the transformation. We have a hugely successful hotel property in our uptown. It anchors a lot of activity.

"We saw new businesses because of the number of unique visitors that come into the community and want something to do when they walk out the front door of that hotel.

The town's share for the public cost for the hotels came from general obligations bonds that are being paid off through revenue generated by the hotels: sales tax, food and beverage taxes, hotel/motel taxes and tax increment financing money.

"The revenue generated by both projects is more than sufficient to cover the debt service on the bond obligations that averages $1.45 million annually " said Peterson, adding the debt service also includes the land costs.

"We kept the TIF (revenue)," said Peterson. "The TIF is our payback because we gave a lot up front in cash (to the developers).

In a TIF district, future increases in property taxes generated by improvements in a designated area is earmarked to pay from more improvements within the district.

"(Developers) want money up front in cash because it's hard to go out and finance a TIF income stream," said Peterson. "So it's hard right now to just give only TIF money.

The problem was, and still is today, hotels are extremely hard to finance, said Peterson.

Lenders, generally speaking, do not like hotels," he said.

The terms to get a hotel financed are difficult to meet and in the case of the Marriott, Hammons paid cash for it until he found a lender after the hotel was well under construction.

"Banks are saying they want 50 percent in cash.That is the way it is in commercial lending any more for hotels," said Peterson. "That is hard for developers to put that much cash into a project. That means they need a lot higher rate of return. So they needed our cash.

"Often time governments have to step in to make the numbers work," he added. "Whether you are talking San Francisco or Washington, D.C., these conference hotels all have public money in them," said Peterson, but "There is enough residual benefit that it justifies the public investment."
Rape was the least-reported, least-prosecuted, and least-punished of crimes in the 19th century.

On Feb. 18, 1874, Lyman S. Anderson of Springfield was arraigned in McLean County Circuit Court for the rape of Gertrude Holman. At the time Holman was a 14-year-old girl living at the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Childrens School, the state-run orphanage once located in north Normal.

Anderson admitted to having intercourse with Holman, but maintained it was with her consent. In the end the court dismissed the case because Holman did not defend the citadel of her honor with sufficient valor.

Sadly, this appalling lack of justice when it came to women and rape was the rule, rather than the exception, in the decades before and after the Civil War.

Women, noted Susan Krause in her study of sexual assault and Illinois courts in the mid-19th century, were discouraged from reporting rapes because courts historically did not prosecute the rapists, and women were unwilling to subject themselves to public scrutiny and humiliation as victims.

The good old days, in other words, were never nearly as good as wed like to think  or hope  they were.

Attorneys, judges and juries  the justice system was an all-male bastion at the time  were inclined to excuse rape if perpetrated on lewd or sexually promiscuous women. This was certainly the case in McLean County. And for those cases that went to trial, the reputation of the woman  that is, her chastity  often became the central issue.

Local resident James Downey was arrested on Dec. 26, 1874 for attempted rape when he and a friend invited two women up to a room on the 300 block of North Main Street in downtown Bloomington.

Downey, being under the influence of liquor, insisted on having intercourse with Mrs. (Minnie) Golding, and upon her refusal to grant his wishes, he attacked her, threw her down, choked her and attempted to accomplish his purpose forcibly, it was reported.

The defense argued that Golding was a prostitute and therefore the principal controversy between them was not whether the intercourse should be had, but simply the price to be paid for it.

The misogynist double-standard women faced in the courtroom was in full evidence here. The notoriously bad character of both the women in the case will prevent any great outflow of public sympathy for them, noted The Pantagraph. If anyone was to be pitied in the disgraceful affair, it was added, it was Downeys wife and his children.

Beardless boys, married rakes, church members, nearly all the lawyers and law students, gray-haired and bald-headed men, farmers, dry good clerks, merchants and others packed the courtroom eager to hear the mass of lascivious details. In doing so, the puerile and gossipy crowd turned the grim proceedings into a sad spectacle.

In its Feb. 26, 1875 verdict, the jury found Downey guilty of assault and battery, but not assault with intent to commit rape.

Few rape cases ever made it the grand jury. And when they did, the grand jury often declined to indict, or the states attorney declined to prosecute.

Abraham Lincoln, for instance, was involved in seven known cases involving rape or assault with intent to rape during his years on the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The states attorney declined to act in four cases, while two others, in which Lincoln represented the defendants, were thrown out.

Yet when it came to the horror of statutory rape and the molestation of small children the justice system could act in a quick and decisive manner.

Thus its not surprising that the only known rape case in Lincolns career that went to trial involved a young girl. During the May 1853 term of the Tazewell County Circuit Court, Lincoln served as states attorney pro tem (a stand-in for the absent states attorney) in the successful prosecution of an Irish laborer for the rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Stories of adolescents and younger children repeatedly raped by predatory males were all-too common in 19th century McLean County.

On Sept. 9, 1869, Justices of the Peace Goodman Ferre and Alex Steele examined Dr. E. Nichols, a rural schoolteacher, on charges that he sexually assaulted his 12-year-old sister-in-law. At the time the accused resided in Blue Mound Township northeast of Normal. He and his wife lived with her father, Elisha Wright. The 12-year-old victim, Lizzie Wright, was the younger sister of Nichols wife.

Nichols assaulted Lizzie for the first time in March 1869. The two were walking across a field on the way to the one-room school where she attended and he taught, when he set upon her and villainously outraged her person.

The abuse that followed took a familiar pattern. By threats and persuasion he worked upon her so that she kept the matter silent, it was said, and afterwards, having obtained control of her mind, he repeated the offense at his own pleasure.

At the end of the 1869-1870 school year Lizzie kept house for Nicols and his ailing wife, thus affording him opportunities to complete the ruin he had commenced. It wasnt until August 1870 that Lizzies mother learned the terrible truth, that not only had her young child been outraged, but that she was also far advanced in pregnancy.

After his arrest Nichols forfeited is bail and fled the coming reckoning. He wasnt the only accused McLean County rapist to become a fugitive from justice, as it was far easier to run and hide in 19th century America than it is today.

What happened to Lizzie Wright?

Well, she gave birth to Nichols child in early 1870. Four years later, at the age of 17, she married John F. Jackson, eight years her senior. The 1880 U.S. Census shows Lizzie and her husband, who was in the laundry business, living in Bloomington. They had three children, Maud, Myrtle and Mable, ages five to ten months, though none of those ages match her first child, which she delivered when she was 13 years old. The eventual fate of that child, whether it died in infancy or was given up for adoption, is unknown.

Not long after moving to Missouri, Lizzie gave birth to a fourth daughter with the appropriately alliterative name of Marie. By 1900, Lizzie was a 52-year-old widow living in Jackson County, Mo. Her four daughters, though, were still listed as living at home.

One can only hope that Lizzie found some escape from the horrors of the past, and some measure of peace, in the love and support of her daughters.
BLOOMINGTON  Dawn Lower clapped her hands as Scottish artist David Newbatt pulled a brush across canvas.

His patience and precision is amazing. I used to paint a little, said Lower.

Newbatt spent the afternoon on Saturday at Bickford Senior Living, 14 Heartland Drive, where his mother-in-law, Dottie Kirchner, is a resident.

Newbatt painted a large scene from the Scottish highlands. Using cool tones, he created mountains and a grassy valley. In the valley was a thatched cottage surrounded by sheep and cattle in a nearby stream.

Newbatt and his wife Stephanie live in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he teaches art and art therapy for young adults with special needs.

Theres a hunger for spiritual fulfillment but people dont know how to get it. The task of the arts is to form that bridge to get there, said Newbatt.

Newbatt has traveled around Europe, Asia, South America and the United States showing his work. His wife works in textile arts.

Art is a means of expression, observation and experience. Hopefully this teaches the residents to look at a painting and have a different experience, said Stephanie Newbatt.

While painting for the small crowd at Bickford, sunlight streamed through the building skylights and onto his canvas.

So he decided to work with it.

He took a large wet brush and ran it down the canvas, following the slants from the beams of sunlight. It created a soft effect on the Scottish landscape, giving the look of a partly cloudy day with sunshine beaming on the cottage.

It was fascinating to watch someone take a white canvas and create something this beautiful, said resident Norma Leskovisek.

"It's amazing how he did a little blob of brown and turned it into a cow," said resident Marilyn Hammer.

Newbatt said he hopes residents will enjoy the art after it is hung in the building.

Generally when you look into a picture, you can see the story in it. Your eye goes on a journey. They watched this journey be created, he said.
For almost two decades now, Sheri Kendrick has been a professional photographer. However in the last few years, Kendrick has started working for Little Light of Mine, which is a non-profit organization that serves the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

"I was called in a few times by families who had children on hospice care and they wanted to get photographs before their child passed away," Kendrick told TODAY Parents. "That opened up a new awareness for me about how I have two healthy children, and the photographs I have of them growing up are extraordinarily precious to me. When you add on the threat that you're going to lose your child, those photographs just become priceless," she added.

She talks about her original plan which was to volunteer for only a few hours per week, capturing images of children with physical handicaps, terminal illnesses, and other life-limiting conditions. However, when she started serving these families, Kendrick did see that the need was even greater than she realized.

Amazing local organization helping families at their most vulnerable times, Little Light Of Mine Sheri Kendrick https://t.co/haBDQaagme  Bacchus For Charity (@BacchusCharity) June 17, 2016





Little Light of Mine was born three years ago. Kendrick has created a team of volunteer photographers who regularly visit palliative care units to take photos of dying children. Sometimes, the team schedules sessions in local parks with families of children who are undergoing treatment for a terminal illness. At the end of June, the non-profit team will launch a studio where families and kids who are undergoing outpatient treatment can actually have photos taken in an indoor environment.

Kendrick further said the most emotional shoots were those that happen when a child's life is coming to an end in a hospital setting. "A lot of the time, these families are making the decision of whether or not to keep their child on life support," said Kendrick. "A lot of these children have never left the hospital, so their family has never seen them without tape on their face and without tubes all over...families really want a photograph of their child's face without any of the tubes, so I have been called on days when they are actually disconnecting them from life support to document the day their child passes. Those are the most severe end of the spectrum for us," she concluded.
There is so much going on for the upcoming season 2 of "Code Black," with CBS making a lot changes to the show's structure and casting. With Raza Jaffrey, along with Bonnie Somerville being let go, the show is looking for new lead roles.

Possible Male Lead Recast

"Code Black" has not announced who is going to replace Raza Jaffrey to be the male lead. Fansided listed five actors who would be great to join the show's reboot, with Tommy Dewey being its top one bet. Dewey could be the best fit for the character of Mike Leighton, however, Dewey might not be available because of his starring role in "Casual" on Hulu.

Next on Fansided's list is Jeff Hephner who would be great to be promoted to full time. Hephner played the role of hospital CEO Ed Harbert in the last few episodes of season 1. But he is also in a recurring role in "Chicago Med" so his availability could also be an issue, in addition to exploring a storyline that would make having him on full time reasonable. Also making it to the publication's bets are Ben Bass ("Rookie Blue"), Jamie Bamber ("Monday Mornings"), and Coby Bell ("Burn Notice").

Other Cast Changes

Jillian Murray (Dr. Heather Pinkney) and Boris Kodjoe (Dr. Will Campbell), who were in recurring roles last season, have been promoted to regular, Deadline reported. Four new residents and a male lead for Marcia Gay Harden (Dr. Leanne Rorish) are expected to join the cast as recurring roles, which would eventually be turned into regular.

While fans were outraged by the major changes, "Code Black" creator and executive producer Michael Seitzman said they are purely creative and not a sign of cutbacks. "The concept of the show is for each season to begin on the first day for incoming freshman residents, just as in real life there is a cycle of residents coming in and residents either graduating or moving on," he told the publication.

"The goal is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, wondering if the jeopardy is real, and the only way to do it is to make it real," Seitzman added.

"Code Black" Season 2 is expected to premiere this fall on CBS.
One can always put aside work and politics on Father's Day, but not Brad Avakian. Abortion activists are strongly supporting Brad Avakian's candidacy; no wonder why he stood up for them and their cause on this very special day.

Brad Avakian, who is vying for secretary of state in Oregon, just recently wrote a Father's Day column about why he supports abortions as cited on Refinery 29. At the start of the column, Avakian substantially explains that the radical pro-abortion group NARAL provided Avakian's piece to the website.

Avakian mentions, of course, his election campaign but only briefly. Most of his piece, accord to an article on Life News, is excerpted right out of the pro-abortion playbook. Avakian said that he supports abortion as he wants his daughter, Claire, as well as his son, Nathan, to have equal opportunities in life. He thinks that other fathers should, too. "Reproductive freedom is important to making this possible - and there is no reproductive freedom without access to safe and legal abortion. I trust my daughter to make the best decision for her future," he said in a statement.

Avakian goes on to say that he will firmly support his daughter if she decides to terminate a pregnancy in the future. He did not mention at all about the grandchild whose life he would support killing.

Avakian, in a roundabout way, then accuses pro-lifers of passing laws which unfairly target as well as limit women. Even if Avakian did not go into specifics, it is not difficult to know what these laws are. In February, NARAL endorsed Avakian. NARAL strongly opposes any laws which regulate abortion in any way, including common-sense laws like informed consent requirements which ensure women receive information about all their choices and the risks of abortion, abortion clinic regulations, parental consent for minors and late-term abortion bans.

He concludes his Father's Day column by leaving a promise that he will champion for women in the US. "At the end of the day, women, not politicians, are the experts of their own lives," he expressed. "This means we must trust them to make their own decisions about their futures and - as fathers, and brothers, and husbands, and men for choice - do everything we can to support them along the way," he added further.
We would all want our kids to become achievers one day and even become wildly successful in whatever field they would eventually like to pursue. What if one small change allowed that to become a reality? Well, one policy change in Australia is said to do so: extending public preschool subsidization to include three-year-olds.

Just last year, the subsidies for three-year-old children in the public preschool system were removed so that they could be able to better focus on the four-year-olds. This is important, because according to reports from the Sydney Morning Herald, there is a lot of international evidence suggesting that the achievement gap between 5 and 6 year olds who start school is quite considerable. It also apparently carries on later in the child's life.

This achievement gap includes social adjustment and earning capacity, which are two very important things in a child's schooling. An achievement gap can eventually also show up in "grades, standardized test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college completion rates," according to Ed Week.

Overcoming this achievement gap is important, especially for children whose families come from a lower socio-economic background. This is the reason why some parents opt to send their children, even younger than 3, to attend daycare centers or even early learning centers.

"What children experience before school has long-term implications for their education right through school, and when they leave school," says Edward Melhuish, a professor of Human Development at Oxford University. "Those effects are maintained right through into adulthood, into higher salaries, better self-regulation, better social adjustment," he adds.

Professor Barnett of Rutger's University also weighs in on the topic saying, "In the US disadvantaged kids are 18 months behind when they enter kindergarten. Almost all the achievement gap, which is what produces the income gap, is there before they start school."
There is no question that a lot of people from the current generation love taking and posting their selfies on various social media platforms. However, this may no longer be the case within a few years, as a handful of dermatologists now believe that the exposure to the light and electromagnetic radiation of a phone to take a selfie can speed up the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of aging.

During a conference on aesthetics and anti-aging in London, Dr. Simon Zoakei said. "Those who take a lot of selfies and bloggers should worry. Even the blue light from our screens can damage our skin." He adds, "I think there is a gap in the market for products which protect, because there are people who take lots of selfies, and bloggers who come to me. I have seen that there is damage and aging taking place. It's a different wavelength of radiation so sunscreen will not block it."

Even one of the most revered dermatological doctors in Dr. Zein Obagi of the Obagi Skin Health Institute in Beverly Hills believes that cellphones can be damaging to the skin. Dr. Obagi claims to be able to tell what hand a person takes selfies with just by looking at which side of their face has been more exposed to light and radiation, and is therefore more damaged.

Both of these doctors have called for some type of defense mechanism from this type of skin damage. This is because they and several other doctors believe that the radiation from smartphones damages our DNA, effectively preventing our skin from repairing itself. Saturating the skin with antioxidants should help, according to reports from the New Zealand Herald.

Taking care of one's skin is important especially if one loves to take selfies. This is because a study claims people tend to overestimate how attractive they are in these pictures, says The Telegraph. Experts claim that moisturizers and oil will provide minimal help for this. They say that a good scrub is the best way to minimize damage from selfies.
For those of you who want to spend some quality time with your dad on Father's Day, you can simply take him to a theater and make your day memorable.

This weekend, there are a number of titles out in cinemas that include some new releases, from an animated feature to action-adventure comedies, dramas, and a whole lot more. There are surely great movies for all dads to enjoy. Check out the synopsis and trailers for each of the 2016 films as cited on IB Times.

"Central Intelligence." If your father kind-a love a good buddy cop comedy, this is perhaps the ticket. Starring Kevin Hart who plays an accountant, he teams up with CIA employee Bob Stone (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) his high school friend. The two buddies find themselves caught up in an international espionage plot. The two must work as a team to solve it as cited on The Morning Call.



"Swiss Army Man." Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) stars as a talking corpse who is carried around by a suicidal man named Hank (Paul Dano). Hank accidentally found his body in the wilderness. Just be sure that your dad is a fan of unconventional plot before taking him to this limited release.



"Finding Dory." Ten years following the release of "Finding Nemo" comes its fascinating sequel "Finding Dory." The internationally acclaimed Ellen DeGeneres returns as the voice actor for Dory, a Blue Tang fish who suffers from a short-term memory loss. The film follows Dory and her close friends Marlin and Nemo as the one-of-a-kind company travels the ocean to find Dory's family.



"The Last King." If your dad is a fan of HBO's "Game of Thrones", then he will definitely find this limited release may be up his ally. The movie follows two Norwegian warriors who swore to defend their kingdom's orphaned heir after two traitors assassinated the ruling monarchs.



"Now You See Me 2." This Jon M. Chu directed film centers on magic as its main theme. If your dad is a fan of the movie "Now You See Me" released in 2013, he will surely love this sequel. "Now You See Me 2" catches up with the Four Horsemen Merrit McKinney (Woody Harrelson), J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and newcomer Lula (Lizzy Caplan) as the four magicians are lured into a trap by Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) who convinces them to steal a computer system. In this movie, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman also reprise their roles.


In March, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple's CEO is clearly a Gay Activist, Contrary to his Once Humble Statement." In 2014, when Apple's CEO officially "came out" he told Bloomberg that he didn't consider himself an activist. His actions since making that statement have been to the contrary by loudly fighting Prop 1 in Houston and in North Carolina. So is it any surprise that Tim Cook, on behalf of Apple, doesn't want to support the GOP's presidential candidate Donald Trump?

Politico reported yesterday that "Apple has told Republican leaders it will not provide funding or other support for the party's 2016 presidential convention, as it has done in the past, citing Donald Trump's controversial comments about women, immigrants and minorities.

Apple's political stand against Trump, communicated privately to Republicans, is a sign of the widening schism between Silicon Valley and the GOP's bombastic presumptive nominee. Trump has trained his rhetorical fire on the entire tech industry, but he's singled out Apple for particular criticism -- calling for a boycott of the company's products, and slamming CEO Tim Cook, over Apple's stance on encryption." That has nothing to do with immigrants and minorities, yet Apple wants to side step not supporting Trump for business reasons and go for the easy attack on what they think his position is on minorities and immigrants. It's a more socially acceptable scapegoat.

On the flip side, it's not that President Obama sides with Apple's CEO's stance on encryption. In March President Obama stated that "My conclusion so far is that you cannot take an absolutist view on this. So if your argument is: strong encryption no matter what and we can and should in fact create black boxes; that I think, does not strike the kind of balance that we have lived with for 200-300 years and its fetishizing our phones above every other value and that can't be the right answer."

And because of Tim Cook's bombastic attack on the Obama administration in respect to encryption and the need for balance, the DOJ exacted a little payback recently by siding with Samsung in Apple's long standing patent dispute. So there could be a huge price to pay for being an activist CEO.

If Apple's CEO is against the GOP in general in fighting gay rights initiatives, why doesn't he openly condemn China or Dubai for their stance on gays that includes the death sentence? If it's a principle should it not be reflected around the globe?

Politico also noted that "Trump's inflammatory comments on Muslims, women and minority groups also rankle progressive tech executives." Inflammatory comments on Muslims? At a time of a pair of terrorist attacks in America this year, why is it wrong to put a temporary band on Muslims from specific countries until these individuals could be properly vetted? Why is flooding America with Syrian and Somalian refugees who have gone to Syria to fight for ISIS the acceptable position from the President? Is that not considered an inflammatory policy?

Then again, these are the arguments of the day and in an election year it's the very time to openly debate these kinds of issues. Yes, Americans are split on so many issues these days and the list of issues are ever growing. But cranking up the volume with Politico's byline that "Apple won't aid GOP convention over Trump" isn't news in the least.

On the issue of encryption, being an activist CEO is Tim Cook's duty to protect Apple's business, especially for a product like Apple Pay. Who doesn't want encryption on that specific front? But on social issues is it right for any CEO to use the weight of their business as a political weapon to support their personal views? While some may think it does, I'm certainly not one of them.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments.
News that, according to solid genetic evidence, Joseph Smith wasnt the biological father of Josephine Lyon, despite what many had thought, is being used by some to argue that Joseph was nonetheless guilty of polyandry. Is this argument supported by the evidence?

Here is a response to that issue by Brian Hales and Laura Harris Hales, who also spoke on related matters here in Sweden yesterday:

Posted from Goteborg, Sweden


It appears that every few years someone or another discovers Jesus spent some time in India and or Tibet before beginning those three years we get in the canonical Gospels. I wrote on this a half dozen years ago, and then again two years ago. It seems time to repeat once again.

In fact the primary document addressing those missing years before that public ministry is a text originally titled Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men. The editor/translator was a Russian journalist Nicolas Notovitch.

In fact this book was exposed as a fraud almost immediately by the renowned F. Max Muller. Later, the biblical scholar Edgar Goodspeed wrote up a complete account of the events surrounding the publication of Mr Notovitchs little book.

It would be an absolute delight for me to learn that that Jesus studied Buddhism. And I find enormous value in examining the encounter between Buddhism and Christianity. And, the fact remains there was nothing in Jesus teachings as we receive them, as best a cool read of the normative texts give us, that wasnt already contained within the Judaism of his day. Well, okay, that very late text John (and Id throw Thomas in here, too) does offer a non-traditionally Jewish Jesus, but even that Jesus is easily contained with a rather more boring and obviously already there gnostic influence or reaction.

Sadly, theres something about us. We hear hoofs pounding along and think zebra instead of a boring old horse. We tend to want something more exotic. And who doesnt love Tibet? And so, as appears to be the case with such things, the expose is quickly forgotten, but the lie lingers

All this said and without any expectation that this is going to lay the ghost to rest for once and all, ooce again, I reprint Professor Godspeeds article on Mr Notovitch and his charming and persistent fraud.

THE UNKNOWN LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

by Edgar Goodspeed

The Wikipedia article on Professor Goodspeed: (18711962) was an American theologian and scholar of Greek and the New Testament. He taught for many years at the University of Chicago, whose collection of New Testament manuscripts he enriched by his searches. The Universitys collection is now named in his honor. He is widely remembered for his translations of the Bible: The New Testament: an American Translation (1923), and (with John Merlin Powis Smith) The Bible, An American Translation (1935), the Goodspeed Bible. He is also remembered for his translation of the Apocrypha, and that translation was included in The Complete Bible, An American Translation (1939). Finally, Harper & Brothers issued his widely heralded The Apostolic Fathers: An American Translation (1950).

In the summer of 1926 the newspapers in this country and abroad announced the discovery in a monastery in Tibet of a lost Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men. The supposed discovery had, however, taken place nearly forty years before, and been published all over the world in 1894. The romantic story of its finding ran as follows:

In 1887 a Russian war-correspondent, Nicolas Notovitch, visited India, and proceeding into Tibet, at the Lamassary or Convent of Himis, learned of the Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men. His story, with the text of the Life, was published in French in 1894 and passed through several editions that year. It enjoyed the widest publicity. It was translated into German, Spanish, and Italian. Three independent American translations were immediately published, two in New York and one in Chicago. The first (of The Life only) was by F. Marion Crawford, who was something of a Sanskrit scholar and had lived in India in his youth. It was published by Macmillan. Another English translation appeared in London in 1895. The book called forth a vigorous controversy, attracting the attention of no less an authority than Professor F. Max Muller of Oxford. It was discussed at length in the pages of The Nineteenth Century, and then forgotten, until a New York publisher revived it in 1926, with the result described above.

Notovitchs account of his discovery of the work is that having been laid up by accident with a broken leg at the Convent of Himis, he prevailed upon the Chief Lama, who had told him of the existence of the work, to read to him, through an interpreter, the somewhat detached verses of the Tibetan version of the Life of Issa, which was said to have been translated from the Pali. Notovitch says that he himself afterward grouped the verses in accordance with the requirements of the narrative. As published by Notovitch, the work consists of two hundred and forty-four short paragraphs, arranged in fourteen chapters. It begins with an account of Israel in Egypt, and its deliverance by Moses; its neglect of religion, and its conquest by the Romans. Then follows an account of the Incarnation. The divine youth, at thirteen, rather than take a wife, leaves his home to wander with a caravan of merchants to India (Sindh), to study the laws of the great Buddhas.

He is welcomed by the Jains, but leaves them to spend six years among the Brahmins, at Juggernaut, Benares, and other places, studying the Vedas, and teaching all castes alike. The Brahmins oppose him in this, and he denounces them and their sacred books, especially condemning caste and idolatry. When they plan to put him to death, he flees to the Buddhists, and spends six years among them, learning Pali and mastering their religious texts. He goes among the pagans, warning them against idolatry, and teaching a high morality, and then visits Persia and preaches to the Zoroastrians.

At twenty-nine Issa returns to his own country, and begins to preach. He visits Jerusalem, where Pilate is apprehensive about him. The Jewish leaders however find no fault in him, and he continues his work for three years, closely watched by Pilates spies. He is finally arrested and put to death, not by Jewish influence, but through the hostility of Pilate. His followers were persecuted, but his disciples carried his message out over the world.

The interest of this little book is evidently to fill in the silent years of Jesus youth, from the visit to Jerusalem at twelve to the beginning of his ministry at about thirty. It is interesting at the outset to observe that these two ages are taken for granted by the author of this work, who unconsciously bases his scheme upon them. We know them from the Gospel of Luke alone, and the question arises, Has the author of Issa obtained them from the same source?

It is also noteworthy that the work describes Jesus ministry as three years in length, an idea derived from the Gospel of John, and from no other book of the New Testament. Had our author the Gospel of John as well as that of Luke? His emphasis upon the Incarnation shows that he had. Notovitch says that the Life of Issa was written within three or four years after the death of Christ, from the testimonies of eyewitnesses, and is hence more likely to bear the stamp of truth than the canonical gospels, which were written many years later. But the departure of the disciples to evangelize the pagan world, which is described in the last verse of the Life, did not take place within three or four years of Jesus death. The idea that it did has probably been gained from the Gospel of Matthew, which, taken without the Acts of the Apostles, might suggest that impression. It looks as though the writer of the Life were acquainted with the Gospel of Matthew. Other touches point to his acquaintance with Acts and Romans, and it. becomes clear that the range of Christian literature reflected in the book makes a date earlier than the second century impossible.

But this is only the beginning. The whole cast of the book is vague and elusive. It presents no difficulties, no problems, whereas any really ancient work newly discovered bristles with novelties and obscurities. The message of Jesus is a pallid and colorless morality, amiable and unobjectionable enough, but devoid of the flashes of insight and touches of genius that mark the early gospels.

Historically and morally the book is commonplace. It identifies itself with no recognized type of primitive thought, and it does not strike out one of its own, but shows a superficial acquaintance with the leading New Testament ones, somewhat blurred together. This inaccurate acquaintance with the New Testament also characterizes Notovitch himself, who describes Luke as saying that Jesus was in the deserts until the day of his showing unto Israel. This, he says, conclusively proves that no one knew where the young man had gone, to so suddenly reappear sixteen years later (p. 162). But it is not of Jesus but of John that Luke says this (1 :80), so that it will hardly yield the conclusive proof Notovitch seeks. At this point in Lukes narrative, in fact, Jesus has not yet appeared.

On the whole, as an ancient document the Life of Issa is altogether unconvincing. It reads more like a journalistic effort to describe what might have happened if Jesus had visited India and Persia in his youth and what a modern cosmopolite thinks he did and taught in his ministry in Palestine.

The external evidence for the Life is no more impressive. The two large manuscript volumes read to Notovitch by the lama at the Himis Convent were, says Notovitch, compiled from divers copies written in the Tibetan tongue, translated from rolls belonging to the Lassa library, and brought from India, Nepal, and Maghada two hundred years after Christ. These rolls were placed in a convent standing on Mount Marbour, near Lassa. . . . . The rolls were written in the Pali tongue. It is evident that the scholars desire to see the manuscript of the work, or failing that to see a photograph of it, or a part of it, or at least to have precise directions as to how and where to find itits place and number in the Himis libraryis not in this case to be satisfied. More than this, the Life of Issa does not purport to have been deciphered and translated by a competent scholar. The lama read, the interpreter translated, Notovitch took notes. He could evidently not control either the lama |17 or the interpreter, to make sure of what the Tibetan manuscripts read. And his own notes, taken under these obvious disadvantages, he afterward spent many sleepless nights in classifying, grouping the verses in conformity with the course of the narrative, and imprinting a character of unity to the entire work. Of course this is just what a scholar would not have done. He would wish to give the fragments just as the manuscripts had them, unaffected by his own views and tastes.

The Unknown Life attracted the attention of the great Orientalist Friedrich Max Muller, who in The Nineteenth Century pointed out that the Life of Issa did not appear in the catalogue of the Tandjur and the Kandjur, the great collections of Tibetan literature. If we understand M. Notovitch rightly, says Professor Max Miiller, this life of Christ was taken down from the mouths of some Jewish merchants who came to India immediately after the Crucifixion. He goes on to ask how these Jewish merchants happened, among the uncounted millions of India, to meet the very people who had known Issa as a casual student of Sanskrit and Pali in India, . and still more how those who had known Issa as a simple student in India, saw at once that he was the same person who had been put to death under Pontius Pilate. He goes on to suggest that the Buddhist monks may have deceived Notovitch. Two things in their account are impossible, or next to impossible. The first, that the Jews from Palestine who came to India in about 35 A.D. should have met the very people who had known Issa when he was a student at Benares; the second, that this Sutra of Issa, composed in the first century of our era, should not have found a place either in the Kandjur or in the Tandjur.

If the monks did not indulge in duping Notovitch, nothing remained, Max Miiller said, but to accuse M. Notovitch of a disgraceful fraud. And as he was writing his article, there came to him from an Englishwoman visiting Tibet a letter that pointed strongly in the latter direction. It was dated Leh, Ladakh, June 29,1894, and read in part:

Yesterday we were at the great Himis monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery up here,800 lamas. Did you hear of a Russian who could not gain admittance to the monastery in any way, but at last broke his leg outside and was taken in? His object was to copy a Buddhist life of Christ which is there. He says he got it and has published it since in French. There is not a single word of truth in the whole story! There has been no Russian here. No one has been taken into the Seminary for the past fifty years with a broken leg! There is no life of Christ there at all!

These and other criticisms Notovitch sought to answer in his preface to the London edition. The truth indeed is, he remarks, that the verses of which I give a translation in my book are probably not to be found in any kind of catalogue, either of the Tandjur or of the Kandjur. They are to be found scattered through more than one book without any title; consequently they could not be found in catalogues of Chinese or Tibetan works.

With these extraordinary observations the Life of Issa, Best of the Sons of Men, seems to evaporate and vanish away. For if its parts exist only thus scattered, the order and structure of the work are evidently the contribution of Notovitch himself, and the Life as a whole is his creation. This much he has admitted. Even now, a scholar would of course interest himself actively to secure copies and even photographs of the scattered portions which Notovitch says he has assembled. A work which makes such high claims would be well worth an expedition to Tibet, to search out the scattered verses, copy and translate them, and to provide an account of the documents in which they are imbedded.

As it is, Notovitch seems to have taken refuge from his critics in a fog of indefiniteness. In his first preface he speaks of the monastic libraries as containing a few copies of the manuscript in question, but now it is of no use to look for the manuscript, he intimates, for there is no manuscript, and he lightly refers serious students of his supposed discovery to verses scattered through more than one book, without any title. This is not the method of sober scholarship. And we may observe that Notovitch himself in the thirty-five years that have elapsed since he published the Unknown Life has not taken the obvious and most of us would think the unavoidable steps to substantiate his supposed discovery.

As a possible gesture in that direction we may quote his report in his London preface of a conversation with a Roman Catholic Cardinal, to whom he had mentioned the matter. I may however add to what I have already said in my introduction as to having learnt from him that the Unknown Life of Jesus Christ is no novelty to the Roman Church, this: that the Vatican Library possesses sixty-three complete or incomplete manuscripts in various Oriental languages referring to this matter, which have been brought to Rome by missionaries from India, China, Egypt and Arabia. It is a thousand pities that the Cardinal, who had evidently counted the manuscripts, was not more explicit as to their titles, so that someone who could read them might have looked them up in that library. Even if Notovitch could not go back to Tibet to confirm his discovery, as he once boldly proposed to do, he might have reached Rome and found ample confirmation there. But in thirty-five years neither he nor his eight translators nor his nine publishers have been sufficiently interested to apply this very simple test. Nor has any independent student of the Vatican manuscripts reported one of the sixty-three manuscripts.

Some people have been harsh enough to say that Notovitch never visited Tibet at all. I am not in a position to say this. It is true that the pictures of Tibetan scenes and costumes that appear in some editions of his work he says are from photographs taken by his friend DAuvergne, who visited Tibet on another occasion. And I have observed that his accounts of Tibetan buildings and practices bear a striking resemblance to some previously published by English travelers. His account of his journey is not without improbability, and I cannot learn that he is recognized among the serious explorers who have visited Tibet. Yet he may have gone there; it would obviously be difficult to control his statement that he did.

Some light is thrown upon the matter by a communication sent to The Nineteenth Century in June, 1895, by Professor J. Archibald Douglas of Agra, who was at that time a guest in the Himis monastery, enjoying the hospitality of that very chief lama who was supposed to have imparted the Unknown Life to Notovitch. Professor Douglas found the animal life in the Sind Valley much less picturesque than Notovitch had described, and no memory of any foreigner with a broken leg lingered at Leh or Himis. But Professor Douglas inquiries did at length elicit the fact that a Russian gentleman named Notovitch had recently been treated for the toothache by the medical officer of Leh Hospital.

To that extent Notovitchs narrative seems to have been on firm ground.

But no further. The chief lama indignantly repudiated the statements ascribed to him by Notovitch, and declared that no traveler with a broken leg had ever been nursed at the monastery. He stated with emphasis that no such work as the Life of Issa was known in Tibet, and that the statement that he had imparted such a record to a traveler was a pure invention. When Notovitchs book was read to him he exclaimed with indignation, Lies, lies, lies, nothing but lies! The chief lama did not receive from Notovitch the presents Notovitch reports having given himthe watch, the alarm clock, and the thermometer. He did not even know what a thermometer was. In short the chief lama made a clean sweep of the representations of Notovitch, and with the aid of Professor Douglas effected what Max Muller described as his annihilation.

In conclusion Max Muller expressly disclaimed any merit for having shown the Unknown Life to be a mere fiction, as no serious Sanskrit or Pali scholar, and no serious student of Buddhism, was taken in by it.

We may add that students of early Christian literature of course passed it by as of no significance whatever. It made no stir among them. This is not because they are averse to new discoveries. These are of frequent occurrence. But every one of them that is reported must stand the test of literary and textual criticism. To these tests the Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men, fails to respond.

But it remains an interesting example of a whole series of modern attempts to impose upon the general public crude fictions under the guise of ancient documents lately discovered, and it is worth while to call attention to it because its recent republication in New York was hailed by the press as a new and important discovery.

To which Ill add, anyone have an amen?
Patna: Forty ward councilors in Patna on Saturday presented a no-confidence motion against Patna Mayor Afzal Imam leveling eight charges against him including charges of receiving kickback from the 'billboard mafia'.

The protestors, after waiting for the Mayor for nearly two hours, ended up giving the memo to Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Kapil Ashok who said he would pass on the memorandum to the Mayor when he showed up.

Among the accusations made against Imam were favors granted to the 'billboard mafia' for personal gains, failure to implement solid waste management system in the state capital, posing impediments in the implementation of Rs. 50 lakh schemes in each ward, and ill-treatment of ward councilors and other PMC staff.

The Mayor has 15 days to call a meeting for a no-confidence vote after which the Commissioner is empowered to call the meeting.
Patna: Expelled Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and now the President of the newly-minted Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) Pappu Yadav on Saturday led a march to the Governor's House in Patna demanding toughest actions against Mokama Don Anant Singh who is currently cooling his heels at the Beur Jail in connection with the abduction of a builder from Bihta last November.

The MP from Madhepura, amidst tight security, led his band of supporters to the Raj Bhawan where he submitted a memo to the Governor demanding CBI probe into all the cases of murders, kidnappings, and other crimes against Singh, a Janata Dal  U legislator, who was arrested by the Patna Police on June 24 a day after police found the body of a kidnapped man in Barh.

For dramatic impact, Yadav, a former inmate of the Tihar Jail, was wearing a handcuff on his wrists besides a gag band in his mouth to depict the oppressed people of Bihar under the Nitish administration.

"All cases against Anant Singh must be reopened and probed by the CBI. Moreover, all ministers in the Nitish government should be investigated for amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income," Yadav told the reporters later.

The JAP leader and his five-member delegation handed over a memo of demands to the Principal Secretary of the Governor Brajesh Mehrotra.

Anant Singh's arrest has come as a major embarrassment to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is accused of protecting Singh due to political compulsions.

Both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Party (HAM) have pledged to make Anant Singh's arrest an election issue in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Police have arrested a 38-year-old man in connection with a fatal stabbing and kidnapping in Santa Ana early Saturday.

Officers responded to an incident in the 1200 block of S. Oak Street around 1:30 a.m., where authorities found a 27-year-old man who had been stabbed lying on a front lawn, Santa Ana police said in a news release. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A witness told police a woman also was stabbed and kidnapped.

The suspects SUV was located by Brea police in that city. The woman, who had a stab wound in the chest, was taken to a local hospital.

The suspect, identified by police as Teodoro Bernal Nunez, will be booked for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and violation of a court order, according to the news release.

Police said Nunez and the woman had previously dated, and that a court order restraining him from contacting the victim had been issued.

Contact the writer: lleung@ocregister.com
Seven people were hospitalized, three with major injuries, during a rollover crash Saturday at the Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar.

Just before 4 a.m., a lone vehicle crashed in the hospital parking lot, 36488 Inland Valley Drive, a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department report states.

At least three people sustained major injuries. Four more received moderate to minor injuries, the report states.

Details of the crash were not immediately available. A hospital spokesperson would not provide more information, citing patient confidentiality agreements. Representatives at CAL FIRE could not be reached.

More than a dozen firefighters were dispatched to the scene, as well members of the California Highway Patrol.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.
When Nancy Tubbs came out in the early 1990s, she felt alone and isolated.

In those days, there werent many places for gays and lesbians to go in College Station, Texas, where she grew up and later attended Texas A&M University.

I literally thought, Am I the only lesbian in Texas? said Tubbs, 45, now the director of the LGBT Resource Center at UC Riverside. There was no visibility. If you dont see yourself reflected anywhere, where do you go?

While her family and church accepted her, she didnt feel safe holding hands with her partner. There were no gay bookstores or video stores with gay movies in town, she said.

She found comfort when she joined a gay and lesbian student organization that offered panel discussions in classrooms and lecture halls.

I would get questions like, Is your sister worried you will molest her children? Do you think you are possessed by demons? What does your church think about this? Do you think you were born that way? Do you think you will get AIDS?

RELATED: Being gay and Muslim a crossfire of identities

She remembers a student assistant who worked next to her in the school library writing a letter published in the campus newspaper that compared homosexuality to pedophilia, necrophilia and bestiality.

Tubbs found a more welcoming environment when she moved to California in 2000 to work at UCR. While much of the Inland area is conservative compared to other parts of the state, people are more tolerant than where she grew up, Tubbs said. And social media has provided LGBT people with outlets to express their sexuality, she said.

The internet has made such a difference in peoples lives, said Tubbs, who lives in Riverside. You can find videos, Facebook groups. You can find ways to connect with the community even if you are sitting in the smallest town in the middle of nowhere.

The LGBT community in the United States is living in a time of unprecedented acceptance. They marry legally and raise children. They move easily in heterosexual circles.

Growing social acceptance is so strong that its often cited as a decline in a certain type of gay culture. Bars and other venues that once provided refuge for gay communities targeted in a straight world arent as essential as they once were.

Outting is sort of out of fashion. Theres nothing to come out of, said Kim Shepherd, a recruiting company president.

A man says, My husband and I, and nobody blinks an eye.

RELATED: For Latino gays, a frightening jolt

The Orlando gunmans motivations remain unclear. The shooting has been described as both an act of terror and an act of hate.

But for many LGBT people, Omar Mateens decision to target a popular gay club has served as a violent reminder of both their painful past and the unfinished nature of their movement.

Longtime partners Charles Walter and Travis Allen have have nice neighbors. On most days, they enjoy a strong sense of belonging.

But Orlando shows once again that the work definitely isnt done, said Walter, a 31-year-old insurance agent.

This is a time of realization of that.

BATTLES, OLD AND NEW

LGBT community members are more likely to be the victims of a hate crime than any other minority group, according to 2014 FBI data. And though same-sex marriage became legal a year ago this month, the political fight recently has shifted toward transgender people.

In particular, transgender youth have struggled amid the debate over elected officials attempts to restrict what bathrooms they can use, said Kris De Pedro, 35, a professor of education at Chapman University.

De Pedro views such legislation as very confusing to young people, who are simultaneously told to be true to themselves even as they see and hear what they view as discriminatory legislation and political rhetoric.

If anyone were to stand in their shoes, he said, theyd be horrified.

Luke Reichle, a 60-year-old film and television costume designer in Los Angeles, left his small California hometown when he was a teenager and has since then lived only in big cities  San Francisco, New York, L.A.

Living and working among people with similar views can create an insular world, one in which he rarely encounters negative reactions to his sexuality.

In the hours after Orlando, he went on Twitter and was enraged to read a now-deleted post from the lieutenant governor of Texas, quoting a Bible verse that includes the line a man reaps what he sows.

Reichle, who typically uses his Twitter account for fashion news, began interacting with a woman who argued it was irrelevant that the shooter picked a gay club for his killing spree.

That dishonors their memory. You dismiss why they were being targeted, he said.

I dont want to discount the huge steps weve made. Weve changed hearts and minds, he added. But theres still this hate.

For some, Orlando revived feelings of how hard it can be to find self acceptance.

Jason Jamilano, a 38-year-old who has returned to college to be a social worker, says in many ways living in the world as a gay man today is far better than when he came out as a teenager.

But internally, he said, the struggle continues.

Im still stuck where I was at 18, uncomfortable showing affection in public, he said. His family is supportive, he added, but he cant shake the perception that people are staring at him and judging.

When he heard about Orlando, he began mourning for people who may be on a similar journey.

I knew they had gone through the same things as me, he said.

It could have been any of us.

In 2016, coming out as gay or transgender might be easier than it was decades ago, but that doesnt mean its easy.

Robert St. John, a 29-year-old who works in real estate, briefly left home when he came out as an 18-year-old. It was one of the hardest times of his life, he said. Still, he was grateful to reconcile with his father before he died, and he and his mother now are close.

I realized how much love I have in my family, he said.

Hes equally positive that society will make a similar shift.

We still have things to march for, he said. But as a more diverse younger population grows up, he believes homophobia is going to dissolve away.

Yet Orlando might signal something else.

For many young LGBT people theres a new feeling  fear.

Last week, about 20 teens and young adults gathered around a TV screen in the back of the South Bay LGBT Center in Torrance and watched video of a Sacramento preacher condoning the attack in Orlando. When the screen went silent, the teens offered a range of emotions, from fear to outrage.

Gabe Hernandez, 20, said he and his friends were thinking twice about going to clubs in West Hollywood this weekend. Theyve read a tweet suggesting that someone should finish what the Orlando shooter started.

Of the author who made the threat, Hernandez said this:

We dont know where that person lives.

THE LONG VIEW

When Richard Hitt saw the news out of Orlando, his first reaction was, Here we go again.

Hitt, 82, is a longtime gay activist. He and Barbara Muirhead, 81, another activist, were sitting in Hitts living room one day last week recalling their own stories:

Hitt talked about how he feared hed lose his finance job at Disney when newspapers ran a photo of him at a Pride festival decades ago.

Muirhead said she was so afraid of losing her teaching job that she followed the Pride festival in her car.

They both once worried that cops would find reasons to ticket them as they emerged from gay bars, and how they floated in and out of the closet, for decades, revealing their true selves only in the most trusted company.

It was quiet then, there was no gayness, said Hitt, who came out when he was 35 years old. His longtime partner died in 1990, and the urn holding his ashes remains on display in his home.

You had a little group you were with, then you went about your own business.

Both Hitt and Muirhead got involved with local gay rights organizations. They helped put together directories of gay-friendly businesses.

Hitt quietly waged small battles, once ripping a sign supporting Proposition 8  the 2008 measure, approved by voters and later ruled unconstitutional, that banned same-sex marriages  out of his relatives yard.

That felt good, he said softly.

Muirhead, who remarried a year ago, still volunteers for PFLAG, formerly known as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. She noted that most of the recent political actions have focused on transgender people, a community that shes still trying to understand. When it comes to progress, she said shes never let down her guard.

A week after Orlando, she said her world remains what its always been, fragile.

Its fragile because they start passing all these new laws, she said. Its fragile because employers dont have to tell you why youre being fired. Kids still cant tell their parents.

A lot of things havent changed.

Staff writers Megan Barnes and Stephen MacLeod contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: jtillman@ocregister.com | swall@pressenterprise.com
A body was found in Mead Valley and investigators are investigating the case as a homicide, a sheriffs spokesman said.

About 5 p.m., deputies from the Perris station went to the area of Robinson and Martin streets in the unincorporated community of Mead Valley on a report of shots possibly being fired, said Riverside County sheriffs Deputy Mike Vasquez.

Vasquez said they found one person dead and began treating the incident as a homicide. He said the coroners office and homicide unit were still at the scene about 9:30 p.m.

Few other details were available for release as the Riverside County Sheriffs Department conducted its investigation, including the age and gender of the person who was dead and whether a suspect had been identified in the incident.

UPDATE: Man with gunshot wound found dead on front lawn
For Daniel Sullivan, going solar is about much more than installing panels. Its a mission.

Every customer we touch, we want to turn them into a solar advocate, and we want to see streets filled with electric cars, Sullivan said. We want to change how society consumes electricity.

This isnt a pipe dream  this is happening, said Sullivan, founder and president of Sullivan Solar Power, a fast-growing and philanthropic-minded company active throughout San Diego, Riverside and Orange County.

Founded in 2004 in a clients garage with $2,500 in the bank, Sullivan Solar Power has come a long way. As a HERO Registered Contractor since 2012, the company is getting more homeowners on the green bandwagon and getting them off fossil fuels.

Sullivan Solar Power has seen first-hand the opportunities that HERO has provided for consumers, said Tara Kelly, Director of Community Development for Sullivan Solar Power, which employs 164 out of its offices in San Diego, Riverside and Irvine.

I have met clients who have told me they may not have been able to go solar had it not been for the HERO Program and they were so thankful they had this option.

With HERO, eligibility is based primarily on the equity in the home and payment history, and because customers pay for their solar installation over time, it makes going solar a more attainable goal. HERO has allowed Sullivan Solar Power to make their services available to more customers and in 2015, the number of HERO-financed Sullivan Solar Power projects increased 32 percent from the previous year.

The HERO Program is a nice option for homeowners who are considering not just solar, but multiple home-improvement projects, Kelly added. As energy costs continue to increase year over year, the HERO Program has succeeded as an effective mechanism to empower energy consumers to take control of these costs, Kelly added.

Partnering with local governments, the HERO Program makes energy-efficient, water-efficient and renewable energy projects affordable for more homeowners by eliminating upfront costs and allowing homeowners to pay off the improvements over time through voluntary assessments on their property tax bills  a financing arrangement that comes with possible tax benefits.

While about 80 percent of its business is residential  Sullivan Solar Power also has a thriving commercial and municipal business, with clients including colleges, police stations and the military. Sullivan Solar Power has attained the NABCEP Company Accreditation, the gold standard among certified energy practitioners in North America. In fact, Sullivan Solar Power was the fourth company in the nation to earn that prestigious recognition.

Central to Sullivan Solar Powers mission is giving back.

In addition to hosting free educational solar presentations to the public, the companys philanthropic programs have supported the American Lung Association, as well as a nonprofit that helps low-income families, and schools  to name a few.This year, Sullivan Solar Power is partnering with the San Diego Childrens Center, donating a 10,000-watt solar power system and a $500 contribution for each solar power system sold through the end of the year.

For Sullivan Solar Power, the mission continues.

We set out to lead the solar energy revolution, Kelly said. Central to any successful revolution, people are at the forefront. Solar energy can bring positive change, giving people the opportunity to create a safer environment, become energy independent and save money. We believe that these benefits should be accessible to everyone in society. In the Inland Empire we have a thriving solar power industry that is ready and eager to lead the region away from fossil fuels, and the HERO Program plays an important role in that transition.

To take advantage of HERO, first find out if HERO is eligible in your area. If it is, call 888-720-HERO from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday, or visit heroprogram.com/solar.
Former Murrieta City Councilman Gene Wunderlich was posting about insanity.

His message noted the mass shooting in Orlando, which is haunting our nation. And he also cited Tammy Serrano, a Temecula woman who was randomly attacked Monday shopping at a local drug store. She died of her injuries the next day. Her fate is haunting our community.

We pride ourselves on being safe. Temecula and Murrieta are annually ranked highly on whatever survey you want to cite showing Americas most crime free communities. Random killings happen somewhere else.

No longer.

PREVIOUSLY: Suspect in CVS pharmacy attack charged with murder

When deputies arrived at the store just after 5 p.m. Monday, Serrano was found with serious injuries and the suspect, Brian Eldon Saylor of Temecula, detained by store employees. He has been charged with murder.

Deputies arent saying much and are calling the attack random. Serranos family members say she was hit in the head with a liquor bottle.

Wrong place, wrong time, there but for the grace of God .

As a nation we know the euphemisms for the random insanity we see on the news, seemingly 24-7 these days. We cant forget the mass shooting in our own backyard, in San Bernardino, Dec. 2.

Now we get to consider what it means on a very small but personal level, when this madness happens to a neighbor, a 54-year-old woman with five grandchildren.

Outside the pharmacy on Rancho California Road where it happened, there was a candlelight vigil Wednesday night. These are commonplace in communities suffering from such tragedies, why would be any different.

A post on Serranos Facebook page spoke to what the somber event represented to her loved ones: It meant a lot to the Serrano family to have everyone come together and remember their wife, mother, friend and Army mom.

PREVIOUSLY: Vigil held for CVS pharmacy attack victim

Red was Serranos favorite color and she loved to wear it on what for her were R.E.D. (Remember Everyone Deployed) Fridays. Also on her Facebook page are photos of her skydiving, a party with friends, and her work with soldiers and their families. A life, a vibrant one, cut short.

In another post, her neighbor, Gillian Larson, speaks to what we all feel: How can one ever explain why such horrible things happen to people in such a random act of anger which takes a very special persons life.

Unfortunately, Serranos name will fade from our memory because its the nature of the constant news cycle we live in. What will remain will be the shock of it all and, dare I say, perhaps our communitys own naivete.

I moved here in 1988, before Temecula and Murrieta were even incorporated cities, back when they were truly small towns, not that far removed from the days when oldtimers bragged about sleeping with their doors unlocked at night.

PREVIOUSLY: Woman attacked  apparently at random  at CVS pharmacy

Now each city is a community of more than 100,000 and Menifee, Lake Elsinore and Wildomar are dramatically bigger as well. The notion that were still small towns, somehow sheltered from the big city rage that afflicts so many places, the same rage that so many of us yearned to escape in moving here and putting up with these ridiculous commutes, was already slowly fading.

Then a grandmother is randomly killed in a local drugstore and you wonder if we really are any different from all those other supposedly more violent places  even if we so desperately want to be.

Contact the writer: carllove4@yahoo.com
The Chief Executive Officer of the EIB Network Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi has predicted that most Ghanaian businesses will collapse in the next ten years.



This according to Bola Ray, as he is popularly known, is due to the fact that most business owners in Ghana do not have succession plans for their business.



Speaking to some selected marketing students of the University of Ghana, Bola Ray advised business owners in the country to know when to bow out of leadership positions in their companies, in order to ensure the growth and longevity of the business.



...And there is one problem; succession plan. I am telling you, here in Ghana, in the ten years a lot of these big churches you see around will collapse because its one man thing and it has happened to a lot of businesses.



A lot of these companies that we talk about, they will just sell; but you should build structures, systems to ensure that the company lives beyond you. The tighter businesses that we are celebrating now, if the systems are not right, and they want to bring everything to themselves, it will fail. And they should know when to bow it, he noted.



The interaction forms part of the universitys initiative to expose its students to organizations that have achieved some success in their various fields of endeavor.











Source: starrfmonline.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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International Organization for Migration (IOM) Libya, assisted 162 stranded Nigerians migrants, including 28 women and 3 children, to return home to Nigeria from Libya. They arrived Murtala International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday June 16.



Of the group, 146 had spent months in immigration detention centres, namely Abu Saleem, Qarapoly and al Zawia detentions centres.

The repatriation, in close co-operation with the Libyan authorities, the Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli and the IOM mission in Nigeria, was on board a charter flight that departed Tripolis Mitiga Airport and arrived in Abuja the same afternoon. The repatriated migrants were received by IOM Nigeria at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and were provided with cash grants upon arrival. Of the group, 20 will be provided with some reintegration support.



Before departure all migrants were provided with hygiene kits, clothes and shoes. A mobile patrol from the Libyan Directorate of Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) escorted the buses to Mitiga airport.



The circumstances of this group were similar to the other migrants who were previously repatriated by IOM from Libya. Almost all the migrants traveling on this charter were detained after they were intercepted at sea, trying to get to Europe.



Some of the migrants who spoke to IOM explained why they felt compelled to embark on these perilous journeys.



Omar, a 19-year-old, tearfully told IOM of his ordeal. "I made it to Libya six months ago, and I settled in Garaboli city, 60 km east of Tripoli, with the intention of travelling to Italy, where I was arrested by a militia member together with other migrants. He threatened to send us to prison if we refused to work for him. We worked at his farm, for no money at all. When we tried to escape he asked us to pay 500 dinars (USD 360) for our release. Then he put us in a room and shot at us with his gun. I was shot in the leg. He then threw gasoline on us and set us on fire. I was severely burned. I managed to escape from the farm and I was eventually taken to the hospital by police who found me lying on the side of the road."



Adama, a 38-year-old father of three, living with his mother, borrowed USD 5,000 "price of salvation trip", he called it. He arrived in Libya five months ago and spent three months in the detention center. "It does not matter which country, any country in Europe is a paradise for me and worthy of any risk to reach, even if the price is my life," he said.



Abdul, a 25-year-old paraplegic, said his physical condition did not prevent him from working as an auto mechanic in Nigeria, after dropping out of school, to help his parents and his brothers. However, he lost his job and struggled to survive. His frustration meant that he was easily convinced when his friends in Italy persuaded him that there would be plenty of opportunities for him under Italian disability laws. His journey was much harder than other migrants anyone else because of his condition. When he arrived in Libya, he was forced to work for two months in an electronic repair shop owned by a brother of one of the smugglers in Sabha (South Libya) to pay for his passage to Tripoli. Upon his arrival in Tripoli last February, he tried to find work to raise money for his passage on the boat.



He was however, arrested just two weeks after he arrived. "I chose the humanitarian repatriation although Im sure that the situation at home is much worse. I have to face my family with empty hands after all that they spent to get me here in the first place. I hope the organization (IOM) will help in securing income same as it helped me to secure my return to my country," said Abdul.



Aicha, a 39-year-old mother of two, arrived in Libya five months ago via the desert. She had left her two children with her husband in search of a better life. She told IOM, "It was a long and hard trip where my life was threatened twice when I fell down from the truck between Agadez (Niger) and Al Qatrun (Libya) because of the huge number of migrants that were on the back of the truck. After my arrival in Tripoli, I found work as a maid in one of the connection houses  which is more like houses of prostitution. Eventually, I had to escape and began to think seriously about the return. Luckily I heard from a friend that IOM organizes voluntary repatriation so I registered with the embassy."



Despite their journeys of hope ending in detention centres, these migrants consider themselves lucky to have escaped death trying to cross the Mediterranean, which this year has claimed the lives of 2,438 migrants and refugees on the central Mediterranean route.



The fund for this charter was provided by the Swiss Secretariat of Migration, under the project "Provision of Humanitarian Repatriation and Reintegration for Stranded Migrants in Libya".







Source: IOM









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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Some refugees at the Krisan Refugee Camp in the Western Region have accused officials of the camp of allegedly diverting relief items donated to them.



Mr John Konah, a Liberian Refugee, told the Ghana News Agency that sometimes officials of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Camp Manager diverted relief items donated to them by NGOs and philanthropists.



He said his queries about irregularities at the camp were often met with intimidation by the manager, Mr Martin Bannerman, who branded him as a trouble-maker and often reported him to the police for no wrong doing.



He alleged that UNHCR officials and the Ghana Refugee Board registered one Razak Alhassan as Maxwell Randy Johnson for him to benefit from the privileges as a refugee.



I was rather threatened with police action when I raised query about the issue, he said.



Mr Konahs allegation was corroborated by a Togolese refugee who gave his name as Wingo, saying he had once faced similar intimidation.



When contacted, Mr Bannerman, however, denied the allegations and said donations were supervised by the leaders adding that the accusers were known to be notorious for stealing and causing trouble at the camp.



Mr Bannerman alleged that Konah was a rebel in his home country, therefore, the Liberian Embassy was not willing to grant him passport to return to Liberia even though he had been given financial resources for repatriation.



Those two refugees think they are above the countrys laws and, therefore, do not want to abide by the rules and regulations governing the camp, he said.



He spoke about the challenges facing the camp and indicated that there were no sufficient medicines at the clinic, however, all the refugees had been registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme to access free medical care.



The Camp Manager said the refugees had been trained in employable skills such as batik and tie and dye making and hairdressing to supplement their income.



The UNHCR Focal Person at the Camp, who only gave her name as Auntie Rebecca, also denied the allegations and said some refugees had lost their status.



This is because they had been given financial resources for repatriation and local integration, but they were still hanging around and causing nuisance at the camp.



She said the law did not allow the UNHCR and the GRB to expel them from the camp thus encouraging them to misbehave.



The camp was established in 1996 and hosted about 900 refugees from 15 different countries including, Togo, Liberia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Congo Brazzaville and Pakistan.

Source: GNA









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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In order to ascertain whether or not President John Mahama has brought the high office of president into disrepute by accepting the Ford Expedition car gifted him by Burkinabe contractor Djibril Kanazoe, who has been given a series of contracts by the Government of Ghana, Professor Mike Aaron Ocquaye, a former Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya constituency has urged Ghanaians to analyse the issue in its totality.



According to him, the laws of the country vehemently frown upon actions and inactions of public office holders, including the president, that are likely to conflict with the performance of their duties. Therefore, the situation at hand currently is a serious one that requires a holistic analysis.



President Mahama has been heavily criticised following his acceptance of the vehicle offered by Mr Kanazoe.



Mr Kanazoe, according to investigations by Joy FMs Manasseh Azure Awuni, was given a series of contracts by the Government of Ghana, including a $650,000 deal to fence a tract of land around Ghanas mission in Burkina Faso, after he had parted with a Ford Expedition to Ghanas President.



The contract for the wall was reportedly described as outrageous by the Public Accounts Committee of parliament. The Burkinabe contractor also won a 25.9 million contract for the Dodo Pepeso-Nkwanta road.



This matter has generated heated debate among the Ghanaian public. Although the government admits Mr Mahama received the gift, the minister of communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah said the vehicle did not influence the awards of contracts to the Burkinabe contractor. But Minority Members of Parliament have hinted at impeaching the president over the matter. Minority spokesperson on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Joe Osei-Owusu, thought the gift was a bribe to influence the president to give out juicy deals to the said contractor, a situation he believed conflicted the president.



Speaking in an interview with Emefa Apawu on Class 91.3 FMs 505 last week, Prof Mike Ocquaye, who is also a former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said: We need to examine a number of things in this country. Article 59(1)(b) of our constitution says the president shall be removed from office if found among others to have conducted himself in a manner that brings or is likely to bring the office of the president into disrepute, ridicule or contempt.



And this you can only determine by looking at the totality of the fact. This is what has led to the impeachment of presidents, for example in America. So, when these things happen, let no one just play with the thing and throw dust into the eyes of the people of Ghana. You will have to seriously bring together all the facts, the totality of the fact in question and see whether having looked at it all it is such an act that is likely to bring the high office of the president of the republic into disrepute, into ridicule, or into contempt.



And you will see that basically the code of conduct, which has been established under the constitution, what the CHRAJ has brought and all those ones, speak in a certain direction.



Article 284 of our constitution says a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.



Prof Ocquaye added: I like to remind people to look at the thing holistically. How did the two people come together, the contractor and the president? The contractor himself, in that interview, with a very clever move on the part of the journalistsaid among the things that he was complaining about his not getting of contracts. He was desperately looking for contracts in Ghana then somebody said, Let me take you to the president. So, the purpose of the meeting itself was to get contracts.



He reiterated: Under what circumstances did the two come together? The man basically met our president by the introduction of another person because he was desperately looking for contracts in Ghana.

Source: classfmonline









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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Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has slammed government over its decision to spend $650,000 on the construction of a fence wall around a land belonging to the Ghanaian Embassy in Burkina Faso.



The issue of the $650,000 dollar contract resurfaced following allegations that the man who was awarded the contract, gave President Mahama a Ford Expedition Vehicle in 2012.



The contractor in an interview said the President called to thank him for the gift, which critics have likened to a bribe. Government has since confirmed receipt of the gift by the President, but said it was added to the governments pool of state vehicles, and that the gift has no links to the contracts award Mr. Dzibril Kanazoe, and therefore does not amount to corruption or conflict of interest.



Speaking on the issue, Franklin Cudjoe said he did not understand why Ghana would spend that amount of money on an embassy in neighboring Burkina Faso given the small size of trade between the two countries.



I am particularly worried that we actually got excess land. I dont know what type of edifice we are building for the embassy because in actual fact, I will be more interested in the volume of trade. I am not discounting Burkina Faso as a country, but given the proximity and it is very easy, you do not need visas [to get into the country], why are we investing overly sumptuous sums in building a wall?



Indeed, trying to build a structure for an embassy, you dont need an edifice of that nature We probably wouldnt have needed that much land to build an embassy in Burkina Faso. It is not everywhere that you have to put up expensive buildings there, he argued.



He believes the embassy could have been housed in a two bedroom building because in his view the nature and values that we are getting in return in terms of trade are not as enormous as other countries.



Mahama was careless



He further stated that President Mahama exhibited carelessness in accepting the car gift from the contractor.



The president was careless in receiving the gift, Mr. Cudjoe said. He also criticized the government setup that allowed indiscriminate access to the President making him susceptible to such gift giving.

Source: citifnonline









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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Fairfax are today reporting that a 19-year-old Western Sydney University student has pleaded guilty to six counts relating to the supply and possession of drugs, and a further count of dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Madeline Sawyer, who studies biochemistry at WSU, came to the attention of police after being caught in a random traffic stop with fellow student Fadil Al Khafaji, who was driving while disqualified.

Sawyer was a passenger in the vehicle when it was pulled over. Police observed two capsules of MDMA sitting in the centre console, and Al Khafaji initially claimed that they were his.

When officers searched his phone, they found a text message exchange between him and Sawyer, in which she promised to sort him with more drugs at a later time.

This lead police to a search of Sawyers house, and amongst other things, they uncovered a stash containing a set of electronic scales, as well as:

 28 capsules of MDMA powder, 15 resealable bags collectively containing 11 grams of cocaine and a further 11 individual, one gram bags of methamphetamine, better known as ice.

Police records show that Sawyer originally claimed the drugs were for her own personal use, and that a wad of $3660 in cash, found alongside them, was money she earned as a sex worker.

A search of Sawyers own phone led police to a wider drug operation, in which police say that Sawyer supplied drugs to fellow university students as well as clients.

Per Fairfax reports, Al Khafaji pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and possessing a prohibited drug, while Sawyer pleased guilty to all her charges. Her lawyer says that she admits to making a big mistake, and has tried to put it right.

Both will be sentenced before Campbelltown Local Court on Monday.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

Photo: NineMSN.
The aftermath of mass gun violence in the United States has become disturbingly predictable in the past few years.

First, the country scrambles for answers while President Barack Obama tells his nation  yet again  that something needs to be done in regards to the ready availability of firearms.

Then, as the afflicted communities mourn their dead, the Westboro Baptist Church ride in to foul the situation further with their patented brand of religiously-motivated vitriol.

The days after last weekends mass shooting in Orlando have been no different. Still, another recurring trend has emerged in the aftermath: regular humans who are just done with hatred have banded together to protect the mourners from hate.

At a funeral service for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, more than 200 counter-protesters guarded attendees at St. James Catholic Cathedral from the angry, homophobic bile the WBC are prone to throw.

Many from the Orlando Shakespeare Theater even used their expertise to craft angel wings, to literally block mourners from even seeing those instantly-recognisable placards.

Counter protest #westboro #orlando #orlandostrong #pulse #humanchain A photo posted by T Yeezy (@craftysenorita) on Jun 18, 2016 at 12:28pm PDT

WBC was blocked so much even I could barely catch a glimpse. ??????????? #orlandostrong #orlandounited #orlando #orlandoproud #lovewins A photo posted by @lhenley13 on Jun 18, 2016 at 8:14am PDT

The Angels arrive to huge applause at St Lukes for funeral #OrlandoStrong @wmfeorlando to block WBC pic.twitter.com/xLbDM9GXrA  Catherine Welch (@CWELCHFL) June 18, 2016

At Orlando counter-protest, angels wearing large wings ensure Westboro protesters dont disrupt the funeral proper. pic.twitter.com/QLBZyDrj1F  David Hand (@Ptolemarch) June 18, 2016

Surreal: one side sings amazing grace as protesters chant against them while #orlandoshooting funeral next door pic.twitter.com/UGaPSZLEOp  Richard Madan (@RichardMadan) June 18, 2016

Of course, when the WBC finally realised they wouldnt be able to inflict as much emotional pain as theyd hoped, they scrammed  much to the delight of well, basically everyone on planet Earth.

People cheer as tiny group of Westboro Baptist Church protesters leaves. Also thank @OrlandoPolice #OrlandoStrong pic.twitter.com/BXHYthWnyU  Joey Flechas (@joeflech) June 18, 2016

More than two dozen police on the scene also separated those in the church from the smattering of spite-fuelled trolls, and even they took to social media afterwards to have a well-deserved dig at the WBCs efforts.

Westboro protesters have left the state & no plans to return. Thank you to those who met protest with grace & love. pic.twitter.com/PZJ9F9MB9S  Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 18, 2016

(Yeah, we know the police arent meant to get political, but goddamn, the OPD have had a rough week.)

Finally, one last trend has popped up again  the recognition that for every one malicious bigot, there are hundreds of opponents, literally waiting in the wings.

And man, we hope thats a trend that continues.

Source: The Washington Post.

Photo: Miami Herald / Getty.
QUARRYVILLE -- Family members saw changes in Daniel Stoltzfus after he accidentally killed his 14-month-old son by backing over the boy with a forklift in 2001 in Lancaster County.

Prior to the tragic farm accident, the Amish father had been known as kind, hard-working and someone who carefully avoided mistakes. He lived next-door to his mother and kept in close contact with other relatives.

But two years after the accident, he had turned into someone else, relatives said. He defied the church and questioned their Amish beliefs.

And that's when he crossed paths with Lee Kaplan at an equipment sale in Erie. The chance meeting in February 2003 would forever change many lives.

Bucks County authorities last week arrested Daniel Stoltzfus and his wife Savilla, along with Kaplan, 51, in connection with a scheme involving the Stoltzfus' 14-year-old daughter.

The Stoltzfuses said they had "gifted" the teenage girl to Kaplan about four years ago as an act of appreciation for helping the Stoltzfus family financially. The parents told police they knew their teenage daughter was sexually intimate with Kaplan, who was more than 30 years older than the girl. The teen and Kaplan now have two children together, ages 6 months and 3 years.

The teen and her children were among 12 girls found at Kaplan's home in Feasterville Thursday when police raided it, based on a tip from a suspicious neighbor.

The Stoltzfuses apparently were living with Kaplan, according to Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler, although it was unclear for how long. The couple told police the rest of the girls at the home belonged to them.

The couple had wonderful things to say about Kaplan, Heckler told Philly.com. But Heckler said Kaplan appeared to have brainwashed the family.

That's the only explanation that makes sense to relatives of Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus, who have been heartbroken by Daniel's disconnection from them, their church and their community. They describe cult-like behavior from the Stoltzfuses after linking up with Kaplan.

Savilla's sister, Sarah Stoltzfus, remembers the moment when Daniel told her about meeting Kaplan at the equipment sale. Stoltzfus made manure-spreaders, according to relatives.

Kaplan reportedly marched up to Stoltzfus at the sale and said: "You're the guy I'm looking for."

Daniel told Sarah that Kaplan was going "to live until the end of the world."

Daniel's glorified comments about Kaplan "kind of shocked" Sarah, who kept the conversation to herself. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, she said.

But a few months later, Daniel told his mother he planned to leave the church, Sarah said.

"His mother walked in my door crying," Sarah said. "He asked to be excommunicated."

Relatives tried to convince both Daniel and Savilla to stick with their faith, but as Daniel once explained to Sarah: they now believed that the rules of the Amish church "were a God outside of our God."

Daniel also reportedly told a midwife who helped with his wife with childbirth that "God gave us desires so we can act on them."

Sarah, who is childless, had helped her sister raise eight of her children. Savilla would have a new baby about every 13 months, and each time, Sarah would take care of the previous baby and help with the children. They lived across the street from each other on Pumping Station Road in Lancaster County.

"They shared the children with us," Sarah said. "Because we could not have any of our own."

But after Daniel broke from the church, he pulled away from the family as well, cutting ties with his own mother and eventually restricting the children from Sarah and her husband. Sarah believes her sister and brother-in law began turning the children against her.

"They had to break the relationship," she said. "It was the hardest thing I've ever gone through."

Sarah noticed Kaplan spending time at her sister's house. She saw an air-conditioning unit added to an upstairs bedroom and believed Kaplan may have been staying in that room.

Although they were all in close proximity, Kaplan didn't talk to Daniel's relatives and they didn't talk to him.

Sarah couldn't understand how her sister and brother-in-law had fallen so far away from their beliefs. Daniel's use of forbidden tools and equipment eventually caused him to lose his Amish fire insurance, she said, which caused him to lose his Amish bank loan. He also stopped paying his mortgage in protest, Sarah said.

Authorities came to the property in 2009 with "guns drawn," to evict the family, she said.

"They were evicted with a two-day old baby," Sarah said.

The family lived at several Lancaster County homes before landing at the rented property on Locust Lane. In their new homes, they became more secretive and standoffish, according to relatives. At one of the temporary homes, they had a new roof installed but told the roofer that he could not, under any circumstances, enter the home, relatives said. They always kept their windows covered.

Sarah eventually lost her will to fight for access to her nieces and nephews. Instead, she found a job at a local grocery store to distract her from her grief. She wrote a letter to her sister, letting her know that the job was helping her to heal.

The letter prompted Daniel and Savilla to show up at Sarah's grocery store four years ago, where they talked to her for about 25 minutes. Savilla was pregnant at the time. The couple seemed concerned that Sarah was working outside of the home.

"They told me what I was doing (at the store) was of no use to God," she said.

Daniel also wanted to share a dream he had about Sarah and his wife, but Sarah said she stopped him from telling it.

Over the past four years, Daniel continued to visit Sarah occasionally at her store. She began to believe he was trying to convert her into his new belief system, whatever that was.

"Daniel said he could read my mind, that he knew my thoughts through some spirit," she said. "He seemed so sure that people were going to follow him. He seemed sure that the Amish church was going to fail to nothing. He was so negative about the church."

He last visited her two weeks ago. In recent years, he worked as a truck driver and scrap dealer, according to neighbors and relatives.

Neighbors along Locust Lane said they occasionally saw Daniel mowing the grass but never saw Savilla outside. They saw two small children at times, but never the dozen or so children that the couple reportedly had.

One neighbor said he tried to drop off Christmas cookies last December but couldn't get near the front door. One of the couple's sons instead cut him off in the driveway. The wary son said he could not accept the cookies unless "Dan" said it was okay. But "Dan" wasn't home.

The neighbor thought it odd that the teen referred to his father by his first name. The neighbor asked for Dan's phone number, and called him to inquire about what to do with the cookies. Daniel kindly said to leave the cookies on the seat of a parked car in the driveway and the neighbor complied.

A 19-year-old man at the home Saturday told PennLive he was the son of Daniel and Savilla. He said he remained at the home with two younger siblings and objected to the arrest of his parents. He said he "stood behind his parents," and believed that Kaplan was a good man.

The man, who declined to provide his name, came outside to shoo a PennLive reporter away. He said Kaplan never lived with his family. He also shared concerns that he could no longer communicate with his siblings who had been in Bucks County because the police had taken their phones.

The man confirmed that two of his older brothers had left the home in recent years. People in the Amish community heard that the family threw out oldest brothers, but the man in the driveway Saturday said his older brothers left on their own terms because of a difference in beliefs.

Sarah Stoltzfus heard the oldest son was living in a park in Nottingham two years ago, so she dropped off a letter at the park, offering a home. Her nephew wrote back and said he was doing fine. She later heard he got a job and an apartment.

The downfall of Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus in recent years, culminating in their arrest last week, represents an open wound for Sarah, who cried when she spoke about the lost connection with her nieces and nephews, whom she looked upon as her own children.

"I don't know if the kids would remember us," she said. "Their parents may have taught them to be strictly against us. I have a lot of fear that they wouldn't accept us. But I would gladly take them all in."
LANCASTER--On the 10th anniversary of Lancaster Pride, it was the natural time to celebrate the success of an event that was first held in a bar and which now fills a downtown block and draws thousands.



But the Orlando massacre of one week earlier changed everything, with the early part of the festival focused on the dead in Florida and many other lives lost as a result of hatred over the decades. Police were highly visible. Counselors were available. A wall was lined with the photos and names of the 49 killed in America's worst-ever mass shooting. Speaking from the stage, one LGBT leader noted that the number of transgender people murdered in hate crimes during the past two years is equal to the number who died in Orlando.



Yet despite those things, or perhaps because of them, the festival turned into an amplification of the best ideals it has always embraced. What was originally planned as a short interfaith service was expanded into a large-scale memorial for the victims and mass expression of solidarity and calls for compassion. It featured leaders from assorted denominations and religions, including Islam. One speaker called for prayers for the 49 people who died and their loved ones, "plus one who murdered." Another said, "Don't let terrorism divide us ... Get to know one another, so the seeds of hatred don't get planted again."



Throughout the day, people wrote messages on a banner that will be shipped to Florida, including one person who wrote "forgiveness is the ultimate love." Donations and proceeds from buttons sold also will be sent to Florida to help the families of the victims.



The festival took place on a golden late spring day, with much it focused on a main stage in the courtyard in front of the county government center. Rainbow colors where everywhere -- flags, banners, clothing, hairdos. The early somberness eventually gave way to the music of artists such as Madonna and Prince as people in drag took over the stage.





In an interview a few days before the event, Zac Nesbitt, an organizer, said the Orlando shooting was weighing heavily on the LGBT community, although he expected it to create a need for community that would swell the crowd. In another troubling event last week, a heavily armed man was arrested while headed for a pride event in San Francisco.



Nesbitt, 29, of Lancaster, said the shootings are a reminder that pockets of hatred still exist, and that there is likely a backlash against recent gains by the LGBT community, such as gaining the right to marry. He said the Orlando massacre is probably more of a shock for many younger people, who may be less aware of the intensity of the hatred that once prevailed. "We've been lulled into complacency. We've sort of confused legislative progress with societal progress," he said.



Addressing the crowd on Sunday, Nesbitt said "This isn't about hate it's about love ... We're here to celebrate first and foremost."



Lancaster Pride is billed as celebrating "the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning, and ally communities in Lancaster County through building community and pride in who we are."



On Sunday, Shelbie Kemerly, 24, of Lancaster, said that, in the aftermath of Orlando, the festival was a well-timed and badly needed opportunity for people to come together.



"I think everybody feels part of the LGBT community right now," Kemerly, who added she is disappointed by those who are "politicizing" the killings and using them to further an agenda.



Gerri McCritty of Lancaster said Sunday's event was a direct extension of Orlando, and part of a "movement" of people from all walks of life who want to live as they choose, free of hatred and judgement. "Everybody wants to be left alone to live life as they choose," said McCritty, 55. "I think we're all decent human beings. We're not God. He's the only who can judge us."



Dustin Imhoff, 36, of Lancaster, said the event "is a chance for everyone to come together and realize we're one humanity."



And rather than become demoralized, he said the massacre "should make us more vigilant about being proud. The more people who are out here, the more acceptance there is and the easier life is for everyone."
kaplan case.png

Lee Kaplan, 51, (left) is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage Amish girl whose parents, Daniel Stolzfus (middle), and Savilla Stolzfus (right), are accused of "gifting" to him.

(Submitted.)

A neighbor knew something wasn't right.

And so did several people around rural Feasterville who would often see the bearded man who lived with about a dozen young girls.

One of them was an Amish girl police say was "gifted" to Lee Kaplan by her parents four years ago, bearing two children since then.

Kaplan and the girl's parents are now facing charges, and as police continue to investigate, many are still wondering just what happened in rural Feasterville.

Kaplan, 51, is accused of sexually assaulting the teenager. Her parents, Daniel and Savilla Stolzfus, of Quarryville, have been charged as well, after police say they gave Kaplan the girl when she was 14 because he helped them out financially.

Their daughter was one of 12 girls ranging from 6 months to 18 years old living in Kaplan's home.

He is facing charges that include statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and aggravated indecent assault.

Lots of questions remain. Here's what we know and don't know so far:

Were there warning signs?

Neighbors often saw Kaplan with a young girl - a girl they believed was too young to be his wife and too old to be holding his hand, Philly.com is reporting.

Other girls, dressed in simple Amish garb, were often seen playing outside in the overgrown yard.

The owner of a nearby restaurant told the Philadelphia Inquirer they would stop in regularly, and he had heard members of his staff referring to some of the girls as Kaplan's "wives."

The signs appeared to be there, and it was a neighbor who called in the tip.

Jen Betz of Feasterville said she contacted the authorities because she was concerned about the girls she saw outside the home.

"They're so sad and fearful every time I see them. That's what made me call," she said. "I've been telling my husband for years 'Something isn't right, something isn't right.'"

Were the other girls abused?

There were 12 girls living at the three-bedroom home on Old Street Road, and while charges have been filed related to one of them, it's still unknown if the others were sexually abused.

Police say they will be seeking answers to that question in the coming days.

Officials are trying to verify who the parents of the other children found at the home are. The teenager's parents told police the other nine girls in the house were their children, but no birth certificates or Social Security cards could be located to confirm that.

Why were police continuing to search the property with dogs?

Perhaps one of the more grim questions emerging is why investigators were still searching the property with dogs on Saturday.

According to reports, the property was searched by cadaver dogs because investigators feared that babies' bodies may have been buried in the backyard.

"They really didn't find anything," Lower Southampton Public Service Director Robert Hoopes told Philly.com. "We didn't know if maybe there were babies born that were destroyed or whatever, but that's not the case, as far as we can tell."

Was the girl's father brainwashed?

That's what some believe might have been the case.

Stoltzfus was described as a kind, hardworking Amish father until a 2001 accident in which his 14-month-old son was killed when he backed over him with a forklift.

After that, Stoltzfus is said to have defied his church and his Amish beliefs. Two years after that accident, he came into contact with Kaplan.

The couple had wonderful things to say about Kaplan, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler told Philly.com. He said Kaplan appeared to have brainwashed the family.

And that's the only explanation that makes sense to relatives of Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus, who have been heartbroken by Daniel's disconnection from them, their church and their community in what they described as cult-like behavior after the Stoltzfuses met Kaplan.
Emmet County plans road work, new signs with ARPA funding

Bids will be going out this winter for a Camp Petosega Road project and new road signs throughout the county.
Jill Kintner in the moody mountains.

Steffi had a strong showing, lining up against Jill in the opening round.

Jill noses it into the first corner.

Dutch warrior, Anneke Beerten, going to battle.

Brethauer took out Beecroft in a super tight match up.

Olympic BMX gold medalist, multiple time DH world champion... the one and only Anne Caroline Chausson.

Tomas Slavik and Neil Stewart in the gate as the mists gathered.

How about the framing?

Phil was looking strong until a crash took him out of contention.

Adrien Loron bringing some style to the early heats.

Jill's last run as the rain started to fall.

Impending doom in 3, 2, 1....

Hail stones as big as golf balls... almost.

Rain you say? Ne t'inquiete pas mon amis...

Barry Nobles versus the foam fingers wall.

Jackson Frew gave the wet track a test to see if it was rideable and safe.

Last night was a bit like trying to watch the tennis at Wimbledon.

Stoked crowds came out in force to watch the show while the weather held up perfectly.

Chainsaw wars. This side won.

Solid 3rd place for Geraldine Fink today.

Lucia Oetjean stars in an exclusive pan shot.

Second place today for NS Bikes' Laura Brethauer.

Laura Brethauer shredding the turns for team Germany.

Kintner airing for her narrow victory over Laura Brethauer.

Jill is quietly stoked on her win.

Loron into warp.

Loron slipped out as he came out of the turn neck and neck with Slavik in the small final for third place. ... with the following consequences.

Slavic got a free yoga session in after colliding with Adrien Loron.

Great sportsmanship moment.

Nobles ready to drop in for a warm-up lap.

Slavik and Nobles in the gate in front of the well-shaped course.

Nobles goes full drift in the last corner of his race.

Good man.

Chaney Guennet came out of nowhere today.

Chaney Guennet managed to stay upright while his competition hit the deck to take the win.

A very happy Chaney Guennet.

Champagne sprays, the best way to end the day.

With the weather being as temperamental as it was this week, there was a real sense of urgency to get racing at the pump track. With ominous clouds creeping slowly up the valley, and mist hanging in the trees, the lights were switched on, the tarpaulins lifted off the track, and we were underway.Although the backdrop may have been moody and sullen, the racing was not. But unfortunately as the heats progressed, so did the bad weather. During the quarter-finals the tarpaulins were pulled back onto the track and racing was halted as the rain set in. The team at Les Gets scraped and flattened the track, dried out the berms with a blowtorch, and after a thirty-minute delay, the quarter-finals were back on. The action was short-lived, though, with the return of the rain at the end of the quarterfinals, and a decision to postpone the remainder of racing to the following day.Come Saturday the weather was wreaking havoc on the slopestyle competition in the morning, but we were lucky enough to have a break in the afternoon long enough to run the pump track finals. The French fans were there en masse armed with everything from foam hands to a chainsaw rev-off.In the end, we saw Laura Brethauer secure a great result, narrowly losing to Jill Kintner who was on the hunt for her second Queen of Crankworx title. In the men's race, there was massive drama as Adrien Loron went down not once but twice, colliding with Tomas Slavik and going down hard in the semi-final. The final between Barry Nobles and Chaney Guennet did not disappoint either, with Barry going down in the penultimate corner, confirming Chaneys win on home turf. @FRNZ / @natedh9 / @davetrump
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By Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  Democrats pushing for gun curbs after the latest mass shooting in the United States are co-opting a Republican mantra to build public support and defang opposition: its time to get tough on national security.

Shoring up national security has long been a pillar of Republican orthodoxy, as has staunch opposition to gun control.

But the massacre of 49 people in Orlando, Florida, last Sunday, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, by a gunman who pledged loyalty to Islamist militants may be leaving Republicans on shakier ground.

With national security driving the debate, Democrats see a more powerful argument than simply advocating the need to curb gun violence in a country of 320 million that has more than 310 million weapons.

Although the Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, is believed to have had no help from extremist Islamist groups in targeting a gay nightclub, he had been investigated by U.S. authorities for possible links to terrorism and subsequently cleared.

That prompted Democrats to clamor for legislation to expand background checks and prevent people on U.S. terrorism watch lists from buying guns. Votes on four measures were scheduled Monday in the U.S. Senate, two sponsored by Democrats and two by Republicans. Many Republicans, and some Democrats, oppose strict gun curbs partly on constitutional grounds.

Every senator is now going to have to say, whether theyre for terrorists getting guns or against terrorists getting guns, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer told reporters on Thursday.

The terrorists that we need to fear are not on the streets of Aleppo, or Mosul or Fallujah. Theyre on the streets of the United States and they will have guns unless we pass tough laws, added Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat.

President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson all took the tack this week that gun measures were a safeguard against terrorism.

Republicans have long criticized Obama for not being tough enough on national security and doing more in the fight against Islamic State.

The Orlando massacre and the San Bernardino, California shooting in December by a couple inspired by Islamic State captured the attention of the American public in a way previous mass shootings have not, said Tom Diaz, a former member of the National Rifle Association gun rights lobby who now backs gun control.

Theyve changed the dynamic of this whole issue, said Diaz, an author and expert on terrorism and the gun industry.

That shift in sentiment has heartened the families of the 20 elementary school children and six staff members killed in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, who championed the last big, and ultimately unsuccessful push, on gun control.

About 71 percent of Americans, including eight out of 10 Democrats and nearly six out of 10 Republicans, favor at least moderate regulations and restrictions on guns, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Monday to Thursday. That was up from 60 percent in late 2013 and late 2014.

REPUBLICANS AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

Diaz believes Republicans must look as if they care about keeping guns out of the hands of so-called homegrown extremists, while balancing issues of due process and the Constitutions Second Amendment right to bear arms that form the backbone of the NRAs opposition to gun control.

Republicans say new laws wont necessarily keep weapons out of the hands of people intent on doing harm, and are keen to avoid twinning the two issues.

This is not a gun control issue, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Thursday. This is a terrorism issue.

Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said Democrats must be careful about overplaying their hand with rhetoric that could sound like government overreach to Americans who believe in the Second Amendment.

Even if the current efforts fail, the new push on national security may prove Democrats best shot at eventually luring Republican support on an issue that has floundered for decades.

This is a chance for the Democrats to talk in tough terms about safety and security and also to link that to the gun issue, said Robert Spitzer, political science professor at State University of New York at Cortland.Some notable Republicans appeared willing this week to engage in the debate on gun control. The partys presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, vowed to meet with the NRA to talk about ways to bar people on certain government watch lists from buying guns.

The top Republican in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said he was open to suggestions from experts on how to prevent terrorism suspects from acquiring firearms and called the Orlando shooting a calculated act of terror.

But it was unclear whether Trump or McConnell would throw their weight behind any measures acceptable to Democrats.

Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Himes said he did not hold out great hope that the gun legislation would advance.

The reason you wont see a compromise anytime soon is because Congress actually acting in the wake of Orlando would be a tacit admission on the other side that guns had something to do with what happened in Orlando as opposed to ISIS, he said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

(Editing by Mary Milliken)

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You can clearly see the depression taking over on Fox News as they realize that Donald Trump is blowing any chance of a Republican victory in 2016.

Video:

Transcript of the Fox and Friends panel discussion about Trumps campaign on Fox News Sunday:

WALTER: The thing is, theres a very strong case to be prosecuted against the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton, their roles in the last eight years in dealing with ISIS, in dealing with Syria, in dealing with Libya. But instead of being focused and disciplined on this message, where Donald Trump goes is he talks about the Muslim ban, he gets in fights with these candidates. He is even dividing his own party about this issue, about how do you deal with this issue of a Muslim ban. And so theres nobody there making that case. Theres no  its not just the Trump campaign. He has no surrogates doing this. There is no money being spent on television ads doing this. Theres no super PACs defending him and doing this. Hes literally an island among himself 

WALLACE: Unto.

WALTER: Unto himself. Thank you. Unto himself. And theres no reinforcements that hes getting. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is making the case every day and her allies are making the case every day, both on television and in focused, direct messaging to  to voters.

WALLACE: Brit, Id love to continue on this  this same issue because, on the one hand, you know, as  as Amy says, to the degree that  that you have these terror attacks, that ISIS is still on the march, you can make the case against Obama and indirectly against Clinton as his  as his secretary of state. On the other hand, as we went through with Senator Sessions, you know, here we have this terrible tragedy and Trump is talking about what else Barack Obama has in mind.

HUME: Exactly right. And its worth noting here, Chris, that in every campaign cycle, general election cycle, there are moments when the candidate gets a fresh look from the voters. And when you lock up the nominations is one such moment. These moments are few, and you cant afford to waste them. And there will be a few more, but Trump had one and he finished, you may recall, he wrapped it up before she had. So he had some open country there and an opportunity to, you know, get people to take a fresh look at him. A disciplined, active, well-planned campaign focusing on the issues that  that could broaden his appeal would have helped him.

And as Amy just pointed out, he hasnt done any of that, really. I mean hes  hes undisciplined. Hes all over the place. You know, he gets in this fight over the  over the  over the ethnic background of  of a federal judge that has to do with a  with a case involving Trump University. Totally unrelated to the campaign.

You know, he overstates the case against Obama by suggesting the president may be  is somehow sympathetic possibly to the bad guys and all the rest of it. And its  and it all adds up to a wasted opportunity and an opening for Hillary Clinton, who has moved aggressively. Her camp  its very hard to think about what her campaign is really about. Right now its about, Im not Trump and you dont want him and it may  and it looks as if its working.

You can see the fear on the right that Trump has already blown this election. The points that the Fox News Sunday panel made about Trumps campaign were correct. He has no surrogates, no organization, no coherent message. Trumps campaign gets constantly hijacked by his own personal scandals.

Trump has no discipline, no message, and no direction.

Democrats are hitting Republicans like an organized political machine. Hillary Clinton has the backing of her party, and they are hammering Trump on a daily basis.

It isnt even July, and conservative groups are abandoning Trump, while the flagship of conservative media is freaking out because they realize that Donald Trumps presidential campaign is underperforming their worst nightmares.

There may be no recovery as Republicans are slowly sinking under the direction of Donald J. Trump.
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During an interview on Meet The Press, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan refused to condemn Donald Trumps false and bigoted claim that President Obama is a secret Muslim.

Video:

Here is a transcript of the Speaker of the House refusing to speak out against Trumps Obama lies:



CHUCK TODD:

How did he reassure you though? How did he reassure you? Why do you trust him? because youve asked him to tone things down. Youve asked him to reconsider some things. And then you hear, So and so did reassure you in private that he would possibly back off the Muslim ban. And then he goes right on with it, and then some. He essentially accused the President of treason. And he went a little farther.

SPEAKER PAUL RYAN:

I didnt actually hear. I heard about this.

CHUCK TODD:

I understand that.

SPEAKER PAUL RYAN:

I didnt actually hear those comments. Im a little busy, so I dont read everything he says every day. But let me just say this. One thing I know for certain, Hillary Clinton is going to continue taking the country in the wrong direction. Shes going to make a once in generational choice in the Supreme Court thats going to be a bad one where we lose sight of the Constitution.

And I do believe from speaking, and from his public pronouncements we have more common ground than not. And, yes, there are things that he has said that I dont agree with. There are policies hes pursuing that I dont agree with. And in the legislative branch, a separate but equal branch of government, we will litigate those things in the future.

Paul Ryans argument comes down to a belief that no matter what Donald Trump says or does, he would better to have in the White House than Hillary Clinton because he is a Republican.

Speaker Ryans refusal to condemn Trumps inaccurate and bigoted remarks demonstrated that while he claims to be a principled conservative, Paul Ryan is not a man of principle.

Ryan has shown himself to be a coward of the highest order. He is a man who lacks the backbone required of a true leader and has demonstrated once again that he is not worthy of a leadership position within The Peoples government.

If the American people want to fix Congress, they need to go to the polls and remove spineless jellyfish like Paul Ryan from positions of power.
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Announcements following Sunday Mass typically focus on matters important to a healthy, functioning community, but mundane to the outside world - reminders of an upcoming fundraiser, a change of schedule for the weekly mens meeting, details of a rosary in honor of a parishioners mother. But last Sunday night, as the 6 p.m. Mass wrapped up at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Yigo, Rev. Patrick Garcia took the opportunity to lead the congregation in a drill.

Members of the media may come up to you and ask who the archbishop is, he reportedly said. Dont embarrass yourself. Say Savio Hon Tai-Fai, not Anthony Apuron.

Garcia instructed the congregation to repeat Hons full name after him several times aloud. As dusk fell, Our Lady of Lourdes echoed with the chorus of the name of a man sent by the Vatican to remedy a Church in crisis.

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One way or another

Before the recent allegations of sexual abuse against Archbishop Apuron (who currently retains the title but none of the administrative authority of the office), a series of diverse scandals has steadily rocked the foundations of the Archdiocese of Agana. Much of the conflict is rooted in a perceived power struggle between mainstream Catholics and the Neocatechumenal Way - an organization within the Catholic Church with practices outside traditional Catholic custom. Far beyond a theological disagreement, the situation has devolved into allegations of fiscal mismanagement and the appropriation of community assets; open accusations of corrupt, self-serving relationships among some archdiocesan leadership; the transfer of control of a valuable piece of real estate functioning as a seminary from archdiocesan control to a board controlled by Neocatechumenal officials; the removal of two popular priests; and, the perceived neglect of some parishes in favor of others.

Many devout Catholics on Guam now refuse to attend services held by priests adherent to the Neocatechumenal Way, also known as the NCW. Many Neos return the sense of distrust toward the islands traditional Catholics, claiming persecution by slander.

The [local] Church is divided. That is a fact, said David Sablan, vice president of Concerned Catholics of Guam (CCOG), a nonprofit organization formed to give voice and direction to concerns regarding the NCW on Guam and Apurons alleged misconduct.

Apuron has basically abdicated his office to support one particular organization within the archdiocese when he really should be at the head of all of the organization, said Sablan. Hes not doing that, and as a result were basically without a shepherd and are in a confused state.

Apuron, however, has dismissed allegations against him and the NCW as lies and a concerted effort to destroy the Catholic Church, and has threatened lawsuit.

After years of open hostilities, Apurons final action before ceding his authority to Archbishop Hon - who was appointed by Pope Francis as temporary apostolic administrator for the archdiocese, a rare move typically reserved for when an archbishop dies or is unable to fulfill his duties - was to issue a decree declaring the Concerned Catholics of Guam a prohibited society which local Catholics should not support, promote, or associate with. (The decree was later removed from the archdioceses website, placed under review, and, on June 16, rescinded. Hon said he did so "with deep concern for the best interests of the Archdiocese of Agana, particularly for the promotion of reconciliation and deeper communion of all members of this particular church.")

As grave and intractable as the schism appeared to some, virtually no one was prepared for the coming sexual abuse allegations - a veritable earthquake that would split wide open the local Churchs fragile bedrock.

Sex, lies, and videotapes

The first warning arrived October 2014, in the unlikely form of a YouTube video featuring a former Guam resident and seminary dropout dancing to the song Money (That's What I Want) while in costume as Archbishop Apuron.

John Toves, a 52-yer-old fitness instructor who now lives and cares for his ailing parents in Foster City, California, didnt have a clear plan of action beyond satire when he dressed up as Apuron.

There was no big meeting of the minds with anybody, Toves recently told the Post. I just felt I needed to do something, and I was off-island. So I thought, well, Im going to put up my first YouTube shot at him.

Toves said he had known for over three decades that Apuron - while a bishop - had an inappropriate sexual relationship with his cousin, a teenager at the time, at Father Duenas Minor Seminary in Mangilao. Old friends on Guam from the minor seminary, which Toves also attended, kept him informed of Apurons controversial relationship with the NCW, his perceived neglect of non-Neo parishes, and the alleged punishing of clergy who resisted the growing influence of the NCW in their churches. The video, Toves said, was his way of taking Apuron down a peg and making him just another fallible man.

I needed to do something, and I wanted to draw as much attention as I possibly could to draw light to the issues, he said. It didnt place me in any great favor with the dignified community  But it worked, because people were talking about why someone would go to this extent. And bad press was good press because it kept bringing Apuron up over and over and over and over. So, objective accomplished.

However, Toves had no intention of limiting his dissent to silly mockery. In November 2014, he sent letters accusing Apuron of sexually molesting his cousin to the archdiocese and the Vatican. Meanwhile, he continued his YouTube campaign and became an active contributor to JungleWatch, the go-to blog for Archdiocese of Agana-related scandal news and commentary that has led the online battle to expose Apurons alleged improprieties - and those of NCW officials around him. But despite Toves and others efforts, the archbishop remained in place and business seemed to carry on unabated.

A new urgency

Things began to change dramatically on May 18, when Guam learned the name Roy Quintanilla. Two weeks later, Doris Concepcion and Joseph Quinata became household names here, as well. By the following week, when Walter Denton stood before the press to describe in painful detail his alleged rape at the hands of Apuron in the rectory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Agat, public sentiment had perceptibly changed. The question seemed to shift from, Could this be true? to How many more victims are there?

The answers are still unclear. This past week, in what has quickly become a familiar scene in Hagatna, yet another former altar boy from Agat - surrounded by reporters, family, and legal counsel in front of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica - came forward with allegations of molestation by Apuron.

Apurons alleged crimes now dominate newspaper headlines and the airwaves. With four individuals publicly accusing the archbishop of abuse since mid-May, and the arrival of Hon, past assertions of Apurons improprieties have taken on greater urgency and credibility. However, they have also taken a backseat to a steady stream of emotionally harrowing accounts of rape and molestation of children entrusted to a priests care.

The recent sex abuse allegations have enraged the people, said Sablan. In terms of all the things [CCOG] has said about the financial situation, the Neocatechumenal connection, what [Apuron] has done to a couple of good priests on the island, the squandering of finances, how he gave away part of the patrimony of the Church to a corporation he has no control over; all of these things do not amount to a hill of beans compared to what he did to these young men. And so, those concerns take a lower priority, in my opinion, over these sexual abuse allegations. This has to be corrected.

Caught in the Middle

The sex abuse allegations have changed the calculus for many of those island faithful who had managed to sit out the doctrinal debates and attempt neutrality throughout the mounting criticisms and threats of lawsuit - those everyday Catholics just trying to live their lives and not get caught in the middle of an incredibly complicated, confusing clash. According to Toves, Rohr, and Sablan, Guams Catholics are now forced to acknowledge the gravity of how deeply the Church is divided. Each suggests that, following the sex abuse allegations, there is no longer a morally defensible way to be a participating member of the community while remaining dispassionate.

The Catholic faithful are being required to grow up, Tim Rohr, the blogger behind JungleWatch, told the Post. We havent had to deal with a crisis like this before. Weve been able to hide behind our priests, but in this case its the archbishop doing the harm.

Lay people are being forced to take responsibility, said Rohr. Its not a comfortable process, but thats how you grow. Now the public is forced to confront these [scandals].

Moving forward

It is still unclear what Archbishop Hons plans are for Apuron, or if there will be a reordering of the archdiocese to lessen the influence of the Neocatechumenal Way here. So far, Hon has not publicly gone much further than acknowledging at a vigil that the Guam community (is) experiencing the pain of division and called for patience, serenity, and prayer among the island's Catholics as he tries to learn more about what has led to the schism and what can be done to resolve it. No small tasks for Hon or the laity.

Hons statements have set the right tone to move toward forgiveness and unity, said Father Jeff San Nicolas, principal of Father Duenas Memorial School.

I appreciate Archbishop Hons call for serenity in this time of pain, he said. The Church needs to enter into discussion as one family. What we need first is a sense of peace, and then genuine dialogue.

San Nicolas believes the crucial steps needed to reunify the Church are to acknowledge the wounds inflicted over the years, a sincere effort toward truth and reconciliation, and dialogue about spiritual differences.

I think theres a lot of shock, hurt, pain and sadness when any leader in the Church is accused of a crime, said San Nicolas. I feel that as well. I hope the truth comes out  As big as the issue is with the sex abuse allegations, I think the thing thats more painful for people here is the lack of unity in the [local] Church. The sexual abuse issue is just one aspect.

Pat Wolff is a lifelong Catholic who founded Inafa' Maolek, a conflict resolution organization. He maintains a patient optimism that the rifts within the local Church can ultimately be mended.

I am confident that the Holy Spirit is still at work in God's Church here on Guam, and that resolution and reconciliation will happen over time. But some deep-seated conflicts do take time and won't heal overnight, said Wolff in an email. I believe both sides of our divided Church want unity and peace. To achieve this we need to dialogue with open minds and open hearts, not hardened positions.

But there are specific demands and hardened positions from some of the people who have fought hardest and longest to bring Apurons alleged crimes to light. They argue that the only way forward is: for the Vatican to remove Apuron from any position within the Church; acknowledge and attend to his victims; the reinstatement of Father Paul Goffigan and Monsignor James Benavente, whose abrupt removals are deeply contested; repudiate Apurons claim that Hon is in Guam at his own request rather than at the behest of his victims and whistleblowers; and to bring the NCW in line with the Churchs laws and tenets.

Toves, for one, says he has faith that Hon will be able to meet the immediate needs of the local Church. Yet, he is not placing all of his faith in a hero who swoops in to save the day. He says he will remain vigilant and speak up, as before, if he feels that progress is not being made to restore the Church and address its wounds.

Its fine to sit down and have some patience, but only a reasonable amount of patience. You know when nothing is turning around. I wish the island faithful will be ready to stand again if it is not working. I will pray my hardest that it works  I want it to work, but Id be one of the first to say if its not.

And after years of fighting, he too is ready to let the healing begin.

The wound is there, but the scab does begin to form at some point. Unfortunately, the wound is really deep right now. With the arrival of our new apostolic administrator, hopefully we reach the scab stage and then begin the beautiful laying of fiber back into its pattern.

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Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Winston Churchill

Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. Inscription on the Liberty Bell
We have pointed out repeatedly that, while Iran likely will cheat on its nuclear agreement, it doesnt have to. Its incentive to enter into the deal was the end of sanctions. That objective has now been achieved. Iran has gotten something like $100 billion in cash, and has entered into numerous development agreements with Russia and other countries. Having gotten what it needed from the deal, Iran can walk away at will and resume its nuclear weapons development, full speed.

That was the message from Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran:

Behrouz Kamalvandi warned the US and other world powers that Tehran can return its nuclear program to conditions before the July deal much faster than estimated by them. Since the beginning, we have foreseen measures for return scenarios and if needed, we are ready to create conditions rapidly that will certainly surprise the other side, Kamalvandi said on Thursday. If we decide to return to the past conditions for the other sides non-compliance to the nuclear deal, naturally, we can have highly good conditions rapidly using advanced centrifuges, he added.

Of course they can. Currently, Irans leaders are threatening to abandon the agreement on account of purported breaches by Western countries. But they dont really need an excuse. Such a fig leaf would probably be welcomed more by Barack Obama and John Kerry than by the mullahs.
Testimony has concluded in the case of Caesar Goodson, Jr., the police officer who drove the van that held Freddie Gray. The defense rested on Friday without putting Goodson on the stand. Closing arguments will take place on Monday, with a verdict from the judge (Goodson waived his right to a jury trial) expected later in the week.

Goodson faces the most serious charges of any defendant in this matter, including a second-degree depraved-heart murder count. The reporting of the Baltimore Sun suggests that the prosecution failed to present a strong case against him.

The murder count seems to have fallen apart entirely. It is predicated on the view that Goodson gave Gray a rough ride. In other words, he drove around recklessly, causing the injuries that killed Gray.

But the State apparently failed to present any evidence that Goodson gave Gray a rough ride. Neill Franklin, a retired state trooper who once oversaw training for the Baltimore Police Department, testified that rides should be smooth and if they arent there is a risk the prisoner will be injured. However, he admitted that he couldnt say for sure that Gray got a rough ride.

Furthermore, Detective Michael Boyd, another witness called by the State, testified under cross-examination that he saw nothing in the videos to suggest that the van took an abrupt path. (Donta Allen, who was arrested later and placed into the back of the van with Gray, told investigators last year that he had a smooth ride.)

David Jaros, a University of Baltimore law professor who heard the evidence, told the Baltimore Sun that prosecutors seem to have overpromised in saying that they would show that Goodson gave Gray a rough ride. Thats putting it kindly, I think. Jaros added that without the rough ride, its hard to get to the mental state of wanton and reckless disregard for human life necessary for depraved-heart murder.

It is, of course, the judges view that ultimately matters. The Sun reports that Judge Barry Williams has already questioned whether prosecutors presented evidence to prove their theory that Goodson gave Gray a rough ride.

The States other charges against Goodson are predicated on the view that (1) Gray manifested injuries that should have prompted a call for medical help and (2) Goodson should have seen to it that Gray was belted-in. As to the first theory, Judge Williams has questioned whether Gray showed such injuries.

This leaves the seat-belting issue, which has also featured prominently in the two previous Freddy Gray trials (William Porter and Edward Nero). The prosecution wants to pin responsibility on Caesar for the failure to secure Gray with a seat belt, on the theory that Gray was in the custody of the van driver. Yet during closing arguments in the Nero case, the prosecutor told the judge that Gray was in the custody of multiple officers, not just Goodsons as the van driver.

Judge Williams denied a motion by Goodsons attorneys to allow these statements by prosecution into evidence. He said that the closing arguments in Neros trial had been freewheeling discussion.

Judge Williams was there, so he would know. Yet, he does seem to be allowing the prosecution to talk with a forked tongue.

Quite apart from the Nero closing argument, the prosecutions seat belt theory may be problematic. Nero testified that Gray was very passive-aggressive, was screaming and yelling, and then violently shook the van once placed inside. Using the vernacular of the day, Nero described the back of the van as a hostile environment. It seems, then, that considerable force might have been required to buckle Gray up and that doing so posed a risk to the officers.

In addition, John Ryan, a former police officer who now serves as an expert police witness, testified that it was reasonable for Goodson to have deferred to the actions of other officers who did not put Gray in a seat belt. Consistent with what the prosecution told the judge in the Nero case, Ryan said that at each stop, other officers were present and took active roles in assessing what to do with Gray.

Judge Williams struck the testimony of a police officer who provided training to officers in traffic safety. She said that her lesson plan did not include teaching officers to buckle up prisoners in vans. However, she wasnt sure that she personally provided Goodsons training.

Two defense attorneys who are not involved in the trial but who have observed it told the Sun that the State put on a weak case. One of them expressed surprise that the prosecution did not take the opportunity to present rebuttal witnesses after the defense rested.

The States case against Goodson does seem weak, perhaps surprisingly so. I had once thought that Goodson was in greater jeopardy than the Suns reporting suggests.

But cases arent tried in the newspapers. The judge will have his say soon.
Tevi Troy and Lanhee Chen tackle the mystery of Jewish and Asian-American Democratic loyalty. The existence of such loyalty is beyond dispute. The authors remind us that among Jews, Barack Obamas support was 78 percent in 2008 and 70 percent in 2012. As for Asian-Americans, their support of Obama grew from 62 percent in 2008 to 73 percent four years later.

The extent of this loyalty is mysterious because, as the authors point out, socioeconomic factors might suggest greater support for conservative causes and candidates, as well as wariness of Democrats who seem to regard success as shameful and higher taxes as a cure-all. 25 percent of Jewish households in the U.S. have annual incomes over $150,000, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, compared with only 8 percent of American households generally. And the Asian-American median household income of $72,689 is about $20,000 higher than the U.S. average, according to U.S Census Bureau data.

Why, then, are Jews and Asian-Americans so loyal to the Democratic party? Troy and Chen suggest that its due to higher education:

In the U.S. population at large, the possession of a college or postgraduate degree has been a predictor of Democratic Party affiliation. We believe, in particular, that the liberal leanings of many professors at elite schools likely play an important role.

Jews and Asian Americans populate elite schools in far greater numbers than their representation in the general population would imply:

Though they account for only about 2% of the U.S. population, according to Hillels Guide to Jewish Life at Colleges and Universities, Jews represent 10% of undergraduates at Princeton, 12% at Harvard and 27% at Yale. Asian-Americans are about 5% of the U.S. population, yet make up 22% of the class of 2019 at Princeton, 21.8% at Yale, and 21.1% of the admitted class at Harvard.

At institutions like these, they are exposed what Troy and Chen call unrelenting progressive messaging from many of their professors, administrators and fellow students. They emerge as liberals, vote for Democrats, and retain their political affiliation well into adulthood.

This is also true of the larger population at these schools, as well as schools further down the food chain whose professors tend to mimic those who proselytize at more prestigious institutions. But Troy and Chen suggest that Jews and Asian-Americans fall harder for the leftist views of their profs.

Why? Because of the special esteem in which Jewish and Asian-American parents tend to hold a college education, especially at a fancy school.

Troy and Chen ask whether the trend they describe will long continue. For what its worth, my guess is that as the Democratic party continues to veer leftward and becomes ever more an instrument for the transference of wealth to non-Asian minority groups, Asian-Americans will balk.

As for Jews, Im less confident. I agree with Norman Podhoretz that, for a great many Jews, liberalism has replaced Judaism as their true religion. And I imagine that the vast majority of the Jews who arrive as freshmen at elite colleges are already quite liberal.

The effect of the indoctrination they then receive shouldnt be discounted  it likely pulls them further to the left or, at a minimum, prevents or deters the rigorous thinking that might cause them to move towards the center. It cloaks their liberal instincts in rhetoric and jargon that hardens them.

But in the case of Jews, I suspect that leftist indoctrination in colleges and universities may be more of a reinforcer of ideology than anything else.
The Managing Director, Shell Group of Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, on Sunday said that the group spent no less than $195.5 million (N39 billion) on social investments in the country in 2015.

Mr. Okunbor, who is also Shell Country Chair, disclosed this in an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos.

He said the amount made Nigeria the largest concentration of social investments spending in the Shell Group.

He said that $145.1million of this amount was paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as required by law.

Another $50.4 million was expended on social investment projects by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Limited operated by Joint Venture and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo).

According to Mr. Okunbor, these spend-levels have not come about by accident.

Shell and its partners believe they can make a real difference in the lives of Nigeria, and we have targeted our investments at the community and enterprise development, education and health.

Of course, we cannot take the place of government but we are keen to play our part in the development of a country weve been part of for more than 50 years, he said.

The country chair said that the Shell Group would continue with its contributions to developing the countrys human and contracting capacities.

He said that $900 million had also been spent on local contracting and procurement.

According to Mr. Okunbor, ownership of key assets such as rigs, helicopters and marine vessels is a key focus of these efforts to support Nigerian community contractors.

He said that Shell Companies in Nigeria were also actively involved in the development and utilisation of natural gas, pioneering its production and delivery to domestic consumers and export markets.

Although, the SPDC JVs market share of domestic gas has reduced through a series of divestment since 2010.

This has enabled Nigerian companies to play a more strategic role; Shell companies still remain a crucial part of the national gas energy mix.

For example, our Afam VI Power Plant alone contributed 14 percent of Nigerias grid-connected electricity in 2015, thus consolidating its achievements since the first power in August 2008.

Another entity, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), supplies natural gas to 87 industrial customers, he said.

He highlighted crude oil theft, illegal refining and insecurity as the key challenges the group faced in 2015.

According to Mr. Okunbor, Shell Group is constantly monitoring the security situation of its operation areas in the Niger Delta and is taking all possible steps to ensure the safety of its staff and contractors.

(NAN)
Shortly before the one year anniversary of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES Festus Owete and Sani Tukur, on the achievements of the administration, how the president spends his time outside official hours, his family life, and capacity to govern Nigeria.

Read excerpts of the interview below:

PT: One year after how has the journey been?

Adesina: So far so good, I will say. Because, if you recall how our country was this time last year and compare it with how it is today you will see that there is a big difference, particularly in the area of security, in the area of the anti-corruption war, you can say that this government has done very well. The third one is the economy. That one is still tricky and it is work in progress. Then you take it one by one because they are three key promises APC made while campaigning. The president believes that you cannot administer a country you have not secured. And that is why he has gone all out to try and secure the country. You recall that by this time last year you werent quite sure where Nigeria was headed. Boko Haram was not just in the north east, it was in the north west, it was in north central and it could go down south anytime. That was the fear in the country. After sometime they pushed them back, got them circumscribed within the north east and as we speak they are even in the narrower area which is the Sambisa Forest. You can say other battles fronts have been opened in Niger Delta, herdsmen, kidnapping. Those are issues but one thing that is not in doubt is that this government has the capacity to deal with all these issues. I am not saying they are all going to be by armed conflict or by force of arm. Where they need to dialogue, they dialogue and where they need to negotiate, they negotiate. But this government does not lack the capacity to secure this country. So that gives us a lot of hope. Security wise, the government has done very well. On anti-corruption, of course we know what has been uncovered in this country. I remember in the UK about two weeks ago, one foreign media asked the president  did you know it was this bad? He confessed that he knew it was bad but he didnt know it was that bad. It has turned out very, very bad. But it is also something that the government is tackling and the president is determined to leave a saner and cleaner Nigeria in terms of accountability and probity by the way he is going. No matter what anybody says about this corruption war, no friend not foe, no retreat, no surrender. Anybody, irrespective of who he is, if he has questions to answer on corruption, he will have to answer it. I heard people say that it is selective. They need to prove. He who alleges must also prove. The anti-corruption war is going on and going on very well and it has earned Nigeria a lot of respect in the international community. The third promise he made was to revive the economy. Like I said earlier, that one is still key and touchy but it will be done because when the economy collapses as Nigerias did, it is not something you bring back by a snap of the fingers. It takes a lot of re-tooling and re-engineering to bring it back. It is work in progress and we will get there. No doubt, jobs will come from agriculture and solid minerals and other policies will stimulate the economy. It is N6 trillion budget for instance for the first time. If it is properly implemented and there is no reason why it will not be properly implemented, it will stimulate the economy. There will be more spending money at the disposal of Nigerians. So, I will say so far so good, the government is on course. I have used this illustration before I will use again. It is like a plane that has taken off and it is gaining altitude and its nose is in the air. As long as its nose is in the air, it is climbing. If the nose is down it is a danger signal.

PT: Since you brought up the issue of economy, lets talk about it. Suddenly there are talks about recession and devaluation. Are these palliatives you mention capable of correcting the insinuations coming up in terms of recession, devaluation?

Adesina: I would rather leave that question to the economists to answer. But then one thing I can assure is that whatever would happen, this government is going to do its best to ensure that Nigerians, particularly the ordinary people will not suffer it again. Things may be tough, may be difficult but it will get better.

PT: Maybe we should take you back to the issue of the war against corruption. Are we really winning the corruption war? Some people out there still say it is selective. They say if it is not, point to any APC member that is in court? Also, there appears not to be any corruption case that has been concluded.

Adesina: You dont just go running after people because you want to give the semblance of a balance. If there is no allegation against an APC person or if there is no prima facie case, you dont just bring them to trial just because you want to create a balance. But if there is any prima facie case or there is a need for any APC person to be pulled in for question or to tried, you be sure that that will happen. Then the second leg of the question is  how many people have been convicted? Unfortunately, the executive does not convict. The executive does not pronounce judgement. There is absolutely nothing the executive can do in a polity where there is separation of powers. There is separation of powers and so the executive cannot convict and it cannot lean on the judiciary to begin to convict. The onus is on the judiciary to know that it has a role to play if Nigeria will win this anti-corruption war. But has the war been on course, no doubt it is on course.

PT: The EFCC is probing the PDP Campaign Fund. Although you are not the spokesperson of the APC, it is the party that brought the president to power and you are his aide. Shouldnt the APC campaign fund be probed also?

Adesina: There is no immunity for probing it but is it the president that will probe himself? No. Nobody stops anybody from probing it.

PT: Maybe because the allegations are not there yet!

Adesina: If they are there, trust the security agencies!

PT: Some Nigerians say there are some corrupt people in the Buhari administration. You may regard this as a rumour but looking closely would it not earn the administration a bad image?

Adesina: The president has answered that question and the challenge he threw was  give me the evidence against them. You cant just on the basis of suspicion say this person is corrupt. If there is evidence against them, give me the evidence. He said it even at the media chat. He said if you have evidence even against a serving minister, that minister will answer for it. That is the president for you.

PT: Talking to you is almost like talking to the president. You are always around the president, you travel with him. In the eyes of the ordinary Nigerians they see a president that is always strict and serious all the time. What are those things about Mr. President that Nigerians dont seem to know?

Adesina: It is his great sense of humour and his humanness and humanity. I have done a piece which I called Buhari, Beyond The Iron and Steel. Beyond the iron and steel you need to know the president as a man of humour, as a man who feels touched by what happens to people and what happens to Nigerians generally. You need to know him. I have done my bit.

PT: He also looks like somebody who takes his time to do things not minding whether people expect him to act in a particular way all the time. Why does he take his time? I give you an example. Everybody is waiting for an appointment into Board of Parastatals. The president is taking his time just like he did in the appointment of ministers. Why does he think that is the best? Even now he is delaying in appointing the Special Advisers.

Adesina: Dont forget when he was a military leader there was something he used to say  This administration will not be rushed. Even as a military leader. He used to say it. It is still the same way  painstaking and methodical. Dont rush me! Dont rush me! That is how to lay a foundation that is solid and enduring. It is so easy to rush and get all the applause and at the end of the day everything is built on quick sand and collapses. But when he does things like that methodically and painstakingly, it is more enduring. That is why it took him time to even name his ministers. Because when he came he did not envisage the enormity of the rot that confronted him. As I said before when you land and you land on solid ground, you can run. But if you land inside mud, how do you do it. How do stand, how do you begin to run. That was what happened to this administration. He could believe what he met when he came and so there was a need to begin to re-lay the foundation. And that was what he did and ministers did not come until November. That is the president for you. Anything he needs to do he does it methodically. You said all the Special Advisers have not come. It is also because he is also cutting the cost of governance. When he came he met 42 ministries. Now they have 24. He has approval to take about 15 Special Advisers maybe he has used three, four five or something. He still has a large number that he has not filled because one, he will fill them according to need. There is no point in just amassing them without pressing need, wasting governments funds.

PT: Some say this delay tactics also have disadvantages. Some persons say the economy is in shambles this way because he did not appoint ministers early. Do you share that view?

Adesina: That would not be true. He met the economy in shambles. Economies dont collapse in weeks. Well, if you do some things badly, yes economies can collapse in days. The Nigerian economy that President Buhari met was in complete doldrums. To use the presidents world  he said they vandalised the country. The country was completely vandalised by the time he came. So, it really has nothing to do with it. What we see and are still seeing now is what I call the consequences of corruption. A certain part of the country says they have no road and they have no infrastructure. Do infrastructure break down in six months, ten months, in one year? No. They broke down over the years. What is evident in Nigerian is consequence of corruption. And so anybody that says it is this government that led to what we are seeing now is not being fair. If they want to be fair to this government, it met a collapsed economy and gradually it is trying to stimulate that economy and rebuild it. And we will get there.

PT: Aside the economy, are there some things the president discovered that you will want to tell us?

Adesina: The president has promised that the May 29 broadcast will be quite revealing and I can tell you it will be quite revealing. You also know that apart from the economy, even the inter-ethnic relationship in the country was an issue. The president met a country that had been badly divided, more than at any time in the history of this country. Because we in the last days of the last administration all the things that divided us were emphasised because they wanted to win the election at all cost. They used religion, used ethnicity, used the language, used where you came from, threw everything into it. He inherited a country that was almost breaking apart. It is gradual process to put the country together. We are not there yet. We know that there are still some agitations in some parts of the country. Those are still fallouts of the things he inherited.

PT: Is the president bothered about the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is the number three citizen of this country?

Adesina: The president answered this question sometime in the US. I was there. The question had been  what is his relationship with Saraki vis-a-vis the trial? And what will his relationship be after the trial? The president said the outcome of the trial will determine what his relationship will be. So the president knows what is going on, he is aware of his environment, he keeps tab, naturally he is not touching the issue in any way either influencing it positively or negatively. The president will not do that. Even in the choice of the leadership of the National Assembly you know he didnt do that. So like he said his relationship with the senate president will be determined by the outcome of that trial.

PT: What about his relationship with his party?

Adesina: The president recognises that the platform that brought him is the party. No president has legitimacy without a platform and the APC is his platform. From time to time he meets with the party, meets with the NWC of the party and twice in the life of this administration he has gone to attend meetings at the party secretariat. That already shows you the importance he places on the party.

PT: But there are stories that he does not help the party in terms of funding?

Adesina: How do you expect a government to fund a party with governments money? Part of the problem the last party in government had was that it took official money to campaign. And that is why they all answering in court today. Knowing President Buhari, he will never do that. There are many ways to fund a political party but he will not dip hands into the coffers of government to fund a political party. He wont do it. Dont forget that when he came in 1983, a lot of politicians went to jail for using official money to enrich political parties. How do you think a man like that will then come and do the same thing? Not this president.

PT: Does running Nigeria negatively affect his relationship with his family?

Adesina: If you know the president and how organised he is then you will know it wont affect the family much. No doubt it is a demanding job. It will mean that there is demand on his time more than it used to be but because he is so organised I am sure he still has a lot of time to spend with his family. One thing you need to know about the president is his respect for time. On the dot of the hour when he has anything to do he is there. If he should finish, he finishes. That therefore makes it easy for him to plan his schedule when he starts in the morning till evening. You need to get to his house in the evenings. When I need to see him even about official things I go to the house in the evening. You need to see the place. One day I went to see him after the 8 o clock prayers, just two of us were waiting to see him. The second person was a top person in government before and he told me look at this vast place and only two of us are waiting to see the president. He said in one dispensation that I will not mention, come to this place at 2am or 3am it is still like a market place. When any government runs like you know it is not good. You know it is either they are wheeling and dealing or cutting deals and when a president is still up by 2am or 5am when he will still get to work the next day, how effective will be in the office and all that. Not this president. By the time he has his dinner, just a few people that have been scheduled to see him and he goes to bed.

PT: How does he spend his weekends?

Adesina: Because he is president of a country of 170 million people, work is not restricted just to the office. There are things he treats at home. He has an office at home where he continues his work. But you will be surprised that on weekends his grand children jump on him, they climb all over him just like a typical grandfather.

PT: Between your own office and the media you have given a lot to the media. What have you got from it?

Adesina: You know it is my constituency and as much as possible I try to keep in touch with it. if any media person calls me and I miss that call maybe I am the presidents side or there is no network and I come back and I see it I will call back. I try to keep my doors open for the media because if they cant reach me I have no reason to be here. The reason I am here is to serve as an interface between the media and the president and the presidency. I think I have had a good relationship with the media. The media is quite critical. I am not saying the media should not be critical. I am only asking the media to be fair. That is all I require. Once the media is fair to us, I am okay.

PT: Are you getting that fairness?

Adesina: To a large extent! Sometimes we receive I think is unfair. But when it is unfair I can always complain. I can always point out this and this and this. But by and large I think we are okay with the media.

PT: That means you have stopped stories before?

Adesina: No we dont. We dont attempt to stop stories. If anybody calls me I give our side and I never asked dont use. No.

PT: Has the job also affected your relationship with your family?

Adesina: Yes, naturally because this is the first time I have to leave apart from my family. My family is still in Lagos and I go once or twice a month to visit. I have been married for 25 years and this is the first time I am leaving apart from my family. But I think it is a sacrifice. For me I see what I am doing not just as a job but as an assignment. For me, it is a national assignment and I am happy doing it. Part of the sacrifice is that I see less and less of the family and they too, it is part of the sacrifice they are making.

PT: What are we expecting from this administration in the next one year, by May 29, 2017?

Adesina: I have no doubt, God sparing our lives, by this time next year there will be a far better situation- security wise, economic wise, anti-corruption war, job creation, Nigeria will be in a far better situation. The president was promising earlier today that by 2018/19, we will not be importing food again, particularly any kind of grains  rice, maize, wheat etc. The first year I will say is a year of laying the superstructure for this country. The second year the government will build on that structure and you can be sure that at the end of the second year of this administration things will be radically different from what we have now. It will be a lot better.

PT: In a nutshell, how would you score this administration?

Adesina: That should not come from me. I would rather it comes from Nigerians. But I will just say that there is a lot of reason to hope that the future will be a lot better. It is different from when there is despondency. Here we can almost be cocksure that things will get a lot better.

EDITORS NOTE: This interview was conducted before the president travelled to the United Kingdom on vacation.
President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja from a ten-day vacation in London.

The Presidents plane touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday

Mr. Buhari travelled to London on June 6 to rest and receive medical attention from a ear, nose and throat specialist.

The president was billed to return on Thursday. But acting president Yemi Osinbajo informed cabinet members that the presidents return had been shifted to Sunday.

Speaking shortly before the commencement of a meeting of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, Mr. Osinbajo said he spoke to the president the previous day and that he was in good health but needed to rest till the weekend before he returns.
The Director General of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, Sulyman Kazaure, has urged corps members to lead the fight against corruption in their primary places of assignments.

Mr. Kazaure explained that the future of the country is in the hands of the youth and they must live up as ambassadors and face the tasks ahead of them.

The DG, who spoke in Ebonyi during a visit to the Orientation Camp in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, warned the Batch A, Stream 2 corps members against perpetrating acts of corruption in their places of assignment.

He deplored the increasing level of corruption and blamed the poor level of development in the country to the malaise.

The primary purpose of the NYSC scheme, Mr. Kazaure insisted, is about national integration and called for the sustenance of the culture of unity and peace in whatever corps members do.

Wherever we find ourselves we should try and kick out this monster called corruption, let us see Nigeria as our own country, Mr Kazaure said.

Make Nigeria the best Nation in the world, please promise Daddy (DG) that you will make Nigeria great.

He, however, advised unemployed ex-corps members not to wait for white collar jobs, but insisted they should engage in legitimate businesses for survival.

Instead of waiting endlessly for jobs that would not come, the NYSC boss advised jobless graduates to sell top-up cards (recharge cards) for telecommunications firms and make a living.

Dont wait for white collar jobs, even if it is recharge card or even buying and selling. Do any available legitimate business no matter how small it is. I dont want my children, after service, to say there is no job. Create jobs for yourself.

To you currently in camp, seize this opportunity and learn one or two skills. It will help you a lot tomorrow. I wish you a successful service year.
The Abuja Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has declared a 7-day mourning for its immediate past chairman, Chuks Ehirim, who died on June 16.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja, the FCT, on Sunday and signed by Paul Abechi, the Chairman of the council.

The council noted that the late Ehirim, who was chairman of the NUJ FCT council between 2012 and 2015, was a versatile journalist whose journalism career spanned over three decades.

The deceased will be fondly remembered as a fearless journalist who used his journalistic career to entrench democratic tenets and was a strong advocate of freedom, justice and equity.

He will be remembered more importantly as a much detribalised Nigerian, who believed in the unity of the country and always put the country first, the council said.

It said as part of the activities for the mourning, all journalists are advised to come to the councils secretariat in Utako to sign the condolence register.

Colleagues on social media are encouraged to use his picture as their profile picture while comments on social media should go with the hash tag #RememberingChuksEhirim.

We request this as the union is planning a massive awareness campaign to launch a N100 million Education Endowment Fund for his children and institute a public lecture to be entitled: The Chuks Ehirim Lecture Series.

This is to raise awareness on the pitiable working condition of journalists and the need for an institutional framework to protect journalists from enslavement, and abuse of their intellectual prowess by shylock media owners.

The council said the 7-day of mourning would terminate at the special valedictory congress of the council scheduled for June 25.

It reminded members of the union that this announcement should also serve an invitation for them to attend the congress which would take place at the Nugget Hotel, Utako, Abuja.

(NAN)
The Nigerian military has visited Kuda Village in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State and commiserated with the people over the recent Boko Haram attack on the community.

The Commander of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Felix Omoigui, visited the community during the weekend, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, said.

During the visit, Mr. Omoigui had interaction with leaders of the community and vigilante groups and also carried out assessment tour of the affected areas where the insurgents killed and wounded many.

He assured the people that the military and indeed the security agencies would do everything possible to protect them, while vowing to apprehend the assailants.

Mr. Omoigui assured the community that remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the area would be found and routed out.

But he argued that the operation cannot be successful without the active cooperation and support of the people.

He, therefore, enjoined them to see the fight against terrorism and insurgency as a collective responsibility that requires synergy and timely and accurate information sharing.

He further encouraged them to be more vigilant and security conscious and report any suspicious movement or persons immediately.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the District Head of Gulak, Ijadi Bello, thanked the commander for the visit and acknowledged that there was need for closer collaboration between security agencies and his people.

Mr. Bello promised to cooperate and support the military in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists.

Boko Haram insurgents had launched a night attack in Kuda-Kaya village on Thursday, killing 18 people and injuring 10 others at a funeral service, the police said.

Witnesses said the rampaging insurgents stormed the village which is about 3km from Gulak, capital of Madagali local government on the fringes of the dreaded Sambisa forest. The attack occurred at about 10 p.m. during a wake for a deceased community member.

The source said locals were taken unawares as they did not expect such attacks since the deadly Boko Haram had long been pushed out of the area.

They stormed our village on motorbikes and immediately opened fire on the people observing the wake, a resident said. As at the last count, 18 people were killed while about 10 others were injured and were rushed to a health facility in Gulak.

The police spokesperson for Adamawa State, Othman Abubakar, said 18 people had so far been confirmed dead; but said the total figure was uncertain, implying the toll could rise.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the Federal Government is committed to finishing all ongoing projects within three years.

Mr. Fashola gave the assurance on Saturday evening after inspecting work at the Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue. The bridge connects Loko and Oweto communities in Nasarawa and Benue respectively.

He said the Federal Government would make funds available to pay contractors as soon as they delivered completed projects.

The Federal Government of Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari have expressed very clear commitment to finish the ongoing and abandoned projects.

We are focusing on completion of ongoing projects; this is one of the many ongoing projects.

Lagos-Ibadan expressway is one of them; Kano-Maiduguri is one of them; Ilorin-Jebba is one of them and the Second Niger Bridge is one of them.

All those projects now, the contractors are moving back to sites and work is beginning. Gradually over the next three years we would complete many of them, the minister said.

Mr. Fashola expressed the confidence that the resumption of construction activities would stimulate expansion of infrastructure, create jobs and generate commercial opportunities for the people.

He said when completed, the Loko-Oweto Bridge would boost socio-economic activities in Nasarawa and Benue.

You will see those who lost their jobs; they would come back to work. You would see increased merchandising and supply of building materials.

When this project is completed, it would open up these communities; connect Nasarawa State and Benue; farmers would benefit from the movement and transportation of their farm produce.

I am optimistic that we would get this project completed in 2018, Mr. Fashola noted.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Loko-Oweto Bridge contract was awarded to RCC Nig. Ltd. in November 2011 at N36. 1 billion with original completion date of Nov. 15, 2015.

The project was stalled in 2014 due to lack of funding and currently, at a revised contract sum of N51.6 billion, the project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

(NAN)
The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has said that the $5.2billion fine slammed on telecommunication giant, MTN, was reduced to encourage foreign investments into the country.

Mr. Shittu said this on Sunday in Ibadan at an award ceremony in honour of Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland.

He said that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, decided to reduce the penalty against the telecommunications giant after realising the negative impact the burden could have on the nation, its people and the economy.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had slammed a $5. 2 billion fine on MTN for violating the directive of the regulatory body in Nigeria.

The NCC had directed all telecom providers in the country to register subscribers and disconnect erring subscribers. MTN did not meet the deadline to do so.

The South African telecommunication firm was thus fined $1,000 for each of its 5.2 million affected subscribers, totalling $5.2 billion.

Mr. Shittu said there was pressure on the FEC from different quarters, which later agreed to reduce the fine imposed on MTN to N330 billion to be paid within a period of three years.

As far as we are concerned, the MTN issue is a closed matter.

Nigeria as a country must move on. We must not do anything to drive away foreign investors. Foreign investments are potent means of bringing about development and wealth creation, he said.

Mr. Shittu said that people must not forget that there were less than 500,000 telephone lines before the telecom operators came on board.

According to him, Nigeria now has more than 152 million lines and MTN is the dominant operator in the field. It controls almost 50 per cent of the lines.

Though, MTN violated the law and we had to penalise it. We must put a halt to the limitless crisis so that we dont discourage foreign investors.

That is what the Federal Executive Council has done to ensure we move ahead.

We know for instance, that MTN operates in 22 countries.

What it realises in Nigeria alone is more than what it realises in the other 21 countries put together, he said.

Mr. Shittu advised the telecoms operators against taking Nigeria and their customers for granted, warning that all infractions would be appropriately sanctioned.

The operators owe a duty to Nigerians to continue to improve on their services. Nigerians have been paying through thick and thin to patronize them.

To whom much is given, much is expected, he said.

(NAN)
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday said he was never invited for questioning by the police over allegations of forging Senate rules.

He expressed surprise at the lawsuit filed by the Federal Government against him and other suspected conspirators.

Mr. Ekweremadu alongside Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasu, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi, have been charged to court for allegedly forging the Standing Rules that brought the Senate presiding officers to office last year.

The charges were filed on June 10, more than a year after the controversial election and inauguration of the two principal officers

Days after the elections, Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC-Kaduna North) petitioned the Inspector General of Police, alleging that the Standing Rules used for the exercise was forged.

He accused the four officials of conspiracy, and demanded criminal investigation of the matter.

The police later launched an investigation, submitting a detailed report to the nations Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Consequently on June 9, the Federal Government formally accused the quartet and pressed criminal charges of offence of conspiracy punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law; and offence of forgery with fraudulent intent punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law, against them.

However, Mr. Ekweremadu, in a statement on Sunday by his spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, denied complicity in the alleged forgery, and described the suit as a form of intimidation and onslaught to rubbish him.

The hands of Sen Ike Ekweremadu are clean because he has no business whatsoever with the production of Senate Standing Orders, said the statement.

This is the latest attempt to try and convict him in the court of public opinion, notwithstanding that we do not want to mount a public defence.

We would rather meet them in court if they so wish.

We plead with our supporters across the nation to maintain the peace and go about their normal businesses unperturbed by this latest act of harassment and impunity.

We want to reassure them that no form of intimidation and onslaught to rubbish him will make him shy away from diligently carrying out the constitutional duties.

Ekweremadu will not legislate in fear, and he will certainly not fear to legislate, the statement further added.

Expressing surprise, Mr. Ekweremadu said neither he nor Mr. Saraki was invited by the police or indicted in the report to the Attorney-General of the Federation. He, therefore, queried why charges should be pressed against them.

He said in July 2015, the police spokesperson told the world (and it is on record) that the agency did not invite him for questioning and that the Force did not at any time question him over the so-called forged Senate Standing Orders.

We are, therefore, as surprised as other Nigerians at the current twists and turns by the same police one year after and also after they had since submitted to the Attorney General of the Federation, their investigation report, which neither indicted nor even made the slightest mention of Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Moreso that the petitioners never named Ekweremadu in their petition in the first instance, his statement said.

We wish to state that we read the reports of the so-called police invitation and charges allegedly preferred against Senator Ekweremadu; the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; and others on the pages of the newspapers like other Nigerian.

Even as we try to reconcile the reports of the simultaneous police invitation and court processes, nobody has, till date, served the Deputy President of the Senate any letter of invitation by the police or court summons.

The Office or person of the Deputy President of the Senate is not in the moon. The concerned authorities know how and where to reach Senator Ekweremadu if they want to. But, so far, everything remains in the realms of the usual propaganda onslaught to malign, bully, intimidate, and divert attention from the real challenges presently confronting the nation. However, when the bird jerks in the air, we can fathom where it would perch.
A Nigerian official said on Sunday that his agency had discovered a spiritual book suspected to be used by the Boko Haram to indoctrinate their victims.

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Borno, Ibrahim Abdullahi, disclosed this in Maiduguri in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Mr. Abdullahi said that the book, written in Arabic, was discovered during an operation by the corps officials at an abandoned house in Dikwa Local Government Area of the state.

It is sad that many innocent souls had been dragged into submitting to Boko Haram through spiritual indoctrination, he said.

The book, named Guduma, was used by the insurgents as a powerful charm to indoctrinate followers into submitting to the dictates of leaders of the sect.

Our findings revealed that the book was also used in deceiving victims and members of the sect into believing that it could make them invisible and also offer protection against bullet shots and bombs.

The spiritual book was abandoned by Boko Haram after the takeover of Dikwa from the insurgents, two years ago, he said.

Nigerian troops have retaken several territory initially captured by the terrorists whose activities have caused the death of over 20,000 people since 2009.

(NAN)
Troops of the Nigerian Army in Bauchi State on Sunday killed three suspects during a raid on a kidnappers den, an official said.

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Army, Sani Usman, said in a statement that the suspected kidnappers also engage in cattle rustling around Bauchi State.

Read his statement below:

Following received information from well meaning members of the public, troops of Forward Operation Base (FOB), Ningi of 33 Artillery Brigade conducted a fighting patrol at Dutsen Dumburum, Ningi Local Government Area, Bauchi State yesterday, Saturday 18th June 2016.

Earlier intelligence reports confirmed the presence of kidnappers and cattle rustlers in the locality which made the troops to swing into action by organizing a fighting patrol to the area.

During the patrol, the team encountered the armed bandits and after fierce exchange of gun fire, they were overpowered. The troops killed 3 of the armed bandits and rescued 3 kidnapped females held hostages by the bandits pending payment of ransom. The patrol team also recovered many items including arms and ammunitions before destroying the camp.

The recovered items include 2 AK-47 rifles, 2 locally made Small Machine Guns (SMGs), 1 Double-barrelled Dane Gun, 68 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunitions and 4 AK-47 rifle Magazines. Others include 2 Boxer Motorcycles and 2 Mobile telephone handsets.
The Cross Rivers State Government and the United Nations International Children Education Fund, UNICEF, on Friday launched a campaign to end violence and abuse against children in Calabar.

The campaign launch comes two weeks after Premium Times published the second part of its investigative report, which chronicled cases of child abuse and abandonment in the Cross River capital.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign to end violence against children in the state, the UNICEF representative for Nigeria, Jean Gough, said no fewer than nine million children are sexually abused in Nigeria each year.

Mrs. Gough, who was represented by Chief Child Protector for Nigeria, Rachael Harvey, said a survey of violence against children in Nigeria was carried out last September by the National Population Commission with support from UNICEF and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the survey, it was found that six out of every ten children suffer one or more forms of physical, sexual and emotional violence in Nigeria.

The survey also revealed that victims of violence failed to report such cases to appropriate quarters, thereby making it impossible for them to get redress.

These victims usually kept silent for fear that even if they report, nothing would be done about their cases, hence their seeing it as part of their childhood, she said.

Children do not see violence against them as a problem. It is a tragedy that children can suffer physical, sexual and emotional violence and think it is a normal part of their childhood, Mrs. Gough said.

She called on government at all levels, NGOs, faith based organisations and the media to play fundamental roles in ending violence against children. She also urged children to always speak up whenever they suffer any form of violence.

Speaking earlier, the state governor, Ben Ayade, described the violence and abuses against children as unholy and punishable by law

Mr. Ayade, who was represented by his deputy, Ivara Esu, maintained that being the second state in the country to launch the campaign, Cross River would continue to take holistic measures to end of violence against children.

Mr. Ayade, however, called on a multi-sectoral coordination by all groups and interests to ensure sustainability of the fight.

Ending violence against children is a societal issue that should not be left to one government institution, the social welfare office alone to handle. It is a responsibility for all of us, he said.

On her part, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Stella Odey, described the campaign launch as significant to the establishment of a state that is free from all forms of violence against children.

With the initiative, Mrs. Odeh noted that children in the state would now grow and excel in their endeavours.
( Read 9217 Times)

The conclave brings together industry veterans from the HR domain who have leveraged their vast experience to help evolve and shape modern HR practices from an Indian and a global perspective. The conclave has always paid key attention to and helped address the key HR matters at present and this year was no different with the central theme being an amalgamation of two burning issues namely Gen X vs Gen Y and to choose between the devil and the deep sea. The event began with an enriching opening address from the Director of the institute, Prof. Janat Shah who educated the audience regarding the three guiding pillars of the institutes momentous growth which are namely -education , research and making a difference to the surrounding local communities through increased interactions. He also stressed the relevance of the HR conclave as helping the students understand the domain and the various issues facing it. Prof. Shah's address was followed by the lamp lighting ceremony with Prof. Shah inviting all the guests to be a part of it.The ceremony was followed by addresses from the first panel which focused on the differences between Gen X and Gen Y. The first address was from Mr. Jatinder Salwan, Sr. VP - HR, Societe Generale & Vous, an ex-Indian army personnel and an avid backpacker and traveler who spoke about the segregation and the mindsets encompassing three generations. He also emphasized on the importance to facilitate knowledge transfer between generations through new processes and procedures.The next speaker to grace the dias was industry veteran, Mr. Mukund Vyas, CLO, Tata Motors.Dr. Vyas spoke about the challenge organizations face in order to adapt to a work environment having employees spanning across three generations. He stressed upon the fact that every business leader needs to be humble and be grounded to understand the present day demands of the society. He also stressed the importance of research and how the corporate and the academic world have to bridge the gap to ensure cohesive work on research.Mr. Pradeep Mehrotra, GM- Promotions and Recruitment, State Bank of India, an exemplary academician and industry veteran, graced our stage and provided interesting insights about how organizations are being competitive in today's world by speaking in the language of the newer generation and communicating through channels in which the current generation can be approached. Mr. Sujitesh Das, VP - Strategic HR, Microland focused on the principles of Microland and how they have been developed as a result of meeting demands of the generations. He also delineated that all generations have peripheral differences for preferences but fundamental similarities in terms of needs and hence stressed that each individual has inherent characteristics spanning generations.The first panel discussion with "Gen-X v/s Gen-Y" as the central theme has commenced at Spandan IIMU.The necessity of incorporating changes within organizations to make it a hospitable environment for all generations was also discussed. The panelists focused on the alteration of the career ladder and organizational loyalty in generations. They also focused on how talent retention is a major issue and how they have been developed as a result of meeting demands of the generations. He also delineated that all generations have peripheral differences for preferences but fundamental similarities in terms of needs and hence stressed that each individual has inherent characteristics spanning generations and it is of primeval importance to sense the aspirations of the incoming generations.The post lunch session proceeded with the extremely relevant theme of choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. The first speaker on the topic was Ms. Indu Kapoor, VP HR - Global HR Head of Finance and Accounting Vertical, EXL. Ms. Indu spoke about the challenges involved in maintaining a good work-life balance. She commented that the walls between an organization and homes are crumbling seamlessly nowadays and that it is essential to have an integrated work life by involving and consulting everyone to develop such an approach. Mr. Paritosh Shukla, Global head of HR, Vuclip was the next speaker. Mr. Shukla was of the view that one should not brand people as the devil or the deep sea and instead embrace both of them. Also, he stated that it is essential to understand the basics by investing in networking as one is able to get a holistic idea about the business environment. He concluded by emphasizing that success always depends heavily on how one goes about the process of unlearning and relearning.Mr. Piyush Dutt, Chief HR Officer at TPG Wholesale Pvt Ltd advised the students on howbusinesses and people should never be viewed as adversaries or at loggerheads. He emphasized that businesses will only succeed if people succeed and that both businesses and people are a zero sum game i.e. a win-win situation and hence the HR domain is extremely relevant to enhance an organization's output through people management. The final speaker for the day was Ms. Manu Narang, VP / Head HR Transformation & Capabilities - American Express International. Ms. Narang advised the students to be analytically strong as numbers drive ones credibility in an organization. Also, she emphasized that nowadays there are no boundaries between different verticals in an organization and that cross functional versatility is a critical competency.The addresses were followed by a panel discussion and a questionnaire session with the students. The panel discussion helped provide insights on how the topic of discussion was an extremely relevant matter and that understanding and bridging the differences between the devil( business) and the deep blue sea( people). The panelists discussed on how HR managers in today's world must be honest in the decisions they make and hire as per the requirement . They also spoke as to how an organization should set necessary ground rules based on the practicality of their businesses. An important takeaway was that a proper middle ground between these two aspects is of the extreme importance.The summit was hence an extremely enriching experience for everyone present. The key aspects of HR i.e. talent management practices, talent acquisition and retention were provided insights into and it helped us understand how the needs , aspirations and characteristics of the previous generation have percolated down to the present generation. It helped us understand how multiple generations can exist harmoniously within organizations and helped debunk the myth as to how the concept of a work life balance has gradually accumulated into embracing a culture with no boundaries between the two. The summit hence was an extremely amazing experience for everyone present and certainly helped the summit be a grand success. The grand scale and distinguished list of speakers will certainly help the college prove credence to its rise and help foster industry interactions.
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.




Airheads kicked off its 30 th birthday celebration earlier this year with a new limited-edition birthday cake flavor bar and thousands of birthday gifts. The birthday cake bar is available in the six-pack and 10-pack minis at many retailers . Filled with fun, colorful confetti and delicious birthday cake flavors, these bars not only look like a celebration, but taste just as sweet as the real thing.

"On behalf of everyone at Airheads, we would like to thank the greater Cincinnati region for being an integral pillar of our success. Without your support, the last 30 years would not have been possible," said Rachel Finke Chambers, Brand Director, Airheads at Perfetti Van Melle. "We look forward to celebrating another epic 30 years with our fans, making more memories together and of course more chewy delicious candy."

Candy lovers everywhere still have the chance to instantly win a sweet birthday gift including hats, gift cards, bikes, iPads, GoPros and more. With each purchase of a six-pack or 10-pack minis, simply find the scratch-off card in your pack, scratch to reveal and win! Don't forget to also visit AirheadsEpicBirthday.com to redeem a winning code and learn more about Airheads' 30th birthday. Fans can share pictures, videos and posts of their celebrations with Airheads using the hashtag #airheadsepicbday.

For more information about Airheads 30th birthday celebration, please visit AirheadsEpicBirthday.com. To follow all of the action in real-time, check out Airheads on Facebook and Twitter.

About Airheads

Airheads is a brand long loved by people of all ages for its chewy texture, tangy fruit flavors and bright colors. Airheads were invented in the USA and are available in original bar form, chewy and intense bite-sized pieces called Airheads Bites as well as in sour with Airheads Xtremes belts and bites. Airheads are perfect for social gatherings, eating on the go or for a great snack and can be purchased at many convenience, drug, retail, club and grocery stores.

About Perfetti Van Melle

Perfetti Van Melle Benelux B.V. is a privately owned global company that was established in March 2001 through the merger of Perfetti SpA and Van Melle B.V. Perfetti Van Melle manufactures and distributes sugar confectionery and chewing gum products in over 150 countries. Today Perfetti Van Melle is one of the world's largest confectionery groups, marketing highly renowned brands like Mentos, Frisk, Chupa Chups, Smint, Fruittella, Alpenliebe, Golia, Vivdent, Airheads, Happydent & Big Babol. The Group has corporate headquarters in Italy and The Netherlands. U.S. operations are solely operated out of Erlanger, KY.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380953

SOURCE Airheads
ST. CLOUD, Minn., June 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GNP Company, a provider of premium natural chicken in the Upper Midwest and parent company of the Just BARE and Gold'n Plump brands, has recalled 55,608 pounds of chicken. Contrary to initial reports, only ONE of the products being recalled is sold in the grocery store meat case, the rest are bulk and custom items sold through foodservice and institutional outlets.

The one retail item being recalled is Just BARE Whole Chicken (UPC 024105594057), sold in 4-pound poly-bags, with a use-by/freeze-by date stamp of 6/26/16. No other Just BARE whole chicken, tray pack or deli products are affected.

Safety is GNP Company's number one core value and its first priorityfor its people and its products. The company is working to collect all recalled products and remove them from commerce.

The USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a Class I recall of some of the company's products on Saturday, June 18. The affected product may be contaminated with extraneous foreign matter, and is linked to an isolated product tampering incident that occurred at the company's Cold Spring processing plant the week of June 6. Law enforcement authorities are currently handling the case.

The one retail item being recalled is Just BARE Whole Chicken (UPC 024105594057), sold in 4-pound poly-bags, with a use-by/freeze-by date stamp of 6/26/16. No other Just BARE whole chicken, tray pack or deli products are affected. The product bears code P-322 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Consumers who have purchased this item are urged not to use or consume it. These products should be disposed of or returned to the store where purchased for a refund.

Customers and consumers with questions about the recall can contact GNP Company at:

TRADE CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES:1-800-892-8569

CONSUMER CARE LINES: Just BARE: 1-877-328-2838 Gold'n Plump: 1-800-328-2838



A third-party lab verified the foreign matter to be benign, natural materials including dirt/sand. However, because the company cannot say with 100% certainty that the product is safe for consumption, the product recall is being classified as a USDA-FSIS Class 1 Product Recall.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption or use of these products.

About GNP Company | Dedicated to Healthy Food, Families & Farms.

Based in St. Cloud, MN, GNP Company is a provider of premium branded and custom chicken products to retail, deli and foodservice customers nationally. Founded by E.M. Helgeson in 1926 and purchased in 2013 by Maschhoff Family Foods, GNP Company remains family-owned. It distributes products under the Just BARE and Gold'n Plump brand names. Together, the company's more than 1,700 team members and 360 family farm partners in Minnesota and Wisconsin provide enough chicken for about 5 million consumers annually. For more information about the company and its mission of "dedicated to healthy food, families and farms," visit www.GNPCompany.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160619/380973

SOURCE GNP Company

Related Links

http://www.gnpcompany.com


If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
New Delhi, June 15 : The Supreme Court will hear PILs challenging three government notifications declaring nilgais, wild boars and Rhesus monkeys as vermin, thereby paving the way for their hunting and killing in Bihar, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for one year.

The PIL petitioners have also challenged the constitutional validity of section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, under which three notifications were issued.

A vacation bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice L. Nageswara Rao agreed to hear three PILs by animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi, NGO Wildlife Rescue and Research Centre (WRRC) and another challenging the notification issued under section 62 of the Act by which these animals were declared vermin, equating them with rats and pests.

The petitioners have challenged the constitutional validity of section 62 on the grounds of its being ultra vires of the Constitution's Article 14 (right to equality before law), Article 21 (protection of life and liberty says), Article 48A (Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life) and Article 51A(g) (fundamental duty to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life).

The Ministry of Environment and Forests by three notifications issued on December 1, 2015, February 3, 2016 and May 24, 2016 had declared nilgai and wild boar as vermin in some districts of Bihar, wild boar as vermin in Uttrakhand and Rhesus Macaque (Rhesus monkeys) as vermin in Himachal Pradesh for one year.

Appearing for Maulekhi and the WRRC, senior counsel Anand Grover told the bench that the government has already detailed people to hunt and kill these animals in the three states.

Arguing that the decision was taken without undertaking any scientific study, he said that the notification under challenge were issued in "absolute disregard of the human wildlife conflict plaguing the country and without any scientific survey backing them. In fact, all scientific studies are in complete opposition to the policy adopted" by the government.

The PIL petitioners have contended that section 62 confers "excessive and arbitrary powers on the central government" to permit "mindless slaughter of protected wildlife without any inquiry or investigation into the need for declaring protected species of wildlife as vermin for purpose of slaughter".

Assailing the provision, the PIL petitions have contended that the notification does not specify the number of number of protected animals which could be killed.

"The section also does not provide for laying down any mechanism for monitoring the slaughter and to ensure accountability for the dead animals," it said.

Upon the mentioning of the matter by the senior counsel, the bench said that it will hear it any day within a week's time.
London, June 17 : The International Day of Yoga will be held at Potters Fields Park near Tower Bridge in London on June 19, a statement from Indian High Commission here said on Friday.

The event will be held by the High Commission of India and the Government of India Tourist Office from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

A curtain-raiser to the event was held on Friday in collaboration with various yoga institutions which included a yoga demonstration and a meditation session by "Heartfulness".

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21 as International Day of Yoga by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014.
New Delhi : after 12 On Sat, Jun 18, 2016 at 9:58 PM, wrote:

STORY 1

INT/TR

International/Politics

By Arun Kumar

Washington, June 19 (IANS) Donald Trump patted himself on the back for being right about "radical Islamic terrorism". Hillary Clinton said she would be happy to use the forbidden phrase. She and the man in the White House they both want to replace said they got Osama Bin Laden without calling him any names.

And in far off India, a Hindu outfit celebrated the Manhattan mogul's birthday as the 'saviour of humanity' for taking up the fight against terror.

The would-be Republican standard bearer was the first to inject politics into tragedy with a twitter message hours after a son of immigrant parents from Afghanistan massacred 49 people in cold blood in a gay night club in Orlando in the early hours of Sunday, in the worst mass shooting in American history.

"Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism; I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!" Trump tweeted, chiding both President Barack Obama and Clinton for not uttering the "I" word.

Goaded by Trump, "Crooked Hillary", as he calls his Democratic rival, insisted she's not afraid to say "radical" Islam. "It mattered we got bin Laden, not what name we called him."

"I have clearly said we -- whether you call it radical jihadism or radical Islamism, I'm happy to say either, -- said the former Secretary of State in a clear break from her rival turned boss for four years.

Trump upped the ante a day later in suggesting to Fox News that Obama "doesn't get it or he gets it better than anybody understands -- it's one or the other, and either one is unacceptable."

"People cannot, they cannot believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can't even mention the words 'radical Islamic terrorism.' There's something going on," he insinuated.

The Washington Post was quick to interpret the mogul's remark with an online article headlined "Donald Trump suggests President Obama was involved with Orlando shooting".

Trump's retribution was quicker. He simply revoked the influential daily's credentials even as the Post tweaked its headline "on its own" to read "Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting".

A Post writer, who had literally made a meal of his column predicting that Trump would never be the nominee, suggested a total blackout of the "Punisher-in-chief", as the New York Times called the billionaire, choosing news over ratings.

Oh if not total, at least not give him "oodles" of free publicity already worth over $2 billion by some counts, the Post writer added in the next breath, while the editor insisted they would keep covering the billionaire "vigorously".

An angry Obama himself called Trump's renewed call to temporarily ban Muslims as "dangerous" as he uttered the phrase four times but asserted: "So, there's no magic to the phrase 'radical Islam'. It's a political talking point; it's not a strategy."

While some Republican bigwigs decried their nominee's remarks about the Muslims and the President, John McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential election, suggested Obama was "directly responsible" for the mass shooting in Orlando.

Amid heated criticism from Democrats, McCain later issued a statement saying he "misspoke" and that he was referring to "Obama's national security decisions, not the president himself" that led to Islamic State's rise on his watch.

But even as he called Obama a "fool" for his fresh call for tougher gun laws, Trump declared he was open to banning the sale of firearms to people on terrorist watch or no fly lists and said he would speak to the "wonderful" people at the National Rifle Association (NRA), the powerful gun lobby that has endorsed him.

Put in a quandary by Trump, the Republicans who are opposed to any gun control, agreed to vote in the Senate on Monday on four competing gun control measures, but nothing is likely to come out of it with the two parties expected to revert to their old positions.

Meanwhile, defying new polls showing his unfavorability hitting a record 70 percent, Trump bluntly told top Republican leaders criticizing his style: "Don't talk. Please be quiet" and warning if they don't fall in line he would go it alone.

"You can't make this up sometimes," said a taken aback House Speaker Paul Ryan but demurred about revoking his endorsement of the nominee despite their yawning differences. "That's not my plan."

And to those who still hadn't got the memo, said an unfazed Trump: "We have to have our Republicans either stick together or let me just do it by myself" -- "Ekla chalo re" a la Tagore - pundits, press and the party be damned.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
Sydney, June 19 : Australian filmmaker Paul Cox, who was lauded as father of independent cinema in Australia, has died aged 76.

The Dutch-born director is known for his films like "Man of Flowers", "A Woman's Tale" and "Innocence". The Australian Directors Guild announced his death on Twitter on Sunday, reports smh.com.au.

The post read: "Sad news. The great Australian filmmaker Paul Cox had passed away. Vale. Paul Cox, Australian film-maker and frequent collaborator with David Wenham, dies age 76."

Cox, born on April 16, 1940, rose to acclaim in the 1980s with films such as "Lonely Hearts" and "My First Wife".

The tweet did not disclose the cause of death and other details about Cox's demise.

American film critic Roger Ebert described him as "one of the best directors of our time" and "one of the heroes of modern cinema".

His last film in 2015 was "Force of Destiny", starring David Wenham, is loosely based on the director himself. The intimately personal drama is inspired by Cox's own experiences living with terminal cancer.

Cox was saved by a liver transplant in 2009.

Cox, the director of more than 20 films, had said he had a new perspective on life after his near-death experience. He arrived in Australia from Holland in his early 20s, turning from photography and painting to filmmaking.
Paris, June 19 : The second International Day of Yoga was celebrated on Saturday at the Parc de La Villette -- the largest urban cultural park in Paris.

More than 2,000 yoga enthusiasts of all ages participated in the initiative launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and adopted by the UN to promote yoga for a healthy lifestyle, a statement said here on Sunday.

Several Indo-French cultural associations, friendship groups, Indian diaspora and yoga schools like Art of Living, Swami Shivananda Yoga Centre, Tapovan, Yoga and Co, Sahaja Yoga, Isha Foundation and others contributed to make the event successful.

Giving a brief overview on the origin of yoga, Indian Ambassador Mohan Kumar emphasised the importance of yoga in modern lifestyle. He exhorted the youth to regularly practice yoga for personality development and stress management.

The International Day of Yoga event in Paris was endorsed by several French and Indian film actors.

The Indian embassy in Paris planned to organise another International Day of Yoga event in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower on Sunday.

On June 21, more than 100 people will perform yoga on board a boat in the Seine river sailing from the Eiffel Tower to Cathedral Notre Dame.

Besides Paris, the International Day of Yoga was celebrated in several other cities of France, including Strasbourg, Nice, Avignon, Angers, Gretz, Samoens, Toulouse, Nantes, Gouvieux and in French overseas territories like Guadeloupe, Martinique and the Reunion Islands.

More than 7,000 people across France joined in these celebrations.
New Delhi, June 19 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday defended the Narendra Modi government's global outreach-driven foreign policy and said there are many benefits of such endeavours.

"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) does not come sitting at home," Sushma Swaraj said, in an apparent dig at critics who have often Prime Minister Modi's frequent overseas travels.

"Aaj jab Bharat bolta hai, duniya sunti hai (Today when India speaks, the world listens)," she told the media here.

The minister said since the Modi government took charge in May 2014, there had been a substantial FDI inflow.

"As much as $55 billion or Rs 369,000 crore has come through the FDI route in the last two years. It is about a 43 per cent jump over what it was during the UPA rule."

Sushma Swaraj said the foreign outreach had helped India enlist assistance of global players like the US, France, Germany and England in flagship schemes like 'Smart Cities'.

"With Australia alone, we had 13 agreements on skill development," she said, adding there had been cooperation with countries such as Germany and Japan for 'Namami Ganga' programme.

Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston
Agartala, June 19 : A consignment of 1005 tonnes of steel rods arrived on Sunday in Tripura from West Bengal through Bangladesh as part of revised 'Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol' between the two countries.

The protocol was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka in June last year.

"A Bangladeshi ship from Kolkata carrying 1005 tonnes of steel rods meant for Tripura governemnt's Rural Development Department reached Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh on June 15," an Indian custom official said.

"Bangladeshi trucks then carried the goods from Ashuganj port to Tripura's Akhaura checkpost, from where the transporter would arrange to have the goods delivered to six places in Tripura," the customs official said.

Akhaura checkpost, just along Agartala city, is the second largest trading point and land port between India and Bangladesh after the Benapole-Petrapole land port with West Bengal.

Ashuganj port on Meghna river in Bangladesh is about 40 km from Tripura's capital Agartala.

"Four Bangladeshi trucks arrived here on Sunday. Then Indian trucks carried the freight to their destinations inside Tripura. More such trucks would carry the goods from Ashuganj port to Tripura in subsequent days," Sujit Roy, the transporting company's manager, told IANS.

The transit facility with provision of third-country access was formally inaugurated on Thursday at Ashuganj port by Bangladesh Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan in the presence of Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Bangladesh Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman.

The custom official said Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura route cuts the Kolkata-Agartala distance via Siliguri's 'chicken neck' and Assam and Meghalaya from 1,600 km to 500 km.

"The reduced distance substantially cuts transportation costs from mainland India to the northeastern region and the time from 15 days to just 10 days."

The revised Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol also gives India and Bangladesh the right to use each other's territory for transiting goods to third countries.

Bangladesh can thus use Indian territory to transit goods to Nepal and Bhutan while India can access Myanmar via Bangladesh.

The official said: "The protocol facilitates trade and development not only between India and Bangladesh but in the entire sub-region facilitating trade and development in the sub-region."

Earlier, as goodwill gesture, Bangladesh government last year allowed India's Food Corporation of India to ferry 35,000 tonnes of rice in different phases to Tripura from Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh and Kolkata port via Bangladesh, using the Ashuganj river ports and Bangladesh highways.

In 2011-2012, Bangladesh had allowed India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and over-dimensional cargoes through Ashuganj port for the 726-MW Palatana mega power project in southern Tripura.

Both these transits were duty free and as part of goodwill gesture of the Bangladesh government.

India had long been seeking transit and trans-shipment facility to carry goods to northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura -- from West Bengal and other parts of India through a shortened route via Bangladesh.
Trinity School of Medicine held its 2016 graduation ceremony at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on Saturday, June 4th.

While Trinity is an international medical school with its campus on the island of St. Vincent, the school is tightly connected to medical education in the state of Georgia. This year, three of the graduating students are starting residencies at the Mercer University School of Medicine in the specialties of surgery, family medicine, and pediatrics, joining other Trinity graduates already in the Macon-based program.

The ceremony included a key note address from surgeon-in-chief emeritus of the Washington Cardiovascular Institute, Dr. Richard N Scott. Trinity has the privilege of Dr. Scott overseeing its ACGME approved core and elective clinical clerkships for Trinitys 3rd and 4th year medical students.

Other speakers included Trinity president Steve Wilson (Georgia entrepreneur), dean Dr. Linda Adkison (renowned professor of genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry, as well as a former associate dean at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences), Dr. Sir Frederick Ballantyne (cardiologist and governor general of St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and Trinitys chancellor Dr. Douglas Skelton (former chief of psychiatry at Grady Hospital, former medical director of the Georgia Mental Health Institute, sixteen-year dean of Mercer University School of Medicine, and ten-year chair of the Georgia State Health Policy Council as appointed by two GA governors).

Trinitys graduates are primarily made up of wholly qualified students that were either drawn to Trinitys approach to medical education (supportive environment, clinical emphasis, global health outreach), or overlooked by the highly competitive United States medical school system. Beyond its close ties to Georgia (the schools offices are actually in Alpharetta), Trinitys ultimate goal is to significantly impact the nation-wide physician shortage by training caring, innovative, adaptive doctors ready to address the healthcare needs of any community.

About Trinity School of Medicine

Trinity School of Medicine is a fully accredited International medical school focused on helping students achieve their goals of becoming licensed physicians in the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean nations. Trinity is known for its early clinical experience, internally supportive and externally philanthropic campus culture, and a marked dedication to the study of excellence in medical education.

To find out more, visit http://www.trinityschoolofmedicine.org/

###
CapTech is a proud winner of the Washington Post 2016 Top Workplaces Award We are so proud to have emerged as an employer of choice in the DC market.

CapTech has been recognized as one of The Washington Posts Top Workplaces for 2016. In its third annual survey, The Washington Posts Top Workplaces list spotlights the highest-rated private, public, nonprofit and government agencies as ranked by their employees. Of over 3,000 companies surveyed, CapTech made its inaugural debut on the list as #27, solidifying its place as a top-tier employer in the Washington, DC area.

We are so proud to have emerged as an employer of choice in the DC market, says Suzie Turner, Principal. CapTech strives to be intentionally different from other IT and management consultancies by focusing first and foremost on our employees. Our consultants are energized and proud to be a part of the vision and culture that we are creating. We employ the industrys best and brightest and Im honored that we are recognized.

A total of 150 companies were honored at a celebration on Thursday, June 16 at The Washington Post. In addition, CapTech will be featured in a special section of The Washington Post on Sunday, June 19.

To read more about The Washington Posts 2016 Top Workplaces, visit wapo.st/TopWorkplaces2016.

###

About CapTech: CapTech (http://www.captechconsulting.com) is a national management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. CapTech delivers transformation, customer engagement, data & analytics and custom IT solutions for private companies, public companies and government agencies. The company's collaborative approach helps organizations grow their business, engage with customers and turn information into powerful data assets.
Qnary: The Reputation Growth Company "It's exciting to see the Company open offices in Europe to support our clients," announced Bant Breen, Founder and CEO of Qnary

Qnary (pronounced Canary like the Canary Islands) is the premium provider of executive growth solutions. The Company started in 2012 with the goal of designing technology and providing services geared towards optimizing the digital activities of executives. Since inception the Qnary solution has helped thousands of busy executives establish and expand powerful online footprints. Qnary now works with executives and brands of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the world across a full-range of business verticals (banking, packaged goods, retail, energy, media, real estate, insurance, education, healthcare, recruiting and food and beverage). The plan to launch in Europe was a natural extension of growing client activity across the Continent as well as deep European roots.

"It's exciting to see the Company open offices in Europe to support our clients," announced Bant Breen, Founder and CEO of Qnary. "On a personal note, it is quite special for me to return to Europe and Spain for the announcement because this is where I originally wrote the business plan."

Qnary's European operations are led by Juan Oyarzabal Lodge and Jordi Collell.

"I discovered Qnary when in need of a reputation growth solution for a client and was impressed at the ease and power of the technology and expertise of the team, " exclaimed Oyarzabal, Qnary Europe Managing Director. Before joining Qnary, Oyarzabal Lodge was the Director of Interbrand Spain. Qnary Europe CEO Jordi Collell is a leading expert across Europe on personal branding. "We have been working on the importance of personal branding for several years in Europe, but Qnary offers us a path to bring this alive in the digital world. We are already seeing European clients signing up and growing their online thought-leadership with us."

About Qnary

Qnary delivers online reputation management solutions for professionals, brands and enterprises. Qnarys proprietary technology platform contains an arsenal of tools for professionals, brands and enterprises to monitor, control, optimize and create digital content including images and videos, social media, and search results. The Company has offices in North America (New York City) and Europe (Madrid & Barcelona).
LOGO Lounge by Lori Goldstein French Terry Knit Top with Ribbed Trim is rated 4.2 out of 5 by 36 .

Rated 5 out of 5 by angedel from great top Wore this thanksgiving with skinny jeans and looked great. Purchased on lunchtime special. Top fits true to size. My first purchase with logo lounge. Washes well too.

Rated 5 out of 5 by kbmlaa from Love This Please bring this back. I ordered 2 of these last year and wore them a few times. Well put one on today to wear and had forgot how much I love it. Wore to a family dinner and had my sister and step mother asking where I got it and that they love it. So please dont let these go, bring more. I promise they will sell

Rated 4 out of 5 by MrsMaddog from Odd fit from behind I saw the presentation and watched the video before I ordered. This top covered every models behind so I ordered one in black. It looked great from the front (crotch covered) but when I turned around, I was shocked. It was shorter in the back and did not cover my behind at all. It was a very strange fit in the back... almost like it had a center cut opening to leave my butt out on display, highlighted in the center of curtains. I felt exposed even with a top underneath. Not at all what I expected so I will be returning.

Rated 1 out of 5 by Kel4 from Pilling after 2nd wash I almost returned this when I got it because it's a little strange how it's cut up and around to show your butt in the back, but I decided to keep it and wear one of my LOGO tanks under it. Well now I'm really wishing I had returned it because I just washed it for the 2nd time according to the care instructions on the tag and it came out of the laundry with pills everywhere. I'm very unhappy with this purchase. I usually love my LOGO, but not this piece!

Rated 5 out of 5 by Luv Chanel and Ripka from Another Winner Lori is my go to for longer tops and tanks. I wear them all the time. Very soft and comfortable year around top.

Rated 4 out of 5 by windye from LOVE THE TOP AND GARDEN ROSE COLOR.... BUT FOR MY 5'2' FRAME THE STYLE IS JUST A BIT TOO OVERWHELMING...SAD! AM SENDING BACK BUT HATE TO LOSE THE POSTAGE FEE. I THINK THAT FOR ME, A MORE FITTED, SOLID DARKER COLOR MAKES ME LOOK TALLER, THINNER.

Rated 5 out of 5 by PixiesMommy from SO SOFT - JUST PERFECT! I have been searching for the perfect ivory tunic with some pizazz and Lori did it in this shark bite tunic in the alabaster color. Her french terry is the softest material ever. Yes it is thinner than most french terry which makes it a lot less bulky but just know you are NOT getting a thick french terry with her line - just a super soft, super comfortable item. This fit is spot on (I always wear an xs in her line), I love the ribbing on the trim, I LOVE the shark bite trim, the length is just right - I am 5'6" tall and her alabaster is just right for FL winters and really for year round except FL summers. I am SO PLEASED with this top and especially since I got it as a lunchtime special deal which I didn't even realize when I put it in my cart!! What an added bonus. If you want the softest material next to your skin and something with just a little more oomph than her rayon span, you must try this top. It's simple yet different than anything you can find in the stores.
G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now!
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Hong Kong-based content provider Harbour Rights is significantly expanding its distribution and acquisition within the Asian region.

It has struck a number of deals including a major 45-hour documentary acquisition from TVB, the largest television network in Hong Kong, as well as a bundle of lifestyle programmes sold to Chinese-speaking channel PHOENIX Satellite TV. Both of these include a selection of titles for an Olympic Special programming plus an additional 15 hours of Asian people and culture stories to Discovery Channel with martial arts series Welcome To (13x52); an UltraHD deal with Sky Perfect in Japan; one more episode of the Flavors series 45x52; and extreme sport special The Scene. Harbour Rights is also building its relationships with local producers, by signing a new distribution agreement with Singapores factual producers Third Floor Pictures and Sitting In Pictures.
Khaama Press, June 12, 2016

The Taliban militants have allegedly shot dead three sisters in the central Logar province of Afghanistan, local officials said Sunday.

The officials further added that the women were shot dead in Kharwar district of Logar as they were returning to their home.

Provincial governors spokesman Salim Saleh said four women had gone to a hill in a village and three of them were captured by the militants as they were returning from the area.

He said one of the women managed to flee the area which is totally under the control of the Taliban militants.

The victims have been reported to be between the age of 18 to 20 year old and the local officials are saying they had no issue with anyone.

The Taliban militants have not commented regarding the report so far.

Incidents involving violence against women are not new as numerous incidents are reported usually in various provinces of the country which are mainly due to domestic violence as well as violence by the militants trying the women on adultery charges.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in its report released late in November last year said statistic of violence against women, obtained from the registered cases of violence against women during the first six months in 1394 exceeds 2579 cases.

The report further added that figure was reported 2403 cases during the six months in 1393 which shows 7.32 percent increase in 1394, the last solar year.
TOLOnews.com, June 15, 2016

By Samim Faramarz

Police in the western province of Ghor have said that local armed men in Feroz Koh city of the province have allegedly killed a woman on charges of escaping from home.

The incident happened on Monday after the armed men allegedly took the victim from her house and shot her.

Meanwhile, women's rights activists have said that the incident was tragic and that the legal and judicial bodies must step up efforts to prosecute the criminals who murdered the woman.

The victim who is known as Aziz Gul was engaged to a man two years ago but it was called off.

"When the police heard about the incident, the police department swiftly took action and reached the village where the incident happened. But when the police reached the village, they had already buried the body. Investigations have been launched into the issue.

We have arrested one person in connection with the incident, however the main killer is on the run," said Abdul Hadi Chehel Ghori, head of the crime department of the Ghor police department.

"Such cases must be referred to the court so that the court can decide, but not to illegal courts," AIHRC official in Ghor Farida Naseri said.

"Our expectations from the legal and judicial organs is for them to ensure the trial of perpetrators involved in such cases, so that it can be a lesson to others," Naseri said.

Reports indicate that the police department in Ghor has arrested a man on charges of plotting the murder. However, the main criminals are still on the run.

Rights groups have expressed shock over the tragic incident.

The provincial office of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has condemned the incident as an unforgivable crime.

The Taliban and illegal armed groups have often been blamed for open trails in the country.

To watch the report, click here:
IWPR, June 16, 2016

By Ahmad Shah

Locals in the southern province of Khost have complained that powerful men are exploiting their connections to routinely siphon off aid intended for needy women.

Many NGOs in Afghanistan focus on small-scale farming, sewing or food production schemes intended to help women who often are their families sole breadwinners.

But corruption and a lack of oversight has meant that items to set women up in their own businesses are easily diverted.

Sera Gul Raqiba is an elderly woman from the village of Dannai in Khosts Zazai Maidan district. Her two sons, both soldiers with the Afghan National Army, were killed in action and she now lives in poverty.

She said she had seen for herself how those in positions of power stole aid.



A women entrepreneur in Khost displays her products made from locally available materials. (Photo: Ahmad Salarzai/Flickr) A women entrepreneur in Khost displays her products made from locally available materials. (Photo: Ahmad Salarzai/Flickr)

One tribal leader had accepted 30 goats from an organisation to help women without any other source of support, but instead of dividing them among poor women and widows he gave them all to his relatives and the wives of powerful local men, she told IWPR.

After that, the tribal leader took on a chicken farming project. He presented his daughters and wives as widows and distributed all the chickens among his entire family. He trampled on the rights of poor and needy women.

Many helpless women have come to me to complain about fraud in the distribution of aid, agreed Nadia Bawari, head of the local womens union. They told me that relief materials are handed out in their villages and towns to women who dont have economic problems, but no-one pays attention to poor and needy women.

Bawari said that more oversight was badly needed.

Government agencies and officials from international organisations should prevent these actions and ensure that those who deserve it get their rights, she added.

Khost provincial council member Zahra Jalal said that corruption was rampant in the distribution of relief.

I can say clearly that there is corruption involved in nearly half of all distribution of aid, she continued. I think the provincial government, the council, the department of womens affairs and other related agencies should form a relief distribution commission to prevent further fraud.

Malalai Wali, head of the department of womens affairs in Khost, urged all institutions, from Afghan charities to international aid agencies, to respect current legislation.

According to rules and regulations, all bodies offering ways to improve womens lives should work in coordination with our management, she said.

Unfortunately many NGOs and foreign organisations provide aid to needy women recklessly without informing us about it. So many women are denied the support they deserve.

Sometimes the goods are given as gifts by relatives or friends.

Khost resident Rahimi said that her own family had been given equipment for manufacturing pickles worth 250 US dollars. This was intended to help support impoverished women starting small business, she continued.

The machine is still sitting in one of our fields, given to us by a relative who worked for a charity, she explained. Our economic situation is good and we dont need such machines, but my relative insisted we have it. Now the equipment is in the field and could be damaged and broken due to the sun and the rain. We dont use that machine.

Others blame more endemic graft. Khost resident Rabia is the sole breadwinner for her family of eight.

Some months ago a car stopped in our village and five women dressed in city clothes got out. After asking around, I realised that these women were supposed to register needy women so as to help them. However, instead of knocking on the doors of impoverished women, the five women went directly to the house of a man who, along with his daughters, already has a monthly income of thousands of afghanis from foreign organisations.

However, allegations of corruption were refuted by aid agencies working in Khost.

Muhammad Bashir Nekyaar is the managing director of the TLO Organisation, an Afghan NGO.

Our organisation has helped 483 needy families in three districts of Khost, he said. We have given people cows, set up chicken farms, carried out cattle vaccination programmes. We have also built chicken coops and trained many people.

Nekyaar said that they operated with full transparency.

We implement all projects under the scrutiny of village councils, district councils and senior officials in the agriculture department. Whatever they approve and sign, we just implement that.

Hayat Wazir is the director of CARD-F, another AFghan NGO working to improve economic opportunities in rural areas.

They are currently setting up poultry farm, each with about 30 egg-producing chickens, for women with no other means of support.

Wazir also said that their activities were closely coordinated with the provincial government.

We carry out surveys in each region to find the women who most need assistance. Then we help those women, with full scrutiny from government institutions or local councils. I want to assure women in need that we would never trample on their rights.

Social affairs expert Attaullah Seerak said that the poor security situation in Khost had exacerbated the situation.

Most of the relief materials, especially for women, are distributed by tribal leaders in more remote areas because the organisations workers cannot go to those places due to insecurity. That means the charities depend a great deal on tribal leaders to distribute aid - and these elders do it selectively.

Local officials agree that there has been some corruption in the distribution of aid materials.

The provincial government has also received some reports to suggest that personal relationships are preferred over need during the distribution of aid, said spokesman Mubariz Mohammad Zadran.

We take these complaints seriously and our team will endeavor to monitor and supervise the programmes in question so that people in need will not be deprived of their rights.

This report was produced under IWPRs Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Afghanistan initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan.
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The Red & Black has been a leader of University of Georgia news since its founding in 1893, but a lot goes on in the world beyond the Arch. From Washington, D.C., to California, here is a brief roundup of what stories made headlines this week.
Many students choose to use their summer to travel the globe, but many others are left behind in Athens, taking classes or working part-time jobs or internships, without the time or funds to even make a trip out of state.
Shasta Lake is the only city in Shasta County where medical marijuana shops are legal.

The city has two pot dispensaries and its third is about to open inside a long-vacant space that once housed the largest coffee chain on the planet.

And Shasta Lake's newest medical marijuana shop will have the distinction of being the first with a drive-through window, though that feature won't be immediately available to customers.

Stacy Lidie's Leave it to Nature cooperative, on Shasta Dam Boulevard next to Rite Aid, is expected to open later this week with a grand opening celebration planned for June 25. The corner space was a Starbucks before it closed in 2009.

Lidie is confident her dispensary will be busy.

"I hope I can handle the influx of patients," said Lidie, who will start with six employees.

Leave it to Nature's path to approval was not without some controversy.

The Shasta Lake Planning Commission voted down the cooperative. Lidie appealed the decision to the City Council, which approved the project 4-1 at its April 5 meeting.

Tammy Brazil, who runs Queen of Dragons collective on Shasta Dam Boulevard, spoke out against Leave it to Nature. She scoffed at the notion of a medical marijuana shop with a drive-through window during the Planning Commission meeting.

Brazil also wonders if there is enough business to support three medical marijuana shops in Shasta Lake. The other shop is 530 Collective on Locust Avenue.

But Brazil now welcomes Lidie's business.

"We have to work together. There's no other choice," Brazil said. "We're here to help patients and that is the goal."

Lidie has remained unfazed through the whole permitting process.

"I have heard nothing but positive feedback," she said. "People are looking forward to my opening date."

A portion of her products will be organic and Lidie will use Green Style Analytics, a Yuba City cannabis lab, to test its organic authenticity.

Lidie has a medical marijuana prescription and has family and friends who also use medical marijuana.

"Their lives have been changed by it," she said.

Leave it to Nature will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

NEW BROKER FOR STILLWATER

Stillwater Business Park hasn't had a commercial real estate broker marketing the Redding industrial complex since March, when the city's contract with Kidder Matthews, formerly Voit Real Estate Services, expired.

The city is taking its time as it looks for a new broker.

"We are in a recession and we so we didn't feel like it was necessary to enter into a new agreement right away," said Larry Vaupel, Redding's development services and economic development director.

Vaupel told me last week that the city interviewed two firms earlier this year, but decided to go back to square one after both failed to meet expectations.

"I think what they were missing was the local presence," Vaupel said. "We believe while we want to market Stillwater to the world, we also want to make sure the real estate broker) has a presence here in Redding for our existing employers or manufacturers who may be looking to expand ... so they can quickly get to the site to do showings and answer questions."

So a committee, made up of city staff, Shasta County Economic Development Corp. board members and a local commercial real estate broker, will interview five finalists vying for the Stillwater marketing job on June 27.

The five are Kennedy Wilson, Colliers, Cushman & Wakefield  the park's first real estate broker  Kidder Matthews and House of Realty, the only North State company in the running.

If the committee likes what it hears, Vaupel expects a recommendation to come before the City Council in August.

Hiring Kennedy Wilson in all likelihood would mean the return of John Troughton, who had the Stillwater job when he worked with Cushman & Wakefield. Troughton has a home in the North State and continues to keep tabs on the business park's progress.

Good luck to whichever company gets the gig.

The business park has been a tough sell since the day it officially opened in April 2010.

Lassen Canyon Nursery, a Redding company that grows strawberry plants and other berry stock, became the first business to buy into Stillwater when it purchased a lot last year. Lassen Canyon hopes to start construction later this year.

DID VW GIVE STILLWATER A LOOK?

We are told by many in the economic development game that companies continue to flee California due its high-tax and onerous-regulation environment.

So a story in the Los Angeles Times caught my eye last week.

Volkswagen is making a big-time investment in the Golden State. The German automaker will spend more than $11 million on a distribution plant in Roseville, which has already opened, and a training center near Riverside.

"In the wake of the emissions scandal that marred VW's reputation, the company is remaking itself in ways large and small. All told, it has pledged to invest $7 billion in North America through 2019," the Times reported.

VW's plant in Rocklin is 140,000 square feet and will serve 94 VW and Audi dealers on the West Coast. Thirty people will work there.

I read the article and wondered if VW was ever on Stillwater's radar. Did the city make a pitch for either project? Given both are coming to fruition now, VW was probably scouting potential California sites years ago.

Vaupel, who started his job in Redding in October, did not know if the city reached out to Volkswagen.

"In the case of a distribution center, it goes back to the business model and what markets are they trying to serve," Vaupel said. "We might be ruled out if they are looking to serve Sacramento and the Bay Area."

SUBLIME CAKE DESIGN BACK ON TV

Family-owned Sublime Cake Design is back on television.

The Redding business will be featured on Season 3 of the Food Network's "Cake Wars." The episode is "How to Train Your Dragon."

To celebrate, Sublime is hosting a free showing at Win-River's Eagle Room from 5 to 9 p.m. June 27. All ages are welcome.

There will be a no-host bar, appetizers and cupcakes.

The episode will air at 6 p.m.

A year ago, Sublime Cake Design co-owner Wiley Saccheri with his business partner and mother-in-law Jackie New competed on the Food Network show "Duff Till Dawn."

And in 2009, Saccheri appeared on the TLC show "Ultimate Cake Off," joining Redding cake decorators Roland and Marsha Winbeckler. Also appearing on the show was Saccheri's wife, Tiffanie.

Stay tuned.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or david.benda@redding.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS.
How unusual is it for a 64 year-old man not to have had a PSA test, a common cancer screening test for the prostate, for five years?

If the man has voiding issues that escalate to a post-void residual level of 325 mL of urine, would that be the time to do a PSA test? That's almost 11 ounces of urine that is maintained in the bladder after urination. Uncomfortable, yes. Concerning? One would think so.

In this individual, after seven months of urinary issues, the next step was to do a Transurethral Microwave Therapy. This is essentially inserting a small microwave antenna through the tip of the penis to destroy prostate tissue that might be blocking urine flow. If unsuccessful, would this be the time to do a PSA test?

I will spare you all the painful details of ER visits, infections, Foley catheters, pubic catheter. The bottom line is that 11 months after initial symptoms, a Transurethral Resection was done to relieve the symptoms. The patient understood that they would "shave the prostate" to relieve the pressure. A biopsy was done and finally the PSA with the biopsy. The PSA level was over 524. You read that right, 524. Stage IV metastatic cancer is the rest of the diagnosis.

This man underwent a year of hell with pain, infections and discomfort. He is an intelligent man; a personal injury attorney, in fact. He is polite and very respectful of the medical community. Despite his profession, he is not adversarial.

Why didn't he ask about a PSA test from his primary doctor in the five years prior? Why didn't he ask about this simple test during his treatment for urinary tract complications? I don't know. Respect that his physician knew best?

Another friend has been dealing with the aftermath of a spinal cord injury. In the last year, he has complained of ever decreasing vision to the point of almost total blindness in one eye. His headaches were increasing to the point of being almost debilitating.

When he was at the National Institute of Health as a participant in an ongoing study of folks with his situation, the researchers suggested that the sight issues could be the result of reduced cerebrospinal fluid in his brain due to the shunt. They suggested a valve to regulate that fluid would help with the vision and his headache.

It's interesting to note that when you are in a clinical study, the practitioners do not treat you, they simply study you.

He mentioned that to his physician and eventually was referred to a neuro-ophthalmologist and eventually was able to secure an appointment. Tests were done, more referrals made and the valve was finally installed-almost a year later. The change has been remarkable. He has increased energy, little if any headaches.

However, it's questionable if his sight will return. As I understand it, if your brain is dehydrated for extended periods, it may lose its "sponginess" and ability to recover some of the function. I am sure it's more complicated than that, but in layman's terms, it's probably as good as any explanation.

This gentlemen has become accepting of the long delays and the referrals between multiple specialists.

The point of this article is that I am a firm believer that you simply must be your own advocate. Better yet, team up with someone that really cares and is willing to spend the time to be your co-advocate. No one knows your body better than you do.

The fee for service system means that providers are paid per transaction. Most physician visits last five to 15 minutes. How much can really get accomplished in that space of time? How often do the multiple physicians that you are seeing actually spend time consulting on your case? There may be a letter back and forth and the occasional call. But absent your aggressive research and questioning, it's unlikely that you will be in a situation where no stone is left unturned to solve your complicated problem.

I am not blaming the patients for the pathetic results of the care  or lack of care  they received. I am writing to encourage readers, particularly those with a serious illness, to be aggressively involved in their care. With all the resources available on the internet, one is able to collect enough information to ask intelligent questions and work in concert with their providers to find solutions to their problems. Many insurance company websites have fantastic tools to assist a client in managing their disease. These stories are heart-wrenching. Perhaps this advice will reduce the number of them that I hear.

Margaret R. Beck is a licensed insurance broker. She can be reached at 225-8583.
SHARE Jessica Lynn Sayavong Date of birth: Nov. 10, 1977 Vitals: 5 feet, 5 inches; 140 pounds; brown hair, brown eyes Charge: Burglary Stephen Louis Plante Date of birth: Oct. 28, 1981 Vitals: 5 feet, 11 inches; 165 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Violation of probation Jamie Lee Blauvelt Date of birth: Nov. 6, 1978 Vitals: 5 feet, 10 inches; 190 pounds; black hair, brown eyes Charge: Possession of controlled substance for sale Shawn Lee Harrison Date of birth: Jan. 6, 1984 Vitals: 5 feet, 9 inches; 160 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Receiving known stolen property

By Staff Reports

Shasta's Most Wanted, featured in the Record Searchlight in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, targets people who have failed to show up in court for sentencing after being convicted.

As of Friday a total of 627 arrests have been made through the Most Wanted program since it began in September 2013. Authorities say they have seen an increase in criminals failing to appear in court since the onset of Assembly Bill 109. Also known as prison realignment, the state program shifted certain state prison inmates to county supervision.

Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti said court appearances have been going up since the rollout.

Five new people are added each week. Those caught will be held until at least their next court appearances. Shasta County Secret Witness is offering a reward of up to $250 for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be provided anonymously at 530-243-2319 or at www.scsecretwitness.com/home/submit-a-tip.

Anyone with information also can call SHASCOM at 245-6540. The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com.
Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight

Katie Sears, director of social services for the Shasta Humanity Project, reviews the rules for Saturday's scavenger hunt with members of Team Optimizers (from left) Matt Morgan, Cara Miller, Jennifer Saechao, Marlene Slabaugh and Rachel Tolson.

SHARE Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Members of the Shasta Humanity Project provide the public with a view of the agency's first tiny house.

By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight

Saturday marked a big step for the Shasta Humanity Project's vision to help reduce chronic homelessness in the area: the unveiling of the agency's first tiny house.

The home, a single-story building that sits on a trailer, capped off the organization's Find It to Build It Scavenger Hunt, which saw teams of up to six scour downtown Redding. The event also included food, drinks and, of course, the tiny house on display.

"It's a first step in building a micro housing community for our unsheltered adults," said Richard Huff, president of the Shasta Humanity Project. "What we found is that the missing link in growing to a functional capacity for someone who's been down and out and is on the streets is that they'll get the help they need through various services in our community and after they 'graduate' from that they move back into the environment that they were in, that put them there in the first place."

A report last month by Chico housing consultant Housing Tools found 934 people were homeless in Redding and Shasta County. That was higher than the 757 surveyed in the federally required Point In Time count in late January, which itself was a jump from the previous year's count.

A separate report earlier this month by HomeBase, a San Francisco law firm that focuses on homeless issues, pinned the annual cost of responding to homelessness in Shasta County at $32.4 million.

The homes, according to the project, are based on the housing first model, which emphasizes providing housing to the unsheltered then providing a connection to support services, including mental and physical health or drug and alcohol treatment.

"Whatever it is they're needing to be self-sufficient and successful, that's what our goal would be," said Katie Sears, director of social services for Shasta Humanity Project.

It's the same ideology espoused by Utah's housing first expert Lloyd Pendleton, who earlier this year addressed a crowd of hundreds in Redding and shared his state's own effort that reduced chronic homelessness by 91 percent.

Around the country, the tiny-home model  mainstream culture's response to downsizing and living sustainably  is gaining popularity as a way to reduce homelessness.

Where the village would ultimately sit remains to be decided. Sears said the group is still searching for the right property to house the village, but signaled good cooperation with Redding and Shasta County.

That location may also play into the final design of the home and what sustainable systems the homes might be able to use to keep down costs, Sears said.

Shasta Humanity Project has only received private funds as donations and no public money, Huff said.

If it comes to fruition, the village would have 30 houses and a resident advocate, Huff said. James Theimer of the local firm Trilogy Architecture designed the home and Don Ajamian Construction built it, Huff said.

The unveiling coincides with Shasta Humanity Project's two-year anniversary of incorporation this month, Huff said.

Visit www.shastahumanityproject.org or facebook.com/shastahumanityproject for more information.
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Former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner surely deserves six years in prison  the prosecutor's recommendation  for the sexual assault he committed, not the six months in jail he received.

In fact, he may well deserve the 14 years that could have been imposed for three felonies.

Turner was convicted of using his fingers to sexually penetrate an unconscious young woman outside a Stanford fraternity party last year. Two passers-by prevented him from going further.

In seeking a six-year term, prosecutors submitted a lengthy review of the case and stressed Penal Code Section 1170, which declares that "the purpose of imprisonment for crime is punishment."

However, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky, a former sex-crimes prosecutor himself, endorsed the county probation office's recommendation for a brief county jail term. And with good jail behavior, Turner could be out in three months.

Persky cited Turner's youth, his lack of a previous criminal record and his intoxication in issuing a slap on the wrist for what the Penal Code specifically lists as a crime so violent that it would not qualify for leniency under Gov. Jerry Brown's new sentencing initiative.

More than a million people, outraged by Persky's decision, have emailed their support for his ouster. A number of politicians, particularly state legislators, have joined the chorus, demanding that Persky be recalled or removed from the bench by the Commission on Judicial Performance.

"This was an open-and-shut case, and the judge gave him six months," Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman said as she and other legislators issued a letter demanding Persky's resignation. On Monday, the state Senate's women took turns on the Senate floor reading passages of a 12-page pre-sentence letter that Turner's victim had submitted.

There is, however, a twist to the situation that would be ironic were it not so serious.

Eggman and the other Assembly Democrats who joined her Friday in the denunciation of Persky's leniency had voted just two weeks earlier for a bill that would remove "punishment" from the Penal Code, substitute "sentencing" and declare that "public safety (is) achieved through accountability, rehabilitation, and restorative justice."

Assembly Bill 2590, approved by the Assembly on a 47-24 vote, is being carried by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, one of those demanding that Persky step down. Merely punishing miscreants, Weber said, "has failed" and the state should embrace "restorative justice" as "an alternative to punishment."

Before the vote, however, Assemblyman Don Wagner, R-Irvine, uttered some opposition words that were eerily prescient.

"If I murder you, I can't restore anything. If I rape you, I can't restore anything," Wagner declared. "There are people who need to be punished."

Weber's spokesman: "Her signing onto the letter demonstrates ... that she is not averse to incarceration as a component of accountability, but that punishment should not be the sole purpose of sentencing and should be commensurate with sentences of others who have committed similar acts."

Email Dan Walters at dwalters@sacbee.com.
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Carl Larkin, Shasta

Where did you find Cal Thomas, under a rock? Or perhaps you needed to dig very deep to unearth him.

When he writes about the so-called "green room" at Fox News, I begin to feel queasy. After reading his column, I would love to ask him if he noted the room being padded.

Thomas comes to the conclusion, without any problem and absent a trial or even being charged, that Hillary Clinton is guilty and now will be drawn and quartered by the FBI. Am I to presume, like shortly before we go to the polls in November, the terrible truth will come out just in time to discredit the Democratic Party's candidate?

Thomas' source is another impeccable gentleman named Bradley Brakemen, who no doubt possesses inside information regarding the workings of the FBI, as well as his experience serving as a member of George W. Bush's staff. He was undoubtedly in charge of the "disinformation department" in the group that also made public the real skinny about weapons of mass destruction.
Stamp of approval on CEOs strategy and long-term goal for the company

While investors in Tata Consultancy Services wanted more sikkas, their counterparts at Infosys seem to want the real deal. At its 35th annual general meeting, Infosys investors were extremely content with the performance of CEO Vishal Sikka and his management team and his assurances that the IT firm was in safe hands.

Unlike Sikkas first AGM last year, mentor and Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy was not present this time as a shareholder, though Sikka did not forget to invoke his name a couple of times during the proceedings.

Recounting something Murthy had told him over a recent lunch in London, Sikka said, He told me, Vishal, what you are trying to do is to transform us from reactive problem solvers to proactive problem finders. And I said, Mr. Murthy, only you could say it so beautifully.

Sikka, who referred to Infosys as an institution that was bigger than him as well as everybody else, said he was extremely excited about the future even after being at the helm of the company for 21 months.

I never lost sight of that fact, that we, anyone of us at any given point of time, is only a transient temporary custodian of this incredible institution, that is bigger than any of us, that will last longer than any of us, Sikka said.

At the AGM, almost all the investors who spoke were largely happy with the companys performance and acknowledged the contribution of the top leadership, including that of Sikka.

Lauding Sikkas leadership and the efforts of the management in aiding the company towards a stronger growth path, Rama Murthy, one of the investors, recalled how Sikka was even remembered at the AGM of TCS on Friday.

Mr Sikka, you know that you were remembered yesterday in the TCS AGM when some shareholders were asking for sikka.

Mr Vishal, first of all I thank you very much that under your leadership, our company is doing (great), said an investor who introduced himself as Vardharaj from Hyderabad. I am very much happy that under your leadership, my company will be definitely be a $20-billion company by 2020.

Even though one or two investors did mention that Sikka, along with the top management, were being paid a high salary, they did not raise an alarm over the issue.

However, in his reply to shareholders queries, R Seshasayee, chairman of Infosys, said it was extremely important for a company like Infosys to become competitive in salary in attracting world-class talent which is applicable even in the case of the CEO.

We believe that we need to get the most competitive talent to work for our company and we must get globally competitive talents and in line with that principle, we certainly believe that we have some outstanding leaders like Vishal, said Seshasayee.

We have a lot more to gain from this very good leadership team and as part of this exercise, we believe that we must compensate not only the chief executive but also the team adequately and competitively.

He said the compensation has various components, including the perks related to the cash components and the other is the perks related to the stock component which is linked to the performance of the company.

I do not think that there are many companies in India, perhaps there is no company in India which has stated long-term goal in quantifiable terms and that is linked to the CEO compensation.

In FY16, Sikka was paid a total remuneration of Rs 48.73 crore, an increase of 752 per cent over the previous year, which included a basic salary of Rs 5.96 crore and bonus and incentives of Rs 42.44 crore. In FY15, Sikka was not paid for the full year since his appointment was effective from June 14, 2014.

In February this year, Infosys board while approving the extension of Sikkas term as CEO & MD till March 31, 2021, has also approved to raise his compensation package by close to 60 per cent from $7.08 million at present to $11 million (around Rs 76 crore), effective April 1, 2016.

The changes has been made to aligns Sikka's term with its vision 2020 by when the company aspire to cross $20 billion in revenues with an operating margin of 30 per cent.
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said he was "disappointed and profoundly saddened" by Rajan's decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.

IMAGE: Raghuram Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013 when Chidambaram was the finance minister. Photograph: Reuters

The Congress on Sunday accused RSS and some BJP ministers of lobbying against RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and said his decision not to seek second term was the "most unpleasant thing" for the country.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said the present regime does not deserve a person of Rajan's level.

"I don't know the reason. Of course it is well known to him. But the manner in which some of the BJP spokespersons and also Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ... also one important leader Subramanian Swamy.... Some of these people including Nagpur RSS camp (were) lobbying against him," Moily said.

Terming it as the "most unpleasant thing" for the country, he said, "I think in the present context of the governance and also the present regime, I think they do not deserve a person of his level. He is a global person. I think the country was endowed with him."

Echoing similar views, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said that the people were feeling "very safe and secure" with the kind of measures taken by the RBI Governor.

"But in the last few days, the kind of expressions which were used attributing certain motives which were never there in his performance and his functioning. I think if there is a person with a moral framework, somebody committed to his values, what else do you expect him to do," he said.

Rajan has taken the right decision because "seeking a second term would have meant working with people like Swamy," he added.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who ran a tirade against Rajan, took a jibe at the outgoing RBI Governor over his decision, saying whatever "fig leaf" he wants for hiding the reality, the people should not grudge it and wish him goodbye.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said he was "disappointed and profoundly saddened" by Rajan's decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.

"As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser," he said, alleging that the government had invited this development through a craftily-planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist.

Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013 when Chidambaram was the finance minister.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had alleged that the government had "hounded" a good man as it did not have the courage to ask him to leave.

"The message that this fascist government is sending to regulators is that if you do not toe our line we will mount a campaign of calumny and wild insinuations and bludgeon you into submission. What Rajan has done is what any self-respecting man under such circumstances will do," he had said, adding the RBI governor had done "phenomenal" work in his tenure.
'I wish Rajan all the very best for the years ahead,' Chanda Kochhar said.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not seek a second term is a "personal one" which everybody should respect, Chanda Kochhar MD & CEO, ICICI Bank said.

"Rajan's decision to return to academia is a personal one which we must respect. I wish Rajan all the very best for the years ahead," Kochhar said in a statement.

In her comments, which come a day after Rajan surprised all by disclosing his decision to return back to the University of Chicago, Kochhar said under him, the RBI played a major role in steering the economy in a volatile world.

There has been a widespread criticism about the government's inability to retain Rajan, who has been widely lauded for his leadership during the three-year stint at the central bank, for another term.

Rajan's decision, which came after sharp criticism by ruling BJP's Subramanian Swamy where the lawmaker also questioned the Governor's patriotism, has been used by the Opposition to attack the government.

"Today, India is the world's fastest growing large economy with stable macroeconomic indicators...India will continue to remain on a very robust growth path," Kochhar said.
He'd be running a successful aviation business, says Anjuli Bhargava.

Thomas Flohr (above, centre) is nothing like what I expected.

After reading a piece on him and his multi-million-dollar Swiss home in St Moritz in a New York Times supplement, I had expected to meet a flamboyant, flashy, real-life James Bond, enmeshed in a life of women, fast cars and fancy airplanes.

We are meeting for tea, but there's no possibility for us to host it because we meet in his private suite at The Imperial hotel in Delhi. He's already sipping some mint tea and I stick to plain, cold water. I spot some biscuits in a corner, but there's no time to incorporate them in our chat.

Flohr is a well-known figure in global aviation circles after he disrupted the air charter business by offering a subscription-based service in 2005 for the rich and famous. Like many aviation moguls, his lifestyle too has attracted attention.

He is in India to expand his client base by attending small dinners hosted by existing clients where he would get to meet prospective ones.

I begin by asking him when he saw his first James Bond film and what, in these films, could have possibly left such a deep influence on him? After reading the NYT piece, I had quickly brushed up on my own meagre knowledge of Bond films, convinced that any conversation with him would require me to be up to date.

He figures I am referring to the NYT piece and sets the record straight by saying that while he likes the films like anyone else, he's far from being obsessed with James Bond or the life he represents. He couldn't even recall when and where he saw his first Bond movie. "The article was a bit overdone."

The son of a teacher -- his mother was a housewife -- and the brother of a doctor, Flohr decided to break the family mould and become an entrepreneur, a path his family couldn't really relate to.

Fluent in five languages, he grew up in the Swiss-German part of Europe and left home at the age of 18 to study in Munich.

He was working in the US in a job that entailed charter flying when he spotted an opportunity.

The proposition was simple. When one booked a presidential suite at the Peninsula or the Four Seasons for, say, $15,000 a night, one knew what one was going to get, no matter which part of the world you booked it in.

So, when you are paying $15,000 an hour for an aircraft ride, aren't you entitled to know what you are going to get?

The lack of standardisation in the aircraft charter business irked him. An industry selling to the smartest, most influential people in the world and there was no brand!

In 2002-2003, Flohr took his first big risk when he bought two aircraft from his personal savings. He followed it up in 2005 with an even bigger risk: three more airplanes. But with that, VistaJet -- the disrupter in the aircraft charter business -- found its feet.

Last year, the company flew 40,000 passengers with a fleet of 61 aircraft (it's still a subscription-based service), with 20 per cent of his clients coming from Asia.

But wouldn't the Arabs and some Indians prefer to buy their own planes, I ask. In these parts, I expect ownership of an aircraft is as much about need as it is about making a statement.

He says that's a lifestyle choice, but it makes no financial sense.

A Global Express (aircraft type) costs between $50 million and $55 million. The average use of a business jet is 250 hours a year. With interest at five per cent and depreciation at seven per cent, it works out to $6 million in capital cost a year.

Divide that by 250 and it works out to $24,000 per hour in capital cost alone. If one adds other expenses, it works out to $30,000 an hour.

VistaJet offers the service at $17,000 an hour, minus the headache of maintenance. "uying an aircraft is a complete waste. I'd say invest the spare cash in your business or buy something beautiful like a diamond ring for your wife. A plane is a utility -- and one that will decrease in value."

When people buy aircraft from personal funds, he argues, they make an "emotional" choice, but with boards being asked to fund planes, the decision-making will be more rational. Moreover, he's brought brand new airplanes to places like India, Africa and China; charters would typically offer 15- to 20-year-old planes to these markets.

His addressable market today is 7,000 aircraft (planes that fly between seven and 13 hours non-stop). These flew 1.7 million hours last year.

His current market share is around 2.5 per cent. This market will grow to 2.9 million hours over the next five years and there's no reason why he can't get to five to 10 per cent market share in this business with high entry barriers.

So in the next five years he could conceivably be flying around 100,000 hours and have a fleet of 100 to 120 planes.

Currently, Flohr owns his company outright, giving him the freedom to take his own decisions as opposed to following the dictates of a board. But as and when the need arises, he will bring in other shareholders.

Since I am thinking neither of buying a plane nor of subscribing to his service, I change tack. Doesn't it get lonely where he's perched? His own home, Eagle's Nest, is on a lonely slope in the Swiss Alps.

He's not lonely in the literal sense. He has some neighbours, meets hundreds of people through the year and doesn't mind the peace and quiet when he's home. But here's the thing: "The more successful you get, the more people you attract, so literally speaking you don't get more lonely."

When you disrupt an industry -- like he has -- initially you are lonely because people don't believe you will do it and when you do, you are lonely as envy, jealousy and other such emotions come into play. So, one of the fallouts of success can -- in a certain sense -- be loneliness.

I push on. What if those who surround him are attracted only by his success and wealth? How in his position can he tell his real friends from those who seek the rub-off?

He says one has to have clear moral and ethical standards in one's mind. He has friends who he has known for well over 20 years and they are still his friends. "I think over time, one develops a good sense of who is around you for what reason."

A regular squash player, Flohr enjoys cooking Italian meals for his friends and does it from scratch -- right from choosing the ingredients to presenting it MasterChef style.

He's divorced and busy as hell. How then did he raise -- and manage to keep grounded -- his daughter Nina, now 28

If he's beginning to wonder what kind of business report this is, he manages to keep it well hidden. He says it was hard when she was growing up: she was educated at a boarding school in the UK and he was jetting around the world. But he always made time for her.

"We'd fly off economy to the south of Argentina and stay in tents. Then we'd go off on a Concorde to Barbados. Let's say I let her experience all the extremes."

He never gave her a curfew. He let her decide what was right and what was wrong and the strategy paid off. Today, father and daughter are best friends; they love travelling together (he's just back from Kenya) and, in some ways, she's a tougher businesswoman today than he is.

Will she take charge of VistaJet at some point?

She has designed the insides of his aircraft -- down to the minutiae -- but there is no such plan, he says. He has a strong management team and his daughter is free to do whatever she wants.

Three years ago, Nina asked him to give her an opportunity to become an entrepreneur with a real estate project in Mozambique, Africa, his favourite continent. He says she has to make her own money and she has debts to pay off for her business.

She works 15 hours a day to make it happen and it is 'good ole' work that keeps her focused. It's something she has seen him do all his life.

Today, he's proud of who she has become.

As our conversation is forced to draw to a close -- time has run out -- I tell him I had come expecting to meet either a Swiss Vijay Mallya or some kind of James Bond, so the delight of not finding either has overwhelmed me. The person I have just met is simply Thomas Flohr.

Photograph: Kind courtesy VistaJet.com
'Instead of camping in the cities and leading the party, leaders have to go to the interiors of the country.'

'The Congress is losing touch with the common man.'

IMAGE: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandh-Vadra play tribute on Rajiv Gandhi's 25th death anniversary, May 21, 2016. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI

Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was home minister in the Oommen Chandy-led United Democratic Front government from 2012 to 2014.

In 2014, he had to give up the home minister's post for Ramesh Chennithala, factionalism within the party forcing the change in portfolio.

From home minister, he became the minister in charge of forests, transport, sports, cinema and environment.

In the May 16, 2016 Kerala assembly election, he successfully fought anti-incumbency to become the Congressman who won with the largest number of votes!

Radhakrishnan below, left, spoke to Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com, about the Congress defeat in Kerala and the party's future nationwide.

Did you expect this kind of setback for the Congress in the assembly elections?

I never expected this kind of a setback. We were quite hopeful of getting a good number of seats.

We had concentrated on two things -- that we had done a lot of developmental activities in the last five years, which was happening in Kerala for the first time. Then, we had done a lot of work to help and include the marginalised in society.

We thought these two programmes, which had great impact on people and society, would be appreciated by the people of Kerala.

We were hopeful that these two initiatives would have a positive effect from the point of view of an election and fetch us votes.

But we could not retaliate strongly to the kind of blackmail politics which the Left indulged.

What do you mean by blackmail politics?

The kind of allegations they raised against Oommen Chandy. The Left did not even touch upon the development activities we did because it would be advantageous for us if they spoke of it.

Finally, we did not get the numbers that we expected.

When I spoke to Ramesh Chennithala, he said it was a humiliating defeat for the UDF.

It was very humiliating. There were three leaders in the Congress and the entire Congress party followed whatever these three leaders decided upon.

Surely by three leaders you mean Oommen Chandy, V M Sudheeran and Chennithala.

Oommen Chandy, Sudheeran and Ramesh Chennithala took all the decisions for the party.

It is not that the party men did not follow their decisions, but it is obvious that whatever decisions taken by these three were not acceptable to the people of Kerala.

Till the rape and murder of Jisha occurred, it was expected to be a close fight between the UDF and the LDF (Left Democratic Front)...

Yes, it was close till the Jisha incident took place. It was a huge setback for the UDF government that we were not able to catch the culprits. The LDF used it as a strong weapon against us.

The campaign that women were not safe in Kerala and there was no good governance in the state worked well for the LDF...

Exactly! If we had caught the culprits before voting day, the result would have been different.

How much did factionalism affect the party in this election?

More than the corrupt image, it was the disputes within the party that affected the government more.

It is also true that we could not show a clean image of the government to the public. The public perception of the government was not very clean.

Partymen were washing dirty linen in public. When we could have solved the disagreements and problems within the party, so many partymen took them out in the open, which gave the perception that there was no unity within the party.

It was known to the public that there were many factions and many leaders within the party and it was not under a single leader.

When factionalism took its ugly turn and many voices came out in the open, it became obvious that the party was not under a single leader.

That was when the high command asked these three people to create a collective leadership, and the partymen were following the collective decisions of these three leaders.

Do you think A K Antony commenting once that the UDF was appeasing the minorities and the image that the UDF was an anti-Hindu front made Hindus vote for the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) this time?

The Congress losing the support of the Hindus was because of the emergence of the BJP in Kerala.

I feel this is only temporary. Because they are in power in Delhi, they thought they would be able to make an impact here, but they have not been able to get inroads in the state as they had expected.

The BJP campaigned not to open its account, but to capture power in Kerala. They had said their aim was to get 70 plus seats.

What did they get ultimately?

Is it also not true that the BJP came second in quite a few constituencies and got more than 15 per cent vote share in the state?

Shashi Tharoor felt the state could expect three cornered contests in the future.

I also agree that triangular contests are going to be a reality. It will be the Congress versus the Left versus the BJP.

We can never agree with the communal policies of the BJP. Though the Left is secular, we can never agree with the violent politics they indulge in.

We will consolidate the votes of all those who cannot agree with the Left's violent politics and the BJP's communal politics.

A majority of Keralites should have accepted the secular, non-violent face of the Congress, but this time it did not happen.

Muslims have always been with the Congress, but Muslim votes in those constituencies where the Muslim League did not have a candidate went to the Left. Does this worry you?

Yes, the party has to definitely find out why it happened that way.

Does the fact that many Hindus in south and north Kerala voted for the BJP worry you?

It is only temporary. The sudden emergence of the BJP has caused this. It is not a matter to worry about.

Digvijay Singh tweeted that the Congress needed not just introspection, but surgery after it lost many states.

I won't say the party needs surgery, but if we have to overcome the current crisis, it is true that at the national level, the Congress has to improve upon its organisational capacity.

Instead of camping in the cities and leading the party, leaders have to go to the interiors of the country.

The Congress is losing touch with the common man. It is high time the party got in touch with the common man.

Among all the Congressmen in Kerala, at 33,650 votes I got the largest number. I could achieve this and win my seat when the entire Kerala was voting against the Congress only because I was always available for the people, and I was there to solve their problems.

I also carried with me all the partymen and our campaign was a joint effort.

Many observers question Rahul Gandhi's leadership abilities and the party's dependence on one family (the Nehru-Gandhis).

I don't agree with this observation. The Congress is united only because of this one family.

The presence of the Nehru/Gandhi family is the reason behind the unity in the party.

If you question them today, the side effects would be terrible.

You mean the party will disintegrate?

Yes, without the Gandhi family, the party will disintegrate completely.

Nobody else can keep the Congress united like the Gandhi family. So, their presence is extremely essential for the party.
Amidst a spar between the ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday greeted Uddhav Thackeray on Shiv Senas 50th anniversary, even as he greatly missed party founder late Balasaheb Thackerays guidance.

Shiv Sena completes 50 years today. My heartfelt greetings to party chief Uddhav Thackeray and the party workers, Fadnavis said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Late party supremo Balasaheb Thackerays guidance has always proved valuable. He is greatly missed today! he said in another tweet.

Talking about the CMs tweets, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader said Fadnavis statement is an indication that had Balasaheb been alive, the 25-year-old alliance between both parties would not have broken (ahead of the 2014 Maharashtra assembly polls) and the Sena would not have constantly targeted the BJP on each and every issue, which it is seen doing today.

Had Balasaheb been alive today, he would not have let the two decades year old alliance break. There had always been ups and downs in our relations, but they were resolved amicably. But lately, the taunts and criticism have increased way beyond the permissible limits! the leader said.

The CM rightly said that Balasaheb is sorely missed today, he added.

The Sena is hosting a grand event on Sunday evening at Mumbais NSE ground in Goregaon East showcasing its 50 years of political journey that has been shaped by the contribution of Balasaheb Thackeray and his family.

However, in an apparent snub to BJP ahead of the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, Sena has not invited its ally for the event.

The partys mega show is being seen as sounding of poll bugle for the prestigious BMC elections.
The visit comes ahead of the NSG plenary meeting in Seoul on June 23 and 24.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to enlist support for Indias bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group which is being opposed by China.

Jaishankars visit came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the 48-nation atomic trading bloc scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where Indias membership is likely to be discussed.

Yes, I can confirm foreign secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including Indias NSG membership, were discussed, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Sunday.

China has been strongly opposing Indias membership at the premier club arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Earlier this week, Chinas official media said Indias NSG membership would jeopardise Chinas national interests besides touching a raw nerve in Pakistan. The Chinese foreign ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG remain divided on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for full discussions.

India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its membership of the bloc whose members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology. The US has backed India and asked various NSG members to support New Delhis bid.

It is understood that a number of countries including Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand were not in favour of Indias entry into the NSG.

India had managed to secure support of NSG members Switzerland and Mexico during Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to these two countries as part of a five-nation tour. Mexico and Switzerland were known to have strong nuclear proliferation concerns and were not in favour of allowing NSG membership to countries which were not signatory to NPT.

The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one countrys vote against India will scuttle its bid.

Indias access to the NSG, a body that regulates the global trade of nuclear technology, is expected to open up the international market for Indias domestic nuclear energy programme.

India has been campaigning for membership of the bloc for last few years and had formally moved its application on May 12.

The NSG had granted an exclusive waiver to India in 2008 to access civil nuclear technology after China reluctantly backed Indias case based on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Pakistans Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 300 million in its budget to a madrassa known as the University of Jihad and having top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including its former chief Mullah Omar.

I am proudly announcing that Darul Uloom Haqqania Nowshera will get Rs 300 million to meet its annual expenditures, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister Shah Farman told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly this week.

He said the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was not raiding and targeting religious institutions but has been cooperating and providing financial assistance to it.

The madrassa in Akora Khattak in Nowshera district of the province is known for having several top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including former Taliban chief Mullah Omar who received an honorary doctorate from the seminary.

Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader Asim Umar and slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a US drone strike last month, were among alumni of the seminary which is dubbed as the University of Jihad.

When asked about such a big chunk of financial assistance to a single seminary, Minister for Religious Affairs Habibur Rehman said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had promised to Haqqania madrassas administration financial assistance of Rs 150 million which was adjusted in the Auqaf fund this year, the News International reported.

Darul Uloom Haqqania is one of the oldest and largest seminaries of Pakistan and it deserves financial assistance, Rehman, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Rehman said that Rs 150 million would be provided to the madrassa in 2016-17 while the remaining amount would be given to it next year.

Founded in 1947, the Islamic seminary is currently headed by Maulana Sami ul Haq, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. He also serves as the chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 groups, including Hafeez Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Farman said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was providing financial assistance to other seminaries and mosques in the province.
The United States President Barack Obama and the First Family headed to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park in California over the weekend.

IMAGE: US President Barack Obama speaks about the National Park Service at Yosemite National Park, California. Photographs: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The family vacation comes a week after the oldest daughter, Malia, graduated from the private Sidwell Friends School at an outdoor ceremony that the family attended.

I want to make sure that the American people are able to enjoy the incredible national parks, the incredible beauty, the mountains, the oceans that have been one of the greatest gifts that we have ever received, Obama said in a Facebook video about the trip.

IMAGE: US President Barack Obama is followed by U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha and Malia as they arrive at Yosemite National Park.

I want to make sure that the whole world is able to pass on to future generations the God-given beauty of this planet I want to make sure that the whole world is able to pass on to future generations.

Speaking at the park, Obama said park rangers were also experiencing the effects of climate change: meadows are drying out, bird migrations are shifting elsewhere and higher temperatures are sending some animals to higher elevations.

IMAGE: The US president waves to well wishers as he greets park rangers at Yosemite.

Since taking office in 2009, Obama said his government has protected well over 100 million hectares of public lands and water, more than any other previous US administration.

The park service was created in August 1916. Yosemite, near Fresno, California, is among the 10 most popular parks, with about 4 million people visiting annually. It is known for its waterfalls, but also boasts ancient giant sequoia trees and a vast wilderness area.

IMAGE: US President Barack Obama and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama take part in "Every Kid in a Park" with children at Yosemite.

The park visits will cap a difficult week for Obama that opened with Sunday's shooting deaths of 49 party-goers at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub by a lone gunman.

IMAGE: Obama is helped up by children as US First Lady Michelle Obama watches during an "Every Kid in a Park" event at Yosemite.
Hundreds of thousands of yoga lovers from London to Melbourne have rolled out mats to bend and twist their bodies in complex postures to mark the second International Day of Yoga with fervour.

IMAGE: Yoga practitioners prep ahead of International Day of Yoga in Melbourne, Australia. Photograph: MEAIndia/Flickr

The high commission of India and the Indian governments Tourist Office in London, in collaboration with 14 British yoga institutions marked International Day of Yoga today, two days ahead of its second anniversary.

The day-long event at Potters Fields Park, near the iconic Tower Bridge, saw over 10,000 people from all walks of life participating in various yoga and meditation sessions.

In South Africa, thousands gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Hundreds of yoga enthusiasts of all religions and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburgs ZooLake park.

IMAGE: Around 1,000 yoga lovers welcome upcoming celebrations of Yoga in Eastern China. Photograph: MEAIndia/Flickr

The Indian high commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg coordinated events with a host of community organisations.

The second International Day of Yoga was also celebrated across major Australian cities including Canberra and Melbourne with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hailing yoga as one of Indias gifts to the world.

Turnbull commended Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of supporting global peace and well-being and described the ancient practice of yoga as one of Indias gifts to the world and acknowledged its aim to develop resilience, thoughtfulness, respect and harmony, towards each other and the world.

Meanwhile, in China a large number of yoga enthusiasts on Saturday participated in events held across the country in association with the Indian Embassy to mark the celebrations leading up to the second International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Chinas Wuxi city organised the biggest yoga get together today in which 3,500 people took part.

IMAGE:Yoga sessions around Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photograph: MEAIndia/Flickr

The event was hosted at the iconic Wuxi Hollywood Studios and nearly 3,500 yoga lovers from Wuxi registered and participated.

In America, Indian classical dances and demonstration of popular yoga asanas on the lawns of magnificent US Congress on Saturday kicked off the week-long International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Yoga enthusiasts and health conscious Americans turned up in large number to enjoy dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam and flex their muscles under the guidance of trained yoga instructors.

IMAGE: Preparation of second International Day of Yoga in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photograph: MEAIndia/Flickr

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he had not anticipated the enormous enthusiasm from across the globe for his call which had led the United Nations to declare June 21 as the International Yoga Day last year, asserting that yoga was much more than a physical exercise.

When I outlined a vision for an International Day of Yoga in September 2014 at the United Nations General Assembly, even I did not anticipate the enormous enthusiasm for the occasion from all corners of the world, he said in a video message ahead of the second International Yoga Day on Tuesday.

Modi said the support and participation of the people last year and once again now redeems the commitment to nurture and promote this ancient discipline and reaffirms yoga as an exemplary manifestation of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world as one family).

I recall the iconic images from that momentous day last year. All the way from the Pacific Islands to Port of Spain, from Vladivostok to Vancouver and from Copenhagen to Cape Town, thousands gathered to unite the bodies and minds through the practice of yoga, the prime minister said.

IMAGE: People do yoga during International Yoga Day in Minsk, Belarus. Photograph: Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters

And the reverberations of the discipline found a natural home at the UN Headquarters in New York, where the journey had begun, he said. Through a historic resolution, the UN General Assembly designated 21 June International Day of Yoga last year.

Maintaining that yoga is much more than a physical exercise, he said it enables us to access a new dimension of the self, even while providing a holistic approach to preventive healthcare and well-being.

Yoga helps us to restore our balance and furnishes us with a much-needed sense of clarity. And through its unifying power, we seek completeness, and at the same time, a oneness with the world, he said.

IMAGE: People across the community of all ages and backgrounds perform yoga at Kingsbury Mandir, UK. Photograph: Twitter

It gives me great pleasure to address you as we prepare for the 2nd International Day of Yoga -- this unique occasion that brings all of us together to celebrate the invaluable gift of Indias ancient tradition, Modi said.

He thanked the people for their commitment to promote the discipline, saying Today all of you are the ambassadors of yoga, taking forward Indias ancient message to the world.
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Community leaders discuss future of mental health services in Morgan County

A large crowd gathered at First Christian Church to learn about local efforts that are underway to manage growing mental health pressures facing the city and all of Morgan County.
Hallmark may not make a Father's Day card specifically for dads like Phil Morgan, Tony Grisham, and Mike Bean, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.

The three men, and thousands more like them nationwide, are special dads. All dads are, of course, but these guys fit into a different mold. They, along with their wives, are house parents, the folks who serve as surrogate moms and dads to children living in group homes.

Morgan and Grisham are house dads at Hendrick Home for Children in Abilene, and Bean is campus director and a former house parent at the Albany campus of Ben Richey Boy Ranch and Family Program.

The children's home and the boys ranch provide homes for children whose parents cannot care for them.

This will be Morgan's first Father's Day as a group dad, but he knows what to expect. It will be exactly like Father's Day with his biological children. And for good reason  the kids at Hendrick Home are exactly the same to him as the ones he raised in his own home.

'Basically,' Morgan said, 'I try to be the same kind of dad to them I was with my own kids.'

The other group home dads say the same thing. And the youngsters they are raising know that they receive the same love and respect as their house parents' biological children.

When Marquis Thurman, 19, graduated last October from the Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego, his group home dad was at the top of the invitation list.

Thurman grew up at the Ben Richey campus in Albany with Mike Bean and his wife, Pam, serving as house parents. From the beginning, Bean was the man Thurman needed in his life.

'He helped me stay on track,' Thurman said.

Bean was the one who guided Thurman into the military and he was the one who followed his progress through boot camp, all the way through graduation. Next month, Thurman will ship out to Japan to begin his service.

'He was actually the first one to come and see me,' Thurman said about Bean visiting him at boot camp.

On Father's Day, Andy Henson, 26, will make two phone calls, 'Mike and my granddad.'

Henson, a professional rodeo cowboy, might be in Utah or Montana, maybe even Canada, but wherever he is, he will call Mike Bean on Father's Day.

'He taught me how to be a man,' Henson said. 'He held you accountable for your actions.'

Henson arrived at the Ben Richey Albany campus when he was 10. He graduated from Albany High School in 2008, then attended Abilene Christian University to run track. He didn't graduate, but did gain enough knowledge to become a crop insurance adjuster, which he was for six years in Amarillo, before joining the rodeo circuit as a steer wrestler.

In Amarillo, Henson lived with a family who had a son his age. The husband in the home became somewhat of a father figure to Henson, too. Today, Henson holds all three men  Bean, his grandfather and the father of his friend  in high esteem.

'Those are the top three men I look up to,' he said.

Mike and Pam Bean joined the Ben Richey campus in Abilene in May 2002, nine months after their son was killed in an industrial accident in Brownfield, near Lubbock. Bean was on the Brownfield police force and was the first officer on the accident scene  not knowing it was his only child who was the victim.

'He literally died in my hands,' Bean said.

The son was 18. His death left Bean an emotionless man who just went through the motions of being a policeman. He cared so little about living that he even went into dangerous situations without his protective vest, tempting fate.

Before Bean joined the police force, he and his wife had talked about becoming house parents. After the death of their son, they returned to that thought and when an opening came up at Ben Richey Boys Ranch and Family Program, they applied.

They were accepted and moved to Abilene in May 2002. They later adopted a daughter in 2006. To the Beans, the adopted daughter and the children under their care at the boys ranch are the same.

'We sink everything we've got into these kids,' Bean said.

For Phil Morgan and Tony Grisham, it's the same story. Morgan and his wife, Nicki, both have children from previous marriages. They have a total of five children and several grandchildren. Currently, they are house parents to seven girls at Hendrick Home for Children, ages 8 to 17.

'It can be challenging,' Morgan said, but worth every minute.

They try to run their cottage at Hendrick home the same way they ran their own household. Most of the children at the home come from unstable situations. The Morgans understand that and develop a relationship with the children as fast as possible. It usually doesn't take long for all of them to function as a family.

'It really doesn't take any time,' Phil Morgan said, 'until you love them like your own kids.'

Tony Grisham and his wife, Teresa, just celebrated 20 years as house parents at Hendrick Home for Children. In those 20 years, they have parented 107 children. Grisham said the average life span of a house parent is nine months.

'We've knocked all the odds out of the ballpark,' he said.

It's easy to see why. They have developed close relationships with all those children, relationships they maintain today.

'They're almost like our blood kids,' Grisham said. 'There's been lots of good success.'

If the children living in group homes today want to peer into the future to see how their lives might turn out, they needn't look any further than their own backyard.

Lee Kirgan is a freelance videographer in Abilene. He grew up at Cal Farley's, a home for children located on a ranch near Amarillo. Some of the house dads he grew up with made a lasting impression.

'I find myself, as I raise my children,' Kirgan said, 'invoking their words.'

In Kirgan's day, the ranch was for boys only but now is coed. In those days, the home housed 24 boys per living quarters, with one set of house parents on each end of the dormitory-like structure. They attended their own school on the ranch. It was in school that Kirgan first met Kerry Fortune, who taught agriculture classes.

'He was an amazing teacher,' Kirgan said.

Fast forward 30 years and Kirgan and Fortune still are close  literally. Fortune is president of the Ben Richey Boys Ranch and Family Program in Abilene. Kirgan is a great supporter of the local boys ranch and Cal Farley's.

In fact, he believes that in many ways he had advantages over other youths who may not have been exposed to as many opportunities as he and the other residents of Cal Farley's.

'I can't imagine life without having been there,' Kirgan said. 'To this day, we're there for our brothers and our sisters.'
Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Elisha Hutchinson (right) hands out chopped brisket to people during the Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center.

SHARE Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Azalea Allen, 3, munches on a barbecue sandwich during the Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News People eat together during the free lunch as part of the Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center.

By Dan Carpenter, Special to the Reporter-News

More than 150 years after slavery was abolished in the United States, residents of Abilene and the surrounding area gathered at the Civic Center Saturday to remember, fellowship and celebrate.

The annual Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement to slaves in Texas by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union army, has been observed in Abilene for more than 30 years, said Iziar Lankford, the organizer of this year's event.

"Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States," said Lankford, pastor of Southwest Drive United Methodist Church. "This is our first year at the Civic Center because we needed a larger venue."

Hosted by the Abilene Black Chamber of Commerce, Interested Citizens of Abilene North (I-CAN) and the Dyess African American Heritage Committee, Saturday's event featured a car and bike show, games, free lunch, a gospel fest and a health fair.

The coordinator of the health fair said it was important to include a health element in the Juneteenth celebration.

"Good health is important for all people, but within the African American community, there is a high risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes," said Dr. Terrenia Fitts, who noted that 12 agencies participated, passed out educational material and answered questions. "The health fair is an opportunity for community agencies, like the hospitals, the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District and others to get the word about what services are available in Abilene. But it's also a great opportunity to increase health awareness."

Lashannea Brooks, of Abilene, attended the Juneteenth celebration with her granddaughter, Blessing, and a couple of friends.

"This was the first time I've attended this event in Abilene," Brooks said. "I'm glad I came because I got a lot of information and celebrated this important day with other like-minded people."

Lankford said he hopes to see the day when Juneteenth is taught in schools and recognized as a national holiday.

"Right now, Juneteenth is a Texas holiday, and it is being talked about more and more around the country," he said. "Major cities across Texas  and all across the United States  take time to do big events for Juneteenth. I sincerely hope I live to see the day when it is a national holiday as well. This is an important part of our history.

"It is heartwarming to know my ancestors saw the importance of remembering the day the slaves were freed, and I consider it a privilege and honor to carry it on for my kids and my grandkids."
Growing up, Rosa Lopez learned that when it came to whatever food was on hand, the youngest always got their fill first.

Lopez, 42, now a single mother of four boys ages 9 to 19, now applies that ethic to her own family, even when sufficient food is hard to come by.

A recent bout of bad luck now has her staying at Abilene's Salvation Army with her children, providing at least some relief about meals.

'Anytime I need something, I know they'll help out,' she said of the Christian aid organization, which has assisted her in the past.

But even in better times, margins are often lean, she said. Lopez works at a local cookie factory, taking the overnight 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift because it pays a bit more.

'They're growing boys, so it's really hard paying bills and rent and everything that comes along with it,' said Lopez. 'Even though my oldest sons help out a lot, it's still hard.'

The USDA defines 'food insecurity' as limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.

The result of food insecurity is not enough access to sufficient food for an active, healthy life for all household members.

Food insecurity 'is a problem we confront on a daily basis,' said Jody Houston, chief executive officer with the Food Bank of West Central Texas, in an email.

'And with the school year coming to an end it is especially concerning for the children in need,' she said.

Christy McLay, childhood hunger program coordinator with the Food Bank, said that she doesn't believe people are generally aware of the realities of food insecurity.

'There are kids out here that go home hungry, that are hungry on the weekends that have empty stomachs when they go to bed,' she said. 'It's kind of a hush-hush situation.'

Identifying the Problem

The USDA estimates that 13.4 percent of households experience food insecurity, while 5.6 percent experience 'very low' food security.

Texas skews greater than that average, with 17.2 percent of households experiencing food insecurity and 6.2 percent experiencing 'very low' security.

Data from Texas KIDS COUNT at the Center for Public Policy Priorities estimates between 1.7 and 1.91 million children in Texas experienced food insecurity between 2010 and 2013.

The organization reported that in 2012 and 2013, 27.4 percent of children in Texas were estimated to be food insecure as defined by the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.

Taylor County generally skewed close to, but still somewhat behind, those figures. According to KIDS COUNT, the number of food-insecure children rose each year from 7,500 in 2010 to 8,540 in 2013, topping out in the latter year at 26.4 percent of children.

Jay D. Towell, director of student nutrition with the Abilene ISD, said that food insecurity can manifest in a variety of ways.

'You have a segment of kids that may not eat at all when they go home, and then you have a segment of kids that may have something to eat but it's a very poor nutrition quality type of product,' he said.

A family may choose to buy very cheap but not quite nutritious foods, he said, simply because of economic factors.

'If you're buying five boxes of macaroni and cheese for a dollar, at 20 cents a box you're not getting a nutritious product,' he said. 'You're getting a lot of starch and preservatives, etc. But perhaps that's all that family can afford.'

Fully 67 percent of AISD's students are classified as economically disadvantaged, Towell said. The district has more than 9,700 students approved for free meals, almost 1,500 approved for reduced meals.

In the academic environment, not only must children have enough time to eat and enough opportunities to eat, but nutrition is a vital component of kids' overall academic success, Towell said.

'You have to feed the body before you feed the mind, period,' he said.

Texas' universal free mandate states that for campuses that qualify, children receive a breakfast at no charge to their account, he said.

'The qualification is any campus that has 80 percent or more enrolled students that are approved for meal benefits or free and reduced price meals,' Towell said.

Towell said that while the laws have a good intent, they aren't perfect business models.

'Those students would be given a breakfast no charge to their account, but then we put in a claim and we can only charge them at the reimbursement rate of free, reduced or paid,' he said. 'I lose out on $80,000 of revenue each year by doing these programs. So it's a big price tag, but we're feeding kids.'

The district's Breakfast in the Classroom program is 'exactly the same way,' he said.

The USDA does have a potential dinner program for schools, but labor needs are a primary reason those programs are infrequently  if ever  offered by districts, Towell said.

The food offered by the district is highly regulated in terms of sodium, fat limits, calories and saturated fats, he said.

'The nutrition profile we have for the menu patterns in accordance with the USDA program are extremely restrictive, and they're probably the most nutritious you can get,' Towell said.

Wylie Independent School District's percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunches is less than 20 percent districtwide, said Melanie Brewer, WISD's food service director.

'Although this may be lower than other districts in our area we still have families that struggle financially and our demographics are not static  this number could easily increase with the growing number of families moving into the Wylie district,' she said.

Those figures do not take into account the families that could qualify for the programs but have not taken the necessary steps to apply for the benefits for various reasons, she said.

'Regardless of the number of students participating in the National School Lunch program/School Breakfast Program, or the affluence of some families that live in this area, the problem of food insecurity and undernourished children can reach beyond economic disadvantage to areas of poor personal food choices, lack of nutritional education, or a shortage of time or lack of effort in choosing and serving healthy foods at home,' Brewer said.

Also, with the continued increases in food costs, it is becoming more difficult for middle-income families to purchase and prepare healthful meals, she said.

Americans assume 'hunger' looks like typical advertisements for starving children, who would be considered malnourished nutritionally, Brewer said.

But hunger in America is a complex and multifaceted issue with various reasons for its existence that 'go beyond just not having enough money, she said.

'What we see here in America which should mostly be defined as 'undernourished' rather than 'malnourished,' meaning they are getting food to eat but it is of poor quality and lacking essential nutrients for a healthy body,' Brewer said.

McLay said that food insecurity is a problem that no longer needs to be hidden.

'I think people need to know what's going on and what we're doing to go out and help these kids,' she said. 'I think awareness is the biggest thing.'

Lopez would personally rather go without, she said, than see her children suffer, and some of her older children have regularly given up food off their own plates to make sure their younger siblings have enough.

'We start with the youngest one,' said. ' And of course, I give up what I have to make sure they're eating.'

Lopez gets $266 a month in food stamps, but she gets no child support or other extra money coming in.

It's frustrating, she said, when she works as hard as she can and 'I still can't get (enough),' or when ill fortune requires her to see elsewhere.

'Right now the thing that get me going every day is the boys,' she said.

But she said she will willingly continue to make sacrifices for her children to make sure they have enough.

'My dad's favorite saying was 'off of one plate, 10 people can be fed,'' she said.
Inside an Ortiz Elementary classroom during the school year, or any number of classrooms throughout the world, a student sitting at a desk puts his head down. Maybe he moans or falls asleep.

Later that day, the same student gets upset at the teacher for calling on him or her for an answer to a test question. There's only yelling, temper tantrums and disrespect in the future. He's sent for discipline to the principal's office both to teach a lesson and to remove the problem from the room.

If it happens enough, this student is branded a troublemaker. Or is bullied. Or becomes the bully to another student. Eventually, if things progress, the student just stops going to school altogether, either embarrassed or disenfranchised with education because he doesn't see the benefit to learning.

It's a vicious cycle, said Monica Diaz, instructional coordinator at Ortiz Elementary and a former math teacher at Mann Middle School.

'At the elementary level, the student might act out for attention,' she said. 'I know when I haven't eaten for a couple hours, I can't focus and I'm an adult. I can just go to my purse and grab a cracker or something. For some of these kids, the last food they ate was what they got for lunch the day before.'

At Ortiz, there are special programs designed to cut down on hunger in the classroom, but other schools in the district may not be so lucky. As a recipient of federal funding, Ortiz provides breakfast for free to all students, Diaz said. They eat in the classroom before beginning the day. Another program through the Food Bank of West Central Texas provides backpacks filled with food for the weekend to the worst off.

But what about if the student is late to school? Or if the student is absent on Friday for any reason? The effects can be long lasting, which is why the programs were started to combat the lack of food in some kitchens.

'If you don't have the nutrients you need, cognitively you're not going to process information the same way as a kid who had a full meal the night before or ate breakfast,' Diaz said. 'It doesn't matter what grade level the student is in, the effects are the same. I wish there was more I could do.'

Hunger in the classroom is such a large concern, it's actually part of the curriculum for future teachers. At Hardin-Simmons University's Irvin School of Education, Renee Collins said attention is paid to providing student teachers with the tools to decode the symptoms of behavior and performance problems.

Collins, who serves as the department chairwoman, said those students who go on to teach learn what they can and can't do for students, as well as hear about the affects of poverty in the classroom through embedded lessons relating to learning in various socioeconomic statuses.

They then must figure it out on their own, she said, with the help  hopefully  of the school and the district behind them.

'Whenever a teacher decodes the major symptoms of a child's performance or behavior in the classroom, then he or she must determine the best course of action to take in providing opportunities for children to learn,' Collins said. 'Many times teachers take personal action in providing breakfast items, snacks, plenty of water, and movement for children to exercise brain and body. Hopefully the schools provide breakfast and lunch to the children who qualify for free and reduced lunches to ensure the child can focus on something besides his or her stomach aching from hunger.'
In the wake of Sunday's attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., that left at least 49 people dead and 53 wounded, President Barack Obama renewed his call for gun control and chided Republicans for insisting on attributing the murders to 'radical Islam.'

'There is no magic to the phrase 'radical Islam.' It's a political talking point, not a strategy,' Obama said in an address Tuesday, later adding, 'We are now seeing how dangerous this kind of mindset and this kind of thinking can be.'

But Republican leaders  and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump  have pushed back. 'President Obama disgracefully refused to even say the words 'radical Islam.' For that reason alone, he should step down,' Trump said in a statement.

Does the language matter? Do American leaders understand who the enemy is?

Joel Mathis. Does President Obama know who the enemy is? What a perfectly ridiculous question. He's the president who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden, after all. And he's spent the majority of his presidency quietly overseeing a drone war to assassinate militants  in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere  he's judged pose a threat to the United States.

The drone war has problems: Far too many innocents have been killed, and there's reason to believe the targeting process could use a few more checks and balances. But Obama's actions indicate that he's more than sufficiently aware of the dangers posed by terrorists and more than willing to take the fight to them.

So why doesn't he use the phrase 'radical Islam?' Because he's interested in protecting Americans.

The Islamic State and other militant groups want the broader Muslim world to believe it is in a civilizational war with the West. The rhetoric of Trump and his fellow Republicans who demand the president say 'radical Islam' aids their cause immeasurably.

'When we use loose language that appears to pose a civilizational conflict between the West and Islam, or the modern world and Islam, then we make it harder, not easier, for our friends and allies and ordinary people to resist and push back against the worst impulses inside the Muslim world,' Obama said recently.

'This is not a thought of Obama's alone,' the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg  who has his own criticisms of Obama  wrote recently. 'Based on my own conversations at the Pentagon and in the intelligence community, I can say with reasonable certainty that there are no senior-level national security professionals in the U.S. who believe that it is in America's best interest to risk making Islam itself the enemy.'

Get that? Obama has the national security establishment on his side on this issue. It's not because they're namby-pamby peaceniks. It's also worth noting: President George W. Bush took almost exactly the same approach, for exactly the same reason.

It's often the case that Republicans prize faux-toughness  and scoring political points against Democrats  over smarts in protecting Americans from violence. That's simply foolish.

Ben Boychuk. President Obama is wrong. What the phrase 'radical Islam' may lack in 'magic'  as the president put it  it more than makes up in the one thing missing most from U.S. counterterrorism strategy these past 15 years: clarity.

Clarity  as opposed to mealy-mouthed condescension. Clarity  as opposed to politically correct rhetoric and bureaucratic obfuscation.

Clarity  and not the overly cautious, timid, infantilizing line that the U.S. government has taken since the 9/11 attacks made it obvious for anyone with eyes to see that we are at war with a distinct group of people with distinctive beliefs.

Never before in our history has the United States fought a foreign war against an abstraction. The Revolutionary War was war for independence from Great Britain. The War of 1812 was a war against British encroachments against American sovereignty. World War I was a war against German imperialism. World War II was a war against expansionist German National Socialism, Italian fascism and Japanese imperialism.

And this 'war'? It used to be the 'global war on terror,' which was bad enough. In 2013, Obama ended that 'war' and redefined the current conflict as 'a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America.'

It just so happens that those 'specific networks' of 'violent extremists' fight under the banner of violent Islamic jihad. Why not just say so?

Adjectives are important. The enemy is 'radical Islam' or 'militant Islam' or 'jihadi Islam.' Not Islam simply. Not all Muslims. Unless, of course, you think that Islam simply is all of those things.

Our enemy knows why he fights. He declares his philosophy openly. He justifies his atrocities citing chapter and verse from the Quran and the recorded sayings and traditions of Muhammad known as the Hadith. He does not deny the imperialist strain of militant Islam in history; rather, he celebrates it.

Our enemy is clear. In the absence of clarity, we're left with the sort of blinkered and insipid commentary over the past week that places the blame for a radical Muslim's murderous attack on a gay nightclub on 'transphobia,' evangelical Christianity and the National Rifle Association. It's insane.

Ben Boychuk is associate editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Joel Mathis (joelmmathis@gmail.com) is associate editor for Philadelphia Magazine. Email them at bboychuk@city-journal.org and joelmmathis@gmail.com.
About a year ago, a group of men from Midland who pray together weekly felt moved to do something to help persecuted Christians. One of the men knew Global Samaritan Resources had been involved in helping persecuted Christians in Pakistan.

Thanks to these 'Midland guys,' we began sending hundreds of thousands of servings of fortified dehydrated food directly to Iraq within a matter of months. The food is sent through the space available humanitarian aid program overseen by the Air Force. Once in Iraq, the food is distributed to refugee camps. These camps are where persecuted Christians, as well as marginalized Muslims and Yazidis are living in very difficult conditions. They are all the poorest of the poor and part of the current population of 60 million, the largest number of refugees the world has ever seen.

Our partners in Iraq are incredible people who serve these refugees daily. This is one hands-on way anyone can become personally involved. And when we do, we take love and hope directly into the face of terror.

Don't mistake me for a guy who thinks love and a warm meal will stand in the way of terror and the cruelties inflicted by the Islamic State group.

One of the truths of justice is this: strong people stand up for weak people. They stand between them and those who would harm them. Sometimes, they do it with food. And sometimes, they do it with force. I'm not a hawk, but I fully endorse saying: 'This stops here, this stops now.'

How and when to apply force is an ongoing debate. As that discussion continues, we do what we can do: take the food in and say, 'Here is some love and hope.' And to be candid, I don't mind adding, 'Take that ISIS!'

Too often people feel powerless. Or we ask, 'Why doesn't somebody do something?' We forget we are somebody. And there is something we can do. Like the Midland guys we can pray and see what happens. We can stand between the weak and the hurting and do our part. We can take food and love and hope. It is reasonable to ask, 'Is it safe?' But first we must ask, 'What can we do? What is right? How can we help?'

In 2012 I flew to Jordan, to personally visit with refugees from the Syrian war. Without exception, all the refugees I met want to go home. They want home to be a safe place, free of terror. They want the same things you and I want.

I leave for Iraq soon. I will see the distribution process of the food that left the Global Samaritan warehouse a few weeks ago, was loaded on C-130s that flew out of Dyess Air Force Base, and is now in Iraq. I had no idea when the trip was planned (just a few weeks ago) a man inspired by ISIS would commit such a horrible act of terror in Orlando. Global Samaritan has reached out to friends in Orlando and offered to help however we can.

The world community, all who love peace and respect human dignity, must stand together now. As we do we offer love and hope.

We can help you help the refugees. Global Samaritan is accepting donations to help the persecuted Christians in the refugee camps. Please give at www.globalsamaritan.org/iraq or by mail to P.O. Box 3431 Abilene, TX 79604.

Danny Sims is executive director of Abilene-based Global Samaritan Resources.
WASHINGTON  The only reasonable response to the massacre in Orlando is to ban the sale of military-style assault weapons. All else, I'm afraid, is just noise.

If this ensconces me in an ideological corner, I'm fine with that. If it insults the Constitution, so be it  any other response would do far greater harm to our freedoms. Or we could argue for a while and then do nothing. We've tried that course of action many times, and it doesn't work.

An Islamic State sympathizer was able to go into a gun store days or weeks ago and buy both a pistol and an AR-15-style semi-automatic assault rifle, which he used to kill 49 men and women at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Had he been armed with the pistol alone, he still would have killed people  but not so many. Keeping military-grade combat weapons out of the hands of maniacs should not be a controversial idea.

The Second Amendment enshrines the right to keep and bear arms, and the Supreme Court has ruled that this is an individual right, not a collective one. The court has made clear, however, that this does not preclude reasonable gun control measures. Not all weapons must be considered suitable for private hands.

When the framers wrote of 'arms,' they were thinking about muskets and single-shot pistols. They could not have foreseen modern rifles or high-capacity magazines. They lived at a time when it was impossible to imagine one man barging into a crowded room and killing more than one or two people before having to reload and surely being subdued. Today it is not only imaginable but tragically commonplace.

No hunter needs an AR-15 to bring down a deer. None of us needs such a weapon to defend our families against intruders. And for those who believe assault rifles offer protection against a hypothetical tyrannical government  or who perhaps consider the present government a tyranny  I have sobering news: If and when the black helicopters come, they will be accompanied by tanks.

Why focus exclusively on the guns? Because other proposed solutions would violate the letter and spirit of the Constitution  and surely wouldn't work anyway.

One of the presidential candidates  I don't want to sully this column with his name  has suggested a ban on Muslim immigration. The idea would be laughable if it were not so dangerously un-American.

First, it would be useless. The Orlando murderer  I don't want to use his name, either  was born not overseas but in New York, just like the presidential candidate in question. And in the San Bernardino killing spree, also inspired by the Islamic State, the wife was an immigrant but the husband was born in the United States. The self-radicalization of American citizens is not going to be solved by banning all believers in Islam from entry.

Which would be impossible, of course. I suppose immigration officers could ask every foreign visitor whether he or she is a Muslim, but then what? If the answer is no, wave them through? Stop them for further questioning if they 'look' Muslim, whatever that means? Don't you think Islamic State operatives might be smart enough to have Bibles in their carry-on rather than Qurans?

Attempting such a prohibition would also be obscene in a nation that enshrines religious freedom in the First Amendment. Enough said about this loathsome idea.

Another possible response would involve more vigilant surveillance. The Orlando shooter had been interviewed by the FBI at least twice because of alleged extremist leanings or connections. He was apparently on a terrorism watch list for a time, but was removed after authorities decided there was no need to keep him under suspicion.

By all means, Congress should immediately ban gun sales to anyone on such a watch list. But that wouldn't have helped in Orlando. No level of surveillance remotely permissible under the Constitution would allow authorities to detect all instances of self-radicalization and act on them. We put people in jail for what they do, not what they think.

Should there be universal background checks for gun purchases? Yes, of course. But the Orlando killer passed a background check. It is not possible to have a free society without the presumption of innocence.

Freedom is possible, however, without the right to buy military weapons designed for killing sprees. Banning them would not end mass killings, but it would mean fewer deaths. If we do not act, the blood of future victims will be on all of our hands.

Email Eugene Robinson at eugenerobinson@washpost.com.
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SUKHUMI -- On the evening of April 16, a lawmaker who was battling to prevent Russians from buying property in Georgias breakaway Abkhazia region stepped out of his car by the decaying Soviet-era port and set off down the palm-lined Black Sea waterfront.

Moments later, the sedan was engulfed in an explosion powerful enough to be heard in the foothills above Sukhumi, the sleepy capital of the Moscow-backed region. Two nearby vehicles were also mangled in the blast and belched black smoke into the sky:

But Almas Djapua was unhurt -- and his cause has won out, at least for now: A bill that would have allowed the sale of property to foreigners, including Russians, was withdrawn, soothing those who feared the Abkhaz themselves would be crowded out amid a Russian buying spree in the small coastal territory.

The dispute over foreign ownership in a lush region once known as the Soviet Riviera has highlighted Abkhazias predicament. Shunned by most of the world, it is so heavily reliant on Russia that gratitude for Moscows support is tempered by concern Russias embrace could tighten into a choke hold.

Abkhazia broke from Georgian government control in a fiercely fought war in 1992-93, shortly after the Soviet collapse unleashed ethnic tensions and ignited territorial disputes. Russia recognized Abkhazia as an independent country after Moscows five-day war with Georgia in 2008, angering Tbilisi and the West, but only a handful of states followed suit on recognition.

From Abkhazias de facto borders to its beaches, Russias strong sway is evident.

Entering from Georgian-controlled territory, a visitor treads through a no-mans-land featuring a potholed bridge crossed by locals in a horse and cart. Chatty, laid-back Abkhaz guards are the first encountered, but it is the uniformed officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) who run the show, seated in metal booths behind intimidating one-way glass.

Russia pumps billions of rubles into Abkhazia in subsidies every year.

Still more vital is a boom in tourism, the lifeblood of a subtropical region to which sun-starved vacationers flocked from all corners of the Soviet Union for a few precious days or weeks at the shore. That reliable flow dried up as Abkhazia was first separated from Russia by the Soviet breakup and then plunged into war.

PHOTO GALLERY: Abkhazia -- Coming Back To The 'Soviet Riviera'

But times have changed again and Abkhazia is benefiting from a combination of factors. Cheaper than costly Sochi, just across the border, it is also getting Russians barred from the beaches of Turkey and Egypt due to tensions with Ankara and security fears after the downing of a passenger jet over the Sinai Peninsula in 2015.

It is also more accessible than Crimea, which Russia forcibly seized from Ukraine in 2014. A bridge from Russia to the peninsula, bypassing mainland Ukraine, is not due to be finished until December 2018, and the number of Russian visitors to Crimea is down this year after a patriotic spike in 2015.

In Abkhazia, those numbers are up -- again.

In late May, with heavy spring showers signaling that tourist season wasnt quite under way, Russians were already being carted by the busload on excursions to Novy Afon, an Orthodox Christian monastery whose gold cupolas gleam in the green mountains overlooking the sea.

Russian tourists posed for cameras in the mist rolling off a 6-meter waterfall; others ventured into nearby caves that are among the largest in the world. A short walk along the coast, a tour guide -- a self-professed devotee of Josef Stalin -- was showing young couples around the Soviet dictators dacha overlooking the Black Sea.

Every year, its a record, Avtandil Gartskiya, the de facto tourism minister who led a battalion during the war against Georgian government forces, tells RFE/RL, loudly, from just across a table in his office in Sukhumi.

Gartskiya calls tourism the locomotive of Abkhazias economy and said the number of visitors to the region is expected to grow by 15 to 20 percent over the 1.5 million people who came last year -- already more than six times the population of the region, which is about 240,000.

From June to the velvet season in early autumn, Russian vacationers sun themselves on the pebbly beaches and bed down at grand, Soviet-era hotels featuring statues of Lenin, creating an echo of the regions heyday.

Djapua, the lawmaker whose car was blown up, was fighting a move that would take Russias return to the next level. He was pushing back against a proposal to lift the ban on foreign property ownership, which would have opened up prize coastal real estate for purchase by Russian citizens and investors.

Supporters of lifting the ban argue that Russian money pouring in would rejuvenate Abkhazia and help transform a scarred land strewn with derelict buildings sprouting vegetation -- constant reminders of the 1992-93 war that ended with de facto independence and the isolation that has come with it.

Russias recognition and support is a giant exception to that isolation, and the gratitude is palpable. But resistance to the proposal to let foreigners buy property reflects apprehension about giving Russia so much traction as to effectively turn Abkhazia into a province of Russia. While most outsiders see Abkhazia as a Russian protectorate, its people prize their proclaimed independence.

We have an understanding ofcertain red lines that exist and which, if crossed, have the danger of dealing a big blow to the national interests of the state, says Inal Khashig, the founder and editor of Chegemskaya Pravda, an independent weekly. The state is small, our society is also small. There are very many dangers that exist and we are trying to ensure ourselves against them, perhaps over-ensure ourselves. Its better sometimes to be safe than to allow things which you wont then be able to get back.

Russian subsidies to Abkhazia will reportedly total 7.7 billion rubles ($117 million) this year.

In February 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin tightened Moscows grip with a strategic partnership treaty that aimed to formally bring the de facto governments foreign and defense policies in line with Moscows. Adding to thousands of Russian troops already based in the territory, it also envisages a common defense and security space and a joint military force.

On paper, at least, the pact may have made Abkhazia toe the line on Turkey, the breakaway regions second-largest trading partner, joining Moscow in imposing sanctions after the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian warplane that it says crossed over the border from Syria in November. But in an indication that Russias influence has limits -- or that Moscow is more interested in geopolitical optics than in enforcing the rules it set -- several people said that little has changed in reality.

There has also been tension over potential drilling in Abkhazia by Russian state energy giant Rosneft.

And while it is Georgia that often voices alarm at what it calls Russias "creeping annexation" of Abkhazia, the region has displayed more of an independent streak than South Ossetia -- another breakaway Georgian region that Russia recognized as an independent country after the 2008 war.

South Ossetia may hold a referendum next year on becoming part of Russia -- something that Abkhazias de facto prime minister, Artur Mikabia, said on June 10 would never happen under his watch. Abkhazia wants to be an "independent state" and "loyal ally of great Russia," he said.

Stanislav Lakoba, a historian and former chief of the separatist governments National Security Council, echoes this sentiment.

In the grand scheme of things, we are under Russian patronage, he tells RFE/RL. We know that we are not an entirely independent state. But there should be a level of understanding in relations for Abkhazia and for Russia.
Anton Yelchin, the Russian-born actor best known for major roles in the Star Trek movie franchise, has died in what appeared to be a car accident.

A Los Angeles police spokeswoman said the 27-year-old actor apparently stepped out of his car in the steep driveway at his home early June 19 and the car then rolled backward.

Spokeswoman Jenny Houser said the car pinned him against a wall and a security fence, causing trauma that led to his death.

She said no foul play was suspected, but police were still investigating.

Yelchin was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, to professional figure skaters who moved to the United States when he was a baby.

He had small film and television roles, before gaining attention in the 2007 crime thriller Alpha Dog.

But he catapulted into wide fame playing the role of Pavel Chekov, a Russian-accented character who was variously a navigator or engineer on the fictional starship Enterprise, in the newest Star Trek movies.

The next installment of those films is set to be released next month.



With reporting by AP, Reuters
Serbia could play a significant role in Beijings ambitious plan for a new Silk Road to increase trade with Europe, Asia, and Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on June 19.

Xi said China was prepared for increased cooperation with Belgrade during a visit to Serbia.

He was touring the Zelezara Smederevo steel plant at the end of his three-day visit and was cheered by flag-waving workers at the plant, which was recently bought by a Chinese steel giant.

China's One Belt, One Road initiative foresees a new Silk Road from western China to Central Asia and on to Europe through the Balkans.

China has invested more than $1 billion in Serbia since 2009 and is interested in energy, infrastructure, and other projects to fuel its economy at home.

From Serbia, Xi will head to EU-member Poland before wrapping up his tour in Uzbekistan.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Ukrainians have increasingly woken up to the sound of suicide drones as Russia turns to Iranian-made imports to destroy civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Now they may have another deadly Iranian weapon to worry about -- ballistic missiles.

Cheap but effective, Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 "kamikaze" drones have already made a deadly impact in Ukraine.



If U.S. intelligence assessments pan out, Russia will soon be able to supplement its use of Iranian suicide drones and its own cruise and ballistic missiles with powerful short-range Iranian Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar ballistic missiles.



Coming as the Kremlin is reportedly struggling to maintain its depleted stockpile of aerial weapons as it ramps up strikes, the missiles would potentially boost Russia's ability to continue its costly air campaign.



Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East defense specialist at the global intelligence company Janes, said having more missiles gives Russia the ability to sustain the bombardment against Ukraine."



Going Ballistic



The Fateh-110, which was unveiled in 2001 and has a stated range of 300 to 500 kilometers, was developed from a heavy artillery rocket dating from the 1980s. To increase the weapon's accuracy, the Fateh-110 was given a guidance system and movable fins that allow it to be steered as it approaches its target.



The Zolfaghar, which debuted in 2016 and also has guidance capabilities, comes from the same family as the Fateh-110 but boasts a much longer range due to its use of a lighter carbon-fiber airframe and a smaller warhead.



Binnie said the Zolfaghar's use against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in eastern Syria confirmed that the missile was capable of reaching at least 650 kilometers, which he said is "a statement of how much the Iranian tactical missile program has really advanced over the years."



Iran's claim that the Zolfaghar can travel even farther -- up to 700 kilometers -- would put the western Ukrainian city of Lviv within range of strikes launched from Russian territory, while the more powerful Fateh-110 could potentially hit the city from Belarus, which has served as a staging ground for Russian attacks.



While there has been no indication that Russia plans to purchase launching systems from Iran, Binnie suggests that the Russian military could pair the missiles with existing equipment because the Iranian launchers were adapted from a Soviet-era system.



"It might be possible for the Russians to quickly adapt some old equipment they have lying around into launch systems," Binnie said.



The Iranian military, he added, fitted the Soviet system to trucks, allowing for mobility and concealment.



"Those civilian trucks can be covered over to make it hard to spot that they're actually missile launchers," Binnie said.



'Lawnmowers' And 'Mopeds'



Iranian military drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been homing in on targets across Ukraine since late August, according to the United States.



The buzzing sound of the Iranian Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 drones, built with off-the-shelf components, have earned them derisive monikers such as "lawnmowers" and "mopeds." But the slow-moving, low-flying drones, which are maneuvered to crash into their target, have proven themselves capable of hitting their mark both in terms of military effectiveness and cost.

It is capable of extracting or delivering attrition and damage when launched, but it costs little compared to other UAVs that Russia has in its own arsenal," said Samuel Bendett of the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

Ukraine alleges Russia has ordered 2,400 of the Iranian suicide drones, and its military has claimed to have shot them down in great numbers, often using conventional anti-aircraft guns or even small-arms fire. But their ability to be launched in bunches of five -- often from the cover of civilian trucks -- improves their chances of reaching their target.



"The Ukrainians are stopping most of these, but the whole point of these drones is that they fly in a large mass," Bendett said. "The air defense does not always catch all of them. All it takes is for several or even one to make it through."

The estimated range of the Shahed-136 varies, but Iran says it is capable of traveling 2,500 kilometers. The slightly smaller and older Shahed-131, which has been used by Huthi rebels in Yemen to attack Saudi targets in the Arabian Peninsula, has been estimated to have a range of 900 kilometers, according to tests conducted by the Ukrainian military.



Ukraine's Defense Ministry has published multiple images of downed Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks, and the Ukrainian National Guard on October 19 claimed to have shot down a Shahed-131.



Ukraine has also claimed to have shot down a more advanced Iranian combat UAV, the Mojer-6 drone capable of carrying out both reconnaissance missions and aerial strikes within a range of 200 kilometers. There have also been reports of Russian interest in obtaining Irans Shahed-129 and Shahed-191 combat drones.



"When launched from any territory that Russia controls or is allied with -- anywhere from the south, from the Donbas, from Belarus -- they're able to strike a lot of Ukrainian targets," Bendett said.

In addition to the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia will soon boost its arsenal with Iranian ballistic missiles, as first reported by The Washington Post on October 16, the White House on October 20 said that Iranians are now "directly engaged on the ground" in Moscows war against Ukraine after sending "a relatively small number" of personnel from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to assist Russian forces in using the Iranian drones.

Iran has denied sending combat drones to Russia, and Moscow has rejected claims that it is using Iranian UAVs.

Images of downed Iranian drones appear to show that they have been rebranded to look Russian-made, experts say, with the markings in Cyrillic naming them as the Geran-1 (the Shahed-131) and Geran-2 (the Shahed-136).

Observers are widely skeptical of Russia's denials, noting that the drones are essentially identical right down to the font of the serial numbers. Even Russian Defense Ministry experts have unwittingly admitted that the suicide drones are Iranian.



But the rebranding of the drones to make them appear to be Russian has opened the possibility that Moscow could, if it is not already doing so, seek to manufacture or assemble the Iranian drones on its own territory.



Sustaining A Campaign



The new aerial weaponry fits well with the Russian military's renewed focus on striking military and civilian targets far from the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine. The air assault has ratcheted up following the October 8 appointment of Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, a former Aerospace Forces commander, to lead the Russian war effort.



Just days after Surovikin's appointment, Russia launched the biggest air strikes since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February. Moscow said the drone and missile strikes, which targeted civilian areas and infrastructure in cities throughout Ukraine, were in response to a bomb blast that damaged a key bridge linking Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

While the Kremlin has accused Ukraine's intelligence services of carrying out the "terrorist" attack on the Crimea Bridge, Ukraine has denied responsibility.



Since the initial air assault in response to the bridge blast, Russia has continued to pound Ukrainian infrastructure, often targeting power plants in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said is a deliberate effort to wear down the Ukrainian people by denying them heat and electricity as winter approaches.



"Civilian infrastructure is obviously the new layer in this war. The Ukrainian economy is now the target, the Ukrainian population is now the target," Bendett said.



Hard To Stop



The hypersonic speed and high trajectory of Iran's Fateh-110s and Zolfaghars, should they arrive, would be extremely difficult for Kyiv to counter without a network of high-tech and costly antimissile batteries it currently does not possess.



Ukraine has repeatedly requested more advanced missile-defense systems from the West, and in the face of the threat of the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles reportedly sent an official request to Israel this week for components of its "Iron Dome" system.



While the United States has said that it is seeking to expedite the process of sending two U.S. air defense systems known as NASAMS, Washington has appeared reluctant to provide more advanced Patriot missile systems.



Janes' defense expert Binnie is skeptical that the delivery of the Patriot system, which has proven to be successful in shooting down ballistic missiles, is realistic for Ukraine.

"It's eye wateringly expensive and it's probably not really practical because each [missile] battery only covers one city," he said. "You would never get enough batteries to get the coverage you would want. You just wouldn't be able to find them, produce them, and train enough Ukrainians."
Top-ranking military officials from Russia and the United States recently visited Central Asia less than a week apart. The Russian defense minister was in Turkmenistan and the commander of the U.S. Central Command visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the three Central Asian countries that border Afghanistan.

One -- if not the main -- topic of these meetings would have been the deteriorating security situation just south of the border in Afghanistan. The situation in the eight northern Afghan provinces has grown steadily worse for the past two years and by some estimates half the districts across northern Afghanistan might now be under the control of the Taliban and its foreign allies.

It is difficult to judge the current state of affairs in northern Afghanistan. Reports paint a confusing picture but do show that fighting now takes place there regularly.

To get a better idea of what the situation is in northern Afghanistan and how this might be viewed from Central Asia, RFE/RLs Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, gathered a majlis, or panel, to discuss current events along the Afghan-Central Asian border.

Azatlyk Director Muhammad Tahir moderated the talk. Both of our guests joined in the majlis from Afghanistan. Omar Safi is the former governor of Kunduz Province, which borders Tajikistan; Obaid Ali is a researcher at the Afghanistan Analysts Network. I said a few things about the situation north of the border, but the focus of the talk was northern Afghanistan.

For more than two years, the Majlis podcast and Qishloq Ovozi have looked at what has been going in northern Afghanistan. To recap briefly: When Pakistan launched its military operation into North Waziristan in mid-2014, it sent many of the militants sheltering there into northern Afghanistan, a region that had been relatively peaceful for more than a decade. Violence increased significantly due to the influx of Taliban and foreign fighters. Previously quiet border areas with Central Asia became contested ground and prompted Central Asian governments to reinforce their sides of the border and redouble the watch on their own populations to root out the potential enemy from within.

Safi said one of the reasons the government is having such a difficult time maintaining control in the north is the need to strengthen thinly stretched government troops with local paramilitaries, known as the Arbaky.

The reason why [the Taliban and militant allies] chose northern Afghanistan was that there is some vulnerability. One was the warlords, the illegal armed groups... Safi portrayed the Arbaky as unreliable and untrustworthy, going so far as to accuse some Arbaky units of selling government-supplied ammunition to the Taliban. Safi said some of these paramilitary groups impose crushing taxes on the locals.

Safi recalled that when he was governor of Kunduz Province, there was one Arbaky commander who was controlling one district where he had 2,000 militia and our police were only 100 people, so police had no control over the district. Safi continued, [The commander] was taking all sort of taxes from the people and when people came to the police, the police openly said that [they] cannot have any control over him.

Safi said the Arbaky are like a machine that can produce the Taliban in the area because they always undermine the reputation of the Afghan government.

Ali described the scene in northwestern Afghanistans Faryab Province where travel by road has become extremely risky.

The Taliban often appeared on the highway. They established illegal checkpoints, searching the vehicles and searching for government employees, he said.

Such reports came from Kunduz Province, hundreds of kilometers to the east, at the end of May when a dozen people were killed and dozens kidnapped by Taliban militants who waylaid four buses. RFE/RLs Tajik Service, known locally as Ozodi, just reported on the diminishing number of truck drivers who are willing to take the route from Tajikistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan because of militants along the road.

Ali said some people who had to travel were taking detours of many kilometers to lower the chances of running into a militant roadblock.

Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has led security operations in his native northwestern Afghanistan four times since the summer of 2015. Ali said these operations have not done much to bring security back to northwestern Afghanistan.

[Dostum and his forces] get there, they stay there for a week then they return back. Once they turned back, then the territory again fell into Taliban hands, Ali explained.

Safi estimated that in Kunduz Province 70 percent of the territory is apparently under the Taliban and insurgents and only 30 percent of the territory is under government control. He said across northern Afghanistan 45 percent would be under government control and 55 [percent] is under the Taliban, in what we call the nine provinces.*

Speaking about Faryab Province, Ali said in Qaysar [district], most parts of the district are under Taliban control. Almar district also seems to be controlled by the Taliban. Ali added, So out of these 14 or 15 districts, one can say there are some heavily contested districts and also some of the districts where the government has wider influence.

The panelists addressed the topic of foreign militants in northern Afghanistan. Russian and Central Asian security officials, and people presented as experts, have estimated the number of these foreign militants to be in the thousands.

Safi and Ali put the figure much lower, in the dozens in any particular province, possibly in the hundreds if all the northern provinces are taken into account. Most of these appear to be from Central Asia, but many havent been in Central Asia in more than a decade. Ali said the group of militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who were sent to northwestern Afghanistan by their leader, Usmon Ghazi, after Ghazi swore the groups allegiance to the so-called Islamic State extremist group have either been killed, scattered or, in most cases, joined with local Taliban groups.

It is information such as this that brought Sergei Shoigu to Ashgabat on June 8, the first visit by a Russian defense minister to Turkmenistan since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And likely a big part of the reason General Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, visited Uzbekistan on June 14 and Tajikistan on June 15.

The group discussed these issues in greater detail and addressed other issues concerning security along the Afghan-Central Asian border.

Listen to or download the Majlis podcast above or subscribe to Majlis on iTunes.

*The nine provinces are, running from east to west along the Central Asian border: Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, Balkh, Jowzjan, Faryab, Badghis, Herat, and slightly removed from the border, Baghlan.
Orthodox Christian church leaders from around the world met for the first such gathering in a millennium, but the landmark event was overshadowed by the decision by Russia's patriarch to stay away.



Clerics celebrated the event known as the Pentecost on the Greek island of Crete on June 19, where a "divine liturgy" was performed as part of the assembly that will last until June 27.



Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the "Holy and Great Council" for leaders to discuss wedlock, fasting, and other social issues.



But Russian Patriarch Kirill did not attend, mainly in solidarity with church leaders from Bulgaria, Serbia, and Syria, who are staying away over organizational differences.



The Russian Orthodox Church represents about 130 million faithful, or half the world's Orthodox population.



The boycott has undermined the image of unity that the gathered leaders had sought to project.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Russian officials said 14 people died after boats traveling on a lake in northern Russia capsized. Most of those dead were teenagers attending a summer camp.



The national Investigative Commitee said 13 bodies of children between 12 and 15 had been recovered by rescuers on June 19, along with the body of an instructor.



The incident happened overnight on a lake in Karelia, a northern region that borders Finland.



One emergency official, Yekaterina Biktimirova, said there were 49 people in all participating in the outing, when they were caught up in a storm during the night.



Russian media said two of the boats capsized.



Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, meanwhile, said in a posting to Twitter that the dead appeared to all be from the Moscow region.



Interfax said one of the instructors had been detained by police for questioning in the incident.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and dpa
Russia agreed to improve coordination with the United States on military operations in Syria, following blunt accusations from the Pentagon that Moscow had targeted U.S.-backed opposition forces.



Russias Defense Ministry made the announcement on June 19 after military officials from both countries spoke by video conference.



In Washington, Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook called the video conference extraordinary and said U.S. officials expressed strong concerns about the June 16 attack on forces at the At-Tanf garrison.



He said in a statement June 18 that the Russian air strikes came even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces and created what he said were safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces.



Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the area targeted was 300 kilometers away from locations the United States had designated as controlled by legitimate opposition forces.



And he insisted that the Russian Air Force had given advance warning of its ground targets.



Also June 18, Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made an unannounced visit to Syria to discuss military cooperation "to fight against terrorist organizations on Syrian soil."



Russia launched its air campaign in Syria last September, seeking to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled back some warplanes in March in what he described as a move to help encourage peace talks, but the military has maintained a strong presence at an air base in Latakia Province in northwest Syria.

A U.S.- and Russian-brokered cease-fire that began on February 27 helped reduce hostilities for the first time in the five-year conflict, but fierce fighting has continued in many areas, particularly around Aleppo.



U.S. officials have said Russia has made little effort to heed U.S. calls to differentiate between terrorist groups like Islamic State and Al-Nusra fighting Assads forces and more moderate groups backed by the United States and other allies.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Russia continues to strike targets across Ukraine, causing damage and killing civilians, as its forces are preparing for battle in the strategic southern region of Kherson, Ukrainian officials and the military said.

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.

Ukraine on October 26 reiterated its call for the development of an air-defense system to repel the Russian missile and drone attacks.

The immediate delivery of a sufficient number of air-defense systems is urgently needed to repel "Russian missile terror," the head of the president's office, Andriy Yermak, said after talks with the national-security advisers of the United States, Britain, and France in Kyiv on October 26.

On October 25, the head of U.S. aerospace and defense corporation Raytheon Technologies told CNBC television that Washington has already delivered to Ukraine the first two NASAMS medium-range antiaircraft missile systems.

We delivered two systems to the U.S. government a few weeks ago. They are currently being deployed in Ukraine," Greg Geis said.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said early on October 26 that more than 40 settlements were hit by Russian strikes during the previous day.



Russia used a combination of air strikes, rockets, and missiles to hit Ukrainian targets, the General Staff said in its morning report.



In the central city of Dnipro, at least two people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in the Russian bombardment, regional Governor Valentyn Reznichenlo said.

In the southern city of Kherson, Russian forces are digging in for the "heaviest of battles," said Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

A Ukrainian counteroffensive has driven Russian forces back in the region, where the provincial capital of Kherson has been in Russian hands since the early days of the invasion eight months ago.

"With Kherson, everything is clear. The Russians are replenishing, strengthening their grouping there," Arestovych said in an online video late on October 25.

Russia-installed authorities are evacuating residents to the east bank of the Dnieper River as Russian forces prepare to defend the city, he said.

"It means that nobody is preparing to withdraw. On the contrary, the heaviest of battles is going to take place for Kherson," he said.

Zelenskiy on October 25 reiterated a pledge to retake the city of Kherson, the loss of which would be a big setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Of the four Ukrainian provinces partially occupied by Russia that Putin proclaimed to have seized last month, Kherson is arguably the most strategically important.

It controls the only land route to the Crimea region that Russia illegally annexed in 2014 and the mouth of the Dnieper River that that bisects Ukraine.



Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russia on October 25 that the use of a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine would be an "incredibly serious mistake."

Moscow over the weekend claimed Ukraine is preparing to use a so-called dirty bomb on its own territory, drawing immediate dismissal from the United States and other countries that have backed Ukraine.

Kyiv and its allies suspect Russia might have made the claim to set up a "false flag" attack in which it would use a dirty bomb itself but would blame the attack on Ukraine and use it to justify the use of conventional nuclear weapons by Moscow.



"Let me just say Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake were it to use a tactical nuclear weapon." Biden told reporters. "I cannot guarantee you that it is a false flag operation yet. We dont know. But it would be a serious mistake."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu presented no evidence for the claim when he spoke on October 23 with his counterparts from several NATO countries, including Britain, France, and the United States, who dismissed the claim after the series of calls.

WATCH: Speaking to Current Time in Riga on October 22, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot change the course of war in Ukraine by dropping nuclear bombs.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on October 26 that Russia would "vigorously" continue to make the case to the international community that it believed Ukraine intended to detonate a dirty bomb with radioactive contaminants.

Peskov told reporters Moscow wanted to prompt an active response from the international community.

A dirty bomb would use a conventional warhead to create an explosion that would spread radioactive, biological, or chemical materials over an area.

Moscow took its accusations against Ukraine to the UN Security Council on October 25, and the country's UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said afterward that Russia was "satisfied because we raised the awareness."

Speaking to reporters, he added: "I don't mind people saying that Russia is crying wolf if this doesn't happen because this is a terrible, terrible disaster that threatens potentially the whole of the Earth."



The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said earlier on October 25 that it is preparing to send inspectors to two Ukrainian sites in the coming days in reaction to Ukraine's request for an inspection following Russia's claims.



Enerhoatom, Ukraines nuclear energy operator, issued a statement on October 24 voicing its concern that Russias statements may indicate that Russia is preparing an act of nuclear terrorism.

Russian troops have occupied Ukraines Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, since March. It is still run by Ukrainian engineers though Russia claimed after its illegal annexation of the Zaporizhzhya region that it is on Russian territory.

Enerhoatom said that Russian forces have carried out unauthorized, secret construction work over the last week at the plant in the area of the spent nuclear fuel storage facility.

Russian officers controlling the area wont give access to Ukrainian staff or monitors from the IAEA that would allow them to see what they are doing, the operator said.

Enerhoatom added that it assumes the Russians are preparing a terrorist act using nuclear materials and radioactive waste stored at the plant.

With reporting by AFP, dpa, BBC, and Reuters
Krissi Vandenberg is the executive director of Vegan Action, a Richmond-based nonprofit organization that labels products nationwide Certified Vegan  that is, free from animal products.

Vandenberg, a Northern Virginia native who first moved to Richmond in 1990 and holds degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, joined Vegan Action when she lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for several years. She brought the organization to Richmond when she moved back to Virginia in 2000.

Vegan Actions function is part product certification, part advocacy and awareness. But one of its most visible roles is presenting the Richmond Vegetarian Festival, a yearly gathering with some of the areas best establishments that offer vegan food, music, speakers and other activities.

This is the 13th Vegetarian Festival and the third in which Vegan Action has been the sole presenter.

QUESTION: Is the Richmond Vegetarian Festival an all-vegan event?

ANSWER: It is. Yep.

QUESTION: How long have you been involved with it?

ANSWER: From the beginning. Its grown tremendously. Some really good friends of mine  actually started it, along with, of course, a lot of other people. The first thing we realized we could do to help is provide an umbrella 501(c)3 status for them. And we are the main financial sponsor of the festival. Its just been amazing.

A lot of people who are not vegetarian and vegan go to the festival, which is really awesome. Ive had a lot of great conversations. Obviously, people who are going to the vegetarian festival have some level of being open to the idea.

You do have to make a point to bike, take a bus or drive there. Youre not just going to walk past it. But its great. So many people are like, Ive never had vegan food before. Its delicious. The vegan options there are incredible, all the food trucks.

QUESTION: What are the most popular food companies that come to the festival?

ANSWER: MaMusus (Africanne on Main) often has a long line. We do have a couple places out of town, like from Northern Virginia and D.C. Sticky Rice usually has a really long line. They do all-vegan sushi. Whole Foods usually has a long line. They make a lot of really great, fresh vegan options. The other food cart thats really popular is Goatocado. They have really great vegan bowls.

QUESTION: How long has Vegan Action been labeling vegan products?

ANSWER: We started coming up with the idea in 98. And then we polled different vegans to kind of get an idea of what they considered vegan and where different peoples stances were so we could come up with a general idea of how to make that definition apply. So then we drew up a logo and got it trademarked in 2000. Companies have been using it since then.

QUESTION: Was there anything similar out there before? Did you create the first one?

ANSWER: The first in the States. There was an organization in the U.K. that does something very similar. They have been doing it for a little bit longer.

QUESTION: What are some of the coolest recent products youve labeled?

ANSWER: The Ben & Jerrys ice creams that came out (are) very exciting. The other one that was last year was Dr. Bronners. Ive been using those products for like 20 years, so I was really excited about that. Not all of their products are vegan. Most of them are.

Some of the other ones that I thought were really cool were  a kind of healing lotion for tattoos. Someone vegan-certified their flip-flops, which I thought was really interesting.

QUESTION: Is the majority of products you certify food?

ANSWER: The majority is food. I would say the second-largest category would be supplements and then personal products. Weve got a couple shoe companies; a couple companies that make handbags.

QUESTION: I read that Vegan Action advocates for places to have more vegan options. What kind of institutions are you working with in this regard?

ANSWER: Mainly, its colleges, universities and restaurants. We offer education and training for staff, just regarding the basic idea of what constitutes a vegetarian item and what constitutes a vegan item, the importance of trying to prevent cross-contamination as much as possible, and then we have large-scale recipes we can offer to colleges and universities.

QUESTION: Are there any specific food-service initiatives in the area that youre excited about?

ANSWER: Renew Richmond. Theyre a local nonprofit that works with schools who either need a school garden or help them establish a school garden and then try to do garden-to-table experiences and education. So Im actually meeting with them ... to see how we can get involved in making plant-based foods exciting, share some information on education, growing food, prepping food.

Vegan Action is excited about getting involved however we can to promote plant-based education and hopefully make it fun and exciting. I used to teach at a Montessori school, and we did something similar. We had a garden the kids helped grow, and then we would make a vegan meal every day in the classroom.

Kids are more likely to try something that theyve prepared and cooked themselves than if I were to make all these elaborate vegan dishes and just bring them in. It makes it more meaningful.
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FEASTERVILLE, Pa.  A neighbor said she had long felt that something isnt right at a Bucks County home where a man is accused of sexually assaulting a teenager whose parents police say gave her to him when she was 14.

Jen Betz of Feasterville said she called authorities because was concerned about the young girls she saw outside the house, which she said had boarded windows and high weeds.

Theyre so sad and fearful every time I see them. Thats what made me call, she said Saturday. Ive been telling my husband for years Something isnt right, something isnt right.

Officials acting on a tip Thursday found 51-year-old Lee Kaplan at his home along with the girls, ranging in age from six months to 18 years. The 18-year-old told police that she and Kaplan have a 3-year-old and a six-month-old. Kaplan faces charges including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and aggravated indecent assault.

District Attorney David Heckler said the parents of the girl Kaplan is accused of assaulting told police they were going to lose their farm until Kaplan came out of the blue and saved them from financial ruin.

Authorities allege in an affidavit that the girls father told an officer he gave his 14-year-old daughter to Kaplan after researching the legality of such an action online.

On Saturday, police and dogs scoured the homes backyard for evidence. Lt. Ted Krimmel of the Lower Southampton police department said authorities waited until dawn so they would be able to search the property in daylight.

We have a search warrant for the entire property, he said. There are dogs searching for evidence.

Krimmel said officials are trying to verify who the parents of the other children found at the home are. The teenagers parents told police the other nine girls in the house were their children, but no birth certificates or Social Security cards could be located to confirm that, he said.

When police entered the home Thursday, all the children were running around, Krimmel said. Some were hiding. They were well-behaved, but scared.

The oldest girls father, Daniel Stoltzfus, is charged with conspiracy of statutory sexual assault and children endangerment. His wife, Savilla Stoltzfus, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

The couple and Kaplan were being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Court documents dont list attorneys for them.

WPVITV reported that the Stoltzfuses 19-year-old son, John, told the station at the house Friday night that his folks are good parents.

Heckler said the children apparently did not attend school and it was unclear if they had ever been to a doctor, but they didnt appear to be in bad health and showed no visible signs of trauma.

Another neighbor, Bob Greenfield, said Kaplan seemed weird and he now wishes that he also had called authorities.

You knew something was wrong, he said. It makes you feel bad. If I had said something a while ago, they would have come earlier.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Stoltzfuses were born into the Amish faith, but renounced it amid a long fight with community elders, according to a federal lawsuit they filed in 2009 against their former church. The lawsuit, which was dismissed later that year, said they operated a metalworking business on their property.

Heckler said the children are now together in protective custody.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
As the manager of zoology at Maymont park, Joseph Neel knows that one day he may need to reach for a rifle. But if he did pick up a gun to try to save someones life, hed run the risk of ruining his own.

Because of a felony conviction 15 years ago, Neel is prohibited from buying, possessing and carrying guns. He wants to change that.

After earning a biology degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, getting married and starting a family, Neel is among dozens of ex-offenders in the Richmond area trying to have their gun rights restored by a judge.

A key document in Neels Chesterfield County court filing is a signed letter from Gov. Terry McAuliffes administration saying Neel is one of the 206,000 ex-offenders whose voting and civil rights the governor restored on April 22. McAuliffes order did not restore firearm rights, which circuit court judges decide with input from local prosecutors familiar with the requesters criminal history.

In 2001, Neel pleaded guilty in Alexandria to felony statutory burglary and brandishing a firearm. At a hearing next month, his lawyer will try to convince a Chesterfield judge that Neel, now 42, can be trusted to have guns to protect his family, his home and, potentially, people at Maymonts animal exhibits. Though the estate does not currently have animals that require the presence of firearms, Neels petition says, the addition of a mountain lion, for example, could bring extra precautions.

Through his attorney, Neel declined to be interviewed.

Because felons who want to own guns must regain their political rights first, the governors order greatly expanded the number of people eligible to seek restoration of their firearm rights. McAuliffe  who has made gun control a focus of his administration, particularly in cases of domestic abuse  restored the rights to vote, serve on juries, hold public office and notarize documents for all felons who had completed their sentences and supervised release by the date of his order.

McAuliffe, who announced the order as the end of a restrictive disenfranchisement policy that fell heavily on African-American voters, has said the specific nature of a past crime should not matter when it comes to voting rights. Because of that broad approach, McAuliffes order gives nonviolent and violent offenders alike the paperwork they need to try to regain their gun rights in court.

Local cases

A review of Richmond-area court records found at least 11 cases of felons, some convicted of violent crimes or gun offenses, using McAuliffes order as grounds for restoration of their firearm rights. The Richmond Times-Dispatch checked records in the city of Richmond and Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties. The Virginia State Police and the Office of the Executive Secretary, which provides administrative support to courts throughout Virginia, said they do not track data on gun rights petitions at the state level.

Local court records do not show a major, across-the-board spike in felons seeking firearm rights. Several people involved in the process said interest has increased since the governors order, and they believe it could grow as more ex-offenders process the orders meaning.

The local cases include Christopher Dennis Mills, 58, convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer in Henrico in 2011; Noah Matthew Tawes, 34, who now lives in North Carolina, convicted of unlawfully shooting at a Chesterfield residence in 2002; and Thomas Wayne Perdue, 39, convicted in Henrico of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in 2006. All three are scheduled for court hearings next month.

Perdue said he lost his gun rights over a bunch of baloney. He said he got in trouble as a juvenile for breaking a storefront window and was charged with a felony for attempted breaking and entering. The felony conviction for firearm possession, Perdue said, was over hunting rifles he kept in a case at his home.

All Im really basically after is getting back in the woods for recreational purposes, he said.

Perdue said he had applied for voting rights shortly before the governors order. The governor signed an individualized voting rights letter for Perdue on May 18, according to court records.

The Henrico Commonwealths Attorneys office is opposing Perdues firearms petition because he has multiple misdemeanor convictions since the felony, according to court records, including two DUIs.

Many people who petitioned local courts for their gun rights this year had their voting rights restored under past governors, whose administrations reviewed each individual case, some going as far back as 1989 and then-Gov. Gerald L. Baliles.

The governors view

McAuliffes office, which has focused almost entirely on his orders impact on voter registration, says the process for felon gun ownership will not change. Judges will continue to use their discretion, the administration says, to decide who can be trusted with firearms and who cannot.

Judges have always been the line of defense in these cases, McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said. That remains unchanged.

Others disagree. Some who have worked on rights restoration cases say judges often show deference to the executive branch, giving weight to petitioners who come to court with a governors stamp of approval. McAuliffes sweeping order essentially did away with the application process and case-by-case review for voting rights, meaning more felons can seek gun rights in court without going through an initial vetting by the state.

It really removes a huge hurdle from pursuing the firearms rights restoration process, said Seth Saunders, a Richmond attorney who specializes in gun rights restorations. It goes from, say, an eight-month process to a six-week process.

Opposing brief

In a recent legal brief, a bipartisan group of 43 prosecutors opposed to McAuliffes order said it gives felons the imprimatur of the governors office as a legal advantage in their firearm rights petitions, despite the lack of any scrutiny into their particular backgrounds.

As with jury service, Governor McAuliffes executive order shifts the entire burden of this vital review process onto commonwealths attorneys and circuit courts, the prosecutors said in the brief. It is essential that commonwealths attorneys discharge this burden effectively, given the public safety concerns associated with felon possession of firearms.

Several gun petitioners court filings include screenshots of their name in the governors voting rights database, which McAuliffe has acknowledged contains errors.

Del. Robert Bell, R-Albemarle, said the easier path to gun rights for felons is a consequence of McAuliffes slapdash approach.

The governor wants to ask other people to clean up his mess, said Bell, whos seeking the GOP nomination for attorney general in 2017.

Stafford County Commonwealths Attorney Eric Olsen pointed to a recent case in his locality involving a felon with a violent record. Rodell Callahan of Fredericksburg used the governors order to try to get his gun rights back this month.

Callahan, 36, was convicted of a felony at 18 for holding up two women at gunpoint in 1998 in the parking lot of the former Spotsylvania Mall, according to court records. Another incident at the same mall in 2004 earned him a second felony conviction for unlawful wounding after he was accused of beating a woman with whom he had a child. Callahan said he was not guilty in the 2004 incident, but took the charge. Since 2013, Callahan has had multiple misdemeanor convictions on charges related to domestic violence, according to court records.

Callahans gun rights petition was denied, but not because of the prosecutors arguments that his record should disqualify him from gun ownership. Olsen and Callahan said the judge denied the petition because McAuliffes order is subject to a Republican legal challenge that the Supreme Court of Virginia will decide this summer.

He denied it without prejudice and he said that the issue is the subject of a lawsuit now and you are free to refile after the lawsuit is resolved, said Olsen, a Republican. If it goes in, essentially, the governors favor.

Callahan said he will refile if the order is upheld and will hire a lawyer for the second go-round. Now working as a truck driver certified to haul hazardous materials, Callahan said he does not see himself as dangerous, adding, You cant judge someone off a piece of paper.

If the governor trusts me to get my rights back and Homeland Security trusts me to get my hazmat license, why wont the circuit court trust me to get my firearm license? Callahan said.

As a boy, Callahan dreamed of becoming a police officer. He said he wants to get back all the rights he lost as a teenager, including the right to own a gun for recreational shooting, hunting and to protect his family.

With everything going on in the world, its crazy, Callahan said. You got people shooting up nightclubs.

Susan Allen, a Richmond attorney who does gun rights restoration work, said she would not foresee any judge in Virginia granting a petition like Callahans.

Allen said she likes to see clients with nonviolent offenses, a long period with no crimes whatsoever and stable work history.

If I can make their life sound pretty boring, that usually works, she said.
Union Ministry of AYUSH releases Yog Geet for 2016 International Yoga Day

Published: June 19, 2016

The Union Ministry of AYUSH Ministry has released a Yog Geet (Yoga song) for celebrating the second International Yoga Day on 21 June 2016.

The Yoga song was selected from the 1,000 entries were received through a national-level competition organised by the AYUSH Ministry.

Facts about Yog Geet

It is the three-minute-15-seconds song in Hindi short-listed based on the better lyrics.

It has been produce and written by Dheeraj Saraswat. Music Director of the song was Sumanto Ray.

It has been voiced by Gandhar T. D. Jadhav and Ms. Gatha Jadhav. The song also has backup vocals of Santosh Kshatriya and Sumanto Ray.

Background

The AYUSH Ministry had organised National level competition for selection of a Yog Geet as part of celebration of 2nd International Yoga Day. About 1,000 entries were received in this competition.

The Ministry had short-listed 19 songs based on criteria laid down by it for selection of song and considering the relevance of the song on the recommendations of Committee constituted for the selection of the Yog geet.

Further these short-listed songs were referred to the Committee OF Yoga Experts constituted for the celebration of 2016 International Yoga Day under the chairmanship of Dr. H. R. Nagendra.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2016

Topics: Days and Events  International Yoga Day  Ministry of Ayush  National  Yog Geet

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Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
An area man has been sentenced to eight years in prison this week for his role in the disappearance of a Farmington teen who was found decease
If the results of a recently completed feasibility study are any indication, chances are good that a new hotel will soon be under construction in Park Hills.

During a city council meeting in December, Park Hills council members voted to approve the solicitation of bids for a feasibility study of possible hotel development in Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District 2, which is located just north of Hefner Furniture and Appliance store on the west side of U.S. 67.

The purpose of the feasibility study was to determine whether a privately-owned hotel would make financial sense and be an asset to the economy of Park Hills and surrounding areas.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, local Tax Increment Financing (Local TIF) permits the use of a portion of local property and sales taxes to assist in funding the redevelopment of certain designated areas, including "blighted," "conservation" or "economic development" areas, within a community.

The Growth Services Group (GSG), a national workforce intelligence and consulting firm, was awarded the contract to conduct the study, which was completed and released to the public on June 14.

The market study provided a demographic and economic overview of the area in TIF District 2 along with surrounding areas to determine the overall feasibility of a hotel development project in Park Hills.

In deciding the best site for a hotel to be built, one of the key factors for city officials was proximity to St. Joe State Park and the newly planned trail heads that will lead from the area of Woodlawn and Fairgrounds drives into the park.

Several factors make St. Joe park an important consideration in the placement of a hotel nearby, but two figures included in the study stand out. Firstly, the park receives between 600,000 to more than 800,000 visitors every year.

Secondly, about 61 percent of park visitors ride ATV/ORVs and prefer to use the woodland trails over the sand flats (60 percent to 40 percent, respectively).

Planning and installation of the two new recreational trail heads that are in the works right now  a hiking and biking trail head and an ORV (off-road vehicle) trail head  will lead directly into the woodland trails of St. Joe State Park.

This will be instant access to the woodland trails, said Park Hills Economic Developer Norm Lucas.

And although almost 84 percent of the parks overnight visitors choose to stay in the campgrounds, that leaves a good 16 percent that are deciding where am I going to find a hotel? And to be able to have one right there would be a tremendous attraction, said Lucas.

We want to have the hotel as close as possible to the trail head.  We wanted them to evaluate that site because of the new intersection and newer interchange plus the new proposed trails.

The site chosen for the trail heads and, possibly, the new hotel is located in an as-yet undeveloped area situated between Leadington and the St. Francois County Speedway.

We think its going to wind up, over time, being regarded as the quickest and best way to access the ATV and hiking and biking trails of the park, said Lucas.

Lucas also commented that Department of Natural Resources and St. Joe State Park officials are very happy about partnering with the city for the trail heads because of the extensive development being planned that is expected to have a beneficial impact for the area as a whole, including the park.

Its going to wind up benefiting everybody, said Lucas. Because well have some folks who come the first time, and they see the new entrance (to the park) right off the highway (along with the other amenities that will eventually be built around the trail heads.)"

Looking at the overall results of the study of the proposed hotel site, GSG gave it a rating of excellent based on several factors, including accessibility, availability of utilities, the cost of land, site preparation, visibility from U.S. 67 and zoning.

When they did their site analysis they looked very carefully at factors that would not only affect hotels, but also theyre going to affect almost anybody who wants to develop in that area, said Lucas. So if some restauranteur wanted to put a restaurant right next to the hotel, these are all factors that I think are terribly important to those kinds of investment decisions.

They found the accessibility excellent, considering that were going to build the new road (an extension of Fairgrounds Drive)  were spending half a million dollars to make it accessible.

GSG gave the site a good rating regarding the availability of utilities, but Lucas commented that the Fairgrounds Drive extension will include an upgrade of the utilities for the area, including electricity and sewer services.

The cost of land around the site also received a rating of excellent.

I would expect that anyone who wanted to develop back in there is going to be delighted with the kind of price they would get for the ground they want, Lucas said.

Although, Lucas said, the rating for visibility was partly based on the aerial view, GSG described it as excellent. He added that plans for preparing the area include removal of some trees, which will increase visibility from U.S. 67 and the Fairgrounds Drive overpass.

Other factors analyzed by GSG included how land in the vicinity of the site is already being used; advantages and disadvantages of the site versus major existing competitors; and community events and attractions, including wineries, the annual Mineral Area College jazz festival, the St. Francois County Raceway, the annual Missouri Mines Rock Swap, the annual horse show at the fairgrounds, the Parkland Celtic Festival and many other regional fall festivals and the myriad other tourist attractions and events that occur throughout the year.

The study also included interviews with local area representatives from a variety of public and private employers and organizations who offered their input and perspectives into the need for a new area hotel.

Along with providing accommodations for tourists and visitors to Park Hills and the surrounding areas and, especially, to St. Joe State Park, city officials were correct when they anticipated that a hotel in Park Hills could also serve the needs of local businesses and business travelers.

The most surprising thing about (the study) was, said Lucas, the major factor in terms of market demand, was all about our industry. Weve got visitors from New Jersey because of Piramal (glass factory), from India because of Piramal; weve got visitors from England and Germany because of MOCAP; weve got visitors from all over the place because of Bulk Tank, Lee Mechanical  all these companies that, if you didnt think really hard, you might be hard-pressed to list them all. All these companies in our industrial park and the ones that are just kinda interspersed around the community, they all have visitors. And right now, theyre staying in Farmington and other places because they dont have other choices.

GSGs conclusions included the estimated operating performance of a potential hotel and provided recommendations as to the size and scope of such a project.

After factoring in all the studys variables, GSG concluded that a hotel with 49 rooms could be supported by the community. Recommended amenities included a business center, banquet space to accommodate more than 25 people, a hot breakfast and bar/lounge area, a fitness room and a swimming pool.

GSG recommended room rates ranging from $109.99 to $121.99 per night.

The next step, according to Lucas, is up to private developers.

We have an overall developer for the site  Destination Developments out of Western Illinois, he said, and now we have two hotel developers who are interested in the site. So the question now is, how long will it take for each of them to come up with a proposal and how will that proposal then appear to the site developer? The site developer, in conjunction with the owner of the property, will make the final decision as to which hotel to go with.
Much has been said around the world about Samoas involvement in the controversial Mossack Fonseca money laundering scandal, and yet for some reason Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi does not know anything about it.

That was what he told reporters during a press conference in Apia on 10 April 2016; he said he had no knowledge that Samoas High Commission in Australia was involved with Mossack Fonseca.

I dont understand it, he said. I need to know the context.

So lets tell him. Lets try to make him understand.

On 4 April 2016, the headline on the front page of The Guardian, in the United Kingdom, screamed: Samoa diplomat was used to help Mossack Fonseca create shell companies!

Just underneath the headline, paper reported: Panama papers show documents were sent from a law firm to Samoas High Commission in Australia, which then couriered them onwards.

The Guardian went on to reveal: That law firm assists its clients in setting up offshore shell companies in countries commonly linked to tax avoidance such as the British Virgin Islands and the Seychelles.

A shell company is an entity that is usually created for business transactions but has limited assets and offers low visibility of the activities it undertakes.

Said The Guardian: Documents on Mossack Fonseca were obtained by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian and other media outlets.

The files show that Mossack Fonsecas Samoan office appears to have been using the Samoan high commission in Canberra, about 4,500km away, to assist it in forwarding documents for the creation of shell companies to other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

The Samoan high commissioner initially said in a statement she was not aware of any instances where documents had been received from Mossack Fonseca for legalization, but later clarified and said some documents had been forwarded for processing only to foreign authorities.

Now why not remove all doubt by reading the rest of The Guardians story right here?

Whats quite baffling though is that what is known as (Samoas) Money Laundering Act , is nothing new in this country.

Come to think of it, this countrys previous Money Minister, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, would know all about it.

He was so committed to seeing the bill become into law somehow he got himself on the front page of the Samoa Observer under the headline that said: Money laundering worries rejected.

Underneath the headline a quote attributed to Faumuina read: There are no billions invested here to finance terrorism, so there is almost zero risk.

He added: We cant even afford a rocket with the money thats being invested (through S.I.F.A) here.

Faumuina was speaking in Parliament during the second reading of the Trusts Bill 2014.

S.I.F.A., by the way, is short for Samoa International Finance Authority, which primary role was to make money for the government.

It would be the governments financial institution in charge of its money laundering activities, of which Faumuina was to be the prime mover and custodian.

As it turned out though, the Leader of the Opposition, Palusalue Faapo II, objected, saying he was not happy with the way the bill being rushed through.

He was concerned that since money laundering was involved, he felt that caution should be exercised.

So he took the floor and asked: Mr. Speaker, why are we rushing it? You know what happens when things are rushed. When it comes to money.

Which was when Speaker Laauli Leuatea Polataivao cut in saying, with sarcasm peppering his voice: There is no need to worry. We have a money laundering act and part of that includes big washing machines to wash people and such if they enter the country.

And then reminding that the Head of State has already signed the bill since it is urgent, Mr Speaker urged Palusalue to let it go.

He said: It means our vehicle cannot reverse now. Time and tide do not wait for us.

We are not the only country where these investors will go, if we are late tomorrow, other countries will catch them. We need to be quick.

And then he told the Leader of the Opposition that the world would surely know that Samoa is the most secure country in the world.

Faumuina concurred, stood up, and told Parliament: This law was not rushed. It has taken a long time to prepare.

He said representatives from a law firm in Asia contributed; they came to Samoa and held a workshop in Savaii.

Faumuina said he and Prime Minister Tuilaepa attended that workshop where this law was discussed.

Later, the law was given to the Attorney General who (also) worked with a lawyer from Britain in an effort to compile this bill.

That explanation though was not good enough for Palusalue who demanded to know the names of people who were likely to invest when the law was passed.

In response, Faumuina said this was not possible. He said investors needed to be shown the incentives being offered first.

Still Palusalue was not satisfied. He said he was tired of laws that were tabled but they meant nothing.

We even had a law about the establishment of a Stock Exchange, he said. Up until now there is nothing?

In response, Faumuina said there was a law called U.T.O.S.; it stands for Unit Trust of Samoa.

U.T.O.S exists, Faumuina said. S.I.F.A is investing in U.T.O.S. Thats the domestic arm of the stock exchange.

In the end, the Trusts Bill 2014 was passed into law, Samoas Money Laundering scheme was born, and Faumuina was delighted.

He said: Our aim is to benefit from whats happening in Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, because a lot of people who invested there through such trusts have left.

With this law, he explained, we are looking at markets in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and the Middle East.

Thats why this law has been drafted, using all languages so we can get a share of the markets beyond Asia, and other regions such as the Middle East, South America, as well as some of our people who would like to invest their money in trusts like this.

Faumuina said the idea was for the government to lure millionaires over to use international financial services offered by Samoa through S.I.F.A.

We want to offer better incentives than the ones being offered by other financial centers, so that the rich can come to Samoa to use our services, earning the country money, thus creating more jobs.

Fantastic!

What he did not know  or perhaps he knew but he would not say  was that money laundering is the process whereby the proceeds of crime are transformed into ostensibly legitimate money or other assets, Wikipedia explains.

It is said that the term money laundering was coined from the practice of the American mafia who, at one time, channeled the cash proceeds of crime through laundrettes to legitimize the cash.

Still, the idea that Prime Minister Tuilaepa, during all that time, did not understand was money laundering was, is pretty amazing.

I dont understand it, he said. I need to know the context.

Now thats something to think seriously about.
Ten-year old, John of Vaitele Fou is one of a growing number of child vendors in Samoa.

Providing for his family by selling brooms is his daily routine.

My mothers salary is not enough I love selling these brooms and coconuts, I have been doing it since I was young. he said.

Yesterday, I earned $10 from selling broomsI want to help my family thats why I do this, Im not sure about my futurebutthis helps my family to survive because most of the time we dont have enough food to eat,

John told Samoa Observer that he was sent by her mother to sell goods for money.

Ive told my mother a number of times that I wanted to go back to school like others but she told me to stay home,

I started (as child vendor) when I was fourfive years old.

John dropped out of school when he was in Year 3. Earlier this month, the International Labour Organisation (I.L.O) said it was serious about helping Samoa address the issue.

National Coordinator in Samoa, Tomasi Peni, said law reform is a vital part of the solution.

According to Mr. Peni, there is currently no specific legislation stopping child vendors from working at night time in Samoa, with existing legislature only preventing it during school hours. Other legislature did not apply to child vendors as it does not consider the street a formal place of work, Mr. Peni said.

The country needs to work together, especially the ministries and [social organisations] that deal with child labour, he said. What they need to do is look at the gaps [in legislation] and see where they can work together to include the street vendors in legislation.

He said young children were working into the late hours of the night on the streets of Apia, selling various things.

That exposed them to a variety of dangerous activities as well, with some children stealing.

Mr. Peni said the street vendor issue would take some time to solve, but government intervention was important.

In the meantime, the community and social organisations throughout the country had an important role to play in ensuring children werent working as street vendors, he said. What we want to see in the next course of action is for the social partners [I.L.O is working with] to take action. Mr. Peni urged parents to put a stop to their kids working as child vendors. I think its time they take the issue seriously.
Apia, 19th June  More than fifty representatives of civil society organizations, the private sector and other development partners attended the consultation organized last Thursday by the United Nations Country Team in Samoa.

The objective of the consultation was to increase the understanding of United Nations work in Samoa and foster a dialogue on how the organization could establish more genuine and effective partnerships to advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The main recommendations identified will be reflected in the United Nations Pacific Strategy (UNPS) 2018-2022, a document that outlines the collective response of the UN to the development challenges that Samoa and other Pacific Islands Countries face.

This consultation represents an effort to engage with key partners and responds to the call for greater participation in shaping the role of the UN in the Pacific  said Ms. Lizbeth Cullity, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and Tokelau.

This process ensures that the new strategy will be consistent and aligned with national development priorities that need to be addressed in partnership with government, civil society, the private sector, the academia and the society at large  she added.

Attendees were divided into four groups to discuss topics such as inclusive economic growth, nutrition, health and sustainable consumption, environment and climate change, education and equality.

The participants emphasized the need to open new channels of communication to integrate more effectively the perspective of the civil society and the private sector in the planning process of UNs programmes.

There was also a call to develop a framework to establish public-private partnerships and to reach out the communities on a more regular basis to join efforts and evaluate the impact of the interventions on the ground. Another recommendation was to build business skills and promote creative industries through formal education as a strategy to create jobs for talented youth.

In sum, development partners recognized the added value of the United Nations but also requested larger and more integrated programmes where the civil society and the private sector can play a more active role from planning to implementation and monitoring of national development plans.

Another consultation with Senior Officials from the Government of Samoa and Tokelau will be hosted by the UN Country Team on June 23rd at the Samoa Conference Center, TATTEE Building, Apia. Similar consultations will be undertaken in the Cook Islands and Niue around mid July.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Francesca Mondello, UN Communications Specialist, E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: (685) 23670 ext. 29

About the United Nations System and the Resident Coordinator Offices in the Pacific

The United Nations System has three sub-regional offices in the Pacific. The UN offices located in Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, are led by three UN Resident Coordinators who are representatives of the UN Secretary-General.

The UN Resident Coordinator Office (UNRCO) in Samoa is based in Apia at the UNDP Multi-Country Office and functions as a coordination mechanism for United Nations Agencies in four countries: the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau.

Under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinators, the United Nations Country Team ensures that agencies are well coordinated in the planning, implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation of the programmes in support of the overarching development strategy for the United Nations in the Pacific.
A family at Tanugamanono is coming to terms with the devastation caused by a fire that destroyed all their belongings last Friday.

The blaze destroys everything they had except for their new house built next to it.

Samoa Observer approached the family for a comment on what had happened however the owner of the house Lole Schuster did not want to comment.

Because he lives in American Samoa, and his daughter who lives there with her children are not at home. They are going shopping for school uniforms for her children because everything was destroyed in the fire.

According to an official at the Fire and Emergency Services who refused to be named told the Samoa Observer that they are suspecting that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

He said the family is building a new house next to the old house the owners son was playing his stereo at the back where the fire started.

While the family are preparing food for the workers that evening and they were shocked when they saw the house burning.

Nothing can be done about it because the house looks old and its a wooden house as well, said the fire official.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority are continuing their investigations on this incident to confirm what really caused the fire.
Breastfeeding has always been known to do wonderful things for babies. However, a new study has revealed that infants prescribed with antibiotics get less breastfeeding benefits compared to those infants who do not.

According to Medline Plus, researchers discovered that babies who were prescribed antibiotics while they were breast-feeding or shortly afterward were prone to infections and obesity. "In breast milk, unlike in formula milk, the infant receives bacteria from the mother and specific sugar components that promote the growth of certain [gut] bacteria," explained lead researcher Katri Korpela, from the immunobiology research program at the University of Helsinki in Finland.

The results of the new study published in the JAMA Pediatrics claimed that breastfeeding's health benefits are primarily based on how it developed the child's intestinal bacteria. The findings also showed that the prescribed antibiotics disrupt babies' intestinal bacteria development.

A report from Tech Times said that researchers examined the data of 226 Finnish children who participated in a 2009-2010 probiotic research. The mothers of each child participants were asked about their breastfeeding activities while the researchers looked into purchase records to check the children's usage of antibiotics.

The results showed that about 97 percent of the babies were breastfed for at least a month with an average breastfeeding period of eight months. The researchers found that 50 percent of the babies, who weren't using antibiotics before weaning, linked breast-feeding to lower incidence of infections after they were weaned and has lower weights as kids. As a matter of fact, the usage of antibiotics was cut to 5 percent each month they were breast-fed.

However, the other 50 percent who were given antibiotics while being breastfed and within four months after weaning showed more infections and were more likely to become overweight.

"It's well known that breast-fed babies will always do better in fighting infection because of the immunity offered in mother's milk," said Dr. William Muinos, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.

Antibiotics kill the bacteria in the gut, he said. "If you are not breast-fed, you are not introducing the healthy [probiotic] bacteria," Muinos said. He also reminded that antibiotics should not be given to infants every time they have fever or infection. "You should not use antibiotics on viral infections, where they are useless," he said.
FLORENCE, S.C. - The 246 Army Band will be in Florence on June 30 for a show outdoors at the BB&T Amphitheatre.

The South Carolina National Guard's official touring musical organization comprises three separate performing components: the Symphonic Winds, the Palmetto Jazz Orchestra and Moment's Notice, a top 40 rock and country band.

Consisting of 40 members, the 246 Army Band fosters the support of the American people for members of the armed forces and supports many efforts across the state of South Carolina.

Because the concert falls close to July 4, it will be an Independence Day celebration of sorts, said Barry Wingard, chairman of the Florence Veterans Park.

"We'll have a flavor of patriotic concert in Florence," he said. "Florence needs something like that."

Unlike some of the other military bands that have performed in the Pee Dee, the 246 Army Band hails from South Carolina.

"They belong to the state of South Carolina," Wingard said.

The group performed in Florence several years ago, and Wingard said the show was very well received.

"They really enjoyed themselves, he said. They had a real good turnout."

The show will begin at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to take lawn chairs and blankets.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Food and beverage will be available for purchase.
Later this week, voters in Britain will decide in a referendum whether or not to remain in the European Union. One way or another, June 23 will be a red letter day for Europe. Britain's departure would necessarily destabilize the EU -- and it might inspire other countries to follow suit.

As Jules Suzdaltsev explains in today's Seeker Daily update, the stakes are very high indeed. The potential British exit from the EU is referred to as the Brexit, which is a rather unwieldy contraction, but we can live with it. Unfortunately, it's inspired other awkward nicknames. The Czech Republic is considering the "Chechzit," which isn't too bad, but Denmark's "Denxit" should not be tolerated in a civilized world.

But seriously, the Brexit referendum could trigger a domino effect that would have profound consequences for the entire continent. Opposition to the European Union has been around since the founding of the institution in 1993. So-called "euroskeptics" believe that the EU is too bureaucratic and slow-moving, and -- more recently -- that its open border policies are exacerbating Europe's growing migrant crisis.

RELATED: What Is the Brexit Debate About?

Right-wing groups have championed the euroskeptic cause, particularly in Denmark, the country most likely to follow Britain in abandoning the EU. According to a May 2016 poll, anti-EU sentiment is growing quickly -- 42 percent of Danes now want to hold their own national referendum, up from just 37 percent at the beginning of the year.

Voters in the Netherlands have expressed desire for a similar referendum. Right-wing politicians with the increasingly popular Party for Freedom faction complain that Dutch taxpayers are picking up the slack for troubled EU nations like Spain and Greece. Far-right politician Geert Wilders -- sometimes called the Donald Trump of the Netherlands -- has called the EU a "totalitarian monster." Also like Trump, he has called for a total ban on Muslim immigration.

Other countries are considering referendums, too -- including France, Sweden and Greece. While it's unlikely that any of these countries would secede in the short term, a British exit would give member states leverage to renegotiate terms with the EU and ultimately weaken the institution.

In any case, the numbers aren't trending well for EU supporters: In a 2016 Pew poll of European citizens, nearly half of respondents had an unfavorable view of the 28-member European Union. Uh-oh.

-- Glenn McDonald

Learn More:

The Guardian: Given the facts the UK should stay in the EU



Politico: Brexit 'could lead to Czexit'

Fortune: Could Denmark Be the Next Nation to Bail On the EU?

New York Times: Rise of Far-Right Party in Denmark Reflects Europe's Unease




Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
A woeful As rotation has endured yet another setback: The return of right-hander Henderson Alvarez will be delayed once again.

Alvarez left his rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Nashville when, while throwing his warmup pitches entering the fourth inning, he experienced shoulder pain. The 2014 All-Star, who threw 49 pitches and allowed two runs in three innings, will report Tuesday to Oakland before meeting with Dr. James Andrews next week.

Unfortunately, right when we get on the verge of having him back here, something pops up, manager Bob Melvin said. As of right now, hes shut down.

It had been the As hope that Alvarez, who signed a one-year contract with Oakland in December, would join the major-league rotation for the first time next week. That this is his second setback only makes his status more concerning. Last month, in what was expected to be his final rehab start, Alvarez exited with shoulder soreness.

He is 1-0 with a 4.03 ERA in eight rehab starts between High-A Stockton and Nashville. When healthy, the 26-year-old Alvarez should offer a measure of stability to a staff that owns the ALs second-worst ERA. He is 27-34 with 3.80 ERA in 92 starts over five major-league seasons (two with Toronto and three with Miami). On the final day of the 2013 season, he pitched a no-hitter against Detroit.

I really do feel for him, Melvin said. He just loves to pitch, loves to play. You see that in him, whether hes throwing a bullpen or whatever hes doing. He was looking so forward to coming back and helping his team. Its pretty demoralizing.

Warriors fever: When they arrived at the clubhouse Sunday morning, As players had yellow Warriors Strength in Numbers T-shirts waiting for them at their lockers.

But even professional athletes are having a tough time justifying a ticket for Game 7 of the Finals (as of the time of this writing, the cheapest tickets on StubHub ran about $700). The only Oakland players expected to attend are Billy Butler and Rich Hill, according to a team staffer.

I knew that would be a tough ticket today, said Melvin, a lifelong Warriors fan. I will watch at home.

Briefly: Left fielder Khris Davis, who exited Saturdays game in the eighth inning with calf cramps, is not in the lineup Sunday. Melvin said he hopes to have Davis back for Tuesdays series opener against Milwaukee.  Left-hander Rich Hill (groin) threw a 30-pitch bullpen Sunday. On Wednesday, hell throw 45 pitches with hitters standing in.  Right fielder Josh Reddick (thumb) begins his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Nashville. Hell play five games for the Sounds and, if all goes well, be back for the As June 27 series opener at San Francisco.  Oakland reinstated reliever Liam Hendriks from the disabled list Sunday and optioned reliever Andrew Triggs to Nashville.  Left-hander Sean Manaea (forearm) threw a bullpen session Sunday and will throw another Tuesday.

As lineup: CF Burns, 2B Lowrie, C Vogt, 3B Valencia, DH Butler, 1B Alonso, SS Semien, RF Muncy, LF Smolinski.

Angels lineup: 3B Escobar, RF Calhoun, CF Trout, DH Pujols, 1B Marte, 2B Giavotella, SS Simmons, C Perez, LF Robinson.

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: Con_Chron
The unraveling of the Oakland Police Department was sudden and swift, and came on the heels of what should have been a shining moment in the agencys history.

Less than a year ago, the police force was boosting its ranks, embracing new technology and getting accolades from a White House expert on policing. But now, it has all but fallen apart, roiled by scandals involving a teen sex-trafficking victim and racist texts, and the abrupt departure of three bosses in one week.

I am stunned and profoundly disappointed, Mayor Libby Schaaf said in an interview Saturday, a day after she held a tense news conference to announce the departure of acting Chief Paul Figueroa, who has taken a leave and will return to the police force as a captain, rather than his old job as assistant chief. At the news conference, Schaaf also revealed that Oakland is investigating several officers for sharing racist text messages and emails.

That was just one among many bombshells that have dropped since the beginning of the year, all coming from an agency that seemed to be making improvements and chipping away at Oaklands historically high homicide rate. When the recent misconduct allegations surfaced, Oakland was subject to more scrutiny than perhaps any police department in the nation.

Since 2012, the police force has been under the direct control of a federal judge and court monitor, an arrangement that stems from a 2003 settlement over alleged beatings and corruption by a group of West Oakland police who called themselves the Riders. The city has paid millions for the monitor while hiring numerous consultants to help, including New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton.

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Lost faith

Schaaf, who established herself early on as a no-nonsense crime fighter, signaled Friday that she has lost so much faith in Oaklands police force that she no longer trusts it to police itself. She said at the news conference that City Administrator Sabrina Landreth will take the reins while Oakland conducts a national search for a new chief.

Most people who live in Oakland know that there are real cultural and leadership problems with the Police Department, and Mayor Schaaf tried to change them, said Jim Ross, an Oakland political consultant. And whats frustrating is its much harder for her to do that than we will ever know.

Schaaf ran on a platform that emphasized public safety and became a stalwart for the department almost as soon as she took office. She added 40 police jobs in her 2015 budget and promised to increase the force to 800 officers by the end of her term. In July, Schaaf and then-Police Chief Sean Whent traveled to the White House to share Oaklands law enforcement strategies with other agencies. Ron Davis, a former East Palo Alto police chief who in 2014 was named to lead President Obamas Task Force on 21st Century Policing, hailed Oaklands department as one to emulate in the post-Ferguson era.

I believe the department fundamentally changed during that time period, Schaaf said. In recent news conferences, the mayor has painstakingly highlighted Oaklands accomplishments  among them, wide adoption of body cameras, a reduction in use-of-force complaints, and training for officers to overcome implicit bias  even as she condemned the departments frat house culture.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Strong backing

For a while, it seemed that a police department that had suffered through years of dysfunction  with ever-changing leadership and crippling layoffs between 2009 and 2013  finally had strong backing from the citys leaders.

But the mayor has grown increasingly rattled as police disciplinary cases have again started to pile up. The most prominent among them is a growing scandal involving several officers and their dealings with a sexually exploited teenage prostitute. That case has now implicated law enforcement personnel throughout the Bay Area, including a Defense Department employee.

The exploitation of a victim of human sex trafficking is just profoundly disturbing, Schaaf said. It undermines everything weve been working so hard on this past year.

The sexual misconduct case and others overshadowed what should have been a period of optimism for Oaklands Police Department and led to the sudden ouster of Whent, its well-liked and highly regarded leader.

The political leadership in Oakland  and even the police force leadership  had a legitimately sincere approach to change, said Peter Keane, a former San Francisco police commissioner and current law professor at Golden Gate University. But that state of mind did not drift down to the mid-level commanders, captains and lieutenants. There, you still had business as usual, the same negative approach that Oakland police officers have historically been viewed as having.

Keane said the current upheaval shows the difficulty of trying to control a law enforcement culture with an entrenched cowboy mentality, where officers have each others backs and good cops never blow the whistle on bad cops. He said that mind-set has lingered for generations in Oakland, and only a hard-driving administrator can stamp it out.

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.

Placing blame

Nobody has quite nailed down exactly what caused Oaklands Police Department to fray. Some, like Ross, blame layoffs in past years, which cut out officers who could have formed the departments core leadership today. Others blame a recruitment and hiring spree that started under former Mayor Jean Quan  many of the officers currently under investigation were hired between 2012 and 2014, before Schaaf took office. Still others blame the command staff, saying it was too permissive and unwilling to crack down on bad behavior by the rank and file.

Some say that macho culture may be an endemic feature of police forces, and that its up to city leaders to snuff it out.

This is a national issue, this need to build trust in law enforcement, Schaaf said.

Barry Donelan, who heads the Oakland Police Officers Association, issued a statement Saturday, saying the majority of sworn personnel in Oakland are hardworking, ethical people who are as disappointed as everyone else in the allegations made against their colleagues.

But at this point, city officials and experts think change needs to come from outside. Some council members are pushing for a civilian police commission, which they say should have the power to discipline officers and terminate the chief. Jim Chanin and John Burris, plaintiffs attorneys in the Riders case, want a federal judge to intervene in the hiring and recruitment of officers. Schaaf still hopes to find an inspired leader from another city.

Chanin is cautiously optimistic. Look, nobody said this was going to be pretty, he said. Part of the reform process is digging through things you wouldnt normally see.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: rachelswan
A $21,000 spruce-up of her San Francisco loft by designer-to-the-stars Ken Fulk wound up putting state Attorney General Kamala Harris under the microscope for possibly accepting an illegal gift.

The A.G. eventually ended up in the clear  but not before cutting a check for more than $10,000.

The designer drama started in October with an anonymous tip to the state Fair Political Practices Commission that Harris  who happens to be running for the U.S. Senate  had received a hefty freebie from Fulk, who was redoing her South of Market digs.

Fulk is one of the Bay Areas more colorful designers  among his credits was the multimillion-dollar, Lord of the Rings-themed wedding in 2013 of social media entrepreneur Sean Parker at Big Sur. He collects stuffed animals and often incorporates them into his home designs, and once pranked his friends by adding tusks to a stuffed female lion, dyeing it white and sending out a photograph announcement that he was donating a prehistoric saber-toothed tiger to UC Santa Cruz.

The Harris home fix-up in 2013, however, turned out to be no laughing matter  not after the anonymous tipster told the Fair Political Practices Commission that Fulk was doing it free of charge.

The commission sent a letter to Harris San Francisco address on Oct. 13, saying it was considering initiating a probe and giving her 10 days to explain what was going on. Harris, who hasnt been around San Francisco much since her August 2014 marriage to Los Angeles attorney Douglas Emhoff, didnt learn about the letter until the commission contacted her office at the end of October.

Within days, Harris personal attorney, Stephen Kaufman, wrote back that, yes, Fulk was working on Harris loft  but, no, it was not for free and that to properly evaluate the matter, one must understand the nature of the relationship between the A.G. and her designer.

Harris and Fulk are like family, the lawyer said. A few years back, Harris asked Fulk for his advice on how to jazz up her living and dining rooms, Kaufman explained.

One thing led to another, and the next thing you know the kitchen was was being redone, the living room was being repainted and a parade of furnishings began arriving from Fulks warehouse.

m&r/Drew Altizer Photography

Although she never received a bill, Harris began sending checks to Fulk: $5,000 in September 2013, $2,000 in June 2014 and $4,000 in August 2015.

After the Fair Political Practices Commission got interested, Harris asked Fulk for an accounting for any money she still owed on the job and sent in a final check for $10,245.

Even if the attorney general had received some personal benefit that wasnt covered by her payments, this transaction was made with a close friend who has no business with the attorney generals office, Kaufman wrote.

Fulk did not return calls seeking comment.

Kaufman urged the watchdog agency to reject the case and call off the dogs. The commission did so this week.

Somebody was making a story out of nothing, Kaufman said Tuesday.

Just who that somebody was will probably never be known. But from the looks of things, theyre keeping a pretty close eye on Harris  or at least her taste in furniture.

Lights, camera ... : For all of Caltrans apologies over the Bay Bridge shutdown for a TV commercial Saturday morning  and the traffic tie-ups the film crew created  state transportation officials say they have no plans to start alerting the public every time Hollywood sets up a shoot on the span.

We dont want to attract unwanted attention and have people coming out there expecting they could be in a commercial, said Caltrans spokeswoman Brigetta Smith.

Saturdays permit for an Infiniti car commercial called for the bridge to be shut down for no more than three minutes at a time between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Smith said motorists were inconvenienced five times at most before Caltrans moved to shut down the filming a half hour early when traffic began stacking up at the toll plaza.

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.

Smith said Caltrans is looking into giving motorists a general heads-up when they should expect delays on the bridge, but without specifying the reason.

Caltrans issues 80 to 100 permits a year to film on Bay Area roads, including about 15 on the Bay Bridge. The agency charges producers an average of $700, less than the cost of catering lunch for the film crew.

By comparison, film permits on the Golden Gate Bridge cost $10,000. The big fee is meant to discourage requests, said bridge district spokeswoman Priya David Clemens.

We tell them that if it doesnt work out for your pocketbook, the Bay Bridge is a great alternative, Clemens said.

And finally: Mayor Ed Lee cut the ribbon Saturday on the new San Francisco General Hospital, paid for partly with $75 million donated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan.

By decree of the Board of Supervisors, the 284-bed hospital, which will open in the spring, will officially be known as the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Or Zuckerberg San Francisco General for short.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross
When news broke late Friday that the Oakland Police Department had lost its third chief in a little over a week, the Twittersphere lit up with disbelief.

What the holy eff is goin on with #Oakland leadership? one person tweeted.

This is getting dicey for Mayor (Libby) Schaaf, wrote another.

Even the worst-run McDonalds doesnt have turnover like this, tweeted a third.

Within an hour, Schaaf went back before the microphones to address the latest in a series of unfolding scandals  racist text messages allegedly sent in 2014 by black officers. It had been just a few hours since word leaked that a homicide investigator was in trouble for allegedly having his then-girlfriend write his reports. In between those headline grabbers came the news that acting Chief Paul Figueroa had stepped aside after just two days for unexplained reasons.

Hanging over it all, of course, is the big one: An investigation into whether cops were having sex with an underage hooker and in at least one case tipping her off to a prostitution sweep.

Sources later told us that Figueroa wasnt under investigation for any wrongdoing. Schaaf wouldnt talk about it, other than to say he wasnt caught up in the racist texts or sex scandal.

The mayor did her best to show that she was in control. She said it was changes shes made to Police Department oversight that are leading to all this bad news being rooted out. She once again took ownership for firing interim Chief Ben Fairow, whom she had brought over from the BART police, after all of six days.

Fairow, whose sin may have been an extramarital affair more than a decade ago, was brought in to replace Chief Sean Whent, whom Schaaf showed the door for mishandling the sex scandal.

Schaaf is gambling that whatever the short-term political costs of her rapid-fire actions to clean up the frat house police culture, they will pay off in the long haul.

But its a tough image to sell to a city that is only beginning to climb out of years of soaring crime and criticism of police for mishandling protests.

I dont think the mayor is out of control, said civil rights attorney John Burris, who is party to the negotiated settlement that led to federal court monitoring of the Police Department. She is being confronted with difficult situations and having to make decisions.

Burris said Schaaf is right to claim credit for creating the environment that is leading to the discovery of one scandal after another.

Basically its going down because of her commitment to ferret out the truth and uncover unholy relationship, and I think people have gotten nervous about that, Burris said.

So far, Schaaf appears to have the support of the City Council  or at least its silence.

The mayor was dealt this hand, and she is trying to do the best job she can do, said Councilman Larry Reid, who earlier in the week had expressed frustration over Whents abrupt ouster.

Its really starting to tax her, Reid said.

Its taxing everyone.

Blue line: Theres still plenty of head scratching over the scope of the police sex scandal that has rocked the Bay Area  and over just how a teen sex worker managed to connect with as many as 14 Oakland police officers, plus cops in other agencies from San Francisco to Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

According to a lawyer familiar with the case, who wasnt authorized to speak for the record, the now-18-year-old woman befriended most of the officers on Facebook  playing off the fact that her mother was an Oakland police dispatcher and her aunt was a dispatcher in Contra Costa County.

They always started out legitimately and in a tone that was not sexual, the attorney said.

The woman would open up by messaging that she hoped to be a dispatcher herself one day and that she had a lot of respect for cops.

Among those she reached out to were officers from Richmond who had worked in the schools where she grew up. She would mention teachers and other people they both knew, said our source.

Brant Ward/The Chronicle

After a time, the chatting became more flirtatious, in some cases turning to sexting and eventually resulting in sexual encounters.

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.

The officers involved could lose their jobs for any of three reasons  having sex with the woman when she was under 18, knowing that she was a sex worker and consorting with her anyway, and  as is suspected in at least one Oakland case  tipping her off about planned prostitution sweeps.

But no matter their contact, the attorney said, they are all being put in the uncomfortable position of being questioned about their communications with her.

Alioto reborn: Former San Francisco Supervisor Angela Alioto is ready for her return to the citys political arena, and she already has an adversary picked out: Supervisor Aaron Peskin.

Alioto left the Board of Supervisors in 1997 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003. On June 7, she won election to the Democratic County Central Committee, where she wants to push for comprehensive health care and call out corrupt public officials.

She didnt say whom she meant by corrupt officials. But shes clearly not happy with Peskin, saying he used his clout to block her plan to turn Vallejo Street between Grant and Columbus avenues into a traffic-free poets plaza.

Alioto says it was payback for her endorsement of Peskin opponent Julie Christensen in the 2015 supervisorial race.

Peskin says thats nonsense. He simply slowed down the push for a poets plaza, he said, because there are legitimate concerns being raised by both residents and businesses.

Peskin added that he was delighted that Alioto is going to be on the DCCC  and joining him there. Peskin was elected to the committee as well.

This will resolve itself, he said.

Just as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman resolved their differences.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: matierandross
Donald Trump suddenly seems strangely irrelevant. Funny how when the stage gets big  when he isnt one of 15 Republicans fighting for attention, but one of the last two people with a realistic shot of being elected president  Trump looks very small.

His response to the Orlando gay club massacre hardly seemed grounded in reality. When he gets away from his audience of true believers, the birthers who decide whos going to be the Republican nominee, his outrageous statements about how President Obama sympathizes with terrorists and should resign just come off as crazy.

My advice to my Republican friends: Find some way of denying him the nomination on the first ballot at the convention. Then go with House Speaker Paul Ryan on the second ballot. Hillary Clinton will still win, but at least youll keep your dignity.

Speaking of dignity: Bernie Sanders, save some of yours by getting off the stage. The voters have written you out of this play.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf would be smart to find a safe, solid outsider to manage her fouled-up Police Department for a while as she seeks an acceptable long-term solution. Maybe one of San Franciscos former police chiefs, like Fred Lau or Tony Ribera, could be persuaded to come in as a caretaker.

The world would know at the outset that someone like that wasnt going to take the job permanently. But an experienced graybeard would know what he was doing, which is more than you can say lately for anyone at police headquarters, or for that matter at City Hall. It would take away some of the pressure to find a long-term replacement pronto.

Or, Schaaf could just give the job to the federal court monitor assigned to oversee the post-Riders reforms. He appears to be running the department anyway.

Street fair season is upon us. The Union Street Fair was spectacular, and North Beach was even better. The restaurants and the bars all had outside seating, and the prices were actually affordable.

Movie time: Genius. Jude Law is Thomas Wolfe and Colin Firth is the Scribner editor who has already published the works of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Theyre all in there, lookin good. A must-see for anyone whos in the publishing business or just likes a good story.

Now You See Me 2. Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine and stunts aplenty make this two-hour-plus flick a triumph. If you didnt see the first entry, so much the better. You wont have to compare this one to it.

There were a pair of fundraisers for the Smithsonians new National Museum of African American History and Culture the other night that clearly showed the Northern California-Southern California divide.

The Bay Area fest was at 1300 Fillmore, with the expected donation $25,000.

The Los Angeles party was at Denzel Washingtons home, where the minimum was $1 million.

Im a member of the museums board of directors, so I attended the Bay Area event, on scholarship.

I dont know what it is about projects like this, but they always seem to be short of money and long on talk about how to get more.

I remember one board meeting back in Washington, D.C., where heavyweights like former first lady Laura Bush, publishing magnate Linda Johnson Rice and business executive Richard Parsons were sitting around the table trying to come up with ideas about how to meet a $200 million goal.

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.

Oprah Winfrey was on speaker phone from Chicago. We were at $192 million and struggling.

After about 45 minutes of back-and-forth, we hear Oprahs voice come over the speaker.

May I interrupt  what was it you said you needed?

We said, Were $8 million short.

Ill tell you what: If you will agree to adjourn the meeting and let me get back to work, I will give you the $8 million right now.

We did, she did.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
In the heart of West Berkeleys warehouse district, just behind the bustle of the Fourth Street shops, lies a quiet, eclectic neighborhood where bungalows and breweries, gravel companies and galleries all mingle.

There, jewelry designer April Higashi lives in a three-level live-work condo, with her Shibumi Gallery on the bottom floor.

The building resembles a tall shipping container. It was revamped by two artists, so its an artists version of what a live-work space might look like rather than a contractors, she says. That means this is no cookie-cutter home but rather a modern, modular layout that can accommodate many uses: gallery events, houseguests, large parties for brunches and birthdays. Cozy bedrooms sit within large, open spaces without traditional hallway transitions; tons of natural light flows from top to bottom. A hidden staircase connects each level without obstructing any central view.

Shibumi means a subtle, unobtrusive and deeply moving beauty, and you can say that is true about the space and its owner. Inspired by organic forms, ancient objects and, more recently, stones, Higashis aesthetic feels plucked from nature. At the gallery entrance are two 60s-inspired metal-and-wood doors designed by Higashi and her ex-husband, metal sculptor Eric Powell, with whom she amicably co-parents their 6-year-old son, Ando. Inside, white gallery walls are anchored by concrete floors stained a rich bronze color reminiscent of a sake factory she visited in Japan.

Higashi is a fourth-generation Japanese American. Her family is from Oahu, Hawaii, which April and Ando consider their second home. Voted least likely to be from Utah in her high school, she left her home state for San Francisco at the age of 18. She received a bachelor of fine arts in textiles and fine arts from the University of San Francisco and went on to work in the fashion industry, including as an art director for the Jerry Garcia estate.

Michael Short/Special To The Chronicle

The jewelry gallery opens into Higashis work studio, which is filled with tiny tools neatly stored on a row of worktables. Having created three jobs for herself  jeweler, gallerist and mother  April spends her time designing, collaborating with clients and seeking out new talent while also raising her son.

Work-life balance in a work-live space proves to be a challenge at times. Its hard to ever feel caught up and find pure creative time while running my business, she says. Thankfully, shes surrounded herself with a creative community made up of her small staff, loyal clients and artist friends from the neighborhood. I find I am very fortunate to have people around me with mutual interests and aesthetics.

Beyond her workroom is a large open space that feels like an extension of the yard behind it. Here, she has hosted friends in need of a place to crash; lectures from local artists; and gallery openings, including Andos first art opening. She and her son share adjacent worktables with inspirations tacked on the wall, including a Ruth Asawa painting, botanical drawings by Ernst Haeckel and Andos latest drawings of samurais and robots. Higashis desk resembles a museum display, every stone and metal tool placed with such purpose that nothing seems out of place. With the gallery, I care very much about the way pieces are displayed, she says. I would say that carries over into my home. Her cabinet of curiosities on the second floor is a turn-of-the century piece filled with small mementos like her sons umbilical cord (which six years later looks like a tiny sculpture) and her Japanese American grandfather Tutus passport. Someone once told me that what they liked most about visiting Japan is that everything is considered, she recalls. I thought that was such a nice intention to bring into your life.

Michael Short/Special To The Chronicle

The living space on the second floor feels modern and moody with furniture sourced mostly from flea markets and midcentury shops: Paulo Mendes da Rocha leather chairs that she re-dyed, a cotton-linen blend sofa from Restoration Hardware that feels modern but still kid-friendly, handcrafted wood coffee table and furry stool by Woodsport furniture maker Scott Mcglasson and Powells metal sculpture on the walls.

Climbing another set of stairs, perched on top of the maze of rooms on the two lower floors, is one sanctuary room with enough space for a bed (that is often shared with her aging Siamese cat). The top floor is my very small bedroom, which feels like a nest where I can get away from it all, Higashi says as she takes a moment to relish the calm away from staff awaiting direction on the first floor, a boyfriend awaiting some company on the second and her sweet, chatty son who is expected to return home any minute.

Michael Short/Special To The Chronicle

Theresa Gonzalez is a San Francisco writer and author of Sunday Sews (Chronicle Books, 2016). Twitter: theresagonzalez Email: home@sfchronicle.com

The live-work

cheat sheet

Living with kids

Higashi believes that kids learn how to be respectful if they understand that objects can be broken and need to be handled with care. My son knows what gallery hands are, she says, which means that you keep them behind your back or in your pocket and ask to touch things. Ando makes sure to inform his friends of this rule when they come over. Still, if anything breaks, Higashi, who admits to being unsentimental about things, says, My relationship with him is more important.

Getting advice

from friends

Rather than splurge on new decor, consider simply rearranging your space with the help of a few friends whose design sense you trust. When shes feeling in a design rut, Higashi invites friends over to help her refresh the space. It will feel uncomfortable giving them control of my space and I might end up moving it back. But I like to see how other people see things. It gets me out of my comfort zone.

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Containing little treasures

Keep things around you that you really love and be able to let things go that you dont love anymore, Higashi says. Displaying important collections in glass cabinets, window boxes or on a designated table creates a mini gallery for guests to admire.

Balancing work-home life

While she admits that it can be a challenge to run a business at home, it helps to have a big support team, which allows Higashi to raise her son and see clients  and not have to do everything. Her part-time staff of eight has proven to be the ideal number. On the flip side, when I have staffing issues its really hard.

Thinking outside

the door

In Higashis bedroom were two doors leading to a bath and a closet. She pulled them out and replaced them with indigo patchwork textiles that she found on a trip to Japan for her assistants wedding. It makes the small space feel airy and light, and since its all hers, the lack of a little privacy isnt an issue.

T.G.
If 1950s planners had their way, San Francisco would still be crisscrossed by gargantuan freeways.

The Chronicles front page from June 19, 1956, covers Mayor George Christophers veto of a ban on a new Western Freeway bisecting the city.

It was a procedural city government story that got a giant headline above The Chronicles nameplate, but the exaggerated presence illustrates the passions this highway idea inflamed in the city.

Then as today, San Franciscans will get up for a development fight. Christopher, on the other hand, didnt want a quick decision.

The mayor charged that the resolution, passed by the board last week, was ambiguous and too sweeping, the story read. He called it the most astounding measure he had seen in years.

A classic crime: A short article near the top of the page doesnt have a headline, but it has a fun illustration to lure readers to a ridiculous story:

Somebody stole the driveway from Enoch Quendines summer home here in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

(Click to enlarge)

Quendine spent the weekend grading the driveway and pouring blacktop on it. This morning he went out to look at it, and it was gone.

Someone had scooped up all the blacktop and hauled it away while it was still soft. Loss: $20 and a lot of effort.

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.

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.

Chronicle Covers is a yearlong project highlighting one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken, producers Kimberly Chua and 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
When President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters drop by Yosemite on a family vacation this weekend, they will have the opportunity to gaze at El Capitan, feel the spray from Bridalveil Falls and maybe even clamber up the granite of Half Dome. They might hear an interpretive guide describe the geologic forces that sculpted a Sierra landscape so awe-inspiring that President Abraham Lincoln decreed the valley would be protected for all Americans as Americas first national park.

Since then, presidents have added more parks and monuments and historical sites (459 more, in fact) and in 1916 created the National Park Service to care for them. Obamas visit, on the eve of the park services Aug. 25 centennial anniversary, is an opportunity to remember the important role parks play in telling Americas story. The president has visited many parks and, significantly, added 23 national monuments, including one in Kern County noting the contributions of Latino labor leader Cesar Chavez. Saturdays Yosemite visit offered a moment to reflect on the park service lore and values passed on over the past century  and to craft a vision for the next one.

That vision must include ensuring that park visitors, new park units and the parks workforce reflect the diversity of America. Americans will care for public lands that help tell their part of Americas story.

National parks, especially the big iconic parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone, shape our sense of place in the vast American landscape. Yet, it is often in the smaller parks, the next-door parks, the urban parks or in the stories told in the parks, where many Americans find the part of our nations story that resonates with them.

Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro, where black people and nature meet, talks about off-placard stories  tales not included in the park displays  that offer such a connection. She tells the tale of John Harris, an African American waiter in San Francisco at the turn of the 20th century, who with a white friend went to the Sutro Baths at Lands End in what is now the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. He was permitted to enter the bathhouse but not the baths. He sued and won, setting in motion civil rights legislation in California. The spectacular Lands End scenery feeds the soul, but it is the story of what happened to Harris there that can connect the heart.

Parks pay tribute to leaders and movements and moments and landscapes. Sometimes the stories are disturbing. Tribal members might feel lands that belong to all Americans were stolen from them. Japanese Americans were imprisoned on public lands during World War II. The Magnolia Plantation, a national historic landmark in Louisiana, offers a glimpse of plantation life  and slave cabins. Yet, America the beautiful and America the ugly are part of who we are as a people. Parks create common ground where we can talk about the achievements that bind us and the differences that divide us.

Bringing diversity to the National Park Service will be difficult. The park service bureaucracy is huge, its hiring practices opaque, its organization structure rigid. But change is vital. People need to see that the folks working at the parks look like them if they are going to feel welcome, said Shantha Ready Alonso, executive director of Creative Justice Ministries. Her organization is part of a broad coalition pressing for changes.

Alonso, and the other leaders, are right. The National Park Service must reflect a diverse America if we are to protect our public lands for future generations.

Toward more inclusive parks

All Americans are free to use and need to help safeguard our public lands, but not all Americans feel welcome there. To increase the sense of ownership and belonging, a coalition of environmental justice, civil rights, conservation and community organizations has asked the president to set forth a vision for our parks in a presidential memo to carry us into the next 100 years. They suggest the guiding principles should include:

Reflect Americas diversity in federal land management policies.

Respect all cultures in the stories our parks tell.

Recruit a more diverse workforce to care for and manage our public lands.

Engage diverse communities in supporting and protecting landscapes important to all Americans.
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WASHINGTON  Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who has a reputation for voting against wars, now has a chance to broker peace in her own party.

Although Hillary Clinton has secured enough delegates to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has not endorsed his rival and has refused to concede defeat, holding out to make sure Clinton and the party shift their policy agenda to include many of his positions  from raising the minimum wage to enacting a carbon tax to providing tuition-free college and single-payer health care.

His last hope to push his party to the left is the partys platform committee, whose members include Lee.

Lee, who endorsed neither Sanders nor Clinton in the primaries, said this week she hopes to use her neutrality to broker a deal that will keep Sanders and his supporters happy and preserve a party united in its effort to defeat Donald Trump, the Republicans presumptive nominee, in November.

Its a fairly heavy lift for all of us, Lee said in an interview Wednesday. So much is at stake, and we want to make sure Trump doesnt win, so we have to have a platform thats inclusive.

Lee, a veteran of her partys left, is one of just four members of the platform committee appointed by the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Under the rules, Schultz could have appointed the entire 15-member committee.

Ben Margot/AP

Clintons struggles

Instead, Clinton appointed six members and Sanders selected five, an unusual proportional allotment that acknowledges the more than 12 million voters, many of them young, who flocked to Sanders over the long primary season that grew increasingly bitter up to its crescendo in California, where Clinton locked up the nomination with a decisive victory almost two weeks ago.

Clinton struggled to generate enthusiasm on the stump and very much wants Sanders voters on her side in November.

Sanders made it clear that his support will come at a price, pledging Tuesday in Washington to force delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next month to adopt the most progressive platform ever passed by the Democratic Party. And he reiterated that point in a speech Thursday. This campaign has never been about any single candidate, he told supporters. It has been about transforming America.

Healthy competition

Lee said the competition between Clinton and Sanders has been good for the party, as it has forced both to crystallize their views. She does not foresee policy fights that would warrant divisiveness at least on our drafting committee, because Sen. Clinton has embraced many of the ideas that Sen. Sanders has put forth and Sen. Sanders has agreed with Sen. Clinton in a lot of ways.

Joining Lee as party appointees are the chairman, Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings; former Los Angeles Rep. Howard Berman; and Bonnie Schaefer, former CEO of Claires Stores.

Sanders members are Princeton Professor Emeritus Cornel West; Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota; climate activist Bill McKibben; James Zogby, head of the Arab American Institute; and Deborah Parker, an American Indian activist.

Clinton appointees are Ambassador Wendy Sherman; Neera Tanden, head of the Center for American Progress and a former Clinton aide; Rep. Alicia Reece of Ohio; Carol Browner, former chief of the Environmental Protection Agency; Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois; and union chief Paul Booth.

On Tuesday, after meeting with Clinton, Sanders called for a platform that would aid the disappearing middle class, the 47 million people living in poverty, and take on the greed of powerful special interests who ... have so much power over the political and economic life of our country.

Democrats have laid out an unusually open platform-writing process, soliciting public testimony in person, by writing or by video at https://demconvention.com/platform. The committee met publicly for two days in Washington last week, hearing from elected officials and citizens, and held another forum Friday in Phoenix. It will meet again late this week in St. Louis, with a final platform meeting in Orlando on July 8 and 9.

Lee said things are going smoothly so far. Right now, people have different points of view, but it hasnt been divisive or contentious, she said. I think everybody has a goal in mind of us defeating Trump.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: carolynlochhead
Just in time for Sundays San Francisco Pride celebration, the LGBT community has some new, self-appointed protectors: Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump and his posse of conservative yes-men, including Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, also-ran candidate Ben Carson and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

But they are the kind of protectors nobody wants. Especially the gays, as Trump referred to the community the other day.

Each has spent their adult lives demeaning or scapegoating LGBT folks, mostly for political gain or ratings. None supports same-sex marriage, and dont ask what they think about the t in LGBT.

Carson was among several Republican presidential candidates who shrugged it off when Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis defied the law last year by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This is, after all, a Judeo-Christian country, Carson said last fall. I dont believe they have the right to force their way of life upon everybody else, nor would I try to force my way of life on everybody else.

Apparently Carsons eyelids were drooping extra low when the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is the law of the land.

Phony protectors

Nonetheless, he was among the conservative protectors trying to leverage the Orlando shootings to get gays and lesbians to support Islamophobia. In their eyes, because Orlando massacre shooter Omar Mateen professed his allegiance to the Islamic State group before slaughtering 49 people at a gay nightclub, the LGBT community should realize who their true enemy is.

Or, as Gingrich said the gay rights movement will come to realize that Islamic supremacy is their mortal enemy.

Its more like their mortal enemies are people like Gingrich, who, after Proposition 8 passed in California in 2008, said there was a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us.

Then theres Hannity, Trumps human sock-puppet on Fox News, who has openly worried that he wont be able to tell his kids that same-sex marriage is wrong. (Theres no law against trying to impart your values to your children  but hyperventilating about such a hypothetical ban is what passes for good TV on Fox.)

Now, Hannity is parroting Trumps post-Orlando, we-love-the-gays spin by turning the massacre into an attack on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

The Clinton Foundation has taken tens of millions of dollars from these countries. In addition to Saudi Arabia, the Clinton Foundation has taken money from at least 6 other majority-Muslim nations whose laws harshly punish homosexuality, reads a post on his shows website, Hannity.com.

The Donald will spend Tuesday in New York courting LGBT-bashing Christian conservatives like Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who believes homosexuality is a disorder, and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, whose organization is considered to be a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Those pedigrees matter little to Trump, who needs enthusiastic support from evangelical Christians to boost his campaign. Besides, he believes the gays love him.

Ask the gays what they think and what they do, in, not only Saudi Arabia, but many of these countries, Trump said last week after the attack, and then you tell me  whos your friend, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?

Few are buying this phoniness. #AskTheGays was mockingly trending on Twitter after Trumps comments, and a recent Gallup poll showed only 18 percent of the gays have a favorable impression of Trump; Clintons favorability is three times as high.

The problem with these phony protectors is that the LGBT community really does need help now.

Its morally repugnant

Legalizing same-sex marriage last year was a huge milestone. But since then, more than 200 anti-LGBT bills have been introduced across the country. In 28 states it is legal to fire people just for being LGBT. This year, North Carolina passed a law that says transgender people can use only public restrooms that match the sex on their birth certificates. Mississippi passed one that allows people to discriminate against LGBT folks on religious grounds.

Gaining full civil rights is what thousands of people will be thinking about when they march down San Franciscos Market Street on Sunday. But none of the new, self-appointed protectors have done much to help them on that count.

When asked a few months ago, Trump initially said he didnt think North Carolinas anti-transgender law was necessary, then walked it back a bit a day later, perhaps fearful of offending conservatives in swing state North Carolina.

That sort of cynical attitude toward the community is what bothers Shannon Minter, legal director for San Franciscos National Center for Lesbian Rights. Minter was the lead counsel for Californias landmark marriage equality case and has been at the forefront of the movement for the past two decades.

What Trump is doing seems really cynical, Minter said. Pretending to be a friend of LGBT folks is really just another opportunity to bash Muslims. Its appalling. Its morally repugnant.

But Minter has also tried to see the positives coming out of the horror of the past week.

He wonders if, 30 years ago, the nations flags would have been flown at half-staff after an attack at a gay club.

Following through

And hes uplifted that some conservatives have offered heartfelt thoughts  including 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who said he would say a special prayer for the LGBT community that was the focus of this attack.

Then there was Utahs Republican Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who made a tender speech acknowledging that he regretted not treating LGBT folks with respect for much of his life. He has changed, he said.

On behalf of the 3 million people of the state of Utah, we are Orlando. We love you, Cox said. And I love you.

Love is a good place to start. But it has to be followed by action  like real civil rights protection.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: joegarofoli
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Fire investigators on Sunday methodically poked through the smoldering remains of six buildings on the edge of San Franciscos Bernal Heights neighborhood that were gutted over the weekend by a huge fire that left 58 people without homes.

The team of inspectors hoped to pinpoint the origin, path and cause of the fire that kicked up into the unwieldy inferno Saturday afternoon and took firefighters almost four hours to get under control. Remarkably, no one was killed and only three people suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation.

Many of those left stranded lived at the Greywood, a single-room-occupancy hotel with a history of city code violations on the corner of Mission and 29th streets, where residents first reported seeing and smelling smoke.

I was in my room, and I thought it was just a drill because the sprinklers werent working, said Cristel, who lived at the hotel but didnt want to give her last name.

Dramatic evacuation

While eating breakfast Sunday morning at a shelter at the Salvation Army on Valencia and 23rd streets, the 21-year-old nursing student at San Francisco State University described the dramatic evacuation that happened around 2:30 p.m. the day before.

People were yelling Get out! Get out! Get out! she said. I was panicking. I didnt have time to grab anything, just my backpack.

She had yet to learn if her books, computer and other school supplies were destroyed.

Joe Williams said he smelled something burning from his room at the hotel and checked a circuit breaker box on the second story. He said smoke and fire shot out of the box and spread so quickly it could not be smothered.

His wife, Tavey Soy, and their son, Joseph, scrambled out of the building with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing and two diapers. The boy recently turned a year old, and all his presents burned in the fire, Soy said. Im not really worried about my stuff, she said. But he needs his clothes and his diapers.

Investigators have to first pinpoint the origin of the fire and determine how the flames spread before they can identify the official cause, said Jonathan Baxter, a Fire Department spokesman.

Members of the San Francisco Fire Departments Fire Investigation Task Force began their work early Sunday as crews continued to snuff out pockets of smoldering debris near a smoke-blackened fire engine.

Mission Street between Virginia and Cesar Chavez streets was expected to stay closed to traffic until Monday, Baxter said. Muni buses were cleared to pass though the area around 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

Hardware store destroyed

The 3300 Club, a watering hole on the ground floor of the Greywood, was intact Sunday, but the floor was flooded and the waterlogged celling sagged.

Other establishments were not so lucky. All that was left of Cole Hardware, just south of the Greywood, was its facade. Behind it, scorched lumber lay collapsed in piles. Another apartment building south of the hardware store was ravaged by fire, as were the buildings behind the store.

I feel bad for all the people living upstairs, Shukry Lama, 30, whose family owns the 3300 Club, said as he viewed the damage Sunday. Luckily were insured, but a lot of the people above us didnt have much. What they had was in that building.

Greywood residents have filed almost 50 complaints over the past two decades, resulting in numerous citations, according to San Francisco Department of Building Inspection records.

In the past year, inspectors found that a heating system at the hotel was installed without a permit and that possible wastewater was flooding into units. Residents also often complained about circuit breakers that would trip several times a day, cutting off some power to the buildings.

Tom Hui, director of the Department of Building and Inspection, was at the scene Sunday and said he was aware of the complaints.

We need to find out whats going on, and Im going to have my staff look into it, he said.

Hillary Ronen, chief of staff for Supervisor David Campos, whose Ninth District includes the fire-devastated block, rushed to the scene Saturday to translate for Spanish-speaking tenants affected by the fire.

On Sunday, she said she was aware of the building violations and planned to meet with Department of Building Inspection officials to discuss them Monday.

Im very concerned, and I want to find out all the details, she said. There have been many violations along with eyewitness reports of where the fire originated. We need to find out immediately if there is anything that could have been done to prevent this.

But code violations at single-room-occupancy hotels, known as SROs, are not unusual, according to tenant advocates.

The thing is, SROs in San Francisco across the board have building code violations, said Chirag Bhakta, an outreach and campaign coordinator for Mission SRO Collaborative. If this fire did indeed originate at the Greywood, it would not surprise me.

The Greywoods owner did not return phone calls Sunday.

Several recent Mission fires

The fire is the latest large blaze to cause devastation in and near the Mission District, where soaring housing costs have put a suffocating squeeze on lower-income residents.

A January 2015 fire that tore thought a large building at 22nd and Mission streets killed one person and injured six. That was followed by several other large fires, including one two months later that killed a 13-year-old girl and her father in their family home at 24th Street and Treat Avenue.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: EvanSernoffsky
It takes a confident writer to aim an oblique gaze at the Manson family murders of 1969. Northern California native Emma Cline does just that in her highly praised debut novel The Girls. Rather than placing the sociopathic leader at the center of his own lurid story, Cline focuses on the morally ambiguous margins occupied by his followers. The young women in particular.

The radical act is trying to represent female characters and give them their full humanity, Cline said by phone from New York, where she now lives. We usually have such flat characterizations of teenage girls, with so little subjectivity and agency. They are acted upon by someone elses desires. I wanted to show someone who was a victim sometimes but also wielded power over others, who could feel all sorts of things.

Clines acutely fine-tuned sensitivity to group dynamics can be traced back to her origins in an idiosyncratic family, where size was a dominating force, along with being a kid as one of an insane number of children. Youre always submitting to the group. Cline was the second oldest of seven children. Thats a lot of human beings! she said with a laugh. Lots of jostling for position. I started reading then  which is such a private act  and that led to writing.

Cline kept a journal all through high school, which she reviewed in anticipation of writing her novel. It was a harrowing read, she admitted. Because youre never the thoughtful, introspective person you imagine, but are instead this monstrous, petty creature. The old journals reminded her of the emotional pitch of adolescence, where everything is life or death, yet youre without the ability to discern context or consequence.

Although Evie Boyd, the books narrator, is slightly more than a bystander to the Helter Skelter atrocities, what really interested the author was what it might mean to have been capable of something she didnt do. And without having had a clear judgment passed, she is living with the ambiguity.

Pitfalls of adolescence

Although Cline acknowledges that plenty of readers will call this a book about the Manson story, she said that, for her, the cult stuff is really secondary. Its really about the experience of girlhood.

As Alexis Burling wrote in her review of the book for The Chronicle, Clines eagle-eyed take on the churnings and pitfalls of adolescence  longing to be wanted, feeling seen, getting discarded  rarely misses its mark.

The novel was bought by Random House as part of a staggering $2 million three-book deal. This led to inevitable discussions of expectations and self-consciousness. Ive stayed somewhat removed from the news, and Ive tried not to follow it, Cline said. Its none of my business, which sounds strange because I know its about me, it runs parallel to me. She laughed again, vaguely embarrassed. Well, I have a general idea because my sisters tell me what I need to know. I get a heavily redacted version.

A great deal of the hype surrounding the book deal has featured Clines youth  she is 27. I understand why people talk about my age. Its something people mention because they have to mention something. In fact, she steers clear of social media altogether. Its a way of maintaining a certain amount of mental space thats necessary for writing. I just cant imagine what I would share! And I dont really want the authors I read to be that accessible either.

Raised in Sonoma (her father founded Cline Cellars), Cline recalled numerous family outings in which a drive past San Quentin always included the comment, Thats where Charles Manson lives. At 6 years old, she soon realized that it wasnt a house. And by then he had already moved, she added. Increasingly drawn to the mythology of the 60s, which was often based on untruths and misremembered details, Cline found herself choosing to observe through a fictional lens.

After brief stints in Berkeley (living around the corner from the Cheese Board) and in Los Angeles, where she dabbled in acting, Cline chose to leave the West Coast precisely because she was so attached to it. Im exactly the right audience for California, she said, without any hint of irony. I went to college in Vermont (Middlebury) to see what it was like. In a very California move, I only had a denim jacket. I stayed indoors a lot. By the second winter, she bought herself a down jacket.

At the start of an extensive book tour, she has to grapple with being the public face of a very private project. Its a tonal shift, Cline said. But in the Bay Area, instead of having an author escort (one of the awkward perks of being a publishing star), she has enlisted her siblings to do the driving around. I have six of them, after all.

Between 2 coasts

Living in New York has enabled Cline to sharpen her vision of California.

Because when Im here I cant quite pin down the edges of it. As for plans to come back? I think Ill end up in California, but all my friends are in New York, unfortunately. Cline paused, thinking aloud. Im trying to lure them. Maybe start a commune. What would it have? No Internet, probably, that would be good. But I wont tell them that part.

Elizabeth Rosner is the author of three novels, most recently Electric City, and is working on a book of nonfiction titled Survivor Cafe.

Emma Cline reads from The Girls: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, at the Commonwealth Club, 555 Post St., S.F.; 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, at Readers Books, 130 East Napa St., Sonoma; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23, at Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., S.F.; and 7 p.m. Friday, June 24, at Copperfields Books, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma.
Odd you should say that, but one of the sub-contractors I work with, who is a Muslim who's family originally comes from Pakistan, was telling me he was going to vote to leave the EU because of his worries about the large number of Eastern Europeans coming into the country. :unsure:All you could hear after him saying this was the thud of my jaw hitting the floor :wacko:ps: off on my hols today, thought I'd go a spend a week in an Islamic country(Turkey), to see if its true that they really do want to kill or enslave us all
Kenyan court upholds use of anal probes to determine sexuality



A Kenyan court on Thursday upheld the use of anal examinations to determine a suspect's sexual orientation, dismissing the argument that the procedure amounts to torture and degrading treatment.



There was no violation of rights or the law, Mombasa High Court Judge Mathew Emukule said.



"I find no violation of human dignity, right to privacy and right to freedom of the petitioners," he said.



Two men had sought a court ruling to stop enforced anal examinations and HIV tests of men accused of being gay after they were subjected to the procedures.



The two were arrested in a bar near Ukunda along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast in February 2015 on suspicion of engaging in gay sex, which is a criminal offense in Kenya. They still face the charges and, if convicted, could face 14 years in jail.



In their petition, the men said the anal examinations and HIV and hepatitis B tests they were forced to have amounted to being subjected to torture and degrading treatment.



The judge said the petitioners should have used their lawyers to seek injunction orders to avoid undergoing the tests....
It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Trump paid off any number of people, including WOMEN he 'dallied' with. And obviously you know NOTHING about Hillary Clinton. If you had checked out her bio you would see that Hillary graduated from Yale Law School in 1973. Instead of going to work for a big law firm, she chose to become an advocate for women, families, and children. She went to work at the Childrens Defense Fund, where she helped expand access to education for children with disabilities. When she was first lady of Arkansas she helped start Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. When FLOTUS, Hillary was a staunch advocate for women and childrens issues. She led the U.S. delegation to the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she proclaimed that womens rights are human rights. She also advocated for the Family and Medical Leave Act. So don't be telling us that she's a hypocrite. Hillary chose to stay with her husband. Don't ask me why, but she did. She did not cheat on him, she did not LEAVE him. She honored her wedding vows which is more than I can say for Donald Two-Timer Trump....excuse me...that's Three-timer. He's a adulterer--a cheater and a liar. Why do you give Trump a pass? Why would you excuse a serial adulterer, a liar and a presidential candidate who demeans and vilifies women?? He could care LESS about women's issues.
BAGHDAD  Thousands of civilians are fleeing Fallujah after the city was declared liberated from the Islamic State group, the United Nations said, while an Iraqi commander reported fierce clashes as elite counterterrorism forces pushed to clear out the remaining militants.

Islamic State fighters launched missiles, detonated a suicide car bomb and deployed snipers against Iraqi forces, Brig. Gen. Haider al-Obeidi said. Iraqi forces are still advancing despite the strong clashes, he said.
Uncredited

MOSCOW  The Russian military on Sunday rejected the Pentagons accusations that it had deliberately targeted U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces, arguing the U.S. had failed to warn about their locations.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said the area targeted in the strike Thursday was more than 180 miles away from locations earlier designated by the U.S. as controlled by legitimate opposition forces.
The former owners of the Clear Grain Exchange believed that providing rebates to major buyers would put the business on a stronger financial footing even though they would have eaten through most of the fees generated from trading, the High Court in Wellington heard.

NZX bought Clear for A$7 million in October 2009, with two earn-outs of A$7 million tied to performance. The stock market operator is suing Dominic Pym, Grant Thomas, and their companies Ralec Commodities and Ralec Interactive for between A$20.7 million and A$37.6 million, and say they provided wildly inaccurate forecasts prior to NZX buying the Australian grain trading platform in 2009. Ralec's A$14 million counterclaim says NZX and former chief Mark Weldon under-funded the business which meant it couldn't meet earn-out targets.

Counsel for Weldon, Alan Galbraith QC, took 45 minutes to cross-examine Pym on Friday. He signalled his intended brevity to Justice Robert Dobson before beginning, to which Dobson responded that "nobody in this case need apologise for being short." The trial began on May 2 and is expected to last 11 weeks in total.

Galbraith ignored Pym's criticism of Weldon's management style and claims about the former NZX boss's aggressive behaviour, instead focusing on the rebate Pym wanted to give one of the largest grain buyers, Glencore, of A$2 per metric ton of grain traded for one million tons of grain. Clear's trading fee was A$2.50 per metric ton.

In his brief, Pym said NZX had stopped Clear from being able to encourage growers to sell through the platform by not allowing the rebate. Pym said he had thought other buyers and sellers, not knowing about the rebate, would see the volume traded on the platform and that would encourage them to use Clear.

Galbraith said that looking at the numbers, that extra volume "would almost net out" and would not materially change the financial result for a 12-month period.

Pym agreed, but said the increased volume would "encourage other traders to trade and create more volume which then impacts the financial numbers."

Galbraith also asked Pym about a document relating to NZX's planned Agri-portal, which he said "does make it quite explicit that it's the Clear Grain Exchange and another market which is seen as the integral foundation for the success of the agri-business portal."

Pym disagreed, saying that while the success of the Agri-portal would "no doubt be directed by the success of the markets within it and by the data available", he thought that the phrase 'integral part' meant the agri-portal would leverage those markets should they be successful, rather than its success being dependent on the markets.

After his cross-examination concluded, Pym was re-examined by the Ralec lawyers, which will continue today.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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APN News & Media is in a trading halt on the NZX pending an announcement by the company.

The trading halt was placed before market open this morning, NZX Regulation said in a statement.Trading in the company's shares between June 20 and June 22 was to be on a deferred settlement basis to allow for a share consolidation to be processed, APN said last week.

Last Thursday, APN's shareholders overwhelmingly backed plans to carve out the New Zealand unit as a standalone listed company, freeing up APN to focus on Australian radio and outside advertising business, while NZME can pursue its merger with rival Fairfax New Zealand.

APN, which is also traded on the ASX, last traded on the NZX at $4.76, reflecting the one-for-seven share consolidation approved at the meeting. The shares have gained 24 percent this year on that consolidated basis.

At the time, chief executive Michael Boggs told BusinessDesk he was planning to spend the next 10 days meeting and greeting current and potential investors in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney and Melbourne.

In Australia, APN is looking to sell its regional newspaper business ARM, which has a portfolio of 12 daily and more than 60 non-daily Australian regional newspapers, so it can focus on its digital growth strategy.

The Australian newspaper today reported APN is looking for A$50 million for the regional paper network, and Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp and Singapore-based social media marketing firm Fetch Plus had lodged binding offers when final bids were due on Friday.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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The ATI metals refinery in Millersburg  still widely known by its former name, Wah Chang  plays a crucial role in the U.S. nuclear energy industry, producing highly purified zirconium to contain the radioactive uranium that powers many of the nations civilian nuclear reactors as well as those that drive the Navys nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers.

But for two years in the early 1970s, Wah Chang played a role in the darker side of Americas nuclear history: reprocessing depleted uranium for the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

Most workers at the Albany-area plant were never told about the uranium on the site or warned to take any extra precautions.

But, according to a government analysis, hazardous levels of residual radiation from that depleted uranium remained on the site for nearly 40 years after the reprocessing job was done  and hundreds of Wah Chang employees paid for it with their health.

Some may have paid with their lives.

Under a little-known federal law called the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, 218 current or former Wah Chang employees or their survivors have collected more than $34 million in government compensation and medical benefits after the employees developed cancers that were at least as likely as not caused by on-the-job exposure to radiation connected to the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

Another 191 have filed claims for compensation that were denied, and an unknown number may qualify for the program but have never been made aware of it.

Wah Chang is just one of the hundreds of privately owned factories and government laboratories that helped build Americas nuclear arsenal, the most formidable on the planet. But what happened at the mid-valley metals plant sheds light on the high but often overlooked cost paid by American workers to win the Cold War.

In an executive order implementing the law in December 2000, President Bill Clinton paid tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who helped build the nations nuclear defenses and acknowledged that their work had put some of them in harms way.

Too often, these workers were neither adequately protected from, nor informed of, the occupational hazards to which they were exposed, the order reads in part. While the nation can never fully repay these workers or their families, they deserve recognition and compensation for their sacrifices.

Nationally, the government has paid out more than $12.6 billion in cash and medical benefits since the program began, but there are still people struggling to claim the compensation they believe is their due  including some who worked at Wah Chang.

Different kind of contract

The Wah Chang facility in Millersburg is a metals refinery, not a nuclear weapons plant.

Established in the 1950s, its original mission was to produce zirconium for the U.S. Navy using a process developed at the U.S. Bureau of Mines Albany Research Center.

Zirconium is notoriously difficult to refine, but it also has some unique properties. In highly purified form, zirconiums combination of corrosion resistance and relative transparency to neutrons make it ideal for use in fuel assemblies and other components of nuclear reactors.

Wah Chang remains a major supplier of zirconium for the civilian nuclear industry as well as the Navys nuclear propulsion program.

The Millersburg plant also produces a number of other specialty metals, including hafnium and niobium, for a variety of applications in the aerospace and medical industries, among others.

About 800 people work Wah Chang facility today, and the plant had as many as 1,800 workers during its peak employment era in the 1970s.

While there are various sources of radiation at the 110-acre facility  from the trace amounts of uranium and thorium that occur naturally in the zircon sand used to make zirconium to the X-rays emitted by the electron-beam furnaces used in the melting process  theyre generally not considered hazardous, either because the radiation is very low-level or because adequate shielding is in place.

But the depleted uranium Wah Chang worked with in the early 1970s was a different animal.

Forgotten details

Precise details about the depleted uranium that was sent to Wah Chang and exactly how it was handled are difficult to come by. Because the work was part of the nuclear weapons program, it may have been regarded as secret at the time, and more than four decades have passed since then.

Moreover, Wah Chang officials declined to be interviewed for this story and turned down a request for a tour of the plant.

(In fact, when Gazette-Times photographer Godofredo Vasquez attempted to take pictures of the plant from the Union Pacific railroad tracks outside the perimeter fence, Wah Chang employees told him to leave and called for police. Vasquez was arrested and, at the insistence of Union Pacific officials, formally charged with trespassing. Vasquez says he didnt know he was trespassing and left as soon as he was told the tracks were private property. The Gazette-Times is providing Vasquez with legal assistance and intends to contest his prosecution.)

But a review of public records by the Gazette-Times and interviews with government officials and former Wah Chang employees revealed some basic information.

According to a report by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Wah Chang was subcontracted by Union Carbide Corp. to melt uranium-bearing material in 1971 and 1972. Described as depleted uranium, the material came from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which was operated by Union Carbide from 1947 to 1984 for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (later the Department of Energy).

Built during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, Y-12s massive cyclotron arrays provided the enriched uranium for Little Boy, the U.S. atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Y-12 remains in operation today, producing and maintaining all the uranium parts for every weapon in Americas nuclear arsenal. Now run by a consortium of civilian contractors known as Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, the complex also provides secure storage for nuclear material.

Depleted uranium, primarily uranium 238, is whats left over after the lighter isotope uranium-235 has been removed from natural uranium. U-235, or enriched uranium, is the fissionable isotope that creates the chain reaction in nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors. Its not clear what the depleted uranium handled by Wah Chang was intended for, but the stuff has a variety of uses, from radiation shields in medical equipment to armor-piercing ammunition for the military.

How much depleted uranium went through the Wah Chang plant in 1971 and 1972 is unknown, but the companys state-issued license for the period authorized the company to have up to 50,000 pounds of the radioactive material on site at any one time.

Related documents indicate that the depleted uranium was received from Union Carbide in the form of pressed billets or ingots, then melted to remove impurities in an electron beam furnace designated S-6. The purified uranium ingots were then shipped back to Union Carbide in Oak Ridge, along with any scraps of leftover uranium.

The process also generated some radioactive waste. According to state inspection records, at least 977 cubic feet of radioactive waste, mainly in the form of floor sweepings, contaminated rags and paper, was trucked out of the Wah Chang plant for disposal by Chem-Nuclear Services of Portland.

During the process, a certain amount of uranium and radium was deposited on the interior walls of the S-6 furnace, which had to be periodically cleaned.

Apparently, however, not all of the radioactive material was removed.

According to Wah Changs current radioactive materials license from the state, 2.27 kilograms of depleted uranium  roughly 5 pounds  remain on the site to this day. Thats the amount of radioactive material that was still inside the S-6 furnace even after final decontamination. The furnace is no longer used for production, but its still stored in a building on the Wah Chang grounds, where it will remain until the company determines how to dispose of it safely.

Asking for help

In 2010, a former Wah Chang employee petitioned the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to declare a special exposure cohort for the plant under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Program Act, or EEOICPA.

A special exposure cohort is a class of workers who can apply for benefits under the act without having to undergo the difficult and time-consuming process of a formal dose reconstruction to establish eligibility.

In a sworn affidavit, the employee (whose name has been redacted from public records) testified that he worked at Wah Chang from 1957 through 1979 without being monitored and without proper protection.

NIOSH determined that a radiation hazard existed at Wah Chang during the two years when depleted uranium was being reprocessed for the U.S. nuclear weapons program and for decades afterward. Potential sources of exposure, the agency found, included inhaling or ingesting uranium dust or fumes as well as gamma or beta rays while handling or working near the depleted uranium.

Although fewer than a dozen Wah Chang employees are believed to have worked directly with the depleted uranium itself, federal officials were not able to determine whether other employees on the site may also have been exposed to the radioactive material.

While it is apparent that Wah Chang did have a monitoring program in place at the time of the depleted uranium operations, the evaluation report states, NIOSH does not have access to the records.  For that period, NIOSH was unable to determine a workers actual work location or whether a worker was restricted to one location. Workers may have been able to move about freely; therefore, all workers exposures will be treated similarly.

On April 29, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a special exposure cohort for Wah Chang. All employees who worked at least 250 days in any building at the plant between Jan. 1, 1971, and Dec. 31, 1972, were declared eligible for EEOICPA benefits if they developed certain kinds of cancer and met other specific requirements.

A few days later, the department announced that employees who worked at least 250 days at the plant between Jan. 1, 1973, and Oct. 31, 2009, might also be eligible because of exposure to residual radiation. Unlike members of the special exposure cohort, these employees would only qualify for benefits if a dose reconstruction determined that there was at least a 50 percent probability that their illness was caused by workplace radiation exposure. The residual exposure period was later extended to March 1, 2011.

Open secret

While Wah Chang workers were eligible to apply for EEOICPA benefits from the time the law went into effect in 2001, few seem to have been aware of it before the creation of the special exposure cohort and designation of a residual exposure period in 2011.

In general, eligible Wah Chang workers are covered under Part B of the program. Those who qualify receive a lump sum payment of $150,000, plus medical benefits covering the cost of treatment for 22 different types of cancer.

So far, 451 current or former Wah Chang employees  or their survivors in cases where the employee has died  have filed 672 claims for benefits. To date, 302 of those claims have been approved and the government has paid out $32.6 million in cash compensation and $2.3 million in medical bills.

But an unknown number of people who might qualify for benefits still have never been told about the program.

As the agency charged with administering the EEOICPA, the U.S. Department of Labor has the primary responsibility for spreading the word about the program. But that doesnt mean it has a list of current and former atomic weapons workers, said Rachel Leighton, director of the departments Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation.

Leightons office gets some help from the Department of Energy, which can generally obtain employee contact information for companies that have ongoing nuclear weapons contracts with the department.

That being said, Leighton added, DOE doesnt have a list of all workers who worked there over the years. The corporation has to be willing to provide that information.

Many private companies  especially firms like Wah Chang that no longer have active DOE contracts  apparently have no interest in providing employee contact information for EEOICPA notification purposes, despite the fact that all the programs benefits are funded by taxpayers, not the companies themselves.

Fighting for benefits

Former Wah Chang employee Garry Steffy has been battling the company over that information since he learned about the program from a newspaper article in 2011.

Steffy does not have cancer himself, so hes never filed a compensation claim. But as Oregon coordinator of SOAR, the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, he represents the interests of retired members of the United Steelworkers union, including hundreds of his fellow ex-Wah Chang employees.

Steffy sent a letter to his membership alerting them about the program, and the union newsletter provides periodic updates.

But those efforts only reach current and former union workers, not the managers, secretaries and other nonunion members Steffy refers to as company people.

Theres about as many of them in the company as there is in the union, he said. We worked side by side with them most places in the plant.

There may also be union members he doesnt have on his mailing list that the company has addresses for, he believes.

But when he asked company officials to provide contact information, they refused.

They said if they did that, they could be sued by their employees for giving out their addresses, Steffy said.

Looking for answers

Recently the situation has taken an even more troubling turn. The corporate verifier for ATI, the Pittsburgh-based conglomerate that owns the Wah Chang plant, has stopped providing verification of employment to the Department of Labor for Wah Chang workers. That means former employees or their survivors have to scramble to provide proof of employment through other means, such as tracking down years-old pay stubs or obtaining a statement from the Social Security Administration.

Leighton said her office is trying to work through the issue with ATI, but theres nothing the federal government can do to force the company to comply.

It is a kind of tricky situation because we dont have mandated authority to make these corporations provide information, she said. Theres no obligation for them to do that.

Meanwhile, Steffy says, there may still be former Wah Chang workers struggling with cancer who might be able to take advantage of the compensation program if they only knew it existed.

Some are in a nursing home, theyre dying. They get this check and they can basically live out their life in comfort, he said. Some people spend all their money (on medical treatment) because they didnt know about the program.

And then there are the families of workers who have already died, who could use the compensation to cover unpaid medical bills, leftover funeral expenses or anything else they might want.

That money could make a big difference to a lot of surviving spouses and children, Steffy said, but many of them are looking for something else.

A lot of people are not upset about the money  I think theyre upset that their loved ones worked there and got an illness and they werent treated with respect and dignity, he said.

I think if someone would say, Hey, were sorry, I think that might help a lot of people.
Castner Kilgore, Steve Miller, Cliff Albee and Curtis Leibrant have two things in common.

They all worked at the Wah Chang metals refinery in Millersburg during a time when there was radiation on-site from the companys connection with a government nuclear weapons contractor, and they all developed cancer.

But thats where the similarities end.

All four filed for government compensation for their illnesses (in Castners case, the claim was filed by his children after he died) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, the federal safety net for the hundreds of thousands of workers who helped America win the Cold War by building the nations massive nuclear arsenal in privately owned factories and government research facilities across the country.

But their experience with the way those claims were handled was very different. And only one of them was granted.

Since the EEOICPA went into effect in 2001, 111,446 current and former atomic weapons workers, or their survivors, have filed 280,673 claims under the act. To date, the U.S. government has paid out $12.6 billion in cash compensation and medical benefits to settle 105,032 of those claims.

Not everybody wins the compensation lottery, however. Some 127,073 claims have been denied so far, while another 48,568 are still pending.

The numbers are comparable for workers at Wah Chang, the Millersburg metals refinery that has been designated as an atomic weapons employer under the program. The designation covers the years 1971 and 1972, when the plant was reprocessing depleted uranium from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for federal nuclear weapons contractor Union Carbide Corp., as well as a residual radiation period extending through March 1, 2011.

So far, 451 current or former Wah Chang workers or surviving family members have filed 672 claims. Some 302 claims representing 219 workers have been approved, and combined cash and medical benefits totaling $34.9 million have been paid (with four approved claims still awaiting payment).

Another 291 claims involving 191 workers have been denied, and 79 are still being adjudicated.

For many workers, those disparities raise questions about the fairness and effectiveness of the federal compensation program.

Castner Kilgore

Castner Kilgore started working at Wah Chang in 1956, when the first buildings at the Millersburg facility were still under construction. Known as Bud or Okie Bud to his friends, the Oklahoma transplant raised seven children during his 20-year career at Wah Chang, working in a number of jobs around the plant.

The work was hard but the money was good, and Kilgore never complained, according to his son Rudy.

He would work 12-hour rotation shifts, Rudy Kilgore recalled. It was tough, but I dont know if he ever said I dont want to go to work today.

Bud Kilgore started getting sick in 1972 or 73, his son recalled, and in 1974 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He continued to work at Wah Chang for another two years, retiring in 1976. He died the following year at the age of 61.

In 2012 Kilgores seven children filed claims for compensation under the EEOICPA.

The previous year NIOSH, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, had declared a special exposure cohort for all Wah Chang employees who worked at the plant for at least a year during 1971 and 72, when the depleted uranium from the Union Carbide contract was on the site.

That designation meant those employees, including Kilgore, could qualify for a lump sum payment of $150,000 plus medical benefits if they developed one of 22 specified cancers without having to go through the individual dose reconstruction process applied to workers filing claims for the residual radiation period from Jan. 1, 1973, through March 1, 2011.

Kilgores pancreatic cancer was on the list of qualifying conditions, but the NIOSH claims evaluators ruled that it didnt meet the requirements for automatic approval under the special exposure cohort because it was diagnosed less than five years after his first possible workplace radiation exposure. Like a number of other conditions on the list, radiogenic pancreatic cancer is defined as having a five-year latency period from initial exposure to the development of diagnosable symptoms.

For that reason, a dose reconstruction was required to prove that Kilgores cancer was at least as likely as not caused by on-the-job radiation exposure. Based on Kilgores job description and other factors, the NIOSH evaluators determined that there was only a 0.21 percent probability that his pancreatic cancer was caused by radiation he absorbed at Wah Chang, far below the 50 percent threshold required for approval.

His claim was denied.

His family was devastated.

Rudy Kilgore is convinced that his father developed cancer because of his work at Wah Chang, either because of radiation from the Union Carbide contract or some combination of other toxic substances at the refinery, which works with a number of exotic metals.

He thinks the denial has more to do with the difficulty of documenting workplace exposure than with the actual exposure itself, and he cant understand why his fathers claim was rejected when so many others have been approved.

Wah Chang official declined to be interviewed for this story, but Rudy Kilgore insists they failed to warn his father and other workers about the extent of the potential hazards they faced or provide adequate protective equipment.

As far as Im concerned, they murdered my dad and a lot of other guys out there, he said. They murdered him and they never said a word about it, just hoping it would go away.

Hes not worried about the money, which would have been split seven ways among Bud Kilgores grown children. He wants an apology.

My dad was worth a hell of a lot more than $150,000, Rudy Kilgore said. I want somebody to squirm. I havent heard anybody say We messed up, we goofed up. I havent heard anybody yet say Were sorry.

Steve Miller

Steve and Charlene Miller renewed their wedding vows on June 9, 2013, the couples 40th anniversary, three months after Steve was diagnosed with cancer. He died three months later, on Sept. 26, 2013, at the age of 59.

He had pancreas cancer, his widow said. It spread to the liver and then it spread to the lungs and then at the end they think it spread to the brain.

Other than a three-year hitch in the Army, Steve Miller spent his entire working career at Wah Chang, from 1976 to 2013.

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2013 and quickly filed for EEOICPA compensation. He didnt start at Wah Chang until after the special exposure cohort period had ended, but the diagnosis came more than five years after his first potential exposure to residual radiation, so he was eligible for compensation through a dose reconstruction process.

Like Kilgore, however, he wasnt able to document a sufficient level of exposure to meet the at least as likely as not standard. The NIOSH evaluators determined there was a 7.85 percent probability that radiation at Wah Chang caused his cancer, so his claim was denied.

Despite that determination, Charlene Miller cant shake the belief that Steves cancer was caused by workplace exposure, in part because so many of his co-workers developed various forms of the disease. Cancer was so prevalent among Wah Chang workers, her husband told her, that it was among the most common topics of conversation on the job.

He said they used to sit around the break table and talk about whos going to go out with cancer next, she recalled. They knew that they had it there, but they didnt know where.

Like a lot of longtime Wah Chang employees, Steve Miller worried he might get sick or injured if he didnt find safer employment, Charlene said, but he stayed because it was one of the best-paying blue collar jobs in the mid-valley.

Everybody made good money there, she said.

At the end, when he knew he wasnt going to get the $150,000 compensation payment, Steve Miller told his wife not to worry: The house was paid off, and she was going to be all right financially.

But it still would have meant something to her family, Charlene Miller says.

I would have given some of it to my kids, because they lost their dad, she said through tears. Youre not going to get your spouse back, no matter what you get.

Cliff Albee

Cliff Albee went to work at Wah Chang in 1967, after his hours got cut at the plywood mill.

I had five children, he remembered. I decided it was time to find something different.

He stayed with the company for the next 32 years, including about 25 years as an electron beam furnace operator, retiring in 1999.

In 1997 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, even though he never experienced any symptoms from the disease. Things took a more serious turn in 2006, when his doctor told him he had secondary bone cancer.

But both cancers were caught in time and are well managed with medication, and he remains symptom-free today at a spry 80 years of age.

Albee does not believe his work was the source of his cancer.

A lot of men get prostate cancer, he points out, regardless of their work environment. And he thinks the management at Wah Chang provided adequate protective gear, including respirators, dust masks and even air tanks for jobs like crawling inside one of the furnaces to chip contaminants off the walls with a needle gun.

Still, when he learned about the federal compensation program for atomic weapons employees, he filed a claim. It took about six months to process, but because he qualified for the special exposure cohort, there were no issues and he received the $150,000 payment as well as medical benefits.

All of the bills related to prostate cancer and that are covered for life, which I feel is a good thing, because if I were to have to pay for a nursing home for that, it would be covered, he said.

But he thinks some of his co-workers denied compensation under EEOICPA may have gotten a raw deal.

Its good that its there, but I feel that some of the people at a later time that developed cancer, they didnt have their dates in there right, he said. They should have been covered.

Curtis Leibrant

Like a lot of union employees at Wah Chang, Curtis Leibrant worked a lot of different jobs in all areas of the plant during his three decades or so with the company.

And although the company melted thousands of pounds of depleted uranium in the two years before he started there in 1973, he doesnt ever recall being warned about the possibility of residual radiation when he later worked in the same building  a hazard that now seems all too real since he was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2012.

We had questioned the contamination and (the managers) assured us it was clean, Leibrant said. I have no proof that it wasnt, but I have my suspicions now.

After doctors discovered cancer in Leibrants tonsil, they immediately began an aggressive treatment program.

I did seven weeks of radiation and seven weeks of chemo at the same time, he said. And actually the recovery was as bad or worse than the treatment.

During those weeks on a feeding tube, the once-robust Leibrant went from a trim 195 pounds down to 157 pounds. And as a result of his treatment, he has suffered lasting damage that extends far beyond the initial recovery period.

He lost his thyroid gland during the treatment, so now he needs daily thyroid medication. The radiation also left him with a lot of scar tissue in his throat and no salivary glands, which means he can only swallow liquids and soft foods, like bananas and steamed vegetables.

Thats not the worst of it. Because the radiation treatment would weaken his jawbone, he was warned, any dental problems down the road that required extraction could cost him his jaw.

I had my teeth taken out as a preventive measure, Leibrant said.

The whole ordeal has taken a toll on him physically.

Before the diagnosis, Leibrant says, he was a vigorous man who could work a 12-hour shift and come home and mow the lawn. He went back to work at Wah Chang in August 2013 to preserve his union benefits, but it was all he could do just to make it through his shift each day, and a year later he took early retirement.

Now, at 62, the slightest physical activity wears him out.

Its better than the options, he said. But its not what I had envisioned my retirement to be.

The illness has also taken a toll on him financially. The EEOICPA benefits would have been a big help, but his claim was denied. The evaluators calculated an 8.55 percent probability of work-related causation.

Leibrant doesnt blame Wah Chang for his troubles.

It was a circumstance, he said with a shrug. Mills can be dangerous.

Still, he admits, he cant help thinking how things would be different now if he had started work a little earlier, during the special exposure cohort period.

If it had been 72 or earlier that I got hired  they were giving it to secretaries that had never been out on the floor, he mused.

Fighting for workers

Terrie Barrie of Craig, Colorado, helped push for the original EEOICPA legislation after her husband got sick working at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant near Denver.

Now she heads the Alliance of Nuclear Workers Advocacy Groups, or ANWAG, a national organization that works for the rights of current and former atomic weapons employees.

Barrie said the federal compensation program has been a blessing for thousands of workers and their families.

Its hard to prove in the state workers compensation system that radiation caused your illness, she explained. Under EEOICPA, the standard of proof is less than that, so it is somewhat easier to get compensation. It made it more equitable for the workers.

On the other hand, Barrie added, there are still legitimate concerns about the fairness of the claims evaluation process.

I think it can be improved tremendously, she said. Theres no consistency in claim adjudication at the present time.

She said the government needs to do a better job of informing workers about the benefits they may be entitled to and move more quickly to reimburse medical costs for approved claimants, many of whom are desperately ill.

Atomic weapons employees, she noted, tend to be very patriotic about their work. Looking back on it today, they are proud of their contributions to national defense at the height of Americas frantic nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union.

It was a different time during the Cold War, she said. There was a real fear of Russia attacking us. We needed to make all those bombs to protect ourselves.

But in the push to win that war, worker safety wasnt always the first priority. Now, Barrie believes, its time for America to take care of those unsung heroes.

They were put in harms way without their knowledge, she said.
Vietnams textile and garment exports can be optimistic about its perspective when The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) comes in to effect in 2018. However, to seize opportunities from the TPP and other new generation free trade agreements, textile firms need to boost labor productivity, a key factor to enhance the industry's competitiveness.

The statement was made by Le Tien Truong, general director of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) at a meeting on June 15.

Truong said that milestones in the development of Vietnams textile industry have always been attached with free trade agreements (FTAs).

Before 2001, Vietnam wasnt allowed to access the U.S. market so the countrys textile export value hovered around $1 billion. After the bilateral trade agreement between the two countries was signed in 2001, the export value immediately more than doubled to reach $2.2 billion in the year.

In 2007, when Vietnam officially joined in the World Trade Organization, textile export value of Vietnam kept prospering with an on-year 34 percent jump to hit $8.6 billion.

Vietnams textile and garment industry have sprung up as we have a competitive advantage in cutting and sewing stages, Truong said.

The director projected that during the first three years after the TPP comes into effect (2018), the growth rate of export value could be 17 to 20 percent each year. The value of Vietnam's textile exports is expected to touch $50 billion in 2020 from $26.8 billion in 2015.

However, no matter how much benefit Vietnam can gain from new generations of free trade agreements like the TPP, competitiveness, especially labor productivity remains the dominant element in the development of the textile industry, said Truong.

Vietnam's labor productivity in manufacturing garments, textiles and footwear is less than half that of Indonesia and 4.6 times lower than Thailand, according to the International Labor Organization.

According to Truong, a value chain of textile and garment industry starts at creating fabric, cutting and sewing, then moves on to distribution of final products.

At present, 85 percent of Vietnamese enterprises focus on cutting and sewing, which are labor-intensive. To meet growing demand of textile products from other markets in the TPP, the only way is to increase labor productivity as a worker cannot operate two sewing machines simultaneously.

The director added that only 25 percent of Vietnamese textile firms are able to supply raw materials by themselves while the rest still import from foreign countries, especially China. Only four percent can manufacture their original designs while one percent are responsible for branding and marketing of the final products.

Ive never thought that taking part in high-value stages of the chain or increasing the localization rate of a product is the main target of textile industry. Improving labor productivity is the only way for Vietnam to boost the industry, Truong emphasized.

The director said that to brace for the TPP, Vinatex has instructed Vietnamese textile firms to analyze their competitiveness, focusing on enterprises current strengths, sewing and cutting, and product groups exempt from import tax under the TPP. In the long term, they will expand to manufacture the products that require additional investment but have promising demand.

Vietnam is among the worlds largest textile and garment exporters, only after China, Indian, Bangladesh and the European Union. Over the first five months of this year, the country collected more than $8 billion from textile exports, up 6.4 percent on year as data of Vietnam Customs show.

Related news:

> Vietnamese productivity lags behind Asian neighbors

> Vietnam to ratify TPP trade deal by August 9

> TPP will help Vietnam combat corruption: Vietnamese official
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Tens of thousands of Europeans paid tribute in Gay Pride marches on Saturday to the 49 people massacred in a gay nightclub in Orlando last weekend in a defiantly festive atmosphere.

At the largest, Vienna's "Rainbow Parade" involving around 130,000 people according to organizers, a minute's silence was held during the 20th annual anything-goes parade.

Leading the march was a black-clad group called "Victims of Hate Crimes  Marching for those who can't", holding a rope around a space where normally a float full of dancers would be.

The "ghost float" represented "those lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender and inter-sex people who lost their lives in Orlando and who can't be marching with us", organizers said.

The deadliest mass shooting in US history saw lone gunman Omar Mateen murder 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning with a legally purchased assault rifle and pistol.

Mateen was killed when police stormed the club. Officials say he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. But witnesses said he had frequented Pulse in the past and used gay dating apps.

Not scared

Lui Fidelsberger, co-head of the Vienna Homosexual Initiative (HOSI), Austria's oldest lesbian and gay organization, said the best answer was to be even louder and prouder.

"The response must be more visibility and pride. And so despite the great sadness... this year's Rainbow Parade will again celebrate loudly and stridently a big festival of diversity," Fidelsberger said.

Security in the Austrian capital was tighter, however, with several hundred police on duty -- more than last year because of the Orlando attacks, police spokesman Roman Hahslinger told AFP.

In Italy, tens of thousands of people took part in Gay Pride events nationwide, with 30,000 in Florence, 5,000 in Genoa and thousands more in Palermo, Treviso and Varese, organizers said.

In Genoa, the first procession float sported a large rainbow flag crossed with a black banner reading: "We are Orlando".

The Palermo event's organizer, Massimo Milani, appeared at the parade in a white wedding dress splattered in fake blood and with a ribbon reading: "We will survive".

In Lisbon, a parade of more than 5,000 people paid tribute to the Orlando victims, according to organizers, but with pumping music and extravagant costumes they still managed to have fun.

A large black banner at the head of the procession in the Portuguese capital carried the photos of the victims in Florida.

"This massacre has affected us all," said gay rights campaigner Paulo Corte Real. "We are here to show our strength and to refuse all this hatred that we are still confronted with."

Around 2,000 revelers, police said, took part in a Gay Pride event in Metz in eastern France. Local reports said a memorial was set up with the inscription "Solidarity with Orlando".

Around the same number gathered in Vilnius while around 1,000 held a minute's silence at the Soviet Army monument in downtown Sofia, waving flags, some of them with the #weareorlando hashtag.

The Bulgarian crowd chanted "Stop Homophobia!" and "Happy Pride!" and was addressed by several foreign ambassadors, although numbers were significantly smaller than last year.

"There are fewer people this year but I would like to think that it's the scorching heat that is to blame and not fear after the Orlando tragedy," said participant Ria Naydenova, 24.

Related news:

>Heavily armed man arrested on way to L.A. gay pride parade

>Many injured at Florida gay club shooting, gunman dead - police

>Gay couple's lives 'destroyed' by custody war with Thai surrogate
"There was discussion last year about having some specific benchmarks before the Warsaw summit, but I think the allies felt it was impractical," said Davis, adding that it would have taken months to agree on what new strings should be placed on the money. "There just wasn't enough time."
The 28 European Union member countries last week extended for another year sanctions imposed on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region barring imports from there. A different and tougher set of sanctions limiting Russian companies' access to Western capital markets is up for renewal in coming days. The E.U. and U.S. have said lifting the sanctions depends on implementation of a peace deal agreed to in 2015.
Auditor-General Maxine Cooper is investigating the Land Development Agency's purchase of Glebe Park and two businesses on the lakeside last year, marking her audit a high priority.

Both deals have attracted controversy. The government's land agency bought Glebe Park block from developers Barry Morris and Graham Potts for $4.2 million, a price four times one valuation. The government wanted the parkland so it can build a stormwater pond there, and move the pond from Parkes Way. Part of the land is also sought by the casino for an expansion.

An artist's impression of the Casino Canberra rebuild, next to the Glebe Park block the ACT's Land Development Agency sold for $4.2 million last year.

Questions have been asked about why the land was not compulsorily acquired, given it was needed for public infrastructure, and why the agency paid so much. A valuation for the agency in 2014 valued the land at about $1 million, considering the only use allowed under the lease is a restaurant and bar. But a second valuation last year valued it at $3.6-$3.8 million based on the owners' desire to build an apartment block on site, despite such development being ruled out by the lease and the government. The agency paid $3.8 million plus GST.

The agency also bought out the Mr Spokes bike hire business on the lakeside at West Basin last year, along with the paddleboat hire business.
Burra's Michael Lloyd bypasses plenty of petrol stations on his half-hour drive to fill up his car in Fyshwick every week but he reckons the savings are worth it .

"I had a look at the sharemarket and the crude oil prices are half of what they used to be and it hasn't been passed on in Canberra. It doesn't make sense," he said.

Michael Loyd drives from Burra to Fyshwick to fill up. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Like Mr Lloyd, Australian Consumer and Competition Commission chairman Rod Sims wants more of us to go out of our way to find cheap petrol to fuel more competition in Canberra's petrol prices.

The competition watchdog and the ACT government have united to increase transparency in Canberra's fuel industry.
Canberra's population mix will help shield the city from ageing demographic challenges felt elsewhere in Australia, according to the authors of a new report on the country's regions.

But slow overall income growth has seen the capital slip eight places over the past three years on the list ranking each region's average household wealth.

Canberra's outlook has been described as "solid" by the author of a report ranking Australia's regions. Credit:Jay Cronan

The State of the Regions report released on Sunday showed ACT families have the highest average disposable income and a below-average percentage of social security claimants in all benefits except Youth Allowance.

The report, prepared by National Economics on behalf of the Australian Local Government Association, showed the population growth of retirement-age Canberrans was only slightly higher than that of younger residents over the past five years.
Two people were hospitalised after a two-car crash on Isabella Drive in Canberra's south on Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters had to use hydraulic rescue tools to free a man in his 50s from the car wreckage after the crash at about 2.10pm on Isabella Drive in Chisholm near Goldstein Crescent.

The driver of the other car, a woman in her 20s, managed to free herself from her car, but both were taken to Canberra Hospital with minor injuries after they were assessed at the scene by intensive care paramedics.

Both are in a stable condition, an ESA spokesperson said.

ACT Fire & Rescue had two pumpers on scene and a commander.
The European Union's banking watchdog will move from London to another European capital if Britain decides to quit the bloc in a referendum this week, its chairman says.

Britain votes on Thursday on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defence and diplomacy on the continent.

A euro sign sculpture is seen in front of the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, July 3, 2014. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi reiterated that he'll keep interest rates low as officials try to revive the region's economy with a new round of emergency measures. Photographer: Martin Leissl/Bloomberg Credit:Martin Leissl

The London-based EBA, founded in 2011 as a reaction to the global financial crisis, operates as a pan-EU regulator, writing and co-ordinating banking rules across the bloc.

"If the British should decide to leave the EU, we actually would have to move to another European capital," Andrea Enria, head of the European Banking Authority (EBA), told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag on Sunday.
Cattle exporter Wellard is joining SurfStitch and Slater and Gordon as one of the worst IPOs of recent times.

The company's shares are worth a fraction of what investors paid prior to its initial public offering after Wellard unveiled its second profit downgrade in less than a week which triggered another share price plunge.

Senior vet Dr Lynn Simpson has blown the whistle on the shocking conditions on cattle export ships. Credit:Tamara Voninski

It is its third downgrade since listing on the ASX just six months ago.

The West Australian company listed on the market in December at $1.39 a share market value, valuing the company at $560 million, but its shares fell 20 per cent last week to 38.5 cents after the latest downgrades.
Big-four bank NAB is being tipped off each time a business banking customer goes to a rival for a loan, sparking fears about privacy breaches and unfair competition.

For years Sarah* did her personal and business banking with NAB. But, in April, dissatisfied with the bank, she applied for a car loan with ANZ, which offered better rates.

She was shocked when NAB emailed her saying its "smarter" systems alerted it to the fact she was "seeking or inquiring for finance elsewhere" and it could whip up "multiple quotes".
The ACT government and Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury steadfastly refused repeated requests from me and others for a full independent inquiry into the bashing, care and safety of Mr Freeman.

None of the circumstances of the bashing, nor any of the steps the AMC may have taken to prevent a recurrence or keep Steven safe, has been revealed.

In all that time there was a virtual blackout on information from both the ACT government and the AMC about the vicious assault.

It was 13 months ago that Steven Freeman, a young Aboriginal man on remand in the Alexander Maconochie Centre, was bashed so severely that he almost died. Three weeks ago, he died in that prison.

There has been a police investigation into the matter, which was initially used by ACT authorities to justify the refusal to provide any information about the assault. Mr Rattenbury advised at the time that he regarded the investigation as equivalent to an independent inquiry. The police investigation was apparently fruitless but still no details of it have been made public.

The ACT government and prison authorities also justified the refusal to provide information on the grounds that the Aboriginal Legal Service had announced that it would pursue a civil action case against the ACT government on Mr Freeman's behalf and that, therefore, it could not comment.

Just before Mr Freeman died in custody there was, coincidentally, much reflection on the 25th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Speaking five years earlier  on the 20th anniversary of the report  one of the commissioners, Hal Wootten, QC, made some particularly poignant comments. In summarising the royal commission reviews of cases involving Aboriginal prisoners he said: "Again and again one found that the system of ... investigations operated not to make custodial officers accountable but to protect them from scrutiny. Inadequate police investigations were commonly rubber-stamped by ritualistic coronial inquiries in which the adequacy and competency of the police inquiry went unquestioned and custodial practices went unscrutinised."

In his speech Mr Wootten drew from a report submitted by him to the royal commission in which he found "there is a very great temptation on the part of custodial officers to be secretive". "Instead of regarding relatives and their legal representative, such as the Aboriginal Legal Service, as genuinely concerned people who want to know what happened, there is a tendency to treat them as troublemakers to be denied knowledge in case they misuse it, or (patronisingly) as people who should not be told things that might upset them."
China has sent eight ships and two helicopterss to help Vietnam find a CASA coast guard plane that crashed with nine people aboard while looking for the missing Su-30 fighter jet and pilot.

The Chinese forces are searching on China's territory, south east of Vietnams Bach Long Vy Island and east of the delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam and China.

China has already deployed a big rescue ship, the NANHAIJIU 101, to help with the search.

A CASA plane of the Vietnam Coast Guard. Photo by People's Army Newspaper

A black rubber mat, about two square meters wide and one centimeter thick, has been recovered by a Vietnamese defense ship on Saturday. 49 vessels and other special devices with more than 750 Vietnamese people were searching near Hai Phongs Bach Long Vy Island, according to the Office of the Steering Committee for Search and Rescue.

On June 14, Vietnam's fighter jet Su-30MK2 crashed offshore the central province of Nghe An. The jet had two pilots on board, one of whom, Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, was rescued but the other, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai, 43, was found dead at sea and has been brought ashore. The CASA-212-40 with 9 people on it went missing on June 16 while searching for the Su-30MK2.

Vietnams Third Military Region, the Peoples Navy, the Border Guard, Coard Guard, and fishing boats have been mobilized in the search and rescue efforts.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has said from the Steering Committee for Search and Rescue of the CASA plane in Hai Phong: "We have to find the crew members at all costs."

Related news:

> Search for Vietnamese missing aircraft and pilots faces adverse weather

> Vietnam loses contact with plane searching for missing fighter pilot

> Vietnamese missing fighter pilot found dead off central coast
Might Brexit be a good thing for Europe? There's a comic wrinkle in watching the British Remain campaign translate the argument that Brexit would be devastating for Europe, when Europe itself is not so sure.

One English observer went so far as to liken Brexit  as possible British exit from the European Union in a referendum on June 23 is known  to "a party where the obnoxious cool kids leave, taking their music with them". From Paris and Berlin the British elite is seen as many things, but "cool" in the sense of hip is not generally one of them.

A public opinion poll of five big European countries found that only 13 per cent of Germans were for Brexit, compared to 41 per cent of the French.

There's no denying differences about Brexit between France and Germany, despite presenting a fairly united front against it. A range of views exist in both countries, of course, but broadly the Germans are more favourable to Britain remaining, finding it harder to discern the prospective advantages than the French, who can see them right away, and in some quarters can hardly contain their enthusiasm.

A public opinion poll of five big European countries found that only 13 per cent of Germans were for Brexit, compared to 41 per cent of the French, making them the European people (among the big five) who would least regret a British departure. The findings are consistent with other results.
Burling through Townsville's airport terminal in his big cowboy hat, invariably late, Bob Katter is an unmistakable and well-recognized figure in the north. He's been a state and federal politician since 1974, over 40 years. That's 18 years in the Queensland Parliament followed by 23 years in Canberra since 1993.

Those who think Bob Katter is a rural hick are wrong. Bob has been one of the most consistent advocates for the development of northern Australia, to the point where we now have a minister (albeit based in Melbourne) and assistant minister for northern Australia. Moreover, Bob was an advocate for Australian industry while Nick Xenophon was in short pants. He took the argument up to the Nationals, saying they had forgotten their roots as agrarian socialists and left the party to stand as an Independent in 2001. On indigenous affairs, Bob was regarded by a number of indigenous people as probably the best minister in the portfolio in living memory. One of his achievements was to break the long-standing power of the much feared bureaucrat Pat Killoran, who had a direct pipeline to Joh.

However Bob is also eccentric. This week's Steven Segal-style shoot 'em up ad on social media got more hits than the Turnbull-Shorten Facebook debate. In the ad Bob is pictured with a smoking gun having disposed of his LNP and ALP opponents, who want to sell off the country. This was followed by his even more clumsy defence on Sunrise with David Koch, which would have lost him no votes in Kennedy. After all, what would a Sydney shiny pants like David Koch know anyway?
Letterboxes in marginal seats might be stuffed, but life is lonely in safe seats. I've received only four pieces of election material, including a pamphlet from the Sustainable Australia Party. I thought that was gloriously inapt, until I read it wants to reduce migration, not wasted paper.

Even accounting for my safe-seat vantage, this election seems oddly reasonable. Odd that it is has been so reasonable, and odd that being reasonable should seem so odd.

Illustration: Jim Pavlidis

The campaign has been almost civil, a genteel tussle between decent politicians advocating moderate policies. Vote 1 for comparatively modest change.

Instead, the fear is coming from overseas politics, not our own, and it's unnerving.
Paul Cox, who is widely regarded as the father of Australian arthouse cinema, has reportedly died aged 76.

The Dutch-born director is known for his films Man of Flowers, A Woman's Tale and Innocence. The Australian Directors Guild announced his death on Twitter on Sunday.

Paul Cox (right), with actor David Wenham, outside his Albert Park office last year. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

Cox, born April 16, 1940, rose to acclaim in the 1980s with films such as Lonely Hearts and My First Wife.

American film critic Roger Ebert described him as "one of the best directors of our time" and "one of the heroes of modern cinema".
But as in a psychological thriller, Dory recovers just enough of a memory to set her on a quest: she misses her parents (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy), and that's all it takes for another quest. It's up to Nemo, and a reluctant Marlin, to follow and give aid, allowing director and co-writer Andrew Stanton to revisit the dual storylines structure of his Academy Award-winning original effort.

Pixar's animated undersea adventure Finding Dory takes place six months after the events of 2004's Finding Nemo, although the timeline would be lost on Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a regal blue tang fish with short-term memory loss. In a school with Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence)  the father and son clownfish she previously helped reunite in Sydney Harbour  Dory struggles to remember what she's doing, let alone what she's done.

With the exception of the brilliant Toy Story trilogy, sequels are generally the weak point from the otherwise revered Pixar. The likes of Cars 2 and Monsters University have been commercially profitable but creatively uninspiring, and Finding Dory never fully succeeds in shaking off that unwelcome legacy.

In Finding Nemo, Dory was a comic supporting player, an overly enthusiastic and under informed foil for the conservative Marlin. Given the spotlight, Dory can fritter away your interest, and the prominence also exposes the limitations of DeGeneres as a voice actor: daffy blather is a cinch for the talk-show host, but she absolutely milks any attempt at pathos.

There's a plethora of new characters, most notably a septopus (that's an octopus with just seven tentacles) named Hank (Ed O'Neill), who may have post-traumatic stress disorder. Idris Elba plays a spectating sea lion at the Californian marine park where the action transpires because being in Zootopia and The Jungle Book didn't give him enough voice work.

It's Hank who ensures that fish out of water is more than a saying in Finding Dory. The main characters are constantly leaping from one container to the next, hitching rides on sprinklers and taking up temporary residence in a water bottle on a stroller. The pleasure of oceanic observation, augmented by Pixar's technical mastery, rarely features this time.

It's both desperate and a little dispiriting  fish involved in a car chase?  but it matches up to a movie that isn't afraid to manipulate the feelings of young audiences. "I've lost everyone," laments Dory, "there's nothing I can do", and if Finding Nemo was a paean from absent fathers to their offspring, Finding Dory is an act of empowerment where father still knows best.
In conversation with Ben Bridwell, the frontman and main man of Southern rock (and a bit of country, blues and pop) group Band of Horses, you will regularly hear one word: balance. And it's not hard to see why.

Bridwell has a day life and a night life. So far, so normal. But the night life is more solo, more quiet, more concentrated than most. For good reason.

Southern rock band Band of Horses (with Ben Bridwell far left) try to deliver a blend of contrasts in their music. Credit:Andrew Stuart

"Oh man, four kids  there's really not a whole lot you can do until everyone is in bed. You kind of get to that thing where it's like 'all right it's 9 o'clock, the calm after the storm  shit, I've got a lot to do here'. Even when there's not a lot to do, like now when the album is all but done, I'm still in panic mode at the end of the day because I've got to get all of my adult time, my relaxing time, my hanging out with friends time in quickly.

"Then it's midnight and I'm, 'Shit, I've only just begun' and you're awake for your second chance at life. It's hard to calm down."
MASTERCHEF



Sun-Thurs 7.30pm, Ten

Three chaps in their 20s are giving it everything they've got: red-faced, sweating, gasping for air. But it's not a hard-fought game of footy. Or a porn flick. All three are baking cakes  in the hope of impressing Nigella Lawson  and they're leaving nothing in the tank. Welcome to the alternate universe that is MasterChef. It's generally accepted that since its launch in 2009 the reality series has been a major force in reshaping home cooking in Australia  and if you were in any doubt that it had, you only needed to look at this year's contestants. They arrived at the auditions not just with a signature dish ready to impress, but in command of a range of culinary techniques (and terminology) that a lot of professional chefs would struggle to match. Sometime around season three viewers started complaining that the food being prepared on MasterChef was way out of the league of ordinary cooks. In the intervening years, though, a significant cohort of ordinary cooks have clearly picked up the gauntlet and this year it's not just ambitious 20somethings but housewives and middle-aged men turning out genuinely restaurant-quality dishes. It's impossible not to be impressed.

MasterChef judges. Credit:Ten Publicity

The show is not beyond criticism or above mockery, of course. The very seriousness with which everyone takes the making of a mayonnaise or the precise degree of crispiness of a piece of salmon skin can often be comical. And some of us could do without the "what does this mean to you?" interrogations that frequently accompany the presentation of a dish. (Answer: "Everything!")

But on the whole MasterChef eschews the bread and butter of reality shows  conflict, meltdowns, interminable back story  and instead finds its mojo in far less predictable elements. Skill, for a start. "I'm more a dessert person," says Nicolette a little anxiously  before filleting an entire salmon in under five minutes. "Matt! Matt! This is too dry! What does it need?" cries Zoe. "Caramelised onions," pronounces Matt (Sinclair, not Preston)  before dashing off to break down an entire spit-roast lamb. Even given some sleight of hand in editing, these are moments you can't fake.
A campaigner for the 'Leave' campaign holds a placard outside Houses of Parliament in London. Credit:Bloomberg

Three days ago UKIP leader Nigel Farage released this new anti-EU poster. This was the day that Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered in broad daylight, causing shockwaves across Britain and the immediate suspension of EU referendum campaigning.

Farage leads the rival Grassroots Out. The official Out campaign is Vote Leave led by former London Mayor Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. Prime Minister David Cameron and his number two, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, lead Stronger In.

So when campaigning resumed on Sunday, local time, the 'Breaking Point' poster was high on the agenda, with George Osborne and Michael Gove in agreement about the poster, which Osborne likened to Nazi-era propaganda.

There's a reason David Cameron is far keener on debating Farage as opposed to his leadership rival Boris Johnson, and it's not just to avoid the so-called Blue-on-Blue (Tories fighting each other) attacks  Farage appeals to a certain set of voters, but is at risk of turning off a huge swathe of others. Vote Leave tries to strike a more Howard-esque line on immigration  that they support migration but it has to be controlled.

And in the event of a Brexit? The markets will cope just fine, says economist Paul Dales.

2. Tributes continue for Jo Cox
Facts, in such circumstances, are malleable. History, subject to tweaking and revision. Through the frequent applause, running coldly just under the promise of a golden future, were the tell-tale signs.

The compliant audience had already been told that while many disliked Tony Abbott, "at least he believed in something" and that "the Liberals changed their leader without changing their direction".

Audience cut-aways broadcast the happy smiling faces of Labor heavies but as they clapped along, some expressions also told another story. That of doubt. Of weariness. Of going through the motions. Here we glimpsed the private judgment of experienced politicians aware that even though their team has fought the good fight, storming back after just one term, is probably too much to hope for.

Recent events in Labor's awkward history were minimised, papered over. A jarring moment came when Shorten named his heroes as Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, and Bill Kelty (three blokes) - just as the camera showed the line of luminaries present to be Hawke, then Keating, then Julia Gillard (in that order). This was no accidental omission. You don't forget a prime minister - the first female one at that.

If swinging voters watched and went straight to the ballot box, Labor would win...But something was missing.

It was bad enough that this revealed Shorten's sensitivity as the key vote that had dismantled her prime ministership just three years ago, but Shorten's hero list was followed almost immediately by a claim that it is Labor that is the greatest champion of women. Gillard clapped along politely despite being "airbrushed" from history, aware perhaps that her negative associations are too fresh.

It is as if, all that gaffer taped history, just like the gaffer-taped fiscal consolidation - the path back to surplus to you and me - is struggling to hold.
Bill Shorten's ambition to be the next Labor prime minister requires the honouring of the last. It is the mark of our age that such a ritual has been awkward for quite some years now.

The last Labor PM, you might recall, was Kevin Rudd. How does a leader like Shorten  who played such a part in bringing down Rudd in 2010, and then in resurrecting him in 2013, only to see him take Labor to defeat within weeks  honour the fellow at his own big moment, the launch of Labor's 2016 official election campaign?

Malcolm Turnbull, you'd imagine, might have paid close attention. Turnbull, who will address his own official campaign launch next week, will be required to do some form of honour to his predecessor, Tony Abbott, who is a more recent PM than Kevin Rudd. Could Shorten show the way?
The Vietnam Coast Guard on June 18 conducted technical inspectations to prepare for formally receiving four high-speed patrol boats in a bid to strengthen its maritime patrols.

The four boats are part of a 12 boat deal the Vietnam Coast Guard has hired local James Boat Technology Joint Stock Company to construct this year, the government portal said in a statement on Sunday.

The Hanoi-based James Boat said on the companys website its products are the result of cooperation among scientists and technical experts from Switzerland, Czech Republic and Germany.

The signing ceremony for a contract to build 12 high-speed patrol boats in December 2015. Photo from Vietnam Coast Guard

The 13.6m long and 3.6m wide boats capable of carrying 16 people and can operate at a maximum speed of 35 nautical miles per hour.

James Boat handed over two high-speed patrol boats to the Vietnam Coast Guard in December 2014.

The Vietnam Coast Guard was established in 1998 and is a branch of the Vietnam Peoples Army. It is responsible for maintaining maritime security and protecting the countrys exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Related news:

> South Korean coast guard to share anti-piracy, environmental experience

> Chinese coast guard ship attacks Vietnamese fishermen
Diane Kraal, an expert in resource taxation from Victoria's Monash University, believes the PRRT system is a dud because it was designed in the Hawke government era to tap super profits from oil. PRRT is a profits-based tax that taxes "rents"  or excessive returns  above a specified rate after deductible expenditure, including exploration and capital investments. While oil prices spike intermittently, Dr Kraal said, LNG supply is based on long-term contracts to countries such as Japan and profits will remain steady rather than super. "I doubt in my lifetime that those companies will be paying PRRT on gas," she said. "In effect, we are giving it away. It's already an uphill battle to get those companies to pay corporate tax.

"I compare it to lobster and abalone. There doesn't seem to be any around these days because they are all extracted and sold overseas and Australians don't get to enjoy them or get any benefit from that extraction." Dr Kraal, who has written a paper calling for a review of PRRT, has warned a senior Treasury official that the system is a white elephant to the detriment of royalties, which are supposed to reflect that a nation's finite resources can only be extracted once and should therefore enrich the country as well as profit-focused companies willing to invest in Australia. At a Senate estimates hearing in May, Roger Brake, the acting deputy-secretary of Treasury's revenue group was asked to explain the dive in projected PRRT. He put it down to the lower Australian dollar, oil prices and the volatility of rent-based taxes. He also warned that the companies who invested in LNG are allowed to write off their investments against tax before being forced to pay royalties. Chevron, for example, has potential tax credits of more than $US67 billion ($A90.6 billion) after the cost of building the facility blew out by a third.

"These projects can take a long time before they start paying PRRT, so you can get these long lags between when they enter production and when they start paying PRRT," Mr Brake said. But sources have told Fairfax Media that the Australian Tax Office is concerned that the PRRT will not deliver anything over time. The system of tax credits was made more attractive for oil and gas companies at the same time as the Gillard government was fighting a full-frontal assault by miners over Labor's proposed mining tax. To head off another fight, oil and gas companies agreed to back the PRRT  which operates the same way as the mining tax  in return for lucrative concessions negotiated by then resources minister Martin Ferguson. In her paper, Dr Kraal criticised the lack of transparency around how PRRT is assessed, saying that the ATO relied on the assessment of the big accountancy firms employed by multinational companies to calculate their liabilities

"The first step is to review the current PRRT regulations on the 'gas transfer price methodology' with the aim of determining whether it adequately covers the latest developments in natural gas extraction technology," she wrote. Treasury and the ATO both declined to comment citing caretaker conventions. In its marketing material, Chevron has promised "direct taxation and royalty payments" of $1 billion a year by 2019, rising to $3 billion by 2024 and out to 2036. The company was convicted of tax avoidance in 2015 when the Federal Court slapped it with a $300 million bill for profit-shifting. Polling has found Australians are angry about multinational companies ducking taxes and both major parties say they have a plan to address the sore point.
A Labor candidate has quit the election race after it was revealed he had links with radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Christian Kunde, a trainee doctor from Albury, declared himself a friend of the group's controversial spokesman Uthman Badar in an opinion piece he penned in 2014.

Christian Kunde, a trainee doctor, said he had decided to stand aside in order not to distract from Labor's campaign. Credit:Mark Jesser

He also delivered a lecture at the University of Sydney in which he said same-sex marriage was not compatible with Islam, and referenced a comparison of gay marriage and incest.
A re-elected Turnbull government would create a new investment fund, worth up to $100 million a year, to boost the use of renewable energy and clean technology in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.

The Sustainable Cities Investment Fund, to be announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney on Monday, would be administered and funded by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes cities must be on the 'front line' of climate change action. Credit:Andrew Meares

The aim of the fund is to stimulate private sector investment, meaning projects would have to demonstrate value for money and deliver a financial return that could be re-invested in new projects.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called for maths and science to be made compulsory for all students finishing high school to arrest a steep decline in Australia's standards across both subject areas.

Speaking in western Sydney on Sunday, Mr Turnbull said the push was a "big priority" for the government, after a similar proposal from former education minister Christopher Pyne was rejected by the states last year.

"In my generation, you had to do maths or science to complete high school. Many parts of Australia now, you don't have to do that," said Mr Turnbull.
Labor's plans for election-day signage at thousands of polling places around Australia has hit a snag after the Sydney printing company engaged by the ALP collapsed into liquidation over the weekend.

Roller Poster, a printer based in Brookvale, has been placed in the hands of liquidators Jirsch Sutherland, who are attempting to fulfil a $100,000 contract to supply plastic banners nationally for the ALP.

Fairfax Media understands that no one alerted the Labor Party that the company it had contracted had gone out of business, potentially endangering its election day presence.
Bill Shorten began the Labor leadership as a Faceless Man, but he has now completed the shift to become Everyman.

The former union leader and backroom dealer who plotted to remove two Labor leaders is now empathising with anyone and promising money to everyone.

Kissing the overfriendly lady in Adelaide who wouldn't let go  "good on you Margot" - and embracing the struggling young autistic man in East Maitland  "you'll get there"  Shorten is doing as his motto says, "putting people first".
"God created man for the woman and the woman for man, not man for man and woman for woman," Mr Hales told the girl, according to notes taken by another Brethren man in the meeting. "How many homosexuals get a place in the world?" Mr Hales is regarded by the Exclusive Brethren as the "Man of God," or "The Elect". Notes from a meeting in which Exclusive Brethren leader Bruce D. Hales tells a young girl she should not live with her father because he is homosexual. Also in 2006, Mr Hales' brother, Daniel, told Fairfax Media: "When I was a boy, homosexuals went to jail". In 2009, Bruce Hales sent a gay 18-year-old Brethren member, Craig Hoyle, to a Sydney-based Brethren doctor. In a later complaint to the medical board, Mr Hoyle quoted Mr Hales saying: "There's medication you can go on for these things" to "help" with the "problem" of being homosexual.

Mr Hoyle said Mr Hales had told him to "never accept myself for who I was, and to always battle against my sexuality". The doctor he was referred to, Mark Craddock, a radiologist, prescribed a potent drug called Cyprostat, which shuts off the supply of testosterone in the male body and is typically used to treat patients with advanced prostate cancer - or in some cases to chemically castrate "sexual deviants". Dr Craddock was later banned from practicing as a GP over his actions. Mr Hoyle said: "Over the past few years I have been contacted by a number of current and former Brethren members who are gay, describing similar treatment at the hands of the church. There is no doubt in my mind that the Brethren attitude toward homosexuality has not changed in any meaningful way." As for Wells Haslem's claim that the Brethren had not "campaigned" against LGBTI people, this is also false. In the 2004 Federal election, the Brethren arranged, through the Liberal Party, to book a series of anti-Green advertising campaigns. Among the advertisements was a statement that transgender rights would ``ruin families and societies".

A transgender activist, Martine Delaney, complained to the anti-discrimination tribunal. The Brethren was forced to apologise, and the then Liberal campaign director Damien Mantach admitted his role. The Brethren's anti-gay campaigns have also gone global, in a number of jurisdictions contemplating legislating for gay marriage. In January 2005, the church's senior leaders in Canada wrote an "urgent memo" to the sect's members on a proposed same-gender marriage bill. "Preventing the passage of this bill is absolutely critical", the memo said. Gay marriage would mean, among other things, that "gay persons will flood Canada from all over the world, with disastrous social results", and there would "eventually be no barriers to underage marriage, incestual relationships or polygamy".

In another memo, the sect's American leaders asked senior leaders in Canada to lobby in the Canadian vote, saying "immediate action by each US household is needed," adding, "short, pungent letters must be written to your congressman". A 2005 letter from the senior leaders of the Canadian Exclusive Brethren instructing members to campaign against gay marriage. The Brethren campaigned in the Don't Ask Don't Tell law change relating to gays in the American military in 1993, Canada Same-Sex Marriage law in 2005, and the Illinois Civil Unions legislation in 2007. Their claims included that gay people were incapable of controlling their sexual urges, spread disease, and contributed to the moral collapse of society. When former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard - who was close to the Brethren - legislated in 2004 to define marriage for the first time as between a man and a woman, Exclusive Brethren members were present in Parliament every day of the debate. A memo written by a senior Canberra-based Brethren man in July, 2004, said the Brethren had "greeted the Prime Minister as he left the Great Hall" (of Parliament House), and that "we are thankful for the true definition" of marriage.

"The purpose of the Bill is to stop the High Court of Australia from defining marriage improperly in the future," the member, John Myhill, wrote. A note from a senior Exclusive Brethren member in 2004 revealing their role in encouraging John Howard to amend the Marriage Act to prevent gay marriage. Former Greens Leader Bob Brown called on Mr Turnbull to send back donations to the Liberals from members of the Exclusive Brethren. During a meeting in his office in Parliament House in 2006, "the cult's elders warned me ... that I should read Romans I in which St Paul advises that homosexual men 'are deserving of death'," Mr Brown said. "They came with advice that I and my partner Paul Thomas were destined for 'a lake of fire'."
Not to Fairfax Media  or, at least, not to its mainland outlets for this story. Labor candidate Ross Hart. Credit:Paul Scambler/The Examiner Why? It's not spelt out, but Mr Nikolic has a reputation for not letting criticism slide. As Fairfax reported, while a candidate in 2012 he wrote to people who "liked" a satirical story about him posted on Facebook by opponents and threatened to contact their employers, though he said he had no intention of following through. He did write to the University of Tasmania to ask whether history and politics lecturer Michael Powell, who had criticised the MP in a letter to local paper The Examiner, was speaking on behalf of the institution or had breached academic protocols. Mr Nikolic is close to former prime minister Tony Abbott. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It is an approach that intensifies resentment in opponents, but it is not clear it is a vote-changer. The most recent evidence suggests Mr Nikolic is popular: a ReachTEL poll for News Corp found 47.3 per cent of voters rated his performance positively, more than double the proportion who considered it poor or worse. "He's a bit of a ruffian  he gets in dust-ups on social media," says analyst Kevin Bonham. "That stuff gets a lot of outrage from the left, but sort of evaporates. I gather he's quite active in the electorate, and that sort of larrikin streak is not always an unpopular thing in Tasmania." Nationally, Mr Nikolic is perhaps best known as one of Mr Abbott's strongest supporters, having texted Mr Turnbull demanding he publicly declare he would not challenge. The PM-to-be declined. Mr Nikolic lost his job as whip on Mr Turnbull's ascension, but in February became chairman of the powerful Joint Parliamentary Committee on Security and Intelligence. It was a controversial appointment. Prominent Tasmanian-based economist Saul Eslake says Mr Nikolic's hard-line views on the balance between liberty and security "wouldn't have been out of place in the KGB common room in the 1980s". But even critics acknowledge the MP is industrious and has cultivated a strong relationship with local media promoting the $160 million in local projects pledged since 2013. Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten, who has seen four local MPs during his time in office, does not buy into the politics but says Mr Nikolic had delivered when the council sought funding for local projects. "He's definitely a hard-worker," he says.

Mr Nikolic's opponent, Ross Hart, is a commercial lawyer and long-time member of the Labor Left. He is running what he describes as a "classic ground campaign"  door-knocking and holding small-scale events - which he contrasts with Mr Nikolic kicking off the campaign with a full-page ad in The Examiner. "We don't have the capacity to do things like that," Mr Hart says. He says he has had little to do with his opponent and was surprised to find that, though they had never interacted on social media, Mr Nikolic had blocked him on Twitter. "That was a shake-the-head moment," he says. The Labor candidate says he has been surprised during campaigning by the level of disadvantage in the electorate. Two-thirds of people earn $37,000 or less a year. Mr Hart says they are most exercised by bread-and-butter issues, particularly healthcare. This was backed up by the ReachTEL poll, which suggests Bass voters are more concerned about the health system than economic management. Not that the economy is in great shape. Mr Eslake, who wrote a report on Tasmania last year for the chamber of commerce, says Launceston and the north-east are faring worse than the rest of the state.

The region was once home to manufacturing and forestry, but both have been substantially reduced. While Tasmania has been enjoying something of a tourism boom, most investment has been in the south. Job growth in the north is slower than elsewhere, and "hidden unemployment"  people barely working, or not picked up by the system  is on the rise. Community leaders hope that may come through a plan to move the city's university campus from suburban Newnham into the heart of town, revitalising the CBD. Labor has pledged $150 million to help pay for it and a similar shift in Burnie. The Coalition is yet to commit. (Update: It later matched the Labor commitment.) University of Tasmania political scientist Richard Eccleston says Mr Nikolic could face another issue: that the Coalition's strategy isn't particularly well calibrated to win regional Tasmanian seats such as Bass, where voters are primarily worried about services. "Tony Abbott was able to tap into those concerns and that sort of social conservatism," he says. "I'm not sure Malcolm Turnbull has tapped in to that in the way Abbott and John Howard were able to." Professor Eccleston believes Bass is probably the most vulnerable of the Tasmanian marginals. Dr Bonham is more bullish, saying Mr Nikolic's profile and popularity give him a decent chance to be the first Liberal to be re-elected to Bass in a generation.
On Wednesday at dawn, Troy Bailey and his faithful pooch Chloe head off on an epic mountain bike circumnavigation of Australia to raise money for  and awareness of  refugee and asylum seeker issues.

Troy, 45, sold his Collingwood furniture and building business six months ago to set up his trip. He is a former world solo 24-hour mountain bike champion as well as being a national and state medal winner.

Former world champion mountain biker Troy Bailey grabs his trail-running dog Chloe to ride a complete lap around Australia. Credit:Jason South

He has competed on rides for seven days through the Victorian high country. But this trip around Australia  through hills and river valleys and many, many bike trails  will take until Christmas. He and his team hope to raise no less than $10,000 for refugee and asylum seeker welfare groups and spread the word about what they feel is the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers in detention camps.

He has sponsors who have supplied the bikes and a team of four who travel with him feeding and watering him with donated money. Chloe the dog goes the whole way around.
There were no calculators. Cigarettes were puffed on the school oval at lunchtime. One-third of students took French. And the most controversial musical you could study was West Side Story: that was the Higher School Certificate half a century ago.

This year marks 50 years since the first group of students exited the Victorian-era Leaving Certificate and entered the uncharted territory of the HSC after the Wyndham report changed the face of education in NSW.

David Cook was there, along with Malcolm McDivitt, the first of more than 2.3 million NSW students to pass through the exam wringer.
Vietnams Ministry of National Defense has decided to honorably promote Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai to colonel following his death.

A memorial service will be held from 7:00- 9.30 a.m. on June 20 at the Funeral Hall of the Fourth Military Regions hospital in Vinh City, Nghe An Province. Colonel Khai will be laid to rest at a cemetery in his hometown in Lang Giang District in the northern province of Bac Giang on June 21, according to the Vietnam Peoples Air Defense-Air Force.

A ceremony to receive Khai's body in Nghe An Province. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Binh

On June 14, the Su-30MK2 Vietnamese fighter jet crashed offshore the central province of Nghe An. The jet had two pilots on board, one of whom, Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, was rescued, but the other, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai, 43, was found dead at sea and has been brought ashore. A CASA-212-40 with nine people on board went missing on June 16 while searching for the Su-30MK2.

Vietnams Third Military Region, the Peoples Navy, the Border Guard, Coast Guard and fishing boats have been mobilized in the search and rescue efforts.

China has also sent eight ships and two helicopterss to help Vietnam find the missing CASA coast guard plane.

Related news:

> Vietnamese fighter jet missing, one pilot has returned to the shore

> Missing pilot and fighter jet in action during training exercise

> Vietnamese fighter jet missing, search continues

> Body of Su-30 jet pilot brought ashore
Cancer patients are being charged exorbitant out-of-pocket costs for "flashy" surgeries by doctors who are not disclosing the full financial burden or equally effective alternatives in the public system, cancer experts say.

The practice extended across many specialties, from surgical procedures to chemotherapy, but prostate cancer patients were especially prone to being gouged for tens of thousands of dollars in additional medical costs, warned the Sydney cancer researchers.

"We know of patients who are mortgaging their houses because they are being led to believe that these flashy new types of procedures are the best way to have their cancer treated," said chief executive of Cancer Council Australia Sanchia Aranda.

The most brazen example was robotic surgery for prostate cancer, Professor Aranda said, which attracted out-of-pocket fees of between $15,000 to $30,000, despite there being no evidence to suggest robotic surgery offered patients better cancer or functional outcomes than a standard prostatectomy when performed by a surgeon of equal skill.
More than 1000 supporters crammed into Town Hall on Sunday to put the plight of refugees on the election agenda.

To kick off Refugee Week from June 19 to 25, the Chalk Your Support project encouraged people to write messages of solidarity to asylum seekers and post photos on social media.

To kick off Refugee Week from June 19 to 25, the Chalk Your Support project encouraged people to write messages of solidarity to asylum seekers and post photos on social media. Credit:Michele Mossop

Sydney mayor Clover Moore, who launched the campaign, said people whose lives were threatened by terror, war and starvation should be able to seek a better life and be looked after when they did.

"Chalking your support is a fun thing to do that lets our political leaders know we want a society that values diversity and acceptance," she said.
South-east Queensland received significant rainfall throughout Sunday afternoon as a severe weather system also delivers rain along the New South Wales coast.

The rain band is delivering heavy rainfall in the state's east, stretching from the south-east up to the Capricornia areas near Rockhampton.

Brisbane's north received significant rainfall from 3-4pm on Sunday, registering 25-35 millimetres.

The bureau expected the rain band to remain over the south-east into Sunday evening before it moves off the coast and clears.
Australia is not meeting international standards on coal dust exposure, lung cancer surgeons have told the Medical Journal of Australia.

The lung health experts also say the results of x-rays and lung inspections should be evaluated independently of mining companies.

Percy Verrall is dealing with the health effects of a lifetime working in underground coal mines. Credit:Glenn Hunt

"This should be performed every three years and should be funded by the employer but preferably evaluated by physicians and radiologists not employed by the coal companies," lung disease expert Associate Professor Deborah Yates has told the Medical Journal of Australia.

Associate Professor Deborah Yates is a specialist in thoracic disease at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
Enter a beautiful Indigenous model named Keyarny. Recently Keyarny came to address a group of students as part of Reconciliation Week activities. And she arrived, all 180 centimetres.

As young women begin shaping their life stories, they need role models to help them understand their worth in a world where fashion, body image and self-esteem collide.

Indigenous Australian land rights activist and writer Alexis Wright stated: "It's a really important thing for Aboriginal people to remember how stories are told and the power of stories, and make it an important feature in our world again."

She was tall, beautiful, humble and eager to share the importance of self acceptance, values and kind living. She spoke openly and with pride about her history and she was an open book about the love she has for her family.

I observed as the students listened to her message. She was frank, funny and filled with the same spirit that dominates the land upon which we live and call home.

When asked who her role models are, she responded by saying that her mum and nan had shaped her more than anyone else. She spoke about how much she missed them. They were in Echuca while her new life is in Melbourne. One country, two worlds.

Keyarny's message was simple but spoken with so much authenticity that it held the attention of a young audience wanting to learn, dream and apply the small key lessons they were privy to through one young woman's journey.

There were many questions asked by her eager audience. Did you always want to be a model? Her answer was not what they expected. No, she said. When she was at school she thought about getting into a trade, something that was hands on.
A southern suburbs mother has contacted police with a possible sighting of 18-year-old Aaron Pajich, missing for nearly a week.

The Warnbro teenager, who has Asperger's syndrome, was last sighted in Rockingham last Monday where police believe he was going to see a man and a woman he met on a gaming website.

Mr Pajich a year ago.

A member of the public told WAtoday she had made a police report after seeing a similar young man in the same line as her and her son at United Cinemas, Rockingham, around 4.30pm on Saturday.

"He looked similar to this man who is missing and also had what I suspected to be autism. He was with an older lady and a young man with Down syndrome," she said.
Amman: Turkish border guards shot dead at least 11 Syrians, mostly from one family, as they tried to cross into Turkey from north-western Syria, an independent monitoring group said on Sunday.

At least two women and four children were among those killed in the shootings overnight as the refugees sought to cross into Turkey from the border village of Khirbet al-Jouz, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Several activists in the area backed up the report.
Sustained the FCC's authority to reclassify mass market broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service (as opposed to an information service);

On June 14, 2016, the D.C. Circuit upheld the FCC's 2015 order adopting its Open Internet rules against a wide range of legal challenges. (Our advisory describing the FCC's rules can be found here.) In a detailed and lengthy opinion, Judges Tatel and Srinivasan:

Sustained the FCC's authority to reclassify mass market broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service (as opposed to an information service);

Sustained its authority to include interconnection between broadband ISPs and other networks within the scope of its regulations;

Sustained its authority to treat broadband wireless Internet access the same as wired broadband;

Sustained its decision to forbear from applying most Title II obligations to broadband ISPs;

Sustained its specific "open Internet" rules; and

Rejected claims that the rules violate the First Amendment.

Judge Williams partially dissented, arguing that there were fatal flaws in the economic analysis the FCC used to justify its rules. He argued that the FCC could not logically impose its specific rules  no blocking, no throttling, and no paid prioritization  without first concluding that broadband ISPs have market power, a conclusion that the FCC seems specifically to have chosen to avoid reaching. Judge Williams did not, however, question the legal authority of the agency to reclassify broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service.

By confirming that the FCC's regulatory authority extends to the provision of mass market broadband Internet access, the court dealt a significant blow to claims that broadband providers either must as a legal matter, or should as a policy matter, be left to operate largely free of traditional common carrier (or "Title II") regulation. Those challenging the FCC's rules may continue to pursue those claims by seeking rehearing by the entire D.C. Circuit and/or review in the Supreme Court.

The FCC's Open Internet rules took effect a year ago, in June 2015, and in that sense the court's ruling simply preserved the status quo. Notably, however, the agency has not yet undertaken any high-profile enforcement actions against any major broadband ISPs for alleged violations of the rules, perhaps in part because the agency has been awaiting a ruling sustaining the rules before doing so. Even if this is true, because additional legal challenges are quite possible, and because the issue might be politically sensitive in a contentious election year, it would not be surprising if the agency were to continue to maintain a relatively low enforcement profile, at least until after the election.

Reclassification of Broadband as a Telecommunications Service

The issue of reclassifying mass market broadband services from the category of "information service" to the category of "telecommunications service" applies to both landline and wireless broadband (although wireless presented some additional, specific issues addressed below). On the overall issue, the court rejected several arguments that the FCC could not lawfully interpret the definition of "telecommunications service" in the Communications Act to encompass broadband Internet access:

First, the court rejected the claim that broadband Internet access unambiguously falls within the definition of an information service. In Brand X the Supreme Court had held that the relevant statutory definitions were ambiguous, which gives the agency authority to adopt any reasonable interpretation of the language.

Second, the court rejected the argument that the FCC's decision reflected an unreasonable interpretation of the statute, specifically upholding the agency's conclusion that DNS and caching were best viewed as managing or facilitating the provision of broadband transmission  and thus carved out of the definition of "information service"  not as activities that converted the overall offering into an information service. (These are the key broadband-related functions on which the FCC relied to treat broadband as an information service in its original 2002 decision regarding cable modem service.)

Third, the court ruled that the FCC had adequately explained the change from its previous position that broadband was an information service.

Fourth, the court rejected Judge Williams' argument that the FCC was required to find that broadband providers exercised market power as a prerequisite to classifying broadband as a regulated telecommunications service, holding that nothing in the language of the statute requires such a finding.

Fifth, the court rejected claims that the FCC had not adequately considered reliance by the industry on the previous classification of broadband.

Finally, the court rejected the claim that before broadband providers can be classified as "telecommunications carriers" under the Communications Act, the FCC must show that they meet the common law test for "common carriers" under NARUC v. FCC.

The court also rejected two procedural claims: First, it ruled that the FCC had provided sufficient notice that it was considering reclassification. Second, it ruled that complaining parties had had an adequate opportunity to address the Commission's reliance on consumer perceptions of what ISPs offer as a basis for its ruling.

Regulating Interconnection between Broadband ISPs and Other Networks

A particularly controversial aspect of the FCC's ruling was its decision to assert regulatory authority over interconnection arrangements between broadband ISPs and other networks. The agency stated that if such arrangements were not subject to its authority, broadband ISPs could undermine the effectiveness of the substantive Open Internet rules by restricting or manipulating the interconnection terms available to others.

Those challenging the FCC's order first argued that the agency had not given adequate notice that it might regulate interconnection. The court, however, rejected that claim, pointing to FCC statements that showed that the issue had indeed been teed up for consideration.

On the merits, the challengers argued that, under the court's earlier Verizon decision (see our advisory here), the FCC could not treat interconnection with other networks as regulated without finding that broadband providers were offering a telecommunications service, not just to end users, but also to "edge providers" (i.e., providers of online content, such as Google or Facebook). Some had argued that because edge providers do not pay broadband providers for service, the functions the edge providers receive do not constitute a "telecommunications service and, therefore, cannot be subject to common carrier regulation. The court ruled, however, that once the agency reclassified the end user offering as a telecommunication service, it was reasonable to extend regulation to interconnection as well, on the grounds that such interconnection was needed to provide the newly-regulated service.

Regulating Mobile Broadband on the Same Terms as Wired Broadband

The FCC's decision to regulate mobile broadband on the same terms as wired broadband was controversial both because of the generally-recognized differences in the technical characteristics of wired and wireless networks and because of a number of separate statutory provisions that apply to mobile services.

The key legal question was whether mobile broadband meets the statutory definition of an "interconnected" mobile service, which in turn depends on whether mobile broadband service permits connections to the "public switched network." Historically, the FCC understood the "public switched network" to refer to the "public switched telephone network." In extending regulation to mobile broadband, the FCC changed its understanding of that term to include the Internet as well. On that basis, it concluded that mobile broadband was indeed an "interconnected" service.

The court rejected claims that the FCC had not provided adequate notice of the possibility of extending regulation to mobile broadband, noting that various wireless industry parties had debated the issues in detail in submissions to the agency. On the merits, the court held that the FCC had acted within its authority. It noted that Congress had specifically empowered the agency to set the definitions of both the term "interconnected" and the term "public switched network," and rejected the claim that Congress itself required treating that term as limited to the telephone network. In the most technically complex part of its ruling, the court upheld the FCC's reliance on the fact that mobile broadband users can use VoIP applications to call standard mobile (and landline) telephone numbers, and vice versa, as sufficient grounds to conclude that mobile broadband was indeed "interconnected" both with the Internet at large and the traditional telephone network "because it gives subscribers the ability to communicate to all users of the newly defined public switched network."

Forbearance from Applying Most of Title II to Broadband ISPs

Although the FCC reclassified mass market broadband service as a telecommunications service subject to Title II, it also refrained from applying most provisions of Title II to broadband providers, relying on its authority to "forbear" from applying those provisions if certain conditions are met. One petitioner, Full Service Network ("FSN"), argued that the Commission could not exercise its forbearance authority on its own without following the same procedures the Commission had established for private party applications seeking forbearance. The court rejected that claim, noting that the Commission had wide discretion to interpret its own procedural rules, which in any event did not, on their face, apply to Commission-originated forbearance. The court also held that the Commission had provided adequate notice of its potential forbearance actions.

FSN also objected to the FCC decision to forbear from applying the local competition provisions of Sections 251 and 252 of the Act (notably, its unbundling obligations) to broadband ISPs. First, FSN argued that the FCC had to make separate findings supporting forbearance for each affected statutory provision and each affected local geographic market. The court rejected this claim, affirming an earlier holding that the statute gives the FCC discretion to act on a nationwide basis. Second, FSN argued that in order to forbear from the interconnection requirements of Section 251, the FCC had to find that it would retain adequate authority to protect the public interest which, according to FSN, the FCC could not do because of supposed limitations on the scope of the Commission's authority to regulate interconnection under Section 201 (which the agency left in effect). The court rejected this argument, affirming the FCC's authority to regulate interconnection under Section 201. The court also rejected FSN's claim that forbearance from Section 251 would create problems in the case of purely intrastate broadband services, over which the FCC (absent Section 251) lacks jurisdiction. This FSN argument failed because  as the FCC held and as the court had previously affirmed  broadband Internet service is inherently interstate in nature. Finally, the court rejected FSN's claims that the FCC had not adequately justified its decision to forbear from applying Sections 251 and 252, citing the FCC's extensive discussion of the rationale for its actions.

Challenges to Specific Open Internet Rules

In 2015, the FCC promulgated five Open Internet rules. It banned blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization; it imposed a "general conduct" rule, banning any actions that unreasonably interfere with end users' or edge providers' ability to send and receive information; and it imposed an enhanced transparency/disclosure rule. (See our earlier advisory discussing these rules here.) In court, petitioners challenged the ban on paid prioritization as beyond the FCC's authority, and the "general conduct" rule as unconstitutionally vague.

With regard to the paid prioritization ban, the court held that its earlier decision in Verizon v. FCC confirming the Commission's authority to promulgate rules under Section 706 showed that the Commission was empowered to impose the paid prioritization ban under that provision. (The obstacle to the FCC's prior action was that, in its 2010 Open Internet Order, the agency had not classified broadband as a Title II "telecommunications service"  which is what it did in the order addressed by the court's ruling.) With regard to the general conduct rule, the court held that the Commission's discussion of the purposes of the rule, along with its articulation and discussion of seven specific factors that it will consider in assessing whether particular practices violate the rule, gave broadband ISPs enough of an understanding of what conduct was prohibited to defeat the vagueness challenge. How the general conduct rule may be applied in the context of specific enforcement actions, of course, remains to be seen.

First Amendment Challenge

Some petitioners argued that the Open Internet rules violated the First Amendment by requiring broadband ISPs to transmit information with which they might disagree. The court rejected this argument, noting that broadband ISPs, when acting in that capacity, were functioning as a conduit for the speech of others, and that their customers would not, therefore, attribute the views expressed in the transmitted information to the broadband ISPs. On the other hand, nothing in the Open Internet rules in any way restricts a broadband ISP from expressing itself, via the Internet or otherwise. Essentially, the court ruled that a common carrier's First Amendment rights are not infringed by being required  as a common carrier  to transmit or disseminate others' views.

Judge Williams' Dissent

Judge Williams' dissent raises several interlocking points:

First, in his view, the FCC was required to determine that broadband ISPs had market power before it could impose common carrier regulation on them  something the FCC had seemingly intentionally avoided doing in its ruling.

Second, this failure to consider market power led to a flawed analysis by the agency of the likely effects of its rules on broadband investment and consumer welfare.

Third, in his view, the FCC's decision to forbear from applying most of Title II to broadband ISPs necessarily implies that those entities lack market power, which means that applying Title II was unjustified in the first place. (Judge Williams noted that this so-called "strategic ambiguity" is "just a polite name for arbitrary and capricious decisionmaking.")

Fourth, Judge Williams signaled his agreement with Judge Silberman's concurrence in Verizon that Section 706, on which the FCC relied in part to justify the ban on paid prioritization and other rules, does not authorize the Open Internet rules.

Further Legal Challenges?

Those opposing the Open Internet rules may seek rehearing by the D.C. Circuit en banc, and may also seek Supreme Court review of the panel's opinion. Either option will result in the final legal status of the FCC's rules remaining in limbo for quite some time  perhaps a year or more. We will provide updates on any further challenges as they occur.

Practical Impact of the Ruling

This ruling is clearly an important step in the government's shifting stance towards regulating Internet access. As noted above, the FCC's Open Internet rules have been in effect since June 2015, and since that time the agency has not undertaken any high-profile enforcement actions against any major broadband providers under the rules; one possible reason for this is that the agency may have been awaiting a ruling sustaining its rules before undertaking any major actions under them. It is possible, therefore, that the court's ruling will embolden the agency to begin more aggressively enforcing its rules.

Sustained the FCC's authority to reclassify mass market broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service (as opposed to an information service);

Two factors suggest that any change in the FCC's enforcement stance may be more measured. First, as noted, additional legal challenges are quite possible, so the FCC could reasonably conclude that prudence in pursuing enforcement actions remains a sound path. Second, the issue of the FCC's authority over broadband providers has been politically controversial for several years. Given that we are in the midst of a contentious presidential election cycle, the agency may conclude that it should refrain from taking any potentially controversial enforcement action until after the election. Thus, while enforcement actions could be underway, these political factors may work to limit their scope, at least until further court review  and the election season  concludes.

Finally, earlier this year the FCC initiated a major proposed rulemaking regarding the privacy obligations of broadband providers (see our advisory here). That action is legally premised on the FCC prevailing on the question of reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service under the agency's jurisdiction. Had the court ruled against the FCC, the entire privacy rulemaking would have been placed into legal limbo.
Recreational Marijuana Initiative qualifies for the California's November Ballot. Will it be pre-empted by action of the DEA?

Drug Enforcement Agents from the DEA conducting a raid in Los Angeles. The Federal Government will make Marijuana a Schedule Two drug on August 1, 2016, effectively legalizing weed throughout the US.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will reclassify marijuana as a "Schedule Two" drug on August 1, 2016, essentially legalizing medicinal cannabis in all 50 states with a doctor's prescription, said a DEA lawyer with knowledge of the matter.

Update 6/28: The Recreational Marijuana Initiative qualifies for the California's November Ballot. Will it be pre-empted by action of the DEA?

http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/07/04/news/dea-source-confirms-schedule-ii-medical-marijuana-is-in-the-works/1562.html

The DEA Lawyer had told the lawyer representing a DEA informant of the DEA's plan to legalize medicinal cannibis nationwide on August 1, 2016. When questioned by our reporter, the DEA lawyer felt compelled to admit the truth to him as well.

"Whatever the law may be in California, Arizona or Utah or any other State, because of Federal preemption this will have the effect of making THC products legal with a prescription, in all 50 states," the DEA attorney told the Observer. Federal Preemption is a legal doctrine that where the US Government regulates a particular field, State and local laws are overridden and of no effect.

He explained that "there are five DEA schedules. Nothing on Schedule One is ever legal, and that is where Cannabis is today. Schedule Two drugs are available with a prescription."

On Schedule Two, marijuana will join drugs like Percocet, Aderall, Oxycontin, Hydrocodone and other drugs that are legal, even common, with a prescription. There are also other drugs that are not on any schedules but that are illegal on a federal level, he said. Drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen are available over-the-counter.

He opined that the 135 medicinal cannabis clinic owners in Los Angeles will no doubt oppose this move by the Federal government, because the rule change will eliminate any reason for people to visit medical marijuana clinics. But they needn't worry. "In my opinion, CVS pharmacy, Rite-Aid and Walgreens will sell Schedule Two THC products similar to what users call "edibles," but will not sell smokable weed because of the health risk smoking anything entails," said the DEA lawyer.

The Los Angeles based DEA Attorney who spoke to us, asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak to the press about the matter. He speculated that this action will be taken in the closing days of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, so as to motivate the Democratic base to turn out and vote for Hillary Clinton, and other down ballot candidates. She will certainly not reverse this policy decision taken in the waning days of the Barack Obama administration, he said. But Donald Trump might.

"Marijuana enforcement is a big drain on DEA resources," he said was another reason for the change, noting that 75% of the American public favor the legalization of marijuana for medical use.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is in favor of legalizing marijuana and in fact owns a business which peddles pot in New Mexico.

California will vote on November 7th, 2016, whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Because of Federal preemption, the DEA's reclassification of cannabis as a Schedule Two drug, will have the legal effect of requiring a prescription in California--i.e., it will continue the status quo.

Since the Golden State legalized medical marijuana almost 20 years ago, Federal authorities have occasionally raided medical marijuana clinics here. They have forced major banks, like Bank of America, to close clinic bank accounts. The Feds have even seized real estate belonging to landlords who rent space to pot clinics. The Federal war on medicinal marijuana will abruptly end on August 1, 2016.

UPDATE 6/19 9 a.m. PDT: The Denver Post is now reporting that the DEA could reclassify Marijuana as a Schedule II drug, as early as July 1, 2016. https://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/17/how-the-dea-should-classify-marijuana/

UPDATE 6/22: The DEA wants to remove the barriers to cannabis research, a spokesman told aNewDomain in a lengthy interview. http://anewdomain.net/2016/06/21/on-cannabis-rescheduling-questions-the-dea-responds-exclusive/

8/01 is the new 4/20!

Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana, can refer to the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids to treat disease or improve symptoms; However, there is no single agreed upon definition, says Wikipedia. The use of cannabis as a medicine has not been rigorously scientifically tested, often due to production restrictions and other governmental regulations. There is limited evidence suggesting cannabis can be used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to treat chronic pain and muscle spasms. Its use for other medical applications, however, is insufficient for conclusions about safety or effects.

In California, there are "weed doctors" who will write a prescription for cannabis to anyone claiming to suffer from anxiety, which means they passout prescriptions for pot like chocolate bars at a Halloween party. As with so many other trends that started in California, expect to see medicinal marijuana sold in your town soon!

Medical cannabis can be administered using a variety of methods, including liquid tinctures, vaporizing or smoking dried buds, eating cannabis edibles, taking capsules, using lozenges, dermal patches or oral/dermal sprays. Synthetic cannabinoids are available as prescription drugs in some countries; examples include: dronabinol and nabilone.

Recreational use of cannabis is illegal in most parts of the world, but the medical use of cannabis is legal in certain countries, including Austria, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands (where it is also legal recreationally), Portugal and Spain.

In the United States, federal law outlaws all cannabis use, while 25 states and the District of Columbia no longer prosecute individuals for the possession or sale of medical marijuana, as long as the individuals are in compliance with the state's medical marijuana sale regulations.

The DEA lawyer gave us his legal opinion that if you happen to live where recreational marijuana is now legal, i.e. Colorado or Washington State; after August 1, you will need a prescription, as you would need throughout the U.S.

However, an appeals court ruled in January 2014 that a 2007 Ninth Circuit ruling remains binding in relation to the ongoing illegality, in federal legislative terms, of Californian cannabis dispensaries, reaffirming the impact of the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The Federal Government will make Marijuana a Schedule Two drug on August 1, 2016, effectively legalizing weed throughout the US. You may be able to buy pot at Rite Aid in Santa Monica by the end of the year.

As explained above, moving marijuana from Schedule One to Schedule Two, would have the effect of legalizing medicinal marijuana, throughout all 50 States, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. This action may be taken by the DEA unilaterally--i.e., without specific Congressional authorization -- because Congress has previously granted the DEA rule-making authority over what drugs are on which schedules.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States. Not only is the DEA the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it also has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations abroad.

Update: DEA Source Confirms Story, 7/04/2016. http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/07/04/news/dea-source-confirms-that-schedule-ii-marijuana-is-in-the-works/1562.html
South Bend Human Rights Commission director fired amid workplace concerns

Yolanda Young-Smith, hired in December, oversaw the Human Rights Commission as it lost longtime workers with a combined half-century of tenure.
. . .
Blue Origin's reusable New Shepard rocket and space capsule launches from West Texas during its fourth successful test flight on June 19, 2016.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launched and landed a reusable rocket for the fourth time Sunday (June 19), with the typically secretive private spaceflight company making its first-ever live webcast of a test flight during the successful mission.

Blue Origin's unmanned New Shepard rocket and space capsule launched into the clear West Texas sky at 10:36 a.m. EDT (1436 GMT), carrying its crew capsule into suborbital space before both craft returned to Earth in separate landings.

New Shepard's booster made a pinpoint landing near its launch site 8 minutes after liftoff, with the capsule touching down a minute lander after descending to Earth under two parachutes. Blue Origin's main goal for the flight was to test how the capsule would perform with just two of its three main parachutes deployed.

"Careful engineering plus of course ... the lucky boots. Successful mission," Bezos wrote on Twitter after the launch that included a photo of its "lucky" cowboy boots, which carry Blue Origin's motto "Gradatim Ferociter," Latin for "Step by step, ferociously." [Blue Origin's New Shepard Launch System Explained (Infographic)]

During Sunday's launch, New Shepard reached a peak altitude of 331,501 feet (101,041 meters). That's 62.7 miles (101 kilometers), just above the 62-mile boundary between Earth and space. While the capsule only needs one parachute to land safely, it carries three to be safe and Sunday's test monitored how the craft would handle a two-chute landing, according to Blue Origin representatives.

"That was magic," said Ariane Cornell, of Blue Origin's Strategy and Business Development team, who was a co-host during the live webcast. "It was an impeccable test mission for us."

See more

Blue Origin's New Shepard space capsule descends back to Earth under two of its three main parachutes during a test of its two-chute landing capabilities on June 19, 2016. (Image credit: Blue Origin)

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos leads Blue Origin, a commercial aerospace firm that hopes to send people on suborbital and orbital space trips. See how Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft works here (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

New Shepard is not designed to launch all the way into orbit. Instead, the launch system is built to fly up to six people into suborbital space, with the capsule returning to Earth under parachutes while its booster lands vertically using the same BE-3 rocket engine it uses for launch.

The Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin plans to sell tickets for space tourism flights on the capsule, but has not yet released a price for those joy rides. During such flights, passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and be able to see the Earth from space through New Shepard's huge windows, Blue Origin representatives said.

"You have no idea how badly I want to fly on this right now," Blue Origin engineer Geoff Huntington, a webcast co-host, said just before the launch.

The New Shepard capsule can also carry research payloads and has done so on past test flights. During Sunday's launch, the capsule carried three different microgravity science payloads, including a dust collision experiment for Braunschweig University in Germany; a fluid flow experiment for Louisiana State University and William Jewell College; and fluid shape experiment for Purdue University.

Blue Origin's New Shepard booster approaches its landing site in West Texas during its fourth launch and landing test on June 19, 2016. (Image credit: Blue Origin)

Sunday's Father's Day flight marked the fourth launch and landing for New Shepard since its debut in November 2015, and follows similar tests in January and April. This latest flight was initially scheduled for Friday, June 17, but Blue Origin delayed it to allow time to replace a leaky O-ring on the booster.

"Watching a rocket launch (and rocket landing!) might add a little extra fun w/kids on Father's Day. #GradatimFerociter" Bezos wrote on Twitter on Friday.

And that was the case for at least Huntington.

"This definitely made my Father's Day," he said.

Huntington said the public should expect more New Shepard test flights to come this year, including a demonstration of the crew capsule's in-flight abort system to pull astronauts to safety during a launch emergency.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Yes, the title of this column is pretentious, comparing the wildlife of North America to that seen on the Serengeti plains of Africa. However, if the reader has visited Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park, they may not see this title as quite so exaggerated.

The Lamar River lies in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. It flows out of the Absaroka Range to head west into the Yellowstone River. About 18 miles of the river runs near Hwy. 212 that enters Lamar Valley near Tower Junction and exits the park near Cooke City, Montana.

My favorite spot along Lamar Valley is a pullout slightly elevated above the valley floor. From there, I can see miles up and down the valley and scan the far-side hills. In the distance, masses of large black dots show bison herds along the valley floor and on the side hills. Binoculars reveal large, light-colored dots to be herds of elk on the side hills. Smaller white dots on the valley floor are pronghorn antelope and still smaller white dots along the ridge tops are bighorn sheep. Occasionally, small, dark spots moving across the side hills are grizzly bears.

Nearby, a group of log buildings is the Buffalo Ranch. In the early 1900s, park personnel raised bison here much like cattle. Now, the buildings house the Yellowstone Association, where people attend classes.

Lamar Valley has been touted as the best place in the world to view wolves, especially during winter. During my recent June visit, a group of people covered a small hill near Slough Creek. A line of spotting scopes kept watch on a wolf den on a distant hillside. Members of the Junction Butte wolf pack brought food to den pups and yearling wolves play with these pups below the den entrance. Meanwhile, near Soda Butte farther up the valley, another group of people watched four wolves of the Lamar Canyon pack eating on a kill. One female wolf showed the effects of mange, a disease that had killed her litter of pups.

On that day, my pullout position showed clusters of cars along the road, where wildlife were within view. One group was watching bison calves and cows cross the road, while another was photographing a sow grizzly bear with two cubs. Another group was photographing great horned owl chicks in a nest placed on a rock face, while an osprey nest in a river canyon, a coyote den, and a sow black bear with two cubs occupied other groups.

Yellowstone is already having a huge year in terms of visitor numbers. Lamar Valley receives far fewer visitors than around Old Faithful, but people are still numerous. The grizzly and cubs created a bear-jam that required park rangers to handle traffic. The narrow dirt road along Slough Creek had no available parking spots due to the group watching the wolf den. Cars constantly kicked up dust as they drove up and down the road searching for a place to park, passing numerous No Parking signs. Only two pit toilets are found in the valley and cars were always parked near them.

Even with the numbers of visitors along this single road traversing Lamar Valley, it remains a wildlife phenomenon much like the Serengeti Plains. Bison, elk, pronghorn, wolves, and bears live out their lives in relative peace 50 yards off this busy road.
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ELKO  Juniors and seniors in high schools from Elko and Spring Creek may have an opportunity to get a head start on their college course work with the approval of a dual credit program.

The Elko County School Board voted 4-0 in favor of developing a design for an academy model that would allow upperclassmen to take classes for college credit while still attending their high school classes. Dan Mahlberg and Annette Kerr were absent.

Elko County School District Superintendent Jeff Zander said the proposal came about after a discussion with Director of Secondary Education Jack French and Elko High School teacher David Meisner.

If the model the design team creates is approved, it would split the students time between their high school and the Great Basin College campus.

We received a proposal to develop an academy that would allow high school juniors and seniors from Elko and Spring Creek to spend four credit hours a day up at the college and actually receive dual credit for the classes and be in a college environment, Zander said.

Zander continued by saying there were a number of classes at GBC that could potentially align with the coursework of Advanced Placement classes.

Even though there appears to be ways to align the high school and college curriculums, the details still need to worked out by the design team.

We probably need to do a study of the analysis of the alignment of our AP programming and our duel credit programming, he said. Once we can make those determinations that we can provide more opportunities kids in regards to that programming then we can talk about the actual academy model of this particular project.

Another concern in implementing the program is taking juniors and seniors off of their high school campus for part of their school day, and the negative affect it could have on students who are taking classes at two campuses at the same time.

After motioning to approve the design team study to look into the implementation of course alignment between the high schools and GBC, Trustee Jonathan Karr said the discussion surrounding the proposal at the Superintendents Advisory Committee raised some questions he would like the design team to further explore.

The question came up of, Are we even still a high school because were now shipping kids to college? he said. It brought up some good questions I hadnt thought of and I think theyll address a lot of those and it would be a good study altogether, as well.

Karr also suggested contacting other colleges around the area to see how theyve implemented similar programming.

French said the design team will consist of stakeholders from GBC, the teachers association and high school administrators to help ensure that integrity of the normal high school class curriculum wouldnt be adversely affected by having some students take their classes at GBCs campus.

Board Member Lou Basanez said she was encouraged by the conversation concerning the proposal at the advisory committee meeting, and emphasized that the people assigned to the design team could make a big difference in how successful the program is.

It will be important for the right people to be on that design team who know what theyre talking about, she said. Some of the things they brought up I havent even thought of. Having the right people will make all the difference.
Washington, June 19, 2016 (SPS) -The United Nations Security Council reviewed with the Secretariat the progress achieved in discussions with Moroccan authorities on return of the MINURSO's civil staff expelled by Morocco in last March.

However, no information on this meeting, held behind closed doors upon request from Venezuela, has been given.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous Herve Ladsous informed the Security Council of progress in discussions held with the Moroccan government on the civil staff of the MINURSO.

The 2285 resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on 29 April extending the MINURSO mandate to30 April 2017 provides for searching the best means to enable the MINURSO resume its mission after the expiration of the three-month deadline.

Morocco tried to foil a technical mission of the United Nations, dispatched in El Aaiun, to negotiate the return of the staff of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), expelled by Morocco, said Wednesday Ahmed Boukhari, representative of the Polisario Front at the United Nations.

The information that we have is that the Moroccan authorities tried to divert this technical mission from its purpose, said Boukhari, in 2016s session of the UN special committee on decolonization, called also Committee of 24, held in Nicaragua. (SPS)

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Washington, June 19, 2016 (SPS) - Morocco has chosen the course of confrontation with the international community to end the United Nations-led peace process, said Polisario Front's Representative to the UN Ahmed Boukhari.

In his address at the session of the Special Committee on Decolonization, held in New York on Friday, Boukhari said that the colonizing power has chosen the option of confrontation with the international community to end the peace process and push the region into the worst-case scenarios.

"If this situation continues, it would be an international crime against the Sahrawi people and a constant threat to peace and security in the region," he warned.

Boukhari underlined that holding a referendum on self-determination is a key element of a peaceful solution to the 40-years-long conflict, reiterating the request for a special session of the Committee on Western Sahara.

"Morocco's direct attack against the secretary general after his visit to Western Sahara in March, and its unilateral decision to expel the civilian and political components of the UN Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) show that the colonial power has decided to pursue a course of confrontation with the international community," he said.

Boukhari added that despites the calls of Security Council in its resolution of April 2016, MINURSO's staff had not return to Western Sahara and negotiations between Morocco and Polisario Front had not resumed.

For Polisario Front, "MINURSO is the symbol of international commitment for the decolonization of the last non-self-governing territory in Africa," he added

He also underlined the need for the return of the UN Mission and the resumption of direct negotiations between the two parties for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, in accordance with the principle of self-determination.

Boukhari stressed that the legitimate representative of Sahrawi people was Polisario Front, adding that Morocco was not a legal administering power.

Citing the UN General Assembly's resolution 3437 (1979), the Polisario Front's representative said that Morocco was illegally occupying a territory that did not belong to it. (SPS)

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Algiers, June 19, 2016 (SPS) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will hold, in July in Geneva, a meeting of the donor countries to support the humanitarian aid to the refugees of Western Sahara, said this UN agency.

UNHCR will hold a meeting on 12 July 2016 in Geneva to call on the financial backers to contribute to the financing of the humanitarian aid for the Sahrawi refugees, the representative of this agency in Algeria Hamdi Bukhari told APS on the eve of the celebration of the World Refugee Day.

During his last visit to the Sahrawi refugee camps, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addressed a message to the international donors to increase their aid to these forgotten people.

A meeting of the donor countries is expected to be held in Geneva shortly, said UN Secretary General in a statement to the press during this visit.

Bukhari underlined that this meeting, which will be held with the participation of several UN agencies, aims at increasing the number of the donors and broadening the space of financial backers.

UNHCRs representative broached the sufferings of the Sahrawi refugees for more than 40 years and underlined the worrying situation, calling the international community to support the humanitarian aid for this population.

In this regard, he underlined that the World Refugee Day is meant to be an opportunity to give hope of this population and to stress its increasingly unbearable situation.

Algeria has always been a host country since its independence and its invaluable contribution indicates an active solidarity with the refugees in general and the refugees of Western Sahara in particular, he said. (SPS)

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STAMFORD  The five graceful 44-foot U.S. Navy sailboats that made their way into Stamford Harbor Friday morning were, in a way, coming home.

They are members of the third generation of the original fleet of Navy 44 sailboats designed by Bill Luders of Luders Marine Construction, the famed builder of yachts and military vessels that operated at the edge of Stamford Harbor from 1912 to 1968.

Luders won the contract to create 12 matched wooden sailboats at the end of World War II, when Congress commissioned them for use in training midshipmen at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

The sailboats that arrived Friday from Annapolis  Warrior, Invincible and Daring among them  now are made of Fiberglas and fitted with computers, GPS and high-tech navigation equipment.

But they serve the same purpose as the Luders boats of nearly 70 years ago  to give Annapolis students what the Naval Academy website calls a professional appreciation for wind, wave, weather, command responsibility and introduce them to the pleasure and excitement of going to sea under sail.

It was that and more, said Aaron Lee, an 18-year-old midshipman from the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific Ocean.

Ive never been on a sailboat before, and the Atlantic is different from the Pacific, Lee said. The water is a different color and the waves arent as big, but its a lot colder at night.

Beyond his observations of the ocean, he learned a lot about what the Navy wants students to learn from the Offshore Sail Training Squadron, a summer program in which they spend a week sailing from Annapolis to a destination that will host them for a weekend, then sail back.

There is a lot to know about team dynamics, said Lee, who hopes to work for the Navy in cyber operations. Its a lot harder to work with people in close quarters, on a boat in the middle of the water with nowhere to go. You really have to be mindful of others.

Yacht club host

For the second straight year, a destination for one of the training squadrons was the Stamford Yacht Club, which found families to host about 50 Naval Academy students and instructors.

Navy veteran Chris Matteson, rear commodore of the Stamford Yacht Club, invited the Navy 44s after hearing about the program from a fellow veteran who works at the Naval Academy.

They need destinations they can reach in a week, and Stamford fits that. Families loved having the midshipmen stay with them last year, Matteson said. We probably get more out of having them than they do by coming here.

The squadron destined for Stamford left Annapolis last Monday, said the leader, Ken Reightler, who retired after 22 years with the Navy and now is a professor of aerospace engineering at the academy.

They have a week of classroom instruction, we evaluate them to determine whether they are ready to deploy, then we set sail, eight midshipmen to a boat, along with instructors, said Reightler, whos from Maryland. We go down Chesapeake Bay, get to the ocean and turn left, headed north.

Another squadron of five boats this year sailed to Rhode Island. Reightler said his squad had to refuel in New York Harbor, his favorite place to take students.

You have tugboats. Barges. Ferries that will run you down. You have 5 knots of current at Hell Gate. Its very challenging, which is a good opportunity to learn, Reightler said. When we pass the Statue of Liberty, theyre enthralled. I take pictures of them with the statue in the background.

But the trip is tough. The midshipmen work round the clock, one team of four breaking the other. They handle weather and mechanical difficulties, keep an eye on wind, currents, fuel, and other vessels. Each person has a specific job. If someone is injured or becomes sick, they must shift responsibilities on the spot.

The sailboat is a leadership lab, an opportunity to put them in a situation that is not academic. Its real, Reightler said. Youre at sea for four days with people you dont really know. Youre not sleeping well. Youre not eating well. Youre working at something you just learned. How do you solve problems? How do you deal with adversity?

Lessons learned

Midshipman Hannah Briant, a 21-year-old from New Jersey, was not out meeting her host family Friday afternoon as most of her classmates were doing. She was on watch. In the Navy, boats are never left without crew aboard.

The biggest lesson so far?

You have to be able to adapt  to the people youre living with, to being hungry and tired, to whatever is happening on the boat, said Briant, who is majoring in political science and wants to be a Navy or Marine pilot.

The Naval Academy students are among the nations best and brightest. Some 19,000 apply to Annapolis each year, but only 1,200 are accepted.

Midshipman Julius Chi, 19, of Colorado, who is studying Chinese and plans to serve the Navy or Marine Corps in surface warfare, said he learned a great deal in little time.

A week ago, most of us had no idea what half the stuff on a sailboat is. Now were sailing, Chi said. It was something to see how quickly people picked things up.

The five navy-blue sailboats depart Stamford for Annapolis Monday morning.

Stamford Yacht Club Commodore James Ryan said he hopes the Navy 44 summer visits will become a tradition befitting the city that conceived them.

Stamford has the history, and we really enjoy the relationship, Ryan said. We want to be on their destination list.

angela.carella@scni.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/

angelacarella
Were Columbus, Cervantes and Leonardo da Vinci really Catalan? Regional research group posits that historical figures were passed off as Spanish or Italian

Institut Nova Historia (INH) members say Leonardo da Vinci was in fact Catalan.

It is difficult to digest so many revelations in a single afternoon. I am sitting at the back of the room inside Arenys de Munt City Hall, Barcelona province, which is hosting the 14th Symposium on The Catalan Discovery of the Americas.

Over the last five hours, I have been informed that Christopher Columbus, Miguel de Cervantes, Leonardo da Vinci, Amerigo Vespucci, Hernan Cortes and many other leading historical figures were all really Catalan.

The disclosure comes courtesy of the Institut Nova Historia (INH), a research institute whose main working theory is that Catalan history has been systematically ignored and altered by the Castilian powers-that-be from the 15th century onwards.

The group, which receives subsidies from the Catalan government, claims that the discovery of the Americas was entirely the work of Catalans and that all the major Spanish-language writers of the era, including the author of Don Quixote, were really Catalans who were later passed off as Castilian as part of a massive conspiracy against Catalonia.

Once viewed as a fringe group of eccentric nationalists, the INH has gained a wider following in recent times. There are 107 scholars working within its orbit to find clues about Catalan identity in the past. In 2010, a foundation controlled by the INH received a regional grant of 3,200.

Institute President Albert Codinas and its most media-savvy member, Jordi Bilbeny, make regular radio and television appearances in Catalonia. This year they were interviewed about their film Desmuntant Leonardo (or, Deconstructing Leonardo), which seeks to prove that Leonardo da Vinci was really Catalan because his coat of arms bore the three bars of the House of Naples, the Catalan royal house.

Whats more, his Mona Lisa was in fact a portrait of Isabel of Aragon, daughter of the Valencian Ferran of Naples (for the INHs purposes, Valencians are Catalans as well). And the mountains depicted in Da Vincis paintings are the peaks of Montserrat, claimed Bilbeny during his lecture.

While the Spanish media has often poked fun at the INHs theories, there are those in Catalonia who have embraced their revisionist ideas. Manuel Cuyas, who wrote the memoirs of former regional premier Jordi Pujol, one of the founding fathers of modern Catalan nationalism, accepts that Columbus was a Catalan and that Miguel de Cervantes real name was in fact Miquel Sirvent.

Information available explained how cancer was blown out of proportion with the goal of making more money

Subsequent lecturers claimed that Christopher Columbus was received by the Catholic Monarchs in 1493 inside the building that now houses the Catalan executive, and that a book published in Prague in 1505 states that explorer Amerigo Vespucci, from whom America takes its name, traveled to the new continent in the name of the king of Catalonia. Vespucci, it appears, is a distortion of the Catalan surname Despuig.

Symposium guests were given a chance to learn more about these issues by purchasing related literature at two stands located near the door. Besides work by Bilbeny, there were many books defending alternative medicine, including some claiming that AIDS is not a real disease but a publicity stunt made in USA that needs to be debunked. There was also information explaining how cancer had been blown out of proportion with the goal of making more money.

Sitting in the crowd was Josep Mir, a 30-year-old computer scientist who works in Hamburg but came to listen to a friend who was delivering one of the lectures. Mir believes that there are parallels to be drawn between Spains attitude to the INH and its attitude to Catalan independence.

Spanish intellectuals laugh at this now, but later they will acknowledge the shock, and finally they will resort to arguments, he noted. Just like with independence.
During my first week on the job in our family business, my father taught me a lesson I never learned at Northwesterns Kellogg School of Management.

I had just received my MBA and was proud of that accomplishment. I immediately started work as the family companys cost accountant and was ready to set the world  and Bigelow Tea on fire with my bold ideas and innovative concepts.

On our first PC, I was putting together the companys first bills of material, and I couldnt wait to show the CEO  my father, David  what I had accomplished.

On my third day, he came down to see me.

Hows it going? he asked.

Its going great, I said, and was about to explain the project when I noticed he was preoccupied with my out-basket.

You have envelopes going out, he said.

Yes, they are my bills that need to be mailed.

But they dont have any stamps on them.

I know, I said.

He paused, reflected a moment and replied, Gee, Cindi, if you dont put stamps on your envelopes, then why should the other employees put them on theirs? So why dont you go buy some stamps and put them on your mail.

It was the first of many lessons I got from David Bigelow about business practices ... and humility. And it was also a lesson in leadership, the kind of leadership that my father exemplified.

Over the years, there were hundreds of similar occasions that emphasized one of his foremost principles: The boss sets the tone, he/she sets the standard. The boss determines how high or how low the bar is for acceptable performance based on his/her personal actions.

You see, he was very democratic in the way he ran his business, and the employees revered him because he had a common touch. I should add that he displayed the same values and integrity as a father.

Im not engaging in hyperbole when I say my father was a saint. Anyone who knows him always says hes one of the finest men there is, although he would certainly disagree. To my biased thinking, hes one of most giving, loving, intelligent and humble men Ive met  in addition to being a great father. Thats quite an accolade from a daughter because it is even harder to be a successful parent than it is being a successful businessperson (and that is incredibly hard!).

The most important thing any father can do is give his children the assurance that whenever they turn around, hell be there  providing, protecting, advising, loving ... all the things fathers are meant to do. And that is exactly what my father did for my sister and me.  All the years he was running the company, he never missed having dinner with us, and whenever I needed him, he was always there. He never put his business before his family, and Ive tried to be as conscientious in raising my own children.

Every Sunday after dinner, Id ask, Dad, can we get ice cream? And the answer was always yes. Then, hed take my sister and me to the local Carvel in Westport and buy us soft-serve cones.

He always offered support, and if he had to teach us a lesson, he did it by example and not criticism. Whenever I came home with a report card, hed look at it and exclaim, Cindi, oh my gosh! All As! I was lucky if I got Cs when I was your age.

That praise made me one of the proudest girls in school. Years later, when I visited his alma mater, Avon Old Farms School, to watch as he received a lifetime achievement award, I discovered that he was far from average. He had received all the top awards from students and faculty, and then went on to Yale. However, he never bragged about the honors or used them as an opportunity to one-up someone else.

I would often sit in executive committee meetings and see him handle volatile issues with a higher level thought process and insight. Most importantly, what impressed me then and continues to impress me was his sense of fairness, not only as a father but also as a businessman. If there was ever anything that even hinted of unfairness, a whole new David Bigelow would show up at the door. This, even more than things like profit margins and marketing, motivated him. Hed get feisty if he thought someone was being wronged, either customers or employees. Many times, Id hear him discuss company decisions and one of his first questions would be, Is that fair for the employees?

He raised me to have same sense of fairness as my moral compass in all aspects of my life. Another lesson he taught me was that leaders should do the right thing even when no one else is supporting them. Sometimes that means staying firm when you know what youre doing is right and have the confidence that it will play out properly in the long haul. When he wanted to build a new plant but still stay in Connecticut, everyone said he was wrong for many reasons ... wages, taxes, utilities. The list was endless. He went against all the members of his team because he knew if we wanted to maintain our outstanding manufacturing work force, we would have to rebuild and stay in state. Thirty years later, I look at our Connecticut plant and see the most engaged and passionate workforce. They are the definition of the perfect plant. And we owe that to him.

He also taught me to be successful without being successful at someone elses expense. For my father, the highest calling is to be a good, decent human being. He lives by that in business and with his family. He never compromises.

Over the years, he continues to be an inspiration as chairman of the board, a father and a husband. Everyone should be as fortunate as I am, because one of lifes greatest blessings is to have a father committed to doing right in a world that often confuses right and wrong. His philosophy is very simple: be honest, be fair, be concerned about others more than yourself and remember that success has many different definitions. His always valued being able to look back at his accomplishments and know he thought of the greater good.

Thank you, Dad, for your many invaluable lessons and more importantly, the power of your example.

Fairfield resident Cindi Bigelow is president and CEO of Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea, which was in Norwalk for four decades.
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America, founded on principles of freedom, now cowers under the tyranny of powerful interests that have left no place safe. Not an elementary school. Not a church. Not a movie theater, a shopping center parking lot, a community college, a company holiday party, a dance club. Nowhere.

We must break the tyranny of guns  promoted by those who profit.

The list of the dead goes on and on, a gravestone into infinity. Voices silenced, futures obliterated. Yet another community is left to ask: How could this happen here?

We call out from the heartbreak of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy three-and-a-half years ago to the Orlando community grieving from the mass shooting that stopped 49 lives last Sunday.

Since what President Barack Obama called the unconscionable evil of the Sandy Hook killings on Dec. 14, 2012, this country has experienced 998 mass shootings.

We can no longer tolerate this culture of violence. We demand Congress do its job and pass three laws:

1. Universal background checks. A majority of Americans support this common-sense measure to keep lethal weapons from unstable or criminal hands.

2. Prohibit suspected terrorists on the governments no-fly list from buying a gun. How can someone considered too dangerous to fly be allowed to buy a gun?

3. Restore the ban on military-style assault weapons for civilians. There is no need in an evolved society for guns that can fire dozens of bullets within seconds.

On Monday, the Senate is to vote on background checks and no guns for suspected terrorists, action prompted by the stunning 15-hour filibuster by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. We urge senators to vote yes on both measures.

Where once reasonable discussions could ensue over gun proliferation and public safety, the NRA has promoted divisiveness by framing every measure as a threat to the Second Amendment. Thats just not true.

The right in the Second Amendment to bear arms will not be revoked. But as with other rights, there must be limits. Even the individuals right to free speech, in the First Amendment, has exceptions. You cant yell fire in a crowded place. But you can have an assault rifle that can kill dozens in that crowded place?

Responsible gun owners are not for gun violence. Reasonable people understand government enacts laws to protect society. It needs to do so now. The unthinkable has become commonplace.

We speak from the anguish and outrage of Sandy Hook. Hear us. Take action  now  to stop the rampant violence and allow America to heal.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Mark Conrad / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Mark Conrad / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





STAMFORD  The Muslim and LGBT communities  the two groups at the heart of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history  have banded together locally as they face similar challenges.

What took place in Florida was not just felt by the LGBT community, because we were the target of what took place, said Conor Pfeifer, operations director at the Triangle Community Center, an LGBT gathering spot in Norwalk that serves Stamford residents.
C hurch-goers have been told murdered MP Jo Cox was a "21st century Good Samaritan" during a memorial service held in the village where she was killed.

The Rev Paul Knight told a congregation at St Peter's Church in Birstall the 41-year-olds humanity was powerful and compelling as he labelled her an amazing example to others.

He said: "Jo was someone who went out of her way to help others.

"I regret to say I didn't know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed.

Memorial: Floral tributes continue to be laid in Birstall, the village where Jo Cox was killed / PA

"And though she must have been angry at times about what she saw here and around the world - those places she visited and worked - she seemed to me, at least, to be one who could fight with a passion and a disarming smile."

Mr Knight was speaking as Mrs Cox's husband Brendan tweeted: "Jo loved camping. Last night the kids & I camped in her memory& remembered the last time we were all woken by the dawn chorus #MoreInCommon"

A life cut tragically short: Jo Cox MP, who died after being attacked in her constituency near Leeds / PA Wire

Mr Knight also remembered the bravery of pensioner Bernard Kenny, 77, who remains in hospital after he was injured coming to Mrs Cox's aid outside Birstall library on Thursday.

After reading the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, the vicar said: "There is much wickedness in our world. But thank God there is so much goodness - goodness that does not recognise colour, not nationality."

The memorial service comes after Mrs Cox's sister called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death

Kim Leadbeater told crowds gathered in Birstall on Saturday that they should "focus on that which unites us and not which divides us" as part of her sister's legacy.

A memorial fund to raise money for charities Mrs Cox supported has reached more than 620,000, with donations from over 20,000 people.

The charities, chosen by Mrs Cox's friends and family, represent her campaigns as an MP to help civilians caught up in the Syrian war, to fight racism and extremism in Britain, and to help residents in her Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire.

A 52-year-old man who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday over the killing gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Thomas Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.
M issiles were hurled at police last night amid rioting sparked by an illegal rave in east London.

Nine officers including one woman were injured and taken to hospital as their colleagues tackled disorder involving up to 2,000 people, Scotland Yard said.

Police were called to the unlicensed event on Thames Road, Barking, shortly before 10pm on Saturday.

Nine people were arrested in connection with the clashes which police described as large scale disorder.

Witnesses posted pictures on social media of officers in riot gear and with police dogs.

Others described being kept awake by the sound of police helicopters overheard monitoring the situation.

Police dogs sweep the scene on Thames Road in Barking / @MPSSpecials

One user tweeted the Twitter account of London's police helicopter team, saying: "@NPASLondon Hovering over me in #barking for a while now. What's happening???"

Another posted: "Police chopper with search lights and we can hear dogs and possibly gunshots in the Barking area any idea whats going on?"

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: At approximately 9:45pm on Saturday, June 18, police were informed of a large number of people gathering for an unlicensed event at a building in Thames Road, Barking.

Officers attended the scene and found approximately 1,000 people inside the venue and around 1,000 outside the venue.

Missiles were thrown at officers.

Five officers received injuries and were treated in hospital. Their injuries are not serious.

The majority of those in attendance have been dispersed and the building is now empty.

He added the nine arrested remained in custody.

Barking and Dagenham borough commander Sean Wilson added: "A number of officers were injured whilst going about their duties and this will not be tolerated. A full investigation has been launched and we will endeavour to bring those responsible to justice.

"We are working very closely with the community who are shocked by these events."
A podcast examining the unsolved murder of a private investigator, found with an axe in his head in a London pub car park, has topped the iTunes chart.

Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, pitched as the British Serial, had been downloaded over 200,000 times by the time its third episode was released this week.

The complex, murky tale begins with 37-year-old Mr Morgans murder outside the Golden Lion in Sydenham in 1987 amid allegations he was preparing to expose corruption at Scotland Yard.

In the three decades since, there have been further allegations of police corruption and claims of links between his agency Southern Investigations and the now defunct News of the World.

But despite five police inquiries costing 50 million, nobody has ever been brought to justice, with the most recent prosecution collapsing in 2011.

For the victims brother Alastair Morgan, the 10-episode podcast, initially launched following a 10,000 crowdfunding campaign and put together by writer Peter Jukes, was the best way to get the story heard when it seemed nobody else was interested.

He told the Standard: Peter came up with the podcast idea.

I think the Serial podcasts had been an eye opener for a lot of people and he thought why dont we try something like that?

The murder is often described as Londons most notorious unsolved case, but the most common reaction from listeners, many of whom have tuned in from outside the UK, has been one of surprise that they didnt already know about it.

Alastair Morgan, 67, said: Its unquestionably as important as the Stephen Lawrence case in my view but we were let down by the last Labour government. They wouldnt do a thing about it.

Wait for justice: The Morgan family with Daniel (centre) and Alastair (rear) / Alastair Morgan

He went on: Were very pleased because obviously theres a lot more people that will be learning about it who would otherwise never have done that.

The thing is I know that most people dont know about it whereas everyone knows about Stephen Lawrence, for good reason.

Because of the press relationship in this case, far fewer people know about Daniel. This has been a way to try to redress the balance of that.

An inquiry set up by Theresa May in 2013 is expected to release its long-awaited report on the case in the Autumn.

The podcast team believe they have uncovered compelling new evidence along the way. But for Daniel's brother, one of the most significant things is there will now be so many more eyes on the inquiry.

He said: Now people do know about this because theyre watching it and are concerned about it and theyre telling people about it. Thats really the message behind the story.

If nobody was watching, nobody was looking, then its kind of like who cares?

The Islington resident said: Its a hell of a story, its a long story but absolutely fascinating.

For me, I have to keep on and on going though it again and thats horrible. But what I saw going on in there, I wont be silenced and I wont let that pass.
A teenager is critically ill in hospital following a major dual-carriageway crash in north-west London.

The 15-year-old was found unconscious in his vehicle after the collision with a white BMW on Hillingdon Road in Uxbridge on Friday night.

Police said officers and paramedics were called to the southbound carriageway junction with Manor Waye just before 11pm.

Members of the public rushed to the aid of the teenager, who was taken to hospital where police said he is now in a critical but stable condition.

Today Scotland Yard issued an appeal for information to help officers piece together the circumstances of the crash.

Detective Constable Charlie Pulling said: "This is a dual carriageway and there were a number of other road users who were in the vicinity at the time of the incident. A number of people also came to the assistance of the victim.

"I am appealing to anyone who may have seen the collision or the events leading up to it, to please come forward and assist us with our enquires."

The driver of the white BMW stopped at the scene and was not arrested, police added.

Contact the Met's Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 020 8991 9555 with any information.
A London estate agent has been hit with a hefty fine after "distressed" residents discovered it was advertising their homes for rent without their knowledge.

The company, Down2Town Ltd, was marketing several flats in a block off Holloway Road, north London, on the property website Zoopla without the permission of the owners or tenants.

These so-called ghost-listings were designed to skew the search rankings on Zoopla so flat-hunters were more likely to come across the building when using the website.

The company hoped to boost its chances of finding a tenant for the one flat in the block that it was legitimately representing.

But it landed in hot water when a resident discovered their home was listed without their consent and complained to Islington council.

Ilshad Ali Sumum, director of Caledonian Road-based Down2Town Ltd, admitted two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

The company and its director were ordered to pay a total of 6,600 in fines and costs at Highbury Corner magistrates court.

Cllr Diarmaid Ward, Islington councils executive member for housing and development, said: "Flats were falsely being advertised for sale, a practice sometimes also known as ghost-listing.

"This not only misled those looking for homes to rent, but also caused understandable distress among the residents who discovered their homes were being marketed without their knowledge or consent."
T raditional "green man" signals on pedestrian crossings around Trafalgar Square are being replaced with new LGBT symbols as part of Londons Pride festival.

Around 50 traffic lights will feature the new designs, which include men and women holding hands to create a heart shape.

The temporary lights, which also include the widely-recognised transgender symbol, were inspired by a similar project in Vienna last year.

They will be installed overnight this evening, Transport for London announced today.

Signs: Some of the new lights show people holding hands to make a heart / Transport for London

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, explained: One of the greatest things about this city is our differences and every Londoner should be proud of who they are.

I am very proud of our LGBT+ community here and I am looking forward to working closely with them as their mayor.

Our thoughts and prayers are of course still with the families and friends of the victims of the hideous recent attack in Orlando.

Why Pride matters to Londoners

These new signals show that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them and display the tolerance and celebration of difference in our city.

Alongside the new lights, busking slots at several central London stations will include festival performers including drag acts and Prides Got Talent winner Jack Feureisen.

Pride: The symbols are temporarily being used around Trafalgar Square / Transport for London

Alison Camps, Director at Pride in London, said: "It's fantastic that London is a city so keen to celebrate Pride that even traffic lights can be used.

This small symbol is a big gesture from the Mayor of London and TFL, and we're delighted to have their support.

For many people acceptance and tolerance is a luxury they don't have, and these lights are another display of how welcoming and accepting London is.

Organisers of this years Pride are expecting a massive turnout, with many people attending to show solidarity with the victims of the Orlando massacre.

The Met Police have also announced they will increase the number of officers at this years event to provide reassurance.
B oris Johnson has called for an amnesty on illegal immigrants as he urged voters to take control of borders by voting to leave the EU.

Speaking today, the former Mayor of London said he was in favour of an amnesty for people who came to the UK illegally but have lived here for more than 12 years.

Mr Johnson was appearing alongside Justice Secretary Michael Gove, work and pensions minister Priti Patel and Labour MP Kate Hoey at a Vote Leave rally in Londons Old Billingsgate Market today.

He said: I'm not only pro-immigration, I'm pro-immigrants.

"And I am in favour of an amnesty of illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

"I'll tell you why. Because it is the humane thing to do, it is the economically rational thing to do.

"And it means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.

"If we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points based system, we'll be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world and we will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants.

"That is the way forward. To neutralise the extremists."

TODO: define component type apester

Mr Johnson was speaking after a shock poll showed the Remain campaign going three points clear.

Conservative colleague Mr Gove said leaving the EU will not just be a "vote of confidence" for Britain but will show solidarity with those in struggling economies such as Greece, Spain and Portugal who, he claimed, have suffered because of the EU.

He said: "The people who lead the European Union have never said sorry, never apologised, never admitted that they've got anything wrong.

"Why? Because they believe that they can ride roughshod over expressions of popular opinion and concern."

He added: "We'll be saying that they're running the countries of Europe into the ground."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
N igel Farage today complained he is a "victim of hate" as politicians from the Vote Leave and Remain camps united to condemn his controversial pro-Brexit EU referendum poster.

Pro-Remain Chancellor George Osborne branded the poster, which shows a queue of migrants walking through the countryside, vile and disgusting, while Michael Gove, one of the leaders of the Vote Leave campaign, said he shuddered when he first saw the image.

Speaking on ITV1's Peston on Sunday, Mr Osborne, said that the poster was the latest in a series of efforts by Mr Farage to "whip up division", and compared it to extremist literature produced in the 1930s.

But when Mr Peston later questioned the Ukip leader during the show on whether he thought he was responsible for stoking up hatred, he responded by saying he believed he was a victim of hate himself.

He said: I think I'm a politician who's been a victim of it to be honest with you.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage launching the EU referendum poster campaign / Philip Toscano/PA Wire

"When you challenge the establishment in this country they come after you, they call you all sorts of things.

"All we have said in this referendum campaign is we want to take back control of our lives, take back control of our borders and put in place a responsible immigration policy."

Farages campaign poster, showing the stream of non-white migrants under the slogan "Breaking Point", has been reported to police for alleged racism, and some on social media compared it to images from the Nazi era.

But Mr Farage has dismissed suggestions that the poster was racist, insisting it was an "accurate, undoctored" picture of the consequences of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's announcement that she was opening the doors to refugees from the Syrian war.

George Osborne branded Nigel Farage's Brexit poster 'vile' and 'disusting'

As Mr Osborne criticised the poster, he accused Mr Farage of making baseless assertions that millions of people are going to come into the country in the next couple of years from Turkey or saying that dead bodies are going to wash up on the beaches of Kent.

Justice Secretary Mr Gove also distanced himself from the poster as he appeared on BBC1s The Andrew Marr show. He said: When I saw that poster I shuddered. I thought it was the wrong thing to do.

I am pro-migration but I believe that the way in which we secure public support for the continued benefits that migration brings and the way in which we secure public support for helping refugees in need is if people feel they can control the numbers overall coming here."

Labour MP and Remain campaigner Yvette Cooper told Peston on Sunday the debate over the poster was "incredibly depressing".

Ms Cooper said: "Nigel Farage is still trying to whip up fear and hatred towards refugees who are fleeing from conflict. I think it was extremely ill-judged of him to describe himself as a 'victim' today."

She said the rest of the Leave campaign should condemn the poster and should withdraw their own posters about the possibility of Turkey joining the EU.

The Remain camp surged ahead in a poll published today in the Mail on Sunday, demonstrating a six point swing ahead of the referendum on Thursday.
D avid Cameron was accused of "scaremongering" on TV after repeating his claim that the terrorists of Islamic State would be pleased to see Britain leave the EU.

Mr Cameron told a special referendum edition of BBC One's Question Time that the major nations of Europe were "safer together" against the threat from Isis.

But he was accused by one audience member of "scaremongering rather than portraying the facts".

The Prime Minister also repeated Chancellor George Osborne's warning that a vote for Brexit would mean the Government having to stage an emergency budget, raising taxes and cutting spending, in response to the expected damage to the economy.

That claim was branded by one audience member a "punishment for voters, which would risk pushing the economy into a depression when it would already be reeling from the shock of Brexit".

Challenged over his previous claim that Isis leaders want Britain to quit the EU, Mr Cameron said: "I think the terrorists that want to do us harm want the West to be divided.

They don't want Britain and France and Belgium and Germany to work together to defeat terrorism. They'd like to see us separate from each other."

But one member of the audience in Milton Keynes asked him: "Do you think by comparing the EU referendum to Isis, you are merely scaremongering rather than portraying the facts?"

And one woman said that both sides in the referendum "should feel a little bit ashamed" of their attempts to scare voters during the campaign.

Mr Cameron responded: "I certainly wasn't comparing the referendum to Isis or Daesh, I was saying that I think one of the strongest arguments for remaining in the EU is that we are stronger together, we are safer together.

"We do face a dangerous and insecure world. I've been your Prime Minister for the last six years and I sit in those meetings, and I see that we work together to try to face down these threats and I think we will be stronger if we work together.

"Working together against terrorism, working together against Putin and his aggression in Europe, it must be better to try and stay together to work together, rather than to be separate."

TODO: define component type apester

Asked about Mr Osborne's warning of an emergency budget within months of a Brexit vote, Mr Cameron said: "I'm absolutely convinced that our economy will suffer if we leave.

He went on: We will have less growth, we will have less jobs, we will have less livelihoods for people in our country.

"You don't gain money by leaving the EU. You make your economy smaller, you have fewer jobs, less tax revenues so therefore you have a big hole in your public finances.

"What the Chancellor was saying was if that happens, you have to either allow borrowing to rise - which could threaten our economy - or you have to put up taxes or you have to put up spending.

Those are, I think, some pretty fundamental truths."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
A former BNP politician has announced he will contest the Batley and Spen election and accused Labour of having blood on its hands after MP Jo Cox was murdered in the constituency.

The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Ukip all announced their intention not to stand in the by-election in the days following the killing of 41-year-old mother-of-two Mrs Cox.

But Jack Buckby, 23, said he would contest the seat for far right political party Liberty GB and that there was "too much at stake" to allow Labour to retake Batley and Spen unchallenged.

The former BNP member, who stood for Liberty GB in the 2014 European elections, said: "

"Too much is at stake to allow Labour to retake Batley and Spen unchallenged.

"The constituency is part of a region that has been turned upside-down by mass immigration, with mosques sprouting like triffids, Islamic extremism proliferating, child-rape gangs still on the loose, and long-standing English communities under threat of demographic eradication.

"The Labour Party has blood on its hands."

Mr Buckby's announcement was criticised as "inflammatory" by the Green party group leader on Kirklees council.

Councillor Andrew Cooper said: "If we have learnt anything in the last few weeks and certainly in the last few days, it is that people need to be more respectful to people who have different and contrasting views."

Mrs Cox held the Batley and Spen seat for just over a year after she was elected last year with a comfortable majority of 6,057 votes.

The constituency has been held by Labour since 1997, but was previously a Conservative seat since its creation in 1983.

Mrs Cox died on after being shot and stabbed as she was due to hold a constituency surgery at a local library in Birstall on Thursday.

Her sister yesterday called for people to show "strength and solidarity" in the wake of her death.

A 52-year-old man who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Saturday over the killing gave his name as "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Thomas Mair, from Birstall, is charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of a knife.
N icky Morgan has told of how she is considering installing a panic button in her office following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

The Education Secretary told the Sunday Times her colleagues regularly received abuse and she thought security measures would become more common.

The Conservative MP for Loughborough said she had received a terrorist death threat last year and a further warning that she would be physically attacked, the newspaper reported.

Mrs Morgan, who is also minister for women and equalities, also called for the tone of the EU referendum campaign to change.

She said the abuse of MPs happened "all the time", and added: "Panic buttons are going to become a lot more common. I'm thinking of having one fitted in my office."

Mrs Morgan, who is campaigning to remain in the EU, said: "During the last few weeks of the debate the tone hasn't been right. If we can learn anything from this we can go back to some fundamental good values.

"That has to be the right thing to do."

Her colleague Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, was forced to end his open door policy at his surgery for constituents after he was threatened with a knife at his office.
T housands of riders saddled up today at the crack of dawn to take part in Europe's oldest charity cycle race from London to Brighton.

Participants set off from Clapham Common on a 54-mile ride to the south coast to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Some 14,000 cyclists were set to take part in the race which organisers hope will raise more than 2 million in the fight to against heart disease.

On Twitter, charitable riders as well as family and friends shared experiences and pictures of the event.

The popular ride, in its 41st year, is Europe's longest running charity cycle race.

Registration for next year's event opens on June 20. Find out more here.
Owner and breeder Tom Hill discussed 2016 Pepsi North America Cup starter Racing Hill with Trot Insider at the post draw on Tuesday, June 14. The $1 million final will be contested on Saturday, June 18 at Mohawk Racetrack.

The Roll With Joe-Chasing Ideals colt regrouped from a brief break in stride in the stretch and finished third in the fastest of two eliminations behind runner-up Lyons Snyder and 1:49.1 winner Betting Line. Racing Hill drew post six and will be driven by Brett Miller, with trainer Tony Alagna making a shoeing change from steel to aluminum for the final, a race that's definitely high on the Hamilton, Ont.-based owner's personal bucket list.

"It's one of the races I would really like to win...probably the race I would like to win. I came second with Art Colony in 2009. He finished second off the seven-hole. So we drew the six-hole, which is one better, so I'm hoping we [finish] one better this time."

To view the entries for Saturday's card at Mohawk or a free program for Mohawks Saturday card, courtesy of TrackIT, click on one of the following links: Saturday Entries -- Saturday Program Pages.

The Pepsi North America Cup is the centerpiece of Mohawks fantastic Saturday card of racing that will also feature the $438,000 final of the Fan Hanover Stakes (which will showcase three-year-old pacing fillies), the $370,000 final of the Roses Are Red (pacing mares), the $267,000 final of the Armbro Flight (trotting mares), the $268,000 final of the Goodtimes Stakes (three-year-old trotting colts), and the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup (invitational pacers).

TSN2 will televise the Cup final live on Saturday. First-race post time for Mohawks Saturday card of racing is 6:30 p.m. The NA Cup has been slotted as Race 12 on the 15-dash card and has an approximate post time of 10:40 p.m.

Mohawk will offer three Pick-4 wagers Saturday, including an All Stakes Pick-4 with a $100,000 guaranteed pool, comprising Races 9 through 12 and featuring the Roses Are Red, Mohawk Gold Cup, Fan Hanover and Pepsi North America Cup.
It wont be long until its all gone.

The old Armour packing plant  the last vestige of the sprawling National City Stock Yards near East St. Louis  is in the process of being bombed and bulldozed into history.

Now annexed into Fairmont City, the plant on what used to be Exchange Avenue in its heydey (now Fairmont City Boulevard) has been closed since 1959. But its two tall chimneys continued to reach skyward as surrounding structures fell to the ground.

The chimney building was imploded in April, and workers at a nearby railcar service company said they were told one more implosion is set to go off before the entire plant disappears.

The workers said they had not heard of any specific plans for the site, even though other small businesses have carved out pieces of the old meat-processing property. Fairmont City and stockyard officials could not be reached for comment.

For former East St. Louisan Bill Nunes, this demolition strikes another sad chord for his beloved city.

The railroads and the stockyards are what made East St. Louis, Nunes said.

All the big meat-packing names were there: Mayrose, Armour, Swift, Hunter and Krey. They had their agents there, trying to buy what the ranchers brought in, Nunes said.

Nunes, who now lives in Glen Carbon, has written seven books about the East St. Louis area. He also taught history for 30 years at Collinsville and Edwardsville high schools.

Technically, the stockyard was in National City, he said. But most everyone identified it with East St. Louis.

Nunes said that in the early 1870s, business leaders pitched in and established the stockyard on a 650-acre tract of land called Gallaghers Pasture, just north of East St. Louis. It opened in 1873, a year before the Eads Bridge.

In 1907, the owners incorporated the area into a town, National City, which owned all the structures and operated its own fire and police departments.

It even owned its own railroad, the East St. Louis Junction Railroad. Its believed to be the shortest line ever in the U.S., just a bit over a mile long, Nunes said.

At its peak between the nations world wars, the stockyard was the largest market in the U.S. for horses, mules and hogs and usually second or third for cattle.

Nunes enjoyed telling the stockyards colorful history, such as how Buffalo Bill Cody would visit when his Wild West show came through town.

Or how President Theodore Roosevelt once spent the night at the nearby National Hotel, which also was home to the popular Scovilles Cafe (Open Day and Nite).

Even John F. Kennedy visited, speaking at the stockyards while campaigning for president in 1960.

And I remember interviewing some old-timers for a book, Nunes said. They remembered in 1916 or 17, when they saw actual cowboys on horses driving cattle down Collinsville Avenue in East St. Louis to get them to the stockyards.

The stockyards prosperity in its prime is illustrated by the National City Stockyard Bank, which was the depository for the large amounts of cash inherent in the cash on the barrel head livestock industry, Nunes said.

During the Great Depression, not a single bank in East St. Louis defaulted, Nunes said. The reason is that Stockyard Bank was always so flush with cash that they made loans to other banks to keep them afloat.

Nunes said one urban legend about the bank concerned a human legend, 1930s gangster John Dillinger.

The story is that Dillinger actually cased the bank, but passed on robbing it because there was not a single road out of National City that did not run the risk of being blocked by a train, Nunes said.

Although business continually dwindled in the 1970s and 1980s, cattle and hog auctions didnt end until the town did in 1997.

And since the towns property was all owned by the stockyard, the owners found a unique way to make the town vanish.

They evicted everyone, Nunes said. That was that.
UPDATED at 11:15 a.m. Sunday

Workers have reopened Interstate 44 in St. Louis after weekend work to take down part of the Grand Boulevard overpass.

All lanes of the highway between South Jefferson and South Vandeventer avenues were closed Friday night, and the Missouri Department of Transportation asked people heading downtown to use other routes or ride MetroLink.

The closure allowed workers to remove the southbound Grand Boulevard bridge over the interstate.

MoDOT had said to expect the lanes to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, but said workers were able to reopen the interstate Sunday morning.

Grand is open but with two narrowed lanes in each direction. Drivers can no longer make left turns from Grand onto the interstate (from northbound Grand to westbound I-44, or from southbound Grand to eastbound I-44). Right turns (from northbound Grand to eastbound I-44 and from southbound Grand to westbound I-44) are still open.

For more work zone information and real-time roadway weather conditions, visit traveler.modot.org/map. For real-time traffic, visit gatewayguide.com.
Can we be assured that the plant will not pollute our land or water supply so that we are not discovering something decades later like so many areas in Missouri?
As mayor of University City, my greatest responsibility is to work with our community leaders to ensure the health and safety of our residents and all those who visit this unique and special place.

Gun violence is a threat to that health and safety, in University City and around the country. Gun violence, on average, takes more than 90 American lives every single day and injures hundreds more. As a proud member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns  a coalition of mayors in Missouri and around the country who are dedicated to working to make our cities safer  I know there is not one solution that will stop all gun violence, but I know there are common-sense measures that we can take to prevent future tragedies.

That is why I am heartbroken, shocked and furious about yet another mass shooting in America. As we learn more, mourn as a nation and send our thoughts and support to Orlando, we also must ask ourselves, why does this keep happening? Could this happen here in Missouri? The unfortunate answer is gun violence can and does happen everywhere. The shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando is another tragic example of how easy it is in this country for someone with ill intent to get guns and carry them wherever they want. Now, it is on all of us to do better, especially here at home in Missouri.

In the wake of Orlando, I am disappointed to see that Gov. Jay Nixon has yet to veto a dangerous bill that passed our Legislature this session, SB 656. This bill would gut Missouris concealed carry permit requirement and let some violent criminals, certain repeat drug offenders and people with no firearms safety training carry hidden, loaded handguns in public  on the streets of University City. Thats not the only section of this bill that raises concern; perhaps even more alarming, SB 656 would make Missouri the first new stand your ground state since the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012.

The bill sits on Gov. Nixons desk awaiting his decision. As an elected official myself and a person concerned about the safety of my residents and all Missourians, as I know Gov. Nixon is, I cannot understand what is taking so long for him to veto this bill. The dangerous consequences of a bill like SB 656 on our public safety cannot be understated.

The National Rifle Association calls the bill Pro-gun omnibus self-defense legislation, and the legislators who support it use similar rhetoric. The bill sponsor, Rep. Eric Burlison, claims, If you want more law-abiding victims to be victims in a barrel, vote no. Yet, despite the claims of the out-of-state gun lobby and the gun lobby-backed bill sponsor, according to an April 2015 survey, 76 percent of Missourians oppose letting people carry concealed handguns in public without a permit.

SB 656 would also upend Missouri self-defense law and allow people to shoot to kill in public places, even when they can clearly and safely walk away from the danger. By removing this duty to retreat, risks to public safety are elevated. Research shows stand your ground laws have a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color. Research also indicates that states with stand your ground laws have, on average, experienced a 53 percent increase in homicides deemed justifiable in the years following passage of the law, compared with a 5 percent decrease in states without stand your ground statutes during the same time period.

Again, this increase is felt disproportionately in communities of color  when white shooters kill black victims, the resulting homicides are 11 times more likely to be deemed justifiable than when the shooter is black and the victim is white.

Beyond the statistics, even more important is the human element of this bill. The state of Missouri has been rattled by racial tension and negative national attention since the tragic shooting of Michael Brown in August 2014. This bill removes permitting requirements for individuals carrying hidden, loaded handguns in public while simultaneously giving those same individuals more authority to shoot than the United States military gives soldiers in war zones.

In a state like Missouri  which already learned hard lessons from rolling back gun safety laws  now is not the time to be eliminating common sense altogether. During his years of service to the state of Missouri, as attorney general and now governor, Nixon has come to know the people of this state well. I know he understands the majority of the people of Missouri do not support the provisions of this bill.

Gov. Nixon has the opportunity to leave office showing strength, conviction and true leadership by vetoing SB 656 without further delay.

Shelley Welsch is mayor of University City.
When you rent a car this summer, dont look for one price. Look for three.

Theres the low rate youre quoted when youre shopping for wheels, the final and more expensive rate after all required taxes and fees have been added  and the real price.

Yes, its that complicated. Consider what happened when Brian Scios rented a car from Hertz in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently. He thought his final rate would be $150, but after his plane arrived late, the car rental company upped it to $550.

I argued with a representative for a few minutes, showing him my confirmation printout, but he said thats what he had on screen, says Scios, who works for a nonprofit organization in New York. It was late, we wanted to start driving, so I just paid it and figured Id fight it later.

This sleight of hand, which is all too common in the travel business, is now a full-fledged epidemic in the car-rental industry. The rental price for a Chevrolet Spark or similar from Hertz at the Fort Lauderdale airport is $106 per day, but after all required taxes and fees are added, it jumps to $140. And at the counter, you might pay even more, as Scios did.

A 2015 survey by the Australian consumer research firm Canstar Blue found nearly three out of every five consumers are confronted with extra charges when they return a rental vehicle. A quarter of those surveyed disputed the final cost, according to the research. (Many of the car-rental companies operating in Australia answer to American owners and operate under rules similar to those in the United States.)

Whats going on? The car-rental business is taking a page from the airline industry, trying to upsell customers, broadside them with junk fees such as frivolous charges for damage to the vehicle or find a way  any way  to charge more. And make no mistake: Car-rental companies have you in their crosshairs this summer.

But you dont have to overpay for your wheels. Carefully reviewing the fine print and knowing the traps and meticulous documentation of the transaction can ensure that you pay exactly what you expected.

Hertz spokeswoman Lauren Luster says the companys records showed two reservations under Scios name, which caused the initial confusion, noting, Mr. Scios wasnt charged as a result of a fee. After he contacted the company, Hertz adjusted his rate by applying the original prepaid rate to the reservation, which generated a refund of the price difference. Scios says he made only one reservation.

We have extended our apologies to Mr. Scios for the inconvenience he experienced following his rental with us, Luster says.

Wait-until-the-end fees can actually be divided into two distinct categories: the ones presented to you when you pick up the car  commonly called the upsell  and those tacked on at the end of your rental. Although theres no formal name for these unwelcome charges, theyre often referred to as the broadside or gotcha among consumer advocates.

To avoid these types of charges, customers need to be familiar with the most common car-rental rip-offs and know which of the add-ons offered by rental-car companies are truly necessary and which are not worth paying extra for, says Jordan Perch, an editor for the automotive services site DMV.com.

Its difficult to offer advice on options such as a navigation system or car seat; those are personal decisions. Its easier to generalize about car-rental protection. Its almost always overpriced, and you can obtain similar coverage through your auto insurance, credit card or a company such as Insuremyrentalcar.com. But on the issue of fees tacked on at the end of a rental, theres little disagreement. They are both unwelcome and often unjustified.

Nenad Cuk, a frequent car renter who works for a marketing agency in Salt Lake City, says attention to detail is important. That extends beyond the fuel gauge. Many car-rental customers take pictures of their vehicle just in case the car-rental company decides to send a bill for damage to the car. The images prove the car was returned in acceptable shape.

Always make sure that you listen to anything that might be mentioned that youll have to pay for upon returning the car, Cuk adds. Employees may mention it as an oh-by-the-way, but when it shows up on your credit card, you may feel differently.

Nothing is ever final, though. Sorab Bhardwaj of Jersey City, N.J., returned a Hertz rental and for weeks afterward thought everything had been settled. Not exactly. He discovered a charge on his credit card from a company called PlatePass, which claimed he hadnt paid for a toll on the New Jersey Turnpike. I wasnt there, he says. After some haggling, Hertz offered him a voucher for a future rental if he agreed to pay the $11.90 charge from PlatePass. (Bhardwaj had his revenge by founding a car-rental coupon site called Zalyn.com that has arguably made up for the fee and then some.)

When should you worry about these extras? Probably when a car-rental employee tells you not to worry. For example, when a representative tells you a quarter-size dent is just wear and tear and that you shouldnt be concerned about getting bill for the damage. Or when an employee invites you to hop on the shuttle to the airport terminal, even when you still have a question about your rental, as Brian Gutherman, an engineering consultant from Shamong, N.J., recently did. Sure enough, he found a fuel service charge on his bill shortly afterward.

He disputed the charge, sending the company a gas station receipt, and the fee was rescinded.

You dont have to be a travel expert to see whats happening behind the scenes. Customers crave low car-rental prices, and car-rental companies need to make more money. The only way to do it is by quoting a low rate and then increasing the price, first by adding taxes and mandatory fees, then offering optional insurance and other extras and finally hitting you with after-the-fact fees and junk surcharges.

Its difficult to know whom to blame: the customers who want low rental rates or the companies who use less-than-honest means to provide them. But something tells me this will end with either litigation or legislation.
Actress Kate Fleetwood has hit out at the closure of Stratford Music Centre saying more should be done to help the place that inspired her to pursue the arts.

Kate and her sister Marian Fleetwood, a professional musician, attended the centre in their teens and later returned to teach youngsters.

Last week the Herald reported that the music centre, which has been running for 43 years, would close later this year.

The closure has been triggered by the music centre failing to come to an agreement with the college over the continued use of its premises.

This week Kate Fleetwood spoke to the Herald about her experiences at the music centre as she departed for a film shoot in Africa.

Kate said: The music centre has played a really, really important part in my life, I wouldnt be sitting here in a car heading out to film in Casablanca, if I hadnt gone to a place like this.

Im appalled to hear that it is not going to continue. Stratfords biggest attraction is its theatre scene, if the college cant help the music centre, somebody else should step in. I really feel very sad about what is happening, this place was so important for me, it helped me develop my craft and my independence.

Every year they would do a play, and this really helped further my passion for performing. Every week you would get to go to a place outside school and work with adults and children from different backgrounds and different schools. It gave you a sense of real independence

I began teaching some of the younger students there when I was in my late teens and the atmosphere was always very warm and friendly.

The thing I remember about the shows was that they were very ambitious and very professional, we did Howard Goodalls Dido & Aeneas at the Swan Theatre, which was amazing. Sometimes we had a 10 piece orchestra accompanying us.

This cross pollination between young people developing in the arts, was just fantastic, a great collaborative process. Some of my very first performances were with the Music Centre.

I feel bereft and particularly outraged that this place is closing, in Stratford of all places.

Kates sister Marian, a world renowned musician in her own right, added: The music centre acted as a fantastic springboard to performing at county and then national level, I know Kates stage debut was in a music centre production. It was great because you got to mix with a whole group of people outside your school friendship groups, I stayed with my teacher there right up to my grade 8 and Im still friends with her now, it helped build these life-long musical relationships.

It taught us about the whole process of performing and the hard work needed to succeed. In a time when the arts are being squeezed in schools it is essential that there are places like the music centre, too many young people dont have access to the arts. The music centre played a key part in mine and Kates careers.

I was very sad when I heard about the closure and very shocked. Its hard to believe that somewhere that is such a creative hub like Stratford can see this place close. We are in Stratford, if young people cant have access to something like the music centre here, where can they? Im gobsmacked.

If it wasnt for the music centre I certainly wouldnt be doing what I do now, Ive performed in front of 25,000 people, Ive played on more than 100 albums and Im going to the states next year, I wouldnt have done any of that. The music centre showed us that it was viable to make a living within the arts, they treat you like professionals from day one.
Rachel Martin died in an accident in Western Road, Stratford in 2016.

The funeral of a Stratford mother who died in a tragic road traffic collision on Western Road last month is to take place on Thursday, 23 June.

Rachael Martin, 29, was struck by a car transporter on 20 May, sacrificing herself to save her five-year-old daughter Keiras life.

Rachael was walking Keira and her other daughter Leah, 7, to school when the accident happened, and staff from nearby car dealerships were first on the scene assisting in an way they could.

Despite the efforts of the emergency services, Rachael was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Keira was left with serious injuries to her pelvis and lower spine in the incident and was treated at St Georges Hospital in London before being transferred to Birmingham Childrens Hospital.

Paying tribute to Rachael after the accident, her father Bill described her as a great mother, daughter and sister, who was always smiling and happy.

Rachaels mum Susan said: Keiras had all of her operations for the time being and shes doing well, it was her birthday yesterday and I think she had a good time. Shes recovering but its going to be a long journey and shell need more operations in the future.

Shes at Birmingham Childrens Hospital at the moment and theyve been fantastic, theyre doing a great job. Weve been staying at the Ronald MacDonald House at the hospital with Leah so we can be nearby.

Leah is back at school and shes coping well with what happened.

Rachaels funeral next Thursday will take place in the North Chapel at Oakley Wood Crematorium at 10.45am and is an open funeral.

People are invited to bring donations for the Air Ambulance and Ronald MacDonald House.
Review: V-Nova Perseus: Does its Compression Live Up to the Hype?

V-Nova launched its compression technology, Perseus, on April Fools Day 2015, claiming 2x3x average compression gains, at all quality levels, under practical real-time operating scenarios versus H.264, HEVC and JPEG2000. The timing and the claims certainly raised some eyebrows among the compression cognoscenti, placing a big fat target on V-Novas back.

Roughly 12 months later, V-Nova has delivered on some of these claims. But more importantly, it has staked out a unique value proposition (UVP) validated with trophy client Sky Italia. That UVP enables IPTV distributors to deliver Perseus-encoded video at significantly reduced bandwidths compared with H.264 without replacing their encoding facilities or set-top boxes.

As announced in April of this year, software updates enabled Sky Italias Harmonic ViBE VS7000 video encoders to output Perseus-encoded video and its set-top boxes to decode that video. Deploying Perseus allowed Sky Italia to reduce its average HD bitrate from 8Mbps to 4Mbps, cutting bandwidth costs and allowing Sky to extend the reach of its service by distributing HD video to customers on slower connections.

At the other end of the quality spectrum, Indian movie distributor FastFilmz announced that it is using Perseus to deliver ultra-low-bandwidth video to Android-based mobile devices in India. This agreement highlights Perseus low-bitrate quality and the ability to decode on low-end Android devices typical of the Indian market.

Beyond these distribution-oriented deals are V-Novas contribution products, which have been deployed by multiple vendors for several years. Clearly, Perseus is more than a bad April Fools joke, and its time to take a closer look. In this article, Ill describe how the technology works, discuss implementation details such as encoding/decoding and file formats, and detail the results of my quality and decoding complexity tests. But there are two caveats.

First, full disclosure: With the approval of my editor, V-Nova flew me to Milan to meet with Sky in Italy, and then to V-Novas offices in London to meet with the companys staff and take a closer look at the technology, paying all expenses.

Second, and more important, I wasnt able to encode with Perseus technology or decode on as many platforms as I would have liked to. V-Novas internal decoder is a complicated command-line implementation that the company was reluctant to share, and there were no commercial video-on-demand (VOD) encoders available for testing while I was writing this piece (though some should be available by the time you read this). Instead, for the tests herein, V-Nova encoded three standard test files to several 1920p configurations, and I matched those encodes with H.264 and HEVC equivalents in my office. I was able to decode on a single Android tablet and on a Linux-based NUC computer that I carried back from London, but not on a Windows or Mac computer. So lets agree that this is a preliminary look, and Ill be careful to detail as many assumptions and test details as possible so you can draw your own conclusions from the data.

About Perseus

At a high level, most video codecs encode frames by dividing the frame into blocks and squeezing data from these blocks as necessary to meet the target data rate. This causes the blocky artifacts weve all seen on streaming video and fringe cable and satellite channels. Perseus processes each frame at multiple resolutions, encoding the lower levels first and then adding detail as necessary for the higher resolutions. As well see, this schema avoids the blockiness inherent to H.264, MPEG-2, and HEVC. Perseus tends to blur at aggressive encoding configurations.

There are two flavors of Perseus: pure and hybrid. Pure Perseus uses only the Perseus algorithm throughout, and it is used in V-Novas contribution encoders, which Im not going to discuss. Hybrid Perseus, which is for distribution, combines Perseus with other compression technologies, such as H.264. For example, hybrid Perseus can use a 960x540 H.264-encoded stream as one of the lower levels and then build additional levels of detail to full 1920x1080 resolution using only the Perseus codec. This technique has several key benefits.

First, because of how the data is packed in the file (more later), a player such as QuickTime can play the lower resolution H.264 file. Figure 1 shows QuickTime Player playing a 960x540 H.264 file, which is actually a lower-resolution layer in a 1080p-encoded Perseus file. This allows operators to distribute a single file with two decode resolutions depending upon the installed player.

Figure 1. QuickTime Player is playing the 960x540 file that serves as a lower level in a 1080p-encoded Perseus file.

The second benefit is that if H.264 playback is GPU-accelerated on the playback platform, Perseus can access that hardware acceleration for the H.264 layer. On the Android tablet that I tested, this allowed Perseus-encoded files to decode at less than 50 percent of the CPU levels required for HEVC. In essence, this particular capability is what makes Perseus decode possible on the inexpensive Android devices targeted by fastfilmz, as well as inexpensive H.264-based set-top boxes. It is a feature that HEVC simply cant match.

Note that the H.264 layer accounts for between 70 percent and 80 percent of the total file bitrate of a hybrid Perseus-encoded file. Accordingly, if a higher-quality codec such as HEVC was used for the base layer, the quality and/or efficiency of the Perseus file would improve as well. While V-Nova has proven this concept internally, there are currently no commercial encoders capable of outputting hybrid Perseus videos with HEVC as the base layer. According to the company, this is because V-Novas primary focus has been on the H.264 retrofit market, not competition with HEVC. Once HEVC deployments become more commonplace, the company will work with compatible encoder vendors to produce hybrid HEVC/Perseus files.

This hybrid technology, shown in Figure 2, explains why its so simple to add Perseus encoding to an existing encoder. Basically, its a plug-in that sits on top of the encoder, receiving the lower resolution H.264-encoded video and adding the Perseus layers. V-Nova has integrations with Thomson, NTT DATA, and Imagine Communications, as well as several other encoder vendors. On the decode side, its the same schema: The native player decodes the H.264 video and hands it off to the Perseus plug-in to process the additional layers. In addition to VisualOn, whose Android player I tested, V-Nova has worked with Wyplay, which performed the set-top box integration for Sky in Italy. V-Nova offers encoder and decoder software development kits to enable this third-party development.

Figure 2. The Perseus OTT implementation requires little capex.

Completing the picture, the Perseus-enabled encoder creates a standard MPEG-4 elementary stream with the Perseus enhancement layer packed into the stream as supplementary enhancement information (SEI), or it creates an MPEG-2 transport stream with the Perseus layer included as a separate component. In either case, if the player knows what to do with the data, it decodes it; otherwise, it ignores it.

By working with standards-based formats and encoder and decoder plug-ins, Perseus is relatively simple to implement. I spoke with Dominic Charles, joint-CEO and co-founder of fastfilmz, when I was in London. To take care of encoding and decoding, he made two phone callsone to NTT DATA for encoding, the other to VisualOn for the Android decoder. This freed him to focus on mission-critical tasks such as sourcing his content and planning marketing and distribution.

Evaluating the Perseus Codec

Of course, just because a codec is easy to implement doesnt mean you should use it. Lets turn to the qualitative and performance evaluations, starting with quality.

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LONDON, June 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Technology could boost global economic output by $2 trillion by 2020

Robots will outnumber human beings, there will be more driverless cars than traditional vehicles and drones will be used to deliver pizzas to our door. These are just some of the technologies that could transform our lives within the next 20 years according to research released to mark the start of London Technology Week 2016 [1].

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130723/629764-a )

The findings highlight healthcare as a key industry set for change with Britons predicting that they will no longer visit the doctor when they get ill but will instead consult their GP from home using virtual reality technology. A large number of people also believe that 3D printers will be used to produce human organs, potentially removing the need for human donation, while just under half of those surveyed think the world's first cloned human will have been born by 2036[1].

The survey, which was commissioned by London & Partners, the Mayor of London's promotional company, is inspired by a series of predictions put forward by Imperial College London's Tech Foresight research team and reveals the technologies consumers think will disrupt traditional industries and drive forward the growth of London's tech sector.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "London Technology Week shines a light on this hugely important sector of the economy and demonstrates how our city is open to trade, ideas and people from across the globe. Tech-savvy Londoners welcome new digital advances that are going to revolutionise the way that we live and it is crucial that we harness those ideas to help the capital work even better as a city. As someone who has helped to run a successful business, I look forward to supporting the tech sector so it goes from strength to strength over the coming years."

The study, which asked over 2000 people a series of questions about how they believed their lives would be transformed by technology also identified fashion as another industry ripe for change, with over half of Britons predicting that we will regularly wear clothing connected to the internet within the next twenty years[1].

Other findings from the SMG Insight/YouGov survey include:

37% of Brits think commercial space flights could take off from major airports

23% of Brits think the first artificial intelligence ('AI') machine could serve on the board of big companies

19% of Brits think avatar girlfriends and boyfriends could be commonplace

37% of Brits think communications devices will be embedded inside the human body

Professor David Gann, Vice President Innovation at Imperial College London said: "London's technologists, scientists, medics and entrepreneurs are creating the future. No city in the world enjoys London's quotient of talent, technology culture and capital. It is a potent combination.

"London is an environment where ideas flourish, design and innovation is embraced and new technologies are transforming our lives for the better. In London, we don't stand still. Through our Tech Foresight team, Imperial Business Partners is taking some of the world's finest minds from business and academia to predict how whole industries will transform within two decades. By considering breakthrough discoveries taking place in labs today, they help businesses look ahead to tech-driven trends and markets that will shape our future."

London Technology Week is a celebration of the entrepreneurs, innovators and companies making the city's thriving tech hub one of the best in the world. A recent report from EY ranked London as second only to Silicon Valley as the most likely place to produce the world's next tech giant.

London's tech community is also recognised as the most diverse in the UK, with early findings from research to be released in full later this week by technology recruitment firm Mortimer Spinks and ComputerWeekly.com revealing that London is the best location in the UK for women to build their businesses. However, further analysis of the findings suggest there is still a lot of work to be done, with more than half reporting less than 15 percent of their tech teams are female [2]

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has stated that he wants the tech sector to be open to all Londoners and aims to reverse the under-representation of women by encouraging more females to work in the industry.

Eileen Burbidge MBE, Partner at Passion Capital and Chair of Tech City UK said: "As a truly international city, London is one of the world's largest, most inclusive and diverse technology hubs with a range of opportunities for talent of all backgrounds. The breadth, depth and creativity of our expansive talent pool has helped London to become a world leader in areas such as fintech, e-commerce and cyber security, just to name a few. We are already seeing technology disrupting traditional industries, but in years to come we will no longer be talking about the digital tech sector in isolation. Technology and digital will be integrated into every part of the economy."

This year's London Technology Week will focus on London as a centre for the convergence of disruptive technologies and their impact on traditional industries such as fashion, music, financial services and healthcare.

Gordon Innes CEO of London & Partners said: "London is a world-class destination for culture, science, business and technology. When you combine this with our strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, London has the perfect conditions for the convergence of disruptive technologies with traditional industries. From fashion to financial services, London's technology businesses are at the forefront of developing the cutting edge technologies which are creating growth for the city's economy and have cemented London's status as one of the world's leading technology hubs."

Kevin Pearce, London Technology Week Event Director, UBM EMEA London added:

With over 300 events taking place across the capital, London Technology Week 2016 is as much a celebration of London's leading role in the 'here-and-now' of our digitally driven economy, as is it about looking to the future. It is about recognising the next wave of technologies that will redefine our world. About creating a growth environment for innovators, researchers and developers. And about connecting the entire tech ecosystem to drive the UK's development as a fully connected digital society. With events covering everything from autonomous vehicles and smart homes, to advanced robotics and AI, London Technology Week offers a unique environment of live events, face to face networking, discovery and learning.

The launch event will also include a first of its kind fashion technology showcase and a selection of innovations from Imperial College London students.

McLaren will also showcase their Formula 1 car and talk about the convergence at the heart of their rapidly growing McLaren Applied Technologies arm that takes insights from racing to create high performance in other sectors.

Ian Rhodes, chief executive of McLaren Applied Technologies said: "McLaren is foremost about innovation. Using insights, ideas and capabilities hot housed in the competitive world of motor racing, we create step-changes in performance across other sectors. We take, for example, the approach used by our F1 strategists to make the best call during a race and work with KPMG to apply it to predicting the financial health of companies. That kind of innovation is crucial to the reputation of London as one of the world's financial centres. Being plugged into the talent pool that London has to offer is vitally important to us as we're now competing with the likes of Silicon Valley for the best and brightest tech talent rather than just the traditional engineering roles people would normally associate with McLaren."

Separate research from Accenture Strategy recently revealed the impact of digital on the global economy. The Digital Disruption: The Growth Multiplier report estimates that the digital economy currently represents 22.5 per cent of the world economy. By optimising the use of digital skills and technologies, global economic output could be boosted by $2 trillion by 2020. For the United Kingdom specifically, that could mean an additional 58 billion in economic output by 2020.

The report also highlighted the impact of digital across a range of industries. In the United Kingdom, the industries that currently have the largest percentage of digital output include Business Services (ranking at 56 percent), followed by Financial Services (54 percent), and Communications (49 percent)[3].

"Digital is unchartered territory, steeped in unknowns, which can feel uncomfortable for risk-averse leaders who have always done things in a particular way. But those ways are no longer delivering. Just like digital disruptors are paving new paths and making up the rules as they go, large incumbents have the opportunity to do so too," said Bruno Berthon, managing director, digital strategy global lead, Accenture Strategy. "Traditional industry incumbents can pivot to digital by adopting a start-up mentality, embracing a platform-based business model, developing a partner ecosystem, focusing on delivering new value to customers and getting comfortable with trial and error."

London Technology Week 2016 will see a record number of events take place across the capital from 20-26th June. Hundreds of international companies and tens of thousands of visitors will come to London to take part in more than 300 events organised as part of London Technology Week.

About London Technology Week

London Technology Week is a festival of events, taking place across the city and representing the entire technology ecosystem.

No other festival of live events brings together as many domestic and international tech specialists and enthusiasts to London for such a variety of networking, social, learning and business opportunities.

London Technology Week is organised by UBM EMEA, in association with founding partners London & Partners, ExCeL London and Tech London Advocates, with support from strategic partners Tech City UK, UKTI and techUK.

Since its launch in 2014 London Technology Week has included more than 400 events and has welcomed delegations from around the world.

For more information about London Technology Week, visit:

http://londontechnologyweek.co.uk/

For more information on how to host an event at London Technology Week 2016, visit: http://londontechnologyweek.co.uk/how-to-host-an-event/

About London & Partners

London & Partners is the official promotional company for London. We promote London and attract businesses, events, congresses, students and visitors to the capital. Our aims are to build London's international reputation and to attract investment and visitor spend, which create jobs and growth.

London & Partners is a not-for-profit public private partnership, funded by the Mayor of London and our network of commercial partners.

For more information visit http://www.londonandpartners.com

About SMG Insight/YouGov Research

London & Partners commissioned SMG Insight/YouGov to survey a sample of 2,077 British adults on their attitudes to a series of technology predictions to happen by 2036. The statements were inspired by a series of predictions put forward by Imperial College London's Tech Foresight research team. For each statement, respondents were asked: how likely or unlikely you think they are to happen. The research took place in June 2016.

About Imperial Tech Foresight Research

Imperial Tech Foresight brings together world-leading academics and business leaders to offer challenging, provocative and personal visions of the future. On 24 June, Tech Foresight's annual showcase event will look forward 20 years to explore the future of materials and design.

Notes to editors

-Photographs and video can be downloaded HERE

-All reports - including infographics - credited in this press release (and detailed below) can be downloaded HERE

[1] London & Partners commissioned SMG Insight /YouGov to survey 2,077 British adults. The research took place in June 2016

[2] Early findings from research conducted by Mortimer Spinks and ComputerWeekly.com. Online survey of 3706 UK respondents (1189 from Greater London). The research will be released in full on 23rd June.

[3] Accenture Strategy Digital disruption: The growth multiplier report 2016: https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/insight-digital-disruption-growth-multiplier

SOURCE London Technology Week
By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - A suspected Islamist militant was killed on Saturday in a shootout in Bangladesh, police said, days after he critically wounded a Hindu college teacher in the latest attack on minority groups.

Ghulam Faijullaha Fahim, 19, who was in police custody, was shot when officers took him with them to help capture his associates, said Sarwar Hossain, police chief of Madaripur, 70 km (44 miles) south of the capital, Dhaka.

"He was caught in crossfire that erupted after miscreants started shooting at the police," he said, adding that Fahim was dead on arrival at a hospital.

Mathematics teacher Ripon Chakraborty was attacked on Wednesday by Fahim and two other knife-wielding assailants when he answered the doorbell at his home in Madaripur.

Fahim was caught by people who rushed to the rescue of the screaming teacher and his family, and was handed over to the police. He told them the attack had been planned by members of the banned militant group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Militants have killed more than 30 people since early last year, ranging from atheist bloggers and liberal academics to gay rights campaigners, foreign aid workers, members of minority Muslim sects and other religious groups.

The Islamic State or al Qaeda groups have claimed responsibility for most of the killings, but the government denies that either has a presence in Bangladesh, a majority Muslim country of 160 million.

Police blame home-grown militants from groups such as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Ansarullah Bangla Team.

At least 11 suspected militants have been killed in shootouts since November, including five earlier this month, as the authorities step up a hunt for Islamists to stop a wave of deadly attacks.

More than 100,000 Islamic scholars and clerics on Saturday issued a fatwa against militancy in the name of Islam.

On Saturday, police recovered a large cache of firearms, including 108 pistols and 1,000 bullets, from a canal on the outskirts of Dhaka.

More than 11,000 people, including about 200 suspected militants, have been arrested in a week-long crackdown on Islamists that ended on Friday.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Getting hold of the green stuff just got a bit harder in New Zealand after police seized a mammoth $140million worth of cannabis in the last year.

Figures released under the Official Information Act show police netted 7,011kg of cannabis and seized 159,898 plants nationwide in the 12 months to March 31.
Police have arrested two people overnight in relation to the unexplained death in Mt Wellington early yesterday morning.

A 21-year-old male and a 16-year-old male, both from Otahuhu, have been charged with the assault of the victim says Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Higson.

Colin says the pair will be appearing in court in Manukau tomorrow.

Further charges are possible as police are still continuing with their inquiries and working to identify and locate others involved in the attack.

Colin says police are still appealing for anyone with information about this incident to come forward.

Anyone with information can contact Counties Manukau Police on 09 261 1300 or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

As this matter is now before the courts Police wont be commenting any further.

Source: New Zealand Police.
Hangar_LovedLostSpaghetti.jpg

Larisa Oleynik performs in a scene from "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti" at Hangar Theatre.

(Photo courtesy of Hangar Theatre/Rachel Philipson)

There's truth in advertising in "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti," the one-woman show that opens the Hangar Theatre's 2016 season. Over the course of the play, we learn about the romantic misadventures of Brooklynite Giulia Melucci as she cooks bolognese sauce and makes pasta from scratch. It's a nifty gimmick, impressive to watch, but inherently risky for the actress who has to prepare, plate, and serve dinner, pour wine, and deliver over an hour of dialogue without a hitch. As evinced by the opening night performance, that's a tall order.

The play, adapted by Jacques Lamarre from a 2012 memoir by Melucci, is heavy on ex-boyfriend expose and light on recipes which form the backbone of the book. With little description of ingredients and cooking methods, the onstage "Spaghetti" resembles a G-rated foodie episode of Sex and the City rather than a Food Network show.

The lack of lip-smacking detail doesn't leave Larisa Oleynik (best known for her role on Mad Men) much to work with. To convey the sensuality and seduction of a well-prepared meal, she make the most of every recipe name, her voice drawing out the syllables osso buco, risotto, insalata mista as intimately as fingers stroking the nape of the neck.

For a one-person show to succeed, there has to be immediate engagement. If the lone performer onstage isn't likable or at least compelling, it's a long evening of theater. Oleynik's process of winning hearts begins the moment the house opens. As the audience files in, she's onstage, energetically assembling the meal in a fully functional kitchen.

In her opening dialogue, she tries to cut short a phone call from her mother, one of many throughout the show. Explaining that she's got people over--thereby including the audience and breaking down the fourth wall--she elicits her first big laugh of the evening.

When she puts her hand over the mouthpiece and says, "My mother says hi," we're on her side. So are her confidantes, eight audience members who've chosen "table seating" in advance. They occupy a semi-circle of seats at the edge of the stage, interact with her throughout the show, and enjoy the three-course meal Giulia prepares and serves. The food punctuates her story of five failed relationships from age 16 to the present, and musical interludes featuring songs from the 80s and 90s take us from one episode to the other.

Oleynik is charming, funny, and open-hearted, earning moments of sympathy and a standing ovation at the end. Her performance is an honest one that avoids Italian female stereotypes, yet it doesn't quite "feel" Italian.

Oleynik's interpretation of Giulia lacks an inner strength that I witnessed growing up in Utica, NY. My best friend, my parents' best friends, my neighbors were all part of the Italian-American community, and the women around me possessed a core of steel wrapped in barbed wit. Oleynik's performance needs a dash of acid tartness like the pepperoncini my Italian-American husband eats to balance the blandness of pasta. Vocally and physically, she's often too soft when the role requires her to be al dente--firm when bitten.

To her credit, cooking and acting simultaneously in front of a live audience is a lot to expect of anyone--and a trick few could manage flawlessly. For that reason, Oleynik's half-dozen flubs during opening night--from stumbling over lines to one stop-still moment in which she had to consult a "cookbook" to "check the recipe"--were jarring but forgivable.

Her performance verges on the remarkable in Act II when she hand cranks an Atlas pasta machine throughout a pivotal scene. Watching her transform blobs of flour-egg dough into thin sheets of pasta which are then cut into strands of spaghetti--while describing a relationship meltdown with a New Yorker cartoonist 20 years her senior--is downright astounding. Her coordination and ability to stay in character more than make up for any previous mistakes. (For the record, I can't even make pasta dough the right consistency to run through a motorized pasta machine without breaking the thing.)

Hangar Theatre Interim Artistic Director Michael Barakiva directs "Spaghetti" and during his curtain speech acknowledged it's a show he inherited when he stepped into the role last December to shepherd a 2016 season picked by his predecessor. Thus it's hard to know if this lighthearted evening of theater reflects his vision as an artistic director. It's the stage equivalent of chick lit, best enjoyed by groups of women looking for a fun girl's night out. Like any tasty carb, "Spaghetti" is quickly consumed, easily digested, and more sugary than substantial.

The set deserves special mention. HGTV fans will note the must-have granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and neutral decor. It's a kitchen equal to any you'd see on a TV cooking show, but unlike TV, this set includes an expansive back wall depicting a New York City skyline in silhouette fronted by brightly colored jars, cans, bottles and condiments familiar to anyone who's cooked Italian. By including easily-recognized images like Cento's red-and-yellow cans of tomato products, scenic designer Ken Goldstein teases viewers with a "what's in your pantry" array of products that adds to the authenticity of the story.



The Details

What: "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti"

Where: The Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, NY

When seen: June 17

Length of performance: 1 hours 25 minutes with a 15-minute intermission

Family guide: Suitable for high school and up

Runs through: June 25

Ticket information and reservations:607-273-2787 and www.HangarTheatre.org

CNY Theater Guide
Father's Day

(Thinkstock Photos)

Ted Gup is a Boston-based author whose work has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, The Washington Post and Politico.

By Ted Gup |Special to The Washington Post

Much of what I know about my father as a man, I got from observing him at work. In our house, Father's Day was special, not because it was a day for our father but because it was a day for all fathers: a red-letter-day for his menswear store when business picked up (second only to Christmas,) when mother was called to work the cash register and I, even as a young boy, was called to man the broom, the stockroom and the tailor shop. The store, located in Canton, Ohio, was called Mr. Ted's and was tucked into a strip mall that was in walking distance of cornfields and catered to those who made their living with their hands. The store was named not for me but for my father. That we shared names was itself a breach of faith -- my grandfather, a rabbi, could not have approved.

Much of what I learned not only about him but also the world at large, I learned in Mr. Ted's watching my father interact with those he had hired and those he waited upon. I would see him on bended knee, a yellow measuring tape draped around his neck, a square of chalk for marking cuffs clinched in his teeth, measuring the inseam of a plant worker from Timken Roller Bearing or Hoover Vacuum Sweeper -- he, a Harvard man, who, but for the call to duty of World War II, had set his sights on medicine. Instead, he settled for two years of college and the life of a merchant in a town of steel and grit.

From childhood on, the store was my other classroom. Under Father's tutelage, I was introduced to more than Ban-Lon shirts, Harris Tweed and BVDs. Even the drive to and from work with my father was a rolling course in economics, class mobility, free speech, justice and the responsibilities of citizenship, not that any of these were ever mentioned by name. Rather, they were embedded in the stories a father tells his son on the way to and from work. I was no more than 11 when this began -- the age Father insisted I have a Social Security card as a fledgling worker.

I had much to learn. Once I forgot to lower the beam into the steel brace securing the back door, leaving it vulnerable to thieves. Father was not pleased. He explained to me that our "livelihood" depended upon the store and that it was my duty to safeguard it. I had let him down.

But I also remember the Sunday when, on our way to the Stark County Fair, we stopped by the store and discovered that it had been broken into. The drawer to the cash register was emptied and smashed in pieces on the floor, and a rack of suits was gone. Instead of fuming, Father calmly phoned the alarm company and off we went to the fair. We cheered the tractor pulls, sized up the prize bulls and marveled at gargantuan pumpkins -- but not another word was spoken of the break-in. A few days later my father took out an ad in the local paper, The Repository, offering the robbers free alterations for anything that didn't fit and a standing invitation to return as paying customers. From that I learned that what really counted lay beyond the reach of thieves. And, yes, that humor could be found in unexpected places.

I liked working in the back of the store. My father made sure the bathroom detail fell to me. It was a message intended not only for me but also for everyone in the store who watched to see how the boss' son would be treated. With brush and Comet, I proudly scrubbed away the stains until the bowl and sink gleamed. I broke up boxes and piled them high in the back alley for removal. I wielded a wide broom around and under the tailor's shop and steam press, sweeping up fallen razor blades, bits of chalk, bobbins, severed cuffs, orphaned threads and discarded plastic coffee cups. It was also my chance to talk with the tailor, Remo, an Italian who always drove a new Riviera, and to steal a glimpse of his wall calendar that featured pin-ups. My father respected him and the hours he put in. Remo, my father explained, was an "immigrant," a word he uttered as if it were a title of nobility and a synonym for sacrifice.

Indeed, the store itself was consecrated to work, not as a burden but as a privilege. This was, after all, a trade that ran in our blood. A century before, my father's grandfather, Marcus, a Russian immigrant, had been a tailor to the Mardi Gras in Mobile, Ala. For decades, a sign reading "Gup the Tailor" hung in Mobile's Dauphin Street. Never did I hear my father complain that he did not get to return to Harvard after the war, (his roommate, Harish Mahindra, would go on to become a billionaire Indian industrialist) nor that his future unfolded in unexpected ways. For him, work was precious, and there was no form of it that was beneath him. He taught me this, not in words but action.

I was in charge of making gift boxes, the flattened crimson boards that my thumbs deftly unfolded, fitted with tissue paper and stacked as mountains readied for outgoing customers. Thousands of boxes. Tens of thousands of boxes. My hands and my brain learned to work light-years apart. At the end of my arms the boxes rhythmically sprang to life, while in my head ran films of pretty girls, hard balls sailing over distant fences and bullies pummeled into submission. But at night I dreamt of making boxes. From that I learned that I did not want my life to be contained in those boxes -- which, I am sure, is what Father had in mind assigning me the task.

Those who worked for my father respected him. Some even came to love him. It was an odd cadre of young men he had recruited, none of whom had gone beyond high school. Many had been forced to drop out early. They had "gotten a girl in trouble"- - which was to say, pregnant. They were now teenage fathers. My father went out of his way to hire them and recognized in them their willingness to work and their need for a second chance. In him, they found a surrogate and forgiving father. He was slow to judge others and recognized that compassion was good for both the soul and business.

He gave his heart to these boys though not all were deserving. One of his "second sons" was found to have been stealing from the till over the course of many months, maybe years. He had been one of my father's favorites, and someone whom he had trusted. But he could not bring himself to go to the police or ruin the man's future. So he sat him down, told him how disappointed he was, that he could never again work for him, and then offered him a repayment plan that would stretch across the years. In time, the debt was paid and instead of bad blood between them, there was a different sort of bond. My father told me of this, but without a whiff of sanctimony or condemnation. He believed in redemption, not vengeance.

My father's store opened at 10 and closed at 9 six days a week, though his own hours were longer at both ends of the day. (In all those years I never saw him take a seat in the store.) He ate lunches at the counter of a five-and-dime where the waitresses kidded him. The mall had a fancier restaurant -- "fancy" is relative in a Canton strip mall -- but he preferred the counter's company. For his birthday, mother gave him a set of Harvard buttons for his blazer, but Father never wore them -- he had no appetite for impressing others and no stomach for other's arrogance.

Each night, when the store finally closed, Father would let me go through the cash draw and pick out any silver dollars, Indian Head pennies or buffalo nickels. I replaced them, coin for coin, and showed my discoveries to my father. Tired and hungry as he was, he always made time to see what I had found and share in my enthusiasm.

After college, I stumbled a bit. My father had gotten out of the business and was about to get back in. He asked me if I would give him a year of my life to help him open a new store, a Mr. Ted's. I was reluctant. I feared that, as a young man with my own dreams -- of becoming a journalist and writer -- I might get forever sidetracked, much as he did after the war. And I feared that would create friction between us.

But I resigned myself to giving him that year -- I figured I owed him that and more. On Thursday, May 9, 1974 -- a morning so cold I had to scrape the frost from the windshield -- I drove him to the Akron-Canton Airport, handed him his overnight bag and wished him a successful trip. (I even said a prayer for his safe return.) He was on his way to New York City, to the garment district, to buy the last bit of inventory he would need. That Monday, he was to come into possession of the store.

Instead, he died the next day. A heart attack. He was 50. That was to be his final lesson -- that it is fruitless to worry about things that may never come to pass, and foolish to put off plans on the promise of a tomorrow that may not come. On this Father's Day, I will be thinking of him, my Mr. Ted, and be grateful that he shared with me his name, and so much more.
cyclepolicepromo.jpg

Police on Long Island have arrested a 20-year-old man who they say slapped a woman's buttocks during a festival in Mattituck.

(Southold Town Police)

MATTITUCK, N.Y. -- A 20-year-old New York man has been arrested after police say he slapped a woman's buttocks during a festival on Long Island.

Thomas Talbot, of Mattituck, was arrested Friday night at the Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival, Southold Town Police said.



Talbot appeared to be intoxicated when he grabbed and slapped an 18-year-old woman on the buttocks around 11:05 p.m., police said. He also "made a verbal threat to another person," police said, according to The Suffolk Times.

When officers approached Talbot, police said, he began to cause a disturbance at the crowded festival and then fought with officers as they tried to arrest him.



Talbot was arrested on forcible touching, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and harassment charges.



A message left at Talbot's home Saturday wasn't immediately returned.

The National Desk contributed to this report.
Plane Crash-Weekapaug

In this photo provided by Larry Schwartz, pilot Alexander Piekarski gets out of a plane after it crashed into the water off the coast of Westerly, R.I., Saturday, June 18, 2016.

(Courtesy of Larry Schwartz via AP)

WESTERLY, R.I. -- The New York pilot of a single engine airplane en route to Massachusetts escaped serious injury Saturday afternoon when he crash landed in the waters off Westerly to avoid people on the beach.



Alexander Piekarski, 62, of East Moriches, Suffolk County, was flying alone from New York's Long Island to Taunton, Massachusetts, when his four-seat Beech Craft Bonanza began losing power shortly before 1 p.m., Rhode Island State Police said.



Piekarski tried heading to Westerly Airport but made an emergency landing in the waters off Inn Beach when he started losing altitude.

He got out of the plane before it sank and was helped back to shore by two lifeguards, police said. He was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.



Federal aviation and transportation authorities are investigating.
ST. LUCIE  Gun sales for licensed seller Rex Wilson have nearly tripled this past week since the Orlando nightclub shooting on June 12.

Wilson, of Sebastian, displayed his collection of handguns, long guns and rifles on Saturday at the Port St. Lucie Gun Show & 2nd Amendment Expo at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, 9221 S.E. Civic Center Place.

'I've had a 250 percent increase. It's incredible,' said Wilson, 58, owner of R&R Gun Shop in Sebastian. 'The majority of sales have been handguns. When you see an influx like this, it's a panic buy, and it's justified.'

Several hundred people looked at hundreds of exhibits at the gun show, which featured handguns, rifles, stun guns, long knives and semi-automatic assault rifles.

AR-15's on display at the #PSLGunShow at the civic center Saturday. #TCPalm pic.twitter.com/eqFRiHcWVB

 Nicholas Samuel (@JournalistNickS) June 19, 2016

Samuel Comacho, 58, Hobe Sound, said he's scared guns will eventually be banned by the government.

'I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in self-defense,' Comacho said. 'If the bartender had a gun behind the bar (at Pulse nightclub), maybe more lives would've been saved.'

Comacho said he didn't buy any firearms at the gun show and came just for support.

Paul Trefzer, of Paul's Guns in Sebastian, said he has seen a nearly 30 percent increase in gun sales since the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

'We've seen an increase in handguns, more self-protection-type weapons, rather than assault rifles,' he said. 'Everyone's afraid there's going to be some type of gun ban.'

Trefzer, 56, said his gun shop usually sells 10 guns per day and that last week the shop sold two to three guns more than that average.

Besides viewing exhibits, patrons at the show could also participate in a 90-minute express concealed weapon license class.

Michael Strickland, executive producer for Patriot Productions, LLC, which presented the event, said the gun show was not held in response to the Orlando shooting.

'We've had complaints saying we put this together in response to the Orlando shooting,' Strickland said.

Gun sellers and buyers need to complete a Florida Department of Law Enforcement background check and a U.S. Department of Justice Firearms Transaction Record to buy and sells weapons, said licensed seller Gary Taninbaum.

'We're all licensed sellers here,' said the 64-year-old from Palm Beach. 'We have to fill out federal forms to see if the person is allowed to buy a gun or not.'

But, there is a loophole at gun shows, where a person can privately sell a gun to another person without a background check, Taninbaum said.

'If a person is walking around to sell their gun privately, they can do that,' he said. 'There's only 1 percent of people who privately sell their personal guns.'

Licensed seller Bob Ruth, of Palm Beach, said any weapon, except for fully-automatic weapons, can be bought at a gun show as long as the buyer is qualified and the seller is licensed.

'Very few dealers are licensed to sell fully-automatic weapons,' said Ruth, 72.

The show continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Olli, a 3D printed, self-driving minibus, to hit the road in US A new maker of self-driving vehicles burst onto the scene Thursday in partnership with IBM's supercomputer platform Watson, and it's ready to roll right now. The vehicle -- a 3D-printed minibus called "Olli" capable of carrying 12 people -- was unveiled by Arizona-based startup Local Motors outside the US capital city Washington. Phys.org

Napster's improbable journey This week the Rhapsody music service announced that it will retire the Rhapsody name and re-brand its service (and the company) under the Napster brand. The Napster name has endured a long journey in the 17 years since Shawn Fanning first created the service in early 1999. I thought it might be helpful to put together a short history tracing that path. Medium

Scientists amplify light using sound on a silicon chip Yale scientists have found a way to greatly boost the intensity of light waves on a silicon microchip using the power of sound. Writing in the journal Nature Photonics, a team led by Peter Rakich describes a new waveguide system that harnesses the ability to precisely control the interaction of light and sound waves. This work solves a long-standing problem of how to utilize this interaction in a robust manner on a silicon chip as the basis for powerful new signal-processing technologies. Phys.org

Clean PC: Microsoft's refresh Windows tool can help make Windows 10 crapware-free Well, this is a welcome development. That Refresh Windows tool I discussed yesterday will be available from within Windows 10 going forward and will let users remove all of the crapware that comes with a new PC. Now that's progress. As I'm sure you know, I've been pushing the Clean PC mantra since January 2015, when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella declared that he wanted users to love Windows 10. Well, this will certainly help. Thurrott.com

The geek behind Google's map quest Ed Parsons, Google's geographer-in-chief, is leaning over an 18th century woodcut map from the Chonhado, the Korean atlas of the world. Here, on thin parchment, the earth is a wobbly blue watercolor dot centered around the sacred Mount Meru, close to a large red circle representing Beijing. China and Korea make up the large part of the map, while the foreign lands beyond their borders are like afterthoughts, represented only by a thin peripheral strip of land. Fast Company

Can Netflix survive in the new world it created? One night in early January, a little after 9 o'clock, a dozen Netflix employees gathered in the cavernous Palazzo ballroom of the Venetian in Las Vegas. They had come to rehearse an announcement the company would be making the next morning at the Consumer Electronics Show, the tech industry's gigantic annual conference. The NY Times

How Yahoo derailed Tumblr Marissa Mayer was running late. This time, it wasn't for a dinner with skeptical advertisers nor a conference call with her inner circle of Yahoo executives. She was late for a rare meeting with much of the team at Tumblr, nearly two years after acquiring the startup for $1.1 billion. The biggest acquisition of Mayer's tenure as Yahoo CEO, Tumblr was supposed to revive Yahoo by broadening its audience and bolstering its long declining advertising business. Mashable

Every game at E3 2016 and its PC outlook E3 2016 was a massive event for the PC. More than any other year in recent memory, PC gaming permeated the show and conferences (Sony and Nintendo being the usual exceptions), and we're heading home from LA with over 40 games confirmed for or likely to come to PC. Here they are, with all the new trailers, mixed together for you to browse. We've certainly missed a few -- our team is still at the show seeing everything they can on the last day -- so we'll update this list as we get our hands on more games. PC Gamer

Eye-tracking system uses ordinary cellphone camera For the past 40 years, eye-tracking technology -- which can determine where in a visual scene people are directing their gaze -- has been widely used in psychological experiments and marketing research, but it's required pricey hardware that has kept it from finding consumer applications. Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the University of Georgia hope to change that, with software that can turn any smartphone into an eye-tracking device. MIT

A reprieve for Moore's law: milspec chip writes computing's next chapter At the front door of Raytheon's Integrated Air Defense Center, there's a reminder of how big microwave electronics used to be -- the original microwave oven. The now ever-present kitchen device was invented after a Raytheon engineer discovered his candy bar melted while he was standing near a magnetron used in a radar system the company was developing. Ars Technica

Investigating Cavium's ThunderX: The first ARM server SoC with ambition When is a worthy alternative to Intel's Xeon finally going to appear? That is the burning question in the server world. If PowerPoint presentations from various ARM-based SoCs designers released earlier this decade were to be believed, Intel would now be fighting desperately to keep a foothold in the low end server market. But the ARM SoCs so far have always disappointed... AnandTech

Virtualizing around the FCC's firmware modification rules Last year, the FCC introduced new regulations requiring router manufacturers to implement software security to limit the power output in specific 5GHz bands. Government regulations follow the laws of unintended consequences, and the immediate fear surrounding this new directive from the FCC was that WiFi router manufacturers would make the easiest engineering decision. Hackaday

Reweaving the web Tim Berners-Lee ends "Weaving the Web", a book written in the late 1990s, on an optimistic note: "The experience of seeing the web take off by the grassroots effort of thousands gives me tremendous hope that...we can collectively make our world what we want." Nearly two decades later the inventor of the web no longer sounds as cheerful. "The problem is the dominance of one search engine, one big social network, one Twitter for micro-blogging," he declared on June 7th at a conference in San Francisco. Economist

Windows 10 vs. Ubuntu 16.04 graphics performance with Nvidia's GTX 1070 & GTX 1080 Lastly are some results of Unigine Heaven/Valley under Windows and Linux. Unigine continues being one of our favorite OpenGL benchmarks due to its great Linux support and the results further show that in comparing the numbers to Windows: Phoronix
The mid-range OnePlus X will not be getting a successor, as OnePlus wants to focus exclusively on the high end of the smartphone market.

OnePlus has made a name for itself by launching "flagship killers," meaning powerful smartphones that came at a fraction of the cost of other handsets with comparable specifications.

After launching the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 flagship killers, the company dabbled into the mid-range segment of the smartphone market with its OnePlus X. The mid-ranger offered good specifications for its price and category, yet never really rose up to the hype of its flagship counterparts.

OnePlus has now released a new flagship, the highly anticipated OnePlus 3, and confirmed at the launch that its days of mid-range handsets are over. Although the company has released only one mid-ranger, it seems to think that one is enough.

At the OnePlus 3 launch event, company CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the affordable OnePlus X will not get any successor. Instead, OnePlus wants to focus on its "true flagship" to cement its foundation, choosing to compete only in the flagship sector.

As Engadget reports, in the long run OnePlus also plans to combine its development resources for the OxygenOS (global) and HydrogenOS (China-bound). The company will reportedly make an announcement on this later this year.

The fact that mid-rangers are out of the picture, however, doesn't mean that OnePlus will only be launching flagship smartphones from now on. The company will still offer "lifestyle products" and "invest in after-sale services" to promote the brand.

OnePlus also plans to bet big on solid promotional channels rather than traditional marketing strategies, which will allow it to maintain prices at an affordable limit. This strategy has proven quite successful for the company, as it saw rapid growth and continues to soar.

In India, the company is also forging ahead with Exclusive Service Centers, with one already launched in Bangalore and five more in tow.

Lastly, it's worth pointing out that the company is finally ready to ditch its dreaded invite system with the OnePlus 3, as it announced earlier this month. The OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X all launched on an invite-only basis, which meant that interested customers could only purchase a OnePlus smartphone if they had an invitation. This scheme drew heavy criticism and limited the handsets' success, as not all prospective buyers could actually buy their desired device.

With the OnePlus 3 set to be readily available invite-free, OnePlus could have a winner on its hands. It remains to be seen how the OnePlus 3 will fare, and whether ditching the mid-range segment to focus solely on the high-end scene will prove fruitful. To get a better idea of where OnePlus' latest offer stands on the flagship market, check out our OnePlus 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge vs. LG G5 comparison.

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Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates wanted to donate chickens to Bolivia as part of an initiative to help poor nations.

Gates' chicken campaign aims to fight poverty by providing a sustainable source of income to families around the world, particularly those who live in impoverished countries.

The initiative, a collaboration between the billionaire's foundation and Heifer International, plans to distribute 100,000 chickens to countries with high poverty rates including Bolivia.

Gates said that raising chickens is better than computers or the internet in reducing poverty. He contended that chickens can provide families with easy and inexpensive ways to make extra money because the birds feed on what they find on the ground, provide quality nutrition from eggs and meat, need few vaccines and even help empower women.

"Our foundation is betting on chickens. Alongside partners throughout sub-Saharan Africa, we are working to create sustainable market systems for poultry," Gates said.

Bolivia, whose estimated poverty rate of 59 percent is the poorest country in South America but it rejected the offer saying that it does not depend on chickens and that the tech magnate needs to study up its thriving poultry sector. Bolivia notably produces 197 million chickens per year and is capable to export 36 million.

Bolivian Development Minister Cesar Cocarico said that he finds it rude that some people and the United States still see Bolivia's people as beggars.

"How can he think we are living 500 years ago, in the middle of the jungle not knowing how to produce?" Cocarico said. "Respectfully, he should stop talking about Bolivia."

For some, the country's response does not at all come as a surprise. Under Bolivia's President Evo Morales, Bolivia has been rejecting aid from the U.S. regardless if it comes from the government or from philanthropic donors.

A pro-environmental platform appears to have a hand on this. In 2010, Bolivia passed "the Law of Mother Earth," which grants all nature equal rights to humans such as the right to persist sans human intervention.

The law aims at radical conservations and measures that can cut pollution and control industry but it also involves the rejection of Western capitalism and development aid.

While Bolivia continues to battle with poverty lagging behind most of the continent in terms of development and economic output, it appears that it can do without Gates' help.

Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has more than doubled since 2007. The number of people who live below the poverty line also dropped by a third during this same period.

Photo: Tom Caswell | Flickr

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The City Council in Philadelphia approved on June 16 a new regulation that allows a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, making it the first major city in the United States to do so.

Officials voted 13-4 in favor of the new regulation, which is expected to raise $91 million every year and allocate funds for projects designed to improve the city's public school system.

The projects include pre-kindergarten expansion, the development of community schools, plus an investment in parks and recreation centers.

The soda tax will hit thousands of products that are bottled, canned or from a fountain with artificial sweetener or sugar added. Drinks exempt from the soda tax are those with 50 percent fruit juice, milk or vegetable juice. Tax will be collected beginning Jan. 1.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says the city's historic investment in its education system and its neighborhoods are all thanks to the advocacy of parents, educators and recreation center volunteers.

But critics aren't so pleased.

The beverage industry has vowed to fight for the repeal the approval of the new soda tax. Some even say that the new regulation will disproportionately affect the poor.

The Case Against Philly's Soda Tax

The advocacy group known as Philadelphians Against the Grocery Tax says the City Council ignored the voices of 58 percent of residents who oppose the "discriminatory large tax" on more than a thousand everyday grocery items.

"This tax is unconstitutional," the group told USA Today. "That's why we will take this fight to the courts."

The American Beverage Association (ABA), a group that represents companies such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola, says the soda tax is a regressive tax that "unfairly singles out beverages."

Both organizations will take legal action to stop the soda tax. The ABA said similar proposals have been rejected 43 times across the U.S. in the past eight years.

Supporters Of The New Soda Tax

Lauren Hitt, communications director for Mayor Kenney's office, says they are "fully prepared for any legal challenges."

Indeed, supporters of the new tax say the victory in Philly could set the stage for similar approvals in cities all over the country.

Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, says Philadelphia will "certainly not be the last city" to adopt the soda tax.

He says the question is not whether any U.S. city will adopt its own regulation, but rather, how many and how quickly? He adds that no other policy takes direct aim at both obesity and poverty than Philly's soda tax.

Photo: Rex Sorgatz | Flickr

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With his ethereal palette, post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh captured the essence of emotions and depicted them through his canvas.

His paintings appear as though they are moving before your very eyes. Each stroke is a tinge of melancholy, a brush of nostalgia, a whisper from the past - the interpretation can vary.

Now, almost 126 years after the Dutch painter's death, experts have discovered a previously unknown sketchbook that contained multiple drawings.

French publisher Seuil announced Thursday, June 16 that van Gogh's newly discovered sketchbook will be published in November this year.

"This sketchbook was known only to the owners, myself and the publisher," says Bernard Comment, an official from Seuil. He describes the discovery as dazzling and stunning.

Comment says the artwork will be released under the name Vincent van Gogh. Le Brouillard d'Arles. In English, this means "The Fog of Arles."

Indeed, van Gogh had lived in the town of Arles in southern Provence, France in 1888 and 1889.

Comment, who had known of the book for a year, says that it contains more than 10 drawings. He says experts have already confirmed the authenticity of the works of art.

Seuil said the sketchbook will be released first in Europe: France, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands; the United States and Japan. It will be published in other countries at a later date.

The French publisher did not disclose any details about the sketchbook's origin or the expected price of publication. But further details will be released at the world press conference in Paris in the middle of November on the eve of the book's arrival in stores.

During his lifetime, van Gogh suffered from mental illness and alcoholism. He took his own life on July 29, 1890. He died poor and unknown.

Now, his paintings sell at auctions for tens of millions of dollars. Around 1,000 of his drawings are known to exist.

Unfortunately, some art experts say that van Gogh's often bright paintings are turning white.

For instance, his painting known as Bedroom in Arles shows a bedroom with a red blanket on a bed, but the red is slowly vanishing.

Now they know why. In March 2015, scientists discovered that some of the Dutch master's paintings contained a lot of a substance called plumbonacrite, which they say is to blame for what has happened to the colors. Plumbonacrite is one of the earliest-known synthetic-made paints.

Researchers believe that when red lead is exposed to light, it turns into plumbonacrite, which then reacts with carbon dioxide. This turns the paint's outer layer into a whitish-gray color.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A two-generation jump in process technology is disrupting the gaming industry, PC gamers and console-first consumers alike.

Nvidia's GTX 1080 has usurped the Titan, and AMD's RX 480 has undercut every VR-ready graphics card, while Microsoft is preparing to break tradition with a pair of mid-generation console updates.

The technology was already there, but both AMD and Nvidia stayed back from migrating to 20nm process designs for their graphics chips. The 20nm process was found to be poorly suited for demanding graphics applications, but AMD and Nvidia have now found success with using the newer 14nm and 16nm schemes respectively.

There had been leaks and enterprise applications of the new tech, but its arrival was telegraphed through rumors about modular consoles.

Going into the E3 last week, there were expectations that Microsoft and Sony would both show off the PlayStation Neo and Project Scorpio. Neither one of the new consoles showed up during E3, but they were both officially confirmed  Microsoft, however, did show off Xbox One S.

What's Old Is Neo

With Sony set to launch the first console-powered VR headset this fall, few people may have been completely blown away when rumors emerged asserting that the company was preparing a higher-powered console to complement the PS4.

Sony hasn't confirmed any of the specs of Neo, though unconfirmed bits of information have offered a sketch of the upcoming console. Microsoft, on the other hand, filled in a few blanks on Project Scorpio's spec sheet.

Both Neo and Scorpio are expected to house eight-core processors, with Neo's expected to be clocked at 2.1 GHz and Scorpio's clock speed still unknown. But their differences are more pronounced in RAM and GPU.

Scorpio and Neo will likely have at least 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM, but Sony's next machine is expected to have a memory bandwidth of 218 GB/s and Microsoft's contender will shift temporary data at a speed of 320 GB/s.

In the crude measure of peak overall performance, called teraflops, Scorpio is expected to be significantly more powerful than Neo. At the front half of this new type of console generation, the Xbox One came out of the gates with 1.31 teraflops and the PS4 boasted 1.84 teraflops.

In the second half, Sony's Neo is expected to deliver 4.14 teraflops of power, while the Xbox One is supposed to deliver 6 teraflops.

Neither of the new consoles has been given a firm release date, but Microsoft has indicated that Project Scorpio won't come out until next year. Meanwhile, PlayStation Neo, despite missing E3, will launch later this year  at least, that's what Eurogamer's Richard Leadbetter has heard.

Move It Along

In the previous console generation, gamers only had to buy one console. And with luck, that console stayed healthy over that generation's eight-year lifespan. Now, just three years into this current generation, Sony and Microsoft are prepping consoles that will deliver significantly better experiences than the Xbox One and PS4.

Both Sony and Microsoft have asserted that no current gen gamers will get left behind as a result of the release of the upcoming hardware. While games will look prettier in 4K and HDR on Neo and Scorpio, those same titles will still work on PS4 and Xbox One.

Even when Project Scorpio is launched next year and given a proper name, gamers still have plenty of time left before the urge to update becomes a need to do so.

And it won't be until developers start to cut corners, with those corners being Xbox One and PS4, reserving new experiences to consoles capable of powering them. For now, the mainstream still has to catch up with the 4K revolution.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The "stoppage" called by the Santa Cruz elites affects and threatens the most humble people, the female farmer warned. | Read More
VNA Deputy General Director Le Duy Truyen was among representatives of 24 leading news agencies worldwide participating in the conference, including TASS of Russia, AP of the United States, ANSA of Italy, AFP of France, Canadian Press, Kyodo News of Japan, Xinhua of China, DPA of Germany, India Today and Prensa Latina of Cuba.



At the conference, attendees discussed how latest technologies are confronting traditional journalism and whether artificial intelligence poses a threat to journalism.



The robust development of the digital era has changed the practice of journalism worldwide. According to AP, Canadian Press and Kyodo News, many news agencies have been applying solutions for automatic data processing that enable faster production of news with higher quality.



Delegates agreed that the news agencies need to apply more advanced technologies in their works and urged journalists to make themselves adapt to the changes in technologies./.
The roundtable on Vietnams international integration takes place in Hanoi on June 17th (Photo: VNA)

The function on Vietnams international integration attracted more than 50 delegates, including foreign ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic corps, foreign organisations, research institutes, businesses and localities.





Son underlined the countrys consistent policy of comprehensive and intensive integration in all spheres, focusing on international economic integration.

In the new phase of development, Vietnam is to intensify integration in terms of economy, politics, defence, security, culture and society. It will enhance integration into the region through the ASEAN Community and into the world through multilateral diplomacy.

Vietnam, as a developing nation, attaches importance to south-south cooperation and is willing to play a greater role in fostering this cooperation through sharing experiences in Doi moi (reform), socio-economic development and international integration, the official noted.

Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, said international integration has strongly contributed to the countrys socio-economic development and diplomatic stature.

Vietnams achievements in realising the Millennium Development Goals are precious lessons that should be shared with other countries, particularly developing ones, to help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. That will also demonstrate Vietnams active role in promoting south-south cooperation.

At the roundtable, participants said to improve international integration efficiency, aside from its own efforts, Vietnam continues to need assistance from the international community. It is also important to step up reforms, especially institutional reforms, fine-tune the legal system, train manpower, and assist vulnerable fields amid the intensive integration.

Meanwhile, the support given by a developed partner will help Vietnam effectively contribute to south-south cooperation, especially sharing skills and experiences in carrying out the Sustainable Development Goals, they added./.
Pham Nguyen Foods, a known producer of choco pies and crackers in Vietnam, has received US$9.3 million from Mizuho Asia Partners Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Mizuho Financial Group, according to local media.

It was the first time the family-run company raised outside funding, news website Saigon Times Online cited the company's statement as saying on Friday.

The funding will allow Pham Nguyen to expand its activities, including production and distribution, according to the company, which currently owns more than 52,000 outlets around the country and ships its products to 15 countries around the world.

Pham Nguyen expects to achieve revenue of around VND800 billion ($35.32 million) this year, up 23 percent from last year, the website reported.
Fishers in the central province of Quang Tri have accused Chinese boats of illegally fishing in Vietnamese waters and damaging their fishing nets.

Border officers at Cua Viet Port in Quang Tris Gio Linh District said Tuesday they had received exhibits of the case  damaged fishing nets from four boats with 32 crew members in total.

According to the fishers, on January 3, they were casting nets around 20 nautical miles from Con Co Island when 10 Chinese fishing boats approached their vessels.

Although the fishers signaled for the Chinese boats to stop, one Chinese boat dropped an anchor and dragged it along to damage the Vietnamese boats' nets. The other nine Chinese boats surrounded the first boat, ready to help.

The anchor that a Chinese fishing boat used to damage fishing nets of Vietnamese crews The Chinese boat damaged 12 fishing nets worth around VND100 million (US$4,460), according to the fishers.

After the fishers called the Border Guard for help, a vessel of the Vietnam Coast Guard arrived at the scene.

All the Chinese boats fled, leaving behind an anchor that was stuck in the fishing nets.

Quang Tri authorities are still investigating.
Two Lao men arrested on June 18 for attempting to bring drugs to Vietnam. Photo credit: Tuoi Tre

Border guards in Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam and Laos police on Saturday arrested two Lao men who tried to traffic 12,000 pills of drugs across the border.

Both men came from Savanakhet Province which borders Vietnam.

They were found carrying the tablets labeled WY, which is the logo for a kind of drug mixed from methamphetamine and caffeine.

Vietnam has some of the worlds toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.

Yet drug trafficking activities across the Laos border remains regular.

The Saturday bust came just three days after two Lao men were arrested for trafficking 35 kilograms of opium into Vietnam.
A bus flips after crashing into a worker on a pass in Da Lat, Lam Dong Province and then another bus from the opposite direction on June 19 morning. Photo: Gia Binh/Thanh Nien

A head-on collision between two passenger buses in Da Lat, the capital town of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, on Sunday morning left seven people dead and many hospitalized with severe injuries.

Police said a Ho Chi Minh City-bound bus lost control and hit a construction worker on the street. Then it continued to ram into another bus from the opposite direction before flipping to one side.

The 21-year-old worker, Phan Trong Tam, was killed, along with six passengers on both vehicles, including a nine-year-old child and three female teachers, all 37 years old, of Phan Boi Chau High School in Binh Thuan Province.

Around 20 others have been admitted to Lam Dong General Hospital and Hoan My Dalat Hospital. The driver of the first bus, 42-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Quang, is in critical condition, according to doctors at Lam Dong General Hospital.

The crash happened at around 10 a.m. on Prenn pass where part of its 10-kilometer bendy road is under construction.

Police are investigating further.
A Vietnamese fishing boat has rescued three crew members of a Chinese fishing boat which sank off the Gulf of Tonkin, the Chinese Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center said Tuesday.

Qiong Danzhou 11118 with five men on board reportedly sank near Bach Long Vi Island in the gulf Monday.

The Vietnamese boat managed to rescue three of the crew, according to Chinese authorities. China dispatched two rescue vessels to the site.

On Tuesday afternoon one of the rescue vessels recovered the body of one of the missing crewmen.

Vietnams National Committee for Search and Rescue said the search for the remaining man is continuing.
A Quang Ngai fisherman shows the damages on his boat after it was hit by a Chinese boat on June 16, 2016. Photo: Hien Cu/Thanh Nien

Fishermen from Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam have reported being attacked by Chinese boats when they were sailing in Vietnamese waters around Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands.

Nguyen Tuan, the 50-year-old boat captain, filed a complaint to local coast guards after coming back to shore Saturday.

Tuan said his boat with eight men aboard were chased and hit by three Chinese boats during the journey from May 23.

On Thursday, one of them chased his boat for three hours before suddenly ramming into it at around noon, breaking it on the right side.

The Chinese boat sailed around for another 15 minutes before leaving, Tuan said.

A crew member said they were panicked and were screaming a lot after being hit.

We were afraid that the boat would sink. If the Chinese boat hit us one more time, we might have died, he said.

The crew members also provided video footage of the attack.

Quang Ngai coast guards are still investigating their complaint. The provinces fishing association has promised to provide financial support to fix the boat.
Ending child labor in supply chains a key issue for Vietnam 'Enterprises need to be vigilant to ensure that their supply chains are free from child labor or risk having their reputations ruined,' ILO says.

Vietnam's government exceeds spending limit again Discussions on fiscal discipline began to pop up after data revealed the government broke an overspending cap imposed by legislators.

Scottish judo star comes home after life-threatening bike crash in Vietnam She has smiled for the first time and managed to hold up two fingers following treatment in Thailand.

Japan's Aeon to open 4th megastore, eyes expansion in Vietnam The retail giant unveils an ambitious plan for Vietnam, whose retail market is forecast to grow 12 percent.

HCMC steps up food safety inspection amid more poisoning cases 248 people were hospitalized for food poisoning in the city in the first four months this year.
A car sticker with a logo encouraging people to leave the EU is seen on a car, in Llandudno, Wales, February 27, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Phil Noble/Files

A British exit from the European Union could trigger similar moves by other member states in Eastern Europe, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said in a German newspaper interview published on Sunday.

Britain votes on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defense and diplomacy on the continent.

"It cannot be ruled out that Brexit leads to a domino effect in Eastern Europe," Asselborn told Tagesspiegel am Sonntag.

It had been a "historic mistake" from Prime Minister David Cameron to even think about calling a referendum about Britain's membership of the European Union, Asselborn added.

Even if Britain should decide to stay in the EU, "this would not solve the problem that results from the negative attitude of the British toward the European Union", Asselborn said.

Asselborn said he sometimes had the impression that Cameron and the head of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski, had a silent agreement on rolling back European integration.

"Both seem do have the same agenda regarding their critical stance toward the EU," he added.

Since winning elections last year, Poland's conservative and eurosceptic government has clashed with EU regulators on a range of issues, including freedom of speech and democracy as well as energy and environment issues.

Poland is the biggest economy in the EU's eastern wing and the largest recipient of structural funds in the bloc.

Britain, on the other hand, is transferring more money to Brussels than it is getting back, which is one of the arguments of the Leave camp to vote for Brexit on Thursday.
Lane Graves, a 2-year-old boy who was grabbed by an alligator in a lagoon at Walt Disney World, is seen in an undated picture from the Orange County Sheriff's Department in Orlando, Florida. Orange County Sheriff's Department via social media/Handout via Reuters

The parents of a 2-year-old boy snatched away and drowned by an alligator in Florida have been "overwhelmed with the support and love" that have poured in since the tragedy captured national attention, the family said in a statement on Saturday.

The alligator grabbed the boy at the water's edge on Tuesday night while his family, on vacation from Nebraska, relaxed on the shore nearby. The parents tried to save the child but were unable to free him from the alligator's grip.

"Melissa and I continue to deal with the loss of our beloved boy, Lane, and are overwhelmed with the support and love we have received from family and friends in our community as well as from around the country," father Matt Graves said in the statement issued by their church in Elkhorn, Nebraska.

"We understand the public's interest, but as we move forward this weekend, we ask for and appreciate the privacy we need to lay our son to rest. Neither Melissa, myself or anyone from our family will be speaking publicly; we simply cannot at this time," the statement said.

The Graveses had previously released a statement expressing their devastation and asking for privacy while praising the work of officials who searched for the boy.

Police divers recovered the body of Lane Graves on Wednesday from the man-made lake at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, where he had been snatched the night before.

Disney has since installed signs at water's edge warning guests of alligators and snakes.

The resort previously had "No Swimming" signs that did not specifically mention alligators.

"Danger! Alligators and snakes in area," read the new signs, which feature diagrams of the two animals. "Stay away from the water. Do not feed the wildlife."

The new signs are fixed to wooden posts that hold up rope cordoning off the water.

An autopsy found drowning as the cause of death after the body was found intact underwater.

Alligators often roll their prey beneath the surface until the victim stops breathing, experts say, and then stash the body away to eat later.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has criticised NATO for having a bellicose policy towards Russia, describing it as "warmongering", the German daily Bild reported.

Steinmeier pointed to the deployment of NATO troops near borders with Russia in the military alliance's Baltic and east European member states.

"What we should avoid today is inflaming the situation by warmongering and stomping boots," Steinmeier told Bild in an interview to be published Sunday.

"Anyone who thinks you can increase security in the alliance with symbolic parades of tanks near the eastern borders, is mistaken," Germany's top diplomat added.

NATO had announced on Monday that it would deploy four battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to counter a more assertive Russia, ahead of a landmark summit in Warsaw next month.

All four countries were once ruled from Moscow and remain deeply suspicious of Russian intentions, especially after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

In an interview with Bild on Thursday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Russia is seeking to create "a zone of influence through military means".

"We are observing massive militarisation at NATO borders -- in the Arctic, in the Baltic, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea," he told the newspaper.

Stoltenberg has stressed that NATO does not seek confrontation with Russia and wants a constructive dialogue but that it would defend the 28 allies against any threat

Russia bitterly opposes NATO's expansion into its Soviet-era satellites and last month said it would create three new divisions in its southwest region to meet what it described as a dangerous military build-up along its borders.
"The UKs actions in Libya were part of an ill-conceived intervention, the results of which are still playing out today."
Malaysia's ruling coalition coasted to victory as expected in two by-elections, defying a political movement led by former premier Mahathir Mohamad who has sought to turn voters against his scandal-tainted former protege Najib Razak.

The victories allow Prime Minister Najib, under pressure to resign over a graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), to further tighten his grip over the country and within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact.

Najib's party won the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seats on Saturday with increased margins compared with those in 2013 general elections, the election commission said. Both areas are mostly made up of farming and fishing communities along peninsula Malaysia's west coast.

"Tun Mahathir Mohamad turned the elections into a referendum on my leadership," Najib said in a statement.

"They (the people) rejected Tun Mahathir's lies, they rejected his unworkable coalition of former enemies, and they rejected the incoherent opposition  partly because of their alignment with Tun Mahathir," he said.

While the outcome of the by-elections would not tilt the balance of power in parliament, observers noted that it may offer clues as to whether Mahathir's influence is waning.

Najib's alliance secured a landslide win in the Borneo state of Sarawak last month, and political experts feel he may call snap polls to consolidate his strong position.

James Chin, director at the University of Tasmania's Asia Institute, told Reuters there was a "high probability that there will be a snap polls if BN wins by big majorities."

The next general election is scheduled for 2018. The coalition lost its two-third majority in the 2008 polls, and Najib lost the popular vote in 2013 despite BN retaining power.

Najib's critics have demanded his resignation after reports claiming billions of dollars had been misappropriated through his pet project 1MDB, and that up to $1 billion was deposited into his personal bank account. Najib has denied the reports.

Mahathir, who led the country for 22 years until retiring in 2003, quit the United Malay National Organization (UMNO) party earlier this year in disgust over Najib's grip on the party despite the allegations surrounding 1MDB, which is now the subject of international probes in at least six countries.
A still image taken from video footage, released by Russia's Defence Ministry on November 19, 2015, shows a Russian military jet taking off at Hmeimim airbase in Syria.

Russia said on Sunday it had reached an agreement with the United States on the need to improve coordination between their military operations in Syria, where they are backing opposing sides of a civil war and launching air strikes.

Moscow's intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, alongside Western backing for rebel groups and attacks on Islamic States targets, has raised the risk of a wider international confrontation in the war.

Russia's defense ministry said military officials from both countries had agreed on the need to improve coordination during a video conference. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington.

The announcement came a day after The Pentagon said it had questioned Moscow over Russian air strikes conducted against U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces last week, saying Moscow had failed to heed U.S. warnings.

Smoke and flame rise after what fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) said were U.S.-led air strikes on the mills of Manbij where Islamic State militants are positioned, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria June 16, 2016.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov dismissed the allegation, saying the Russian strikes hit about 300 km (190 miles) away from territory where the United States had said opposition forces were operating.

He said Russia had notified the U.S.-led coalition about the targets it was planning to strike.

"The Russian defense ministry for the past few months has been proposing to its American colleagues to draw a unified map, which would containing information about the location of the forces which were active in Syria. However, no material progress has been made on this issue," Konashenkov said.

Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the allegations.
Osprey military aircraft are seen at the U.S. Futenma airbase in Ginowan, on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, July 26, 2013. Photo: Reuters/Nathan Layne/File Photo

Thousands of people gathered on the Japanese island of Okinawa on Sunday in one of the biggest demonstrations in two decades against U.S. military bases following the arrest of an American suspected of murdering a local woman.

The protest marks a new low for the United States and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in their relations with the island and threatens plans to have the U.S. Marines Futenma air station moved to a less populous part of the island.

The United States and Japan agreed in 1996 to close the Futenma site, located in a residential urban area, after the rape of a 12-year-old Japanese schoolgirl by three U.S. military personnel spurred mass demonstrations against the American presence.

That plan has been on hold since residents living near the proposed relocation site protested against the move, worried about noise, pollution and crime.

Okinawa assembly members opposed to the move won a majority in the prefectural assembly election this month, providing renewed support for Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga's plan to have the base move elsewhere.

Okinawa hosts 50,000 U.S. nationals, including 30,000 military personnel and civilians employed at U.S. bases.

The site of some of the bloodiest fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces in World War Two, Okinawa remained under American occupation until 1972 and around a fifth of its land is still under U.S. military control.

Yet, with the United States and Japan looking to contain China's growing might in the East China Sea, the Okinawan island chain, which stretches close to Taiwan, is becoming strategically more valuable to military planners.

Japan's Self Defense Force, which is pivoting away from defending its northern borders from a diminished Russian threat, is fortifying the region with radar bases and anti-ship missile batteries.

Last month's arrest of the 32-year-old U.S. civilian working at a U.S. base prompted the U.S. military to announce a 30-day period of mourning for the victim and restrict off-base drinking on the island in a bid to assuage local anger.

But relations were further frayed by the subsequent arrest of a U.S. sailor on Okinawa on suspicion of drunk driving following a car crash.
No current issue in international affairs affords a better illustration of US inconsistent sanctimoniousness than the dispute over competing claims to insular territories, Ken Meyercord, author and a retired TV program producer in Washington told Peoples Daily on Friday.

Last month, 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.

The US protested Chinese aggressive actions in the area by sailing its guided-missile destroyer through the territorial waters of China to demonstrate the commitment to protecting freedom of navigation. Yet we refuse to sign the UNs Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the international effort to formalize the rules governing freedom of navigation on the high seas, he revealed, telling us critics of American foreign policy love to point out instances where the policy reeks of hypocrisy.

He mentioned that opponents of the UNCLOS, like US Senators Portman and Ayotte, contend that the convention infringes on US sovereignty, in particular with regard to its provision for international arbitration of dispute.

He believes the main reason for our unwillingness to ratify the UNCLOS lies elsewhere. We have a number of possessions in the Pacific, formally called US Minor Outlying Islands, around which we claim EEZs(Exclusive Economic Zone), he said, most of these possessions were acquired in the late 19th century under the Guano Islands Act of 1856.

The story was like a gold rush, for guano deposits at the time as the phosphate-rich bird poop was much sought after as a fertilizer. The act authorized any American captain who stumbled on an uninhabited, unclaimed island covered in guano to claim it in the name of the United States. Under the act dozens of islands came into Americas possession, most of which we gave up once an island had been stripped clean, literally. Currently, none of our outlying islands have permanent residents, he revealed.

The EEZs around these outlying islands cover a sizeable area. Just one of the equatorial EEZs, that around the Howland and Baker Islands, is larger than the EEZ off the California coast. However, he explained, under UNCLOS, many of these islands would be deemed mere rocks, not entitled to EEZs. Hence, ratification of the Convention on the Law of the Sea would result in a significant diminution of US Exclusive Economic Zones.

Despite the rocky grounds for many of our own claims, we pooh-pooh Chinese claims based on similar grounds, said Ken. Then, he recalled that recently the former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, who belittled Chinas claim to the Huangyan Island because it is almost underwater at high tide, yet US claim not only the territorial waters but also an EEZ around a reef in the Hawaiian Islands chain, Maro Reef, which is entirely submerged, even at LOW tide, he stressed.

He also mentioned Navassa Island, another Guano Islands Act possession of US, which lies far from US shores but just off the coast of Haiti. However, distance cannot stop US claims it.

Similarly, when bemoaning how far Chinas nine-dash-line delineating its claims in the South China Sea extends from the Chinese mainland, we should consider what a line encompassing our own far-flung possessions would look like, he said.
Woden's Canberra Institute of Technology campus could be redeveloped into an aged care facility as part of a wider strategy to reinvent the ailing town centre as a major health precinct, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.

As the ACT government prepares to move about 600 more Health Directorate staff to the ageing town centre, Mr Barr told 80 representatives from Woden and Phillip businesses on Friday he was open to exploring the idea of transforming Woden into the city's leading health hub.

ACT Labor senate candidate David Smith and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at a breakfast forum in Woden on Friday. Credit:Andrew Taylor

"As we look ahead there's an exciting opportunity for rejuvenation and renewal, increased residential population to underpin small business activity together with that daytime activity that comes with the extra staff that are coming in as a result of decisions made by the territory government," Mr Barr said.

"We want to build on that opportunity and think about what's possible in terms of this region as a leading health precinct, not just servicing Canberra but the broader Canberra region."
When Rena McCawley turns 100, on June 22, she will brace for a brisk morning hot air balloon ride to celebrate.

For a woman who has spent so much of her life hunting for interesting perspectives to capture on camera, it will be a moment to remember  a chance to see Canberra in a new light.

Rena McCawley is turning 100 on June 22. The Petrograd born artist will exhibit a collection of her photography in September at Canberra Artworks in Philip. Credit:Jay Cronan

From her full schedule of activities one could not guess Mrs McCawley was on the brink of becoming a centenarian.

She studies Russian with the University of the Third Age, is taking a computer skills course and is building a collection for her solo photographic exhibition to be held in September at Canberra Artworks in Phillip.
Geelong forward Mitch Clark could be considered for a much-anticipated AFL return earlier than expected after a five-goal, best-on-ground performance for the Cats in their 49-point win over the Box Hill Hawks at Simonds Stadium on Sunday.

While Clark, who played his third consecutive match on return from a troublesome calf injury, was aiming for senior selection after the bye in round 16 against Sydney, the Cats could look to promote him earlier against St Kilda next Saturday night given his form.

Mitch Clark Credit:Getty Images

The former Lion and Demon finished with 11 marks and 18 disposals to go with his five goals and two behinds.

While netting his best four-quarter performance since returning from more than 12 months on the sidelines, Clark had an injury scare early in the third term with a right ankle complaint but came back on soon after.
InterOil founder Phil Mulacek has been strongly critical of the Oil Search offer, which he argues undervalues the potential of the Elk-Antelope reserves, its core asset, which could be as high as 15 trillion cubic feet equivalent of oil and gas.

Oil Search is offering 8.05 of its shares for each share held in InterOil, along with a so-called "contingent value right", which will give InterOil shareholders access to any increase above 6.2 trillion cubic feet equivalent of oil and gas in the Elk-Antelope field in Papua New Guinea, which it is hoped will form the basis of a proposed new export gas project.

Shares in InterOil rallied 1.8 per cent in overseas trading on Friday to end the week basically flat as the Oil Search shares slid 3 per cent, declining in line with the weaker oil price after its recent gains.

The renewed strength of the share price of takeover target InterOil Corp is signalling further pressures for Oil Search plans to take control of the company for $US2 billion, in the wake of a significant protest vote by shareholders last week.

Mr Mulacek put forward several board nominees at last week's annual and special meetings of InterOil shareholders which would have given him board control if he succeeded. While his attempted board coup failed, he claimed 31 per cent of the shares voted at the meeting supported his nominees.

"It is clear to us that a substantial number of institutional and individual shareholders share our frustration and dissatisfaction with the board," Mr Mulacek said after the meeting.

Oil Search is seeking to take control of InterOil via a scheme of arrangement. Under Yukon legislation, which is where InterOil is registered, two-thirds of the votes cast must support the offer for it to succeed, which is a lower threshold than for similar votes in Australia. Even so, the high level of dissident voting at the shareholder meeting indicates that success for Oil Search is not guaranteed. InterOil shareholders are to meet on July 28 to consider the merger proposal.

Oil Search continues to argue that the development of the oil and gas assets of the Elk-Antelope acreage would be cheaper if done using some of the infrastructure of Papua New Guinea's existing gas export project, in which ExxonMobil and Oil Search are shareholders. At a time when the global gas export market is over-supplied, Oil Search claims only new projects that can be developed cheaply will proceed.

The PNG government is keen to ensure the gas export project moves forward since other oil and gas ventures, such as the Stanley project backed by Spain's Repsol and the ASX-listed Horizon Oil, have been stalled due to the downturn in the price of oil, despite government pressure for this project to progress.
While Europe and global financial markets are consumed by the prospect of Brexit, business rolls on in Brussels.

Near the top of the agenda for investors continues to be the European Commission's probe into Apple's tax arrangements in Ireland, with both the company and the Irish authorities bracing for a decision that the Irish provided the iPhone maker with illegal state aid through a sweetheart deal.

Apple slices: The EC is probing its Irish tax arrangements. Credit:AP

When will we get the decision?

In the first clues to a firm timeline for a decision on a probe that opened in 2014, Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan told Bloomberg on Thursday in Luxembourg that the commission may publish a decision in July, though "we don't know that with certainty".
I had a morning meeting in the city. Joining the jostle of commuters, I fell out of the train, into line and marched up the stairs surrounded by suits in step.

This makes no sense. It's expensive, irritating, and it wastes time.

Could remote working finally make the office redundant? Credit:Stocksy

Yet millions join the daily commute to costly offices in order to communicate via email with colleagues just metres away. Work would work just as well at home  or would it?

Technology might have freed us to sit alone at the kitchen table staring at a computer screen, but what about the friendly Monday inquiry "how was your weekend?" from a workmate? What about ideas that flow over lunch? Where is the "digital" watercooler? And what does the boss really think of the whole working remotely concept?
You can see that in the selection of seats on which the Greens focus. They don't put their best candidates out in marginal seats that either of the major parties have a good chance of winning. That would mean they had to slog it out with Liberal and Labor to win the hearts and minds of voters. They focus on seats of either major party where the sitting member normally gets above 50 per cent or a sufficiently high vote just under that to ensure victory ... but the other major party isn't really in the hunt.

For Di Natale it's almost the reverse. He is a politician but doesn't want to be thought of as a normal politician. He leads a political party that he wants to grow but rails against the bigger parties. It seems he's opposed to deals being done, about both policy and party preferences ... unless they are ones he likes. There's no way out of it ... he is a normal politician because that's what being in parliament makes you. Ditto Nick Xenophon, who some call the single issue stunt man.

You may have had the experience of dealing with someone who wants to be or thinks they are something they're not. It's always difficult. These people either don't want, or just find it hard, to see themselves as others see them.

Richard Di Natale is a better brand of Green than we've seen before. Potentially more dangerous than any previous leader because he doesn't come over as particularly obsessed or as a nutter. He's a good committee chair and mercifully untheatrical. But he wants to hide what he really is.

The Greens and Xenophon candidates aim to bring the member's vote under 50 per cent and or low enough for lots of preferences to be needed for victory. And to come second. Their hope is that the major party that doesn't hold the seat will come third and give all their preferences to the Greens just for the pleasure of taking a seat from the other major party.

The former leader of the Australian Democrats, Janine Haines, resigned from the Senate to contest what was then the truly marginal seat of Kingston in 1990. Around the time that rumours of her plan were circling through the media I had dinner in Canberra with a friend who had become a journalist. We were discussing how unwise this move was because both major parties had their heart set on winning Kingston. It was obvious that she would be better to stand for an almost safe seat where the Democrats had at least a decent base and win enough votes to bring the member under 50 per cent, and to come second. Mayo, Alex Downer's seat was the obvious choice. Labor would have jumped at the chance to "run dead" and give Haines their preferences. The prize would have been a high profile and effective Liberal scalp.

My friend put the proposition that we should duck back to Parliament House and doctor up an anonymous note to Haines, made up theatrically from letters cut out from newspapers, to clue her in to the obvious. The suggestion was we would be blood siblings for life knowing we had played a real part in what would have been political history.

As intriguing as the suggestion was there was no way I could do such a thing.The team that put you there is the team you play for. Always. Blood sibling is one thing, traitor, quite another. Some years later the Democrats got smarter and John Schuman stood against Downer and nearly won. This is the tactic that both the Greens and Xenophon are using.

It's quite laughable for either to complain about preferences being used to keep them out when they want to use preferences to keep others out. They want to use preferences to get in. They are pretending to not be what they are: politicians.
David Legat, South Morang Union funding wrong. Brethren funding OK. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemns the Labor Party for receiving money from trade unions yet defends funding to his own party from the secretive Exclusive Brethren. Also, Mafia figures donated tens of thousands of dollars to the discredited NSW Liberal Party fundraising vehicle, the Millennium Forum, as part of an ultimately successful campaign to allow a known criminal to stay in Australia (The Age, 29/6/15). Rather hypocritical, don't you think? John Cain, McCrae Our two-tiered system

I retired 10years ago after a long career teaching in government secondary schools. Schools were better resourced under Labor governments (state and federal) than when the Coalition held the reins. The combination of the Kennett government and Howard government broke the state system's back through the former's assault on schools, and the latter's less direct, but just as impactful, unequal funding of elite private institutions. The last school I taught at touted for international students, and the main motivation was money. Little preparation was made for their educational needs. I felt angry and ashamed. Now, in order to gather more funds, teachers in government schools are being "rented out" to private schools (The Age, 17/6). I am despondent that education in this country has perhaps become the most divisive, two-tiered system in the Western world. Until we have one public education system, fully resourced and invested in by all Australians, we can not mature as a nation. Meg Stuart, Forest Hill Educating our youth Maybe Victoria's crime statistics (The Age, 17/6) would not be so bad if the young people concerned were in a school or TAFE institute, being educated with a view to getting a worthwhile job, or in an apprenticeship. Labor has pledged to establish 10 new "tech schools" (The Age, 27/4). It should open more. Also, the old technical schools should never have been shut down.

Lorraine Bates, Surrey Hills The important issues Now that the animal rights lobby has had its say (on the live export trade), can the human rights lobby be outraged about homelessness, treatment of the elderly, mental health shambles et al? Bob Taylor, Bentleigh East Stand firm on gun laws

Audrey Perry's article (Comment, 17/6) is a poignant reminder of why we must never give way to special interest groups and relax our gun control laws. These laws have worked and have saved many lives since the dreadful massacre at Port Arthur 20 years ago. Like Perry, I too am an American who immigrated here 40years ago. I can recall vividly the "gun culture" that I left. It was sadly embedded in early childhood via popular culture and society that has "normalised" gun ownership, including deadly assault weapons, as a "god-given right" anchored to the constitution. Such nonsense should never see the light of day in this "lucky country". I am grateful, along with millions of Australians, that we had strong politicians who stood up the prevailing forces. I remind them to hold firm. Dan Wollmering, Pascoe Vale South A less 'beastly' weapon The National Rifle Association can take some consolation in the knowledge that the gun used in the Orlando massacre was at least of American manufacture and not one of those beastly Russian Kalashnikovs.

George Abel, Drysdale Making your own way Firstly, Roz Pearson (Letters, 18/6), Centrelink does not decide the hoops that job hunters must jump through. These are legislated by the federal government. Centrelink just carries them out. Secondly, I do not see why the rest of us should have to fund your daughter's desire to work in the theatre world. I am sure many people would like the taxpayer to fund their lifestyles while they work towards success in their desired occupation, but they realise they have to fund their way on their own. Michael Butler, Balwyn North A voter's dilemma

I cannot vote Labor because of the CFA debacle. I do not vote Liberal on principle. The Greens do not appeal. The Nationals are Barnaby Joyce, enough said. Which tends to leave the minor parties, whom we are told not to vote for because they will upset the balance of power. So? There is no point in voting informal or even not voting  no one seems to take any notice, apart from being a statistic. Democracy for ever. Keith Beman, Woodend Message to big parties Is it any wonder voters are looking to minor parties and independents in the election to offer respite from the establishment parties (Saturday Age, 18/6)? Bernie Sanders' refusal to drop out of the Democratic National Convention in the US offers some explanation. His campaign has leaned left of all others, but more importantly he is tackling establishment candidates and their parties who tightly control the political process and shut out the punters.

Sanders speaks for those who cannot speak in the modern political process, calling for reform to give voters access to the decision-making processes. Possibly the flight from Labor and the Liberals is an example of us calling for them to end their silly pursuit of power game which excludes everyone who does not play it their way. Simon Williamson, West Footscray Bamboozled by choice I took the opportunity to vote early and I had also decided to vote below the line. I spent almost half a day attempting to research the various micro-parties and independent candidates. Some parties were more like cults than political entities, and the complete lack of information on most of the independent candidates left me wondering if they were actual people or merely somebody's pet budgie. And this is supposed to be a modern democracy? Monica Clarke, Port Melbourne

Birds' right to peace Yes, David Mitchell (18/6), gulls can fly. But if you were chased every time you were resting or feeding, how good would your life be? Birds need to have freedom from being chased by dogs. Dave Torr, Hoppers Crossing Pseudo science? Talk of new superbugs has brought out the "alternative medicine" proponents. Liz Fritzlaff (Letters, 18/6) says, "in many cases, traditional methods for coughs, colds and flues  such as herbs, compresses and homoeopathics  work more effectively than antibiotics". Cold and flues are viral, not bacterial, so of course antibiotics do not work. However, homoeopathy will not cure bacteria or viruses, seeing as it has been proven to be nothing more than a placebo at best. Tim Minchin's words ring true: "Do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proved to work? Medicine." And don't forget the best preventatives for getting sick  wash your hands often, cover your coughs and sneezes, and get your flu shot on time.

Elisabeth Hall, registered nurse, Reservoir Hands off Medicare Why do I not feel reassured at Malcolm Turnbull's assurances that the government will never abrogate its responsibility for Medicare? Seeing what has been done to it already  combining its offices with Centrelink offices, the scarcity of both offices and staff, and the marked reliance on us all being computer savvy  sends a chill down the spine. Doris LeRoy, Altona Who abandoned who?

The furphy that Britain abandoned Australia in joining the EU is alive and well (Letters, 17/6). My aunt told us that she and millions of others voted to join the EU after Gough Whitlam gave hugely influential interviews on his visit to Britain, prior to the referendum, advising it to do so as there would be no special treatment of Commonwealth countries in future trading. Kathleen Hughes, Queenscliff Women of influence It is a sad day when the CFA's Lucinda Nolan, a woman of influence and an incredible role model, is forced to resign due to the whim of the Premier. And even sadder that it bookends the resignation of Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett, who also stood by her principles. Ruth Ryan, Smythesdale

Save beautiful trees The lemon-scented gum trees in Flemington Road, Parkville west, will be removed on Saturday. They include the majestic, 90-year-old one that is entered on the National Trust's register of significant trees. VicRoads conducted an internal review of all options and concluded the trees had to go. The traffic island in which they stand, refuge of those crossing Flemington Road to get to tram stop 22, will also go. The Flemington Road interchange is graced by one of the best of our native species with its abundant canopy and sculptured limbs. It will be replaced by a sea of bitumen, bringing more traffic into the CBD. Joe Edmonds, Parkville Assault is assault The AFL rallies against domestic violence. Yet a player can punch another and get away with a one-game suspension. Maybe that assault on the field is legitimate. If not, why aren't these players being criminally charged? There should be no shortage of witnesses.

Saul Roche, Castlemaine AND ANOTHER THING... Politics It's ironic the world's allegedly most powerful man could nuke large areas of it, but can't control gun ownership among his citizenry.

Rowan Wigmore, Lismore, NSW Aubrey Perry (17/6) praises Australia's gun laws. She forgot to say, "Thank you, John Howard". Kel Northwood, South Yarra Our government is as likely to ban live animal exports as the US government is to ban assault rifles. Sue Currie, Northcote

How can you expect our pollies to care about Aussie cows when they don't care about Aussie humans? Bev Courtney, Langwarrin South It seems we're more concerned with the welfare of animals leaving this country than genuine refugees. Lindsay Donahoo, Wattle Glen Could we have a mid-election bye? I need to rest before the finals.

Graham Smith, Cheltenham Why do why we need an election? Australia seems to be functioning well without a sitting parliament. Robin Martin, Coburg Andrews should have learnt from Kennett's demise. Don't screw the rural community. Tony Curtis, Ballarat Central

Furthermore Medibank, it's time for a new slogan. "I feel better now" doesn't quite fit the bill. Betty Alexander, Caulfield I can't find them officially listed anywhere but "umm", "err" and "ahh" seem to be the most popular spoken "words". Wayne De Lacy, Mitcham
Wu Jianmin

I was in Vietnam on Friday, and had a chance to meet a senior Filipino diplomat. Talking about how China and the Philippines should improve their strained ties under incoming President Rodrigo Duterte, he suggested inviting one prominent and open-minded Chinese diplomat to give a lecture in Manila later this year.

"Who do you think would be the right one?" I asked.

"Ambassador Wu Jianmin," the Filipino replied, without any hesitation. "He is a truly respectful diplomat for his exceptional manner, decency, and global view. I'm sure he will be welcomed."

He then asked if I could help. I accepted the request and said I would contact the 77-year-old former Chinese ambassador to France once I was back in the office on Monday.

But a huge shock came on Saturday morning, when Wu tragically passed away in a fatal car accident in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, that morning. He was on his way to give a lecture at Wuhan University to share his views of the current international situation.

I was devastated for I have been a longtime supporter of Wu's thoughts and views. His sudden death would be a huge loss to China's diplomacy and the academia of international relations.

In China, Wu was known as a hardcore "pigeon", who advocated always using peaceful and diplomatic means, like dialogue, to resolve differences between countries, instead of resorting to hardline ways, like showing muscle.

He famously argued that "anyone who resorts to war will fall in the current era of peace and development".

He was even involved in a recent intense debate with Major General Luo Yuan, a researcher at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Military Science Academy. The latter, a known hawk, is a solid proponent of hardline diplomacy.

Wu's viewpoints left him open to fierce attack by hawkish pundits. Some ultra-nationalists, including many Chinese netizens, even labeled him as a "traitor" to the country.

But I would say that Wu's views should be cherished and appreciated in today's world when we see the slowdown, even retreat, of globalization.
Sunbaker, taken at Culburra Beach on the NSW south coast in 1937, has been lauded as a "national image".

Max Dupain's 'Sunbaker', taken at Culburra Beach on the NSW south coast in 1937.

The batch of almost 500 photographs, sold on Sunday, included a signed print of Dupain's iconic image Sunbaker, and other memorable pictures including Bondi.

A collection of images by legendary photographer Max Dupain have sold for more than $1 million at auction, setting an Australian record.

A 50cm by 56.5cm print of the photograph, signed and dated by Dupain in 1937 and almost the same size as a print bought by the National Gallery of Australia in 1976, fetched $85,000 at the auction in Woollahra on Sunday.

'Bondi', this print from Monash Gallery of Art, fetched $25,000. Credit:Max Dupain

Similar prints of Sunbaker had previously sold for $30,000.

The print of Bondi sold for $25,000, pushing past the previous record of $19,000 for another print of the photograph.

Anna Hombsch, deputy director of Australian and international art at auction house Mossgreen, said the auction was "hugely successful".



The photographs were mostly bought by private dealers and collectors, with some buying multiple photos from the 497 on offer.



"There has been broad interest in the collection," Ms Hombsch said.



"The popularity of this auction shows Max Dupain was a loved and respected Australian photographer."



By 4.30pm the auction had generated more than $1 million.



"That is a record for any photographic auction by one artist in Australia," Ms Hombsch said.
Anton Yelchin, the 27-year-old actor best known for playing the character Chekov in two Star Trek movies, was killed early on Sunday when his car rolled and pinned him against a wall in his driveway, police said.

Russian-born Yelchin died shortly after 1am when he apparently stepped out of his car in the steep driveway of his Los Angeles home and it rolled backwards, said Jenny Houser, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

"The car pinned him against a brick wall and a security fence and that trauma led to his death," Houser said.

Yelchin was due at a rehearsal later on Sunday and when he did not show up friends went to his house and found him dead. No foul play was suspected but the accident is under investigation.
Led Zeppelin musician John Paul Jones testified on Friday that his former bandmate Jimmy Page had never mentioned American band Spirit, whose song Led Zeppelin is being accused of stealing a riff from its 1971 hit Stairway to Heaven.

Jones, 70, appeared in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday in a copyright infringement trial in which the British rock band is accused of copying the opening riff to Stairway to Heaven from the 1967 instrumental Taurus by Spirit.

Led Zeppelin members, from left, Jason Bonham, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones in 2012. Credit:Dario Cantatore/AP

When asked if guitarist Page, the co-writer of Stairway, had ever mentioned Spirit, Jones said no.

Jones also said that he himself had never heard of Spirit until the current lawsuit that was brought in 2014 by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for Randy Wolfe, the late guitarist of Spirit and composer of Taurus.
A quartet of hirsute Adelaide musicians, who together form a novelty band whose entire repertoire consists of original songs all on one topic  beards  simply should not have lasted 11 years. But if musicians and poets can forge entire careers writing about such trivial matters as love, then why not focus on the manmakers? "Brisbeard" has shown up in force. Barring any lumberjack conventions that passed this reviewer's attention, it's doubtful the Triffid has ever seen such a beautifully bearded room. It's also doubtful the venue has ever hosted such a joyous gig, at least since the last time The Beards played here. But as fun  and funny  as they are, at the core of The Beards' success is a bloody talented group of musicians.

Beardraven has the manly voice to match his manly beard and plays a mean sax as well. If I wasn't sporting a beard of my own, I'd frankly feel emasculated by his animal charisma. Facey McStubblington kills it on guitar and vocals, bassist Nathaniel Beard  aka "Dr Karl"  is a consummate performer and John Beardman Jnr was a beard-brushing beast behind the skins. Their set is in two acts  a classy, acoustic set opens the show, and you know it's classy because they're all wearing tuxedos. It was during this act Beardraven and Nathaniel Beard explain the essence of The Beards. Original songs  not parodies, but original songs  all about beards. The guiding principle of all things Beards. Clearly as important as a commandment from God (who also has a beard, by the way).

Unless, of course, Triple J wants you to do a cover and it'll get you some airplay. "The lesson is, sell out at the earliest possible opportunity," Beardraven tells would-be artists, before launching into Sharp Dressed Man. If The Beards are going to cover anyone, after all, it could only be ZZ Top. There's also a slightly awkward moment during the by this stage tautologous I Like Beards. "Don't like the Beatles," he sings.

"I don't like Queen. "Powderfinger are not my kind of scene." The awkward grin on Beardraven's face could well have been an acknowledgement that Powderfinger's John Collins owned the Triffid. The Beards finish their loud, rocking second set with You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man (words to live by, ladies) before the predictable encore. If Your Dad Doesn't Have a Beard You've Got Two Mums, like almost every other song, has the Triffid singing along in unison.
Battling a cold less than two weeks from the federal election, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rolled out his biggest guns to warn against a revived trucking regulator.

Joining dozens of owner drivers in Smeaton Grange in the marginal south-west Sydney electorate of Macarthur on Sunday, Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy Turnbull brought their grandson, Jack, along for the ride.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his grandson Jack visited Sydney Truck and Machinery in Smeaton Grange in Sydney on Sunday Credit:Andrew Meares

Making a repeat appearance in his grandfather's campaign, Jack posed for photos with his grandfather, sounding horns for the assembled cameras at Sydney Trucks and Machinery.
Labor has pledged not to introduce the Coalition's planned cuts to bonus-payments for pathologists and radiologists who bulk-bill, in a move expected to cost $884 million.

The Turnbull government last year vowed to cut bulk-billing incentives in both sectors, to save $650 million for the Medical Research Future Fund over four years, sparking a public row with both. But it reached separate deals with Pathology Australia and the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association, with both agreeing to absorb the planned cuts in exchange for reduced rental regulation and a review of Medicare rebates respectively.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will not introduced the Coalition's planned cuts to bonus payments to pathologists and radiologists who bulk-bill. Credit:Andrew Meares

Labor leader Bill Shorten will promise to continue funding the incentives if elected, at the launch of the party's official campaign on Sunday. A spokeswoman said the Parliamentary Budget Office had estimated this would cost about $884.2 million over the next four years and $2.9 billion over the decade to 2026-27.
What is known is that on the afternoon of Saturday April 9, members of the Elmir network turned up to Wally's A Team Body Works business. Wally Ahmad's business, A Team Body Works in Condell Park. While Wally's name was not on business records  as he told whoever would listen, that meant he couldn't be pinned for anything  it was widely known he was the boss. He roared up and down the street in expensive cars, including a $400,000 SLS Mercedes, and loudly played out his grievances without a care of who heard. The scene of the shooting at Ilma Street, Condell Park, in April, 2016. Credit:TNV

As one officer put it, he did the hard years early on to earn the reputation. People were bashed to a pulp inside the workshop but if the melees didn't stay behind closed doors the driveway sufficed. Elmir's brother-in-law Safwan Charbaji was fatally shot in the Condell Park confrontation. Credit:Facebook Despite his propensity for violence, he was polite to those around him. Insights into his softer side included walking hand-in-hand with his young daughter down the street to buy ice cream. Wally's stronghold extended not just over his smash repairs but over the street.

Mahmoud "Brownie" Ahmad left Australia and travelled to Lebanon after a shooting at his brother's Condell Park smash repairs business on April 9. Or so Wally told the staff at a nearby shop when they dared to ask him about that outstanding $400-$500 tab he clocked up for cigarettes. "I own this f**king street," screamed Wally, as a local later recalled. The funeral of Walid "Wally" Ahmad at Lakemba Mosque. This must have been abundantly known when the Elmirs  a criminal network whose softer approach to extortion gained them the nickname "the Robin Hoods"  drove into Ilma Street.

On the Elmir side that day was the patriarch, Fawaz Elmir, five months out of prison after doing time for a cocaine supply conviction. A hooded figure runs from Bankstown Central after shooting Wally Ahmad on April 29, 2016. With Fawaz was his son, Stephen, another relative who can't be identified due a non-publication order and a relative's brother-in-law, Safwan Charbaji. What made them to turn up to Wally's business, where he was flanked by his equally notorious brothers and associates, depends on who you ask. Wanted: Fawaz Mohammed Elmir. Credit:NSW Police

One theory being investigated is whether a staged kidnapping sparked the meeting. Fairfax Media has been told that this theory involves Wally's brother, Mahmoud "Brownie" Ahmad, secretly colluding with one of the Elmir network's relatives to concoct a fanciful kidnapping. Crime figure Walid "Wally" Ahmad was shot dead at a Bankstown shopping centre on April 29. The Elmir relative would pretend to be a hostage of the Ahmad network, who would only release him if they received $100,000. This demand was conveyed to the Elmir network. However, instead of handing over the cash, the Elmirs drove over to confront Wally and his brothers, sparking the gun fight.

Fairfax Media understands the fake captee has gone to ground with both his own contacts and the Ahmads keen to find him. Another theory circulating, and one that demonstrates the capricious nature of these organised crime relationships, involved the Elmir and Ahmads initially working hand in hand. The story goes that the Ahmad network recruited the Elmirs to do a courier run of cash  again of $100,000 An iPhone was placed in with the bag of cash and one of the Ahmads fired up the application Find My iPhone to track the cash transit. When the car was parked, the Ahmads stole the cash back and then blamed the Elmirs for losing it, sparking the confrontation.

While other underworld sources say the two families were already on bad terms because Stephen Elmir allegedly slapped one of the Ahmad brother's sons at karaoke and had to pay $50,000 to smooth it over. Mention of the Ahmad family name commands an ill-gotten connotation of respect in the south western suburbs. Wally's closest mate at the time was, Auburn man Monzer El Husseini, who had the house of his mother, aunt and his own shot up in drive by shootings more than a decade ago after falling out with a notorious crime family. Investigators have cited this as an example of the same revenge that could be carried out for the most recent shooting, Up to five guns were involved in the Condell Park shooting and police suspect they know at least two people who fired them  Fawaz Elmir and Brownie Ahmad.

The violent and unpredictable Brownie left the country for Lebanon in the days after the confrontation but investigators suspect he also fired a gun. At the end of the day, Safwan Charbaji was shot in the head and chest. A former A Team Body Works employee, Abdullah El Masri, a 25-year-old who sources say was easily led astray, was shot in the jaw but survived. It is suspected Mr El Masri was an unintended victim caught in the cross fire while Mr Charbaji was a target. Mr El Masri was in Liverpool Hospital under a different name, to protect him from people like one of Wally's right hand men, who tried to visit the young man while he was in a coma. Three weeks after the Condell Park shooting, after finishing a gym session as per his daily routine, Wally was executed at a Bankstown cafe.
A Jetstar flight has been turned back to Sydney Airport and was met by emergency services after a "strange smell" was detected on board.

JQ517, which departed for Melbourne at 2.02pm on Sunday, was turned back after about 10 minutes when the smell was found.

Fire trucks drive to meet a Jetstar flight that was turned back to Sydney Airport on Sunday afternoon. Credit:Paul Grainger on Twitter @gdayitspaulyj

The Airbus A321 landed on the runway about 2.30pm.

One witness said the plane pulled up on a vacant taxiway as "firetrucks and emergency crews rushed to the scene".
Egypt court sentences Morsi to life in jail over spying for Qatar

CAIRO -- An Egyptian court sentenced ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and two other Islamist co-defendants to life in prison on Saturday on charges of spying and leaking "classified documents" to Qatar, state-run Nile TV reported.

In Egypt, a life sentence is 25 years in jail.

Cairo Criminal Court also confirmed death sentences against six people linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood over the same charges.

Saturday verdicts can be appealed.

According to the prosecution, Morsi and the other 10 co-defendants had leaked "classified documents" to Qatar.

The documents allegedly contained secrets on "national security," and were allegedly traded with the Qatari intelligence for a million US dollars.
Police are searching for two masked men who attempted to rob a supermarket in Sydney's west on Sunday night, leaving one person in hospital.

The men walked into the Foodworks store in Whalan at around 7.20pm, police said, and threatened staff, allegedly with a Taser.

Before the pair were able to take anything there was an "altercation" with a male worker, which left him with an injury to his face after being stunned by the Taser.

The men then fled on foot and were last seen running along Bulolo Drive.

Emergency services were initially called to the scene with reports someone had been shot.
A brutal attack on a Gold Coast bus has left a man in hospital with facial injuries.

The 71-year-old man was travelling from Tweed Heads to Southport about 11.15pm with a female friend on Saturday.

A brutal attack on a Gold Coast bus has left a 71-year-old man in hospital with facial injuries. Credit:Rob Gunstone

At Tugun a group of six men in their early twenties boarded the bus and one of them started smoking.

The victim asked him to stop smoking and a verbal altercation ensued.
A far north Queensland farmer has taken inspiration from the Amazon to grow cocoa in the midst of the Daintree's rainforests.

According to the Queensland Cocoa Industry Development Association, rainforests were increasingly under threat from encroaching commercial plantations in traditional cocoa producing countries.

One of the cocoa pods grown in north Queensland. Credit:QCIDA

Farmer Laurence Marmara, a member of the QCIDA, said cocoa trees' natural habitat was the Amazon rainforest and that was where he drew his inspiration to grow crops on uncleared land.

Mr Marmara said he took advantage of the rainforest clearings nature had provided on his land.
Queensland's 50-year vision for its south-east must take heed of all region's future needs

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A woman has been charged with high range drink driving after registering over five times the legal limit in Brisbane's south on Sunday morning.

A vehicle was intercepted on Kraft Road in Pallara about 10am and a woman has allegedly returned a positive reading when breath tested.

A 66-year-old woman has been charged with high range drink driving after registering over five times the legal limit in Pallara on Sunday morning. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers

The woman was taken to Inala Police Station for further analysis and it will be alleged she returned a reading of 0.266.

The 66-year-old woman has been charged with one count of driving under the influence of liquor and is due to appear in the Richlands Magistrates Court on Monday.
Think of women who have risen to the top of Australian entrepreneurship and the list gets thin fast.

Ever rarer is a woman who has succeeded with her own name as the brand, who has become a celebrity herself in the process.

Samantha Wills, who grew up in Port Macquarie and now lives in New York, is a tycoon of her time.

Personable, open and yet also guarded and private, the 34-year-old businesswoman appears to effortlessly blend an air of celebrity with social media fanaticism and a unique product.
A convenience store worker has been left bleeding from deep head wounds after being viciously attacked during a hold-up in Melbourne's east.

Police have released disturbing CCTV footage of the violent bashing at the Burwood East milk bar, which occurred about 5.30pm on June 11.

The footage shows a man wearing a black hooded jumper and ski goggles enter the milk bar and threaten the lone female store attendant with an electric stun gun, before demanding cash.

A scuffle breaks out between the woman and the thief, before he pulls a steering wheel lock and repeatedly hits the woman across the head and upper body.
A killer is on the run after a man was stabbed to death at a factory estate in Melbourne's south-east.

Ambulance officers were called to the mechanical workshop in Olive Grove, Keysborough, about 7.30pm on Saturday.

Paul O'Donnell was killed at this Keysborough workshop. Credit:Deborah Gough

It is unclear who raised the alarm. The man, understood to be named Paul, was dead when paramedics arrived.

The assailant remains on the run.
Protesters have taken to the streets in Hughesdale, marching en masse along the proposed sky rail track.

Hundreds of opponents to the Andrews government's proposed sky rail gathered at Galbally Reserve, Hughesdale, on Sunday morning before walking along the Dandenong line from Hughesdale station towards Carnegie.

The sky rail protesters in Hughesdale. Credit:Courtesy of Seven News, via Twitter

The No Sky Rail group protesters were dressed in red and snaked their way through the suburban streets along the train line.

Within two-and-a-half years every level crossing on the Dandenong line will be gone.
Hundreds of Victorian truck drivers and their families have driven in convoy across the West Gate Bridge as part of a national campaign to highlight the industry's high death toll.

The Transport Workers Union protest began at 10am on Sunday across five capital cities.

Truck drivers, their families and the families of those killed in truck crashes joined co-ordinated convoys and protests around the country on Sunday. Credit:Jason South

Between 50 and 100 trucks met at a reserve in Port Melbourne, before driving across the West Gate.

The minimum pay rate for owner-operator truck drivers was scrapped when the Turnbull government abolished the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), which had recently set new base pay rates.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

Trend:

Armenian armed forces have 20 times violated the ceasefire with Azerbaijan on the line of contact over the past 24 hours, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a message June 19.

Moreover, Azerbaijani positions underwent fire from the positions located near Chilaburt village of the Terter district, Yusifjanli, Kengerli, Shikhlar villages of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Ashagi Seyidahmadli, Horadiz villages of the Fizuli district, Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district and from the nameless heights in the Goranboy, Fizuli and Khojavand 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.
As kids in the 60s, my siblings and I invented a Fathers Day ritual. Early in the morning, we laid sheets of paper end-to-end on the floor of our home, making a winding path that led from one room to the next, the paper marked with clues: directional arrows and big hints (Look in the closet). When our father awoke, we instructed him to follow the path and watched with gleeful satisfaction as he stepped slowly, deliberately, pausing occasionallyWhat a long path! Do I have the strength to continue? and finally made it to the end, where his present awaited. A razor and can of shaving cream? A tie? A handmade card signed by all of us children? I dont remember the gifts. I remember the path.

A few days before Christmas 1973, my father took his own life. He was 44. I was 14. He left behind a wife and eight children and no note to explain himself. Still, his final act was not a complete surprise. He was a successful, hard-working CPA with a sharp and goofy Irish wit, but he was in the habitlike many men of his generationof keeping his problems to himself. He did not speak of how, in his childhood, he had suffered a series of wrenching losses, beginning with the loss of his father, who abandoned the family and vanished before my father could walk. In his last years my father was increasingly unhealthy, both physically (he had diabetes and was not always diligent in treating it) and mentally. In his last few months, he was like a ghost in the house. I rarely saw or spoke to him.

As the decades passed and his death grew more distant, so did he. My father calcified into splinters of memory that I could not make cohere. He lay still within me, in shadows, the vague shape of a man I had known when I was 8 and 10 and 13in other words, a man I had known hardly at all.

Then, as I entered my late forties, becoming older than my father had ever been, the fact of his absence began to nag in a new way. Who was he, anyway? How had he come to be the sort of man who could kill himself, leaving behind a wife and eight children? What happenedin the years, the decades, the centurybefore his death that set the stage for it? I decided to write a book about him, compelled by a desire to break the silence within which he lived and died and to make, perhaps, some peace with his absence. I set down words on paper, marking it with clues, laying down a path, page by page, that might lead me to an understanding of why my father made the final choice he did. Having finished the book, I do think I have a better understanding of that act, but the most powerful and gratifying consequence of my writing is this: in imagining my way into my fathers life, I have come to feel closer to him than I ever did when he was alive.

My project was about remembering, but it was first about discovering. I pored over census records and newspaper archives and my fathers high school yearbooks. I studied old family photographs and letters. I drove through Seattle in search of addresses where my father had lived as a child. I traveled from my home in Indianapolis to East St. Louis and Litchfield, Illinois, where earlier generations of my fathers Irish immigrant family had labored on the railroads. I interviewed my mother and siblings and distant relatives whose existence I learned of only through detective work.

Then I pieced together the facts Id gathered, trying to tell my fathers story, the one he never told me. On sabbatical from my teaching job, I had the leisure to spend whole days at the keyboard, contemplating my father at a particular age, in a particular moment: at seven, on a sunny September day in Seattle, playing with his two brothers on a lake shore, realizing that one of them, 5-year-old Skippy, has disappeared, then learning, after the sheriffs bloodhound has done its work, that Skippy slipped off the dock and drowned; or, at 11, after the funeral of his mother, standing on the sidewalk outside of the church and asking his grandparents what is going to become of himasking who is going to care for him now; or, at 16, at a high school mixer, being bold enough to ask for a dance, then one more, then one more, with the cute 14-year-old brunette who will one day be my mother.

I might end a days writing session having produced only 300 words, but I would have spent hours imagining a moment in my fathers life and existing with him in it. I wrote his story chronologically and thus began to have the uncanny feeling, day by day, paragraph by paragraph, that he was moving through his life and I was moving through it with him. He was no longer the middle-age suicide; he was alive again as the teenager strolling home from school, bounding up the wooden steps of his front porch. He was the 18-year-old marine at Pearl Harbor, discovered on a bright August morning asleep at his post. He was the young man, still in college, getting a phone call from a strangerhis long-lost fatherwhom he meets that night for a reunion conversation and then decides never to see again. My father did not live to accompany me in my journey through life, but I was accompanying him through his.

I began to feel sorry for the guy and to identify with him. After all, I too had lost a father when I was young. I too had become 16 and 20 and 35 and 40. I understand now what I couldnt have when my father was alive. I know what it feels like to have a wife and young children and a complicated job that demands long hours of attention. I know what it is like to return home weary from work to gleeful shrieks of Daddy! Daddys home! and to feel warmed by those sounds, then slightly annoyed as my two small boys leap upon me or follow at my heels yammering of some project they need help with before I have had a moment to slip off my jacket and collect my thoughts. What was it like for my father to return home not to two children but to five or six or seven? I know what it feels like to have ones marriage come to a breaking point. My first wife and I separated for a year, and I recall well my tangle of feelings in that sudden solitude: the dizzy mix of liberty and loneliness. Is that what my father felt when, late in my parents marriage, he lived for almost two years in a nondescript apartment a few miles from our home?

I wouldnt mind talking with him about these thingsand I have sometimes felt as if I could. In writing my book, I experienced moments of almost forgetting he was dead. About some impossible question regarding his life, I considered just asking my father directly, only half-realizing that this would be impossible. He was becoming that real to me, that alivenot the fixed, distant father of memory but a yearning, imperfect, strange, and changing person, as anyone is. In writing a sentence, then another, then another, I was following a path into the past toward a gift I didnt expect and will never give back: not a feeling for why he died but a feeling for how he lived.

Chris Forhans memoir My Father Before Me will be published by Scribner on June 28.
Look out, Richard Branson. Here comes Jeff Bezos rocketing into your space.

The Amazon billionaires once secretive program to take paying passengers to the edge of space now appears to be set to overtake Bransons Virgin Galactic project to inaugurate space tourism.

With a successful fourth test flight of Bezoss New Shepard space vehicle Sunday, his very different approach to achieving reliable suborbital flight gives his company, Blue Origin, what seems like a competitive edge.

In fact, after three successful tests in seven months, Bezos was so confident of his teams design that the new test flight included a deliberate systems failure to see how well the capsule that would carry passengers survived a hard landing.

Bezos and Branson are both selling basically the same thing: a hot ride to just beyond 62 miles above earth where the boundary of space officially begins, followed by a few minutes of weightlessness and mind-blowing views on the way back to earth.

However, while Bezos provides a ride in a capsule atop a rocket, Branson has bet on a ride inside what resembles the cabin of a small business jet, albeit punched aloft by a rocket and returning to earth in a long glide (Bezoss capsule drops to earth under three parachutes and uses a last-minute rocket braking system to soften the landing.)

Since 2004 Richard Branson has been virtually a one-man megaphone for space tourism. After missing many deadlines for the launch of his Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo program a test flight in October 2014 ended in disaster and the death of one of the two pilots.

The copilot actuated an aerodynamic braking device too soon and the vehicle was torn apart. A report on the crash by the National Transportation Safety Board was critical of both Galactic for its safety procedures and of the Federal Aviation Administrations oversight of the flight testing.

Testing is only now about to resume. (The first flights will be glides to earth, not rocket-powered ascents.)

The accident visibly shocked Branson. But his experience recalls that of other pioneers who pursued transformational ideas. Sometimes being first is costly and ends in having to watch others take the prize.

Case in point: the jet age began with a British airliner, the beautifully-sculpted de Havilland Comet. But the British designers did not understand the stresses of jet flight on airplane structures and several crashes revealed a fatal flaw. By the time this was corrected de Havilland were overtaken by Boeing with their 707 and the Brits never regained their lead.

Bransons designer, Burt Rutan, pioneered the concept of a reusable vehicle that could blast its way to the threshold of space and return to a runway like an airplane. Rutans SpaceShipOne won a $10 million prize in 2004 for achieving the first manned private space flight.

To meet Bransons goal of flying six passengers and a crew of two on a suborbital trip Rutan took the original concept  the space vehicle launched from a mother shipand scaled it up. The result was Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnight Two, the mother ship.

The problem with SpaceShipTwo has always been to generate enough rocket power to carry the heavier payload. After three years of powered test flights the vehicle remains far short of achieving its goals. The highest altitude so far reached is just under 13.5 miles, just one fifth of the apogee it must reach to qualify as suborbital flight.

The 2014 crash exposed tensions between the roles of the FAA and the NTSB over safety of both crew and passengers on space tourism flights. Chris Hart, then the acting chairman of the NTSB, admitted to confusion over who was responsible for what.

Even though the FAAs Recommended Practices for space flight include the capability to abort, escape or both there is no escape mechanism for Virgin Galactic passengers. In contrast, the passenger-carrying capsule of New Shepard can eject from the launch rocket in case of an emergency and descend by parachute.

Branson organized one of his typically flamboyant press jamborees earlier this year to introduce the new SpaceShipTwo that will begin test flights this summer. In truth this was always intended to become a second test vehicle to fly simultaneously with the first that was lost in the crash. It has some modifications, both to increase safety and improve its aerodynamics, but it remains basically the original Rutan design. (But it does have a new name, Unity.)

One indication of the struggle to get the vehicles rocket engine to deliver enough power, and to deliver it reliably, is that the formula for the fuel used has changed twice. Originally a rubber-based fuel was used, notable for the blackness of its exhaust. That was replaced with a nylon-based fuel that was used on the fatal test flight (the fuel had nothing to do with the crash). Now Galactic has reverted to the rubber-based fuelapparently because it enables the rocket engine to be simpler and lighter.

The same failure to produce enough power has afflicted the mother ship, WhiteKnightTwothough in this case it is jet engines that have proved not powerful enough, not rockets, and not for the role of launching the space vehicle.

Branson had made much of a dual role for WhiteKnightTwo. In place of the space vehicle slung beneath its belly there would be LauncherOne, a rocket capable of launching satellites into orbit. In principle, launching a rocket from the cruise height of a mother ship, around 40,000 feet, instead of launching from the ground, requires much less power and therefore the rocket can be smaller and lighter. It fires off into space and then itself launches the satellite from its nose.

It turned out, though, that the right size rocket for launching satellites was too heavy for WhiteKnightTwo to lift. In its place Branson has taken a Boeing 747 retired from his Virgin Atlantic fleet and this will be modified to become the mother ship for LauncherOneby coincidence the 747 had flown for the airline under the name of Cosmic Girl.

Launching the next generation of smaller satellites used to build communications and navigation networks in space is estimated to be a huge business  over the next five years more than 500 small satellites will be looking for launch vehicles, a market worth more than $7 billion. However, adapting old jumbo jets as launchers might well be a stopgapthe Europeans are developing a pilotless vehicle, a kind of super drone, for launching small satellites into low Earth orbit.

With the emergence of Bezos as a serious challenger to Virgin Galactic, the rival programs could not more clearly reflect the difference in the characters and approach of the two billionaire space cadets.

Bezoss business plan for Amazon defied a body of conventional wisdomthe company grew steadily but never made a dime of profit for years. It was predicated on Bezoss iron belief that once the business reached a certain scale it could overpower all competitors and make him billions, which, of course, eventually it did.

All the time, apparently, Bezos had another dream. He foresaw a world in which all heavy industry would be moved to space Earth can be zoned residential and light industrial he told reporters when, earlier this year, he showed them around Blue Origins main plant at Kent, Washington.

Space tourism is, comparatively, a very modest part of his larger dream. But it is one in which he very early on saw a danger. Space is very easy to overhype he said.

Tell that to Branson. Virgin Galactic is the classic textbook case of a project becoming the victim of overhyping. Branson has never seemed to grasp the enormity of the scientific challenges he faced. It seemed hard for him to distinguish between an experimental program, which is certainly what the Rutan concept has been, and the level of reliability required for it to become operational, able to deliver, at the very least, several flights a week with passengers.

While Branson was staging theatrical press conferences and, in the process, getting hundreds of people to sign up for a trip costing $250,000 per person, Bezos built a launching pad and complex at Van Horn in west Texas and gathered a team of top ranking aerospace engineers without any publicity at all. Indeed, there was an aura of compelling mystery about what he was up to.

That all changed when Blue Origins achievements became clear. Bezos was determined to show that privately-funded space engineering was not going to be just the equal of NASAs moonshot-scale programs but that it could be far more efficient and cost-effective. At the heart of this philosophy is reusabilityinstead of rockets that become junk after one flight, they would return to earth and be used for multiple launches.

When New Shepard made its first flight last November it hit all its targets. The capsule separated at the apogee of 62.45 miles, all three parachutes deployed at 20,000 feet and it touched down 11 minutes after liftoff. At the same time the rocket was aligned for a landing back at the launching pad. As it reached a height of 5,000 feet above the pad the engines restarted to brake the speed. Fifty feet from the pad four landing legs deployed and the rocket touched down at a speed barely above four miles per hourand less than five feet from the center of the pad.

It was an astonishing proof of concept. Not least among the achievements was to have tamed the brute power of the rocket engine well enough to be able to throttle it down from maximum power, like a jet engine.

No longer needing to keep his dreamworks under wraps, Bezos opened up the plant (an old Boeing facility) to reporters in March. As impressive as New Shepard is, its not the main item of business. That is the production of a far more powerful rocket engine that will replace the Russian engine at present used to launch future programs into deep space.

Beyond that there is what the Blue Origin engineers call Very Big Brothera scaled-up version of New Shepard, engine, rocket and capsule that would be orbital. (The other billionaire in the space business, Elon Musk, has achieved reusability with his SpaceX orbital rockets, after several failures; Musks ultimate plan is a ride to Mars, not a tourist excursion.)

Bezos says he has spent more than $500 million to get this farthats about the same sum that Branson has admitted to spending on Virgin Galactic, though experts believe that the real total is nearer a billion. The difference is that Bezos now has a proven industrial-scale foothold in the space business while Branson is still well short of achieving proof of concept.

It has to be said, though, that should the Galactic concept eventually workand there are many hurdles facing it before we will know if it doesit will provide a very elegant way for rich people to get a unique high. The transition from the velocity of the rocket ride to the long glide back to the spaceport is a daring combination of ballistics and aerodynamics. Its more imaginative than New Shepards dependency on ballistics and a descent on parachutes that reminds us more of how astronauts coming home from space end up either in the sea or in remote parts of the Russian tundra.

But is this really space tourism? It depends what you mean by space, and what you mean by tourism. Suborbital joy rides barely brush the edge of space. They certainly give a visceral shot to the thrill-seekers. But tourism seems a tame word for something that embraces such heights and speeds. One thing is for sure, for people with money to burn it will really smoke.
Before I speak to Herb Sosa, the President of Unity Coalition, which advocates for LGBT Latinos/Hispanics in Florida, Sosa himself has been speaking to a friend who escaped from the LGBT Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people around him.

Every one of my friends answers to me asking how he was or whatever was one word, says Sosa. People are affected physically and emotionally. There are so many layers, like survivors guilt: why did I survive, and the person next to me die? Should I have done more? Did I wimp out by not doing more? These are very real feelings.

As I write this, the funerals of the people who died have begun, accompanied by many wrenching pictures of distraught relatives and friends.

Most were Latino and Hispanic. It was Pulses Latino night. "Its a horrible situation, says Sosa. This has been a huge hit for the Latino and Hispanic communities." It was reported that 90 per cent of the victims were Latino/Hispanic, with 23 of the victims from Puerto Rico, specifically.

Richard Blanco, the first openly gay (and Latino, and immigrant, and youngest) Inaugural Poet, told the Daily Beast he was writing a poem inspired by the awful events of last week.

Blanco said he was feeling the tragedy keenly, "not only in terms of my ethnicity and connection to the Latino gay population but also because it's Orlando. I grew up in Miami. So its home. There's a double layer of community when it comes to being Latino and gay, a double sense of home and coming home.

"Theres a familiarity not only in terms of belonging to LGBT community, but also a Latino community--it's an idea of cultural sexuality. We're very tied to our community: the two are intimately related.

"I think I may have even been to Pulse. Certainly when I see the faces and names of the victims makes me think of the unique challenges facing LGBT Latinos. You go to a Latin night at Pulse as a way of expressing your own culture as an LGBT person. You can't really do that in other settings where you're culturally stifled at times."

"Pulse was a club that meant a lot to a lot of people," says Hector Constanzo of the Orlando Youth Alliance. "Its a place where everyone could forget their troubles and be themselves. It was the first place where my cousin and I saw two guys dance together, two guys kissing.

"It was a place where I could be with my gay family. It was an amazing feeling to be there, and its really sad that its taken 49 people to die for people to understand something about what LGBT people deal with on a regular basis.

"People need to wake the hell up, and understand that anti-gay violence and homophobia is a problem. We need to address it. At Pulse people could enjoy the happiness and freedom that they couldnt have outside. Its sad and terrifying that its gone."

Currently, what Sosa is particularly seeing is huge needs and confusion on the part of family members. We have people trying to get here from Honduras, Puerto Rico, a variety of places, and are facing issues of getting visas, hotels, and air fares. On top of all of that their child or loved one is dead. There are other challenges too, like the transporting of bodies, whether in the US or outside it. There has been an amazing amount of help from companies and individuals, and people offering their rooms and hotel rooms. The community couldnt possibly be doing better.

When I ask Heather Wilkie, Director of Zebra Coalition, an organization serving the needs of Orlando's LGBTs, aged 13-24, how she is doing, she laughs softly. "I have an auto-pilot answer for that now," Wilkie says. 'I'm hanging in there.'"

Since Sunday, the Coalition has been working closely with the LGBT Center, taking on the responsibility of running a hotline. Young people were scared to even come to the building after the event.

"The long-term impact may be that people feel afraid and what does that do for someone like a young person coming to terms with themselves, coming out, and connecting to the gay community? There are a couple of ways that may manifest--not reaching out for help, or internalizing unhealthy behaviors associated with that: substance abuse, anxiety, depression, all of that."

Wilkie says Zebra's young clients are shocked. "Most people know someone who knows someone. Orlando is kind of big, kind of not-really. People know each other. The LGBT community is centered downtown: the resources, clubs, and bars are in one area. Pulse is about two miles from us, and caters towards a younger clientele--like our clients."

Shane Alexander Arvelo, chair of Zebra's Youth Council, is too young to go to the bars, but has friends who went to Pulse.

"I was really upset about it. I didn't know how to feel. I thought it was like a dream. I didn't believe it could happen so close. I feel like LGBT bars were safe before. Now I really don't feel like they're safe.

"It was an attack on the LGBT community, but when I realized the number of Latinos killed, it hit much closer. It was a different level of hurt," the transgender teenager says.

"That's the closest you can get to my community in every shape and form.

"I'm still very confident in my my sexuality and sexual identity. For people who aren't as confident I feel like this would make people want to go back into the closet. It was a direct attack on the Latino LGBT community, People are already scared to come out, and this didn't help anyone in that sense."

For Arvelo, in the first days, going to Zebra didn't feel safe, "and this is my second home. It's just shocking that one person could change the whole dynamic of a city. I'm pretty positive. I'm not as scared as I was on Monday, and I'm continuing to feel better."

People have been very affected, Sosa says. There are the people who got out or survived who are injured physically and psychologically. A friend in Puerto Rico says that everyone is devastated on the island. This tragedy has affected thousands of people indirectly. There are the immediate victims, and then the shockwave surrounding this goes on and on.

"Im sure people are scared," says Constanzo. "Im sure they dont want to leave their homes or go anywhere. But we cant be afraid, we need to stand proud. We cant be pushed back into the closet or the corner. We want all LGBT young people to know that we are there, whatever they need.

"We know that the shooter knew it was an LGBT club, we dont know if the shooter knew it was a Latin night specifically. These were gay Hispanics. It can be very hard being gay and Hispanic if youve been told by a family that being gay and Hispanic doesnt co-mingle. It can be very disheartening. Come to terms with it, even if you dont want to."

As Sosa says, Pulse was extremely important for LGBT Latinos. "It was a place of fun, of escape. Places like Pulse have been our families and out homes. Many in our LGBT community have not come from a supportive family.

"In the Latino and Hispanic communities, there are social norms, prejudices and sometimes crazy religious extremism. Kids can be thrown out by their families on to the streets. That itself can lead to child abuse, exploitation, drugs, homelessness. Clubs like Pulse fulfill a real need for the LGBT community."

Sosa had seen reports that some families of the shooting victims were finding out their children were LGBT for the first time.

"Nothing is worse than the death of a child, and then that. In no way am I judging them, but I have seen some interviews where mothers have said, 'My son was not gay.'

"It doesnt matter, but thats a whole other layer: family, religion, social pressures. We know what happens next--there are fewer vigils, the outpouring slows down--but one thing I hope comes out of this is that parents, if their child comes out to them, are supportive to their LGBT children."

If you are Latino or Hispanic going to a club for its Latin night like Pulse is partly about the music, says Blanco, and "being able to dance to salsa and what-not," but also a more general sense of community.

"We have to deal with a certain, distinct flavor of homophobia within our communities--the idea of machismo and very strong families. I certainly feel more at home in an LGBT Latino atmosphere than a more generic gay atmosphere. It's because of all these nuances and layers of things we deal with."

For Blanco, while religion can cast an oppressive shadow for LGBT Latinos, machismo--or the perception that a man is showing any sign or symptom of femininity--is far more insidious. "Latino culture may be female-revering, but at the same time it diminishes female power," he says.

Growing up, it was Blanco's grandmother, "who really did a number on me. She tried to 'make me a man,' make me behave 'like a man.' For her, I always liked being too girly. She was constantly watching me and making sure I was not doing girly things, like eating croissants."

He has met with LGBT groups in countries like Mexico who look to America "with awe" on how much LGBT progress they have achieved. But there are "generations of cultural norms and pressures" in Latino culture to confront, he says. Blanco says he does not want to stereotype or generalize or be derogatory, but working class Latino parents may find it harder to accept a child's coming out.

Pretense is valued harmfully in Latino culture, Blanco says. His grandmother--"who had me under surveillance and gave me verbal abuse since I was 6 or 7--had a saying, which translated means, 'It's better to be it and not act like it, than to act like it and not be it.'

"The idea of secret lives still happens in Latino culture: men have secret lives behind their wives' backs, and everyone knows it, but it's very hush-hush.

"It's more honorable to have a secret life and not see it. I hate to stereotype, but a lot of it is true. I've seen it my own family extended family. That's why coming together as LGBT Latinos is even more special.

"When I saw the young faces of the Pulse victims, I thought about what they must have gone through already, their bravery. It takes courage to come out in any culture, and I certainly identify with those youth because in a way they were me."

Arvelo, fortunately, was raised in a very accepting family, he says. "My mom's side is Mexican, my dad's from Puerto Rico. It took him a little longer to accept it. It wasn't like he hated, it just took a lot for him to understand and accept it.

"A few of my Hispanic friends, their parents definitely did not accept it. It's not really accepted a lot of the time in the community. Their parents disowned them. If you're Caucasian and you get to 18, it's like, 'I can do what I want.' That's not the same in Hispanic families, and church and faith is also important."

Especially in the Hispanic community, says Sosa, "were very religious and influenced by faith. I am part of a church, and 99.999 per cent of our churches have been supportive, or at least non-judgmental, after the shootings. I would hope those churches have had an epiphany towards LGBT people, or at least this has provided an opportunity to start a conversation."

Wilkie concurs, though notes that while church is supposed to be a safe space, it often hasn't been for LGBT Latinos. "But we had a press conference here this week, with 35 leaders of the faith communities, talking about opening their doors to the LGBT community. We need more of that, and more education around that."

Latino and Hispanic LGBT people, says Sosa, face the same kinds of discrimination that Latinos face in society in general, especially around language and accent barriers, which can also occur between Latinos and Hispanics themselves, and around social class.

"There is, of course, segregation within the LGBT community itself between Anglo and Hispanic communities," he added. "Up until recently the dirty truth was that Hispanics and Latinos were seen as a fetish. Everyone liked to have a Hispanic boyfriend until it came time for your typical blue-eyed, blond-haired white boy to take him home to his mommy.

"But I have definitely seen a shift in that: a lot of it is generational. Younger kids are more open-minded when it comes to color and social class. Even a tragedy like this might nudge that forward."

Blanco has a more positive experience. "I think there's a lot of attraction between Latino and non-Latino gays. We all, as LGBTs, go through similar trials and tribulations. We all know what it is like to be rejected and discriminated against. I married a non-Latino. We love those differences--we see those differences as complementary, an attraction rather than repulsion."

Sosa does not think an attack like Mateen's will cause fear around coming out.

"I almost see the oppositethat it could cause a situation of empowerment. Only crazy people are saying awful things. Our president has been incredibly compassionate and eloquent; our young people see open, LGBT journalists like Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, and Don Lemon speaking so supportively and passionately. That, in itself, is a wonderful validation for young people to see.

"There has been fundraising, blood donations, and vigils. I dont think we have missed a beat. For the victims GoFundMe fund to have raised $5.4 million (by the time of writing) already is incredible. To think that anything attached to LGBT could have raised so much attention and compassion nationwide would have been unthinkable to me a few years ago."

For Sosa, "the most positive thing" is symbolized in that huge figure. "We are not unicorns hiding in the cave, we are brothers and sisters, kids and neighbors. We have even had approaches from organizations, quite conservative ones, offering us help and whatever we need."

In his poem, Blanco says he is writing about the various levels of "gay experience" the victims may have been at. "When I worked with [the campaign group] Freedom To Marry on the [pro marriage equality poem] 'United We Stand,' that was a great battle we won, but the war isn't over. We have other communities who need our attention, especially youth in other ethnic communities.

"For them the first conversation isn't 'I want to get married,' but 'Can my boyfriend come to dinner?' We have to be there for our youth, and have a culturally specific awareness of the issues they may face."

The mental health needs for these people is going to be huge in the future, says Sosa. Its great to have so many people offering help now. The key thing will be to guarantee that care and help will be available in the long term.

Professionals like Sosa and Wilkie and their various staffs have been working flat-out since Sunday--from the adrenaline of doing what was needed to do to help, the shock now--nearly a week on--is beginning to set in.

Wilkie and her wife went to Pulse many times: she fondly recalls its stylish 'white room,' outdoor tropical-themed area, and dance room. "People have been posting pictures of being there, and we came across one of us all outside the bathrooms, which I just couldn't (many victims were killed there). It had that trigger. It's so close to home, you feel so many emotions.

"You go through, 'What if,' and then 'Where are the Zebra youth? Are they safe?" she says. "The trauma will start to happen as times goes on. I haven't watched the news. I know the whole world has watched the news. I've spoken to the media, but I haven't looked at the footage. I don't know if I want to. Your brain can only handle so many emotions and be extended so far."

How would Sosa sum up the LGBT Latino community after this hellish week? "We are embattled, strong, and under attack. But like LGBTs more generally, were resilient. We have been dumped on by families and the clergy. We have been hated and discriminated against. We have had acts of violence committed against us. This is a really, really hard one, the worst kick in the stomach. But we have experienced persecution, rejection, and hatred before, were used to it, and we will get through it."

For Arvelo, his family has been a wonderful support these last few days: he is able to talk to them about his feelings, and they and friends have accompanied him to the main Orlando vigil which was very moving.

"There were 5,000 people there. Between each toll of the church bells, all you could hear was heavy breathing and sobbing," he says. "It was the first time I actually cried."

Wilkie has seen her clients in "crisis mode," disbelieving a friend has died or been injured, blaming who they want to blame as an understandable way to process what has happened.

As for Mateen, "if it is true that he was struggling with his own sexuality and sexual identity, and we don't know, then I think of all the things that would have happened, been different, if we had seen him at Zebra at a young age," says Wilkie. "If he had had counseling, family support, what positive things could have happened from that? It's interesting to think of the work I do every day and consider that."

For Constanzo, "49 people are too many people to forget. Be strong. The strength comes from being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender: weve been through shit. If we need to go through more shit, we will. We will fight. We are the most amazing, fierce human beings.

"Stay close to your friends," Constanzo says. "Pay attention to your surroundings. Be safe. But dont let this one horrible incident scare you out of going out or coming out. Show support to others, and get support if you need it."

Wilkie says that--the wonderful outpouring of love and support notwithstanding--it will be "six months down the road" when people in Orlando will need support.

Should Pulse reopen, I ask her. "Well, of course," she says. "To say, 'We will prevail, we stay strong and still a community,' yeah I think it should."

Blanco is also optimistic. "Again, I don't want to stereotype, but we Latinos can be fiery bunch, and the idea of a strong family carries over into our community to a larger degree. A double bonding. I don't think it will destroy our community: it will make us stronger.

"I hope it will be a tipping point for everyone, for all of us, in terms of these senseless acts of gun violence. Every tragedy comes with some kind of positive or wed lose our minds. As LGBT people, we know how to wave a flag or two. We are used to fighting for years. So many different kinds of people are victims of violence. I wonder if can find commonality through these tragedies to find the voices to say, 'Enough is enough.'"

For Arvelo, the massacre could "open people's eyes," in that "hopefully now people understand when something is focused on a certain community. The community will be stronger. People will start going out again. I know that if you're in the closet you might see something like this and think, 'If this is what I am going to face every day, why should I come out?'

But I'm happy I came out. I say, 'Don't be scared. It sucks. Come out and stand with your family and community, and be honest about it. Get involved: that's the best thing you can do.'

"Of course it hurts right now. But I don't think anyone should have to hide who they are because one person did a terrible thing and took countless lives away. To families and churches, I would say, 'Treat people if they come out equally, as human beings. They're not a different person just because they are LGBT.' I want everyone to be able to stay strong."
As holidays go, Fathers Day is a fairly new one. Its only really been observed since 1966, when President Lyndon Baines Johnson designated the third Sunday in June to be a day for honoring dads.

As a result, there are just a few traditions associated with itthe main ones being, of course, the giving of Fathers Day cards and gifts.

But the rest of the day youre pretty much on your own and, besides perhaps Scotch, there are certainly no traditional foods or beverages associated with the holiday.

I think as a country we can certainly do better than thatwere celebrating your dad after all. So to properly honor the man you need to fix him a delicious cocktail and give him a heartfelt toast.

To help you out we picked four drinks any father is sure to enjoy and that youll be able to pull off no matter your bartending skills.

If youre having brunch with your pops, try fixing him the manly Blood and Sand. The cocktail, to be clear, does not contain blood or sand but is instead named for a Rudolph Valentino bullfighting movie that came out in 1922.

This cocktail busts the myth that Scotch cant be used in mixed drinks. The whisky works beautifully with orange juice, sweet vermouth and the Danish Cherry Heering liqueur.

The earliest recipe that anybody has been able to find is in Harry Craddocks 1930 art-deco Savoy Cocktail Book, but other than that we dont know much about who created the drink.

Blood and Sand

Ingredients:

1 oz Glenmorangie The Original Scotch1 oz Orange juice.75 oz Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth.75 oz Cherry Heering

Glass: Cocktail

Garnish: Brandied cherry

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

For afternoon soirees try making your dad a delicious Julep. But instead of using bourbon, which is now standard, try it with Cognac. In the 1800s, the French spirit was often used in cocktails and its great in a Julep with tons of baking spice notes.

Cognac Julep

Ingredients:

.5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)Mint leaves2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula Cognac

Glass: Julep

Garnish: Mint sprig

Directions:

Muddle a few mint leaves and the simple syrup in a julep cup. Add the Cognac and fill with crushed ice. Stir, until the julep cup develops a frosty exterior. Add more crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

Another great afternoon sipper is the Old Fashioned. The drink, which calls for sugar, water, spirit, bitters and alcohol, is essentially the original definition of a cocktail. (In the late 1800s as bartenders began to use other ingredients, drinkers who wanted that basic concoction would order a so-called Old Fashioned.)

From brandy and bourbon to gin the Old Fashioned can be made with arrange of spirits but on Fathers Day I like to feature Scotch.

While it might sound heretical to some malt drinkers, the cocktail is a delicious way to showcase the spirit on hotter days. (Monday is, after all, the first day of summer.)

Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

Scotch1 tsp Sugar1 dash Water2 dash Angostura Bitters

Glass: Old Fashioned

Garnish: Brandied cherry

Directions:

Add a teaspoon of sugar, the bitters and a dash of water to an Old Fashioned glass. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the whisky and a large ice cube. Stir again and then garnish with a brandied cherry.

For dinner celebrations, you could certainly serve classic Manhattans (American whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters), but on Sunday mix things up by fixing the related Rob Roy, which instead calls for Scotch.

The switch in whiskies gives the drink a subtle difference, which your dad will no doubt enjoy tasting.

Rob Roy

Ingredients:

2 oz Scotch whiskey1 oz Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Glass: Cocktail

Garnish: Brandied cherry

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
NEW ORLEANS  Where do you bury the ashes? the joke started.

In the fruit jar.

Did you hear about the weenie roast? went another.

They were jokes made in response to what was the deadliest attack on gays in American history until the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando last week: the UpStairs Lounge arson in 1973 that killed 32 people.

It was a record none of us wanted us broken, said Frank Perez last Sunday night at a vigil of nearly 300 people for the 49 victims in Orlando. Many of the mourners were from the New Orleanss LGBT community who gathered on the Mississippi River levee near the Governor Nicholls Street wharf in the French Quarter.

The UpStairs Lounge was a gay bar on Chartres St. in the French Quarter above another bar, the Jimani Lounge. On Sundays it hosted members of the New Orleans Metropolitan Community Church. The MCC was the first LGBTQ-friendly Christian denomination in the U.S.

During a beer bust on Sunday, June 24, 1973, someone covered the wooden staircase to the lounge in lighter fluid and set it ablaze. A few minutes later, when one of the patrons opened the metal door to the stairwell, flames exploded into the bar, and blocked the escape routes for most of the people inside.

The fire trapped around half of the patrons, who couldnt make it to an exit. Some tried to escape out the windows, but most were blocked by burglar bars. MCCs pastor, Reverend Bill Larson, got stuck in a window and burned to death, trapped, with people in the street watching as it happened.

Duane Mitchell, the assistant MCC pastor, also died in the fire; 29 people were burned alive inside while three others died after escaping.

These people, they were literally roasted alive, Terry Gilbert, one of the first fireman to respond, told the New Orleans Times Picayune in 2013. The morning after the fire, the newspaper compared it to Dantes Inferno and Hitlers incinerators.

Today, theres a small plaque in the sidewalk outside to memorialize the lives lost, but back then city officials downplayed what happened.

After the UpStairs lounge arson, no politician in town wanted to have anything to say, said Perez.

The mayor didnt make any statement, the governor didnt make any statement, Johnny Townsend, who wrote a history of the fire titled Let the Faggots Burn, told The Daily Beast. It had the largest number of fatalities of any fire in New Orleans.

According to the Jimani Lounge, the chief detective of the New Orleans Police Department at the time, Henry Morris, dismissed the fire saying, Some thieves hung out there, and you know this was a queer bar.

No wonder the perpetrator was never caught.

There was never anyone definitively IDed, said Townsend, but the most likely arsonist was a man named Rodger Nunez, who had gotten in a fight at the bar earlier, and told patrons, Im gonna burn yall out.

Townsend said this was pointed out to the police, but it was just dismissed.

Sam Gebbia, the New Orleans Police Departments lead investigator, told Time in 2013, Im sure in my heart of hearts this is the guy that set our fire. Gebbia said he just didnt have enough evidence to arrest him.

Nunez committed suicide a year later.

The public reaction to the tragedy that occurred in Florida this morning is 180 degrees opposite of what happened in the UpStairs lounge fire, said Perez on Sunday. President Obama actually addressed the nation which I thought was very moving.

Alisan Rowland, the current Pastor of the New Orleans MCC, agreed. Before Orlando, she hadnt felt the same way about the Presidents commitment to his LGBTQ citizens as she did after the massacre.

In that moment he was most clearly my president.

Still, in Louisiana, politicians have a more mixed record on LGBTQ issues. Some have adopted a more under the table, approach to the LGBTQ community, said Rowland. They dont speak out, but they do support the right policies, like Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

When Edwards ran for Governor, said he personally opposed marriage equality, but has since signed an executive order protecting LGBT people from being discriminated against or fired from state government positions based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. (Today, the City of New Orleans has similar protections.) Edwards also declared June LGBT pride month.

Other politicians are explicitly anti-gay though, like state Rep. Mike Johnson, who sponsored a Marriage and Conscience Act in 2015, which would have allowed residents to to discriminate against LGBT people under the guise of religious freedom.

After the Orlando massacre, Rowland told The Daily Beast shed like both the pro-gay rights governor and anti-gay rights representative to visit her church.

The governor and state legislators are welcome at our church anytime to learn more about our community and its needs, she said.

Unlike 40 years ago, the LGBTQ community wont be to be ignored.

Tomorrow think about getting involved with some type of LGBT charity, or a gun violence organization, said Perez, telling mourners to turn their pain into positive action. At the vigil on Sunday night, people formed a half mile chain along the levee and pledged that this latest mass killing wouldnt frighten them into behaving any differently.

No attack on our safe places will move the LGBTQ community back into the closet, said Rowland. Going back into the closet would just mean going back to the time where police didnt investigate the the mass murder of people because of who they loved. No one was going to accept that.
For the gays out there, Donald Trump said Wednesday, ask the gays and ask the people, ask the gays what they think and what they do in not only Saudi Arabia, in many of these countries with the gay community. And then you tell me: whos your friend, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?

From behind his lectern at a rally in Atlanta, Trump was suggesting that Clintons current stated support for the LGBT community is compromised by the Clinton Foundations decision to accept donations from the Middle Eastern countryup to $25 million since 1999, according to The Wall Street Journal where institutionalized homophobia is rampant and often manifests itself violently.

But Trump omitted an important detail that weakens the potency of his criticism: even as he runs for president, it appears he continues to do business in the country. And he has previously said he wants to help the Kingdom in its struggle with Iran.

For Clinton and Trump, the de facto nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties, Saudi Arabia neatly captures just how complicated and fraught a political issue LGBT equality remains for each of them.

Clinton, a devout Methodist, didnt arrive at her support for gay marriage until 2013, long after it became a matter of consensus on the Left, making it politically safe for her to do so.

Whats more, she willfully misrepresents her past positions on the issue, claiming to have previously believed it was best left up to the states despite her support for the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage, at the federal level, as being a heterosexual enterprise.

Trump, a devout egotist who sporadically attends the Marble Collegiate Church on West 29th Street in New York City, has long expressed sympathies for the gay community but continues to obfuscate his position on marriage equality.

He claims to support the LGBT community while, at the same time, telling evangelical Christians who oppose equal rights for the gay and transgender among us that he stands with them. He fosters relationships with anti-gay religious figures and yet getting a straight answer from his campaign about what he truly believes is impossible.

Both candidates have at times been at odds with their respective parties beliefs on the subject. In Trumps case, he continues to be.

Viewed exclusively through the prism of LGBT issues, Mr. Trump is actually the most gay friendly nominee for president this party has ever had, Gregory T. Angelo, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative LGBT advocacy group, told The Daily Beast.

Angelo acknowledged that, Donald Trump can often vacillate, but, he said, I also have a concern that Hillary Clintons views on LGBT issues are driven largely or entirely by polling.

In the aftermath of the terror attack at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, which left 49 deceased in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, Trump has voiced support for the LGBT community and characterized Clinton as its enemy.

Thank you to the LGBT community! he tweeted Tuesday. I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.

At another point, he posted to Facebook, Crooked Hillary says we must call on Saudi Arabia and other countries to stop funding hate. I am calling on her to immediately return the $25 million plus she got from them for the Clinton Foundation!

In 2014, according to The Wall Street Journal, with the Clinton Foundations ban on receiving gifts from foreign governmentsimposed at the behest of the Obama Administration while Clinton served as Secretary of Statelifted, the charity accepted an undisclosed sum from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The same year, a 24-year-old gay man in the western city of Medina was arrested for attempting to use Twitter to find and date other men. Found guilty of promoting the vice and practice of homosexuality, he was sentenced to three years in jail and 450 lashes.

Meanwhile, in May 2015, Ivanka Trump, his daughter and the executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, told Hotelier Middle East that the company planned to construct a hotel in Saudi Arabia. We are looking at multiple opportunities in Abu Dhabi, in Qatar, in Saudi Arabiaso those are the four areas where we are seeing the most interest, she said. We havent made a final decision in any of the markets but we have many very compelling deals in each of them.

Trumps financial disclosure filing, in May 2016, revealed that, in August, he had incorporated four companies that appeared to relate to a hotel project in Jeddah, a large city on the Red Sea coast.

That was 15 months after Lifestyle, a brand operated by the Landmark Group, which is based in Dubai, announced it would be partnering with Trump to sell home goods, dubbed Trump Home, inspired by the luxury and elegance associated with his name and his familys lifestyle. The products were to be sold exclusively in stores in Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. (The company, citing Trumps inflammatory campaign rhetoric, later pulled out of the deal.).

But even before their dealings with a country ruled by a fundamentally homophobic government, both candidates had complex histories on gay rights.

As president in 1993, Bill Clinton signed into law the HIV travel ban (Saudi Arabia, incidentally, imposed similar regulations). On Hillarys campaign website, she now boasts that, as secretary of state, she oversaw the repeal of the HIV travel ban, which prevented people with HIV and AIDS from entering the United States. She makes no mention that, as the First Lady who took an historically unprecedented, active role in governing, she neglected to voice any opposition to the initial legislation.

During her Senate campaign, in 2000, Clinton said she would have signed the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, into law herself, like Bill did in 1996. DOMA federally defined marriage as being between one man and one woman. According to The Atlantic, Clinton still held that position in 2003, though at the time her spokesperson claimed she was actively evolving on it.

In a 2004 speech on the Senate floor, she described the view that marriage is just for heterosexual couples as a fundamental, bedrock principle.

During her first presidential campaign, in 2008, she opposed gay marriage and often twisted herself into a pretzel trying to get out of explaining why. Ellen Degeneres, the openly gay talk show host, asked Clinton, in 2007, why she supported civil unions but not marriage for same sex couples. Clinton responded by talking in circles to avoid answering. Frustrated, Degeneres asked if she thought it would be possible for a candidate who openly agreed with gay marriage to win.

I dont know, Clinton said. Ive had the same position for years, so I dont know what somebody could or couldnt do. But Ive always believed that marriage should be left to the states. (An inaccurate portrayal of her views, given her support for DOMA).

In 2013, after leaving her post as secretary of state, Clinton finally endorsed marriage equality. I support it personally, she said, and as a matter of policy and law. The following year, in an interview on NPR, Clinton disagreed with the assessment that her change of heart was a political calculation.

Just because youre a politician, she said, doesnt mean youre not a thinking human. You gather information. You think through positions. Youre not 100 percent set, thank goodness.

Trumps evolution is just as transparent, except it happened in reverse.

Unlike Clinton, Trump does not seem to harbor any strong religious convictions. Though he doesnt frequently attend, hes a member of the congregation at the Marble Collegiate Church, which is part of the Reformed Church of America. Leaders of the denomination held their annual gathering last weekend, during which they moved to reaffirm their belief that marriage is limited to heterosexual couples.

On June 13, the general synod, the denominations governing body, voted to make its marriage liturgy gender-specific to heterosexual couples. And on Tuesday, it moved to put language in its Book of Church Order to assure that marriages in a church or congregation are between a man and a woman. Regional church bodies will vote over the next year on that change, and if it gets enough support, then it will be up for a final vote at the denominations 2017 general synod.

According to The New York Times, he donated to charities working to end AIDS during the height of the crisis in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

And in 2000, while deciding whether or not to run for president, he told the Advocate, the LGBT interest magazine, that gays and lesbians specifically should support his candidacy because, I grew up in New York City, a town with different races, religions, and peoples. It breeds tolerance. In all truth, I dont care whether or not a person is gayIve worked with many gay peopleTheir lifestyle is of no interest to me.

He said he would have no problem appointing an openly gay person to a position in his administration, and he would seek to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a ban of discrimination based on sexual orientation. It would be simple. It would be straightforward. He added, Its only fair.

Where he drew the line, however, was marriage. He said he believed gay couples should be afforded the same rights, but, I think the institution of marriage should be between a man and a woman.

According to Laurence Leamer, the author of Madness Under the Royal Palms, a book about swanky Palm Beach culture, who spoke with the Times, Trumps private club, Mar-a-Lago, was the first in town to allow openly gay couples. He really changed the nature of Palm Beach, Leamer told the publication.

When Elton John married his partner David Furnish in 2005, Trump posted a blog item congratulating them on Trump Universitys website. Its a marriage thats going to work, he said. If two people dig each other, they dig each other. Good luck, Elton. Good luck, David. Have a great life. (But because I wasnt invited, do I still have to send them a toaster?)

These days, its hard to get a straight answer from Trump about what he believes.

He was on both sides of the North Carolina transgender bathroom controversy. On the Today show, he said trans individuals should use the bathroom they feel is appropriate.

Then, on Fox News, he told Bill OReilly the matter should be decided by the states. He said, the amazing thing is so many people are talking about this now and we have to protect everybody even if its one personbut this is such a tiny part of our population. Trump said he disagreed with providing gender-neutral bathrooms nationwide because it, would be unbelievably expensive.

Just a few days before the attack in Orlando, Trump told evangelicals at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington, D.C. that he believes the family and marriage are so important.

He didnt specify what types of families or marriages in particular, but to a crowd like that, the meaning is obvious: traditional, one man and one woman and 1.5 children, minimum.

A spokesperson for Trumps campaign did not respond when asked if he now supports marriage equality.

But for those who do care about the issue, there hardly seems to be a goodor, at least, a consistently goodcandidate to represent them.

-- with additional reporting by Betsy Woodruff
MINNEAPOLIS  The nations attention already moved on to its latest mass murder when Ashley Hasti was being eulogized.

Hasti died of multiple gunshot wounds that are believed to have been inflicted by her estranged husband, UCLA gunman Mainak Sarkar. Her body was found by police in her home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Authorities stumbled upon her name on Sarkars kill list, which surfaced at his St. Paul apartment.

Police say Mainak murdered Hasti, 31, before he took off for California, forcing the UCLA campus into lockdown, and fatally shooting his former mentor, William Klug, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and then himself, on June 1.

Throngs of people arrived to UCLA the next day for a candlelight vigil honoring Klug. Nearly two weeks later, a separate memorial for Hasti was still being planned when another gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando in the early morning hours of June 12. Forty-nine people in the club died, while over 50 more were injured in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

On Friday afternoon, more than 75 people, including family members, friends and colleagues gathered at the University of Minnesotas Mayo Memorial Auditorium to pay tribute to Hasti.

Before the service began, mourners embraced in the auditoriums sun-filled lobby, wiping their tears and signing a guestbook that was arranged on a table alongside an all-yellow bouquet of flowers and a framed picture of Hasti.

Inside the auditorium, a lecture hall that may have been familiar to Hasti as a medical student here, an image of Hasti grinning widely and wearing a backpack, probably on one of her world travels, was projected onto a large screen at the front, another floral arrangement propped onstage.

Michael Kim, assistant dean for student affairs at the medical school, acknowledged the void left by Hastis absence.

To lose someone so unexpectedly  its like the puzzle has missing pieces, he said.

Kim likened her to a comic book hero, as She had a strong sense of right and wrong and she cared very deeply about people.

Hasti challenged her colleagues, said Scott Slattery, director of learner development at the medical school. [Hasti] and test-taking didnt get along.  She would say, we need to get rid of multiple choice questions.  They didnt convey who she would be as a physician, he said.

Slattery recounted 2 a.m. emails from her, with links to articles and highlighted passages. She would say, We need to aim for this. Additionally, Hasti used to speak out in her rounds on behalf of patients whenever she heard something that bothered her.

Hasti saw medicine in an individual way, and her ideas didnt always jibe with those of the medical school. But she brought forward a valuable perspective: The world needs Ashleys voice, that challenging, Lets wrestle with this, which was so deeply rooted in her integrity, Slattery said.

How she died makes me angry and sad, he said, adding that when he was pondering what to say, I felt her presence saying, Dont candy-coat this. She will be missed and not forgotten.

A fellow medical school student said of Hasti, Her warmth put people at ease. She was so comfortable with her own self, another friend from medical school said.

She was my go-to person when I was lost, another chimed in.

Ashley was someone you wanted to be like, yet another said of Hasti, recalling discussions with her friend about nonmedical topics such as YouTube, videos, dogs and cats, pop culture and so much more. I learned how to advocate for myself from her.

Hasti was a big advocate for the mental health of medical professionals. After a hard day, Hasti was always saying, How are you doing? she added.

Likewise, when Hasti was a student and tutor at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, a former teacher vouched, she showed care and concern for others.

Instead of just coasting through a biology class, for example, Hasti, one of her brightest students, took the time to help others with their homework. She was always trying to do things to better everyones life, she said.

As the first grandchild in the family, Hastis aunt said, she was the light of our world. She was always curious, full of wonder and adventure.

Somehow, she managed to do a lot in her 31 years, studying abroad, traveling the world, tackling medical school, even developing her talent as a comedian. She was very artistic and had a great sense of humor, she said.

She reiterated what Ashleys sister Alex Hasti said on Facebook: She was the smartest, coolest and funniest person I knew.

As she wrapped up her reminiscences, her aunt quoted a line from their favorite movie, The Princess Bride: As you wish, my sweet Ash.

One woman, who met Hasti in a sketch-comedy writing class, said she had a knack for just about anything. She could do whatever she wanted. She was very humble. I really admired her.

I dreamed shed go straight to Hollywood and write something quirky about a forensic pathologist, she said of Hasti, who carried around a notebook for jotting down comedy bits, and who often listened to comedy podcasts while she memorized slideshows.

Near the end, Kim from the medical school handed the family a gift  a blanket in the universitys colors, maroon and gold.

He and another medical school representative snapped photos of the crowd, as well, at the familys request. Everyone gave the peace sign with their fingers and said aloud, Solidarity and peace for Ashley.

It involved several takes, like a family portrait, and the room erupted with laughter.

After the ceremony, which lasted a couple of hours including a reception afterward, poster boards filled with photos of Hasti were put out in the lobby, along with a white fabric sheet covered in colorful hand prints  a gift from someone at UCLA.
This year Juneteenththe annual June 19 commemoration of the end of slavery in Americacomes at a time when the countrys racial tensions are once again headline news. How long they will remain headline news is unclear, but a new exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, Invisible Man: Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison in Harlem, puts our present racial divisions in historic perspective.

The Art Institute of Chicago exhibit, which runs through August 28, combines the photography of Parks, who got his artistic start as a photographer for the Depression-era Farm Security Administration photo-documentary project and later gained added fame in the 70s as a Hollywood movie director, and the writing of Ellison to offer a portrait of Harlem in the post-World War II years.

The exhibit, which comes with a catalog edited by its curator, Michal Raz-Russo, features two collaborations by Parks and Ellison. The first collaboration was a 1948 photo essay, Harlem is Nowhere, that was done for 48: The Magazine of the Year and focused on the Lafargue Mental Hygiene Clinic in Harlem.

The second collaboration, a photo essay titled, A Man Becomes Invisible, was done for Life, where Parks became a staff photographer, and was based on recreating scenes from Ellisons 1952 National Book Award-winning novel, Invisible Man.

Harlem Is Nowhere was never seen in 1948. The Magazine of the Year filed for bankruptcy and went out of business before the photo essay could be published. Ellisons essay did not reach readers until 1964, when he added it to his 1964 essay collection, Shadow and Act, and Harpers published an edited version of what Ellison had written.

A Man Becomes Invisible did, on the other hand, quickly gain an audience as a result of its appearance in the August 25, 1952, issue of Life, but A Man Becomes Invisible has long since been forgotten. Museumgoers will rightly feel that the Art Institute of Chicago has breathed new life into two neglected past projects by combining them in a single show.

Parkss A Man Becomes Invisible photos, which include a picture of a young black man rising from a half-open manhole, are designed to capture the surreal aspects of the life of the hero of Ellisons novel, an alienated African American living in Harlem. These photos show Parks operating at his most imaginative, and in the case of his manhole photos, they show him posing his subject.

By contrast, the haunting photos of Harlem is Nowhere are reality-based from start to finish. The Lafargue Clinic, which opened on March 8, 1946, in a church basement, was the first mental hygiene clinic in Harlem and was as much a reflection of social protest as it was a pioneering medical facility. In a New York City in which racial discrimination was rampant, the clinic offered the citys black residents a unique chance for psychiatric care at a nominal fee (25 cents if they could afford it).

The clinic had come into being as a result of the collaboration of the novelist Richard Wright, the Reverend Shelton Hale Bishop, and the psychiatrist Dr. Frederic Wertham, who also became clinic director. At a time when there were only eight African-American psychiatrists in the United States, the clinics staff worked without pay.

Ellisons text for Harlem is Nowhere captures the thinking behind the formation of the Lafargue Clinic. The focus of his text is on how the social conditions of Harlem are the source of many of its residents mental ills.

In a letter to the novelist Richard Wright, Ellison explained his thinking. I am working on a piece describing the social conditions of Harlem which make the clinic a necessity, he wrote. Ive worked out a scheme to do it with photographs which should make for something new in photo-journalismif Gordon Parks is able to capture those aspects of Harlem reality which are so clear to me.

The phrase, Im nowhere, Ellison writes in his essay, expresses the feeling borne in upon many Negroes that they have no stable, recognized place in society. They are, he explains, caught up in a process of chaotic change, and the aim of the Lafargue Clinic is to help them come to terms with this change.

The Lafargue Clinic understands, Ellison goes on to say, that the personality damage so many in Harlem experience represents not the disintegration of a peoples fiber, but the failure of a way of life. As such, the Lafargue Clinic does not content itself with just offering its patients psychotherapy. It aims instead to give each an insight into the relation between his problems and his environment, and out of this understanding to reforge the will to endure in a hostile world.

Parkss photos and the captions Ellison supplies for them emphasize this link between social disintegration and personal breakdown. Parkss cityscapes show garbage burning in the street, people sleeping in doorways, a man lying unattended in the street after being struck by a car. Ellison comments on these scenes in unambiguous prose, observing at one point of the pain they cause, To protect oneself from casual violence and to assert ones individuality, one learns to turn ones head.

Even the photos of hope that Parks and Ellison offer are typically hedged with caution. One of the most revealing of Parkss pictures shows a patient at the Larfargue Clinic holding his head in his hands with a caption below him that reads, The Lafargue Clinic aims to transfer despair, not into hope but into determination.

Today we are a long way from the Harlem that Parks and Ellison depicted in the post-World War II years or that the Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the direction of Thomas Hoving, sought to capture in a 1969 photo exhibit, Harlem on My Mind, which erupted in controversy because of the anti-Semitic comments contained in one of the essays from its catalog.

The current Harlem doesnt suffer from the traditional neglect of the past. High-end housing is being built, new restaurants are moving in, 125th Street is thriving, and so is Harlems southern border, 110th Street, which fronts the northern end of Central Park. But the new gentrification of Harlem has brought with it its own set of problems.

As Harlem in the 21st century turns increasingly white and middle class, many of its black residents are finding they cant afford to live there and that the city, even under an avowedly liberal mayor, is not providing them with sufficient help. They are becoming part of a Harlem diaspora, a fate that Parks and Ellison never imagined for themselves when they first moved to Harlem.

Nicolaus Mills is professor of American studies at Sarah Lawrence College and author of Like a Holy Crusade: Mississippi 1964The Turning of the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Many tourists, who have arrived in Baku for the first time to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe, are amazed by the Azerbaijani capital.

One of them is Victoria Hills, a Formula 1 fan, who arrived from the UK to see the race in Baku.

I like Baku very much, especially the architecture of the city, Hills told Trend June 19.

The world will see the beauty of Baku through Formula 1, she added. Baku is a very interesting city for tourists and it leaves pleasant impressions.

The last day of Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe kicked off in Baku June 19.

Azerbaijan is hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe for the first time. The event started on June 17 and will end today on June 19.

Overall, 11 teams, two drivers in each, will compete in the race. The specially constructed street circuit will see F1 cars race around the stunning downtown area of Baku, incorporating its UNESCO-protected old city  Icheri Sheher historical-architectural reserve  as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea promenade.
VATICAN CITY  In early June, a small group of devout Catholic women marched near St. Peters Square with a big pink cardboard telephone booth marked Door to Dialogue, trying to draw attention to the taboo topic of female priests. The group, part of the 40-year-old U.S.-based Womens Ordination Conference and the 20-year-old Womens Ordination Worldwide group, donned purple priest stoles and held signs with slogans like 22 Years On Mute and Calls Waiting.

They also hung 100 giant posters of women priests in various poses with the hashtag #ordainwomen. The photographs were taken by Italian artist Nausicaa Giulia Bianchi, who has documented 70 self-ordained female priests in an attempt to highlight what many see as blatant misogyny within the Catholic hierarchy.

All have been excommunicated for breaking the Vatican law, Bianchi writes on her website. Disobeying a patriarchal law to follow the call of God, they ask for the spiritual equality of men and women to be recognized.

Among the group supporting prohibited priestesses was Father Tony Flannery, a male Irish priest who was suspended from active ministry and censured and barred from speaking out and writing about the church in 2012 because he was an outspoken advocate of womens ordination and married priests. While in Rome, he compared the current stance of the church on womens issues to its mindset in the Middle Ages.

I am becoming increasingly convinced that the inequality of women is becoming a major issue and a major challenge facing the Catholic Church, he told the National Catholic Reporter. Unless addressed, he said, the church will continue becoming more sidelined and little more than a sect.

The group of demonstrators marched here during the Vaticans Jubilee for Priests and Seminarians, which was a special event under the umbrella of the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy dedicated to the all male clergy.

Members of the group, who called their march the Jubilee for Women, didnt get to bend the ear of Pope Francis directly, but they did make their point. The Jubilee, intentionally coinciding with the Vaticans Jubilee for Priests offered a celebration of a renewed image of the priesthood, Kate McElwee, co-executive director of the Womens Ordination Conference, told The Daily Beast. One that is inclusive and welcoming of all people.

The group was able to secure a permit to demonstrate in Rome, which was nothing short of a miracle in a city that normally sides with the Holy See. It was the first time in the 40-year history of the Womens Ordination Conference that women priests had been allowed anywhere near the Vatican, where the idea of ordaining women has been met with everything from blatant sexism to outright misogyny. In fact, any women who consider themselves ordained priests are automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church. And the march stopped at the gates to St. Peters Square.

Still, there is hope.

Last month, when Pope Francis told a group of 900 nuns he would create a commission to study the concept of ordaining women deacons, Catholic conservatives warned that it must never evolve to ordaining women as priests because priests can only represent Christ, who is a male figure, and therefore a woman could never fulfill that role. Even some supporters of womens ordination scoffed at the deacon idea as a way to placate those who support women clergy.

But McElwee, who is the first advocate of the Womens Ordination Conference to be permanently based in Rome, believes it is a move in the right direction.

Opening a commission to study the diaconate for women would be a great step for the Vatican in recognizing its own history, she says, referring to decades of research and biblical and historical evidence that point to several women deacons working alongside men in the early church. Discussion on ordained ministries for women is new for the Vatican, and something we celebrate.

If Francis does create the commission and it does lead to the ordination of deacons, two steps that are yet to happen, it would amount to a complete about face. In 1994, Pope John Paul II issued the Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, a document that banned even the discussion about the ordination of women. I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful, he wrote, effectively slamming the door.

Some of the women already consider themselves ordained Catholic priests under an organization called the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. Cristina Moreira, who is from Spain, told The Daily Beast that they prepare and ordain women to carry out all the same duties as male Catholic priests, even though the Church automatically excommunicates them.

Moreira told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, This is the year of Jubilee and Mercy, of forgiveness. Weve come to ask Pope Francis to lift the excommunication, adding, What evil have we done? To give communion is nothing bad, and to help those in need isnt either.

The women priests say their ordination was performed legitimately within the framework of church structures. The principal consecrating Roman Catholic male bishop who ordained our first women bishops is a bishop with apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church in communion with the pope, according to the groups mission statement. Therefore, our bishops validly ordain deacons, priests and bishops.

Argentine Romulo Antonio Braschi, a former Catholic bishop who rejected his own excommunication in 2002 for ordaining his wife, has openly ordained several female priests in addition to her, and the group says other male bishops have done so anonymously since the first ordinations took place.

Moreira and Janice Sevre-Duszynska, an American female priest who marched on Rome, say they delivered a petition in support of womens ordination to an unnamed senior Vatican official who is said to have delivered it to the pope. The very fact that they were given that opportunity spells a massive change of heart, or at least a very savvy public relations effort, on the part of the Vatican, which surely doesnt want to shut out 50 percent of the faithful by slamming the door again.

At this time, the Catholic Church legitimizes sexism by prohibiting women from ordained ministries and decision-making roles within the church, McElwee says, standing firm in her belief that they will one day be heard. Until women are fully included in church structures as equals, [we] will continue to expose this injustice through art, activism, public witness, and dialogue.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Baku is an attractive city and the Formula 1 races, which are being held in the city, will attract even more tourists to the country, a Russian tourist Igor Kalashnikov told Trend June 19.

Kalashnikov has come to Baku to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe.

The tourist said that such international competitions make it possible to popularize the host country in the world.

From this point of view, Formula 1 in Baku will create opportunities to increase Azerbaijans popularity, said Kalashnikov.

The last day of Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe kicked off in Baku June 19. Azerbaijan is hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe for the first time. The event started on June 17 and will end today on June 19.

Overall, 11 teams, two drivers in each, will compete in the race. The specially constructed street circuit will see F1 cars race around the stunning downtown area of Baku, incorporating its UNESCO-protected old city  Icheri Sheher historical-architectural reserve  as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea promenade.
New premium gin to help protect wildlife

Tired of the mass-produced gins being churned out by industrial-sized factories, a former accountant, Matt Hepplewhite, launched the premium gin to remind people how good gin can be. Hepplewhite commissioned world-renowned distiller John Walters to create the hand-made gin.

Indian Sun is a blend of juniper, coriander, fresh citrus zests, crushed almonds and proprietary herbs distilled in 200L alembic swan-neck copper pots.

Half of the profits from Indian Sun (RRP 29.95) will be donated to the international wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation, with a particular focus on elephants. Hepplewhite is a long-time supporter of Born Free's work - in particular its campaign to establish Europe's first elephant sanctuary.

Hepplewhite says: The way we treat elephants is deplorable. From killing them for their tusks, to chaining them up in captivity, to forcing them to perform stunts in circuses and beating them when they can't, I think when future generations look back at the way we treated them, they'll be ashamed of us.

Hepplewhite's plan is to make Indian Sun (which is also vegan-friendly) the biggest gin in the world, so that he can give more money to Born Free than it knows what to do with.

Indian Sun can be bought at www.masterofmalt.com, and is being served in various top bars and hotels in London, including The London Gin Club, Portobello Star, The French House, The Oliver Conquest, Peg + Patriot, The Luggage Room, The Nightjar, The Whistling Shop, Merchant House and The Chesterfield Mayfair. Hepplewhite is also looking to launch Indian Sun into retailers.

Helen Usher, senior marketing executive for the Born Free Foundation, adds: We are extremely excited and grateful to be chosen as the sole beneficiary of Indian Sun. It is not often that a partner would be so very generous as to donate 50% of their profits to our cause, especially one so beautifully crafted and which already has so much industry interest. We have every confidence that this gin will be a huge success. Every sale will make a huge difference to our work to protect and conserve elephants and other species worldwide.

19 June 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor
May 28, 1942 - June 10, 2016

Malcolm Edward Verdict, Capt. USAF (ret.) passed away in College Station, Texas on Friday, June 10, 2016, following a brief, yet courageous struggle with cancer. He passed quietly in the morning with family by his side and to the sweet sound of his daughter's voice singing Amazing Grace. Father, brother, friend, pilot, and believer in Christ; his mission among us completed with honor, love and faith. We are comforted in his passing in victory; his parachute softly alit upon God's mighty and loving hand.

Malcolm was born on May 28, 1942, in Pontiac, Michigan, where his mother, Vema Vanover Verdict, assisted the war effort while his father, John Henry Verdict, served in the Pacific Theater. He was raised in Newport, Arkansas.

Malcolm is preceded in death by his mother and father and his survived by his sister, Carol Verdict Pulliam of Springfield, Missouri. He is also survived by his three children, Gregory S. Verdict, Jennifer L. Evans and Charles B. Verdict, and his six grandchildren, Shane Verdict, Adrian Verdict, Avery A. Evans, Charles W. Evans, II, Caroline D. Verdict and Catherine H. Verdict. Malcolm is also survived by his faithful son-in-law, James W. Evans, and his beloved niece, Lynne Pulliam Rathbun and her husband Tim, and their three sons Riley, Devon and Logan also of Springfield, Missouri.

A brave and joyous warrior, Malcolm served as an F-4 combat pilot in Vietnam at the age of twenty-four (24) following his graduation from the United States Air Force Academy in 1965. After retiring from the military he entered the private sector in Northern Louisiana, beginning his career in banking and energy policy.

Moving to Austin, Texas in 1978, Malcolm served under two Republican governors of Texas including the honorable William P. Clements and the honorable George W. Bush in various energy policy capacities. Malcolm retired from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES). While serving two governors and later and most recently at TEES, he assisted in enacting state and federal legislation that helped fund and regulate renewable and sustainable energy policies. He received numerous state and federal awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Energy Engineers.

Malcolm, with his sharp and endearing wit and sense of style, drew together so many wonderful, genuine friends from all corners of the earth. The family wishes to express their sincere thanks and love for the outpouring of support and love from his friends as Malcolm passed on to be with his heavenly father.

A visitation will be held at Hillier Funeral Home located at 4080 State Highway 6 South , College Station, Texas 77845, on Friday, June 24, 2016, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

The funeral will take place at Reliance Baptist Church located at 6925 Reliance Church Road, Bryan, Texas 77808 on Saturday, June 25, 2016, at 10:00 AM with senior pastor Raymond L. Marshall and Reverend Roy Meadows of Westland Baptist of Corpus Christi, Texas, officiating. A reception will follow final military honors at the Reliance Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. A private interment will take place at the United States Air force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family encourages those wishing to make donations to the Lance P. Sijan Chapter #125, Note on Check: Scholarship Fund Donation; Address: Lance P. Sijan Chapter #125, Air Force Association, P.O. Box 15007, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. For additional information please contact Hillier Funeral Home at 979-985-2060 or visit Malcolm's tribute page at www.hillierfuneralhome.com.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

Trend:

Rio Haryanto, Indonesian driver of the Manor Racing F1 team, has held an autograph session in Baku.

The last day of Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe kicked off in Baku June 19. Azerbaijan is hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe for the first time. The event started on June 17 and will end today on June 19.



Overall, 11 teams, two drivers in each, will compete in the race. The specially constructed street circuit will see F1 cars race around the stunning downtown area of Baku, incorporating its UNESCO-protected old city  Icheri Sheher historical-architectural reserve  as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea promenade.

Below are the photos from Haryantos autograph session.
Helmets belonging to Smith Mills Fire Chief Mike Coghill, (left), and Corydon Fire Chief, Bryan Coghill, are displayed at the Smith Mills Fire Department in Henderson.

SHARE Alex Slitz/ The Gleaner Smith Mills Fire Chief Mike Coghill, (left) is photographed with his son, Corydon Fire Chief, Bryan Coghill, both of Henderson, at the Smith Mills Fire Department in Henderson.

By Abbey Nickel, abbey.nickel@thegleaner.com / @abbeynickel

Mike Coghill remembers tagging along with his father Bill on fire calls like it was yesterday.

"I was just a 9-year-old kid, and the most exciting thing was getting to go with my dad to a fire," Mike said, remembering the days when his dad worked on the German Township Fire Department.

Ever since then, Mike has been hooked on the adrenaline of chasing after fire calls. Starting with his first job on a fire department at 18, Mike followed that passion throughout the years. Today, at 64, he's the fire chief at Smith Mills Fire Department, a volunteer department.

Mike's son, Bryan, also found himself enamored with the profession at a young age. He paints a similar picture when he talks about growing up with a father dedicated to fighting fires.

And it wasn't long before Bryan also found himself following in his father's footsteps.

"I was always trying to beat him out the door when I heard the tones drop on the radio," Bryan, 37, said. "I was living every little boy's dream."

Mike said passing on the passion through generations wasn't intentional, but growing up around the fire service allowed it to quickly grow on Bryan.

"Years ago, when Bryan was little, our radios would make a clicking sound before the tones dropped. As soon as I would hear the click, I was already out the door. And (Bryan) would be running along right next to me," Mike said.

Bryan is the fire chief at the Corydon Fire department, also a volunteer department. But both men find themselves putting in hours at their respective departments and with the Henderson rescue squad, where they also volunteer.

With both men taking after their fathers, they've been able to take the experiences they've encountered from their childhood into their careers  something that not everyone in the industry has a chance to have.

"When you start off that young, you get the chance to sit back and figure out what works, what doesn't and use that in your own career," Bryan said.

Mike's career has spanned over 40 years. The changes in the fire industry have been significant and haven't always been easy to adjust to, he said.

"It's been challenging, looking back on when I followed my own dad around to when I got my first job to now," he said. "Back then, we were a fire department, and that was it. We fought fires and that was all we did. Nowadays, we are also a road crew, (emergency medical service), electric company, gas company, you name it. We respond to car crashes, gas leaks and trees in the road. It's not just about putting out fires anymore."

Bryan, too, has noticed those same changes.

"When I was little, it was about putting out fires and that was it," Bryan said. "Fire departments were starting to take on more of the medical responses right when I started working. In 20 years, who knows where we will be."

As the two men exchanged memories, there was one memory in particular they both carry with them and "always will."

"There was a 2-year-old who died in Geneva 12 years ago, and I tell you, that was something I still can't get out of my mind," Mike said. "The losses are hard, and they stick with you."

Bryan nodded as his father reminisced.

"There have been a lot of bad days, bad calls," Bryan said. "I was the one who found that 2-year-old. That was hard."

But the good days usually outnumber the bad days, and that is what motivates both father and son to keep climbing into those trucks day after day.

"It's not for everyone, but you get into this business because you want to help people. That's what really stuck out to me when I was a kid," Mike said. "Our job is to help someone who might be having the worst day of their life and help make it a little better."

It looks like the family tradition might be continuing in the Coghill family, too. Bryan's 7-year-old son Mason is already anticipating joining both his grandpa and dad on fire calls.

"The other day my radio went off, and he looked at me and said 'Papaw, is that us?' I don't think there's any doubt that he's going to be following in our footsteps," Mike laughed.

Bryan agreed, adding that even though he's only 7, Mason is already a couple of steps ahead of other young boys who might have a similar dream of becoming a firefighter someday.

"The other day we got a new radio, and the first thing he asked me was if it was going into his room," Bryan said, looking at his father. "I think you're right. I don't think there's any doubt he'll be the same way we were."
SHARE Photos furnished Gallagher is about a year old and is a Maine coon mix. He is available for adoption from New Hope Animal Rescue Center. Roscoe, a Schnauzer mix, is about a year and a half old. He lost one of his front legs when he was hit by a car. He is also available from New Hope.

Roscoe is only a year and a half old, but he's already had a tough life.

The Schnauzer mix was hit by a car about a year ago, and one of his front legs had to be amputated.

Then just recently, his owner lost her job and had to surrender him to New Hope Animal Rescue Center, where he is awaiting his new forever home.

"At first he is a little shy, but he warms up quickly," said New Hope President Paula Hawkins. "He is fine with other dogs and OK with cats."

Weighing in at less than 15 pounds, Roscoe "prefers ladies over gentleman and has lived with three small children," Hawkins said.

Another friendly New Hope resident is Gallagher, a 1-year-old Maine coon mix.

"He loves to play with toys and loves to be brushed," Hawkins said. "He loves people and other pets."

Gallagher is neutered, up to date on vaccines and has been microchipped. His adoption fee is $50.

"He does great with dogs so far, and he does like other cats," Hawkins added. "He was a stray so maybe his real family will see the paper, or he may have been abandoned."

Adoption hours at the rescue center, located at 526 Atkinson St., are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The center is closed on Sundays. The phone number is 270-827-8088.
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By Luke Hall, Special to The Gleaner

After the events in Orlando this weekend I have struggled to pin down my emotions  going from sadness to anger to ambivalence. At first I thought this is a problem about access to assault rifles, then I was angry when people ignored the gay aspect of the Orlando massacre, and finally I fear the backlash that may happen against my Muslim brothers and sisters. Ultimately there is a feeling of helplessness because I know things like this happen every day across the globe and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

As this presidential race has progressed, my fears have increased that the types of attacks that happened in Orlando might happen more often. As a gay white male, I recognize that I come to this with a lot of privilege. I acknowledge that in the grand scheme of things I am the least likely target of persecution in this country. African-Americans, Muslims, immigrants and Latinos are much more vulnerable than I. However, what fears me the most is not individuals targeting me or my community.

I fear Donald Trump's rhetoric.

His words are way more dangerous a weapon than one shooter with an assault rifle. I fear his rhetoric because he has tapped into a sentiment that is toxic to the very nature of what I believe is great about America.

If we allow an individual to continue pouring gasoline on the fire who knows what radical ideology will take hold in this country. The news uses words like radical Islamic terrorism but refuses to acknowledge the violence of radical fundamentalist Christians that commit their children to conversion therapy programs to force them stop being gay, or kick them out of their house, or make them feel less than human, driving many LGBT youth to suicide; the institutional violence of politicians that enact laws according LGBT individuals second-class citizenship; the structural violence of a law enforcement system that disproportionately targets and murders African-American men; the overt violence of our foreign and military policy that sends drones to villages to kill innocent families.

Yes, radicals with easy access to guns are a threat to our safety. (And thanks to the NRA's lobbying efforts on 2nd Amendment rights, we have plenty of radical militias with arsenals).

Words are just as dangerous as assault rifles: radical ideologues that command a pulpit and preach hate; politicians that use every media opportunity to paint an entire religion as terrorists and turn a blind eye to the violence that their statements incite; and people that sit back and quietly listen to such hate speech and do nothing about it. They are all to blame for Orlando.

When you pit communities, religions, and races against each other and stoke violence with hateful rhetoric it is not surprising when things like this happen.

Every day I work with people who have been forced to leave their country because they have been persecuted for their race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or political opinion. I work with Muslims, Christians, political activists, Buddhists, gay, lesbian, transgender, racial and ethnic minorities every day. They are seeking a life in U.S. because they yearn to live free and express who they are without fear of death or physical harm.

I still believe the U.S. can provide some sort of refuge as it historically has to people fleeing persecution. I fear the road we may go down if we listen to anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant hate speech.

I strongly believe as a country we can strive to make things better and we can strive to get closer and closer to equality for all. Yet, I also fear the mood and rhetoric of a large portion of the country because I witness everyday the results of hatred, xenophobia, Islamaphobia, and homophobia.

When one group of people is singled out for persecution and marginalization it does not stop there. Suddenly anyone that is different or has a different opinion is singled out for harm.

Everything that makes America great is in the balance. If America allows a demagogue with radical ideology to become president, then we all are in the crosshairs and are all in danger. We all suddenly become as vulnerable as the most marginalized.

As we watch the reaction to Orlando unfold, please do not resort to blaming one religion or one race or one group of people.

If America is to survive we have to respond as one.

We are all Orlando, we are all Muslim, we are all gay, we are all transgender, we are all Latino, we are all African American, we are all refugees, we are all immigrants. We are all Americans. Only then can we fight radical ideologies that threaten us all.

Luke Hall is a Henderson native now living in Mount Rainier, Maryland.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 18

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The World Bank (WB) Board of Directors approved the allocation of additional funds worth $66.7 million for the IDP Living Standards and Livelihoods Project, said a message posted on the WB website June 18.

According to the message, the project aims to improve the living conditions and increase the economic self-reliance of the internally displaced people (IDP).

WB said around 7 percent of the Azerbaijani population is the IDPs, who are one of the most vulnerable layers of the society.

Most of the IDPs are still unable to use the quality infrastructure, social services, and are not provided with jobs, the message said. Additional funds will be spent to improve the basic local infrastructure, IDPs living conditions, income, skills and employment opportunities.

Meeting the IDPs needs is a priority for Azerbaijan to achieve common prosperity for all its citizens, said Larisa Leshchenko, head of the WB Baku office.

We appreciate the Azerbaijani governments efforts to create decent living conditions for the IDPs, Leshchenko said. The project will complement the existing efforts by ensuring the best public services and income opportunities, particularly, for young people.

This is the third IDP Living Standards and Livelihoods Project, implemented by the WB in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan joined the WB in 1992.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
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Americans were shocked and disgusted to learn of another act of terrorism on our soil, this time in Orlando. In the aftermath of this terrorist attack, President Obama and Hillary Clinton renewed calls for more gun control, including a ban on whole categories of semi-automatic firearms.

They are desperate to create the illusion that they're doing something to protect us because their policies can't and won't keep us safe. This transparent head-fake should scare every American, because it will do nothing to prevent the next attack.

The terrorist in Orlando had been investigated multiple times by the FBI. He had a government-approved security guard license with a contractor for the Department of Homeland Security. Yet his former co-workers reported violent and racist comments. Unfortunately, the Obama administration's political correctness prevented anything from being done about it.

Radical Islamic terrorists are not deterred by gun control laws. The San Bernardino terrorist attack wasn't stopped by California's so-called "assault weapons" ban. The gun ban in Brussels didn't prevent the terrorist attack there. And France's strict gun control didn't stop the two attacks in Paris, committed with fully-automatic rifles and grenades.

Repeating the same thing but expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Law-abiding gun owners are tired of being blamed for the acts of madmen and terrorists. Semi-automatics are the most popular firearms sold in America for sport-shooting, hunting and self-defense.

Congress banned their manufacture for 10 years, from 1994 to 2004. The law also mandated an independent study on its effectiveness. The study proved the ban had no impact because criminals and terrorists are not deterred by gun control laws. To suggest otherwise provides a dangerous sense of false security. We don't need false promises. We need real leadership.

It's time for us to admit that radical Islam is a hate crime waiting to happen. The only way to defeat them is to destroy them  not destroy the right of law-abiding Americans to defend ourselves.

Chris W. Cox is executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action.
Juvenile arrested in connection with weekend shootings

A juvenile has been arrested in connection with a shooting that injured a 17-year-old and 21-year-old last weekend.
Germany supports Russia's initiative on the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 project, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters, TASS reported.

"Germany supports the Russian initiative on Nord Stream (2)," the Minister said. He added that the project fully complies with the European legislation.

"The implementation of the infrastructure project fully complies with the requirements of the European legislation. In my opinion, everyone has already recognized this. Now all matters relating to containment of this project are more political ones," Novak said.

The minister added that such projects as Nord Stream contribute to better energy security in Europe.

Earlier it was reported that Germanys Economy and Energy Ministry pointed to the importance of Ukraine as the country for gas transit to Europe. A representative with the ministry told TASS that Ukraine should maintain this role also if the Nord Stream-2 pipeline is launched. The representative added that the construction of each new pipeline must comply with German and European law.

The Nord Stream-2 project includes the construction of two lines of the offshore gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters of gas a year from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, in addition to the existing two lines. The project is to be implemented by the new engineering company New European Pipeline AG. The stakes of partners in Nord Stream 2 AG will be distributed as follows: Gazprom will hold 51%, while BASF/Wintershall, E.ON, OMV and Shell will own 10% each. Engie will have 9%.
America, founded on principles of freedom, now cowers under the tyranny of powerful interests that have left no place safe. Not an elementary school. Not a church. Not a movie theater, a shopping center parking lot, a community college, a company holiday party, a dance club. Nowhere.

We must break the tyranny of guns  promoted by those who profit.

The list of the dead goes on and on, a gravestone into infinity. Voices silenced, futures obliterated. Yet another community is left to ask: How could this happen here?

We call out from the heartbreak of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy three-and-a-half years ago to the Orlando community grieving from the mass shooting that stopped 49 lives last Sunday.

Since what President Obama called the unconscionable evil of the Sandy Hook killings on Dec. 14, 2012, this country has experienced 998 mass shootings.

We can no longer tolerate this culture of violence. We demand Congress do its job and pass three laws:

1. Universal background checks. A majority of Americans support this common sense measure to keep lethal weapons from unstable or criminal hands.

2. Prohibit suspected terrorists on the governments no-fly list from buying a gun. How can someone considered too dangerous to fly be allowed to buy a gun?

3. Restore the ban on military-style assault weapons for civilians. There is no need in an evolved society for guns that can fire dozens of bullets within seconds.

On Monday the Senate is to vote on background checks and no guns for suspected terrorists, action prompted by the stunning 15-hour filibuster by Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. We urge senators to vote yes on both measures.

Where once reasonable discussions could ensue over gun proliferation and public safety, the NRA has promoted divisiveness by framing every measure as a threat to the Second Amendment. Thats just not true.

The right in the Second Amendment to bear arms will not be revoked. But as with other rights, there must be limits. Even the individuals right to free speech, in the First Amendment, has exceptions. You cant yell fire in a crowded place. But you can have an assault rifle that can kill dozens in that crowded place?

Responsible gun owners are not for gun violence. Reasonable people understand government enacts laws to protect society. It needs to do so now. The unthinkable has become common place.

We speak from the anguish and outrage of Sandy Hook. Hear us. Take action  now  to stop the rampant violence and allow America to heal.
CENTRAL CITY  She thrilled audiences around the world with her daring shooting feats and was applauded as a champion in a mans sport. She changed perceptions about the abilities of women in the 19th century and was called the greatest woman rifle shot.

Annie Oakley was her name and sharpshooting was her game.

On Friday afternoon, Oakley came to life at the Central City Public Library in a presentation by author and professional speaker Charlotte Endorf.

Endorf, who performs three to five times every week, has been presenting as Annie since 2010. She appears in The Life and Legacy of Annie Oakley, Fragile Excess Baggage: Riding the Orphan Train and Nebraska Spirit: The North Platte Canteen. All of her presentations are available through Humanitites Nebraska.

Since beginning her journey, Endorf has written 10 books and produced three documentaries and one CD. Her 11th book, which will focus on the life of Oakley, is to be released next spring.

The idea for sharing on the life of Oakley came as a suggestion after one of her presentations about the Orphan Train. Endorf always asks audiences what they want to see next and when someone mentioned Oakleys name, she immediately became interested.

Between that and a fascination with her sons nearly perfect archery skills, Endorf wanted to learn more.

Her thirst for more information began a yearslong journey that included countless hours of research and visits to museums about Oakley, including the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio, and Buffalo Bills Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyo.

Endorfs presentation is based on original research she has gathered over the past five years. Fridays program included information ranging from Oakleys shooting skills and relationships to her interest in costumes and the time she spent mentoring young girls.

Endorf said her favorite part of her work is seeing the engagement and reactions from audience members.

I just like working with all ages and seeing the spark in their eye, she said.

At Fridays presentation, Endorf spoke with a man who had recently given a gun to his nephew that was identical to the gun Oakley shot with. He attended the presentation to learn more about the gun and Oakleys skills.

Nadine Myers attended the program with her grandson, Dylan Dabill, and a friend, Helen Solt.

Solt, who is 94, said her dad saw Buffalo Bills program when he was traveling with Oakley and she wanted to learn more.

The three said they enjoyed Endorfs presentation and liked the depth of the information.

I liked that she was very knowledgeable and had studied it a lot, Myers said. Her outfit is just as Annie Oakleys and thats very impressive.

Myers said Endorfs zest for sharing the life of Oakley is what kept her entertained.

She just does a great job, she said.

Endorf specializes in speaking to elementary schools, womens groups, museums, town festivals, senior centers and libraries throughout Nebraska. This summer, she will even speak out of state, giving presentations at the Irma Hotel.

In addition to sharing her research and signing books, Endorf brings many photos of Oakley with her to presentations and wears a custom-made dress and boots similar to what Oakley would have worn.

Im one of the high-use speakers and one thats most requested because I go 110 percent, Endorf said. Thats what I want to do because I want to keep the history alive as much as I can.

Sara Lee, Central City library director, said that, when she was looking for summer programming ideas, she know Endorf would be a perfect fit.

We try to offer a variety of programing options for our patrons and something like this is informative, its educational and it appeals to a wide variety of ages, Lee said. Someone like Charlotte, she comes in and its engaging, shes knowledgable and the topic of Annie Oakley is something that will really appeal to people.

Other programs offered throughout the summer include game nights, book discussions and a Clue mystery night for teens and tweens.

Libraries are not just books, Lee said. Its not just the traditional view that people hold. We offer a lot of different things for a lot of different people.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran has reached an agreement with Boeing for purchase of 100 aircrafts, said Ali Abedzadeh, head of the country's Civil Aviation Organization.

Tehran and Boeing have reached a written agreement on the issue, Abedzadeh said, adding the deal will be finalized once the US Treasury issues the final permission for the deal, Irans official IRAN newspaper reported June 19.

The agreement was achieved following several rounds of talks between Iran Air (the Islamic Republics flag carrier) and Boeing officials, Abedzadeh said.

He further said that the reported value of the contract worth $17 billion was not final and more details will be provided after more negotiations.

Abedzadeh added that Boeing has submitted an official request to the US Treasury on final authorization for the aircraft sale.

In mid-June Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi confirmed that Tehran has reached agreement with Boeing to purchase aircrafts.

Boeing also previously told Trend that it was studying the passenger plane needs of Iranian airlines within the licensing process outlined by the US government.

The license permits the company to engage approved Iranian airlines to determine their actual fleet requirements.

The Islamic Republic has announced its need for about 400 passenger planes in the next decade to modernize its ageing fleet.

Iran signed a major deal worth $27 billion with Airbus in January to purchase 118 planes from the company. The deal with Airbus was sealed during a state visit to Paris by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.
In celebration, a luau will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. June 26 at the Liederkranz, 401 W. First, in Grand Island. (Hawaiian dress is suggested.) A free barbecue will be provided, along with and music and a cash bar.
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Linkedin Intan Tanjung (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 19, 2016

For Muslims living in the northern hemisphere, fasting during the summer, when days can be over 20-hours long, poses quite a challenge. Here are some tips shared by Indonesian citizens who have been through it on how to cope with the situation.

Do as many activities as you can

Well, I don't have any special strategy to maintain my energy, I just get on with my days as usual. Most of the day, I don't actually notice hunger and thirst though, since there are tasks to be done that distract me," said Alkindi, who fasted for 18 hours a day when living in Enschede, the Netherlands.

If I go to school or work, fasting isnt so hard. Its harder if I dont do anything. Last year, I didnt have many activities though, so it was hard. Because if you dont do anything, youll think about food. And going outside doesn't help. All the food stalls are open, and as my friends here are not fasting, we usually have to watch them having lunch," shared Shabrina Kadri, an undergraduate alumnus living in Toronto, Canada, who enjoys fasting for 19 hours a day.

Practice, practice, practice

I never thought to follow Indonesian time during Ramadhan here, since I'm used to practicing the fast on Monday and Thursday, so my body got used to not eating and drinking for many hours. At first, when I had just moved to Canada, it really felt hard, but it wasnt so bad. Fortunately, I never skip any fasting day," said Ridzki Samsulhadi who moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, in 2007, but now lives in Toronto.

(Read also: This summer, long fasting days mostly affect sleep schedules of Indonesians living abroad)

Manage your sleep and nutrition

One of the most challenging things is adjusting your sleeping schedule, since we have 24 hours of daylight it interferes with our natural sleep pattern. Right after tarawih [evening prayers], we need to go to sleep in order to be able to wake up in time for sahur [pre-dawn meal]," said Retno Aini, a mother and content editor of a parenting community media outlet in Indonesia who moved to Troms, Norway, in March 2013.

We reduce the consumption of coffee and other caffeinated drinks. To maintain our energy during the day when we are fasting, we sometimes replace rice with whole wheat breads, potatoes, baked veggies or oatmeal porridge for our sahur. These foods are a good source of carbohydrates as they take longer to digest, so they will make us feel full for longer than rice," Retno added.

"We often make fruit and vegetable smoothies so we can drink and eat nutritious food at the same time. Furthermore, eating local products such as breads, muesli, salmon, tubers and dairy products can also be more economical compared to eating a complete set of Indonesian food [such as rice with various side dishes] even though we miss Indonesian food a lot." (kes)
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Linkedin Hendri Yulius (The Jakarta Post) Sydney  Fri, June 17 2016

On early Sunday morning, an American who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) radical movement, attacked a gay club in Orlando, Florida. Fifty died in the shooting, while about 53 were wounded. It became the deadliest attack in the US since the 9/11 tragedy.

The New York-born gunman of Afghan descent, Omar Mateen, was then shot dead by police as he tried to flee.

His family and former wife said although Mateen is religious, his motive was not driven by religious values. According to his former wife, he had shown his abusive attitudes toward her. Some media outlets reported that what drove Mateen to commit this deadly crime was his outrage over the sight of two men kissing.

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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, June 18 2016

An online program for the registration of high school students, which was supposed to ease the process, got out of hand as the server went down and the system rejected data, forcing the Jakarta Education Agency to stop the program only to start it all over again.

After two days of trying to fix the problem, agency head Sopan Adrianto on Friday announced that due to system failure the agency had decided to postpone the online registration.

We have stopped all online registration services today, he said.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, June 18 2016

Out of respect for Indonesias sovereignty and legal system, Chinese authorities are saying they will not intervene in the ongoing investigation into five Chinese citizens allegedly caught working on a section of a high-speed railway project in a restricted area, the Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in East Jakarta, in late April.

Chinas commitment was announced by Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Aiying, at the formers office on Friday.

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Linkedin Cemara Dinda (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, June 18 2016

Abie Abdillahs passion for product design stems from simple childhood memories, including drawing and playing Lego. He also became familiar with rattan while growing up, with a couple of rattan chairs in the family home that were replicas of works by Japanese designer Isa Kunmochi.



He was enamored by the material. While a student at Bandung Institute of Technology, he went along on an excursion with a group of the universitys interior design students to the Yuzuru Yamakawa rattan factory in Cirebon.



Well, I sort of included myself on that trip and I was the only product design student there, he told The Jakarta Post at Italian Institute of Culture Jakarta, where his work was presented in The Indonesian Creativity through the Triennale of Milan 2016 and the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016: Reflection and Proposal Exhibition.



He experienced an epiphany when he heard the late Yamakawa speak on his appreciation for rattan in Indonesia, home to about 80 percent of the plant.



He told the bunch of us, Indonesian designers, if you want to make a difference and be globally appreciated, be a rattan [product] designer. So, it became my new mission as a creative to work with rattan.



Abie is principal designer of Studiohiji, which partners with Singapores The Common Goods as its distributor. The last two syllables of the name, he explained, carry philosophical meaning.



Hiji means one in Sundanese  reflecting that every product we create has individual meaning and stories. It all comes from a thorough process and attention to detail in reaching a preferred outcome.



While he has gained international recognition for creating numerous pieces of contemporary furniture with the material, he feels there needs to be pride in Indonesia for it to boost economic and cultural prospects.



However, there has been stagnancy in the industry in the past decade, and he is saddened by the publics dismissive attitude toward rattan as second-rate material.



It is quite a shame, especially with the export ban that started in 2011 [to reduce competition for domestic producers overseas], the lack of innovation that instilled this sort of doubtful misconception in people. They think that rattan is a short-lived and flimsy material to begin with, he said.



From what I learned, there are actually various grades of rattan. I use the manau species of rattan for the framework as a strong foundation, and sega for weaving, which is prime quality.



Abies challenge to change the outlook of Indonesians is evident with examples of the Pretzel bench and the Lusi chair, exhibiting strong yet study curvatures in the design that present rattan in a contemporary light despite its vintage feel.



I want to create dignity in rattan by not being pretentious. I try to express my craftsmanship in creating honest aesthetics by accentuating the materials flexibility, he said.



INTERNATIONAL HONORS



Abie has displayed his designs in prestigious exhibitions, such as last years Maison de Objet in Singapore. Shortly after he was selected one of the winners of the Innovative Craft Awards from ASEAN.



His rattan designs were also included in the collection of Italian design firm Cappellini for Milan Design Week 2016 in April. Cappellini is the name behind works of top designers, including Marcel Wanders, Jasper Morrison and Tom Dixon. According to Abie, the abundant international interest should be the momentum for Indonesia to recognize its potential and reinvent rattan for the times.



I was at an exhibition of Casa by Bravacasa in Jakarta last year when Giulio Cappellini approached me with an interest in developing my design. So now I am constantly trying out new things and figure out how to adapt my designs to Indonesias modern market. If they [foreigners] can appreciate rattan, then why cant we?



There are other ongoing efforts. The European Union has funded the Association for Advancement of Small Business (PUPUK) to promote sustainable production of rattan since 2013. The project focuses on several areas of the archipelago, such Katingan, Palu, Pidie, Cirebon, Surakarta and Surabaya, through the Industry Ministry and its establishment of the National Rattan Innovation Center, with Abie as a deputy chairman.



He said the preservation of rattan, the majority of which grows in forests, could contribute to sustainability.



Little did we know that rattan actually grows by embedding on tree roots and bark so we dont need to cut anything down, he explained.



Now, this project involves inspecting potential zones for plantations, so it has really become our countrys responsibility.



Chair designs predominate in Studiohijis catalogue, a reminder of how he became familiar with rattan.



Of course, it becomes the most challenging to design in terms of comfort as priority and then aesthetics  which explains the honesty I said before, he said.

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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang  Sat, June 18 2016

Triggered by objections from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) in Central Java over former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahids plan to participate in an interfaith community event at a church on Thursday, in which attendees were to share a symbolic meal to end the daily fast, the event was forced to move to a neutral venue  a subdistrict meeting hall.

The program was initially to be held at Kristus Raja Church in Ungaran, Semarang regency, Central Java, but due to objections voiced by FPI, a well-known hardliner Islamic group, it moved to Santo Yakobus Zebedeus Church, Pudak Payung, Semarang.

The FPI continued to object to the event after it was relocated to the Santo Yakobus Zebedeus Church, so organizers once again moved the fast-breaking program to the Pudak Payung subdistrict hall, located 100 meters from Santo Yakobus.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran registered a new record of oil export and tanker traffic during current fiscal year(started March 20) as nine tankers docked at its largest oil terminal to load 7.1 million barrels of crude oil in one day, Pirouz Mousavi, Managing director of Iran Oil Terminals Company (IOTC), said, Mehr news agency reported.

On June 18, eight oil tankers simultaneously docked at eastern and western ports of Kharg Oil terminal, while the ninth tanker also loaded crude oil in ship-to-ship method, Mousavi said, adding through that export of 7.1 million barrels of crude oil was made possible.

The tankers which loaded crude oil at the terminal yesterday belong to China, India, South Korea and a European country, he said.

The Kharg oil terminal currently has capability for docking of 10 oil tankers at the same time, he said, adding there is no technical or operational limitation for providing services to Iranian and foreign tankers at the oil terminal.

Last year in May Iran exported seven million barrels of oil in a day, a new record after ten years.

Irans oil export stood at one mbpd when the country was under sanctions. The sanctions were lifted in January. By April, Iran reclaimed its pre-sanctions 2.3 mbpd export.

The country says it has suffered unfair treatment under the sanctions and is now entitled to making up for the loss.
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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, June 18 2016

Soon, palm oil and forestry resource companies will be forbidden from starting any activities on any of their concessions that are idle, as the government plans to expand a moratorium on peatland use in a bid to curb the annual land and forest fires.



The government is currently revising Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 8/2015 on a permit moratorium for primary forests and peatlands, which has been in effect since May last year.



The moratorium on clearing primary forests and peatlands was first introduced by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2010 and was extended by President Joko Jokowi Widodo through the Inpres last year.



The original moratorium only banned permits to be issued allowing the use of peatland that has not yet been turned into concessions.



However, following Jokowis instructions, the Inpres will be revised once again to impose a total moratorium on the use of peatland, including land that has been turned into concessions but left idle.



Jokowi called for a stronger moratorium because 10 people, mostly children, were killed by smoke pollution from last years fires.



The President has announced that for the concession holders of areas have not been cultivated yet, they will not be able to cultivate them once the new moratorium is in place, Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) planning and cooperation deputy Budi Wardhana said.



Therefore, the total amount of peatland affected by the moratorium will increase. Currently, there are 8.4 million hectares of peatland affected by the moratorium, out of a total of 20.6 million ha of peatland in the country.



The BRG itself estimates that there are 4.4 million hectares of peatland in concession areas that should be put under moratorium, Budi said.



Environment and Forestry Ministry secretary-general Bambang Hendroyono said the revision of the moratorium was being discussed in the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister.



If possible the revision will be finished in one or two months, he said, adding that all ministries must have agreed to the revision considering how it was an instruction from the President.



The moratorium on peatland use is a part of the governments effort to reduce rampant slash-and-burn practices in peatland areas, which have largely caused the annual land and forest fires in the archipelago.



Besides the moratorium, the government also recently started a nationwide effort to restore more than 2 million hectares of peatland in the next five years through the establishment of the BRG.



Much of the burden to restore the environmental damage to peatland lies with the private sector, which is in control of concession areas as 531 companies are operating in areas to be restored. A mapping by the BRG

revealed that as many as 2.7 million ha of peatland had to be restored in the next five years to prevent the recurring land and forest fires.



Out of the 2.7 million ha, 87 percent of them, 2.3 million ha, are in concession areas.



Since the majority of the restoration areas are in concession areas, the BRG has to work closely with companies as they are the ones that have to do the restoration work with their own money.



BRG head Nazir Foead said most firms had cooperated with the agency by submitting their data and maps.



The countrys largest pulp and paper producer, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), initially refused to submit its documents directly to the BRG. APP finally submitted its documents to the BRG on June 13.



The documents are complete now and we will verify this data together, said Budi.

_____________________________________

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Linkedin Yulia Sri Perdani (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, June 18 2016

Get ready to sing along to the eternal anthem of optimism Tomorrow as you watch the beloved musical Annie, which will make its Indonesia debut in August.

The rags-to-riches tale of a little orphan boasts a heartwarming story and memorable Broadway scores that will delight audiences of all ages.

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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, June 18 2016

A lack of understanding among judges in environmental cases has led to companies and individuals, allegedly responsible for the annual land and forest fires in Indonesia, escaping serious sanction.



Recently, the North Jakarta District Court found palm oil company PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa (JJP), affiliated with agribusiness giant Wilmar Group, responsible for slash-and-burn activities on its concession in 2013.



The Environment and Forestry Ministry, the plaintiff in the case, believed that the total burned area was 1,000 hectares, while the panel of judges believed that only 120 ha had been burned.



Therefore, the court ordered PT JJP to pay only Rp 7.2 billion (US$540,000) in damages as well as Rp 22.2 billion in recovery costs, less than the Rp 491 billion demanded by the ministry.



The ministry plans to appeal the case, as the fine was far lower than that demanded and given the fact that the company had been planting oil palm trees on the burned concession.



PT JJP lawyer Efrizal H. Sharief said his client was not guilty of causing the fire as it was a result of slash-and-burn activities carried out by local people. This argument led to the panel of judges only ruling on the 120 ha, since they believed that the rest of the burned concession was caused by locals.



Efrizal also argued that the company should not have been required to pay any fines given that the concession could still be cultivated and thus there must have been no environmental damage.



The same reasoning was used by Parlas Nababan, the chair of a three-judge panel in Palembang district court, South Sumatra, in his controversial ruling on pulpwood plantation company PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH).



He declared the company was not guilty of causing fires on a 20,000-ha plot in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra in 2014, saying that there was no evidence of environmental damage as the burned land could still be planted.



The controversial verdict caused public uproar, with many saying that Parlas reasoning was not logical.



Nonetheless, Parlas was appointed as the head of the Palangkaraya High Court in Central Kalimantan earlier this month.



Theres a problem with the Supreme Court, which doesnt have any awareness in cases like this. Parlas had a bad reputation in environmental cases because his judgement was so bad, and yet he was transferred to Palangkaraya, which handles more complex environmental cases, Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) deputy director Reynaldo Sembiring told The Jakarta Post.



The cases of PT BMH and PT JJP are among a recent series of cases where the government decided to appeal because the results were not satisfactory.



Starting from 2015 to early 2016, many environmental cases were not being presided over by judges with environmental certificates, such as those of PT BMH and PT LIH, Reynaldo said.



He was referring to the case of PT Langgam Inti Hibrindo (LIH), whose manager, Frans Katihotang, was declared not guilty on all charges by the Pangkalan Kerinci District Court.



At an earlier court hearing, prosecutors charged the defendant with negligence for an act that eventually caused fires on PT LIHs concession in 2015, but the panel of judges said witness testimony did not support the charges.



Reynaldo believed that the presiding judge delivered the not-guilty verdict because he was not certified. The same applied to the PT BMH case.



His reasoning was not satisfactory because hes clearly not a judge specializing in environmental cases. From these two cases, we can see that environmental cases need special handling by certified judges, he said.



Last year, the number of judges with environmental certification stood at 219, with the government planning to increase this number by working with the Supreme Court.



A certified judge has greater understanding of environmental laws and cases and thus is more likely to use the concept of strict liability, which experts believe is the key in upholding justice in environmental cases.

______________________________________

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Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, June 18 2016

After a stream of immigration hiccups and a handful of charges being laid in connection with Indonesian migrant workers, the government has set out to strengthen ties with Hong Kong and enhance its citizen protection scheme there.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly met with Hong Kong Security Minister Lai Tung-kwok to raise the issue of legal cases that a number of unfortunate Indonesian migrant workers have faced due to the implementation of a new database system.

As one of the most accessible destinations for Indonesians looking for work abroad, Indonesia has made a point of improving on the existing migrant worker flow into Hong Kong.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, June 18 2016

Words Ika Krismantari Illustration Mufty Fairuz

The story of Sapto Djojokartiko in fashion began almost 20 years ago when he decided to leave his family in Surakarta, Central Java, for opportunities in Jakarta. In the capital, the son of a local shoemaker enrolled in top fashion school ESMOD in 1997 after securing a scholarship to cover his tuition, which would have been beyond his means at the time. After graduating, Sapto was still clueless about the direction of his career despite his achievements as one of the schools best students. In mid-2000, he finally decided to open his own fashion line with a partner, although it ultimately did not work out. In 2007, with a small amount of funds and relying on his gut instinct, he established Saptodjojokartiko and this time there has been no turning back. Almost 10 years later, the soft-spoken man is one of most wanted fashion designers in the nation with many of his designs worn by top celebrities.



First thing I do in the morning 



Pray.



I cant live without 



GPS.



My best traits are 



Humble, generous, always on time.



And the bad one is 



I tend to procrastinate.



My family are 



My friends.



My greatest fear 



Heights.



I love 



Food.



I hate 



People who are late.



What people dont know about me 



I cook when I am stressed out.



My favorite food is 



Indonesian food.



If I had a second life, I would be 



A lawyer or a politician.



The bravest thing I have ever done 



Standing on the edge of a cliff.



The cheesiest fashion era 



The 1980s.



Bad designs are 



The ones that people dont want to wear.



I would never wear 



Red or anything in bright colors.



If I could dress any celebrity in this universe 



Cate Blanchett



I cry when 



I am happy.



I am obsessed with 



Unique scents either in perfumes or air freshener.



My biggest regret is 



I was late in starting my own brand.



My dream dinner guest, living or dead 



Lee Hazlewood.



If I were a dessert, I would be a 



Souffle.



Favorite time of the day 



Afternoon.



My life motto is 



Giving 100 percent in everything that I do.

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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, June 18 2016

Those who live and work around Jakartas protocol roads such as Jl. Jendral Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin have been gritting their teeth lately, saying that traffic increased when the citys 3-In-1 traffic policy was scrapped last month.

In a bid to ease traffic while the city waits for the highly anticipated Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) program to materialize, the Jakarta administration plans to apply an odd-even license plate policy.

Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansyah said during a discussion in Central Jakarta on Friday that the agency had received many complaints from residents regarding the worsening traffic on Jl. Jendral Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, June 18 2016

I was lucky to join the Asia-Pacific Teacher Exchange Program in 2015. For about three months I lived in Seoul, where I was assigned to teach English and Indonesian martial art pencak silat at a senior high school in the South Korean capital.

Based on field observation and some interviews, I concluded that there are some values strongly instilled by the government to build value-oriented Koreans. First, the Koreans are trained and taught to work hard. Their motto is good is not enough when it is possible to do better. They practice a Javanese proverb sepi ing pamrih rame ing gawe, which literally means talk less, do more.

Second, they are taught to be economical. Students are not allowed to drive cars to school, but encouraged to ride their bikes or use public transportation. It seems to me that Koreans are money-wise. They are able to set priorities.

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Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Banyumas  Sun, June 19, 2016

At least 13 people have been killed in landslides caused by heavy rain in the Central Java regencies of Banjarnegara and Kebumen.

The torrential rain, which fell all day Saturday, also caused flooding in Tambak and Sumpiuh districts in Banyumas regency, washing away two houses but causing no reported fatalities.

The flood water has receded now, yet our worries remain. It seems the rain will continue to fall; there are dark clouds across the sky, Sumpiuh resident Saridin, 43, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, a landslide buried three houses in Sampang village, Sempor district, Kebumen. Six people are feared buried in the mud; search operations remain ongoing.

Moel Wahyono, commander of the Cilacap-chapter National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), which handles natural disasters in southern Central Java, said a landslide had buried a house in Gumelem village, Susukan district, resulting in seven deaths.

We are focused on handling landslides and flooding in Banjarnegara, Banyumas and Kebumen. We are striving to evacuate victims in Banjarnegara, but the situation on the ground complicates the evacuation, said Wahyono.

The head of the Banjarnegara Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD)s rapid response team, Andri Sulistyo, said the seven landslide victims killed in Gumelem were still working to clear a road covered by mud from a previous landslide in the village when the incident took place.

They were removing the mud and debris from the road when another landslide suddenly hit, said Andri.

The flooding in Sumpiuh district in Banyumas regency engendered major delays to the rail link between Tambak and Sumpiuh, submerging and damaging the tracks.

By around 9 p.m. local time, we had managed to repair all rail tracks and bridges, returning them to normal operation, said Surono, a spokesperson for state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesias Operation Region V Purwokerto. (ebf)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 19, 2016

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has personally thanked his supporter group Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok) for its success in collecting the 1 million identity-card copies necessary for him to run as an independent candidate in next year's gubernatorial election.

It's not an easy task to collect 1 million of ID cards for me. I would rather fail to be a governor than abandon Teman Ahok," Ahok said during celebrations of Teman Ahoks success in front of the groups headquarters in Pejaten, South Jakarta, on Sunday.

Ahok is now backed by three parties, namely the Golkar Party, the Democratic Party, and the Hanura Party. The governor said he was grateful for the support of these parties because it showed that they had sided with the aspiration of the public.

Teman Ahok stressed that the group would coordinate with any political party that were willing to support Ahok in next years election. Teman Ahok founder Aditya Yogi Prabowo said the volunteer group had never been against political parties, where it only aimed to convey the publics desires to parties by collecting the ID card copies.

"We're ready to talk with political parties and find the best way to support Ahoks candidacy. We hope that they won't stop at just declaring their support but also take real action in supporting Ahok," Yogi said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Lisa Lerer and Julie Bykowicz (Associated Press) New Orleans  Sun, June 19, 2016

Donald Trump's unconventional campaign is about to feel the heat of political organization.

Hillary Clinton and her Democratic allies have invested at least $41 million in commercials in crucial states such as Ohio, Florida and Nevada over the next six weeks, a series of summer broadsides against her Republican opponent. Those messages will be echoed by hundreds of Clinton workers in those same states and amplified by President Barack Obama and other top Democrats.

Trump has made few preparations for contending with that sort of well-oiled political machine. His campaign has no advertising plans and is just now hiring employees in important states. Republican leaders are far from in agreement on how best to talk to voters about the polarizing billionaire, or if they will at all. And Trump is running out of time: Early voting starts in Iowa in just 3 1/2 months.

"It's political malpractice," said Mitch Stewart, Obama's 2012 battleground states director and a Clinton backer. "He's in for a rude awakening. This isn't a national vote contest where you can be on cable news every day and dominate coverage. This is literally going state by state and coming up with a plan in each."

Clinton's large June and July ad buy comes as a reward for her near-constant fundraising. In May, she raised $27 million in primary election money that must be used before she accepts her party's nomination at the convention in late July.

Trump is playing catch up. He did not begin raising money in earnest until May 25, having largely financed his primary bid through personal loans to his campaign.

Clinton's latest spots, highlighting her past advocacy for children, are an attempt to reintroduce the returning presidential candidate  she lost the 2008 Democratic primary to Obama  to general election voters. Her campaign is spending about $23 million on ads by the convention, according to advertising tracker Kantar Media's CMAG.

But those voters are also hearing from Priorities USA, a super political action committee financed by millions of dollars from Clinton's staunchest supporters. The goal of those that $18.7 million batch of ads: cast Trump as a con-man and bully unprepared to be commander in chief.

"When I saw Donald Trump mock someone with a disability, it showed me his soul. It showed me his heart," says the father of a young girl with spina bifida, whose story is featured in one of the ads.

It's a strategy Democrats successfully used four years ago against Obama's GOP opponent, Mitt Romney. Over that summer, Priorities USA relied on an intensely negative advertising campaign to define Romney as unconcerned with the worries of average Americans.

Now, facing an opponent with far higher negative ratings and a weaker political organization, Democrats see an opportunity not only to retain the White House but make a strong play for winning control of the Senate and adding scores of Democrats to the House.

In the past week, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have lined up behind Clinton. Her primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is expected to support her eventually.

Trump has struggled to win over much of his party's establishment and lacks that kind of a bench behind his message. Many top Republicans, including Romney and past Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, do not plan to attend the party convention in July. Others refuse to answer questions about their nominee, largely leaving Trump to defend himself.

"Donald Trump has people hiding under rocks hoping he doesn't know where they are," said New York Rep. Steve Israel, former chairman of the House Democrats' campaign arm.

For example, in critically important Ohio, where the state GOP backed Gov. John Kasich's failed presidential campaign, party officials have been unwilling to throw much support behind Trump.

Kasich, who had signed a pledge to back the Republican nominee, recently told MSNBC he "just can't do it" unless Trump makes some significant changes.

Marc Short, a Republican strategist who advised Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign and previously led political operations for the billionaire Koch brothers' network of conservative donors, said Trump would be in a far stronger position if he weren't still getting organized.

"He has been underestimated throughout the process, so I'm hesitant to be too judgmental," Short said. "But it is always better when everyone is singing from the same song sheet."

Trump, who has belittled the need for endorsements, has signaled a willingness to go it alone if he believes the Republican leadership is undermining him.

"Republicans, either stick together or let me just do it by myself," he told a rally this past week in Atlanta.

Undeniably, Clinton's long-cultivated donor network and commitment to fundraising gave her a running start on general election staffing. She began sending employees to Ohio and other states months ago. Trump, who plans to rely on Republican National Committee support, has few, if any staff singularly devoted to his campaign in any of the most competitive states.

Clinton's aides argue their early investment will pay off in the final weeks of the campaign.

Data analyzed by Obama's campaign in 2008 showed the enthusiasm of his supporters in the last six weeks was higher in areas where the campaign's local operations got an early start, according to former staffers.

Greg Beswick, executive director of the Ohio Democratic Party, said of Trump's people: "They're not putting together the kind of campaign you need to win in Ohio, never mind in a number of swing states."

___

Lerer reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow Lisa Lerer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/llerer and Julie Bykowicz at http://twitter.com/bykowicz (**)
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Seven Iranian airlines have held talks with Boeing over aircraft and aircraft parts purchase, Maghsoud Asadi Samani, secretary of Iran's Airlines Association, said.

The countrys flag carrier, Iran Air, has involved in direct talks with Boeing, meanwhile other airline companies also are pursuing talks which were held earlier, Asadi Samani said, Mehr news agency reported June 19.

He did not unveil the names of the Iranian companies which have conducted talks with the US aircraft manufacturer.

The parties continue their talks, aimed at reaching an agreement, he said, adding requests have been made for purchase of various types of aircrafts.

However, he said, Boeing 737 will enjoy the greatest demand as it is a proper plane for Iran.

Asadi Samani also underlined that the Iranian airlines lack the financial resources for buying new aircraft so foreign financers should be hired for financing the purchases.

Earlier today Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said that Iran Air has reached an agreement with Boeing for purchase of 100 aircrafts.

Tehran and Boeing have reached a written agreement on the issue, Abedzadeh said, adding the deal will be finalized once the US Treasury issues the final permission for the deal.

Abedzadeh added that Boeing has submitted an official request to the US Treasury on final authorization for the aircraft sale.

The Islamic Republic has announced its need for about 400 passenger planes in the next decade to modernize its ageing fleet.

Iran signed a major deal worth $27 billion with Airbus in January to purchase 118 planes from the company. The deal with Airbus was sealed during a state visit to Paris by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.
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Linkedin Hamza Hendawi (Associated Press) Cairo  Sun, June 19, 2016

An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Morsi, the top defendant, and two of his aides were sentenced to 25 years in prison for membership in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group but were acquitted of espionage, a capital offense. Morsi and his secretary, Amin el-Sirafy, each received an additional 15-year sentence for leaking official documents. El-Sirafy's daughter, Karima, was also sentenced to 15 years on the same charge.

Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, was ousted by the military in July 2013 and has already been sentenced to death in another case. That death sentence and another two  life and 20 years in prison  are under appeal. The Brotherhood was banned and declared a terrorist organization after his ouster. Khalid Radwan, a producer at a Brotherhood-linked TV channel, received a 15-year prison sentence.

All of Saturday's verdicts can be appealed. Of the case's 11 defendants, seven, including Morsi, are in custody.

Amnesty International called for the death sentences to be immediately thrown out and for the "ludicrous charges against the journalists to be dropped."

The two Al-Jazeera employees  identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal  were sentenced to death in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

Al-Jazeera condemned the verdicts, saying they were part of a "ruthless" campaign against freedom of expression, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the journalists.

"This sentence is only one of many politicized sentences that target Al Jazeera and its employees," the network's acting director Mostefa Souag said in a statement. "They are illogical convictions and legally baseless. Al Jazeera strongly denounces targeting its journalists and stands by the other journalists who have also been sentenced."

A news story that appeared earlier on the Al-Jazeera English website identified Hilal as a former director of news at Al-Jazeera's Arabic channel and said Alaa Omar Mohammed was an Al-Jazeera employee until last year. The network's statement confirmed Hilal's status, but only said that Mohammed was "identified by the prosecution as an Al-Jazeera journalist."

The three other defendants sentenced to death Saturday are documentary producer Ahmed Afify, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohammed Keilany and academic Ahmed Ismail.

Judge Mohammed Shirin Fahmy recommended the death sentence for the six last month. Under standard procedure in cases of capital punishment, his recommendation went to the office of Egypt's Grand Mufti, the nation's top Muslim theological authority, for endorsement.

Fahmy quoted the Mufti's office as saying the six had sought to harm the country when they passed to a foreign nation details of the army's deployment as well as reports prepared by intelligence agencies.

"They are more dangerous than spies, because spies are usually foreigners, but these are, regrettably, Egyptians who betrayed the trust," the judge said. "No ideology can ever justify the betrayal of one's country."

Egypt's relations with Qatar have been fraught with tension since the ouster of Morsi, who enjoyed the support of the tiny but wealthy Gulf state. Cairo also maintains that Al-Jazeera's news coverage of Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East is biased in favor of militant Islamic groups.

Last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi pardoned two imprisoned journalists from the Al-Jazeera English news network. Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-born Canadian, and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were arrested in December 2013. They had been sentenced to three years in prison for airing what a court described as "false news" and coverage biased in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The prosecution of the two, along with Australian Peter Greste  another Al-Jazeera English reporter who was deported in February last year  drew strong international condemnation.

Egypt was ranked 158 out of 180 countries in the 2015 Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders. In December, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Egypt was second only to China as the world's worst jailer of journalists in 2015.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. (**)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 19, 2016

The Golkar Party has declared its political support for Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in next year's gubernatorial election.

The acting chief of Golkars Jakarta chapter, Yorrys Raweyai, said his partys support for Ahok came without preconditions because the party wanted to offer Ahok the freedom to run as an independent candidate or on the partys ticket.

"It is up to Ahok, whether he will run as an independent candidate or with Golkar. In principle, we will support him. We will even let him to run with support from his volunteer group, Teman Ahok," Yorrys said during the party's regional conference (Musda) in Jakarta on Sunday.

The senior politician further said that Golkar had coordinated with the Hanura and NasDem parties. These two parties earlier declared their commitment to Ahok.

Attending the Musda, Ahok seemed happy to have Golkars support. He revealed that he had been a loyal supporter of the party for a long time. His family members were also loyal Golkar supporters, Ahok said.

"The Golkar Party has always supported people who want to work for the public. This is what my father once told me. Golkars support for me shows that the party has recognized my good work in Jakarta," Ahok said, with a wide smile. (ebf)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 19, 2016

Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto has expressed his partys hope that Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama will bring more improvements to the city following the partys declaration of support for the governor in next years gubernatorial election.

Setya said Golkar was looking for a smart, brave and tough governor who could improve the quality of life of the citys residents. The politician believes Ahok is the right figure to develop Jakarta.

"With Ahok, we hope development in the city can be accelerated. I believe in Ahok's leadership abilities," Setya said during the partys regional conference (Musda) in Jakarta on Sunday.

Setya noted that compared with other metropolitan cities across the world, Jakarta was behind in many respects. For example, it is still facing difficulties in building skyscrapers, he said.

Citing Ahok as Golkars lost boy, Setya believes the governor can boost development in the city because he is rich with innovative ideas.

During his term in the House of Representatives under the Golkar faction from 2009 to 2014, Ahok offered valuable ideas about the development of information technology in the country.

As such, Setya said the party was optimistic that Ahok could develop the capital in a positive way. (ebf)
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Sun, June 19, 2016

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has yet to issue an emergency alert status in response to the flooding and landslides that struck 16 of the provinces regencies and municipalities over the weekend.

Temporary data reveal that 24 people were killed in landslides caused by torrential rain in several areas across Central Java beginning on Saturday. The areas worst hit include Banjarnegara, Banyumas, Karanganyar, Kebumen, Purworejo, Surakarta and Sukoharjo.

Ganjar said on Sunday that his administration had not yet decided to increase the emergency alert status of the natural disasters. If the flooding has not receded by [Monday], we will evaluate the status, he said in Surakarta, where he was supervising relief efforts for those affected by flooding.

The added that the Central Java administration, together with the Central Java Disaster Mitigation Agencies (BPBD), was prioritizing the evacuation and handling of refugees, assuring reporters and residents that supplies were sufficient to cater to all those who needed them.

If there is a lack of supplies, regents and mayors will directly coordinate with us, Ganjar said, after visits to some of the worst-hit villages, including Demangan, Jaten and Ngeringo.

Visiting the Bengawan Solo River, Ganjar registered shock that there was no clear distinction between the rivers surface and town settlements, the river having burst its bank and inundated a number of areas.

Ganjar expressed hope that all residents who insisted on remaining in their homes could be quickly evacuated if rain continued to fall and further flooding occurred.

To anticipate similar incidents in the future, the governor said the administration had coordinated with the Bengawan Solo River Management Agency to build a green belt along the river.

For the time being, we are preparing public kitchens and other facilities for refugees. (ebf)
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Linkedin Darlene Superville (Associated Press) Yosemite National Park, Calif.  Sun, June 19, 2016

President Barack Obama said Saturday that climate change is already damaging America's national parks, with rising temperatures causing Yosemite's meadows to dry out and raising the prospect of a glacier preserve without its glaciers someday.

"Make no mistake. Climate change is no longer just a threat. It's already a reality," Obama said from a podium, with Yosemite Falls, one of the world's tallest at 2,425 feet, as a backdrop.

At the California park, where Obama was spending the weekend with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha, the president also talked about how a rabbit-like animal known as a pika is being forced further upslope at Yosemite to escape the heat.

"Rising temperatures could mean no more glaciers at Glacier National Park. No more Joshua trees at Joshua Tree National Park," he said, adding that a changing climate could destroy vital ecosystems in the Everglades and threaten such landmarks as Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Obama spoke near Yosemite's Sentinel Bridge, where views of Half Dome, a well-known rock formation in the park, and Yosemite Falls created a picturesque background behind him under a sunny, blue sky.

After a night with his family in a rented cabin in the popular park, Obama stuck to his usual routine by rising early Saturday and heading to a recreation center on the grounds for his daily gym workout.

Obama's weekend in the great outdoors was planned to encourage more people to appreciate and visit many of the nation's parks. The National Park Services manages more than 400 sites around the country and celebrates its centennial in August.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap (**)
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Linkedin Vladimir Isachenkov (Associated Press) Moscow  Sun, June 19, 2016

Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region.

Sergei Shoigu met with President Bashar Assad in Damascus for talks that focused on cooperation between the two militaries and "some aspects of cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups," the Russian Defense Ministry said. It said Shoigu held talks with Assad on orders from President Vladimir Putin.

The visit comes a day after President Vladimir Putin suggested that some in the Syrian opposition could join the Cabinet to help advance the stalled peace process.

Shoigu also visited the Hemeimeem air base in the coasvival province of Lattakia, where he met with pilots and inspected their quarters, according to the Defense Ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

Russia has conducted an air campaign in Syria since last September, helping Assad's forces win back some ground. Putin pulled back some of Russia's warplanes in March in what he described as a move to help encourage peace talks, but the military has maintained a strong presence at Hemeimeem.

A US- and Russian- brokered cease-fire that began on Feb. 27 has helped reduce hostilities, but fierce fighting has continued in many areas, particularly around Aleppo. The Islamic State group and the al-Qaida branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, have been excluded from the truce.

Fighting around Aleppo and other areas in Syria has escalated in recent weeks, and Russia has recently issued an ultimatum for the US-backed opposition units to leave Nusra-controlled areas or face air strikes, but later agreed to give more time for them to pull out.

Russia and the US have traded mutual accusations over the truce. The US accused Moscow of failing to prevent violations by Assad's forces, while Russia criticized the US for its failure to encourage opposition groups it backed to pull out from areas controlled by Nusra.

The Pentagon said it held a video conference Saturday with the Russian military to discuss Russian air strikes conducted Thursday on the At-Tanf border garrison, striking Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State group.

"Russia's continued strikes at At-Tanf, even after US attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of ongoing coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for US and coalition forces," it said in a statement.

The video conference was held as part of bilateral communications channels intended to prevent incidents in the crowded skies over Syria.

The cease-fire is meant as a first step to a political solution that could end the civil war.

Putin said Friday that creating a new government that will have the trust of most of Syria's population is key to ending the five-year conflict. He said that this goal can be achieved only through drafting a new constitution and holding new elections.

The Russian leader also welcomed what he described as a US proposal to "think about incorporating some opposition representatives in the existing government structures, including the Cabinet." Putin added, however, that it would be "unrealistic" to expect that such a Cabinet would effectively take over power from Assad.

Russia has staunchly backed Assad throughout the five-year Syrian conflict that started as an uprising against the Syrian ruler and morphed into an all-out civil war.

The Defense Ministry said that Shoigu discussed the current operations with the top Russian military commander in Syria, Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov. The minister ordered the Russian Reconciliation Center at the base to intensify contacts with local administrations and militants to encourage them to join the cease-fire, Konashenkov said, adding that Shoigu also instructed increasing humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Shoigu also inspected the S-400 air defense missile systems protecting the base in the coastal province of Lattakia.

The military has deployed the powerful long-range missiles after a Turkish fighter jet downed a Russian warplane at the Syrian border last November, vowing to fend off any threat to its aircraft.

The Russian military has reported 10 casualties in Syria since the campaign's start: seven Russian servicemen died from enemy fire, two were killed in a helicopter crash and one killed himself. (**)
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Linkedin (Associated Press) Beirut  Sun, June 19, 2016

Militants have captured two villages from Syrian government forces and their allies in the northern province of Aleppo after days of heavy fighting that left scores of fighters dead, Syrian activists said Saturday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the four-day offensive by different militant groups, including the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front, killed 86 troops and pro-government gunmen, including 25 members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, both of which monitor the conflict through networks of local activists, say militants now control the villages of Zeitan and Khalsa, south of Aleppo city.

Nusra Front and its allies have launched several offensives south of Aleppo in recent months, inflicting heavy casualties among pro-government forces. Government forces have meanwhile closed in on rebel-held parts of the city, which have been under daily bombardment.

"The situation is very good," a Nusra Front fighter in southern Aleppo told The Associated Press by telephone. The fighter, who goes by the name of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajer, confirmed that the militants have captured the villages.

Hezbollah issued a statement in Beirut on Saturday saying it lost a number of "martyrs" in "direct and fierce confrontations with terrorist organizations." The group denied Arab media reports that said Hezbollah fighters were killed in clashes with Assad's forces and struck by Syrian government warplanes, saying its relations with the Syrian army and other allies are "strong."

Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to back President Bashar Assad's forces and has played a key role in a string of government victories.

In Aleppo city, shelling killed seven people and wounded more than a dozen in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud. The area is under the control of the main Kurdish militia, the People's Protection Units, or YPG, which has clashed with Syrian insurgents as well as the Islamic State group.

In Damascus, meanwhile, Assad met with Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on Saturday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, without providing further details.

Russia has been a key ally to Assad throughout the civil war and began carrying out airstrikes to bolster his forces last September.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people in Syria. (**)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 19, 2016

Volunteer group Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok) held a breaking-of-the-fast gathering, or iftar, on Sunday to celebrate its success in collecting 1 million copies of identity cards for Jakarta Govenor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama to run as an independent candidate in next years gubernatorial election.

A talk show and a fund-raiser through selling merchandise were also held at the event, which took place in front of the Teman Ahok office in Pejaten, South Jakarta, on Sunday.

Teman Ahok spokeswoman Amalia Ayuningtyas said the groups success in collecting the 1 million ID card copies for Ahok was a victory for all Jakartans.

This [achievement] shows how much the political nous of the citys residents has improved. Ahoks supporters gave their support without [needing to be] enticed by staple foods or other forms of compensation, Amalia said on Sunday, praising the enthusiasm and participation of the many Jakartans supporting the governors reelection.

Residents enthusiastically welcomed the event as hundreds of people from across Jakarta packed the venue hosting the celebrations within 30 minutes of the events entrance registration opening.

Ahok is scheduled to make an appearance at the event to directly meet and thank all of his supporters on Sunday evening. "If my I can manage my time, I will come to the event to thank my supporters," Ahok said on the sidelines of the Golkar Partys regional conference in Jakarta on Sunday. (ebf)
Tehran, Iran, June 19

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

The Republic of Azerbaijans Ambassador to Iran Bunyad Huseynov met Irans Minister of Culture Ali Jannati to discuss bilateral issues of concern.

There are several cultural points that the two countries share, such as the poems of Iranian poet Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar in Azerbaijani and outstanding poet Nizami Ganjavis grave in Azerbaijan, Jannati said during the meeting, stressing the need for mutual investment on the common assets, the Ministry of Cultures official website reported June 18.

The two countries enjoy the opportunity to work in various fields such as motion pictures, books, translation, and music, he stressed.

With respect to a cultural agreement between the two countries, it is necessary that they sign a cultural roadmap that outlines cooperation for a course of three years, Jannati underlined.

He added Tehran and Baku can join hands to improve the quality of the maintenance of their cultural sites.

For his part, the Azerbaijans ambassador noted that Iran and Azerbaijan can grab their many common grounds as an opportunity to start building relations, in the cultural sphere in particular.

We consider no limits in our relations with Iran and are eager to expand our ties with the country, Huseynov stated.

Iranian and Azerbaijani officials signed 11 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Feb. 23.
Cervical screening is declining across the UK with more than one in three young women failing to attend smear tests, according to a new review.

A total of 37% of women aged 25 to 29 missed out on a test in 2014.

This is despite more than half (52%) of cervical cancer cases in the UK each year occurring in women aged under 45.

(Gerry Broome/AP)

The new review, published in the Obstetrician and Gynaecologist journal, found screening rates have fallen among by 3.1% between 2004/5 and 2014/15, to 77.2%.

Overall, one in five women between the ages of 25 and 64, and one in three aged below 35, miss out on screening.

In England and Northern Ireland, women between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited for screening, with those aged 25 to 49 screened every three years and those aged 50 to 64 women screened every five years.

In Scotland, screening is routinely offered every three years to women aged between 20 and 60. In Wales, women between 20 and 64 are screened every three years.

There have been calls to lower the age at which women first start being screened following the deaths of some young women, including reality TV star Jade Goody, in 2009 at the age of 27.

(Gerry Broome/AP)

But the Government in England has rejected this, saying lowering the age could cause too many false positive results, leading to unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment.

Dr Theresa Freeman-Wang, consultant gynaecologist and co-author of the new study, said it was incredibly worrying that so many women are missing out on cervical screening.

She said young women may believe they are totally protected against cervical cancer if they have received the human papilloma virus (HPV) jab, which projects against several strains of disease that cause the cancer.

But she said: Although the vaccine is effective against the two most common strains of HPV which cause around 70% of cervical cancers, it doesnt prevent all of them, so its essential they go for cervical screening from the age of 25.

Research shows that inconvenience, a fear of cancer and concerns about the procedure put women off from making an appointment. Ensuring that coverage does not decline any further remains an important public health issue.

Just over 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK and there are over 900 deaths.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

An Iranian passenger plane en route from Ahvaz City to Kharg Island has slid from the runway after it touched the ground at an airport in the Kharg Island.

The incident took place at 13:00 local time (GMT+4:30) and no casualties were reported, said IRNA news agency.

Reza Jafarzadeh, director of the public relations office at Irans Civil Aviation Organization, has said the heavy winds caused the accident.

According to the report, the plane belonged to Mahan Air.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said in a statement on Saturday that Turkey expects its cooperation with the European Union on the refugee resettlement will grant Turkish citizens a visa-free travel within the Schengen zone, Daily Sabah reported.

"We expect the EU to continue its awareness and constructive attitude which recognizes the burden assumed by our country with the March 18 agreement, and seal our cooperation in the area of migration with a decision on visa liberation," Bilgic said in the statement.

The statement, issued in response to a question addressed to the ministry, said that the EU has on June 15 released the second part of the report on the control of irregular flow of refugees across the Aegean Sea, as part of an agreement reached between EU and Turkey on March 18. The statement added that the report has hailed Turkey's cooperation and efforts put in achieving the goals of the resettlement program as well as the commitment to the maintaining the agreed international standards.

The statement added that the EU's report put forward a positive attitude towards the implementation of visa liberation for Turkish citizens when traveling into Schengen zone.

Facing an unprecedented flow of refugees not seen since World War II, Europe has turned to Turkey to stem the flow of migrants seeking to reach the continent through Greece, the nearest gateway. The Turkish coasts lie in close proximity to Greece's Aegean islands, which were crowded with migrants, especially Syrians who traveled before the EU-Turkey deal was signed on March 18.

Under the deal, Turkey will readmit migrants who do not apply for asylum in Greece, or whose asylum requests were turned down by Greek authorities. The agreement covers only those who traveled from Turkey to Greece illegally since March 20. In return, the EU offered to take one Syrian refugee from Turkey for each resettled migrants, funds to cover the needs of refugees in Turkey and visa-free travel for Turks, along with more concessions to the country in membership negotiations with the EU.
The Pirate Bay (TPB), ExtraTorrent and YTS.ag Now Listed as Top Free Download Alternatives; Torrenting Still Hurting from KickassTorrents, Torrentz Shut Down (Photo : Facebook)

The Pirate Bay co-founder Fredrik Neij does not intend to see TPB's Swedish domain names seized by authorities without a fight. ThePirateBay.se and PirateBay.se will remain operational and under full control by TPB operators and Neij is seeking legal remedies to make sure that will be the case.



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While TPB is online now using its original .ORG domain to dodge the seizure order issued recently by the Swedish Court of Appeal, Neij is taking the fight to the same forum where anti-piracy advocates seek to takedown the popular file-sharing site. The TPB co-founder, TorrentFreak reported, is contesting the appeals court's decision possibly with the help of the Swedish Supreme Court.



According to the report, Neij argued before the Swedish High Court that forfeiting TPB's .SE domains through Sweden's domain names regulator, Punkt SE (IIS), would violate his fundamental rights. To begin with, ThePirateBay.se and PirateBay.se domains are under his name and therefore not Punkt SE's ownership, Neij said.



"Fredrik Neij moves that the Supreme Court, by the modification and elimination of the District Court and Court of Appeal's decision, should reject the prosecutor's request for Fredrik Neij's forfeiture to the right of the domain names piratebay.se and thepiratebay.se," a lawyer for the TPB co-founder was quoted by TorrentFreak as saying.



In the same argument, Neij revealed that the TPB .SE domains are his legal properties despite the transfer that reportedly happened in 2012. What transpired then was a mere paperwork procedure but all control remained with the TPB operator.



Neij also appealed before the High Court that the previous rulings erred in concluding that the TPB .SE domains are intellectual properties that can be seized under the guise of implementing Sweden's copyright laws and regulations.



"Fredrik Neij argues that the District Court and the Court of Appeal wrongly concluded that a domain name is a type of intellectual property that can be confiscated in accordance with copyright law," the TPB co-founder appeal filing said.



TorrentFreak noted on its report that in the past, Swedish authorities have forfeited domain names that have been connected with illegal activities, which indicate that Neij's bold move will not necessarily lead to a favorable decision for TPB.



Regardless, The Pirate Bay is now live and fully accessible via its ThePirateBay.org and PirateBay.org domains. And with its alternative TOR address plus the availability of other possible domain names, TPB fans are somehow assured that their premier torrent source will remain accessible even in the aftermath of losing legal battles with authorities and copyright holders.


Clip of Thai-speaking 'farang' complaining about Phuket taxi fares goes viral

PHUKET: A clip of a Thai-speaking westerner complaining about expensive Phuket transport has riled up emotions on social media.



By The Phuket News

Sunday 19 June 2016, 07:24AM

Photo: Jack Brown Facebook

The video clip, with a length of two minutes and 29 seconds, was initially uploaded by Facebook user, Jack Brown on Saturday afternoon (June 18) and by Sunday morning had amassed more than 105,000 views and 11,000 Likes.

The clip was later uploaded to his Youtube channel (see below).

Also known as Jack Dekfarang, Jack Brown rose to a popularity among Thais and Thai-language learners on Youtube and Facebook over the past few years for posting clips of himself speaking Thai with a clear yet distinguishable accent, commenting on various topics and issues.

He's been featured on a number of segments of Thai TV talkshows, telling the hosts and cameras how much he loves Thailand and Thai people, in Thai with an "adorable western accent".

In his latest viral clip "What happened with Phuket taxis" [translated from Thai ], he is filming himself while walking down the street.

He claims to be in Kata, on the southwest coast of Phuket, where he explains that he will take a short taxi ride back to his hotel, at a distance of about 1 kilometre, just to "demonstrate how expensive Phuket taxis are".

At the end of the trip, the taxi charges him B200, and Jack pays it without incident, but doesn't end the clip without giving his two satang's worth, in Thai, suggesting that something needs to be done about expensive transport in Phuket.

The clip was later shared on a Thai-language Phuket news and complaints group, where it recieved mixed reactions.

Some Phuket netizens agreed with Jack, that something needs to be done, "before tourists don't come back", while others criticized the westerner for failing to agknowledge the difference between private transport options (such as tuk tuks and taxis) and public transport options (such as sawng taeos) which they pointed out are available in Phuket for between B20 to B40 per trip.
Phuket learns to love quality inflatables

PHUKET: Interest in rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) in Phukets local boating market is hitting a higher plane as product education is driving demand specifically for quality Highfield RIBs, says one the leading dealers on the island.

marineeconomics

By Chris Husted

Sunday 19 June 2016, 10:59AM

People in the boating industry are quite skeptical, but over the past few years many have begun to learn more about Highfield RIBs and the excellent quality they offer, says Cholamark company owner and founder Hans Martin.

Cholamark, which has served customers in Thailand and neighbouring countries for more than 25 years, has been the Highfield RIB dealer in Phuket for more than five years. In that time, we have sold hundreds of Highfield RIBs on the island, noted Mr Martin.

Even charter companies here, including Sunsail, are now moving over to using Highfield RIBs as their standard tender of choice for their fleets. The main reason is obvious: the Hypalon tubes are resistant to the intense sun here and the powder-coated aluminium hulls are strong, light and very resistant to the harsh sea conditions in Phuket and the surrounding waters.

Beyond Phuket, Highfield has become a major player in Southeast Asia. Highfield has developed into a worldwide boat-builder with a complete line of RIBs. They now offer tenders from 2.4 to 6.4 metres all the way up to a full line of deluxe RIBs, Mr Martin added.

Highfield expects to become one of the top three manufacturers of RIBs five metres in length, or longer, within the next three years. With dealers and distributors in 38 countries, Highfield Boats has become the top choice or international mariners, with particular market strength in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. This development is backed by the dealers commitment providing good service and customer satisfaction, said Mr Martin.

Highfield Boats can trace their design heritage to the Australian line of Swift Boats. Developed to handle the tough conditions along the Great Barrier Reef, Swift RIBs are renowned for their durability and performance. But the secret to their success is their commitment to top-quality materials used for the production of their tenders, Mr Martin noted.

Aluminium provides great strength, lighter weight and improved performance when compared to heavier, fibreglass-hulled boats, he explained. Lighter-weight Highfield RIBs need less horsepower to provide speeds comparable to higher-powered fibreglass hulled RIBs, and deliver improved fuel economy. Light weight is a great advantage to yachtsmen and sailors as tenders become very easy to launch and recover, he said.

While marine-grade aluminium in and of itself is highly resistant to corrosion and does not rust, Highfield goes one step further and powder coats all aluminium parts, he added.

The powder-coating process electrostatically bonds the powder to the aluminium. The coated hull is then baked in a high-temperature industrial oven, where the powder particles melt and fuse in a smooth even coat on the metal. The resulting hulls are durable, good looking and, perhaps best of all, maintenance free, even in harsh saltwater conditions, he said.

Highfield Boats presently boasts a blue-chip list of owners and boat builders, including Lagoon Catamarans and Beneteau Yachts. When it comes to tenders, Highfield is also the first choice of The Moorings charter fleet.

In addition to finding Highfield RIBs on some of the worlds most prestigious yachts, Highfield is also involved in several very high-profile maritime events. Highfield RIBs were chosen as the exclusive support boats for the start and finish of the Vendee Globe 2016, with 42 boats ensuring the safe departure and arrival of sailors in the renowned, demanding around-the-world, single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance.

In 2015, Highfield RIBs were chosen by the Panam Games organisers as support boats to all sailing events, and are on the scene at race events in the UK, Sweden, Australia, Canada and the Caribbean.
'Rare' gold-ringed cat snake gets stuck under Phuket man's car, freed

PHUKET: It took rescue workers the better part of 20 minutes to carefully free a gold-ringed cat snake from the bottom of a man's car in Phuket City's Talad Yai sub district this morning.



By Darawan Naknakhon

Sunday 19 June 2016, 05:36PM

Sompop Jeungcharoen went to eat at rice and curry with his family at a restaurant on Luang Por Sam Rd, as he usually does. But this time, upon returning to his car, he noticed something shiny on the bottom of his car. Closer examination revealed that it was a snake, but not any kind of snake that anyone could identify, so Sompop called for help.

"In all my 40 years I've never seen a snake. This is the first one!" an excited Sompop reported to Kusoldham Rescue Workers, who were also surprised to see the snake.

"We catch snakes every day, mostly non-venomous pythons, reticulated and Burmese, as well as green snakes, and the odd cobra here and there," said Wachara Srikacha, Phuket Kusoldham chief.

"But this is the first time we've ever had to catch a Ngoo Bplong Thong  [gold-ringed cat snake]"

Rescue workers were particularly nervous and careful in freeing the poisonous snake, knowing that any wrong move could result in a bite for which antivenom might not be in local stocks.

Mr Wachara explained that the gold-ringed cat snake, also known as the mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila), is more common on the Gulf of Thailand coast, especially in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

"We're aware of a story of one of these types of snake being caught in Phuket more than 10 years ago. One had escaped from a snake collector's house in the area of Ket Ho, and it had to be caught. Other than that this is a first for me," said Mr Wachara, 51.

The snake, which measured just over a metre long, was eventually freed from its entanglement, and taken away by rescue workers, who plan to release it at an undisclosed sight.
Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand keeps it original

The Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand has a special meaning for more than just Russian nationals. At the moment there are eight Russian Orthodox parishes in Thailand  two in Pattaya, one in Bangkok, one on Koh Samui, one in Ratchaburi, one on Koh Chang, one in Hua Hin and one here in Phuket, each headed by a priest, titled Father



By Anton Makhrov

Sunday 19 June 2016, 12:00PM

The very titles Father and Mother (which is how wives of Russian priests are addressed) inspire in ones mind images of conservative, righteous people beyond the scope of our ordinary lives. These are the stereotypes we all share in regard to clergy and churchmen. Father Roman and Mother Kseniya, who oversee the Russian Orthodox Church, break these stereotypes.

Kseniya and I met while working for an Orthodox TV channel in Moscow. I worked as a cameraman, she was an editor. We got married, began to attend a missionary school, but never even thought about entering priest service, let alone doing it abroad. In 2010 we were working on a documentary in memory of the slain priest Daniil Sysoev, and during filming met a priest who later told us that Father Oleg from Pattaya needed volunteers. We agreed, packed up and left, Roman recollects.

Romans and Kseniyas first experience in Thailand lasted only six months. The couple found it too difficult to live so far from home in a hot tropical climate, surrounded by people of different nationalities. They went back to Russia only to return to Thailand again a short time later.

After one month, Father Oleg called Roman and asked him to come to serve in Phuket. At first Roman laughed and pointed out that he was not ordained as a priest, but Father Oleg assured him it was no obstacle.

Thats ok, he said. Well apply to the Patriarchy, you will enter a distance course in Seminaria and thats it, Roman says. Thats how Kseniya and Roman got to Phuket.

The parish of Holy Life-Giving Trinity on Phuket island was created in 2008 after the Russian Orthodox Church was registered in Thailand. On 18 December, 2011 the church of Holy Life-Giving Trinity was officially opened.

Father Roman confesses that being a young priest is challenging. When asked if he is afraid of anything, he admits to numerous fears. Im afraid to say something wrong to a churchgoer, Im a young priest still. Im afraid to fail to see something, to miss something, Oleg says frankly.

Everything is difficult. It is hard to wake early for a prayer, hard to stay in constant contact with people, hard to find time for everybody, he muses.

This openness is what many church-goers note when asked about Roman. People expect a moralitypreaching priest shrouded in dourness, and are surprised with how far their expectations were from reality. Mother Kseniya says that living and working in Phuket has been a positive experience mainly due to Romans vitality.

In a sense it is easier to be a priest here for a reason that maybe only few church-goers understand. The people we meet here in the church are mostly young, and the Father doesnt have to align with stereotypes of the elderly, she says.

Kseniya admits that the most difficult thing for her was to adapt to local living after her life in a big city and the increase in physical labour.

But now we dont belong to ourselves, she concludes, alluding that Roman and Kseniya now belong to the community of their believers.

When asked where their home is now Father Roman is pensive, Home is where someone wait for you. Having said this, he stands up, he bids his farewell and goes for the vesper service that is awaiting him. This makes his answer absolutely clear.

This article is based on an article that ran in Novosti Phuketa on September 27, 2015 by Daria Manina
Unicode 9 Proposed Emoji (Photo : Facebook)

Apple has reportedly yanked a proposed rifle emoji after Unicode accepted the little picture as an industry standard. The tech giant has decided to remove the rifle character from Unicode 9's next emoji set. In fact, it seems Apple and Microsoft have led the fight against the gun emoji following the recent Orlando shooting at a gay nightclub.



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BuzzFeed reported that Apple started the talk at the Unicode Consortium to remove the rifle emoji after it had passed the encoding process for the June release of Unicode 9.0. Microsoft also reportedly opposed the emoji at the big meeting of the non-profit organization.



Apple's alleged support for pulling the rifle emoji would also affect other platforms including Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows. The reason is that platform vendors must show each Unicode character's style but not the subject.



The pistol-shooting sport Modern Pentathlon has also been bumped from Unicode 9. Like the rifle emoji it had been proposed in the past.



The emoji representing the shooting sport was one of several emojis that were being considered before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this summer. Others included gold, silver, and bronze medals.



Apple could be opposing the rifle emoji due to its somewhat liberal voice on social issues. It could also be related to the gun rights debate now taking place in the United States.



Apple CEO Tim Cook called for a moment of silence during the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 13, Monday. The mass shooting in Orlando, Florida happened a week ago when a lone gunman used an assault rifle to kill 49 people.



However, Apple has not taken a total anti-gun position on its platform. For example, a handgun emoji has been included on the company's emoji keyboard for iPhones, iPads and Macs for a long time, according to 9 to 5 Mac.



Meanwhile, Apple's App store includes games and apps with icons showing guns as well as shooting. Last year the California-based company stated that it would start enforcing an App Store rule requiring that app icons, screenshots and previews follow the 4+ age rating.



The rifle emoji will still show up as a black-and-white character in Unicode 9. However, it will not appear as a color character on software keyboards. This means that the gun picture can still be used in text like all other emoji and typo-graphical symbols such as "%" and "&", according to Quartz.



Here's the history of emoj told using emojis:






Italy's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said Thursday that Italy would not send its ambassador back to Cairo over Egypts handling of investigations into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Egypt earlier this year, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

"The government recalled the ambassador two months ago and this decision has not changed," Gentiloni said during a visit to Bosnia, according to ANSA.

In April, Italian ambassador Maurizio Massari was recalled "for consultations" following a meeting in Rome where the Egyptian team of investigators looking into the murder submitted a 2,000-page report to Italian chief prosecutor Giuseppe Pignatone on the investigation.

Italian officials have criticised what they described as a lack of transparency in the investigation.

A new Italian ambassador to Cairo, Giampaolo Cantini, was appointed in May, though it is unclear when he would assume his new post.

The Italian foreign minister's statements come one day after Regeni's parents met with the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

In an official statement, Mogherini said she had personally raised the case with the Egyptian foreign minister [Sameh] Shoukry.

"The EU supports all the initiatives the Italian authorities are taking in their search for the truth on the death of Giulio Regeni," the statement added

Regeni, who was in Cairo conducting research on independent trade unions, went missing on 25 January. His body was found, bearing signs of severe torture, by a roadside on the outskirts of the capital nine days later.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has insisted that the investigation into the murder of Regeni in Cairo was being conducted with the "utmost transparency," with Egyptian officials repeatedly denying speculation that security forces were involved in the murder.

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Thabet's arrest in May came in amid government investigations into a number of Egyptian NGOs over 'illegal foreign funding'

Related Minority rights campaigner Mina Thabet detained on incitement charges

A judge is set to rule on the prosecution's appeal on Monday against human rights campaigner Mena Thabet, and will decide whether the campaigner will be released or remains in detention pending further investigation.

On Saturday, Egypt prosecution appealed a release order on bail by a court for the rights campaigner who is facing charges of seeking to overturn the regime and joining a terrorist group.

Thabet, the programme director for minorities and marginalised groups at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, has remained in custody for nearly a month since he was arrested at the end of May.

Thabet's detention came amid renewed government investigations into a number of Egyptian NGOs over illegal foreign funding".

Rights watchdog Amnesty International had condemned the arrest of Thabet , calling it a "flagrant attack against freedom of expression and association." The London-based rights group described Thabet as "a pillar of Egypts human rights community" who "has tirelessly worked to defend the rights of minority groups, including Coptic Christians."

*An earlier version of this report stated that Mina Thabet was released from jail.

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The bomb exploded early Sunday on North Sinai's Al-Hassna highway near Al-Arish

A police captain was killed and another injured Sunday at dawn when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated as their police vehicle traveled through North Sinai's Al-Hassna highway, Egypt's interior ministry said in an official statement.

The interior ministry said security forces were intensifying efforts to catch the culprits.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

An Islamist insurgency has spiked in North Sinai following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, with militants targeting police and army personnel.

Sunday's attack comes amid an intensified third phase of Egypt's comprehensive military campaign to purge the restive governorate of militants through "pre-emptive strikes against terrorist elements."

Over 100 militants have been killed so far since the third phase was launched end of May.

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Mokhtar and his two roommates have been detained since 14 January on charges of calling for protest and 'overthrowing the regime'

A Cairo court renewed the detention of Doctors Syndicate member Taher Mokhtar and two of his roommates for 45 days pending investigations on Sunday, according to a statement by the Voices Behind Bars campaign.

The court has repeatedly renewed the detention of Mokhtar, Hossam El-Din Hamed (Sam) and Ahmed Hassan (Estakoza), since they were arrested on 14 January at their apartment in downtown Cairo.

They are accused of carrying posters inciting to protest and to "overthrow the regime."

However, Mokhtar's lawyer says his client only carried union documents on the medical condition of jailed doctors.

Mokhtar is an activist for the provision of medical healthcare for prisoners and is a member of a campaign called "Medical negligence in prisons is a crime." He is also a member of the Doctors Syndicate freedom committee.

The Voices Behind Bars campaign documents stories of prisoners in cases related to freedom of expression.

The joint campaign involves a number of human rights organisations including the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, Nazra for Feminist Studies, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, and the Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression.

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The policemen will be detained for four days pending investigations

Related Egyptian policeman detained for four days over street shooting

Helwan prosecutors ordered the detention for four days pending investigations of a low-ranking policeman Sunday on accusations of attempted murder after he shot at a young man, injuring him in the chest and arm.

The officer allegedly used his service weapon during a fight between his brother and their neighbour on Saturday.

Last February, another low-ranking policeman shot dead a taxi driver in a fight over the fare in Cairo's El-Darb El-Ahmar.

Local media outlets have quoted interior ministry officials as saying that policemen must turn in their weapons by the end of their work hours, though it is unclear if this applies to all law enforcement officials.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday defended the Narendra Modi government's global outreach-driven foreign policy and said there are many benefits of such endeavours.

"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) does not come sitting at home," Sushma Swaraj said, in an apparent dig at critics who have often Prime Minister Modi's frequent overseas travels.

"Aaj jab Bharat bolta hai, duniya sunti hai (Today when India speaks, the world listens)," she told the media here.

The minister said since the Modi government took charge in May 2014, there had been a substantial FDI inflow.

"As much as $55 billion or Rs 369,000 crore has come through the FDI route in the last two years. It is about a 43 per cent jump over what it was during the UPA rule."

Sushma Swaraj said the foreign outreach had helped India enlist assistance of global players like the US, France, Germany and England in flagship schemes like 'Smart Cities'.

"With Australia alone, we had 13 agreements on skill development," she said, adding there had been cooperation with countries such as Germany and Japan for 'Namami Ganga' programme.
As India makes a determined bid to get NSG membership, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that China was not opposing its entry even as Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to secure its support.

Stating that China is talking only about the criteria and procedures to be adopted for membership of the elite 48-nation atomic trading bloc, Swaraj said India was hopeful that it will be able to convince China to give its backing. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India can scuttle its bid.

Swaraj also said that India was confident of getting membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) this year.

"China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to the NSG," she told a press conference here while highlighting her ministry's achievements in the last two years.

"I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year," she said, adding, "The NSG entry is crucial for India's energy policy."

"I'm myself in contact with 23 nations, 1 or 2 raised concern but think consensus is there."

Swaraj said that instead of talking about criteria with respect to India's bid its credentials should be discussed.

The Minister said as far as entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on its entry and its role. "But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit," she added.

Jaishankar's visit to Beijing on June 16-17 came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the NSG scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where India's membership is likely to be discussed.

"Yes, I can confirm Foreign Secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including India's NSG membership, were discussed," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

China is believed to be strongly opposing India's membership at the premier club arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Earlier this week, China's official media said India's NSG membership would "jeopardise" China's national interests besides touching a "raw nerve" in Pakistan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG "remain divided" on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for "full discussions".

India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its membership of the bloc whose members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology.

The US has backed India and asked various NSG members to support New Delhi's bid.

It is understood that a number of countries including Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand were not in favour of India's entry into the NSG.
A militant was killed during an ongoing gunfight on Sunday between security forces and militants in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

"Following specific information about the presence of some militants in Ladoo village of Pulwama district near Pampore town, security forces started an operation today (Sunday).

"When a cordon was being laid around the place where militants were reportedly hiding, security forces were fired upon. The security forces retaliated and a gunfight started in the area," a senior police officer told IANS here.

One militant has so far been killed, the officer said, adding reinforcements have been rushed to the area to augment the strength of the security forces engaged in the operation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on his 46th birthday on Sunday morning.

The Prime Minister wished Gandhi a long and healthy life.

"Birthday wishes to the Congress VP, Rahul Gandhi. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life," tweeted Modi.

Birthday wishes to the Congress VP, Shri Rahul Gandhi. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life. @OfficeOfRG  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2016

Gandhi thanked him for the wishes.

His supporters are expected to celebrate his birthday at party headquarters.

He is expected to meet party workers at around noon.
The data extraction process can take several weeks, according to Egypt's civil aviation ministry

The Egyptian investigative committee looking into the crash of EgyptAir flight MS804 has begun its inspection of the plane's two black boxes found in the Mediterranean Sea last week.

Electrical tests are being conducted on the memory units of the two devices  the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR)  after which the data unloading process will start, the civil aviation ministry said on Sunday in a statement.

The data extraction process can take several weeks, the ministry had earlier said.

The plane, which was on its way from Paris to Cairo, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on 19 May, killing all 66 people on board.

The memory units were dried in an eight-hour process in preparation for the electrical tests, according to Sunday's statement.

The memory units were removed from the recorders at the ministry's Central Department for Aircraft Investigation, with the drying process taking place at the Technical Research Centre of the Armed Forces "using modern, high-tech drying ovens."

French and US government representatives, along with their expert consultants, are attending the inspection process. The US official joined the investigation committee as a representative from the country where the plane's engine was manufactured.

The ministry statement said that the task of the John Lethbridge search vessel  which had located the black boxes on Thursday and Friday  was not over with the recovery of the data recorders.

"[The vessel] is proceeding with it task of drawing a map of the debris distribution pattern at the bottom of the Mediterranean," the statement read.

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Around 50 people lost their lives and 50 more were wounded in the Orlando terror attack when a gay nightclub was attacked by a lone man during the early hours of Sunday June 12, 2016. The gunman killed several people and took others hostage. The drama culminated hours later in the killing of the perpetrator of the Orlando terrorist attacker at the hands of the law enforcement officials.

It has been revealed through several sources that the attacker was a US born afghan national Omar Mateen. Mateen was allegedly in touch with ISIS and had also pledged allegiance to the group.

ISIS claimed responsibility for Florida terror attack through its own news agency saying that it was carried out by one if its soldiers. The Orlando attack is being regarded in the US as the worst terror attack after September 11.

SEE ALSO: Theory of Invisible Balance of Power in relation to the US vs Islamic Militants is Valid Today

The wider opinion of Christians, Muslims and Jews after the terror attacks in France and Belgium had been deeply polarized. In fact, this division is definitely visible on the social media where general public is usually seen hurling insults at each other.

Of course, general people cannot be blamed for holding these extremist ideas since most people cannot analyze these issues in depth and are swayed by perceptions, prejudices and previous beliefs.

Then, there are the political leaders who leave no chance to manipulate these attacks to their own advantage so that their vote banks could be increased. Another factor is the pressure exerted from the religious establishments and nationalist elements that have their own sinister agendas to follow.

As with any usual suspect, ISIS is the first name that comes to mind whenever there is a terror attack anywhere in the world. Not a single thought is given to the possibility that there might be someone else behind this group  a group that has its own objectives. This is why a realistic analysis is called for in order to see who is behind Orlando terror attack?

Before the attacks in France and Belgium, intelligence agencies of various western countries had warned that something of the likes may happen in these cities.

These warnings were manipulated by Israeli agencies that were seeking to renew and revive the global war on terror. It must be noted here that both France and Belgium have officially recognized the state of Palestine despite vehement Israeli protests. Israel was under immense pressure to resume talks with the Palestinians for a two-state solution as envisaged in the Oslo accord. Israel was further irritated by boycott of its products in the EU.

In this background, and the alleged links between Israeli agency Mossad and some ISIS figure, it cannot be totally ruled out that attacks on European soil were carried out at the behest of Mossad.

Another factor that lends credence to the fact that there may be a connection between ISIS and Mossad is that fact that the former has conducted several terrorist attacks in America, Europe, Syria, Iraq and even Lebanon. But Israel which is the sworn enemy of every jihadist organization has been spared the ISIS carnage. Why?

General public in Europe has largely ignored this question. Right wing politicians in Europe have been busy whipping up public sentiment against Muslims who are facing a severe backlash. There have been talks for expelling Muslim refugees from Europe, and actions have also been taken with dictators in Africa to stem their flow through the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the situation in Syria has become very difficult with Syrian forces backed by Iran, Russia and Hezbollah one side and the rebels on the other.

Add ISIS to mix and you have a situation that is clearly out of hands. Russian planes are daily bombing Syrian cities with no regard for civilian casualties.

Assad is clinging to the presidency and the rebels are adamant in their appeal for Assad to step down. In America an anti-Muslim nominee of the Republican Party, Donald Trump is making gains and seems to be inching towards the presidency.

After the Orlando terror attack Trump once again slammed president Obama calling him weak. He reiterated his resolve to ban all Muslims from entering the US.

It may be concluded from the aftermath of the Orlando terror attack that Mossad may have used its ISIS cohorts to plan and execute this heinous crime in order to further its own interests and divert the attention of the general public from the Palestinian issue and what is going on in Syria.
While the 20% Arab minority in Israel learns Hebrew, the Hebrew speaker rarely learn Arabic and it appears Israels Education Ministry wishes to change this by compelling Hebrew speaking elementary schools to teach Arabic.

Today, it is supposed to be mandatory from seventh to ninth grade but this is not implanted as it should. In the Arabic-speaking public schools, Hebrew is mandatory from third grade.

The Abraham Fund, a Jewish-Arab organization, is involved in this initiative. Development Director Anton Goodman told Yisrael Hayom this will assist in bringing the Jewish majority and Arabic minority together.

Abraham Fund Educational Initiatives Director Hazar Masri-Hussein adds that in addition to teaching Arabic language, students will learn culture. She feels this is imperative towards developing a tolerance and understanding for one another.

Goodman feels the program will assist everyone to prosper and embrace the others identity as well.

The curriculum used was developed in 2005 and introduced as a pilot program in 30 schools, in the north in Haifa and other areas and five years after it was expanded, becoming mandatory in the north with the cooperation with the Education Ministry. It is now implemented in 200 schools and only mandatory in the north and Haifa. About 100 Arabic teachers are integrated into the program.

Goodman feels the ministrys decision is a landmark with incredible potential, offering the funds continued assistance. He feels Arabic teachers should be teaching and it should continue with spoken Arabic in all Jewish schools from first to twelfth grades.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, to death for allegedly passing documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Morsi, the top defendant, and two of his aides were sentenced to 25 years in prison for membership in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group but were acquitted of espionage, a capital offense. Morsi and his secretary, Amin el-Sirafy, each received an additional 15-year sentence for leaking official documents. El-Sirafys daughter, Karima, was also sentenced to 15 years on the same charge.

Morsi, Egypts first freely elected leader, was ousted by the military in July 2013 and has already been sentenced to death in another case. That death sentence and another two  life and 20 years in prison  are under appeal. The Brotherhood was banned and declared a terrorist organization after his ouster. Khalid Radwan, a producer at a Brotherhood-linked TV channel, received a 15-year prison sentence.

All of Saturdays verdicts can be appealed. Of the cases 11 defendants, seven, including Morsi, are in custody.

Amnesty International called for the death sentences to be immediately thrown out and for the ludicrous charges against the journalists to be dropped.

The two Al-Jazeera employees  identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal  were sentenced to death in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rasd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsis Muslim Brotherhood.

Al-Jazeera condemned the verdicts, saying they were part of a ruthless campaign against freedom of expression, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the journalists.

This sentence is only one of many politicized sentences that target Al Jazeera and its employees, the networks acting director Mostefa Souag said in a statement. They are illogical convictions and legally baseless. Al Jazeera strongly denounces targeting its journalists and stands by the other journalists who have also been sentenced.

A news story that appeared earlier on the Al-Jazeera English website identified Hilal as a former director of news at Al-Jazeeras Arabic channel and said Alaa Omar Mohammed was an Al-Jazeera employee until last year. The networks statement confirmed Hilals status, but only said that Mohammed was identified by the prosecution as an Al-Jazeera journalist.

The three other defendants sentenced to death Saturday are documentary producer Ahmed Afify, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohammed Keilany and academic Ahmed Ismail.

Judge Mohammed Shirin Fahmy recommended the death sentence for the six last month. Under standard procedure in cases of capital punishment, his recommendation went to the office of Egypts Grand Mufti, the nations top Muslim theological authority, for endorsement.

Fahmy quoted the Muftis office as saying the six had sought to harm the country when they passed to a foreign nation details of the armys deployment as well as reports prepared by intelligence agencies.

They are more dangerous than spies, because spies are usually foreigners, but these are, regrettably, Egyptians who betrayed the trust, the judge said. No ideology can ever justify the betrayal of ones country.

Egypts relations with Qatar have been fraught with tension since the ouster of Morsi, who enjoyed the support of the tiny but wealthy Gulf state. Cairo also maintains that Al-Jazeeras news coverage of Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East is biased in favor of militant Islamic groups.

Last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi pardoned two imprisoned journalists from the Al-Jazeera English news network. Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-born Canadian, and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were arrested in December 2013. They had been sentenced to three years in prison for airing what a court described as false news and coverage biased in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The prosecution of the two, along with Australian Peter Greste  another Al-Jazeera English reporter who was deported in February last year  drew strong international condemnation.

Egypt was ranked 158 out of 180 countries in the 2015 Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders. In December, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Egypt was second only to China as the worlds worst jailer of journalists in 2015.

(AP)
President Vladimir Putin says Russia will work with whoever is elected the new U.S. president.

Putin earlier on Friday dodged the question of whether he would prefer Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as the new commander-in-chief.

Speaking at a meeting with the leaders of the major news agencies Putin said Moscow is unfazed by the often anti-Russia campaign rhetoric and will judge the new president by their deeds, not by their words.

Putin said he would seek ways to restore ties that were dampened by Russias annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 and its support to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

(AP)
Donald Trump voiced annoyance Saturday at continued resistance to his presumptive presidential nomination from some Republicans as he accused former Florida governor Jeb Bush of trying to undermine his candidacy and appeared to take aim at Sen. Ted Cruz. R-Texas.

We are going to beat Hillary. And it would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit, said Trump. You know? Okay? Just a little bit.

After complaining in general terms about talk of a revolt against him, Trump later suggested that Bush was involved in an opposing movement and that another well-known Republican was also plotting against him.

By the way, Jeb is working on the movement, just so you understand. I love competition like that. I love it, said Trump. He added: And the other one should be obvious to you, but well figure that out very easily.

The Washington Post reported this week that dozens of Republican convention delegates are trying to devise a plan to block Trump at the summers party meetings. Many of the delegates involved supported Cruz but said they are not taking cues from any of Trumps former rivals.

Theres a little movement. And I just heard today where its coming from. Its coming from people that have been badly defeated, said Trump. At another point, he cited a couple of guys who were badly defeated who are trying to organize maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt.

While he did not spell out who was the second person he was talking about, Trump at one point appeared to take an indirect swipe at Cruz, who was effectively the runner-up to the real estate mogul in the primary race. He attacked Republicans who said he could not clinch the necessary delegates to win the nomination, adding: One of the people, who probably hasnt quite given up yet  was trying to buy up all of the second ballot people. As a candidate, Cruz made an effort to woo convention delegates to support him in a scenario in which the convention was not decided on the first ballot.

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks explained his remarks by saying: Mr. Trump was stating the fact that with almost 14 million votes and with 37 state victories, he won the nomination in a landslide and that anybody who he so soundly defeated would have zero path to getting the nomination both from a practical or a legal standpoint.

Spokesmen for Cruz and Bush did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither Cruz nor Bush has endorsed Trump. Bush has said he will not vote for Trump.

Trump made his Saturday remarks at a campaign rally inside a theater at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Supporters lined up to enter hours before the event, and many were turned away due to space constraints. Trump was scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. but took the stage about 40 minutes late. He blamed the delay, in part, on the TSA, for not bringing enough security screening equipment to get people in fast enough.

In his remarks, Trump cited a statement from a Republican National Committee spokesman seeking to tamp down talk of a convention revolt.

Reince Priebus. You know what that is, right? Trump asked, mentioning the name of the RNC chairman.

The crowd didnt react favorably.

No, hes a good guy, Trump interjected.

The mogul said he has helped raise $12 million to $13 million for the Republican Party in the last couple of days.

But there are lingering tensions between Trump and his partys leaders. Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Wis., who has voiced strong disagreements with Trump even as he continues to support him, said in an interview to be broadcast Sunday on NBCs Meet The Press that House Republicans who dont want to back Trump should not do something thats contrary to their conscience. In making the comment, Ryan applied virtually no pressure on rank-and-file Republicans to back the presumptive nominee  an extraordinary stance for the sitting speaker this far along in an election year.

As Trump started speaking Saturday, there were at least two rows of seats in one corner of the venue  which has a capacity of about 1,600 people  that were empty. But supporters continued to enter as he spoke. By the end, that section, like the rest of the theater, was full.

By 8:45 a.m., the line of people waiting to enter the rally stretched onto the casino floor, where the slots were ringing, and some Electric Daisy Carnival festival-goers were wandering about. More and more Trump supporters showed up, creating a snaking line through the casino.

Soon after 10 a.m., security guards toward the lines end began shouting, were at maximum capacity!

Most ticket holders who were turned away took it in stride, calling the lengthy lines an impressive victory for Trump.

Its just nice to be this close to him, said Margo Fisco, 62, who spent 20 minutes trying to find parking and knew her odds of making it in the rally werent good. Im a big fan.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Sean Sullivan, Jackie Valley
Shas party leader Minister Aryeh Deri on erev Shabbos spoke at length with radio personality Benny Rabinovich, on Kol Chai Radio. During the half hour discussion many current events topics were addressed, including the advances by the Reform Movement at the Kosel, particularly the mixed-gender mincha a day earlier.

Rabinovich, a prominent chareidi journalist, blasted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, blaming him for being part of the mechanism that permitted significant advances for the Reform Movement.

Deri was quick to correct his host, telling Rabinovich that PM Netanyahu is compelled to concern himself with the Supreme Court no less than the chareidi parties and there is a reasonable possibility the High Court will order a third prayer area at the Kosel, one for mixed-gender services.

Deri highlighted that the Prime Minister is backing the chareidim and the battle to maintain the religious status quo but he is compelled to do so amid the realization the matter may be decided by the court.

Prime Minister Netanyahu issued the following statement regarding the controversy at the Kosel. As I have said many times before, the unity of the Jewish people is a source of our strength and one of the values closest to my heart. As we continue to work towards a solution that will allow all Jews to feel at home at the Kosel, there are those who would prefer to divide our people and even to say that other Jews are wicked or arent Jews at all. We all must unequivocally reject these inappropriate words and deeds, which run counter to the basic spirit of the State of Israel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Algerian soldiers killed eight armed Islamist militants in an operation south of the capital on Sunday, the defence ministry said.

It said the eight "terrorists" were killed in an ambush in a mountainous area of the Medea region, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Algiers.

Arms and ammunition were seized, it said.

The ambush was part of an ongoing operation against militants that began on June 9 and had so far led to the killings of 12 "terrorists" and the arrests of four others.

The authorities in the North African country use the term "terrorists" to refer to Islamist militants.

A brutal civil war in the 1990s between the government and Islamists claimed about 200,000 lives.

Despite adopting a peace and reconciliation charter in 2005 aimed at turning the page on the conflict, armed groups remain active in some areas.

According to an AFP count compiled from official bulletins, security forces have killed at least 95 armed Islamists this year.

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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Shabbos ordered the dispatch of firefighting aircraft from Israel to assist in efforts to extinguish the major fire near Paphos, Cyprus.

The Foreign Ministry situation room received a request from Cyprus pursuant to the close relations between Cyprus and Israel and the regional alliance between them; there is also an agreement on emergency assistance.

During the fire on Mt. Carmel, Cyprus was one of the first countries to send a firefighting aircraft.

Firefighting planes and military equipment was sent on Sunday morning 13 Sivan.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Former Shas party leader Eli Yishai spoke to Kol Berama Radio, addressing that when he received control of the Shas party in the 1990s, the party was devastated. He used the air time interview to blast current leader Aryeh Deri, adding when he inherited the leadership of the party it came with a staggering NIS 150 million debt and the Yom LYom newspaper was collapsing as was the Mayan Chinuch education network.

Yishai added that Deri was preoccupied with his trials and there was no leader; and he inherited a party that was limping to survive.

Yishais harsh commentary on Deris leadership came in response to Deris comments that Yishais establishment of the Yachad party has led to a diminished Shas party since votes were wasted at the polls.

Yishai was quick to add When there is an increase in the number of seats he takes the credit but when there is a decline, it is someone else.

Yishai insists it is not a matter of bad blood between them but it surrounds the fact that Deri did not permit anyone to speak when he was in charge and following his attack, he is compelled to explain the facts.

On Friday, Deri was interviewed by Benny Rabinovich on Kol Chai Radio, using the interview to speak out against Yishai for challenging his leadership and claiming to lead the true followers of Maran when everyone knows it is Shas alone that continues Marans tradition.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Thomas Mair, the man arrested for the murder of British Member of Parliament Jo Cox, was reportedly a dedicated supporter of a U.S.-based neo-Nazi hate group that calls for the eradication of Jews and other races.

Mair, 52, was armed with a knife and a gun when he attacked Cox in her home village of Birstall in northern England, while shouting Britain First in a possible reference to the far-right Britain First party, reports said.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center civil rights group, Mair was apparently a dedicated supporter of the National Alliance (NA), a U.S.-based neo-Nazi and white supremacist organization. Mair purportedly purchased a manual from the NA in 1999 that included instructions on how to build a pistol.

Explicitly genocidal in its ideology, NA materials call for the eradication of the Jews and other raceswhat a principal foundational document describes as a temporary unpleasantnessand the creation of an all-white homeland, the Southern Poverty Law Center said.

Cox, 41, was a popular pro-Europe Labour MP who advocated for Syrian refugees. Some commentators have speculated on whether or not the murder was linked to the contentious debate over the United Kingdoms upcoming referendum on European Union membership.

(Source: JNS.org)
Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen announced on Sunday the release of 276 government loyalists who had been held captive for months, in a gesture of good will.

The rebels' sabanews.net website said 200 detainees were set free in Rada, a town in the central province of Baida, and another 76 were let go in nearby Dhamar province.

The move was a sign of "good will" on the occasion of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, said the website, citing officials.

The detainees in Rada had been captured for allegedly "cooperating with the Arab military coalition and being loyal to the government" of UN-backed President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, an official there told AFP.

Those freed in Dhamar had been taken in on accusations they had been preparing to join government forces, the official added.

The releases come a day after the exchange of 194 prisoners in Taez, in southwestern Yemen, following tribal mediation unconnected to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait.

Those negotiations, now in their ninth week, have made no major breakthroughs, even on the issue of prisoners.

Earlier this month, the rebels freed 187 captives while Saudi Arabia released 52 children it was holding.

Those negotiations, now in their ninth week, have made no major breakthroughs, even on the prisoners issue.

Earlier this month, the rebels released 187 detainees while Saudi Arabia freed 52 children it was holding.

More than 6,400 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015, the majority of them civilians, the UN says.

The fighting has also driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 percent of the population in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

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M. T. writes: My wife and I received letters from NatWest advising us that our joint current account would be closed after 60 days. It said this decision could not be contested.

I replied that I had been a customer since 1997 and told the bank a malicious allegation of fraud had been made against me, so the police had obtained bank statements from NatWest. Yet the police closed the case with no action taken.

My wife, simply by association with me, is having her account withdrawn too. It cannot be right that innocent customers are treated this way.

Account closure: Legally, of course, NatWest can do whatever it wants

THE letter could hardly be more blunt. NatWest gives you 60 days to find a bank willing to take you on, but says: 'We will not be able to provide references for you.' It orders you to cut up your debit cards and return the pieces, with your cheque book, to your branch. There is no explanation.

NatWest tells you: 'Our decision is final and we are not prepared to enter into any discussion about it.' When you protested, an official said: 'I am not able to divulge the precise reason behind our request for you to close your accounts.' He then apologised 'for any inconvenience this will cause'.

Legally, of course, NatWest can do whatever it wants. As long as it does not discriminate on grounds of gender, race or creed, it can welcome any customer it likes and kick out any whose face or finances do not fit.

A spokesperson told me: 'As stated in our terms and conditions, we have the right to close an account and do not have to give a reason.' This is true. But it ignores the reality of modern life, which is that it is darned difficult to exist without a bank account. Try telling the boss that you must be paid in cash because after nearly 20 years your bank does not trust you and is shutting your account.

The Financial Ombudsman Service receives some 200 complaints a year about forced account closures, but cannot make the banks reverse their decision. At best, customers can be awarded compensation if the bank fails to give adequate notice or wrongly bounces cheques.

An official told me: 'This can feel really unfair if you have no clue as to why you've been singled out. Some people worry they have had a black mark put against their name inappropriately.' In certain cases banks have their hands tied. If they suspect money laundering, they are obliged to inform the police, but are banned from 'tipping off' customers by explaining why their account is being closed.

Frustrated: Watchdog Sue Lewis has hit out at the silence of banks like NatWest

Sue Lewis, who heads the Financial Services Consumer Panel, says: 'Banks can behave as though they have no duty of care towards their customers because, in law, they have none. We believe there should be a robust appeal process for consumers who find themselves without a bank account.'

She added: 'We have raised this issue with the British Bankers' Association several times but are still frustrated that consumers continue to be unfairly treated.' There were protests earlier this year when new international rules to halt money laundering by 'politically exposed persons' were used by banks to quiz MPs and their families and to threaten to close accounts. Some objected to being treated like Third World dictators. But at least they knew why they were being questioned.

It is a shame the same politicians do not listen to Lewis and give some relief to ordinary customers who know there is a question mark forever hanging over them, but whose bank refuses to say what that question is.

ICE found after cruise firm trail goes cold

M. E. F. writes: We suspect there has been misrepresentation in regard to extra charges billed by Our Holiday Centre for our cruise booking.

Port fees of 124 and government taxes of 260 were included in the package but we have received demands for a further 984 in port fees, reduced to 400 after we complained.

OUR Holiday Centre is just a trading name, not the name of an actual company. But tracking down exactly who is responsible for it was not as simple as you might think.

Its website and terms and conditions claim that the trading name is used by ICE Limited, which registered at Companies House as company number 3793955. But this number belongs to ICE Europe Limited, while ICE Limited is an unconnected business.

So were you dealing with ICE Europe? Well, perhaps not, because an information sheet you were given says Our Holiday Centre really belongs to yet another company, ICE Cruise & Excursions Travel Limited of Kettering, Northamptonshire. On the other hand, a check with Companies House showed this firm left Kettering three years ago and is now based in Harrow, North-West London, which is where I eventually found it.

Director Jordan Elliott told me the use of different company names, numbers and addresses were 'errors'.

He added: 'We are reviewing our materials to ensure all references to our legal entity are made to ICE Europe Limited - this is our trading entity, licensed by the Association of British Travel Agents.' As to the cost of your holiday, Elliott explained that government fees and taxes are levied through the cruise line, not his company.

He told me that the 984 bill was for an upgrade to a better cabin. You have told me that this is not how you remember the booking you made over the phone. But since ICE Europe has now offered you a bonus week, you have reluctantly agreed to pay the 400 rather than miss your cruise.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
This is Money rounds up the Sunday newspaper share tips. This week, Belvoir, Circassia, builders, banks, miners and manufacturers.

MAIL ON SUNDAY

Mike Goddard spent 17 years in the RAF, ending up as a Wing Commander at a base in South Wales. At the age of 45, he decided he had had enough of military life, left with a tidy sum of cash and founded Belvoir, a property rental business.

That was in 1995. Today, Belvoir Lettings is the largest franchise-operated lettings group in the UK with 301 high street sites and more than 54,000 managed properties.

The shares are 121p, dividends are generous and the stock should do well whatever the outcome of Thursdays referendum.

For many years, Belvoir existed as a single brand but last year it acquired two smaller franchise operators, Goodchilds and Newton Fallowell, and two weeks ago the group announced its biggest acquisition to date, Northwood, for up to 22 million.

Northwood brings 86 outlets and 17,000 properties to Belvoir, cementing its number one position in the UK. Size matters in this industry because larger groups can secure better deals with suppliers and websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove.

Goddards policy is to ensure that each brand within the group retains its name and identity so outsiders would not necessarily know they are part of the same business. This not only allows Belvoir to operate several agencies in the same area but it also fosters competition among the franchisees.

The transaction comes at an interesting time in the rental market, just months after Chancellor George Osborne changed the taxation on buy-to-let properties so landlords could claim only basic-rate tax relief on mortgage interest. Fortunately, most of Belvoirs landlords own their properties outright so they are unaffected by the move.

Franchisees report that business remains robust and an update earlier this month said trading in the first five months of the year had been encouraging.

The company is also expected to benefit from continued demand for rental accommodation, given the shortage of housing stock.

Goddard is keeping an eye on developments online too. Most tenants come to the group from searching online but landlords tend to prefer face-to-face contact with lettings agents.

Midas verdict: Belvoir floated on the junior AIM market in 2012 at 75p and had a chequered early start, with several board changes and some disappointing results.

Now however, Goddard is firmly in charge with an extremely competent finance director, Louise George, at his side.

The Northwood acquisition will strengthen the business and the group should deliver good growth, Brexit or not. A solid, defensive stock with a dividend yield of about 6 per cent. Buy.

>> READ THE FULL MIDAS COLUMN HERE

SUNDAY TIMES

The latest opinion polls on the EU referendum have rocked global markets. The FTSE 100 has tumbled in the past two weeks as the uncertainty grips investors. We take a look at the UK stocks that are most exposed.

The uncertainty of a vote for Brexit could see a sharp slowdown in house buying during the second half of the year. In the past two weeks, Taylor Wimpey is down 17pc, Galliford Try has fallen, 16pc Redrow is down, 15pc, Barratt and Crest Nicholson are down 12pc, Bovis Homes is down 11pc, and Persimmon, Bellway and Berkeley Group are all down 9pc. The estate agents Countrywide and Savills are down 13pc and 10pc respectively.

Suppliers of material to the housebuilding industry have also been hit. The brickmaker Ibstock is down 13pc, the paving tile maker Marshalls and the plumbing supplier Wolseley are both down 12pc, and the kitchen maker Howden Joinery is down 10pc.

Falling house prices would have a knock-on effect for Britains banks, which have lent billions in mortgage debt. Smaller banks focused on buy-to-let mortgages have been hardest hit, with Shawbrook down 26pc, Paragon down 17pc, Aldermore down 12pc, and One Savings bank down 8pc. The bigger banks have not escaped, with Lloyds falling 12pc, Barclays down 11pc, RBS down 10pc, and HSBC 2pc lower.

The flight to safety has been good for the gold miner Randgold Resources, with its shares up 14pc, while the gold and silver miner Fresnillo has risen 16pc. The oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has also been popular, with its shares rising 3pc.

UK manufacturers that export to Europe are not obvious losers. In fact the falling pound has made their goods more attractive in overseas markets, which should boost sales. The plastic packaging group RPC, for example, is up 3pc, while the plastics specialist Victrex has only moved 2pc lower.

The vote is so finely balanced, we would not advise taking a position. But moving risk away from banks and housebuilders might be sensible.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

If ever there was a good day to bury bad news, Thursday is that day. With the referendum polls open and attentions diverted, watch out for companies sneaking out profit warnings or bosses dumping shares.

Watch out, especially, for news from Circassia. The Oxford drug developer listed two years ago in one of Londons biggest-ever biotech floats. It raised 200m to develop a portfolio of anti-allergy medicines, attracting big investments from Woodford Investment Management, Invesco and Lansdowne Partners.

Since then, progress has been slow. The shares, which listed at 310p, are changing hands at 270p.

The problem is, a large chunk of Circassias value is tied up in the outcome of one trial for one drug  Cat-SPIRE, its treatment for feline allergy. D-Day is fast approaching.

Circassias boss, Steve Harris, has promised to deliver the final results by the end of June. That gives him nine working days to fess up to investors. If the findings are less than impressive, might they be put out late on Thursday?

Circassias float proved to be the high point of a short renaissance in British biotech. The sector is now waiting for the company to make good on its promise. Success might spark a new wave of floats and fundraising; failure will see a huge sell-off.
Stay: Kristin Skogen Lund, director general of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise

One of Norways top business leaders has warned Britain against following her country to the fringes of Europe.

The comments from Kristin Skogen Lund, director general of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, come just a week after polls in Britain showed most voters favour adopting the Norwegian model should Britain quit the EU in this weeks referendum.

Lund warned that her country  which joined the European Economic Area but not the full EU in 1994  faced almost all the rules imposed by Brussels on full members, but had no say in how they were drawn up.

I just do not understand why you would want to give up full membership to obtain EEA status where you will have to implement the rules without having a say, Lund told The Mail on Sunday.

She was one of a handful of non-EU business leaders who spoke out last week to encourage Britain to stay in the EU.

Lund said: The EEA is not just a trading agreement. There are laws, rules and regulations and bureaucracy. Norway also adheres to the agreement allowing free movement of people.

She said Norwegian citizens had been unwilling to sign up for full membership of the EU but she had been against the compromise.

Last week, Monika Ruhl, director-general of Swiss business group economiesuisse, said: Our relationship with the EU took 16 years to agree and is made up of over 100 separate deals, so I hope you are not pinning your hopes on getting a deal quickly.
Budget airlines are heading for a bumpy ride as lawyers plan a class action to win refunds for millions of passengers hit by the growing menace of hidden fees.

Legal firm CaseHub is hoping to take Ryanair to court to win at least 315 million over charges.

The fightback comes as a respected aviation industry data company found that 26 billion was charged in extras  for everything from luggage to a 3 glass of water  by 63 airlines in 2014.

The US firm estimates this so-called ancillary revenue rocketed to 40 billion last year.

Court fight: Ryanair faces a legal claim for millions in refunds over controversial extra charges also levied by a string of other budget carriers

Simultaneously, the Civil Aviation Authority is launching an investigation into airlines amid concerns that too many passengers are being stung by unfair charges  often levied at the last minute.

No-frills carrier Ryanair claims it is cutting flight prices by 7 per cent this summer in a ticket war among airlines to win back travellers put off by the recent spate of terrorist attacks.

Yet the Irish airline fails to advertise how a quarter of the money it rakes in does not come from tickets but its notorious ancillary charges. It is a lucrative strategy as Ryanair enjoyed profits of 959 million in the year to March.

Ryanair is far from alone in plundering passengers cash while boasting of cut-price fares. No-frills specialist Wizz Air is one of the worst offenders, grabbing more than a third of its money from such charges in 2014.

At Jet2, ancillary revenue accounted for 29 per cent of turnover, while for Flybe it generated 21 per cent of turnover and for easyJet 19 per cent.

By contrast, just 2 per cent of British Airways turnover came from extras.

Among the additional charges passengers incur is a fee for taking bags on holiday, checking in at the airport, printing a boarding pass and having a seat allocated. These costs can add up to more than the basic price of the flight.

Travel blogger Elle Croft, 31, from Wandsworth in South-West London, says the last straw for her was when she was charged 3 for a glass of water.

Elle says: My holiday starts with the flight  time is precious and the journey is part of the experience. I travelled to Krakow a couple of years ago on a freezing December evening and to save money paid 30 to go with Ryanair. Although you do not expect any frills, I was surprised it would not even give me a glass of water without demanding cash. It was a swizz.

Elle says the trip began badly when at the departure gate she was told there was no room for her hand luggage  even though it conformed to Ryanairs size allowance  and it had to be put in the hold. She says: It would have been fine except the bag had my coat in and I spent an hour in the cold at the other end waiting for it to arrive.

Another gripe for Elle is the way Ryanair tried to force unwanted travel insurance on her  as other airlines do  when she already had adequate travel cover.

Creaming off: Budget airlines have been accused of laying on hidden charges for luggage, checking in at the airport and seat allocation

More than 5,000 people have already signed up to the class action, which is seeking reimbursement of charges levied over the past six years. But it needs at least 25,000 backers to go to court. CaseHub will take a 35 per cent cut of any compensation to cover its costs.

Founder Michael Green says: Passengers are being targeted with excessive charges for services that cost the firm nothing or just a few pounds. It is clearly unfair that in many instances you have no choice but to pay for these extras after you have bought a flight ticket. It is simply a way to boost profits.

Extra charges that the legal firm believes break European Union rules include a 45 levy for checking in at the airport, rather than online, and 160 to amend travel details at the airport if a name is misspelt. Green explains: On holiday you often struggle to find somewhere with internet access and a printer for a boarding pass  the airline is exploiting this.

Ryanair said: When booking flights all fares are displayed and customers are given the option of proceeding straight to the payment page or adding optional extras. At all times the cost of extras are displayed once selected, and customers are provided with a fully itemised breakdown of costs before payment.

To help passengers find out what they will pay before they start the booking process, the Civil Aviation Authority itemises the costs levied by airlines. Visit caa.co.uk and type airline charges in the search box and scroll down to the comparing prices and charges link, scrolling down again to find the airline charges comparison table.

FLIGHT BOOKING

The charges start even before you have completed the booking process. Ryanair charges a 2 per cent fee for paying by credit card. EasyJet charges 1 per cent plus a 14 administration fee.

Norwegian charges 1.99 per cent for credit card bookings, and FlyBe 3 per cent (which it also does for payments via PayPal).

It may still be worth paying by credit card as under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act the card provider is liable alongside the airline if things go wrong  making it easier to secure compensation.

Cabin fever: Larger hand luggage may be put in the hold

CHECK-IN

ALTHOUGH there is no charge if you check in online, Ryanair demands 45 if you wait until you get to the airport to do this. Jet2 demands up to 15 and Wizz Air requires 23.50. EasyJet and Norwegian do not charge if you want to check in at the airport while Flybe has an automatic check-in option to avoid charges.

You can often check in up to 30 days in advance, which means you can do so for your return flight as well as the outbound journey from the comfort of your own home, rather than relying on hotel staff.

Print boarding passes where possible, rather than relying on downloads on your phone, as you might have run out of battery power by the time you get to the airport.

LUGGAGE

Ryanair charges 35 to 50 for a pre-booked 20kg bag taken on an international flight and 10 extra if paid at the airport. Go over the weight limit and you will be stung by a further 10 per kilogram.

EasyJet demands up to 24 for 20kg of luggage booked online and up to 45 at the airport. Break the limit and it is 10 a kilogram.

If you check in a 20kg bag with Norwegian at the airport it may charge 40  rates vary according to destination. Flybe charges 19 to take 20kg of hold luggage if booked online but 40 if you just turn up at the airport. For an extra 5 you can take an extra 3kg.

Wizz Air charges up to 45 (35) for 23kg of luggage booked online or 55 at the airport. Break the limit and there is a 20 surcharge.

Jet2 doesnt make baggage fees easy to find on its website, leading many passengers to start the booking process before thinking of such charges. A 22kg bag costs 12 to 32 if booked online or 45 at the airport. There is a 12 fee for every kilogram above this.

Free hand luggage is restricted by size. For example, 42cm by 32cm by 25cm on Wizz Air and 56cm by 45cm by 25cm on easyJet. Where there is a weight limit, it is usually 10kg. Break this and it could cost you between 40 and 50.

BOARDING

If you want to sit together on an airline that does not issue seat numbers on check-in, the best option is to join the scrum to get on board.

If you want to reserve a seat, Wizz Air charges up to 24. It charges 3 (15 at the airport) for priority boarding, which pushes you to the front of the queue. Ryanair will allocate you better seats for between 8 and 15.

EasyJet allocates you a seat on check-in free of charge, which is normally next to anyone who you check in at the same time.

Norwegian charges 9 to fast track you through security and a typical 16 to reserve a seat.

Flybe gets you a seat with extra legroom for 16 online. Reserving a standard seat costs 6.50.

Hidden fees: No-frills specialist Wizz Air is one of the worst offenders, grabbing more than a third of its money from such charges in 2014

AIRPORT

Destinations such as London Stansted have misleading titles, as it is closer to Cambridge than the capital. It costs 19 for an express train taking 47 minutes to reach the airport from London Liverpool Street.

London Gatwick is also 40 miles from London. It costs 17.80 one way and takes 30 minutes to get there from Victoria by express train.

London Luton is 30 miles north of the capital. It can cost 14 by train taking 30 minutes from St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway station and then you must pay a further 2 for a single ticket on the shuttle bus.

Heathrow is 20 miles west of London. From Paddington it costs 22 one way and the journey takes 15 minutes by express train. The Tube is cheaper but slower. Consider other airports, such as Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester.

If you drive do not forget there will be a hefty parking charge at the airport  often costing more than the flight. Comparison websites such as Airport Parking Shop can help find a cheaper deal.

COMPENSATION

If a flight is late you may be due compensation of up to 600 (470) for delays of more than three hours. You may be entitled to a full refund for a flight cancellation. Carriers also have a duty to meet the cost of meals and accommodation if there is a long delay.

Airlines do not have to pay if they can show the problem was beyond their control, such as bad weather. If after 28 days the airline has not come up with a satisfactory answer to your complaint contact the CAA for support  and a copy of its know your rights leaflet.

If booking through a travel agent make sure it is a member of the Air Travel Organisers Licence (Atol) protection scheme. A travel insurance policy may kick in if you are stranded abroad.
A 'Campaign for Clarity' on behalf of small and medium-sized enterprises has revealed Britain Stronger in Europe and Vote Leave's responses to 30 key questions ahead of the EU referendum  and some are far from clear.

Questions included: 'What would happen with farming subsidies?', 'How will SMEs' ability to find and retain the right people be affected?', and 'Will workers be at risk of no longer being protected by the Working Time Directive?'

The report, called EU Referendum  It's Your Business!, was compiled by the UK200Group, an association of lawyers and accountants with 150,000 business clients between them. The questions were based on contributions from members and their clients. The group is neutral in the debate.

In the dark: SMEs have received conflicting guesses over what would happen in the event of Brexit

At the launch of the report, UK200Group president James Abbott said a key concern for businesses was recruitment. 'One of the key headaches they have is, 'I can't get good people', he said.

Abbott, a chartered tax adviser and chartered accountant who launched Abbott Moore in 2012, said of the responses: 'One of the starkest differences in views was on what will happen to sterling.

'The Remain campaign think we could have a loss in value of up to 20 per cent. The Leave campaign, however, do not foresee any change in the value of sterling following a vote to leave.'

One question failed to offer any clarity: 'What, in practical terms, would change about SME VAT if the UK were to leave the EU?'

Deborah Dougal, a partner at Hasler Accountants who specialises in VAT issues with a focus on property and construction, said: 'What you have is the two shortest answers, from both camps, simply because they don't know.

'They don't know, we don't know and our SME members don't know. We can only guess. What is clear is that there will be change if we leave.

'At the moment trading goods within the EU, goods move freely. If they can't do this, VAT has to be paid for them to enter a jurisdiction. This causes a cash flow disadvantage so SMEs are asking: What will this cost me?

'Another thing we need to remember is we're still into a lengthy process of change in VAT within the EU. So what happens when you change something when it's only half done? There's not an awful lot of answers.'

Meanwhile, City commentator Justin Urquhart Stewart, co-founder of Seven Investment Management, said: 'The economy runs on confidence.

'If we don't have that then the whole thing falls apart. Our economy has been doing well because people are willing to take the risk.'

Sir Tom Farmer, founder of tyres group Kwik-Fit, told The Mail on Sunday at entrepreneur and investor network E2Exchange's annual reception last week: 'There's so much mud-slinging it's totally confusing. It's unfortunate that both sides have been throwing insults.'
Argument: Stephen Kelly decried use of insults

Manufactures are divided over whether the UK should leave the EU, according to a survey of 900 firms by Leeds-based recruiter Manufacturing Futures.

Of the 900 business leaders asked, 55 per cent said they thought the UK should go it alone, compared with 45 per cent voting to stay.

But 14 per cent said they could change their mind.

Chris Griffin of Manufacturing Futures said: This is a key sector in the debate because so many UK firms trade in the EU and rely on being able to export freely.

'The UK is still the 11th largest manufacturing nation and, though many firms have concerns, we are surprised the results of this poll are so close.

Meanwhile, results from a survey conducted by accounting software firm Sage on Monday revealed that 58 per cent of UK small businesses were planning to vote to remain in the EU, 27 per cent to leave and 14 per cent were undecided.

Sage chief executive Stephen Kelly said: People are turned off by politicians trading insults. As a result, 14 per cent of business owners are undecided.
Vote: SMEs should 'hope for the best and plan for the worst'

A lukewarm result in the referendum would be disastrous for small and medium-sized firms, according to Jeremy Cook, chief economist of foreign exchange company World First.

He said: 'The only two numbers that matter are 55 and 60  55 is the minimum majority needed for a decisive outcome and 60 is the percentage turnout required for that majority to be bullet-proof.

'If there is a 55 per cent majority to remain on a 60 per cent turnout, we can expect a sharp rebound for the British economy, exchange rates and for the small and medium-sized businesses that we work with as a UK and global currency broker.'

And his advice to firms was to 'hope for the best and plan for the worst'.

He predicted that a strong vote to stay would encourage firms to increase their capital spending and expand, and that sterling would rebound by 2-3 per cent.
Aid workers scrambled Sunday to cope with a massive influx of Iraqi civilians who fled Fallujah after government forces retook much of the city from the Islamic State (IS) group.

Tens of thousands of civilians escaped the city, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on the back of a major advance that saw Iraqi forces thrust into central Fallujah in recent days.

The humanitarian community has been struggling to cope, with thousands of people already suffering from hunger and trauma now stranded in the scorching summer heat with no shelter.

"The estimated total number of displaced from Fallujah in just the last three days is now at a staggering 30,000 people," the Norwegian Refugee Council said.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said up to 84,000 people had been forced to flee their homes since the start of the government offensive against the IS bastion nearly a month ago.

"Agencies are scrambling to respond to the rapidly evolving situation -- and we are bracing ourselves for another large exodus in the next few days as we estimate that thousands more people remain trapped in Fallujah," the UNHCR said.

"We implore the Iraqi government to take charge of this humanitarian disaster unfolding on our watch," NRC's Iraq director Nasr Muflahi said.

NRC said it could no longer provide the required assistance, with water rations drying up fast.

It cited the case of a newly opened camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah, south of Fallujah, that houses 1,800 people but has only one latrine for women.

"We need the Iraqi government to take a leading role in providing for the needs of the most vulnerable civilians who have endured months of trauma and terror," Muflahi said.

An Iraqi aid worker employed by the government at a camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah said the resources were inadequate to deal with the scope of the crisis.

"Four hundred families have reached my camp in the last four days, they don't have anything," said the camp manager, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We were shocked by the number of displaced people and we weren't prepared to receive them," he said.

"We secured tents for some of them but the rest, including women and children, are sleeping on the ground under the sun," he said. "Their situation is a tragedy."

The temperature in Baghdad has been hovering above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and it often gets hotter in Anbar province, where inhabited areas along the Euphrates River are flanked by desert.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has promised to support the displaced.

On Friday evening, after Iraqi forces raised the national flag above the main government compound, he declared that Fallujah had been "brought back to the fold."

Yet Iraqi forces have some work left to do, with hundreds of IS fighters still holed up in the city's northern neighbourhoods.

Despite facing less resistance than expected from IS in Fallujah, an emblematic militant stronghold, sniper fire, car bombs and booby traps remained a risk for Iraq's forces.

"Our forces are cleansing central Fallujah of pockets of Daesh (IS)," federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for the militant group.

In the Officers neighbourhood of Fallujah, IS snipers shot at an Iraqi flag pole until it broke, an AFP photographer reported.

The loss of Fallujah would continue a losing streak for IS that already leaves the "caliphate" it proclaimed two years ago looking moribund.

To keep the pressure on the militant organisation, Iraqi forces also rekindled offensives east and south of Qayyarah in the north of the country.

With its strategic location west of the Tigris and its air field, Iraqi forces hope to make it a key launchpad in a major push to retake Mosul.

Abadi vowed on Friday that Mosul, the country's second city and IS's last remaining major urban hub in Iraq, would be liberated "very soon".

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Foreign investors with residential real estate in NSW will be hit with a four per cent stamp duty surcharge from next week and an annual 0.75 per cent land tax from next year.

State Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian on Monday announced the land tax and stamp duty surcharge, which is similar to new Victorian policy, ahead of next week's Budget.

The taxes will raise $1 billion in revenue over four years, though Ms Berejiklian admitted the change is unlikely to ease off foreign investment, Daily Telegraph reported.

'If you asked most economists, they would say people who are going to invest in these houses who are foreign investors are going to do it anyway,' Ms Berejiklian said.

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State Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian on Monday announced foreign investors with residential real estate in NSW will be hit with a four per cent surcharge from next week and 0.75 per cent annual land tax from next year

'If you asked most economists, they would say people who are going to invest in these houses who are foreign investors are going to do it anyway,' Ms Berejiklian said

'We assume they're going to invest anyway; we [want to] ensure [they are] paying tax revenue for our services. This is one way for us to ensure a strong revenue [stream] into the future.'

The stamp duty surcharge will come into effect next Tuesday, while the land tax will begin on January 1 next year  the latter of which will be retrospective, taxing all foreign owned residential properties in NSW.

It will only affect people who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents, and will also not affect New Zealand citizens who've been in the country for more than 200 days over the past 12 months.

It will add approximately $1000 to the median price of a unit in Sydney on stamp duty bills, or $1600 to the median price of a Sydney house.

Foreign owners with residential real estate in NSW will be hit with a surcharge on stamp duty from next week and an annual land tax from next year (stock image)

Mortgage duty, share transfer duty and non-real transfer duty, worth up to $1.8 billion over the forward estimates, will be scrapped when the budget is delivered next Tuesday (pictured: NSW Premier Mike Baird and Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian on Monday)

Ms Berejiklian also announced the NSW state budget would scrap three business taxes to cut down on administration and operating costs, the Treasurer claimed.

Mortgage duty, share transfer duty and non-real transfer duty, worth up to $1.8 billion over the forward estimates, will be scrapped when the budget is delivered next Tuesday.

'This is a decision we've been able to take because we're a responsible government,' she said.

'By supporting business we're supporting jobs, we're supporting economic growth.'

The government says the taxes were responsible for 250,000 transactions last year and cost the state's businesses $400 million.

Sydney Business Chamber Executive Director Patricia Forsythe said the taxes, which have been slated to be axed for years, were inefficient.

'They don't raise in any one year a lot of money for the government but they do tie businesses in red tape,' she said.

Labor said it wants to know how other schools and hospitals are going to be paid for.

'What is missing here is the delivery of sustainable funding to the education and health sectors,' Shadow treasurer Ryan Park said.

'Those funding shortfalls are not only going to hit services but also weaken the budget over the next few years.'

The taxes' abolition completes the state's repeal obligations under a 2008 intergovernmental agreement.
Syrian government forces advanced to within six miles (10 kilometers) of the Islamic State (IS) group-occupied Tabqa air base in the northern part of the country on Sunday, part of a push to try to unseat the extremist group from its de facto capital, Raqqa.

Government forces recaptured the nearby Thawra oil field from IS militants, according to a Syrian journalist Eyad al-Hosain, who is embedded with the army. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the army advanced to within seven kilometers (four miles) of Tabqa.

The Tabqa base, 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Raqqa, holds strategic and symbolic value in the government campaign on the IS capital. It was the last position held by government forces in the Raqqa province before IS militants overran it in August 2014, killing scores of detained soldiers in a massacre they documented on video. Raqqa itself became the militants' first captive city.

A Syrian opposition coalition, meanwhile, called on Turkey to investigate the deaths of at least eight Syrian refugees, including four children, who were allegedly shot dead by border guards Saturday night while trying to cross the frontier.

A statement by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces accused Turkish border guards of firing at a group of civilians trying to cross from Kherbet al-Jouz in northwestern Syria into Turkey's Hatay province, killing 11 people.

The coalition, which relies on Turkish political and financial support, said the incident "clashes with the generosity displayed by the Turkish government and brotherly people toward displaced civilians."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at eight. The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, said at least one of those trying to cross was from Jarablus, a northern Syrian town under IS group control.

A senior Turkish official said "we are unable to independently verify the claims" regarding the shooting, but said authorities were investigating.

"Turkey provides humanitarian assistance to displaced persons in northern Syria and follows an open-door policy  which means we admit refugees whose lives are under imminent threat," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.

The Syrian war has pushed over 2.7 million refugees into Turkey, according to the United Nations. Turkey has tightened security along its border in recent months to prevent further inflows. The Observatory says border guards have shot dead 60 refugees trying to cross since the start of this year.

Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry said a Russian soldier has died of wounds he suffered in a militant suicide attack in Syria, the military's 11th casualty since the start of its campaign there.

Sgt. Andrei Timoshenkov died at a hospital at the Russian base in Syria, the ministry said Sunday. It said Timoshenkov was protecting an area where the Russian military was handing out humanitarian aid to residents in Homs province on Wednesday and opened fire to stop a vehicle speeding up to the site. The car, rigged with explosives for a suicide attack, blew up, wounding the serviceman. He died the next day in a hospital.

Elsewhere, a suicide blast targeted the entrance to a park in the Syrian city of Qamishli, which is shared between government and Kurdish forces, killing three people, an hour after a memorial was held there for victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.

"Had the bombing taken place earlier, there would have been a massacre," Qamishli resident and writer Suleiman Youssef told The Associated Press by telephone. Qamishli lies on Syria's northern border with Turkey.

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The Israeli government approved $18 million in extra funding for the occupied West Bank settlements on Sunday, in a move that angered both opposition lawmakers and Palestinians, according to a statement from Netanyahu's office.

Some 600,000 Jews live in settlements built on the occupied West Bank and in east Jerusalem on lands Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. Most of the world considers them to be illegal. Israel has faced strong criticism for their continued expansion.

Opposition lawmakers attacked the decision, saying that instead of boosting Israel's struggling periphery the government was pouring money into an enterprise that undermined Israel's security and international standing.

Later Sunday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 22-year-old man was killed by the Israeli military in the West Bank in May.

Since the start of October, the recent surge in violence has raised concern of wider escalation. Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 200 Palestinians. Meanwhile, almost daily stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks by frustrated and unarmed Palestinians have killed 32 Israelis and two Americans.

The current wave of protests by Palestinians and repression by Israeli occupation forces started in late July when toddler Ali Dawabsha was burned to death and three other Palestinians were severely injured after their house in the occupied West Bank was set on fire by Israeli settlers.

Settlement-building, racial discrimination, confiscation of identity cards, long queues at checkpoints, as well as daily clashes and the desecration of Al-Aqsa mosque, describe Palestinians' daily suffering.

*The story was edited by Ahram Online.

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The speaker of Libya's eastern parliament has declared martial law in areas under its control, a move intended to empower its military to respond quickly to infiltration by militias loyal to the rival, UN-brokered government in the capital, Tripoli.

Parliament Speaker Agila Saleh's declaration Sunday places the military on high alert and expands its powers.

The measure reflects the eastern administration's consternation as it comes under growing pressure by the international community to recognize the Tripoli-based national unity government.

Libya descended into chaos after its 2011 civil war, with Islamic militants gaining in strength as two rival governments in the east and west vied for control. The UN-backed government arrived in Tripoli in March.

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By Philip Newman

A Ridgewood auto dealership and its owner have been charged with criminal tax fraud, grand larceny and other illegal acts for allegedly stealing nearly $300,000 in collected taxes from New York state and local municipalities, the Queens district attorney said.

DA Richard Brown identified those charged as Pasquale Bonavita, 50, of 149th Avenue in Ozone Park and Cypress Motors of Ridgewood, located at 79-03 Cyprus Ave.

Bonavita was arraigned June 8 before Queens Criminal Court Judge Althea Drysdale, who charging him and the business with grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, falsifying business records, offering a flawed instrument for filing and scheming to defraud.

If convicted, Bonavita could get up to 15 years in prison. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court June 22.

Brown said that according to the charges, Bonavita skimmed more than $290,000. Nearly $145,000 of those funds would have been owed to New York state and local municipalities would have received more than $146,000, he said.

Sales taxes are meant for the public treasury, not to line the pockets of business owners, Brown said. Taxes are collected to be used in the public interest.This kind of tax fraud makes every New Yorker a victim.

According to the criminal complaint, Bonavita submitted tax returns from March 1, 2009 through May 31, 2014 that showed sales totaled $1.126 million for the period when a review of records found Cyprus had sales of $4.436 million over that span.
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By Patrick Donachie

A police officer who was attacked by a hatchet-wielding man in Jamaica in October 2014 was awarded the Medal of Honor Tuesday morning, along with several other officers who killed the assailant.

Officer Kenneth Healey was patrolling in downtown Jamaica with officers Taylor Kraft, Joseph Meeker and Peter Rivera, when he was attacked by Zale Thompson, from Queens Village, who charged at them with an 18-inch hand ax near the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 162nd Street.

Thompson struck Healey in the skull and injured Meeker on his arm before the other two officers fatally shot him, according to the NYPD.

After the attack, Healey had to undergo two reconstruction surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

Meeker, Kraft and Rivera were awarded the Combat Cross for their service in the line of duty during the medal ceremony, which was held at NYPD Headquarters at One Police Plaza. Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton attended and spoke at the ceremony.

Healey and the other officers had become police officers only a few months before the ax attack, having graduated from the Police Academy in July 2014. They were assigned to the 103rd Precinct, which covers parts of Jamaica, Hollis and Lakewood. Healey, who hails from Long Island and comes from a long line of police officers in his family, returned to duty with the NYPDs Technical Assistance and Response Unit in December. The four officers had previously been honored at the annual Top Cops Awards in Washington, D.C. during a ceremony with Vice President Joseph Biden in May 2015.
PLAYOFFS?! Breaking down postseason scenarios for local high school football teams

Who's in? Who's out? Who can clinch with a win? We break down the postseason scenarios for every local high school football district.
From pulpits in Orlando and beyond, church leaders are reckoning with religious views often hostile to homosexuality after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub, with some wondering if they are contributing to breeding contempt.

At a prayer service soon after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, Reverend Joel Hunter confessed he did not know how to pray for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community targeted in the attack.

"I have been searching my heart: is there anything I did that was complicit in that loss?" said Hunter, senior pastor at Northland, a nondenominational Christian church based in central Florida near Orlando, site of the Sunday morning shooting that also left 53 wounded.

The show of support from church leaders, including denominations that reject homosexuality and same-sex marriage, raised hopes that the shooting could mark a turning point for acceptance of the gay community in religious circles. Authorities have described the massacre by 29-year-old Omar Mateen as both terrorism and a hate crime.

But fears persist that the warm embrace could end after a few sermons.

"Stand with the community when there isn't a crisis," said Terry DeCarlo, executive director of the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida.

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said faith-based leaders were talking openly about how to support the gay community for the first time, signaling to her "a transformational moment."

Patty Sheehan, an openly gay city commissioner in Orlando, choked back tears standing alongside local Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders at a news conference held as churches planned burial services for victims.

"They did not die in vain because of what is happening right now," Sheehan said. "If you are softening your hearts, and there has been a change of heart, thank you."

The bishop of the Catholic diocese in St. Petersburg, Florida, two hours from Orlando, wrote a poignant blog post acknowledging that religion can lay the groundwork for the violence seen in Orlando.

"Sadly, it is religion, including our own, which targets, mostly verbally, and also often breeds contempt for gays, lesbians and transgender people," Bishop Robert Lynch said.

'WE APOLOGIZE'

On Sunday, First Baptist Orlando Pastor David Uth plans to use his pulpit to remind his 19,000-member congregation that even if they do not agree with people's lifestyle, they should remember that God's love encompasses all.

"We're the worst at really, genuinely loving like Jesus," he said of Baptists, calling it a church failure that gays and lesbians feel unwelcome in its pews. "That we own completely. We apologize."

This week, the Southern Baptist Convention at its annual meeting passed a resolution rejecting same-sex marriage and transgender bathroom rights, even as it separately condemned the mass shooting in Orlando.

The Reverend Terri Steed Pierce is senior pastor at Joy Metropolitan Community Church, which serves the gay community, about one mile away from the club where the shooting took place. She was incensed after being left off the roster of pastors at the service earlier this week that was attended by the region's top elected officials.

"I'm a gay pastor of a gay church, and our people were the ones gunned down, and yet we weren't invited to the table," she said. "We continue to be relegated to the margins, even in the faith community."

The organizers of the event said it was hastily planned and Steed Pierce was not purposefully excluded.

After a separate news event a day later, Steed Pierce said only one other religious leader came up to talk to her. He remarked that he was a sinner, too, she said.

"I am stopping you right there," she said, recalling their conversation. "I am not sinning. I am being who God created me to be."

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photos by Patrick Johnston/Times Record News Gloria Miers (left) hands out pieces of birthday cake to attendees of the Legends of Western Swing Festival on Saturday afternoon. Miers, the longtime producer of the event, celebrated her 90th birthday back in April.

SHARE Pairs of dancers shuffle around the dance floor as Bobby Flores & The Yellow Rose Band perform at the Legends of Western Swing Festival on Saturday afternoon. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News Bobby Flores & The Yellow Rose Band perform at the Legends of Western Swing Festival Saturday afternoon. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News A pair of dancers shuffle around the dance floor as Bobby Flores & The Yellow Rose Band perform at the Legends of Western Swing Festival Saturday afternoon.

By Patrick Johnston, patrick.johnston@timesrecordnews.com

At 90 years young, Gloria Miers continues to bustle around the Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Events Center throughout the Legends of Western Swing Festival.

The longtime producer of the event celebrated her milestone birthday back in April, but continued the celebration Saturday with family, friends and the hundreds of attendees.

"I have so many friends here that weren't able to come to my party in Dallas, so my children had the cakes made so my friends could celebrate with me here," Miers said.

Over the years, she has met quite a few people who share her passion of western swing music  named the official music genre of the state of Texas in 2011  and looks forward to spending time with them at the festival she works so hard to produce.

"It's like a big family reunion. I've met so many nice people," Miers said. "The reason I do this show is we're trying to keep the music alive. I don't make any money off the show, I just pay the bands. My pay is being here and seeing all the happy people enjoying the music."

As Miers helped serve the pieces of cake, various attendees and friends approached her to offer their congratulatory comments and well wishes.

"It's very gratifying  it humbles me. Everyone has been so sweet, and I appreciate it more than they know," she said.

When asked why she chose Wichita Falls over a larger city like her hometown, Miers said "people won't drive in Dallas to a show  they are so scared of the traffic there."

The festival, now in it's 29th year, moved around the state every few years as it continued to grow before finally setting up roots in Wichita Falls 17 years ago.

Miers said the venue and surrounding restaurants, lodging and shopping facilities made Wichita Falls a natural fit for the event. The MPEC also has plenty of parking on the grounds for festivalgoers that spend their summers traveling the western swing circuit in their RVs.

"People come from all over the world because they can't hear this music over there across the ocean," Miers said. "That's why it's a sad thing to me that the Wichita Falls people have it in their backyard and don't come in and enjoy it.

"If I can ever get (the local residents) down here, they come back because they fall in love with the music."

She hopes to be around for years to come to keep introducing people to the unique music of American music, and maybe see a few more Wichitans show up each year to the festival.

"I'm just glad at 90, the good Lord has blessed me so I still drive myself, still can walk and produce this show  do all the work involved with it  and do the things I love doing," she said. "It's very gratifying to me, and I love Wichita Falls."
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I was disappointed when reading the decision of the United Regional Hospital Board to terminate the association and support of the Wichita Falls Residency program. While serving as Mayor of Wichita Falls when this program was in its infancy, I was honored to work with Dr. Clifford Burross, a longtime local family physician (President of the Texas Medical Association as well as Board Member of the American Medical Association) to further establish the residency program. It was through Dr. Burross' tireless efforts in working with the city, county, state and the Zales family that we have the residency program today. The Zales Health Science Center and the Wilson Family Planning Center was built to house the residency program and also provide health care in the Wilson Womens Health Care Clinic. This program has graduated 222 residents who became fully certified family physicians, 44 of them are currently living and serving Wichita Falls and the immediate surrounding cities.

These exceptional family physicians now practicing throughout Texas have been a blessing and salvation to numerous rural communities. My family has received excellent medical care from the residency program for many years, as have yours.

Texas has a shortage of residency programs causing Texas medical students to leave the state for residency training and, consequently, too often remaining in those communities costing Texas taxpayers millions of dollars. Texas spends about $178,000 on each medical school student's four years of education, so not only are we losing money we're also losing doctors.

With new medical schools coming on line, Texas is projected to graduate 2,000 medical students by the year 2022. The Texas Legislature has allocated more money to Texas hospitals so medical school graduates can complete their residency training. United Regional receives approximately $2,800,000 for the residency program compensation, but that is not given to the residency program. Residents provide medical care as hospitalists at United Regional Hospital. They also provide 100 percent of the care at the Wilson's Womens Health Care Clinic whose 3,797 patients have the greatest need for and least access to health care.

Last year, residents served more than 35,000 patient visits at the Zale's Health Clinic and Hospital. Of those, more than 18,000 were Medicare. In addition, residents saw more than 2,000 nursing home patients making them the largest provider for the elderly in our region. Residents conduct two weekly half day clinics at the Wichita County Health Department, where they are the sole medical provider to more than 4,000. This past year residents subsidized the self-pay citizens with more than $557,000 in free medical care. They also subsidized the indigent program recipients with approximately $471,000 in free medical care. For their services at the health department the program receives $110,000 per year, but the actual cost of this service is modestly in the neighborhood of $250,000. The loss of these physicians would be devastating to our entire community.

The concept of diminishing a residency program in Wichita Falls seems ludicrous, when in fact we should be adding. I would hope the local citizens serving on the United Regional Hospital Board would revisit this decision.

Gary Cook lives in Wichita Falls
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Rome

Among the well-heeled bureaucrats of the European Union, it is an article of faith that the bloc always emerges stronger from a crisis. The idealistic founders who six decades ago dreamed of stitching warring nations into a peaceful whole knew the path would be bumpy. But always, the union wobbled forward.

Now the dream of an integrated and ever-stronger Europe could sink into the English Channel on Thursday, when British voters decide whether to abandon the bloc. To the pro-Europe establishment, this latest crisis is considered a peculiarly British affair, in which the villains are opportunistic politicians steering voters toward a delusional, self-inflicted mistake.

That may be. But if Britain does leave, the European Union can also blame its own handling of the crises of the past decade  the tribulations of the euro, the debt standoff with Greece and a flawed approach to migration. Each time, the bloc rammed through ugly, short-term fixes that only inflamed the angry nationalism now spreading across the Continent and Britain.

The result was almost a decade of ad hoc crisis management that even many admirers agree has left the European Union badly wounded and its reputation badly damaged. Idealism has given way to disillusionment. The bloc's elite technocrats are often perceived as out of touch, while European institutions are not fully equipped to address problems like unemployment and economic stagnation. Political solidarity is dissolving into regional divisions of east and west, north and south.

The economic implications of a British exit, the so-called Brexit, are potentially staggering, but many experts agree that regardless of how the British vote, politics across Europe must change. The structure of the euro currency zone is still considered fragile. The bloc's German-dominated economic policy has meant nearly a decade lost in much of debt-ridden southern Europe, which is still struggling to recover from the recent economic crisis.

"We cannot continue with the status quo," said Enrico Letta, a former Italian prime minister. "We have to move forward."

Politics in Europe, as in the United States, have gotten ugly and mean. Far-right, anti-immigration parties are gaining strength in Poland, Hungary, Austria, France and Germany. That same nasty tenor has infused the British campaign with hostility and xenophobia toward immigrants. The killing on Thursday of Jo Cox, a member of Parliament who had campaigned for remaining in the union, shocked all of Britain.

During the 1990s, Britain was already a member of the European Union and was considering whether to drop its currency, the pound, and join the zone of countries adopting the bloc's new currency, the euro. (Today, 19 of the 28 countries in the European Union share the euro.)

But a crisis in the financial markets in 1992 effectively settled the matter as Britain decided not to join other countries changing to the euro.

Those skeptical of using a common currency to drive closer integration in Europe have always argued that joining the euro system would limit policy flexibility, such as the ability to devalue the national currency during economic downturns or use deficit spending to encourage growth.

And they said problems would inevitably arise because of the stark economic differences among the countries sharing the currency.

Each proved true. The economic crisis in 2007-2008 plunged the bloc into a cycle of crises from which it still has not recovered. The disparities among eurozone countries were exposed, and to save the currency, northern countries led by Germany bailed out their desperate southern counterparts.

The eurozone became divided between debtors and creditors rather than equal partners.

The German-led solution of austerity economics inflicted heavy punishment on countries like Greece. And Britain, outside the euro, recovered more quickly from the 2008 crisis than did most members of the currency group.

Populist anger erupted in January 2015 when Greek voters swept aside the country's political establishment and elected as prime minister a radical leftist, Alexis Tsipras.

Tsipras promised to end austerity, write down Greek debt and change Europe by leading a clash of ideas against the German-led consensus.

It was political theater, and the Greeks would badly misplay their hand. But what followed was a clash of cultures, not ideas: Union officials refused to budge on Greece's debt obligations, and after months of negotiation and brinkmanship, Greece nearly collapsed into bankruptcy before acceding to demands from Brussels.

The Greek standoff was a demonstration not just of EU power politics, but also of the bloc's penchant for muddling through. The bloc agreed on a new bailout package for Greece that most analysts regard as a stopgap solution. Greece's debt is now higher than before, and analysts warn that another euro crisis could still occur.

In the British referendum, anti-immigrant forces have sought to drive support for the campaign to leave the union by depicting the Continent as being under invasion from migrants.
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Orlando, Fla.

People marched down Orlando streets with rainbow flags and others lined up to wait hours for a "One Pulse" tattoo on Saturday as supporters tried to boost the somber city's spirits while more victims of last weekend's nightclub shooting were buried.

Across from Cathedral Church of St. Luke, where Christopher Andrew Leinonen's funeral was held, hundreds lined the street holding "We Support You" and other signs. The 32-year-old Leinonen was with his friends at Pulse early June 12 when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire, leaving 49 clubgoers dead and wounding 53 others. Mateen died later after being shot by police.

Brandon Wolf was with Leinonen and shooting victim Juan Ramon Guerrero. The 27-year-old Wolf managed to make it out alive.

He says Leinonen, whom he called Drew, changed his life, and eased his pain when he was hurting.

"He looked me in the eyes that night and did what Drew always did, he said 'I love you,' Wolf said. "That is Drew's lasting message to us, 'I love you.'"

He called Leinonen "my once in a lifetime person. He eased my pain when I was hurting, he laughed at my worst jokes."

Investigators are still interviewing witnesses, and looking to learn more about Mateen and others who knew him well, including members of his mosque.

A lawyer for the Council of American-Islamic Relations said that the FBI interviewed a man who worshipped at the same mosque as Mateen. Omar Saleh said he sat in on the Friday interview at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, the same mosque that Mateen attended near his home.

Saleh said the interview lasted about 30 minutes. FBI spokeswoman Carol Cratty declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.

Around Orlando people prayed on the street and left balloons, flowers, pictures and posters have been left to honor the victims.

Dozens of people waited two-to-three hours at Realm Tattoos to get one of the recently drawn "One Pulse" tattoos etched into their skin. The tattoos are free, but people are encouraged to leave a donation for the victims, which will be distributed by Southern Nights, another Orlando nightclub.

Jonathan Betancourt, 36, the shop's owner, said he was surprised at how fast the community came together in such a short time.

"We love to tattoo. This is what we live for. Come in, show your love," Betancourt said. "You always got to pay it forward. This is my way to pay it forward."

Still, for Jeannette McCoy, who also made it out alive on Sunday, the love and support can only do so much to help. It's a temporary balm, she said, and she worried that while life may return to normal for some people after the world's attention moves on, it won't for Orlando's LGBT community.

"All of this has been so traumatizing," she said. "The way that our community has been impacted, it's just so unfortunate. We have so many wonderful lives that have been lost. When we look at all these crosses, and all these faces, all these stories, it hurts. It hurts so much."

Family members of those killed say the grief and anger they're feeling is just beginning.

They've been too numb this week to really feel much of anything since the massacre.

And they say it's been especially tough for them to see constant images of Mateen's face on television.

"I'm still in a state of shock so the anger and hatred for Chris' killer has not fully kicked in," said Mark Bando, Leinonen's father, who is a retired Detroit police officer. "Those of us who have to go on living our lives without Christopher can surely feel sorry for ourselves but the real tragedy is Christopher's future has been taken from him.
US officials will release partial transcripts of three phone conversations that the gunman who killed 49 people in a Florida gay club had with law enforcement during the massacre, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Sunday.

The now-deceased gunman, Omar Mateen, paused during his three-hour siege at the club in Orlando last Sunday to call emergency 911 dispatchers and post internet messages professing support for Islamist militant groups, authorities have said.

The rampage, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, has triggered a week of national mourning and soul-searching over the easy accessibility of firearms and the treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" program, Lynch said the partial transcripts of Mateen's calls from the Pulse club would be released on Monday and include the "substance of his conversations."

She later told ABC's "This Week" that the transcripts would not include Mateen's pledge of allegiance to Islamic State (IS) group, the militant group that has urged its followers to attack targets in Europe and the United States.

Lynch said the investigation was focused on building a complete profile of Mateen, a 29-year-old US citizen born to Afghan immigrants, including what motivated him, in order to prevent another Orlando massacre.

Authorities believe Mateen was "self-radicalized" and acted without any direction from outside networks.

Lynch, who will travel to the central Florida city on Tuesday to confer with investigators and meet survivors and victims' loved ones, declined to say whether a federal grand jury was likely to charge Mateen's second wife, Noor Salman, or anyone else.

US officials have said Salman knew of her husband's plans to carry out the attack on the club.

"Because this investigation is open and ongoing, we're not commenting on anyone else's role in it right now, except to say that we are talking to everyone who knew him, and that of course includes his family, to determine what they knew, what they saw in the days and weeks leading up to this," Lynch said.

She noted that the transcripts would be redacted to avoid causing further pain to Mateen's victims and their loved ones.

The attorney general's remarks came ahead of a vigil Sunday evening at a lakeside park in Orlando. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend, city officials said.

Gun Control

In a fresh effort to break a long-standing stalemate over gun control, the US Senate is set to vote on Monday on four competing measures - two from Democrats and two from Republicans - to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales for people on "terrorism watch lists."

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said last week that Mateen was on a watch list between May 2013 and March 2014 while under investigation after claiming a connection to or support for multiple Islamist extremist groups, including al Qaeda, Hezbollah, al-Nusra and IS group.

"We have to make sure that people that are terrorists or have even an inclination toward terrorism cannot buy weapons, guns," Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the Nov. 8 election, said on ABC's "This Week."

Republicans and Democrats alike say they share that goal, but deep partisan divisions have doomed past gun control measures.

Wayne LaPierre, the head of the powerful National Rifle Association, said the Democratic proposals would undermine the due process rights of people unfairly put on watch lists, a view widely shared among Republican lawmakers.

In an interview on the CBS show "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Comey said politicians were misguided in thinking tougher gun restrictions would stop someone intent on carrying out a massacre.

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Fort Edward

On one side of the street, the once bustling General Electric capacitor plant is silent. Manufacturing has ceased, and just a handful of the nearly 200 employees who worked here three years ago remains.

On the other side, construction workers are busily building a new Market 32 after the site was cleared of carcinogenic PCBs that are a legacy of the town's past.

When the market opens late this year, it will be the first time in 13 years that Fort Edward residents will not have to drive to Queensbury or Wilton to shop at a supermarket.

Fort Edward, by many accounts, has coped quite well in the wake of GE's departure for a new plant in Clearwater, Fla. The loss of jobs that averaged $60,000 each in annual pay certainly had an impact, local officials say.

But they're not dwelling on the plant move, first announced nearly three years ago.

"They are our past," said Fort Edward trustee Darlene DeVoe, who played a major role in attracting the stylish new format that's replacing Golub Corp.'s Price Chopper brand. "This is the future."

Other area manufacturers have hired many of the former GE workers.

Paper manufacturers, producers of medical devices and even suppliers to the huge GlobalFoundries semiconductor plant in neighboring Saratoga County have helped pick up the slack.

The number of manufacturing jobs in the Warren-Washington counties metropolitan area for May fell steadily from 9,700 in 1990 to 6,000 in 2013, according to the state Department of Labor. Since then, it has remained unchanged.

Overall, the metro had 56,100 jobs in May, unchanged from a year ago and the highest since 2009.

Fort Edward may have benefitted from the fact the GE plant didn't suddenly shut down.

"Because the GE layoffs happened over time," it was easier for the community to adjust, said Laura Oswald, Washington County's economic development director.

That the closing date was delayed several times after shutdown plans were first announced in September 2013 may have given the community time to adjust.

The Economic Opportunity Council held a job fair specifically for GE workers, Oswald said, drawing employers from surrounding communities.

Meanwhile, the GE workers qualified for federal Trade Adjustment Assistance that paid for retraining, said David Conroe, program director of the Washington County EOC's Career Center.

That's because GE was able to prove to federal officials that it was downsizing or moving because of overseas competition. The company had maintained its Fort Edward operation was no longer competitive.

As much as $20,000 is available to each worker for retraining. They can also qualify for up to a year of additional unemployment insurance benefits beyond the six-month limit.

Some workers are taking commercial driving courses, while others are training to become registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or medical billing coders.

The health sector has been growing strongly. One of the region's largest employers is Glens Falls Hospital, with 3,000 employees, said John Wheatley, vice president of the Warren County Economic Development Corp.

The area's three major paper companies  Irving Tissue, SCA and Finch  all have upgraded their plants and become more efficient, Wheatley said.

More than 2,000 people are employed by the region's medical device companies.

And a growing number of residents are making the daily trip to Malta to work at the massive GlobalFoundries semiconductor plant, which employs 3,000.

An increasing number of heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractors, electrical contractors, plumbers and pipefitters are seeing business increase thanks to the Malta fab, he added.

And while unemployment in April, at 5.2 percent of the workforce, was above the state average of 4.6 percent and the Capital Region's 4.0 percent, other indicators remain healthy.

The median price of a single-family home in the first quarter of 2016 was up 4.6 percent in Washington County to $122,900 from the same period a year earlier, while the number of homes sold over the three-month period was up 55.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the New York State Association of Realtors.

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Home sales in the county for all of 2015 were up 13.3 percent from 2014 and 34.0 percent from 2011.

Efforts to reach union officials weren't successful.

But a GE spokeswoman said that about 20 employees continue to work at the plant, where all manufacturing has ceased, and probably would continue to work through the summer "performing product testing or facility and equipment demobilization activities."

"As to the buildings and property," said Joan Gerhardt, the spokeswoman for GE, "for the foreseeable future, GE intends to own and maintain the facility.

"GE will continue ongoing remedial activities at the site, including the collection of groundwater via the groundwater recovery system," she added.

Wheatley and Oswald both say they would like to see the site eventually redeveloped.

"All the utilities are there," said Wheatley. "Water, sewer, gas capacity, it's on the river. The rail is there," he said.

The new Market 32, meanwhile, will employ 140 people, Golub officials said last week.

And while Conroe said he's sure the plant closing had an economic impact on the area, he hasn't seen it yet.

"Directly across the street from the GE plant is a Pizza Hut," he said Thursday. He said a waitress there was worried about losing customers from the plant.

But, he added, "they still seem to be busy."

eanderson@timesunion.com  518-454-5323
I was glad to read that Congressman Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, hosted a forum on the opioid crisis and had national "drug czar" Michael Botticelli lead the conversation on this addiction that is rampant in almost every single community across New York state, from the smallest to the largest, most populated.

Quite a few years ago, I had the distinct pleasure of working with then-Assemblyman Tonko during my previous tenure as Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of Rome on a few projects relative to public safety.
[June 18, 2016] The Future is Near: Maxthon Leads Browser Evolution

SAN FRANCISCO, June 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxthon, a global software company that develops advanced browsers, announced plans to totally transform the browsing industry with its July launch of MX5. This innovative web browser takes the user experience to a whole new exciting level, not just with advanced browsing capabilities, but also personal and one-stop services. What's Next for browsing? For too long the browser industry has been staid, with little exciting innovation. Traditionally, a browser has been a tool to help users explore the Internet and browse its content. From Netscape to Internet Explorer, from Opera to Firefox, and from Safari to Chrome, the key players have innovated by optimizing the way people browse content. In today's always connected world, people are searching for ways to link to services more directly. For example, rather than just browsing a restaurant's information, people want to be able to easily order within just a few clicks. So, millions of apps have stepped in to provide these kinds of services. But imagine if all these apps had to be installed. The amount of memory they would occupy on the user's smartphone would be massive. However, when the services of these apps are integrated into a browser, the user will not only save space, but also have a more streamlined experience. This is what Maxthon tries to bring to its users. Statistics have proven Maxthon is right that people still prefer web browsers than apps. According to analysts, the desire to connect directly to services is especially prominent on the mobile side, with mobile browser traffic being twice that of mobile app traffic in 2015 (click here for the report from Morgan Stanley). The web browser is evolving and has yet to meet these new demands.



So, what's next? With more than 400 million users around the world, Maxthon has been making an impact on the industry for the past 13 years with innovations like the implementation of ad block features in its browsers and launching the world's first cloud-based web browser, Maxthon Cloud Browser. Even when Internet Explorer occupied 95% of the market at its peak in 2003 and 2004 (Digital Trends), Maxthon was able to penetrate the market with its innovative technology, especially in China, where it gained a market share of over 24%, second only to Internet Explorer in 2009 (iResearch).

A Game-Changer: MX5 is coming soon MX5 represents the future of browsers you can imagine: managing web pages, bookmarks, passwords and personal emails, all in one cloud-based solution. "While some say Chrome is simplifying web browsing, Maxthon is maximizing it. With its focus on service orientation, our new browser will maximize the user's web browsing experience," said Jeff Chen, CEO of Maxthon. "Users will be able to sync data, personal information and browsing preferences in different desktop and mobile devices, regardless of operating system. Maxthon's MX5 will redefine the web browser as your artificial intelligence-based personal browser assistant." To give you a sneak peek at what a futuristic browser has to offer, here's a look at UUMail: Not just another email service, UUMail enhances the email experience by creating unlimited virtual email IDs to keep the real email address safe and filtering out spams to make sure the inbox stays clean and organized. UUMail is probably the last mailbox you will ever need. Go to www.uu.me to learn more. Pre-register today to experience the product from tomorrow Pre-register at http://www.maxthon.cn/mx5yure to receive updates and information on MX5, win exclusive hands-on trials and priority awards and unlock VIP privileges. Partner with Maxthon Mobile developers or service providers interested in integrating with MX5 can contact [email protected] for more information about working with Maxthon. About Maxthon Founded in 2005, Maxthon is a global software company that develops state-of-the-art web browsers that give users a seamless browsing experience across multiple platforms. Committed to high standards for innovation, the Maxthon suite of browsers supports a wide range of devices from computer to mobile. Maxthon browsers are used each month by more than 100 million people in 140 countries around the globe. Maxthon has offices in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Beijing. More information about Maxthon can be found at: http://www.maxthon.com/ To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-future-is-near-maxthon-leads-browser-evolution-300286831.html SOURCE Maxthon

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[June 19, 2016] Securus Embraces Supreme Court Decision Granting District Courts More Discretion to Award Damages

DALLAS, June 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Securus Technologies, a leading provider of civil and criminal justice technology solutions for public safety, investigation, corrections and monitoring announced today that it is supportive of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Halo Electronics, Inc. v. Pulse Electronics, Inc., et al. and Stryker Corporation, et al. v. Zimmer, Inc., et al., that granted District Courts broader discretion to award enhanced damages for willful patent infringement. The Supreme Court's decision increases the chance of a district court tripling a damages award for patent infringement due to a finding of willfulness. "The Supreme Court justices said the existing Federal Circuit test for determining willful infringement, which can allow judges to triple damages awarded to Securus, for example, was too rigid and allowed some infringers to escape liability for enhanced damages," said Richard A. ("Rick") Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Securus Technologies. "Prior to the Supreme Court's ruling, the test applied by the Federal Circuit permitted a willful infringer to escape a penalty of enhanced damages merely by showing that it had a reasonable defense, even in a situation where the infringer acted in bad faith. This is important for us because we have filed suits against GTL on several existing patents that we believe GTL is willfully infringing, with more to be filed in the future. GTL had entered into 2 previous patent license agreements with Secrus; one in 2003 and another in 2008, for a license to a limited number of Securus' patents. As part of the 2008 license the parties had agreed to not sue each other for patent infringement for five years. That five year period expired in 2013, and although we believe GTL knew it was infringing several additional Securus patents (since its previous license only covered a limited number of Securus patents), GTL willfully chose to not enter into another patent license agreement with Securus  so they understand the consequences of their actions," said Smith.



Writing for the court, Chief Justice John Roberts denounced the fact that the prior test could wrongfully insulate even a wanton and malicious pirate who attempted to steal a patent owner's business from liability for enhanced damages. "By lowering the bar for the Judges to award enhanced damages, the High Court restored to patent owners a powerful weapon  the threat of an award of up to three (3) times the actual damages," said Dennis Reinhold, Vice President and General Counsel for Securus Technologies.

"The Supreme Court in Halo did grant more discretion to award enhanced damages  and I am in favor of the court considering a potential infringement mindset when determining whether to increase damages for willfulness," said Reinhold. "But, I am not a fan of non-practicing entities (NPEs) or so called "patent trolls" taking advantages of the patent process in the United States. Securus develops and uses what we patent and others don't have that same business model and that needs to be fixed," concluded Reinhold. ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 inmates across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies focuses on connecting what matters. To learn more about our full suite of civil and criminal justice technology solutions, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securus-embraces-supreme-court-decision-granting-district-courts-more-discretion-to-award-damages-300286824.html SOURCE Securus Technologies, Inc.

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What you need to know about Colts starting quarterback Sam Ehlinger
Orange Egypt said on Sunday that Egypt's telecommunications regulator had asked it to pay 3.54 billion Egyptian pounds ($399 million) for a licence to offer fourth-generation mobile phone services.

The regulator had asked it to pay 100 million Egyptian pounds to acquire a fixed-line licence and 1.8 billion pounds to offer international calls, Orange Egypt said in a statement.

Orange Egypt said it was looking into the licence offers and had yet to make a decision.

Egypt is selling the 4G licences as part of a long-awaited plan to reform the country's telecoms sector and the regulator has confirmed that it approached the three companies that currently offer mobile services about buying them.

Telecom Minister Yasser al-Qadi told television channel CBC last month that Egypt was planning to offer high-speed 4G licences to companies already operating in Egypt.

The reforms will allow Egypt's land-line monopoly Telecom Egypt (TE) to enter the mobile phone market directly while allowing mobile operators to offer fixed line services, ending its domination of the sector.

TE, which is majority owned by the government, said on Sunday it had also been granted a 4G licence. It was not clear how much TE, which does not offer its own mobile services but does own a stake in Vodafone Egypt, would pay for the new spectrum.

"This move will enable TE to fulfil our long awaited goal of becoming a total telecommunications operator, by offering mobile services," TE CEO Tamer Gadalla said in a statement.

It was not clear what would happen to the Vodafone Egypt stake if TE begins offering mobile services directly. Under previous reform plans, which have since been scrapped, TE would have had to dispose of its stake.

Vodafone Egypt said it received an offer from the telecoms regulator a week ago, but declined to give any numbers.

Khaled Hegazi, external affairs and legal director at Vodafone Egypt, said, however, that not all the mobile service providers had necessarily been offered the same prices or terms.

"Each company has specific conditions that are considered competitive. We receive different offers based on each company's condition in the market," he told Reuters.

Etisalat, which also provides mobile services in Egypt, was not immediately available to comment.

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Egypt aims to import between 110 and 120 cargos of liquefied natural gas in 2017, the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding company (EGAS) told Reuters on Sunday.

Separately, three trade sources said EGAS had purchased 10 cargoes of LNG from trade house Trafigura and one from PetroChina earlier this month.

Egypt relies to a large extent on LNG to generate electricity for its 90 million people.

Once an energy exporter, Egypt has turned into a net importer because of declining oil and gas production and increasing consumption. It is trying to speed up production at recently discovered reserves to fill its energy gap.

Egypt currently produces about 3.9 bln cubic feet of gas per day and imports about another 1-1.1 bln cubic feet per day.

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Todays Victim: BE550

After coming away unimpressed with the SMART1000, I decided to look at what was available for half the price. The BE550G is one of those compact units you can either leave somewhere on the floor, out of sight, or mount on a wall. You get no fancy display or control interface, but who needs any of that when all you want is a few minutes of run time to power down your PC gracefully? I plan to gift this one to my mother for her VoIP setup once I am done with it; she should get about an hour of backup time to call the power company.



MORE: Tripp-Lite SMART1000LCD Tear-Down

MORE: CyberPower LX1500GU-FC UPS Tear-Down

MORE: SurgeX SA-1810 Tear-Down





The Marketing Spiel

There arent as many marketing claims on the packaging as I am used to seeing. Although most of the open printable space is covered with text, it simply reiterates the obvious advantages of having backup power: keeping your network, PVR or whatever else you plug into it working long enough to finish doing whatever it is you are doing. We also get an EnergyStar logo and three-year warranty.

The top side has a table stating the estimated run times for given loads:

43 minutes at ~40W

30 minutes at ~80W

10 minutes at ~180W

Going from 80W to 40W yields less than 50% more run time instead of the expected doubling, which hints at 20-25W of internal losses on battery.

Packaging

Energy efficiency is not the only green thing about the BE550G: instead of Styrofoam or plastic foam blocks, APC uses thick folded corrugated cardboard to protect the UPS corners. Aside from being more environmentally friendly, cardboard also does not fracture on impact or snap the way Styrofoam often does.

Group Shot

For a size comparison, heres the BE550G on the left next to my BX1000 on the right. The middle unit, which is barely larger, is a little teaser for my next UPS tear-down.

Paper, Lots Of.

A fair amount of dead tree is included. There's a large manual in both French and English, a safety sheet, an Energy Star compliance addendum, a warranty information sheet and a product registration reminder.

A Welcome Change

Contents runs thin in the accessories department with a single standard A-to-B USB cable, a welcome change from the proprietary USB type A to RJ45 cable many of APC's products use.

Plug And Cord

APC seems to like its compact plug, but you might not appreciate having your fingers within three millimeters of the live pin, which is located near where you would normally grab this plug. Markings embossed into the cable jacket identify it as 3x1.31mm or AWG16, which should be perfectly fine for a 550VA UPS. Are we going to get a 12-13A breaker this time?

You may have noticed a streak of blue marker (it comes out purple-ish on black) between the pins, suggesting the cord was tested by quality control.

One Disadvantage Of Angeled Plugs

When you have a mix of straight and angled plugs, you may end up sacrificing connectivity. Here, the issue is compounded by the power bars outlets having a 28mm pitch instead of the standard 36mm spacing.

Tail End

The cable entry side of the unit features network surge suppression ports, the USB monitoring port, a push-to-reset-style breaker and a red wiring fault indicator. There's nothing unusual to speak of. All markings are present in both French and English, with the text below the cord directing you to the bottom of the unit for additional safety information.

Top View

The eight outlets are split between four protection-only outlets at the bottom with a single double-spaced outlet to accommodate transformer bricks and a symmetrical arrangement under the yellow label for battery-backup outlets.

There is no fancy first-time power-up routine to avoid accidental turn-on during shipping. The unit leaves the factory with its battery disconnected, and a label reminds you to plug the battery in before using the UPS. If you choose to ignore the label, plug it in and turn it on by holding the button for a second, the unit squeals angrily until you unplug it or turn it off.

Another advantage of shipping with a disconnected battery is that electronics inside the UPS don't discharge the power source while it sits in a warehouse. This is a good thing, since lead-acid batteries do not like being run completely flat.

Missed Opportunity

Since the power button is already made of mostly transparent plastic, it would have taken only a slight modification to pipe the LEDs light through the button to light it up instead of having a separate LED hole next to the switch. I think it would have looked better, too.
Wall Street Journal: Generation Y Prefers Suburban Home Over City Condo

FOR OUR TKC FATHER'S DAY TRIBUTE LET'S NOT FORGET THAT KANSAS CITY REMAINS A HORRIBLE PLACE FOR FAMILIES!!!

Papa's Won't Find Good Public Schools For Their Children In Kansas City Proper

Rising Kansas City Crime And Murder Count Might Threaten The Old Man

Rampant Blight Plagues Paterfamilias

Daddy Doesn't Like Corrupt KCMO Politics

Patriarchs Confront Constitutionally Protected 2nd Amendment Gun Rights Threatened By City Hall

So much Kansas City development and tax break hype is powered by the misguided, mistaken and deceptive notion that the younger generation is flocking to the urban core in search of the good life.The reality is that not much has changed about the American dream and a vibrant multicultural city is mostly just a destination for a modicum of tourists and day trippers.Economic reminder . . .And so, with respect of so much chatter about diversity, let's not forget that Fatherhood is the foundation of the family which is still the building block of civilization and community.Accordingly . . .Check our math and realize that KC's stagnant population growth compared with surrounding suburbs confirms our conclusions.The Kansas City Public School District isand over the years the institution has seen a mass exodus of every demographic from within its ranks.Even worseefforts to escape the district have been thwarted by politicos who fight desperately to cling to enrollment numbers tied to funding.Most Dads don't want their families living in a war zone and recent spikes in local violence and murder should be something that might give a local pappy a moment of pause.Good Dads are known for keeping up their lawns and maintaining their homes . . . While City Hall hopes that demolitions and home improvement programs can substitute for a man of the house -might have more to do with broken homes than anyone cares to realize.During a public television debate a founding family member of Kansas City, Crosby Kemper said the streetcar vote was:Sadly, even more of these tragic votes are being proposed so that a small sect of development consultants can dictate taxes to families throughout the city.A lot of Dads like their guns. Sadly, Kansas City political leadership has declared war on gun rights over the past few years and blamed the 2nd Amendment and its defenders for rising gun crime committed mostly by crooks and their illegal weapons. While the nanny state has proven ineffective at preventing violence, the affront to the principles set forth by the Founders isn't appreciated by any local father with a sense of history.And so . . . For this reasons and so many more . . .We wish our readers a Happy Father's Day for those brave souls still residing in this town.
Athens Open Air Film Festival 2016 turns six this summer, kicking off on June 21 with the projection of the 80s blockbuster Purple rain (1984), a movie by Albert Magnoli

Athens Open Air Film Festival 2016 turns six this summer, kicking off on June 21 with the projection of the 80s blockbuster Purple rain (1984), a movie by Albert Magnoli. This is the first time in three decades that the film will be projected in Greece, both as a tribute to Prince and to celebrate European Music Day. The Greek tourism organisation is sponsoring the event for the fourth year, while the City of Athens Culture, Sport and Youth organisation will also contribute.

This year, the 6th Athens Open Air Film Festival is cooperating with the British embassy and the British Council and participating in the international celebration marking the 400th anniversary since William Shakespeares death. Six films inspired by Shakespeares plays will form a tribute to the great British dramatist, called Shakespeare in the City.

The festival will take place from June to September, projecting more than twenty movies with free entrance. Squares, museums and open air cinemas will host the events.

For the complete programme in Greek click: http://www.cinemag.gr/article.asp?catid=37406&subid=2&pubid=130380096

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The Greek government has reduced the red tape needed to set up a new business and included 42 mature projects in the Juncker plan

Greece's economy needs 80 billion euros in order to recover and this was secured by the various sources of financing available, Economy, Development and Tourism Minister George Stathakis told MPs on Wednesday. The minister was replying to criticism levelled by main opposition New Democracy Vice-President Kostas Hatzidakis during the debate on the government's draft development law before the Parliament plenum.

He contradicted Hatzidakis' claim that the new law only offered 480 million euros in financing when the country needed 100-120 billion, noting that the money available under the new law, combined with tax exemptions it offers, actually amounted to 3.6 billion euros. Of this, he added, 2.6 billion euros would go toward the investment programmes of the previous laws.

"Yesterday you said 100 billion euros [were needed]. Today it's 120 billion. Make up your mind," Stathakis told ND's vice-president, outlining where the 80 billion will come from. "There are the public investments, about 20 billion euros from the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), 20 billion euros from private enterprise and bank loans and the financing tools of the European Investment Bank," he pointed out.

The government had also reduced the red tape needed to set up a new business and included 42 mature projects in the Juncker plan, the minister repeated.

Hatzidakis also criticised the draft law for failing to provide incentives for new investments but raising obstacles instead, such as restrictions on bank transactions, overtaxation, a freeze on business licences and public-private partnerships, while absorption of NSRF funds had falled to a minimal 2 pct.

Addressing Parliament earlier, Stathakis had noted that only 15 billion of a nominal 80 billion euro in overdue taxpayers' debt to the state were the actual arrears; the remaining 65 billion euros were debts owed by companies that have closed or persons dead since the 1980s.

Stathakis denied that exports had fallen, noting that the data included oil products and that skewed the final result because of the fall in their prices.

The discussion in Parliament on the new development law was concluded late on Wednesday, followed by the voting procedure.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
4,627 consumers in 20 countries were asked to assess the image of 18 countries and Greece came 13th among 18 countries with regard to overall image, 14th on How would you assess the countrys products and 13th on Would you buy

The Deputy Foreign Minister for international economic relations, Dimitris Mardas, discussed the issue of promoting outsourcing with the president of the Greek International Business Association (SEVE), Kyriakos Loufakis, and the director general of the Greek-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Athanasios Kelemis, at a meeting today at the Foreign Ministry.

It was agreed at the meeting to make the web platform ProGreece (http://www.pro-greece.com) available to all the bilateral Chambers. ProGreece has been developed by the Greek-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with SEVE, to strengthen the pursuit of outsourcing cooperation between Greek enterprises and businesses in other countries

ProGreece is an interactive network of German and Greek companies. The aim of the network is to promote cooperation between Greek enterprises withsurplus production or a desire to expand their turnover  and German companies that aim to capitalize on outsourcing. It is an effort towards collective promotion of the Greek business community in German industry, helping significantly in the Greek export sector.

Chambers interested in using the ProGreece platform can contact the Thessaloniki branch of the Greek-German Chamber by telephone, at (+30) 2310327733, or SEVE, at (+30)2310535333.

Finally, in the context of the meetings held, the programme of Mr. Mardas visit to Berlin this July was agreed upon. This visit aims to present the ProGreece platform to the Central Union of German Chambers  the German equivalent of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV)  and to the German Foreign Ministry.

Greek International Business Association Export Summit IV

In the meanwhile, during the SEVE (Greek International Business Association) Export Summit IV in Thessaloniki on Wednesday, Nicholas Papadopoulos, professor of marketing and international business at Carleton University, said that a country brand serves as a boarding pass for products to international markets, but data reveals that Greece is at the end of the line.

As the keynote speaker of the Conference, he stressed that the image of a country is formed based on the model of FAB (Features, Advantages, Benefits), in the sense that the features and advantages you claim must promise benefit to the consumer.

During a relevant survey, 4,627 consumers in 20 countries were asked to assess the image of 18 countries and Greece came 13th among 18 countries with regard to overall image, 14th on How would you assess the countrys products and 13th on Would you buy.

The reputation of Greece abroad, which was a passport for Greek entrepreneurs during the Athens Olympic Games [in 2004], has today, some 10 years later, become a problem, SEVE President Kyriakos Loufakis commented.

According to other experts, riots and protests, blocking railway lines and ports, ongoing strikes as well as the uncertainty of the ongoing debt crisis, have all exacerbated the negative image of Greece internationally.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
A memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Antiquities and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage is to be signed Sunday in Saudi Arabia

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany flew to Saudi Arabia to sign a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with Prince Sultan Ben Salman Abdel Aziz Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH).



The MOC aims to strengthen measures of joint cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the fields of archaeology, museums and architectural heritage.

El-Enany said the MOC "confirms the eagerness of the Ministry of Antiquities to cooperate with all countries involved in the field of archaeological work."

Yasmine El-Shazly, supervisor of the department of international organisations at the ministry and responsible for the international cooperation portfolio, said the MOC will significantly upgrade professional and scientific standards for employees in both the ministry and the SCTNH.



"This will come through exchanging Egypt-Saudi experiences in the fields of scientific research, surveys, archaeological excavation and the development of the cultural and educational role of museums," she added.

Lectures, seminars and workshops on antiquities, museums and architectural heritage are to be organised in both countries.

El-Shazly pointed out that regulations to combat illicit trade in antiquities are included in the MOC to ensure protection of cultural properties.

Prince Sultan Bin Salman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud expressed his pleasure to cooperate with Egypt in the field of archaeology, underlining that this cooperation agreement is one of a number between the two countries.

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National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and First Gulf Bank (FGB) on Sunday confirmed they were in talks over a possible merger or a combination of the two businesses.



Reuters, citing sources aware of the matter, had reported on Thursday that the two banks were in preliminary talks on a merger.



The merger would create the largest bank by assets in the Middle East and Africa.



In Sunday's statement, the banks said each lender had formed a working group made up of senior executive management to "review the commercial potential along with any legal and structural aspects of a merger or combination".



Once complete, the groups will provide their recommendations to their respective boards of directors.



"At this time, there is no certainty that discussions between NBAD and FGB will result in a merger or combination," the statement added.



Shares in Abu Dhabi banks soared early on Sunday on news that NBAD and FGB were in merger talks, while most other stock markets in the Gulf were firm.



Many analysts said it was too early to take positions in the stocks before details were known. Some said a merger could benefit shareholders of both banks - Arqaam Capital said FGB would benefit from a stronger wholesale banking operation while NBAD was underepresented in retail banking - but HSBC predicted a pure merger would benefit only NBAD, while a merger through acquisition would destroy shareholder value at both banks.



"A share swap scenario presents significant dilution risks to shareholders of both banks," HSBC said.



Nevertheless, local retail investors cheered the idea of an Abu Dhabi mega-bank, with NBAD shares jumping their 15 percent daily limit and FGB gaining 7.7 percent. - Reuters


Saudi Arabia's market regulator said it had barred the local unit of New York-based accountancy firm Deloitte & Touche from providing accounting services in the kingdom for two years for breaching rules on accumulated losses.



The move by the Capital Market Authority's (CMA) Committee for the Resolution of Securities Disputes stepped up penalties already imposed on Deloitte over a long-running case involving its work for troubled Saudi contractor Mohammed al-Mojil Group (MMG).



The CMA previously suspended Deloitte from doing auditing work for listed firms in the kingdom for two years while the case was pending, beginning June 1, 2015.



The judicial committee did not yet specify the date when the new and more extensive suspension would begin.



Deloitte did not respond to requests for comment.



The committee had on Thursday also sentenced three MMG executives to prison terms, including founder Mohammad Al-Mojil and his son Adel Al-Mojil, the firm's chairman, for misrepresenting the company's value.



Both men are to serve five years in prison, it said. A third executive received a three-year sentence, but was not named.



The committee had further ordered MMG to pay SR1.6 billion ($427 million) for "illegal profits" and imposed a separate fine of SR2.7 million, according to the statement.



MMG has not traded on the Saudi bourse since July 2012, when the CMA suspended it shares over the losses after it over-extended itself trying to take advantage of a construction boom in the kingdom.



In an emailed statement on Friday, the Mojil family denied wrongdoing and said they would appeal the committee's decision, calling the investigative process "defective from the start."



They allege the men were not given an opportunity to respond to certain of the evidence used against them and question the CMA's methodology for determining the company's real share value.  Reuters
Saudi Arabia's cabinet has decreed that Saudi Railway Company (SAR) will now be the owner of infrastructure of railway projects linking the cities of the kingdom.

The cabinet appointed the Minister of Transport Suleiman Al Hamdan as the chairman of the board of directors of SAR. He succeeds Dr Rumaih Mohammed Al Rumaih who was named president of Saudi Railways Organisation earlier this year.

SAR was set up to build the 2,750-km North-South Railway to connect the Gulf port of Ras Al Khair and Riyadh with mineral deposits and cities in the centre and north of Saudi Arabia. The first 1,392-km line opened in 2011.



SAR is also responsible for the planned 950-km Landbridge rail project linking Riyadh with Jeddah on the Red Sea coast.



SRO operates the Riyadh-Dammam railway and is responsible for the construction of the Haramain high-speed line linking Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah, and the Saudi portion of the planned 2,177-km Gulf Railway.


Oman-based Osool Poultry will focus on its RO61-million ($158.4 million) breeder poultry project, it was revealed at the companys constitutive general meeting (CGM).



The meeting highlighted the significance of the breeder project for the food security of Oman.



The meeting was chaired by Eng Saleh Mohamed Al Shanfari, chairman of the founders committee of the project, said a statement.



Poultry production in Oman is highly dependent on the smooth supply of hatching eggs from the breeder farm, and hence hatching eggs is the starting point of the poultry meat project. Poultry production operations in and around the sultanate has suffered due to the disruption of supplies from abroad for reasons such as disease outbreaks in the supplier countries, logistic issues, demand supply problems, etc. Furthermore, hikes in prices of the hatching eggs also adversely affected the operations of poultry companies in Oman as well as other GCC countries, it said.



Osool Poultry aims to ensure smooth supply of the basic commodity - breeder eggs - to the poultry industry. The breeder project will inspire poultry projects to increase their production capacities and comfort the green field food security project, ensuring the smooth supply of high quality hatching eggs at sustainable prices, it added.



This project will be a major contributor to the food security of not just the sultanate, but also the GCC. The project aims to add to Omans goal in diversifying the economic resources, said a statement.



At a cost of around RO61 million ($158.4 million) the project will definitely create job opportunities for the Omani youth and skilled professionals in the private sector; and will go a long way in helping to save foreign exchange procedures that were used to import hatching eggs previously, it added.



The project will be a source of foreign exchange revenue as the local production will be sold to neighbouring countries, it said.



Reiterating the countrys vision to become a major food hub in the region, Al Shanfari thanked all the shareholders for investing in such a highly strategic project. He also thanked the Arab Authority for Agricultural Development Investment (AAAID) and Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) for their support and participation in the food security projects in Oman.



Additionally, he also thanked ASaffa Foods and ANamaa Poultry Co. for taking up the challenge to implement this highly strategic project. He recognised the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Housing and other government bodies for their support to food security projects in Oman. He clarified that the self-sufficiency for production of white meat will reach 70 per cent by the year of 2030, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
A group of Italian bankers, investors and entrepreneurs plans to invest and broaden its cooperation with Iran in economic and trade fields, said a report.



The offer was made at a conference themed Joint Trade and Investment Ventures between Iran and Italy's Emilia-Romagna region in the city of Bologna, which was attended by 200 Italian investors and businessmen, added the Iran Daily report, citing IRNA.



Iranian Ambassador to Italy Jahanbakhsh Mozafari also took part in the conference, it said.



At the gathering, director of International Affairs of Emilia Romagna Industrial Committee Gino Cocchi underlined the importance of enhancing ties with Iran.



He predicted that Italy's exports to Iran will reach 3 billion ($3.38 billion) in the next four years.



In mid-April, Iran and Italy signed 12 contracts to cooperate in trade and economic sectors.



Chairman of Iran-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines Ahmad Pourfallah said the agreements were signed in a ceremony attended by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, Mohammadreza Nematzadeh.



He said negotiations are also underway between Iranian and Italian trade delegations on further cooperation in economy, trade and banking.



According to the official, the discussions include cooperation in oil, gas, electricity, power plant, steel, textile, fashion, car, infrastructure, urban planning and architecture, telecommunication, railway, airport construction, shipping, refinery, and petrochemicals, added the report.


Protesters hold placards that read: "Our anger has reached its limit" during a protest rally against the presence of U.S. military bases on the southwestern island of Okinawa in Naha, Okinawa, Sunday, June 19, 2016 as many of them wearing black to mourn the rape and killing of a local woman in which a former U.S. Marine is a suspect. (AP)

The rally called for a review of the U.S.-Japanese security agreement, which burdens Okinawa with hosting the bulk of American troops in Japan.

Read more here.

For the latest news, features, arts and culture from Al-Ahram's English language portal, click here.


Officials from Expo 2020 Dubai recently met with representatives from businesses in Dubai South to raise awareness of the commercial opportunities the mega event offers to local businesses.

The meeting took place at the Dubai South Headquarters Convention Centre, and forms part of the Expo organisers initiatives to engage local businesses to join in the journey towards 2020, said a press release.

About 120 guests attended the session, including business leaders from SMEs and corporates, representing key sectors incorporated in the Dubai South Business Park Free Zone including food and beverage, logistics, aviation, consulting, trade, legal and retail.

Manal AlBayat, vice president of engagement for Expo 2020 Dubai, commented: We are committed to collaboration: its the essence of Expo 2020s theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. The journey to, and hosting of the Expo mega event offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses, and our engagement activities are aimed at providing an inclusive platform that enables everyone to make the most of those. The business community are key stakeholders in the Expo and its legacy, so the chance to meet with them was particularly welcome.

The session included a presentation from AlBayat that highlighted the various opportunities available to businesses, in addition to demonstrating how businesses can engage with Expo 2020 Dubai through the organisations Procurement Portal and engagement sessions, for instance by registering their interest to participate in the Expos BusinessConnect events.

The presentation also showcased the activities Dubai is undertaking as host city, the Expo organisers vision for the mega-event, the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, the master plan, Expo 2020 Dubais commitment to engaging and empowering youth, as well as the legacy plans for the mega-event.

Earlier in May, Expo unveiled its master plan at the Arab Media Forum. The Expo site lies in Dubai South, and will become an easily accessible international transit hub with direct access to Dubai World Central, as well as being situated conveniently for Abu Dhabi International Airport and Dubai International Airport. The site is also in close proximity to Jebel Ali Port. The team overseeing the delivery of Expo 2020 Dubai has moved to new offices on the site, which has seen over 4 million cubic metres of earth moved as the site has been levelled in preparation for construction. TradeArabia News Service
Mosaic Co, the world's top producer of concentrated phosphate, has entered talks to buy Vale SA's fertiliser unit, in a renewed push to grow in South America and Africa, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.



Although both companies are discussing what structure would best suit their interests, the first source said a cash-and-stock deal remains the favourite option at this point.



The same source, who requested anonymity because talks are under way, said the value of Vale's fertiliser assets could reach $3 billion.



Mosaic and Vale are also discussing other alternatives for the deal, the other two sources said, without elaborating.



Under terms of the first option, Rio de Janeiro-based Vale would become Mosaic's biggest shareholder, with a stake between 12 and 15 per cent depending on the size of the deal's stock portion, the first source said.



The companies declined to comment.



Plymouth, Minnesota-based Mosaic is on the lookout for phosphate or potash assets that could be bargain-priced in a weak commodity sector, Chief Executive Officer Joc O'Rourke said in February. Falling prices of phosphate and potash, however, have dragged down profit this year.



Vale has fertiliser assets in Canada, Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Mozambique. Mosaic bought distribution assets from Archer Daniels Midland Co in Brazil and Paraguay last year.



In Brazil, the world's fifth-largest fertiliser consumer, demand is expected to grow twice as fast as global demand until 2025. Fertiliser sales in Brazil in the first 10 weeks of this year doubled from the same period a year earlier.



DEBT



Vale is selling assets to help meet a $10 billion debt-reduction target by next year. The strategy was devised by chief executive officer Murilo Ferreira to help insulate the mining company against declining iron ore and nickel prices.



Vale posted a record annual loss last year of $12.1 billion.



Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization at Vale's fertiliser unit more than doubled last year to $567 million, partly helped by a weaker currency and lower costs.



The talks with Mosaic come two months after Vale failed to create a large player with Apollo Global Management. On April 28, Reuters reported that Vale and Apollo planned a venture should they succeed in the purchase of rival Anglo American Plc's fertiliser operations in Brazil.



According to the second source, Mosaic had previously made a bid for 100 per cent of Vale's fertiliser unit, which the Brazilian company rejected because it wanted to team up with Apollo.



Clinching the Anglo American deal was a precondition to form the venture with Apollo, the $170 billion buyout firm run by financier Leon Black, sources said at the time. - Reuters
Lukoil has expressed interest in re-entering the Iran market with the terms of the International Petroleum Contracts (IPCs), likely to be unveiled by October, the companys CEO was quoted as saying by Iran Daily.



Iran could also pass a law allowing foreign companies to invest in Iranian projects by the end of the year, Vagit Alekperov added, according to the report.



"Based on the latest meetings I had in Vienna during OPEC, it is around September or October this year. It is mostly agreed on, according to my information, but there are minor details left. But as a rule, those details are always where the problems hide," he added.



"We are working on studying Iran, there are territories that are attractive to us, there is preliminary agreement. But Iran today has no law allowing investors to invest in Iran's territory. It has been discussed for nearly three years now, we hope it will be passed at the end of this year, so that we could evaluate it and start working on it," Alekperov said.



"We have two memoranda on zones of interests that we're analyzing. At this point we're just analyzing the data. Of course we are interested in returning to the Anaran project that we used to work on with Statoil," he said.



Lukoil worked at Iran's gigantic onshore Anaran Block along with Norway's Statoil prior to international sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear programme, the report said.



"We today consider exploration projects and projects that require rehabilitation  those that have been launched but haven't reached the planned production level. We are capable of investing today to increase those projects' [flow]," Alekperov said.
Germany will invest $2.9 billion in the Iranian province of Hamedan over a 10-year period to construct a solar power plant and other facilities, a report said.



"A 12-member delegation held a meeting with Hamedan (Province)'s governor-general at his office to discuss investment in Iran," an official at the Governor-General's Office was quoted as saying by Iran Daily, which cited Fars News Agency.



Siemens had reached an agreement with Iran earlier this month to build a new power plant in northern Tehran.



"The agreement for cooperation with Siemens will be inked soon," said Deputy Head of Andoukhteh Shahed Institute's Board of Directors Mohammadreza Ayatollahi added, noting that the German company will finance the major power plant in Damavand city.



Funds required for the first phase of Jalal power plant stand at an estimated 330 million ($338 million) to 350 million, Ayatollahi said.
Egypt aims to import between 110 and 120 cargos of liquefied natural gas in 2017, the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding company (Egas) told Reuters on Sunday.



Separately, three trade sources said Egas had purchased 10 cargoes of LNG from trade house Trafigura and one from PetroChina earlier this month.



Egypt relies to a large extent on LNG to generate electricity for its 90 million people.



Once an energy exporter, Egypt has turned into a net importer because of declining oil and gas production and increasing consumption. It is trying to speed up production at recently discovered reserves to fill its energy gap.



Egypt currently produces about 3.9 bln cubic feet of gas per day and imports about another 1-1.1 bln cubic feet per day.  Reuters
CG Hotels and Resorts, the hospitality division of Nepals only billionaire Binod Chaudhary, has kickstarted the construction of its latest hotel project in Dubai's Jumeirah Lake Towers.

The new hotel follows the announcement of the group's latest property opening next month in Kigali, Rwanda.



CG Hotels and Resorts, in partnership with Jayant Lal and Raju Shroff, have jointly entered into this venture with Indias reputed Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces aiming to make the 200-key luxury hotel in Dubai one of the most recognised destinations for business travellers.



The two new hotels represent the start of CG Hotels and Resorts strategic expansion across the Middle East and Africa, having identified key markets such as Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East as well as Kigali, Nairobi, Dar E Salaam, Kampala, Burundi and Mozambique in Africa as potential incestment destinations. This is a part of its larger global development strategy, with a target to more than double the number of hotels to 200 by 2020, which would make CG Hotels and Resorts a dominant player in the hospitality sector globally.



Speaking about the companys expansion plans, Rahul Chaudhary, director, CG Hotels and Resorts, said: With the opening of The Zinc & Zinc Living luxury hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, soon, we will be setting a new benchmark in hospitality in East Africa. The hotel is due to open in time for the African Union Conference in July and will host various dignitaries and heads of state amongst its first guests. Our presence in so many different countries and geographies along with an array of profitable brands gives us a greater flexibility and an edge over other brands, to invest in properties with various affiliated brands.



Comprising 79 hotels in 59 destinations across 12 countries including its own Zinc & Fern branded hotels and resorts, CG Hotels & Resorts has a proud history of successful joint ventures with esteemed partners and brands such as Taj, Alila, Jetwing and The Farm, amongst others. Its diverse and unique portfolio of owned and partner hotels under these brands include acclaimed properties such as the iconic Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Maldives, Taj Samudra Colombo, The Farm in Philippines, Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya Sri Lanka and Taj Safari lodges in central India.



CG Hotels and Resorts also has strategic investments in multiple management companies, which owns several brands in the luxury, business, wellness and budget space across various geographies such as Alila, Zinc & Fern. Under its management company arm, Concept Hospitality and Alila, the group manages over 40 hotels and another 35 projects in the pipeline within India. - TradeArabia News Service
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Saturday branded the jail verdict against Morsi and other defendants 'unfounded and unjust'

Egypt's foreign ministry slammed Sunday the reaction of its Qatari counterpart to the court verdict against former president Mohamed Morsi in what is known as the Qatar espionage case.

"Such claims can never harm the lofty Egyptian judiciary," Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement.

On Saturday, Morsi was sentenced to 40 yaers in prison in the case.

Shortly after the verdict was announced on Saturday, Ahmed El-Remihi, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, told the Qatar News Agency Saturday that, "It is not surprising for us to see such verdicts reached by Egyptian courts, especially that during the past two years more than 1,000 people received death sentences and life imprisonment, to be later overturned by Egyptian Courts of Cassation."

El-Remihi added that the espionage charges against Morsi and nine other defendants, including a number of journalists, were "unacceptable" to Doha.

Qatar, which was a vocal critic of the ouster of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power, a key ally of Doha, rejected what it called "attempts to implicate" it in spying without foundation, saying the verdict was "not just."

"The release of this statement is not surprising for us, especially from those who devoted resources and efforts over the past years to directing [Qatar's] media for the sake of antagonising the Egyptian people and [Egypt's] state institutions," Abu Zeid said in a statement Sunday.

Morsi, who was ousted in July 2013, was charged with using his post to leak classified documents to Qatar with the help of journalists Khaled Radwan and Asmaa El-Khatib.

Copies of the classified documents were passed to two staffers of the Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite channel, and an unnamed Qatari intelligence officer.

Both journalists were sentenced to death in absentia, along with Ibrahim Helal, a senior journalist for Al-Jazeera.

All verdicts against the defendants can be appealed, though verdicts reached in absentia can only be appealed if defendants turn themselves over to authorities.

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tribune news service

Amritsar, June 18

There is no let up in the seizure of mobile phones from inside the Amritsar Central Jail.

In yet another instance, the central jail staff seized a mobile phone from an undertrial, identified as Lakhwinder Singh, son of Balbir Singh, a resident of Thathian village in Beas. The handset was seized during checking.

Following the complaint lodged by superintendent of jail, the police registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 42 of the Prisoners Act. The jail authorities said a Samsung brand mobile with battery and SIM card No. 9803721394 was recovered from Lakhwinder during checking.

Recent raids have not deterred notorious smugglers and gangsters from devising new ways to sneak mobiles into jail, which are used by them to continue their nefarious acts, besides operating their networks.
Mumbai, June 19

There are seven candidates on a long list to replace RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, according to a senior government official.

Rajan, feted by foreign investors but under pressure from political opponents at home, stunned government officials and colleagues yesterday by announcing he would step down after just one three-year term.

A former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, Rajan is held in high esteem by policymakers and investors at home and abroad for overhauling the way the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) operates.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)

It will be the first time since 1992 that an RBI Governor has departed after a single three-year term.

A senior government official said there were seven candidates on an initial long list to replace Rajan.

Rajan's departure was likely to roil markets on Monday, analysts said, at a time when global factors such as Britain's referendum on European Union membership are already weighing.

"It's a volatile period and as an investor I feel this was unnecessary. His term was ending in September anyway, they could have waited until then," Salman Ahmed, chief investment strategist at Lombard Odier Asset Management in London, said.

"What Mr Rajan wanted was to build a stronger institution and that cannot be one person, the market understands that. What's unnerving is the timing," he said, adding he expected at least a 1.5-2.0 percent fall in the rupee.

"My recommendation to the government is to appoint a successor as soon as possible. Mr Rajan brought a lot of credibility to that post and if we have a name with a similar CV, that will go a long way to reassure markets."

In a move to pre-empt concerns the government lacked a credible field of replacements, the senior official said the candidates on the long list to succeed Rajan included RBI Deputy Governor Urjit Patel and Arundhati Bhattacharya, who is chair of State Bank of India, the country's largest bank.

The others are Vijay Kelkar, Rakesh Mohan, Ashok Lahiri, Subir Gokarn and Ashok Chawla, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

They are mostly veterans of the RBI, the Indian civil service or the two major global financial bodies, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The official played down concerns that Indian markets might swoon on Monday.

"I'll be very frank with you  that is not our assessment," he said. "Our assessment is that, if at all, there would be some mild tremors."  Reuters
Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 19

In a communication to envoys of 33 countries, the Chandigarh Administration has urged them to donate their traditional dolls for decade-old International Dolls Museum at Bal Bhawan in Sector 21, Chandigarh. The Administration has also shortlisted 21 new countries, whose traditional dolls are not available at the museum at present. Dolls of 37 countries are on display at the museum.

The countries that have been approached by the Administration are Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Turkey, Switzerland, Pakistan, UAE, Poland, Russia, Bhutan, Belgium, Austria, Uzbekistan, USA, Sweden, Vietnam, China, Greece, Italy, Mauritius, Mexico, Canada, France, Hungary, Korea, Indonesia, Germany, Britain and Japan.

Government Museum and Art Gallery Director Kirti Garg said she had written to ambassadors of these countries to contribute tarditional dolls of their countries for display at the museum. She said the addition to the collection at the museum would help young children learn about the culture of these countries.

Interestingly, the citys dolls museum, which has a collection of 470 dolls from 37 countries, was set up with a donation of dolls from various countries and the donors passionate about it. A prominent Congress leader, Vidya Stokes, has donated 43 dolls of 17 countries to the museum. Besides, an NRI, Dr Sushma Seth, has donated 14 dolls to the museum in the memory of her parents.

Museum in-charge Dr PC Sharma said the dolls at the museum were the mirror of the economic and social conditions of various countries and depicted their lifestyle and art through their costume and jewellery. He said till end of the 18th century, children used to be trained for their adult life through these dolls.

He said different states were also being approached for contribution to the museum.
Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

Shahbaaz Singh Mann (23) brought laurels to the city as he was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot during a function held at the Air force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, today.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and IAF chief Air Marshal Arup Raha attended the event.

Shahbaaz, who did his schooling at St Kabir Public School in Sector 26 here and Yadavindra Public School in Mohali, had got inspired to join the IAF as he watched the ceremony in which his elder sister Flying Officer Ripudaman Kaur Mann got commissioned into the force in 2014. He gives credit for his success to his parents and sister.

I was overwhelmed by the Air Force when I attended the commissioning ceremony of my sister at the Air force Academy, Dundigal, and decided to join the defence force, said Shahbaaz after the passing-out parade.

An icing on the cake was that he secured the second position on the transport merit of his course.

Shahbaazs sister is presently posted as an officer in the Administration branch of the Indian Air Force.

The joy of his parents, Sukhjit Singh Mann and Charanjit Kaur Mann, was inexplicable as they attended the IAF passing-out parade for the second time.

While his father is working in the Military Engineering Services, his mother is a Punjab National Bank employee.

Flying Officer Ripudaman Kaur Mann said she was inspired by Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, the only IAF officer to be promoted to the five-star rank, adding that he was her role model.
Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 19

The Eleventh Forum of World Association for Political Economy (WAPE), organised by the Centre for South West Asia Study (Pakistan and Afghanistan), Punjabi University, Patiala, in collaboration with the Indian Political Economy Association (IPEA), New Delhi, concluded here today.

Main topics discussed in todays sessions were political decision of the Chinese government and its new normal economic development; impact of globalisation on growth, poverty, employment, inequalities and culture in India and political development in Brazil and Greece.

The scholars were of the opinion that globalisation has increased the growth, lessen the poverty, decreased the employment opportunities and increased the inequalities in the Indian economy. There has been an increase in materialistic values and various values of culture have been commodified. There are so many landless peasants in China and they are very poor.

In another technical session, scholars highlighted the conditions of petty commodity production in the age of globalisation in India. They pointed out that paddy producers lost their traditional occupation and they remained unable to be absorbed in other economic activities. The scholars from China pointed out the problem of agriculture industrialisation in the era of economy liberalisation in China. They argued that the agriculture sector of China required the transformation of traditional agriculture sector on industrial lines in order to cope with competition at the world level.

In the valedictory function, a report on the presentation of the papers by the research scholars was read.

Speaking at the function, Prof Balwinder Singh Tiwana, convener of the conference, thanked Professors Cheng Eufu, Chair of WAPE, Allen Ding of China, Hiroshi Onishi of Japan, Jean Claude Delaunary and Niemeyer Almeida Filho Vice-Chairs for giving Centre for South West Asia Study (Pakistan & Afghanistan) an opportunity to organise such a meaningful conference.

Foreign and Indian delegates of the conference thanked the organisers for their good hospitality and academic input. It was also announced that the next conference of WAPE would be held in Russia.
Pervez Hoodbhoy

IN Pakistan, anger has greeted the killing of Afghan Taliban head, Mullah Mansour, by an American drone on Pakistani territory. When senior US officials visited army chief Gen Raheel Sharif at the Rawalpindi GHQ, he expressed strong displeasure at the violation of Pakistan's air space and demanded that Tehreek-i-Taliban head, Mullah Fazlullah, together with other TTP militants, be targeted by drones. Linked to Al- Qaida, TTP has a history of savage atrocities committed against the people of Pakistan, its children, and armed forces. This demand was duly applauded across the country.

Whether Fazlullah will be droned if he is ever spotted remains to be seen. But the General's demand raises troubling issues. To call for killing Fazlullah while mourning the loss of Mansour is inconsistent. Fazlullah is to Pakistan what Mansour was to Afghanistan. Their respective organisations  the TTP and the Taliban  are not identical but they share ethnic ties and a common mindset.

Similarities outweigh differences. Both Taliban groups oppose democracy, are religiously inspired, and believe that Islamic rule must be forcibly imposed. Both attack civilian targets, frequently use suicide bombers, and decapitate captured opponents. While the Taliban claim that they are fighting American occupation, the TTP alleges that the Pakistan Army is an American pawn  a ridiculous allegation. General Sharif rightly raised the issue of violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. But this vexing matter needs careful consideration. In political science jargon, sovereignty means the exercise of effective control over some polity by some supreme authority. By this definition, drone overflights and missile attacks on the territory of a sovereign state do indeed violate international law.

But, were Pakistan to bring the issue before the International Court of Justice, it may have a difficult time. It would have to prove that it wields authority truly  rather than just formally  over large swathes of its designated territory. But the fact that the Afghan Taliban have freely used Pakistani territory to attack targets across the border for nearly 15 years, and that its leaders were/are ensconced in Quetta and Peshawar, could gravely weaken Pakistan's case.

Mansour's killing is the result of America's new-found conviction that the Taliban will not negotiate peace, and that Pakistan is unwilling to rope them in. A US-based Pakistani commentator, Moeed Yusuf, notes that after years of ambivalence Americans have finally concluded that Pakistan is uninterested in having an elected government in Kabul.

Earlier, America's perception had been that of two Pakistans  one which the US could woo with inducements such as F-16s, and another which it could scold away from supporting the Taliban. But rightly or wrongly, America now sees only one Pakistan  that which is part of the problem but not the solution. Yusuf notes that, after desperately seeking to negotiate with its opponents, Kabul is focused solely on the battlefield.

To be on the wrong side of the United States is not necessarily a bad thing. One can seriously differ with its creation of a faith-based response against the Soviet invasion in 1979, its unconditional support for Israel against Palestinians, the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the toppling of Qadhafi's government in 2011. But Pakistan should definitely be alarmed that, save for China, it stands alone and friendless in its neighbourhood and is viewed with suspicion in much of the world. Iran, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are all Muslim countries with which Pakistan  a country conceived on the basis of Islam  could have expected to enjoy good relations with. A misconceived foreign policy has led to the very opposite: Pakistani and Afghan troops are exchanging artillery fire today while India is busy with construction projects inside Afghanistan and earning the gratitude of ordinary Afghans. Hence the bitter remark: India gives us dams but Pakistan gives us only the Taliban.

What explains Pakistan's soft corner for the Taliban? The answer is a no-brainer. Through the decades, Pakistan's foreign policy has single-mindedly sought to counter India on every front irrespective of the terrible damage it may do to itself. In the early 1990s, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg was explicit about building strategic depth inside Afghanistan with Taliban help. Pakistan has yet to plausibly renounce this earlier goal.

Another victim of tunnel vision is the Pak-Iran relationship, now frigid. Even President Rouhani's visit in March to Islamabad did little to change things. India's development of Iran's Chabahar port, a consequence of Pakistan's refusal to grant overland transit permission to India, feeds into the encirclement syndrome. Few in Pakistan care to remember Iran's support to Pakistan during the 1965 and 1971 wars, or wonder how we lost an ally.

Neighbours frequently have disputes over land and water, or perhaps over markets and global influence. Many disputes are unsolvable but mature leaders learn to manage conflicts, agree on trade terms, make compromises, and keep communication channels open. This is how politics works. That politics is practised today by the United States, China, and India. Within this triangle of geopolitical players, each jockeys for economic and military power. All have oversized militaries but their rivalries are not played out as zero-sum games. Even Saudi Arabia plays pragmatically. Its highest civilian award went to Narendra Modi, and it has a de facto alliance with Israel. Rather than dig an ideological hole so deep that escape becomes impossible, Pakistan too must deal with India pragmatically and politically. A sane and civilised relationship is surely possible without Pakistan dropping the insistence that Kashmir needs a solution.

If Pak-India relations could be recalibrated, Pakistan could repair its poor relations with all its neighbours. With Afghanistan this has special urgency. Pakistan and Afghanistan have suffered enormously from militants who seek to impose their brutal ideology, and who deliberately target innocents. Pakistan has lost more brave soldiers and officers during its war against terror than in all wars against India.

Fazlullah must go, whether by drone or otherwise. But what we want for ourselves, we must also want for those across the Durand Line. For this, the successors of Mullah Mansour  however many are yet to come  will also have to go.

By arrangement with the Dawn
Sandeep Dikshit

DESPITE a seventh tete-a-tete with US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modis foreign policy is facing a severe test. The US Senate, which we were led to believe was transfixed by his address 10 days ago, has turned down a law to consider India as a close military ally. On either side of Modis Washington visit, Obamas State Department has made periodic public appeals for support to Indias membership at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

But the emergence of multipolar centres of power have forced Modi to book a passage to Tashkent in a last-minute attempt at cajoling China and Kazakhstan to facilitate Indias entry into the NSG. Tashkent is hosting a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Moscow-Beijing led grouping that is the antithesis of the US and its allies, Japan, NATO and Australia. Its main security related agenda is to keep NATO as far as possible from its doors. In this endeavour, it backs Chinas maritime contest with the Western powers that are attempting to entice India to their corner. India is in the unenviable situation of having to placate both sides, and also run the risk of antagonising both.

As the SCO plans to give membership to India and Pakistan, courtesy demands that their Prime Ministers should be in attendance, Modi had attended the previous SCO summit in Ufa, Russia, where membership was on the agenda. He could have skipped the congregation but Moscow had tied the SCO with a BRICS summit at the same venue. This made it difficult for Modi to abstain himself from the SCO summit after being present at the BRICS summit the night before.

There is no BRICS Summit taking place this time and Indias ascension to the SCO till last week was unclear. But having taken a hard line against China till recently, and espousing a strategy that blocks Pakistan from entering the NSG, Modi had to book a ticket to Tashkent to bring around China, Russia and Kazakhstan. South Block is yet to announce the Prime Ministers travel schedule but his recent telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin provided indications of an impending meeting between the two. It is reasonable to assume that Tashkent will be the venue because the next scheduled Modi-Putin meeting is in October.

In Tashkent, Modis brief for Putin will be to undercut Pakistans lobbying for NSG membership, as also bring around Kazakhstan. Its President Nursultan Nazarbayevs stand has the silent support of countries that want India to first display a tangible commitment to the cause of nuclear non-proliferation by signing one of the international non-proliferation treaties.

But Modis main priority will be to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping to bend to Indias cause and let go of his insistence on Pakistans entry into the NSG. South Block has sought to pitch in with easier visas to scholars and sailors and faster security clearances to Chinese firms.

But Modi has been forced to step in not just because his security managers saw the China writing on the NSG wall a little too late for their toned down rhetoric on the Pakistan-China economic corridor to mollify Beijing. Modi will have to convince the Chinese not to insist on predicating all future NSG memberships on the touchstone of a common set of rules. This is easier said than done. China cannot just stop backing Pakistan without any repercussions to its biggest strategic breakthrough of making Gwadar Port a major transport-cum-energy gateway. The Pakistan government and its military are already facing flak for the Chinese intrusion and will find it impossible to back the project if China deserts Pakistan in favour of India.

The Modi think-tank is also being tested on the change in strategy for membership to the four organisations controlling trade and the transfer of high technology  NSG (dual use nuclear items), MTCR (missiles and UAVs), Australia Group (biotechnology) and Wasenaar Arrangement (conventional arms). In direct contrast, the UPA had favoured membership of all four organisations as a package. It had calculated on diluting the Chinese opposition to Indias membership of the NSG because not being a member, it cannot influence the outcome in the other three groups.

India is not unfamiliar with filibustering. Soon after becoming Prime Minister, Modi had approved a similar strategy by blocking the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement till the world community addressed Indias concerns on food security. Modi has experienced its downside when Italy threw a spanner in Indias bid for MTCR. Aware of the blackballing potential of a single dissenter in organisations that run on consensus, Pakistan fears it may be permanently shut out of the NSG if India is the first to join it.

Ironically, Modi can convert the US Senates inability to make India a close military ally to his advantage because it shows New Delhi is still not a top Pentagon priority. But he will also have to abandon the idea of converting NSG membership into a moment of glory for him alone. Islamabad has also built up NSG membership as a symbol of national resurgence and it will do anything in its power to ensure India is denied that recognition.

Critics have depicted the possibility of Pakistans simultaneous entry with India as something of a nuclear armageddon. On the contrary, this will make life easier for Indias intelligence community that scrounges for information on Pakistans nuclear arsenal. Currently, Rawalpindi can enrich uranium to weapons grade or churn out plutonium from most nuclear plants as they are not monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Regardless of NSG, China plans to set up six more nuclear reactors in Pakistan. This will make an accurate guess about Pakistans nuclear stockpile a perilous proposition. NSG membership will make Pakistan more accountable in operating its nuclear plants that would make the neighbourhood a safer place.

Having painted membership to the NSG as a a banner of national prestige, Modi will have to stoop to share the prize with Pakistan in case his last-ditch effort at Tashkent and late-night phone calls fail to bear fruit. He will have none but his foreign policy advisers are to blame for first needlessly talking up Indias membership and then not being able to adroitly and simultaneously juggle all the big power relationships.
S. Subramanian

FOR proponents of the market as the finest  if not the only  institution that can guide a society to the best of all possible worlds, its virtues are legion, and the stuff of which mythologies are made. These virtues include attributes whose precise meaning is seldom clear  either to the advertiser of the virtues or his intended audience. It is thus often put out, in a vague sort of way, that the market, unlike other institutions (in particular the government), is "efficient" and also "fair". Pressed for amplification, "efficiency" in the mouth of the word's user  it often turns out  means something such as that cash transactions might be expected to be disposed of quicker in private-sector banks than in public-sector banks; or that "fairness" could mean anything from "equitableness" in the distribution of the national dividend to a system of rewards according to merit or desert.

More precise advertisers of the market's virtues  economists and philosophers among them  will of course employ terms such as "efficiency" and "fairness" with greater care. They would suggest, for example, that the market will ensure the emergence of economic outcomes which are such that no one can be made better off without making someone else worse off, and that each factor of production (labour, capital) will receive a share of the economy's aggregate output according to that factor's marginal contribution to the creation of the output. These supposed virtues of the market are a part of its proponents' lore; and whether they are catalogued with greater or lesser precision, they constitute a shared belief of its functioning among the market's defenders, whether these defenders be laypersons or economists or philosophers or just plain ideologues.

If this is the market in lore, what is it like in fact? Often enough it is indeed the case that inter-state bus travel in India is quicker and more comfortable in a transport service provided by a private agency than if one were to depend on vehicles plied by the Public Transport Corporation (PTC) of one's state. Anecdotal examples such as this are often considered to constitute clinching evidence of the virtues of the market. What the evidence does not take account of, however, is the fact that state-subsidised PTCs make bus travel more affordable for poor passengers than commercial for-profit travel agencies; that PTCs will typically ply their vehicles through commercially unattractive routes in order to maximise the coverage of the need to which they cater; and that PTC vehicles will stop at more frequent intervals for exactly the same reason. The market, in fact, is often enough more unlike than like the market in lore. The allegedly superior informational and enforcement advantages enjoyed by the private banking sector are frequently reflected in loan recovery procedures that are distinguished only for their violent, strong-arm tactics. The global financial crisis of 2008 was triggered in the United States by an unregulated, freely-functioning private banking sector subjected to extremely lax public oversight. It is an ostensibly "free" market which has played havoc with the prices of essential life-saving drugs, keeping the prevention and cure of life-threatening disease conditions effectively and forever beyond the reach of poor consumers.

It is in market-driven capitalist economies such as the US that economic inequality threatens to become a major factor in the destabilisation of a society's cohesiveness: after outstanding work on the subject by economists like Stiglitz, Piketty, Atkinson and Milanovich, the question of the continued sustainability of rising inequality can no longer be ignored by the world.

The virtues broadcast by the lore of the market are frequently, and unjustly, laid at the door of the theory of the market; and as for the facts of the market, these are often moulded out of recognition to fit the theory, in a heroic bid to force Life into an imitation of Art. The "informal" understanding of the theory underlying the market's supposed virtues is to be found in Adam Smith's account of the Invisible Hand of private rationality and self-interest which, it is suggested, leads to a spontaneous order of collective optimality, in which economic allocations are arranged in such a way that an improvement in any one person's welfare can only be achieved at the cost of reducing some other person's welfare. (This outcome has subsequently been characterized as "Pareto efficiency", after the Italian sociologist Vilfredo Pareto.) Private egotism, in this view, will lead to public beneficence. It has taken years of hard analytical work in the fields of Welfare Economics and General Equilibrium Theory to distil this piece of folk wisdom into something like a set of formal propositions in terms of which the "Invisible Hand" account of the economy could make sense.

The First Theorem of Welfare Economics states that, under certain well-defined conditions, a competitive equilibrium, namely a set of market prices under which aggregate demand and aggregate supply will be perfectly balanced in an environment in which no agent is 'big' enough to influence prices by herself, will be Pareto efficient. There is no suggestion that such an equilibrium will be equitable or just. Indeed, the Second Theorem of Welfare Economics makes it clear that the equitableness of the competitive equilibrium will depend profoundly on the equitableness of the initial endowment of goods and services among the economy's agents.

Regrettably, both proponents and opponents alike of the market have tended to ignore the nuances of this theoretical work. Typically, proponents tend to gloss over the precise conditions under which the First Theorem holds. These conditions would include the empirically unlikely contingencies of an absence of "externality" (which requires that individual consumption and production decisions are unaffected by the actions of others), and the availability of perfect and symmetric information about both the future and the quality of products transacted in the market. Opponents of the market tend to treat theory as apologetics for the market, as an elaborate and arcane system of mathematical mumbo-jumbo erected in order to protect the imagined virtues of the market in an impenetrable armour of logical formalisms. As it happens, theory is the most effective pointer to the limitations of the market. This is skillfully demonstrated by Anjan Mukherjee, a distinguished former professor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in an essay titled Market Failures: Almost Always?, written in honour of another distinguished former professor of the JNU, Satish Jain, in a book titled Themes in Economic Analysis (Routledge, 2016). Mukherjee shows that asymmetric information can threaten the very existence of a competitive equilibrium, while externalities can threaten its efficiency. Ironically, it might require suitable regulatory action from government, or/and appropriately 'moral' behavior from agents which departs from the standard model of egotistic individual rationality, to get the market to deliver. This is paradoxical, given the mental apparatus of General Equilibrium Theory's typical rational agent, which two of its finest exponents, Kenneth Arrow and Frank Hahn, characterized in terms borrowed from the poetry of William Butler Yeats: A levelling, rancorous, rational sort of mind/That never looked out of the eye of a saint/Or out of drunkard's eye.

As for our own economy, we have no cause for complaint: it is a just and impartial mix of market failure and government failure.

The writer is a retired Professor of Economics.
AFTER the 1984 Sikh killings the 2002 Gujarat riots had shaken the national conscience. The wait for justice in both cases, it seems, will continue. Dissatisfied with Fridays judgment, the Gulbarg Society attack survivors have decided to challenge it. The case lost political interest after the Nanavati Commission and the Supreme Court-monitored SIT, headed by RK Raghavan, gave Narendra Modi clean chits. The Ahmedabad Special Court that heard the Gulbarg Society case has ruled out a conspiracy theory, which means no Narendra Modi hand in the anti-Muslim riots.

The judgment reveals not just the inefficacy of the SIT investigation but of the prosecution as well. The court acquitted 36 of the accused. The quantum of sentence announced and observations made by Special Judge PB Desai have raised questions. A lenient view in cases of mass murder may send a wrong signal in the country, especially at a time when mob attacks are becoming routine. On February 28, 2002, a 400-strong mob massacred 69 persons, including ex-MP Ehsan Jafri, and burnt houses in Gulbarg Society. For this unforgivable act only 11 from the crowd have been awarded life term and they too can walk free after a year if the state government exercises its power to free life convicts after 14 years. Already after the incident, 90 per cent of the accused were released on bail.

The court did not accept the prosecution plea for death sentence or life imprisonment till death on the grounds that there was no conspiracy behind the attack, it was not a pre-meditated act and the accused did not commit any offence during the time of bail. The mob, according to Judge Desai, was not really interested in causing deaths. It was the private firing by Ehsan Jafri which infuriated the mob and it suddenly turned into an ugly mob which indulged in the massacre of so many men, women and children. The Judge is suggesting Jafri was not only responsible for his own death, but also the massacre that followed. To say the least, it is unbelievable and a grand slur on the Indian constitutional system and its promise of a fair and just social order
MEDIOCRITY has a way of pushing out brilliance. The Reserve Bank of India Governor, Raghuram Rajan, was an eyesore to the second-rate minds controlling our economy and polity. He has rather dramatically announced that he will not be available for a second term as RBI Governor or available for target-practising by the Sangh Parivars licensed gunslingers. The Finance Minister, who should be sufficiently mindful of the RBI Governors institutional prestige and honour, provided rather insufficient protection when the Sangh Parivar guns opened fire on Rajan. It was obvious that a scapegoat was needed to explain why the economy was not doing as well as was promised by the BJPs dream-sellers, and that Rajan had been chosen to be the fall guy. Shoddily enough, his foreign connection was cited as a reason against his continuation in the job.

The RBI Governor is not without his critics. Respected economists have had reason to be critical of Rajans monetary prescriptions as also of his flair for seeking limelight. Perhaps it was his vigorous drive to clean up banks that brought him into a dogfight with vested interests among crony businessmen. What Rajan was insisting upon was a bitter pill, a prescription that the political establishment and its corporate cronies found indigestible. Lip-service to reforms makes good headlines; insistence on taking the reforms to their logical cleansing end could not be very palatable. Rajan had to be denied a second term.

Admittedly the Reserve Bank of India is an institution that, by definition, does not entirely depend upon its head for its regulatory robustness and monetary policy vitality. The new Governor will find himself or herself under pressure to live up to the Rajan standards. Voices from within the ruling establishment are already derogatorily calling the RBI Governor an employee. Such voices represent the incumbent regimes preference for conformity from one and all. The global financial community, on the other hand, frowns upon any dilution by politicians of the central bankers autonomy. Rajans announcement has produced a critical moment. The onus is now on the Modi government to demonstrate reassuring wisdom and circumspection in picking up the pieces.
Tribune News Service

Jassia (Rohtak), June 19

Members of the Jat community, who had been staging a demonstration here since June 5, lifted their dharna this evening after Yashpal Malik, president of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), convinced them that the state authorities had assured them of meeting their demands.

Though some protesters opposed the decision to call off the agitation without any concrete/written assurance from the state government, their dissenting notes were ignored by the samiti members spearheading the stir.

Curiously, leaders of the protesters, who had announced yesterday to intensify the agitation, took a U-turn and decided to call off the stir. Nonetheless, it was also decided to organise a ceremony here on June 21 to felicitate next of kin of those who were killed during the February agitation. The money donated by the community members and sympathisers would be distributed among the victims family members on that day.

Addressing the protesters, Malik maintained that if the demands were not met by the deadline of August 31 a fresh stir would be launched on September 13.

The main demands of the protesters include the withdrawal of cases registered in connection with the agitation staged in February, release of innocent persons arrested in this connection, grant of proper compensation and government jobs to next of kin of the deceased and ensuring reservation for Jats in Haryana as well as at the Centre. Todays dharna was attended by thousands of persons from nearby villages, including a considerable number of women.

Sonepat: The 15-day-old dharna being staged by activists of the ABJASS at the Mini-Secretariat here ended this evening on a peaceful note as no untoward incident was reported during these days.

Samitis national spokesman Rohtas Hooda said that seven commissions had recommended reservation for the Jats in the OBC category; but the governments had ignored the recommendations every now and then. He also chided some of the khap leaders for not supporting the dharnas.

Keeping in view the assurances being given by the government, Hooda said that agitation had been postponed up to August 31 and if the government did not take any step, there would meet on September 13 to decide future course of action.

State vice-president Mool Chand Dahiya and district president Dr Rajesh Chhikara thanked the people for extending their support for holding peaceful dharna.

Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang met the activists at the dharna site and thanked them for maintaining peace during these days.

Bhiwani: Members of the AIJASS, who were sitting on dharnas at two places in the district for the past two week, today ended it.

Samitis national secretary Satbir Poonia, who reached at Dhanana and Charkhi Dadri dharna sites, stated that the state government had accepted their all demands and sought time to work on them.

I have reached here on the directions of national president Yashpal Malik to inform our people that the government has agreed to re-investigate the cases registered against the community youths languishing in jails over their alleged role in the last stir, said Poonia in Charkhi Dadri.

He said that the protest had been postponed till August 31 as the state government committed to giving jobs to the family members of those who died during the February violence by calling special meeting of the Cabinet.

Mahender Singh Poonia, state secretary of the samiti, said that the agitation might be resumed if the government fails to fulfil on the promises. He said that a meeting would be called in September to assess whether promises were fulfilled or not.

Meanwhile, several local Jat leaders accused the state government of hijacking the Jat protest for reservation with the help of some self-styled khap leaders by creating a conflict among the community.
Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

After a five-hour meeting with the state government, the Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshan Sangrash Samiti today agreed to end its protest by tomorrow evening.

Led by president Yashpal Malik, the samiti leaders placed 10 demands before Haryana Transport Minister Krishan Panwar, who assured them of quick action.

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The meeting started at 4.30pm at Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi, and concluded at 9.30 pm. Panwar said the government was serious on fulfilling the Jatsdemands. But first, they will have to lift their protest, he said.

Announcing August 31 as the deadline for the government to meet their demands, the samiti leaders said they would hold a meeting of the national executive on September 13 in Mayyar, Hisar, and announce their future course of action, if their demands were not met.
Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 19

State Governor Acharya Devvrat, Baba Ramdevs Patanjali Yogpeeth, Sri Sri Ravi Shankars Art of Living foundation and some other organisations are making efforts to make International Yoga Day on June 21 a statewide movement. But there is perceptible lack of enthusiasm on the part of the state government for the 50-minute yoga event is planned by the NDA government.

This years yoga protocol for International Yoga Day issued by the Ministry of Ayush and Alternative Medicines has prescribed 27 different asnas, seven kriyasand four pranayamas that will be followed by dhyanaand a concluding session that aims at cleaning mind and environment.

The Yoga Day will start with a prayer and conclude with Sankalp, a pledge from 7 am to 8 am throughout the country for promoting yoga.

The state Governor is leading from the front, attending and monitoring yoga training-cum-rehearsal sessions at Raj Bhawan. Baba Ramdevs Patanjali Yogpeeths state branch is organising the yoga event at 152 different places, including tribal Kinnaur, Keylong and Bharmour, while the Art of Living foundation is organising the yoga event in DAV schools and other private institutions to the yoga event a mass movement in the state.

Addressing the participants at a camp at Raj Bhawan today, Acharya Devvrat said, Yoga is an important part of our rich culture and tradition and purifies mind and soul. The change in lifestyle by including yoga for good health and mind is needed as most diseases are caused by negative mindset which has been confirmed by modern science also.

When asked about the response of the Congress government about the International Yoga Day, Karan Singh, state Ayurveda Minister, commented, We have not fixed any camps or plans for celebrating the Yoga Day in the state. There are certain schools, NGOs and other outfits, which are participating in the event. The BJP is trying to make it a political event. Everybody is free to practice yoga or not do it.

State in charge for Patanjali Yogpeeth Laxmikant Sharma said that the yogpeeth was organising the main yoga event at Vidya Sarasvati Mandir School, Vikasnagar. Our instructors are holding training camps at 152 places, including Bhawanagar, Reckong Peo, Chango, Kaza and Keylong and Bharmour across the state.

Art of Living foundation member B S Thakur said the main event would be organised at DAV school, New Shimla. We are training students and common public for the Yoga Day, he added.
Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Kullu, June 19

Setting at rest all speculations about his future course of action, Union Health Minister J P Nadda today indicated his early return to state politics in view of the forthcoming Assembly polls due in November 2017.

Replying to queries of mediapersons, Nadda, who was here in connection with training camp of the BJP, candidly said that he would be ready to take up any responsibility entrusted to him by the party high command.

I am a staunch worker of party and had earlier resigned as a Cabinet minister of state during the BJP regime and moved to Delhi to serve the party. Today I declare that I am ready to take any responsibility entrusted by the party high command.

Beaming with confidence, the senior BJP leader said the party was fully prepared to defeat and oust Congress from power in the state and the BJP candidates would win with huge margins.

Good governance of Modi Government and approval of number of development projects for Himachal coupled with dismal performance of Virbhadra Singh government would definitely pay dividends in the Assembly elections.

Lashing out the state government headed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Nadda said, Despite liberal Central assistance to speed up progress in state, the state government had failed to derive full benefits from Centrally sponsored schemes and projects and utilise the funds judiciously.

Referring to the projects sanctioned for the state, Nadda said that three medical colleges were sanctioned for the state but due to apathy of state government, the Hamirpur Medical College had made no progress as the government failed to provide land for the college.

Urging the state government to derive full benefits from the schemes sponsor by the Centre for upliftment of the people, Nadda said, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had recently approved 45 National Highways in state and assured to provide budget of Rs 50,000 crore to execute the project in coming years.

Since the elevation of Nadda at the Central level, BJP workers looked divided in factions showing allegiance to Nadda and former Chief Minister P K Dhumal.

During the ongoing BJP convention, it was observed that the workers were weighing the possibility of Nadda being projected as chief ministerial candidate. All efforts were on to put up a united face and demand also surfaced for bringing the rebels back into the party fold.
Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 19

The area under cultivation is gradually shrinking in Rajasthan as farmers are not getting adequate water for sowing due to the reluctance of the Punjab Government to release the legitimate share of water to Rajasthan.

This issue was highlighted by Gurbal Pal Singh Sandhu, farmers representative from Sriganganagar (Rajasthan), at the third national convention of farmers under the banner of the Kisan Ekta. He alleged that Rajasthan was receiving only 1,100 cusecs of water from Punjab against its decided share of 2,000 cusecs, out of which 400 to 500 cusecs was sewage water.

The chronic problem of water shortage has become the bane of farmers who are not able to sow the crops and as a result, the area under cultivation is reducing, Gurbal Pal Singh said.

Talking to The Tribune, he said waste from Phagwara drain, Jamshed drain, Buddha Nullah, Kali Bain, Dhati Bai and Kala Sanghya drain in Punjab got mixed in the waters of the Sutlej and the Beas. The contamination in the Sutlej was alarming and incidence of cancer, skin diseases and water-borne diseases were increasing in Sriganganagar.There were 4,200 to 4,400 small factories in Ludhiana alone, which were releasing industrial waste in rivers. Poisonous chemicals used for electroplating also were seeping in water.

He said there were two treatment plants  Bathia and Kaisabad  but the water was not being treated in these plants and only polythene was segregated.

Blaming Punjab for not releasing the water as per the share allotted to Rajasthan, Gurbal Pal Singh said Punjab released more water to the eastern canal as it catered to constituencies of Badal while the Bikaner canal serving Rajasthan was getting only half of its legitimate share of water.

As the temperatures were hovering around or above 45C in most parts of Rajasthan, its requirement of water for drinking and irrigation purposes was more, but under the prevailing circumstances, the state could cultivate only 50 per cent of their land.

Due to shortage of water, we had shifted from cotton to jawahar which fetched Rs 30,000 per quintal, but today the price has crashed to Rs 2,700 and farmers, whose land is near the border (zero line), are the worst affected as they have to grow crops which are less remunerative as the height of crops cannot exceed the given limit in border areas. Moreover, they have to get the permission of the BSF to go to their land at night for watering the crops, he added.

Further, stray cattle had been destroying their crops and there had been incidents in which the only bread-earner in the family fell victim to attacks by wild animals, he said, adding that in my village 39 RB, there are 25 houses out of which five are locked while five others are about to be locked as the families whose kids are settled in cities are abandoning farming.
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 18

The Central agencies are set to interrogate the Nigerian boy and girl nabbed with the four kg of heroin. After taking their four days police remand, they were sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre in Amritsar today.

Suspecting their nexus deep-rooted with the involvement of some national and international smugglers, the central agencies jumped into interrogate them to expose the network running behind them. Moreover, the recovery of four kg of heroin worth several crores and Rs 2.45 lakh cash has alerted the agencies.

Sources said the police was also planning to take one notorious smuggler, lodged in the Modern Jail, Kapurthala, on production warrant as he had been in touch with them from jail. The Said jail inmate too had links with smugglers in Delhi who could be a vital part of the main supply line.

The police said, the main supply line was being run from Delhi where several of their accomplices of African countries have been living in.

On June 14, the Rama Mandi police had nabbed one Agu Emmanuel (32) of Eungu state, Nigeria and Okoh Precious (20) of Delta state of Nigeria. Presently they were living in a rented accommodation in Panchsheel Avenue in Jalandhar.

They also had a rented accommodation in Delhi where the police had also conducted a raid but could not get anything vital pertaining to their drug network.

Interestingly today when the duo was produced in the court, the accused Agu made several gestures before the lensmen. He asked the lensmen to click his photograph while showing a victory sign.
Vishal Jasrotia

Samba, June 19

The week-long annual mela at the Baba Sidh Goria shrine in Swankha commenced here today. Thousands of devotees from various parts of Jammu and neighbouring states took part in the fair on its first day.

Minister for Industries and Commerce Chander Prakash Ganga and senior officers of the district administration visited the shrine and prayed for peace and prosperity. The Minister said such events play a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the traditions and strengthening the bonds of brotherhood.

Nearly 1 lakh devotees from the region and states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pardesh thronged the shrine despite sweltering heat. I come here with my family every year to seek Babas blessings. We took bath at the holy pond, which is believed to have mystic powers. Visiting the shrine will bring us good luck and prosperity, I believe, said Kamlesh Kour, a devotee from Gurdaspur.

Keeping in view the large influx of people, the administration has established a control room to monitor the arrangements at the site.
Pakistans widely read newspaper Dawn pointed out a major fault line in the countrys much-publicised anti-militancy Zarb-i-Azb (Sharp Strike) operation. It said: Anti-state militants are being fought, while anti-Afghan or anti-India militants thrive on Pakistani soil.

It is a sort of reawakening of Pakistani society that has found its civilian and military leadership providing excuses to shelter terrorists. People are unhappy with the way the military leadership is engaged in selective anti-terrorism fight. This could prove dangerous. Pakistan has seen consequences of its own doing vis-a-vis militancy. History doesnt need to be recalled in full to substantiate how terrorism was fostered and exported to other countries.

Terrorism can never be dealt with on selective basis. Pakistan should have known it from American experience. The most powerful country is paying a price for having launched its anti-terrorist operations in a selective manner, ignoring wider impact on its society. Today the world is having more anti-American voices than days when Samuel Huntington wrote The Clash of Civilizations. Had he been alive today, the resonance of his classical work would have been titled differently  it is getting bigger than the clash of civilizations. The Orlando mass murder is still making headlines.

By keeping and patronising the terrorists active on its soil may help Pakistan to gain billions of dollars from the United States to show that its fight against terrorism is on and it needs money for that. America has its own compulsions. Pakistans location, adjoining Afghanistan, Iran, India and China, makes it one of Americas most important allies. But now it is becoming dangerous because of its half-hearted war on terror.

Pakistan should realise that it is her soldiers blood that is being shed  490 of them have died in the two years of Zarb-i-Azb operation, which was launched after a devastating attack at Karachi airport in June 2014. The Pakistani army has used all kinds of weaponry, air bombardment to neutralise 3,500 militants. It was a war within Pakistan, and it was Pakistans own creation, for it first patronised terrorists, then started using them to bleed Afghanistan and India, and finally the monster of terrorism turned against it as well.

Even today, there are questions: why is the Pakistan army not acting against the Haqqani network. Americans, who have been doling out money (recent one is the $800 million package), want to know what happened to the deadliest network wrecking the peace prospects in Afghanistan. There are questions about 26/11 and Pathankot too. Pakistan continues to live in denial for reasons best known to it.

Some strategists have a blinkered view when it comes to India. It seems that Pakistan suffers from delusion of Pakistan becoming western Bangladesh. India has better things to do. It is not a state in war with itself. Pakistan is.

Terrorism is not a friend of anyone. How long can militants be used as a foreign policy tool? This strategy has not paid off in Afghanistan. It is bound to fail in other places too. The cross-border firings on Afghan-Pak border have revealed this truth. If Pakistan thinks that by shedding blood of innocent Kashmiris or exploiting them has brought any change in number of people in love with Pakistan, it needs to hear the private conversations in Kashmiri homes where the brutal ways of Pakistani terrorists are denounced with contempt and anger. No one wants violence. Kashmiri society is sick of violence. It has realised that counter-insurgency fault lines are there because of sponsored terrorism from across the border. Their real sense of insecurity is born out of that.

In 2004, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had declared, No boundaries will be changed. Pakistan should have heard this message loud and clear. Nothing will change. Pakistan will add to miseries of its own people and that of the people whose territory it is eyeing for water resources to irrigate fields of Western Punjab. If Pakistan was really a heaven, Kashmiri youth who had gone there in the 1990s would not have been making desperate attempts and taking risks to come back to their homes in the Valley.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 19

With separatist organisations closing their ranks to oppose settlement of Pandits back in the Valley and granting of rights to Hindu and Sikh refugees displaced due to Kashmir issue since 1947, refugees organisations have decided to unite to fight propaganda against them.

Refugee leaders have also reaffirmed their resolve to continue fight against the discrimination meted out to them by successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir and silence of the Central government, which they said had succumbed to pressure tactics of fundamentalist and radical elements in Kashmir.

A seminar J&K, Jehad, Genocide  The refugee crisis since 1947, organised by Panun Kashmir (PK) on the eve of World Refugee Day with speakers alleging that minorities were the victims of an ideological movement which aimed to turn the state into a Muslim-majority state.

Hindu refugees should use all means which put their case in a perspective and in an internationally recognised frame-work and there is a need to challenge all such euphemism and policies of the state that have kept refugees embroiled in a situation of confusion and helplessness for almost 70 years, said the resolution passed in the seminar.

Speaking on the occasion, Jammu for India (JFI) convener Prof Hari Om said that time had come for the minority community, especially those displaced since 1947, to have a united front.

Demand for autonomy and self-rule defining politics of the Kashmir-centric political parties and demand for freedom by the separatist constituency are primarily a reflection of the majority communitys intent to establish an exclusivity Islamic state, said Hari Om, former ideologue of BJP who resigned from the party over alliance with the PDP.

West Pakistan Refugee Action Fronts Labha Ram Gandhi said that while refugees from China and Tibet were quickly absorbed and bestowed citizenship and basic rights, the Hindu refugees had been denied even basic citizenship rights.

The speakers also expressed concern over reports that Dharamarth Trust, the custodian of Hindu temples and shrines in the state, was allegedly contemplating to sell the premises belonging to the Guptaganga Asthapan situated in Srinagar.

Guptaganga was an important symbol and holy place to the Sanskrit civilization of Kashmir. The place was synonymous with Abhinavgupta and references to it were available in the ancient texts of Kashmir. The place had a great significance to the growth of Kashmir Shaivism, said Panun Kashmir chairman Ajay Chrangoo.

Others who spoke on the occasion included POJK Displaced Persons Front president Rashpal Singh Chib, eminent social worker Yuvraj Gupta, and Panun Kashmir convener Agnishekhar.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 19

The Directorate of School Education, Kashmir, has decided to act tough against corporal punishment in schools. Director, School Education Department, Shah Faesal said there would be zero tolerance towards corporal punishment and child abuse.

No one can use a stick or a slap or a taunt or even a threat of physical violence against a child. There is absolutely no justification for it, Faesal said.

His comment came in the backdrop of physical and mental violence meted out to 25 girl at a Gujjar and Bakerwal hostel in Srinagar on Thursday.

The warden of the hostel was suspended for thrashing the girls, seven of whom are admitted to two hospitals.

(The) incident of physical and mental violence by a warden against inmates of a student hostel has brought the shameful practice of corporal punishment back in focus, Faesal said.

He warned that corporal punishment, physical and mental violence, against children can lead to dismissal from service.

Faesal said, as part of action against teachers and schools involved in corporal punishment, the DSEK had on Saturday derecognised a private school in Srinagar, where the principal had beaten up a girl child.

At another private school in Srinagar, the teacher who had beaten up a student has been terminated from service, he said.
Karachi, June 19

Some shopkeepers in Pakistans Sindh province allegedly sold shoes with sacred Hindu word Om inscribed on them, angering the minority community in the country which described it unfortunate and blasphemous.

The patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), Ramesh Kumar told PTI they had already lodged protests with the Sindh government and local authorities in Tando Adam Khan after it was brought to the notice of the Hindu community that shoes were being sold with the sacred word Om inscribed on them.

It is most unfortunate that some shopkeepers in Tando Adam Khan are selling shoes on the occasion of Eid ul Azha with the Hindu sacred word inscribed on them and the purpose just appears to be to insult the sentiments of the Hindu community, Kumar said.

The pictures of the these shoes have been circulated on the social media and we demand they be removed from shops immediately, he said.  PTI
New Delhi, June 19

Complaint into the alleged tapping of telephone conversations of some top industrialists and politicians by the Essar Group has been forwarded to Home Ministry for appropriate action.

The complaint was made to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) by lawyer Suren Uppal alleging that the Essar Group had ordered its former security chief Albasit Khan to tap into its business rivals telephone conversations.

Complaint regarding Essar leaks has been forwarded to Home Ministry for appropriate action, official sources said.

The complaint includes call logs for purported conversations of Mukesh and Anil Ambani with directors/promoters of the two companies and other senior officials as well as conversations that show how business rivals reach out to politicians to seek favours.

The complaint also mentioned purported conversations of senior officials of the PMO, including Ranjan Bhattacharya and Brajesh Mishra.

Essar has denied any wrongdoing.  PTI
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 19

With less than a week to go before the crucial Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet in Seoul, India is making last-minute efforts to secure a berth in the elite club. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar made a hush-hush visit to Beijing from June 16 to 17 to once again try and convince the Chinese leadership of Indias credentials for the NSG berth.

While the visit was on Sunday confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs, the idea, according to sources within the government, was to take the visit under wraps. India, sources point out, has put a lot at stake with regards to the NSG membership and if the membership doesnt go through in Seoul on June 24, it will be a diplomatic setback to the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.

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Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in Tashkent on June 23-24. Sources confirm that the Prime Ministers main task at hand will be to try and convince the Chinese President that India be let into the NSG.

China, in the meanwhile, has maintained that since India is a non signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it cannot be allowed a berth in the NSG. Countries like Turkey have also taken a stand that the applications of both India and Pakistan be considered simultaneously.

Despite the US and UK backing Indias case, Chinas opposition will ensure that India is kept outside the NSG. Hence this last-minute visit by the Foreign Secretary to China a last chance to again convince China that India will not stand in the way of Pakistans membership when it comes up.

Sources in the government add that the Modi government has staked a lot on the NSG membership, with some even suggesting that while former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh achieved a great diplomatic victory by getting the India-US nuclear deal signed in 2008, Modi is looking for a diplomatic achievement on the same level.

Whether this last-minute dash will help convince the Chinese to change their mind or not will be evident in less than a week.
New Delhi, June 19

India announced on Sunday it would not oppose any other countrys entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group, a clear indication to Pakistans bid to join the group.

India won't protest entry of any nation in NSG but would want application be considered on merit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at a news briefing held to mark the NDA government's two years in power.

She also claimed that China is not opposed to Indias entry, but insists on criteria.

"China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to the NSG," she told a press conference here while highlighting her ministry's achievements in the last two years.

"I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year," she said, adding, "The NSG entry is crucial for India's energy policy."

"I am perosnally in touch with 23 nations. Although 1 2 have voiced concerns, I think there is consensus."

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She also said India was trying to make sure that it could be part of the group by the end of the year.

Although most countries in the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group  prominent among them the US  have agreed to Indias entry, some  among them China, New Zealand, Austria, Turkey and South Africa  have objected to allowing non-signatories of the Non-Proliferation Treaty from entering the group.

Pakistan has also opposed India's entry arguing that the two nations must be treated equally.

Earlier this week, China's official media said India's NSG membership would "jeopardise" China's national interests besides touching a "raw nerve" in Pakistan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG "remain divided" on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for "full discussions".



Peace in SCS

She also said India wanted a peaceful settlement of the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Although China claims most of the key waterways that is passage to trade worth a total of $5 trillion annually, Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam have opposing claims, leading to frequent military and diplomatic standoffs.

Terror and talks can't go together

Swaraj said India and Pakistan relations were complicated due to cross-border terrorism, even while she claimed there was a "sehejta" (simplicity) in the chemistry involving Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan.

"This warmth and simplicity in relations between two Prime Ministers were never there in the past," she said.

While pursuing with the commitment for friendship, the government won't compromise on issues of national security. India, she said, remained firm in its resolve that talks and terrorism cannot go together.

We are awaiting solid action from Pakistan's side on Pathankot attack. Pakistan has not rejected the proposal for NIA visit, has sought some more time, Swaraj said.

We have difficult issues to resolve with Pakistan. There is ease and warmth in the relations between the two countries at present, Swaraj.

The minister denied that South Asia was not getting adequate priority in the Modi government's foreign policy.

"In the last two years, India has emerged as a strong supporter and a friend in crisis to neighbouring countries," she said, referring to New Delhi's help to Nepal during the massive earthquake of 2015.

12 Indian sailors freed

Twelve Indian sailors, who were in jail in Italy since June 2014 on allegations of possessing drugs, have been freed, Swaraj said.

"I appreciate Indian Embassy in Rome for the release of 12 Indian sailors on board MV 'Aberdeen' who were in jail in Italy since June 2014," Swaraj said.

The Indian sailors had been arrested from aboard a ship seized by Italian police in June 2014, and were accused of possessing a huge quantity of drugs.

On the issue of threats to Hindus in Bangladesh, she said the Sheikh Hasina govermment had been taking adequate steps and had so far arrested as many as 3,000 suspects.

"More than that, I feel happy to say that even Islamic leaders in Bangladesh have condemned such threats to Hindus in that country," she said.

Indias relationship with its western neighbour has remained strained despite repeated tries, with the latest round of peace talks between the two nations being halted after a militant attack on an air base of the Indian Air Force in Pathankot in January.

India frequently accuses Pakistan of not doing enough to contain terrorist organisations on its soil.  Agencies
Bijay Sankar Bora

THE new Forest Minister, Promila Rani Brahmas pro-active approach to curb rhino poaching in the state, especially in the famed rhino abode of Kaziranga National Park, has led to the police and Special Task Force (STF) nabbing at least 10 poachers during the course of last week alone.

Two Karbi tribal women, being used as couriers to collect money from rhino horn buyers in Dimapurs (Nagaland) clandestine wildlife parts market, were also apprehended with Rs 24.2 lakh in cash.

Promilas fury had its first casualty in the form of park director M Ali, who allegedly covered up a poaching incident in the eastern range when the Minister herself was in the park on June 7. After the media exposed the poaching incident, the director was forced to admit that a rhino had indeed been killed and that led to his suspension with immediate effect.

The Minister has vowed to protect the rhino from poachers at any cost.

Organised wildlife smugglers are always on the prowl to kill the rhino and cut the horn to be sold in the international illegal market. Experts feel poaching can be minimised only when the protection plan is good, enforcement agencies are sensitive and Intelligence gathering on the poachers movement is efficient. But often it is seen that poaching is controlled only because of the determined efforts of a few individual officers.

The price of a rhino horn five-six years back in Dimapur, Siliguri or Manipur was Rs 4-6 lakh per kg. Of late, there has been talk that the going rate is Rs 40-50 lakh in Dimapur or Manipur, but this greatly exaggerated figure is seen as a ploy by wildlife smugglers to lure people, specially unemployed youth, to get engaged in rhino poaching.

From 1998 to 2006, rhino poaching was under control in Assam and the figure was below 10 per year. It suddenly shot up in 2007 in Kaziranga, only to recede the following year after proactive action by the frontline forest staff.

However, rhino poaching increased in the tiny Orang National Park to six in 2009, while the figure in Kaziranga touched 13. In 2010 and 2011, poaching in Kaziranga was shown as declining as per official figures: 7 killed in 2010 and six in 2011. The frontline staff, however, claimed that the number was more but unwritten directives from the then minister, also the Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam, ensured that poaching incidents were not recorded.

Since some rhino poaching cases were kept under cover, it led to a virtual breakdown of internal administration in the Kaziranga park.

In 2013, rhino poaching in Kaziranga touched 31 as the new DFO put on record all the poaching incidents. Due to intense public pressure, coupled with joining of the new DFO and subsequent engagement of the Special Task Force of Assam Police, rhino poaching did see a fall in 2014 and 2015.

That some forest staff members could be involved got corroborated with the recent arrest of at least four of them.

An unbiased investigation by agencies like the CBI, it is felt, may led to revelations of the involvement of senior police officials and Karbi tribal militants in the rhino poaching episodes.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 19

Trying to explain its policy vis-a-vis Pakistan, which most observers describe as confused, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today reiterated that talks and terror cant go together, even as she pointed out the rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpartNawaz Sharif.

She referred to Modis December visit to Lahore which, she said, took place without any prior arrangements.

Considering it was the Ministers press conference to celebrate two years of the Modi government, it was a rather jaded affair whereas the press meet last year was grand and impressive. This time, especially with reference to Pakistan, Swaraj had nothing new to say.

She explained that the government was pursuing a three-point formula to deal with Pakistan. First, we want to solve every issue through talks. Second, talks will be held only between India and Pakistan. Third, terror and talks will not go hand in hand, Swaraj said.

With regards to the Pathankot attacks, she merely reiterated that Pakistan had not refused to allow the NIA team to visit that country to probe the attack and had merely sought more time.

Swaraj said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had met the authorites twice on the matter and they said they are analysing the evidence. The Minister said it was owing to the Modi-Sharif camaraderie that the ties had moved forward. This warmth and simplicity in relations between two Prime Ministers were not there in the past, she said.

The Minister also spoke on the situation in Bangladesh where the minorities are under threat and said the Sheikh Hasina govermment had taken adequate steps and arrested 3,000 suspects.

I feel happy to say that even Islamic leaders in Bangladesh have condemned such threats to Hindus in that country, Sushma Swaraj said.

Foreign Secy makes quiet visit to Beijing, India says will not block (Pak) NSG entry

New Delhi: With less than a week to go for the June 24 Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet in Seoul, India is making last-minute efforts to ensure a berth in the elite club. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made a hush-hush visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to once again convince the Chinese leadership of Indias credentials for the NSG berth. To dispel Chinas apprehensions that once allowed membership, India would block Pakistans bid to join the group, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India would not oppose the entry of any other country. India wont protest the entry of any nation but would want the application be considered on merit, Swaraj said. China is not opposed to Indias entry, but insists on making sure the criteria is met. We will succeed in convincing China, she said. India, sources point out, has put a lot at stake with regards to the NSG membership and if it doesnt go through, it will be a diplomatic setback. PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in Tashkent on June 23-24. TNS
Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, June 19

A call by an unidentified person from France on Friday midnight to a farmer in Dorangla, 10 km from the international border, had hundreds of police personnel of three border districts on their toes for nearly 40 hours before the search for a black Scorpio was finally called off.

The caller told farmer Baljinder Sharma in chaste Punjabi, Thuada samaan black Scorpio car vich border te pahunch gya. Tusi please collect kar lo. Dhyan nal kareyo sara kam. (Your goods have arrived at the border in a black Scorpio car. Please collect them. Do everything carefully).

A rattled Baljinder narrated the details to his father, who alerted the SHO of the Dorangla police station.

This was enough to set in motion a chain of events which included Gurdaspur SSP Jagdeep Singh Hundal calling in reinforcements from the districts of Pathankot, Hoshiarpur and Batala and putting up scores of check posts on the Gurdaspur-Pathankot-Jammu national highway.

An hour later, scores of men in khaki and Intelligence personnel, including the Gurdaspur SSP, reached Baljinders house and started questioning him and his family members.

Hundal also informed his senior officers at Chandigarh and a decision was taken to alert the Army and the BSF. Officers said in view of the Pathankot Air Force station strike on January 2 and the July 27 (last year) Dinanagar police station attack, they were in no position to take any risk. Pathankot SSP Rakesh Kaushal and his Batala counterpart Daljinder Singh Dhillon were informed. Railway stations and bus stands of Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot were secured before it was finally decided to call off the search at 3 pm today.

The call was made from France. The details have been forwarded to Intelligence agencies. It is possible that the caller wanted to contact somebody else but rang up Baljinder by mistake. Check posts were set up all over the district and in adjoining ones too. As Doranglas nearest point from the fence was just a few hundred meters away, it was virtually sealed. Post-Pathankot and Dinanagar attacks, there is no question of taking any risk. Complacency can turn out to be fatal, said Hundal.
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, June 19

A day after targeting Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on his home turf Lambi over the recruitment scam, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh today launched the state-level Halqe vich Captain campaign from Deputy CM Sukhbir Badals constituency Jalalabad.

Amarinder will meet the electorate in all 117 Assembly segments during the six-month-long campaign.

Interacting with the media, he said: The biggest problem being faced by the people of Punjab is unemployment. Around 70 lakh youths of the state are jobless.

On the Enforcement Directorate notice to his son, Raninder Singh, for alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), he said his family respected the law-enforcing agency. Amarinder said Raninder was suffering from viral fever and would present himself before the ED soon.

The Captain reiterated his resolve to rid Punjab of drugs in four weeks after coming to power. He termed the governments efforts to check the menace a farce as there was neither infrastructure nor doctors in the de-addiction centres across the state.

The PPCC president alleged that Sukhbir was exploring the option of contesting from Maur Mandi (Bathinda) instead of Jalalabad as he had no connect with the people here.

He announced to suspend Lambi block Congress president Gurbaz Singh Vanwala for indiscipline during yesterdays protest dharna in Badals constituency.

Todays programme was conducted by the team of state Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor. PPCC vice-president and state party chief spokesperson Sunil Jakhar left the venue after a short while.

Pardeep Sharma alias Minta, president of the District Congress Disciplinary Committee, Fazilka, said: The party workers were left disappointed by the mismanagement at the event.
Vijay C Roy

Chandigarh, June 19

High-powered tractors have caught the fancy of Punjab farmers.

The state has emerged as the biggest market for such tractors. Nearly 30 per cent of the tractors sold in the state are high powered as compared to the national average of 7-8 per cent. The price of such tractors is Rs 6 lakh or above.

As per the data compiled by the Tractor Manufacturers Association (TMA) in 2015-16 as well as in 2014-15, Punjab tops the list followed by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in terms of high powered tractor sales.

In 2014-15, 6,593 units of such tractors were sold in Punjab, followed by Uttar Pradesh (4,804) and Haryana (4,179). Similarly, in 2015-16 the total units sold were 5,514 in Punjab, 4,548 in Uttar Pradesh and 3,459 in Haryana.

Total tractors sold in Punjab across all categories were 26,077 units in 2014-15 and 17,829 units in 2015-16.

According to experts, a combination of factors ranging from multiple usage possibility to rising affordability especially by progressive farmers has were behind the surge for high HP tractors.

Kumar Bimal, senior vice president (Marketing), Sonalika Tractors said, The demand is from progressive farmers who have large holdings. There are three factors which propelled the growth of high powered tractors in Punjab.

Firstly, it is attributed to intensive cropping as farmers have less time between two crops. Since high powered machines are more efficient as compared to low powered ones, land operations are done much before time.

Secondly, nowadays farmers are into precision farming which increases the yield.

Thirdly, ownership of tractors is also related to status symbol in the state. So, farmers prefer high powered tractors, he added.

He claims that the the company has a market share of 35 per cent in Punjab in this segment. Other manufacturers like New Holland, John Deere, Mahindra and Mahindra are also present in this category.

Punjab has around 4.90 lakh tractors as on March 2014, according to the data.

On being asked about this trend, Gursahib Singh, Senior Research Engineer-cum-head, Department of Farm Machinery and Power engineering, PAU, said, The trend started 5-6 years ago as the as the performance of such tractors was better than the smaller ones. A majority of these are deployed in custom hiring as these machines have better efficiency when equipment like rotavators, combine harvesters, laser leveller, happy seeder etc are used,  he explained.
PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 19

Family members of the 39 youth stranded in Iraq following violence unleashed by ISIS militants have been on the tenterhooks for the past two years.

Whatever hopes they had after an assurance by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have been dying with each passing day. There is no contact since their kidnapping. Their family members alleged that there was no news from the Central government on bringing their kin back home safely.

They have now decided to make efforts to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Chandigarh. They held a meeting at the Company Bagh here today.

They said, We do not believe whatever one of the escapees, Harjit Masih, has said about their killing. Now, we want that the government should give us some evidence that our children are still alive.

We do not trust Masih, who was instrumental in taking our wards to Iraq on the pretext of fake promise of providing them jobs in Dubai, they added.

However, the Union Government for the past two years has been making claims that as per its sources they (our wards) were still alive, said Gurpinder Kaur, whose brother Majinder Singh (25) of Bhoewali village, was trapped in Iraq.

All youths were working in a construction company in Mosul when ISIS militants attacked and took over the city. Officials of the construction company ,Tarikh Noor-ul-Huda, ran away leaving the youths behind, who were later caught by ISIS militants.

Out of the 39 persons kidnapped, five belong to Himachal Pradesh, two are from Bihar and the remaining are from Punjab.

Gurpinder alleged that she had been trying to contact Swaraj for the past six months, but her requests had not been heard so far. She said, Our efforts to meet the PM have also proved futile.

The government should clarify whether the stranded persons are alive or not. What efforts it has been making to bring them back safely, said Sarwan Singh, father of Nishan Singh of Sangoana village in Ajnala.
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

The authorities are going over the top to ensure that the International Yoga Day function in Chandigarh on June 21 is a success. For, 2,000 students of Mohali and Kharar are being held captive. They will spend three nights at the school, sleeping on the floor mats.They will be woken up at 3 am daily for rehearsal at the yoga venue.

More than 100 buses, including 50 each from the PRTCs Chandigarh depot and Punjab Roadways, will ferry these students and government employees to the venue, never mind if the commuters are put to inconvenience or if the public facility incurs a loss of Rs 25 lakh in three days. Circulars have also been issued by universities and colleges, asking the employees to hold a yoga function on the premises on June 21. The rehearsals will begin tomorrow. In Ludhiana, Guru Nanak Stadium is being readied for a successful yoga show.

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Schoolboys are being lodged at senior secondary schools in Mohali, Kurali and Kharar and the girls at Manav Mangal Senior Secondary School, Mohali. A mela-like atmosphere pervaded the government senior secondary school in Phase III, Mohali, this evening, with teachers marking attendance of students amid the din caused by screeching furniture being pushed into a corner to make space for mats. Outside, a cook and his helpers were seen preparing dinner.

Upset, parents complained that this was no way to treat children. We tried to reason it out with officials but they said orders had to be obeyed," said an anxious mother as she tried to find out the number of bathrooms available at the school for the students.

I was on a vacation when I was summoned by the school principal. The principal was summoned by the District Education Officer, and the latter by the DC, said an exasperated official.

Explaining the decision to keep back the students in schools, a senior functionary said, It will be easier to ferry them to the venue for rehearsals. Otherwise, they would have to reach on their own or be picked by buses from home.
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 19

At least 2,000 students from Punjab schools were reportedly woken up past midnight, 1 am to be precise, bundled into buses and ferried to the Capitol Complex, the venue of the Prime Ministers International Yoga Day function here on June 21, for rehearsals.

The students, who were lodged in makeshift dormitories last night, did not sleep a wink owing to power outage. Their ordeal came to an end today. Asked to re-assemble at 4 pm tomorrow, they were told to go home, a decision that displeased the caterers hired to serve meals to the students.

Told to make arrangements for food and snacks thrice a day till June 21, we were today told to pack up. We donated the cooked meal to a shrine, said a member of the catering staff.

Complaining of poor sleep and nourishment, an angry mother said she had written to the PM regarding the matter.  I have written a letter to the Prime Minister to apologise to the children, she said.

Sources said CM Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal and Education Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema had pulled up officials for the inhuman treatment of the schoolchildren. Cheema, who had assured of action yesterday, claimed that no instructions were issued to keep the children in schools for three nights. I have sought an explanation from the officials, he said.
First Bollywood break

When I was in London, I was far away from the whole music scenario but since I have been close to music from my childhood, in January 2012, I finally decided to produce music. Thats when, I made the cover version of the old song, Jugni Ji. That song became a huge hit on YouTube and it became one of my most successful songs. Later, in May 2013, I suddenly got a call from Ekta Kapoors office and they said that they wanted to record a song with me as they wanted to use the voice of Jugni Ji for one of the upcoming movies. I had no idea. I came down to Mumbai and recorded my first Bollywood song with Meet Brothers for Ekta Kapoor and that was, Baby Doll. After recording, I went back to London.

The rest is history

Baby Doll released in February 2014 and ten days after the release, Meet Brothers called me up and said that I must come to promote it. I came back and thats how my Bollywood journey started. Since then, there is no looking back. I got Happy New Year, then Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan... and did my first stage show, that too with Shah Rukh Khan. It has been a great journey and it is still going strong!

Do you think that you are restricted to only Rock and Pop genre?

No...no...not at all, I have been singing other genres as well. Last year I did Chhil Gaye Naina from the movie NH10, which had a classical background. Then recently, I have done the opening song Da Da Dasse for Udta Punjab. Also, I have sung Akhiyaan from Do Lafzon Ki Kahaani, which has a Sufi feel to it.

You are so beautiful, have you ever tried for acting?

Ya(laughs) I have got a lot of offers but not the kinds which I can decide on. I am open to acting provided it should be a good project.

Punjabi accent? Blame it on London!

I dont know how to speak Punjabi at all! My family comes from Peshawar and I grew up in Lucknow. So, didnt know how to speak in Punjabi but thanks to London, I have spent a major part of my life in London and the universal language of London is Punjabi. Thats the reason this Punjabi accent came in me!

Have you ever visited Punjab? What do you love the most about Punjab?

Yes, I have been to the Golden Temple. I have also done stage shows in Punjab. I love Chandigarh, it is beautiful! Also I am a big time foodie, I love sarson ka saag and makki di roti, its my most favourite thing. Also, tandoori chicken, I love it. I actually live to eat (laughs).

Your kids stay in London, how do you manage that?

Oh! I miss them terribly, In fact Im having a low day today because Im missing them since morning. But, I cant do anything about it. I have three kids; they are 13, 11 and 9-years-old. We have a long distance relationship. My kids understand me very much and they know that I am at job!

Whats next for you?

Well, there is this dance number Hug Me, which is just out and it is picturised on Sunny Leone for the movie Beiimaan Love. Then also I am doing a lot of stage shows across India. I am putting up a big sufi concert. So, a lot is happening on the work front.
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 19

Office-bearers of the BJPs district youth unit held a meeting here yesterday to discuss about BJP national president Amit Shahs rally at the Rishikul ground here on June 25.

Harjeet Singh, president of the district youth wing, chaired the meeting and allotted responsibilities and duties to the office-bearers to ensure smooth and successful management of the rally.

Harjeet claimed that 1.25 to 1.5 lakh party activists and residents, mainly youth, were expected to attend the mega rally.

The BJPs working at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in organisation under Amit Shah has been stupendous in the past two years. The BJP has made inroads into unfamiliar political arenas of Assam, Kerala and West Bengal in the recent Assembly elections. A major credit for the same goes to Amit Shah, whom we will thank by bringing in a record crowd for the rally, he said.

State party president Ajay Bhatt has asked the BJP state youth wing to bring in 25,000 youths for the rally. District general secretary Dr Jai Pal and state working committee member Rohit Sahu gave necessary directives to the office-bearers for the same.

Youth wing divisional president Ashwani Kumar said party activists were holding meetings in their respective wards, blocks and villages to generate awareness among the youths about the BJPs ideology and Amit Shahs Rishikul rally.
Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 19

The ban on pan masala and chewing tobacco has affected the Ittar (perfume) business in the state.

As per an estimate, the pan masala and chewing tobacco sector accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the business.

Ittar was used in pan masala but with a slump in the pan masala industry due to the government ban taking into account its health hazard properties, the Ittar industry has been affected in the process.

The Fragrance Development Corporation Kannuaj that has been working for the revival of the home grown Ittar industry has submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Minor Industries for exploring the potential of medicinal properties of Ittar.

The Fragrance Development Corporation Kannuaj said the usage of Ittar in medicines could spell a boon for the Ittar industry.

Dr AP Singh from the Fragrance Development Corporation Kannuaj argues that a branch of Ayurveda  Gandhashastra that deals with the science of odours clearly states that most of the fragrance ingredients are also said to possess medicinal properties. If medicinal properties are exploited, Ittar usage can be increased manifold, which can lead to the revival of the Ittar industry, Dr AP Singh said.

To make it worse, the synthetic fragrances have also taken over a major portion of the fragrance business and has also forced the tradition Ittar completely out of business. An expert in fragrance industry, Sitaram Dixit, said there was a need to realise the importance of natural perfumes and fragrance.

He said studies showed that some synthetic fragrance chemicals could cause health effects, primarily on skin, lungs and the brain. Symptoms like headache, sneezing, watery eyes, sinus problems, anxiety, nausea, dizziness, lethargy and drowsiness have been fallout of synthetic experienced by some users of synthetic fragrances.

There is need to create awareness about the importance of natural fragrances, which would attract more buyers towards a natural made fragrance like Ittar and lead to its promotion, Sitaram Dixit said.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 19

Chief Minister Harish Rawat has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate action on the residual state Budget.

Rawat wrote to the PM about the Appropriation Bill of Rs 40,422.20 crore that was passed on March 18 by the state legislative Assembly and sent to the President by the Governor. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Appropriation (Vote on Account) Act, 2016 was promulgated in continuation of the approval of President on May 28 following the imposition of Presidents rule in the state. The Budget of Rs 13,642.4385 crore has been passed under the said Act having a time frame of July 31.

The Chief Minister also urged the Centre to provide Uttarakhand the right to utilise the remaining Budget of Rs 26,779.7615 crore on time so that the development process may go on uninterrupted in the state. He said the Governor had been requested through a letter dated May 27 and a copy of the same had been sent to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He said neither the Governor nor the Ministry of Home Affairs had given any direction in this regard.

Rawat said that considering the situation, there were two options  either to take confirmation from the Court or present the Budget again in the state legislative Assembly for voting. Rawat said that both options might question the credibility of relations between the Union and the states described in the Constitution and the federal structure system of the country.

Harish Rawat requested the Prime Minister that he himself had been a supporter and nurturer of the rights of states and dignity of the federal structure and never wanted to raise those sorts of disputes. If these kinds of disputes arose somewhere, he would like to resolve them by necessary guidance. He requested the Prime Minister to intervene in the case so that the Budget and the Appropriation Bill passed by Uttarakhand Assembly on March 18 under Article 200/207 of the Constitution might get timely approval.

In his letter, Rawat also mentioned that there had been many such phases in the history of the Indian democracy when the directions of politics and governments were trapped in the whirlpool of allegations and recrimination. Fortunately, the democracy got more strengthened in these transition phases, he added.
Haridwar, June 19

Uttarakhand will soon have its own Baltic centre. It will be established by the Government of Latvia at Dev Sanskriti University in Haridwar. Baltic centre is a platform for contemporary artistes, where they can display their work.

The agreement in this regard was reached during a meeting of Dr Chinmay Pandya, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti University, with Uldis Lailpeter, Deputy State Secretary, Culture, Latvia Government, recently.

Dr Pandya, who returned from his Europe tour yesterday, said students and research scholars from Latvia would come to India and research on the Indian culture and other related aspects at the baltic centre.

Dev Sanskriti University already has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Latvia University on international relations and tourism. The Baltic centre will further strengthen this cooperation between the two countries, said Dr Pandya. He also met Inguna Sudaraba, chairperson of Latvian Parliamentary Committee, and Madra Apsalon, president of International Cooperation and European Union Policy Division, during his visit.

Former Ireland President Mary McAleese also called upon Dr Chinmay Pandya during his one-day visit to Ireland. Both discussed the Indian culture, spirituality, yoga, education and ways to strengthen mutual collaboration during the meeting.

McAleese was President of Ireland from 1997-2011, serving the longest term as a President. On International Yoga Day, Shantikunj-Dev Sanskriti University yoga trainers will hold yoga camps across Europe, including in Latvia, Ireland, Britain and France. Worldwide, more than 4,000 yoga teachers and practitioners associated with Gayatri Shantikunj will impart yoga training to 1.5 lakh foreign people on International Yoga Day, Dr Pandya added.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 19

Physically challenged people staged a dharna at Parade Ground here today in support of their demand for a commission for disabled in Uttarakhand.

The protesters, led by Uttarakhand Disabled Association president Anant Mehra, said the commission for disabled was needed urgently in the state to address their genuine concerns. The three per cent quota for disabled in the state government jobs was not being implemented.

They warned to stage a march to the Chief Ministers residence if their demand was not fulfilled.
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 19

Forest Department officials, employees, wildlife experts and police personnel were involved in a more than 10-hour operation to rescue a leopard that had intruded into a house and got trapped at Nirmala Chawani here this morning.

House owner Rajendra Jain first spotted the leopard around 9 am entering from the open main gate and then from the window of his bathroom. He raised the alarm to alert his family members. When Rajendra entered another room of his house, he saw the leopard sitting in the bed comfortably.

The shocked youth closed the door and alerted his family members and neighbours. Soon, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) HK Singh along with forest personnel and police arrived at Nirmala Chawani. The whole area was cordoned off to ensure smooth rescue of leopard.

The DFO said the rescue operation started at 9:30 am and was going on till 6 pm as the leopard was not coming out into the cage put up at the door of the room. If by dusk the leopard is not caught, we will extend the rescue operation till tomorrow morning. It will be quite risky to catch the animal at night. Also, wild animals normally dont move in the dark and prefer wee hours of the morning for movement, said the DFO.

According to wildlife experts, as Nirmala Chawani is situated in close proximity to the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, the wild animal would have intruded into the residential settlement in search of food or may have lost its way.

As the news about the leopard locked in a house spread, hundreds of people gathered at Nirmala Chawani till the evening. Forest and police officials urged them to keep distance and decongest the area as their presence was affecting the rescue operation.
London, June 19

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange starts his fifth year camped out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Sunday, an occasion his supporters intend to mark with events celebrating whistleblowers.

Supporters said they were planning to stage songs, speeches and readings in several European cities.

Assange, 44, is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuadors UK mission for four full years in a bid to avoid extradition.

The anti-secrecy campaigner, who denies the allegation, walked into the embassy of his own free will on June 18, 2012, with Britain on the brink of sending him to Stockholm, and has not left since.

His lawyers say he is angry that Swedish prosecutors are still maintaining the European arrest warrant against him.

The Australian former computer hacker fears that from Sweden he could be extradited to the United States over WikiLeaks release of 5,00,000 secret military files, where he could face a long prison sentence.  AFP
London/Melbourne, June 19

Hundreds of thousands of yoga lovers from London to Melbourne have rolled out mats to bend and twist their bodies in complex postures to mark the second International Day of Yoga with fervour.

The High Commission of India and the Indian Governments Tourist Office in London, in collaboration with 14 British yoga institutions marked International Day of Yoga today, two days ahead of its second anniversary.

The day-long event at Potters Fields Park, near the iconic Tower Bridge, saw over 10,000 people from all walks of life participating in various yoga and meditation sessions.

In South Africa, thousands gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Hundreds of Yoga enthusiasts of all religions and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburgs Zoo Lake park.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Indian High Commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg coordinated events with a host of community organisations.

The second International Day of Yoga was also celebrated across major Australian cities including Canberra and Melbourne with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hailing yoga as one of Indias gifts to the world.

Turnbull commended Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of supporting global peace and well-being and described the ancient practice of yoga as one of Indias gifts to the world and acknowledged its aim to develop resilience, thoughtfulness, respect and harmony, towards each other and the world.

Meanwhile, in China a large number of yoga enthusiasts yesterday participated in events held across the country in association with the Indian Embassy to mark the celebrations leading up to the second International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Chinas Wuxi city organised the biggest yoga get together today in which 3,500 people took part. The event was hosted at the iconic Wuxi Hollywood Studios and nearly 3,500 yoga lovers from Wuxi registered and participated.

In America, Indian classical dances and yoga asanas at the US Congress yesterday kicked off the week-long celebrations.  PTI
Kuala Lumpur, June 19

Malaysias ruling coalition coasted to victory as expected in two by-elections, defying a political movement led by former premier Mahathir Mohamad who has sought to turn voters against his scandal-tainted former protege Najib Razak.

The victories allow Prime Minister Najib, under pressure to resign over a graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), to further tighten his grip over the country and within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact.

Najibs party won the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seats on Saturday with increased margins compared with those in 2013 general elections, the election commission said. Both areas are mostly made up of farming and fishing communities along peninsula Malaysias west coast.

Tun Mahathir Mohamad turned the elections into a referendum on my leadership, Najib said in a statement.

They (the people) rejected Tun Mahathirs lies, they rejected his unworkable coalition of former enemies, and they rejected the incoherent opposition - partly because of their alignment with Tun Mahathir, he said.

While the outcome of the by-elections would not tilt the balance of power in parliament, observers noted that it may offer clues as to whether Mahathirs influence is waning.

Najibs alliance secured a landslide win in the Borneo state of Sarawak last month, and political experts feel he may call snap polls to consolidate his strong position.

James Chin, director at the University of Tasmanias Asia Institute, told Reuters there was a high probability that there will be snap polls if BN wins by big majorities. The next general election is scheduled for 2018. The coalition lost its two-third majority in the 2008 polls, and Najib lost the popular vote in 2013 despite BN retaining power.

Najibs critics have demanded his resignation after reports claiming billions of dollars had been misappropriated through his pet project 1MDB, and that up to $1 billion was deposited into his personal bank account. Najib has denied the reports.

Mahathir, who led the country for 22 years until retiring in 2003, quit the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party earlier this year in disgust over Najibs grip on the party despite the allegations surrounding 1MDB, which is now the subject of international probes in at least six countries.  Reuters
London, June 19

The Reserve Bank will survive any Governor and it is important not to personalise this office, the outgoing Raghuram Rajan said days before his surprise announcement that he was not interested in a second term.

What is important is to not personalise this office. It will survive any Governor, it is bigger than any Governor, the Economist magazine quoted Rajan as saying in its latest edition. He also said: The imposition of steel tariffs earlier this year, a knock-on effect from Chinas slowdown, all but stopped traffic for a time.

Economist said Rajan favours incremental reforms over wholesale ones. He has made it easier to move money in and out of India, but not abolished capital controls in the way you might have expected from a former IMF chief economist.

According to the magazine, Rajans three-year term is the shortest of any G20 country and the recent governors have been given second terms as much as seven months in advance.

In a separate article in its web edition after Rajan announced his decision against a second term, the Economist called it one of Indias favourite parlour games coming to an end, while adding that a clean-up of the banking system that he initiated upset Indias powerful  and indebted  industrialists.  PTI
Ahead of the upcoming election Insight looks at what politics looks like to Australias newest citizens.

Jenny Brockie hears from first-time voters, whove been granted citizenship between this election and the last, to hear what theyll do with their first vote.

For many Australians, the political cycle is old news. However, for one group of Australians, its a different story altogether. Australias newest citizens come into this election with fresh eyes on our politicians  and in some cases, a completely new set of ideas.

Our guests outline the issues which matter most to them as new Australians, and how their personal backgrounds influence their views on Australian democracy. When it comes to this campaign, what do new Australians see that Australian-born citizens dont?

Guests include:

Sami Shah

Sami came to Australia in 2012, from Pakistan. He believes immigrants are more sensitive to political upheaval than Australians are, and therefore more politically-engaged. Sami also feels there are very few differences between the two major parties.

Asha Nair

Asha is a mother of two who came to Australia in 2010. She feels Australian democracy allows her a voice she would not be afforded in her native India, and is glad Australian parties have the ability to oust a sitting leader.

Fadzi Whande

Fadzi arrived in regional NSW in 2006, before moving to Perth. She sees many flaws in the leadership of recent times, and believes we need a leader who will truly foster Australias multicultural development.

Hashmat Najib

After fleeing the war in Afghanistan, Hashmat arrived in Australia on a student visa. He was later granted refugee status, and given a protection visa. Hashmat sees this election as an opportunity to exercise his democratic right, for the first time in his life.

Jorge Fallas

Jorge came to Australia from Costa Rica on a scholarship, and eventually settled in Melbourne. He does not believe multiculturalism is a viable option for Australia, and instead feels that patriotism should be more greatly encouraged, to allow newcomers to assimilate faster.

Tuesdays at 8.30pm on SBS.
Seven has confirmed its Gold Coast news bulletin will be hosted by Rod Young.

7 Gold Coast News will air at 5.30pm daily beginning Monday July 4th from a new purpose-built studio in Surfers Paradise.

Amanda Abate will present the weekend bulletin.

Coastal, boating and fishing expert, Paul Burt, will be presenting weather in addition to his other commitments. Gold Coast resident Liz Cantor will also present weather reports.

Ben Roberts-Smith, General Manager Seven Brisbane / Regional Queensland said, Seven is proud to be investing in this new local Gold Coast News service. It reaffirms Sevens commitment to the local community and highlights our belief in providing all communities a voice through quality local News programming.

Neil Warren, 7 News Director for South East Queensland added, We are proud to be bringing the Gold Coast a quality local news service, it thoroughly deserves, 7 days a week. Focusing not just on the stories of the day, but the local issues that matter to people most. A local news service, for locals, produced and presented by locals who understand the community.

Photo: Twitter
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).
Is former Indiana governor and currently Purdue University President Mitch Daniels the president America sorely needs? George Will says absolutely.

The unabashed supporter of Daniels said the latter should have been the candidate of choice especially since he espouses the conservative line of individual hard work to achieve one's goals, Washington Post reported.

In particular, Will compared two commencement speeches made by sitting President Barack Obama to graduating students of Howard University to the one made by Daniels to graduates of Purdue.

According to Will, he was incensed by Obama telling the students that they were able to reach where they are now not only because of hard work but because of luck.

Obama's speech, Will pointed out, indicated the current president's mindset of favoring government intervention to enact changes in society instead of people doing it themselves. He said this way of thinking reflected Obama's famous 2012 campaign statement of "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

Will then compared the president's speech with the one made by Daniels. In his address, the Purdue University president told the graduates to "tune out" anyone who would say they cannot completely claim credit for their own achievements.

While Daniels did not completely discount the presence of luck in life, he said "common-sense behavior" such as making healthy choices and working hard can do much to "tilt the odds" in their favor.

Ending his analysis, Will said America sorely needs someone like Daniels as president, not a Democratic candidate (Hillary Clinton) who will just follow Obama's way of thinking and a Republican nominee (Donald Trump) who is nothing but a "world-class whiner".

Writer David Bangert revealed that Will in fact endorsed Daniels back in 2012. He said Will believed the Purdue University president-with his experience working as a chief budgeter and federal executive-can bring maturity and practicality to the White House, JConline reported.
The president of the University of Louisville - James Ramsey, quits the institution, and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin will designate a new board of trustees at the university - which has been troubled by controversies in recent years.

On Friday, governor Bevin made it known to the public that he will disband the 17-member board of the university and install the 10-member board that he appointed. Ramsey, who has been the president of the university for 14 years, submitted a letter of resignation stating he will offer his position to the newly appointed board.

Bevin lauded Ramsey's service at the University of Louisville by saying that it is so remarkably better on any measurable front compared the time Ramsey arrived in 2002. But, Bevin said there have been too many scandals in recent years. And Bevin claimed that Ramsey is currently traveling out of the country.

The governor of Kentucky met with the university president and both agreed the public institution needs a fresh start, ESPN reported.

During a news conference fronting the governor's office, Bevin stated that it should have been done a long time ago.

But, legal experts said it is unclear whether the Kentucky governor has the authority to eliminate an entire university board. State law gives Kentucky governor the freedom to decide to use executive orders to reorganize state agencies. But, no court has ever ruled whether universities are covered by a written law submitted by that legislative body, Courier-Journal reported.

However, last October, Ramsey was under fire for wearing a stereotypical Mexican costume at a Halloween party, as the nation's institutions were involved deeply in a debate about cultural sensitivity, ethnicity and race.

Ramsey stated at the time, that they did not intend to cause harm or to be insensitive, and Ramsey hoped that his acts doesn't take away the hard work they have done and continue to do in building, Washington Post reported.
Royal Irish Academy's Northern Ireland members have squeezed out their support for the campaign for U.K. to continue to exist within the European Union.

The Northern Ireland members quoting as evidence the damage they pointed out could be done in universities in the province were the UK to leave, Times Higher Education reported.

The signatories expressed their warm admiration for the Erasmus+ student exchange program, as the program did not only promoted the development of an international, outward looking culture and reduced the likelihood of unemployment for its participants, but, the program also has great financial benefits.

In the event of Brexit, the academics also pointed out the funding that would be lost to the institutions in Northern Ireland.

The 62 percent of UK scientific outputs now being classed as international. And the collaboration of UK and European researchers pool their resources, expertise, data and infrastructure to success rather than they could do alone.

The Northern Ireland members further value the European Union for strengthening a collaborative approach to research, and pay particular attention that research involving worldwide collaborators has been shown to have nearly 50 percent more measurable impact compared to the research done at a national level.

Over 90% of UK academics support the Remain campaign in the EU referendum - as Research and Development are crucial to the future of Northern Ireland.

Most of the recent major research challenges are done internationally and not nationally. Northern Ireland took a full part in heading and participating in European Union research programs. And the EU has put together over a third of the world's scientific output, Newsletter reported.

However, Andrew Blick, King's College London lecturer in politics and contemporary history, stated that the United Kingdom is in some ways inherently unstable for the reason of the mixture of different national groupings, and also the lack of equality of England relative to the others, NY Times reported.
After serving the Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) and the inclusive school districts for many years, Superintendent Rob Winter earns one of the biggest Academic honors ever offered to an academic official!

Subsequently, a number of Winter's close friends and family, colleagues and even students met up for an event in the recently branded Commons Area for Shoemaker Elementary last Friday.

The event was glimmered with a dozen of speeches and salutatory gestures addressed to Winter by his colleagues.

The theme and motif was deepened by audio-visual presentations made of Winter's own personal memoirs-from his marriage to family and office moments, much to the bewilderment of Winter himself.

Rob Winter had served the GIPS and the inclusive school districts for almost 5 years now.

And thanks to Winter, grand rates of academic milestones in GIPS have been successfully conquered.

All these took place altogether while Winters managed a mesh of responsibilities within his personal, family and academic life.

As of today, prior to the opening last Friday, the celebration of Winter's academic legacy continues.

Many academic officials assigned in these districts intended the honoring event to be as it is in order for the GIPS to project a standard to the majority of the academic officials throughout the country.

For a public schools center that employs about 1,500 staff members and manages approximately 9,000 students over a school year, having an empowered superintended whose got all things together is a must, the GIPS Org stated.

The whole event has so much to reckon with, namely the several citations over Winter's professional command, his persuasive role at the verge of the successful vote call for the $69.9 million bond issues and most especially is his latter initiatives that always improve upon his former whenever faced with unprecedented budget cuts, the Independent reported.

Presently, the legendary superintended continues with his daily business, pitching academic OKRs over a fun-filled desk-meeting with his constituents in Nebraska.
Black students show a higher number of class suspensions and a lesser amount of privileges than the white ones according to the result of the most recent study released by the US Education Department.

The title of the report released by the Education Department was the "Civil Rights Data Collection".

The study was conducted on 50 million students from 95,000 schools during the school year 2013-2014. The subjects consisted mixed population of white and black students.

Out of the 50 million students, 6.5 million committed the chronic absenteeism, failure to come to class for more than 15 days.

Pre-school black students' suspensions were 3.6 times higher than those of the white students. While a higher amount 3.8 class suspensions were given to black kids in Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Suspensions and absenteeism highly affect student's performances as it may result in them falling behind the lessons and eventually lead them to drop out from class.

In the implementation of school rules, the presence of a counsellor where there is law enforcement is very important.

Black students are more likely to be among the 1.6 million students enrolled in schools where there is law enforcement but the lack of counsellors.

In secondary school, black students tend to be arrested by an officer 2.3 times more often than their white counterpart.

The study also proved that black students do not only receive more suspension, they also receive a lesser amount of privileges.

In schools where 20 percent of the teachers are under qualified with reference to the state license, the majority of the 800,000 enrollees are black students, CNN reported.

But, students enrolled in schools with a higher population of white students received physics, chemistry, algebra II and calculus. This comes in comparison to schools with a higher population of black students.

Liz King, director of education policy said that the result of the study is disturbing. The education officials believe that the best way to predict students' success is their presence in school, Fredonia Leader reported.
The question marks over the future of Randy Orton were at an all time high a couple of months ago when a number of superstars were released and The Viper's name was rumored to be on the same list.

Despite this, he still remains under contract with the WWE and is now edging a return to the ring following an eight months absence following an injury he sustained.

'RKO outta nowhere'

Randy Orton has been out with a shoulder injury since October (image: sportsnotes.org)

With a number of superstars recently returning including John Cena, and Seth Rollins the presence or lack of Randy Orton was a question on the lips of the WWE Universe.

The Viper suffered a shoulder injury back in October which ruled him out of active competition since and laid him firmly on the sidelines.

Orton has been signed to the WWE since 2001 and is a respected veteran of the industry, he was engaged in a feud with The Wyatt Family during his time of injury which was diagnosed as a dislocated shoulder.

The 36-year-old is expected to return in the next couple of months and has been announced for WWE's upcoming Live shows, he is announced as the top billing star for the house show taking place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on August 28th which is just following SummerSlam - could this be signaling a return at The Biggest Part of the Summer?

The time off for the former Authority member will in the long-run be beneficial due to his history of shoulder issues, but after surgery, it is hoped it will have put an end to his troubles.

Orton versus Styles

Is this an encounter the WWE Universe will ever witness? (image: youtube.com)

With Orton not currently embroiled in any feuds at the moment the subject of his next opponent will always be a hot topic, and one that his followers on Twitter were keen to understand.

AJ Styles currently has his hands full battling John Cena at this Sunday's Money in the Bank pay per view but after facing the Face of WWE - where will he go next?

Well, it seems that The Viper is keen to grab a taste of The Phenomenal One as in May he replied to a question on his thoughts of the former TNA performer.

He said "I think he's a great addition to the roster. Stand up guy. Def looking forward to snatching him outta mid air."

The prospect of Orton squaring off against the high-flying Styles is exciting, all though at this moment all plans for the Viper are being kept secret.
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By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

Some local school districts like Conejo Valley block students from accessing social media on district Wi-Fi networks.

Others, like Las Virgenes, don't.

That doesn't sit well with Las Virgenes parent Camille Treacy.

Treacy, of Hidden Hills, said her 15-year-old son came home from Agoura High School one day recently and told her he'd seen an ISIS beheading on Instagram on a school computer.

"He said, 'Mom, did you know they used a saw?'" the nonpracticing attorney recalled. "So I'm concerned psychologically for my son. He's seen this brutal, violent act, which for the rest of his life is going to stay impressed in his memory. That's very troubling to me."

Treacy, who has another child in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, a 12-year-old daughter at Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills, wants the district to block social media on its Wi-Fi network.

The Los Angeles County district includes Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village.

Jim Klein, Las Virgenes' chief technology officer, questions Treacy's beheading account.

"I'm not necessarily convinced that it actually happened on our campuses, because none of our kids or teachers or staff reported it," he said. "When we heard about Ms. Treacy's claims, we jumped online and checked our logs and didn't find anything."

Klein said Las Virgenes believes "that social media can be a valuable tool for education, which is why we make it available for kids."

Like other nearby districts in Ventura County, Las Virgenes filters for online violence, pornography and other inappropriate content such as gambling and hate sites, Klein said. The filters also apply to social media, he said.

"We have some pretty sophisticated filters," he said. "So if kids try to search for any pornography or sex or any of those sorts of things on, say, Twitter, they'll get blocked."

Treacy also has a 17-year-old son who attends Westlake High School in the neighboring Conejo Valley Unified School District.

She said that district "seems to have a more robust Wi-Fi policy than Las Virgenes."

Conejo Valley blocks social media to "err on the side of caution ... for the safety of its students, one of the district's top priorities," district spokeswoman Kimberly Gold said.

"The district may open up students' access to social media channels on the districts' technology devices in the future, pending evaluations of the instructional benefits to making these social media channels available," she said.

Like Las Virgenes, the Simi Valley Unified School District also allows social media access, though it, too, has filters in place for inappropriate content, according to Information Technology Director Philip Scrivano.

Like Conejo Valley, the Moorpark Unified School District also blocks social media, while the Oak Park Unified School District blocks it for younger students, their information technology directors said.

The Las Virgenes district's digital literacy curriculum ensures that students learn to use social media safely and wisely, Klein wrote in an email to Treacy.

"We do teach kids good digital citizenship and online safety," he said in an interview. "And if a kid misbehaves online, then we treat it for what it is: a behavior issue."

Furthermore, the federal E-Rate program requires schools to teach safe use of social media as a condition of providing funds for Internet connectivity, Klein said.

But Gold said the E-Rate program is one the reasons the Conejo Valley district blocks social media.

"Under the Children's Internet Protection Act, no school or library may receive E-Rate discounts unless it certifies that it is enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes the use of filtering or blocking technology," she said.

Treacy concedes that students can access inappropriate content and social media on their cellphones.

But she said she shuts off data on her children's phones during school hours so that they can't.

"I do block my kids' phones," she said. "Social media is a distraction in the classroom, and yes, I would like there to be no social media during the school day. I'm just a concerned parent."
AP PHOTO Dr. Michael Cheatham, trauma surgeon at the Orlando Health Regional Medical Center, addresses reporters during a news conference after Sunday's mass shooting.

SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Dr. Michael Cheatham, a trauma surgeon, treated the shooting victims.

By Tom Kisken of the Ventura County Star

Dr. Michael Cheatham was asleep in his Orlando home, four minutes away from the Pulse nightclub. The phone rang. It was 2:24 a.m. Sunday.

The on-call doctor spoke quickly.

"He basically said, 'I have 20 gunshot victims. I need you,' " Cheatham said in a phone interview Friday. "I immediately hung up the phone and raced to the hospital."

The 53-year-old trauma surgeon who grew up in Ventura didn't know that 22 minutes before his phone call, a man started firing a rifle into the crowd at Pulse. He wouldn't have time to fully grasp what happened for three more days.

"All I knew is there was a need," he said.

The attack killed 49 people. It wounded more than 50 others.

Minutes after he was awakened, Cheatham drove onto Orange Avenue, home of the club where the massacre happened. He saw a line of blue police lights that went on forever. The area was locked down.

He followed an ambulance to the Orlando Regional Medical Center. He's worked there for 20 years, responding to mass accidents and tragedies. He has never seen anything like this.

Gurneys held dead bodies covered in plastic sheets. The trauma bay was filled with bleeding patients in need of care.

The on-call surgeon  the doctor who called him 16 minutes earlier  pointed Cheatham to an operating room. In it was a man with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back.

Working as fast as possible, Cheatham stopped the bleeding and closed the man's belly.

He raced downstairs to the emergency room. He saw another man shot in the back and abdomen. He rushed him into an operating room.

"It was immediately apparent he had no pulse," Cheatham said. "His heart had stopped while we transported him upstairs."

Cheatham tried CPR. There was no response.

"We pronounced him dead," he said. "When I turned around, they already had another patient in the OR."

The Second wave

More doctors rushed to the hospital.

As senior trauma surgeon, Cheatham left the operating room to run a hospital command center. He replenished a waning supply of surgical chest tubes. He made sure trauma surgeons had the staff they needed.

Three hours after the shooting started, SWAT teams killed the gunman, Omar Saddiqui Mateen. They secured the club.

"They were pulling victims out," said Cheatham, who called it the second wave. "We pretty much started all over again."

He shuttled between the operating room, the command center and the ICU. At some point in a shift that stretched more than 38 hours, his father sent him an email from Ventura.

He wanted to know if his son was OK.

Cheatham could tell immediately his parents knew more of what happened than he did. They had access to media coverage that was dissecting every moment of the shooting.

All he had access to were the results.

"You just focus on the patients," he said Friday. "I'm not sure I've really begun to comprehend all that has happened, even today."

Humanitarian roots

His father understands more than most people would. Dr. Melvin Cheatham is a neurosurgeon honored last year by the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery as a medical visionary. He's a still-practicing humanitarian doctor who recently returned from a mission to North Korea.

He's 83.

Melvin Cheatham and his wife, Sylvia, have traveled the world bringing medical aid to places including Croatia, Sudan, Rwanda and Bosnia. It's a trait passed on to his son, who is preparing for a medical mission in Africa with his family.

Michael Cheatham left Ventura at age 18 to study at Stanford University, later earning his medical degree at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Now he's chief surgical quality officer at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

On Friday, his father expressed pride. He explained he sent an email instead of calling because he knew what the trauma surgeons in Orlando were facing.

"What everyone has to do is focus on what's there before you and what needs to be done," Melvin Cheatham said.

Fueled by adrenaline

On Friday, Michael Cheatham juggled care for ICU patients injured in traffic accidents with people shot at Pulse.

At least a dozen patients from the shooting had been discharged. Six remained in intensive care. One person was in surgery at that very moment because of fractures sustained in the shooting.

Cheatham worked 14-hour days. He was not sure how much he had slept since Sunday.

"I'm still running on adrenaline, for the most part," he said.

The attack made him angry. Orlando  his home  was violated. In a meeting Friday morning, he told doctors that life will never be the same again.

At a reporter's urging, he tried to think of an image that will come to symbolize the tragedy and will stick to him forever. It was impossible.

"There are thousands," he said. "What we've seen in the last five days, we'll never forget."
SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO USCG Ventura County Fire Department Air Squad 9 hoist a diver from an 85-foot commercial dive vessel. Two divers were rescued after they came up unresponsive from a dive, officials said.

By Manuel Araujo, manuel.araujo@vcstar.com

Two divers who came to the surface unresponsive were rescued Saturday morning off Anacapa Island in a joint effort between the Ventura County Fire Department and Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard got a call about 10 a.m. from an 85-foot commercial diving vessel near Anacapa Island that a 40-year-old woman was unresponsive and foaming at the mouth and that a 40-year-old man was also unresponsive and had bloodshot eyes, officials said.

The Coast Guard sent a vessel to rescue the divers. An air squad with the Ventura County Fire Department lifted the divers from the rescue vessel, according to officials.

Both divers were taken to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, officials said. Their conditions were not immediately known.
SHARE CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Muhammed Zafar, interim imam of the Islamic Center of Oxnard, speaks during the Festival of Grace at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Oxnard on Friday night. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Singer Mikaeli King (from left), the Rev. Melissa Campbell-Langdell, the Rev. Clyde W. Oden Jr. and Mohammed A. Islam, president of Islamic Center of Ventura County, pray before the Festival of Grace, CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR The Festival of Grace was held at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Oxnard on Friday night. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR The Rev. Melissa Campbell-Langdell receives a hug from Rev. Dr. Clyde W. Oden Jr. after her speech at the Festival of Grace.

By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star

Forgiveness is the only way to combat the horror of mass shootings and other atrocities, said a group of clergy members from various faiths  Islam, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist  who came together at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Oxnard.

According to the Rev. Clyde W. Oden Jr., pastor of Bethel, love is the way to combat the hate-fueled crimes that have rocked the nation.

"The balm of love needs to be applied to the injury of hate. Love requires strength, not weakness," Oden said at Friday's gathering. "This celebration of grace is a call to action. I'm asking you to take the gift of grace to others, to become ambassadors of grace to private discussions, schools, jobs, churches and advocate grace."

Oden, who originated the Festival of Grace in commemoration of the slaying of nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church a year ago in Charleston, South Carolina, said he wants the event to become a movement across churches, races, sexual orientations, genders and ethnicities.

After the mass killing of 49 people in Orlando, Florida, last weekend, he said the message is even more important.

Leading off the service was Muhammed Zafar, interim imam of the Islamic Center of Oxnard. Zafar read a number of passages from the Quran that illustrate the principles of forgiveness in Islam. He said the actions of a few radicals are not representative of the religion.

An Oxnard police car was stationed outside the church. Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams, a member of the congregation of Bethel, explained that there were no direct threats that prompted the extra security.

"This is in keeping with the public's perception of safety by taking extra precautions. We want to make people feel at ease," Williams said, adding that she was attending the Festival of Grace as a private citizen "because we're talking about peace."

The Revs. Alene Campbell-Langdell and Melissa Campbell-Langdell of All Saints Episcopal Church in Oxnard spoke about the reaction of the LGBTQ community.

"The first step in forgiveness is acknowledging the grief," Melissa Campbell-Langdell said before addressing the South Carolina shootings. "In the midst of our grief when sanctuaries have been violated, we remember that those brave people who faced Dylann Roof (the alleged shooter) and said, 'I forgive you.' "

The Rev. Rick Pearson of North Oxnard United Methodist Church explained that rather than the race wars Roof allegedly was trying to ignite when he killed nine black people gathered for a prayer service, the disparate communities have come together.

"Dylann Roof meant for evil, but out of it God brought good," Pearson said.

After listing various mass shootings, Pearson told the story of the slaying of five Amish girls in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, in 2006. In response to the shooting, the Amish not only embraced the family of the killer, who subsequently shot himself, but they attended his funeral.

"There is a repertoire of actions that we all undertake. Forgiveness is part of the repertoire of the Amish people." Pearson said. "They did not have to wonder what to do. They did what they always did in the face of tragedy."

David Deutsch, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Ventura County, recounted his battle with drugs, which ended with an arrest and imprisonment for selling cocaine and marijuana. Deutsch said his biggest hurdle was forgiving himself.

Bishop B.A. Huggins of St. Paul Baptist Church in Oxnard said he has faced the racism in his life that led him to be badly beaten as a teen,  when a gang of white people left him in a ditch after Huggins walked through a white neighborhood near his newly integrated school  by turning to God.

"I was going to start a race riot, and my mother said, 'This will not happen,' and she read the Scripture to me," Huggins said. "So we gathered the white and black communities, and we marched on the school administration building demanding measures to make sure we could all be safe."

He said when his son, Broderick Huggins Jr., was shot 13 times by police in Oakland in 2013, he had to fight to get answers.

"I should be a bitter black man, an angry black man, but I believe in the doctrine of forgiveness," Huggins said. "It's your duty to forgive. When you forgive sincerely, you forget your right to get even."

Oden continued the service by calling on the 120 people there to spread the message of love.

"Everyone is a human," he said. "Everyone is a child of God."

Learn more: Call 486-6477 for information about Bethel AME and the Festival of Grace.
DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Cory L'Ecuyer and his wife, Nate Pumphrey, hold their 6-month-old daughter, Kai L'Ecuyer, as they pose on stage for a fashion show featuring clothing designs by Lowell Pumphrey on Saturday during the Juneteenth celebration at downtown Oxnard's Plaza Park.

SHARE DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR During Saturday's Juneteenth celebration in Oxnard, Amanda Dyson (right) from the Buffalo Soldiers Mounted Cavalry Unit explains to Tobbie Gibson how wives of the buffalo soldiers would live and work. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Julio Mendoza (center) moves to songs from God's Annointed on Saturday during the Juneteenth celebration in downtown Oxnard.

By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star

The scattered applause wasn't enough for Sade Champagne, emcee at the Juneteenth Festival on Saturday in downtown Oxnard.

So she decided to repeat her introduction of the Gospel group God's Anointed.

"Let's do that again. Just a few voices aren't very loud, but if we all shout together, we can make some noise," she said. "We won't allow negativity and evil to stop us from having fun. This here is what American's about. People of all cultures coming together."

The 26th annual Juneteenth celebration in Oxnard's Plaza Park celebrated an important event in black American history, according to Don Montgomery of the Black American Political Association of California, Ventura County chapter.

Montgomery acknowledged that the celebration has closely followed mass shootings in the past two years. The community was reeling last year after nine people were killed during a prayer service in Charleston, South Carolina. And this year, it's only been a week since the killings in Orlando, Florida.

"If you think about it, this is the 151st anniversary of Juneteenth, and there has been a lot of strife since then," Montgomery said. "But we will keep going and stand in solidarity"

One disappointment of this year's celebration was the absence of the Mess-O-Greens cooking contest, in which cooks prepare a healthy dish featuring such iconic greens as collard, turnip and mustard.

Montgomery said the event was planned, but had to be scuttled when a scheduling conflict arose and it was too late to organize the event. But he promised it will return next year.

Juneteenth celebrates the June 19, 1865, end of slavery in Texas after Gen. Gordon Granger led 2,000 federal troops to Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation that had gone into effect in January 1863. The proclamation had been ignored by Texas slave owners until the Union troops enforced it.

"This is a celebration of a historical event. High schools and colleges don't have ethnic studies, but this is American history, and it shouldn't be excluded or lost," Montgomery said.

Tiffany Hinostro, of San Diego, was in town for a retirement party.

"We came upon this, and it's great," Hinostro said as son Nathan Lee, 3, played with a saddle belonging to one of the members of the Buffalo Soldier Mounted Cavalry Unit, which regularly pitches tents during the Juneteenth celebration as part of a living-history exhibit.

According to Jonathan Collins, of Roland Heights, the name buffalo soldier was a nickname from Native Americans.

"He had hair like a woolly buffalo and fought like a cornered buffalo and survived," Collins said of the exploits of Pvt. John Randall of Troop G of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, although there is some disagreement about the source of the name, according to other sources.

A group of women were waiting by the Plaza Park pagoda to participate in a fashion show featuring the designs of Lowell S. Pumphrey. The women, who were all from Journey Church in Camarillo, were pleasantly surprised to hear Gospel music open the celebration.

"It's wonderful to hear praise music in downtown Oxnard," said Vesta Rodriguez, who lives blocks away.

Most of the booths offered information about such things as public health and various associations. The Pinkard Youth Institute, which is overseen by Irene Pinkard, of Oxnard, had a booth where young interns handed out fliers.

Intern Olivia Mason, 17, said she feels the Juneteenth celebration should continue.

"It's important to see how far we've come and it's also important that people look ahead," Mason said.

Pinkard said the institute offers young people a chance to work in various professional settings, including the Boys & Girls Club, Ventura County Supervisor John Zaragoza's office and the Ventura County accounting department, where they gain valuable experience.

The Juneteenth celebration remains important to the black community in Ventura County, she said.

"We can never forget from whence we came or we will fall back into the same traditions. We celebrate the people who fought hard to get us equal status in our society," Pinkard said. "Young people need to remember that."

On the Net: Visit http://www.bapacvc.org for information about the Black American Political Association of California's Ventura County chapter.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Helicopter drop on the Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County Friday.

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Staff Reports

The Sherpa wildfire west of Santa Barbara was 51 percent contained Sunday evening, officials said.

The fire, which started Wednesday, has burned 7,893 acres, injured two firefighters, destroyed one structure and threatened 270 others, the California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 said.

Its cause is under investigation.

Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for Refugio Canyon, Venadito Canyon, Las Flores Canyon, El Capitan Canyon, El Capitan State Beach, El Capitan Ranch, Canada de la Destiladera and the area east of the Refugio burn area up to Calle Lippizana, near the equestrian center.

Evacuation warnings are in place for the areas east of El Capitan Canyon to Farren Road, Las Llagas Canyon, Gato Canyon, Las Varas Canyon, Dos Pueblos Canyon and Eagle Canyon.

More than 2,000 firefighters were battling the blaze.

A red-flag warning is in effect through 10 a.m. Tuesday. Such a warning alerts land management agencies about the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and fuel moisture conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity.

Anticipated downhill, so-called "sundowner" winds were less than anticipated overnight, officials said. That resulted in little fire activity and the boundaries of the fire remaining close to what they were Saturday.

Firefighters are continuing to work on building and reinforcing containment lines along the north and east sides of the fire and along the Camino Cielo Ridge. Ground crews are being supported by air helicopters and air tankers.

Highway 101 is open, but may be closed if unsafe conditions arise, officials said.

Communities surrounding the fire can expect to see smoke throughout Sunday, increasing in the evening. Outdoor activities should be planned for times when smoke levels are low, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has implemented a temporary flight restriction for the airspace around the burn zone. The restriction applies to all manned and unmanned aircraft systems. Drones can pose a safety hazard and delay firefighting aviation operations in the area, officials said.

For fire updates, call 805-685-5091

For help in evacuating pets or livestock, call 805-681-4332.
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Staff Reports

Two alleged Los Angeles gang members were arrested in connection with a Simi Valley burglary reported last week, officials said.

The victim called police about 7 p.m. Thursday to report that two men were breaking into his home, Simi Valley police said. Once he made himself known to the men, they ran, got into a silver Kia and drove away, authorities said.

A responding officer saw the Kia with two occupants on Cochran Street and attempted to stop it, but the vehicle kept going, officials said. Officers with the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department chased the vehicle from the San Fernando Valley to a neighborhood in Culver City, authorities said.

The passenger and driver ran from the vehicle after it became disabled, authorities said. The driver was taken into custody a short time later, but the passenger was only arrested after Los Angeles police officers used tear gas to get him out of a shed he was hiding in, police said.

Dominique Malone, 21, and Evan Love, 19, were arrested on suspicion of residential burglary and committing a crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang, officials said. Malone, the driver, also was arrested in connection with evading police and outstanding warrants, authorities said.

Police are investigating whether both suspects were involved in another burglary on nearby Cochran Street. Officials said the pair were suspected "knock-knock" burglars who knock on a front door to see if anyone is home before committing the crime.
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Months before the 1940 Republican convention nominated Wendell Willkie, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Theodore Roosevelt's waspish daughter, said that Willkie's support sprang "from the grass roots of a thousand country clubs." There actually was a Republican establishment in 1940, when GOP elites created a nominee ex nihilo.

According to Charles Peters' book "Five Days in Philadelphia," three months before the convention, Willkie registered zero percent in polls measuring public sentiment about potential Republican nominees. This was not surprising: He was a businessman  president of Commonwealth & Southern Corp., the nation's largest electric utility holding company  who had given substantial support to Franklin Roosevelt in 1932. Willkie had never sought public office and had not registered as a Republican until late 1939 or early 1940.

And he was not an isolationist regarding European events. Eighty percent of Americans were more or less isolationist, as were the three strongest Republican candidates  Ohio Sen. Robert Taft, Michigan Sen. Arthur Vandenberg and New York prosecutor Thomas Dewey, just 38 but favored by 60 percent in early 1940 polls. Herbert Hoover hoped a deadlocked convention would turn to him.

The Republicans' "Eastern establishment," however, was interventionist to the extent of favoring aid to Britain. The adjective "Eastern" was superfluous: Two-thirds of Americans lived east of the Mississippi and the South was solidly Democratic.

The Republican establishment had power and the will to exercise it. As the convention drew near, "Willkie Clubs" suddenly sprouted like dandelions, but not spontaneously.

One of the few politicians among Willkie's early backers was Sam Pryor, Republican national committeeman, whom the candidate met at the Greenwich Country Club, naturally. Willkie's top adviser was Russell Davenport, managing editor of Henry Luce's Fortune magazine, which together with Time and Life made Luce, an ardent interventionist, a mass media power unlike anyone before or since.

On April 9, Dewey won a second of the few primaries  and Hitler invaded Norway and Denmark, with Belgium, Holland and France soon to follow. Willkie said he would vote for FDR over a Republican opposed to aiding Britain and France.

Willkie, "the barefoot boy from Wall Street," cultivated an Indiana aura, but had become a Manhattan fixture, and by 1937 his criticism of the New Deal had Fortune applauding his "presidential stature." Between May 8 and June 21, Willkie's support rose from 3 percent to 29 percent.

Willkie also was lucky: In May, the Taft man in charge of tickets had a stroke and was replaced by a Willkie man who would pack the gallery with raucous Willkie supporters, including a Yale law student named Gerald Ford. Tens of thousands of pro-Willkie telegrams inundated delegates in one day. Delegates heard from their hometown bankers, who had heard pro-Willkie instructions from New York bankers. He won on the sixth ballot.

Willkie's nomination neutralized much Republican opposition to FDR's war preparations and was crucial to the narrow congressional approval of conscription. Willkie lost the election, but the coming war would be won. Time was, party establishments had their uses.

George Will's email address is georgewillwashpost.com.
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Give light and the people will find their own way.  Longtime motto of the former Scripps Howard Newspapers, of which the Ventura County Star was part of.

The essence of that slogan  that voters will act in their own interest if they know enough about an issue or a politician  is at the heart of two measures that might just be California laws less than one year from now.

One is the so-called "NASCAR Initiative," which would require all state legislators to wear the emblems or logos of their top 10 campaign donors every time they attend an official function.

Imagine if that had applied to the ongoing series of primary election debates in both parties this spring: The stage at early contests with as many as a dozen candidates splayed across a series of stages would have looked a lot like the infield at the Indianapolis Speedway or the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, where dozens of race car drivers in fire-resistant jumpsuits are festooned with logos of car companies, breweries, battery makers and many more.

What logos would some candidates have chosen to represent the industrialist Koch brothers or other large funders of their Super PACs? Would Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders have been the only candidate with a plain business suit? Would donor logos have made attractive accessories for the pantsuits usually worn by candidate Hillary Clinton? They certainly could have made voters better informed, as the words emerging from her mouth and others' could much more easily have been evaluated in the light of their sponsors.

No one knows just now, because no polling has been done on it, whether this somewhat whimsical idea pushed by Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox will make the ballot and then pass at the polls. Or, if voters do pass it, whether it would pass constitutional muster. How people dress can be interpreted as a form of speech, which might make this measure a First Amendment violation no matter how popular the idea might become (by late April, it had more than one-fourth the signatures needed to reach the fall ballot).

So it's good to have backup. And the newest version of the California "Disclose Act" would provide some of that.

This measure, first proposed at the end of the last decade by then-Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, of Ventura County, now a Democratic congresswoman, is less splashy than the NASCAR proposal, but might be more effective because it contains no discernible constitutional issues.

Known this year as AB 700, the Disclose Act would force all political advertising to clearly and prominently list the top three "true" funders of any ad in large, clear type, one name per line, on a solid black background. This would be the first law in America to finger so-called "dark money" which is donated to some political action committees and nonprofits in ways specifically aiming to keep them anonymous.

This measure passed the state Assembly on a 60-15 vote, with all Democrats voting in favor along with nine Republicans. GOP members voting against openness in political financing included the Assembly minority leader, Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley.

Said Democratic Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles, "Voters deserve transparency in our electoral process. (The Assembly) vote moves us forward in the fight to undo unlimited money in our elections."

In fact, passage of the Disclose Act could provide the first true test in many years of whether the old Scripps Howard motto remains valid.

If voter preferences were to change as disclosures are made in TV commercials and newspaper ads, that would be a reliable sign of public reaction to new information.

If both measures should pass, California could end up with the greatest amount of openness in American history. That would be an even better test of whether Scripps Howard, which for generations used a lighthouse as its logo, was correct.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.
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The following editorial first appeared in The Sacramento Bee:

In the days since Omar Mateen burst into an Orlando, Fla., club and shot more than 100 people, most of them gay men, pledges to help the gay community have poured in from around the world.

And then there's the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is being anything but helpful.

In the hours after the shooting, as thousands of people were rushing to Central Florida blood banks to help the victims, the FDA doubled down on a little-known policy that prohibits some gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

It used to be that all gay and bisexual men were banned. Now it's only those who have had sex with another man within the last year. It doesn't matter if that sexual activity was within a marriage or a monogamous relationship. They can't donate blood.

In Orlando, that means the men most affected by the shooting, the worst in modern U.S. history, have been unable to help their husbands, boyfriends and friends, while straight donors who may have had 10 sexual partners in the past year and have no idea if they've been exposed to HIV have been free to donate blood.

The reasons why are flimsy at best and discriminatory at worst. The FDA says it's to prevent the transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Sexually active gay and bisexual men are most likely to have HIV, the agency argues, and so must be eliminated from the pool of blood donors.

But that's a circular argument that is full of wrong-headed assumptions and outdated thinking.

To have such a policy at all assumes that every male donor is honest about his sexual history when he donates blood. In reality, it's more like trust but verify at blood banks. All donated blood is tested for infectious disease markers, including HIV.

The FDA also, inexplicably, is leaning on an old way of thinking about HIV. One from the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when most people thought AIDS was a "gay disease." We now know that's not true. HIV can be transmitted between heterosexual partners as well as IV drug users.

Any American who donates blood already gets asked: "In the past 12 months, have you had sexual contact with anyone who has HIV/AIDS or has had a positive test for the HIV/AIDS virus?"

There's no need to also ask men: "Have you had had sexual contact with another male in the past 12 months?" And ask women: "Have you had had sexual contact with a male who had sexual contact with another male in the past 12 months?" That's beside the point.

It's time for the FDA to stop unfairly singling out an entire demographic for no good reason. If we take anything from the tragedy in Orlando, it should be that.


As the 2016 World Series of Beer Pong approaches, Beer Park at Paris Las Vegas will host its own qualifying tournament starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday, June 23 (Photo credit: Gabe Ginsberg).

The tournament will feature 32 teams consisting of two people per team. Each team will receive a complimentary pitcher of beer and the winning team will receive complimentary registration into the 2016 World Series of Beer Pong, a value of more than $500. Taking place Wednesday, July 6 through Sunday, July 10 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, teams will compete at the 2016 World Series of Beer Pong for a chance to receive the grand prize of $50,000.

The event is complimentary to enter, but space is limited. Interested teams can sign up by contacting reservations@beerpark.com.


The D Casino Hotel Las Vegas is living up to the hype of being the new celebrity hot spot in Vegas (Pictured: Actor Randy Couture and girlfriend Actress Mindy Robinson at Andiamo Italian Steakhouse  Photo credit: the D Casino Hotel).

Photo credit: the D Casino Hotel.

Actor/MMA legend Randy The Natural Couture along with Actress Mindy Robinson celebrated the release of their new movie, Range 15, with a delicious meal at Andiamo Italian Steakhouse located inside the D Casino Hotel. The duo feasted on oysters, shrimp, lobster bisque and soft shell crab before enjoying one of Andiamos signature desserts.

Photo credit: the D Casino Hotel.

After dinner, they were spotted at the World Famous LONGBAR with Owner Derek Stevens and wife Nicole Parthum. They also met American Coney Island owner Chris Sotiropoulos.

No trip to the D is complete without the flair! Randy and Mindy enjoyed a drink and snapped photos with the D Flair Bartenders after watching them in action. Randy and Mindy were caught tag teaming and roughing up their friend, the D Executive Richard Wilk.

From movie stars to MMA legends, the natural thing to do is head downtown to the D Casino Hotel to spot your favorite celebrities in Vegas.


Master illusionist Michael Turco from NBCs Americas Got Talent and Magic and Mayhem will be donating his talent to Hurricane Sandys Relief Fund by performing as a guest act on Saturday and Sunday (November 17 & 18) at the Laugh Factory in the MURRAY Celebrity Magician show at the Tropicana Las Vegas.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhM0gCnQVVA

As a New Jersey native, Turco will be donating his portion of the evenings profit directly to his hometown of Brigantine, NJ, where he spent his summers as a lifeguard.

I am thrilled to be apart of Murrays show and to be able to do something for those that have lost so much. Says Turco. I have performed for many years in Atlantic City and am happy to contribute to the rebuild of that terrific city.

Visit Michael Turcos official web site here : www.turcomagic.com
Mass attacks like the one in Orlando this week can affect people emotionally all across the country, causing depression and anxiety. But a mental health expert says people must keep such incidents in perspective.

"It's very important to know this is not an epidemic. It's an isolated incident, and as an individual and a nation, we should not panic," says Frank Farley, former president of the American Psychological Association and now professor of educational psychology at Temple University.

In the worst mass killing in the United States in modern times, a gunman killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday before he died in a gun battle with police.

With such attacks, Farley says, there usually are three stages of fear that occur: primary terror that happens to people who were in the attack, secondary terror when the media starts reporting it, and tertiary terror when the media endlessly talks about it, which can prolong the fear and anxiety.

Americans react

Californian Lynn Wade was visiting Washington at the time of the Orlando bloodbath. "It's heart-wrenching to think that someone, no matter what their beliefs are, could make the decision to go in and cause that much devastation on so many people's lives," she said. "Not just the ones that were killed and injured but the families that are left behind."

The frequency of such attacks can wear down some people. Kayla Soltis, of Spotsylvania, Virginia, said: "It's very upsetting but it's something that has become very common in our American culture; it's not that I have become numb to it but it happens so often that's it's like another one, another one, but it doesn't make it less upsetting. My heart breaks for the victims and their families and I just wish we can get something done about it."

Soltis said she tries not to let news about violent attacks make her afraid. "No matter how scary it is that it can happen anywhere - at a movie theater, a school, a club where people are supposed to feel the safest - you just can't let fear win because that's going to stop you from living your everyday life. If we go on with our lives then violence won't win and the people who commit these acts won't win."

Still, mass shootings can have a profound effect on the general population and on communities targeted in an attack - the LGBT community, in this case - according to Laura D. Miller, a clinical social worker andpsychotherapist in New York. The club where the killings took place catered to the gay and lesbian community.

The club in Florida was a place where LGBT men and women could gather with "a positive sense of community and safety," Miller told VOA. The aftermath of the attack left many people feeling unsafe. "They are distrustful of other people in public, they feel hyper-vigilant [and have] a lot of the common effects of trauma."

Even those who were not present in Orlando, the psychotherapist said, "wonder whom they can trust and if they can ever be safe. ... They can become paranoid and isolated."

The National Alliance on Mental Illness says LGBT individuals are almost three times more likely than others to suffer from depression or anxiety disorders. In addition, federal crime statistics show that members of the LGBT community are more likely to be victims of hate crimes than are people in other groups, such as Muslims or African-Americans.

Through her work with patients "and just in general being in New York City," Miller said, she has seen increased fear in the LGBT community.

Managing the Effects

Recent mass-casualty incidents in the United States - in addition to Orlando, deadly shootings in San Bernardino, California; Charleston, South Carolina, and Newtown, Connecticut - have affected the mental health of the general population, said psychology professor Farley. The media focus on such attacks, as well the notorious attacks over the past 18 months in Paris and Brussels, contributes to fear.

It is important to shield very young children from news about such violence and bloodshed, Farley added. "It's only going to scare them, and we don't want to raise a nation of frightened and anxious children."

Experts' general recommendation is to keep children under 12 from seeing violent news reports. If that's not possible, the key thing will be to discuss what happened and assure children that they, their families and neighborhoods are not at risk. "It's an honest statement," Farley said, "because it's very important for parents to understand the statistical probability of another Pulse nightclub incident happening to your family is almost zero. And parents can raise their children in a healthy way on that probability."

For adults, he says the best way to avoid becoming overwhelmed by bad news is to avoid changing your behavior and to take care of your health. "Don't keep it inside," he says. "Get your views and feelings out there and ask your friends for their views and feelings in return. Sharing can take the sting out of your own viewpoints and fears."
The European Union on Saturday published details of its decision extending sanctions against Russia for its 2014 takeover of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, saying it continues to oppose the "illegal annexation ... and does not recognize it."

The extended penalties include asset freezes and visa bans against nearly 150 Russians and 37 entities that the EU's statement described as "responsible for action against Ukraine's territorial integrity."

An official EU journal said the penalties include bans on a range of imports and products produced in Crimea and the Black Sea port of Sevastopol. They will remain in effect until June 23, 2017.

The measures block European investment in those territories, ban any European purchases of real estate and prohibit European financing of Crimean companies.

Banned European exports target Crimea's transport, telecommunications and energy sectors.

Speaking Friday at a forum in Russia's St. Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin criticized the sanctions for damaging Russian-European relations. Moscow is willing to improve business ties with Europe, Putin said, but the EU must meet his government halfway.

A first wave of Western sanctions against Russia was imposed in July 2014, after analysts linked the downing of a Malaysian jetliner over Ukrainian territory to Russian-made missiles. All 298 people on board perished.

Both Brussels and Washington have since targeted Russia's banking sector and blocked Russian energy companies from access to services, goods and technology used in deep-water shale oil extraction.

Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014 came just weeks after pro-Western demonstrators in Kyiv forced Russian-leaning President Viktor Yanukovych to step down. One month after the annexation, pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine launched a rebellion against the central government in Kyiv.

The United Nations says more than 9,000 civilians, soldiers and separatists have been killed since then.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered on the Japanese island of Okinawa demanding the U.S. military shut down its bases there following a rash of high-profile incidents involving service members that have made headlines in recent months.

Protesters at Sunday's rally want a plan to move a U.S. base from one part of the island to another scrapped altogether.

Dissatisfaction with the U.S. military bases on the island has been brewing for years.

The U.S. Navy said earlier this month it has banned its personnel in Japan from drinking and restricted off-base activities after a sailor in Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Petty Officer Aimee Mejia was arrested after she allegedly drove on the wrong side of a freeway and crashed her car into two vehicles, slightly injuring two people.

Following the drunk driving episode, U.S. sailors throughout the entire country were banned from drinking alcohol indefinitely.

The U.S. Navy had already instituted a midnight curfew for sailors and banned off-base drinking after a former U.S. Marine who worked on an American military base in Japan was arrested last month for alleged involvement in the disappearance of a Japanese woman police believe was raped and murdered.

The original plan to move the U.S. base dates back to 1996 when the two countries agreed to close the Futenma air base located in a residential urban area after the rape of a 12-year-old Japanese girl by three U.S. military personnel. That led to mass demonstrations, and the move has been on hold since as residents near the new less-populated location protest against potential noise, pollution and crime.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's popularity has dipped in the region in part because he is in favor of the relocation rather than removing all U.S. military personnel from Okinawa, as called for by the island's governor.

Okinawa was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting between the U.S. and Japan during World War Two and was followed by a 27-year American occupation of the island.
Malaysia's ruling party, Barisan Nasional or BN, has won two parliamentary by-elections.

The wins strengthen Prime Minister Najib Razak's grip on the nation, despite ongoing graft allegations.

The Election Commission said the seats were won by wider majorities than the 2013 federal election.

Political analysts say Najib could likely call for snap polls because of the decisive win.

Najib said in a statement that former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had "turned the elections into a referendum on my leadership."

BN won the seats in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar, communities along Malaysia's west coast.

The vote for the seats came up after the incumbents were killed in a helicopter crash last month.

Najib has been facing scrutiny over the source of nearly $700 million that ended up in a personal, secure bank account through companies linked to the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, which was initiated by Najib six years ago.

Najib has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and the Malaysian attorney general has said the funds were a personal donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family.

But the scandal has led to probes in 10 countries - including Malaysia, Britain, the United States and Switzerland - over allegations of political donations, inaccurate disclosures, possible money laundering and embezzlement.
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after almost two weeks in Britain where he was treated for an ear infection.



"I am okay. You can see me inspecting the guards of honor," the president told the throng of reporters waiting at the airport. "I'm strong. If you want to wrestle with me, let's wrestle," Buhari said in the local Hausa language.



The 73-year-old flew to London on June 6 to see an ear, nose and throat specialist after two doctors in Nigeria recommended further evaluation "as a precaution," his staff said.



Buhari initially was scheduled to return to Nigeria on Thursday.



His delayed return prompted concerns about his health problems, which come at a sensitive time for the country as it grapples with the security threat from Boko Haram Islamists and economic difficulties.
Father's Day this year in the U.S. comes just one week after the massacre in an Orlando, Florida gay nightclub that ended with 49 people killed and 53 wounded.



President Barack Obama said in his weekly address "with Father's Day upon us" he has been "thinking a lot" about "the responsibilities we have to each other."



He offered uncomplicated advice. "Let's never forget how much good we can achieve simply by loving one another."



The death of loved ones was the impetus for the first Father's Day. Its humble origins begun on July 5, 1908 when a West Virginia church held a Sunday service in memory of 362 men who had died the previous year in explosions in coal mines.



The next year, a Spokane, Washington woman who was raised by her widowed father set out to establish a male equivalent of Mother's Day. She was successful and in 1910 Washington state celebrated the nation's first statewide Father's Day.



During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a move to merge Father's Day and Mother's Day into one holiday  Parents Day. When World War II began, however, advertisers urged the public to celebrate Father's Day as a way to honor the troops who were serving the country. They succeeded and by the end of the war, Father's Day was a national institution.



In 1972, president Richard Nixon recognized Father's Day as a national holiday.
Climate change is likely the single most significant threat to the world's natural resources, including America's national parks, according to U.S. President Barack Obama.



Speaking Saturday in Yosemite National Park, Obama said, "One of the things that binds us together is we have only one planet and climate change is probably the biggest threat, not only to natural wonders like this, but to the well being of billions of people, coastal cities, agricultural communities that can be displaced in the span of a few decades by changes in temperatures that mean more drought, more wildfires," Obama said.



With Yosemite's iconic vistas as a backdrop, Obama's remarks were made during an exclusive interview with National Geographic. The full interview will air in late August in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of America's national park system.



On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law an act the created the National Park Service (NPS), an agency of the Department of the Interior that manages all national parks in the United States. Wilson formed the NPS to "protect the wild and wonderful landscapes" in the country.





During the interview in the western U.S. state of California, the president urged Americans to help protect the national parks. "This is a solvable problem," he added, by reducing carbon emissions and preserving open spaces.



In addition to climate change, the national parks are also feeling the brunt of a budget shortfall. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said on Thursday that deferred maintenance totaling a record $12 billion has led to hazardous bridges, crumbling roads and decaying facilities.



Obama last two budget requests included more funding for the parks but congress did not approve them, forcing NPS to seek funding from corporate sponsorships and other alternative sources.



Before visiting Yosemite, located in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, Obama visited two national parks with his family to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the park system.



Obama, his wife and daughters toured a maze of caverns beneath the desert Friday at Carlsbad, New Mexico, before flying to Yosemite.



The Interior Department said Friday that national park visits in 2016 are on pace to beat last year's record of 307 million. It said visitors to the parks last year spent $16.9 billion in local communities surrounding the national parks.



As Obama's presidency ends in January, he appears to be increasingly focused on leaving a favorable environmental legacy. The president added 20 sites or monuments to the national park system since taking office. Half of those were approved by Congress while the other half were created by Obama's use of executive authority.



Some members of Congress have accused Obama of overreaching his authority and argue the government should not acquire more land until it can end a backlog of maintenance projects for current parks.



Environmental groups have urged Obama to do even more to designate more public spaces before he leaves office in January.



The National Park System says it has a "clearly defined process" for screening proposals for new park areas.



Proposals may come from the public, federal, state or local officials. The proposals are then studied by officials with input from the public. Sites eligible for consideration must possess nationally significant natural, cultural or recreational resources; be a feasible addition to the system; and require direct NPS management. If a unit meets the criteria, it can be added to the park service system by and act of Congress.



Here are some other facts about the National Park System:

More than 307 million people visited places within the national park system in 2015;

The system has grown to include 411 areas since the nation's first national park, Yellowstone, located in the western states of Wyoming and Montana, was created in 1872;

The NPS manages more than 84 million acres with 28 different designations, including historical parks, national monuments and preserves;

The five most visited national parks in 2015 were the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Rocky Mountains, which stretches 4800 kilometers from Canada to the western U.S., Yosemite, and Yellowstone;

Seven new national parks were designated in 2015. They are the Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico, the First State National Historical Park in Delaware, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Pinnacles National Park in California and the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Kentucky;

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, in south central Alaska, is the largest park with 13.2 million acres; and

Annual visitor spending within 60 miles of NPS sites support more than 240,000 mostly local jobs and contributes about $27 billion to the U.S. economy.



Every week, VOA Learning English will profile one of the sites within the National Park Service. To learn more, visit
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agrees with an American proposal to incorporate opposition representatives in Syrias government, but balked at the idea that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should step down immediately.

During a wide-reaching interview recorded with CNNs Fareed Zakaria at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (Friday), Putin said the only way to ensure that democracy takes hold in Syria is with a new constitution and new elections at all levels of government, based on that constitution.

He called the basic U.S. proposal "quite acceptable," but said any settlement "should be guided by the current realities."

Putin side-stepped a question from Zakaria about Assads claim he would take back every square inch of Syrian territory, but said negotiations need to take place with all sides involved, including the Americans, whom he referred to as our partners.

U.S. President Barack Obamas administration has said it wants Assad to step down immediately, but Putin called that an unachievable goal, and said it is not the way to go about creating change in Syria.

Putin also commented on the U.S. presidential election, saying he would work with any candidate voters choose, but reaffirmed his previous statement that he thought Republican candidate Donald Trump is a bright person.

Putin said he appreciated Trumps promise to restore full relations between Russia and the U.S., and that he would welcome the change.

When asked about Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, Putin again evaded giving a specific comment, saying he hadnt had many chances to work with her directly.
Russian authorities opened a criminal probe Sunday, hours after at least 14 children attending a summer camp in northwestern Russia died when their boats capsized in a storm-swept lake near the Finland border.

A spokesman for Russia's chief investigative agency, Vladimir Markin, said the deaths occurred overnight into Sunday on Lake Syamozero, in the Republic of Karelia, 120 kilometers east of the border with Finland.

Markin, speaking Sunday, said 47 children and four adult instructors were traveling in four boats when disaster struck.

He also said four members of the camp staff had been detained for questioning, as well as two adults who are alleged to have organized the boating excursion.

Karelia regional lawmaker Alexei Gavrilov told Rossiya 24 television that repeated bulletins had been issued for the area in recent days warning of an approaching Atlantic storm, along with advisories urging boaters to stay off the 270-square kilometer lake.

Another official, children's rights advocate Pavel Astakhov, told the Ria Novosti news agency the children were "apparently not wearing life jackets." However, an earlier report by Interfax News

Agency quoted a local official as saying all victims and survivors were wearing life jackets.

Russia's federal tourism agency was quoted in that report as saying the victims ranged in age from 12 to 15 and included orphans and children from disadvantaged families.

Most of the victims were from Moscow. The capital's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin tweeted his condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the accident.

Local experts said that lake can be extremely dangerous to navigate in strong winds, and even experienced local fisherman stayed off the water during the weekend.

"It was suicidal" to allow the group to go boating in those conditions, a local tour company director remarked in a television interview.
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican U.S. presidential nominee, is complaining that some Republicans are trying to thwart the official declaration of his nomination at next month's national party nomination convention.

Some delegates to the convention in (the midwestern city of) Cleveland, Ohio, say they want to change the party's rules to allow delegates to vote for someone other than the brash billionaire real estate mogul, who surged past 16 other Republican candidates in months of state-by-state party nominating contests to give him a majority of pledged delegates at the convention.

But Trump's opponents say the one-time television reality show host does not represent the Republicans' traditional conservative policy positions and that his intemperate comments about women, Muslims and Mexicans make him unacceptable as the Republican standard bearer.

On Sunday, he voiced new support for an idea he has offered before, saying it was "common sense," as a way to halt a possible terrorist attack, to profile Muslims already in the United States, not just temporarily block them from entering the country, as he also favors.

"I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," he told CBS' Face the Nation news show. "And other countries do it; you look at Israel and you look at others and they do it and they do it successfully. You know, I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to start using common sense, and we have to use, you know, we have to use our heads ... we really have to look at profiling. We have to look at it seriously."

Trump's Republican detractors point to recent national polls showing that big majorities of voters view him unfavorably and that the likely Democratic nominee, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is pulling further ahead of him five months before the November 8 election.

On Saturday, Trump characterized former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, one of his former presidential challengers, and a second one-time rival he did not name as "a couple of guys that were badly defeated and they're trying to organize maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt." Neither Bush nor Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest rival before ending his presidential run in early May, has endorsed Trump, but he offered no evidence that Bush and Cruz were leading a convention delegate revolt.

"Who are they going to pick?" Trump asked supporters at a campaign rally in Nevada about an alternative to his candidacy. "I beat everybody. But I don't mean beat -- I beat the hell out of them."

Trump, running for elected office for the first time, told CBS, "It would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little."

Trump said Republican lawmakers in Congress who have expressed doubts or outright opposition to his candidacy "should do their jobs ... and let me run for president."

Numerous Republican officials have voiced tepid support for his candidacy or rejected it outright, including the party's 2012 presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, who has been outspoken in his opposition to Trump's nomination.

Trump said that if Republicans don't unite to support his candidacy he would stop fundraising on behalf of his campaign and the national party. Instead, Trump said, he would resume self-funding much of his campaign as he did during the party nomination fight.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, celebrated the arrival Saturday of their second grandchild as their daughter Chelsea gave birth to a boy, Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky. The happy grandparents said they were "all over the moon" and "grateful for our many blessings."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday that detention is not the answer to Europe's refugee crisis and should end immediately.

Ban, meeting with refugees from war, terrorism and poverty on the Greek island of Lesbos, called on other European countries to respond to the crisis with a "humane and human rights-based approach."

"Let us work together to resettle more people, provide legal pathways and better integrate refugees," he said. "I recognize the difficulties. But the world has the wealth, the capacity and the duty to meet this challenge."

After meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras earlier in the day, Ban thanked the Greek people for what he called their "remarkable solidarity and compassion." Greece has been generous in its efforts to save lives despite its severe economic troubles, the U.N. chief added.

Tens of thousands of migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and other trouble spots are in camps in Greece, hoping to find permanent homes in the European Union.

The EU reached a deal with Turkey this year to steer refugees trying to reach the EU to Greece, where they can apply for asylum. Those whose applications are rejected are then returned to Turkey, in exchange for EU aid and other benefits to the Ankara government.

Human rights activists have criticized the deal, saying that refugees face poor treatment in Turkey and that the arrangement endorsed by the EU treats those fleeing war and other hardships like pawns in a political chess game.
The U.S. Supreme Court may weigh in this week on gun control, an issue smoldering again following the June 12 Orlando massacre, with the justices due to decide whether to hear a challenge by gun rights advocates to assault weapon bans in two states.

The Connecticut and New York laws prohibit semiautomatic weapons like the one used by the gunman who fatally shot 49 people at a gay night club in Orlando in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The Supreme Court will announce as soon as Monday whether it will hear the challenge brought by gun rights groups and individual firearms owners asserting that the laws violate the

U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment guarantee of the right to bear arms.

The court has not decided a major gun case since 2010.

If they take up the matter, the justices would hear arguments in their next term, which begins in October. A decision not to hear the challenge would leave in place lower-court rulings upholding the laws.

The court's action in another recent appeal indicated it may be disinclined to take up the matter. The justices in December opted not to hear a challenge to a Highland Park, Illinois ordinance banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

A national assault weapons ban expired in 2004. Congressional Republicans, backed by the influential National Rifle Association gun rights lobby, beat back efforts to restore it. Some states and municipalities have enacted their own bans.

In their petition asking the Supreme Court to hear the case, those challenging the Connecticut law said the type of weapons banned by the state are used in self-defense, hunting and recreational shooting.

Connecticut said its law targets firearms disproportionately used in gun crime, "particularly the most heinous forms of gun violence." It said people in Connecticut still can legally own more than 1,000 types of handguns, rifles and shotguns.

There is a longstanding legal debate over the scope of Second Amendment rights.

In the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case, the Supreme Court held for the first time that the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual's right to bear arms, but the ruling applied only to firearms kept in the home for self-defense. That ruling did not involve a state law, applying only to federal regulations.

Two years later, in the case McDonald v. City of Chicago, the court held that the Heller ruling covered individual gun rights in states.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says that authorities on Monday will release partial transcripts of three calls Omar Mateen made to police as he killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida a week ago.

The country's top law enforcement official told NBC's Meet the Press show Sunday that the written accounts  not the actual recordings of conversations Mateen carried on with police negotiators trying to end his siege  would detail authorities' attempts to learn "as much as we could about his motivations and actions leading up to this attack."

She said police negotiators, talking with Mateen as he carried out the attack at the Pulse nightclub, were trying to determine "who he was, where he was, why he was doing this."

Authorities have previously said that the 29-year-old Mateen pledged allegiance to Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, during the calls on Orlando's 911 emergency line. Lynch said Mateen's vows of fealty to Islamic State would not be part of the transcripts released Monday.

LGBT

She told CBS' Face the Nation show that authorities are "very concerned" about Mateen's attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, many of them among those killed and the 53 wounded in the three-hour rampage early on June 12.

Mateen's father has said that his son had voiced disgust recently at seeing men kissing in Miami, another Florida city, yet some acquaintances of Mateen say he frequented the nightclub where he carried out the attack and visited gay dating sights on the internet.

In an interview with CNN's State of the Union show, Lynch called the mayhem "an act of terrorism and an act of hate, targeted against a community, the LGBT community, the Latino community."

But she said that Mateen did not discuss his feelings about gays during his calls to police.

"So we're still exploring why he chose this particular place to attack," she said.

Church bells rang at 2 a.m. Sunday in Orlando to mark the moment the attack started a week ago.
Photo: Leon Bennett/2016 Leon Bennett

Anton Yelchin, a remarkable young actor with uncanny charisma, died early Sunday morning at the age of 27. Its unclear how exactly his death occurred  Yelchin was pinned between his car and a brick mailbox, which was attached to a security gate outside of his home in Studio City, California, according to TMZ, who first reported the news. In an official statement, the Los Angeles Police Department said it appears he had exited his car and was behind it when the vehicle rolled down a steep driveway, crushing him. His car was in neutral and the engine was still running when Yelchin was discovered by his friends, who became concerned when he didnt show up for a scheduled band rehearsal. His publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed the news, adding that his family is requesting privacy during this time.

A prolific actor who worked at a herculean pace, Yelchin appeared in over 40 movies in a 16-year career. He brought knowing apprehension to Alpha Dog (2006), in which he played a 15-year-old murder victim; his emotional, empathetic performance lead to roles in Charlie Bartlett (2007) and J.J. Abramss Star Trek (2009), the movie that catapulted Yelchin into stardom. In 2011, Yelchin, then just 22, rode the wake of the big-budget blockbusters Star Trek and Terminator Salvation and appeared in four jarringly different movies: Like Crazy, a rom-com that debuted at Sundance; The Beaver, in which Mel Gibson talks through a hand puppet of a beaver; Fright Night, with Colin Farrell playing Yelchins smoldering vampire neighbor; and the animated childrens film The Smurfs. Speaking with Logan Hill for New York Magazine in 2011, he said:

When you meet people who are just the exterior, I think, You fucking suck. I want to terrorize you.  I fucking hate photos. It makes me so self-conscious because the whole goal is to look attractive and sell the clothing. My friends always laugh at me because Ill send them pictures from the studio and they know that Im such a fucking ghoul.

An only child, he is survived by his parents, Irina and Viktor. An overwhelming amount of tributes are pouring in from friends, collaborators, and fans.
Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of Outlander.

Outlander, the television series, is based on a series of books by Diana Gabaldon (season two is adapted from Dragonfly in Amber). And while the author has served as a consultant on the show, helping shape what you see onscreen and even making the odd cameo, Saturdays episode was the first one actually scripted by her. Showrunner Ron D. Moore likely picked episode 11 for Gabaldon because it matches its source material pretty well in terms of chronology, which would make it relatively easy for her to transform it into a script, without doing violence to my sense of composition, she laughed. Gabaldon chatted with Vulture about how Outlander isnt really a romance, why she shot Rupert in the eye, and how much of her script she had to change on set.

Hopefully this season, with all its battles, politics, and court intrigue, helped Outlander shed some of the stigma that comes associated with being a romance story. Because it is, and it isnt 

A romance is a courtship story. In the 19th century, the definition of the romance genre was an escape from daily life that included adventure and love and battle. But in the 20th century, that term changed, and now its deemed only a love story, specifically a courtship story. When I first wrote the books, we sold them to an editor who just loved the story. And then the publisher asked her, Well, now what kind of book is it? We have to think about marketing. And she stared at it and said, Well, I really couldnt tell you. Theres a wonderful love story  And theyre like, Oh! Thats romance. Bosoms. Fabio. And she said, Oh no, its also got time travel and its a historical novel  The historical aspect is accurate, but you dont want to market it like a Ken Follett novel. So the publisher sat on the book for 18 months. They were afraid that if they put it out as general fiction, no one would be able to understand what it is, and it would fall flat. So they very nearly came close to actually giving me back the book and canceling the contract. I didnt learn this until much later, but they mostly didnt cancel because my editor said she would quit if they did. [Laughs.]

Finally, my agent called and he said, Well, they finally decided what to do with your book! The hardcover will go out with the other hardcover fiction, but theyd like to try to sell the paperback as romance. I had two objections. If you call it a romance, it will never be reviewed by the New York Times or any other respectable literary venue. And thats okay. I can live with that. But more importantly, you will cut off the entire male half of my readership. They would say, Oh, well, its probably not for me. So my agent said, Well, we could insist that they call it science-fiction or fantasy, because of the weird elements, but bear in mind that a bestseller in sci-fi is 50,000 in paperback. A bestseller in romance is 500,000. And I said, Well, youve got a point!

So you agreed to sell the paperback as romance?

Provided we had dignified covers  we wouldnt have bosoms and Fabio and things like that  and also that if the books became visible, they would reposition them as fiction. Which they did. When Voyager, the third book of the series, hit the New York Times bestseller list, they very honorably redesigned the covers and started calling them fiction. Barnes & Noble, however, wasnt having any of this. They just said, The first book you wrote was called romance, so everything you write for the rest of your life is a romance as far as were concerned. It took me eight years to disabuse them of this notion, but I finally won.



Whenever youre dealing with something thats difficult to describe, that you cant get across to someone in a sound bite, it sounds like the normal default is to pick whats easiest, and in the case of fiction written by women, fiction involving women, fiction involving any sort of relationship, the word that comes to mind is romance. Its canned stuff: Its steamy, its stirring, its sizzling, its a bodice ripper. And as I say, in romance novels, those are courtship stories. Once the couple is married, thats the end of the story. And in our story, that means we would have stopped at episode seven. Ive never seen anyone deal in a literary way with what it takes to stay married for more than 50 years, and that seemed like a worthy goal. On one level, this series is telling the story of how people stay married for a long time.

Tell me about joining the writers room this season. What was it like shifting from being a consultant on the series giving notes, to someone receiving them?

They had already done most of the script breaking, as they call it. They actually take the book apart, all of its components  scenes, sub-scenes, quarter-scenes, etc.  and they strip all the dialogue out, and put it on a separate table so they can pick lines and pieces that make sense. So most of the content was already decided, but not the details, or how it would flow, or what it would be shaped like. So I got to participate in that process. And then you have the freedom to invent other things, little transitions to hold the pieces together, to move from point A to point B.

I have never seen a script that hasnt gone through at least eight different iterations before they even begin filming, and frequently what is filmed is not whats in the script, because things change on the ground. An actor cant say a particular line. An actor will have a brainstorm and ad lib something utterly brilliant. Thats why writers are the low man on the totem pole of the production, because when push comes to shove, the script is the only thing that can flex easily. Other things are set in stone: the location, the schedule, the hours of daylight, the actors you can or cant have.

What sort of logistics affected your episode?

One day, we were doing the scene where Bonnie Prince Charlies men have made it to Derby, England, and thats where they make the fateful decision to turn back. Jamie is arguing to go and attack London, because it would be a change, something that hadnt happened in Claires history, where maybe they could succeed in changing the past. The Jacobites, there were 5,000 of them, and 30,000 of the British army, so it should have been very obvious to everybody, though it wasnt, that they were never going to win. But they came very, very close to attacking London, and who knows what would have happened if that had occurred? King George II was so terrified by the Highlanders that he was, in fact, all packed up and prepared to flee to Germany. His soldiers were all going to decamp at once, if the Highland army marched into London.

So anyway, Sam Heughan brought me his bit of script for that day, and he said, Look, this speech here, I have to move from one end of this table to another while I give this speech, and its too long. Ill still be talking by the time I get to the other end. Could we take out the first two sentences? And I said, No, you need the first two sentences, but we can take out this sentence here, and Ill rewrite the last sentence so its much shorter. How about this? And that worked.

What about Angus dying in episode ten?

I had several little comic bits between Angus and Rupert, because theyre such a great comedy team, but Angus dying was unexpected. So I had to eliminate him and adjust the script for his absence. And I couldnt use the part where Rupert was killed, because theyd already killed Angus and they wanted to keep Rupert. If you cant kill Rupert, what else are you going to do for dramatic impact? As it is, we shot him in the eye.

During an epic horse chase.

All that horse chasing was a lot of fun to watch! It took them two days, and they were running the camera on a wire rig, on a cable for half a mile long, so the camera is following the galloping horses. People would be yelling, Heads up! as the camera came racing through the set! People would be ducking and stepping back. And it was pretty tough riding required for that scene. Caitriona [Balfe] and Sam are quite good riders at this point, but not all of the actors are, so they had to use a mechanical horse and stunt doubles and a couple of other tricks, which are completely invisible when you watch the episode. You would never guess that you werent seeing what you thought you were seeing.

What about the church? There was an issue with using that location because of the fire and the horses?

Thats where we ran into real logistical difficulties, because I wrote the chapel scene as it was in the book, for most of the way. They head to Inverness with the Lallybroch van, and run into a British ambush, which scatters them, and they take refuge in the chapel. But they couldnt find a chapel or any kind of church that would let them take horses inside, so we had to eliminate the stuff that had to do with horses.

How much of what you wrote would you say made it into the episode?

In the end, probably about 50 percent of that script is actually the way I wrote it. But I expected that. When I see all the daily footage, some really wonderful stuff doesnt end up in the final episode. I might be like, Oh my God, why didnt you use that?! Because there just isnt room. It can only be 55 minutes long. But its a really nice, fast-paced episode.
Photo: Steffan Hill/ 2016 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All rights reserved.

Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of Outlander.

When Outlander decided to make a major change from the books by having Mary Hawkins kill her assailant, they did so with the blessing of author Diana Gabaldon, who wrote the episode and helped choreograph the pivotal fight scene.

Rape is a pretty serious thing we deal with in the show, and we wanted to treat it right, showrunner Ron D. Moore said. We use it as a plot device, but if you use it as a tool, then treat it correctly. Try not to cheapen it. Give it its value.

We tried to show that Claire is Marys mentor, and her confidence and empowerment have rubbed off, co-executive producer Maril Davis added. Mary comes back and gets hers, in a way thats not making her too modern and still keeps with her character.

First, they needed the right setting  a stately home for the Duke of Sandringham  and what could be better than the home of an actual duke? Production designer Jon Gary Steele found images of Drumlanrig Castle in a book, and shared it with locations manager Hugh Gourlay, who then sought out the Duke of Buccleuch, owner of the estate. A private man, he didnt care much for the idea of a TV crew coming by his castle (or having Outlander fans stopping by in droves once the show had aired) but his house manager  actually an Outlander fan herself  convinced him otherwise. And so Outlander not only got permission to use the castle itself, but the estate grounds (which subbed for scenes in several episodes) and the authentic and well-maintained 18th-century furniture, paintings, and tapestries inside the building.

The Duke of Buccleuchs estate. Photo: Steffan Hill/ 2016 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All rights reserved.

Then they needed to stage the reveal that both Sandringham and his valet Danton were behind the attacks in Paris. (Call me a professional nimporte tout faire, as we say in French, said actor Andrea Dolente, who plays Danton. You know, someone who can do anything: raping, stealing, hurting, whatever needs to be done.) The scene between Claire and the Duke needed some tweaking  I rewrote it three times, Ron semi-rewrote it once, and Anne [Kenney] and I rewrote it twice, Gabaldon said  as the dynamic between the characters shift. For one thing, hes not being straight with her to start with, and for another, he thinks hes got her in his power, so he thinks shes helpless and hes not as guarded as he might be otherwise.

At the moment Sandringham admits his part in the rape, actor Simon Callow wanted to pop something in his mouth, a delicacy that could demonstrate his characters utter delight in telling the story. If you have to kill or rape someone, lets make it fun! Callow said, explaining Sandringhams perspective. And so the props department scrambled to find something period-appropriate. Dont even get me started on the bonbons, laughed set decorator Gina Cromwell. Simon wanted chocolate, and chocolate wasnt solidified yet at this point in history, so we had to disguise the chocolates with a glaze of icing sugar to look like something else.

Later when Claire tries to escape, she encounters the Duke once more in the kitchen, where he is, yet again, eating. More people gradually enter the room, and eventually the fight breaks out where Mary stabs Danton, and Murtagh beheads Sandringham. Staging that sequence turned out to be rather complex. They first blocked it in the stunt room at their production stages in Cumbernauld, but the plan wasnt coalescing. We were trying to figure out the choreography, actress Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire, said. We were all trying to come up with ideas. The actors tried out a few moves, but they kept ending up on the wrong side of the room when they needed to grab a knife or throw it away, to stab someone or throw them into a wall, all because the kitchen table kept getting in the way. Diana listened to us for a few minutes, and she quickly came up with a solution that was a big Aha! moment for us, Balfe said. We were like, Why didnt we think of that?

I told [director] Mike Barker, Youve got too many knives, Gabaldon explained. You only really need one.

From there, the actors rehearsed the scene the night before filming in the next location, the kitchen of the Callendar House, where they had decided Claire would break free of Dantons knife at her throat, slam his arm on the table, and take the knife, while Mary would stab Danton. But this left Jamie and Murtagh at rather loose ends, and the Duke floating around at the wrong end of the room, Gabaldon said. The author offered another suggestion to help with the fight choreography  the men could act as protectors. Any male primate, from gorillas on down, will grab the nearest female, put her behind him, and charge the threat, she said. Actor Sam Heughan came to the same conclusion, even though he hadnt heard her comment to the director. At the next run-through, he stopped what he was doing and said, No, no. I wouldnt do that [as Jamie]. Id shove Claire behind me and go for Danton. With the writer and actor in agreement, the director assented.

In the final cut, Danton holds a knife to Claires throat, Jamies at bay, Murtagh enters from the back door and breaks Dantons concentration, Claire elbows him in the ribs and breaks free, the knife falls to the floor, Jamie lunges for Danton, throws him on the floor and slugs him. Everyones fighting, everyones attention is elsewhere, and then in the background, I go and take the knife, said actress Rosie Day, who plays Mary. I take my revenge on the man who raped me. The Duke backs away, straight into Murtagh, whos picked up an ax. And  bloosh, said Gabaldon. Off with his head.
Friends, Americans, citizens, lend me your eyes. I come to praise Donald Trump, not to compare him to Adolf Hitler. The Donald is no Adolf Hitler:

Adolf Hitler was a narcissistic megalomaniac. Trump described himself to Us Weekly staff as actually very modest.

Hitlers manifesto is titled Mein Kampf. Trumps next book is not (instead, My Fight).

Hitler fanned flames of hatred against the Jews with wild conspiracies. Jews are not Trumps scapegoat and he merely accused President Obama of secretly supporting terrorism.

Hitler took advantage of a national tragedy (Reichstag fire) to grab power. Trump has not burned down the U.S. Capitol.

Hitlers purge led Jews to flee his country. Trump instead wants to ban Muslims from entering.

Hitler married a formal model from Munich. Trump instead is married to a former model from Sevnica.

Hitler grew up in the Catholic church and asserted he acted in accordance with the will of God. Trump by contrast is a former Catholic, now associated with the Presbyterian church, and had 30 evangelical leaders pray over him.

Hitler believed women should stay at home and raise the next generation of pure-bred Germans. Trump is fine with women working, even as journalists, so long as theyve (and I quote here) got a young and beautiful piece of a--.

Hitler had Kurt Von Schleicher killed in the Night of the Long Knives. Trump probably has not yet read my columns.

Hitler snubbed African-American medal winner Cornelius Johnson at the 1936 Olympics. Trump simply labelled African-American election winner Barack Obama as having faked his American birth certificate.

Hitler had really bad brown hair. Trumps hair is orange.

Hitler liked to paint in his free time. Trump prefers remote-controlled cars.

Hitler often cited wrongdoing by the Communists of Russia to justify his actions. Trump likes Putin, blames the Communists in China for our woes.

Hitler made the National Socialist German Workers Party famous with his oratory skills and ability to attract new members. Trump only has drawn new people to the GOP.

U.S. white supremacists are not able to vote for Adolf Hitler.

Hitler often praised German veterans. Donald Trump instead criticized former prisoner of war and torture victim John McCain for having been captured.

Donald Trump never promised to make Germany great again.

As a March 13, 2012 article in The Atlantic noted, early press coverage of Hitler misjudged him as a clown, a caricature of himself who could never get elected. Trump instead is now viewed as someone who might get elected.

British political leader Neville Chamberlain described the result of his treaty negotiations with Hitler as providing Peace for our time. GOP chair Reince Priebus is still seeking a peace treaty between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The #neverHitler effort failed miserably; #neverTrump still has a chance.

Hitler used slave labor to build the Atlantic Wall to prevent an invasion from Great Britain. Trump does not fear a British invasion and will make Mexico pay for his wall.

Hitler made a 1939 pact with Stalin that he later broke. Trump, however, plans to honor the terms of any deal with Putin, calling him a great leader as compared to us having a pathetic president.

Hitler served in the Bavarian Army during World War I, while Trump entirely avoided service in Vietnam with student deferments and purported bone spurs in his heels.

Hitler lost his first presidential run, in 1932; Trump plans to win in 2016.

In summary, stop this Trump-is-Hitler nonsense. I mean, whats the worst that can happen?

David Schleicher is a Waco-based attorney representing businesses and federal employees. His blog is at www.TheContranym.com.
Ive always thought that if we live a particularly long life, our funeral or memorial service will not be well attended. After all, we will have outlived many of our friends and family. But given the incredible mass of humanity filling Wacos St. Louis Catholic Church for the funeral mass of 94-year-old Monsignor Mark Deering recently, I realize that conclusion is wrong.

The goodness he spread in our community impacted generations  and so those of many generations turned out to bid him farewell and acknowledge that lasting goodness upon his departure from this life.

Marks Cathedral, as it was referred to during the service, was filled to capacity by an incredible array of Wacoans. Granted, one would expect the service for a Waco Catholic priest to be attended by Catholic congregants and that most certainly was the case. But the mourners included citizens of all ages, all religions, all ethnicities  a testament to his reach and his principles.

A native of Ballybit, Rathvilly, County Carlow, Ireland, Monsignor Deering was not only a man for all seasons but also a man for all human beings. As one reviews the monsignors life story, it is apparent that he had a heart for all. His work in the Catholic community for Reicher Catholic High School and the founding of St. Louis Catholic Church is evidence enough of his commitment to his religion as well as his commitment to Waco Catholics, their education and their children.

But his influence didnt stop there. And his example beckons the better angels among us today.

Of particular note is his work with Rabbi Mordecai Podet and then-Baylor University administrator Gary Cook in founding, many years ago, the Waco Conference of Christians and Jews, now known as the Waco Interfaith Conference. From his arrival in Waco in the early 1950s, Monsignor Deering recognized the prejudices that arose from misinformation and misjudgment. Through the Waco Interfaith Conference, early founders believed  and rightfully so  that through dialogue, interfaith services and church, temple and synagogue tours of better understanding, errors in judgment could be corrected, leading to unity of purpose in our community.

The monsignors wonderful humor and interest in all others, regardless of standing in life, religion, ethnicity or persuasion, made him a revered, admired and well-loved figure. His Irish heritage, his love of the Dallas Cowboys, his holy water and his games of chance allowed him to be approachable in a way that resonated richly with others. Yet, at the same time, he remained deeply respected.

Online remembrances offer evidence of that esteem and affection. A 75 graduate of Reicher Catholic High School and later a Providence Hospice case manager wrote: Earth lost an icon but heaven gained an awesome angel and maybe some day a saint! You will be missed as you took a huge piece of many peoples hearts to heaven with you.

It is difficult to accept the loss of someone so dear as the monsignor. To have had him as part of our community for a great part of his 94 years has been our blessing. For so many of us, that blessing will continue if we can follow his lead in accepting our neighbors (whatever their faith or ethnicity), giving help where needed (in short, putting religion into action) and maintaining a wonderfully positive attitude that bolsters the ideals that Monsignor Deering held dear. A little of his Irish humor wouldnt hurt, either!

In giving thanks for his presence, let us commit ourselves to following his lead so that we all, when our time comes, can be remembered and cherished as he is now.

Harry Harelik, a native Wacoan whose family long ago ran Hareliks Fine Clothes downtown, is executive director of the McLennan Community College Foundation. He is a life board member of Keep Waco Beautiful.
Today, theres only one thing to discuss.

Thus began Donald Trump at New Hampshires St. Anselm College on Monday, before he launched into his speech on national security after Sundays slaughter at Orlandos Pulse nightclub.

He emphasized that political correctness  specifically, President Barack Obamas ongoing unwillingness to use the phrase radical Islam  was impeding our understanding of the massacre and our ability to address it. Trump reminded Americans that the principles of radical Islam are not consistent with our principles; they are anti-women, anti-gay, anti-Jewish and anti-Christian. As Trump bluntly put it: We need to tell the truth about radical Islam.

And, crucially, he reminded Americans that he is not Hillary Clinton, who, for all of her years of government experience, is the candidate who poses the real risk to U.S. security. Not him.

With his undisciplined comments about federal district Judge Gonzalo Curiel the week before the attack in Orlando, Trump was losing ground and the confidence of many Republicans who have reluctantly backed him. But if he sticks with the tone and the focus of Mondays speech, Republicans will stay with him. Despite endless talk of a mutiny within the GOP, if Trump can forcefully expose the weak leadership and serial failures of Obama and Clinton on the fight against terrorism  the central issue of our time  he will not only consolidate support, he will make any talk of an intra-party coup obsolete.

On Monday, as he did throughout the primaries, Trump spoke to the Republican base and the undecided middle in a way no other candidate has. When Trump said, I will be meeting with the NRA to discuss how to ensure Americans have the means to protect themselves in this age of terror, liberals may have blanched, but conservatives cheered. When he said, I refuse to be politically correct, he returned to the theme that powered him to the top of GOP polls. Promising to provide our intelligence community, law enforcement and military with the tools they need to prevent terrorist attacks, Trump sent the message that Clinton cannot, and will not, to a country demanding security.

Its not just that voters give him a polling edge on national-security issues, its that this week he finally returned to what so many voters liked about him in the first place. Hes not a policy wonk and hes not an orator in the mold of Abraham Lincoln. But more than any other right-of-center politician, he relishes aggressively championing Republicans national-security priorities.

With Mondays speech, a bookend to his strong words on religious liberty at the Faith and Freedom Coalition forum, Trump has returned to a winning message and walled off the assorted never Trump holdouts trying to upend his nomination. Although theres been talk in recent weeks of implementing new rules at the Republican convention in Cleveland that would allow party leaders to replace Trump  talk that Ive entertained  the appetite for that sort of drastic measure is gone.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, part of the Republican leadership, want no part of any coup, so there wont be one. Yes, party rules allow for last-minute rules changes and tricky procedural maneuvers. But for Republicans to root for a coup at this point would be more than just futile, it could be completely self-defeating. No Ryan, no McConnell, no mutiny.

Despite reservations, Ryan, McConnell and others have judged the cost of trying to make a change at the top of the GOP ticket to be higher than the cost of betting that Trump will ultimately see that his path to the White House is a return to big themes  not small arguments and inflammatory rhetoric. They understand that Republicans have to stick with Trump if they want to avoid capitulating to Clinton, who has demonstrated again and again that she is unfit to lead, and that at this stage, Trump alone can run successfully against her. If Ryan and McConnell have wagered wrong, well soon know. But events of the past few days suggest that they are right.

Clinton cant respond effectively to Trumps blunt assessment of terrorist threats because Americans know that her positions over the years  on Egypt, Iraq, Syria and especially Libya  have directly contributed to dangers we face.

Trump is positioned to make the case that Clintons cavalier approach to State Department email security has compromised her ability to combat terrorism, particularly if, according to new reports, she discussed sensitive operations, such as planned drone strikes, via non-secure communications. He is positioned to make the case that, according to former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, our adversaries intelligence services could have everything on any unclassified network that the government uses, including hers, meaning that anyone who sent her anything may have been compromised as well.

Trump will make sure that the Clintons serial scandals  the Clinton foundations questionable dealings, the appointment of an unqualified Clinton ally to the International Security Advisory Board and obscene multimillion-dollar payments made to former president Bill Clinton as honorary chancellor of for-profit Laureate International Universities  are never far from voters minds. Add in the latest revelation of the Russians hack of the Democratic National Committees computers, and the publics concern over the former secretarys server skyrockets.

Trump alone can draw a real contrast with Clinton about what government will look like going forward. Either would bring in thousands of federal appointees. In his or her first weeks, the next president will nominate not just one Supreme Court justice to succeed Antonin Scalia but also dozens of vacancies on the federal bench. The new president brings a cabinet, military commanders and hundreds of appointees into a new administration. If he wins, Trump would have the opportunity to bring individuals, such New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, along as vice president; former senator Jon Kyl as defense secretary; former U.N. ambassador John Bolton as secretary of state; or former senator Joe Lieberman to head the nations top intelligence agencies  leaders who would swiftly and dramatically reverse our failing foreign policy.

Trumps task now is clear: Its time to abandon his off-the-cuff remarks, disengage from his battles with the media and methodically prosecute the case that, throughout her career, Clinton has consistently displayed a disqualifying lack of judgment. He needs to develop this argument, detail it and drive it home.

Hugh Hewitt hosts The Hugh Hewitt Show. He is an NBC News political analyst and the author of The Queen: The Epic Ambition of Hillary and the Coming of a Second Clinton Era.
Reading the Tribs political coverage is akin to getting a daily robocall from the Democratic Party. The Tribs news and editorial staffs are at it again  raving about Donald Trumps problems with a Mexican judges rulings in a civil suit filed against him. In their view, it is racist for him to imply that a minority judge can be biased against a litigant.

Yet U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has acknowledged that judicial bias exists and even celebrated it, boasting that a wise Latinas life experiences should hopefully result in better [for whom?] decisions than those of white male judges.

The Trib staffers recently took a week off from the Trump beatdown while preoccupied counting coup and helping lift a few Baylor scalps. Caveat: Im not a Baylor fan, but neither am I content with seeing good peoples careers and lives ruined for the criminal behavior and dumb indiscretions of others.

Meanwhile, Ive yet to read a single word in the Trib, written by a journalist, about the despicable, lawless, anti-American riot on June 2 in San Jose, California, following an appearance by Trump at a political rally. The riot was covered live on TV and by TV and print news reports the next day. The story obviously didnt fit the desired Democratic narrative as it was quickly dropped and, as mentioned, the Trib didnt cover it at all.

During that riot, 300 to 400 protesters terrorized rally attendees after the event, verbally and physically assaulting numerous people. They chased scores and tackled one man; tore the shirt off another; sucker-punched dozens more, causing at least one broken nose and concussion; cornered a woman wearing a Trump shirt, pelting her verbally and with eggs and handfuls of watermelon to the face and head; burned U.S. flags and Trump caps; flaunted dozens of Mexican flags and Make America Mexico Again signs; rocked, pounded and jumped on attendees cars as they were trying to leave; and so on.

Police and firefighters were there but did nothing, under orders not to intervene, till after one of them was assaulted. The victims were just Trump supporters, after all, so why bother protecting them?

We can thank attorney David Schleicher for the one mention of that riot in the Trib, in his June 7 column. His frequent columns as a member of the Board of Contributors, sarcastically directed exclusively at the expense of Republicans and, lately, Trump, are intended to be humorous. Who at the Trib, in inviting him to be a contributor, could have foreseen such single-minded partisanship from a former chairman of the McLennan County Democratic Party? The current chairman is also an invited Trib contributor. They are the real Democrat operatives with bylines. All others are professional journalists with partisan agendas.

Schleichers mention of the riot, among a facetious list of consequences of the Trump campaign, was this: There was an uptick in sales tax revenue in San Jose, California, from purchases of eggs, Mexican flags, matches and police tactical gear. Har! Har! Funny as a toothache and unprofessional to boot. Since when is public rioting with assault and battery a subject for attempted humor by anyone, especially an attorney?

Sammy McLarty of Waco is a retired veterans benefits claims examiner.
Bill Shorten has promised a Labor government would kick in $400 million to build a rail link from north west to south west Sydney, taking in the proposed new airport at Badgerys Creek.

The rail link means Sydneysiders would have a passenger rail network that enabled north-south rail travel across western Sydney as well as an outer orbital rail network, Mr Shorten said.

ALP candidate for Dobell Emma McBride, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and ALP candidate for Robertson Anne Charlton buy lamingtons during a visit to the Wyong District Netball Association on the NSW Central Coast. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The money would go to the New South Wales government to "get the project underway", Mr Shorten said

However, any rail link through the Badgerys Creek site would cost in the billions of dollars.
The low-key launch of the Palmer United Party's senate nomination launch in Brisbane could not have been more different from the raucous scenes just three years ago.

Instead of hundreds of supporters about 30 trickled through the door, and Clive Palmer himself lacked the gift of the gab that saw him and his party sweep onto the national political scene.

Clive Palmer poses for a group photo with his Party candidates including, Dio Wong, James MacDonald, Suellen Wrightson, Kevin Morgan, Catriona Thoolen and Kristian Rees during the Palmer United campaign in Brisbane. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

The famously brash businessman also refused to answer media questions, sticking to a heavily scripted speech.

Mr Palmer said PUP would regain the balance of power in the Senate.
An email inquiry sent via the site was answered within hours, but, in his reply, Mr Yabsley said he had not been involved in party fundraising since 2010 and "the Wentworth Forum has not operated since 2009". Mr Yabsley recently told the ABC's Four Corners that he had known of illegitimate fundraising by the Liberal Party, and called for root-and-branch reform. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Andrew Meares The Wentworth FEC  like the broader party itself  is an unincorporated entity, a structure not-for-profit experts say is risky for an organisation handling significant sums of money. They have no reporting obligations, cannot hold assets in their own name, cannot be sued and may not pay tax. Neither the Wentworth Forum nor Wentworth FEC make funding disclosures to the Australian Electoral Commission as an "associated entity", unlike many other fundraising bodies associated with current senior Liberal ministers. Former Liberal Party Treasurer Michael Yabsley (centre) arrives at Sydney's Independent Commission Against Corruption. Credit:Daniel Munoz

However, according to disclosures by donors to the NSW Electoral Commission, "Wentworth," "Wentworth FEC", "Malcolm Turnbull" or the postal address of Mr Turnbull's electorate office, received a number of political donations. Billionaire Harry Triguboff's Meriton Properties made $10,000 donations in 2013-14 and 2010-11, while fellow BRW Rich Listers Allan Moss (ex-Macquarie Bank) and Alan Rydge (Greater Union cinemas and the Thredbo ski resort) also kicked in during 2010-11. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull leaves Justin Hemmes' exclusive Liberal fundraiser in Vaucluse. Credit:Christopher Pearce Lobbyists Premier State Consulting (linked to Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios) and Advocacy Services Australia (which represents big infrastructure and tourism interests) also contributed in recent years. There is no way of knowing if these or other payments below the disclosure threshold made their way to an FEC initially via the Wentworth Forum. Donations above the threshold would be listed in the party's disclosures, with any links to the Prime Minister's electorate obscured.

Fairfax Media is not suggesting any wrongdoing by Mr Turnbull. Donations regime expert Joo-Cheong Tham said transparency in campaign funding is vital for public confidence in the political process. "This principle is undermined by fundraising organisations for candidates which have been allowed to operate with a high degree of secrecy. This is especially of concern with organisations which fundraise for senior politicians [such as] the Prime Minister," said Dr Tham, associate professor in law at the University of Melbourne. Mr Turnbull's Wentworth FEC is similarly opaque, but does show up in Liberal returns as a donor to other party divisions. In 2013-14, Wentworth donated $30,000 to the Victorian branch, $15,000 to Tasmania and $30,000 to Queensland's Liberal National Party. Again, there is no way of knowing the source of these funds.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said all donations made by the Wentworth FEC to other divisions have been to support marginal seats. "All donations have been fully disclosed and declared in accordance with relevant laws," he said. Governance expert at Monash University Ken Coghill said intra-party financial transfers defeat the very purpose of disclosure laws. At least $17.1 million came via Liberal-linked entities and intra-party transfers in 2013-14 and $19.9 million in 2010-11, a Fairfax Media analysis of the last two federal election years shows. Many are distributions of consolidated funds derived from public funding as well as donations and sponsorships. In election year 2013-14, for example, the federal division of the party transferred about $3 million (recorded as "other" receipts) to the NSW division for campaign-related costs.

But the NSW party disclosure also records a $50,000 "donation" from the federal division. The same year, the Wentworth FEC was distributing $75,000 in other states, about $170,000 was flowing into NSW from interstate Liberals. Experts say these transfers could potentially keep above-threshold donations at arm's length from an intended candidate and avoiding scrutiny by "laundering" it through another division's account. The Victorian fundraising entity Enterprise 500 donated $75,000 to NSW, and the Tasmanian Liberals $24,650. The Queensland-based Fadden FEC associated with sacked former Turnbull minister Stuart Robert  whose secretive fundraising entity is being examined by Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission  made a $20,000 donation to NSW. Entities linked to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's seat of Curtin kicked in $25,000 to the Queensland LNP and $50,000 to the NSW Liberals. The "Senator M Cormann Campaign Fund" donated $80,000 to the Federal division. Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass last year identified the loophole during her investigation into allegations of improper political donations at the state level. In her report, she noted even a summons for bank accounts didn't reveal the money's source.
It is a change that has a slow momentum internationally. It has been adopted in Austria, Norway and a handful of Latin American countries, and there is a live debate about it in Great Britain. Danai Harawa, 16, co-sponsored the petition. Credit:Wayne Taylor The most cited case by advocates for change is Scotland, which lowered the voting age for its independence referendum in 2014. After some initial scepticism, it was considered a significant success. Young Scots turned out for the voluntary poll in greater numbers than young adults. The experience in Scotland helped win over Professor David Coghill, who recently moved from the University of Dundee to Melbourne to become the Royal Children's Hospital developmental mental health chair. He says there is little argument on a developmental basis to exclude 16 and 17-year-olds and allowing 18-year-olds to vote. The cognitive skills used in decision making have made a big leap up by the time you reach 16, and continue to develop well into the 20s.

"If one was making the argument you need to be fully cognitively mature before making decisions that affect you or the country then actually we'd be raising the voting age, which clearly wouldn't be something anyone with any sense would be advocating," Coghill says. Those who back lowering the voting age have a readymade list of things teenagers are allowed to do before having a say in who runs the country. Depending on where they live, they include: work and pay tax, drive a car, fly a plane, get imprisoned in an adult jail, have a gun licence, join the military, have sex. They are also considered competent to make decisions about their bodies and health  to get the pill or an abortion, for example. Coghill says the latter is the most relevant comparison to voting. "These are choices where they need not just to think about the immediate future, but the longer-term future. They're very similar to choices we make when we vote," he says. University of NSW constitutional law Professor George Williams says there is also a good argument to start voting while people are still mostly in school, and have more stability in their lives. At 18, he says, they have left school and "are moving on in all sorts of different directions".

"If you twin civics education with the vote then that would be a powerful way of working those things together  here's how the system works and here's your chance to be a part of it," Williams says. What impact would including younger Australians have on the national vote? The common assumption is it would favour left-wing parties  the Greens, in particular, and possibly Labor. A recent survey by NSW organisation Youth Action, for example, recently suggested among those aged 17 to 25 who had already decided how they would vote, 44.6 per cent would support the Greens. But Australian National University political science Professor Ian McAllister says the evidence suggests the skew to the left is not as great as some think. In a study published in 2013, he estimated the introduction of compulsory voting for 16 and 17-year-olds could lift the total vote for the Greens and other minor parties and independents by just 0.2 per cent, and reduce the Coalition vote by a similar amount. Labor remained unchanged.

Williams agrees the impact of allowing younger Australians to vote may not be as some predict, pointing to a drift away from support for Australia becoming a republic and towards the monarchy among younger voters in recent years. Where the picture is a little clearer is on the issues that engage 16-year-olds. McAllister says the evidence suggests they are more interested in social issues  marriage equality, human rights for asylum seekers, and the environment  than the population at large. But they are also focused on jobs  as in, will they will be able to get one? McAllister's research found the case to cut the voting age was limited. He found little to support the claim that 16-year-olds are more engaged today than 18-year-olds were when the voting age was lowered from 21 in 1973. And he says allowing voluntary voting for parts of the population while it remains compulsory for the majority raises potential problems. For one, whether people vote in the first time they are allowed is a good indicator of whether they will at later elections. You risk sending the message it is ok not to vote. But McAllister says the debate is moving elsewhere, and will in Australia.

"I would have thought that in the next 10 or 15 years this will become a major issue here about electoral reform," he says. And political parties should beware. "They don't have platforms that are interesting to younger people," he says. "They would really have to do a bit to fundamentally revise their appeal." IN THEIR WORDS Spencer Davis, 15, Footscray City College

"A lot of older people see young people as inexperienced, but I feel like that vision is completely wrong. Young people are talking about the big issues and are putting forward coherent arguments. The issue I feel strongest about is youth representation, especially at a federal level. We don't have a peak voice that represents all students. We don't even have a minister for youth."

Danai Harawa, 16, Frankston High School "Sixteen is a milestone age in society and I feel like young people can be so powerful - we're a generation of game changers. I don't think that life experience should be a necessity for political engagement. A lot of political views are about passion, not just experience. My biggest passion is the refugee debate. I feel like it should be taken more seriously. We need to listen more and stop silencing people."

Liam MacGregor, 16, Kingswood College "A lot of parliamentary decision making doesn't factor in young people and our views are not reflected in Parliament as much as they could be. Sixteen and 17-year-olds have such a love of politics and should have the ability to influence political decisions. If the voting age was lowered I don't think it should be compulsory because, while many young people are engaged, others aren't and they should be given the opportunity to opt out."

Martin van Boxtel, 16, Mount Waverley Secondary College "I'm on the fence. I'm supportive of lowering the voting age because there are people who just turn 16 who can get their Ls, join the military and register as an organ donor. But I see the other side too; I think there are young people out there who wouldn't take it seriously. I personally don't want to vote in the upcoming election because I don't feel like I have enough knowledge in this area at the moment."

Feyla Anja, 16, Mount Waverley Secondary College "Politicians say they listen to us, but they don't. Sixteen-year-olds know what they want. We know where we stand on marriage equality, we have opinions on climate change policy, we care about university fees and student intake caps. Lowering the voting age to 16 is the next logical step.

We can already do so many things that young adults are allowed to do." Alex Taylor, 16, Mount Waverley Secondary College "Politics doesn't really interest me at the moment and I don't think the majority of 16-year-olds are politically engaged. I don't see the harm in lowering the voting age to 16 because it would be nice if the young people who do follow politics and are enthusiastic about it could have their say.

But I'm not really interested at voting at the moment." Neha Salahuddin, 16, Mount Waverley Secondary College "If 16-year-olds were given the option to vote they would be more engaged with their community and active in shaping the future of Australia. Politicians are out of touch with what is important to young people.

As a consequence, young people feel detached from policy making. I would like to have a say on climate change policy because it's our generation that is going to experience the consequences." Thomas Velican, 17, Nossal High School "We should have the option to vote if we wish to. We're already working and studying and I believe we have the maturity and critical thinking ability to vote on the issues that ultimately affect us.
The Liberal Party will embark on a pre-election fundraising blitz of Melbourne this week as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard dine with the city's business elite at private events across the city.

The Liberal Party's business fundraising arm, Enterprise Victoria, has scheduled the events as a final pre-election effort that is expected to add more than $500,000 to the party's coffers.

Enterprise Victoria will host a boardroom lunch in Melbourne with former PM Tony Abbott as guest speaker.

The fundraisers follow a series of scandals in NSW.

In March, the NSW division of the Liberal Party was prevented from getting access to $4.4 million in campaign funds after the NSW Electoral Commission found the party had breached electoral laws in the 2011 state election. It ruled the Free Enterprise Foundation was used by senior Liberal officials to mask the donations of property developers, who are banned from making political donations to campaigns in the state.
Her days were spent in classrooms studying the complexities of medical science. After dark, she was living a secret double life as a Sydney drug dealer and sex escort.

When NSW Police stopped a vehicle in Sydney's west, it unexpectedly triggered a bust in which a stash of drugs was found at the home of 19-year-old Western Sydney University biochemistry student Madeline Christine Sawyer.

Madeline Sawyer with her lawyers after pleading guilty to drug charges. Credit:Anthony Johnson

Among the cache was 28 capsules of MDMA powder, 15 resealable bags collectively containing 11 grams of cocaine and a further 11 individual, one gram bags of methamphetamine, better known as ice.

On Monday, Ms Sawyer will be sentenced in Campbelltown Local Court, having previously pleaded guilty to six supply and possession charges and a further count of dealing with suspected proceeds of crime.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jun. 19, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 19, 2016 | 02:48 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A Paducah man is facing DUI, drug and other charges after McCracken County Sheriff's Deputies were called to investigate a disturbance.



Deputies responded at around 3:34 am Sunday to a report of shots fired in the area of Bullard Street. While enroute, a deputy saw a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect's vehicle at the Five Star convenience store on John L. Puryear Drive near I-24 Exit 11. When deputies and Paducah Police Officers made contact with the driver, 20-year-old Christian Childress, of Paducah they reportedly found weapons in his vehicle.



Deputies said they learned that Childress had been involved in the incident on Bullard Street and was attempting to leave the area with a 16-year-old passenger. Childress also failed a field sobriety test, after showing signs of being intoxicated. As deputies were speaking with Childress, he reportedly dropped a small plastic baggy of methamphetamine on the ground. A K-9 unit also found marijuana, glass pipes with suspected meth residue and drug paraphernalia.



Childress was arrested and charged with DUI, 2nd degree wanton endangerment, 1st degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of drug Paraphernalia, and tampering with physical evidence.



The juvenile was cited for a curfew violation before a parent took responsibility of them. Deputies said they are still investigating the reported incident on Bullard Street.
Mammootty's Rorschach hits all the right notes, except in the end | Movie Review
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/06/2016 (2320 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Donald Trumps recent declaration of war against the Washington Post is reminiscent of another angry, thin-skinned Republican who launched a nasty crusade against the media: Richard Nixon.

Trumps Nixonian echo is hard to miss. Both men relished vendettas against the media and political establishments: Nixon viewed the press as the enemy. Trump calls it scum. And both professed to champion Americas silent majority, invoking an angry faux-populism to blame racial minorities for legitimate economic grievances.

Like Trump, Nixons battles with the media began long before his march to the White House. He, too, obsessively sought to manipulate the news coverage he desperately craved and wasnt afraid to use intimidation if he thought it would help. Nixons conduct in office presents a chilling example of what a Trump could do as president.

CHARLES TASNADI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Above: Richard Nixon at a White House news conference in March 1973. The U.S. president considered the news media the enemy.

Nixons sense of grievance was genuine, going back to his narrow defeat in 1960 by John F. Kennedy and his self-pitying vow two years later, You wont have Nixon to kick around anymore.

To his surprise, Nixons attack on the press tapped into growing right-wing fury at media elites. It proved to be not his valedictory but the opening salvo of his successful comeback in 1968.

Other conservative politicians of the era  George Wallace, Barry Goldwater  similarly discovered they could win votes by attacking the press.

The tactic would become known as working the refs, and it would become an effective political staple ever after  including Sarah Palins denunciation of the lamestream media and Trumps ban of dishonest reporters from campaign rallies.

Nixon understood this better than anyone. If we treat the press with a little more contempt, he told his staff, well probably get better treatment.

Indeed, Nixon did more to try to undermine the news media as an institution than any president in history. Just a few months after his election, he dispatched vice-president Spiro Agnew to launch a public assault on the small and unelected elite of journalists who held a concentration of power over American public opinion unknown in history. Nixon publicly said he hadnt heard Agnews speech. In fact, he had privately approved it word for word ahead of time, chortling that it really flicks the scab off.

In addition, Nixon invited top broadcast executives to the White House and told them, Your reporters just cant stand the fact that I am in this office.

Press secretary Ronald Ziegler declared all of the TV networks were anti-Nixon and would pay for that, sooner or later, one way or another. Another top adviser, Charles Colson, told the head of CBS News Nixons administration would bring you to your knees and break your network.

The president acted on his threats. Six weeks after Agnews public attacks, a business partner of Nixons best friend filed paperwork with the government to challenge the Posts ownership of its lucrative Florida TV station. The Post should be given damnable, damnable problems getting its FCC licences renewed, Nixon told his staff. There aint going to be no forgetting, and therell be goddamn little forgiving.

The president also instructed aides to screw the Post by inciting shareholders to go after publisher Katharine Graham by targeting the Posts real estate investments.

Furthermore, Nixons otherwise pro-business Justice Department filed antitrust charges against the three television networks, accusing them of monopolistic practices. Federal prosecutors drafted legislation to make it a felony for journalists to receive unauthorized leaks.

More ominously, Nixon approved illegal wiretaps on reporters who criticized the administration.

RICKY CARIOTI / WASHINGTON POST FILES Left: Donald Trumps hostility toward the media may be contrived.

Would a President Trump behave likewise? He has already suggested he would like to change libel laws so when news organizations publish a hit piece that is purposely negative and horrible and false were going to sue you like youve never been sued before.

Still, Trumps animosity toward the press  like so much of his act  may be more contrived than real. After all, he is in many respects a media creation, built up by nearly US$2 billion in free publicity that helped him shock the political establishment by vanquishing 16 GOP opponents in less than a year.

In part, Trump can thank Fox News  and Nixon. Despite its skirmishes with Trump, Fox News spent years helping the casino magnate transition to politics by giving him a national platform to opine on public affairs. And it was Nixon who, decades earlier, suggested creating a TV network such as Fox News to provide conservative news programming. It would take another quarter-century before Nixons former campaign aide, Roger Ailes, could make good on his bosss dream.

The parallels between Nixon and Trump shouldnt be overstated. Nixon almost always presented a respectable facade, while billionaire Trump, unburdened by bourgeois niceties, is accustomed to getting his way without annoying distractions such as political compromise.

Whether Trump would be more dangerous than Nixon, or less, is as impossible to know as whether Trump is genuinely committed to his outrageous political stands; perhaps his views are simply cynical and expedient manipulations, the extreme opening bids of a professional negotiator whose only real goal is producing a workable deal.

But if history has taught us anything, it is that we ignore would-be authoritarians at our peril. When it comes to the media, Trump is Nixons echo  and, perhaps, Nixons revenge.

Mark Feldstein, Eaton chair of broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland, is the author of Poisoning the Press: Richard Nixon, Jack Anderson, and the Rise of Washingtons Scandal Culture.

 Washington Post
Winonas annual BK5K Road Race took place on a humid and sunny Saturday Morning at Lake Park Lodge, where nearly 750 people participated.

The Winona Senior High School band marched up and began playing songs as race participants were stretching, warming up and hydrating before the race began.

Jeremy Johnson, race coordinator, said this years race raised about $180,000 for non-profit youth organizations. The money will go to various schools and churches, and organizations like Boy Scouts of America and the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Theres probably about 20 different youth groups that will be getting some of the money, Johnson said.

The BK5K is a race held in honor of Bob Kierlin, founder of Fastenal, who is a lifelong supporter of Winona youth programs and organizations. Winners of the race can donate their cash awards to a certain youth program/organization in exchange for a commemorative certificate.

Erik Mayr of Roseville said he has participated in the race for years. Hes a longtime friend of Kierlin  they met about 23 years ago and are both graduates from the University of Minnesota. He runs the race with his two sons, Chris and Matt, and his late mother would also participate in the race.

She won the race for her age group doing the walking part years back, Mayr said. It was sort of like a lifetime achievement for her.

He said the race is for a good cause and getting to know Bob over the years has been a blessing.

Eric Bartleson of Winona ran the race Saturday morning with his daughter Jen Swanson of Lake City. Bartleson said hes been participating in the race for many years and this year he was able to get his daughter to join him.

We both run a lot of (5Ks), Swanson said. The last one we did was the River Run in Iowa City in May.

Bartleson said he enjoys running this race because of the money it raises for youth organizations, and Winona is a great place to run.

The path around the lake is wonderful, its a beautiful place to run, he said.

There was a 1K and 5K race with several different age groups. The 1K race goes around Veterans Memorial Park and the 5K goes around around Veterans Memorial Park twice, up Lake Street just past Sioux Street, then back around down Lake Lodge Drive.
I have been a resident of the Arches near Farmers Park for 30 years. My family had always enjoyed pristine well water until 2008-09, when the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources completed the Hwy. 14 improvement project.

A part of this project included blasting so that the side of the bluff could be removed. Every blast created reverberations through the valley and in our home. When we called the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with concerns about our well, we were told it was not their jurisdiction. When the DNR was contacted, they said there would be no effect to area wells. During the project, sand and other particles started to show up in our water, and we now need to filter our water. Coincidence? Not likely.

According to a report distributed by Wisconsin DNR in January 2012 titled Silica Sand Mining in Wisconsin, blasting at frac sand mines may be conducted as frequently as every day. One of the proposed frac sand mines in Winona County located in Warren Township is about a quarter-mile from my neighborhood, atop a bluff. This is deeply concerning and is not an environment we should be subject to live in.

Winona County commissioners need to be proactive, take action now, and ban any additional mining, handling or processing of frac sand in the county.




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Gov. Gina Raimondo sits with Commissioner of Education Ken Wagner and state Board of Education member Joyce Steveos as a Rockwell student, Ali Meehan, far left, introduces the governor to the gathering.
Airick Clifft

By: Wayne Morin

(Scroll down for video) A man stormed a Walmart in Tennessee, and stabbed his wife while she was working at the store.

Authorities in Wayne County, said that 26-year-old Airick Clifft, entered the Walmart in Hohenwald, at about 12:45 a.m. on Friday.

He had a 4 to 5-inch knife and attacked his estranged wife, stabbing her at least four times in the chest and neck.

The womanas coworkers came to her aid and pulled Clifft away from her.

The employees then held Clifft down while waiting for police. However, to everyones surprise, Clifft managed to get a hold of a box cutter and he began cutting himself with it.

People wrestled the box cutter away from him to stop him from hurting himself or others.

The woman was rushed to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Clifft was taken to Maury Regional Hospital, with minor injuries.

He was then taken into custody by police. He was booked into the Maury County jail on charges of attempted murder.
Gay flag (illustration)

By: Mahesh Sarin

Two men of Kenya, sued a police department for forcing them to undergo an exam to see if they had engaged in gay sex as it is against the law.

The two men had sought a court order to stop the forced anal examinations and HIV testing of men accused of being gay after they were forcefully subjected to the tests.

The two men were arrested in a bar near Ukunda, on suspicion of being homosexual. The men were arrested and forced to undergo the humiliating exams.

After it was determined that they broke the law by having had engaged in sex acts with each other, they were arrested and they now face 14 years in prison if convicted.

In their petition, the men said that being forced to undergo anal examinations, HIV and hepatitis B tests amounted to torture and degrading treatment.

The judge said that the defendants could have used their lawyers to obtain injunctions to prevent the testing.

However, Mombasa High Court Judge Mathew Emukule ruled that there was no violation of rights or the law.

aI find no violation of human dignity, right to privacy and right to freedom of the petitioners,a he said.

Eric Gitari, the executive director of the Kenyan National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, is angry over the ruling.

aIts so painful when we are trying to encourage the gay community to go to court to affirm their rights, the courts are instead affirming violation of their rights,a Gitari said.

Gitari explained that the courtas ruling means that anyone can be arrested on a rumor that they are gay and subjected to these tests on taxpayeras money.

The men said that they will appeal the verdict.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Free Workshops to Celebrate Achievements & Promote Benefits of Youth Work

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jun 19th, 2016

A series of workshops providing information on youth work and how people can get involved working with young people, will be held next week.

The free workshops will be held at Wrexham Glyndwr University to coincide with Youth Work Week in Wales.

Representatives from the universitys Youth and Community team and professionals in the field are offering free development opportunities throughout the week, running between June 23rd and June 30th.

During Youth Work Week in Wales the Welsh Government initiative aims to provide youth workers and young people with the opportunity to celebrate the achievements and impacts of youth work.

Jess Achilleos, lecturer on the Youth and Community Programme, said: Wrexham Glyndwr University is the home of youth work Wales, with more than 37 years experience of delivering youth work education at its site in Wrexham.

It is therefore fitting that we draw on our expertise and contacts to support Youth Work Week and share the good practice that is happening across the region.

The series of training events will be open to youth workers and other professionals who work with young people and students. Those interested in finding out more about working with young people are also welcome to attend the event.

Youth Work Week also aims to promote a wider understanding and support for youth work and promoting the benefits of youth work.

Participants can choose from workshops on working with LGBT young people, tackling legal highs, bid writing, working creatively with young people and working with young people at risk of radicalisation.

Jess added: Unfortunately it is difficult time for youth and community work, both locally and nationally and this is a real opportunity to celebrate and promote youth work; the benefits that it has for young people and also opportunities for youth work education here at Wrexham Glyndwr University.

The university will host a series of free workshops held each day 10am-12noon on campus, including:- youth work practice in relation to LGBT young people; prevent agenda; an introduction to bid writing; working therapeutically with vulnerable young people and developing social enterprises to create opportunities and income and how to tackle former legal highs and volatile substance abuse.

The week will culminate with a celebration event to round up the week on June 30, 12-3pm.

You can book your place on the training events via Eventbrite or for more information you can email j.achilleos@glyndwr.ac.uk

Further information about Wrexham Glyndwr Universitys undergraduate Youth and Community Work courses can be found here.
Recruitment Events For Retained Firefighters Held in Wrexham

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jun 19th, 2016

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service are holding two recruitments events for those interested in becoming Retained Duty System Firefighters in the Wrexham area next week.

The two open evenings come as part of North Wales Fire and Rescue Services second phase of a recruitment campaign for Retained Duty System (RDS) firefighters to help protect communities across the region.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is looking to recruit RDS firefighters at a number of areas and is keen to hear from enthusiastic individuals interested in working as on-call firefighters at their local fire station.

Explaining the role of RDS firefighters, Ruth Simmons, Assistant Chief Fire Officer said: RDS firefighters provide essential fire and emergency cover for their fire stations area. We are looking for suitable individuals, in particular those available during the day, who can travel to their local fire station within five minutes of being paged for a call out. This second phase of our campaign will provide an opportunity for those who missed out on the first phase to apply again.

Our RDS firefighters represent a diverse range of people who may be builders, shopkeepers, nurses, factory workers, stay-at-home parents or homeworkers during working hours but we would ask that, in addition, they are available to attend emergency incidents as and when required.

Firefighters are fully trained, highly skilled personnel, saving lives and property from fire. RDS firefighters provide expertise at road, rail and aircraft accidents, chemical spillages, flooding, forest, heathland and mountain fires and agricultural accidents.

We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, physically fit and can demonstrate common sense, commitment and dedication  and we are keen to recruit those who represent the diverse community that we serve.

We provide close-knit, highly trained teams working with modern, hi-tech equipment. Recruits will also take part in the fire prevention work we carry out to prevent fires happening in our community.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is keen to hear from interested individuals from across the whole of the North Wales region  although the second phase of the campaign will focus on fire stations at Aberdyfi, Abersoch, Barmouth, Beaumaris, Conwy, Corwen, Flint, Holyhead, Johnstown, Menai Bridge, Mold, Nefyn, Rhosneigr, St Asaph, Tywyn and Wrexham.

To find out more  the fire and rescue service is holding a series of open evenings at the following stations on the dates below;

21st June  St Asaph, Flint, Wrexham, Johnstown

22nd June  Conwy

23rd June  Aberdyfi, Tywyn (at Tywyn Fire Station)

27th June  Corwen, Mold, Menai Bridge

28th June  Abersoch, Nefyn

29th June  Holyhead, Beaumaris, Rhosneigr

30th June  Barmouth

The following Positive Action Days will take place to encourage applications from underrepresented groups within the Service, specifically; females, black and ethnic minorities and those from the LGBT community.

15 July  Rhyl Training Centre

19 July  Dolgellau Training Centre

Spaces are limited so advance booking is required  contact Chelsey Hughes on 01745 535278 / chelsey.hughes@nwales-fireservice.org.uk.

For more details on opportunities for a career as a RDS firefighter in stations across North Wales, and details about open evenings and positive action events please visit our website www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. They must possess a good standard of physical fitness and have the ability to pass aptitude tests. In addition to their monthly retaining fees, payments are made for turnouts, attendance and drill nights.

If you require more information please contact North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on 01745 535250 or HRDesk@nwales-fireservice.org.uk.
On Friday, United States officials issued contemptuous dismissals of protests by the Russian government over the presence of American naval forces in the Black Sea, which were prompted by the sustained presence of the USS Porter in Black Sea waters.

Russian Official Andrei Kelin had criticized the US patrol, calling it destabilizing and insisting, This is not a NATO area.

The incident was immediately seized on by the US high command as an occasion for new humiliations against Moscow. US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus contemptuously brushed aside the Russian grievances, without even pretending to care about the possible violations of international law by the US vessel.

Were going to be there, Mabus said, adding, Were going to deter. Thats the main reason were thereto deter potential aggression."

Under the Montreux Convention, the navies of non-Black Sea states can remain in Black Sea waters for a maximum of twenty-one days at a time. The US and NATO claim to abide by the convention, but in practice Western naval forces patrol the strategic waters virtually at will.

The deliberately provocative response of the American military is a sharp expression of the historic tensions being generated by the drive of American and European imperialism, as they seek to encircle and wage war against Russia.

Days ago, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced plans to develop a more permanent naval presence in the Black Sea. The Black Sea NATO intervention is planned as one element in a comprehensive expansion of NATO operations. The NATO enhancements, to be formally approved at the Warsaw summit in July, are likely to include military interventions across far-flung sections of Eurasia and Africa, from Nigeria to Afghanistan.

Russian foreign officials had already denounced the NATO escalation, and registered outrage over the Black Sea mission in particular. The NATO escalation directly infringes on our legitimate security interests" and "won't be left unanswered, Russian official Alexander Grushko said in response to the NATO announcements.

Those measures significantly erode the quality of regional security, in fact turning central and eastern Europe into an arena of military confrontation, Grushko said.

The US-NATO military encroachments into the Black Sea are justified to the public in the name of preventing Russian control over the region and countering Russian aggression in Europe. Russias control over Crimea, the predictable outcome of the February 2014 US-backed putsch in Kiev, is claimed to give Moscow a dominant position in the inland sea.

In reality, the Black Sea is already squarely in the grip of the imperialist powers. An array of US and NATO military detachments routinely patrol in and around the Black Sea. The seas only entrance, through the Dardanelles, is firmly in the hands of NATO member Turkey. This week, the alliance announced a new ground force tasked with patrolling the Black Sea coastline, a so-called framework brigade to be led by Romanian forces.

Washington has been aggressively building up its military capacity around the Black Sea for years. Since 2010, the US Black Sea Rotational Force has organized continuous operations in the region, working with Romanian, Georgian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian militaries out of Romanias Airbase Mihail Kogalniceanu. The US Black Sea Force has steadily expanded and now includes more than 500 US Marines and a Combined Arms Company, complete with battle tanks.

In April, Washington reinforced its Black Sea presence with a squadron of F-22s, the Pentagons most advanced war plane.

Rather than countering supposed Russian aggression, the breakneck pace of militarization of the Black Sea is rooted in objective economic and political processes, which are driving the US and European powers into a ferocious struggle for control of the Eurasian landmass.

American government planners have been increasingly fixated on the Black Sea since the dissolution of the Soviet Union cleared the way for renewed imperialist intervention. Numerous strategy papers make clear that Washington and its NATO allies have understood for years that the Black Sea is an indispensable naval launching pad for projecting power against Russia, against the Balkans, and across the Caucasus into Central Asia.

The Black Sea is the perfect platform through which to project military power into the very heart of Russia, the think tank Stratfor wrote in The Black Sea: A Net Assessment.

From positions in the Black Sea, NATO can strike rapidly against the Russian capital city and simultaneously cut off energy supplies to Russias military by seizing Russias oil production centers in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Stratfor wrote.

If a naval operation were to project power from the Black Sea toward the Don River corridor between Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd (better known by its former name, Stalingrad), Moscow would be cut off from the Russian Caucasus and the region's immense energy resources, the think tank noted.

Beyond its value for invading and conquering Russia, the Black Sea is central to broader efforts of the American ruling class to defend its hegemony through further wars against China, Iran and any other powers the US sees as being in its way.

As the Heritage Foundation noted in US Strategy in the Black Sea Region: The Black Sea region is an important platform for military, reconstruction, and stabilization operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and possibly Iran, as well as for the protection of energy shipping lanes between the Caspian region and Western markets.

The Black Sea and its environs host some of Eurasias decisive commercial throughways, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines, which are critical for the daily flow of huge quantities of energy and other commodities from the Caucasus into European markets.

During the Soviet era, all energy transit routes led from the oil and gas fields of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation, Heritage writes. Russia has turned a generous profit as the middleman between cheap Central Asian oil and gas and energy hungry economies in the West. By selling Central Asian oil and gas at a premium abroad, Russia has earned windfall profits.

At the most basic level, the Black Sea is a resource goldmine, with massive untapped oil reserves embedded in the sea floor and a surrounding Black Sea Basin that is replete with natural gas.

With the discovery of rich hydrocarbon resources in the Caspian Sea basin, the geopolitical importance of the wider Black Sea region, as a transportation corridor for oil and gas from Central Asia to markets and because of its reserves, has increased. Many analysts consider the Black Sea and the Caspian region as the third source of oil and gas in the world after the Persian Gulf and Western Siberia, noted a report by Turkeys Ministry of Foreign Affairs titled The New Geopolitical Order in the BSEC Region.

After the dissolution of the USSR, with the emergence of the newly independent states at the shores of the Black Sea, this region was rediscovered by Western powers, the report states. The wider Black Sea region, stretching from southeastern Europe into the western shores of the Caspian Sea, has moved from the periphery to the center of the attention of world politics. The regions geostrategic position as a natural link between Europe and Asia and between Central Asia and the Middle East constitutes a vital trade link as well as an important transit route for energy.

Inherited from the USSR, Russias control over the trans-Eurasian commercial nexus, centered on the Black Sea, is incompatible with the designs of Washington and its allies, who are seeking to impose direct administration by Western capital over the entire Eurasian economy, large sections of which were inaccessible to finance capital during much of the 20th century due to the Russian and Chinese Revolutions.

The Black Sea region, together with all of Eurasias main strategic centersthe Persian Gulf, the Caucasus, Central Asia, etc.faces new rounds of predatory intervention by the capitalist cliques in Washington, New York, London and Brussels. While American imperialism plays the leading role, all of the former colonial powers in Europe are intent on sticking their hands into the fleshpots of Eurasia. This new imperialist partition of the globe is dragging mankind toward catastrophe.
MIDWAY, Fl. (WTXL) -- Tropical Depression Four has formed as of 5pm ET. The depression currently has winds sustained at 35 mph moving west toward Mexico. This depression is not a threat to our region, but it is a heavy rain threat for eastern Mexico. Landslides and flooding are major hazards with the depression as it is forecast to make landfall Monday. The storm has a possibility to become Tropical Storm Danielle.

More updates will be available shortly.
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Sunnyside High School science teacher Joyce Stark helps senior Fernando Castillochoose a science fair project earlier this year. Stark, the 2015 regional teacher of the year for Educational Service District 105, says "I wanted to teach science as a scientist would." (ERICA LINDE/Sunnyside High School)
The government approved on Sunday a massive financial package of 72 million shekels for settlements during its weekly meeting.

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While the budget is largely being justified on security-related grounds, an examination of where the money will be directed shows that a large proportion is intended for fields which are not related to security matters.

The program will assign the Interior Ministry a one-time grant of NIS 15 million to local authorities in settlements in light of the expenses arising from the security situation in the region.

Ma'ale Adumim (Photo: Reuters)

As part of the program the Interior Ministry will allocate 15 million shekels to the local authorities of the settlements in light of the outgoings which have come from the situation in the area. The Ministry of Agriculture will undertake efforts to convert temporary structures into permanent and renovated buildings for the public to strengthen security. The sum allocated for this will be NIS 10 million.

Furthermore, money will be allocated toward funding resilience centers in order to strengthen the preparedness of communities in the West Bank for emergencies and to support psychological and social programs. The investment will total 12 million shekels over the course of 3 years. Additionally, the Ministry of Social Affairs will increase its activities in the West Bank at a cost of 6 million shekels.

The Ministry of Social Equality will also be strengthened in many fields by providing further support for elderly citizens, the promotion of social engagement among young people for the community, the propomtion of volunteer work, female empowerment - all at the cost of 2 million shekels.

Similarly, the Education Ministry will enable local authorities to provide social care for youths in security risks and will be allocated 6 million shekels to do so. The government will also instruct the ministry of internal security to implement unique programs designed to prevent violence among youths which will receive 1.5 million shekels.

Part of the budget belonging to the the Science Ministry will be contributed to the settlements in an effort to promote science in the community by way of science courses, science camps and by making science more accessible to the public in general - a venture which will receive one million shekels.

The agency for small and medium-sized businesses in the Economics Ministry will assist businesses in the region by increasing state guarantees to 85 percent. To this end, 2 million shekels will be allocated to the state guarantee fund.

Perhaps most strikingly, the Ministry of Tourism will allocate 5.5 million shekels for the developments of public tourism infrastructure in the area.

Furthemore, for the first time, support was pledged for a budget which would be directed toward the construction of hotels and motels in major tourist centers in the West Bank. After many year in which the government failed in its attempts to create a budget for the building of hotels in the region, the government approved a proposal put forth by Tourist Minister Yariv Levins to grant 20 percent of the costs for erecting hotels in the area.

The assistance program will augment other similar programs which the government decided upon during the last year which cost millions of shekels. MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union) said on Saturday, This is simply an outrageous decision. At a time when people are marching in Jerusalem because of government malpractice, it decides to pour tens of millions of shekels into the settlements. When will this government start caring about the periphery which is being left behind?

Finally, the money will not only go on the settlements.The government will approve the transfer of 155 million shekels - 80 million this year and 75 million next year - for Haredi people which was agreed to during the coalition talks. The Ministry of Finance has said that the entire sum of money is earmarked for Haredi Yeshivas.
Following the Prime Minister's Office's (PMO) denial that Netanyahu said that the Magach tank seized by Syrian troops during the first Lebanon War in 1982, which was returned to Israel from Russia, was the one from which three IDF soldiers were abducted, the sister of one of the abducted soldiers claims that she has the PM on tape stating otherwise

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Prachyah Hyman, sister of Yehuda Katz, one of the three missing soldiers - along with Zacharia Baumel and Tzvi Feldman - was interviewed on Channel 10s Friday morning program during which she claimed that she is in possession of recorded conversations proving she was told that this was the particular tank from which the soldiers were abducted.

On Saturday she refused to disclose the exact content of the recordings, saying only that "regarding every action, including the use or non-use of the tapes, I consult with my other brother and my family as well as with my attorney. I will do whatever it takes to bring Yehuda home".

Magach tank returned from Russia to Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally received the IDF Magach-3 tank captured by Syria during his state visit to Russia on June 8. The tank was seized during the battle of Sultan Yacoub on June 11, 1982, in which 30 IDF soldiers were killed and another three, who manned the captured tank, went missing.

During the interview, Hyman said she knew that the tank returned to Israel wasnt her brothers. "I received the number of the tank from Russia when the Prime Minister was there, and I compared it with the vehicle identification number which I have. I realized that it's not the same tank," she said.

Prachyah Hyman

She claims the IDF was aware of the false inforation surrounding the tank and expressed her anger at receiving a message stating that it was her brothers tank. Why keep me on edge with an announcement saying that its my brothers tank? The Prime Minister did call me and say the tank of the abducted soldiers is returning. I can't describe this as anything else other than Russian roulette which a bereaved brother - in this case the Prime Minister - played with the sister of a missing soldier.

During the programs broadcast, the PMO delivered its own reactions to the matter: Out of respect for the families of the missing persons, Netanyahu personally briefed Prachyah Katz and the representatives of the Baumel and Feldman families an hour before issuing the announcement on the tanks return," the statement said. "The Prime Ministers spokespersons' announcement said the tank was from the Sultan Yacoub battle but it has not been determined whether it belonged to the abducted individuals. To this Hyman responded, I have recorded conversations.
Donald Trump told Britons on Sunday he supported Brexit, repeating just days before the vote on June 23 that he thinks the UK would be better off outside the European Union.

As the campaign to decide Britain's EU membership restarted after a three-day hiatus following the killing of lawmaker Jo Cox, Trump, the presumptive Republican US presidential candidate, said in a newspaper interview he was backing an "out" vote.

"I would personally be more inclined to leave, for a lot of reasons like having a lot less bureaucracy," he told the Sunday Times. "But I am not a British citizen. This is just my opinion."
Channel 10s news anchorwoman Oshrat Kotler caused controversy on Friday night after stating, during a program in which a settler had just finished singing a song, that he knows how to sing, to compose, and direct, there is no doubt that he is a sane settler. It seems that those types do exist, even from Yitzhar (a settlement in the northern West Bank).

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Kotler later apologized on the programs Facebook page stating, At the end of the report I decided to compliment Ezri Tovi, who sings well in my opinion, and I mentioned that it is good to know that there are sane settlers, in quotes, even in settlements such as Yitzhar.

Oshrat Kotler (Photo: Asaf Lev)

"My intention was obviously to commend Tovis moderation, and that of many others like him, and I regret that my spontaneous wording was not successful and did not correspond with what I meant to say." Kotler added that she apologizes if she was not understood properly. "I certainly do not think that the settler community is insane, period.

In light of the offense aroused by Kotler's comments, channel 10 said, "Channel 10s CEO immediately had a talk with Oshrat Kotler, who apologized for the way she expressed herself. Kotler made it clear that she intended to support the moderate voices coming from the residents of Yitzhar. She will clarify this officially on next weeks program.
A 12-year-old Jewish boy studying in a school in Rennes-le-Chateau, south of Brussels, claims to have been the victim of an anti-Semitic attack by three fellow students, in what his mother has described as a gas attack in showers.

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The Jewish boys mother filed a complaint last Thursday to the local police which is currently investigating the claims. The school itself also opened an internal investigation. According to the individual responsible for the investigation at the municipality of Rennes-le-Chateau, it was still not possible to determine the veracity of the charges leveled by the pupil. He also said that the city municipality is considering turning to an outside official in order to conduct the investigation.

The pupils mother has been quoted in the Belgian media saying that her son told her about the trauma which he underwent in elementary school. The boy complained about verbal and physical attacks which included obscenities, anti-Semitic jokes and punches which continued for between one and two years. Three pupils, one of whom is the son of one of the teachers, are responsible for the alleged attack.

According to the mother, the systematic abuse began in 2015 when her son told her that he had been gassed in the showers when the bullies sprayed him with deodorant and beat him with mops on his hands and on his back. The boy claimed that he had repeatedly informed one of the school teachers of the abuse for two years but its significance was downplayed. My son will leave the school soon. It is important that the teachers take his complaints seriously, she said.

Photo: Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism

The Belgian newspapers have reported that the case caused concern throughout the city, in the school, and in the city and municipality.

School officials claimed that they were aware that there was fighting between the children but they were unaware of any kind of anti-Semitic dimension. The three children, who were suspected of committing the anti-Semitic attack, denied the claims and even said that they joked with the Jewish boy and that they played games to see who could last the longest under while being sprayed with deodorant.

President of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism (BLAA), Joel Rubinfeld, said that he collected testimony from the students who said that they spoke about Hitler in the school. Moreover, Rubinfeld claimed that the testimonies corroborated that the same Jewish student was indeed assaulted. I am concerned by the increase is such incidents in schools in Brussels and the general area, he said. He further expressed his dismay that the municipality and the school did not do enough to handle the matter.

Israels ambassador to Belgium, Simon Frankel, commented on the issue: The Israeli embassy is not familiar with the facts and will follow the case together with the BLAA.
Renowned American startup advisor Alan Landau Weinkranz was killed when a driver crashed his car into the Furama Chinese restaurant on Saturday night.

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Menashe Raz, 47, was also killed in the crash, as well as the vehicles driver, a 41-year-old man who had lost control of the wheel after suffering a heart attack. Two other people were moderately injured, and five more were lightly injured.

Weinkrantz was the president of Alan Weinkrantz and Company, and wasconsidered a social media and public relations wizard. He was instrumental in connecting Israeli and US hi tech firms.

He was in Israel on a business trip and had gone out for dinner when he was killed in the accident.

Weinkranzs two children were given the news the day before Fathers Day. His daughter Lauren wrote on her Facebook page that she lost her best friend, and urged people to tell their fathers they love them.

The site of the car crash (Photo: Yaron Brenner)

After hearing the bad news, friends, family and colleagues to Weinkranz began filling up his Facebook page with obituaries. Dozens of people from Israel and abroad wrote about their relationship with him and shared pictures from private and social gatherings. One friend described Weinkranz as an ambassador to Israels startup community.

Weinkranzs close friend Miriam Schwab talked about their relationship, saying, We met seven years ago and were pretty close. We would see each other whenever possible, during his visits to Israel. He was just a kind-hearted, honest, decent man with a positive attitude. He was always looking to help out.

Schwab added that she had sat down with Weinkranz last week, after he came to Jerusalem to give a lecture to startup companies. I had heard about the horrible crash last night, as I was going to bed, but I didnt think I would know anyone involved. In the morning, I found out on Facebook. I was shocked, and responded to someones status saying that it wasnt real, it wasnt true.

Over the last few years, Weinkranz had traveled extensively to Israel and met with many events held by the local startup community. Its so sad to think of startup conventions without one of the most likeable, energetic, colorful and professional characters in the field, said another friend of his, adding that Its always hard to receive this sort of news about someone you know and love, but when its someone who is known by his smile and outreached hand, its even more depressing.
Turkish border guards killed at least 11 Syrians, mostly from a single family, as they tried to cross into Turkey from northwestern Syria, activists and a monitoring group said on Sunday.

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At least two women and four children were among those killed in the shootings overnight as the refugees sought to cross into Turkey from the border village of Khirbet al Jouz, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Several activists in the area backed up the report.

The monitor, which tracks violence across Syria, said it had documented the deaths of nearly sixty civilians while trying to flee from Syria since the start of the year in shooting incidents by Turkish border guards.

Syrian ferugees crossing over into Turkey. (Archive photo: Getty Images)

Turkish military officials denied the reports.

"Claims that Turkish soldiers killed nine people that were trying to cross the border in Hatay province ... are not true. Last night there was an attempt to cross the border illegally but no shots were fired directly on people," a Turkish military statement said.

"After warning shots, a group of seven to eight people ran toward the woods," it said.

Turkey, a major sponsor of groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has mostly closed its borders to Syrian refugees, but admits Syrians whose lives are under imminent threat.

It is also hosting some 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees, about 280,000 of whom live in camps.

Rockets launched from Syrian territory controlled by Islamic State militants have regularly struck Turkish border towns and have killed at least 20 people in recent months.

Humanitarian bodies have urged Turkey to reopen its borders to admit Syrians fleeing the conflict.
The man who returned to our lives last weekend, Ehud Barak, definitely doesn't have Alzheimer's. But neither do we. We haven't forgotten that even with all his pointed criticism of Netanyahu, he was also at one point a high ranking official in Netanyahu's government little more than three years ago.

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And not just any government official  he was the defense minister. To keep his title, he divided the labor party so drastically that its effects are still felt in the opposition to this day.

We havent forgotten that "there is no partner" (after the collapse of the Camp David peace talks with the Palestinians), the "old woman in the hallway" (regarding overcrowding of hospitals during Barak's term as prime minister), and the dawn of a new day which was supposed to shine upon us. We haven't forgotten how, with his own hands, he annihilated all of the hope which he gave us.

Ehud Barak speaks at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center conference (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Yet here Barak is again  like a casual tourist, a momentary guest, an occasional commentator; one that really doesn't have much to say, and one who no one really talks to.

He is arrogant, full of confidence, gives interviews with his nose in the air, and enjoys every moment he's in the spotlight.

What can we do? We're superficial people, and we tend to focus on the symptoms rather than the disease. How can we take the remarks he made the conference in Herzliya seriously, or his comments on Channel 2 seriously, without taking into account the fact that he looks like such a hipster. He comes as a preacher and a prophet of doom who comes into our living rooms to warn us, to squeeze us from our chairs, to rile us up into a popular revolt.

However, all of this must be said to highlight the fact that despite all of this, he is right. His appearance at the conference was outrageous, but what he said was true. It doesn't really matter if what he said is an experiment or another way for him to manipulate the public or see how desperate we are.

We also can't forget that what Barak said joins a long line of detractors who have had exposure to Netanyahu. The general feeling amongst the Israeli public is that enough is enough, and that something bad is going to happen, and that we need to come to our senses. We need to save the country. Barak is perhaps one of the last people who understands the depth of the danger posed by Netanyahu.

We must separate the man from his personality  separate between what we think about Barak and what he says.

If only it wasn't Barak who said all of these things, but people from inside the Netanyahu government, like with the horrific stories which we are hearing about the deeds of his family. Yet it seems this won't happen, or it will only happen when Netanyahu is lying on the ground bleeding.

But at the end of the day, its good that one of the gatekeepers who was appointed to protect us finally rose up and said what needs to be said. Even if it is Ehud Barak.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States should consider more racial profiling in law enforcement, after urging harsher policies following last week's mass shooting in Orlando.

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"I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump said when asked on CBS whether he supported more profiling of Muslims in America.

"You look at Israel and you look at others, and they do it and they do it successfully. And you know, I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to start using common sense," he added.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has drawn criticism from many in his party for his comments on American Muslims after the Orlando attack, in which a US born Muslim man killed 49 people at a gay nightclub.

Trump. "You look at Israel and you look at others, and they do it and they do it successfully." (Photo: AP)

Trump also reiterated his support for more scrutiny of mosques, saying that could resemble a controversial New York City surveillance program that has been shut down.

"If you go to France right now, they're doing it in France. In fact, in some instances they're closing down mosques."

Police in France closed some mosques shortly after gunmen aligned with ISIS militants killed 130 people in Paris in a series of attacks on Nov. 13, 2015.

The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, expressed support for ISIS, but officials believe he was "self-radicalized".

Trump has drawn criticism from many in his Republican Party for calling for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. He also has called for a suspension of immigration from countries with "a proven history of terrorism".

Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has said the comments show Trump is unfit to be president.

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan endorsed Trump but has said a Muslim ban is not in US interests. In excerpts of an NBC interview released on Friday, Ryan said Republicans weighing whether to vote for Trump should follow their "conscience."
The echoes of the summer of 2006 can still be heard today. Ten years have passed since Gilad Shalit was kidnapped from his tank on the border with Gaza, and shortly after, the Second Lebanon War broke out.

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Shalit was kidnapped on June 25th by Hamas militants who had dug a cross-border tunnel into Israel. Meanwhile, the Second Lebanon War broke out as a result of Hezbollah kidnapping Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser in a cross border attack on July 12th. The war ended 34 days later as a result of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Despite the fact that these two events happened at completely different times and on completely different fronts, they are more connected than meets the eye.

In hindsight, it's clear that were it not for Gilad Shalit's kidnapping, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then Defense Minister Amir Peretz, together with the rest of the prime minister's cabinet, would not have decided to start the Second Lebanon War. The decision to bomb Lebanon and to send in ground forces was strongly influenced by the feelings of anger and humiliation felt after Shalit was captured and his tank crew killed. This further proves that strategic decisions shouldn't be made by gut feelings and boiling blood.

IDF leaving Lebanon in 2006 (Photo: AFP)

By contrast, the Second Lebanon War began with tactical blunders, continued with both tactical and political blunders, yet somehow ended in a rare strategic achievement; ten years of almost complete silence on our border with Lebanon.

This calm isn't the result of IDF deterrence alone  or, more accurately, Israeli Air Force deterrence. The Syrian civil war and Hezbollah's involvement in it are no less important. But only a few weeks after the end of the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said that had he known how Israel would respond to the kidnapping of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, he would not have told his people to carry out the kidnapping. One way or another, now is the time to evaluate these two formative incidents.

The continuous failures of the Shalit affair

Everything that had to do with the Shalit affair  from his kidnapping and the negotiations for his release, to the actual details of his release  there are no positive aspects, only negative.

Gilad Shalit in Hamas captivity

1. The tunnel used by Hamas to kidnap Shalit should have been a clear wake up call for the IDF and the security establishment. It was the first time that the severity of the threat from underground tunnels was exposed. However, it took the IDF nearly 10 years to begin to take this threat seriously and deal with it. Still, even in 2014, high ranking IDF officers and government officials hadn't internalized the threat these tunnels posed  the threat to the feeling of security and actual physical security of both the residents of the Gaza border area and of the soldiers stationed there. The quality of intelligence wasn't as good as it should have been and there was no established method for destroying the tunnels. This resulted in a need to go on a weeks long adventure in Gaza called Operation Protective Edge and lose soldiers and civilians. At the end, the IDF succeeded in at least partially destroying 32 Hamas tunnels dug using the lessons Hamas learned after capturing Gilad Shalit.

2. Another blunder was in terms of intelligence. The Shin Bet, IDF Intelligence Directorate, and the Mossad  despite all of their efforts  were unable to find an Israeli soldier hidden only a few kilometers away from Israel.

3. The biggest blunder in the Gilad Shalit affair was the years long negotiations, particularly the almost complete Israeli surrender to Hamas demands. Israel released 1,027 Palestinian terrorists, including many who had Jewish and Israeli blood on their hands. It also wasn't only Hamas members who were released, but also members of other Palestinian terrorist organizations  something which made Hamas look great in the eyes of the Palestinian public, and helped catapult them to become the dominant Palestinian political force.

A significant portion of those freed in return for Shalit returned to terrorism a few weeks after the victory celebrations in Gaza died down. They created the "Gaza General Command" and the "West Bank General Command," both of which are comprised entirely of people who were released in the Shalit deal. They have attempted to kidnap and kill at least seven Israelis since Gilad Shalit was released in October of 2011.

Gilad Shalit's tank (Photo: Reuters)

4. The most serious damage is that the Hamas victory and Israeli surrender has in turn made the Hamas military wing obsessed with trying to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The expressions "the national sweetheart" and "the child of all of us" which tied the entire nation to Gilad Shalit throughout the media campaign for his release made Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Marwan Issa (the Hamas military leadership) fixated on digging thousands of tunnels, including several into Israel.

Hamas has even established a Special Forces unit called the "Nukba force" which is specifically trained to infiltrate Israel through the tunnels and kidnap soldiers.

From what we understand about Hamas and from what Hamas itself says, they aren't able to go into Israeli towns via the tunnels. The goal of the tunnels is to kidnap IDF soldiers either in Israel or when they go into Gaza  exactly what happened to the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oren Shaul during Operation Protective Edge. The operation didn't put a stop to Hamas's obsession with kidnappings; it only made it grow stronger. The Gilad Shalit affair still isn't over.

This is how to deal with 120,000 rockets

However, one can say that the IDF has learned from the majority of the blunders made during the Second Lebanon War.

1. The IDF understood that in order to succeed in war, the army must achieve a decisive victory on the battlefield. Therefore, in the new IDF operational doctrine, maneuverability is the central component. Decisive victory, even against the threat of rockets  will require a fast paced and massive land forces invasion into enemy territory. IDF land forces have been reorganized for this purpose, several new Special Forces units have been created, and IDF tanks and APCs have been outfitted with the "Windscreen" anti-RPG system.

Hassan Nasrallah (Photo: AFP)

2. Another component is target intelligence. The IDF went into the Second Lebanon War with a list of only about 200 targets, a target list which was exhausted after only a few days of fighting. Today, the IDF has lists of thousands of targets located all throughout Lebanon  and Gaza as well for if the need arises  and is able to hit them from the air, ground, and sea.

However, it is still not enough. To destroy thousands of targets one need tens of thousands of precision missiles, and the pilots and planes need to be good enough to hit the targets. In other words, the IDF understands that to beat 120,000 Hezbollah missiles, one needs to hit the suppliers. This capability already exists and is being continually practiced.

3. Another strategic takeaway from the previous war is that the IDF needs to be ready to fulfill its tasks at all times. This isn't a problem in the air force or the navy, but the ground forces are busy dealing with security operations, and 60% of the IDF ground forces are on permanent deployment in the West Bank. Therefore, it's not easy to test and see if the mortar division in a particular battalion knows how to fire a mortar effectively, that the tank gunner knows how to fire accurately, etc.

4. Finally, the IDF needs to make sure that soldiers can get to the front quickly, get into enemy territory, and get to their objective quickly so that they can win the war.

What we learned in Protective Edge: nothing changed

While all of this exists and is being trained on constantly, the big test still lies ahead. Hezbollah hasn't been quiet and hasn't been sitting on its laurels. In 2006, Hezbollah was an armed militia who's main objective was to defend itself and Lebanon. Today, the organization is a proper military in every sense of the word, and is gaining practical experience in Syria.

Hamas terror tunnel (Photo: Reuters)

Meanwhile, Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons have changed their strategy vis-a-vis Israel. According to Hezbollah publications, the terror group will attack inside of Israel with the aim of capturing Israeli border communities and transportation routes deep inside the Galilee. At the same time, it will rain heavy rocket fire all throughout the north of Israel.

Hezbollah will use the fighting tactics it learned and the weapons it obtained in the Syrian civil war in the next war against Israel  including mortars with a warhead that weighs over a ton and can destroy everything within a huge radius.

Hezbollah also knows that if they capture an Israeli town or critical road junction, the IDF will drive them out, but not before Hezbollah takes pictures of its yellow flag flying over said Israeli town. To them, that's a propoganda victory.

Hezbollah continues to adhere to a strategy whereby it can't lose  that they will continue to shoot rockets until the very end while obtain a few propaganda victories through pictures of captured Israeli towns. Thats all they need to announce that they are victorious.

The IDF knows this, and is reinforcing its troop readiness. Its leaders believe they will be able to handle a threat on the home front as well. When it entered the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah had 13,500 rockets. Today it has 120,000. But the IDF has the Iron Dome and Arrow, and Magic Wand missile defense systems. These can intercept a large proportion of the rockets that threaten population centers. The Second Lebanon War gave the then-Defense Minister Amir Peretz the push he needed to put his weight behind the development of Iron Dome, and thats an achievement as well.

The next war, as far as Israel is concerned, needs to be short and quick. The IDF will have to operate deep inside Lebanese territory, and perhaps that of Syria too. Therefore IDF Commando Brigade was established, as has a special IDF HQ headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Tal Russo.

But as much as the IDF is making efforts to fix the mistakes of the last Lebanon war and to prepare itself for another conflict on the northern front, the political echelon is dragging its feet. Politicians are still fighting over budgets and authorities that have to do with the home front; but what they really want is to provide their associates with jobs and budgets. The home fronts readiness is still lacking, even though the matter of evicting border-adjacent towns has basically been worked out. The Security Cabinet that decided on the Second Lebanon War did not understand that it was entering a war (as opposed to a limited action) not merely because its members lacked knowledge, but because its members  Olmert, Peretz, etc.  didn't have enough of an understanding of security matters to be aware of the fact that they were ordering the IDF to go to war.

What happened in the Cabinet during Operation Protective Edge shows that nothing much has changed in the meantime. Cabinet members arent lacking in intelligence, but they lack understanding of strategy and the ability to see the big picture and its consequences. Its not important where the entrance shaft of this tunnel or that is. Whats important is the meaning of the threat we face; they need to know what the IDFs plans of action in such cases are. You need to be able to know how and when to demand alternatives as well.

Until now this has been done in a random and amateurish fashion, and the cabinet's decisions followed that path. Perhaps the recent political turmoil in the government will cause this to change for the better.
Border News

Del Rio, Texas - Two Salvadoran nationals were sentenced to prison recently for an attack on a U.S. Border Patrol agent last year.

Saul Ernesto Carcamo-Henriquez, 39, and Carlos Enrique Campos-Carcamo, 19, both of El Salvador, pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer - 18 USC  111 - in December. On June 7, Carcamo-Henriquez was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, and Campos-Carcamo was sentenced to 27 months.

Our agents take on an arduous task in carrying out their lawful duties on a daily basis, said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch. There are serious consequences to dangerous and willful acts.

Assault on a Border Patrol agent is a federal offense for which we will always seek prosecution.

On Feb. 18, 2015, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Carrizo Springs Station gave chase to Carcamo and Campos after seeing both subjects jump a high fence frequently used by illegal immigrants attempting to further their entry into the United States. Once the agent approached the individuals, both subjects became combative and attempted to choke the agent and reached for his service-issued weapon and baton. Fearing for his life, the agent fired his service weapon at his attackers, striking Campos. Carcamo stopped his assault and absconded from the area.

EMS personnel were summoned to the scene to provide medical attention to Campos, who was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury from a gunshot wound. Carcamo was quickly apprehended with the assistance of a CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter pilot and transported to the Carrizo Springs Station for processing. Both were determined to have entered the country illegally.

The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity call the Del Rio Sectors toll free number at 1-866-511-8727.
Latest News

Houston, Texas - The owner of multiple U.S.-based energy companies pleaded guilty Thursday to foreign bribery and tax charges for his role in a scheme to corruptly secure energy contracts from Venezuelas state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA).

U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced this guilty plea along with Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean McElroy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston, and Special Agent in Charge Richard Goss of Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

Roberto Enrique Rincon Fernandez (Rincon), 55, of The Woodlands, Texas, pleaded guilty June 16 to information charging him with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA, and one count of making false statements on his 2010 federal income tax return. U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller accepted Rincons plea and imposed a personal money judgment against him, who agreed to the forfeiture. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Rincon was arrested Dec. 16, 2015, after a grand jury returned an 18-count indictment against him and Abraham Jose Shiera Bastidas (Shiera), 53, of Coral Gables, Florida.

According to admissions made in connection with Rincons plea, Rincon and Shiera worked together to submit bids to provide equipment and services to PDVSA through their various companies. Rincon admitted that beginning in 2009, he and Shiera agreed to pay bribes and provide other things of value to PDVSA purchasing analysts to ensure that his and Shieras companies were placed on PDVSA bidding panels, which enabled the companies to win lucrative energy contracts with PDVSA.

Rincon also admitted to making bribe payments to other PDVSA officials in order to ensure that his companies were placed on PDVSA-approved vendor lists and given payment priority so that they would get paid ahead of other PDVSA vendors with outstanding invoices. In his plea agreement, Rincon admitted he willfully failed to report on his 2010 federal tax return more than $6 million in foreign dividend income he received from a Venezuelan corporation he owned.

Rincon is the sixth individual to plead guilty as part of a larger, ongoing investigation by the U.S. government into bribery at PDVSA. Shiera previously pleaded guilty before Judge Miller to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and commit wire fraud, and one count of violating the FCPA. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 30. In March 2016, Judge Miller also unsealed charges against four other individuals charged in connection with this ongoing investigation, including three foreign officials. The foreign officials admitted that while employed by PDVSA or its wholly owned subsidiaries or affiliates, they accepted bribes from Rincon and Shiera in exchange for taking certain actions to assist companies owned by Rincon and Shiera in winning energy contracts with PDVSA. The foreign officials also conspired with Rincon and Shiera to launder the proceeds of the bribery scheme. As part of their plea agreements, Rincon, Shiera and the other defendants all agreed to forfeit proceeds from their criminal activity.

HSI and IRS-CI are conducting this ongoing investigation with assistance from the FBI. Deputy Chief John Pearson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson are prosecuting this case along with Trial Attorneys Aisling OShea and Jeremy R. Sanders of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristine Rollinson and Vincent Carroll are handling the forfeiture aspects of this case.

The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs and Swiss Federal Office of Justice also provided assistance.
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Patna: In yet another attempt to take a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday dared the government in Centre to ban liquor in all Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states.

"If youre serious about yoga, then ban liquor in all BJP-ruled states," NDTV quoted Nitish Kumar as saying.

Intensifying his drive against liquor, Nitish dared the Modi-led government in Centre to implement prohibition in the all BJP-ruled state.

However, this was not the first time when the Bihar CM challenged PM Modi on the issues. In the past, Nitish had on several occasions asked PM Modi to make his stand clear on the liquor ban issue.

Nitish, who addressed a rally in Uttar Pradesh last month, had quoted, "After successfully enforcing liquor ban in Bihar, I will launch anti-liquor campaign in Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow on May 15. But, before launching this campaign, I seek the opinion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of ban on sale of liquor."

"Before becoming the PM, he was the CM of Gujarat where liquor is banned since the formation of the state and Modi also continued it. Now when he is in power at the Centre, Modi should make it clear why BJP-ruled states are not initiating measures to ban liquor," Kumar had added further.
Patna: The SIT probing the Bihar Class 12 toppers' scam on Sunday recovered a pistol and five live rounds during search operation from the office of Baccha Rai, principal of VR College.

Earlier, gold worth Rs 20 lakh was recovered from the Vaishali residence of Baccha Rai. He was sent to two day SIT remand over Bihar topper scam on Friday.

The top scorers in the Bihar state board intermediate exams were exposed in media interviews soon after their Class 12 results were announced last month.

Police had on June 11 arrested Baccha Rai, the kingpin of the toppers scandal, from Bhagwanpur police station in Vaishali district.

Rai is the secretary-cum principal of controversial Bishun Rai College.

A court has on June 15 already issued arrest warrants against former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and his wife, former JD(U) MLA Usha Sinha, in connection with +2 toppers scandal in the state.

Earlier, an FIR was registered against four students and the director of the college in connection with Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) results issue.

The four students against whom the case has been registered are Sourabh Shrestha, Rahul Kumar, Ruby Rai and Shalini.
Medininagar: Ahead of the International Yoga Day on June 21, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said the ancient discipline is "irrelevant without imposing ban" on sale of liquor across the country and appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act in this regard.

"Yoga is a natural treatment process but liquor addicts cannot perform it. Yoga would be irrelevant unless a ban is imposed on sale of liquor across the country," he said at meeting here in Palamau district.

Apparently hitting out at Modi, who had actively participated in the International Yoga Day event last year, Kumar said, "I have been doing Yoga since childhood but have never publicised it."

He also accused BJP of turning the International Yoga Day event a "party affair".

"Ban on sale of liquor in Gujarat prevailed since Independence and Modi had no role in it. Hence, he should not try to take credit for it," Kumar said.

"In a democratic system like ours, welfare of the society should be the priority over trade and business," he said, adding his government has decided to forfeit Rs 5,000 crore revenue being generated by sale of liquor.

"There are other avenues to generate revenue," Kumar said, adding if conducive atmosphere prevails and law and order is maintained, adequate revenue can be generated by promoting trade, business and industry.

"While I have decided to impose ban on sale of liquor in Bihar, Jharkhand government has increased liquor quota in the bordering areas to generate revenue in violation of the 1915 Excise Act, which prohibits sale of liquor within a limit of 3.6 km from the area under purview of the ban," he alleged.

"I had apprised Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das of my government's decision to impose ban on sale of liquor from April 1, vide a letter dated January 18 and sought cooperation from him to make it a success, but his government did not cooperate," he claimed.

Referring to switching over of six JVM MLAs to BJP, Kumar, who was accompanied by JVM chief Babulal Marandi at the meeting, alleged, "BJP can stoop to any level to grab power".

Speaking on the occasion, Marandi said, "Opposing ban on liquor sale on the pretext of tribal culture is an insult to the community."

JMM supremo Sibu Soren had launched a movement against sale of liquor and money lending in 1970s and JVM, with the support of Kumar, would continue to pressurise Jharkhand government to ban sale of liquor in the state, he said.
New Delhi: BJP MP Mahesh Girri on Sunday sat on protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the AAP leader did not take up his challenge of "open debate" over his allegations concerning murder of NDMC official M.M. Khan.

After Kejriwal had written to Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, accusing him of trying to shield Girri and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice-chairman Karan Singh Tanwar in the murder case,

Girri had dared Kejriwal to a public debate over the allegations levelled against him.

He had invited Kejriwal to the Constitution Club on Sunday afternoon for the debate and had asked him to produce evidence. Girri had said that he would quit politics if Kejriwal proved the allegations and the Aam Aadmi Party leader should resign if he was not able to do so.

Addressing a gathering at the Constitution Club, Girri said that he was also taking legal opinion and will also move court over Kejriwal's allegations.

"But before that I want to go to the people's court. Either he should prove the allegations or he should resign. He should accept that he has made a mistake," said the BJP MP from East Delhi.

He accused Kejriwal of making baseless allegations. Girri said if police had any doubt, he was prepared for questioning.

He sat in protest outside Kejriwal's residence after the Aam Aadmi Party leader did not come to the Constitution Club

Khan, an official of NDMC, was shot dead in Jamia Nagar last month.


Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced special funds for the underprivileged students in higher education.

Launching his government's School Chale hum Abhiyan at Silwani in Raisen, the CM announced that 17,000 students will be given laptops by the government on securing above 85 per cent marks.

He also added that students who could not avail the same last year will be given the laptops this year.

Cycles will also be given to students who have to travel long distances for study. Also, money will be provided for their uniforms.

To make the enrolment process in the government schools easier, a four-phase programme has been launched.

Chouhan said that this year's results suggest that the quality of education in the state has risen.

Pass percentage in government schools this year was 57 percent, while that in private schools was 49 percent.

He also assured free education to orphan students who wish to study.
Amritsar: Private schools will not be allowed to hike fees in the middle of a session and any increase at the start of the academic year would also need to be consulted with parent-teacher associations, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said today.

"We have proposed to states that if private schools want to hike fees in the beginning of a session, it has to be done in consultations with parent-teacher associations, but we will not allow mid-session fee hike," Irani said.

There has been a growing resentment among parents about inordinately high private school fees, the Minister said, adding that her ministry has received several complaints regarding the issue.

The Centre has proposed this to states, Irani said, adding the Punjab government will soon take a decision on this matter.

Irani was here to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony of IIM-Amritsar's own campus.
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: A massive fire broke out at a packaging factory in Noida sector 8 early on Sunday morning. Eight fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

More details are awaited.

News Agency ANI has tweeted the initial video from the spot. Check out the video.
New York: People with Parkinson's disease have a form of impaired decision-making that may be a major contributor to the movement problems that characterise the disease, a team of researchers has found.

Undertaken by researchers from the University of California - Los Angeles, the study suggested that the neurological factors underlying Parkinson's may be more complex than commonly believed.

The study, publishing in the journal Current Biology also, could pave the way for strategies to detect Parkinson's earlier in its course.

The led team found that as compared to healthy individuals, people with early-stage Parkinson's have difficulty with perceptual decision-making only when the sensory information before them is weak enough that they must draw on prior experiences.

When the sensory information is strong, individuals with Parkinson's are able to make decisions as well as people who are healthy.

"This tells us that the problem for people with Parkinson's disease is not walking per se, but rather in generating the walking pattern without the assistance of sensory information," said study senior author Michele Basso.

"The patients with Parkinson's disease in our study were impaired only when they had to rely on memory information to guide their actions. We believe this fundamental problem of decision-making in the absence of sufficient sensory information may be what is underlying some of the movement disorder symptoms," Basso added.

The disease has no cure, although medication or surgery can relieve symptoms to a certain extent.

"Parkinson's disease has long been seen as purely a motor problem, limited mostly to a section of the brain called the basal ganglia and a neurotransmitter called dopamine that is not produced at sufficient levels," Basso noted.
New Delhi: The 39 Indians, kidnapped by the dreaded ISIS in Iraq in June 2014, are still alive, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, dismissing reports about their killing and insisting that efforts to trace them are on.

In her annual press conference, Swaraj said the government was was trying its best to ensure safe release of Judith D'Souza, an aid worker and resident of Kolkata, who was abducted by suspected militants in Kabul on June 9.

The External Affairs Minister also said India was in touch with top authorities in Bangladesh after a priest of Rama Krishna Mission in Dhaka received death threat.

About 40-year-old Judith, Swaraj said "We are trying our best. The way we are going ahead, I think it will be resolved soon."

Replying to a question on the 39 Indians kidnapped around two years back by ISIS militants from Mosul town, Swaraj said she did not have "any proof of their killing than the statement of Harjit Masih."

Masih, who had managed to flee from captivity of the ISIS, claimed all the 39 Indians had been killed. Swaraj questioned Masih's claim saying two heads of states in the Gulf region told her, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee that the Indians were alive.

"I am not giving false assurance. If I had confirmation that they were killed, then definitely, I would have sought apology from their families the with folded hands and said they were killed.

Their killing in such a situation in Mosul in Iraq would not have been blamed on me.

"When I say they are alive, I have taken on myself a major responsibility of tracing them....Nobody except Harjit Masih said they were killed. I will do injustice to them if I say they have been killed. It is my the responsibility to (find them) and I will not shy away from it," Swaraj said, adding "I do not abandon any Indian national."

When asked about the death threat to a priest of the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka, Swaraj said, "It is very unfortunate. It is painful for us. We are in touch with top authorities."

Replying to a question on a spate of targeted attacks and killings of Hindus and other non-Muslims in Bangladesh, Swaraj said the Sheikh Hasina government is leaving no stone unturned in coming down hard on people who are involved in these incidents.

"More than 3,000 people have been arrested. Sheikh Hasina is taking strong action. More than this, I am happy that Islamic clerics and religious leaders have issued a fatwa saying these kinds of activities are anti-Islamic and it has been signed by one lakh religious leaders," she said.

Swaraj said the government was drafting a policy to help persecuted minorities in various countries. She said the government will help people of all religions and not only the Hindus.
Delhi: India on Sunday said that ties with Pakistan were complicated and made it clear that talks and terrorism could not go together.

At the same time, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj clarified that Pakistan had not refused to allow an NIA team to visit that country to probe the Pathankot airbase attack case.

India has been maintaining that since JIT's visit was on a reciprocal basis, the NIA team investigating the case would like to visit Pakistan.

Swaraj said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had met the authorities on the issue twice and "they said they are analysing (the evidence). They have not refused (to allow NIA to visit). They just said they want more time."

'Terror and talks can't go hand-in-hand'

She added that the 'warmth and ease' in relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif could help resolve complex issues between the two neighbours.

Asserting that India wants to resolve all vexed issues with Pakistan through talks, Swaraj said the government was pursuing a three-point formula to deal with Islamabad the focus of which is that talks cannot go on if Pakistan does not take action to contain terror.

"First, we want to solve every issue thorough talks. Second, talks will be between India and Pakistan and no third country or party will be its part. Third, terror and talks will not go hand-in-hand," Swaraj said addressing a press conference.

Swaraj said there have been complex issues between the two countries and it would not be practical to expect their resolution soon.

The minister denied that South Asia was not getting adequate priority in the Modi government's foreign policy.



"In the last two years, India has emerged as a strong supporter and a friend in crisis to neighbouring countries," she said, referring to New Delhi's help to Nepal during the massive earthquake of 2015, as per IANS.

'China not opposing India's NSG membership bid'

On the issue of NSG, Swaraj said that China was not opposing India's entry even as Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to secure its support.

Stating that China is talking only about the criteria and procedures to be adopted for membership of the elite 48-nation atomic trading bloc, Swaraj said India was hopeful that it will be able to convince China to give its backing.

The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India can scuttle its bid.

"China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to the NSG," she said, as per PTI.

"I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year," she said, adding, "The NSG entry is crucial for India's energy policy."

Swaraj said that instead of talking about criteria with respect to India's bid its credentials should be discussed.

The minister said as far as entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on its entry and its role.

"But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit," she added.

Jaishankar's visit to Beijing on June 16-17 came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the NSG scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where India's membership is likely to be discussed.

Indian Foreign Policy - My Press Conference on 19th June 2016 https://t.co/JZ2lCDGvFY  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 19, 2016

(With Agency inputs)


New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday clarified that China is not protesting India's entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Addressing a press conference, Sushma Swaraj said,"China is not protesting membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria procedure."

Talking about Pakistan's entry into NBSG, Sushma Swaraj said, "India won't protest entry of any nation into NSG; would want application be considered based on merits."

"Hopefully, we'll able to convince China as well, I'm myself in contact with 23 nations, 1 or 2 raised concern but think consensus is there," Sushma Swaraj said.

"We are trying to ensure that India becomes a member of NSG by the end of this year itself," Sushma Swaraj added.
Delhi: India on Sunday said that ties with Pakistan were complicated and made it clear that talks and terrorism could not go together.

At the same time, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj clarified that Pakistan had not refused to allow an NIA team to visit that country to probe the Pathankot airbase attack case.

India has been maintaining that since JIT's visit was on a reciprocal basis, the NIA team investigating the case would like to visit Pakistan.

Swaraj said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had met the authorities on the issue twice and "they said they are analysing (the evidence). They have not refused (to allow NIA to visit). They just said they want more time."

'Terror and talks can't go hand-in-hand'

She added that the 'warmth and ease' in relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif could help resolve complex issues between the two neighbours.

Asserting that India wants to resolve all vexed issues with Pakistan through talks, Swaraj said the government was pursuing a three-point formula to deal with Islamabad the focus of which is that talks cannot go on if Pakistan does not take action to contain terror.

"First, we want to solve every issue thorough talks. Second, talks will be between India and Pakistan and no third country or party will be its part. Third, terror and talks will not go hand-in-hand," Swaraj said addressing a press conference.

Swaraj said there have been complex issues between the two countries and it would not be practical to expect their resolution soon.

The minister denied that South Asia was not getting adequate priority in the Modi government's foreign policy.

"In the last two years, India has emerged as a strong supporter and a friend in crisis to neighbouring countries," she said, referring to New Delhi's help to Nepal during the massive earthquake of 2015, as per IANS.

'China not opposing India's NSG membership bid'

On the issue of NSG, Swaraj said that China was not opposing India's entry even as Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to secure its support.

Stating that China is talking only about the criteria and procedures to be adopted for membership of the elite 48-nation atomic trading bloc, Swaraj said India was hopeful that it will be able to convince China to give its backing.

The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India can scuttle its bid.

"China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to the NSG," she said, as per PTI.

"I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year," she said, adding, "The NSG entry is crucial for India's energy policy."

Swaraj said that instead of talking about criteria with respect to India's bid its credentials should be discussed.

The minister said as far as entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on its entry and its role.

"But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit," she added.

Jaishankar's visit to Beijing on June 16-17 came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the NSG scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where India's membership is likely to be discussed.

Indian Foreign Policy - My Press Conference on 19th June 2016 https://t.co/JZ2lCDGvFY  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 19, 2016

(With Agency inputs)


Delhi: In order to step up its efforts to get China's backing for membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made a trip to Beijing on June 16-17 this week, as per media reports.

The FS reportedly met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and raised India's NSG bid with him.

"Yes, I can confirm Foreign Secretary visited Beijing on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart. All major issues, including India's NSG membership, were discussed," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Sunday, as per PTI.

The visit assumes importance days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23 at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' meeting in Tashkent.

On the other hand, Mail Today quoted sources as saying aid that India's message to China was that it will not be a hurdle to any other country's entry into the NSG as long as their membership fulfills not just requirements of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) but also of the NSG.

The report further added that Jaishankar and Wang also had discussions on the same issue along the sidelines of President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to China in the last week of May.

The NSG looks after critical issues relating to nuclear sector and its members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology. Membership of the grouping will help India significantly expand its atomic energy sector.

On June 13, China had said that the 48-nation body will have 'extensive discussions' about admission of new members ahead of its plenary meeting to be held in Seoul on June 24.

"As to how non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) countries can join the NSG, the group shall have extensive discussions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kong had told a media briefing in Beijing replying to a question whether the group is likely to take a decision at the Seoul meeting.

While the US and a majority of the 48 members back India's admission, China along with New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria are reportedly opposed to the entry.

China which is said to be backing Pakistan's entry into the club maintains that there should be consensus about admitting non-NPT members into the grouping.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said that India will not oppose the entry of Pakistan or any other country into the NSG but asserted that the decision on all applications should be decided on merits.

"Hum China ko bhi mananey mein kamyabi hasil kar lenge (We will succeed in convincing China too)," she told the media, as per IANS.

Answering questions, she said China 'is not opposed to India's entry' into NSG but it was 'only talking about the criteria procedures' to New Delhi's entry to the nuclear grouping.

India has been campaigning for membership of the bloc for last few years and had formally moved its application on May 12.

The NSG had granted an exclusive waiver to India in 2008 to access civil nuclear technology after China reluctantly backed India's case based on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that her ministry will seek extradition of former IPL chairman Lalit Modi and industrialist Vijay Mallya, both in Britain, once it receives revised requests from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"As soon as extradition request is received about these two (Lalit Modi and Vijay Mally), we will forward it," she said at a press conference here.

Sushma Swaraj`s respond came in a reply to a question why India is not getting support from Britain on the extradition of Modi and Mallya.

Mallya has fled India earlier this year with more than Rs 9,000 crore of outstanding dues to 18 Indian banks. A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued by a Mumbai court against the business tycoon.

The ED is probing Modi and other executives associated with IPL since 2012 for alleged violation of anti-money laundering laws.

Sushma Swaraj said the NDA government is keen for "extradition", or the formal process by which a criminal suspect held by one government is handed over to another government for trial or to serve his sentence, of the two and reiterated that the previous UPA government in contrast used to talk only about "deportation", or mere expulsion of a person from a country.

She xplained that her ministry had earlier received ED`s "extradition request" for Mallya but returned it, seeking some changes.

"ED had sent us extradition request for Vijay Mallya. Our team suggested few changes which has been sent to the ED. Once we receive the revised application from ED, we will forward the request," she said.

The ministry is also waiting for ED`s revised version for the extradition process.

A special court in Mumbai in March this year issued an order allowing the ED to begin extradition proceedings against Modi in connection with the money laundering probe against him and others.

In August last year, the agency moved the Interpol to get a red corner notice issued against Modi but the international police organisation has not obliged yet.

Interpol authorities have sought additional information from ED investigators on their money laundering case against Modi as part of the process to issue such a world-wide warrant against him.

Sushma Swaraj also said India`s High Commissioner to Britain, Navtej Sarna, was not at fault for the presence of business tycoon Mallya at a book release function in London.

"Unka koi dosh nahi hai (there was no fault of the High Commissioner)," she told reporters sticking to the ministry`s line that Mallya was not originally in the invitee list of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

"The moment the High Commissioner saw Mallya, he staged a walkout. So, I don`t understand what is the controversy about?" she said.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has announced his new 'project'.

Subramanian Swamy on Sunday said that his next 'project' is to expose a group of bureaucrats loyal to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"My next project is to expose 27 bureaucrats who are in various Ministries and loyal to TDK. They were handpicked and positioned by PC," Swamy said in a tweet.

My next project is to expose 27 bureaucrats who are in various Ministries and loyal to TDK. They were handpicked and positioned by PC.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 19, 2016

Swamy, who on Saturday, welcomed RBI governor Raghuram Rajan's decision, had said that he did not understand the fuss about the RBI Governor's announcement to leave his post at the end of the term, as he was not even getting a second term in the first place.

Swamy told ANI that Rajan made this decision in order to save his self-respect.

"Was he getting a second term in the first place? How do we know that he was getting a second term? I have no information that he was getting a second term. So if he says he wants to go and wants to save his self respect, I have no problem. Let them pretend that he is giving up and going but as long as he goes, it's good," Swamy said.

Swamy had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May asking for the dismissal of the Reserve Bank of India governor.
New Delhi: India on Sunday claimed that Pakistan has "not refused" to allow a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) to visit it to pursue the probe into the Pathankot terror attack case.

"NIA ko unhone inkaar nahi kya (They did not decline visit of the NIA team)," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told a press conference here adding Islamabad has only sought "more time" to take a final decision on the issue.

A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan including an ISI officer had visited India in March to collect evidence on the attack.

Pakistan has so far denied that JIT's visit to New Delhi was on a reciprocal basis.

Sushma Swaraj said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had met Pakistani officials and "they said they are analysing (the evidence)".
New Delhi: Two acid attacks on women, one in Bhopal and the other in Vadodara, within a span of 24 hours have shocked the nation.

Both the victims were admitted to hospitals with grave burn injuries.

In an appalling attack on a girl in Bhopal on Saturday, two motorcycle-borne assailants threw acid on her and then fled from the scene.

The victim has been admitted to Bhopal's Narmada Hospital.

The police have arrested one of the assailants from Chhattisgarh who is said to be a relative of the girl.

Meanwhile, police are looking out for the second attacker.

The girl was attacked when she was on her way to home.

According to witnesses, her attackers were wearing face masks.

In a similar attack on the previous day, two motorcycle-borne assailants targeted a woman hundreds of miles away in Gujarat's Vadodara city.

Reports said that her attackers had rained acid on her.

The incident took place on Friday night.

The victim was admitted to hospital in serious condition.

According to police, the incident occurred around 10 pm when she was walking towards her home after completing her duty in a different area of the city.

No arrest has been made in the case so far. But police have booked two unidentified persons under various sections of the IPC.

The motive behind the attacks is yet to be ascertained.

In 2013, the government had introduced an amendment to the IPC, making acid attacks a specific offence with a punishment of imprisonment not less than 10 years and can be extended up to life imprisonment and fine.

Despite these efforts, such horrific attacks still continue in different parts of the country.
Lucknow: In what may give the Opposition a fresh ammunition to escalate its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, Minister of State for Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ramshankar Katheria has said there is no problem with saffronisation of education if it is for the nation's benefit.

Addressing a function at the Lucknow University to celebrate 'Hindvi Swaraj Diwas Samaroh' marking the 342nd coronation year of Shivaji, Katheria maintained that be it 'saffronisation or sanghwad' if it's good for the country then it will definitely take place.

"I am saying there will be saffronisation in education and in the country. Whatever is good will definitely take place. Be it saffronisation or 'sanghwad', if it's good for the country then it will definitely take place," Katheria said.

Remembering the contributions made by several stalwarts in the Indian freedom struggle, Katheria said they lived their lives for humanity and welfare of the nation.

"If we do not study the history of Maharana Pratap and Subhash ji, then will we study the history of Genghis Khan? Those who fought for the Indian freedom struggle got inspiration from Maharana Pratap, who sacrificed himself for the nation," he said.

The Minister of State for HRD also remembered Father of the Indian Constitution Dr. B. R Ambedkar on the occasion.

"Dr B. R Ambedkar is seen as the personal property of one party in our country. Ambedkar ji is not just an ideal leader and nationalist for the country, but for the entire world," he said.
New Delhi: On her completion of two years in office, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday briefed the media about the achievements of her ministry on foreign policy from FDI, Pakistan to India's global standing.

There are 65 countries remaining to be reached out to with personal visits, which we will complete by December 2016, the minister said.

She said that her government has decided to reach out to all countries in the world with help of state governments and cabinet ministers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a matter of 10 months successfully covered UAE, Saudi Arab, Iran and Qatar for better economic ties, she said.

We envisage growth in FDI and Skill India programmes through various foreign visits. We have also move forward with various nations in nuclear agreements, she added.

In the past two years, We visited all SAARC nations, we also had high-level contacts with Africa, Gulf, the Arab league among others, at the highest level.

Our NRIs have been given confidence because of our government. They feel our govt will save them if they are in trouble, she said.

Referring to India's relation with the United States, Swaraj said, Our engagement with US has increased but not on the cost of nation's interest. We also stage protest against them as and when required.

She also referred to the incidents of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and said that the government there is taking strong action against the attackers.
New Delhi: Though China has made it clear that India will have to go through the NPT route to become a member of the elite NSG club, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's recent visit to Beijing raised speculation that there may by a change of stand.

During his visit to Beijing from June 16-17, Jaishankar had reportedly held a wide-range of bilateral consultation with his Chinese counterpart, including India's NSG membership.

Experts told the Times Now that it will now be difficult for China to oppose India's entry since the US, UK and now Russia, key members of the grouping, have already backed India and calling on other nations to support. China may find itself alone vis-a-vis the rest on the issue if it doesn't change its stand, they said.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced to support India's bid for NSG membership. He told India Today that he would not only raise the issue at the NSG meet in Seoul next week but will also take up the matter with China.

Besides India, bids of other nations who have applied for NSG membership will also be taken into consideration at the meeting of the 48-member grouping.

China had earlier said that it could support India's bid if it promises to comply with the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) stipulations.

China said that NSG will have 'extensive discussions' about admission of new members ahead of its plenary meeting.

The NSG (Nuclear Supplier Group) looks after critical issues relating to nuclear sector and its members are allowed to trade in nuclear technology. The group works under the principle of unanimity and even one country's vote against India will scuttle its bid.

China has maintained that non-NPT signatories should not be admitted into NSG on the grounds that it would undermine efforts to prevent proliferation.
New Delhi: As we look forward to celebrating the 2nd International Yoga Day, we must understand yoga in totality. Yoga is one of the greatest wealths of humankind.

We think yoga is just a series of asanas (postures/exercises). However, asana is only one of the limbs of yoga; there is much more to it. Yoga means union; it unites our hearts, mind, body and spirit, and unites us with people around us. With its practice, the body becomes healthy and strong, the breath becomes quiver-free, the mind becomes pleasant, the intellect becomes sharp, intuition improves and self-realisation dawns in the consciousness.

Maharishi Patanjali, the founder of yoga, has said that the purpose of yoga is, 'Heyam dukham anagatam', i.e., to prevent misery even before it arrives.

Its benefits are multifold.

1. Health: Today, there is an awakening and people have recognized the importance of yoga. The world over, yoga has become synonymous with relaxation, happiness and a creative mind.

2. Behaviour: It changes the behaviour of a person because behaviour depends on the stress levels in a person. Pranayama and meditation equip us with tools and techniques to lead a stress-free and a tension-free life.

3. Vibrations: More than words we convey a lot through our presence; our vibrations. The more we come in touch with our deeper Self, the more powerful or vibrations become.

4. Communication: All of us emit vibes depending on the state of our being. When communication breaks down, we often say, 'Our wavelengths don't match'. Yoga makes our observation sharper, perception more accurate and expression clearer.

5. Removes prejudice: Another issue that we face in society today is prejudice - of religion, race, gender, class, educational status, financial status, etc. All these different types of prejudices have clogged the mind of men and that is how conflicts arise in society. With a holistic and expanded perspective that develops with Yoga, prejudice drops and we are able to reach out and go beyond conflicts.

6. Skills: It enables the development of skills within oneself. Lord Krishna has said, 'Yoga is skill in action' - how skillfully you can communicate, and how skillfully you can act in any given situation.

7. Happiness: What does everyone want? Everyone wants to be peaceful, happy and contented. However, if the mind keeps wavering between the past and the future, how can it be peaceful? We need to put effort to bring our mind to the present moment. This is called Yoga. Maharishi Patanjali has said 'Yoga Chitta Vrutti Nirodha' (Yoga happens when the mind is free from distortions or modulations.)

There are five types of modulations of the mind, which can be painful or not. The first is Pramaana - always thinking if this is right or wrong, wanting proof for everything. Within this there are three kinds of proof the mind looks for - Pratyaksha (experiential proof), Anumaana (inferential proof) and Agama (scriptural proof). The second modulation is Viparyaya - wrong understanding. The third is Vikalpa - imagination, hallucination. It is imagining something that is non-existent. The fourth is Nidra - Sleep. If you are not doing anything, you feel sleepy. The fifth is Smruti - Memory, remembering all that has happened in the past. We have to become free from these five modulations. Only then does the mind become peaceful and happy.

Having said this, does yoga conflict with any of our belief systems? If I believe in a particular religion, or a particular philosophy, or if I follow a particular political line of thought, does that come in conflict with yoga? I would say, "Not at all". It always promotes and encourages harmony in diversity as the word 'yoga' itself means 'uniting' (uniting diverse aspects of existence, of life).

The true dimension of yoga is connecting, going beyond the constraints of the mind and connecting with what Is -- and that is truth.
Srinagar: A major controversy erupted after the prestigious Delhi Public School (DPS) has allegedly asked a Muslim woman teacher in Kashmir not to wear the Abaya (the Islamic gown that covers the body from neck-to-toe).

The incident has created a major political storm in the Muslim-majority state.

Reacting sharply over the move, the Jammu and Kashmir government reportedly said that Kashmir is not France.

According to DNA, the Mehbooba Mufti-led government has sent a stern message to the school management saying J&K is not France where the government or any institute could decide the dress code for the people.

Protests rocked the school on Friday after a science teacher was barred from wearing Abaya, the report said.

Scores of students gathered in the main ground and protested against the administration for barring the teacher from wearing the Islamic dress.

The teacher had joined the school just three months ago.

The management has reportedly issued a notice to the teacher asking her to choose between job and Abaya.

The issue also rocked the state Assembly on Saturday with independent MLA from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rasheed raising the issue, the report said.

"Banning of Abaya by a Delhi-based educational trust in a Muslim state is condemnable and unacceptable. Banning the veil is a clear attempt to snatch religious rights and trespassing into one's faith," DNA quoted him as saying.

Responding to the concern, J&K Education Minister Naeem Akhtar reportedly said that J&K is a multi-cultural and multi-religious state.

"People in J&K have all the freedom to take decision about their private lives. Our state is not France where government or some institute decides what dress people should wear. People here have all the freedom to follow their culture, religion and can dress as per their own choice," DNA quoted Akhtar as saying. He assured the House to look into the issue.
Kochi: Identification parade of a migrant labourer, prime accused in the killing of a 30-year-old Dalit woman in Perumbavoor here, is likely to be held tomorrow, police sources said.

The identification parade of accused Ameerul Islam is expected to be held at Kakkanad sub-jail, where he has been lodged after a magistrate court in Perumbavoor remanded him into 14-days judicial custody on Friday, they said.

The 23-year-old Islam, hailing from Dholda Gramam in Assam's Nauga district, was arrested on June 16 for killing the law student, 50 days after the gruesome incident, that had become a major issue in the recent Kerala Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, a team of officials who were part of the Special Investigation Team probing the murder today visited Islam's residence in Assam to gather more evidences against him.

The woman who hailed from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house on April 28.

Over 100 police personnel, who had launched a scientific investigation into the incident, had questioned over 1,500 people.

They had examined finger prints of over 5,000 people and went through over 20 lakh telephonic conversations before reaching the culprit.
Bhopal: Two persons were on Sunday arrested from Chhattisgarh in connection with the acid attack on a woman college teacher here with police saying one of them was her relative who was angry at being spurned by her.

Trilok Chand Namdeo (28), a relative of the victim, and his accomplice Subham Tiwari (21)- a second year student of a polytechnic college, were arrested a day after acid was hurled at the teacher in front of her house in posh Arera Colony while she was on her way to college.

"Namdeo and Tiwari, both hailing from Dongargarh city of Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh, were arrested today," Bhopal DIG Raman Singh Sikarwar told reporters here.

He said the prime accused, Namdeo, is married with two kids. "The crime was the result of unrequited love," the police officer said.

Namdeo told police that he hurled acid at the teacher as he was angry with her for turning down his proposal, the DIG said.

"Namdeo and Tiwari came to Bhopal all the way from Ranjandgaon on a motorbike to throw acid on the teacher," Sikarwar said quoting the statement recorded by the duo with police.

Namdeo was wearing a burqa whereas Tiwari had covered his face with a mask while committing the crime.

The victim sustained severe burns on her hand and waist and was admitted to a private hospital where her condition is stated to be stable.

They have been booked under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.
New Delhi: Bluetooth, a universal medium of communication between you and your gadgets is now ready to take a new leap.

Bluetooth Special Interest Goup (SIG) announced a major update to the Bluetooth standards that will dramatically improve its performance, according to PC Magazine.

With brand new Bluetooth 5.0, this update promises quadruple the range and twice the speed with the same low power consumption in the next generations of Bluetooth devices.

Mark Powell, executive director of Bluetooth SIG said that the Bluetooth 5.0 will hit the market in late 2016 or early 2017.

Aart from all these amazing features, Bluetooth 5.0 will also increase data broadcasting capacity by 800% and will make location awareness and other connectionless services even more effortless and relevant.

As per SIG, there are currently 8.2 billion products using Bluetooth worldwide and it will be installed in one-third of all IoT devices by 2020.
Jaisalmer: Hindus and Muslims in Rajasthan's Barmer and Jaisalmer districts live in complete harmony and celebrate each other's festivals with full zest. Hindus are now keeping fast (Roza) to observe the holy month of Ramzan.

Many Hindus are also taking part in namaz prayers five times a day, TOI reported. After Partition, many Hindus came here to settle down from Pakistan.

"We celebrate each other's festivals and we've been sharing each other's joys and sorrows. After Partition and also after the wars with Pakistan, the families that have moved here from Pakistan have come to share all our rituals. Many Meghwals also feel great devotion for Peer Pithoro, whose dargah is in Sindh," TOI quoted Megharam Gadhveer of Gohad Ka Tala village in Barmer as saying.

Shankara Ram, who is on the Ramzan fast, told TOI, "All those who are followers of Peer Pithoro keep a fast at this time, during the month of Ramzan.

The practice is prevalent in many villages -- Godhad Ka Tala, Rabasar, Sata, Sinhania, Bakhasar, Kelnore, the TOI report said.
Ajmer: Rajasthan Board Of Secondary Educations (RBSE) Class 10 examination results have been declared on the official website of the Board on Sunday.

The results were announced by Minister of State for Education Vasudev Devnani at the office of the Board of Secondary Education here.

Students can check their results on the official websites:  http://rajresults.nic.in/ and http://rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in/

Steps to check results:-

-Visit the official website

-Click here to see Higher Secondary 2016 Result

-Enter your roll number

-The result will be displayed

-Check and save the result

Meanwhile, as per media reports, boys outperformed girls in the Secondary examination in Rajasthan.

The overall passing percentage in the state stood at 75.89. The passing percentage for boys was 76.02 compared to 75.70 for girls, Secretary of the Board, Meghna Choudhry, said.

The Minister said 167 students of various schools shared 15 positions in the merit list. Of them, 13 students are of government schools.

Tanisha Vijay, student of Mahaveer Public Senior Secondary School, Sawai Madhopur secured first position with 99.17 percent marks.

Tushar Sharma of Tagore Public Senior Secondary School, Sikri in Bharatpur district stood second with 99 per cent marks.

Deputy Director Rajendra Gupta said 10,51,105 students had appeared for the examination and among them, 7,97,672 passed.
New York: It is human nature to be biased towards your own creations, your own work, your labour of love, because it gives you a feeling of satisfaction.

A theory called the IKEA effect, based on consumer behaviour which has a similar hypothesis, was studied by scientists to prove that the theory also applies to building robots.

The team of researchers, which also involved one of Indian-origin, found that if people construct their robot themselves, they tend to get a more positive perception of their creation.

S. Shyam Sundar and Yuan Sun from the Pennsylvania State University put 80 undergraduates to the test and asked them to assemble a robot.

The goal was to determine how their perception of the robot changed depending on what they were told about the robot in advance, and how much they participated in the assembly of the robot.

After setup, both groups got to interact with the robot for five to ten minutes. Afterwards, all the undergraduates filled out a survey full of questions about sense of ownership, sense of accomplishment, as well as how they felt about the setup process.

The results, presented recently at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction in New Zealand, showed that robot users held higher sense of self-agency when they set up a robot by themselves, which generated more positive evaluations to the robot and the interaction process.

As with self-assembling furniture and self-designing products, building a robot also seem to have generated a positive I designed it myself effect, according to the researchers.

The study suggested that even if you could sell your robot as fully assembled and ready to go right out of the box, people would like your robot better (and think that it is a better robot) if you let them participate in the setup process, and perhaps let them do a little bit of simple customisation.

(With IANS inputs)
Multan: In latest spate of honour killing, the family members of a woman in Pakistan's Multan city slit the throat of her husband after they disapproved their marriage.

This is a rare case in the country where a man has been targeted. Usually it has been the women, who are murdered by their relatives each year on the pretext of defending what is seen as a family honour.

As per the police, the murder took place at a marketplace in Burewala, Punjab, on Friday when Muhammad Irshad, 43, was attacked by his father-in-law and two brothers in-law, reports Express Tribune.

Irshad was married to Mussarat Bibi, the daughter of a rich local agricultural family, about an year ago.

Irshat, who fled the place fearing that his in-laws would kill him, had returned to see his parents when the incident took place.

Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched to find Irshad's in-laws, who remained at large.
Lahore: A 23-year-old woman was paraded in her village streets with blackened face and shaved off head by her family members for allegedly eloping with a man, the latest in a series of 'honour' related crimes in Pakistan's Punjab province.

According to eyewitnesses, the family members including parents of the woman, yesterday paraded her in the streets outside her house after blackening her face and shaving off her head in a village of Uch Sharif, Bahawalpur, some 400 km from Lahore.

Reports said the woman who had allegedly eloped with a man of another village returned home a week later.

On her return, her family members including father, husband and step-mother reportedly tortured her secretly and then presented her before a Panchayat (a gathering of area elders) that announced punishment for her for her crime of 'dishonouring the family'.

Senior police officer Ehsan Sadiq told reporters that an FIR has been registered against 10 family members of the woman and the Panchayat members and arrested the victim's father and step-mother.

He said police would soon arrest the remaining suspects and complete investigation at the earliest.

Punjab, Pakistan's most populous state, has seen a spur in honour-related crimes, including honour killing, in recent times.

Two pregnant women have been brutally killed by their parents in last one week for contracting marriage against will of their families.

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.
The fatal earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015 is hard to forget. The amount of lives lost, unfathomable.

One of the worst hit villages was the popular trekking site, Langtang where 215 people were killed, due to the April 25, 2015 avalanche that was triggered by the quake.

A year later, the village is being taken to Mars! Well, literally.

The International Astronomical Union has christened a 9.8 km (six mile) wide crater on Mars, Langtang.

Why? Well, according to the man behind this, Tjalling de Haas, this christening is a 'tribute' to the Nepali village, where his colleague had worked while studying the Himalayan glaciers, as told to BBC.

Dr de Haas, who studies Mars's physical geography at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, also said that, It was his base camp for a long period, so we said maybe it's a nice tribute to call [the crater] Langtang.

Langtang was a "scientifically important" crater, de Haas said. "The marks on the top of the crater wall were probably water flows, and below them you can see ridges -- the remains of former glaciers."

He has named another crater Bunnik, after his hometown near Utrecht. Both names were approved by the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: British astronaut Tim Peake from the European Space Agency (ESA) descended to Earth yesterday, June 18th, after spending 6 months aboard the International Space Station.

Six months in zero gravity environment is not a short time at all and one would think that the first thing a person would want after half a year in space and a seven-hour journey back to Earth, would be some rest and relaxation.

However, when asked this question, Tim Peake had a surprising answer. He said he would love to sit with a slice of pizza and a cold beer! And this he said right after the soyuz spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan at 3:15pm local time (9:15 GMT).

About the seven-hour trip back to Earth, he said, It was incredible, the best ride I have been on, ever. I just felt fantastic from start to finish, as per the Times of India (TOI).

Peake was aboard the International Space Station with two other Expedition 47 crew members, NASA's Tim Kopra and Russian Roscosmos's Yuri Malenchenko.

TOI further quoted him saying that, It's a life changing experience. To be up there for six months and see and experience everything from there was just truly incredible.

Peake is a 44-year-old Army helicopter pilot and also the first Briton to visit the International Space Station.

The astronaut shared several enchanting images from space via miro-blogging site Twitter, which gave his followers a new insight into how things look from space.

In his last tweet before his descent, he tweeted an image of a beautiful sunrise and captioned it saying, Time to put on some weight! What an incredible journey it has been- thank you for following & see you back on Earth.
Lucknow/New Delhi: In remarks that are likely to stoke controversy, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Ram Shankar Katheria has said that "if saffronisation of education was good for the country, it would happen".

Katheria made the remarks on Saturday at a function in Lucknow University.

"Reporters told us that some people are saying that our government is saffronising education in the country. I am saying that saffronisation will definitely take place in both education and in the country.

"Whatever is good for the country will definitely take place, whether it is bhagwakaran (saffronisation) or sanghwad," Katheria said in his address at the event.

"For a very long time, we just kept watching. We did not make any allegations against anyone. But today, keeping in mind the condition of the country, whatever is necessary for the welfare of the nation and its reputation will take place," he added.

He further said:"If our children do not read about Maharana Pratap or Maharaj Shivaji, then will they read about Genghis Khan?"

Katheria's remarks came even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership has cautioned its leaders from making controversial statements as these deflect from the "development agenda" of the Narendra Modi government.


Meerut: A shocking incident of triple murder has been reported from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

An assistant branch manager of an insurance company, his wife and another woman were found murdered at his house on Saturday.

Who is this unidentified woman?

52-year-old Chandrashekhar Gupta, his wife Poonam Gupta (50) and an unidentified woman in her 30's were found murdered in Shastri Nagar area here, Field officer B S Vir Kumar said.

Murdered with sharp-edged weapons?

The bodies bore cut marks of some sharp-edged weapon.

Upon receiving information about the incident, DIG Lakshmi Singh, SSP Jorwinder Gord, along with other police officials, reached the crime scene.

Meerut MP Rajendra Agarwal also reached the spot along with BJP workers, and expressed anguish over the incident.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, police said, adding the motive behind the incident is yet to be ascertained.
Ahmedabad: Amidst reports of alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said if the information is correct, Uttar Pradesh government must take proper action.

"If some people are forced to leave their native place by any individual or gang, state government must take proper action," he told PTI here.

The Home Minister was speaking for the first time on the controversy after a BJP MP alleged that many Hindu families were forced to leave Kairana town in western Uttar Pradesh allegedly due to threat from a particular community.

Singh said he has information that some people have left Kairana but the incidents should not be given a communal colour.

"Communal colour should not be given to the Kairana incidents. But at the same time there should not be a situation when people have to leave their native place," he said.

The Home Minister said those who have left their native place, should be properly rehabilitated.

Asked whether similar incidents have taken place in some other parts of Uttar Pradesh, as claimed by some BJP leaders, Singh said he had heard about it but there has been no confirmation yet.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had recently released a list of 346 families who had allegedly been forced to flee the town, which has 85 per cent Muslim population. Kairana is in Shamli district which witnessed communal riots in 2013.

The state government had recently ordered a probe by the Shamli district administration into the alleged migration from Kairana and it had found that 188 of 346 families mentioned in the list had left over five years ago.

A UP home department spokesman had said that on verification of the list provided by the BJP MP, it was found that 66 families had left Kairana 10 years ago.

It was also found that 60 families were living elsewhere for reasons relating to education, employment, health, or others.

As many as 28 families mentioned in the list are still residing in Kairana, the spokesman had said.
Kolkata: With Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordering a probe into the Narada sting operation, police have registered an FIR against Narada News CEO Mathew Samuel on a complaint filed by city Mayor and Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sovan Chattopadhyay's wife.

Chattopadhyay was purportedly seen accepting money in the sting operation video released by Narada News.

Chattopadhyay's wife Ratna Chattopadhyay yesterday filed a complaint at the New Market Police Station against Samuel on the basis of which Kolkata Police Detective Department registered the FIR and started a probe into the sting operation, a senior official said.

Samuel has been booked under IPC Sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation); 500 (defamation); 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 171(G) (false statement in connection with an election) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), the officer said.

According to him, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, comprising senior officers of the detective department, cyber crime cell and economic offence wing, has already started a "thorough examination" of the sting operation's video footage.

The controversial Narada sting operation, which surfaced when the state was at the threshold of the Assembly elections, purportedly showed several Trinamool Congress leaders and an IPS officer accepting money for consideration.

An investigation into the Narada sting operation is presently on by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee while a case is pending on the issue in the Calcutta High Court.

Banerjee had on June 17 ordered a probe by Kolkata police into the Narada sting operation and asserted that her party had not taken "a single penny" from anyone in the Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation.
Kolkata: Former West Bengal minister and Saradha scam accused Madan Mitra on Sunday backed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee`s decision ordering a probe into the Narada sting operation in which several Trinamool Congress leaders were allegedly shown receiving wads of currency notes.

Alleging the sting to be "a provocation and conspiracy to create a hostile public reaction", Banerjee on Friday ordered the probe to be conduct by city Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. The opposition, however, has dismissed the move as "farcical" and "aimed at shielding" her partymen.

"Known for taking the appropriate decisions, the chief minister has done the right thing by ordering the probe," said the former Transport Minister who was one of the several high profile Trinamool leaders caught in the alleged bribery scandal.

Mitra also took a jibe at the opposition parties for questioning the probe.

"All these days` people were questioning why a probe is not being ordered. And when that has been done, people are again questioning why a probe has been ordered," said Mitra, the only Trinamool leader allegedly caught in the Narada sting, to have lost the recent assembly polls.

Jailed in the multi-crore scam, Mitra on Sunday was discharged from the government-run SSKM Hospital and taken to the jail.

"Life itself is like a jail. I have been discharged from the hospital and now I am going back to jail," said Mitra who has spent a large part of his incarceration period at the hospital.

Indicted of criminal conspiracy among other offences, Mitra was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in December 2014.
Islamabad: Afghanistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, will visit Islamabad on Monday for talks to remove differences over the border management issues, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said on Saturday.

Clashes had erupted along the Torkham, the busiest border crossing, between the troops of the two countries on June 12 that caused casualties on both sides, Xinhua news agency reported.

Both sides have now declared ceasefire and the border was opened on Saturday after its six days closure. However, both countries have deployed troops and tanks along the border.

Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz had invited Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar, and Foreign Minister Syed Salahuddin Rabbani to visit Pakistan to discuss the border issues and to remove any gaps in communication or understanding.

Afghanistan has accepted the talks offer but decided to send an Afghan delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai to Islamabad.

The foreign ministry said the Afghan delegation will visit Islamabad on Monday for "discussions on the issues relating to Torkham border crossing as well as other matters pertaining to border management".

"Pakistan welcomes the visit and looks forward to meaningful deliberations through a constructive engagement between the two sides with a view to promote bilateral relations as well as peace and stability of our two countries and the region," a foreign ministry statement said.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have nearly 2,600 km border, mostly porous, and the militants take advantage of the loose control.
Algiers: Algerian soldiers killed 14 armed Islamist militants in an ongoing operation south of the capital on today, the defence ministry said giving a new toll.

It said the "terrorists" were killed in an ambush in a mountainous area of the Medea region, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Algiers.

Weapons, ammunition and an explosives vest were seized, it said.

The ambush was part of an ongoing operation against militants that began on June 9 and had so far led to the killings of 17 "terrorists" and the arrests of four others.

The authorities in the North African country use the term "terrorists" to refer to Islamist militants.

A brutal civil war in the 1990s between the government and Islamists claimed about 200,000 lives.

Despite adopting a peace and reconciliation charter in 2005 aimed at turning the page on the conflict, armed groups remain active in some areas.

At least 101 armed Islamists have been killed by security forces this year, according to an AFP count compiled from official bulletins.
Washington: Accepting the United States is probably the world's sole superpower, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was ready to work with Washington.

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said: "America is a great power. Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that."

"We want to and are ready to work with the United States," Putin added.

Hinting to the US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine, Putin said: "The world needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them. But we don't need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live, preventing Europe from building a relationship with us."

When asked about presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Putin called him as a "flamboyant" or "colorful" man.

Putin also spoke about the presumptive Democratic nominee,Hillary Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was the Secretary of State.

"She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations," he said.

The Russian President, however, praised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton.

"We had a very nice relationship," the Guardian quoted Putin as saying.
Reeling from the murder of MP Jo Cox, the EU referendum campaigns resumed Sunday, with just four days to go until the critical vote that will shape Britain`s future.

The Remain and Leave camps suspended campaigning for three days after the killing of Cox on Thursday. A 52-year-old man has appeared in court charged with her murder.

But with the polls too close to call, leaders were to hit the television studios on Sunday to begin their final push for votes.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who wants Britain to stay in the European Union, said the country was facing an "an existential choice" from which there would be "no turning back".

Meanwhile Britain`s Sunday newspapers picked sides in their final editions before the referendum.

The Mail on Sunday and The Observer gave their support to the Remain camp, while The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph broadsheets backed quitting the EU.

Resuming the campaign, Cameron said the British economy "hangs in the balance", with trade and investment set to suffer in the event of a Leave vote and a "probable recession" that would leave the UK "permanently poorer".

"If you`re not sure, don`t take the risk of leaving. If you don`t know, don`t go," he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.

"If we were to leave and it quickly turned out to be a big mistake, there wouldn`t be a way of changing our minds and having another go. This is it."

Cameron, finance minister George Osborne and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, from the Remain camp, were all set for major TV appearances on Sunday.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, was set to do the same for the Leave camp.The What UK Thinks website`s average of the last six polls, conducted between June 10 and Saturday, put the Remain and Leave camps absolutely level on 50-50, excluding undecided voters.

The Leave camp had been a few percentage points ahead in recent polling, but fresh surveys showing a rise in support for remaining brought the average neck-and-neck.

They included the first carried out since Cox`s murder: a Survation poll on Friday and Saturday that put the Remain on 45 percent and Leave on 42 percent.

The results were the reverse Survation`s Thursday poll, which had Leave ahead by 45 to 42.

Labour MP Cox had campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU.

She was shot and stabbed in the street in what police called a "targeted" daylight attack in her constituency.

Cox`s alleged killer Thomas Mair said "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain" when asked to give his name at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Saturday.

He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Monday at England`s central criminal court, and a psychiatric report has been requested.

Cox, 41, is survived by her husband Brendan and their children Lejla, five, and three-year-old Cuillin.

The murder, the first of a sitting British member of parliament since 1990, sent shockwaves around the world, drawing tributes from leaders including US President Barack Obama.

A fund created in Cox`s memory by her friends and family has raised more than 570,000 ($820,000, 725,000 euros) for charities close to her heart.In making their decisions, Britain`s Sunday newspapers tried to sway their readers in how to vote.

The Mail On Sunday warned it was "not the time to risk the peace and prosperity" of the UK.

"Our deepest desires must somehow be moderated to suit the increasingly tough reality of a competitive world," the tabloid said.

"Those who would have you believe in the plucky Little England of the past are selling a dangerous illusion."

The Observer said: "For an international, liberal and open Britain, we need to be part of the EU."

The choice was between "going it alone" or a "messy, imperfect collective", but "outside the EU, our role in the world would be diminished."

The Sunday Telegraph, meanwhile, backed Brexit, declaring that the EU "belongs to the past".

"The Leave campaign has articulated an ambitious vision for Britain as an independent nation, once again free to make its own decisions," it said.

The Sunday Times said "Yes, we must be prepared for difficulties, but we should hold our nerve" in voting Leave.

"This vote may be the only opportunity we shall ever have to call a halt to the onward march of the centralising European project.

"We can help our friends face a better future."
A Florida driver hit two police officers Saturday as she tried to cut through a funeral procession for a victim of the mass shooting in Orlando, police said.

The two Osceola County Sheriff`s deputies were on motorcycles escorting the funeral procession south of Orlando when they were hit at 11:30 am (1530 GMT), Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes said.

"We think it was impatience," she said. "It wasn`t intentional.

"We see this happening with funeral processions and this was an especially long one," she added.

Both deputies are in the hospital in stable condition, according to Montes.

Police identified the driver as Ivonne Robles Morales, 44.

Morales "stated that she thought someone waived her out to cross the procession, and she entered the intersection," a police statement said.

Her car then struck a first police car head on, causing the front of a second police car to strike the left rear of Morales`s vehicle.

She was ticketed for failing to yield to a funeral procession and has been ordered to appear in court.

Police have not identified the police officers involved in the crash.

It was not immediately clear whose funeral procession was taking place during the accident.

Last week`s massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando was the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Funerals are taking place over the weekend.
Beijing: China on Sunday criticised the Indonesian navy for using "excessive force" on its fishermen which injured a Chinese crew member in the disputed South China Sea, the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries.

The foreign ministry strongly protested over the Indonesian navy's "harassment" of Chinese fishermen.

"China strongly protests and condemns such excessive use of force," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign ministry.

Chinese fishing boats were harassed and shot at by several Indonesian navy warships in a disputed fishing ground in the South China Sea on Friday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

One crew member was injured. Another fishing boat and seven crew were detained, it said.

The incident took place in a traditional Chinese fishing ground where China and Indonesia have overlapping maritime rights claims, Hua said.

Indonesia's actions violated international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and harmed the lives and property of Chinese fishermen, Hua said.

"China urges Indonesia to stop taking action that escalates tension, complicates issues, or affects peace and stability," she said.

Last month, China strongly protested after the Indonesian navy seized a Chinese boat in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands for allegedly fishing illegally.

The two countries have clashed before over the islands on the southwestern edge of the South China Sea.

China claims almost all of South China Sea which is disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Indonesia does not reject China's ownership of reefs or islets in the disputed waterway, but objects to Beijing's claims as they overlap with its own exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.

The US has been dispatching its warships into the waters claimed by China to assert freedom of navigation.

China has strongly opposed such action, saying the US threatens China's sovereignty and security, endangers the safety of people and facilities on the reef and harms regional peace and stability.
Bogota: Colombian authorities say that a farmer being investigated for the disappearance of a woman has confessed to killing 20 people, including his wife and two children as well as missing person.

The Attorney General's Office says the man was arrested at his farm in the northeastern municipality of Guarne, about 25 kilometres from Medellin.

Luiz Gonzalez, an official with the prosecutors' office, yesterday identified the man as 44-year-old Jaime Ivan Martinez.

He was being investigated in the disappearance of a 50-year-old woman, Maria Arango, an official from Guarne municipality. She was last seen on Jan 19.

Martinez allegedly confessed to killing Arango and 19 other people and burying them on his farm. Gonzalez said a search for the bodies would be launched soon.
Judges at the world`s only permanent war crimes court will on Tuesday pass sentence on former Congolese leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, with prosecutors calling for a minimum 25-year sentence.

If the judges agree with the prosecution, it will be the highest jail term ever imposed by the International Criminal Court in a case that was the first there to focus on rape as a weapon of war.

Prosecutors blamed the former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo for turning a blind eye to a reign of terror by his troops in the Central African Republic from October 2002 to May 2003.

He was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, after sending some 1,500 troops from his private army into CAR to help quash a coup against the then president.

Bemba`s Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) carried out a series of rapes and murders as they sought to prop up then president Ange-Felix Patasse.

Experts testified that the brutality of the events would have long-term traumatic effects on the victims and their communities.

In their verdict handed down at the end of a trial which began in November 2010, the ICC judges found that despite knowing what was happening, Bemba "failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent" a litany of crimes, which included the gang rapes of men, women and children, sometimes as their relatives were forced to watch.

Bemba, 53, will become the highest level person sentenced at the tribunal based in The Hague.

The prosecution`s request for a 25-year sentence "does reflect the gravity of these crimes," human rights activist Carrie Comer told AFP.

The ICC has previously sentenced two others convicted there to 14 and 12 years in prison.As well as the issue of rape as a weapon of war, the Bemba case was also the first at the ICC to focus on a military commander`s responsibility for abuses by his troops, even if he did not order them.

Defence lawyers have argued that Bemba, who has already spent eight years in detention since his 2008 arrest in Brussels, should be released.

Bemba "did not participate in the crimes. He was not standing there and encouraging his troops... Mr Bemba was not even in the same country," defence lawyer Peter Haynes said at an ICC hearing last month.

His "culpability arises from his failure to control a small fraction of his troops who were thousands of miles away".

Activists warn however that a light sentence would fail to send a warning to other military commanders.

"It`s really important that the court recognise the command responsibility .. and there`s an opportunity here to provide a deterrent," said Comer, the permanent representative to the ICC for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

"If you knew, or you should have known, that these things were going on and you execute effective control over your troops then, yes, you`re absolutely responsible for ... not preventing or punishing these crimes."

The FIDH, which represents some 178 rights organisations from the around the world, is also hoping "the trial chamber will come back with a strong sentence on this in recognition of the particular devastating harm that sexual and gender-based crimes have on victims, their families and their communities at large."

The landmark Bemba verdict was hailed at the time, even though many were shocked at how long it had taken for sexual violence to be focused on in an international trial.

American actress Angelina Jolie urged the international community "to build on the important legal precedent" set by the Bemba case so that "we can collectively shatter impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war and terrorism".
Moscow: Fourteen people, mostly children, have died after boats capsized in stormy weather during an outing on a lake in the Republic of Karelia in north-west Russia, the local Emergencies Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

It said it had completed search and rescue operations. There were 51 people, including four adults, on the outing.

A police officer told Reuters by phone that two of the three boats capsized in Syamozero lake because of bad weather.

The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, wrote on his Twitter account that 10 children from Moscow had died, according to preliminary information.
Jerusalem: The Israeli government approved USD 18 million in extra funding for Jewish West Bank settlements on Sunday, in a move that angered both opposition lawmakers and Palestinians.

A statement from Netanyahu's office the funding aims to assist small businesses, encourage tourism and strengthen security. It follows months of Palestinian attacks on civilians and soldiers.

Some 600,000 Jews live in settlements built on the West Bank and in east Jerusalem on lands Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. Most of the world considers them to be illegal. Israel has faced strong criticism for their continued expansion. The Palestinians demand the territory as part of their future state.

Opposition lawmakers attacked the decision, saying that instead of boosting Israel's struggling periphery the government was pouring money into an enterprise that undermined Israel's security and international standing. US State Department spokesman John Kirby reaffirmed Washington's opposition to settlement building.

"Our position on settlement activity remains clear and consistent. We strongly oppose all settlement activity, which is corrosive to the cause of peace," Kirby said. "We continue to look to both sides to demonstrate with actions and policies a genuine commitment to a two-state solution. Actions such as these do just the opposite.?"

Later today, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 22-year-old man died of wounds sustained in clashes with the Israeli military in the West Bank in May. Over the last nine months, Palestinians have carried out dozens of attacks, including stabbings, shootings and car ramming assaults, which have killed 32 Israelis and two Americans.

About 200 Palestinians have been killed during that time, most identified as attackers by Israel. The rest died in clashes.

The assaults were once near-daily incidents but they have become less frequent in recent weeks.
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia said it will host a two-day meeting with Australia and China beginning tomorrow to discuss next steps in the fruitless search for missing flight MH370.

Malaysian state-run Bernama news agency late yesterday quoted a Transport Ministry official saying the meeting would focus on "the future direction of the search operation for MH370".

The three countries have said previously they will call off the Australian-lead hunt for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean.

So far 105,000 square kilometres (40,500 square miles) of the 120,000-square-kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success.

Recent bad weather has delayed the expected completion of the search to August, Australian authorities said earlier this month.

The jet disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board in March 2014 and is presumed to have crashed into the sea far off Western Australia's coast.

Several pieces of debris have been found thousands of kilometres (miles) from the suspected crash area but they have so far shed no light on what caused the disaster.
Nay Pyi Taw: Myanmar has requested the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to open a country office in the Southeast Asian country, the Confederation of the Trade Union of Myanmar (CTUM) said on Sunday.

"Only if the request is granted, can the problems of workers be acted on extensively," chairman of the CTUM U Maung Maung said, expecting the appointment of an ILO country director by the end of this year.

The ILO currently has a liaison office and an office focusing on the elimination of child soldiers in Myanmar, Xinhua news agency reported.
Washington: The US Supreme Court may weigh in this week on gun control, an issue smoldering again following the June 12 Orlando massacre, with the justices due to decide whether to hear a challenge by gun rights advocates to assault weapon bans in two states.

The Connecticut and New York laws prohibit semiautomatic weapons like the one used by the gunman who fatally shot 49 people at a gay night club in Orlando in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

The Supreme Court will announce as soon as Monday whether it will hear the challenge brought by gun rights groups and individual firearms owners asserting that the laws violate the US Constitution`s Second Amendment guarantee of the right to bear arms.

The court has not decided a major gun case since 2010.

If they take up the matter, the justices would hear arguments in their next term, which begins in October. A decision not to hear the challenge would leave in place lower-court rulings upholding the laws.

The court`s action in another recent appeal indicated it may be disinclined to take up the matter. The justices in December opted not to hear a challenge to a Highland Park, Illinois ordinance banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

A national assault weapons ban expired in 2004. Congressional Republicans, backed by the influential National Rifle Association gun rights lobby, beat back efforts to restore it. Some states and municipalities have enacted their own bans.

In their petition asking the Supreme Court to hear the case, those challenging the Connecticut law said the type of weapons banned by the state are used in self-defense, hunting and recreational shooting.

Connecticut said its law targets firearms disproportionately used in gun crime, "particularly the most heinous forms of gun violence." It said people in Connecticut still can legally own more than 1,000 types of handguns, rifles and shotguns.

There is a longstanding legal debate over the scope of Second Amendment rights.

In the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case, the Supreme Court held for the first time that the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual`s right to bear arms, but the ruling applied only to firearms kept in the home for self-defense. That ruling did not involve a state law, applying only to federal regulations.

Two years later, in the case McDonald v. City of Chicago, the court held that the Heller ruling covered individual gun rights in states.
Qatar on Saturday rejected the verdict by an Egyptian court in a spy case linking ousted president Mohamed Morsi to passing state secrets to Doha.

In addition to Morsi`s conviction being upheld and receiving a life sentence, two journalists from the Qatar-based state-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera were also handed death sentences.

But in a statement released late on Saturday by Qatar`s foreign ministry, officials in Doha said the verdict was unfounded.

"Though it is not final, the verdict is unfounded, goes against truth and contains misleading claims which are contrary to the policy of the State of Qatar towards all sister countries, including Egypt," said the ministry`s director of information, Ahmed Al Rumaihi.

"The charge of espionage for Qatar against a former president and media men is surprising and unacceptable."

Rumaihi added that the verdicts lacked "the proper sense of justice".

Morsi, who has been sentenced to death in a separate trial, was Egypt`s first democratically elected president but the army overthrew him in 2013.

He was given life in prison Saturday for leading an unlawful organisation and 15 years for having "stolen secret documents concerning state security," his lawyer said.

But Morsi was acquitted of having supplied classified documents to Qatar, one of his main backers, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud told AFP.

The two Al-Jazeera journalists were tried in absentia.

In a separate statement on Saturday, the media network denounced the verdict as an attack on the free press.

Egypt has long accused Qatar -- and Al-Jazeera -- of being sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Oolando (Florida): Funerals for two of the 49 victims killed in the shooting at a nightclub in Florida were marked by tense scenes on Saturday, as an impatient driver was accused of injuring two law enforcement officers and one burial took place under the watch of anti-gay protesters.

Two Osceola County Sheriff`s deputies on motorcycles were injured at the funeral procession for Jean Carlos Mendez in Kissimmee, Florida, some 20 miles (32 km) south of Orlando, when a driver cut through the cortege and struck them with her car, according to a statement on the sheriff`s Facebook page.

The deputies were taken to the hospital, where both were in stable condition, said the sheriff`s spokeswoman, Twis Lizasuain.

At the funeral of another victim, Christopher Leinonen, at a church close to the center of Orlando, a handful of protesters from the Kansas-based anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church stood silently for about 45 minutes. They were blocked from view of those attending the funeral by about 200 counter-protesters, who cheered when the Westboro members left.

Members of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater used large "angel wings," measuring 8 feet wide and reaching 3 feet over shoulder height, to block out the protesters. The wings, made of white cloth and plastic piping by volunteers from the theater`s costume and set shops, first surfaced at the 1998 funeral of Matthew Shepard, a gay man murdered in Wyoming.

The shooting in Orlando continued to reverberate around the world. More than a thousand people attended a candle-light vigil in Berlin to show solidarity with the victims of the attack and their families. The Brandenburg Gate, long a symbol of division in the city, was lit up in rainbow colors, according to pictures posted on Twitter under the hashtag #berlinfororlando.

Authorities are still investigating what motivated Omar Mateen to kill 49 people at the popular gay nightclub Pulse in the early hours of last Sunday, perpetrating the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mateen was later killed in a shoot-out with police.

The shooting has sparked a new push for gun control legislation and Congress is expected to vote on proposals starting next week, including one on stopping people on terrorism watch lists from buying guns.

Democrats, including President Barack Obama, are framing gun restrictions as a national security issue after Mateen professed loyalty to Islamist militants. But authorities believe he was "self-radicalized" and acted without any direction from outside networks.

Trouble Past

U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Friday questioned a member of the Florida mosque attended by Mateen, as new information surfaced revealing the killer had exhibited chronic behavioral problems during his youth.

Academic records obtained by Reuters showing Mateen was frequently suspended as a student added to a disturbing portrait of the long-troubled gunman.

Mateen, a 29-year-old private security guard, has been described by his first wife as an abusive, mentally disturbed man with a violent temper.

Others who knew him recalled Mateen, a U.S. citizen and Florida resident born in New York to Afghan immigrants, as a quiet, socially awkward individual who kept largely to himself.

The FBI has acknowledged interviewing Mateen in 2013 and 2014 for suspected ties to Islamist militant groups but concluded he posed no threat. Still, evidence in the Orlando case points to a crime at least inspired by extremist ideology.

Authorities have said Mateen paused a number of times during his three-hour siege at the Pulse nightclub to place cell phone calls to emergency 911 dispatchers and to post internet messages professing support for various Islamist militant groups.

U.S. officials have said his second wife, Noor Salman, had known of his plans to carry out the attack and a federal grand jury was convened to decide whether to charge Salman.

Obama, who met with survivors of the shooting and families of the dead in Orlando on Thursday, urged Congress to make it more difficult to legally acquire high-powered weapons like the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack.

The Senate is expected to vote on Monday on four proposals for limited gun restrictions, although all four are expected to fail. A group of Republican senators attempted on Friday to craft compromise legislation that might stand a better chance of passing.
Belgrade: The US Secretary of State, John Kerry said Washington maintains that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and does not support the independence of Tibet.

During a telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday, Kerry said the US policy on the Tibet issue remains unchanged, reports Xinhua.

Wang on his part, reiterated China`s principled position on the issue of Tibet, urging the US side to refrain from interfering in China`s domestic affairs and take practical actions to safeguard the overall China-US relations.

This development comes in the wake of US President Barack Obama`s meeting with the 14th Dalai Lama, whom Beijing considers a political exile, engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion.

Both Kerry and Wang hailed the success of the recent US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogues and the US-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, which were held in Beijing earlier this month.

Kerry added, that the United States stands ready to further push forward US-China relations.Wang also mentioned that the recent dialogue has sent clear signals that both sides are committed to building a new type of `major-country relationship`.
London: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, facing rape allegation in Sweden, on Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of his life holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy here.

The 44-year-old is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been hiding in the embassy since he was given asylum as he fears being extradited to the US to be quizzed over the activities of Wikileaks if he travels to Sweden.

His supporters have planned a series of demonstrations around the world, including London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Belgrade, under the banner 'First They Came for Assange'.

They will mark the beginning of what organisers have dubbed 'Assange Week', with further events planned for New York, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

A UK Home Office spokesperson said that Assange has exhausted all his avenues of appeal under the Extradition Act 2003.

"The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden, where he is wanted for an allegation of rape," the spokesperson said.

"The European Arrest Warrant in respect of Mr Assange was issued in full accordance with the law and has been upheld by the Supreme Court. We are clear that our laws must be followed and he should be extradited," he said.

The Australian former computer hacker founded Wikileaks in 2006 and has been portrayed in two films in recent years.

Assange has compared living inside the embassy to life on a space station.

His small room is divided into an office and a living area where he has a treadmill, shower, microwave and sun lamp and spends most of his day at his computer. He got a cat last month to keep him some company.

Last month a Stockholm district court maintained a European arrest warrant against Assange, rejecting his lawyers' request to have it lifted.

"The court considers that Julian Assange is still suspected of rape...And that there is still a risk that he will abscond or evade justice," it had said in a statement.

Assange plans to appeal the ruling.
Iran said Sunday it has reached an agreement with American aerospace giant Boeing to purchase 100 aircraft to renew its ageing fleet, though the deal must still be approved by the US government.

The Islamic republic has ordered about 200 planes from three Western manufacturers since mid-January, when economic sanctions were lifted following a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's civil aviation authority said in remarks published by the daily Iran newspaper that an agreement had been reached with Boeing for the purchase but said the deal was contingent on US Treasury permission.

Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan however said Sunday that he hoped the initial accord could be completed within a month.

He told the Fars news agency that the deal would be "the largest and most important contract" with the United States -- barring military deals -- since before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A nuclear agreement in July with six world powers, including the US, has lifted some of the economic sanctions on Iran in return for limits on the Islamic republic's controversial atomic programme.

Many of Iran's ageing civil aviation fleet -- 230 planes out of 250 according to Abedzadeh -- are in desperate need of replacement.

Boeing has fallen behind the race to restock Iran because as an American company it has to obtain the greenlight from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control before completing any contracts with Iran.

It has requested final authorisation for the sale, according to Abedzadeh.

He said the contract's reported value of $17 billion (15 billion euros) was not final and that more details will be provided after further negotiations.

Boeing confirmed on Wednesday that it was in talks with Iranian airlines interested in buying its passenger planes.

"We have been engaged in discussions with Iranian airlines approved by the (US government) about potential purchases of Boeing commercial passenger airplaned and services," the company said in an email to AFP.

Story continues

In February, the American company was granted approval from the US government to explore resuming sales to Iran after sanctions were partially lifted in January.

- No diplomatic ties -

Iran and the US broke diplomatic ties in 1980 following a hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of modern Iran, dubbed the US the "Great Satan" and his successor supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has kept Tehran on a stridently anti-American path.

Despite allowing nuclear negotiations with Washington, Khamenei has repeatedly warned of American and Western "infiltration" in the post-sanctions era.

Although the nuclear deal lifted most economic sanctions, the US and the European Union have kept up some measures due to Tehran's support for groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as its ballistic missile programme.

This means major international banks, particularly in Europe, are still reluctant to do business with Iran for fear of punitive US measures.

Iran in January reached a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the purchase of 118 planes.

That agreement is also still pending permission from the US Treasury, since more than 10 percent of Airbus components are of American origin.
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece could lift most or all capital controls imposed at the height of the euro zone crisis by the end of the year, the head of the country's banking association said on Saturday.

The controls, which restricted the amount of cash that can be withdrawn from banks to 420 euros a week, were imposed last June to halt a flight of deposits that threatened to wreck the banking system as Greece was embroiled in acrimonious bailout talks with its international lenders.

More than 50 billion euros (40 billion pounds) left banks from November 2014 to July last year on fears that the country could crash out of the euro, forcing them to resort to emergency borrowing from the European Central Bank and the Bank of Greece.

"Personally, I believe that the biggest part of the restrictions, if not all of them, can be lifted this autumn and towards the end of the year," Louka Katseli, who also chairs National Bank (NBGr.AT), Greece's second biggest lender, told Greek state TV.

Katseli said one of the conditions for this to happen had already been met after Greece successfully concluded a first review of its bailout reforms this month, helping to restore investor confidence in the country.

The next immediate step would be for the ECB to give Greek banks access to cheap funding by accepting Greek bonds as collateral, she said.

While Greece is rated "junk" by credit agencies, the ECB is almost certain to waive its investment-grade credit rating requirement at its June 22 Governing Council meeting, allowing Greek banks to start coming off an emergency liquidity lifeline and tap into the ECB's regular and cheaper funding.

Katseli said that two remaining conditions for fully removing capital controls - an effective management of a loan of non-performing loans and a return of deposits to Greek banks - were not easy to achieve.

"A return in deposits is the most difficult part, meaning it will take time, because people are still wary," Katseli said.

(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Gareth Jones)
MILAN (Reuters) - Salvatore Ferragamo will focus on boosting profits this year to combat lower growth in the luxury industry as a whole, its outgoing chief executive said on Sunday. Slower economic growth in China, plunging oil prices, volatile exchange rates and security threats that have curbed tourist flows have all put the brakes on spending on upmarket handbags, shoes and other accessories. Ferragamo posted a larger-than-expected 5 percent rise in first-quarter core profit in May but revenue fell 2 percent to 321 million euros (252 million pounds). Speaking before the brand's menswear show at Milan Men's Fashion Week, Chief Executive Michele Norsa said the luxury sector would have to focus on managing risks. "Growth will not be as strong as in past years, when the Chinese economy and new markets have been opportunities for the industry," said Norsa. He said Florence-based Ferragamo, whose founder designed ballet shoes for Audrey Hepburn, is on track to continue increasing profitability and that it would not be affected if Britain voted to leave the European Union. Ferragamo will continue to focus on widening the profit margins on its products rather than pushing sales, "given the growth of volumes will be hard to forecast", Norsa said. Norsa, who has been at the helm of the luxury group for a decade and presided over its stock market debut in 2011, is due to leave by the end of the year. He will be replaced by Eraldo Poletto, former head of handbag maker Furla. Ferragamo's shares have more than doubled in value in the five years since the listing, but have slid 9 percent so far this year as the luxury industry faces weakened demand. ($1 = 0.8866 euros) (Reporting by Giulia Segreti; editing by David Clarke)
DGAP-News: PAION AG / Key word(s): Research Update PAION REPORTS POSITIVE REMIMAZOLAM HEADLINE DATA IN PIVOTAL U.S. PHASE III STUDY IN PROCEDURAL SEDATION FOR COLONOSCOPY 19.06.2016 / 17:49 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAION REPORTS POSITIVE REMIMAZOLAM HEADLINE DATA IN PIVOTAL U.S. PHASE III STUDY IN PROCEDURAL SEDATION FOR COLONOSCOPY - Primary efficacy outcome measure successfully achieved - Consistent safety profile with that observed in previous studies - Conference Call on remimazolam headline data on Monday, 20 June 2016 Aachen (Germany), 19 June 2016 - The Specialty Pharma Company PAION AG (ISIN DE000A0B65S3; Frankfurt Stock Exchange Prime Standard: PA8) today announced that remimazolam, its ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine sedative/ anesthetic, met its primary efficacy endpoint in the first study of its pivotal U.S. Phase III program in patients undergoing procedural sedation. The study enrolled a total of 461 patients at 13 U.S. sites and was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of remimazolam compared to placebo (with midazolam rescue) in patients undergoing proceduralist- administered sedation for colonoscopy. The primary outcome measure, success of the procedure, was reached in 91.3% of the patients in the remimazolam arm and in 5.0% in the placebo (including midazolam rescue) arm. The safety profile of remimazolam was consistent with that observed in previous studies. In important secondary endpoints, the remimazolam arm showed a mean time to start of procedure of 5.1 minutes and a mean time from end of procedure to return to full alertness of the patients of 9.25 minutes. Evaluation of the full data set is ongoing and will be presented in an appropriate scientific, peer-reviewed format at a later date. This study also included an open label arm in which midazolam was dosed according to U.S. label. The data resulting from this non-comparative arm may be useful for hypothesis generation for future research and pharmaco- economic modelling. Although the study designs are not identical, the Phase III study results were in line with findings from a previous U.S. Phase IIb double-blind randomized comparative study between remimazolam and midazolam in 162 patients undergoing routine colonoscopy, where patients in the remimazolam arm showed significantly enhanced colonoscopy success rates and shorter times to start of procedure, shorter times from end of procedure to return to full alertness and, therefore, shorter overall procedure times than patients in the midazolam arm. "The study results show that remimazolam has the potential to be an important addition to existing options for sedating patients undergoing procedures such as colonoscopy", commented Professor Douglas Rex M.D., co- ordinating investigator, Indiana University, Indianapolis, U.S.A. "The short onset and offset of action times are particularly interesting from an out-patient clinic perspective as these may lead to more efficient patient management. We will learn more from the publication of the full remimazolam data analysis of the ongoing Phase III program." Dr. Johannes Blatter, Chief Medical Officer at PAION AG, commented: "We are excited about the headline data from remimazolam's first U.S. Phase III study and the potential it has to be an effective, safe and efficient agent for procedural sedation; an area of medicine that has seen significant growth in the number of procedures for preventative and diagnostic interventions such as colorectal cancer screening. These headline data are in line with data from the earlier Phase IIb study in terms of efficacy and safety profile and point towards shorter times to start of procedure and shorter times to return to full alertness in relation to midazolam. Remimazolam has the potential to improve patient satisfaction and enhance patient care in the out-patient clinic setting." Dr. Wolfgang Sohngen, CEO at PAION AG, commented: "First of all, I would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of this milestone study for PAION. These data are also interesting in the context of increasing concerns about the overall cost of procedures and potential changes to reimbursement structures in the U.S. We believe that remimazolam has the potential to play a significant role in improving the efficiency of patient care in procedural sedation." Conference call: PAION will hold a conference call in German on Monday, 20 June 2016, at 10.00 a.m. CEST (9 a.m. BST) for media representatives and shareholders. PAION will also be available for analysts and investors in a conference call in English at 4.00 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. BST, 10 a.m. EDT) on the same day. To access the calls participants may dial from - Germany +49 (0) 69 7104 45598 - UK +44 (0) 20 3003 2666 and - US +1 212 999 6659 - (other countries: please use the UK number). When prompted, you will be asked to give the password "PAION". The conference call will be supplemented by a webcast presentation which can be accessed during the call with the following link for the German call at 10.00 a.m. CEST: https://paion-events.webex.com/paion-events/j.php? MTID=m4e36a6adf74b8e36a7be33a16860d337 and using the following link for the English call at 4.00 p.m. CEST: https:// paion-events.webex.com/paion-events/j.php? MTID=mbcb36cea99ba5c300bd133cf8e94d33a ### About remimazolam Remimazolam is an ultra-short-acting intravenous benzodiazepine sedative/ anesthetic, currently in Phase III clinical development for procedural sedation. In the human body, remimazolam is rapidly metabolized to an inactive metabolite by tissue esterases and not metabolized by cytochrome- dependent hepatic pathways. Like other benzodiazepines, remimazolam can be reversed with flumazenil to rapidly terminate sedation and anesthesia if necessary. In clinical studies, remimazolam demonstrated efficacy and safety in over 1,000 patients. A Phase III program is currently in progress in procedural sedation in the U.S. Data so far indicate that remimazolam has a rapid onset and offset of action combined with a favorable cardio-respiratory safety profile. A pediatric development plan has been agreed with the FDA and will be implemented following the development of remimazolam for adult patients. A full clinical development program for general anesthesia has been completed in Japan, and a Phase II study in general anesthesia has been completed in the E.U. Development for ICU sedation beyond 24 hours is considered following successful completion of development in procedural sedation and general anesthesia. Remimazolam is available for licensing outside China, Russia (CIS), Turkey, the MENA region, South Korea and Canada, where the compound is partnered with Yichang Humanwell, R-Pharm, TR-Pharm, Hana Pharm and Pharmascience (Pendopharm), respectively. About PAION PAION AG is a publicly listed specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Aachen (Germany) with in Cambridge (United Kingdom) and New Jersey (USA). PAION's lead substance, remimazolam, is an intravenous ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine sedative/anesthetic currently in Phase III clinical development for procedural sedation. Remimazolam is designed to complement and improve currently available treatment options for patients requiring sedation and anesthesia. PAION is focusing its clinical development activities on remimazolam according to PAION's vision to become an acknowledged "PAIONeer" in sedation and anesthesia. For more information please visit www.paion.com PAION Contact Ralf Penner Director Investor Relations / Public Relations PAION AG Martinstrasse 10-12 52062 Aachen - Germany Phone: +49 241 4453-152 E-mail: r.penner@paion.com www.paion.com Disclaimer: This release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the future business of PAION AG. These forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the current expectations, estimates and projections of PAION AG's management as of the date of this release. They are subject to a number of assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Should actual conditions differ from the Company's assumptions, actual results and actions may differ materially from any future results and developments expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements. Considering the risks, uncertainties and other factors involved, recipients should not rely unreasonably upon these forward- looking statements. PAION AG has no obligation to periodically update any such forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19.06.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: PAION AG Martinstr. 10-12 52062 Aachen Germany Phone: +49 (0)241-4453-0 Fax: +49 (0)241-4453-100 E-mail: info@paion.com Internet: www.paion.com ISIN: DE000A0B65S3 WKN: A0B65S Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 472663 19.06.2016
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* Euro zone bank stocks fall to near 4-year lows

* Wider impact of possible Brexit spooks investors

* Bank of England warns of global spillover (Rewrites throughout, adds details from Swiss and British central banks)

By Marc Jones and John O'Donnell

LONDON/ FRANKFURT, June 16 (Reuters) - Euro zone bank stocks dipped to near four-year lows on Thursday as worry spread that a British exit from the European Union would worsen their already dim prospects.

The share slide underscores the problems that could face all European lenders if Britain votes to leave the EU next week, a step that the Bank of England warned would harm not just the UK economy but also spill over globally.

Europe's banks, still grappling with billions of euros of loans that may never be repaid as the region wallows in the doldrums and unemployment remains stubbornly high, are again in the front line of investor concerns.

"The global economic and political outlook is dark," said Chirantan Barua, an analyst with Bernstein. "Brexit is fuelling uncertainty and will have ripple effects across Europe. With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) so much uncertainty, why would you buy a bank stock now?"

A regional index of euro zone banks fell to its lowest level since August 2012, while shares in Germany's Deutsche Bank (LSE: 0H7D.L - news) hit a record low. Banks are often a bellweather of economies and highly sensitive to market stress.

The stock moves illustrate a growing sense of alarm ahead of the June 23 referendum, which will determine Britain's future in trade and world affairs as well as that of the 28-member bloc.

This could have a knock-on effect on banks, which are still struggling with the aftermath of the financial crash.

With polls suggesting the chances of a 'Brexit' are increasing, investors took little consolation in the preparations that have been made by central banks.

Officials told Reuters this week that the European Central Bank would publicly pledge to backstop financial markets with funding in tandem with the Bank of England, should Britain quit.

Story continues

And Switzerland's central bank pledged to counter any surge in an already overvalued franc - seen as a safe currency in times of uncertainty.

SNB board member Andrea Maechler said the central bank had a team following Brexit developments 24 hours a day.

But were a recession to follow a British split, there would be little central banks, which have already cut borrowing rates to rock bottom and flooded markets with fresh money, could do.

GRAVEYARD STABILITY

Broader European financial stocks also dropped, bringing year-to-date losses to roughly 27 percent, making them the region's worst performing sector.

"The uncertainty is regarding the future of the UK in Europe but also probably regarding the future of Europe," said Barclays (Swiss: BARC.SW - news) head of euro zone research Philippe Gudin de Vallerin.

"There is still some worry about banks and the extent to which banks have really been cleaned up and the possible reaction of banks to a UK exit."

The problems facing Europe's banks, however, go far deeper than Brexit. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) has proved exceptionally hard, for instance, to kick-start borrowing in the euro zone because confidence has sunk to a low ebb and bad loans from the past are piled high.

Earlier this week, Yves Mersch, one of the European Central Bank's top officials, summarised the problems of the sector after the financial crisis. "We all want stability, but we should not want the stability of the graveyard."

Rating downgrades are also a threat. A Standard (Other OTC: SNDH - news) and Poor's model using Credit Default Swaps (CDS) shows that, over the last week, financial markets have started pricing Deutsche Bank's debt as if it were 'junk' grade.

While the bank's official credit rating does not have such a low status, the cost of insuring against a default on its debt, as measured by the CDS price, shows that investors see a higher risk of not getting repaid.

Swiss banks, which were also badly hit by the financial crisis, face further challenges too. The SNB said UBS and Credit Suisse (LSE: 0QP5.L - news) would likely each need to raise an extra 10 billion Swiss francs in capital to meet new rules.

(Additional reporting by Alistair Smout in London; Editing by Keith Weir and Alexander Smith)
YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) Brussels-based NGO has expressed concern over human right violations in Azerbaijan conducted on state level. This time official Baku impedes the professional activities of European journalists banning their publications on Artsakh theme, EuFoA informed Armenpress.

Azerbaijan again violates human right and fundamental freedoms on a state level by impeding the right to free movement and freedom of speech of European journalists. Moreover, this type of behavior has not only become a usual thing for Azerbaijan but it is a subject for boasting. Particularly, the announcement made by the spokesperson of Azerbaijani MFA proves this, according to which reporter for Moldavian TV7 TV channel Lyuba Maksim was dismissed for having prepared reportage on Nagorno Karabakh this year in May, reads the statement of EuFoA.

The European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) Brussels-based NGO has expressed concern over the fact calling on international human rights organizations to take respective actions. The NGO also is concerned over the fact that the reporter was dismissed even considering that the TV channel knew in advance where and why the reporter was sent, collaborating with Azerbaijani criminal regime and putting under doubt media freedom of Moldavia.

EuFoA notes that by this action Azerbaijan once again attempts to keep Artsakh in informational isolation. EuFoA plans to introduce this incident to international high platforms and human right organizations to restore the violated rights of the journalist and imposing sanctions on the criminal regime of Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the annual DigiTech business forum, Head of the IT audit department of the Central Bank Komitas Stepanyan said the new generation financial and banking system must be flexible in order to exclude inconveniences and problems for users.

According to him, Armenia should aim at having such flexible and fast banking system in 5-10 years, so that services are offered within seconds.

I dream of having such fast banking system which will allow receiving services just upon necessity, he said.

According to Stepanyan, the current banking system of Armenia is pretty satisfactory also.

Our technologies are pretty good, we have good human resources, but we have to continue developing. Most of the times companies think by acquiring new servers or technologies the problem is being solved. But the problem should be viewed in dynamics, it also concerns knowledge. What you know today, doesnt mean will be enough for tomorrows technology development, he added.

The Armenian IT sector is ready to offer solutions in line with global developments, Stepanyan said.
The Factory (132 min.) (2015) (India) Directed by: Rahul RoyThe struggle of the Maruti Suzuki workers in India is the focus of this important documentary about autoworkers. Suzuki, a Japanese based multi-national, decided to expand into India with a car assembly plant. The factory was located about 30 miles from New Delhi.The film shows that Suzuki was intent on exploiting workers to the max and colluded with the government to set up a company union. The autos come off the assembly line every 50 seconds and workers face a brutal pace. Breaks are limited to only a 7-minute break in the morning and afternoon and 30 minutes for lunch. This excludes the time it takes to go to the canteen. Additionally half the workers are contract workers who are not entitled to healthcare or uniforms. A single absence means a 25% reduction in pay and a two-day absence a 50% cut.After organizing an independent union called Maruti Suzuki Employees Union, the company created an incident on July 18, 2012 in which a pro-union manager was killed in the factory and the factory ended up on fire. They then changed 148 workers with murder and arson. They also, with the support of the courts and the government, fire 2500 workers who were supporters of the union.The brutality that these auto workers faced is not unique. In Bogota, Colombia, injured workers have been encamped outside the US consulate for more than 4 years to get justice and compensation for their injuries. These multi-national companies, like Suzuki, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, and GM, have one goal and that is the increased exploitation of their workforce for greater profits. The struggle of the Maruti Suzuki workers to free their jailed comrades and also get justice in their fight with this company still continues. This film gives an up close view of what workers face in India and around the world.See also
From April 2015 to May 2016 each month has been a new record for global average temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is an unprecedented series of broken global temperature records. And scientists are warning now that we are in unprecedented territory facing the start of a climate emergency.

May 2016 was 1.56F (0.87C) above the 20th century average according to NOAA. Each month from December to April was at least 1C or more over the 20th Century average.

According to Climate Central, The average global temperature change for the first three months of 2016 was 1.48C, essentially equaling the 1.5C warming threshold agreed to by COP 21 negotiators in Paris last December.

Because of slightly different methodologies in calculating global average temperatures, NASA put May at 1.67F (0.93C) warmer than the 1951-1980 average.

One of the reasons for this is that NASA takes account of temperatures at the poles where temperature data is collected by very few monitoring stations, while NOAA relies only on historical station data and makes no adjustment to account for sparse records at the poles.

Here is how Climate Central described the year this far: 2016 Is Blowing Away Global Heat Records

For the year-to-date, temperatures are 1.9F (1.08C) above the 20th century average, according to NOAA, putting it 0.43F (0.24C) above where 2015 was at this point. A Climate Central analysis that averages NOAA and NASA temperature data and compares them to a 1881-1910 baseline (closer to pre-industrial temperatures) found that the year-to-date is 2.5F (1.39C) above that average, edging closer to 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures. So far, it is likely that 2016 will top 2015 as the warmest year on record, but that depends in part on how the rest of the year plays out. If a La Nina forms by fall, as expected, that could depress global temperatures slightly. In a mark of how hot the last few years (which saw three consecutive record hot years) have been, NOAA compared the top 10 warmest months globally as of November 2013 to the current list. As of last month, all but one of the 10 warmest months on recorded occurred in 2016 and 2015. The lone exception was January 2007, which was tied for tenth place. Back in November 2003, it was the warmest month on record.

Here is the NASA temperature anomaly map for the last year May 2015 to May 2016 with a baseline average temperature from 1880-1910. The temperature anomaly was 1.14C above the baseline average.

Climate Records broken in 2016

Adam Vaughn in the Guardian reports that Seven climate records set so far in 2016. These include:

Arctic sea ice record melting: at a rate that by September could see it beat the record low set in 2012.

Every month this year has been the hottest on record globally for that month.

India recorded its hottest day ever on 19 May. The mercury in Phalodi, in the desert state of Rajasthan, rose to 51C, as a nationwide drought affected more than 300 million people

Alaska, along with the rest of the Arctic, has experienced record-breaking heat. Spring was the warmest on record in the state, with an average temperature of 0C

The increase in atmospheric CO2 for 2016 is expected to be 3.1 parts per million, up from an annual average of 2.1

Australia just had its hottest autumn on record. Average temperatures were 1.86C above the average, beating the previous record of 1.64C above average, set in 2005.

The Great Barrier Reef experienced its worst ever coral bleaching event due to record warm waters in the Coral and Tasmin Sea. 93 per cent of the reef was bleached, and that 35% of the corals are now dead or dying on 84 reefs that were surveyed along the northern and central sections of the Great Barrier Reef.

Scientists warn: there is a climate emergency

Damian Carrington in The Guardian highlights that Shattered records show climate change is an emergency today, scientists warn.

In this article both Michael Mann from Penn State University and Stefan Rahmstorf from the Postdam institute for Climate Impact Research warn about the temperature rise we have just experienced.

The impacts of human-caused climate change are no longer subtle  they are playing out, in real time, before us, says Prof Michael Mann, at Penn State University in the US. They serve as a constant reminder now of how critical it is that we engage in the actions necessary to avert ever-more dangerous and potentially irreversible warming of the planet.

Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, says: These [records] are very worrying signs and I think it shows we are on a crash course with the Paris targets unless we change course very, very fast. I hope people realise that global warming is not something down the road, but it is here now and it affecting us now.

What is happening right now is we are catapulting ourselves out of the Holocene, which is the geological epoch that human civilisation has been able to develop in, because of the relatively stable climate, says Rahmstorf. It allowed us to invent agriculture, rather than living as nomads. It allowed a big population growth, it allowed the foundation of cities, all of which required a stable climate.

There is something more going on than the usual global warming trend and El Nino, because in the past El Nino has led to single years breaking records, but it has not caused several years in a row to break records, says Rahmstorf. There is some unexplained part to this and it is concerning, because we dont understand it and it is hotter than expected, he says. I hope the data coming in the next six months or so will bring us some important clues.

The rise in temperatures will advance the early onset of heatwaves as well as increasing their length, frequency and intensity. This is the clearest impact of global warming says Rahmstorf: Our analysis of monthly heat records around the globe shows they now occur five times as often. It is those monthly heat records that are representative of heatwaves that last for weeks on end and they are ones that take the highest death toll. reports the Guardian.

Bob Ward, policy director at the London School of Economics Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment told the Guardian: The impacts were beginning to see are just the start and we know we are going to be facing a worsening situation for at least the next couple of decades even if we do cut emissions, Ward says. Whats worrying [about the record-breaking 2016] is that we are in unprecedented territory and we dont really know what the consequences will be, he says. There are likely to be plenty of surprises, some of which will be nasty.

There is now a 99 percent chance that 2016 is going to best 2015 as the warmest year on record, According to NASA GISS head Gavin Schmidt in a tweet on 15th May:

With Apr update, 2016 still > 99% likely to be a new record (assuming historical ytd/ann patterns valid). pic.twitter.com/GTN9sPL2D7  Gavin Schmidt (@ClimateOfGavin) May 14, 2016

John Englart (@takvera) is an Australian citizen journalist reporting for the Indymedia network since 2000. Since 2004 he has focussed on reporting climate science, climate policy and climate protests as a grassroots activist. In 2015 he attended Paris as an official NGO observer for the Climate Action Network Australia to report on the United Nations COP21 climate talks, reporting for Australian citizen journalist site Nofibs)
Nigeria is blessed with sound minds who are making waves all around the globe.

The number of Nigerians in various strategic roles in global politics cannot be quantified.

And more importantly, these Nigerians are not just occupying the positions, they are actually making appreciable impact in the roles they find themselves.

Legit.ng lists five Nigerians who are on international assignments and are making Nigeria proud.

READ ALSO: Excitement as Nigerian minister is set to launch first of its kind park in Abuja

Read below:

1. Arunma Oteh: She is the current vice president and treasurer of the World Bank. Ms Oteh is credited for sanitizing Nigeria's capital market during her time as the Director-General of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The University of Nsukka graduate, had stints with the African Development Bank, Harvard Institute of International Development and Centre Point Investments Limited, Nigeria before she was appointed as SEC DG by Late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua. Efforts by some unscrupulous politicians in Nigeria's House of Representatives to rubbish Oteh's achievements was rebuffed by the Abia state-born woman, who exposed the legislator's demand for bribe, after which she was given a clean bill of health by PricewaterhouseCoopers following allegations of financial impropriety against her.

Arunma Oteh

2. Akinwunmi Adeshina: He is the current president of African Development Bank. A position he thoroughly deserves because of his untainted record as a distinguished public servant. A graduate of the University of Ife, Adeshina is Nigeria's former minister of agriculture and his time in office revolutionized the sector in Nigeria. He particularly intiated a transparent process in the sector's fertiliser supply chain which helped the cause of local farmers thereby increasing farming activities and boosting food production across the nation. Before his appointment as a minister by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Adeshina had a stint at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) where he served as vice president of policy and partnerships. He also previously worked at the Rockefeller Foundation.

Akinwunmi Adeshina

3. Mohammed Barkindo: He was recently appointed as the secretary general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). His appointment didn't come as a surprise to industry experts as Barkindo has been a major stakeholder in international oil politics for over a decade. He was also the former special assistant to Late Rilwan Lukman, also a former secretary general of OPEC. Apart from his rich history in oil and gas, The 56-year old also has experience in the banking sector and international trading companies. He was appointed as the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 2009. He was however booted out of office by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 after which he returned to OPEC. Barkindo has an honourary doctorate degree of science from the Federal University of Technology Yola (FUTY).

Mohammed Barkindo

4. Babatunde Osotimehin: Ogun state-born Osotimehin is the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and he is currently serving in his second term of four years. Before his appointment as UNFPA head, Osotimehin was Nigeria's minister of health under Late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua. Before then, he was the Director-General of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), a position where he achieved great success. In October 2009, Osotimehin was applauded for his directive to Nigerian hospitals to treat accident and gunshot victims. His directive was timely as many innocent citizens had lost their lives due to the hospitals negligence. Osotimehin is a member of the Nigerian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Institute of Management and Royal College of Physicians (UK) among others.

Babatunde Osotimehin

5. Yemi Babington-Ashaye: An ally of Nigeria's former minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Babington-Ashaye is the head, Global Shapers Community and director at the World Economic Forum. He started his career as a Chartered Accountant (ACCA) and was a member of the Financial Management Programme at the financial services unit of the American conglomerate General Electric - GE Capital. While working for the minister of finance as technical advisor for economic growth, he ensured the integration of economic data and information into the decision-making process, which culminated in the development of State of the Nation reports that guided policy priorities. In addition to overseeing fiscal policy matters, he also designed stakeholder outreach sessions which were effective and applauded by financial experts.

Yemi Babington-Ashaye

Source: Legit.ng
Actor Ron Lester, who played Billy Bob in Varsity Blues and appeared in the likes of Freaks & Geeks, Popular and Not Another Teen Movie, died on Friday in Dallas, Texas, after suffering liver and kidney failure. He was 45.

Lester had been in hospital for four months, and had kept fans updated about the state of his health before that. He was transferred from an intensive care unit to hospice care late in the day, passing away soon after.

In 2001, two years after Varsity Blues, Lester underwent gastric bypass surgery, losing almost 158 kilos. After this procedure, he underwent 18 different plastic surgeries, to remove excess skin.

Lester, who only acted sporadically in the last decade, would later tell Grantland that he regretted getting the procedures done, saying:

Did I throw away my career to be skinny? Yes. I wouldnt do [the surgery] again. I would much rather have died happy, rich and kept my status and gone out on top.

Lesters agent Dave Bradley told media that his fiancee Jennifer Worland was with him at the time of his death, and that he was mediated enough to be able to go peacefully.





Source: Entertainment Tonight.

Photo: Steve Granitz / Getty.
Certain heavy barium nuclei have long been predicted to exhibit pear-like shapes. However, until recently, experimental confirmation had been impossible to achieve as these nuclei typically only live for a few seconds. The existence of this exotic shape has now been demonstrated by taking advantage of breakthroughs in both the acceleration of radioactive beams and new detector technologies.

This experiment demonstrates a significant advancement in radioactive ion beam capabilities through the successful post-acceleration of fission fragments extracted from an intense californium fission source. It also contributes to scarce data on exotic modes of excitation in nuclei that are important for deciphering the fundamental forces at work inside the atomic nucleus.

For decades, nuclear theorists have predicted that the neutron-rich barium isotopes near mass number 144 are centered in one of only two or three regions on the periodic table where nuclei may actually exhibit pear-like, or more generally, reflection-asymmetric shapes in their ground states. However, experimental verification of this property in barium nuclei was long considered to be impossible due to the short-lived nature of these isotopes, typically decaying away in seconds or less.

But now, a state-of-the-art experiment at Argonne National Laboratory by a team of scientists from the US, UK, and France has finally provided the first direct measurement of the shapes of these nuclei, lending support to the theoretical predictions of decades ago.

To carry out this challenging measurement, researchers created a beam of radioactive barium ions collected from fission fragments of californium nuclei (CARIBU source) and accelerated it (ATLAS accelerator) to an energy carefully tuned to study nuclear excitations via electromagnetic interactions in the bombardment of a lead target.

A new generation of gamma-ray tracking detectors was employed along with a matching pixelated avalanche charged-particle detector to study the radiation from the excited nuclei. The data provided insight into the nuclear structure of barium isotopes. The results indicate that these nuclei exhibit a pear shape even more sizeable than originally predicted by theory.
Return on investment in county public health departments in California exceeds return on investment in many other areas of medical care, according to a new study by a University of California, Berkeley economist.

In the study, highlighted by the American Journal of Public Health and published online on June 16 ahead of print publication, Timothy Brown, a health economist with UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, estimated from his analysis of data for the years 2001 through 2009 that each dollar that counties spent on public health programs in California returned $67 to $88 dollars of value in terms of improved health outcomes.

"The very large estimated return on investment for California county departments of public health, relative to the return on investment for selected aspects of medical care, suggests that public health is a wise investment," Brown concluded. The study is the first to place a value on the overall health outcomes from such programs and to compare them to costs, Brown said.

Unlike medical care, which primarily focuses on treating disease, county public health departments focus on the prevention of disease. Brown also concluded that the return from Medicare's national investment in four major health conditions was far less than the return from county public health spending. For heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and breast cancer, Brown's review of the research literature revealed that returns on Medicare expenses ranged from $1.10 to $4.80 per dollar spent.

Many innovations in medical care also have had a lesser impact than county public health expenditures, according to Brown. In a review of reported outcomes for innovations in medical practice, Brown found that researchers reported returns ranging from $1.12 for bone marrow transplant for women with metastatic breast cancer, to $38 for heart attack survivors taking beta-blockers.

"Information only recently became available that made it possible to calculate the average return on investment for public health programs in California," Brown said.

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The new study is part of a larger project Brown has been leading to develop a health economics framework for determining return on investment in public health.

Public health departments regulate food service establishments, provide disease screening and treatment for communicable disease, offer prenatal care, regulate various aspects of the water supply, provide immunizations, and provide other services that can immediately improve population health, as well as improve population health over the longer term. Health departments also engage in activities that attempt to influence county populations to adopt healthier habits, which primarily affect population health over the longer term.

To understand the potential long-term health impacts of investment in public health, Brown and colleagues published two earlier studies that provided key information used in the return-on-investment calculations in this study. One study found that, on average, a single year of county public health spending continued to improve general health status in the population for over four years, ultimately improving the general health status of over 216,000 people.

A second study found that beyond its effects on general health status, the same single year of public health spending also saved the lives of over 29,000 people who otherwise would have died, with this effect playing out over a ten-year period.

To determine the monetary value of these changes in general health status, Brown used information from another study published as part of this project, in which the "subjective well-being valuation method" was used to determine the monetary value of improved general health status.

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This method has previously been applied broadly to value things not normally bought and sold in a market, such as climate, air and noise pollution, risks for natural disaster, and proximity to waste facilities, coastlines, and transportation. It has also been applied to medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, migraine headaches, various chronic illnesses, mental health and chronic pain.

Conceptually, the method is not unlike the way a victim in an accident may be compensated for pain and suffering, Brown said.

"A decrease in general health status that reduces happiness is statistically valued by the amount of family income it would take to completely reverse this reduction in happiness, so that happiness is the same as it was before the decrease in general health status occurred," Brown stated in the study, which concluded that a year spent in good or excellent health instead of poor or fair health could be valued at $41,654.

To estimate the value of avoided deaths, Brown used standard valuations of $8.9 to $9.6 million per life saved, taken from estimates used by the federal government.

Brown cautions that this study does not address the question of how to optimize public health expenditures among various programs, but notes that other researchers have begun investigating the costs of foundational public health services at a county-wide level.

From Brown's perspective, "Investments in research must go hand-in-hand with investment in public health activities to obtain the long-term improvements in population health that we all work toward."
Women born in the Caribbean or Africa are two times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit at the time of their delivery than Canadian-born women, a new study has found.

The risk for both mom and newborn being admitted to an intensive care unit, or ICU, at the same time was also 2.75 times higher for Caribbean-born women and two times higher for African-born women. Mothers from Jamaica and Ghana each had the highest overall risk of ICU admission at the time of delivery, approximately 2.7 times higher than Canadian-born women.

The study, published today in Critical Care Medicine, was led by Dr. Joel Ray, a physician at St. Michael's Hospital and scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Dr. Ray looked at the country of origin of all women who gave birth in Ontario between 2003 and 2012.

During the study period, there were 881,504 births among 604,253 Canadian-born mothers, and 305,494 births to 221,574 immigrant mothers. Of the births among immigrant women, there were 2,999 births to women from Ghana and 10,440 births to women from Jamaica.

About 1.8 per 1,000 Canadian-born women were admitted to an ICU, compared to 6.7 Ghanaian-born and 6.3 Jamaican-born women. Rates for both mom and baby admitted to the ICU were 1 per 1,000 for Canadian-born women, compared to 6 Ghanaian-born women and 4.5 Jamaican-born women.

"The findings showed a clear trend for ICU admissions of Caribbean-born and African-born women giving birth in Ontario," said Dr. Ray. "One likely explanation for the elevated risk is that women from these regions are at much higher risk of pre-eclampsia, or high blood pressure in pregnancy, which has been identified as a major predictor of ICU admission."

Previous work by Dr. Ray has shown that the rate of pre-eclampsia is approximately 3.5 times greater among immigrant Ontario women born in African or Caribbean regions.

Dr. Ray said that the shared higher risk may be explained by common genetic ancestry, persisting economic disadvantage following migration to Canada or lower health literacy. Further, pre-eclampsia has an up to 50 per cent chance of being inherited.

"Although pre-eclampsia is a serious condition, it is treatable and manageable with early intervention," said Dr. Ray. "Now that we've identified a possible higher risk in these particular groups, it's important for clinicians to provide appropriate resources to pregnant patients, hopefully minimizing the risk of deliveries that result in mom, baby or both being admitted to an ICU."

Dr. Ray said that including a simple hand out explaining the signs and symptoms of pre-eclampsia would promote health literacy and awareness for all women, not just those at higher risk.

"Many women who develop pre-eclampsia realize too late that something is wrong, so they progress to a more critical form the disease. Important symptoms of pre-eclampsia include headache, vision changes and swelling," said Dr. Ray. "If they exhibit other risk factors for pre-eclampsia, women from Jamaica, Ghana and other high-risk regions could also be started on low-dose aspirin before 20 weeks gestation, which effectively and safely reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia and pre-term birth."

Women can also optimize their health before becoming pregnant through weight reduction and getting any existing blood pressure issues under control.
A woman in Beijing used to pass the same dog, crammed into a cage much too small for him, every single day. When she asked the man who owned the dog about him, he told her the dog would be sent to a slaughterhouse soon - and that's when she knew she had to help.

Jenny Sehic

The kind woman bought the dog, later named Tiger, from the man, and was planning to take him to a shelter. Her daughter fell in love with Tiger, though, and convinced her that they should try and find him a home themselves. Tiger was instantly a wonderful companion for the woman's daughter, and it was clear from the very beginning that he would thrive in a home with children.

Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Couple Meets A Beach Dog In Mexico Who Changes Their Life

Jenny Sehic

The pair had been planning on going to visit family in San Francisco - and so they took Tiger with them. Once in the U.S., Tiger was taken on by the Duo Duo Project, an organization that helps dogs rescued from slaughter in China. That's how Jenny Sehic, Tiger's new mom, first found out about him.

Jenny Sehic

Sehic had traveled to China on business before, and had seen the trucks crammed full of dogs in tiny cages, being transported to slaughterhouses. "I started following Duo Duo on social media to get a better understanding of the dog/cat meat trade and what we - as Americans - could do to stop this practice," Sehic told The Dodo. Sehic emailed the Duo Duo Project to see if there were any recently rescued dogs that still needed homes. "She sent me this photo of Tiger and we knew immediately that we had found our dog," Sehic said.

Jenny Sehic

Tiger was still very young, and yet when he arrived at his new home, his family marveled at how old he seemed. "He had the look of an elderly dog as he was skinny and with no musculature," Sehic said. "He was hunched in the back and still has a deep scar on his back from the top of the cage that was clearly way too small for him." Tiger was a little timid with his new family at first, but it didn't take long for him to warm up to them - especially Sloane.

Jenny Sehic

Sloane is Sehic's almost 3-year-old daughter, and she and Tiger have quickly become the best of friends. Tiger is Sloane's very first dog, but the little girl has always been an animal lover.

Jenny Sehic

They do absolutely everything together, and Tiger is very good at making sure that Sloane never gets into trouble. "Sloane is just about to turn 3 years old and has figured out that Tiger is a huge fan of playing fetch," Sehic said. "The two of them spend a good chunk of time with Tiger patiently placing his stick or toy near Sloane who then (eventually) throws it for him ... even if it doesn't go very far."

Jenny Sehic
An Oregon family whose home caught fire dodged tragedy when first responders were able to successfully resuscitate their two cats found unconscious inside. The Monday afternoon rescue was possible thanks to the fact that crews came equipped with an important piece of lifesaving equipment: little oxygen masks designed just for pets. "We've had the oxygen masks for pets for a number of years, and they've been used in several incidents to resuscitate dogs and cats successfully. We use them quite regularly," Brandon Paxton, from Oregon's Clackamas Fire Department, told The Dodo. "In fact, this recent rescue was the second incident we've used them for in the last month."

Dodo Shows Soulmates Dog Goes Everywhere In His Dad's Kangaroo Pouch
The Japanese handler for Uniqlos chief operating officer in Canada bows slightly, holding out her business card with two hands when we meet in a sushi restaurant on Queens Quay to discuss the launch of the apparel brand in Toronto.

Pawing through my bottomless purse to produce my own, I botch the exchange, dropping her business card to the floor, and although she does not flinch, it feels like basic business protocol has been breached.

Moments later, Uniqlo Canada COO Yasuhiro Hayashi appears, smiling and chic in company basics: an Oxford shirt, dark jacket and pants, hemmed above the ankle in a nod to current fashion trends.

Two Uniqlo stores are slated to open in the GTA this fall, one at Toronto Eaton Centre (TEC) and one at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Precise dates have not been set, but construction is well under way on the two spaces.

The stores will carry a full line of Uniqlo products, including mens, womens and childrenswear.

The stores were announced last winter as Target was circling the drain in Canada, after entering the market with an ambitious 124 locations.

At 28,000 square feet and 24,000 square feet respectively, the Uniqlo stores are five times the size of the Muji store that opened near Dundas Square in November 2014 to hoards of shoppers waiting patiently for the opportunity to spend their money on Japanese minimalist homewares.

But the stores are much smaller than the neighbouring competitor it hopes to one day beat, H&M, which operates across 57,000 square feet at TEC.

Uniqlos parent company, Fast Retailing, has declared it wants to become the worlds leading global apparel company. According to its own data, it is currently in fourth place, behind Inditex (Zara), based in Spain, Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) in Sweden and Limited Brands in the U.S., which operates a stable of brands including Victorias Secret.

Although revenues and earnings per share were up strongly in 2015 over 2014, Uniqlo has more recently run into the same headwinds dragging down apparel sales at other retailers  odd global weather patterns, online retailers and consumers growing increasingly concerned about paying down household debt.

In the first half of 2016, Fast Retailing reported a rise in revenue of 6.5 per cent and a drop in consolidated operating profit of 33.8 per cent.

But with a shrinking population at home, the company must find new markets abroad, analysts said this week after earnings were released.

The good news for Uniqlo is that Japanese esthetics are becoming increasingly enmeshed in the new global culture being woven by the web, by companies operating casually across continents and the relative ease of international travel. Japanese writer Marie Kondo recently became a sensation with her compact books on how to tame the overwhelming stuff that can accumulate in a single household.

Uniqlo is tapping into the same market by offering simple, functional wardrobe basics  t-shirts, pants, blouses, slim down jackets that can be stuffed into a small bag, clothes that breathe and wick away sweat, thin fabrics promising warmth at affordable prices and made to last for years, not one season.

Retail is about repeat customers, says Hayashi, working his way through a plate of sushi at Miku restaurant at the foot of Bay Street.

He declares it delicious.

He and his family  he has two young children  are in the midst of moving to Toronto, after opening Indonesia to the brand.

Almost uniquely, Uniqlo does not target a particular market. There is no talk of millennials or gen Z or boomers or lack of them during the short luncheon meeting.

Uniqlo clothes are meant to be worn by everyone. Uniqlo collaborates with designers and celebrities to produce limited edition collections, including Pharrell Williams, Phillip Lim, Theory and Christophe Lemaire.

Uniqlo also controls the entire clothes-making process, which allows them to control procurement costs, and rents store locations instead of buying them to keep costs down.

Toronto is the perfect launch pad for the brand in Canada, says Hayashi, citing research conducted by the company. Its multicultural, multi-ethnic and fashion-minded, he adds, citing the denizens of Queen St. W. before correcting himself to include the entire city of Toronto.

In Toronto, everyone has their own style, he says.

People are trying to express themselves, whereas 20-30 years ago, they wanted to look like someone in a magazine, says Hayashi. Its good news for a company like Uniqlo, which wants to provide basics to build upon.

At an event the next day to introduce Uniqlos fall clothing line to Canadian fashion editors, the head of the Canadian firm handling public relations offers a quick guide to the basics of business introductions in Japan: Bow and proffer your business card, place the ones you collect on the table before you in hierarchical order, and never, ever slip them into your back pocket.

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Rain Foots, 18, rode the 509 streetcar across the lakeshore on Saturday to get to the outdoor powwow at Fort York, where he slipped into a self-styled native regalia and danced under a blazing sun to applause.

Foots was one of the dancers at Torontos annual traditional powwow, a free event which drew thousands by midday to join in recognition of National Aboriginal Day and the summer solstice (June 21).

A student who works part-time, Foots taught himself to dance by attending powwows with his family while growing up in Toronto. Its nice to go out and embrace your culture. It feels great to be out here.

His regalia, like the regalia of other dancers at the event, is an amalgam of symbols and colours he has chosen for himself, including green and Celtic symbols to represent his Irish father and the Thunderbird icon signaling his Ojibwe heritage.

Its nice to be able to go to a powwow in the city. I feel like a lot of people in Toronto will come here to experience our culture, whereas if its held a little farther out, they might not. said his mother, Kerry Weaver, 37.

This is the second consecutive year the powwow has been held at Fort York, said organizer Steve Teekens, executive director of Na-Me-Res, which provides emergency shelter and housing to Toronto-based Aboriginal men.

The event included traditional drumming and song and food, including elk burgers, bison with chipotle, bannock and free tutorials for children on how to make dolls from corn husks.

I like the way they cherish their traditions, said Deji Fatukasi, 40, visiting from Brampton. Its so colourful. Ive never attended an event like this before.

Barbara Lazzara, 64, was attending with her daughter, who was exploring her Cree heritage after growing up removed from it.

We come to feel the spirit of our brothers, said Lazzara. Its so peaceful.

Bernard Nelson of Kingston attended in a full dress regalia he crafted himself, made of buffalo bones, furs, feathers and fabric.

Ive been dancing for 35 years. Its in me. When I start dancing the spirit takes control of me, shes the one that makes me dance, said Nelson.

Chief R. Stacey LaForme, of the Mississauga New Credit First Nation, spoke briefly to the crowd, gathered on land that was home to his ancestors.

Id like to give thanks to the creator, he said, for giving us such a great day.

Note  June 23, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version to include the proper terminology to describe First Nations traditional dance attire, as regalia, not, costume.

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The age of criminal responsibility will be lowered by one year from the current 14, the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday, announcing measures to cope with an increasing number of...

Police on Wednesday made an emergency apprehension of a man in his 40s on suspicion of killing his wife and their two teenage sons at their home in Gwangmyeong, just south of Seoul...
Dennis Scown had the all-powerful job of deciding who could and couldnt come to Canada.

Throughout his 35-year career with the immigration department  all but six years in overseas visa posts  Scown had interviewed countless prospective immigrants and thousands of refugees hoping to come to Canada for a life away from war and persecution.

In his first management posting, he was assigned to the Islamabad visa office in Pakistan in 1983, where he supervised two inexperienced line officers and was in charge of Ottawas low-key resettlement plan for the many Bahai refugees fleeing neighbouring Iran.

Then a father of two young boys, Scown was a seasoned immigration officer, previously involved in the processing of migrants from former Eastern European countries during his four years at visa posts in London and Vienna, as well as being part of the team tasked with resettling thousands of Vietnamese refugees to Canada.

By his own estimate, he had personally interviewed more than 100 Bahai families in his three years in Islamabad.

You always wondered how all these people you sent to Canada would do. You take ownership of a case. You want to make sure the decision you make is good for the family and it is good for Canada, said Scown, 69, who has an undergraduate degree in history and a masters in political science from the University of Calgary. But the chance of me remembering an individual family I have interviewed is nil.

Scown gave it little thought when he was invited to be a presenter at an academic conference in Ottawa in September about Canadas Bahai community and received a dinner invitation from Afsoon Donna Houshidari, a lawyer and one of the other speakers on his panel.

I thought this is pretty cool and we would have a chance to talk and get to know each other before the conference, he said. I had worked in immigration and I thought she was interested in the process and the nuts and bolts of that.

Little did Scown know the dinner invitation was a plot by Houshidari to have her mother identify whether the man was the same immigration officer who saved the family from a life in limbo three decades earlier.

The door opened. Of course, I couldnt recognize them. I had black hair and a black beard then. Last I saw her, Afsoon was 4. We were sitting side by side and Afsoon brought out this IMM 1000 (landing paper), recalled Scown, who retired in 2008 after his final posting in Damascus, Syria.

I paused and was dumbstruck. I was floored. I had never met anybody Id processed and came to Canada. Seeing how successfully the family had adapted and how Canadian they were, I got really emotional. Its just incredible.

The rest of the evening, Houshidari and her mother shared with their guests the story of how they settled here and thrived.

The next day, sitting next to Houshidari at their panel discussion, Scown said he broke down in tears at one point.

Afsoon and her family are an example of how good Canadas refugee program can be. It is what Canada was founded on. Im just so proud of them. It summed up the best part of my job, said Scown. She is the poster child of a successful refugee story.

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When Afsoon Donna Houshidari started practising refugee law, she decided to examine her own familys journey from Iran to Pakistan and ultimately Canada as government-sponsored refugees.

She pulled out her familys buried old documents and found the worn-out landing paper, IMM 1000, issued by the Canadian visa post in Islamabad in 1985  the ticket that allowed her, her parents and older sister a way to escape a life in limbo as persecuted Bahai for new opportunities in Canada.

There began her personal search for the visa officer who interviewed her family and forever changed their lives. There was one problem, though: the signature at the bottom of the landing paper was barely legible. She could make out the initial D and a short last name that ended with own.

But fate would intervene.

Three decades after the 45-minute encounter in a tiny office that housed three immigration officers, Houshidari was invited to sit on the same panel with the now retired immigration officer at a conference in Ottawa about Canadas resettlement effort of the Bahai in the 1980s.

Never in a million years would we have thought we would meet the man who made the decision that changed our lives, a still exhilarated Houshidari said about her reunion with Dennis Scown in September.

Born in Tehran, Houshidari was 4 when her father, an agricultural engineer, and mother, a teacher, and elder sister flew to Zahedan, an Iranian border city, in 1984 and walked two days through the desert to reach Pakistan to escape persecution from the Iranian regime.

The Bahai were perceived as anti-revolutionary. They were severely persecuted and oppressed. My mothers brother was a physician. He was imprisoned, tortured and executed. All because he was a Bahai. Being a Bahai means youre a target, said Houshidari.

We escaped walking into a dark tunnel and only our faith in God was certain. We only had two small bags. There was nothing to eat or drink. Thats how we crossed the border, running in the middle of the night, narrowly avoiding an Iranian army tank that was patrolling the border and that wouldve fired if theyd seen us. My parents were just relieved because we made it out of Iran and were not in danger.

Houshidari still recalled a letter that arrived at her familys tiny room in Lahore one day in late 1984 from Canadian officials arranging an interview almost 400 kilometres away in Islamabad for their resettlement to Canada.

Getting the letter was a cause for celebration. My mom had us put on our best clothes for the interview, said Houshidari, whose family arrived in Montreal on June 14, 1985, before being received by the community in Edmundston, N.B., where they spent their first year in Canada.

After the family moved to the GTA a year later  she grew up mostly in Brampton  Houshidaris father went on to become a businessman and her mother, a teacher. When Houshidari finished law school at the University of Toronto, she got a job with the justice department in Ottawa specializing in immigration law.

Then at an event in 2014, she met Mike Molloy of the Canadian Immigration Historical Society, a career immigration official, and raised the idea of reconnecting with the unknown immigration officer she met in Islamabad.

There was no name or officer number on it. I just sat at home and tried to make out the signature, recalled Houshidari, who then took the barely legible letters she configured to Molloy.

Mike said, I think there was a Dennis Scown working out of Islamabad when you were there. 

Little came of her search for the retired Scown  now living in Calgary after a 35-year career with the immigration department  until September, when his name came up on the same speaking panel Houshidari was invited to in Ottawa.

Not knowing if it could be the same Scown, she invited him and his former colleague, Mark Davidson, also a speaker on the panel, for dinner at her home in Ottawa, where she pulled out the landing paper.

He was sitting there, looking at the IMM 1000. He paused and after 15 seconds, he said, Oh my God, thats me. We were both in tears and sat in silence, Houshidari said.

I wanted to find him to say thank you and say, look, this is who we are now. You came into these peoples lives and spent 45 minutes with them. For the decision you made, you touched the lives of so many people. We were all overwhelmed with the improbability of our reunion.

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CASCAVEL, BRAZILMore often than not my horseback journey to the end of the world has been a plodding one  one hoof in front of another. But every once in a while, bursts of over-the-top generosity lift my day-to-day routine.

Food, water, shelter, clothing, saddles, horses, even a puppy  I have been given many gifts on my travels.

During my rest in Presidente Prudente, Brazil, a very special offering came from Adilson Jose de Almeida the owner of 4M Ranch: Filipe, I have met few people in my life who have the tenacity you have, so I would like to give you a horse as a gift.

In complete shock, I responded, Are you crazy? as he presented me with Tilly Playboy, a bay colt with kind eyes. A Ferrari in the quarter-horse world, Tillys father is the highest earning cutting stud in Brazil and his mother the highest earning mare. At only 18 months, Tilly is worth more than $7,400.

Not crazy, he smiled, I simply want to thank you for being such a positive role model for our kids.

I didnt even pretend to refuse. We made arrangements to send the beautiful colt to my familys ranch and then I continued on my journey, with my friend Mark Maw, who was driving a support vehicle for part of my trip.

We rode for two days before reaching the state of Parana, which borders both Paraguay and Argentina, and is home to spectacular Iguazu Falls. But before we saw any of it, we had to camp out in a filthy, old gas station that night. Maw spotted a clear plastic bag of dark-yellow urine amid the windblown garbage next to my tent. We kept a watchful eye out for glass that could hurt the horses and made ourselves at home.

Once we made it to Colorado, the rodeo capital of Parana, our entourage grew by one. Renan Almeida, a 21-year-old local bull rider saddled up his palomino horse to tag along for the day. The one-day trip turned into three as Almeida accompanied us to the city of Maringa in southern Brazil under a light drizzle.

We made our way to a local ranch so I could feed Life and Doll. When Almeida brought his pony into the pasture, Doll lunged at it with her sharp teeth, just missing the horses neck. Incensed, the palomino quickly turned and shot off like a cannon. Caught between Life and Doll, I tried to jump, but there was no time. The palominos left hoof just scraped my behind, but his right caught me on the outside of my left thigh. The impact was so strong that I flew several metres, landing on my back in the cold mud. I jumped up quickly and ran toward the fence, afraid of another kick. When in doubt, get the hell out!

The horses settled almost immediately, but I collapsed in pain. It felt as if someone had stabbed my thigh with a sharp knife. Had I not been around other cowboys, I would have cried.

You OK? Did your leg break? asked Almeida, worried his horse had seriously injured me.

No, I dont think its broken, just badly bruised, I said, covered in mud and in teeth-grinding pain.

Almeida made his goodbyes. After his departure, I walked into the tack room and dropped my Wranglers in front of a dirty mirror. A deep purple, red and black bruise was reflected back at me. I ran my hand over my thigh and it felt swollen and tender. The next day was going to be a long one.

Still, with a battered body and tired eyes I continued, for 10 more days and 300 kilometres, heading to the town of Cascavel through never-ending corn fields and torrential downpours. The heavy rain kept our heads low and dampened our spirits. At the end of every day, I was soaked, coated in mud and freezing cold from single-digit temperatures.

On a grim Saturday afternoon I thanked the grey heavens above as I rode into the rodeo grounds in Cascavel. A barrel-racing competition was in full swing and I was quickly swarmed by cowboys and cowgirls who wanted to take selfies and say hello. After untacking and feeding the mares, Adani Primo Triches, the president of the grounds, pulled me aside and offered heartwarming news: They would donate all the proceeds from the last heat of the day to help me with my fundraising for the Barretos cancer hospital. They raised a whopping $1,500.

Acts of generosity, like that, keep me trekking, no matter how difficult the journey gets. The kindness of others fuels my ride.

Filipe Masetti Leite is a filmmaker, Ryerson University journalism graduate and cowboy en route to Tierra del Fuego. Over the next year, he will file monthly reports to the Star from the trail. Dispatches from both this trip and his 2012 journey from Calgary to Brazil can be seen at http://www.outwildtv.com/expeditions/journey-america/posts outwildtv.com/expeditions/journey-america END . A book and TV series are to be published this year.

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WATERDOWN, ONT.Just moments after Ted McMeekin was officially replaced in Kathleen Wynnes cabinet, senior communications adviser Mark Cripps held up two freshly printed pages. The pages contained the list of new provincial ministers.

I want to know, said the former municipal affairs and housing minister, quickly reaching for the list.

McMeekin, the 68-year-old father of three daughters, had just quit a job he loved in order to help younger female MPPs attain power. His immediate interest was how many women Wynne had added to her inner circle.

McMeekin scanned the cabinet list on Monday morning in his Waterdown constituency office, a converted foaling barn on a long-forgotten farm. He jabbed a forefinger at five names  the new women in cabinet. He read them aloud.

Eleanor McMahon, minister of tourism, culture and sport. Marie-France Lalonde, government and consumer services and francophone affairs. Laura Albanese, citizenship and immigration. Kathryn McGarry, natural resources and forestry. Indira Naidoo-Harris, associate minister of finance, in charge of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan.

Thats a great list, said McMeekin, nodding approvingly at a cabinet that is now 40-per-cent female  up to 12 women, from eight.

He had special praise for Mitzie Hunter, whom Wynne promoted from her previous duties related to the Ontario pension plan.

Mitzies minister of education! McMeekin exclaimed. Wonderful, wonderful. Shell be terrific.

McMeekin was first named to cabinet in 2007 under Dalton McGuinty. He said Wynnes desire to have an equal male-female balance was an ongoing thing regularly communicated to cabinet and that hed had several conversations with the premier about where shes headed.

McMeekin said it became increasingly clear to him in recent months that fresh energy, ideas and voices from women were needed at the top of Ontarios political power structure. He often thought about his own daughters making their way in the world: young, entrepreneurial sisters who sometimes fought hard for simple things, like convincing a landlord to lease business space to them.

Here I am, this old guy sitting in cabinet, doing lots of groovy things, important things, and I feel really good about the work I did, particularly on the municipal affairs file, he said.

And (Wynne) has this dream. Im thinking, You know what? This may be a good time to do something bold.

A health scare also lingered on the edges of his mind. McMeekin developed prostate cancer eight years ago and beat it, but said battling the disease changed my whole life in learning to better pace his work schedule and pay proper attention to his health.

So he set about quitting cabinet.

On June 2, McMeekin asked to see Wynne in her Queens Park office. He told her, Im in a position to be helpful and said he would take the weekend to make a final decision. (When asked if Wynne would have removed him had he not quit  a mid-term cabinet shuffle was widely expected  McMeekin said he wasnt anticipating that would happen.)

That weekend, McMeekin discussed his situation with a few trusted colleagues and with his wife, Barbara, a practising family physician. He said the soul-searching was helpful in affirming his decision.

He did not tell his daughters  Avril, 36, Erika, 33, and Whitney, 27  until after Sunday dinner.

At first I was a little upset because hed been working so hard and it just seemed sad he wouldnt be doing that (ministry work) anymore, said Whitney McMeekin, referring to her fathers passions  such as eradication of homelessness and poverty reduction  at Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Then, in a selfish way, I was happy, because it would mean more time for him to focus on his health, hang out with us and focus on his constituents.

McMeekin remains the MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, with a cut in pay. Cabinet ministers earn $165,851 compared with $116,550 for backbenchers.

On the morning of June 6, McMeekin paid Wynne another visit at Queens Park. He handed her his Facebook statement.

I said, Please read this. She read it. She looked up. She read it again. Then she came over and gave me a big hug, he says.

I teared up. I dont know if she teared up. She said some lovely things that will remain private forever. I told her I was releasing the statement that afternoon, and are you OK with that? She smiled, said Yup and gave me a thumbs-up.

McMeekins Facebook statement read in part:  my decision was focused by the premiers intention to achieve gender parity in her next cabinet.

Henry Jacek, a political science professor at McMaster University, said McMeekin wrapping his resignation around gender equity is probably a partial reason for quitting the cabinet.

Its not that its untrue, said Jacek. Its just not the whole story.

Jacek said McMeekin probably sensed he was expendable.

I think he saw the premier had a challenge  to push aside some of the older ministers (and) he was just trying to make life a little easier for her.

Was he rewarded for leaving?

I was promised nothing, McMeekin said of his voluntary departure from cabinet. Theres been no deal made. However, he said Wynne knows of his interest in ending homelessness  he wrote his masters thesis on the subject  and is confident shell find a role for me that will fit in the future.

I love her. I think shes great, McMeekin said of Wynne. I wouldnt walk through a brick wall for very many people but Id walk through a brick wall for the premier any day of the week.

Or a glass ceiling.

The daughters reactions

Avril McMeekin, 36

Professional editor, who works with publishers, academics, self-published writers, now living in Toronto.

My dad is absolutely a feminist. Its not even a question to me. He understands what feminism is. Hes not one to misinterpret it as women wanting to raise themselves above men or wanting to destroy men. Hes always understood that feminism is about equality and feminism is about giving everyone a voice and making things better for everyone. Hes always encouraged me to listen to everyones voice.

Erika McMeekin, 33

With a masters degree in teaching, shes the founder of the Academy of All Things Awesome. Its a Hamilton-based experiential learning unschool with the motto Do Cool Stuff.

He doesnt have to be a cabinet minister to work towards eradicating homelessness. Thats one of his life goals and as long as hes here, hes going to be working towards it  Without the limitations of the position or the (Liberal) party, he can be much more innovative in his tactics and have more impact.

Whitney McMeekin, 27

Owner of Girl on the Wing, a heritage womens clothing store in Hamilton. She and her sister Erika founded Hamilton Flea, which is a one-day market including music, food and shopping staged in Hamilton heritage buildings and spaces.

When we heard the statement, I think it was a lot easier for us to hear his reasoning and we were proud of what he was doing. A full range of emotions.

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ORLANDO, FLA.On Monday in Orlando, as the sun set on a day that was unseasonably hot even for June in Florida, I attended a vigil for victims of the massacre at Pulse nightclub.

The organizers were mostly groups working for gay rights  Equality Florida, Human Rights Campaign, the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida, Come Out With Pride and a half-dozen others. The venue was a big park in front of the citys new performing arts centre. The crowd was huge and diverse: more than 10,000 people came to light candles and hear messages of comfort, mourning and defiance. Buddy Dyer, the citys popular mayor, was on a long list of speakers.

At one point somebody on the stage called for a group hug. Now, as a rule, Im not huggy. By their expressions a lot of people in my corner of the crowd were not huggy either. But I try to take my cues from my hosts when I travel, so I hugged the six people closest to me.

And of course it felt good, because human contact is so often an expression of shared humanity, just as violence is a rejection of that same shared humanity.

And surely the best rebuttal to the madness of Orlando is to reach out to your neighbour, in one way or another, and say, Youre like me.

Omar Mateen took the precise reasons for his mass murder with him to his grave. But it is hard to imagine he felt any kinship with the people in Pulse as he stalked from room to room killing them, methodically firing and reloading, texting his wife, posting to Facebook, calling a local TV station to pledge allegiance to Daesh, then setting out to kill some more.

Did it matter more to him that they were gay or that they had not joined him in an addled and perverted distortion of Islam? How did he rank his hatreds?

We can only guess. But we can be sure he did not feel he shared anything with them.

What happened immediately after the Pulse massacre was broadly predictable: the tragedybecame fodder for this seasons political debates. It could hardly be otherwise. There have been too many mass shootings in America, too many terror attacks around the world by loners proclaiming their allegiance to Daesh, for the candidates to pass this one up.

Woke up to hear the devastating news, Hillary Clinton wrote on Sunday morning. As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act.

Donald Trumps thoughts soon turned elsewhere  to himself. Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I dont want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance, he wrote. We must be smart!

Before long the near certain Republican nominee was peddling suspicions about U.S. President Barack Obama. He told Fox News that Obama either is not tough, not smart, or hes got something else in mind. Later that day he told The Associated Press that Obama continues to prioritize our enemy over our allies and, for that matter, the American people. He renewed his off-again, on-again call for a ban on Muslim immigration, even though Mateen was born in the United States.

Soon senior Republicans  at least the ones who werent hiding from reporters so they wouldnt have to comment on Trumps remarks  were distancing themselves from him. I do not think a Muslim ban is in our countrys interest, House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters. I do not think it is reflective of our principles, not just as a party but as a country.

Traditionally, it is a time when people rally around our country, Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who is chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said. And its obviously not whats occurred, and its very disappointing. Theres been talk that Corker might make a good vice-presidential running mate for Trump. Corker seems unpersuaded.

Hes not alone.

It is getting to be some time since Trump has been ahead of Clinton in a national poll of presidential preference. A Bloomberg poll on Tuesday showed Clinton leading Trump by 12 points, 49 per cent to 37 per cent  what would be the largest winning margin in a presidential election since Ronald Reagan thumped Walter Mondale 32 years ago.

It would be early for Clinton to start celebrating: the same Bloomberg poll showed voters were likelier to name Trump, by 45 per cent to 41 per cent, when asked whom they would trust to handle matters if a situation similar to the Orlando shootings were to happen a year from now. Respondents also gave Trump a five-point edge when asked which candidate would combat terrorist threats at home and abroad.

But when asked specifically about ideas Trump has advocated, respondents were much less likely to voice support: sixty-nine per cent disagreed that intelligence agencies should monitor all Muslim Americans.

Overall, in another poll for CBS, respondents were 10 points likelier to approve of Obamas handling of the Orlando attack than to disapprove. Two points likelier to approve of Clintons handling of the tragedy than to disapprove  a wash, more or less. And 26 points likelier to disapprove of Trumps handling of the Pulse massacre than to approve.

Trump clearly spent part of Sunday viewing the tragedy in Florida as his vindication. By the end of the week his erstwhile allies were shunning him and Americans were telling pollsters that whatever hes peddling, they werent buying it.

I think this will turn out to have been a watershed moment in this election campaign  the moment it became clear that Trumps bravado, so effective in the GOP primaries, wont work with the broader electorate.

Whats missing for Trump? In short, its that feeling of shared humanity that thousands sought in downtown Orlando on Monday night. Simple empathy.

Once it became clear that banning more Muslims and conjuring more nutty theories about Barack Obama wasnt working, Trump tried later in the week to depict himself as a friend to gay and lesbian Americans because he would keep radical Muslims from their doorstep.

But there was never a moment when he seemed to give a toss for gays and lesbians as people. It was clear he saw them only as potential voters who could, he seemed to hope, be incredibly easily snowed.

Clintons long primary battle against Bernie Sanders, a previously little-known senator from a small state who has been cordially estranged from the Democratic party for most of his career, suggests she has her own weaknesses as a candidate. The FBI has taken an interest in the private email account she ran while she was secretary of state. The Democrats left wing views her as a cheerful tool of Wall Street and the Pentagon.

But Clinton at least knows how to talk the talk of empathy and shared grief and hope. In her best moments, which have come more frequently since she wrapped up the Democratic nomination, she seems to believe her talk. She will be accompanied at intervals through the summer and fall by a genuinely united party and by three men  Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and a late-rallying Bernie Sanders  for whom empathy comes more easily.

Rick Perlstein is an American historian whose best-known book, Nixonland, charts some of the wildest days in U.S. presidential politics: the years between Lyndon Johnsons landslide victory as a Democrat in 1964 and Richard Nixons landslide victory as a Republican in 1972. How did the allegiance of millions of Americans shift during those eight years? Perlstein depicts a dark period in U.S. history against the backdrop of urban riots and an unwinnable war in Vietnam. Chaos seemed to follow the Democrats wherever they went, he wrote the other day in the Washington Spectator, summing up his argument, so Nixon, promising quiet, prevailed.

But chaos does not always favour the Republican. Johnson ran as the reassuring candidate against the right-wing standard-bearer of a divided Republican party, Barry Goldwater. It paid off big for Johnson. And in the midterm congressional elections of 1970, with war abroad and culture wars at home hogging the headlines, it was a Democrat, (Sen.) Edmund Muskie, who offered the credible appeal  for quiet. So again, the Democrats made gains.

What conclusion suggests itself? Its not that the chaos of political rallies that devolve into melees invariably favours the authoritarian party of law and order, Perlstein writes. Instead, it is the party to whom chaos appears to attach itself that the public tends to reject  especially if the leaders of the opposing party do an effective job of framing themselves as the quiet, calm, and centering alternative.

Weve seen similar cases in Canada recently. The tough party in Quebecs 2014 provincial election was surely the Parti Quebecois, with its Charter of Values that restricted the public display of religious headgear by public-service employees. But the PQ went down to defeat on a historic scale, driven not so much by the details of the charter but by the dynamic it implied and encouraged: exclusion, suspicion, division.

In Canada in 2006  I know it will be difficult to remember  Stephen Harpers Conservatives seemed the reassuring choice against the divided and corruption-plagued Liberals under Paul Martin. By 2015, Harper had spent years pickling in a stew of his own worst instincts. His invitation-only rallies were of a piece with the invitation-only country he seemed intent on building: paranoid and vengeful. What Justin Trudeau was peddling wasnt nearly as tough or disciplined. Enough voters decided they could do without toughness.

At a moment of historic grief and distress for the American people, Donald Trump seemed uninterested in their basic humanity: the way they mourn, worry, trust, hope. That emptiness at the heart of him will be his downfall.

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The Brexit campaign resumed on Sunday with disagreements over immigration as both camps sought to tone down their rhetoric after the killing of Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox and new polls showed Remain with a slight lead.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that there would be no turning back from quitting the EU, which would trigger a probable recession. In the same newspaper, pro-Brexit Justice Secretary Michael Gove said rather than suffering a recession, the U.K. would thrive outside of the EU and urged a vote for hope.

Coxs death after an attack on Thursday sparked soul-searching within British politics over the increasingly rancorous tone of the debate over the U.K.s EU membership, ahead of a June 23 referendum.

I hope because of the tragic death of Jo we can have a less divisive political debate in our country, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said Sunday on ITV televisions Peston on Sunday program. This referendum vote is a vote on the kind of Britain we want. Do we want a prosperous outward looking Britain thats leading in Europe or do we want a meaner, narrower Britain that is poorer in every sense of the word?

Thomas Mair, charged with murder, gave his name as death to traitors, freedom for Britain in a court appearance on Saturday.

Remain Lead

In a sign attitudes may be shifting, the first poll conducted since her death put Remain ahead after most polls in recent days showed Leave with a lead or gaining ground. Staying in the bloc won 45 per cent support in the Survation telephone poll of 1,001 adults on Friday and Saturday for the Mail on Sunday. Leave was endorsed by 42 per cent, reversing positions from Survations previous survey.

We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy, U.K. Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage said on Peston. Its had an impact on the whole campaign for everybody.

The probability of a vote to leave declined to just under 30 per cent on Sunday from almost 40 per cent on Wednesday, according to bookmaker odds processed by the Oddschecker website. Its the biggest drop in almost two weeks.

Immigration

A survey by YouGov Plc for the Sunday Times, a third of which was conducted before the attack, showed Remain on 44 per cent and Leave on 43 per cent. The pollster said it doubted the rise in backing for the EU was tied to Coxs killing and suggested it may relate more to concerns about what Brexit would mean for the economy.

The death of Cox, a fervent supporter of remaining in the EU, created a dilemma for the Leave campaign, which has focused its campaign on the publics concern with immigration levels. Cox was both a defender of immigrants and of refugees from Syria.

In an article written four days before she died, Cox said the public had legitimate concerns about migration, but that a Brexit wouldnt guarantee lower migration levels.

We can do far more to deal with the pressures caused by migration from inside the EU, Cox wrote in the article on the politicshome.com website that was reprinted in the Mail on Sunday.

Farages Poster

On the day Cox died, Farage had unveiled a poster showing a column of refugees, with the headline Breaking Point. Osborne, in his interview, said the image had echoes of literature used in the 1930s, while Gove on BBC televisions The Andrew Marr Show said he shuddered when he saw it.

I thought it was the wrong thing to do, Gove said. He defended the right of the Leave campaign to highlight as a concern the possibility that Turkey might join the EU, even though Cameron has said it isnt likely until the year 3000 given the pace of progress.

Free Movement

The far right have been allowed to grasp the agenda, Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Sunday on the Marr show. He cited Farages appalling poster of desperate people fleeing from war saying theyre coming to threaten us.

In a comment that could boost the Leave campaign, he said he didnt think its possible to set an upper limit to immigration into the U.K.

I dont think you can have one while you have free movement of labour, he said. He said the solution was to ensure that across the bloc, workers are paid the relevant local rate, which would probably reduce migration levels.

Negativity

Farage said Corbyns comments on immigration are irresponsible, and said he thought hes been a victim of hatred rather than one who stokes it.

When you challenge the establishment in this country, they come after you, Farage said, pointing to Osbornes remarks minutes earlier. Quite frankly when it comes to negativity and rhetoric, weve seen far more of it from the Remain side.

While immigration has dominated the Leave campaign, the Remain camp has sought to steer the argument back to the risk to the economy of a Brexit.

Cameron will discuss the issues on a special edition of the BBCs Question Time on Sunday evening, while Osborne said Sunday that Britain would be a lot poorer after a vote to leave.

If we vote to leave there is no running back, he said. Its a one-way door to a much more uncertain world where peoples jobs and their livelihoods are at risk.

His message was buttressed by business leaders including WPP Plc chief executive officer Martin Sorrell and Barclays Plc Chairman John McFarlane who signed an open letter that argues that EU membership is good for business and good for British jobs, according to the Sunday Times. A letter to the Sun on Sunday, signed by 37 executives including Patisserie Holdings Plc CEO Luke Johnson, said small firms will thrive after leaving the Brussels straitjacket.

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AMELIA, OHIOAuthorities say the owner of an Ohio gun shop teaching a concealed carry class was fatally shot in the neck by a student who accidentally fired a weapon.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports 64-year-old James Baker was shot Saturday while students practiced weapon malfunction drills. The Clermont County Sheriffs Office says about 10 people were taking the class at the time at KayJay Gun Shop in Monroe Township, about 40 kilometres southeast of Cincinnati.

Baker died at the scene. The student who fired the weapon hasnt been identified.

According to the gun shops website, the concealed carry class included basic pistol safety instruction, shooting range sessions and a review of Ohios gun laws.

The Clermont County Sheriffs Office is investigating the shooting.

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TOKYOTens of thousands of people on Okinawa protested Sunday against the presence of U.S. military bases on the Japanese island, many wearing black to mourn the rape and killing of a local woman in which an American contractor is a suspect.

The rally called for a review of the U.S.-Japanese security agreement, which burdens Okinawa with hosting the bulk of American troops in Japan. Also contentious is a plan to relocate a Marine Corps air station to a less-populated part of the southwestern island. The relocation plan developed after public anger erupted in 1995 over the rape of a girl by three American servicemen.

The killing of the local woman, who had been missing for several weeks when her body was found last month, set off outrage on Okinawa, where tensions periodically run high over crime linked to American troops. The U.S. contractor, a former Marine, was arrested on May 19 on suspicion of abandoning the womans body, but has not yet been charged with killing her.

Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga told the crowd at the rally in Okinawas capital, Naha, that he wanted to apologize to the woman for failing to protect her, even after what happened in 1995.

We had pledged never to repeat such an incident, he said. I couldnt change the political system to prevent that. That is my utmost regret as a politician and as governor of Okinawa.

About 65,000 people attended the rally, according to the Kyodo News Agency. Many people held signs demanding the Marines leave and the overall military on Okinawa be scaled back.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abes government is behind the security agreement with the U.S., and wants Japan to take on a bigger military role on the international stage. But those at the rally said they wanted a more peace-oriented Japan.

This is not how we want the country to be, said university student Jinshiro Motoyama. We want the bases gone.

A rally was also held in front of the prime ministers residence in Tokyo, drawing about 10,000 people, timed to coincide with and show support for the Okinawa rally.

The U.S. military has periodically tried to appease sentiments on Okinawa. It says the crime rate among its ranks is lower than among the general public.

This month, the U.S. Navy imposed a drinking ban after an American sailor was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on Okinawa, driving the wrong way on a freeway and crashing into two vehicles, injuring two people. The restriction was recently eased.

Last month, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, the commanding general of Marine Forces Japan, stressed the importance of the bilateral alliance.

Please do not allow this terrible act of violence to drive a wedge between our two communities, he told reporters in Okinawa of the womans death. There may be issues we differ on. But we must continue to talk. Lets keep those lines of communication open.

But Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian history at Temple University in Tokyo, said resentment about the bases will likely continue on Okinawa, adding that he believes the base relocation project may be delayed.

I think they just feel so frustrated, he said of residents of Okinawa. These protests are not just going to go away.

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BAGHDADThousands of civilians are fleeing Fallujah after the city was declared liberated from Daesh, also know as the Islamic State group, the United Nations said, while an Iraqi commander reported fierce clashes as elite counterterrorism forces pushed to clear out the remaining militants.

Daesh fighters launched missiles, detonated a suicide car bomb and deployed snipers against Iraqi forces, Brig. Gen. Haider al-Obeidi said. Iraqi forces are still advancing despite the strong clashes, he said.

Over the past three days, the UN says that nearly ten thousand families have fled Fallujah amid the heavy fighting. More than 80,000 civilians have fled Fallujah and its surrounding areas since the operation to retake the city from Daesh was announced last month, according to the UN.

Agencies are scrambling to respond to the rapidly evolving situation and we are bracing ourselves for another large exodus in the next few days as we estimate that thousands more people remain trapped in Fallujah, said Bruno Geddo, the representative for the UNs refugee agency in Iraq, in a statement Sunday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory for Iraq on Friday after special forces recaptured most of the city after weeks of fighting. This leaves Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, as the only remaining urban stronghold for Daesh militants in the country.

The Norwegian Refugee Council says the civilian exodus has overwhelmed camps run by the Iraqi government and humanitarian groups, leaving thousands without shelter or proper sanitation.

Right now as we speak there are thousands without any tents, without any shelter, they have slept overnight out in the open, said Karl Schembri with the Norwegian Refugee Council, an international humanitarian organization that does extensive work in Anbar province, which surrounds Fallujah. Schembri said the humanitarian situation in Anbar province following the Fallujah operation is potentially catastrophic.

The conflict that erupted in Iraq after Daesh blitzed across the country in the summer of 2014 has forced more than 3.4 million people to flee their homes.

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Authorities in suburban Philadelphia were trying to unravel the mysteries Sunday of a local man found living with 12 girls, one of whom was apparently a gift from her financially strapped parents.

Lee Kaplan, 51, was charged with statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and other offences after authorities, acting on a tip from a neighbour, found Kaplan at his Lower Southampton home with girls ranging in age from 6 months to 18 years. The 18-year-old told police she and Kaplan were the parents of a 3-year-old and the 6-month-old.

They were living in the basement, they were hiding in the chicken coop, Robert Hoopes, Lower Southamptons director of public safety, said of the girls. He added that the children apparently were home-schooled, that musical instruments and homework were found in the basement.

Police with search dogs spent the weekend sifting through the property for clues. Authorities were trying to determine the identity of the other nine girls in the house, including the possibility that all the girls were related.

The teens father, Daniel Stoltzfus, 43, told investigators he and his wife Savilla, 42, gifted their daughter to Kaplan about four years ago after researching the legality on the Internet. The couple told police they were broke and poised to lose their farm in rural Lancaster County when Kaplan saved them from financial ruin.

Daniel Stoltzfus faces charges of conspiracy to commit statutory sexual assault and children endangerment. His wife was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Kaplan and the couple were being held Sunday on $1-million (U.S.) bail each.

Hoopes said the Stoltzfus family was or had been Amish. He dismissed claims from neighbours that they had been complaining about the living situation in the home for years.

What kind of call did they (make)? Hoopes asked. That they saw Amish people? Thats the kind of calls we got. We didnt get any child abuse calls. If it was a child abuse call we would have responded.

He added that police had responded to a call regarding the house at least once in the past, but no probable cause for a search warrant was found. Hoopes said police were trying to determine whether the children were abused. They have now been placed in protective custody.

The children did not appear malnourished and the house was in relatively good condition, he said. The house had a greenhouse, and food was being grown. The chickens were taken by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Kaplan apparently made money selling model train equipment and had an elaborate setup worth thousands of dollars, Hoopes said.

Jen Betz told The Associated Press she called authorities because she was concerned about young girls living in the house with boarded windows and high weeds.

Theyre so sad and fearful every time I see them, Betz said. Thats what made me call. Ive been telling my husband for years, Something isnt right, something isnt right. 

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What is the role for politics when a tragedy strikes? What can one possibly have to do with the other? In fact, politics and tragedy are inextricably linked, entwined in both reaction and action. Changes in public policy, generally on issues of safety or security, will often follow adversity.

But it is the reaction, not action, of a political leader that often speaks volumes about character and leadership skills. Does a politician take advantage of media and microphones by loudly proclaiming thoughts and ideology, using the opportunity to lambast opponents? Or does a politician withdraw, reflect, quietly allowing people to mourn and grieve? When should they speak out? When should they visit the site of the tragedy?

Much can be learned from the reactions of many elected officials in this past week; a week that will always be remembered for its horror. Brutal tragedy struck not once, not twice, but three times.

Last Monday, we woke to grim news. A second Canadian had been disgustingly murdered by Abu Sayyaf, a criminal gang of extremist thugs, operating in the southwestern part of the Philippines. Both John Ridsel, a Canadian mining executive, and Robert Hall, a renaissance man and actor, had been kidnapped and held for ransom in September. In spite of intense efforts at negotiation and an attempt to raise money from family sources, both men were killed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was resolute in his reaction. The Canadian government does not pay ransom money for hostages and he would not have the Maple Leaf turned into a target. Graciously and bravely, Robert Halls family supported that affirmation. Our family, even in our darkest hour, agrees wholeheartedly with Canadas policy of not paying ransom.

In an unusual moment, Conservative MP Tony Clement tweeted that he too supported the governments stance on terrorist ransom demands, eliciting a thank you from Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, who added that solidarity sends a strong message. It was a surprisingly elegant exchange by political adversaries.

At the same time, reports of the heinous massacre of 49 gay people (plus 53 injured) dominated global headlines. By Monday evening, it was determined that the Pulse nightclub shooting was the worst massacre in American history. Three themes stood out.

It was a disgusting hate crime. Similar to Montreals Ecole Polytechnique massacre of 14 women (plus 9 wounded) on Dec. 6, 1989, when individuals were specifically targeted for their gender, this time, the target was the LGBT community.

Secondly, it was yet again another example of the never ending gun violence in the U.S.

Finally a frightening link to terrorism shook everyone. Even the UN Security Council issued a historic statement regarding LGBT human rights  the first time it has ever done so. The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack  targeting persons as result of their sexual orientation

Donald Trump insensitively tweeted that he appreciated the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, immediately launching a vicious political war of words with Hillary Clinton and eventually Barack Obama. David Gergen, CNNs senior political analyst, tweeted Afraid didnt take long for politics to spill into Orlando horrors. It was an interesting observation. At what point, should bare knuckle politics intrude on personal grief?

The week continued to worsen. By Thursday, the horrible slaying of a young, Labour MP in the U.K., Jo Cox, stunned the political community. PM David Cameron immediately suspended the increasingly emotional and fractious Brexit campaign. Chancellor George Osborne cancelled a major speech, instead stating that one of the virtues of our parliamentary democracy is the everyday accessibility of MPs to the people they represent.

Overwhelmingly positive tributes to Cox flooded the British Parliament and the British media. In our House of Commons, NDP-MP Nathan Cullen, a friend of the slain MP, gave Cox an emotional and heartfelt testimonial. Our MPs stood in a minute of silence in memory of this dynamic woman.

Political reaction to tragedy does not have a one-size-fits-all template. Dignified silence, bombastic yelling, aggressive partisanship can all play a role, depending on circumstances and personalities. But while there may not be a template, there are consequences. As unnerving as it may be, tragedy is a powerful defining force in politics, a force to be used with great deftness and great caution. Used unwisely, it can become a magnet for anger and further chaos.

Tread lightly, everyone. Lives are literally at risk.

Penny Collenette is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa and was a senior director of the Prime Ministers Office for Jean Chretien.

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NEW YORK  To add context to an exhibition of Hellenistic art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has reproduced a copy of the famous Alexander Mosaic, which once enlivened the floor of an elite house in Pompeii. Its a helpful way of inserting Alexander himself into the drama of a stunning show, Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World. Dominating the galleries like he once dominated the world, Alexander is seen on horseback, a cynosure of power and elegance amid the clamor of battle, which he surveys with one eye unnaturally large and wide open. His hair, thick with sweat and dust, flows wildly from the top of his head to the nape of his neck, and he is seen from the side, looking intently forward into the fray.

The downside of using a reproduction in an exhibition of authentic objects is that it can make you suspicious of the real thing. I passed by a genuine, and rare, emblema  a highly detailed mosaic made of tiny tiles  and thought at first it was a color print of a painting. It shows four itinerant musicians playing their instruments, standing in a shallow space and casting shadows on the floor and wall behind them. Everything is meticulously rendered: the folds of the gowns they wear, the caricature of the masks that cover their faces, even the shadows gathered low to the ground on the wall behind them. If you give this miraculous work just a passing glance, it seems almost photographic, an illusion heightened by the digital quality of its delicate tesserae, or tiles.

The exhibition is full of small, and sometimes very large, marvels like this one. The Hellenistic bronze exhibition at the National Gallery earlier this year surveyed one type of art from the period between the age of Alexander, and the final domination of Rome over the territories he conquered.

This exhibition draws out from that focus, and includes sculpture in bronze, stone and terracotta, mosaics, glassware, cameos, coins and jewelry. Although some of its most powerful pieces are from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, which is closed for renovation, the exhibition isnt exclusively focused on that city, one of the most artistically productive of the several Greek kingdoms that formed after Alexanders short-lived empire broke apart.

[A visual introduction to Hellenistic bronzes]

Bronze bust of Juba II. Roman, Augustan period, probably ca. 25 B.C. Excavated at Volubilis, Morocco, 1944. (Musee Archeologique de Rabat, Morocco )

Much of what is on display is from Rome, copies made after Greek originals, and if the exhibition has an argument, it is to dissolve any clear boundaries between what was Hellenistic and what we think of as Roman. The Hellenistic kingdoms that included Pergamon spanned the ancient world, from the Ptolemaic dynasty in what is now Egypt and Northern Africa to the Seleucids who ruled over Syria, much of the Middle East and all the way to what is now Pakistan.

For a while, the Attalid dynasty of Pergamon controlled much of Asia Minor, but its larger claim to lasting fame was its capital city, for centuries the envy of the world.

Dominating the city was the magnificent Great Altar, a colonnaded structure set on an imposing base covered with a spectacular frieze. The altar has been partially reconstructed in Berlin to create a setting for the remains of emotionally charged and visually dynamic relief carving. Those works obviously cant travel, but other statues set onto the altar terrace or its roof can. Several of those are included in this exhibition, including a headless statue of Athena, which once served as an acroterion, or roof embellishment, and seems to show the goddess striding forward with great urgency.

Several pieces from the National Gallery exhibition, which was also seen in Los Angeles and Florence, are included in the Mets overview. A small bronze statue of an exhausted Hercules, slouched over his club, makes another appearance, as does the statue of an aristocratic boy and the sleeping Eros (both from the Mets collection). But there are extraordinary bronzes in the New York show that werent part of the earlier one, including one of the most touching portraits from the ancient world, a bust of Juba II as a young man.

[Kennicott on Power and Pathos at the National Gallery]

Jubas life encapsulates the complexity of the political and cultural forces at play in this period. His father committed suicide after losing a critical battle to Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. The son was taken to Rome and raised by the imperial family, given an excellent education and Roman citizenship. He was returned to his fathers throne, ruled as king of Mauretania and was a widely admired and entirely loyal vassal of Rome. He married the daughter of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. The portrait bust shows a moody young man, handsome, with downcast eyes and thick, expressive lips.

The image seems to prefigure his reputation as one of the most scholarly of kings, an author of books on history, natural science and geography. After his death, his son Ptolemy of Mauretania  also represented in the exhibition by a bronze likeness  inherited the kingdom and visited Rome  where he was murdered, on orders from Caligula.

Rhyton in the form of a Centaur. Greek, Seleucid, Hellenistic period, ca. 160 B.C. Silver with gilding. (Antikensammlung, Kunsthistorisches Museum)

The busts of Juba and his ill-fated son come late in the exhibition, as Rome was becoming a much more ominous force in the ancient world. It was no longer an aspiring republic, but an omnivorous empire, ruling much of what Alexander conquered, and even more that he didnt. But the expressivity of the Juba bust, and some of its visual details, recalls depictions of Alexander himself. You have a powerful sense of aesthetic continuity spanning almost three centuries.

You may also be left with a slightly bewildering sense of geography. Mauretania was on the far western reaches of the Roman empire, which taken together with Alexanders empire stretched from the Atlantic to the Indian subcontinent. So it makes little sense to think of centers and peripheries, at least not in an any visual or artistic sense. Art circulates thoroughly throughout this vast swath of territory, with works of exceptional quality made in the great capitals and the hinterlands alike, with copies cropping up at what might seem an impossible distance from any likely encounter with an original or basic prototype.

And so this exhibition, like others devoted to this period, dissolves any simple sense of Hellenistic culture rooted in a particular place or tied to a particular dynasty. It may leave you less certain of what the term Hellenistic actually means, even as it overwhelms with individual masterpieces of representation that wouldnt be equaled by Western artists for almost 1500 years.

Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York through July 17. For more information, visit metmuseum.org.
Just being in the room with a Beatle was enough to keep everybody blissful throughout the two-hour, mostly non-Beatle set delivered by Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band at Warner Theatre on Friday.

The 50th anniversary of his last show with the Beatles is coming up this summer. (One of the last Beatles concerts was held, in fact, at D.C. Stadium, later renamed RFK Stadium, on Aug. 15, 1966.) Starr rarely played live for about two decades after the Beatles breakup, but he has been doing these cavalcade tours since the late 1980s. Folks by now know the routine, which is basically hearing a short burst of Beatles classics and Starrs early and beloved solo material  he was the most successful ex-Beatle as a solo act  then sitting through highlights from the careers of whatever mortals are playing alongside him while waiting for the next dose of Ringo.

Starr, 75, looked happy as ever and in fine health while either dancing like a youngster at the front of the stage or showing that he still swings when sitting behind the drum kit. He wore a T-shirt with a sequined peace sign, shouted, Peace and love! and flashed a lot of peace signs to the crowd, along with an occasional Hare Krishna! His voice was not always where he wanted it to be, especially early in the show, during Matchbox, It Dont Come Easy and What Goes On. But the vocals came around as he warmed up.

And he never had to sing too hard.

If you dont know the words to this song, youre in the wrong building, he said before playing Yellow Submarine. Everybody knew the words, and the crowd let Ringo know it by screaming along.

Todd Rundgren opened the others-covers portion of the show with I Saw the Light, from 1972s Something/Anything?, one of the great rock LPs of all time. The song has a fine place in Beatles lore, because it was part of a famous rock-and-roll feud that began when newcomer Rundgren called Lennon a fake revolutionary and an [expletive] idiot in the pages of Melody Maker, a top music magazine of the time. Lennon responded with an open letter full of his own name-calling, including Turd Runtgreen, but the smart Beatle also told the young upstart that he quite liked some of his music, namely I Saw the Light. Lennon, though, added that he saw the tune as not unlike Theres a Place,  an early Beatles number.

Keyboardist Gregg Rolie contributed Evil Ways, a song he had played alongside Santana at Woodstock, and he later led jams on Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. Rolie was also a founding member of Journey but ignored that bands catalogue on this night. The rest of the All Starrs non-Ringo set list, though, read like that of a wimpy wedding band from the 1980s. Bassist Richard Page, of Mr. Mister, took the lead on Kyrie and Broken Wings. Guitarist Steve Lukather, from Toto, led the All Starrs through Africa, Hold the Line and Rosanna, the last a 1982 tribute to then-feature-film star Rosanna Arquette.

In the end, fewer than half of the tunes in the 24-song set were Beatles or Starr tracks. But the fans more than tolerated the soft-rock offerings. And when Starr ended the night with A Little Help From My Friends, a lot of folks had tears in their eyes, but not because the guy who gave the backbeat to Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band had spent the evening also keeping time for Mr. Mister meanderings.
Dear Amy: Ive been married for 10 years to a wonderful man. I have a loving relationship with his mother. When my sister-in-law was alive, our families regularly shared good times. Since her death (about five years ago) my husbands brother has excluded us.

A couple of years ago my husband and I researched different living options for his mother, as did the other side of the family. It was total confusion. In the end my husbands solution prevailed, honoring his mothers wishes. In the meantime, he and I received numerous incendiary emails from that side of the family.

Last year my brother-in-law remarried. We were not invited to the wedding. We would have attended.

This past weekend my mother-in-law implied that my brother-in-law and his wife would like to be invited to our weekend home, which is in a beautiful resort community. I blurted out, Theyll be invited when its a cold day in Hell. My husband was in complete agreement. Knowing my mother-in-law, the message will get back.

I cant take the words back, and I dont think theres any chance of repairing the relationship with my brother-in-law. I do worry about the long-standing relationship my husband has with his nieces. Just let things ride?

So Sad to Lose Family

So Sad to Lose Family: You cant be all that sad about losing family if you would take an (implied) olive branch and basically use it to switch these family members.

If they want to ingratiate themselves to you (in order to have a better relationship, yielding, perhaps, an invitation to your vacation home), then they will have to find a way to reach out to you and your husband directly.

It is possible that your mother-in-law brought up this vacation idea on her own, as a way to try to bring her two sons together.

You and your husband should do your best to stay in touch with these nieces, regardless of your relationship with their parents. These children suffered a huge loss when their mother died. It would be a terrible shame for them to lose yet more family members over a long-standing squabble.

Dear Amy: Some of my colleagues have ganged up on me, and they claim that I dont have a sense of humor.

I am a teacher at an undergraduate program, and my friends, family members even my students really appreciate my funny bone. But then a male colleague told me a joke about a man hitting his educated wife on the face, which I found quite distasteful and not funny at all.

He, in a gathering, told everyone that I did not understand his joke because I do not have a sense of humor. One of my other colleagues, who I have saved from the wrath of the superiors quite a few times, heartily agreed. I am very upset about these two peoples conduct, but I did not say anything to them. Do you think they are right about me?

Wondering

Wondering: I dont know if your co-worker is right about you, but I do know that you are right about him. Based on your report of this incident, your co-workers so-called joke is both unfunny and offensive. His choice to double down and try to engage co-workers in bullying you is unacceptable.

Workplace bullies often use so-called humor to dominate and humiliate others. You should stand up to this jerk, and if he continues on in this vein, you should consider asking a superior to rain down some wrath and see if he thinks thats funny.

Dear Amy: Older but Not Wisers tale hit close to home.

She really needs to recognize the pain she caused by accusing her niece of stealing from her  and then publicly hanging her on social media and to anyone whod listen. She seems oblivious to the level of damage shes caused her niece and her whole family.

Something very similar happened in our family, and its taken more than five years for the family to begin to heal.

Upon someones death, one family member accused another of stealing from the dying person before she passed away. There were horrible things said back and forth, peoples children and spouses being dragged through the mud, and a couple of relationships were permanently damaged. A lot of it was done through mass emails to the entire extended family. It was horrible.

The person was completely innocent, and the relationship is permanently damaged.

Been There

Been There: The outrage of a public false accusation can only be redressed through a public apology.

Write to Amy Dickinson at askamy@tribune.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
A 50-year-old Illinois man has been charged with reckless driving and six counts of involuntary manslaughter in a Saturday crash on Interstate 95 that killed six people, Virginia State Police said Sunday.

Wenceslao Cruz-Marquez, of Chicago, remained hospitalized Sunday in the crash that left nine others with serious injuries, Virginia State Police said.

According to police, at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Cruz-Marquez was driving a 1998 Dodge van, traveling north on I-95 in Caroline County, when the van ran off the road to the left, came back across two travel lanes, and struck a 2016 Toyota Camry in the right lane. After the impact, police said, the Toyota spun out in the road and the Dodge van continued off the road to the right, overcorrecting back left and overturning five to six times.

Six passengers in the van were ejected.

The victims included four men, a woman and a juvenile, all of whom died at the scene. Authorities have not released their identities, pending notification of relatives. None of the vans 16 occupants were wearing seatbelts, police said.

The vans other 10 occupants were taken to Mary Washington Hospital and Spotsylvania Regional Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Toyota was not injured, according to police.

The vans occupants had left North Carolina and were headed to New Jersey, according to state police. Police said driver fatigue may have factored in the crash.
Maryland school officials recognized Thomas Gordon as the statewide winner of the 2016 Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Awards. The father of three is a volunteer at Indian Head Elementary School in the Charles County Public Schools in southern Maryland. (Maryland State Department of Education)

Maryland school officials recognized Thomas Gordon as the statewide winner of the 2016 Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Awards. The father of three is a volunteer at Indian Head Elementary School in the Charles County Public Schools in southern Maryland. (Maryland State Department of Education)

Thomas Gordon is popular on career days at Indian Head Elementary School  the dad who arrives in uniform and talks about his job perched on the saddle of a horse. Hes a member of the mounted unit of the U.S. Park Police. Students ask tons of questions.

But with much less notice, Gordon has volunteered at the high-poverty Maryland school for more than a decade  posting artwork in hallways, helping coach a robotics club, collecting winter coats for students in need, listening to children. Hes such a familiar face that one admirer recalls at first assuming he was a paid employee.

Some people do what they do to be recognized, said Principal Timothy J. Rosin. Hes a model of doing the right thing because its the right thing.

Lately, Gordons efforts have gained more attention. Maryland officials announced this month that the 46-year-old father of three from Charles County is the statewide winner of the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award.

Thomas Gordon, a member of the mounted unit of the US Park Police, in May during a career day presentation at Indian Head Elementary School in Charles County. (Timothy J. Rosin)

His tireless commitment is an inspiration, the states acting superintendent, Karen Salmon, said.

Gordon said that his job in law enforcement gave him a volunteering advantage: For years, he worked nights and weekends, so he had time to help out during school days. More recently, he volunteers on Mondays and every other Tuesday, his days off.

I just found myself there quite often, doing what I could, he said.

Born and raised in the District, Gordon and his family moved in 2005 to Indian Head, a town of about 4,000 along the Potomac River in southern Maryland. Each of his children, starting in pre-K, attended Indian Head Elementary.

There, the longevity and consistency of Gordons efforts have stood out.

Natache Sumter, the schools parent liaison, said Gordon contributes through a range of activities but also in ways that few people see. She recalled him providing one child with socks, and many others with advice and caring.

He does things to change the whole direction of a childs day, she said.

At least one day a week, Gordon helps with the positive-

behavior program, working a prize cart set up in a school hallway, so that students who have earned enough points can trade them in for rewards, including stickers, coloring books and bracelets.

Gordon congratulates children, encourages them, talks to them.

I realize there is a need because kids will come up and tell me how their day is or what they did during class or how it was at recess, he said. It helps to have another adult to talk to who is not a parent or teacher.

Sumter puts it another way: He just has this magnetic personality with the kids.

Gordon and his wife, Bertha, also started a Keeping Kids in Coats program in 2010 to provide outerwear for those in need. Other parents contribute, as do members of the community and the familys church, St. James Episcopal.

School staff members say he helps out at holiday food drives, Earth Day activities and open houses. On career day, he goes to great effort to bring his horse, so children can better understand his job and touch the animal. Gordon said that some children have never seen a horse.

Ive never seen them  from the youngest to oldest  not come away excited, said Angela McDonald, a school secretary. As a parent who had a young male go through the school, he was a perfect male role model.

Gordons youngest child just completed fifth grade last week, but Gordon plans to keep helping out at Indian Head, or Gen. Smallwood Middle School, or both. His three children will be in sixth, eighth and 10th grades next school year.

I see it as just the role of an adult to interact with the kids in their community in a positive way, to be involved, he said. I think were all called to be mentors when the opportunity arises.
Students walk to and from class along the hallways of the former Cardozo Senior High School. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Twenty years ago, Shermaine Mitchell-Ryan was a student at the former Cardozo High School thinking about college. She realized the level of instruction at most D.C. schools was so low that higher education for her could be a disaster.

So she enrolled in the TransTech (now TransSTEM) Academy. It was a school within a school designed to give disadvantaged teenagers full-strength courses and college-level exams. The hope was that it would prepare them for the rigor of heavy reading lists and long lectures in college.

The program celebrates its 25th anniversary Tuesday, as founder Shirley McCall retires and star Advanced Placement English teacher Frazier OLeary welcomes the alumni. Mitchell-Ryan is now a science and technology policy fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has a doctorate in cancer biology from Wayne State Universitys School of Medicine.

Like nearly all Cardozo students before and since, she failed the three-hour AP English exam she took during her senior year. The programs students were too far behind to achieve AP proficiency, but they learned more than they would have in a non-AP course, Cardozo graduates tell me. Mitchell-Ryan said OLearys class for the first time required me to develop my own thoughts rather than regurgitating information.

AP, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge courses are increasing rapidly in high schools. This includes places like Cardozo, where 99 percent of the students are low-income and few land on the high-achievement end of any bell curve. AP classes should be for those at the right of the curve, a reader commented on one of my columns online. Many agree.

But teachers and students at schools like Cardozo have a different attitude. Katherine Arias, who just graduated from Cardozo, thought that before she encountered OLeary, her English courses were always too slow paced, the assignments were too simple. . . . When I realized my AP class was the complete opposite, I was ecstatic. She said, Everyone expects the bare minimum from inner-city students, but our teacher always pushed us to exceed our grasp.

Preuss, a public charter high school at the University of California at San Diego, requires that students be from low-income families. Most take at least six AP classes, and just 31 percent of their AP exams earn passing marks. But after dealing with AP courses and tests and a longer school day and year, Preuss STEM coordinator Anne Artz said, they can handle college classes that have over 100 students in a lecture hall and that give them little opportunity to ask questions or get individual help.

Our teachers, working with some of the neediest students in San Diego, will tell you that the students rise to the challenge, Artz said. They do not drag down the upper-end students.

Kelly H. Ginley, a former AP English teacher who now runs the Advancement Via Individual Determination program at Falls Church High School, said the same happened at his school, part of Fairfax Countys two-decade commitment to AP and IB for all who want it.

Ginley did not like having average students in his AP classes when he was a high-performing student at Fairfaxs Madison High School. But when he became a teacher, he remembered his favorite instructor, Sherry Levitt, did not let the fact that there were many different skill levels in her class get in the way of teaching me up to a 5 on the exam, the highest score.

Alumni of the Cardozo program gather every year to thank their teachers and report their successes after they failed the AP exam. I have attended some of these reunions. Graduates have many tough teacher stories.

Thank you, Dr. OLeary, recent graduate Karie Paz said in an essay, for telling me to get out of your face because I was not dropping the class.

Educators like that develop character. Hard courses and tests help. All of us flunk something in life, which teaches us how to handle the next challenge.
The conceptual vision for the life sciences village adjoining the FDA/GSA property in the White Oak area. (Percontee, Inc)

When the Montgomery County Council gave the green light to the White Oak Life Sciences Center last summer, it was a partnership. The county and a private developer would share the risk  and possible future profits  in the creation of a new town center that would provide jobs and amenities in Montgomerys economically isolated eastern sector.

The final agreement, struck last month by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and developer Percontee, is quite different. Gone is the partnership, replaced by a complex land sale that will convey county-owned land to Percontee at what appears to be a bargain price.

Leggett, who has spent years pursuing the project, said the unusual structure of the deal reflects the difficulty of jump-starting the economy in a part of the county that has had little to no job growth for decades.

You could come up with maybe a better deal on paper, he said. It would stay on paper, and youll never get anything developed.

But there is some skepticism on the council, which must decide whether the revised accord is a good deal for taxpayers.

The conceptual vision for the life sciences village adjoining the FDA/GSA property in the White Oak area. (Percontee, Inc)

[Plans for life-science project on verge of collapse ]

I dont think we know yet, said council member Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda), who wants the council to hire an outside real estate adviser to scrutinize the transaction.

Though council members have no authority over the terms of the sale, they must approve $40 million in road improvements and other infrastructure near the site for the project to go forward. Among other things, lawmakers say they are concerned about how much money the county will get for the land and how much of the deal was negotiated behind closed doors.

Council member George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) called the agreement a leap of faith with a lot of unknowns.

The county envisions White Oak as a hub for medical and life-sciences companies, drawn to the site by its proximity to the Food and Drug Administration campus near Route 29 and New Hampshire Avenue. It would be augmented by housing, shopping and dining. The hope is that the combination of the FDA, the life-sciences firms and the new Washington Adventist Hospital being built nearby will generate as many as 10,000 jobs over 25 years.

The economic activity could be transformative for an area that includes both prosperous residential communities and some of the countys highest-poverty census tracts. While investment and jobs have flowed to places such as Silver Spring and Bethesda in recent years, several factors  inadequate roads, lack of public transportation and a mostly departed generation of political leaders who sought to maintain the east countys semi-rural character  kept the area around White Oak in a kind of economic stasis.

[An affluent countys hidden divide]

Leggett, who lives in the east county community of Burtonsville, has pursued the life-sciences project from his earliest days as county executive. With the end of his third and likely final term in sight, an added sense of legacy seems to be motivating him.

In 2007, he negotiated the $10 million purchase of 115 acres next to the FDA from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), which had used the site on Industrial Parkway for sludge composting. After a deal with another developer collapsed, the county looked to an adjoining land owner, Percontee, which was operating a sand and gravel quarry on 180 acres.

My view is that the people in the east part of the county have been waiting for something positive to happen, Leggett said in an interview, tapping his office conference table for emphasis. We have a county executive from the east part of the county who has made it a goal and objective to change this.

Percontee is owned by the Gudelsky family, a major player in regional real estate and philanthropy. Leggetts relationship with the family dates to the mid-1980s, when he served on the board of the Maryland College of Art and Design with Martha Gudelsky, mother of the company president, John Gudelsky. She helped Leggett make important contacts during his first campaign for County Council in 1986.

Since then, the Gudelskys have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Leggett and other elected officials. Leggett says the contributions were never a factor in his collaboration with Percontee.

The partnership shifted to a land sale earlier this year after county attorneys discovered that Percontees land came with covenants  negotiated in the 1950s and 60s with surrounding property owners  that place limits on what can be built there. Percontees executive vice president, Jonathan Genn, the companys lead negotiator, said in April that he did not mention the covenants earlier in the process because he did not consider them an urgent issue.

[Council, Leggett clash over details of White Oak project]

Genns omission infuriated some senior officials in the countys executive branch, who felt that it made him an untrustworthy business partner. Privately  to avoid contradicting their boss in public  those officials said it seemed that only Leggetts long relationship with the Gudelskys kept the deal alive.

Leggett scoffed at that assessment. Genn declined to comment.

Leggett said he became leery of co-owning land that could be the subject of lawsuits from nearby property owners who wanted the covenants to remain in force. For that reason and others, he said, the parties converted the project to a purchase of the countys land by Percontee, but with a few twists.

The county site is appraised at $42 million, but Percontee is required to put up $10 million  the amount that the county paid WSSC to acquire it. The company has agreed to secure a $32 million line of credit based on the remaining value of the property. That amount can be reduced, according to a negotiated formula, as Percontee pays for roads, school and transportation impact taxes and other key elements of the project.

To incentivize Percontee to move quickly, the agreement says that whatever remains of the $32 million line of credit after 10 years would go to the county.

Some council members remain skeptical that the county is getting enough from the deal, or they worry that many of the terms were hammered out in private. Some sessions with Percontee representatives were handled by Leggett alone, without county attorneys or chief administrative officer Tim Firestine present. Leggett also met privately with John Gudelsky.

Too much of the conversation about this has been in private meetings, Leventhal said.

Council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large) said he was not at the happy camper stage yet. Im worried we gave away too much for too little.

Montgomery officials said the potentially most valuable element of the deal is within their control. The county is setting aside 20 acres of its own land to accommodate a potential expansion of the FDA campus, something the federal agency has long discussed.

The original partnership would have placed the FDA on land owned jointly by the county and Percontee. But that plan changed because of legal concerns about the convenants on Percontees piece of the site.

Under the revised agreement, a private developer would finance the buildings on the county-owned land and receive lease payments for 20 years. After that, the rental revenue would revert to the county.

The council is expected to scrutinize the agreement over the summer and into September before taking final action. Council President Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) said in an interview that it all looked very promising and that the county is better off not in a real estate partnership.

This is not our line of work  development, she said.
Rachel Cox, who was slain in her D.C. apartment in 1983. A man is now on trial in her death. (Courtesy of U.S. Attorneys Office)

It was New Years Eve 1983. Lynne Cox, then 18, was excited because it was the first time she was allowed to count down to the new year at a party with friends, instead of celebrating with her mother.

Earlier that evening, Coxs mother, Rachel Cox, helped her daughter pick out the perfect dress. They sat in front of a mirror and experimented with different hairstyles, debating whether the teenager should have an up-do or let her hair drape over her shoulders, Lynne Cox told a D.C. Superior Court jury last week from the witness stand.

Lynne Cox called at midnight to wish her mother a happy new year, but the line was busy. When the daughter arrived home hours later, she noticed what she thought was a pile of clothes in the hallway of the Southeast Washington apartment. As she picked up a blanket from the top, she saw her mothers body. All I saw was blood, she recalled.

As she recounted the horrific memory to the jury, Cox, now 51, began to sob and then hyperventilate. I cant breathe. I cant breathe, she cried as she rocked back and forth. Judge Robert E. Morin leaned over the bench and encouraged her to be calm. He ordered everyone out of the courtroom as federal marshals and the prosecutor rushed to comfort the witness.

More than 30 years after Rachel Cox was stabbed to death, authorities think they have finally caught the person responsible.

Prosecutors say DNA evidence found on Coxs body ties a 58-year-old convicted sex offender, Joe Anthony Barber, to the killing. Even with that genetic evidence, though, they may have a difficult time proving their case. There were no witnesses and no sign of forced entry into the apartment.

Also, DNA of at least three men other than Barber was found in the apartment, lawyers said. The defense attorney told jurors that genetic material from an unknown man was found on boot laces used to bind Cox.

Prosecutors said a search of the apartment revealed DNA from two men who had dated Lynne Cox, but also genetic material from an unidentified man. It was not clear if that unknown sample is the one taken from the shoelaces.

Former U.S. attorney Justin Dillon, who is not connected to the case, said he thinks the trial is winnable for prosecutors but said any cold case has challenges.

No witnesses to verify the story of either what led up to her death or how she was killed makes the case even more difficult for prosecutors, especially with the other DNA evidence present, Dillon said. But the defendants DNA inside the victim is still very strong evidence.

After five days of days of testimony, the trial continues this week.

The breakthrough in the case came in 2013, when police arrested Barber, then a warehouse laborer, and later charged him with multiple offenses, including first-degree felony murder while armed. When the slaying occurred, he lived just a few blocks from the Cox apartment. Barber was later convicted in the rape of a 10-year-old girl and spent 19 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Barber raped Rachel Cox, then stabbed her 12 times. DNA from fluids found on her body identified Barber as her attacker, authorities say. Although DNA tests were conducted in 1984, the technology was less sophisticated then and didnt lead to an arrest. So in June 2013, the evidence was retrieved from police archives and retested using modern techniques.

During police interviews before he was charged, Barber repeatedly denied knowing Rachel Cox, who was 43 when she was killed, and gave detailed accounts of his whereabouts on New Years Eve 1983. Such vivid detail struck detectives as odd, prosecutors told the jury. And denying he had any type of relationship with Cox, even though his DNA was found at the scene, also seemed suspicious to detectives.

Once Lynne Cox was able to compose herself on the witness stand last week, she slowly described to the jury the moments after she found her mothers body. Cox said she first telephoned her mothers best friend for help. My mommy is on the floor, she remembered screaming in the telephone. The woman told her to feel her mothers wrist to see if there was a pulse. There was none.

Cox then telephoned 911. She collapsed onto the kitchen floor with the phone cord wrapped around her until police arrived. I begged the operator not to hang up and to stay on the phone with me. I was so scared, she said, sipping water and taking deep breaths.

Rachel Cox had been employed as a personnel department supervisor for the Districts Public Defender Service. Friends who testified during the trial described her as hardworking and said she often kept to herself. Cox could have attended a New Years party thrown by the offices former chief, Charles Ogletree, now a professor at Harvard Law School. But she told friends she would stay home that night.

When Cox was killed, concerns in the city surfaced that someone connected to her job may have been responsible. But there was no such evidence, and the case grew cold.

During the trial last week, prosecutors acknowledged that DNA of other men had been found during the investigation. But they emphasized that only one male DNA profile was found on Coxs body: Barbers.

Barber attorney Joseph Caleb told the jury that his clients DNA does not mean he raped or killed Cox.

During his opening statement, Caleb told jurors that another mans DNA was found on boot laces that were used to tie Coxs hands behind her back.

Barbers various statements to homicide detectives, Caleb said, were fueled by Barbers fear of being interrogated at homicide headquarters for a crime he did not commit.

Still, what remains unclear is whether Barber was now suggesting that he had a consensual relationship with Cox, who was nearly 20 years his senior. Lynne Cox and two of her mothers friends testified that they knew of no relationship between Barber and Rachel Cox. But the defense suggested that if Rachel Cox was seeing a younger man, she may have kept it secret.

Barbers attorney insists that his client is innocent. Joe Barber did not murder or rape Rachel Cox, Caleb said.
Jim Noland of Richmond wanted to share his wifes wit and personality in her obituary. Mary Anne Noland died May 15, 2016. (Julia Rendleman/For The Washington Post)

A few weeks ago, a 68-year-old woman lay dying in Virginia. She said it beat the alternative.

Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, her obituary said, Mary Anne Noland of Richmond chose, instead, to pass into the eternal love of God.

The dead have had an unusual amount to say this election cycle. They have forgone flowers for votes. They have looked back on their lives and said their only regret is NOT being able to vote against Hillary Clinton. They have called the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trumpypoo, who attracts Angry Not Smart supporters.

One of the quirkier byproducts of a campaign season defined by vitriol and polarization has been a dramatic increase in the number of people whose last words are being used to campaign.

Between June 2003 and June 2004, according to data provided by obituary clearinghouse Legacy.com, only five notices mentioned the presidential contest between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry. Over those same months leading up to the 2008 clash between Barack Obama and John McCain, there were 28. Mitt Romney and Obama elicited 22 mentions four years ago.

Jim and Mary Anne Noland posed for professional pictures during a family vacation to the beach. They were married for 45 years. (Family photo)

This cycle, however, there have been 119.

Is disdain for Trump and Clinton driving the surge? Or is some broader social change afoot? Although its difficult to determine the exact cause, obituary experts have their theories.

Its social media, they say. All the posting and tweeting has acculturated Americans to sharing intimate details  including political predilections  and has transformed the obituary.

Weve noticed in obits in recent years that theyre becoming more personal, said Katie Falzone, who analyzes Legacy.coms data. People are viewing their lives as less private than they would have two decades ago.

The political obituary, experts say, has become a metaphor. The time when it was considered impolite to openly discuss politics or religion is long gone.

Finding their cultural hero

Last spring was a bad few months for Deborah and Ernest Overbey Jr., a season of politics and pain.

They met online 15 years ago, when both were coming off divorces. They talked on the phone for a week, then decided to meet. It was a true love story, Deborah Overbey recalled. He walked up to my door with a dozen roses that day. Months later, they married in a small ceremony beside the York River near Richmond.

The Richmond times-Dispatch obituary for Ernest Maynard "Ernie" Overbey carried a political message on the 2016 presidential candidates. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

But then came April of last year, when doctors found a cancerous mass in Deborah Overbeys left lung.

The operation to remove it was successful, but as she was recovering at a Richmond hospital, her husband had a stroke. The ensuing tests revealed a tumor in his brain.

Tumor was removed but he has to undergo radiation and chemo but his cancer will return, Deborah wrote in a terse Facebook update at the time. Keep us in your prayers.

What buoyed the couple in those weeks was television news. Their relationship had always been rooted in shared conservative values, and now Overbey witnessed her husbands elation at seeing his cultural hero  Donald Trump  on television. In Trump, they both saw a champion. Donald Trump was his and my joy together, she said. We had so much drama in our lives, and he was kind of our shining star out there succeeding.

No matter how sick Ernest Overbey became over the next six months, he closely monitored every Trump tidbit. So when he died in early January, and Deborah Overbey was trying to figure out what to say in his obituary, she said she thought it was only fair to work in Trump. The obits final words: And please vote for Donald Trump.

Three days later, as the obituary started gaining attention, Trump tweeted it. Thank you so much. Earnest must have been a great person, Trump wrote, misspelling his name.

I felt like I had done right by Ernie, Overbey said, describing her emotions when she saw Trumps tweet. He suffered. This disease was insidious. My sister said hes doing backflips in heaven.

Jabs from beyond the grave

The obituary has rarely had it so good. Its history, according to Australian obit academic Nigel Starck, traces back to the 17th century, when they flourished in British newspapers that covered the deaths of prominent community members. American newspapers soon followed up, then expanded on the practice with printed death notices purchased by those in mourning. This has traditionally been a fairly routine piece, recounting names and dates and funeral details.

No longer.

The rise of the Internet freed obituaries long locked inside the column inches, providing an avenue for wider consumption. Social media, experts said, then created a multiplying effect: Obituaries flouting convention caught fire online, encouraging more to do the same.

Ten years ago, the obit was a notification that the person died, said Steve Parrott, president of Legacy.com. There wasnt a concept of, Let me express my feelings and make a statement on the world. But now that obits do get shared on Twitter and Facebook, why not use it to get out your voice?

It was only a matter of time, then, before that included politics, too.

Last year, Jason Brown took an interest in an obituary that encouraged people to vote against Clinton. Then, his dad, living in Pittsburgh, died unexpectedly in January of a heart attack. The absurdity of politics had always tickled Browns 70-year-old father.

He found the light in anything that skewered politics, Brown said of his father, Jeffrey Cohen. So when Brown composed the death notice, he festooned it with jokes and wrote this kicker: Jeffrey would ask that in lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Donald Trump.

He asked his mother, Carol Cohen, what she thought. She said, You know what? Screw it. It would be funny. 

Nine days later, after that obituary had already netted national attention, Carol Cohen died, too. Officially, it was complications from pneumonia. But really, the obituary said, the 69-year-old died of a broken heart after her husbands passing.

Then this happened: She would like to thank everyone who pledged to honor Jeffreys request not to vote for Donald Trump, her obituary said. And to Jeffreys detractors/Trump supporters  beware, she will likely haunt you until the election.

Brown never expected that his parents obituaries would receive such an intense reaction. Neither did Jim Noland. His wife, Mary Anne, a nonsmoker, died of lung cancer last month.

When things got really bad, Noland said, and they had moved her to hospice care, his wife said the only bright spot she had was that she wouldnt have to vote for anyone in this crummy election.

It was classic Mary Anne, Noland said  wit even in a dark moment. There would be a conversation, and she would come out with a witty comment, he said of his wife. And people would smile, and thats the kind of person she was.

So when she died, he wanted to memorialize that part of her, allowing that comment into the obituary, which took off on social media.

He soon realized that in this age of politics and rapid information, his wifes death had somehow given life to her memory.

I wasnt trying to gain publicity, Noland said. I just wanted to express my wifes wit and personality and faith. Then it took on a life of its own.
As Metros SafeTrack maintenance blitz enters its second phase, the transit agency is gearing up to launch a new social-media strategy resembling that of airlines  with two-way dialogue and staff dedicated to fielding customer complaints.

The transit agency has hired four staffers with experience in social-media-oriented customer service, an undertaking the agency hopes to launch by Labor Day. The employees, who began last week, come from a regional utility company, a national retail chain, a local health-care provider and a contact center for businesses.

[SafeTrack closures: These D.C. Metro lines and stations will be disrupted in the next year]

This is coming online at a good time, as customers are seeking more information about SafeTrack and how surges will impact their commutes, Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said. Social customer care gives us another way to reach riders with information in real time.

Metro customers have been vocal in their complaints about the agencys interaction with riders and what many describe as its failure to communicate with the public and provide them with real-time information via social media.

Riders are planning on adding time to their morning commutes to plan for the Metro's SafeTrack initiative. (WUSA9)

[Heres what to expect with Surge No. 2]

And this isnt the first social media revamp Metro has attempted to coincide with a major rebuilding program. When the agency launched Metro Forward in 2011, a public-relations campaign to promote a $5 billion, six-year program to rehabilitate the aging system, it embarked on an aggressive effort to spread the word via social media. It launched a Twitter account, @MetroForward, aimed at sharing progress reports on the repairs.

Lynn Bowersox, then-managing director of public relations, said at the time the agency was building a communications infrastructure that will enable it to be more active on social-media outlets and have a two-way dialogue with customers.

Many riders have characterized the effort as a failure.

[Metro launches aggressive social media effort]

The second SafeTrack surge, a shutdown of the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines from the Eastern Market to Benning Road and Minnesota Avenue stations, began Saturday, cutting off service to the District for tens of thousands in Maryland and Virginia. SafeTrack has 15 projects and is slated to end in mid-March.

The track work is sure to result in commuter headaches and occasional outrage for a ridership that isnt shy about venting  about long waits, busted escalators and sauna-like railcars  to longtime Web observers such as @unsuckdcmetro and @FixWMATA, and using the popular Twitter hashtag #wmata.

Metro has been criticized in the past for its opaqueness over social media, particularly when communicating the nature of emergencies. When a Red Line train stalled in a smoky tunnel near Friendship Heights in April, some riders received their first concrete details about the incident from an amateur account, @RailTransitOPS, rather than Metro employees or official channels.

[On Metro, rail enthusiasts fill communications void for riders]

Under the new initiative, Metro says, riders will be able to connect with the agencys customer service representatives more easily through text messages, social media and online chat  and also have the ability to quickly send pictures and videos of problems to staff. After a short testing period, the agency aims to begin offering social customer service later this summer.

Other transit agencies have tried their hand at social customer care. The Philadelphia subways @SEPTA_SOCIAL Twitter account, dedicated solely to customer service, is popular with riders, with a following of more than 16,000; staffers engage in a dialogue with riders throughout the day, with signed replies indicating which staffer saw the comment or complaint, a measure of accountability.

Metros current setup is optimized for information sharing, according to officials, not customer service. Among its @wmata, @metrorailinfo and @metrobusinfo Twitter accounts  which push out service alerts, news releases and other information  the agency has amassed more than 200,000 Twitter followers. It engages with customers, but replies are sporadic and unsigned.

As they see customers on social media who have questions about the service  I have to navigate around this detour, this route, or I just got to this station and found this disruption; what do I do?  those folks will be . . . monitoring social media and able to intercept riders questions and assist them, said Bowersox, Metros assistant general manager for customer service. This is a new job description at WMATA.

One limitation of the new program: The employees staffing the program will work out of a call center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., not all of the hours when the system is open. And Twitter, the platform so many use to gripe and call attention to problems on the system, figures only partly into the new strategy; a recent customer service survey showed only 16 percent of participating riders would use Metros Twitter accounts to keep abreast of SafeTrack service changes.

But this is a Twitter town, to be sure, Bowersox said.

Ly said Metro has been working for 18 months to introduce social customer care to its Hyattsville, Md., customer-care facility, where more than 50 employees give real-time information to about 3,500 customers by phone and email on a typical weekday.

Exactly how many of the staffers are dedicated to social media is less clear. Pressed about the number at a recent meeting of the agencys Riders Advisory Council, Bowersox said one at a time  meaning one call center staffer was watching all of the agencys social activity at a given time, something she pledged would change with the call center revamp.

Metro did not immediately respond to a request for more details about the past work experience of the new social-media employees or how the new initiative would differ from its current social-media practices.

We will be in a position to answer your questions in greater detail at a later date, Ly said in an email.
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, shown here on Capitol Hill, spoke Saturday night to Virginia Democrats in Richmond. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

RICHMOND  Trust me.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said thats what he tells heads of state around the world when they ask him: What the hell is going on in America with Donald Trump?

The Hillary Clinton surrogate on Saturday night gave a rousing call for optimism in the midst of a hostile election season as the featured speaker at Virginia Democrats annual Jefferson Jackson fundraiser.

Perez has generated buzz recently as a potential running mate for Clinton, but demurred when asked if he thinks hes being vetted by the presidential campaign.

I honestly dont give a thought for the following reason, Perez said in an interview with The Washington Post. Ive got so much going on in my day job. And Ive been around politics enough to know all the swirl thats fit to print, and so I focus on the reality of the here and now.

Leaning forward with clasped hands, he added, Its all about her, its not about me.

[5 people Hillary Clinton might pick as her vice president]

His trip to Virginia followed stints in Washington state and Wisconsin for Clinton; he traveled to Arizona, Iowa and his native New York for her during the primary.

The son of first-generation immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Perez has become a progressive favorite, labor hero and one of President Obamas top emissaries to Latino constituencies.

[Veep staging ground? Policy moves put possible Latino picks in spotlight.]

Its plain to see why hes in demand on the speaking circuit.

His thoughtful tone in the interview morphed in a fiery tirade against Trump that left his voice hoarse at the dinner. Discrimination is not a national defense strategy! he said.

His rallying cry for collective bargaining brought 700 Democrats to their feet.

The right to work for less is what its all about, he said, referring to Virginias anti-union right-to-work laws. If you dont have a seat at the table, youre on the menu!

An advocate for raising the federal minimum wage, Perez said 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in places that have passed or are about to pass a $15 minimum wage.

That includes New York, California and the District, where city council last week unanimously passed the measure.

In the interview, he called the policy another bellwether of the tone deafness of the Republican Party, noting four red states passed minimum wage ballot initiatives in 2014 despite GOP opposition to higher wages.

Theres been a hostage taking, he said. The tea party is holding the Republican Party hostage, and Im hopeful that the dam is going to break after this election.

[Five things you should know about Tom Perez, Obamas pick for Labor Secretary]

Perez, who likes to say hes traveling the country for Clinton in my personal capacity, was elected to Montgomery County Council and worked in former Maryland governor Martin OMalleys cabinet as the states secretary of labor, licensing and regulation.

He went on to serve in the Justice Department as assistant attorney general for the civil-rights division with a focus on police discrimination and voting rights issues before Obama promoted him three years ago to secretary of labor.
SYRIA

Regime forces advance on militant-held base

Government forces advanced to within six miles of the Islamic State-occupied Tabqa air base in northern Syria on Sunday, part of a push to try to unseat the extremist group from its de facto capital, Raqqa.

Activists said the government assault was accompanied by an aerial campaign on the town of Tabqa, five miles north of the base. The activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that fighter jets struck the town with cluster munitions, killing at least 10 civilians.

The Tabqa base holds strategic and symbolic value for the government campaign on Raqqa. It was the last position held by regime forces in Raqqa province before Islamic State militants overran it in August 2014. Raqqa became the militants first captive city.

An opposition group called the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces called on Turkey to investigate the deaths of at least eight Syrian refugees, including four children, who were allegedly shot by guards Saturday night while trying to cross the border.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also put the death toll at eight.

Late Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement denying that border guards had fatally shot Syrians trying to cross illegally into Turkey.

The Syrian war has pushed about 2.5 million refugees into Turkey, according to the United Nations. Turkey has tightened security along its border in recent months to prevent further inflows. The Observatory says that border guards have fatally shot 60 refugees trying to cross since the start of the year.

 Associated Press

INDONESIA

Landslides, floods kill at least 35 on Java

At least 35 people have been killed by landslides and floods on Indonesias Java island, and many others are missing, an official said Sunday.

Dozens of houses were buried in the landslides and thousands of homes were inundated by floods in 16 districts and towns in Central Java province over the weekend.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, said 25 villagers were missing in the worst-hit district of Purworejo, where 19 people died.

The dead included two 10-year-olds and a pregnant woman.

A total of 31 people were killed under landslides, while four were swept away and killed by flooding, Nugroho said in a statement.

Most of the water has receded, but residents in affected areas were encouraged to remain vigilant because heavy rains were predicted to continue until Monday.

Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.

 Associated Press

WEST BANK

$18 million approved for settlement funding

The Israeli government approved $18 million in extra funding for Jewish West Bank settlements on Sunday, in a move that angered opposition lawmakers and Palestinians.

A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said the funding aims to assist small businesses, encourage tourism and strengthen security. It follows months of Palestinian attacks on civilians and soldiers.

About 600,000 Jews live in settlements built on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem on lands that Israel captured in the 1967 war. Most of the world considers them illegal. Israel has faced strong criticism of their continued expansion. The Palestinians demand the territory as part of their future state.

Opposition lawmakers attacked the funding decision, saying that the government was pouring money into an enterprise that undermines Israels security and international standing.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby reaffirmed Washingtons opposition to settlement building. Our position on settlement activity remains clear and consistent. We strongly oppose all settlement activity, which is corrosive to the cause of peace, Kirby said.

Later Sunday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 22-year-old man died of wounds suffered in clashes with the Israeli military in the West Bank in May.

In the past nine months, Palestinians have carried out several attacks, which have killed 32 Israelis and two Americans. About 200 Palestinians have been killed in that time, most identified by Israel as attackers.

 Associated Press

Qatar condemns Egypt over Al Jazeera verdict: Qatar and Egypt traded harsh words over the death sentences handed down by a Cairo court to six people, including two Al Jazeera employees, for allegedly passing Egyptian national security documents to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. Egypt says that Qatar endangers its national security by supporting Islamist groups, including Morsis banned Muslim Brotherhood. Cairo also accuses Al Jazeera of bias in favor of the Brotherhood. The verdict is unfounded, said a spokesman for Qatars Foreign Ministry.

Zimbabwe delays military salaries: Zimbabwes cash-strapped government has announced that it will delay paying June salaries for the military and police by up to two weeks. It said other workers on the state payroll will receive their salaries next month. The military, a key pillar of President Robert Mugabes rule, is usually the first to get paid. Zimbabwe has been delaying pay dates for its employees for nearly a year because of revenue problems, but this is the first time that the salaries have been delayed so long.

 From news services
The June 12 Local Opinions essay McAuliffes abysmal climate record missed the mark on where the administration of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) stands on clean energy and climate change.

Mr. McAuliffe has done more to move us in the right direction in the climate fight than any other Virginia governor, despite facing a hostile General Assembly. This year, he introduced measures to promote clean energy in Virginia and rejected bad energy policy from the legislature. Mr. McAuliffe vetoed ineffective and costly subsidies to coal companies, a huge win for environmentalists and a good first step in leveling the energy playing field, especially if it had been coupled with funding for solar development included in his introduced budget. The governor also rejected legislation attacking his ability to draft and submit a state strategy to implement the Clean Power Plan, a federal initiative to cut carbon emissions from the power sector.

In fact, Mr. McAuliffe was the only Southern governor who pledged to keep working on a state plan to implement the CPP during the Supreme Courts stay. The governor has shown ongoing leadership in building a clean-energy economy for Virginia.

Mr. McAuliffe isnt always with us  natural gas pipelines and offshore drilling are good examples  but he at least deserves credit for the many times on which he is.

Michael Town, Richmond

The writer is executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
THE NAME Sergei Magnitsky has become synonymous with a United States law that imposes sanctions on Russian individuals who commit serious human rights violations. The actual Magnitsky was a 37-year-old tax law expert who died in a Moscow prison on Nov. 16, 2009, after he exposed Russian officials who fraudulently obtained a $230 million tax refund using corporate shell companies. The companies were seized from a prominent Western investor, William Browder, who employed Magnitsky and is seeking justice for his death. The story of Magnitskys defiance and prison ordeal were at the heart of Mr. Browders recent bestseller, Red Notice.

Although the Obama administration was at first reluctant to implement the Magnitsky Sanctions, there are now 39 Russians on the list, including those directly linked to the fraud and its coverup. The Senates recently-voted-on annual defense bill would authorize an expansion of the sanctions program globally; similar legislation cleared the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May.

Not surprisingly, the Magnitsky Act has rankled Russias ruling clans. They are furious at not only the individual sanctions but also the way Magnitskys name has become a rallying cry for those fighting corruption and human rights abuses. In Russia, Mr. Browder is frequently portrayed on state television as serving the CIA and British intelligence or as puppetmaster of the Russian opposition figure and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny.

A campaign to discredit Mr. Browder and the Magnitsky Act reached Washington on June 13 with a screening at the Newseum of The Magnitsky Act  Behind the Scenes, a lengthy film by Andrei Nekrasov. The film is a piece of agitprop that mixes fact and fiction to blame Magnitsky for the fraud and absolve Russians of blame for his death. The filmmaker uses facts highly selectively. He repeatedly holds up one document as evidence Magnitsky did not identify the fraudsters by name. In fact, in another document, just months before, Magnitsky had identified them repeatedly.

Mr. Nekrasov declares, Magnitsky wasnt a whistleblower. Magnitsky did not accuse any police officers. Magnitsky did not even investigate anything. He adds, The young man died in a Russian prison. I do not believe it was murder. It was a case of negligence and the Russian system is to blame in many ways, but it wasnt murder; he wasnt murdered by the Russian state as Mr. Browder claims. This is just what President Vladimir Putin and his honchos want the West to hear.

In fact, the presidential human rights council stated in 2011 that Magnitsky was completely deprived of medical care before his death in prison and there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the death was triggered by beating. Relatives later found his knuckles smashed and bruises on his body, according to Mr. Browder. A document signed by prison authorities on the day he died reports that rubber batons were used against him. Rubber batons dont hit someone on their own.

The film wont grab a wide audience, but it offers yet another example of the Kremlins increasingly sophisticated efforts to spread its illiberal values and mind-set abroad. In the European Parliament and on French and German television networks, showings were put off recently after questions were raised about the accuracy of the film, including by Magnitskys family. We dont worry that Mr. Nekrasovs film was screened here, in an open society. But it is important that such slick spin be fully exposed for its twisted story and sly deceptions.
The lawsuit brought by Chevy Chase residents against the Purple Line has nothing to do with the ongoing maintenance issues now being addressed by Metro, which wont even operate Marylands light-rail project. Nor is the lawsuit really about protecting amphipods, tiny shrimplike creatures that may or may not be in nearby waterways, or saving the Capital Crescent Trail [Judge: It makes sense to study effect of Metros problems on Purple Line, Metro, June 16; Its common knowledge that the Purple Line defies common sense, letters, June 19].

Rather, the lawsuit is brought by a handful of homeowners who dont want the project in their back yards. If we accommodated such attitudes in the past, we never would have built the Metro system, the Capital Crescent Trail (a former railroad, after all), or much of anything else.

Jeff Cronin, Takoma Park
The senator from Vermont is Hillary Clintons rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The senator from Vermont is Hillary Clintons rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The senator from Vermont is Hillary Clintons rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

When Sen. Bernie Sanders, the now-vanquished Democratic presidential candidate, returns Monday to Capitol Hill, he is expected to be accompanied by his constant traveling companions from the campaign trail: the Secret Service.

Although Hillary Clinton has clinched the partys nomination, Sanders retains one of the trappings of a top-notch candidate: A team of agents still guards him at his home, where theyve constructed a small watch station on the property. They travel with him on commercial and charter flights and use a motorcade to whisk him through cities he visits. And they marched alongside him during a gay-pride event here in his home town after the Orlando shootings.

Such round-the-clock protection can cost taxpayers more than $38,000 a day. And with the potential for the Secret Service to be watching over Sanders through the Democratic convention in Philadelphia in five weeks, taxpayers may get stuck with a big security bill long after his campaign receded from the daily cable-news cycle.

The continued security presence also reflects a larger reality of Sanderss muddled standing in the race. He has virtually no chance of becoming the nominee, and he is no longer pressing his case to party leaders that he should. Yet Sanders  who has championed the interests of struggling Americans against the billionaire class  remains an active candidate because he has not suspended his campaign or taken any other steps that would alter his official status.

Hes in a kind of political purgatory right now, said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic strategist who has worked for neither Clintons nor Sanderss campaign. He has the perception of still running for president, but hes not doing that in reality.

[The Trump effect: Could Arizona go blue for the first time in 20 years?]

Aides to Sanders say he is most focused now on trying to parlay his unexpectedly strong performance in the Democratic primaries into concrete changes to the partys platform and upcoming legislative agenda. To advance those goals, Sanders met last week in Washington with Clinton. Staffers are continuing to talk about how she might adopt some of the ideas, such as tuition-free public universities, that he pressed during his campaign.

Depending on how that effort goes, its possible that Sanders could endorse Clinton before the July 25 start of the convention in Philadelphia, said Jeff Weaver, Sanderss campaign manager.

Even if that happens, Sanders has no plans to suspend his campaign before the convention, when the partys platform is finalized, Weaver said.

Asked to explain the distinction between endorsing another candidate and dropping out, Weaver shrugged and demurred.

The senator from Vermont declined repeated requests over the past week for an interview about the status of his campaign.

Citing a policy of not talking about issues affecting his security, Sanderss aides declined to publicly discuss the most visible sign of his ongoing candidacy: his Secret Service protection.

Sen. Bernie Sanders with staff, Secret Service agents and others in Spreckels, Calif. earlier this month. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Sanderss protective detail was on full display Tuesday in Washington  the day of the final Democratic primary, in the District  as his motorcade sped from Capitol Hill to the Capital Hilton, near the White House, for the much-anticipated meeting with Clinton, which started shortly after the polls closed.

Sirens from a D.C. police SUV blared as the cars sped to a stop in the driveway, and a half-dozen Secret Service agents in dark suits got out of the vehicles. A handful of them glanced around, keeping a protective circle around the gold-colored SUV in which Sanders sat. Another whispered into a microphone on his sleeve. A moment later, the agent guardedly opened the door, and Sanders and his wife, Jane, emerged.

As Sanders and his entourage breezed through the lobby, they were greeted by a large crowd of onlookers, who clapped and yelled Bernie!

Theres no denying that some of the accoutrements that come with campaigns can be intoxicating, said Jim Manley, a longtime Democratic operative who is supporting Clinton.

But he said he thinks theres a broader explanation for why Sanders remains a candidate at a time when, in Manleys view, the party would be better served by Sanders rallying his supporters around Clinton.

He is just so convinced of the righteousness of his cause that I think he is having trouble giving it all up, Manley said.

[Elizabeth Warren visits Clintons Brooklyn headquarters]

The Secret Service declined to discuss Sanderss protection on the record, instead pointing to general policies and other documents in the public realm.

Hes still a candidate for president, so we continue to protect him, said one agent who is not authorized to speak for the agency.

Even with an expansive 2016 presidential field  mostly on the Republican side  Sanders was one of only four candidates to receive protection from the Secret Service during the primaries this year.

As the spouse of a former president, Clinton was already covered for life. And at various points, the service started providing coverage for Sanders and two Republicans: Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and now the GOPs presumptive nominee, and Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon, who requested it.

By law, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security has the authority to grant protection to major presidential candidates who ask for it, after consultation with an advisory committee of congressional leaders. Often, the candidate will have received threats or has reason to believe that an additional risk exists.

There is no formal trigger for ending a candidates protection, but that typically happens once a candidate suspends his campaign or otherwise makes it clear he is dropping out. A candidate is also free to relieve the agents of their services at any time.

After Carson announced he was suspending his campaign in March, he parted ways with his Secret Service detail within two days, according to Armstrong Williams, one of his closest friends and an informal adviser. The agents dropped off after traveling with Carson to his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., said Williams, a conservative political commentator.

He wasted no time, Williams said of Carson. His attitude was, Theres no path forward, and I dont want to spend the taxpayers money. 

Although Carson has deep respect for the work of the Secret Service, Williams said, the candidate also experienced a sense of liberation once the agents were gone. He was particularly eager to drive his own car again.

You dont really have a life, Williams said. Theyre with you everywhere.

There have been previous controversies over whether presidential candidates were hanging on to their Secret Service protection for too long.

During the 2012 race, a conservative taxpayers group called on Republican Newt Gingrich to give up his protection once it appeared that he no longer had a path to the nomination. The push coincided with Gingrich campaign stops in North Carolina at a NASCAR training facility, a racing museum and a zoo.

In a brief email exchange over the weekend, Gingrich said he thinks it is appropriate for Sanders to keep his protection through the Democratic convention, if he is still an official candidate for the nomination.

In its fiscal 2016 budget request, the Secret Service estimated it would need $123.5 million for protection of presidential candidates. That included party conventions and debates.

The service would not discuss costs associated with individual candidates. But in 2008, the agencys director testified to Congress that the cost averages about $38,000 a day  a figure likely to have increased in the intervening years.

Aides to Sanders did not dispute the figure but argued that the costs associated with his protection now are dramatically lower than they were at the height of the campaign, when Sanders was holding several rallies a day in different cities  all of which were staffed by teams of Secret Service agents.

The aides also noted that politicians face real risks, citing the death last week of Jo Cox, a British member of Parliament who was stabbed and shot.

[Clintons first general-election ad buy targets swing states]

Sanders has been keeping a relatively low profile and spending most nights at his home in Vermont. Over the weekend, a pair of agents were stationed outside his home in a quiet Burlington neighborhood where many residents still displayed Bernie 2016 yard signs. The siding on the small Secret Service watch station there matches that of Sanderss home.

Sanders plans to travel to Washington on Monday to cast his first Senate votes since January, on gun legislation, in the wake of the Orlando massacre.

As of Sunday, Sanders trailed Clinton by 926 delegates, according to the latest Associated Press tally. The only way for him to wrest the nomination from Clinton at the convention would be to flip the allegiances of hundreds of superdelegates  Democratic elected officials and other party elites  who have announced their support for Clinton.

Sanders had vowed to undertake that task, but aides said he now has no plans to do so.

Joe Trippi, a longtime Democratic operative, said it can be a really tough thing for any political candidate who has run a long race to walk away from his candidacy.

But Trippi also argued that Sanders may be doing Clinton a favor by holding off on his exit from the race, particularly given how reluctant some of Sanderss supporters are to back Clinton.

Its going to be a lot easier not to turn on a dime, Trippi said. That might be less jarring to his supporters. You slow the train down before you stop it.

Other Democrats are less charitable.

Marsh said the delay in Sanderss concession to Clinton is puzzling to many in the party.

There are only two options, she said. He doesnt want to land the plane, or he doesnt know how to land the plane.

Abby Phillip and Karen Tumulty in Washington contributed to this report.
Donald Trump effectively secured the Republican presidential nomination on May 3. That was 47 days ago.

Today, Trump is no closer to uniting the Republican Party or pivoting to the general election than he was seven weeks ago. And that is, at a minimum, a massive waste of a critical period in the campaign and, at worst, a mistake that could severely jeopardize his chances of winning the White House in November.

Trumps time as the near-certain Republican nominee has been dominated by self-inflicted wounds  the most gaping of which was his suggestion that a federal judge overseeing a case involving Trump University was biased and should recuse himself because of his Mexican heritage. Trump doubled down on that comment, then tripled down on it  even amid widespread outrage among Republicans already concerned that their nominee was dabbling (at least) in race-baiting. Eventually, Trump released a statement insisting that his comments about the judge, Gonzalo Curiel, had been misconstrued. He did not apologize for making the comment.

Although the fight over Curiel has drawn the most attention, it is far from an isolated incident in the story of Donald Trump, Republican nominee. A partial list:

 Trumps attack on New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) during a trip to the state.

 His repeated use of the term Pocahontas to describe Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

 Revoking the media credentials of The Washington Post  as well as at least seven other outlets.

The reiteration of support  in the wake of the Orlando nightclub massacre  for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, a policy that has been decried by almost every wing of the Republican Party.

 Telling Republicans that they need to get tougher and pledging that if they wont support him, he will win by himself.

As I said, thats a partial list. But even in its incompleteness, the impression the list leaves is of a totally undisciplined candidate oblivious to the notion that leading the headlines is not always a good thing.

Know what else happened in the past seven weeks? The State Departments inspector general released a report sharply critical of Hillary Clintons decision to exclusively rely on a private email server for her electronic communication while serving as secretary of state. That is a terrible finding for Clinton  and one that is a gift to Republicans working to portray her as an untrustworthy and unreliable person to lead the country.

The watchdogs report came out May 25. Two days later, Trump went on an 11-minute rant about Curiel to a crowd in San Diego. Suddenly, the IG report was out of the news, replaced by questions about whether Trump was a racist. That is, by definition, campaign malpractice.

Thats the most egregious example of Trumps mistakes. But, time and again, he has stolen the spotlight  and not in a good way  rather than turning it on Clinton. Instead of talking about her email problems, her inability to close out the challenge from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the misgivings that some within her party have about nominating her or almost any other Clinton-focused headline, Trump has instead talked incessantly about himself.

He is also being lapped in virtually every quantifiable measure of successful campaigns. Clinton and her allied super PAC have spent $23 million on ads in battleground states this month. Trump? $0. Clinton has approximately 10 times the number of staffers that the Trump campaign does.

And then there is the polling, long Trumps crutch and favored talking point.

His negatives, as judged by new Washington Post-ABC News polling, are higher than they have ever been, with 7 in 10 Americans saying they view him unfavorably.

Polling nationally and in critical swing states also suggests that Trump trails Clinton.

The election is in five months, you say? Plenty of time for Trump to make up ground and fix what ails his campaign! To that, I say two things: Trump has given no indication that there is a 2.0 version of himself ready to be unveiled, and it might already be too late.

On the second point, Trump was handed a unique opportunity over these past seven weeks. Clinton was still mired in a primary fight with Sanders. Trump was totally free of any intraparty challengers. He had almost 50 days in which his opponent was decidedly distracted. He will not get that chance again. The Democratic primary season ended last Tuesday. President Obama and Vice President Biden have endorsed Clinton. Sanders seems to be moving to do the same.

Yes, modern campaigns last forever. But they are almost always defined by a small group of critical moments that change the trajectory of races. The past seven weeks was one of those major moments. Trump totally wasted it.
Workers from Russias Emergency Ministry stand along a lake in the northwestern region of Karelia where at least 14 children died in a storm while boating. (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations via AP)

At least 14 children at a Russian summer camp died Sunday in a boating accident that has devastated parents and that investigators have suggested is the result of criminal negligence by the camps staff.

Police said three boats from the summer camp in Russias northwestern Karelia region capsized during a storm on Lake Syamozero, plunging 47 children and four adults into the subarctic waters. Rescuers were still recovering bodies from the lake Sunday evening. Five children were hospitalized with hypothermia and trauma wounds.

Negligence and poor regulatory oversight have been the usual suspects for Russian investigators after similar tourism accidents in the past. Russias worst boating accident in recent memory occurred in 2011, when the cruise ship Bulgaria sank in the Volga River in Russias Tatarstan region, leaving 122 people dead. The accident prompted a full review of Russias nautical-safety regulations, as now-President Vladimir Putin, who was then the prime minister, chastised the vessels owners for their negligence and greed.

[After Russian cruise ships sinking, Medvedev orders wide transit safety checks]

On Sunday, a vast spectrum of Russian officials publicly demanded justice, accusing the summer camps operators of lax attention to safety and suggesting that the children were not wearing safety vests.

Emergency workers at the site of Sundays deadly boating accident at a lake in Karelia, Russia. (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations via AP)

Unfortunately, it wont be possible to bring back the children, Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russias Investigative Committee, said in a frank statement. I sympathize with all the parents and those close to the children, who died because of the negligence and stupidity of the adults, with whom they had entrusted what was dearest to them: the lives and health of their children.

The Investigative Committee, which specializes in probing high-profile crimes, has opened a criminal case over suspected safety violations, arresting one camp official and seeking two others who had hidden from investigators.

Russian officials promised a flurry of safety checks and reviews.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations criticized the camp counselors for boating on the lake in bad weather without informing rescuers ahead of time. The Russian deputy prime minister for social affairs said she would hold a public review of safety at summer camps for children, as did the Russian prosecutor general. The head of the Karelia region declared that all companies providing boat trips in the area would be reviewed.

Read more

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Activists protest in front of the Chinese Consular Office in Manila on June 10. They shouted slogans against Chinas reclamation and construction activities in the South China Sea. (Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images)

 The latest was Kenya. Before that: Lesotho, Vanuatu and Afghanistan.

The list of countries backing Beijings stance in the South China Sea just keeps growing  Chinas Foreign Ministry boasted last week that nearly 60 had swung behind the countrys rejection of international arbitration in a case brought by the Philippines.

The numbers are questionable, and the idea of gaining the support of distant, landlocked Niger in a dispute about the South China Sea could seem faintly ludicrous.

Yet Chinas frantic efforts to rally support ahead of a ruling from an international tribunal in The Hague may not be as meaningless as they might seem. Cold, hard Chinese cash and what many see as American double standards are undermining efforts to build a unified global response to Beijings land reclamation activities in the disputed waters and employ international law to help resolve the issue.

The lure of Chinese money is having an impact in the Philippines, where President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has made wildly contradictory comments on the issue but has suggested some openness to bilateral negotiations  if China builds railways there.

A farcical display of disunity from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was another case in point. On Tuesday, China sensed a mild rebuke when ASEAN appeared to issue a statement expressing serious concerns over rising tensions in the South China Sea, urging restraint in land reclamation and full respect for international law.

Within hours, the statement had been retracted for urgent amendments. No revised statement ever emerged.

Beijing, experts said, was riled because the statement was issued at a meeting held in China and at a sensitive time in the run-up to the arbitration ruling, expected anytime in the next three months. It was withdrawn after China lobbied close ally Laos, an official at the talks told Bloomberg News.

Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, called it another embarrassing episode of ASEAN disunity.

China didnt create the disunity in ASEAN, but it does exploit the divisions and uses its economic clout to try to get its way, Storey said. China didnt want ASEAN to in any way support the arbitration process.

The Philippines took China to court in 2013 after the Chinese navy seized control of Scarborough Shoal, set amid rich fishing grounds off the main Philippine island of Luzon. Among other things, it wants the court to rule on whether Chinas nine-dash line  under which it claims most of the South China Sea  is consistent with international law.

China vehemently rejects arbitration and says it will ignore the courts rulings. It argues that the Philippines had previously agreed to settle the dispute bilaterally and that the court has no jurisdiction over issues of territorial sovereignty.

Julian Ku, a professor of constitutional law at Hofstra University, says Beijing has a very weak case. The court, he points out, has already spent a year considering the question of jurisdiction and ruled that it does have the authority to consider many of the issues raised by the Philippines.

While I have expressed strong criticism of the Philippines use of arbitration (and the U.S. role in supporting it) from a strategic perspective, I dont have any such criticism of their legal arguments, Ku wrote in a blog post. Chinas claim that it can legally ignore the pending arbitral award is not only wrong, it is legally insupportable.

The weakness of Chinas legal case may explain the vehemence of some of its propaganda. Officials portray China as the victim of a vicious and deceptive legal case. They accuse the United States of militarizing the region through President Obamas strategic rebalance to Asia and encouraging Asian nations to seek confrontation with China.

The U.S. cannot tolerate others challenging its global hegemony, Chinas ambassador to ASEAN, Xu Bu, wrote in the Straits Times, calling Washington dictatorial and overbearing.

But legality is only part of the argument, since the court is not in a position to enforce any rulings. In the end, the matter will be settled militarily, in the chess game of global power relations or in some notional court of global public opinion.

And this is where American double standards come in. Despite efforts by the Bush and Obama administrations, the Senate has never ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

So when the United States, the European Union and Japan urge China to respect a rules-based international system, the admonishments often come across here as insincere.

Japan, experts point out, has ignored a 2014 ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against its whaling operations, and the United States ignored a 1986 ICJ ruling against the Reagan administrations support for contra rebels in Nicaragua.

More importantly, because the United States has never ratified UNCLOS, countries that have maritime disputes with it are unable to take it to legal arbitration, said Storey, arguing that the issue has become even more glaringly apparent in the run-up to the ruling.

Although the U.S. government says it follows UNCLOS as customary international law, its failure to submit itself formally to its provisions rankles many nations  especially China.

China is trying to emulate components of American exceptionalism that place the U.S. above other nations and international law, said Yanmei Xie, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group. The U.S. not ratifying UNCLOS just proves Chinas point.

Wang Dong, an associate professor in the School of International Studies at Peking University, underlined Chinas frustration with American hypocrisy.

Big powers rarely subject themselves to international law, he said. Thats the reality we have to face.

Aside from Russia, experts note that none of Chinas supporters are major maritime powers, and some question Beijings tally. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says that only eight countries have explicitly supported Chinas position, while Cambodia, Slovenia and Fiji have disavowed Chinas description of their views.

The 60-country claim is complete nonsense, said Gregory Poling, head of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS. The vast majority have made very vague comments  in support of peaceful resolution or that negotiations are the best way to deal with conflict  and China takes that and says, See, they side with us in the arbitration. 

Nevertheless, Chinas ability to get poorer countries on its side could be important if the issue ever comes up at the United Nations.

China can also portray this as the West against the Third World, of the developed world bullying the developing world, Xie said. The narrative matters.

But however the arbitration panel rules  and however Manila reacts  China wont be giving an inch on its territorial claims in the South China Sea. A move to declare an Air Defense Identification Zone  under which foreign planes would be asked to inform Chinese authorities before entering airspace above the South China Sea  would be seen as provocative and seems unlikely for now, but Beijing wont be letting up in its drive to expand its military presence in the South China Sea, experts say. That spells more tension with the United States.

Emily Rauhala and Xu Jing contributed to this report.

Read more:

Storm clouds gather over South China Sea ahead of key U.N. ruling

U.S. ramps up military presence in Philippines, starts joint patrols in South China Sea

China scrambles fighter jets as U.S. destroyer steams past disputed island

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard campaigns in Manchester, England, on June10 for the Labour Partys In vote on Britains E.U. referendum. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Eddie Izzard, one of Britains most famous comedians, is on a manic, multi-city tour to save the United Kingdom from becoming an isolationist state. But he began a recent debate with charm and bonhomie, encouraging everyone to vote in the European Union referendum Thursday, regardless of their views.

Im trying to encourage people to vote remain on the 23rd, but if you vote leave, fine said Izzard, speaking this month to a packed lecture at the University of Portsmouth.

Wearing a pink, French-style beret decorated with Union Jack and E.U. badges, he added with a wry smile: But I would say to the leave voters that the voting is on the 24th.

The generational divide is a major fault line in the E.U. referendum, with the young more pro-E.U. than their elderly counterparts. Campaigning on all sides has been temporarily suspended in the wake of the shooting of British lawmaker Jo Cox on Thursday. But as it resumes, campaigners will seek to energize their bases, with opinion polls showing that the contest is neck and neck.

This is a particular challenge for those rallying young voters, , including Izzard. (When asked by The Washington Post why millennials should listen to a 54-year-old comedian, he laughed: I dont know. But I do rather act in a young way. Im 22 in my head.)

The generational divide is one of the major fault lines of the E.U. referendum (Karla Adam,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

A recent YouGov poll found that those between 18 and 24 were the least likely age group to vote, with only 51 percent saying they were absolutely certain they would cast a ballot.

Youth turnout has long been a problem in Britain, and there are fears that it could be exacerbated this year with the referendum date clashing with soccers European Championship in France, as well as Glastonbury, a five-day music festival that attracts more than 170,000 people.

EU ref vote being tactically dated around the same time as Glastonbury and the Euro Cup? This country is being run by snakes, a graphic design student tweeted.

Political apathy has the potential to hurt the remain side the most, with polls showing that younger voters are the most pro-E.U. of any age group.

Percy de Vries, a 20-year-old student campaigning with Students for Europe, said he was pro-E.U. because the bloc offers him the opportunity to work, travel and study in 28 countries. That resonates quite well with a lot of students, he said.

Older people are less enthused about the European project. People 65 and older are the most likely to vote to leave the E.U., a position also known as Brexit, which claims that leaving would allow Britain to dramatically curb immigration.

David Banks, organizer for Veterans for Britain, said that older people are more pro-Brexit partly because they want their independence back, and partly because they have a longer experience of reading negative headlines about the E.U. from the British press, which is largely Euroskeptic.

On June 23, Britain faces a fateful decision: whether or not to leave the European Union. And the world will be watching. (Daron Taylor,Jason Aldag,Danielle Kunitz/The Washington Post)

For instance, when the E.U. received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for ushering in an era of peace and democracy on a previously war-torn continent, there was bemusement across Europe  but the British press was particularly critical. EU have got to be joking! was a headline in the Sun, Britains best-selling newspaper.

Older people are also the most motivated to vote. In the YouGov poll, 81 percent of those 65 and older said they were certain to cast a ballot.

The Brexit supporters tend to hold stronger opinions, said Will Jennings, a politics professor at the University of Southampton. He added that unlike the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, where a turnout of 85 percent broke records, people were not as engaged with this referendum.

But there are several efforts underway to drive more people to the polls.

Bite the Ballot, a nonpartisan charity that encourages young people to vote, has joined Starbucks, Uber, Tinder and other businesses in an effort to boost turnout. In its partnership with Uber, a screen popped up urging users of the ride-hailing app to register while they waited for their car. Users of the dating app Tinder have been greeted with fact or fiction quizzes on Britains relationship with the E.U.

Michael Sani, the charitys founder, said it is more difficult to get young people to vote in Britain than in the United States because the U.S. fought for the freedom it has today, it almost wrestled for its flag and the Constitution, and you see kids in kindergartens reciting their forefathers. Here we dont have that, and I think because we never had to fight for it, its taken for granted. Its no ones fault, but we need a solution.

Tom Harwood, a 19-year-old who chairs a group called Students for Britain, agreed that it is an uphill battle to get young people interested. The overwhelming response from students is apathy. One, they dont feel they know enough, and two, they dont really care, he said.

To help strike up conversations on campuses, his supporters are handing out beer nuts and condoms with pro-Brexit slogans such as Vote Leave: the safer choice.

For his part, Izzard, a self-described British European, said he wanted to make the positive case for Europe.

During his speech at the university, he asked everyone to switch on their smartphones and search for photos of European cities.The students obliged, flicking through pictures of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Prague.

This seems to gets lost in the argument . . . all of these amazing places you can go to on low-cost flights, he said. We have a beautiful continent. Its our continent, it is all of ours.

Read more

Britains E.U. vote could bring Camerons government crashing down

New pro-Brexit ad gets linked to Nazi-era propaganda

What would Britain look like post-Brexit? Here are four possibilities.

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
To some Britons, Europe remains a place apart  a landmass off in the hazy distance where invasions are hatched, crises are brewing and bureaucracy is born. (Griff Witte,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

To some Britons, Europe remains a place apart  a landmass off in the hazy distance where invasions are hatched, crises are brewing and bureaucracy is born. (Griff Witte,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

To beat back the marauding hordes of continental Europe, the medieval English built an immense stone castle atop the sheer white cliffs of Dover, with 21-foot-thick walls and royal soldiers on constant watch for anyone who dared trespass upon their blessedly detached isle.

Eight centuries later, the modern English are still not quite sure whether the people across the water are friend or foe.

Our ancient enemies will never cease to be our enemies, as far as Im concerned, said Derek Beech, nodding toward the 20-mile-wide channel that separates this historic but faded British coastal town from the European mainland. Id like to think France is an ally, I suppose. But Germany still has ideas of expansion.

Just to be safe, the rheumy-eyed 83-year-old retiree would prefer to be free of the whole lot of them. On Thursday, hell vote to take Britain out of the European Union.

In the waning days of a bitterly fought referendum campaign, E.U. advocates are desperately trying to keep that from happening  perhaps with some success. After a surge for the leave side last week, polls released over the weekend show a rebound for remain. The contest is now considered a dead heat with just three days of campaigning to go before Britain votes.

A Vote Leave sign is pictured alongside a hand-written note that reads " Vote Leave - If You Do Not The Rest Of The EU Are Coming Here" outside a house in Redcar, north-east England on June 27, 2016. Top Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson sought Monday to build bridges with Europe and with defeated Britons who voted to remain in the EU in last week's historic referendum. Britons voted by 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of leaving the European Union in a June 23 vote that exposed deep divisions in the country and sent shockwaves through the world. / AFP PHOTO / SCOTT HEPPELLSCOTT HEPPELL/AFP/Getty Images (Scott Heppell/AFP/Getty Images)

But if the pro-E.U. forces are able to stop Brexit, as the U.K. departure is popularly known, it will not be for any love of Europe among the people of Britain.

To Britons, Europe remains a place apart  a landmass off in the hazy distance where invasions are hatched, crises are brewing and bureaucracy is born.

Even here in Dover, where France is visible on a clear day and the shops accept euros from the day-tripping tourists, theres no sense of shared identity with the continentals.

European? asked Beech, incredulous at the idea of counting himself as one. I dont even think there is such a thing.

That lack of emotional attachment to Europe  and indeed the hostility that some feel  helps explain why the countrys citizens might be eager to leave even amid the overwhelming consensus of experts that a departure could be economically, politically and strategically disastrous.

[Britains E.U. vote could bring Camerons government crashing down]

It also underscores why the campaign to keep Britain in the E.U. has been so relentlessly negative. Advocates from Prime Minister David Cameron on down dole out industrial doses of fear and loathing. (A TV interviewer cheekily asked Cameron whether a global recession or World War III would come first after the Brexit vote.) But they seldom speak out for the idea of Europe or appeal to Britons sense of shared identity with the continent.

I love Britain, not Brussels, Cameron reminds voters at every turn, lest he leave them with the impression that he is pro-European, rather than a Euro-skeptic who thinks Britain has no choice but to keep its ties with the continent, imperfect though it may be.

I dont think in the time available in this referendum that we were going to turn Britain into a nation of Europhiles, said James McGrory, spokesman for the in campaign. I dont think thats ever been in the cards.

Surveys show that only 1 in 7 Brits identify as European. Compare that with Germany, where just 25 percent of citizens say they consider themselves German only, without clarifying that they are also, and perhaps principally, Europeans.

The gap has deep roots, legacies of both geography and history. Here on this fortress built by Nature, as Shakespeare called it, nationalism is generally regarded as a force for good: The British built a global empire, beat back Napoleons army at Waterloo and twice stopped the Germans from taking over the world.

In Europe, by contrast, dozens of competing strains of nationalism crowded together on a tiny continent have been a constant source of trouble. Europe needed the transnational cooperation embodied by the E.U. to tame the passions after a calamitous war. Britain never felt it did.

The U.K. has an entirely different narrative from other E.U. countries, said Richard Whitman, an international relations professor at the University of Kent, which is just down the road from Dover, in Canterbury.

The U.K. only joined the precursors to the E.U., Whitman noted, because it felt it had run out of other options in shaping its postwar, post-empire identity. Its membership was ambivalent from the start.

Theres never really been a British conversation about Europe, and thats come through very clearly in this campaign, he said. Were incredibly transactional in our relationship. Theres been no positive, optimistic case made for Europe.

Simon Bannister is reminded of that every day as he trudges up and down the steep lanes of Dover, an ancient port town wedged dramatically between cliffs and sea, where the legacy of Britains historic connections to Europe can be seen in Roman architecture and French street names.

Bannister is on a lonely quest to save Britains E.U. membership, going door to door to make the argument for preserving links with the continent looming just over the horizon. Few are willing to listen.

The mood on the streets is quite aggressive, said Bannister, a 61-year-old retired teacher who serves on the local district council. If you say Do you want a leaflet? people will say Youre a joke. 

[Killing in Britain spawns a reckoning over rhetoric on eve of E.U. vote]

Following the killing on Thursday of Jo Cox, a pro-E.U. member of Parliament, the country has begun to reckon with why the rhetoric of the referendum campaign  particularly on the leave side  has turned so hostile and divisive.

But as Bannister can attest, the well of anger and xenophobia in Britain runs deep, fed by politicians who demonize Europe to suit their own ends and tabloid newspapers that whip up nativist sentiment with headlines warning of migrant and refugee invasions.

We dont have that single message that the Brexiteers have. They say, Take back control. Its that simple. Our arguments are much more subtle, said Bannister, who briefly lived in France as a young man and does volunteer work in Uganda. Its about cooperation and global problems being solved with global solutions. Its hard to get that over to people.

The people of Dover, like the town itself, have no shortage of ties to the continent. They ride the two-hour ferry across the channel for vacations in France, or even just to buy duty-free booze. They work on trucks and ships that are endlessly swapping cars, electronics and food. Some even owe their lives to the links between this island and the not-so-distant mainland.

Sam Winwright, 27, is the son of a British father and a French mother. But, proudly sporting a Seattle Seahawks cap, he said he feels more American than European. And he will vote Thursday to take Britain out of the E.U.

If it werent for immigration, my mum and dad wouldnt have met, he said as he strolled in a tank top along the towns pebbly beachfront, the castle looming high above. But Dover is getting full of people who arent from around here. Theyre living on benefits and making it harder for me and my girlfriend to find housing.

If Britain leaves, he said, those people will stop coming. And besides, he has never really trusted the Germans.

All of the E.U. is coming under German control, he said. Instead of bombs, now theyve got money.

.

Karla Adam in London contributed to this report.
Israel is reportedly constructing a deep underground wall around the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to counter the threat of assault tunnels built by Hamas militants who rule the coastal enclave.

The move, which comes almost two years after Israel fought a deadly 50-day war with Hamas in Gaza, was reported by the Israeli news outlet Ynet.

Israels Defense Ministry declined to comment on the initiative.

On Friday morning, two oversize excavators sat silhouetted on the horizon here. Their location marked the point where the fields of this agricultural cooperative touch the edge of the Gazan town of Khan Younis.

The presence of more than 30 Hamas-built attack tunnels around the Gaza periphery shocked Israeli citizens during the 2014 war. At least 14 of the tunnels went under the fence line and into residential communities in Israel. Residents still sometimes report that they hear scraping and digging sounds beneath their feet.

In 2014, Israeli leaders said their reasons for fighting Hamas were to wipe out the groups rocket arsenal and remove the threat of the tunnels. More than 2,100 Palestinians in Gaza and 72 Israelis were killed during that summers conflict. But a senior Israeli military officer told The Washington Post on Friday that the war had failed to eliminate the prospect of a future conflict.

Today, the area is quieter than it has been in a decade. But there is still tension. At least three new tunnels have been detected over the past year, and rockets are still fired periodically from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

Many military analysts here say it is only a matter of time before Israel and Hamas fight again.

Hamas is busy preparing its forces for any future attacks on Israel, said the officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity in accordance with military protocol. In the short term, they want quiet. But in the long term, they want war. It is unavoidable.

He said construction of a new wall around Gaza would help better protect Israeli citizens who live in the small, mostly agricultural communities in this area.

But nothing is 100 percent, he said.

According to the media report, the new wall will update the existing wire border fence, which was constructed in 2005 after Israel withdrew its Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip. It will extend the length of the Palestinian territorys roughly 40-mile border with Israel and cost an estimated $570 million. Exactly how high, or, more important, how deep the wall will reach was not revealed.

Most of it will be under the ground, where although it might still be possible for Hamas to build a tunnel, if its as deep as 30 meters, it will be much harder for them, said Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and a former deputy director general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs.

There is a problem with these attack tunnels, and we dont have a good solution. But this will definitely minimize the probability of another attack, he said.

Adele Raemer, a resident of nearby Kibbutz Nirim, said the construction of a wall was among the promises made to residents as part of efforts to boost their security after the 2014 war.

This should have been done awhile ago, Raemer said.

But, she said, building a wall, getting us a better Iron Dome that works at a closer range to protect us from the rockets, is all okay. But it is really just like putting a Band-Aid on a blood-gushing wound.

The only move that will make residents feel more secure, Raemer said, is to reach a point of interaction and normalization between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, the way it once was.

People here do not talk about if there will be another war, she said, but about when there will be another war.

Read more

Palestinians say man detained by Israel as a terrorist is actually a circus clown

Israeli archaeologists rush to dig at Cave of Skulls before looters take everything

A Palestinian teen killed an Israeli mom. Now their families struggle with why.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Asia

South Korean shipbuilding workers vote for strike

An overwhelming majority of union members at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) voted on Tuesday to strike in protest against a management restructure plan. The company wants to cut wages by 20 percent, sell two of five floating dry-docks and drastically reduce its workforce to 10,000 positions.

South Koreas top three shipbuildersDSME, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industriesintend to sell off various business divisions to reduce costs and cut their workforces. On Monday, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye called for "bone-crushing" overhauls of the three shipbuilding companies.

On Thursday, hundreds of HHI workers at the Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province shipyard demonstrated outside the company headquarters, denouncing the shipbuilder's latest self-rescue plan, which they say will result in massive layoffs. Union representatives affiliated with the Korean Metal Workers Union are meeting to decide on strike action to be announced next week.

Bangladeshi garment workers attacked by police

At least 50 protesting workers were hospitalised on June 10 when police using tear gas and batons attacked their demonstration in Gazipur division, Dhaka. The protest was provoked when Hasan Tanvir Fashion Wear was six days late paying May monthly salaries and only paid half the outstanding amounts.

Pakistan: Doctors and paramedics in Balochistan end strike

Government hospital doctors and paramedics from Balochistan province, who had been on strike for one-and-a-half months and protesting outside the Quetta Press Club, ended all industrial action on June 11. They were assured by the provincial government that their demands were accepted.

Members of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and the Balochistan chapter of the All-Pakistan Paramedics Federation (APPF) began a boycott of outpatients departments on May 3 in a province-wide dispute. The unions were calling for increased wages, job permanency, positions for unemployed doctors, health risk allowance, and for the provision of basic facilities in the hospitals.

Their action followed a two-day strike on April 10, which ended after the government falsely said it would immediately address their demands. The government has reneged on strike-settling commitments numerous times.

According to health officials, the government needs to allocate an additional 2 billion rupees in the forthcoming budget to fulfil doctors and paramedics demands.

Sindh government clerks walk out

Members of the All Pakistan Clerks Association of Larkana district, Sindh province walked off the job on Monday and demonstrated at the Jinnah Bagh Roundabout to demand pay upgrades and time-scale promotions. The workers accused the government of ignoring the promised measures for two years. Similar demands have already been granted to government workers in the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir provinces.

The clerks union threatened to call a provincial strike on June 16 if the government failed to include their demands in the budget for the next financial year.

India: Punjab police attack protesting teachers and health workers

About 1,200 contract teachers from 400 schools and rural health care workers from Punjab state demonstrated in Bathinda on June 11 to demand that their monthly wages be lifted above the current 4,500 rupees ($US67). The peaceful protest, which blocked several roads, was attacked by the police and harassed by state authorities. It coincided with the 19 days of protest action in the city by poverty-stricken Punjab farmers calling for a debt waiver from the state government.

Himachal Pradesh bus drivers end industrial action

Around 10,000 employees of the state-run Himachal Road Transport Corp. (HRTC) ended a planned two-day strike after 24 hours this week when the government agreed to most of their demands.

The transport workers, who struck to demand permanency for contract staff and pension benefits, defied a High Court order which claimed their action was illegal. The HRTC, which has over 2,500 buses, provides vital links between far-flung villages and urban areas.

Punjab power utility workers protest

Around 100 members of the Powercom and Transco Contract Workers Union held a protest march in Bathinda on June 11 to demand job permanency. Many of the workers had been employed on a contract basis for 15 years as meter readers, bill distributors and cashiers. Workers also demanded the end to privatisation.

Meanwhile, power workers in Punjabs capital Chandigarh staged their 17th demonstration in the city this week. They were calling for improved facilities, adequate work equipment and filling of vacant positions. Other demands include fault-locating vans, boom ladders, cable joints, meters, fuse wire, safety devices, drinking-water facilities and proper seating at work stations.

A union representative blamed management for the increasing number of accidents in the department and said that basic safety devices, tools and boom ladders were not being provided to fault-repair workers. The union threatened to call strike action by June 16 if authorities did not respond favourably to workers demands.

Sri Lankan postal workers impose work bans

Around 22,000 postal workers began work-to rule action and banned overtime work from June 12 over 15 demands. The action was triggered by the governments intention to replace a special allowance with overtime payments. Postal services across the island are affected with tens of thousands of letters left undelivered.

The postal workers want recruitment and promotions restrictions removed, a review of anomalies in salary scales, and an end to problems related to efficiency bar exams. Workers pointed out that there are around 2,000 vacancies within the Postal Department.

Management has cancelled all leave and threatened to cut salaries if workers continue their bans. The Joint Postal Trade Union Front leaders entered talks with the government on June 15.

Cambodian garment workers protest

Workers from the Malaysian-owned Global Apparel garment factory in Phnom Penh demonstrated outside their factory on Tuesday to demand unpaid wages and improved compensation for sacked workers. Protesters burnt tyres and blocked the road outside the factory. A spokesman from the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, claimed that about 300 terminated workers were still owed their May salaries.

On May 30, management declared that it would close the factory at the end of October and would not be renewing any worker contracts ending between May and October.

Around 600 workers were terminated earlier this month with the contracts of another 1,200 employees due to expire before October. Factories in Cambodia commonly do not renew short-term contracts before a worker reaches two years of employment in order to avoid paying termination entitlements.

The Cambodian ministry of labour, which is holding talks with representatives from workers and factory management, has declared that negotiations would cease if the protests were not ended.

Australia and the Pacific

Victorian refrigeration workers end strike

Striking workers from Bitzer, which manufactures refrigeration parts and large evaporators in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine, ended a nine-week strike on June 9 after the company withdrew various enterprise agreement demands.

Fifty-four members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) walked off the job on April 6 and maintained a 24/7 picket outside the factorys main gate in an enterprise agreement dispute over wages and conditions.

Bitzer wanted to eliminate rostered days off (RDOs), stop contributing to income protection, and pay any new workers the base award rate, which is less than the previous EBA rates. The over-all pay offer was restricted to increases in the cost of living index.

Workers have accepted a final offer from the company, which included a 10 percent pay increase over three years, a 36-hour week with two RDOs a month for all workers, guarantee of permanency for casuals after six-months service, and control over what hours they work. Bitzer agreed to axe the separate shifts brought in a year ago and go back to their traditional 7 a.m.3.30 p.m. roster. Casuals are to remain on EBA conditions.

Victorian psychiatric prison hospital nurses walk out

Nurses at Victoria's Thomas Embling psychiatric prison hospital in Melbourne walked off the job for two hours on Monday over safety concerns. Nurses complained that overcrowding and insufficient staff were the cause of an increase in assaults on staff by patients. The Health and Community Services Union said there had been 100 incidents at the hospital over the past three months, including one in which four people were injured. Nurses want bed numbers and staffing levels increased to handle the growing number of patients.

Sydney light rail employees strike

Sydney light rail drivers and customer service workers walked off the job for four hours on Thursday over safety concerns. Drivers said that they are stretched to the limit and want private operator Transdev to address safety concerns.

A representative of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) told the media that Transdev was refusing to deal with various safety problems as part of current negotiations for a new enterprise agreement and wants to increase drivers shift limits from 8 to 9 hoursa move that will have a severe impact on worker and passenger safety.

The RTBU wants pay rises of 3.5 percent in the first year of a new enterprise agreement and 3.9 percent in the second. It has also called on the company to reinstate a monthly rostered day off.
Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Courtesy

Father's Day may be mere days away, but there's still enough time to find a great gift that dad will love. A guaranteed crowd pleaser is an intoxicating fragrance for dad that's worthy of taking up some prime real estate at the front of his bathroom cabinet. After all, what better way to show how well you really know your father than by choosing a new go-to scent for him that's composed of his favorite notes? From tropical Sicilian lemon to spicy saffron, we've rounded up a handful of fragrances dad's guaranteed to love, no matter his scent penchant. Ahead, fragrances guaranteed to put a smile on his face this Father's Day and the other 364 days of the year.
ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports

Sam Ehlinger officially becomes the starting quarterback of the Colts. If he fails or gets injured, Nick Foles will take over. And if Foles gets injured, the quarterback will be anyone but Matt Ryan. Ryan is done. Hes out. He wont play again, for reasons rooted in his contract. Put simply, once the team decided [more]
Two Al-Jazeera Employees and a television producer who worked for Rasd, a TV channel associated with the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood political party, have been sentenced in absentia to death by an Egyptian court as part of the myriad of court proceedings against former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. The Al-Jazeera employees, identified as Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal, and Asmaa al-Khateib of Rasd, were sentenced to death along with three others who were accused of passing national security documents to Qatar as well as to Al Jazeera, which is based in Doha and partially funded by the Qatars ruling House of Thani.

As part of the proceedings, TV producer Khalid Radwan, also formerly employed at Rasd, received a 15-year prison sentence. The court case is part of the ongoing case against Morsi, who was deposed in a Military coup in 2013 and has been sentenced to death in a separate case. In this case, he and two of his aides received 25 years in prison, and Morsi along with a secretary and the secretarys daughter received an additional 15 years for charges of leaking official documents. All verdicts will now be appealed.

Amnesty International condemned the verdict, calling for the ludicrous charges against the journalists to be dropped, reported the Associated Press. Al-Jazeera also condemned the sentences. This sentence is only one of many politicized sentences that target Al Jazeera and its employees. They are illogical convictions and legally baseless, said Mostefa Souag, Al-Jazeeras acting director, in a statement. Al Jazeera strongly denounces targeting its journalists and stands by the other journalists who have also been sentenced.

Documentary producer Ahmed Afify, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohammed Keilany and academic Ahmed Ismail were the three other defendants who received the death penalty.

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Al-Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste Released By Egypt, Deported Out Of The Country
Fallujah (Iraq) (AFP) - Aid workers scrambled Sunday to cope with a massive influx of Iraqi civilians who fled Fallujah after government forces retook much of the city from the Islamic State group.

Tens of thousands of civilians escaped the city, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on the back of a major advance that saw Iraqi forces thrust into central Fallujah in recent days.

The humanitarian community has been struggling to cope, with thousands of people already suffering from hunger and trauma now stranded in the scorching summer heat with no shelter.

"The estimated total number of displaced from Fallujah in just the last three days is now at a staggering 30,000 people," the Norwegian Refugee Council said.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said up to 84,000 people had been forced to flee their homes since the start of the government offensive against the IS bastion nearly a month ago.

"Agencies are scrambling to respond to the rapidly evolving situation -- and we are bracing ourselves for another large exodus in the next few days as we estimate that thousands more people remain trapped in Fallujah," the UNHCR said.

"We implore the Iraqi government to take charge of this humanitarian disaster unfolding on our watch," NRC's Iraq director Nasr Muflahi said.

NRC said it could no longer provide the required assistance, with water rations drying up fast.

It cited the case of a newly opened camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah, south of Fallujah, that houses 1,800 people but has only one latrine for women.

"We need the Iraqi government to take a leading role in providing for the needs of the most vulnerable civilians who have endured months of trauma and terror," Muflahi said.

An Iraqi aid worker employed by the government at a camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah said the resources were inadequate to deal with the scope of the crisis.

"Four hundred families have reached my camp in the last four days, they don't have anything," said the camp manager, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Story continues

"We were shocked by the number of displaced people and we weren't prepared to receive them," he said.

"We secured tents for some of them but the rest, including women and children, are sleeping on the ground under the sun," he said. "Their situation is a tragedy."

- Sniper fire -

The temperature in Baghdad has been hovering above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and it often gets hotter in Anbar province, where inhabited areas along the Euphrates River are flanked by desert.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has promised to support the displaced.

On Friday evening, after Iraqi forces raised the national flag above the main government compound, he declared Fallujah had been "brought back to the fold."

Yet Iraqi forces have some work left to do, with hundreds of IS fighters still holed up in the city's northern neighbourhoods.

Abadi announced the liberation of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, in December but the area was not brought under control until February.

Sporadic IS attacks there have continued, the latest of which was a thwarted ambush on the top military commander for Anbar Sunday in an area called Zankura.

Despite facing less resistance than expected from IS in Fallujah, an emblematic jihadist stronghold, sniper fire, car bombs and booby traps remained a risk for Iraq's forces.

"Our forces are cleansing central Fallujah of pockets of Daesh (IS)," federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadist group.

In the Officers neighbourhood of Fallujah, IS snipers shot at an Iraqi flag pole until it broke, an AFP photographer reported.

The loss of Fallujah would continue a losing streak for IS that already leaves the "caliphate" it proclaimed two years ago looking moribund.

To keep the pressure on the jihadist organisation, Iraqi forces also rekindled offensives east and south of Qayyarah in the north of the country.

With its strategic location west of the Tigris and its air field, Iraqi forces hope to make it a key launchpad in a major push to retake Mosul.

Abadi vowed on Friday that Mosul, the country's second city and IS's last remaining major urban hub in Iraq, would be liberated "very soon".
"When you're looking for certain things, host of a game show is very different," 500 Questions producer and reality heavyweight Mike Darnell tells The Hollywood Reporter during the Reality Roundtable. Darnell breaks down the different aspects he looks for when casting his shows, between a host, a judge and a contestant.

Says Darnell, "I put Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsey in the same bucket." He adds, "In that, they're both really talented, and the reason people like them is because they are authentic."

Darnell argues that viewers, "will forgive a bad day, or an angry comment, if you know they're real. If it feels they're coming from a real place."

Read more: Reality TV Roundtable: Mark Cuban, LL Cool J and More Reveal Contestant Psych Tests, Talk Kids' Shows and Trash Trump

More roundtables featuring comedy and drama actors and actresses, and comedy and drama showrunners will roll out throughout June in print and online. Tune in to new episodes of Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter starting June 26 on SundanceTV, with the premiere of the Reality Roundtable on Sunday, August 7. And look for clips at THR.com/roundtables with full episodes on THR.com after broadcast.

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Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin died early on Sunday morning in a car accident. He was 27. According to the Los Angeles Times, friends visited his house in Studio City at 1 a.m. when they went to check up on him. They discovered his body pinned between his car and a mailbox. The Los Angeles Police Department told the paper that his car had rolled down the steep driveway and hit him. Per the coroner's office, there were "no obvious suspicious circumstances involved."

Yelchin was born in the Soviet Union and emigrated to the U.S. with his parents when he was just 6 months old, Variety reports. He landed his first acting role at 9. He was famous for his role as Pavel Chekov in the J.J. Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise and its sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond (out on the 22nd of July). His other movies included Charlie Bartlett, Alpha Dog, Like Crazy, and Green Room.

Remembrances from co-stars and friends quickly flooded social media when news broke of his death.

Best pal. I got nothing. A photo posted by Kat Dennings (@katdenningsss) on Jun 19, 2016 at 11:33am PDT

I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins.  John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

Anton was ("was" fucking hell) a brilliant, shining human with a lovely soul. Rest in peace, bud.  Jay Baruchel (@BaruchelNDG) June 19, 2016

Absolutely heartbroken. I grew up seeing him at auditions, admiring his work in films... What a terrible and shocking loss. We will miss seeing the characters you brought to life Anton Yelchin. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. A photo posted by Camilla Belle (@camillabelle) on Jun 19, 2016 at 11:20am PDT

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Los Angeles (AFP) - Anton Yelchin, a rising young actor who starred as Chekov in the new "Star Trek" film, was killed early Sunday in a freak car accident, his publicist said. He was 27.

"The news is so sad and true," Jennifer Allen said in a statement.

Yelchin "was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning," she added. "His family requests you respect their privacy."

The accident took place in the driveway of Yelchin's San Fernando Valley home around 1:10 am (0810 GMT), when he was preparing to meet friends for a rehearsal and momentarily left his car, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Jenny Hauser said.

The car "rolled backward down his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence," she said.

After he failed to show up, his friends found him dead by the car, she added, saying it was unclear how long after the accident they arrived.

Born in Russia, Yelchin moved to the United States when he was six months old with his parents, star figure skaters with the Leningrad Ice Ballet.

"I tried ice-skating and wasn't very good at it," he told the Daily Beast in 2011, saying that a friend of his parents urged them to enroll him in acting classes.

He made his film debut at age nine in "A Man Is Mostly Water," and went on to win roles in television dramas and films.

His breakout performance came in the 2006 crime thriller "Alpha Dog," and his movie credits include J.J Abrams's "Star Trek," "Star Trek into Darkness" and "Star Trek Beyond," which is set for release next month.

He starred most recently in last year's critically acclaimed thriller "Green Room." He was also a member of the band HammerHeads.

Yelchin's fellow actor John Cho, who also starred in the new Star Trek series, was among those to pay tribute to him on Twitter.

"I loved Anton Yelchin so much," he wrote. "He was a true artist -- curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins."
By Kevin Murphy (Reuters) - Anton Yelchin, a 27-year-old actor best known for playing the character Chekov in two "Star Trek" movies, was killed early on Sunday when his car rolled and pinned him against a wall in his driveway, police said. Russian-born Yelchin died shortly after 1 a.m. after he apparently stepped out of his car in the steep driveway of his Los Angeles home and it rolled backwards, said Jenny Houser, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. "The car pinned him against a brick wall and a security fence and that trauma led to his death," Houser said. Yelchen was due at a rehearsal and when he did not show up, friends went to his house and found him dead, Houser said. No foul play was suspected but the accident is under investigation, she said. Yelchen's death caused consternation among actors and others who had worked with him or knew him. Many reacted on Twitter. "Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton," tweeted Justin Lin, who directed Yelchin in his third Star Trek movie. "Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you." "I loved Anton Yelchin so much," wrote John Cho, who plays Sulu in the current Star Trek. "He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins." The actor was best known as playing Chekov in the Star Trek movie series, including 2009's "Star Trek," 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness" and the upcoming "Star Trek Beyond," set to open on July 22. Yelchin was born in Russia, the son of two figure skaters, and emigrated to the United States as an infant. He has appeared in numerous films and was in the TV series "Huff." Hank Azaria, who acted in "Huff" with Yelchin, said in Twitter he was devastated. "He was a very sweet kid. My heart goes out to his family." Early in his film career as a teenager, Yelchin gained wide attention when he appeared with Anthony Hopkins in film "Hearts in Atlantis" in 2001 and with Robin Williams in the "House of D" in 2004. Yelchin played Jacob Clarke in the Steven Spielberg miniseries "Taken" and also appeared in the films "Terminator," "Salvation," "Charlie Bartlett," "Fright Night," "Like Crazy," and "Only Lovers Left Alive" between 2007 and 2013. Film and television actors Charlie Weber and Olivia Wilde praised Yelchin's talents. "Any young actor who wants to see someone doing it for real, watch anything Anton Yelchin ever did," Weber wrote. "Fabulous actor who will be missed." Wrote Wilde: "Anton Yelchin was a bright, brilliant talent, and a truly kind person,' wrote Wilde. "I was so taken by him, and won't ever forget his sweet smile. RIP." (Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Sandra Maler)
A jury of experts for the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation has announced Adjaye Associates --in collaboration with local Latvian team AB3D -- as the winner of the design competition for a new arts institution in Riga.

A panel of architects and museum specialists met in Riga in early June to interview and appraise the international competitors for the Riga museum's design.

At the second stage of the competition, seven shortlisted practices partnered with local Latvian architects. Aside from the winners, these pairings included: Caruso St John Architects (UK) and Arhitektu birojs Jaunromans un Abele; Henning Larsen Architects (Denmark) and MARK arhitekti; Lahdelma & Mahlamaki Architects (Finland) and MADE arhitekti; Neutelings Riedijk Architects (Netherlands) and Brigita Bula arhitekte; Sauerbruch Hutton (Germany) and Arhitekts Ingurds Lazdins; wHY (US), OUTOFBOX Architecture and ALPS.

All the designs created by the shortlisted teams may be viewed online: https://competitions.malcolmreading.co.uk/lmoca/

The proposal by Sauerbruch Hutton and Arhitekts Ingurds Lazdins was awarded an honorable mention.

The Latvian Museum will be the first major cultural initiative in Latvia; moreover, it is the first newly commissioned museum since the country's independence from the Soviet Union. The total area is 7,000 square meters, with a contract value of 30 million.

The museum is strategically located in a commercial and residential development adjacent to Riga's historical Art Nouveau district. Its collection will highlight visual culture in Latvia and the Baltic Sea region, from the 1960s to the present day.

Influences of the environment

David Bickle, jury chair and Director of Design, Exhibitions and FuturePlan at the V&A, praised the "architectural presence" of the winning team's concept. Above all, the design stood out because it was "specific to Riga," by capturing "the effect of soft northern light in experiencing and creating art." Indeed, the design's distinctive silhouette demonstrates keen awareness of the regional architecture: it is characterized by an angular roof (common to local structures for weathering heavy snowfall), and the geometry filters light into each gallery.

London-headquartered Adjaye Associates has worked on such esteemed projects as the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver in Colorado, the Studio Museum Harlem in New York, and the Marian Goodman Gallery in London. Their commission for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is forthcoming on September 24 in Washington DC. The practice is currently shortlisted for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

David Adjaye, of Adjaye Associates, said the museum's winning design creation "meaningfully links the country to the international art community." The venue is set to open on November 18, 2021.
Algiers (AFP) - Algeria temporarily blocked access to social networks on Sunday to prevent cheating after leaked papers forced hundred of thousands of students to resit high school final exams.

Facebook and Twitter have been blocked since late Saturday and are to remain inaccessible to millions of Algerians until after the last test on Thursday, a telecom source told AFP.

The decision "is directly linked to the baccalaureate" and aimed at "protecting students from falling prey to fake questions" posted online, the source said.

More than 500,000 students out of the 800,000 who had sat the exams known as the "baccalaureate" this month were being re-tested Sunday, the education ministry said.

It said most of the leaks cover science subjects and mathematics.

"The authorities have chosen the simplest solution," said information technology expert Younes Grar.

He said the risk of fraud could have been prevented if the authorities had chosen to encrypt the exam questions and printed them at exam centres instead of transporting hard copies across the country.

"The decision to block social networks penalises millions of Internet users," he said.

According to official estimates, 18 million Algerians out of a population of 40 million are active on the Internet and social networks.

On Sunday some users said they faced difficulties accessing websites, including Google, although authorities had said only social networks would be blocked.

Dozens of people, including the heads of national exam centres and teachers, were arrested this month on suspicions of leaking the final exam papers.

The leaks have sparked outrage in the oil-rich country.

Education Minister Nouria Benghebrit broke down in tears in public this month when she was told of the leak.

A police statement carried by Algeria's APS news agency on June 7 said cybercrime investigators had identified individuals who had "published (exam) material on social networks" as well as those who facilitated the leak.

Egypt also reported cheating this year at high school exams.
ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian troops killed eight Islamist armed fighters and captured weapons on Sunday in an operation south of the capital, the ministry of defence said. Four other suspected militants were also arrested during the operation in Rouakeche area of Medea, APS state news agency reported. But the statement did not say to which group the suspects belonged. Violence is rarer now in Algeria since the end of its 1990s war with Islamist fighters that killed 200,000 people. But Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and small bands of fighters allied to Islamic State have been active in remote regions. (Reporting by Patrick Markey; Editing by Gareth Jones)
An American citizen ended his life after having been convicted of growing marijuana in Taiwan. Tyrel Martin Marhanka, slashed his throat with a pair of scissors, according to The New York Times.

Tyrel was reportedly convicted of growing marijuana at his home in Changhau, in central Taiwan, and importing the illegal drugs as well as opium seeds. The maximum prison term for growing and importing drugs in the country is up to seven years. But the court granted him a lesser sentence of four years because he had not sold the marijuana and was reportedly growing it for his own use.

When a court interpreter told Marhanka the verdict, he replied, four years?, a witness told The Tapei Times. When alerted that he could appeal the sentence he replied, I dont want to live anymore, before taking a disassembled pair of scissors to his neck, according to the Taiwanese newspaper.

Authorities reportedly found a magazine in which Tyrel used to conceal the scissors. The court explained in an official statement that the building did not have enough space for more advanced metal detectors and scanners, which is why the weapon went undetected.

Marhanka, who worked as an English teacher, leaves behind a wife and two children, whom he lived with in Taiwan. His death has raised questions about Taiwans security in its judicial system, as scissors were used in another incident in which six inmates used them to kill themselves, according to The New York Times.
By Paul Taylor BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European history may be about to go into reverse. If Britain votes to leave the European Union, it will likely start a process of fragmentation of the political and security structures on which the post-World War Two and post-Cold War European order was built. Even if the British step back from the brink on Thursday, the bruising legacy of the debate, the growing trend of national referendums on EU issues and the backlash against globalisation and internationalised elites on both sides of the Atlantic will not fade away any time soon. How far and how fast contagion may spread in case of a Brexit vote, no one can know. Just don't expect it to stop with one major country walking away from the EU. European Council President Donald Tusk, a historian and former Polish prime minister who took part in the struggle to overthrow Soviet-imposed communist rule in eastern Europe and join the EU, was both a witness and an actor in that history. Tusk, who knows from personal experience what it means to be on the wrong side of a wall or border, warned last week: "Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction not only of the EU but also of Western political civilisation in its entirety." He is equally aware that if British Prime Minister David Cameron succeeds in turning public opinion in the final days and winning the referendum, his tactics of demanding a renegotiation of EU membership terms using a plebiscite as leverage are bound to tempt politicians in other countries. In private, there is anger at Cameron among EU leaders and diplomats who feel he has played Russian roulette with Europe's future in a failed bid to end civil war in his own party. In case of a Brexit, EU founders Germany and France will work to shore up the remaining EU and put forward new projects in security and defence. But their lack of agreement on how to strengthen the euro zone - and the prospect of anti-EU populists gaining in elections in those countries next year - makes any big integration initiative impossible for now. POPULISTS WINNING? The forces of European disintegration are on the rise in many countries, fuelled by economic discontent, fear of job losses to foreign competition or to immigrants, and the anxieties of ageing societies. Eurosceptics in the Netherlands forced a referendum in April on an EU agreement on closer ties with Ukraine via a petition and mobilised just enough voters to make the "No" vote valid, leaving the Dutch and EU authorities with a legal conundrum. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who boasts of having established an "illiberal democracy", is planning a public vote in October to defy EU rules obliging member states to share the burden of taking in refugees flooding into Greece and Italy. And a eurosceptic rightist failed by a whisker to win Austria's presidential election last month, surfing a wave of hostility to migrants and defiance of "Brussels". The latest Pew Research Centre survey of European attitudes shows public support for the EU has plunged across Europe, with the steepest fall in France, where only 38 percent have a favourable view of the Union, six points fewer than in Britain. Such findings do not necessarily indicate that other countries are likely to leave the bloc. Ironically support for the EU is strongest in Poland and Hungary, which are major beneficiaries of funds from Brussels but have two of Europe's most eurosceptic governments. But public hostility to sharing risks - financial, humanitarian or geopolitical - had gained ground around Europe even before the British vote, widening north-south and east-west gaps within the EU. "In a sense, the populists have already won, because they are setting the agenda for the mainstream parties," said Heather Grabbe, a visiting fellow at the European University Institute in Florence. Among those most alarmed are strategists in the United States and at NATO, the transatlantic defence alliance, who are convinced that a British vote to leave the EU would weaken the unity of the West and its resolve to tackle security challenges. Those include a more assertive Russia, Islamist militancy, war in the Middle East and North Africa that has put millions of refugees on the move, migratory pressures from sub-Saharan Africa and cyberattacks on economic and security networks. London has long been Washington's go-to partner in defence and intelligence but it has been more reluctant to join military action since the unpopular U.S.-led Iraq and Afghanistan wars. NATO is straining now to find European nations willing to deploy modest numbers of troops in rotation to support Baltic and East European allies alarmed by Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea and support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Some Brexit advocates contend that the EU is "yesterdays story" and that leaving would allow the UK to be more global. Yet a Leave vote would sidetrack the European Union for several years in divisive debates about the terms of the divorce with Britain, its second largest economy and military power. It would make the UK more inward-looking, with both main political parties mired in recrimination and an emphasis on shutting borders rather than on the British tradition of liberal intervention. "The project of European construction that began in the aftermath of World War Two and that has done so much to ensure that Europe did not again become a venue of instability and violence would be further endangered," said Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States and a former State Department policy planner. Writing in The American Interest magazine, Haas noted that for U.S. strategists, the continent that sparked two world wars had become "boring" after the end of Cold War. Brexit alone would not make Europe that much more interesting, he said, but it would contribute to the slow unravelling of a stable European order, leaving both the EU and the UK "weaker and more divided". (Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Paris (AFP) - Three mega-mergers in the agrochemical sector, including Bayer and Monsanto, have raised concerns among farmers who fear higher prices and consumers more genetically-modified food.

Even before Bayer successfully woos US-based Monsanto, German civil society has erupted in protest against a national champion acquiring a producer of genetically-modified seeds and Roundup, the world's leading but also controversial weedkiller that is suspected of being a carcinogen.

Meanwhile ChemChina is tying the knot with Swiss-based Syngenta, and US companies Dow and DuPont are also finishing wedding plans.

The three giants born of these mergers will control two-thirds of the global market for seeds and pesticides, two key products for farming.

As competition regulators in Europe and the United States weigh the mergers, non-governmental organisations and advocates of small-scale farming are voicing their concerns.

"Wherever you set the bar to define an oligopoly it's clear that the mergers will further reduce choice for farmers, especially in southern countries," said Renee Vellvee of the NGO Grain.

She expressed concern the mergers would put "too much power at the top of the food chain in the hands of several company boards".

In Germany, Annemarie Volling of the AbL group of small and medium-sized farmers worries that after such mergers "the big players will decide themselves which sorts of seeds will go on the market".

"For the moment there are no GM crops in Europe, but the question is whether Bayer will dare to try it," she said.

Large farmers and cooperatives in Germany are so far less engaged.

"It isn't an issue at all, the farmers have other concerns at the moment", such as the fall in milk prices, said Holger Brantsch of the Brandenburg Agricole Federation. "It doesn't interest them at the moment."

- Consolidation = higher costs -

While some sympathetic US farm groups see the mergers as a means for their suppliers to cut costs and maintain funding for research and development into innovative products, others are calling for the mergers to be blocked.

Story continues

Seed costs are the highest input expense for farmers," National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson said in a statement last month.

"While some of the cost can be attributed to more sophisticated technology, we have seen time and again that consolidation and market restructuring has increased the cost of crop inputs."

With the current low prices for food commodities, "additional cost increases for crop inputs could cripple a lot of family farms in this country, he warned.

In Argentina, a big customer for GM seeds for corn, soybeans and cotton, there is a wait-and-see attitude.

"While the scenario of price hegemony is likely, it isn't the immediate reality," said Carlos Marin, member of a group of over 2,000 agricultural businesses.

On the contrary, he noted pesticide and fertiliser costs have been decreasing in recent months.

In France, the cooperative group InVivo, which holds about half of the market for the distribution of pesticides, believes it is large enough to hold its own in price negotiations with the agrochemical giants.

And "there are new suppliers arriving on the market, in particular with generic versions of pesticides, where there is a frenzy of competition," said Jean-Sebastien Bailleux, who heads up the agricultural supplies unit at InVivo.

- Tractors too? -

But Pat Mooney, director of the Canadian NGO ETC, called it "short term thinking by any company ... to think they can face the pressure themselves".

And he believes the pressure could be even greater as the current crop of mergers could be just a prelude to agrochemical companies being picked by tractor manufacturers, which have much higher sales.

The purchase of Bayer-Monsanto would be of interest to a company like John Deere as both agrochemical groups and equipment manufacturers have been moving towards providing data services to farmers for "precision agriculture".

A mash of precise data on soil conditions, often gleaned in part from satellites, plus GPS guided application of pesticides or water, can help boost yields while cutting costs.

"I don't think any farmers feel very good about having so much of their input controlled by so few companies," said Mooney, noting concerns voiced by several farm groups.

"They'd be much more nervous if John Deere was coming in, because it's a much bigger company than Monsanto," he added.


Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage

Anne Hathaway has always spoken out against injustice, using her platform as one of Hollywood's most respected actresses to voice the concerns of those without one. So it's not surprising that the Oscar-winning star was officially appointed on Wednesday as a United Nations Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, a title that'll help her reach milestones for gender equality and, specifically, pass policies that implement the proper balance of childcare and work-life balance.

"I feel honored and inspired by this opportunity to aid in advancing gender equality. Significant progress has already been made, but it is time that we collectively intensity our efforts and ensure that true equality is finally realized," Hathaway said in a statement. In the past, the actress has visited Kenya and Ethiopia with the Nike Foundation to learn about child marriage, just one of the many projects she's taken on as an advocate of women's rights.

"The appointment of Anne is timely because this year UN Women is driving hard to foster more positive mindsets and practical arrangements around workplaces that build and support equality for women," Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, said in a statement.

Hathaway has kept busy since giving birth to her first son, Jonathan Rosebanks Shulman, in April. The starlet has turned heads at red carpet events for Alice Through the Looking Glass and most recently supported fellow mom Camila Alves at her baby food launch celebration.

PHOTOS: Anne Hathaway's Red Carpet Style

That's one exemplary working mom.
Anton Yelchin, best known for portraying Ensign Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot film series, as well as for roles in, Jim Jarmushs Only Lovers Left Alive, the Stephen King adaptation Hearts In Atlantis, and the acclaimed horror film Green Room, is dead following a tragic car accident in his Studio City home last night. He was 27.

Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time, his publicist, Jennifer Allen said in a statement.

Born in Leningrad, Russia (now Saint Petersburg) in 1989 to parents who were stars of Russias Ice Ballet for 15 years, Yelchin and his family immigrated to the United States as political refugees that same year. Yelchin subsequently grew up in Los Angeles, attending Tarzanas Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies and in 2007, the University of Southern California. However, his entry into acting came at age 9 in the indie film A Man is Mostly Water, with other early roles including in Delivering Milo, House of D, and the 2002 Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries Taken.

His first major recognition as an actor came in 2001 when he played the younger version of Bobby Garfield, played as an adult by David Morse, in Hearts in Atlantis. The next year, Yelchin won Best Performance in a Feature Film  Leading Young Actor at the Young Artist Awards for his performance. Yelchin next came to increased prominence in 2006, co-starring as the central kidnapping victim in Nick Cassavetes crime thriller Alpha Dog, opposite Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Dean Stanton, Sharon Stone, and Bruce Willis.

Yelchins breakout role came at 19 in Charlie Bartlett, the Jon Poll-directed comedy-drama written by Gustin Nash about an awkward, wealthy teenager who begins giving out therapeutic advice and prescription drugs to his classmates in a bid to become popular. This was followed in 2009 by a pair of major franchise roles that solidifed his career  the teenaged version of Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation, taking on the role originated in 1984 by Michael Biehn in James Camerons The Terminator, and Ensign Pavel Chekov in JJ Abrams 2009 Star Trek.

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Like many of his co-stars on Star Trek, Yelchin notably looked to the performance of his predecessor on the original series and subsequent films, Walter Koenig, for insight into the role. Mimicking the original Chekovs accent, Yelchin also drew from his own Russian background as well as from the Cold War climate of the original series for inspiration. I wanted it to be close to the Chekov accent, I guess that is where our opinions differ. I have no problem doing a real Russian accent, but that wouldnt be Chekov to me. The interesting thing about it is that his accent is a cold-war stereotype of a Russian person, he said in a 2009 interview. It is not entirely the same, but Walter [Koenig] came on set and was like that sounds like me. And that is what was fun for me. As a person familiar with a Russian accent, and someone with Russian roots who can speak Russian and knows what Russian people sound like, it was fun to purposefully mess around with the Russian accent  to purposefully change what I thought a Russian accent was to suit that stereotype they had in the sixties.

One notable aspect of that performance came in the reboot franchises first film, when Yelchins Chekov displayed extraordinary difficulty pronouncing the phrase victor victor and ended up saying it as wictor wictor, a tribute to Koenigs memorable pronunciation of nuclear vessles as nuclear wessles in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Yelchin portrayed Chekov two more times  in 2013s Star Trek Into Darkness, also directed by JJ Abrams, and in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond directed by Justin Lin which hits theaters July 22.

Most recently, Yelchin drew great reviews for his performance in the acclaimed horror film Green Room, in which he co-starred with Imogen Poots and Alia Shawkat as members of a punk band who find themselves hunted by neo-Nazi skinheads after witnessing a murder at an isolated Pacific Northwest club. The film won raves throughout its festival run in 2015, taking home the Grolsch Peoples Choice Midnight Madness Award at the Toronto Film Festival last October. It had limited theatrical release in April of this year.

Other roles include: Charlie Brewster in remake of Fright Night opposite David Tennant, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Imogen Poots, and Toni Collette; Jim Jarmushs critically acclaimed vampire romance Only Lovers Left Alive, opposite Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, Jeffrey Wright, Slimane Dazi, and John Hurt; the romantic drama Like Crazy; voicing Clumsy Smurf in the feature film adaptation of The Smurfs; the Aardman Animations production The Pirates! Band of Misfits; and the 2014 romantic comedy 5 TO 7.

Yelchins final film is Thoroughbred, a psychological thriller also starring Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy that marks the feature film debut of playwright Cory Finley. Filming on Thoroughbred wrapped two weeks ago in Boston.

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Sydney (AFP) - Sydney is imposing new taxes on foreigners buying homes as concerns grow that a flood of mostly Chinese investors is crowding out locals and killing the "Great Australian Dream" of owning property.

Ownership rates across the country are among the highest in developed nations, with having your own house long viewed as a key aspect of Australian identity.

But as prices rise to record levels -- Sydney is ranked only second to Hong Kong as major cities with the world's least-affordable housing -- new potential homeowners have been increasingly forced out of the market with foreigners blamed as a key factor.

"The governments want to respond to a perception about housing affordability and the impact of foreign investment on that," KPMG Australia's indirect tax specialist Michelle Bennett told AFP.

"(Politicians) are raising money from people who aren't voting, so superficially you can understand that it's possibly not bad politics," she added, but warned the measures could be a "blunt instrument" that could hurt the market.

Last year, leading apartment developer Lend Lease sold out more than Aus$600 million (US$445 million) worth of new units in Sydney's Darling Harbour in under five hours, with The Australian Financial Review reporting that one-third of buyers were foreign.

Lend Lease said the sale broke local records but such reports have also fuelled calls for government action to protect Australian buyers.

In response, the New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland state governments have introduced or are set to slap new property and land taxes on foreign buyers, sparking an outcry from developers fearful that they will flee to other markets such as New Zealand and Canada.

"It is very bad. Without the Chinese nothing would ever get built," the country's richest man and head of prominent developer Meriton, "high-rise" Harry Triguboff told The Australian Financial Review this week.

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"Never mind the bullshit stories, sales volumes have already dropped and prices are coming down steadily. The Chinese buyers are already disappearing."

- Government crackdown -

Analysts say Australia is an appealing market particularly after Hong Kong and Singapore introduced a 15 percent property tax on non-local buyers and as the local dollar weakened against other currencies.

The proposed tax in Sydney's New South Wales state to be announced this week would be only four percent, in Queensland it is three percent and in Victoria seven percent.

The island continent experienced an average 7.25 percent annual housing growth over the past three decades according to the central bank, attracting Chinese investment into commercial and residential real estate.

Chinese invested Aus$4.2 billion in 2011-12, rising to Aus$24.3 billion in 2014-15 according to Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board, making them the largest overseas buyers.

But foreign investment -- including in local firms and agricultural land -- is politically sensitive and last year the national government forced some offshore owners to sell properties after tightening regulations.

Housing affordability, and the role of property investors, has also been a key battleground ahead of national elections on July 2.

But with housing prices appearing to be coming off the boil and the economy transitioning away from a mining boom, analysts say the state taxes could backfire.

"It'll have ramifications down the track when the market goes through a pretty significant downturn in terms of construction and developers are finding it hard to get projects going," BIS Shrapnel's managing director Robert Mellor told AFP.

Signs of a softening housing market could also be why states appear to be trying to "grab some revenue while it's on offer", leading property data provider CoreLogic's Australia research head Cameron Kusher said.

Meanwhile, there are question marks about whether current data adequately captures the full extent of foreign investment in Australian real estate, with some statistics not delineating between commercial and residential property purchases.

In one estimate, University of Sydney researchers last year said offshore Chinese purchases only totalled two percent of all transactions in 2014 out of overall residential home sales of Aus$270 billion, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Despite the new tax hurdles, Kusher expects long-term Chinese housing investment to continue.

"The people that are buying for the long-term... maybe at some point to migrate to Australia, I don't think it would act as too much of a deterrent for them," he told AFP.
Three years after being ousted from power following a tumultuous period of infighting in which two prime ministers were deposed, Australia's opposition Labor said Sunday it was ready to return to Canberra ahead of national elections.

The July 2 poll is tipped to be a tight race, and could see the ruling Liberal-National coalition become the first government in more than eight decades to be turfed out of office after one term.

Such a result would see Labor leader Bill Shorten become Australia's fifth prime minister in six years -- a further illustration of the "revolving door" leadership that has marked the nation's politics in recent times.

"Today my team and I offer ourselves as a new government dedicated to Australia's oldest aspiration -- a fair go all round," 49-year-old Shorten told 500 cheering supporters at his party's official campaign launch in the Western Sydney suburb of Penrith.

"There is always someone willing to write Labor off -- and they are always wrong."

While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came to power in September last year with high personal ratings after defeating his predecessor Tony Abbott in a Liberal coup, internal party divisions and poorly handled debates about reforms have dented support for the 61-year-old.

The decline in public support follows poor polling under Abbott and opens the door for Labor and minor parties to win marginal seats across Australia, where voting is compulsory for adults.

Both the major parties are pledging to boost the economy, with subdued wages growth and high costs of living placing pressure on some communities as the nation shifts away from mining-driven expansion.

Shorten on Sunday announced tax cuts for small businesses, while emphasising support for the party's traditional policy areas of improving health and education.

He also sought to highlight his party's support for same-sex marriage and action on climate change, as smaller parties on the left such as the Greens threaten to lure away Labor voters.

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"Only Labor will lead an Australia with prosperity for everyone who works and prosperity that works for everyone," the former union chief added in front of a red banner with the slogan "We'll put people first".

He stressed that Turnbull, a multi-millionaire former banker, would only be taking care of the big end of town.

Turnbull has campaigned on the Liberal Party's long-time platform of sound economic management, announcing billions in tax cuts for individuals and businesses.

His party is set to officially launch its campaign next Sunday, also in Sydney which is home to numerous marginal seats.
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's foreign minister said on Sunday it was time for the European Union to make an effort to identify common ground with Russia. "I believe that we should gradually come to a modus in which for every implementation of the Minsk Protocol, for every single step, sanctions will gradually be lifted in return," Sebastian Kurz said in a discussion at ORF TV. It would be a very strong signal of accommodation towards Russia, if such a modus could be agreed on in the medium term. "I hope that this would be received appropriately." The European Union is due next week to extend its economic sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine for six months as it has linked sanctions relief to the full implementation of a peace plan for eastern Ukraine, which has been all but stalled for months. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Peter Cooney)
The Taliban are accused of using child sex slaves to attack police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the cultural practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- for military gain.

The subculture of keeping boys for personal servitude and sexual pleasure is a centuries-old practice in Afghanistan, which observers call one of the most egregious violations of human rights in the country.

How widespread is it?

"Women are for child-rearing, boys are for pleasure" is a common saying across many parts of Afghanistan.

The ancient custom, banned under the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule, has seen a resurgence in recent years. It is said to be widespread across southern and eastern Afghanistan's rural Pashtun heartland, and with ethnic Tajiks across the northern countryside.

Powerful warlords, commanders, politicians and other members of the elite often keep "bachas" as a symbol of authority and affluence.

Bachas, dressed as women, are widely used by these men as dancers at private parties and are sexually exploited.

Bacha bazi is not widely seen as homosexual behaviour -- popularly demonised as a deviant sexual act, prohibited in Islam -- and is largely accepted as a cultural practice.

How has it been allowed to flourish?

Tight gender segregation in Afghan society and lack of contact with women have contributed to the spread of bacha bazi, rights groups say.

Several other factors such as an absence of the rule of law, corruption, limited access to justice, illiteracy, poverty, insecurity, and the existence of armed groups have also resulted in the spread of bacha bazi, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said in a report in 2014.

AIHRC points out that Afghanistans criminal law prohibits rape and pederasty, but there are no clear provisions on bacha bazi.

"There is a gap and ambiguity in the laws of Afghanistan regarding bacha bazi and the existing laws do not address the problem sufficiently," the report said.

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"Many of the perpetrators have connections with the security organs and by using power and giving bribes they get exempted from punishment."

Where do the boys come from? And what happens to them afterwards?

Bachas are typically aged between 10 and 18. Sometimes they are kidnapped, says AIHRC, but often desperate poverty drives their families to sell them to abusers.

"The victims of bacha bazi suffer from serious psychological trauma as they often get raped," AIHRC's report said.

"Such victims suffer from stress and a sort of distrust, hopelessness and pessimistic feeling. Bacha bazi results in fear among the children and a feeling of revenge and hostility develop in their mind."

In turn, many adolescent victims are said to grow up to have boy lovers of their own, repeating the cycle of abuse.

"In the absence of any services to recover or rehabilitate boys who are caught in this horrendous abuse, it's hard to know what happens to these children," said Charu Lata Hogg, a director at London-based charity Child Soldiers International.

"We have heard anecdotal reports that many grow up to keep their own bachas, perpetuating the revolving door of abuse."

How is bacha bazi impacting Afghanistan's security situation?

Bacha bazi is having a detrimental bearing on the perpetual state of conflict in Afghanistan, helping the Taliban to infiltrate security ranks in provinces such as Uruzgan, officials say.

The abusive practice in security ranks also undermines support for NATO-trained Afghan forces.

"To date, the US has provided over $60 billion in assistance to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), including nearly $500 million to the Afghan Local Police," the US Congress said in December.

"Predatory sexual behaviour by Afghan soldiers and police could undermine US and Afghan public support for the ANDSF, and put our enormous investment at risk."

The practice also continues to embolden the Taliban's desire to reassert sharia law in Afghanistan and is fuelling their insurgency.

"Such wild abuses of the predatory mujahideen forces in the early 1990s drove the popularity of the austere Taliban, helping them sweep to power across most of the country. Similar behaviour of the government forces after 2001 is also helping to inspire the insurgency," a Western official in Kabul told AFP.
By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh on Sunday shot dead an Islamist militant wanted for the killings of several liberal bloggers and gay rights activists, a senior official said. The militant, identified as Sharif, one of the leaders of the banned group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, took part in the killing of blogger Avijit Roy, U.S. citizen of Bangladeshi origin, in Dhaka last year, police official Abdul Baten said. Sharif was also behind the killing of two gay rights activists in April, as well as four other bloggers and a publisher, the police officer told a news conference. Bangladesh, a deeply religious but moderate Muslim-majority country of 160 million people, is struggling to control attacks by Islamist groups on bloggers critical of extremism, atheists and religious minorities. This month the government, facing growing pressure from an international community alarmed by the spate of attacks, launched a crackdown across the country under which more than 11,000 people have been arrested. A 19-year-old suspected Islamist militant was killed in a shootout on Saturday, days after he critically wounded a Hindu college teacher, police said. Police officer Baten said Sharif was killed in a gunbattle that erupted following a raid on a militant hideout on the outskirts of Dhaka. "During the pre-dawn raid, our personnel had to open fire after three suspected militants on a motorbike started firing at them," he said, adding that Sharif died in the gunfight while two others fled. Rights groups and opposition parties say hundreds of innocent people have been taken into police custody as part of the crackdown. (Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Ros Russell)
Sao Paulo (AFP) - The celebrated Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil was hospitalized in Sao Paulo to treat kidney failure, the medical center said.

Gil, 73, has been at the Syrian Lebanese Hospital since Thursday. The hospital's press office declined to comment further on his medical condition.

The musician requires monthly treatment for kidney ailments for an undetermined period, according to the G1 news website.

He was hospitalized for nine days of treatment in May.

Gil told fans on Twitter and Facebook at the time that he was finishing a medical examination that he had interrupted in April to go on tour with fellow Brazilian music icon Caetano Veloso. His stay was extended due to kidney problems, the Folha de Sao Paulo daily said.

Gil was previously admitted to the same hospital in February and March for high blood pressure and kidney ailments.

Veloso and Gil shook the foundations of Brazilian music in the 1960s by fusing traditional samba sounds with jazz and rock.

Gil served as Brazil's culture minister from 2003 to 2008.
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Dawn, next Friday. The votes are in. The British have spoken in their EU membership referendum and they want out. It is a scenario European leaders are planning for in earnest while praying it never happens. Secret meetings in Brussels and across Europe reveal huge uncertainty, officials and diplomats familiar with the proceedings say, over what would follow a vote that British Prime Minister David Cameron calls a "leap in the dark" - and also no little concern about what happens if Britain stays on. This is a rough roadmap to Europe after June 23, based on conversations with many diplomats and officials, few of whom speak of it in public for fear of inflaming debate in Britain: DAY 1 - FRIDAY, JUNE 24 - THE THREE R'S - OR MORE Polls close at 10 p.m. (5 pm E.T.). No mainstream exit polls are planned but overnight counts should give a result by around the time the midsummer sun comes up over Brussels. Aside from the result itself, there are already several big imponderables. Cameron says he will notify the EU "immediately" if Britain is leaving. But he may take at least a few days. If he has lost he will be under huge pressure from his divided Conservative party to resign. He might also be, even if he wins. Money markets will be volatile. The Bank of England and European Central Bank have contingency plans to deal with a "Brexit shock" to sterling and the euro. EU affairs ministers and ambassadors from member states gather in Luxembourg by 10 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) for routine talks that will provide the first chance for many to react. Expect joint statements from Germany and France and from EU institutions. Foreign ministers from the six founders of the bloc - Germany, France, Italy, Belgian, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - may meet in Berlin on Friday, officials say. However Britons vote, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU chief executive, will host European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU summits, and European Parliament President Martin Schulz at his Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels at 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT). Also present will be Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose government holds the rotating EU presidency, to take stock and deliver a message. Look for a mantra of Three Rs: Regret - at losing nearly a fifth of the EU economy and more of its military and global clout; Respect - for the will of the British people; and Resolve - to forge ahead with European integration. "The show must go on," one senior EU official said. There may be a fourth message. Call it Reprisal, perhaps, though Britons should not take it personally; warnings of woe for those leaving will aim to discourage others from following suit. "Don't try this at home," as a senior EU diplomat put it. DAY 2 - SATURDAY, JUNE 25 - Some euro zone finance ministers have suggested their Eurogroup might hold an emergency meeting but senior officials call that unlikely; managing banking and market turbulence will be up to the ECB and other regulators. DAY 3 - SUNDAY, JUNE 26 - RALLYING ROUND THE EU FLAG After a Brexit vote, Commission President Juncker will chair an emergency meeting of the executive's "college" of 28 commissioners, including Britain's Jonathan Hill, officials say. The Commission will be responsible for negotiating the divorce. EU officials insist there is no "Plan B" for Brexit. But, recalling the same denials during last summer's near departure of debt-laden Greece, one speaks of a "Room B", where a fire-fighting team of EU lawyers and experts will be ready. "The idea is to have everything ready for Monday," the EU official said. Member states' ambassadors and leaders' "sherpa" advisers are expected to meet in Brussels in the event of a Brexit vote. DAY 4 - MONDAY, JUNE 27 - KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON The start of a new week on global financial markets will see investors and voters demanding answers on where Britain and the EU are heading. Expect both to offer assurances of orderly talks, while nothing changes immediately, for firms or citizens. DAY 5 - TUESDAY, JUNE 28 - "DAVID, ARE YOU LEAVING NOW?" A 24-hour EU summit is scheduled. After a Brexit vote, his political career will be over but Cameron would likely stay on until his deeply divided party elects a successor. He would be expected to appear for dinner in Brussels. Big question - would he notify summit chair Donald Tusk that he is triggering Article 50 of the EU treaty, the legal basis for Britain to leave? In London, pro-Brexit would-be successors may try to play for time. EU officials and diplomats say they would want Britain to launch the process right away and rule out any new negotiations, though for now they see no legal way to force London's hand. The EU treaty does not allow for expulsion but there would be fierce political pressure, urging London to respect voters' wish to leave, and the other 27 could start discussions without Britain. If Cameron secures a referendum win, the summit will discuss quickly enacting the reform package he won from them in March to give Britain a special deal to stem EU immigration. DAY 6 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 - "PLEASE WAIT OUTSIDE, DAVID." Day Two of the summit and, if it is to be Brexit, leaders of the 27 other states will confer without Cameron in the room - a pattern Britons will have to get used to. Article 50 sets a two-year limit on divorce talks. The EU must fill a Britain-sized hole in its budget and reassure millions of EU citizens living in Britain and Britons on the continent of their future rights. EU leaders may push for a quick show of unity on more integration. Divisions between Berlin and Paris on managing the euro zone probably rule out a big move on that front before both hold elections in 2017. Closer EU defense cooperation, without skeptical Britain, may be revived. A major EU security policy review is already on the summit agenda. Other initiatives, aimed at blunting Marine Le Pen's far-right, euroskeptic bid for the French presidency in 2017, could include a push to create more jobs, especially for the young. However, others, including summit chairman Tusk from Poland, caution against alienating voters by moving ahead too fast. EU leaders must give the executive Commission a negotiating mandate. Some in Britain see exit discussions lasting longer than two years to include talks on new trade terms. But an extension requires an EU unanimity that few in Brussels expect. Some suggest talks with Britain on its future trade terms can run in parallel. Juncker has said the EU's priority would be a two-year divorce, then talks starting "with a blank slate". FROM DAY 7 - NOTHING (AND EVERYTHING) CHANGES; HELLO ESTONIA After a Brexit vote, all EU laws apply in Britain until two years after London starts the process to leave. Then none would apply. Meanwhile, British lawmakers sit in the EU parliament, Hill in the Commission, thousands of Britons would go on working as EU civil servants and British ministers sit in EU councils. But they will have no real voice and Britain would renounce its EU presidency in the second half of 2017; Estonia might come forward to start its first stint in the chair six months early. Other solutions include new member Croatia being slotted in. Some see heavy pressure to exclude British MEPs from a say on EU laws and to deprive Hill, a Cameron appointee, of his sensitive portfolio overseeing financial services regulation. Whatever the referendum's outcome, a host of other EU plans, shelved for fear of alienating British voters, will come out of cold storage, including energy-saving rules to limit the power of toasters and kettles. Dealing with the fallout from a Swiss referendum on EU migration and a Dutch rejection of the EU trade deal with Ukraine will get back on track, as will a review of the EU's seven-year budget, which covers a period out to 2020. If Britain votes to stay in, some, notably in France, fear a new British-led push to free up EU markets and rein in regulation. Some British officials see a mandate to do just that after a referendum win, though others doubt that Cameron, if he survives at all, would have much appetite for deeper EU engagement amid post-campaign Conservative blood-letting. A post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU is the great unknown. Many EU leaders, wary of euroskeptic voters at home, are determined Britain cannot have access to EU trade and financial markets if it wants to keep out EU workers and refuse to contribute to the EU budget. "Out means out," they say. New trade barriers would hurt both sides' economies. But the EU fears a political "domino effect" would cost more long-term. END OF THE ROAD? Leaders have much else on their plates to distract them from negotiating with Britain, including Russia, the euro, jobs and refugees. London may have other priorities, too, not least the likelihood europhile Scotland would bid again to break away. There is a "Brussels consensus" that Britain would face a chilly future, cast out to perhaps talk its way back later into some kind of trade access in return for concessions such as free migration from inside the bloc and contributions to the EU budget - things which Brexit voters want to end. But cautious diplomats do not rule out surprise turns. EU law may seem clear but EU leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel included, are loath to see Britain go and may yet seek a way to keep it in, whatever the vote on June 23. "Will Merkel really shut the door?" a senior EU diplomat said. "It may seem clear-cut in Brussels. But in politics, never say never." (Additional reporting by Paul Taylor, Ingrid Melander, Emmanuel Jarry and Elizabeth Pineau in Paris; Editing by Peter Graff and Pravin Char)
Brooklyn Beckham posted a sweet throwback picture of him and David Beckham for Fathers Day

Brooklyn Beckham posted a sweet throwback picture of him and David Beckham for Fathers Day

If theres one thing we love about Instagram, its getting to witness the Beckham family dynamic in all its glossy black and white glory. We just love the Beckhams. From Brooklyn Beckhams hilarious social media feud with his famously sexy dad to the Instagram account devoted to Olive Beckham, the family dog, were totally enamored. Seriously. Were ready to pack our bags and set up camp with the Beckhams across the pond. (Call us, David. No really.)

So of course were just MELTING over the super sweet throwback pic that Brooklyn Beckham posted today in honor of Fathers Day. Look at the cuteness! Just look at it

Happy Father's Day.  A photo posted by bb (@brooklynbeckham) on Jun 19, 2016 at 3:03am PDT

So adorable!

Victoria also posted a Fathers Day tribute to David on IG, with a photo of him looking more gorgeous than any dad weve ever seen (for real, though), captioned, Happy Fathers Day @davidbeckham X We love u!!! X Kisses X VB









Happy Father's Day @davidbeckham X We love u!!! X Kisses X VB A photo posted by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Jun 19, 2016 at 2:12am PDT

Awww.

Have a great Fathers Day, David Beckham!

The offer to join your family still stands. Just saying.

The post Brooklyn Beckham posted a sweet throwback picture of him and David Beckham for Fathers Day appeared first on HelloGiggles.
London (AFP) - Charming, scruffy and with his perennial mop of blond hair, top Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson used to be a Brussels correspondent, penning stories that helped fornent euroscepticism at home.

Johnson, 51, worked in the city between 1989 and 1994 -- a time not unlike the present when Britain's difficult relationship with Brussels was at breaking point and the Conservatives were deeply split on Europe.

He was hired by the right-leaning Daily Telegraph newspaper and rose to become then prime minister Margaret Thatcher's favourite writer, partly thanks to punchy articles that mocked Europe's institutions.

"He was beating stories up rather than making them up, exaggerating them," said Christian Spillmann, an AFP journalist who was in Brussels at the same time.

Some of the more absurd stories have been mantras for British eurosceptics for years and have featured prominently in Johnson's recent Brexit campaign speeches.

Writing in the left-leaning Guardian newspaper, former Brussels correspondent Sarah Helm complained she had been tasked to look for the kind of stories written by Johnson when she was first posted there in the mid-1990s.

"At that time learning about Euro-myths -- smaller condoms, square strawberries, fishermen forced to wear hairnets -- took up more time than explaining treaty changes," she wrote.

"The myths were usually funny, often absurd, sometimes traceable to a grain of truth, nearly always grossly distorted, or totally untrue.

"Very often they had first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. Usually, their creator was Boris Johnson," she wrote.

Some of his articles were influential, such as one in 1992 under the headline "Delors Plan to Rule Europe" about proposals by then European Commission president Jacques Delors to centralise power in Brussels.

Johnson said the story was seized on by the "No" campaign in the Danish referendum which went against the Maastricht Treaty, signed earlier that year, which had also caused deep political rifts in Britain.

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- 'Monopolised the press room' -

But journalists who worked alongside Johnson when he was in his late 20s remember him more for his skilled networking, provocative questions and party-loving manner than EU nous.

"Nobody could miss him," Spillmann said, remembering his "messy hair" and "careless" look, his shirt frequently untucked.

Maria Laura Franciosi, a journalist with Italian news agency ANSA at the time, said he was "always asking questions and would not give other journalists a chance".

"He monopolised the press room," she said.

At the time French was the official language of the EU institutions and he spoke "very good French even if with a strong English accent," she remembered.

The ironic twist behind his anti-EU stance is that Johnson knows the inner workings of the bloc's institutions far better than most people in Britain, where surveys show knowledge about the EU is among the lowest in Europe.

His father Stanley worked at the European Commission and was later elected as a Conservative Member of the European Parliament.

Johnson himself attended the European School of Brussels before going on to elite British boarding school Eton.

His background made him a natural pick for the role of Brussels correspondent for Daily Telegraph editor Max Hastings, who had first met Johnson when the latter was president of the Oxford Union debating society.

But it was perhaps a surprising choice given that Johnson had been sacked from The Times newspaper for falsifying a quotation from his own godfather, historian Colin Lucas, in a story about an archaeological discovery.

Hastings has since become a searing critic of Johnson and has declared he will be voting "Remain" in Thursday's European Union membership referendum, partly to thwart Johnson's rumoured political ambitions.

"Having known Boris for years, I cannot bring myself to cast a vote which could trigger his advance to Downing Street," Hastings wrote in a column in the Daily Mail tabloid.
Abuja (AFP) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Abuja on Sunday, saying he was feeling well after a two-week stay in London where he received treatment for an ear infection.

"I'm ok. You can see me inspecting the guard of honour," the 73-year-old told reporters as he arrived back at Abuja airport.

Speaking in the local Hausa language, he jokingly added: "I'm strong, If you want to wrestle with me, let's wrestle."

His spokesman Femi Adesina said the president would resume work on Monday.

Buhari left Nigeria on June 6 for tests on what the presidency described as a "persistent ear infection" that had forced him to pull out of a series of engagements.

According to the presidency, Buhari went to see an ear, nose and throat specialist in the British capital "purely as a precaution".

The presidency has historically been reticent about disclosing health matters of the head of state and speculation has swirled for weeks about the seriousness of Buhari's condition.

Ahead of the trip to London, he notably cancelled a planned visit to Lagos and missed a meeting of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS.

Buhari had initially been due to arrive back in Nigeria on Thursday.

His delayed return prompted fresh concern about his health woes, which come at a sensitive time for the country as it grapples with the security threat from Boko Haram Islamists and economic difficulties.
SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria has put a tender to operate Sofia airport on hold after a consortium that built a runway at one of the terminals filed a complaint against the procedure with the country's competition watchdog.

"The process has been put on hold as we must observe the law," the transport ministry's spokesman said on Sunday.

He was unable to provide more details about the complaint, submitted by the consortium of Kuwait's Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi & Sons Company (MAK) and United Arab Emirates' ADMAK General Contracting Company.

A spokesman for Bulgaria's Commission for Protection of Competition said the regulator would consider the complaint in the coming days.

Bulgaria has launched a tender to operate Sofia airport for 35 years, in a deal expected to bring some 1.2 billion levs (482 million pounds) into state coffers. [L5N18E1W6]. The deadline for bids was set for Oct. 20.

Under Bulgarian legislation, however, the procedure should now be temporarily "frozen", until the dispute involving MAK/ADMAK has been resolved.

Operators of airports in Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich, Lyon, Dublin and London Heathrow, as well as firms from Qatar, Turkey and China, have expressed an initial interest in the tender for the country's main airport, the transport ministry said.

The government hopes to grant a concession to operate the airport, which was used by more than four million passengers in 2015, by the end of the year and will use the proceeds to modernise debt-ridden state railway operator BDZ.

The airport is currently operated by the state.

($1 = 1.7342 leva)

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; editing by David Clarke)
NOUAKCHOTT, June 19 (Reuters) - Canada's Kinross Gold Corp has suspended activity at its Tasiast mine in Mauritania after the West African country ordered expatriates whose work permits were invalid to stop working, a company source said.

The company "has decided to temporarily shut down the mine following the withdrawal of invalid work permit of expatriates by labor inspection", the source told Reuters late on Saturday.

"A lot of expatriates left the site as well as local staff. There is only a small handful of people for the minimum maintenance of the equipment", the source added.

"Nobody knows (how long it will last). It will depend on the issue of the negotiations between the company and the government."

In a statement, Mauritania's labour ministry said the decision had been taken during a routine inspection and accused the company of wanting to "escape its obligations".

Kinross Tasiast will "endorse full responsibility for the consequences resulting from its action", the ministry added.

The stoppage comes one week after a nearly three-week strike by unionized workers ended at Tasiast mine.

Kinross approved in March a $300 million first-phase expansion to double Tasiast's production and slash its production costs ( ).

(Reporting by Kissima Diagana, Writing by Marine Pennetier, Editing by)
Hollywood is in shock after learning that Star Trek star Anton Yelchin died early Sunday morning in Los Angeles. He was 27.

Following the news of his death, many stars have tweeted their condolences as well as memories of the late actor.

NEWS: Anton Yelchin Dead at 27

Justin Timberlake, who starred in the 2006 film Alpha Dog with the late actor, took to Twitter, writing, "Anton Yelchin. Genius actor. Amazing human being. Gone WAY too soon. May he rest in peace."

Anton Yelchin.



Genius actor. Amazing human being. Gone WAY too soon.



May he rest in peace.  Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 20, 2016

Yelchin's Star Trek co-star, Zachary Quinto, wrote on Instagram, "Our dear friend. Our comrade. Our Anton. One of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know. So enormously talented and generous of heart. Wise beyond his years and gone before his time. All love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief."

"Devastated to hear about the brilliant Anton Yelchin," said Chris Evans, who co-starred with the actor in the drama Fierce People. "He was thoughtful, kind, and gifted. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Devastated to hear about the brilliant Anton Yelchin. He was thoughtful, kind, and gifted. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) June 19, 2016

Yelchin's Star Trek co-star, John Cho, wrote, "I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins."

I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins.  John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

"Please send your love to Anton's family right now," he added in a second tweet. "They need it."

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Please send your love to Anton's family right now. They need it.  John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

Star Trek director J.J. Abrams penned a note to Anton, which he shared via Twitter. "Anton  you were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented," the letter, hand-written in all-caps, read. "And you weren't here nearly long enough. Missing you JJ."

Yelchin's good friend Kat Dennings tweeted, "Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends. Can't say anything that conveys what this feels like."

Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends. Can't say anything that conveys what this feels like  Kat Dennings (@OfficialKat) June 19, 2016

Paramount, the studio behind Star Trek, released a statement on Yelchin, saying, "All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Antony Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family."

See more reactions from his friends and co-stars:

I can't believe it , I m fckn hurting bad !  Karl Urban (@KarlUrban) June 19, 2016

The sweetest, most humble, delightful, talented guy you'd ever meet. Worked together for about a year. Shocked. https://t.co/uyg2NlmhqP  Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 19, 2016

We're saddened to report the passing of Anton Yelchin, best known as Chekov @StarTrekMovie https://t.co/dgpY0gSuem pic.twitter.com/EXMCAJsKgx  Star Trek (@StarTrek) June 19, 2016

This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss.  Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin was a bright, brilliant talent, and a truly kind person. I was so taken by him, and won't ever forget his sweet smile. RIP  olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) June 19, 2016

So sad to hear this news... pic.twitter.com/fyQajch5kN  Michael Giacchino (@m_giacchino) June 19, 2016

Terrible news about Anton Yelchin, crazily talented actor gone too soon.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 19, 2016

Oh my god.  Wil Wheaton (@wilw) June 19, 2016

Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you.  Justin Lin (@trailingjohnson) June 19, 2016

I am utterly heartbroken about this terrible news. Anton Yelchin was a gift to this world. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin was a phenomenal actor who's work I greatly admired. He seemed like a very special, kind person. No words..  Grant Gustin (@grantgust) June 19, 2016

So disturbing to lose the enormously talented Anton Yelchin. We have lost a truly great actor.  Enver Gjokaj (@EnverGjokaj) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin. Gone way too soon. So sad.  edgarwright (@edgarwright) June 19, 2016

PHOTOS: Stars We've Lost

The LAPD's Valley Traffic Division confirmed TMZ's first report of the death to ET. According to the LAPD, Yelchin's friends grew suspicious when he didn't meet them for a rehearsal on Saturday. When they arrived at his house at 1 a.m. local time, they found him pinned between his car, a mailbox, and a security gate.

"The speculation is that he got out of the car and it was in neutral and rolled back on him," the LAPD tells ET.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should not interfere in China's internal affairs on matters related to Tibet, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone call on Saturday. According to an account of the call posted on the Chinese foreign ministry website, Kerry reaffirmed that there was no change in the U.S. policy that Tibet is a part of China and that the U.S. does not support Tibetan independence. The phone call follows on from President Barack Obama's meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, last week at the White House despite China warning it would damage diplomatic relations. China views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. The meeting came at a time of already heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over Beijing's pursuit of territorial claims in East Asia. On the call, Wang and Kerry also discussed the success of the recently concluded bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, according to the foreign ministry posting, which did not give specifics. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
By Ivana Sekularac SMEDEREVO, Serbia (Reuters) - Serbia could play a significant role in Beijing's ambitious plan for a new "Silk Road" to boost trade with Europe, Asia and Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday. Xi said China was ready for more cooperation with Belgrade during a visit to Serbia that has seen his country strengthen its economic presence in the Balkans with more than 20 finance and infrastructure deals. China's One Belt, One Road initiative, intended to open new trade links for Chinese firms as the domestic economy slows, envisages a new Silk Road from Western China to Central Asia and on to Europe via the Balkans, a region keen to attract Chinese investment. Addressing workers and officials at a steel-works bought by a Chinese company, Xi said: "We are developing the One Belt, One Road project ... with its position and advantages Serbia will have a significant place in this." He added: "This cooperation should be an example of Chinese cooperation with countries in Southern and Eastern Europe." China's Hesteel signed a 46-million euro deal in April to buy the Smederevo steel-works, a 100-year-old company that was part of U.S. Steel during the early years of this century before being handed over the Serbian government. Hesteel chairman Yong Yu said his company would make the plant one of the most competitive in Europe. European Union steel producers have complained that the purchase of a steel-works in an EU candidate country by a state-owned Chinese enterprise raises serious concerns about unfair competition from state-backed enterprises. Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia was in talks with the Chinese on setting up a free trade zone at Smederevo, a city on the banks of the Danube a short distance from Belgrade. Vucic also invited Chinese companies to invest in Serbia's troubled copper and petrochemical industries. Since China and Serbia signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2009, China has invested more than $1 billion in Serbia, mostly in soft loans for infrastructure and energy projects. After Serbia, Xi travels to Poland. He will also visit Uzbekistan for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a Chinese and Russian-led security grouping. (Additional reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Alexander Smith)
chuck todd

Chuck Todd grilled House Speaker Paul Ryan over why he still supported Donald Trump despite their serious rhetorical and policy differences.

In an interview on "Meet The Press" that aired Sunday, the NBC host asked Ryan how he could support a presumptive Republican nominee whom Ryan denounced for making racist statements.

"You said about Donald Trump  that the Muslim ban is un-American, against American values. You thought he made a racist statement. How are you comfortable still supporting him?" Todd asked, referring to Trump's plan to bar Muslims from entering the US.

The speaker said that his endorsement was meant to unify the party and promised to continue criticizing Trump where they diverge on policy issues.

"Imagine the Speaker of the House not supporting the duly elected nominee of our party, therefore creating a chasm in our party to split us in half, which basically helps deny us the White House and strong majorities in Congress," Ryan said.

"The last thing I want to see happen is another Democrat in the White House. I don't want see Hillary Clinton as president. I want to see a strong majority in the House and the Senate. And I think the way to achieve those goals is to have a more unified party, than a dis-unified party," he added.

Todd quickly jumped on Ryan's response.

"You just made a case though of party over country," Todd said.

"No, I didn't," Ryan replied. "I know Hillary Clinton won't agree with anything we want to do."

Ryan continued:

She'll put a bad judge on the Supreme Court. She won't agree with any of the conservative reforms we're trying to do. I have spoken with our nominee a number of times about our agenda, about conservative principles, and about the policies we need to put in place in order to save the country. And we have so much more common ground than any other thing.

The "Meet The Press" host repeatedly pressed the speaker to elaborate on the areas where he differed from Trump and asked Ryan why he trusted the real-estate magnate when his top campaign staffers have waffled on whether Trump will enforce certain proposals like the Muslim ban if Trump is elected.

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"If he runs this way, and loses, he stains the Republican Party," Todd said. "And then suddenly not only do you lose the White House, but now you've got to explain your support for him. And a lot of other people have to explain why the party went to him, and it was a disaster, if that's what it comes to."



Ryan emphasized that Trump bested the field of Republican contenders and claimed it wasn't the speaker's responsibility to tell Republican voters whom to support in the primary.

"He won the election. The voters voted for him. That's the point. He's winning. He won the delegates. That's the choice they made. This isn't a top-down party where a handful of people pick our nominee and the president. The voters picked him," Ryan replied. "That's the choice they made."

For his part, Trump hasn't expressed much patience with recent criticism from Republican Party leaders.

In a speech on Wednesday in Atlanta, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee lashed out at Republican Party leaders who condemned Trump's proposed Muslim ban.

"You know the Republicans  honestly folks, our leaders, our leaders have to get tougher," Trump said. "This is too tough to do it alone, but you know what I think I'm going to be forced to. I think I'm going to be forced to. Our leaders have to get a lot tougher."

"And be quiet," he continued. "Just please be quiet. Don't talk. Please be quiet. Just be quiet."

NOW WATCH: These are some of the things Donald Trump has taken credit for





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Tuscany prides themselves on their designs, each one being ingenious, stylish, and audacious.









Elkhart, IN / ACCESSWIRE / June 19, 2016 / Tuscany, a manufacturer of specialty vehicles, is Ford Motor Companys longest running business in the personal-use segment. Ford has awarded them with the Quality Excellence Award each year it was given out due to the high respect and recognition the company has received over time. Along with this award, Ford also recognizes Tuscany in their Qualified Vehicle Modifier program.



The company began back in 1988 with a vision of creating fun and enjoyable vehicles for people, designed specifically to create happiness. Tuscany prides themselves on their designs, each one being ingenious, stylish, and audacious. All of their products undergo rigorous testing in the areas of technology, mechanical makeup, structural design and aesthetics. These vehicles are leading the market with their unique designs and the electrifying experience that driving one brings.



Bringing thrilling and innovative technology to the marketplace is not all that Tuscany does, these also combine cutting edge designs with social causes. Tuscanys special Black Ops vehicle, a custom built F-150 truck, was designed specifically to recognize all of those that have fought fearlessly for the freedom of the United States of America. The company gives back to the armed forces by raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project through each Black Ops truck manufactured.



Mike Graber, the founder of Tuscany explains that the Black Op Trucks were "Developed to honor the brave men and women of the United States armed forces, the Black Ops is more than just a truck  its a tribute to the brave people who have fought for our freedom. Because we believe in what it stands for, we donate $200 to the Wounded Warrior Project for every Ford Black Ops truck produced."



Following the events that occurred on September 11, 2001 the Wounded Warrior Project was designed and developed to provide services, programs, and events for wounded war veterans. Tuscany is honored to be able to give back to the charity that plays such an integral role in the support of veterans and their families nationwide.



For more information, please visit http://www.drivetuscany.com/

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Contact:

Name: Logan Waggoner

Organization: Tuscany

Address: 15025 Deer Trail Dr. Noblesville, IN 46060

Phone: 800-795-3119

Source: Tuscany
The women's rights movements of the 20th century focused on liberating women from restrictive traditional roles, and being equally valued in all areas of work and home life. The long revolution for gender equality begun, but has a long way to go.

While women made huge progress in the workplace, the early victories that provided additional opportunity, also created additional burdens.

Stagnating wages in the developed world meant single income households became far less common, but women were still seen as the primary caregiver. Expectations for both parents to work rose, but flexible work structures to support this did not catch up.

This is not a women's issue; it is a family issue and economic issue and it effects all of us. As Judith Shulevitz said in The New York Times, "we need another feminism -- and it needs a name that has nothing to do with gender."

We need to recognize parents of all genders as equal caregivers with shared rights and responsibilities. So this Father's day, we need to totally rethink how we see parental leave.

The argument is usually framed in purely financial terms and the cost that greater leave would have to businesses. But even where equal parental and paternal leave policies are in place, take-up does not always follow.

In 2013, provisions for paternity leave were in place in 80 countries and parental leave in 66, but studies still find that men are stigmatized for taking their leave entitlements and sometimes considered less worthy of promotion.

We need to reframe the issue. Parental leave is not about days off work; it is about the freedom to define roles, to choose how to invest time, and to create new positive cycles of behavior.

We need to show how much Dads matter. Fantastic action to show this is already happening at a grassroots level. Communities of men are coming together to promote the equal importance of their parenting - but they need to be heard more.

Al Ferguson from 'The Dad Network' recently sparked a wave of discussion on Reddit by posting a T-shirt that read: Dads dont babysit, its called parenting. John Legend made headlines with his active support of paternity leave. It was positive for the attention it drew, but it also highlighted an important issue for male celebrity parents.

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The business case is clear as well. Breaking the cultural stereotypes of leaving childrearing to women frees mothers up to earn more and develop their career. Sweden, a leader in gender equal policymaking and one of the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 Champions, showed that for every month that fathers took of paternity leave, the mothers' income rose by 6.7%.

More active involvement from both parents has benefits on the health and career prospects of the mother and child as well, reducing a range of long-term social costs for the state. Involved fathers and households that divide duties in a more gender equal way report improved maternal health at childbirth, lower rates of domestic violence, and improved career prospects for the children.

This is not a problem without a solution but it will require commitment and leadership from those in government and companies at a policy-making level, and efforts to change the stereotypes around parental responsibility at an individual level.

Innovation is never just a technological leap forward. Behind every business disruption is a behavior or cultural change that makes the change possible. Let's use this father's day to push for an overdue cultural change that could simultaneously strengthen our economies, improve the opportunities of half the workforce, and protect the well-being of the next generation.

Elizabeth Nyamayaro is senior advisor to the Under-Secretary-General of UN Women and Head of HeForShe Initiative.



See original article on Fortune.com

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If you read any music news this week, you probably saw a YouTube video titled Ben Gibbard with Death Cab for Cutie has a breakdown making the rounds. It showed the beloved alt-rock band closing a set with Soul Meets Body in Charleston, South Carolina, when the frontman abruptly rips out his earpiece, drops his guitar, and knocks over his mic stand. The rest of the band quits playing as Gibbard strides off stage, though they later returned for an encore.

Naturally, fans wondered what fit of pique precipitated the walk-off. Now, bassist Nick Harmer has said it wasnt as bad as all that: Gibbard was frustrated by equipment failure, and, simultaneously, a fight broke out at the front of the crowd.

We wouldve finished the song, but were all feeling a little skittish after Orlando and things were just  we werent sure what was happening, Harmer told Billboard in an interview at this weekends Firefly Music Festival. So we stop as a band, thinking someones hurt or somethings happening, but that just happened to coincide with the other thing that was happening with Ben, which was all of this gear problem. We just left the stage, did a re-set, and then we came back out and played the encore we were gonna play anyway.

All is well in Death Cab land, then. Watch video of the incident and Harmers explanation below.
New York (AFP) - The Solar Impulse 2 aircraft will take off from New York early Monday on the transatlantic leg of its record-breaking bid fly around the globe using only solar energy.

The plane had been due to leave early Sunday but this was put off, apparently because of concerns over the weather.

Takeoff for Seville in Spain is now scheduled for 2:00 am (0600 GMT), the Solar Impulse team said on Twitter.

The flight over the ocean is scheduled to last 90 hours, during which solo pilot Bertrand Piccard will only be able to take short naps.

This will be "the longest distance we have had to fly this year," the team said.

The plane, no heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, is being flown on its 35,000 kilometer (22,000-mile) round-the-world journey by two pilots taking turns, Swiss entrepreneur Andre Borschberg and Piccard, a psychiatrist.

The slow-moving aircraft landed at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on June 11, one minute ahead of schedule after a five-hour flight from Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania.

That was the 14th leg of a journey that began March 9, 2015 in Abu Dhabi, and has taken the aircraft across Asia and the Pacific to the United States with the sun as the plane's only source of power.

The single-seat aircraft is clad in 17,000 solar cells. During night-time flight it runs on battery-stored power.

It features four propellers and has an average air speed of 75 kilometers per hour (47 mph).
Doctors treating Thailand's ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej have performed a procedure to reduce a new build-up of water on the brain, the palace said Sunday, the latest in a series of procedures for the 88-year-old.

Bhumibol is the object of an intense personality cult and his frail health is a matter of significant public concern.

The king is confined to a wheelchair and rarely seen in public.

He has spent most of the past two years hospitalised in Bangkok for a series of ailments, including bacterial infections, breathing difficulties, heart problems and hydrocephalus (water on the brain).

The latest health update released by the palace on Sunday said doctors had to install a new catheter to drain excess fluid in his brain.

"An x-ray examination on 14 June 2016 found his majesty had more fluid on his brain," the Royal Household Bureau said.

The statement added that the procedure, which was done without anesthetic, was successful.

Hydrocephalus is a potentially fatal condition where there is an excess of cerebrospinal fluid, a liquid which cushions the brain and brings it vital nutrients.

Previous health updates from the palace, including one last month, have mentioned the king being treated for hydrocephalus.

Earlier this month Bhumibol also underwent an operation to widen arteries in his heart. Sunday's statement said tests showed his heart condition had improved since then.

Bhumibol is the world's longest-reigning monarch and most Thais have never known life under another king.

He is largely seen as a unifying force in a nation bitterly divided along political lines.

Anxiety over what will happen after his reign ends is considered an aggravating factor in the country's past decade of tumultuous politics, as competing elites jostle for power and influence before the transition.

Information on the monarchy is tightly controlled by the palace.

Throughout much of the last two years of Bhumibol's hospitalisation, updates have been rare.

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But in recent weeks the palace has issued a string of health bulletins.

Bhumibol has not been seen by the public since September when the palace released a video of him being taken in his wheelchair to visit a shop inside Bangkok's Siriraj hospital. Shoppers and attendants knelt and bowed as he passed by.

An official photograph of him attending a ceremony was released by the palace in December, while officials also released a statement in January saying he briefly left his hospital for a brief trip by car to visit a palace.

Detailed discussion of his reign and the role of the monarchy is all but impossible because of the world's strictest lese majeste laws.

Use of the laws has skyrocketed in the last two years since the military took over in a coup with some people jailed for as much as 30 years.
PHOENIX, Ariz.  Donald Trump issued a warning on Saturday to Republicans who might be trying to undermine his candidacy at next months GOP convention, insisting it wouldnt be legal for his opponents to block him from the partys presidential nomination.

Speaking to a few thousand supporters here at the final stop of an eight-day, 10-city campaign swing across the country, Trump at first tried to dismiss rumors of a party revolt against his status as the presumptive GOP nominee, calling them pure fabrication by the media.

But the real estate mogul and former reality television star seemed clearly annoyed by the prospect, mentioning rumors of a movement against him several times to supporters.

I hear they want to try do something at the convention. Wouldnt it be funny if Trump gets record-setting votes in the states, and somebody what was beat by me like a drum says our nominee [isnt me], Trump said. First of all, its not legal, cant do it. The Republican National Committee is with me 100 percent. Reince Priebus, a very good guy, he said its the most ridiculous thing hes ever heard.

But Trump wouldnt let the subject drop and reminded the crowd of his primary wins. He bragged that hed won more votes in the GOP primary than Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and even Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in all fairness, Trump added, won the Second World War.

We won, and we are going to keep winning, he declared. They just cant beat me.

Though Trump repeatedly insisted that the idea of a coup at the GOP convention was being hyped up by the media, he admitted he could see one of his rivals plotting against him. They dont take it easy, and it was a rough vote, Trump said. There were some badly injured and wounded people. And I wouldnt say they love me. I wouldnt say it.

Trumps comments were slightly toned down here, compared to a stop earlier Saturday in Las Vegas, where he implied two of his primary rivals  former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz  were trying to steal the nomination away from him.

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By the way, Jeb is working on the movement, just so you understand. I love competition like that. I love it, he told supporters in Nevada. And the other one should be obvious to you, but well figure that out very easily.

Trump has had a rough entry into the general election, in part due to self-generated controversies. These included his response to the Orlando massacre, his racially tinged criticisms of a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit involving Trump University and his inability to unite a deeply fractured party behind his nomination. Talk has swirled in some GOP circles of launching a long-shot bid to change the rules at next months convention to oust Trump as the partys standard-bearer.

But Trump tried to sound a positive note in Arizona, citing polls that show him running essentially even with his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, though recent polls have been fairly positive for Clinton. And, Trump said, We havent really started yet. Were just beginning.

Still, Trump at times sounded irritated about the process of running for president. At one point, he said, I need this like I need a hole in the head.

But there have been bright moments, he allowed. Pointing to all the magazine covers hes been featured on over the last year, Trump was jubilant. I feel like a supermodel but, like, times 10, he said.
donald trump

Donald Trump asserted Sunday that he's open to using religious profiling to thwart future terrorist attacks.

In a telephone interview on "Face The Nation," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee told host John Dickerson that in addition to his proposal to bar all Muslims from entering the US, he was open to using religious profiling to identify potential extremists.

"I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump said. "I hate the concept of profiling, but we have to start using common sense and we have to use our heads."

"We really have to look at profiling, we have to look at it seriously," he added.

Trump also stood by his proposal to "respectfully check mosques," citing the NYPD's now shuttered Muslim surveillance program as an effective model to emulate across the US. Current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration ended the surveillance program after criticisms that it unconstitutionally targeted Muslims living in New York for surveillance.

This isn't the first time that Trump has floated profiling as the solution for rooting out extremists.

In the wake of a terrorist shooting in San Bernardino, California, last December, Trump told Dickerson that he was open to religious profiling.

"I think there can be profiling," Trump said in December.

"If they thought there was something wrong with that group and they saw what was happening, and they didn't want to call the police because they didn't want to be profiling, I think that's pretty bad."

Trump's recent suggestions for increasing scrutiny of Muslims in the US have ignited a wave of criticism from officials in both parties.

In a speech earlier this week, President Barack Obama slammed Trump's proposed Muslim ban, pointing out that several recent high-profile terrorist attacks in the US were carried out by American citizens.

"Where does this stop?" Obama asked. "They were all US citizens. Are we going to start treating all Muslim-Americans differently? Are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance?"

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NOW WATCH: Sanders stays in race, but hints at dropping out: 'This campaign is also about defeating Donald Trump'





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A Dutch delegation was in Durban this week to meet with their South African counterparts, as the two countries look to build on the co-production treaty they signed in December.

At a gathering June 18 hosted by South Africas National Film & Video Foundation, industry professionals talked up the potential of a pact that could benefit both nations in terms of accessing financing schemes, reaching wider audiences, boosting technical capacities, and telling exciting new stories.

We need South Africa in expanding our views on the world, as they might need us in getting more technical or industrial support, said Frank Peijnenburg, head of Screen NL.

Filmmakers from the two countries have collaborated in the past on movies such as Paula van der Oests Black Butterflies, a biopic of the poet Ingrid Jonker; The Price of Sugar, Jean van de Veldes period drama about slavery in the Dutch colony of Suriname; and Francois Versters The Dream of Shahrazad, an Arabian Nights-style spin on the Arab Spring.

For Peijnenburg, the partnership between the two countries builds on the huge history they share, dating back to the arrival of Dutch settlers in what is today Cape Town in the 17th century.

The important thing is the cultural exchange between the two countries, he says. And of course, financially, its for both sides attractive as well.

Projects eligible for the co-production pact will receive a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 90% of the production costs. At least two projects are reportedly already in the pipeline between the two countries.

While the treaty could pave the way for a host of opportunities, South African producer Marc Schwinges acknowledges, Not every project will work for a co-production.

Schwinges is currently partnering with Dutch producer Pieter van Huystee on A Fools Paradise, an autobiographical documentary by Dutch-South African helmer Saskia Vredeveld.

Born in Cape Town during the apartheid era before emigrating to Holland, Vredeveld plans to take an emotional journey across South Africa in Fools to explore both her own past, and the stain that apartheid left on the country of her birth.

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Schwinges expects principal shooting to begin in three to four months. Pic will be entirely lensed in South Africa, while post-production will largely take place in the Netherlands.

According to Schwinges, the creative and technical synergy on Fools makes it the sort of movie that is a natural fit for the two countries.

These stories are so true to our space, he says. It makes sense telling them together.

For Laurette Schillings of Topkapi Films, which produced Black Butterflies, this weeks FilmMart in Durban offered a chance to look for new projects that might offer the same sort of synergy.

With close to a decades worth of experience on film and TV series shot in South Africa, Schillings has already gotten a taste of the technical skills that South Africa brings to the table.

Thats why we keep coming back, she says.

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CAIRO (Reuters) - Orange Egypt said on Sunday that Egypt's telecommunications regulator had asked it to pay 3.54 billion Egyptian pounds (278 million pounds) for a licence to offer fourth-generation mobile phone services.

The regulator had asked it to pay 100 million Egyptian pounds to acquire a fixed-line licence and 1.8 billion pounds to offer international calls, Orange Egypt said in a statement.

Orange Egypt said it was looking into the licence offers and had yet to make a decision.

Egypt is selling the 4G licences as part of a long-awaited plan to reform the country's telecoms sector and the regulator has confirmed that it approached the three companies that currently offer mobile services about buying them.

Telecom Minister Yasser al-Qadi told television channel CBC last month that Egypt was planning to offer high-speed 4G licences to companies already operating in Egypt.

The reforms will allow Egypt's land-line monopoly Telecom Egypt (TE) to enter the mobile phone market directly while allowing mobile operators to offer fixed line services, ending its domination of the sector.

TE, which is majority owned by the government, said on Sunday it had also been granted a 4G licence. It was not clear how much TE, which does not offer its own mobile services but does own a stake in Vodafone Egypt, would pay for the new spectrum.

"This move will enable TE to fulfil our long awaited goal of becoming a total telecommunications operator, by offering mobile services," TE CEO Tamer Gadalla said in a statement.

It was not clear what would happen to the Vodafone Egypt stake if TE begins offering mobile services directly. Under previous reform plans, which have since been scrapped, TE would have had to dispose of its stake.

Vodafone Egypt said it received an offer from the telecoms regulator a week ago, but declined to give any numbers.

Khaled Hegazi, external affairs and legal director at Vodafone Egypt, said, however, that not all the mobile service providers had necessarily been offered the same prices or terms.

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"Each company has specific conditions that are considered competitive. We receive different offers based on each companys condition in the market," he told Reuters.

Etisalat, which also provides mobile services in Egypt, was not immediately available to comment.

(Reporting by Ehab Farouk, Lin Noueihed and Ola Noureldin; Editing by Alexander Smith)
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's former president Mohamed Mursi was handed another life sentence on Saturday, after a court found him guilty of espionage and leaking state secrets. Mursi, leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, has already been sentenced in three other cases, including the death penalty for a mass jail break during the 2011 uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak and a life sentence for spying on behalf of Palestinian group Hamas. The court on Saturday also said the death penalty had been approved for six others accused alongside Mursi, including three journalists sentenced in absentia. Two other defendants who had worked in Mursi's office were sentenced to life in prison. The sentences are the latest in a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood since an army takeover stripped Mursi of power in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. Prosecutors argued Mursi and his aides were involved in leaking sensitive documents to Qatari intelligence that exposed the location of weapons held by the Egyptian armed forces. All of the defendants can appeal the verdicts to the Egyptian Court of Cassation, the country's highest civil court. Relations between Qatar, a Gulf Arab state, and Egypt have been icy since July 2013 when Egypt's then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi overthrew Mursi. Qatar sharply criticised the ruling on Saturday and said it was not based on fact. "This ruling is baseless, unjust, and not based on facts. Its misleading claims are at odds with Qatari policy towards its neighbouring states, including Egypt," said a spokesman for the Qatar foreign ministry. Qatar had supported Mursi, who is in jail along with thousands of Brotherhood members, many of whom have been sentenced to death on separate charges. Sisi says the Brotherhood poses a serious threat to security despite the crackdown, which has weakened what was once Egypt's most organised political group. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy and Haitham Ahmed; Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Saturdays announcement that Raghuram Rajan would not serve a second term as governor of the Reserve Bank of India, the countrys central bank, is bad news  and not just for an India that could well be on the verge of finally unleashing more fully its huge growth and development potential. It is also unfortunate for a global central banking community that is facing its own set of increasing challenges, both political and related to the excessive policy burdens that key central banks have been forced to carry.

Rajan brought to the RBI job an admirable mix of talent, academic rigor and courage  as well as profound experience from his time at the International Monetary Fund. Under his leadership, the central bank restored Indias macroeconomic stability, a critical condition for high inclusive growth. Progress was also made in reforming and strengthening the financial system with a view to improving its soundness, efficiency and contributions to growth and development.

With such visible and determined progress, Rajan helped enhance the credibility of the RBI. This served as yet another catalyst for higher inflows of foreign direct investment, particularly given the importance that investors place on institutional soundness.

Inevitably, Rajans leadership of the RBI did not please every politician, including some particularly vocal ones who felt that insufficient attention was being given to specific credit facilities. With Narendra Modi, Indias reformist Prime Minister remaining rather quiet in the resulting controversy, Rajan informed his RBI colleagues on Saturday that he would not be serving a second term when his current one expire in September.

Allianz's Mohamed El-Erian (Scott Mlyn | CNBC)

Rajans departure serves as yet another example of messy and noisy politics getting the better of good economics. Depending on who is named as his successor, the losses could well extend beyond an India that now risks slipping on what has been an impressive surge in an important area of policymaking.

Rajan is also a highly respected member of the global central banking community. His contributions have proven particularly important when it comes to thinking about the international spillover effects from a period of prolonged monetary policy experimentation by Europe, Japan and the United States.

Rajan will be missed, and by many. And while he expressed a desire in his Saturday notification to return to academia, the world would surely benefit from him eventually assuming a top position at an influential multilateral economic institutions  be it the BIS (Bank for International Settlement), the IMF (International Monetary Fund) or the World Bank.

Mohamed A. El-Erian is the chief economic advisor to Allianz, the corporate parent of PIMCO where he served as CEO and co-CIO (2007-2014). He is Chair of President Obamas Global Development Council and the author of two New York Times Best Sellers: the 2008 When Markets Collide and this years The Only Game in Town.

Follow him on twitter (@elerianm), Facebook and LinkedIn.
A version of this story on Emilia Clarke first appeared in the print edition of TheWrap Magazines Comedy/Drama/Actors Emmy Issue.

Emilia Clarke doesnt have much time to ponder what her life might have been like had she not gotten the role of Daenerys Targaryen on HBOs Game of Thrones. I think about a lot of what ifs, the Emmy-nominated actress told TheWrap, but I dont think that!

For Clarke, landing her breakout role so early in her career has been a fascinating journey. There was a lot of bright-eyed, bushy-tailedness about the evolution of me within the character and me within the world of the industry, she said. I got to learn a lot very quickly, like Daenerys does. The thing about the kind of success the show has seen is that I am unrecognizable without the wig. Ive been able to watch it from afar and kind of observe it, as opposed to being thrust in it and not being able to breathe. Ive been lucky.

Clarke plays the flaxen-haired Mother of Dragons on the hit series, which is now in its sixth season. Showrunners and the network have hinted the show is winding down, and will likely end after Season 8. The role has been a game-changer for the 29-year-old British actress, who landed two Primetime Emmy nominations and opportunities to star in movies big and small, from the 2015 reboot of The Terminator, in which she played Sarah Connor, to Thea Sharrocks recent adaptation of the best-selling tearjerker novel Me Before You.

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How do you prepare to play Daenerys now, as opposed to when you started six seasons ago?

When I first started, I carried the first book around with me everywhere. I had my notes all in it, [it was] dog-eared and I carried all of my notebooks around. Then with each season it becomes more about what the script is saying, getting to know that person.

How do you deal with the concept that for a certain section of fans, youll always be this iconic character?

I love it! Its a wonderful thing. I think of actors that I love and their iconic roles, and I can love and appreciate everything that they do, but there is still that one thing Im so lucky to be known for this. Shes got range and shes got an arc, and shes got so many wonderful qualities. Its not a regular television show where its very much the same character coming back every year. This is different.

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Im also lucky because the wig changes everything about me. Put me in something else and its like, Whos that girl?

Also Read: Emmy Quickie: Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)

What did being an actor mean to you before it became your career?

I had no idea how much work goes into being an actor, as opposed to turning up on set and saying the lines. Theres a whole world of being an actor that is invisible to young actors coming up. Im a fatalist. I take the highs and the lows as, Thats today. As long as you treat those two in a similar vein, youre never going to get too low, youre never going to get too high. So I try to stay in the middle. That balance is so important.

Theres a lot of pressure, as anyone has pressure in their life, but its a bit different. Youve got more judgments, more opinions, when youre in something successful and youre on that pedestal. Youve got to continue to be really strong and march to the beat of your own drum, and not look at yourself on the Internet or look at an article and go, Ugh, I didnt mean that! or look at a piece of work you did and wonder why they used that take. Youve just got to live your life and not live it as if it were too different from anyone elses.

How do you do that?

You just try! [Laughs] You surround yourself with wicked people. Good friends, good family, good rep  good hair and makeup, even. Everyone you interact with, really, can perpetuate a problem or they can help you to be chill and be normal and just be like a regular normal person.

What actors did you look up growing up?

Lucille Ball is one actress Ive always looked up to. Shes just crazy, and uses as much of her face as possible. And then youve got good old Audrey [Hepburn]. That kind of grace really affected me at a young age. To see someone hold themself with such grace I just found magnetic.

It kind of changes all the time. Its the smart ones  the smart actresses, the clever.

Whose careers do you hope to emulate?

Its an amalgamation of lots of peoples careers. Its like, Oh, I want to be a comedian like Julia Louis-Dreyfus or Amy Poehler! No, I want to be a serious actress like Marion Cotillard! Kate Winslets career, I think, is phenomenal. The longevity of Meryl Streep, the class of Diane Keaton. Literally thousands of names in my head. Theres not one career I want. Because you cant just copy someone, thats a recipe for disappointment.

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What sort of lessons did you take from something like Terminator: Genisys, which maybe didnt perform as well as people had hoped?

So many. Im lucky that Im in this brilliant Game of Thrones show, but it doesnt exclude you from experiencing things that arent as wildly popular or successful. I think those experiences are just as important. And its less about how well it did, and its more about the experience that I take away from it.

I feel much happier about learning lessons from Im not going to call it a failure since it made like a bajillion dollars! We did OK! [Laughs] But I think thats what you learn. You learn when things arent peaches and roses and everything isnt beautiful all the time.

And I presume you probably also learned you cant control the outcome of every situation.

Yeah, exactly. This is where having that balance is really important. If youre like, Im amazing, this is awesome!, believing the hype when youre at that height just makes you think you have to believe everything when its not good. If you just take it down a notch and accept the good stuff when it happens, then you hopefully dont crash on the floor when it doesnt go so well.

Also Read: The 12 Game-Changing 'Game of Thrones' Episodes Season 6's Finale Must Top (Photos)

Youre writing a comic screenplay with a friend, Lola Frears. Why a comedy?

Because were funny! [Laughs] My girl Lola and I, we just crack each other up. Shes an incredible writer. We went to drama school together. It had to be a comedy. This is the most joyous, easiest thing Ive ever done. Were in the middle of it and its wonderful. Well see what happens. Its just good to stoke as many fires as possible.

Was this borne out of not seeing enough roles for yourself out there?

Yes. Lola and I loved the same kind of stuff growing up. So were looking at the landscape today and we went, Where is it? Where is that movie? So it was like, Lets make it! Lets just write it, lets just do that.

Why werent you liking the stuff thats out there?

I still think theres a disparity between roles for women and men. Theres a bunch of scripts I read and went, You could just make that character a woman, and in making her a woman, you dont even have to change anything else. You just write Sally instead of Simon, and boom! Its the same.

And Im lucky, I get sent all the badass stuff because I get to play Daenerys. I get the cream of the crop in terms of strong female roles. But also a lot of comedies I loved were written by people who starred in them. If you read all the biographies of comedians, theyre coming up with their friends and theyre writing for each other and they grow together. It creates this gorgeous thing.

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Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Schumer are also very famously writing a script together. Why do you think this is a trend?

I think you get to a point where you read so many scripts and youre like, Hey, Ive got a brain, and Im reading these scripts, why cant I give a shot? Im not saying its going to be When Harry Met Sally but its giving it a shot and thats the important thing. Its just trying.

Do you have other aspirations? Do you want to direct?

I want to do a lot of things! Id write before I would direct. I was in the process of optioning a book to produce. My mom is a badass businesswoman so I feel like Im comfortable in this role. Its about painting the landscape you want to see.

Whats your take on Jennifer Lawrence speaking out on the gender pay gap in Hollywood?

The more people who talk about that the better, I think. There was a while where I was like, Well, were all up here in the viewing gallery with a very cushy point of view, when we should also be talking about the gender disparity for everybody in the Western world, talking about gender equality for businesspeople throughout  for everyone in their workplaces instead of just people in Hollywood.

But then it occurred to me, if Hollywood shouts about it loud enough, then everyones going to hear. And thats maybe going to empower some people reading the articles to go, Wait a second, thats kind of the same as me and thats not right. We should stop making this a conversation about men vs. women, and make it a conversation about people, about human beings.

Do you feel a certain responsibility to take on some of these issues because of the position youre in?

Yeah, but its less a responsibility and more that I am fortunate enough to have an opportunity to speak up about the things that upset me.

With Game of Thrones coming to an end, how are you processing it in terms of where your career goes from here?

Im kind of excited. Its not going to be nice when the show ends, obviously. Its going to be huge, epic. But Im excited. The landscapes getting exciting and different and we have more time to do it.

What sort of legacy do you hope your character and the show leave?

Just a little bit of female empowerment. I just want the empowerment of people watching a character like this to light a spark in their brain, like, No, you dont need to have dragons to be a badass in your day-to-day life. Who doesnt love a hero? And theres so many on the show. So I hope thats what the show will leave.

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A version of this story on Miranda Otto first appeared in the print edition of TheWrap Magazines Comedy/Drama/Actors Emmy Issue.

While nothing may top the jaw-dropping excitement of its first season, the most recent and fifth outing of Showtimes Homeland depicted a house in most excellent order.

Claire Danes consistently delivered as a former CIA operative struggling with mental illness, while Mandy Patinkin, F. Murray Abraham and Rupert Friend never disappointed.

But it was Miranda Otto who nearly burned that house to the ground with her brilliant, conniving double agent Allison Carr.

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As the icy and stylish Berlin bureau chief to the CIA, the 48-year-old Australian actress offered up a lie-a-minute master manipulator leaving emotional and physical damage in her wake.

When showrunner Alex Gansa gave her the job, Otto said, she didnt fully know what she was in for.

Also Read: Emmy Quickie: Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)

A lot of it revealed itself as I went along, the actress told TheWrap. I was so surprised by how many ways they found for her to survive when she was so cornered. Whats amazing is that she was always on the attack, never on the defensive. She never apologized  she was very masculine in that way.

Otto also carried out an onscreen affair with Patinkins Saul Berenson, one of the longest longest cons her character would pull  though she disagreed it was all for show.

Also Read: Emmy Quickie: 'American Horror Story: Hotel' Star Evan Peters Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)

Any time you have intimacy with someone there is something between them, she said. One of the things Alex Gansa gave me was a book on [British spy] Kim Philby. He had these incredibly intimate relationships with all of the people he worked with for years and was double-crossing them.

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Philby defected to the Soviet Union in 1963. Spoiler alert: Allison Carr was not so lucky. I love the idea that she decided shed have to go to [the Russians] to survive in the end, Otto said.

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She has this realization that, given the people shes working for, she cant afford to be moralistic, Otto said.

But when I read that I was dead in a trunk, I said, Couldnt you open the trunk and Im not in there? Not that she would have to come back to the show, but someone like her would have just evaporated.

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BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union's banking watchdog will move from London to another European capital if Britain decides to quit the bloc in a referendum this week, its chairman said in an interview published on Sunday.

Britain votes on June 23 on whether to stay in the 28-member bloc, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defence and diplomacy on the continent.

The London-based EBA, founded in 2011 as a reaction to the global financial crisis, operates as a pan-EU regulator, writing and coordinating banking rules across the bloc.

"If the British should decide to leave the EU, we actually would have to move to another European capital," Andrea Enria, head of the European Banking Authority (EBA), told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

While betting odds have consistently indicated a vote to remain in the EU, opinion pollsters have so far painted contradictory pictures of how Britons will vote.

The EBA is currently working on an EU single rulebook aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all banks across the 28-country bloc's capital market.

"This work needs to be completed irrespective of the result of the referendum," said Enria, an Italian national. "We must ensure that there are no different rules between the countries that have the euro and those that do not have it."

Enria said the European banking sector was more stable now than five years ago, but there was still need for consolidation.

"If you look at the balance sheets of banks, you could actually ask yourself whether such low profitability and such low return on investment are sustainable in the long term," he said.

Banks should speed up their efforts to deal with non-performing loans and change their internal business culture in order to avoid future scandals and fines, Enria said.

That banks have hardly made any progress in these two areas is the reason why the European Central Bank (ECB) is struggling to boost lending and generate more growth despite its bond-purchase programme, he added.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
By Paul Taylor BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European history may be about to go into reverse. If Britain votes to leave the European Union, it will likely start a process of fragmentation of the political and security structures on which the post-World War Two and post-Cold War European order was built. Even if the British step back from the brink on Thursday, the bruising legacy of the debate, the growing trend of national referendums on EU issues and the backlash against globalization and internationalized elites on both sides of the Atlantic will not fade away any time soon. How far and how fast contagion may spread in case of a Brexit vote, no one can know. Just don't expect it to stop with one major country walking away from the EU. European Council President Donald Tusk, a historian and former Polish prime minister who took part in the struggle to overthrow Soviet-imposed communist rule in eastern Europe and join the EU, was both a witness and an actor in that history. Tusk, who knows from personal experience what it means to be on the wrong side of a wall or border, warned last week: "Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction not only of the EU but also of Western political civilization in its entirety." He is equally aware that if British Prime Minister David Cameron succeeds in turning public opinion in the final days and winning the referendum, his tactics of demanding a renegotiation of EU membership terms using a plebiscite as leverage are bound to tempt politicians in other countries. In private, there is anger at Cameron among EU leaders and diplomats who feel he has played Russian roulette with Europe's future in a failed bid to end civil war in his own party. In case of a Brexit, EU founders Germany and France will work to shore up the remaining EU and put forward new projects in security and defense. But their lack of agreement on how to strengthen the euro zone - and the prospect of anti-EU populists gaining in elections in those countries next year - makes any big integration initiative impossible for now. POPULISTS WINNING? The forces of European disintegration are on the rise in many countries, fueled by economic discontent, fear of job losses to foreign competition or to immigrants, and the anxieties of ageing societies. Eurosceptics in the Netherlands forced a referendum in April on an EU agreement on closer ties with Ukraine via a petition and mobilized just enough voters to make the "No" vote valid, leaving the Dutch and EU authorities with a legal conundrum. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who boasts of having established an "illiberal democracy", is planning a public vote in October to defy EU rules obliging member states to share the burden of taking in refugees flooding into Greece and Italy. And a eurosceptic rightist failed by a whisker to win Austria's presidential election last month, surfing a wave of hostility to migrants and defiance of "Brussels". The latest Pew Research Center survey of European attitudes shows public support for the EU has plunged across Europe, with the steepest fall in France, where only 38 percent have a favorable view of the Union, six points fewer than in Britain. Such findings do not necessarily indicate that other countries are likely to leave the bloc. Ironically support for the EU is strongest in Poland and Hungary, which are major beneficiaries of funds from Brussels but have two of Europe's most eurosceptic governments. But public hostility to sharing risks - financial, humanitarian or geopolitical - had gained ground around Europe even before the British vote, widening north-south and east-west gaps within the EU. "In a sense, the populists have already won, because they are setting the agenda for the mainstream parties," said Heather Grabbe, a visiting fellow at the European University Institute in Florence. Among those most alarmed are strategists in the United States and at NATO, the transatlantic defense alliance, who are convinced that a British vote to leave the EU would weaken the unity of the West and its resolve to tackle security challenges. Those include a more assertive Russia, Islamist militancy, war in the Middle East and North Africa that has put millions of refugees on the move, migratory pressures from sub-Saharan Africa and cyberattacks on economic and security networks. London has long been Washington's go-to partner in defense and intelligence but it has been more reluctant to join military action since the unpopular U.S.-led Iraq and Afghanistan wars. NATO is straining now to find European nations willing to deploy modest numbers of troops in rotation to support Baltic and East European allies alarmed by Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea and support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Some Brexit advocates contend that the EU is "yesterdays story" and that leaving would allow the UK to be more global. Yet a Leave vote would sidetrack the European Union for several years in divisive debates about the terms of the divorce with Britain, its second largest economy and military power. It would make the UK more inward-looking, with both main political parties mired in recrimination and an emphasis on shutting borders rather than on the British tradition of liberal intervention. "The project of European construction that began in the aftermath of World War Two and that has done so much to ensure that Europe did not again become a venue of instability and violence would be further endangered," said Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States and a former State Department policy planner. Writing in The American Interest magazine, Haas noted that for U.S. strategists, the continent that sparked two world wars had become "boring" after the end of Cold War. Brexit alone would not make Europe that much more interesting, he said, but it would contribute to the slow unraveling of a stable European order, leaving both the EU and the UK "weaker and more divided". (Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Alexander Smith)
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - One of Europe's most euroskeptic leaders, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, will launch a campaign in the British press urging Britons to vote to remain in the bloc at Thursday's referendum, his spokesman said. Orban will address the British people directly in newspaper adverts, his office added, joining a line of European leaders and institutions saying Britain should stay. "Although we have earned accusations of being anti-EU from many sides on numerous occasions, this is a testament to the fact that Hungary is committed to the European Union," government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said. The Hungarian leader has clashed with European authorities several times over his unorthodox fiscal and political reforms since sweeping to power in 2010. But his country has benefited from its membership of the bloc - under the EU's current financing cycle, which ends in 2020, Hungary gets some 25 billion euros over seven years. Kovacs said about 250,000 to 300,000 Hungarians were working in the UK. Immigration has become a heated topic in the referendum debate, with many 'Leave' campaigners pointing to the numbers of incomers from EU countries as a reason to quit the bloc. The campaign to decide Britain's membership of the European Union restarted on Sunday after a three-day hiatus following the killing of lawmaker Jo Cox, with Prime Minister David Cameron warning that Britons faced an "existential choice" on Thursday. The latest opinion polls showed the 'Remain' camp recovering some momentum, although the overall picture remains one of an evenly split electorate. (Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Michael Nienaber; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Lupita's Look "At the beginning, Lupita's character--known just as "The Girl"--has been in the jungle for weeks," said Ramos. "She's really dirty and very bedraggled. But Lupita was game for all of it--we even talked about the bodily fluids that we were going to stain her costume with. The inspiration for the Rugrats T-shirt was the fact that many of these young girls wear graphic T-shirts from America. In further research, I found out that a lot of American goods actually end up there through religious missionary transfer. So it becomes somewhat of a dumping ground for what we don't want anymore." Joan Marcus

Each time she steps onto a red carpet, Lupita Nyong'o looks flawless. So when costume designer Clint Ramos learned that he would be giving the star a major make-under for her Broadway debut in Eclipsed, he knew he had to get it right.

"When I first found out that Lupita would be in the play, I was really anxious because she's such a style icon," Ramos told InStyle on Tuesday, just days after winning the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play. "She's become a very decorated young actress in a very short amount of time, and I had only heard really great things about her--but I didn't know how far we could push her in the theater."

But as soon as he began working with Nyong'o--who portrays "The Girl," one of five women brought together while fighting to survive the Second Liberian Civil War--Ramos's apprehension quickly subsided. "Once we started talking about the costumes, she just asked all the right questions," he said. "It was a very photographed war, so I was able to pull images while researching the wardrobe. As we sifted through the photos together, I'd study Lupita's reaction to see what really resonated with her."

Nyong'o was on board to do whatever it took to look the part. Still, Ramos "didn't want to lose the idea of Lupita," he said. "I wanted her to look convincing without distracting people by making her look unrecognizable, because she really has this inner light. When you look at her, there's an unbelievable luminosity that just pours out of her skin. So while we celebrated the extreme of her character's look, I didn't want to overwork the idea and lose sight of who she is."

Even so, the wardrobe had to accurately reflect the plight of the characters at the play's core. "I didn't want to make the costumes prettier than they should be just because it's on Broadway," he said. "I wanted to capture these characters by being honest and truthful, because the subject is unflinching and we're forced to watch their painful story."

RELATED: Hamilton Costume Designer Paul Tazewell's Post-Tony Win Plan? "We're Gonna Celebrate!"

While the hard-hitting play wraps its limited run on June 19, it's already made history as the first-ever show with an all-female cast--and the cast and crew couldn't be happier. "It's really profound that a play like Eclipsed, which deals with the darker and grittier aspects of humanity, is so successful," said Ramos. "And the fact that it means a lot to so many people is wonderful." Scroll down to see the costumes from the play and get the scoop from Ramos himself.
MONTERREY (Reuters) - An explosion struck a Kia Motors factory in northern Mexico on Saturday, injuring at least three workers after an accumulation of gas ignited, a local emergency services official told Reuters.

Local media reported that a worker fell into a sewer ditch and when two others attempted a rescue, they also fell and all three were badly injured.

The factory is located just outside the industrial city of Monterrey in the town of Pesqueria.

A local spokesman for the South Korean carmaker did not immediately return calls seeking additional information.

Luis Felipe Puente, the national director of emergency services, confirmed that some workers at the plant were injured, but could not provide additional details.

Kia Motors started production at the $1 billion factory last month and plans to increase its total production capacity to 300,000 vehicles a year, from this year's projected 100,000.

(Reporting by Gabriela Lopez in Monterrey, and David Alire Garcia and Luis Rojas in Mexico City; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
LONDON (Reuters) - Three of six opinion polls published ahead of a June 23 referendum showed a shift toward keeping Britain in the European Union, but the race still looked too close to call. The two polls based on the freshest surveys of voters - which were conducted almost entirely after the killing on Thursday of a British lawmaker - both put the "In" camp in the lead, reversing a recent rise in support for "Out". Prior to Saturday's polls, in the period between June 10 and June 16, "Out" led in seven of nine polls, rattling investors. Betting odds, provided by gambling firm Betfair on Sunday, gave the "In" campaign a 69 percent probability of winning, up from as low as 59 percent on Thursday. Here is a summary of Saturday's polls: SURVATION/MAIL ON SUNDAY POLL - "IN" AHEAD BY 3 POINTS A Survation telephone poll for the Mail on Sunday put support for "In" at 45 percent, with "Out" on 42 percent. Survation's previous poll, which was published as recently as Thursday and was conducted for financial markets firm IG, had shown "Out" ahead of "In" by the same margin. The new Survation poll was conducted on Friday and Saturday, after the murder of a member of parliament from the opposition Labour party who was a staunch "In" supporter. John Curtice, a polling expert from Strathclyde University, told the Mail on Sunday it was "far from clear" if the turnaround was the result of criticism of the Leave campaign following the death of Jo Cox. YOUGOV/SUNDAY TIMES - "IN" AHEAD BY 1 POINT A YouGov online poll for the Sunday Times showed growing support for staying in the EU, giving a 44-43 percent lead for "In" and reversing a lead of seven points in a YouGov survey on June 13. The new poll was based on interviews conducted on Thursday and Friday and two thirds of them were done after news broke of the killing of Cox, YouGov said. But YouGov attributed the bounce to growing concerns among voters about the economic impact of a so-called Brexit rather than the attack, a boost for Prime Minister David Cameron who has tried to focus voters on the risks to the economy. YOUGOV/ITV - "OUT" LEAD CUT TO 2 POINTS Another online YouGov poll, for ITV television, showed "Out" ahead of "In" by 44-42 percent, a much narrower margin than the seven-point lead found by YouGov earlier in the week. The YouGov ITV poll was based on interviews conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, before news of the attack on Cox. OPINIUM/OBSERVER - NECK AND NECK An online poll by Opinium for the Observer newspaper showed the "Out" campaign drawing level with "In" on 44 percent each. Interviews took place between June 14 and 17, mostly before news of the attack on Cox reached respondents. The previous Opinium/Observer poll, published on June 11, showed "In" ahead of "Out" by 44-42 percent. BMG/HERALD Two polls - both conducted before the attack on Cox - by polling firm BMG for the Herald newspaper showed conflicting results. A phone poll gave the "In" campaign a 53.3-46.7 percent lead but a separate online poll gave "Out" a 10-point lead. BMG has not disclosed its telephone polling results previously. The online poll showed a bigger lead for Leave than before. But BMG said its telephone polls more accurately reflect public opinion. WHAT'S COMING UP The next polls are likely to appear around 2100 GMT on Monday when a weekly ORB survey is due on The Daily Telegraph website and The Times is expected to publish a YouGov survey. (Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Newly released footage by Solar Impulse shows pilot Andre Borschberg flying the solar-powered plane past the Statue of Liberty in the early hours of Saturday, June 11, right before touching down in New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Statue of Liberty welcomes travellers, flying over it now we pay tribute to the special welcome we received here, [sic] Borschberg tweeted the day of the flyby.

The Solar Impulse is currently on a mission to be the first solar plane to fly around the world. It is expected to end its journey, which began in Abu Dhabi in March 2015, back in the Middle East around July. Credit: YouTube/SOLAR IMPULSE
(Reuters) - A one-time finalist on the Mexican version of the TV singing competition "The Voice" died on Saturday two days after being shot in Chicago. Alejandro Fuentes, 45, was shot on Thursday after refusing a gunman's order to get out of his car, according to media reports. Fuentes, a finalist in 2011 on "The Voice", owned a studio and school in the city, and had just left his birthday celebration, the reports said. Fuentes' death follows the murder last week of Christina Grimmie, a finalist on the U.S. version of "The Voice" who was shot and killed while signing autographs in Orlando. Her assailant killed himself at the scene. Authorities are still seeking suspects in Fuentes' shooting. (Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Kim Coghill)
On Sunday night, one of the biggest and most pivotal events in Game of Thrones thus far will occur: the Battle of the Bastards. Sansa Stark and her bastard half-brother Jon Snow will lead an army of wildlings against legitimized bastard Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell.

As with anything in Game of Thrones at this point, the story of how we got here is pretty complicated. And its not actually one story that led us here, but several: Ramsays story, Sansas story, Jons story (which includes the wildlings), Melisandre and Davos story, Brienne of Tarths story, and Rickons story. All their threads are converging, and its likely that at least one or two of them will end here in some kind of brutal fashion.

Before we dive into all that death and mayhem, its important to look back on those winding paths these characters have taken, either willingly or otherwise. Those long roads are what give the Battle of the Bastards significance. Without them, this showdown in the snowy north is just more violent spectacle.

But the Battle of the Bastards is far more than just spectacle. Its a fight for the soul of the North, and the first big step in preparation for the Long Night ahead when the White Walkers move south. For everyone involved, everything is on the line.





Also Read: 17 Big 'Game of Thrones' Fan Theories for Season 6 (Photos)





Sansa Stark

Despite the Battle of the Bastards name, the legitimately born Sansa is really the driving force here. After years of being passed around from one man to another like a commodity, she decided shed had enough and taken her fate into her own hands for the first time.

Sansas story is long and tragic. In season 1, she was pledged to marry Prince Joffrey, who soon became King Joffrey. Though at first enamored with the idea of becoming queen, Sansa saw the real Joffrey when he had her father publicly executed despite her pleas for mercy. The incessantly cruel Joffrey went from dream to nightmare in the blink of an eye, as he began throwing out all sorts of horrible ideas for what he was going to do to her in the coming years.

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After House Tyrell allied with the Lannisters at the Battle of the Blackwater, Sansa was thankfully freed of her commitment to Joffrey when Margaery Tyrell was betrothed to him instead. Though Sansa was then passed to Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion was at least nicer, but Sansa was distraught by the news of her mother and brothers murder at the hands of the Freys as well as Joffreys continued threats. Sansa married Tyrion, but that marriage lasted only until Joffrey was poisoned at his own wedding.

Little Finger spirited Sansa out of Kings Landing then, knowing she and Tyrion would likely take the fall for Joffreys murder (Little Finger himself was responsible). After a detour to the Vale, Little Finger passed Sansa along to the Boltons, who controlled the Starks ancestral home at Winterfell. Roose Bolton legitimized his bastard son Ramsay, who then married and subsequently abused Sansa. Finally, Sansa convinced Theon Greyjoy to escape with her, and they did  Theon returned to his home in the Iron Islands, and Sansa met up with Brienne and went to Castle Black to meet with her brother Jon.

For a more detailed look at Sansas path, check out our gallery of Sansas story below.

GALLERY: 'Game of Thrones' 101: Sansa Stark's Biggest Moments (Photos)

Jon Snow

One of the two titular bastards in the Battle of the Bastards, Jon Snow is the bastard son of Ned Stark and former Lord Commander of the Nights Watch. Jon joined the Watch at the beginning of the series, looking to carve out a place for himself in the world separate from his family.

Jons time in the Watch was incredibly eventful. Groomed by Lord Commander Mormont to be his eventual successor but despised by many of his brothers, Jon was captured by wildlings north of the wall and pretended to join up with the forces of the King Beyond the Wall Mance Rayder. But the ruse was short-lived, and Jon soon rejoined his brothers  leaving his wildling lover Ygritte behind. Ygritte was eventually killed when the wildlings attacked Castle Black, and Jons perpetual pouty face got even poutier.

Jon was, fortunately or unfortunately, popular enough to be elected the new Lord Commander after Mormont was killed by mutineers. Jon used his new standing to form an alliance with the wildlings  move he deemed necessary ahead of the imminent invasion from the north by the White Walkers and their undead armies. But some of his brothers, including Alister Thorne, didnt like this, and a small group of Black Brothers murdered Jon because of it.

Fortunately for Jon, and probably everyone else, the Red Woman Melisandre was able to resurrect Jon. Jon then had the mutineers hung, before quitting the Nights Watch. He had, after all, served until his death.

Then Sansa showed up, and she and Jon gathered a small army and headed south to Winterfell, to take back their home from the Boltons. That army includes the wildlings he had allied with as Lord Commander.

For a more detailed look at the history of Jon Snow, check out the gallery below, which features a timeline of his path through Game of Thrones.

GALLERY: 'Game of Thrones' 101: The Story of Jon Snow, from Timid Bastard to Resurrected Leader (Photos)

Ramsay Bolton

Ramsay was the bastard son of Roose Bolton, legitimized because Roose had no other heirs. Ramsay is a really twisted guy  he first appeared in Season 3, and that entire season he did little other than torture Theon Greyjoy, even going so far as to castrate him and turning him into a trained pet he called Reek.

After Roose was named Warden of the North by the Lannisters, Ramsay moved into Winterfell and was married to Sansa Stark in a gambit by the Boltons to legitimize their claim to the North. Little Finger gave Sansa to the Boltons in a hugely miscalculated move  Little Finger thought she would be safe there, but of course no one is safe in Ramsays clutches. Ramsay sexually abused Sansa throughout her time there.

With Stannis Baratheon moving against Winterfell with a massive force, Ramsay was key in defeating them. He devised a plan to sabotage their supplies with a small group of men, a move that worked spectacularly with the first heavy snows of winter blanketing the region. By the time Stannis army managed to reach Winterfell, it was a shadow of its former self, and the Boltons easily defeated them. But Sansa and Theon escaped in the aftermath, weakening the Boltons hold on the North in an important way.

Rooses wife Walda, meanwhile, finally gave Roose a trueborn heir. This, Ramsay took as a cue. He murdered his father, Walda and their baby, and claimed the title of Lord Bolton for himself. He forged alliances with several houses that were previously allied with the Starks in order to fend off an inevitable uprising. With Sansa and Jon gathering forces in the North, Ramsay still has the advantage in numbers.

Ramsays crimes against humanity cannot, of course, be summarized that quickly  for more on all that crap hes pulled over the years, check out the gallery linked just below.

GALLERY: 'Game of Thrones': All of Ramsay Bolton's Crimes Against Humanity (Photos)

The Red Woman and Davos Seaworth

Both were pledged to Stannis for years: Melisandre as his religious advisor and Davos as Hand of the King. They never agreed on anything  Davos saw Melisandres magic as an abomination, and Melisandre resented Davos refusal to worship the Lord of Light. Melisandre did, however, realize that Davos had an important part to play, and prevented Stannis from having Davos executed after he attempted to kill her.

They both stood with Stannis to the end, though neither participated in the battle at Winterfell where Stannis was killed. But they both knew the end was coming before it did. Stannis sent Davos to Castle Black for supplies before the battle, knowing that he would try to interfere with any troubling religious ritual they would carry out to ensure their success. Melisandres last gasp attempt at saving Stannis involved burning his daughter Shireen alive  but when all that accomplished was causing the suicide of Stannis wife and half his forces abandoning the cause, she knew it was over and rode for Castle Black as well.

With Stannis dead, they both found themselves without a cause, all their hopes and dreams shattered and both knowing that something far worse lay on the horizon: the White Walkers. Melisandre, who its revealed is actually an ancient human, had counted Stannis as the savior of mankind, but that clearly was not the case. Castle Black becoming quite a hostile place with Jon Snow dead, Davos convinced her to attempt the same resurrection ritual Thoros of Myr had performed on Beric Dondarrion multiple times. She did so, and it worked.

Also Read: Who Are All These People on 'Game of Thrones'? (Photos)

Davos and Melisandre once again had a cause. The Red Woman now believed Jon Snow was the savior she previously thought Stannis was, and Davos believed the same thing but for more practical reasons rather than prophecy.

Brienne of Tarth

Lady Brienne is one of several major characters on Game of Thrones who has always been looking for her place. She began as a devotee and member of the kingsguard of Renly Baratheon, whom she had known for most of her life and had treated her well when others mocked her large size. When Renley was killed by Stannis ghost baby, Brienne pledged herself to Catelyn Stark, who charged Brienne with returning Jaime Lannister to Kings Landing and retrieving the Stark daughters.

Brienne did deliver Jaime, but Arya was out of reach and Sansa was married to Tyrion Lannister. Oh, and Catelyn and Robb Stark had been killed at the Red Wedding. Brienne had made an oath, but that oath had become more complicated.

After Joffreys death and Sansas disappearance, however, things became more clear. Jaime, in thanks for saving him, gave her his Valyrian steel sword and told her to use it to help Arya and Sansa however she could. He also presented her with the services of Podrick Payne as her squire. The two set off across Westeros in search of Arya and Sansa.

Also Read: 'Game of Thrones': Most Upsetting, Shocking and Disturbing Deaths Through Season 6 Episode 8 (Photos)

They found Arya in the company of the Hound, and Brienne critically wounded him but Arya ran away. They later found Sansa in an inn with Little Finger, and Brienne offered herself to her  but Sansa refused. Knowing they were traveling to Winterfell, Brienne and Pod followed them, and waited.

Meanwhile, Stannis army attacked Winterfell and lost. In the aftermath, Brienne found a wounded Stannis in the woods and finished him off.

After Sansa escaped Winterfell, Brienne found her, slew her pursuers and again offered herself to Sansa. This time, Sansa accepted. They traveled to Castle Black, hooked up with Jon Snow, and then Brienne traveled south to Riverrun to attempt to secure the services of Sansas mothers family, House Tully. She was unable to do so, and set off north again ahead of the Battle of the Bastards.





Also Read: 17 Big 'Game of Thrones' Fan Theories for Season 6 (Photos)





Rickon Stark

Rickon has done basically nothing the entire series, mostly hovering in the background at Winterfell for two seasons before going on the run with Hodor, Osha and his brother Bran. The quartet roamed the North for a little while, before Bran and Hodor split off with Jojen and Meera Reed and headed beyond the Wall to find the Three-Eyed Raven.

Rickon and Osha took refuge with the Stark bannermen of House Umber, but that refuge didnt last. When a new Lord Umber took over the house, he pledged their men to Ramsay Bolton and offered Rickon and Osha as gifts. Osha was murdered by Ramsay, and Rickon, so far as we know, remains in the Winterfell dungeons as Sansa and Jon make their move against the Boltons.

And thats your Battle of the Bastards primer. I hope youre ready for some mayhem and death.

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House Stark is on the cusp of winning back its ancestral home of Winterfell. But at what cost?

The coming episode of Game of Thrones, called "Battle of the Bastards," promises to escalate the conflict between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) past the breaking point. At long last, the children of the late Eddard Stark are this close to reclaiming the land that's rightfully theirs - but if a Stark victory is all but narratively guaranteed, so is a Stark tragedy.

The preview for the episode shows just about every single beloved character in the North storyline participating in the so-called Snow Bowl. With that in mind, the odds of one or more of these figures not surviving the episode are astronomically high. For better and quite probably for worse, a fan-favorite hero will not escape the "Battle of the Bastards."

Read More: 'Game of Thrones': What to Expect From the 'Battle of the Bastards'

A quick refresher on some of the men and women on hand for the battle:

- Jon Snow, already proven to overcome fatal circumstances; should he fall, he's likely to rise again, no matter what he tells the Red Woman ahead of time.

- Ghost, Jon's faithful companion, and one of two remaining direwolves in a season that's already liberally killed off the Stark siblings' pets.

- Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), the woman many fans believe destined to claim the mantle of Queen in the North  but only if she survives the war to come.

- Rickon Stark (Art Parkinson), not seen since becoming Ramsay's hostage, easily in the most immediate danger of any main character.

- Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), Jon's loyal lieutenant, left with little to lose after Stannis Baratheon's season-five death, now holding on for the battle against the dead  assuming he can live through this battle first.

- Melisandre (Carice van Houten), the Red Priestess of Asshai who brought Jon back to life, and still has hundreds of years of wisdom to provide, assuming she's not killed at Winterfell.

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- Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju), commander of the Free Folk, who might not live long enough to tell Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) how much he loves her - not that she doesn't know already.

- Wun Wun the Giant (Ian Whyte), seemingly unkillable on the surface  but to riff on a phrase, they shoot Hodors, don't they?

Read More: 'Game of Thrones' Season 6: A Closer Look at the Trailer for Episode 9

There's hope that Ramsay won't survive the battle, of course, but how many other prominent villains are at risk in episode nine? Not many, if any. The sad truth is that the heroes are laying it all on the line, and as such, at least one is bound to pay an ice cold price.

Watch the video for more on the final battles of season six:

Follow THR's Game of Thrones coverage for more previews, interviews and news.
BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union should gradually phase out sanctions imposed against Russia over the Ukraine crisis if there is substantial progress in the peace process, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted on Sunday as saying. His comments reflect divisions within Germany's ruling right-left coalition over policy toward Russia. Steinmeier's Social Democrats (SPD) back a more conciliatory stance toward Moscow than Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc. Merkel has repeatedly said that sanctions imposed against Russia can only be lifted once the peace agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine is fully implemented, not only partially. Steinmeier struck a different tone. "Sanctions are not an end in themselves. They should rather give incentives for a change in behavior," he told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, a network of local newspapers. The minister said he was in favor of lifting sanctions gradually if the Russian government showed it was doing its part in implementing the Minsk peace plan for Ukraine, adding: "An all or nothing approach, even if it sounds good, doesn't work." Steinmeier rejected criticism that he was acting like an "advocate for the Kremlin". "We must still be able to have a joint reflection if we want to find solutions for other big conflicts," Steinmeier added, pointing to the civil war in Syria where Russia is actively backing President Bashar al-Assad against various rebel groups. On Friday, the European Union extended for a year a ban on business dealings with the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that has not been internationally recognized. In addition, the bloc is expected this week to extend until the end of 2016 its broader economic sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis in Ukraine. In a separate interview published this weekend Steinmeier criticized NATO's decision to stage military maneuvers this month in eastern Europe, warning that such moves could worsen tensions with Russia. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Perhaps in no country in Europe is the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union feared so much by so many as the Netherlands, where I am from. The Dutch sympathy for Britain is genuine and widespread; it has old roots, as both countries, from time immemorial, have been mercantile nations, with an aversion toward protectionism. Which is to say that Dutch feelings are not representative of European feelings more broadly  nor should they be considered flattering for Britain.

It was the Dutch who, in the 1960s, were already pleading for British membership in the Union, although the attempts of the Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns at the time were blocked by French President Charles de Gaulle. This is because in Britain, the Dutch see a likeminded partner: a partner who believes in free trade, and as a result, can serve as a counterweight to France and Germany, who traditionally advocate for more stateguided industrial policies. In Paris and Berlin, older notions about a socially responsible state still hold sway; in London, they were driven out thirty years ago, replaced by an ideology of privatization. For France and Germany, the concept of Europe as a set of ideals and values remains strong; not so in Britain, where Prime Minister David Cameron, in calling for next weeks referendum in the first place, has shown himself all too ready to risk a fourdecade-long partnership for the sake of political expediency.

For British governments, and for the Conservative Party in charge of the current iteration especially, the EU was never intended to be more than a distribution outlet for British exports  nowadays, mostly financial products. This vision of Europe as mainly a trade market is also shared by a lot of contemporary Dutch politicians. Older, idealistic notions of a political union as a means to uphold internal European peace have been mostly replaced by materialistic ones. Uri Rosenthal, the Dutch foreign minister from 2010 to 2012 and an ideological godfather to the current prime minister, once bluntly declared  to the astonishment of most of his own civil servants  that the main reason the Netherlands became an EU member state was to augment our rather modest domestic market  that is, to ensure more consumers for our cheese and tomatoes. His view is shared by many of our compatriots. In accordance with this worldview, Prime Minister Mark Rutte himself recently used his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in part to promote Heineken beer.

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A Brexit would deprive the Dutch of an important ally in their desire to reduce the European Union to a simple business venture. But this extremely narrow conception of the purpose of panEuropean cooperation is exactly why the EU might, contrary to most popular opinion, benefit from a Brexit. The United Kingdom didnt join and stay inside the EU to make something of it, but rather, to prevent others from making something of it.

Over the course of its 40 years as an EU member, London has consistently supported efforts to further enlarge the Union, for states ranging from Turkey to Ukraine. The result has been, in effect, a subtle form of sabotage: The bigger the EU, the looser it, by necessity, has had to become. As territorial expansion makes the Union more diverse, it makes substantive deepening  the famous ever closer union  increasingly impossible, until we are left with a sort of hollowed-out shell of what the European Union was intended to be.

If the British vote on June 23 for staying in the Union, they are expected to do so with such a small majority that, even afterwards, the discussion will not be over. On the contrary, as soon it becomes clear to voters, who, at the moment, may be convinced by Camerons arguments, that the concessions the prime minister managed to secure from Brussels ahead of the vote arent as huge as he pretended they were (as they couldnt be, without endangering the concept of a union as such)  as soon as it turns out that Londons proud gains amount to little more than the renewed assurance that the British in the future will still be allowed to drive on the left and to have their judges wear wigs  the clamor for an exit will begin anew. Should London be asked to make some kind of new sacrifice for the common European cause, like contributing extra to the EU budget for helping Greece or having a proportional share in the reception of refugees, we might expect it to begin even sooner. But Europe cant afford to be taken hostage any longer by British politicians fears of their own electorate.

The main political problem in Europe  the one that looms over all its other problems, has made handling them so difficult for the European political elite, and has led to the rise of Euroskeptic populist parties in nearly all of the Unions member states  is the loss of support for the very idea of European cooperation. Europe, in the eyes of a large proportion of its inhabitants, has come to be regarded not as a shelter, but as a threat.

This is due in part to the work of Britain, which insists on dragging Europe in a free market direction that runs contrary to the instincts of most of its citizens. Most European citizens cherish the nationally organized welfare state. The European Union gradually has become the incarnation of the reverse  of flexibility, privatization, and deregulation, which together have resulted in the demolition of social security arrangements deemed essential by the lower and middle classes. Competing taxation policies have resulted in the reduction of state budgets for education, housing, health care, and other collective efforts; large gaps in both the wage levels and the welfare policies of EU member states have, thanks to open borders, resulted in large-scale migrations that have put the wages of richer countries in northern and western Europe under pressure.

To give just one example, in 2005, during the French referendum on the European constitution, the management of a car factory in Mulhouse decided to outsource most of its manufacturing jobs to Romania, a soon-to-be EU member state. The workers? They would be allowed to continue their jobs  as seasonal workers in Romania  if they would accept Romanian wage levels. There would be no such arrangement for the managers, of course, who managed to convince shareholders to in fact, pay them more as a result of the savings they generated. It would be no wonder if most of those workers voted against Europe in the subsequent EU constitutional referendum. A common market with open borders but no social protections in practice means that a companys director, referring to the American rivals vying for his services, can augment his own salary, while at the same time saying to his workers, that, because of the Albanian rivals vying for their jobs, they must be content in the future with less.

When Brussels has suggested potential measures to provide more economic protection to normal Europeans, it has been mainly  although not only  Britain, that, in the past, has stood in the way, the better to protect the financial interests of big business. In the long run, this was destined to prove disastrous for the European Unions public approval, and thus, its political survival, but the British government was undeterred. Consider the many proposals for rules that might discipline the financial markets that Britain has readily slapped down, as London regards the City as the core of its national revenue model.

Westminster wants unlimited access to the common market, but declines any fiscal or social obligations. It engages in unfair fiscal and social competition that results in tax paradises for the rich and low wages for the poor in Britain, and forces more civilized countries to follow it in this race to the bottom, leading them to dismantle, against the will of their own citizens, a welfare state model that has long assured security for all. As long as Britain remains within the European Union, this clash will continue to dominate internal European politics, and thus, will continue to feed EU citizens growing aversion toward Brussels and the enormous growth of anti-European right-wing parties.

It is unhealthy for the EU to have a member state that is constantly talking about how awful it is  how much it hates all that it stands for, and that, in fact, embraces the idea that it is fundamentally out of sync philosophically with the rest of the Unions member states. Thus, far from being the last straw for a struggling polity, a Brexit might be just what Brussels needs to reverse course and to gain back the necessary support of its own citizens again.

Photo credit: Ian Waldie/Getty Images
A papyrus holding text that suggests Jesus Christ was married and whose authenticity has been a matter of intense debate since it was unveiled in 2012 is almost certainly a fake.

Karen King, the Harvard professor who discovered the Gospel of Jesus's Wife and has defended its authenticity, has now conceded that the papyrus is likely a forgery and that its owner lied to her about the provenance and his own background.

The concession comes after Walter Fritz, a resident of North Port, Florida, revealed that he is the owner of the papyrus that claims Jesus had a wife. Fritz said this to Ariel Sabar, a journalist for The Atlantic who wrote an expose published June 15.

Less than a day after that article was published, more documents came out revealing a fake Greek manuscript the owner had posted on his website and a blog in which the owners wife talks of restoring a second century Christian gospel, a project that apparently left part of the manuscript in fragments.

Then on the evening of June 16, King conceded that the papyrus is likely a forgery. The new evidence "tips the balance toward forgery," King told Sabar. [6 Archaeological Forgeries That Could Have Changed History]

The Gospel of Jesus's Wife contains the words "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...,'" suggesting that some people, in ancient times, believed that Jesus had a wife. King announced its discovery in September 2012.

A number of scholars suspected that Fritz was the owner; Live Science's prior investigations also revealed that he might have been the owner. With Fritz's ownership confirmed, new documents related to the Gospel of Jesus's Wife were published on the blog of Christian Askeland, a research associate with the Institute for Septuagint and Biblical Research in Wuppertal, Germany.

Additionally, Live Science had obtained several documents that were being withheld until Fritz was confirmed as the owner of the papyrus. These documents can now be published.

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Authenticity debate

The papyrus received extensive media coverage after it was first revealed in 2012. Scientific tests published in April 2014 in the journal Harvard Theological Review supported the authenticity of the papyrus. However, another series of studies published in the journal New Testament Studies in July 2015 suggested it was a forgery, having been copied, in part, from an online translation of the Gospel of Thomas published in 2002.

Fritz claims to have purchased the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, along with other papyri, in 1999 from a man named Hans-Ulrich Laukamp, the owner of ACMB-American Corporation for Milling and Boreworks in Venice, Florida. The two men worked together at the company, with Fritz becoming president of its U.S. operations.

In 2014, Live Science interviewed Laukamp's stepson, Rene Ernest, who said that Laukamp did not own the papyrus and had no interest in antiquities. Axel Herzsprung, a friend and business partner of Laukamp, also told Live Science that Laukamp did not collect papyri.

Sabar, of The Atlantic, also interviewed Ernest and Herzsprung for his article. Again, the two denied Fritz's claims, saying that Laukamp did not own the papyrus. Ernest told Sabar that Laukamp was a kind-hearted individual with minimal education who drank a lot and had no interest in antiquities.

Herzsprung described Fritz as a smooth talker who suckered Laukamp into giving him an executive position at ACMB. Fritz "was very eloquent," Herzsprung told Sabar, adding that "Laukamp was easily influenced  he didn't have a very high IQ  and Fritz was successful in talking his way in."

"Herzsprung made no effort to hide his hatred of Fritz," Sabar wrote. "I was so angry at him that I thought it was better we never meet in the dark somewhere," Herzsprung told Sabar.

Nefer Art

In 1995, Fritz founded a company called Nefer Art. (The word nefer is an Egyptian word for beauty; the company offered an array of services to art collectors.) "Our customer database is substantial, and our discreet and confidential services are perfect for the distinguished collector and seller who likes to avoid the pushy atmosphere of the big auctions [sic] houses," an old page of the company's website read.

Another page (which can still be seen) from the company website shows an array of artifacts, including a Greek text that multiple scholars identified as a fake when asked by Live Science. There is also an Arabic manuscript that is shown horizontally inverted. The Arabic manuscript has reddish spots on it; what they are is unknown, however, "orange spots" were found on the back of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife during an examination, King wrote in an article published in 2014 in the journal Harvard Theological Review. Whether the spots on the Arabic text have any relation to the spots on the Gospel of Jesus's Wife is unknown. The Arabic text has been unpublished until now.

The Greek text (seen here) is a terrible forgery, Askeland wrote on his blog. The text is written in a script "appropriate to a modern printed edition," he wrote, noting that "the cut along the left-hand side resembles one on the GJW [Gospel of Jesus's Wife]."

Anitra Williams-Fritz

Fritz is married to Anitra Williams-Fritz, an author who recently published a book of "automatic writing," which, as described in the book's summary, "involves allowing the spirit or higher self to simply flow through, to create, or guide the words that she writes. These writings are a very effective way for her to channel, as the message comes directly to her hand from her higher being and others."

Askeland found a web page suggesting that Williams-Fritz was also involved with papyri. She ran a business called Cute Art World, which, on Aug. 31, 2009  just a few months before her husband Fritz contacted King (of Harvard) for the first time  advertised pendants showing illustrations of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. Images on the pendants contained a tiny scrap of papyri.

Williams-Fritz said the fragments are from a restoration project that involved a Coptic Christian gospel. [Religious Mysteries: 8 Alleged Relics of Jesus]

"These fragments are really old and come from a larger Christian papyrus, dating back to the 2nd Century A.D," Williams-Fritz wrote in the descriptions of the pendants. "The larger papyrus was probably part of a gospel or an early Christian text, written in the Sahidic Coptic language. The fragments were left over and couldn't be incorporated into the big papyrus any more because they were so small."

A fake letter

Fritz provided King with a contract he signed with Laukamp, as well as a typed letter, supposedly from 1982, saying that Peter Munro, a professor at the Free University of Berlin, and colleagues had examined Laukamp's papyrus.

Sabar got a copy of this letter from Fritz and obtained copies of Munro's archived correspondence comparing the two. Sabar concluded that the letter was a fake.

"The problems were endemic. A word that should have been typed with a special German character  a so-called sharp S, which Munro used in typewritten correspondence throughout the '80s and early '90s  was instead rendered with two ordinary S's, a sign that the letter may have been composed on a non-German typewriter or after Germany's 1996 spelling reform, or both," Sabar wrote.

"In fact, all the available evidence suggests that the 1982 letter isn't from the 1980s," Sabar continued. "Its Courier typeface does not appear in the other Munro correspondence I gathered until the early '90s  Fritz's final years at the [Free University of Berlin]. The same is true of the letterhead. The school's Egyptology institute began using it only around April 1990."

Egyptology background

Sabar found that Fritz started studying for a master's degree in 1988 at the Free University of Berlin, before dropping out a few years later. Before he dropped out, Fritz published an article in German in 1991 in the journal Studien zur Altagyptischen Kultur. The paper detailed a study of the Amarna tablets, diplomatic correspondence between the pharaoh Akhenaten and other ancient leaders. Fritz also has a technical degree in architecture, Sabar found.

While Fritz denied forging the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, he admitted that he had the capability to do so. "Well, to a certain degree, probably," Fritz told Sabar. "But to a degree that it is absolutely undetectable to the newest scientific methods, I don't know."

Although Fritz was willing to talk to Sabar and disclose his ownership, he was unwilling to talk to Live Science. When we called him in April 2014, Fritz denied being the owner of the papyrus or knowing Laukamp. Fritz and his wife refused to communicate further with Live Science.

Porn business

Sabar also revealed that Fritz had started a pornography business in 2003. "Beginning in 2003, Fritz had launched a series of pornographic sites that showcased his wife having sex with other men  often more than one at a time," Sabar wrote.

Apparently, according to Sabar, the couple would advertise free "gangbangs," asking interested men to email "Walt" so they could be cleared to attend.

Though these sites seem to have been taken down between 2014 and 2015, archived images and video still exist online, Sabar found.

"He lied to me"

King has conceded that Fritz lied to her about the provenance of the papyrus but said she cannot be certain yet that the papyrus itself is a fraud.

"King said she would need scientific proof  or a confession  to make a definitive finding of forgery," Sabar wrote. However, King added that the evidence now "presses in the direction of forgery."

"I had no idea about this guy [Walter Fritz], obviously," King told Sabar. "He lied to me."

This article was originally published on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Athens (AFP) - A Greek people smuggler was sentenced to 103 years in prison for ferrying groups of migrants across the Aegean Sea to Europe, local media reported Sunday.

The 63-year-old smuggler was arrested in June 2015 aboard a yacht carrying 47 people, including 14 children, after a chase with the Greek coastguard off the island of Tilos, near Turkey.

The man, who had previously disembarked another group of migrants on the island, only brought the vessel to a halt after the coastguard fired warning shots, the reports said.

He had previously been prosecuted for people trafficking and was also implicated in a case involving the deliberate sinking of a boat, the reports added.

Over 800,000 migrants fleeing war, persecution and hardship in the Middle East and Asia have landed on the Greek islands from Turkey in 2015. Most continued on to northern Europe.
Despite many major food manufacturers and retailers announcing in recent years that they would move away from using bisphenol A in packaging materials, BPA remains present in the lining of many canned goods. Recent testing by an advocacy group found BPA in 70 percent of nearly 200 samplesincluding products from companies such as Campbells and Krogers, which have pledged to phase out BPA.

The chemical, which is used in many plastics and resins, is considered an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to developmental problems in fetuses, infants, and children. According to the Food and Drug Administration, BPA is safe at the levels people are exposed to via canned foods. Still, many consumers would rather not risk itand the Environmental Working Group has a new tool to help those shoppers avoid some 16,000 products that may have BPA in their packaging.

Its in beer, its in coffee, its in tea, its in energy drinks, its in beer cans, its in aerosol cans for whipped creamits everywhere, Samara Geller, a database and research analyst with EWG, said of BPA.

The information included in the database comes from a reliable place: the food companies. Last year, after California added bisphenol A to its list of hormone disruptors, the states Proposition 65 required manufacturers to list products that contain BPA and for a warning to be posted in stores (its by the cash register, and it doesnt include product names). The Grocery Manufacturers Association, an industry trade group, created a website to list all the BPA info for products made by its members, but EWG said in a press release that it is a chaotic jumbleincomplete, inconsistent, poorly organized and not searchable, and that little effort was made to promote it. With the new EWG database based on the same information, the nonprofit is hoping to improve on both of those problems.

Our new database shines a light on just how pervasive BPA is in our food system, and will help Americans navigate the supermarket armed with more information, EWG President Ken Cook said in a statement.

Story continues

Unlike the GMA website, the new database is searchable, but that doesnt always make it consumer-friendly. If you search for Trader Joes products, for example, you can see that the grocery stores Sliced Black Ripe Olives and Mild Chunky Salsa have BPA in the packagingwhich, fine, OK, is easy enough to remember at the store. But what about Trader Joes 000000514033 Tjoes Sld Lt Yf Olvol P&L or Trader Joes 000000992848 Tjoes Sld Wh Wtr No Slt? EWG says, by way of explanation, The product names in the industry database are often an incomprehensible jumble of abbreviated words. The numbers listed are UPC codes, however, which can be compared against product labels.

Our main goal was to get this out to as many people as possible as quickly as possible, Geller said when asked about the more confusing listings. She added that the UPC code is really your best defense to finding out what theyre talking about, as product names change.

But if reading UPCs in the grocery aisles feels like a bridge too far, Geller has some succinct advice: Consumers should try to avoid most canned food if possible, she said, and should look for those products that are labeled BPA-free.

Take the Pledge: Let's Put an End to Food Waste

Related stories on TakePart:





 Toxic BPA Found in Majority of Canned Food Packaging

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Original article from TakePart
An Ohio gun shop owner was fatally shot while teaching a concealed carry course this weekend.

James Baker, 64, was shot in the neck by a student while his class of about 10 people were doing weapon malfunction drills on Saturday, the Clermont County Sheriff's Office said in a release.

Read: Son Who Texted Mom From Bathroom During Orlando Shooting Is Among The Victims

Baker was teaching the class at KayJay Gun Shop in Amelia when the accidental shooting occurred, authorities said.

About a dozen people have gathered outside KayJay Gun Shop after reports of an accidental shooting. @Enquirer pic.twitter.com/YOdTEygArS  Cameron Knight (@ckpj99) June 18, 2016

Baker died at the scene. The student who fired the weapon hasn't been identified.

Photos from Monroe Township, which is about 25 miles outside Cincinnati, show people gathered in mourning outside the gun shop.

"Everybody loved him, everybody did," Baker's neighbor, Anita Fritz, told WKRC. "It's a tragedy."

At the scene of a reported accidental shooting in Clermont County. @Enquirer pic.twitter.com/b3jDE5uZ19  Cameron Knight (@ckpj99) June 18, 2016

Read: 15-Hour Filibuster for Gun Control Finally Ends with Sandy Hook Victim Story

According to the gun shop's website, the class teaches basic pistol safety, shooting range sessions and a review of state gun laws.

The Clermont County Sheriff's Office said they are conducting an investigation into the shooting.

Watch: Gun Advocate Mom Gets Shot By Her 4-Year-Old Son

Related Articles:


Credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Is there one definitive way of wearing New York designer Rosie Assoulin's voluminous pieces? If you're Gwyneth Paltrow, a touch of gold jewels does the trick.

That's what the Oscar-winning actress paired her blue fall 2016 jumpsuit with Tuesday in L.A., where the star was on hand to imbibe on Svedka's new cucumber lime vodka, which after a few sips surely had guests peering over Paltrow's award-worthy ensemble. The 43-year-old actress and entrepreneur wore the intricate frock, which features a wide leg, oversize sleeves, and a ribbed-up, cross body design that helped flaunt her toned midriff, with a low-key 'do that harkens back to no-frills '70s styles.

Back in April, Paltrow threw caution to the wind and dared to rock a fuzzy cashmere sweater with trousers in cool Southern California weather, a look that proves why she's one of fashion's many muses. After all, the star, who's planning a Goop clothing line, has previously dipped her feet into the style pond, collaborating with designers and fashion houses as revered as Valentino.

PHOTOS: Gwyneth Paltrow's Red Carpet Style

This outfit is a win, for sure.
Cast member Anton Yelchin poses during the photo call for the movie

As word spreads of "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin's tragic death in a freak car accident on Saturday, celebrities are expressing their sadness and appreciation for the late actor.

"All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Antony Yelchin," the movie studio behind the "Star Trek" film franchise told Business Insider via a statement on Sunday.

"As a member of the 'Star Trek' family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family," the statement continued.

Friends of Yelchin found the actor dead at his Studio City, California, home early on Sunday morning. He had been pinned between his car and a brick mailbox attached to a security gate.

Law enforcement said that his car's engine was still running and in neutral when the body was found. They don't suspect foul play but are continuing to investigate his death.

In addition to playing Chekov in the "Star Trek" films, Yelchin's credits include the movie "Alpha Dog," and he provided the voice of Clumsy in "The Smurfs" movie franchise. Yelchin also appeared on several television series, including "Taken," "The Practice," and "Huff."

Many notable Hollywood figures who knew him, worked with him, or were fans of the actor expressed their sadness over his loss:

"Star Trek" director JJ Abrams called him "brilliant" in a handwritten note.

Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, wrote from the heart.

our dear friend. our comrade. our anton. one of the most open and intellectually curious people i have ever had the pleasure to know. so enormously talented and generous of heart. wise beyond his years. and gone before his time. all love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief. A photo posted by Zachary Quinto (@zacharyquinto) on Jun 19, 2016 at 12:31pm PDT on Jun 19, 2016 at 12:31pm PDT

"Star Trek" costar John Cho, who plays Suhu, said he's "in ruins" over the actor's death.

Story continues

I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins.  John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

"Star Trek Beyond" director Justin Lin wrote of Yelchin's "passion and enthusiasm."

Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you.  Justin Lin (@trailingjohnson) June 19, 2016

Levar Burton, who played Geordi on the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" couldn't believe the news.

"Two Broke Girls" star Kat Dennings, who starred with Yelchin in the 2007 film "Charlie Bartlett" said the actor was "one of [her] best friends."

Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends. Can't say anything that conveys what this feels like  Kat Dennings (@OfficialKat) June 19, 2016

Director Guillermo del Toro cast Yelchin on his upcoming Netflix series, "Trollhunters."

The sweetest, most humble, delightful, talented guy you'd ever meet. Worked together for about a year. Shocked. https://t.co/uyg2NlmhqP  Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 19, 2016

Anton was a sweetheart. Absolutely a great creative partner and artist.  Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 19, 2016

"Pitch Perfect" star Anna Kendrick called Yelchin's death "unreal."

This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss.  Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) June 19, 2016

Hank Azaria, who played Yechin's father on the TV series "Huff," said he's "devastated."

Devastated about Anton Yelchin. He was a very sweet kid. My heart goes out to his family  Hank Azaria (@HankAzaria) June 19, 2016

Josh Gad, TV actor and star of Broadway hit "The Book of Mormon," called the death "absolutely horrible."

In absolute shock over the loss of #AntonYelchin. Absolutely horrible  Josh Gad (@joshgad) June 19, 2016

NOW WATCH: Our Brexit problems can be solved by this divorce test for unhappy couples





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Credit: Getty Images (2); Courtesy

No matter how many times companies get publicly called out for ads that promote body shaming, another pops up to take its place. But London's mayor just made a major step towards making these negative images obsolete.

RELATED: This Fashion Campaign Is Tackling Body Shaming in the Best Way

Mayor Sadiq Khan has instated a policy to ban body shaming ads from lining the walls of the London Underground and the city's bus system. As a father of two teen girls he understands the effects this kind of imagery has on women and wants

to do his part to put an end to it.

"It is high time it came to an end. Nobody should feel pressurized, while they travel on the Tube or bus, into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies, and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this," says Khan.

Cheers to that!

RELATED: Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham Have the Perfect Response to Body Shaming

The policy only extends to the tube and bus transpo networks, as it is up to the Transportation for London group to assess whether or not an ad promotes unrealistic beauty standards. Hopefully this will set the stage for other groups to take similar action.


Credit: mariobatali/instagram

This Sunday, treat dad with a simple yet memorable meal that has the seal of approval from one of our favorite chefs, Mario Batali. When we asked the celebrated chef for a special Father's Day dish, he gave us this easy-to-execute recipe from his sons Leo and Benno's archive: pocket burgers with blue cheese. They're easy and inexpensive to make, "yet they demand a delicious red wine to drink, like a nice Chateauneuf de Pape (a full-bodied red from the Rhone Valley in France) or an exquisite Barbaresco (a rich red from Piedmont, Italy)," says chef Batali. "It's a win-win!"

Pocket Burgers with Bleu Cheese

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Ingredients

1 3/4 lb. ground chuck

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

4 hamburger buns

RELATED: 8 Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Man Who Loves to Cook

Toppings

Red onion, sliced

Ketchup

Chinese mustard ($2; jet.com)

Relish

Mayonnaise

Sliced Jalapenos

Pickles

RELATED: 5 Last-Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas, Because the Clock's Ticking...

Directions

1. Form your ground chuck into eight evenly sized thin patties.

2. On one side of each patty, sprinkle a quarter of the cumin, pepper, and salt.

3. Flip four patties over, and place a quarter of the bleu cheese in the center of each of the four patties.

4. Take the "top" patties and place them over the bleu cheese, making sure that the spices are on the outside.

5. Gently push down around the blue cheese to seal the top and bottom patties together.

6. Brush the outside of each burger lightly with olive oil and a pinch more salt. Put your burgers on a grill at medium heat and cook for seven minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.

7. Place each patty on a toasted hamburger bun, top with desired toppings, and enjoy.
Athens (AFP) - Orthodox church leaders from around the world met in Greece Sunday for the first such gathering in a millennium, but the absence of several branches of the communion threatened to mar the event.

The clerics celebrated Orthodox Pentecost in the town of Heraklion on the island of Crete, where a "divine liturgy" was performed as part of the assembly that will last until June 27.

Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the the so-called Holy and Great Council on issues including wedlock, fasting, and united representation in dioceses in countries such as the United States and Australia.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos took part in the mass that was aired live on state broadcaster ERT.

But the absence of Russian Orthodox leader Kyrill, who represents some 130 million faithful -- half the worlds Orthodox population -- threatened to undermine the image of unity that the gathered leaders had sought to project.

Aside from Russia, the Orthodox churches of Bulgaria and Georgia were also absent. Both are considered close to Moscow.

The Patriarchate of Antioch is also staying away because of a spat with Jerusalem over the appointment of clerics in Qatar.

"This great and holy council will carry the message of unity... it will help to escape the deadlocks of the present," Patriarch Bartholomew told local media.

The last such meeting was in 1054 when Christianity split between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, in the so-called "great schism" -- and working out the details of the new council has taken over 50 years.

"The unity of Orthodoxy is good for us all. It is those who are absent who will miss out," said Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.

The Orthodox communion has about 250 million followers worldwide and consists of 14 autonomous churches.

Shaken by the upheaval in the former Soviet bloc and the Middle East it is frequently plagued by national and political strife.

Pope Francis, in his traditional Sunday prayer on Saint Peter's Square in Rome, called for reconciliation within the Orthodox Church.

"Let us unite with our Orthodox brothers, invoking the Holy Spirit to help with his gifts the Patriarchs, the archbishops and the bishops gathered together in Council," the head of the Roman Catholic Church said, before reciting a Hail Mary with the crowd in Italian.
Hollywood was quick to mourn Anton Yelchin after news of the young actor's unexpected death broke on Sunday. Yelchin, who was 27, died early Sunday in a car accident. Known for his role in the recent Star Trek series of films, Yelchin was remembered by Paramount and J.J. Abrams, who directed the last two Star Trek films before handing over directing duties on the third film, Star Trek Beyond, to Justin Lin. That movie, which will be distributed by Paramount, hits theaters July 22.

"All of us at Paramount join the world in morning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family," Paramount said in a statement.

Drake Doremus, who wrote and directed Like Crazy, the 2011 film that won Sundance's grand jury prize and features Yelchin's most acclaimed performance, was reached by The Hollywood Reporter shortly after the news broke. "I'm still in shock," he said. "I'm having a hard time processing it. I just woke up and saw it online and thought it was a hoax, you know, like some of these things are. Then I talked to some people who confirmed it and it's just devastating." He continued, "Everyone's devastated. I spoke to Felicity [Jones, Yelchin's costar in Like Crazy], who is very devastated and very upset. And Jon Schwartz [Like Crazy's producer]. You just try to touch base with all the people you love and who changed your life, and he certainly changed all our lives."

In her own statement, Jones said: "I'm devastated. A world without Anton is a lesser place. He touched everyone he met with his honesty and humanity. We have lost a unique and profound soul."

Jodie Foster, who directed Yelchin in 2011's The Beaver, mourned the young actor. "What a rare and beautiful soul with his unstoppable passion for life. He was equal parts serious thinker and the most fun little brother you could ever dream of," Foster said in a statement. "I am so honored to have been able to direct such a deep actor, so committed and genuine. I will forever be grateful for all of those little exchanges we shared, his contagious enthusiasm, his questions, his company. My heart breaks for his mom and dad who were a part of every anecdote. He carried their love into everything he touched."

Story continues

Read More: Anton Yelchin, 'Star Trek' Actor, Dies at 27

More Hollywood figures took to social media to remember Yelchin, including Abrams, who posted a handwritten note to the Twitter account for his production company Bad Robot. "You were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. And you weren't here nearly long enough. Missing you ," Abrams wrote in his note.

Justin Timberlake, who co-starred with Yelchin in the 2006 film Alpha Dog, said of the late actor, "Genius actor. Amazing human being. Gone WAY too soon."

See More: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016

See what else Hollywood is saying about Yelchin below.

Anton Yelchin.

Genius actor. Amazing human being. Gone WAY too soon.

May he rest in peace.- Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 20, 2016

pic.twitter.com/q8VBJBVPK3

- Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 19, 2016

Anton was a sweetheart. Absolutely a great creative partner and artist.

- Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 19, 2016

Terrible news about Anton Yelchin, crazily talented actor gone too soon.

- Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 19, 2016

This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss.

- Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) June 19, 2016

Devastated to hear about the brilliant Anton Yelchin. He was thoughtful, kind, and gifted. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

- Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) June 19, 2016

Such sad news about Anton Yelchin. I only admired from afar, but a true artist and a real star in my eyes. Such a loss. Such a tragic loss.

- Sam Claflin (@samclaflin) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin just died in a car wreck. So damn sad. I met him and his Mom on a plane once. They were very sweet. https://t.co/OtkoO4HisG

- KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) June 19, 2016

OMG... Nooooo! RT @TrekMovie: Breaking News: Anton Yelchin dead at age 27 - https://t.co/bICL4CawJK pic.twitter.com/8ZosMVPeKZ

- LeVar Burton (@levarburton) June 19, 2016

My condolences to all who lost Anton Yelchin. He was a great talent and it remains joy to watch his work.

- Gabby SidiBae (@GabbySidibe) June 19, 2016

I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins.

- John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

Please send your love to Anton's family right now. They need it.

- John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

Devastated about Anton Yelchin. He was a very sweet kid. My heart goes out to his family

- Hank Azaria (@HankAzaria) June 19, 2016

Beyond sad and stunned to hear about Anton Yelchin.

So talented.

So tragic.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.- Dane DeHaan (@danedehaan) June 19, 2016

I am utterly heartbroken about this terrible news. Anton Yelchin was a gift to this world. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

- Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) June 19, 2016

Crestfallen to hear the news of Anton Yelchin. He was a superb actor and I always looked forward to the work he did. He will be missed.

- Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) June 19, 2016

So sad to hear of Anton Yelchin's passing. I always have admired his incredible acting abilities. My love & thoughts are with his family

- Willow Shields (@WillowShields) June 19, 2016

Man, saddened to hear of Anton Yelchin. Didn't know him well - worked separately on Only Lovers Left Alive, and I only remember a sweet kid.

- Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) June 19, 2016

Sick to my stomach about Anton Yelchin's passing. Great guy. Great talent. Sending love to his family.

- Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin was a bright, brilliant talent, and a truly kind person. I was so taken by him, and won't ever forget his sweet smile. RIP

- olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) June 19, 2016

Can't believe this news about Anton Yelchin. What a huge loss. Speechless.

- Patrick J Adams (@halfadams) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends. Can't say anything that conveys what this feels like

- Kat Dennings (@OfficialKat) June 19, 2016

our dear friend. our comrade. our anton. one of the most open and intellectually curious people i have ever had the pleasure to know. so enormously talented and generous of heart. wise beyond his years. and gone before his time. all love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief.

A photo posted by Zachary Quinto (@zacharyquinto) on Jun 19, 2016 at 12:31pm PDT

Oh, Anton. Such a dedicated, generous and hyper-smart young man. So grateful for the time we shared, destroyed he left so soon.

- Jeremy Saulnier (@saulnier_jeremy) June 19, 2016

I can't believe it , I m fckn hurting bad !

- Karl Urban (@KarlUrban) June 19, 2016

Absolutely devastated to hear about Anton Yelchin. He was such a gifted, natural actor & a deeply kind man. My thoughts are with his family.

- Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) June 19, 2016

Was waiting because I am speechless....dear dear Anton Yelchin, I don't know what to say other than godspeed my friend. Deep regrets.

- Willie Garson (@WillieGarson) June 19, 2016

This is so unreal. Anton Yelchin was such a brilliant and warmhearted actor and person. Such a tragic loss. May he rest in peace.

- Uma Thurman (@ithurman_) June 19, 2016
Hong Kong (AFP) - The Hong Kong bookseller who broke silence earlier this week about being blindfolded and interrogated in detention in China likened his ordeal to Cultural Revolution repression in an interview with AFP on Sunday.

Lam Wing-kee is one of five booksellers who went missing last year -- all worked for a Hong Kong publishing house known for salacious titles about leading Chinese politicians.

His story sent chills through Hong Kong where the booksellers' case has heightened fears Beijing is tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city.

He told Thursday how he was detained for months after being picked up in the southern mainland city of Shenzhen in October on a visit to see his girlfriend.

Lam, who was placed on suicide watch during his detention, broke bail Thursday and is refusing to go back over the border, where he is under investigation for bringing banned books into the mainland.

Dressed in a neat blue shirt and cap the 61-year-old told AFP how he felt terrified during his detention, where he was threatened with 30 years in jail and was harangued by two men who said they had come from Beijing.

"They made me feel it was a Cultural Revolution denunciation," he said, referring to the decade of torture, executions and public vilifications carried out under communist leader Mao Zedong across mainland China from 1966.

"They said we published, sold and mailed books to demean the state leadership. We are reactionaries. (They told me) I could be jailed for 20 to 30 years until I die.

"It was made clear to me that their power was huge and does not require legal means.

"I was just sitting there watching them. When I said one thing they would say 30 things...banging the table."

Lam says he was told that a "special investigation unit" was dealing with his case.

He was allowed back into Hong Kong for the first time Tuesday on the condition that he pick up a hard disk listing bookstore customers and return to the mainland Thursday. Instead he decided to cut loose and break his silence.

Story continues

"If the worst comes to the worst, I could die. (But) 'civilians do not fear death, why threaten them?'," said Lam, quoting an ancient Chinese idiom often used to describe fearless defiance of repressive regimes.

"I am a free man."

- No asylum -

Lam is staying with a relative and says he has not asked city authorities for protection.

"There is no use," he said. "They cannot protect me forever."

He has also turned down an offer from a pro-democracy politician to help him seek asylum in another country, saying he wants to remain in Hong Kong and continue to speak out.

Critics have accused the Hong Kong government of being a Beijing puppet that can no longer protect its own citizens, and are demanding to know what authorities have done to try to help the booksellers.

Lam led more than 1,000 protesters through the city centre Saturday over his detention.

He told AFP the Mighty Current publishing house, where the five booksellers worked, and its outlet the Causeway Bay Bookstore -- which Lam managed -- had been targeted as part of a wider crackdown to deter Hong Kong from putting out political titles.

During his interrogation he was asked to hand over details of authors and customers, he said.

The case has spooked some Hong Kong bookshops into removing controversial titles from their shelves -- but Lam says he will continue to sell them if he can.

"There are no banned books in Hong Kong," Lam said.

"It's a place with freedom of publication...there is a market."

- 'I'm not a hero' -

Since Lam went public, three of the other booksellers have cast doubt on his story.

One of them, Lee Bo, the only one of the group to have disappeared on Hong Kong soil, refuted Lam's claim that he had told him he was taken to the mainland against his wishes.

The two other booksellers who questioned Lam's version, Lui Por and Cheung Chi-ping, were quoted by pro-Beijing media as speaking from the mainland, where they are believed to still be under investigation.

Lam says he sympathises, describing them as "under threat".

The fifth bookseller, Gui Minhai, is in detention -- his family is demanding his release.

Lam has been hailed a role model by those in Hong Kong who feel Beijing is suffocating its cherished freedoms.

But he says he is nothing special.

"I am not a hero," he told AFP.

"The people of Hong Kong are heroes ...as long as we keep fighting there is hope."
By Devidutta Tripathy and Neha Dasgupta

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's move to clean up the books of its banks saddled with $120 billion of sour loans will be largely unaffected by the decision of central bank chief Raghuram Rajan to step down, say bankers and government officials.

As banks struggle with record levels of distressed assets, Rajan had set an ambitious March 2017 deadline for them to fully reveal the problem loans and make adequate provisions.

An unprecedented asset quality review of banks ordered by the central bank led to reported bad loans surging more than 70 percent in the six months to March.

Rajan's decision to bow out in September has, however, raised questions on the fate of a clean-up seen as crucial to reviving new lending to support a nascent recovery in Asia's third-largest economy.

Bankers and government officials told Reuters Rajan's successor may be less aggressive in fighting bad loans, but the general direction will remain the same.

"Having worked with eight (RBI) Governors, I have not seen any new incumbent turn an earlier policy, particularly relating to banks, on its head," said G. Padmanabhan, a former executive director at the RBI who currently chairs the board of third-biggest state-run lender, Bank of India <BOI.NS>.

"Second, and more important, this was not a one man decision and had the support of government as well," he said, although there could be some tweaks as the timeline was "aggressive" and banks' capital needs had to be factored in.

Shares in top lender State Bank of India <SBI.NS> have gained about 16 percent since it reported March-quarter earnings on May 27, on hopes that the worst was behind it in terms of bad loans. The second biggest state-run bank, Bank of Baroda <BOB.NS>, is up about 12 percent during that period. Two dozen lenders majority-owned by the Indian government hold the bulk of the soured loans.

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Deputy Finance Minister Jayant Sinha said recently it was prudent for the RBI to pursue its asset quality review of the banks, signaling government support for the clean-up.

"Investors of course like it. What Rajan and the RBI did was generally good, but I would say they were a bit too harsh," said one senior public sector banker, who still sees no clarity on how bad loans will be resolved.

Others agree that the mechanics of resolving the issue still need to be clarified.

In the absence of a strong system to buy bad loans from banks, deciding on haircuts and government capital infusion in banks may hobble resolution of the issue, said another senior banker with a state-run bank.

Despite this, most remain confident that the RBI has already gone too far to reverse course.

A senior policymaker who works closely with Rajan said the bank clean up exercise had been "institutionalized" and was on auto-mode, playing down any impact from Rajan's exit.

"He (Rajan) expedited things, but it was on the RBI's agenda," the official said, adding the clean-up was long overdue.

(Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine, Suvashree Dey Choudhury, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
New Delhi (AFP) - Five hundred liquor shops were ordered closed from Sunday in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu after its newly re-elected government pledged to ban alcohol to curb violence and other problems.

The Tamil Nadu government issued a statement ordering the closures as part of staggered plans to become the latest state in India to introduce prohibition.

The statement said 500 TASMAN retail vending liquor shops would be closed, referring to the government-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation outlets. Operating hours of all others would be reduced.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram and leaders of other political parties promised prohibition during campaigning in last month's state election.

The pledge was popular with women voters, who blame alcohol for much of the state's domestic and sexual violence, and for depleting the income of poor families.

Experts have expressed caution, saying drinkers could simply buy grog in neighbouring states and bring it back. Others point to a possible rise in the production of illegal and often deadly moonshine.

The neighbouring southern state of Kerala, which draws tourists to its tea plantations, lagoons and lakes and sweeping coastline, started banning alcohol sales in most hotels from 2014.

Bihar in the east, one of India's most populated and impoverished states, introduced prohibition this year in a bid to prevent meagre family incomes being spent on booze.

Western Gujarat introduced prohibition decades ago, while some states in the remote northeast also have bans in place.
making a murderer

In 2005, when Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos began the documentary project that would eventually become Netflixs Making a Murderer, they thought they were making a feature length documentary film.

They werent.

Over a decade after the start of production, Making a Murderer was released by Netflix as a 10-part series. It sparked a far-reaching and passionate discussion about the criminal justice system in the US.

But it wasn't always clear that "Making a Murderer would find any audience at all. It didn't fit the mold, the directors tell Business Insider, and a path toward a commercial release wasn't clear until 2013, a full eight years after they started work on it.

The beginning

By March 2006, just a few months into filming, Ricciardi and Demos knew they were pushing the seams of what a documentary could be commercially. Then 16-year-old Brendan Dassey entered the story as one of two men, along with his uncle Steven Avery, who would stand trial for the murder of Teresa Halbach. As the story the directors were capturing unfolded, it became simply too big for a single film  or even a miniseries.

There were not many distribution forms for a longform nonfiction series that was all one story, told over the course of several episodes, Demos says. We had one example of The Staircase, which aired on the Sundance channel, and we held it onto that model for dear life.

But things werent looking good. Ricciardi and Demos took a series of meetings as the years crept on, some with high-profile outlets, but the talks always broke down. When the details came out, traditional deals would require them to cut and compress, and significantly alter the storytelling language. It was rewarding to have people interested, but it didnt really help, they explain.

There was a point when they just had to make a decision to put their energy in making the film instead of making the sale, Demos says.

Story continues

95% of the project was self-funded until 2013 (the rest came from things like grants). While the pair edited the film, they returned to their former careers: Ricciardi worked as a contract lawyer, and Demos as an electrician on film sets and television shows.

lisa nishimura

Enter Netflix

But in 2013, Netflix started producing original content, and the directors saw an opening.

Netflix was already a place we went to see documentaries, Ricciardi explains. Netflix hadnt started releasing its own documentaries yet, but agreed to a meeting anyway. Ricciardi says by the end of the meeting Netflix had said they were on board.

What impressed Netflix so immediately about Making a Murderer"?

We can look at the data and say true crime is an interesting category that people are interested by, sure, Lisa Nishimura, Netflixs VP in charge of documentary acquisitions, explains. That's one factor.

But theres a lot of true crime content out there, right? So the question was what made this compelling and interesting and for me, it was that commitment to the level of storytelling.

Lots of true crime is focused on descriptions and reenactments, she says. Making a Murderer put you in the courtroom, in the interrogation, right in the story.

Netflix was hooked, and it didnt have the constraints that some other bidders for the series had. Netflix didnt care what form the story took. It could be a feature, six episodes, 10 episodes  as long as it was compelling and entertaining.

steven avery making a murderer ap

Global distribution and virality

Netflix's global distribution is another big factor that helped Netflix snag the series.

Nishimura explains, The standard way in which documentaries are produced is inherently disaggregated, meaning that generally, the old school way to do it was that you would take money from various distributors, like an advance. You would then promise some window of your broadcast to that partner."

They would get it for a certain period of time.

"But when that was DVD," Nishimura continues. "Some markets were left unsold. They would go sometimes months if not years before getting another partner ... What [Netflix has] taken out of the whole mix is the ambiguity of availability. If you sign a deal with Netflix, you don't have to worry about being being able to find a way to watch your film.

There are other outlets for broad distribution of documentaries. Nishimura points particularly to international broadcasters like BBC, or NHK in Japan, which have been funding quality documentaries for a long time. But there is still often a regional element and a constraint in availability. Its simply easier for something with global distribution on the internet to go viral.

Documentary filmmakers "want to be fairly compensated, which we completely agree with, and they want to be heard, Nishimura says. They want their story to reach an audience. That is why they do what they do.

In some sense, they want to go viral.

Ricciardi and Demos echo this sentiment. Their goal was to start a dialogue about the American criminal justice system. Thats not an easy feat, but its something they certainly accomplished (whichever side of the case you come down on). Nishimura describes it as a global watercooler moment.

brendan dassey

The climate

Netflix isnt the only company to have discovered the viral potential of longform nonfiction narratives, especially in the true crime genre.

HBOs The Jinx, which chronicles the deaths surrounding real estate heir Robert Durst, burst into the cultural conversation in a similar fashion, and ESPNs O.J.: Made in America is getting initial buzz. In a slightly different medium, there is also Serial, the podcast megahit that revisits a murder trial over a decade old.

The commercial climate bodes well for filmmakers, Ricciardi and Demos say.

But Netflixs lure of freedom and global distribution has spanned beyond the true crime genre as well, notably to celebrity projects. In May, Chelsea Handler began her three-year, 90-episode talk show deal with Netflix.

I wanted to create my own structure and the only place to do that, in my mind at that time, was Netflix, Handler recently told Recodes Kara Swisher. So they didn't come to me, I went to them. Shes also been impressed with the global distribution. Netflix being in 190 countries  that kind of platform is hugely attractive.

And Nishimura says nonfiction will be a big part of Netflix global future, as its been since she began working there 9 years ago. "Its been part of our DNA and our fiber from the get-go," she says, and as Netflix expands internationally, it will only become more so.

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Tehran (AFP) - Iran said Sunday it has reached an agreement with American aerospace giant Boeing to purchase 100 aircraft to renew its ageing fleet, though the deal must still be approved by the US government.

The Islamic republic has ordered about 200 planes from three Western manufacturers since mid-January, when economic sanctions were lifted following a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's civil aviation authority said in remarks published by the daily Iran newspaper that an agreement had been reached with Boeing for the purchase but said the deal was contingent on US Treasury permission.

Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan however said Sunday that he hoped the initial accord could be completed within a month.

He told the Fars news agency that the deal would be "the largest and most important contract" with the United States -- barring military deals -- since before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A nuclear agreement in July with six world powers, including the US, has lifted some of the economic sanctions on Iran in return for limits on the Islamic republic's controversial atomic programme.

Many of Iran's ageing civil aviation fleet -- 230 planes out of 250 according to Abedzadeh -- are in desperate need of replacement.

Boeing has fallen behind the race to restock Iran because as an American company it has to obtain the greenlight from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control before completing any contracts with Iran.

It has requested final authorisation for the sale, according to Abedzadeh.

He said the contract's reported value of $17 billion (15 billion euros) was not final and that more details will be provided after further negotiations.

Boeing confirmed on Wednesday that it was in talks with Iranian airlines interested in buying its passenger planes.

"We have been engaged in discussions with Iranian airlines approved by the (US government) about potential purchases of Boeing commercial passenger airplaned and services," the company said in an email to AFP.

Story continues

In February, the American company was granted approval from the US government to explore resuming sales to Iran after sanctions were partially lifted in January.

- No diplomatic ties -

Iran and the US broke diplomatic ties in 1980 following a hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of modern Iran, dubbed the US the "Great Satan" and his successor supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has kept Tehran on a stridently anti-American path.

Despite allowing nuclear negotiations with Washington, Khamenei has repeatedly warned of American and Western "infiltration" in the post-sanctions era.

Although the nuclear deal lifted most economic sanctions, the US and the European Union have kept up some measures due to Tehran's support for groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as its ballistic missile programme.

This means major international banks, particularly in Europe, are still reluctant to do business with Iran for fear of punitive US measures.

Iran in January reached a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the purchase of 118 planes.

That agreement is also still pending permission from the US Treasury, since more than 10 percent of Airbus components are of American origin.
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's Central Bank expects to make permanent controversial loan-to-value and loan-to-income limits on mortgage lending introduced last year, though the levels may be calibrated, the deputy governor said on Sunday.

Politicians from across the political spectrum have criticised the limits, which aim to avoid a repeat of the 2008 property crash, saying the required 20 percent deposit puts house ownership beyond the means of many.

The crash forced Ireland to seek an international bailout to save its banks.

The Central Bank is due to review the rules in November, but Deputy Governor Sharon Donnery told Ireland's Sunday Independent newspaper it was not considering removing the limits.

"Our expectation at this stage is that the caps will be a permanent feature and what we will analyse will be the calibration," she said, according to a transcript of the interview published by the bank.

"Our intention is that some form of cap around LTV (loan-to-value) and LTI (loan-to-income) would become a permanent feature."

If signs emerge that the property market is overheating, the measures could be tightened further, she said.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's government on Sunday approved some $18 million in additional financing for West Bank settlements, calling it a response to security concerns, though the money is to be used in a variety of ways.

The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing cabinet will see some 70 million shekels ($18 million, 16 million euros) allocated to settlement-related spending.

According to Haaretz newspaper, the amount is in addition to an already allocated $88 million.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land Palestinians view as part of their future state.

The United States, the European Union and many others in the international community have called for a halt to settlement building.

Netanyahu's government is however considered the most right-wing in Israel's history, with key members of his cabinet strong supporters of settlement building and opponents of a Palestinian state.

The premier faces steady political pressure to support settlements and settlement building, which receive a range of government assistance.

The government argued the increase was needed due to security concerns. A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks began in October, with much of the violence occurring in the West Bank.

Speaking at the start of the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu called it "an assistance plan to strengthen communities" in the West Bank, saying it would "strengthen security, assist small businesses and encourage tourism."

Beyond security, it will include spending on tourism infrastructure, sport facilities and cultural events, ministers said.

Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general Saeb Erekat called the move a "slap in the face of the international community."

"Israel is doing everything possible to sabotage every effort to achieve a just and lasting peace," he said in a statement.

Story continues

Opposition lawmaker Amir Peretz of the Zionist Union accused the government of "wasting money on political settlements" instead of helping families within Israel.

Besides the settlement money, the government was also expected to approve the allocation of 80 million shekels ($20.7 million, 18.3 million euros) to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminaries.

The ultra-Orthodox establishment also wields significant political power in Israel and its politicians have often played a kingmaker role.
Jerusalem (AFP) - An Israeli pro-settlement group is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU to punish it for what it says is its pro-Palestinian stance, one of its officials said on Sunday.

Regavim is a right-wing NGO that supports Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, though they are considered illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Its campaign includes a mock video of a masked Palestinian militant purportedly from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip urging UK citizens to remain in the European Union because it supports the Palestinians.

It also highlights EU financing of Palestinian structures in the West Bank.

Meir Deutsch, director of policy and government relations for Regavim, said the NGO wanted to harm the EU over its "intervention in the internal conflict here between Israel and the Palestinians."

Some 60 percent of the West Bank is under Israeli control and Palestinians face extremely difficult odds in receiving building permits in those areas.

The EU has helped finance various projects in the West Bank and Israel has regularly demolished those it considers illegal.

The cash-strapped Palestinian Authority also receives finance assistance from the EU.

The mock video posted by Regavim on its campaign website (http://www.supportisraelleaveeurope.com/) shows masked militants with the logo of Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and in the background a line in English that reads: "Hamas wants UK to stay in the EU".

A male voiceover is then heard delivering a statement in British English in which he praises the EU for carrying out construction projects in the West Bank.

"If you truly hate Isra-Hell and the Jews and want to support our struggle, help Britain to stay in the EU," it says.

The voiceover also praised a recent European directive to label produce from Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.

Story continues

Deutsch called the EU's actions "one-sided and anti-Israel, in the marking of products as well and paying salaries of terrorists," he said.

"We think they should be acting in a more balanced way. As long as that is not happening, we want the EU to be damaged."

Deutsch said their campaign was aimed at dual Israeli-British nationals living in Israel, and "anyone who cares for Israel" in the UK.

Britain's EU referendum will be held on Thursday.
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to break up a rally by the LGBT community in Istanbul on Sunday, in the second crackdown in as many days on protests by secular Turks.

Several hundred riot police surrounded the main Taksim Square -- where demonstrations have been banned since major anti-government protests in 2013 -- to prevent the "Trans Pride" event taking place during Ramadan.

It was the latest crackdown by police in Turkey against an event during the Muslim holy month.

As the police swooped in on the rally of about 150 people, the crowd fled into nearby streets.

Turkish media reported that at least two people were detained.

The "Trans Pride" rally was to kick off LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) week in Turkey.

The demonstrators unfurled a rainbow flag, a symbol of the LGBT community, and then tried to read a statement but were prevented from doing so by the police.

Istanbul authorities said on Friday they had banned the annual gay pride parade set for June 26 to "safeguard security and public order" after a string of bombings around Turkey over the past year, some of them blamed on the Islamic State group, others claimed by Kurdish militants.

"We want to march for humanity but the police ban everything," an activist who gave her name as Ebru told AFP.

Earlier Sunday, 11 anti-gay protesters, apparently Islamists, demonstrating near Taksim Square were arrested, according to the Dogan news agency.

- 'We are Ottomans' -

"We are Ottomans," shouted one, according to video of the incident. "We don't want any of those people here."

A group of ultra-nationalists asked the authorities last week to cancel the gay pride parade, saying it would make sure it did not take place if police did not heed the call.

The annual Istanbul parade has taken place for the last 12 years without incident with thousands of people taking part in the most important LGBT gathering in a Muslim country in the region.

Story continues

Sunday's crackdown on the Trans Pride event came a day after police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse a protest over an Islamist attack on fans of British rock group Radiohead.

On Friday night, a group of about 20 men beat up customers and staff at the Velvet IndieGround music store in Istanbul for drinking alcohol during an event to promote Radiohead's latest album.

Three of the attackers, who were angered by the fact that alcohol was being served during Ramadan, were arrested but released Sunday after questioning.

On Saturday, about 500 protesters took to the streets of the trendy Cihangir district to condemn the store attack, chanting "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism!" and denouncing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "thief" and a "killer".

Turkish authorities have regularly cracked down on anti-government demonstrations since mass protests swept the country in 2013, using tear gas and water cannon against even small gatherings.

Critics accuse Erdogan of growing authoritarianism and of pushing an increasingly conservative agenda in a country where devout Muslims and secularists have long peacefully co-existed.

On Saturday, Turkey's strongman leader vowed to press ahead with the contested redevelopment of Istanbul's Gezi park, next to Taksim Square, which triggered the 2013 revolt by mainly liberal Turks.

A court initially suspended the construction project in the aftermath of the unrest, in which eight people were killed, but the court later reversed its decision.


Credit: AKM-GSI

Jennifer Aniston still has that vacation glow. The actress was spotted out and about in New York City after returning from a romantic getaway to the Bahamas with her husband Justin Theroux, and she looked refreshed and relaxed in a low-key look.

Aniston kept it simple for the outing, opting for a white tank top, which she paired with cropped navy blue trousers. She accessorized the ensemble with tan-and-black slides, aviator sunglasses, and a coordinating canvas tote. Aniston finished off the off-duty look by styling her blonde hair in a low bun.

This is the second fashionable street style look that Aniston has been seen wearing this week. Yesterday she and Theroux stepped out for lunch at Mercer Kitchen in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, where she was spotted in a chic look that consisted of a gray mini skirt, white tee, trench coat, and an oversize scarf.

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston's Yoga Guru Dishes Her Best Fitness and Diet Tips

Clearly Aniston has her off-duty style down to a science.
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the American South. It is not a federal holiday. It should be.

If you work on June 19, your employer should give you the day off, paid. If you're in school  and God help you, because that's summer vacation time  you should not have to show up for class. Juneteenth should appear in your Google calendar automatically. You should not have to face the irony of working on the day many black slaves first learned they no longer had to 151 years ago.

"Juneteenth is America's second Independence Day," Ronald V. Myers, one of the country's foremost advocates for recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday, said in a phone interview.

Federal holidays celebrate and define our highest ideals as a nation, and memorialize blood shed upholding them. Few days embody this principle better than Juneteenth  the day Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, with news of the Civil War's end and emancipation. You want to honor people who died making America what it is? Honor the black enslaved.

Americans tend to minimize the role slavery played in shaping modern history. In 2012, almost half disagreed or strongly disagreed when asked if slavery created conditions that made it harder for black people to work their way out of poverty, according to the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University.

In Texas  the state where Juneteenth originated  a new spate of social studies textbooks de-emphasizes the role slavery played in launching the Civil War.

"[It's] a side issue to the Civil War," Pat Hardy, a Republican school board member said when the board adopted this new statewide standard in 2010, according to the Washington Post. "There would be those who would say the reason for the Civil War was over slavery. No. It was over states' rights."

Revelers celebrate Juneteenth in Richmond, California

Making Juneteenth a federal holiday would fight these attempts at erasure. Juneteenth both acknowledges slavery as part of our history and marks America's promise to move past its original sin  a promise as vital to our DNA as the Declaration of Independence. It's a promise we have yet to live up to.

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Though Juneteenth is widely recognized as marking the end of slavery in the United States, the real story is messier. Jamelle Bouie wrote a detailed account for Slate in 2015, but here are the basics:

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, outlawing slavery. This did not "free the slaves," as legend might have you believe, but rather set in motion a stop-and-go process in which some walked free while others remained in bondage by Confederate stragglers and slave owners who retreated deeper into the South, holding on to the brutal institution as long as they could.

This fighting and running went on for years. By the middle of 1865, many enslaved black people in Texas  the westernmost state of the Confederacy  still did not know they had been proclaimed free. On June 19, Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, on the Gulf Coast with news of the Civil War's end and emancipation. Freedom celebrations spread across the state.

Today, people celebrate the holiday in various forms throughout the country. Juneteenth barbecues, music festivals and parades take place in cities in nearly every U.S. state, in both official and unofficial capacities.

According to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, a nationwide coalition of more than 60 advocates led by Myers, a medical doctor, preacher and musician, 43 states now recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or day of observance, akin to Flag Day. This basically means it is important enough for the government to recognize it, but not important enough to give you the day off.

Making Juneteenth a federal holiday would fight these attempts at erasure. It would acknowledge that we, as a country, once committed to scrubbing out the greatest historical stain on our Constitution's vow to equality for all.

Last year, on Juneteenth's 150th anniversary, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing June 19, 2015, as Juneteenth Independence Day. The aim was to "support the continued nationwide celebration of 'Juneteenth Independence Day' to provide an opportunity for the people of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the United States."

Support for the resolution was unanimous and bipartisan. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, was its sponsor.

This is still not enough. The notoriously difficult process of getting a federal holiday declared presents many barriers, requiring either a bill passed by Congress or a presidential declaration. Whether supporters succeed in designating a date as a federal holiday depends less on its significance than whether its supporters can marshal enough political momentum to make it so. But if there's any day left that's not a federal holiday but deserves to be one, it's Juneteenth.

Of course, June 19, 1865, is an imperfect day to mark slavery's end. For starters, it came more than two years after slaves were supposed to have walked free, per Lincoln's proclamation. And it was followed by generations of black Americans being murdered, tortured, terrorized and barred from anything resembling equality under U.S. law. Today, in an era marked by a racialized mass incarceration epidemic, Michelle Alexander famously dubbed "the new Jim Crow," freedom can still feel a long way off.

But the spirit of Juneteenth lives on through those who celebrate it without official recognition, as their ancestors did over a century ago. Don't make them celebrate alone. Make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - In one college major at Seoul's elite Korea University, the courses are known only by number, and students keep their identities a secret from outsiders.

The Cyber Defense curriculum, funded by the defense ministry, trains young keyboard warriors who get a free education in exchange for a seven-year commitment as officers in the army's cyber warfare unit - and its ongoing conflict with North Korea.

North and South Korea remain in a technical state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armed truce. Besides Pyongyang's nuclear and rocket programs, South Korea says the North has a strong cyber army which it has blamed for a series of attacks in the past three years.

The cyber defense program at the university in Seoul was founded in 2011, with the first students enrolled the following year.

One 21-year-old student, who allowed himself to be identified only by his surname Noh, said he had long been interested in computing and cyber security and was urged by his father to join the program. All South Korean males are required to serve in the military, usually for up to two years.

"It's not a time burden but part of a process to build my career," Noh said.

"Becoming a cyber warrior means devoting myself to serve my country," he said in a war room packed with computers and wall-mounted flat screens at the school's science library.

South Korea, a key U.S. ally, is one of the world's most technologically advanced countries.

That makes its networks that control everything from electrical power grids to the banking system vulnerable against an enemy that has relatively primitive infrastructure and thus few targets against which the South can retaliate.

"In relative terms, it looks unfavorable because our country has more places to defend, while North Korea barely uses or provides internet," said Noh.

Last year, South Korea estimated that the North's "cyber army" had doubled in size over two years to 6,000 troops, and the South has been scrambling to ramp up its capability to meet what it considers to be a rising threat.

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The United States and South Korea announced efforts to strengthen cooperation on cyber security, including "deepening military-to-military cyber cooperation," the White House said during President Park Geun-hye's visit to Washington in October.

In addition to the course at Korea University, the national police has been expanding its cyber defense capabilities, while the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning started a one-year program in 2012 to train so-called "white hat" - or ethical - computer hackers.

NORTH'S CYBER OFFENSIVES

Still, the North appears to have notched up successes in the cyber war against both the South and the United States.

Last week, South Korean police said the North hacked into more than 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean companies and government agencies, planting malicious code under a long-term plan laying groundwork for a massive cyber attack against its rival.

In 2013, Seoul blamed the North for a cyber attack on banks and broadcasters that froze computer systems for over a week.

North Korea denied responsibility.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has blamed Pyongyang for a 2014 cyber attack on Sony Pictures' network as the company prepared to release "The Interview," a comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The attack was followed by online leaks of unreleased movies and emails that caused embarrassment to executives and Hollywood personalities.

North Korea described the accusation as "groundless slander."

South Korea's university cyber defense program selects a maximum of 30 students each year, almost all of them men. On top of free tuition, the school provides 500,000 won ($427) per month support for each student for living expenses, according to Korea University Professor Jeong Ik-rae.

The course trains pupils in disciplines including hacking, mathematics, law and cryptography, with students staging mock hacking attacks or playing defense, using simulation programs donated by security firms, he said.

The admission to the selective program entails three days of interviews including physical examinations, attended by military officials along with the school's professors, he said.

While North Korea's cyber army outnumbers the South's roughly 500-strong force, Jeong said a small group of talented and well-trained cadets can be groomed to beat the enemy.

Jeong, an information security expert who has taught in the cyber defense curriculum since 2012, said the school benchmarks itself on Israel's elite Talpiot program, which trains gifted students in areas like technology and applied sciences as well as combat. After graduating, they focus on areas like cybersecurity and missile defense.

"It's very important to have skills to respond when attacks happen - not only to defend," Jeong said.

($1 = 1,172.2800 won)

(Editing by Tony Munroe and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
London (AFP) - A line of people kissed each other outside parliament in London on Sunday in a show of love to urge Britain to remain in the European Union.

Campaigners said that over 420 people had taken part in the "kiss chain" in London, as other mass kissing events took place in Berlin, Paris and Rome.

The demonstration aimed "to show love is strong between Britain and Europe and to reject hate campaigning ahead of the EU referendum" a statement from organising campaign group Avaaz said.

"A vote for Remain is a vote for love, tolerance and unity in our diversity," commented Alice Jay, Avaaz campaign director in a statement.

Britain votes on Thursday on whether or not to leave the 28-member European Union, and polls indicate the rival campaigns are in a dead heat.
A legion of demonstrators showed up Sunday outside the California church where a pastor had praised the Orlando attack just hours after 49 people were murdered in a gay nightclub.

At least 1,000 people protested Pastor Roger Jimenez at his Verity Baptist Church in Sacramento Sunday, many of them waving pro-LGBT signs and rainbow flags as parishioners struggled to maneuver through.

Jimenez is seen a YouTube video of his June 12 sermon calling the clubgoers who were killed at the Pulse nightclub "pedophiles" whose deaths have made the world a safer place.

Read: Every Passenger on Jet Blue Flight Showers Grandmother of Orlando Shooting Victim With Love

On a Facebook page dedicated to the protest, and a smaller demonstration that took place Wednesday, an organizer wrote:

"Our community is built on love and trust. We have our intra-social issues as any other community does, however we can band together when our community is hit with intolerance, indecency, hatred, ignorance, and blatant bigotry."

In the YouTube video, which he posted the same day Omar Mateen sprayed the Pulse nightclub with bullets from his AR-15 style weapon, Jimenez wondered aloud to his congregation "Are you sad that 50 pedophiles were killed today?"

"Um  no  I think that's great! I think that helps society. I think Orlando, Florida, is a little safer tonight."

A week later, at least a few protesters had to be dragged from the church by authorities as the LGBT community in Sacramento and neighboring areas showed up in force.

Read: Orlando Gunman Called Local News Station During Attack: 'I'm The Shooter. It's Me'

Following his sermon, Jimenez defiantly addressed the press.

"We had a record-breaking attendance here this morning," the pastor told reporters outside his church. "Normally we have about 200 people...today we had 281.

"And I just wanted to thank the media for all the free publicity."

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Watch: Orlando Gunman Posted Message Before Massacre: Now Taste Islamic Vengeance

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SKOPJE, Macedonia  The 300 denar ($5.50) fee at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle covers not just single admission entry, but also the services of a mandatory guide. For 90 minutes, visitors have no choice but to be escorted through its full-room dioramas of foreign soldiers attacking Macedonian peasants and past its life-size wax models of Macedonian rebels plotting to free the country from the Ottomans.

The museums mission isnt pedagogical so much as patriotic, and the guides are there to ensure that the Macedonian history on display is properly interpreted. The young man who recently led a group of Japanese tourists had them stop before a diorama depicting the 1903 declaration of the Krusevo Republic. He declared that the short-lived state was a precursor to the modern-day state of Macedonia. It was the first republic in the Balkans, he boasted, before moving on to a room about the Balkan Wars of 1912-13.

The museum is a centerpiece of Skopje 2014, a $730 million building spree designed to give the capital an aesthetic overhaul  and to finally provide Macedonia with a strong national identity. Former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who initiated the project, envisioned transforming Skopje from a drab but funky post-Yugoslav city to a city of kitschy neoclassical monuments to Macedonian glory.

But if Skopje 2014 has managed to rally the country, it has not been in the way Gruevski would have wished. Rather than draw inspiration from the projects, a growing number of Macedonians are treating them as an expression of hubris.

The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Sovereignty and Independence and Museum of the Victims of the Communist Regime  to use its full name  isnt the only Skopje 2014 project that leaves little to the imagination of its visitors. The center of the city is now dotted with expensive artworks that skirt the line between kitsch and propaganda. A statue known officially as the Equestrian Hero but widely presumed to be Alexander the Great  stands 22 meters (72 feet) high atop a statue, surrounded by lions, while Wagners Ride of the Valkyries plays nearby. The entire structure cost more than 8 million euro, or about $9 million; just across the Vardar River stands a bronze 29 meter (95 feet) statue of his father, Philip of Macedon, the ancient warrior king, which came with a similar price tag.

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Theres also a monument under construction to Mother Teresa, an ethnic Albanian born in Skopje, and a revamped archaeology museum, meant to reinforce Macedonian claims to a unique relationship with Western antiquity. Even the citys more prosaic buildings have gotten an overhaul: The headquarters of Macedonias water supply and sewage agency has been given a neoclassical dome, at a cost of $22.6 million.

Since its outset, Skopje 2014 has been criticized by many Macedonians as an expensive and heavy-handed attempt to fabricate a national identity. But the project has more recently been at the center of the protests, dubbed the Colorful Revolution, that have rocked the Macedonian capital.

For the past nine weeks, several thousand protesters have met each evening to march through the streets to the countrys Parliament, pausing along the way to drench key buildings with brightly colored paint using balloons and squirt guns. The square containing Alexander has become a particular target: Protesters have made a brightly colored mess out of the Porta Macedonia, a widely mocked triumphal arch-like structure made of concrete but painted white to resemble limestone. Some of the vandals include messages: I dont pay taxes for this, I love Macedonia, I color, and I demand justice.

The protests have mostly centered on allegations of corruption. For many, the structures of Skopje 2014 have come to symbolize Gruevskis 10 years in office, which was marked by wasteful spending and a lack of transparency. But the anger directed at the citys newest structures also signal why attempts to drastically remake the character of a young country are liable to fail.

Modern-day Macedonia, which only became a country recognized by the United Nations in 1993, has struggled with its identity since infancy, in part due to a tangled past. The area that is now Macedonia was part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 500 years before the First Balkan War in 1912; up until that point, most ethnographers classified its inhabitants as ethnic Bulgarians. (The languages are similar, and the question of whether Macedonian is its own language or a Bulgarian dialect remains politically charged.) In the decades following, the area was occupied variously by Serbia, then Bulgaria, before joining the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, under which it underwent a policy of Serbianization. It was only when Macedonia became part of the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia, in the wake of World War II, that Yugoslav authorities began promoting a distinct Macedonian identity and a distinct language.

In 1991, Macedonia emerged as its own country from the dissipation of Yugoslavia and began to establish itself on the world stage  but with little assistance from its neighbors. Modern-day Bulgaria denies the existence of a separate Macedonian language; Serbia does not acknowledge the existence of a separate Macedonian Orthodox Church. And there is the countrys ongoing bitter dispute with Greece, which continues to block the countrys accession to international organizations like NATO and the European Union because of its name. (Greece, which has its own Museum of the Macedonian Struggle in Thessaloniki, claims the name Macedonia already belongs to a northern Greek province, and that the name is a signal of the countrys ambitions to claim territory beyond its borders). Macedonia was admitted only provisionally to the U.N. under the name The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and has altered both its flag and constitution in response to Greek pressure.

According to Tamara Causidis, an editor at Macedonias Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, which has been tracking the rising cost of Skopje 2014, the country is now stuck in an identity crisis. Authorities would prefer to emphasize Macedonias role in Western antiquity, which they see as a key component of its rivalry with Greece, while many Macedonians say they see their heritage in the Slavic Byzantine history of the ninth century, which produced saints like Cyril and Methodius, not world-conquering men on horseback.

Hence Skopje 2014s attempts to fashion a proud ancient history linked to the foundations of Western civilization. Gruevski made nation-building a priority in Macedonia when he came to power in 2006. In addition to the faux-classical overhaul of his nations capital, he sought to stake out the countrys claims to the legacy of Alexander the Great, whom Macedonian nationalists view as their own, much to the consternation of neighboring Greece, which also claims him. Upon taking office, Gruevski promptly renamed the countrys principal airport Alexander the Great International Airport, invited descendants of Alexander the Great to visit Skopje in 2008, and in 2009 named the countrys primary stadium after Philip of Macedon.

The countrys relationship to Alexander the Great is complicated. Before Gruevskis coming to power, the ancient king had never been a figure associated with the history of Macedonia, said veteran journalist Borjan Jovanovski. And Gruevskis efforts seem to have done little to alter how Macedonians feel about the man supposed to be their national hero: A study conducted in 2013 by the Skopje-based think tank Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities on how Skopje 2014 is shaping national identity found that fewer than 10 percent of people saw Alexander as Macedonias most important historical figure, nor did they feel a particular attachment to the era of antiquity he represents. The study also concluded that, even several years in to the Skopje 2014 project, 32 percent of respondents still felt a sense of cultural inferiority and were confused about their identity.

Gruevskis exercise in creating a sense of Macedonian-ness has conspicuously overlooked large swaths of the population. The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, for instance, makes no mention of Macedonias ethnic Albanians, who are estimated to make up between 25 and 30 percent of the population. (The last census was in 2002, and authorities have been hesitant to commission another because of political controversy over migration and demographics.) In the rest of Skopje 2014, too, with the exception of Mother Teresa, there are very few structures acknowledging the countrys Albanian heritage. The question of how Albanians fit into Macedonia is a fraught one: The country only narrowly averted a civil war in 2001 when ethnic Albanians took up arms to demand additional rights, including the use of Albanian as a national language.

But the Colorful Revolution protesters are angry about more than the clumsy efforts at constructing a national identity. Gruevski held power from 2006 until January, when he stepped down as part of an EU-mediated deal after it was alleged that he personally ordered the tapping of 20,000 phone numbers, including those of his close associates. Contents of the phone calls were leaked by the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, which also raised allegations that Gruevski and key allies had organized election fraud, attempted to cover up a police killing and sought to control the judiciary. An investigation last year by the European Commission found that Gruevski misused national security services  led during his premiership by his cousin Saso Mijalkov  to control top officials in the public administration, prosecutors, judges, and political opponents.

After 40,000 people protested in May 2015, setting up camp outside the Macedonian government building, Gruevski stepped down and a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate the claims contained in the wiretaps. But when Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov announced last month that he was pardoning all those under investigation  56 people, including Gruevski and opposition leader Zoran Zaev, who disclosed the wiretaps  the protests resumed. And Gruevskis pet project has become a target.

What might have been an  admittedly grandiose  symbol of a countrys aspirations to join the West has instead come to represent wasteful spending. When Skopje 2014 was initially announced in 2010, the government claimed it would cost 80 million euros. To date it has cost 640 million euros ($730 million) and the price tag keeps going up as construction continues, according to calculations by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Macedonia. The total could exceed 1 billion euros before it is completed, said Causidis. That amounts to approximately 96 million euros per year to date or 3 percent of the nations annual budget  an allocation similar to what the health ministry receives.

The whole process is symbolic of the reign of Gruevski, Causidis said. The tendering procedures lack transparency, she said, and construction often happens overnight, without any announcement.

The former prime ministers voice can be heard in many of the wiretapped conversations talking about Skopje 2014: suggesting ideas for sculptures, recommending fountains in Rome that should be mimicked, and discussing how exactly to upholster the citys new double-decker London-style buses.

Gruevski has defended his creations. In a book celebrating the inauguration of the Museum of Macedonian Struggle in October 2012, he wrote, The opposition, some of the media, and some of the experts showed a great resistance to the entire Skopje 2014 project, even while the project was still in the process of preparation  a lot of speculations were produced and a lot of untrue information, ridicule, manipulations and lies were aired.

The Colorful Revolution protesters, however, remain unconvinced. The protests continue  and seem to have finally found some traction. Under heavy international pressure, Macedonian president Ivanov first partially retracted his decision to grant immunity, revoking it from 22 of the 56 under investigation. Then, on Monday, he completely revoked all 56 of the pardons, though continued to insist that they would have fostered reconciliation. The protesters have vowed to continue until their other demands have been met, including the formation of an interim government, which would set the country on the path to credible elections, and the dropping of charges against the dozens of demonstrators arrested for vandalism.

But if the protests continue, so does the construction  and the controversy. Just last month, residents in the citys Centar municipality awoke to find two statues of Albanian heroes, long-promised as part of the Skopje 2014 effort, mysteriously erected overnight. The local government denies any involvement.

Photo credit: Dominic Dudley/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Washington (AFP) - US authorities will release "limited transcripts" Monday of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen and police negotiators' telephone conversations during his attack at a gay nightclub that left 49 people dead, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday.

Lynch said the conversations included Mateen's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State group, and his views of US policy.

But those statements will not be included in the transcripts released to the public, she said.

"What we're not going to do is further this man's propaganda," she said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "We're not going to hear him make his assertions of allegiance."

On CNN's "State of the Union," Lynch said the transcripts would cover only portions of the telephone exchanges with police negotiators so as "to avoid re-victimizing those who went through this horror."

Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim security guard armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun, stormed into the Pulse nightclub June 12 in Orlando, Florida, raking the crowd with gunfire.

The attack then turned into a three hour hostage-taking that ended with a police SWAT team retaking the venue by force and shooting Mateen dead.

Mateen, described by his ex-wife as physically abusive and given to fits of anger, appears to have had mixed up motives.

His father said Mateen had been upset at the sight of a gay couple kissing, but other witnesses said he had been a repeat patron at Pulse and used gay dating apps.

Alongside that was a history of FBI investigations into him for possible Islamic extremism.

Lynch called the Orlando massacre "an act of terrorism and an act of hate, targeted against a community, the LGBT community, the Latino community."

However, she told CNN that Mateen didn't get into his feelings about gays in his exchanges with police.

"So we're still exploring why he chose this particular place to attack," she said.
An Oregon man stands accused of a federal crime after authorities say he groped a 13-year-old girl while she was unaccompanied on a commercial flight.

Chad Camp was arrested after a Portland-bound flight out of Dallas landed Wednesday night.

According to a criminal complaint, the Gresham man's suspicious behavior began immediately after he boarded the plane and sat directly beside the girl despite an abundance of empty seats on the American Airlines flight.

Read: Every Passenger on Jet Blue Flight Showers Grandmother of Orlando Shooting Victim With Love

As he spoke to the girl, the criminal complaint alleges Camp rubbed up against her, nudged her, touched her with his elbow and placed his hands on her knee and upper thigh.

The girl later told investigators she felt "frightened and trapped" next to Camp before a flight attendant told authorities she noticed Camp's hand near her crotch and tears in her eyes.

The flight attendant said she told Camp to change seats, which he did.

When the flight landed, one witness told investigators that Camp consumed four alcoholic drinks at the airport prior to the plane's departure.

Read: Woman Once Accused of Killing Twin Flies Out of Hawaii a Free Woman

Camp was arrested and charged with abusive sexual contact. He is being held without bail in Multnomah County Jail and is due in court Monday.

Meanwhile, the teen's parents say they plan to sue American Airlines, which charges an extra $150 for unaccompanied minors in part to ensure the safety of the child.

She is already saying she doesnt want to be on an airplane ever again, attorney Brent Goodfellow told KOIN. I sat with the family for about 3 hours she didnt want to be touched by her mom, every time she went to give her kind of a loving touch she would jump.

A message left with American Airlines was not immediately returned Sunday.

Watch: Flight Attendant Aboard EgyptAir Flight Posted Eerie Image of Plane Crash Years Before Tragedy

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Dragan Espenschied is a black-hooded programmer, but hes nothing like the Zuckerberg lookalikes who loiter the grounds of Stanford University, Google or Facebook, reimagining the future and fantasizing about the big bucks that come with it. His obsession is far freakier. Espenschied digs up the corpses of decaying web pages and brings them back from the digital dead.

It sounds like a bizarre pastime  dredging up the cobwebs of the World Wide Web  but hey, its what the cool coder kids are into these days. Forget trading bitcoins or building virtual-reality apps or learning the latest programming languages, like Golang or Julia. These netizens are intrigued by the prehistoric: mining the virtual graveyards of GeoCities, Myspace and Friendster for archaeological gems, like gaudy animated gifs and rainbow blink tags. Like Indiana Jones, they are the gravediggers of the internet: We can go back in time, says Espenschied, a user interface designer in Germany.

Granted, theyre not exactly going back for the Ark of the Covenant. But their projects hark back to the past in a strange blend of homespun history, art and code, making it feel like the 80s and 90s are alive and well. Take, for example, 40-year-old Espenschieds oldweb.today, which allows you to enter a web portal via the worlds earliest browsers and surf old sites like The New York Times or Facebook (The Facebook, as it used to be called) as if you were decades younger. Or you could relive the good old days of Technicolor fonts and unrefined self-expression from Cameron Askins haphazard collage of archived Geocities, a 90s-era webpage builder where anything goes  including garish eyes flying across the screen or cheesy background music when you enter the page. How about a walk down memory lane through the online Malware Museum? Its filled with once-lethal MS-DOSbased malware and viruses from the 90s that would take over your monitor with hovering skull graphics or cute cannabis messages. Together, these digital Dr. Frankensteins are amassing millions of hits on their sites while unearthing the internets untamed past  and some of it aint pretty. It is, in fact, quite ugly.

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This new rage for the old web is being driven by a collision of two merging trends: nostalgia for the past and preservation for the future. And were always barreling toward the next big software update or some flashy new gadget. But experts warn that while were upgrading toward the future, we might also be failing to chronicle its history. The average life of a webpage runs no longer than 100 days. Its difficult to imagine, but with each successive update or new technology, todays photos, documents and data become more unreachable and unreadable, says Jason Scott, from the Internet Archive in San Francisco.

Theres also a mounting desire for the earlier Wild West of the web, a time when people felt like they were playfully building the internet and leaving their mark. The internet used to be hardwired for independence, but today, were numb to the cookie-cutter templates and one-size-fits-all layouts that run amok on the interwebs, says 28-year-old Askin, whose love letter to the Internet of old has received more than one million hits so far. Back then, you had to spend days tinkering with HTML. Nowadays, you can throw up a functioning webpage in five minutes. Id gladly trade all of the social media and hullabaloo for a few hours spent picking out GIFs and playing with fonts [when] everything wasnt always about SEO, growth hacking and other nonsense, says Ryan Glover, who built his first website on Geocities at seven years old.

Plus, millions of carefully crafted accounts were deleted forever or stripped bare when throwback sites like Myspace, Friendster and Geocities were reconfigured or sold. But then again, why would anyone want to look back on their awkward teen phases or dopey AIM messages? Sites are shuttered every day and lost forever  for good reason. Even the European Union fought for the right to be forgotten from Google searches, like removing an ugly butterfly tattoo. And what happens when something is brought up that ought not to resurface? Facebook learned that lesson the hard way when the On This Day feature caused people to relive the pain of losing their loved ones. (The social-media juggernaut stresses that the company has since readjusted the algorithms to give people more control over the memories they see.)

Bad memories aside, these net necromancers say its not about hurting anyone or even preserving the old internet, but a younger, more naive one: the clumsy first steps of the World Wide Web. The internet may live on for centuries, but we have only a short window to build a time capsule and chronicle the birth of the great digital beast before it crumbles into cyberspace dust forever.

So, go ahead: We dare you to find your tween-age account on MySpace.

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Mindy Kaling is concerned about this morbid shirt her fans love

Mindy Kaling is concerned about this morbid shirt her fans love

Its easy to love Mindy Kaling. So its no surprise that the star has lots of fans. But it turns out theres a pretty popular shirt thats been making its rounds amongst her fans that has a rather morbid message. Its a shirt with the phrase If I Die, Tell Mindy Kaling I Love Her on it. And her fans love it.

While its always fun to be supportive of an amazing woman like Mindy, shes (understandably) concerned about the underlying message. In a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, she responded to a picture of the shirts by playfully saying, I wish that these young women who are wearing them could be a fan of mine with out the specter of death involved in it.

She later adds that she doesnt want someone to come up to her someday and say that a person has died, but really wanted her to know that they loved her and blames how young adult novels romanticize dying young on a partial reasoning behind the shirt. Which, when put so bluntly, is a completely logical wish. Kaling even later jokes, I just wanna be like, Hey chill. You can grow old and be my fan.'

Her whole reaction is pretty hilarious. And she makes some pretty valid points that, while shes flattered, it may be going a little far. Though, to be fair, who wouldnt want their effervescent love for Kaling to be one of the last things on their Bucket List? Maybe we could make it less morbid somehow. How about If I Suffer Great Bodily Injury, But Am Okay, Tell Mindy Kaling I Love Her. Is that better?

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The elements of Shawn Vestals debut novel include a woman raised in a polygamous Mormon community, passages in the voice of epic stuntman Evil Knievel and pure daredevilry.

Its the kind of wacky combination that gives this three-time author a chance to appeal to the literary establishment and the indie world alike. And so far, his taste is working: Hes been praised by The New Yorker and was the 2014 recipient of the PEN / Robert W. Bingham Prize for his short-story collection Godforsaken Idaho (previous winners include Jonathan Safran Foer, for Everything Is Illuminated, and Paul Harding, for the Pulitzer Prizewinning Tinkers). Novelist William Boyle, who has reviewed Vestals work as a critic, says his short stories are grappling with the big questions head-on in a way that feels fresh.

In April, Vestal, 50, trotted out his latest: Daredevils, a fictional invocation of Knievel, that 70s icon who once attempted a jump over an Idaho canyon. Vestal, a newspaperman and former Mormon, tells OZY from his home in Spokane, Washington, that Knievel has always fascinated him, beyond the romance of adventurism. Theres just so much ugliness and vulgarity and criminality wrapped up in him, Vestal says, as well as all of this overt patriotism.

Also featured in Daredevils: Jason, the protagonist, and Loretta, a young woman raised in a fundamentalist Mormon community where polygamy is part of daily life. Daredevils is set 20 years after the 1953 Short Creek raid, in which members of a polygamist community in Arizona were taken into government custody. Monologues by Knievel are woven throughout the narrative.

While were drawn to the badassery of Daredevils, many will  and already do  turn to Vestals former religion. He tells us he writes as an ex-Mormon, someone skeptical about religion. David Haglund of The New Yorker, who reviewed Godforsaken Idaho for Slate, noted Vestals handling of Mormonism in the stories. Vestal pretty clearly writes as an ex-believer, he said, but maintains sympathy for and interest in the religion he left behind.

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Any time I try to write another religious point of view, I feel like Im fumbling it. Shawn Vestal

Vestal cant point to any one decisive moment of losing his faith, instead describing the process as quite gradual. Of course, being Mormon, he had a forcing point: when he told his mother he wouldnt be doing his mission. He says by then, theyd long disagreed: It was a huge source of friction my last year at home. We fought a lot, and I was pretty insufferable about things. Her heart was breaking, I guess. But mom didnt send anyone chasing after him. They are, in the end, OK. And Vestal really just wanted to interact with the larger world, he says: It wasnt theology. It was just, I want to go out there, where it seems like cooler things are happening. 

Daredevils by shawn vestal

Writing about faith wasnt easy  he avoided it at first. But more recently, hes come around. I dont have any other kind of material. If I want to write about faith or belief or losing faith in particular, thats what I know. Any time I try to write another religious point of view, I feel like Im fumbling it.

Godforsaken brought Vestal into territory more corporate than the world of his former faith, though, when he ventured onto Amazons turf. The collection was published by Little A, an imprint of Amazon Publishing, which affected the willingness of certain bookstores to stock the book, despite its indie feel. Many independent bookstores were vocal about their unwillingness to carry Amazons titles, recalls Paul Constant, co-founder of The Seattle Review of Books and former books editor for Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger. (A spokeswoman for Amazon said the company makes its books available to anyone who would like to carry them.)

But before the business of money and publishing, Vestal was a small-time journalist whod always known he wanted to be a writer. A college dropout, Vestal opted to go straight into journalism, heading to work at his hometown newspaper. It wasnt until he was in his 40s that he decided to pursue an MFA at Eastern Washington University. Among the writers with whom he studied was Samuel Ligon, who has since become a friend. I feel like hes almost a co-author of some of those stories, Vestal says. He didnt write anything, but his influence was large.

The birth of Vestals son, which took place while he was getting his MFA, has also influenced his work. (His own fathers brushes with the law when Vestal was young were directly addressed in a 2013 Kindle single, A.K.A. Charles Abbott.) As for whats next, Vestal says, A couple of ideas for novels that I probably should be humble about mentioning, because who knows?

But he did give us a hint: One might involve the Church of Latter-day Saints, this time focusing on an ancestor who is all wound up in the history of the Mormon Church in a really fascinating way. Some small details have gotten in his way, however. [I]t involved 18th-, 19th-century history, and you start to write that, and all a sudden, your characters are at lunch, and you dont know what to do. Whats lunch like? I dont know. Its a little daunting, Vestal says. And yet, he seems to think he wont escape it. I think Ill find myself back there, in some way.

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Moscow (AFP) - Russia's defence ministry on Sunday denied bombing US-backed rebels in southern Syria earlier this week.

In a video conference with Russian military officials, the Pentagon said Saturday that it had expressed "strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the Al-Tanaf garrison."

Hours later Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied that Russia had bombed areas where US-backed rebels are operating.

"The target that was bombed was located more than 300 kilometres away from the area" indicated by the United States, he said.

Konashenkov insisted that the Russian air force had acted "within the framework of the agreed procedures" and had given advance warning of its ground targets to the US-led coalition.

Russia's defence ministry said late Thursday that it had not carried out strikes against opposition forces included in the ceasefire but did not mention Al-Tanaf.

The Pentagon voiced its concerns as Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a surprise visit to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss military cooperation "to fight against terrorist organisations on Syrian soil."

Konashenkov on Sunday also accused the United States of not providing the coordinates of the areas where the US-backed rebels are active, "not allowing for precision in the operations of the Russian air force."
It was the (up)shot heard round the world. In May, The New York Timess data blog, having conducted a lengthy review of scholarly assessments of the meal that Americans have been told, time after time, is the days most important, declared what many had known, in their hearts as well as their stomachs, to be true: Sorry, theres nothing magical about breakfast.

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Breakfast Cereal's Last Gasp

The pre-emptive sorry was an appropriate way both to soften the announcement and to sharpen it: Breakfastwhen to eat it, what to eat for it (cereal? smoothies? cage-free eggs fried in organic Irish butter?), whether to eat it at allhas long been a subject of intense debate, accompanied by intense confusion and intense feeling. Breakfast nowadays is cool, the writer Jen Doll noted in Extra Crispy, the new newsletter from Time magazine that is devoted to, yep, breakfast. She wrote that in an essay about her failed attempt to enjoy pre-noon eating.

But breakfast wasnt always cool. People of the Middle Ages shunned it on roughly the same groundsfoods intimate connection to moral ideals of self-regimentationthat people of the current age glorify it; later, those navigating the collision of industrialization and the needs of the human body came to blame hearty breakfasts for indigestion and other ailments. Breakfast has been subject to roughly the same influences that any other fickle food fashions will be: social virality, religious dogmas, economic cycles, new scientific discoveries about the truth or falsity of the old saying you are what you eat. And all that has meant that the meal associated with the various intimacies of the morning hours has transformed, fairly drastically, over the centuries. Our current confusion when it comes to breakfast is, for better or worse, nothing new: We in the West, when it comes to our eggsand our pancakes, and our bacon, and our muffins, and our yogurt, and our coffeehave long been a little bit scrambled.

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Recommended: 'Game of Thrones': To the Reckless Go the Spoils

* * *

The Europeans of the Middle Ages largely eschewed breakfast. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, lists praepropereeating too soonas one of the ways to commit the deadly sin of gluttony; the eating of a morning meal, following that logic, was generally considered to be an affront against God and the self. Fasting was seen as evidence of ones ability to negate the desires of the flesh; the ideal eating schedule, from that perspective, was a light dinner (then consumed at midday) followed by heartier supper in the evening. People of the Middle Ages, the food writer Heather Arndt Anderson notes in her book Breakfast: A History, sometimes took another evening meal, an indulgent late-evening snack called the reresoper (rear supper). The fact that the reresoper was taken with ale and wine, Anderson writes, meant that it was shunned by most decent folk; that fact also might have contributed to breakfasts own low status among medieval moralists, as it was presumed that if one ate breakfast, it was because one had other lusty appetites as well.

There were some exceptions to those prohibitions. Laborers were allowed a breakfastthey needed the calories for their morning exertionsas were the elderly, the infirm, and children. Still, the meal they took was generally smalla chunk of bread, a piece of cheese, perhaps some aleand not treated as a meal, a social event, so much as a pragmatic necessity.

It was presumed that if one ate breakfast, it was because one had other lusty appetites as well.

It was Europes introduction to chocolate, Anderson argues, that helped to change peoples perspective on the moral propriety of breaking fast in the morning hours. Europe was delirious with joy at the simultaneous arrival, via expeditions of the New World, of coffee, tea, and chocolate (which Europeans of the time often took as a beverage), she writes. Chocolate in particular caused such an ecstatic uproar among Europes social elite that the Catholic Church began to feel the pressure to change the rules. And so, in 1662, Cardinal Francis Maria Brancaccio declared that Liquidum non frangit jejunum: Liquid doesnt break the fast.

That barrier to breakfast having been dismantled, people started to become breakfast enthusiasts. Thomas Cogan, a schoolmaster in Manchester, was soon claiming that breakfast, far from being merely acceptable, was in fact necessary to ones health: [to] suffer hunger long filleth the stomack with ill humors. Queen Elizabeth was once recorded eating a hearty breakfast of bread, ale, wine, and a good pottage [stew], like a farmers, made of mutton or beef with real bones.

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The Industrial Revolution of the 19th centuryand the rise of factory work and office jobs that accompanied itfurther normalized breakfast, transforming it, Abigail Carroll writes in Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal, from an indulgence to an expectation. The later years of the 1800s, in particular, saw an expansion of the morning meal into a full-fledged social event. Wealthy Victorians in the U.S. and in England dedicated rooms in their homes to breakfasting, the BBC notes, considering the meal a time for the family to gather before they scattered for the day. Newspapers targeted themselves for at-the-table consumption by the men of the families. Morning meals of the wealthy often involved enormous, elaborate spreads: meats, stews, sweets.

With that, the Victorians met the Medieval edicts against breakfast by swinging to the other extreme: Breakfast became not a prohibition or a pragmatic acquiescence to the demands of the day, but rather a feast in its own right. And that soon led to another feature of industrialization, Carroll writes: the host of health problems, indigestion chief among them, that people of the 19th century and the early 20th came to know as dyspepsia. They werent sure exactly what caused those problems; they suspected, however, that the heavy meals of the morning hours were key contributors. (They were, of course, correct.)

Here were the roots of the current obesity epidemicthe culinary traditions of active lifestyles, imported to sedentary onesand they led to another round of debates about what breakfast was and should be. Fighting against his eras preference for heavy breakfasts, Pierre Blot, the French cookbook author and professor of gastronomy, stipulated that breakfast that be, ideally, as small as possible. He also argued that it should, when consumed at all, consist of meats (cold, leftover from the supper the night before) rather than cakes or sweets, which rotted the teeth. (Blot further advised against taking tea with breakfastwater, coffee, milk, and even cocoa were preferableand prohibited liquor.)

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Blot was echoed in his advice by the Clean Living Movement that arose during the Jacksonian era and that has remained as a feature of American culture, in some form, ever since. The movement, which emphasized vegetarianism and resisted industrialized food processes like the chemical leavening of bread, also recommended abstinence from stimulants like coffee and tea. It led to products like Sylvester Grahams eponymous crackersmade of the whole grain that, Graham thought, would curb sexual appetites along with those of the stomachand helped to make cereal a thus-far-enduring feature of the American breakfast table. (The irony that the cereal of today is laden with sugar and chemicals would surely not be lost on Graham or on his fellow Clean Living proponent, John Harvey Kellogg.)

The cereals invented by Graham and Kellogg and C.W. Post became popular in part because they could simply be poured into bowls, with no cooking required; soon, technological developments were doing their own part to turn the laborious breakfasts of the 19th century into briefer, simpler affairs. The advent of toasters meant that stale bread could be quickly converted, with the help of a little butter and maybe some jam, into satisfying meals. Waffle irons and electric griddles and the invention in Bisquik, in 1930, did the same. Those appliances and other cooking aids made breakfast more convenient to produce during a time that found more and more women leaving the home for the workplacefirst in response to the labor shortages brought about by the World Wars, and then on their own accord.

During a time that found Betty Friedan equating cooking with the oppression of women, breakfast became the locus for a fight: Could women both win bread and toast it?

But breakfast also became more fraught. During a time that found Betty Friedan equating cooking with the systemic oppression of women, the morning meal forced a question: Could women both win bread and toast it? Breakfast presented a similar challenge for men: In the 1940s and 1950s, Anderson notes, amid the anxieties about traditional gender roles that the post-war climate brought about, cookbooks aimed at men emerged in the marketplace. They suggested how to cook breakfasts, in particular, that would be composed of manly foods like steak and bacon. They proposed that eggs be fried not in pats of butter, but in man-sized lumps of it. Even baked goods got masculine-ized: Brick Gordon, in 1947, recommended that male cooks might, if baking biscuits, eschew ladylike rolling pins for  beer bottles.

Today, those anxieties live on, in their way: Breakfast remains fraught, politically and otherwise. (And thats not even outside of the slow-poached minefield that is brunch.) The current debates, though, tend to address not gender roles, but rather considerations of healthfor the individual consumer, for the culture in which they participate, and for the planet. The low-fat craze of the 1990s, the low-carb craze of the 2000s, todays anxieties about animal cruelty and environmental sustainability and GMOs and gluten and longevity and, in general, the moral dimensions of a globalized food systemall of them are embodied in breakfast.

And so is another unique feature of contemporary life: the internet argument. The essay in which Jen Doll declared breakfasts coolness was a confessional titled Im a Breakfast Hater. The Timess article describing the non-magical nature of breakfast was preceded by Is Breakfast Overrated? and, elsewhere on the web, an article explaining breakfasts importance from the blog Shake Up Your Wake Up. It was preceded by thousands of other pieces that are all, in some way, engaging with profound questions about the most basic meal of the day. One of them was from The Times itself. It was called Seize the Morning: The Case for Breakfast.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
These are the most crushworthy celebrity dads, according to Twitter

These are the most crushworthy celebrity dads, according to Twitter

Is there anything cuter than a celebrity dad gushing over his new baby? Its even more adorable theyre brand new dads. Maybe we love it so much since we never actually get to see our own dads gushing over us as babies, being that our memories werent really formed at the time. Maybe we love it because there really isnt anything more heartwarming than a crushworthy babe gushing over an adorable child. Regardless, in honor of Fathers Day, Twitter came up some of the most crushable celebrity dads and we are HERE for this.

To pull this data, the social platform measured the accounts of celeb dads accompanied most frequently with the hashtag #MCM (Man Crush Monday) from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016. Basically, Twitter measured any time someone mentioned a celebrity dad along with #MCM in the year. Here are the top 7 most popular picks!

Jared Padalecki



It looks like Dean from Gilmore Girls grew up to be everyones favorite cute dad. Look at him and his son wishing s a happy summer. So much cuteness!

Tom and I want to wish you a happy summer :) pic.twitter.com/3fFfrqzEW4  Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) April 20, 2016

Kanye West



If theres anyone that Kanye loves just as much as he loves Kanye, its definitely his children, North and Saint West. Saint hasnt made many media appearances, but North West is a budding fashionista and obviously, Kanyes best girl.

Channing Tatum



The Magic Mike actor is known for his sweet dance movies, hilarious movies, and hopefully soon, his epic dad jokes. We kind of wish he was our dad.

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Onesies pimp walk pic.twitter.com/lr7aqiDSqx  Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) November 1, 2015

Louis Tomlinson



We know it was hard to accept that the One Direction boys had to eventually grow up into men, but if it means adorable father/son tweets like this, were okay with it.

Meet my little lad, Freddie pic.twitter.com/nec7OqwuQR  Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) January 28, 2016

Chris Pratt



Chris Pratt has jokes for days. We love when he takes a serious moment to give us some heart tugging realness, and this one drives it right home.

On set listening to the new @macklemore album. "Growing Up," made me legit cry. "I'll be patient one more month." Makes me miss my son.  chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) February 26, 2016

Jamie Dornan



This makes us see Mr. Grey in an entirely new light.

.@itsJamieDornans It was a photo of my daughter, I take about a thousand a day. #AskJamieDornan  Jamie Dornan (@JamieDornan) February 7, 2015

Ryan Reynolds



Ryan Reynolds wouldnt be Ryan Reynolds without a healthy dose of sarcasm injected into every tweet, but even that cant mask the cuteness overload he references himself in this tweet.

LOVE dressing my daughter in baby clothes. The itsy-bitsy pink pajamas. The tiny white socks. The black leather mask. Cuteness overload!  Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) June 13, 2015

The post These are the most crushworthy celebrity dads, according to Twitter appeared first on HelloGiggles.
- Toyota, seeking their maiden success, and 17-time winners Porsche were battling for Le Mans 24 Hour glory with only seconds splitting the teams as the race entered the closing stages. As night gave way to day at the fabled Sarthe circuit Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi's Toyota TS050 was out in front by around half a minute from its sister car with Briton Mike Conway at the wheel. Pole sitter' Neel Jani's Porsche was placed third, a handful of seconds behind, with Porsche's second car driven by Mark Webber having lost over an hour overnight with engine problems. The 84th edition finishes at 1500 local time (1300GMT), the winner having covered a similar distance to a round trip from Le Mans to Moscow.

AFP
June 19 (Reuters) - Porsche won the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race for the second year in a row on Sunday after Toyota had a first victory snatched agonisingly from their grasp by a last lap power failure. Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima had been on course to take the chequered flag when he reported a problem before slowing with less than five minutes remaining. That handed the victory to the number two Porsche shared by Switzerland's Neel Jani, Frenchman Roland Dumas and Germany's Marc Lieb. The 84th edition of the race was watched by a crowd of 263,500 spectators. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in Baku, editing by Toby Davis)
* Porsche win for second year in a row * Victory is 18th for German manufacturer * Heartbreak for Toyota after leading (Adds detail) June 19 (Reuters) - Porsche won the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race for the second year in a row on Sunday after Toyota had a first victory snatched from their grasp by a last lap power failure. Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima had been on course to take the chequered flag when sudden drama unfolded as he reported a problem with five minutes remaining. He then slowed before coming to a halt. That allowed Porsche to blast past and claim their 18th victory, with the German manufacturer's number two 919 hybrid car shared by Switzerland's Neel Jani, Frenchman Roland Dumas and Germany's Marc Lieb. "What can I say? First of all I feel sorry for the boys down in the other garage," said Lieb. "They deserved this, they were giving us a hard time as well. This race should have had two winners, it was really unbelievable." The 84th edition of the race was watched by a crowd of 263,500 spectators. Toyota would have been only the second Japanese manufacturer to win the greatest prize in sportscar racing, after Mazda in 1991, but instead finished as runners-up for the fifth time. Nakajima had shared the stricken number five Toyota TS050 hybrid car with Britain's Anthony Davidson and Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi. "I literally have no words," said Davidson on Twitter, reporting that Nakajima had said he was ready to cry as he crossed the line. The Toyota pit crew beat him to that as well, the heartbreak evident across the garage. Instead it was the number six Toyota that took second place for Japan's Kamui Kobayashi, France's Stephane Sarrazin and Britain's Mike Conway. Audi finished third with their number eight car. Porsche and stablemates Audi had each entered only two cars instead of three in the main LMP1 category for cost-cutting reasons in the wake of parent company Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal. The number one Porsche hit problems shortly before midnight and ceased to be a contender. Last year's race was won by Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, New Zealander Earl Bamber and Britain's Nick Tandy but none of them were driving in the main LMP1 category this time. Hulkenberg was competing in Sunday's European Formula One Grand Prix in Baku for Force India. Porsche, who returned to Le Mans with a works team in 2014 for the first time in 16 years, are the most successful manufacturer. The race also marked a winning return by Ford in the GTE Pro category. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in Baku, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
(Reuters) - Toyota led the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race into the morning on Sunday after a close battle with champions Porsche through the night at the Sarthe circuit in western France. After 17 hours, Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi was at the front of the field in the number five Toyota TS050 with Britain's Mike Conway a close second in the Japanese manufacturer's number six car. The number two Porsche, with Switzerland's Neel Jani at the wheel, was seconds behind with all three frontrunners lapping at a similar pace. Porsche's number one car was effectively out of contention after a long stay in the pits around midnight as mechanics wrestled with high water temperatures. The car -- shared by Australian Mark Webber, New Zealand's Brendon Hartley and Germany's Timo Bernhard -- was 30th and 38 laps down. "We have been plugging away and putting in consistent lap times through the night, without taking unnecessary risks," said Britain's Anthony Davidson, who shares the number five Toyota with Buemi and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima. "Its a long race and weve got to stay in the fight all the way to the end. Everyone has done a good job so far; well keep pushing." Japan's Kamui Kobayashi, in the number six Toyota, lost precious seconds during his night stint when he made contact with a GT car. Porsche and stablemates Audi have each entered only two cars instead of three in the main LMP1 category for cost-cutting reasons in the wake of parent company Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal. Last year's race was won by Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, New Zealander Earl Bamber and Britain's Nick Tandy but none of them are driving in the main LMP1 category this time. Hulkenberg is competing in Sunday's European Formula One Grand Prix in Baku for Force India. Porsche, who returned to Le Mans with a works team in 2014 for the first time in 16 years, are the most successful manufacturer with 17 titles. Toyota have yet to finish higher than second. The race, now in its 84th edition, also marks the return of Ford in the GTE Pro category with the U.S. manufacturer locked in a battle with Ferrari. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Peter Rutherford)
Washington (AFP) - Exasperated US diplomats are in open revolt over Barack Obama's Syria policy, but radical change is unlikely in the twilight of his presidency.

More than 280,000 people have been killed. Millions more have fled their homes.

A relentless drumbeat of cluster bombs, barrel bombs, chemical bombs, murder, rape and torture has turned swaths of Syria to dust.

Humanitarian aid sometimes drips into the beleaguered cities, but when it does, President Bashar al-Assad's regime makes sure "punishment" bombings quickly follow.

"The Assad regime's actions defy all definitions of human decency," said one US official.

There are ominous signs the regime is moving to strangle food production.

In Syria, "you think you've reached the bottom and then you hear a faint scratching from below," another official said.

Through it all, the Obama administration has insisted only Assad -- and his Russian and Iranian sponsors -- can end the madness.

But privately, even senior diplomats admit that their inability to stop five years of butchery has challenged their conscience. They say that whatever comes next, Syria will have left an indelible stain on their years in public service.

In a deliberately leaked memo, 51 serving US diplomats have now said "enough," insisting that Obama has a moral obligation to stop the carnage.

To force Assad into real peace negotiations, they say the 44th president must launch airstrikes against the Syrian regime.

Such a policy, they argue, could increase the cost of Assad's intransigence and perhaps stem the suffering.

The White House has quickly signaled it is not ready to embark on such a 180 degree shift.

"The president has always been clear that he does not see a military solution to the crisis in Syria and that remains the case," White House spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman said in response to the memo.

The White House has stuck fast to a credo -- borne from the folly of the Iraq war -- that the United States should not, indeed cannot, solve all the world's crises.

Story continues

Above all Obama has tried to avoid entanglements in the Middle East, defining US interests in Syria as part of a counterterrorism effort to dismantle the Islamic State group.

That has left his Secretary of State John Kerry with an unenviable -- and probably impossible -- task of negotiating an end to the broader crisis with little or no leverage.

His counterparts in Moscow or Damascus know Obama's reticence well, and have the upper hand on the ground, so see little incentive to deal.

- 'Morally vacuous, politically bankrupt' -

For years diplomat frustration with this perceived fool's errand has been building.

Frederic Hof, a former Syria advisor resigned from the Obama administration in protest in 2012.

Obama's policy is "morally vacuous and politically bankrupt" he said. It "cruelly and gratuitously leaves innocent civilians at the mercy of a mass murderer."

Today, Assad's regime and it's Russian allies are running roughshod over a ceasefire that Kerry helped broker.

Critics say it is increasingly difficult to tell the difference between an imperfect ceasefire and no ceasefire at all.

Similarly, Kerry's efforts to get Russia to force Assad to step down have run into the sand. Russia remains either unwilling or unable to help.

By leaking the memo in an election year, the diplomats would like Obama to reconsider.

They might find allies elsewhere in Washington.

CIA and Pentagon efforts to keep Syria's opposition afloat are faltering, even as progress is made in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Russian aerial assaults on moderate groups have met no response from Washington, forcing allies to seek the protection of larger, better-armed militant groups, including those linked to Al-Qaeda.

Might an administration led by Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton be much more willing to push back against Assad, check Russian influence and bring America's vast military power to bear?

There are signs that Russia wants to make sure the next president, whoever it is, faces a choice only between dealing with Assad or letting the jihadists.

Russia recently directly targeted US-backed fighters who had no part in the fight against the regime.

"This is a small tribal fighting force that has been pretty well equipped by the United States and tasked with taking the eastern flank of Syria away from the Islamic State," said Faysal Itani, a Syria analyst at the Atlantic Council, a think tank.

"This is as close as you are going to get to a textbook definition of a proxy group."

It's an escalation that may leave US-backed fighters, like Obama's own diplomats, asking what US power is worth.
This story originally appeared on money.com.

On Thursday, Disney opened its sixth theme park location worldwide, in Shanghai, China. The park and resort cost about $5.5 billion to build and span an area more than 11 times the size of the original Disneyland, in Anaheim, Calif. Visitors can choose from six themed zones, such as Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, plus two hotels and a shopping area. In addition to traditional favorite attractions like Dumbo the Elephant, it also features new rides including Tron, a futuristic roller-coaster based on science fiction films of the same name.

Related: Rio Olympics Are a Bargain Amid Zika Scare and Political Upheaval

Visiting the most magical place on Earthwhichever location on Earth you choose to frequentisnt a cheap outing. So we decided to rank Disneys parks by cost of admission (not including the other things you will no doubt be shelling out for, like food, drink, souvenirs, and FastPasses to cut the line). For the purposes of simplicity, lets assume youre visiting the theme park with a family of four: two adults and two kids, one of whom is a teenager and the other under the age of 10. Of course, if youre planning a multi-day trip, the per-day cost of your visit will almost certainly drop.

6. Disneyland Paris: $153

If youre planning a visit to the City of Light, be sure to stop at Disneyland Parisif only because it offers the best bargain in the global Magic Kingdom. Europes only Disney location, opened in 1992, features two parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. Both have French-themed attractions like Le Carrousel de Lancelot and Les Tapis Volants (flying magic carpets, for all youAladdin fans), as well as traditional favorites like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril.

If you pre-book your tickets, the daily cost for an adult (those over age 12) of visiting one park ranges from 36 euros to 57 euros, or about $40 to $65, depending on the day of the week you choose to visit. The one-day entrance fee for children, meanwhile, ranges from 30 euros to 51 euros, or $33 to $58.

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Presuming youre flexible on which day you can visit the park, lets calculate the total cost using the lowest entry fees. That amounts to a $40 cost for three members of your family and $33 for the youngestfor a total of $153 for a day of fun.

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5. Disneyland Shanghai: $198

Disneys newest park is also among its most affordable. Trying to avoid the low visitor numbers faced by its Chinese counterpart in Hong Kong, it has developed a pricing system based on when it predicts the park will be busiest.

Interestingly, Disneyland Shanghai also prices tickets based on height: Guests have to be over 1.4 meters, or about 4 1/2 feet, to be considered adults. For those who meet the height requirement, the price of admission is 370 yuan, or about $56, during regular times and 499 yuan, or about $76, during peak times (among them the two weeks after the parks grand opening as well as weekends). For children, defined as those whose height is between 1 and 1.4 meters, the price of admission is 280 yuan, or about $43, during off-peak times and $57 during peak times.

Assuming your family visits during an off-peak time, and both your kids are below 1.4 meters, your total cost for a day at the park comes in at just under $200.

4. Disneyland Tokyo: $245

Disneyland Tokyo, which opened in 1983, was the first Disney park built in Asia. It features classic rides like Splash Mountain and Its a Small World, as well as Star Tours, a 3D Star Wars-themed attraction that immerses riders in a galaxy far, far away with their favorite characters.

A one-day pass there will run adults (those over 18) 7,400 yen, or about $70 in American currency. For juniors, classified as kids between 12 and 18, the cost of spending a day in the most magical place in Japan is about $60, while kids between ages 4 and 11 will cost their parents about $45. Children under 3 can frolic for free.

3. Hong Kong Disneyland: about $260

Opened in 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland features rides like Slinky Dog Spin and Toy Soldier Parachute Drop, as well as traditional favorites like the Mad Hatter Tea Cups in the Fantasyland section.

Ticket prices are the same regardless of when you visit. A one-day ticket costs HK $539, or about USD $70, for customers between the ages of 12 and 64. Children, meanwhile, are charged about USD $50.

2. Disneyland Anaheim: $374

The original Disneyland theme park, built in 1955, features traditional attractions like Space Mountain and the Mark Twain riverboat, as well as a theatrical rendition of the 2014 hit Disney movie Frozen. Its also among Disneys priciest theme park locations. Adult ticket prices range from $95 to $119 for guests over the age of 10, depending on when you visit. Assuming your visit is timed with one of the parks least popular times of year, the three adult members of your party will pay $95 a ticket, while your youngest family member will pay $89.

Related: The One App You Should Check Before You Book Your Next Flight

1. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando: $382

The Orlando, Fla., amusement parkwhich features attractions like Epcot Center and Disneys Animal Kingdomtops out as the most expensive Disney destination. Originally opened in 1971 to supplement Disneyland in California, it quickly grew into a monumental park of its own, with 27 surrounding resorts and four separate theme parks. (Unfortunately, the park also made recent headlines when an alligator dragged away a young child in a nearby resort).

Youll pay heavily for the privilege of visiting this larger-than-life amusement park complex. Admission prices for adults at Disney World range from $97 to $114 if youre looking to visit one of Disneys four on-campus parksEpcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom Parkfor the day. Again, lets assume youre able to visit when costs are cheapest. In off-peak times, members of your party over the age of 10 will pay $97 for a one-day Value Pass, while children will be charged $91 each to explore the park for a day.

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If you find yourself out late and a little worse for wear in downtown Sydney, you may soon have a unique place to rest your head.

Sydney is set to get its first capsule hotel, Broadsheet reported. A Japanese invention that has been a longtime subject of curiosity to foreigners, the capsule hotel typically features row upon row of rectangular fibreglass "rooms." Now Sydneysiders will also be able to discover what it's like to sleep in a box.

SEE ALSO: Buffering bogs down Australia's first Facebook Live political debate

Set to open in a site on George Street in mid-November, the space is the work of interior design firm, Giant Design. A capsule will reportedly cost around A$35 and A$50, depending on size.

Rather than having the Bladerunner aesthetic of many of Tokyo's capsule hotels, Giant Design employee Chris Wilks told the outlet the hotel, which is opening in a now-closed inner city bar, will retain the former venue's "vintage look and feel."

"We're providing the privacy which one doesn't get in a backpackers on a bunk bed," he added. "It's a great alternative for those without public transport."

Claustrophobia aside, this seems a solid solution if you've missed the last train home.

Giant Design has been contacted for comment.
By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming days decides a high-profile immigration case in favor of the Obama administration, the ruling could have an unexpected beneficiary: Republican presidential contender Donald Trump. The Obama administration is asking the high court to revive its 2014 proposal to protect up to 4 million people from deportation, a plan that was blocked by lower courts. The court could rule that a president has broad authority to interpret and enforce federal immigration law. Such a ruling would allow Obama to implement his signature executive action on immigration, aimed at the parents of U.S. citizens' children, before he leaves office. It could also help Trump, who has put forth his own sweeping and controversial plans on immigration ahead of the Nov. 8 election. "To the extent the court has language about the presidents wide authority in immigration law generally, that would certainly strengthen Trumps hand." said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law expert at Cornell Law School. The Supreme Courts ruling will come at a key phase in the presidential election cycle, with candidates Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton trading jabs over immigration policy following the mass shooting in a Orlando nightclub in which a gunman killed 49 people. Trump has proposed curbing immigration from countries with a history of terrorism, blocking the entry of Muslims and deporting the estimated 11 million people in the United States who entered the country illegally. If he wins the race for the White House, Trump might need to invoke his own executive authority - as happened with Obama - if the U.S. Congress does not approve his proposals, which have sparked outrage at home and abroad. The current case is unlikely to provide any support for Trump's proposal to bar Muslims, which legal experts say would face other legal hurdles because it targets people on the basis of religion. But legal experts say it could help Trump if he seeks to block entry from certain countries under a provision of immigration law that gives the president the power to suspend entry of noncitizens whose entry "would be detrimental to the interests of the United States." That provision has previously only been used block entry of small groups of people, such as officials linked with foreign governments hostile to the United States. Applying it to entire countries could prompt a similar lawsuit to the one filed against Obama. Clinton could also seize on an Obama victory in the case, but her own immigration proposals are more modest. She has said that absent action by Congress to reform the system entirely, she would keep Obama's program in place and seek to expand on it. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress passes laws and the executive branch enforces them. In the immigration context, Congress has traditionally given the president considerable leeway to interpret how to implement the laws. NARROWER GROUNDS The high court, evenly split 4-4 between liberals and conservatives following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February, could decide the case on narrower grounds than the broad question of executive power. It could avoid touching on immigration law at all by finding that the states challenging Obamas proposal did not have legal standing to sue. The court could also split 4-4, which would leave in place the lower court decision blocking the plan but without setting any legal precedent. U.S. presidents generally have discretion to enforce immigration law, but the plan's challengers said Obama exceeded the limits of his authority by setting up a program that would allow millions to gain temporary legal status and work permits. Critics say his plan was unlawful in part because it effectively granted relief from deportation to a much bigger class of people than had ever benefited from any similar programs in the past. Texas and 25 other states who filed suit said it was an unconstitutional abuse of power. Obama's lawyers told the Supreme Court that Obama was acting within the government's exercise of prosecutorial discretion to decide who to deport. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Amy Stevens and Ross Colvin)
One week ago, an armed gunman identified Omar Mateen entered Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and killed 49 people and wounded 53 others before dying in a shootout with authorities.

In the week since, all-too-familiar details about the nature of the shooting, its motivations and what officials are planning to do about it have emerged. Here's the latest information on what transpired during the appalling events of that day.

The shooter

Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A more complete picture has emerged of Mateen, the 29-year-old Port St. Lucie, Florida, man who conducted the attack.

Nearly a decade ago, Mateen passed a psychological background test to secure a Florida state weapons permit and "performed well in training" in firearms while briefly employed as a correctional employee, the Miami Herald reported.

But according to the Wall Street Journal, Mateen "hadn't committed a crime as an adult, [though] his record was replete with incidents that troubled those around him"  including at age 14 "mimick[ing] an airplane flying into the World Trade Center; a long record of bigoted statements about gays and other groups; and threatening to murder attendees at a 2007 barbecue for corrections officers trainees after his hamburger had touched pork.

1. Week later, completely different profile of mass shooter. Not ISIS-ispired. Not gay closeted. Simply angry hater.http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/us/omar-mateen-gunman-orlando-shooting.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-regionion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 ...

DEVELOPING: Omar Mateen was let go from state corrections officer training after joking about bringing gun to classpic.twitter.com/UYLO4xVVxz https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClLvDTiVEAAUI1f.jpg:large

Others have said Mateen was gay and closeted, though authorities are skeptical, reported the New York Times. His father (whose credibility is in question) suggested Mateen's homophobia was the primary motivating factor in the attack.

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In addition to hatred of gays, the Los Angeles Times reported Mateen used slurs against black people and women.

"You meet bigots," Daniel Gilroy, one of Mateen's former co-workers, told the Times. "But he was above and beyond. He was always angry, swearing, just angry at the world."

Mateen also reportedly bragged about supposed affiliations with Islamic extremist groups including al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in 2013, forcing his removal as a security guard from the St. Lucie County Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, the New York Times reported in a separate piece. Since al-Qaeda is an international Sunni terror organization and Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group, and the two groups have at best a confrontational relationship, authorities did not consider his claims credible at the time.

While authorities placed Mateen on a watch list, he was removed following two FBI investigations into his statements in 2013 and 2014.

The attack

Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

After entering Pulse nightclub on June 12, Mateen opened fire on crowds before taking hostages in a three-hour rampage. Eventually, Mateen died in a shootout with police tactical teams that blew their way through an outer wall after Mateen made comments suggesting he was carrying explosives.

He was armed with a handgun and a Sig Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine originally designed for military use in combat zones.

Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS and its commander, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, during the attack, and had posted to Facebook using as many as five separate accounts to spread ISIS propaganda and threaten U.S. citizens.

A Senate committee wants to know if Facebook could have stopped Omar Mateen. The answer is nohttp://bit.ly/1Ouea9f

CIA director John Brennan told the Senate Intelligence Committee his agency has "not been able to uncover any direct link" between Mateen and any foreign terrorist groups, indicating Mateen was radicalized in the U.S. and was operating on his own prerogative.

While the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, subsequently took credit for the attacks anyhow, and encourages other Muslims in the United States to conduct similar assaults on civilians, that does not suggest ISIS is capable of conducting its own attacks in the United States. Instead, the New York Times wrote, such efforts to inspire future shooters are "a purposeful blurring of the line between operations that are planned and carried out by the terror group's core fighters and those carried out by its sympathizers ... intended to protect the organization in an age of surveillance."

Further indicating the lack of any direct ISIS involvement were Mateen's additional references to al-Qaeda during the attack. Al-Qaeda and ISIS are at war.

Mateen's wife, 30-year-old Noor Zahi Salman, told authorities she accompanied him to Pulse on at least one occasion in a visit a U.S. law enforcement official called "reconnaissance," the Washington Post reported, though she has not been arrested.

The guns used in the attack were legally owned and purchased days before the shooting, although Mateen was turned away by the owner of a gun store in Orlando where he had attempted to buy body armor and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

The FBI is planning to release partial transcripts of Mateen's phone calls with authorities, with the portions invoking ISIS redacted.

The aftermath

Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Information about the 49 victims, who were predominantly gay, Latino men, was widely disseminated in the media in the days following the massacre.

The targeted massacre of LGBTQ people happened during Pride Month. Thousands of people across the U.S. took to the streets for Pride marches in support of the LGBTQ community over the course of the next week.

"Now that this has happened, this is just a part of our experience as people and the memory of the people who were murdered, the poignancy of the next time we're all gathered at a queer Latino night in D.C., or wherever, we're not going to be able to be in that space without thinking about the people who we've lost and what that means," Cuban-American LGBTQ activist Miriam Zoila Perez told NPR. "Nothing I planned on doing post-Sunday is going to be the same. Everything is shifting."

Polling showed the attack increased support for stricter gun control measures, although it also sent gun stocks skyrocketing in anticipation of increased sales.

President Barack Obama subsequently met with the victims' families Thursday, saying, "Those who were killed and injured here were gunned down by a single killer with a powerful assault weapon. The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass killers in Aurora, or Newtown. But the instruments of death were so similar. Now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives."

The premier gun lobbying organization, the NRA, has not changed its stance on gun rights following the attack.

The nation's highest federal court may take action as well. "The Supreme Court will announce as soon as Monday whether it will hear the challenge brought by gun rights groups and individual firearms owners asserting that the laws violate the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment guarantee of the right to bear arms," Reuters reported Sunday.

Even modest gun-control measures reduce gun deaths http://econ.st/1QbOaQE pic.twitter.com/J9qXG4H2iT https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClTFCvjWAAAzwAW.jpg:large

Democrats in the Senate conducted a 14-hour filibuster during the week, after which Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the party had secured votes on two measures to expand background checks on gun show and internet firearms sales and preventing people on terror watch lists from buying weaponry. Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton once again called for a national ban on the manufacturing of assault weaponry, though the Nation noted there "will be no imminent movement on assault weapons in Congress, and none of the major gun control groups that have been ascendant since [the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut] even have a position on an assault weapons ban."

Republican presidential contender Donald Trump infuriated many when he congratulated himself on Twitter for supposedly predicting the attack and renewed calls for a ban on Muslim entry to the United States. His calls for increased surveillance of U.S. Muslims and suggestion Obama has ulterior motives preventing him from dealing with the problem are broadly unpopular, according to a Bloomberg Politics poll  but other polling suggests the Muslim ban has slight majority support.

Latest @bpolitics poll looks at the gun control debate in the wake of the Orlando shooting http://bloom.bg/1Xo01wM pic.twitter.com/fksQC5I7G6 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClVfQbXXIAANsCx.jpg:large

Trump also veered from Republican orthodoxy by pledging to meet with the NRA to prevent people on terror watch lists from procuring firearms. But later, he seemed to have gone too far in favor of gun rights for the lobbying group's tastes by suggesting the massacre could have been prevented if the club-goers were armed.

"I don't think you should have firearms where people are drinking," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said Sunday on Face the Nation on CBS.

In general, however, Trump's response to the shooting has clearly hurt him with the majority of voters:

NEW CBS Poll: Approve/Disapprove of Orlando response - Obama: 44/34 (+10) Clinton: 36/34 (+2) Trump: 25/51 (-26)http://www.cbsnews.com/news/orlando-mass-shooting-poll-trump-obama-clinton-reaction/ ...

While the infamous anti-gay hate group Westboro Baptist Church pledged to picket the funerals of those murdered in the massacre, protesters donning "linen angel wings" interposed themselves between the Westboro members and attendees at a service Saturday for victim Christopher Leinonen.
Orlando Pulse Shooting Teresa Jacobs John Mina Ron Hopper

Over the past several months, ISIS' "caliphate" has started to crumble.

Local forces and a US-led coalition have been beating the militants back in Iraq and Syria, where its core territory lies. And it's close to losing its stronghold in Libya, where ISIS was thought to be building a "back-up capital" in case its de-facto capital in Syria falls.

But none of that has mattered this week from a messaging standpoint. ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh) has dominated the news not because it is losing in the Middle East, but because one of its apparent sympathizers in the US carried out an attack on American soil.

The attack on a LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando last weekend exposes the double-edged sword of ISIS' strategy. The group has been successful not only at seizing territory in the Middle East, but also at motivating supporters in the West to kill in its name.

And the US and other Western countries are struggling to figure out how to stop ISIS from influencing, and even directing, attacks abroad.

'ISIS-inspired' attacks

So far, no evidence has emerged to indicate that the Orlando shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, had any direct contact with ISIS leadership. But he pledged allegiance to the group while he was carrying out the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility through its propaganda channels, ensuring that the public perceives Mateen as an ISIS terrorist.

"This is an opportunity for IS to appear omnipresent, appear like it has tentacles that stretch deep into the heart of 'the crusader enemy,' as IS refers to it," Charlie Winter, an expert on jihadist propaganda and a senior research associate at Georgia State University's Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative, told Business Insider.

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ISIS has spread its ideology across the world through its savvy use of the internet. No other terror group before it has been able to create such an effective propaganda operation.

And US leaders still haven't been able to counter ISIS' messaging as effectively as ISIS is able to disseminate it.

CIA Director John Brennan told to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that ISIS has "made extensive and sophisticated use of the various technological innovations that we have witnessed over the past decade."

"These so-called lone wolves, the ones who operate as a result of the incitement, encouragement, and exhortations of these terrorist organizations, it is an exceptionally challenging issue for the intelligence community, security and law enforcement to deal with," he said.

He added that ISIS' "inspiration can lead someone to embark on this path of destruction and start to acquire the capability, the expertise, maybe do the surveillance and carry out an attack without triggering any of those traditional signatures we might see as a foreign terrorist organization tries to deploy operatives here."

ISIS

Though ISIS previously used its online operation to convince foreigners to travel to the "caliphate," the name the group uses for its territory in the Middle East, ISIS is now focusing on motivating supporters to strike in their home countries. As it loses territory, ISIS leadership is sending the message that supporters can be more useful by killing civilians in the West in its name.

Various Western government have launched counter-messaging efforts, such as the US State Department's "Think Again, Turn Away" Twitter account and Britain's "Open Your Eyes" campaign.

But experts are skeptical about the effectiveness of these campaigns.

"You're dealing with a subset of individuals that are fervent in their beliefs," Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, told Business Insider in April. "And they spend every possible moment pushing their beliefs."

One platform on which ISIS has been especially successful on is Twitter. The company has made an effort to shut down ISIS-affiliated accounts  but more keep popping up in their place. And ISIS sympathizers outnumber the government workers tasked with countering their message.

Hughes explained: "If [Twitter] is taking it down and it makes [ISIS supporters] spend another five minutes finding a new account, they're going to spend that five minutes opening that new account. Because they believe what they believe and they believe they're right, in a way that people who are doing counter-messaging and alternative messaging also have day jobs and can [spend] an hour trying to hijack a hashtag, but it's really not something you're passionate about."

Brennan admitted that the US has fallen short in its efforts to stop the spread of ISIS' ideology.

"Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," he told the Senate Intelligence Committee. "The resources needed for terrorism are very modest, and the group would have to suffer even heavier losses of territory, manpower, and money for its terrorist capacity to decline significantly."

It's not yet clear how Mateen became an ISIS sympathizer, but he had a known history of vocalizing support for radical groups.

And even though he was on a government terror watch list, he managed to purchase a semi-automatic rifle. The FBI investigated Mateen in 2013 and 2014, but ultimately couldn't come up with enough evidence to arrest him.

The FBI reportedly has thousands of similar investigations open at any given time.

"If there are indeed 10,000 investigations open, there is arguably a larger number of people that the US knows are radical but dont have enough evidence to open up an investigation on," Lorenzo Vidino, director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said on a conference call for the Foreign Policy Initiative this week.

And it's impossible for the FBI to monitor everyone, Vidino said.

"Unfortunately, I'm disappointed, because I'm very hesitant to see what would be the solutions here," Vidino said.

ISIS Twitter

'ISIS-directed' attacks

ISIS isn't relying on "lone wolves" alone to wreak havoc in the West.

The group is also developing operatives to carry out attacks planned and directed by ISIS leaders themselves.

And here, Western countries face another technological hurdle  being able to identify and monitor the electronic communications of these trained terrorists.

Some politicians are questioning whether encrypted messaging apps, which can't easily be penetrated by intelligence agencies, are too much of a danger to US national security. But giving law enforcement access to encrypted communications raises its own set of issues.

"We're trying to discuss a bill on encryption, using court orders to ask companies to cooperate in cases of national security as well as major, major crime," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California and the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said at the hearing. "And it's just very difficult."

Some argue that allowing the government to access encrypted communications could compromise the privacy and security of Americans without sufficiently limiting terrorists' access to the technology, which is available from foreign companies as well as US companies.

"It's important to remember that if encryption is restricted in the United States, it will still be very easy to download strong encryption from hundreds of sources overseas," Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, said at the committee hearing. "And in my judgment, requiring companies to build back doors in their products, to weaken strong encryption, will put the personal safety of Americans at risk at a dangerous time."

Wyden released a statement after the hearing noting that encryption is used to "protect everything from bank records and business transactions to personal communications and other sensitive data."

Keith Chu, a spokesman for Wyden, told Business Insider that the senator "supports helping US intelligence agencies adapt and target adversaries, for example by providing better training and additional resources for personnel or investigations."

Brennan disagreed with Wyden.

"US companies dominate the international market as far as encryption technologies that are available through these various apps," he said at the hearing.

He added: "So although you are right that there is the theoretical ability of foreign companies to be able to have those encryption capabilities that will be available to others, I do believe that this country and this private sector is integral to addressing these issues."

He had noted earlier in the hearing that the "digital domain" is the "new frontier" in terms of threats on US national security.

"I do not believe our legal frameworks as well as our organizational structures and our capabilities are yet at the point of being able to deal with the challenges in that digital domain that we need to have in the future," Brennan said.

ISIS

But at this point, the government can only do so much to prevent terrorists from effectively using encryption to mask their communications.

Cybersecurity specialist Robert Graham, in a report for the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point, wrote that encryption "backdoors" for law enforcement "would do more harm than good."

"The FBI has called for laws mandating encryption backdoors, but these laws would be mostly futile," he wrote. "They do not apply to software or phones created in other countries, for example. They do not apply to jihadist programmers who create their own apps based on open-source software."

The government also faces far simpler roadblocks than encryption.

After the terror attack last year in San Bernardino, California, which was also carried out by ISIS sympathizers, the FBI struggled to access information on the passcode-protected iPhone of one of the attackers. The FBI obtained a court order to force Apple to provide access to the phone's data, but Apple refused to comply.

The FBI eventually found its own way into the phone.

Brennan said he's concerned about "the government's inability to follow up on a court order and a warrant that grants the government access to some type of device that holds a lot of documents or information that could be inculpatory or exculpatory about an investigation as well as provide investigative leads to prevent the next attack."

He added: "There is something that this government has to come to grips with."

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Stacey Ganina, John McKinley, Zaneta Koplewicz, Joshua Kazdin -- BlackRock Impact

Is it possible to invest for a cause and deliver competitive financial returns?



A couple of years ago, a group of young financiers at the asset-management giant BlackRock set out to find out.

Zaneta Koplewicz and Rob Morris, who were 28 and 26 at the time, were inspired by a 2011 article in The Economist about impact investing.

That means investing in companies or organizations for a cause, like environmental or social good, while still generating a financial return.

BlackRock is a huge organization with $4.6 trillion in assets under management, so Koplewicz and Morris first needed to find potential home for such a division. They eventually got Ken Wilson, a vice chairman of the firm, on board to help.

They created a voluntary working group, which brought a proposal to CEO Larry Fink. Fink liked the idea, and that led to the creation of BlackRock Impact, which today manages some $200 billion with products ranging from sustainable exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, to green-bond funds.

Fink hired Deborah Winshel  who was previously president and chief operating officer of the Robin Hood Foundation, and before that, chief financial officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art  to lead the charge as global head of impact investing.

Koplewicz has since moved on to become head of investor relations for BlackRocks event-driven team, and Morris is no longer with the firm. But Winshel runs a group of five people who partner with various divisions within the firm  be it bond trading or the alternative-investments group  to identify sustainable investments for clients.

"From the very beginning, this was never considered a standalone set of products for niche investors, but rather an approach to investing that can be integrated across a portfolio, driven by our clients who increasingly seek these strategies," John McKinley, a vice president and member of the BlackRock Impact team, told Business Insider.

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Screen Shot 2016 06 17 at 7.28.34 AM

Impact's approach is three-pronged, including screened investments that exclude specific sectors like tobacco or fossil fuels; investments that focus on companies with strong environmental, social, and governance performance, like a low-carbon fund; and investments that target specific, measurable outcomes.

A big part of what they do is about reframing the investments BlackRock already makes. The firm had an existing renewable-power fund, for example, before Deborah came on board. Her team then worked to ensure it fit Impact's requirements and then incorporated it into the platform.

"The goal of our platform is to unify all of the different strategies and pockets of sustainable investing at the firm," said Stacey Ganina, a vice president and member of the BlackRock Impact team. "So when Deborah came on board, we were able to unify this under one global platform."

The company is also launching new funds. The firm launched an impact exchange-traded fund under the ticker MPCT in April that provides investors exposure to companies that address the UN sustainable-development goals. There's also the low-carbon-exposure target ETF "CRBN" and the broader "Impact US Equity Fund" BIRAX.

BlackRock's efforts in this space reflect a broader trend in the market. In short, environmentally minded investing is becoming big business.

Stacey Ganina, Zaneta Koplewicz, Joshua Kazdin, Deborah Winshel, John McKinley -- BlackRock Impact

The market for green bonds, where the proceeds are used for environmentally friendly projects, is booming.

Big-name investors are talking excitedly about environmentally sustainable infrastructure investments. The world's biggest insurer, Axa, recently ditched tobacco stocks.

Millennials are twice as likely to invest in companies that have a positive impact on society, McKinley said, and that generation is set to inherent around $40 trillion over the next three decades.

"I don't think people talked about ESG [environmental, social, and governance] 18 months ago in the way that it's now becoming much more of a common conversation among investors," Winshel told Business Insider.

BlackRock Impact has had some success, hoovering up $200 billion in assets. That represents impressive growth, though the amount still makes up a small percentage of BlackRock's total $4.6 trillion in assets. It is still early days.

"BlackRock getting into impact is a signal to the market that sustainable investing is becoming mainstream."

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House Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP leaders this week intend to unveil their latest vision for replacing the Affordable Care Act, trying once again to make good on a pledge to not only jettison President Obamas signature health care program but offer a credible alternative.

Almost from the moment the ACA was enacted in 2010, GOP leaders and presidential candidates have called for root and branch repeal of every facet of the program.

Related: The White House Is Spending Millions to Battle Obamacare Rate Hikes

Republicans and their allies can give chapter and verse on why Obamacare must be extinguished  the government costs are too high, new taxes are too onerous, people werent allowed to keep the insurance of their choice, premiums and co-payments are going through the roof, experimental non-profit co-ops proved to be a disaster and so on. But for years House and Senate Republicans repeatedly failed to explain how to replace the program without leaving millions of people once again without insurance coverage and without committing the government to even higher costs and liabilities.

Stuart M. Butler, a senior fellow in economics at the Brookings Institution who has spent decades tracking health care policy in Washington, said that Republicans have been flummoxed until now in crafting a realistic alternative that doesnt leave millions of Americans in the lurch because its really hard to square the circle with budget and funding numbers acceptable to a highly diverse, conservative group of Republican lawmakers.

Its real hard to figure out how you get no significant reduction in health care coverage if you get rid of the individual mandate [to purchase insurance] and you try to repeal some of the taxes in the program, said Butler, who previously headed the Center for Policy Innovation at the conservative Heritage Foundation. So theres tough decisions that have to be made if youre really putting forward an alternative that claims to reduce peoples costs and not end up with a lot of people becoming uninsured.

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Ryan and several key House committee chairmen believe they have finally come up with a concept and plan that could be used as the basis for the replacement of Obamacare, provided of course that Donald Trump succeeds President Obama in the White House and the Republicans can retain control of the House and Senate in the November general election.

Related: Obamacare Premiums Rising at Least 10% Next Year

The new plan set for release this week reportedly will include a refundable tax credit that could be used by low and moderate-income families or others who dont have the benefit of employer-provided coverage to purchase health care insurance in the private market. One version getting a lot of attention provides a universal tax credit adjusted by age, so that the older you are the bigger the tax credit.

The proposed GOP tax credit would mark a significant departure from the refundable credit currently available under Obamacare, which is based on a sliding income scale and can only be used to subsidize the premiums on health care insurance plans purchased within state and federal Obamacare exchanges.

The proposal would also raise billions of dollars in revenue for the new program by imposing a cap on the federal tax exclusion on employer-based health insurance. Currently, premiums paid for employer-sponsored health insurance are excluded from taxable income. That reduces the amount that workers owe in income and payroll taxes by about $250 billion a year. The House Republican plan would substantially cut into that major tax break.

While GOP leaders may argue that a cap on the tax exclusion for employer-provided insurance is justified because it would eliminate a glaring tax loophole while helping to fund new health insurance initiatives, businesses and employees throughout the country would likely protest the move that would greatly increase their tax bill.

Related: Why Hospitals Are Now Much Less Likely to Kill You

Ryans health care reform ideas are part of his larger effort to set a new GOP policy agenda for the upcoming general election and beyond. But in a tell-tale sign that the Republicans are still struggling to agree on a replacement for Obamacare, the plan will not include specific dollar figures on some of its core provisions, as The Hill newspaper reported last week.

It will not include specific dollar amounts on how large the tax credit would be, nor will it note which employer health insurance plans would be subject to taxation, The Hill reported, based on interviews with health care industry lobbyists and congressional aides.

That lack of specificity has led to very low expectations among health policy experts, who have often been promised detailed Obamacare replacement plans only to be presented with vague ideas and slogans.

The proper attitude about this is great cynicism, said Harold Pollack, a health policy expert and professor at the University of Chicagos School of Social Service Administration. Its been more than six years since ACA was passed, and Republicans are still trying to come up with a coherent response to it.

Related: This Obamacare Repeal Plan Cripples State Budgets  and Economies

Given the lack of specificity, he said, Were discussing vaporware, and I strongly doubt that they will go beyond that point. This has been going on for years, he said. Theyre still refusing to put any kind of meat on the bone, so it is very difficult to comment on it.

Pollack said that the failure to address the fallout from eliminating the individual mandate has been a running problem for the GOPs proposals.

A credible plan to replace Obamacare needs to offer some form of universal coverage, or state that tens of millions of people will be uninsured, Pollack said.

That gets to a hard truth. One of the harsh political realities for the Republicans is that once a major social program like Obamacare is enacted and implemented, and the public has begun to draw benefits from it, it is very hard to completely do away with it. Past efforts to dismantle major health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program failed miserably because people didnt want to give up their benefits once they got them.

Related: Why You May Want to Pay Cash for Health Care, Even If You Have Insurance

The core elements of the Affordable Care Act include federal tax subsidies to purchase health insurance on government exchanges, protection of people with pre-existing medical conditions from being denied coverage, authorization for children to remain on their familys health care policy through age 26 and other features that families would be reluctant to give up.

A number of those provisions individually are very popular, said Bill Hoagland, a vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center and an expert on health care, said in an interview. It always struck me when I looked at the polling on this that if you just ask generically about Obamacare, you get this sharp division between Democrats and Republicans. But if you start talking about specifics, I think this is where it gets a lot more difficult for Republicans.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
A Pennsylvania man faces several charges after authorities found him living with 12 girls whose ages ranged between six months to 18 years old.

Lee Kaplan, 51, was charged with statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and other offenses after police followed up on a neighbors tip and made the discovery Thursday at his Feasterville home, the Associated Press reports.

The apparently home-schooled girls were living in the basement and hiding in the chicken coop, Robert Hoopes, Lower Southamptons director of public safety, told USA Today. They were in relatively good condition, Hoopes said.

Authorities were working over the weekend to find answers as to how the dozen girls came under Kaplans care and to identify all the girls in the house.

An 18-year-old in the home told police she and Kaplan had a 3-year-old and a 6-month old child together, according to USA Today. The teenager was given to Kaplan as a gift from her biological parents, who told authorities they didnt have enough money to raise her, the newspaper reports.

[USA Today]
Le Mans (France) (AFP) - Porsche snatched victory in one of the most dramatic finishes in Le Mans 24 Hour Race history after Toyota suffered an agonising power failure with just minutes left on Sunday.

Neel Jani powered the Porsche 919 Hybrid over the line, to elation and tears of joy in their garage, after Kazuki Nakajima's TS050 stuttered to a halt when looking nailed-on to win the endurance race for the Japanese team for the first time in three decades of trying.

Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, drivers of the Porsche number two car, celebrated wildly in front of a crowd that swelled to 263,500 for the 84th edition of the gruelling showpiece, which began on Saturday under driving rain and behind a safety car.

In contrast, Toyota saw their Le Mans jinx strike at the worst possible time.

The Toyota garage looked on aghast as Nakajima's car suddenly began slowing with only five minutes of the 24 hours to go.

He had been as much as 90 seconds ahead at one point, but suddenly it all went wrong and he began to rapidly lose pace, allowing Jani to close fast.

With just over three minutes to go Nakajima came to a stop on the straight as Jani sped past to victory. The Toyota was ranked as declassified, a humiliating culmination to a day-night of racing.

"I'm ready to cry," Nakajima said over the radio as he laboured home.

"Heartbroken," was the simple tweet from the devastated Toyota team.

Toyota's number six car with Stephane Sarrazin at the wheel crossed the line in second with an Audi third.

"What a Le Mans race!" Audi tweeted, calling Toyota "winner of hearts."

"We know that Le Mans can be cruel. But what happened to Toyota was incredible!"

Among the stunned crowd was Brad Pitt, part of the usual colourful cast of professional drivers and Hollywood royalty who turned out to see one of motor racing's A-list events.

Pitt flagged the race off 24 hours earlier, when heavy downpours ensured a soaking start to the occasion and saw the first seven laps take place behind the safety car as torrential rain lashed the track and the 60 cars on the grid.

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The drenched crowd were kept on their toes by over 30 changes of lead during the night and several safety car appearances.

By the closing stages it became a straight fight between Porsche and Toyota, with the two playing cat and mouse for the lead.

By the time the cars crossed the line -- under altogether more forgiving weather -- they had covered a similar distance to a round trip from Le Mans to Moscow.
(Reuters) - Porsche won the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race for the second year in a row on Sunday after Toyota had a first victory snatched from their grasp by a last lap power failure. Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima had been on course to take the chequered flag when sudden drama unfolded as he reported a problem with five minutes remaining. He then slowed before coming to a halt. That allowed Porsche to blast past and claim their 18th victory, with the German manufacturer's number two 919 hybrid car shared by Switzerland's Neel Jani, Frenchman Roland Dumas and Germany's Marc Lieb. "What can I say? First of all I feel sorry for the boys down in the other garage," said Lieb. "They deserved this, they were giving us a hard time as well. This race should have had two winners, it was really unbelievable." The 84th edition of the race was watched by a crowd of 263,500 spectators. Toyota would have been only the second Japanese manufacturer to win the greatest prize in sportscar racing, after Mazda in 1991, but instead finished as runners-up for the fifth time. Nakajima had shared the stricken number five Toyota TS050 hybrid car with Britain's Anthony Davidson and Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi. "I literally have no words," said Davidson on Twitter, reporting that Nakajima had said he was ready to cry as he crossed the line. The Toyota pit crew beat him to that as well, the heartbreak evident across the garage. Instead it was the number six Toyota that took second place for Japan's Kamui Kobayashi, France's Stephane Sarrazin and Britain's Mike Conway. Audi finished third with their number eight car. Porsche and stablemates Audi had each entered only two cars instead of three in the main LMP1 category for cost-cutting reasons in the wake of parent company Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal. The number one Porsche hit problems shortly before midnight and ceased to be a contender. Last year's race was won by Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, New Zealander Earl Bamber and Britain's Nick Tandy but none of them were driving in the main LMP1 category this time. Hulkenberg was competing in Sunday's European Formula One Grand Prix in Baku for Force India. Porsche, who returned to Le Mans with a works team in 2014 for the first time in 16 years, are the most successful manufacturer. The race also marked a winning return by Ford in the GTE Pro category. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in Baku, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Google Diane Greene

The first thing to understand about Diane Greene, the woman Google acqui-hired in November to transform its fragmented cloud business, is that she has the mind of an engineer.

Cool technology, elegantly designed and built, lights her up. Even her jokes tend to be geek oriented.

A lifelong competitive sailor, she was a mechanical engineer who built boats and windsurfers before she became an iconic Silicon Valley computer scientist.

The second thing to understand about her is that she hates the limelight.

While shes fine with standing on stage talking about all the cool things Google is building for their new target customer, big companies, she prefers not to talk about herself.

In fact, she's so ego-free, her office at Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters is just a tiny windowless room, big enough to hold an ordinary desk and two chairs.

Diane Greene

Before she took the job, Google had been building products and pursuing business customers in a sort of hodgepodge way. Its Google for Work unit had Google Apps, Chromebooks, and an assortment of other products like videoconferencing.

It had poached Amit Singh from Oracle a few years back to help turn Google Apps into a more professional business unit, capable of taking on Microsoft Office. He had hired salespeople and created a support organization. (He's since moved on to work for Google's young virtual-reality unit.)

But Google for Work wasn't working very closely with Google's nascent cloud-computing business, running under Urs Holzle.

That unit included a huge cadre of people running Google's data centers (600 computer-security experts alone, for instance), but only a small separate sales force.

In the seven months since Greene came in that's changed. She:

hired experienced enterprise sales and support personnel.

created the office of the CTO, which handles the technical questions, design, or customization of large customer needs.

created units that focus on specific industries, because an agriculture firm has different needs than a retailer.

created programs for getting more "reseller" partners on board, the small consultants who will sell and support Google's cloud to smaller customers, offering niche services.

created a Global Alliance program for working with big global partners.

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"So these are all new," Greene tells us.

Now all the teams are working together. "We all get together once a week, we share and discuss and debate, she says. "It wasnt possible before I came because sales and marketing were in a different division than cloud. And cloud was in a different division than Apps. I feel like the structure is in place now and were hiring very aggressively.

Holzle wooed her to the job

Greene made her name as cofounder of VMware, with her famous Stanford professor husband, Mendel Rosenblum. VMware has gone on to become a giant tech company. She left the VMware CEO role about eight years ago, after EMC bought it.

Google Urs Holzle

Until taking this Google job, she was quietly doing her own thing, raising her kids, advising and angel investing in startups (many of which did spectacularly well), and serving on a few boards, including Google's board since 2012. She was under the radar but still highly and widely respected, the queen of enterprise computing.

She was also working on a new startup, Bebop Technologies, until Google bought it for $380 million when it hired her. Greene's take was $149 million, and she and her husband dedicated that money to charity.

Holzle, the engineer who famously built Google's data centers and runs the technical side of the cloud business, is Greene's partner.

He believes that within a few years, Google's cloud business can be bigger than its ad business. That's a big goal: Google currently makes the vast majority of its $75 billion in annual revenue from ads.

Holzle is the one who talked Greene into taking this job as they hung out walking their dogs together.

"Through being on the board, I got to know Urs and started working with him informally," Greene says.

"We knew we needed an overall business leader. Hes a brilliant person and fun to work with. He really wanted to me to do it. I just realized, wow, partnering with Urs, we can really do this, with the backdrop of Google which is just this amazing company," she says.

A new phenom

Google has placed itself at the center of one of the biggest, newest trends happening in the enterprise market. Some people call this trend digital transformation. But it's more than just automating manual processes or turning paper forms into iPad apps.

cows

More and more, the IT departments at large companies have started treating their tech vendors as partners that help them cocreate the tech they need.

This is new for me. Ive never been in the enterprise where your customers are your partners. It was always, you had customers and you had partners. But almost every customer of a certain size is a partner. Its going both ways now," Greene says.

She points to one customer, Land OLakes, as an example.

Land OLakes is probably best known for its butter and dairy products. It took crop and weather data from Google and worked with Google to build an app hosted on Google's cloud. The app helps its farm and dairy co-op members improve their crop yields.

Its fun for us to help them do that, she says. Unlike the old days, where an IT company would be the one to build the app and sell it to agriculture companies, we dont have to do it ourselves.

'More and more'

This idea of partnering with customers is the key to her strategy.

google photos california mountains

"For me, this is such a revolution," she says. "Everything is changing now that we are in the cloud in terms of sharing our data, understanding our data using new techniques like machine learning."

Google's competitive strength, Greene believes, is the breadth of the tech it can offer an enterprise.

Enterprise app developers can tap into things like Maps, Google's computer-vision engine (the tech that powers Google Photos), weather data, and language/translation/speech recognition. They can build apps on top of Google's Calendar, documents, spreadsheet and presentation apps.

And, under Greene's new integrated organization, they can even tap into the tech that powers Google's ads or YouTube, search, or its many other services.

"And were going to have more and more," she says.

When a company can take its own data and combine it with all of Google's technology and Google's data, "theres just huge possibilities," she says.

google chromebook play store android apps

Greene will tell you, "Were the only public cloud company with all of that."

When pointing out that Microsoft also offers a computer vision API, translation services, and APIs for Office 365, and that IBM also offers weather data and language services, and so on, Greenes got a comeback ready.

We have Chromebooks.

Well, Microsoft has Surface.

But Chromebooks can run all the Android apps, are totally secure, they have administration ... and they have a nice keyboard," she laughs.

In fact, Greene says, I only use a Chromebook now. I never thought I could do that but I love it.

Shes watching Amazon

In truth, shes not laser-focused on overtaking Microsoft, widely considered the No. 2 cloud player, with Google trailing behind.

google cloud napkin

She, like all the cloud vendors, are looking at market leader Amazon Web Services, which is raking in the enterprise cloud customers.

AWS is even convincing a growing number of them to shut down all of their data centers and just rent everything from AWS. This includes Intuit, the other company where Greene is a board member.

AWS is so successful it's currently on track to do $10 billion in revenue this fiscal year, and it's also Amazon's most profitable business unit.

And it blows all the competition out of the water in the sheer number of features on its cloud, as well as its partner ecosystem.

So how is she going to beat Amazon? By offering better tech, she says.

Im a little biased but I really do think, on the hard stuff, were the world's best cloud, she says.

Diane Greene

I agree we have more features to do, although we have the basics for enterprise that you need. We have more partners to bring on, but were doing that very quickly. But the hard stuff, I do think were the worlds best.

While Greene would not share the cloud units growth numbers, she says that growth is really good and were doing great stuff with some really big customers."

She adds: "Weve been moving customers to our cloud both from Amazon and on-prem."

"On-prem" means getting companies to move the apps they have running in their own computers on their own premises into Google's cloud.

Google has even been engaging Amazon with its price-cut war, according to Greene. Theyve been following our price cuts. Weve been initiating them, she says.

She jokes, "We should make a T-shirt: 'the highest quality, lowest-cost cloud.'"

NOW WATCH: Chrome has a ton of hidden features  heres how to find and enable them





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Toulouse (France) (AFP) - Tour de France contender Nairo Quintana won the Route du Sud on Sunday for the second time following the 155km fifth and final stage.

French sprinter Arnaud Demare won a sprint finish to claim stage honours ahead of compatriots Yohann Gene and Stephane Poulhies following eight laps of a circuit around the Clermont-Pouyguilles commune.

Movistar's Quintana, 26, had already won this race in 2012 and was second to Spain's Alberto Contador last year.

It is his only Tour de France build-up race after the Colombian opted to skip the traditional week-long stage races of the Criterium du Dauphine and Tour of Switzerland.

Quintana took control of the race by winning the hilly time-trial on Friday.

He won by 36 seconds to Spanish Movistar team-mate Marc Soler, who won Saturday's fourth stage, with Frenchman Nicolas Edet third at 1min 6sec.

Briton Hugh Carthy had started the day in third place overall but crashed close to the end of the final stage and fell down to 22nd overall.

Quintana had started as overwhelming favourite for a race that rarely attracts the biggest names, although two-time Tour de France champion Contador won last year.
Rome (AFP) - Voters in the Italian capital headed to the polls Sunday with all signs indicating that they will elect populist candidate Virginia Raggi as the first female mayor of the Eternal City.

Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer and local councillor, has leapt from anonymity to become one of the best-known faces in Italian politics in the space of only a few months on the campaign trail.

The telegenic brunette, whose victory would be a blow for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, is the rising star of the Five Star movement (M5S), the anti-establishment party founded by comedian Beppe Grillo.

More than nine million voters are eligible to take part in Sunday's second round election in 126 communes, including Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna.

"It's a very special day for us, we finally have the chance to have somebody new who can change things," Aldo, a 72-year-old pensioner, told AFP shortly after casting his ballot for the Five Star movement at a primary school in a district of Rome.

"All the others have failed, we hope that they will succeed," he added.

Turnout at 1700 GMT stood at around 36.5 percent, down from the first-round figure of just under 44 percent, according to the interior ministry.

Polls close at 2100 GMT.

All eyes are on Five Star which has emerged as the best-supported opposition to the centre-left Democratic Party (PD)-led coalition of Renzi, and the stakes are extremely high for a movement that was only founded in 2009.

With the ebullient Renzi's star waning slightly, success in Rome could provide a platform for a tilt at national power in general elections due in 2018.

The PD also faces defeat in Italy's financial capital Milan and a tough challenge in Turin.

"We are witnessing a historic moment," Raggi said after the June 5 first round of voting, when she emerged with 35 percent of the vote, well ahead of her nearest rival Roberto Giachetti with 24 percent.

It was a particularly remarkable achievement for a party with a very limited organisational apparatus and also for a woman who only entered politics five years ago.

Story continues

She told AFP recently that the move was triggered by the birth of her son Matteo and her determination that he should not grow up in a city beset by the intertwined problems of failing public services and endemic corruption.

Opposition to Italy's ingrained cronyism and sleaze is the foundation of M5S's appeal to voters and the Roman electorate have had their fill of those in recent years.

- 'Associated with hope' -

Dozens of local businessmen, officials and politicians are currently on trial for their involvement in a criminal network that ripped off the city to the tune of tens -- if not hundreds -- of millions of euros.

From stealing the funds allocated to get ethnic Roma children to school and out of isolated camps, to paving the city's streets with wafer-thin surfaces, scams abounded for years, according to prosecutors, in what is known as the Mafia Capitale scandal.

Renzi has sought to downplay the importance of the election, repeating that the "mother of all battles" for him is an October referendum on sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at ushering in stability into Italian politics.

He has pledged to step down if he loses.

In the run-up to the second-round, there were reports in the Italian press that Raggi failed to declare payments for consultations to a public body, an allegation she dismissed.

"It's just muck-racking," she said. "I have already clarified that I have declared everything and it's all in line with the rules."

Mario Calabresi, the editor of Italy's prominent La Repubblica daily, said in an editorial Saturday that the polls were "destined to leave a mark on Italian politics and a possible rupture with the established system".

He said the Five Star party for many was "associated with hope".
SnoozeWise company has been focused on customer satisfaction by ensuring their products created are in line with the specific health desires of health conscious customers have just released a new Hypoallergenic Memory Foam Contour Pillow, plus One Pack and Two Pack Hypoallergenic Pillow Cases.



SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 19, 2016 / Snoozewise aims to satisfy their customers better than other pillow and pillow case companies and it clearly shows in that their products are of high quality and that they are specific to the customer needs. They wish to remain committed to serving their customers in the foreseeable feature and eliminate any barrier that can compromise quality, service and delivery. The great value for their customers has made them remain close to them by identifying whether they are meeting their customers needs optimally. Their strategic plan clearly shows the road map with the resources needed, their internal capabilities, and how the company will react to dynamics in the environment. They appreciate the fact that the market is made of individuals with diverse needs that keeps changing, which explains their increasing commitment to market research.



SnoozeWise has established seamless supply chains that ensure the free flow of products from the factory to consumers within the United States. The company also has a website at Snoozewise.com with detailed information regarding the organizations product line and support options. All their customer feedback via the web and from email is used as a basis for improving the supply chain and customer support.











Their entry to the Pillow and Pillow Case market was motivated by the existence of many customers who were not satisfied with the current products. The existing producers never created products that addressed the customers ongoing health needs at a reasonable price point. The absence of quality pillow and pillow cases compromised the sleeping experience due to the critical roles the two elements play during sleep. Customers are interested in not only comfort but as well as the health implications of the materials used.

SnoozeWise identified the opportunity of supplying the market with healthy pillows and pillow cases that guaranteed maximum comfort as well as ensuring the materials used do not raise health concerns. Conducting further market research revealed the specific features of the most preferred pillows and pillow cases that customers desire. Having a comprehensive understanding of the customer needs supported the creation of their product line.

The companys objective was realized by controlling the raw materials to ensure materials used do not compromise the users comfort. The materials are sourced from specific suppliers to ensure the quality of inputs are tightly controlled. An evaluation on each supplier is conducted to ensure the suppliers are of good reputation. Health experts were also involved when designing the product with an aim of ensuring that the products do not compromise the users health.

For more information, please visit http://www.snoozewise.com

Video URL: https://youtu.be/t398LNMaRn8





Contact:

Name: Michelle Jones and Tony Jones

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Address: 2443 Fillmore St #380-5737, San Francisco. USA.

Phone: 415 799 9232





Source: SnoozeWise
Hillary Clinton

Anita Rifkind wrote a note to her well-known high-school classmate, Hillary Clinton, right after her husband, Bill, was elected president in 1992.

"None of us are surprised to see you in the White House," Rifkind wrote. "We're just surprised you had to bring that guy with you."

Last week, it became clearer than ever before that Rifkind's note could prove to be more than witty prose. Clinton, in her second attempt at the presidency, became the presumptive Democratic nominee after resounding wins in California and New Jersey, among other states, to close out the primary season.

In the process, she became the first woman to ever clinch a major party's presidential nomination  a feat that less than half of registered voters consider historic, according to a recent Morning Consult poll.

But for some who have known Clinton the longest  classmates who were fellow members of the first graduating class of Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, in 1965  the moment wasn't just historic. It was powerful.

Maine South classmate Cheryl Harbour told Business Insider:

Well, I have to admit that I felt stronger emotion than I expected to. And really, my relationship with her exceeds politics. But when that happened, I had a tremendous feeling of history changing directions. It was such a profound day. Knowing her, I am proud of her for being the person that could make that happen.

This to me seems like an extension of who she was then and what every moment of her life has been. It's not as if it was a huge leap. I feel like the person that we see today is the person that I first got to know in first grade. ... I can still see the influences of Park Ridge in her.



Screen Shot 2016 03 02 at 5.13.10 PM

Rifkind, who first met Clinton in junior high, said that she was "thrilled" by Clinton outlasting Sen. Bernie Sanders and securing the Democratic nomination. She told Business Insider that she felt that Clinton "should've gotten it" over then Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in 2008, when she first ran.

Story continues

Admittedly not a close friend of Clinton's, Rifkind called herself a "D-list" connection.

"She was much more popular than I was," she said, adding that the general public isn't getting the proper perception of her classmate.

Behind presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Clinton is the least favorably viewed nominee in recent electoral history.

"I look at the media coverage and I say this is not the person I know," Rifkind said. "The person I know is warm. And open. And friendly. And is as honest as you can be. The fact that she doesn't come across that way in the media always puzzles me."

Harbour, meanwhile, called Clinton "extremely well-liked." She said that she knew Clinton mostly through classes and their work on the student council, in which Clinton was heavily involved.

More recently, Clinton wrote the forward for Harbour's book on becoming a grandparent, "Good to be Grand," soon after Chelsea Clinton became pregnant with her first child in 2014.

"She was the first grandmother or grandmother-to-be to read the book," Harbour said. "We were together one evening and I half-jokingly said, 'You should write the foreword,' and she said, 'I will.' And she did."

"Her friends love her because she remembers what's going on in your family and asks about it," she continued. "I think she has a great capacity for empathy."

hillary clinton

Clinton's high-school classmates, like the electorate at large, appear to exhibit a mix of jubilation  shown by Rifkind and Harbour  and being apathetic or unenthusiastic about the choice between Clinton and Trump.

John Apolinski, who said that he did not know Clinton well, simply said, "I plan on voting" when asked who he was supporting in the fall.

"We'll see what develops in the next few months," he said.



"It's a very interesting dynamic that's going on in our political system right now," he added. "It's incredibly fascinating. It's almost like reality TV."

Screen Shot 2016 03 02 at 5.11.51 PM

But Apolinski acknowledged the gravity of being classmates of the first woman to clinch a major party's presidential bid.

"The fact that it's the first woman to be officially nominated, which is a historic moment, that is phenomenal," he said. "And of course, the fact that we both attended the same school, that's nice."

For Harbour  who got to know a president once before during the first Clinton administration  the moment of Clinton becoming the presumptive nominee was "sobering and inspiring."

She said:

When you know the president, you feel personally connected to the hugeness of the responsibility. But it's also inspiring because it means the rest of us need to take responsibility for what more we can be and should be doing  and there's no postponing it. No more waiting for "it" to happen.

By knowing Bill Clinton through Hillary, I was conditioned to the idea of personally knowing a president. All presidents have friends who know them as real people. But there is still a tremendous sense of awe and pride that Hillary, my friend, is in the center of this historic circumstance.

NOW WATCH: CLINTON: 'We've reached a milestone'





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By Jon Herskovitz (Reuters) - A wildfire fed by parched land and high winds spread in southern California on Saturday, forcing hundreds of people to leave their homes as the blaze formed destructive columns of flames known as fire tornadoes. The so-called Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Los Angeles, had burned through about 7,811 acres (3,161 hectares) by Saturday evening, officials said. Firefighters estimated the fire was 45 percent contained after early evening "sundowner winds" that can whip through the area's coastal canyons did not emerge overnight on Friday. "We had a very good night last night ... We've had no life loss, no major injuries and no major structural loss," Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Eric Peterson told a news conference. But county officials issued a new "red flag warning" for gusty winds from Sunday to Tuesday. More than 1,200 firefighters have been dispatched to battle the flames, fueled by dry chaparral and grass in coastal canyons about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the affluent city of Santa Barbara. "Now is the time to gather your family members, pets and important documents in case you need to leave quickly," the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office warned people living in areas threatened by the fire. The fire broke out on Wednesday and has been expanding since then, forcing mandatory evacuations in some areas and putting others under evacuation warnings. The fire is one of a series of blazes in western and southwestern states brought about by high temperatures and a prolonged dry spell. One of the largest has been southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has destroyed about two dozen homes and forced evacuations. More than 700 personnel were fighting the so-called Dog Head Fire that has burned through about 17,615 acres (7,129 hectares) of timber and logging zones in four days. Firefighters said it was 9 percent contained as of Saturday evening. Governor Susana Martinez this week declared a state of emergency to free up resources to fight the blaze. For an area stretching from southern California to southern Nevada and into Arizona, the National Weather service has put out "red flag warnings," indicating conditions that could lead to dangerous fires. It has also issued a heat advisory for large parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Dan Grebler)
Fans of the Star Trek reboot are mourning after news broke of the death of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov.

The Associated Press reported Sunday afternoon that Yelchin was killed in a car crash, though other reports referred to it as a "freak accident" at his California home.

TMZ reported that Yelchin was discovered pinned between his car and a brick mailbox by friends who arrived to his San Fernando Valley home at 1 a.m. Sunday when he failed to show up to a meeting.

Watch: At 82 This 'Star Trek' Actress Is Joining NASA Mission Months After Stroke

Police said the car's engine was running and the car in neutral gear when they arrived.

He was 27.

Yelchin, who was born in Russia and moved to the U.S. as a baby, won the highly visible role after appearing in indie films including Alpha Dog and the the comedy Charlie Bartlett.

Watch: Man Claiming To Be William Shatner's Son Wants Him To Take Paternity Test

The actor's mother and father, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, were both successful professional ice skaters.

The family has requested privacy at this time.

The third installment of the classic space adventure reboot, Star Trek Beyond, is out in July.

Watch: 'Star Wars' Actress Daisy Ridley Reveals Medical Condition Causing Severe Acne

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For its 95th season opening the Hollywood Bowl, venerable rockers Steely Dan performed a clutch of tunes their hits that had the audience on its feet.

With the four-decade old bands signature cheeky style, Walter Becker promised the audience that at the end of the evening, Youll know youve been rode hard and put away wet.

He welcomed the patrons of the arts and those from the Valley, you know who you are: Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Reseda. I know you by name.

This was the first time Steely Dan was performing with a full orchestra, conductor Thomas Wilkins said. The band is in the middle of its The Dan Who Knew Too Much Tour.

Donald Fagen didnt say much, beyond welcoming the audience, but provided vocals on most of the tunes. The second half of the evening was a raucous set of songs including Green Earrings, Aja, Caves of Altamira, Hey Nineteen, The Royal Scam and Deacon Blues. By Josie, nearly everyone in the audience was on their feet. Fireworks accompanied Bodhisattva, and the evening finished with Kid Charlemagne.

The opening, a fundraiser for the music education in Los Angeles, raised a record $1.7 million and highlighted some of its beneficiaries. The orchestra played music composed by Anderson Alden and Katya Richardson, graduates of the Composer Fellowship Program.

Aldens Lift and Richardsons Fanfare for Orchestra were followed by the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts vocal ensemble singing Children Will Listen from Stephen Sondheims Into the Woods. The song was selected a while ago, but in light of the shooting in Orlando it was appropriate, Wilkins said.

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(Reuters) - A tropical depression formed over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Sunday and was expected to develop into a tropical storm within 24 hours before moving over eastern Mexico and the city of Veracruz on Monday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tropical Depression Four was located some 190 miles (305 km) east-southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). The Miami-based center said the storm was forecast to strengthen and could become a cyclone at any time before it moved over eastern Mexico. The system would be named Danielle if it reaches sustained tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph (63 kph). The NHC issued a tropical storm warning for the state of Veracruz. Forecast models showed the storm coming ashore just north of the city of Veracruz, which has more than 400,000 residents. "Areas of heavy rain are expected over portions of eastern Mexico tonight through Tuesday," the center said. "These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in areas of high terrain," it added in its advisory. (Reporting by Sandra Maler in Washingon; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan summoned Sunday the head of the international peacekeeping force in Darfur after the UN recommended a one-year extension of UNAMID's mission despite Khartoum's reluctance.

About 20,000 troops and policemen from more than 30 countries are currently in Sudan's western region of Darfur as part of the African Union-United Nations mission, UNAMID.

A report by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, recommends that UNAMID's mandate be extended by another year.

The report which was submitted to the Security Council cites the "limited progress" made to reach a viable solution to end the conflict in Darfur that has killed tens of thousands of civilians since 2003.

"With tens of thousands of people newly displaced in 2016 and approximately 2.6 million remaining displaced in Darfur, civilians across the region continue to bear the consequences of the volatile security situation," the report said.

It recommended extending UNAMID's mandate -- which expires at the end of the month -- "for 12 months, until 30 June 2017."

The UN Security Council is expected to meet before the end of June to endorse or reject the recommendation.

Khartoum insists that unrest in Darfur has ended and has stepped up pressure for a complete exit of the international peacekeepers from the war-torn region, where they have been deployed since 2007.

On Sunday, Sudan's foreign ministry summoned UNAMID chief Martin Uhomoibh to discuss the report, the ministry said in a statement.

"The report by the African Union and the United Nations consists incorrect information about the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur," it said.

Last month Sudan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Kamal Ismail, said: "It's time to say goodbye to the UNAMID mission."

"This mission came to protect civilians, but now there is no danger to civilians, there is no conflict in Darfur," he added.

Story continues

Violence erupted in Darfur when ethnic minority rebels rose against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Bashir mounted a brutal counter-insurgency and at least 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict, the UN says. Another 2.5 million have fled their homes.

-- 'Conflict persists' --

Khartoum says that an April referendum -- boycotted by the opposition and criticised internationally -- in Darfur "turned a page" on the Darfur conflict.

Officials said almost 98 percent of voters opted to maintain the region as five separate states.

The UN report insists that the conflict is far from over.

"Intercommunal fighting and incidents of violence against the civilian population by criminal groups and militias have continued to spread, despite the government efforts to contain them," it said.

In May, Arab tribesmen shot dead eight ethnic minority villagers as they prayed in a mosque, in a revenge killing in West Darfur.

In April, as many as 20 people were killed in clashes between two rival Arab tribes in East Darfur sparked by livestock thefts.

"Some 2.7 million people now face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity in Darfur," the UN report said.

For peacekeepers to exit from Darfur, certain benchmarks have to be achieved, including protection of displaced civilians.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court may weigh in this week on gun control, an issue smoldering again following the June 12 Orlando massacre, with the justices due to decide whether to hear a challenge by gun rights advocates to assault weapon bans in two states. The Connecticut and New York laws prohibit semiautomatic weapons like the one used by the gunman who fatally shot 49 people at a gay night club in Orlando in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The Supreme Court will announce as soon as Monday whether it will hear the challenge brought by gun rights groups and individual firearms owners asserting that the laws violate the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment guarantee of the right to bear arms. The court has not decided a major gun case since 2010. If they take up the matter, the justices would hear arguments in their next term, which begins in October. A decision not to hear the challenge would leave in place lower-court rulings upholding the laws. The court's action in another recent appeal indicated it may be disinclined to take up the matter. The justices in December opted not to hear a challenge to a Highland Park, Illinois ordinance banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. A national assault weapons ban expired in 2004. Congressional Republicans, backed by the influential National Rifle Association gun rights lobby, beat back efforts to restore it. Some states and municipalities have enacted their own bans. In their petition asking the Supreme Court to hear the case, those challenging the Connecticut law said the type of weapons banned by the state are used in self-defense, hunting and recreational shooting. Connecticut said its law targets firearms disproportionately used in gun crime, "particularly the most heinous forms of gun violence." It said people in Connecticut still can legally own more than 1,000 types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. There is a longstanding legal debate over the scope of Second Amendment rights. In the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case, the Supreme Court held for the first time that the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual's right to bear arms, but the ruling applied only to firearms kept in the home for self-defense. That ruling did not involve a state law, applying only to federal regulations. Two years later, in the case McDonald v. City of Chicago, the court held that the Heller ruling covered individual gun rights in states. (Editing by Will Dunham)
On Thursday night, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other outlets, reported that 51 State Department officials had signed a Dissent Channel memo calling for strengthened military efforts in Syria. The news aroused old memories for me. While serving as a foreign service officer in Iraq in 2008 and 2009, I transmitted my own Dissent Channel cable on the Embassys political strategy, so I understand what the Syria memo authors might be feeling right now: hope that their arguments are compelling and result in a change of policy; a vague unease that their actions could be perceived as disloyal or irresponsible; and anxiety about the possible consequences for their reputations and careers.

Just as other professions tend to have a personality archetype  think confident and aggressive Wall Street traders, or focused and methodical engineers  American diplomats are expected to be serious, precise, dependable, and self-effacing. There are exceptions, of course. Dick Holbrooke, a brash self-promoter who yelled and swore, was a smart and successful diplomat and exquisitely calibrated to bash Balkan heads during the Dayton peace talks. But most foreign policy professionals at State  whether foreign or civil service, career officer or political appointee  conform to the norm: hard-working, conscientious, and low-profile.

That is not to suggest that foreign policymaking is a pillow fight. The department is organized so as to foster argumentation; disputes over policy, as a result, can become vituperative and personal. State Department officials care deeply because the stakes are huge, whether they be the current geo-strategic, counter-terror-related, and humanitarian consequences of our efforts in Syria or, as in my case, whether the United States should have been rushing headlong toward national elections in Iraq before addressing the structural problems of the Iraqi state.

The Dissent Channel is different from normal policy tussles. According to regulations, a Dissent Channel message must be circulated to the Secretary and other senior officials and receive a formal response from the Departments Office of Policy Planning (S/P, for short) within two months. In my case, I do not recall any formal substantive response from S/P, but was instead assured that my views had been raised and considered at a National Security Council meeting.

Death by suffocation is unlikely to be the fate of the Syria memo, both because of the press attention it garnered following its leak and because the large number of signatories is so noteworthy. (I had one co-signer, although support for the substance among my fellow reporting officers was broader.) Although no assistant secretary or higher level officials have signed, the recommendations are rumored to mirror Secretary of State John Kerrys views. It may well be that this memo is less about dissent at Foggy Bottom than about a dispute between State and the White House. Its release may also be a way of forcing the issue into the presidential campaign  a potential template for a more forward-leaning Syria policy in a hypothetical Clinton administration, for example.

After weighing the advantages of seeking allies outside the government against what I saw as a civil servants fiduciary duty to safeguard internal policy deliberations, I chose not to leak my memo to the press, and obeyed Dissent Channel rules. I can imagine circumstances, however  where the policy issue is gravely important, the public is unaware, and senior officials are quashing internal debate, for example  in which I might decide differently.

I suspect that most officers contemplate a Dissent Channel message at some point in their careers. It is a difficult and emotional decision, however, and fear of retaliation is widespread. While there are formal whistleblower-type protections built into the Dissent Channel regulations, the State Department personnel system is so subjective, and an unblemished reputation is so essential to promotion and good assignments, that the potential for stealthy retaliation is significant. A Dissent Channel message could be deemed an abrogation of the responsibility to serve the U.S. government loyally and implement decisions made further up in the chain of command. I recently counseled an officer considering whether to send a Dissent Channel cable, and part of my advice was that she consider carefully whether this is the issue of her career, because an officer who uses the Dissent Channel more than once can be caricatured as obstreperous or disloyal.

I was fortunate not to suffer harmful consequences by dissenting. I was somewhat inoculated because my criticisms of U.S. policy were widely shared and supported in the political section of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, and because my cable did not hit the press. This meant that emotions and volumes stayed at a lower level. (One anecdotal indication that the debate on this Syria Dissent could be more rancorous: a commenter on the New York Times story suggested that the authors of the memo be tried for war crimes.) Although letting colleagues know I had decided to dissent was intimidating, even the two meetings I had with more senior officers who tried to talk me out of sending the cable were professional and content-focused (and I remain respectful of and friendly with both of those people today).

In some instances, Dissent Channel messages have resulted in dramatic changes in policy. One oft-cited example is a Dissent Channel message from the early 1990s that called for a more robust U.S. response to Serbian atrocities. (One of the co-authors, a former boss and current friend, was just named Ambassador, so he clearly suffered no permanent harm.) Im not certain the Syria memo will have equivalent impact in this Administration, since it seeks to reopen an issue that has been reportedly already exhaustively discussed and decided within the White House.

Looking back, I regret that my own cable had such limited effect on our Iraq policy. Washington did rush Iraq headlong into elections and then backed President Nuri al-Maliki, someone most of us knew at the time would be a disaster  both for Iraqi and U.S. interests. I wonder whether I could have been a scrappier bureaucratic fighter. Or whether I could have made a better case for my proposed alternative. Perhaps not. Long afterwards, someone in S/P consoled me that there was merit in my cable but not enough to stop the train moving down the tracks.

Its no surprise that the State Department has many of the same problems that afflict other large organizations. But the Syria Dissent Channel message is a sign the system is working. The opportunity for mid-level officers to make their views known on the most important and controversial issues  directly to senior department officials  is an essential backstop. The Dissent Channel is no guarantee against bad foreign policy, just against the adoption of bad policies without deliberation of the alternatives.

Photo Credit: Drew Angerer / Stringer
AMMAN (Reuters) - A Syrian jet bomber crashed just after take-off from Syria's Hama airport after it encountered a technical problem, a Syrian military source told state media on Sunday. The military source, quoted by Syrian news agency SANA, did not say when the crash had occurred. A separate statement from a military source on state television said the pilot had deliberately crashed into an empty area to prevent civilian casualties. The city of Hama, in western Syria, is controlled by the Syrian government. Several Russian-manufactured warplanes have crashed since the start of the year, mostly due to technical failures which defense analysts have generally attributed to age. A rebel source told Reuters the plane that crashed was a Russian Mig 21 fighter but this could not be independently verified. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults told AFP.

The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where "bacha bereesh" -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders.

The Taliban over nearly two years have used them to mount a wave of Trojan Horse attacks -- at least six between January and April alone -- that have killed hundreds of policemen, according to security and judicial officials in the province.

"The Taliban are sending boys -- beautiful boys, handsome boys -- to penetrate checkpoints and kill, drug and poison policemen," said Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, who was Uruzgan's police chief until he was removed in a security reshuffle in April amid worsening violence.

"They have figured out the biggest weakness of police forces -- bacha bazi," he told AFP.

The assaults, signifying abuse of children by both parties in the conflict, have left authorities rattled, with one senior provincial official who echoed Rogh Lewanai's view saying "it's easier tackling suicide bombers than bacha attackers".

The killings illustrate how bacha bazi is aggravating insecurity in Uruzgan, a remote province which officials warn is teetering on the brink of collapse, unravelling hard-won gains by US, Australian and Dutch troops who fought there for years.

"These bacha attacks have fuelled deep mistrust within police ranks," Seddiqullah, a police commander at a checkpoint near the provincial capital Tarin Kot, told AFP.

The insurgents are using boys as honey traps, said 21-year-old Matiullah, a policeman who was the only survivor from an insider attack in Dehrawud district in spring last year.

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He said the attacker was the checkpoint commander's own sex slave, a teenager called Zabihullah. Late one night, he went on a shooting spree, killing seven policemen including the commander as they slept.

"He brought the Taliban inside and poked all the bodies with rifle butts to see if anyone was alive. I pretended to be dead," said Matiullah, who now works as a tailor, pointing out a gash on his forehead.

"As his Taliban accomplices gathered our weapons and ammunition, Zabihullah declared: 'Everyone is dead'."

- 'Addiction' to boys -

The Taliban, who banned bacha bazi during their 1996-2001 rule, roundly denied deploying any underage boys for insider attacks.

"We have a special mujahideen brigade for such operations -- all grown men with beards," a Taliban spokesman told AFP.

The insurgents have long denied using children in combat, a claim repeatedly debunked by rights groups and the government.

Survivors of insider attacks who spoke to AFP, including Matiullah, suggest the Taliban are exploiting the institutionalisation of bacha bazi in police ranks for military gain.

Practically all of Uruzgan's 370 local and national police checkpoints have bachas -- some up to four -- who are illegally recruited not just for sexual companionship but also to bear arms, multiple officials said.

Some policemen, they said, demand bachas like a perk of the job, refusing to join outposts where they are not available.

Horrifying abuse at checkpoints makes the boys, many unpaid and unregistered, hungry for revenge and easy prey for Taliban recruitment -- often because there is no other escape from exploitative commanders.

Many who have tried to escape have been dragged back with trumped up charges of Taliban links, two senior provincial judges told AFP.

Boys have also spurred a deadly rivalry between policemen, with officials reporting incidents such as a public gunfight this year between two commanders in Gezab district as one of them angrily accused the other of "stealing" his bacha.

"To restore security in Uruzgan, we will first have to separate policemen from their bachas," one of the judges said.

"But if they are told to reform their ways, a common reply is: 'If you force me to abandon my boy lover, I will also abandon the checkpoint'. The Taliban are not blind to notice that this addiction is worse than opium."

- 'Male rape' -

Bacha bazi, which the US State Department has called a "culturally sanctioned form of male rape", peels away the masculine identity of boys in a society where the sexes are tightly segregated.

In conservative areas women are mostly invisible in public -- and often unattainable due to steep bride prices. Bachas supplant the role of women, adopting a feminine gait and sometimes wearing makeup and bells on their feet.

Many in Uruzgan see bacha bazi neither as paedophilia nor homosexuality, which is forbidden in Islam. If social norms had a pecking order, violating boys would be seen as far more ethical than violating women.

"Bacha bazi is pervasive sexual slavery of children, seen widely as a cultural practice and not a crime," Charu Lata Hogg, a director at London-based charity Child Soldiers International, told AFP.

"Since it is mostly practised by those in positions of power -- warlords, commanders, politicians -- it is hard to stamp out. It appears sustained partly by the fact that access to women is limited."

Insider attacks by child slaves have also been reported in recent years from neighbouring Helmand and Kandahar provinces, where bacha bazi is prevalent.

But the tactic appears more deep rooted in Uruzgan, where the boys are widely flaunted as a totem of affluence, with some officials openly displaying cellphone images to AFP of their "handsome bachas".

"Come see my beautiful bacha," said Naqibullah, a police commander in Dehjawze village near Tarin Kot, boasting that he had been holding the teenager for two years.

With a touch of kohl on his eyes, and bleached blond curly hair poking out of his embroidered hat, the boy sat in a corner of the checkpoint surrounded by opium farms, quietly refilling tea glasses for Naqibullah's guests.

- 'Predatory behaviour' -

"Commanders prowl neighbourhoods for young boys. We are scared of dressing up our children or buying new clothes that will make them attractive," said Nader Khan, a tribal elder in Dehrawud.

Khan's 13-year-old nephew was taken captive earlier this year by Naqibullah, a local commander not related to the Dehjawze official, when his family sent him to deliver bread for policemen. He was released only after angry tribal elders besieged the governor's office in Tarin Kot.

Governor Mohammad Nazir Kharoti told AFP he ordered Naqibullah's arrest but he was released in less than a month because he was needed for combat duty.

"It is difficult to implement the law 100 percent when we are faced with a war situation," Kharoti said, without elaborating on the case.

Afghanistan's interior ministry refused to confirm or deny that bachas were being used in insurgent attacks, but said it was committed to police reforms and acknowledged that "bacha bazi within the ranks of police is a serious crime".

The practice has put the United States and its NATO allies, who have spent billions of dollars to build Afghan forces, in a precarious position.

The US Congress last year voiced concern over "predatory sexual behaviour by Afghan soldiers and police", prompting watchdog agency SIGAR to launch an investigation that is still ongoing.

The head of a government-affiliated agency in Uruzgan showed AFP two letters from the attorney general in Kabul, one last year and another dated January, ordering a separate probe into sexual abuse and the illegal recruitment of child conscripts.

"We haven't been able to visit even one checkpoint to investigate," he said, speaking in hushed whispers in his own office.

"Do you think police commanders will leave us alive if we probe their crimes?"
Berlin (AFP) - ns of thousands of people joined weekend rallies in Germany to condemn racism and right-wing populist groups who have been railing against a record influx of migrants.

Germany -- the EU's most populous country, which last year took in over one million refugees and migrants -- has seen a surge in racist attacks and a strengthening of xenophobic and anti-Islamic groups.

The demonstrations kicked off Saturday in Bochum in western Germany and continued Sunday in Berlin, Leipzig and Munich, where thousands formed human chains.

The organisers estimated that over 33,000 people had taken part in the "hand in hand against racism" protest, linking up churches, mosques, Jewish synagogues and other landmarks.

Gatherings were also held in 16 smaller cities and a large rally was planned Sunday evening in Hamburg.

"The vast majority in Germany stand for openness and humanity, not for dull racism," said Reiner Hoffmann, head of the DGB trade union federation, one of the organisers along with Amnesty International, refugee support group Pro Asyl and several Christian charities and Muslim groups.

Germany recorded nearly 1,000 far-right offences targeting refugee shelters last year, a five-fold annual rise that came on the back of a record influx of 1.1 million asylum seekers, more than half from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest reigning monarch, has shown signs of improvement following treatment for "water on the brain", the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement on Sunday. The king has been treated for various ailments during a year-long hospitalization in the Thai capital. He was last seen in public in January, when he spent several hours visiting his Bangkok palace. The king, who celebrated 70 years of his reign on June 9, is seen as a unifying figure in a country that has faced decades of often deadly political upheaval. On a few occasions he has stepped in when events threatened to plunge the country into crisis. Nervousness over his health and the succession has formed the backdrop to more than a decade of political crisis in Thailand, where the military took power in a coup more than two years ago. The royal palace said the medical examination of the king showed he had more "water on the brain", or hydrocephalus, a build-up of the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain. Fluid was drained from the king on Saturday with "satisfactory results", the palace said in a statement. In a June 12 statement, the palace said the king had shown signs of improvement following surgery for narrowing of the arteries. News about the royal family is tightly controlled in Thailand. Laws protecting the royals from insult make it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent. (Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Pairat Temphairojana; Editing by Antoni Slodkowski and Kim Coghill)
On Monday, June 13, 350 seniors from Virginias Freedom High School class of 2016 participated in their schools graduation ceremony at George Mason University as their friends and family looked on with pride.

At the same time, 3,000 miles away in San Francisco, Apple CEO Tim Cook was showing off the latest updates to the companys iOS and macOS software at Apples annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

And among the crowd of thousands packed into the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, decked out in her graduation cap and gown, was Freedom High Schools own Anusha Khan. A recipient of a coveted Apple scholarship, Khan skipped her own high school graduation after being selected to attend WWDC by the technology giant for her work on her app RemindM. Oh, did I mention shes only been programming for a year?

Read more: Apples big conference will change the way you use your devices

Khan got her start as a programmer just last summer when she participated in a seven-week program through the nonprofit Girls Who Code, a group dedicated to closing the gender gap in the technology industry.

Khan, who is co-developing the app with her friend Rachel Osborne, says the app is designed to help remind children who need daily medication to take it and alerts their parents when theyve done so.

We decided to really tackle the problem with medication and the fact that a lot of children who take medication arent given the opportunity to take care of themselves, because their parents obviously really worry about them and want them to be safe, Khan explained following Apples press event, still wearing her graduation cap.

But at the same time the child really needs that sense of independence. So our app targets that, and we try to make sure that the parent and the child are on this equal footing where they are able to communicate with each other. The parent gets to input what medication the child has to take, and then the child checks off what medication theyve taken, Khan said.

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The RemindM app is an impressively altruistic effort for anyone, let alone a high school senior. Just as impressive, however, is the fact that shes only been programming for a year.

See, Khan isnt what youd expect of your typical app developer. As she explains it, she hated math and science as a student and fully expected to go into journalism.

But in her junior year a teacher told her about a summer program called Girls Who Code. There Khan was introduced to programming languages including Python and Java. The following March she took part in Girls Who Code hackathon which received support from Apple.

I went there and I didnt really know what to expect, she said. All I saw when I got in were these MacBooks on the tables and they were like, Hey youre going to code an app today. And I was like, I am not ready for this at all.'

By the end of the hackathon, though, Khan was comfortable enough using Apples Xcode software development tool to use it at her next hackathon, where RemindM was born.

My brother, when he was little  had to go through a bone marrow transplant, explained Khan. After the transplant, his entire immune system was shut down and because of that he had to take a lot of medications.

And because of the fact that he had so many medications and he was so young, my mom didnt really let him leave the house without having a list of medications that he had to take. So I feel like if he had this app growing up he would have felt a lot better about what he was putting in his body, she said.

Khan and Osborne are now set to spend the summer finishing their app and getting it into Apples App Store. And this isnt the only one Khan is cooking up. For her next app she hopes to help address the homelessness problem in Washington, D.C.

This fall, Khan will begin her studies at George Mason University, where shell be majoring in computer science and minoring in cyber security. Thats quite a jump for someone who just a short time ago had no interested in programming.

So whats Khans advice for young women who may want to go?

Just go for it and do it.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
Thousands congregated in central Warsaw yesterday for another protest against proposed changes to Poland's already highly restrictive abortion law.

The Dignity March, organised by the Dziewuchy Dziewuchom ("Women for Women") Facebook group, followed a previous pro-abortion rights rally that took place in Warsaw in April.

As we reported in April, Polish law currently allow abortions within 25 weeks from conception, but only when the woman's life is in danger, the pregnancy results from criminally-proven rape or incest, or the foetus is "seriously malformed".

Encouraged by the fact that the right-wing Law and Justice party is currently the largest in Poland's parliament, anti-abortion activists backed by the Catholic Church are now lobbying for even more restrictive abortion legislation. This faction wants to make abortions legal only when they are necessary the save the woman's life.

Men and women marching against the proposed changes yesterday chanted, "I exist, I think, I decide," and waved banners proclaiming, "Women's rights are human rights," the Association of Foreign Press reports. The BBC notes that yesterday's Dignity March was also focused on raising the issue of violence against women.

The anti-abortion activists are currently campaigning to amass the 100,000 signatures necessary to take their bill to Parliament. However, pro-choice campaigners are spearheading their own signature drive in pursuit of more liberal abortion laws.

Speaking to Refinery29 in April, Julia Eriksson, a 30-year-old Polish expat, said she was "convinced that the majority of the Polish population is against this [anti-abortion] legislation."

"The proposal comes from the Church and is supported by a government who might be about to commit political suicide," Eriksson said at the time. "There are currently demonstrations in front of the parliament and Polish embassies abroad, on the internet and in the churches. A resistance of such scale can't simply be ignored."

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MEXICO CITY, June 19 (Reuters) - A violent clash between members of a dissident teachers' union and police in southern Mexico on Sunday has left three dead and 45 injured, as law enforcement attempts to dislodge the protesters from blocking a local highway.

Emergency services officials in Oaxaca state confirmed the deaths and number of wounded, although it was not clear what sparked the violence. Mexico's National Security Commission, or CNS, reported that 21 federal and state police were among the wounded.

The federal police have escorted 120 tanker trucks carrying chemical waste from the nearby Salina Cruz refinery, owned and operated by state-owned oil company Pemex, the CNS added in a statement.

On Friday, Pemex warned it could be forced to shut operations at the refinery in "a few days" if the highway blockade persisted.

The Sunday clash, involving scores of masked protesters lobbing rocks at police who responded with tear gas, escalated several days after supporters of a splinter teachers' union took over a highway near the town of Nochixtlan, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the state capital, Oaxaca City.

Last weekend, police arrested the leader of the local teachers' union for alleged corruption, redoubling government efforts to impose its authority on an education reform that has sparked months of protests across the country.

Ruben Nunez, head of one of the most combative factions of Mexico's CNTE union, was detained on suspicion of receiving money of illicit origin.

Nunez is secretary general of the CNTE's Section 22 in Oaxaca, a long-standing hotbed of resistance to government efforts to reform the education system.

Similar, if less violent protests, have frequently caused chaos in Mexico City, and the CNTE has led efforts to resist the education reform, in particular its mandate to carry out evaluations of teachers.

(Reporting by David Alire Garcia and Luis Rojas; Editing by Peter Cooney)
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A violent clash between members of a dissident teachers' union and police in southern Mexico on Sunday has left three dead and 45 injured, as law enforcement attempts to dislodge the protesters from blocking a local highway. Emergency services officials in Oaxaca state confirmed the deaths and number of wounded, although it was not clear what sparked the violence. Mexico's National Security Commission, or CNS, reported that 21 federal and state police were among the wounded. The federal police have escorted 120 tanker trucks carrying chemical waste from the nearby Salina Cruz refinery, owned and operated by state-owned oil company Pemex, the CNS added in a statement. On Friday, Pemex warned it could be forced to shut operations at the refinery in "a few days" if the highway blockade persisted. The Sunday clash, involving scores of masked protesters lobbing rocks at police who responded with tear gas, escalated several days after supporters of a splinter teachers' union took over a highway near the town of Nochixtlan, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the state capital, Oaxaca City. Last weekend, police arrested the leader of the local teachers' union for alleged corruption, redoubling government efforts to impose its authority on an education reform that has sparked months of protests across the country. Ruben Nunez, head of one of the most combative factions of Mexico's CNTE union, was detained on suspicion of receiving money of illicit origin. Nunez is secretary general of the CNTE's Section 22 in Oaxaca, a long-standing hotbed of resistance to government efforts to reform the education system. Similar, if less violent protests, have frequently caused chaos in Mexico City, and the CNTE has led efforts to resist the education reform, in particular its mandate to carry out evaluations of teachers. (Reporting by David Alire Garcia and Luis Rojas; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Kiev (AFP) - Three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another injured in fresh clashes between pro-Russian rebels and government forces in the country's separatist east, the military said Sunday.

"As a result of fighting, three Ukrainian soldiers have unfortunately been killed over the past 24 hours," Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said, adding that another soldier had suffered serious injuries.

One of the soldiers came under fire in the village of Talakivka, some 80 kilometres south of Donetsk, the pro-Russian rebels' de facto capital, Motuzyanyk said.

The two other servicemen were killed in a mine explosion in the village of Luganske, which lies about 50 kilometres northeast of Donetsk.

Motuzyanyk also accused pro-Russian rebels of using weapons banned by Minsk agreements, a series of truce agreement that have helped reduce violence in the region, although sporadic clashes persist.

An unnamed rebel source quoted Sunday by the separatists' news agency accused Ukrainian troops of firing 130 mortars and shells overnight.

An uptick of violence late last month resulted in the deaths of seven Ukrainian servicemen in a 24-hour period, the highest casualty toll in a single day this year.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of stirring up the unrest and sending soldiers and equipment across the border, claims Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said in April it could take years to end the conflict, which has claimed nearly 9,400 lives since it erupted in April 2014.
MONTERREY (Reuters) - Three workers were injured at a new Kia Motors <000270.KS> factory in northern Mexico on Saturday, after one fell into a sewer ditch and two others attempted a rescue but were also hurt, the head of emergency services said.

Luis Felipe Puente, Mexico's national director of emergency services, told Reuters that no explosion had taken place and the workers were being treated at a local hospital.

A local emergency services official earlier said there had been an explosion, but later said that was not the case.

Kia Motors started production at the $1 billion factory last month and plans to increase its total production capacity to 300,000 vehicles a year, from this year's projected 100,000.

It is located just outside the industrial city of Monterrey in the town of Pesqueria.

A local spokesman for the South Korean carmaker did not immediately return calls seeking additional information.

(The story was refiled to reflect officials saying there was no explosion)

(Reporting by Gabriela Lopez in Monterrey, and David Alire Garcia and Luis Rojas in Mexico City; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Mary Milliken)
Le Mans (France) (AFP) - Toyota, seeking their maiden success, and 17-time winners Porsche were battling for Le Mans 24 Hour glory on Sunday, with only seconds splitting the teams as the race entered the closing stages.

As night gave way to day at the fabled Sarthe circuit Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi's Toyota TS050 was out in front by around half a minute from its sister car with Briton Mike Conway at the wheel.

Pole sitter' Neel Jani's Porsche was placed third, a handful of seconds behind, with Porsche's second car driven by Mark Webber having lost over an hour overnight with engine problems.

The 84th edition of the gruelling endurance event watched by over 200,000 car buffs will finish at 1500 local time (1300GMT), the winner having covered a similar distance to a round trip from Le Mans to Moscow.

The 2016 race has been dogged by bad weather.

Flagged off by Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt at 1500 on Saturday, the first seven laps took place behind the safety car as torrential rain lashed the track and the 60 cars on the grid.

The drenched crowd were kept on their toes by over 30 changes of lead during the night and four safety car appearances.

While giant Japanese manufacturer Nissan are dreaming of their first ever Le Mans success in the race Webber calls "the beast" Porsche are aiming to secure an 18th victory and back to back wins after last year's victory ended a 17-year drought.

During the Stuttgart manufacturers' famine their fellow German car giants Audi ruled Le Mans, with 13 wins.

But a 14th victory looks unlikely after around 300 laps with the Audi driven by Loic Duval lagging behind in fourth, two laps adrift with six hours to go and the second Audi in fifth, 12 laps behind.
Donald Trump says the United States should seriously consider profiling American Muslims in order to stop terrorism.

I think profiling is something were going to have to start thinking about as a country, Trump said on CBS Face the Nation Sunday when asked if the profiling of U.S. Muslims would be part of his counterterrorism plan. I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. Were not using common sense.

Other countries do it, Trump added, and its not the worst thing to do.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominees comments came a week after a gunman opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., killing 49 people and wounding 53 others in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

The shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, was an American-born Muslim who lived in nearby Fort Pierce. He was killed in a shootout with police.

Immediately following the massacre, Trump gave himself a pat on the back.

Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, he tweeted. I dont want congrats, I want toughness [and] vigilance. We must be smart!

Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I dont want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016

In a speech in New Hampshire a day later, Trump incorrectly stated that Mateen was born an Afghan.

Yes, there are many radicalized people already inside our country as a result of the poor policies of the past, Trump said. But the whole point is that it will be much, much easier to deal with our current problem if we dont keep on bringing in people who add to the problem.

Following the terror attacks in Paris, Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States, a database tracking American Muslims and expanded surveillance of certain mosques.

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Last month, Trump appeared to back away from his proposed ban while responding to criticism from London Mayor Sadiq Khan, saying, This is just a suggestion until we find out whats going on.

But on Sunday, the real estate mogul and former Celebrity Apprentice star took his hard-line stance on U.S. Muslims up a notch.

We really have to look at profiling, Trump said. We have to look at it seriously.

On Wednesday, Trump suggested that the death toll in Orlando might have been lower if more clubgoers had been carrying guns.

If the bullets were going in the other direction, aimed at the guy who was just in open target practice, you would have had a situation, folks, which would have been horrible, but nothing like the carnage that we as all people suffered this weekend, Trump said during a raucous rally in downtown Atlanta that was frequently interrupted by protests.

He made similar remarks after last years terror attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris, and reiterated them in a speech in Phoenix on Saturday.

If you had somebody with a gun strapped on to their hip, somebody with a gun strapped on to their ankle, and you had bullets going in the opposite direction, right at this animal who did this, you would have had a very, very different result, Trump said.

But in a separate interview with Face the Nation, National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said he wouldnt want clubgoers armed.

I dont think there should be firearms where people are drinking, LaPierre said. But Ill tell you this, everybody, every American, needs to start having a security plan. We need to be able to protect ourselves because they are coming.
AMMAN (Reuters) - Turkish border guards shot dead at least 11 Syrians, mostly from one family, as they tried to cross into Turkey from northwestern Syria, activists and a monitoring group said on Sunday. At least two women and four children were among those killed in the shootings overnight as the refugees sought to cross into Turkey from the border village of Khirbet al Jouz, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Several activists in the area backed up the report. The monitor, which tracks violence across Syria, said it had documented the deaths of nearly sixty civilians while trying to flee from Syria since the start of the year in shooting incidents by Turkish border guards. Turkish military sources denied the reports. "Claims that Turkish soldiers killed nine people that were trying to cross the border in Hatay province ... are not true. Last night there was an attempt to cross the border illegally but no shots were fired directly on people," one Turkish military source said. "After warning shots, a group of seven to eight people ran toward the woods," the source said. Turkey, a major sponsor of groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has mostly closed its borders to Syrian refugees, but admits Syrians whose lives are under imminent threat. It is also hosting some 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees, about 280,000 of whom live in camps. Rockets launched from Syrian territory controlled by Islamic State militants have regularly struck Turkish border towns and have killed at least 20 people in recent months. Humanitarian bodies have urged Turkey to reopen its borders to admit Syrians fleeing the conflict. (This story corrects to show Turkish comment from source, not statement) (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman, Dasha Afanasieva in Istanbul and Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Paris (AFP) - Two men linked to a jihadist who killed a French police officer and his partner were charged and detained by an anti-terror court.

Saad Rajraji, 27, and Charaf-Din Aberouz, 29, were charged with having links to a terrorist group, but were not found to have any connection to the IS-inspired murder of the police couple carried out by Larossi Abballa last Monday.

The two men had been convicted along with Abballa in September 2013 as part of a network to send jihadists to Pakistan, judicial sources close to the investigation said.

A third man arrested in the case was released without charge.

Abballa, a convicted radical who had been under surveillance, murdered the police officer and his partner outside their home and then was killed himself in a police raid.

Before he was killed, Abballa posted a live Facebook video of himself in which he admitted the murders and urged fellow jihadists to carry out more bloodshed.

Monday's assault in a small town northwest of Paris was the first deadly strike in France since the coordinated attacks in the capital by an Islamic State cell in November, which killed 130 people.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Sunday that last week's shooting massacre in Orlando, Florida, was "an act of terror and an act of hate", but she declined to divulge what charges may be filed or who may be charged in the case. Lynch told CNN's "State of the Union" program that she would be going to Orlando on Tuesday to confer with investigators, and on Monday would release transcripts of phone conversations between the deceased shooter, Omar Mateen, and police as the worst mass shooting incident in American history unfolded. "We're going back and looking at everything we did in our investigation of the killer and our subsequent contact with him, but also, all the information we are receiving to trying and learn his motivations. This was an act of terror and an act of hate," Lynch told CNN. (Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Gareth Jones)
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials will release partial transcripts of three phone conversations that the gunman who killed 49 people in a Florida gay club had with law enforcement during the massacre, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Sunday. The now-deceased gunman, Omar Mateen, paused during his three-hour siege at the club in Orlando last Sunday to call emergency 911 dispatchers and post internet messages professing support for Islamist militant groups, authorities have said. The rampage, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, has triggered a week of national mourning and soul-searching over the easy accessibility of firearms and the treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" program, Lynch said the partial transcripts of Mateen's calls from the Pulse nightclub would be released on Monday and include the "substance of his conversations." She later told ABC's "This Week" that the transcripts would not include Mateen's pledge of allegiance to Islamic State, the militant group that has urged its followers to attack targets in Europe and the United States. Lynch said the investigation was focused on building a complete profile of Mateen, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen born to Afghan immigrants, including what motivated him, in order to prevent another Orlando massacre. Authorities believe Mateen was "self-radicalized" and acted without any direction from outside networks. Lynch, who will travel to the central Florida city on Tuesday to confer with investigators and meet survivors and victims' loved ones, declined to say whether a federal grand jury was likely to charge Mateen's second wife, Noor Salman, or anyone else. U.S. officials have said Salman knew of her husband's plans to carry out the attack. "Because this investigation is open and ongoing, we're not commenting on anyone else's role in it right now, except to say that we are talking to everyone who knew him, and that of course includes his family, to determine what they knew, what they saw in the days and weeks leading up to this," Lynch said. She noted that the transcripts would be redacted to avoid causing further pain to Mateen's victims and their loved ones. The attorney general's remarks came ahead of a vigil Sunday evening at a lakeside park in Orlando. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend, city officials said. GUN CONTROL The Orlando massacre has triggered a fresh effort to break a long-standing stalemate in Congress over gun control. The Senate is set to vote on Monday on four competing measures  two from Democrats and two from Republicans - to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales for people on "terrorism watch lists." Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said last week that Mateen was on a watch list between May 2013 and March 2014 while under investigation after claiming a connection to or support for multiple Islamist extremist groups. In an interview on the CBS show "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Comey said politicians were misguided in thinking tougher gun restrictions would stop someone intent on carrying out a massacre. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the Nov. 8 election, said he shared the goal of keeping guns out of the hands of people on watch lists. "We have to make sure that people that are terrorists or have even an inclination toward terrorism cannot buy weapons, guns," he said on ABC's "This Week." But partisan divisions continue to cast doubts over whether Congress will pass new gun control legislation anytime soon. Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the powerful National Rifle Association, said the Democratic proposals would undermine the due process rights of people unfairly put on watch lists, a view widely shared among Republican lawmakers. LaPierre, head of an organization that endorsed Trump's candidacy last month, said he disagreed with the real estate tycoon over whether nightclub patrons should carry guns for self-protection. Trump told a rally on Friday that he wished someone inside the Orlando club was carrying a firearm to stop Mateen before he could kill any more clubgoers. I don't think you should have firearms where people are drinking, LaPierre said on CBSs Face the Nation. (Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Paul Simao)
By Asad Hashim

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - As taxi hailing giant Uber enters Pakistan, a little-known local competitor is counting on a mix of new ideas and old technology to tap what could be a big chunk of the market: low-income residents who travel in rickshaws, not cabs.

Known as Rixi, the Lahore-based service hails rickshaws instead of cars. Its platform is not smartphones, but older SMS phone messaging that allows nearby drivers to bid for any user's business.

Pakistan has more than 130 million cellphone subscriptions, but only 21 percent subscribe to data packages, and, while the proportion is rising, there are opportunities across emerging economies in Asia to tap a relatively low-tech customer base.

In Thailand, Taxi Radio uses calls and text messages to put cabs and people in touch and is popular with those without smartphone apps, and HeyKuya!, an SMS-based service provider in the Philippines, was recently acquired by Indonesia's YesBoss.

Rixi founder Adnan Khawaja says his company works with more than 1,000 rickshaw drivers in Lahore, where many people rely on small, noisy three-wheelers that are well suited to beating traffic in the eastern city's crowded streets.

Rixi works by bypassing poor smartphone penetration in the low-income rickshaw market by polling drivers' locations using cellphone towers and matching passengers' messaged locations to points on Google Maps.

"If you look at ... Uber's operational model, they will be depending on the smartphones," said Khawaja. "In countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, that population is [...] growing, but it's still smaller compared to the vast market."

Uber declined to comment on Rixi's business model, and said that while it had tested SMS-based services, there were no immediate plans to deploy such a service in Pakistan.

"We continue to explore products that would stimulate demand ... and better service the city, whether that is a motorbike, whether that is a rickshaw, whether that is a chopper," said Zohair Yousafi, Uber's head of expansion in Pakistan.

Story continues

To entrepreneurs like Shehmir Shaikh, who recently launched errand start-up Scooty Bhejo in Lahore, Uber is missing a trick over Pakistan's digital divide and its large, low-income transport market.

"Abroad, Uber has made waves because of the readily available technology that people are using, like iPhones in their hands," he said. "We don't have that here. (And) the major form of transport is not cars."

ROADBLOCKS TO SUCCESS

Adam Ghaznavi, a technology entrepreneur who has studied the rickshaw market, thinks Pakistan will not necessarily be a large market for taxi ride hailing apps like Uber, but it could be very lucrative for an equivalent app for rickshaws.

"If somebody can figure that out, the potential is huge," he said.

So far, Rixi says it has registered about 100,000 rides since it launched in late 2013, and is averaging about 100 rides a day. That's just a fraction of the roughly 200,000 trips that rickshaws in Lahore take every day, according to the Awami Rickshaw Union.

"Rickshaw drivers do not know anything about these (online apps)," said Majeed Ghauri, head of the union, which represents the drivers of 60,000 of Lahore's roughly 80,000 registered rickshaws. "They simply want their daily wages."

Ghauri said market dynamics and consumer behavior in the low-income market were markedly different from those in the taxi ride sharing arena.

Moreover, Rixi's location-tracking, reliant as it is on imprecise cellphone tower triangulation and Google Maps, has thrown up some major kinks.

Several customers complained that Rixi's service was unable to deliver on its promised 15-minute service delivery time.

"Even in the most densely populated cities in the country, the accuracy is no more than a few hundred meters, which is not good enough for a driver looking for a passenger," said Danielle Sharaf, a technology entrepreneur whose company provides value-added services for cellphones.

Rixi says it has an error rate of only three percent, and says mismatches are because of its reliance on external services such as Google Maps.

Ghaznavi said a major hurdle to adoption in the Pakistani market is the lack of literacy, both traditional and digital, among rickshaw drivers and passengers, compared to those using taxi ride hailing apps.

"The rise of the middle class is the key to resolving the rickshaw situation. Right now, the middle class is not traveling on a rickshaw, the lower middle class is," he said.

(Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales in MANILA and Khettiya Jittapong in JAKARTA; Writing by Asad Hashim; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
Paris (AFP) - UEFA began disciplinary proceedings Sunday against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day.

Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects.

A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland.

Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects.

The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday.

Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux.

UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal.
One of the most intriguing and thematically on-point timepieces to come out of this years Baselworld fair was a distinctive tourbillon featuring a minute indicator that sweeps across the handcrafted wood marquetry dial like the boom of a ship. Called the Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon ($280,000), the 18-karat white-gold wristwatch earned rave reviews on social media and was singled out as one of the fairs most buzzed-about introductions.

Anyone familiar with the 170-year history of Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin could have guessed its origin.

It really represents the spirit of Ulysse Nardin, the spirit of the sea, and also the spirit of innovation, said chief executive Patrik Hoffmann at an event in New York in early May, celebrating the brands partnership with Swedens Artemis Racing (owner of one of six boats that will compete in the 2017 Americas Cup). I remember one-and-half years ago when I went to see the base of the Artemis racing team in San Francisco, I was amazed at the innovation that goes into those boats. And the same is true of our timepieces. And this timepiece, the Grand Deck, really represents that.

Ulysse Nardin is placing its relationship to the seaand its 20-year-old maritime-inspired Marine collectionfront and center this year, thanks to a repositioning effort that includes the year-old partnership with Artemis; a new marketing campaign focused on the movement of the sea; and social-media messaging to underscore the brands sleek new visual identity.

We were always connected to the sea, Hoffmann continued. The anchor in the logo was there forever. We were one of the leaders in producing the chronometers that they have on ships to navigate. We delivered those to almost all the navies in the world. When we announced the partnership with Artemis, nobody questioned it because it was clearthe sea belongs to Ulysse Nardin.

Among the 2016 novelties that pay homage to that age-old connection are the Classico Schooner America ($39,800), an 18-karat rose-gold model featuring a cloisonne-enamel portrait of the America schooner after which the Americas Cup trophy is named; the FreakWing Artemis ($78,000), a limited-edition tourbillon dedicated to the Artemis Racing team for the 35th Americas Cup; and the Marine Chronograph Annual Calendar ($11,900), whose 43 mm stainless-steel case contains a sophisticated yet simplified mechanism designed by the watchmaking prodigy and longtime Ulysse Nardin collaborator Ludwig Oechslin.

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If we can produce an annual calendar with six moving parts, that means people know what theyre doing, Hoffmann said, adding that Ulysse Nardin is distinguished from the watchmaking pack because it is a true manufacture.

He adds: Only very few companies can produce a movement from A to Z, including the heart of the movement, which is the escapement. We can do everything in house. If someone looks into a Ulysse Nardin watch, they get the value because its true, the history is true, and the people behind the product are there. (ulysse-nardin.com)

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Jo Jo Calderwood is one of the most fun to watch female fighters in the world. Actually, no. Jo Jo Calderwood is one of the most fun fighters to watch in the world. The flyweight proved it again tonight when she systematically destroyed Valerie Letourneau at UFC Fight Night 89 in Ottawa.

The destruction started with a back fist backfist that nearly finished Valerie Letourneau in the first, then reportedly Calderwood broke her gutsy opponents rib. Make no mistake about it  Letourneau was a beast for even surviving the spinning backfist and subsequent follow-up punches. But she was also outclassed through and through. Still, massive props to her. She made it a fight. She was landing well at times.

Finally, despite a ton of heart, Letourneau could take no more of Calderwoods special brand of Scottish violence. This is Letourneaus second loss in a row, with her losing in a strawweight title fight against the Polish monster Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The big takeaway from this is not only Calderwoods improvements, but Letourneaus heart.

Fans know that Calderwood can bring it, with her UFC career seeing a 4-1 mark since her time on The Ultimate Fighter 20, but now shes going to be moving to back to strawweight where she was an Invicta standout. Its pretty surprising, considering how damn good she looked in this fight.
Tehran (AFP) - The UN's refugee chief says a worrying "climate of xenophobia" has taken hold in Europe as the continent struggles with the biggest influx of migrants since World War II.

Speaking to AFP in Tehran at the start of a regional tour, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said European leaders needed to do more to coordinate migration policies and to combat negative stereotypes about refugees.

"Refugees... don't bring danger to us, they flee from dangerous places," said Grandi, who took office in January.

National leaders need to better explain that immigration "in fact contributes to the development of societies," he said.

"Those who do the opposite, who stir up public opinion against refugees and migrants, have a responsibility in creating a climate of xenophobia that is very worrying in today's Europe," he said.

"It provides a negative example to countries further away."

Protracted conflicts -- in particular Syria's five-year civil war -- have prompted an unprecedented wave of migration to the continent, with a record 1.25 million Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and other migrants entering Europe since January 2015.

The influx has sparked a backlash in some countries, including in Austria where the anti-immigration Freedom Party nearly won the presidency last month and in Hungary where authorities have sealed the border with Serbia with razor wire and made illegal border crossing a criminal offence punishable by jail.

Grandi said it was unfortunate that decisions taken last year by the European Union to better handle the influx "were not implemented".

It was, he said, "a missed opportunity" because "each country made decisions separately. Borders closed."

He called for "a more collective collegial system of managing refugee flows based on solidarity and burden-sharing between the states, as opposed to trying to do it by themselves with the result that only some countries receive a large number of refugees and others close the borders."

Story continues

- Focus on Afghanistan -

Grandi also called for greater efforts to help those displaced by conflict within their own countries.

"Two-thirds of the world's displaced are displaced internally," he said.

"We have millions of them in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen... they are the most difficult to reach because they are usually in the midst of wars therefore it's dangerous to bring assistance."

Grandi, an Italian diplomat long active in UN humanitarian work, was due in Afghanistan on Monday to mark World Refugee Day. He said he wanted to use his first year in office to highlight the plight of that country's refugees.

"The Afghan refugee crisis has been unfortunately forgotten repeatedly in its history," he said.

It "only gets remembered when something big happens like September 11 and now the arrival of Afghans in Europe among hundred of thousands others."

The root cause is instability in Afghanistan, he said, adding: "That's why my first message here is let's make peace in Afghanistan."

After meeting with Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Grandi praised Tehran's efforts to assist Afghan refugees.

Iran hosts more than three million immigrants from neighbouring Afghanistan, a million of them legally.

"The space given to the refugees for assistance, to give them opportunities and protection, is considerable" he said,

He pointed to a decree from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last year allowing all Afghan children to be allowed into schools in the Islamic republic.

"There are things that have been done here in Iran that are truly examples for other countries, like giving access for children to the school system," Grandi said.

It was "one of the most important gestures that any country has expressed for refugees anywhere in the world in the past few years."
Eastbourne (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki earned her first win of a troubled pre-Wimbledon season on Sunday beating Alize Cornet in the first round at the WTA Eastbourne International.

The Dane, who has only just returned after missing the clay season with an ankle injury, advanced 6-1, 6-3 in 80 minutes, helped by six double-faults from Cornet, who lost serve five times.

Wozniacki, who won the 2009 Eastbourne trophy and topped the WTA rankings in 2010 and 2011, lost her grass opening match this week in Birmingham, where rain caused havoc.

Skies at Devonshire Park remained dry and fresh, though rain is forecast to hit the area on Britain's south coast over the coming days.

France's Kristina Mladenovic, half of the Roland Garros women's doubles winners, opened with victory over Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 while Hungarian Timea Babos defeated Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).


Credit: FameFlynet, Inc

Jennifer Aniston is the queen of the little black dress on the red carpet, but when it comes to her down time, the actress has a slightly more casual approach to style. Case in point? Her latest outing in New York City, where she donned a laid-back, completely cool ensemble that you'll want to make your new summer go-to.

While heading to lunch at Mercer Kitchen in the Big Apple's SoHo neighborhood, Aniston opted for a tight gray miniskirt, which she teamed with a white tee and leopard and striped printed scarf. She finished her ensemble with a breezy trench coat, white sneakers with black trim, a black crossbody bag, and a pair of aviator sunnies. She pulled her hair back into a low, loose bun. Aniston was also joined by her husband Justin Theroux who went casual as well, wearing black jeans, a white printed muscle tee, black boots, a black hat and black sunglasses.

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux Coordinate for a Low-Key Date Night

But this isn't the first time the pair has been spotted out and about together in N.Y.C. In late May, they stepped out hand-in-hand for a date night in the city, looking just as cute and in love as always. We can't wait to see where they head to next.
By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - In one college major at Seoul's elite Korea University, the courses are known only by number, and students keep their identities a secret from outsiders. The Cyber Defense curriculum, funded by the defense ministry, trains young keyboard warriors who get a free education in exchange for a seven-year commitment as officers in the army's cyber warfare unit - and its ongoing conflict with North Korea. North and South Korea remain in a technical state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armed truce. Besides Pyongyang's nuclear and rocket programs, South Korea says the North has a strong cyber army which it has blamed for a series of attacks in the past three years. The cyber defense program at the university in Seoul was founded in 2011, with the first students enrolled the following year. One 21-year-old student, who allowed himself to be identified only by his surname Noh, said he had long been interested in computing and cyber security and was urged by his father to join the program. All South Korean males are required to serve in the military, usually for up to two years. "It's not a time burden but part of a process to build my career," Noh said. "Becoming a cyber warrior means devoting myself to serve my country," he said in a war room packed with computers and wall-mounted flat screens at the school's science library. South Korea, a key U.S. ally, is one of the world's most technologically advanced countries. That makes its networks that control everything from electrical power grids to the banking system vulnerable against an enemy that has relatively primitive infrastructure and thus few targets against which the South can retaliate. "In relative terms, it looks unfavorable because our country has more places to defend, while North Korea barely uses or provides internet," said Noh. Last year, South Korea estimated that the North's "cyber army" had doubled in size over two years to 6,000 troops, and the South has been scrambling to ramp up its capability to meet what it considers to be a rising threat. The United States and South Korea announced efforts to strengthen cooperation on cyber security, including "deepening military-to-military cyber cooperation," the White House said during President Park Geun-hye's visit to Washington in October. In addition to the course at Korea University, the national police has been expanding its cyber defense capabilities, while the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning started a one-year program in 2012 to train so-called "white hat" - or ethical - computer hackers. NORTH'S CYBER OFFENSIVES Still, the North appears to have notched up successes in the cyber war against both the South and the United States. Last week, South Korean police said the North hacked into more than 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean companies and government agencies, planting malicious code under a long-term plan laying groundwork for a massive cyber attack against its rival. In 2013, Seoul blamed the North for a cyber attack on banks and broadcasters that froze computer systems for over a week. North Korea denied responsibility. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has blamed Pyongyang for a 2014 cyber attack on Sony Pictures' network as the company prepared to release "The Interview," a comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The attack was followed by online leaks of unreleased movies and emails that caused embarrassment to executives and Hollywood personalities. North Korea described the accusation as "groundless slander." South Korea's university cyber defense program selects a maximum of 30 students each year, almost all of them men. On top of free tuition, the school provides 500,000 won ($427) per month support for each student for living expenses, according to Korea University Professor Jeong Ik-rae. The course trains pupils in disciplines including hacking, mathematics, law and cryptography, with students staging mock hacking attacks or playing defense, using simulation programs donated by security firms, he said. The admission to the selective program entails three days of interviews including physical examinations, attended by military officials along with the school's professors, he said. While North Korea's cyber army outnumbers the South's roughly 500-strong force, Jeong said a small group of talented and well-trained cadets can be groomed to beat the enemy. Jeong, an information security expert who has taught in the cyber defense curriculum since 2012, said the school benchmarks itself on Israel's elite Talpiot program, which trains gifted students in areas like technology and applied sciences as well as combat. After graduating, they focus on areas like cybersecurity and missile defense. "It's very important to have skills to respond when attacks happen - not only to defend," Jeong said. ($1 = 1,172.2800 won) (Editing by Tony Munroe and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Asad Hashim LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - As taxi hailing giant Uber enters Pakistan, a little-known local competitor is counting on a mix of new ideas and old technology to tap what could be a big chunk of the market: low-income residents who travel in rickshaws, not cabs. Known as Rixi, the Lahore-based service hails rickshaws instead of cars. Its platform is not smartphones, but older SMS phone messaging that allows nearby drivers to bid for any user's business. Pakistan has more than 130 million cellphone subscriptions, but only 21 percent subscribe to data packages, and, while the proportion is rising, there are opportunities across emerging economies in Asia to tap a relatively low-tech customer base. In Thailand, Taxi Radio uses calls and text messages to put cabs and people in touch and is popular with those without smartphone apps, and HeyKuya!, an SMS-based service provider in the Philippines, was recently acquired by Indonesia's YesBoss. Rixi founder Adnan Khawaja says his company works with more than 1,000 rickshaw drivers in Lahore, where many people rely on small, noisy three-wheelers that are well suited to beating traffic in the eastern city's crowded streets. Rixi works by bypassing poor smartphone penetration in the low-income rickshaw market by polling drivers' locations using cellphone towers and matching passengers' messaged locations to points on Google Maps. "If you look at ... Uber's operational model, they will be depending on the smartphones," said Khawaja. "In countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, that population is [...] growing, but it's still smaller compared to the vast market." Uber declined to comment on Rixi's business model, and said that while it had tested SMS-based services, there were no immediate plans to deploy such a service in Pakistan. "We continue to explore products that would stimulate demand ... and better service the city, whether that is a motorbike, whether that is a rickshaw, whether that is a chopper," said Zohair Yousafi, Uber's head of expansion in Pakistan. To entrepreneurs like Shehmir Shaikh, who recently launched errand start-up Scooty Bhejo in Lahore, Uber is missing a trick over Pakistan's digital divide and its large, low-income transport market. "Abroad, Uber has made waves because of the readily available technology that people are using, like iPhones in their hands," he said. "We don't have that here. (And) the major form of transport is not cars." ROADBLOCKS TO SUCCESS Adam Ghaznavi, a technology entrepreneur who has studied the rickshaw market, thinks Pakistan will not necessarily be a large market for taxi ride hailing apps like Uber, but it could be very lucrative for an equivalent app for rickshaws. "If somebody can figure that out, the potential is huge," he said. So far, Rixi says it has registered about 100,000 rides since it launched in late 2013, and is averaging about 100 rides a day. That's just a fraction of the roughly 200,000 trips that rickshaws in Lahore take every day, according to the Awami Rickshaw Union. "Rickshaw drivers do not know anything about these (online apps)," said Majeed Ghauri, head of the union, which represents the drivers of 60,000 of Lahore's roughly 80,000 registered rickshaws. "They simply want their daily wages." Ghauri said market dynamics and consumer behavior in the low-income market were markedly different from those in the taxi ride sharing arena. Moreover, Rixi's location-tracking, reliant as it is on imprecise cellphone tower triangulation and Google Maps, has thrown up some major kinks. Several customers complained that Rixi's service was unable to deliver on its promised 15-minute service delivery time. "Even in the most densely populated cities in the country, the accuracy is no more than a few hundred meters, which is not good enough for a driver looking for a passenger," said Danielle Sharaf, a technology entrepreneur whose company provides value-added services for cellphones. Rixi says it has an error rate of only three percent, and says mismatches are because of its reliance on external services such as Google Maps. Ghaznavi said a major hurdle to adoption in the Pakistani market is the lack of literacy, both traditional and digital, among rickshaw drivers and passengers, compared to those using taxi ride hailing apps. "The rise of the middle class is the key to resolving the rickshaw situation. Right now, the middle class is not traveling on a rickshaw, the lower middle class is," he said. (Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales in MANILA and Khettiya Jittapong in JAKARTA; Writing by Asad Hashim; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
Anton Yelchin, known for his roles in Star Trek and Alpha Dog died early Sunday morning in Los Angeles, ET can confirm. He was 27.

The LAPD's Valley Traffic Division confirmed TMZ's first report of the death. According to the LAPD, Yelchin's friends grew suspicious when he didn't meet them for a rehearsal on Saturday. When they arrived at his house at 1 a.m. local time, they found him pinned between his car, a mailbox, and a security gate.

WATCH: Zachary Quinto, Chris Evans and More Co-stars React to Anton Yelchin's Death

"The speculation is that he got out of the car and it was in neutral and rolled back on him," the LAPD tells ET.

A rep for Yelchin also confirmed the late actor's death, telling ET, "Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time."

Yelchin was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1989, the only child of famed figure skaters Irina and Viktor Yelchin.

"They wanted me to be a skater," he told ET's Kevin Frazier on the set of Star Trek Beyond in July 2015. "When I sucked, they just knew I sucked and they were cool with it."

However, his parents' figure skating background came in handy when he was developing characters. "You realize the intensity of their knowledge of the body is incredible," he said. "It's very inspiring. I'll talk to my mom about how to move. I'll be like, 'This is how I want this guy to move, what muscles should I [use]?' She knows all that."

Yelchin got his big break in 2007's Alpha Dog, alongside Justin Timberlake and Bruce Willis. His career took off from there, with a starring role in 2009's Terminator Salvation, as well as the recurring role of Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot and its sequels.

"I love pushing fake buttons all day. I seriously love it. I know that sounds cynical, but I do really love it. It's like being like a little kid," he told ET while filming Star Trek Beyond last summer.

Story continues

"I have the best time sitting with these people! They're the loveliest, funniest, people to be around," he said of his co-stars. "It's such a privilege to be around such intelligent, funny people!"

PHOTOS: Stars We've Lost

This camaraderie was apparent when the tight-knit cast took to social media to honor their late co-star. "I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins," John Cho tweeted.

"Our dear friend. Our comrade. Our Anton," Zachary Quinto shared on Instagram. "One of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know. So enormously talented and generous of heart. Wise beyond his years. And gone before his time. All love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief."

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Ever get to Sunday brunch ready to guzzle a mimosa only to be met with this disappointing response from your waiter: Sorry, we dont serve alcohol till noon. Well, now early bird New York brunchers can purchase alcohol starting at 10 a.m.

Earlier this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced legislation to modernize the 80-year-old Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (ABC), colloquially called the "brunch bill." Among other amendments, the ABC Law allows restaurants, bars and taverns to open at 10 a.m. on Sundays (Current law allows establishments to start serving alcohol at 8 a.m. every other day of the week).



The bill passed 62-0 in the state Senate on Thursday and 106-21 in the state Assembly on Friday.

James Allen, Cuomos communications director, says there was fairly broad bipartisan support. It was not a controversial issue because he commissioned a group of community and industry leaders in November to come up with recommendations that would modernize the blue laws that govern all things alcohol-related in New York.



Scott Wexler, the executive director of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association, was part of this working group. He says that though the bill passed with tremendous support, the process was actually quite contentious.



Most of the 21 dissenters came from New York City members concerned that the change would lead to rowdier and noisier streets, said Wexler.



Many of the people who have lived there their whole lives, who brought the community to where its at now, are often complaining about the nuisance, the noise, that is in the community now, Brooklyn Assemblywoman Maritza Davila told Politico. Im in opposition to the bill only because I grew up in that community, and I know that in other rural areas its a really nice thing to add, but there has to be some control somewhere.

Boosting the bottom line

The NYC Hospitality Alliance, which represents thousands of the city's restaurants, bars, nightclubs and hotels, was a part of of Cuomos working group. Robert Bookman, counsel to the Alliance, believes the two-hour change will have a meaningful impact on small businesses.



ABC reforms will benefit the industry, our employees and the millions of New Yorkers and visitors who frequent our establishments, he said.



Wexler says hes been advocating ABC reform for the past 30 years and is pleased that New York legislators have taken their suggestions into account.



Any time you can reduce government involvement so that its simpler for small business owners to actually run their businesses, its a great thing, he says.



Though it is unclear how much an additional two-hour window to serve alcohol will actually affect small businesses bottom line, Wexler has no doubt that it will have a positive economic impact. A medium-sized Albany restaurant owner calculated that he could bring in an additional $50,000 per year of added revenue, according to Wexler.



With most New York establishments opening up well before noon, Cuomo found the antiquated laws didnt make much sense. If customers wanted a drink with their breakfast they would either have to wait an hour or not order one at all  this was a consistent piece of feedback that we were receiving from small business owners who told us that it was an opportunity they were missing out on, says Allen.

New Yorks craft beverage boom

This ABC reform is part of Cuomos greater push to embrace the craft beverage industry. The governor has been a champion of the craft beverage industry and this bill is part of his legacy in terms of listening to what small businesses want and need, says Allen.



New York has nearly 900 wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries, and the number of farm wineries in the state has increased by nearly 60%, from 195 in 2010 to 310 today. Plus, the number of microbreweries has grown by 263%, according to Allen. Cuomo, who has been governor since 2011, has also approved creation of two new licensesthe farm brewery license and the farm cidery license.



And beyond expanding Sunday sales, other amendments include streamlining the paperwork requirements for craft manufacturerslicenses will be bundled into a single application. In addition, liquor stores to sell gift wrapping and gift bags to their customers.



Cuomo will sign the provisions into law next week.

Read more by Melody Hahm:

Facebook hosts a lot of fake news, and big brands say its on you to figure it out

Heres a sign the world may be getting sick of social media apps

I checked out WeWorks communal housing, and now Im considering a move
We value your privacy.

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Makes sense.Ontario Will Halt Provincial Pension Plan If CPP Deal ReachedPremier Kathleen Wynne is signalling shes willing to abandon her proposal to create a provincial pension plan if a meeting on Monday leads to a deal on improvements to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).The federal and provincial ministers of finance are set to meet in Vancouver on expanding CPP contributions and payouts, with negotiations happening behind the scenes this weekend. A deal requires the consent of seven of the 10 provinces with two-thirds of Canadas population.If an agreement emerges, the Wynne government will put a halt to the looming Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP), senior officials tell CBC News.In an interview on CBCs Power and Politics, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said his government wants to see an enhanced CPP thats timely, thats adequate, that provides a sufficient amount of supports in the long run.If that is able to be achieved this weekend, we will proceed with CPP enhancement as opposed to the Ontario pension plan, Sousa told host Rosemary Barton.The push to boost pension contributions stems from concern that too many Canadians arent saving enough for a comfortable retirement, with the modern labour environment of casual and contract work providing too few employees with workplace pensions.With the Harper government reluctant to boost CPP, Wynne made the creation of a new provincial pension plan a key plank in her victorious 2014 election campaign. It would cover some three million Ontarians who dont have a workplace pension.In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radios The House, host Chris Hall asked Wynne why shes now willing to abandon the plan.




One Million People Rise Up In France Amid Media Blackout | Your News Wire







Why French Workers Are So Mad

Last month, Emmanuel Macron, a onetime investment banker who is now the Socialist governments young minister of the economy, visited Lunel, a small town in southern France . He was taken to task in the street for the loi travail, the labor law  recently pushed through by his government  that he was in Lunel to promote. A trade unionist wearing a T-shirt challenged him: You, youve got lots of cash, you buy yourself nice suits. Without missing a beat, Mr. Macron responded, The best way to afford a nice suit is to work.





A video

of the interaction has been practically running on a loop on YouTube ever since. To most people in France, this exchange says it all about the gap between Mr. Macron and the working classes. In his eyes, if you dont have a suit, its because you dont work.



In France these days, not only is it getting harder and harder to find a job, but even those people who have one are unlikely to be able to afford a nice suit. Work pays less and less, except for the elites represented by Mr. Macron. As in the United States,

income inequality in France is growing.



The new law

is not the first

to favor greater flexibility. The past 30 years have seen the gradual deregulation of Frances labor market, and that evolution has been accompanied not by a sinking rate of unemployment but by its steady rise. The strikers cant imagine why this time would be any different.



Their protests are focused on the part of the law allowing companies to set their own terms for workers vacation allowances and other benefits, rather than adhering to a national standard. The strikers fear that this measure will accelerate the disappearance of bons boulots, good jobs, and increase the number of precarious ones. Once again, nothing new there. The labor market in France has been offering less and less job security for decades. Today, 85 % of new hires are temporary employees and the duration of their work contracts keeps shrinking  70 percent of new contracts are for one month or less. How could a labor law that will encourage even more insecurity stimulate employment?



The government provides no satisfactory response to that question, except to point out that the current situation is not viable and that refusing to change is the worst possible option. For the last 30 years, the unemployment rate has typically fluctuated between 9 percent and 12 percent, with a brief dip in 2007 and 2008. The president, Francois Hollande, has said that persistent long-term unemployment has created a 

social and economic emergency

. Overcoming a long-lasting structural crisis of this type is much more daunting than getting out of a cyclical one.







http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/09/opinion/why-french-workers-are-so-mad.html

Over one million people took to the streets in France this week in protest against an ever-increasing totalitarian French government, in some of the largest anti-government protests the country has ever seen.The Paris march was led by the biggest autonomous bloc that has been seen in the city for several decades, with a strong international anti-capitalist participation.
Top-ranking military officials from Russia and the United States recently visited Central Asia less than a week apart. The Russian defense minister was in Turkmenistan and the commander of the U.S. Central Command visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the three Central Asian countries that border Afghanistan.

One -- if not the main -- topic of these meetings would have been the deteriorating security situation just south of the border in Afghanistan. The situation in the eight northern Afghan provinces has grown steadily worse for the past two years and by some estimates half the districts across northern Afghanistan might now be under the control of the Taliban and its foreign allies.

It is difficult to judge the current state of affairs in northern Afghanistan. Reports paint a confusing picture but do show that fighting now takes place there regularly.

To get a better idea of what the situation is in northern Afghanistan and how this might be viewed from Central Asia, RFE/RLs Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, gathered a majlis, or panel, to discuss current events along the Afghan-Central Asian border.

Azatlyk Director Muhammad Tahir moderated the talk. Both of our guests joined in the majlis from Afghanistan. Omar Safi is the former governor of Kunduz Province, which borders Tajikistan; Obaid Ali is a researcher at the Afghanistan Analysts Network. I said a few things about the situation north of the border, but the focus of the talk was northern Afghanistan.

For more than two years, the Majlis podcast and Qishloq Ovozi have looked at what has been going in northern Afghanistan. To recap briefly: When Pakistan launched its military operation into North Waziristan in mid-2014, it sent many of the militants sheltering there into northern Afghanistan, a region that had been relatively peaceful for more than a decade. Violence increased significantly due to the influx of Taliban and foreign fighters. Previously quiet border areas with Central Asia became contested ground and prompted Central Asian governments to reinforce their sides of the border and redouble the watch on their own populations to root out the potential enemy from within.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov (right) meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Ashgabat on June 9.

Safi said one of the reasons the government is having such a difficult time maintaining control in the north is the need to strengthen thinly stretched government troops with local paramilitaries, known as the Arbaky.

The reason why [the Taliban and militant allies] chose northern Afghanistan was that there is some vulnerability. One was the warlords, the illegal armed groups... Safi portrayed the Arbaky as unreliable and untrustworthy, going so far as to accuse some Arbaky units of selling government-supplied ammunition to the Taliban. Safi said some of these paramilitary groups impose crushing taxes on the locals.

Safi recalled that when he was governor of Kunduz Province, there was one Arbaky commander who was controlling one district where he had 2,000 militia and our police were only 100 people, so police had no control over the district. Safi continued, [The commander] was taking all sort of taxes from the people and when people came to the police, the police openly said that [they] cannot have any control over him.

Safi said the Arbaky are like a machine that can produce the Taliban in the area because they always undermine the reputation of the Afghan government.

Ali described the scene in northwestern Afghanistans Faryab Province where travel by road has become extremely risky.

The Taliban often appeared on the highway. They established illegal checkpoints, searching the vehicles and searching for government employees, he said.

Such reports came from Kunduz Province, hundreds of kilometers to the east, at the end of May when a dozen people were killed and dozens kidnapped by Taliban militants who waylaid four buses. RFE/RLs Tajik Service, known locally as Ozodi, just reported on the diminishing number of truck drivers who are willing to take the route from Tajikistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan because of militants along the road.

Ali said some people who had to travel were taking detours of many kilometers to lower the chances of running into a militant roadblock.

Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has led security operations in his native northwestern Afghanistan four times since the summer of 2015. Ali said these operations have not done much to bring security back to northwestern Afghanistan.

[Dostum and his forces] get there, they stay there for a week then they return back. Once they turned back, then the territory again fell into Taliban hands, Ali explained.

Safi estimated that in Kunduz Province 70 percent of the territory is apparently under the Taliban and insurgents and only 30 percent of the territory is under government control. He said across northern Afghanistan 45 percent would be under government control and 55 [percent] is under the Taliban, in what we call the nine provinces.*

Speaking about Faryab Province, Ali said in Qaysar [district], most parts of the district are under Taliban control. Almar district also seems to be controlled by the Taliban. Ali added, So out of these 14 or 15 districts, one can say there are some heavily contested districts and also some of the districts where the government has wider influence.

The panelists addressed the topic of foreign militants in northern Afghanistan. Russian and Central Asian security officials, and people presented as experts, have estimated the number of these foreign militants to be in the thousands.

Safi and Ali put the figure much lower, in the dozens in any particular province, possibly in the hundreds if all the northern provinces are taken into account. Most of these appear to be from Central Asia, but many havent been in Central Asia in more than a decade. Ali said the group of militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who were sent to northwestern Afghanistan by their leader, Usmon Ghazi, after Ghazi swore the groups allegiance to the so-called Islamic State extremist group have either been killed, scattered or, in most cases, joined with local Taliban groups.

It is information such as this that brought Sergei Shoigu to Ashgabat on June 8, the first visit by a Russian defense minister to Turkmenistan since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And likely a big part of the reason General Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, visited Uzbekistan on June 14 and Tajikistan on June 15.

The group discussed these issues in greater detail and addressed other issues concerning security along the Afghan-Central Asian border.

Majlis Podcast: Rising Instability In Central Asia, Afghanistan

Listen to or download the Majlis podcast above or subscribe to Majlis on iTunes.

*The nine provinces are, running from east to west along the Central Asian border: Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, Balkh, Jowzjan, Faryab, Badghis, Herat, and slightly removed from the border, Baghlan.
Larry Christensen and Janice (Ostby) Christensen will celebrate 50 years of marriage on June 25. They plan to celebrate by retracing their honeymoon trip to the Wisconsin Dells. They were married in Kensett, Iowa, at the old Bethany Lutheran Church by the Rev. Otto Zwanziger on June 25, 1966. They plan a family get-together upon their return.
Shaun Cesar

CLEAR LAKE  Shaun Cesar, born March 19, 1956, enjoyed a wonderful zest for life full of incredible experiences and the love of family and friends. How can such a life be summed up in a column? It cant. But one can reflect upon how Shaun Cesar touched so many lives during his journey.

Things and experiences are all part of a life, but it is the people, the people in Shaun Cesars life that meant the most. The people he surrounded himself with defines what kind of man Shaun Cesar was during his time on Earth.

Shauns early life was spent in Clear Lake, Iowa. The Drum and Bugle Corps in fourth grade opened his heart to making music. His youth was also spent roughhousing with the kids on South Third Street which included Doug Grimm. His family moved to the Quad Cities where Shaun enjoyed exploring by the creek near his house.

Shaun and his little sister, Tracey, have many fond childhood memories. As a young boy during Iowa summer thunderstorms, Shaun would wake Tracey and tell her he would protect her from the storms. Shaun has protected Tracey his entire life.

Life in the Quad Cities also helped Shaun expand his love of music and explore the mechanical world while working at GE. Shaun had an innate talent for science and how things worked. He was curious and had a wonderful ability to problem solve, fix, create, and build anything. His artistry knew no bounds.

Shaun briefly returned to Clear Lake to work with his grandpa, Chuck Davis, at the Clear Lake Bakery where he could enjoy a freshly glazed doughnut hot off the line. With a change in environment Shaun landed in Flagstaff, Arizona, to be with his Uncle Chuck and work at a paper mill. Shaun continued this life as a hippie always finding work and adventure.

Shaun then returned to his love of music and the Quad Cities. Groups like Scatter Band, Desaeray and Step Child among others created musical joy and lifelong friendships with Scott Ford, Mark Dekalb, Dave Craft and more.

His love of motorcycles also deepened and his 76 Shovelhead is still a prized symbol of independence. Because he rode, he developed a large group of lifelong friends, including John Stowe.

A new path in Shauns winding life arrived with the band I.V. Pauli. Shaun was the spark to this band. But destiny had other plans for Shaun, because while playing in I.V. Pauli he met the love of his life. And, one day, out of the blue, Shaun called Laurie and asked her, Who is the best looking man you know? That phone call was the cement to a beautiful relationship as they eventually married in McIntosh Woods, Clear Lake, with Shauns Grandpa as his best man.

Since that time, Shaun and Laurie spent almost every single day together building a life filled with love. Along with love, Shaun and Laurie built their cabin, created art, rode bikes, enjoyed music and formed friendships. They built two beautiful little houses out of love. The River Roost on the Mighty Mississippi, their cabin near Buffalo, Iowa, was a place of peace in spite of all of the work. For Laurie, he rebuilt the cabin after the 2008 flood. All of his life lessons and skills are witnessed in this home he rebuilt with love. While at the cabin, Shaun was able to reconnect with many old friends and develop new friendships.

The other home they built is the cottage in the Hood. Here is where Shaun became the best form of himself. He was surrounded by his community, his roots, and many of friends. He brought people together, past and present, old friends and new friends, blending beautifully together.

Shaun had a quick wit and clever mind. He was the Handyman! He made everyone feel special. He loved life in Clear Lake because it is a happy place filled with good people. He enjoyed boating in the summer and ice fishing with George. Shaun took great pride in having the most beautiful yard in the Hood. He loved his home in the Hood and was proud of the honor bestowed upon him as Mayor of the Hood. Clear Lake is the place he felt safe and could give love. Shaun often said, Its all good and safe in our little home.

The people he loved who are still on this Earth are many, including, as he would say, his beautiful wife and best friend, Laurie; Sis Tracey Connell (Bob Lucas); Nephew Bryan; half-brother Chuck; his mother Sandra Cesar; his Outlaws Frank and Ruth Carlson; Brother-in-law Eric Carlson and Sister-in-law Linda Clark, dear friends Jack and Nancy Meyer and Roger Medendorp. There are so many family and friends that it is hard to name them all, but know you are all in Shauns heart. And those who are now loving him include Grandma Catherine and Grandpa Chuck Davis; Aunt Jill Deuel; Traceys baby, Jeffery Jr.; Sam the cat; and those who loved Shaun and passed before him.

Shaun Cesar was born to Ben and Sandra Cesar March 19, 1956. Cancer took his body June 15, 2016, in Clear Lake with Laurie and Tracey by his side. Hospice of North Iowa assisted Laurie in providing loving care and support so Shaun could remain at his home in the Hood surrounded by all the love from all of the people during his journey on Earth.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in Memory of Shaun Cesar.

Please join family and friends in celebrating the beautiful life of Shaun Cesar Saturday June 25, from 4-6:30 p.m. The service will be at 5 p.m. The celebration will be held on the Lady of the Lake dockside at the Seawall in beautiful Clear Lake, Iowa.

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. Fourth St., Clear Lake, IA 50428, 641-357-2193, ColonialChapels.com.
VERMILLION, S.D.  Ashley Miller, of Algona, and Rachel Berte, of Livermore, are among students at the University of South Dakota, named to the Dean's List for the spring 2016 semester. To qualify students achieved a grade point average of at least 3.5, while taking 12 or more credit hours.
ATLANTA, June 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atlanta, GA-based VDart Inc. listed to Inc.s inaugural 50 Best Workplaces, the first such measurement of American companies with up to 500 employees that deploy state-of-the-art techniques to keep their staff happy and productive.



Working with employee engagement and culture experts Quantum Workplace of Omaha, Nebraska, Inc.s list is a magnifying glass on how innovative companies can truly raise the bar in hiring and keeping the best talent.

We are honored to be among Inc.s inaugural 50 Best Workplaces in the nation and the only company in the State of Georgia to achieve this recognition. This award strengthens our commitment to work culture and providing innovative ideas on employee engagement that truly make a difference to our employees and community, states Sidd, President and CEO of VDart, Inc.

The 2016 Inc.s inaugural 50 Best Workplaces is now unveiled online and is featured in the May issue of Inc. (now available on newsstands). The listing, including company profiles sorted by industry, location and revenues, can be found at http://www.inc.com/magazine/201606/inc-staff/best-workplaces-2016.html.

We hear it over and over again from the fast-growing businesses we cover: The biggest challenge that any business owner faces is finding and keeping the best people. Thats why building a workplace culture that allows your staff to grow with your company is absolutely crucial, explains Inc.s President and Editor-In-Chief, Eric Schurenberg. Recipients of the Inc. Best Workplaces Awards have done so in spades. They should be celebrated and emulated.

About VDart Inc.

We are a global, emerging technology staffing provider with expertise in SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, & Cloud), Enterprise Resource Planning (Oracle Applications, SAP), Business Intelligence (Hyperion) and Infrastructure technologies. We work with leading System Integrators, private and public sectors. We have deep industry expertise and focus in Energy & Utility, Healthcare and Technology sectors. Our scope, knowledge, industry expertise and global footprint have enabled us to provide best in the industry solutions. With our core focus in emerging technologies, we have provided global technology workforce solutions in USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK & Australia. For more information, please visit www.vdartinc.com.



About Inc. Media

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

Methodology

The 2016 Inc. Best Workplaces Awards assessed applicants on a collection of multiple choice, scaled, and open-ended items. Responses were evaluated by the research team at Quantum Workplace. Core components of the scoring include company practices around management, employee recognition, performance communication, benefits, and other elements of the employee experience. For more information, visit www.quantumworkplace.com.
stonecold wrote:

From an admissions perspective- for Indian pool- and I have read THOUSANDS of applications from India-- I see IT all day... and I have never seen footwear- so this may actually help you

Schools in the top 20 like at least 2 yrs usually. In some cases, you can count the work you did while still in college if you were making a meaningful contribution to your work and you can convince the admissions committee through your essays and also interview.

So if you truly want to go NOW- then I would be targeting the top 30 "top 20" MBA programs as you are not going to be competitive in M7 level with what I see here. But if you can find a program in 15-30 range they may be more forgiving of lack of work experience especially if you can get a higher score.

Yes I would be shooting for 730 - remember that when something is under (work experience) something else must be over (GMAT is a great place to make that up)



So here is a strategy for you... follow the dots and see which schools have the recruiting relationships with Nike and target some of those schools-

And if you want even more helpful strategies like this- that's the kind of thing we do at and you can get a free consult from contacting us on our website with link below! Best of luck to you-- but seriously from an admissions perspective- your hook is the footwear thing! It stands out in your pool so leverage that and you may be able to work that angle for admissions! You can leverage your community involvement in your essays- and if done compellingly enough it may help. I suggest that you look at some US footwear companies you'd like to learn from- Nike? For example here is a link to corporate MBA careers- http://jobs.nike.com/search/mba So here is a strategy for you... follow the dots and see which schools have the recruiting relationships with Nike and target some of those schools-And if you want even more helpful strategies like this- that's the kind of thing we do at and you can get a free consult from contacting us on our website with link below! Best of luck to you-- but seriously from an admissions perspective- your hook is the footwear thing! It stands out in your pool so leverage that and you may be able to work that angle for admissions!

HOWDIEEEE.. to anyone who reads this...!!Now I have a very specific situation (thats what i think ) so i am submitting my info to which i would love to hear from anyone who has the adequate knowledge to address my concernsHeres my BACKGROUND10th grade=> 73%12th grade => 74% (a science student)Then i took an year off as i did not get into the a decent engineering college..Trust me here- i got into many colleges but all of them were Pretty much CRAP (sorry for the curse but i am being bluntly honest here)In the mean time I assisted my father during the day and studied during night..I am not sure that experience will count for business schools nevertheless i am very proud that i did that as at an early age i got to understand as to how someone who runs an industry actually functions..The Gap year proved fruitful as i got into GGSIPU Delhi plus i got a pretty good and a decorated college in the Capital city..Engineering was Good in fact great ..Aggregate=> 71%(B.Tech In Information tech)Now to be honest with you guys i was working with my father during my engineering years as well ..I would literally pick up documents and do other chores for him (Yes He Paid Me too)Here is the real problem why i wrote this piece =>My age is 23 years and 330 daysI will be 24 next month..!!I graduated in June 2015..And from DAY 1 i have been working with my father in our Family business..Initially i was hesitant to join him as i was an IT engineer and my family is into Footwear business. Then I started to love my JOB [Common we make shoes and other footwear's for a living. Who would not love that rightNow almost an year later i feel like i need to grow my business outreach..Trust me when i say this - Work is Fine..But the glitch is => "i want to take my family Business to places" Actually i want that to be Awesome instead of just Fine (sorry for the choice of words )Hence i need an MBA..And to much of my surprise my father stands right by me in this decision..! In fact He told me that its a very mature move..!!I know most of you might think its too early for an MBABut honestly guys Waiting for another 2 or 3 years will not take my business anywhere .It will be in a stand still.Plus i think i have the added advantage of working with my father in my initial GAP year where i assisted him if it counts.So it goes without saying => I DON'T ONLY WANT AN MBA ; I NEED AN MBA..!!secondly i am a bit confused about this work experience thing ..!!Most of the business schools require 2 years of work experience in there applicants ..What does 2 years mean?till the program actually starts or till the time you fill out your applicationIf i apply in 2016 for fall 2017 admissions then by the time i actually start my school in September i will be having 2 years and 2 months of experience.. I guess that would do..???WHAT ARE THE SCHOOLS I CAN TARGET ???Top 20 can i get in ?Okay Top30?Top40?i am flexible as long as it in the Top 40-45Common Guys Help me get into top 40 at-least..!!!! I don't want to wait ..!!I am into manufacturing shoes and other footwear so anything related to MARKETING AND ADVERTISING would be Fabulous ..Plus i like Advertising.Now if (only if) i wait another year( which probably would not do any good to my industry ) then will it increase my chances of getting admitted..GMAT => Appearing this October..I think i can get a good score..i will try for 700 maybe ..I will Dig that (i have started preparing)now to the most important part=>Community services => I am an active part of an Organisation which rescues street dogs and treats them until they are healthy..I have been a part of this organisation from my engineering days ..the reason i do it it i honestly believe in the work we do..We organise dog shows too..Positions held => "I am not given any designations actually .. I am responsible for marketing and supply ..Plus sometimes manufacturing too. Family business comes with several added responsibilities tooThe Post MBA goals => " I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO MY HOME COUNTRY THE DAY AFTER I GET AN MBA . Off course i would like to do an internship however..But apart from that i have one any only one vision that is to Do Justice to my family business and take it to a level it deserves"ANYONE WHO READS THIS Please Feel free TO POST any suggestions You guys Have for me... It will be really helpful..Love and respect to everyoneStone ColdP.S => Don't let my user name mislead you ..!! I am an indian candidate
vietmoi999 wrote:

in oxford dictionaly, there is no "support to something" , so C is wrong.



E is wrong for no idiomatic problem but for logic problem.



do you have support for our government? yes, I have that support to get my salary



"to get" is similar to "to classify" because they modify the main clause/main verb.



(evidence provides support) to classify



this is not logic, because "evidence" can not "classify" .



E is wrong for this reason.



one more thing I want to say

many problems make us choose between do-ing and a noun form such as "trying" vs 'attempt" and in many problems, noun form is correct. why, the answer is long and you should find it in other thread. I say it shortly. doing must refer to a noun which do the action of "doing). f



why in this problem, doing, "classifying" is correct.



we have to use dedicated noun to refer a general action, if we do not have a noun, for example, if we do not have "learnation" we have to use doing to refer to a general action. to refer to a specific action of a specific noun, we use doing.



why in this problem, doing, "classifying" is correct.



frankly speaking, this case maybe a mistake in official problem. gmat is created by human and so, possibly make mistakes. but, academically, what we should learn here is that the above rule "we have to use dedicated noun to refer to a general action" is preferable not absolute rule.



PREFERABLE VS ABSOLUTE RULE is popular on gmat. for more detail pls, search CORRECT BUT NOT PREFERABLE in this form to read my posting regarding this point. some point of grammar is considered inferior and is used to eliminate a choice can be in the official answers in other sc problems.



I wish you comment on my problem so that we can master sc

vietmoi999

(E)

evidence

evidence provides support

for scientists

gerund

have

classification

classifying

tion



Magoosh Test Prep





Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Mike McGarryEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Signature Read More

DearI'm happy to respond. First of all, there's no logical problem with. It's true that "" can't classify. Remember that an infinitive can have an implicit subject ---...] to classify ...I'm not sure I understand the rest of your question. The "noun form" of a verb that ends in -ing is called a. That is a good word to know if you would like to understand this form. Here's a blog about gerunds.We don'tto use a regular noun ("") instead of the gerund (""). I don't think that's even a preference. The GMAT has a preference for action, for direct, active language. The gerund is far more active and vital than is the -noun, and that is a definite preference on the GMAT.Does this make sense?Mike_________________
thanhmaitran wrote:

Voters commonly condemn politicians for being insincere, but politicians often must disguise their true feelings when they make public statements. If they expressed their honest views - about, say, their party's policies - then achieving politically necessary compromises would be much more difficult. Clearly, the very insincerity that people decry shows that our government is functioning well.



Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines this reasoning?



A. Achieving political compromises is not all that is necessary for the proper functioning of a government.

B. Some political compromises are not in the best long-term interest of the government.

C. Voters often judge politicians by criteria other than the sincerity with which they express their views.

D. A political party's policies could turn out to be detrimental to the functioning of a government.

E. Some of the public statements made by politicians about their party's policies could in fact be sincere.

After going through all the posts on this thread, I can see that while many of us have gotten the answer right, hardly anyone of us has gotten it right for the right reasons.The crux of the argument is this: Since achieving politically necessary compromises would be much more difficult with honest views than with insincerity, the insincerity of the politicians shows that our govt is functioning well.The reason given on this thread for accepting option A is that the option shows that achieving political compromises does not help in the proper functioning of a government. Or it delinks political compromises from the functioning of the government.Neither of these reasons is correct.If I tell you that achieving 760 on GMAT is not all that is necessary for getting admission in Harvard (which, as you know is true since there are many other requirements), does it mean that 760 on GMAT doesn't help in getting admission in Harvard? Or does it mean that 760 on GMAT is not linked to admission to Harvard?The answer to both the questions is No. Right?Just that one thing is not the "only" necessary requirement doesn't mean that it is not even one of the requirements. Right?Similarly, option A doesn't mean achieving political compromises is not good for the functioning of a government.Rather, if I change the conclusion to "the very insincerity that people decry is good for the functioning of the government", option A will become incorrect, for the abovementioned reasons.The reason option A is correct is that the conclusion says that the insincerity "shows" that the government is functioning well.It's like saying "your 760 on GMAT shows that you have gotten into Harvard".Now, if someone tells me that 760 on GMAT is not the only requirement for Harvard, my above statement will be weakened.Right?Similarly, since option A says that achieving political compromises is not the only requirement for the proper functioning of the government, it means that even if we achieve political compromises, other requirements may not be met, and thus, the government may still not be functioning well. Therefore, just by knowing that we have probably achieved political compromises, we cannot say that the government is functioning well.Does it make sense?Option B is wrong because it says "some" political compromises are not in the best long-term interest of the government. One major reason for rejecting option B is that "some" means "at least one". So, essentially option B says that at least one political compromise is not in the.... Do we really need all political compromises to be in the "best long-term interests" of the government?No. Right?Secondly, it talks about "political compromises" in general, not specifically "necessary political compromises", as talked about in the argument. It could be that some political compromises are not good, but probably none of them is necessary. Probably, all necessary compromises are actually good for the government. Right?Therefore, option B doesn't weaken the argument.Option D says "A political party's policies could turn out to be detrimental to the functioning of a government". This option uses "could", which means, as in option B, that some policies could be detrimental to the functioning of a government. Now, even if some of the policies are detrimental to the functioning of the government, does it mean that politicians should express honestly?No. Because the reasoning of the argument stands as is. If they express honestly, achieving politically "necessary" compromises would be much more difficult.Therefore, even if option D is true, the reasoning of the argument stands as is.Thus, option D doesn't weaken the argument and is incorrect._________________
jerrywu wrote:

The first trenches that were cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, have yielded strong evidence for centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East that were arising simultaneously with but independently of the more celebrated city-states of southern Mesopotamia, in what is now southern Iraq.





(A) that were cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, have yielded strong evidence for centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East that were arising simultaneously with but



(B) that were cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, yields strong evidence that centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East were arising simultaneously with but also



(C) having been cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, have yielded strong evidence that centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East were arising simultaneously but



(D) cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, yields strong evidence of centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East arising simultaneously but also



(E) cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, have yielded strong evidence that centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East arose simultaneously with but





Concepts tested here: Subject-Verb Agreement + Tenses + Parallelism + Idioms + Awkwardness/Redundancy

A:

B:

C:

D:

E:

Correct.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

Dear Friends,Here is a detailed explanation to this question- Any elements linked by a conjunction ("but" in this sentence) must be parallel. The simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past. The present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb has/have) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present. The simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature. The simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. Present participles ("verb+ing"  having and arising in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships. In modifying a noun, the past participle implies that the noun took an action that concluded in the past. "evidence of + noun" and "evidence that + clause" are the correct, idiomatic constructions.Trap. This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense verb "were arising" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "evidence for"; please remember, "evidence of + noun" and "evidence that + clause" are the correct, idiomatic constructions. Additionally, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase "that were cut", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "trenches" with the singular noun "yields". Further, Option B incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "yields" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb has/have) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature. Additionally, Option B incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense verb "were arising" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past.This answer choice incorrectly uses the present participle phrase ("verb+ing" - "having" in this sentence) "having been cut" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past, and present participles ("verb+ing"  having in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships. Further, Option C incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense verb "were arising" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. Additionally, Option C fails to maintain parallelism between "arising simultaneously" and "independently of"; please remember, any elements linked by a conjunction ("but" in this sentence) must be parallel.This answer choice incorrectly refers to the plural noun "trenches" with the singular noun "yields". Further, Option D incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "yields" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present; please remember, the present perfect tense (marked by the use of the helping verb has/have) is used to describe events that concluded in the past but continue to affect the present, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature. Moreover, Option D incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "arising" in this sentence) to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past, and present participles ("verb+ing"  arising in this sentence) are used to modify nouns, refer to ongoing events in any time period, and (when preceded by a comma) express cause-effect relationships. Additionally, Option D fails to maintain parallelism between "arising simultaneously" and "independently of"; please remember, any elements linked by a conjunction ("but also" in this sentence) must be parallel. Besides, Option D uses the needlessly wordy phrase "but also", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.This answer choice correctly refers to the plural noun "trenches" with the plural verb "have yielded". Further, Option E correctly uses the past participle "cut" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; please remember, in modifying a noun, the past participle implies that the noun took an action that concluded in the past. Moreover, Option E correctly uses the simple past tense verb "arose" to refer to an event that concluded in the past and uses the present perfect tense verb "have yielded" to refer to an action that concluded in the past but continues to affect the present. Additionally, Option E maintains parallelism between "simultaneously with" and "independently of". Plus, Option E correctly uses the idiomatic construction "evidence that + clause". Besides, Option D is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):To understand the concept of "Simple Continuous Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):To understand the concept of "Present Perfect Tense" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):All the best!Team_________________
Bunuel wrote:

There is a 50% chance Jen will visit Chile this year, while there is a 25% chance that she will visit Madagascar this year. What is the probability that Jen will visit either Chile or Madagascar this year, but NOT both?[/b]



A. 25%

B. 50%

C. 62.5%

D. 63.5%

E. 75%

VERITAS PREP OFFICIAL SOLUTION:

The answer is (B).

Putting aside her peculiar travel schedule for a moment, (visiting Western South America and South East Africa without stopping by the Falklands?) what is the probability that Jen travels to one of these locales but not the other? Dutifully applying our memorized probability formula: the probability of visiting Chile is 0.5, and the probability of visiting Madagascar is 0.25, we get 0.5 + 0.25  (0.5*0.25) or 0.75  0.125 = 0.625. Or answer choice C. (As Admiral Ackbar tried to warn us in 1983: Its a Trap!)But why doesnt the formula yield the correct choice? The answer lies in the question stem. This particular question asks us the probability of visiting Chile or Madagascar, but not both. The formula gives us the probability of visiting either, implicitly allowing the choice of visiting both. The probability of visiting either will indeed be 62.5% (or 5/8), but this is the probability of visiting Chile, Madagascar, or both. Verifying the converse, the probability of visiting neither is P(Chile) and P(Madagascar), or 0.5 * 0.75 = 0.375 (or 3/8), confirming that our 0.625 is merely the probability of not staying home this year.The obvious question now is: Why doesnt the formula work? Didnt the formula already account for the possibility of both? How do I solve this question correctly? (Admittedly, these are three questions and not one). The key to answering all of them is the same, though. Lets go through the logic of the formula P(C) + P(M)  P(C&M):The first argument allows for all possibilities of visiting Chile, regardless of what happens with Madagascar.The second argument allows for all possibilities of visiting Madagascar, regardless of what happens with Chile (or the Falklands)The third argument is the possibility of both occurring.The formula works because P(C) accounts for the both choice, and P(M) accounts for the both choice as well, indicating that this option has been double counted. In order to count it only once, we need to remove one instance of it. This is why the formula works and is popular; it addresses the inherent problem in probability, double counting certain situations. The same logic applies to Venn diagrams and other similar question types where counting the same argument twice (or thrice) can occur.In practice, this question could then be solved using the default formula of P(C) + P(M)  P(C&M) and then subtracting P(C&M) again or simply P(C) + P(M)  2*P(C&M). Simply put, the first two arguments in the formula account for the both possibility twice, so we must remove it twice to answer the question at hand.A somewhat similar yet more straight forward alternative is to go bottom up instead of top down. The probability of going only to Chile is P(C) * P(M) = 0.5 * 0.75 = 0.375. The probability of going only to Madagascar is P(M) * P(C) = 0.25 * 0.5 = 0.125. Adding those two probabilities together yields the correct answer of 0.5 or 50%. The revised formula also yields this result (0.5 + 0.25  2 (0.125) = 0.5), so we can feel confident in our answer choice and not any of the other tempting answer choices._________________


A New Jersey man who allegedly stole a Newark bakery's donation jarintended for a mother fighting cancerhas been caught.

Daniel Santos, 23, allegedly absconded with the box from a Ferry Street bakery on June 8, NBC New York reports. Surveillance videos apparently show a man approaching the jar and using a lighter to burn through the thin cable that connected it to the cash register.

Police arrested Santos around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday after his boss recognized him from the security footage and called the authorities.

"We are seeing more and more residents getting involved and helping us to quickly arrest suspects by calling in tips and reporting the suspect's whereabouts," Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose told NJ.com. "The greater cooperation helps all of us."

The box, intended for the family of 42-year-old Fernanda Concalvez, was placed in the bakery to raise money for her chemotherapy and radiation treatment following her diagnosis of colon cancer last year. It contained around $200.

Concalvez was previously employed as a patient representative at a hospital, but was placed on unpaid medical leave when she began her treatment. NBC notes that she hopes to be well enough to attend a fundraiser scheduled for later this month to recoup the loss of the money raised.
A 17-year-old boy set to graduate from high school in only a few days was stabbed to death Friday night in the Bronx.

Carl Ducasse left his Mount Hope home shortly after dinner and had planned to get a milkshake with his friend when he was approached by two men near the corner of Walton Avenue and 175th Street. That friend told detectives that the men appeared to be from a nearby homeless shelter and demanded two dollars from them. Neither boy had any cash.

At that point, ABC reports, one man tapped Ducasse's pocket and reportedly heard a jingle. Ducasse assured it was only his keys, but moments later a second man pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

They were patting him down and trying to see if he did have money, Narier Ducasse, the boy's cousin, told the Times. His cellphone dropped. Once his cell phone dropped, he went to go pick it up, and the other guy stabbed him.

The teenager began to collapse on the sidewalk as his friend ran back to his family's apartment for help. EMS workers rushed Ducasse to nearby Saint Barnabus Hospital, but he could not be saved.

The Times notes that the boy was the youngest of three children, born to parents who had moved to New York from the Dominican Republic in search of a better life. No arrests have been made in the case, and Ducasse's killer remains at large, police said.

"I fight with him cause I never wanted him to go outside. He went five minutes and hes gone, the boy's mother told CBS. For $2, he took his life."
A Staten Island man has been convicted for biting his 6-month-old dog on the ear, a habit he claims is only an expression of love. Moshe Sharon was sentenced to 15 days of community service and ordered to pay a $250 fine after his Yorkshire Terrier Shakshuka needed surgery treatment for hematoma following one of Sharon's bites.

Sharon remains defiant, however, and told the New York Post Im not guilty of anything...Im not doing 15 days of community service. In court filings, Sharon admitted he liked biting Shakshuka "to show affection," and admitted he couldn't help himself.

According to a criminal complaint, Sharon, 44, bit his dog so hard it required veterinary attention at some point between November 7th and 11th. While at the St. Francis Animal Hospital in Eltingville seeking care for Shakshuka, Sharon was caught biting the pup's ear multiple times. SI Live reports Sharon was charged with torturing and injuring animals in early February and was sentenced earlier this month.

As part of his guilty plea, Sharon has been forced to give up care of the terrier, and is barred from owning an animal for the next three years. Prosecutors told the Staten Island Advance that Shakshuka is in good health with her new owners.
They met in Sequoia National Park and were married at Kings Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California. They have two children and five grandchildren. We are celebrating this amazing accomplishment with family.

Today both of you look back with happiness and pride upon the fifty cherished years that you have spent side by side. May every memory that you share of dreams youve seen come true help make this special golden day a happy one for you! On Your Golden Anniversary -- Anonymous
DUNN, N.C.  Seasonal agricultural workers were just finishing a meal after a long day of planting sweet potato seeds when Julie Pittman pulled up to their camp.

Pittman, a paralegal with the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of North Carolina, worked to get their attention.

The health care law that passed in 2010 requires you to have health insurance, she said, speaking in Spanish. If you don't get it, she said, you could be fined.

"Cuanto cuesta?" asked a worker, wanting to know the cost.

In the United States legally through the H-2A visa program, these farmworkers, like most American citizens and legal residents, must be insured. But reaching them is an uphill battle.

The majority come from Mexico to work in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The deadline for getting insurance starts when they enter the country. They have 60 days to learn about coinsurance and copayments, and decide whether to purchase a high- or low-deductible plan.

Alexis Guild, a migrant health policy analyst at Farmworker Justice, an advocacy agency in Washington, D.C., said a yearslong partnership among various nonprofits and health centers in North Carolina has been working to enroll the workers.

In the camp near Dunn, Pittman told the workers that the cost of health insurance depends on the type purchased, income and family size. Some people don't have monthly payments, others could pay $40 per month. Consider, she added, that this year's fine is $695 or 2 percent of wages, whichever is greater.

"Would I need to pay the fine?" said Antonio Flores, 29, who like other farmworkers based in North Carolina, makes $10.72 per hour.

It's a difficult question because some workers qualify for an exemption or are offered insurance through their employer.

Mackenzie Mann, a health educator with North Carolina Farmworkers Project, said the only way to be sure is to fill out a form.

The group has signed up 150 workers since February.

In a camp in Angier, Apolinar Castillo, of Zacatecas, Mexico, said he didn't think twice about paying $10.55 per month for health insurance. "I feel confident that, if there is an emergency, I can dial 911 and use my (insurance) card," said Castillo, 44.

Workers under the H-2A visa program are a small minority of the nation's more than 2.4 million farmworkers, many of whom are in the country illegally and don't have access to health insurance.

Their jobs are among the most dangerous, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Farmworkers face exposure to pesticides, and risk heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Outside of emergencies, farmworkers can use community health centers, which receive federal funding to care for the poor and uninsured.

Dr. Eugene H. Maynard, of the Benson Area Medical Center, said many procedures can be done at his office, where fees are based on a sliding scale. But some require specialists, whose steep prices are out of the reach to most workers.

Often, Maynard said, he places workers on waiting lists for charity care, but they are so long that workers return to Mexico before seeing a specialist.

"Insurance makes that process a lot easier," Maynard said.

Some are skeptical that access to health insurance would translate into better health care.

Thomas Arcury, director of the Center for Worker Health at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said farmworkers work long hours, don't have access to transportation or accumulate paid sick days, which is why many ignore their illnesses.

"There are a lot of roadblocks," Arcury said.

Large farming operations are required to offer health insurance to their workers. They have raised the issue of cost, arguing that already provide workers compensation, which covers work-related injuries.

U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, a Republican from North Carolina, has twice introduced a bill to exclude farmworkers under the H-2A visa program from the employer mandate. She said the cost would put many farmers out of business.

Steve Davis of Greene County Health Care, a community health center that enrolled nearly 800 workers last year, said most farmworkers know of workers who were injured or became ill and landed in the emergency room.

Last October, for example, Feliciano Gonzalez went to the ER with an unbearable pain in his arm and chest. He said doctors kept him overnight and told him to take a couple days off.

The hospital billed $14,900. It wasn't a work injury, so his health insurance paid most of the bill and he owed $750.

"We need to be protected," Gonzalez said.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump's ban of Washington Post journalists has left other news outlets with a stark choice: your ratings or your responsibility as journalists in a free society?

Trump's announcement that he is barring Post journalists from his events follows similar bans he put on reporters from Politico, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Gawker, Foreign Policy, Fusion, Univision, Mother Jones, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the Des Moines Register and the Daily Beast. Trump goons have been known to kick out undesirable reporters at Trump events.

For those journalists and media executives who still don't share the view of Post Executive Editor Martin Baron that Trump's action "is nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press," it won't be long before Trump comes for you, too.

Earlier this year, Trump said he would "open up" libel laws  in other words, dispense with the First Amendment  to make it easier for him to sue news outlets. He has suggested that, if president, he would use antitrust laws to harass Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the Post. And longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone has proposed that a President Trump seek retribution against CNN: "Turn off their FCC license."

This goes beyond even Nixonian hostility. Before Trump events, all journalists, blacklisted or not, must apply for permission to attend. They are then notified if their applications have been approved.

But there is, happily, a just and appropriate response to Trump's blacklist: a Trump blackout.

I don't mean an outright ban of Trump coverage. That would be shirking our civic responsibility. But I suggest an end to the uncritical, free publicity that propelled him to the GOP nomination:

No more live, wall-to-wall coverage of Trump's rallies and events; this sort of "coverage," particularly by cable news outlets, has been a huge in-kind contribution to Trump.

No more Trump call-ins to TV shows; this enables him to plant falsehoods with little risk of follow-up.

Rigorous use of real-time fact-checking, pointing out Trump's falsehoods in the stories in which they're reported. That's not injecting opinion. It's stating fact.

Beyond that, news organizations should demand that the Republican National Committee, at next month's convention, reinstate and credential all media outlets that Trump has banned. Does the RNC want to join Trump in opposing a free press?

Politicians have long tried to freeze out critical reporters and news organizations by refusing to return phone calls or denying them questions at news conferences. I got that treatment covering George W. Bush's White House. But this is fundamentally different. If Trump were to behave this way in office, he could choose which journalists and outlets would be admitted to the White House briefing room, participate in the press pool or join presidential events.

A push-back against Trump's authoritarian actions could work, because Trump relies almost entirely on free media attention. He lacks a traditional campaign apparatus with the ability to target and mobilize voters with advertising and field organizing.

Trump won the nomination using what the British call the "dead cat" tactic: Throw a dead cat on the table, and that's what people will talk about. Trump kept hurling cats, thereby staying a step ahead of the media watchdogs.

In a report last week, Harvard University's Shorenstein Center found that eight top news outlets gave Trump the equivalent of $55 million of free advertising last year, and about two-thirds of Trump coverage was positive. Taking the news media as a whole, the center said the claim that Trump's media coverage was worth $2 billion in ads "might well be correct."

Shorenstein's Thomas Patterson suggests a "corrective" response by the media to Trump's blacklist. "Too many journalists are hung up on the old balance of 'he said, she said' and are silent about putting their finger on the scale and saying which viewpoint has the larger weight" of truth, he told me. "One would hope that would change."

That has begun to change in the past month. The focus has shifted from Trump's dead cats to serious probing of Trump's past, falsehoods and racial politics. Nobody has done this better than my colleagues at the Post, which is the real reason for Trump's blacklisting.

Covering Trump will be more difficult if Post reporters are denied seats on the Trump press charter and news conferences and access to Trump rallies. But their coverage will be as vigorous as before. The question is whether other news organizations will recognize that Trump's ban is a call to conscience for all who believe in a free press.
Donald Trump has something to hide.

The presumed Republican candidate for President has so far failed to release his income tax returns, bucking a tradition among presidential candidates for the last 40 years. It appears he wont release his tax returns, although he could change his mind.

There are only a few logical explanations why Trump wont release his income tax returns.

 Hes either not the savvy business person that he claims to be and his tax returns would show less income and lower profits than hes bragged about.

 He pays little or no income taxes, thanks to generous tax laws that govern real estate developers.

 He claims almost everything as a business deduction and thus pays little or no taxes.

 All of the above.

Trump claims that he cant release his taxes for the last few years because he is being audited. But the Internal Revenue Service says that simply not the case. A taxpayer can choose to make their tax returns public at any time, even while under audit. President Richard Nixon released his tax returns while under audit.

The last time Trump revealed his income tax returns, in a 1981 report by New Jersey gambling regulators, Trump paid zero income taxes. He did that by taking advantage of a tax-code provision that allowed developers to report a negative income.

Not surprisingly to anyone that has followed his campaign, Trump has promised to release his tax returns several times, but never complied. He said he would release his tax returns after President Barack Obama released his long form birth certificate. Didnt happen.

Trump said early in his presidential campaign he would soon release his "big, beautiful tax returns." As his candidacy kept gaining momentum, Trump became more adamant that sharing the returns wouldnt happen. Hes stated recently that the taxes he pays "isnt anyones business."

Actually, its everyones business. If Trump wanted to remain more or less a private citizen, then he would be correct in stating that his tax returns were between him and IRS. But he could be President in less than a year, a job that includes overseeing the nations tax collection service. Voters deserve to know how this would be president uses the tax laws.

In addition, Trump has railed during his campaign about corporate executives using loopholes and false deductions to "get away with murder." He told CBS last year, "They make a fortune. They pay no tax. Its ridiculous, okay?"

He may be right about corporate CEOs, but voters deserve to know which loopholes a candidate for president uses.

One of the ways the American people can judge Trumps honesty and integrity is by viewing his income tax returns. Were fully aware that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, has her own honesty and integrity issues. Clinton has released her income tax returns for years.

This information is important and needs to be released. Full disclosure on all important fronts is the only way the American people can make an informed choice in November.
SPRINGFIELD  Ballots wont be cast for more than four months, but three Southern Illinois Democrats seeking re-election to the General Assembly are already facing a blitz of negative TV and internet ads, robocalls, and email blasts from the Illinois Republican Party.

Sen. Gary Forby of Benton and Reps. John Bradley of Marion and Brandon Phelps of Harrisburg have become prime targets for the GOP as it tries to cut into Democratic supermajorities in the House and Senate. The overarching message is that the trio of lawmakers are double-talking politicians who are more loyal to House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, than to voters in their districts.

In Southern Illinois, they say theyre for us, the narrator says in a TV ad released Wednesday. Then they go to Springfield and do Madigans bidding.

Likewise, a robocall that started Tuesday says, Together, Mike Madigan, Gary Forby and John Bradley are holding the state budget hostage to force a massive tax hike with no reforms and increase our state debt by billions.

Much of the criticism focuses on the lawmakers support for a budget plan from House Democrats that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners administration says is $7.5 billion out of balance. The plan was approved in the House before the May 31 close of the spring legislative session but was rejected in the Senate.

The GOP launched its online campaign in the waning days of the spring session and took to the airwaves and phone lines in Southern Illinois this month.

While campaign spending disclosures for the current period wont be available until next month, contracts on file with the Federal Communications Commission show that the House Republican Organization is spending more than $36,000 weekly in June running 86 ads each week on WSIL-TV alone. Records indicate that the ads are slated to continue through next week.

The spending comes after Rauners campaign fund last month gave $5 million to the state GOP, which in turn gave $2 million to the House Republican Organization.

The Illinois Republican Party is focused on winnable races throughout the state and is actively engaged in close to two dozen races, spokesman Aaron DeGroot said.

Southern Illinoisans are highly engaged right now because Gary Forby, John Bradley and Brandon Phelps are holding the budget hostage out of their loyalty to Mike Madigan, DeGroot said. It's more important than ever for Southern Illinoisans to know that Forby, Bradley and Phelps are putting Chicago Political Boss Mike Madigan's tax-spend-and-borrow agenda ahead of funding for downstate schools and prisons.

But David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, said the ads and calls may be too much too soon.

Theres a real risk of voter fatigue here, Yepsen said. Voters dont have a lot of patience with politicians anyway. I dont think any party has got high ground in that debate in Springfield. Theres just a general plague on both your houses from voters.

The strategy of tying Democratic lawmakers to Madigan has also been tried many times before without much success, he said.

Mike Madigans not very popular down here, but neither is Bruce Rauner, Yepsen said. Plus, Bradley, Phelps, Gary Forby, theyre known to a lot of people. Theyve been in office a long time. These caricatures are not the people that many voters know personally.

Phelps, who faces a challenge from Jason Kasiar of Eldorado, said thats the message hes been getting from voters as he campaigns door to door.

Actually, those ads are kind of helping me  because the governors very unpopular in my district, he said. Hes very unpopular.

Phelps said his constituents know he has a record of working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to protect their interests.

Like Phelps, Forby said he doesnt think the criticisms will play with voters back home in his race against Dale Fowler of Harrisburg.

I dont think tying me to Madigan works, Forby said Wednesday, when he was at the Capitol for a meeting of a bipartisan group of lawmakers negotiating a budget compromise. Ive been in here for a long time.  Im my own guy, and Im voting my district.

Bradley, who is facing Dave Severin of Benton, couldnt be reached for comment.

In addition to running the risk of turning off voters, the attacks might make it harder for the parties to reach a compromise on the budget, Yepsen said, adding that the same is true for harsh statements from Democrats against the governor and his allies.

All this rhetoric flying back and forth, I think it makes it very difficult to sit down and to trust an adversary in a negotiation, he said.
LEXINGTON  A delegation of agriculture educators from Russia are returning home with new ideas and a greater understanding of U.S. agribusiness and culture after a visit to McLean County.

Five people from Vladimir State University spent a week in McLean County, touring various agricultural facilities and staying with host families. A program facilitator from Russia and a U.S.-based translator were part of the group.

The Illinois State University Farm at Lexington was among their stops.

We received a lot of interesting ideas to explore, Yekaterina Shenterova said through the translator. We enjoyed seeing how research is done."

The visit was sponsored by the Vladimir/Canterbury Sister Cities Association of Bloomington-Normal with a grant through Open World Leadership Center, an arm of Congress that promotes visits by young foreign leaders from post-Soviet countries. This year, agriculture was an area of focus.

Elaine Cousins, the association's president, said that when the Sister Cities group saw agriculture was one of this year's topics, we immediately seized on this as something ideal for us.

Last year, the Sister Cities group hosted a delegation of special education teachers from Vladimir State University through an Open World grant.

With the variety of agricultural interests in Central Illinois, Cousins said, They were given a diverse look at farms in the county.

The idea was to let the visitors see what we consider best practices and what challenges there are, said Cousins.

During the visit, the Russians were taken to large-scale farms, including livestock operations, as well as smaller farms with multiple crops.

In addition to the ISU Farm, other site visits included the Bittner family farm, Epiphany Farms and Hayden Beef Farms, all in Bloomington; Ropp Jersey Cheese, Normal; Tim Kraft Farm, Towanda; River Valley Dairy, Tremont; Spence Farm, Fairbury; and White Oak Vineyards, Carlock.

The group also met with representatives of the Illinois Farm Bureau, 1st Farm Credit Services and the Illinois Corn Growers Association, and toured the GMS Soil Laboratory in Cropsey.

There were a few heated discussions about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, according to Cousins.

Through the translator, Anastasiya Rozhkova said the visit to Epiphany Farms was a good experience because they grow non-GMO and biologically clean crops. Rozhkova said Russians are against GMO crops.

The visit included more than just farm and agribusiness tours. There also was a combination of classroom-style information exchanges and hands-on experiences, Cousins said. And the group had cultural and historical experiences in Chicago and Springfield.

Not everything they learned here will be directly applicable to practices at home.

For example, Rozhkova noted that corn and soybeans  major crops in McLean County  aren't part of Russian agriculture.

But research methods used in connection with those crops can be helpful.
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Amy Semesco wipes a tear as she pays tribute, Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Orlando, Fla., at a growing memorial at the The Dr. Phillips Center for the victims of the mass shooting Sunday at the Pulse Nightclub.
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An essay by an incoming UW-Madison doctoral student suggesting that violence might be the proper response to Donald Trump is drawing concern within the universitys School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Because apparently these days were a nation that is ready to nominate a buffoonish reality TV star for president and deem a journalist who excuses violence against that nominee as one of the best-qualified applicants at a world-renowned university.

It all began with an essay self-described smarmy liberal writer Jesse Benn published on the Huffington Post earlier this month titled Sorry liberals, a violent response to Trump is as logical as any.

Benn argues that Trump may well personify modern fascism and that his supporters, some of whom are actual fascists, have used violence, and that violent resistance to fascism can be understandable and lead to positive change. Among the examples he cites are Americas fight against the Nazis in World War II and rioting in the wake of Freddie Grays death in Baltimore.

In a June 8 email to faculty, staff and students, journalism school director Hemant Shah says the piece has a lot of people riled up, including white supremacists who are hurling anti-Semitic comments at Benn on Twitter.

At least one person also contacted the school to wonder if he could attend a program that accepted a student (Benn) who advocated violence, Shah writes, and Benn received a phone message full of Nazi propaganda speeches that was sent from the SJMC front office phone number, suggesting the schools phone system might have been hacked.

Long story short, Benn and Shah called UW Police, who advised Benn, who lives out of state, to call his local police if he felt threatened, police spokesman Marc Lovicott said.

The calls to the journalism school were more so complaints about Mr. Benns article but not threatening in nature, Lovicott said, and There is no active investigation here at UWPD regarding these incidents at this time.

Shah told me Wednesday that theres been no other trouble since, and he had no other concerns about Benns affiliation with the university. Benn, as one of a subset of the best-qualified applicants to the schools graduate program, will earn a $14,000 stipend as a teaching assistant, tuition remission and health benefits at the established rate, Shah said.

Shah said he doesnt think that violence is necessarily a logical reaction to Trumps demagoguery but agreed that Trump has condoned violence and xenophobia, and resisting Trump is more than just resisting his candidacy for president; its resisting a potential social shift toward becoming an intolerant society.

Benn told me his point wasnt to condone violence, but that its not fair for me to sit here from a position of privilege and uniformly declare it morally abhorrent or illogical  which a lot of liberals immediately did.

It seems to me it would be pretty hard for Trump to get his more extreme proposals enacted. Ours is a federal government that cant seem to get important things done even when theres an ostensibly sane person in the Oval Office.

Theres also little sign that local, state and federal officials and judges would help Trump, say, round up millions of productive, otherwise law-abiding undocumented workers and ship them back to wherever they came from.

Benn agreed its not terribly likely Trump would be able to pull off his crazier ideas, but then my loved ones arent facing the implications of his successfully pulling them off.

He said hes gotten 20 to 30 threatening phone calls in response to the Huffington Post piece, as well as death threats and other backlash, and had to change his phone number. He said he received similar flak for a piece he wrote for the Huffington Post called Towards a concept of white wounding.

Although he said hes fearful, he hasnt called his local police because he doesnt think theyd be much help. Im strongly opposed to our structure of policing as it currently exists, he said, adding, I dont want them driving around my neighborhood putting my neighbors who are already on the margins more at risk of unwanted police contact.

It all got me wondering if maybe there wasnt a local municipal issue Benn could sink his formidable intellect into, or a foreign news bureau he could staff. God knows in these days of declining mainstream, if-your-mother-says-she-loves-you-check-it-out news coverage, local officials have been known to practically cry out for attention (at least for the good stuff) and certain foreign people could use a little more exposure of their travails.

Im not sure those are the kinds of skills they value in grad students anymore, though.
Madison police said that missing 13-year-old Jordell Justice has been safely located in Sun Prairie Saturday afternoon thanks to the report of a concerned citizen and the Sun Prairie Police Department.

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Madison Police are currently looking for 13-year-old Jordell Justice of Madison who was last seen Thursday night at 6 p.m. in Sun Prairie.

Police say that Justice is approximately five-foot-four-inches tall, 110 pounds, with short dark hair. He was last seen wearing a purple t-shirt and long pants.

Foul play is not currently suspected in the investigation, according to police.

Anyone who sees Justice is asked to contact Madison Police at 255-2345.
They are some of the most architecturally infamous buildings on the UW-Madison campus.

Just a box, was how scientist Zhumin Zhang described the McArdle Cancer Research Building, a hulking 11-story concrete facility with small windows on two of its sides and none on the others. Its not very pleasant.

Kind of ugly, junior Sydney Tishim said of the Mosse Humanities Building, where she has attended lectures and discussion sections in classrooms she described as enclosed and kind of claustrophobic.

As for the exterior, with its slabs of concrete and narrow windows, Tishim said, Its artistic in a way, I guess.

UW-Madison has good news for critics of McArdle and Humanities: If the campus planners have their way, those structures and two others from the 1960s  the towers of Van Hise Hall and the Engineering Research Building  could face the wrecking ball in the not-too-distant future.

The university is developing its latest Campus Master Plan, a wide-ranging road map for development at UW-Madison that includes new or renovated buildings, reshaped green spaces and re-engineered intersections.

Officials have identified dozens of potential locations for new buildings that they say could better use the campus space, some of which would involve tearing down the half-century-old structures that often draw the ire of the students and faculty who inhabit them.

Targeted buildings are not the futuristic, gleaming glass facilities that have sprung up around campus in recent years, nor are they the timeless brick or stone buildings that have defined UW-Madison for a century or longer.

They instead come from an era when their now-controversial style of brutalist architecture was en vogue.

It was also a time when UW-Madison was growing  enrolling more students and bringing in federal research dollars that spurred a need for more space on campus.

Brutalist buildings are known for their harsh lines and edges, as well as their generous use of exposed, cast concrete. They were a popular style on college campuses across the country, said UW-Madison art history professor Anna V. Andrzejewski, though some structures tend to have a fortress-like appearance.

People find these buildings foreboding and threatening, Andrzejewski said.

But campus officials say the problems at the buildings they hope to eventually demolish are more than skin deep.

Van Hise needs a new fire safety system that will cost tens of millions of dollars. Bringing McArdle up to code for accessibility would also mean paying steep costs. The Humanities building has been plagued by leaky roofs and water damage for years.

Its a constant struggle for us, said Patrick Coughlin, Humanities building manager.

UW planning for

future of campus

UW officials have not yet committed to tearing the buildings down, said Bill Elvey, associate vice chancellor for the universitys facilities planning and management division.

Any demolition is still years or perhaps decades off, and will depend on funding, detailed studies about how to best use the space and the construction of facilities for the departments that call the current buildings home.

But as UW-Madison works on the Campus Master Plan, officials have targeted Humanities, McArdle, Engineering Research and Van Hise, each built between 1962 and 1969, as prime candidates for replacement with better-designed buildings.

The plan lays out several changes to UW-Madison, such as a redesigned intersection where North Charter Street meets Linden Drive that uses pedestrian and bicycle bridges to get cars through the area quicker while cutting down on crashes.

Its the plans for buildings that would bring some of the most dramatic changes to UWs landscape and the Madison skyline, though. Van Hise is the tallest building in the city, while Humanities takes up nearly an entire block in the heart of the campus.

UW isnt targeting all of its buildings from the 1960s for demolition  the university will start a major renovation of Witte Hall, a dorm built in 1964, next year, for instance. And the campus older buildings such as Science Hall or North Hall arent in danger either, thanks to their quality and historic significance, Elvey said.

Wed never tear down Bascom Hall, Elvey said. But the structure itself is in good shape.

For those buildings built on what Elvey euphemistically described as value engineering, though, their life span could be nearly complete.

Problems more than

skin deep

The main lecture hall in the Humanities building got a new ceiling last year after chunks started falling out of it during classes. A leaky roof was to blame, and water stains have already started showing up on the new ceiling.

White streaks along the cement walls of a stairway are a testament to a rite of spring in the building. Its single-pane windows ice up each winter, Coughlin said, and theres a waterfall in the stairwell and standing water in offices once they thaw.

Maintenance crews have to deal with stuff constantly, Coughlin said.

Humanities was built in 1964 for just under $10 million after a round of cost-cutting measures, one of which was to remove design features that left the building with its bare concrete exterior, according to a history of UWs facilities written by former student Jim Feldman.

Last year, crews had to block one of the buildings main entrances because chunks of concrete were falling off and needed to be repaired.

There was a lot of emphasis on lowest initial cost  and not necessarily looking at the lowest life-cycle cost, Elvey said of the thinking that went into buildings in the 1960s.

Designs present challenges

Humanities design isnt just an aesthetic problem, Elvey said. One reason classrooms feel claustrophobic is because the only windows they have are small skylights in the angled ceiling, creating a bunker-like effect.

Its a very dismal place for students to learn, Elvey said.

Other buildings suffer from more fundamental design flaws.

The Engineering Research Building near Camp Randall Stadium stands 14 stories tall and less than 60 feet wide. UW-Madison could pay for a range of expensive repairs and renovations that might improve the building, Elvey said, but it still wouldnt be big enough to accommodate modern labs and research spaces.

At the end of the day youd spend millions and millions of dollars and all youd have is a tall, skinny building that wouldnt meet your needs anyway, Elvey said.

Some opposition

to tearing down buildings

Brutalist buildings are common objects of derision on college campuses, but even they have defenders.

Conor Murphy, a UW-Madison graduate who works on campus, first started coming to the Humanities building for summer music programs when he was in high school, and had classes in the building nearly every semester when he was a student.

Murphy acknowledged Humanities exterior is stark, gray and kind of depressing. But the building, which houses UW-Madisons music, history and art departments, is also a hub for creativity, he said.

Its this building that holds a lot of beauty that you have to discover, Murphy said.

Former chief state architect Dan Stephans called Humanities the best example of brutalist architecture in the Midwest.

Tearing the building down, Stephans said, would be a loss of a cultural resource that would be detrimental to Madison, the Midwest and the world.

Andrzejewski said she has seen a greater appreciation for brutalism among the public in recent years.

Just like everything else, things come in and out of fashion, she said.

Now that many of the buildings are more than 50 years old, Andrzejewski noted they could be considered for the National Register of Historic Places or other landmark protections.

As for whether the brutalist buildings at UW-Madison deserve that protection, though, Andrzejewski hedged.

These buildings  tell us the story of expansion at UW-Madison, she said. But, she added, Campuses are living organisms that have to grow, change, live and breathe.
How can a decent human being support Donald Trump?

Thats a question that a lot of pundits have been asking, particularly as House Speaker Paul Ryan calls Trumps remarks about the Hispanic judge in Trump's fraud case the textbook definition of a racist comment while still refusing to disavow his support for the Republican nominee.

Nonetheless, I think Ryan is a decent human being. And I presume many other people supporting Trump are decent human beings. So why might they be supporting him, despite his frankly  even joyously  vile authoritarianism; his clear and present impulse-control problems; his staggeringly offensive treatment of female reporters, disabled reporters and senators who spent time as prisoners of war; his encyclopedic lack of knowledge on any and all policy topics; and his complete disdain for principle or the truth?

Well, there is a case to be made. I confess that whenever I contemplate our nations nuclear codes falling into Trumps fingers (regardless of their length), I find it hard to be convinced by that case. But I like to understand a terrible argument before rejecting it. So here are the best (least-bad) reasons a person might endorse and vote for Trump:

 Republican politicians would like to get re-elected. Also, they would like there to be a Republican Party after the Trump campaign.

Those goals might be better accomplished by opposing Trump. But some Republican loyalists have decided not to risk splitting the party down the middle: Their strategy is to offer lukewarm support to the Donald, hope he loses and try to rebuild the party for the midterms.

Trump is a celebrity candidate, and celebrity candidates do not operate by the normal political rules. They can bring out people who dont normally vote. But on the flip side, they do not necessarily have the normal effect that rising politicians have on their political parties. Trump brings no organization with him, no political network that will survive when he exits stage left. He has no ideological fellow-travelers who will thrive in his wake. (How could he, when he has no detectable ideology?)

He has done none of the work that might render the party beholden to him in future elections: no get-out-the-vote operation, no crack team of political consultants, no mailing lists, donor networks or polling powerhouses. Its actually pretty reasonable to think that as long as he is denied the White House  which still looks like the most likely outcome, though by no means inevitable  the storm will blow over with relatively little long-term change to the structure of the party.

Given that, Republican politicians who want to disavow Trump may reasonably be more afraid of further alienating the folks who are mad at the establishment. If you believe the Republican Party is better for the country than the alternative, its pretty tempting to just suck it up and condemn his outrages while still refusing to say you wont vote for him. As Jean-Paul Sartre tells us, it is impossible to participate in politics without dirty hands.

 The Supreme Court. The left is positively giddy at the prospect of a Supreme Court with a solid block of five liberal justices who will reliably oppose conservatives on issues they consider vital, from gun rights to religious liberty to abortion. Mark Tushnet, an influential figure on the legal left, is already essentially advocating a total judicial war on conservative policies, particularly those involving social conservatives.

The regulatory disputes surrounding everything from birth control to transgender teens make a lot of religious groups feel  not entirely unreasonably  that they are facing an existential threat, as their rights of free association and conscience are trimmed back to You can say it in the privacy of your own home, or at church, but dont you dare act on what you believe. Many liberals seem to believe this is more than enough religious freedom for anyone; many religious people strenuously disagree. For religious people who feel that the next Supreme Court justice may make you choose between following your conscience and doing basic things like earning a living or educating your child, that choice becomes so important as to dwarf nearly every other consideration.

Im not endorsing this state of affairs, mind; I think that over the last 50 years we have become far too fond of turning everything into a judicial question, rather than leaving things to legislatures and other elected officials. However, that is the spot we are now in, and neither side looks interested in de-escalating. So people are quite rightly concerned about who will be appointing the next round of judges.

 Clintons emails. Im sorry, Clinton supporters: The email server situation is bad. Its really bad. You can wave your hands until the sonic booms start rattling nearby china, and it will still be fundamentally disturbing, not merely for its typically Clintonian rules are for other people grandeur, its airy disregard for security and its obvious commitment to an utter lack of transparency, but also for the sheer incompetence and stupidity of its execution at both the technical and political levels.

If you are going to set up your own email server to keep your correspondence off of government systems, you should probably not let it go without an encryption certificate for months. You should also not bother to set up your own email server, since any moderately bright 14-year-old could tell you that your emails are going to show up in others inboxes, and then your secret server is going to become an eminently FOIA-able political disaster. The thing doesnt just make me question Clintons character, but also her political acumen, and her ability to identify and hire competent staff.

 Immigration. Trump supporters are not wrong to say that elites of both parties have basically conspired to keep both immigration and trade off the agenda. Nor are they wrong to be annoyed when any opposition to increased immigration, or to legalizing people who are here illegally, is immediately dismissed as racist. No one who wrings their hands about gentrification can reasonably dismiss I like my community the way it is as an inherently racist and illegitimate sentiment.

Moreover, in a country with birthright voters, immigration means importing your future electorate; this, of course, sounds splendid to people on the left who think that this electorate will be friendlier to social democratic programs, but it is perfectly reasonable for people who prefer a more conservative government to oppose greater immigration for the same reason. Opposition to immigration can be racist, but it isnt necessarily so. Trumps pledge to deport all immigrants who are illegally in the U.S. is ludicrous, but its not ludicrous to think we should not reward people who have broken our immigration laws. Tarring these arguments as racist has not made them go away; rather, it appears to have made people less worried about being called racists. And empowered Trump, the only politician who has refused to be cowed by the epithet.

 Elites need a rebuke. For all my criticisms of Trump and his supporters, I find myself quite sympathetic with the folks who are angry at the establishment. Elites are smug. They are obnoxiously condescending. They have colluded to keep legitimate issues off the table.

This sort of elite collusion can certainly work, but if it becomes too disconnected from the electorate, a political reaction is inevitable. We are in the middle of that reaction. And I have to say that if I were out there in flyover country, Id probably be pretty mad too.

Are there rebuttals to all these arguments? There are. The most fundamental one is that for all of Clintons many flaws, she does not have the sort of impulse-control issues, petty vindictiveness and cultivated ignorance that make it actively terrifying to contemplate what she might do with Americas military and nuclear arsenal, or provoke Russia or China into doing with theirs. Most policy issues, no matter how vital, fade into insignificance compared with the possibility of a nuclear exchange between two major world powers.

The problem is that the media and the policy establishment have left themselves in a very poor place to make that argument. The leftward bias of the media has grown more pronounced. This means conservative views can be excluded, or if they are included, conservative talking points can be rigorously interrogated, while dodgy left-wing statistics on things such as campus rape continue to be repeated ad infinitum.

Having treated ordinary Republican politicians as if their views were beyond the pale, those institutions are now incapable of expressing why Trump really is scary and different  why this time, when they say that a Republican politician is ignorant, racist, sexist and authoritarian, voters should actually listen, rather than dismissing this as the same old familiar rhetoric.

That reality is certainly no reason to vote for Trump. But it does relate: It drowns out many of the good reasons to vote against him.
By PTI: Chennai, Jun 18 (PTI) As many as 166 kg of ganja, meant to be smuggled to Kerala from Andhra Pradesh through Tamil Nadu, was seized here today and three men, who transported the contraband, were arrested, police said.

When the police were checking vehicles in Madhavaram, a truck driver and his helper gave incoherent answers to queries over the cargo that was being ferried. Though they claimed that a consignment of fruits was being carried, 138 kg of ganja was found concealed in the truck which was seized and the two men arrested.

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Based on the information given by them, one more person with eight kg of ganja was arrested and his two-wheeler seized. Also, 20 kg of ganja was confiscated from a jeep hidden in a hideout.

Totally, 166 kg of ganja, a cargo truck, jeep and one two-wheeler was seized.

After preliminary investigations, police said they found that the consignment of contraband was bound for Kerala en route Theni and that a person based in Cumbum town was the brain behind the inter-state smuggling.

Police is on the lookout for the kingpin in the smuggling. PTI VGN BN DBS TRK

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Yelchin started small with roles in indie films and various television shows, before breaking out in films like the crime thriller Alpha Dog and the teenage comedy Charlie Bartlett.

By AP: Anton Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new Star Trek films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen confirmed.

LIVED SO LONG IN SUCH A SHORT TIME



Yelchin started small with roles in indie films and various television shows, before breaking out in films like the crime thriller Alpha Dog and the teenage comedy Charlie Bartlett. His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films - the third of which, Star Trek Beyond comes out in July.

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Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. Yelchin's family requests privacy at this time.

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Star Trek 3 to release in July 2016



Broken Horses review: Brothers, battles and bitter truths





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By PTI: New Delhi, June 19 (PTI) The 39 Indians, kidnapped by the dreaded ISIS in Iraq in June 2014, are still alive, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, dismissing reports about their killing and insisting that efforts to trace them are on.

In her annual press conference, Swaraj said the government was was trying its best to ensure safe release of Judith DSouza, an aid worker and resident of Kolkata, who was abducted by suspected militants in Kabul on June 9.

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The External Affairs Minister also said India was in touch with top authorities in Bangladesh after a priest of Rama Krishna Mission in Dhaka received death threat.

About 40-year-old Judith, Swaraj said "We are trying our best. The way we are going ahead, I think it will be resolved soon."

Replying to a question on the 39 Indians kidnapped around two years back by ISIS militants from Mosul town, Swaraj said she did not have "any proof of their killing than the statement of Harjit Masih."

Masih, who had managed to flee from captivity of the ISIS, claimed all the 39 Indians had been killed. Swaraj questioned Masihs claim saying two heads of states in the Gulf region told her, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee that the Indians were alive.

"I am not giving false assurance. If I had confirmation that they were killed, then definitely, I would have sought apology from their families the with folded hands and said they were killed. Their killing in such a situation in Mosul in Iraq would not have been blamed on me.

"When I say they are alive, I have taken on myself a major responsibility of tracing them....Nobody except Harjit Masih said they were killed. I will do injustice to them if I say they have been killed. It is my the responsibility to (find them) and I will not shy away from it," Swaraj said, adding "I do not abandon any Indian national."

When asked about the death threat to a priest of the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka, Swaraj said, "It is very unfortunate. It is painful for us. We are in touch with top authorities."

Replying to a question on a spate of targeted attacks and killings of Hindus and other non-Muslims in Bangladesh, Swaraj said the Sheikh Hasina government is leaving no stone unturned in coming down hard on people who are involved in these incidents.

"More than 3,000 people have been arrested. Sheikh Hasina is taking strong action. More than this, I am happy that Islamic clerics and religious leaders have issued a fatwa saying these kinds of activities are anti-Islamic and it has been signed by one lakh religious leaders," she said.

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Swaraj said the government was drafting a policy to help persecuted minorities in various countries. She said the government will help people of all religions and not only the Hindus. PTI MPB SK SK

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By PTI: Thalassery (Ker), Jun 18 (PTI) The arrest of two Dalit sisters, daughters of a local Congress leader, for allegedly attacking a CPI(M) activist here has kicked up a row in Kerala with Congress and BJP attacking the LDF government over the issue, even as a local court granted them bail today. Intervening in the matter, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes stated that it would carry out an investigation into the matter, while the state SC/ST Commission registered a case in this regard. Akhila (30) and Anjana (25), daughters of Indian National Trade Union Congress leader N Rajan were summoned to the police station yesterday, where a case was registered against them. They were then sent to the womens jail after being charged with non-bailable offences. Akhila went to the jail with her one-and-half-year old daughter, family sources said. After their release this evening, the sisters were given a rousing reception by Congress activists. "We do not know why the non-bailable charges were slapped against us. We had entered the CPI(M) office, but did not attack anyone," Akhila said. According to police, the arrest was made on a complaint by CPI(M) that the women had barged into their party office here and attacked one M Shijin, a party activist, some days ago. However, Rajan, their father, rejected the charges and said the case was "politically motivated." Rajan, who had contested in the last local body elections against a CPI(M) candidate, also said Shijin had mocked his daughters calling them by their caste name when they were passing by in front of the party office and the girls had just questioned the verbal abuse. "CPI(M) activists manhandled my daughters when they entered the party office," he said, adding that the party workers even attacked their house the same day.

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The first class magistrate court here granted bail to the siblings and asked them to surrender their passports, if they had any. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman P L Punia said it would intervene in the matter and take steps to ensure that justice was meted out to them. "We will intervene and inquire into the matter and ensure that justice is done to them ," he told a Malayalamnews channel in New Delhi when asked about the issue. The state Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes offered free legal aid for the siblings to fight the case. Meanwhile, DGP Loknath Behera has sought a report from ADGP North Zone on the matter immediately. (MORE) PTI LGK UD APR SRY

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By PTI: From Aditi Khanna

London, Jun 19 (PTI) Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, facing rape allegation in Sweden, today marked the fifth anniversary of his life holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy here.

The 44-year-old is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been hiding in the embassy since he was given asylum as he fears being extradited to the US to be quizzed over the activities of Wikileaks if he travels to Sweden.

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His supporters have planned a series of demonstrations around the world, including London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Belgrade, under the banner First They Came for Assange.

They will mark the beginning of what organisers have dubbed Assange Week, with further events planned for New York, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

A UK Home Office spokesperson said that Assange has exhausted all his avenues of appeal under the Extradition Act 2003.

"The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden, where he is wanted for an allegation of rape," the spokesperson said.

"The European Arrest Warrant in respect of Mr Assange was issued in full accordance with the law and has been upheld by the Supreme Court. We are clear that our laws must be followed and he should be extradited," he said.

The Australian former computer hackerfounded Wikileaks in 2006 and has been portrayed in two films in recent years.

Assange has compared living inside the embassy to life on a space station.

His small room is divided into an office and a living area where he has a treadmill, shower, microwave and sun lamp and spends most of his day at his computer. He got a cat last month to keep him some company.

Last month a Stockholm district court maintained a European arrest warrant against Assange, rejecting his lawyers request to have it lifted.

"The court considers that Julian Assange is still suspected of rape...and that there is still a risk that he will abscond or evade justice," it had said in a statement.

Assange plans to appeal the ruling. PTI AK ASK AKJ ASK

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"Yoga's fist principle is to abstain from consumption of liquor, so if you (government) are so serious about yoga, then Prime Minister Modi should ban liquor at least in all the BJP ruled states," he said while addressing a rally in Palamu.

By India Today Web Desk: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to celebrate World Yoga Day on June 21, saying that if the Prime Minister is so serious about yoga then he should ban liquor, at least in all the BJP-ruled states.

"Yoga's fist principle is to abstain from consumption of liquor, so if you (government) are so serious about yoga, then Prime Minister Modi should ban liquor at least in all the BJP ruled states," he said while addressing a rally in Palamu.

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Here is all that you should know

Hitting out at PM Modi, who had actively participated in the International Yoga Day event last year, Kumar said, "Yoga is not a thing to show-off. Yoga is a thing to practise. I don't know for how many years the Prime Minister is doing yoga, but I'm practicing yoga this for several years." The comments of the Bihar Chief Minister came after he was targeted for the state government's decision not to observe Yoga Day. June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga. The Bihar Government banned liquor in April, making it the fourth dry state in the country after Gujarat, Kerala and Nagaland.

Also Read

Rajpath turns into yogapath ahead of International Yoga Day

India gears up for International Yoga Day

From India, with love: Thousands take to Yoga in China's home of Tai Chi











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By PTI: From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Jun 19 (PTI) The Indian envoy in Bangladesh today visited the Ramakrishna Mission here, days after suspected Islamists claiming to be ISIS followers threatened to kill the spiritual missions principal.

Indias High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla visited Ramkrishna Mission compound, four days after unidentified militants claiming to be followers of the Islamic State (ISIS) issued a death threat to its principal asking him to abstain from preaching his religion in "Islamic Bangladesh".

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"Being the close door neighbour, we just can offer our fullest support for whatever steps are taken here (in Bangladesh to combat militancy)," Shringla told reporters at the mission.

He expressed satisfaction over the stepped up security arrangements for the Hindu spiritual mission in Dhaka.

India had taken up with Bangladeshi authorities the death threat to the priest of the Ramakrishna Mission. A high commission official had also visited the mission last week after the threat was issued.

A militant on June 15 had sent a letter addressed to Ramakrishna Mission principal on an ISIS letterhead carrying a fake address in Gazipur on the outskirts of the capital and had identified himself only as A B Siddique.

"Bangladesh is an Islamic state. You cant preach your religion here. If you continue preaching, youll be hacked to death with machetes between the 20th and 30th," the letter was quoted as saying without mentioning a month.

A priest of the mission earlier had said that an unidentified youth two weeks ago had visited the principals office without citing any reason.

"We could grab a picture of the youth with a suspicious attitude. We provided the copy of the photo to police for investigation after receiving the threat," the priest said.

Police said they have enforced a round the clock vigil with uniformed and plain-clothes officers in and around the mission since the complaint was lodged.

Also, no unknown person is being allowed inside without approval of the mission officials.

Last week a Hindu lecturer survived an assassination attempt when suspected Islamists barged into his home and hacked him with lethal weapons, critically injuring him in Madaripur in southwestern Bangladesh.

Ripon Chakrabarty, a 50-year-old Mathematics lecturer at the Nazimuddin Government University College, was hacked with lethal weapons by the attackers who stormed his residence.

However, a 17-year-old militant who was arrested for the failed assassination attempt on the Hindu lecturer was killed in what police claimed to be a "shootout".

Bangladesh police today killed another militant with a bounty of Tk 500,000 on his head for murdering secular bloggers, as authorities stepped up their nationwide crackdown on Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation.

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Bangladesh in recent months witnessed a series of deadly clandestine attacks on religious minorities and secular and liberal activists. PTI AR ASK AKJ ASK

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Four Bihar prinicipals were summoned after India Today exposed how rate cards were fixed in Bihar schools and colleges for passing and also topping exams.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The Bihar School of Examination Board has summoned principals of four intermediate colleges for questioning after India Today exposed how rate cards were fixed in Bihar schools and colleges for passing and also topping exams.

The four principals are from Sant Kabir Mahant Ram Dayal Das College, Sanjay Singh Higher Secondary College, Vasudev Singh Higher Secondary College and Ram Videshi Singh College.

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They have now been asked to appear before the Bihar School of Examination Board on June 22 and face inquiry against them. If they fail to appear before the Board, it will be assumed that they have nothing to say and adequate proceedings will take place against them.

The Bihar Board has also constituted a three-member committee under Bihar Board Secretary Anup Kumar Sinha to carry inquiry into the India Today expose.

Few days back, the India Today sting operation showed how rate cards were fixed to get desired marks and how well oiled was the entire nexus which involved education mafias, officials from BSEB and also politicians.

ALSO READ | Operation cleanup: Bihar govt might scrap policy of supporting unaided educational institutes



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The police team found the pistol and cartridges kept in an almirah at the college principal's office.

Bachha Rai, the alleged kingpin in the toppers scandal, was arrested on June 11.

By Press Trust of India: A country-made pistol and five live cartridges were seized today from Bachha Rai's office in Bishun Rai College which is at the centre of controversy in the toppers' scandal in Bihar Intermediate examination, police said.

"A country-made pistol (manufactured in Munger) and five live cartridges were seized from Bachha Rai's office at Bishun Rai College," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj said.

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SIT CONDUCTS RAID



The SSP is heading an SIT probing the toppers scandal.

The police team found the pistol and cartridges kept in an almirah at the college principal's office, another police source said.

Rai, the alleged kingpin in the toppers scandal, was arrested on June 11.

He is the secretary-cum-principal of Bishun Rai College in Vaishali district. Arts and Science toppers Ruby Rai and Saurabh Shrestha belonged to that college.

LALKESHWAR PRASAD, USHA SINHA STILL AT LARGE



Police have arrested eight persons so far, including Rai, in this connection.

Former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and his former MLC wife and ex-Principal of Ganga Devi College, Patna Usha Sinha are still absconding.

ALSO READ:

4 Bihar prinicipals summoned after India Today sting

Bihar toppersgate kingpin Bachcha Rai caught in Twitter war



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By PTI: Siliguri (WB), June 18 (PTI) The two-day BJP state working committee meeting here resolved to launch a movement in protest against post-poll violence in West Bengal.

Urging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to put an end to such attacks on opposition, the meeting today passed a resolution which called for a movement to stop such atrocities.

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In another resolution, the meeting referred to the attack on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh and called upon the Seikh Hasina government to put a halt to such attacks.

The resolution, however, appreciated the steps already taken by the Awami League government in this regard.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh was present as an invitee in the deliberations which was also attended by Union Minister J P Nadda and partys all India General Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh on the inaugural day.

The meeting also expressed satisfaction over BJPs performance in the assembly elections in West Bengal and said it was better than previous results.

Nadda had told the media yesterday before leaving that the state, the state unit will be provided with all support to keep the momentum in the TMC-ruled state.

Meanwhile, the BJP working committee meet in an organisational revamp divided the states in five zones and brought in a few new faces.

Significantly GJM leader Roshan Giri attended the BJP meeting as a guest.

The meeting took place in Siliguri in the wake of the saffron partys improved showing in North Bengal, a BJP leader said. PTI COR SUS SMN

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Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh says the BJP Parliamentary Board will take a final decision on whether to project someone as chief ministerial candidate for the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

By Press Trust of India: The BJP Parliamentary Board will take a final decision on whether to project someone as chief ministerial candidate for the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh scheduled to be held early next year, senior party leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

"As of now, there is no discussion at all in the Parliament Board (on the issue of Chief Ministerial candidate in UP). When the time will come, the Parliamentary Board will discuss and decide on it," he said.

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Singh said the party will take a decision depending on the situation.



RAJNATH ON BJP WIN IN MAHARASHTRA, HARYANA AND JHARKHAND

When pointed out that BJP got power in Assam where it had declared a chief ministerial candidate and lost in Bihar polls where nobody was projected for the top job, Singh said despite not declaring a CM candidate, the party won Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.



BJP'S CM FACE FOR UP POLLS

There has been speculation that the party may project Singh, a former chief minister, as BJP's face in Assembly elections in UP.

Singh himself, however, ruled out returning to the state politics saying there are many capable leaders who can be chief ministerial candidate.

Asked about his personal opinion whether the BJP should project someone as CM candidate, Singh said he will place his view before the Parliamentary Board.

ALSO READ | BJP plays down buzz over Rajnath Singh as CM face for Uttar Pradesh



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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that we are trying to ensure that India becomes a member of NSG by the end of this year itself. "We will succeed in convincing China too), I'm myself in contact with 23 nations, 1 or 2 raised concern but think consensus is there." she told the media.

Sushma Swaraj said India would not oppose any other application for entry into the NSG but underlined the final decision should be decided on merits.

China is not protesting membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria procedure, said Sushma Swaraj.

China is believed to be strongly opposing India's membership at the premier club arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Earlier this week, China's official media said India's NSG membership would "jeopardise" China's national interests besides touching a "raw nerve" in Pakistan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said a week back that members of the NSG "remain divided" on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and called for "full discussions".

India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its membership of the bloc whose members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology.

The US has backed India and asked various NSG members to support New Delhi's bid.

It is understood that a number of countries including Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand were not in favour of India's entry into the NSG.

Speaking on Pathankot terror attack case, Sushma said there was a difference in the Pathankot and previous terror attacks. For the first time, Nawaz Sharif himself called PM Modi after attacks and said if you give me evidence, I will act.

Incidents of violence in Bangladesh is unfortunate. Bangladesh government is taking strong action againt it, said Sushma Swaraj

On India-US relations being redefined in national interest: When we think US takes a position not to our benefit, we oppose them strongly. It's a major achievement that they have declared us major defence partner. We have neither gone away from NAM, which is our legacy nor have we unseen our interests. We have also not ignored our relations with Russia, China and others.

On Lalit Modi issue: ED has still not sent us extradition letter for Lalit Modi.

On Vijay Mallya: UPA had been trying for Mallya's deportation. We will push for his extradition. Legal consultations with UK have been done and some changes are being made to bring Mallya back to India.

On Cabinet reshuffle: Cabinet reshuffle is the prerogative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decide whom to keep and not. So I will not comment on it.
By PTI: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Jun 19 (PTI) China has commissioned a fully automated, "most advanced" marine science ship which will be deployed in the Indian Ocean.

The vessel, Xiang Yang Hong 01, was commissioned yesterday in the eastern port city of Qingdao.

The 100-metre long ship with displacement of 4,980 tonnes and a range of 15,000 nautical miles has plentiful remote sensing equipment to explore as deep as 10,000 meters.

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The ship will conduct its first task in the Indian Ocean, Qiao Fangli, Communist Party Secretary of the First Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration said.

It is fully automated and can be piloted by a lone sailor.

Satellite broadband enables video conferencing on board, said Yang Zhigang, board chairman of its builder Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group of Hubei province. PTI KJV CPS

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By PTI: Lambi (Muktsar), Jun 18 (PTI) The Punjab unit of Congress today staged a dharna here in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badals Assembly constituency protesting against the alleged recruitment scam in government jobs.

State party chief Amarinder Singh accused the Badal family of indulging in corruption and said, "His countdown has started."

Accusing Akali leader Daya Singh Kolianwali of involvement in the scam, Amarinder said he would meet the same fate as that of Ravi Sidhu, a former Chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission who was arrested and sentenced for corruption. He has spent most of his time in jail since then.

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"I will not forgive those who cheated and robbed the helpless people who desperately wanted jobs and I promise you, I am not going to forget or forgive Kolianwali either," said Amarinder.

"Let me warn Kolianwali and his godfather Badal that what I did with Ravi Sidhu, I will repeat with you and everything will finally lead to Badal as he (Kolianwali) acts only at his behest," he alleged.

Amarinder expressed surprise that no action has been taken against Kolianwali despite numerous complaints.

The Amritsar MP also accused the police of "harassing and victimising" those who have been duped of lakhs of rupees in the hope of getting jobs.

He alleged that the Badals had fixed the rates for jobs at Rs 15 lakh for a constables post and Rs 50 lakh for the post of an engineer.

Referring to the "agricultural crisis" in the state, the Punjab Congress chief said when his party forms the government after the 2017 Assembly polls, it will continue with free electricity to farmers, 300 units of free electricity to Dalits and the downtrodden, increase the amount under the Shagun scheme to Rs 51,000 and the old age, widow and handicapped pension to Rs 2,000 per month.

Referring to the Granthi of Golden Temple refusing to offer the robe of honour to Badal, Amarinder said, "It was the divine judgement that day which Badal should understand that a simple religious man, Balbir Singh, who had otherwise nothing against Badal and ran the risk of losing his job, which eventually he lost, could not present Siropa to him.

"I have always been warning Badal that there is divine justice which prevails in the end and it has started from Darbar Sahab (Golden Temple)," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Congress vice president Manpreet Singh Badal, an estranged nephew of Parkash Singh Badal, alleged that the name Sukhbir Badal has become "synonymous with corruption".

"Corruption has gone into the blood of Sukhbir and his greed is multiplying. So much so that the servants of Sukhbirs servants have amassed huge wealth through corruption which has become the trademark of the Badals," he said.

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The dharna was led by Amarinder and attended among others by Congress leaders Manpreet Singh Badal, Charanjit Singh Channi, Raja Warring, Sunil Jakhar, Laal Singh, Harish Chaudhary, Rana Gurjeet Singh etc. PTI CHS RC ZMN SMN

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Jacqueline Fernandez, Dishoom producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Rohit Dhawan are facing a criminal case on charges of insulting the Sikh religion in one of the songs of their upcoming film Dishoom.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Jacqueline Fernandez, Dishoom producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Rohit Dhawan are facing a criminal case on charges of insulting the Sikh religion in one of the songs of their upcoming film Dishoom. The song is discussion is Sau Tarah Ke, which features, apart from Jacqueline, actors Varun Dhawan and John Abraham.

IRKED BY KIRPAN IN SONG



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Jacqueline is seen dancing wearing a kirpan - a Sikh ceremonial dagger - in the film song which has irked the Sikh clergy. The complainant Ravinder Singh Bassi, in his complaint to the court, has also made Sector 34 SHO and SSP Chandigarh as co-accused.

The court has fixed July 1 for hearing and has asked the complainant, an advocate, to produce primary witnesses in the court.

Earlier, on June 15, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in a letter written to Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification Pahlaj Nihalani had asked him to get the controversial song removed from the film as it was desecration of the Sikh symbol.

"The song depicts a semi-clad Jacqueline Fernandez, dancing with a kirpan dangling in front of her legs and supported by a cloth belt worn around the waist by her and thereby made the mockery of the sacredness and respect of the religious symbols of kirpan," Manjinder Singh Sirsa, general secretary, DSGMC, said.

ACT HURTING SENTIMENTS



DSGMC letter says the 'act' is hurting sentiments of Sikhs who have sent a number of complaints to the committee. Sirsa said that he has requested the CBFC to instruct director Rohit Dhawan to immediately remove all the trailers and videos of the aforementioned song uploaded on YouTube or other websites.

PUBLIC APOLOGY



"Either delete the song from the movie or re-shoot its video sans the wearing of kirpan supported by the actress and to instruct the director and cast of the movie to make public apology to the Sikh community for the deliberate insult done to a respectable Sikh religious symbol. If the CBFC fails to take appropriate action in this context, DSGMC will be compelled to initiate criminal proceedings against the director of Dishoom as well as against the CBFC," said the open letter written to Pahlaj Nihalani.

ARABIC SWORD



However, the film producer has already denied the allegations, saying that the dagger shown in the film is not a kirpan but an Arabic sword. The song in question was shot in Morocco.

WATCH: Jacqueline Fernandez grooves to Sau Tarah Ke with Varun Dhawan

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After the success of the "Selfie with Daughter" drive, which tried to highlight a gamut of problems arising out of gender imbalance, these men have planned a special celebration on their special day.

By Sneha Agrawal: IT professional Vikram Aggarwal (name changed) still does not know whether his wife gave birth to a baby girl or a boy eight years ago. He spends hours surfing social media, hoping to catch a glimpse of his child.

"My wife left me when she was seven months pregnant," said the 40-year-old.

He says he visits schools in the locality where his estranged spouse lives, hoping to meet his child one day. For a group of men who lost their children to broken marriages, this Father's Day will be a medley of bittersweet moments. They will celebrate their fatherhood on Sunday despite not having been with their children for years.

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WHEN SHE CALLED HIM "UNCLE"

Meeting his seven-year-old daughter for the first time turned out to be an agonising experience for Rakesh Kumar (name changed). The child could not recognise him and called him "uncle".

Analysts say despite India being a largely patriarchal society as well as the male dominance in most spheres and rampant crimes against women, real examples of male inequality should not be dismissed.

"My heart broke," Kumar said. "My wife left me just 15 days after our daughter was born. Years passed and when I realised that my wife had no intentions of letting me meet my child, I filed a case for visitation rights."

While many studies in recent years show that shared parenting is becoming more popular among estranged couples, it is far from the norm.

SELFIE WITH FATHER AT CP

Several fathers like Vikram and Rakesh who never got the opportunity to be with their children will gather at Connaught Place on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day. After the success of the "Selfie with Daughter" drive, which tried to highlight a gamut of problems arising out of gender imbalance, these men have planned a special celebration on their special day. They will go around promoting a "Selfie with Father" campaign, which would be later uploaded on social media.



WHATS ON THE PROGRAMME

The initiative aims to sensitise people about the rights of a father and the importance of a father-child relationship. A theater group formed by men allegedly harassed by wives and in-laws will perform a street play followed by a public interaction where children would be encouraged to share their special moments with their fathers.

"In today's era, when everyone seems to be talking about women's empowerment and there's huge fanfare around Women's Day and Mother's Day, Father's Day tends to go unnoticed," Amit Lakhani, coordinator of the Save Indian Family group, told Mail Today.

"There is a need for equally recognising the rights of a father. An independent study done by our NGO shows that fathers are merely reduced to a visitor in 98% of the cases in India and children are the direct sufferers. In response to alienation from their parents, children tend to feel more anxious and insecure, as well as more hostile and aggressive toward others. Shared parenting should be a law in India as it is in most parts of the world."

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Also Read

Happy Father's Day: 13 things all Indian dads have said at least once in their life

Why this brand's Father's Day t-shirt is making people SO angry





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Citing 'privacy' reasons, the Delhi University has rejected another right to information query seeking information about PM Modi's degree.

Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had called a press conference to reveal the degrees of PM Modi.

By India Today Web Desk: The Delhi University has once again rejected right to information query on PM Narendra Modi's BA degree citing "privacy" reasons.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who had alleged that Modi's degrees were fake, said that the latest development deepens the mystery around PM Modi's degree. "This deepens the mystery around PM's degree. If DU feels that it is private info, then under RTI Act, DU shud write to PM and seek his permission. DU can't reject," tweeted the Delhi chief minister.



THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

The Delhi University has refused to reveal the information to an RTI query filed by Delhi-based lawyer Mohd Irsad. "DU, as a matter of policy, seeks to maintain the privacy of every student as it holds the data pertaining to a student in a fiduciary relationship with the student concerned," the RTI response from the university read. "What? But why? Didn't Amit shah n Jaitley ji say that degree was genuine and anyone cud take it from DU?" Kejriwal said in a tweet. If DU feels that it is private info, then under RTI Act, DU shud write to PM and seek his permission. DU can't reject it, he added. This is the second time Delhi University has refused information on PM Modi's degree. In April, Kejriwal had written to the Central Information Commission (CIC) to make public the details of Modi's educational qualifications. Following Kejriwal's letter, the CIC asked the Delhi University to make the degrees public. In an attempt to rest the controversy, BJP president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had called a press conference to reveal the degrees of Modi. However, the AAP alleged that the degrees provided by Shah and Jaitley were fake.

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ALSO READ | Modi degree row: Did DU have computers in 1978, asks AAP



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By PTI: Tiruvannamalai, (TN) June 17 (PTI) A 65-year-old man, with a history of cardiac ailment, collapsed and died of heart attack while watching a horror film at a theatre here, police said today.

The man hailing from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh was watching Hollywood horror flick "The Conjuring 2" with his friend yesterday when he complained of uneasiness and fainted, they said.

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He was taken to a private hospital here, but declared brought dead. Doctors said the man died of heart attack, police said.

The man had suffered heart attack in the past too, they said, adding, his family did not prefer to file a case and the body was taken to Andhra Pradesh for last rites. PTI VIJ VS NSD KK

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By India Today Web Desk: He was the first to teach us how to walk. When we cried our lungs out in the middle of a night, he was the one who spent sleepless nights holding us to his arms and putting us back to sleep. He was the one who used to patiently helped us solve our Math problems. And he was also the one who pampered us by meeting our endless demands--right from the ice creams to the video games.

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No matter how old we are, he is always around to guide us. He is our hero.

On Father's Day, popular TV stars took to Twitter to post their love-filled expressions for each of their respective fathers. Some posted nostalgic pictures, while some wrote amazing lines for their fathers.

Check them out:

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@gautam_rode

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@iamTinaDatta

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@RealVinduSingh

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@kurlawalas

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@RannvijaySingha

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@saumyatandon

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By PTI: Hyderabad, Jun 18 (PTI) Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today advised the Telangana unit of BJP to focus on becoming the main opposition in the state first, which, he said, would help it emerge as a replacement for the ruling party.

Inaugurating the two-day executive meeting of Telangana BJP, he said the opportunity for the BJP to emerge as the main opposition was now "wide open".

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BJP, which fought the 2014 Assembly elections in alliance with TDP, won only five seats in the newly-formed state. It has only one member in the Legislative Council.

Parrikars comments come against the backdrop of MLAs from Congress and TDP defecting to the ruling TRS in recent months.

The former Goa Chief Minister argued that there was no substitute to the grassroots work.

"We need to go to the people. When I entered politics, I was given the task of bringing up BJP in Goa. We started from zero there. We religiously followed the principle of occupying the space of opposition first. Only when you become the main opposition, people start treating you as a (possible) replacement for the ruling party. And that opportunity for the first time in Telangana is wide open for BJP," Parrikar said.

He saw ample scope for the party to grow in Hyderabad and the neighbouring Rangareddy district. "Hyderabad area is low-hanging fruit (for the BJP to catch)," he said.

Taking a dig at the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS government which last year decided to abandon its erstwhile secratariat due to "Vastu" reasons, he said, "the current government is busy in many things which are not part of governance."

"Vaastu Shastra is not part of governance. This government seems to be looking only at Vaastu Shastra," he quipped. PTI RS KRK KIS

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By PTI: Melbourne, Jun 19 (PTI) Giant Ice Age species such as elephant-sized sloths and powerful sabre-toothed cats suddenly died off around 12,300 years ago as a result of rapidly warming climate along with human activities in South America, a new study has found.

The timing and cause of rapid extinctions of the megafauna, that roamed the plains of Patagonia in southern South America, has remained a mystery for centuries.

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"Patagonia turns out to be the Rosetta Stone - it shows that human colonisation didnt immediately result in extinctions, but only as long as it stayed cold," said Alan Cooper, professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

"Instead, more than 1000 years of human occupation passed before a rapid warming event occurred, and then the megafauna were extinct within a hundred years," Cooper said.

The researchers, including from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US, University of New South Wales in Australia and University of Magallanes in Chile, studied ancient DNA extracted from radiocarbon-dated bones and teeth found in caves across Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego, to trace the genetic history of the populations.

Species such as the South American horse, giant jaguar and sabre-toothed cat, and the enormous one-tonne short-faced bear (the largest land-based mammalian carnivore) were found widely across Patagonia, but seemed to disappear shortly after humans arrived.

The pattern of rapid human colonisation through the Americas, coinciding with contrasting temperature trends in each continent, allowed the researchers to disentangle the relative impact of human arrival and climate change.

"The Americas are unique in that humans moved through two continents, from Alaska to Patagonia, in just 1500 years," said Chris Turney, professor at the University of New South Wales.

"As they did so, they passed through distinctly different climate states - warm in the north, and cold in the south. As a result, we can contrast human impacts under the different climatic conditions," Turney said.

The only large species to survive were the ancestors of todays llama and alpaca - the guanaco and vicuna - and even these species almost went extinct.

"The ancient genetic data show that only the late arrival in Patagonia of a population of guanacos from the north saved the species, all other populations became extinct," said Jessica Metcalf, from the University of Colorado Boulder.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances. PTI MHN AKJ SUA

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The 57 Minister who have been assigned the task of leading this year's programme include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, among others.

By Press Trust of India: As many as 57 Union ministers will spread across the country on Tuesday for the 2nd International Yoga Day programmes, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ancient Indian physical exercise in Chandigarh.

The ministers will be leading various programmes hosted by the government across the country during the mega event, including ten of them concentrating in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to participate in these events.

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LAST YEAR

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.

Following this, the first International Yoga Day was observed across the world on June 21 last year with Modi performing yoga along with 36,000 people at the Delhi's historic Rajpath.



MINISTERS PARTICIPATING

The 57 Minister who have been assigned the task of leading this year's programme include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, among others.

Significantly, some 10 Ministers including Jaitley, Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Maneka Gandhi have been lined up for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to lead these programmes.

The series of programmes this year include mass yoga events, workshops and seminars.

While Modi will be performing Yoga along with thousands of people at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, his cabinet colleagues Singh and Jaitley have been assigned the task of leading the 2nd IYD programmes in Lucknow and Mumbai respectively.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has been assigned to lead a programme in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to participate in Kanpur.



Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is likely to participate in a programme in the national capital while Power Minister Piyush Goyal is slated to perform Yoga with others in Raipur. Health Minister J P Nadda has been assigned Ahmedabad for the purpose.

ALSO READ:



Did not anticipate such response to my call for Yoga day: PM

China joins in the Yoga Day celebration, thousands are expected to participate on June 2





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By PTI: Dubai, Jun 19 (PTI) Seeking to boost the growing bilateral strategic ties, India and the UAE will set up a joint panel of parliamentarians to enhance relations and facilitate their visits to promote cooperation to tackle security issues and challenges facing the region.

A decision was taken in this regard during a meeting between first woman speaker of UAEs Federal National Council (FNC) Amal Abdullah Al-Qubaisi and the Indian ambassador here T P Seetharam yesterday.

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During the meeting, Al-Qubaisi stressed the importance of activating parliamentary relations between FNC and Indian parliament by establishing a friendly Emirati-Indian parliamentary committee, and by prompting parliamentary visits between the two sides, state-run WAM news agency reported.

Al Qubaisi said it was important that the two countries strengthen relations in all fields and achieve the required communication for parliamentary diplomacy, as well as to unify their visions and positions on various issues as part of their important roles in addressing issues of security and stability and the challenges facing the region.

The two sides stressed the importance of consultation and coordination between FNC and Indian parliament delegations during their participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to unify positions and views on various issues of interest to both countries and peoples.

They also agreed to prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the parliamentary committee, and highlighted existing areas of cooperation in various political, economic, cultural and investment sectors.

Al Qubaisi and Seetharam stressed that bilateral relations have reached a higher level of strategic partnership following the momentous visit by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in February to India, the report said.

She said India has a deep-rooted democracy in the world and serves as a model for a constitution based on democracy, pluralism, and womens political participation.

Al Qubaisi also paid tribute to the important role played by the Indian parliament locally and internationally in serving the people of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE in August last year, during which the two countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

India and the UAE agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence-sharing and capacity building during Modis visit. PTI CORR/AJR ABH AKJ ABH

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Earlier this month, just ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to the US, the two countries signed an agreement to join the global terror database maintained by the Terrorist Screening Centre in the US.

Indian agencies were hoping that US authorities would agree to share crucial cyber data needed in several terror-related investigations

By Abhishek Bhalla : New Delhi failed to strike a deal with Washington to access internet data from US servers in exchange of information for the FBI's Terrorist Screening Centre (TSC).

Indian agencies were hoping that US authorities would agree to share crucial cyber data needed in several terror-related investigations. However, authorities continue to have a tough time trying to access content from social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or internet communication portals like Google Talk.

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Earlier this month, just ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to the US, the two countries signed an agreement to join the global terror database maintained by the Terrorist Screening Centre in the US.

Sources said there was a strong view that New Delhi should not go ahead with the agreement if US authorities were not willing to agree on the contentious issue of providing internet data.

"It is now decided that it will be on a reciprocal basis with no specifics being spelt out," said a government official. The proposal was made by the US in 2012 but there were divided viewpoints within the intelligence apparatus on going ahead with the agreement.

THE DEAL PROTECTS US INTERESTS



While India's external intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing agreed to the proposal in principle, the Intelligence Bureau expressed reservations saying that the arrangement protects US interests.

This difference in opinion triggered a debate and it was suggested that India must look to source internet data from US as a bargaining strategy, which found mention in a Home Ministry note on the subject. "There is a view that in return for signing of the agreement, we secure from US side, progress in areas of concern in counter terrorism to the Indian side, such as access to internet-related data held by US-based services," the note said.

INDIA'S ENTRY INTO US's BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION



The TSC is a multi-agency organisation administered by the FBI that consolidates pact on June 2, India has formally entered the US Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6 (HSPD-6), which will enable it to access 'unclassified biographic information of known and suspected terrorists' maintained by the US on a reciprocal basis. As per this pact, India and the US will provide each other access to terrorism screening information through designated contact points, subject to domestic laws and regulations, an official spokesperson said.

The HSPD-6 is a model text agreement for the exchange of terrorist screening information between the TSC of the US and an Indian agency. Several terrorist watchlists into a single terrorist screening database. The TCS database that the US has created after getting into agreements with nearly 30 countries includes nationalities, date of births, photographs, fingerprints and passport numbers of the suspects.

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With the signing of the key pact on June 2, India has formally entered the US Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6 (HSPD-6), which will enable it to access 'unclassified biographic information of known and suspected terrorists' maintained by the US on a reciprocal basis.

As per this pact, India and the US will provide each other access to terrorism screening information through designated contact points, subject to domestic laws and regulations, an official spokesperson said.

The HSPD-6 is a model text agreement for the exchange of terrorist screening information between the TSC of the US and an Indian agency.



Also read:

TRAI bars differential tariff for data access

PM Modi goes to Washington as partner, but is India yet a full US ally?





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By PTI: New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has cut by more than half the time it takes to finalise a crude oil import tender after the government gave flexibility to state refiners to devise their own crude import policies.

IOC, the nations largest oil firm, used to take 26 hours to decide on a tender for import of crude oil from spot or current market.

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In April, after the Cabinet gave state-owned oil refiners freedom to devise their own crude import policies, the time has been shrunk to 12 hours, a senior company official said.

Time for deciding on tenders for export of petroleum products or fuel has been cut to just 9 hours from previous 35 hours.

"Earlier, we had a three-member committee comprising two company executives and one senior official of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas to decide on awarding tenders for import of crude oil from the spot market.

"Now we have an internal committee which can take decisions quickly," he said.

The government gave flexibility to oil PSUs to help them secure cheaper oil cargoes in an oversupplied market.

The new policy almost puts state-owned refiners on par with private firms like Reliance Industries and Essar Oil.

"We now have greater flexibility but still to operate within the framework of (anti-corruption watchdog) CVC guidelines," the official said.

The previous policy limited purchases to a handful of companies, often leading to PSUs missing out on chance to grab cheap, distressed cargoes.

Oil PSUs, on an average, import 70-80 per cent of their oil through annual supply deals, also called term contracts. The remaining is bought from the spot or current market through tenders.

Term imports on official selling price of the exporter country and there is not much that can be done about it. But operational and financial autonomy in spot purchases help better margins.

"We imported 63 per cent of our crude oil on term contract and the remaining 37 per cent from the spot market in 2015-16. This is compared with 76 per cent term import and 24 per cent spot purchase in 2014-15," the official said.

Reduced time in deciding tenders helps realise better price, he added.

India imports about 80 per cent of its crude oil requirements. Last fiscal, its imports rose 4.6 per cent to 197.43 million tonnes.

As oil prices slid in global markets, the oil ministry last year encouraged state-owned companies to increase their spot purchases to take advantage of market conditions. They stepped up spot purchases which used to be normally 20 per cent of their total requirement to up to 30 per cent.

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The existing policy for import of crude oil was approved by the Cabinet in 1979. In 2001, the Cabinet cleared amendments to permit state refiners to buy crude oil from top 10 foreign firms -- Exxon (which has merged with Mobil), Shell, BP, Elf (merged with Total Fina), texaco (merged with Chevron), South Koreas SK, Chevron, USX of USA, Spains Repsol and Nippon Mitsubishi of Japan. PTI ANZ ANU ABM

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Irrfan Khan wanted to educate his son about Mahatma Gandhi's principles and his significance for Indian independence.

Irrfan Khan will be next seen in Nishikant Kamat's Madaari

By India Today Web Desk: Ahead of the release of Nishikant Kamat's Madaari, actor Irrfan Khan took his son Ayaan to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to educate him on Gandhian principles and philosophy. He also wanted to tell his son about Gandhi's principles were prominent to India's freedom struggle.

The father-son duo tried reading and understanding Gandhian principles written down in a text, handed over to them by the Ashram authorities. The Paan Singh Tomar actor also tried to spin the charkha along with his son.

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ALSO SEE: Irrfan Khan accompanies Tom Hanks and Ron Howard at Inferno premiere in Singapore

Ayaan was more than happy to accompany his father for the Ashram visit saying, "I want to know more about Gandhiji. It feels great that I have come here with my father, at the place of 'Father of the Nation' on Father's Day."



Irrfan Khan has two sons - Ayaan and Babil, and he's married to screenwriter Sutapa Sikdar.

The actor's next worldwide release will be that of Ron Howard's Inferno alongside Tom Hanks.



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This is the second time in recent weeks that India's top diplomat Jaishankar has raised India's NSG bid with the Chinese foreign minister.

By Smita Sharma, Ananth Krishnan: India has stepped up its efforts to get China's backing for membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ahead of the elite body's all-important June 24 plenary in Seoul.

Diplomatic sources said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an under-the-radar trip to Beijing this week for direct talks with China on the issue.

Sources in Delhi and Beijing confirmed of his secret trip, although both Indian and Chinese officials said they would not comment on the visit.



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S JAISHANKAR'S HUSHED VISIT

The foreign secretary is said to have met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. His hushed visit comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23 when both leaders attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' meeting in Tashkent.

India's message to China, sources said, is that it will not be a hurdle to any other country's entry into the NSG as long as their membership fulfills not just requirements of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) but also of the NSG.

This is the second time in recent weeks that India's top diplomat Jaishankar has raised India's NSG bid with the Chinese foreign minister. Discussions between the two on the same were also held along the sidelines of President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to China in the last week of May.

India's renewed push comes after objections were reportedly raised to its entry by some other nations too including Turkey and South Africa at a special NSG meeting in Vienna. China remains key to ironing out differences as was the case in 2008 when India was granted a special waiver to sign a nuclear agreement with the US.



WHY IS CHINA NOT BACKING INDIA



China has been against India being granted another exception and has said it wants the NSG to reach a consensus on criteria for entry of all other non-NPT countries. Sources say Beijing's main concern is that its all-weather ally Pakistan, also a non-NPT country, will effectively be barred entry once India becomes a member because the NSG takes decisions by consensus.

In recent days, Beijing has shown a few signs that it may be willing to acquiesce to India's accession on the condition that the door is left open for other non-NPT countries like Pakistan to join the group.

"As long as all NSG members reach a consensus over how a non-NPT member could join the NSG and India promises to comply with stipulations, China could support New Delhi's path toward the club," said an op-ed published in the Global Times.



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Also Read



Exclusive: Positive about India's entry into NSG, says Vladimir Putin



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The Minister for Revenue told Assembly, the government will order an inquiry as the scheme has generated only Rs 78.47 crores instead of Rs 25,000 crores killing its very purpose.

By India Today Web Desk: Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said it would initiate an inquiry into Roshni scheme implemented by former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, under which thousands of acres of land was transferred to illegal occupants at nominal prices for regularisation.

BIGGEST LAND SCAM EVER: PAG

The beneficiaries of the scheme include top ministers of current government, former ministers, politicians, police officers, bureaucrats and others.



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The Minister for Revenue, Syed Basharat Bhukari told Assembly, the government will order an inquiry as the scheme has generated only Rs 78.47 crores instead of Rs 25,000 crores killing its very purpose.

In 2014, Principal Accountant General (PAG) had also expressed similar views on the scheme saying that state government has lost Rs 25,000 crore under the Roshni Act.

The PAG had described Roshni Act as the biggest land scam ever.

The minister said 19,293 Kanals (one kanal=0.8 acre) of state land had been transferred among 10,328 beneficiaries in Kashmir and 21,0398 Kanals among 39,829 beneficiaries in Jammu region.

He said Rs 54 crore revenue had been generated in Kashmir from it and Rs 24 from in Jammu region.

The BJP and the PDP members told the Assembly that huge bungling have been committed in allotting land under the Act to beneficiaries, especially politicians and bureaucrats.

In response, the minister said that scheme was started to generate revenue of Rs 25,000 crore for the state. "But it has generated revenue of only Rs 78.47 crores." He said an inquiry will be initiated to reveal the facts about the whole scheme.

SOME LIGHT ON THE ROSHNI ACT

In 2000, the National Conference Government had conceived the Roshni Act to generate Rs 25,000 crore for development of power projects in the state sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2001, the state government enacted the law, the J&K state land (vesting of ownership rights to the occupants) act 2001 or Roshni Act. Under the law people, who were occupying state land illegally upto 1990, had to pay about Rs 20 lakh per kanal land (1kanal= 0.8 acre) to get ownership rights.

The act was named as Roshni Act so that the revenue generated from it would be used in power sector.



In May 2005, during Ghulam Nabi Azad's government, amendments were brought in the law.

Instead of 1990, the cut of date was extended to 2004. It also came up with several clauses making illegal occupants, who had raised residential houses and commercial buildings on the state land illegally, to pay 10 to 15 percent of the total of actual price to get the legal rights of the state land.

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The final blow was agriculture land. For agriculture land illegal occupant was asked to pay Rs 100 per kanal.

That time Azad and Congress described the move as equal to land to tiller reforms initiated by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in 19

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It is said that the Raavan director has asked Karthi to shed some pounds for the role.

By India Today Web Desk: Actor Karthi, for his role in the upcoming film with ace director Mani Ratnam, has hit the gym. It is said that the Raavan director has asked Karthi to shed some pounds for the role.

ALSO READ: Karthi clarifies on acting in Mani Ratnam's film

After many contrary reports, it was finally confirmed that Karthi is collaborating with Mani Ratnam for a yet-untitled project. Hindi actor Aditi Rao Hydari is pairing up with an actor for the movie, which marks her debut in Tamil film industry.

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It is said that the film is a romantic musical like OK Kanmani, and other details regarding the story of the film are kept under wraps.

AR Rahman will compose the music and Vairamuthu will pen the lyrics for the songs.

Cinematographer Ravi Varma, who has films like Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu and Barfi! to his credit, will crank the camera for the upcoming film.

Initially, Dulquer Salmaan and Karthi were signed in by Mani Ratnam for an action film. However, due to call sheet issues, Dulquer backed out of the project, and eventually the film was shelved.



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'There could be bomb inside' - on her hand baggage was enough to raise an alarm as she reached Delhi via Kolkata. "We refer to books as bombs," was her simple explanation to intelligence officials who quizzed her for hours.

The girl was detained and interrogated at the IGI airport.

By Ankur Sharma: When a 21-year-old Kashmiri student left from Bangladesh to reach her home in Srinagar, little did she know that her prank will press a panic button at IGI Airport and bring her face to face with Intelligence Bureau sleuths tracking terror.

The words - 'There could be bomb inside' - on her hand baggage was enough to raise an alarm as she reached Delhi via Kolkata. "We refer to books as bombs," was her simple explanation to intelligence officials who quizzed her for hours. Not only did she miss her flight to Srinagar, she also had to spend the night at the Jammu and Kashmir Bhawan in the capital.

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According to sources, she wrote a message with white ink on her black hand bag. After reaching Delhi, when she went for security check to take a flight for Srinagar, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security staff saw that message and immediately raised an alarm.

According to the police, her friend who was also travelling with her decided to be with her until she was cleared.



PREVIOUS INCIDENTS



This is not the first time when passenger's joke turned to out to be a security scare.

In February this year, a passenger got irritated with multiple questions asked by a security staff at IGI Airport, forcing him to say, "I have a bomb".

HOW DID THE INVESTIGATION UNFOLD?

When CISF contacted Delhi Police officers, intelligence agencies were informed without any delay.

"During interrogation, she revealed that she wrote this message without thinking that this can create panic at the airport. She also told the officers that normally, on campus they call books as bombs," a senior officer who was part of the interrogation team said.

According to DCP IGI Airport, DK Gupta, cops detained one Kashmiri student and released her after due process.

"After a joint interrogation she was let off. As a procedure, we have done an entry in our daily dairy register," Gupta said.



OMAR ABDULLAH TWEETS



The matter took a political turn after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted asking Ministry of Home Affairs to look into it.

"@HMOIndia @PMOIndia kindly look into the matter of the detention of two Kashmiri girls at Delhi airport. Their parents are very concerned. @HMOIndia @PMOIndia Any assistance & information will be greatly appreciated by their families & loved ones. Thank you in anticipation," Omar tweeted.



Also read:

After 27 years, customs dept seizes gold worth Rs 27 lakh at Delhi airport

Delhi's IGI Airport retains world's number 1 position, bags 3 international awards: Interesting facts





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By PTI: New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) BJP MP from East Delhi Mahesh Girri today sat on a hunger strike outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, demanding that he prove his allegations regarding the murder of NDMC official M M Khan.

Kejriwal, in a letter to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, had accused him of trying to "save" Girri and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice-chairman Karan Singh Tanwar in Khans murder.

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Girri had asked Kejriwal for a public debate over his allegations.

In a letter to Kejriwal on June 16, Girri had invited him to Constitution Club to produce "evidence" he had against him in the M M Khan murder case on Sunday 4 pm.

Kejriwal did not accept the challenge following which Girri, accompanied by his party supporters, reached the Chief Ministers flagstaff Road residence and sat on hunger strike.

The BJP MP has asked Kejriwal to either prove his charge against him or "resign" from the post of Chief Minister.

"If he manages to prove, then I will quit politics, otherwise he should do so," Girri said.

Khan, an estate officer of NDMC, was shot dead in Jamia Nagar on May 16, a day before he was scheduled to pass the final order on the lease terms of a hotel which was functioning on a property leased out by the civic body. PTI VIT HMP SMN

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By PTI: Kuala Lumpur, Jun 19 (PTI) Malaysia will convene a two-day meeting with Australia and China to chart out a course of action for the investigation into the missing flight MH370, which is presumed to have crashed into the sea off Western Australias coast with 239 people on board two years ago.

Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi told state-owned news agency Bernama here that the meeting would also look at in detail, other issues, including the recent discovery of debris.

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The meeting, involving officials from Australia, China and Malaysia is expected to take place at the transport ministry office beginning from tomorrow.

"Top of the agenda of the meeting is on the future direction of the search operation for MH370. Only high ranking officials will attend the meeting. Malaysia will be represented by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman," Ab Aziz said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which leads the multi-nation search in the Indian Ocean, is expected to complete searching the designated 120,000 sq km of the sea by end of this month.

Australia, China and Malaysia have said previously they will call off the search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean.

So far 105,000 square kilometres of the 120,000-square- kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success.

Several pieces of debris found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area have so far shed no light on the cause of the disaster.

The Beijing-bound MH370 aircraft with 239 passengers and crew on board disappeared from civilian radar screens on March 8, 2014 and its flight path is believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean. PTI JB AYP

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By PTI: Kuala Lumpur, Jun 19 (PTI) Malaysia today said it will host a two-day meeting with Australia and China to chart out the "future direction" of the search operation for flight MH370 which went missing over two years ago and believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean with 239 people onboard.

Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi told state- owned news agency Bernama here that the meeting would also look at in detail, other issues, including the recent discovery of debris of the Malaysia Airlines plane found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area in the southern Indian Ocean.

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The meeting, involving officials from Australia, China and Malaysia is expected to take place at the transport ministry office beginning from tomorrow.

"Top of the agenda of the meeting is on the future direction of the search operation for MH370. Only high ranking officials will attend the meeting. Malaysia will be represented by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman," Ab Aziz said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which leads the multi-nation search in the Indian Ocean, is expected to complete searching the designated 120,000 sq km of the sea by end of this month.

Australia, China and Malaysia have said previously they will call off the search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean.

So far 105,000 square kilometres of the 120,000-square- kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success.

Several pieces of debris found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area have so far shed no light on the cause of the disaster.

The Beijing-bound MH370 aircraft with 239 passengers and crew on board disappeared from civilian radar screens on March 8, 2014 and its flight path is believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean. There were five Indians onboard the plane. PTI JB AYP AKJ AKJ

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By PTI: London, Jun 18 (PTI) A nearly 10-kilometre wide crater on Mars has been named after one of the villages worst hit by the devastating earthquakes in Nepal last year.

The International Astronomical Union has named the crater after Langtang, also a popular trekking site. At least 215 people were killed in Langtang when a quake-triggered avalanche submerged the village.

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The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature approved the name on June 14, the BBC reported.

The researcher behind the move, Tjalling de Haas, said it was "a tribute" to the Nepali village.

de Haas, who studies Marss physical geography at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told the BBC that he chose Langtang because his colleague had worked there while studying Himalayan glaciers.

"It was his base camp for a long period, so we said maybe its a nice tribute to call (the crater) Langtang," he said.

Langtang was a "scientifically important" crater. "The marks on the top of the crater wall were probably water flows, and below them you can see ridges ? the remains of former glaciers."

The crater is said to have a diameter of 9.8 kilometres.

Along with Langtang, three other craters on the planet were named Bunnik, Nqutu, and Talu respectively.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal in April and another of 7.3 struck in May last year, devastating the Himalayan country and left nearly 9,000 people dead. PTI ABH

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Rahul Gandhi praised Rajan for steering the Indian economy in difficult times and added that it is people like him who make India great.

By India Today Web Desk: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his administration doesn't need experts like Rajan since the prime minister "knows everything". He was reacting to the RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not pursue a second term,

Gandhi hailed the RBI Governor for steering the Indian economy in "difficult times" and added that it is people like Rajan who make India great.

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RAJAN'S DECISION

Rajan, who has been in the eye of several political storms in recent times, decided to end the speculation over his future by saying no to a second term. The decision came as a surprise to many, as members of the political establishment and the industry bemoaned loosing Rajan.

"On due reflection, and after consultation with the government, I want to share with you that I will be returning to academia when my term as Governor ends on September 4, 2016," Rajan said in a message to the RBI staff.

ALSO READ:

Raghuram Rajan says no to second term as RBI governor, who will be next?



Raghuram Rajan won't seek second term as RBI governor: Who said what



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The Prime Minister tweeted, "May he be blessed with a long and healthy life".

By India Today Web Desk: Putting their political differences aside Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took to Twitter to wish Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi a long and healthy life on his 46th birthday.

"Birthday wishes to the Congress VP, Shri Rahul Gandhi. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life," Modi said in a tweet this morning.

In his response, Gandhi tweeted "Thank you @narendramodi ji for your kind wishes!"

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Modi and Rahul Gandhi have been very critical of each other during their campaign rallies. Rahul just yesterday mocked Modi as a know-it-all who doesn't need experts, in reaction to the RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to rule out a second term in the post.



Meanwhile, Modi has also greeted Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on his 68th birthday. "Greetings to the CM of Manipur, Shri Okram Ibobi Singh on his birthday. I pray for his good health and long life," the prime minister tweeted.





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Chairman of Bangladesh Jamiatul Ulama and Imam of Sholakia Eid congregation Maulana Farid Uddin Masud said Islam is a religion of peace and in the name of Islam, some quarters are spreading extremism and terror through misinterpretation of Quran and Hadith to gain their personal interests.

The fatwa is issued amidst a spate of killings of writers, bloggers, online activists, and people of different religious and social views by suspected Islamic radicals.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon, Manogya Loiwal : Over one lakh Bangladeshi Islamic scholars on Saturday issued a fatwa (edict) declaring militancy and extremism in the name of Islam 'forbidden'. The 'fatwa' signed by some 1,01,524 Islamic scholars belonging to Bangladesh Jamiatul Ulama is comprised of 26 volumes for divisional cities and four more signed by women scholars.

Chairman of Bangladesh Jamiatul Ulama and Imam of Sholakia Eid congregation Maulana Farid Uddin Masud revealed the fatwa at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.

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"Islam is a religion of peace. In the name of Islam, some quarters are spreading extremism and terror through misinterpretation of Quran and Hadith to gain their personal interests," he said.

"Though many label the militants as jihadis, they are actually terrorists," he said, adding: "Islam doesn't support terrorism. And those, who are carrying out suicide attacks with the belief to go to heaven as martyrs if they die and live as heroes if remain alive, will not go to heaven according to Quran and Hadith," he added.

"The participation in namaz-e-janaza for those religious terrorists, militants and secret attackers is also forbidden. And those who will die taking stand against these militants will be regarded as martyrs," Masud continued.

The fatwa is issued amidst a spate of killings of writers, bloggers, online activists, and people of different religious and social views by suspected Islamic radicals.

CONTENTS OF THE FATWA

The fatwa is 32 pages long and mentions the index and the names of associate ulema. The main chapter on the fatwa presents 10 questions in the light of several verses from Surah at-Taubah and a Hadith mentioned in Bukhari Sharif and Muslim Sharif.

The questions addressed by the fatwa are: Does Islam support crime and terrorism? Did prophets, particularly Muhammad (SM), take the barbaric path to establish Islam? Are Jihad and terrorism the same thing in Islam? Does terrorism create a path to heaven or hell? Will a suicidal terrorist's death be counted as martyrdom? Is genocide allowed in the view of Islam? Does Islam support the indiscriminate killing of people including women, children, and the elderly? What sort of crime is it to kill a person while they are offering prayer? Is it allowed to attack worship places of non-Muslims such as churches, pagodas and temples? Is it not the responsibility of all - in the view of Islam - to create social resistance against criminals and terrorists?

The main fatwa answers all these questions in light of the Qur'an and the Hadith.

In answer to the third question, the fatwa reads that: "Jihad and terrorism are not the same. Jihad is a key teaching of Islam, while terrorism is haram and illegal.

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The fatwa answers the fifth question, saying: "Suicide and suicidal killings are haram in the eyes of Islam."

The answer to the sixth question is: "It is not legal in Islam to mass murder innocent people. Even killing someone on suspicion is forbidden."

Answering to the ninth question, the fatwa reads: "Anyone killing a non-Muslim who lives within a Muslim society would never even get to smell heaven. Attacking worship places of non-Muslims such as churches, pagodas and temples is haram and illegal in the eyes of Islam. It is a sternly punishable offence."

HOPES OF DEFEATING TERRORISM

Asked how much impact the fatwa might play in defeating terrorism, Farid Uddin Masuud said: "I can say with strong conviction that a fatwa is much stronger, much sharper than 100,000 weapons. A correct fatwa purifies the psychological ideals, inspires people and makes them humanitarians."

In the preface to the fatwa, Masuud writes: "Even if the fatwa for peace and human well-being fails to stop terrorism completely, there is no doubt that it will help reduce terrorism. It can surely be said that patrons of terrorism will be deterred."

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HOW THE IDEA ORIGINATED

At a joint meeting of law enforcers and clerics on December 17 last year, Masuud first proposed that a fatwa by 100,000 ulama signatories be prepared to tackle terrorism.

"Those who kill and terrorise in the name of religion are not doing the right thing. Islam never supports murder. So, a common fatwa with 100,000 signatures would be distributed to create awareness," the Sholakia imam said at the time.

Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque asked Masuud to form a committee to plan how so many signatures can be collected.

Later on January 2, Masuud's madrasa hosted an ulama conference, following which Rampura's Taqwa Madrasa's Muhtamim Maulana Mufti Abdur Rahim asked several major fatwa organisations of Bangladesh to explain militancy in light of the Sharia.

Responding to the call, Hathazari Madrasa, Islamic Research Centre, Chormonai Jamia Rashidia Islamia, Shaykh Zakaria Research Centre and Jamiatul Asad Madrasa issued their fatwas on the matter.

However, a source in a state intelligence agency told this correspondent that the main plan of the fatwa had been hatched by that particular agency, while the questions of the fatwa were prepared by Masuud following discussion with the agency high-ups.

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Masuud, however, denied the claim, saying such rumours were being spread to smear the fatwa. The questions were prepared at the ulama conference, he added.

EXPENDITURES

Copies of the fatwa will be sent to the president, the prime minister, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the United Nations. Work, however, is yet to be completed on the English and Arabic versions of the fatwa.

An aleem who is involved with the project said the printing of each volume of document is costing around Tk1,500. With plans to print a total of 600 volumes, the overall cost would be almost Tk100,000, he said.

Other major costs included the expenses of the coordination committees that had been collecting the signatures across the country.

Maulana Abdullah Shakir, who was involved in collecting signatures, said Masuud and his followers had provided the necessary funds.

Maulana Masuud said the work has been possible for the generosity of well-wishers, adding that he also contributed as per his ability.

ALSO READ:

Islamic State's claim of responsibility for Orlando shooting not confirmed, says Senator

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--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jun 19 (PTI) Nepalese police have arrested 36 doctors, including six women, in a major crackdown on medical professionals in the country who had allegedly obtained medical degrees and licenses by using fake academic credentials.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police have detained 36 doctors as part of the Operation Quack, on charges of practicing medical by using fake certificates.

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The CIB today presented the doctors, who used fake academic credentials at the Kathmandu District Court seeking judicial remand for further investigation, police said.

The court remanded them to custody for five days for further investigation.

Earlier, the police had arrested the doctors from 10 districts across the country on Friday. The suspected doctors include six women.

A police official said the CIB would try to complete the investigation procedures within next five days.

The CIB had launched operation Operation Quack a few months agoto crack down on medical professionals who had allegedly obtained medical degrees and Nepal Medical Council licenses by using fake academic credentials.

The Nepal Medical Council and the Higher Secondary Education Board have been assisting the police in launching the operations.

Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has deplored the action taken by the police against the doctors.

"Although NMA believes that any one indicted for any activity forbidden by the laws should be liable to punishment accordingly, the arrest of on-duty doctors without warrant from their workplace in an authoritarian style is deplorable," said Mukti Ram Shrestha, General Secretary of the association.

The association has claimed that the authorities have violated human rights while taking action against the doctors.

They have also warned that if the government continues to "intimidate" doctors in the manner that it made the arrests, it would be forced to announce protest programmes from tomorrow. PTI SBP AJR AKJ AJR

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From M Zulqernain

Lahore, Jun 19 (PTI) A 23-year-old woman was paraded in her village streets with blackened face and shaved off head by her family members for allegedly eloping with a man, the latest in a series of honour related crimes in Pakistans Punjab province.

According to eyewitnesses, the family members including parents of the woman, yesterday paraded her in the streets outside her house after blackening her face and shaving off her head in a village of Uch Sharif, Bahawalpur, some 400 km from Lahore.

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Reports said the woman who had allegedly eloped with a man of another village returned home a week later.

On her return, her family members including father, husband and step-mother reportedly tortured her secretly and then presented her before a Panchayat (a gathering of area elders) that announced punishment for her for her crime of dishonouring the family.

Senior police officer Ehsan Sadiq told reporters that an FIR has been registered against 10 family members of the woman and the Panchayat members and arrested the victims father and step-mother.

He said police would soon arrest the remaining suspects and complete investigation at the earliest.

Punjab, Pakistans most populous state, has seen a spur in honour-related crimes, including honour killing, in recent times.

Two pregnant women have been brutally killed by their parents in last one week for contracting marriage against will of their families.

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. PTI MZ SUA AKJ SUA

--- ENDS ---
By AP: Authorities have been searching the home of a Pennsylvania man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager whose parents police say gave her to him when she was 14 because he helped them financially. She was one of a dozen girls living in the residence.

Officials in Bucks County acting on a tip Thursday found 51-year-old Lee Kaplan at his Feasterville home, along with 12 girls ranging in age from six months to 18 years. One girl, now 18, told police that she and Kaplan have a 3-year-old and a six-month-old. Kaplan faces charges including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and aggravated indecent assault.



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HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED: Kaplan's neighbour, Jen Betz, called the authorities as she was concerned about the girls she saw outside the home, which she said had boarded windows and high weeds. "They're so sad and fearful every time I see them. That's what made me call," she said. "I've been telling my husband for years 'Something isn't right, something isn't right.'" When cops went to the house, they found 51-year-old Lee Kaplan living with 12 girls ranging in age from six months to 18 years. Parents of the girl Kaplan is accused of assaulting told police they were going to lose their farm until Kaplan "came out of the blue and saved them from financial ruin". The parents then handed over the girl to him when she was just 14. The teenager's parents told police the other nine girls in the house were their children, but no birth certificates or Social Security cards could be located to confirm that, he said. Officials are trying to verify who the parents of the other children found at the home are. When police entered the home, "all the children were running around," officials said. "Some were hiding. They were well-behaved, but scared." The 18-year-old girl's father, Daniel Stoltzfus, told an officer he gave his 14-year-old daughter to Kaplan after researching the legality of such an action online. Meanwhile, police and dogs scoured the home's backyard for evidence. Stoltzfus is charged with conspiracy of statutory sexual assault and children endangerment. His wife, Savilla Stoltzfus, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. All three were being held in lieu of $1 million bail. The children apparently did not attend school and it was unclear if they had ever been to a doctor, but they didn't appear to be in bad health and showed no visible signs of trauma. Another neighbor, Bob Greenfield, said Kaplan seemed "weird" and he now wishes that he also had called authorities. "You knew something was wrong," he said. "It makes you feel bad. If I had said something a while ago, they would have come earlier."



ALSO READ:

Man brutally raped and killed Kerala student after fight with her over construction





--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) As many as 57 Union ministers will spread across the country on Tuesday for the 2nd International Yoga Day programmes, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ancient Indian physical exercise in Chandigarh.

The Ministers will be leading various programmes hosted by the government across the country during the mega event, including ten of them concentrating in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to participate in these events.

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June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.

Following this, the first International Yoga Day was observed across the world on June 21 last year with Modi performing yoga along with 36,000 people at the Delhis historic Rajpath.

The 57 Minister who have been assigned the task of leading this years programme include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, among others.

Significantly, some 10 Ministers including Jaitley, Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Maneka Gandhi have been lined up for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to lead these programmes.

The series of programmes this year include mass yoga events, workshops and seminars.

While Modi will be performing Yoga along with thousands of people at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, his cabinet colleagues Singh and Jaitley have been assigned the task of leading the 2nd IYD programmes in Lucknow and Mumbai respectively.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has been assigned to lead a programme in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to participate in Kanpur.

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is likely to participate in a programme in the national capital while Power Minister Piyush Goyal is slated to perform Yoga with others in Raipur. Health Minister J P Nadda has been assigned Ahmedabad for the purpose. PTI IAS AKK ARC

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Lahore, Jun 19 (PTI) A heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been shot dead by her brother in Punjab province for marrying a man without the familys consent, the latest incident of "honour killing" in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother.

Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his wife Aqsa, 26, were killed for "honour" by Aqsas brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, police said.

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The couple were married for four years, and lived in Thikriwala village in the province.

Four days ago Aqsas brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couples home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them, the Express Tribune reported.

The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night.

Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre.

Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakils father, Khushi Muhammad.

An autopsy revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots on their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies.

The autopsy report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days, the report said.

The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run.

Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in the provinces Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families will.

Last week an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice.

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. PTI SUA ABH AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
"If students do not read about Maharana Pratap or Shivaji, will they then read about Ghengis Khan," asked Union Minister Ramshankar Katheria.

By Press Trust of India: In a statement that could stir up another hornets nest, Union Minister Ramshankar Katheria has said there "will be saffronisation of education and the country" if it is "good" for the nation.

"I am saying there will be saffronisation in education and in the country. Whatever is good will definitely take place. Be it saffronisation or sanghwad, if its good for the country then it will definitely take place (...shiksha me bhi bhagwakaran aur desh me bhi bhagwakaran hoga. Jo desh ke liye accha hoga wo hoga. Chahe wo bhagwakaran ho ya sanghwaad ho)," he said.

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LIKE IT OR NOT THERE WILL BE SAFFRONISATION

The Minister of State for HRD was addressing a function at the Lucknow University to celebrate Hindvi Swaraj Diwas Samaroh to mark the 342nd coronation year of Shivaji. His remarks are likely to lend further ammunition to the opposition to attack the Modi government.

"It is for the benefit of the country and whatever is good for the country... Call it bhagwakaran (saffronisation) or sanghwaad if you will, but it will be done," he said.

"We have been seeing this for a long time...Whatever is in the interest of the country, for the benefit of the country, on the basis of which the nation can stand with pride in the world, should it not be made part of the syllabus or should it not been taught to our children," he said.

"If students do not read about Maharana Pratap or Shivaji, will they then read about Ghengis Khan," he asked.

He said people like Shivaji inspired India's independence. The minister also claimed that India's history had been "tailored" to suit the "tastes of a few people" and called it "India's greatest misfortune".

He called seeing "sacrifices of national leaders" in a political light, "a growing disease" in the country.

"Ambedkar is seen as the personal property of one party, or of Dalits. In fact, Ambedkar is not just an ideal leader and nationalist for the country, but for the entire world," he said.

Remembering the contributions made by several stalwarts in the freedom struggle, Katheria said they lived their lives for humanity and welfare of the nation.

He took the opportunity to blame the ruling Samajawadi Party in Uttar Pradesh for the states "educational backwardness". "Uttar Pradesh is backward in all areas and zero in education," he alleged.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Hyderabad, Jun 17 (PTI) Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the security scenario in the country is changing as even a handful number of people can pose a threat in case of a terrorist attack.

"...Last 10 to 20 years the security scenario (in the country) is changing. One or two or three people can disturb the peace. How many people came in Pathankot (to attack). How many people came in Gurudaspur. How many people came whenever there is a fight between terrorists and security forces... probably three, four, five or six. So it is not the number," Parrikar said.

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"It is a kind of totally asymmetric which our enemies are trying to impose on us which creates the problem," he said.

The minister today inaugurated cantonment general hospital in Secunderabad constructed with an expenditure of Rs 5.17 crore.

He was responding to a request made by Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Malkajgiri MP Malla Reddy on the occasion on allowing civilians to pass through some of the areas under army control in cantonment area in Secunderabad.

Parrikar, however, said he would personally visit those areas where public was not allowed to pass through and discuss with officials.

Dattatreya and Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao were among those who spoke in the meeting. PTI GDK ARS RCJ SSB

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor is currently juggling between his professional and personal life. It has been reported that the Haider actor's wife Mira Rajput has been hospitalised for a second time and Mira didn't attend any of the screenings of Shahid's film, Udta Punjab. The screenings were held on June 16 and June 17.

ALSO READ: Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput hospitalised for pregnancy check-ups

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According to a report in the Times Of India, Mira has been admitted to the suburban hospital and Shahid pays her a visit each day. In fact, Shahid makes it a point to stay at night at hospital with Mira.



It is said that Mira's family does not want to risk their daughter's health, thus she was hospitalised to take rest. A source told Spotboye.com, "She's been hospitalised for rest and the family has been rallying around her when Shahid is not around. The third trimester is an extremely risky phase and Mira and the baby's well-being is of utmost importance. So, to avoid any stress for her, she's been admitted in and will be there for a while."

Mira has entered her third trimester and Shahid has been taking care of her all this while and in fact has not signed any films just to be by her side. It's not the first time, Mira was also earlier hospitalised for some routine check-ups.

In an interview, the Shaandaar actor has said excitement is just an understatement for the feeling of becoming a parent. According to reports, Mira Rajput and Shahid Kapoor are all set to welcome their first child in September.



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Panaji, Jun 17 (PTI) Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal today said all the states had resolved to provide round-the -clock power supply to every household by March 2019.

"All the states agreed to provide 24x7 power to all the people by March 2019 or earlier," Goyal said here after attending a two-day conference of power and mining ministers of states and union territories.

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"Besides, all the states except Left-Wing-Extremism- affected ones, also resolved to electrify all the remaining unelectrified villages by December 31, 2016," he said.

In a landmark development, all the states resolved to procure only `smart meters which are tamper-proof and communication-enabled, Goyal said.

"The cost of these smart meters has been brought down by sixty per cent from Rs 8,000 to Rs 3,223 per unit as a result of central procurement, and the endeavour is to go for only such meters in the future for Rs 25 crore consumers in the country," the Union minister said.

Goyal also announced launch of the helpline 1912 for consumer complaints redressal across the country.

"Hydro-power policy was also discussed and the meeting sought to work out ways of reviving small hydro-power projects with cooperation from the states," he said, adding that a committee set up for this purpose will submit its recommendations by September 30. PTI RPS KRK KND JMF

--- ENDS ---
The Minister once again reiterated that India does not yet have proof of death of the 39 Indian workers abducted in Mosul in June of 2014.

By Smita Sharma: The C.B. Muthamma Hall in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan was packed with media on Sunday afternoon, as Sushma Swaraj answered a volley of questions at her annual press conference.

MODI-NAWAZ RELATIONSHIP WARM, BUT INDIA ALERT



On the most complex question of dealing with Pakistan, the minister maintained that India's policy remains three pronged. Peaceful resolution of issues through dialogue, room for no third party in bilateral talks, and talks and terror to not go hand-in-hand. Sushma took a moderate view of Pakistan's attitude in the wake of the Pathankot attacks. Highlighting the warmth and easiness of relationship between the two prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif, Sushma stressed that India was not letting its guard down. And some outcome on the Pathankot terror attack investigations could help the two sides get back to the formal dialogue table.

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GOVT SERIOUS ABOUT MODI-MALLYA EXTRADITION

Amidst the ongoing row of fugitive from Indian law, Vijay Mallya was seen in attendance at a book launch in London where India's High Commissioner Navtej Sarna was present, Sushma defended the envoy. To an India Today question, she retorted, "If Suhel Seth invites someone, the Indian High Commissioner cannot be blamed because there were two sets of invitation. And the fact that the High Commissioner walked out within five minutes of realising Mallya was in the crowd, should end the controversy." The NDA government has been accused of going slow in bringing back Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya to face the law in India. The Minister replied that UPA had been seeking their deportation, while NDA is working on their extradition at the advice of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). And South Block will take up the issue seriously with concerned UK authorities.

HASINA GOVT ACTING AGAINST TERROR. HOPEFUL OF MAMATA AGREEING TO TEESTA SOON



Responding to criticism of anti-India sentiments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, despite the government's claimed neighbourhood first policy, Swaraj said India has been the first responder in the hours of natural disasters and crisis in the neighbourhood. On the issue of killings of liberals, minorities and attacks against Hindu individuals in Bangladesh, Sushma Swaraj praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She said the Hasina government has arrested around 3,000 people so far involved in various killings. And drew heart from the fact that Islamic clerics had issued a fatwa condemning the attacks and petition to stop these killings had garnered a lakh signature support. Sushma clarified that India's refugee policy was not just opening its doors for Hindu minorities under attack in the region, but also for persecuted minorities of all shades.

Responding to a question on the much delayed Teesta water sharing agreement with Dhaka, the minister blamed the nature of federal polity where the West Bengal Chief Minister is an important stakeholder on the issue. The government's senior face hoped that now that Mamata is back in power with a decisive victory and hectic election campaign is behind her, this would be an appropriate time for her to come on board with the Centre on the Teesta issue.

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WILL BRING BACK HOME STRANDED INDIANS

The Minister once again reiterated that India does not yet have proof of death of the 39 Indian workers abducted in Mosul in June of 2014. She claimed that atleast two heads of states had told New Delhi that these Indians are alive contrary to claims of the sole Indian who managed to escape Harjit Masih . Sushma assured that it is the government's responsibility to track down abducted Indians in Iraq or NGO worker Judith D'Souza in Kabul, amongst other such cases. "For Indians in captivity or stranded, it is my responsibility to try and bring them home sooner or later," the minister said.



MODI GOVT LEADING FROM THE FRONT ON GLOBAL STAGE

Sushma recounted the NDA government's two years of foreign policy highlights. She claimed that India is no more a mute witness to multilateral processes. Rather it actively initiates policy and leads debate like Climate Justice, COP 21 and the International Convention on Terrorism . She also announced that the PIO/OCI cards will be converged by 31st December this year. The minister who was to travel to Poland to join the International Yoga Day celebrations, had to cancel the tour following her health problems. She dodged a question on a possible portfolio change with cabinet reshuffle speculations abuzz. She simply said,"Cabinet reshuffle is prerogative of Prime Minister to decide whom to keep and not. So will not comment on it" .

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Also Read



China not opposing India's NSG membership bid: Sushma Swaraj

Jaishankar made a secret trip to China over NSG membership



Exclusive: Positive about India's entry into NSG: Vladimir Putin to India Today





--- ENDS ---
According to the instructions released by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation, 500 retail vendor liquor shops will be shut down with effect from June 19.

By India Today Web Desk: Tamil Nadu government on Sunday issued instructions to close down 500 state-run liquor shops. This directive by chief minister J Jayalalithaa will be complied from June 19 .

However, there was no mention of the outlets that will be closed under this order.

WHAT ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES?

Kirlosh Kumar, MD, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation in the order details the process that would be used to deploy the employees of the liquor shops. They would be posted in existing vacancies in the district nearby regions as per requirement.

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WHY ARE THE LIQUOR SHOPS BEING SHUT?

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in her recently concluded Assembly poll campaign had promised that ban on liquor distribution will be implemented in a phased manner.

Post her victory, she reduced the business hours of state-run TASMAC outlets from 10 am to 10 pm to 12 pm to 10 pm.



Also read:

Jayalalithaa gets going: Tamil Nadu CM orders closure of 500 liquor shops



Amma in Delhi: Can PM Modi convince Jayalalithaa to join NDA, approve GST?



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Jun 19 (PTI) Over 100,000 Islamic scholars in Bangladesh have issued a fatwa, declaring militancy and terrorism in the name of Islam as "haram" while voicing their concern over a wave of brutal slayings of Hindus and secular writers by Islamists in the Muslim-majority country.

Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, the chairman of Islamic scholars organisation Bangladesh Jamiyatul Ulama, pronounced the fatwa or a ruling on a point of Islamic law at a press conference here.

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Maulana Masud, the imam of Bangladeshs Sholakia Eidgah, the largest Eid prayer congregation, said "some" of the militants and terrorists were "wrong" to identify themselves as "jihadists".

"Islam is the religion of peace...Islam doesnt support terrorism," Maulana Masud said yesterday.

Referring to the Quran and Hadith, he said the suicide attackers will be cast in hell.

"Even taking part in funeral prayers of terrorists, militants, covert killers is haram. And those killed for their stance against militancy will be martyrs," he added.

According to Maulana Masud, 101,524 muftis, alims and ulamas have signed the fatwa.

The fatwa was issued amidst a spate of killings of writers, bloggers, online activists, and people of different religious and social views by suspected Islamic radicals.

The fatwa titled "the edict of peace for wellbeing of humanity" denounces the clandestine attacks on minorities and secular activists.

"Even if the fatwas fail to stop terrorism completely, it will definitely help in curbing violence," Maulana Masud said.

Claiming that a section of criminals were spreading panic in several parts of the country with misinterpretation of the Quran and Hadith, Masoud said law enforcers will not be able to prevent them if the criminals misperception is not eradicated.

The process to launch the fatwa began in January after the attacks on liberal and secular activists and religious minorities including Hindus and Christians by suspected Islamists sparked an international uproar, Masoud said.

Bangladesh is under mounting international pressure to halt the violence, which in the past three years has claimed the lives nearly 50 people -- Hindus, Christians and secular bloggers -- many of them by machete-wielding attackers.

Though most of the attacks were claimed by the Islamic State or its affiliates and other similar extremist groups, the Bangladesh government has repeatedly dismissed the claims and said the attacks were carried out by homegrown outfits linked to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Over 11,000 criminal suspects have been arrested last week as part of an intensified crackdown against extremists in the country. PTI AR CPS ABH AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---

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By PTI: Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI) With the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) acting tough on several filmmakers over their content, actress Anushka Sharma feels there should not be restrictions on creativity.

"I think there should be certification and not censorship and this is how the situation can get resolved. People are intelligent enough when they are called adults as they know what is right and wrong. Lets not think that they (adults) are foolish... They are not children," Anushka said in an interview here.

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"Creativity is all about thoughts. If you tell someone dont think this way or that way, then you will not be able to create something great, you have to give liberty. Everyone is working within means no one is abusing just like that," she added.

The 28-year-old actress too had a tough time in clearing her debut home production film "NH 10" with the CBFC.

"In case of NH 10 in Haryana every third word is a gaali (abusive word or expletive) and we showed reality that is how they talk. And what was shown was within reasonable restriction. But 87 cuts on a film and it just passes with one cut..it shows it (CBFC) should change," Anushka said referring to the Udta Punjab row.

The CBFC granted an adult certificate to "NH-10" after effecting nine cuts in all.

"Ours was not such a bad case. My brother saw "Udta Punjab" he said then for us (referring to NH-10) everything should have got passed," Anushka said.

"It was silly with the cuts that we were asked to do like reduce the hair pulling by 20 percent. We couldnt understand how can we do this. We had to push the release by a week and it was not cool, we did not let the film get diluted," she added. PTI KKP DK NDS BAS

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From Fakir Hassen

Johannesburg, Jun 19 (PTI) Thousands of South Africans gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country today to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Hundreds of Yoga enthusiasts of all religious and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburgs Zoo Lake park.

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The Indian High Commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg co-ordinated events with a host of community organisations in these and other cities and towns.

"Yoga may have been born in India, but given that yoga is practised by all segments of society in all parts of the world, it belongs to everybody," Indian High Commissioner Ruchi Ghanashyam said.

"We are very blessed that in South Africa, there is already a very big culture of yoga with almost every major school from India being represented in South Africa," Ghanashyam said.

"They have been our very valuable partners in providing the guidance and support for these events," he said.

Commenting on the objective of taking yoga to children as well, Ghanashyam said the main event on the actual day on Tuesday would see the Johanensburg Consulate teaming up with the Art of Living Foundation to take yoga to hundreds of mainly Black school children in Soweto. PTI FH AJR AKJ AJR

--- ENDS ---
Yoga is finding a second home in the birthplace of Tai Chi and Taoism in China's Sichuan province.

Iyengar yoga teacher Zubin from India holds a lesson for hundreds of young Chinese practitioners in Dujiangyan, the home of Tai Chi in China. (Photo: Ananth Krishnan)

By Ananth Krishnan: Yoga has taken the birthplace of Tai Chi by storm.

Ahead of the June 21 International Yoga Day, thousands of Chinese have descended on the home of Tai Chi, the traditional Chinese martial art and exercise, for what is being described as the biggest ever yoga event held outside of India.

A five-day yoga camp that opened on Saturday in Dujiangyan, an ancient city in southwestern Sichuan province that is also the birthplace of Taoism, will attract close to 5,000 Chinese yoga practitioners in a reflection organisers said of the rapidly growing craze for yoga in China.

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"This is a unique event that brings together Yoga and Tai Chi, and also we hope brings a closer cultural connect between India and China," Zhao Wenqiao, an official in the Dujiangyan Communist Party committee which hosted the event, told India Today.

India has arranged for a dozen top yoga gurus to take lessons over five days, said Sailas Thangal, the Consul General of India in Guangzhou which helped organise the event. "I would think this is one of biggest yoga festivals being held outside of India as we mark the second international yoga day this year," Thangal said.

YOGA BOOM IN CHINA

Among the hundreds of young Chinese practitioners was Elsa Jing, 23, from Guizhou province. "Yoga has changed my life, I feel healthier, I fall ill much less frequently, and I also feel more at peace with myself," she said, adding that many of her age had similarly turned to yoga as a source of relief from the pressures of fast-paced life in China.

"Doing yoga can change you as a person, and that happened to me," added Zheng Yuxin, 25, from a town called Yubin in Sichuan.

The Chinese students followed with rapt attention at a morning lesson by Iyengar Yoga teacher Zubin, a student of the famed yogacharya BKS Iyengar whose books have wide following in China.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN YOGA AND TAI CHI

"There are a lot of similarities between yoga and Tai Chi, and that has also helped in spreading yoga's popularity here," he said. "I visited last year and I can see that year after year the number of enthusiasts is growing very fast."

In China, the passion for yoga has also become big business, leading to concerns among some teachers that standards may suffer as hundreds of yoga schools have mushroomed to cater to demand.

"Yoga is definitely a growing art in China," said Zubin. "But I reminded them that just as Confucius said, a superior person knows what is right, an inferior person knows what will sell. So it is important for the Chinese student to recognise this, and we hope to also use our lessons here to teach them this."

By bringing teachers to China, India is hoping to fill that void and to also build on what has become a powerful cultural link between India and China.

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"We are happy to see that yoga is spreading like wildfire in China," said Thangal. "It is really heartfelt for any Indian to see that yoga is finding a second home in China".

ALSO READ: India gears up for International Yoga Day



--- ENDS ---
Shahid Kapoor has thanked the audience for supporting Udta Punjab and gave a thumbs up to "honest and fearless cinema".

By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor AKA rockstar Tommy Singh from Udta Punjab has thanked the audience for coming in droves to the theatres and watching his drug-themed film.

ALSO READ: Udta Punjab Movie Review



ALSO READ: Shahid and Alia-starrer Udta Punjab shows growth in box office on Day Two

The Abhishek Chaubey directorial that has been in the vortex of controversy grossed Rs.21.30 crore countrywide till Saturday. With an opening of Rs. 10.05 crore, Udta Punjab also had the fifth biggest opening among Indian films released this year. Business has been super strong in the big metros so far.

#UdtaPunjab showed 11.94 % growth on Sat... Big city plexes are SUPER-STRONG... Biz-wise, Delhi, Punjab continue to perform BEST... contd. taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 19, 2016

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Film personalities like Kunal Kohli, Rajkumar Hirani, Guneet Monga and Ayushmann Khurrana has praised the film.

In a tweet, Shahid expressed his gratitude to the audience and gave a thumbs up to "honest and fearless cinema".

Humbled and thankful. Your love has been overwhelming. More power to honest fearless cinema. Thank you all. ????? Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) June 19, 2016

The makers of Udta Punjab had to fight numerous hurdles to get the film on screen. At first CBFC (Central Bureau of Film Certification) tried to halt the film's release by recommending 89 cuts that would severely damage the film's financial prospects as well as destroy its content and anti-drugs message.

The film, produced by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, is set around the menace of widespread drug abuse in Punjab and the state government's apathy and unwillingness to curb it.

Allegedly, the CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihanani, was acting to appease the ruling SAD-BJP government of Punjab, which has been accused in various quarters for turning a blind eye to the Punjab drug problem.

The film released countrywide on Friday after it was cleared by the Bombay High Court with only one cut and three disclaimers from the filmmakers. The irony of Pahlaj Nihalani calling the judgement a "victory of democracy" was not missed.

Udta Punjab also stars Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Satish Kaushik.



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Citing the example of Israel and other countries in this regard, 70-year-old Trump argued this is not the worst thing to do.

By PTI: In another controversial remark, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump today said that the US should start thinking about racial profiling to prevent incidents like the mass shooting in Orlando.

Citing the example of Israel and other countries in this regard, 70-year-old Trump argued this is not the worst thing to do.

"Well I think profiling is something that were going to have to start thinking about as a country," Trump told the CBS's Face the Nation in an interview.

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"Other countries do it, you look at Israel and you look at others, they do it and they do it successfully. And I hate the concept of profiling but we have to start using common sense and we have to use our heads," he argued.

TEMPORARY BAN ON MUSLIMS ENTERING THE US

Trump's comments come one week after 49 people were shot and killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Following the massacre, Trump renewed his calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US.

During the interview, Trump, said horrific incidents like Orlando shooting could be prevented if the Muslim community would report suspicious things.

"When you look at, when you look at people within the Muslim community and where people are living and they dont report, and a good example of that would be San Bernardino," he said.

"I mean, they had bombs all over their apartment floor and people saw it and nobody reported them, and 14 people were killed, many injured," he added.

TRUMP ON ORLANDO SHOOTER

Trump said Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, had red flags before the attack.

"You look at his past, I mean, I've never seen a past quite like that. You look at his record in school, you look at a lot of other things. There were a lot of red flags, this was not a very good young man," he said.

ANTI-GUN POLICY

Trump said he is working with the National Rifles Association (NRA) to develop a policy that people on no fly list would not be allowed to buy a gun.

"We understand there are problems with that because some people are on the terror watch list that shouldnt be on. So Im working with the NRA, were discussing it and again the NRA has the best interests of our country, it just has the absolute best interests of our country," he said.

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The Ministry of External Affairs was forced to issue a statement making it clear that the Indian envoy had no idea that Mallya would be at the event and had in fact left as soon as he spotted Mallya.

By Press Trust of India: Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna's presence at the event on Thursday where Vijay Mallya, an offender in a money laundering case, was spotted, sparked a row following which the Indian External Affairs Ministry on Saturday issued a clarification that Mallya was not on the list of invitees of the event organiser.

REACTION



Mallya on Sunday said he was not a "gate crasher", suggesting that he was invited to the book launch event here which was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner.

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"Never gate-crashed in my life... I am not a gatecrasher and would never be one," Mallya tweeted on Sunday, responding to the claims that he was not among the invitees.

The MEA had said the High Commissioner left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments when he spotted Mallya in the audience. The event was organised by the London School of Economics.

The disgraced business tycoon, who had walked in soon after the event started, tweeted, "I went for my friend - the author. Sat quietly with my daughter and listened. Headline news and unfounded speculation followed."

"No evidence, No chargesheet. Before claiming all this should I not be given a chance to pursue my legal remedies? Most unfair," he said.

Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seth's new book, attended the function with Mallya in the audience.

MEA RESPONSE



After the uproar over the issue, the MEA had said there were two clear segments to the June 16 event in question the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests.

"The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance.

"Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present," the MEA statement said.

ALSO READ:



King of good times Vijay Mallya's, journey from kinghood to bankruptcy

How Vijay Mallya flew to London via Delhi



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI) A woman doctor from Jalgaon district has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging she was "harassed" by the state Health Minister Deepak Sawants Personal Secretary, a charge denied by the official.

Sawants Personal Secretary (PS) Sunil Mali has rubbished her charges stating it as a "conspiracy to defame him".

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The 26-year-old doctor had recently claimed to have fully digitised a primary health centre (PHC), in terms of equipment and data, at Patonda village in Jalgaon district of the state.

"Mali asked inappropriate and personal questions from me for around two hours in the ministers ante-chamber, when I went to Sawant to give him a presentation on replicating her project across 1,800 PHCs across the state," the doctor alleged.

"In March, during the Budget session, I had given a presentation to Sawant to replicate the project across the states 1,800 PHCs. After the presentation, the ministers PS Sunil Mali kept me in the ministers ante-chamber for about two hours and asked me about my personal life against my wishes," she alleged.

"He tried to convince me that everyone needs a godfather in the government to get their projects implemented. I have complained to the Chief Minister and demanded his immediate ouster," she claimed.

Asked why she did not raise the issue for three months, the doctor said she feared that she would be transferred from the Patonda PHC.

"Now when some people have come forward to complain against him for his alleged involvement in corruption in transfer of officials, I mustered up the courage to speak up," she said.

Meanwhile, Mali said, "It is a conspiracy to defame me. All allegations levelled against me are baseless." PTI MM NRB ASV

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI) A woman doctor from Jalgaon district has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging she was "harassed" by the state Health Minister Deepak Sawants Personal Secretary, a charge denied by the official.

Sawants Personal Secretary (PS) Sunil Mali has rubbished her charges stating it as a "conspiracy to defame him".

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The 26-year-old doctor had recently claimed to have fully digitised a primary health centre (PHC), in terms of equipment and data, at Patonda village in Jalgaon district of the state.

"Mali asked inappropriate and personal questions from me for around two hours in the ministers ante-chamber, when I went to Sawant to give him a presentation on replicating her project across 1,800 PHCs across the state," the doctor alleged.

"In March, during the Budget session, I had given a presentation to Sawant to replicate the project across the states 1,800 PHCs. After the presentation, the ministers PS Sunil Mali kept me in the ministers ante-chamber for about two hours and asked me about my personal life against my wishes," she alleged.

"He tried to convince me that everyone needs a godfather in the government to get their projects implemented. I have complained to the Chief Minister and demanded his immediate ouster," she claimed.

Asked why she did not raise the issue for three months, the doctor said she feared that she would be transferred from the Patonda PHC.

"Now when some people have come forward to complain against him for his alleged involvement in corruption in transfer of officials, I mustered up the courage to speak up," she said.

Meanwhile, Mali said, "It is a conspiracy to defame me. All allegations levelled against me are baseless." PTI MM NRB ASV BAS

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: London/Melbourne, Jun 19 (PTI) Hundreds of thousands of yoga lovers from London to Melbourne have rolled out mats to bend and twist their bodies in complex postures to mark the second International Day of Yoga with fervour.

The High Commission of India and the Indian governments Tourist Office in London, in collaboration with 14 British yoga institutions marked International Day of Yoga today, two days ahead of its second anniversary.

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The day-long event at Potters Fields Park, near the iconic Tower Bridge, saw over 10,000 people from all walks of life participating in various yoga and meditation sessions.

In South Africa, thousands gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Hundreds of Yoga enthusiasts of all religions and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburgs Zoo Lake park.

The Indian High Commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg coordinated events with a host of community organisations.

The secondInternational Day of Yoga was also celebrated across major Australian cities including Canberra and Melbourne with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hailing yoga as one of Indias gifts to the world.

Turnbull commended Prime Minister Narendra Modisvision of supporting global peace and well-being and describedthe ancient practice of yoga as one of Indias gifts to the world and acknowledgedits aim to develop resilience, thoughtfulness, respect and harmony, towards each other and the world.

Meanwhile, in China a large number of yoga enthusiasts yesterday participated in events held across the country in association with the Indian Embassy to mark the celebrations leading up to the second International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Chinas Wuxi city organised the biggest yoga get together today in which 3,500 people took part.

The event was hosted at the iconic Wuxi Hollywood Studios and nearly 3,500 yoga lovers from Wuxi registered and participated.

In America, Indian classical dances and demonstration of popular yoga asanas on the lawns of magnificent US Congress yesterday kicked off the week-long International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Yoga enthusiasts and health conscious Americans turned up in large number to enjoy dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam and flex their muscles under the guidance of trained yoga instructors. PTI TEAM ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
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Southeast Community College is using another political subdivision as a guide in asking voters to consider a $369 million bond issue in November -- a first for community colleges in the state.

Since the Legislature merged Nebraskas junior colleges and vocational and technical schools into the community college system in 1971, none has asked voters for the authority to generate revenue through the sale of bonds.

And unlike K-12 school districts, municipalities and other political subdivisions, state statute doesnt give much instruction on how a bond issue for a 15-county community college district should be run, said Mike Rogers, an attorney working with SCC on the process.

In school district bond issue elections, many of which cross county lines, the county with the largest number of registered voters takes the lead. The other counties where the election appears on some ballots forward their certified votes to the larger county.

No such law exists prescribing a process for community colleges, but SCC, working with local and state election officials, will employ a method used by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District in a six-county bond election in May.

SCC will be responsible for coordinating with each election commissioner in the 15-county area before Sept. 1 to ensure the measure appears on the general election ballot.

After the election, each election commissioner will return their certified ballots to the SCC Board of Governors, who will then adopt a resolution to canvas the results and determine the elections outcome.

While the Secretary of States office will post unofficial results from the bond issue election to its website on Election Night, the results wont be made final until a few weeks after the election, likely by the Board of Governors December meeting.

SCC President Paul Illich, as well as other college administrators, have been working since March to provide information about the bond issue to community and civic groups, chambers of commerce, business leaders and others across the district.

At a board work session Wednesday, Illich said nearly 50 presentations have been made so far, with some 30 more scheduled, including a presentation to the Lincoln Chamber this week, and visits to several county boards throughout the remainder of the summer.

The plan is to be as active as we can in all 15 counties ahead of the Nov. 8 general election, Illich said.

The focus of those presentations is painting the bond issue as a measure that will allow SCC to expand its programming, and by extension, better serve potential students and employers in the area.

Under the plans laid out in SCCs facilities master plan, roughly $127 million of the $369 million bond issue would go toward new construction at the Beatrice campus; $88 million would be used to improve the Milford site; while the remainder of the bonds issued would pay for improvements to SCCs Lincoln campuses.

If approved by voters, SCC-Lincolns 88th and O streets site would become a hub for technical and vocation training, while the remainder would fund renovations to SCCs Education Square downtown, or toward the construction of a new campus in the Telegraph District, near 21st Street and Capitol Parkway.

Illich said if the bond issue passes, the tax levy for property owners in SCCs district could increase by 3.9 cents per $100 of valuation, meaning the owner of a $100,000 house would expect to pay $39 more in taxes each year.

SCC may not issue the full amount of bonds at one time, however, both to keep pressure off taxpayers and to allow the construction and renovation projects to be completed in phases.
CHICAGO -- The only thing worse than schlepping to the store to buy Mother's Day cards in May is enduring the search for a decent Father's Day card in June.

There's less selection -- it seems as though there are half as many to choose from -- and the tone of the cards is all over the map.

Out on a hunting expedition with my 14-year-old son, we pored over representations of Neanderthals swearing and images of pizza and beer.

There were innumerable cartoon dogs -- in suits, in laborer attire, in superhero costumes. And caricatures of aged, broken men illustrating the horrible physical aftereffects of decades of child rearing -- with plenty of vague references to kid-annoyance-induced drinking.

"All of these cards involve farts, butts or nose-picking," observed my son, who is not immune to the charms of these topics in certain well-timed contexts. But he was frustrated at not being able to find something right for either his dad or grandfather.

There were wildly crass cards such as the one with nothing more than a line drawing of a bull over the word "CRAP" on the cover. And laughably sappy ones: "It's not just mama bears who are fierce, devoted and protective. It's papa bears, too."

But it was the earnest ones that drove my son crazy. "All of these are either little kid-ish or weirdly serious," he complained. "And you can just tell by the font. I'm looking for a normal card but most of these are like, 'You are a good man.'"

He wasn't exaggerating -- some of the cards we took a pass on were oddly formal ("You are an important part of our family") or overly emotional for my crew.

On a separate expedition, my husband, shopping for a card for his own father, took a pass on gems like, "So often words just can't begin to show how much we feel within."

But mostly he felt the dark realities of society's view of fathers. "The subtext here is criticism," he noted. "Backhanded compliments, allusions to cheapness, goofiness and general incapacity. You'd never see that on Mother's Day cards."

According to Leonard Sax, author of the book "Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men," the degradation of the father figure in America has been happening for a long time.

"The stature of the father figure in the American family has taken a considerable tumble in the past 40 or 50 years. American popular culture illustrates this point dramatically. Forty years ago, television shows such as 'My Three Sons' with Fred MacMurray and 'Father Knows Best' with Robert Young were popular fare. The father figures played by MacMurray and Young were wise, caring and competent," wrote Sax.

"'The Simpsons' is now the longest-running sitcom in American history ... and shows no signs of slowing down despite (or because of?) the static nature of the lead characters. In particular, the father -- Homer Simpson -- is always an idiot, always a klutz, always the least intelligent character in any episode, with the possible exception of his son, Bart, or the family dog," Sax continued. "The popular image of the American father has been transformed from wise patriarch to bumbling buffoon. ... This transformation has muddled the idea of mature manhood in the minds of American boys."

And yet, the people who write these cards might want to rethink their messaging.

More than ever before, dads are dedicating themselves to being stay-at-home fathers, to being equal child care partners with moms and even taking the lead in caring for elderly parents.

And the people who want to acknowledge them on the third Sunday in June -- and who spent an estimated $12.7 billion on Father's Day last year -- aren't going to shell out money for pricey, crummy cards.

Considering how many dads are not active in their children's lives, we should encourage those who do play a role in their kids' upbringing.

Dads have been scientifically proven to positively influence their toddlers' language development skills, make for happier teens and contribute many other benefits to the family dynamic.

So skip the crass cards and err on the side of sappy. You'll never go wrong with a hug and an "I love you, Dad."
If you walk around downtown Lincoln, you will find hundreds of cigarette butts on the sidewalks. It's not for the lack of appropriate collection devices though.

At the State Office Building, no smoking signs are posted on the west and east sides of the building, with designated smoking areas, yet cigarette butts litter the sidewalk, especially on the West side.

What is sad is that most of the offenders are state employees! If you are a young or old smoker, please dispose of your cigarette butts properly.

Don Reinhart, Lincoln
A terrible tragedy yet again has struck our nation where a man used an assault weapon to murder 49 people and injure many more in an LGBTQ night club in Orlando, Florida. By all the evidence so far, the murderer was a homophobic man with ISIS sympathies who acted alone.

Mr. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the president, uses this horrible tragedy to accuse all Muslims in our country of harboring terrorists. Mr. Trump says that the Muslims know where the terrorists are.

As always, he blames President Barrack Obama for all that is wrong with our country, including this tragedy and wants him to resign.

Sitaram Jaswal, Lincoln
You could call Lincoln a government town. A university town.

But you could also call it a prison town.

Lincoln is home to four state prisons and a large county jail clustered in the southwest part of town.

And in the same area is the Lincoln Regional Center, a hospital where a locked unit in Building 5 treats 66 patients. Those patients have been ordered there by courts, which have ruled them not responsible by reason of insanity, or incompetent to stand trial.

For the most part, Lincoln's prison population is out of sight and out of the mind of many residents. Until something -- like an escape -- grabs headlines and attention.

But the state prisons here house more than 2,600 inmates -- mostly men, from those on work release to those in maximum security. The department also has plans to construct a $26 million, 148-bed addition to Lincoln's Community Corrections Center.

In addition, the Lancaster County jail detains an average daily population of about 566 men and women.

Lincoln's near total 3,200 inmate population would surpass the number of residents living in Valentine by 400.

Three state prisons in Omaha house fewer than 1,000. Just outside of Tecumseh, about 1,050 reside in the state's maximum security facility. The remaining state inmates are in York and McCook, with about 168 scattered in seven county jails.

The upside to hosting half of the state prison system population in Lincoln -- including the administrative offices on the Lincoln Regional Center campus -- is the economic boost the prison industry provides.

The wages that flow through the Department of Correctional Services are more than $100 million. At least half of that is distributed in Lincoln to workers at the four prisons and central administration, which also budgets for health workers and others.

Payroll at the Regional Center totals about $32 million, with about $8.5 million paid to workers in Building 5.

The prison system is a big employer. And while not all of Lincoln's Corrections workers live in Lincoln, many of them do, spending their money here and contributing to Lincoln's tax base.

There's a downside, too. A disproportionate number of released offenders, rather than going back home, stay either permanently or temporarily in Lincoln.

"We encounter that rather regularly," said Lincoln Public Safety Director Tom Casady.

That happens because they get jobs on work release and want to continue those jobs or find others where the opportunities are greater than smaller communities.

For some, their families or support systems are in Lincoln or move to Lincoln. Others just aren't comfortable returning to their hometowns.

"They can blend in and try to start over here in Lincoln," Casady said.

The majority of those released and who stay in Lincoln have limited financial support -- no or low incomes, at least for a time, he said. Services are more available here than in rural Nebraska, with re-entry and treatment programs, halfway houses and help with basic living needs and training.

But as a result, law enforcement in Lincoln probably shoulder a greater load per capita of ex-offenders, he said.

"And it's an unfortunate fact that recidivism rates are still pretty great," Casady said. "Although a lot of people do fine, there's still that big percentage of people who don't."

The Corrections Department statistics show that nearly a third of inmates -- 30 percent -- will either commit another crime within three years of release, or violate parole.

Law enforcement is notified when inmates are on work release, are paroled or released on furlough. There's no system to alert police or county deputies when someone is released from the Regional Center, Casady said.

Lawmakers and others involved in Corrections issues have for a number of years been concerned about the lack of sufficient programming -- substance abuse treatment, living skills, education, anger management, job training -- for inmates in the state's prisons. It's a factor in whether a released inmate will commit more crimes after release.

And then there are the occasional escapes, from the state prisons and the county jail. Timothy Clausen, 52, and 37-year-old Armon Dixon escaped June 10 from Lincoln Correctional Center. Dixon was captured the next day after assaulting two women in Lincoln. Clausen was not caught until Wednesday, in Omaha.

State Corrections records show 46 inmates listed as escaped, or with charges of escape. Seventeen of them had been housed in Lincoln prisons. A number, including Clausen and Dixon, are back in custody.

Lincoln police have investigated six escapes so far this year, in addition to the Clausen and Dixon incident. Two involved prisoners who did not return from work release, and two that bolted from juvenile probation officers while or after being moved, Casady said. The other two were people who had been arrested by police but took off running before they could be secured.

Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash said senators from this area tend to pay close attention to Corrections, even if they're not on the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.

The State Penitentiary, Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, Lincoln Correctional Center and Lancaster County jail, and the Lincoln Regional Center are all within three miles of Coash's house.

"Nobody thinks these facilities should be in another community," Coash said.

There's a good, committed work force here, which is good for the prisons.

"But it means we have to pay more attention to it because ... there are a lot of inmates in this community and a lot of former inmates in this community," Coash said. "We just have to keep that in mind as we make decisions about services, workforce."
Fire damages Taylor Avenue home Saturday

A fire Saturday afternoon on Taylor Avenue caused damage to the side of a home.

Firefighters responded to 1842 Taylor Ave. about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. It appeared damage was contained mostly to the exterior of the home, Racine Battalion Chief Jeff Saunders said Saturday afternoon.

Residents of the home were reportedly evacuated but no one was injured, Saunders said.

The investigation was still ongoing Saturday.

Besides the Racine Fire Department, the Racine Police Department, Racine Fire Bells and We Energies responded to the scene.

This weeks schedule for The Morning Show

KENOSHA  WGTD (91.1 FM) is owned and operated as a public service of Gateway Technical College and is an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio. For an updated schedule, visit its website at www.wgtd.org.

The Morning Show airs every weekday between 8:10 and 9 a.m. Following is a schedule of show topics for the coming week:

Monday  Sasha Chanoff, author of From Crisis to Calling, will join the show for World Refugee Day.

Tuesday  Ellen Fitzpatrick, author of The Highest Glass Ceiling, will discuss the history of women who have run for president.

Wednesday  Jazz Jennings, a transgender teen, will be the guest.

Thursday  A preview of Friday nights Racine Symphony Lakeside Pops concert.

Friday  The shows guest will be Bill Lascher, author of Eve of a Hundred Midnights: The Star-Crossed Love Story of Two WWII Correspondents and their Epic Escape across the Pacific.

Saturday  Programming includes Financial Overview at 9 a.m., Breakfast Bytes at 9:45 a.m., Education Matters at 10:30 a.m. and Community Matters at 11:15 a.m.

 Journal Times staff
RACINE  Educators Credit Union recently presented a $10,000 check to United Way of Racine County. The funds were presented on behalf of Alkami, the provider of Educators Credit Unions online banking platform.

Educators Credit Union won the innovation challenge at Alkamis annual conference in 2015, with an idea generated during an internal innovation challenge, called Tech IT Up a Notch. Teams of employees generated and planned new technology ideas during a two-day event at Educators Home Office. The winning idea was taken to Alkamis annual conference and won the innovation challenge and the donation to a charity of Educators choice.

The choice of United Way of Racine County to support the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program aligns well with Educators mission of financial literacy.

Helping people in the community learn more about how finances work, and to become financially stable, is an important part of Educators Credit Unions mission, said Mike Mikkelson, Educators chief information officer. We are proud to be helping out a great program, and to have done it with a focus on innovation and technology is a great way to keep the excitement going for Educators recent technological advances.

Rodney Prunty, United Way of Racine County president, said the donation will make a difference to people in the community.

This kind of support is so important to advancing financial stability in our community, he said. It is critical and it will help us reach our countywide goal of getting 2,000 people into financial self-sufficiency. We appreciate all the support that Educators provides and has provided over the years.
RACINE  A lawsuit filed against Curt Johnson two years ago by a former Racine County teen  and then-friend of the family  alleging he molested her has apparently been dismissed following a settlement.

According to a document obtained by The Journal Times last week, the lawsuit was dismissed on March 16 before going to trial.

Online court records describe the action as settlement/stipulation to dismiss  before trial.

The Journal Times was unable to get comments about the dismissal from attorneys for the plaintiff or defendant Curt Johnson, and court records did not indicate what the settlement was or if any money was involved.

Johnson, 61, is the former chairman of Diversey Inc. and a son of the late SC Johnson chairman Sam Johnson. When the lawsuit was filed it stated Johnson lived in Wind Point. Online court records for a joint divorce petition filed in April indicate that Johnson, an heir to the Johnson family household products fortune, now lives in Caledonia.

The lawsuit

Filed on July 15, 2014, the lawsuit accused Johnson of molesting the plaintiff  his stepdaughters childhood friend  on multiple occasions between March 2007 and July 2009.

The incidents allegedly occurred while the plaintiff  then about 12 to 13 years old  was on vacation with the Johnson family in Mexico and in the Bahamas, as well as in Johnsons Wind Point home.

The lawsuit alleged the teen had suffered severe psychological and emotional distress as a result of the abuse, and sought an unspecified amount in monetary damages.

(Johnson) would come in and fondle them while they were sleeping. Her and (Johnsons stepdaughter), according to a comment the plaintiffs attorney, Stephen Estey of the San Diego-based Estey & Bomberger, made to The Journal Times in September 2014.

Estey said the then-teen  who would be about 20 or 21 years old now  was very close friends with Johnsons stepdaughter, whom the billionaire was convicted of molesting on June 6, 2014, following a plea agreement.

Reaction

Speaking to The Journal Times for the same September 2014 story, Johnsons criminal defense attorney, Mark Richards, denied the accusations, noting that such types of spurious allegations were not uncommon in cases involving high-net-worth individuals.

(The teen) is a troubled person with an admitted history of stealing from Mr. Johnson and his family, he claimed of the stepdaughter's friend. We have been aware of (the girls) claims since March 2011 when they were made, reviewed by the Racine County District Attorneys Office and rejected, Richards said. These claims are unequivocally and demonstratively false. We intend to vigorously defend him.

Racine County prosecutors charged Johnson in March 2011 with repeated sexual assault of a child  a felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison  after allegations surfaced that Johnson molested his stepdaughter.

The case experienced a number of delays as it was appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Johnson eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges  fourth-degree sexual assault of a child and disorderly conduct  in connection with the case. He was sentenced to four months in jail and was also ordered to pay a $6,000 fine.
DNR reviewing

another 5,300 acres

for possible sale

MADISON The state Department of Natural Resources has identified more land it might sell.

DNR officials announced Friday theyre reviewing 5,300 acres across 37 counties for potential sale. The agency plans field reviews of the land and expects to bring final sale recommendations to the Natural Resources Board in late September.

The agency has to put 3,000 more acres on the market to meet a 2013-15 state budget mandate to put 10,000 acres up for sale by mid-2017 to pay down stewardship debt. Since June 2014 the board has authorized selling 7,000 acres. Doug Haag, the DNRs facilities and land bureaus deputy director, says the agency has sold about 440 of those acres so far, generating $965,700.

VA doctor accused of overprescribing

has set up practice

MADISON A former Wisconsin VA doctor accused of overprescribing opiates has set up a private psychiatry practice as disciplinary proceedings against him drag on.

Dr. David Houlihan was fired from the Tomah VA Medical Center in November following a federal investigation. Wisconsins Medical Examining Board is now investigating his practices and the overdose death of a patient.

Physicians are typically allowed to keep their licenses during investigations, but veterans advocates have raised concerns about Houlihan. Some patients referred to him as candy man for allegedly handing out excess narcotics.

The board suspended his license in March, saying he was dangerous. An administrative law judge later reinstated it.

The clinics website lists Houlihan as its only doctor. The clinic hung up when called by The Associated Press. Houlihans attorney didnt return messages.

Feds arrest 39

as part of multi-state immigration sweep

MADISON  Federal authorities have arrested nearly three dozen people in Wisconsin as part of a multi-state sweep targeting immigrants living illegally in the U.S. previously convicted of crimes and other immigration violators.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a news release Friday saying the operation began May 9 and wrapped up Monday. It covered Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas and Missouri.

Authorities arrested 331 people, including 39 in Wisconsin. Thirty-seven are from Mexico, one is from Cuba and one is from El Salvador. A dozen were arrested in Green Bay, five in Milwaukee and five in Sturgeon Bay. Arrests took place in 15 other Wisconsin cities.

Immigrant group Voces de la Frontera issued a statement saying such sweeps traumatize families and make immigrants afraid to report crimes to police.

Trek president Burke

says hes not planning political run

MADISON  The president of Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycle says hes not planning a run for office, even though hes just written a book about politics.

John Burke tells the Wisconsin State Journal in a story published Friday (http://tinyurl.com/h26f4cb ) that he is just offering up his ideas in his new book 12 Simple Solutions to Save America.

Burkes sister Mary Burke ran as a Democrat for Wisconsin governor in 2014. The 54-year-old John Burke describes himself as a political independent.

His book is a mixture of liberal and conservative policy prescriptions. Burke lives in Madison and says he has spent the past five years working on the book.

Burke declined to say who he will vote for as president in November.
Bihar ban leads to booze biz boom in border towns

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Colorado mother rescues son from mountain lion's mouth

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Construction of bridge over Baruwa river completed

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Corruption vs anti-corruption

Both bribe takers and givers may benefit from a transaction but it is society that suffers
Cycle rally organised in Kathmandu for refugees

A cycle rally was jointly organised by United Nations Comissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Cycle City Network Nepal in Kathmandu on Sunday.
EU referendum: Campaigns resume with new warning

Leaving the EU would be a "one-way door to a much more uncertain world", Chancellor George Osborne has said.
Far western review

Cursed by geography but blessed with scenic beauty, the region has great tourism potential
Fears of representation turning into tokenism

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Govt introduces Online Media Directive

In an apparent bid aimed at regulating the mushrooming online media, the government on Sunday made public the Online Media Operation Directive 2073.
Help reaches very few survivors even as 2nd monsoon begins

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has provided the first instalment of the housing reconstruction grant to less than one-tenth of the affected population even as survivors endure a second monsoon since the Gorkha earthquake in temporary shelters.
Liam Hemsworth would give up acting to surf

Actor Liam Hemsworth says he would give up anything to pursue his passion for surfing.
Maoist Centre in bid to take a leaf out of CPN-UML book?

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NMA decries arrests of on-duty doctors

Urges the govt not to show any inhumane behaviour in the name of legal action
Only unity govt can hold polls: Dahal

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that only a national consensus government can hold the elections.
Poland abortion: March to defend rights in Warsaw

Several thousand people have demonstrated in Warsaw against a proposal for an almost total ban on abortions in Poland.
Present government continues until national consensus: MJF-L

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Protesters gather for anti-US military rally in Okinawa

Crowds are gathering on the Japanese island of Okinawa to protest against the heavy US military presence there.
Rape victim has nightmares

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Realigning justice

Presently, the SC finds itself with only eight judges, although the stipulation is that there should be at least 20. Moreover, at a given time, only around five judges are available in the bench
Stock market jumps 34.98 points

Stockbrokers attribute the rise to increasing transactions in line with growing absorption capacity and other policy factors
Students utterly at sea over SLC results

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Id done the climb  endlessly, it seemed, up a rope ladder. Now I got to do the time  in the crows-nest of the Star Flyer. The best seat in the house if you wanted to drink in the glorious Mediterranean scenery.

The panoramas were as advertised: stunning. And in the evening light, the setting began to seem downright surreal.

But the sight that really stunned me, the one I could barely believe, was right below me, as I peered over the railing of the crows-nest. My friend Lisa, head down, knuckles white, slowly climbing the narrow rope ladder toward me.

Lisa, who gets her adrenaline rushes within the safe confines of museums and good restaurants. Lisa, whose favorite outdoor activity is tanning. Lisa, who Ive never seen ascend anything higher than the 10 steps between her den and her second floor. Well, shed broken that record about 15 rungs ago.

Just then she looked up  no doubt wondering just how many more of those stupid rope rungs she had to deal with. Her white jacket hood was tightly cinched against the wind, leaving only her face and the expression on it: a mixture of fright, determination and what-the-heck-am-I-doing-here.

I knew that look, those feelings, only too well. Been there, sweated and cursed and shook with fear and doubted my sanity  done all that  thanks to a lifetime of travels.

Because thats when these crazy what-am-I-doing-here situations seem to most frequently occur. When youve walked out your front door and headed for somewhere  anywhere  else. It could be Kathmandu or it could be Kansas. Its unfamiliar, full of strangers, and your daily routines are completely irrelevant. Travel provides the perfect opportunity to reinvent, or at least reconsider, yourself, your life, your direction. In fact, more and more of us are seeking out just such transformative vacations and experiences.

No doubt many of you have had a few of these pivotal experiences. A time when youve found yourself stepping outside your normal behavior and your usual comfort zone and doing something a little scary. Doing something youd never imagine youd actually do.

It could be jumping from a plane.

It could be stepping up to a long, long rope ladder  even with benefit of a safety harness  and putting your foot on first one rung, then the next.

As my friend Lisa was doing on that memorable Wednesday in May in the Mediterranean.

Experience is the word

Todays word is  experience. Or experiences, or experiential.

Travelers want to experience, not sit back and go sightseeing. At least, in theory, they want to get out of their comfort zones by trying new things, meeting people of different cultures, eating strange food and engaging in activities that might be a little  scary. (The proliferation of zip-line courses is one example of a little scary.)

So travel providers are coming up with ways to meet these wants. Hence, the mast-climbing aboard the Star Flyer cruises. Or, on the 4,000-passenger variety of cruise, activities such as kayaking excursions or land tours by mountain bike to remote villages.

Hotels are jumping on the trend, too. Once set on keeping their guests entertained on-site, they now serve as portals to the local community and culture. Four Seasons Hotels now offers its Extraordinary Experiences programs, with a locals perspective on the destination. For instance, in Japan, guests can climb Mount Fuji with a personal guide selected by the hotel. At Four Seasons Maldives, they can swim with manta rays in the company of marine scientists.

MGM Resorts International offers members of its M life club a long list of exclusive activities through its new M life Moments  experiences, like diving with sharks at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino or participating in a marshmallow-tossing lesson with members of the experimental musical theater troupe Blue Man Group.

Other chains, including Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Marriott Hotels have started similar programs, organizing anything from a hot-air-balloon ride to apprenticing with a local chef.

Travelers today may be on the right track with this experience stuff.

Recent research seems to indicate that money can buy happiness  if you spend it on the right things. And that doesnt mean things as in possessions but as in experiences.

Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, found that while both material and experiential purchases might initially make people happy, the joy of the object soon faded, while the experiences continued to provide happiness through memories long after the event.

A little discomfort is good

When Id first told Lisa that one of the activities on our cruise was climbing to the crows-nest, she just laughed. As in why? When she told her husband about it, he said, What are you, 10 years old in summer camp? Nor had she changed her mind as I left her to get in line for my turn to climb.

What happened?

I looked at everyone else doing it, Lisa later explained, and I thought if they could do it, so could I.

It may just be the thrill of doing something a little risky and living to tell the tale. But most of the time, the payoff is something more. A realization, a shift in perspective, a memory that makes you shake your head every time you revisit it.

Like the day I went tandem hang-gliding from a 1,400-foot cliff on Canadas Gaspe Peninsula with my guide, a bear-like man who spoke no English and who had just come from lunch at a bar. A few false starts, but finally I ran off that cliff and into thin air. Afterward, I sat on the beach as night approached and watched the seagulls, this time knowing how they felt with the wind beneath their wings.

Or the time I held a leopard in my arms on a rescue run with AfriCats in Namibia. A farmer had live-trapped the animal instead of killing it as he had done with past predators on his sheep farm. He called AfriCats, the organization that had offered to relocate these big cats free.

After a vet hit the huge creature with a tranquilizer dart and it was out cold, we got close enough to touch its paws, to watch it breathe, to wonder over its muscles and glistening coat and whiskers and wet nose.

Youd think that would be enough. But then everyone wanted a picture of themselves holding the cat. I thought it was stupid and not a good thing for the leopard. Until I was standing there  staggering really  200-pound leopard draped over my arms and the picture was snapped. I can conjure the weight of that leopard and his massive, solid body to this day.

Later, the leopard we rescued gnawed his way out of his crate.

The same night, we went camping in the desert. The leaders of our group had said we would get to spend a night under the stars in the desert during my stay.

I thought: Pigs have wings. I couldnt imagine that with my fear of snakes  and they have big and deadly ones in Namibia  I would actually stay outside where snakes might slither. A week later, that was exactly where I was. Pigs didnt fly, not one, that night, as I gazed up from my sleeping bag in the Namibian desert at a sky so heavy with stars I expected it might come crashing down on us all.

Hey, anything can happen, when youre traveling.

A little discomfort may be good for you.

The so-called happiness hormone dopamine is released by the brain when we experience something new. It aids in learning and also helps form memories. And at least some researchers say that participating in such new activities can help prevent Alzheimers disease.

An estimated 60 percent to 80 percent of Americans have low levels of serotonin, a hormone the body needs at sufficient levels for emotional stability, a positive outlook and outgoing social behavior. Sunlight, spending time in natural places such as forests, parks, mountains, or the shore, and engaging in revitalizing activities all increase serotonin levels. In other words, researchers have found that a vacation  especially of the transformational variety  will get that serotonin spurting.

Comfort and sticking to the status quo are deadly to creativity, productivity and motivation. Your brain needs novelty to grow and remain challenged. Mind exercises such as crossword puzzles and sudoku go only so far  they depend on stuff you already know.

Psychologists and researchers say your mind needs to learn new things and face new challenges to stay healthy. When you try new experiences or step up to new challenges, your mind grows  actually, your brain grows, literally making new connections, visible on a brain scan.

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No trip is all good or all bad, but I had one recently that was more the latter than the former.

It should have been easy: Fly to Kansas late on a Tuesday, attend a gathering on Wednesday and come home that afternoon. Didnt quite work out the way I had hoped  not for me or hundreds of other airline passengers.

In that 36 hours, I learned things that may help fliers and road-trippers. Here are eight things to consider as youre planning a trip that involves flying. and/or driving. One of them could save your life.

If youre flying, one word: nonstop. Connecting (change of planes) flights may be cheaper, but if nonstop service is an option, take it. (Mine wasnt an option.) A connecting flight  or even a direct (stop, no change of plane) flight heightens the chances of trouble wherever you land.

If you cant do nonstop, try connecting through Salt Lake City. At least, thats what the Bureau of Transportation statistics for January-May 2015 would suggest, citing the Utah city as having the best record of on-time arrivals.

Perhaps more useful, take a look at www.lat.ms/ontime to see where the arrival time trouble spots were in 2015 and 2014. Dallas was 26th out of 30 airports for on-time arrivals in that January-May 2015 time frame but came in at No. 9 for 2014.

I bumped up those stats against historic weather information for both years from Weather Underground: In 2015, Dallas had 81 weather events (rain, thunderstorms, fog or snow) and 40 for the same period in 2014. This year, Dallas has had more than 50 days of weather-related events from January to May.

Places with unpredictable weather are not the fliers friend. Thats borne out by the blog fivethirtyeight.com, which analyzed which cities had the most variable weather. Winner: Rapid City, S.D.

Among more populated areas: Kansas City, Mo., was No. 1; Dallas came in at No. 10, with an unpredictability index of 71, the blog noting that Scores in the 70s indicate above-average unpredictability.

All in all, a high unpredictability index or a below-average on-time arrival ranking means trouble. Plan accordingly. I did not.

If you must be somewhere, dont take the last flight of the day. I wanted to stay at work as long as I could (no, Im not just saying that, Boss) so a 4:30 p.m. flight seemed just the ticket. Fly to Dallas, connect to a regional flight and arrive just before midnight in Wichita, Kan.

Because of weather in Dallas, I was delayed leaving LAX and then sat on the runway in Dallas  as my flight to Wichita took off.

It was the last flight of the day. I had to be in Wichita by 9:30 a.m. Uh-oh.

Before your flight takes off, jot down or store in your phone the airline rebook number. As my flight sat on the runway in Dallas awaiting a gate, I called (we were allowed to use cellphones), and thats how I learned I wasnt making that flight to Wichita or any other flight that got me there or near (Oklahoma City or Manhattan, Kan.). I also learned that the first available flight from Dallas to Wichita was 4:25 p.m. the next day. No dice.

I wanted to yell at someone but I vowed I would 

Try not to yell at gate agents or anyone else. Theyre not Mother Nature. Furthermore, imagine being yelled at hundreds of times a day for something thats not your fault. It makes them defensive, which can escalate a situation; your ire solves nothing.

And remember, airlines in this country are not responsible for getting you a hotel room if the misconnect is weather-related, so youre on your own.

Agents cannot change whats happened, and unless you have super-elite status, youre not going to get rebooked on another airlines flight, if one exists, especially if youre acting ugly.

Four of us arrived too late to make our flight. Three of us spent the time yelling at the gate agent, while the fourth one (me) was figuring out which rental car counter was still open so I could drive the final 320 miles.

As you make your way to the rental car counter  whether youve missed your flight or youre taking a spur-of-the-moment road trip, use your cellphone (or call) to reserve your car.

Your car rental tab may be less expensive than if you had reserved at the counter, but more important, it should save you time. I arrived at Hertz around midnight, and my car was waiting for me. (Im not a Hertz elite member so I have no special privileges other than being a customer.)

Make sure you call the airline and safeguard your return ticket. If you are a no-show for a flight, very often the airline will cancel the return part of your ticket.

Yes, it wasnt my fault that I was a no-show, but the airline couldnt know that; the agent who took my call as I tried to find my way out of the maze that is Dallas promised me she would make sure I still had a return ticket, and I did.

Finally, undertaking such a drive  or any drive  requires alertness. I was tired, and it was dark. I was practically begging for trouble.

The number of people who report driving while drowsy is astounding, said Dr. Arash Tirandaz, chief executive of Internal Medicine Associates of Plano, Texas.

One in 25 adult drivers reports falling asleep (at the wheel) during the previous 30 days, he said, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stats that also show that more than 72,000 crashes a year are caused by sleepy drivers.

Among the signs of drowsy driving the CDC noted: blinking rapidly, yawning, drifting from your lane, difficulty remembering the last few miles driven, missing your exit, hitting the rumble strips at the side of the road.

I exhibited all of those signs, except for missing an exit, but only because I never exited until I stopped for coffee 30 miles from my destination. I promptly poured it in my lap, which kept me awake the rest of the trip.

My technique for staying awake before that: opening the window, tuning in to a radio station that played rock songs of my youth and screaming the lyrics the last 200 miles of the trip.

Better idea, Tirandaz said: pulling over and taking a brief snooze.

Even if (drivers) are only able to take a 15- to 20-minute nap, that can make a big difference in their energy level, he said.

Would it have mattered if I had arrived at 5:50 a.m. instead of 5:30? No. A power nap might have helped. Given that I was going to a funeral, to have put my life and the lives of others at risk now seems ironic, never mind stupid and careless.

My story ended OK  this time. I wont drive drowsy again. In fact, I hope not to make any of these mistakes again but remember what helped (taking down the rebook number, not yelling at agents, booking a car before arriving, safeguarding my reservation) and what didnt, including soaking myself to the skin with spilled uber-hot coffee. Painful? A bit. But not as painful as the drive could have been.
A sunny afternoon took a sinister turn on Saturday during the Dark La Crosse trolley tour. Tales of murder, ghosts and prostitution gave patrons a taste of La Crosses more sordid history.

Barry McKnight of the La Crosse Public Librarys Archives Department narrated the tour, intoning, Our dark nature is everywhere. You cant avoid it.

McKnight first directed the audiences attention to the red-light district, located on Pearl Street from 1850 to 1915. Men traveling the Mississippi River in the lumber industry kept 40 to 50 brothels in business.

A few blocks away on Fourth Street, where the Tree Huggers Co-op is now housed, Teds Barbershop was visited by Public Enemy No. 1 John Dillinger, while his accomplice George Baby Face Nelson waited in the car out front. Dillinger, a gangster, bank robber and celebrity of sorts led string of bank robberies in the Midwest in the 1930s. He casually walked in for a shave, guns lining his leather jacket.

Another barbershop, which occupied the Casino Bar building in 1932, was the scene of the suicide of Paul Johnston. After his wife Francis left him, he saw her at the local races, canoodling with a few jockeys. Johnston followed them in his car and shot at the jockeys and his ex-wife, then returned to his shop, leaving suicide notes for both Francis and the police before turning the gun on himself. Pauls ghost is said to haunt the Casino Bar, which opened a year later.

McKnight cites the shooting of La Crosse Republican Party leader Frank Burton, and the subsequent lynching of his killer, Nathaniel Scotty Mitchell, as the most shocking event covered during the tour.

Mitchell pumped 10 bullets into Burtons body, perhaps because he was angry about being denied a work leave. Mitchell was dragged from the jail by a mob of angry townsfolk, who strung him to a tree. After the first rope broke, they tried again and left Mitchells dead body at the feet of the local sheriff.

Its amazing that there were so many witnesses to the lynching, yet no one would come forward with names, McKnight marveled. These were middle class, upstanding citizens who hung him, and no one was ever charged.

The 1899 murder of William Curren has it all, according to McKnight. Its his favorite. Social commentary, politics, gender, public influence. Its fascinating.

John C. Miller, son of prominent local figure August Miller, stabbed Curren after a confrontation outside a saloon, now the location of the Pump House. Several prostitutes who witnessed the incident vouched for Millers guilt, and the prosecution opened with a seven hour statement at the trial. Miller claimed self defense, and was only charged with second-degree manslaughter.

At this point in the tour, surprise guest Kelly Krieg-Sigman, La Crosse Public Library director, boarded the trolley. Dressed in a feathered hat and waving a fan, she spoke as prostitute Hazel Winter. Winter was outraged that Miller got off easy because of his fathers influence in the community. Krieg-Sigman paraded down the aisle, addressing passengers as though they were townspeople in 1900.

Current events are often the same as historical events, McKnight said of societal bias and crime. La Crosse was a rough town, especially from the 1870s through the 1970s.

The library will introduce new content in the fall for its recounting of historical crime.

There is actually an over-abundance of material, McKnight said. People have this rosy view of the past as being cleaner, nicer, but thats not really the case.

The Dark La Crosse tours are recommended for ages 15 and older. Reservations can be made by calling 608-782-2366. Tickets are $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for teens.

Tours will run June 11, 18, 25; July 9, 16, 23, 30; and Aug. 5, 6, 12, 13, 20, 27.
HOLMEN  In Laurie Kesslers office, next to a few bouquets of flowers, sat a platter of chocolate chip and M&M cookies. Later in the day, the last of the school year for Holmen High School and the last of Kesslers career as a guidance counselor there, she would bring those cookies to the final meeting of her grief group  a group she organized 15 years ago that gives students whove suffered the loss of loved ones the opportunity to talk through their problems together.

And enjoy cookies, compliments of their counselor and friend.

Nobody else gets what they get, Kessler said. Nobody gets what its like to get your drivers license and not have your parent there to help you.

This grief group is one of the many examples of Kessler putting her students interests and needs above her own. Described by colleagues as giving, selfless, and a natural leader, Kesslers 36 years in the Holmen School District ended June 3.

For more than three decades (the first few years as a music teacher and the last 25 as a counselor), Kessler has embraced the emotional highs and lows of high schoolers, providing support when her students needed it most. From losses of family members to losses of boyfriends and girlfriends, she asks all her distraught students three simple questions: Whats getting in your way of being a great student? Whats in the way of you living your dream? And what do we have to do to get you there?

Born in 1956 to a close-knit family, Kessler grew up in Bloomington, Wis.  a small, teeny town, as she described it. She said the village of a little more than 700 people gave her a solid foundation and helped build her empathetic approach to counseling, as it taught her how to treat her students like family.

I always think, If this were my family, what would I do? Then it makes it easier; it sort of guides your path if you treat every kid like theyre yours, she said.

Her hometown, familial attitude affects more than just her students.

I would do anything for Laurie, Heather Franzini, a fellow counselor at Holmen High School, said.

Kelli Korneta, a counselor who worked with Kessler for a year as an intern and then a year as a colleague, also had nothing but praise.

I describe her as a hummingbird. She just buzzes around and makes a difference wherever she goes, Korneta said. Shes one of the best people Ive not only ever worked with, but one of the best people Ive ever met.

The amount of praise heaped upon her from colleagues is inspiring, especially given the trying nature of her work. Aside from the obvious emotional challenges that come with the job, Kessler said one of the biggest challenges high school counselors face today is the widespread nature of social media.

(The students) are so mean to each other on there. So mean, Kessler said. I sound really old when I say that, but something is being lost. If I hurt you, I need to apologize to your face. I have to be accountable for that. Its just wild, the whole thing.

But thats just a minor hiccup. Being a counselor comes with its perks, of course.

The most rewarding part of her job, she said, is helping years of students figure it out. They flounder and then they get it. And something great happens to them or they find that passion.

Although shes retiring from her position at the high school, she plans to use her experience and her natural generosity as an education coordinator at Viterbo University in La Crosse, where she hopes to get people excited about teaching again  because we need that.

I need to learn as much as I can about Viterbo and the program so I can help (future students) become the best teachers ever. Because thats what were after. No room for mediocre here; weve got to have great teachers.

Despite the transition, she said she will keep a connection to Holmen through the prospective Holmen Area Community Center, of which she is a co-chair and has been volunteering to help create for the past decade.

After two tragic student deaths at Holmen High School, Kessler asked students to show up to a meeting if they, or someone around them, were affected by depression. She said more than 200 students showed up, and after listening to them, she realized that Holmen does not have a place for our kids to be after school and in the evening.

After continuing community conversations, Kessler found that it was more than just students who needed a place to congregate. Senior citizens, in a growing community like Holmen, she said, needed a place that draws people together as well.

Think of what great things could happen if we used the wisdom of the seniors to help the teens. Theres boatloads of possibilities, she said, emphasizing the centers intergenerational theme.

The proposed 22,000-square-foot facility would include a full gym ringed with a three-lane walking track, a teen and community center, and several multi-purpose gathering rooms.

Working to create the community center has been exciting, but she said its time to raise the dang money. Her group has raised about half of the $4.4 million needed.

In describing the projects vision and, without knowing it, her career as a counselor, Kessler said, Healthy communities take care of the people who are most vulnerable, she said

To see the projects plans or donate to it, go to www.holmencc.org.

I describe (Laurie Kessler) as a hummingbird. She just buzzes around and makes a difference wherever she goes. Shes one of the best people Ive not only ever worked with, but one of the best people Ive ever met. Kelli Korneta
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson doesn't sound so sure that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.

At least that's what he was saying in an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

Host Dana Bash asked Johnson about a statement he made in Eau Claire in May in which he said he was going to endorse the GOP nominee, and that it appeared that was going to be Trump. Johnson later backed off that statement.

In the interview aired Sunday, Johnson cast some doubt on the inevitability of Trump being on top of the Republican ticket in November.

"It's been my intention to support the Republican nominee, and again, nobody can predict the outcome of this thing. I think things remain reasonably uncertain," Johnson said. "But it's my intention to support."

Bash again asked whether Johnson was endorsing Trump, who last month reached the 1,237 delegates needed for the Republican nomination.

"I intend to support the Republican nominee and certainly support the areas of agreement: growing our economy, defeating ISIS, strengthening our military, securing our border," Johnson said. "No two people agree 100 percent on everything. So I'll support the areas of agreement."

Republicans have reportedly been considering ways of allowing delegates to become unbound to Trump at the convention in an effort to prevent him from officially getting the nomination.

But what's the difference between supporting and endorsing? Bash tried to clarify the issue with Johnson.

"To me, endorsement is a big embrace," Johnson said. "It basically shows that I pretty well agree with an individual on almost everything. That's not necessarily going to be the case with our nominee. So I'll certainly be an independent voice  where I disagree with a particular nominee, I'll voice that. Whether it's Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or anybody else, I'll voice those disagreements and I'll certainly support the areas of agreement."

Johnson, a first-term senator from Oshkosh who chairs the Senate Homeland Security committee, trailed Democratic challenger Russ Feingold by nine points among likely voters in a Marquette Law School Poll released last week.

Republicans have expressed concerns about the effects Trump and his high polling negatives could have on Senate races, but Johnson steered the conversation in a different direction when Bash asked about the subject.

"Dana, we just began our campaign," he said. "I know my opponent announced over a year ago. He's so desperate to return to the United States Senate. I'm actually accomplishing things. I've been approaching this campaign, I'm doing my job as the chairman of the Senate committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. It's a serious responsibility. I take it seriously. So I'm not really looking at the polls right now. Remember six years ago, I didn't even announce  didn't even decide to run for Senate about six months out. It's about the same position we're in right now. So again, I'm not worried about polls. I'm just going to do my job."
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